CSA Wk 13, August 30

After finishing packing up bags today, we washed all of our picking bins. It was so colorful, we wanted to show you :-)

Ever wondered what it would be like to get a CSA bag every day of the week? That's basically what the garden has been like for me the past two weeks. I pick, pick, pick, but there is always more. It's a bit overwhelming actually, but I have put so much hard work into it, I refuse to let any much of it go to waste. Last week we had meals revolving around it, but this week I decided to store up. Which means we haven't been doing much in the realm of meals as I have been too busy doing this to actually cook.

The rows are 3 jars deep, some double stacked. And this is just what I've been doing with the cukes. You may have noticed a big crock jar of pickles in the CSA fridge too. I've got more to go!

I've also been freezing beans, and a new project a friend turned me on to, making veggie burgers for the freezer. There are pictures and a "recipe" below if you are interested.

Another full week. We'll see how long it lasts, until it dwindles down and your bags get more of the size they were in the spring.

1/2 size:
Russian Banana Fingerlings
Small Watermelon - Some are yellow skinned, some green, some striped
Cukes
Zucchini
Carrots
Cabbage - some purple, some green
Beans
Rainbow Swiss Chard
Kale
Broccoli
Radishes
Chinese Greens
Cilantro - the first time this has appeared in the CSA. It is used fresh in a lot of Mexican cooking. Sometimes in other ethnic foods, the dried seed pods of this plant are used, and it's called coriander. I add this to slaws and all sorts of other dishes, with some lime and onion, for a great Mexican flair.

Full Size:
Russian Banana Fingerlings
Small Watermelon - Some are yellow skinned, some green, some striped
Cukes
Zucchini
Zuchetta - this is a light green, long summer squash. It is an Italian heirloom seed, and is like a firm zucchini without the seeds. It is superior, in my opinion, to all other summer squashes :-) You can use it as you would zucchini, but expect it to be firmer, crisp, not mushy.
Carrots
Cabbage - some purple, some green
Romanesco Broccoli - like a cross between broccoli and cauliflower, with a funky shape.
Beans
Yellow Romano Beans
Sugar Snap Peas - I found this special treat after posting they were done for the season. I went to pull the plants and found enough to share.
Rainbow Swiss Chard
Kale
Chinese Greens
Cherry Tomatoes Tomatillos - these are basically a green tomato in a husk, but they never "ripen". They are used in Mexican cooking primarily. Make a salsa verde along with your cilantro.
Tomatoes
Cilantro - the first time this has appeared in the CSA. It is used fresh in a lot of Mexican cooking. Sometimes in other ethnic foods, the dried seed pods of this plant are used, and it's called coriander. I add this to slaws and all sorts of other dishes, with some lime and onion, for a great Mexican flair.

I also threw a package of organic lo mein noodles in your bags (I had MANY in my pantry) and would be great added to a stir fry with your Chinese greens and peas or something like that :-)

Veggie Burgers

I started with 3 big zukes and 3 summer squash. I shredded it along with 6 carrots and 2 onions.

I used the food processor to chop up a bunch of rainbow chard and kale (without the ribs) and a bunch of garlic, basil, oregano, and chives. Then I mixed that with 4 eggs and a bunch of breadcrumbs, some salt and pepper.

It isn't a real recipe, but if you can cook, you just adjust it to what you have. This was A LOT of veggies, and it made 40 of these.

CSA Wk 12, August 23

This weeks shares all have some new items I want to take time to write about. They are as follows:

Squash - Carnival, Sweet Lightning, Acorn, & Gold Nugget - Attractive & Edible! They will store for several months if you don't feel like using right away, and still maintain an excellent eating quality. Their flavor is all somewhat similar. These can all be cooked by cutting into quarters, scraping out the seeds, then roasting until soft. A little butter and maple syrup added before roasting makes them extra special. Yummy!

Kohlrabi - this can be one of those intimidating vegetables if you haven’t seen it before. It has the look of a spaceship, with a taste like crunchy broccoli stems with hints of radish. The name kohlrabi comes from the German kohl, meaning cabbage, and rabi, or turnip, and that kind of sums it up. The round bulb is a swollen stem that grows above ground. Kohlrabi can be eaten raw. Peel the outer skin with a paring knife. Slice, dice, or grate, and add to salads. Use on raw vegetable platters or serve with a creamy dip. Substitute in recipes calling for radishes. Grated kohlrabi can be added to slaw, but lightly salt it first and let stand for several minutes. Squeeze to remove any excess water before adding dressing. Kohlrabi can also be steamed or boiled. For this preparation don’t peel until after they are cooked. Steam or boil until bulbs are tender, peel skin, and season with butter, salt, and pepper, a cheese sauce, or just enjoy plain. If the leaves attached to the kohlrabi bulb are fresh and green, they can be enjoyed as a cooked green. Wash the leaves and remove the ribs. Blanch in boiling water until just wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze excess water from leaves. Chop leaves, then saute in a little olive oil or butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of vinegar or squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

The cherry tomato mix contains several different varieties as you have witnessed. New this week is one called Green Doctor, and as you may have figured out by now, it is green. I didn't want you to think we were picking you unripe produce so wanted to explain that. Each variety has a unique flavor, and some are sweeter than others. I love to cut them in half, rip up some basil, add some fresh mozzarella, and then S&P, EVOO and it's a delicious lunch or a side dish for dinner. I have also added that exact thing to pasta to make it a main course at dinner.

Full shares got a new carrot variety. Unlike the regular elongated carrot, this variety is spherical and about one and one-half inches to two inches in diameter. Orange in color, the flavor is wonderfully sweet. Round carrots are especially prized in gourmet cuisine.

Full shares also got pattypan squash, which is a summer squash variety. They can be light green or yellow, and look like a flat spaceship (not like the kohlrabi that looks like one with legs). They can be used just like any other summer squash. One of my favorite recipes with summer squash in a casserole on Martha Stewart's website. It was originally in a magazine and my sister found it, maybe 8 years ago, and I make it every year over and over again.
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/squash-casserole

No chard this week (not sure if you meet that with tears or jeers). I made that chard/sausage lasagna recipe I posted a couple weeks ago for our family reunion this weekend and needed 6 lbs, so used it all up until it grows back :-)

So here are the actual lists:

1/2 Size:
Squash
Kohlrabi
Red Potatoes
Beets
Cukes
Garlic
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomato
Basil
Beans - some got green string beans, some yellow Romano beans
Kale
Zucchini
Round Zucchini

Full Size:
Squash
Kohlrabi
Red Potatoes
Beets
Cukes
Garlic
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomato
Basil
Beans - some got green string beans, some yellow Romano beans
Broccoli
Kale
Zucchini
Round Peresian Carrots
Summer Squash
Patty Pan Squash

Until next time!

CSA Wk 11, August 16

We are officially half way through our CSA for the year. This week brings new items, but also sees an end to others. The ebbs and flows of gardening :-)

It's raining outside as I type. The morning rain is always welcome to me. I love to wake up to the sound of the pitter-patter on the roof. We have had a very dry summer as you all know. Though we haven't complained much, because we all love the nice weather, we had only received under a tenth of an inch of rain this August so far. Things were really starting to dry out, as witnessed by many brown lawns. Our big problem hasn't been with keeping things alive, but we have not been able to get anything new to grow. Things we have seeded in the last few weeks have not germinated. Historically, fall is our rainiest time of the year, so perhaps in the coming month as we draw nearer to fall, we will have better luck :-)

We have been doing the picking on Sunday mornings as that has worked better with our schedules. Sometimes the bags may be ready Sunday afternoon if you happen to be driving by and want to check. We have been doing them here at my house too, and the shade of the big nut tree has been nice. We have a good time together doing this. Yesterday was hysterical as we were packing, as radishes were being rinsed in a kiddie pool and Chinese greens were laid on a beach blanket. I guess even the veggies were thinking of these last summer days and trying to soak them in :-)

This week's bags were very full!

1/2 size:
Scallions
Zucchini
Swiss Chard
Cukes
Beans
Broccoli
Romaine Lettuce Head
Beet Greens
Kale
Radishes
Peaches
Chinese Stir Fry Mix
Sage

Full Size:
Onions
Zucchini
Summer Squash
Swiss Chard
Cukes
Pickling Cukes (make a batch of pickles!)
Beans
Shell Beans (the pink/cream swirly things. You take these out of the pod and then boil them for about 30 minutes. They will turn grey, but don't be deterred by this. I like to add garlic to the pot while they boil. When they are about done, I transfer them to a saute pan with EVOO and the garlic. A summer delicacy not grown too often these days.)
Sugar Snap Peas (the last of them until/if we get a fall crop)
Broccoli
Broccoli Rabe (last for the year)
Romaine Lettuce Head
Beet Greens
Kale
Radishes
Peaches
Chinese Stir Fry Mix
Sage

A couple recipes we've found over the past couple weeks that maybe you would want to give a try. I love that you can find them in a real magazine, but then sometimes get them online too. Easier for sharing :-)

One with Zucchini from my sisters Rachael Ray magazine

A swiss chard tart from a Sept. 20101 Better Homes and Garden publication

A similar dish from a favorite cooking blog, Smitten Kitchen

Pickles are easy to make, don't take a lot of ingredients, and preserve the cucumbers for a later date. But you can also use zucchini to make pickles, and many other veggies for that matter. Here is a recipe for Bread & Butter Zucchini pickles I found on a blog recently that I may give a try.

As always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to email or call. Have a great week.

CSA Wk 10, Aug 9

Another amazing week of weather. It's been perfect for our vacation at the lake, and the rain we got helped to keep the soil in the gardens moist.

We laughed this morning while picking and packing the CSA, and putting the excess in the farm stand, that at one point we didn't think we would have enough produce to fill both. The gardens are both doing amazingly well, and it is incredible how much stuff is being picked daily.

New this week in your bag is a fingerling potato. If you have never had these, you are in for a treat. They have a very different starch content than regular potatoes, and are "creamy". They can be prepared any way regular ones are, but often cook faster as they are small. I like them boiled with butter, lemon and fresh herbs, but my sister loves her split in half, roasted with EVOO, S&P. Either way, you win.

Also for a treat this week you have some of our organic peaches. There are additional ones for sale in the stand if you want to buy more to make a recipe or can. Let's just keep this a little secret between us though....as in, if you see my Dad, DON'T tell him :-) He is very funny about the peach trees, but they are LOADED this year and we just had to share some with you.

I don't really have time to scan and link some of the things I have seen in magazines that I mentioned, but I am printing the grill primer for veggies that I told you about from Cooking Light July 2010. It will be on the stand where you bags go so grab one. Also there is a bin of LARGE overgrown zucchini (whoops, we missed those ones when picking). Help yourself to one if you are a person who wants to freeze or use in baking.

This weeks shares are as follows:

1/2 size:
Garlic
Fingerling Potatoes
Zucchini - Round, Striped, Regular
Green Beans
Lettuce
Cukes
Chard
Kale
Beets
Sugar Snap Peas
Tomato
Peaches
Basil

Full Size:
Garlic
Fingerling Potatoes
Zucchini - Round, Striped, Regular
Green Beans
Lettuce
Cukes
Kale
Beets
Sugar Snap Peas
Tomato
Peaches
Basil
Yellow Summer Squash
Broccoli
Cabbage

In other farm news, we did end up getting a chick from our hen. Only one though :-( Oh well, better than nothing. If you look really hard in the bottom right hand corner, you can see the little "guy" (won't know for a couple months if it is a boy or girl).



Have a good week!

CSA Wk 9, August 2

Wow, I can't believe it is August already. The summer seems to be flying by. This past week was very busy for me, as seems the summer seems to be that way for a lot of people, but mostly it was because we were preparing for one of my sons b-day party. At the same time, we were planning for a trip "to camp", which for us brings us right down the road to Little Sebago. While we are enjoying a vacation there this week, my mom and sister will really be pulling the weight in the harvesting of the garden at my house (on top of their own gardens). They will be working hard assembling the CSA for you, while I bask in the sun on the lake :-) Thanks guys!

Everyone should be able to locate their labeled bags in the fridge per usual. Someone may or may not be at the stand that evening. My house is always a flurry of activity whether I'm there or not. People will be in and out to work in the gardens, mow the lawns, clean, sometimes build things, even monitor the chickens, making sure they have food/water and collecting eggs. Also, watching to see if we have chicks hatch out this week!! Some of you have heard the story of how I had a hen start to nest on eggs 3 weeks back. Problem was we don't have a rooster, so the eggs would never have hatched. Mom brought up 8 eggs from her hen house (which has a rooster) and we tucked them right under her to see if we could get us some chicks. It has been an interesting saga, as over the 3 week time, two other hens decided they wanted to set on a nest of eggs too. They had to be blocked from the first hens clutch, so I have put a wire "cage" to keep them from bugging her. First hen seems very content to just sit there and hatch out the chicks. We will see what happens this week.



I wasn't sure if I would have internet to make the blog, so compiled this post together days ago :-) There may be an item that is on the list that wasn't in your bag, or they may be an item in your bag that wasn't on the list. If you have any questions regarding your bags, please feel free to call me at 671-0936. I will have phone service.

Bok Choy has been given out once this year, without any explanations. Everyone got it this week, so I will write a little about this cool plant. It has been rinsed, but you will want to gently pull back from the bottoms of the stalks, and remove each one. Expect dirt, hay, and maybe even bugs (they seem to love this type of layered item to hide in). Then you will want to wash them, and then slice off any undesirable part, though the whole stalk is edible. Its nice to cut it on the diagonal. It is very versatile and lends well to any type of cooking (steaming, boiling, sauteing, etc.) I love to use it in soup. It doesn't break down too soft, kind of like celery, so adds a nice crunch. But it is also great in stir fries, which would work great with your baby corn, and even your peas. The baby corn was a fun experiment this summer for my mom. She always likes to try new things in the garden.

And just an FYI that if you have a round ball that is stripey or a long squash that is stripey, they are all zucchini. We just grow a mix :-)

1/2 size share:
Romaine Lettuce
Kale
Onion
Scallions
Potatoes
Baby Corn
Bok Choy
Cukes
Zucchini
Tomato
Green/Yellow Beans
Sugar Snap Peas
Tomato

Full size share:
Romaine Lettuce
Beet Greens
Swiss Chard
Onion
Scallions
Potatoes
Baby Corn
Bok Choy
Cukes
Zucchini
Green/Yellow Beans
Sugar Snap Peas
Tomato
Broccoli
Carrots
Celery - this is a lot different than what you find at the grocery store. This variety has way more flavor, and isn't meant to be stuffed with cream cheese HEHE. It is great diced up to use in recipes, and the leaves and trimmings are always great for making soup stock.

I found a couple recipes this week that looked of interest. I am trying to give you ones that are with the stuff you get over and over again so you don't get burnt out and know what else you can do with them :-) I know you have received kale and chard a lot, but according to a fairly new rating system Whole Foods uses, they are two of the top ten healthiest veggies on the planet so you should be eating them weekly HEHE

Here is yet another way to use chard :-)
http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/04/creamed-chard-and-spring-onions/#more-6145

This recipe for kale calls for a dry cheese called ricotta salata, which I don't think is easy to find (though sometimes the NG Village Store has it). I would suggest making it with feta if you can not. Sounds very similar to something I picked up at the Whole Foods salad bar the other day ;-)

Enjoy your week. See you next!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lacinato-Kale-and-Ricotta-Salata-Salad-236940