Summer #10 CSA Newsletter Week Aug 4-10, 2024 “B" week
Aidan sowed a buckwheat cover crop in the small pasture near the pig barn. Buckwheat is great for smothering weeds, adding organic matter to the soil, providing nectar for honeybees, and as forage for livestock.
VEG SHARES
EOW = Home delivery members
(Photo of the "Default" FULL Share below. See listings to see which share size has what, how much, along with info, guides, recipes.)
FULL VEG SHARE:
GREEN ROMA BEANS (1 lb) - Also referred to as Romano, Italian Flat Beans, or Italian Snap Beans, Romas are similar to snap beans with a flat shape, sweet flavor, and juicy tender texture. An easy way to use is to snap or trim off the ends and eat as is, lightly cooked to retain their crunchy texture, or cooked until they are extremely tender (a minute or two longer than regular snaps.) These beans are often braised with other summer vegetables and eaten as a side dish, and they can also be added to soups, stews, stir fries, and an assortment of other dishes. Freeze like other snaps. Guide & Recipes
YELLOW WAX (1 lb) - Similar to Green Beans, these are also snap beans and can be used as such. Store in the fridge and use within a week or maybe a little longer. Try trimming the ends off and then steaming for 6 minutes, dunk in an ice water bath, and serve with butter, salt and pepper. Guide & Recipes
SWISS CHARD (1 bunch) - Put it in a bag to store in the fridge. Use within a week. This crop technically falls into the category of “First Priority Vegetables” or ones with a short shelf life - use it within the week for maximum efficiency. To revive limp chard, cut a sliver off the bottom of the stems and soak in very cold water for a few minutes. Guide & Recipes
CHERRY TOMATOES (1 pint) - Store them on the countertop if you plan to eat them within a few days. For longer storage, put them in your fridge in a plastic bag. You should try to eat these within a week. They can be roasted or turned into sauce too!
TOMATOES (2 or 3 slicers or romas) - Store on your countertop for best flavor. If the tomato is not fully red, wait a couple of days for it to ripen completely.
SNOW PEAS (1 pint) - Often used in Asian recipes, you eat the whole pod which is tender and contains baby seeds inside that are so small, you may not even notice them! Munch on this healthy snack and enjoy the crunch. Guide.
GARLIC (1 bulb) - Ready to be used now or later, this is “cured”, or dried garlic, and as such should be stored on your counter out of direct sunlight.
SUMMER SQUASHES & ZUCCHINI (1 or 2) - These are pretty much “First Priority” vegetables and should be used within the next few days otherwise they will start to soften. Store them in a plastic bag or storage container in the fridge. Slice or chop to saute in a little olive oil, add to a pasta salad, throw in a green salad, or grill in long strips with or without olive oil. You can even grate to bake in muffins or cakes or to freeze for baking or adding to soups later! And either CUCUMBERS or EGGPLANT
CUCUMBER (2) - Store in the crisper drawer of your fridge in a plastic bag and use within a week. Remember these are organic - no need to peel!
EGGPLANT, Globe - (2) Store in the fridge in a plastic bag and use within a week. Peel the skin before use. The inside will begin to change color as it oxidizes. That’s okay! (You can try putting lemon juice on the eggplant to prevent this). Some people say you can pull the bitterness out of eggplant by salting it first and letting the moisture come out. Rinse and dry. Guide & Recipes
PARSLEY (1 bunch) - Snip the bottom of the stems off and store on the counter in a glass of water. Or if you plan to use it in the next day or so, you can store the bunch in a plastic bag in the fridge.
HALF VEG SHARE: (see Full VEG Shares above⬆ for info on each item)
GREEN ROMA BEANS (1 lb)
YELLOW WAX (1 lb)
SWISS CHARD (1 bunch)
CHERRY TOMATOES (1 pint)
SNOW PEAS (1 pint)
GARLIC (1 bulb)
PARSLEY (1 bunch)
2 OPTIONAL ITEMS this week:
GREEN ROMA BEANS (1 lb) - Also referred to as Romano, Italian Flat Beans, or Italian Snap Beans, Romas are similar to snap beans with a flat shape, sweet flavor, and juicy tender texture. An easy way to use is to snap or trim off the ends and eat as is, lightly cooked to retain their crunchy texture, or cooked until they are extremely tender (a minute or two longer than regular snaps.) These beans are often braised with other summer vegetables and eaten as a side dish, and they can also be added to soups, stews, stir fries, and an assortment of other dishes. Freeze like other snaps. Guide & Recipes
YELLOW ROMA BEANS (1 lb)
Other items available in DESIGN MY SHARE:
ARUGULA & TATSOI MIX (3 oz) - Peppery greens. Arugula is more perishable than lettuce and often only last about 4 or 5 days. This should be the first item you eat from your share. Store in the fridge. Arugula Guide & Recipes
GREEN BELL PEPPERS (2) - Not hot! Store these in the fridge in a plastic bag. Stuff, add to stir fries, egg dishes, soups, tacos & burritos, pizza, etc. Peppers can also be flash frozen. Just throw them in a Ziploc bag (whole or chopped) and freeze!
KOHLRABI - (2) - Store in a plastic bag for up to a month. 6 Ideas for Use: 1. Slice in rounds or sticks for veggie platters, 2. Eat plain with a light sprinkling of salt, 3. Grate into salads or slaws, 4. Steam slices 5 to 10 minutes and drizzle with oil, lemon juice, and dill weed, 5. Slice or cube and add to stir fry or to a hearty soup/stew, 6. Grate and saute in butter with herbs or curry.
MINI BROCCOLI (½ lb) - More tender with a milder flavor than standard head broccoli, all of the parts of the mini broccoli, also called baby broccoli, in your bag is edible. It can be steamed, sautéed, roasted, stir-fried, or even puréed into a sauce. And while it makes a good side dish when cooked, broccoli can easily be used raw in salads and crudités. Store in your fridge in a plastic bag for a week, although spears will go limp (still edible!) the longer you keep them. You can often revive them by soaking in very cold water for 10 to 20 minutes. Guide & Recipes
KALE (1 bunch) RED RUSSIAN - Store in a plastic bag (a Debbie Meyer Green bag if you have one) keep it in the fridge. Use within a week. This crop technically falls into the category of “1st Priority veggies” If you can’t use them in the next few days, freeze them. OR DINOSAUR - (Also known as Lacinto or Toscano.) Dino kale has an earthy, nutty flavor. It doesn't have the same strong bitterness as other varieties of kale, though it is still there. The sweetness helps offset that and makes it more approachable.This green can be used just like any other kale. Every part of the leaf is edible, though really thick ribs take longer to cook, so they're often discarded. The kale can be cooked whole, cut into thin strips, or chopped, depending on your recipe and use. Store in a plastic bag (a Debbie Meyer Green bag if you have one) keep it in the fridge. Use within a week. This crop technically falls into the category of “1st Priority veggies” to be used in the next week. If you can’t use it in the next few days, consider freezing it. Guide & Recipes
CELERY (4 or 5 ribs or stalks) - Celery is a herbaceous plant, in the same family with parsley, carrots, dill, and fennel. It’s crunchy, juicy, and aromatic, with a grassy, sweet, spicy flavor, and is regarded as a so-called "aromatic" vegetable, like onions and carrots, and is widely used as one of the three components of mirepoix (along with onions and carrots). Celery is also combined with onions and bell peppers to make up the "holy trinity" of Cajun cuisine. These mixtures are generally sautéed or roasted, and form the flavor base of innumerable sauces, soups, stocks, broths, stews, and other dishes. Celery will go limp if it isn't refrigerated. Remove the band holding the bunch together, put in a plastic bag or wrap the bunch loosely in paper towels, and store it in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for about a week or so. Alternatively, trim off the very bottom of the ribs and put them in a glass of jar with an inch of water. Store the glass in the refrigerator and replace the water every couple days.
BEETS (1 lb) - Store in the fridge in a plastic bag for months. Guide & Recipes
SALAD TURNIPS (½ lb) - These popular white golf-ball or smaller size roots are juicy, sweet and less starchy than an average turnip, best eaten raw or barely cooked but can be used in a variety of ways. Use in salads, sandwiches, stir frys, sautes, scrambled eggs or sauces. Cut the white roots into wedges or slices. Try: Serve raw with dip in a veggie tray. Or grate and add them to a salad. Turnips are delicious when roasted with other root vegetables (like carrot, potatoes, rutabaga, garlic). Add a turnip or two to your favorite mashed potato recipe. Or add them into soups and stews. To freeze: Blanch for 3 minutes in hot boiling water. Cool in ice water for 3 minutes, drain and pack into freezer containers or freezer bags. Best used within 3-4 weeks but will keep a long time! Guide & Recipes
PARSLEY (1 bunch) - Snip the bottom of the stems off and store on the counter in a glass of water. Or if you plan to use it in the next day or so, you can store the bunch in a plastic bag in the fridge.
BASIL (1 bunch) - I’ve found the best way to store basil is to pretend they are cut flowers. Cut the bottoms of the stems off and put in a glass of water on your counter or table. (They make a pretty centerpiece until you are ready to use them!) Basil is great in pesto - - which can be frozen.
CHIVES (1 bunch) - Chives, with long, pencil-like, thin edible leaves with hollow centers and also edible purple flowers, belong to the allium family, making them relatives of onions, leeks, scallions, and garlic. They are typically chopped and are most often used as a garnish but are good on just about anything. Their flavor pairs well with any savory dish. and the bright green color adds visual appeal as well. Note: if added to a dish too early, they will wilt easily. Chives will keep a few weeks in the fridge in a plastic bag although quality will be better if used within a week.
SORREL (1 bunch) - Kind of a salad green & kind of a herb and in the same family as rhubarb, sorrel’s astringent citrusy flavor adds a little kick to your meal. And its rich in potassium, vitamins Q, B1, and C. A rule of thumb for using - anywhere you’d add a squeeze or two of lemon, sorrel would be good! When heat is added, sorrel breaks down nicely making it a great thickener for sauces and soups. It’s strong flavor pairs well with fatty meats & fish like salmon, creamy dishes, and cheeses. Great cut into thin strips and mixed with other salad greens to eat fresh. Other ideas include using it in soups, sauces, pesto, salads & dressings, potato toppings, hummus, quiches, omelets, crepe fillings, pizza, pasta dishes. 7 More Recipe Ideas Sorrel will last 1-2 weeks in a plastic bag in your fridge. If you wish to rinse or wash, wait until just before using to prolong shelf life.
RHUBARB - (1 lb) - These tart green & magenta stalks this hardy perennial vegetable is generally thought of as a fruits. It’s mouth puckering goodness is often sweetened with a little sugar or honey and is used in dishes like crisps, compotes, and pies (from which it gets its second name, "pie plant"). Rhubarb also lends a fruitiness to savory dishes and pairs very nicely with pork and poultry. To use: wash and trim off any dry ends. Some peel the skin but there’s no need to do this and besides it holds lots of color and flavor. Store in loose plastic in the crisper drawer of the fridge, where it will keep for about a week or a little more. To freeze, cut the rhubarb stalks into 1-inch chunks and seal in an airtight bag and it will keep for up to a year
MES SHARES
Week 2 of the rotation so MES is for Home delivery members
FULL = 1 Chicken, 2 Ground Beef, 1 Breakfast Sausage, 1 pkg Pork Brats, 2 Dozen Eggs
HALF = 1 Chicken, 1 Ground Beef, 1 Dozen Eggs
EGG SHARE
WEEKLY = 1 Dozen
BIWEEKLY = 1 Dozen
RECIPES & Other Useful Kitchen Info:
Click links for a printable pdf.
News from Your Farm . . .
I didn't get my usual zinnias planted this year that doesn't mean there aren't any flowers around.
Besides the delicate buckwheat flowers at the beginning of the newsletters we have all these.
The Asian Eggplant purple beauties are blossoming at the moment.
Along with several potatoes.
The white petals circling the yellow centers of these flowers make me think they're wearing full skirts.
And we always have sunflowers!
Most of these ones are volunteers from seeds dropped off last year's crop.
In other vegetable news we have shelling peas that weren't quite ready to pick for this week's share but will be raring to go for the next one.
Check out the vibrancy of this magenta Swiss Chard.
Our first crops of cucumbers were decimated by bacterial wilt that's often spread by cucumber beetles.
But our third try looks promising! And is starting to blossom. So cucumber lovers don't despair as there's more coming soon. ;)
Alert!!!
Raccoons have discovered the sweet corn patch!
The good news is they only knocked down a half dozen or stalks though. So to prevent more nighttime raids, we purchased another electric fencer and were able to install fencing around much of the patch.
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