2015 Farm Share Week 23

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. Oct 28 and Sat. Oct. 31

• Kale
• Collards
• Beets
• Winter Squash

2015 Farm Share Week 22

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. Oct 21 and Sat. Oct. 24

• Carrots
• Sweet Potato
• Potato
• Lettuce Mix

Recipe Idea

Roasted Root Veg - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-winter-vegetables-recipe.html

2015 Farm Share Week 21

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. Oct 14 and Sat. Oct. 17

• Kale
• Carrots
• Daikon Radish
• Fennel
• Potato
• Sweet Peppers

Recipe Ideas

Daikon radish in the shares this week have a real mustardy flavor that can be tamed by cooking OR by fermenting.  Native to South East Asia, it shows up in many dishes from that region (Kim Chi!)

Here is great recipe to begin your fermenting journey with both the Fennel and Daikon.

http://stephaniewilgernc.net/daikon-radish-with-fennel/

And if your not in the mood for fermentation, here is another one -

http://whatcomlocavore.com/daikon-fennel-slaw-recipe

2015 Farm Share Week 20

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. Oct 7 and Sat. Oct. 10

• Lettuce
• Collards (*Kale in small shares for Saturday)
• Parsley
• Beets

Recipe Ideas

Patzaria Salata: Beet, Garlic, Onion and Parsley Salad -  http://www.dianesays.com/newpatzaria-salata/

Parsley and Beet Salad- http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/italian-parsley-and-beet-salad-354973

Collards with Bacon and Onions - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/51803/kickin-collard-greens/

NOTE: Week 19 was cancelled due to flooding and rain damage.  The value of this share will be made up over the course of the last two shares of the season Week 22 and 23.

2015 Farm Share Week 18

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. Sept. 23 and Sat. Sept. 26

• Lettuce
• Napa Cabbage
• Delicata Squash (skins are tender and good to eat after roasting in oven!)
• Apples (from our neighbors trees!)
• Sweet Peppers
• Jalapeno Peppers

Recipe Ideas

Lots of Delicata Squash ideas - http://allrecipes.com/recipes/16676/fruits-and-vegetables/vegetables/squash/winter-squash/delicata-squash/

8 things to do with napa cabbage - http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/809695/8-things-to-do-with-napa-cabbage

If you want to use the cabbage, apples, peppers AND jalapenos in one recipe!! - http://food52.com/recipes/8746-jalapeno-apple-slaw-with-honey-lime-vinaigrette

2015 Farm Share Week 17

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. Sept. 16 and Sat. Sept. 19

• Spinach
• Kale
• Sweet Potatoes
• Acorn Squash
• Sweet Peppers
• Poblano Pepper (mild heat)

Recipe Idea

Sweet Potato Poblano Soup - http://nourishedkitchen.com/sweet-potato-poblano-pepper-soup/

Vegetable Spotlight

Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas), belongs to the family Convolvulaceae (which includes the Morning Glory).  Its origin is likely between the Yucatan of Mexico and the mouth of the Orinoco River in Venezuela.  Unknown in the ancient Mediterranean world, and there is no known mention of it in the Bible.  All its known species are found in the New World; no wild sweet potato has been found elsewhere.  It seems to be exclusively an American plant, which originated in the tropics or sub tropics, where it is perennial.

Christopher Columbus reported that he was served three or four kinds at a feast given in his honor by the king of the island Saint Thomas.  He recorded the fact that bread was made from them, which he called aje bread, aje or axi was the local name given for sweet potato.  Also recorded by individuals in Columbus’ fleet in 1494 was it’s presence on Hispaniola and Yucatan.  Plants were carried back to Spain an soon planted there.  They were generally cultivated in Portugal and Italy by 1566.  

By the early 1600’s, thanks to traders, sweet potatoes made their way to Asia, where they made great use of them, even today.  They never never really took off in France, possibly because the vegetable is not quite in tune with their cuisine, which reserves sugary tastes for desert.

The countries where sweet potatoes are a staple of human consumption, are: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.

About 20,000 tons of sweet potatoes are produced annually in New Zealand, where sweet potato is known by its Māori name, kūmara. It was a staple food for Māori before European contact.

The sweet potato is not in the same family as Yams, and not closely related to the common potato either (nightshade family).

2015 Farm Share Week 16

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. Sept. 9 and Sat. Sept. 12

• Pumpkin (Good for pies!)
• Lettuce
• Nasturtium (Literally "nose-tweaker, or twister", has a mustard like spice, great added to salads).  Native to South and Central America, brought to Spain in the 16th century and refered to as Indian Cress.  Has more Lutien than any other edible plant.
• Sweet Peppers

2015 Farm Share Week 15

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. Sept. 2 and Sat. Sept. 5

• Potatoes
• Garlic
• Onions
• Sweet Peppers
• Parsley

Vegetable Spotlight- Parsley

"To take parsley away from the cook, would make it almost impossible for him to exercise his art." - Louis Augustin Guillaume Bosc d'Antic

The ancient Romans knew of parsley, and Pliny said that sauces and salads should never be without it.  Charlemange ordered it to be planted in his domains in 800 AD.  Most historians agree that there is no written record of parsley in America before 1806.

Our parsley is so mind blowingly fresh and healthy, this is not for garnishing.  *Parsley contains two types of unusual components that provide unique health benefits. The first type is volatile oil components including myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and alpha-thujene. The second type is flavonoids—including apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin.


Parsley's volatile oils—particularly myristicin—have been shown to inhibit tumor formation in animal studies, and particularly, tumor formation in the lungs. Myristicin has also been shown to activate the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase, which helps attach the molecule glutathione to oxidized molecules that would otherwise do damage in the body. The activity of parsley's volatile oils qualifies it as a "chemoprotective" food, and in particular, a food that can help neutralize particular types of carcinogens (like the benzopyrenes that are part of cigarette smoke and charcoal grill smoke).

The flavonoids in parsley—especially luteolin—have been shown to function as antioxidants that combine with highly reactive oxygen-containing molecules (called oxygen radicals) and help prevent oxygen-based damage to cells. In addition, extracts from parsley have been used in animal studies to help increase the antioxidant capacity of the blood.

In addition to its volatile oils and flavonoids, parsley is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A (notably through its concentration of the pro-vitamin A carotenoid, beta-carotene) *(source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=100)

We hope you enjoy this often underrated vegetable!

2015 Farm Share Week 14

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. August 26

• Tomatoes
• Sweet Peppers
• Hot Peppers (Poblano, Cayenne, Jalapeno and Habanero)
• Melons
• Baby Lettuce Mix

Vegetable Spotlight - Lettuce  

Nobody really knows where lettuce originated, but we do know it has been on the human menu at least since 800 BC.,when an Assyrian herbal listed it among the 250 plants growing in the gardens of King Merodach-Baladan in Babylon.  Herodotus wrote that the kings of Persia had lettuce on their tables about 550 BC and it was also being grown in Egypt.  At those times, lettuce did not form heads, but rather grew leaves on a tall stalk (much like the wild lettuce known as a “weed” found in our regions-Lactuca scariola).  The Romans cultivated a variety of lettuce that grew more “head like.”  This variety was not recognized till the 1st century AD.

Lettuce seems to be slow in reaching the far east, only in the 5th century do we see it mentioned in Chinese literature.  It was cultivated in French gardens, but water cress seemed to have been preferred as a salad green.

It appears to have enjoyed luxury status, being served at all the great medieval banquets.  By 1440 lettuce became quite popular in England, and in the 17th century, Louis XIV was quite fond of it.

Columbus is purportedly the one who introduced it to the New World, but not until after World War I, did Americans pay much attention to it.

2015 Farm Share Week 13

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. August 19 and Sat. 22

• Tomatoes
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Potato
• Dill
• Onions

Recipe Ideas

Crunchy Potatoes with Dill and Onion - 

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1108647/crunchy-potatoes-with-dill-and-onions

Tomato and Dill w/ Couscous -

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tomato-dill-couscous-0

Vegetable Spotlight

Onion The onion is a lilly, sharing the same family with asparagus and the tulip. It belongs to the genus Allium. Other well know alliums include leeks, shallots, scallions and garlic. The french writer Dumay says “..the onion offers always, and especially in winter, a little of the springtime of the soil, preserved in it’s bulb.” I’d have to agree, here in Virginia onions are some the of earliest planted crops, taking much of the season to mature and then dry.

The origin of the onion remains a mystery, it way already being cultivated by prehistoric men when they were still in the collecting stage which preceded the pastoral and agricultural sages, then roots and bulbs were easy to gather, and the onion perhaps easier than most, since it gave itself away by its smell. Most authorities put it somewhere in Asia, but this is sometimes disputed.  The Code of Hammurabi (ancient Mesopotamia), stipulates that the needy shall receive a monthly ration of bread and onions. Onions were a staple for the poor, but also enjoyed by royalty. The king of Ur, Ur-Nammu(2100BC) had onions growing in his gardens. The ancient Egyptians were great onion eaters.

During the middle ages onions were a favorite food of the common people. They also appear in French feudal deeds more frequently than any other vegetable except garlic.  There were onions native to the North American continent, as witnessed by Spanish explorers, the onions we mainly eat today are from Eurasian decent.

2015 Farm Share Week 12

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. August 11 and Sat. August 14

• Tomatoes
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Dill
• Carrots
• New Zealand Spinach/Tetragonia (also known as: Botany Bay spinach, Cook's cabbage,kōkihi (in Māori),sea spinach, and tetragon. Its Australian names of warrigal greens and warrigal cabbage.)  Introduced to England by Captain Cook and his crew.

Recipe Ideas

> For New Zealand Spinach - http://chocolateandzucchini.com/recipes/pasta/pasta-with-tetragon-new-zealand-spinach-recipe/

> For Carrots and Dill - http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2014/04/roasted-carrots-with-dill/

2015 Farm Share Week 11

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. August 5 and Sat. August 7

• Tomatoes
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Bunching onions
• Basil
• Garlic

Recipe Ideas

- Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/bruschetta_with_tomato_and_basil/

- Tomato Mozzarella Salad

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tomato-mozzarella-salad-2/

Vegetable Spotlight - Tomato

It’s place of origin is the lower Andes, what is today Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Archeology has produced no information on its early history there, it’s speculated that pre-Columbian peruvians simply gathered the wild fruit in season and made no attempt to improve it. The most likely explanation for its spread to Italy was the theory that the Spaniards brought seeds to Spain, then passed them on to Naples, which was under Spanish rule in 1522. While the Spaniards accepted the new plant passively, the Italians on the other hand were quite aggressive about it. By the renaissance it had spread as far as Poland.

The rest of Europe distrusted the tomato as food for quite a while, as late as 1760 is was treated as more of an ornamental plant, even in America. It was regarded as poisonous by many early botanists, probably because it was recognized as a member of the family Solanaceae (Nightshades), which includes several toxic plants.

One of the first person to grow tomatoes in the U.S. was Thomas Jefferson, possibly getting his seeds from an Italian painter in Salem, Mass. His neighbors were afraid to taste them. By 1782 Jefferson said the plants were common in the private gardens of Virginians. And by the early 1800’s Americans seemed to have discovered the joy of a eating fresh, vine ripe tomato!

2015 Farm Share Week 10

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. July 29

• Asian Eggplant
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Lettuce
• Onions
• Garlic
• Sage

Sat. August 1

• Lettuce
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Onions
• Garlic

Recipe Idea

Quick Eggplant and Tomato Sauté

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/quick-eggplant-tomato-saut

Vegetable Spotlight - Pepper

Peppers are native to central and south america, and were carried to Spain in the late 1400’s.  They were actually mis-named by Christopher Columbus.  At that time peppercorns, the fruit of an unrelated plant originating from India, Piper nigrum, was a highly prized condiment; the name "pepper" was at that time applied in Europe to all known spices with a hot and pungent taste and so naturally extended to the newly discovered Capsicum genus

They are members of the Solanaceae, or “nightshade” family, which is an important family of plants that includes: potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant.  Bell peppers are members of the Capsicum genus, but contain no capsaicin(the thing that makes hot peppers hot).  

Some other important members of Solanaceae include a number of ornamental plants such as Petunia, Browallia and Lycianthes, the source of psychoactive alkaloids, Datura, Mandragora (mandrake), and deadly nightshade.

With the exception of tobacco (Nicotianoideae) and petunia (Petunioideae), most of the economically important genera are contained in the subfamily Solanoidea.

2015 Farm Share Week 9

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. July 22

• Potatoes
• Lettuce
• Carrots
• Squash
• Basil

Sat. July 25

• Potatoes
• Lettuce
• Asian Eggplant!!
• Cherry Tomatoes!!
• Squash
• Basil
• Sage!!

Recipie Idea

- Pan-seared summer squash with basil and lemon vinaigrette

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/pan-seared-summer-squash-basil-and-lemon-vinaigrette

- 12 ways to use up all that summer squash

http://www.thekitchn.com/12-ways-to-make-the-most-out-of-zucchini-and-summer-squash-recipes-from-the-kitchn-205318

- Squash chips

http://www.delightedmomma.com/2013/07/crispy-baked-yellow-squash-chips.html

Vegetable Spotlight

Basil - According to ancient legend, St.Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, was told in a vision that she would find the True Cross in a place where the air was sweet with perfume; she discovered it under a patch of Basil.  The word basil comes from basilikon, meaning kingly.  In many places custom demanded that the king himself cut the first basil of the season with a golden sickle, iron was too base.

Sweet basil is a native of India, where it is sacred.  It has been used in the kitchen since at least 400 B.C.  when the Greek physician/botanist Chrysippos described it as one of his favorite seasonings.  In the middle ages it worked it’s way northward through France.

We love making pesto with fresh basil.  Remember if you’re using it in a cooked dish, add it at the last minute as heat will destroy it’s flavor, and turn it black.

In France they sometimes make Pistou, or pistou sauce, is a Provençal cold sauce made from cloves of garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil. It is somewhat similar to pesto, although it lacks pine nuts. Some modern versions of the recipe include grated parmesan, pecorino or similar hard cheeses. A somewhat similar sauce is Argentine chimichurri made with parsley.

2015 Farm Share Week 8

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. July 15

• Purslane (Grows Wild in the field!!  Portulaca oleracea contains the highest amount of Omega 3 fatty acids of any leafy green vegetable.  Has a nutty, earthy flavor and a mucilaginous quality  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca_oleracea )
• Squash
• Cucumbers
• Chard
• Onions

Sat. July 18

• Purslane 
• Squash
• Cucumbers
• Carrots
• Chard
• Onions

Recipe Idea

Cucumber, Onion and Purslane Salad - http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/cucumber-onion-and-purslane-salad

More about purslane:  It tops the list of plants high in vitamin E and an essential omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Purslane provides six times more vitamin E than spinach and seven times more beta carotene than carrots. It’s also rich in vitamin C, magnesium, riboflavin, potassium and phosphorus.

2015 Farm Share Week 7

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. July 8

• Head Lettuce
• Squash
• Cucumbers
• Sorrel (tangy, tart lemony flavored green great in salads http://chocolateandzucchini.com/ingredients-fine-foods/50-things-to-do-with-fresh-sorrel/)
• Green Beans
• Cilantro *(only in regular shares)*
• Fresh Garlic

Wed. Sat 11

• Head Lettuce
• Squash
• Cucumbers (*)
• Sorrel - tangy, tart lemony flavored green great in salads http://chocolateandzucchini.com/ingredients-fine-foods/50-things-to-do-with-fresh-sorrel/
• Green Beans
• Cilantro (*)
• Fresh Onions (from the field, will be pulling them all soon, then they will cure in the barn and you will seem them regularly the rest of the season)

*small share only

Recipe Ideas

Quick Pickles (for cucumbers, beans, onions and many other things too) - Vinegar, salt, sugar and various spices can create a really large variety of "fresh pack" pickles that are read to eat very soon.  Different vinegars can be experimented with too, I really like apple cider vinegar.   These are not fermented dishes.

http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2013/08/quick-pickles/

http://www.chow.com/recipes/30422-easy-quick-pickles

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-quickpickled-red-onions-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-193247

Vegetable Spotlight - The Curcubitacea

Sometimes known as the "gourd family," the cucurbits contain over one hundred genera.  Some of the most important being:

• Curcubita - squash, pumpkin, zucchini, some gourds
• Lagenaria - mostly non edible gourds
• Citrullus - watermelon
• Cucumis - cucumber, some melons
• Lufa - common name also luffa

The curcubitacea family ranks among the highest of plant families for number and percentage of species

used as human food.  Plants of this family were some of the earliest cultivated in both the old and new worlds.

Cucumber by Jean-Baptiste Chardin

The cucumber was once described as having been grown more than three thousand years ago in India, current research pushes that date back even further.  If the translations have been made correctly, then the Romans were fond of them too, and preferred to serve them with honey.  In fact one emperor in particular ordered them to be served at every meal.  They don't enjoy an extremely illustrious career though, perhaps because of their neutral nature.

 A Dr.Johnson (whoever he was?) said they "should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out."  Wow!, well I'll have to disagree strongly, because that sounds quite good, and in fact I believe my lunch today consisted of a similar dish!!

When the Spaniards carried the cucumber to America, it was adopted so enthusiastically by the Pueblo Indians that some authors assumed (erroneously) that it was a native food.

In 1540 or thereabouts, Hernando do Alvarado spending time as a scout in the American Southwest reported that the territory which he had explored grew melons.  This could not have been because melons were old world fruits which did not exist in America at that time.  What were they then?   For the next hundred years there was some confusion among Europeans as to what to call these new found things.  Melon and pumpkin were used interchangeably for a while.

Even Columbus in the account of his first voyage described fields in present day Cuba, "planted with several native plants and with calebazzas."  Callebazzas means basically gourd.

Cabeza de Vaca reported pumpkins growing near Florida's Tampa Bay in 1528, and de Soto in western Florida found pumpkins.

Interestingly we are told that squash was grown in the hanging gardens of Babylon, and that Pliny mentioned it, and that recipes were found in Roman cookbooks.  So why the confusion from the explorers?   Seems to be related to the separate genera found in the New World.

The history is much more nuanced than we have time here to discuss, but the general consensus is this: It appears that squashes and pumpkins are exclusively New World, but gourds belong to the Old World.  And while these gourds were utilitarian at times (carrying water, etc), some were also edible.  But evidently the Old World gourds were not quite a tasty as the New World varieties, de Soto found his Floridian pumpkins to be "better and more flavorful than those of Spain."

Now the squash you will find in your shares now until the end of summer is a subset of Cucurbita Pepo, deemed "summer squash."  There are some winter squashes in this sub set, but most are squashes that we eat while still having tender skin (unlike the winter squashes).  Enjoy the bounty!

2015 Farm Share Week 6

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. July 1

Regular

• Bunching Onions
• New Potatoes
• Beets
• Fennel
• Green Beans

Small

• Bunching Onions
• New Potatoes
• Beets
• Fennel
• Summer Squash

Sat. July 4

Regular

• Bunching Onions
• New Potatoes
• Summer Squash
• Cucumbers
• Green Beans
• Head Lettuce
• Fresh Green Garlic!!

Small

• Bunching Onions
• New Potatoes
• Summer Squash
• Head Lettuce
• Green Beans
• Fresh Green Garlic!!

Recipe Ideas

Fennel and green beans - http://www.marthastewart.com/326889/fennel-and-green-beans-with-orange-and-a

Roasted potato and fennel salad -  This recipe calls for 5# of potato and serves up to 12 people, so you might need to reduce proportions by 1/2 or 1/4.  You could replace the chives with the bunching onions if you like.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/roasted-potato-and-fennel-salad-recipe.html

Vegetable Spotlight

Potato  Native to South America specifically the high Sierra of the Andes, where it had been developed because corn would not grow above 11,000 feet.  The first Europeans probably saw their first potato near Quito Ecuador not much later than 1530, where Pizarro’s men wrote about it in his Chronicle of Peru (1553).  It has been estimated that the potato had been domesticated in Peru since 3000 B.C.  It was these Spaniards that most likely took the potato back to their home land.   The potato enjoys and interesting history from the 16th century on to today, worth looking at more extensively if you were so inclined.  (i.e. how did it get to Ireland?).  

2015 Farm Share Week 5

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. June 24

• Lettuce
• Kale
• Carrots
• Dill
• Summer Squash *(Regular share only this week)

Sat. June 27 (EDITED 6/25, out of lettuce for the week)

• Chard
• Kale
• Carrots
• Dill
• Fennel
• Summer Squash (*Regular share only this week)

Roasted carrots w/ dill - http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2014/04/roasted-carrots-with-dill/

Carrot salad w/ dill- http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/lemony_carrot_salad_with_dill.html

Down by a little path I fond

 Of mintes full and fennell greene,

 - Chaucer

Fennel has a history measurable in millennia, but does not occupy a prominent place in the hierarchy of foods unfortunately.  In Italy it is considered a vegetable, with emphasis on the bulbs.  But in France it is viewed as an herb.  But actually all parts of Fennel are edible, including stems, flowers and seeds.  The flavor is that of "anise."  Which can also be described as licorice.  The two plants are different, although they belong to the same family (Apiaceae, the carrot/parsley/celery/cilantro family!).

The French put fresh leaves in salads.  The use of fennel as a fish flavorer had found favor in England at least by Elizabethan times, Shakespeare talked of it.

Fennel is found in the Ethiopian seasoning, berbere sauce.  In Greek mythology, Prometheus used the stalk of a fennel plant to steal fire from the demigods.

A manuscript, which dates to around 800 and is in Paris’ Bibliothèque Nationale, contains the following medicinal recipe: Mix the gall of a vulture “with sugar of fennel & horehound & with oil of balsam & Attic honey.” Apply the mixture to hurting eyes each morning “to drive away pain.”

Recipe Ideas

Here is a very simple recipe for caramelizing fennel.

>http://putneyfarm.com/2012/04/05/caramelized-fennel-the-best-fennel-youll-ever-eat/

2015 Farm Share Week 4

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. June 17 and Sat. June 20

• Head Lettuce
• Baby Collards
• Bunching Onions
• Beets

Recipe Ideas

Collards - http://www.saveur.com/gallery/Collard-Greens?image=0

Beets - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/health/nutrition/06recipehealth.html?_r=0

2015 Farm Share Week 3

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. June 10 and Sat. June 13

• Lettuce Mix
• Chard
• Bunched Spring Onions
• Garlic Scapes
• Peas

If you haven't sauteed/stir fried with anything in the share yet, this might be a good week to do so.  Last night we sauteed chard, onions and peas then made a quiche with them.  Prep time is no more than 20 min (washing/cutting), then a few minutes on the stove top, add mixed eggs with cheese then throw in oven at 375F for about an hour.  Relatively fast and healthy.  Here is a recipe to get you headed in the right direction:

 http://www.food.com/recipe/crustless-swiss-chard-quiche-311434

Vegetable Spotlight - Garlic Scapes

The scape of the garlic is the emerging flower stalk of hardneck garlic.  We trim them now to hopefully get a larger bulb of garlic later on.  The scapes can be eaten raw in salads, or used in sautés and any other dish you would normally use garlic.  These are tender, and have a good garlic spice to them.  Sometimes the tips can be tough, these can be used to flavor soups though.  Scapes are considered a delicacy in many countries including China and Korea.  ENJOY!

Here is a recipe you might like:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Garlic Scape Pesto

About 6 garlic scapes

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cups of baby lettuce mix

1/4 cup parsley

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Salt and pepper to tast

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Chop the scapes so they will fit in your blender.  Blend briefly.  Add 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a slow steady stream.  And the lettuce and parsley.  Blend until you have a coarse mixture.  While blender is running, gradually add the rest of oil.  Add the sunflower seeds, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.  Use about 1 cup of this pesto to coat 1 pound of pasta.  This is also great on bread, crackers, or part of a pizza topping.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Planting garlic last October, the harvest will be in about a month from now.

2015 Farm Share Week 2

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. June 3 and Sat. June 6

• Asparagus
• Snap Peas
• Chard (great raw in salads, or lightly sauteed)
• Kale

Here are some ideas to help you handle large quantities of greens:

http://www.thekitchn.com/chard-kale-and-spinach-what-to-54508


Vegetable Spotlight - Chard

Chard is simply a beet (Beta Vulgaris, var. cicla) in which the stalks and leaves have been developed, instead of the root.  It is sometimes referred to as "leaf beet."  There are some references that report this leafy beet being cultivated in prehistoric times, and mention that beet of which we eat the root, didn't show up till the beginning of the Christian era.  In the 2nd century B.C. it is known to have been cultivated in the gardens at Pompeii.

Chard was being eaten in France at least by the 15th century, and the French seem to consume it more regulary than other countries.  The stalks can be cooked like asparagus or like celery, the greens used more like spinach.  The French never serve stalks and leaves together.

2015 Farm Share Week 1

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Wed. May 27 and Sat. May 30

• Baby Lettuce Mix
• Spinach
• Parsnips (harvested this spring after overwintering)

Parsnips are in the carrot family and have a sweet nutty flavor.  They are best prepared by either roasting in the oven or boiling and mashing.   These parsnips were seeded this time last year, and take all season to grow, then spend the winter in the ground, to be dug in the spring.  Like carrots they are a biennial, they will go to seed this summer.


**Info for those with coffee in their shares**

Your coffee is roasted fresh every week, and the variety will change with the seasons too.

Chemex, French Press, Pour Over, Aeropress....

If you are not acquainted with alternate brewing techniques, you might be surprised to find that there are many other flavors and notes that come with these other styles of brewing.  To become more educated with making the best of your Red Rooster Coffee Experience you can read more here:
https://redroostercoffeeroaster.com/learn/brewing-methods/

Chemex below 

Hey everybody!  Welcome back!  We hope you're as excited as we are for the start of the 2015 growing season.  It's been a restful and peaceful winter season for our family.  This is the time of year we focus on schooling with the kids and we really enjoy this very different change of pace in our days.  Blair and I have been planning and scheming for the upcoming season and we are excited to unveil our 2015 CSA farm share options!

We have an exciting addition to our farm shares this year, as we are partnering with our neighbors at the awesome Red Rooster Coffee Roaster to include a special blend in our Regular Share option.  We've also changed our pricing structure this year to an initial deposit, and then a monthly payment during the harvest season.  We hope that might make it easier for folks to budget than a one-time, up-front lump sum.  Our farm is also now able to accept credit and debit cards through the (very secure) Square system.  That's some of the news!  Here is all you need to know to sign up for a share!!

Call, email and message us with your questions, of course!!  We are so grateful for your encouragement and support, and we look forward to sharing this season, and it's bounty with you.  

Best!

Blair, Katie, and the kids.