The State Fair (CSA Week 12)

September 11, 2009

It’s been a short week because of Labor Day. We actually took the weekend off to go to the State Fair on Monday. For us, it was pretty special because we were part of an exhibit on local foods at the Eco-Experience. Basically an organization called Renewing the Countryside did a series of profiles of local growers which they turned into an exhibit for the fair. You can check out our profile and pictures at http://communityofaplate.org/2009/08/17/lida-farm/ The kids really got excited seeing a picture of us there.

When sauntering around the fair, I started to imagine what it looked like 50 years ago. One thing for sure is that “Machinery Hill” actually had machinery on it instead of pickup trucks and riding lawn mowers. When looking around all I saw were deals on campers, 4-wheelers, and various “toys” for grown-ups and collectors. Call me a grump, but I get the impression that we’re just trying to amuse ourselves to death. It’s no wonder my grandparents’ generation just gets so disgusted with the way things are…there’s an ethic about work and usefulness we seem to have lost. Although I get as sick of work as the next person, there’s a real pride that comes with doing some tangible work like growing produce for yourself instead of just idling away my time.
In the box:
Green stuffing peppers: the really big ones are King Arthur. Most are paired with a smaller one since there just weren’t that many really big ones around. See recipe below.
Italia Pepper: This is a frying pepper which is typically used in recipes where you sautee at a high heat. Really a nice sweet pepper
Couple Jalepenos
Broccoli
Parsley
1 Canary Melon (yellow)
1 Sunshine Watermelon: This is a yellow watermelon. I’m a big fan.
1 Canteloupe: Your standard variety called Athena
A few Red Tomatoes
A couple Heirloom Tomatoes: The really wrinkly one is an Italian Heirloom called Piraform and the dark green/purple one is called Cherokee Purple. You may have one or another or both. they are ugly, but tasty.
Sweet Corn: Again, a yellow variety called Bodacious
A Couple White Onions
Purple Beans: A bit deceiving since they turn green when you boil.
Mexican Stuffed Peppers
From Simply in Season
4 green, yellow, orange, or red sweet peppers
Cut top off pepper and discard seeds. Steam whole peppers in 1 inch boiling water until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Remove peppers from water and set aside.
1/3 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
In a large frypan saute in 1 T. oil.
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped
1 T. fresh oregano, chopped; or 1 t. dried
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
1 bay leaf
Add and cook 5 minutes.
2 cups corn
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
Add and simmer 10 minutes. Place peppers in oven-proof dish so that they stand upright. Stuff peppers with vegetable mixture. Any extra filling can be placed in dish next to peppers.
1/4 cup cheese, grated
Sprinkle on top. Bake at 350F to heat through, 20 minutes.

CSA week 11

September 4, 2009

If you noticed I missed last week’s newsletter. This is the first time in the four years doing a CSA. Sometimes in the season, about this time, you “hit the wall” in much the same way a marathon runner “hits the wall.” When thinking about this, in many respects we CSA growers are like long-distance runners–we need to be consistent and steady to produce a good box each week for 16 weeks.

The lack of heat is still the weather story around here. This is the second week for melons. We’re glad to have them, but they are late. Some things you may not even notice, like the okra that never comes to market because the plants just sit there doing nothing. I’ll complain about it, but my sympathies are with other farmers out there like the one I talked to last week: 600 acres of soybeans and he doesn’t see them making a harvest. Boy, that makes my 2 acres where some things are good and some bad not too bad a problem really. This is why sustainable ag types highly appreciate diversity in crops…if one thing “crashes and burns”, there may be another which does well. In many respects, we’re trying to bring back a tradition on farms where many things were produced from a couple hogs and a steer to garden produce, grains, hay. Even if the growing season went to pot, at least you could feed yourself.

In the box:
Leeks: keep refridgerated and cut lengthwise to clean out before using…dirt gets into the leaves.
Carrots
A couple tomatoes
Dill: This is for using the frawns, not the seed head like in pickling. See recipe below.
Cherry Tomato mix
Corn: mostly a white variety called Silver Queen. It’s pretty mellow and I love the name. Last week’s yellow variety is called Bodacious, which is another cool name.
A red onion
White Potatoes
A couple peppers: The small slender one is an Anaheim (slightly hot, really mild) and the other is a Cubanella (sweet, not hot).
Cauliflower
Cantaloupe: most of you got a variety called Athena, others got an “eastern type” called Halona, which has prominent ribs
A couple cukes

Cucumber, Mustard, And Dill Salad
From Gourmet | October 2004

2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon mild olive oil
1 large seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped; 1 lb), peeled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, and sugar in a bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking.
Halve cucumber lengthwise and remove seeds with a small spoon, then cut halves crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
Add cucumber and dill to vinaigrette, tossing to coat.

Scotland (CSA week 9)

August 21, 2009

Apparently a front from Scotland has settled over the area. It’s been constantly cold and wet. Man, I just can’t figure this summer out! Still, tomotoes have started to come in regardless, which you’ll see in the box this week.

I’m still praying for heat and sunshine…we’ll see if that ever pans out.
Keeping it short and sweet this week.
In the box:
Some sweet corn: Not the best stuff ever, but ears are really not interested in filling out this year.
Purple pepper: Pretty cool, eh? The variety is called Islander
A couple Jalapenos
Bunch of cilantro
Mix of cherry tomatoes: sungold (orange), sweet 100 (red in color), grape
Orange Blossom Tomato
A couple Celebrity tomatoes: your standard tomato
Bunch of carrots
A pesto-sized bunch of basil: See recipe below. If holding over, our member Tammie had a good way of keeping basil. She puts the basil in a shallow cup of water and cover the leaves with a sandwich bag at room temperature. A lot of people try putting basil in the fridge…that’s a big no-no.
Bunch of kale: some got Red Russian Kale, some got Dino Kale.
A couple sweet onions
A couple summer squash: one yellow, one green zucchini.
Classic Basil Pesto
Makes 1 cup, enough for 1 pound dried pasta
2 cloves garlic, peeled
3 T. pine nuts (can use walnuts)
1/4 t. salt
3 ounces basil leaves (about 3 cups loosely packed)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Food Processor Method:
Process the garlic, pine nuts and salt until finely ground, about 15 seconds. Add the basil and proccess in spurts just until no whole leaves remain. With the machine running, pour the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream. The mixture should be ground to a pastelike consitency but a little bit of the leaves’ texture should remain. Add the cheese and pulse until just incorporated.
Toss with cooked pasta using cooking water to thin, if desired.

Corn Harvest (CSA Week 8)

August 14, 2009

Things really get crazy for us this time of year. This is the time when I either get reinvigorated by all the great produce which is coming in or I “hit the wall.” I don’t know which way I’m going to go this year, but I appreciate all the things which are finally coming in. This is the first week of tomatoes-albeit only cherry tomatoes and small yellows-as well as good-sized carrots, peppers, and sweet corn. Man, that’s exciting…sweet corn. I’ve only had people asking about sweet corn at the farmers market for about 6 weeks (people get impatient and I run out of excuses), so now it’s finally here.

I have a real love-hate relationship with picking sweet corn. What I love about it is that it’s the first thing I do when I go out to get ready for the CSA or market. This is that time of the morning when I’m all by myself and it’s really peaceful out. Still, I like the action of grasping, pulling, and twisting off cobs in one motion…something really feels good about it. Unlike other crops, corn is really satisfying because you go from an empty crate to a full one in about 15 minutes instead of something like beans where you feel like you’re filling up a mason jar one grain of sand at a time. This is why I have Maree pick all those things 🙂 Like the yellow beans in the box this week and last week…as you see from the picture Mar is trying her hand at pickling them this week. My patience is only so good.
On the other hand, picking corn first thing in the morning can be a cold, wet ordeal. If any of you had to do this, you know what I’m talking about. First thing in the morning, the dew is really heavy, and, instead of sitting in the comfort of home, drinking a cup of coffee and reading the paper, you’re outside wresting 6-foot tall corn plants, getting your clothes soaked through, and getting these little cuts on your arms from the leaves.
All told, I like it more than dislike it. Even when I’m not in the mood, I still like to step back and admire the harvest in the packing shed over some coffee. It just feels good.
In the box:
Sweet corn: There is a mix of two early varieties. The bi-color (white and yellow) is called Native Gem and the all-yellow is called Spring Treat (far from spring, but Mid-August treat just doesn’t sound as good).
Yellow Wax Beans
Flat Italian Beans
Kohlrabi
Red Onion
Carrots: A variety called Little Finger…a fresh eating variety which should not be too big.
A couple cucumbers
Tomato sampler: Some cherries (one variety called sungold is supposed to be orange), a grape if you’re lucky, a couple yellow Taxi, and a few Julia roma tomatoes. Not many, but a start
Some peas: a mix of snow and snap peas, so the pods of each are edible…so don’t try to shell.

Gourmet | August 2009

by Maggie Ruggiero

Sure, go ahead and cook your favorite sausages, but be sure to use every iota of their flavor: Reheat the skillet and work some pork-based magic on a seasonal array of onion, fennel, tomatoes, and corn.

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Active Time: 20 min
Total Time: 35 min

ingredients

4 (5-to 6-ounces) fresh pork sausages
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1 medium fennel bulb, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes (5 oz)
2 ears corn, kernels cut from cob
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dill

preparation

Prick sausages a few times. Simmer with water in a 12-inch heavy skillet, covered, over medium heat 7 minutes. Uncover and cook, turning occasionally, until water has evaporated and sausages are well browned and cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes more. (You may need to add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet, depending on sausages.) Transfer sausages to a plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet if necessary.

Cook onion, fennel, and tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in skillet over medium heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until onion and fennel are crisp-tender and tomatoes are soft and beginning to burst, about 7 minutes. Add corn and dill and sauté 2 minutes.

Slice sausages and serve with vegetables.
I figured this would be good if you’re still holding onto some fennel from last week.

Farm Stand Now Open

August 10, 2009

We’re getting close enough to all those “high season” crops to open our farm stand today! We set up the self-serve stand at the end of our driveway last year to allow people near our farm to conveniently pick up a few things. It blew down in a snowstorm this spring, but we’ve resurrected it with the help of my father-in-law, Don Klatt, and my neighbor, Marvin Kratzke. It’s looking good and solid as a rock.

We don’t have a lot in this first week, but expect all the summer produce you crave to show up soon. Right now we have beans, cucumbers, summer squash, cabbage, onions….simply pick out what you want and drop cash or check or an IOU into the paybox.

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