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Field Notes
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This week we celebrate Independence Day, when more than two centuries ago, our nation was created by rejecting the sovereignty of the British Crown as our ruler. Even though we were not there then, nor perhaps were many of our ancestors (as we are a nation of immigrants), we celebrate the leap of faith our predecessor Americans took when they declared their independence from King George. It is difficult, today, to fully grasp the gravity of that declaration. Yet, many of our forbearers died fighting for our independence, and many more have given their lives since our Revolutionary war to preserve and protect our nation and the principles we as Americans live by. Our nation of people and the democratic system that we fight to protect became the model of many struggling nations in the world. The beauty of our society is its independence and freedom. Our country will never be perfect. Yet, by its very nature, it can freely evolve to preserve its beauty. As long as we, the people, are good and take an active role in our society, our nation's glory will endure. Around the world America is recognized as a beautiful country. The beauty of America lies not only in our freedom to think independently, but in the fact that we are encouraged to think independently. We often do not all agree with each other, yet we respect each other's beliefs. In many societies of the world, those who disagree, disappear. In our disagreements and our freedom to disagree, lies our strength.
Let Freedom Ring,
Farmer Dave's
"Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bands."---- Thomas Jefferson
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In Your Share - Week 4
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The following items will most likely make an appearance in your share this week (and as always, the contents of your share is ultimately determined by Mother Nature's harvest conditions):- Lettuce
- Swiss Chard
- Beets
- Zucchini, Kousa, or Summer Squash
- Peas
- Slicing Tomatoes
- Scallions
- Garlic Scapes
- And probably more, depending on harvest conditions!
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Walking and Weeding This Week
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Weather permitting, we will be having Walking and Weeding this Friday afternoon (July 6) at 5:30 p.m. at the farm. We hope to see you there!
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CSA Member Tip of the Week
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This tip comes from Amy, via our Facebook page, who picks up in Tewksbury:
"In an effort to roast my beets without having to turn on the oven in this heat, I found this recipe that uses a slow cooker."
Thanks, Amy! Got a tip to share? Send it on over!
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A Rainbow of Beets
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This week's share will most likely include beets....and not the red kind! Depending on harvest conditions, you will most likely see either golden beets or chioggia beets in your share this week. Golden beets have an orange skin and are sunny-yellow when you slice them open. Chioggia (pronounced "kee-OH-ja") beets, have a pink skin and display beautiful white and pink rings when you slice them open. All beets are excellent roasted, in soups, or in any recipes where you'd use red beets. Golden and chioggia beets have the advantage of not staining your hands, as well!
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CSA Q & A: Peas (with visual hints!)
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Q: How do I tell if i have shelling peas, or edible pod peas (such as sugar snap or snow)?
A: Ask your pick-up staff; they'll be happy to help out! Already got your share home? A simple way to tell - before cooking, take a bite out of one of the pods and chew. If it is tough and fibrous, you know you have shelling peas - simply spit it out and shell the rest of your peas! Finally, here are some visual hints:
 | Shelling peas - note the straight pods, and that the seeds mostly or completely fill out the pods. These pods are not edible (they won't harm you, but if you bite into one and try and chew it, you'll probably find it too tough to enjoy.)
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 | Sugar snap peas - note the slightly curved shape, and that the seeds pretty much fill out the "crispy-looking" pods. Both the seeds and the pods are edible.
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 | Snow peas - note the flat pod, and the fact that even though these peas have developed seeds, the seeds do not fill out the whole pods. Both the seeds and the pods are edible.
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Storage Notes
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Some tips for storing your share this week:
- Greens do best when in the fridge and kept cold. If you find your greens are not lasting as long as you would like, try turning your refrigerator a degree or two colder - it makes a big difference!
- For root vegetables, such as beets, radishes and turnips, cut the greens off and store them separately from the roots. The roots will keep much longer, and you can cook the greens separately (just like you would spinach or Swiss chard!)
- Tomatoes will keep their flavor best at room temperature - store them on your countertop! Flavor declines in the refrigerator.
- Garlic scapes make a beautiful tabletop centerpiece stored in a glass of water (cut side down!).
- If you run out of space in your crisper drawers, try using some large tupperware-like containers. You'll find your veggies last a long time in those!
- If you're looking to wash your lettuce ahead of time and eat it over a few days, check out this video to learn how to store your washed lettuce.
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| Recipes of the Week |
Green Pea Soup with Dill Yogurt CreamAdapted by Marina Weisz (CSA staff member at our Boston Medical Center pick-up) from Weight WatchersMarina says: "I just made a delicious pea soup last night. I opened my share and saw a lot of peas and felt overwhelmed, so, what else was there to do aside from make soup?!
"I used a Weight Watchers recipe as a base because I had almost every vegetable it called for from my share, except for potatoes. I used veggie broth instead of chicken broth. I substituted a bunch of turnips and a medium sized zucchini in for the potato and it turned out REALLY well."
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of vegetable broth (I use no or low salt because you can always add more later!) [ed. note: try the pea pod broth recipe, below!]
- 2 leeks, roughly chopped (the white and light green parts)
- 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped*
- 1 medium sized zucchini, cut into half moons
- 1 bunch of turnips, cut into small pieces to facilitate faster cooking
- 2 cups of peas (about 4 bags, shelled)
- 1/4-1/2 cup of plain yogurt (depends on how much yogurt you want to stir into the soup)
- 3 TBSP dill, finely chopped, divided
- 1 1/4 tsp salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup diced fresh tomatoes (optional)
Directions:
*if you want a garlickier soup, set aside the eqivalent of about one scape and chop it finely and do not add it with the other scapes
In large saucepan, combine broth, leeks, scapes, zucchini, and turnips. Add 1 tsp of salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are soft (probably about 10 minutes). Add the peas and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the peas are tender. Remove from heat and let sit for about 5 minutes. If you want a garlickier soup, add the remaining scapes in once you remove the soup from heat.
In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, dill, remaining salt and pepper together. Try it to make sure it tastes awesome.
Add the remaining dill. Puree the soup using an immersion blender, or, in batches in a regular blender.
Serve hot (although this might be a good cold soup, too). Top with dill yogurt and diced tomatoes.
Other optional toppings: grated parmesan cheese, more freshly ground black pepper, basil pesto. Pea Pod BrothFrom Love Soup by Anna Thomas A great way to use your pea pods! Makes a great stock for pea soup, or any delicate green soup.
Ingredients:- pods from 3 lbs. peas
- 1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- a few springs flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- a few peppercorns
- 2 1/2 quarts water
Rinse the pea pods and put them in an 8-quart stockpot or large soup pot with the remaining ingredients. Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat to medium, and let the broth simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes. Strain the broth and discard the pods and other vegetables. Taste teh broth and adjust the salt if needed. |
 Groundwork Share-A-Share™ Update
|  Thanks to generous donations by you (CSA members) to the Groundwork Share-A-Share™ fund, we were able to subsidize the cost of shares in 2011 for over twenty individuals and families, as well as shares for local food pantries.
For 2012, we'd like to continue to offer subsidies to those in need. We still have some individuals and families on a waiting list. Please consider helping us in our efforts to make the CSA accessible to more families by donating to Groundwork Share-A-Share.
To learn more about the program, click here. Thank you all for helping us keep this program going in 2012! |
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Contact us:
Farmer Dave's
437 Parker Road
Dracut, MA 01826
(978) 349-1952
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