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Field Notes
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Simple Gifts, Simple Pleasures
'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free.
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
Those are the first words of the Shaker song "Simple Gifts". The Shakers were common here in New England a little over a hundred years ago. They truly understood that the simpleness of life is what brings us happiness and closer to God.
We can all learn much from those generations that preceded us. When I sit and bite into that ear of corn I realize that some of life's best pleasures are also some of life's most simple pleasures and they're also the pleasures that can be had every single day. So, as we sit and eat this abundant food we should all be reminded of where it came from and that sometimes the most simple seeming things are what should be most treasured. Just as the Native Americans gave many thanks for their corn harvests every year we also must remember that though our iPhones are amazing (and, yes, I too enjoy speaking with Siri) we must be careful not to fall into the trap of Sisyphus or Midas and be tied to the pursuit of those material goods. Rather we must feed ourselves mind and body and simply. In that simplicity we will find happiness. So just as the Shakers became known as Shakers because their simple dances would shake, rattle and roll their buildings, we also must try to shake the world and get others around us to realize that the simple gifts so close to us of family, friends, and food will bring us true happiness. Though the convenience offered by the iPhone can bring us some sense of simplicity, Siri doesn't always understand what we are saying.
Keep life simple and it shall be sweet!
Farmer Dave
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In Your Vegetable Share - Week 10
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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): - Tomatoes
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Arugula, Mustard Greens, Kale or Swiss Chard
- Corn
- Bell Peppers or Cubanelle Peppers
- Eggplant
- Carrots, Beets or Radishes
- Cucumbers
- Assorted Squash
- Green or purple beans (if we're lucky!)
- Potatoes (if we're lucky!)
- Scallions
- Garlic
- Herbs
- And likely more, depending on harvest conditions!
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In Your Fruit Share:
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In the fruit shares this week:
- Peaches
- Cantaloupe
- Blueberries
- And probably more, depending on harvest conditions!
If the fruit share has been calling you but you're not yet registered we are still accepting registrations for pro-rated fruit shares! You can register online or email Ginger for more details! |
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Member Tip of the week!
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This week's tip is from Kristen who picks up in Reading.
"I've been making a lot of homemade hummus recently with roasted farm share veggies... Making hummus is a great way to use up the end of the week leftover veggies and sneak them in for picky kids." Kristen's Tried and True Hummus Recipe
Ingredients:- 3-4 cups cooked chick peas
- 1 bulb roasted garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Assorted oven roasted Farmer Dave's veggies such as eggplant, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes and assorted herbs.
Directions:- In a food processor pulse together first six ingredients until blended. Add additional liquid or chick peas until desired consistency is reached.
- Add oven roasted veggies and herbs and salt & pepper to taste.
Thank you to everyone who submitted tips this week. Got a tip to share? Send it on over!
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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!
- Corn tastes sweetest the day it is picked. Each day thereafter, it will lose some sweetness. Eat what you can for dinner, or blanch and freeze (either on the cob or off, as you like). If you must store it fresh, keep it in the refrigerator and eat soon.
- 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! Refrigerators rob tomatoes of their flavor. The flavor does not usually return when they are brought back to room temperature.
- 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!
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Recipes of the Week
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Summer Corn Cakes with Tomato and Avocado Salsa
Adapted by Ezra Pound Cake from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen.  Salsa Ingredients:- 1 large tomato, cored and chopped
- 1 scallion, trimmed and minced
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded and minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped basil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
- salt and pepper
Salsa Directions:- Place all of the ingredients except the avocado in a bowl and stir to mix. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. (Up to two days)
- Right before serving mix add the avocado and mix gently.
Summer Corn Cakes Ingredients: - 3 ears of corn, husked
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
- 1 tea baking powder (omit if using a cornbread mix)
- 1/2 tea baking soda (omit if using a cornbread mix)
- salt & pepper
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 Tablespoons buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Canola oil
Summer Corn Cakes Directions:- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a brown paper bag.
- Cut the corn from the cobs into a large bowl, and scrape the stripped cobs with the back of the knife (or a spoon) to release the juices into the bowl.
- Place 2 cups of the corn kernels into a food processor, and pulse several times, until the corn is slightly pureed but still chunky. Scrape into the bowl with the remaining corn kernels.
- Add flour, cornmeal, onion, basil, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper to the corn. Stir to mix.
- Add the eggs, buttermilk and butter, and stir just to combine. (Do not overmix.)
- Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add just enough canola oil to barely cover the bottom, and heat until sizzling hot.
- One heaping tablespoon at a time, scoop the batter into the skillet. Cooking in batches of 4 to 5 to avoid overcrowding, fry the cakes 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Drain on the lined baking sheet, and place in the oven to keep warm while cooking the remaining corn cakes. Serve warm topped with a heap of Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa.
More tomato recipes:
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Upcoming Events: Save the Date!
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 | | 2011 CSA Members getting ready for a hayride! |
We're officially half-way through the CSA season this week and that means that it's time to start thinking about our annual Member Potluck! Mark Sunday, October 14th on your calendars as the big day! Start thinking about your recipes and we'll be sending out more information as the date gets closer.
Can't wait until October to get out to the farm? We have a really special event in the works for Sunday, August 26th. We are thrilled to be hosting a wine tasting featuring Turtle Creek Winery from Lincoln, MA. We will updating you soon with the details so stay posted!
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Registration is open for the Late Fall Share!
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It's hard to believe it but it's time to start thinking about the late-fall shares. This is your chance to extend the CSA season all the way into December with 7 extra shares! The late-fall share is available in one size that is equivalent to the regular share. You'll find a mix of cool weather veggies and storage crops that with proper storage can extend your local vegetable season well into the winter!
You can look forward the following in items your Late Fall share, harvest permitting: Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, potatoes, carrots, beets, onions, garlic, celeriac, turnips, winter squashes, spinach, winter greens, leeks, apples, and lettuce Pickups are available in the following locations: - Burlington
- Dracut
- Lanesville (Gloucester)
- Lawrence
- Reading
- East Somerville
- Union Square
- Tewksbury
- and home delivery in the Boston area by Metro Pedal Power!
You can register online or email Ginger with any questions! |
Get to Know Your Farmers: Fruzsi
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Fruzsi is one of our newest interns and our only girl. She is visiting from Hungary where she is studying to become a food technology engineer.
Fruzsi is an extremely busy and driven young lady! In addition to her studies she is a talented musician and singer. Summer evenings, Fruzsi and some of our other pianist interns can be found relaxing by playing the piano in the barn. I imagine that I can see the crops outside swaying to the rhythms of their gentle music. Fruzsi sings in the Pro Musica Girls Choir and has traveled to Japan, Korea and almost every country in Europe performing. When she finds time to relax, Fruzsi likes to cook and read romance novels. When you see Fruzsi be sure to ask her how she makes her delicious peach cake!
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 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 2012 for over thirty individuals and families, as well as shares for local food pantries.
We'd love to be able to subsidize late fall shares as well. 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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