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Field Notes
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Nature's Beauty
In the cold of winter we make a nice plan of what we will seed, when we will transplant it into the field and when we expect to harvest. Looking at the spreadsheet I can envision the perfect amount and the perfect mixture of fresh, flavorful food for everyone, every week. Sometimes I think of how nice it would be if everything came out exactly as the computer program presents it. Yet, it never happens. We are dealing with nature and in nature there is a lot of variability.
In that variability lies beauty. Not merely a visual beauty, but also a natural beauty that fully presents itself when we see that beautiful raspberry or ear of corn with our eyes, feel the beauty with our fingers, taste the beauty in our mouths, and know the beauty in our strength after we have digested that beautiful food. The full beauty of that food which nature has given us is never fully realized until we have destroyed it, or at least transformed it into who we are when we ingest it. Interestingly all of that beauty is not fully apparent to us until we have made it no longer what it once was. In growing, seeing, touching, tasting and eating this food, the beauty of the food itself blends with the beautiful experience of what we do with it so that we are better fed body and soul.
That we not focus too much solely on the abstract numbers on our computers. Rather, find and embrace the God given beauty around us to enliven us.
Farmer Dave
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In Your Vegetable Share - Week 13
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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
- Husk Tomatoes or Tomatillos
- Collard Greens or Kale
- Bell Peppers or Cubanelle Peppers
- Turnips, purple top or hakurei
- Cucumbers
- Broccoli or Carrots
- Eggplant
- Herbs
- And more, depending on harvest conditions!
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In Your Fruit Share:
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In the fruit shares this week:
- Peaches
- Blackberries or raspberries
- And 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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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! 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!
- Are fruit flies a problem? Fill the bottom of a glass with apple cider vinegar or a little bit of red wine. Carefully prick a small hole in the center of a coffee filter that is just big enough for the fruit fly to crawl through. Place the coffee filter over the top of the glass and poke it down so that the small hole is just over the liquid in the glass. Put a rubber band around the top of the glass to hold the filter in place and you've made yourself a nice little fruit fly trap!
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Recipe of the Week!
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Pork Chops Scarpariello
From Epicurious.com
Ingredients
- 2 sweet peppers (bell, carmen or any sweet colored pepper)
- 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 (1-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops (2 pounds total)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 fresh red or green cherry peppers or 2 fresh red jalapeños (1/4 pounds total), finely chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions: - Roast bell peppers on racks of gas burners over high heat (or on rack of a broiler pan about 2 inches from heat), turning with tongs, until skins are blackened, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Let stand, covered, 20 minutes. Peel, then halve lengthwise, discarding stems and seeds. Cut peppers into 1-inch pieces.
- While peppers stand, mince and mash half of garlic to a paste with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Combine with rosemary, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Rub onto chops.
- Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sauté pork, turning once, until pale golden in spots and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm, loosely covered with foil.
- Add roasted peppers to skillet with onion, remaining garlic, cherry peppers, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add wine and broth and boil until liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Add meat juices from plate and remove skillet from heat. Add butter, stirring until incorporated. Stir in lemon juice, parsley, and salt to taste and spoon over chops.
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
From Chef Rick Bayless
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces (3 to 4 medium) tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- Fresh hot green chiles to taste (1 or 2 serranos or 1 jalapenos), stemmed
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 6 sprigs of fresh cilantro (thick bottom stems cut off), roughly chopped
- 1/4 small white onion, finely chopped
- Salt
Directions:
- Roast the tomatillos, chile(s) and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler, until blotchy black and softening (they'll be turning from lime green to olive), about 5 minutes. Flip them over and roast the other side.
- Cool, then transfer everything to a blender, including all the delicious juice the tomatillos have exuded during roasting.
- Add the cilantro and 1/4 cup water, then blend to a coarse puree. Scoop into a serving dish. Rinse the onion under cold water, then shake to remove excess moisture. Stir into the salsa and season with salt, usually 1/2 teaspoon.
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Kale Stuffed Kale with Kale Sauce!
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 This comic by Rhymes with Orange ran in the Globe a few weeks ago to much glee at the farm. In it's honor we present our favorite kale recipes.
See? There are lots of things to love about a CSA box overflowing with kale!
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Upcoming Events: Save the Date!
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We're officially half-way through the CSA season 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.
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Late Fall Share
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Q: What kinds of produce will be included in the late fall share?
A: The late fall share contains a combination of storage crops (such as apples, winter squash, potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, and celeriac), crops that we are still picking from the fields (such as lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, romanesco, brussels sprouts, carrots, beets, turnips, radishes, and leeks).
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! |
Other Worthy Events
| 2nd Annual East Broadway Foodie Crawl: September 18th
"Food fiend or East Somerville friend? On Tuesday September 18th, come take a cultural crawl with us through the East Somerville restaurant corridor and discover Somerville's best kept culinary secrets. The authentic foods will take you straight to the sights and smells of Ethiopia, the tastes of El Salvador and the colors of Haiti. Last year, over one thousand people came and ate their way through this showcase of ethnic cuisine. This September over a dozen restaurants, representing five continents, will once again throw open their doors to a horde of foodies. Join us on this cavalcade of taste and culture!
All Profits Support East Somerville Main Streets, a non-profit 501c3 organization dedicated to building a vibrant neighborhood life and a unique destination through a thriving business district. Community starts at the heart."
Save the Date for theMOVE's annual fundraiser + celebration on September 8th.
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On the Farm
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Farmer Dave's is thrilled to welcome our newest farmer, Farmer Asher! Congratulations, Bethany and Andrew!
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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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