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Greeting CSAers,
Welcome to week three of the 2011 season! The long warm summer days are taking their hold on the crops, resulting in more and more variety each week. Those same long days are also favored by the weeds, and as many of you know they grow really well. If only vegetables could grow a 3 foot tap root in a matter of weeks like thistle now that would be the day!
Farming can be a complicated dance, one that involves steps that are ever changing to what is happening around you. It is like a square dance with a new caller each day. You know you have done the dance before, with many steps you are familiar with, but then he keeps you guessing by calling new steps that are foreign to you. So you look around to the others to see what they are doing, so maybe you too can get in step again. Despite farming for many years, each day is different, for the combination of weather, temperatures, day lengths, types of seeds, and the timing of all these all have interesting effects on the plants that are simply growing and doing their thing and reacting to the influences around them.
This always keep us on our toes as we try and forecast when veggies will be ready to harvest, when the best time to plant so we don't have all of our lettuce ready to harvest at once, the practice of farming as it should be known.
This weeks shares may look something like this:
Single Share: Baby salad greens, bag of spinach, baby dill, green onions, radishes, kale, garlic scapes.
Couple Share: Baby salad greens, rhubarb, bag of spinach, spinach bunch, cilantro, baby dill, green onions, lettuce, radishes, kale, garlic scapes.
Family Share: Baby salad greens, rhubarb, bag of spinach, spinach bunch, cilantro, baby dill, green onions, lettuce, radishes, kale, collards, garlic scapes.
Bread Share: Multi-grain seed bread
Mouco Cheese Share (one round per share): Camambert
Haystack Goat Cheese Share (one log per share): Applewood smoked
Mushroom Shares: Oyster
Contents of the box may vary depending on weather, timing of the harvest and the whim of the farmer! |
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Farm Dinners
Join us at the farm for three amazing farm dinners this summer featuring seasonal produce and meats from the farm, cocktails, tours, live music and a three-course dinner in a picturesque garden setting.
July 23rd - Culinary School of the Rockies
August - Date TBD
September - Date TBD - Jay's Bistro
For tickets or more info click HERE
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Garlic Scape  The garlic plant has more than one usable portion. While many people are aware of the many uses for the garlic bulbs, not as many persons are aware that the stalk of the garlic plant is also edible. Often referred to as the garlic scape, the stalk also contains flavor and can be used in a number of different recipes. Here is more information on the garlic scape, including when to harvest the stalk for use in preparing meals. The garlic scape serves as the stem from which the seed head of the garlic bulb is formed. As the bulb begins to grow and mature, garlic stalks also begin to lengthen. During the growth period, the garlic scape begins to curve. Contained within the garlic scape is a great deal of flavor, although the stalk never does reach the level of the pungent garlic bulb itself. Initially, the garlic scape is relatively tender, making it ideal for use as an ingredient in several dishes. As the plant continues to mature, the garlic scape gradually begins to straighten, creating more support for the bulb. At this juncture, the garlic scape is much tougher and ceases to be usable for most recipes. It is not unusual for the garlic scape to be harvested while it is still young and tender. Chopped into short sections, the garlic scape is a tasty addition to just about any type of stir-fry. The flavor of the garlic scape adds a mild aroma as well as taste to the stir-fry, easily integrating with the other ingredients. The texture of the small sections of the garlic scape also can help to make the stir fry recipe a little more appealing as well. The garlic scape also has a place in many different pesto recipes. Used to compliment the addition of onions to the pesto, garlic scape provides just enough of a hint of the garlic flavor to be pleasing in the recipe. As with the stir-fry, garlic scape can also add another layer of texture to the pesto. Anyone who wishes to add the taste of garlic to a recipe that calls for onions will find that using garlic scape will provide enough of a bite to fulfill the purpose of the onion, as well as give the recipe an added dash of aroma and flavor. For instance, the garlic scape works well with just about any tomato-based soup, as well as giving new life to old favorites such as chicken soup. Many ethnic based restaurants that offer some type of egg drop soup may also include a small amount of garlic scape in the recipe, along with chives and other greens. |
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Tzatziki Sauce
Lg container of plain yogurt, drained (or lg container of Fage, not drained)
1 clove of garlic (minced)
1 cucumber (seeded and diced)
a ton of dill- as much as you like
salt/ olive oil to taste
Mix this stuff together, and let it sit for at least a few hours before serving. Enjoy on grilled chicken or meat, pita wedges, grilled veggies, as a salad dressing, on french fries or raisin bran. |
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Easy kale Recipe  3-4 cups kale (cut)2-3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
1/2 onion (chopped)
spices to taste: sea salt, fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, chili-pepper, garlic powder, lawry's seasoning salt Place in zip-lock bag and mix all together. Add some fresh lime juice before cooking. Cook in a medium size fry pan on low to medium for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the onions from burning. |
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Have a great week!
Your CSA Team
"Mosquito is out,
it's the end of the day;
she's humming and hunting
her evening away.
Who knows why such hunger
arrives on such wings
at sundown? I guess
it's the nature of things."
~N. M. Boedecker, Midsummer Night Itch |
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4th of July Deliveries
On the 4th of July this year deliveries will be as usual, so nothing will change for that week (unless you have been notified). If you are going to be out of town, or simply unable to pickup your share(s) please let us know and we can have it donated, or if you contact us with enough a head of time notice we can switch your pickup location for the one week. Another option is to see if a neighbor or friend can pickup for you that week. If you find a friend, please be detailed as to how the pickup system works. |
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Green Onion Dip
1 lrg tub sour cream, about 2 cups
6 nice green onions
1/4 cup fresh parsley (minced)
1 heaping tsp fresh garlic (minced)
salt to taste
In a large bowl add the sour cream. Cut green onions in half length ways, then cut into small slices, greens and all. Stir well, checking to see if it needs salt. Let sit in frig for at least 2 hours for flavors to meld. Serve with chips, crackers or veggies. You can also use it on baked potatoes.
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Garlic Scape and Almond Pesto
10 garlic scapes, (finely chopped)
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
(to taste and texture)
1/3 cup slivered almonds
(you could toast them lightly, if you'd like)
About 1/2 cup olive oil
Sea salt
Put the scapes, 1/3 cup of the cheese, almonds and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle). Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil and, if you want, more cheese. If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil. Season with salt.
If you're not going to use the pesto immediately, press a piece of plastic against the surface to keep it from oxidizing. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or packed airtight and frozen for a couple of months, by which time tomatoes should be at their juiciest. |
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