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Weekly Greetings CSAers!
We have some filled shares coming your way this week that the only problem you should have is what to cook first. We love this time of year when the season's are blending all that they have to offer.
In addition to a variety of veggies and fruit, and thus several recipes to help you decide what to do with it all, this week's newsletter is packed full of information. We have received numerous emails in regards to the listeria outbreaks involving cantaloupes from Colorado, so we have included some information below in case you did not receive the email we sent out last week.
The 2011 Harvestival is right around the corner and this week we will begin sending out tickets this week in your vegetable shares. These tickets can be used for both days. Be sure to check out the section below with information about the event as well as links to the Harvestival website (www.harvestival.com).
We have also been working on a A-Z Vegetable Glossary to help you not only identify weekly veggies, but to also learn information about them and recipes to prepare and share. With doing so we are in need of recipes, so please check out the section below on recipes and let us know if you have anything that you can send our way.
Lastly, please check out the section about volunteers and how you can help with either the Harvestival, or Potato Harvesting OR both!
This weeks shares may look something like this:
Single Share: Chard, spinach, cilantro, baby dill, green onions, red leaf lettuce, romaine, carrots, collards, Napa cabbage, heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash. *One Ticket to Harvestival
Couple Share: Chard, spinach, cilantro, baby dill, green onions, red leaf lettuce, romaine, carrots, Colorado rose potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash. *Two tickets to Harvestival
Family Share: Chard, spinach, cilantro, baby dill, green onions, red leaf lettuce, romaine, carrots, kohlrabi, Colorado rose potatoes, eggplant, Napa cabbage, red beets, heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash. *Four Tickets to Harvestival
Single Fruit Share: One bag of Farmer's choice of peaches, pears, apples, or nectarines (there will be 2 kinds of fruit in the bag w/heavier fruit on the bottom), and a watermelon.
Double Fruit Share: Two bags of Farmer's choice of peaches, pears, apples, or nectarines (there will be 2 kinds of fruit in the bag w/heavier fruit on the bottom), and 2 watermelons.
Bread Share: Sourdough
Mouco Cheese Share (one round per share): Truffello
Haystack Goat Cheese Share (one log per share): Garden Blend
Windsor Dairy Cheese: Colona
Contents of the box may vary depending on weather, timing of the harvest and the whim of the farmer!
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Harvestival 2011 - Mark Your Calendars!
October 1st
And
October 2nd!
Fun for the Whole Family!!
We invite you to join us for the 2011 Harvestival celebration on October 1st and 2nd. Harvestival is two days of music, speakers, workshops, food, our beer and wine garden, and fun activities for the kids. The event is held on beautiful Grant Family Farms in Wellington, Colorado.
Harvestival is loaded with fun, educational and simply entertaining kids activities all day long! We have everything from vegetable art and barn painting to pumpkin carving, story times and gourd bowling. Click HERE for a complete lineup of kids stuff.
In addition to kids activities, there will be hay rides, a pumpkim patch, live music from the likes of Joe Purdy and Halden Wofford and the High Beams, guest speakers like Will Steger (Polar Explorer and Educator) and Temple Grandin (an American doctor of animal science and professor at Colorado State University, bestselling author, and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior), and numerous workshops on topics such as backyard chickens, compost and canning food.
The Harvestival will also have a vendor village, beer garden, farmer's market and plenty of local foods.
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Volunteers!!! Please Contact Us!
Hey All! We are nearing this year's Harvestival and are in need for volunteers. We will also be harvesting potatoes during the event to be donated to the Food Bank. Check out the links below if you are interested, we would love to see you!
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Listeria
 As some of you may know, there has been a Listeria outbreak reported in Colorado and surrounding states. The Colorado Department of Public Health has identified nine cases linked to a multistate Listeria outbreak. The outbreak is specific to cantaloupe.
The Listeria outbreak is multi-state and the Northern Colorado organic farm that grows your cantaloupe this season does not ship outside of Colorado, so we know that the farm we work with is most likely not the culprit. Our cantaloupes are from a non-commercial, small, organic farm and in all probability not be part of the outbreak since most of the cantaloupe grown and shipped to grocery stores and out of state are from commercial, conventional farms located in Southern Colorado.
Dr. Chris Urbina, chief medical officer and executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said, "While the investigation into the source of Listeria outbreak is continuing, it is prudent for people who are at high risk for Listeria infection to avoid consumption of cantaloupe." Folks at high risk for listeria include people age 60 and older, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women. Healthy adults rarely develop this illness.
We will keep you informed if we learn any further details. The season for cantaloupe has passed at this point so you should not be receiving any more cantaloupes after today.
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Member Emails
Dear CSA,
I was really shocked to hear this horrible news. I can't paint because of my back but I want to send some good cheer your way. This is my first year as a member and last night I had to work late. I pulled into Jared's Nursing parking lot shortly before closing with a frown on my face.
I went to the back and opened my little package of 6 beautiful brown eggs. Next, to my purple container; as I lifted the splendid deep green spinach and lovely carrots and lettuce out of the container, the grin on my face got bigger and bigger. I love the produce and I love being a member of CSA. It has brought so much joy and health (I have lost 8 pounds) to my life. Keep up the wonderful work you all do!
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Recipes!!!
 We want your recipes! Do you have a recipe that has been past from one recipe box to another throughout your family? Have you stumbled upon a great recipes on a late night Google search? Do you have a recipe book that has numerous time tested recipes that you want to share? If this sounds like you, then we want to hear from you. We are in the process of putting together a vegetable glossary that will contain info and recipes on all of the vegetables that we grow and we can use your help. Below is the link to the glossary as it is right now without the recipes, but with the help of you and our staff we are in the process of adding recipes to go with the current info.
If you have a recipe or recipes that you want to share please send them to Howdy@Grantfarms.com. Click Here to View the Veggie Glossary |
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A Mess of Collard Greens
 2 lbs collard greens, tough stems discarded, leaves chopped 2 tbs medium onion, chopped 1 large garlic clove, minced 2 tsp bacon fat 1 tbs olive oil 2 tbs dark sesame oil Chili pepper flakes, a pinch Salt, a couple pinches Sugar, a couple pinches *The bacon fat is used primarily for flavor. Bacon fat provides an excellent balance to the natural bitter of the collard greens. That said, you can easily skip the bacon fat and just use a little more olive oil.
1) Use a large skillet with a tight fitting cover. Melt bacon fat and heat olive oil on medium heat. Sauté onion until transparent, a couple of mintues. Add garlic and and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2) Mix in the greens, sesame oil, chili pepper flakes, salt, and sugar. Cover and cook until tender, 8-15 minutes.
*If you want, serve with barbecue sauce.
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Kitchen Table Cooking Classes
We know that not everyone knows what to do with all the stuff you unveil each week in your CSA shares, which is why The Kitchen Table in Denver has created a cooking series just for you.
Join the Kitchen Table for Farm Fresh: Cooking with Colorado's Bounty and learn how to craft delectable dishes, recipe-free, using a share of oragnic produce from the farm. Their chef will guide you through a 'sample' share and show you how to create a composed and delicious meal - all from local, seasonal ingredients.
Learn to cook with all that Colorado has to offer during it's peak harvest season!
Friday September 16th, 2011
Friday September
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Who's Your Farmer?
Your CSA Team
"The federal government has sponsored research that has produced a tomato that is perfect in every respect, except that you can't eat it. We should make every effort to make sure this disease, often referred to as 'progress', doesn't spread."~Andy Rooney
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Back To The Start
Farming has changed and is continuing to, both in good ways and in bad. Farmers typically do not have much control in all the directions they take, for the retailers and thus consumers dictate much of the trends. It has been lately that consumers have helped farmers move in a more beneficial direction in both regards to the food they grow and raise and the way they do it. Check out the link below for a cool video that helps explain this. Your support in CSAs, farmer's markets and all local food helps us all!
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Milk Containers!
For Tomatoes
If you have any, or will once you are done any gallon milk containers, we want them! Now, we do need a little help from you, for we don't just want the containers. We are working on a way to deliver tomatoes to you without being damaged, so we would like any of your gallon milk containers, but we only want the bottom half. If you have any of these, please rinse and cut the top off and bring them to your pickup site with you when you go to pickup your shares. Our drivers will grab them when they come by and get them to us, and then back to you again with tomatoes!
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Drying and Storing Dill
Dill leaves have the best flavor freshly picked. However, they will keep for several days in the refrigerator, their stems in a jar of water and covered with a plastic bag. They store for several months if you layer them with pickling salt in a covered jar in the refrigerator. When you are ready to use the leaves, simply wash them and use as fresh.
If you use a food dehydrator, rinse the dill leaves in cold water, shake them dry and lay them on the trays. Check your machine for instructions; usually the plants require 1 to 3 hours depending on the power of the machine.
To freeze dill for longer storage cut the leaves, long stems and all, into sections short enough to fit into plastic bags. Do not chop the leaves into bits or fragrance and flavor will be lost. It will keep for 6 months.
To dry dill, hang bunches of stems upside down in a dark, airy place until they are crumbly. Store them in a tightly sealed jar away from light and use within 4 to 6 months.
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Grilled Romaine
1-2 heads of romaine lettuce
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
Balsamic vinegar, if desired
Parmesan cheese
1) Preheat a grill. (If you don't have a grill, you also can use a stovetop grill pan; in that case, skip this step.)
2) Wash and dry the romaine. If using romaine heads, remove a few of the outer-most leaves and save the greens for a salad.
3) Cut each romaine heart in half lengthwise. Drizzle each side liberally with olive oil, a good amount of kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. If desired, drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
4) Place the romaine hearts on the grill, and grill for about 3 minutes on each side, until slightly charred.
5) Top with grated parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
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