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Newsletters and Recipes
What's in a newsletter?
These farm newsletters will arrive to you through email each week that you receive a share. (Note: All shares are receiving the newsletter this week; Atlanta half shares begin picking up next week.)
The newsletter includes what is in your share for the week (or at least an estimate). We'll highlight what's happening around the farm, share insights into our daily work, and help you with preparation and storage techniques for your veggies. Occasionally we'll also share with you evidence of the environmental, ethical, social, and health benefits of eating seasonally, locally, and organically. The four of us take turns writing the newsletters so you'll get a different perspective each week!
Where are the recipes and how do I access them?
Our recipes are posted to our blog www.serenbefarms.wordpress.com each week.
We like the blog format because:
1. You can easily subscribe to get updates every time we add a recipe.
2. You can search our recipe archive for any vegetable that is in your share.
Here's how to search for recipes:
Step 1 -- Locate the Select Category tab on the right hand of the screen.
Step 2 -- Click and locate which vegetable you'd like to cook.
Step 3 -- Voila! A list of recipes with that veggie appears.
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Farm News From Farmer Paige-
Howdy friends and CSA members!
Welcome to our 6th Serenbe Farms CSA Season! Thank you for making the connection our local organic farm. We appreciate your commitment to us and our harvests. We look forward to sending you our bounty.
I can't tell you how exciting it is to work, work, work all spring then have a big blow-out harvest that fills our walk in cooler to the brim. It's amazing what this beautiful spring has done, things are growing faster than ever with the abundant moisture and sunny skies.
Today found me crunching the perfect french breakfast radish, admiring the dew on the grass while the sun topped the trees, watching lady bugs crawl around our spinach leaves, and appreciating all that is growing and in bloom. Spring harvest days are the best.
On the farm, we've kicked off a great season. Justin and I sowed our first seed in the greenhouse around February 1st. February, beyond seeding, was an ode to irrigation...we successfully renovated our sub-par system and now it runs like a charm.
 | | Ryan hilling potatoes |
Our fabulous apprentices, Maya and Ryan, arrived for the season on March 1st. Now we're a furious team of four managing our almost 5 acres. We started transplanting and maintenance in March and the work has not stopped. Somehow, we've managed to stay on schedule with our crop plans, keep up with the weeds, and have still found time for projects. Our hoop house frame is completed and that will ensure delicious produce year round.
 | | A good Saturday's work |
I could write forever about all the beautiful and exciting things on the farm, but we have all season to tell you more (and hopefully our produce speaks volumes).
Greens, OH Greens!
Invariably, year to year I include information about all the yummy greens that you'll find in your shares. Please don't be alarmed at the number of green leaves you'll see over the next month or so...many of these greens are delicious, unique in flavor, and easy to prepare. A basic rule of thumb for me is if it's big and tough, cook it, if it's small and tender, eat it raw. All the greens you'll receive can be eaten raw, so go ahead, take a taste and use your imagination.
Here are some of the greens you can expect to see in today's share and in the next few weeks. And, don't worry; we'll have more than just greens for the next few harvests, and soon after that many of the fruits of summer. Enjoy these while you can (and get creative, freeze them for a summer green craving)!
All can be eaten raw, stir fried, sautéed, steamed, eaten in a salad, fried, baked in a casserole, braised, grilled, blanched, braised, juiced, etc. I've even enjoyed baked kale chips.
I like to combine my favorite fats (coconut oil, olive oil, butter), vinegars, and spices with many of my sauteed green dishes.
List of greens you'll see in our shares over the next few weeks
Collard Greens
Swiss Chard
Bok Choi
Kale
Mustard greens
Spinach
Arugula
Lettuce
Chinese Cabbage
Turnip tops and turnip greens
Radish tops (yep, eat them too!)
Beet tops
I'll try to include descriptive helpers in the newsletter so you can identify what you're eating!
Washing your Veggies
Please wash your greens and vegetables!! While the food we provide is certified organic and chemical free; you will occasionally find dirt, debris, and maybe a bug on your veggies. We prerinse most of the vegetables before they reach your hands. This prerinse cools the surface and helps the greens keep longer and also helps to remove the surface dirt.
I also recommend that you process your greens right when you get home. This will make preparation throughout the week much easier as your produce will be fresh, clean, and it will keep longer. I really like storing greens wrapped up in a kitchen towel then placed in a plastic bag or directly into a plastic or glass sealed container.
CSA Manual
I hope everyone had a chance to read the CSA manual. Please do remember to bring your own bags (and we'll take used, clean grocery bags)!
Cheers, and happy eating!
Farmer Paige and our fantastic farm team: Justin, Ryan and Maya (Learn more about us here.)
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This week's share
(this list is subject to change):
1 bunch collard greens (large green leaves, bunched)
1 bunch radishes--eat the tops too, delicious!
1 bag (~1/2lb) spinach
1 lb bunch baby Barletta sweet onions (also known as pickling onions)
3 onion flower stalks--see this recipe
1 bunch cilantro or oregano
1 head bok choi
1-2 heads lettuce
1 'other' green (either Asian green or arugula) |
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