Serenbe Farms

  CSA Newsletter and Recipes (year)6-(week)14



July 25th, 2011
Farm Update From Maya

Hi everyone! Another week has passed on the farm.  It feels like just yesterday was the Fourth of July, but already August is just around the corner. It seems that we are into the full swing of summer here on the farm. You all have probably noticed as well with the looks of your shares, full of peppers, melons and tomatoes! This week we were busy harvesting cucumbers, melons, peppers, and yes, tomatoes. Hope you all enjoyed the big bag in your shares this past week. We have a lot to do in the fields, but we also have to keep an eye on our plants that are still in greenhouse trays. Our lettuce, spinach and other greens are still tiny seedlings, but they are growing strong!  

Baby spinach
Spinach just beginning to grow

 

In addition to keeping the greens healthy and watered in their flats, we will also be direct seeding carrots and beets in the near future. We still have so much left to look forward to this summer, it is hard to believe it's time to start thinking about fall veggies. With the hoop house completed last week, we had no big projects on the list so we spent the rest of the week keeping the fields maintained. Justin mowed the farm, while the rest of us, with some volunteer help, weeded the tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Also as part of our field maintenance, we pulled out most of the old and dying cucumbers and tilled the field. The cucumbers are gone, but as soon as we tilled them in we noticed that we had a new crop ready to be harvested..okra! Our one variety, red burgundy, is ready with three more beds ready to harvest within the next few weeks.   

okra
okra flower

 

 

 

Preserving the Harvest

 

I love eating with the seasons, and using farm fresh produce in every meal I make. Since I've started working at Serenbe, my meals have really been kicked up a notch. I can't help thinking about the future though and I wonder how I will make it through this winter without the farm veggies. Buying grocery store produce just doesn't have the same appeal for me after working on a farm. With all our bounty of cucumbers and tomatoes I started to think about canning and preserving farm food for the winter.  

Reasons to preserve food

1) Eat local all year round. Just because CSA is over doesn't mean that you will have to start racking up on your food miles. Farm tomatoes in January sounds pretty good to me. 

2) Less waste. Don't compost or throw away any leftover beets or beans, pickle them and they can stick around for a while.

3) Quick meals. A jar of Serenbe tomato sauce or some frozen broccoli from the fall can make a great pasta dish in minutes.

4) Holiday gifts. A homemade jar of pickles or mix of dried peppers can make great gifts for family and friends during the holiday season.   

Ways to preserve food

Canning is one popular way to preserve food. You may can high-acid foods, like tomatoes, in a water bath. You may also pickle certain vegetables as a way of preserving them. Popular vegetables to pickle are cucumbers, beans, beets, turnips. I even found a few recipes for spicy melon and watermelon rind pickles. If you are a fan of greens  you can blanch them and then put them in freezer bags in the freezer for later use.  If you have a dehydrator you can dry veggies like tomatoes and peppers too!

Resources for preserving

If you would like to start preserving your own food here are some helpful resources below.

Canning:

Ball guide to preserving, www.freshpreserving.com 

Growing a Greener World, canning and preserving the entire season Canning Videos  

Freezing:

Pick Your Own, Freezing greens guide  

Dehydrating:

Farmgal Blog, Dehydrating guide   

 

Edamame!

 

Edamame has been in the shares for a few weeks now and there is still plenty more growing on the farm. Edamame, which means "beans on a branch" in Japanese, are green soy beans. You will notice that these plump beans have a nutty flavor with a creamy, yet also crunchy texture. 

 

Storage: Edamame will last a week in the fridge in a loosely sealed plastic bag. Be sure to rise in cold water before eating.

 

Preparation: Fresh edamame is much easier shelled after cooking. To prepare, boil pods for 7-10 minutes, drain and cover with cold water. Once the pods are cold enough to handle, squeeze the pod until the beans pop out. You may also steam or microwave edamame pods for 4-5 minutes. 

 

Serving Suggestions: Edamame is not traditionally eaten raw. Toss the cooked pods in soy sauce and pull the beans out as you eat them. Cooked shelled beans are also good with butter or olive oil and salt and pepper. They can be added to any salad, thrown into a stir fry, or tossed in the food processor to become a delicious dip (see this weeks blog for recipe). 

 

Nutrients: When boiled, edamame is an excellent source of vitamin C, folate, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, calcium, potassium. As with many beans, edamame is a good source of protein and fiber. 

 

Hope everyone has a great week!

Maya 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week's share
(this list is subject to change): 

Tons of Tomatoes!!

Cucumbers

Bell Pepper(s)

Garlic

Onions

Edamame (pluck, wash, cook, shell)

Melon and/or blueberries

Herbs

 

+possible other item(s) TBD

Become a fan of 

Serenbe Farms on Facebook

Where you can:
-see our recent photos
-learn about events
-share recipes 
Links
www.serenbefarms.com

www.georgiaorganics.org
www.slowfoodatlanta.org
RECIPES are found here: www.serenbefarms.wordpress.com

 

Submit any favorites for the blog to [email protected].