| What's Growing This Week: | |
Arugula
Broccoli
Bok Choy
Butternut Squash
Satsuma Mandarins
Asian Pears
Red Russian Kale(M,L)
Cauliflower (M,L)
Garlic (M,L)
Cauliflower (M,L)
Potatoes (L)
Chard (L)
Items may be substituted without notice.
|
|
|
Bulk Mandarins
Get 5 lb. boxes of Mandarins along with your regular CSA box. Go to your online TFF account and either 1) order one week at a time under "Orders", or 2) subscribe to get a weekly delivery for the duration of the season under "Change Subscriptions". Orders must be received three days in advance.
Please note: We do not ship bulk mandarins, only gift baskets. Mandarins are delivered only to pick up sites to current subscribers. |
Contact Us:
| terrafirmafarm.com
csa@terrafirmafarm.com
|
|
| CSA Rates 2011 | Boxes are charged on Monday for the week's deliveries at:
$14 Small
$24 Medium
$32 Large
For a payment of $300, get a 3% bonus. Your account balance will be $309.
For a payment of$850, get a 5% bonus. Your account will be posted as $892.00
For a payment of $1,400, get a 7% bonus. Your payment will be posted as $1,498.
Vacations are charged weekly when notice is given as a fee, no charges occur during the vacation week.
$4 Small
$8 Medium
$11 Large
|
|
|
Pledge of Authenticity
Terra Firma is a real farm. We grow 99% of the produce that goes into our boxes on our 220 acres of certified organic land in Winters. If we do buy produce from other farms, it's almost always from a neighboring farm and we give them full credit in the box list.
The owners of Terra Firma are involved in every aspect of making your boxes a reality: walking the fields, planting the crops, selecting and checking what goes in the boxes and finally delivering them to you. We eat the crops from our fields every day, just like you do. Thanks for supporting our efforts and enjoying the food we grow.
Paul, Pablito, & Hector
|
Payments, Billing, and Changes
| Schedule vacations, change box sizes, make payments or sign up for autopay by logging in to your subscriber account at terrafirmafarm.com
|
|
|
|
News From Terra Firma Farm
Community Supported Agriculture |
Well, it's that time of year again... time for the once-a-year Terra Firma "Newsletter from Abroad", coming to you in 2011 from beautiful Maui, Hawaii. I can't give readers much of an update on what's happening at the farm this week, except to say that the relative lack of emails and phone calls from Winters leads me to believe everything is under control.
Of course, it's also sunny and beautiful in Northern California right now, while here in Hawaii it's been raining since I got here...which has given me plenty of time to explore the local food and sustainable agriculture scene here.
Hawaii's economy obviously depends hugely on tourism and the development that supports it. But on Maui at least, much of the island is still devoted to agriculture. Most of the farmland is used for sugarcane, but appears to be a thriving community of small farms that provide meat, milk, and fresh produce to the restaurants and retailers on the island as well as at several farmers markets. Many of them also offer tours, U-pick, and other "agri-tourist" activities, but I have yet to find a farm offering a CSA.
The upshot of this for both locals and tourists is that there is an abundance of locally grown and organic food available. Restaurants proudly list their local sources, and there are several independent natural foods stores as well as Whole Foods. Mana Foods in the town of Paia is easily one of the best natural food stores I've ever been in, with an impressive amount of their produce coming from local farms. They also have an abundance of other local products: coffee, tea, chocolate, fish, meat, bread...I could go on. This place's 60s roots are clear -- imagine Rainbow Grocery if it had never moved to Division St. Yet I saw four Maui County police officers at the Deli counter buying their lunch among the surfers, hippies and tourists.
Anyway, I've only been here a few days and I am painting things with a broad brush based on a very limited knowledge. But if you're planning a vacation and eating fresh local and organic food is one of your priorities, you might add Maui to the list. Just one tip: if you're hoping for a warm and sunny place, you might not want to come here in December.
Thanks,
Pablito
|
|
Year-End Delivery Schedule
Terra Firma's final delivery for 2011 will be on Thursday, December 22nd. If you receive your box on Friday, please take note: Friday deliveries will be moved back to Tuesday, December 20th at their normal time.
The first delivery of 2012 will be on January 11th. There will be no deliveries the last week of December or the first week of January. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and your family.
If you need extra produce for the holidays or you just want to stock up, take advantage of your online account to order an extra box (or two!) of any size for your final 2011 delivery. The boxes that week will be heavy on less-perishable items like potatoes, winter squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc.
While you're visiting your account, go ahead and order a 5 lb. box or three of mandarins for snacking or last minute gifts over the holidays.
|
In Your Boxes
A little over a year ago, we switched to a different variety of Arugula than the one we had been growing for years. Did you notice? The new Arugula is darker green, with less rounded leaves. It keeps longer in your fridge than the old variety before it starts to turn yellow, due to its slightly firmer texture.
The new Arugula (called "Surrey", for those who are interested in these things) also tolerates both hot and cold weather better than the old stuff -- which used to get spicy in the heat and turn red in the winter. Here we are at in mid-December, and the leaves are still green and tasty.
Arugula has become as common as spinach on many restaurant menus, but I realize there are still some holdouts out there who don't love it. It's true that the greens have some bite to them, not bitter so much as slightly hot. While this flavor can be balanced with sweet ingredients like balsamic vinegar or fruit, too much sweetness will actually exacerbate the strong flavor of the arugula. On the other hand, salty flavors and acidic dressings will emphasize the nuttiness and balance the spiciness. See the recipe below.
|
Recipe -- Arugula Salad with Pears and Caramelized Cauliflower
You can saute or roast the cauliflower until well browned.
Trim the leaves and stems off 1 head of cauliflower. Cut the entire head in slices from top to bottom, about 1/2 inch thick, then cut the slices into bite-size pieces.
Saute the cauliflower at high heat in 2 T. olive oil with 1 T. chopped fresh rosemary leaves (or toss with oil and rosemary and roast at 400 in the oven).
Mince 2 cloves of garlic. When the cauliflower is nicely browned, add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Season with salt and drizzle with the juice of 1/2 lemon.
Wash and dry 4 C. arugula leaves.
Slice 1 Large or 2 smaller Asian pears in very thin half rounds.
When the cauliflower is no longer steaming hot, toss with the arugula and pears. Top with finely grated Romano cheese.
Taste the salad -- if you feel it needs dressing, mix together equal parts olive oil and lemon juice with a dash of salad and drizzle over the salad.
|
|
|
|
|
