Week Fifteen! - We are providing the e-news for ALL shareholders, however only Full Share and Week A Half Shares pick up this week!
Wellspring Winter CSA Shares - Sign up now before they're gone!
Want to have great veggies for your Thanksgiving or to eat when the snow is on the ground? These shares have wonderful greens and easy to store crops (onions, parsnips, carrots, winter squash, etc.) Sign up now as we do only 50 shares compared to our 110 CSA Summer Shares! Details and registration are on our website here:
Flower U-Pick - Extending picking hours!
The flowers on the farm are blooming in abundance! Feel free to bring along a jar/vase of water and scissors to cut a few blooms when you pick up this week! We have had a request for longer picking hours to accommodate those who do not pick up shares on the farm, so you've got it! Stop by anytime between 8am- 7pm and we will show you where you can pick. U-pick flower signs will also point you in the right direction. Please remember to limit your picking to one handful per week - we want there to be enough for all to enjoy!
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Farm News from farmer Evan
Hello and welcome to Week 15 of Wellspring's Summer CSA.
It has been an exciting week on the farm. Our Fall Intern, Nancy Paladino, joined the farm team on Tuesday. Nancy brings a wealth of experience from working with various farm-related organizations in California and New York, and she will add a great energy to our fall crew. We also had a bountiful harvest of onions and shallots this week. They are currently curing in one of our unused greenhouse spaces so they will last well into the fall and winter. Our other fall/winter crops are also looking great. The parsnips are getting big after spending all season growing; the fall carrots and beets are growing very nicely and should size up nicely before the weather gets too cold and the days grow too short. I think the winter squash will be the next big harvest as the plants are starting to show signs of disease. Some of my favorite squash were adversely affected by the cold & wet season, but we should have a good harvest of Butternut, Acorn, Delicata and Sweet Dumpling. Many of these crops will be available in the last weeks of the season or will be featured in our Winter Shares (of which there are still spots available! See our website for details).
I also wanted to take some time to talk about the great farming community we have around us here at Wellspring. As a beginning farmer and newcomer looking to make friends, it has been great to connect with and learn from so many great farmers in the area. I find farmers to be some of the most welcoming people I have had the pleasure of meeting. They are not only willing to share their time, food and good company with you, but they are also incredibly open about giving advice and tricks of the trade to newbies still trying to figure it out. It is incredibly reassuring to know there is a group of people around who can help you out in times of need or when you really need to get off the farm for a couple of hours before you go crazy.
As great as our farming community is, there is still room for it to be even bigger and more vibrant. The bottom line is that to ensure everybody has access to locally grown produce we are going to need more farms and farmers as well as new markets for farms to sell their produce. Wellspring is working to address these needs by holding workshops and trainings for farmers as well as gardeners and by serving as the catalyst for collaborating with other farms and organizations to start a virtual food hub for southeastern Wisconsin. This virtual food hub connects farms and institutions to ease the sale of food to hospitals and schools where local, fresh food is hard to access.
As a side note, if you are interested in visiting an amazing, 100% grass-fed and organic dairy farm, I suggest going to Heidel Dairy on September 20th. When you close your eyes and picture the perfect dairy farm, that is the Heidel dairy farm; full of happy cows and happy people. If you are interested, you can sign up at http://www.organicvalley.coop/who-is-your-farmer/farm-discovery/midwest/.
Have a great week and I hope you enjoy the box as much as we enjoyed growing it.
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What's In the Box and Where Does It Go?
CROP FRIDGE? NOTES/VARIETY
Tomatoes NO many kinds. check out these pictures for varieties. we pick most of our tomatoes ripe and ready to go, so eat them asap!
OR Sweet Peppers Yes Green/Red/Orange bell peppers
Sage Yes can also hang to dry
Carrots Yes separate the greens!
OR Fennel Yes Orion
Green Beans Yes not washed, bagged w/ arugula
Arugula Yes bagged w/ beans
Lettuce Head Yes Salanova OR New Red Fire
Celery Yes some stem crack (see recipes)
Red Onion Yes
Kale Yes Curly
Cucumber Yes, warmest part Pickling or Marketmore
OR Squash Yes, warmest part Zucchini or Patty Pan
Garlic No German White, bagged w/ beans
Melon* Yes Sunjewel, Sivan, or Sarah's Choice
*ONLY for West Bend and on-farm half shares
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Storage Tips
Tomatoes should not go in the fridge! Tomatoes get mealy and lose flavor. Keep them on the counter or in the a cupboard if fruit flies are an issue.
The garlic is now cured and will keep in pantry or on the counter.
Beans are bagged and NOT washed. They should be washed just before eating. For the beets and carrots (and all root veggies in general), the roots should be cut from the tops and stored separately to prevent the greens from wicking moisture out of the root and making for some limp beets or carrots.
Squash, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, melons all like to be stored around 50-60 degrees so keep them in the warmest part of your fridge, on the counter, or in the garage.
Save those scraps! Keep the stems, trimmings, peels, etc from your veggie prep each week in a gallon bag in the freezer. When you accumulate enough, you can make a delicious, homemade vegetable stock...from seemingly nothing at all! Check out this blog post for the details on how to do it.
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Recipes from Farmer Heather
Celery:
Warning. This is not your average celery. This is not that watery, tasteless, white, crunchy stuff that you use as an alternative vessel for eating peanut butter when in a public place where taking it by the spoonful might raise some eyebrows (It's okay guys! I'm eating vegetables!). This celery is a flavorful, incredibly aromatic, savory, and crunchy addition to the boxes this week and it makes for some killer tuna/chicken salad. Celery has high levels of sodium (for a vegetable), making it good for a post-workout/recovery-from-any-dehydrating-task smoothie. ***Unfortunately, celery is highly susceptible to boron deficiencies that can cause stem cracking. You may notice some of this happening on parts of your celery stalks causing reddish-brown areas. Simply trim those parts off and use the rest! Also, celery leaves are edible and a good substitute for parsley. Their flavor is a bit more intense so be sure to taste the dish as you go!
Celery and Fennel Gratin
from Food 52
Serves 4 to 6
For the sauce:
1 medium fennel bulb, cut into a small dice
6 filets of anchovies packed in oil and minced
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 tsp ground fennel seed
2 Tbs flour
1 1/4 cup half & half
In a large saute pan saute the fennel and anchovy in the butter until the fennel softens. Stir in the white pepper and ground fennel. Add the flour and cook a few minutes to let the flour lose that floury taste. Slowly stir in 1 cup of the half and half and cook a few minutes until the sauce thickens a bit. Place the cooked mixture in a blender, add the remaining quarter cup of half and half and puree until smooth. Set aside.
For the gratin:
8 Large stalks celery, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 small leek, white and light green part, halved lengthwise and then cut crosswise about 1/2 inch
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cups grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup panko crumbs
In a large saute pan saute the celery and leek in the butter just until the leek softens a bit (about 6 to 7 minutes) Place the celery/ leek mixture into a 9 x 9 inch baking dish and pour the fennel sauce over. Bake in a pre heated 350F oven, covered for about 45 to 50 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes or more until the sauce thickens. Combine the cheese and panko and sprinkle over the casserole. Increase the oven temp to 425F and bake another 15 minutes or so. Let the casserole rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Italian Celery and Mushroom Salad
Serves 4-6
7 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 pound mushrooms, delicate varieties such as cremini, oyster, or shiitake are best, wiped clean as sliced as thin as possible
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 ribs celery, shaved paper thin (use a mandolin if you have one)
1 cup shaved parmigiano reggiano cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley or celery leaves
SAUTE THE MUSHROOMS: In a skillet, heat 3 Tbsp olive oil over MEDIUM HIGH heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced mushrooms and saute until golden brown, 5-6 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper and then set aside to cool. TOSS THE SALAD: In a large serving bowl, whisk the remaining 4 Tbsp olive oil with the lemon juice. Add a little salt and pepper and then taste. Add more oil or lemon juice as you like. Add the celery, cooled mushrooms, cheese, and parsley to the bowl and toss until combined. Season with sea salt and pepper and serve.
Grilled Vegetables with Roasted Tomato & Chili Vinaigrette
from The First Mess
 Serves 4-8 depending on how many veggies you use. This recipes yields 3ish cups of dressing
Notes: Add chilies and smoked paprika here to make it lively, but feel free to go in whatever direction you like. Maybe extra garlic or different herbs? Up to you. Also, chopping up all of the grilled vegetables and mixing them up with the dressing, herbs and pine nuts makes a fantastic chopped salad.
vinaigrette:
1.5 cups grape/cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small chili, seeded and halved
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
handful of basil leaves
3/4 cup grape seed oil
salt and pepper
Veggies:
2 tbsp grape seed oil
3 stalks of kale
1 bunch green onions
2 bell peppers, stems and seeds removed
1 zucchini, cut into wedges
2 ears of corn, husks removed
1 skewer full of grape tomatoes
vegetables (substitutions are limitless! try eggplant, fennel, cabbage, onions, green beans, whatever you got!):
salt and pepper
to serve:
2 sprigs of basil, leaves finely sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted if you like
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a large baking sheet, combine the halved tomatoes, chili and garlic cloves. Drizzle 2 tbsp of the oil on top and sprinkle with chopped thyme, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Toss everything together until vegetables all have a thin coating of oil.
Roast until vegetables are tender and slightly darkened, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Place cooled roasted vegetables in the pitcher of a blender. To this, add the red wine vinegar and a bit more salt and pepper. Blend on medium-high speed until liquified. With the motor on low, remove the little top opening on the blender lid and slowly drizzle in the oil as the blender continues to mix. Once you've added all the oil and you have a smooth homogenous mixture, turn the motor off and remove the pitcher from the base. Taste the vinaigrette for seasoning, adjust, and set aside.
Preheat your grill to high. Drizzle the vegetables with a good olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss them around to make sure most surfaces are coated in the oil.
Place vegetables on the grill, starting with the peppers, zucchini and corn cobs. Grill until char marks appear and the vegetables become slightly tender. In the last minute of grilling these vegetables, place the kale, green onions and tomato skewer on the grill, flipping often to promote quick and even browning. Remove when kale is slightly wilted and charred. The skin on the tomatoes should blister and peel back.
To serve: place grilled vegetables on a serving dish. Drizzle with the roasted tomato vinaigrette and top with the basil and pine nuts.
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Upcoming Classes, Workshops and Events at Wellspring!
For more information and to register for classes, please visit www.wellspringinc.org or call (847) 946-5565
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Save the Date! Agri-CULTURE Fest 2014
Sunday, Oct. 12 - 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
A Free Farm Festival at Wellspring celebrate the culture in agriculture! Live music, local food and craft vendors, workshops, hayrides, pumpkin painting, activities for kids, and more. Free to the public!
Preschoolers and Parents Farm Day 
Wednesday, September 10th - 9:30 to 10:30 am
Ages 2 to 5 welcome
Preschoolers will meet the Wellspring chickens, try new veggies, dig for worms, sing songs and participate in garden-based games and activities, all while learning about where our food comes from!
"We loved the preschool farm day at Wellspring! You keep the young ones occupied and entertained while including all of their senses - never a lull in the activity, which suits the active bodies and minds of the 2-5 year olds! It is a great, hands-on experience!" - Debbie W.
Cost: $6 per child (adult must accompany) Click here for more details and to register
Seasonal Produce Cooking Class - Kale 
with Chef Karen Gill
Thursday, September 11th - 6 to 8 pm
Wellspring offers a series of monthly cooking classes, inspiring students based on veggies during their peak season! In each class, a chef leads demos and tastings, and provides healthy cooking tips. Wine served to accompany each tasting and recipe handouts to take home. Highlighted seasonal produce for September is Kale!
Cost: $35 day of or at the door (if openings) Click here for more info and to register
Food Preservation Weekend! 
Saturday and Sunday, September 20th and 21st
10 am to 4 pm
Immerse yourself in a weekend workshop all about food preservation! Led by Master Preserver, Christina Ward, students
 will go home with the knowledge to start or expand upon their own food processing for long term storage. In these hands-on workshops, students will work together, learning and creating several types of preserved foods to make and take home.
Workshop participants can elect to take the whole weekend workshop or individual days. The schedule for each day is listed below.
Saturday - 10 am to 4 pm
Canning 101 - Learn about the history, benefits and science behind food preservation
Jam Making - Preparation, recipes; make & can jam!
Pickling - Preparation, recipes; make & can pickles!
Sunday: 10 am to 4 pm
Pressure Canning 101 - Learn about the science behind pressure canning and when to use this method.
Pressure Canning - Preparation, recipes; make & pressure can veggies!
Pie Filling - Preparation, recipes; make & can pie filling!
All supplies and lunch are provided in the cost of the workshops. Take home everything you make!
Costs: Registration - $90 for one day, $160 for both days. Click Here for more info and to register!
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