Know of anyone interested in a temporary position working at the farm? We are seeking one full time or a few part time people who are interested in working on the farm in September and October, and possibly some of August and November. The job involves a lot of harvesting as well as general maintenance tasks on the farm. We're looking for hardy, good natured folks who are interested in farming, enjoy working outside and have previous experience doing physical jobs.
We also continue to welcome volunteers on harvest morning - Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 7:30 am and noon. Volunteering give us a chance to get to know you better, give us a boost in the fields with the work that is always more than we can get to, gives you an inside view on how your food is grown and who is growing it, and it is just plain fun to do tactile work with immediately satisfying results outside on the beautiful farm with friendly people. In addition to working in the fields, we welcome the sharing of recipes and photos as well as help spreading the word about the CSA.
Many thanks to Marsha Guzewich and to Kathy Garner for volunteering in the fields this past week!
Member Angelica Chapman and crew member Packard Haynes were telling me how they make veggie burgers from a variety of different vegetables. Here is a summary of how to make a burger from eggplant. Cook an eggplant until it is quite mushy (either on the range or in the oven). Mash it and add spices (garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, other seasonings as desired). Mix in some flour to make a thicker consistency. You can also add sauteed onion. Form into patties and pan fry or bake.
Here is one of Asher's favorite chard recipes, from Laurel's Kitchen:
Stuffed Chard Leaves
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbs. oil
2.5 cups cooked brown rice
1.5 cups low fat cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup parsley
3/4 cups raisins
1 tsp. dill weed
3/4 tsp salt
16 large leaves swiss chard
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Saute onion in oil. Mix all ingredients except chard.
Wash and dry chard leaves and remove the stems, including the fat part of the rib if it extends rigidly up into the leaf. Place 2 Tbs or more of the filling on the underside of the leaf, a third of the way from the bottom. Fold over the sides of the leaf and roll up into a square pocket. Place seam side down in a greased casserole. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes. Alternatively, steam the rolls in a steamer basket over boiling water until the leaves are tender, about 20 minutes. Bake any extra filling and serve with stuffed leaves.
Shared by Common Thread member Marsha Guzewich:
Asian Cucumber Salad with Sesame - Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop
Serves 4 to 8 as a side dish
3 medium cucumbers (about 1.5 pounds) peeled, halved, seeded and cut into ¼ inch slices
1 TBLS kosher salt
2 TBLS rice vinegar (I used sherry vinegar)
2 TBLS toasted sesame oil
½ tsp. sugar
¼ tsp hot red pepper flakes
1 TBLS sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet until golden brown
1. Toss cucumbers and salt in a large strainer set over a bowl. Fill a ziplock bag with ice cubes and place over cukes. Drain for 1 hour.
2. Whisk vinegar, oil sugar and pepper flakes until sugar dissolves
3. Rinse the cukes under cold running water, and pat dry with dish towel. Toss the cukes with the dressing and serve.
Happy eating!
