Summer CSA # 15

July 25 2014
Good morning members

A buzy bee soaking in the pollen

I hope you are all enjoying your fresh organic veggies and beautiful summer weather! We were off to a soccer game last night so I never had a chance to write the newsletter.

Farming and gardening is best learned by experience and every year we are way better than we were the years before.  We've made big strides in the last 2 years and figured alot of stuff out. Still, often, I find myself  getting caught up in the things that are falling behind or that didn't turn out.  It makes me wonder if I'll ever feel satisfied, then on the other hand maybe that's what keeps us striving to be better.   Thankfully, there are alot of things going right so when I catch myself...I look around and get myself back on track.

This year I learned that crows love corn.  They ate it all .Grew corn before and never had a problem. Zucchini grown without a net was ravaged by cucumber beetles. Thankfully, we had more plants and succession crops to follow which have been protected. Eggplant, we have grown for 3 years without any issues, this year the flea beetles took them down. If we would have known that there would be a problem, we could have prepared.  Now we know. Luckily, we grow a large variety of crops and have already been "trained" on how to more than likely succeed at many other crops.

Every season, every year, every crop presents us with different circumstances that need to be considered in the future to better the odds of succeeding.  It almost seems like a lifelong schooling of little lessons to mold us into better farmers.  If we were hit with it all at once it would be quite discouraging but little bits, as frustrating as they are, prepare us for the next time.

A crop that is really doing well this year is potatoes.  We have nice garden of them and pulled out some early reds for this weeks baskets.  They are fresh and haven't been cured so don't keep long like store bought ones do, so eat them right away.   The potato field has been a constant source of contentment this season and so was harvesting them. The soil was nice and loose and they came out easy. Enjoy!

In your baskets this week:

potatoes
cucumbers
Swiss chard
tomatoes
kohlrabi ( no more till fall)
beans
Basil

Juicing Bag: Chez Nous Mix, cucumber, kale

This week we decided to save all tomatoes for our CSA members and offer salad mix in the store.  Our farm kiosk has become pretty busy this season, as fast as we fill things up they are gone and lots were looking for tomatoes this week! Soon all should be overflowing but just not yet.  This is definitely one of the perks of being a member, you often get items that aren't on the store shelves and you get to pick them up all at one time.

Here's a tip about herbs:

We usually give one each week.  It is possible that you do not need any that week.  Herbs like basil and mint  and parsley are easily frozen chopped in olive oil or water. You can do the same with oregano or just let is dry on the counter and use when you need same with sage.

I really enjoy blending my  olive oil into pesto or just plain olive oil- in the winter they turn a plain can of tomatoes into something tasty!

Beans, Swiss Chard, Kohlrabi, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Potatoes

Produce goes straight from the cooler to your basket then the store and this season 90% are gone Friday nights!

Summer CSA #14

Hi everybody

This weeks baskets contain lots of green compared to last week but that's how it goes. Escarole and Kale both needed to be harvested.  Greens are one of those things some people can't get enough and leave with extra bags of everything and others could do with a bag every other week!  I am most satisfied with some sort of green at every meal making it feel healthier and lighter and I hope you do too.
We are still waiting for crops like tomatoes and zucchini to go like mad and for now have been putting them in the store until we can offer some to everyone. And we are still keeping tabs on the eggs...please don't worry they will be replaced by credit we are just waiting to see in what amount.

In your baskets this week:

1 bag of Chez Nous Salad Mix
1 bag of Kale Mix
small bunch early leeks
1 Frisee Endive/1 Escarole (in bag with frisee) I combined 2 because many recipes ask for lots as it wilts alot
carrots
herb: basil and oregano

juicing bag: extra smaller chez nous mix ( we blend this into drinks all the time!)  Kale and some mint and a few stevia leaves for sweetening

This week I was on a mission to try some new escarole and endive recipes. Usually I just throw it into whatever I am cooking such as an Asian Noodle dish, soup, quiche etc...  However, I wanted to try some recipes that are particular to Escarole other than soup where it works really well.  I did some googling of Scorola which it is called in Italian and where it is used as often as spinach or Kale.  I came up with  2 recipes:

The first I chose because it was off the map for something that I would usually make because  the flavor combination was made of ingredients that I would not normally mix Anchovy, pine nuts, olives and raisins ...but supposedly  very common in Mediterranean dishes.  We served it with wild caught scallops found fresh at Sobeys and lots cucumber.  Next time I would make it different though...it had way too much dough- i would freeze half the dough for another pie and bake this open top...probably with sliced tomatoes and cheese on top.  Actually, I may just change the ingredients altogether I seen one with cod and escarole (cod and escarole

This is what i made
torta-di-scarola-savory-endive-pie-from-my-nonna-paola.html


Next, I tried a comfort food recipe which my husband further transformed into a wrap...he is the wrap master and somehow makes everything taste better in them.  I was able to freeze enough to have wraps 3 more times.
Changes I made : added 2 sausage links to the boiling potatoes and steamed the escarole over the boiling potatoes...why not?  Followed the rest of the recipe including sausage.

Here's the recipe
scarola-e-fasoli-escarole-and-beans/

A few pictures of the Scorola Pie

I let the dough rise for a good hour even though the recipe didn't ask for it.

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Like I said the dough was ridiculously thick ...we removed the top.

Now for the wraps: Made the filling of potatoes beans and escarole

We spread some garlic scape pesto and a little cheese

Then they were fried close with his fried cheese trick.

Served with steamed carrots cucumber and yogourt. 

I was in heaven...this filling works so good for a wrap!

Here's a link to a quicker Escarole Wrap: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/escarole-sausage--quesadillas-50400000111112/

We harvested some small summer leeks with nice long blanched shanks

Uncovering some zucchini plants - they need to be covered to give them a chance before the cucumber beetles come.

Only thing is when they are covered....the weeds go wild! Good thing for the most part it was all Purlane which is pretty easy to weed.

Tying in the greenhouse...plants have reached the roof and are being trained back down. We should be able to give everyone tomatoes soon!

  

CSA # 13 Summer Baskets Begin!

July 11th 2014

Hi everybody!

When 4:00 hits on Fridays Chez Nous Farms becomes quite a busy  store for our little  town of Stevensville! And especially today as our group got a wee bit larger..welcome everyone! So far we have completed Spring baskets 1-12 and are starting Summer baskets 13-24 which will be followed by Fall 25-36.
This week's baskets had alot of weight to them as opposed to all the greens!

In your baskets this week:

1 bag of Chez Nous Salad Mix
1 bag of Sugar Snap Peas
1 bag of beans Snap or Slicing (which are flat instead of round)
Kholrabi
1 cucumber
Garlic Scapes
Basil (Basil keeps best in cup with some water on the counter as opposed to the fridge where it goes black
 the odd little tomato

Juicing add on: Swiss Chard, Kale,cucumber,  Mint and Parsley

This week will more than likely be the last week of Sugar Snap Peas.  Every week we try to include a bag of Chez Nous Mix which is a mix of lettuces, greens and herbs, this week you may notice there is alot of lemon and lime basil...one of my usual summer add ins.

A strangely beautiful vegetable

We had a beautiful Kholrabi crop this year. Such a versatile veggie no need for a recipe here just peel and  a simple roasting or steaming with butter will be delicious! Leaves are also edible.

Some slicer beans and lemon cucumbers

Garlic Scapes also the last scapes for this season. I included some basil this week for those you might want to make some scape pesto.  There are so many recipes and even I make it different every time but a blend of Olive Oil and scapes make a great base you can also add some herbs and Parmesan cheese if you like.

A few recipes with scapes

Scape Pesto

Last week we were dissapointed to learn that the 4 rows of corn we had planted went to the birds...not a single seed could be found! That's a first for us! Guess we need a scarecrow....Oh well, we replaced it with our Flower Sprouts and radishes which were ready to go in the ground ( 4 rows under nets to the right)

The potatoes are doing really really well this is our biggest potato crop ever.  In the background sit's our moveable coop waiting for our young layers they should be moved in shortly. 

This week the boys worked on our  new chicken pasture we call the Moat a perimeter fence to travel the chickens through.

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Opening up a new area to the layers hope they start soon!

Next week we will be distributing some escarole...in case you wanted to look up some recipes I have a few i hope i get to try this week...will let you know!

See you next week!

Spring CSA # 12

July 4 th 2014

Hello to our Spring Batch

Even though it is officially summer, today marks the last Spring CSA basket.  We did need to skip a week along the way as I was over my head organizing a plant sale, exhausted and fields were so wet.  The weather this spring was over the top with wet and cold but has turned around and seems to be in a gardeners favor lately! Youpi!  And for the most part things are progressing well and I expect some amazing crops this season.

It is a different season though, as they all are... we're picking beans, tomatoes and peas all in the same week, peas are usually much earlier!

For some of you this will be your last week, thank you very much it has been a pleasure growing food for you!  Good luck with your gardens and have a fantastic summer!

In regards to eggs: all "egg" members (but one, we will contact you) will continue to receive  baskets over the summer so we will figure something out to credit you your eggs.  We sure hope they start soon- it is the first time in 5 years that even we have no eggs in our house!

In your baskets this week:

1 of Chez Nous Salad Mix

1 bag of pea shoots

1 double bag of Sugar Snap Peas ( Snap Peas are time sensitive like corn and should be consumed ASAP to conserve sweetness you wont taste peas like this in the grocery store!)

1 bag of Kale

Savory

Crisp Mint lettuce is my new favorite lettuce...it's sweet and crispy!

Sugar Snap Peas...they were late but we have lots! We sent out a double bag...half for fresh eating and half for cooking.  I tried a new recipe for roasted Snap Peas along with the dipping sauce. WOW! It was delicious and addictive as a snack or a side

Here's the recipe: Roasted Snap Peas 

This weeks salad mix has some spicy Arugula sprouts and Red Garnet Amaranth 

Lemon Cucumbers were in the juicing bags, they are said to agree with those who have a hard time digesting cucumbers

Juicing bags: Swiss Chard, Kale, Mint and cucumbers

Tomatoes have started and should be in baskets soon. There is a few baskets available in store.

Thank you so much!

Shirley and Rich