WEEK of JUNE 9, 2008 | ISSUE #2

HAPPENINGS news & musings from the fields

Talk about the Weather Hot hot hot! The tomatoes love it, the lettuce hates it, the farmers fall somewhere in between. The storm on Sunday evening worried us a bit, as heavy rainfall can put holes in tender lettuce leaves. Luckily for us, that didn't happen! Enjoy another week of lots of greens in the box, and the first taste of summer strawberries for our Tuesday deliveries.

Where are my strawberries? Since the strawberries are just coming in, we only have enough for our Tuesday deliveries this week. But don't worry! We keep very careful track of who gets what, and towards the end of the strawberry season, the Wednesday and Thursday deliveries will get their strawberries they missed this week. Everyone will receive strawberries during the peak weeks! This is part of the CSA model, and we do our very best to be fair and make sure that everyone gets the same at the end of the season.

Storing Greens Some of you have asked us for our advice on storing greens. I use Evert-Fresh green bags which are made from plastic (not great), but which I wash and re-use. I bought one package of bags a few years ago and we're still using them, so they really do hold up! Here's what to do... Wash the greens, wrap in a clean dish towel, and place in a (plastic) produce bag. Some people swear by ExtraLife disks, but I've never tried them. You can find all these products here or at your local Whole Foods or natural foods shop.

Strawberry Picking Our strawberry fields are ready for picking! If you're interested, we're open for picking this Friday & Saturday, and next Friday & Saturday from 9am to 5pm. Our new farmstand is by the road, so Justine or Essie will give you some empty baskets and point you in the direction of the fields. CSA members receive a discount on the U-Pick price: $3.75/quart!

Can't get enough? If you're desperate for more farm news (and photos!) then you should check out our blog!

this week's HARVEST

TOSCANO KALE | Qty: 1 bunch
I don't know about you, but my body craves this stuff! So sweet, so delicious, but you have to cook it right! If you think you don't like kale, try this... Remove the stem, and coarsely chop the leaves. Steam until tender, but not overcooked. This can take a little bit of getting used to, because kale takes a lot longer to cook than most greens. When it's tender and turns a bright green, it's usually done. I toss the steamed kale in a bowl with fresh minced garlic (I prefer my garlic raw, but you can lightly saute it first if it's too strong for you), olive oil, umeboshi vinegar (ume plum vinegar), and a few hot pepper flakes. To make this a quick vegetarian/vegan meal, add cooked chickpeas and whole wheat penne pasta. This is a standard dinner in our house which we enjoy at least once a week!

RAINBOW SWISS CHARD | Qty: 1 bunch
As pretty as a picture-- and delicious too! Chard cooks very quickly, so be careful. I like to steam it gently and serve with butter and salt & pepper. The flavor is so subtle, yet so rich, it's a shame to overpower it with other ingredients.

BROCCOLI | Qty: 1 piece
We planted so much broccoli this spring...enough for at least 8 pieces per person! Unfortunately, we also had a terrible problem with root maggots (worms) that practically decimated the crop by eating the roots and killing the plant. This is the first time we've had root maggot problems, so we're very curious to figure out why this happened. This means that there's only a small amount of broccoli to go around. More will be planted for the fall, so fingers crossed we'll have a successful crop the next time around!

RED ROMAINE LETTUCE | Qty: 1 head

GREEN BOSTON LETTUCE | Qty: 1 head

STRAWBERRIES | Qty: 1 pint
The first of the season! More to come in the CSA share, or you can pick your own at the farm this weekend!

RHUBARB | Qty: 1 bunch
Another springtime favorite! Just our Wednesday & Thursday deliveries will be receiving rhubarb this week. Rhubarb is very sour, so it is best used in desserts with sugar or honey as sweetener. You can try this week's rhubarb cake recipe below, or a simple compote. To make the compote, wash and chop the rhubarb into 1/2" pieces and put in a saucepan over med heat. Add sugar or honey to taste (it often takes quite a bit!). I often add some orange zest and a tablespoon of water. The rhubarb cooks down and softens very quickly-- maybe 20 minutes or so. Cool and store in the fridge up to one week. It's delicious with yogurt for breakfast or over ice cream for dessert.

Note: The contents of the veggie boxes can change, depending on the day of the week. We update the below veg list almost daily to reflect the next day's deliveries. Keep this in mind if you're looking at the list more than one day before your delivery.

RECIPES from the farm & from our friends

SESAME KALE SALAD
Courtesy of Madison Area CSA Coalition

1 large bunch kale
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs toasted sesame oil
1 Tbs toasted sesame seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp honey
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
Dash of black pepper

Separate kale leaves from stems and roughly chop. Steam until the greens are just tender. Drain; let cool until it can be handled. Squeeze out as much water as possible. Place in a serving bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients in another bowl; add to greens. Toss together.

RHUBARB CAKE
This recipe comes from a CSA Member, Carolyn Kaylor, of our Jackson Heights Farmspot group. This is really delicious and simple to make!

4 cups rhubarb (chopped in 1/2" pieces)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix the rhubarb and sugar and set aside. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Cream the butter, add the wet ingredients, and then add the flour mixture. Grease/butter a 9x9 pan and put the rhubarb/sugar on the bottom, then add the batter on top. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden.