Watermelons, watermelons!  I think your farmers are showing off this week.  We're super excited to harvest these beauties...the kids have been waiting eagerly ALL SUMMER!  And you get TWO in your shares!  Handling Tip: Watermelons are super delicate.  Who knew?  We grow varieties for the best flavor, not for travel, so be sure to handle it gently so it doesn't crack.  That said, if you do have a small crack in your melon, it should be fine to eat.  We make sure that only perfect melons go out on the truck, so the cracks may happen during delivery or box unpacking at your site.  Get those melons in the fridge!  Do not store them on your counter...they really need to be refrigerated right away.  And enjoy them right away too!  Bon appetit!

JOIN THE CSA MEMBER GROUP!   Please share your Recipes, Cooking Tips & other ideas for getting the most out of your CSA on our FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!  (It's a private group.)

This week in the shares...

Watermelons - Two for you!  They are seeded melons because we think the old-fashioned varieties just taste better.  
Storage: In the refrigerator!  Uses: Raw. When to use: Now!

Yukon Potatoes - These are the waxy yellow variety that most of you know...but ours are outrageous since they are harvested the day before your delivery along with the rest of the crops.  Full of moisture and perfect for potato salads!  
Storage: In an cool, DARK place.  Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Zucchini - We're starting to harvest from our second planting of zucchini, so the quantities will steadily increase again over the next few weeks.  This is the season for zucchini!  If you'd like to store some of it away for later use, try freezing it!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Scallions - Try this week's recipe for a fantastic scallion dressing!  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked When to use: Within a week

Cabbage - This is your "salad green" this week.  The grilled cabbage salad recipe this week is amazing!  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw. When to use: Within a week

Please note that you will receive one of the following "Items In Rotation"...

ITEM IN ROTATATION - Green Beans - Our green beans are ready to harvest for all Wednesday members this week!  They are harvested while still pretty small and tender.  My favorite way to prepare them is to steam gently (until bright green - just a few minutes!) and serve with olive oil (or butter) and a sprinkle of sea salt.  Simple and delicious!   Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses:Cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

ITEM IN ROTATION - Sungold Cherry Tomatoes - These are as sweet as sugar.  Enjoy!  Storage: On the counter. Uses: Raw When to use: Now!

FRUIT SHARE

Please be sure to remove the fruit from the bag immediately when you get them home.  They should ripen sitting out on a platter or on a dry dish cloth.  
Please remember just one bag per fruit share member.
1 mixed bag of Peaches & Apples (for fruit share members ONLY)

Recipes

Grilled Cabbage Salad with Thai Lime Dressing
Scallion Dressing
Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Olive Oil & Garlic

Tons more recipes, cooking tips and photos from fellow CSA members on our
FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!

It's transition week on the farm, also known as the "in-between" week!  We're transitioning out of our mid-summer crops into our late-summer plantings, which means that green beans, tomatoes & peppers will be here soon!  And we say goodbye to the sweet corn until next year....  Please note that we'll be swimming in tomatoes and green beans shortly.  Until then, you may or may not find them in your shares as we rotate them in and out among the groups.  (You'll all receive the same by the end of the season...read more below.)

JOIN THE CSA MEMBER GROUP!   Please share your Recipes, Cooking Tips & other ideas for getting the most out of your CSA on our FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!  (It's a private group.)

This week in the shares...

Red Potatoes - We've decided to not wash the potatoes this week because the extra moisture from the wash water was causing slight deterioration of the flesh.  So please be sure to wash them well at home! 
Storage: In an cool, DARK place.  Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Sweet Corn - All Tuesday members are receiving their extra 5 ears of corn this week that was not distributed earlier in the season.  See?  We're keeping careful track and making sure that everyone receives the same quantities by the end of the crop harvest!  Kudos to Leah for keeping all of this straight...she is our farm mathematician! 
Storage: Don't store it -- eat it tonight!  If you need to store it, keep it in an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. OR FREEZE IT!  See above. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within 2 days.

Zucchini - We're starting to harvest from our second planting of zucchini, so the quantities will steadily increase again over the next few weeks.  This is the season for zucchini!  If you'd like to store some of it away for later use, try freezing it!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Walla Walla Onions - These beauties have been drying in our greenhouses for the past few weeks.  Try this week's recipe for grilled onion salad!
Storage: On the counter Uses: Raw/Cooked When to use: Within a week

Red Batavian Lettuce - It was not our intention to harvest two heads of lettuce for you this week, but the summer heat has sped up our second planting, which was scheduled for harvest next week.  So we either send out two this week or let the second bolt and rot in the field....  hopefully we made the right decision! Salad for dinner every night of the week and you'll blow through those 2 heads in no time! 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw. When to use: Within a week

Cucumbers - This is the last of the harvest from our first planting.  There will be more to come as we transition into the second planting later in the summer. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw When to use: Within a week

POSSIBLE ITEM IN ROTATION -- A few of you may receive an additional item in the shares this week.  We had hoped to include an additional item for everyone, but it's starting to rain pretty hard and we can't harvest tricky crops in the rain.  Remember that all members will receive the same share contents over the course of the season, so please know that we are totally on top of it!

FRUIT SHARE
Please be sure to remove the fruit from the bag immediately when you get them home.  They should ripen sitting out on a platter or on a dry dish cloth.  
Please remember just one bag per fruit share member.
1 bag of Peaches & Zestar Apples (for fruit share members ONLY)

Recipes

Grilled Onion Salad
Red Potatoes with Olives, Feta & Mint
5 Ingredient Zucchini Fritters (You can freeze them too!)
Quick Corn & Zucchini Saute

Potatoes are here!  We grow about a dozen different types of potatoes, all full of flavor and freshly dug for you.  This week we have our first early season variety called Red Norland.  It has red skin and white flesh.  Don't peel them!  We wash them here at the farm, so they just need another quick wash and they're ready to cook!  They cook quickly since they are so fresh and full of moisture.  Enjoy and let us know what you think!  

JOIN THE CSA MEMBER GROUP!   Please share your Recipes, Cooking Tips & other ideas for getting the most out of your CSA on our FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!  (It's a private group.)

This week in the shares...

Red Potatoes - This early season  variety is called Red Norland.  Freshly dug from the fields, these are super flavorful and full of moisture!  So they cook in less than half the time... Store them in the dark in a paper bag.  Use them right away!
Storage: In an cool, DARK place.  Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Sweet Corn - This is what eating with the seasons is all about!  We have a total of four successive plantings of sweet corn.  'Tis the season, or so they say.  Corn can't be harvested any other time of the year -- just in the heat of the summer!  It sounds like everyone is enjoying the bounty, but if it's getting to be too much or you just want to save some for later, you're in luck!  Freezing corn is pretty simple.  Here's a good tutorial.  Thank goodness for bloggers!
Storage: Don't store it -- eat it tonight!  If you need to store it, keep it in an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. OR FREEZE IT!  See above. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within 2 days.

Swiss chard - The star summer green is back in this second planting. I agree with some other members who have been discussing this over on the CSA Facebook group...steaming is a great way to enjoy it!  Steam until tender, and season simply with olive oil (or butter) and salt & pepper.  I'm also going to include the French recipe below with pine nuts and raisins which is super delicious.  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked. When to use:Within 5 days.

Parsley - I've been making parsley pesto.  Also so easy to add to all kinds of soups and salads.  Want to save it for later to brighten up your soups this winter?  Wash and freeze the whole bunch in a ziplock.  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

Cabbage - Win-win!  Cabbage loves growing in the summer heat and I love eating it in the summer heat!  Is a big batch of slaw in your future too?
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Zucchini - This is the last of the planting.  Just one piece per share...
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Scallions - Green onions are great in salads or on the grill!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within a week

FRUIT SHARE
Due to the rainy weather this past week, the fruit farmer has decided that the blueberries are too mushy to distribute.  So he is starting with the peaches & nectarines a week early.  Please remember just one bag per fruit share member.
1 bag of Peaches/Nectarines (for fruit share members ONLY)

Recipes

Swiss Chard & Potatoes
Grannie's French Swiss Chard
Parsley, Walnut Pesto
Spicy Coleslaw with Tahini Dijon Dressing

Rain day!  Our tractors get to take a break when it rains, but our field crews harvest for you rain or shine!  And...they harvested some pretty wonderful crops today, including sweet corn!  It's the first harvest from our first planting.  We have four total plantings, so you will be seeing corn in your shares many times this season! 

This week in the shares...

SHHHH!!!!!  You're getting the very first harvest of Sweet Corn this season!  Remove the husks and silks, boil a pot of water and drop in the ears when it comes to a boil. I have found that you can turn off the flame at this point and put a top on for about 3-5 minutes.  At that point they should be perfectly cooked!  It's also worth mentioning that there may be an earworm in the tip.  This is proof that our corn is unsprayed, organic and non-GMO!  Just cut off the very top with a knife and the rest of the ear should be good to go.  In the event that you receive an ear that has been damaged by the worm, just let us know and we'll get you a replacement next week.  Enjoy!
Storage: Don't store it -- eat it tonight!  If you need to store it, keep it in an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within 2 days.

Red Long Onions - Like I said last week...Another week, another fresh gourmet onion!  These red long onions are particularly nice in salads. I've been eating them in my batavian lettuce salads with homemade croutons and sliced cucumbers.  Yum! 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Carrots - Sweet, crunchy and delicious! 
Storage: Separate the greens from the roots before storing in an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

Red Batavian Lettuce - This wonderful variety of lettuce grows pretty well in the heat of the summer.  It is sturdy and crunchy like Romaine, but it has a slightly softer leaf texture.  It's my favorite lettuce variety of all!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw. When to use: Within a week.

Cucumbers - Cucumbers are high in alkaline magnesium, calcium and vitamin K1.  So they're not only delicious, but super healthy too!  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw. When to use: Within a week.

Zucchini/Summer Squash - Zucchini plants produce zucchini day after day for 5-6 weeks.  The fruit grows very quickly, so we harvest it daily.  You'll notice that you're receiving lots of zucchini in your shares this season.  This is why!  It will wind down soon and we have one more planting that we expect to start harvesting in about 3 weeks.  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked When to use: Within a week.

Garlic - Our hard-neck garlic is like gold.  The garlic seed is super expensive and difficult to source in quantity, so we don't grow too much of it.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Recipes

Cucumber & Red Onion Salad
*Super Simple* Lemon & Cucumber Water
Garlic Croutons (for your batavian lettuce & red onions salad...)
Zucchini & Corn Fritters (Make these vegan using non-dairy milk and egg replacement.)
Curried Zucchini Soup

We've started this innovative technique of testing the sap in our plants (very similar to a blood test in an animal) to see what's going on inside...

““The results of these tests give us a snapshot of what the plant currently has to metabolize for growth, which is a good indicator of what nutrients it will need in the near future. This allows us to amend our soil in time so that the plants are receiving exactly what they need, when they need it, particularly during the time when they are fruiting, since they expend a tremendous amount of energy and resources to produce fruit.””

This is Leah taking leaf samples in our tomato field a few weeks ago.  

We begin to sample at 7:00am so that the leaves can retain sufficient leaf-tension and moisture in transit. Each sample includes one set of 100 grams of young, fully developed leaves and one set of 100 grams of old, vital leaves. Each crop varies in how many leaves it takes to get to 100 grams: tomato leaves are quite small, so we need about 100 young leaves for 100 grams, and 50-60 old leaves for 100 grams. Zucchini leaves are so big that we only need 3-4 old leaves and 6-8 young leaves to reach 100 grams each!

Correctly identifying young, fully developed leaves vs. old, vital leaves is perhaps the most important part of the sap analysis sampling process. This is because some nutrients are mobile, some are partially mobile, and others are immobile. Nutrient mobility means that the plant can “move” the nutrient from old tissue to new tissue. Mobile nutrients include macronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium; deficiencies of these nutrients in old leaves indicate that the plant has begun to move them from old to young leaves, which means the plant will soon need to be supplemented. Nutrients that are partially mobile and immobile include micronutrients such as copper, manganese, zinc and boron. Plants can’t “recycle” immobile nutrients, so we look for deficiencies of these nutrients in young leaves. The results of these tests give us a snapshot of what the plant currently has to metabolize for growth, which is a good indicator of what nutrients it will need in the near future. This allows us to amend our soil in time so that the plants are receiving exactly what they need, when they need it, particularly during the time when they are fruiting, since they expend a tremendous amount of energy and resources to produce fruit.

Leaves must be sampled very carefully as even the slightest amount of contamination will alter the results. We have to wear gloves, sterilize the scissors we use to cut the leaf, and place leaves into untreated paper bags. We cut each leaf right at its base to ensure that no petiole remains – since the petiole contains nutrients, it can influence what is going on inside the leaf.
 
Once the samples have been collected, we place each set into a ziplock bag and put the corresponding label on the bag. We have to pack the samples with icepacks to make sure the leaves survive the two-day journey to Ohio. There, Crop Health Labs repackages the leaves and overnights them to the Netherlands, where the analyses take place.

We sample each crop every two weeks. Depending on the crop, we sample three to four different times, which makes the whole process last six to eight weeks. Typically we begin to sample just before the plants begin to fruit, and then continue while it fruits. Results arrive one week after each sampling, which gives us time to apply organic amendments to our soil before the next sampling occurs. The results from the next sampling then show us whether or not our amendments actually helped the plants.
 
This year, we did sap analysis with our strawberries, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, potatoes and we're starting on the fall brassicas...

A huge thank you to Leah for taking the samples for us all season.  We really couldn't be doing this without her working with us this year.  It's been fascinating to see how our plants respond to what's in the soil and what we apply.  Farmers often think that if nutrients are in the soil (via a soil test) that they're in the plant.  The next step for most farmers is to take leaf samples, but that only tells you what was going on in the plant a few weeks prior.  And there is nothing to be done with that information - essentially it's too late to make any difference in the health of the plant.  But with this real-time information provided by the sap test analyses, we are able to work with our plants to give them what they need, when they need it.  And healthier plants produce healthier food for you!

We hope this wasn't too technical (or boring) for you!  We think it's pretty cool and we're excited to share it with you!

This is the first week of the CSA Fruit Shares!  I sent out a separate e-mail detailing the pick-up protocol for the fruit, so please check your inbox!  It's going to be a hot week, which our summer crops love!  This week we're excited to harvest some beautiful Rainbow Swiss Chard, Walla Walla onions, the second planting of cabbage and some other delicious summer delights! 

In other farm news, the resident raccoons have been helping themselves to the sweet corn in the fields.  GAME OVER.  We immediately put up an electric fence to keep them out!  We're irrigating daily, cultivating our crops to keep the weeds out, and between CSA harvesting, we're finding time to continue seeding our successive plantings in the greenhouse and maintaining and tying our tomatoes!  Stay tuned for a full farm update (with pictures) coming out later this week. 

Until then, enjoy this week's sunshine and summer flavors...  xo Maggie

JOIN THE CSA MEMBER GROUP!   Please share your Recipes, Cooking Tips & other ideas for getting the most out of your CSA on our FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!  (It's a private group.)

This week in the shares...

Walla Walla Onions - Another week, another fresh gourmet onion!  These Walla Wallas are the state vegetable of Washington, where they hail from.  They are juicy, sweet onions, perfect for grilling, caramelizing or eating freshly sliced and diced in salads.  Discard the tops or use them for making stock...
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Beets - Beautiful, sweet beets for grating raw in salads or boiling and slicing.  They can be easily grilled too! 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Swiss Chard - This is one of the few leaf greens that loves the heat of the summer.  It's best cooked in all recipes - it's really not meant to be eaten raw or used raw in recipes.  Its stalks are edible, but tend to take a little longer to cook.  In most recipes, we recommend giving the stems a head start cooking and then adding the leaves a few minutes later. Try Grannie's Chard recipe below if you are a chard newbie, or if you think you don't like it.  It's divine and even my kids gobble it up!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Green Cabbage - This is a fresh eating green cabbage, which means that it is full of flavor and moisture!  Cabbage can be enjoyed in so many ways - in slaws, stuffed and baked, in soups, salads...Try one of our great recipes this week.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

Red Batavian Lettuce - This wonderful variety of lettuce grows pretty well in the heat of the summer.  It is sturdy and crunchy like Romaine, but it has a slightly softer leaf texture.  It's my favorite lettuce variety of all!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw. When to use: Within a week.

Parsley - We love growing (and eating) parsley in the summer.  It's a nutritional powerhouse and adds such fresh flavor to all sorts of dishes!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Cucumber - They are starting to come in nicely! 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw. When to use: Within a week.

Summer Squash or Zucchini  - Still no word on the mystery with our zucchini and summer squash.  We did hear from many of you who are experiencing the same issues for the first time this season.  We'll let you know what we can find out...
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Recipes

Grannie's French Swiss Chard
Simple Swiss Chard & Potatoes
Roasted Walla Walla Onions with Pine Nut Butter
Simple Grilled Walla Walla Onions
Caramelized Walla Walla Onions
Raw Grated Beet & Parsley Salad

Tons more recipes, cooking tips and photos from fellow CSA members on our
FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!

What a difference a month makes!  Gone are the days of CSA boxes filled with greens...  The summer harvests are now in full swing with carrots, cucumbers, beautiful gourmet onions, squash, basil and more!  Sweet corn will be coming in the shares in the next few weeks, potatoes by the end of the month, and tomatoes will debut in mid-August.  We hope you are enjoying the full experience of eating with the seasons!  In a world where everything is available to us in an instant, it's a welcome change to pause and enjoy the unfolding of the season's harvests.  Anticipation is good, and a reminder that patience is rewarded. 

Enjoy this week's beautiful bounty!   xo Maggie

JOIN THE CSA MEMBER GROUP!   Please share your Recipes, Cooking Tips & other ideas for getting the most out of your CSA on our FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!  (It's a private group.)

This week in the shares...

Green Cabbage - This is a fresh eating green cabbage, which means that it is full of flavor and moisture!  Cabbage can be enjoyed in so many ways - in slaws, stuffed and baked, in soups, salads...Try one of our great recipes this week.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

Radicchio - This beautiful leaf chicory is back in the shares this week. Just remember that the bitter flavor mellows and practically disappears when cooked.  So if you're a fan of the bitter flavor, stick to eating it raw in salads.  If not, try cooking it.  Grilling it is currently my favorite technique.  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw, Cooked.  When to use: Within a week.

Green Batavian Lettuce - This wonderful variety of lettuce grows pretty well in the heat of the summer.  It is sturdy and crunchy like Romaine, but it has a slightly softer leaf texture.  It's my favorite lettuce variety of all!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw. When to use: Within a week.

Basil - This may be the last week of basil for the season.  If you don't want to use it fresh this week, puree it with olive oil and pop it in a jar in the freezer for use later in the year.  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 3 days.

Yellow Summer Squash  - We're currently experiencing mysterious summer squash and zucchini activity (or lack thereof).  The harvests on these plants have slowed to a crawl, which is highly unusual going into the second and third week of fruiting.  The plants look ok, but there seems to be a lot more male flowers than female fruits.  Cornell Cooperative Extension is going to get involved and we'll let you know if we're able to solve this mystery with their help.  In the meantime, we're giving out everything we have, which unforunately, is only one piece per share.  Hopefully many more to come in future plantings....
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Carrots - You've been waiting for them patiently and here they are!  Wonderful, freshly dug carrots.  I know, they are sweeter than candy... Remove the roots from the tops before you store them in your fridge.  I don't eat the tops, but some people do...
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Cucumbers - This is the first week of harvests off our cucumber plants. They taste like summer to me...juicy, crunchy and sweet!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw. When to use: Within a week.

Cipollini Onions - These gourmet onions are also known as "Little Italians".  They are known to be super sweet - delicious caramelized or roasted in dishes where their sweetness shines!   
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Recipes

Peach, Basil & Radicchio Salad
Seared Radicchio with (or without) Mozzarella
Easy Roasted Cipollini Onions
Cabbage Slaw with Ginger Tahini Dressing
Braised Cabbage with Carraway
Grilled Cabbage with Spicy Lime Sauce

Tons more recipes, cooking tips and photos from fellow CSA members on our
FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE! 

(No delivery this week to Forest Hills, Hunters Point or Douglaston)

Happy 4th of July! This week's harvest brings some more exciting summer crops including basil, beets and the return of the mustard mix!  

I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday and enjoy this week's amazing harvest!  

xo Maggie

GOT TIPS? Please share your Recipes, Cooking Tips & other ideas for getting the most out of your CSA on our FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!  (It's a private group.)

This week in the shares...

Beets - We seeded these beets directly into the soil in April and they're finally ready to harvest for you this week!  Don't forget to separate the green tops from the roots and eat them both!  Boil the beet roots until tender with the skins on.  Once cooked, the skins slip off easily and you can slice up the beets and drizzle with olive oil, vinegar, fresh herbs and salt & pepper for a simple salad.  Beets pair well with citrus, toasted walnuts and soft cheeses (like goat cheese).  The beet greens can be gently sautéed with butter or olive oil and simply seasoned with salt & pepper.
Storage: Beets and greens separately in an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw, Cooked When to use: Within 5 days.

Mustard Greens Salad Mix - Back by popular demand!  See?  You ask for it and your farmer listens!  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw in a a salad. When to use: Within 5 days.

Green Kohlrabi - Quite possibly the most versatile vegetable we grow.  Slaw, sliced in salads, sprinkled with salt, eaten like an apple, braised, roasted, grilled, in soups....am I leaving anything out?  Just remember that it needs to be peeled!  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw, Cooked.  When to use: Within a week.

Green Kale - It's the healthiest vegetable on the planet, which is why we grow lots of it.  Food is medicine, and this is the best medicine you can eat.  So eat up!  Smoothies, kale chips, steamed and served over pasta with chickpeas...
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw, Cooked.  When to use: Within a week.

Basil - Unless you have a killer basil recipe that you just can't wait to make, I recommend whipping up an amazing batch of pesto and enjoying this delicious basil in all of its glory!  Nothing says summer to me like pasta (or zoodles) and pesto...
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 3 days.

Green Romaine Lettuce - The Romaine lettuce loves the hot weather.  It's crunchy and holds up well to heavier dressings and toppings.  Perfect for Caesar salads. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw in a salad. When to use: Within a week.

Zucchini - Yellow & Green! - I've been slicing and grilling these delicious zukes all week long...  I'm guessing that a lot of you are going to make zoodles and pesto!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Recipes

Fresh Pesto
Kohlrabi Slaw with Cilantro & Lime
Simple Braised Kohlrabi
Kale & Chickpea Soup
Grilled Zucchini with Lemon Salt
Beet & Quinoa Salad
Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad

Tons more recipes, cooking tips and photos from fellow CSA members on our
FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!

It's the first full week of summer and the first week of school vacation for the kids.  The little farmer was up, dressed (boots and hat on) and ready to come to work at 7am this morning.  We love having him here at the farm working alongside us and our crew.  For a seven-year-old, he holds his own quite well and is in farm heaven...

**A note on the blueberries in the shares...  This is a first for us, something in the shares that we did not grow.  I repeat, these are not our blueberries, but they are Certified Organic, grown on an 80-acre organic blueberry farm in Hammonton, New Jersey.  They are hand-picked and grown with care by farmers Elizabeth and Louis Condo.  Why are we including them in the shares?  Since this is the first year that we did not include strawberries inside the shares, we thought that it would be a treat to give you fresh, organic, local berries, even if they did not come from our farm. Let us know what you think! You're receiving them this week and again in 2 weeks.  (This is not the fruit share, this included in the vegetable share.)  The fruit share will begin the week of July 17th, just FYI. **

This week's harvest brings some exciting new crops to share with all of you!  First up, fennel!  If you're not quite a fan of the whole "licorice" flavor part of fennel, don't despair.  The flavor mellows (and practically disappears) when it's cooked.  The recipe below is delightful.  Try it and then let me know how you feel about it.  :) 

The zucchini plants are now producing like crazy!  Fun plant fact!  Did you know that a zucchini plant can grow up to 2 inches PER DAY?  Each plant will produce heavily for several weeks, up to 10 lbs of zucchini!  You'll receive zucchini in your shares for a few weeks straight, followed by a little break, and then another planting will come in.  Zucchini is extremely versatile.  It's delicious simply steamed and served with butter or olive oil and salt & pepper.  Great sliced and grilled, zucchini soup, zucchini bread... 

Enjoy this first week of summer and the beautiful bounty of flavors! 

xo Maggie

GOT TIPS? Please share your Recipes, Cooking Tips & other ideas for getting the most out of your CSA on our FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!  (It's a private group.)

This week in the shares...

Scallions - Also called "green onions".  Mellow enough to slice in a salad, grill them whole, toss them in pretty much anything! 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw, Cooked When to use: Within 5 days.

Fennel - A special treat.  The bulb and the stems are the main parts to eat.  Try one of the recipes below!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Collards -  One of the most nutrient-dense veg on the planet!  Some members have been raving about making collard wraps and we tried it last week.  So delicious!  Don't know what I'm talking about?  Try this week's recipe!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw, Cooked.  When to use: Within a week.

Radicchio - Radicchio is a leaf chicory, sometimes known as Italian chicory. It is grown as a leaf vegetable with white-veined red leaves. It has a bitter and spicy taste, which I happen to love, so I eat it raw in a salad paired with a creamy, sharp cheese.  If you're not a fan of the bitter flavor, it totally mellows when cooked.  New to radicchio?  Try the grilled recipe below.  It is delicious and it will make you crave more...I promise. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

Green Romaine Lettuce - The Romaine lettuce loves the hot weather.  It's crunchy and holds up well to heavier dressings and toppings.  Perfect for Caesar salads. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw in a salad. When to use: Within a week.

Zucchini - I can be a purist at times, and to me, there is nothing simpler and more delicious than slicing the zucchini into rounds, steaming until tender and topping with butter and salt & pepper.  The texture is heaven, the flavor sings and best of all, it's dead simple.  Fresh ingredients don't need too much fussing with...  I have not hopped on the "zoodle" bandwagon, but I've heard that they are delicious too. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Blueberries from Little Buck Farms
Storage: In the container in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

Recipes

Grilled Radicchio with Balsamic & Shaved Pecorino Cheese
Collards Wraps with Roasted Peanuts & Chicken (or like me, substitute tempeh or tofu for the chicken)
Caramelized Fennel with Lemon & Goat Cheese - a favorite of mine!
Simple!  Fennel with Olive Oil & Parmesan
Zucchini with Garlic & Crushed Red Pepper
Zucchini & Cilantro Soup - For those of you who still have last week's cilantro hiding in the fridge...

Tons more recipes, cooking tips and photos from fellow CSA members on our
FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!

Welcome to the fourth week of the season!  This week we celebrate the summer solstice and the first harvests of our hot weather loving crops.  Greens continue to come in at this time of year, but we're now harvesting more "summer" produce like napa cabbage and kohlrabi.  The next few weeks will bring member favorites like fennel and green onions.  There's always something new just around the corner...

Hope you all have a great week!  xo Maggie

GOT TIPS? Please share your Recipes, Cooking Tips & other ideas for getting the most out of your CSA on our FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!  (It's a private group.)

This week in the shares...

Napa Cabbage - Napa Cabbage is a mild-tasting Chinese cabbage that differs from a more common red or green cabbage in it’s elongated shape, ruffled leaves, and wide white stems. Napa Cabbage is high in Vitamins A and C, as wells as potassium and calcium.  Napa cabbage is great raw, in Asian slaws and commonly used in kimchi, an Asian fermented dish.  If you don't think you don't like cabbage, try this in a salad.  I think you'll love it!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

Purple Kohlrabi - A member of the cabbage family, this funny looking veg needs to be peeled.  Inside it's crunchy and delicious raw in a salad or slaw, or cooked in stir fries and soups.  Very versatile!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

Cilantro -  This herb adds wonderful flavor to soups, salads and sauces!  Too much cilantro to use right now?  Freeze it!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw When to use: Within 3 days.

Spinach -  This is the next planting, so it is extremely tender.  Best eaten raw in a salad. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw is best, or gently wilted.  When to use: Within 3 days.

Bok Choi -  Both the stalk and the leaves can be eaten raw, or cooked. Whether they're stir-fried, gently steamed or added to soup, Bok Choi is easy to prepare and a nutritious addition to meals. Separate the leaves from the stalks, as the thicker stalks take longer to cook. Rinse well and drain, then shred or cut across the leaves, and cut stalks into small slices along the diagonal, saute with a small amount of water or chicken stock.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

Green Romaine Lettuce - The Romaine lettuce loves the hot weather.  It's crunchy and holds up well to heavier dressings and toppings.  Perfect for Caesar salads. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw in a salad. When to use: Within a week.

Toscano OR Red Kale -  Perhaps the most nutrient dense and versatile green?  Yes! This one is great for kale chips, soups, thrown in smoothies, anything and everything! 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Recipes

Braised Kohlrabi
Napa Cabbage Salad with Cilantro
Sauteed Baby Bok Choi

Tons more recipes, cooking tips and photos from fellow CSA members on our
FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!

This newsletter is for Tuesday Pick-up Members ONLY. Check your inbox for an accurate newsletter sent out the day before your delivery.  Thank you!

Rain?  What rain?  This hot, dry weather has evaporated all of the moisture out of the soil and today we started irrigating (watering) our plants.  Crazy, I know.  Tasks on the farm in the summer go something like this....  Harvest. Transplant. Irrigate. Cultivate (weed). Seed. Stress Out! Repeat!!!  This week we have some fun new crops to share with you, including garlic scapes and escarole (looks like lettuce, but it's NOT!).  Great recipes below...

Video/Pic of the Week
Washing our bunched greens in our stainless dunk tanks.  - video
Baby basil plants waiting to be transplanted out in the fields.  - pic

This week's newsletter is short and sweet!  Hope you all have a great week!  xo Maggie

GOT TIPS? Please share your Recipes, Cooking Tips & other ideas for getting the most out of your CSA on our FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!  (It's a private group.)

This week in the shares...

Escarole - It looks like lettuce, but it's not!  To help you ID it in your box, it's green with frilly leaves.  Escarole is a member of the chicory family, a slightly bitter green.  The inside leaves are light colored and have a more mild flavor, perfect for salads and eating raw.  You can enjoy escarole in a salad, gently cooked or in a soup.  It's very versatile!  This is an extremely nutrient dense vegetable, high in folic acid, fiber, and vitamins A and K. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

Garlic Scapes - The scape is the top of the garlic plant-- a delicacy you only get to savor for a few weeks each June, so enjoy! Remove the top head (the bulbous lighter part). The rest is edible. It has a distinct garlic flavor, but it is certainly milder than the cloves. You can cook with it as you would garlic, add it finely chopped into salads.  Better yet, throw it on the grill until tender! 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Grilled/Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Cilantro -  This is definitely a love it or hate it green herb.  I happen to love it.  Two great recipes below.  The pesto is quick and simple, the Halloumi Cheese recipe is a little more involved, but it is extremely delicious!  I also love to flavor my chicken broth/soup with cilantro by throwing in a few large handfuls.  Our Mexican and Guatemalan friends use this in so many recipes - salsas, scrambled eggs, salads, soups.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 3 days.

Baby Arugula -  This is the next planting, so it is extremely tender.  Best eaten raw in a salad. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw. When to use: Within 3 days.

Red Romaine Lettuce - The Romaine lettuce loves the hot weather.  It's crunchy and holds up well to heavier dressings and toppings.  Perfect for Caesar salads. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw in a salad. When to use: Within a week.

Green Kale -  Yes, another kale variety!  This one is great for kale chips, soups, thrown in smoothies, anything and everything! 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Recipes

Cilantro Pesto - Great over pasta, fish, chicken..
Grilled Halloumi Cheese with Lime, Capers & Cilantro - I serve this over a large bed of cilantro/salad greens!
Super Simple Escarole & Pine Nuts
Grilled Escarole & White Bean Salad
Roasted Garlic Scapes
Grilled Garlic Scapes - No recipe, just coat with oil and grill on both sides until tender.  Easy!

This newsletter is for Tuesday Pick-up Members ONLY. Check your inbox for an accurate newsletter sent out the day before your delivery.  Thanks!

The second week of the CSA brings us another double feature of Boston Lettuce.  This is the last time you'll get this variety in your shares (sniff, sniff) because it only grows well in the cool early season weather.  After this week, you can expect to receive just one head of lettuce at a time.  So enjoy this buttery leaf variety for one more week! I'm also super excited to announce that spinach is in the shares this week! Spinach is really hard to grow organically for many reasons - it doesn't germinate well, it is extremely finicky during its baby stage, (it hates the hot weather and loves the rain), and harvesting it is tricky.  But we all love it, so we do our best to grow it for you!  Also in this week's shares...collards, turnips and bok choi!

DO YOU STILL HAVE SOME OF LAST WEEK'S SHARE IN YOUR FRIDGE?  If you're a new member or maybe just not so accustomed to eating THIS many vegetables, you may start suffering from CSA Overload Stress.  It's a common condition, but it can be cured!  Here are a few tips to help ease the burden and get your fridge cleaned out in time for this week's share.
Tip #1 - Make salads and vegetables a larger part of your meal.  Most people are used to eating a "Main Course" with a "Side Salad".  If you're only washing up a small portion of your greens for a salad every night, it's going to take a long time to get through it.  Try flipping this around.  Use the salad as your main course and put the other parts of your meal (your protein of choice, etc.) on the side!  A few examples of this may be a huge salad topped with chicken, grilled fish, tempeh kebabs, chickpeas, you name it! 
Tip #2 - Hide it!  There are million different ways to incorporate greens into your meals without really noticing it.  For a quick and healthy breakfast smoothie, fill your blender with a few handfuls of lettuce, collards or kale (yes, it's good!) along with frozen berries, a banana, some orange juice and you're good to go!  Greens also disappear (and add great flavor) to soups.  Use your favorite minestrone or vegetable soup as a starting point and add chopped greens about 15 minutes before it's finished cooking.  It will cook down to almost nothing and it's super flavorful and healthy.  Finally, greens can be used to fill quiches which kids love and it makes a quick and easy lunch.  With a side of salad, of course!
Tip #3 - Give it away!  Neighbors, Co-workers will love you!  This is one of the best tips, originally shared by a fellow member.  Most people won't turn down a gift of beautiful organic produce, so bring your neighbor your unused head of lettuce, or take your collards to work.  You're sure to get a taker and everyone will go home happy!

GOT TIPS? Please share your Recipes, Cooking Tips & other ideas for getting the most out of your CSA on our FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE!  (It's a private group.)

This week in the shares...

Baby Spinach - The most tender, flavorful little leaves you ever did taste! I'm hooked on spinach salads with red onion, toasted pine nuts and a light vinaigrette.  You don't need much. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within 3 days.

Bok Choi - A wonderful Asian green that has juicy stems and tender leaves.  You can eat the whole thing!  Perfect for stir-fries or even raw in a special salad.  Try one of the recipes below.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

Red Boston Lettuce - This tender leaf lettuce is also known as Butter or Bib lettuce and it grows well in the early part of the season in the cooler temperatures. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw in a salad. When to use: Within a week.

Green Boston Lettuce - We always grow these red and green varieties in pairs.  They are so beautiful growing in the field and sitting in your salad bowl. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw in a salad. When to use: Within a week.

Collards -  These cooking greens don't get the love that they deserve.  They are a cousin of kale, a member of the Brassica family and packed with nutrients.  Their smooth flat leaves have a great texture when cooked.  If you're not quite sure what to do with them, just try one of the delicious recipes below. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Japanese Salad Turnips - Eat the tops! (Best gently wilted or sauteed.) Eat the bottoms! (Raw or cooked.) Separate the two before storing them in your fridge in a sealed bag. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator.  Separate the roots from the greens first- then they can be stored in the same bag.  Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

Recipes

Lemony Collard Greens with Pasta - Cookie + Kate blog
How to Cook Collard Greens - The Kitchn
*Simple* Braised Baby Bok Choi
Apple & Bok Choi Salad
Glazed Japanese Salad Turnips - Epicurious