CSA 2012 - Week #4

What's in the Share

The week of June 18th, 2012

Click on a crop below to view more information, cooking tips and recipes...

Kohlrabi - 1 piece
Fennel - 1 piece
Carrots - 1 bunch
Cilantro - 1 bunch
Escarole - 1 head
Scallions - 1 bunch
Arugula - 1 bag
Green Romaine Lettuce - 1 head
Green Boston Lettuce - 1 head

Notes on the Share

Kohlrabi is a great, usual vegetable that you probably can't find in many (if any) stores! It's a member of the cabbage family but looks more like a space satellite! Peel off the skin and you'll be left with a much more manageable looking round vegetable that can be sliced up in salads or cooked in soups. We love to just nibble thin slices that have been sprinkled with sea salt. Definitely a kid friendly snack! Fennel is another unusual crop that has a strong flavor that some people love, and others, not so much. Cooking the fennel helps the flavors mellow out a bit, so you may want to try our braised fennel recipe below if you're not quite sure what to do with it. Then again, the recipe for Escarole and Fennel salad (see below) might just be the most delicious thing you've had in a long time... Carrots, enough said. Cilantro again this week because the planting only lasts a few weeks before going to seed. Don't worry, you won't see cilantro again for a long time. If you're not sure what to do with it, make a cilantro pesto (see last week's recipe) and freeze it. Frozen pesto will last you a long time and you can pull it out some time in late fall and winter when you need a nice fresh taste of summer! Escarole looks a lot like lettuce, but its leaves are frillier and it has lighter colored (and more tender) leaves towards the center of the head. I happen to love escarole in a raw salad (and I highly recommend the recipe with fennel below!), but many people savor it in a soup with white beans, which is also a classic. See recipes for both below. Scallions are making another appearance this week- can't get enough of them in so many great recipes. Arugula and two types of Lettuce for some delicious salads to counter the hot temps coming our way this week. Try a delicious Caesar salad with the crisp Romaine lettuce for dinner one night!

News From the Farm

Here's a picture of our beautiful pea cover crop. Peas (or any legume) take in large amounts of nitrogen from the atmosphere and fix it in nodules that grow in a symbiotic relationship with the plant's roots. After incorporating the peas into the soil, the nitrogen becomes available for the crop succeeding it. This field will soon be planted with our fall broccolis, cabbages and kales.

Connect with your Farm

We welcome you to explore our website to learn more about our farm and the wonderful things you can do with your weekly share. Check out our BLOG with pictures and videos of our farming practices! Or find RECIPES and join the community on our FACEBOOK page!

If you have questions or concerns about your share, please do not hesitate to contact us. That is one of the benefits of knowing where your food comes from! Your farmers are happy to hear from you at info@goldenearthworm.com at any time, for any reason.

Farm and Community Events

The Golden Earthworm Organic Farm is hosting a fundraiser "SHARE: A Field to Plate" dinner on August 12th from 4-7pm. There will be a farm tour, live music and an auction. Tickets are $175 and will benefit North Fork Education Initiative, an amazing new organization that creates educational programs with a focus on arts and the environment on the East End. They will be launching a K-3 school, Peconic Community School, in downtown Riverhead this fall. Please join us for an enchanting evening featuring our delicious organic produce prepared by top local chefs, Shinn Vineyard wines and artisanal products from local producers. It's going to be an evening to remember! TICKETS now available for online purchase here. This is an intimate gathering, so seating is limited!