What a fabulous harvest we have for you this week!  So many of our favorite fall greens are here...and cauliflower too!  This weather is throwing us for a bit of a loop, but how can we complain?  Most of the crops are loving this extra boost of growth from the heat.  Only the broccoli is cranky.  (It loves the cold.). Have a beautiful week!  - Maggie

HARVEST FESTIVAL - Sunday, October 15th from 11am-3pm
Bring your family and friends AND a picnic and visit the farm on Sunday, October 15th from 11am-3pm. You'll have an opportunity to tour the fields, learn how we grow your food, watch cooking demonstration, enjoy kids' activities and more!  More details here on our website...

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...

Arugula-  The picture above was taken this morning from Field 3 as we prepared to harvest arugula with our mechanical harvester.  The arugula leaves are very tender, so be sure to wash them gently and eat right away!  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw When to use:Now!

Bok Choi - A favorite of many....I've used it in stir-fries for years, but just starting eating it raw in salads and I love it!  It's a member of the cabbage family so it's packed with nutrients.  
Storage: On the counter. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Japanese Salad Turnips - We haven't had these turnips in the shares since June, so remember that you can eat both the tops AND the roots!  Saute the tops with olive oil and garlic.  Eat the bottoms raw sprinkled with salt, or cook them too.  You can't go wrong either way.  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Cauliflower - We wait all season for the cauliflower and here it is!  Do you know why the heads stay white?  The leaves form a cover over the heads to shade them from the sun!  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Red or Yellow Colored Peppers - It's taken a while for our peppers to turn from green to yellow or red in the field.  Patience pays off and we've harvested a few special ones for you this week!  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within 5 days

Collards OR Napa Cabbage - These items are in rotation this week.  Collards are best cooked or used as a wrap! and the Napa Cabbage can be enjoyed either raw in salad or cooked too!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

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 Cortland Apples, Bartlett & Seckel Pears
(for fruit share members ONLY)

Recipes

Asian Collard Wraps with Peanut Sauce
Bok Choi with Garlic
Grilled Bok Choi with Bread Crumbs, Parmesan & Lemon
Apple Pecan Arugula Salad
Simple Roasted Cauliflower

Here's the littlest farmer harvesting kale last week. Yes, kale is back! Oh how I missed it in my life for the past few months.  You're also getting another winter squash....butternut!  Eat this one right away. There was some plant damage in the field and they will not last long in storage. Hardneck garlic is back this week too.  We don't grow much because the seed is so expensive, but it's such a treat!  

SAVE THE DATE!
Bring your family and friends to visit the farm on Sunday, October 15th from 11am-3pm. You'll have an opportunity to tour the fields, learn how we grow your food, watch cooking demonstration, enjoy kids' activities and more!  More details to come...

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...

Nicola or Purple Potatoes - The varieties will rotate depending on what you received last week.  Both varieties are waxy and great roasted or for potato salads.  
Storage: In a cool, DARK place. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Butternut Squash - These butternuts are wonderful in soup or roasted in chunks.  Try one of this week's recipes. 
Storage: On the counter. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Scallions - For salads, soups or grilled.  Just great flavor and crunch!  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Garlic - This hardneck variety is extremely special.  It's the closest veg we have to "gold" on the farm because the seed is so expensive and we only grow a little bit.  Enjoy!  You can't find this type in stores.  
Storage: On the counter. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a month

Red Kale -  The very best kale variety for salads because the leaves are so tender.  Also wonderful gently steamed and dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, fresh raw garlic and salt to taste. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within 5 days

Parsley - Brighten up any soup or salad!  Freezes very well just as-is in a ziplock.  I pull out a bunch and roughly chop it before adding to soups all winter long.  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

Green Long Peppers - ITEM IN ROTATION - Wonderful in stir-fries.  They also freeze easily. Chop and store in a ziplock bag in your freezer.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Red Tomatoes - ITEM IN ROTATION - These are in limited supply as we near the very end of their season.  
Storage: On the counter until fully red, then in the fridge. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: 1-3 days depending on ripening time.

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 Cortland Apples, Bartlett & Seckel Pears
(for fruit share members ONLY)

Recipes

Roasted Butternut Squash
Vegan Curried Butternut Squash Soup
19 Scallion Recipes from Saveur
Kale Salad with Apples & Cheddar
Sauteed Kale with Garlic & Lemon

The mighty leek, the first harvest of winter squash...the tastes of fall are here!  Please remember that the winter squash are for eating, not just for decoration!  I'll always remember visiting a friend (and CSA member) around Halloween one year and seeing all of the winter squash we had distributed over the course of a few months sitting on her front porch.  She had no idea she could eat it. (Apparently she never read the newsletter!)  Please eat the acorn squash this week.  It's not meant for storage and it won't last long on the counter.  Enjoy!  

SAVE THE DATE!
Bring your family and friends to visit the farm on Sunday, October 15th from 11am-3pm. You'll have an opportunity to tour the fields, learn how we grow your food, watch cooking demonstration, enjoy kids' activities and more!  More details to come...

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...

Acorn Squash -  As I mentioned above, these winter squash are for eating! You can keep them on your counter for about a week as decoration -- no longer than that!  They are not the storage variety, so they will deteriorate in quality after a little while. Try the tutorial below for roasted acorn squash.  Don't be afraid-- they're pretty easy to cut in half with a large, sharp knife once you remove the stem.  They are delicious roasted.  Try it!  
Storage: On the counter. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Leeks - Leeks are related to onions, shallots and scallions. They look like large scallions and you can eat all of the white parts and use the green upper stem in stock.  How to prepare leeks -- Step-by-step photo tutorial from David Lebovitz.  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Cherry OR Red Tomatoes - The tomato season will be wrapping up in the next few weeks.  Until then, we'll be rotating cherries and beefsteak tomatoes throughout the groups. 
Storage: On the counter. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Now!

Romaine Lettuce -  This sturdy lettuce will hold its own with chopped veggies and a creamy dressing. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw. When to use: Within 5 days

Cilantro - So good in fresh salsa, soups, cilantro pesto...I've been waiting all summer for this second planting to come in.  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within 3 days.

Green Long Peppers - Wonderful in stir-fries.  They also freeze easily. Chop and store in a ziplock bag in your freezer.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week

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 Gala Apples & Bartlett Pears (for fruit share members ONLY)

Recipes

Roasted Acorn Squash - with photo tutorial!
Braised Leeks with Parmesan
Cilantro Pesto
Simple Leek & Potato Soup

September harvests are what I wait for all year. Summer crops are still coming in strong, but the cool evenings and shorter days bring the first of the fall's bounty too... We will continue to harvest our tomatoes for several more weeks, eggplants are starting in rotation (see below), the last planting of green beans are here and you can expect to see winter squash (!) in the shares next week.  Leafy greens will be coming back soon too...  Bon appetite, my friends! 

SAVE THE DATE!
Bring your family and friends to visit the farm on Sunday, October 15th from 11am-3pm. You'll have an opportunity to tour the fields, learn how we grow your food, watch cooking demonstration, enjoy kids' activities and more!  More details to come...

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 Tomatoes - The plants are still looking very healthy in the field and will continue to produce fruit for several more weeks. 
Storage: On the counter. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Now!

Zucchini - We're now harvesting from our last zucchini planting. Enjoy them while they last.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Purple Potatoes -  Purple inside and out!  Perfect texture for salads or roasting!
Storage: In a cool, DARK place.  Uses: Cooked When to use: Within a week

Swiss chard -  Probably the last chard for a while.  We say goodbye to it along with the summer weather...
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Green Beans - These are such a treat!  Steam until tender and serve with olive oil or butter and salt. Simple, delicious!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Scallions - Enjoy in your salad or grilled!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Eggplant - Item in Rotation! - The eggplant plants don't produce fast enough to harvest them for everyone on the same week.  So we will harvest them as they are ready on the vine and give them out to group by group.  Everyone will receive an eggplant by the time the season ends.  We keep careful track of who receives what. If you don't get one this week (and didn't receive one last week) it's coming, I promise!  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Peppers - Item in Rotation! - In rotation with the eggplant this week. (You will receive one or the other, not both.)  These are green bell peppers.  Versatile in so many dishes or raw!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week

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 Apples/Peaches (for fruit share members ONLY)

Recipes

Purple Potato Salad with Rosemary & Olives
Roasted Purple Potatoes
Green Bean & Tomato Salad
Grilled Zucchini Salad with Scallions & Lemon

SAVE THE DATE!
Bring your family and friends to visit the farm on Sunday, October 15th from 11am-4pm. You'll have an opportunity to tour the fields, learn how we grow your food, watch cooking demonstration, enjoy kids' activities and more!  More details to come...

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 Tomatoes - The beefsteak tomatoes are here!  These plants were seeded way back in May and it took all this time for them to grow and produce fruit.  Enjoy! 
Storage: On the counter. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Now!

Sungold Cherry Tomatoes &. Blush Cocktail Tomatoes - These little guys are perfect to pop in your mouth or throw in your favorite salad, Yum! 
Storage: On the counter. Uses: Raw When to use: Now!

Zucchini - We're now harvesting from our last zucchini planting. Enjoy them while they last.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Nicola Potatoes -  These are a wonderful, waxy potato variety.  Perfect texture for salads or roasting!
Storage: In a cool, DARK place.  Uses: Cooked When to use: Within a week

Onions -  These are semi-storage yellow onions.  They willl store for a few weeks in a cool, dry place, but I would recommend using them sooner.  They're so good fresh.  
Storage: In a cool, dry spot. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Peppers - These are green frying peppers.  They are not hot!  I love using them in stir-fries, but they are also great cut up and dipped in hummus, in salads, stuffed...
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Red Batavian Lettuce - Rounding out the share nicely with another head of lettuce this week.  
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw. When to use: Within a week

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 Apples/Peaches (for fruit share members ONLY)

Recipes

Mixed Grilled Veggies with Parsley Pesto - from PLENTY - **Make this!**
Roasted Zucchini & Tomatoes
Roasted Tomato Soup
Potatoes with Salsa Verde (Parsley sauce) - Orangette (scroll down for recipe)

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

It's round two for watermelons this week!  These are an orange variety called "New Orchid" and I think I'm in love...  We have cabbage again this week, chard is back and we're welcoming the first harvests of our red beefsteak tomatoes and peppers! 

Last Friday's crazy rain and flooding was a surprise, but so far it looks like our crops weathered the storm pretty well.  Farmer Matt had just seeded a round of carrots and beets the day before, so we're still not sure if they survived the flooding and will germinate.  If not, we'll have to re-seed them again.  The same thing happened last August, which is why some of our root vegetable crops were delayed.  Otherwise, all is well here on the farm. It looks like a beautiful week of weather coming up!  

SAVE THE DATE!
Bring your family and friends to visit the farm on Sunday, October 15th from 11am-4pm. You'll have an opportunity to tour the fields, learn how we grow your food, watch cooking demonstration, enjoy kids' activities and more!  More details to come...

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...

Orange Watermelon - Quite possibly the very best watermelon in the world. I might be biased...
 Storage: In the refrigerator!  Uses: Raw. When to use: Now!

Red Tomatoes - The beefsteak tomatoes are here!  These plants were seeded way back in May and it took all this time for them to grow and produce fruit.  Enjoy! 
Storage: On the counter. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Now!

Sungold Cherry Tomatoes - These little guys are perfect to pop in your mouth or throw in your favorite salad, Yum! 
Storage: On the counter. Uses: Raw When to use: Now!

Zucchini - We're now harvesting from our last zucchini planting. Enjoy them while they last.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week.

Peppers - These are green frying peppers.  They are not hot!  I love using them in stir-fries, but they are also great cut up and dipped in hummus, in salads, stuffed...
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week

Swiss Chard - The summer green is back!  Have you been craving dark greens as much as I have?  I still love it best gently steamed and served with olive oil and salt.  But the garlicky recipe from the NY Times below is great too. 
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within3 days.

Cabbage - One more week of cabbage this summer.  They will store well in your fridge if you wrap them well.  And if you're like me and you already have a head hiding in the back of your fridge, put it in soup!  It's a great way to use it up and it's super delicious!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within a week or longer if stored properly.

Red Batavian Lettuce - Thanks to the farmers for giving us lots of lettuce all summer long.  It's hard to grow lettuce in this heat because it tends to bolt, which means that the center of the head shoots up and starts to go to seed...  Timing the harvest is essential and not always easy.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw. When to use: Within a week

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

Garlicky Swiss Chard
Cabbage & Cilantro Soup
Stir-Fry Peppers & Onions

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

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!