July 21, 2009

CSA News for the Week of July 20th

This Week's Vegetable Share:
  • Green-Top Carrots
  • Broccoli (grown by Kay Jensen and Paul Ehrhardt of JenEhr Farm in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin)
  • Newly-Dug Shallots
  • Herb Sampler (Fresh Thyme, Sage & Oregano)
  • Cucumbers
  • Cilantro
  • Sweet Corn
  • Cauliflower or Beans (either green or romano)
  • Arugula and/or Mixed Lettuces

This Week's Fruit Share:

  • Peaches
  • Apricots
  • Golden Plums

Farm Journal

When you're in this line of work, it's a good idea to surround yourself with a group of folks who can relate to the ups and downs of farm life. We're lucky to have a circle of farming friends with whom we can commiserate about such topics as this summer's cool temperatures, the price of sweet corn seed, strategies for combating bean beetles, tips for growing gorgeous greens, and finding affordable sources of chicken feed. Kay Jensen is one such friend. This time of year we seem to talk on the phone at least a couple of times a week. Occasionally we collaborate with Kay and her husband Paul to provide variety in your CSA shares, as we have done this week. Sometimes we call each other just to check in and see how we're all holding up. This week I related to her the story of my ongoing nightly deer patrols in the minivan. The image of me and my tired old minivan bouncing up and down the field roads made her chuckle. Once I had her going, I just had to tell the story about the hilarity that ensued when Matt attempted to use his lasso to catch a pig who'd escaped from its pen. Halfway through the conversation I had her howling with laughter. It's really true what they say about laughter being the best medicine. When the frantic pace of mid-summer starts to wear me down, I can count on Kay to help me see the bright (and the sometimes hilareous) side of farm life.


In addition to swapping funny stories, we talk often about how our respective CSA enterprises are going. One topic we've touched on a couple of times recently is the challenge of growing sweet corn for our CSA customers. It can at times be difficult and frustrating to grow sweet corn in an organic system. We only recently started to grow it because we knew it was something our members would really enjoy. We've still got a ways to go in figuring out how best to grow it under organic conditions, and we hope you will enjoy the results thus far. In the pictures below, you'll see (1) Matt in our second planting of corn, (2) the bird-scare balloons with shiny streamers and "eyes" that keep birds away and (3) the electric solar-charged fence that keeps small critters out of the sweet corn fields.

Thanks for all your encouragement and support as we continue on our journey!



Have a good week. --Peg









Notes from the Farm Kitchen

Fresh oregano is the perfect partner for many summer vegetables, including beans. As opposed to the thin, pointed leaf of thyme, oregano leaves are rounded and soft. The name oregano is derived from the Greek words oros (mountain) and ganos (joy) a reference, I think, to the beautiful sight created by flowering oregano plants growing on the hillsides. Our oregano grows in neat little rows on a flat field in Northern Illinois, but the sight—not to mention the scent—fills me with joy nonetheless! Fresh sage adds wonderful flavor to roasted meats and vegetables as well as bean dishes and stews. Fresh herbs can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or dried in a paper bag in a warm, dry location.

Like many of our crops this year, the carrot crop is a little behind due to the cool weather. These are the very first carrots we've dug, and I think they're worth the wait. Enjoy them raw or cooked.

Those who don't receive cauliflower this week will receive beans. The beans in your share will either be traditional green beans or romano beans. Some of the beans this week are from our farm and some come from Kay and Paul's farm. Romano beans are broad, flat-podded beans that are sometimes referred to as Italian flat beans. They can be prepared much like the more familiar green beans. They will take slightly longer to cook than a thinner bean, but be careful not to overcook them as they will become mushy.

Like onions and garlic, shallots must be cured in a warm, dry location before they will store for weeks on end. Because we just harvested these shallots yesterday, you should try to use them up within a week or so. Their delicate onion flavor is superb in many kinds of dishes where you might normally use onions.


This Week's Recipes:


Next Week's Harvest (our best guess): Carrots, Zucchini, Italian Parsley, Basil, Garlic, Swiss Chard, Beans, Green Onions, Blueberries, Peaches and more...


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