CSA News for the Week of July 9th

This Week's Vegetable Harvest

• New Red Potatoes
• Yellow Cipollini Onions
• Sweet Corn (From Tom Steele's farm.. See below for more info.)
• Asian Cabbage
• Carrots
• Head Lettuce
• Kohlrabi
• Cucumbers
• and maybe the first Green Beans (see below for more info.)

 

This Week's Fruit Harvest

• Peaches
• Golden Plums
• Blueberries
• Red Raspberries 

Upcoming Events

 

Speed Skilling Workshop hosted by Inn Serendipity
Saturday, July 14th, 10 am to 4 pm

Our friends, Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko, are cookbook authors and co-owners of Inn Serendipity, an earth-friendly bed and breakfast that they operate on their farm in Browntown, Wisconsin. This day-long educational event offers a chance to explore tradional values of self-reliance and community collaboration with a diversity of seasoned mentors sharing their inspiring skills and talents. Topics include green building, cheesemaking, woodworking, gardening and more. The event is free, but pre-registration is required.

 

Soil Sisters Farm Tour Day

Sunday, August 5th, 11 am to 4 pm

This event gives you a chance to visit 7 different southern Wisconsin farms led by women committed to sustainable agriculture. Participants will learn about the wide diversity of farming operations in the Green County area--beef cattle, vegetables, sheep, emu and much more! Farms will be open from 11 am to 4 and farmers will be leading tours throughout the day. http://www.soilsisterswi.org/

 

Sandhill Organics CSA Potlucks

Sunday, August 19th, 3 to 6 pm
Sunday, September 9th, 3 to 6 pm

 

For a number of years now our annual Tomato Jubilee has provided an opportunity for members to come out and pick their own tomatoes for freezing and canning. This year we're changing things up a bit, mostly because I felt that the Jubilee was getting to be a larger event than I could handle gracefully. This year we're going more low-key and stress-free by inviting members to attend one of 2 different potlucks at the Grayslake farm. Members who attend either potluck will have the opportunity to pick tomatoes before the meal. After we eat, we'll lead a walking tour of the farm. Since half of our tomato plants are in Grayslake and half are in Brodhead, the limit each CSA family may pick at the potluck will probably only be about 10 pounds. I know some of you would like more than that for canning and freezing, so there will be pre-picked 20 lb cases of tomatoes for sale at both potlucks. If you'd like to come to one or the other, please RSVP to info@sandhillorganics.com so I know how many will attend. I'll have more details as we get closer.

 

 

Notes from the Farm Kitchen

 

Our first green bean planting is reaching maturity this week. We'll probably start picking Thursday and will likely have enough for members who pick up their produce at the farm. There are lots of beans coming, so all members will receive them next week.

 

 

Matt spent yesterday harvesting red potatoes at the Brodhead farm. We're really happy with how the potato crop turned out this year. Thanks to my Dad, who spent many hours moving irrigation hoses around in the potato fields, the potatoes were able to achieve a pretty good size despite the lack of rain.

 

There are many different types of Asian cabbage grown around the world. This one, called Tokyo Bekana, has juicy white stems and mild-tasting light green leaves.Tokyo Bekana's mild cabbage flavor provides a nice contrast to the more familiar flavor of head lettuce. I treat it exactly like head lettuce or napa cabbage--it makes wonderful salads. Last night we made a salad of chopped Tokyo Bekana, shredded raw beet, and chopped green onions, with a handful of blueberries thrown in for good measure. It was a beautiful salad and quite tasty too!

 

This week's sweet corn comes from Tom Steele who has a farm down the road from us in Brodhead. Tom has been growing sweet corn for years and he takes great pride in the quality of what he picks. He wanted me to let you know that the heat and drought have taken a bit of a toll on this year's crop. Some of the ears are on the small side and may not have filled out all the way to the top, but we still think it's great corn. Frankly, we're glad to have any corn at all given June's adverse growing conditions! Please note that while this corn is fresh and local, it is not organic.

This Week's Recipes

Spring Rolls with Crunchy Summer Vegetables
for the dipping sauce:
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

for the rolls:
10 (8 1/2 inch) rice paper, rounds
2 cucumbers, cut into 3 inch matchsticks
3 carrots, cut into 3 inch matchsticks
1 kohlrabi, peeled and cut into 3 inch matchsticks
fresh cilantro

1. To make the dipping sauce, combine vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil and chili-garlic sauce in a small bowl. Cover and chill.
2. Quickly dip rice papers in a shallow dish of warm water one at a time, letting excess water drain off. Place in a single layer between damp tea towels, let stand for ten minutes.
3. For each spring roll, place 8 cucumber, 4 carrot and 4 kohlrabi sticks on the bottom third of rice paper, 1 inch from edge. Roll up rice paper tightly just far enough to enclose filling. Top with cilantro leaves, then fold two sides of rice paper over cilantro and continue rolling up.
4. Cut rolls in half diagonally. Cover and chill rolls for up to four hours before serving. Serve with dipping sauce.

  

Roasted Carrots and Cipollini Onions
from The Food Network

1 pound cippolini onions, ends trimmed and peeled, halve larger onions

1 bunch carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup white wine
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. On a sheet tray, toss onions and carrots with oil, butter, and wine. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until golden and caramelized, about 25 to 30 minutes.

 

Fun Photo of the Week: How Does a Chicken Keep Cool?

 

 

Why, she pants, of course! She also holds her wings out so they don't trap heat next to her body. Keeping these girls happy and healthy during the recent heat wave was a challenge, but it seems we did a pretty good job. Out of a flock of 300 birds, we didn't lose a single one to heat exhaustion. The chickens prefer to forage for grass and insects in the morning and evening when it's cooler, and they spend the hottest part of the day in the shade of their mobile coop.

 

Next Week's Harvest (our best guess)... shallots, sweet corn, green beans, arugula, zucchini, cabbage, garlic, parsley, and maybe the first green peppers.