This Week's Vegetable Harvest:
- Cabbage
- Fresh Garlic
- Cucumbers
- Broccoli
- Parsley
- Shallots
- Carrots
- Arugula
- Zucchini (on-farm pickup only)
- Snap Peas (off-farm pickup sites only)
This Week's Fruit Harvest:
- Apricots
- Peaches
- Blueberries
Farm Journal
Friday, 10 a.m.
A bead of sweat slides down my forehead as a lean over to drop two handfuls of peas into my bin. I blink it away and turn back to face the shoulder-high vines, loaded with plump pods. Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap. I am able to pick and grasp five pods in each hand before turning and releasing them into the bin. The soft, staccato rhythm of my picking provides a baseline for the chorus of mosquitoes whose tiny sawblade song fills my ears. The mosquitoes themselves would quite literally fill my ears, I think, if it weren't for the finely woven mesh net I am wearing over my head and neck. Earlier this morning I carefully tucked the thin veil into the upturned collar of my long-sleeved flannel shirt like a nervous lumberjack bride on her wedding day. Oh, if only my highschool friends could see me now.
Dressing for maximum mosquito protection is just one of the many glamorous aspects of doing this job, though I don't suppose any of us CSA farmers went into this line of work for the glamour alone. We do this work, I think, because we love a good challenge. Most of us are feisty and stubborn and derive real satisfaction from defying the odds. We are proud of the fact that, despite the challenges presented by weather and insects and all the other vagaries of organic farming, we manage every week to create something beautiful and delicious for our loyal members. Thanks for partnering with us in this endeavor. We are grateful to all of you for giving us the opportunity to do a job that we love.
Have a great week! --Peg
In the Farm Kitchen
Apricots and peaches are beginning to ripen in abundance now. Apricots can be enjoyed fresh, but they also really shine in baked goods such as tarts, coffee cakes and cobblers. Apricots can be stored on the counter if you are planning to eat them soon. They will be nice and soft and golden when ripe. Once they are ripe, they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Peaches should also be refrigerated once they are ripe and juicy.
Mid to late-July is the time for harvesting shallots, storage onions, and other alliums. Shallots are closely related to onions, but often have a sweeter, richer flavor that is very popular with chefs and home cooks alike. This particular variety of shallot is a nice round, red variety which differs in appearance from the elongated French shallots that you may be familiar with. I think you'll find that they have great flavor and can be just as versatile as common bulb onions. This season you'll receive a variety of cured and uncured alliums. Shallots and onions last quite a long time in storage once they have been cured. Curing is simply the act placing them in a warm, dry place with plenty of air circulation for a certain period of time. On our farm we use our greenhouse to cure onions. This week we harvested just enough shallots for everybody to get about three nice, big shallots. Since there wasn't time to cure them, it would be best to use them within a couple of weeks.
Garlic is another member of the allium family that is typically ready to harvest in mid-July. The whole crop is harvested at once, with the stems and leaves attached. We tie up the garlic into bundles and stand it in the greenhouse to cure. You'll notice that because your garlic this week has only had a few days' curing time, it is still nice and juicy and the thin tissues that separate the cloves haven't yet turned dry and papery. We hope you enjoy the extra-pungent and delicious flavor of this fresh garlic!
This Week's Featured Recipes
Cucumber-Feta Toasts
1/2 baguette
2 teaspoons plus 4 teaspoons olive oil
3 ounces feta
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 450 degrees. Split baguette lengthwise and lightly brush cut sides with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Bake until golden around edges, 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mash together feta, 4 teaspoons oil, and lemon juice with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Spread feta mixture evenly over toasted baguette and top with cucumber. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and a drizzle of oil. Cut into pieces to serve.
Wilted Cabbage with Carrots and Bacon
4 bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, sliced thin
3 1/2 cups thinly sliced cabbage (about 3/4 pound)
3 carrots, coarsely grated
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
In a large non-stick skillet cook bacon over moderate heat until crisp and transfer with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Cook garlic and shallot in bacon drippings over moderately low heat, stirring, until shallot is softened. Add carrots and cabbage and cook, stirring, over moderate heat until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in bacon and parsley and season with salt and pepper.
Easy Apricot-Almond Tart
1 9-inch refrigerated pie crust, room temperature
2 teaspoon all purpose flour
1/4 cup apricot jam or preserves
3/4 cup slivered almonds, very finely chopped in processor
7 to 9 fresh apricots
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
To peel apricots, blanch for about 20 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water, then slip off the skin with a paring knife. Set aside.
A Note about Recipes: Many of you will be happy to learn that our recipe database and search engine will be back up and functioning in the next couple of weeks. We apologize for the delay in getting it integrated into the new website. Thanks for your patience!
Unfold crust and press out fold lines. Sprinkle with flour and gently spread flour over crust. Arrange floured side down in 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges. Pierce all over with fork. Bake until golden brown, about 11 minutes. Cool slightly on rack. Reduce oven to 375°.
Spread preserves in bottom of crust. Top with almonds. Cut peeled apricots in half and arrange cut side down on top of the almonds, filling tart completely. Sprinkle with sugar. Dot apricots with butter. Bake until apricots are tender and filling is syrupy, about 1 hour. Cool on rack.
CSA Farm Picnic and Tour this Saturday
Interested in learning more about how we grow your food? This Saturday we're hosting a CSA picnic and walking tour at the Grayslake farm from 3 until 6. Pack a picnic supper (don't forget plates and utensils), bring your lawn chairs or a blanket, and come enjoy some time on the farm with Peg, Matt, Jen and Jeff and your fellow CSA members. Water, lemonade and brownies will be provided. The walking tour will start around 3:30. Please RSVP to jen@sandhillfamilyfarms.com so we know how many will be attending.
There will also be a picnic at the Brodhead farm on Saturday, September 7th. The Brodhead picnic will include time to pick your own tomatoes. (All of our tomatoes are being grown at the Brodhead farm this year.) Members may pick up to 40 pounds of tomatoes (heirlooms, hybrids or paste tomatoes) per share. The first 5 pounds are free, and you may pick an additional 35 pounds for $1.50 per pound. Can't make it to the farm but still want bulk tomatoes? We will have pre-picked 20 lb cases of beefsteaks and romas available in September for delivery to your pickup site. Beefsteaks will be $30 per case and romas will be $35. Stay tuned for more details on bulk tomatoes.
Next Week's Harvest (our best guess)... peaches, golden plums, sweet corn, kale, dill, beets, blueberries, basil, sweet onions and more!
