CSA Week 10

Hi everyone,
Another week, another bag! A cooler start to August than I was expecting, but it's made for pleasant working weather.

Here's the list for this week:
Salad Mix
Swiss Chard
Scallions (aka Green Onions)
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Summer Squash
Beans (mixed colors) for some
Cilantro
Hot Peppers (the dark green ones are Poblanos and the pointy yellow/orange ones are Hungarian Hotwax- both are medium spicy)

You probably already saw this in the email we sent out or on the slip of paper in your bags, but please make sure to wash your tomatoes before eating them. The weather conditions are ripe for outbreaks of Late Blight (the disease that killed all the potatoes in the Irish Potato Famine- a really nasty fungus) and we're using an organix spray to try and protect our tomatoes, which are particularly susceptible. It's a copper fungicide and is permitted for use in organic farming, but it's probably a good idea to rinse off any residue.
We always want to let you know whenever we use anything out of the ordinary because that transparency is an important part of our relationship with our CSA members. And it's one of the main advantages of small farms being directly in contact with their consumers- this way you can know all the details about how your food is produced and what if any sprays or fertilizers are being put on your vegetables.

Tomatoes with Late Blight- yuck!

Not too much else to report from the farm. A little rain and some warmer weather would be good right about now- and I think we're at least going to get the precipitation.

Also, I wanted to let you know about the new Sidehill Farmers Butcher Shop in Manlius. I'm not personally a big meat eater, but I have to admire the stuff they have in there. The meat is locally raised and cut to order, and they have prepared meals cooked daily and ready to pick up at the shop.

Also, they bring in some produce from local farms as well as milk, eggs, yogurt, cheese and flour all produced locally. And then they have some unique things like lard and natural pet food.

It's really cool! This is the way to buy and consume meat- you know where the animals were raised, the butcher is right in the shop and cuts the meat to your specifications and you can walk away feeling really good about the whole exchange. I still don't think I'm going to be a big meat eater, but if I do decide to buy some, this is where I want to purchase it. You should stop in sometime- it's in the plaza behind Sno-top in Manlius, right next to the Subway shop. 

CSA Week 9!

Hi everyone,
Week 9 already... it's hard to believe. And July's already come and gone! The summer really flies by.
We've had pleasant weather for farming recently and most everything is doing pretty well. The only exceptions are the plants outside that really love the heat (beans, tomatoes, squash). They're producing, but not at their usual rate. But there's still plenty to give out- and the greenhouse tomatoes and eggplant are really stellar this year.

Here's what's in your bags:
Salad Mix
Eggplant
White Onion
A Tomato or two
Cherry Tomatoes
Summer Squash
Beans or Sugar Snap Peas
Mixed Basil (cinnamon, Thai, lemon, sweet and purple basils- a truly incredible aroma! they can all be used together as you would regular basil)
Arugula for some
Carrots

The eggplant is just incredible; it's really going all out, and we handed out some real beauties this week- some classic dark purple, some white, and some a gorgeous shade of purple-pink. 

  

A few words about the veggies:

• Be careful with the eggplant stems- they have little spiny thorns, and they're quite sharp!
• We have a variety of summer squash: some green zucchini, a bright, orangey-yellow zucchini, a plain yellow crookneck summer squash, and a yellow summer squash with a green bottom. You can use all of them the same way, and they have subtly different flavors.
• The tomatoes will come out to you in various stages of ripeness. The best check on how ripe they are is a good sniff (should smell nice and tomato-y when ripe) and a very gentle squeeze to see if they're still quite firm, or if they have a little "give." But remember, be gentle! Our tomatoes are not like the ones in the grocery store- these are mostly heirloom varieties that don't travel well because they can be easily bruised or squished, but they have an incredible flavor!

We dug 180 lbs of carrots this week! And they were beautiful, too- very long and straight, for the most part.

Just the other night, I tried out a recipe Sue gave me. Actually, it's more like a cooking method, and it uses the veggies you received this week. It's sort of like a ratatouille (rat-ah-too-ee, I think) but super quick and simple. And it's really really delicious. I spooned ours on top of rice, but feel free to experiment. I bet it'd be delicious on polenta, or maybe even pasta.

Lucky Moon Ratatouille
Prepare a deep roasting pan or oven-safe casserole dish by coating the bottom with olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 450, and chop up some garlic (3-4 cloves is nice). Put the garlic in the pan, and place in the oven as it's preheating. Let the garlic cook for a few minutes until golden brown, but check it so it doesn't burn.

Remove the pan from the oven, and shake some bread crumbs to coat the bottom. Toss in some chopped onion, then place a layer of eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch -1/4 inch rounds, across the bottom of the roasting pan. Drizzle with some olive oil and shake on some more bread crumbs.

Cut zucchini into rounds (about the same thickness) and layer on top of the eggplant/breadcrumbs. Repeat the olive oil and breadcrumbs. Cut thick slices of tomato and layer on top, adding some more bread crumbs on top (and maybe some cheese? Mozzarella? Parmesan?)

Bake in the oven about 45 minutes, covered, until all the layers are soft.

Week 8, CSA 2013

Hi everyone,
Another week has come, and with it, the beginning of the real summer vegetables. It's so exciting to eat those first cherry tomatoes, pick the first beans, and see the first of the summer squash under the leaves! Now is the time for really good eating-

In your bags this week:
Salad mix
Snow peas
Sugar Snap peas
Green/Yellow/Purple Beans (any mixture of the three- they all cook up the same way)
Basil
Cherry Tomatoes
Summer Squash (green or yellow zucchini and yellow summer squash)
Braising Greens or Arugula

So many options! Andrew and I had a nice stir fry for dinner- we tossed in some spears of summer squash, snow peas, garlic and some of the spicy greens. We topped it with orange-glazed tofu, and it was a real treat.

Here's another recipe someone handed me today, from the cookbook "The Farm" by Ian Knauer

Green Beans with Garlic Chips and Olive Oil (serves 4-6)

3 Tablespoons olive oil
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 red onion, sliced
salt and black pepper
1 lb green beans, trimmed
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

-Heat the oil with the garlic in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden, 5-6 minutes. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon, transferring to a paper towel.
-Add the butter to the oil in the skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Add the onion, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper and saute, stirring, until the onion is golden, about 6 minutes.
-Add the beans and continue to saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.
-Transfer the besn to a serving dish and sprinkle with the garlic chips.

Wow, that sounds good~

Also, a reminder that this Saturday, Lucky Moon Farm will be taking part in the Madison County Open Farm Day. It's a fun event where a bunch of different farms across the county open their doors for people to visit and see their operations first hand. We'd love for you to stop by and see where your food is grown! We'll be available to answer questions, though we'll still be trying to fit in some work, as well.  There's always plenty that needs to be done, so we'll use every day with good weather. So you can see us in action :>)

The farms are open from 10-4 and we hope you can stop by. The address is 4976 Lincklaen Rd in Caz.

Maybe I'll see you there-

Best,
Sarah

Week 7- Turning up the heat!

Sugar Snap Peas

Hi everyone,
Whew! It's hot. Summer is really ramping up now and the real summer veggies are starting to come on. It won't be too long before zucchini, tomatoes and beans!

Because of the heat, remember to get your veggies home and in the fridge as soon as possible. They chilled in our walk-in cooler for a while, but they don't appreciate being out in the heat once they're harvested.

Here's what you have this week:
Snow Peas (wide, flat pod)
Sugar Snap Peas (thick, fat pods)
Salad Mix
Swiss Chard
Carrots
Garlic

I've had a few people ask me about ways to use Swiss Chard, and here are a few more ideas:
in a salad, chopped up in a stir fry, in a quiche, in a frittata, or sauteed with cheese on top...

Here's a recipe I just found online that looks really tasty and simple: Roasted Swiss Chard with Feta 

Hope you all can stay cool but still get out and enjoy the sunshine! Swimming is an ideal method :>)

Best,
Sarah

Snow Peas

CSA Week 6

Hi everybody
Looks like we might finally get a dry weekend! The rain just hasn't let up for the last few weeks-
But things are moving along at the farm rain or shine and this week your bag includes:

Salad Mix
Arugula (first picking for this bed- it's beautiful!)
Asian Braising Greens- a mix of mustards, mizunas, collards, tatsoi, boc choy, baby kale and more- great lightly sauteed
Beets
Snow Peas

Here's a simple recipe I found for the Braising Greens:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/simple-braised-greens-garlic.html

And a couple of different beet recipe ideas:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-beets-and-sauteed-beet-greens/

And here's a great recipe for an Arugula, roasted beet and goat cheese salad- my mom makes this a lot and loves it!
http://www.seasonalpotluck.com/arugula-salad-roasted-beets-goat-cheese-balsamic-reduction/

 

A picture from the Seasonal Potluck blogpost

 

Also, I wanted to let you all know that in a couple of weeks, Lucky Moon Farm will be one of the stops available on the Madison County Open Farm Day. It will be Saturday, July 27th and it'd be great if you wanted to stop by, visit the farm, and see first hand how and where your food is grown. We'd be happy to show you around and answer and questions you might have. Farms will be open for vists from 10AM to 4PM. There are a lot of great places to check out, so you can make a day of it, if you like.

Week 5- Happy 4th of July!

Hi everyone,
Happy 4th of July! I hope you all can celebrate with friends and family- lets hope it doesn't rain. Actually, how about it doesn't rain for a couple weeks? Things might finally get a chance to dry out- all the plants would be much happier for it! But we soldier on, despite the crazy weather.

Here's what's in your bags this week. Starting to get into the more bulky foods- again, the weather has delayed our normally scheduled produce to give out to you all.

Salad Mix
Garlic
Carrots
a few Snow Peas (more coming soon!) or Swiss Chard
Spinach

Just a reminder to wash your veggies before using them- especially an extra rinse for your greens would be a good idea. With all the rain, the fields have been pretty muddy, which then splashes up onto the lettuce, spinach and chard. We rinse everything once in cold water before packing them in bags, mostly to get the heat out of them so they won't wilt. But they'll need a second washing to get rid of any leftover dirt. A salad spinner is a great tool for drying the greens after washing- they're available at some grocery stores and most hardware stores. A good investment for years of tasty salads!

  

I don't know if the rain is partly responsible, or that we had a real winter with good snow cover and normal, cold temperatures (which lots of shrubs and fruiting trees need), but everything is loaded with flowers and fruit this year. My roses have bloomed like never before, my 3-year-old peach tree has about 35 peaches on it, and I discovered 3 or 4 mulberry trees in our neighborhood that had never fruited before completely covered in berries. I love fruit, and I've been picking mulberries and going to Tre-G, the local strawberry u-pick place in Pompey as often as I can. There's nothing quite so wonderful as eating freshly picked fruit. Here's a website with some handy lists of u-pick places in the area-  http://www.pickyourown.org/nycentral.htm  It's a really great thing to do with kids. It was always one of my favorite summer activities growing up (and still is, actually :>)

I've posted some recipes below, but if you're looking for more cooking guidance, I can't recommend highly enough the collection of Moosewood Restaurant cookbooks that are out on the market. There are hundreds of excellent, delicious recipes that use normal ingredients, are quite healthy for you, and can help you learn to cook new or unfamiliar vegetables. I own and use constantly their Moosewood "Cooks at Home" and "Cooking for Health."

Spinach Salad w/ Strawberries & Pecans
-actually, this is more like a salad template. Spinach and strawberries go especially well together, especially with a poppy seed dressing, but adding different fruits, fresh or dried, nuts, cheese, meat or herbs are a great way to turn your side salad into a satisfying meal all on its own. I often use golden raisins, chopped up dried apricots, an apple, a pear, any kind of nut I have on hand, bits of cheese, a radish or a carrot- if it sounds good to you, give it a try!


Spinach Salad w/ Strawberries and Pecans
8-oz Spinach
1 c. strawberry halves
1 c. pecan halves (or walnuts, or almonds)

Dressing:
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1/3 c. oil
1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 small onion
2 tsp poppy seeds

In a large bowl, combine spinach, strawberries and pecans.
Dressing: mix cider vinegar, oil, sugar, dijon mustard, salt pepper and onion in a food processor until smooth. Add poppy seeds and mix.

Spinach Quesadillas (From the Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health cookbook)
- yields 4 quesadillas
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
1 fresh chile, minced (or a sweet pepper, if you prefer)
~5 cups chopped fresh spinach (coarsly chopped with large stems removed)
pinch of dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 whole wheat tortillas, or your favorite kind
1 cup grated cheese (such as Montery Jack)

1) In a large saucepan on medium-high heat, warm the oil and cook the onion and chilis for about 4-5 minutes, or until softened. Add the spinach, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir until the spinach had wilted, a minute or two. Remove from the heat and drain.
2) Place one of the tortillas in a dry skillet on medium heat. Sprinkle on 1/4 cup of the cheese. After about a minute, when the cheese has begun to melt, spread 1/4 of the drained spinach mixture over 1/2 the tortilla. Fold the tortilla over the spinach and cheese to make a 1/2 circle and cook for a minute. Turn the quesadilla over and cook until the cheese is thoroughly melted.
3) Remove tortilla, slice into wedges, and dip in your favorite salsa. Repeat with remaining tortillas.


Sauteed Spinach w/ Roasted Garlic, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Feta
~10 oz spinach
3 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 c. onions, chopped
1/2 c. sun-dried (or roasted) tomatoes
1/4 c. sherry (optional)
1/4 c. lemon juice
5 T. butter
1/2 c. feta
salt & pepper to taste

Over medium heat, saute garlic and onions in olive oil until golden brown ( ~ 2 min). Add tomates, add sherry and lemon juice and reduce by a third ( ~3 min) Add butter and toss until it melts. Add spinach. Cover and stir occasionally until the spinach is slightly wilted and warm (~ 3 min). Add feta and cook briefly until slightly melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
NOTE: this is great to toss with your favorite pasta!

 Baked Swiss Chard and Spinach w/ Chickpeas and Feta Cheese
4-6 servings

4 Tbsp olive oil
10 oz Swiss Chard, heavy stems removed
1 Lb Spinach, heavy stems removed
One 15-oz can of chickpeas, drained
4 scallions (white and green) chopped
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped dill
salt and pepper to taste
3 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees, spread 1 Tbsp oil around a 12x9x2- inch casserole dish
2) In a steamer pot, steam Swiss chard until it wilts, about 4 mins. Add the spinach to the steamed chard and steam another 4 minutes until the spinach wilts, too. Remove both greens and drain, squeezing out excess water once they are cool enough to handle.
3) Chop greens and toss with remaining 3 Tbsp of oil, chickpeas, scallions, garlic, dill and season w/ salt and pepper.
4) Transfer to the casserole dish Push the feta cheese down into the mixture and bake until it's sizzling, about 35 mins. Serve hot.