The Golden Earthworm Farm CSA NEWSLETTER

"Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and
the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money." -Cree proverb

this week's
HARVEST

Baby Bok Choi
This Asian green goes well in stir fries or steamed whole and drizzled with dressing or soy. The whole thing is edible- stems, leaves & all!
Qty: 1 bunch

Red Radishes
Spicy, crunchy, a spring-time favorite in salads!
Qty: 1 bunch

Lettuce
Red Leaf, Green Leaf, or Romaine.
Qty: 1 head

Baby Salad Turnips
Not commonly available in stores, this Japanese variety called Hakurei is best eaten raw. The turnips are sweet and crunchy and the tops are excellent sauted with garlic or steamed.
Qty: 1 bunch.

Leeks
These have been over-wintered. They're sweet and delicious!
Qty: 1 bunch.

Red Beets
Sweet red beets can be boiled, roasted or grilled. Enjoy in soups, salads, juiced raw, or grated in a salad. A very versatile veggie!
Qty: 1 bunch.

Week of May 29, 2006 ~ Issue #2

HAPPENINGS news & musings from the fields

We hope you all enjoyed the long holiday weekend!

On the farm this week, we're going to transplant our tomatoes, peppers and eggplants out into the field. We're also going to direct-seed our third succession planting of carrots, beets and salad mix.

Matthew and James spent part of the weekend turning in our cover crop of hairy vetch. We will plant winter squash and sweet potatoes into the field once the vetch has had a chance to break down in the soil.

News from the farm...We have lots of news this year! However, since our bi-weekly members won't be joining us until the week of June 5th, I'm going to keep you all in suspense...
We'll feature our *new* 2006 CSA newsletter the week of June 5th. - Maggie

RECIPES from the farm & from our friends

ROASTED BEET SALAD

1 bunch of red beets, stems trimmed to 1 inch
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 head lettuce, leaves separated and washed.
toasted walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse beets. Wrap in foil and roast in middle of oven until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool. Peel beets and halve lengthwise. Cut each half crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Whisk together shallot, juices, zest, and mustard. Whisk in oil until emulsified and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle lettuce with three fourths of dressing. Sprinkle with beets and drizzle with remaining dressing. Sprinkle with walnuts.

BRAISED LEEKS WITH LEMON

4 small or medium leeks, tough outer leaves discarded and leeks trimmed to about 7 inches long and cut lengthwise into quarters or eighths
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

In a shallow dish soak leeks in cold water to cover 15 minutes, rubbing occasionally to remove any grit. In a heavy skillet melt butter over moderate heat. lift leeks out of the water and with water still clinging to them add to skillet. Cook leeks, stirring occasionally, five minutes and add broth and zest. Braise leeks, covered, 5 minutes, or until very tender, and season with salt and pepper.

STIR-FRIED BOK CHOI

1 pound baby bok choi
2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon oyster flavored sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon sugar or honey
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 ginger slices
1 clove garlic, crushed and peeled

Separate the bok choi into stalks. Wash in several changes of cold water and drain thoroughly in a colander. Trim 1/4 inch from the bottom of each stalk. Halve each stalk lengthwise and cut stalks and leaves into 2-inch-long pieces. In a bowl, combine the broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, corn starch, and sugar or honey.
Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil and ginger, and stir-fry 10 seconds or until ginger is fragrant. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil, bok choi, and garlic, and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, or until leaves are just limp and bok choy is bright green. Restir the broth mixture and swirl into wok. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly and coats the vegetables. Serve immediately.