The Golden Earthworm Farm CSA NEWSLETTER
"To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." - Mahatma Gandhi
this week's
HARVEST
Tomatoes
This is still just the beginning of our tomato harvest...there are lots more to come!
Qty: 2 large
Cherry Tomatoes
Depending on your location, you will either receive cherry tomatoes, or an extra pound of red beefsteak tomatoes.
Qty: 1 pint or 1 lb
Eggplant or Zucchini
Depending on your location, you will receive 1 eggplant or several zucchini.
Qty: 1+
Garlic
This is a special type of garlic known as "hard neck". You've probably noticed the hard neck when you've prepared it- it can be tough to open the clove! The flavor and crunchy texture beats anything you'll find at the store. Garlic can be stored in a cool, dry, dark place for a month or so if you can't use it all now.
Qty: 1 head
Onions
Yellow or red onions for sauteing, grilling, or slicing in salads. I've found the flavor mild enough to eat raw in salads with tomato and feta!
Qty: 1 bunch
Garlic
Qty: 1 piece
Green Bell Pepper
Qty: 1 piece
Italian Frying Peppers
For a quick supper on a hot night, try sauteed onions and peppers with eggs, toast, and broiled tomatoes...
Qty: 2 pieces
Yellow Potatoes
The texture on these beauties is exquisite! Try roasted with olive oil and whole garlic cloves. Cut all potatoes into roughly the same size and coat with olive oil in a shallow baking dish. Roast for about 45 minutes (check often!) in a hot, 425F oven until potatoes are tender.
Qty: 1 quart
Red Beets
Try roasting the beets together with wedges of the onions and dressing afterwards with mustard, olive oil, and wine vinegar. Try adding some slices of orange for a wonderful citrus complement to the roasted vegetables. And don't forget the beet greens (tops)! They're so simple to prepare-- steam gently or saute!
Qty: 1 bunch
FRUIT SHARE
Yellow Peaches, UFO Peaches
Week of August 14, 2006 ~ Issue #13
HAPPENINGS news & musings from the fields
When you walk into the barn this time of year, all you see is tomatoes. Boxes and boxes of them! Some ripe, some almost ripe, some that are too big, some too small. It's a careful juggling act that goes on every day- sorting them into the correct boxes and piling them up as high as they'll go. We're just at the beginning of our tomato harvest, so you can expect a lot more coming your way! With good weather, the season will typically run through the middle of October.
James and Matthew have been seeding the last of our fall crops- including lettuce, beets, carrots and my favorite, rutabaga! We have a beautiful Italian seeder which uses a vacuum to suck up the seeds and deposit them in the soil- evenly spaced so we won't have to thin them out later on. This saves a lot of labor time. When seeds are spaced properly, there is enough room for the plant to grow to maturity. This is especially important with root crops like beets and carrots.
NEW SITES for 2006
We're looking for a few new sites for our 2007 season. They may be in new towns, or within communities where we have an existing site. We are looking for sites at community centers (YMCA's, parent resource centers, etc.), or churches or temples. Due to the expanding offerings of our program, we will require a site that can be monitored during pick-up. If you have any ideas or leads for us, please let us know! THANK YOU!
IMPORTANT FRUIT SHARE INFORMATION
Fruit should be removed from the plastic bags as soon as you get home. They can be transferred into paper bags for ripening, or you may leave them out in the open air. Fruit left in the plastic bags may rot.
Save the Date! CSA DAY: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15th
We've set the date for our annual CSA Day! Mark your calendars now...more details to come.
RECIPES from the farm & from our friends
BEET-POTATO SALAD WITH LEMON
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 jalapeño chili, seeded, minced
1 quart potatoes
1 bunch beets
Combine onion, lemon juice, oil and jalapeño in large bowl. Set aside. Cook potatoes and beets in separate large saucepans of boiling salted water until just tender, about 30 minutes for potatoes and 45 minutes for beets. Drain. Cool slightly. Peel and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Add beets and potatoes to lemon mixture and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
MAGGIE'S COUNTERTOP TOMATO SAUCE
I love to give out this recipe every year. It's one of our favorites, and so simple! I call it a countertop tomato sauce because that's about all you do with it...let it sit on your countertop all day long! There are no measurements, so you'll just have to feel your way through it with the quantities.
Step One: Cut up tomatoes into small pieces and put in a bowl. You can use an assortment of beefsteak, heirloom, or cherry tomatoes. Step Two: Peel and halve 3+ cloves of garlic and add to the tomatoes. Step Three: Douse generously with olive oil, salt and pepper, and add a bit of balsamic vinegar. (A bit...not a lot!) You can also add basil leaves if you have them. Step Four: Find a plate that will cover your bowl. Toss tomatoes, cover with plate and let sit.
I toss every few hours if I'm around the house and need a whiff of that pungent- beautiful- garlic and tomato aroma. You can serve over pasta or as bruchetta. Matthew and I usually have it over whole wheat penne topped with a good shaved Parmesan cheese and a baguette to dredge up the juices. Bon appetit!