08 Jul Wed 2009
Week 4 Newsletter with recipes
CSA Newsletter
Volume 5
Issue 4- Farm
July 9, 2009
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Week 4
New to some of you this week are bok choi, a delicious green used in a lot of Chinese cooking and beet greens. Recipes are on the back. We’ve also included your first flowers, an extra bonus in our CSA package. Coming soon: peas, raspberries and new potatoes!!! I hoped to have new potatoes this week, but I think it’ll be one more week. Maddy and Calvin tasted the first dozen raspberries Sunday, so we should have at least a little bit for you next week and then they’ll really come in! The canes are loaded!
Farm News
Each summer week brings new planting and harvesting to Maplewood. Kale seedlings wait to grow in 30 half barrels filled with compost lining the strawberry patch. More mixed lettuce seeds were just planted in the garden, which grew for the gourmet lettuce mixes you’ve been receiving since the beginning of the season. The pole beans are living true to their name and are beginning to twine themselves around the poles that were posted for that very purpose. We unfortunately lost one of our calves to an illness, but our other little baby cows seem to be doing very well and are enjoying the green pastures just as much as the older ones! ~Hannah Gibbons
We seem to be getting just about the right mix of sun and rain here and everything is growing well. The cooler weather is slowing some crops down, but overall, the fields are in good shape! We don’t use black plastic as mulch here and don’t have the right size tractor and implements to use in the vegetable gardens, so most everything is done by hand. Until last week we had a small rototiller that we used to cultivate between our rows and to ready any new planting beds. Unfortunately, last week the engine seized. Eric doesn’t think it’s worth fixing. So we’re looking for another one to finish our season. Our favorite weeding tool is the Action Hoe, a stirrup shaped hoe that cuts the root below the soil surface. We also do a lot of hand weeding up close to our crops. Just ask the interns what they do most on the farm! We try to mix it up with succession plantings of crops we want continuously (or at least for many weeks), mulching, and of course harvesting and preparing your vegetable shares.
Two Farm Blogs
Remember to check into Hannah Gibbons’ blog at
www.myorganicsummer.blogspot.com to follow what’s happening on the farm this summer. Also go to http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M13345 and click on "Read Our Blog" every week to see what’s coming in your CSA share.Winter CSA – Only FIVE spots left!Don’t wait until it’s too late! Sign up now for our winter CSA which runs October through December. A $50 deposit holds your spot!
Save the Dates
Tuesday, July 29th, 5:00-7:00pm – NOFAvore celebration at Maplewood Organics – Dinner, farm tours, relaxed fun!
Saturday, September 12th, 5:00-7:00pm – Annual CSA Member Cook-out
Recipes of the Week
Suggested uses for Prize Choi (Bok Choi, pak choi):
Below is a delicious way to serve greens, whether collard, kale, or beet.
Beet Greens Recipe
While this recipe calls for discarding the stems, if you want you can use them too if they aren't too woody. Just cut them into 1-inch segments and add them to the onions after the onions have been cooking for a minute.
1 pound beet greens
1 strip of thick cut bacon, chopped (or a tablespoon of bacon fat)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup of water
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/6 cup of cider vinegar
Wash the greens in a sink filled with cold water. Drain greens and wash a second time. Drain greens and cut away any heavy stems. Cut leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
In a large skillet or 3-qt saucepan, cook bacon until lightly browned on medium heat (or heat 1 Tbsp of bacon fat). Add onions, cook over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occassionally, until onions soften and start to brown. Stir in garlic. Add water to the hot pan, stirring to loosen any particles from bottom of pan. Stir in sugar and red pepper. Bring mixture to a boil.
Add the beet greens, gently toss in the onion mixture so the greens are well coated. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5-15 minutes until the greens are tender. Stir in vinegar. (For kale or collard greens continue cooking additional 20 to 25 minutes or until desired tenderness.)
Serves 4.
STIR-FRIED BOK CHOY
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1 head |
bok choy |