Maplewood Organics

Yellow squash

tomatillos

cherry/sungold tomatoes

slicing/paste tomatoes

potatoes

beans

baby carrots

beets

red onions

basil

a flower bouquet

Extra choices will include peas, eggplant, zucchini, cucumbers

You may order extra herbs by 10:00pm the night before your pick-up (either Sunday or Wednesday): parsley, sage, thyme, mint, cilantro, oregano, extra basil. Please also let me know if you'd like a regular bunch or a double-size bunch.

CSA Newsletter

Volume 5

Issue 10- Farm

August 20, 2009

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Week 10

New to everyone this week: tomatillos and sage! Other exciting additions for our half share members this week: jalapeno peppers and cured garlic. And potatoes are back! Remember to go to our Local Harvest website blog (

http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M13345) to view your CSA contents for the upcoming week. You can also find our newsletters posted to that blog. If you want to look back at recipes, you can look there! We have lots of yellow squash, so if you want extra, just ask! We can also accommodate extra beans. Let us know by email or phone if you want extras next time.

Flowers for Special Events

We now arrange flowers for special events! If you're planning an event for this summer or fall or next summer or fall (mid July-September) please keep us in mind! We grow all of our own flowers organically and have very competitive prices! Our bouquets would be done in the style you're receiving in your share. Special requests can be made if booked early for next season! Spread the word!

Garden Progress

The eggplant in our greenhouse looks amazing! We just got a tip from another local grower to prune them like we do the tomatoes to force them to fruit. Right now we have big, healthy plants and lots of flowers. I think we’ll try the pruning this week to see what happens. We’re giving our kale and Swiss chard a break to recover and get big. Our late green cabbage is filling in really well. We’ll probably have some to offer in a week or two. Our new plantings put in for fall are coming in nicely. The interns worked really hard last week to prepare two more beds in the garden by the house for turnips and more beets. I’ll plant those on Saturday, our next good biodynamic root day. We’ll also have arugula going in soon. By planting late, we don’t have problems with flea beetles.

Unfortunately, it’s been another bad corn year for us. I’ll do my best to buy in some local sweet corn so everyone can have a bit, but it’ll be a couple weeks yet. Please let me know in the meantime if you DO NOT want conventional sweet corn.

Farm News

We’ve finally had a great weather streak for making hay! Richard has been out in the field almost non-stop mowing, tedding, raking, and baling. Eric and the interns have been unloading and placing hay in the mow. They have one more round to go and we’ll be all set for the winter. Third cut will be grazed by the cattle.

NOFA Summer Conference, Amherst, Massachusetts

We were so busy getting ready for the C.S.A. that we forgot to tell you about the great NOFA conference we had the privilege of attending. We packed as many workshops into three days as we could! We took workshops on everything from cheese making to raising pigs in the forest to building root cellars. We also got to eat lots of yummy local food, go contra dancing, and hear keynote speaker and community farmer Will Allen. I think it’s safe to say it was definitely worth the trek to MA. NOFA is a great resource for anyone who values organic farming and local food systems, if you haven’t heard about them check out their website at:

www.nofavt.org. ~ Ellyn Gaydos

Winter CSA – SOLD OUT

You may place your name on a waiting list for our winter CSA, which runs October through December. If someone cancels, you have a chance at a share in the order that you signed on. (The total cost to you is $140.)

Save the date: Saturday, September 12^th, 5:00-7:00pm – Annual CSA Member Cook-out

Recipes of the Week

Tomatillo Relish

large-sized tomatillo (about tennis-ball size), or two smaller ones

1 jalapeno chili pepper, OR 1 red cherry pepper

1/2 a medium-sized onion

1 clove garlic

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp olive oil (approximately)

1/2 tsp celery seed

1 TBS fresh cilantro (or parsley), chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Start by finely chopping the tomatillo, chili pepper, onion and garlic. A food processor will work, but please don't let the vegetables process into a paste...you want some little chunks in there!

Add the chopped vegetables to a container with a tight-fitting lid. A plastic food-storage container is perfect, as the relish will be stored in it! Add the remaining ingredients, and put the lid onto the container. Shake and swirl the container to thoroughly mix the ingredients. That's it, you're done.

Let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour before using, to allow the flavors to blend. Immediately before serving, give the container another shake. Use to top hot dogs and burgers, or add it to a sandwich. Makes about 1 cup.

Squash Casserole

6 cups large diced yellow squash and zucchini

Vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon House seasoning, recipe follows

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup crushed butter crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Saute the squash in a little vegetable oil over medium-low heat until it has completely broken down, about 15 to 20 minutes. Line a colander with a clean tea towel. Place the cooked squash in the lined colander. Squeeze excess moisture from the squash. Set aside.

In a medium size skillet, saute the onion in butter for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and mix all ingredients together except cracker crumbs. Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish and top with cracker crumbs. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Other Yellow squash ideas:

Cut into sticks, toss in olice oil and little sea salt and pepper. Grill until tender.

Slice thin and add to your green salad

Make a batch of summer kraut with squash as an ingredient

Pickle it on it’s own

Add it to your next chili