18 Jun Fri 2010
2010 Week 1 Newsletter with Recipes
CSA Newsletter
Volume 6
Issue 1
June 14, 2010
________________________________________________________Welcome!
Welcome to Maplewood’s 2010 season! We’re so happy to have you as a CSA member this year. This is our sixth CSA season and our third season doing a workplace delivery! Every week I’ll have a brief newsletter for you to keep you up to date on the happenings at the farm. I’ll also include tips and recipes for the contents of your box. Thank you all for supporting local agriculture and our efforts to farm organically! As you know our shares start out light. Just remember that come mid-summer, you’re going to be receiving $30-$40 worth of produce each week! Please trust me to deliver the value promised you over the season. Just be patient! :-)
Volunteer Thank You
My two good friends, Susie and Margaret, came out to the farm yesterday and spent many hours preparing your share. This allowed me to leave after harvesting to attend my daughter's ballet recital in Johnson. Thank you both so very much!!!
We also had a three person volunteer crew in the garden yesterday planting. Without the help of so many volunteers this year, the garden wouldn't be planted! Thank you to everyone who has come out and pitched in! We are late getting interns this year and are still searching for an additional intern or two to start as soon as possible. We have one person committed to start in two weeks and another coming in August or September. Our friend, Justin, who interned here for two summers is also coming for two weeks this summer to volunteer on the farm.
If you know of anyone who may enjoy working here and learning about organic farming hands-on in exchange for room and board (I prepare all organic meals every day for the whole crew!) along with local NOFA workshops and a $25 per week stipend, PLEASE send them our way! Applicants should be 18 years or older, although we will welcome younger volunteers who continue to live at home.
Other Local and Organic Food
We still have beef, cheese, and bread shares available. I will have cheese and bread for you to sample so you can taste before you commit to a share.
Preview Your Weekly Share Every Friday!
Every Friday you can go online to Maplewood Organics’ Local Harvest listing to view what will most likely be in your share the following week. Just go to
http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M13345 and view click on the box that says "Read Our Blog". This is where I’ll post CSA share contents. We hope that this helps you plan your weekend shopping and your meals for the week! Please let us know if you use this Maplewood CSA feature!Still Room in the CSA – Summer and Winter
We do still have room for CSA members! If you know of someone who might enjoy participating, please send him or her our way, or pass their address on to us so that we may mail or email them a brochure.
We also still have a few winter shares left! If you are interested in this option this year, it would be a good idea to reserve your spot soon with a $50 deposit! The last two years we sold out and had a waiting list! Don’t wait too long!
Recipes of the Week
Keep a bag or two of washed greens in your fridge. That way, you'll be able to:
Garnish your pasta or grilled vegetables, grilled cheese, fish, or chicken with a generous handful (try baby spinach).
Add some to the basil when making pesto (try mustard greens or spinach).
Toss a handful or two into your soups, stews, and sauces (try spinach or Swiss chard).
Add some to your food processor when making your own bean dip (try Swiss chard, mustard greens or spinach).
Mustard Greens
Adding chopped mustard greens to a pasta salad gives it a little kick. One of our favorite combinations is chopped tomatoes, pine nuts, goat cheese, pasta and mustard greens tossed with a little olive oil.
Healthy sauté mustard greens, sweet potatoes and tempeh and serve alongside your favorite grain.
Using Your Rhubarb
An easy way to use your rhubarb is to add it to the apples when making apple crisp!
Rhubarb Muffins Makes 18 muffins (from cooks.com)
Fresh Herbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs are the equivalent of 1 teaspoon dried herbsChives
Dill
Quick dill butter: Add 1/4 cup minced fresh dill weed to 1/2 cup softened butter. Mix well, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before using to let flavors blend. Use with broiled seafood or as a spread for savory breads.
Cilantro Bean Salsa
1 Tomato – diced
1 Avocado – ripe, diced
1 Jalapeno Pepper – diced
1/4 Red Onion – diced
14 oz Black Beans – can
1/2 c Cilantro – chopped
1 1/2 tbsp Lime Juice
1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
Take all of your salsa ingredients and mix them together in a mixing bowl. Do not over mix because it tends to mush together. Serve with chips and spoon!
can be added to most any dish cooked or raw to add extra flavor. Chop them up and add them to salads, omelets, soups, sandwiches, egg salad, potato salad…. The possibilities are endless!1 1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 c. diced rhubarb
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Combine first 6 ingredients into a bowl. In a separate bowl combine remaining ingredients. Stir first mixture into second mixture until well blended. Spoon batter into muffin cups; scatter topping over muffins (see below). Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
TOPPING: 1 tbsp. melted butter, 1/3 c. sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon