Categories
Veggie Box Videos

Veggie Box Videos #1 – Going Italian

Introducing a new video series by Sunnyside CSA featuring local chefs giving you tips and demos on what to do with your CSA vegetables!

Up first is Gianna Cerbone-Teoli, chef and owner of Manducatis Rustica in Long Island City! In just a few minutes she whips up three delicious dishes with a few veggies for your eating pleasure.

Watch it, share it, spread the word!

If you know of local chefs who you think would be perfect for this project (and would want to get on camera for us), contact us.

Enjoy!

Categories
*In the box

In the Box: Summer, Week #12

Sweet Dumpling Squash
Sweet Dumpling Squash image via GEOF

Golden Earthworm Veggie Share*
Acorn Squash – 1 piece
Sweet Dumpling Squash – 1 piece
Scallions – 1 bunch
Fennel – 2-3 pieces
Peppers – 2 pieces
Green Beans – 3/4 lb. bag
Cucumbers – 2 pieces
Tomatoes – 3 lb. bag
*Contents of the share may fluctuate over the week.

Fruit Share
TBD…

Herb Share
TBD…

Milk Not Jails
Dairy share pick up

Chef Demos are Back!
Have you been wondering how to use all those cucumbers we’ve received in the past two weeks? Wonder no more—CSA Chef demos return to this week‘s pickup! Chef Daphne will be on deck with some ideas for your share. Stop by for some yummy samples and tips between 5pm and 7pm.

A few friendly reminders & updates:

STORAGE TIPS
In a bag in the fridge: Scallions, Fennel and Green Beans
In the fridge: Cucumbers and Peppers
On the counter: Tomatoes, Acorn & Sweet Dumpling Squash ** see note below about squash!

NOTES FROM GOLDEN EARTHWORM
What a great share this week! **A quick note on the winter squash… They should be stored on the counter, but eaten within 1-2 days. We’ve had some disease issues with these plants and have noticed that many of the squash have been rotting prematurely. So be sure to eat them right away!

Baby farmer is just starting to eat solid foods and as of last night, his favorite is the sweet dumpling squash! I would have to agree—it is absolutely delicious! The best way to prepare the winter squash is to wash the skin well and cut in half lengthwise with a knife. Scoop the seeds out of each half and place face down in a baking dish with a few tablespoons of water. Bake, uncovered in a 350F oven until the flesh is soft. Depending on the size and variety, this takes anywhere from 30-60 minutes.

CONNECT WITH YOUR FARM
Golden Earthworm welcomes you to explore their website to learn more about our farm and the wonderful things you can do with your weekly share.

+ FIND RECIPES 
+ VEGETABLE INFO & STORAGE TIPS

If you have questions or concerns about your share, please do not hesitate to contact the farm. That is one of the benefits of knowing where your food comes from!

Save the Date:
Golden Earthworm’s Harvest Festival on Sunday, October 20th
The farm has set the date for this year’s Harvest Festival, and though it’s not until October, we would like to start gauging member interest. We’ll have a signup sheet at this Thursday’s pickup, so if you’re interested in attending, be sure to put your name down- with enough member interest, we’ll organize a bus trip to the farm, as we did last year! Stay tuned for more trip info.

RECIPES FROM THE FARM
Fresh Tomato Sauce
Fennel with Olive Oil and Parmesan
Green Beans Braised with Tomatoes and Basil

Categories
*In the box

In the Box: Summer, Week #11

GEOF-Yellow Baby Watermelon
Yellow Baby Watermelon! Image via GEOF

Golden Earthworm Veggie Share*
Yellow Baby Watermelon – 1 piece
Green Beans – 1/2 lb. bag
Cucumbers – 8 pieces
Baby Leeks – 1 bunch
Green Bell Pepper – 2 pieces
Tomatoes – 2 pieces
*Contents of the share may fluctuate over the week.

Fruit Share
Yellow Peaches – 1 bag
Donut Peaches – 1 bag
(Ripen peaches in a paper bag on the counter, then refrigerate)

Herb Share
Lemon Thyme
Rosemary

Milk Not Jails
Dairy share pick up

A few friendly reminders & updates:

Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras
Deadline to order your next delivery of Lewis Waite products is Mondy, August 26th for delivery on Thursday, August 29th. Note the NEW ORDER DEADLINES. Please be sensitive to the busy farmers and order on time. Late orders may not be filled! Place your order now!

A NOTE FROM GOLDEN EARTHWORM FARM
STORAGE TIPS
In a bag in the fridge: Green Beans, Leeks
In the fridge: Cucumbers, Watermelon, Green Bell Pepper
On the counter: Tomatoes

A quick note about the tomatoes… The cool, and now wet, weather, is affecting both the quantity (slowing the ripening process) and quality (many have developed cracks) of our harvest. If you do receive a tomato with cracks, it is most likely just cosmetic and can be easily cut out without losing much of the flesh. We’re hoping that along with the sun and warmer temperatures forecasted for later this week, our tomatoes will start ripening faster and we’ll have many more to distribute in the coming weeks!

CONNECT WITH YOUR FARM
Golden Earthworm welcomes you to explore their website to learn more about our farm and the wonderful things you can do with your weekly share.

+ FIND RECIPES
 + VEGETABLE INFO & STORAGE TIPS

If you have questions or concerns about your share, please do not hesitate to contact the farm. That is one of the benefits of knowing where your food comes from!

RECIPES FROM THE FARM
Fresh Tomato Sauce
Sesame and Ginger Cucumber Salad

Categories
*In the box

In the Box: Summer, Week #10

cherry tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes! Image via GEOF

Golden Earthworm Veggie Share*
Scallions – 1 bunch
Swiss Chard – 1 bunch
Cucumbers – 4 pieces
Batavian Lettuce – 2 heads
Eggplant – 1 piece OR Green Frying Peppers – 3-4 pieces
Garlic – 1 head
Tomatoes – 1 red OR Cherry Tomatoes – .5 lb bag
*Contents of the share may fluctuate over the week.

Fruit Share
Yellow Peaches – 1 bag
Donut Peaches – 1 bag
Ripen peaches in a paper bag on the counter, then refrigerate.

Herb Share
Summer Savory
Oregano

Milk Not Jails
Dairy share pick up

Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras
If you ordered, pick up your LWF items

A few friendly reminders & updates:

UPDATE: The farmers had intended for each box to contain a bunch of Purslane, but there will only be a handful of bunches available for our most passionate purslane fans—Please ask for it! Here’s what the famers have to say: “The purslane has developed a leaf spot (probably a nutrient deficiency of some kind) and we’ve decided to replace it with eggplant or peppers (long green frying peppers). However, we did pick some (37 bunches) anyway for your most ardent purslane fans. It will be a separate white crate.”

NOTES FROM GOLDEN EARTHWORM
Storage Tips
-In a bag in the fridge: Scallions, Swiss Chard, Lettuce, Purslane
-In the fridge: Cucumbers
-On the counter: Tomatoes, Garlic

This week’s share reflects the ongoing transition from mid-summer crops to late-summer produce; Tomatoes have started to come in, albeit slowly, and we have Cucumbers galore! The weather has been absolutely gorgeous and relatively cool, particularly in comparison to July’s heat and humidity, but the trade off is that crops like tomatoes are taking a long time to ripen. As a result, the contents of this week’s share may fluctuate more than usual – please be sure to check back frequently for updates! And don’t forget, if you do not receive an item this week, we will work hard to try to provide it for you in the weeks to come.

A few more specific notes about this week’s share: We continue to have plenty of Batavian Lettuce, Scallions, and Swiss Chard, which have all done very well this season. The cucumbers have really taken off in the past week, and you may notice that they’ve increased in size due to the recent rain we’ve had. The water also helps to make them crisp and crunchy! Purslane is new this week, and is a personal favorite for many of us here at the farm. We will continue to distribute Garlic periodically; it’s such a beautiful sight to see it hanging/drying from the rafters in our front barn and we’re just a little sad to see it come down (though we’re always happy to provide it to our members!). Finally, please be aware that many of the tomatoes have cracks or crevices. Much of this is directly attributable to the wet and cool period we had during pollination. They are still very tasty despite the occasional deformities, and we hope to have many more tomatoes in the coming weeks.

CONNECT WITH YOUR FARM
Golden Earthworm welcomes you to explore their website to learn more about our farm and the wonderful things you can do with your weekly share.

+ FIND RECIPES
 + VEGETABLE INFO & STORAGE TIPS

If you have questions or concerns about your share, please do not hesitate to contact the farm. That is one of the benefits of knowing where your food comes from!

RECIPES FROM THE FARM
Purslane Salad
Cucumber Purslane Yogurt Salad

Categories
*In the box

In the Box: Summer, Week #9

GEOF onions
Onions. Image via GEOF

Golden Earthworm Veggie Share*
Parsley – 1 bunch
Baby Watermelon – 1 piece
Cucumbers – 1-2 pieces
Batavian Lettuce – 2 heads
Basil – 1 bunch
Red Onions – 1 bunch
Red or Yellow Potatoes – 1 quart
*Contents of the share may fluctuate over the week.

Fruit Share
White Peaches – 1 bag
(Ripen peaches in a paper bag on the counter, then refrigerate)

Herb Share
TBD…

Milk Not Jails
Dairy share pick up

A few friendly reminders & updates:

NOTES FROM THE GOLDEN EARTHWORM FARMHOUSE KITCHEN
Storage Tips
-In a bag in the fridge: Parsley, Lettuce, Basil
-In the fridge: Cucumbers, Watermelon, Red Onions
-In a cool, dark place: Potatoes (and eat within the week!)

The salsa verde recipe below is a wonderfully versatile relish that you can toss with boiled Potatoes (my favorite) or used as a spread on sandwiches, with eggs, tossed in beans, or a thousand other ways. You can make it with any assortment of green herbs, and this week’s Parsley and Basil would be a perfect combination! I’ve been making a simple Cucumber and Red Onion salad every few days since the cukes first started coming in from the field. Sometimes I add smashed garlic and ginger or chopped mint, but a basic mix of sliced cukes, sliced red onion, a splash of red wine vinegar and olive oil and salt & pepper to taste is my starting point. We’re hoping to harvest enough Watermelons for everyone this week, but there may be a few groups who don’t receive them. If that’s the case, don’t worry! We’ll be sending you some at a later date.

Bon appetit! -Maggie

A NOTE FROM GOLDEN EARTHWORM FARM
After farmer Matt’s long newsletter last week, I’ll keep this short and sweet! We’re enjoying the more seasonable temperatures this week and our greenhouses are once again buzzing with activity. We’re getting all of our fall and winter transplant crops seeded into trays that will be transplanted out into the fields in another month or so.

A Note About the Melons…
Our harvests are yielding some beautiful summer crops, including watermelons for most members this week. Be sure to refrigerate them immediate and eat them right away. Our melons don’t usually travel too well and if you find that yours has split, check inside to see if it is still ok – and if it is – eat it! Slight cracks to the rind are mostly cosmetic and don’t effect the flesh. (In past years some members tossed their melons because of a split rind without checking inside to see if it was still good. We don’t grow enough melons to replace many, so please be sure that you’re not throwing out a perfectly good melon!)  Of course if your melon has spoiled, please let us know!

CONNECT WITH YOUR FARM
Golden Earthworm welcomes you to explore their website to learn more about our farm and the wonderful things you can do with your weekly share.

+ FIND RECIPES 
+ VEGETABLE INFO & STORAGE TIPS

If you have questions or concerns about your share, please do not hesitate to contact the farm. That is one of the benefits of knowing where your food comes from!

RECIPES FROM THE FARM
Potatoes with Olives, Feta & Mint
Tzatziki
Salsa Verde 

Categories
*In the box

In the Box: Summer, Week #8

GEOF potatoes
Potatoes! Image via GEOF

Golden Earthworm Veggie Share*
Zucchini – 3 pieces
Swiss Chard – 1 bunch
Red Batavian Lettuce – 1 head
Green Batavian Lettuce – 1 head
Green Cabbage – 1 head
Cucumbers – 4-5 pieces
Baby Red Potatoes – 1 quart
Garlic – 1 small head
Basil – 1 bunch
Onion – 1 bunch
*Contents of the share may fluctuate over the week.

Fruit Share
Peaches – 1 bag
(Ripen peaches in a paper bag on the counter, then refrigerate)
Blueberries – 1 pint
(Store in the refrigerator)

Herb Share
Orange Mint – 1 bunch
Marjoram – 1 bunch

Milk Not Jails
Dairy share pick up

Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras
If you ordered, pick up your LWF items

A few friendly reminders & updates:

NOTES FROM GOLDEN EARTHWORM
Everyone seemed to find last week’s storage tips helpful, so I’ll try to include them in each newsletter from now on. All greens – Swiss Chard, Lettuce and the Green Cabbage should be stored in a plastic bag in the fridge. The Basil can be stored this way for a day, but if you want it to last longer its stems should be put in a glass (bouquet style) standing up in the fridge. The Cucumbers should be stored in the fridge, as should the Onion and the Potatoes, which are freshly harvested and will not store well in this heat. The garlic is fresh, so its skin has not fully dried out. This is a special hard-neck variety not found in stores. It is worth its weight in gold! We don’t grow much since the organic seed is very hard to come by in quantity, so savor it! It can sit on your counter for a week or so, but I would highly recommend using it with the basil for a delicious pesto! (Recipe below) I use pesto on pasta or as a spread on crostini or crackers as an appetizer.

Bon appetit! -Maggie

A NOTE FROM YOUR FARMER
After a couple of lackluster weeks of harvests for the CSA boxes we have a lovely assortment of new crops to harvest and send out this week. At these times we get the feeling that some of our members think were playing a trick or game and hiding all our extra special delicious crops somewhere. It may be hard to believe, but even with our 70+ acres in production for CSA, it is possible to have very, very little to harvest at a particular point during the year. Almost always this is due to lengthy periods of excessively wet field conditions.

Climatic conditions from June 7 through June 19th prevented us from working in the fields doing any kind of tillage, planting, weeding, fertilizing, etc. Most vegetable production is fairly complex, but growing for CSA is extra complex and demanding because of the need to continuously harvest and deliver a well balanced, diverse assortment of produce. With great weather this is already a significant challenge. With extended disruptions to planting and general field work it is not possible to come through with the intended crops at the desired time, thus leading to potential dissatisfaction when you pick up your shares.

We always plan to plant a certain quantity of crops which relates to the number of members we anticipate signing up. What we actually harvest is a result of various things, but the largest deciding factor of what ends up in your CSA box is the WEATHER! For people whose daily lives are relatively unaffected by weather, this may seem mind boggling that the darn weather affects their CSA share.

Farmers and field workers are intrinsically linked to the daily weather and how it affects them. In April and part of May we long for the awful Long Island wind to stop blowing from the East or the North, so we and the plants can thaw out. In the summer it’s such a rare treat to have a nice cool moist Easterly breeze, or a crisp North wind like we had this past Sunday. This past week we were lucky enough to enjoy high humidity and temperatures in the mid 90’s and the searing sun for more than 10 hours a day!!! But luckily there was a nice breeze for part of it. Talk about things that slow down production! Yes, the farm keeps on rolling, just a little slower.

Which brings me to the main theme of last week… irrigation. That is about all I did last week – the whole week- plus a little tractor work. I think it’s been 3-4 weeks with no rain and the unirrigated parts of the farm are either dust or completely dried out vegetation. With heat like last week all of our crops need loads of water, so that’s what we must provide. Luckily we can, and we managed to do it.

We irrigate with aluminum pipes with sprinklers that are hand moved from section to section, and also with a fair amount of drip hoses on crops like tomatoes and cucumbers.  As you will see in your shares this week the cucumbers are very happy with the heat and the water they get from their drip lines. Now that we have watered the crops we need to start watering the other sections of the farm so we can prepare for our late summer and fall plantings.

We appreciate your patience as we deal with the various weather issues that have affected the farm. We would also like everyone to share in the excitement of looking forward to the best months of the CSA season…coming soon! As always, everyone at the farm works diligently to uphold our end of the CSA relationship by growing as much high quality, nutritious, organic produce as we can. We also hope to bring some joy to your lives as we share this unique experience.

Happy Eating from our family to yours…

-Farmer Matt

CONNECT WITH YOUR FARM
Golden Earthworm welcomes you to explore their website to learn more about our farm and the wonderful things you can do with your weekly share.

+ FIND RECIPES
 + VEGETABLE INFO & STORAGE TIPS

If you have questions or concerns about your share, please do not hesitate to contact the farm. That is one of the benefits of knowing where your food comes from!

RECIPES FROM THE FARM
Fresh Pesto (for pasta)
New Potatoes with Pesto and Parmesan
Coleslaw with Yoghurt Dressing

Categories
*In the box

In the Box: Summer, Week #7

GEOF-parsley
Parsley. image via GEOF

Golden Earthworm Veggie Share*
Radicchio – 1 head
Cucumber – 1 pieces
Zucchini – 3 pieces
Scallions – 1 small head
Parsley – 1 bunch
Walla Walla Onions – 1 bunch
*Contents of the share may fluctuate over the week.

Fruit Share
Blackberries – 1/2 pint
Blueberries – 1 pint
(Please be sure to store your berries in the fridge!)

Herb share
Chives
Sage

Milk Not Jails
Dairy share pick up

A few friendly reminders & updates:

CSA BBQ on July 13th
Thank you for joining us for our annual cookout—what fun! Are you looking forward to the next CSA get-together? More CSA events coming soon! Contact us with pictures from the BBQ or suggestions/feedback for next time.

NOTES FROM GOLDEN EARTHWORM
I think it’s a good time to talk about veg storage—especially in this heat! As a general rule, veg should be kept cool or cold. It should not be left out on the counter or it will deteriorate very quickly. Remove the tops of the Carrots before storing them in the fridge in a plastic bag. Scallions should also be kept in a bag in the fridge. Cucumbers and Zucchini should be refrigerated as well, but they don’t need to be bagged. The Parsley is best stored in a bag in the fridge, or in a cup of water (standing up like a bouquet) in the fridge. You can revive limp greens of any kind by submerging the whole bunch in a large bowl of ice cold water for several minutes. The Walla Walla Onions are fresh (not cured) so they should be eaten soon and stored in the fridge. The onion greens should be removed. And finally, the berries in the fruit share are extremely perishable. They must be kept in the fridge and eaten with a day.

Our share this week is on the light side as we hit our annual July dip before the bulk of the summer harvest comes in. Perhaps this is perfectly convenient timing since who wants to cook in this heat? Farmer Matt wanted me to give you some more information about this dip in the quantity of produce in the shares…

We are just starting to harvest our cucumber crop, so the one piece this week is just a teaser of things to come. That said, about 30 percent of our cucumber and zucchini plantings were lost due to flooding in the heavy rains last month. As we mentioned in last week’s letter, our planting and cultivating schedules were set back from June 7th through 20th (typically a very busy planting time) because of the wet field conditions, so some of the crops that would usually be harvested this week are delayed. Good news is that we have a lot of beautiful crops coming your way shortly! These include more cucumbers, green beans, eggplant, bell peppers, several types of early potatoes, basil, garlic, red onions, red and cherry tomatoes and baby watermelons!

-Maggie

CONNECT WITH YOUR FARM
Golden Earthworm welcomes you to explore their website to learn more about our farm and the wonderful things you can do with your weekly share.

+ FIND RECIPES
 + VEGETABLE INFO & STORAGE TIPS

If you have questions or concerns about your share, please do not hesitate to contact the farm. That is one of the benefits of knowing where your food comes from!

RECIPES FROM THE FARM
Pickled Cucumber
Spaghetti with Parsley Pesto
Caramelized Onion, Feta and Sage Pizza

Categories
*In the box

In the Box: Summer, Week #11

Tomato Shares are IN! See details below for ordering instructions.

Veg Share*
Swiss Chard – 1 bunch
Red Potatoes – 3 lb bag
Cucumbers – 3-4 pieces
Genovese Basil – 1 bunch
Green Cabbage – 1 head
Fresh Yellow Onions – 1 bunch
Baby Watermelon -OR- Sungold Cherry Tomatoes AND Green Beans – 1 piece or a mixed bag
Red Tomatoes – 3 lb
*Contents of the share may fluctuate over the week

Fruit Share
A mixed bag of Yellow and White Peaches

Herb Share
Rosemary
Garlic Chives

Milk Not Jails Dairy Share
Dairy share pick up is weekly. Don’t forget your milk!

Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras
Pick up your Lewis Waite extras today! Forgot to order? The next deadline is August 19th for delivery on the 23rd.

Tomato Shares, Available Now! ~ ORDER NOW for delivery this Thursday
We just got word from our farmers, tomato shares ready for this Thursday! Shares are $35 for 20 lbs. of plum canning/sauce tomatoes. Please deal with Golden Earthworm Farm directly—READ MORE HERE.

Categories
*In the box

In the Box: Summer, Week #10

Veg Share*
Toscano Kale – 1 bunch
Cucumbers – several pieces
Fennel – 1 head
Fresh Yellow OR Walla Walla Onions – 1 bunch
Baby Watermelon – 1 piece
Bell Pepper – 1 piece
Green Long Peppers – several pieces
Red Tomatoes OR Sungold Cherry Tomatoes – several or a pint
*Contents of the share may fluctuate over the week.

Fruit Share
Donut Peaches (aka UFO Peaches)
Blackberries OR White Peaches

Herb Share
Spearmint
Sage

Milk Not Jails Dairy Share & Monthly Dairy Specials
Weekly dairy share pick up—don’t forget you milk!
Also, à la carte dairy item pick up is THIS WEEK (Milk, butter, ice cream, etc.)

A few friendly reminders & updates

Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras
The next Lewis Waite order deadline is Sunday, August 5th for delivery on August 9th. Anyone, not just CSA members, can order these products and pick up from our CSA. They have an amazing selection of items, all produced by small local farms.

Milk Not Jails Monthly Dairy Specials
The next dairy à la carte order deadline is Friday, August 10th at 5pm for delivery on August 23rd. Anyone, not just CSA members, can order these products and pick up from our CSA. Enjoy amazing products and support criminal justice reform at the same time.

Categories
*In the box

In the Box: Summer, Week #9

GEOF-watermelon
Hot weather is ripening mid-summer crops—expect these guys soon! (image via GEOF)

Veg Share*
Zucchini – several pieces
Cucumbers – several pieces
Green Cabbage – 1 head
Walla Walla Onions – 1 bunch
Asian Eggplant – 1 small piece (see note below)
Bell Pepper – 1 piece
Green Long Peppers – 3 pieces
Red Potatoes – 1 quart
Basil OR Chives – 1 bunch
*Contents of the share may fluctuate over the week

Fruit Share
UFO Peaches – 1 bag
Yellow Peaches -1 bag

Herb Share
Orange Mint
Tarragon
(Everyone always asks what to do with the orange mint. GEOF recommends making tea or chopping and sprinkling on top of fruit!)

Milk Not Jails Dairy Share
Dairy share pick up is weekly. Don’t forget your milk!

Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras
Pick up your Lewis Waite extras today! Forgot to order? The next deadline is August 5th for delivery on the 9th.

Friendly Reminders

CSA BBQ *This Saturday* July 28th, 4pm
Join your fellow CSA’ers for an evening barbeque at Sunnyside Gardens Park! Bring your friends and family, grilling items and a dish to share. Please RSVP by July 25th.

Winter Veg & Fruit Shares via Winter Sun Farms
Early bird signup for the Winter Sun Farms 2012-13 winter share season continues online. The total price is $137. Read more and sign up online.