Categories
*In the box

In the Box: Summer, Week #15

GEOF-leeks planting
Leeks planting. Image via GEOF

Golden Earthworm Veggie Share*
Nicola Potatoes – 1 quart
Butternut OR Acorn Squash OR Zucchini
Leeks – 1 bunch
Parsley – 1 bunch
Green Bell Peppers – 2 pieces
Long Red Peppers – 2 pieces
Tomatoes – Beefsteak, Plum or Cherry
*Contents of the share may fluctuate over the week.

Fruit Share
1 bag Pears
1 bag Gala Apples
Ripen pears on the counter, then refrigerate.

Herb Share
Rosemary – 1 bunch
Sage – 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:

STORAGE TIPS
In a bag in the fridge: Parsley, Leeks
In the fridge: Peppers
On the counter: Butternut Squash, Tomatoes
In a cool, dark place: Potatoes

Veggie Box Videos #1
We debuted a new video series featuring local chefs that give tips and demos on what to do with your CSA vegetables! Up first: 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.

Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras
Order your next Lewis Waite products for delivery on Thursday, September 26th. 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 CROP UPDATE FROM YOUR FARMERS
As we enter the second half of the CSA season, here’s a quick crop update… Be forewarned that this update details the loss of several summertime crops. Our fall crops are doing marvelously and you can see photos of the beautiful fields below…

Cherry Tomatoes – Typically we are able to give out a full portion of orange cherry tomatoes to each member for a few weeks. This year some unusual things have occurred in the cherry tomato patch. Back in June when we had all the rain the lower 1/4 of the field flooded for a short period of time. All the plants in this section died shortly afterwards. Over the next few weeks, the remaining plants began to develop a disease called bacterial speck. While the plants eventually rebounded and are in decent shape now, the yields have been minimal. We hope to include more cherry tomatoes in the shares soon, but we will have to see how long the warm weather holds out.

Eggplant – For 2 or 3 years our eggplants have been wiped out by Colorado potato beetles. This year we moved them to the farm in Jamesport where there is less potato beetle pressure in hopes of having a successful crop. After a couple of times handpicking and spraying the beetles we were successful at eliminating their colonies and now have a nice planting of eggplant. Since we’ve had such trouble in the past we were cautious about planting a full CSA-sized planting and this is why we have only have enough to give out to some groups each week or two. Everyone will eventually receive the same amount of eggplant. Now we are having some problems with verticillium wilt and perhaps another unidentified disease so occasionally an eggplant makes it into the box which is not up to snuff. Let contact the farm if you receive a bad eggplant and we will happily replace it.

Garlic – Our garlic did very well this year. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of it. There were shortages of Certified Organic garlic seed last fall and we only planted about 1/3 the amount we normally plant. We know you all love garlic and we’re doing everything we can to get our hands on as much seed as possible for next season.

More updates to come next week. In the meantime, check out the beautiful fall crops growing in our fields. Everything is looking great and we’re looking forward to a bountiful harvest over the next few months!

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
Simple Herbed Potato Salad
Stuffed Green Peppers

Save the Date:
Golden Earthworm’s Harvest Festival on Sunday, October 20th
This year’s Harvest Festival promises to be a delicious and fun outing! If enough people are interested, we’ll organize a bus trip, as we did last year! Stay tuned for more info. Save the date! October 20th ~ 11am-3pm

Categories
*In the box

In the Box: Summer, Week #14

GEOF-butternut squash
Butternut squash! image via GEOF

Golden Earthworm Veggie Share*
Green Beans – .75 lb bag
Butternut Squash- 1 piece
Parsley – 1 bunch
Lettuce Mix – .5 lb bag (not washed)
Long Green Peppers – 2 pieces
Eggplant – 1 piece
Tomatoes – 4 lb. Bag
*Contents of the share may fluctuate over the week.

Fruit Share
1 bag Bartlett Pears
1 bag Yellow Peaches

Herb Share
Dill – 1 bunch
Cilantro – 1 bunch

Milk Not Jails
Dairy share pick up

A few friendly reminders & updates:

STORAGE TIPS
In a bag in the fridge: Green Beans, Zucchini, Parsley, Lettuce Mix
In the fridge: Peppers
On the counter: Butternut Squash, Tomatoes
FRUIT: Ripen peaches in a paper bag on the counter, then refrigerate.  Ripen pears on the counter, then refrigerate.

Tomato Share Mania!
Yes, beefsteak tomato shares came and went—and fast! While we can’t make promises plum tomato shares will happen, if they do, we can promise to let you know in the most fair way possible—EMAIL! If you are interested in tomato shares, please keep an eye on your email and act fast! Remember, join the Sunnyside CSA Yahoo Group to receive our emails!

Veggie Box Videos #1
We debuted a new video series featuring local chefs that give tips and demos on what to do with your CSA vegetables! Up first: 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.

Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras
Deadlines to order your next delivery of Lewis Waite products start tonight and go til, Monday, September 9th for delivery on Thursday, September 12th. 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!

NOTES FROM GOLDEN EARTHWORM
Even though Labor Day has come and gone, today’s share reflects our summer bounty: squash, salad, beans, tomatoes, and my personal favorite garnish, parsley. The tomatoes may be a varying degree of ripeness, and we will have a mix of red and orange beefsteak varieties. The red tomatoes should be a deep shade of red when they are ripe, and the orange should be a bright almost neon color. Unripe tomatoes can be left on the kitchen counter to ripen. Many of the tomatoes will have cracks due to the moisture and rain, but they should still be delicious!

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
This year’s Harvest Festival promises to be a delicious and fun outing! If enough people are interested, we’ll organize a bus trip, as we did last year! Stay tuned for more info. Save the date! October 20th ~ 11am-3pm

RECIPES FROM THE FARM
Baked Orzo with Tomatoes, Roasted Pepper and Zucchini
Spiced Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

 

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 #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 #7

Veg Share
Zucchini – several pieces
Scallions – 1 bunch
Toscano Kale – 1 bunch
Green Swiss Chard – 1 bunch
Beets – 1 bunch
Carrots – 1 bunch
Parsley – 1 bunch
Batavian Lettuce – 2 heads

Fruit Share
Rhubarb
Blackberries

Herb Share
Thyme
Peppermint

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

Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras
Pick up your Lewis Waite goodies today! Forgot to order? The next deadline is July 22nd for delivery on the 26th. By the way, orders for the next delivery will arrive just in time for the CSA Summer BBQ (July 28th)!

Reminder: Early bird signup for Winter Sun Farms’ winter shares continues online. The total price is $137. Read more and sign up online.

Categories
Recipes

Shrimp and White Bean Pasta


This adapted Michael Chiarello recipe is, as my husband puts it, a great mid-week dinner. -Jessica

Ingredients
8-10 (or more if you feel like it) raw deviened shrimp
2 chopped garlic clove
1/2 med. onion chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
3/4 can of white beans drained and rinsed (or use dried and soaked)
olive oil
1-2 tablespoons lime juice
crushed hot red pepper
salt
black pepper
fresh whole basil leaves
fresh parsley
hot cooked pasta ( I made with whole wheat cork screws) to serve 4
Parmesan (optional)

Method
1. Heat a generous amount of olive oil in pan on medium heat. You want enough that the whole pan is covered well. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and then put in pan and cook thru, turning frequently for about 2 minutes. Remove from pan and put aside.

2. Sometime before or after the shrimp are cooked put beans in bowl with some water and a little oil and microwave (probably about 1 minute and 30 seconds) till hot and set aside was well.

3. Throw onions and garlic in same pan with oil you cooked shrimp in and saute till almost soft.

4. Add cherry tomatoes, crushed red pepper, lemon/lime juice, salt and pepper to taste, basil and saute for a couple minutes.

5. Add warm beans and mix briefly on heat.

6. Pour over hot pasta, adding shrimp and toss together.

7. Sprinkle with parsley and cheese (if you dare to break Italian tradition and put cheese on a seafood pasta dish) and serve!

Categories
Recipes

Warm Green Bell Pepper & Tomato Salad

recipe via Food and Wine


The salad can be made up to 4 hours ahead. Just wait until just before serving to stir in the parsley.

Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 pound small green bell peppers, stems trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
Salt
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

Method
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet. Poke a hole or make a small slit in the side of each pepper and add them to the skillet. Cook over moderate heat, turning frequently, until browned and softened all over, about 20 minutes. Drain the peppers on paper towels and let cool. Peel, core and seed the peppers, then cut them into 1/2-inch strips.

2. In another large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cumin and cook over low heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add the tomatoes, pepper strips and vinegar, season with salt and cook, tossing, just until heated through.

4. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the parsley, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Categories
Recipes

Zucchini Pancakes with Mint & Feta Cheese

Recipe via Joy of Cooking

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds green or golden zucchini, shredded
salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 bunch scallions with 2-inch of green, slivered
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (or 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram)
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

Method
1. Shred zucchini on the large holes of a grater or in a food processor. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.

2. In a separate bowl mix together eggs, feta cheese, breadcrumbs, flour, scallions, garlic, parsley, mint, salt and pepper.

3. Quickly rinse the zucchini, then using your hands or a towel, squeeze out the excess liquid. Add to the batter.

4. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

5. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Drop in the batter, using 1/4 cup for a 4-inch griddle cake. Fry over medium heat until golden brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn and brown the second side. Keep the fried pancakes warm in the oven while you fry the remaining batter, adding more oil if needed.

Yield: approx. 19 pancakes (6 to 8 servings)

Categories
Recipes

Cheesy Zucchini and Red Onion Flatbread


Recipe and image via Bon Appetite

This recipe might seem a little simple with the processed cheese but it really tastes good and is easy.  I used those little Laughing Cow cheese triangles and Trader Joe’s whole wheat pizza dough.  You can easily substitute the cipolini onions for the red onions.  I love that this recipe calls for three different veg from the box this week! – Jessica

Ingredients
3/4 cup garlic-and-herb cheese spread (such as Alouette), divided
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
1 small red onion
1 7- to 8-inch-long zucchini (yellow or green), cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick rounds, divided
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
10 ounce tube refrigerated pizza dough
Olive oil

Method
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper; spray with nonstick spray. Unroll dough onto parchment. Spread half of herb cheese over 1 long half of dough, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Sprinkle with half of Parmesan and 2 tablespoons parsley.

2. Using parchment as aid, fold plain half of dough over filled half (do not seal edges). Spread remaining herb cheese over top; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

3. Remove enough outer layers of onion to yield 2-inch-diameter core; cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Arrange 1 row of zucchini down 1 long side of dough. Arrange onion rounds in row alongside zucchini. Arrange 1 more row of zucchini alongside onion.

4. Brush vegetables with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5. Bake bread until puffed and deep brown at edges, about 24 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley before serving.

Categories
Recipes

Garlic Scapes Udon

recipe via F. Connolly, image via avlxyz


Ingredients
Garlic Scapes, sliced vertically
Udon noodles
Parsley / Cilantro
Bean Sprouts
Fish Sauce
Egg

Method
1. Boil water with garlic scapes, cilantro/parsley, sesame oil and a little soy sauce.

2. Add udon noodles

3. Add bean sprouts

4. Add an egg (it will poach in the broth)

5. Cook for 7-10 minutes, or until boiling

6. Drizzle Vietnamese (or any Asian) fish sauce over noodles, or top with kimchi and a sliced lime.

7. Poke the yolk immediately before serving.