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 #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
Recipes

Gingered Carrot Mashies

1 leek (white and pale green parts only), coarsely chopped
2 lb potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold or russet (baking) potatoes
4 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2- to 3-inch cube of ginger
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Wash chopped leek well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well.

Peel potatoes and cut into 2-inch pieces. Cover with cold water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, about 18 minutes.
Drain and return to saucepan. (see note below)

Categories
*In the box

In the Box: Autumn, Week #17

potato harvest
Recent potato harvest on the farm. Image via: GEOF

Veg Share*
Butternut Squash – 1 piece
Green Beans – .75lb
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes – .35lb bag
Leeks – 2 pieces
Red Tomatoes – 4 plum & 1 red beefsteak
Yukon Gold Potatoes – 4 lb bag
Red Boston or Green Batavian Lettuce – 1 head
*Contents of the share may fluctuate over the week

Fruit Share
Greening & Russet Apples (baking varieties) – 1 bag mixed
Bosc Pears – 1 bag

Herb Share
Rosemary
Oregano

Milk Not Jails Dairy Shares & Monthly Dairy Specials
Weekly dairy share pick up AND à la carte specials pick up!

Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras
Pick up your Lewis Waite orders today! Forgot to place an order? The next deadline is September 30th for delivery on October 4th.

A few friendly reminders & updates:

CSA Harvest Festival – Sunday, October 14
Our farm’s annual Harvest Festival will be held on Sunday, October 14th from 11am-3pm. CSA members, their families and invited guests are welcome!
Read more and sign up online.

Winter Veg & Fruit Shares via Winter Sun Farms
Signup for Winter Sun Farms’ winter shares continues online. The total price is $137. Read more and sign up online.

Categories
Recipes

Skordalia (Greek Garlic Dip)

recipe and image via About.com


Are you seeing the theme? I guess hot summer days make me dream of Greek Islands and cool breezes on the beach. This recipe uses both potatoes and garlic so it’s perfect for this week’s share. The garlic has a bite, so this definitely is not a first date (or any date really) food. It is great on a meze plate with hummus and babganoush served with pita and cucumbers. – Jessica

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds of potatoes for boiling
6-12 cloves of garlic, minced or grated (to taste)
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup of good quality red or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Add the salt to a large pot of water. Peel the potatoes and boil in salted water until well done (easily pierced with a fork). Drain.

2. Sprinkle the potatoes with pepper and mash.

3. In the blender bowl of the food processor (or with a hand mixer), purée the potatoes and garlic until well mixed, about 30-45 seconds. Still puréeing, slowly add the olive oil and vinegar, alternating between them, tasting as you go, until the mixture is smooth. Skorthalia should be creamy and thick. If it gets too thick, add a little cold water (not more than 1/4 cup).

Yield: About 2-3 cups

Note:
Skordalia is a matter of taste. Some prefer a mild garlic taste, while others prefer a strong garlic taste. If the taste is too strong, adjust the quantities of potatoes up a bit. If the taste is not strong enough, increase the garlic.

Additions:
In various regions of Greece, walnuts or almonds are added. If you like, add a cup of finely chopped walnuts or almonds to the food processor at the beginning, with the potatoes, and add the juice of a lemon to the liquids. The consistency will still be similar to thick ketchup but granular due to the nuts.

Categories
Recipes

Boxty


recipe via Whats4eats.com; image via Kelsi Bacchus


In honor of our many Irish neighbors in Sunnyside and Woodside I found this recipe for boxty.   I don’t know how traditional this is, but maybe someone can share their own recipe? – Jessica

Ingredients
1/2 lb Potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
1/2 lb Potatoes, peeled, finely grated and squeezed dry
3/4 cup Flour
1 Egg, beaten
1/2 cup Milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
Oil for frying

Method
1. Mix the potatoes, flour, egg, milk, salt and pepper together well in a large bowl.

2. Heat a generous amount of oil in a skillet or sauté pan. Drop about 2 tablespoons of batter at a time into the hot oil and spread out into a round about 1/2-inch thick. Fry until underside browns, then flip and brown the other side.

3. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the rest of the batter. Finished boxty can be held in a warm oven until serving.

Boxty on the griddle, boxty on the pan.
If you can’t make boxty, you’ll never get your man.

Categories
What the veg?

Russet Potatoes


photo viavirtualern

Storage:
Store in a cool, humid (but not wet) location. Store in burlap, brown paper, or perforated plastic bags away from light, in the coolest, non-refrigerated, and well-ventilated part of the house. Don’t store onions and potatoes together

Cooking tips:
Russets are ideal for baking or mashing.
Another foolproof way to enjoy is to slice thinly and place on baking sheet lined with tin foil, a bit of oil and salt. Bake at 450 until browned until both sides are browned.
If you want to get fancy, make a dip by mixing some mayo with scallions or Cholula or Sriracha hot sauce.

Recipes

Categories
What the veg?

Sweet Potatoes

sweet potato by bohnen.
photo viabohnen

The sweet potato is only distantly related to the potato (Solanum tuberosum). The softer, orange variety is commonly marketed as a “yam” in parts of North America, a practice intended to differentiate it from the firmer, white variety. The sweet potato is very distinct from the actual yam, which is native to Africa and Asia and belong to the monocot family Dioscoreaceae. To prevent confusion, the United States Department of Agriculture requires that sweet potatoes labeled as “yams” also be labeled as “sweet potatoes”.

Storage:
In a dry, room temperature location. (Above 55 F is important – cooler temperatures will result in chilling injury to the sweet potatoes.)  Keep in paper bags or baskets out of direct sunlight.

Recipes

Categories
What the veg?

Yellow Potatoes

Nutrition:
One medium size potato has 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein. It is another winner with vitamin C! You get 45% of yoru recommended intake of C with one potato! It is also hight in potassium and B6.

General Facts:
These potatoes are now available throughout most of the year. This is among the potato types that provide the creamiest texture; the meat of this potato has a golden color and it tastes great. You can use this type of potato for broiling, roasting, steaming, and more.

Storage:
Store potatoes in a cool dry place. They will keep at room temperature for up to two weeks and longer when stored in cool temperatures. Do not store in the refrigerator because the cold temperatures will convert the starches into sugar and the potato will become sweet and turn a dark color when cooked.
BIG TIP: Do not store with onions, the gas given off by onions accelerate the decay of potatoes!!

Recipes