In order to keep costs down, and to reuse materials when possible, the farm is seeking the following items. If you or someone you know can donate any of these items, please let me know!
The biggest item we are trying to raise money for is a small tractor with attachments. We are at a scale where we need to be more efficient with our time and energy, if we are going to keep this up year after year! If you know of anyone interested in donating a tractor, or helping us raise money for a tractor, please let me know. We are planning on having a fundraiser this fall to help raise funds for this. If you are interested in helping to organize the fundraiser, please contact shareholder Nancy Dearden at nancy.dearden@verizon.net Thanks!
Gardening supplies
Wheelbarrows – plastic preferred, #16 gauge galvanized wire, heat mats for starting seedlings, Gardening gloves – children’s and adult sizes
Hand tools
garden forks, co-linear hoes, oscillating hoes
Power tools
Gas Push Mower, Chain saw, Cordless Drill and weed whacker, saw, staple gun
Clearing tools
Hand pruners and pruning saws
Administrative Support
Assistance with tracking invoices, become the farm historian, photographer
Infrastructure help
Solar lights, Cinder blocks, Lumber in good condition, 55 gallon drums (food grade), fruit trees or interesting perennials from your yard, Wooden or metal plant stakes (6’ or taller), Tire pump (manual)
Harvest and Market
Produce scale, Sturdy folding tables, knives and scissors
Educational supplies
Art supplies (paint, brushes, colored pencils), magnifying glasses and binoculars, soil sampling equipment (probes, sieves, thermometers, ph kits), weatherproof
chalkboard and chalk, Natural History and farming books: children's and adults
Large ticket items
Attachments for BCS tiller: Rotary Plow, Potato digger, BCS walk behind tractor, bed former
attachment for tractor, GIS software, field laptop, printer, photocopier, Small enclosed or metal framed trailer, Electric Utility Vehicle (i.e. golf cart), Wood Chipper, tractor with bucket loader
Thanks for your support!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Marinated Cucumbers
Ingredients:
6 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
•
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers and onion. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; cover and shake well. Pour over cucumber mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/marinated-cucumbers/detail.aspx
6 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
•
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers and onion. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; cover and shake well. Pour over cucumber mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/marinated-cucumbers/detail.aspx
Fried Green Tomato Sandwhich
Ingredients:
• 6 (1/4 inch thick) slices green tomato
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 slices sourdough bread
• 6 (1/4 inch thick) slices red tomato
• 2 slices pepperjack cheese
• 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeno slices
•
Directions:
Dip slices of green tomato into beaten egg, then cover in cornmeal to coat, shaking off the excess. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tomato slices. Cook until golden brown on each side, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels.
Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and place it over medium heat. Spread butter onto one side of each slice of bread. Place half of the slices butter side down in the skillet. Stack 3 slices of green tomato, 3 slices of red tomato, a slice of pepperjack cheese and a few jalapeno slices onto each piece of bread in the skillet. Top with the remaining slices of bread with the butter on the outside. Cook until the bottom is golden. Flip the sandwiches and cook until golden brown on the other side.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fried-green-tomato-sandwich/detail.aspx
• 6 (1/4 inch thick) slices green tomato
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 slices sourdough bread
• 6 (1/4 inch thick) slices red tomato
• 2 slices pepperjack cheese
• 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeno slices
•
Directions:
Dip slices of green tomato into beaten egg, then cover in cornmeal to coat, shaking off the excess. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tomato slices. Cook until golden brown on each side, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels.
Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and place it over medium heat. Spread butter onto one side of each slice of bread. Place half of the slices butter side down in the skillet. Stack 3 slices of green tomato, 3 slices of red tomato, a slice of pepperjack cheese and a few jalapeno slices onto each piece of bread in the skillet. Top with the remaining slices of bread with the butter on the outside. Cook until the bottom is golden. Flip the sandwiches and cook until golden brown on the other side.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fried-green-tomato-sandwich/detail.aspx
Zucchini Miso
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons miso paste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Thai chile sauce
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 6 medium zucchini, julienned
• 2 sheets nori, cut into thin slices
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
•
Directions:
Place sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted.
In a large bowl, mix the chicken broth, miso paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, chile sauce, brown sugar, green onions, and cilantro. Toss zucchini in the dressing to coat just before serving, and top with toasted sesame seeds, nori, and almonds.
Source:http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Zucchini-Miso/Detail.aspx
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons miso paste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Thai chile sauce
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 6 medium zucchini, julienned
• 2 sheets nori, cut into thin slices
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
•
Directions:
Place sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted.
In a large bowl, mix the chicken broth, miso paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, chile sauce, brown sugar, green onions, and cilantro. Toss zucchini in the dressing to coat just before serving, and top with toasted sesame seeds, nori, and almonds.
Source:http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Zucchini-Miso/Detail.aspx
Update From the Farm
It’s mid July and the weeds are high and the rain is sparse. Thank GOODNESS we had the Justice Works team out last week helping us! We had 12 volunteers, Monday through Friday, who did nothing but weed and help us harvest. They are a community service group from Doylestown and I can’t sing enough praise about them. We can actually see our peppers again, (no joke, they had gone missing under a blanket of weeds for about a month). Now if only they could stay another week and help us find those onions! The peppers you got in your share last week were a tantalizing preview of more to come…but you’ll have to be patient. We harvested those because as the peppers were reintroduced to the sun after the weeds were removed there was a good chance they were going to get sun scald. This is literally a sun burn on peppers. They have very sensitive skin and develop white soft spots when exposed to the sun suddenly. We harvested some pepper to save them from this fate. Now that the plants are back in action, relieved from the weeds, we will let them grow for a bit, to develop bigger, and sweeter peppers. Many of our peppers will turn from green to red or orange as we let them ripen on the plant.
Some of you may also be wondering why there were green tomatoes on the table on Friday (don’t worry Tuesday people, we will put more out on Tuesday). Usually we have green tomatoes at the end of the season. Normally, right before a frost we will harvest anything on the plant because we know they will not turn red. No, we are not expecting a mid summer frost! We have been doing some late pruning on plants that have already developed fruit, so in an effort to never waste food, we are sharing them with you! We prune our tomatoes so that they have better air circulation and are less prone to disease. We also prune them to encourage the plant to make larger tomatoes, instead of a larger quantity of smaller ones. Those more abundant but smaller tomatoes we get from our cherry tomatoes plants, which we do not prune.
Some of you may have noticed the garlic resting in the rafters of the CSA pick up area. We are letting it cure up there where is it nice and dry and warm, so that when you receive it you can keep it on the counter and it won’t go bad. Curing is the process of drying and sealing so to speak, so it won’t mold like it would if it were fresh and kept in a place hospitable to mold. The same process happens to onions which is why they don’t need refrigeration either. Curing also encourages any energy left in the plant leaves to go down into the bulb, which is where we want it since that is the part we eat.
In other news, our hoop house tomatoes are producing! (A hoop house is like a greenhouse. They are the plastic and metal structures you see at the farm.) We have a small planting of tomatoes in our hoop house which put them ahead of our field tomatoes. We can only fit so many plants in the hoop house, so these harvests are small and we will rotate what time they are out on the table. But fear not, the field tomatoes are right around the corner and soon we will have enough for all!
So please do a rain dance and pull a few weeds as you pick your basil, and we’ll be in good shape!
Some of you may also be wondering why there were green tomatoes on the table on Friday (don’t worry Tuesday people, we will put more out on Tuesday). Usually we have green tomatoes at the end of the season. Normally, right before a frost we will harvest anything on the plant because we know they will not turn red. No, we are not expecting a mid summer frost! We have been doing some late pruning on plants that have already developed fruit, so in an effort to never waste food, we are sharing them with you! We prune our tomatoes so that they have better air circulation and are less prone to disease. We also prune them to encourage the plant to make larger tomatoes, instead of a larger quantity of smaller ones. Those more abundant but smaller tomatoes we get from our cherry tomatoes plants, which we do not prune.
Some of you may have noticed the garlic resting in the rafters of the CSA pick up area. We are letting it cure up there where is it nice and dry and warm, so that when you receive it you can keep it on the counter and it won’t go bad. Curing is the process of drying and sealing so to speak, so it won’t mold like it would if it were fresh and kept in a place hospitable to mold. The same process happens to onions which is why they don’t need refrigeration either. Curing also encourages any energy left in the plant leaves to go down into the bulb, which is where we want it since that is the part we eat.
In other news, our hoop house tomatoes are producing! (A hoop house is like a greenhouse. They are the plastic and metal structures you see at the farm.) We have a small planting of tomatoes in our hoop house which put them ahead of our field tomatoes. We can only fit so many plants in the hoop house, so these harvests are small and we will rotate what time they are out on the table. But fear not, the field tomatoes are right around the corner and soon we will have enough for all!
So please do a rain dance and pull a few weeds as you pick your basil, and we’ll be in good shape!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Carrot Pineapple Cake
Ingredients:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
•
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Make a well in the center and add sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix with wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapple.
3. Pour into 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Don't panic, the center will sink a little. Allow to cool.
4. To make the frosting: Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar and beat until creamy.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/carrot-pineapple-cake-i/detail.aspx
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
•
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Make a well in the center and add sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix with wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapple.
3. Pour into 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Don't panic, the center will sink a little. Allow to cool.
4. To make the frosting: Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar and beat until creamy.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/carrot-pineapple-cake-i/detail.aspx
Kosher Garlic and Dill Pickled Cucumbers
Ingredients:
• 3-4 pounds (1 1/2-2 kilo) young and small cucumbers (dark green, firm, warty skin)
• 2-4 sprigs of fresh dill
• 6-8 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and cut in half
• water
• kosher salt
• white vinegar
Directions:
1. In a large jar, place 2 sprigs of dill and 3-4 cloves of garlic.
2. Wash and snip off ends of cucumbers. Put cucumbers in the jar until it is full.
3. Add water to the jar, one cup at a time. Then add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar for every 3 cups of water added.
4. Top with 2 more sprigs of dill and 3-4 more cloves of garlic.
5. Once the jar is filled to the top, seal jar. Gently shake to mix.
6. Set in window or outside where it will get some sun. Allow approximately 4 days for fermenting. If you like more sour pickles, can can let them stay in the jar for an extra day or two.
7. Refrigerate.
TIPS:
1. Use cucumbers that are small, young, dark green, firm, and have warty skin.
2. The jar should be filled to the top with the cucumbers and water (see photo).
3. The vinegar ensures the pickles will be crunchy and not soft. So if you like a hard pickle, add a bit more vinegar.
4. If you want your pickles to be ready in less than 4 days, you can boil the water with the salt and vinegar. Let it stand so it gets to room temperature. And then add it to the cucumbers. This speeds the fermenting time.
Source:
http://kosherfood.about.com/od/sidedishes/r/pickles.htm
• 3-4 pounds (1 1/2-2 kilo) young and small cucumbers (dark green, firm, warty skin)
• 2-4 sprigs of fresh dill
• 6-8 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and cut in half
• water
• kosher salt
• white vinegar
Directions:
1. In a large jar, place 2 sprigs of dill and 3-4 cloves of garlic.
2. Wash and snip off ends of cucumbers. Put cucumbers in the jar until it is full.
3. Add water to the jar, one cup at a time. Then add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar for every 3 cups of water added.
4. Top with 2 more sprigs of dill and 3-4 more cloves of garlic.
5. Once the jar is filled to the top, seal jar. Gently shake to mix.
6. Set in window or outside where it will get some sun. Allow approximately 4 days for fermenting. If you like more sour pickles, can can let them stay in the jar for an extra day or two.
7. Refrigerate.
TIPS:
1. Use cucumbers that are small, young, dark green, firm, and have warty skin.
2. The jar should be filled to the top with the cucumbers and water (see photo).
3. The vinegar ensures the pickles will be crunchy and not soft. So if you like a hard pickle, add a bit more vinegar.
4. If you want your pickles to be ready in less than 4 days, you can boil the water with the salt and vinegar. Let it stand so it gets to room temperature. And then add it to the cucumbers. This speeds the fermenting time.
Source:
http://kosherfood.about.com/od/sidedishes/r/pickles.htm
Bread and Butter Pickles
Ingredients:
• 4 pounds pickling cucumbers
• 1 large onion, quartered, sliced about 1/4-inch thickness
• 1/3 cup kosher salt
• 3 cups cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds, or use half pickling spices
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Directions:
Wash cucumbers and cut off the ends. Slice crosswise into 1/8-inch slices. Toss in a large bowl with the salt and onion slices; cover with about 4 to 6 cups of ice cubes. Cover and let stand for 4 hours or refrigerate overnight.
Prepare the boiling water bath. Add water to a large canner with rack and heat to about 180°. The water should be high enough to be at least 1 inch above the filled jars. I usually fill it about halfway and I keep a kettle or saucepan of water boiling on another burner to add to the canner as needed. Wash jars thoroughly and heat water in a small saucepan; put the lids in the saucepan and bring almost to the boil; lower heat to very low to keep the lids hot.
Drain the cucumber mixture. In a large pot (nonreactive) over medium heat, combine the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Add the drained cucumber mixture and bring to a boil. With a slotted spoon, loosely pack the vegetables in prepared jars. Ladle the liquid into jars, dividing evenly among the jars. With a clean damp cloth (I keep a little bowl or cup of the boiled water handy for this step), wipe away any drips around the rims of the jars then cover with 2-piece jar lids. A lid lifter comes in handy to get the flat lids out of the water, or you could use tongs. Adjust the screw on rings firmly but do not over-tighten. Place filled in the prepared boiling water bath, adding more hot water as needed to bring the water up to about 1 inch above the jars. Bring the water to a boil. Cover and continue boiling for 10 minutes. Lift the jars out of the water and place on a rack to cool.
Makes about 6 pints.
Source:
http://southernfood.about.com/od/picklesrelishes/r/r80722e.htm
• 4 pounds pickling cucumbers
• 1 large onion, quartered, sliced about 1/4-inch thickness
• 1/3 cup kosher salt
• 3 cups cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds, or use half pickling spices
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Directions:
Wash cucumbers and cut off the ends. Slice crosswise into 1/8-inch slices. Toss in a large bowl with the salt and onion slices; cover with about 4 to 6 cups of ice cubes. Cover and let stand for 4 hours or refrigerate overnight.
Prepare the boiling water bath. Add water to a large canner with rack and heat to about 180°. The water should be high enough to be at least 1 inch above the filled jars. I usually fill it about halfway and I keep a kettle or saucepan of water boiling on another burner to add to the canner as needed. Wash jars thoroughly and heat water in a small saucepan; put the lids in the saucepan and bring almost to the boil; lower heat to very low to keep the lids hot.
Drain the cucumber mixture. In a large pot (nonreactive) over medium heat, combine the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Add the drained cucumber mixture and bring to a boil. With a slotted spoon, loosely pack the vegetables in prepared jars. Ladle the liquid into jars, dividing evenly among the jars. With a clean damp cloth (I keep a little bowl or cup of the boiled water handy for this step), wipe away any drips around the rims of the jars then cover with 2-piece jar lids. A lid lifter comes in handy to get the flat lids out of the water, or you could use tongs. Adjust the screw on rings firmly but do not over-tighten. Place filled in the prepared boiling water bath, adding more hot water as needed to bring the water up to about 1 inch above the jars. Bring the water to a boil. Cover and continue boiling for 10 minutes. Lift the jars out of the water and place on a rack to cool.
Makes about 6 pints.
Source:
http://southernfood.about.com/od/picklesrelishes/r/r80722e.htm
Fresh Basil Pesto
Ingredients:
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.
Yield: Makes 1 cup.
Source:
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.
Yield: Makes 1 cup.
Source:
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/
Picking Techniques for Basil and Beans
Basil
When harvesting basil, I find it helpful to think about the way the plant grows, and how harvesting it can affect that directional growth. Imagine energy and nutrients coming up from the roots, into the basil stem, and out through its leaves. When you are harvesting, you always want to make a cut such that you are leaving the plant with a place for that energy and nutrients to go and be used. To do this, always cut immediately above, and as close as possible to, a set of leaves. This way, those leaves can receive the energy coming up the stem of the plant. You do not want to cut the stem half way between two sets of leaves, leaving a “stump” of a stem left. In this case, nutrients will travel up the stem, and come to a dead end, with no outlet for growth. This type of pruning or harvesting will encourage the basil to grow more bushy, with fuller branches and more leaves for you to harvest in the future!
Beans
Beans are much more easy to harvest than basil. The only thing you need to remember is that beans are fragile. I suggest harvesting with two hands, one holding the stem of the plant and one removing the actual bean. Sometimes if you just grab a bean, you’ll pull the whole branch, or even the whole plant out of the ground. Beans also really like to hide. In an effort to ease you all into camouflage bean hunting, our first planting of beans is purple! These purple beans should jump out more than the green ones that blend into the green leaves. Hopefully by the time the next planting comes in, which is green, you’ll be experts at spotting them in the jungle of bean bushes
When harvesting basil, I find it helpful to think about the way the plant grows, and how harvesting it can affect that directional growth. Imagine energy and nutrients coming up from the roots, into the basil stem, and out through its leaves. When you are harvesting, you always want to make a cut such that you are leaving the plant with a place for that energy and nutrients to go and be used. To do this, always cut immediately above, and as close as possible to, a set of leaves. This way, those leaves can receive the energy coming up the stem of the plant. You do not want to cut the stem half way between two sets of leaves, leaving a “stump” of a stem left. In this case, nutrients will travel up the stem, and come to a dead end, with no outlet for growth. This type of pruning or harvesting will encourage the basil to grow more bushy, with fuller branches and more leaves for you to harvest in the future!
Beans
Beans are much more easy to harvest than basil. The only thing you need to remember is that beans are fragile. I suggest harvesting with two hands, one holding the stem of the plant and one removing the actual bean. Sometimes if you just grab a bean, you’ll pull the whole branch, or even the whole plant out of the ground. Beans also really like to hide. In an effort to ease you all into camouflage bean hunting, our first planting of beans is purple! These purple beans should jump out more than the green ones that blend into the green leaves. Hopefully by the time the next planting comes in, which is green, you’ll be experts at spotting them in the jungle of bean bushes
Want to Make Pesto, But Don't Want to Pay So Much for Pine Nuts?
Shareholder and Weavers Way IT Manager, Tanya Rotenberg has a creative solution. She is interested in forming a group of shareholders who are willing to share the cost of a bulk order of pine nuts, thus reducing the cost for everyone. She can pre-order a case from Weavers Way Co-op. One case is ten pounds. If people took a pound or a half pound, we could get them for about $28.50/pound. The regular price is $36.75/pound. If she can get enough takers, she can get a case with about 2 weeks notice. For co-op members, she could even look up how many pounds you bought last year (Tanya personally bought around a pound from August to September). They refrigerate well and if you are using them for pesto you can even freeze them. Tanya has offered to bring the pine nut shares to the CSA to distribute the week they arrive.
If you are interested, please email Tanya directly (not me!) at: Tanya@weaversway.coop
If you are interested, please email Tanya directly (not me!) at: Tanya@weaversway.coop
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Asian Cucumber Slaw
Ingredients:
1 cucumber, quartered, seeded, then cut into matchstick-sized pieces
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil OR 1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
red pepper flakes, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Dressing: In a bowl, combine the rice vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and red pepper flakes; whisk to thoroughly mix.
2. Salad: In another bowl, combine cucumber, salt, and pepper; toss to combine.
3. Pour the dressing on the salad; toss to coat, then marinate for at least 10 minutes.
Serve with your favorite spicy Asian dishes to cool your palate down.
Makes: 2 servings, Preparation time: 5 minutes
1 cucumber, quartered, seeded, then cut into matchstick-sized pieces
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil OR 1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
red pepper flakes, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Dressing: In a bowl, combine the rice vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and red pepper flakes; whisk to thoroughly mix.
2. Salad: In another bowl, combine cucumber, salt, and pepper; toss to combine.
3. Pour the dressing on the salad; toss to coat, then marinate for at least 10 minutes.
Serve with your favorite spicy Asian dishes to cool your palate down.
Makes: 2 servings, Preparation time: 5 minutes
Easy Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh dill
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a bowl; toss to combine.
Makes: 2 big servings, Preparation time: 5 minutes
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh dill
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a bowl; toss to combine.
Makes: 2 big servings, Preparation time: 5 minutes
Beet Salad With Goat Cheese
"This is a delicious and easy salad which takes little time and is a great meatless main course. It uses beets, goat cheese, candied walnuts and baby greens. For a main dish salad, add chicken. Feel free to include more of your favorite vegetables too."
Ingredients
• 4 medium beets - scrubbed, trimmed and cut in half
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 (10 ounce) package mixed baby salad greens
• 1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces goat cheese
Directions
1. Place beets into a saucepan, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. Drain and cool, then cut in to cubes.
2. While the beets are cooking, place the walnuts in a skillet over medium-low heat. Heat until warm and starting to toast, then stir in the maple syrup. Cook and stir until evenly coated, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice concentrate, balsamic vinegar and olive oil to make the dressing.
4. Place a large helping of baby greens onto each of four salad plates, divide candied walnuts equally and sprinkle over the greens. Place equal amounts of beets over the greens, and top with dabs of goat cheese. Drizzle each plate with some of the dressing.
Ingredients
• 4 medium beets - scrubbed, trimmed and cut in half
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 (10 ounce) package mixed baby salad greens
• 1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces goat cheese
Directions
1. Place beets into a saucepan, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. Drain and cool, then cut in to cubes.
2. While the beets are cooking, place the walnuts in a skillet over medium-low heat. Heat until warm and starting to toast, then stir in the maple syrup. Cook and stir until evenly coated, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice concentrate, balsamic vinegar and olive oil to make the dressing.
4. Place a large helping of baby greens onto each of four salad plates, divide candied walnuts equally and sprinkle over the greens. Place equal amounts of beets over the greens, and top with dabs of goat cheese. Drizzle each plate with some of the dressing.
Roasted Beets and Sauteed Beet Greens
Ingredients
1 bunch beets with
greens
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped onion (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Wash the beets thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and remove the greens. Rinse greens, removing any large stems, and set aside. Place the beets in a small baking dish or roasting pan, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If you wish to peel the beets, it is easier to do so once they have been roasted.
Cover, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily through the largest beet.
When the roasted beets are almost done, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion, and cook for a minute. Tear the beet greens into 2 to 3 inch pieces, and add them to the skillet. Cook and stir until greens are wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the greens as is, and the roasted beets sliced with either red-wine vinegar, or butter and salt and pepper.
1 bunch beets with
greens
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped onion (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Wash the beets thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and remove the greens. Rinse greens, removing any large stems, and set aside. Place the beets in a small baking dish or roasting pan, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If you wish to peel the beets, it is easier to do so once they have been roasted.
Cover, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily through the largest beet.
When the roasted beets are almost done, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion, and cook for a minute. Tear the beet greens into 2 to 3 inch pieces, and add them to the skillet. Cook and stir until greens are wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the greens as is, and the roasted beets sliced with either red-wine vinegar, or butter and salt and pepper.
Excellent Kale Chips
Source: Ariel Dooner, farm intern
1-2 bunches of curly kale
1/3-1/2 cup olive oil (and/or coconut oil)
a heaping spoonful of yellow or white or any miso (wet, not dry)
curry powder, garlic powder (or finely chopped garlic), pepper, turmeric, and chile powder to taste
splash of tamari or soy sauce (be careful- very salty!)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Rip the leafy bits off of the stems of your kale. Blend all the other ingredients (by hand or food processor) and taste test until it suits your salty/garlicky/spicy needs. Feel free to use any or all of the flavorings; I've used only garlic, curry, pepper, olive oil, and some salt and been very happy. Pour blend over kale and massage- yes, massaging your kale really makes a difference :) Spread out in a uniform layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-25 minutes, stirring frequently (every 5-10 minutes). Bake until crispy enough for you and enjoy!
1-2 bunches of curly kale
1/3-1/2 cup olive oil (and/or coconut oil)
a heaping spoonful of yellow or white or any miso (wet, not dry)
curry powder, garlic powder (or finely chopped garlic), pepper, turmeric, and chile powder to taste
splash of tamari or soy sauce (be careful- very salty!)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Rip the leafy bits off of the stems of your kale. Blend all the other ingredients (by hand or food processor) and taste test until it suits your salty/garlicky/spicy needs. Feel free to use any or all of the flavorings; I've used only garlic, curry, pepper, olive oil, and some salt and been very happy. Pour blend over kale and massage- yes, massaging your kale really makes a difference :) Spread out in a uniform layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-25 minutes, stirring frequently (every 5-10 minutes). Bake until crispy enough for you and enjoy!
Update from the Farm
People ask me “how is everything at the farm?” with the same regularity that others might ask someone else about the latest Phillies game (don’t try me with baseball, I don’t know the first thing about it!). The most rewarding part about this time of year for me is the fullness and cohesiveness of the farming team. Three months into the season, our staff has grown tremendously and it truly feels like a real team out in the field as we work together to get the harvest done, the plants in the ground, and try to battle the weeds.
Our summer intern, Ariel Dooner, has joined us with fresh energy and motivation. I’m considering making her the farm public relations director as she has already expressed how much she loves interacting with all of you, the shareholders. We have a regular crew of stellar volunteers who miraculously showed up just at the right time, when I was asking the universe for some more helping hands on the farm. Perry goes to Lawrenceville and has blown us away with her maturity and endurance for weeding tomatoes. Kevin lives just down the street and should be considered our second intern since he’s been logging so many hours with us. He also gets extra points for actualizing my year-long dream of putting our farm stand sign up on the Henry Ave. Deshawn joined us last week from Germantown High. He loves to cook and has proven to be an expert black plastic mulch layer! Janai, a recent graduate from Germantown High, has also joined the team. She has discovered the power of the stake pounding tool and I’m hoping she’ll consider coming back next year when it’s time to stake the tomatoes again! Eric and Briana are from University Academy Charter school and are both doing school based internships with us. Eric is helping us learn more about fitness and taking care of our bodies while we farm, and Briana is going to contribute some articles in the newsletter.
It feels like our team has grown as fast as the weeds in the onion beds! Now we have to see which one will win, the farmers or the onion weeds!
Our summer intern, Ariel Dooner, has joined us with fresh energy and motivation. I’m considering making her the farm public relations director as she has already expressed how much she loves interacting with all of you, the shareholders. We have a regular crew of stellar volunteers who miraculously showed up just at the right time, when I was asking the universe for some more helping hands on the farm. Perry goes to Lawrenceville and has blown us away with her maturity and endurance for weeding tomatoes. Kevin lives just down the street and should be considered our second intern since he’s been logging so many hours with us. He also gets extra points for actualizing my year-long dream of putting our farm stand sign up on the Henry Ave. Deshawn joined us last week from Germantown High. He loves to cook and has proven to be an expert black plastic mulch layer! Janai, a recent graduate from Germantown High, has also joined the team. She has discovered the power of the stake pounding tool and I’m hoping she’ll consider coming back next year when it’s time to stake the tomatoes again! Eric and Briana are from University Academy Charter school and are both doing school based internships with us. Eric is helping us learn more about fitness and taking care of our bodies while we farm, and Briana is going to contribute some articles in the newsletter.
It feels like our team has grown as fast as the weeds in the onion beds! Now we have to see which one will win, the farmers or the onion weeds!
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