Sunday, June 23, 2013

Fennel Frond and Kohlrabi Leaf Pesto

A great way to use the greens from Fennel and Kohlrabi! This pesto is a perfect spread for crostini, pizza or pasta!
Ingredients:
1 small fennel bulb with lots of bushy fronds
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons pine nuts or sliced or slivered almonds (I used almonds!)
5-6 leaves from a Kohlrabi bulb
1 Leek, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation: 
Chop off fennel fronds and coarsely chop enough to measure 1 cup (discard the rest of the fronds, save the fennel for later use, and of course eat the fennel bulb itself, it's great to dip into the pesto-- or roast the bulb and include it on the crostini recipe above).
Coarsley chop the kohlrabi leaves. Sautee the leek, kohlrabi and garlic in about 3 tbsp of olive oil for about 5 minutes. After 5 min, add the almonds (or pine nuts) and the chopped fennel fronds to the pan and sautee for 1 more minute. 
Put the mixture in a food processor or blender. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous pinch of pepper to the food processor and process until finely chopped. Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil and cheese continue to process until the mixture looks like pesto. Season with more salt to taste.

Fresh Mozzarella and Roasted Kohlrabi Crostini with Crispy Lemons and Shallots

Perfect for finger food at a summer BBQ! I also made the Fennel Pesto recipe below and included the pesto on the crostini. Yum!
Ingredients:
2-3 medium kohlrabi, stems, leaves and root ends removed
extra virgin olive oil, for rubbing
½ baguette, cut into rounds (about 12 to 14 pieces)
1 lemon, cut into 1/8″ slices
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar for dredging
2 shallots, sliced thinly
olive oil for frying
1 large garlic clove, for rubbing
8 leaves fresh basil
8 leaves fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh parsley, stems removed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil for forming paste, plus more for drizzling
12 pitted kalamata olives
8 ounces ball fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
Preparation:
1. Rub the kohlrabi generously with olive oil, wrap tightly in foil and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Let cool, then cut into ¼-inch rounds.
2. Lay 12 baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast until they reach a light golden brown, flip and toast other side.
3. Dredge lemon slices in sugar, then fry in hot olive oil until golden brown, about 45 seconds per side. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel. Sauté shallots in olive oil, stirring often until crispy and golden, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.
4. Rub crostini rounds with garlic clove.
5. Chop herbs finely with a pinch of sea salt and add olive oil to form a paste. Spread paste on garlic-rubbed crostini rounds.
6. Place olives and sliced, roasted kohlrabi on top of herbed crostini rounds and top with fresh mozzarella rounds.
7. Place crostini under broiler until mozzarella is golden and bubbling. Remove from broiler.
8. Top each mozzarella round with one crispy lemon slice and crispy shallots. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.

Kohlrabi Purée

This recipe was available for taste testing at last week's Pick-up, thanks to shareholder Tanya Rotenberg!

Look for kohlrabi bulbs that are about 2½ inches in diameter. Any larger and the skin may toughen and need to be peeled, and the insides can be woody. Freshly picked kohlrabi will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. You'll need both the bulb and the leaves for this recipe.
I've adapted the recipe slightly, mostly because I'm not the type of person who ever has 3 Tablespoons of chicken stock or 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice hanging around in the fridge. The mushrooms do add a nice flavor, but I've left them out before, and the purée still tasted delicious.
Ingredients:
4 kohlrabi bulbs with leaves
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces cultivated mushrooms (I used Baby Bellas), quartered
3 Tablespoons cream (or milk, chicken stock, olive oil, or water)
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Trim the kohlrabi bulbs, peeling them if the skins seem tough. Rinse the leaves (discarding any that are yellow) pat them dry, and coarsely chop. Set aside. But the bulbs into 1-inch chunks.
2. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil, and add the kohlrabi chunks. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, another 1 to 2 minutes. Don't let the garlic brown.
4. Add the mushrooms and the reserved kohlrabi leaves to the skillet. Cover, and cook 5 minutes. Then uncover, and cook, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated, 3 minutes. Set the skillet aside.
5. Drain the kohlrabi chunks and place them in the bowl of a food processor. Add the mushroom mixture and the cream (or whatever substitute you're using). Purée until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Transfer the purée to a saucepan and reheat over low heat, stirring, 2 minutes. Serve warm.

Orchard Map Made by Farm Assistant Nancy Anderson


Henry Got Crops Orchard Update:

Last fall half the students of Saul high school, along with dozens of volunteers helped plant over 500 fruit tree, berries and nut trees. This was the beginning of the newest expansion at Henry Got Crops: a 1.5 acre orchard across the street from the vegetable field, behind the school. This is currently the largest orchard in Philadelphia (that I know of). We hope to be offering our own fruit shares to the public as well as fruit to the Saul cafeteria within a few years. Only a few of the berry bushes are fruiting a small amount this season.
Orchards require a lot of work up front in the form of planting, trellising, and making soil improvements. However, we aren’t going to be selling much fruit in the first few seasons, as all these plants take multiple years to mature. This poses a difficult situation- how to afford the time and money required to start an orchard when income is a few years off. Many of the tree and supplies have been covered by a grant from AcTree, and the generosity of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Weavers Way farm and farm education staff, with the help of students at Saul, as well as the Beginning Farmers Program have been chipping in to keep the orchard maintained. However, I really needed one person to be responsible for making sure the orchard was well maintained and managed. Chris Obrien, the farm apprentice from 2012 rose to the occasion has been keeping the orchard healthy and productive since the spring. He has replaced the few plants that did not survive the winter, as well as extended some of the rows to take advantage of all the space available in that field. He is watering, weeding and monitoring for pests and disease.
Jess McAtamney, a shareholder and teacher at Saul who acts as our liaison with the school, wrote a $1000 grant from DOW over the winter for signs for the orchard. She was successful with this application and the beautiful signs were installed last weekend. Much of the text for the signs was written by students as part of the farm education programs, here at Henry Got Crops. These signs will ensure that the orchard will serve as a living laboratory and not only provide healthy food for the community but also act as an educational resource.

Photo: Student Farmer Yonda Hudson helping to install the new orchard signs!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Caramelized Fennel Tarts


Ingredients:
2 medium fennel bulbs, quartered and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed
Preparation: 
In a large skillet, saute fennel in oil until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally. Stir in the thyme, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Unfold each puff pastry sheet onto an ungreased baking sheet. Using a knife, score 1 in. from the edges of each pastry. Spread fennel mixture to within 1/2 in. of edges.
Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cut each tart into 12 pieces.

Butter Braised Kohlrabi

This recipe may be availble for tasting at the pick up this week. 
Ingredients:
2 lbs. kohlrabi, trimmed but unpeeled and cut into 1″ cubes
1 cup chicken stock
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Put kohlrabi, chicken stock, 2 tbsp. butter, and thyme into a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper and cover with a parchment-paper circle cut to fit inside rim of skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until kohlrabi is tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover, remove pan from heat, and add the remaining butter, swirling skillet until butter melts. Serve warm.

Kohlrabi Salad with Nectarines and Beets

This recipe may be available for taste testing at the Pick-up this week, thanks to shareholder Tanya Rotenberg!
Ingredients:
1 bunch baby kohlrabi
2 nectarines
1 chioggia beet
2 radishes
1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 cup toasted (slivered or sliced) almonds
1 ounce semifirm cheese (I like one that combines cow, sheep and goat's milk)
mint (for garnish)
Instructions:
Peel kohlrabi & beet and thinly slice with a mandoline. Thinly slice radish and nectarine.
Using the whisking attachment of immersion blender, combine shallots, ginger, olive oil, lemon, mustard, honey and salt & pepper. Taste test and add more ingredients to your liking if necessary.
Toss vegetables with dressing and top with almonds and cheese. Garnish with sprig of fresh mint.

Early Season Carrots

If you have been a part of this CSA before, you know that the carrots you received in week #3 were the earliest carrots we’ve ever harvested. Carrots are typically a slow growing crop that need between 55 and 75 days to reach maturity. They might take even longer during the early spring and fall when the days are shorter. However, the carrots that were harvested two weeks ago were available early in the season because they were seeded in our hoop houses over the winter. A hoop house (or high tunnel) is like a greenhouse, in that it creates a warmer growing environment than what is occurring outside. The carrots you ate were seeded in February, under the protection of these plastic structures. In February seeds grow REALLY slowly, even in a hoop house. The heat of the sun is trapped in the plastic enclosure and warms the air and the soil, such that you can grow plants when you otherwise wouldn’t be able to grow them outside. This is called “season extension.” We have three hoop houses on our farm. The one by the driveway was recently built to replace the old one that was in the same location but falling down. This hoop house was made possible by a grant from the FFA (Future Farmers of America), and was constructed by shareholder Scott Blunk, with the help of Saul students. The big hoop house in the field was also funded by a grant and we hope to some day get electricity in that structure such that we can run heaters and fans and use it to start our seedlings.  The smallest of our hoop houses is also located in the field, near the bottom of the hill, and was donated by Penn State Extension. This hoop house was the first one constructed in Philadelphia with the help of Penn State Extension, and now they have erected over ten across the city, and have created a “High Tunnel Alliance” of urban farmers who use these structures. Your carrots came from the two hoop houses in the field. Hope you enjoyed them! Now we’ll have to be patient and wait until mid summer for our first planting of field carrots to be ready.

Sauerkraut Workshop

Sally McCabe, who works for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), led our Sauerkraut workshop last Wednesday at the picnic table under the cherry tree at the farm. She started things off by harvesting a cabbage that was growing in a pot with her new machete! The rest of the cabbages were harvested fresh from the farm, minutes before chopping. Sally is a proud parent of a Saul alumnus, and leads many workshops in Philadelphia through the PHS City Harvest Program. About fifteen people attended our event and everyone was able to take home a jar of sauerkraut, after chipping to help make it. Thanks to everyone who attended!

Monday, June 10, 2013

Sauteed Kale and Kohlrabi

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pound kohlrabi, bulbs peeled
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 pounds kale (2 bunches), stems and center ribs discarded
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3 cup salted roasted pistachios, chopped
Preparation: 
Very thinly slice kohlrabi with slicer.
Whisk together lime zest and juice, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi with dressing.
Finely chop kale. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sauté garlic until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add kale by the handful, turning and stirring with tongs and adding more kale as volume in skillet reduces. When all of kale is wilted, sauté with 1/2 teaspoon salt until just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Toss kale with kohlrabi and pistachios.

Radish Tea Sandwhiches

Ingredients:
1/2 bar (4 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
8 slices (sandwich-size) whole-grain pumpernickel bread
4 large red radishes, ends trimmed, halved and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 leaves Bibb lettuce, or butter lettuce, ribs removed
Preparation:
STEP 1
Spoon 1 tablespoon cream cheese in center of each slice of bread, spreading to the top and bottom, leaving a 3/4-inch border on sides. Layer half of bread slices with radish slices, overlapping slightly.

STEP 2
Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper; top with lettuce and remaining bread slices (cream cheese side down) to make 4 sandwiches. With a serrated knife, trim off crusts; cut each sandwich in half. Serve.

Crispy Kale Chips

Ingredients:
1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes. Serve as finger food.

Weavers Way Co-op Five Year Strategic Plan 2013-2018

Meet with Weavers Way managers and members of the Strategic Planning Committee to learn and be heard regarding the document that will guide our operations for the next five years. Download a summary of the draft Strategic Plan  atwww.weaversway.coop
Each session covers one of the five focus areas identified in the Strategic Plan. Come to one or all five. Sessions are at 6 p.m. in the Community Room at 555 Carpenter Lane, next door to the Mt. Airy store. If you cannot make it to a meeting but want to respond to any points, please address your input directly to Weavers Way General Manager Glenn Bergmangbergman@weaversway.coop.

Weavers Way Farms & Urban Agriculture 
Thursday, June 13, 6 p.m.
WW representatives: Glenn Bergman, Farm Manager Nina Berryman, Mort Brooks Farm Manager Rick Rigutto, Compost Tzar Scott Blunk, Local Produce Buyer Stephanie Kane, Purchasing Manager Norman Weiss
Community & Weavers Way Community Programs
Thursday, June 20, 6 p.m.
WW representatives: Glenn Bergman, Weavers Way Community Programs Executive Director Jill Fink, Rebecca Torpie, WWCP Marketplace Director Carly Chelder, WWCP Board President Mira Rabin

Student Highlight! By: Clare Hyre

Yona Hudson is a graduating senior at W.B. Saul High School and has worked at the Henry Got Crops! CSA for all four years. Saul High School, Weavers Way Farms, and Weavers Way Community Programs have a partnership that allows 130 students to work on the farm per week to learn every step of the farming cycle as well as about cooking and nutrition.  Students use the farm as a hand on educational tool and harvest food from their raised beds to take home.  The farm provides food for 130 families and a variety of educational opportunities for community members. Yona has watched the farm develop from its beginnings and has been invaluable to the farm and to the farm education programs. Over the summer she will work as a crew leader for the Urban Nutrition Initiative and then will attend Penn State in the fall. We couldn’t be more excited or proud of Yona. I, Farm Education Coordinator Clare Hyre, interviewed Yona about her experience at the CSA over the past four years in early June.

CLARE  HYRE:  Hi Yona. To begin the interview can you tell me how you first find out about Saul and why you chose to go to an agricultural high school?
YONA HUDSON: I found out about Saul by accident. My old elementary school teacher knew I was into food and I was looking up schools with cooking programs so he told me the school was cool and had animals and stuff and although they don’t have a cooking program they had a food science program. So I applied and I got accepted.
I chose to go to an agricultural high school because this school had something different from the rest. Students could go outside for classes. I wasn’t sure what agriculture was at first but I researched and thought it sounded cool.
CH : What was your first experience and impressions of the CSA?
YH : I found out about the CSA through talking with the farmers, Nina [Berryman] and Nicole [Sugerman] I asked them about Alice Waters and wanted to know if the CSA had a similar program [to the Berkley Edible Schoolyard]. I had a good impression of the CSA and thought what the people were doing was cool and unique. I was like “this is where my food comes from!”
CH : You worked as an summer intern in  2009, 2010, and are currently the Saul student farmer. What made you interested in working at the farm over the summer in the first place and what made you keep coming back?
YH : My experience freshman year was what made me want to work at the farm over the summer. I saw the farm at it’s beginning and the vibe that I got from people that worked here made me want to come back. The atmosphere and the work felt good. I got a lot of joy out of seeing things grow. I had the experience of seeding arugula and then watching it grow! I knew it was mine. I thought the summer internship was great because the school offered jobs to youth to work at the farm and pays them.
The good experiences I had on the farm kept me coming back. I liked meeting the farm interns and learning about their experiences. I got to become closer with Nina and Nicole and developing friendships with them.  Also I learned enough to teach other youth about farming and I really enjoyed that. I liked going to meetings and potlucks and meeting people from all over who are doing this work. Working at the farm and as the student farmer allowed me to explore what farming really is beyond the labor. Going to the farm became something to look forward too.
CH : In 2011 you went to the Rooted In Community Conference in 2011. Rooted In Community (RIC) is a national youth led food justice conference and it was held in Philadelphia. What did you learn at that conference and did it change your relationship with farming? Food justice?
YH : At RIC I learned that I wasn’t the only youth doing this.  I learned that there were other organizations besides Weavers Way and Weavers Way Community Programs that were doing it. I learned that there was a lot of diversity amongst the youth who were farming. At RIC there were people from all over and the youth and adults all treated each other with respect and appreciation.
At Saul I sometimes get criticism for loving the CSA but at RIC we were in unity over our love for farming.
At RIC I learned that the whole idea of food justice is that people no matter what (race, gender, economic-status), we all have a right to access to food. I learned so much about food justice and food deserts. Until that time I didn’t realize I lived in a food desert. RIC made me want to learn about recourses and how to build a more just food system in my community. There I learned about SNAP benefits and how to use your benefits at farmer’s markets around the city. RIC made me feel like I was farming for a bigger cause and that I could use what learned to teach other folks.
Ultimately, RIC helped me meet youth who were enthusiastic about what I was enthusiastic about. I am still in touch with many of the youth and adults from RIC.
CH : I know you stated it above but could you define food justice for me again?
YH : I would define food justice as anyone, or anything despite of gender, race, age, class , etc. , has the right to good and wholesome food. The food has to be organic, pesticide free, good for you and with the intention of keeping you healthy.
CH :  Well said. What are your favorite things about working at the CSA?
YH: Meeting all the different people who come to the farm. I also like the labor of farming and knowing that as much work as I put into the farm comes back out of the farm and seeing the farm benefit others. Making connections with people that will last longer than my high school experience.
CH:  How would you say working with the educational programs at the CSA [WWCP] has changed how you eat or think about food?
YH: Before the cooking demo’s [with Clare during the summer internship] I would grow the food but I wouldn’t know what to do with the food. But after I learned how to cook a little more it diversified my palate and my eating habits.
CH : Congratulations on getting into Penn State. What are you planning on studying there? And, I know this is a loaded question but what do want to do as your future ‘career’? 
YH : Haha. I’m studying environmental studies at Penn State. I have no idea about careers but I know that I want to continue to work in food justice work, sustainability, and farming. I’m not sure WHAT I will be doing but I won’t be inside, that’s for sure.
CH :  You got a job this summer working for the Urban Nutrition Initiative, a Southwest Philly Food Justice organization that works with teens, as a crew leader. What are some of the things you are looking forward to /hoping to learn by working there?
YH : I’m so excited to work with UNI. I’m not sure if the people who work there know how cool they are but I think they are amazing. I’m so excited to work with the people I’ve looked up to for so long. They are very inspiring. They have so much diversity within their program because they work all over and their staff is really unique. I’m really excited to be a crew leader and work with youth. I’ve never really lead youth my age before and it will be a hard but also great for growth. I t will be a challenge but I’m looking forward to learning how to be a teacher and a stronger leader for food justice.
CH : Thanks Yona. I’m so excited about you going out into the world with all your experience in farming, cooking, and food justice. For the last question can you tell me your top three experiences relating to farm education and the CSA in the past four years?
YH :  1. Making connections and relationships with people for future jobs. I’m still in touch with past apprentices from the farm and folks from RIC.
2. Attending Rooted In Community in 2011. I also really enjoyed the 2013 Regional gathering at Bartram’s Garden.
3. Seeing the farm grow… it was just starting when I got here and I got to feel like I really supported its growth. I got to see a lot of people come and gain knowledge here.
CH: Thanks Yona! It’s been such a delight to work with you and I wish you the best of luck in your next steps.
YH : I’m still here for two more weeks. Don’t make me cry!

Parsley, Kale and Berry Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (packed) flat-leaf parsley (leaves and stems)
4 kale leaves (center ribs removed)
1 cup frozen organic berries (such as strawberries or raspberries)
1 banana (cut into pieces)
1 teaspoon ground flaxseed
Preparation: 
Purée 1/2 cup (packed) flat-leaf parsley (leaves and stems), 4 kale leaves (center ribs removed), 1 cup frozen organic berries (such as strawberries or raspberries), 1 banana (cut into pieces), 1 teaspoon ground flaxseed, and 1 cup water in a blender until smooth (add water if too thick).

Linguine with Mussels and Dandelion Greens

Ingredients:
2 pounds mussels
1 package (1 pound) linguine
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic (try green garlic!), minced
3 Tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup of beer (use a summer ale or amber beer-- IPA's may be too bitter in addition to the greens)
1 bunch dandelion greens, cut cross-wise into thin ribbons
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preparation:
Clean all the mussels and debeard by tugging off the brown 'tag' coming out of the side of the mussel. (The beard is often removed on farmed mussels, but it's good to double-check.) If any have their shells open, tap them gently against the counter top. If they don't close up in a few minutes, discard.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the salt, and cook the linguine according to the package. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large wide-bottomed skillet or saucepan with a lid. Add the onions and saute until translucent--about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and red pepper flakes, and saute until fragrant--about 30 seconds.
Add the mussels to the pan, pour in the beer, and cover immediately with the lid. Cook for about five minutes, shaking once or twice, until all the shells have opened. Discard any unopened shells.
Add the dandelion greens to the pan and stir occasionally until the greens are wilted. Add the linguine to the pan and toss with mussels and greens. Season with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Serve immediately!

Orzo Salad

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pine nuts or almonds
1 pound orzo
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 (12 ounce) jar marinated roasted bell peppers, drained and chopped
1/2 pounds mozzarella, preferably fresh, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups chopped baby arugula leaves, dandelion leaves, or spring mix (2 1/2 ounces)
2 cups chopped mustard greens or kale (2 1/2 ounces)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Roast pine nuts in a rimmed sheet pan until golden, about 8 minutes.
Cook orzo in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender, then drain well in a colander.
Meanwhile, whisk together lemon juice, oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
Add hot orzo to dressing and toss. Let orzo come to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Add pine nuts, peppers, mozzarella, dandelion, and kale and toss well.
Season salad with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice, if desired.

Cooks' Note:
•Orzo salad can be made 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature. Leftovers can be chilled, but for entertaining purposes, the salad is at its best when made fresh and not refrigerated.

Support of the Community

There were three instances this week when I truly felt the support of the community at the farm. Each instance reminded me how grateful I am to be part of this farm-centric community.

The first was Monday, Memorial day. Most holidays mean nothing to the farmers- the plants don’t know its Memorial day, and the CSA pick-up still happens on Tuesday, meaning we have to harvest to be prepared. However, Weavers Way organizes an all-staff picnic every Memorial day at one of our other farm sites. It’s a rare opportunity for our farm staff to spend the afternoon with the other staff at the store, and enjoy one of our farms in a non-work oriented manner. So… rather than exclude the farmers from this nice occasion, we squeezed a full-day harvest into half a day on Monday morning, and were able to enjoy the rest of the day at the picnic. I want to thank farm staff Emma and Nancy for waking up super early to start the harvest with me. And I want to thank working shareholders Lory, Ali, Annie, Laura, and Chris who all helped out on the holiday! We’ve never finished the harvest that quickly!
The second moment of true community support was the volunteer day. It was a hot, humid day, yet some loyal volunteers and shareholders braved the weather and came to help us get through some daunting tasks. Brian helped us trellis the peas, Liza and Mel meticulously weeded the carrots, and Mike pounded heavy tomato stakes into the ground. Thanks everyone!
And lastly, the potluck was our best attended potluck to date! Delicious food and great company was shared under the shade of the cherry tree. Potlucks are a rare time when the farm staff actually sit and enjoy a couple of relaxing hours at the farm with fellow shareholders. We were all particularly happy that Matilda Sinclair (pictured above with mom Joanna and dad Duncan), our newest CSA shareholder, was able to join us, only four days old! Congratulations to Joanna and Duncan, the proud parents!

A letter from the Farm Education Program

Dear CSA family,
You are cordially invited to an end of school celebration on Tuesday June 18th from 5-7pm at the raised beds on the top slope of the hill. This party is to celebrate the hard work students put into the farm and the new raised beds that were built by and for students this year. Please stop by as you pick up your share and introduce yourself. There will be snacks as well as activities designed by the students! If you plan on stopping by please RSVP totcampbell28@gmail.com as soon as possible. We can't wait to see you!!!
Clare Hyre,
Education Coordinator @ HGC CSA