Hello CSA Members!
Brr… Get out your jackets for the upcoming evenings. Looking forward to seeing everyone again at pickup!
Here is what we hope to bring you during week 17:
Regular Share
1 – Herb or Spicy Peppers
2 – Roasted Peppers
3 – Sweet Peppers
4 – Zucchini or Tomatillos
5 – Eggplant or Melon
6 –Shallots
7 – Tomatoes
Large Share Additions
Kale
Double Sweet Peppers
Cherry Tomatoes
Fruit: Peaches and Pears or Apples
Hello CSA Members!
It’s hard to believe that we are already getting glimpses of fall. How is this happening already? With the oncoming of a new season (as erratic as it is), we know that in a few weeks, we’ll start to see new delicious crops ready to harvest. Wow!
Here is what we hope to bring you during week 16:
Regular Share
1 – Basil or Spicy Peppers
2 – Roasted Peppers
3 – Cauliflower or Tomatillos
4 – Zucchini or Eggplant
5 – Cabbage
6 – Melon or Sweet Peppers
7 – Onions
8 – Tomatoes
Large Share Additions
Double Tomato Share
Tomatillos AND Cauliflower
Melon AND Sweet Pepper
Fruit
Peaches and Apples
We have a bumper crop of beautiful peppers this year. That means this week we lucky CSA members are getting 2 pounds of roasted peppers! Most of the peppers will be mild Anaheim peppers, all I have had are very mild with great fruity flavor and very thick juicy walls.
I am going to post a few photos of how I used my roasted chiles this week to maybe inspire a few ideas. But also check out our past recipes here for green chili or green chili sauces, breakfast potatoes, casseroles and more. Remember too, you can stash some roasted peppers away in your freezer to use this winter.
After cleaning the charred skin and most of the seeds off the chiles I have been making sandwiches and salads with them. They are so mild and tasty we have been eating them like we would tomatoes or cucumbers…just eating them. Nothing fancy.
I got some ground beef from Gamma Grass and Livestock. They are selling their grass fed beef at the farmers markets around here and also at some of our CSA pickups (This week on Wednesday at our farm on 63rd St and on Thursday at our store in Lafayette! Pick some up for dinner). I love supporting local food and this is so tasty – like expensive bison. I cooked a burger and stacked two roasted peppers and as many vegetables as I could fit on top! That orange stuff is cheese, it got kind of translucent when I melted it, but darn, it was good. I did the same ‘stack’ a few nights later with a veggie burger (if beef isn’t your thing) and it was so delicious too.
I get home pretty late on nights I work and I’m hungry and I want something fast. Grilled cheese sandwiches are often what we have. I always add some vegetable from the farm to my grilled cheese, kale grilled cheese has always been one of my favorites. This might be my new favorite now, grilled roasted pepper with tomato and cheese.
Fall is sneaking up on us, enjoy the summer vegetables for a few more weeks.
See you at pickup.
Mo
Hello CSA Members!
As a write this, we’re enjoying a reprieve from the heat, looking out over a misty field and catching up on tasks before the weekend, so we can be ready to hit the ground running again on Monday for our 15th week of CSA.
When you work on a farm, sometimes the smallest and strangest things can just make your day… like these two Anaheims hugging each other! Come see for yourselves how relaxing and fun it can be to be out in the field. Visit us during one of our Saturday U-Pick events, and meet our harvest manager, store manager, and the team that brings you such delicious food every week!
Here is what we hope to bring you during week 15:
Regular Share
1 – Herb Choice
2 – Roasted Anaheims
3 – Eggplant or Tomatillos
4 – Zucchini or Cauliflower
5 – Onions
6 – Tomatoes
7 – Melons or Sweet Peppers
Large Share Additions
Potatoes
Choose 2 from Zone 4
Choose 2 from Zone 7
Fruit
Peaches and Plums
Salsa is basically salad, right? This is a very very basic raw salsa that comes together in less then 5 minutes and can be endlessly adapted to whatever you have or are serving. Start with this basic recipe. The flavors are intense so adding other ingredients are fun because they don’t get lost. Try adding some black beans, corn or tomatoes to make it more of a salad or relish or you could blend in some avocado to make it creamy. Adding some crumbly cheese like feta might complement a dish you are serving it with like burritos or tacos?
I used only 6 ingredients;
I put it in a blender all at once and ran it until it was smooth and add salt and pepper and tasted it if I needed more lime or salt.
Voila Simple as is but have fun to make your special house salsa with your own add-ins.
Have a great week. I’ll see you at pickup.
Mo
Hello CSA Members!
I hope you’re all staying cool with the return of the 90s (and whew–we’re looking at 100 soon).
Two of my personal favorites are in full swing right now: cantaloupe and fire roasted peppers. I thought I truly disliked melon (you know, the tasteless orange and green chunks in restaurant fruit salad??), until I tasted the Red Wagon cantaloupe! Now, I’m head over heels for it.
And on my late nights when I don’t have energy to make a fancy spread (like fried green tomatoes and an eggplant gratin), I like to smother roasted Anaheims in whatever cheese I have on hand and call it a meal. I’m always up for hearing your ideas, too. Aside from Mo’s phenomenal food blog, I’ve gotten some incredible recipes from some of you, too!
Here is what we hope to bring you during week 14:
Regular Share
1 – Roasted Peppers
2 – Bell Peppers
3 – Eggplant or Tomatillos
4 – Melons or Spicy Peppers
5 – Zucchini, Cucumbers, or Green Tomatoes
6 – Onions
7 – Kale or Collards
8 – Tomatoes
Large Share Additions
Cauliflower
Double Tomato Share
Choose 2 from Zone 4
Fruit
Peaches and Plums
Summer is in full swing and we have lots of basil, that means it’s time to make some pesto.
Making it couldn’t be easier. You just need a few ingredients and most of them are pretty much optional. Don’t like garlic? Leave it out. Don’t have any nuts? OK it will be delicious without them. Want it vegan? Leave out the cheese or use a vegan option. Have extra herbs like mint or tarragon or any other soft herb? Add them! It will make it more interesting.
This recipe is for a fairly small batch. You can easily scale this up if you have more basil or other herbs. I gave a span of amounts in the recipe, so start with the small amount and taste and add more as needed.
Start by grabbing your bunch of basil.
You’ll notice I didn’t add salt or pepper. I used Parmigiana cheese and it was plenty salty. Taste and see if you need salt or not.
Strip the basil leaves off the stem. The soft stem on the top are ok to leave.
Combine basil, garlic, nuts, lemon, and the cheese in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the oil and purée until smooth. Taste and add more salt, lemon or oil if needed.
This made a little more than a cup which was plenty for a pound of pasta. If you have any leftover you can put it in a Ziplock bag or ice cube tray and freeze it for winter or add it to any salad, roasted or grilled vegetables or any grain dish. Pesto makes everything better.
I didn’t freeze my leftover pesto. I slathered on a few sandwiches.
Yay summer. Have a great week. I’ll see you at pickup.
Mo
Hello CSA Members!
What a joy it is to finally have tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes! Unearth your pizza stones, salad bowls, and canning gear.
We’ll be bringing peaches to our CSA pickups again this week. We’re selling them by the case and half case (great for pies, smoothies, and canning… or just snacks at any time of day!).
Here is what we hope to bring you during week 13:
Regular Share
1 – Herb Choice
2- Garlic
3 – Melons or Spicy Hot Peppers
4- Fresh Sweet Peppers or Roasted Chilies
5 – Eggplant or Tomatillos
6 – Zucchini or Cucumber
7 – Tomatoes
Large Share Additions
Choose Two from Zone 4
Choose Two from Zone 5
Onions
Fruit
Peaches and Nectarines
Hello CSA Members!
We are officially halfway through our CSA season. Hard to believe, isn’t it? It’s been such a joy seeing each and every one of you at the pickups.
We’re so excited that tomatoes are finally available! And hooray for the cooler weather lately. Our harvest crew is really enjoying it. :)
Here is what we hope to bring you during week 12:
Regular Share
Zone 1: TBD (good stuff)
Zucchini or Cucumbers
Eggplant or Peppers
Potatoes or Tomatillos
Onions
Chard, Kale, or Collards
Red Tomatoes
Large Share Additions
Double Melons
Cherry Tomatoes
Double Potatoes
Fruit
Peaches
Hello CSA Members!
It’s week 11, and we are just about in full swing with our eggplant crop. They’re gorgeous and tasty as all get-out. Tomatoes are ramping up, too. Some of you have already had a chance to pop into the store in Lafayette; it’s such a treat to see you twice a week!
Here is what we hope to bring you during week 11:
Regular Share
Herb Choice
Eggplant
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Potatoes
Spring Onions or Leeks
Greens Choice: Chard, Kale, or Collards
Large Share Additions
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Double Eggplant
Fruit Share:
None – this is a regularly scheduled break while we wait for the next fruit to ripen. We will have fruit again in another week or two.