2017 CSA ~ Week 4
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The July 1st monthly payment will be occurring this weekend. If you’ve set up a recurring payment with your debit or credit card, and any of your info has changed, please try to get in touch before the end of the week, so we can update your info and avoid a declined transaction….your effort on this will be much appreciated!
Next week is the July 4th holiday! We will be delivering CSA Shares as usual next Tuesday and Wednesday. If you have travel plans and will not be available to receive your share, please contact the office sooner than later to make arrangements, and learn what your options might be.
WHAT’S IN YOUR SHARE THIS WEEK:
- Carrots
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Swiss Chard
SOME SITES ONLY;
- Napa Cabbage
- Dutch Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Strawberries
RECIPES:
Mushroom & Spinach Italian Style
Tortellini in Broth w/Swiss Chard & Pecorino
Sweet & Sour Roasted Napa Cabbage Wedges
Kale Slaw w/Red Cabbage & Carrots
Welcome to the week and let’s say goodbye to June! We sure had a mix of weather during the course of this month….rain, cold, rain…and then hot, hot,hot! While we sure enjoyed the switch to sunshine and warm weather the past week or so, the crew is enjoying a bit of repreive with this front that has rolled through. Still no rain gear needed, but not as much sunscreen either….
This past weekend our crew worked to bring in the hay for the farm. They brought in over 600 bales of hay! Most of it will be used for bedding for the cows in the barn this winter, and some will go to the Via’s horses, and to the Overbaugh’s sheep. The high temps made the work challenging, but the crew worked together in good spirits. The crew in the photo not only work together, they play together too! After several years of sharing time on the farm, they all realized their shared love for music, and formed the Odd Fellows Picnic band. They have been recording some of their songs of late, so keep your eyes and ears open to possibly hear their music around town in the days to come.
This week you’ll all be receiving a nice bag of Spinach…it’s so sweet and delicious! My daughter, Michelle, just visited for a few weeks, before heading off to sail across the Atlantic Ocean to Ireland with her Dad, on the sailboat that she was raised on. They won’t have refrigeration, or lots of room for food storage, so we spent some time dehydrating greens for her. They will store easily, and be a nice to a meal at sea.
There are plenty of ways to used dehydrated greens even if you’re not at sea! One of my favorite ways to use them is in smoothies, where the strong taste and color of berries makes them invisible. I also put the greens into soups, stir fries, & casseroles, as well as into omelets, frittatas and quiche.
I thought I would share some dehydration ideas with you this week, since you have several types of greens in your share. There are so many ways to dehydrate veggies! A lot depends on the type of dehydrator you have, or whether you use your oven….I’ll just share basic info and you can experiment to adapt to the method you have at hand. There are also many types of dehydrators, and if you don’t have one, you might try the local thrift shops to find one to see if dehydrating is for you before spending money on a new model.
I like to use the darker greens and keep them separated, keeping Kale in one jar or vacuum seal bag, Spinach in another and so forth. I just wash the greens well, and let them dry on a towel, or use the towel to dry them off. I like to use smaller pieces, so they fit well into the dehydrator and store well. I usually tear the greens off the rib of the Kale, Swiss Chard or Collards, and compost the ribs.
I layer the greens in my dehydrator and use the Herb setting (each dehydrator is different, so see what is recommended for yours as far as temperature and timing). How long they stay in will really depend on a lot of things such as the temperature in your house, the humidity levels and the greens you are dehydrating. You want to dehydrate your greens until all of the water is removed; they should be crisp and crumble easily.
Once dry, you can store the greens in mason jars for daily use, or vacuum seal bags in the freezer for long term storage. You can either crumble the greens to create a smaller size, or you can leave the leaves whole and package and seal them. This allows you to rehydrate them in a bit of hot water and then add them to lasagna, egg dishes and more, just like you would fresh greens.
Happy dehydrating! Please feel free to share your favorite techniques or recipes with us!
Hope you all enjoy the rest of your week, and the weekend ahead…..and of course, your veggies!
Linda and all of your Winter Green Farmers