2019 CSA Share ~ Week #9
“The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.”
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Salsa Box! This week we will give the ingredients to make some salsa! We always like to let you know, as there will be jalapeño peppers in the box….we want to make sure that any little fingers reaching in for those strawberries don’t accidentally grab the jalapeño and get a big surprise!
Strawberries! We will continue to prioritize CSA members receiving their promised amount of berries, but will send along flats to members when we can. Reserve your flat and if you have a definite date you need them by, we will do our best to accommodate you.
Beef! Thank you to all who got a beef delivery last week. Part of our biodynamic philosophy is having animals be a holistic component to our farms’ fertility. We will have another cow harvest in October, so if you are thinking of partaking, start cleaning out your freezer! Pasture raised meat is full of vitamins and minerals, and can set you up for eating locally all year long!
That’s My Farmer Benefit Dinner! It’s almost time for the 4th Annual dinner at Party Downtown. Owner/chefs Mark Kosmicki and Tiffany Norton will cook up a fantastic menu with farm fresh meat and produce contributed by the farmers. This year the dinner will be on September 30th at 6pm. Tickets will be $50 per dinner….$30 of that goes into the That’s My Farmer Low Income Fund to subsidize CSA Shares for those unable to afford them. Reserve your seat by sending a check to Winter Green Farm (made out to That’s My Farmer) at 89762 Poodle Creek Rd., Noti, OR 97461.
WHAT’S IN YOUR SHARE THIS WEEK:
- Carrots
- Lettuce ~ Red Oak Leaf or Frilly Romaine
- Zucchini
- Cucumbers
- Cilantro
- Tomatoes
- Jalapeños
- Strawberries
- Green Onions
SOMES SITES ONLY
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Eggplant
- Green Beans
RECIPES:
Tomato Fennel & White Bean Stew
Zucchini Bread with Cherries, Chocolate & Cardamom
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Havarti cheese
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 egg, beaten
- everything bagel spice, for sprinkling
- fresh chopped chives
Steps:
Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onions and honey and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking another 5-10 minutes or until the onions are golden and caramelized. Add the garlic, and thyme, cook another minute. Remove from the heat.
3. In a bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, basil, crushed red pepper, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
4. Lay the pastry sheet flat on a clean, floured surface. Gently roll the sheets out to stretch slightly. Cut each sheet into 4 squares and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Evenly top each square with onions, leaving a 1/4 inch border. Top with both kinds of cheese and then mound the tomatoes over the cheese, pressing them into the cheese to adhere slightly (see above photo).
5. Fold the edges of the pastry inward to enclose the tomatoes. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle with everything spice. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the tomatoes burst. Top with fresh thyme and chives.
Cauliflower Fritters ~ sent in by member Beth Lemen, given to her son by his teacher from an after school SUN program, run by Latino Network. They love it!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 head cauliflower
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 eggs
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup canola oil
STEPS:
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Cut the cauliflower into florets and peel the garlic, leaving git whole, and place in a mixing bowl. Toss in 2 Tbsp oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, flour, and eggs in the same mixing bowl you used before. Set aside.
- When the cauliflower and garlic are done cooking, transfer them to a food processor and roughly chop using pulses. Combine the cauliflower/garlic mixture with the other ingredients in the mixing bowl. You want the mixture to be somewhat wet, but if the mixture is very wet, slowly add more flour.
- Preheat a sauce pan with canola oil on medium high heat. Add golf ball sized dollops of the cauliflower mixture and press flat with a spatula. When sides are golden brown, flip the fritters and cook on the other side.
- Serve on paper towels to absorb the extra oil.
Patty Pan squash and green zucchini
Farmer Spotlight:
Meet one of our newest additions to Winter Green Farm, Ayla. Ayla is one of our youngest crew members this season, at just 18 she makes a great addition to our team! Ayla graduated high school and traveled north with dreams of farming in beautiful Oregon. Originally from Santa Cruz, California, we are thrilled to be a stop of Ayla’s post graduation journey. Ayla works on our field crew all week, harvesting many of the delicious veggies you get in your boxes and at our markets. Ayla is enjoying country living at its’ finest this season, since she’s camping out on the farm for the entire summer. We appreciate her positive attitude and hard working demeanor everyday. When she isn’t working hard in the fields, she enjoys art projects and learning new recipes. We can’t wait to see what she does next!
My hope is that through introducing small pieces of our crew through the blog we will all feel a little more connected to who’s growing our food. It’s nice to be able to picture the folks that are working so hard to grow beautiful produce. And this way if you ever see them around town, you can say hi! I hope you enjoy these little highlights of our crew this year, we are so lucky at Winter Green to have so many great helping hands- a farm this size sure takes a village!
Enjoy your veggies this week! -Hayley and the Winter Green Farmers