CSA 2014 Week # 6

July 15, 2014

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  • Basil
  • lettuce
  • Sweet onions
  • Carrots
  • Broccoli
  • Zucchini
  • Collards
  • Blueberries

Some sites only:

  • New potatoes (German butterball)
  • Cucumber
  • Strawberries
  • Kale

Vegetable Handling and Preparation Tips:

IMGP4613BASIL: Remove basil leaves from stem. Place in a plastic bag or plastic container and refrigerate. Wash gently just before using. Fresh basil deteriorates very quickly so use promptly! For longer storage, make small bundles and hang to dry, make and freeze pesto, or freeze fresh leaves in a zip-lock (remove air, seal, and freeze). Toss whole leaves into salad or pasta, layer leaves on sandwiches and pizza, chop and sprinkle into salad dressing, soups, potatoes, eggs, and pastas.

IMGP4614CUCUMBERS: Cucumbers are best when eaten fresh, but will keep for up to a week in a drawer of your refrigerator. Cut or peeled cukes will stay fresh for only a few days. Wash cucumbers well before using. Peeling is optional for organic cucumbers. Try peeling skins in alternating strips for a decorative effect. Cut into spears and serve with dip, put slices on sandwiches, or marinate slices for cold cucumber salad.

IMGP4640NEW POTATOES: New Potatoes have not been in the ground long enough for their skins to cure, so they are very fragile. We did wash your potatoes for you, so you will need to keep them in the fridge in a plastic bag, and be sure to eat them soon. No need to peel them, as many of the nutrients are close to the skin.

New Potatoes are can be prepared in a number of ways. You can boil or steam them, roast them with other root veggies, or saute them with some onions for breakfast home fries.

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Potato plants in the field
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This beneficial bug was found crawling on a bunch of carrots, I couldn’t resist taking a photo, we are glad they are around the farm!
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The strawberries are coming back! You can look forward to more of these beauties in your upcoming boxes!
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We hope you are enjoying your blueberries, a true taste of summer!

Recipes!

Cinnamon Blueberry Muffins from Epicurious

Blueberry Scones from Annie’s Eats

Fresh Basil Recipes from eatingwell.com

New Potato Recipes from Marths Stewart

News From the Field

IMGP4608We are in for a hot week here on the farm! The crew has been getting here at six in the morning to bring in the harvest to beat the heat of the late afternoon. The boxes are beginning to fill with the warm weather loving vegetables and we are really excited about the bountiful harvests that we get to share with you.

This is the time of year that Wali Via, Winter Green Farm owner and compost expert will be working with the compost that he makes here on the farm. I wrote a feature story on our compost system last year and if you are new to the farm or want to check it out again, you can read all about it by following this link here.

We have loved seeing your posts and photos on our facebook page, of all the wonderful things you do with the vegetables in your box!, keep them coming! If you have any favorite recipes you have come across, or new and exciting ways to prepare or store your vegetables I would love to pass it on to your fellow CSA members here on the blog. You can email us at [email protected] or leave a comment here as well.

We hope you stay cool this week and enjoy the vegetables from your farm!

-Sara