CSA : 2007 Summer

CSA Week Eighteen

October 15, 2007

Notes from the Field:

This is it!
Thank you for a wonderful season!
We have had a good year!

We hope to see you back in 2008!

In the Basket:

In keeping with a bit of an Old Shaw Farm tradition, this last basket is heavy on the storage items.

Onions – A 5 pound bag. These onions should keep for quite a while if you have a relatively cool and dry place to keep them.

Carrots – Another 5 pound bag. These are our fall storage variety, and they have a little sweetness to them from the frost we had a week or two ago.

Potatoes – A 4 pound bag. These are a local heirloom variety called “Green Mountain”. They are an extremely dry potato, which makes them great for baking, and good for storage. Like the onions, a cool dry place is best. Perfect for these chilly evenings.

Spinach – A 3/4 pound bag. The spinach keeps going even after the frost has nipped the lettuce.

Kale – A big bunch. Another cold hardy green, which is both yummy and good for you! Try the Potato, Kale and Sausage Soup recipe.

Recipes:

CSA Week Seventeen

October 3, 2007

Notes from the Field:

It doesn’t get much better than this – sunny, mild, beautiful days. Tomorrow we plant our last planting of fall greens in one of our greenhouses, and then that is it – no more planting until next year. We still have a ton of work to do this fall. We still need to clear the greenhouses of tomatoes, plow the fields in and get the last of the cover crops down, and continue preparing a new piece of land for next year. But taking our weekly planting chores off the board frees up time to start getting ready for next year.

This is the second to last CSA distribution for 2007!! Next week is the last pick-up for the regular season. Please bring a bag with you for next weeks’ veggies. Also, please bring back any baskets you may have around the house next week.

We have big beautiful jack-o-lantern pumpkins and pie pumpkins and lots of gourds for your foliage displays. See us at market or stop by the house any time – the pumpkins are in the front yard.

Thursday, October 4 is Share the Harvest Day. Please shop that day at St. J Coop or Natural Provisions, or Hunger Mountain, or eat at Positive Pie or a number of restaurants in Montpelier and such. Participating businesses like these are donating 15% of their revenue that day to NOFA-VT’s Farm Share Program. Farm Share helps make a CSA subscription affordable for low income Vermonters. More information – and a list of participating businesses – is at www.nofavt.org

In the Basket:

Fall salad – Spinach, a few tomatoes, and some radishes for your crunch.

Collards – My favorite way to eat these are in ribbons. Take out the stem by slicing along the two sides. Stack up the leaves one on top of the other like sheets of paper, roll up like a cigar, cut across the short end as thinly as possible, and you end up with a bunch of thin ribbons. Wash the ribbons, heat up a cast iron skillet, put in oil, throw in the still damp collards and some chopped garlic, cook 3-4 minutes until bright green and just soft, salt and enjoy while hot.

Buttercup squash - Another family favorite. This is a richly flavorful winter squash. It is very dry. When I told someone at market on Saturday about the dryness, he said, all the better to absorb the butter! I like to cut it in half, remove the seeds, put on a cookie sheet cut side down, bake till soft, scoop out, add butter and enjoy.

Brussel Sprouts - Okay I can’t just write that everything is my favorite, but I really do love brussel sprouts. 

Recipes:

CSA Week Sixteen

September 29, 2007

Notes from the Field:

It is hard to believe, but it is now the middle of the end. It isn’t quite the beginning of the end anymore, but more like the middle. Foliage season is upon us, we have had a killing frost that thinned the vegetable herd, and now we have only this week and two more of the CSA left! The warm spell early this week doesn’t change much for us. The days are getting shorter and the nights longer, and that means the plants don’t grow as fast. So we will squeeze what we can out of these last few weeks, and then it is already time to think about next year.

Announcements:

Our annual basket amnesty is in operation – we need those baskets back when you get a chance! We started the season with over 100, and we only have about 20 on hand right now. Please bring back any baskets you may have – no questions asked!!

Also, we have jack-o-lantern pumpkins and pie pumpkins and lots of gourds for your foliage displays. See us at market or stop by the house. The pumpkins are out in the front yard, serve yourself style.

In the Basket:

Fall salad – Spinach and romaine lettuce can stand up to the cool evenings. And we still have a few tomatoes from the greenhouse.

Broccoli raab – This is a spicy Italian green that we love. There’s a recipe to eat it with pasta, or you can skip the pasta in the recipe and eat it as a side green. If you go looking for other recipe ideas, know that there are a lot of other names (and spellings) for this green: rapini, rabe, cime di rapa, etc. There was an interesting looking recipe on the blog Chocolate and Zucchini for Broccoli and Cornmeal Upside Down Cake, which one commenter said would be good with raab, but I haven’t tried it yet. If you do, let me know what you think!

Onions and garlic – This is the time of year we start stocking you up to help get you through those barren CSA-less weeks ahead. But we don’t want to overwhelm you yet, so just two pounds of onions and two heads of garlic this week.

Red potatoes and parsley – The red norlands are best boiled. Peter makes them with a little butter and mustard and some chopped up parsley.

Recipes:

CSA Week Fifteen

September 20, 2007

Notes from the Field:

Three frosty nights in a row have stopped some of our field crops in their tracks. So cucumbers, sungolds, melons are all in our rear view mirror for this year. But the cold hardy stuff continues on, as does some of the stuff we could cover. Salad turnips return this week, plus we have some kale, and winter squash – all harbingers of fall.

In some ways controlling the temperature isn’t the hard part about fall – between covering things in the fields and growing stuff in our greenhouses, we can keep temperatures up well into the fall. The real problem is that we start running out of daylight this time of year, which means that the plants. . . really . . . slow. . . down. . . in terms of their growth. It makes planning and managing your yields so much more challenging.

In the Basket:

Fall salad – lots of lettuce, salad turnips, tomatoes.

Cauliflower – Use it with the salad turnips to make something very white. CSAer Lisa Whitney likes to roast cauliflower: toss with olive oil and crushed garlic, roast at 450 for 20-30 minutes, till tender. CSAer Heather Copp likes it boiled and with butter and/or vinegar. When I was a kid we used to eat it raw dipped in mayonaise.

Delicata squash – The first of the winter squash. This has a very thin skin which you can peel with a vegetable peeler or leave on as you wish. I prefer it steamed, and Peter usually bakes it, either way it is good. Delicata cries out to be paired with a blue or similar cheese, and there is a delicata and blue cheese quiche recipe below.

Carrots – this year has only been so-so for our carrots, and this bunch we got planted a little late, so they are still nice and small and tender.

Kale – A cold hardy cooking green that is good for you to boot! Chop it up, steam it down, and add lots of butter. Or try “For the love of kale” CSAer Nichole Ruggles’ great recipe for kale and pasta.

Recipes:

CSA Week Fourteen

September 12, 2007

Notes from the Field:

Finally some rain. We had been really dry for about 3-4 weeks – to the point where most of our veggies stopped growing for a week or two, and some stuff beyond the reach of our rudimentary irrigation system had begun to die. It had been as dry as it had ever been in the five years we have been doing this. But now we are close to being back on track with the rain we had this week. Our fall salad turnips will pull through, for example, but they will be a week later than we had hoped. We also pulled the leeks this week and they are a little on the small side, but the lack of rain had really beat them up a bit. Don’t worry – they still have that leek-y goodness, and the potato leek recipe is still yummy.

Otherwise, as summer turns to fall we naturally say goodbye to some things. This week, for example, we don’t have any cucumbers – they are done for the season. But we also harvested a bunch of winter squash, gourds, and pumpkins this week. They will cure for a week or so before they are delivered to your plate.

In the Basket:

Summer treats – we won’t have them too much longer: Tomatoes and sun golds.

Good greens: lots of lettuce, lots of broccoli, and a big bunch of chard.

Potatoes and leeks – Pick a blustery day and make the potato leek recipe. A tasty fall treat. This was one of the most loved recipes from last year and one worth repeating.

Bunch o’ beets – Eat the beets, eat the greens. Good for you too.

Recipes:

CSA Week Twelve

August 29, 2007

Notes from the Field:

Transition time. As we look around the field and contemplate this week’s basket, we find ourselves at the boundary between summer and fall. Sure, there are still some tomatoes, sungolds, corn, and melons to be had. But this week we also have beets, cabbage and a couple more potatoes for you if you want to make some borscht (from the recipe on the back). Looking at what might be ready in the field over the next couple of weeks, Maryellen and I find ourselves looking forward to Wendy Stein’s potato leek soup recipe and Susan Houle’s winter squash soup recipe. Speaking of which, if you have recipes for Old Shaw vegetables, especially fall ones (brussel sprouts?) to share with other CSAers, please email us!!

It is hard to watch summer slip away, but fall is a great time for eating!

In the Basket:

Earliqueen Melons!! These are a different variety than the French melons we have been giving you, and it shows. The taste is good, but different, and the size is better.

Peppers. Peter picked a peck of peppers yesterday. Some are red, some are green, and some are even purple. You will probably get two out of three.

Beets and red cabbage. Get ready for fall. Borscht recipe.

Familiar favorites: Sun golds, ripe red tomatoes, sweet corn, sweet onion, and a potato or two in case you ran out from last week and want to try the borscht recipe on the back. You probably already have your favorite ways to cook with these, so we’ll just go to bed instead of trying to think of more to say. Enjoy!

Recipes:

CSA Week Eleven

August 24, 2007

Notes from the Field:

The big chill! While the rest of the country suffers through heatwave after heatwave, it has been in the low 40s each of that last three nights at our place. People in the veggie business (correctly) worry about frost dates, but a few cool nights in a row can really slow down the plant growth as well. With the cool nights, our eggplants and summer squash have slowed to a crawl, the celery is starting to bolt, and the sweet potatoes may not make it to the finish line. In fairness, it was always going to be a close call with the sweet potatoes, which after all are a sub-tropical plant, but 40 degree weather in August might be a deal killer for them. But all our plants, and those warm summer feelings, have all slowed way down.

On the other hand, we find ourselves starting to look around the field a little more this time of year, with an eye to fall. The winter squash and pumpkins are almost done, some leeks have sized up, and the brussel sprouts are coming along as well. It is hard to imagine that in a month we will be on the cusp of foliage season, but its true. So we will try to enjoy the remaining summer veggies while we can, even as we hunt through the closet for all the fleece sweaters.

In the Basket:

New this week:

Yukon gold potatoes: These are golden fleshed potatoes that are great for roasting. Cut into cubes of similar sizes, toss with olive oil and salt and other seasonings if desired, lay in a pan and roast till just brown on the outside.

Red pepper: These are an Italian variety that are sweet, even though they are pointy.

Late summer treats:

Charentais Melons!! A bit bigger than last week. The season is short but sweet!!!

Six ears of corn. We had enough to give everyone a dozen, but I told Peter that I thought that, based on feedback from last year, a dozen is too many for most people to handle all at once. Would you rather have had a dozen? Sweet enough to add to salad or boil just till hot and enjoy!!

Familiar favorites: Sun golds, ripe red tomatoes, lettuce, sweet onion, broccoli. You probably already have your favorite ways to cook with these, but lots more recipe ideas on the back!

Recipes:

CSA Week Ten

August 15, 2007

Notes from the Field:

Well, we have turned the corner and passed the half way mark of the CSA season. And right on cue, the seasons seem to be turning as well. Cooler nights and shorter days foreshadow the end of summer.

But the end is not here yet! This week the melons and corn make an appearance! And some celery, which is something we are trying for the first time this year. So enjoy what we have left of summer while you can!

In the Basket:

Charentais Melons!! They are mysteriously small, but still good. Sweet, complex, perfumed, firm, French. Enjoy.

Striped German tomatoes - This is a beautiful yellow and red streaked heirloom. I really love the regular red tomatoes we grow, but the Striped Germans (and the Moskvichs which were earlier in the season), I think do edge out the Buffalo on taste. Plus so gorgeous.

Celery - This is the first year we’ve done celery, let us know what you think!!

Familiar favorites: Sun golds, red leaf lettuce, garlic (2 heads), sweet onion (Alisa Craigs), Chard

Corn - Sweet summery golden goodness.

Broccoli - Two pounds this week. Try the Pasta with broccoli recipe.

Recipes:

CSA Week Nine

August 9, 2007

Notes from the Field:

A rockin midsummer basket!!! We take pride in our melons. We grow a french charentais melon that is amazing. But we are on the very Northern edge of melon viability, so there is always some anxiety about the melons. Right now they are small. Which could mean that melon season may be a little late - late August instead of mid-August. Or it could just mean that they will be small this year. Which could be due to any number of things: weak pollination (likely), weed pressure (possible), or soil fertility problems (unlikely).

In the Basket:

Tomatoes and basil - This is the perfect time of year for caprese salad - tomatoes, basil, mozzarella and olive oil. And Sarah gave us a great recipe for easy raw tomato spaghetti - the recipe is on the back.

Onions and cukes - Combine with the tomatoes for gazpacho. 

Beets and sun golds - Color, color, color! Boil the beets till fork tender, plunge into cold water, slip the skins off, dice, then put in the fridge and add to your salad all week. Cold cooked beets would also be great in a Nicoise type salad with the fingerlings and tomatoes.

Red leaf lettuce - Speaking of salad.

Green beans - Sarah had the great idea to add beans to pasta pesto - just toss them in the pasta cooking water along with the pasta, about 3-4 minutes before its all done.

French fingerling potatoes - These are a specialty heirloom potato known for their rich, earthy flavor and for their dense, firm flesh that holds together well when parboiled or roasted. We like them boiled with butter, but they are also great for potato salad, especially a Nicoise type salad with tomatoes, tuna, olives, and a light garlicky olive oil and lemon juice dressing. If you boil them, stop cooking before they are soft – as soon as a knife can easily pierce the skin. Dress them while still warm so that they absorb the flavors of the dressing.

Recipes:

CSA Week Eight

July 31, 2007

Notes from the Field:

The bounty, the bounty, the bounty. These are the salad days, so to speak. And right on cue we actually have some salad greens for you this week. We are still battling the residual effects of all that rain a few weeks ago, but things have dried out and warmed up enough so we have some mesclun for you, and some head lettuce for our stand. Also, this time of year is fun because we can add something new each week as our crops come in – this week we welcome some crunchy carrots and some sweet onions.

In the Basket:

Mesclun - Insta salad for those hot lazy nights. Throw in some tomatoes, some grated cabbage, and some chopped up carrots and you have a salad meal on your hands.

Tomatoes - Two pounds of the red beauties. For the salad or for stacking on a plate with a little balsamic vinegar on top. Or try Charise’s pico recipe. Yum!

Sun golds - The cherry tomatoes have arrived in full force, and since we have some many requests for the sungolds, we decided to double up this week.

Red cabbage - This is the weather for cole slaw. You could add in the carrot and onion and make it fancy. Two recipes on the blog for cole slaw.

Carrots - First of the season! We will have more in the fall, but this mid-season variety holds up to the summer heat well and retains its carroty taste.

Sweet onion - These are for eating soon because they will not keep and should be refrigerated.

Broccoli - Something green for the basket and good for your body.

Recipes: