Now Taking Members for our 2012 Veggie CSA

Download a brochure here to sign up. If you sign up by December 31st, it's $10 off the share price. We will once again offer pick up locations at the Saxaphaw General Store and Carrboro Farmers' Market. 

Veggie CSA - FINAL WEEK

Half Shares:

Radishes - 1 bunch - $2.75
Collards - 1 bunch - $2.50
Baby Bok Choy - 1 bunch - $2.50
Summer Squash - 1 pound - $2.50
Eggplant - 1 pound - $3.00
Winter Squash - 1.5 pounds - $3.00
TOTAL - $16.25

Full Shares:

Radishes - 1 bunch - $2.75
Collards - 1 bunch - $2.50
Baby Bok Choy - 1 bunch - $2.50
Summer Squash - 1 pound - $2.50
Eggplant - 1 pound - $3.00
Cucumbers - 1 pound - $2.00
Swiss Chard - 1 bunch - $2.50
Winter Squash - 2 pounds - $4.00
Peppers - 1 pound - $4.00
TOTAL - $25.75

Veggie CSA Week #16

Half Shares:

Tomatoes - 1 pound - $3.00
Eggplant - 1 pound - $3.00
Basil - 1/8 pound - $1.50
Sweet bell peppers - 1 pound - $4.00
Poblano/Anaheim chiles - 1/2 pound - $2.00
Mizuna greens - 1/4 pound - $2.50
TOTAL - $16.00

Full Shares:

Tomatoes - 2 pounds - $6.00
Eggplant - 1 pound - $3.00
Basil - 1/8 pound - $1.50
Sweet bell peppers - 1 pound - $4.00
Poblano/Anaheim chiles - 1/2 pound - $2.00
Mizuna greens - 1/2 pound - $5.00
Shishito peppers - 1 pint - $3.00
TOTAL - $24.50


Finally... basil! This is the first picking from a new planting, so what we are harvesting is close to the ground. With all the rain we've been getting, (!!!) the leaves are a little dirty, so give them a rinse before eating. Basil is too fussy for us to confidently wash/dry/bag it and have it retain its quality.

Mizuna is an Asian green that is also sometimes called Japanese Mustard. It has a peppery, spicy flavor, but milder than arugula. We love adding it to soups and stir fries, and sometimes we will top a pasta or meat dish with a handful of the greens.

As a reminder, the CSA will end the first week of September. If you have any of your share boxes lying around the house, garage, or the trunk of your car, please remember to bring them back. Thanks!

Veggie CSA Week #15

Half Shares:

Tomatoes - 2 pounds - $6.00
Arugula - 1/4 pound - $2.50
Sweet Bell Peppers - 1/2 pound - $2.00
Potatoes - 1 pound - $2.00
Onions - 1 pound - $2.50
TOTAL - $15.00

Full Shares:

Tomatoes - 3 pounds - $9.oo
Arugula - 1/2 pound - $5.00
Sweet Bell Peppers - 1 pound - $4.00
Potatoes - 2 pounds - $4.00
Onions - 1 pound - $2.50
TOTAL - $24.50

Veggie CSA Week #14

Half Shares:

Tomatoes - 2 pounds - $6.00
Potatoes - 1.5 pounds - $3.00
Onions - 1 pound - $2.50
Sungold Cherry tomatoes - 1 pint - $3.00
Poblano & New Mexico peppers - 1/2pound - $2.00
TOTAL - $16.50

Full Shares:
Tomatoes - 3 pounds - $9.00
Potatoes - 3 pounds - $6.00
Onions - 2 pounds - $5.00
Eggplant - 1 pound - $3.00
Poblano & New Mexico peppers - 1/2# - $2.00
TOTAL - $25.00

Veggie CSA Week #13

Half Shares:

Tomatoes - 2 pounds - $6.00
Green Beans - 1 pound - $4.00
Cabbage - between 3-4 pounds - $7.00
Serrano Peppers - 5 peppers - $1.00
Cucumbers - 3/4 pound - $1.50
TOTAL - $19.50


Full Shares:

Tomatoes - 3 pounds - $9.00
Green Beans - 2 pounds - $8.00
Cabbage - between 4-5 pounds - $9.00
Shishito Peppers - 1 pint - $3.00
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes - 1 pint - $3.00
Serrano Peppers - 5 peppers - $1.00
TOTAL - $33.00

"Why are we getting so much cabbage?"

You will notice that 3-4 pounds of cabbage is a LOT of cabbage, and we noticed it too. The reason you're getting so much (and we raised the weekly dollar amount to accommodate) is because we have it and we need to find homes for it. This spring, we grew a lot of both green and red cabbage with the plan to harvest and store it for later sale. But the harvest was so good that we STILL have some in our cooler. So... we are hoping you will be excited for coleslaw, cabbage soup, sauerkraut.... etc, etc. Remember, cabbage stores excellently. Many times, what you buy in the grocery store has been in cold storage for 6 months or more. So, don't feel like you have to eat it all in one week. Just put it in a plastic bag, and store in the refrigerator. The outer leaves may turn yellow, just peel back a layer or two, and all will be good again. Below, we have lots of links and recipes for you. Also, cabbagerecipes.org has a bunch.

"Where is all the squash and basil?"

Some of you (especially those who were members of our CSA in previous years) may be wondering why you're not swimming in too much zucchini or squash or basil. It is, after all, the height of summer, and these crops usually are so prolific we're scrambling to make zucchini bread and pesto just to put a dent in it. Unfortunately, this has not been the best squash (or cucumber, for that matter) year for us. Our first two plantings succumbed to insect pressure (cucumber beetle and vine borer, mostly). Yesterday, we planted one last attempt at some late summer squash, so, we'll see how it goes. A similar situation with the basil, but more will be planted later this week, and hopefully we'll be harvesting in a few weeks.

Cabbage Recipes

COLCANNON (one of my favorites, and another use for all your potatoes)

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup sliced green onions (apx. 8)
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed (apx. 2 pounds)
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 small cabbage (apx. 1 pound), cooked, drained, and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Preparation:

Heat butter in a skillet set over medium heat and sauté green onions until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add potatoes and stir to combine. Add milk and gently stir over low heat. Add cabbage, salt and pepper, reduce heat to low, and stir until heated through.

SAUERKRAUT (according to Margaret)

Sauerkraut is simple! You'll need: cabbage, glass or ceramic jars, water, salt (I use non-iodized salt), and anything else you want to put in it. Things I like to add: onions, garlic, ginger, peppers (bell or hot), carrots, cumin & mustard seeds (a very few of these will add flavor). I also like to put a little or a lot of purple cabbage in my kraut: it turns the whole thing pink!

1. Chop (or run through the food processor) the cabbage to the size you want to eat it

2. Bruising the cabbage will release more of the bacteria that make it ferment into kraut. I put my cut up cabbage in a plastic grocery bag and whack it with a mason jar; something less breakable will work fine too.

3. If you're adding anything else to your kraut, now is the time to mix it all up in a big bowl.

4. Stuff the cabbage (or cabbage plus other stuff) into the jar/s you'll be using to ferment. Leave 2-3" at the top.

5. Mix your brine. I use non-iodized salt and I add salt until it tastes like sea water.

6. Pour the brine over the cabbage mixture. Cover the cabbage with a little extra space to spare, but leave some room at the top too: fermentation creates bubbles that will make the liquid level rise and potentially overflow. If you have anything that will fit in your jar/fermentation container that weighs down the cabbage so that pieces don't float to the top, that makes your job a little easier.

7. Cover your jar with fabric- I just use a washcloth with a rubber band holding it around the neck. Your kraut has to breath, so don't seal it up!

8. Put your kraut somewhere you can check on it daily (the ambient temperature in your house should be fine for it, unless you keep your house really cold) - the floaters on the top will mold if you leave them there for a week. I check on my kraut daily and use a fork to squeeze out the air bubbles and push the floaters back down into the liquid.

9. Your kraut should start getting krauty in about a week. I like to let mine ferment at least two weeks, after which point I put it in the fridge (it's OK to seal it in the fridge), which drastically slows down the process. If your kraut still tastes salty, it's probably not done.

Enjoy! Sauerkraut has lot of beneficial bacteria in it that are good for you, and it's delicious!

Veggie CSA Week #12

Half Shares:

Tomatoes - 2 pounds - $6.00
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes - 1 pint - $3.00
Cantaloupe - 1 - $3.00
Potatoes - 1 pound - $2.00
Onions - 1 pound - $2.50
TOTAL - $16.50

Full Shares:
Tomatoes - 3 pounds - $7.50
Cantaloupe - 2 - $6.00
Eggplant - 1 pound - $3.00
Potatoes - 2 pounds - $4.00
Onions - 1.5 pounds - $3.75
TOTAL - $24.25

Veggie CSA Week #11

Half Shares:

Tomatoes – 2.5# - $7.50
Cantaloupe – 1 - $3.00
Shishito Peppers – 1 pint - $3.00
Eggplant – 1# - $3.00
TOTAL - $16.50

Full Shares:

Tomatoes – 4# - $12.00
Cantaloupe – 2 - $6.00
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes – 1 pint - $3.00
Green Peppers – 2 - $1.00
Squash – 1 pound - $2.50
Jalapeno Peppers – 2 - $0.50
TOTAL - $25.00


Sorry I didn't post anything last week... we had an opportunity to go to the beach for a few days, and got back on Tuesday morning. While I was physically on the farm, I think I left my brain sitting on the beach for a day or so after returning.

TOMATOES!! They're here, and for the moment, there are a lot of them. While our first planting is quickly succumbing to early blight (or some sort of disease), we do have another smaller planting so hopefully we can stretch out the season longer than we have in years past.

Half shares are getting Shishito peppers this week, my new favorite snack! Just heat a skillet with olive oil (enough to generously cover the bottom of the pan). When it's nice and hot, throw the peppers in whole, stem and all. Stir-fry them for a few minutes, until they start to brown and blister and are warmed all the way through. Put on a plate and sprinkle generously with coarse sea salt (or any salt...) and snack away! Yum.

The melons are cantaloupes, orange fleshed and very sweet. They all should be ripe and ready to eat, but if your melon is still a little green in the ribbing, just set it on the counter for a day or so. There are a few melons that are not orange fleshed, but more of a creamy white/green flesh. So... if you cut your melon open and it's not orange, don't worry, it'll still be nice and sweet.

Veggie CSA Week #9

Half Shares:

Lettuce - 1 head - $2.50
Cucumbers - 1 pound - $2.00
Green Onions - 1 bunch - $2.00
Potatoes - 2 pounds - $4.00
Green Beans - 1/2 pound - $2.00
Cabbage - approx. 2 pounds - $4.00
TOTAL - $16.50

Full Shares:

Lettuce - 1 head - $2.50
Cucumbers - 1 pound - $2.00
Green Onions - 1 bunch - $2.00
Potatoes - 3 pounds - $6.00
Green Beans - 1 pound - $4.00
Cabbage - approx. 3 pounds - $6.00
Tomatoes - 1 pound - $3.00
TOTAL - $25.50

Veggie CSA Week #8

Half Shares:

Potatoes - 2# - $4.00
Sugarloaf Radicchio - 1 head (or 2 small)- $2.50
Leeks - 1/2 pound - $1.50
Green Beans - 1 pound - $4.00
Onions - 1 pound - $2.50
Cucumbers - 1/2 pound - $1.00
TOTAL - $15.50

Full Shares:

Potatoes - 3# - $6.00
Sugarloaf Radicchio - 1 head (or 2 small) - $2.50
Leeks - 1 pound - $3.00
Green Beans - 1.5# - $6.00
Onions - 1.5# - $3.75
Cucumbers - 1# - $2.00
Basil - 1/4# - $2.50
TOTAL - $25.75

Veggie CSA Week #7

Half Shares:

Lettuce - 1 head - $2.50
Cabbage - approx. 2# - $4.00
Carrots - 1 bunch - $3.00
Cutting Celery (Herb) - $2.00
Green Onions - 1 bunch - $2.00
Cucumbers - 1# - $2.00
TOTAL - $15.50

Full Shares:

Lettuce - 1 head - $2.50
Cabbage - approx. 3# - $6.00
Carrots - 1 bunch - $3.00
Cutting Celery (herb) - $2.00
Green Onions- 1 bunch - $2.00
Cucumbers - 2 pounds - $4.00
Squash - 1 pound - $2.50
Fennel - 2 bulbs - $4.00
TOTAL - $26.00

Well, here we are, already one week into June. This month, here at the farm, signals the transition from spring crops to summer crops, and with the heat of the last few weeks, that transition has been rapid. No more radishes, turnips, sugar snap peas, kale, or cilantro, but we will start seeing onions, potatoes, squash, and soon tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. The lettuce will continue for a few more weeks. We grow a heat tolerant variety called Summer Crisp. This is a sort of intermediate between iceberg and green leaf lettuce, higher water content so it doesn't get bitter in the summer heat like the other lettuces do. Even this type doesn't hold up all summer here in the hot, humid South, but we will at least see it for another week or two.

A new herb in your boxes this week is "Cutting Celery". This herb could be mistaken for flat-leafed parsley--the two are related and part of the carrot family (Apiaceae). Cutting celery has a more pungent flavor than grocery-store celery, and can be substituted for regular celery in most recipes. A few sprigs can replace one large celery stalk. We chop it finely and add it to tuna salad, yum!

The first round of cucumbers (the ones in your boxes this week) aren't as pretty as I would like them to be. We were overrun by the Cucumber Beetle early on , the first few weeks after planting. Although they're gone now (short life cycle), they left their mark on the first fruits. Just peel or cut off the affected spot, it's only superficial, and just on the very tip, mostly. The ones we harvest later are looking less flawed.

In the next few weeks, you'll be seeing potatoes, beans, more of our awesome onions, more leeks, and, at the end of June, finally, tomatoes, melons and the first of the peppers (serranos & jalapenos)

Stay cool! :)

Veggie CSA Week #6

Half Shares:

Lettuce - 1 head - $2.50
Summer Squash - 1# - $3.00
Leeks - 1# - $3.00
Carrots - 1 bunch - $3.00
Sugar Snap Peas - 3/4# - $3.75
Basil - 1/8# - $1.25
TOTAL - $16.50

Full Shares:

Lettuce - 1 head - $2.50
Summer Squash - 1.5# - $4.50
Leeks - 1.5# - $4.50
Carrots - 2 bunches - $6.00
Sugar Snap Peas - 1# - $5.00
Basil - 1/4# - $2.50
TOTAL - $25.00

Veggie CSA Week #5

Half Shares:

Sugar Snap Peas - 3/4# - $3.75
Beets - 1 bunch - $3.00
Carrots - 1 bunch - $3.00
Turnips - 1 bunch - $3.00
Kale - 1 bunch - $2.50
Onion - 1 - $1.50
TOTAL - $16.75

Full Shares:

Sugar Snap Peas - 1.5# - $7.50
Beets - 1 bunch - $3.00
Carrots - 1 bunch - $3.00
Turnips - 1 bunch - $3.00
Lettuce - 1 head - $2.50
Summer Squash - 1# - $3.00
Onion - 2 - $3.00
TOTAL - $25.00

Veggie CSA Week #4

Half Shares:

Strawberries - 1 pint - $3.50
Sugar Snap Peas - 1/2 pound - $2.50
Lettuce - 1 head - $2.50
Spinach - 1/2 pound - $3.00
Broccoli Raab - 1 bunch - $3.00
Radishes - 1 bunch - $2.75
TOTAL - $17.25

Full Shares:

Strawberries - 2 pints - $7.00
Sugar Snap Peas - 1 pound - $5.00
Lettuce - 1 head - $2.50
Spinach - 1 pound - $6.00
Broccoli Raab - 1 bunch - $3.00
Radishes - 1 bunch - $2.75
TOTAL - $26.25

Veggie CSA Week #3

Half Shares:

Strawberries - 2 pints - $7.00
Escarole - 1 head - $2.50
Lettuce mix - 1/4# - $2.00
Kale - 1 bunch - $2.50
Green Onions - 1 bunch - $2.00
Cilantro - 1 bunch - $2.00
TOTAL - $18.00


Full Shares:

Strawberries - 3 pints - $10.50
Escarole - 1 head - $2.50
Kale - 1 bunch - $2.50
Swiss Chard - 1 bunch - $2.50
Lettuce mix - 1/2# - $4.00
Cilantro - 1 bunch - $2.00
Bok Choy - 1 large - $2.00
TOTAL - $26.00


Escarole and White Bean Soup (My favorite way to eat escarole!)

(NOTE: I have made this without the canned tomatoes, and it came out quite tasty....)

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 head escarole (about 1 pound), washed, dried, and torn into pieces
8 cups chicken stock
2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1 small chunk Parmesan rind
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add escarole and sauté until wilted, about 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock, Parmesan, beans, and tomatoes. Cover and simmer on medium low heat until escarole is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Yield: 8 servings.

Veggie CSA Week #2

Half Shares:
Strawberries - 1 pint - $3.50
Lettuce - 1 head - $2.50
Baby Bok Choy - 1 bunch - $2.50
Turnips - 1 bunch - $3.00
Arugula - 1/4# - $2.00
Swiss Chard - 1 bunch - $2.50
TOTAL - $16.00

Full Shares:
Strawberries - 2 pints - $7.00
Lettuce - 1 head - $2.50
Baby Bok Choy - 1 bunch - $2.50
Radishes - 1 bunch - $2.75
Kale - 1 bunch - $2.50
Dill - 1 bunch - $2.00
Green onions - 1 bunch - $2.00
Spicy greens mix - 1/2# - $4.00
TOTAL - $25.25

Baby Bok Choy & Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:

2 heads baby bok choy (or one head of big bok choy)

1 15oz can black beans, drained

1 head spring garlic

1 bunch spring onions

3 tbsp. cider vinegar

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

¼ cup olive oil

Directions:

Chop up bok choy stems and leaves into 1 inch strips. Chop garlic and onions and mix with bok choy and black beans. Mix together vinegar, mustard, and oil and pour over salad and toss. Cover it up and throw it in the fridge for at least an hour (a few hours is better especially if you’re using big bok choy). Taste it and add salt and pepper if you want – it usually does fine by itself.

Veggie CSA Week #1

Half Shares:

Lettuce - 1 head - $2.50
Kale - 1 bunch - $2.50
Cilantro - 1 bunch - $2.00
Bok Choy - 1 head - $2.00
Radishes - 1 bunch - $2.75
Broccoli Raab - 1 bunch - $3.00
Garlic - 2 - $1.50
TOTAL - $16.25

Full Shares:

Lettuce - 2 heads - $5.00
Kale - 1 bunch - $2.50
Bok Choy - 2 heads - $4.00
Cilantro - 1 bunch - $2.00
Radishes - 1 bunch - $2.75
Swiss Chard - 1 bunch - $3.00
Garlic - 2 - $1.50
Arugula - 1/4 pound - $2.50
Turnips - 1 bunch - $3.00
TOTAL - $26.75

Hello everyone and welcome to our 2011 CSA season! We've been working hard to get ready for deliveries, and we are excited about what we are offering this week. As you all know, we do grow strawberries, specifically for our CSA members (although we are known to have plenty for sale at market as well). Our strawberries are looking great, but they just are a little late in ripening. We spotted 2 (yes, TWO!) berries turning from white to red this morning, and there are plenty more on the way. So, unfortunately, no strawberries in your boxes this week, but I would say most definitely they will be there next week. YAY!

Spring in North Carolina means greens, and lots of them! This is by far my favorite time of year - lots of lettuce, kale, swiss chard (!!) arugula, and did I mention lettuce? So for the next few weeks, until we start seeing the fruits of summer, you will be getting a lot of greens in your boxes. We will try to keep it exciting and alternate between them. We are not very fancy, and just heat up a wok or skillet with some olive oil and garlic, then add a big pile of whatever greens we might have (kale, chard, bok choy... even turnip greens or beet greens, add the root too!) and sautee for a few minutes. Sometimes we add a little broth and/or soy sauce and/or vinegar to the pan too. If you like sausage, crumbling a little into the greens mix is always a yummy touch.

Half shares are receiving broccoli raab this week (full shares should be getting some soon). Since this might be a new one for a lot of you, I'm posting a recipe for it below. And always remember, if you have a great recipe you want to share, please email it to us (castlemainefarm@gmail.com) and I'll post it for the group to see.

Pasta with Broccoli Raab and Sausage (of course, if you don't like sausage, just leave it out...)

Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta (any kind)
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup grated Parmesan (4 ounces)
• Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it’s no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute.
4. Add the broth and red pepper and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli rabe and simmer, covered, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Stir in the butter and Parmesan and cook, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Toss the pasta with the sausage mixture and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

By Sara Quessenberry, September 2005