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