June 15, 2010 CSA Newsletter

Pickup Week #2

Tuesday, June 15th

3pm-6pm

232 S. Birdsey
If there is inclement weather, come to our front porch to pick up your food If the weather is nice, we will be on the right side of the house, sitting in the shade. Please bring your own produce bags to help reduce waste.



This week’s share contains:

chive
lettuce: red & green
mint
oregano
rhubarb
spinach
Kale
edible violets

A Blessing of the Land

Olivet United Church of Christ is holding an informal blessing of the land, its produce, the gardeners and all those who will be recipients of the food grown. This event will occur at the Community Garden on June 16th at 6:30 p.m., rain or shine. Everyone is invited to attend this short service.

Compost Share

You reduce the amount you put into the landfill, and at the same time help us build healthy soil. You fill up an ice cream bucket/coffee can, etc. with food scraps, then bring your full bucket of compostables at the pick-up site when you pick up your share and we'll have an empty bucket waiting for you. This is good for you and your food, and good for the environment.

If you know of others who may want to participate, please pass on this message.

Acceptable:

• All fruit and vegetable peelings and pits

• Non greasy food scraps or leftovers

• Rice, pasta, bread, cereal etc.

• Coffee grounds with filter, tea bags

• Hair and nails (animal or human)

• Egg and nut shells

• Cut or dried flowers, wreaths

• Houseplants and potting soil

•Dryer lint

•Vacuum cleaner bag contents

Not acceptable:
• Meat, chicken and fish

• Greasy food scraps

• Fat and oil

• Dairy items: cheese, butter

• Dog or cat feces, Kitty Litter

• Coal or charcoal

• Coconuts

• Diseased and/or insect-infested houseplants and soil


What’s Happening in the Gardens
The gardens have been getting enough rain and they are growing profusely, as are the weeds. Weeds are taking up a good portion of our time right now. But since the food seems content, we will not complain.

The blue potatoes that were planted are sending up blue leaves and are very striking. The popcorn is growing tall, and the Swiss Chard variety Bright Lights is lovely.

We’ve been having a problem with the flea beetle, which eats holes in the leaves of plants. In last week’s share, the radishes had some damage to the leaves courtesy of the flea beetle. Fortunately, that is the extent of the harm done. Unfortunately, they love a variety of plants and are hard to control. We’ll be trying several different methods to see what works best. As the plants mature, the flea beetles will be less of a problem.

We welcome you to stop out for a tour. The kids are working hard, and all of us are feeling a little proud of our little farm. We’d love to show it to you.

We hope you enjoy this week’s share, and as always, we would love to know how things are going.

Greek-Style Grill Sauce

For lamb, chicken, fish, or vegetables

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2-3 tbs chopped fresh oregano

2 tsp minced garlic

Juice of one lemon

½ tsp ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Use this sauce to drizzle over grilled shoulder-cut lamb chops, chicken breasts, fish steaks, or “grillable” vegetables like eggplant or zucchini (cut into planks). Apply the sauce right after the food comes off the grill. Serve immediately. Inspired by a recipe from How to Cook Meat by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby. Makes enough for four servings.



Herbed Greek Salad

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

½ cup sliced black Greek olives

1 cup sliced radishes

¼ cup chopped green onions

2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs lemon juice

2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

2 tbs chopped fresh oregano

1 tsp chopped fresh basil

½ tsp chopped fresh thyme

1-2 tsp minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine cheese, olives, radishes, green onions, and cucumbers in a large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Toss dressing with vegetable mixture. Chill 1-2 hours. Makes 6-8 servings.


Have a fantastic week!

June 8 2010 CSA Newsletter

A huge welcome and a hearty “hello” to you! This is the first of weekly newsletters in which we will keep in touch with all the latest happenings. We are always eager to discuss our passion of the land, environmental sustainability, growing plants and cooking food, so please ask questions if there is something you would like to know.

We will be including recipes in our newsletters, and if you would like to contribute, we would love to include them.

This week: First produce pickup!

Tuesday, June 8th

3pm-6pm

232 S. Birdsey

If there is inclement weather, join us on the front porch to pick up your food and have a glass of lemonade. If the weather is nice, we will be on the right side of the house, sitting in the shade. Please bring your own produce bags to help reduce waste.

This week’s share:

cilantro

chive

daisies

dill

oregano

mint

rhubarb

radish

spinach

green onion

lettuce mix

A Blessing of the Land

Olivet United Church of Christ is holding an informal blessing of the land, its produce, the gardeners and all those who will be recipients of the food grown. This event will occur at the Community Garden on June 16th at 6:30 p.m., rain or shine. Everyone is invited to attend this short service.



Rhubarb

• Store wrapped in a damp towel or in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week.

• For long-term storage, rhubarb may be frozen (either cooked or raw). It should be washed, chopped, and drained. Place in airtight containers and freeze.

Rhubarbade  (Susan & Lee Greenler, Stoughton, WI)

Chopped rhubarb
Sugar

Puree rhubarb in food processor or juicer. Strain through cheesecloth-lined strainer, pressing solids. Let Stand several minutes, then skim froth from surface. Strain again. For every two cups rhubarb liquid add ¾-1 cup sugar and six cups of water, stirring until sugar dissolves. Serve iced. For every two cups rhubarb liquid, the yield is two quarts.

Cilantro

• Wrap cilantro in a damp towel or stand upright in a container with an inch of water, and refrigerate. Do not wash prior to refrigeration.

• Freeze fresh leaves in a plastic zip-lock bag. Remove air, seal, and freeze. Do not thaw before use.

• Cilantro is one of the few herbs that does not retain its flavor when dehydrated.



Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette  (Madison Herb Society Cookbook, K. Milanich)

2/3 cup (6 ounces) lime juice

3 tablespoons of minced garlic

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Pinch salt

2/3 cup packed cilantro leaves

2-4 dashes bottled hot pepper sauce

1 tablespoon cumin

¼ cup canola oil

Place all ingredients except the oil in a blender. Turn on blender and add oil very slowly through the “hole” in the middle. Use a little water if you lose the hole, but just enough to keep the little hole so the oil will get well blended. Makes about 1 ¼ cups.



Radish

• Store radishes for up to 2 weeks in a plastic bag or damp-wrapped in the refrigerator. Store green tops separately, wrapped in a damp towel in the hydrator drawer. Use as soon as possible.


Radish Bulbs & Greens Sauteed

2 bunches of radishes

1 ½ tablespoons butter

1 ½ tablespoons chopped green garlic

1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Salt and pepper

Clean radishes well, cut off and chop upper leaves, discarding the rest. Trim and quarter the bulbs. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high flame. Add quartered radishes and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Stir in greens, green garlic, and chives and cook until wilted, another 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. This is a great side dish with poached, steamed, or grilled fish. Makes 4-6 servings.

Mint

• Keep freshly picked mint in a glass of water in the refrigerator. Be sure to change the water periodically.

• Freeze fresh leaves whole in plastic zipper bags or minced in water in ice cube trays.



Minted Pears

1 pound pear halves

Juice of 1 lemon

½ cup sugar or ¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Peel pears and poach in wter with lemon juice. Drain pears into a bowl, reserving 1 cup of the liquid. Combine the liquid with sugar or honey and heat until sugar dissolves. Add fresh mint and simmer 10 minutes. Pour hot liquid (strained, if desired) over pears. Cool and chill thoroughly. Makes 4 servings.

Unless specified, recipes and food information taken from: From Asparagus to Zucchini: A guide to cooking farm-fresh seasonal produce, third edition, Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition.

Have a terrific week!

Kathy Raatz