Trying to Catch Up!

From mid-April to Memorial Day, it has been a race to get things in the ground.  Fantastic weather this spring put us ahead of the game.  Unfortunately, well-timed rains also helped the weeds, and that has been the biggest struggle this summer. 

We have installed two rain barrels, with two more coming.  The good thing is we have not needed to water very often the whole month of June.  So the rainbarrels are full and Mother Nature has been taking care of the watering while we keep trying to keep up with the weeds.

Every day we get a minimum of one garbage can full of weeds, and most days we get two or three.  We compost the weeds to help make a very nutritious snack for our plants.  Right now we have a 2-bay compost system set up, and the third bay should be going up this week.  It's a very scientific process, and we are fortunate enough to have a volunteer take care of this.  Joel comes approximately every third day and turns the pile, analyzing what is needed - either "browns" like dried leaves, or "greens" like the weeds.

We can never get enough compost material, so we have enlisted our CSA members, our friends and neighbors, and have even resorted to snatching bags of leaves off the curb.  We have started a compost share to help keep things out of our landfills, and to help improve our soil.

Look Closely - but this is our compost bin made from pallets.

Compost Share

Good compost is black gold to gardeners, and we have been making our own. Approximately every 30 days we should have a new batch completed. The struggle we’ve been having is our personal kitchen waste cannot keep up with the demand. This is where you come in:

Fill up an ice cream bucket/coffee can, etc. with food scraps, and 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.

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

Above:  The first ripe radishes

Above:  The first radishes for the CSA Shares

Above:  Rain barrels & cardboard & straw bale mulch

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