Weekly CSA Newsletter 4

Casalegno Family Farm Weekly

Week of June 19 – 25, 2011

                                                                                                 

                    A few landmarks were reached this week here on the farm – The first beanpoles were erected and strings were put into place for the beans to begin climbing.  They grow so fast and will start to attach to anything they reach, including each other! The longer ones had become all entwined, so after the poles and strings were put up we gently untangled them and trained them up the strings.  This is a task that Grandma Casalegno is glad to still be able to help with – on her morning walk she will often go down the rows and help any stray vines find their way up the trellis.  At 89 we feel so lucky to have her and the wisdom and help she still imparts.  We expect the beans to be in sometime in the middle of July, and there are a lot of them this year to look forward to! •  We have started harvesting the first zucchini, some of you may have received some in your boxes already, and if not you will definitely have some before long!  Even though it is sort of silly to be excited about something that we will all be sick of by the end of summer I admit I really enjoyed adding the fresh tender squash to my stir fry last night. •  And the most exciting news of the week involves our treasured farm hand, Isabelle.  After many months of failed attempts she has finally caught her first gopher!!! Any of you that have tried will know that gopher trapping is not easy.  There seems to be either a level of experience necessary, or just a “knack” that some people have in order to be successful.  This not–so-little rodent had been wreaking havoc on some of the tomato plants, and true tomato lover and farmer that she is, Isabelle was determined to catch the pest.  And she did! We are so proud, and grateful!

    

                      

Detroit Dark Red  BEETS

I hope you guys are not tired of beets yet…..they really are very versatile and so healthy for you.  Really, no other vegetable can match the ruby intensity of the beet. Lore has it that beets are good for your blood, literally and figuratively. So while they take a little time to cook they're certainly worth it. Here are some tips for cooking beets. Wash the beets and trim the ends off before cooking TO ROAST: Place trimmed beets in a roasting pan and add a little water for steam, or toss with olive oil. Roast the beets at 425° for 30 to 45 minutes (cover the pan with foil) or until the beets are easily pierced with a knife. Slip off the skins under running water and slice or dice. TO BOIL: cook the beets for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender.  TO MICROWAVE: cook the beets with a little water for 8 to 15 minutes.

 They are great simply dressed with a vinaigrette, and can be served warm or at room temperature. If you're mixing beets with other vegetables (in a salad, for instance), cook and dress the beets separately and add them last. Their vivid color will seep into everything else otherwise.

Beet and Goat Cheese Crostini

Ingredients                                                                                                                                          • 3/4  pound beets (about 2 medium)  •  1 cup water  •  1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar                     •  1 teaspoon grated lemon rind  •  1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice      •  1/4 teaspoon sea salt   •  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper                     

 • 1 (5-ounce) package goat cheese  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or parsley           •  1/8  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper  •  1 garlic clove, crushed                            •  Diagonally cut French bread baguette, toasted

Preparation                                                                                                                               Preheat oven to 375°.  •  To prepare beets, leave root and 1 inch of stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place beets in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish; add 1 cup water to dish  •. Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until tender. •  Drain and cool. •  Trim off beet roots; rub off skins. Cut beets lengthwise into quarters, and cut each quarter crosswise into 9 (1/8-inch) slices.  •  In a medium bowl combine the vinegar, rind, juice, salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add beets; toss gently to coat.  •  Combine goat cheese, spices, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and garlic in a small bowl. •  Spread each baguette slice with 1 teaspoon cheese mixture; top with 3 slightly overlapping slices of beet.                      

KALE SALAD

 Thanks to Amber Sumrall for this delicious raw kale salad idea!

1 Bunch Kale

Red Onion

Mandarin Oranges

Dried Cranberries

Black Olives or Kalamata Olives

Avocado

Grated Parmesan or Asiago Cheese

Drizzle lemon juice over salad & add dressing of your choice.

Add anything else you want, Sunflower Seeds, Croutons, etc.

Honey Carrots

1 lb of carrots, scrubbed and cut into 2” lengths
1/2 medium onion, chopped.
3/4 cups of chicken stock
1 tablespoons of parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon of honey
1/2 tablespoon of butter
½ teaspoon of thyme

Directions:

In a suitably sized skillet, melt the butter over a medium heat.
Cook the chopped onion, stirring, until softened.
Add the baby carrots, chicken stock, honey and thyme; then simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes until the liquid evaporates and the carrots are tender.
Stir in the parsley.  Serve as desired.

This week we are happy to feature delicious strawberries from our neighbors at Everett Family Farm.  Their farm stand is right down the road from us, and many you of pass it on your way up to the farm.  Like us, they also grow organic produce, free-range pastured eggs, flowers, apples, & persimmons, as well as strawberries, raspberries and pomegranates.  Their farm stand is very nice – it is a great place to stop in to see more of the abundance our little community has to offer!

 

One more quick thing – right now all the eggs and flowers at the stand are reserved specifically for CSA members that have signed up for these things.  If any of you that are not signed up are interested in receiving these items please let us know so we can put you on a waiting list.  As the summer progresses we will definitely have many flower bouquets available for sale, but the eggs have a higher demand than supply, and we would like to give the priority to you as members of our CSA.  And also….please try to remember to bring back your boxes each week! We really need to be able to re-use them.  Many people find it helpful to bring their own bag, basket or box to transfer their produce into so they don’t have to remember to bring the boxes back.  We also always like to reuse strawberry baskets, clean plastic bags and rubber bands, so feel free to clean out those items from your junk drawer and bring them to us to use again!

Thanks everyone ~ have a happy healthy week ~ Casalegno Family Farm