Dear Friends and Members of B & H Organic Produce,

This season has begun as quite a roller coaster of weather. I learned many years ago to quit complaining about the weather because it makes no difference anyway. I feel so grateful to wake up everyday and be able to spend the day outside. And on those 100-degree days I smile and remember January.

We have finally moved through our 2-week delay of produce. We all stood around begging the plants to grow, grow, and grow. And after last week’s 2 inches of rain and plenty of sunshine they grew. I am at the farm everyday but it seemed like Monday morning everything had doubled from Sunday.

Now we have bigger things to pray for…Weeds to grow slower than the vegetables. Fat chance. This is just the same as complaining about the weather. Will I ever learn?

Weeds are our biggest labor expense and challenge at the farm. Although, I have a hardworking staff we still can’t seem to keep up with the weeds. This year we implemented quite a few new tools and techniques to give us an upper hand.

First of all, I am proud to say that Paul has really got our cultivating tractor, Rosie, humming. The cultivating tractor is a tractor with many hoes on the bottom. I can drive this through the field and weed enough in 2 minutes to replace 4 people working for ½ hour. This is big improvement.

We are using quite a bit of woven ground cover to plant into. Many farms plant into plastic. It is what has made produce affordable. It keeps weeds down and gives summer crops a jump on the season. I have avoided using the plastic because well, it is plastic. Most farmer’s use a plastic which cannot be reused or recycled and ends up in the landfill. Our woven fabric mulch is about 5 times the price but we can reuse it year after year after year.

And last but not least cover cropping. I know many of you have heard me say we were taking a field out of production to put it in cover crops. What are cover crops? They are crops such as rye, oats, or peas grown simply to cover the soil and prevent erosion and build up humus. The crops are grown until they create ample mass and then are tilled into the soil, feeding the microorganisms a green food. Kind of like a green smoothie for the worms. Most of field one was planted with oats this week. So the brilliant green lawn you will see behind the store will actually be our “cover crop.”

A little note about the harvest list in the weekly emails. It is really hard to make. It is amazing how much the garden changes between Friday and Tuesday, especially this time of year. I try my best. I will admit that there are often items harvested and put into boxes on Wednesday that were not on the list on Friday. It is not an easy job and has not gotten easier over the past 10 years. I do my best and try really hard to make sure your boxes are balanced and not the same from week to week. Also, the quantities will certainly increase. A few items such as carrots, cucumbers and squash will increase in amounts. For now I just wanted to vary the boxes.

Volunteer hours. We had our first volunteers this week. And they worked very hard. We could not have gotten the planting done today without them. Thank you very much. It led me to understand that Tuesdays and Fridays are not the only days we could accept volunteers. I will open the volunteering to Monday through Friday from 7 am till 4 pm. We will be offering Saturday hours soon and certainly in the fall. In the fall we will need lots of help to bring in the storage crops. Any help at any time is wonderful. Stay tuned for Saturday hours opening.

Any member out there computer savvy? I need help figuring out how to create members as subscribers to our blogs. I thought this would be simpler. Please let me know if you can help. This would certainly count towards your hours.

Thank you all so much and have a super week,

Erica

Harvest list for this week:

• carrots
• salad mix
• beets
• arugula
• radicchio
• squash
• cucumbers
• lettuce
• kale
• chard
  
• basil

Our lunch menu this week:

• cold summer squash soup with basil: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/curtis-aikens/summer-squash-soup-with-basil-recipe/index.html
• homemade spelt pizza with a sun-dried tomato and broccoli pesto, sauteed squash and onions.
• Butterhead lettuce salad with radishes and a homemade fresh herb ranch dressing.
• Swiss Chard Tart: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/10/swiss-chard-tart-recipe-tourte-de-blettes/ This will knock your socks off. It is not what you would think in either flavor or texture. You will look at swiss chard differently.
  

Thank you all so much and have a super week,

Erica

Zoe's Blog:

It’s hard to believe that another month has already passed, and with days getting longer (and hotter) I can really feel the season gathering steam. It’s quite miraculous to see the transformation that the earth has undergone in these past few weeks; the surrounding hills suddenly green and the ground at my feet suddenly bursting with fruits and vegetables that are almost too good to be true. This month’s theme I would have to say is strawberries, strawberries and more strawberries. Shortly after I arrived on the farm I remember digging and replanting strawberry plants, taking from the densely populated sections and making new, neater rows. This got me so excited for when they would begin to produce; I started thinking of strawberry pies, strawberry jam, strawberries on ice cream, and all the other ways I like to eat these delectable little fruits. But I wasn’t thinking about picking them so much until we actually had to start picking them. I can recall some seemingly endless hours, hunched over an impossibly dense thicket of plants, scouring through the plethora of weeds and the knotted stems of the strawberry plants in search of those bright red berries. It was kind of tranquil at times, eventually I would fall into a sort of rhythmic trance and my thoughts would stray from the berry patch while my eyes remained in searching mode. Other times, all I could think about was picking that last strawberry for the day, stretching out my back and moving on to a new task. But I soon learned that there is never a last strawberry. We could spend hours and hours amongst the rows, picking every ripe strawberry that existed, and then, with all this glorious sunshine we’ve been having lately, return five minutes later to find that hundreds of more berries have gone from not quite ripe to red and juicy and ready to go. Luckily we called it quits after one thorough search, only to return a couple of days later to do it all over again.

After these brutally hot days spent amongst the strawberries, I often rewarded myself with a dip in the creek that runs along the edge of our property. The water is surprisingly cold in contrast with the humid summer air and there is nothing that could be more refreshing. The creek is quite shallow though, only running about five or six inches deep through the section I like to spend my afternoons in, so I usually just lay down on my back and let the water run over me like a horizontal waterfall. And then, once my core body temperature returned to a tolerable level and my entire being felt fully refreshed, I’d crawl into bed and sleep like a stone.

Spinach Salad with Strawberry Mustard Dressing

I ate this salad all the time when we had an over abundance of spinach. Those who tend to dislike mixing different flavors together may not like it so much but if you are feeling daring then definitely give it a shot, it’s really quite delicious!

2 cups fresh spinach, stemmed

1/2 cup fresh strawberries, hulled

3/4 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans (optional)

1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)

Wash spinach and cut/rip into bite size pieces. Put in a bowl and set aside. In a small jar or any container you can shake rather vigorously, put in mustard, oil, and garlic. Take three or four strawberries and mash them, either in a bowl or, if you’d rather you can just squish them between your fingers. Make sure to catch all the juice and add this to the mixture in the jar. You can avoid adding the pulpy sort of remains of the strawberry by holding it back with a spoon as you pour, but personally I like that part. Return the lid to the jar and shake until well mixed. Add water to thin it out if desired. Add the garbanzo beans and the feta to the spinach, and slice the remaining berries onto the salad. Dress just before eating.

Not sure what to do with all the radishes? So many radishes and they are spicy due to the hot temperatures. Did you know that if you cook them they become more mild? You can roast them, saute them or grill them. And even better the greens are edible and very good for you. Last night I sauteed the radishes with their greens, onions and garlic, then I added beans and made burritos.

This week's harvest list:

• kale
• summer squash
• carrots
• salad mix
• arugula
• lettuce
• baby pac choi
• komatsuna
• radicchio
• basil- Italian, purple, lemon.
• herbs: garlic chives, oregano, marjoram, anise hyssop, chives, and mint. (We don't usually give herbs as an item unless requested. Except for basil.)

This week our community meal: As you can tell we eat well on the farm.

• homemade mulberry jam on homemade challah bread
• kale pilaf seasoned with a sweet sake
• wild greens salad (purslane and lamb's quarters), with almonds and dried cranberries. Finished with a Greek yogurt and lemon dressing.
• Marinated and baked tofu
• meringue cookies
• greens dip (chard, kale and spinach blended with yogurt, garbanzo beans) with homemade sesame crackers.
  

Thank you all so much for your support and have a great week,
Erica

Dear Friends and CSA Members of B & H Organic Produce,

I would first like to thank all of you for your support. It is great being back at market and in the swing of things.

We are still working through our 2 weeks of delayed planting due to the rain earlier in the spring. While our spring crops were slowed, soon enough we will be jumping in to summer crops.

Farming is all about rolling with the punches and being patient. I seem to be doing both of those things well this year. Although I feel very stressed when my loyal customers come to market and we are sold out of veggies. Bare with me , it will be better very soon.

I am extremely blessed to have such a wonderful work crew this year. We have extra help for the beginning of the year and I am using it wisely. We are making strides in cultivating, processing and irrigating. A little positive energy goes a long way and we have a lot of positive energy.

Our CSA is full for the season.

We are so happy to have all of our members and to be able to provide them with quality produce. From time to time (including this week) we will be buying in a few items to round out our boxes. We will be buying from our friends who are organic farmers close to home. We guarantee quality!

I am still waiting to hear from most of you about volunteer hours. Each “share” must complete 8 hours in the season. For now we only have Tuesdays and Fridays (7 am till 4 pm) available for volunteering. Soon we will be adding Saturday hours.

Just a reminder, you should wash all of your produce. We do prewash many items but they are not ready for consumption. Most people think you don’t need to wash organic produce because it wasn’t sprayed with chemicals. The ironic part is that you cannot wash off the chemicals. You need to wash the produce to eliminate germs, dirt and insects. In our farming practices we do manage run off from our cattle but we are unable to control other animals in the field such as deer, rabbits and groundhogs.

Thank you all for your support and have a super week,

Erica

Our harvest list for this week:

· Lettuce

· Salad mix

· Arugula

· Kale

· Baby pac choi

· Summer squash: green and yellow zucchini, patty pan squash

· Mixed basil medley: lemon, Italian and purple

· Radishes

· Turnips

· Endive / Frisee

Coming soon:

· Cucumbers

· Beets

You can expect tomatoes around the middle of July and carrots by the beginning of July.

Endive Recipes: http://www.yummly.com/recipes/endive-frisee

Don’t forget to visit our recipe blog: http://bhrecipes.blogspot.com/

Each week we are doing farm lunches. I will be including the menus from each week:

6/2

· Cold spinach and cashew soup

· Quinoa salad with red onions

· Spinach empanadas

· Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

6/9

· Radish and Carrot salad over quinoa and butterhead lettuce

· Kale salad: http://happyfoody.com/2008/02/12/raw-kale-avocado-salad/

· Spinach quiche

· Frozen strawberry yogurt pie

Today's recipe for Sunday West Reading Market.

Today's recipe for Sunday West Reading Market.
This is a great salad dressing for any Asian green. At market today we have Baby Pac Choi, Komatsuna and Spicy Mix.

Mustard Green Salad Dressing

1-2 crushed Garlic cloves (or finely minced), but crushed garlic really brings out oils, thus the flavor
1 crushed or minced Thai Chili (customize your spice level)
1/2 squeezed Lime (or about 1 heaping Tablespoon)
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Rice Vinegar (optional)
1/2 cup Fish Sauce (add more for extra fish sauce depth)
1/2 cup Water

Blend all ingredients together.

http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/vietnamese-recipes-2/viet-fish-sauce-dip/

This great over freshly chopped raw Komatsuna, Baby Pac Choi or Mustard Greens.

Dear Friends,
The first CSA pick up went very well. Everyone picked up!!!!!!!!! Give yourselves a big pat on the back. Don't forget to bring a bag and leave your box behind for another delivery.
Below is a blog from my assistant Miriam. In case you have not noticed we have been posting blogs from our interns and Miriam. This is to give a you a better understanding of what goes on at the farm. And not just from my eyes. The recipe here is great we had it for lunch this week. Following the blog is the harvest list for June 8th.

June, 2011

I can remember when I was young and my dad had his little garden plot in our backyard. He grew the same three crops every year: sugar snap peas, pole beans, and red tomatoes. I would eat the peas and beans straight off the bush but wouldn't touch the tomatoes. Maybe I took those beans and peas for granted because it wasn't until later, when I had a garden plot of my own, that I discovered the sense of wonder in vegetable plants. The luxurious abundance of leaf and blossom. How pretty those blossoms could be! And how each kind of plant had its time, its habits, even its scent. In a way, gardening is easy. Plants want to live, to grow strong, to make seed for the future. It's not the end of the world if some of those peas don't come up. There will be some to pick and eat regardless. If not this plot, if not this year, then somewhere else, some other time. There will be peas again.

In farming, that little plot grew big. There is more to do, more to keep track of, and more is riding on the success of the crops. It's easy to lose that sense of wonder. Now that I know what potato plants look like above the ground, it's not as magical to see the first stout leaves pushing through the soil. I check them to make sure they're doing well. I do my best to see to their needs. I add their care to the list of farm chores. They are a responsibility now. But that wonder is part of what drew me to farming in the first place, so I'm doing my best to keep it. In finding new varieties of vegetables to try, in a market display when our hard work gets transformed into beauty, in a hidden cache of field peas that escaped the tiller, showing off their sweet, pink flowers. I can also keep the wonder alive by sharing it, when those potatoes show up at market, when those pea flowers show up in the salad mix. And in sharing the magic, remembering the wonder, I can find the day-to-day joys that keeps me farming.

We've been swimming in spinach these past few weeks, so I'm going to give you one more spinach recipe.

Spinach pastries (Empanadas de espinacas)

Adapted from Tapas, by Richard Tapper

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

¼ cup onion, chopped

1 bunch spinach, stemmed, washed, and chopped

salt and freshly ground pepper

pastry – empanada or puff pastry, cut into 4 inch circles

1 egg beaten with 2 tsp water

• Keep the pastry in the fridge after you cut out the circles. I use any appropriately sized, clean can or jar to do the cutting.
• To cook the filling, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and fry until the onions are soft, about three minutes. Add the spinach and toss until wilted. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Squeeze out any liquid from the spinach mixture (too much liquid will soften the pastry and keep it from sealing). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• When filling the rounds, the dough will behave better if you fill only four or five at a time, leaving the rest in the fridge. Put about 2 teaspoons of the spinach mixture in the center of the circle. Fold the circle over the filling and crimp the edges with a fork. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 475. Arrange empanadas at least ¾ inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Brush with the egg wash and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Best eaten while still hot from the oven.

There is a lot of room for variation with this recipe. You can add some finely chopped chorizo or ham. Try it with mushrooms marinated in balsamic vinegar. My favorite version leaves out the onion and adds a roasted red pepper, cut into strips. And remember, any kind of green will work! Kale and chard, beet greens, mustard greens, arugula... Whatever you have, it's worth a try.

What we are harvesting this week:

• arugula
• radishes
• turnips
• lettuce
• salad mix
• kale
  
• herbs: oregano, mint, marjoram, sage, garlic chives
• strawberries - only 1 order per share
• komatsuna

Enjoy the greens while they are crisp and fresh. A great way to start the summer.
If you wish to order, don't forget to have the orders in by Monday evening.

Thank you and have a great week,
Erica

Komatsuna

Congrats you picked up your first CSA box!!!!!!!!!!!
Did you find something in your box you could not identify?
Did you visit the recipe blog and could not find it?
Well it was probably Komatsuna,
This one of my favorite Mustard Greens. It is very mild. This is the green used in the Vietnamese restaurants for their mustard green salad.
Yes, you can eat it raw, you can steam it, you can saute it or stir fry it.

Komatsuna (mustard spinach)
This nutritious and versatile hardy winter vegetable is starting to make an appearance in the west. Smaller and more delicate than mustard greens, with a flavor similar to spinach, the straight, long deep green leaves have a light green stem. Komatsuna contains far more vitamin C and carotene than spinach, and is believed to have cancer-fighting properties. I often stir-fry roughly chopped leaves lightly in vegetable (or olive oil) with a little garlic, salt and black or red pepper.
(http://www.savoryjapan.com/ingredients/vegetables.html)

Enjoy!