CSA 7/31

Meet Jill one of our strong farm workers.  And this is Bruce our new groundhog defense.  Well at least when he gets big enough not to be afraid of large zucchinis.  He is only 16 weeks old. 

Hello CSA Members,

If I had to qualify this season as good or bad (which is all too limiting).  I would say it is a good season.  This is information for new members as well as former members whom might remember last year as a good year but very different. 

Many people comment on the weather to me.  It is easy conversation but a very loaded topic for me.  We grow a variety of crops, which like a variety of weather.  And as most of you know I take this job waaay to seriously.  So when someone says “this rain is good for your crops.”  I think “ Oh yes, the greens are probably so happy.”  But I want to rush out to the field right now and put down raincoats and leg warmers on those tomatoes plants to keep them toasty warm. 

This is the life of the farmer or at least a farmer that their job waaay too seriously.  I love my life and my job but it is emotional at most times.  July is the hardest month for farmers.  I heard recently of a fellow farmer friend whom writes on his calendar in July each year “ I will totally loose my mind in this month.”  This is a reminder that it is normal this time of year to feel crazy and want to quit but it will end.  We farmer’s have been calling each other a lot lately for support. 

Next week begins our big planting of fall crops: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale. 

Here is to new beginnings and much gratitude to you members for believing and supporting us. 

You can order by replying to the email or by emailing bhorganicscsa@gmail.com.  The orders must be in by Tuesday at 2 pm.  Processing the orders takes some time so I would appreciate no late orders.

Notes about this week’s harvest list:

·      This week you will be able to order multiples of some items.  For example if you would like 2 orders of lettuce you may do so.  If you can order multiples it will be stated next to the item.  If you order 2 orders of lettuce it counts as 2 orders for your 8 items (for a full share) or 5 items (for a half share).  If and item does not list an option for ordering multiples then you cannot order multiples of that item. 

·      If you do not order we do not usually give herbs or flowers.  If you do not want to order all of your items and would like to be surprised be sure to request the herbs or flowers. 

This week’s Harvest:

   Full shares order 8 items.  Half Shares order 4-5 items (depending on how much you want.)

·       Lettuce, Romaine or Butter – 2- 3 - 4 heads depending on size.  Lettuce heads tend to be smaller in hot weather.

·      Carrots – 1.5 lb no greens except on request. 

·      Beets, Red or Chioggia– 1.5 lb small beets.

·      Italian Basil – ¼ lb

·      Swiss Chard – ¾ lb OR Malabar Spinach ¾ lb (This is not regular spinach.)

·      Cucumbers, Standard or Pickling or Lemon 1.5 lb you may order 2.

·      Cucumbers, Japanese Long – 2 fruits.  These are a large long cucumber.  Very sweet and the most tender of all the cucumbers. You may order 2.

·      Fresh Flower Bouquets, including sunflowers.   You may order 2.

·      Tomato 1.5 lb mixed bags of cherries, heirlooms and red tomatoes.  You may order 2.

·      Italian Flat Leaf Parsley – 1/8 lb

·      Mint - 1/8 lb You may order 2

·      Oregano – 1/8 lb You may order 2

·      Chives – 1/8 lb You may order 2

·      Marjoram – 1/8 lb You may order 2

·      Potatoes – Red Gold 2 lb you may order 2.

·      Garlic – ¼ lb.  This is supposed to be Elephant Garlic, which has a mild flavor.  The seed did not stay true when we planted it.  It still has a mild flavor but is a single bulb.  You may order 2.

Extras:  You must order cucumbers in your regular order to get extras.  We are only making this qualification because we are short on a few things above but have tons of cucumbers.

·      Cucumbers, Standard, Pickling, or Japanese 1.5 lb.   You may order 2.

Have a great week!

Thank you,

Erica

CSA 7/24

David in the greenhouse tomatoes.

Hello CSA Members,

Oh July…  Sweet sorrows on many levels.  I know most people think I am crazy but personally I love the heat.  And fortunately for all of us most of our employees are okay with it.  Or at least they are still working just as hard. 

July is often the hardest month for farmers.  We have worked since January for this month and all the abundance it brings.  But the weather and rodents can sure take advantage of the long days and all of our hard work.  At this point things are still looking good.  I am praying for dry weather to not let disease take over the tomatoes. 

The greens are pretty miserable and as you will notice they are expressing their stress by being extra bitter or spicy.  We try to push the greens through the summer but they are really not meant to thrive in these conditions.  We are thankful for what we get and otherwise we rely on tomatoes, cucumbers and Swiss chard for our summer salads.  If you don’t like how bitter the kale is right now I highly recommend using the beet greens in your smoothies for a while. 

And in case you missed the note last week:  Please eat cucumbers!!!  The go away as fast as they come and when they are here they are so good but it doesn’t last long. 

You can order by replying to the email or by emailing bhorganicscsa@gmail.com.  The orders must be in by Tuesday at 2 pm.  Processing the orders takes some time so I would appreciate no late orders.

Notes about this week’s harvest list:

·      This week you will be able to order multiples of some items.  For example if you would like 2 orders of lettuce you may do so.  If you can order multiples it will be stated next to the item.  If you order 2 orders of lettuce it counts as 2 orders for your 8 items (for a full share) or 5 items (for a half share).  If and item does not list an option for ordering multiples then you cannot order multiples of that item. 

·      You will notice some items are listed as several items with “OR” between them.   We don't have enough of these things for everyone.  You may request one of the items in particular but I may have to substitute one of the other items in that list. 

·      If you do not order we do not usually give herbs or flowers.  If you do not want to order all of your items and would like to be surprised be sure to request the herbs or flowers. 

This week’s Harvest:

   Full shares order 8 items.  Half Shares order 4-5 items (depending on how much you want.)

·       Lettuce, Romaine or Red Leaf – 2- 3 - 4 heads depending on size.  Lettuce heads tend to be smaller in hot weather OR Salad Mix ½ lb

·      Carrots – 1.5 lb no greens except on request.  You may order 2

·      Beets, Red or Chioggia– 1.5 lb. You may order 2

·      Italian Basil – ¼ lb You may order 2

·      Dandelion- ½ lb – you may order 2

·      Swiss Chard – ¾ lb

·      Kale– ¾ lb

·      Summer Squash – yellow or green zucchini, yellow crookneck or patty pan squash – 1.5 lb

·      Cucumbers, Standard 1.5 lb you may order 2.

·      Cucumbers, Pickling 1.5 lb you may order 2.

·      Cucumbers, Japanese Long – 2 fruits.  These are a large long cucumber.  Very sweet and the most tender of all the cucumbers. You may order 2.

·      Cucumbers, Lemon – 1.5 lb

·      Peppers, purple or green 1 lb OR Eggplant (oriental or small sizes) 1 lb OR Tomatillos 1 lb

·      Fennel – 1 bulb.

·      Radicchio – 2 heads

·      Fresh Flower Bouquets, including sunflowers.   You may order 2.

·      Tomato 1.5 lb mixed bags of cherries, heirlooms and red tomatoes.  Full Shares only may order 2.

·      Italian Flat Leaf Parsley – 1/8 lb You may order 2

·      Mint - 1/8 lb You may order 2

·      Oregano – 1/8 lb You may order 2

·      Chives – 1/8 lb You may order 2

·      Marjoram – 1/8 lb You may order 2

Extras: You can order 2 of each of these.  However, you must order cucumbers in your regular order to get extras.  We are only making this qualification because we are short on a few things above but have tons of cucumbers.  Please eat lots of cucumbers. 

·      Cucumbers, Standard 1.5 lb you may order 2.

·      Cucumbers, Pickling 1.5 lb you may order 2.

·      Cucumbers, Japanese Long – 2 fruits.  These are a large long cucumber.  Very sweet and the most tender of all the cucumbers. You may order 2.

Recipe: Tomatoes. 

It seems silly to list recipes for tomatoes.  They are the most popular crop of the year and I am sure most of you have been waiting for the mid summer candy all season. 

Instead of doing recipes this week I am going to attach a copy of our “Tomato Primer.”  This is what we use to sell the plants.  We like to mix up your bags of tomatoes so if you are interested in what is in your bag consult the “primer” to see what you got. 

Have a great week!

Thank you,

Erica

CSA 7/17

Hello CSA Members,

When it rains it pours.  And so it is with harvesting in the fields.  We wish we could provide all the crops in perfect quantities for the whole season.  This is the plan when we plant.  We choose to grow many different crops to accommodate for the fact that we have no idea what Mother Nature will bring for a coming season.  So we may not always get to eat what we want when we want it.  And we may end up eating more of something than we want to.  I find that eating with the seasons has extended my pallet and imagination.  I hope you feel the same way. 

The weather certainly has been interesting.  Contrary to what most people believe rain is not the friend of an organic farmer.  Moist hot weather promotes disease and there are few safe options for spraying diseases.  It is looking like this week will be bringing dry weather, which will be much appreciated. 

Most greens do not love the heat and so this time of year we switch to hot weather crops like tomatoes, summer squashes and cucumbers.  Don’t worry the peppers are coming very soon. 

Overall we are blessed and so grateful to be able to share these blessings with you.  Thank you for going with the flow and understanding that each year brings its challenges and it’s abundance.  So eat cucumbers while they last!!!!

You can order by replying to the email or by emailing bhorganics@gmail.com.  The orders must be in by Tuesday at 2 pm.  Processing the orders takes some time so I would appreciate no late orders.

Notes about this week’s harvest list:

·      This week you will be able to order multiples of some items.  For example if you would like 2 orders of lettuce you may do so.  If you can order multiples it will be stated next to the item.  If you order 2 orders of lettuce it counts as 2 orders for your 8 items (for a full share) or 5 items (for a half share).  If and item does not list an option for ordering multiples then you cannot order multiples of that item. 

·      You will notice some items are listed as several items with “OR” between them.   We don't have enough of these things for everyone.  You may request one of the items in particular but I may have to substitute one of the other items in that list. 

·      If you do not order we do not usually give herbs or flowers.  If you do not want to order all of your items and would like to be surprised be sure to request the herbs or flowers. 

This week’s Harvest:

   Full shares order 8 items.  Half Shares order 4-5 items (depending on how much you want.)

·      Lettuce, Romaine or Red Leaf – 2- 3 - 4  heads depending on size.  Lettuce heads tend to be smaller in hot weather.  

·      Carrots – 1.5 lb no greens except on request.  You may order 2

·      Beets, Red or Golden or Chioggia– 1.5 lb. You may order 2

·      Italian Basil – ¼ lb You may order 2

·      Dandelion- ½ lb – you may order 2

·      Swiss Chard – ¾ lb

·      Kale– ¾ lb

·      Summer Squash – yellow or green zucchini, yellow crookneck or patty pan squash – 1.5 lb

·      Cucumbers, Standard 1.5 lb you may order 2.

·      Cucumbers, Pickling 1.5 lb you may order 2.

·      Cabbage 1 -2 heads (Green or purple.)

·      ¾ lb Green Beans OR ½ lb French Beans OR Eggplant (oriental or small sizes) 1 lb

·      Fennel – 1 bulb.

·      Radicchio – 2 heads

·      Fresh Flower Bouquets – small bunch you may order 2.

·      Tomato 1.5 lb mixed bags of cherries, heirlooms and red tomatoes. 

·      Salad Mix – ½ lb

·      Arugula – ½ lb

·      Italian Flat Leaf Parsley – 1/8 lb

·      Mint - 1/8 lb

·      Oregano – 1/8 lb

·      Chives – 1/8 lb

Extras: You can order 2 of each of these. 

·      Sorry no extras this week. 

Recipe: Beets http://www.bhrecipes.blogspot.com/search/label/Beets

We grow 3 varieties of beets: red beets, golden beets, and Chioggia beets. Chioggia beets are red and white striped in side and they are very tender and excellent when eaten raw. All varieties of beets can be prepared the same way and have a similar flavor. Red beets will bleed red coloring, golden beets will bleed less, and Chioggia beets will loose the red and white striping when cooked. 

Recipes:

·      Don't forget the greens.  The greens are closely related to spinach and can be used in place of spinach in all cooked recipes.  The greens are even closely related to Swiss Chard (they have the same Latin name). http://www.mnn.com/food/recipes/blogs/5-recipes-for-beet-greens

·      And the greens are perfect for smoothies and juices. 

·      Roasting beets actually caramelizes the flavors.  If you want to eat cold food in this heat I highly recommend using the roasted beets the next day on your salad. http://localfoods.about.com/od/preparationtips/ss/How-To-Roast-Beets.htm

·      Here is a great raw beet salad recipe from Mark Bittman.  Check out his TED Talk if you can he has a great take on food security. http://markbittman.com/recipe/raw-beet-salad/

·      You can grill beets too.  And the Chioggia beets don’t loose their color when grilled. http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/07/grilled-beets-with-burrata-and-poppy-seed-vinaigrette

Have a great week!

Thank you,

Erica

CSA 7/10

Hello CSA Members,

Still not receiving our emails perhaps you could give me an alternative email address to use.  The new address is bhorganicscsa@gmail.com and I will be sending the emails from this address from now on.  If for some reason you do not receive an email please see our blog http://bhorganics.blogspot.com/

Don’t forget to pick up on Wednesday.  It may help to set an alarm on your phone.  If you are having problems picking up please call 484-955-1098, if I can help I will.

You can order by replying to the email or by emailing bhorganics@gmail.com.  The orders must be in by Tuesday at 2 pm.  Processing the orders takes some time so I would appreciate no late orders.

Notes about this week’s harvest list:

·      This week you will be able to order multiples of some items.  For instance if you would like 2 orders of lettuce you may do so.  If you can order multiples it will be stated next to the item.  If you order 2 orders of lettuce it counts as 2 orders for your 8 items (for a full share) or 5 items (for a half share).  If and item does not list an option for ordering multiples then you cannot order multiples of that item. 

·      You will notice some items are listed as several items with “or” between them.   We don't have enough of these things for everyone yet.  You may request one of the items in particular but I may have to substitute one of the other items in that list. 

·      If you have a problem or a concern about the quality of an item or are missing something please let us know immediately.  We do make mistakes but we pride ourselves on customer service and so we would like the opportunity to make good on a mistake. 

·      Do you see holes in the leaves of your greens?  They are insect holes and they are a part of our product.  We try to minimize pest damage but we do not use chemicals to kills pests.  I have been very strict about this and I am proud to say that we have a large and growing population of beneficial insects because of it.  Greens with insect holes are completely safe to eat.  Much safer than produce with no holes from farms that spray or use systemic pesticides. 

·      In order to create more efficiency we will be giving carrots with no greens from now on.  If you want the greens please let us know and we can leave them on for you.

·      The heavy rain followed by intense heat has stunted our baby greens and prevented us from planting new ones.  They will return soon.

·      We are sorry about the shortage of kale and chard.  These are usually our bumper crops.  We planted the same amount as last year but have had poor harvests.  We are doing our best to repair this issue.  I know these are important crops for you as they are for us. 

This week’s Harvest:

   Full shares order 8 items.  Half Shares order 4-5 items (depending on how much you want.)

·      Lettuce, Romaine or Red Leaf – 2 heads.  You may order 2.

·      Carrots – 1.5 lb.  You may order 2

·      Beets, Red or Golden or Chioggia– 1.5 lb. You may order 2

·      Herbs 1: Parsley, Chive and Oregano.  This will be a small amount of each. You may order 2

·      Herbs 2: Mint, Dill and Cilantro. This will be a small amount of each. You may order 2

·      Italian Basil – ¼ lb You may order 2

·      Dandelion- ½ lb – you may order 2

·      Swiss Chard OR Kale– ¾ lb

·      Summer Squash – yellow or green zucchini or patty pan squash – 1.5 lb

·      Cucumbers 1.5 lb (pickling or standard)

·      Cabbage 1 head (Green)

·      ¾ lb Green Beans.

·      Fennel – 1 bulb. You may order 2

·      Radicchio – 2 heads

·      Fresh Flower Bouquets – small bunch

·      Tomato, Cherry – pint  FULL SHARES ONLY

Extras: You can order 2 of each of these. 

·      Sorry no extras this week. 

Recipe: Cucumbers

We grow 3 varieties of cucumbers. 

Lemon cucumbers are small round cucumbers with a pale yellow to white color skin.  The skin is very thin and therefore does not store well.   We don’t have very many of these.

Standard cucumbers.

Pickling Cucumbers are a smaller size for pickling and tend to be firmer.  Pickling cucumbers are great for eating as a standard cucumber and I prefer them because they are less of a commitment. 

Cucumbers have a high water content and are great for rehydrating in hot weather.

Recipes:

·      From our recipe blog http://www.bhrecipes.blogspot.com/search/label/Cucumbers

Cucumber Juice

I learned this from a raw foods demonstration given by the Kind Cafe.

Simply juice cucumbers and apple mint. Any mint will do but apple mint is the mildest. I have also tried anise hyssop and found that to be a nice addition. Cucumber Juice is extremely mild, refreshing, and nutritious.

·      Cucumber Basil Egg Salad – this would go great in radicchio cups in place of bread. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cucumber-Basil-Egg-Salad-364869

·      Fried Cucumbers: http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~bcohen/cucumbers/recipes/fried.html

·      Freezer Pickles – Yes you can freeze them! http://www.food.com/recipe/crisp-cucumber-freezer-pickles-9458

·      Cucumber Tiger Salad – a great way to use cilantro http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/07/tiger-salad

·      Cucumber Celery Margarita http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/07/cucumber-celery-margarita

·       

We are so happy to have you as members. 

Thank you,

Erica