CSA 9/10

Hello CSA Members,

Don’t forget the CSA potluck this Saturday at 4 pm.   We will be giving a tour shortly after 4 and hope to eat by 5:30 at the latest.  I am so excited.  I would love to know who is coming so we can prepare chairs and tables.  So if you did not already RSVP please do so soon.  We will provide beverages and disposable dinnerware.  If you would like to bring your own plates, forks, cups etc.  That would be great and Green! Please bring a covered dish to share.  Preferably local foods.

I hope you have all had a great week and I am sure you are enjoying this break in the weather.  But you will see from the list below that the warm weather brought you many wonderful additions to the list.  Tons of hot peppers and sweet tomatoes.  And did I mention Greens!  All of our wonderful fall greens are here and so beautiful.  The kale worked so hard all season and has suddenly been hit hard with bugs.  I commend the kale for withstanding the pressure for so long.  So for now we are giving it a bit of a break and offering so many other tremendous greens.

Don’t forget all the greens from the radishes and turnips are fabulous for eating.  It is like getting 2 items in one when you order them. 

We will post the weekly email on our blog: http://bhorganics.blogspot.com/

Don’t forget to pick up your box.  It may help to set an alarm on your phone.  At the West Reading site we have a family that comes at 9 pm to clean up the porch.  I had to do this so that I can get some sleep.  I am crazy and I would worry about those boxes all night.  Sorry.

Help:

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at bhorganicscsa@gmail.com or call 484-955-1098.  I also am available to receive text messages at this phone number.

When:

You can order by replying to the email or by emailing bhorganicscsa@gmail.com.  The orders must be in by Tuesday at 12 am.  Processing the orders takes some time so I would appreciate no late orders.  This is a new time this year in order to have our pack house run a bit smoother. 

Notes about ordering:

·      We cannot guarantee orders.  We will definitely do our best. 

·      You may order from the list below.  If you do not choose to order we will select a well-rounded box for you.    

·      If it states behind the item that you may order 2 (or 3) than this counts as 2 (or 3) of your items.  If it does not state “You may order 2” behind the item than you can only order 1 of this item. 

·      We do not split items of make smaller bunches.  All sizes of the items are stated below. 

·      If you see “OR” in an item list you can order one or the other from this list. 

·      Yes, we definitely make mistakes.  So please let us know so we don’t make them again.  We are striving to provide great customer service. 

This week’s Harvest:

 Choose 8 items from this list for full shares or 5 items for half shares.

·      Kale –3/4 lb  - Curly.  You may order 2.

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

·      Swiss Chard –3/4 lb. You may order 2.

·      Parsley, Flat Leaf – 2 oz. You may order 4.

·      Savoy, Cabbage– 1 small head.

·      Herbs:  You may choose 2 of these as one “item.”

o   Chives – 2 oz

o   Marjoram – 2 oz

o   Garlic chive – 2 oz

o   Parsley, Flat Leaf – 2 oz.

o   Basil, Thai – 2 oz

·      Potato – Yukon Gold, Red Gold or Blue Gold – 2 lb. You may order 4.

·      Pepper, Hot – ½ lb– mixed bag of Serrano, Hungarian Hot Wax, Cayenne and Poblano. You may order 2.

·      Pepper, Sweet – 1 lb - Long or Bell Shaped. (If you leave them in the bags in a warm space they will fully turn colors in a few days.).

·      Salad Mix – 7 oz

·      Summer Squash – Patty Pan or Green Zucchini – 1.5 lb.

·      Malabar “Spinach”- 8 oz. 

·      Dandelion – 8 oz. You may order 2.

·      Fresh Cut Flowers – including zinnias and sunflowers. You may order 2.

·      Radishes, small – ¾ lb – French Breakfast or Purple Plum.

·      Radishes, Large – 1.5 lb – Watermelon.

·      Radishes, Daikon – 1 lb (small roots.)

·      Komatsuna (Asian Mustard Green) – ¾ lb

·      Baby Collard Greens – 8 oz

·      Turnips – White – ¾ lb

·      Tomato, mixed sizes and colors – 1 lb

Extras:   You must order “Extras.”

·      Parsley, Flat Leaf – 2 oz. You may order 2.

·      Red Leaf Lettuce or Romaine or Summer Crisp– 2 heads you must order lettuce in your original order to get this extra. 

·      Pepper, Hot – ½ lb– mixed bag of Serrano, Hungarian Hot Wax, Cayenne and Poblano.

High Energy:

As a farmer, foodie and vegetable lover I am always interested in the “energetics” of food.  Essentially this means when a vegetable is at its “peak.”  If you are stuck in your ways but want to try something new I highly recommend choosing something new from this list.  Here are the foods at their highest energy level this week:

·      Lettuce

·      Parsley

·      Potatoes

·      Peppers – especially the hot ones!!!

·      Salad Mix

·      Dandelion

·      Malabar Spinach

·      Collards

·      Komatsuna

·      All radishes

·      Turnips

Recipes:

Hot peppers

Oh how I love hot peppers!  I know many people can’t stomach the heat of a pepper but for some reason it is one food I can eat, at least in small doses. 

We grow a few different varieties of hot peppers with varying heat.  However, this year they all seem to be pretty hot.

Below is a list of the peppers we grow with descriptions.  I have rated them on their heat compared to my palette.  I have found that this opinion can vary wildly from person to person.

Cayenne – Hot - the actual variety is “ring of fire”.  These are the skinny long             peppers.

Serrano – Very hot - These look a lot like jalapenos but are a bit more slender. 

Hungarian Hot Wax - Medium– These are the large banana shaped pepper. 

Poblano – Mild - aka Chile Rellenos.  These are more mild and larger. 

Habanero – Extremely Hot – small orange, wrinkled peppers.  But this week they             will be green. 

What to do with a half pound of hot peppers?  It is very easy.  If you can’t use them all now they freeze and dry very easily.

·      To freeze: simply put them whole in a zip lock bag.  No preparation required.  They can be taken out in the winter and used for any reason.  I put a whole one in soups and then remove it before eating the soup.  This just gives a touch of heat.

·      To dry:  Hang on lay flat in a dry area out of direct sunlight for about a week (depending on the humidity of your house.)  Once dry they can be stored in a glass jar in your kitchen cabinet for up to a year.  They can be ground up for chili pepper. 

Malabar Spinach

I love Oh hOhooo   nnnouorlha;gfhs’rgh

Enjoy!

We really appreciate you and could not do it with out you.

Thank you,

Erica