CSA 10/15

Hello CSA Members,

What a beautiful day!!!  It was so great for me to work market the last 2 weeks and see so many of you.  I love my job!

We have finished the strawberry planting and covering lots of veggies from the frost.  Our hoop house is filled and we are now ready to plant garlic!!!  Fall is filled with big projects and preparation for next season.  Thank you all for your support.  Check us out on Facebook for our current photos!

There are only 3 weeks left of the Summer CSA.  We have had an amazing year and I am so grateful for your membership.  The last pick up date for Wednesday deliveries is October 29^th.  The last pick up for Saturday pick-ups is November 1^st.

There is still availability for the Late Season CSA.  We will be advertising this to our waiting list this week so let me know ASAP if you are planning to join.  I prefer to have existing members before adding new members.  If you are picking up at Hartz’s or West Reading you can email me the application and then leave a check when you pick up this week.  Hartz members can leave the payment in your box and the West Reading members can drop a check in the mail slot of the front door.  We can accept credit cards if you call 484-955-1098.  I did make a mistake on the application for the cost of the mushroom share.  The price listed is the price per week not the total amount.  Please multiply the price listed by 8.  If you have questions please let me know.

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 1 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.

·      Red Leaf Lettuce 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.

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

o   Marjoram – 2 oz

o   Garlic chive – 2 oz

o   Parsley, Flat Leaf – 2 oz.

o   Mint – 2 oz

·      Potato – Yukon Gold, Red Gold or Kennebec (White) – 2 lb. You may order 4.

·      Pepper, Hot – 1/2 lb– mixed bag of Serrano, Hungarian Hot Wax, Cayenne and Habanero.

·      Salad Mix – 7 oz. You may order 2.

·      Spinach – 7 oz.

·      Dandelion – 8 oz. You may order 4.

·      Turnips – White – ¾ lb

·      Radishes, Watermelon. – 1.5 lb you may order 2.

·      Radishes, Daikon – 1 lb you may order 2.

·      Collard Greens – 3/4 lb. You may order 2.

·      Beans, Green – ¾ lb OR French– 1/2 lb.

·      Carrot, orange – 1.5 lb with greens. You may order 2.

·      Tomatillos – 1 quart.

·      Garlic – ¼ lb

·      Beet, Red – 1.5 lb. You may order 2.

·      Komatsuna – ¾ lb. You may order 2.

·      Kale -  Red Russian, Curly or Lacinato – ¾ lb

·      Winter Squash, Delicata – 1 fruit

·      Cabbage, Green – 1 head

·      Arugula – 7 oz

·      Tomato, Garden Peach  - 2 lb

·      1 lb of mix of eggplant and sweet pepper – This is for full shares only.

Extras:   You must order “Extras.”

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

·      Dandelion – 8 oz. You may order 2.

·      Daikon Radish – 1 root. You must order daikon in your regular order.  You may order 2.

·      Watermelon Radish – 1.5 lb. You must order watermelon radish in your regular order.  You may order 2.

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

·      Salad Mix

·      Dandelion

·      Collards

·      All radishes

·      Turnips

·      Komatsuna

·      Carrots

·      Beets

·      Spinach

·      Arugula

·      Cabbage

Recipes:

Komatsuna

If you have been a previous member than I am sure you have heard quite a bit about this green.  It is one of my favorites!  Also known as Japanese spinach, Komatsuna is a mild mustard green.  It is fast cooking and not too spicy.  And it is wonderful eaten raw.  Essentially, it is a leafy form of Boc choi but is so much more versatile. 

·      Here are quite a few Komatsuna recipes including Dashi and smoothies: https://en.cookpad.com/categories/komatsuna

·      Komatsuna in ginger almond miso sauce: http://eatingappalachia.com/2008/12/09/komatsuna-greens-in-ginger-almond-miso-sauce/

·      Komatsuna is the new kale? http://www.46northfarm.com/2013/01/06/komatsuna-is-the-new-kale/

·      Komatsuna with bacon and garlic: https://en.cookpad.com/recipe/2089945

·       

Enjoy!

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

Thank you,

Erica

CSA 10/8

Hello CSA Members,

We dodged a bullet last night with a surprise frost (at least a surprise to me).  I was unprepared but luckily we were spared any major damage.  This was the earliest frost I have recorded in our 8 years of B & H.  I hope your gardens did well.  Three of our fields are in the valley so they are more susceptible to frost.

We have been extremely busy this week planting 4,000 strawberry plants.  That is double the amount we planted last year.  It all depends on the winter but we are hoping for a great strawberry year next year.

There are only 4 weeks left of the Summer CSA.  This summer went fast.  We have had an amazing year and I am so grateful for your membership.  The last pick up date for Wednesday deliveries is October 29^th.  The last pick up for Saturday pick-ups is November 1^st.

There is still availability for the Late Season CSA.  We will be advertising this to our waiting list this week so let me know ASAP if you are planning to join.  I prefer to have existing members before adding new members.  If you are picking up at Hartz’s or West Reading you can email me the application and then leave a check when you pick up this week.  Hartz members can leave the payment in your box and the West Reading members can drop a check in the mail slot of the front door.  We can accept credit cards if you call 484-955-1098.  I did make a mistake on the application for the cost of the mushroom share.  The price listed is the price per week not the total amount.  Please multiply the price listed by 8.  If you have questions please let me know.

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 1 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.

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

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

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

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

o   Marjoram – 2 oz

o   Garlic chive – 2 oz

o   Parsley, Flat Leaf – 2 oz.

o   Mint – 2 oz

·      Potato – Yukon Gold, Red Gold or Kennebec (White) – 2 lb. You may order 4.

·      Potato – Fingerling – 1.5 lb.  You may order 2.

·      Pepper, Hot – 3/4 lb– mixed bag of Serrano, Hungarian Hot Wax, Cayenne and Habanero.

·      Salad Mix – 7 oz. You may order 2.

·      Spinach – 7 oz. You may order 2.

·      Dandelion – 8 oz. You may order 2.

·      Turnips – White – ¾ lb

·      Radishes, Watermelon. – 1.5 lb you may order 2.

·      Radishes, Daikon – 1 lb you may order 2.

·      Collard Greens – 3/4 lb. You may order 2.

·      Beans, Green– 1 lb. You may order 2.

·      Beans, French – ½ lb. You may order 2.

·      Broccoli, Crowns– ¾ lb we have limited quantities so it is a good idea to order an alternative. 

·      Carrot – 1.5 lb with greens

·      Broccoli Raab – ¾ lb. You may order 2.

·      Tomatillos – 1 quart.

·      Garlic – ¼ lb

·      Beet, Red – 1.5 lb

·      Boc Choi – 2 heads

·      Komatsuna – ¾ lb

·      Kale, Red Russian – ¾ lb

·      Malabar Spinach – ¾ lb

Extras:   You must order “Extras.”

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

·      Dandelion – 8 oz. You may order 2.

·      Lettuce, Red Leaf – 2 heads.  You must order lettuce in your regular order.  You may order 2.

·      Collard Greens – ¾ lb. You must order Collards in your regular order.  You may order 2.

·      Beans, Green – 1 lb.  You must order Green Beans in your regular order. You may order 1 extra.

·      Daikon Radish – 1 root. You must order daikon in your regular order.  You may order 2.

·      Watermelon Radish – 1.5 lb. You must order watermelon radish in your regular order.  You may order 2.

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

·      Salad Mix

·      Dandelion

·      Collards

·      All radishes

·      Turnips

·      Boc Choi

·      Komatsuna

·      Broccoli Raab

·      Carrots

·      Beans

·      Chard

·      Beets

·      Spinach

Recipes:

Storing Vegetables

As the weather is slowly changing I am thinking of ways to preserve this summer’s bounty for the winter.  However, I am a bit too busy for all the labor intensive canning and freezing.  I have found some other methods for vegetables you may not think of storing. 

·      Leather Britches! – This just makes me laugh.  String beans have a long tradition of drying but we never think of them that way.  Dried string beans are known as “Leather Britches.” And here is how to do it: http://www.easy-food-dehydrating.com/dehydrating-beans.html

·      I have to say that I find beans to be wonderful frozen and it is worth the time because they are still so good: http://www.anoregoncottage.com/how-to-freeze-snap-peas-without-blanching/

·      Peppers both sweet and hot are great dried or frozen.  I usually dry my hot peppers by hanging them in a bunch on a thread.  I use a regular needle and thread and string the thread through the stem, which makes a beautiful bunch, which I hang in my kitchen (out of direct sunlight).  When they are dry I put them in a glass jar in the cupboard.  You can also grind them when dry for Chile powder.  If you are going to grind them I suggest removing the stem.

·      Mostly we just freeze peppers because it is so easy.  I simply put them in a plastic zip lock bag in the freezer.  They are still crunchy in the winter. 

·      Chips!!!!!!!!!!! – All root vegetables make great chips: beets, carrots, turnips and radishes.  We sometimes make a big batch and freeze them. http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/baked-veggie-chips/

·      Did you know that root vegetables (carrots, beets, turnips, potatoes and radishes can store up to 4 months in your refrigerator?  It is important to remove the greens and then keep them in plastic so they do not loose their moisture.  We have a cool area in our basement where we store potatoes.  Don’t let them freeze!!!!

·      How to store greens?  The best way is to blanch and freeze them.  They can be frozen without blanching but will have a very dark color. http://momonamission.me/how-to-freeze-fresh-spinach-2-ways/

·      And of course there is fermenting, which is extremely cool to do these days.  This is so much easier than you think!  Here is simple fermenting method which can be used for cabbage and root vegetables: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/basic-formula-fermenting-any-vegetable

·       

Enjoy!

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

Thank you,

Erica