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
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