We’re hoping for another successful week of CSA pick-up. We felt things went pretty smoothly last weekend and we’re looking forward to seeing you again!

Here’s what’s in the box:

• Cooking Greens – a mix of chard & kale (Lacinato and Red Ursa)
• Broccoli – our open-pollinated selections have produced small, but yummy florets
• Lettuce – Blushed Butter Cos and Cardinal
• Turnips – greens are edible also!
• Fennel – see recipe below
• Green Garlic (and scapes)
• Prize Choy
• Arugula – a bit damaged from flea beetles, but tasty nevertheless

It was fantastic to meet many of you last Saturday. We had fun putting faces with all of the names we’ve come to recognize. We hope you enjoyed the first week of vegetables and are ready for more! The big news at the farm this week is the flood. That’s right, the flood!

While we were blissfully giving out CSA shares and selling vegetables at the Saturday Market last week our field was rapidly being covered in floodwater. Rain earlier in the week evidently caused excess snow melt in the mountains, resulting in a very full Willamette River. The river water backed up the slough from which we irrigate and eventually into our field and the surrounding fields. You can read more details and see photos here: https://pitchforkandcrow.com/2010/06/11/the-flood/. Luckily the flooding didn’t last too long and we’re well on the way to recovery. We’re projected to have another beautiful sunny weekend, so things should dry out enough for us to determine the full extent of the damage in the field.

Speaking of the field, we have an Open House coming up next weekend for you to see it for yourself! Here are the details:

CSA Open house next weekend: Sunday June 20, 3 – 5 pm

We hope you can make it out to Grand Island to visit your veggies and see the field! We’ll have a little something to drink, a little something to eat, and tours galore!

Directions to farm from Salem:

Take Wallace Road north out of West Salem towards Dayton. You’ll drive 14 miles or so up Wallace Rd, passing the Western Mennonite High School and the turn off for the Wheatland Ferry. Eventually, you’ll see blue signs for “Heiser Pumpkin Patch” (another farm also on the island). Follow those signs, and turn RIGHT onto Grand Island Rd. Stay on Grand Island Rd as it goes over a bridge and drops onto the island. Stay STRAIGHT at the first four-way intersection on the island. The entrance to the field is ¼ mile past the intersection and is on the RIGHT. Look for our Pitchfork & Crow sign.

We also have a couple of other farm visits scheduled this summer. More information will be included in upcoming CSA newsletters

The dates for this season’s farm visits are:

June 20th – Farm Open House (3pm – 5pm)

August 22nd – Potluck dinner at the farm (5pm – 8pm)

October 17th – Pumpkin Patch Open House (3pm – 5pm)

Hopefully everyone noted the dates in the CSA Member Resources handout we gave out last weekend. In case you didn’t get one, a copy of the CSA Member Resources handout can be gotten here: CSA Member Resources.  The pull-out with the CSA-related dates can be downloaded here: Important CSA Dates .

We hope you enjoy this week’s veggies!

Your Farmers,
Jeff Bramlett and Carri Heisler

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Recipe inspiration for this week’s vegetables:

Fennel, Bean, and Pasta Salad

Fennel bulbs, leafy tops removed and reserved
1 small onion
Olive oil
1 can (28 ounces) kidney beans, drained
2-3 cups cooked pasta
1 teaspoon lemon pepper

Thinly slice fennel bulbs an onion; sauté in olive oil. Chop reserved fennel tops and add to cooked mixture with remaining ingredients. Serve chilled. Makes 4-6 servings.

From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce, Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition

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Barley Soup with Greens, Fennel, Lemon, and Dill

4 cups water
8 cups (or more) light vegetable broth or good-quality canned vegetable broth divided
1 cup (scant) pearl barley (about 6 ounces), rinsed
1 teaspoon (scant) fine sea salt plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for drizzling
3 cups chopped onions
8 cups coarsely chopped stemmed kale leaves (about one 7-ounce bunch)
6 cups coarsely chopped stemmed chard leaves (about one 7-ounce bunch)
5 cups spinach leaves (about 5 ounces)
3/4 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup chopped fresh fennel fronds
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 7-ounce package feta cheese, crumbled

Bring 4 cups water, 2 cups broth, barley, and 1 scant teaspoon sea salt to boil in large pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sprinkle with sea salt, and sauté until golden brown, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Add sautéed onions and remaining 6 cups broth to pot with barley. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm before continuing.

Add kale and chard to soup. Simmer until greens are tender, about 15 minutes. Add spinach, green onions, dill, fennel fronds, and mint; simmer 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Season soup with sea salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice, thinning with more broth, if desired.

Divide soup among bowls. Sprinkle feta cheese over, drizzle with oil, and serve.

Epicurious.com (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Barley-Soup-with-Greens-Fennel-Lemon-and-Dill-357291)

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Turnips with Greens

4 cups peeled turnip matchsticks
2 cups quartered and thinly sliced onions
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano (1 ½ to 2 teaspoons dried)
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
8 cups rinsed, stemmed, and sliced greens (chard, kale, collards, turnip greens)
Chopped fresh parsely or chives

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a baking sheet.

Place the turnips and onions in a bowl and toss them with 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and the oregano. Spread evenly on the baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the ends of the turnip matchsticks are golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a nonreactive pan, cook the garlic in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil just until soft. Add the crushed red pepper, if using, and the greens. Cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, until the greens are tender. Remove from the heat.

Serve the greens in a large shallow serving bowl or on a plate, topped with the roasted turnips and onions. Garnish with chopped parsely or chives

Serves 4

Total Time: 1 hour

Moosewood Restaurant: New Classics, The Moosewood Collective