It’s week 4 of the P&C CSA.  Welcome to summer!

Here’s what’s in the box:

• Chard – Rainbow chard this week for a splash of color in your cooking.
• Parsley/Dill – blend a bit of parsley with mayo for an excellent ranch dip for peas and broccoli!
• Salad Mix – A mix of the butterhead, leaf, & crispleaf lettuces you’ve had before.
• Turnips –Though generally a cooking turnip, we’ve found these to be excellent raw!
• Spinach – Very possibly the last of our spinach for a while.  Enjoy!
• Snap Peas – Perfect for a quick snack, or add them to your sauté for something new.
• Broccoli – As before, we have very few traditional large heads, but this broccoli is already bite-size and ready for salads or cooking.
• Bunching Onions
• Strawberries or Raspberries – These are both from a farm neighbor’s garden.  Happy berries!

First off, thanks to those who were able to make it out to the farm last week for the open house.  It was fun having you out and showing off the field.  For those who couldn’t make it, hopefully you’ll be able to make it out on August 22^nd for the CSA potluck at the farm.  We’ll remind you again a little closer to the event.

The amazing weather that moved in this past week put the pressure on us to continue our weeding efforts, keep up with our planting, and also start moving irrigation pipe daily.  It’s officially summer and we’re moving into the main part of the growing season and suddenly this last week it actually felt like it.

I admit the work felt a little daunting this week on top of other commitments.  Many of you probably realize that we aren’t able to focus full-time on Pitchfork & Crow farm-related work.  We both have other “day jobs”.  Jeff works ¾ time for Oakhill Organics, which serves the McMinnville area and is the farm next door to us and the folks from who we are renting our land.  He’s learning an immense amount about farming on a slightly larger scale than where we are currently and he’s been a trooper, doing physical labor all day next door and then continuing the work over on our side of things.

In contrast to Jeff’s farm job, I (Carri) work for a sales tax software company doing GIS where I make maps and work on a computer all day.  I’m fortunate to mostly work from home, going into the office in Portland once a week.  For me when the ‘work day’ is over, I look forward to spending time in the field doing the physical work I’ve missed out on during the day.

While we aren’t always able to give 100% of our time to Pitchfork & Crow, we are dedicated to building a successful farm.  As we’ve said before, we appreciate your support of our efforts, without which we wouldn’t be able to make our farming dream a reality.

Enjoy the veggies this week!

Your farmers,

Jeff Bramlett and Carri Heisler

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Recipe inspiration for this week’s vegetables:

As summer sets in and things inevitably get busier, think about pre-mixing salads for a quick meal.  This week’s share lends itself to some wonderful combinations including broccoli, turnips, and snap peas combined with spinach and lettuce mix.

Chard Pie

Look for this quiche recipe that we posted last year for the full recipe.

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Wilted Swiss Chard and Spinach with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Serves 4 to 6

Dressing:

1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

Greens:

8 packed cups of chopped chard (any kind), cut into bite size pieces
8 packed cups of chopped spinach leaves, cut into bite-size pieces

Dressing:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in an upright blender and blend until creamy.

Greens:

1. In a large saute pan over medium heat, cook the chard and spinach down, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.

2. Transfer to a colander and drain.

3. Combine the wilted chard and spinach with enough dressing to coat lightly and toss to mix well.

From Vegan Soul Kitchen, Bryant Terry

Also available here: http://blogs.roanoke.com/rtblogs/fridgemagnet/2009/03/25/healthy-soul-food/

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Fresh Pea Pod, Broccoli, and Rice Salad

1 package (6 ounces) long-grain and wild rice mix
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/3 cup sliced red or green onions
1 1/2 cups edible pea pods
1/4 cup bottled clear Italian salad dressing

1/3 cup slivered almonds
Prepare rice mix according to package directions. Cool slightly. Steam broccoli until crunchy-tender. (For a variation, substitute uncooked sweet peppers for the broccoli) Toss with remaining ingredients and refrigerate 2-24 hours.

Makes 4 servings.

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

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Swiss Chard Breakfast Burrito

1 bunch swiss chard, chopped and sautéed with onions, garlic, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs
6-8 flour tortillas
2-3 cups shredded cheese
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon mustard powder
salsa
sour cream

Oil a 9 x13 baking pan. Divide cooked chard down center of tortillas. Sprinkle each pile of chard with 3 tablespoons cheese. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in baking pan. Mix eggs, milk, flour, and mustard powder. Pour over tortillas. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. The next day, let burritos come to room temperature. Heat over to 350 degrees. Bake until eggs are set, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover for last 5 minutes of baking. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Makes 4-6 servings.

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