Welcome to the 8th week of the Pitchfork & Crow CSA!

Here’s what’s in the share:

• Shelling Peas & Snap Peas
  
• Bunching Onions
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Beets
• Radishes
• Salad Mix
  
• Cilantro
  
• Cherries! – These are from our single sweet cherry tree on the farm.  We’re excited there was enough to share with you!
  

I keep hearing news reports of awfully hot weather out East of our Willamette Valley.  It seems like the rest of the country has been burning up just as we finally welcome a little sunshine into our days.  It may not be fair to write about the heat when our temps have been comparatively mild, but truthfully it’s the heat that’s been on our mind this week.

Just when we think summer may never arrive, the afternoon temperature rises above 80 and we find ourselves sweltering in the field.  Sometimes I think we wait for summer to arrive for so long that we forget how to exist in warm weather.  This week has been our adjustment period.  We find ourselves shedding layers in the early morning, taking frequent water breaks, ducking into any available shade whenever possible, and seeking out access to the river near our farm.  Of course we also constantly have to remind ourselves to pick up the pace in the heat of the day.

We aren’t the only ones who notice the sudden warm weather.  All over the farm the plants seem to grow overnight, both vegetables and weeds included.  The broccoli changed from tight buds to loose heads, the weeds have over-topped our next cabbage succession, and the potatoes already need to be hilled again.  There are positive aspects of summer’s arrival too of course.  The tomatoes are slowly beginning to ripen, the squash plants have begun putting on larger and deeper green leaves, and the corn is growing taller every day.  Before long we’ll be enjoying the bounty of valley summer.  Today we off you a taste of what’s to come with a bundle of cilantro – it tastes just like summer.

Enjoy this week’s vegetables!

Your farmers,

Jeff Bramlett and Carri Heisler

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Chocolate Beet Cake

2 c sugar
2 c flour
1⁄2 t salt
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1⁄4 c oil
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs
3 c shredded beets

Combine dry ingredients.  Sift or mix well together.  Melt chocolate very slowly over low heat or in double broiler.  Allow chocolate to cool then blend thoroughly with eggs and oil.  Combine flour mixture with chocolate mixture, alternating with the beets.

Pour into 2 greased 9-inch cake pans.  Bake at 325 for 35-45 minutes, or until a tootpick can be removed from the center cleanly.  Let cool.  Serve plain or with your favorite frosting.

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

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Roasted Beets!

Chop the beets, drizzle olive oil on top and season with salt, pepper and rosemary!

Cook in a 475 oven for 40-60 minutes, and remove the skins before serving.

Yum yum.

(Thanks Katie!)

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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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Cilantro & Lime Vinaigrette

2/3 cup packed cilantro leaves
2/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 to 4 dashes hot pepper sauce
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup canola oil

Place all ingredients except the oil in a blender. Turn on blender and add oil very slowly, until well blended. Add a little water is mixture is too thick.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

From “From Asparagus to Zucchini, A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce,” Madison Area CSA Coalition