Welcome to the 5th week of the 2014 Pitchfork & Crow Summer CSA!
Here’s what’s in the share:
- Overwintered Onions
- Garlic and Leek Scapes
- Chard
- Parsley – Need parsley inspiration? Check out the recipes below and on the recipe page.
- Carrots
- Turnips – a mix of Hakurei and the purple topped Milan, which is a new one for us! And don’t forget about tasty turnip greens!
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Potatoes
- Salad Mix
- Broccoli
- Cherries
First off, many thanks to everyone that made it out for the farm visit Saturday evening. What a fun group and perfect weather! There was a great spread of food, kite flying, a farm tour that included strawberry picking, and the most intrepid visitors helped to get our pumpkin patched planted. I have so much fun at these events that I forget to take photographs. One of the best spring events to date! We’ll have two more events later in the season if you missed out.
Our field work tractor, the White, has been out of commission for the past week. Hydraulic cylinders seem to be an ever-present problem these days and once again Jeff had to remove one and take it into a local shop for repair. We’re budgeting for a new tractor, but this one needs to get us through a little longer.
Needless to say, when the White is down we feel the limitations in our work: no mowing, no discing, no tilling (on a tractor scale), no fertilizer spreading, and no cover crop seeding. Luckily for us there’s plenty of work to keep us busy in the meantime. This week we focused on weeds. We cultivated with the Farmall Cub, hoed with hand tools, and pulled weeds by hand. There’s something especially satisfying when you’re able to rescue a crop from weeds. Those photos up above show progress hilling the potatoes, with the added benefit of killing some of the thistle that has taken up residence in the potato patch. That’s satisfying work.
The combination of good weather, more time, and more experience seems to have gotten our season off to a nice start. We’re constantly learning and re-learning the lessons of farming, but it does feel like we’re making progress. A friend, and fellow farmer, told me a while back that year five was when things began to fall into place for her and she felt like she had a handle on this farming gig. This is our sixth year into growing food for our community, and I think we’re finally experiencing a glimpse into a future where we also might have a handle on farming. For now, we’ll continue to revel in the victories and attempt to learn from the failures. On the bright side, the apples are coming along nicely!
Enjoy the vegetables and we’ll see you next week!
Your farmers,
Jeff Bramlett and Carri Heisler
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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:
Quick Pickled Leek Scapes
1 garlic clove, sliced
½ tsp. pink peppercorns, crushed
1 tarragon sprig
⅔ cup white wine vinegar
1⅓ cups water
2 tsp. pickling salt
Chard and Onion Omelet (Trouchia)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large red or white onion, quartered and thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 bunch chard, leaves only, chopped
- Salt and freshly milled pepper
- 1 garlic clove (try scapes)
- 6 to 8 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 2 teaspoons chopped thyme
- 1 cup grated Gruyère
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 10-inch skillet, add the onion, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until completely soft but not colored, about 15 minutes. Add the chard and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all the moisture has cooked off and the chard is tender, about 15 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, mash the garlic in a mortar with a few pinches of salt (or chop them finely together), then stir it into the eggs along with the herbs. Combine the chard mixture with the eggs and stir in the Gruyère and half the Parmesan.
Preheat the broiler. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet and, when it’s hot, add the eggs. Give a stir and keep the heat at medium-high for about a minute, then turn it to low. Cook until the eggs are set but still a little moist on top, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the remaining Parmesan and broil 4 to 6 inches from the heat, until browned.
Serve trouchia in the pan or slide it onto a serving dish and cut it into wedges. The gratinéed top and the golden bottom are equally presentable.
From Epicurious by Deborah Madison, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chard-and-Onion-Omelet-Trouchia-358311
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Angel Hair Pasta with Broccoli and Herb Butter
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted European-style butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 garlic clove, minced (try scapes)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 8 ounces angel hair pasta
- 2 cups small broccoli florets
- Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Mix first 4 ingredients in small bowl.
Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add pasta and cook until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add broccoli and boil until pasta is tender but still firm to bite and broccoli is crisp-tender, about 1 minute longer. Drain pasta and broccoli; transfer to large serving bowl. Add herb butter and toss well to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, passing Parmesan cheese separately if desired.
From Epicurious via Bon Appétit, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Angel-Hair-Pasta-with-Broccoli-and-Herb-Butter-108539
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4 responses to “csa share – week 5”
Thanks for a wonderful and warm welcome to your potluck! Everything was delicious. There’s something extra special about being out in the country on a warm summer day with great people. This week, I’m especially excited about having those carrots – what sweetness! I’ll get the avocado hummus recipe to you by next week.
Hi Cindy! So glad you guys made it out Saturday! What a fabulous day. Glad you’re enjoying the carrots! They’re my favorite!
By the way, I coarsely chopped the greens from the turnips, beets, and other tops from last week. Then i blanched them a minute in boiling water, chilled them, bagged them, and I now have greens to use in future soups – nom!
Fantastic!