CSA Week 9
This week you MAY have corn, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, The first apples! Yaaaa, peaches Baby!
This is prime time for tomatoes…you need a lot? Break out those salsa and sauce recipes, or simply can some whole tomato goodness to remind you of Summer when it is snowing. We have a special price for CSA members of $30/case (non-members pay $35 depending on the week). Do you need something else for preserving? Let me know at my email and we will try to fix you up. We can try to get you what you need at any of our market location/CSA pickups, as well as Lunenburg, Southboro, and Framingham.
Pretty sure we are back into lettuce!
There are peaches and possibly nectarines. Did you know they are exactly the same genus and species? A nectarine is merely a fuzzless peach and has been cultivated for thousands of years. Well, that might be a little over simplified, but it is not wrong. Some people like to think they are a cross between a plum and a peach. Not so. Anyway, like their sisters, the flesh can be white, yellow, peach and even fairly red. They can sit out on the counter, but if they are ripe (smell, your nose knows) refrigerate them.
The first apples are Paula Reds. These are not too too red right now, but they are nice and firm. As with all early apples, store in fridge if not eating right away.
(reprinted from last year) Farm snob alert: If you are new to fresh, local tomatoes, you cannot handle them as those rock-hard things masquerading as tomatoes at the supermarket. Be very gentle with them, knowing that they don’t like being squeezed, dropped, or having other produce piled on top of them. Also, wipe from your mind that a tomato is supposed to be firm, or soft for that matter. We have been programmed to squeeze produce to check for ripeness. Just don’t. Also, I have observed people over the years that pick up a tomato and if it gives to the touch (because it’s being squeezed), they put it back, as though it is supposed to feel like a supermarket tomato. Wrong. Just remember that the supermarket tomatoes, even those labeled “vine-ripe” are NOT. “Vine-ripes” are harvested when “pink” starts to show at the blossom end versus harvested at “mature green” or “breaker”. Then they run the tomatoes through sorters to grade them by size, then pack them. Usually they are refrigerated (a huge no-no for any unripe fruit); then they are shipped and gassed with ethylene during their journey to “ripen” them. By the way, ethylene is the natural gas produce by fruits to ripen, so it’s not harmful, just leaves me with the feeling of lab created. How on earth can you do all that to a ripe tomato…you can’t. And why would you want a fresh, harvested by hand, ripe tomato to feel or resemble those sold in the super? You don’t, it’s not real. OK, tomato rant off. If you love supermarket tomatoes or the hard, flavorless, pink circles on your sandwich, I am truly sorry if I offended…but you’re probably not going to like our tomatoes then
Just kidding – We actually do grow a very firm variety called Market Pride just for you – but they are red, LOL :~}
We like to have people pick out their own tomatoes, but I realize that is going differently at some locations this year. Our apologies if you do not get a tomato you love…I have had one concern/complaint this season…which is one too many, so I hope all else is well…we really do try to make everyone happy 🙂
Recipes
Any Fruit Crisp
Prepare any fruit you have laying about. I’ll be honest with you, I never peel my peaches when I make crisp (THE HORROR!) but simply rinse extra fuzz off, cut up in chunks, sprinkle with a little flour and lemon juice and toss with any berries languishing on the counter. I’ve decided the fuzz, which sometimes can irritate my lips, is rendered impotent when cooked – kinda like nettles.
With my fingers, I blend a stick of butter with ½ cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 cup oats/fine nuts (you know I don’t really measure anything). Prep your fruit, toss with a coulpe tablespoons flour and a sprinkle of sugar if desired. Top the fruit with this mixture (if this is new to you, it is crumbly, so just sprinkle/spread it around the best you can). Bake at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes, until the fruit is tender and bubbling and the top is crisped and golden. YUM!
A few notes:
- crisp gets soggy the next day but is still delicious; I have enjoyed it on yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast.
- You can mix fruits freely, but apples cook at a different rate than peaches, so take that into consideration.
- Crisps and cobblers are a perfect way to use soft fruit that no one wants to eat fresh.
- The crisp topping may benefit from cinnamon and nutmeg, especially with apples and feel free to add a little granola or finely chopped nuts or seeds if yo have them
- If your fruit is dry (as apples can be), you may want to sprinkle a little water and lemon juice over them before topping.
- Substitute whatever flour you like, I have had the best success with corn flour, but have used blends of rice flour too.
- Cook with The Force, I do!
*Wet fruits like peaches, nectarines and blueberries really need the addition of some thickening agent, if you skip that you may have a runny, yet delicious, mess. I mostly use wheat flour because it is handy, but I can go gluten free any time with instant tapioca, tapioca flour or potato starch – so make necessary substitutions but not ommission 😉
Member Carie sent me these recipes noting, “Another favorite for the kid who can’t eat corn on the cob. Stores well in the fridge for a quick veggie with lunch or to bring to a picnic/party.” Apologies i do not know who to give credit to for the recipes 🙁
Kale Corn Salad
Prep time, 20 mins, Total time, 20 mins
Serves: 2 entree-sized or 4 appetizer servings
Ingredients
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp honey
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large bunch black/dinosaur kale, stems removed
• 2 ears fresh corn, cooked until just tender
• 1 cup cooked quinoa or other grain
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Kale corn salad
Monday, July 9, 2018 7:56 AM
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large bunch black/dinosaur kale, stems removed
• 2 ears fresh corn, cooked until just tender
• 1 cup cooked quinoa or other grain
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Instructions
In the bottom of a large salad bowl, whisk together the lemon, honey, salt and olive oil. Chop kale leaves and add to the bowl. Toss to combine with the dressing and let sit 5 minutes.
Cut the kernels off the corn on the cob and add to the salad along with the quinoa and sunflower seeds. Toss salad and serve right away. Salad will keep in the fridge for 2 days.
Notes: Optional additions: golden raisins, dried cranberries or chopped apples.
From Member Diane: Thank you for all the wonderful veggies. We are simply feasting our way through this pandemic. We had these last night with a large , round, purple eggplant that I found in the bag. This recipe is from my 1971 New York Times Natural Food Cookbook. I am giving “as is” knowing that many will modify it to today’s standards.
Ingredients
Directions
Fresh Salsa
Sharon’s Summer Arugula Wrap
Eggplant with Tomato Coulis
Two more weeks of CSA option!
CSA is going so awesome, why not keep things rolling until Still Life Farm winter CSA begins!!! Add two more weeks to your 16!! We are offering an extension to current CSA members of an additional two weeks for $60. That way you will have your winter squash, Brussels sprouts, apples and other fall crops. It’s simple, just complete your purchase for 2 more weeks and we will keep you on the list. These two weeks will blend seamlessly filling the gap between our Summer CSA and Still Life Farm’s Winter CSA.
With all the payroll increases, we are increasing the regular 16-week, CSA price to $500…
this is still far more competitive, price-wise, than many other area CSAs, especially when one considers the variety (including fruit) and value of what we so enjoy providing to you.
- 2 week CSA extension + 2021 16-week CSA for $476 (early discount of 15% off both the 16-week CSA and the two week CSA extension (that’s $75 off CSA and $9 off the two extra bags :))
- 2 week CSA extension + Winter CSA for $350
- 2 week CSA extension + Winter CSA + 2021 16-week CSA for $766 ($290 for Winter CSA + early discount of 15% off both the 16-week CSA and the two week CSA extension (that’s $75 off CSA and $9 off the two extra bags :))
Coupon 15OFFCSA will be automatically applied at checkout for 2 weeks + Summer CSA (with or without Winter CSA)
Coupon 15OFFEXTRA will be automatically applied at checkout for 2 weeks + Winter CSA
Woot!
Don’t want any more CSA bags this year and not ready to sign up for next year? No worries! We will still be offering our 15% off discount to returning members through November. The early sign up discount offer will go out to members later in October. Also, you can always sign up for Still Life farm Winter CSA or Stillman Quality Meats meat bucks whenever…we just wanted to offer a special deal for right now. The special bundle offer expires October 10.
Farm Dirt
Mowing, mowing, mowing.
Rabbits taking dust baths. Member Mayer sending us a Cecropia caterpillar that formed its chrysalis the day it got here. trimming and chipping of wood (lots of clean up from tropical storm), covering more blueberry bushes from birds, Savannah cat gonna have babies, so prayers up for healthy Savannah-Bob kittens (before you think anything negative, we have NEVER had kittens here at the farm. Every cat/kitten dropped off here has been spayed/neutered, but we now have purebred Savannahs that are very lovely).
The garlic was undercut and harvested two weeks ago. It is curing in a greenhouse now. Remember the scapes in June? Those have to get removed so the energy goes into the garlic bulb and not a flower and seed production. There’s a lot of work involved to get a bulb of garlic, but it is worth it when there is a good harvest. I’m not actually sure what it costs us to grow it. One farmer-friend charges $30/lb for garlic! That puts one bulb of garlic at $5-10 each!!!
A juvenile Red tail Hawk hanging out in the yard, but not to be outdone by the Broad-Winged Hawk hunting jays and such in the yard. The Sharp-shinned has streaked through to see what’s up…but I bet the Broad-winged is scary to him/her too. It’s been dry, so the fountain in the back yard has plenty of visitors…too numerous to name. Truly, if ou love birding, wildflowers, butterflies…it is a good time at the farm.
Coming soon: broccoli, garlic….
Eat well,
Geneviève Stillman