Greentree Naturals CSA Newsletter - July 23, 2008

Fresh from the Garden News

Last Saturday was the 20th anniversary of the Farmers Market at Sandpoint. This summer marks my 18th year of selling there. Thom & I set up at market for the first time this season.

I remember my first time of setting up at the market. I brought assorted dried flower crafts that I had been selling at wintertime craft shows like braided wheat with straw flowers, dried flower wreaths and such. I think there were only 5 or 6 folks selling produce there. As our garden expanded, I found less and less time for crafting and started selling more produce, cut flowers and such…

This heat is a bit of a challenge keeping everything watered. We pretty much are watering different parts of the garden all day, every day. Thankfully, we have a good well and have never had water issues.

The new dog is adapting to her new home. Sally has some serious issues, as any animal would that has been abused as she has. We will continue working with her and have faith that she will eventually forget her past. It is sad to see an animal so fearful of being beaten. Whoever had her before never should have been allowed to have an animal. We figure that we can love the painful memories right out of her head. Wish us luck with that.

Some of the garlic is looking like it is ready to harvest. If time allows, we will begin harvesting later this week. This means that you might get garlic in next weeks bag. Garlic is one of our favorite gifts from the garden. We eat garlic with just about everything.

We will also start harvesting the first cucumbers and peppers soon. Beans are just now starting to flower, which means it will be about ten days to the first round of green beans. We re-seed assorted salad greens every four weeks with the hope of keeping all of us in salad for the summer. Greens do not like the heat, but we grow under shade cloth, which helps keep it from bolting. The heat also makes lettuce taste a little bitter compared to the cool spring crops.

The peas are still bountiful and I now truly have a green thumb! When you are a pea picker, you sort of snap the peas between your thumb and forefinger, which ends up turning your fingers green from the chlorophyll in the peas.

What's Happening on the Farm...

We had two WSU grad-students here doing the initial start up of a research project we are working on with them. They brought what they referred to as a “bug sucker”, which was basically a gasoline powered back pack with a giant vacuum tube on it to suck insects from plants. This is the beginning of a study to research natural, organic methods for flea beetle control. This is a tiny insect the size of a flea that sucks chlorophyll from the leaves of assorted plants in the garden. They don’t kill the plant, but make it not look quite so pretty. If you see tiny little holes in some of the lettuce or arugula in your salad mix, it is likely the stealthy flea beetle’s work. We do our best to provide you with “perfect” produce, but also acknowledge that pests are a part of being an organic farmer.

We’ll keep you posted on the project next summer!

What's in the Bag

• Salad Mix—Always double washed! We grow 37 kinds of lettuce and rotate the varieties all summer.
• Kohlrabi—Purple one this time!
• Beets—Be sure to eat the greens too!
• Bunching onions
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Snow Peas
• Sugar Snap peas—Don’t bother shelling them; the pod is sweet and tender!
• Summer Squash
• Herbs—Greek Oregano (white flowers) and Mexican Oregano (purple flower) Dry by hanging to use later if you don’t use it now.

Although we make every effort to deliver a clean product to you, we recommend that you to examine and wash anything that you receive from us.

The gardens are quite lovely right now. We hope that you will take the time to come out and see where your food is being grown. After all, it is because of your support that this small farm is thriving.

Recipes

Give Peas a Chance

You can use sugar snap peas just like shelling peas in any recipe, but use the whole pod by chopping them into smaller pieces. Sugar Snap peas are delicious as a snack or use as a part of a crudités platter or for party tidbits.

We took a few pounds of them to a birthday party pot luck last Sunday and everyone raved about how sweet they were.

Snow Peas are not as sweet, but are excellent added to a stir-fry to add a little crunch to the dish. Both kinds of peas are good in omelets, quiches, or frittatas.

• Add to cold mixed salads
• Mix with leftover rice for rice croquettes.
• Use in cold pasta salad.
• Add to stews and hearty soups during the last 2-3 minutes.
• Sauté sliced Sugar Snap peas in butter for 1 minute then add to omelets or quiches.
• My favorite is to just eat them raw!

Cabbage

Fresh cabbage doesn’t taste anything like the stuff you buy in the store. This cabbage is actually sweet in flavor, and so good to eat. We love to sauté green cabbage with a little onion in olive oil, salt, pepper and whatever fresh herb you have on hand (dill is a favorite) and just cook up a bunch of it to eat. We will often eat chicken sausage with it as a simple quick meal.

Coleslaw

• 3/4 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 TB Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp sugar
• Salt and pepper
• 8 cups finely sliced green cabbage
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped red onions

1. Combine the mayo, vinegar, mustard, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Toss the cabbage with the carrots and onions, then mix thoroughly with the dressing.

3. Taste again, reseasoning if needed, and marinate, refrigerated, for at least one hour for the flavors to mingle. Longer marination tenderizes further.

• Add caraway seeds
• Add chopped red or green peppers
• Replace Mayonnaise with sour cream; or sour cream and mayo or plain yogurt.
• Omit the mayo and use only 1/2 cup of vinegar.

Super Easy Cauliflower Soup

• 1 cup chopped leeks (or onions)
• 3 Tb butter
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3/4—1LB cauliflower flowerets
• 1 cup light cream
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 TB soft butter (optional)
• 2 TB chopped fresh dill

1. Cook leeks (or onions) in 3 tablespoons of butter until wilted, 5-10 minutes.

2. Add broth and cauliflower, cover, and simmer over low heat until cauliflower is tender, 10-2– minutes, depending on the size of flowerets.

3. Puree soup; add cream.

4. Reheat, seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in soft butter for enrichment if you like. Garnish with dill. (Serves 4-6)

For a curried version, cook 1 +1/2 teaspoons curry powder with butter over low heat for 3-4 minutes before adding onions. Personally, I like it just lightly steamed with a little butter, salt and pepper on it.

Half our time is spent trying to find something to do
with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.
        ~-  Will Rogers