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Solar Ground Mount Frame

2017 CSA Spring May 20th

2017 CSA Spring May 20th

  • Beet Greens
  • Watercress
  • Chervil
  • Cilantro
  • Chives
  • Field Arugula
  • Field Mix
  • Tomatoes
  • Cucumber

Just a reminder to our new CSA members that we give a discount to you when you shop our farmer’s market stands at either Forest Lake’s Tuesday (4-7)market or the City’s market on Saturday (7-12). And I am excited to let you all know that we still have fruits showing on our Paw-paw trees and in the raspberry patch, which is a relief since we have recently experienced a couple of frosts in the mornings, high gusts combined with heavy rainfall, and just today temperatures reached over 100f in several greenhouses, in spite of strong fans to move the air, water/misting, etc. But such is the wonder of moving with the seasons and growing food.

All of the fresh herbs this week are wonderful used raw, freshly chopped. Chervil has a sweet flavor, and both the cilantro and chives have unique and strong flavors of their own. Try a salad this week topped with a combination of tomatoes and cucumber that has been stirred into a yogurt dressings infused with the zing of the cilantro and chives (i like to use scissors, carefully). For a new approach to wraps, salads, omelets or especially sandwiches, try watercress. It is highly nutritious when raw and has a crisp spicy flavor. The beet greens are great with pan roasted walnuts or pecans, dressed with balsamic vinegar and fresh soft goat cheese. Enjoy J

Note that in this last picture Michael is bringing his welding equipment out to a stand he is building via the tractor bucket. We will soon be harvesting sunlight through solar panels! Step by step, towards a more sustainable future. Much love!

Calamondin Oranges

2017 CSA Spring May 13th Calamondin Oranges

2017 CSA Spring May 13th Calamondin Oranges

  • Calamondin Oranges
  • Basil
  • Thyme
  • Dill
  • Field Arugula
  • Field Mix
  • Green Sorrel
  • Baby Kale
  • Tatsoi
  • Tomatoes
  • Cucumber
  • Turmeric *
  • Ginger *

Such a variety of combinations of flavor this week: ­­­­everything on this list would go well with each other, whether used as ingredients for drinks, dressings, salads, curries, soups, or desserts. A tea of boiled ginger and turmeric with a dash of pepper and a crushed calamondin oranges; cucumber pickled with calamondin …spruced with thyme and/or dill. Sorrel blanched and dressed with calamondin. Ginger and turmeric stir-fry with tatsoi and tomato, dressed in calamondin. Basil, thyme, and dill can all be combined with the calamondin, the tomatoes or the cucumber with delicious results…for a nutritious blend with a helping hand towards lung health (and to fight a cough), thyme, calamondin, and ginger would do well as a tea, syrup or marmalade to be integrated into meals. When I use the calamondin oranges, the whole fruit is involved. Smash them into a bowl so as to not lose the juice, fish out the seeds if you like, and finely cut up the skins: I like to use scissors. From there you can build into any direction, whether sweet or savory, in muffins or mixed drinks, as dressing or part of the main course…don’t be shy. Maybe a chutney for the table with the ginger and turmeric. A flavorful paste can be made by popping these into the Cuisinart and processing them…consider a paste for your next curry coming from your freezer made with calamondin, ginger, turmeric and coconut milk. An easy way to flavor your rice, just add a dollop! Enjoy

lemon verbena leaves

2017 CSA Spring May 6th Lemon Verbena

2017 CSA Spring May 6th Lemon Verbena

  • Tomatoes
  • Baby Tatsoi
  • Field Arugula
  • Field Mix
  • Lemon Verbena
  • Rose Geranium
  • Epazote
  • Dill
  • Beet Greens
  • Turmeric *
  • Ginger *

With the arrival of local strawberries at our markets, i wanted to encourage you to try my most favorite combination of rose geranium and fruit…both rose geranium and lemon verbena go great with fruit flavors but with strawberries is my first choice, when available. I wish that our strawberries had survived so that they could be included in your CSA, but weather prevails. We have lots of standing water in between rows, and overflowing catch ponds which drowns the roots brings disease and is ripe for fungal infection. But we like to perk up the spirits with a little “Rosy Outlook”, a tea made from the rose geranium and lemon verbena. Throw in a couple of leaves of each, to taste, for each cup of water. It is very refreshing served chilled, over ice. The above photo is of a tea of strawberries and rose geranium (sprig and fruit were garnishes). The fruit and herb were stewed together and then smashed with a fork before water was added and heated for the infusion. Then the tea was strained before serving. You can make a syrup instead, adding sugar for the fruits and herbs to stew in and then strain before use and storage. Another pairing that is a hit is the lemon verbena with pineapple. Pineapple pancakes with a lemon verbena syrup were a delight when entertaining guests. If a syrup is made, then the bulk not immediately used can flavor future drinks, top desserts or make interesting cocktails. The same can be said of the ginger and turmeric. To make a simple ginger soda or ale, make a syrup of your rhizome and add it to carbonated soda water which can be found at the grocery store.

A quick note to our newest CSA members: we were introduced to scientific research during our annual Ginger field day at Virginia State University that showed adding black pepper, which contains piperine, to preparations of turmeric increases its bioavailability by 2000%…so give that gut absorption a boost and add a dash or two into your meals.( i like making a ginger-turmeric tea with a dash of black pepper) Enjoy!