Category Archives: CSADist

2017 CSA Spring June 3rd

2017 CSA Spring June 3rd

  • Baby Kale
  • Baby Salad Mix
  • Field Arugula
  • 2 Cucumbers
  • Tomatoes
  • Chervil
  • Thai Basil
  • Mint
  • Epazote
  • Nasturtium Flowers
  • Ghost Pepper

When considering this week’s ingredients, you can see my usual treatment for a sandwich using sliced tomato and cucumber, but i came across two recipe ideas i wanted to share that can give a more exotic use for your items, plus a few suggestions. First comes from Chef John of Food Wishes: smashed cucumber salad, https://youtu.be/kCJcD7fYPWg (or see the link to blog post) where he extracts cucumber juice with salt and sugar, after smashing it 😉 And a second shout out to http://vintagekitty.com/spicy-thai-basil-cucumber-cocktail for a recipe that i think fits many of your ingredients, though i would add a pinch of mint, and maybe some chervil for a touch of anise-like aroma and use a very tiny piece of the ghost pepper instead of jalapeno, with a nasturtium flower for garnish. Certainly keeping it basic and juicing the cucumbers and mint together is a very nice drink. Consider blending it with your next lemonade endeavor as summer approaches. If you don’t have a juicer, cucumbers can be pureed and then strained thru a cloth, twisting it closed tighter and tighter to extract the juice. Besides using the pepper and herbs fresh, they can be dried, chopped and frozen, made into a syrup, used to infuse liquor, made into tea, or included in staple dishes like beans or stir-fry. Don’t forget your gloves when handling the Ghost Pepper as it is one of the hottest peppers in the world! Cheers!

 

Ground Mount Solar Array

2017 CSA Spring May 27th Solar PV Array

2017 CSA    Spring May 27th Solar PV Array

  • Pea Shoots
  • Baby Arugula
  • Field Mix
  • Field Tatsoi
  • Sage
  • Chervil
  • Chives
  • Tomatoes
  • Cucumber

Big topic for us this week as well as an intense job: Michael has just completed his first solar panel installation! Yet another opportunity to strike while the iron is hot, so to speak! I am really excited about this chance to harvest sunlight and produce electricity… many of us are very familiar with the history of mountain top removal, sludge spills and pollution that plague our unending need for consumption of energy: it has been many decades that I have wanted to contribute to the move towards a more sustainable community, and must voice my gratitude for all of the hard work accomplished to make that happen.    

Notice in the top picture Michael has loaded his MIG welding equipment into the bucket of the tractor in order to access hard to reach sites.

In the middle picture, he was climbing the welded frame to balance up top as he fastened the panels one by one.

And lastly, the finished 10.1 kW array! Thank you, to you all for the support over the years …you have helped make this happen! Much love!

Ground Mount Solar Array

Ground Mount Solar Array

 

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!