Category Archives: CSADist

2015 CSA Fall October 10th

2015 CSA Fall October 10th

2015 CSA Fall October 10th

eggplant medley
field mix
chard
arugula
pepper medley
potatoes
lemongrass
rose geranium
poultry herbs
thai basil
butternut squash
gold variety zucchini
squash blossoms
dozen eggs
baby ginger

Happy Autumnal Greetings! We had a few cool, moist evenings this week and with all the squash varieties we have, i was thinking soup, soup, soup! So many ways to treat these, and generally we just halve them, roast in water and then dress, whether with bits of sage, cheese, nutmeg or with cinnamon, brown sugar, butter or with ginger and garlic… we also like to incorporate toasted nuts like pecans or using the toasted seeds for garnish. The seeds can also add a dimension of flavor if they have been toasted, dressed in any of the combinations mentioned or your own invention..i go savory or sweet..the spicy can go with either of those, just toast up your peppers on cookie sheets, roast in barbeque, etc, dry and crumble into mix, such as salt base or sweet base. Just a touch of salt and butter is also a nice toss for the seeds. The herbs in the Poultry Herb blend can be divided up and used for different dishes of the CSA items, referencing sage here for the squash…either a soup of the “creamed” roasted flesh, or scissor chopped dash topping on a “boat” or half, or chunked cuts dressed. Yes, i like to treat any of these harder, bigger squashes pretty much the same… roasted, served like cut potatoes, roasted halves, creamed into a soup, or baked into morning “pies” with eggs, cheese, sour cream, half and half, etc. For those of you who may not have seen images of our farm or toured on Meet Yer Eats Labor Day outing, you can check out some of the first handfuls of Meet the Farmer TV episodes online as they were filmed at our farm. Photo below by Michael from the top of the barn. Make it a great week!

2015 CSA Fall October 3rd

2015 CSA Fall October 3rd

• Eggplant Mix
• Field Mix 10×10 bag
• Arugula 10×10 bag
• Chard
• Pepper Medley
• Potatoes
• Lemon Verbena
• Rose Geranium
• Poultry Herb Blend
• Thai Basil
• Butternut Squash
• Gourmet Cucumber
• Zucchini/Squash
• Squash Blossoms
• Fresh Baby Ginger

Water: the source of all life on our beloved planet. And boy, have we had a lot of it! The compost is making tea all by itself. Terrible flooding has racked the east coast and it is a very humble blessing indeed to not yet have had anything major take place. Several plants and mushrooms thrive in this environment and an advantage has been had by the continuous string of grey days: inhabitants were transplanted outdoors with the most minimal invasive techniques. Goldenseal made an incredible showing this week (see photo left for a bit of yellow root atop dry rose) as well as a dear friend who brought us a macaroni and cheese casserole made from 4! cheeses and our roasted “Hatch” green chilis. Incredible! Simply chop and include in your favorite recipe as such and enjoy baked in the oven, i was advised, in a pan of water, covered. Came out perfect. Another pasta inspiration: eggplant cut long ways, top to bottom, in sheet-like thins, dry, and store for pasta replacement before frost. Pie becons with inclusion of fresh baby ginger. Dash in processor with cooked and drained butternut, sugars and egg for a pie. The ginger benefits from some shade and a bit underwatering with its suceptability to root rot. The same for the aloe, benefiting from sparse watering, yet attendance to young crowns’ hydration is paramount. Everything at the farm is recycled in one way or another, and the water is a good example of that. There is a seven tiered system that lays beneath the gravel in the driveway and into the hillside recycling pond. All the waters that come out of the greenhouse are turned right over into hydration for other plants. The well water is purified being pumped out, but deep beneath lies tiny blind cave shrimp. Viva la cave shrimp!

PawPaw Walnut Fig Leaf

2015 CSA Summer September 26th

2015 CSA Summer September 26th

This week’s share includes a look into facets of fig leaf, pawpaws and black walnut, and what to do with the seed for planting out in nature. Pawpaws are palm-sized fruit considered Native American food and medicine. The skin is thin around a custard-like inside, with dark brown seeds nestled in the center; these are about the size of a small lozenge. The seeds need a cold period in order to germinate. We clean them and store in the refrigerator, in soil, for spring planting. There are anti-tumor properties in the seeds, and this plant, Asimina Triloba, is a primary food source for the Zebra Swallowtail, which only existed in books until my move to Virginia. Fig, i grew up with. The leaf is included for a simple tea. Toast the leaf in the oven for a few minutes, until the leaf curls and gets crispy. Crumble into boiling water or, for an adventure, imagine it as a coconut replacement in recipes. Treatment for ulcers, capacity to lower triglycerides, and as a wrap for baked foods are uses revealed this week. Black walnut is special here. Michael planted black walnut with his grandfather and the meat, through arduous labor, is like no other walnut (after removing husk, crack with vice or hammer, using eye protection ;). The husk blackens quickly and will stain your fingers. This stain is often used as the dried powdered husk is added to henna to intensify pigmentation in a skin tattoo that is temporary, primarily used in healing ceremonies and weddings. We enjoyed spooning ourselves pawpaw pulp while cleaning the seeds for future plantings. Nibbles of black walnut meat enhanced the snack and our darkened fingers brought a smile… toasted fig-leaf tea was lifted in gratitude. Keep an eye on the sky Sunday night for a lunar eclipse. Enjoy!