Category Archives: Cucumbers

2017 CSA Spring June 30th Squash Blossoms

2017 CSA Spring June 30th Squash Blossoms

  • Squash Blossoms
  • Pineapple Sage
  • Thai Basil Flowers
  • Chervil
  • Cucumber
  • Micro Color Mix
  • Field Salad Mix
  • Field Arugula
  • Pea Shoots
  • Tomatoes

New season for CSA farm shares starts next week! Sign up is possible in person at either our Tuesday or Saturday market, online via CSA form, or form mailed direct. Now a look into the interesting ways your squash blossoms can be utilized: A friend of mine from Mexico uses a simple egg batter to dip them in and then pan fries them to a light brown.  We like to eat them as a desert, stuffed with a sweet cream.  One recipe that came to the forefront was where ricotta and parmesan cheese with herbs was used as stuffing and the batter was simple, of flour and soda water. Emily Ho, on thekitchn.com, compiled these recipe ideas: (Thank you!)

Fried: From Mexico to Italy, frying is one of the most popular ways to prepare squash blossoms. Simply batter and fry them or stuff them first. Cheeses (ricotta, fresh mozzarella, goat cheese) and herbs (basil, thyme, and parsley) make good fillings. Try adding lemon zest to the cheese or season the crispy fried blossoms with a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkling of coarse salt.
• Recipe inspiration: Fried Squash Blossoms, from The Kitchen

Baked: If deep frying turns you off, or you just want to try something different, you could stuff the blossoms with cheese – savory or sweet – and then bake them in the oven. Steaming is another healthy option.
• Recipe inspiration: Waldy Malouf’s Baked Squash Blossoms with Ricotta and Honey, from New York magazine

Pasta: We sometimes gently tear or make a chiffonade of squash blossoms to serve over pasta, risotto, or salad. The blossoms can also be cooked into a pasta sauce. This is one of our favorite recipes.
• Recipe inspiration: Pappardelle with Zucchini Blossom Sauce, from Orangette

Quesadilla: Squash blossoms are abundant in Mexico, where they are known as flores de calabaza. There’s something very satisfying about the combination of the mildly sweet, squash-y blossoms with creamy cheese.
• Recipe inspiration: Squash Blossom Quesadillas, from Homesick Texan

Soup: How about a fresh, summery soup with squash blossoms?
• Recipe inspiration: Golden Squash Blossom Crema, from Rick Bayless

2017 CSA Spring June 10th

2017 CSA Spring June 10th

  • Baby Salad Mix
  • Field Arugula
  • Baby Sorrel
  • Baby Kale
  • Dill
  • Chervil
  • Bulk Oregano
  • Oregano Flowers
  • Spearmint
  • 2 Cucumbers
  • Jalapeno Peppers

Welcome to our newest members! I’m going to let you know a bit about Mike: Michael Clark has been farming in central Virginia since 1975 ( 42 years), working with both field grown and greenhouse grown herbs and vegetables. Although he has an Engineering degree from UVA and has worked at GE, Sperry Marine, Nimbus Records, and Avcomm, Mike farms fulltime now. His love for the earth and nature plus his vision of a looming collapse of the corporate and financial security that the previous generation was so accustomed to, led him to decide to leave that kind of industry and farm full time, beginning in 1990. He has faithfully been a vendor at the Charlottesville City Market for more than 33 years, rain or shine or wind or snow. His farm has won the “Chesapeake Bay Friendly” Clean Water Award from the Governor. His produce and culinary specialties have been served to dignitaries and film stars, making it to the table of the President of the United States and winning awards for Chefs as far away as Europe. Besides the technical nature of his farming work, his experience ranges from eggs, pesto, hot sauces, jellies and jams to distillation of essential oils and hydrosols from the high quality botanicals produced. Mike worked with The VABF Organic Certification Committee and was a participant in the creation of the original language that brought organic certification to Virginia in 1990. He is the host of “Meet The Farmer TV” at watch.MeetTheFarmer.tv on local cable and Free Speech TV satellite nationwide.

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