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Goldfinch Farm CSA
Goldfinch Farm Newsletters
| For Beth's Ramblings and Rants click here. |
Issue No. 6: 17 August 2010
GOLDFINCH FARM CSA NEWS
Farmers: Jon & Beth Weaver-Kreider * 252-3894
www.goldfinchfarm.com * weaverkreider@comcast.net
CSA Pick-up Hours: Goldfinch Farm Tues & Fri 2-7, Sat 9-12
Lancaster Friends Meeting Tues 3:00-6:00
East Chestnut St. Menno Fri 3:00-6:00
Dog Days
The weekend of rain brought a lovely cool respite from the heat and humidity. Today the thermometer is only in the 80s, but the humidity
drapes itself over the hollow like a wet blanket. Everything is damp to the touch.
Across the road, in the little woods on the hillside, the dog day cicadas have struck up the band. Everything else seems to be on siesta,
even the birds. The cats look at us with misery in their eyes, as if we had something to do with ordering the weather.
Me, I'm trying to store up as much physical memory of these hot days as I can, to carry me through the winter.
Apparently tomatoes don't like too much heat. Someone was telling me this week that there's an enzyme that slows down the ripening
process when the temperatures get much above 90. Maybe that's why they slowed down a bit again last week. Perhaps this week will
bring on a few more again.
What's This Crazy Thing in my Share Bag?
There have been a few odd items in recent weeks, and if someone else picked up your share, you may be a little confused about what they
are and what to do with them.
The smooth round balls inside of papery husks are called tomatillos. They are in the nightshade family, related to the tomato, potato,
eggplant and pepper. Mince them finely and add them to salsas, guacamole, sauces, casseroles, quiche.
The fuzzy seed pods the size of a hot pepper, both green and maroon, are okra. They're delicious fried in olive oil with a little garlic, and
eaten whole. Slice, bread, and fry them for a little down-home southern tastiness. Chop them into a stew to thicken it.
You'll likely be getting some Swiss chard in your shares in the coming weeks, green leafies with colorful stalks. Chard is a delicious
cooked green, good in omelets and egg dishes, or in any recipe where you would use cooked spinach. The stalks can be sliced up and
sauteed as well.
Those dark red, almost blackish tomatoes aren't rotten. They're likely a Cherokee Purple or Cherokee Chocolate or Black Sean Man. Or
perhaps a Japanese Trifela or Gypsy. They're smoky-flavored, meaty heirlooms. Try them sliced with a little Gouda or smoked cheddar.
The long, thin, light purple eggplants are an Asian variety called Machiaw. They're great for slicing and sauteeing, and would make nice
chunks grilled on a kebab.
Lancaster Pick-Ups
Occasionally in the next couple of months, Lancaster folks might see a new face when you come to pick up your vegetables. Our friend Jon
Darby, who works many hours each week at the farm, will be filling in for Jon Weaver-Kreider once in a while.
Green Bean Sides
Here are some interesting ideas for green beans from Simply in Season. Let these possibilities inspire your creativity for other ways to
use your beans.
Cut beans into 1-inch pieces and cook in a small amount of water until crisp-tender, about 5-10 minutes. Drain and add one of the
following options:
Parsley-lemon: In 1 Tbsp. butter or oil lightly saute 2 cloves minced garlic and 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley. Add the cooked beans,
season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir gently and heat through. Sprinkle with the juice of one lemon and serve.
Mint option: In 1 Tbsp. butter or oil saute ¼ c. minced onion. Add 2 Tbsp. minced fresh mint. Add cooked beans and season to taste with
salt and pepper. Serve.
Basil-tomato option: In 1 Tbsp. oil saute ¼ c. minced onion and 1 clove minced garlic. Add 2 Tbsp. minced fresh basil, 1 c. chopped
tomatoes and cooked green beans. Cover and cook about 5 minutes. Season to taste and serve.
Ham or bacon option: In 1 Tbsp. butter or oil saute ¼ c. minced onion and 1 clove minced garlic (optional). Add ¼ c. cooked ham or
bacon. Add cooked beans and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.
Almond-Parmesan option: In 2 Tbsp. olive oil saute 2 cloves minced garlic and ¼ c. slivered almonds (optional). Add cooked green beans
and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese and serve.
Stacked Vegetable Quesadillas
Here's another one based on a Simply in Season recipe that looks good to me:
In frypan, saute ½ a thinly sliced onion, or a couple sliced green onions.
Add: 1 clove minced garlic, 4 oz. thinly sliced mushrooms, 2 carrots (julienned), 1 summer squash or zucchini (julienned), 1 thinly sliced
green or red pepper. Cook 5 minutes more until veggies are tender. Salt and pepper to taste.
Shred 1½ c. of pepper jack (or other) cheese. Lay 4 corn tortillas on a baking sheet. Top each with a large spoonful of veggies and some
grated cheese. Add a second tortilla to each stack, then more veggies and cheese and a third tortilla on top of each stack
Place in a preheated oven at 400 for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and stacks are hot. Cut into quarters and serve warm with
salsa, sour cream, avocado and/or chopped fresh cilantro.
Herb-Roasted Potatoes
1 lb. potatoes
¼ c. fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
2¼ oz. grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the potatoes into 6-8 wedges each and prick each wedge with the tines of a fork. In a large bowl,
combine the basil, oregano, oil, salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and toss to combine. Place the potatoes on a greased baking sheet
and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tender and golden brown.
In the Kitchen with Rosie: Oprah's Favorite Recipes has a recipe similar to this one, using—instead of the oil, basil and oregano—4 Tbsp.
Dijon-style mustard, 2-4 tsp. paprika, 1-2 tsp. ground cumin, 1-2 tsp. ground chili powder and up to ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper. Whisk them
together and toss with potato wedges before baking. The Rosie/Oprah recipe does not include the Parmesan.
An Interesting Project
As a former educator, I (Beth) get excited about projects which weave farming and food justice issues into the curriculum. I recently learned
about Our School at Blair Grocery, a school in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, on the site of a former grocery. Turner, the founder of
the project, offered for free his tutorial services as a home school educator to a group of kids in his neighborhood. The project has grown
to take on eight staff members and to serve many Ninth Ward students.
Along with public health and debate and art and New Orleans history and other subjects, Turner has created an urban farming curriculum
in which he and his students are raising organic vegetables on a lot near the Blair Grocery, where the school is located. They not only grow
food to sell at the 9th Ward's only weekly farmers market, they work through issues of food justice at local and global levels. Here's the
web site: www.ourschoolatblairgrocery.org.
“Earth here is so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest.”
~~Douglas Jerrold, Land of Plenty
“May you live all the days of your life.”
~~Jonathan Swift