Week #5 - FFF CSA - As cool as a Cucumber!

Did you ever wonder where the saying - "as cool as a cucumber" comes from? Did you know that the inside of a cucumber can be up to 20 degrees cooler than the outside temperature? Cucumbers while commonly referred to as a vegetable are actually fruit and are related to zucchinis, squashes and pumpkins.

Our cucumber plants have begun to explode with fruit and experience tells me that we will all soon have an over abundance of these green torpedoes! While you can't beat a fresh garden cucumber simply sliced and gobbled up from the cutting board... eventually we all need to think of other uses.  Tzatziki is a great way to use cucumber! Made from shredded cucumber, yogurt, garlic, and herbs, tzatziki is a greek sauce great for dipping with pita or other vegetables. Tzatziki is the
traditional sauce found in gyros or served with soulvaki. We prefer our tzatziki a little thicker than most so use a recipe with some sour cream:

http://greekfood.about.com/od/dipsspreadspures1/r/Tzatziki.htm

You can use mint or parsley instead of dill as well depending upon your preference.

So what you really want to know is...

What's in this week's (Week #5) CSA box
Lettuce (mixed greens)
Kale
Herbs (Parsley, Basil, Chives, Cilantro, Oregano)
Carrots
Zucchini
New Potatoes
Beans (yellow, green, purple)
Beets

New this week!
Broccoli (for full shares only this week)....don't worry there will be some for everyone...
Turnip
Cucumber

We have started milking this week so days begin with the routine of milking five goats and hopefully one cow. Grace - our cow is new to milking and we are still working out a routine that is going to work for all of us. I'm looking forward to making cheese and soap again!

Again a reminder that we need all pails and cups back so we can wash and re-use. Also if you have extra large containers that you are going to recycle... give them to us and we will use to keep your veggies fresh! Thanks!

Week #4 - FFF CSA - Peas... glorious peas!

Have you ever had the experience where you eat something fresh from the garden and you don't recognize it as the same food you get at the grocery store? No? Well, then you haven't eaten peas straight from the garden! Garden fresh peas are sweet nuggets from heaven. Even those people who swear they hate peas... if I can manage to get them to try peas straight from the plant, they always have to admit that they are wonderful!

So there is no debate on how yummy they are! However, at least in our house, there is much debate on how to eat them.... shell them or not? Cook them or not? Everyone has a different opinion on the best way to eat peas. My opinion for what it is worth is they are best shelled, warm with sunshine, slurped out of the shell before you even go indoors!

Need more ways to eat your peas...? Check out this link (and click the arrow beside "1 of 4" )

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/16-ways-to-use-fresh-peas.html?page=1

What's in the Box? Week #4

Lettuce (mixed greens)

Swiss Chard
Kale
Herbs (Parsley, Basil, Chives, Cilantro)
Carrots
Zucchini
Peas

New this week:

New Potatoes
Banana peppers (not super hot, more of a sweeter pepper)
Beans (purple and green) (did you know that purple beans turn green when you cook them?)

Please remember to wash/rinse your vegetables. While we don't use any chemicals, we do use all natural fertilizer (a.k.a. manure) so its always advisable to give everything a rinse.

So Philip is finally home from Japan, arriving Monday night with lots of souvenirs and more stories. His sleep/awake clock is a bit wonky but he's glad to be home and boy, we are happy to see him!

We have had almost 3 inches of rain over the past week or so which means that we haven't had to water and most plants are happy! Of course the weeds are happy to and growing faster than everything else. We have tons of tomatoes on the plants so when these start to ripen, boy will those boxes be heavy!

Just a reminder that we really need the ice cream pails and plastic cups back from you in order to reuse and keep next weeks' vegetables cool and fresh!

Week #3 - FFF CSA - Herbs 101

Each week you've been given a bundle of various herbs in your CSA box.  For some these are familiar items that you use every day, for others you may be less aware of each herb and what you can use them for. This week, I thought I would spend some time identifying each herb that you might find in the box and some its potential usage.

Basil (my personal favorite):

Basil comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, we will have a few varieties but the ones that you are getting right now and is the most popular is the Genovese Basil
Chives or Sweet Basil.

Basil has a wonderful aroma and is very versatile. Throw it in pasta sauce, chop it with garlic, nuts and olive oil for a quick pesto, and of course you will need it to make wonderful salsas when our tomatoes begin to ripen.

Oregano:


This leafy friend can be thrown into anything Italian. You will likely be familiar with the dried
variety as it is commonly called for in many recipes. However, you can't compare the zip and zest you get from using fresh oregano with the dried variety!


Cilantro: (OK, maybe this is my favorite!)

Cilantro and Coriander are actually the same plant. Eat the leaf as you will find in your CSA box right now and its Cilantro, while later when it goes to seed, those little
pods when ground up make the spice called coriander. Both are yummy! I find you either love cilantro or hate it. If you enjoy the taste, there isn't much you can't add it to. We throw it in salad, salsas, tacos, pasta sauces, soups, you name it. You don't need a lot as it is quite intense however, if you really enjoy the flavor... a lot won't ruin a dish either!

Parsley:

We have tucked both the curled version as well as the flat Italian into your boxes lately. Parsley is well known and in my opinion wasted as a garnish! It again is often called for in recipes and can be added to almost all dishes to add flavour, colour and zest. Parsley is very good for you, delivering a significant dose of Vitamins K and C - amongst others. Parsley also is very easy to grow both inside and out. A small pot on your window sill will provide parsley all year round for your table.


Chives:

Chives are essentially small edible onions. They have beautiful flowers making them a great perennial to add to your flower bed which has the fringe benefit of provide tasty leaves (long hollow tubes) that you can add to many dishes. Cut some into your salads, soups, garnish that baked potato with a few bits of chives, or eat as my children do... plain from the garden. The plant will endure quite a bit of pruning of leaves and still grow quite well.


So...

What's in the Box? Week #3

This week we everything you had last week... plus.... PEAS! yum!

Lettuce (mixed greens)

Swiss Chard
Kale
Herbs (Parsley, Basil, Chives, Cilantro, Oregano )
Radishes
Beets
Carrots
Zucchini
Peas

Please remember to wash/rinse your vegetables. While we don't use any chemicals, we do use all natural fertilizer (a.k.a. manure) so its always advisable to give everything a rinse.

So Philip is on week two in Japan and is having a great time. He is enjoying the Japanese cuisine very much! Wandering through the farmer market out there, he discovered that cantaloupes are $30 in Japan! Also they buy their eggs in groups of 10s instead of 12s? These can be purchased in bags, buckets or cartons. Honey is $37/kg! Very interesting! Philip is bringing home all kinds of ideas on what we should grow next year. Saturday he is going to a farm.  Hopefully he doesn't try bringing home any stray animals he finds.

The garden is growing quite nicely. It has enjoyed the frequent rains and the sultry heat. (so have the weeds by the way!). We have quite a few green tomatoes and tons of tomatillos coming. When the beans form we will have tons as the plants are covered with flowers. We are growing both green and purple beans this year. Did you know that purple beans actually turn green when you cook them?

Well that's all for now... see you in a little while.

Week #2 - FFF CSA - What's in the Box - Dr. Seuss knows best!

To perhaps re-phrase a rather famous children's book....would you eat green leaves of kale, would you, could you from a box? How about our CSA box?

For those of you who have not tried kale before, I thought it might be helpful to get a bit more information about this highly nutritious leafy green that you will find in your CSA box. Kale is a brassica - so in the same family as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.

 

Kale when young and tender is great in a salad. Many people add this leafy green to their daily smoothies for a super boost of nutrition!

 

We particularly love kale when baked or dehydrated into chips - simply toss in olive oil and add salt and/or other spices (garlic powder or curry are great), spread on cookie sheet and bake until crispy on a lower temperature to avoid burning. If you have a dehydrator you can also use that to create yummy kale chips. Kale can also be cooked, sauteed or stir-fried much like spinach can. I've included a link below to 20 Top Kale recipes for further ideas.

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/fruits-and-vegetables/vegetables/greens/kale/top.aspx

 

Kale can come in green or purple colours and can be curly or flat. The variety we are currently harvesting is green and purple curled kale.

So will you try green leaves of kale? Dr. Seuss is always right… try them, try them and you may... like them... that is!

 

What's in the Box - Week #2

This week you will find in your box:

Lettuce (mixed greens)

Swiss Chard
Kale
Herbs (Parsley, Basil, Chives, Cilantro, Oregano )
Radishes
Beets
Carrots
Zucchini

Please remember to wash/rinse your vegetables. While we don't use any chemicals, we do use all natural fertilizer (a.k.a. manure) so its always advisable to give everything a rinse.

For the next few weeks, Philip is away in Japan so I'm a "single farmer" as it were. I'm off from my other job so I'm enjoying the routine of animals, weeding, watering... repeat!  But it is hard to have my partner in crime away! He is off chaperoning 10 youth (17-18 year olds) on a 4H exchange trip to Japan. For years, we have hosted Japanese youth at our house, so its quite a thrill for someone in our family to get to go over and experience the culture first hand! Can't wait to hear all about it when he returns.

The veggies are coming along nicely albeit slower than we would like. The hot weather can slow some things down and create issues for flowering plants such as tomatoes, etc. However, at this point we are not overly worried. (Who am I kidding, farmers worry about everything!)  Some cooler days like today are a welcome relief for both plants and us humans!

Hope you enjoy your veggies and that they inspire you to try something different this week!  

Week #1 FFF CSA - What's in the Box - Flowers! That you can eat!

In your first box of the year, we've included some flowers for you! You will find a pot of two varieties of edible flowers for your enjoyment. For those that think that flowers are only pretty to look at… think again! Many flowers can be a tasty addition to your dinner plate. We do, of course recommend that you make sure you know what you are eating and whether it is indeed edible as of course, some flowers are not good for you at all.

 

 

 

In your pot, you will find nasturtiums and violas (aka Johnny jump ups). Both can be added to your salads for a unique flavour and look (the flowers not the leaves)! Another idea is to freeze the petals  in ice cubes for a "Martha Stewart" lemonade!

More information about edible flowers can be found at: 
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/edible-garden-cooking-and-baking-with-flowers.html


What's in the Box - Week #1

This week we have a number of goodies in your box (besides your flower pot):

 
Lettuce (bag of mixed greens) (Full shares also get a head of buttercrunch lettuce as well) 
Spinach
Kale
Chives (bundle)
Cilantro (bundle)
Parsley - in a small bag (both flat Italian and curled)
Oregano (bundle)
Radishes

Remember boxes in the early summer are lighter and have less items and variety than later in the summer as we follow the harvest season. Next week, we will have zucchini, perhaps some carrots, swiss chard, more kale and perhaps peas and beans.

 

Please remember to wash/rinse your vegetables. While we don't use any chemicals, we do use all natural fertilizer (a.k.a. manure) so its always advisable to give everything a rinse.