Hello folks,

What a gorgeous week! Our kids just started school today…kind of bittersweet actually. Now we have two full day school age children. Our daughter, Bryn, just started Kindergarden! Wow how time flies!  David is in second grade and went to school today like it was no big deal, deep down I think he’s excited for the friends and structure. We’ve had a great summer as I hope all of you have had. Getting us all out of the house early is going to get some getting used to for sure.

ON THE FARM: We are bringing in some second cut hay on our leased fields as well as trucking back some purchased hay from a few sources- thanks Nate for doing the driving duty lately! All the animals are doing well, we are just about to combine the turkey chicks (the second batch) with the first group out on pasture. We have one mamma pig that is about to farrow (have babies) and we have two new horses we are boarding on the farm.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Its BACK! We are picking up Maple Wind Farm SUMMER SAUSAGE at Vermont Smoke and Cure in time for this weekends farmers markets!!!  Made with our grass fed beef and pasture raised pork, its a 7 oz tube of delicous picnic ready precooked sausage. YUM! (Think stocking stuffer!)

IN THE GARDEN: September- what a harvest month! New vegetables are coming ready, I hope you enjoy them.  You many even get some vegetables you have never had or considered buying in the store… have fun. Try something new! Id love  your feedback.

THIS WEEK’S HARVEST: New: Sweet C0rn! Tomatillos (makes great salsa verde-its so so easy!) Kohlrabi (see more info below) and Collards. Also in the share- melon, leeks, cauliflower, eggplant, basil, Onion/Jalapeno (for the salsa!), Beets and perhaps a few surprises. Flowers are still blooming!

PS. Make sure to carve out a few extra minutes at pickup time to PYO green beans!!! We have 2 rows of pole beans and they are just right for picking! You’ll find them just beyond the flowers at the Andrews Farm.

PPS. I have pruned back the herbs that got the paint on them and I feel that if you would like to PYO herbs again, please do. Cut carefully as your own risk. I think many herbs are fine!

VEGETABLE INFO/RECIPES:  Have you ever eaten a kohlrabi? These little sputnik-shaped vegetables come in green or purple, can be eaten raw or cooked, and taste a lot like broccoli stems. The word kohlrabi is German for cabbage turnip (kohl as in cole-slaw, and rübe for turnip) though kohlrabi is more related to cabbage and cauliflower than to root vegetables. We usually eat them raw, just peeled, sliced and added to a salad, but they are also delicious cooked and are often used in Indian cuisine.

check out some recipes

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/kohlrabi/

Tomatillos: I guess late blight doesnt like our Tomatillos thankfully. They make wonderful Salsa Verde (spicy or not) and it goes great with Pork or on eggs.

Collards: Storage. Store unwashed collard greens in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag. They should be placed in the refrigerator crisper where they will keep for three to five days, but the sooner they are eaten, the less bitter they will be.

Tips for Preparing Collard Greens

Collard greens should be washed very well since the leaves and stems tend to collect sand and soil. Before washing, trim off the roots and separate the leaves. Place the collard greens in a large bowl of tepid water and swish them around with your hands, as this will allow the sand to become dislodged. Remove the leaves from the water, empty the bowl, refill with clean water, and repeat this process until no dirt remains in the water (usually two to three times will do the trick).

If your recipe calls for leaves only or if the stems are overly thick, they can be easily removed. Just take each leaf in hand, fold it in half lengthwise, hold the folded leaves near the base where they meet the stalk, and with the other hand, gently pull on the stem. You can also use a knife to separate the leaves from the stems.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:

Drizzle cooked collard greens with olive oil and lemon juice.

Serve steamed collard greens with black-eyed peas and brown rice for a Southern inspired meal.

Use lightly steamed, cooled and chopped collard greens as a filling in your sushi vegetable rolls.

Healthy sauté collard greens with tofu, garlic and crushed chili peppers for a meal that will definitely add spice to your life.

A reminder to all members of Maple Wind Farm vegetable CSA that the Backdoor Bakery is again offering a 6 week Bakery Share starting this Thursday.

To begin enjoying Dean Menke’s delicious bagels, scones, granola and other goodies please CONTACT DEAN at the bakery (do not respond to my email please) and let him know if you would like a regular share ($18) or a family share ($30). You can bring your check this Thursday made to BACKDOOR BAKERY.

Please contact Dean by Tuesday  at 434-3422 or  dean_at_sea@hotmail.com

I hope you are enjoying your vegetables! Please submit some favorite recipes- Id be happy to post them!

Eat well,

Beth

Hello folks!

Announcements: We hope that all of you will be coming to our Hoedown and Community Potluck. All CSA members and their families (neighbors and friends too!) are welcome. SUNDAY AUG. 23rd. Come tour the farm at 3 and do chores with us and 4pm the music will start and eating will commence. Bring a dish (made from the harvest of course!) and your own tableware, b.y.o.b. See you on Sunday!

PS Let us  know if you wish to be a volunteer for the cattle drive from 11-2. Mandatory training at 10:30.

On the Farm: We are still bringing in some of our second cut of hay with this nice weather all week. Exciting news for our poultry- Our 145 newer layer hens have started to lay eggs! We are collecting a few each day so soon we’ll be back in the swing of larger egg production. Also, we got 75 replacement turkey chicks because the first group had many deaths due to rickets. They are fairing well and the surviving 40 from the first group was moved out on pasture today! Our turkeys will remain organically certified- put in your reservation for one by the fall for Thanksgiving!

In the Garden: Yes, its true, the tomato crop is basically gone. The blight just took over. It all happened so fast. But the good news is we will share some of the few ripe ones and send home some green tomatoes for you to make chutney or fried green tomatoes! Maybe they will ripen on  your window sill!

The other good news is our melon crop looks plentiful!

Flowers are colorful- enjoy another PYO bouquet!

This weeks Harvest: A few tomatoes (savor them!), 1 huge head of white cauliflower (see 2 easy recipes below!), Eggplant (recipe below as well), Leeks! Yeah! Drumroll please…. melon! (Some may need to be on your counter for a few days) A nice variety of golden beets and a few chioggas. The standbys: cucumbers, patty pan, yellow and green zucchini, bunched chard or kale (maybe both last week was too much.?) and some basil. WOW! Enjoy.

Reminders: Bring back your glass jars for more syrup please. Bring Canvas bags and curb excessive use of  produce bags if possible. Thank you.

Recipes: No recipes for leeks, I’ll let you submit one! They are wonderful in egg dishes and in place of onions or in a soup!

Lighting Quick Cauliflower Curry

Yields: 4 cups
Serving size: 2 cups
Servings: 2 main-dishes or 4 side-dishes
Heat over medium heat in a large, heavy pot with lid:

• 2 Tbs. oil

When hot add:

• 1.5 tsp. dark mustard seeds

When the mustard seeds starts to pop (it should be just a few seconds), take the pan off the heat and stir in:

• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cumin, ground
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

Meanwhile prepare the cauliflower and add to the pan:

• 1/2 head medium cauliflower (about 1.25? lbs after removing leaves and core), sliced
• 1/4 cup water

Stir to mix, then cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, adding more water if needed. Add and cook for 1 minute:

• 1 cup frozen peas

Shake on:

• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• a shake or two of crushed red pepper
• 1.5 Tbs. lemon juice

Stir in:

• 1 Tbs. tomato sauce or 1/2 cup diced canned tomatoes

Notes

The colors of the peas and tomatoes contrast beautifully with the golden cauliflower, and they add some sweetness.  The cauliflower is “sliced” into pieces rather than being broken into florets, because when you slice it you’ll cut through the cells, and the cauliflower will absorb the spices better.

Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

4-inch segment of a thin day-old baguette
1 medium head of cauliflower, washed
extra-virgin olive oil
scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh red chile pepper, minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place racks in the middle.

Give the baguette a spin in a food processor until you have textured, not-too-fine bread crumbs.

Trim the cauliflower. Get rid of the big stalks and stems and strive for uniform, bite-sized little florets. Little trees.

In a big bowl toss the cauliflower with a few generous tablespoons of olive oil and the salt. Toss until the cauliflower is well coated and then place it in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. You are going to bake for about 25-30 minutes total.

There will be some residual olive oil in the big bowl you used to toss the cauliflower. If not, add another tablespoon or two. Add the bread crumbs, garlic, and chiles. Mix.

After the cauliflower has been baking for about 15-20 minutes anything in contact with the pan should be nicely browned. Pull the pan out of the oven, rotate each piece of cauliflower so that another side will get some color, and then sprinkle the entire pan with the breadcrumb mixture. Return the pan to the oven and finish with another ten minutes or so. The cauliflower should be tender throughout and the breadcrumbs nicely toasted. Serve immediately, it really isn’t half as delicious after it has been sitting on the counter getting cold.

Serves 4

- Puree the roasted cauliflower (and crumbs) with some broth and a splash of cream for an easy soup

Broiled Eggplant with Capers and Mint
Adapted from Epicurious

Makes 4 appetizer-size portions

1 pound thin Italian or Asian eggplants (2 to 3), cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped mint
2 tablespoons small capers, rinsed

Preheat broiler. Arrange eggplant in 1 layer on a large baking sheet and brush both sides with 2 tablespoons oil (total). Broil about 4 inches from heat, turning once, until golden, 8 to 12 minutes total.

Stir together vinegar, mint, capers, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil and toss with warm eggplant. Marinate at least 20 minutes.

Marinated eggplant can be made 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Hello folks,

Just finished a 5 hour canning session with all the folks of Maple Wind Farm today! We made refridgerator pickles, dilly beans, canned pickles, beet relish and zucchini relish today. We were a well oiled canning machine- we were chopping, boiling, grating, spicing, canning… all told we put up more than 4 gallons of food into mason jars. Its time consuming but well worth it. Get together with a neighbor or another CSA member and do a group session, its more fun and tasks can be divided to make the job of canning easier for everyone.

Perfect segway… we have lots more cucumbers this week so think about your own pickle recipes if you have some time this week.

GARDEN NOTES: On a low note…Its official, we have blight on our tomatos and Im in the process of pulling out plants that are really bad and trying to salvage some tomatoes from ones that aren’t yet. The blight travelled over the corn and hit the potatoes (not bad) but enough to take precaution to brush hog the foliage to save the tubers. The blight only can live on a plant that is alive so by cutting the potato foliage we can can save the underground plants for a later harvest. We must wait 2-3 weeks for the skins to toughen up before doing any harvest, so there will be a delay in your next share of potatoes until it is save to bring them out of the ground. As for tomatoes, I hope we all get a few red ones this summer and I will most likely harvest green ones before I have to rip out plants so you might want to try making green tomato chutney or pickle them green(?). I hope your home tomatoes have faired better than mine!

So thats the bad news, the good news is that the rest of the garden looks great!

THIS WEEKS HARVEST: Green Beans, Cucumbers(salad and picklers), Patty Pan Squash, Napa Cabbage, Onions, Cauliflour,Head Lettuce.  PYO flowers too!

Next week! Leeks and Golden Beets- yum.

ON THE FARM: A big milestone- our first cut of hay is officially done! This week, we took 6 more big pigs and 4 cows to the butcher. We moved our cow herd across route 2 to the North side of the Andrews Farm. The bulls are now in the pasture with the ladies and we have all our calves for 09!

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Congratulations to our CSA Members, Kevin and Alex McAleer who are getting married this Saturday!

***Read the next farm posting on all the details on our Hoedown & Community Potluck on August 23rd. We hope many of our CSA members will be there!

REMINDERS: Please bring your canvas bags, conserve plastic produce bags or bring old ones back. Bring in your syrup jars. And do call me on my cell if you will be late or not picking up. (233-3862 Beth’s cell).

IN THE KITCHEN: Recipes below.

Napa Cabbage Picnic Salad Recipe

INGREDIENTS (you could substitute this weeks CSA green beans and red onions for peas and green onions)

2/3 cup slivered almonds
8 cups (1 lb) coarsely shredded napa cabbage
12 ounces snow peas, strings removed, rinsed and thinly sliced
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced radishes
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced green onions (including greens)
1 1/3 cups lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

Dressing ingredients
3 Tbsp rice vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned)
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 clove peeled and minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 cup mayonnaise

METHOD

1 Spread almond slivers out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes, until nicely browned. OR toast in stick-free or cast-iron skillet on medium high, stirring frequently until browned. Set aside.

2 Combine cabbage, snow peas, radishes, green onions, cilantro in a large bowl. Can make this step a day or two ahead.

3 In a separate bowl, mix together the rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, and cayenne until sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the mayonnaise.

4 When ready to serve, gently combine the dressing and almonds with the cabbage mixture.

Serves 14-16.

Potato, Green Bean and Corn Salad

• 4 pounds small white boiling potatoes (about 2 inches in diameter)
• 5 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons coarse-grained mustard
• cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, or to taste
• 1 pound haricots verts (thin French green beans) or regular green beans
• 6 ears corn

preparation

In a kettle cover potatoes with salted cold water by 2 inches and simmer until just tender, about 25 minutes. Drain potatoes in a colander. When potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve larger ones and in a large bowl toss potatoes with 2 tablespoons vinegar.

In a small bowl whisk together mustard, remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Dressing may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring dressing to room temperature before using.

Trim beans and, working over a bowl, cut corn kernels from cobs. Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water cook beans until crisp-tender, about 1 minute for haricots verts or about 5 minutes for regular green beans, and transfer with a slotted spoon to ice water to stop cooking. Drain beans well and add to potatoes. Return water in pan to a boil and blanch corn 30 seconds, or until crisp-tender. Drain corn in a sieve and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Drain corn well and add to salad. Salad may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before proceeding. Gently toss salad with dressing and salt and pepper to taste until combined well.

from Gourmet 1998

Hello folks!

Wow, the sun is out! The tomatoes are growing by the minute! We finally got some hay up to our farm (25 round bales) thank goodness. July is just rounding the corner into August and the farm is on a roll.

Upcoming: We will be processing our second batch of poultry next week. If you pre ordered some or are part of our CSA, expect to pick them up FRESH on Thursday at the Andrews Farm in Richmond.

Fresh Beef at this weeks Farmers Markets: Richmond, Middlebury and Shelburne. SAUSAGE IS BACK! On the grill and take home links- 4 flavors.

We’ll be selling our delicious grilled items at the Huntington Valley Stage Music Festival Saturday August 8th. See you there for some great music and food.

Mark your calendars: All are welcome to our 2nd Annual Hoedown and Barn Dance Potluck here in the big red arena barn. Sunday August 16th. More details to follow. Bring the family and friends, no dogs please.

In the GARDEN: I tilled up 6 more gorgeous rows to plant some fall crops – carrots, more beets, kolrabi, collards, kale and some greens. Look forward to more potoatoes next week, the horse drawn potato harvest is now fixed so we dont have to dig for them by hand anymore!

Woodchuck caught count: 6

THIS WEEKS HARVEST: Cucumbers (time to make pickles! Great dill heads in the herb garden) Summer squash of all kinds, Green Beans, Cabbage, Mesculin, Broccoli and Broccoli Raab (a mustard like green-slightly spicy) a few onions and some more fresh garlic!

Eat well,

Beth and Bruce

Recipes:

Refrigerator Pickles

7 cups pickling cukes, sliced into a large glass bowl (about 4 med-large ones)

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 tablespoon chopped dill

2 ½ cups water

¾ cup rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons sugar (increase to ¾ cup to make sweet pickles)

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

10 whole peppercorns

½ teaspoon whole mustard seeds

Place cucumbers, garlic, and dill in a large bowl. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a saucepan and heat to a boil. Boil one minute. Remove from heat and pour over cucumbers in the bowl. Stir well. Cover and let cool. Chill at least two days in the refrigerator before serving. Will keep up to one month in the refrigerator.

Submitted by CSA Member:

Wendy Gagliardi, Simply Gourmet Personal Chef Service www.simplygourmetvt.com

Broccoli Raab (Rapini) ideas taken from blogs on the internet…

Hello folks,

The pitter patter of rain (imagine that… rain!) hits my rooftop as I write this early morning before the kids wake. Oops I take that back, Bryn just woke a little early.

Announcements: Remember to sign in on the sheet when you pick up your veggies. Bring a canvas bag and try to limit produce bag consumption or reuse from last week. Thanks!

FREEZER beef/lamb and pork still available. Custom cut to your specification. Its a great way to buy meat more economically than by the cut if you have the room. Time magazine had an article in June 15th issue called “Cow-Pooling”! Great term. Go in with friends and family on a whole cow!

ON THE FARM: We got our turkey chicks this week! Think Thanksgiving! 100 chicks are peeping away in the brooder. We have decided to keep our organic feed protocol with Turkeys so get your reservation in before fall! This week we managed to squeek in getting 13 dry round hay bales made on the Land Trust field in Richmond. What a season, we are very behind in our hay production (its the same for most farms around here).

If anyone drives Rte 2 past the VYCC West Monitor Barn, drive a little slowly and take a look at our cows grazing in their field in the high grass. We have about 5-6 more days of grazing there and then they will head back onto the Andrews high pasture rotation.

IN THE GARDEN: Garlic Harvest begins! We planted over 1500 feet of garlic last fall and are reaping the benefits of gorgeous large bulbs! I hope you enjoyed your fresh bulbs last week, more this week too! We pulled up and bundled over half of the field of garlic and hung them to cure (dry) in our sugar shack over the rafters. Its quite a sight to see!

The zucchinis are off and growing! Plenty of summer squash so peek at the recipes below (3) for some ideas to do with any excess.

Woodchuck caught count: 5

THIS WEEKS HARVEST: Zucchini Summer Squash, Fresh Garlic, Head Lettuce, Mixed greens, Broccoli, Kale or Chard, and shelling peas! PYO herbs as always and yes, take home a small bouquet of PYO flowers this week.

As always, we welcome your feedback. Stay tuned for date and information about our 2nd Annual Maple Wind Farm Hoedown and Barndance…

Eat well,

Beth and Bruce

Zucchini & Tomato Casserole

2 medium zucchini, cubed

1 tbsp. fresh chives, chopped

1 teaspoon butter, melted

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped

1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Steam zucchini until barely tender. Arrange zucchini in the bottom of a casserole dish. Stir salt, pepper, and chives into butter and pour over zucchini. Cover with tomatoes and sprinkle with basil and cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.

Stuffed Zucchini

5 medium zucchini

1/4 brown rice, uncooked

1/2 c. boiling water

1 small onion, chopped, chopped finely

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 c. parsley, chopped finely

1/4 c. olive oil

1/2 c. bread crumbs

1 lemon

1 egg, separated

1 c. mushrooms, chopped finely (optional)

1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated

Salt and pepper

Hollow out zucchini with a spoon. After scooping out zucchini, chop remaining insides into small pieces. In a medium-sized saucepan, cook rice with water, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and oil for about 15 minutes. Add chopped zucchini and cook 5 more minutes. Add bread crumbs, parsley, juice from the lemon, the egg white, mushrooms, and cheese. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place filling into zucchini shells. Arrange the zucchini in a baking dish. Spread extra filling around the shells in the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil and bake about 40 minutes.

Zucchini Pancakes

3 c. zucchini, grated

2 eggs

3 tbsp. flour

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pepper

Butter

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together zucchini and salt. Let stand about 45 minutes. Squeeze excess moisture from zucchini. In another bowl, beat eggs well. Add zucchini, flour, cheese, and pepper; mix well. In a large skillet, melt some butter. Fry tbsp.fuls of the zucchini mixture until lightly browned, turning once. Makes about 12 pancakes.

Hello folks,

Summer certainly is flying by. The garden is filled with goodness and more on the way! I hope everyone enjoyed those New Potatoes last week! Yum!

Welcome to our newest CSA member…Charlotte Rissacher. Born just 15 days ago to Dan and Patty of Huntington. Congratulations!!!

Dont forget to pick your herbs! Cilantro is going by soon!

Reminder: Bring your canvas bags and reuse some produce bags if you have them- thank you. PLEASE check your name off on my list so I know you picked up each week. In case I don’t see you come in, I do want to know that everyone picked up. If its 5:55 and I see blank names, I get worried we have missing members not getting their share.

If you need me to put your share in the wagon on the front steps because you will be after 6pm, just call my cell! 233-3862. thanks!

THIS WEEKS HARVEST: Cucumber, Cabbage (a few might look swiss cheese like because of pests but I cut chopped one into slaw and it was delicious!) Head lettuce, small bag of mesculin, broccoli, zucchini, fennel, beets and SYRUP! (2nd of 4 pints)

Sorry, last week I had a handout on fennel, I will bring it this week.

BAKERY AND CHEESE Shares have a pickup this week. Dean will be at the pickup on Thursday if you have any questions about the next round of baked goods.

IN THE GARDEN: Im finally filling up all my garden space with a few rows to spare for varieties still in the greenhouse (fall broccoli, collards, more beets, pac choi and cauliflour). This year we are planting about 1300 feet of dry beans! 5 different kinds. With a date to maturity of 80-100 days, I hope they will be dry enough for you all to try some in October. Last year, we just planted black beans but never got around to shelling them until mid winter- they were hanging in in our barn loft.

ON THE FARM: We moved our cows and calves to the Teal Farm location on Tuesday! Stay tuned for information on our cattle drive back to the home farm! The recent hay we made got rained on so we are hoping for some drying weather on Wed and Thursday. As for the other herd of cows at the Vermont Youth Corps fields, that grass is up to my chest! I just moved them today and when they go into the pasture, you can just see their backs the grass is so high!

Thats all the news for now. See you soon! Feedback is appreciated. Come see us at a Farmers Market! Id love to post member recipes or links to some that you have found to be tasty. Please email me.

This Thursday Ill have pork chops, chickens and ground beef available to purchase. Anything else, please special order.

Eat Well, Beth and Bruce

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Hello folks!

Yet another rainy week here in the Green Mountain State! We are as frustrated as any other farmer and I’m sure all of you may have hoped for more recreation by this time in the summer. We are well behind on our hay production and now the quality is going downhill since fields are  seeding out. None the less, we can say prayers for a stretch of dry weather.

The show must go on…and the garden is kicking into gear. Just when I thought I had cleared out the greenhouse, nope, I went and got another dump load of wonderful potting soil from Vermont Compost Company in Montpelier and started seeding some more for fall crops. Look forward to some collards, kholrahbi, pac choi, fall broccoli and califlour and some of my favorites, more beets (Im a big fan of starting them in the greenhouse!)

CSA reminder: Bring your canvas bags please. Conserve plastic bag use and  bring in your mason pint jar – syrup will be next week!

THIS WEEKS HARVEST: New on the scene will be New Potatoes and Fennel (Ill have a handout at the pickup with some great fennel ideas, don’t forget to take one), zucchini, broccoli, radishes, lettuce, and don’t forget to get herbs- the courtyard garden is doing great.

ON THE FARM: Bruce and the crew have been working diligently getting the VYCC 20 acre field ready for cows to graze by putting up perimeter electric wire fencing and a establishing a water line system. Its amazing pasture with clover coming up in the understory- Bruce figures we might get almost a month of grazing on the field! That will significantly help our season extension in Richmond before we have to start feeding out hay this fall! Thanks to the folks at VYCC for sharing our vision of grazing benefits. Fertility Fertility Fertility!

NEWSWORTHY: Come see us at the Food Festival this Saturday July 11 (8:30-2) at City Hall Park in Burlington- 40+ food vendors in addition to the regular 45+ Farmers Market vendors- should be a food paradise!

BEEF IS BACK! This weekend we will debut FRESH beef from our first steers of 2009! Get your grilles going this weekend with a succulent sirloin or tender TBone. Come to any of our farmers markets.

DEANS BACKDOOR BAKERY: On vacation, no goodies this week.

CRAWFORD CHEESE: Off week, cheese will be next week. If you would still like to be included, you can bring me a check for $54 to Crawford Family Farm – that’s cheese every other week until the end of the CSA minus one week. ($6.75/week)

GOT PORK? July 13 we are taking pigs to the butcher. If you have considered buying a 1/2 or whole pig custom cut to your specifications, now is a great time! You’ll be smitten with yourself as you pull out delicious pork chops or ribs for your summer BBQ without going to the grocery store!

Just $100 deposit and Ill get you a cut sheet to indicate your cutting and  packaging requests.

Many thanks for reading! Id love to have your thoughts or recipe ideas. Please email me!

Eat Well, Beth

RECIPES:

Oven Roasted Potatoes with Fennel and Tarragon

Fingerling potatoes roasted with a bit of coarse salt and anise-flavored fennel makes for an incredible side dish.

SERVINGS 4

COOK TIME 30

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 fennel bulb, large, cut into julienne
3 shallots, large, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
2 teaspoons anise seed, toasted

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Place potatoes on a greased baking sheet and drizzle with one-third of the olive oil. Toss with salt and pepper. Place in the oven to start roasting.

3. In the meantime, in a skillet over medium heat, saute fennel and shallots in another third of the oil until slightly softened but still crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in tarragon and anise seed.

4. Add the fennel mixture to the potatoes in the oven. Toss well and continue roasting, until potatoes are tender but not soft, about 25 minutes total. Adjust seasoning and serve hot.

Warm Potato, Radish and Fennel Salad

Hello Folks!

Well, wet is the name of the game this week but the garden is bursting! (Not to mention the weeds that grow as you look at them!) Thanks to all this rain the vegetables have really taken off! When I took off the remay on the summer squash and cucumbers they were huge!

Its forth of July weekend, we will be present at three Farmers Markets. This Saturday we will trade Middlebury for a day spot in Burlington! Come see us near the fountain if you are downtown! (8:30-2) We’ll be at our regular location in Richmond and Shelburne for all your picnic BBQ needs. If you have a special request or would like more of something, please email or call us so we can have it set aside for you!

CHEESE: 3 families have signed up, thank you.

BACKDOOR BAKERY: This week you will be recieving scones! yum!

THIS WEEKS HARVEST: Broccoli, Beets, Mesculin mix, head lettuce, radishes, zucchini and a few peas! There will be more scapes for those of you who enjoy those. See some delicious recipes at the bottom!

IN THE GARDEN: Im trying to catch a woodchuck who is munching on the broccoli! Ill keep you posted! Anyone have an extra have a heart trap to spare? I would like to set up several at different holes we’ve found…let me  know or bring it to the pickup if you can.

ON THE FARM: Busy busy as always. We moved our second batch of chicks out on pasture on Tuesday. We had a misfortune with our layer flock and a fox. Sunday night he got 19!!!! That’s a big loss to our egg production.

preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim greens from beets. Cut off and discard stems. Coarsely chop leaves and reserve. Wrap each beet in foil. Place beets directly on oven rack and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool. Peel beets, then cut each into 8 wedges. Place beets in medium bowl.

Cook beet greens in large saucepan of boiling water just until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Cool. Squeeze greens to remove excess moisture. Add greens to bowl with beets. Cut peel and white pith from oranges. Working over another bowl and using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release segments. Add orange segments and onion to bowl with beet mixture. Whisk vinegar, oil, garlic, and orange peel in small bowl to blend; add to beet mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Serve.

Broccoli Pasta with Pancetta “Croutons”

You can substitute Pancetta for Maple Wind Farm Bacon!

yield: Makes 4 servings

Thick slices of pancetta are cubed and fried for the tastiest croutons ever.

subscribe to Bon Appétit

ingredients

• 4 ounces 1/4- to 1/3- inch-thick slices pancetta (Italian bacon) or thick-cut bacon slices, cut into 1/4- to1/3-inch cubes
• 5 1/2 cups 1-inch broccoli florets (from 1 pound broccoli crowns)
• 9 ounces fresh or dried fettuccine
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

preparation

Sauté pancetta in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat until almost crisp and brown. Transfer to paper towels.

Cook broccoli in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to medium bowl. Add pasta to same boiling water; cook until tender, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta; return to same pot. Add next 5 ingredients. Toss over low heat to coat. Add pancetta, broccoli, and cheese; toss to blend. Season pasta with pepper.

Test-kitchen tip:If thinly sliced pancetta is all that’s available, don’t dice it. Just crumble it coarsely after sautéing.

Hello folks!

Its been another busy week on the farm. We just processed 233 broiler chickens yesterday with a hard working crew! What a day. Chores started at 4:45 am and we finished back at the farm putting away the chicken crates at 7pm!

Spread the word that we have gorgeous (and delicious) pasture raised chickens for sale -FRESH- this week. Either at our CSA pickup, or any of our three farmers markets you can find one. If you want more than one and you didnt pre order, let us know so we know to pack extra. They are $4.50lb. Take one home and butterfly it on the Grill this weekend- tasty!

This week begins our summer partnership with the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps work crew so we’ll have a group of students who will come each Thursday to help and learn in the garden on Harvest day.

GARDEN NOTES:

The way my newsletter works is that I will do my best to post what I’m sure will be the harvest that week to help you with your planning and give you a glimpse of the vegetables you will receive. Sometimes, I’ll get to the garden and there will be something that I hadn’t planned on giving in the share and you will receive surprises – like scapes, last week!

Speaking of garlic scapes, get ready for another round! We’ve got loads and now they are at their peak. Wait too long and they get woody and tough. I hope some of you tried them in a stir fry or made some pesto. If not, try it this week- YUM!

THIS WEEKS HARVEST:

Scapes, Head lettuce, Baby radishes, Swiss Chard, you can pick a bundle of cilantro/ parsley and dill in the herb garden and a Ill have a greenhouse present waiting for you! I realize this week is a bit light (the broccoli is SO close!) so you’ll go home with a beautiful tomato plant I started in a 4″pot in the greenhouse for each share. I have a nice variety of all kinds to choose from (even a few tomatillos for the adventurous folks). So, the inner gardener in you can take a plant home and watch it grow. If you don’t have a great place outside in the soil, then you can do a container tomato plant on your deck or sunny porch!

Cheese add on Share Reminder: You should have recieved an email about the delicious cheese from Vermont Ayr from Sherry. Don’t forget to bring your check this week for her and you’ll begin receiving cheese for the rest of the CSA season.

We love to hear from you! Comments or questions about the CSA or other aspects of our farm. Please email or call us.

Dont forget your cloth bags at pickup and try to conserve the plastic ones! And if you have finished the syrup, please return your jar. Thanks.

Eat well,

Beth and Bruce

Id love to hear what you all do with your scapes… submit recipes! I welcome YOUR recipes any time to share with other members. I will post them in this newsletter.