Smith Gardens Community Farm CSA

Trempeleau Hotel Music and Family Fun

2008-09-17T05:21:00.000-07:00

Fall Fest CelebrationSunday, September 21st ~ 2pm-Dusk
A community event at the Historic Trempealeau Hotel with family activities, Mississippi history, live music, arts, crafts and more!
For more information, please call the Trempealeau Chamber of Commerce Office at 608-534-6780 or email chamber@trempealeau.net.

~Live Music~
Friday, September 26th
9pm-?No Cover Charge!
Acoustic Singer and Songwriter Michelle Lynn www.myspace.com/michellelynnsongs

~Arts on the River~Sunday, September 28th ~ 11am-4pm
Art, Live Music, Kid's Activities, Food and Free Admission!
Live music by Josh Franke at 1pm www.myspace.com/joshfranke

Week 16

2008-09-17T05:08:00.000-07:00

CONTENTS: Tomatoes, green/red peppers, garlic, cucumbers, summer squash, raspberries, salad greens, eggplant, onions

HERB SHARE: THIS IS THE LAST WEEK YOU’LL RECEIVE THE HERB SHARE FOR THE SEASON.

CSA SHARE SCHEDULE: OCT 15TH WILL BE THE LAST DELIVERY DATE OF THE CSA SEASON.

Veggie Review
I don’t think a day goes by without each of us here at the farm stained red from the raspberry patch…hands, clothes, mouths, etc…we’re all spotted with the evidence that the berries are on! So if you’d like more than the couple pints that are included in the csa boxes, please call or email us and come on out to the farm for some u-pick berries. They run $2.25 for u-pick or they are $3.50 for prepicked. We can send your orders along with your weekly box.
The other new item is salad greens for everyone. The cooler weather is making for happy salad growing once again.
The last cucumbers are in there. If you have not yet tried making a batch of gazpacho, this week is probably your last chance to have everything you need in the box.
The tomatoes are still holding their own in the field. Many are succumbing to various surface spotting as the plants are quite worn out, but there are still many good ones out there. There will be another week of ripe tomatoes for sure and then we will probably have a week of green tomatoes whenever that first frost comes.
The peppers are just beautiful and plentiful. Have you considered stuff peppers yet with the big green bells?
It may be the last of the broccoli and we’ll be switching to cabbage for a couple weeks. Boxes are rounded out with onions, garlic, and again a scattering of eggplant.
5# Organic Rock Solid Coffee
Get a bulk deal on locally roasted organic coffee! Keep warm in the cold months with your own stash of whole coffee beans. $40 for a 5# bag.
Order Your Canning/Freezing Tomatoes & Sweet Red Peppers
If anyone wants tomatoes for canning or freezing, please email or call. We’re offering ~10# flats of canning tomatoes for $6 each. I can also send along a recipe or give advice regarding how to put away tomatoes. Sweet Red Peppers $2.50/#

Next Week’s Guess: Summer squash, cabbage, Red peppers, green peppers, tomatoes, salad, raspberries, Garlic, Onions

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Breadcrumbs Live Earth Farm
Broccoli cut into florets, stems peeled and cut into equivalent piecesolive oil, salt and pepper for roastingbreadcrumbsbutter and olive oillemon zestminced garlic [yes green garlic] or onionjuice from lemon [remember to zest it first!]Toss broccoli with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in a hot oven, about 425 degrees, for 20 minutes or so, until lightly browned. In a small skillet or saucepan, melt butter and olive oil together. Add garlic or onion and simmer a bit; add lemon zest and breadcrumbs and stir/cook until they begin to crisp and brown. Remove from heat.Put roasted broccoli in a bowl and squeeze lemon juice over all. Add prepared breadcrumbs and toss together, then serve. Oh this is just so tasty!!Variations:-You can steam the broccoli instead of roasting it.-Try adding grated fresh parmesan to the ‘toss’ at the end.
Garden Gazpacho Live Earth Farm makes about 4 servings
approximately 4 C chopped tomatoes & their juice (feel free to supplement with cherry tomatoes!) 2 medium-sized mild peppers, stem, seeds and membrane removed, coarsely chopped 1 cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped (remove seeds if you like) 1 small summer squash, coarsely chopped (yes, remove the stem first); a yellow one is nice for color but not required 1 small onion, red, yellow or white, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 large garlic clove, crushed approximately 2 tbsp. red wine or champagne vinegar, possibly more 1 tbsp. flavorful olive oil 1 tsp. or so fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice (optional) 2 tsp. honey (optional) 1 handful of fresh basil leaves (optional) 1 seeded/chopped jalapeno (optional)
Combine all ingredients except vinegar in a food processor and puree. Empty into a bowl and add/stir in vinegar, a bit at a time, tasting as you go, until the right degree of tartness is reached. For some reason, I have found it is the vinegar which really gives gazpacho that special 'zing'. But since everyone's sense of sour is different, it is best to do this as I described. You'll know when it is right. And of course you'll want to add salt & pepper to taste. When you've got what you like, refrigerate the soup and chill thoroughly. Serve cold.
The optional ingredients each have their own effect on the soup. Many recipes have honey, but not all. The lemon or lime juice contributes to that 'zing' I told you about, so if you use it, you'll likely want to reduce the vinegar, but again, as long as you add the vinegar gradually and taste-check it, you'll get what you want. I love adding the fresh basil, as it really makes the soup summery and fragrant. And of course for those of you that like a little 'piquante', a little heat, the addition of the jalapeno turns the trick.
Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce Live Earth Farm
several ripe tomatoes, peeled & diced (and seeds squeezed out if you like) olive oil, garlic, basil, salt & pepper optional additions: splash of red wine, pinch or two of crushed dried red chilies, fennel seed, oregano, thyme... further optional additions: chopped up onions, carrots and/or summer squash, diced eggplant, sliced mushrooms...
Crush & saute garlic in olive oil 'til fragrant. Add rest of ingredients, cover & simmer, stirring occasionally until sauce has slightly thickened. If using onion, saute this first then add the garlic etc. Its that simple!
Roasted Balsamic Potatoes and Onions Live Earth Farm Serves 4
about 2 tbsp. olive oil1¼ to 1½ lbs. of potatoes, larger potatoes cut into chunks¾ lbs. onions, peeled, root ends intact [cut off the roots themselves, just leave that core in that keeps the layers together], cut into wedges¼ C balsamic vinegar1 tbsp. fresh thyme or 1 tsp. driedSalt and pepperPreheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss potatoes and onions in a bowl with olive oil to coat evenly then spread out on a rimmed baking sheet, cover with foil and roast 30 minutes. [Keep that bowl handy; we’ll be using it again!] Remove foil, transfer partially cooked veggies back into bowl [careful when you take off the foil – they’ll be hot!], then toss with vinegar and thyme, plus salt and pepper to taste. Spread back out on same pan and roast, uncovered, another 30 – 40 minutes, turning occasionally, until onions are browned and potatoes are crisp on the edges.

week 15

2008-09-10T07:42:00.000-07:00

Contents: Onions, Green Beans, Tomatoes, Peppers, Garlic, Cucumbers, Broccoli, Summer Squash, Chard, Parsley, Raspberries, Eggplant

Farm Update
To help get extra things done around the farm now that many of our helpers are back to school, we have the boys in day care on Mondays and Tuesdays. I had a little trouble with the quietness of the farm the first day and was amazed at how much I could accomplish; however, I did miss them. CSA member Marianne helped pull out all 400 pepper plants from the hoophouse in order to put in a planting of spinach and greens for fall harvests. CSA member Dave harvested 200+ pounds of tomatoes on Monday evening. Be sure to let us know if you need extra preservation tomatoes or peppers!
Veggie Review
The last of the beans are matched with a healthy helping of broccoli this week. We’ve included two different broccoli recipes in the newsletter and know many folks enjoy a broccoli salad with bacon bits, raisins, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and a mayo-based dressing.
I’ve received lots of positive feedback about the roasted tomato sauce recipe that was in a newsletter a couple weeks ago. It’s super easy and delicious. With the increased price of groceries, it seems to me that folks might be putting away a little more food this year than in the past.
Again, eggplant is included in a many of the boxes but yields are poor this year. There just hasn’t been the heat that these guys really need. If you’re really hungry for some eggplant and haven’t gotten a big enough taste, be sure to let me know so I can try to scatter a few more your way.
The warm season crops are really slowing down with these 40 degree nights. I imagine the last of the cucumbers and summer squash will be next week. The boxes are rounded out with onions, garlic, and greens…the starters for any grand meal!
On a good ending note, I’m regularly picking raspberries at about 8-10 pints a day. These guys are about 2 weeks behind schedule but that seems to be fairly accurate of the entire growing season. Most all should get a pint of berries this week. Thankfully, we have overhead irrigation to prevent any early season light frosts from hurting the berry crop. I’ll let you know when we reach peak production so that anyone interested in u-pick can come out to the farm.
Order Your Canning/Freezing Tomatoes & Sweet Red Peppers
If anyone wants tomatoes for canning or freezing, please email or call. We’re offering ~10# flats of canning tomatoes for $6 each. I can also send along a recipe or give advice regarding how to put away tomatoes. Sweet Red Peppers $2.50/#
5# Organic Rock Solid Coffee
Get a bulk deal on locally roasted organic coffee! Keep warm in the cold months with your own stash of whole coffee beans. $40 for a 5# bag.
Next Week’s Guess: Garlic, summer squash, Broccoli or cabbage, Onions, Red peppers, green peppers, tomatoes, salad, cucumbers, raspberries

Broccoli Stem Salad Feather Farm Cookbook
Broccoli stems
Onions, chopped
Green olives, chopped
Mayonnaise

Peel and trim the tough layer of broccoli stems. In a pot, simmer the stems in a little water until they turn tender but not mushy. Cool stems, add the onion and olives, and toss with mayo. Chill and serve.

Blasted Broccoli Featherstone Farm Cookbook
4 c broccoli florets
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Rinse broccoli florets and let them drain in a strainer.

Put the florets in a bowl with the olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the sea salt and toss again. Spread the seasoned broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet and pop it in the preheated oven. Bake until the edges are browned and crisp, about 4 minutes.

Put the florets back in the bowl and toss with balsamic vinegar to coat. Taste and add more salt if desired. Serve hot.

Pesto Pizza Smith Gardens Farm
Make quick pizza dough or use premade one.
1 pkg. dry yeast3/4 c. very warm water (120-130 degrees)2 c. flour1 tsp. salt1 tsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Soak yeast in water for 5 minutes. Add flour, salt and sugar and mix to blend. Knead for 2-3 minutes until flour is well blended. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.

Make pesto:
¾ c olive oil
1 clove garlic
½ c walnut pieces
½ tsp salt
½ c freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 c fresh basil leaves (or you can use parsley)

Place all ingredients except basil in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, then add basil, a handful at a time, blending until all the basil in incorporated and the pesto is somewhat smooth. The pesto is also great mixed with mayo and used as a sandwich spread. You can also make just half this recipe or make the whole thing and freeze the extra pesto in ice cube trays and put in a quart bag for use this winter.

Assemble pizza:
Sprinkle counter top with flour and roll out the dough ball to 12” or so and place onto baking pan. Be sure bottom of dough isn’t sticky or it’ll be hard to get the pizza off of it. Either flour or cornmeal bottom of pan lightly. Spread a thin layer of pesto sauce on the dough. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Top with thin sliced fresh tomatoes and sprinkle with pizza seasoning, minced garlic, and parmesan cheese. Cook 10-15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly.

Basic Pizza Sauce Rock Spring Farm
At our house, we love fresh pizza, and it doesn’t get much better than when made with fresh sauce. The following sauce can be made with cooked or raw tomatoes, but it is great when the extra effort is made to roast the tomatoes first.
1 cup chopped tomatoes 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 tsp oregano 1 T basil 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper
Blend all ingredients in a food processor—that’s it!
Parsley Salad Rock Spring Farm
Plan for about 1/2 cup per person.2 cups parsley leaves2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed2 Tbsp olive oil2 tsp lemon juice (fresh, if possible)Salt and pepperRemove parsley leaves from stems, then wash and dry well. Toss with the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and season generously with salt and pepper.

Bruschetta Recipe with Tomato and Basil

2008-08-27T05:53:00.000-07:00

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil Recipe
Ingredients
6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
1/4 cup olive oil

Method
1 Prepare the tomatoes first. Parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner. Drain. Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes. (If the tomatoes are too hot, you can protect your finger tips by rubbing them with an ice cube between tomatoes.) Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers. Also cut out and discard the stem area. Why use plum tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes? The skins are much thicker and there are fewer seeds and less juice.
2 Make sure there is a top rack in place in your oven. Turn on the oven to 450°F to preheat.
3 While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4 Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven, so you may need to do these in batches depending on the size of your oven. Once the oven has reached 450°F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.
Alternatively, you can toast the bread without coating it in olive oil first. Toast on a griddle for 1 minute on each side. Take a sharp knife and score each slice 3 times. Rub some garlic in the slices and drizzle half a teaspoon of olive oil on each slice. This is the more traditional method of making bruschetta.
5 Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up. Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread, or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy.
Makes 24 small slices. Serves 6-10 as an appetizer. Or 3-4 for lunch (delicious served with cottage cheese on the side.) From Simply Recipes.com

Stocking Up...Pantry Items for 2008

2008-08-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

Well, it's August and peak produce season, thereby canning season. We're putting things away either frozen or canned each week. If I don't get enough things put away for the off-season/winter, I really get nervous. Seeing full shelves of food gives me peace of mind and a secure feeling that all will be fine for the upcoming winter...not to mention reduce the shopping bill in the winter.

Here's our current pantry list:

In the Freezer
Pea Pods-10 qts
Sweet Corn-25 qts
Broccoli- 8 qts
Green Beans- 2 qts
Roasted Peppers-2 qts

Blueberries-6 qts
Strawberries-2 gallons
Raspberries- 1 gallon

15 whole chickens

Canned Pantry Items
Dill Pickles-7 qts, 24 pts
Pickled Beets-6 qts (last year leftover)
Beets (nonpickled)- 12 qts
Roasted Tomato Sauce- 30 qts
Salsa-
Tomato Juice-
Tomato Junk (sauce base of grn/red peppers, onions, garlic, and tom)-21 qts
Minestroni Soup-21 qts, 1 pt
Refridgerator Pickles-2 gallon s
Applesauce-

Dehydrated Items
Dried Juliets/Small Paste Tomatoes-1 gallon

Dried Herbs/Teas
Parsley-1 pint jar of dried leaves
Basil-1 pint jar of dried leaves
Anise Hyssop- 1 qt dried leaves/flowers
Raspberry Leaves
Camomile Flowers-1 pt
Rose Hips

Week 11 Newsletter

2008-08-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

Contents: Onions, New Red Potatoes, Cauliflower, Tomatoes, Red Peppers, Fillet Beans, Chard, Beets, Broccoli (rotating schedule), Zucchini, Patty Pan, Sweet Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant (some folks only)

ALMA SITE: DID ANYONE LOSE AN EARRING, COPPER HOOK WITH BEADS? IF SO, CONTACT SHAUN DUVALL AT 685-3349.

REMEMBER TO GET YOUR SWEET CORN FROM THE SIDE LABELED BOXES AT THE PICK-UP SITES. SOME SITES HAVE THEM SET ON TOP OF THEIR BOXES.

I should warn everyone that the boxes are getting heavier and heavier! Can you say peak season? There is so much variety in the garden right now, it’s so fun. I love seeing all the colors, shapes, and textures getting packed into each of your boxes. It certainly makes cooking fun, or at least it does for me.
Tomatoes are beginning to roll in. Nearly all flat surfaces in the barn were covered with tomatoes Monday afternoon. We packed over 120# of tomatoes in the boxes this week and we have another 120# in the barn. The bigger squattier tomatoes are Early Girls from our hoophouse and the round smaller tomatoes are heirloom Bloody Butchers from outside. The sungold cherry tomatoes are also fieldgrown. There’s also some basil to go with the ‘maters for salsa or bruchetta…I’ll pass my favorite bruchetta recipe next week.
The red Carmen sweet peppers are delicious. Try eating them raw or in a little dill dip.
At last, the cucumbers have arrived. Everyone will get quite a few over the next few weeks so enjoy cucumber salads or cold cucumber soup.
This may be the last week for the fillet beans. Next week we’ll have a different variety of snap bean.
There’s a tasty chard recipe from our CSA member on the back if you’re looking for ways to use this healthy vegetable.
Zucchini and patty pan continue to roll in. Have you made any bread yet? To freeze the squash, simply grate it and fill up quart freezer bags and use it in breads and muffins.
Again, remember your sweet corn from the labeled side boxes at the pick-up sites. Half=4 ears, full=8 ears. If anyone is looking for corn to freeze, please email or call and our neighbors (685-4066) have lots to sell from their field at $2.50/dozen. It is ready now, though. I’ve posted our freezer corn recipe on our csa blog.
Please enjoy the cauliflower. I was so pleased with how it did this year as it was only a trial crop. This may be the last week for it.
Broccoli was included to those who are next in the rotation. Not everyone gets it at once, but we keep track of who’s next so we’ll all have our fair share.
A few eggplant were starting to get ready and some of the full shares got a taste of these. It looks like many more will be ready next week if we have some warmer nights.
New red potatoes and parsley round out the box along with your share of red ace beets.

Mark the Calendar…
Farm Appreciation Picnic
Saturday, August 23rd 4pm-?

We’re making buffet style pizzas for our CSA members and friends of the farm. We’ll also provide the lemonade and beer. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share. Yard games, campfire, star gazing, and family fun! Please RSVP so we can plan how many pizzas to make.

Next Week’s Guess: Crookneck Summer Squash, Zucchini, Patty Pan, Broccoli (rotating schedule), Onions, Strike Green Beans, Red Peppers, Red Beets, Chard, Slicing Tomatoes, Sun Gold Cherry Tomatoes, sweet corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Turnips?, Carrots

Pasta Salad with Grilled Vegetables
From Harmony Valley Farm
Salad:
2-3 zucchini or summer squash, sliced into long ½" slices
2 eggplant, sliced into ¼" slices
4-6 tomatoes, sliced in half
1-2 red or green bell peppers, quartered and cored
1 medium onion, sliced into ¼" slices
Olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper
¾ lb pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled
4 oz fresh mozzarella or feta cheese
4-5 Tblsp chopped fresh basil

Dressing:
½ cup olive oil
3 Tblsp Balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
1 clove garlic minced

Coat veggies with light coating of olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred and tender. Chop grilled vegetables and mix with pasta, cheese, and basil. Toss with dressing and season with salt and pepper.

Cooked Chard Stalks from Marianne Boggs-CSA Member
6 good size chard stalks, leaves removed, and stems chopped about 1 inch long
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp. corn starch
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
fresh ground pepper/salt to taste

Simmer stalks in chicken broth until crisp tender (about 10 minutes); mix milk & corn starch, add to pot, stir and heat until bubbly and thickened; add parmesan cheese, continue simmering until cheese is melted; add fresh ground pepper to taste.

Variation: After 5 minutes add a few chopped leaves, finish as above this is absolutely yummi! Back home in Switzerland we cooked the stalks and fed the leaves to the rabbits or pigs!!

Greek Salad From Two Onion Farm
1 green or red pepper
1 small cucumber
2-3 medium tomatoes
4 oz feta cheese
2-3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
5-6 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Chop the pepper, cucumber, and tomatoes, into larger bite-sized pieces. Crumble the feta cheese into large pieces. Combine all ingredients in a salad bowl and serve cold. Feta cheese is salty enough that you may not
want any additional salt.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower w/ Vinaigrette
(adapted from Parisian Home Cooking, by Michael Roberts)

Ingredients
2 small cauliflowers
3 Tbs good-quality olive oil
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tsp fine sea salt
A few grinds of black pepper
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Any vinaigrette you like

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Set a steamer basket inside a large, deep pot, and add water to a depth of ½ to 1 inch – just below the bottom of the steamer. Rinse and trim the cauliflower. Place them in the steamer, cover, and steam for 15- 20 minutes. By this point, they should be tender and should have changed in color from a raw, opaque white to a slightly more translucent off-white. Meanwhile, combine the oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a small bowl, whisking to mix well.
When the cauliflower is ready, gently transfer them from the steamer to a medium baking dish or small roasting pan, something just large enough to hold the two heads side by side. Using a pastry brush, paint the cauliflower with the oil mixture. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and place it in the oven. Roast the cauliflower for 30 minutes, basting every ten minutes.[You should have just enough of the oil mixture for three light bastings in total, including the first one.] Remove the foil, and continue to bake for another 10-20 minutes, until the cauliflower is pale golden and a knife can be easily inserted into its core. Serve hot or warm, with vinaigrette.

Grandma Bess' Freezer Corn Recipe

2008-08-12T14:16:00.000-07:00

This is how my grandmother used to freeze corn. We follow her handwritten recipe every August as we put away the harvest and reminisce memories of her and my grandfather.

8 cups raw corn cut off the cob
1 stick butter (we use half this amount though, as a little butter can be added when you use it)
1 Tb sugar
1tsp salt
1 cup water

Put the butter, sugar, salt and water all in a pot and stir until melted. Add corn and stir. When corn gets hot (maybe 5-8 minues on medium heat), cook 3 minutes. Cool in a cold water bath. When you can handle it, scoop corn into quart sized bags and let open bags cool to room temperature. Squeeze air out of bags and seal. Freeze.

Food Preservation Class at BCC

2008-08-07T05:53:00.000-07:00

Save energy and money while eating healthy, tasty meals from close to home. Redefine your garden's boundaries in both time and space. Topics include planning, growing and/or buying foods, as well as energy-efficient strategies for food preservation. Join Larissa Walk on Thursday, August 28th at 10am at the Winona Volunteer Services classroom 402 East Second Street. The Co-op is proud to co-hose this class with Winona Volunteer Services-don't miss it! Register at the co-op for the free class. I'm not sure if you need to be a member or not to partake in the class...

Week 10 Newsletter

2008-08-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

Week 10 (EVEN)

Contents: Cauliflower, Potatoes, Parsley, Tomatoes, Bell Pepper, Green Beans, Chard, Onions, Red Beets, Zucchini, Patty Pan Squash, and Broccoli (rotating schedule), Sweet Corn

Comings and Goings
Jeremy is gone to Salt Lake City, UT, for the next 2 weeks for his work. It’s always a little overwhelming having him gone that long, but hopefully we’ve prepared ourselves with some extra helpers to get us through.
If anyone needs extra beets, they are available now for preserving. Extra tomatoes should be ready late August. The Bluff Country Co-op is sponsoring a free preservation class in August with local author and experienced preservationist Larisa Walk. I’ll post the info on our blog.
Veggie Review
There’s cauliflower for everyone this week. We enjoyed a great curried cauliflower dish the other night. See our blog for the recipe www.smithgardens.blogspot.com
We’ve received many rave reviews about the beans this year. Keep enjoying these tender little guys for a little longer. We planted fillet beans this year instead of pole beans in order to have more time to devote to all the tedious stooping and handpicking.
The bell peppers are from the field this week and are sweet thick-walled varieties.
The beets keep coming and you may be ready to try the chocolate beet cake recipe if you need to slip them by some of the pickier eaters in your house. See recipe on back.
The red potatoes are “new potatoes” that have very thin skins and are from plants that were still alive. These potatoes have not yet cured and should be kept in the fridge. Please excuse the dirt…washing these tender babies would’ve scraped the skins and caused them to brown. Simply wash them and scrub lightly before using. We tried to contain any dirt from the almost cured onions and potatoes in the same bag. Both can be refrigerated.
Parsley was included this week. Some of you may be thinking parsley potatoes? Or simply chop up and throw into your stir-fry dishes.
The patty pan squash are truly wonderful grilled. I actually call the bigger sized ones “grillers” because they could easily be sliced ¼ - ½ ” thick and substituted in a sandwich like a portabella mushroom. Lightly coat the sliced squash in oil, sprinkle with Lawry’s, pepper, and garlic powder. Lay them on the grill until slightly browned and tender, but not mushy.
I especially love the small-med zucchini quartered and sautéed in oil. Cook lightly until just tender. Flavor with salt, pepper, garlic and parmesan cheese. Use the bigger zucchini by chopping off just what you need or grating it for bread, muffins, pancakes, etc.
Our broccoli harvest keeps coming in slowly. So, we’ll keep picking and packing your boxes with it. Not everyone can get it each week, but we will continue to rotate so everyone gets their fair share.
And, surprise our sweet corn is finally ready. Enjoy a few of the sweet ears as it is in short supply this year. Be sure to get yours from the side box labeled sweet corn at the pick-up site. Half share=4 ears; Full share=8 ears.

Next Week’s Guess: Cucumbers, Eggplant, Zucchini, Patty Pan, Cauliflower ? , Broccoli (rotating schedule), Onions, Green Beans, Green peppers, Red Beets, Chard, tomatoes, Corn

TOMATO AND BASIL SALSA
(from Food & Wine magazine)
Ingredients
2 tomatoes-peeled, seeded and diced
20 basil leaves, slivered
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
In a glass or ceramic bowl, toss the tomatoes with the basil and garlic. Add the olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar and toss gently. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Balsamic Potato and Green Bean Salad from Rachel Ray
1 1/2 pounds small new potatoes
Salt
10 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, plus whole sprigs for
garnish
In a large saucepan, place the potatoes, 2 teaspoons salt and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the green beans and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and let stand. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, mustard, pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk in the olive oil until combined. Toss the potatoes and beans with the dressing to coat. Using a fork, mash several potatoes. Toss in the scallions and thyme. Season with more salt and pepper to taste and top with thyme sprigs. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SUMMER BOUNTY VEGETABLE SALAD
This is a salad that is truly planned by nature. The vegetables listed are merely suggestions. Choose a mixture that compliments each other in taste, color and texture.
From Harmony Valley Farm
Vegetables:
1 C. each, uncooked, broccoli florets,
green beans, trimmed,
snow peas, trimmed,
carrots, cut into 1/4 “ slices,
summer squash, cut into 1/4 “ slices
cucumber, cut into 1/4 “ slices
green onion, cut into 1/4 “ slices
pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4 “ strips
6 cherry tomatoes
Dressing:
1/3 C. red wine vinegar
1/4 C. fresh parsley, chopped
1 T. Dijon-style mustard
2 T. honey
1/2 C. Olive oil
1/2 C. Gorgonzola cheese
Bring 3 Cups water to a boil. Drop the broccoli, beans and peas into the water for 1 min. Remove with slotted spoon and plunge into cold running water. Drain. Repeat with carrots. Place cooked vegetables and remaining raw vegetables into large salad bowl. Make dressing by combining first 5 ingredients in a bowl, whisk in the olive oil. Drizzle over the vegetables and crumble cheese on top. Toss gently and let rest for 30 minutes so flavors blend. Variations: Turn leftover salad into tomorrow’s supper by tossing with cooked rotini pasta.

CHOCOLATE BEET CAKE Adapted from various recipes on AllRecipes.com
1 c. margarine, softened, divided
1 1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs at room temp
1 1/2 oz. dark chocolate5 medium beets/2 c. pureed beets
1 t. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
confectioners’ sugar for dusting

To make beet puree, trim stems and roots off beets and quarter them. Place in heavy sauce pan filled with water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 50 mins or until the beets are tender. Drain off remaining liquid and rinse beets in cold water as they’ll be too hot to handle otherwise. Slide skins off and place beets in blender. Pulse until a smooth puree forms. Let cool slightly before using in cake. Puree can be made several days in advance.
In a mixing bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and brown sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Melt chocolate with remaining butter; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Blend chocolate mixture, beets and vanilla into the creamed mixture (mixture will appear separated). Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. spring form pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Cool completely before dusting with confectioners’ sugar.

Ashlan's pictures

2008-08-06T05:11:00.000-07:00

Ash loves to take pictures with the digital camera. Here's a couple of his better shots while we were digging onions.

Nature Photos

2008-08-06T05:07:00.000-07:00

Cauliflower Recipe - Aloo Gobi

2008-08-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

2008-08-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

Aloo Gobi www.recipezaar.com
This Indian curry dish features many of the vegetables you'll find in your box this week. It is hearty enough to be a meal in itself, but also pairs wonderfully with warm basmati rice or naan. Adjust the spice level to your taste with fresh green chilies or chili powder.
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bunch fresh coriander or parsley, separated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
1 small green chili pepper, finely chopped, or 1 tsp chili powder (optional)
1 large head cauliflower, leaves removed and chopped into small florets
3 large potatoes, chopped into small pieces
3 tomatoes, diced
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
2 tsp garam masala or curry powder
Water or milk
Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan and add the onion and cumin. Stir well and cook until onions are creamy and translucent. Add the coriander or parsley stalks, turmeric, and salt. Stir and add green pepper, chili or chili powder (if desired), tomatoes, ginger, and garlic. Mix thoroughly. Add potatoes, cauliflower, and about 1/2 cup water or milk (the milk makes for a creamier curry). Stir well to ensure that the potatoes and cauliflower are coated with the curry sauce and are not sticking to the pan. Cover and simmer for twenty minutes or until potatoes and cauliflower are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water or milk as needed. Stir in parsley leaves and garam masala or curry powder, remove from heat, and let sit before serving.

Week 9 Newsletter

2008-07-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

Week 9

Contents: tomatoes, cauliflower (full only), broccoli (most half only), zucchini, patty pan, onions, fillet green beans, chard, beets, Carmen green pepper

Comings and Goings
We took a weekend mini vacation at Heather’s cousin’s lake house north of the Twin Cities. The weather was great and we all enjoyed tubing and water sports on the very clean lake. The calm, warmer, shallow waters were a great way for Ashlan to experience swimming and playing out in the elements with his cousins. To see some wild tubing footage, see our family blog: www.jeremyheathersmith.blogspot.com
On our way home, we stopped at Rush River Produce in Maiden Rock for some fresh blueberry picking. Their farm is beautiful and their berries are tasty! We all ate our fair share of blues as we picked. Check their website www.rushriverproduce.com if your interested.

Veggie Review
As I say, the next week’s predictions are merely my best guess. We don’t have potatoes, parsley, or sweet corn this week, but we do have more tomatoes than I ever thought we would along with some cauliflower for the full shares.
My favorite way to enjoy cauliflower is with a cheese sauce poured over it. I first steam the cauliflower and make the sauce separate. You could use a store bought cheese sauce as well but I make my sauce by melting a couple Tbs of butter, and then adding a couple Tbs of flour to make a roux. Then add a cup of milk and two cups of shredded cheese. Stir until smooth and season with pepper and garlic powder. Pour over steamed cauliflower.
The tomatoes are ripening both inside the hoophouse and are starting to come on out in the field. The Bush Early Girl variety are larger sized tomatoes that are supposed to be very early (even though we are seeing tomatoes coming in 2 weeks later than expected due to weather conditions early this year). The Bloddy Butcher are small and round but have very nice full-bodied tomato flavor. It’s an early heirloom variety. The Sungolds are the orange cherry tomatoes that are like little bursts of sweet tangy candy. There will be lots more sungolds to come so don’t worry if you didn’t get any this week. Also note, leave your tomatoes out on the counter and do not put in the fridge! The flavor and texture suffers when they are refrigerated. Eat them up as they are ripe.
The Carmen peppers can be used like a sweet green bell pepper. They are thick walled and shaped like a bull’s horn.
The fillet beans are a different variety than last week’s beans. They were supposed to ripen a few weeks later than they did so we decided to turn under las week’s variety so tha we can try to keep up with this variety’s picking schedule. These beans are very tender and delicious. Steam or sauté lightly until just crisp tender.
Rainbow chard and beets and their greens fill out the boxes. Enjoy the greens and all their wonderful nutritional value. Chard and beets belong to the same family as spinach and are full of Vit K, A, C, and E, manganese, magnesium, potassium, and iron. One cup of cooked chard or beet leaves promotes excellent bone and eye health.
Most of the half shares have broccoli this week as the main early crop production slows. If you missed it this week, you’ll get yours next week.
Finally, the boxes round out with some zucchini, patty pan squash, and uncured onions.

Next Week’s Guess: New Potatoes, Zucchini, Patty Pan, Cauliflower (half only), Broccoli (remaining half shares), Onions, Green Beans, Green peppers, Red Beets, Chard, Parsley, tomatoes, sweet corn?

Fried Rice
Keep this recipe around the whole season. It’s a good use of nearly any vegetable and almost everyone likes fried rice. You can be sure homemade is a lot healthier than take out.
1 T olive or canola oil
3 c chopped mixed vegetables such as bok
choi, broccoli, peas, zucchini, peppers,
carrots, chard, onions, cabbage or kohlrabi
2 eggs
2 c cooked, cooled rice
¼ c soy sauce
1 t brown sugar
1 T worcestershire sauce
1 T sherry, if you have it
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the vegetables and toss them around for a couple minutes. Crack the eggs over the top of the vegetables but don’t stir right away. Let the eggs set up a bit before giving it another stir. Then spread the rice over the veggies and eggs. Again, let it cook another moment. Blend together the remaining ingredients and pour over the skillet. Stir to blend and finish cooking the egg. Season to taste with more soy sauce and pepper.

Szechuan Green Beans Harmony Valley Farm
1 pound green beans
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
2 green uncured onions, whites chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili paste
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Pepper to taste, optional
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil for stir-frying
Wash the beans, drain thoroughly, and trim the tops
and bottoms. Cut the beans on the diagonal into slices approximately 2 inches long. Chop the garlic, ginger and white part of the scallions. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the beans and stir-fry until they start to shrivel or “pucker” and turn brown (5 - 7 minutes). Remove the beans and drain in a colander or on paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the wok on high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and scallions. Stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the chili paste and stir-fry for a few more seconds until aromatic. Add the beans and the remaining ingredients. Mix together and serve.

Spicy Dilly Beans-makes 6 pints recipezaar.com
2 lbs green beans, trimmed and washed, do not snap in half
¼ tsp cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce (optl)
1-2 cloves garlic, whole and peeled
½ tsp mustard seeds (optl)
1 head dill (or ½ tsp dill weed)
5 c distilled vinegar
½ c pickling salt
5 c water

Prepare pint jars for canning. Bring water, vinegar, and salt to boil. Put dill, garlic, cayenne, and mustard seeds in the bottom of each jar. Pack jars tightly with fresh green beans, packed lengthwise. Do not snap beans. Place jars in a canning pot filled with boiling water. Pot should have a canning rack on the bottom so jars do not bang around. As soon as water comes back to a boil, start timing and leave jars for 10 minutes. When finished, lift jars from water and place on a dry towel away from drafts. As the jars cool, you will hear the lids pop, which indicates that they have sealed. Let set on shelf for 2 weeks before opening for best flavor. These make a great appetizer, snack for kids, bloody mary filler, or an interesting addition to salads.

ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
(Makes about two dozen) animalvegetablemiracle.com
1 egg, beaten
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Combine in large bowl.
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
Combine in a separate, small bowl and blend into liquid mixture
1 cup finely shredded zucchini
12 oz chocolate chips
Stir these into other ingredients, mix well. Drop by spoonful onto greased baking sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350°, 10 to 15 minutes.

Week 8 Newsletter

2008-07-24T06:32:00.000-07:00

Contents: green onions, dill, basil, green beans, beets, chard, zucchini or patty pan squash

Chickens: Bring a cooler to town if you ordered chickens…this is the week for delivery! The birds are frozen and were processed by a local farmer in Pepin, WI. The birds are twist tied in a heavy plastic bag for the freezer. The processing facility we had been using in Utica, MN is closed for business so we had to source alternate processing and thus different packaging. We ate a bird in a crockpot supper last night and it was very tender and delicious.

Farm Update
It’s hard to believe that August is almost upon us! The late warm-up this year has really caused the summer to cruise on by faster than normal. However, the CSA season is a little more than 1/3 over so there are still lots of veggies to come.
Catching up with the weeds has again been the on agenda this past week. We’ve had many hands involved in the process and we’re almost there. It’s amazing how different the gardens can look from week to week. Thanks again to all that have been assisting!
The cucumbers are flowering and will be producing within a two weeks. Other newcomers perhaps next week will be new potatoes, sweet corn, and maybe even some tomatoes if we’re lucky.
Veggie Review
The new items in your box this week are rainbow chard and green beans. Chard is an old vegetable that been around since the 1500s or before. It is a cousin to beets and can be used anywhere cooked spinach is used in recipes. In Europe, chard has a much different look than it does here in the United States. The French prefer the stems as Americans typically prefer the greens. So in Europe the stems are bred to be 6” or more in width. Wow…it would be like giant celery. It’s interesting how different vegetables can be selected for to adapt to people’s eating styles. If you’re going to use the stems and the leaves of chard in the same dish, cook the stems separately since they take longer to cook.
The green beans are really tasty. We’ve been eating many meals of sautéed beans in garlic olive oil, with lemon juice, parmesan, and salt and pepper sprinkled over the top at the end of cooking. The beans were a little muddy and moist when we picked since the plants had been pounded by some heavy rains a week ago. Eat your beans up early or sort through any that might develop a little rust on them.
The onions are starting to die back making their green stems week and producing a larger bulb. These bulbs are uncured and fresh. Keep in the fridge until you use them.
The dill can be refrigerated but the basil will turn blackish and get chill burned if refrigerated. To store your basil, keep it on the counter in a glass with a little water like a bouquet or perhaps store it in the door (least cold) spot of your fridge. A pesto recipe is on the back or use basil freely in many of your cooking delights.
The full shares have a nice bag of broccoli this week and the half shares will receive broccoli next week. I thought it was better to give everyone a bigger helping so you had a chance to make a broccoli salad if you desired.
Zucchini or patty pan squash are still in their early production days. Everyone has just one or two and they may be gourmet size and tender.
Finally, there are delicious sweet red beets with their greens. I have a section of beet tips on the back page.
Farm Appreciation Picnic
Mark Your Calendars…Sat, August 23rd 4pm-?
You are all invited to an evening out at the farm. We’re providing buffet-style pizzas, lemonade, beer and you can bring a side dish or dessert to share potluck style. Enjoy yard games, a campfire, stargazing, and fun with friends. Camping is optional on Saturday night. E-vites will be sent with an RSVP requested so we can plan the pizza prep.

Next Week’s Best Guess: New Potatoes, Zucchini, Patty Pan, Broccoli (half shares), Onions, Green Beans, Red Beets, Chard, Parsley, tomatoes, sweet corn?

Beets
So many folks are sure they don’t like beets. While I love beets, I can understand how their earthy sweet flavor is an adjustment for many people. If you haven’t liked beets in the past I urge you to keep trying. Go for assertive companion flavors like mustard, horseradish and blue cheese – or plenty of acid like lemon juice or vinegar to add complexity. If nothing else, blend grated beets into chocolate cake or brownies. Amazing color and even better taste!
Basic Beet Preparation:
Remove the beet tops for another use. Scrub the beets and place them in a pot covered with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or longer depending on their size. Beets are done when you can pierce them with a fork. Drain and let the beets cool. Then slip off the skins. Slice into rounds, dress and serve as a salad. They are also tasty marinated or pickled- substitute for the radishes, kohlrabi or snap peas in earlier week’s recipes.

Bright Red and Green Beets Harmony Valley
1 bunch beets
1 T olive oil
3 garlic scapes, chopped fine
½ c chopped parsley
salt and pepper
lemon wedges

Remove the beet greens, wash well and slice into narrow strips. Peel the beet bulbs if tough, and grate them on a cheese grater (wear an apron!). Heat the oil in a skillet, add the garlic scapes, the greens and the grated beets. Toss together with the salt, pepper and a tablespoon of water. Steam fry for 5 minutes or until the greens are tender.Toss with the parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.

Veggie Hash Browns Primrose Community Farm
2 cups grated carrots, kohlrabi, or beets
2 cups grated zucchini or cabbage
½ cup grated onion
salt and pepper
herbs (thyme is excellent!) and garlic to taste
oil

Toss the grated zucchini or cabbage with 1 teaspoon of salt. Let set for 1 hour. Squeeze out the excess water as much as possible. Toss with the other grated veggies and season to taste. Heat 2 T of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place about half of your veggie mixture into the pan and spread it out to cover the bottom. Flatten with a spatula and let them slowly brown without stirring.
To flip, invert a large plate over the pan and turn it over. Slide the browns back in with the uncooked side on the bottom. Brown slowly until cooked through. Repeat with the other half and cut into wedges to serve.

Yummy Chard Pie Adapted from Asparagus to Zucchini
1 Tbs oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 Tb minced garlic or scapes
1 medium bunch chard or greens, stems removed and leaves chopped
4 eggs
1 c milk
½ tsp salt
1 8” pie shell
1 c grated cheddar or swiss cheese
1 Tb chopped fresh dill
chopped ham, bacon, green beans, chopped basil, fresh diced tomatoes, etc (optional)

Heat oven to 400. Heat oil in skillet over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally. Add chopped greens and any optional ingredients that may need cooked and cook, stirring often until greens wilt. Turn off heat. Beat eggs, milk, and salt in a bowl. Spread chard mixture in bottom of pie shell. Add cheese. Pour egg mixture over top. Add one or more optional ingredients, if desired. Sprinkle with dill. Bake at 400 degrees until the pie is no longer jiggly in the center, 30-40 minutes. Makes 8 slices.

Basil PESTO
2 cups basil leaves
2-3 garlic cloves
¼ tsp. salt
¼ c. walnut pieces
¼ c. parmesean
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp water
¼ c. olive oil

In a food processor or blender, combine everything but olive oil and until paste forms. If you are using a blender,
add the greens last and only a little at a time. Gradually blend in olive oil. Adjust seasoning if required. You can use pesto over pasta or on top of a pizza crust as the sauce. Pesto freezes well in ice cube trays. Just freeze and pop out the cubes and store in a freezer bag for later use.

Dirty Hands and Legs...Weeds Attacked!

2008-07-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to all the hands that helped get a hold on the weeds around the winter squash and cucumbers. Without all of our working members and hardworking intern(s), we would never be able to keep up.

Week 7 Newsletter

2008-07-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

Contents:
scallions, dill, cilantro, garlic scapes, snow/snap peas, zucchini, broccoli, napa cabbage, beets

Chicken Shares: The chickens have just been frozen. We’ll bring the chickens to the sites next week for pick-up. If you need to make different arrangements, please email/call this week. Thanks!

Friendly Reminder: Pick-up time for the Alma site is 3-5pm and Winona is 4-6pm. The farm has more flexible hours with pick-ups being Wed/Thur 8am-8pm due to our walk-in cooler storage. We have these hours to encourage everyone to pick-up their stuff while it is still cool and fresh. The designated hours also help our site hosts know when to assume when someone is not coming to pick up their veggies. If something has come up unexpected and you need to be a little late, you could always email/call the host sites to let them know to hold your veggies (unrefrigerated) for a little while. Honestly, the boxes are not disposed of immediately after the end of the closing times. However, we encourage everyone to get your box items within the pick-up hours so that we are minimally obtrusive to the site hosts. We will assume that if a box is left unclaimed after the pick-up hours are over that you are not coming for the box. Unclaimed boxes are donated to families that will utilize the produce so it’s not wasted. A lot of work has been put into planting, harvesting, and packing the boxes so we really hate to see any food go to waste. Feel free to forward any feedback about how the pick-up arrangements work out for you, if the hours are good, or any other useful information. Thanks for understanding our policy!

Alma: shaunjd@tds.net 608-685-3349
Winona: jkerr@hbci.com 507-474-1842
Farm: mail@smithgardensfarm.com 608-626-2122

CSA Farm Appreciation Picnic…Saturday, August 23rd! An evening of fun and food for all our CSA members and friends of the farm. Mark your calendars. More details will come shortly…

RECIPES OF THE WEEK

Cilantro Coconut Rice

Beet and Pea Salad

Early Summer Stir-Fry

Beets with Angel Hair Pasta

Veggie Review
The boxes have several new flavors and a burst of color with the beets this week. It was so fun putting together a stir-fry the other night with all these new players in the garden.
The zucchini is here and we’re ever so happy since it was missing last year due to a mislabeled seed packet issue. Patty pan squash (the yellow flying saucers) will be coming in a couple weeks.
The broccoli produced enough for all the shares to get a sampling this week. Now, this is fresh garden broccoli, not the stuff from a store…so you can eat the tender stalk and even the green leaves can get chopped up and thrown into a stir-fry. Ashlan actually prefers the tender cooked stalk over the florets.
The last of the garlic scapes are in with the last of the snow and snap peas. Enjoy the peas lightly cooked or try out the beet and pea salad on the back.

The first helping of Red Ace beets comes this week. The greens should be removed from the beet roots and stored separately in plastic bags. Use the greens within a week and the roots should last a month or more. The most common way to prepare beets is to boil them but roasting them retains their nutrients and concentrates their flavor. When beets are ready, you should be able to stick a fork through the largest beet without resistance. Wait until cool or cool under running water and slip the skins off. You can use immediately or put them in the fridge to use in a salad or cold dish another day.
The second dose of napa cabbage is included this week. If you are an every other week person, be sure to look up missed week’s newsletters online for recipe suggestions and cooking tips you might miss.
To finish out the boxes are scallions and fresh dill and cilantro. The dill can be stored in the fridge in a bag for fresh use or feel free to hang it up out of the sunlight to dry and use later.

Weed Management…not irradication
Each year has its weedy moments but we are most concerned with trying to have weeds not seed out, thereby making exponentially more problems down the road. The recent rain and warmth has given the weeds in the garden a burst but we are making some headway with some added help of our working members and our hardworking intern Caitlin. Many thanks to those who’ve been helping weed! Our leeks, tomatoes, and winter squash are on their way to looking great!
Things also look better after mowing down several early garden lanes Tuesday evening that were growing large weeds amongst the spent crops. Mowing down these lanes adds a great boost of green manure to decompose and be incorporated into the dirt. The bugs love this addition of organic matter and in return we get back some humus, fertility and hopefully keep working on improving the overall condition of the soils.

Next Week’s Best Guess:
Scallions, Beans, Beets, Zucchini, Broccoli, Chard, Dill, Basil

Cilantro Tips:
To maximize the life of cilantro, remove whatever is binding the bunch if anything, wrap it in a paper towel and store the whole thing in a plastic bag. This loosens up the sprigs so they are less likely to rot and the paper towel keeps them moist but not wet. Avoid over-heating cilantro. Add to dishes at the very end of cooking or use as a garnish. A chopping tip I use is to cut cilantro without picking the leaves off the stems. When it is as fine as you like, fluff it with your fingers. The heavier stems sink to the bottom and you can scoop the perfectly minced leaves off the top.

Cilantro Coconut Rice
3 cups basmati rice (20 oz)
3/4 cup sweetened coconut, toasted
1Tbsp fresh ginger, chopped finely
1 Tbsp jalapeño, chopped finely
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups water
1 tsp salt
2 cups packed fresh cilantro sprigs
4 scallions, chopped (1 cup)
-Cook ginger and jalapeno in 1 Tbsp oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat about 2 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in water and 1/2 tsp salt and bring to a boil, cover. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.
-While rice cooks, pulse together coconut, cilantro, scallions, and remaining 2 Tbsp oil and 1/2 tsp salt in a food processor until finely chopped. Add cilantro mixture to cooked rice and stir gently until combined well.

BEET AND PEA SALAD harmony valley farm
1 scallion, sliced thinly
3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. ground coriander, lightly toasted
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch beets, greens removed
2 cups sugar snap peas or snow peas
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the beets on the oven rack and bake until they can easily be pierced with a fork. (You can boil them if you don’t want to
heat up the oven, but they will not be as deliciously sweet.) Allow beets to cool while preparing the dressing and the peas. Steam snap peas over boiling
water, covered for 2 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain in a colander. Whisk together vinegar, coriander, sugar and salt in a salad bowl, then add oil in a slow stream while whisking. When the beets are cool, peel them by rubbing with a paper towel. Cut off the ends and slice into the dressing. Add the peas and the sliced onions and toss to coat with dressing.

EARLY SUMMER “BOX” STIR-FRY
-substitute as needed to use what you have-
serves 4-6
1# beef or chicken sliced thin, or tofu cubed
1/2 c. light soy sauce
2 T. lemon or lime juice
1 T. Ginger, grated
3-4 scapes, chopped
4-5 green onions, chopped
1 t. fresh savory, chopped
2 carrots, small dice
1 - 2 bulbs kohlrabi, peeled, small dice
1 1/2 c. broccoli florettes
1 c. summer squash, diced
1 bunch pak choi, chopped (or napa cabbage)
2 T. cilantro, chopped (optional)
1/2 c. water
1 T. cornstarch combined w/ 1/2 T. water
Marinate the meat or tofu in soy sauce, lemon juice,
ginger , 1/2 scapes, 1/2 green onion. Add 1 T. oil to hot pan or wok. Strain meat or tofu saving the liquid. Add to pan and sauté just until cooked. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 1 T. oil to pan. When hot, add remaining scapes and green onions. When you smell the onions cooking add the carrots. Next, add the kohlrabi. Sauté, for one or two minutes, Add broccoli and water. Steam for 2-3 minutes. Add squash. Wait one minute, add pak choi and savory. Add reserved marinade and bring to boil. Add cornstarch “slurry” and stir to thicken. Add meat or tofu and
serve over hot rice.

BEETS WITH ANGEL HAIR PASTA Moore Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin
8 oz. angel hair pasta
4 medium beets, any color
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic
½ small red onion, minced
salt and pepper to taste
½ c. broth or water
½ tsp. chopped rosemary
crushed red pepper flakes
parmesan cheese
Dice the beets up fine. Saute in oil with salt and pepper until just tender. Add the garlic and onion. Cook for one minute. Add broth or water. Stir in rosemary and pepper flakes. Spoon over cooked pasta and serve with lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Week 6 Newsletter

2008-07-09T05:51:00.000-07:00

Week 6 (EVEN) is upon us.

Here’s what’s in the box:
Scallions
Garlic scapes
Kohlrabi
Mixed salad greens
Snow/snap peas
Napa cabbage
Broccoli-full share only

RECIPES OF THE WEEK
Peas with Toasted Sesame Seeds
Warm Napa Cabbage Slaw with Peanut Sauce

Farm Updates
What a long holiday weekend this past 4th of July! It started with a bang for us on Thursday night pizza night. We had our all-time record night making 74 pizzas. It was quite busy, the lawns were full of people, the swing set was rocking, and we had only a minor mishap with the orders falling down in the kitchen and us having to try to figure out who was first. Thankfully, most people were in a relaxed mode and enjoyed the beautiful evening in the valley while they waited for their pizzas.
On Friday, our family attended the Cochrane parade for the first time ever which was quite fun. I’m not really a parade person, but it was entertaining to watch Ashlan learn the ropes of candy diving from the other kids. The community’s camaraderie and fun spirit shown through as the town seemed to be in a city wide party that was armed with water balloons.
The festivities continued as we went to Waumandee to enjoy Scneideigger Implement’s fireworks display. It is such an up close and personal show that we have decided to go every year. It’s also a great place to catch up with our neighbors and other locals. The following day’s backyard BBQ completely wore us out and we collapsed in lawn chairs in our yard as we enjoyed our neighbor’s fireworks extravaganza. We were all ready to not leave the farm for a while come Sunday. However, in between all the extra activities and coming and goings, we managed to get ourselves full of dirt in the gardens while weeding and harvesting items for wholesale deliveries.
Veggie Review
The 1”+ of rain we received on Monday was a delight. We had just started to rotate our overhead irrigation sprinklers through some areas of the gardens to give the shallow rooted plants a drink.
The boxes are still looking quite green in color but things will be changing soon. The warm, humid weather has the summer squash coming soon with the green beans to follow suite. Beets, broccoli, and chard will be in next week’s box as well. Full shares got a taste of broccoli this week.
The cucumber beetles were ravenous on our first planting of cucumbers but our 2nd planting we kept hidden under reemay (cheesecloth looking material) and it looks great. Our cucumbers will be a little behind when they normally would first appear in the boxes, but they certainly will come.
As far as what is in your box this week, the new item is Napa Cabbage. The heads were large and have a few small spines on the back of the leaves. For this reason, I’d suggest using the Napa cooked in stir-fries or stuffing the leaves. When you add it to stir-fries, add it towards the end few minutes of cooking so that it can wilt and get tender. It tends to be slightly sweet and tender when cooked. The napa recipe on the back was very delicious and easy. We also threw in some extra veggies we had to use up in the crisper drawer and we all ate it up. Ashlan liked the peanut sauce as well.
There’s a mix of pea varieties this week. Have fun trying the different kinds. Two types are a snow pea and there is a lesser amount of snap peas thrown in the mix. We can guess that peas will be in next week shares but that may be their last appearance. They never last long but Caitlin will be happy to retire her new nickname as the Pea Princess since she’s been spending lots of time picking peas these days.
Kholrabi are in the mix again this week. If you haven’t used yours from last week, peel them up and make the grated kohlrabi recipe in last week’s newsletter. Add it grated to a salad or make up a nice cold veggie tray with some dip and eat them peeled and raw.
Scallions, or green onions, and scapes are in the shares again. These are staples for starting nearly any cooked meal for us. We chop up any form of onions and garlic and throw them into hot olive oil to begin the night’s dish. As the cooking greens start soon, they will also be chopped up to add into nearly every dish.
Finally, the salad is getting trickier to grow as the heat is speeding up its desire to make a seed and be done. This may be the last bag of mixed salad for a little while for the general CSA membership. Lettuce is a cool season crop that keeps loves the spring and fall. The bitter flavors due increase in the heat but bitters are great for digestion. We are continually pushing to try and grow the salad mix all summer long for wholesale and CSA members who buy the extra salad shares.
For berry shareholders, this is the last delivery. Go through your berries right away as there are some that are very ripe. The berries are very sweet this week.

FYI: Many local berry patches will be done picking by the weekend if you are still trying to pick your own berries or freeze some up for winter.

Happy Eating,
The Smiths

Peas with Toasted Sesame Seeds serves 6
1 lb. sugar snap or snow peas, stringed 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds 1 tsp. oriental sesame oil
Steam peas until crisp/tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, toss with seeds & oil. Season with salt to taste.
Warm Napa Cabbage Slaw with Peanut Sauce Serves 4 Harmony Valley Farm
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
8 cups Napa cabbage, sliced thin
3-4 scallions, sliced thin
3 garlic scapes, sliced
1tsp Salt
3 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 ½ Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
¼ tsp hot pepper oil (optional, or
substitute ¼ tsp red pepper flakes)
1 Tbsp warm water

-In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, hot pepper oil and water. Combine well and set aside.
-In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat oil. Saute scallions and garlic scapes for about 30 seconds, then add napa cabbage. Sprinkle with salt and stir to combine. Cook for several minutes, then add peanut sauce. Stir to combine and allow to cook until all the cabbage has wilted down and is tender.
—Serve hot.

Week 5 Newsletter 2008

2008-07-03T05:17:00.000-07:00

Contents
Green Onions
Garlic Scapes
Kholrabi
Snow Peas
Snap Peas
Head Lettuce: Red Romaine, Buttercrunch
Mixed Salad Greens
Strawberries: ala carte shares only
Herb Shares: ala carte shares only

RECIPES OF THE WEEK
Citrus Dressing

Grated Kholrabi with Parm

Peas and Scallions

Quick Scape Veggie Dip
2 Volunteers Needed...THIS HAS BEEN FILLED. THANKS!
We still need 2 more people to help do a 1 hour walking tour/inspection of the farm for our Certified Naturally Grown certification. If anyone is interested but hasn’t contacted me yet, please give me a shout. We would really appreciate it!

Farm Updates
Our family had a fun mini vacation in Iowa last weekend. The boys had fun playing with Heather’s college girlfriend’s little kids. And we all had fun splashing and playing at the water park. It was a nice break from the normal routine of busy farm work. It’s always amazing how different the plants and farm look after being gone just a few days. The rain we had last Saturday was greatly appreciated as the ground was ready for another little drink.
We have our first batch of chickens growing in the field in an electric portable netting fence. They’ll be ready to “harvest” in two weeks. We’ll let the folks who have chicken shares know when exactly their birds will be ready. Due to a raid on the birds when they were little chicks in the barn, we are down to only 50 chickens in this group from 100. This should be enough for the chicken shares only so we’ll have to raise another group of 50 to fill our own freezer.
On Thursday night, “Sugar” had a set of twin goats in the pasture. I heard their little bleats as I was sitting in the house after a busy pizza night. They have such a distinct sound that cuts through the air and is rather easy to hear with an astute ear. Jeremy went out to check on them with a flashlight and they were dry and had already eaten. A clean spot in the woods is one of the best places for a goat to kid since it is clean and free of manure. She is actually keeping the kids in the woods and hides them like a couple fawn deer to keep them safe. When the boys and I go to check on them, she’ll walk out with us and show us where they are that day. It’s pretty neat and Ashlan just loves the little babies.
Caitlin, the summer intern, and I made a batch of peppermint tea tree soap the other day. This is the first batch of soap I’ve made since Ethan was born. Wow…it’s been really hard to find time and a rotation in the week to get this task completed. Perhaps we’ll be able to continue making a batch a week for a while. We’re using a new wooden mold that makes plain rectangle bars that are already cut into their 4 oz sizes. I’m very happy with the size and ease of use of this shape. I think this mold will save us a lot of time getting soap made in this style. We hope to crank out some Lavendar and Lemongrass scents next.
And finally, our wood-fired pizza nights have been going really well. The weather has been great for the last couple Thursdays and the upcoming Thursday looks good too. Remember, we do accept phone-in orders if you’d like to speed up your night or have one to go.

Veggie Review
This week we have some light green spaceship looking veggies in your shares…these are the kohlrabi. They are thin skinned and can be eaten raw or cooked. Peel the skin and cut into bite sized pieces. They are crisp and refreshing when eaten raw and can be dipped into your favorite veggie dip.
We have both snow and snap peas in the boxes this week. The snow peas are flat while the snap peas are swollen. The pods of both are edible. If you prefer, you can snap off the top and try to pull the string off the back of the pod. Both kinds are fine to eat raw or their natural sweetness is accented when lightly sautéed.
Enjoy the extra greens this week. There are both head lettuces and a bag of mixed salad greens in the shares. The head lettuces are a variety of red romaine and buttercrunch types of lettuce. Hmm…ceasar salad anyone? Perhaps you have some of our eggs on hand that you need to use up either raw (if you do that) in a homemade ceasar dressing or boiled and chopped up over your salad. Sounds like a great cold lunch to me on these warm days! I’ve also included a citrus dressing recipe which was said to be loved by a CSA member.
The curly green things in with your peas are garlic scapes. They are great in mashed potatoes, omelets, pizza topping, pasta, stir-fry, and on, and on. Chop them up and use them anywhere you would use garlic, scallions, or onions. They are related to all of them. There’s also a dip garlic scape recipe that follows.
Finally, most folks who have ordered strawberries have received their 2 flats. Just a few of you are left to get your second flat. Next week will be my last week to The Berry Patch to pick up the berries so if anyone else would like to order a flat, let me know and I’ll get it when I go.

Happy 4th of July and Happy Eating!
The Smiths

Citrus Dressing Food Network
1 teaspoon lemon zest 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon honey, plus more to taste 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped 1/4 teaspoon fine salt 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Whisk the lemon zest, lemon juice, orange juice, Dijon, honey, thyme, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream, to make a smooth, slightly thick dressing.

Grated Kohlrabi With Parmesan Cheese
From Two Onion Farm
This is our all time favorite kohlrabi recipe. It
changed the way we thought about kohlrabi.
2 kohlrabi bulbs
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Peel the kohlrabi and grate it with a hand
grater or in a food processor. Melt the butter
in a pan; add the kohlrabi and cook, stirring
frequently, until the kohlrabi is tender, about
6-10 minutes. Add the cheese, salt, and pepper,
stir, and continue cooking until the cheese
melts. Serve warm.

Peas and Scallions Harmony Valley Farm

1/2 pound sugar snap or snow peas
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped scallions or garlic scapes
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Spread peas in a single layer on a medium baking sheet, and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with scallions, thyme, and kosher salt. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender but firm.

Quick Scape Veggie Dip Harmony Valley Farm

Combine:
1 c. Mayo
1 c. sour cream
4 garlic scapes chopped fine, more/less to taste
1 T. dill
2 T. vinegar (wt. wine, wt. balsamic, champagne) S&P to taste
Milk to thin if necessary

Farm Tour Sat, June 21 1-4pm

2008-06-20T14:15:00.001-07:00

For anyone interested, Land Stewardship has asked us to give a farm tour to their Farm Beginnings class. Anyone else interested in getting in on this tour is welcome to come out to the farm this Sat, June 21st from 1-4pm. We'll be talking about our way of farming and the diversity of things we have going on here.

How to Use a CSA Box...

2008-06-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

How I use my CSA box by Lisa G.

You’ve got your CSA box, now what are you going to do with it? Here’s how I usually tackle my weekly CSA catch to maximize the life of all of the produce and thus the likelihood of all of the produce getting eaten. First, I pull everything out of the box and put it out on the counter. I check the weekly newsletter to see if there is anything new or unfamiliar and if yes, where I should store it. Then I start with the items that need to be rinsed before being stored, like lettuces. I fill up the sink with cold water and dunk the whole heads (or use a salad spinner to wash and dry the loose cut greens) a couple of times to get out the dirt and sand. Then I leave the heads upside down in the sink to drain. After most of the water is gone, I put them in a vegetable bag with a folded up paper towel or napkin in the bottom to soak up any water that may yet still drain out. Lettuces definitely keep better if clean and fairly dry. This goes for arugula and spinach too. I still wash them again before using them. Some folks don't wash them at all, but run the chance of finding dirt or a bug or two in their greens.

Anything that comes tied in a bunch, I untie and put into the vegetable bags loose. Next I’ll check any/all of the ‘hard’ vegetables for dirt. Anything that is dirty gets rinsed and dried off before getting put in a vegetable bag. I remove carrot and radish greens, as well as beet and turnip greens (if I’m not going to use them) before putting them in a bag. I put all the vegetables that go in the refrigerater into vegetable bags. Onions and potatoes get brushed off if dirty and put loose into dry storage bins I have in a cupboard. Fresh basil I keep in the poly bag it comes in. I fill up the bag with air and twist tie it closed. Basil is best stored in a warmer part of your refrigerator- a middle or upper shelf or the door. Winter squash gets washed and dried and stored in a bin in a cool, dark place in the basement. Some things, like green beans, are okay to leave in the poly bags they come in, but I put almost everything else in vegetable bags.

NOTE: Vegetable bags are a Ziploc product that I found 12 years ago that I use all the time. They are perforated zip topped bags that really keep things in them fresher longer. They are quite durable. I reuse mine by washing them out and hanging them up to dry. Unfortunately, they are no longer available in grocery stores, but they are available through mail order from SC Johnson.

As I am unpacking my box, I’m also thinking about what I can make with the items I received. My goal is to spend as little money as possible at the grocery store and use up all of our vegetables in the week. I always read the newletters as there are often easy recipes right there to maybe even make that night. We enjoy eating “seasonally”.

Excerpt from Hog's Back Farm Almanac

Week 3 Newsletter

2008-06-18T05:24:00.000-07:00

WEEK 3 (ODD) 2008
Contents:
Asparagus (some folks this week, rest next week)
Green Onions
Spinach
Radishes
Pea Shoots
Mixed Salad
Strawberries-Anapolis BERRY SHAREHOLDERS ONLY

RECIPES OF THE WEEK
Spinach Salad with Strawberries

Pea Vine and Spinach Lasagna

Radish Tops and Brown Rice Soup
Kid Friendly Recipe!

Field Notes
Besides being a little behind on getting the rest of the warm season crops planted, things are starting to grow and look better in the fields. However, this comment is pretty much the standard from the local CSA farms this season. We hope to have the sweet potatoes, final melon plantings, and some fall crops in this week.
The sweet corn that I thought germinated poorly has crept up out of the ground and is filling in the rows better. Good news! I was worried I was going to have lost most of our earlier plantings due to the slow emergence seen from the wet, cooler soil.
Veggie Review
The asparagus is slowing down and we’re in the final weeks for dispersing it to you. Some members will receive their last pound this week, and some will receive their last pound next week.
The spinach seemed to really hold the dirt this time so remember to wash it before eating. This is Tyee spinach again this week and we’ll be harvesting Bloomsdale (a savoyed leaf) next week.
We thought we were going to have more arugala this week but the plot prematurely bolted. We’ll plan to replant some for a fall harvest. Instead, enjoy more of those yummy mixed salad greens.
Yes, there are more pea vines this week. I recommend pulling the bunch apart, and separating the tender leaves and top stems from the fibrous main stalk. This will make it easier to work with and more enjoyable to eat. It can be sautéed just how it is, in a little butter or olive oil, and S&P, or put into salad mix, sauté mix, fresh pasta dishes, just about anywhere you would put peas, or greens, ‘cause this is both. Check out the new recipe on the back.
For the berry shareholders, enjoy your flat of Anapolis Strawberries freshly picked on Tuesday afternoon from the Berry Patch in Centerville, WI. For those left drooling over the berries sitting on other CSA members boxes, check out your local berry farms for u-pick or prepicked strawberries!
This is the last of the cherriette radishes. Next week, we will begin harvesting the purple plum radishes. The radish greens are nice and big and edible. Try making a stir-fry with the greens. Or for some family fun, have the kids help make the Radish Leaf Soup on the back and the little radishes on wheels.

What’s Coming Next Week
salad greens, purple radishes, green onions, asparagus, pea shoots, spinach, edible peas?, garlic scapes?

Spinach Salad with Strawberries www.allrecipes.com
· 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
· 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
· 1/3 cup (or ¼ c for less sweet) white sugar
· 1/2 cup olive oil
· 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
· 1/4 teaspoon paprika
· 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
· 1 tablespoon minced onion
· 1 bag fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
· 1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
· 1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour. *You could also use the Red Onion Poppyseed Dressing recipe I gave you last week.
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Crumbled feta is great on this salad.

PEA VINE AND SPINACH LASAGNA Harmony Valley Farm
1 bunch pea vine, separated, stemmed, and chopped
1 bag spinach.
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
2 T. + 2 T. olive oil
2 cups tomatoes diced (canned or fresh)
1/4 c. fresh herb, your favorite, chopped
(thyme, marjoram, oragano, and tarragon)
15 lasagna noodles, cooked, and rinsed
1cup fresh soft cheese (ricotta, fresh goat cheese, even drained cottage cheese)
1 1/2 lb. Low moisture cheese (mozerella, white cheddar, asiago, monterey jack)
S&P to taste
Heat two saute pans, each with 2 T. oil. Add 1/3 of the onion and garlic to each pan. When garlic begins to become translucent, add spinach to one pan, pea vine to the other. Cook just until wilted. Season, remove from heat, and set aside. In a bowl combine tomatoes, herbs, S&P, and a splash of olive oil (1 t). In a baking dish place 1/2 c. tomato mixture. Layer three noodles, then low moisture cheese, then 1/2 cooked pea vine, high moisture cheese, and more noodles. continue making layers alternating spinach and pea vine. Top, final layer of noodles with low moisture cheese, then with remaining tomatoes, sprinkle tomatoes with any remaining cheese. Bake at 350 F for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours, or until heated through. Let dish rest for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

Radish Tops and Brown Rice Soup serves 4
www.kidsregen.org
• 1/2 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion
• 2 bunches of radishes with fresh green tops
(Save 16 radishes for the "Lil' Radish onWheels" decoration)
• 4 cups water, plus 1 organic chicken bouillon cube (vegetarians can use a vegetable cube) OR 3 cups water, plus 1 cup of organic chicken broth
• Dash of salt• 1 cup cooked brown rice

Let's Make It!
Kid: Remove the tops from the radishes and set the radishes aside. Wash the tops carefully, as they are often filled with sand and dirt. Discard any yellow leaves. Drain and set aside.
Adult: Peel and chop the onion into six chunks.
Kid: While the adult cooks the soup, make the "Lil' Radish on Wheels" decoration.
Adult: a) Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion chunks and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.b) Add the radish tops and cook for another 3 minutes, until the leaves look like they are "melting."c) Add the water, the chicken broth (or cube) and a dash of salt. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.d) Add the cooked brown rice and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.e) Puree in a blender. Pour into four soup bowls.
Kid: When the soup is ready to be served, add 1 Tbsp of sour cream to each bowl and decorate with a "Lil' Radish on Wheels."

Working Member Photos

2008-06-13T06:34:00.001-07:00

Here's a few photos from when our working members have been helping out at the farm this year.

Help Needed Setting up Farm Store

2008-06-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

We are trying to set up a farm store in our old chicken coop. Why? We feel it is a way to offer some our products and other locally sourced foods and goods to the folks who come to our farm each week or live nearby. If we can sell enough of our soaps here at the farm, we've just saved ourselves time, driving, and have created a usable souvenier from the farm. This would also be a great space to highlight the many unique services, farm products, and businesses that are in our local communities.

However, we are finding it difficult to devote enough time and creative energy into making this space happen. Does anyone feel inspired? Want to help create a low-cost display space in a newly cleaned white metal-walled 12 x 14 room? If so, email/call us.

If you are a local farmer, business owner with a sustainable, healthy living focus, let us know if you'd like some of your info/products displayed in this space. We're selling other producers and artisans nonperishable items on consignment.

Week 2 Newsletter

2008-06-11T18:16:00.000-07:00

June 11th, 2008 Even Week

WEEK 2 CONTENTS

Asparagus

Green Onions

Radishes

Spinach

Arugula

Pea Shoots

Mixed Salad Greens

Field Notes
Things have been pretty wet around here lately but the last 2 days we’ve been working hard to keep up with our weeding. The rains grow great vegetables but also big weeds. We’ve been waiting for our new flameweeder to arrive to help with the weeding and it finally got here on Monday. Jeremy, who loves fire, got the flamer up and running in no time. He created some sterile seed beds for us (meaning weed-free) so that we can plant the seeds we do desire to grow…at least in theory. We’ll see how it goes.
Jeremy also tried to burn some weeds a little too close to the tomatoes which caught some of the straw mulch on fire. With some fancy footwork and hoeing, minimal damage occurred to a few plants and only a little mulch was lost.
Veggie Review
We have nice helpings of asparagus in the boxes again this week. We hope to be able to give it out for 2 more weeks, depending on the weather.

The spinach is very nice and tender. Enjoy it fresh in a salad. Remember to wash the spinach greens again since they love to hold the dirt. This variety is called Tyee and is a flat leaf spinach.
The mixed salad is easy to identify with its 10+ varieties of red and green lettuces. There may even be some baby goosefoot (also known as a weed to some) in the lettuce but it is edible and quite high in vitamin C. We don’t even charge extra for the wonderful nutritional boost the goosefoot provide!

The other bag of greens in your box is called arugula. Smell and taste it…nutty, little spicy. It goes great with a tangy bold dressing. The lacey look of the leavers are compliments of the flea beetles whom we share this crop. If arugula happens to be too spicy for you, try wilting it, throwing it in a stir-fry, or simply adding just a little of it to your bowl of salad greens to zip it up.

We loved the pea shoot pesto recipe that was in last week’s newsletter (you can find it on our website www.smithgardensfarm.com/csa or our blog http://www.smithgardens.blogspot.com/
Give it a try if you haven’t yet. There is also another pea shoot recipe on the back. Just remember to cut off the tougher, woody, part of the stems before stir-frying.

The radishes have plumped in size and are beautiful this week. If a raw radish doesn’t agree with you, try them sliced and sautéed. Heather loves them this way!

What’s Coming Next Week
salad greens, radishes, green onions, arugala, asparagus, pea shoots, spinach

HOT BACON DRESSING ON SPINACH SALAD, BUT WITH ARUGULA INSTEAD
1 bunch large arugula, cut into manageable
pieces
¼ pound bacon, cut into ½” pieces
2 eggs, hard boiled and chopped
3 slices of bread, preferably artisan style,
½” cubes
3 tablespoons butter or oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook the bacon in a heavy sauté pan or small saucepot with 1 tablespoon of water on medium-low, heat till bacon is crisp and the fat has rendered, keep warm. The bread is for croutons. Heat the oil in the pan until it starts to ribbon. Add the cubed bread and toss coat. Toss every minute until the bread is evenly toasted, then dump out into a bowl lined with paper towels to drain and season with salt. In a large bowl combine the arugula, eggs, croutons, vinegar, and hot bacon with its fat. Season and serve immediately. Note: To get perfect hard boiled eggs, place the eggs in salted boiling water for 13 minutes then shut off the heat. Let rest until cooled down, and peel.

Red Onion Poppyseed Salad Dressing
OK, this recipe calls for a red onion which gives the dressing a nice pink color. However, you could throw n 4 green onions for a green dressing with a somewhat similar flavor.

1 c oil
1 c sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1 medium red onion, chopped
½ c Red Wine Vinegar
½ tsp poppyseeds
Put the oil, sugar, salt, mustard, onion and vinegar in a blender and blend for 15 minutes, but shorter is ok too. Add poppyseeds at the end. Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to a week, just reblend. Serve it over spinach, romaine lettuce, whatever with grated parmesean or romano and anything else that amuses you such as strawberries, craisines, orange pieces, pecans, etc.

Sauteed Radishes www.reallynatural.com
Fresh-picked radishes taste like summer. And sauteed baby radishes with wilted radish greens? Well, they just taste delicious. Here's the recipe some CSA members have used to cook up the bunch of radishes included in our CSA share. You can use arugala in with the radish greens as well.
1 bunch of baby radishes with radish greens1 Tablespoon buttersalt and pepper
1. Wash radishes in cold water. Cut off the greens and set 'em aside.2. Slice the radishes thin, and saute them in melted butter.3. Add the greens (still wet) and saute until wilted (less than 1 minute).4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pea Shoot-Stir-fry www.recipezaar.com
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 large bunch young pea shoots, tough ends trimmed and chopped
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
Rinse the pea shoots thoroughly in cold water twice, lightly drain. In a large wok or skillet over high heat, heat oils add ginger, garlic and sugar. Toss and add shoots, soy & oyster sauce. Stir-fry for two to three minutes, or until the leaves soften and are tender. Remove shoots leaving the liquid in pan. Place shoots on serving dish. Reduce the remaining liquid by 1/2. Pour over shoots and serve immediately.

Pea shoot and garlic pesto See last week’s newsletter on our website or our farm blog

Transitioning Into CSA

2008-06-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from Harmony Valley Farm

What motivated you to become a CSA member? There are as many answers to that as there are members, but they all follow a familiar theme -- a desire for good, wholesome food. Beyond that the answers go in many directions; political, social, ethical reasons, health reasons, and economic and environmental reasons, or “just because.” Still, over riding it all are the tantalizingly fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables from your very own farmer! So, why, at the end of a season full of beautiful, natural farm produce do some members decide it just didn’t work out? If it wasn’t the produce that didn’t live up to expectations, what was it? Did the member discover there were no health benefits to eating seasonally? Was it revealed to be less socially, environmentally, or economically beneficial than expected? No -- there was something else. It was the new approach a CSA member has to take toward food and cooking. The process that takes place when your produce is picked for you is quite different than the process of picking (out) your own food.

Let’s face it, deciding what to buy in a grocery store full of food, not all of it seasonal, is quite different than the CSA experience. If you don’t make the transition to the “CSA way” certain unexpected things happen. People feel guilty for “wasting” what they have been given. People feel guilty for buying other produce even when there are items from the box looking lonely and forgotten in the crisper drawer. People feel resentful when they spend more time than they feel they have trying to cook with what’s in the box, or trying to convince the picky eater in the family to try something new, or having to be the only one in the house that even knows where to pick up the box! Yikes! Who knew it would be like this! Well, we can’t solve the problem of who is responsible for box pick up, or who is willing to try new foods, but we do recognize we can play a role in reducing food guilt and food resentment. We want to help new and not so new members make, or continue to make, the transition to seasonal eating the CSA way.

Did you know that 80 - 85% of people who have been CSA members for at least 2 years choose to rejoin the farm again the following season? However, only between 60 and 65% of first year members choose to join for a second year. What’s that about? We think it is partly about the new way of thinking about what to cook, not what to buy.

If you are an “Alice Waters” type, already eating seasonally and with a wide range of experience with vegetables, you probably have no trouble with the transition. If, however, you have little free time to put toward your new life in the kitchen, you might find the learning curve quite steep. Realizing that, we make the following suggestions so that your enthusiasm for the “best produce ever” will NOT wane by September, you’ll feel enriched by the box, you’ll successfully cook and enjoy new, seasonal foods, and you’ll be able to appreciate what local agriculture can bring to you and want to do it all over again next year! So, try these things:

*Check out some of the food related websites with searchable recipe files. Here’s a few:

http://www.happycookers.com/

http://www.recipesource.com/

http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/

http://www.recipes.alastra.com/

http://www.epicurious.com/

http://www.ivu.com/

and a website that finds lots of articles, world wide, including food info and recipes -- http://www.findarticles.com/.

*Also, if you have been a member for several years and have saved your newsletters, you can use your past CSA member newsletters. New members -- no this isn’t helpful for you, but it does provide you with a reason to start hanging on to your newsletters in an organized way. Take a pocket folder, file folder or 3 ring binder and start saving today.

*Ask a fellow member for their favorite recipe or food tip, and members are seemingly very willing to answer other members questions about what something is, what to do with it, what works, what didn’t. Share “what you can’t believe your kids ate tonight” stories!

*OK, if you do not use the internet or e-mail, you can still get some good resources at the book store. If you do not have a few good cookbooks with a focus on vegetables, get some! We like the following, but there are many others out there. The Victory Garden Cookbook, Marian Morash; The Joy of Cooking, by Rombauer, Cooking with the Seasons, Monique Hooker; Chez
Panisse Vegetables, Alice Waters; Vegetables From Amaranth to Zucchini, by Elizabeth Schneider. The last book is as much a reference book as a source of recipes, but it has many of the more unusual vegetables. It is short on some of the more common ones, so it wouldn’t be your only resource, but I find it very fascinating as a farmer and a cook!

*Finally, open your mind. By the time we are adults we’ve gathered a lot of food baggage. We are convinced that this or that tastes bad. Since someone must like them or they wouldn’t be considered food, open your mind to the thought that you, too, could possibly like them if you
prepared them well and tried them again. (You know, the organically grown, freshly picked, selected for flavor varieties really are different than the over cooked, 4-week old, picked with no thought to flavor broccoli you hated so badly, and remember so well!)

*Use your box to make friends. Give some extra produce (or the produce your family doesn’t care for so much) to neighbors, family or friends. The beets you hate are beloved by someone. Ask how they prepare them and you may find you like them too. Who can feel food guilt when you’ve made someone happy?

*Lastly, don’t forget to read the newslettter. Each week we put in a couple recipes and tips to help you out.

Winona Bridge Closed

2008-06-05T05:41:00.000-07:00

Please let us know if CSA members in Winona need to change their pick-up location due to the bridge being closed. We'll still be delivering our WED boxes to the Kerr Residence for pick-up between 4-6pm. Heather will just be having a much longer drive through Wabasha to get their these days. We will not be at the Winona Farmer's Market while the bridge is closed.

Week 1 2008 Newsletter

2008-06-05T05:32:00.000-07:00

June 4th, 2008
WEEK 1 CONTENTS:
Asparagus
Green Onions
Radishes
Spinach
Rhubarb
Pea Shoots

Welcome to the 2008 CSA Season
We are excited to be starting our 5th CSA season and want to thank everyone for being a member of Smith Gardens Community Farm! If you are new to the farm, welcome and we hope you enjoy the season.
Field Notes
Winter has hung on this year with a firm grip but it seems that spring has finally come and warmer days are upon us. We’re seeing much faster plant growth with rains and warmer temps. Potatoes are popping up finally. Beans, squash, and cucs are all coming up steadily. We’ve just planted the peppers and eggplant in plastic mulch. Soon, we’ll have in the melons and sweet potatoes in plastic mulch as well. These plants should catch up fast since the dark green plastic helps keep the soils warm and weeds at a minimum giving the plants the upper hand. The tomatoes and onions are mulched for the season. Several succession plantings of cabbage and broccoli will soon be transplanted for later in the season. Early planting of pac choi, cauliflower, broc, and kohlrabi are already growing well and getting big.
To date, there have been 14 shifts worked by CSA members. The working members are greatly appreciated and have been very helpful. Many thanks to those who have gotten dirty and helped on those chilly days of early season planting! One worker, Kate, actually planted onion sets in the sleet during mid-April so be sure and savor the green onions that she planted for us that are in your boxes today!
We also welcome our intern, Caitlin, to the farm this week! She’s learning the ropes and all the ins and outs of small-scale diversified farming.
Veggie Review
Asparagus has been shooting up for 3 weeks now. The patch has been productive as it is now 5 years old. We’ve been thoroughly enjoying lots of grilled asparagus and roasted balsamic asparagus pizzas. I recommend grilling it if you haven’t had it that way before.
The spinach is from last September’s planting. The leaves are large but they still are very enjoyable. We’ll be tilling this plot very soon and will then turn to our spring planted spinach plots. You can enjoy it fresh or use it steamed or in a wilted salad.
Pea shoots are a new item to the farm this year which some folks may not be familiar. They are the young shoots of the pea plant and are fully edible. The stems can get a little tough so if you are using them raw in a salad, just use the upper half of the shoots. Pea shoots have a delicate pea flavor and are packed full of nutrition. A recipe for pea shoot pesto is listed on the back.
Thanks to our neighbor, Marion Earney, we have rhubarb to give out. Our patch is too small to harvest for the whole CSA so we appreciated the donation of these early rhubarb stalks to add to the first CSA boxes. It’s fun to use these early season special crops to satisfy our desire for eating from the gardens and sourcing local foods.
And to round out the boxes, we have a sampling of green onions and red radishes to add to your salads and stir-fries. What’s Coming Next Week…salad greens, radishes, grn onions, arugala, asparagus, pea shoots

RECIPES OF THE WEEK
Grilled Asparagus
Pea Shoot Pesto
Rhubarb Dream Bars
Rhubarb Jam

Grilled Asparagus
Fire up the grill. Simply coat asparagus in a little olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, garlic powder, and a bit of pepper. Turn the grill down to low-med. Lay the spears cross-ways on the grill and cook for 4 min. Roll gently to turn. Cook 2 min more and remove. A little charring makes them delish! You can cook them on the side of the grill if you’re cooking other dinner items; simply put them on the grill when the meat is half done.

Pea shoot and garlic pesto Hog’s Back Farm
1 bunch pea shoots (cut above the rubber band and wash)
1 or 2 cloves garlic
4 T. olive oil
1 t. salt (or to taste)
1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan
1/2 c. toasted nuts (walnuts, pinenuts, etc)
12 oz. cooked pasta
Combine pea shoots, garlic, olive oil, salt, parm(short for parmesan in our kitchen), and nuts in a food processor. Process until you have a nice bright green paste. If it’s not combining well, drizzle in more oil as it is processing. Toss with the just-drained pasta. Garnish with a little freshly grated parm and serve hot, or refrigerate and add a cup of halved cherry tomatoes to make a nice pasta salad.

Rhubarb Dream Bars www.allrecipes.com
2 c flour
2/3 c confectioner’s sugar
1 c butter, softened
2 c sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
½ c all-purpose flour
4 eggs, beaten
4 ½ c chopped rhubarb
Preheat oven to 350. Cut up 4 ½ cups of fresh rhubarb. In medium bowl, mix together first 3 ingredients until if forms a dough or at least the butter is in small crumbs. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 10 min in the preheated oven. While this bakes, whisk together the sugar, salt, flour and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in rhubarb to coat. Spread evenly over the baked crust when it comes out of the oven. Bake for another 35 min or until rhubarb is tender and the center is congealed. Cool and cut into squares to serve.
If you happen to be lucky enough to live near neighbors/friends who have rhubarb in their yard but don’t use it, here’s a recipe for rhubarb jam:

Rhubarb Jam
1 pound of rhubarb cut into ½ inch squares (about 4 large stalks, or 3 cups when sliced) 1 ½ cups sugar (or 1 cup for less sweet, more tart flavor)
Put rhubarb and sugar in a pan on top of the stove with sugar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly as water weeps out of the rhubarb. Lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes-until consistency is jammy but still loose. It will thicken as it cools, so do not cook away all the water or else you'll wind up with taffy you can hardly get your spoon through. Cool. Put into jars and refrigerate. It's fabulous with plain yogurt for breakfast.
Variations: Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and juice from half an orange. A few squeezes of lemon are highly recommended. Replace some of the rhubarb with strawberries or raspberries. Use less sugar if you like a tart rhubarby flavor.

CSA First Delivery-Wed June 4th!

2008-05-18T05:28:00.000-07:00

We've been keeping an eye on the growth of the salad greens and other things in the field. We have decided to postpone our first CSA drop-off date to Wednesday, June 4th. The spring has been cool and the resulting planting and first growths slow.
I will be emailing/notifiying all CSA members about the delayed start date.
The asparagus is growing well this year and is available at the farm for direct purchase at this time if you'd like.

We're Full for 2008...but you can get on the waiting list!

2008-04-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks...We've reached our goal of 50 families for the 2008 growing season. Please submit your name, contact info, and desired share size to us and we'll put you on the waiting list for next season. If something opens up this year, we'll contact you. Otherwise, we'll send our information for the 2009 season after January 1st, 2009.

Only a few CSA spots left...

2008-04-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

As spring has sprung, the list for our 2008 CSA membership is nearly full. We have 3 spots left to reach our goal of 50 families this year. If you've been pondering the idea of joining, do it now or ask us those lingering questions before we're full for the season!

Farmer History

2008-02-07T06:46:00.000-08:00

Jeremy and Heather Smith have operated Smith Gardens Community Farm in rural Cochrane, WI, since 2003. Prior to farming, Jeremy, a native Texan, has been involved in sales and marketing within the natural products industry. His passion and knowledge of medicinal plants and organics led him to the world of sustainable agriculture. Heather’s interest in working with the land was cultivated on her parent’s, Robert and Barb Secrist’s, dairy farm in Alma, WI. Her degrees in biology and psychology from Cornell College led Heather to pursue field research and later small-scale organic agriculture. The couple met in Ashland, Oregon while caretaking an organic retreat farm, married, and decided to relocate to Buffalo County to pursue their dream of providing local, naturally grown produce to the local communities. Currently, Jeremy maintains a full time position at Wenonah Canoe/Current Designs Kayaks, Winona, MN, as the paddlesports Accessories Manager, in addition to various duties on the farm. Heather is the farm manager as well as full-time mother of 2 very active little boys.

2008 Working Member Calendar

2007-12-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

Primary Work Tasks
Monday: planting, transplanting, weeding, field prep
Tuesday: harvest & CSA box planting
Thursday: pizza night kitchen assistant
Saturday: planting, transplanting, weeding, field prep

Hours Available Each Day:
Monday: AM (8-12pm), PM (1-5pm), Night (4-8pm)
Tuesday: AM (8-12pm), PM (1-5pm)
Thursday: Night (5-9pm)
Saturday: AM 8-12pm), PM (1-5pm)

Sign up is available on scheduled days only.

See our calendar for availability:
http://smithgardensfarm.com/workingmember.html

Details of Working Membership

2007-12-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

We invite members to work on our farm. This is an optional opportunity for you to see the farm, learn about vegetable growing, get some firsthand experience, and help us out. We enjoy getting to know you better through this experience as well! Working members receive a rebate on their membership fee. Workers perform important work that needs to be done in a timely fashion. You will need to arrive on time, follow instructions, and work carefully.

●Schedule: Members work only during scheduled 4 hour long work shifts. Our member work schedule below shows the times available. The schedule will also be on our website where we will update it regularly. AM shifts are from 8-12pm. PM shifts are from 1-5pm. Members choose to work as many shifts as they like.
●Work: Member workers may plant seeds, transplant, hand weed, harvest, clean produce, and pack boxes. This work is physical, requiring light lifting, repetitive motions, bending, kneeling, and squatting. We will train you in the work. You don’t need prior experience; you do need to follow our instructions carefully. We work in all weather except dangerous lightening or hail.
●Children: Children age 11 or older are welcome to come along as volunteer helpers, but we only count the time of the primary working member (it is best if we know in advance so that we are able to plan projects). Children 10 and younger of working members are welcome only if a second adult comes along who will be available to supervise them at all times. Hazards exist on the farm such as machinery, electric fences, fuel/oil, etc.
●Scheduling Your Work Shifts: We have several members interested in working. It’s important to us to organize the process of scheduling work shifts so it does not take an enormous amount of our time and detract from our ability to raise vegetables and maintain other farm entities. If you would like to work, please follow these steps to schedule your shifts:
Check the member work schedule on the back of this sheet or on our webpage to find shifts that are convenient for you www.smithgardensfarm.com/workingmember.html
On your membership signup form, list the shifts which you would like to work. If you have already mailed us your signup form and you wish to schedule a work shift, email or call with the date(s) you wish to work, the number of working adults who will attend, and the number and ages of children who will attend.
We will confirm your shifts within 48 hrs of receiving your signup form, call, or email.
Please take your commitment seriously and arrive on time for your scheduled shift. If you need to cancel a shift, please do so 2 weeks in advance, unless there’s an emergency. You can reschedule a cancelled shift if there’s another shift open later in the year.
●Rebate: We offer a $20 rebate on the cost of membership for each shift worked by an adult. E.g.: if two adults work a shift together, the rebate is $40. If you schedule your shifts when you sign up, you can deduct your rebate from the cost of your membership. If you schedule your shift later, then we will mail you your rebate after you work your shift. You are only entitled to a rebate if you arrive for your shift on time, complete the entire shift, and make a good faith effort to work carefully. If you don’t meet these criteria, you agree to refund us the rebate which you deducted from your membership fee.
●Work Shift Preparation: Bring a water bottle for the field, sunscreen or protective clothing, rain gear, a hat, and gloves. Wear shoes that can get wet/muddy. Dress in layers to accommodate the weather and warming up while working. Bring a change of clothes or a towel to sit on if case you get really dirty and don’t want to get your car dirty. Bring snacks if needed. Please do not bring pets.

What we grow...

2007-11-13T05:54:00.000-08:00

Asparagus
Beans
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower* trial
Celeriac* trial
Chard
Collard Greens
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Herbs-basil, dill, cilantro
Kale
Leeks
Melons
Onions
Parsnips
Peas
Peppers
Potatoes
Pie Pumpkins
Radishes
Raspberries
Rutabaga
Salad Greens
Spinach
Squash-summer, winter
Sweet Corn
Tomatoes-cherry & slicing
Turnips

A little about Smith Gardens...

2007-11-06T07:29:00.000-08:00

Smith Gardens is a small-scale diversified family farm raising seasonal vegetables and berries, pastured meats, and value-added products such as milk soap andwood-fired pizza. We’re committed to farming in a sustainable way that enriches the soil, safeguards the waters,
and provides quality products to our local communities. Our produce is Certified Naturally Grown in order to further demonstrate our commitment to growing nutritious, chemical-free food for you.

In 2003, we began our farming adventure as a way to provide a rich, nurturing environment for our family, live and eat healthy, and preserve the land for future generations. We raise over 2 acres of vegetables and berries and manage an unheated hoop house for our salad greens. We also believe in taking raw ingredients to the next level in order to help diversify the farm and reach economic sustainability. Natural body care products and wood-fired pizza are a
part of the farm’s diverse product list.

We sell our products at Farmer’s Markets, local food co-ops and fine restaurants, and through CSA subscriptions.

What Size Share Should I Order?

2007-11-06T07:14:00.000-08:00

One of the most asked questions I get regards what size share a family should order. Take the test below to determine whether you can use a full share. If one full share is too much for your household, first consider preserving some vegetables for the "Seven-Other-Months" of the year. Then consider sharing part of the full share with a neighbor or coworker, or try ordering a half or quarter share. Remember that share sizes start smaller at the beginning of the year and gain in weight and variety as the growing season progresses.

How many people are you feeding and how much do they eat?
a. If you’re feeding more than 4 people- consider a full share.
b. If there are teenagers in the house-definitely consider a full share.
How many meals do you eat at home or prepare from home?
a. If you eat most of your meals at home (75%) and carry your lunch to “school/work”-consider a full share.
b. If you eat out often, with lunches away from home- the half share is a better option.
Do you have a freezer (bigger than the one attached to the refrigerator)?
a. If YES, than go for the full share, realizing that you’ll spend a little time in preparing for freezing. The freezer allows you to eat local organic year-round.
b. Let us know if you are interested in a food preservation workshop. We can host one in our certified kitchen helping you learn canning, blanching, drying, or salsa-making...please let us know though!
Do you prepare vegetable-centered meals with meat served as more of a side
dish?
a. The full share will probably work out for you if there are enough eaters in the house.
Are you a vegetarian or vegan?
a. Definitely go for the full share!
Do you like to cook for large groups or have guests over frequently?
a. The full share will assure that you’ll have some wonderful fresh vegetable on hand for these occasions.

Why Split a Share?
For some, who are particular in their likes and dislikes, sharing a full share with someone else who will eat what they do not want may be a better option. You may want to split a share if: you do not like to eat salad greens regularly, you do not like some of the other vegetables that may regularly appear in your box, you plan to be gone for a portion of the growing season or have trouble picking up your shares on your pick-up day (you could trade picking up a full share every other week with someone else or barter part of a share with someone for dropping your box off), you will not eat cooking greens no matter what recipe or nutritional tips we provide about them, or you eat “meat and potatoes” meals and treat veggies like a side dish rather than the main event. Half shares are available but these include lesser amounts of salad, cooking greens, and all of the rest of the vegetables and herbs. Note: Splitting a share is between you and the splitter. Items will not be divided in half and will all be all in one box under one name or the group name.

Share Size & Cost

2007-11-06T06:40:00.000-08:00

2008 SHARE OPTIONS

FULL SHARE $495
Sized to feed a family of 4, or 2 veggie-lovers.
HALF SHARE $295 or BIWEEKLY FULL SHARE $275
Sized to feed a family of 2, or 1 veggie-lover. Choose weekly or wvwey-other-week pick-ups. Roughly the same amount of vegetables are in these shares, just a larger portion of the same variety of vegetables in the biweekly option.
BIWEEKLY HALF SHARE $175
Sized to feed 1 small portion eater. *This used to be the weekly quarter option. We changed to be better able to provide melons, cabbage, w squash and other vegetables which are difficult to provide a true 1/4 amount to without compromising quality at times.
EXTRA SALAD SHARE $70 (weekly)/$35 (biweekly)
1/2# of salad per week.
WORK SHARE...BARTER SYSTEM $75 to hold your position
Gardening Position OR Winona Drop-off Site Facilitator.
3 hrs labor/wk for 20 wks
or 6 hrs labor/wk for 10 wks

*ADDITIONAL SHARE OPTIONS FOR 2008*

STRAWBERRY SHARE $24...a total of 2 flats of local strawberries delivered to your pick-up site during June. These are grown by Sacia's in Centerville, WI. They do use sprays in their fields early in the season before any fruit sets.
EGG SHARES...$42 WEEKLY OR $22 BIWEEKLY DOZEN...Eggs are added to your box. Our "girls" are raised in the barn and have free access to fress grass and sunshine. They eat lots of gardens veggies along with an unmedicated ration of grain with added kelp and probiotics.
HERB SHARES...$20...8-10 weeks of seasonal herbs including: Parsley, Dill, Basil, Cilantro, Chives, Florence Fennel, Mint, Sage, Savory, Oregano, Rosemary, Lemongrass, Tarragon, and Thyme. Information is included about how to use or preserve the herbs. Grown by Suzanne Smith of Yaeger Valley Herb Farm just down the road from us.
CHICKEN SHARE $50...4 naturally grown chickens average 4-5 pounds. Available the end of July...sign up for this share along with your other shares. Limited amount available.
GOAT MEAT SHARE $100...1/2 goat processed and wrapped. Available in August...sign up for this share along with your other shares. Limited amount available.

When, where, how, etc

2007-10-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

ALL DROP-OFF SITES ARE SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAYS FOR THE 2008 SEASON.

FARM PICK-UP COULD BE ON WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY.

KWIK TRIP-ALMA, WI 3PM
CSA MEMBER HOME-ALMA, WI 3:15PM
CSA MEMBER HOME-WINONA, MN TIME TBA
WINONA BUSINESS PICK-UP SITE-WINONA, MN TIME TBA
SMITH GARDENS-COCHRANE, WI, ANYTIME

WE TYPICALLY USE A FOLDABLE CARDBOARD BOX WITH THE CSA MEMBERS NAME ON IT. THE BOXES ARE DROPPED OFF AT YOUR SELECTED PICK-UP SITE. BRING YOUR OWN BAG/BOX/CRATE TO TRANSFER YOUR VEGGIES INTO AND LEAVE YOUR BOX AT THE SITE. WE WILL PICK THE BOXES BACK UP AND REFILL THEM FOR THE NEXT WEEK.

*CAREFULLY UNFOLD THE BOX AFTER YOU REMOVE YOUR VEGGIES SO THAT ALL THE BOXES MAY BE STORED IN A SMALL SPACE AT THE PICK-UP SITE. THANK YOU!

What does CSA mean?

2007-10-26T05:22:00.001-07:00

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a partnership of mutual commitment between a farm and a community of supporters. Becoming a CSA member creates a responsible relationship between people and the food they eat as well as a commitment to an environmentally sound, local food production. Being a farm member means becoming a “farming partner”, sharing the risks as well as the bounty of the seasons. We at Smith Gardens incorporate several growing techniques to protect members from weather-related shortfalls. CSA members receive top priority throughout the season as they receive weekly shares of delicious, freshly harvested produce picked at its prime. If you love to eat, appreciate freshness and flavor, value local farming, and are willing to explore a different way to think about your food, join Smith Gardens for a CSA subscription season!

2007 Veggie Photos

2007-10-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

2007 Survey Summary

2007-10-25T06:20:00.001-07:00

Below are some of the results from our year-end survey. We have listed the vegetables that occured more than once when summarizing all the surveys. Many vegetables may come up one time on a list for either people's more/less preferences. We tend to look at the ones that come up more than once to get a better feel of how the overall group feels about something.

Vegetables Requested to be Grown that are not currently included in CSA Box:
celery/celeriac, sweet potatoes, cauliflower

Vegetables to Have LESS of:
Summary Squash, Beets, Green Beans

Vegetables to Have MORE of:
Potatoes, Sweet Corn, Eggplant, Red Peppers, Leeks, Asparagus

There was enough interest in an herb share next year to pursue offering one. If interested, be sure to sign up when you renew your membership.

To address the desire for strawberries and our current crop failure, we are offering strawberry shares from another local farm. These will be "low-spray" berries, not organic. A share will cost ~$25 for 2 flats of bulk berries. One flat will be delivered two differnt times to your pick-up site sometime around mid-June and late-June/early July.

We will be growing more of the staple items such as potatoes and corn as most folks can never get enough of these.

This year, we calculated that our CSA members saved 27% off of the retail price of our vegetables. We use the retail "going rate" of vegetables grown during the season and figure out the cost of each week's box if it were bought directly at farmer's market or a grocery store. We hope to give a 10% discount at least and this year showed a much larger savings for everyone!

Putting things to bed

2007-10-25T06:17:00.000-07:00

Fall Cooking

2007-10-25T06:11:00.000-07:00