Category: My CSA Adventure

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NOF Updates: August 2

The Share for August 2, 3, and 4, 2011

The Vegetable Share: Carrots with tops; Beets with Greens; Zucchini/Summer Squash; Green Peppers; Cucumbers; Green Beans; Sweet Corn; Herbs–choice of: Basil, Dill, Cilantro, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme.

The Fruit Share: Peaches; Plums–Yellow, Red.

Recipes: Zucchini and Cucumber Gazpacho; Indian-Spiced Green Beans; Roasted Corn with Basil Vinaigrette; Tunisian-Spiced Frittata; Wine-Poached Beets; Plum Chile Salsa.

Enjoy!

– Sadly lettuce will not be in the share for a few weeks. The Tarnish Bugs destroyed the Summer crop. They feed on the leaf stem leaving an unpleasant brown stain. Big Eye Bugs eat them, but we have been unable to purchase them and the Buckwheat cover crop does not seem to attract them. STEW

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Erika Reporting

This is Erika’s write-up as mentioned in my previous post…

My husband Scott, son Aksel, and I enjoyed an afternoon visit to the farm for their annual CSA Shareholder Open House event.  We had a tour of the farm’s barn, cleaning/sorting area, greenhouses, and fields, as well as a fabulous potluck meal and boot-tapping entertainment by 1-man band blues guy Ben Prestage. And last night, our 9-month old baby Aksel slept through the night for the first time ever. Guess all that farm fresh air does a baby good.

Eating locally has many benefits, both for the individual/family as well as for the community.  Rather than traveling an average of 1,500, as is the case with food at the grocery store, our CSA vegetables travel less than 50 miles. They are grown on a certified organic farm that has the soil tested annually, and Native Offerings invests in remineralizing of the soil to compensate for the nutrients lost by past crops. The farm also employs people locally with a living wage, which supports local families. The food is rich, wholesome, and as nutritionally dense as you can possibly find anywhere; everything has been harvested within 24 hours of us picking up our weekly share.

An organic farm faces many challenges that are easily “solved” by conventional farmers with sprays, but must be more creatively and naturally solved by the organic farmer. Crop rotation as well as planting of crops to attract pests away from food crops are all a part of the solution, as well as resting of certain fields and electric fencing to keep the deer at bay. We learned so much about the food we have been eating, as well as about the challenges and rewards of organic farming in general. Anyone with an interest in changing their family’s eating habits and being part of a solution to the food crisis this country is facing should look into joining a CSA.

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Back At It

I’m back!  I haven’t posted in the last few days because a lot has been happening.  First of all I lost my dear cat friend of 16 years, Nadja.  It hit me pretty hard.  She’d been sick for over a year and thanks to medicine and care from the folks at City Creatures, she had a very rich and happy final year of life right up to her very last days.  Bad days for Nadja were off and on, but there were always long stretches of good days in between.  I can’t even explain the grief that comes with losing a sweet, fuzzy friend and companion of 16 years.  We were together in Omaha, Kansas City and Buffalo.  She used to lie by my feet when I worked at my desk.  It’s only been 8 days since her passing so sometimes I still look to see if she’s there.  🙁

In other news, My friend Lizz and I took a weekend long workshop at Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, NY on the 30th and 31st.  I learned a little CSS which is evidenced in the subtle design changes on My CSA Adventure!  Check it!  🙂

Unfortunately I had to miss Native Offerings Farm’s annual get-together on Sunday because of the workshop but Erika and Aksel went and they took Dad, Scott too.  I’ll share their pictures and Erika’s little write-up in the next post.

Below is a pic of the last share pick up.  I cobbled together some interesting meals in all the business, but I didn’t take many photos.  I’m glad to be back at it as far as the blog is concerned.  It will be difficult and odd trying to  adjust to a lack of a certain sweetness always around me and in my peripheral heart’s eye now that Nadja has left this world for new adventures.  She will always live in my heart.

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Too Many Carrots?

A common dilemma  with CSAs is that often you find yourself with an over abundance of certain items that are just too wonderful to waste.  So you have to come up with creative ways to use them in recipes.  Here’s one solution for using carrots.  Hide them in your black bean soup.  You can puree the soup to your liking and either leave the carrots chunky and visible or puree them to an invisible source of nutrition in your soup that won’t leave you feeling like you have carrots coming out of your ears.

 

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NOF Update: What’s Coming July 27, 2011

The Share for July 26, 27, and 28, 2011

Kudos to the superhuman efforts last week of Stew, Deb, Justin, Michael, Louise, Lela, Brigitte, Jerry, Cara, and Flo. It was not easy out there in the overwhelming heat and humidity, yet they still pulled together our weekly share as well as tending to the everyday farm work.

Remember our annual get-together this Sunday, July 31, from 3 pm to 9 pm. Fun for everyone, not just those who haven’t yet been out to the farm. There’s always something new or different going on.

The Vegetable Share: Swiss Chard; Lettuces–including Dandelion and Napa Cabbage; Roots–choice of: Japanese Turnips (without greens), Carrots with tops, Beets with Greens (Golden, Red, Butter, Chiogga); Zucchini/Summer Squash; Cucumbers; Herbs–choice of: Basil, Cilantro, Dill.

The Fruit Share: Sweet Cherries; Sour Cherries; Blueberries; Apricots; Plums.

Recipes: Carrot and Cilantro Salad; Beet and Beet Green Pesto; Tortilla Lasagna with Chard; Napa Cabbage Gratin; Vegetable Kim Chee; Blueberry Salsa with Herbs.

See you Sunday!