SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

For those members who are not vegan or vegetarian, we want to let you know that the current information about our organic, grass fed beef offering just went in the mail. If you have an interest in our organic grass fed beef, but are not on the list to receive the info as yet, just get in touch with the farm office to receive the info, or check out the information on our 2018 Beef Letter.

WHAT’S IN YOUR SHARE THIS WEEK:

• Corn
• Tomatoes
• Carrots
• Green Beans
• Cauliflower
• Eggplant
• Peppers
• Potatoes
• Strawberries

SOME SITES ONLY:

• Cherry Tomatoes
• Broccoli
• Zucchini

RECIPES:

Fresh Corn Carbonara

Chilled Coconut Corn Soup

Green-Market Tacos w/Corn Crema

Corn & Zucchini Orzo Salad w/Goat Cheese

The recipe below was sent in by CSA member Debbie McVicker. She kept seeing carrot tops in the “Yum-Yuck” box at her site in Florence and thought to share this recipe which uses the carrot tops as a garnish on the salad….thanks Debbie!!

Carrot Salad w/Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

• 2 tsp Dijon
• 1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed Lemon Juice
• 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1-2 tsp honey (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper (fine grind)
• 1 lb. carrots, grated
• 2 green onions, finely sliced or 1 shallot

Whisk together the dressing and pour over the carrots and onions. Toss well, taste, and adjust seasoning (honey? salt?) Cover and refrigerate until serving. Great if made a day ahead. Last, but not least, chop carrot tops (leaves, not stems) and garnish the salad before serving.

recipe from “Once Upon a Chef”

The smoke has been slowly filling our valley since yesterday…..with so many fires burning, it’s a wonder it hasn’t been this intense before. I think the fire burning up by Terwilliger/Cougar Hot Springs may have been the tipping point for us…..

It’s impossible to not be outside when you’re harvesting vegetables so some of our crew are taking precaution by wearing masks….by the end of the day we sort of feel like the bees do when they get smoked during hive checks….tired and docile and ready for a lie down.

CORN!! It’s finally here! Even though we all know that the corn is harvested in this area late August, early September, waiting for it’s arrival still tries all of our patience. We feel fortunate that the temps haven’t reached the heights of what was predicted for today, as the corn harvest is certainly one of the hottest, and most challenging crops to bring in.

You walk through closely spaced 7 foot tall plants, pulling ears off as you go along, and tossing them over your shoulder into a backpack, which when fully loaded can weigh as much as 40-60 lbs. The picker then brings his loaded pack to the truck and unloads the ears, counting carefully as he/she does so, into a larger harvest bin. Its heavy, hot work and takes some strength and stamina to be on the crew.

 

Corn is best eaten as soon as possible, as the natural sugars begin to break down soon after harvesting. Corn can keep for several days, in the fridge, with the husks on. To cook, simply cook in boiling water for 6-10 minutes. Butter, salt and pepper are typically applied afterwards, depending on your personal tastes. You can also grill corn, in the husk. You can add it to stews, soups, stir-fries, corn bread and puddings.

While we haven’t seen any yet, it’s not uncommon to find a worm in your organically grown corn. If  you do find one, simply dispose of the worm or add it to  your compost and cut away any part of the corn that might be bad, and cook the rest and enjoy!

We’re excited about the tomatoes coming in out of the field as well…the air quality on the farm today is not very good, due to all of the smoke in our area, so it’s not very pleasant to be out there…but, it needs to be done! We’re hoping for some good breezes to blow in this evening and chase it all out of our valley. Still, compared to many other areas that are living in the dense smoke on a daily basis, we feel blessed that it comes and goes.

Harvesting little funny tomatoes like this fella bring some levity to our toils….I like to bring them home so my grand girls can invent stories about them before we eat them up!

Of course, at break time, there’s nothing like some fresh blackberry treats! This has been a particularly good year for berries of all kinds, and the blackberry bushes lining the roads on the farm are loaded with so many berries, we’ll be eating them well into the fall rain season. Lovely to have our own little “grocery store” at our finger tips!

We wish you all a wonderful week ahead and hope you enjoy your veggies this week!

Linda and all of your Winter Green Farmers