2017 CSA Week 17

Hello fellow CSA members!

I was excited to see our share list this week. We're getting a new item that helps mark the end of summer... and sure is delicious: Watermelon!!! Here's the rest:

Produce	Storage	Longevity
watermelon	room temperature or refrigerated	3-5 days
spaghetti squash	room temperature	2-4 weeks
acorn squash	room temperature	several weeks
onions	room temperature	up to a week or longer
eggplant	unwashed, in fridge, wrapped in a paper towel in crisper	5-7 days
kohlrabi	washed or unwashed, in fridge	1-2 weeks
bell pepper	washed or unwashed in fridge	1-2 weeks

This may sound a little weird, but I just thought the onion in my share this week was beautiful. I took pictures of it with my phone but none of them really turned out the way I hoped. I'm not a fan of onions, but I sliced it up for a crockpot Hungarian Beef recipe. I don't think I've ever purchased an organic onion outside my share and it made me reflect on the better quality of food we get when we purchase local, organic produce. I've been getting shares for so many years (and am not that great at eating my veggies anyway) that sometimes I think I forget or take for granted what a privilege it is to have access to such good -- in so many ways -- food.

A few of us CSA members were talking over the weekend about ideas for what to do about all the bell peppers we've been getting in our shares. They really are delicious, but I run out of ideas (and time) sometimes, and sometimes a pepper or two will wither away in my crisper. Sad. Beyond taking the time to slice and freeze them for later, I decided to look at recipes that may use them. Fajitas. Stuffed peppers. And then I start running out of ideas. I did an internet search and found recipes for Bell Pepper Frittata, Bell Pepper Muffins and Bell Pepper Soup.

Be sure to share in the comments below, or on our Facebook page, how you are using your peppers, and the rest of your share.

2017 CSA Week 16

Happy Solar Eclipse Day! I hope you all enjoyed it. I stayed here in London and peeked out every few minutes while watching my toddler, but I was just so impressed. I'm already gearing up for 2024!

I am excited to tell you what we have in our shares this week. As we creep toward fall, we'll begin to see new items in our shares each week, as other items fade away.

Produce	Storage	Longevity
celery	unwashed, in fridge	up to a week
onion	room temperature	up to a week or longer
tomatoes	room temperature	enjoy as soon as possible
potatoes	Cool, dark place	up to two weeks
acorn squash	room temperature	weeks
purple cabbage	unwashed, in fridge	up to a month or longer
bell pepper	washed or unwashed in fridge	up to a week

Ford mentioned that the tomatoes will be especially ripe due to all the rain. Enjoy them as quickly as possible. The tomatoes are also almost at the end of the harvest. We won't see them very much from here on out.

I've shared with you my love of sauerkraut before, and I think the purple lettuce would be just beautiful for that. You also have the makings of a great stir fry. And actually, several of these items - peppers, onions, potatoes and cabbage - could be used to make one of my family's favorite childhood recipes.

Another great recipe (that makes up in taste what it lacks in health) that would use a few of the share ingredients this week is Frito Corn Salad! (Yum!) There are several different versions. Some use peppers, some use different flavors of fritos. I got this one from friend and fellow CSA member, Olivia Post.

Frito Corn Salad

1/2 c chopped celery
1/2 c chopped purple onion
2 cans fiesta or Mexi-corn
1 c cheddar cheese, shredded
1 bag chili cheese fritos
1/2 cup mayo
3 Tbsp ranch dressing

Mix together the celery, onion, corn and cheese. Mix mayo and ranch separately then pour on veggie mixture and stir until well combined. Just before serving, mix in fritos.

(If you are making this for a small group, you can just leave the fritos out and add them in individually. Once you mix the fritos in, it should be eaten pretty quickly. It can't be saved. You can save the other ingredients for a day or two and mix the fritos in with each individual serving.

Acorn squash is making its debut. If you, like me, didn't have much exposure to this particular squash outside the CSA, here are ten recipes you could try with it. If you're curious about the nutritional value of acorn squash, I did a little research. While it is high in (complex) carbohydrates, it is also very nutrient dense. This squash is a great source of many vitamins and minerals, especially A, C and several of the B family.

I was feeling especially thankful for our cheese share from Wildcat Mountain Cheeses this week. I used my two favorite cheeses from them: Cheese curds and Bernstadt Swiss. I shredded the swiss to top some eggplant parmesan (or eggplant swiss, I suppose). And while I was breading and frying I decided to do the same for the cheese curds. Those did not turn out quite as beautifully BUT boy they were delicious!

I got a picture that actually showed some
eggplant under the cheese and sauce. The
whole family loved it, and I loved having a
healthy meal from local products that my
son and husband enjoyed!

 

2017 CSA Week 15

Good evening fellow CSA members,
I can't believe we are three-fourths through our season. We've even got a little nod toward fall coming in our shares this week...

Produce	Storage	Longevity
cantaloupe	peeled and sliced, in fridge, or unpeeled	enjoy as soon as possible
tomatoes	room temperature	about a week
eggplant	unwashed, in fridge, wrapped in a paper towel in crisper	5-7 days
bell pepper	washed or unwashed in fridge	1-2 weeks
cucumber	washed or unwashed in fridge	1-2 weeks
spaghetti squash	room temperature	2-4 weeks

We'll start to see more fall and winter squash in our shares toward the end of the season (and into the winter share season, if you choose to continue).

I just bought a new cookbook (woohoo!) specifically for crockpot recipes. I am always looking for ways to cook and eat at home more (without the hassle) and thought 1400 slow cooker recipes might help me out.

I'll share with you the recipe I made tonight (with SHF steaks and peppers), as well as another I thought might be good for the peppers and other produce this week. You can visit some previous posts to see what we've done with eggplant and spaghetti squash in the past. (Even my husband likes eggplant parmesan, so I'm excited for that!)

Slow-Cooked Round Steak
Kathy Lapp - Halifax, PA
4-6 servings
15 minutes prep, 4-5 hours cooking
Ideal slow cooker size : 4 quart

1 3/4 lb round steak
1/4 cup flour
2 onions, sliced thickly
1 green pepper, sliced in strips
10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup

Cut steak into serving-size pieces. Dredge in flour. Brown in nonstick skillet. Place browned steak in slow cooker. Top with onion and pepper slices. Pour soup over all, making sure steak pieces are covered. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours.

Variations: Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper to flour in step 1. If you like a lot of gravy, add a second can of soup to step 3.

Fix it and Forget it Big Cookbook, page 226

My variations: I didn't cut up or brown the steak. (We're looking for SUPER EASY here!) I only used one onion and three peppers. I added a second can of soup and five diced potatoes. It was yummy. The gravy especially!

I haven't tried this one yet, but it's on my list. You could use several of this week's ingredients in it. Feel free to sub fresh tomatoes or eggplant in. You could even use the spaghetti squash in place of the macaroni. (page 101 of the same cookbook)

Pizza in a bowl
Laurie Sylvester - Ridgely, MD
6 servings
10 minutes prep, 5-6 hours cooking
Ideal slow cooker size: 3 1/2 quart

26 oz jar marinara sauce
14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
4 oz pepperoni, sliced or diced
1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 large bell pepper, diced
1 large red onion, chopped
1 cup water
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 cup dry macaroni
shredded mozzarella

Combine all ingredients, except cheese, in cooker. Cover. Cook on low 5-6 hours. Ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle with cheese.

I'm sure you've gotten notifications through facebook or email about the upcoming events: Farm to Fork to Film that SHF is doing in conjunction with The Lavender Farm at Woodstock in Somerset and the Fall Harvest Celebration at the farm. Please consider attending both as your schedule permits.

Many of us are fans of Wendell Berry. I'll leave you now with the trailer from the film, Look and See, that will be screened at the first event. It gave me chills.

2017 CSA Week 14

Good evening fellow CSA members!

We have another great share this week:

Produce	Storage	Longevity
summer squash and zucchini	unwashed, in fridge	1-2 weeks
cabbage	unwashed, in fridge	several weeks
tomatoes	room temperature	about a week
bell pepper	Unwashed, in fridge	about a week
cantaloupe	peeled and sliced, or unpeeled in fridge	enjoy as soon as possible

One of my favorite summer meals is meat and fresh garden
veggies. Tonight for supper we had SHF New York Strip steaks
with sautéed peppers and squash from last week's share. The basil
was so bountiful I made pesto and put it on some potato skins.

Each week I get the produce list from Ford I feel thankful (and excited) about the delicious things in store for me and my little family. Matthias enjoys several of the share items and it makes me smile every time I see him eating them. I even learned from him (and my mom) that you can just slice summer squash and eat it raw. What could be better than raw, fresh, local, organic summer squash for a toddler to eat?! Except for maybe the raw tomatoes and peppers he also enjoys. This week's share will pretty much be his menu for several meals! Little prep work and loads of nutrition.

I had the chance to visit the farm recently. I had scheduling conflicts on both farm tour dates this summer and asked Amanda if I could bring Matthias out to tour the farm. She, and the sweet boys (Finley, Silas and Josiah), were gracious hosts. I am in awe of the beauty of the farm each time I visit and am thrilled to see it grow from year to year. It seems each season brings new crops, new greenhouses, new equipment and new markets. The dreams for the farm are flourishing much like the crops: With a lot of hard work, blessing from the Lord and devoted CSA members. Thanks for partnering with "us."

Because of the commitment to sustainable farming and the quality of the food grown, its not uncommon for the farm to get some media coverage each season. Did you catch the Kentucky Living article a few weeks ago? It also included Amanda's tomato pie recipe (as well as links to other tomato recipes).

As I am reflecting on my thankfulness for the food and the farm, I also want to share my thankfulness for friends. I hosted a super-casual outdoor dinner party at my house last night and was filled with gratitude anew about the people I am privileged to call friends. I love sharing food with people I love and I love seeing people all work together to make a beautiful evening. I hosted but I did little work other than greet people and give them assignments as they asked. One guest manned the grill and asked if I happened to have any peppers and onions to throw on. Thanks in part to SHF, I was able to say yes. His sweet (amazing) wife even enthusiastically volunteered to make cole slaw last minute from a SHF head of cabbage. I loved seeing friends in my house and kitchen and backyard and I loved getting to share delicious food with them. And while we all probably have our own preferred cole slaw recipe, I decided in the spirit of spur-of-the-moment side dishes, I'd share some new cole slaw recipes with you.

May we all continue to be blessed with great food, great farmers and great friends and family.