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.

2017 CSA Week 13

Good evening fellow CSA members,

I hope you have accomplished everything you were planning for July. Tomorrow ushers in August and brings us another great share...

Produce	Storage	Longevity
summer squash and zucchini	unwashed, in fridge	1-2 weeks
green beans*	unwashed, in fridge	3-4 days
tomatoes	room temperature	about a week
sweet corn*	shucked or with husks on in coldest part of fridge	enjoy as soon as possible
blackberries	unwashed, in fridge	3-5 days
basil	ends snipped, immersed in water	1 week+
cantaloupe	peeled and sliced, or unpeeled in fridge	enjoy as soon as possible

*Tuesday members will receive sweet corn. Thursday and Saturday members will receive green beans this week.

Allow me a minute to talk about one thing not in this week's share: Beef. I am very much a carnivore and beef is my meat of choice. After our first winter meat CSA with Sustainable Harvest Farm I was so impressed with the quality of their beef I tried to get a full year's worth of beef from them for the following year (I didn't get enough). But I did get several cuts of beef I wouldn't normally prepare. I love smoked beef brisket but had never prepared a brisket before and don't own a smoker. So, I've been testing several "oven smoked" (faux-b-que) recipes throughout the year and just this week found the one I am going to stick with. Delicious. I used several of the week's share ingredients to round out the meal.

One last thing. Probably sign up for a winter meat share if you're interested before I buy it all. I think Ford has increased his meat production over the years but once, while I was pregnant, he sold out of several cuts of meat. It was a sad day. And I always think about that when I decide how much meat to buy during the winter share.

I am excited for the sweet corn this week but even more excited for the cantaloupe. I love cantaloupe and only learned in the last couple of years (from my husband) that it is an especially healthy fruit. Since he isn't actually a nutritionist (not even close) I did a little research and learned it has one of the highest levels of vitamin A of any fruit. It is also packed with vitamin C, several B vitamins, vitamin K, potassium, magnesium and fiber.

I love eating cantaloupe plain (especially with a meal of fresh green beans, corn, tomatoes and cornbread this time of year), but just yesterday I learned cantaloupe soup exists. (You can get it at the Greentree Tea Room in Lexington during the month of August.) I did a search for recipes. I have no idea what different varieties there are of cantaloupe soup, but this recipe sounded yummy to me.

You'll have to let me know if you make it!

Happy eating!

2017 CSA Week 12

Hello fellow CSA members!

We are reaching the peak of summer, and our shares are reflecting that. These shares remind me of the bounty I enjoyed growing up from my grandparents' garden in late July.

Produce	Storage	Longevity
summer squash and zucchini	unwashed, in fridge	1-2 weeks
cherry tomatoes or yellow tomatoes	room temperature	1 week
bell pepper	washed or unwashed in fridge	1-2 weeks
green beans*	unwashed, in fridge	3-4 days
sweet corn*	shucked or with husks on in the coldest part of fridge	enjoy as soon as possible
blackberries	unwashed, in fridge	3-5 days
basil	snip off bottom of stems and immerse in water	1-2 weeks

My apologies for the produce-to-child
ratio in this picture. (I'm a proud mama.)

We get more blackberries this week! And fresh basil to pair with the tomatoes. I have discovered that my little one and a half year old loves tomatoes. He will eat a whole tomato chopped up! I love having these delicious ones for him to enjoy. I'm sure you all feel similarly when you watch your children enjoy this healthy food.

*We always say that a CSA share is highly dependent on a number of factors, including the weather. And this week is no different. Because of the dry weather, our sweet corn will not be ready in time for Tuesday shares. Those of us getting shares on Tuesday will be receiving green beans instead of sweet corn. Those receiving Thursday or Saturday shares will have sweet corn, but no green beans. Ford expects all of us to have sweet corn in our shares next week.

Also, an additional note about the green beans. If these are the same variety Ford has grown in years past they are a little different than the half-runners many of us are more accustomed to. These beans are well suited for stir-fries and sautés, but I can attest that you can still break them up and boil them like your half-runners and they're delicious.

There are a number of reasons why you may not have the time or energy to enjoy your shares from week to week. You have a number of options to prevent a crisper full of wonderful produce rotting away. If given enough notice, you share can be cancelled for the week. You can also gift your share to a friend (you can work those details out on your own). Another great option is to preserve your share. Everything in this week's share could be frozen to enjoy later in the year. (You can dry the basil.) I found this short guide that gives some great tips for blanching and freezing veggies. There's also some versatility. Most people cut their corn off the cob before freezing it, but my family always stuck some in the freezer on the cob, and I usually freeze my corn on the cob too. I love having "fresh" corn on the cob in the middle of winter.

If you're eager to jump right into your share this week, I was reminded of a ratatouille recipe someone shared with me last year. When I went looking for it, I realized these recipes using zucchini, bell peppers and tomatoes might be better suited to revisit this week. And the link to the ratatouille recipe is in the comment section of that post. I appreciate our seasonal foods.

Hope you all have a great week! There were a couple of delicious cabbage recipes posted on the Facebook page this week. Try them out and post your own recipes too!

2017 CSA Week 11

Hello fellow CSA members,

I hope everyone is having a good week. We've got a great share coming our way:

Produce	Storage	Longevity
summer squash and zucchini	unwashed, in fridge	1-2 weeks
tomatoes	room temperature	1 week
bell pepper	washed or unwashed in fridge	1-2 weeks
cabbage	unwashed, in fridge	up to a month or longer
BLACKBERRIES!	unwashed, in fridge	3-5 days

If you've never tasted SHF blackberries, I'm excited for you. Last year we got a small surprise cup in our shares one week and I was so excited I ate them all on the way home. Thus began my tradition of eating my blackberries on the way home. These are a sweeter variety than some. If you are patient enough, they'd make a good cobbler or jam, but you have my permission to eat them within seconds of receiving them.

We've been getting bell peppers for a couple weeks now. I used mine last week in a succotash side dish with the zucchini and sweet corn. I actually combined this recipe and this one. I like to use them in stir-frys and fajitas, and have fond memories of stuffed peppers from my childhood. But I didn't really know very much about their nutritional value and decided to do a little research. Bell peppers are loaded with vitamins, particularly vitamin C and A. They're also a good source of potassium, folic acid and fiber. Their nutritional value coupled with their low calorie content make them a particularly healthy choice. So, even if you dip them in a little ranch or bread them and fry them (one of my go-to methods for just about any veggie) you can still feel good about eating them. :)

I heard it was another great weekend of farm tours. I hope you all enjoyed! Unfortunately, I had schedule conflicts on both farm tour dates this summer and was disappointed to miss them. If you are in a similar situation, please consider contacting Ford and Amanda to arrange a visit to the farm another time. If you've never been out, it is such a neat experience. Once you meet Fin, Josiah and Silas your food will taste even better when you think of their sweet little hands helping harvest it. (Did you see this video?)

2017 CSA Week 10

Hello fellow CSA members!

I can't believe we've reached the halfway mark of the season. These July shares are some of my favorite (though I sometimes think my favorite is whatever share we are getting that week or month). I am very excited to let you know we'll be getting our first ears of corn this week! Ford says they're smaller, but I am positive they are tasty. :) Here's the details of our full share:

Produce	Storage	Longevity
summer squash and zucchini	unwashed, in fridge	1-2 weeks
tomatoes	room temperature	1 week
kohlrabi	washed or unwashed, in fridge	1-2 weeks
sweet corn	shucked or with husks on in coldest part of fridge	enjoy as soon as possible
turnip	in fridge crisper	up to a month or longer
bell pepper	washed or unwashed in fridge	1-2 weeks
cabbage	unwashed, in fridge	up to a month or longer

These are good tomatoes. From my share our first week with
tomatoes. A caprese-inspired salad.

I may have shared with you all before that I am a bit of a tomato snob. I argue that I actually love tomatoes - I'm just very picky about them. My mom and I call the store-bought, white. grainy tomatoes you get in the off-season "imitation tomatoes." But this time of year, when there are more delicious tomatoes than a girl can eat, I tend to think about ways to preserve them. Salsa is a favorite that comes to mind quickly. Also, chili sauce, tomato juice, marinara. There are mixes at the grocery store that I have used in the past with much success, but there are a plethora of recipes available too. Here is a tried and true tomato sauce recipe from last season.

Friend and fellow CSA member Alisha Wackerly served an amazing tomato soup for dinner one night about a month ago and shared the recipe with me. I immediately thought it would be great to use fresh summer tomatoes and then can batches to have delicious homemade tomato soup throughout the cold winter months. If you love the cooler weather that rings in fall (like I do), this will get you even more excited.

*If you do plan to do large batches of canning with tomatoes or other produce, check with Ford. Some weeks he has extra produce to sell.