In
this week’s box:
Arugula (in the open plastic bag)
Pac Choi: Fuyo Shomi
Radishes: Cherryette and Easter Egg Mix
Tapestry
Salad Mix
For
those with the Goat Cheese option: Plain Chevre
For
those with the Egg option: one dozen free-range eggs (assorted colors)
For
those with the Herb option: you will receive your BGF Herb Book with next
week’s delivery. We hope to
start
actual Herb Share deliveries in mid June.
Featured Recipe (on back): Arugula Pesto (see back)
Welcome to the
first delivery of the Summer 2007 CSA season.
It’s been a busy month since our last newsletter. All of the summer transplants are in the
ground, thanks again to help from our family.
The transplants include: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cabbage, broccoli,
cauliflower, leeks, onions, shallots, summer squash, cucumbers, and
zucchini. We’ve also been planting all
of the early seed crops including: peas, beans, radishes, salad, carrots,
edamame, winter squash, spinach, kale, kohlrabi, braising greens and choi. It’s always such a joy to see those bright
green seed leaves break through the soil and reach for the sun. We revel at the promise of vegetables to
come, at the same time we begin the war of the weeds. Since we don’t use any chemicals on our farm,
we have some of the healthiest weeds in the county. We’ve acquired a couple of new tools to add
to our weed-fighting arsenal, a wheel hoe and a flame weeder. So far they are showing great promise. The other new addition to our weed-team is
Blue, our very willing 7 month-old puppy.
She is very dedicated to shredding any clumps of weeds that are tossed
to her. We’re not sure how productive
she is, but it is darn entertaining.
The boxes are a
little light at this time of the season and you will notice the abundance of
greens. This is part of the joy of
eating fresh, seasonal foods. As the
season continues the weight and variety of the boxes will increase with the arrival
of heavier crops including beans, tomatoes, potatoes and squash. One thing that does remain somewhat
consistent is the presence of some cosmetic damage caused by our local insects. This is another of the indications that we
are truly a chemical-free farm. We try
to keep the insect population under control, but they are simply a fact of life
in a naturally grown system. We hope you
can overlook some minor leaf damage and we will do our best to keep it to a
minimum. Also we do our best to provide
you with clean produce, but you may find a little dirt here and there or
(yikes!) possibly an insect. We do wash
the produce and sort it to the best of our ability, but we are processing a
significant volume of produce and it is possible that at some point you will
find a little “nature” in your
box. If and when it happens to you, we
apologize ahead of time and hope you will forgive the oversight.
The featured
vegetable in the box this week is the bulbous, leafy pac choi (this is the same
as bok choi and pak choy). It is a
traditional part of Asian cuisine that is becoming a favorite among chefs and
foodies world-wide. The choi leaves can be cooked and eaten like spinach while
the crisp stems can be used like celery or asparagus. Refrigerate unwashed choi in a plastic
container or loosely wrapped in a plastic bag.
Just before using, rinse choi under cold running water and gently shake
dry. Because the thick stems and tender leaves
will require different cooking times and will usually be added separately, cut
the stems from the leaves. Cut the stems
into 1-inch pieces and slice, shred or tear the leaves. If you will be eating the stems raw, slice or
julienne them. A young choi is mild
enough to eat raw. The stems resemble
celery without the “strings.” Add the uncooked , shredded leaves of small choi
to salads. You can also steam, sauté or
stir fry choi. Good flavor combinations
include toasted sesame oil, seasoned rice vinegar, butter, olive oil, lemon
juice or vinaigrettes, garlic, mushrooms, asparagus, shallots and broccoli,
carrots and snow peas.
Best from the
farm,
Jill & Sean
Arugula Pesto
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
2 cups mature Arugula
½ cup freshly grated Asiago cheese (about 1 ½ ounces)
½ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Combine Arugula, cheese, oil, garlic and pine nuts in a blender or food processor; process until thoroughly combined and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
This is good on pasta, a good crusty bread, sandwiches or with cheese and crackers
Makes about 1 ½ cups
Recipe Source: Farmer
John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables by John Pederson and Angelic
Organics