CSA Members 2004: Newsletter Archive

Dear CSA Members,

Hold on to your socks, this week's delivery includes organic cherries!!!!!!!! Also this week you will find the strange looking Kohlrabi, and our first main crop cauliflower. Kohlrabi is a part of the cabbage family. It was first grown in Europe around 1500 and was imported into America 300 years later. It has a turnip like appearance; with leaves standing out like spokes from the edible portion, which is a rounded, enlarged stem section growing just above the soil line. Kohlrabi is sometimes misclassified as a root vegetable. Actually kohlrabi resembles the suspended basket of a hot air balloon. The bulb is crisp and crunchy when raw, and takes on a smoother texture when cooked. Its leaves may be used like spinach or kale and eaten raw, steamed or sautéed. Most simply, substitute it for water chestnuts in a stir-fry or grate the bulb with carrots and serve lightly salted. To serve you must rinse, and then carefully peel the outer skin from the bulb. From here I usually grate or cube the bulb to prep for cooking. Try it lightly steamed with butter, or slice it thin and fry it for dipping.

["Kohlrabi is one of the more nutritious vegetables in the cabbage family. Not only is it an excellent source of potassium, but it also contains natural enzymes that aid digestion and significant amounts of the bone building minerals -- calcium, phosphorus and iron. Kohlrabi is chock full of fiber and low in fat. It is nearly a "calorie-free" food, because one cup of raw kohlrabi contains only 38 calories. One cup also supplies more than 100% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C."]

The bib romaine cross lettuce is Winter Density by name and as you can tell is one of our favorites here at the farm. We grow it early in the year and again as a late crop. This week it is paired with Brunia, which is a French red oak leaf, so named because of the shape of its leaves. This lettuce too is among our favorites and also a great cool weather performer. These varieties are about to give way to more seasonal summer varieties so enjoy them and look forward to Romaine, Lolla Rossa, and a host of other gourmet lettuces as the season progresses.

The flowers this week are a bunch of Godetia mixed with a smattering of perennial Gypsophelia. The Godetia are an unusual and unparalleled cut flower and will easily last over a week in water. As a matter of fact if you remember to refill and change the water as needed they will last even longer.

This has really been a great year at the farm. Much of the work of getting established in a new area is complete, and though we still have projects on top of projects to help things go faster and smoother we are light years ahead of last year. This in great part is because of the help of friends and field hands. Shout out to Jesus and his wife Nancy for their dedication and hard work, and especially because they care, and that's a quality you cannot buy or teach. And a special thanks to our "flower girl" Hannah who is a joy to work with and always makes Tuesday easier and more fun with her eye for quality and her welcome company. Also thanks to her son Jasper for keeping it real and being cool enough to let us get something done, and especially for wearing feety pajamas in the field. Thanks also to you our members for your support and for taking the time to send us those kind words. All of this makes our work infinitely more enjoyable and rewarding.

Pasta with Cauliflower and Parsley Sauce

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

• 2 1/2 cups packed fresh minced parsley & 1-2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 large head (or two small) of cauliflower (about 2 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch flowerets and the stems sliced thin
• 1 pound rotelle (corkscrew-shaped pasta)
• 1 cup Kalamata olives, chopped fine

Chop parsley, stems and all, and garlic as fine as you can manage. In a large steamer set over boiling water steam the cauliflower, covered, for 5 minutes, or until it is just tender. While the cauliflower is steaming, in a kettle of boiling salted water boil the pasta until it is al dente and drain it well. In a large bowl toss the pasta with the parsley and garlic in oil, add the cauliflower, the olives, toss again and salt and pepper to taste. Top with a good quality Parmesan or Reggiano.

Serves 4 to 6.

Boistfort Valley Farm
426 Boistfort Road
Curtis, WA 98538
(360) 245-3796

website: BoistfortValleyFarm.com
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