CSA Members 2004: Newsletter Archive

Dear CSA Members,

Wow, with all due respect to the miracles of technology some mornings I wish I where carving these notes with a sharpened rock. You will no doubt notice the inclusion of our first lilies of the season; indeed they are our first lilies ever. They will open in water and they last for well over a week. You can pick off the anthers as they develop to avoid dropping pollen.

A bag of fresh basil is also included this week and marks the transition into true summer fare from the garden. You can look forward to zucchini and a variety of other summer squash soon, and the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant will follow shortly. Everything in the summer garden is beautiful with the possible exception of one variety of pepper, which frankly seems a bit lazy; it has been slow to grow and is stunted in comparison to the other varieties flourishing around it.

There is a quality I notice in the air every year about this time. It is a smell as much as anything else, a cool quality to the breeze that picks up every evening in this valley around dusk, when the light begins to decrease noticeably earlier at days end. This is a tangible transition into high summer, the dog days that lead to fall. One of the things I love so much about farming is being tethered to the seasons. The change of seasons for a farmer is a change of schedule, a change of diet, and a change of responsibilities. The demanding schedule of spring when we are planting, transplanting and gearing up for market and delivery has slowly transformed into a schedule more maintenance based. We water and tend crops, fertilize, attend markets and fall into a regular routine of harvest and delivery. One of the greatest things about the CSA program is we get to share this bond to the seasons with our customers through the vegetables and flowers we deliver. You will eat seasonally along with us and enjoy the changing face of our farm from early spring through fall. "One of the joys our technological civilization has lost is the excitement with which seasonal flowers and fruits were welcomed; the seasons first daffodil, strawberry, or cherry are now things of the past, along with the precious moment of their arrival." I am proud to help keep the excitement of these moments alive, and hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

PESTO

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves packed
• 4 cloves garlic (or less of these large cloves)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt to taste

Puree the basil leaves in a food processor. Continue blending, adding garlic and nuts until they are well ground. Slowly add the olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. Salt to taste. Pesto is a great addition to many sauces and dressings. We often toss pasta with pesto for a quick meal, and serve with grated cheese for topping.

P.S. It looks like we forgot to mention the kale! This is in the broccoli family; it can be sauteed or steamed and cooks excellently in soup.

Peel, slice and saute a few cloves of garlic. Wash kale and remove stems, then add to the skillet and cover. Let steam until wilted but not soggy. Uncover and turn up the heat, stirring frequently. Add crushed hazelnuts & parmesan to your preference.

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

website: BoistfortValleyFarm.com
email: please use our forms