CSA Members 2008: Newsletter Archive

Dear CSA Members,

Today is our final delivery!

Thank you for joining us this season. We began this season with what seemed like insurmountable challenges, and with your help, we planned, planted, and harvested success. We could not and would not have done it without you! Please keep in touch with us over the winter. I promise to update our website, and add new pictures from this season (especially pictures of Natalina!). . .

A few notes on this, our last delivery: Please return your empty waxed boxes before next Tuesday, so that we may pick them all up and keep our drop sites clean for the winter.

I have included brochures with today's vegetables. If you would like to sign up for next season, we will be offering this year's rates until the end of December.

Also, I should have noted last week that our farm honey is raw, and may crystallize. Crystallization is common. Simply immerse it in hot (130 degrees or less) water to return it to its liquid state.

We still have November/December shares available. Please contact us or sign up now!

Today's boxes include an array of vegetables fresh from the field, plus some storage goodies to start off your season without us. The mizuna is a mild, mustardy green that can be used for salad or added last minute to a stir fry. The savoy cabbage, although a bit daunting in size, will keep forever in your fridge if you treat it right. Peel off leaves to chop, rather than cutting into the cabbage itself, and you will prolong the cabbage's life for a few weeks.

I have included potatoes with rosemary and onion to warm your kitchen. Chop them and toss them with olive oil and roast them in the oven. . . the smell of roasting vegetables will float through your house like a dream.

It's a little sad to deliver this final box of veggies, but kind of exciting, too, as we look toward the Winter season, where everything (ourselves included) moves more slowly and deliberately. I should mention to all of you that our Winter plans include a new Winter CSA program for January through May! This season, we are only taking a limited number of members at our closest drop sites (from the farm to Olympia). We will deliver once per month. As it is the off season for many vegetables, we will also include local cheeses, local free range eggs, organic coffee, and local organic grains. We hope that our pilot season is a success, so that we may offer a larger number of shares for 2010.

Fried Potatoes and Cabbage (Bubble and Squeak)

ingredients

• 1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1 lb Savoy cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

procedure

Cover potatoes with cold salted water by 1 inch and bring to a boil, then boil, uncovered, until tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Drain in a colander.

Heat butter in a 10-inch heavy nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté cabbage with salt and pepper, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add potatoes, mashing and stirring them into cabbage while leaving some lumps and pressing to form a cake. Cook, without stirring, until underside is crusty and golden, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Gourmet, March 2005

Braised Baby Bok Choy

ingredients

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 lb baby bok choy, trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• *Add a little minced garlic or ginger if desired

procedure

Bring broth and butter to a simmer in a deep large heavy skillet. Arrange bok choy evenly in skillet and simmer, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer bok choy with tongs to a serving dish and keep warm, covered.

Boil broth mixture until reduced to about 1/4 cup, then stir in sesame oil and pepper to taste. Pour mixture over bok choy.

Gourmet, October 2000

Cabbage and Apple Slaw with Butter-Toasted Pecans

ingredients

• 1 apple
• 3 cups cabbage
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

procedure

Cut apple into 1/2-inch cubes and very thinly slice enough cabbage to measure 3 cups. In a bowl toss together apple, cabbage, lemon juice, and salt to taste.

Chop pecans. In a small skillet toast pecans in butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Sprinkle sugar and salt to taste over pecans and cook, stirring frequently, until pecans are coated, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and cool pecans slightly. Add pecans with butter in skillet and chives to cabbage mixture and toss to combine well. Season slaw with salt.

Gourmet, December 1998