Weekly CSA Newsletter: August 27-September 2, 2006 (Week #12)

In This Issue:

  1. This week's share may include: ...
  2. Pick-Your-Own Crops and Information
  3. Notes from the Field - Last Week of Summer
  4. Hunger Relief at Waltham Fields Community Farm
  5. Recipes
  6. Upcoming Events: Third Sunday Gathering September 17th at 4 PM
  7. CFO Contact Information

1. This week's share may include

  • Lettuce
  • Choice of Greens
  • Tomatoes
  • Peppers
  • Eggplant
  • Potatoes
  • Summer Squash
  • Cucumbers
  • Beets
  • Carrots
  • Garlic

2. Pick-Your-Own Crops

  • Herbs and Flowers
  • Cherry and Plum Tomatoes
  • Beans
  • Tomatilloes

All shareholders are invited to pick your own from 9 AM to 7:30 PM on Sundays and from 3 PM to 7:30 PM on Thursdays. Please visit the PYO station near the red shed for locations of crops and all PYO tools and materials.

3. Notes from the Field

The Last Week of Summer

I know, I know - summer isn't over until the autumnal equinox on September 21. Technically we have at least 3 weeks until fall. But the signs are everywhere - the first reddening leaves on a tree limb, a cool morning after a thunderstorm, geese beginning to fly south in the mornings - and, yes, your farmer feeling ungenerously gleeful for the 11th year in a row that she still does not have to go back to school.

On the farm, I tend to think of September 1 as a major turning point. The summer vegetables are still around, but fall starts to creep into the fields and into the harvest. Cooler nights and mornings slow down tomatoes and summer squash. Root crops and greens come into their own, with tender arugula, sweetening carrots and the return of baby turnips and radishes making fall salads shine. Fennel comes back to the menu, along with radicchio, endive and escarole. Winter squash are ripening and ready to harvest and cure in the greenhouse. Collards and kale, simmered in veggie broth, paired with white beans and sausage, or tossed with whole-wheat pasta, make greens into a wholesome and hearty meal. Grilled or sautéed in tamari and olive oil, or tossed with a Dijon vinaigrette, fall leeks are a treat on a chilly evening. Sweet potatoes make any dish comfort food. In New England, the sheer variety and freshness of local apples adds hand-held sweetness to every meal. While tomato season is a delight, the autumn harvest is one of the real hidden joys of eating in season.

I'll keep it short this week so that you can read the rest of the newsletter. Enjoy the last weeks of summer and the warm-weather harvest, and get ready for fall.

Amanda Cather, for the farm staff

4. Hunger Relief at Waltham Fields Community Farm

When Community Farms Outreach, Waltham Fields' parent organization, was founded eleven years ago, its primary mission was harvesting food for those in need. Waltham Fields, and subsequently the CSA at Waltham Fields, were both established to make the growing of food for hunger relief possible. (If you want to delve deeper into the history of these decisions and developments, there are good historic documents on our website: www.communityfarms.org).

Over the last eleven years, Community Farms Outreach has donated over 125,000 pounds of produce to local hunger relief efforts. We have established good partnerships with six local organizations who distribute our produce. Our newest, and perhaps most exciting, partnership is with the Joseph Smith Community Health Center in Waltham. Each week our produce is distributed to low-income, primarily immigrant, women through the Women's Health Network. The staff of the health center also provide nutritional counseling information to the women as they pick up their produce.

Every year, hundreds of volunteers help us make this important work possible: individuals and groups help our farm staff work in the fields; shareholders pick up produce and deliver it to the hunger relief organizations; an intern writes a book of veggie identification/nutritional facts/recipes to offer to hunger relief recipients; donors contribute financial resources to make it all possible; and our board members think long and hard about how to build more strategic partnerships such as the one with the Health Center.

We welcome your involvement in this work, at any level that feels appropriate! If you are interested in joining the Board of Directors, you are welcome to attend the September 12th or October 10th evening meetings to check it out - you can contact Judy Fallows at judyfallows@alumni.mit.edu or Kathy Diamond at kathydia@comcast.net to set that up.

- Meg Coward, Executive Director

5. Recipes

All from Kathy Diamond

Collard Greens with Sweet Spices and Cornbread Topping

From Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini by Elizabeth Schneider

  • 2 to 2-1/2 pounds collard greens
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp ground cardamom
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

    Topping:

  • ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp corn oil

Remove stems and cut leaves into ½-inch strips. Bring water to a boil in a non-aluminum pot 10" in diameter. Add salt, then collards, and return to a boil. Boil gently, stirring now and then, until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Chop collards quite fine.

Melt butter in the same pot over low heat Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add spices and stir a minute or two. Add collards and 1 quart reserved liquid. (If not adding cornbread topping, use 1 cup liquid.) Simmer gently for a few minutes.

To make topping, mix together dry ingredients. Beat egg and oil together along with ½ cup reserved liquid. Mix into dry ingredients with a fork to barely blend. Consistency should be like thick applesauce. Add more liquid if needed.

Bring collards to a boil. Drop batter by tablespoons (about 10) over greens. Cover and boil gently 10 minutes. Uncover and boil a few minutes longer, until dumpling tops feel dry. Serve hot, with hot pepper sauce if desired.

Soft String Beans

Shareholder Marietta Simonyan taught me this technique. I'd always thought you had to watch the steamer to make sure to take out the beans when they were bright green. This recipe is different.

Cut string beans in 1.5" pieces and steam for 10 or 15 minutes in saucepan.

Caramelize sliced onions in olive oil in frying pan.

Add to onions: steamed beans, minced garlic, herbs (I used sage and tarragon), and 8 oz broth. Cook slowly with cover slightly ajar for a half hour or longer. They should end up slimy but not soupy.

Optional: I also roasted two thin Asian eggplants by cutting them in half lengthwise and broiling them skin side up in my toaster oven. I threw the roasted flesh into the frying pan along with the beans.

Tomatillo Sauce

from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant

  • 12-14 fresh tomatillos
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 serrano or other chile, minced (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
  • ¼ tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
  • salt to taste

Remove papery husks from tomatillos. Cover them with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes until they can easily be pierced with a fork. Drain and puree in a blender or food processor.

In a small skillet, saute onions, garlic, chile, and coriander in oil for 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatillos and cook gently 5 more minutes. Add sugar, cilantro, and salt.

Chard and Cheese Pie

Adapted from Laurel's Kitchen

  • 1.5 bunches chard, about 3 lbs (this can vary)
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1.5 cups low-fat cottage cheese
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • dill or some pesto
  • ½ cup bread crumbs
  • paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash chard and chop, including much of stems if tender. Saute garlic briefly in oil in wide pan and add chard. You might want to add stems first and leaves later, but this isn't necessary. Stir until chard is wilted. Drain very well in a colander.

Mix together cheeses, eggs, lemon juice, and dill or pesto. Add chard and mix. Spread in a greased 8" x 8" or 7" x 11" pan. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and paprika. Bake for 30 minutes, or until set. Allow to stand several minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

6. Upcoming events

Sunday, September 17th, 4:00 pm Third Sunday Gathering

Third Sunday Gatherings: The third Sunday of every month we host an informal gathering of members, shareholders and supporters. This is a chance to connect with other farm-friendly folks. The gatherings are scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM. Meet near the distribution shelter. Third Sunday Gatherings begin in May and are held through the third Sunday in October. The Third Sunday of November will be a harvest potluck and CFO's Annual Meeting will now be held in January 2007 (date TBD).

7. Contact Information

To reach us:

Community Farms Outreach is a nonprofit organization dedicated to farmland preservation, hunger relief, and education.

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