Waltham Fields Community Farm
CSA NEWSLETTER 2015 - Week 16 of 20
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In This Issue
FARM DAY
Saturday, September 26th, 2-5PM

 Free fun for the whole family, celebrating local agriculture and Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week! Food sampling, farm games, activity tables hosted by other local nonprofits and business, live music from Royer's One Man Band and our ever popular pick-your-own carrot patch ($1/pound). Farm Store will be open with a selection of vegetables for sale. All are welcome!


WHAT'S IN THE SHARE - Our Best Guess
This is our best guess at this point. Actual crops may vary from what's listed here due to a variety of factors. 
  
In the Barn (Picked for You):
Farm crew trimming leeks for the CSA. Photo Credit: Naomi Shea

Arugula
Beets
Broccoli
Green cabbage
Napa cabbage
Carrots
Collards
Mustard greens
Leeks
Lettuce
Okra
Sweet peppers
Potatoes
Radishes
Swiss chard
Tomatoes
Salad turnips

Pick Your Own (PYO):  
***PYO will be closing at 1:30pm on Saturday, Sept 26 for Farm Day Activities! Please join us for free fun!

Remember to only pick the amount listed on the PYO description sheets found at the PYO Station and follow the signs & directions in the field.  A taste or two is okay while you're picking but in order to have enough for all 500 shares, please follow the allotted amount.

Cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, plum tomatoes, chiles, green beans and perennial herbs & flowers. Also, the Flower Share fields will be open to Summer CSA shareholders. Please check the PYO for amounts and location.

WINTER SHARES AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE 
You can purchase a winter share at any CSA pickup or on our website. Winter shares consist of a range of hearty greens and storage crops and are distributed over the course of 3 Saturdays: November 7, November 21 & December 5, from noon to 4pm. Cost is $200.  For more info or to sign up online, check the CSA link on our website.
NOTES FROM THE FIELD Shifting into Fall
by Claire Penney, Field Crew
Claire Penny was the last to join the 2015 Field Crew, and we're so glad she did.  Claire has a deep reserve of quiet patience and tenacity, always ready to do the job at hand, quickly, efficiently and in good spirit.  She also makes a mean white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. Her notes this week are a beautiful reflection of the work she's been an integral part of for the past 4 months.  

One of the benefits of the CSA model is that shareholders come to the farm to pick up their food, and in the process they're able to interact with the farmers and see where everything is grown. That community-farm connection is so important, and this farm feels like it has an especially strong one. As a field crew member I have loved witnessing some of those connections during family pick-your-own sessions, farm tours, summer camp programs, and all the other moments that make up the daily hustle and bustle at the Waltham site. This part of the farm is meant to be accessible so that as many people as possible can experience and enjoy it, but there is more to Waltham Fields Community Farm than the Waltham site. Just down the road at the Lyman estate, you can glimpse another of the farm's fields through the trees as you drive by. Quite a bit farther down the road in Weston are the Gateways fields.
 
Gateways has a different feeling to it than the Waltham site, and lately I have been appreciating these differences and the time we have been able to spend working at Gateways. While the Waltham site is busy with people and activity, Gateways is quiet and still. The fields there are large, rolling, and tree lined, and whether because of the relative isolation or the fact that Gateways doesn't reap the benefits of the weed crew and weekly volunteers, everything feels more wild. The birds and the insects seem louder there, set against a quiet backdrop of distant white noise from the highway. Somehow the mornings feel extra cool and the afternoons extra warm. Reminders of nature and life are abundant, like the cry of a hawk as it circles out over the trees, and the fresh teeth marks of a coyote that had been enjoying our watermelon. There are no buildings to be seen, and the fields have a kind of undisturbed beauty.
 
Earlier in the summer, some of the Field Crew worked at Gateways regularly, harvesting peppers and eggplant in the morning. These peaceful hours have been some of my favorite moments on the farm so far. Lately though, the full Field Crew has been going to Gateways in the afternoon, chipping away at the melon and storage onion harvest, and this Gateways perspective has been just as enjoyable. When everyone goes to Gateways, it almost feels like a field trip, and our afternoons there have been filled with energy and laughter. We have discovered together at Gateways that it is impossible to be unhappy while harvesting watermelon, and that no matter what type of bucket or basket you pick into, sweet and bell peppers are some of the most beautiful crops we grow. Last week we cruised through the pepper and eggplant harvest with the full crew (in some math-defying way, farm work seems to go by exponentially faster when just a few more people join the effort), we happily tossed around several hundred watermelon, and we got a sneak peek at the sweet potato harvest. At this point in the season, the challenge and novelty of a new crop to harvest is especially exciting, and I hope CSA shareholders will enjoy some of the most recent share additions, like leeks and broccoli, as much as we have enjoyed planting and harvesting them.
 
It is so hard to believe that fall begins this week and there is only a month left of the Summer CSA! Farming is all about shifts, and I can feel one happening now as tomato and summer squash production slows and nine pound cabbages can be found amongst the rows of fall brassicas. But change is good; it makes it easier to appreciate the contrasts and value the little things. I am excited to see what this shift will bring to Gateways and to the rest of the farm, and I am looking forward to all the beautiful, delicious food still to come.


Photo credit: Naomi Shea
Early morning broccoli harvest.
 
WHAT'S IN THE BARN 

 

Butternut Squash Seed Oil from Stonybrook's Whole Hearted Foods, Geneva, NY

  

'Tis the season to add a little extra flavor to your Summer CSA culinary creations. Use as an alternative to European olive oil for sauteing, grilling or roasting vegetables or meats, or as a flavoring oil on prepared dishes. The flavor profile is a warm, buttery, nutty taste reminiscent of cashew or peanut. 100% butternut squash seed oil.

All of our retail products are available for sale to the public. For our own produce offerings, we prioritize giving shareholders a good return on their investment and meeting our food assistance goals (20% of what we grow - which should amount to $80,000 of produce for low-income households this year)
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COLLARDS GALORE
Samples from the Culinary School at Newbury College. 

Chef Paige Haringa, Faculty at the School of Culinary at Newbury College, has been a longtime supporter of Waltham Fields; she was a shareholder for many years and her students at Newbury College catered Sprout for several years. This year, Paige and her students from Newbury College's Ethics of Eating class came to Waltham Fields to learn about our farm's food access work. Paige and her students harvested collards from the field and created several different cheap and easy recipes to prepare for our Outreach Market participants. Paige's students were enthusiastic and inventive with their recipes, and Outreach Market participants loved their fresh take on collard greens; many more of them ended up going home with collards after sampling these delicious recipes. Thanks so much to Paige and her students, it was wonderful hosting them at the Outreach Market this year! Give these delicious recipes a try with the collards you take home from the CSA this week:
Culinary School Students from the Newbury School harvesting collard greens at WFCF.
Collard Greens Salad with Ginger Dressing & Seed Brittle
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, divided
5 teaspoons honey, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
1 bunch collard greens, center ribs and stems removed, leaves thinly sliced
1 fuji apple sliced, tossed in lemon juice

To make the dressing, whisk vinegar, ginger, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp honey in a large bowl. Whisk in oils; season with salt.

Combine remaining 4 tsp honey, remaining red pepper flakes, and 3 Tbsp water in a small bowl. Toast sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds in 350 degree oven, spread out on a sheet pan. Toast until sesame seeds are lightly browned. Transfer the nuts to a saute pan over medium heat. Add honey mixture and cook, stirring, until seeds stick together in small clumps, about 3 minutes. Scrape seed mixture onto parchment paper; let cool. Break into small clusters.
Toss greens with enough dressing to coat in a large bowl; season with salt. Squeeze and rub collards with your hands to tenderize until glossing and darkened in color, about 30 seconds. Drizzle salad with more dressing and serve topped with seeds and apple slices.
Students of the Culinary School at Newbury College prepared to hand out samples of their collard greens recipes to Outreach Market participants.
Collard Green Pasta
8 oz pasta 
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced and divied
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp red pepper flakes (or less/more to taste)
1 large bunch collard greens
1 large lemon, zest and juice

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooked pasta water.
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. 
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and the garlic. Stir quickly so it doesn't burn, about 30 seconds, and then add the bread crumbs. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often until golden brown. Add in the nutritional yeast and red pepper flakes. Remove the bread crumbs from the pan and wipe clean.

Remove the stems from the collard greens and stack the leaves on top of one another. Tightly roll, like a cigar. Starting at the end, thinly slice the collard leaves. 
Heat the remaining 1 tbsp. oil in the large non-stick pan. Add the remaining garlic clove and the collard leaves with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the collards are wilted and cooked through. 

Add in the pasta and stir together. If the pasta is too dry add in a little of the reserved pasta water.
Add in the reserved bread crumbs, lemon juice and zest. Season to taste. 

Collard Green Vodka Rotini
10 oz rotini pasta, dried
1 oz sage, torn up into small pieces
2 large collard green leaves, in 1-inch thick ribbons
1 oz chopped parsley
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes, less to taste
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp butter, to saute
4 oz vodka, any variety
2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
4 oz Parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for garnish
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil for garnish

Bring a pot of water to boil, season with salt. Once boiling, add pasta, cook to desired firmness. 
Heat a separate pan to medium low heat. Add butter, cook until frothy (~1 minute), add in onions and let sweat for one minute. Add garlic and collard greens and cook until tender (~4 minutes). Add in red pepper flakes and tomatoes, cook for about 3 minutes.
Add vodka, increase heat to high and cook off alcohol (~2 minutes). Return to heat to medium low. Once alcohol is cooked off, add in pasta, stir into sauce and add fresh herbs. Grate in Parmesan cheese, fold into sauce.
Garnish with a drizzle of oil and more grated Parmesan on top.

Paige Haringa, from Newbury College, harvesting collard greens with her students at WFCF.
Collard Green Pasta Salad
2 cups bow-tie pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup of onions, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow squash, cut into 1/4" half moons
4 cups collard greens, stemmed and sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 small vine tomatoes, diced
2 tsp oregano, minced
2 tsp basil, minced
1 tsp cilantro, minced
1/3 cup lemon juice
salt & pepper
crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta to desired firmness. Strain and let cool. Do not rinse. 

Meanwhile, heat a saute pan and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Cook onions until translucent. Add garlic and yellow squash and cook for about 1 minute. Add collard greens and saute until tender. 

In a bowl mix the pasta with the cooked ingredients. Add the chopped tomato. dd the rest of the olive oil, chopped herbs and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Crumble feta over the top and serve.

Culinary students from Newbury College serving up samples to Outreach Market participants.

Rice & Tofu Collarito
Rice: 
1 cup basmati rice
1 jalapeno, small dice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime, zest and juice

Veggie filling: 
1 zucchini/yellow squash, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tbsp tumeric
1 pound extra firm tofu, crumbled 
salt & pepper to taste

Red pepper dip:
2 red peppers, fire roasted
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup olive oil

Other: 
5 collard green leaves
1 tomato, sliced

Boil two cups of water, add rice, jalapeno, and garlic. Bring back to a boil, then turn to low heat and cover. Once cooked add in lime juice, lime zest and cilantro. Saute veggies in two tbsp oil until softened, add crumbled tofu and spices, heat through. Season as desired. For the red pepper dip, add fire roasted peppers, walnuts and honey to a food processor. With machine running, add olive oil slowly until a smooth paste forms. Season as desired.

Blanch collard greens until just cooked, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, and shock in ice water. Cut out the large vein and cut leaves into 4 equal pieces. Place 1 slice of tomato, two tablespoons of rice and one tablespoon of veggie and tofu mix in the center of the collard leaf. Roll up as if making a burrito. Dip in red pepper sauce and enjoy!
 
FALL RECIPES
We have a ton of great recipes on our website, including eight different suggestions for cabbage!  Click here to check them out!
Share Pick Up Questions
More questions about share pickup?  Check out our CSA FAQs!  You can also contact Lauren Trotogott, our Distribution Coordinator.
Quick Links
CSA INFO & PICK UP TIMES
Waltham Fields Community Farm Staff

Year-Round Staff:
Shannon Taylor, Executive Director
Marla Rhodes, Volunteer & Development Coordinator
Erinn Roberts, Farm Manager
Zannah Porter, Farm Manager
Alexandra Lennon-Simon, Education & Outreach Coord.
Lauren Trotogott, Distribution Coordinator
Rebekah Lea, Bookkeeper & Office Coordinator
Claire Kozower, Org. Assistant

Seasonal Staff:
Assistant Grower: Anna Kelchlin
Farm Assistants: Tim Cooke, Dan Roberts, Naomi Shea
Farm Stand Assistant: Leo Martinez
Field Crew: Anna Hirson-Sagalyn, Roy Kresge, Jack Leng, Claire Penney, Evan Rees
Learning Garden Educators: Sadie Brown, Autumn Cutting, Rebecca Fennel, Alannah Glickman

www.communityfarms.org
240 Beaver Street
Waltham, MA 02452