Dear CSA Members:

This week I thought I would share with you our weekly harvest routine as we hand pick your food for you. Our wonderful crew of apprentices, volunteers and paid staff make it possible for Katy Lince and me, your gardeners, to do this work - each week we do three major harvests. On Tuesdays and Fridays we harvest for our natural foods store and the next day’s Green Market. On Wednesdays we harvest the items for your CSA share. In addition, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday we pick zucchini, cucumber and summer squash, no matter what, to avoid large baseball bats. Tuesdays and Thursdays are also the days we harvest tomato, eggplant and peppers - whenever those fruits are ready. That is quite a lot of food picking!

It all begins at 6AM when we load our large, blue, harvest buckets onto our truck and move into the lettuce and greens beds. We pick quickly and quietly (we are sleepy and the early morning sunrise seems to silence our conversation), and by 7AM our lettuces are already being washed in a tank of icy cold water and some of our greens are in the shade. We like to have our greens in as early as possible to avoid the wilting of leaves that occurs with the hot sun.

Between 8 and 9:15 we have breakfast and our morning meeting, where we gather our strength and good intentions for the day. Then we continue harvesting until lunch at 12:30. All our bunching items – beets, chard, turnips, scallions, are picked in the morning, with plenty of red rubber bands spilling out of peoples’ pockets as well as some interesting across-the-beds conversation as we work. Usually there are 3 to 5 of us involved in the harvest. As a crop is completed it is brought back to the CSA room, plunged into cold water, washed and sorted – tan crates for the market and store, and green crates for the CSA. Then we move into harvesting the crops that can take being picked in the high heat – the squashes, cabbages, tomatoes, onions, etc. By the late afternoon, the crops are all in and the remainder of the day is spent in the CSA room, making sure everything is sorted and labeled properly.

It does take quite a bit of manual labor, effort and time to make sure you receive the vegetables in the most fresh and pleasing way possible. We are proud and happy to do this work to honor the earth, the vegetables themselves and to serve those of you who choose to support our work.

Until next issue,

Rachel Schneider
CSA Coordinator

Looking Forward to

Next Week’s Harvest

Anticipated for August 22^nd

· Carrots

· Cucumbers

· Leeks

· Lettuce

· Pac choi

· Peppers

· String Beans

· Summer Squash

· Zucchini

Anticipated Fruit Share

· Blueberries

· Nectarines

REMINDER TO FRUIT SHARE HOLDERS

I am sure you are delighted with your fruit, but PLEASE REMEMBER: FRUIT DOES NOT COME TO YOU WEEKLY.

You have signed up for a set amount of fruit which will be delivered to you WHEN IT IS RIPE.

Ripeness is conditioned upon the weather and not the diligence of your farmers… So enjoy it now, when it is available.

What’s the difference between a car in the city and a car in the country? In the city, lock your car to prevent people from breaking in and taking stuff. In the country, lock your car to prevent people from breaking in and leaving zucchini. Here are some recipes for just those times:

Baked Zucchini

Think of this as a casserole, only simpler. You can assemble it ahead of time and finish baking at your convenience.

4 medium zucchini, 5 -7” long each

2 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

2 -3 garlic cloves, minced

½ to 1 cup grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano cheese

½ to 1 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 400^o F. Wash zucchini and trim ends. Cut zucchini into lengthwise slices about ¼” thick. Spread 1 Tbsp. oil in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or similar sized casserole. Cover the bottom with a layer of zucchini slices. Scatter them with half of the minced garlic, cheese and bread crumbs. Drizzle with half of the oil. Repeat one more time, using the remaining ingredients and ending with a drizzle of oil. Bake for 20 minutes, or until zucchini is tender. Serves 4. From the Vegetarian Express Lane Cookbook, sent in by Rosa in Riverdale.

Lentil and Veggie Tostadas

The Better Homes and Gardens cookbook Fresh and Simple Vegetable Dinners says “Sign up here for Dinner 101! This hearty, healthful entrée is ideal weeknight family fare. So easy that even rookie chefs can prepare it.” Thought this would be perfect for some of our CSA friends. (You know who you are!)

1 ¾ cups water

¾ cup dry red lentils, rinsed and drained

¼ cup chopped onion

2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 clove garlic, minced

4 ready-made tostada shells

2 cups assorted chopped vegetables such as broccoli, tomato, zucchini, and/or yellow summer squash

¾ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 3 ounces)

In a medium saucepan, stir together water, lentils, onions, cilantro, salt, cumin, and garlic. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Use a fork to mash the cooked lentils.

Spread the lentil mixture on tostada shells; top with vegetables and cheese. Place on a large baking sheet. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat about 2 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.
Roasted Zucchini and Yogurt Spread

2 pounds zucchini (6 medium)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

½ cup plain yogurt

4 scallions, chopped fine

Preheat oven to 500^o F. Wash zucchini well, cut in half lengthwise, and then crosswise into 1/8 -inch-thick slices. In a large shallow roasting pan toss zucchini with oil and salt and roast in middle of oven, stirring once, until browned and falling apart, about 25 minutes. Cool zucchini and in a bowl mash coarse with a potato masher or fork. Stir in yogurt, scallions, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread may be made 1 week ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap. Serve at room temperature.

Recipe Redux

Here are last month’s recipes. For back issues, see your local CSA site manager or visit www.hawthornevalley.org and click on CSA.

July 4^th

It Ain’t Easy Being Greens

Garlic Butter Turnips

Peas with Lettuce

July 11^th

Sautéed Greens & Warm Feta

Thai-Style Chicken Roll-Ups

Oriental Cabbage Slaw

Caramelized Turnips

Zucchini with

Balsamic Vinegar

July 18^th

Turnips with Swiss Chard

Summer Fritatta

Turnip & Carrot Salad

July 25^th

Broccoli with Peanuts

Lettuce Stir Fry

Creamy Lettuce Soup