Anticipated August 26th
- Carrots
- Corn
- Cucumbers
- Garlic
- Lettuce
- Scallions
- Summer Squash or Zucchini
- Tomatoes
Where are the Tomatoes?
Usually at this time of year we begin to swim in tomatoes.
Our tomato plants look beautiful, with many green tomatoes on
them; they just need a little more warmth and sun to ripen to
beautiful reds, pinks and oranges.
Most other organic farms use a black plastic sheeting mulch
that covers the soil the tomatoes are grown in, thereby trying to
increase the amount of heat absorbed into the soil (the dark
color of the plastic) and smothering any weeds (the tight
covering of the soil beds).
Here at Hawthorne Valley Farm we have not used the plastic
mulch sheeting for years, and have grown perfectly fantastic
tomatoes. We don't use the plastic because it is impossible to
entirely clean it out from the soil beds after the tomato season
is over, and we do not want plastic residues in our healthy,
biodynamic soil.
In a summer like this one, a cool, wet summer, the black
plastic might give us a small one week edge on the beginning of
the tomato harvest. We think it's worth while in the long run to
wait for tomatoes grown in healthy soil, rather than leave
plastic in the soil for years to come and have our tomato harvest
begin a smidge earlier. Katy
This week's letter comes to us from our second year
apprentice, Laura Weiland. Laura's first introduction to
Hawthorne Valley Farm was as a third grader at the Lexington
Waldorf School, through our Visiting Students Program. Now as a
college graduate, Laura has spent two years with us working on
the farm, doing everything from milking cows to harvesting hay
for the winter to harvesting our CSA vegetables. In just a few
weeks, Laura will begin her graduate school studies, focusing on
sustainable agriculture in Latin America. We have enjoyed
working with Laura and seeing her grow in these two short years
as she ably contributed to the health of this farm. Good luck to
Laura! We know with all of her gumption, she will do interesting
and intelligent things in this world.
Rachel Schneider, CSA Coordinator
Dear CSA Members:
I hope that you are enjoying this season's harvest. This
season I have spent most of my time on a tractor making the
farm's winter hay, working along with Steffen. I still do some
work in the garden (especially when its rainy and not good hay
drying weather). Now, after two years here at Hawthorne Valley
Farm, I am getting ready for a big change in my life -from farm
reality to graduate school in Vermont. As August winds down, I
have begun to think about all the things that I am going to miss
here on the farm and thought I'd share a few of them.
First and foremost, I am sure that I will miss the cows.
These large, majestic creatures have become a big part of my
life, and though people tell me not to worry, there are plenty of
cows in Vermont and Latin America where I am headed, I don't
think it will be the same. There is something about the cows at
Hawthorne Valley that seems to stand out compared to all the
other cows that I've seen. Maybe it's just that I know them so
well here, and that they are so beautiful, have a lot of
personality, and they have horns...but I will definitely notice
their absence in my life after this.
Living in the bunkhouse the past two years has been an
interesting experience. With all the people I've seen come and
go, I have to say this year's team is truly excellent. I will
definitely miss Theresa's easy-going, up-for-anything attitude,
Will's woodland ways, Marie's sweet sense of humor and James'
willingness to include any newcomer and make them feel right at
home here. As for the staff., there is never a dull moment with
Dan around, and Katy has been a truly wonderful person to work
for. I have learned a lot with Judith, and will miss tackling
things with humor - from cows getting out and late night, fencing
in Indian Valley, to just working on everyday projects. It's
been very nice getting to know Rachel over greenhouse work and
our discussions of anthroposophy and life, and I feel lucky to
have gotten the chance to work worth Steffen this year as he is
normally so busy overseeing what seems like just about
everything. I have definitely learned a lot about tractors and
what they can and can't do on steep surfaces sprinkled with
groundhog holes.
I have really enjoyed my time here at Hawthorne Valley Farm
and would like to thank everyone who made all these experiences
possible for me, including all of you, the CSA members, for
supporting such a wonderful place. I hope you all enjoy the rest
of the season,
Laura Weiland
Linguine with Goat Cheese and Fennel
1
cup boiling water
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
5 cups hot cooked linguine (about ¾ lb uncooked pasta)
1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 1 small bulb)
Combine boiling water and sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl; let stand
15 minutes. Drain and chop.
Combine tomatoes, parsley, basil, oil, juice, and cheese in a
large bowl. Add linguine and fennel; toss well.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
Cooking Light, MAY 1998
Chicken, Red Potato, and Green Bean
Salad
Red potatoes work well and add a nice color to this salad,
but you can use any waxy potato, such as fingerling or white. If
your potatoes aren't small, cut each into 8 wedges. For the
chicken, use leftovers form a roasted whole chicken, either
homemade or from the deli at your local market. 
DRESSING:
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
SALAD:
1 pound small red potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound diagonally cut green beans
2 cups cubed cooked chicken (about 8 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
¾ lb salad greens (about 6 cups)
To prepare dressing, combine first 8 ingredients, stirring well
with a whisk. To prepare salad, place potatoes in a saucepan;
cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon salt to pan; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until almost tender. Add
beans, and cook an additional 4 minutes or until beans are
crisp-tender. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well.
Quarter potatoes. Place the potatoes, beans, chicken, onion,
and greens in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to
coat. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 3/4
cups)
Barbara Lauterbach, Cooking Light, MAY 2004
Creamy Basil Dressing
Turn into something special! This dressing is delicious
drizzled over
a simple salad of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions
or a plate of
steamed green beans.
In a blender or mini-chopper, combine until
smooth:beans
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Summer Salad with Corn and Basil Use as
a relish for seafood or chicken, or spoon over tossed
greens.
DRESSING:
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
SALAD:
2 cups blanched, diced zucchini
2 cups cooked corn kernels
1 cup finely diced tomato
½ cup slivered basil leaves
Whisk dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Toss with
salad ingredients. Serve.
Basil Pesto
There are as many pesto recipes as there are cooks, so
don’t be afraid to experiment with the proportions.
2 cups fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts or walnuts
Salt and pepper to taste
Rinse the basil leaves, then spin in a
salad spinner or dry in kitchen towels. Remove any large or thick
stems.
Place all the ingredients in the
container of a food processor. Process until of the consistency
that you like.