{ Community Supported Agriculture Newsletter {

Will's love of the outdoors is apparent in this week's newsletter. His quiet and considerate ways are much appreciated by all of us and we thank him for all his help!

Rachel, CSA Coordinator

Looking Forward to

Next Week

Anticipated for July 22^nd

· Basil

· Cucumbers

· Lettuce

· Savoy Cabbage

· Scallions

· Summer Squash and/or Zucchini

Farm Tour

CSA members are welcome anytime, but consider joining us this Saturday, July 19^th, for our monthly Farm Tour. Meet at the Farm Store at 11 am. For nearby accommodations and activities in the surrounding area, log on to www.columbiacountyny.org or www.berkshires.com .

Farm Tour for Couch Potatoes If Harlemville is too far, get a glimpse of HVF Farm life from the comfort of your couch – tune in to the July 25^th edition of the CBS Sunday Morning Show with Charles Osgood.

Dear CSA members:
Good morning from the bunkhouse at Hawthorne Valley Farm. It is a little after sunrise on Sunday as I sit down to a cup of peppermint tea and gaze out the kitchen window at the vegetable field, the pastures and the willows that mark the banks of the farm creek. As I sip the tea I catch myself in a few minutes of reflection about the past week and think about the projects for the coming week.

The addition of two volunteers, Casey and Morgan, as well as the arrival of another apprentice, Marie from France, brought fresh energy to the farm crew. The arrival of new people at the farm is always exciting as stories between the old and new hands are exchanged and new stories forged, making the tasks of harvesting, transplanting, moving row covers or the hundreds of other odd tasks on the farm pass so quickly that one hardly thinks they are working.

The farm was a busy place this week. Some of the work I remember: most of the farm crew in the Doctor’s field at dawn harvesting lettuce mix for the CSA shares, weeding carrots, staking the rows of tomato plants, watering the plants in the greenhouse, James and I beginning our training on the cultivating tractor, fixing fence during a soaking rain, milking cows in the afternoon, Steffen and Laura cutting hay all day on Friday, and Katy spending her every free moment on the cultivating tractor to prevent the garden from growing into a jungle of weeds.

Quite a few fresh cows are in the barn now with their calves bouncing around. The resident whitetail deer herd decided to sample some lettuce heads providing us with the opportunity to improve the fencing around the Doctor’s field with all kinds of bells and whistles. Should the deer continue to sneak into the field we may have to go with a more sophisticated security system with laser beams, sirens and flashing lights. Yesterday the apprentices attended another one of our farmer training meetings at Thompson-Finch Farm, which those of you with fruit shares might remember as the source of those delicious strawberries and will be the source of some other fruits and vegetables in future CSA shares.

Well enough about the farm for now, you probably all want to know a little about the characters who help to change the raw materials in the soil into the food you receive each week. My name is Will and I hail from the Allegheny Plateau region of Western Pennsylvania. Since graduating from high school I have spent as much of my time as possible outdoors. Whether attending forestry school with intense field studies, working as an Assistant Forest Ranger in the Adirondacks, fighting forest fires, guiding whitewater rafts trips, cruising timber for scientific or commercial inventories and now working on a farm, I have always kept the wind in my face, jumped in mud puddles and go each day until I am thoroughly exhausted and dirty sometimes beyond recognition. Currently the future holds unlimited possibilities and the only certainty is that I will integrate my experience as a farm apprentice with my forestry background, simple living, and sense for adventure. I must extend my greatest appreciations to everybody who supports the farm and the vibrant community around it. It is an honor and a pleasure to be able to spend time outdoors growing nourishing food for the CSA members.

Will

Revive wilted greens by soaking them in icy cold water. For wilted herbs, remove any damaged or yellowed leaves and trim off the bottom inch of the stems. Place “bouquet” in a glass of cold water. Invert a plastic bag over the top and store in the ‘fridge.

Leafy items wilt due to a lack of humidity, but will rot if kept too wet. To keep your greens crisp, first remove any damaged leaves. Store greens in the refrigerator crisper drawer by covering with linen or dampened paper towels. Or place greens loosely in a plastic bag, leave the top open, not sealed, and put on the refrigerator shelf. If you prefer to wash your greens before storing, to prevent them from rotting, be sure to drain and dry them well, using a salad spinner or gently patting with a towel.

Beet and Green Bean Salad

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 Tbsp. minced parsley

¼ lb. green beans

2 large red beets

3 cups mixed lettuces

1 medium cucumber

4 large scallions, minced

½ green bell pepper, cut in strips

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice with the mustard and garlic. Whisk in the oil in a thin stream. Season with salt and pepper; add parsley.

In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the beans until just tender, about 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beans to a colander. Refresh under cold running water. Drain and pat dry. Cut the beans into 2-inch lengths. Add the beets to the boiling water and simmer over moderate heat until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain, peel and cut into 2-inch chunks. Peel the cucumber; cut in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Slice crosswise. In a large bowl, toss the beans with the beets, lettuces, cucumber, scallions, and bell pepper. Add a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Serve with the remaining dressing on the side. (6 SERVINGS)

Summer Vegetable Rice

1 ½ cups long-grain white rice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow squash or zucchini, cut into half-moons
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 large scallions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a large saucepan of salted water, boil the rice until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the rice well. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the squash, tomatoes and scallions, season with salt and pepper and sauté over moderately high heat, tossing, until lightly cooked, about 2 minutes. Add the parsley and rice and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (6 SERVINGS)

from Cakebread Cellars, Food and Wine Magazine, August 2004.

Recipes, food tips, or comments about this newsletter can be e-mailed to RiverdaleCSA@aol.com.

Spicy Peanut Sauce for Cold Noodles and Vegetables

For sauce

Whisk together until smooth, and then chill:

3/4 cup water
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil or salad oil
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chili paste

or 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

or hot sauce to taste.

Optional: 1 Tbsp. lemon juice & 1 tsp grated fresh ginger

Noodle–vegetable mixture:

In a large bowl, combine any or all of the following:

cooked linguine thin spaghetti
seeded and sliced cucumber

halved pea pods
chopped green onions
chopped tomato
thinly sliced bok choy stems

cooked chicken, shredded or cut into strips

When ready to serve, stir sauce and pour over the noodle-vegetable mixture. Toss gently to mix.

Serve mixture on plates lined with the raw shredded leaves of Napa cabbage, bok choy, or lettuce.