{ Community Supported Agriculture Newsletter {

Anticipated for August 5^th

· Cucumbers

· Fennel

· Lettuce

· Scallions

· Summer Squash and/or Zucchini

Who Grows Your Food?

Each week you get to “meet” the people here at Hawthorne Valley Farm whose hands do the work of raising the healthful food you receive in your share.

However, as mentioned in your CSA brochure, Hawthorne Valley Farm also connects you other reputable NY growers that we know and trust.

Recently delivered items include NOFA certified organic blueberries from Dick and Victoria deGraff up in Pulaski, NY at Grindstone Farm.

String Beans are from our neighbors Martin and Kristsa Stosiak at Markristo Farm in Hillsdale. Their farm is also certified organic.

Amy Hepworth at Hepworth Farm in Millerton, NY, just south of Poughkeepsie provides us with IPM nectarines, plums and other stone fruit.

And in order to include corn in your share, we continue to offer conventionally grown local corn from our friends at Kinderhook Creek Farm.

About our volunteers: Each year we create a new "farm team" with young people committed to staying with us to experience a full season of farming. That team turns out to be 4 to 5 apprentices each season. But long about mid-summer, there is that welcome addition of our "volunteers" - folks like our writers this week - teachers looking for a way to spend their summer months, folks who work in offices and are looking for a change of scenery - any number of people in various jobs looking for a brief farm experience. They are always a big help during this mid-season time and hopefully they enjoy their experiences as well! Thank you Morgan and KayCee Rachel Schneider, CSA Coordinator

Dear CSA Members:
Our Dinners at the Bunkhouse You might not even know what the bunkhouse is, but let us tell you, you are missing out! It is so much more than just a place where the apprentices lay their heads. You might be excited to learn that it also boasts a kitchen that produces dishes like millet stuffed zucchini boats, a three quiche extravaganza, Kentucky beets, fried green tomatoes and schwitzel. While it sounds like a fine dining experience, you do not have to wear your penguin suit; the bunkhouse is a casual community.

As volunteers for the month of July living in a tent, our biggest culinary concern was access to a kitchen. Our first day in the fields, we were graciously invited to Friday night dinner at the Bunkhouse. After that initial delicious meal, we became a regular part of the group dinners. There is a great feeling of camaraderie as we spend 12 hours a day working outside on various farm projects and then coming together again to prepare and eat food.

Inspiration can strike at any moment as we work surrounded by a bountiful array of vegetables. One early morning, Laura was struck with the idea to make her mother's quiche recipe filled with the broccoli, chard and zucchini we were gathering. We have managed to work the sweet, delicious beet into every meal we have made--they were equally at home stuffed in a zuchinni as they were in a chocolate cake.
Time on the farm has given us the opportunity to get to know our food and the people who make it and also the inspiration to get adventurous in the kitchen all over again. When the kohlrabi harvest came time, we stepped up to the challenge and were pleasantly surprised at the taste sensation now known as kohlrabi and pesto. When beets needed to be thinned out, well you know what happened... Eating seasonally and very locally really has not only inspired us in the kitchen but has been a way for us to get to know each other better.

After a month here, we will be leaving with happy hearts and full bellies, appreciative of the good things that happen on this farm and the wonderful people that make it all possible. Soon we will be packing up the tent and all our belongings from the pickles we made with Seth to the memories of beets like little purple bowling balls rolling around in our heads. We are thankful for being welcomed into this community and we will take with us memories of sun drenched days in the fields and dinners at the bunkhouse.

Morgan and KayCee

Swiss Chard Au Gratin This Weight Watchers recipe was sent in by JoAnn from Riverdale.

1 tsp salt

2 cups cut chard stalks (2" lengths)

4 ½ cups shredded chard leaves

1/3 cup shredded Alpine cheese

1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ tsp ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 1 quart casserole with non-stick cooking spray. In a large saucepan, bring the salt and 8 cups of water to a boil; add the stalks. Boil 5 minutes, then add the leaves; cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain. Place half the chard in the casserole; top with half the cheese, garlic and pepper. Repeat, ending with pepper. Bake on the top rack until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

Tips for Preparing Beets

First, cut off the edible leafy tops within an inch of the beets. The tender young leaves can be used raw in salads. The larger leaves are best sautéed or substituted in recipes that call for Chard.

Next, scrub the beets well. To use the beets raw, peel and grate to add to salads. To cook beets, peel, dice, and sauté in a little oil. Whole, unpeeled beets can be boiled in salted water or steamed until tender. To bring out a more intense, earthy flavor, put scrubbed, unpeeled beets in a pan with about a ½” of water. Cover the pan with foil and roast the beets in the oven at 375⁰ until tender, about 40 minutes to an hour, depending upon the size and number of beets. However you cook them, once they have cooked and cooled slightly, slip off the skins. Your beets are now ready to eat!

Beets with Mushrooms and Green Onions

The contrast of textures is what makes this a delightful dish that goes well with almost any main course

2 Tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

1 bunch 6 to 8 scallions, sliced

¼ pound shiitake or portabella mushrooms, cut up or sliced

¼ cup dry white wine

1 pound beets

½ cup heavy cream

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cook the beets using your favorite method (bake, boil, or steam). Drain, peel and cut into slices. Melt the butter in a medium-sized heavy saucepan over low heat. Cook the garlic, if using, and scallions, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until just beginning to turn golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until it is nearly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beets and cream. Simmer over medium heat until thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve hot.

Makes 6 Servings. From Vegetables on the Side by Sallie Y. Williams

HVF Walks & Tours

Aug 21 Summer Weeds Walk

Aug 28 Farm Tour

Sept 18 Woods & Hedges Walk

Blueberry Vinegar:

Use this in your favorite vinaigrette recipe or try the one that follows.

Place ½ cup blueberries in a glass jar and smash them lightly with the back of a wooden spoon.

Add ½ cup white vinegar. Cover the jar and refrigerate for at least one day before using. It keeps for several weeks refrigerated.

Blueberry Vinaigrette: A wonderful way to dress up a simple salad of mixed greens and crumbled feta.

2 Tbsp. blueberry vinegar*

¼ cup chicken broth

1 Tbsp. mild olive oil

½ tsp. minced garlic

1 ½ tsp. honey

1 tsp. minced fresh oregano

or ½ teaspoon dried

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 Tablespoons blueberries

Make the vinaigrette by placing all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until emulsified. (You should have about ½ cup.) Transfer to a jar, cover and refrigerate until needed

Adapted from

Nicole Routhier’s Fruit Cookbook