Looking Forward to
Next Week
Anticipated for September 14th
Basil
Broccoli on rotation
Beets
Cabbage
Rainbow
Chard
Eggplant on rotation
Leeks
Lettuce
Potatoes
String
Beans
Tomatoes
Turnips on rotation
Farmscape Ecology Farm Nature Walks
September
9:
Late-Season
Fireworks –
The
Deep-Summer
Early-Autumn
Wildflowers
The walk
starts at
(Rain or shine)
Dear CSA Members:
We had the pleasure and honor of
hosting the National Biodynamic Conference at Hawthorne Valley Farm a couple of
weeks ago, as was announced in this newsletter. It was a wonderful
weekend: the rain held off for most of the time, the folks attending the
conference were happy, social and well-fed, the workshops were deeply
interesting, and the keynote lectures inspiring.
The theme of the conference was “Agriculture
as the Foundation for Social Change”. This theme pertains to all of us,
not just us goofy country bumpkin farmers wearing straw hats. We are all
involved in agriculture; we all eat something that was originally on some kind
of farm somewhere. Whether by tilling the soil or by consuming the
harvest, we are all involved in agriCULTURE.
As members of a Community Supported Agriculture, we have taken our involvement
to a next level– we know intimately the
produce that we take home each week to make into suppers and tomato
sandwiches. (Lots of tomato sandwiches this year!) We know the farm
and we know the farmers. We may get to know our neighbors a little better
at the CSA share pick-up sites. The farmers get to know the CSA
members. These simple relationships are actually revolutionary, and the
CSA movement is growing stronger each year.
I was invited to one of our CSA member’s house for dinner last week, and had a
nice time relaxing on their porch. As suppertime arrived and we went in
to find plates and set the table, I was struck with recognition – “Look,
there’s the lettuce I harvested this morning. Look- there’s the bok choy,
cooked with mushrooms. Hey, I know those tomatoes, and the basil in that
pesto.” In all, there was a whole CSA share, made into a wonderful meal,
and shared by farmers and CSA members together. My propensity to get
excited about food is not the point of that story, that happens all the
time. Rather that the bringing together of people responsible for the
farm– the farmers and the members are both responsible for the farm– is a
change in our culture. We can easily bridge the theoretical gulf between
“producer” and “consumer” that exists in our culture, and cultivate a more
harmonious system of exchange, instead of an “us and them” mentality.
And, personally, I am a good eater, and I am always happy to have a meal
with anyone!
-Farmer Katy
Delicata Squash and Roasted Mushrooms with Thyme
Of all the rich and succulent winter
squash varieties, delicata, with its long and uniformly narrow shape, is the
easiest to work with. And its thin, pale-golden skin with green striations is
more than just pretty — it's edible, too.
6
Tbsp.olive oil
1
Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
3/4
teaspoon salt
1/2
teaspoon black pepper
2
lb delicata squash (about 3 medium), halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut
crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide slices
2
lb mixed fresh mushrooms such as cremini, shiitake, and oyster, trimmed (stems
discarded if using shiitakes) and halved (quartered if large)
Stir together oil,
thyme, salt, and pepper. Toss squash with 2 tablespoons thyme oil in a shallow
baking pan and arrange in 1 layer.
Toss mushrooms with
remaining 1/4 cup thyme oil in another shallow baking pan and arrange in 1
layer.
Roast squash and
mushrooms, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through
roasting, until vegetables are tender and liquid mushrooms give off is
evaporated, 25 to 30 minutes.
Makes 6 servings.
Cooks' note: Squash can be sliced 1 day ahead
& chilled in a sealed plastic bag.
Gourmet,
November 2004
Lentil Soup with
Chard and Onions
Lentils are good with all kinds of
greens--from sweet spinach and chard to pungent broccoli rabe, turnip greens,
and mustard greens. Adding the greens toward the end of cooking keeps their
color bright.
1 ¾ cups dried brown lentils
2 quarts water
1 cup diced carrot
1 ¾ teaspoons sea salt
Dash of dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 parsley sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups chopped onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 cups torn Swiss chard
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
6 tablespoons plain yogurt
Sort
and wash the lentils. Combine lentils, water, and next 6 ingredients (water
through bay leaves) in a large Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat,
and simmer 45 minutes or until tender.
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over
medium-high heat. Add the onion and cumin; sauté 10 minutes or until browned.
Stir onion mixture into lentil mixture. Discard bay leaves and parsley.
Add chard to soup; simmer, uncovered, 10
minutes or until chard is tender. Remove soup from heat. Stir in juice and
pepper. Ladle 1 1/3 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 1 Tbsp.
yogurt. Yield: 6 servings.
Dorothy Madison, Cooking Light,
October 2003