Spoutwood Farm CSA Harvest Guide: Week 7: July 26, 2007
To return to the 2007 Harvest Guide page, click here
Greetings, Spoutwood Farm friends! Welcome to the seventh week of our CSA Harvest season. As we near the end of what has traditionally been called “High Summer,” our typical Mid-Atlantic heat, haze, and humidity continue. So, unfortunately, does the drought. We continue near-daily irrigation, but some of the plants are showing the stress nonetheless. At least we are better off than commodity corn and soybean farmers, some of whom are facing catastrophic crop loss. Although this clearly demonstrates the limits of industrial agriculture – no amount of herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers can help if the skies don’t let down the rain – it’s sad to think of any farmer facing loss of income, and possibly of the farm as well. Prayers, rain-dances, and anything else you can think of to convince it to rain would be greatly appreciated, for us and all who make their living from the land!
As always, we continue to face the challenge of both bugs and weeds. To combat the former, we’ve been using Surround, a clay-based spray which “camouflages” plants from bugs. Some plants. Some bugs. Sometimes. To combat weeds, hand weeding and mulching is the natural solution. We’re deeply grateful for those wonderful shareholders who’ve come out help us with these necessary tasks. If you’d like to join our “Weed Warriors,” please contact us at our e-mail address, spoutwood_csa@yahoo.com. We check this address regularly, so don’t hesitate to be in touch.
Please feel free to also drop us a line if you discover a new recipe, have any cooking tips, or would like to share your favorite way to eat the veggies from our harvest - email us and we’ll share with everyone else! You might also want to post these to our interactive web presence at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spoutwoodcsa. There you can post messages that all members can read, add photos of your favorite Spoutwood memories, and otherwise contribute to our CSA community here at Spoutwood Farm. You’ll find an invitation to join the Spoutwood CSA e-group at Yahoo in your e-mail, and we hope you respond favorably. If you do NOT find this invitation in your in-box in the next 24-48 hours, please let us know!
Beans: After an exuberant first harvest, beans are about done for the season. However, we may have a few left to include in shares.
Lettuce: “Lettuce” entertain you! Select your choice of red or green leafy lettuces. So much better than “iceberg,” and so much fresher than store-bought “mesclun mixes”! Delicious in salads, sandwiches, or use your imagination.
Squash: What would summer be without summer squash? Select from zucchini, yellow crookneck, and two types of patty-pan. Delicious!
Swiss Chard: This delicious, attractive, and nutritious large-leafed plant is our green (or as they used to call them, “pot-herb”) for the week. More delicate (and faster-cooking) than kale, use as you would spinach or another green. May be blanched or sautéed lightly and layered with parmesan, romano, or asiago cheese and baked en casserole for a lovely gratin.
Cabbage: This classic vegetable may be shredded for cole slaw, fermented for sauerkraut or kimchi, cooked as a side vegetable, included in stir fries, or its leaves used to wrap various fillings. Keeps well in the fridge!
Green Peppers: Another classic summer vegetable, green peppers join the Spoutwood share this week. A mix of our own and some purchased from Tuscarora Organic Co-Op. See the Vegetable of the Week for information on using these lovely green veggies!
Leeks: A lovely member of the allium family, which they share with garlic and onions, leeks have been popular at least since Roman times. Potato leek soup, Scots “cock-a-leekie” soup, and sliced raw in salads are common ways to use these “overgrown scallions.” Both the white and green parts can be used. Wash carefully before using, due to the tendency of dirt and grit to hide between layers.
Basil: A delicious and fragrant herb – add to pasta sauces, make a fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad (toss in olive oil), or pesto (Combine basil, garlic, onion, olive oil - parmesan cheese optional - to use on breads, salads, or pasta. Please note: Basil should be placed in a vase with water, as you would cut flowers. Most refrigerators are too cold and tend to blacken the leaves.
Love basil? Help us prune our basil plants and help yourselves to the prunings!
Call 717-235-6610 to come out and harvest/prune the basil tops. Yum…
Parsley: More than just a garnish! Use in salads, soup stocks, or in place of part of the basil when making pesto.
Bread: For those with bread shares, our wonderful Atwater bread this week is TBA.
Flowers: This week’s bouquet will include a potpourri of wild and cultivated blossoms.
Roasted Bell Peppers: http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Roasting-Peppers/Detail.aspx Use them in:
Bruschetta with Roasted Red Peppers (can also use green): http://appetizer.allrecipes.com/AZ/BruschettawithRoastedSweet.asp
Basil, Roasted Peppers, and Monterey Jack Cornbread: http://bread.allrecipes.com/AZ/BslRstdPpprsMntryCrnbrd.asp
Farm
Happenings
Check it out! Heather found these sites to be helpful when preparing this week’s harvest guide:
www.seasonalchef.com – This site focuses on local, seasonal produce, has interesting recipes, and also gives tips on preserving!
www.whfoods.org – This site is great if you’re interested in the nutritional benefits of food. Very informative!!
“A wonderful combination of tangy taste and crunchy texture, bell peppers are the Christmas ornaments of the vegetable world with their beautifully shaped glossy exterior that comes in a wide array of vivid colors ranging from green, red, yellow, orange, purple, brown to black. Although peppers are available throughout the year, they are most abundant and tasty during the months of August and September. Sweet peppers are plump, bell-shaped vegetables featuring either three or four lobes. They usually range in size from 2 to 5 inches in diameter, and 2 to 6 inches in length. Inside the thick flesh is an inner cavity with edible bitter seeds and a white spongy core. Bell peppers are not 'hot'. They contain a recessive gene that eliminates capsaisin, the compound responsible for the 'hotness' found in other peppers.” The site continues to note that nutrients found in green peppers protect against free radicals (which could lead to atherosclerosis, diabetes, arthritis, and asthma), reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, promote lung health and good eyesight, and overall contribute to optimal health.
Nutrients found in bell peppers include: vitamins C, A, B6, K, B1, and E, as well as folate, potassium, manganese, molybdenum, tryptophan, and copper, as well as dietary fiber. One cup of raw, chopped red (bell) peppers provides over 100% of the DV for vitamin C and vitamin A. Red peppers are also an excellent source of vitamin B6. Green peppers are a very good source of fiber, folate, and vitamin K as well as the minerals molybdenum and manganese. In addition to beta-carotene, red peppers contain the beneficial phytonutrients lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin.
“Despite their varied palette,” The World’s Healthiest Foods website continues, “all are the same plant, known scientifically as Capsicum annuum, and are members of the nighstshade family, which also includes potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant. Sweet peppers are plump, bell shaped vegetables that usually feature either three or four lobes. There are also other varieties that have a more tapered shape and no distinguishing lobes. Sweet peppers usually range in size from two to five inches in diameter and two to six inches in length. Inside the thick flesh is an inner cavity with edible bitter seeds and a white spongy core. Bell peppers have a delightful, slightly watery crunch. Green and purple peppers have a slightly bitter flavor, while the red, orange and yellows are sweeter and almost fruity. Pimento and paprika are both prepared from red bell peppers.”
Tips for Preparing Bell Peppers:
Before coring and/or cutting the pepper, wash it under running water. If the pepper has been waxed, you should also scrub it well.
Use a paring knife to cut around the stem and then gently remove it. Peppers can be cut into various shapes and sizes. To easily chop, dice or cut the peppers into strips, first cut the pepper in half lengthwise, clean out the core and seeds, and then, after placing the skin side down on the cutting surface, cut into the desired size and shape. Peppers can also be cut horizontally into rings or left whole for stuffed peppers after carefully removing the seeds from the inner cavity.
A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Add finely chopped bell peppers to tuna or chicken salad.
Steam cored peppers for five minutes, stuff them with your favorite rice salad or grain pilaf, and bake in a 350 degree F oven until they are hot.
Sautée chopped peppers, celery and onions, then combine with tofu, chicken or seafood to make a simple Louisiana Creole dish.
Purée roasted and peeled peppers with healthy sautéed onions and zucchini to make a deliciously refreshing soup that can be served hot or cold.
Bell peppers are one of the best vegetables to serve in a crudité platter since not only do they add a brilliant splash of color, but their texture is also the perfect crunchy complement for dips.
Check it out! Heather found these sites to be helpful when preparing this week’s harvest guide:
www.seasonalchef.com – This site focuses on local, seasonal produce, has interesting recipes, and also gives tips on preserving!
www.whfoods.org – This site is great if you’re interested in the nutritional benefits of food. Very informative!!
Green Bell Peppers
The following information is taken from http://www.whfoods.org/, “The World’s Healthiest Foods.”“A wonderful combination of tangy taste and crunchy texture, bell peppers are the Christmas ornaments of the vegetable world with their beautifully shaped glossy exterior that comes in a wide array of vivid colors ranging from green, red, yellow, orange, purple, brown to black. Although peppers are available throughout the year, they are most abundant and tasty during the months of August and September. Sweet peppers are plump, bell-shaped vegetables featuring either three or four lobes. They usually range in size from 2 to 5 inches in diameter, and 2 to 6 inches in length. Inside the thick flesh is an inner cavity with edible bitter seeds and a white spongy core. Bell peppers are not 'hot'. They contain a recessive gene that eliminates capsaisin, the compound responsible for the 'hotness' found in other peppers.” The site continues to note that nutrients found in green peppers protect against free radicals (which could lead to atherosclerosis, diabetes, arthritis, and asthma), reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, promote lung health and good eyesight, and overall contribute to optimal health.
Nutrients found in bell peppers include: vitamins C, A, B6, K, B1, and E, as well as folate, potassium, manganese, molybdenum, tryptophan, and copper, as well as dietary fiber. One cup of raw, chopped red (bell) peppers provides over 100% of the DV for vitamin C and vitamin A. Red peppers are also an excellent source of vitamin B6. Green peppers are a very good source of fiber, folate, and vitamin K as well as the minerals molybdenum and manganese. In addition to beta-carotene, red peppers contain the beneficial phytonutrients lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin.
“Despite their varied palette,” The World’s Healthiest Foods website continues, “all are the same plant, known scientifically as Capsicum annuum, and are members of the nighstshade family, which also includes potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant. Sweet peppers are plump, bell shaped vegetables that usually feature either three or four lobes. There are also other varieties that have a more tapered shape and no distinguishing lobes. Sweet peppers usually range in size from two to five inches in diameter and two to six inches in length. Inside the thick flesh is an inner cavity with edible bitter seeds and a white spongy core. Bell peppers have a delightful, slightly watery crunch. Green and purple peppers have a slightly bitter flavor, while the red, orange and yellows are sweeter and almost fruity. Pimento and paprika are both prepared from red bell peppers.”
Tips for Preparing Bell Peppers:
Before coring and/or cutting the pepper, wash it under running water. If the pepper has been waxed, you should also scrub it well.
Use a paring knife to cut around the stem and then gently remove it. Peppers can be cut into various shapes and sizes. To easily chop, dice or cut the peppers into strips, first cut the pepper in half lengthwise, clean out the core and seeds, and then, after placing the skin side down on the cutting surface, cut into the desired size and shape. Peppers can also be cut horizontally into rings or left whole for stuffed peppers after carefully removing the seeds from the inner cavity.
A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Add finely chopped bell peppers to tuna or chicken salad.
Steam cored peppers for five minutes, stuff them with your favorite rice salad or grain pilaf, and bake in a 350 degree F oven until they are hot.
Sautée chopped peppers, celery and onions, then combine with tofu, chicken or seafood to make a simple Louisiana Creole dish.
Purée roasted and peeled peppers with healthy sautéed onions and zucchini to make a deliciously refreshing soup that can be served hot or cold.
Bell peppers are one of the best vegetables to serve in a crudité platter since not only do they add a brilliant splash of color, but their texture is also the perfect crunchy complement for dips.
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