Spoutwood Farm CSA Harvest Guide: Week 10: August 16, 2007
To return to the 2007 Harvest Guide page, click here
Greetings, Spoutwood Farm friends! Welcome to the tenth week of our CSA Harvest season. Let us pause for just a moment to pay tribute to “the King,” Elvis Presley, who passed beyond the confines of this mortal world 30 years ago today. *trying and failing to think of a CSA-appropriate Elvis song, although there probably is one* We now return to our regularly scheduled Harvest Guide. Nota bene: blue suede shoes are not recommended for gardening…
After a protracted drought, we have been fortunate to receive some much-needed rains over the last week, and today the heavens truly cut loose. In fact, heavy downpours with thunder and lightning accompanied the tail end of our harvest. However, we have really needed this rain, which will benefit our produce for the rest of the season! So we’re not complaining, merely commenting. Now we just hope it continues on a regular/seasonal basis. Yay, rain!!!
Please feel free to drop us a line (spoutwood_csa@yahoo.com) 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.
Special Note #1: Basil!
We have an amplitude, a plethora, a superabundance of basil! If you
would like to acquire mass quantities of this wonderful, flavorful,
aromatic, and versatile herb, please contact us by phone (ideally) or
e-mail to set up a time to come out and pick. If you love homemade
pesto, this could be your lucky week…Special Note #2: Mother Earth Harvest Fair
It’s not too soon to start thinking about the Mother Earth
Harvest Fair, to be held here at Spoutwood on the weekend of September
29th and 30th, from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. The MEHF is a
celebration and showcase of “green,” sustainable, and
healthy/balanced living in the Chesapeake Bay bioregion. We are looking
for shareholders to man (or woman) our CSA booth, perform
demonstrations and provide examples of CSA Cookery and Preserving the
Harvest, and one particularly gifted individual to become CSA
Booth/Country Kitchen “Czar” (coordinator) – see
detailed description, below.Hours worked apply to your CSA hours!
Tomatoes: A remarkable, almost overflowing bounty of tomatoes this week, from our gorgeous, prolifically-producing tomato plants. Rich with flavor and health benefits, tomatoes are one of the joys of summer. Plenty to eat out of hand, on sandwiches, or in salads, as well as turn into salsa, spaghetti sauce, or possibly even put up. Your share may include Green Zebras, many of which are not fully ripe (they should take on a distinct golden tinge when ripe). However, if you don’t want to wait, these make excellent fried green tomatoes!
Squash: What would summer be without summer squash? Our squash plants, likewise, continue to produce prolifically. Select from zucchini, yellow crookneck, and two types of patty-pan. Delicious!
Eggplant: Several varieties (European and Oriental) of this dark-skinned beauty to choose from this week. Delicious in ratatouille (no, not the upcoming Disney movie), as eggplant parmesan, grilled with olive oil, in baba ganoush, or in any other way your heart desires.
Green Peppers: Another classic summer vegetable, these delicious green peppers are from our own plants, fresh and delicious! Slice them, stuff them, roast them… enjoy them.
Chili Peppers: Mild green “Big Chili” peppers join our green peppers this week. Use anywhere you want a “gentle” hot-pepper flavor.
Cucumbers: “Cool as a cucumber” goes the saying, and as hot and muggy as it’s been, we all need a little cooling. Enjoy sliced in a green salad, dressed with vinegar and oil, shredded in a yogurt dressing, or pickle them for later. These are from our own gardens, finally!
Sweet Corn: Another summer classic, this fresh, tender, delicious sweet corn is from Benjamin Stoltzfus, our organic Amish farmer friend. Steam lightly and enjoy with salt and butter, rosemary or garlic oil, or slice from the cob and add succotash, soup, or many other dishes.
Watermelon: If there’s anything nicer on a hot summer day than sitting on the porch, munching on watermelon and spitting the seeds, I’m not sure what it is (maybe soaking in the ol’ swimming hole comes close). Even if you don’t have a front porch, you’re sure to enjoy this week’s sweet-and-juicy offering. From Dave Deitz, a local organic farmer specializing in melons.
Basil: A delicious and fragrant herb – add to pasta sauces, make a fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad (toss in olive oil), or pesto. 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.
Parsley: Use as a garnish, in soups, to add flavor to salads, or in place of some of the basil in pesto. Many uses!
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… freshly washed by the morning’s rain.
The following recipes are from “Watch Your Garden Grow,” http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/watermelon1.html, a website of the University of Illinois Extension.
Watermelon Granita
5 cups seeded watermelon pulp
1 cup sugar syrup*
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Thin watermelon wedges, cut into strips for a garnish
Puree watermelon in a food processor.
Pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Stir in the syrup and lemon juice. Freeze for about 4 hours or until frozen solid.
To serve, scrape up granita with a large spoon and place in goblets, tulip shaped wine glasses or ice cream dishes. Garnish with a narrow wedge of watermelon. Makes 4 servings.
*To make sugar syrup; Combine 1/2 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for one minute. Stirring constantly until all of the sugar has dissolved. Cool in the refrigerator.
Watermelon Smoothie
1 - 8 ounce lemon, fat-free yogurt
3 cups cubed, seeded watermelon
1 pint fresh strawberries, cleaned and hulled
1 tablespoon honey or strawberry jam
3 ice cubes
1. In a blender or food processor, combine yogurt, watermelon, strawberries, honey and ice cubes.
2. Process until smooth and frothy. Serve in tall glasses with a straw. Makes 4 servings.
The following recipe for Watermelon Rind Pickles is from http://www.goodbyecitylife.com:
Watermelon Rind Pickles
These make a unique and novel gift - or you could make a huge batch and sell them at a local flea market with samples laid out for your booth visitors. They'll buy them up - once just for the novelty, but twice for the great tasting pickles these make.
This recipe makes 3 pints and requires the rind of one medium watermelon.
Ingredients:
· 8 cups prepared rind
· 1/2 cup pickling salt (coarse)
· 8 cups cold water
· 3 cups white granulated sugar
· 2 cups white vinegar
· 5-6 cinnamon sticks
Prepare The Rind
1. Remove dark green peel from watermelon.
2. Cut rind into rectangular pieces approximately 1"x2" until you have 8 cups of rind strips.
3. Layer rind and salt in a stainless steel bowl or pickling crock.
4. Soak 12 hours.
Drain and rinse twice in cold water, then place rind and 8 cups cold water into a stainless steel saucepan and boil until fork tender (10 minutes). Drain again.
Prepare The Solution…
Combine sugar, vinegar and broken cinnamon sticks in a saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce heat but keep at a slow boil for one hour.
... and Can
· Immerse glass mason jars in boiling water for 10 minutes.
· If using self-sealing lids boil as well for 5 minutes.
· Into hot (now sterilized) jars distribute rind strips and add pickling solution to within 1" of jar top.
· Wipe jar rim before securing lids.
Shelf Life of Watermelon Rind Pickles
Store jars in a cool, dark place and let set for 6-8 weeks before opening. Consume within 8 months.
Farm
Happenings
Who is the Czar? It could be you! What is the Czar? It’s the CSA Country Kitchen Czar (also known as CSA Country Kitchen Coordinator) at the Mother Earth Harvest Fair! We are looking for the perfect person to coordinate this vital component of the CSA presence at the MEHF. Our Country Kitchen Czar (or Czarina) will coordinate (with input from Tom or Rob) all aspects of the CSA Booth and Country Kitchen at the Fair.
This includes:
planning and overseeing the CSA informational/educational display, including (we hope) displays of both fresh produce and preserved vegetables
scheduling shareholders to man the booth, hand out CSA brochures, and answer questions
scheduling demonstrations on our two major themes: “Harvest Cookery” and “Preserving the Harvest.”
We are hoping to be able to coordinate with the Weston A. Price Foundation on the cooking and preserving components, contact information will be provided.
If you’ve always wanted to be Czar, or if you have a passion for this wonderful Spoutwood CSA, and the fresh, local, and all-natural veggies we provide, please contact Rob at spoutwood@supernet.com or 717-235-6610, or Tom at tharbold@qis.net or 443-974-8209, at we’ll get you started. Reminder: the Mother Earth Harvest Fair will be held September 29th and 30th, from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Many thanks in advance!
This week the Vegetable of the Week is a fruit! Juicy and luscious, watermelons are one of the true treats of summer. Although sometimes available during other seasons (as so many things are, these days), they somehow just don’t have the same effect unless eaten when the weather outside is steamy. Then, their sweet, cooling nature really comes through. Seed-spitting contests optional, of course.
According to www.whfoods.org, the “World’s Healthiest Foods” website, the watermelon is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, and therefore is related to the cantaloupe, squash and pumpkin, other plants that also grow on vines on the ground. Watermelons can be round, oblong or spherical in shape and feature thick green rinds that are often spotted or striped. They range in size from a few pounds to upward of ninety pounds. Here is more on the health benefits of this delicious melon, from the same site:
Health Benefits
Watermelon is not only great on a hot summer day, this delectable thirst-quencher may also help quench the inflammation that contributes to conditions like asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and arthritis.
Concentrated in Powerful Antioxidants
Sweet, juicy watermelon is actually packed with some of the most important antioxidants in nature. Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin A, notably through its concentration of beta-carotene. Pink watermelon is also a source of the potent carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene. These powerful antioxidants travel through the body neutralizing free radicals. Free radicals are substances in the body that can cause a great deal of damage. They are able to oxidize cholesterol, making it stick to blood vessel walls, where it can lead to heart attack or stroke. They can add to the severity of asthma attacks by causing airways to clamp down and close. They can increase the inflammation that occurs in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and cause most of the joint damage that occurs in these conditions, and they can damage cells lining the colon, turning them into cancer cells. Fortunately, vitamin C and beta-carotene are very good at getting rid of these harmful molecules and can therefore prevent the damage they would otherwise cause. As a matter of fact, high intakes of vitamin C and beta-carotene have been shown in a number of scientific studies to reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce the airway spasm that occurs in asthma, reduce the risk of colon cancer, and alleviate some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. A cup of watermelon provides 24.3% of the daily value for vitamin C, and, through its beta-carotene, 11.1% of the DV for vitamin A.
More on Watermelon's Lycopene
Watermelon is also a very concentrated source of the carotenoid, lycopene. Well known for being abundant in tomatoes and particularly well absorbed from cooked tomato products containing a little fat such as olive oil, lycopene is also present in high amounts in watermelon and mangoes. Lycopene has been extensively studied for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties. In contrast to many other food phytonutrients, whose effects have only been studied in animals, lycopene has been repeatedly studied in humans and found to be protective against a growing list of cancers. These cancers now include prostate cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancers. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that in patients with colorectal adenomas, a type of polyp that is the precursor for most colorectal cancers, blood levels of lycopene were 35% lower compared to study subjects with no polyps. Blood levels of beta-carotene also tended to be 25.5% lower, although according to researchers, this difference was not significant. In their final (multiple logistic regression) analysis, only low levels of plasma lycopene (less than 70 microgram per liter) and smoking increased the likelihood of colorectal adenomas, but the increase in risk was quite substantial: low levels of lycopene increased risk by 230% and smoking by 302%. The antioxidant function of lycopene-its ability to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen damage-has been linked in human research to prevention of heart disease. Protection of DNA (our genetic material) inside of white blood cells has also been shown to be an antioxidant role of lycopene.
The quantity of carotenoids from watermelon, particularly lycopene and beta-carotene, increases if this melon is stored at room temperature, indicates a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. [It should, however, be refrigerated once cut.]
Who knew that such a delicious creation as the watermelon was so good for you, too?
Furthermore, the World’s Healthiest Foods site goes on to note, watermelons originated in Africa, and were first cultivated in Egypt where testaments to their legacy were recorded in hieroglyphics painted on building walls. The fruit was held is such regard that it was placed in the tombs of many Egyptian kings. It is not surprising that watermelon played such an important role in this country, and subsequently in countries in the Mediterranean region, since water was often in short supply in these areas, and people could depend upon watermelon for its thirst-quenching properties. Watermelons were brought to China around the 10th century and then to the Western Hemisphere shortly after the discovery of the New World. In Russia, where much of the commercial supply of watermelons is grown, there is a popular wine made from this fruit. [And in the U.S., there’s a country song on the same subject, by Tracy Byrd, entitled “Watermelon Crawl.”] In addition to Russia, the leading commercial growers of watermelon include China, Turkey, Iran and the United States.
Tips for Preparing Watermelon:
Wash the watermelon before cutting it. Due to its large size, you will probably not be able to run it under water in the sink. Instead, wash it with a wet cloth or paper towel.
Depending upon the size that you desire, there are many ways to cut a watermelon. The flesh can be sliced, cubed or scooped into balls. Watermelon is delicious to eat as is, while it also makes a delightful addition to a fruit salad. Jam, sorbet and juice are some nutritious and delicious things you can make with watermelon.
While many people are just accustomed to eating the juicy flesh of the watermelon, both the seeds and the rind are also edible. If you choose to eat the rind, we would highly suggest purchasing organic watermelon.
A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Purée watermelon, cantaloupe and kiwi together. Swirl in a little plain yogurt and serve as refreshing cold soup.
In Asian countries, roasted watermelon seeds are either seasoned and eaten as a snack food or ground up into cereal and used to make bread.
A featured item of Southern American cooking, the rind of watermelon can be marinated, pickled or candied [see recipe, below].
Watermelon mixed with thinly sliced red onion, salt and black pepper makes a great summer salad.
Watermelon is a wonderful addition to fruit salad. [It can even be carved into a decorative fruit salad bowl.]
Hail to the Czar!
Who is the Czar? It could be you! What is the Czar? It’s the CSA Country Kitchen Czar (also known as CSA Country Kitchen Coordinator) at the Mother Earth Harvest Fair! We are looking for the perfect person to coordinate this vital component of the CSA presence at the MEHF. Our Country Kitchen Czar (or Czarina) will coordinate (with input from Tom or Rob) all aspects of the CSA Booth and Country Kitchen at the Fair.
This includes:
planning and overseeing the CSA informational/educational display, including (we hope) displays of both fresh produce and preserved vegetables
scheduling shareholders to man the booth, hand out CSA brochures, and answer questions
scheduling demonstrations on our two major themes: “Harvest Cookery” and “Preserving the Harvest.”
We are hoping to be able to coordinate with the Weston A. Price Foundation on the cooking and preserving components, contact information will be provided.
If you’ve always wanted to be Czar, or if you have a passion for this wonderful Spoutwood CSA, and the fresh, local, and all-natural veggies we provide, please contact Rob at spoutwood@supernet.com or 717-235-6610, or Tom at tharbold@qis.net or 443-974-8209, at we’ll get you started. Reminder: the Mother Earth Harvest Fair will be held September 29th and 30th, from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Many thanks in advance!
Watermelon!
This week the Vegetable of the Week is a fruit! Juicy and luscious, watermelons are one of the true treats of summer. Although sometimes available during other seasons (as so many things are, these days), they somehow just don’t have the same effect unless eaten when the weather outside is steamy. Then, their sweet, cooling nature really comes through. Seed-spitting contests optional, of course.
According to www.whfoods.org, the “World’s Healthiest Foods” website, the watermelon is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, and therefore is related to the cantaloupe, squash and pumpkin, other plants that also grow on vines on the ground. Watermelons can be round, oblong or spherical in shape and feature thick green rinds that are often spotted or striped. They range in size from a few pounds to upward of ninety pounds. Here is more on the health benefits of this delicious melon, from the same site:
Health Benefits
Watermelon is not only great on a hot summer day, this delectable thirst-quencher may also help quench the inflammation that contributes to conditions like asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and arthritis.
Concentrated in Powerful Antioxidants
Sweet, juicy watermelon is actually packed with some of the most important antioxidants in nature. Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin A, notably through its concentration of beta-carotene. Pink watermelon is also a source of the potent carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene. These powerful antioxidants travel through the body neutralizing free radicals. Free radicals are substances in the body that can cause a great deal of damage. They are able to oxidize cholesterol, making it stick to blood vessel walls, where it can lead to heart attack or stroke. They can add to the severity of asthma attacks by causing airways to clamp down and close. They can increase the inflammation that occurs in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and cause most of the joint damage that occurs in these conditions, and they can damage cells lining the colon, turning them into cancer cells. Fortunately, vitamin C and beta-carotene are very good at getting rid of these harmful molecules and can therefore prevent the damage they would otherwise cause. As a matter of fact, high intakes of vitamin C and beta-carotene have been shown in a number of scientific studies to reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce the airway spasm that occurs in asthma, reduce the risk of colon cancer, and alleviate some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. A cup of watermelon provides 24.3% of the daily value for vitamin C, and, through its beta-carotene, 11.1% of the DV for vitamin A.
More on Watermelon's Lycopene
Watermelon is also a very concentrated source of the carotenoid, lycopene. Well known for being abundant in tomatoes and particularly well absorbed from cooked tomato products containing a little fat such as olive oil, lycopene is also present in high amounts in watermelon and mangoes. Lycopene has been extensively studied for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties. In contrast to many other food phytonutrients, whose effects have only been studied in animals, lycopene has been repeatedly studied in humans and found to be protective against a growing list of cancers. These cancers now include prostate cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancers. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that in patients with colorectal adenomas, a type of polyp that is the precursor for most colorectal cancers, blood levels of lycopene were 35% lower compared to study subjects with no polyps. Blood levels of beta-carotene also tended to be 25.5% lower, although according to researchers, this difference was not significant. In their final (multiple logistic regression) analysis, only low levels of plasma lycopene (less than 70 microgram per liter) and smoking increased the likelihood of colorectal adenomas, but the increase in risk was quite substantial: low levels of lycopene increased risk by 230% and smoking by 302%. The antioxidant function of lycopene-its ability to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen damage-has been linked in human research to prevention of heart disease. Protection of DNA (our genetic material) inside of white blood cells has also been shown to be an antioxidant role of lycopene.
The quantity of carotenoids from watermelon, particularly lycopene and beta-carotene, increases if this melon is stored at room temperature, indicates a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. [It should, however, be refrigerated once cut.]
Who knew that such a delicious creation as the watermelon was so good for you, too?
Furthermore, the World’s Healthiest Foods site goes on to note, watermelons originated in Africa, and were first cultivated in Egypt where testaments to their legacy were recorded in hieroglyphics painted on building walls. The fruit was held is such regard that it was placed in the tombs of many Egyptian kings. It is not surprising that watermelon played such an important role in this country, and subsequently in countries in the Mediterranean region, since water was often in short supply in these areas, and people could depend upon watermelon for its thirst-quenching properties. Watermelons were brought to China around the 10th century and then to the Western Hemisphere shortly after the discovery of the New World. In Russia, where much of the commercial supply of watermelons is grown, there is a popular wine made from this fruit. [And in the U.S., there’s a country song on the same subject, by Tracy Byrd, entitled “Watermelon Crawl.”] In addition to Russia, the leading commercial growers of watermelon include China, Turkey, Iran and the United States.
Tips for Preparing Watermelon:
Wash the watermelon before cutting it. Due to its large size, you will probably not be able to run it under water in the sink. Instead, wash it with a wet cloth or paper towel.
Depending upon the size that you desire, there are many ways to cut a watermelon. The flesh can be sliced, cubed or scooped into balls. Watermelon is delicious to eat as is, while it also makes a delightful addition to a fruit salad. Jam, sorbet and juice are some nutritious and delicious things you can make with watermelon.
While many people are just accustomed to eating the juicy flesh of the watermelon, both the seeds and the rind are also edible. If you choose to eat the rind, we would highly suggest purchasing organic watermelon.
A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Purée watermelon, cantaloupe and kiwi together. Swirl in a little plain yogurt and serve as refreshing cold soup.
In Asian countries, roasted watermelon seeds are either seasoned and eaten as a snack food or ground up into cereal and used to make bread.
A featured item of Southern American cooking, the rind of watermelon can be marinated, pickled or candied [see recipe, below].
Watermelon mixed with thinly sliced red onion, salt and black pepper makes a great summer salad.
Watermelon is a wonderful addition to fruit salad. [It can even be carved into a decorative fruit salad bowl.]
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and we will hammer things out.
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