Welcome to Spoutwood CSA 2002! The Garden is gorgeous. All CSA members are encouraged to come visit the farm to see for themselves. We will be having CSA Handbooks for all new members, hopefully next week. They have lots of information on the vegetables you'll be receiving, including recipes and preparation techniques. More than likely many of you will be meeting some new vegetables over the 22 weeks of harvesting. We want to make it as easy as possible for both you and vegetables to get to know each other. Please don't hesitate to call if you feel lost or confused.
Each week, along with your share, you will receive a Harvest Guide much like this one. These guides provide an overview of what is to be found in your share, along with hints and suggestions on how to prepare all of the vegetables you'll find there. Sometimes you may find additional material on the back of your Harvest Guides. That is because we reuse paper from other printings for our Harvest Guides. Anything you find there you can generally ignore. This week, however, that is not the case. Please check the back of this Guide to find out more about the CSA Annual Meeting.
Remember that harvests go through the first week of November. Beginning harvests will be heavy on greens like swiss chard, kale and lettuce - and then before you know it, the beets , squash and broccoli will start rolling in. Do not be intimidated by leaves which are wilty or spotted. Soaking wilted greens in cold water, sometimes for an hour or more, will revive them. Little spots and holes, once washed, do not take away from the nutritional value of the leaves. We are sorry that there are no flowers with this week's share, but there isn't much in bloom yet. Hopefully by next week there will be more blossoms available. Bon apetit and enjoy the Spring.
Today's Harvest:
Lettuce: You can expect a head of lettuce with most of your shares. The lettuce is growing well this year despite some late freezes.
Mustard Greens: Our best ever. A bitey addition to salads. Or cook lightly. Very high nutrition. Each share comes with one red leaf and several green.
Swiss Chard: It is wonderful cooked and anointed with butter or olive oil and seasonings. Add it raw to salads or chop into stir fries. Some of the leaves are from a variety called "Bright Lights" which have colored stems and veins.
Kale: Use in salads or cooked. (We recommend steaming or stir frying for most vegetables). This week's share includes Red Russian and Curly Green Kale.
Beet Greens: Beet greens are great in salads or cooked like spinach. These are thinnings from what looks to be a great beet crop.
Bok Choi: This popular oriental green is extremely succulent. Leafy parts are ideal for salads, while the stems (and the green leafy parts for that matter) were made for stir frying (although here at Spoutwood, we like the crunchiness of chopped stems in our salads). This is an important and tasty vegetable to get to know, so if you are at a loss, please give me a call.
Radishes: The radishes came on strong and may be beyond peak and a bit larger than you are used to. Hopefully the taste will still be excellent as we are growing several varieties that retain their crispness much longer than most. One variety is called "Easter Egg," which comes in many fun shades of red, pink and purple. Please don't throw the greens away. They are excellent cooked like spinach or raw in salads, and very nutritious as well.
Green Onions: I think you'll like these early season treats.
Herb: Apple mint makes a great cooling tea. Just steep 2 teaspoons chopped mint per cup in boiling water for five minutes. Serve hot or iced.
Stir-fried Bok Choi
from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home
2T veg. oil (1 of dark sesame oil and 1 of veg. oil, even better) 7-8 cups sliced bok choi
1 medium onion, thinly sliced 2-3 T soy sauce or tamari
2 garlic cloves, minced toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Heat oil over high heat in a wok or skillet. When very hot, add onion and garlic; stir-fry until onions are translucent and turning golden. Add bok choi; stir-fry until bok choi leaves are dark green and slightly wilted. Add soy sauce; stir-fry until bok choi stems are tender but firm. Serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds, if desired. Four servings.
You are cordially invited to:
Spoutwood Farm CSA Annual Meeting & Plant Swap*
Sunday, June 9
2:00 Meeting 3:30 Tour 5:00 Potluck**
Directions: From Baltimore-I-83 north to exit 31 (Middletown Road), turn left off exit ramp, go 8.5 miles to stop at PA/MD line, proceed straight 2.2 miles, turn right at Pierceville Rd, .8m on left
From York - I-83 south to exit 2 (Glen Rock), right off exit ramp, follow route 216 W to and through Glen Rock, go 4 miles west of Glen Rock, turn left at Pierceville Rd, ½ mile on the left.
* Bring potted plants you are willing to swap with others: flowers, vegetables, herbs, etc.
**Bring a dish, beverage, bread or some other suitable nourishment to serve about 8 people
Spoutwood Farm's First Annual Summer Solstice Celebration
Saturday, June 22
8pm till the wee hours
Join us for drumming, dancing, and a jolly good time as we celebrate the High Summer. The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, a time of celebration for centuries. Highlights include Michael Bull leading a Medicine Wheel, a Native American Spiritual Practice which aims to bring the practitioner into harmony with nature. Vanessa Bradley, one of our CSA share holders, along with her friends from Eight Stones and other local Yoga Studios will guide us in a Yogic Sun Salutation. The Yogic Sun Salutation honors the Sun and focuses the universal appreciation of and for Life. Bring with you a meal to share, something to drink, and an abundance of joy !
Help us make this first Solstice event one worth repeating in the years to come.
RSVP events@spoutwood.com (not required, but it helps us with planning)
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