THE LAST WEEK OF THE SPRING SHARE As this is the last week of the Spring Share, we would like to Thank You for being a part of our CSA and supporting our farm. We send you our best wishes for this festive season and a Happy and Peaceful New Year. WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week. Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop. The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is. We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly. A "*" next to an item indicates that this is something that is being rotated through the boxes. "F" indicates that this item is in the full share box. "H" indicates that this item is in the half share box.

CHANGE TO THE PICK UP SCHEDULE To accommodate those picking up their Mountain View Farm milk, Farm Pick Up times are Friday afternoon from 3pm-5pm and Saturday mornings from 8am-11am. Please contact us if you need to arrange to pick your vegetables up outside of these times.

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies. We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption. We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days. While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

NOTES ON THE SHARE Basil Carrots Celery – Celery is one of the vegetables you can really taste the minerals in. This weeks celery is naturally salty and not very stringy. The ample rain we have been having has made it very moist. Celery is filled with Vitamins K, A, C, B2, B5, potassium. manganese, calcium and magnesium as well as many trace minerals Cucumbers Garlic Mesclun Potatoes – Bags of young, baby potatoes perfect for steaming! We did not wash the potatoes as they store better unwashed. Baby Rocket – The rocket this week is young and little. You should be able to mix it into any salad without cutting. Shelling Peas – The sugars in these plants begin to degrade into starch after harvest - so try and eat them tonight! Fresh peas are so delicious. We like them raw in salads as well as very lightly steamed. They freeze well, too. Shell and blanch them for 1-3 minutes. Remove from water and cool quickly in ice water. Drain and then freeze. Zucchini – Great harvest of zucchini has continued. This may be a good week to share with you this article on what to do with the glut of zucchini!

Extras Broccoli Capsicum –The capsicum harvest has begun. The cooler, wetter weather this week have slowed the capsicum and chilies down. Still, we harvested some 'Purple Beauty', 'Emerald Giant', and 'Corno di Toro'. To identify what you receive, please go to our Capsicum and Chillies post. Chilies – By Request and availability–To see the varieties we are growing and to identify what you receive, please go to our Capsicum and Chillies post. Pimiento de Padrons –Delightful "sometimes hot, sometimes not" chilies that are wonderful fried as a Tapas style entree. They have a lovey full flavour great for pizzas and stir fries too. These are rotated through the boxes. We have lots of plants but the harvest has only just begun. It might take awhile to get them into everyone's box. Sugar Snap Peas Summer Squash – 'Golden Crookneck' and 'Patty Pan'. Here is a recipe for 'Patty Pan' squash, which look like small oval greenish/white gourds. They are delicate and delicious. The Golden crookneck are so sweet steamed with butter, salt and pepper. Tomatoes –We have started harvesting tomatoes. With the cold, there are not many turning colour. The flavour of tomatoes are better ripened away from direct sunlight so we do harvest ours before they are fully ripe. We leave them on the kitchen counter to ripen which should take about three to four days. The natural sugars in tomatoes are lost if they are refrigerated. We are currently harvesting heirloom varieties 'Black Russian', 'Rouge de Marmande' and 'Ox Heart Red'. There are many more in the poly tunnel so we hope that this is just the beginning of the crop.

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING We have begun harvesting broccoli from the new planting. There were only nine heads ready but many more to come for next week! There will be broccoli in everyone's box next week.

The beans were not quite ready for harvest yesterday. There will be beans in the boxes next week and they will continue for awhile after that.

While the rain has been wonderful, this has been a cold December. The field tomatoes are really lagging behind. The current harvest is coming from the polytunnel we added this year. While we have four hundred feet of field tomatoes planted, we only have 200 feet on room in the polytunnel. This week, the afternoon boxes received a good serving of tomatoes as opposed to everyone receiving one or two. Next week if the harvest is the same, the morning boxes will receive the same.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

Black Rice, Rocket, Pea, Carrot and Semi-Dried Tomato Salad A high-fibre whole grain, black rice is high in vitamins B, E and minerals potassium and iron. B vitamins are an extremely important component of overall health that increase the rate of metabolism, maintain healthy skin and muscle tone, enhance immune and nervous system function, promote cell growth and division and reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.

This salad is very versatile. You can use asparagus and broad beans in early Spring instead of peas and carrots.

Ingredients 250g wild rice 1 cup shelling peas 3/4 cup semi-dried tomato coarsely chopped 250 grams baby rocket four carrots 3 spring onions, roughly chopped 1 lemon 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 large clove of garlic, crushed 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar Sea salt and (lots of) freshly ground black pepper

Method 1. Cook rice in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, 35-40 minutes. Drain well, spread out on a plate or a rimmed baking sheet, and let cool. 2. While the rice is cooking, cut the carrots into small matchsticks. Steam until tender. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. 3. Shell the peas and set aside. Wash and spin the rocket. 4. When the rice is cool, in a large bowl mix the rice, peas, carrots, semi-dried tomatoes and rocket. 5. Add olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, Add the rest of the ingredients, toss well. Then zest the lemon over the salad and pour the juice over. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled Zucchini and Summer Squash Salad with Basil-Parmesan Dressing Ingredients 2 medium-large zucchini, trimmed, cut into 1 cm thick slices 2 medium-large yellow crookneck squash, trimmed, cut into 1 cm thick slices 5 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce) 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 150grms fresh mesclun

Method 1. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Place zucchini and crookneck squash on large baking sheet; brush all over with 3 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables until tender and brown, turning occasionally, about 5-10 minutes. Transfer to plate and cool. 2. Cut vegetables diagonally into 2 cm wide pieces. Place in large bowl. Add basil, Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons oil and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve on a bed of mesclun.

Steamed New Potatoes This may seem so simple….and you may be questioning whether you can steam potatoes! We have tried to roast new potatoes, boil them, fry them in duck fat...for special meals and everyday dinners we prefer simple steamed new potatoes with butter, salt, pepper and parsley! Works well with everything. Ingredients Baby Potatoes Real butter Sea salt Cracked black pepper Fresh parsley

Method 1. Gently clean potatoes with running water and your hands. 2. Steam in a stove top steamer for about 7 minutes (check after 4 – If your fork goes in without a problem, they are ready!) 3. Toss with butter, chopped fresh parsley, salt and cracked pepper.

Herbed Stuffing Ingredients a loaf of whole grain bread 3 sticks celery cut up 1 whole onion chopped finely 3 sage leaves 1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves bunch of fresh thyme salt and pepper melted butter stock

Method 1. Lay the whole loaf of bread out in the oven and toast the slices for about 20-25 minutes. Put into a food processor with the fresh herbs and grind until a medium texture. 2. Mix in about 1/4 cup melted butter, the celery and onion, salt and pepper and enough stock to make the stuffing just hold together. DO NOT OVER MIX.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX EMAILS Expect the What's in the Box email before noon on Wednesday's. If you do not receive it, please let us know so that we can work out why.

Please note - Photo is of a full share box.

Transition Farm

Transition Farm

Customer Service

Transition Farm