CSA Autumn Share 2013 - Week #1 (2 - 8 March)

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items being harvested this coming week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the harvest.  Please read the  Notes on the Share (below) to know which items we "rotate" through the boxes.  If the harvest of a crop is not enough for every member, we keep track of whom has received it and whom has not so as to keep the shares even.

The picture represents a full share box and is not exactly what every box will contain this week.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavour to divide the harvest fairly.

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.

NOTES ON THE SHARE Basil – Bunch in every box. Beans – We are between plantings of bush beans.  The last planting has finished producing and the next one is not quite ready for harvesting.  The beans are there and we will harvest them when they are big enough. Cabbage – We have begun harvesting another cabbage planting 'Golden Acre'.  We are unsure how many heads will be ready and will be dividing the harvest.  If you do not receive green cabbage this week, there is more coming on, as well as a planting of 'Red Rock', purple cabbage. Capsicum – We are harvesting "breaking" capsicums. These are green or purple capsicums that have started to turn to red.  There are many posts online which talk about how to continue to turn the capsicum red...on your kitchen counter or in a bag with a banana.  We are harvesting them "breaking" to keep the plant producing as they should produce for another four-six weeks depending on the weather. Red capsicums contain high levels of vitamin C but come only when the plant has matured.  We did lose flowers on the pepper plants two weeks ago during those days with heat above 33 degrees.  Many of the capsicums were also sun scalded during those days too.  So we are nursing the plants and hoping we can keep them producing until the weather gets cold. Please look at the pepper post to identify. Carrots – Bunches of 'Scarlet Nantes' or 'Red Core Chantenay'. Chillies - The harvest of ‘Padron’ chillies will continue to appear in some boxes. There are ‘Hungarian Hot Wax’,  ‘Long Thin Cayennes’ and ‘Thai Hot’ or ‘Bird’s Eye’ being harvested.  Please look at the pepper post to identify. Corn – The fourth planting of corn was stunted in its growth.  The ears are stunted as well, but they are still very tasty. We have begun harvesting them this week and hope they make it into everyone's box.  Corn is the tastiest the day it is picked - the natural sugars begun to turn to starch immediately and even refrigeration does not slow this process.  We do not pick the corn until Saturday morning, for farm pick ups, and right before the truck heads out with the boxes on delivery days...that is how strongly we think the taste changes over time.  Try to eat them on the day you receive your box . Cucumbers – We are harvesting the third planting. There are small, round 'Lemon' cucumbers, small pickling cucumbers 'Sumter', medium size cucumbers 'Marketmore' and 'Straight Eight' and large Chinese climbing cucumbers 'Suyo'.  With the cooler weather the past few days, the harvest has reduced. Eggplant – The eggplants were another crop effected by the extreme heat.  We are continuing to harvest what is there.  Please look at the eggplant post to identify.  We rotate the harvest. Garlic – Each box will receive a clove or two this week. Lettuce –  Harvesting 'Freckles', 'Red Lollo' and 'Green Oak Leaf'. Mesclun – There is still some mixed lettuce left in the mesclun planting.  We will finish that harvest and divide what is there. Melons – The prolific second planting has slowed down a bit...Hasn't it been fantastic!  We have now harvested two of the four varieties of watermelon and hope to continuing harvesting them this week.  We harvest the cantaloupes and honey dews when they 'slip' off the vine.  It is like an umbilical cord to the melon and when it simply pops off when we touch it, the plant is telling us the melon is ready.  These melons should be ready for consumption when you receive them.  We are not sure when the second planting will continue to ripen and the third planting is not yet ready.  If the heat continues, we should be able to harvest those as well. Onions – We are harvesting the 'Long Torpea Red', 'Spanish White' and 'California Red'. Parsley – 'Flat leaf' Italian and 'Curly Leaf'. Bunch in every box. Patty Pan Squash – The variety is 'Jaune Et Verte'.  They are scallop, small, round summer squash.  Delicious baked, grilled or stir fried.  We are rotating the harvest of these each week. Potatoes – We harvested 'Nicola' and 'Desiree' for Saturday.  We are unsure of which varieties we will harvest for Wednesday delivery. Pumpkin –  Harvesting 'Queensland Blue' and 'Buttercup'.  Each pumpkin variety is unique and just like potatoes, they have their specialty dishes.  Both of these are good roasted, baked or mashed.  The 'Buttercups' have a more intense flavour and are better roasted in larger chunks. Radishes –  Harvesting a few 'Purple Plum'. They are starting to bulb up although we are unsure if they will be ready this week or next. Rosemary –  Bunch in every box. Tomatoes – There is a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes.  The Romas are coming on and there are a few 'Marglobes' too.  Expect extra this week as the cherries are so prolific! Zucchini – Harvesting 'Nero de Milano' and 'Romanesco'. The zucchinis are slowing down and we may need to start rotating the harvest.

NOTES ON WHAT'S GROWING We are still in the thick of tomato season with the bigger varieties ripening now.  The smaller ones are beginning to show signs of slowing down. The fifth planting of corn is huge - well over seven foot high - with big ears which have pollinated and should be ripe in two to three weeks. There is another planting of coriander which should be ready next week. A planting of broccoli is also showing signs of sending heads up...but I am unsure when we will be harvesting.  We started seeding the brassicas for this Autumn in December.  This has been the year of the caterpillar with the lack of rain.  Even greens like rocket have had caterpillars.  But there is plenty left of each plant for us...it just looks nibbled.  We believe that the hole you see is much better then the chemicals which you don't. There is an English spinach planting which may be ready next week and the first of the heirloom turnips coming in about three weeks.

ESKY'S Please keep putting out your esky's.  Peter is happy to put your vegetables in one to preserve the freshness of the food until you return home.  Leave them in the shade and leave a note if you think he would not spot it.  We have also been told that water frozen in juice bottles with card board on top in an esky is an excellent way to protect the tender greens and keep everything cold and crisp.  Thanks for the advice!

U-PICK FLOWERS AND CHERRY TOMATOES While many flowers have felt the effects of the heat and lack of water, there are still  zinneas, scabiosa, fever few, statice, helichrysums and a few other fillers.  Every member is welcome to come and U-pick  a bouquet each week on Saturdays from 8am-11am.  If you have not been to the farm yet, this is a great chance to walk around, see your food growing and leave with a wonderful posy.

We also have a row of cherry tomatoes that you are welcome to come U-Pick.  Saturday 8-11 or during the week by appointment.  Please call Robin 0434002130.

SEASONAL EATING - SHARING INSPIRATION Please keep sharing your inspirations.  True seasonal eating has lost its definition, due partly to the fact that the grocery stores and fruit and vegetable shops seem to have everything, all the time.  It is great to be a part of the re-awakening of eating with the season and I am enjoying compiling what that looks like for so many different families.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Ministrone Vegetable Pakoras Perfect Lettuce Salad with Radishes, Semi Dried Tomatoes and Capers Slow Roasted Tomatoes Quinoa Tabouli Watermelon, Feta and Toasted Pumpkin Seed Salad

You can also search by key ingredient on our website recipe page for many more ideas.

CSA Summer Share 2012-2013 - Week #13 (23 Feb - 1 March)

LAST WEEK OF THE SUMMER SHARE WOW!  This is week #13.  We thank you for your support, for sharing your thoughts about the vegetables and this service, for eating so many carrots and for giving it a go!

Farm pick-ups in Autumn will still be on Saturday's from 8am-11am. Deliveries will be on Wednesdays.  We are happy to change you from a Saturday pick -up to a Wednesday delivery or vice versa, permanently or just for a week.  Please just let us know.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items being harvested this coming week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day.  The photo is of the full share box on Saturday.

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.

NOTES ON THE SHARE Basil – We have some pesto bunches available.  Please write if you would like one.  All the Saturday pick-ups will receive one.  Otherwise, small bunches in every box. Beans – We are between plantings of bush beans.  We harvested for Saturday but unsure if the next planting will be ready for Tuesday. Beet Root – Bunches of 'Bulls Blood' , 'Ruby Queen' and/or 'Golden Detroit'. Capsicum – We have begun harvesting "breaking" capsicums. These are green or purple capsicums that have started to turn to red.  There are many posts online which talk about how to continue to turn the capsicum red...on your kitchen counter or in a bag with a banana.  We are harvesting them "breaking" to keep the plant producing as they should produce for another four-six weeks depending on the weather. Red capsicums contain high levels of vitamin C but come only when the plant has matured. Carrots – Bunches of ‘Deep Purple’ on Saturday. Mixed bunches of 'Deep Purple', 'Scarlet Nantes' and/or 'Red Core Chantenay'. Chillies - The harvest of 'Padron' chillies will continue to appear in some boxes...although they lost their flowers in the heat wave this week. It may take them a few weeks to recover. There are 'Hungarian Hot Wax',  'Long Thin Cayennes' and 'Thai Hot' or 'Bird's Eye' available.  Please write if you would like some.  They are starting to turn red now. Corn – The fourth planting of corn has some small but tasty ears.  When these are ready, we will harvest them.  Corn is the tastiest the day it is picked.  We do not pick the corn until Saturday morning, for farm pick ups, and right before the truck heads out with the boxes on delivery days...that is how strongly we think the taste changes over time. Cucumbers – Another planting has begun while the first two are slowing down. Eggplant – We are continuing to rotate the harvest.  Please look at the eggplant post to identify. Fennel – Harvesting 'Zefo Fino' baby bulbs on Saturday and Tuesday.  If you are a Thursday box and would like some, please email and if there is any left, we will try and get it in your box. Garlic – Each box will receive a clove or two this week.  Sorry to have forgotten to put the garlic in Tuesday boxes two weeks ago.  We put it in this past week to correct. Leeks –  Two or three in every box. Lettuce –  Harvesting 'Freckles'. Mesclun – Another planting is ready.  Bag in every box. Melons – Harvesting cantaloupes, honey dews and water melons...Perfumed sunshine!! I understand how the cantaloupes acquired the name musk melons. To learn more about the varieties we planted, check our heirloom melon post. The second planting is still producing and hope it continues through the week.  There may not be watermelon again for a week as we wait for other varieties to ripen. Onions – We harvested the 'California Red' this week and dried them in the shed. These will store for a while. Parsley – 'Flat leaf' Italian and 'Curly Leaf'. Patty Pan Squash – The variety is 'Jaune Et Verte'.  They are scallop, small, round summer squash.  Delicious baked, grilled or stir fried.  We are rotating the harvest of these each week. Potatoes – Harvesting 'Coliban'. Rocket – Harvesting Baby Rocket. Tomatoes – There is a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes.  The Romas are coming on and there are a few 'Marglobes' too.  Expect extra this week as the cherries are so prolific! Zucchini – Harvesting 'Nero de Milano' and 'Romanesco'.

NOTES ON WHAT'S GROWING I have written a post on the Intense Heat, Lack of Rain and What's growing in Mid February.  There are alot of pictures.

We are in the thick of tomato season with the bigger varieties ripening now.  They taste is so wonderful in the simplest of ways.  If you have too many small ones, you can blend them and freeze to use in sauces and soups in the winter.  Another member preserved them in jars whole, covering with water (and a bit of citric acid) and processed them for the time recommended by Fowlers.

We will continue harvesting melons this week.  The second planting has been fantastic!  The third planting is full of flowers.  If March is as hot as predicted, we should have melons from the third planting..

Mesclun- This summer has been a trial of the mesclun mix we devised in spring.  Unfortunately, some of the varieties do not cope with the heat.  And the timing of some varieties is different in Summer to Spring.  The mix this week contains several lettuces, mustards, tatsoi, silverbeet and beetroot greens.

Heading into Autumn, there are more corn plantings, lots of different varieties of pumpkins, another broccoli planting should be ready in two weeks, cabbage coming soon, turnips, parsnips and rutabegas!

ESKY'S Please keep putting out your esky's.  Peter is happy to put your vegetables in one to preserve the freshness of the food until you return home.  Leave them in the shade and leave a note if you think he would not spot it.  We have also been told that water frozen in juice bottles with card board on top in an esky is an excellent way to protect the tender greens and keep everything cold and crisp.  Thanks for the advice!

U-PICK FLOWERS AND CHERRY TOMATOES We have cosmos, zinneas, scabiosa, fever few, snap dragons, calendula, nasturtiums, statice, helichrysums and many other flowers growing.  Every member is welcome to come and U-pick some edible flowers and a bouquet each week on Saturdays from 8am-11am.  If you have not been to the farm yet, this is a great chance to walk around, see your food growing and leave with a wonderful posy.

We also have a row of cherries that you are welcome to come U-Pick.  Saturday 8-11 or during the week by appointment.  Please call Robin 0434002130.

SEASONAL EATING - SHARING INSPIRATION Please keep sharing your inspirations.  True seasonal eating has lost its definition, due partly to the fact that the grocery stores and fruit and vegetable shops seem to have everything, all the time.  It is great to be a part of the re-awakening of eating with the season and I am enjoying compiling what that looks like for so many different families.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Slow Roasted Tomatoes Beet Root, Feta and Almond Salad Carrot, Leek and Almond Soup Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Basil and Bocconcini

You can also search by key ingredient on our website recipe page for many more ideas.

Intense heat, no rain and what's growing in mid February

January received record low rainfall all over Victoria.  We recorded no rain on our farm for the month.  Then there was a break...10mm...1 centimeter...on the 1 February.  Although we have had some respites from the intense heat of early January and again last week, since the middle of December, we still have not had any substantial rain. Peter's constant attention to the rotation of irrigation has minimized the effects on the vegetables. While we have had some comments on the stringy, intense tasting celery, most of the vegetables damaged by the intense heat never make it into the weekly boxes so CSA members may not have noticed.  We have not had many questions about the lack of sky water.

Our house tanks dried up this week.  We have no town water here.  And elsewhere on the farm the effects of lack of rain and another three days of temperatures between 33-36 degrees are showing. The strong winds (35-45km/hr), like those of last night and tonight, are intensifying the dry situation. A week ago when a thunderstorm with intense lightning rolled overhead at 4am, I was quite scared of a strike alighting the dry paddocks all around.

While rural Victorians are facing water restrictions "as severe as those in the 2009 drought..." (The Weekly Times, 20 Feb),  and battling bushfires being fed by lightning and plenty of dry matter, those with town water have not had any water restrictions thus far this year. Reservoirs filled from previous wet seasons mute the effects of the dryness on most of the state.  People on town water rely on several "entities" to control and distribute their water thus creating further distance between them and the source of this essential life giving substance. Water is a managed commodity.

One of our desires as a CSA is to reconnect people with their food, where their food is grown and how we as farmers are growing it.  Although stories of old have portrayed the very real aspects of farming, the life and the death, the bumper crops and the droughts, the beauty of farm land and the ravage of insect plagues, in many ways I feel farming and the fruits of its "labour" have entered the postmodern age.  Displays of beautiful, hole free, picture perfect (could farmers actually be the plastic surgeons of food...)  fruit and vegetables line the shelves of conventional fruit and vegetable shops. They look so colourful, like a piece of artwork...but can you judge the book by its cover? And the variety sourced from all over the world minimize the effect weather has on local food supplies, and our direct relationship with it.

So in addition to pictures that accentuate all that we find beautiful on our farm,  I thought I would show you the effects of intense heat, strong winds and lack of rain here.  Farming really is the good, the bad and the ugly!

Every season is different and carries its own challenges.  That is why I like farming - never the same!  I really feel for those battling bushfires and struggling with dry tanks and dams.

We have written a post about Making Habitat - Living with Snakes.

Our CSA is entering the final week of the Summer Share and the Autumn Share has filled well with 80 families joining us for the next season.  You can view photos of the weekly boxes by clicking the links to the weekly CSA newsletters. As farmers, we feel great gratitude to the local community who are supporting us.  While the current drought may be affecting produce prices at the market, the CSA members have a set price for their box of seasonal vegetables and fruit.  We have been able to share our bumper crop of nectarines and for the past two weeks, boxes received melons and watermelon in addition to vegetables.  Many of the members are delighting in unpacking their weekly boxes and feel inspired to cook with their nutrient dense, fresh food.  As for us, this model of selling our food allows us more time to spend on our growing practices.  The effects of crop failures have also been minimized as the variety that we are growing have kept the boxes full.  We are excited about growing our farm this Autumn with the construction of moveable greenhouses and chicken tractors.

We are happy to have found a full-time employee to work with us.  Bryn Roberts and his wife Adrianne have made a sea change.  Bryn is excited about food and is enjoying learning more about growing it.  We have also formalized our internship programs and are looking for interns for Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer.  We hope that we can share techniques of intense market gardening and how we are organising and running our CSA with other aspiring farmers.

We are unsure why an old newsletter was resent last week and why our CSA newsletter was sent to everyone.  We use a service to manage our mailing list and "pick up" our posts for emailing. Sorry for any inbox congestion.

Several climatologists from the Bureau of Meteorology got together and wrote an article entitled "What's Causing Australian's Heat Wave".  Well worth a read. We may be in for more months of this sort of weather.

And for all of you growing your own, with excess to trade, there is a home harvest exchange program on the Peninsula.  Participants simply donate their fresh fruit, vegetables, jams, eggs and other produce, and help themselves to the offerings of others. A bunch of rhubarb may be exchanged for a pot of marmalade. No money changes hands during the swap and there is usually no measurement of produce when swapping. You don’t even need to barter!

1st Saturday of the month, 3 – 4 pm The Briars, 450 Nepean Hwy, Mount Martha

3rd Saturday of the month, 2 - 3 pm Dig It, Mornington Community Garden, Mitchell St, Mornington

Last Friday of the month, 3.30 – 5.30 pm during School Term Mt Eliza Secondary College, Canadian Bay Rd, Mt Eliza

While no-one is ‘in charge’ of co-ordinating or setting up Home Harvest Exchanges, Paula from the Local Home Harvest Exchange network is happy to help with advice. Contact hhedromana@gmail.com

We have really enjoyed growing food for the Summer Share and are looking forward to continuing through into the Autumn!  Hoping for rain...

CSA Summer Share 2012-2013 - Week #12(16 - 22 February)

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items being harvested this coming week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day. The photo is of a full share.

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.

NOTES ON THE SHARE Basil – Small bunches. Beans – We are harvesting bush beans 'Strike' (green), 'Cherokee Wax' (yellow) and 'Royal Burgundy' (purple). Capsicum – We have begun harvesting "breaking" capsicums. These are green or purple capsicums that have started to turn to red.  There are many posts online which talk about how to continue to turn the capsicum red...on your kitchen counter or in a bag with a banana.  We are harvesting them "breaking" to keep the plant producing as they should produce for another four-six weeks depending on the weather. Red capsicums contain high levels of vitamin C but come only when the plant has matured. Carrots – Bunch of ‘Red Core Chattenay’. Celery – We are harvesting 'Tall Utah' from the second planting.  More about lack of rain below...Celery is a very water hungry plant.  It is also very dense in micro nutrients. Rich in alkaline organic sodium (not sodium chloride), it is characterized in Ayurveda as having an “Astringent” taste.  Once ingested, celery works to support water balance in the body and functions to cleanse the mind and prepare for meditation.  Produce that is deficient in water, concentrates nutrients.  Just one bite will confirm that this celery is filled with nutrient goodness.  I have been making wonderful stocks with the celery and adding it to juice (A little goes a long way).  The stocks will be so welcome in the winter! Conventionally grown celery falls among the “Dirty Dozen” of foods high in pesticides. Organic stocks are a wonderful way to preserve the harvest. Chillies - The harvest of 'Padron' chillies will continue to appear in some boxes. There are 'Hungarian Hot Wax',  'Long Thin Cayennes' and 'Thai Hot' or 'Bird's Eye' being harvested.  Please look at the pepper post to identify. Cucumbers – Another planting has begun while the first two are slowing down. Eggplant – We are continuing to rotate the harvest.  Please look at the eggplant post to identify.  We have found caterpillars in the eggplant this week.  We are trying to be careful about what goes into the boxes and apologise if you received a caterpillar in your eggplant!  We have cleaned small eggplants off the plants to try and get rid of the problem.  Consequently, the harvest may be light for the next few weeks. Lettuce –  Harvesting 'Freckles', 'Oak Leaf', 'Buttercrunch' and 'Lollo Red'. Melons – Harvesting cantaloupes, honey dews and water melons...Perfumed sunshine!! I understand how the cantaloupes acquired the name musk melons. To learn more about the varieties we planted, check our heirloom melon post. Onions – Harvesting 'Spanish White', 'Long Tropea Red', 'California Red' and 'Hunter River Brown'. Parsley – 'Flat leaf' Italian and 'Curly Leaf'.. Patty Pan Squash – The variety is 'Jaune Et Verte'.  They are scallop, small, round summer squash.  Delicious baked, grilled or stir fried.  We are rotating the harvest of these each week. Rocket – A small rocket planting intended for the next mesclun mix has grown quicker than the mixed lettuce and other greens.  Hence, we will be harvesting it this week. Silverbeet – Harvesting bunches of 'Ruby'. Spinach – We are continuing to harvest 'Perpetual Gator'. We will also be harvesting an English spinach "Bloomsdale'. Tomatoes – There is a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes.  The Romas are coming on and there are a few bigger ones too.  Expect extra this week as the cherries are so prolific! Zucchini – Harvesting 'Nero de Milano' and 'Romanesco'.

NOTES ON WHAT'S GROWING We will continue harvesting melons this week.  The melons are loving the heat. There are some really big watermelons ripening in the field!

The fifth sweetcorn planting is tassled and pollinating. Expect more corn in three weeks.

The first planting of turnips has germinated and the Autumn crops of brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, kale and broccoli) are all growing well.  I love how gradually the seasons change...small hints of what is to come while still fully being in Summer!! The abundance of tomatoes and the sweetness of melons...

Rain...while Sorrento received some rain on Thursday morning...mixed into a thunder and lightening storm, we just received the lightening.  I am very thankful that none touched down as our farm is very dry.  We are losing four year-old established natives, having only received 10mls of water since November. The cool nights help, with some added dew.  This will be another very hot week.  We are hoping for a bit of rain as we would like to begin sowing cover crops to renew and feed the soil. Our irrigation is running non-stop on the food crops.

ESKY'S Please keep putting out your esky's.  Peter is happy to put your vegetables in one to preserve the freshness of the food until you return home.  Leave them in the shade and leave a note if you think he would not spot it.

U-PICK FLOWERS We have cosmos, zinneas, scabiosa, fever few, snap dragons, calendula, nasturtiums, statice, helichrysums and many other flowers growing.  Every member is welcome to come and U-pick some edible flowers and a bouquet each week on Saturdays from 8am-11am.  If you have not been to the farm yet, this is a great chance to walk around, see your food growing and leave with a wonderful posy.

SEASONAL EATING - SHARING INSPIRATION Please keep sharing your inspirations.  True seasonal eating has lost its definition, due partly to the fact that the grocery stores and fruit and vegetable shops seem to have everything, all the time.  It is great to be a part of the re-awakening of eating with the season and I am enjoying compiling what that looks like for so many different families.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Pizza...so wonderful with the tomatoes and greens and basil!  Here is a great dough recipe. Tabouli Quinoa, Roasted Veggies, Marinated Chickpeas and Feta Salad Cucumber, Tomato, Feta and Olive Salad Ratatouille Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes and Chicken Kebabs

You can also search by key ingredient on our website recipe page for many more ideas.

Seasonal Internships

Do you want to be a farmer...or know someone who does?  Last year we had three interns working with us, learning about running a CSA, incorporating Biodynamics into an intense market garden scheme, and planning, planting and maintaining native corridors.  This year as a result of our desire to see more people growing and eating on a local scale and to help increase food production through sustainable small scale farming practices, we have formalised our internship programs into seasonal opportunities.

Our internship programs are an opportunity to learn a wide range of on-farm skills with particular emphasis on intensive market gardening and sustainable farming (Eliot Coleman being a great champion for us!).

The Autumn Internship focuses on harvesting for the CSA, refining the crop rotation for April - March and planning for the next five years, cover cropping and compost building to build soil fertility, sowing pasture and cover crops in fallowed areas, planning with the Biodymanic calendar, fruit tree maintenance and working on infrastructure (permanent and moveable greenhouses).

Applications are being accepted through 20 February for the Autumn Internship, 1 May for Winter, 1 August for Spring and 1 November for Summer.

CSA Summer Share 2012-2013 - Week #11 (9 - 15 February)

WHAT’S IN THE BOXThe following are the items being harvested this coming week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day. The photo is of a full share.NOTES ON STORING THE HARVST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.

NOTES ON THE SHARE Basil – Small bunch in every box. Beans – We think the next planting will be ready for harvest sometime during the week...but unsure when. Beetroot – Harvesting 'Ruby Queen', Bulls Blood' and 'Golden Detroit' Broccoli – The planting of 'Marathon' is still producing a few heads...not many and not very big but you may find one in your box. Carrots – Bunch of ‘Deep Purple’, ‘Scarlet Nantes’ and ‘Atomic Red’.  The ‘Atomic Red’ are lovely carrots but their peel has a bitter after taste.  If you peel them, they have a taste almost like peppermint.  To learn more about the nutritional value of purple carrots, check our post Purple Carrots - The New Super Food. We have finished the second planting of purple carrots but they will be back in the Autumn Share. Chillies - The harvest of 'Padron' chillies will continue to appear in some boxes. If you would like any of the other chillies you have had in your box the past few weeks, please let us know. Otherwise we are leaving them to turn red. Cucumbers – We are growing long cucumbers and short cucumbers.  We are also growing a variety called 'Lemon'.  They have a lovely flavour and are yellow and round.  We will continue to divide the harvest. Eggplant – Please look at the eggplant post to identify ones you find in your box. We will continue to rotate the harvest. Garlic – Bulb in every box. Lettuce –  We will harvest 'Freckles' this week and 'Green Oakleaf'. Then moving into 'Lollo Rosso', a red leaf variety. Melons –  We have started harvesting what we can find in the first planting (see notes below). The honey dew melons in the second planting should begin to ripen soon.  We "slip" harvest the melons which means that we wait until the melon slips off the vine, the plants signal that it is ready to eat.  I tend to trust my nose, though.  When the picked end smells sweet, the melon is ready! Nectarines – White fleshed 'Goldmine' - we harvested another two trees and have about 300 nectarines! - Just a little taste of the stone fruit we are growing. Onions – 'Spanish White' is the variety for Saturday.  The onions are beginning to drop their heads, their skins are drying back, getting ready for storing.  We are harvesting the ones that need to be harvested and allowing the others to complete their drying off process. Parsley – Bunch in every box. Patty Pan Squash – The variety is 'Jaune Et Verte'.  They are scallop, small, round summer squash.  Delicious baked, grilled or stir fried.  We are rotating the harvest of these each week. Potatoes – We are harvesting 'Nicola' this week.  White skinned and white fleshed.  There will be no potatoes next week. Pumpkin – Maybe it seems a bit early for pumpkin but the 'Pottimons' are ready for harvest! These pumpkins are wonderful roasted with a bit of olive oil, salt and rosemary.  Leave the skin on as it is nutty and very tender. Rosemary – Bunch in every box. Spinach – Another planting of 'Perpetual Gator' is ready for harvest. This was sold as a spinach that withstands heat...it is actually a really delicate silver beet, wonderful raw and cooked.  I am enjoying the slightly lemony flavour which makes it so light and refreshing.  Works well with eggs, in salads and in filo pockets. Sweet Corn – We began the 'Ruby Queen' harvest on Thursday.  Saturday and Tuesday boxes will receive it this week.  Unsure what will be left by Thursday. Tomatoes – The harvest is increasing so expect some extra tomatoes this week. Zucchini – We will continue to divide the harvest to 'Nero Milano',  'Romanesco' and 'Di Flor'

NOTES ON WHAT'S GROWING We have harvested two more nectarine trees.  The fruit are small and delicious.  We are experimenting with how to store harvested fruit...as providing stone fruit is new to us.  The harvest was so ample though, so we will be sharing some more.  Hope that you enjoy them!

We rushed to get the first planting of melons into the ground, so that there would be melons in the summer share.  Even though they were thoroughly weeded, the grass on the new land was not completely tilled in and it re-sprouted.  The first planting has produced some glorious melons, but not that many.  We have been dividing the harvest.  The second planting is coming on though...completely weed free.  We are expecting to begin harvesting the honey dews first and then cantaloupe and watermelon!

The third and fourth plantings of sweetcorn are stunted.  These two plantings are in between 1 and 2 and 5 and 6 which are all looking great - Peter and I have no idea what has happened to 3 and 4.  There may be some small ears to harvest. Planting five is tasseling up well, though, and six is deep green and strong.  There may be a gap in the sweetcorn harvest.

The pumpkins are coming along really well!  Lots of new varieties, colours shapes and sizes! The 'Pottimons' were ready for harvest.  It just makes me think that we need to enjoy the greatness of summer left as the shadows in the evening are already lengthening.

This feels like a great time to let all of you know how much we have appreciated your support!  This is only our second year growing for others and our first year growing on this scale! We are not third generation market gardeners.  We learn through trial and error.  We could not be trying as much as we are without you.  Farming is a funny business, though - We have to wait until next year to incorporate all that we have learned this year. We will be sending another survey before the end of the Summer Share.  As a new business, we really appreciate any feedback you have!

ESKY'S Please keep putting out your esky's.  Peter is happy to put your vegetables in one to preserve the freshness of the food until you return home.

U-PICK FLOWERS We have cosmos, zinneas, scabiosa, fever few, snap dragons, calendula, nasturtiums, statice, helichrysums and many other flowers growing.  Every member is welcome to come and U-pick some edible flowers and a bouquet each week on Saturdays from 8am-11am.  If you have not been to the farm yet, this is a great chance to walk around, see your food growing and leave with a wonderful posy.

SEASONAL EATING - SHARING INSPIRATION Please keep sharing your inspirations.  True seasonal eating has lost its definition, due partly to the fact that the grocery stores and fruit and vegetable shops seem to have everything, all the time.  It is great to be a part of the re-awakening of eating with the season and I am enjoying compiling what that looks like for so many different families.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Tomatoes, Basil and Garlic - I love the simple ways of eating summer produce! Tabouli Quinoa, Roasted Veggies, Marinated Chickpeas and Feta Salad Beetroot, Feta and Almond Salad Corn and Zucchini Burgers

You can also search by key ingredient on our website recipe page for many more ideas.

Purple Carrots - The New Super Food

The Weekly Times featured purple carrots this week as their "Pick of the Crop". "Herald as the new super food, purple carrots are...packed with healthy benefits."  The article continues, "While orange carrots contain much beta-carotene (good for eyesight and skin), the purples are big in anthocyanins, the purple-red pigment and antioxidant that helps ward off high blood pressure, cancers of the digestive tract and high cholesterol while boosting the immune system and aiding calcium absorption."

Likely about 5000 years old, purple carrots "gained a boost" recently when for eight weeks a Brisbane professor fed purple carrot juice to rats suffering high blood pressure, glucose intolerance and heart and liver damage brought on by a diet high in fats and carbohydrates.  "Amazingly, all symptoms disappeared, even though the high fat-carbohydrate diet was continued."

Transition Farm CSA members have received 'Cosmic Purple' and 'Deep Purple' carrots in their summer share boxes this year, alone as baby carrot bunches or combined with other coloured heirloom carrot varieties.  All have been easy to grow and wonderful to eat.  Unlike some other purple vegetables, the purple carrots keep their colour when cooked which makes for a lovely plate filled with a variety of colours...and health benefits! Heal your heart and liver with a purple carrot dip on your vegetable platter or mashed purple carrots next to steamed green beans.  They are wonderful raw, roasted and steamed, too!

Making Habitat - Living with Snakes

In addition to building soil, starting a CSA and establishing a diverse fruit orchard, we have spent five years planting native corridors, putting in water for the local fauna, and building habitat.  As farmers trying to work with nature, our thoughts have been that everything has it's place and it's specialty- Birds can see a caterpillar before we do and they will eat it before we will too!- Chickens till earth better then we do, as well as eating low lying invertebrates- Frogs, skinks and blue tongue lizards are better and far more efficient then we are at dealing with slugs, snails and slatters. All we need to do is make the right habitat and these creatures will come to help us. The food web is not exclusive though.  Invite frogs and you are providing food for snakes.  And snakes are far better at dealing with mice and rats then we are, right?

We have been tracking snakes this summer. Wish I had a great snake photo to show but, in truth, coming upon a big Tiger Snake as thick as Peter's forearm, extremely fast moving, and old enough to have a flat head from jaw displacement, all you are really thinking about is freezing and walking backwards.

For those outside of Australia, Tiger Snakes carry deadly venom- most of the snakes in these parts do. Tiger snakes are both blind and deaf. Most bites are a result of someone stepping on the snake or grabbing it while gardening. They do rear up...although from what we can gather, this is due to provocation. They are shy in nature. Their venom, though, contains powerful neurotoxins, coagulants, haemolysins and myotoxins which require immobilization of the bite area and immediate medical attention. When we see a snake, we are not thinking about photos. We are thinking about keeping a careful eye on where it is going and not provoking it to do anything but keep on its way.

Here we are...in their territory- territory rediscovered by them...or...maybe we are the ones rediscovering the snakes. We hypothesis that the big snake has been here for some time and we have only been tracking her for the past two years. But she is not alone...there are others as the tracks tell!

While writing this post may limit the number of summer visitors we have, we know that we are not the only ones living with snakes.  I thought I would share some of the information we have found on snake identification, bite treatment and snake relocation.

Snake Identification and information from Museum Victoria - They have fact sheets on Victorian snakes.  They also have a search page which allows you to select land snake, sea snake, python or blind snake and then thumb nail photos appear showing the same snake in different areas to help with identification.

First aid treatment for bites and Applying a pressure immobilisation bandage - Complete with illustrations - from the Australian Venom Research Unit

Here is a detailed explanation on the venom of the Australian Tiger Snake put together by Clinical Toxonology Resources at the University of Adelaide.

Also snake identification, education and snake relocation in the Melbourne area - The Snake Handler

For now, we are educating ourselves, our children and visiting friends, tracking, recording, offering predictions on where the snakes are going and why they are going there and trying to learn more about their role in this ecosystem.

What experiences do you have living with snakes?

CSA Summer Share 2012-2013 - Week #10 (2 - 8 February)

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items in your box this coming week.  Some items and quantities may vary depending on your harvest day.

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.

NOTES ON THE SHARE Basil – Small bunch in every box. Beans – We are harvesting bush beans 'Strike' (green) and 'Royal Burgundy' (purple). Broccoli – Last week we started harvesting 'Marathon' a summer broccoli variety.  The heads are lovely, tight, big and we have found green caterpillar worms inside them.  We have cut the broccoli into florets, remove the worms we can and then soaked the florets in salted water for about ten minutes.  Any remaining worms have floated to the surface. The planting still has more heads growing.  We will continue to divide the harvest. Carrots – Bunch of ‘Deep Purple’, ‘Scarlet Nantes’ and ‘Atomic Red’.  The ‘Atomic Red’ are lovely carrots but their peel has a bitter after taste.  If you peel them, they have a taste almost like peppermint. We have included some recipe ideas that use lots of carrots in case you have a stash! Celery – We are harvesting 'Tall Utah' and the smaller 'American Stringless'. Chillies - The harvest of 'Padron' chillies will continue to appear in some boxes. There are 'Hungarian Hot Wax',  'Long Thin Cayennes' and 'Thai Hot' or 'Bird's Eye' being harvested.  Please look at the pepper post to identify - The 'Cayennes' and the 'Thai Hot' look similar but their heat rating is very different. Cucumbers – We are growing long cucumbers and short cucumbers.  The shorter are sweeter and apparently "burpless".  We are also growing a variety called 'Lemon'.  They have a lovely flavour and are yellow and round.  This week each box should receive at least two or three cucumbers. Eggplant – The eggplant harvest has begun.  Please look at the eggplant post to identify.  We will continue to rotate these through the boxes. Lettuce –  We will harvest 'Freckles' this week once the mesclun planting has finished. Mesclun –  Everyone last week received the mesclun mix and there is still some left in the planting.  We will finish the harvest of this planting and then move into the next lettuce planting. Nectarines – White fleshed 'Goldmine' and orange fleshed 'Fantasia' - Just a little taste of the stone fruit we are beginning to harvest. Onions – 'Spanish White' is this weeks variety. Parsley – Bunch in every box. Patty Pan Squash – The variety is 'Jaune Et Verte'.  They are scallop, small, round summer squash.  Delicious baked, grilled or stir fried.  We are rotating the harvest of these each week. Potatoes – We are harvesting 'Royal Blue' this week.  They have a lovely red purple glow to the skin and a white inside. Rocket – There is another Rocket planting which we think will be ready soon for harvesting...depending on the weather and how fast it grows.  Not sure if it will make it into Tuesday's box but will definitely be ready for Thursday. Baby Silverbeet – There will be a small bag of baby silverbeet in each box.  You can add it to your salad or have it alone.  It looks wonderful mixed with beans. Spinach – We are continuing to harvest 'Perpetual Gator'. This was sold as a spinach that withstands heat...it is actually a really delicate silver beet, wonderful raw and cooked.  I am enjoying the slightly lemony flavour which makes it so light and refreshing.  Works well with eggs, in salads and in filo pockets. Sweet Corn – We are finishing the first planting of corn 'Max'. The second planting is 'Ruby Queen'.  The ears are blush red and sweet when picked early - and the old-fashioned rich corn flavour comes when it is allowed to fully ripen to a deep red. Thyme – Bunch in every box. Tomatoes – We will continue to divide the harvest. Zucchini – We are harvesting zucchini from two plantings now and still do not have the glut of zucchini that many home gardeners have. It is just not a zucchini year on our farm this year!

NOTES ON WHAT'S GROWING We have harvested Nectarines from three trees today.  While not all of the fruit is completely ripe, they are really yummy.  Whilst fruit is not in this years Summer Share, we thought we would put some in each box this week just to give everyone a little taste.  We hope to be able to offer more fruit next year. We leave them in a bowl on the table to ripen, eating them when they are just soft to touch but still firm.

This week has seen the big planting of the Autumn Share brassicas with 22 new beds being formed through the new land. These seeds were started in a shade house to protect them from the intense heat and sun that we had in the beginning of January. We also direct seeded the first plantings of turnips, another parsnip planting, more radishes, carrots and beetroot. Next week we will continue our plantings of spinach, coriander, rocket and spring onions.  We have been experimenting with intensive market gardening techniques such as direct seeding five or six rows per bed to take advantage of the rich, prepared soil.  We have had some great success and other not so successful combinations.  I will include photos of both in a post this week. By using these techniques, we believe we can make the best use of our soil and water resources and allow areas more time to be fallowed and cover cropped.

The next planting of sweet corn is a red variety 'Ruby Queen'.  This is so pretty and also sweet!  The natural sugars in sweetcorn begin to turn to starch as soon as it is picked.  We do not harvest the sweetcorn until Saturday morning for pick ups and for deliveries, until all of the boxes are packed and ready to be loaded into the truck.  It is best eaten the day you receive it.  We steam the cobs for about 4-7 minutes...we take it off the stove one minute after the kernels bead.

We will try and stop harvesting the capsicums this week and see if those remaining on the plant start to turn red. If they do start to turn, they will be picked before they have completely turned red so that the plant will continue to produce more fruit.

The first melon planting got completely taken over by the couch grass on the new land.  Still there are some melons starting to ripen and we will look through to see what we can find.  The second planting is doing really well and almost completely weed free...the difference between being rushed to plant in the Spring on our new land and having time to prepare the land before the second planting!  The watermelons are also looking really great!

ESKY'S Please keep putting out your esky's.  Peter is happy to put your vegetables in one to preserve the freshness of the food until you return home.

AUTUMN SHARE The Autumn Share runs from 1 March - 31 May.  If you would like to continue being a part of Transition Farm's CSA, you will need to email Peter at petercarlyon@gmail.com and confirm your intention.  On the 3rd of February, we will start adding the names for those people who are on our waiting list, so please express your interest before then.  Thank you!

U-PICK FLOWERS We have cosmos, zinneas, scabiosa, fever few, snap dragons, calendula, nasturtiums, statice, helichrysums and many other flowers growing.  Every member is welcome to come and U-pick some edible flowers and a bouquet each week on Saturdays from 8am-11am.  If you have not been to the farm yet, this is a great chance to walk around, see your food growing and leave with a wonderful posy.

SEASONAL EATING - SHARING INSPIRATION Please keep sharing your inspirations.  True seasonal eating has lost its definition, due partly to the fact that the grocery stores and fruit and vegetable shops seem to have everything, all the time.  It is great to be a part of the re-awakening of eating with the season and I am enjoying compiling what that looks like for so many different families.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Spinach and Chicken Curry Pasta with Broccoli and a Lemon and Basil Sauce Summer Vegetable Stock - you can use the Perpetual gator stems in this too! Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Quinoa and Feta Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes and Chicken Kebabs

You can also search by key ingredient on our website recipe page for many more ideas.

CSA Summer Share 2012-2013 - Week #9 (26January-1February)

WHAT’S IN THE BOXThe following are the items in your box this coming week.  Some items and quantities may vary depending on your harvest day. The photo is of the full share.

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.

NOTES ON THE SHARE Basil – Small bunch in every box. Beans – We are harvesting bush beans 'Strike' (green) and 'Royal Burgundy' (purple). Beetroot – We will finish harvesting the third planting of beetroot.  There may not be enough left for Thursday boxes. Broccoli – Another planting of 'Marathon' is coming on. We will divide the harvest. Capsicum – The harvest has begun.  Please look at the pepper post to identify the ones in your box. I have also updated it with some more capsicum news. We will be dividing the harvest each week. Carrots – Bunch of ‘Deep Purple’, ‘Scarlet Nantes’ and ‘Atomic Red’.  The ‘Atomic Red’ are lovely carrots but their peel has a bitter after taste.  If you peel them, they have a taste almost like peppermint. We have included some recipe ideas that use lots of carrots in case you have a stash! Chillies - The harvest of 'Padron' chillies will continue to appear in some boxes. There are 'Hungarian Hot Wax',  'Long Thin Cayennes' and 'Thai Hot' or 'Bird's Eye' being harvested.  Please look at the pepper post to identify - The 'Cayennes' and the 'Thai Hot' look similar but their heat rating is very different. Cucumbers – We are growing long cucumbers and short cucumbers.  The shorter are sweeter and apparently "burpless".  This week each box should receive at least two or three. Eggplant – The eggplant harvest has begun.  Please look at the eggplant post to identify.  We will continue to divide the harvest. Lettuce –  We will harvest 'Freckles' this week.  These are smaller heads. Mesclun –  We have started harvest a small planting of mesclun.  We planted it as a trial to see what baby lettuces could survive the heat.  We are not sure how many boxes will receive it. Onions – We have cleaned out a whole bed of 'Red Burgundy'  and will divide these into the boxes.  If they finish before Thursday, we will harvest 'Spanish White'. Potatoes – Bag in every box. Spinach – We are continuing to harvest 'Perpetual Gator'. This was sold as a spinach that withstands heat...it is actually a really delicate silver beet, wonderful raw and cooked.  I am enjoying the slightly lemony flavour which makes it so light and refreshing.  Works well with eggs, in salads and in filo pockets. Sweet Corn – I feel so American when I say this but... it really is summer when the corn harvest begins! The first variety is 'Max'. Ears in every box. Tomatoes – We will continue to divide the harvest. Zucchini – Zucchini this week includes 'Nero di Milano', 'Romanesco' and smaller "de Flor'.

NOTES ON WHAT'S GROWING We are cleaning out circles and beginning to think about sowing our first round of cover crops.  This has meant very full boxes for the past two weeks.  This weeks box is back to between 10-12 items. Maybe that is a welcome relief!  An interesting difference to running a CSA and just running a farm is that we actually try and harvest every last bit of food from an area (if it is still in good nick) and put it into the boxes.  Our feeling is that we have invested time and energy to grow it, we have used the resources of soil and water, and we are growing all this food for you.  Sometimes in farming if you have more then your market will bear of a crop, it is not worth the cost of labour to harvest it. So the food is simply tilled into the soil.  For us, we would rather put it in a box and hope it is enjoyed. I wrote a post about Preserving the Harvest - maybe something will inspire you.  Happy to send any recipes not linked.

The effects of the heat wave a few weeks ago are still being felt.  The capsicums and the chillies dropped all of their flowers as did the zucchini.  I saw today new flowers on the chillies and zucchini bushes.  Hopefully the capsicums will follow suit.  Plants are amazing when under stress.  All of our efforts kept them from frying but the plant still knew that the conditions were more then it could bear.  So instead of trying to make heaps of seeds, they chose to focus their energy just on the ones they had already made.

ESKY'S Please keep putting out your esky's.  Peter is happy to put your box in one to preserve the freshness of the food until you return home.

AUTUMN SHARE The Autumn Share runs from 1 March - 31 May.  If you would like to continue being a part of Transition Farm's CSA, you will need to email Peter at petercarlyon@gmail.com and confirm your intention.  On the 3rd of February, we will contact others interested and begin to fill the shares available.  Please express your interest before then.  Thank you!

U-PICK FLOWERS We have cosmos, zinneas, scabiosa, fever few, snap dragons, calendula, nasturtiums, statice, helichrysums and many other flowers growing.  Every member is welcome to come and U-pick some edible flowers and a bouquet each week on Saturdays from 8am-11am.  If you have not been to the farm yet, this is a great chance to walk around, see your food growing and leave with a wonderful posy.

SEASONAL EATING - SHARING INSPIRATION Please keep sharing your inspirations.  True seasonal eating has lost its definition, due partly to the fact that the grocery stores and fruit and vegetable shops seem to have everything, all the time.  It is great to be a part of the re-awakening of eating with the season and I am enjoying compiling what that looks like for so many different families.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Beetroot Relish Carrot Dip Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Salad Lazy Sweet Corn Fresh Corn Salsa Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Basil, Spinach and Bocconcini ... this is lovely with 'Perpetual Gator' Spinach

You can also search by key ingredient on our website recipe page for many more ideas.

Preserving the Harvest

For the past two weeks, the CSA boxes have been really full with up to 16 different vegetables, not including herbs and garlic!  We cleaned out the last of the early summer cabbage and the first beetroot and carrot plantings, had a great broccoli crop, a bumper harvest of beans and a rocket planting that never seemed to end.  We love loading these heavy boxes into the cooler and wonder what will be created in kitchens around the peninsula.

We have had a few emails regarding what's left in the vegetable drawer as members get ready for this weeks box.  Here are some of the ways we have found to preserve the harvest - fermentation, condiments, freezing and jarring.

Last year, I wrote a post on Preserving, Fermenting and Freezing which may also lend some inspiration. It has a list of some of my favourite preserving books.

These suggestions range from very simple to requiring a bit more time and effort.  It really helps to keep a supply of jars and new lids on hand throughout the summer.  If you do not have to look and/or clean the jars, you greatly reduce your time. The relish for example takes 1hour and 15 minutes from start to finish.  I also tend to stock our pantry with good quality vinegars and any special herbs now so that when I have the produce, I can get started right away.

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Greens Beans I was passed on a traditional New England recipe for Dilly Beans.  I usually make at least one batch as they are a fun addition to an entree platter or you can make a batch of these Spicy Dilly Beans to stir a Bloody Mary.

I love adding beans to minestrone soup.  So when there is a bumper harvest, I quick freeze them by chopping them into 1 inch pieces, dropping them into boiling water for 2 minutes, quickly transferring them into very cold water and then letting them dry in a colander before bagging them into ziplocks and freezing them.  These beans can be thawed and lightly steamed for a vegetable side or added in the last five minutes to a soup.

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Beetroot Although in these parts, we can harvest beetroot year round, I love having jars of pickled beetroot and beetroot relish to add to summer and winter sandwiches and platters.

Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff has a fantastic spiced, pickled beetroot recipe.  The vinegar is countered with a touch of honey and then cinnamon sticks, whole allspice berries and peppercorns offer that wonderful spiced scent that is a pickling memory I still hold from my childhood.  These beets are a far cry from the sickly sweet ones that used to be served in the diners dotting US1 in my home state of Florida.

Beetroot Relish is a great addition to a sandwich and a cheese platter.  There are two recipes with the link and they take less then 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete!

Cabbage I love sauerkrauts and kimichis and also believe in their health giving benefits. I highly recommend Sador Ellix Katz'sbooks about fermentation.  Scythes Australia offer great fermentation pots and other useful tools.

I also like a quicker Pickled Red Cabbage recipe which includes a pickling spice mix that I really love.

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Carrots We have carrots from the beginning of December until about the end of September when it is too cold to germinate more and the ones from winter have gone to seed.  I have to admit that I have never frozen or jarred carrots to try and have them for those two months in the middle.  But I do love Home-Made Vegetable Stock!  Each week starting in mid summer, I make a big pot of stock. Vegetable, chicken, beef - I use whatever I have around and let it simmer for several hours.  I freeze it in glass bottling jars. You can also find quart containers from a packaging supply store.  It is wonderful to have fresh stock for a myriad of recipes...from gravy to stir-fries to soups.

We also juice extra carrots and make a delicious Carrot Mash.

Celery Again, as an essential ingredient in stock, I add any extra celery each week into my stock pot or we juice it.

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Chillies If you love hot sauces or Sweet Chilli Sauce,  make your own spicy condiments using pure ingredients!  They are usually simpler then the ones you can buy, do not include the myriad of preservatives or corn derivatives and are much tastier. Liana Krissoff offers several hot sauce recipes including the mango and peach hot sauce pictured above.

You can also make Curry Pastes and then keep them for at least a month in the refrigerator in an air tight jar or freeze for longer!

Kosher Dill Naturally Fermented Pickles

Cucumbers Fermented Dill Pickles or Sweet Bread and Butter Pickles, I love them all.  You can make the bread and butter pickles as refrigerator pickles in small batches and use them within 1 month, thus eliminating the need to seal the jars with a water bath.  Both Sandor Katz and Liana Krissoff have wonderful recipes for pickles that range from quick dills to two week naturally fermented ones.

Eggplant Nikki Fisher at The Wholefood Mama posted a great Eggplant Pickle recipe from Jay Black.

Radishes Again, another vegetable which pickles and ferments into a wonderful accompaniment.  I will be trying a beetroot and radish ferment in the next few weeks using Sandor Katz's recommendations and a bit of imagination.  I did find this recipe for Pickled Radish which sounded good to me.

RocketRocket Pesto freezes well and uses large amounts of rocket!  Great way to get all of its wonderful health giving benefits.

Tomatoes Now that is a post on its own and, as we are not really to that stage yet, I will leave that for now.

Zucchini You can grate zucchini, drain it in a colander and freeze it in bags to add to quiches, slices or zucchini bread all through the winter.  You can also slice it, blanch it and freeze it to use in pasta sauces or as a vegetable side.  Here is a post on Farmgirl Fare which talks about how to freeze zucchini and summer squash and the many uses for it.

Herbs And what about any extra herbs you have each week.  A simple thing to do is hang the whole bunch upside down in a cool and shaded spot of the kitchen.  When the plant has completely dried, separate the herb from the stalk or stem, ensure that it is completely dried (or put onto a baking tray and leave on top of an oven that is cooling...NOT in the oven) and jar the herbs.  These fresh herbs will be far fresher dried then anything you can buy.

You can also freeze Basil Pesto for simple dinners and yummy pizzas throughout the winter. Make it omitting the cheese and freeze in glass jars or ziplock bags.

What other ideas do you have?

Eggplant 2013

Here is a look at the Eggplant varieties we are growing and trialling this year.  'Casper' is new to us...and I have to admit being a bit resistant to trialling it.  Isn't one of the best things about eggplant the incredible purple colour?  But the promise of a less bitter tasting eggplant won me over. Eggplant 'Black Beauty' Heirloom variety introduced in 1902, the fruits are dark purple and glossy with an excellent flavour. Eggplant 'Casper' Casper' is a French heirloom with delectable, ivory-white elongated fruits. White eggplants are firmer, creamier in texture and less bitter than purple types. Eggplant 'Florida Market' Heirloom variety from Florida, USA. Glossy dark purple teardrop shaped eggplants. Excellent for slicing, stuffing, and baking. Eggplant 'Long Purple' An Italian Heirloom from the 1800's,  'Long Purple' has a milder, more delicate flavor than regular eggplant. 'Long Purple' has just a few seeds and a thin skin that makes it easy to cook. This is an excellent eggplant for curries.

For more eggplant recipes...

CSA Summer Share 2012-2013 - Week #8 (19-25 January)

WHAT’S IN THE BOXThe following are the items in your box this coming week.  Some items and quantities may vary depending on your harvest day.  The photo is of a full share.

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.

NOTES ON THE SHARE Basil – Small bunch in every box. Beans – We are continuing to harvest the climbing beans 'Purple King'. We are also harvesting bush beans 'Strike' (green) and 'Cherokee Wax' (yellow).  We may be between bush bean plantings through the week and are unsure what the harvest of the bush beans will be. Beet Root – Bunch in every box. Capsicum – The harvest has begun.  Please look at the pepper post to identify the ones in your box. We will be dividing the harvest each week. Carrots – Saturday boxes received the rest of the harvest of the first carrot planting - A big bag of 'Cosmic Purple' and a few 'Scarlett Nantes'.  We have now moved into the second planting of carrots 'Deep Purple', 'Scarlet Nantes' and 'Atomic Red' (pictured below).  The 'Atomic Red' are lovely carrots but their peel has a bitter after taste.  If you peel them, they have a taste almost like peppermint. Celery - One in every box. Chillies - The harvest of 'Padron' chillies will continue to appear in some boxes. There are 'Hungarian Hot Wax' and 'Long Thin Cayennes' being harvested.  Please look at the pepper post to identify. Coriander - Bunch in every box.  If you have not yet tried the roots in curry pastes, you should give it a go.  They add a rich, full flavour. Cucumbers – We are growing long cucumbers and short cucumbers.  The shorter are sweeter and apparently "burpless".  This week each box should receive two/three  cucumbers. Fennel - Saturday and Thursday boxes will receive 1 or 2 bulbs this week (more about that below). Garlic – I forgot to include it in the photo but there is a bulb for every box. "Lazy Lettuce" –  We will continue to harvest the lazy lettuce until the planting is done.  This is the bag of mixed lettuce leaves.  Although it has been washed and spun dry, it should be washed before eating. Onions – We will be harvesting onions this week - 'Red Burgundy' or 'Spanish White'. Potatoes – Harvesting red skinned 'Desiree'. Rocket – A bag in every box. Spinach – We are harvesting 'Perpetual Gator'. This was sold as a spinach that withstands heat...it is actually a really delicate silverbeet, wonderful raw and cooked.  I am enjoying the slightly lemony flavour which makes it so light and refreshing.  Works well with eggs and in zucchini ribbon salads. Tomatoes – We will do a post this week about all of the Tomato varieties we are growing.  We have started to harvest the Romas and the 'Tommy Toes'.  Please check the website for the post.  We will continue to divide the harvest. Zucchini – Zucchini this week includes 'Nero di Milano' and 'Romanesco'.

NOTES ON WHAT'S GROWING We have fully picked the second planting of bush beans.  We may be able to re-pick this week and the third planting might also be ready for picking.  The 'Purple King' Climbing bean harvest continues as does the first and second plantings of cucumbers and zucchini.  The first panting of zucchini has slowed down and the second is only just starting.  If your box does not contain zucchini this week, that is why.

When fennel does not have adequate water, it goes to seed, leaving a very woody stem inside the bulb.  Part of the fennel planting was on the edge of a bed.  The combination of wind blowing the irrigation and lack of rain has left that part of the bed drier then the rest, which resulted in part of the planting bolting (going to seed) early.  Thursday boxes missed out on the last harvest of fennel in December,  so they will be receiving the fennel this week with Saturday pick up boxes.  Sorry Tuesday share holders!! There is another planting of fennel planted and two more in the greenhouse.

Peter thinks the first planting of corn may ready in the next week or so!

We have some dill available.  If you would like a bunch please email Robin (robinjkoster@gmail.com) or send a text 0434002130.  Saturday pick-ups, please let me know first thing Saturday morning.  Tuesday boxes, please let me know by Monday 7am and Thursday boxes by Wednesday 7am.  I am unsure how many bunches are left in the planting so... first come, first served no matter what your day is.

Carrots (from left to right) - 'Scarlet Nantes', 'Deep Purple'  and 'Atomic Red'

U-PICK FLOWERS We have cosmos, zinneas, scabiosa, fever few, snap dragons, calendula, nasturtiums, statice, helichrysums and many other flowers growing.  Every member is welcome to come and U-pick some edible flowers and a bouquet each week on Saturdays from 8am-11am.  If you have not been to the farm yet, this is a great chance to walk around, see your food growing and leave with a wonderful posy.

SEASONAL EATING - SHARING INSPIRATION Please keep sharing your inspirations.  True seasonal eating has lost its definition, due partly to the fact that the grocery stores and fruit and vegetable shops seem to have everything, all the time.  It is great to be a part of the re-awakening of eating with the season and I am enjoying compiling what that looks like for so many different families.

GROWING... We are looking for someone to work with us on a full-time basis.  The successful applicant will be a hard worker, will have vegetable and/or fruit farming experience and will be expected to work unsupervised in planting, weeding, harvesting and packing vegetables and herbs. General farm skills, knowledge of fruit tree maintenance, an understanding of time management and experience as a farm labourer would be an advantage.  If you or someone you know is interested, please email a resume and/or contact us for further information petercarlyon@gmail.com. This position does not include farm accommodation.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Crunchy Salad Spinach and Feta Triangles - Perfect for beach picnics! Nikki Fisher's Beetroot, Rocket, Walnut and Feta Salad Spaghetti Vongole - Mixed Seafood

You can also search by key ingredient on our website recipe page for many more ideas.

Growing and growing...

As we settle into summer, and the summer plantings start to really take off, we thought we would take you on a picture walk around the farm...

And while the crops are growing, the farm is growing too!  We are looking for someone to work with us on a full-time basis.  The successful applicant will be a hard worker, will have vegetable and or fruit farming experience and will be expected to work unsupervised in planting, weeding, harvesting and packing vegetables and herbs. General farm skills, knowledge of fruit tree maintenance, an understanding of time management and experience in organic/biodynamic farming would be an advantage.  This is a great opportunity for someone who already has a love and knowledge of farming to learn about all aspects of a seasonal CSA.  If you or someone you know is interested, please email a resume and/or contact us for further information petercarlyon@gmail.com. This position does not include farm accommodation.

At times I find it hard to be thinking ahead to Autumn while just starting to really harvest "Summer".  We started planting seeds for the Autumn crops in August with the pumpkin, eggplant, capsicum and potato plantings.  In November we planted a second crop of tomatoes...just in case the first crop finishes before March.  In mid December, we started planting the brassicas.  So far in January, we have planted beans and corn for the beginning of the Autumn share. You can look at what we are growing for the Autumn Share boxes.

There are many signs around our farm of the lack of rain.  From reduce size and flavour intensity in some crops to the natives looking dusty and withered - Rain would be wonderful and welcome.  For our part, we are working with the resources we have to continue growing food for the CSA families.  Times like this make us appreciate the soil and its capacity to store water and think ahead about we can give back with the cover crop plantings and more compost.

We had added two new posts which you may be interested in:

Preserving Peaches and the 2013 Capsicums and Chillies.

It's peach harvest time!

It is peach harvest time here.  We are on the third peach tree and this one is loaded with juicy, yellow peaches.  The tree, 'Red haven' is three years old and it is the first harvest we have had from it.

Last year, in my attempt to control fungal diseases during the wet spring, I sprayed biodynamic 501 during the fruit set period.  All of the stone fruit trees lost their fruit as the tree's pores tightened and the fruit was literally squeezed off. Needless to say, I was much more careful this year and we are being rewarded with trees laden with fruit.

We have apple and pear trees planted, so we hope that even in winter, we will have biodynamic fruit. But opening a bottle of preserved peaches to have over muesli or yogurt or ice cream sounds like such a treat, that we decided to preserve some of the harvest.

In most of the information we found about jarring peaches, they recommend blanching the peaches to remove the skins.  We found that on the perfectly ripe peaches, it was very easy to peel the skin using a sharp vegetable peeler to start with and then just grabbing the skin and pulling it off with our fingers.  These peaches are also "clingstone" peaches.  The pips do not easily come away from the flesh. So we used an apple corer to remove the pips.  We then gently simmered the skins and pips to make a peach juice which we used as the syrup for some of the jars.  We also used a honey syrup and then a sugar and vanilla syrup (recipes below).

Our tools - Sharp vegetable peelers, an apple corer and a bowl full of water with lemon juice

Peaches in Vanilla Syrup is a recipe from Liana Krissoff's book "Canning for a New Generation - Bold, Fresh Flavours for the Modern Pantry".  This book is available locally at Antipodes Gallery and Bookstore in Sorrento.

For the peach juice, we took the peelings and the flesh left around the pips, put it into 8 cups of water and gently simmered for about an hour.  Then we strained the flesh through a cheese cloth and used the warm juice for a sugar free syrup.

The honey syrup was 8 cups water with 1/4 cup of honey.

The vanilla syrup was recommended at 4 cups of sugar to 8 cups water.  But we used half that and I still wonder if the peaches need that much sugar.  We only did a few jars though, just to make Ms Krissoff's recipe Toffee Encrusted Vanilla Poached Peaches.  Just the thought of that delight had my daughter putting her apron on to help!

Instead of using "Fruit Fresh" or ascorbic acid to preserve the colour of the peaches while we were working, we just soaked them in a bowl of water with the juice from one lemon.  They are lovely and orange in the jars now.  I recon that over time, depending on light and oxygen left in the jars, they will eventually change colour.  But we hope to use all that we have jarred this winter, not store them for ten years.  I have jarred white nectarines before in juice as opposed to syrup, without using ascorbic acid.  The colour did turn to brown after a year but they still tasted wonderful.

So the preserving season has started for this year.  I get very excited seeing new produce on the pantry shelves.  And with the trees starting to produce fruit, we hope to offer a fruit share next year.

CSA Summer Share 2012-2013 - Week #7 (12-18 January)

WHAT’S IN THE BOXThe following are the items in your box this coming week.  Some items and quantities may vary depending on your harvest day.  The photo is of a full share.

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.

NOTES ON THE SHARE Basil – Small bunch in every box. Beans – I am happy to finally write that we have something in surplus...BEANS.  Your box will contain an ample share of the harvest of yellow beans 'Cherokee Wax', green beans 'Strike' and climbing beans 'Purple King'. Broccoli – There is a bit more to harvest from the current planting and this will be divided into boxes. The harvest may finish before Thursday. Cabbage- Green or Red.  We are harvesting the last of the Spring cabbage plantings this week. Capsicum – The harvest has begun.  We have done a post on the varieties and will be dividing the harvest each week. Carrots – Big bunch mixture of ‘Scarlett Nantes’, ‘Cosmic Purple’ and ‘Red Core Chatenay’. Chillies - The harvest of 'Padron' chillies will continue to appear in some boxes. There are 'Hungarian Hot Wax' and 'Long Thin Cayennes' being harvested.  Please look at the pepper post to identify. Cucumbers – We are growing long cucumbers and short cucumbers.  The shorter are sweeter and apparently "burpless".  This week each box should receive two/three  cucumbers. "Lazy Lettuce" –  We will continue to harvest the lazy lettuce until the planting is done.  This is the bag of mixed lettuce leaves that you received last week.  Although it has been washed and spun dry, it should be washed before eating. Leeks – One for the half share and two for the full. Parsley – Either 'Italian Flat Leaf' or 'Curly' - Bunch in every box. Potatoes – Harvesting red skinned 'Desiree'. Rocket – A bag in every box. Thyme – Bunch in every box. Cherry Tomatoes – The harvest has begun and while each share is small (more on that below), we hope every box will receive some this week. Zucchini – Zucchini this week includes 'Nero di Milano' and 'Romanesco'.

NOTES ON WHAT'S GROWING We have begun to harvest tomatoes.  We harvest them before they are fully ripe and ripen them in the shade of the shed, to preserve their flavour.  The harvest in the beginning weeks of any new crop is always modest.  It is the mid-life of the plants when they just produce like crazy...we hope.  The second corn planting, a red variety, is tassling.  It looks so beautiful.  I will be posting a picture walk around the farm this week so if you do not receive our newsletter, you can check the webpage.  The second bean planting has been picked once with a great harvest!  The purple climbing beans are producing and should continue for awhile.  We have continued to plant spinach, rocket, lettuces and other greens, to try and have variety in the boxes each week.  We are trialing some different types of spinach which can withstand the heat better then the English spinach.  The first planting of carrots is almost done and then there is a second ready.  The onions are bulbing up beautifully.  The cucumbers are starting to have a really good harvest every other day.  Our second planting of zucchini is ready for harvest which is great as the first one never really went bonkers.  We are happy with how things are growing and continue to make notes about changes we might make for next year.  Please send through any feedback you have about crops you are receiving and/or amounts.

We have had to set priorities for water distribution.  The autumn crop seeding began in mid December and with the greenhouse full again of seedlings ready to be planted, they have received first dibs on water with corn, tomatoes, zucchini, beans, melons and pumpkins coming in next.  By rotating the irrigation throughout the days of intense heat, we have been able to minimize damage thus far.

U-PICK FLOWERS We have cosmos, zinneas, scabiosa, fever few, snap dragons, calendula, nasturtiums, statice, helichrysums and many other flowers growing.  Every member is welcome to come and U-pick some edible flowers and a bouquet each week on Saturdays from 8am-11am.  If you have not been to the farm yet, this is a great chance to walk around, see your food growing and leave with a wonderful posy.

SEASONAL EATING - SHARING INSPIRATION Please keep sharing your inspirations.  True seasonal eating has lost its definition, due partly to the fact that the grocery stores and fruit and vegetable shops seem to have everything, all the time.  It is great to be a part of the re-awakening of eating with the season and I am enjoying compiling what that looks like for so many different families.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Poached Baby Vegetables with Caper Mayonnaise Carrot and Radish Salad with a Morrocan Inspired Dressing Roasted Radishes Szechwan Green Beans

You can also search by key ingredient on our website recipe page for many more ideas.

Capsicums and Chillies 2013

Here is some more information about the Capsicums and Chillies which will continue to appear in your box throughout the Summer Share and into Autumn.

Most all capsicums will turn yellow, orange or red when they are mature...even the purple ones. In the beginning of the capsicum harvest though,  the capsicums will be green or purple.  As the seeds in the capsicum mature, the fruit begins to turn red, orange or yellow, depending on variety.

A frequently asked question is when will we be harvesting red capsicums?  If we leave the first capsicums on the bush to "mature", the plant thinks it has done its job and stops producing flowers.  The extreme heat during the beginning of January also caused the plants to not set fruit.  We would like to try and nurse our capsicum plants into producing more fruit so we are harvesting the green and purple to send the message to the plant that it has not yet produced mature seed, in hopes that it will put its energy into flowering again and setting fruit.  We will then harvest these when the colour begins to "break", the colour starts to change.  Instead of putting them in the fridge, if you leave them in your warm kitchen, most will continue to color up for a few days.

Capsicums are rich in goodness - one medium-sized capsicum will provide almost the entire daily adult requirement of vitamin C  and also contains vitamins such a B1, B2 and D, plus numerous minerals.

Capsicum 'Corno di Toro' ('Bull's Horn' ) An Italian heirloom sweet capsicum that produces curved, tapering fruits, 15 - 25 cm long, with a great, fruity flavour. When ripe they turn a stunning red or yellow. Capsicum 'California Wonder' Plant produces high yields of huge 15 cm (6”) by 10 cm (4”) wide sweet bell peppers; the fruit is thick-walled with a crisp, mild flavour. Peppers turn from green to red when mature. It is nutritious, high in Vitamin C and ideal for stuffing, cooking and salads. Capsicum 'Emerald Giant' The Bell Pepper Emerald Giant, 'Capsicum annuum', is a large, thick-fleshed green bell pepper that sweetens and turns red on the vine. Roasted, stuffed and baked, or eaten fresh in salads, Emerald Giants large, thick fleshed peppers have more vitamin C than an orange. Capsicum 'Purple Beauty' Absolutely stunning purple bell pepper. Large 4-lobed, thick-walled fruits borne on sturdy compact plants. Tender crisp texture, mild sweet flavor. Holds in the purple stage for some time before ripening to a radiant purple-red. Capsicum 'Yolo Wonder' This variety is a sweet bell type. The fruit is green, when maturing it will change to red.

CHILLIS Chilli 'Hungarian Hot Wax'  'Hungarian Hot Wax' is a hardy, highly productive banana chilli with smooth, waxy fruits tapering to a point. The fleshy fruit, 12 cm x 3.8 cm, turn from yellow, to orange, to red when ripe. It is definitely hot, similar in heat range to Jalapeno or Paprika; Scoville heat scale 2500 - 8000 units. Chili 'Jalapeno' 'Jalapeno' chillies taper to a blunt end, are 7.5 cm long and 3 cm in diameter. The fruit are glossy deep green in colour, turning bright red when ripe. The plants are sturdy and productive over a long period and begin cropping early. Plants also grow well in containers. It is a good choice for salsa and dishes where a milder chilli is preferred. 5,000 Scoville. Chili 'Cayenne Long Thin' Cayenne Long Thin' is a productive chilli with 12 - 15 cm long, curved, wrinkled, fiery-hot fruit that start green and ripen to crimson. Height of chilli bush is 90 cm. This is one of the best chillies for seasoning pickles, salsa and drying as chilli powder. It is very hot, similar in heat range to Tabasco; Scoville heat scale 30,000 - 50,000 units. Chili 'Pimiento de Padron' From Spain and named after the town where they originated, Padrons are served sautéed in olive oil with a little sea salt, and eaten as tapas (appetizer) in Spain.  Folk law has it that one pepper in 20 is hot.  Very sweet and mild and excellent for frying. The more mature the chili is, the hotter it becomes rating 3000 on the Scoville heat scale. Chili 'Thai Hot' or 'Bird's Eye' Popular variety from South East Asia, producing 3-4cm long pungent fruit. Rate between 50,000–100,000 on the Scoville heat scale 50,000–100,000.

Post Note:

As more of the varieties are harvested, we will continue to update the photo so that you can identify what you are receiving.

Sometimes, even with seed from wonderful seed companies, strange new varieties of plants appear amidst that have grown 'true' to seed.  We have had this happen this year with one 'Purple Beauty'.  Instead of being bell shaped, it is horn shaped and has beautiful variegation.  It is labeled in the photo as 'Purple Beauty' x ?

Sharing Inspiration - Seasonal Eating

We have been receiving many emails and text messages from CSA members sharing their inspired meals.  I have to admit, after a hard days work, when I read the meal descriptions, I just want to go to their houses for dinner!  Receiving a box of at least ten different vegetables each week is an invitation to create from the box and serve TRULY seasonal meals, throughout the week.  That is not always a simple task as many of us lead busy lives.  And seasonal cooking is almost a foreign concept with vegetable markets offering us a huge array of produce, lots shipped or trucked in from far away and many recipes combining vegetables which are not always in season together in our area.  Searching for recipes and making "new" food takes time. The results though are worth it.  Nutrient dense, flavoursome, real food!!  Here are some of the photos.

To everyone eating from the box, you are re-defining what seasonal is!  Get ready as soon there will be beans and zucchini for weeks...and then, they will go away for another 8 months.  A lovely farmer at the Boneo market recounted to me, "It used to be that when there were apples, we ate apples...all the time...in every way our mums could get us to eat them."  Another wonderful cook told me of the wonders of walking into a French market, only open from 6-7pm.  Growers sold their freshly picked produce out of the back of their cars or vans.  Ripe and ready to be consumed, it begged for you to place it into your basket and incorporate it onto your palette.  Bon Appetite!!

Post Note:  Many people have included recipes with their photos.  Go to our recipes page and search under key ingredients(look to the bar on the right) to find them.

The Magical Job of Corn Silk

Its corn pollination time here.  For the next few months, our successive corn plantings will be sending up their tassel with small corn cobs below, the silk sprouting out the top. Until I read Michael Pollans book "The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals", my thoughts about corn silk ranged from not wanting it to get stuck in my teeth, so painstakingly removing every last piece from each ear when I husked them. To using the silk as attire for the children's corn husk dolls. I had wondered why it was there, what was its job.  Nature does not seem to have accidents.  Pollan's book answered the question.

The corn plant, like many other vegetable plants, has a male and female anatomy.  The male part is the tassel which comes from the corn stalk.  The female portion is in the ear of corn...many female portions as each kernel waits to be pollinated from the pollen carried in the tassel.

But how does the pollen which blows in the wind or is released from the stalk being rustled (a child walking through the corn field) reach the kernel sheathed in the corn husk.  Each piece of corn silk is linked to a kernel.  When a piece of pollen gets stuck on the sticky silk, it divides into two twins.  One makes a tunnel in the silk that moves the pollen from the outside of the corn husk, to inside and the awaiting kernel.  The second twin follows entering the fertilized ovum where it sets about forming the endosperm - the big starchy part of the kernel.  As Pollan puts it, "Every kernel of corn is the product of this intricate menage a trois; the tiny, stunted kernels you often see at the narrow end of a cob are flowers whose silk no pollen grain ever penetrated. Within a day of conception, the now superfluous silk dries up, eventually turning reddish brown; fifty or so days later, the kernels are mature." The amazing ways of nature!!

The first thing we look for, to tell when the ear is ready,  is the browning off of the corn silk.  Then it is just the feel of a filled out ear of corn.  We keep watching and feeling until we cannot wait any longer...and we peek!  We hope the corn will be ready for harvest in about three weeks.

CSA Summer Share 2012-2013 - Week #6 (5 - 11 January)

WHAT’S IN THE BOXThe following are the items in your box this coming week.  Some items and quantities may vary depending on your harvest day.  The photo is of a full share.

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.

NOTES ON THE SHARE Beetroot – A bunch of assorted beetroot in every box. Bush Beans – We have finished the first planting of bush beans and moved into the second, which includes yellow beans 'Cherokee Wax'. The purple climbing beans 'Purple King' should be ready for their first harvest this week as well. Carrots – Big bunch mixture of ‘Scarlett Nantes’, ‘Cosmic Purple’ and ‘Red Core Chatenay’.  And a small bunch of baby carrots 'Deep Purple'. Cauliflower/ Broccoli – We have moved into another planting of broccoli.  We are finishing a cauliflower planting which has yielded beautiful and small heads.  The next cauliflower harvest will be in the Autumn.  The harvest will be divided up between the boxes. Celery – We have begun to harvest the celery 'Tall Utah'. It's flavour is intense and it is a bit stringy. Chilli - The harvest of 'Padron' chillies will continue to appear in some boxes. Cucumbers – We are growing long cucumbers and short cucumbers.  The shorter are sweeter and apparently "burpless".  This week each box should receive two/three  cucumbers. "Lazy Lettuce" –  We have thickly seeded a mixture of lettuces so that we can harvest mixed lettuce leaves when they are still young.  Although it has been washed and spun dry, it should be washed before eating. Onions - The onions this week are 'Red Burgundy'. Slightly sweet and very beautiful. The tops can be used too like you would a green onion. Parsley –  'Italian Plain Leaf' or 'Curly Leaf' Potatoes – Harvesting red skinned 'Desiree' or 'Sapphire', a spectacular purple potato with rich purple flesh that maintains its colour when cooked.  Makes the most striking mashed potato. Radishes – Every box will receive a bunch of radishes this week.  We had not intended for some boxes to have them two weeks in a row but the next planting is ready for harvest now.  If left for a week, they all split. The variety is 'Champion'. Rocket/ Silverbeet/ Spinach – We have trialed growing some baby rocket, silverbeet and beetroot greens.  We will be harvesting whatever is ready. These can be mixed into a salad or used separately.  They are all suitable to be eaten raw or cooked. Peas – The heat of Friday has finished the last of the peas for the summer share.  Heat changes the flavour of the peas and makes the powdery mildew spread rapidly.  Bye Bye peas.  Hello beans! Squash – The variety is 'Jaune Et Verte' but in Vermont we just called them Patty Pans.  These are delightful summer squash if picked when young.  We have added a recipe for them and will get them into everyone's boxes throughout the season. They are small, round with scallop edges and a light green colour.  Really lovely baked! Zucchini – Zucchini this week includes 'Nero di Milano' and 'Romanesco'.

NOTES ON WHAT'S GROWING Although we are very lucky to have a secure water source, the lack of a good rain is evident.  With some crops, there is a reduction in size and with others we are noticing damaged leaves.  Our irrigation runs nearly non-stop but sprinklers are just not the same as an even soaking from rain.  We will keep you informed of how the crops fair in the heat.  While so many growing descriptions of crops indicated that they like "full sun", I think that the sun here in Australia, especially on these intense days is scorching and many leaves burn.  Permaculture's placing of shade trees is a wonderful idea in Australia!  We have lost one lettuce planting to mildew...the combination of a variety with many folds and lots of overhead watering to try and combat the heat.  But luckily there is a baby lettuce planting that has grown wonderfully to fill in the spot.  We keep talking about the cherry tomatoes.  There was a very small harvest today but we are still not seeing any of the larger size tomatoes turning colour and not that many cherries. Next year we will start the first planting of tomatoes in a movable greenhouse to try and have tomatoes just a bit earlier.  If you are on our mailing list, you will receive a post about corn this week.  The first planting is ready for pollination!

U-PICK FLOWERS We have cosmos, zinneas, scabiosa, fever few, snap dragons, calendula, nasturtiums, statice, helichrysums and many other flowers growing.  Every member is welcome to come and U-pick some edible flowers and a bouquet each week on Saturdays from 8am-11am.  If you have not been to the farm yet, this is a great chance to walk around, see your food growing and leave with a wonderful posy.

SEASONAL EATING - SHARING INSPIRATION We have received many meal photos and recipe suggestions from CSA members in the past two weeks.  It is great to see and hear about the yummy food that is being enjoyed!  Seasonal eating looks wonderful, sounds delicious and is very different from what we are seeing in the grocery store.  Please keep sharing your inspirations.  True seasonal eating has lost a definition, due partly to the fact that the grocery stores and fruit and vegetable shops seem to have everything, all the time.  It is great to post meal photos on our facebook page so that others can be inspired as well.  We are also happy to include tried recipe suggestions.  Maybe an easier way to share these is to set up another facebook page for CSA members where you can post photos and recipes directly?  Any other ideas or thoughts?

DELIVERY With the heat really setting in, we encourage those who get their boxes delivered to leave an esky with ice blocks in a sheltered location.  We are happy to unpack the box into an esky so that the produce has a better chance to stay in good condition until you return home.

With the holidays finished, Tuesday deliveries are back on Tuesday.

CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture) Kirsten Bradley of Milkwood Permaculture wrote a great post on CSA's. http://milkwood.net/2013/01/01/new-models-for-awesome-community-supported-agricultures-csas/ Transition Farm is listed as one of 5 CSA's in Australia. As members, we think you are all very special for supporting an idea new to this country.  We love hearing what you think about being part of a CSA and how the service could be better catered to you.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Ottolenghi's Perfect Lettuce Salad with Radishes, Semi-dried Tomatoes and Capers Szechwan Green Beans Potato and Green Bean Salad Crunchy Salad

You can also search by key ingredient on our website recipe page for many more ideas.