Snow Peas with Sesame Dressing

/

Ingredients200 grams snow peas, washed and ends trimmed 1/4 cup olive oil oil 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 teaspoons caster sugar 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon ground ginger powder 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper 1 teaspoon white and black sesame seeds 1 tablespoon chopped green onion or chives

Method 1. To blanch the snow peas, bring a medium pot of water to a boil.  Add the snow peas to the pot and cook until they turn bright green, approximately 30 seconds. Lift from the water and submerge in a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking and preserve the green colour. 2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together both oils, the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger powder, and crushed red pepper until thoroughly combined. 3. In a serving bowl, toss the snow peas with the dressing.  Sprinkle the sesame seeds and green onion over the snow peas and toss to combine. 4. Let chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Pea and broad bean salad with nasturtium leaves and bagna cauda

/
DSC_1203-w600.jpg

Peter's mother found this recipe in the good food section of The Age on Tuesday 17 September. While not essential, the nasturtium leaves add a delicious accent to this Spring salad with their distinctive peppery notes. 

Ingredients 1kg broad beans (to yield 150g double podded beans, plus a handful to garnish) 3 handfuls fresh peas 200g sugar snap peas 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped Salt flakes Freshly ground pepper Extra virgin olive oil 150g frozen peas, refreshes in boiling water 1/2 bunch mint, picked and roughly chopped 5 small radishes 100g soft goats cheese 2 handfuls nasturtium leaves lemon, to serve

Method 1. Blanch the broad beans for three minutes in simmering water.  Lift out and immediately refresh in a bowl of ice water.  Follow by blanching peas then sugar snaps, refreshing in iced water each time - this stops the cooking and helps to keep them bright green. 2. Split the sugar snap peas. Double pod the broad beans, leaving a handful or so of the smaller ones whole to garnish. 3. In a mortar, add garlic, some salt and pepper and a splash of oil and grind to a paste.  Add the podded broad beans, the refreshed frozen peas and mint and pound to a rough paste - you can add a little oil if necessary but it should be a quite stiff. Check and adjust seasoning. 4. Put the remainder handful of broad beans, fresh peas, whole radishes and split sugar snap peas in a bowl, season, drizzle with oil and toss through. 5. Spread the bean paste across a large platter and arrange the pea and broad bean mix on top.  Finish with the goat's cheese, nasturtium leaves and a squeeze of lemon.  Spoon over some bagna couda and serve.

note - I had to google bagna couda and found several recipes. I tried this one.  Jamie Oliver also has a recipe which includes many of the vegetables you are receiving in the box over the next few weeks.

We are happy to include some nasturtium leaves into your box if you request them.

Artichoke Hearts and Fennel

/

This is a wonderful base for a risotto and great as a side dish.  You can use other herbs, such as fresh thyme or tarragon – to taste, in place of the parsley. There are many internet sites explaining with pictures how to expose the heart of the artichoke.  I have described it below but pictures are helpful. Ingredients 3 to 4 prepared artichoke hearts 1 lemon bowl of cold water 1 to 2 baby fennel sliced about 2 tablespoons butter 3 green garlic "cloves" and stems, sliced like green onions freshly ground black pepper and salt 60 ml dry white wine 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice zest from one lemon 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Method 1. Trim the tops and stems from the fennel. You can save some of the fronds for garnish. Cut fennel bulbs into 1cm-thick slices, cutting lengthwise through the root end to keep slices intact. 2. Preparing Artichokes - Pour the water into a deep bowl. Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice into the water, then add the lemon half to the water. 3. Cut most of the stem off an artichoke, leaving about 3/4-inch (2 cm.).  Cut off most of the crown or leaves of the artichoke, about an inch (3 cm) from where the stem meets the base of the artichoke. 4. Pull off the tough leaves. Run a paring knife around the edge of the artichoke to remove any tough bits of skin and leaves. 5. Take a spoon and scoop out the fuzzy “choke” of the artichoke, inside. 6. Then use the paring knife to trim any last bits of skin on the stem. (If you’re not sure if something should be trimmed away or not – it will likely be tough, so get rid of it.) 7. Slide the trimmed artichoke into the lemon water, then repeat with the remaining artichokes. Artichokes turn brown immediately so do put them into the lemon water. 8. To cook - Put butter into an unheated sauté pan that has a cover. Heat the olive oil slowly. 9. At the same time, working relatively quickly, drain the artichokes, towel dry them, and slice them about 1 cm thick. 10. Add the artichoke and fennel slices to the heated butter, tossing them a few times to coat. Season with salt and  freshly ground black pepper. 11.Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add wine and lemon juice, and cover. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 12 minutes or so, removing the lid and stirring a few times, until the artichokes are tender. They’re done when you can poke a paring knife into one and it meets no resistance. 12. Remove lid, turn up the heat and stir in the parsley and lemon zest. Cook for another minute or so to get rid of any excess liquid and allow the fennel and artichoke to brown.  You may need to add a bit more butter or olive oil.  When just about done, add the green garlic and cook for one minute more. Garnish with fennel fronds.

Chlorophyll Paste

/

Thank you to Ceila Lairba, one of our CSA members and a Thermomix consultant for sending through this recipe Taken from "in the mix - Great Thermomix Recipes" by Dani Valent

 Chlorophyll Paste

Time: 25minutes, plus overnight draining. Makes about 1/2cup.

 Ingredients
500g ice cubes
250g baby spinach leaves (any green leaves - kale, bok choy, braising greens, perpetual gator etc)
80-150g soft herbs (parsley, coriander, mint, dill or chives) leaves only, amount depends on how much flavour you want
Method 1. Weigh the ice into the TM Bowl. Set to Closed Lid position, press Turbo serval times. Tip the crushed ice into a large mixing bowl. 2. Weigh 750g of water and heat for 6mins/70 degrees/speed 1, bringing it to exactly 70 degrees. While that's happening, prepare a large sieve or colander lined with muslin or a clean kitchen cloth. 3. Add the baby spinach (or any other greens as above) and herbs into TM Bowl. Blitz for 6 mins/70 degrees/speed 10, then immediately pour the green mush into the bowl of crushed ice. NOTE if the lid is leaking STOP. You need a new seal. Otherwise you will make a huge mess. Be careful opening the lid - allow a 2-3 second delay before opening to allow for the green mixture to settle. I learnt the hard way and immediately opened the lid and had green everywhere on white walls and me. 4. Pour the contents of the bowl into the lined sieve. Leave to drain for 4 hours, ideally overnight. 5. The resulting paste left in the muslin is the chlorophyll. Scrape it into a container. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. Discard the remaining green juice into a smoothie, on the garden - don't let it go to waste.
Ways to use it
  • Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of paste to scrambled eggs to create bright green eggs
  • Mix it into pasta dough for green noodles
  • Add a tablespoon to a fresh juice or smoothie

Parsley, Fennel and Spinach Soup

/

Ingredients125g parsley 1tbsp olive oil 2 Fennel bulbs, chopped (fronds reserved) 1 onion, chopped sea salt and freshly ground pepper 2 garlic cloves. crushed 3 cups chicken stock 200g spinach leaves grated zest of 1 lemon and a squeeze of its juice 4 tbsp ricotta crushed dried chillies to serve

Method 1. Separate parsley leaves from the stalks.  Chop half the parsley stalks and discard the rest. 2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the chopped fennel, onion and parsley stalks and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 8 minutes, until softened, then add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. 3. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil then add parsley leaves and spinach.  Stir until wilted. 4. Blend with a hand held blender or bench top food processor. 5.  Return to pan and add the squeeze of lemon juice.  Adjust seasoning to taste. 6.  Ladle into bowls and top each with 1 tbsp ricotta, a grating of the lemon zest, reserved fennel fronds and a little dried chilli.

 

Carrots and Peas in a Sweet and Spicy Sauce

/

Inspired by Ottolenghi's recipe written for The Guardian Ingredients bit over 1/4cup orange juice 1/8cup red wine 1/8cup honey 2 cinnamon sticks 4 star anise 1½ tbsp coriander seeds 1 kilo carrots, peeled and cut at an angle 1/4cup olive oil 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1/2 kilo shelled peas, fresh or frozen salt and pepper Garnish: 2 ½ oz pea shoots (optional)

Method 1. To make the sauce, pour orange juice, wine, and honey into a saucepan. Add the cinnamon and star anise and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered 20-40 minutes until reduced to a third. Set aside. 2. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 3. Heat a small frying pan over high heat. Add the coriander seeds and dry toast them for about three minutes. 4. In a bowl, mix the toasted coriander seeds, carrots, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. 5. Spread the carrot mixture out on a large baking tray and bake in oven for about 15 minutes. 6. Remove tray from oven and add the sweet sauce (including cinnamon and star anise). Stir well and return to the oven for seven minutes, until the carrots are cooked through, but still have some crunch. 7. Remove from oven and allow to cool. 8. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the peas. Simmer for one minute, then drain into a colander. Run under cold water, then drain. 9. Gently stir together carrots and peas. 10. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pasta with Yogurt Sauce, Peas, and Chilli

/

Adapted from Ottolenghi's cookbook JerusalemServes 6-7

Ingredients 2 1/2 cups Greek yogurt 6 tbs olive oil, divided 4 cloves garlic 1/2 kilo shelled peas 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp white pepper 1/2 kilo pasta (shells or orecchiette hold the sauce well) Scant 1/2 cup pine nuts 2 tsp chilli flakes (use less if you are sensitive to heat) 1/8 tsp smoked paprika 1/2 cup thinly sliced basil leaves 8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Method 1. Combine yogurt, 2 tbs olive oil, garlic, 2/3 cup peas, salt, and white pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Process to a smooth light green sauce. 2. Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, then drain, reserving about 1 cup of cooking water. 3. While pasts cooks, heat remaining 4 tbs olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts, chilli flakes, and paprika and cook until pine nuts are golden brown. 4. Toss pasta with sauce, remaining peas, feta cheese, and basil. Divide into serving bowls and spoon the pine nuts and chilli oil over the top of each serving. Serve immediately.

Green Beans, Peas, Pink Grapefruit and Coriander

/

This salad was made for us for dinner by my daughter and her grandmother and then made again the next day for lunch by my daughter by herself!!  She liked it so much she wrote down the recipe and asked to use the last of the bean harvest to make it for Sunday lunch.  Food made by other people does always taste great...delicious food made by a nine year old taste absolutely terrific!!!

She did not write down any amounts...but just mixed and tasted and did everything else by eye.  She left the chilies to me to add to my plate.

Ingredients Green Beans Snow Peas or Sugar Snaps Pink Grapefruit, peeled and sectioned Spring onion, cut or a little bit of red onion, diced small Coriander, ripped coarsley Cashews, toasted Chilies, diced finely - optional Dressing Juice of a whole lime or two couple of spoonfuls of dark brown sugar couple of shakes of fish sauce

Method 1. Steam or blanch the green beans and the peas. Cool in ice water. 2. Add to the grapefruit, onions and coriander. 3. Toss with dressing. 4. Serve alone or on top of mixed greens.

Pasta with Fennel, Rocket and Lemon

/

This is a recipe adapted from Adapted from River Cottage VEG.  It is lovely the way it is written.  Depending on what pasta you choose, you may just want to add a bit more liquid. Ingredients 1 large fennel bulb, fronds reserved 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil 2 large cloves garlic, minced 6 ounces pasta (papparadelle, linguine, spaghetti etc.) 1/4 cup creme fraiche, to taste zest of one large lemon, juice reserved 3-4 good handfuls of rocket 1/4 cup reserved pasta water sea salt and pepper parmesan or hard goats cheese, to finish

Method 1. Bring a large pot of liberally salted water to a boil. 2. Cut the fennel in half lengthwise. Remove the tough core and slice it into 1/4'' wedges. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add the fennel, give it a stir and let it cook, undisturbed (that's how you get the nice brown bits) for 5 minutes. Give it a stir, turn the heat down to medium, add the garlic, a pinch of salt and another splash of oil if the pan looks dry. Start cooking the pasta. 3. To the fennel, add the creme fraiche, lemon zest and stir to coat. Add the arugula and give it another toss. 4. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4-1/2 cup of the pasta water. Add the noodles to the creamy fennel pan and toss to coat, adding a pinch or two of salt, pepper, squeeze of lemon juice and pasta water as needed. 5. Serve each portion with a generous grate of the parmesan and a few fennel fronds.

Hearty Winter Vegetable Stew

/

Serves 4-6Ingredients 2 Tbs. olive oil 4 shitake mushrooms, cut into quarters 4 small onions, quartered 3 celery stems, roughly chopped into 1cm pieces 4 carrots chopped into 2cm pieces 300 gms potatoes, well scrubbed and cut in to chunks 2 turnips peeled and cut into chunks 1 medium parsnip, peeled and chopped into chunks 1 small cauliflower, cut into florets 2 cloves garlic, crushed Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 ½ cups rich vegetable stock ½ cup dry red or white wine 1 Tbs. tamari soy sauce a bunch of parsley and thyme, 1 sage leaf, and a 25 cm stem of rosemary…(dry herbs may be substituted)

Method 1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or other large pot over medium heat. 2.  Cook onions for three minutes.  Add celery, shitakes and carrots for another two minutes. 3. Add all remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low. Cover pot, and cook, stirring contents occasionally, until all vegetables are tender, 1 hour. 4.  To thicken the sauce, right before vegetables are done, take a large frypan and melt 2 tbsps butter. 5.  Add about ¼ cup of red wine and 2 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped.  Reduce by half. 6. Add approx 3 tbsps of flour. Gently whisk the flour allowing it to brown slightly. 7.  With a ladle, slowly spoon some of the stock into the fry pan, whisking all the time.  Continue adding stock until you have the desired consistency.  Add this back into your stew. 8.  Season with fresh herbs, salt and pepper.  Serve as is or top with mashed potatoes to make a delicious vegetable shepherds pie.

 

CSA Autumn Share 2013 - Week #13 (25 May - 31 May)

/
DSC_0218-w600.jpg

LAST WEEK OF THE AUTUMN SHARE AND OUR 2012-2013 CSA! WOW!  This is week #13 of the Autumn Share and week #26 of our CSA.  We thank you for your support, for enjoying local food, for sharing your food inspirations and thoughts on this service and for eating so many different types of turnips!

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 total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We 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.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival.

NOTES ON THE SHARE Beet Root – Harvesting bunches of 'Bulls Blood' and 'Ruby Queen'. Broccoli – Harvesting heads from a new planting 'Marathon'.  There will not be the surplus of last week but there should be a head in every box. 'Romanesco' Broccoli - This is more like a cauliflower then a broccoli.  The lovely lime green spirals are tender with a slightly nutty flavor.  Delicious raw. Use as you would cauliflower or broccoli. The planting teases us with a few heads every week.  If you have something in your box that looks like an "Escher" painting with spirals inside spirals, its 'Romanesco'. Green Cabbage - 'Green Acre' Cauliflower - The plantings of 'Green Macerata' and 'Sicily Purple' cauliflower are continuing to produce heads ready for harvest.  There is also a planting of white cauliflower 'Early Snowball' heading up. Kale – Harvesting bunches of 'Nero di Toscana', 'Red Russian' and 'Dwarf Blue Curled'. Leeks – We have cleared out all the leeks and will be dividing them between all the boxes. Lettuce – Harvesting lovely small heads of 'Brown Mignonette', 'Brown Cos' and 'Green Mignonette'. Mesclun – Harvesting a lovely mix of baby "greens". Parsnips – ‘Guernsey’. We have cleared out the planting and hope to include some parsnips in every box. Peas – Harvesting 'Oregon Giant' Snow Peas. Pumpkin – 'Queensland Blue' and 'Hercules Butternut'. Silver Beet – Harvesting bunches of 'Red Ruby'. Swedes – A Vermont favourite, known as a 'Rutabega' in those parts, are a wonderful addition to stews. While these may look a bit like a turnip, they are frost resistant and have a sweet, mild flavour when roasted. Tat Soi – Harvest bunches of this Asian green great raw or lightly braised.

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING With this being the last box of this CSA season, we ask that you let us know what you have thought of this service.  Were the boxes too big, too small, too diverse, not enough of each item, perfect every week?  Were there items you would have liked more often, items you would have liked less often or ones you would have prefered not to have?  The difference between being part of a CSA and buying food from markets, growers shops, and grocery stores is that we are your farmers.  We are growing the food for YOU.  So please tell us what you think now while we have the time to change our program for next year.  Emailing us at petercarlyon@gmail.com .

Our harvesting will begin again in the Spring.  We will be contacting you over the winter to see if you would like to be a part of our CSA then.  Thank you for your support!!  We are enjoying the direct relationship we have had growing your food.

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

 

Sweet Corn, Chicken and Pumpkin Soup

/
DSC_0114-w600.jpg

I took all the terribly young ears of corn from our experimental late sown crop and made a chicken, pumpkin and sweet corn soup for lunch today.  We have a WWOOFer staying at the farm who is eating lots of bone broths.  I made a chicken stock which slowly simmered through the night so I had a great soup base. Ingredients 1 large red onion, sliced and diced 300 grams pumpkin cut into cubes 150 grams carrot cut into rounds 6 cups of stock 2 garlic cloves, pressed 2 bay leaves tbsp fresh thyme 1/2 tbsp of grated ginger 1 tsp ground cinnamon a sprinkle ground cloves chicken picked from the chicken carcass used for the stock (about 1 cup) 4 corn cobs, corn cut off

Method 1. Fry onion in olive oil with bay leaves and garlic. 2. Added pumpkin, corn, herbs and stock.  Simmer for about 30 minutes. 3. When the pumpkin is soft, blend the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. 4. You can add a dollup of cream.  Delicious, fresh and warm!!

CSA Autumn Share 2013 - Week #12 (18 May - 24 May)

/
DSC_0108-w600.jpg

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 total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We 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 Broccoli – Harvesting heads from a new planting 'Marathon' and side shoots from previous plantings of 'Marathon' and 'De Cicco'. 'Romanesco' Broccoli - This is more like a cauliflower then a broccoli.  The lovely lime green spirals are tender with a slightly nutty flavor.  Delicious raw. Use as you would cauliflower or broccoli. The planting teases us with a few heads every week.  If you have something in your box that looks like an "Escher" painting with spirals inside spirals, its 'Romanesco'. Red Cabbage - 'Red Rock' Carrots – Harvesting 'Scarlett Nantes' orange carrots this week....have you noticed how the cold is sweetening the carrots? Cauliflower - The plantings of 'Green Macerata' and 'Sicily Purple' cauliflower are continuing to produce heads ready for harvest.  These plantings are not coming on uniformly so we are uncertain how many heads will be ready each week.  There is also a planting of white cauliflower heading up. Chillies - We will include 'Birdseye' chillies in your box if you request them.  Please email us if you would like them. Coriander – Bunch in every box. Kohlrabi – We are harvesting the 'Purple Vienna' Kohlrabi's this week.  The heat in April turned many of the swollen stems woody, a far cry from the succulent sweetness the ones we are putting in the boxes have after the first frost.  The full shares will receive them this week and then we can see how many remain.  Kohlrabi, eaten raw, has a huge amount of Vitamin C as well as trace minerals.  We will be planting more for the Spring share. Leeks – Harvesting the last of the ‘American Flag’ leeks. Lettuce – Harvesting lovely small heads of 'Brown Mignonette'. Mizuna – This is a Japanese mustard green. They can be mixed into salads, stir fried or added to soups. Expect a bunch of this or a bunch of 'Osaka Purple'. Mustard – Harvesting bunches of young 'Osaka Purple' mustard greens.  Expect a bunch of this or a bunch of 'Mizuna'. Parsnips – ‘Guernsey’. Clearing out the last of this planting. Peas – Harvesting 'Sugar Ann' Sugar Snaps. Rocket – The cold has added flavour to the rocket! 'Perpetual Gator' Silver Beet – Bunches of the young, tender green silver beet. Turnips – ‘Purple Top’ or 'Scarlett Queen'.

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING We loved looking at the colour in the boxes as we filled them on Wednesday- not sure if the grayness of the day made them glow more.  And in the field, the grayness really does make all the colour of the crops glow more!  And having had two light frosts before the clouds moved in, the Autumn crops are much sweeter! With two weeks left of the CSA, we are surprised with how much food is still growing.  If you are unsure how to get through what's in the box this week, pickle some of the cabbage and use it in the middle of winter.  Save some carrots for next week as this is their last week.  Make a stew with parsnips and turnips.  Roast your cauliflower and leeks with coconut oil and salt and savour their delicious flavour. Put the sugar snaps on the table and eat them all!!! Make a salad with the lettuce, rocket, mustard and red cabbage. Make a soup with everything that remains in your veggie drawer from last week. The perpetual gator will wait a week if you wrap it in paper towels...but with its lemony flavour, enjoy it with leeks in a tart.

With most the weeding finished for now, we are tilling, sowing cover crops, planting cauliflower for the spring and finalising what we will grow next year.  Have your say by emailing us at petercarlyon@gmail.com.

SEASONAL EATING - SHARING INSPIRATION Please keep sharing your inspirations.  As we really shift away from the light hungry, heat loving plants, I feel grateful to have had a summer harvest which blessed us with pumpkins, beans, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, corn - Which made the soil warm enough to grow our root crops for harvesting through the winter - and compost still rotting with the warmth.  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. So, please, delight us with your silver beet stews, cauliflower curries, broccoli soups and pumpkin, spinach and ricotta lasagnas!

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Kohlrabi and Apple Salad We liked this recipe that I found on the internet.  Kohlrabi Avocado Salad Nikki Fisher of Whole food Mama included a Lamb Shanks and Barley Soup on her blog this week.  The recipe includes parsnips and turnips! Red Cabbage and Apple Salad

You can find more recipes by searching key ingredients on our website recipe page.

CSA Autumn Share 2013 - Week #11 (11 May - 17 May)

/
DSC_0044-w600.jpg

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 and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We 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 Beetroot – Harvesting ‘Detroit Red’, ‘Bulls Blood’ and some ‘Golden Detroit’. Broccoli – We are hoping the next planting of broccoli will be ready for harvest on Tuesday for Wednesday's boxes.  Saturday's boxes rare receiving bunches of side shoots. The new planting appears to be aphid and caterpillar free! 'Romanesco' Broccoli - This almost looks more like a cauliflower then a broccoli.  The lovely lime green spirals are tender with a slightly nutty flavor.  Delicious raw. Use as you would cauliflower or broccoli. There are only a few plants heading up at this time but we hope the whole planting will in the next fortnight. Green Cabbage - 'Green Acre' Carrots – Harvesting 'Scarlett Nantes' orange carrots this week. Cauliflower - The plantings of 'Green Macerata' and 'Sicily Purple' cauliflower are continuing to produce heads ready for harvest.  These plantings are not coming on uniformly so we are uncertain how many heads will be ready each week.  We hope those that did not receive it last week, will this week.  There is also a planting of white cauliflower starting to head up...I am going to give up saying when cauliflower might be ready for harvest as these still are not...but maybe we will begin to harvest them soon. Celery – ‘Tall Utah’.  We have left all the side shoots on the celery this week as it is perfect in stocks.  If you do not make stock, you can pull them off to reveal the longer, plumper stalks of the celery. Chillies - We will include 'Birdseye' chillies in your box if you request them.  Please email us if you would like them. Leeks – Harvesting the ‘American Flag’ leeks. Peas – Harvesting ‘Oregon Giant’ Snow Peas and 'Sugar Ann' Sugar Snaps.  Expect a bag of one or the other.  Both can be eaten pod and all- raw and cooked!  The sugar snaps are smaller and plumper and the Snow Peas are longer, wider and flatter. Potatoes -  Harvesting 'Nicola', 'Desiree' and 'Dutch Creams'. Pumpkin – All of the pumpkins were harvested before the frost.  This week ‘Hercules Butternut’ will be in the boxes. Silverbeet – Bunch of ‘Red Ruby’

NOTES ON WHAT'S GROWING With these strangely warm days, we are very eager to sow most of the growing fields with cover crops before the weather becomes too cold for them to germinate.  About half the farm has been sown so far...with the recently sown oats about an inch high!  The garlic for next year has sprouted as have the broad beans for the Spring Share.

Including this week, there are three more weeks of the Autumn Share and there is still so much food growing.  There will be lettuce for next week...might even make it into Wednesday's boxes depending on these warm days.  And you may find a few surprises in your boxes over the next weeks as we continue to clean out plantings.  If you are unsure of anything your receive, please send us an email or ring.

Growing for the Autumn Share has been a bit tricky as far as the timing of planting and the timing of harvesting.  Things came on really quickly in the early Autumn and now everything has slowed right down.  A CSA is different then harvesting for a market.  Our planting is planned on having 10-12 items each week ready for harvest.  Our notes from previous seasons really did not help us with such a warm April.  Many of the crops we thought would hold for several weeks were going by.  And so we planted more crops to compensate and their growth has slowed down.  There will always be something unexpected when you work with nature!   A farmer in America told us, "Farming is different from most other professions.  In any profession, you try and find better ways to do tasks.  But for us, as farmers, we have to wait until next season to implement that "better way".  I have been farming for 25 years, I have grown tomatoes 25 times.  It doesn't seem like that many times to improve a system!"

SEASONAL EATING - SHARING INSPIRATION Please keep sharing your inspirations.  As we really shift away from the light hungry, heat loving plants, I feel grateful to have had a summer harvest which blessed us with pumpkins, beans, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, corn - Which made the soil warm enough to grow our root crops for harvesting through the winter - and compost still rotting with the warmth.  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. So, please, delight us with your silver beet stews, cauliflower curries, broccoli soups and pumpkin, spinach and ricotta lasagnas!

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin, Coriander and Almonds Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes Lamb Stew with Root Vegetables Beetroot, Feta and Almond Salad Carrot and Leek Soup

You can find more recipes by searching key ingredients on our website recipe page.

CSA Autumn Share 2013 - Week #10 (4 May - 10 May)

/
DSC_0015-w600.jpg

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 and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We 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 Beans – 'Strike' green beans and 'Cherokee Wax' yellow ones. Baby Red Pak Choi – Making bunches of these lovely baby Asian greens.  These are lovely stir fried whole. Broccoli – We continue checking for side shoots on the plants and while we wait for the next planting to head up.   We hope to get a bunch of some side shoots in all the boxes.  There may be green cabbage moth caterpillars...although we have only seen a few while harvesting. We have seen aphids, though and are trying to not harvest those heads.  If you do spy them, you can submerse the head in a salty water (cover the heads with a plate to keep them under.)  The aphids usually float up. If the aphids do take over the plantings, we will be tilling them in. 'Romanesco' Broccoli - This almost looks more like a cauliflower then a broccoli.  It is tender and mild with a slightly nutty flavor and its lovely lime green spirals.  Delicious raw. Use as you would cauliflower or broccoli. There are only a few plants heading up at this time but we hope the whole planting will in the next four weeks. Red Cabbage - 'Red Rock' Carrots – 'Scarlett Nantes'  Bigger orange carrots this week. Cauliflower - The plantings of 'Green Macerata' and 'Sicily Purple' cauliflower are continuing to produce heads ready for harvest.  These plantings are not coming on uniformly so we are uncertain how many heads will be ready each week.  We are keeping a list of who has received one and who has not.  There is also a planting of white cauliflower starting to head up.  Not sure if it will make it for this week but we should be harvesting them in a week. Chillies - We will include chillies in your box if you request them.  Please email us if you would like them. Coriander - Bunch in every box. Garlic – As we come to the end of this seasons shares, we are cleaning out the garlic we have.  Two to three bulbs in every box. Red Onions - 'California Red'... again we do not want to store onions over the winter.  So your share will include some extras. Parsley – Harvesting ‘Italian flat leaf’ and ‘Curly leaf’. Potatoes -  Harvesting 'Nicola' and 'Desiree'. Sweet Corn - We have two rows of a sweet corn experiment that is ready for harvest.  Some boxes received it last week.  We are hoping there is enough to put in the boxes that did not receive it yet. Baby Tatsoi – A green Asian green.  Again, we are harvesting them while they are tender and young.  They only need a very light wilting. Turnips - 'Purple Top'.

We are cleaning up several plantings.  Expect one of the following: Rocket Baby Silver Beet - 'Red Ruby'.  This is a lovely alternative to lettuce as a green under roasted vegetable, a great addition to soups or just lightly steamed. English Spinach - 'Long Standing Bloomsdale' ‘Perpetual Gator’ Spinach – This is more a silver beet then a spinach and it is tender and slightly lemony.

NOTES ON WHAT'S GROWING This weeks harvest is a bit unpredictable.  We know that the root crops, the Asian greens and the cabbage are ready and ample.  But we are unsure of what the broccoli, cauliflower, bean and sweet corn harvest will be.  In the fields, there are four varieties of lettuce (including raddichio, a mesclun planting, two 'Perpetual Gator' silverbeet plantings, another huge bok choy planting, Japanese turnips, rocket, english spinach, mustard greens, 'Mibuna' (another Asian Green), green cabbage, purple savoy cabbage, two white cauliflower plantings, sprouting broccoli planting, two more broccoli plantings, 200 feet of sugar snap peas in flower, our last sweet corn planting of 200 feet.  We are hoping that all of these will finish growing/ripening and be ready for harvest in the next few weeks.

There was a light frost this week which touched the leaves of the pumpkin plants, the last zucchini planting and the tops of the bean plantings leaves.  Luckily the beans were left untouched.  Any basil left on the farm is showing the signs of the cold with black spots all through it.  Most of the crops we are harvesting now are frost hardy.  The cold just slows down the growth.

SEASONAL EATING - SHARING INSPIRATION Please keep sharing your inspirations.  As we really shift away from the light hungry, heat loving plants, I feel grateful to have had a summer harvest which blessed us with pumpkins, beans, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, corn - Which made the soil warm enough to grow our root crops for harvesting through the winter - and compost still rotting with the warmth.  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. So, please, delight us with your fig delicacies, your kale chips, your silver beet stews and your pumpkin, spinach and ricotta lasagnas!

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Individual Turnip Gratins with Toast Fingers Tatsoi and Cabbage Stir Fry Bok Choy, Broccolini and Chicken in a Spiced Sauce and I found this recipe on the internet which would work well with 'Romanesco' and cauliflower, Quick Pickled Romanesco Broccoli

You can find more recipes by searching key ingredients on our website recipe page.