Spicy Shredded Napa Cabbage Salad

You will need:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 red chile, such as red Thai, thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt and pepper
6 cups shredded napa cabbage
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine lemon juice and chile slices in a bowl. Pour in oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss together cabbage, scallions and cilantro in a large bowl. Just before serving, drizzle with dressing and season with salt and pepper; toss.

*Thank You Martha Stewart Living, July 2010*

today's harvest

Full Shares:

2 heads lettuce

2 heads napa cabbage

bag of braising greens

1 lb. turnip

bunch chard

bunch collard

snap and snow peas

Half-Shares:

1 head lettuce

1 head napa

bag of braising greens or mild mesclun

1/2 lb. turnip

bunch chard

snow peas

cutting garden open

The cutting garden is now open, but you'll have to come with a light touch initially. The cutting garden is located beyond the raspberry bushes, which are just below the large black mat with all the mums planted on it.

There is plenty of basil that needs pinching, as well as some parsley that could be cut. We suggest you bring your own snips or scissors. A sign will be posted with instructions on how to cut.

There are some flowers, but not a lot. Please take a modest bunch, considering while you do so that there are 77 members of the CSA. By pinching (cutting the central stem) a flowering plant, you will be promoting more growth for the coming weeks!

When the cutting garden is more abundant, you'll be able to take a few bunches of herbs and a handful of flowers every week. We'll let you know when the time comes.

Unfortunately, our first sowing of cilantro did not germinate, so it will be a while before it becomes available.

up against it

Now that the growing season is in full-swing, and all good things ascend, trouble descends upon the farm! Our difficulties this year come in the form of woodchucks, earwigs, potato beetles, a fox, and weeds.

The woodchucks have been into the lettuce, carrots and beets. We've begun the slow process, along with one of our neighbors, of capturing and relocating them. So far we've gotten three, and a skunk.

The earwigs were a surprise. Last year, the slugs and snails had giant populations and chewed many holes in our greens. This year they are not so bad, but the earwigs are. They've been making some of our bok choi so unsightly, that we're unable to sell it. Fortunately, one variety seems less attractive to them and has seen little damage in comparison.

We've had one small outbreak, and now one large outbreak of potato beetles. We've been bagging them and securing them in the dumpster. This is a labor that we'd rather not be bothered with right now, but the natural world has it's own agenda. Other things like to eat what we do, and they must be contended with promptly.

I haven't seen the fox in several days. We suspect he's enjoyed at least two chickens, but since I spoke with him, there've been no sightings. Perhaps he is busy eating woodchucks.

The weeds have really been a force this year. We've barely kept up, as our attentions have gone to planting over the last several weeks. We've reclaimed several beds that were badly overgrown, and have decided to start over on a few beds that were too far gone. We won some; we lost some.

That being said, our crops are looking really beautiful this year! I continue to be impressed with the vitality of the plants, and the harvests thus far.

One More Way to Prepare Your Turnips!

Sautéed Hakurei Turnips and Braised Greens
(Serves 6)

Ingredients:
1 Bunch Hakurei Turnips with greens
1 lb Greens such as Chard, Mizuna or Braising Mix
2 tsp oil, divide
½ cup water, apple juice or white wine
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Method:
Cut the greens from the turnips. Wash and tear all the greens into large pieces and remove the stems. Cut the turnips into bite sized pieces. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sautee the turnips stirring or tossing occasionally until they are crispy outside and tender inside. Season with salt and pepper and remove to a warm plate. In the same pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the washed and wet greens, and add to pan in batches. Stir and mix as they wilt. Add the wine or other liquid and cook until it is mostly evaporated. Plate greens and arrange the warm turnips on top.

Thanks for sharing Jackie!

today's harvest

Full Shares:

2 heads lettuce

2 heads bok choi

2 heads napa cabbage

bunch salad turnip

bunch garlic scapes

bunch scallion

snap or snow peas

Half-Shares:

2 heads lettuce

head bok choi

head napa cabbage

sm. bunch salad turnip

sm. bunch scallion

snap or snow peas

Please remember to wash and inspect your vegetables before eating. Insects and slugs like to hide deep in the heads of greens.

good morning Mr. Fox

I had a talk with Mr. Fox this morning. Well, I yelled to him in the squash patch from across the field. I suggested he eat the woodchucks instead of the chickens; expand his palette a bit. I think he may be considering it. Or not. We'll see.

Two More Ways to Enjoy Your Radishes & Turnips

#1 Honey-Glazed Radishes & Turnips
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 Large Shallot
1 1/2 lbs. Radish (trimmed & cut in half or quarters)
1 1/2 lbs. Turnips (trimmed & cut 8 wedges)
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup broth (or more water)
1-2 Tbsp. Honey
Salt & Pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh mint
1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives

In large skillet, melt butter on medium-high.  Add shallot & saute.  Add radishes and turnips; stir until well coated.  Stir in water, broth, honey, salt & pepper.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to med-low; cover and cook 15 minutes.  Uncover and cook for 7 to 10 more minutes longer or until vegetables are glazed & most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and stir in mint & chives. 

YUM-YUM.
Thank you Good Housekeeping! And thank you Portsmouth Library for used magazines!

#2 Birthday Radish Salad
A friend of Jackie's in New York gave her this recipe.  It was served at one of our CSA member's birthday party!

Chop & Mix the Following:
Radishes
Fresh Parsley
Olive Oil
Lemon Zest
Salt & Pepper
A little lemon juice too . . .

Visit the Recipes Page (Roots & Tubers) for more ways to prepare your radishes and turnips.  Suddhayu made a stir-fry which included turnips and reported that they absorb the tamari well.  If any of you have any other ideas to share send us an email and we'll post them.  Thanks!

harvest june 15

Full Shares:

mild mesclun 6oz

bunch radish

2 or 3 heads lettuce (size dependent)

2 heads bok choi

garlic scapes

salad turnips 2 lb

bunch turnip greens

braising mix w/ added arugula 6oz

Half Shares:

spicy mesclun 4 oz

bunch radish

1 0r 2 heads lettuce (size dependent)

head bok choi

garlic scapes

salad turnip 1 lb

turnip greens

braising mix w/ added arugula 4 oz

Garlic scapes can be used like garlic or onions.

We will be posting a few more radish/turnip recipes later today.

Though we do wash all the vegetables that go into a share, you should wash them again and inspect for grit, slugs, or insects before eating.

CSA PICK-UP #1: The Results

On the whole, it looks like the first pick-up went well. There was however, some obvious confusion which resulted in the wrong shares being taken. Full shares and half-shares are separated in the cooler, and clearly marked. In Addition, below each bag, is red duct tape with your share's name on it. You are supposed to take the bag from that space; the following week, you are supposed to bring back your empty bag and place it in your marked space after taking your new full bag.

It appears that several people just took any bag, which resulted in other members showing up to discover an empty space where their share should have been. It all worked out in the end, but it would be easier on all of us if this was amended next time.

Also, if you are splitting a full share with someone, this is not the same as having purchased two half-shares. You are responsible to split the full share yourself, and to communicate with your share partner as to how and when that will occur.
Thanks for your attention. We're looking forward to next week's harvest!

Don't forget the plant sale this Sunday from 10-2! We have lots of beautiful plants that need to find their way into your garden and pots!

today's harvest

Full Shares:

1/2 lb. radish

1 lb. salad turnip

1 bunch turnip greens

4 oz mesclun

6 oz braising mix

1 bunch spring raab

Half Shares:

1/4 lb. radish

1/2 lb. salad turnip

1 bunch turnip greens

4 oz. braising mix

1 bunch spring raab

Some recipes are available on our website. The salad turnips are great raw or sauteed in butter or oil.

CSA PICK-UP
Tomorrow--Tuesday June 8th after 3 pm--is our first official CSA pick-up. The bags will be located in the walk-in cooler. I will post a sign-off sheet on a clipboard next to the door. Please check off your name (or your group's name) when you pick-up. When you enter the cooler you will find the shares organized & labeled on shelving. Please find your name or group's names on the shelving and take the bag that is associated with your name (or group's name).

BAG RETURN
Next week when you come to pick up your share it is important that you bring back the bag you are taking home this week! Next week please put last week's empty bag on the shelf (in place of the full bag you will be taking home) so that we have a receptacle to pack your food in the following week. This is very important! You are welcome to repack your produce and take it home in your own personal bag if remembering to bring last week's bag difficult. Last year we purchased over 100 bags for the CSA and only 38 were returned at the end of the season! If any CSA members from last year have any bags from the 2009 season we would really appreciate their return.

PLANT SALEWe are holding an "unofficial" plant sale for CSA Members this Sunday June 13 from 10:00 am- 2:00 pm. CSA Members' friends & family are welcome as well. We ask that you make an effort to carpool--especially if you are inviting friends & family--as parking is limited. The greenhouses will be open and the plant material that is available for sale will be well marked. There is a lot of interesting annuals available for your gardens & containers. We hope that you will be able to attend!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us. Thanks and we will see you Tuesday!

weeding, planting and watering

Every time we make a decision to attend a task at the farm, we leave several other tasks neglected. If we plant tomatoes, like we did yesterday, we don't weed the beet beds; and the beet beds get weedier and harder to weed. That's just how it is. That's the lesson the farm teaches — life is always one step ahead of your intentions. The only way to keep the initiative, is to keep moving; but one's endeavors will remain in some way incomplete.

That said, we are getting a lot done! Our days are split up between weeding, planting, and watering, as well as tending the ornamental plants that we are still gathering into blocks to be picked up and planted.