2017 Week 8 Newsletter

Lone Bull

This lone young bull elk has been wandering around the farm this past week.  He has walked through our fields a few times and left foot prints but so far hasn't eaten any of the crops.  He doesn't seem to pay attention to our electric elk fencing with red flags that is on loan to us from the WA Deptment of Fish and Wildlife.  He is beautiful and I love watching him.  But - PLEASE DON"T EAT THE VEGETABLES!!!

CSA Basket - Week 8

Your CSA basket this week includes the following:

Yellow Taxi Tomatos -we have tomatoes!  Enjoy!

Costata Romanesco or Black Star Zucchini - Try roasting -it makes them very sweet! Cut in half longwise and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper - roast at 400 for 10 minutes

Flashy Trout's Back Romaine and Buttercrunch Lettuce and Dubuisson Endive - enjoy a fresh salad on a hot day - use a simple balsamic vinegar and olive oil with salt and pepper and top with a feta cheese - add fresh sliced peaches for a summery taste

Hakurei Turnips - enjoy sliced or quick pickle them with the radish for a tasty salad topping

Black Tuscan Kale - center stem is not as big as on some varieties - I often leave it - I like to cut into thin ribbons and use in a fresh salad

Cucumbers - Two varieties so far: Katrina are the smooth, nice size for snacking cucumbers - no need to peel. Shintokawa are the longer curved variety with small bumps on them - a favorite of ours from our time in Japan.

Breakfast Radishes - these are a nice size for snacking or slicing thinly onto salads or buttered toast

Carrots - add a splash of color to your salad!  See carrot hummus recipe below.

Collard Greens - this week I tried them cut into ribbons and marinated for an hour in olive oil and served with a flavored balsamic vinegar - add your favorite dried fruit and a nut for some crunch

Red Italian Garlic - new this week!  enjoy roasting it whole in the oven - so yummy spread on toasted french baguette slices

*Border Collie not included

Farm Fresh Eggs - from Happy Chickens!

Our happy little hens are now laying regularly.  Egg add-ons are now available.  A dozen eggs a week with your basket for the remaining 12 weeks of the CSA for $60.  They will also be available at the Farmer's Market for $6/dozen.

Pasture-raised Broilers!

Our next batch of Freedom Ranger Broiler Chickens will be processed next Friday July 28th.  Please reserve one through the website and we will have one ready for you to pick up on the farm next weekend.

First tomatoes of the summer!

Botanical Facts - The tomato is a fleshy berry.  It is a member of the nightshade family and is native to western South America.  Hundreds of varieties are bred every year in endless colors and sizes.

Historical Origins - Tomatoes bred today all originated from the cherry tomato which grows wild in Peru and Ecuador.  It was first domesticated and cultivated in Mexico by the Aztecs.  It was brought to Europe by the Spanish in the sixteenth century.  They were initially regarded with a great deal of suspicion due in part to belonging to the same family as the deadly nightshade.  But by the end of the nineteenth century they were widely produced and cultivated.

Carrot Hummus and Roast Tomatoes

for the roast tomatoes:

1 pint small tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon brown sugar

salt and pepper

for the carrot hummus:

small bunch carrots, chopped

14 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup olive oil

1/4 cup tahini

juice of two lemons

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.  Halve the tomatoes and place in small roasting pan, they should fit snugly in a single layer.  Coat tomatoes with mixture of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with sugar and roast for 45 minutes or until shrunken and sweet.

2. Cook the carrots in boiling water until tender.  Drain the carrots.  Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.  Add more olive oil as needed to desired consistency.  

3. Scrape hummus into bowl and serve with favorite toasted bread and top with roasted tomatoes. 

Fellow Laborers

I love spending time out in the fields with our fellow laborers.  This cute little guy is helping pollinate the squash blossoms.  His legs are covered with pollen as he hops from blossom to blossom.  See you in the fields!

Your SVF Farm Team