Dear CSA Members:
This year, we
welcome a new neighborhood site to our CSA. The Inwood neighborhood, of the
Northern-most reaches of
Here on the farm, the
vegetable fields are looking well, with beautiful plants growing in their beds,
surrounded by luscious green pastures for the cows.
The weather has been
a little cold, a little hot, a little dry, a little wet – well, more than a
little wet! But the vegetables are in
the field on schedule, drinking in the rain and continuing to grow, and the
fields have not been flooded.
We feel enormous
sympathy for farmers in the
Farmer Katy
Welcome to the 2006 CSA season!
About
For those members new to our CSA, Katy also sent a
brief description of the farm and its programs. For more information and
photographs, visit www.hawthornevalleyfarm.org.
At Hawthorne Valley
Farm, our goal is to be sustainable ecologically, socially and economically. As
a Biodynamic farm, we are responsible for the health of not only the crops and
products that leave the farm, but also for the soil and wildlife that stay on
our farm. It takes a thriving community of people, both farmers and consumers,
to care for our farm. In our work on the farm, we are all aware that we are
working in service to the living farm itself.
The children that
come through our Visiting Students Program and summer camps are another
essential part of our social fabric. We have a farm apprenticeship program,
usually for young folks just finished with college and wanting to learn
something practical, in which we teach everything from growing seedlings in our
greenhouse, to tractor driving and maintenance, to harvesting wonderful CSA
shares, to milking the cows and judging pasture growth. It takes a combination
of natural elements (sunlight, air, water, soil), and the work of human beings,
as we are all consumers of food, and thereby all caretakers of the farm in some
manner, to grow a thriving farm.
We also need a sound economic base in order to continue farming. Hawthorne
Valley Farm is a diversified farm, with vegetable fields, a dairy cow herd,
pastures and hayfields. The whole Farm consists of our CSA, the 60 milking cows,
cheese and yogurt making, our bakery, our lacto-fermented vegetables (pickles,
sauerkraut, ginger carrots, dilly beans), our farm store, and our green market stand
in NYC at Union Square every Wednesday and Saturday, as well as at the Inwood
neighborhood market on Saturdays. All of these endeavors are joined together in
the team effort that nurtures the land that nurtures us.
ARUGULA
This pungent, peppery green adds a delicious bite
when added raw to lettuce salads and stands up well to strongly-flavored
dressings.
To tame its bite, lightly steam, sauté or blanch
it.
Try substituting raw Arugula into your favorite
pesto recipe, toss with pasta and Parmesan or crumbled goat cheese.
Looking Forward:
Anticipated Share
for June 15th
Beets or
Kohlrabi
Japanese
Turnips
Lettuce
Rainbow
Chard
Scallions
Each Thursday, we will
provide this list for those of you who like to plan your grocery shopping in
advance to complement the upcoming items in your share.
However, since
fruits and vegetables ripen at their own pace, the actual harvest may vary
slightly.
When possible, on
Tuesday evenings we will post the actual harvest, as well as the newsletter, on
the CSA page at the farm web site:
Garlic-Anchovy Dressing
3 or more anchovy fillets
2 cloves garlic
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
5 Tablespoons olive oil
2 ½ Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from
about 1 lemon)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
In
a blender, combine the anchovies, garlic, and lemon zest. Pulse to chop. Add the oil, lemon juice, salt,
and pepper and blend until smooth.
Recipe adapted from www.foodandwine.com
Note: This dressing can also be
served warm: Warm
the oil in a pan, and mash in the anchovies and garlic until they form a
paste. Turn off the heat and whisk in
the remaining ingredients. Pour over greens and serve immediately.
Turnips with Swiss Chard
HVF turnips include the small, round Japanese
variety, which are perfect for this quick side dish.
1
teaspoon olive oil
1
tablespoon slivered garlic
1
pound white turnips, halved, and
very thinly sliced
1
pound Swiss chard leaves, washed, chopped
1
teaspoon chopped lemon zest
3
tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt
and freshly ground pepper
In a large heavy skillet,
heat the oil over medium heat. Add the
garlic and sauté, stirring, until it starts to brown. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add the sliced turnips to the pan and sauté
for 5 minutes, stirring, until they are just cooked and begin to brown.
Turn the heat to
medium-high and return the garlic to the skillet. Stir in the chard and zest; sauté for 1 to 2
minutes. Turn the heat off, cover, and
steam for 5 minutes. Season with lemon juice and salt and pepper to
taste. Serve .
from Great Good Food: Luscious Lower-Fat Cooking by Julee Rosso
E-mail your food
ideas, recipes, or newsletter requests to RiverdaleCSA@aol.com.