July 11-15 Chatfield CSA e-news

Dear CSA shareholders,

We hope you all are enjoying the fresh herbs we have been harvesting. Now is a great time to make up a batch of cilantro-basil pesto, invite some friends over for a BBQ and enjoy life. Send your friends home with a little extra cilantro that they can enjoy, too and embrace the community that good food can create.

*Please note this is a tentative list and is subject to change

cooking kohlrabi and other crazy things

Susan Evans cooked up some amazing kohlrabi slaw for our members this past week and it was very well received! Please note that we are changing the time of her tasting/demo to 4:30 p.m. – right at the start of distribution. So if you have missed her in the past, you will be able to taste her next treat, gazpacho! She will be at Chatfield on August 4 and possibly at York St. in August as well.

recipe resource

If you don’t go to our website regularly, try it out! We have some really great recipes that highlight your current CSA produce. When we add a new recipe to the website, it will appear right on the home page for your convenience. All you have to do is click on the link, read it over and go from there! If you missed our newsletter and would like to read it again you can always access our old issues under the “about us” and “news and blogs” section on our website.
 
this week's recipe – easy!
This recipe is from Brian Gandy, Chatfield CSA grower

Mashed Cauliflower

Mashed cauliflower tastes similar to mashed potatoes but with fewer carbohydrates - which can make you feel very sluggish in the heat of the summer. Top with chopped herbs and grated cheese if you like.

Ingredients
1 medium head cauliflower trimmed and cut into small florets (about 6 to 7 cups)
1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cauliflower and cook until very tender, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid and then drain well and transfer cauliflower to a food processor. Add oil and reserved water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and puree until smooth. (Or, mash cauliflower with a potato masher). Season with salt and pepper and serve.

farm topic – a day in the life of a CSA grower

Welcome to harvest day at the Chatfield CSA! We hope you’re ready to get up at 4:30 a.m!

We thought it would be interesting to take a look all the details that go into our day before we see you all at distribution. Here is a little timeline so you can get a picture of farm life.
      
5 - 5:30 a.m. – our growers arrive and prepare materials for volunteers and harvest.

5:30 a.m. – our highly esteemed early morning volunteers show up to begin harvest.
 
5:30 – 8:30 a.m.  - the team works as fast as they can to cut, pull, dig and pick each crop before the heat sets in and causes any wilting. While people work, they often are deep in the mud, bent down in a hedge or raised bed and on their knees for many hours.

After each crop comes in, it is placed in cool water and stored in the walk-in immediately.

8:30 a.m. – the next team of volunteers arrive to help wash and sort the produce. Every item is washed thoroughly in giant ice cold tubs, while weeds, mud or anything else is removed.

After produce is sorted, washed, labeled and organized the CSA staff weigh all their crops and divide the harvest into individual allotments.

The volunteers go home and the staff set-up for distribution.

Noon – everyone from the harvest team goes home for much needed rest and relaxation.

3:00 p.m. – everyone arrives back at the farm to get ready for distribution.

4:30 – 6:30 or 7 p.m. – distribution at York St. on Tuesday and Chatfield on Thursday.

7:00 p.m. - the staff clean up and prepare the left over produce for a donation pick-up on the next day.

Wow! As you can see this is a very long day for many people dedicated to getting you the freshest vegetables possible! We do acknowledge that a few members would like to come early to pick up the share. We would love to accommodate everyone’s busy schedules, but starting at 4:30 p.m. is the earliest we can have our produce ready. We thank you for being patient while we set up for distribution and appreciate all your wonderful feedback.
 
food safety note

Please note that although we have washed our produce once after harvesting it in the field, members should wash the produce at home again before eating. Our farm produce should be treated the same way as grocery store produce: always wash before eating! The best way to wash produce is by running it under cool water. Cleaning products are not necessary.