Dear Shareholders,

Happy 4th of July! As an ode to our country, we'd like to start this letter with a quote from our very finest American agrarian thinker and author, Wendell Berry:

Eating with the fullest pleasure – pleasure, that is, that does not depend on ignorance – is perhaps the profoundest enactment of our connection with the world. In this pleasure, we experience our dependence and our gratitude, for we are living in a mystery, from creatures we did not make and powers we cannot comprehend.” 

Eating with the fullest pleasure -  we hope that all of you will spend the holiday weekend at least in some part, enjoying the food that is connected to the world around you. I feel so much gratitude to be able to be part of this "mystery" of nature.

Along the lines of being connected, our farm hosted our long-standing partners, SAME Cafe this past week. SAME Cafe brings fresh and local meals to all folks in Denver regardless of ability to pay. Chatfield Farms has been providing weekly donations of produce for years and this year we have increased the quantity of produce donations due to underwriting support from the Marcus Foundation and shareholder, Amy Wood. Thank you. SAME Cafe came with their staff and helped us weed our onion and carrot fields, and cooked us a beautiful lunch. Farmers and chefs were able to spend quality time discussing our mutual passion for food.

This day was special for so many reasons and it was a great way to show our farmers and partners that all the work and love that goes into good food is appreciated and honored. Your support of our farmers is also appreciated. 

harvest list for July 5-12

featured weekly recipes - radish, carrot, fennel

An easy appetizer for a bbq afternoon on the fourth:
thinly shaved radish
minced mint leaves
any baguette sliced
creme freche or marscapone or chevre (mild soft cheeses)
cracked black pepper

Layer warm slices of baguette with cheese, radish and a small pile of chopped mint leaf. Finish with black pepper or even a little fennel leaf. You can make at least twenty pieces and pass around before dinner. 

Carrot Salad - refreshing! recipe from Royce Hale, Veteran's Program Coordinator

Freshly grate 3-4 carrots (use an old-fashioned 4 sided cheese grater on the larger setting so you don't turn the carrots to mush)
1 T lemon juice
2 T mild oil
2 T freshly chopped herbs (mint or fennel or parsley or tarragon)
*optional -  1 t sugar sprinkled through
pepper
*optional add on - 1/2 cup pine nuts or raisins

You can make this ahead of time and put it in the fridge for an extra refreshing feeling on these hot days! 

flower shares hit the scene last week!
This week, the Thursday location will get bouquets so please remember to bring a jar or any container to put your fresh flowers in. The bouquets like clear water, so changing your water daily will help preserve most blooms for a week or more. Some flower varieties do not last beyond 4 days no matter what, so gently pull those flowers out of your bouquet and keep the rest going!

 

 

Remember to wash your produce very well when you get home and store in airtight containers in your fridge. And "eat with pleasure"!
Love, The Farmers