CSA for Thursday, August 16th!

Fresh and very local: Two miles east on Veteran's Way!

Yesterdays' rain was glorious...just what the gardens needed!  Steady and gentle, even the dug out went up a few inches!  Even though we though we'd picked the summer squash quite well on Tuesday, there was quite a few big ones to be found!  It's amazing how that happens!  Did make it a bit mucky, particularly picking beans this morning.  The cucumbers fattened up in odd shapes, what with the extra moisture!

Speaking of beans: they've done well for us this year!  If you're getting a little 'beaned out', now is the time to freeze some for winter use!  Freezing at the peak of freshness and ripeness is ideal.  To freeze beans you must blanch or partially cook them first.  Get a large pot of water boiling (some people will salt the water, we don't), have a large bowl of ice water or fill the sink with ice water.  Clean the beans and cut them into the pieces you would use.  Boil two minutes, remove into the ice water to stop the cooking, then dry thoroughly: we quite often blot gently between two clean towels.  When dry, pack into freezer bags or containers, leaving a little 'head space' and freeze.  The Dragons Tongue' beans freeze very well and are an awesome addition to soups and stews in the winter; you can add them frozen to something you're going to cook awhile.  For a side dish, you just need to complete their cooking by boiling or steaming!  Here's a great link for freezing just about anything from veggies to fruits to meats!

Our growing partners, Amanda and Ed, checked their corn yesterday and decided it was ready!  We're delighted to bring you this today; it's not summer 'til we've had fresh corn!  Our first seeding of corn is coming really nicely, but we're probably a week away (we won't forget you if you're a Tuesday CSAer reading this!), the second seeding is a little further behind so there will be more coming over the next few weeks!

CSAer Natalia posted this recipe on the Aagaard Farms' Facebook page last week.  This zucchini butter is getting rave reviews from a number of friends who've made it already!  It's quite easy and stores well in the refrigerator for a few weeks!  Awesome on toast, or I think it would make a great pasta sauce, too!  I'm also lovin' this recipe for zucchini cookies with chocolate chips and dried cranberries!

So for the FULL SHARES:  2 lbs. 'Sangria' red potatoes, 2 lbs. 'Linzer' fingerling potatoes, 4 cobs of corn, cucumbers, 3/4 lb. 'Dragon Tongue' beans, Crookneck squash, Kousa squash, Swiss Chard.

For the PART SHARES: 2 lbs. 'Sangria' red potatoes, 21lb. 'Linzer' fingerling potatoes, 3 cobs of corn, cucumbers, 3/4 lb. 'Dragon Tongue' beans, Romanesque squash, Swiss Chard.

For the SINGLE SHARES: 2 lbs. 'Linzer' fingerling potatoes, corn, cucumber, 3/4 lb. yellow wax bean, small Crookneck squash, small Romanesque squash.

Please don't forget about the trade/market table!  We'll be bringing little quantities of things we don't have enough for shares: like beets, maybe carrots soon, and things you have in quantity like extra potatoes, beans and cucumbers.  If you get something you wouldn't use, or you need something in a quantity for a particular recipe: come on over and 'make a deal'!  See you next week!