CSA For Sept. 27th

Hand-picking the ripest pear tomatoes!

Hard to believe that it is the last CSA day for the year!  It will feel very odd next Tuesday and Thursday - like there's something we're forgetting, something we should be doing.  It will take us a few weeks to 'stand down'.

Today's last pick up is about stocking you up a bit: there's a choice of potatoes, cured and ready for storage.  Depending on your share size, you'll get varying amounts.  Potatoes do best with dark, cool storage - but with some moisture, not too dry.  If you've got a dry space in your pantry or kitchen, try placing a pan of water in with the potatoes.  Dry storage isn't a big problem - the skins will just dry out faster and become harder.  Not a huge issue 'cause you'll probably eat these potatoes within the next month or so!  You know that the skin holds half the nutrition - so just scrub 'em and keep eating the skin when you can!

We've also got a spaghetti squash for everybody - they store really well so you can pick from some 'ready to rumble' or one that you can eat with Christmas Dinner!  Although we don't think the flavor or texture is quite as nice, it is easy to microwave winter squashes - and cut your cooking time down by more than half!  Here's simple instructions for microwaving spaghetti squash - but it applies to all the squashes.  If you like it spicy, how about a mac-n- cheese style Spaghetti squash with jalapeno cream?  For something a bit more exotic, and not even slightly local, how about spaghetti squash with shrimps or scallops?  If you cook up a big one, this breakfast loaf sounds awesome - we may try it this weekend!

The variety of tomatoes going to CSA! The bags
of slicers have some to ripen on your counter!

Everyone is getting to choose from among a number of different tomatoes today.  There are some yellow pears, a very limited amount of 'Indigo Rose' and a few cherries.  There's also bags of Aunt Ruby's German Green (which seems to have become a CSA favorite), Brandywine, Opalka, mixed bags of the low-acid Husky Gold and Lemon Boy, as well as some conventional red.  Most of these are ripening in our sun room because of cold nights - they'd all be dead and done if we hadn't picked them last Friday!  Enjoy the last of summers' fruits!

And for everyone: what's a late September CSA without a pumpkin?  Everyone's getting a pumpkin today - some gorgeous Sorcerer, or a bit of Sugar Pie is available, by choice!  Sorcerer is a beautiful, big pumpkin, totally appropriate for decorating but also good eating!  It's not quite as smooth as Sugar Pie or quite as sweet - but delicious none the less!  The hefty size makes it an awesome selection for freezing!  We just roast pumpkin, take out the meat, mash it a bit with a fork, then we pack it into freezer bags in one cup portions - perfect for a batch of muffins or a pumpkin loaf all winter!  Just remember, if you're following another recipe and it asks for canned pumpkin - it may assume that the spices are in the canned product - so you may need to add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove yourself!  Here's the pumpkin pie spice mix I use, and I make up a bit to have in the spice rack!

It's been so nice seeing everyone every Thursday - a great group of enthusiastic 'local foodies'.  We've had so much fun swapping recipes and cooking techniques, and even dehydrating tips (Thank, John!).  We'll be at the Global Market Saturdays until October 13th - hope to see some of you there!

CSA For Sept. 25th

CSA 2012 is not going out with the bang we might have wished for.  It hasn't been a great harvest and we're just squeaking by the value set on everybodys' share.  In better years, we'd meet the value on the final pick up day and then have a bonus day - but this is not that kind of year.  Still, the last CSA pick up is always a sad day for us: we have so many delightful people within our CSA families and we won't be seeing them for a while now!  Oh, we'll see a few of them at the remaining Global Markets, some will come to the farm to buy eggs or potatoes through the winter, but mostly we're saying 'good bye' today - until next year!  The last CSA day is also a wee bit of a relief for us - the work, the toil is done for another year; maybe next week on Tuesday I'll finally give this house a really good cleaning!  Or maybe the dogs will finally get a haircut....

It's a spaghetti squash kind of a day - 'cause that is what the harvest is!  Everyone is getting spaghetti squash, in varying amounts, depending on the share size!  It's the most unique of Winter Squashes: once baked, it comes out of the skin like threads of spaghetti pasta!  It's nice as a side dish, either served savory with spaghetti sauce, or sweetened up a bit with maple syrup or brown sugar.  Treat is like a pasta, and toss it with veggies and feta cheese.   Keeping with a Mediterranean theme, how about a Chicken and Spaghetti Squash dinner?  Spice it up Moroccan style - yummy!  Cook up a big one, 'cause there is soooo much more to do with it:  we love these spaghetti squash pancakes from the divine Mollie Katzen!  How about a Spaghetti Squash and Meatball Muffin?  Or, mash it up good and use it in a snack muffin, like this recipe!

Everyone is also getting a 'Sorcerer' pumpkin, a medium size pumpkin.  Yes, it would make a good carving pumpkin for Halloween, but it's also good eating.  Not quite as smooth a texture as Sugar Pie' pumpkin, not quite as sweet, but still good eating!  Hmmm, pumpkin spice pancakes!  Yes, just roast a the pumpkin, mash up the meat for fresh pumpkin puree!  We've made a version of these before: just delightful, and the house smells so good!

We brought along a variety of potatoes, and everybody got a selection, based on the size of their shares.  There was a basic good red, 'Roko, the classic baked potato 'Russet', the delightful 'Island Sunshine', the very tasty 'German Butterball' and another red 'Purple Viking'.  Everyone also got to pick from a selection of tomatoes: cherry, classic red slicers, low-acid yellows, Brandywine or Aunt Ruby's German Green.

We also brought half of the watermelon and cantaloupe harvest; the other half will go to Thursdays' families.  It wasn't a big deal: they are generally small and unripe.  We've been covering them every night for almost two weeks - there's another chore we won't be sad to see finished.  On the kitchen counter, they should ripen within a week, you'll know when the fragrance of the fruit is apparent.  We're not sure how a family of four will split these little guys: maybe a spoonful for everybody in yogurt or on ice cream!

We've so enjoyed our Tuesday CSA families!  We hope you've all enjoyed the fresh-picked food - harvested just for you!  We hope we've introduced some new food to some of you and shared some good recipes!  We've love to hear from you and get ideas for next year:  Caryl mentioned at today's pick up that she'd love sunflower heads, ready to harvest sunflower seeds to roast!  That's doable!  What would you like to see next year?

CSA for September 20th, 2012

Left, Hubbard blue and orange, right, Kabocha orange
and blue!

I noticed this morning, during milking, that the goats' coats are getting thicker and rougher.  I noticed it particularly on Choco, who has the shiniest, silkiest coat of all the goats!  Winter is just around the corner.....

This is the second to last CSA basket of the year!  It still has some of summer's great flavors - the tomatoes have been doing all right in their protected little spot, although not ripening very quickly.  The weather forecast predicts a cold night for Saturday, so we may pick everything in the tomato patch Saturday afternoon.  This could be the last taste of truly vine-ripened tomatoes.

Some of the Full Shares and the Single Shares are getting Hubbard Squash today.  This is a very old American variety, said to be part of the Native Americans 'Three Sisters' plantings of corn, beans and squash.  The Fulls mostly have a blue Hubbard, although some have Kabocha, the Singles have orange Hubbards.  Now remember: for the Part Shares who have blue Kabocha 'Confection' - Winter Squash recipes are largely interchangeable!  I like the look of this custard pie made with Hubbard squash - sounds like a family heirloom recipe.  This Maple-Nut Hubbard side dish sounds really yummy, too - and simple!  I think it would be great with pork!  This weekend we're going to try this recipe for Sweet and Spicy Kabocha Squash - maybe with chicken.

We're sharing two of our favorite potatoes today!  I think we've mentioned that 'Sangre' is the one we use the most, but today's choicest get used a lot, too!  We've bagged up 'Linzer Deleketess', a beautiful old fingerling: waxy and dense, but beautiful nutty flavor.  Great in tinfoil on the BBQ, great roasted - and make too much: they make awesome hash browns!  'German Butterball' is the other selection today.  It's similar to Yukon Gold, which used to be a fav, but the flavor is just outstanding!  Good for fries, boiling, mashing!

So, for the FULL SHARES:  4 lbs. Linzer fingerling potatoes, 4 lbs. German Butterball potatoes, garlic, lg. Hubbard or Kabocha squash, beets, Aunty Ruby's German Green tomato, slicer tomatoes, pint of mixed cherry/grape tomatoes, cucumber.

For the PART SHARES:  3 lbs. Linzer fingerling potatoes, 3 lbs. German Butterball potatoes, garlic, Kabocha 'Confection' winter squash, beets, Aunt Ruby's German Green tomato, slicer tomatoes, Husky Gold tomato, pint of cherry /grape tomatoes.

For the SINGLE SHARES:  2 lbs. Linzer fingerling potatoes, 2 lbs. German Butterball potatoes, garlic, Hubbard squash, beets, Husky Gold tomato, red slicer, pint of cherry/grape tomatoes.

CSA for September 18th!

From left, regular tomato, top Lemon Boy, Husky Gold,
below Pink Brandywine, ripe Aunt Ruby's Green,
far right unripe Aunty Ruby's.

It seems very much like Fall around the farm!  The garden renters are pulling their gardens; what was productive growing space just a few weeks ago is now barren earth, with little piles of brown, crispy vines and bushes.  Throughout our own gardens, touches of frost are evident in the open spaces everywhere and all the plants are looking tired and drooping.  Along our driveway and throughout the shelterbelt, the frost has started the process of leaves turning.  The early fall colour - particularly ash, is already bright yellow, and the Manitoba maples are well on their way to gold!  Even the goats seem to feel it: their favorite treat, willow branches, seems to be attacked with extra urgency, as if they know they won't be getting it much longer.

With the coming of Fall and the end of the growing season, so too comes the end of another season of CSA.  Next week will be our last delivery of boxes!  CSA has gone longer this year than last - every growing season is different, it seems.  We'll reminisce about the successes and failures later - meanwhile we're still hurrying to get things harvested and finished for the last week!  We'd like to finish our potato harvest, to give the varieties adequate time to cure for good winter storage!  We're hoping to pick a lot of tomatoes before it's too late (which could be any night now!) so everyone can have some green ones to ripen over the next few weeks.  So many tasks still to complete.....

It is a tomato tasting day for Tuesdays CSA!  A lot of our interesting heirlooms are always late.  Everyone has the golden 'Husky Gold' to try today, a low-acid, sweet, juicy tomato.  We've included the weird and wonderful looking 'Aunt Ruby's German Green'; just a delightful tomato that stays green.  It is ripe when it's a little soft and has some yellow tints to the green.  Hardly anyone is getting one that is actually ripe today but just give it a few days on the counter.  The Full Shares also have Brandywine, probably the most famous heirloom.  It is pink when ripe and just awesome flavor.  As Farmer Man likes to say: "If you go somewhere for a $40 hamburger, the tomato on it will probably be Brandywine!"  Enjoy the taste sensations!

Everyone is getting a 'Sugar Pie' pumpkin today.  This little pumpkin is the one for pumpkin pie; although all pumpkins are edible, this one has smoother flesh and sweeter taste.  It is also excellent as a side dish, simply roasted and mashed a bit.  We also use it in muffins and loaves.  It would be great in this recipe for Curried Squash Soup with Lentils.  Don't forget to save the seeds for roasting!

So, for the FULL SHARES: 3 lbs. Mark Warshaw potato, 4 lbs. Cherry Red potato, lg. bundle of beets, Sugar Pie pumpkin, Bush Delicata winter squash, cucumber, assorted tomatoes, onions, garlic.

For the PART SHARES:  2 lbs. Mark Warshaw potatoes, 3 lbs. Cherry Red potatoes, sm. bundle of beets, Sugar Pie Pumpkin, Bush Delicata winter squash, Lemon Ball cucumber, slicer cucumber, assorted tomatoes, garlic.

For the SINGLE SHARES:  2 lbs. Cherry Red potatoes, sm. bundle beets, Sugar Pie Pumpkin, Lemon Ball cucumber, slicer cucumber, assorted tomatoes, garlic.

CSA For September 13th!

Left, common red, Lemon Boy, Husky Gold, below
that a Pink Brandywine, big monster is Aunt Ruby's Green
and an unripe Aunt Ruby.

First morning that I've reached for my little down vest.  We love our down vests:  Spring, Fall or Winter they are that perfect little extra warmth without adding bulk or weight.  This is the first day since, oh, April maybe, that I've reached for it!

It's a tomato-tasting kind of a day.  You all have some variety in your baskets!  Everyone got an heirloom 'Aunty Ruby's German Green' - a tomato that is ripe when it is green with a yellow/orange tint and somewhat soft to the touch.  It is not sour like an unripe tomato - it is juicy and sweet and delightful!  You mostly all got one unripe - let it sit on the counter for a few days!  There's a mix of the yellow, low-acid tomatoes.  The warm yellow is 'Husky Gold', the paler yellow is 'Lemon Boy'.  Both very tasty without the bite of red tomatoes.  The Full Shares also got a pink Brandywine - perhaps the best known of the heirlooms for outstanding flavor!  Brandywine is rarely pretty - but always tasty.  Everyone has a basket with mixed grape/cherry tomatoes.  The red cherry and yellow and red grapes you've had before.  Also in there is the heirloom pink/brown 'Chocolate Cherry', a juicy burst of flavor.  And everyone will get 'Indigo Rose', although not all are ripe.  It is ready to eat when it is purple/black with a distinct Rosy pink end!  If you get an unripe one, leave it on the counter for a few days.

Spaghetti squash is very unique in that it's the only one that comes out of the shell in pasta-like threads. Pretty much all the rest of the Winter Squash come out with a texture like mashed potatoes.  We love spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce, or just butter and brown sugar or maple syrup.  Here's a great recipe we shared on our Facebook page for a spicy spaghetti squash with black beans!  So cute, served using the skin like a bowl!

From left: yellow grape, red grape, Chocolate Cherry,
cherry tomato, Indigo Rose.

The Winter Squash are sooo awesome for baking.  A pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin is the best!  If you're roasting up a squash for dinner, sneak out a cup of the cooked flesh for baking with later.  We use most of the Winter Squash interchangeably in baking recipes; we'd have trouble going back to using the canned stuff.  Our go-to recipe is here for muffins.  We've made the muffins with the 'Sugar Pie' pumpkins, Hubbard, Kabocha and Butternut squashes!  All great, all different in small ways!  Don't forget that a lot of canned mixes have the spices included, so if you're substituting in a recipe, you may need to add the cinnamon, ginger, allspice or clove, and nutmeg.  You can make up your own little jar of 'pumpkin pie spice' to have on hand: here's a good mix here!  You've all got the classic 'Sugar Pie' pumpkin today  - the best for pies and baking because of it's smooth texture and sweeter flavor!

So, for the FULL SHARES:  4 lbs. Roko red potatoes, 4 lbs. Island Sunshine potatoes, mix of slicing tomatoes, pint of cherry and grape tomatoes, garlic, onions, Sugar Pie pumpkin, cucumber, a dozen corn on the cob, zucchini.

For the PART SHARES:  3 lbs. Roko red potatoes, 3 lbs. Island Sunshine potatoes, assorted slicing tomatoes, pint of cherry/grape tomatoes, garlic, onions, Sugar Pie pumpkin, cucumber 9 corn on the cob, zucchini.

For the SINGLE SHARES:  2 lbs. Roko red potatoes, 2 lbs, Island Sunshine potatoes, assorted slicing tomatoes, pint of cherry/grape tomatoes, garlic, onions, Sugar Pie pumpkin, cucumber, six corn on the cob, zucchini.

CSA For September 11th.

A touch of frost on Sunday!

The day started rather sad, with all the coverage of the memorials for 9/11.  Hard to shake the feeling, especially as it was cold, cloudy and windy as we got started this morning.  I was wearing the most layers I have this season - and rather wishing for a hat!  Time to get into the chest and get out my beloved caps and fingerless gloves!

A touch of frost on Sunday.  It is really just in evidence in one part of the gardens, in the top of the slope on the east end, where there is no shelter belt.  Odd place, as frost is suppose to sink.....Some of the winter squash are all that appear damaged, and it is only a minor set back.  The top-most leaves have 'crisped' up a bit, nothing major!  It certainly does make one feel the season is drawing to a close; the renters are starting to clean up their plots, leaving bare, sad little patches.

We hope you're coming to see us this Sunday, during Manitoba's Open Farm Day!  We'll be giving little tours from Noon to 4 PM, and we're just five minutes east of Brandon!  All the instructions are in the previous blog post.  Pet a goat, pat a doggie, chase a chicken...and a free barn kitten with every visit!

Everyone is getting a little tomato taste fest today!  Everyone has a golden tomato, a 'Husky Gold'.  All the golden tomatoes are low in acid, and great for people with stomach problems, canker sores and such.  They are also very tasty - sweet, juicy without the acid 'bite' of red tomatoes.  Everyone is also getting a mixed pint of cherry and grape tomatoes.  It includes an heirloom 'Black Cherry', golden and red grape and the wee cherry tomatoes.  The Full Shares also have an 'Opalka', an heirloom  Roma type tomato often used for sauce and salads: meaty and flavorful!

So, for the FULL SHARES:  5 lbs. Bintje white potato, 5 lbs. Roko red potato, slicing tomatoes, pint mixed cherry/grape tomatoes, cucumber, 9 cobs of corn, spaghetti squash, mixed bell, jalapeno and Hungarian Hot Wax peppers, garlic, onions.

PART SHARES: 3 lbs Bintje white potatoes, 3 lbs. Roko red potatoes, slicing tomatoes, pint mixed cherry/grape tomatoes, cucumber, 6 cobs corn, spaghetti squash, bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, onions.

SINGLE SHARES:  2 lbs. Bintje white potatoes, 2 lbs, Roko red potatoes, slicing tomatoes, pint mixed cherry/grape tomatoes, cucumber, 4 cobs corn, small spaghetti squash, bell pepper, garlic, onions.

CSA For September 6th!

Some interesting things for the trade table!

Lots of signs of the imminent arrival of Fall around the farm today!  Our day started with the barn cats being very interested in getting into Farmer Man's shop, where the feed is stored.  Once we got into the shop, definite signs that a little critter had been feasting on the sunflower seeds that the goats get as part of their grain ration.  More signs of mice in the bean patch, where lots of beans were discarded because of mice bites! The mice like to eat out the seeds in the older beans, nibbling a perfect little half-moon out of the bean.  We apologize if any nibbled beans escaped our scrutiny!  Also, while in the bean patch this morning, a flock of wild turkeys went overhead - a very distinct sound.  They were followed shortly after by a flock of geese, honking on their way south west.

Some interesting things on the trade table today!  Some different tomatoes, including the golden 'Husky Boy', a low-acid tomato but very sweet, juicy yet meaty.  There is also a heirloom cherry tomato called 'Black Cherry', a dusky purple/rose coloured tomato.  Very tasty, not really sweet, kind of 'smoky', but very juice!  Maybe try some Lemon Ball cucumbers, an old variety that's round, yellow, thin-skinned and very tasty!  Some tomatillos are available, as well, if you've been yearning for some fresh Salsa Verde!

We've dug a few new varieties of potatoes for you today:  'Blue Mac' is a blue/purple skinned white potato with a lovely flavor, smoother texture - but not as creamy as Sangria.  We've also got 'Island Sunshine', the first dig of a baking potato.  This one has the fluffy texture of a 'Russet Burbank' with a more golden flesh.  Excellent baked, mashed or good for fries!  A good pick on corn, tomatoes and cucumbers for everyone today.

Everyone is getting spaghetti squash - the rather unique Winter Squash whose cooked flesh will come out of the skin like spaghetti!  We usually cut them in half, remove the seeds, rub with butter or oil, and bake face down in the oven at about 350 C. until the skin can easily be pierced with a fork (for the big guys, maybe 45 minutes to an hour!).  You can cook them in the microwave and cut your time down by more than half, but we don't think the flavor or texture is as nice.  Once cooked, the meat can be scrapped out with a fork and comes out quite like spaghetti!  You can eat it like spaghetti with tomato sauce, or just with butter, salt and pepper.  I like all my winter squash, including this one, with a little brown sugar or maple syrup!  Cook extra of the squash and try this recipe for spaghetti squash pancakes - they're very good!  Remember, uncooked piece of Winter Squash will hold nicely in the fridge for 7 - 10 days, so don't be intimidated if you got a big one!  Try to leave the seeds in a half you won't be cooking right away!  A whole Winter Squash, kept in a dark and cool place, will keep for months!

So for the FULL SHARES: 4 lbs. Blue Mac potatoes, 4 lbs. Island Sunshine potatoes, 8 cobs corn, cucumbers, Lemon ball cucumber, 2 lbs. tomatoes, 1 lb. Dragons Tongue beans,  Romanesque zucchini, Crookneck squash, Patty Pan squash, Spaghetti Winter Squash,

PART SHARES:  3 lbs. Blue Mac white potatoes, 3 lbs. Island Sunshine potatoes, 5 cobs corn, cucumber, 1 lbs. tomatoes, 1 lbs. Dragons Tongue beans, Romanesque zucchini, Crookneck squash, Patty Pan squash, Spaghetti Winter Squash.

SINGLE SHARES:  2 lbs. Blue Mac potatoes, 2 lbs. Island Sunshine potatoes, 3 cobs corn, cucumbers, 1 lbs. tomatoes, 1/2 lbs. Dragon Tongue beans, Romanesque zucchini, Crookneck squash, Patty Pan squash, Spaghetti Winter Squash.

CSA For September 4th!

A couple of garden renters were a little
overwhelmed with tomatoes!

I started to type August in the title...just habit I guess!  With the changing of the month, we also see a change in the gardens today.  The Summer Squash looks, well, tired.  The plants are a little broken and battered from all the harvesting, there is not much on them and just a little flowering going on now.  (There may be a collective cheer going on right now!)  However, with cooler days and a little rain, they may rebound!  The Dragons Tongue Beans are also winding down, this is probably the last Tuesday pick for them!

But, as one thing ends another comes on.  The field tomatoes are doing tremendously right now!  Some of the tomatoes today came from a couple of our garden renters: they went away for a week vacation to Banff and came back to an overloaded garden!  They don't can tomatoes, took what they could use and asked us if we'd could make use of any of the ripe ones!  The peppers are coming nicely and we have high hopes for the watermelons and cantaloupe.  The Winter Squash is just beginning, and the late potatoes, some of our most interesting varieties, are getting to be a decent size!  Our onions are a disappointment this year - not enough rain for the sandy soil we planted them in.  We're also not sure the broccoli will be able to recover from the attack of the flea beetles.  Every year it is the same in that some things do well, some things just don't.  It's one of the reasons we plant a wide variety of stuff, and work with growing partners.

We have a wide variety of Winter Squash growing.  You'll probably be able to try things you've never had before!  Today, everybody is getting a Butternut Squash - probably one of the best known kinds.  It's famous for its' sweet, nutty flavor and smooth texture.  Just a reminder:  with Winter Squash you do not eat the skin and the seeds are eaten only when roasted.  Cut the squash down the middle, scoop out the seed packet and then roast or BBQ in the skin, or peel, cut into chunks and boil or steam.  One of Farmers Markets regulars, a very elderly lady, has trouble cutting into Winter Squash, and freely admits that she takes them into her garage and throws them on the concrete floor!  The broken pieces are then washed and prepped!  Any recipe for Winter Squash can be used with any of the varieties; the complexion of the dish will change with the varying aspects of the different squash.  Buttercup and Red Kuri are a little drier, Kabochas and Butternut are a little creamier.  Winter Squash, unlike Summer Squash, keep for literally months if cool, dry and dark.  They continue to ripen and particularly Kabocha improve with curing!

Here's a link for doing Butternut on the BBQ!  Here's one of our favorites:  Curried Butternut and Apple Soup - we served it at the farm's Open House last year!  Butternut, really any of the Winter Squash, can be used in any recipe for pumpkin pie, muffins or cookies!  We just bake a big one, mash it up as a side dish that night with dinner, and use the rest directly substituted into a muffin or loaf recipe.  Or how about healthy baked Butternut Chips?

So, for the FULL SHARES:  4 lbs. Sangria Red potatoes, 4 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, cucumbers including a Lemon Ball, zucchini, lg. Butternut squash, green pepper, 7 cobs corn, 1 lb.  Dragon's Tongue beans, tomatoes, onions.

PART SHARES:  3 lbs. Sangria Red potatoes, 3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, cucumber, zucchini, med. Butternut squash, 5 cobs corn, 1 lb. Dragon's Tongue beans, tomatoes.

SINGLE SHARES:  2 lbs. Sangria Red potatoes, 2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, cucumber, zucchini, small Butternut squash, 3 cobs corn, 1 lb. Dragons Tongue beans, tomatoes.

CSA for August 30th!

Winter squash: from left 'Winter Sunshine' Kabocha,
Acorn, 'Sugar Pie' Pumpkin

Hard to believe it's the last CSA day in August.  Next date is September...just sounds like Fall!  And we're so, so, so glad CSA was not yesterday!  Harvesting in yesterdays' heat and humidity would have been very difficult; today is such a pleasant day to work!

A reminder to consider the trading table.  Some items in limited supply will be available the next few weeks including ground cherries and tomatillos!  And, if anyone loves frying green tomatoes please let us know and we'll bring some!  Of course, the tomatoes are mostly in demand red and we usually let them fully ripen on the vine, but green are absolutely and completely possible for you!  Just let us know!  On the trade table today will also be the first pick of some Acorn squash and 'Sugar Pie' pumpkin.

Today's Full Shares are getting the first harvest of one of our favorite Winter Squash: Kabocha 'Winter Sunshine'!  This smooth, sweet squash is one of the few that improves as it cures so you can easily use it in a display (out of direct sun) for a couple of weeks and it will only get better.  This one rivals 'Sugar Pie' pumpkin in the pie-making category but as a side dish it's as nice as sweet potatoes!  With all the winter squash: you do not eat the skin or the seeds, unless the seeds are roasted!  Easiest way to cook is to cut in half, scoop out the seeds, face down on a cookie sheet with a wee bit of water or face up loaded with butter and bake until the skin can be easily pierced by a fork.  Then you just scoop out the flesh! Awesome for recipes for cookies and loaves that call for canned pumpkin - it's an even swap, just don't forget that a lot of canned pumpkin has already been flavored with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and/or allspice!  Today's Single Shares are getting a Bush Delicata, also known as sweet potato squash because of its' flavor!  The Part Shares got an Acorn squash, one of the best known winter squash because of it's nutty flavor.

So, for the FULL SHARES:  5 lbs. potatoes 'Almera' white potato, 'Winter Sunshine' winter squash, assorted Patty Pans, Crookneck squash, cucumber, 1 lb. Dragons Tongue beans, pint grape or cherry tomatoes, slicer tomatoes, beets, carrots, apples.

PART SHARES:  5 lbs. either Almera white potatoes or Yukon Gold, marked on the bags, Acorn squash, assorted Patty Pans, Crookneck squash, cucumber, 1 lb. Dragon's Tongue beans, pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, beets, apples.

SINGLE SHARES:  3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, Bush Delicata winter squash, assorted Patty Pans, cucumbers, pint cherry or grape tomatoes, beets, apples.

CSA for August 28th!

The first Winter Squash: Bush Delicata!

What a lovely day getting ready for CSA!  Even though it got hot quickly, there was a lovely breeze all day.  And, we think we've gotten together a nice box for you today!  The June chicks are free-ranging now and getting along well with the rest of the flock.  The newly hatched chicks and their Mama are free-ranging and just being too cute for words!  One of our garden renters told us today that he and his lovely wife are expecting for the first time - with twins!  Just a day of nice things!

Derrick came to help a little earlier than usual 'cause there was so much to get ready!  Tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, apples all coming along nicely!  And...the first pick of winter squash!  Now, if you haven't notice, we love squash, summer and winter!  We're so excited the winter squash is starting to ripen! Everybody is getting Bush Delicata winter squash, also known as the Sweet Potato Squash due to it's (somewhat) sweet potato flavor.  Now, for those not familiar, with Winter Squash you do not eat the skin or seeds (unless you roast them).  It's the lovely flesh inside you're going for!  Winter squash can be halved, the seeds removed and the flesh oven-roasted in the skin until the skin is easily pierced with a fork.  For these small Delicatas, that may be half an hour at 350 C.  You can microwave Winter Squash, cutting the cooking time down by 2/3's, but we don't think the flavor or texture is as nice!  You can cook smaller winter squash whole, but do pierce them so they don't blow up!  You can also cut, peel and steam or boil the chunks.  Mashed like potatoes, maybe a little butter and maple syrup, butter and herbs!  We'll give you lots more ideas for Winter Squash in the next few weeks! (Winter squash fries.....)

Some great ideas for summer squash here; love the salads made with raw, shaved zucchini!  It's time to get the mandoline out!  And while the mandoline is out - have you ever been to a Japanese restaurant and have that lovely cucumber salad Sunomono? A little sweet, a tiny bit sour.  Quite easy, you just need rice wine vinegar...and the cucumbers are coming along well right now!  Of course, there's always Greek salad with your tomatoes and a little feta cheese!

So, for the FULL SHARES:  5 lbs. Almera potatoes, Bush Delicata winter squash, lg. Kousa squash, Papaya pear squash, Gold Rush zucchini, 8 cobs corn, cucumber, Dragon's Tongue beans, green beans, apples, chard, pint assorted grape/cherry tomatoes, lb. slicer tomatoes, beets, carrots.

PART SHARES:  5 lbs. Almera potatoes, Bush Delicata winter squash, Kousa squash, Papaya Pear squash, Gold Rush zucchini, 5 cobs corn, cucumbers, lb. Dragons Tongue beans, apples, chard, pint cherry/grape tomatoes.

SINGLE SHARES:  3 lbs. Almera potatoes, Bush Delicata winter squash, Kousa squash, Papaya Pear squash, Gold Rush Zucchini, 3 cobs corn, cucumbers, 1/2 lb. Dragon's Tongue beans, apples, chard, cherry or grape tomatoes.

CSA for Thursday, August 23!

Wow, did it get a little steamy this afternoon!  We were kind of petering out by 2 PM when we were still picking tomatoes!  Nothing like a vine-ripened tomato!  A word about tomatoes:  we're picking our field tomatoes, which are a wee bit more exposed to the elements than Evelyn and Menno's beautiful hothouse tomatoes.  We also grow varieties for flavor, not the varieties favorited by growers 'cause they're hard as rock right through delivery to the grocery store!  All our tomatoes may have a small bit of cracking and/or blemishes; especially the little cherry tomatoes are prone to splitting when they're really ripe.  Any that split while we're picking or packaging we just eat....but you still may have a few split during delivery.  They're still awesome....

We're still looking for new and nifty things to do with zucchini!  Shared this great recipe for zucchini pie on our Facebook page a couple of days ago!  Seems part quiche, part custard pie - sounds great.  And you could really do the spicing according to your tastes:  oregano and thyme for something rather Mediterranean, curry for something exotic...the possibilities are endless!  That's the awesome thing about the mild flavor of zucchini - it plays really well with other flavors!

A variety of herbs were cut today.  Some of you will get basil, with a bright green, pointy leaf.  Some will get oregano, with a soft, round, small leaf.  Some will get summer savory which looks rather ferny.  All go really well with tomatoes....and summer squash!  And corn on the cob....especially the summer savory!  Farmer Man is very proud to bring you this corn today!  We've really struggled to grow good corn organically - and we finally seem to be getting it right!  Today we've gotten the first pick on 'Golden Beauty', an old, standard yellow sweet corn.  We had some very lunch (quality control, don't you know!) and it was very nice.  Amanda and Ed supplied all the cucumbers today!

So for the FULL SHARES:  8 cobs corn, English and slicing cucumber, Hungarian Hot peppers, 1 lb. Dragon's Tongue beans, lg. Papaya Pear squash, Gold Rush zucchini, zucchini, 2 lb. slicing tomatoes, bundle of herb, 2 lbs. Cherry Red potatoes, 2 lbs. German Butterball potatoes.

PART SHARES:  6 cobs corn, slicing cuke, bell pepper, 1 lb. Dragons Tongue beans, med. Papaya Pear squash, Gold Rush zucchini, zucchini, pint cherry/grape tomatoes, bunch of herb, 1.5 lbs. Cherry Red potatoes, 1.5 lbs. German Butterball potatoes.

SINGLE SHARES:  4 cobs corn, slicing cuke, a Hungarian Hot pepper, 1/2 lb. Dragons Tongue beans, Papaya pear squash, Gold Rush zucchini, slicing cuke, bunch of herbs, 1 lb. Cherry Red tomatoes, 1 lb. German Butterball potatoes.

CSA For Tuesday, August 21.

Dragons Tongue!

Lots of the 'tastes of summer' in todays basket!  Amanda and Ed supplied corn for everybody, and Evelyn and Menno have tomatoes for all the shares!  We're going to cut basil like crazy to go with those tomatoes!  A little soft, white cheese and you've the making of an awesome Caprese salad!  We made a 'Caprese' style pasta Sunday night, tossing penne with fresh homemade creamy goat cheese, some wee cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.  A little pepper and dinner was served!  Cream cheese would work just as well, it would melt and nicely coat the pasta.  How about Open-faced Chicken Caprese Sandwiches....


Zucchinis and summer squash are still going strong!  Made these zucchini/chocolate chip/dried cranberry cookies on the weekend - really good!  Raisins would work in the mix, too but the cranberries just added some extra 'zing'!  Still intend to make these zucchini pancakes - should be awesome with Manitoba maple syrup!  On our Facebook page, we've been sharing some great little stuffed Patty Pan squash recipes; of course, the summer squash is pretty much interchangeable, but the Patty Pans are just so cute and different when stuffed!  We're enjoying the Kousa squash stuffed with all sorts of things, too!

Dragons Tongue beans continue to do well - another good pick today!  We love introducing people to the bean; it's unusual and rare and really yummy!  Love when customers try new stuff, eat well and have fun;  Farmers Market customer Kaylyn posted this on our Facebook page:  'Please, please, please tell me you will have more dragon's tongue beans at the Global Market this week! I picked up a bag yesterday AM and my kids devoured them at dinner tonight... including my oldest. And if you knew what a picky eater my oldest is, you'd realize this is something pretty amazing! We may have also goofed around w/them, sticking out of our mouths, pretending we were dragons. ;)'  CSAer Caryl was thinking outside the (bean) box when she made this hummus recipe, substituting the chick peas and peas for Dragons Tongue!  She says it was very good!

For the FULL SHARES:  2 lbs. Linzer Fingerling potato, 2 lbs. Cherry Red potato, 2 lbs. tomatoes, 4 cobs corn, 2 cucumbers, 1.5 lbs. Dragon Tongue beans, 2 zucchini, crooked neck squash, Patty Pan squash, Swiss chard, basil.

For the PART SHARES:  1.5 lbs. Linzer Fingerling potato, 1.5 lbs. Cherry Red potato, 1.5 lbs. tomatoes, 3 cobs corn, cucumber, 1 lb. Dragon Tonuge beans, zucchini, crooked neck squash, Patty Pan squash, basil.

For the SINGLE SHARES:  1 lb. Linzer Fingerling potato, 1 lb. Cherry Red potato,  corn, cucumber, 1/2 lb. DragonTongue beans, zucchini, crooked neck squash, Patty Pan squash, basil.

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!

CSA for Tuesday, August 14th!

Reta in the beans! Thank, Reta!

I've been having some interesting discussions, particularly with new CSAers, about CSA baskets and seasonal food.  CSA makes you a more spontaneous cook: one never knows what one is going to get in the basket, so the menus for the weeks' meals are formulated after pick-up.  Some people have changed their weekly grocery shopping day to the day of pick-up, or the day after.  Most interesting, to me, is some of the 'newbies' discoveries about seasonal food!  Many didn't really know things in the garden have 'their time', and then are finished.  In a world where we go to the grocery store and buy beans from different places in the world six or eight months out of the year, they were surprised to find that fresh, local beans are available for about three weeks!  That's it!  The little plants grow, flower, set beans and then are done!  The same with peas, raspberries and more!  Summer squash is a slightly different story: as long as you keep picking, they keep flowering and producing.  It's interesting to see how 'removed' people have become from the knowledge of growing food.  Anyone who does even a bit of gardening is somewhat more aware of the cycles; people who grew up on a farm or had a grandparent on the farm remembers the 'bean picking time' - a chore some grew to dislike, apparently!

The Spiralizer!

We have Reta, a Thursday CSAer, to thank for some of todays' beans!  Reta volunteered to come spend some time this morning and I really enjoyed her company.  Reta is one who remembers picking beans on the farm - and she was pretty good at it even though, apparently, I gave her some of the toughest rows!  It was kind of funny when I assigned her a couple of rows that turned out to have been picked before, then took one for myself that had obviously not been picked!  I didn't do it on purpose, really!  I could literally fill a bucket in half the time!  She also helped scour the patch for cucumbers for everyone!  What was neat is that Reta brought along a gadget we've talked about called the 'Spirallizer'.  I wasn't familiar with it when she mentioned it at her CSA pick up so she did a demonstration today.  It's kind of like a mandolin, but it cuts fruits and veggies into spiral shapes of different widths!  Really neat to see Reta turn out 'spaghetti' from a 'Goldrush' zucchini.  I really like this little thing - I'm going to cruise online for when later tonight, after CSA and goat milking!  You can make pasta shapes (raw zucchini salad with little spirals or actual zucchini spaghetti!), and chip shapes using everything from summer squash and potatoes to fruits like apples!  Really cool little gadget!  Thanks for sharing, and coming to help, Reta!!!!!

Speaking of summer squash...they keep on coming!  Wish the carrots and beets would grow soooo enthusiastically!!!  Here's a few neat things I've found or been shown this week:  garlic-grilled Patty Pan with chia brown rice, sounds good!  And, if you're not cruising our Facebook page, CSAer Natalia shared this recipe for zucchini butter!  I've had a couple of great comments already from people who have tried it!

Today, everyone is getting what is probably our favorite potato.  Out of thirty varieties, that's saying something!  We have our favs for roasting, and our fav for the BBQ, but when it comes to an all around potato this is the one we pick the most.  We've dug 'Sangria' for you today:  a red skinned, white fleshed potato.  It is always creamy and smooth, with good flavor.  It is awesome mashed, we usually eat it cut into chunks and steam it.  We use it frequently in scalloped potatoes.  It is not the best choice for tin foil packs on the BBQ, as it will get a little mushy.  We've taken it at somewhat small sizes; it's an awesome storage potato so you will see it again later in the season!  Enjoy it now, unpeeled, in potato salad or the classic mashed potato!

So, for the FULL SHARES:  4 lbs. 'Sangria' potatoes, onions, Swiss chard, 'Papaya Pear' squash, zucchini, assorted Patty Pans, lb. 'Dragons Tongue' beans, 1/2 lb. yellow wax beans, English cucumber.

For the PART SHARES: 3 lbs. 'Sangria' potatoes, onions, Swiss chard, 'Papaya Pear' squash, 'Goldrush' zucchini, assorted Patty Pans, lb. 'Dragons Tongue' beans, 1/2 lb. yellow wax beans, slicing cucumber.

SINGLE SHARES: 2 lbs. 'Sangria' potatoes, onions, Swiss chard, 1/2 lb. 'Dragons Tongue' beans, 'Goldrush' zucchini, assorted Patty Pans, slicing cucumber.

CSA for Thursday, August 9th.

Surprise! More babies!

A day with a few little distractions.  The ladies of 'From Dirt to Dinner', the documentary on CSA and Aagaard Farms, were here with photographer Shaun this morning, getting some footage of the preparations for CSA.  They will be at the pick up tonight, too, for coverage from start to finish!  Aside from a short meeting first thing for us to lay out what we'd be doing where...the group wasn't really much of a distraction at all!  They ghosted around, shooting here and there!  According to Twitter, Shaun did get to try a young banana pepper that gave him a bit of a start!

A much bigger distraction was....the discovery of baby chicks!  Meg came back into the house after lunch, asking when we acquired chicks.  We answered June, and she said she'd just seen some little fuzz ball types around the waterer!  Out we go and sure enough:  one of the hens has quietly and discreetly gone broody and hatched five eggs!  Don't know where, don't know how but we've got five brand-new  critters, a day old!  Three black and two yellow peeping, chirping babies!  While Farmer Man watched, Rocky the Rooster wandered over and pecked at one, so we got the baby play pen back out, scooped up Momma and chicks and got them safely ensconced in the barn!  There's a cute picture on our Facebook page - check it out!

As for food - we got at that today, too!  Growing partners Amanda and Ed provided nice cabbage for everyone today.  Check out Tuesday's blog post for some great recipe links for everything from salad to braised to stir fries!  Cabbage and summer squash go well together in a stir fry....and there is, of course, some summer squash in your boxes today.  On Sunday, I made these zucchini brownies;  just delicious!  Moist and full of chocolate flavor, used the easy icing recipe included - very good!  Got the first pick on cucumbers, not enough for everyone today but they're coming nicely!  Also got a few bell peppers from one of our renters...Sandra can't eat peppers but loves to grow them so we scored a few for the Full Shares today!

We've dug 'Yukon Gold' potatoes today: one of our favs with a buttery flavor, nice crispness that does make them excellent for homemade french fries.  They're starting to get up to a good size now!  We're interested in knowing if you're getting enough/not enough/too many potatoes - leave a comment at the end of the blog!  A few years back when everyone was on the 'Low Carb' diet - suddenly we seemed to be giving out way too many potatoes!

So, for the FULL SHARES:  We weighed them: 30 lbs of food!  In the box: 2 cabbage, a Romanesque summer squash, Patty Pan squash, a Kousa or Mediterranean squash, Crookneck squash,  zucchini, bell pepper, cucumber, 1/2 lb green beans, 1/2 lb. yellow beans, 1 lb. Dragon's Tongue beans, 3 lbs. 'Yukon Gold' potatoes.

PART SHARES: 2 cabbage, a Romanesque squash, Patty Pan, Kousa squash, Crookneck squash, zucchini, 1/2 lb. yellow beans, 1/2 lb. Dragon's Tongue beans, cucumber, 2 lbs. 'Yukon Gold' potatoes.

SINGLE SHARES:  A cabbage, Patty Pan squash, Kousa squash, Crookneck squash, zucchini, 1/2 lb. yellow beans, 1/2 lb Dragons Tongue beans, 2 lbs. 'Yukon Gold' potatoes.

CSA For Tuesday, August 7th!

Free labour! Visiting niece Meg got put to work,
helping us prepare for CSA today! 

Our growing partners Amanda and Ed stepped up to the plate today!  The bad news:  their carrots and beets suck, too.  We've heard it from our garden renters and other vendors at the Global Market; germination was very poor for many people.  Amanda and Ed got absolutely no, zero, zilch germination on their first seeding of carrots and very little on a second seeding of re-purchased seeds.  They've just enough for personal use and nothing to share.  We've gotten some germination - probably enough for just one share for all our families.  What a disappointment!!!  The question is: would you like them in smaller sizes soon or larger sizes later?

However, the good news - Amanda and Ed have grown beautiful cabbage so it's a cabbage fest today!  Here's a link to a slew of links for cabbage salads.  Here's a super simple butter braised cabbage side dish.  Cabbage is awesome in a stir fry - add it in with some summer squash.  Here's an Asian inspired version.  Of course, cabbage soup, cabbage rolls......the heads should stay very nice in the fridge for a couple of weeks!  Amanda and Ed also supplied the lovely burpless cucumbers today!

I'm surprised by the number of people that don't think of eating zucchini raw.  Zucchini sticks used to rule the veggie tray - well, in the '80's perhaps!  Here's a lovely recipe for a raw zucchini salad from food writer Michael Ruhlman.  Here's a neat link to raw spicy zucchini chips - they sound yummy!  How about zucchini carpaccio?  And this raw zucchini pasta with vegan curry cream is one we're going to try really soon!  We like to keep Thai red curry paste in the fridge....should be good in this pasta!  Here's another link with multiple zucchini recipes: the Parmesan encrusted zucchini sticks sound awfully good!

Final pick on the shelling peas - we know that for sure 'cause we were pulling the plants as we went.  They are typical of the last of the seasons' ripening: some little, funny pods with only a couple of peas, but good peas!  There's some great peas, some slightly older and some very young - may as well take them all in the last picking!  Also, today is the first dig of Yukon Gold potatoes, one of our favs!  This is golden skinned, golden fleshed, crisp potato, awesome for fries, great mashed or boiled, good in foil on the BBQ!

Keep in mind please, that we're going to try to keep a few extra goodies on the trading tables...while supplies last.  We know you're getting a lot of summer squash right now, so do feel free to trade.  We're going to try to stock with things that we're not getting a lot of: today we'll have a few bundles of our little beets, and some Swiss chard, as well as extra cucumbers and beans!

So for the FULL SHARES:  2 large cabbage, cucumber, onions, 'Goldrush' zucchini, 'Sun Green' zucchini, a Romanesque squash, 'Papaya Pear' squash, Kousa or Mediterranean squash, 1 lb. yellow beans, 1 lb. 'Dragons Tongue' beans, wee bag shelling peas, 3 lbs. 'Yukon Gold' potatoes.

For the PART SHARES:  2 med. cabbage, cucumber, onions, 'Goldrush' zucchini, 'Sun Green' zucchini, Romanesque squash, 'Papaya Pear, squash, 1 lb. yellow beans, 1/2 lb. 'Dragons' Tongue' beans, 2 lbs. 'Yukon Gold' potatoes.

For the SINGLE SHARES:  2 small cabbage, cucumber, onions, 'Goldrush' zucchini, 'Sun Green' zucchini, Romanesque squash, 'Papaya Pear' squash, 1 lb. yellow beans, 1/2 lb. 'Dragons Tongue' beans, 1.5 lbs. 'Yukon Gold' potatoes.

CSA for Thursday, August 2nd!

For those of you getting raspberries today, you have Thursday member Leanne to thank!  Leanne must be a raspberry fan 'cause she volunteered to come pick, and brought the family!  She brought dad Earl, and son Stephan, who is on vacation from a job in Taiwan!  Also in the 'crew' was Stephan's Taiwanese girlfriend Sarah, who had a peek at country life, Manitoba style!  Thank you so much to all four for coming to pick!  The raspberry crop is definitely waning, and it wasn't easy to find berries!

We've got a good pick on Kousa (Kusa) or Lebanese squash.  It looks like zucchini, but a lighter green with a net pattern on the skin.  It's a yummy squash: firmer than zucchini, with a mild 'wheatish' flavor. It is traditionally used small and stuffed, often with ground lamb and spices.  Here's a great link to a version: the 'hard' version is stuffing, the 'easy' version is the same ingredients just chopped and stir-fried!  Check it out here.  Another nice recipe is very similar to my Mother's version for stuffing a vegetable marrow: sausage and bread stuffing, find it here.  Oh, yes, and if any of you are familiar with veggie marrow and would like one, let us know!  We have a very small patch, mostly for us and my sister Keltie!

The potatoes are finally getting a bit beyond the baby stage.  Kind of a surprise to find some nice sizes in the Norland Reds today!  The Carlton Whites had the occasional monster in the mix!  We've been worried about the lack of moisture, but these are growing nicely!  These will be awesome sliced thick and roasted or tucked into tinfoil packs for the BBQ!

First good cut on the Swiss Chard.  We grow a variety called 'Bright Lights' with multi-coloured stems. We find it a bit milder and more tender than the big, old white-stemmed varieties.  Not familiar with Swiss Chard?  Treat it just like you might spinach.  It's good raw, excellent sliced a bit and put into stir fries.  The bigger leaves make good wraps, or treat like a vine leaf for moussaka!  We just steam up a mess of it: Farmer Man likes it with a bit of vinegar (like beet greens), I like it with too much butter and salt and pepper!

Thanks, too, to Thursday CSAer Deborah for coming and helping pick green beans this morning!  She got enough for everyone to get some, and then our workers Derrick and Henry got into the yellow French Filet and......the first pick on the Dragon's Tongue - our fav bean!  A heirloom Romano or butter bean, Dragon's Tongue is thick and flat, with purple stripes.  Don't over-cook this one: cook just long enough that the stripes are just beginning to fade.  This is a tender, largely stringless, awesome bean and does well in soups, stews and tin foil packs on the BBQ!  It's great raw, or simply steamed.  I know this one will make some of your very happy, because you've experienced it in previous years or tried it from us at the Farmers Markets!

So for the FULL SHARES:  3 lbs. Norland potatoes, Kousa squash ( heritage variety called Costata Romanesque from Heritage Harvest Seeds in Carmen, MB), a Magda Kousa squash, couple of Patty Pan, large 'Gold Rush' zucchini, edible pod peas, 2/3 lb. green beans, 2/3 lb. golden filet beans, Dragons Tongue beans, yellow cooking onions, Red Mammoth raspberries, bunch of Swiss Chard.

For the PART SHARES:  2 lbs. mixed Norland Red and Carlton White potatoes, Costata Romanesque Kousa squash, Magda Kousa squash, Papaya Pear squash, med. Gold Rush zucchini, 2/3 lb. Green Beans, 2/3 lb. golden filet beans, lb. Dragon's Tongue beans, yellow cooking onions, 1/2 basket Boyne raspberries, small bunch Swiss Chard.

For the SINGLE SHARES:  1/5 lbs. Norland Red potatoes, Crookneck squash, Magda Kousa squash, sm. Gold Rush zucchini, wee bag of shelling peas, 2/3 lb Green Beans, 2/3 lb. Dragon Tongue beans, yellow cooking onions.

CSA for Tuesday, July 31st!

Before the 'sharing': how many, how much?

We need rain....oh, boy do we need rain!  We're just starting to see some evidence of drought-effects, especially in parts of our fields where the soil is extremely sandy.  In areas where we've managed to improve the soil with compost, things are looking better - for now.  The potato field, about four acres, was newly tilled last year after being in an alfalfa/grass mixture for many years.  It turned out to have big patches of chalky, sandy soil and the effects of high heat and little moisture are showing first there.  The dugout, our one source of water, is already down by about three quarters, but we have no reasonable way to get water to the potato field, as is.  Fortunately, we plant tons of potatoes (that's probably literally, as well as figuratively), so we can bear to lose a few!  The lettuces, which looked poorly last week, are just toasted this week and beyond all hope.  Young pea pods are kind of 'crisping' up.  The onions, carrots and beets, in full sun on a slope, continue to just 'not thrive' - rather a surprise to us!  They're okay, but not growing well enough to dig yet.

The summer squash is the one crop seemingly enjoying the heat!  As the bounty continues, try a few new things!  Check out Thursdays' CSA blog post for links for chocolate zucchini cake, muffins and loaves.  We'd love you to freeze some zucchini for your winter use!  How about zucchini fritters or hash brown?  Shred it, press out excess moisture, spice it to your taste: garlic/salt/pepper, oregano/rosemary/basil or maybe something a wee bit Oriental with coriander/five spice.  Here's a great recipe for fritters from the ever-delightful Smitten Kitchen!

As the Patty Pans get bigger - try stuffing them!  Because of their firm texture, they stuff well and hold their shape.  You can serve them out in cute little slices.  Here's a link for a meat and quinoa stuffed Patty Pan (not familiar with quinoa? It's in the rice aisle at the grocery store, as easy to cook as rice and very, very good for you!).  How about a vegetarian version with spinach?  One of Farmer Man's favorite versions is onion, cream cheese and crab meat - when he's feeling a little decadent!  You can use any recipe that you might use to stuff a tomato or pepper!  One of my other favorite new ideas I've seen on the Web, which I'm trying real soon, is pickled Patty Pans!  Wouldn't that be cute with tiny ones?

The really awesome news:  Menno and Evelyn's tomatoes seem to be loving this heat.  They didn't originally think last week that they'd get enough of a harvest to share with everyone today - but they did!  If you've never tried one of their organic, greenhouse-grown, vine-ripened tomatoes....you're in for a treat!  I was hoping to find enough fresh basil for everyone - I cut it pretty hard for Thursday's tomato treat!  It didn't happen but I got enough for 2/3's of you and everyone else will get oregano (also very Italian and great with tomatoes) or mint.  Herbs will be on a first come-first serve basis! Also a surprise today: first pick on cucumbers, the lovely long English cukes.  There was enough for the Full Shares, until I stepped on one.....so the Part Shares get first pick today and Jes and I had a part of a cucumber for lunch!  Yummy!  One of the few times we eat something before our CSA families!

We wanted to make sure the Single Shares got some peas, so this week it's Edible Pod Peas for you guys.  Full Shares had those last week, so they've got a wee treat of shelling peas this week.  Part Shares get none, but they get the cucumbers, so we're okay with that!  Everyone is getting beans galore - super pick today!  You all know that the purple bean, Royal Burgundy, turns dark green on cooking, right?  Rather always been a disappointment to me that they don't stay purple.

So, for the FULL SHARES: 3 lbs. Warba white potatoes, 1/2 lb. shelling peas, tomatoes, bunch of herb, Crookneck squash, Romanesque squash, Papaya Pear squash, Patty Pan squash, 2.5 lbs. mixed yellow and purple beans, pint of Red Mammoth raspberries.

PART SHARES:  2 lbs. Warba white or Norland red potatoes, English cucumber, tomatoes, bunch of herb, Moroccan or Mediterranean squash, zucchini, Patty Pan squash, 1 1/5 lbs. mixed yellow and purple beans.

SINGLE SHARES:  1.5 lbs. Norland red potatoes, edible pod peas, tomatoes, bunch of herb, Crookneck squash, zucchini, Patty Pan squash, 1 lb. mixed yellow and purple beans. 

CSA for Thursday, July 26th

Surprise! Evelyn and Menno brought beautiful tomatoes!

A drizzly start to the morning: not the best start to a CSA harvest day!  Wet raspberries are a recipe for mush and mold, we weren't sure what we'd be able to harvest when it dried up sufficiently.  We felt okay about it because Thursday's CSAers are getting a special treat today!  Menno and Evelyn are bringing their fabulous organically-grown, greenhouse tomatoes!  A little mucky harvesting through the morning: highly recommend you get everything out of the plastic bags or cartons, including the raspberries!

The summer squash are coming along nicely!  You may have a chance to try some varieties you're not familiar with; love the comments when people try new things!  Of course, the zucchini will keep coming and coming and coming!  We're always looking for interesting things to do with zucchini: love this recipe Tuesday CSAer Amy tweeted for stuffed zucchini - looks fabulous!  You could easily adjust the size of the slice for either a side dish or an entree!  Of course, the best reason to grow zucchini to larger sizes is chocolate zucchini cake!  Here's a fairly simple recipe and here's a recipe that's a bit healthier; love her cream cheese frosting, too!  Of course there is zucchini muffins and bread with two versions of loaves, one with the added zing of pineapple.  Everyone gets some smaller, gourmet sizes in their boxes and a monster zucchini or two is extra free choice!  Deliveries, we're just putting the extras in so email me if you're getting a little over-loaded!

We love it when we hear of CSA families still eating their share in the winter!  It's quite easy to freeze zucchini for stir fries, sautes and casseroles all winter.  Here's some simple instructions from 'Pick Your Own.org', a great site to bookmark 'cause it is all about harvesting, eating and preserving seasonal food!  I must admit when I'm freezing shredded zucchini for winter muffins, I never blanch it: I just shred, pack into freezer bags in the one cup or two cup portions needed for our fav recipes and freeze!

Part Shares are getting kale today - if you're not familiar with it, it is a nutritional powerhouse.  Raw, it's great in salads, but cut it fine because it's got a flavor and texture that's distinct.  You can treat it like beet greens or chard, our favorite way to eat it is in a stir fry with summer squash (and edible pod peas, too)!  Here's a great kale link here, including making kale chips for snacking!  Everyone is getting my, ummm, second favorite bean: Golden French Filet!  The true filet beans are skinny, tender, creamy, yummy little beans - enjoy!

Another wee pick on the peas.  The Full Shares are getting a snack of shelling peas, the Part Shares are getting a small bag of edible pod peas.  As we mentioned in Tuesday's blog post, we like our edible pod peas with some pea in them...great crunch raw, a bit more substantial in a stir fry.  Some of them are quite huge, so you can treat them like a shelling pea, but keep the pods for stir fries or salads!

Mostly with the 'surprise' in mind, we took our first big cut of basil.  It will be a few weeks before it bounces back!  Are you familiar with a Caprese Salad?  Pesto?  We've done pesto with almonds or walnuts, since we're more likely to have those than pine nuts.  We also do a simple pasta, tossing the cooked pasta with olive oil, chopped basil and Parmesan (or any grated cheese would work).

So, for the FULL SHARES:  3 lbs. Warba potatoes, bunch of Chard, shelling peas, 1 lb. of yellow filet beans, 1 lbs. Menno and Evelyn's lovely tomatoes, bunch of basil, pint of Boyne raspberries, a black zucchini, 'gold Rush' zucchini, Papaya Pear, and an heirloom Romanesque summer squash.

For the PART SHARES: 2 lbs. of Warba potatoes, bunch of Kale, edible pod peas, 1/2 lb. mixed yellow filet and purple beans, 1/2 lb. green beans, 1 lb. tomatoes, basil, pint of Mammoth raspberries, small black zucchini, Gold Rush' zucchini and a Romanesque summer squash.

For the SINGLE SHARES:  1.5 lbs. Warba potatoes, 1/2 lb. tomatoes, basil, pint Boyne raspberries, 1/2 lb. yellow filet beans, small black zucchini, small Patty Pan and a Romanesque squash. 

CSA for Tuesday, July 24th

It's so nice to be back in the land of the World Wide Web!  Computer problems have plagued us for about a week so we've been kind of out-of-touch, both on the blog and on Facebook/Twitter.  Today however, I managed to connect with my techie 'knight in shining armour', and Doug of HelpTek made it out to the farm to straighten everything out for us!  Doug professes not to be an Apple/Mac guy but (once again) he took care of all the problems with both the Mac and the PC,  and the printer!  Thank you, Doug!

Crazy day!  Our lovely CSAer Deborah had volunteered to help pick raspberries again but had transportation issues: when she hadn't arrived after I'd already been in the raspberries over an hour - I figured something was wrong!  We thought we had a new staff member starting, who also failed to arrive so things got a little crazy!  When our garden helpers Derrick and Henry arrived they got pressed into service: Derrick found himself in the raspberry patch with me!  Henry found himself in the beans!  'Cause yes!  Beans are ready to pick!  And peas!

First, a word about raspberries: this may be the last week for the raspberries.  They're still cropping, but we're past the abundant first flush and, as the picking gets more time consuming, it becomes less worth our while to invest the time.  Especially with so many other labor intensive veggies coming on strong, like beans.  So, if you're a raspberry fan and would like more next week, we could really use your help picking.  You could come the evening before or the morning of CSA!  You could also pet a baby goat, hear a kitten purr, meet Rocky the Rooster!  And volunteers always go home with bonuses!  So, email us if you can help!

First pick today on beans and peas!  It's not an abundant harvest today, so it will be a mixed bag!  Peas are also cropping, in a small way.  We've got a little pick of shelling peas for the Part Shares, enough to just sit on the deck and have a wee snack.  We also got a little pick of edible pod peas for the Full Shares.  These edible pod peas are lovely, and some are a little large and could be shelled.  If you do want to shell them keep the pods: awesome in stir fries and sautes, super in veg packs on the barbecue, and also great chopped into a pasta for fresh, sweet pea flavor!  Or just crunch them like candy!

The summer squash is kickin' in big time!  For your reference, all summer, please check out our Summer Squash Primer Part 1 and Summer Squash Primer Part 2!  Today everyone is getting one of our favorites: Papaya Pear!  This squash is firmer and denser than zucchini, with a nice nutty flavor.  It is absolutely awesome on the barbecue: won't get mushy like zucchini.  Our fav method is slicing into rounds about 1/2" thick, soaking in balsamic vinegar and a little oil then on to the BBQ!  You can grill it and get nice grill marks, without the mush.  Other than that, anything you do with a zucchini you can do with this guy: slice, dice, raw, sauteed, veggie packs, grated.  It may take longer to cook than you're used to, especially in a stir fry or saute!  We also got a wee pick, in the Part Shares, of crook neck squash - the Southern States delicacy!  In the Deep South, they bread or batter thick slices and then fry/deep fry slices.  It's a delicate, buttery squash that comes out like pudding in that sort of cooking method!  Farmer Man does cornmeal/cajun spices and then fries it up! Yummy!  Again, anything you would do with a zucchini you can do with a crook neck, but it is more delicate!  As we hope to do all summer, green zucchini is available as an 'extra' if you'd like one - we don't want to overload you and we grow soooo many more interesting styles.  You know how easy it easy to freeze zucchini for winter use, right?  For muffins, bread and the ever-awesome chocolate zucchini cake just grate now, store in ziplock bags or small containers in 1 Cup packets and take out as you need it!  If you freeze it in bigger sizes it comes out of the freezer in big lumps so you must defrost the whole lump to get your cups worth so easier to freeze in the portion you need for muffins or zucchini bread!

So, for the FULL SHARES:  3 lbs. Carlton potatoes, 1/2 lb mixed green and golden wax beans, 1/2 lb green beans, edible pod peas, pint Red Mammoth raspberries, Papaya Pear squash, Patty Pan squash, Gold Rush zucchini, onions.

PART SHARES: 2 lbs. Alladin potatoes, 1/2 lb. mixed green and purple beans, onions, wee bag shelling peas, pint of Red Mammoth raspberries, Crook Neck squash, Papaya Pear squash, Gold Rush zucchini.

SINGLE SHARES:  1 lb Norland potatoes, 1/4 lb purple beans, onions, pint of Red Mammoth raspberries, Papaya Pear squash, Gold Rush Zucchini.