"This
food is also the fruit of labor of many creatures.
We are grateful for it.
May it give us strength, health and joy.
May it increase our love."
- Unitarian Grace
Whats in the box this week:
Apples
Basil
Beets
Broccoli
Carrots
Cucumbers
Green Beans
Leeks
Lettuce
Potatoes
Radishes
Spinach
Tomatoes
Mystery item?
... and if you have an extra-fruit share:
Berries and apples
CALENDAR
Sat. Sep 22 - Fall Equinox Celebration,
3pm - 9pm
Fri. Oct 5 tentative next wood-fired
bread oven baking day
(full moon Oct 2nd)
Sat. Oct 20 - Halloween Pumpkin U-Pick,
all day |
What's
Up on the Farm
This
year for the first time we decided to take the day off for Labor Day.
It feels a bit awkward, since the plants dont stop growing, and
we know come Tuesday well have to work a little harder to catch
up with them. But it feels good to pause and take the opportunity to recognize
the many ways in which we, through our work, participate, contribute,
and celebrate our place within the human community, and therefore also
the larger community of nature.
Sun-dried tomatoes! Last week I was excited about finishing the assembly
of our solar dryer, but when I tried the first sun-dried tomatoes on Sunday
I was even more excited. They are delicious!! Be on the lookout as we
are going to place small samplers in your share over the next week or
two. For the farm, this is a new and exciting area of experimentation
and I welcome your ideas and knowledge about drying fruits, vegetables
and herbs. Especially ideas on equipment to prepare and slice things quickly
and efficiently.
We had 25 apprentices from the UCSC Ecological Farming Program visit us
last week, the same program I attended 5 years ago before starting Live
Earth Farm. Their commitment to sustainable agriculture is inspiring and
their questions are reflective of the challenges young people face when
considering becoming farmers themselves. Two days later I received a phone
call from a person who is interested in videotaping and interviewing organic
farmers in California. This would be wonderful of course, but the tomatoes,
cucumbers and green beans must be harvested first, before I can think
about scheduling time for an interview. ![](../dingbat.gif)
Of Interest
Last week one member asked
me if I knew of a good source for organic beef and I thought I would share
this in the newsletter: Early this year I was invited to talk about our
CSA program at a gathering of farmers on a cattle ranch in the hills overlooking
San Juan Bautista. This ranch raises their cattle differently from how
cattle are typically raised. Almost all beef today, even if it is labeled
"Natural" or "Organic", is grain-fed beef. However,
on the Morris Ranch the cattle are strictly grass-fed. This means they
enjoy a completely organic diet of fresh grass. No hormones or antibiotics
are used, and as Joe said the animals grow only as fast as their genetics
and the range will allow. The range is also managed to enhance its biodiversity
and protect the watershed from soil erosion. According to studies at Utah
State University, only grass-fed beef is high in the nutrients beta carotene,
vitamin E, and essential Omega 3 fatty acids, among others. One can order
grass-fed beef directly from the Morris Ranch. To find out more about
your options you can contact them directly at jmorris900@earthlink.net
or (831) 623-4595. All I can say is that when I tried their ground beef
it was the best I have ever tasted. ![](../dingbat.gif)
Member to Member Forum
Hi -- I'd like to reply to
your request last week for 'unusual transportation' stories. Here's how
we do it: On Saturday mornings picking up our weekly share has become
a special ritual for my husband Taylor, and our twin children, Evan and
Claire. The three most often set out to pick up "the goodies"
in a colorful caravan consisting of Daddy riding his bike, Claire sitting
right behind Daddy in her bike seat, and Evan comfortably tucked in a
bike trailer, also attached to Daddy's bike. Where does the produce go,
you might ask? Well almost all of the berries get eaten at the pick-up
spot, but the rest goes in a backpack that Taylor fills to the brim and
hauls home on his back. Even on days when they are not able to bike to
get the produce, the kids prefer to have this as a special 'Daddy activity',
which means a few minutes of welcome peace for this Mom! - Brighid Lampson,
Los Gatos
Mark your calendars... it's coming right up! Our Fall Equinox Celebration
will be held on Saturday, September 22nd. Bring something to bake in the
new wood-fired bread oven, and/or something to share for the potluck.
Well have live music, our traditional bonfire to welcome the fall
season, games, pony rides, and farm tours.
If you wish to communicate something to the rest of the CSA membership,
or start a dialog among members on a particular topic, you may use this
forum to do so. Please submit info to the editor (see below) by Sunday
to get it into the following weeks issue. Keep in mind that members
don't receive newsletters until the following Wednesday and Saturday (if
you're reporting on a timely event). ![](../dingbat.gif)
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Notes
from Debbies Kitchen . . . . .
. . . Have a recipe youd like to share? Contact
the newsletter editor.
What have we been seeing
lots of recently? Basil. Tomatoes. Carrots. Here are a couple of interesting
soup recipes which caught my eye. Hope they sound good to you too! - Debbie.
Tuscan Tomato-Basil Soup
(modified slightly from a recipe in my Bon Appetit clipping file)
serves 4
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 C chopped onions
3 or 4 small potatoes (about 14 oz.), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 lbs. tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 C (or more) water
1 C (loosely packed) fresh basil leaves
4 tsp. chopped fresh basil
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté
until golden, about 15 minutes. Add potato and sauté until light
brown, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir until juices form, about
5 minutes. Add 3 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover
and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Working in batches,
puree soup in a blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Thin with additional
water, if desired. Stir in the cup of whole basil leaves. Simmer uncovered
for 5 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into
4 bowls and sprinkle each with a teaspoon of chopped fresh basil.
Jamaican Carrot Soup
(from an un-dated San Jose Merc. recipe clipping, credited to a cookbook
called "Soups for All Seasons" by Jan Lyman)
serves ?? (makes about 5 cups)
4 C chicken (or vegetable) broth
4 large carrots, scrubbed and cut into half-inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. peanut butter
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. curry powder (optional)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
dash of Tobasco
salt & pepper to taste
diced apples for garnish
Place broth, carrots, onion, ginger, garlic, peanut butter, Worcestershire
sauce and curry powder in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower heat.
Cover and simmer about 20 minutes, or until carrots are very tender. Cool
slightly. Blend in batches in a blender or food processor until very smooth.
Add nutmeg, Tobasco, salt and pepper. Serve garnished with diced apple.
And since we're on a roll here with pureed soups, here's a modification
I made recently to my 'Green Soup' recipe of seasons past (see weeks 15
and 16 from the 2000 season in the online recipe database), which turned
out to be particularly tasty! - Debbie
Nutty Green Soup
In the original recipes, you sautéed garlic then added chopped
green veggies and broth, simmered 'til done, then pureed all with cilantro,
cumin and lemon juice and garnished with pepitas (toasted, salted pumpkin
seeds). Well on a lark (and because I'd tasted -- and liked -- other soups
where the nuts were a part of the puree, not the garnish), I threw a large
handful of pepitas right into the blender while pureeing the veggies,
and WOW. It really made for a rich and wonderful-tasting soup! Who knows,
maybe you could toast and puree in some other kind of nuts with equally
tasty results!
*Click Here*
for a link to a comprehensive listing of recipes from Live Earth Farm's
newsletters going back as far as our 1998 season! You can search for recipes
by harvest week OR by key ingredient. Recipe site is updated weekly.
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