"As you eat, know that you are feeding more than just a body. You are feeding the soul’s longing for life, its timeless desire to learn the lessons of earthy existence – love and hate, pleasure and pain, fear and faith, illusion and truth – through the vehicle of food. Ultimately, the most important aspect of nutrition is not what we eat but how our relationship to food can teach us who we are and how we sustain ourselves at the deepest level of being."
- Marc David

What’s in the box this week:

... and if you have an extra-fruit share:
(Remember, "Extra Fruit option" doesn't start until May!)

CALENDAR


Sat. Jun 21 - Summer Solstice Celebration
4pm - 10pm
with Kuzanga Marimba!

Aug 8, 9, 10 - Children’s Mini Camp
Friday evening to noon Sunday

Sat. Sep 20 - Fall Equinox Celebration
3pm - 9pm
with the Banana Slug String Band!

Sat. Oct 26 Halloween Pumpkin Palooza
all day.
the Banana Slug String Band will play here too!

With the Farm "springing" into life, we are happy to once again welcome everyone, both new and old members, to our 8th seasonal "dance" of growing, sharing, eating and celebrating nature’s abundant and enduring gifts. As a farmer, the beginning of every season is a reminder that growing food rests on a foundation of trust. By planting seeds and transplanting little tomato, lettuce and broccoli seedlings into freshly prepared spring soil I realize how much farming rests on a conviction that nature, no matter how unpredictable, provides us with sustaining nourishment. As we begin this season, I hope the food we grow will in a small part contribute to your experiencing a deeper connection with nature and her cycles of creation and renewal, and most of all give you joy as you prepare and eat her nourishing gifts. For those of us who grow the food, it is wonderful to know the people and community it nourishes. We hope that by receiving our weekly box of fresh and delicious surprises you will have the opportunity to learn more about who your farmers are and how and where they grow your food. Throughout the season we welcome you to visit and get to know the farm. Or if you're interest-ed in helping out at our various farm events, don’t hesitate to let us know. With the completion of our barn remodel we have more room to host and facilitate community events such as our seasonal celebrations, workshops, mini-camp, school visits, retreats, field work days, farm dinners, and other activities such as canning, winemaking, food drying and bread baking. To find out more about this year’s community activities check out our Calendar of Events posted in our weekly newsletters and on our website. – Tom

What's Up on the Farm
"When will we see our first tomatoes?" I get this question at every farmers market, and then try to look into that murky crystal ball... and all I can see is heaps of them sometime in July or early August. Our tomatoes, cucumbers and squash were off to a good start due to a very mild winter, however the recent frosty Arctic front had us scrambling to cover these heat-loving plants with blankets. They are safe for now. Our apricot trees have flowered and have a nice set of fruit, and our peach trees are in full bloom right now. The verdict on the pear fruitset is not out yet, but probably next week we’ll know. The weather is a farmer’s favorite topic (you can always strike up a conversation with a farmer on the subject), so bear with me as I moan and groan about it throughout the season.

We need more members!
Although April quickly filled, we still have a lot of openings for May and the rest of the season. Please help us spread the word! We are happy to send you brochures or flyers, or you can refer interested people to our website at www.liveearthfarm.net. If you know of any events in your local community that would be interested in having a local farmer participate, such as Earth Day, Spring/Easter festivals, etc., we’d be glad (time permitting) to be involved. Thank you!!

Crop of the Week
Green Garlic – not to be confused with Leeks! Garlic, also known as the stinking rose, is indispensable in any kitchen. Right now we have a beautiful stand of garlic protecting our strawberry patch. It seems that garlic is not only good at keeping vampires and nasty flus under control, but also strawberry-loving insects. Last November, together with onions and strawberries, we planted both stiff- and soft-neck garlic. Typically, the regular bulb garlic you are most familiar with is harvested and dried in about nine months, at the beginning of summer. Green garlic, on the other hand, is harvested now through June, when its flavor is very delicate and sweet. Green garlic is almost indistinguishable in appearance from leeks – lots of green stalk with a slightly bulbous white or rose-streaked root end. Over the course of the next two months you will be able to observe the individual cloves maturing among many onion-like layers. Green garlic has a very aromatic, mild, long flavor, blends beautifully with other vegetables, and makes excellent purees, soups, sauces and fillings for pasta. Enjoy!

Contribute to your Newsletter
In the past, we've had sections of the newsletter such as "Member to Member Forum," "Q&A," and "Current Issues," etc. Members have suggested wonderful ideas such as having a "Kids Corner," where children could write in with questions, or where simple games or projects could be posted. If you have something you'd like to share with the rest of the CSA membership through this newsletter, please contact our 'editor' (see contact info at bottom of the page). We welcome your participation!

Notes from Debbie’s Kitchen . . . . . . . . Have a recipe you’d like to share? Contact the newsletter editor.

Hot ziggety-pooch (as my grandfather used to say) – the season has finally begun!! Next week I will talk about preparation and storage techniques, but for now let's see how many short, easy recipes for using box stuff I can come up with to fit here! - Debbie

Grilled Bok Choi
While browsing through Alice Water's "Chez Panisse Vegetables" I found this entry: "...when we find young bok choi at the market, we cut the heads in two and grill them." No further instructions were provided, so I thought I'd provide some! Knowing how tender bok choi is, I don't even think you need to oil them, and you needn't grill them long. I'd wash the heads carefully, squirting water down between the stalks to get any dirt out, then just barely trim off any roots but otherwise leaving the stems all attached as a unit. Shake off excess water, halve lengthwise, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper (optional) and grill just a few minutes, turning once to get both sides. The leaves should get wilty and the stalks should have nice grill-marks on 'em. Serve 'em as a side dish!

Sautéed Chard with Lemon and Hot Pepper
also from Chez Panisse Vegetables

Stem the chard, wash and drain the leaves, and cut them into a rough chiffonade (in other words, chop 'em up - Debbie). Sauté in olive oil, covered, for 5 minutes or so, until the leaves are wilted and tender. Remove the cover and cook away the excess moisture. Season at the last minute with a pinch of red pepper flakes according to taste, and with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon juice over just before serving.

Penne with Ricotta and Green Garlic Sauce
from Knoll Organic Farms
serves 4 to 6

1 1/2 C fresh whole-milk ricotta, or a 15-oz. container whole-milk ricotta
1/4 C finely minced green garlic
2 tbsp. minced parsley, divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 lb. dried penne or fusilli pasta
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional grated Parmesan for the table

Combine the ricotta, green garlic and 1 tbsp. of the parsley in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Just before pasta is done, remove 1/2 cup of the boiling water. Whisk enough of the hot water into the ricotta to make a smooth, creamy sauce. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce along with the butter. Toss well. Add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and toss again, adding a little more of the hot water if needed to thin the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve on warm plates, topping each portion with some of the remaining parsley. Pass additional Parmesan at the table.

Spaghetti w/Arugula Pesto
from Cucina Italia magazine
Serves 4

1 bunch arugula, washed and dried
1 tbsp. capers
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped (aw, go ahead and use a stalk of green garlic!)
1/4 C grated fresh Parmesan
1/4 C good olive oil, plus extra
12 oz. spaghetti
2 med. tomatoes, chopped (or 1/2 sm. can chopped tomatoes, drained, if out of season)
salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. In a food processor, combine the arugula, capers, garlic, Parmesan, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Process until a smooth paste forms, adding more olive oil if necessary. Salt the water, and add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente. Drain pasta and mix with the pesto. Toss with tomatoes, sprinkle with pepper, and serve.

Beets
If you don't know what to do with 'em, for now just cut tops off and stick the beets in a bag in your fridge 'til next week's recipes (or see recipe database for ideas!). They'll keep!

*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.