"Our children no longer learn how to read the great Book of Nature.... We no longer coordinate our human celebration with the great liturgy of the heavens."
- Wendell Berry

What’s in the box this week: (content differences between Family and Small Shares are underlined/italicized)

Family Share:
Strawberries (2 bskts.)
Arugula
Avocados (2) (from Marselisi Farms)
Carrots
Cauliflower (from Lakeside Organic Gardens)
Chard or dinosaur kale
Cilantro
English or Japanese cucumbers (2) (from Nagamine Farms)
Green garlic
Lettuce (2)
Green onions
Radishes (French breakfast or red)

Small Share:
Strawberries (1 bskt.)
Arugula
Cauliflower (from Lakeside Organic Gardens)
Chard or dinosaur kale
Cilantro
English or Japanese cucumbers (1) (from Nagamine Farms)
Green garlic
Lettuce (1)
Radishes (French breakfast or red)

Extra Fruit Option:
3 more baskets of strawberries (we should start having different fruit in another couple weeks!)

CALENDAR

Sat June 17
Summer Solstice Celebration
field tours 2 - 5
celebrations 5 - 9
with Kuzanga Marimba!

Tues July 18
4 - 9pm
Forum on the Farm: "Integrating Spirituality with Building Sustainable Food Systems"

Aug 25, 26, 27
Children's Mini-camp, Friday eve. to noon Sun.

Sat. Sept. 23
Fall Equinox Celebration
3pm until dark

Sat. Oct 21
Halloween Pumpkin Pallooza

For me to celebrate the seasons is to stop and remember that much of what we do on this farm is linked to the very cyclical rhythms of our planet. It may seem obvious that we dwell on a planet that turns once a day on its tilted axis and wheels around the sun once a year, and is circled by its own large moon. It may also seem obvious that we depend on plants and animals for the air we breathe and food we eat. To celebrate is to stop and remember that we share this planet, linked and interconnected with the rest of nature. To celebrate is a big part of what Community in Community Supported Agriculture stands for and to gather in celebration is one way to partake in the lifecycle of this farm. When I was barely 5 years old I remember the excitement I felt when seeds of lettuce, tomato and radish I had planted in a hidden corner of our garden started growing and how proud I was when I ran into my mother’s kitchen with the first edible samples. To celebrate the seasons is to awaken a sense of wonder and excitement about our connection with the outdoors. It seems ever more difficult to pull a child away from virtual entertainment powered by an electrical outlet over the magic and awe inspired by exploring new frontiers in nature. Although a farm may not be as thrilling as nature's great cathedrals such as Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, I often believe that it is our farms that can bridge our connection with nature by experiencing the fundamental relationship we have with her through the food we receive. Hope to see you all on the Farm this Saturday for our annual Solstice Celebration! - Tom

Summer Solstice Celebration this Saturday!
Come join us! 2-5pm farm tours and childrens’ activities. 6pm welcome circle and potluck, followed by our traditional bonfire. Live music by Kuzanga Marimba –  Not to be missed!! Directions to the farm are on our website under “Contact Us.” Remember, it’s a potluck, so don’t forget to bring a dish to share. It gets cool in the evening too, so bring a sweater or jacket, and maybe a blanket to sit on.

From Debbie: This year, I’d like to make a more concerted effort to collect recipes for the dishes you make, so please bring your recipes! On them be sure to put your name (so I can give you credit if I use it in the newsletter) and somewhere obvious take care to note whether your dish is vegetarian (or vegan), or contains meat, dairy, eggs, nuts or nut oils, etc., for people with allergies or diet limitations (a simple ingredient list would be fine also). We’ll have a roll of masking tape so you can tape your recipe to your dish and I will collect them after we’ve all eaten. We’ll also try to have 3x5 cards and pens for last-minute labeling for those who don’t bring recipes.

Also: let’s make an effort to avoid using disposable plates and utensils. Bring your own picnic plates/cups/utensils/cloth napkins (if you have them) so that we can minimize the non-recyclable waste! We’re members of an organic farm... we can do this!!

Forum on the Farm: "Integrating Spirituality with Building Sustainable Food Systems"
by Constance Broz

For the first time, Live Earth Farm is inviting the CSA community to explore how spirituality may be an element in our relationship with the Earth. For this first forum, which will be on Tuesday July 18th, we have invited three speakers to present their perspectives and experiences on the subject, with the special presence of Carlos Buby from Brazil. We will have a potluck at 6pm, which is the farm's traditional way of celebrating Community! By the way, this is me Constance, Farmer Tom’s wife, writing to you all about this great event! I have been organizing this for the last couple months, hoping that this expanded vision will be of interest to our community and will attract future speakers who may share with us their Nature-based wisdom, regardless of religious beliefs. See you July 18th!

When: Tuesday July 18th

Where: at Live Earth Farm

Schedule:
4 to 6pm, speakers Thomas Broz and Brian Barth
6pm, potluck
7:30pm, keynote speaker Carlos Buby

Guest Speakers:

Carlos Buby would be referred to in the United States as a shaman, i.e. someone who has mastered the art of reading and relating with the spiritual dimensions of Nature (including human nature!). His teachings have been well received in Europe, Brazil and the USA due to the universal quality of his philosophy that advocates the preservation and integral development of Life. During his lecture (which starts at 7:30pm) he will explain the importance of perceiving the dynamics of Nature and what this philosophical approach represents in our daily life.

Thomas Broz will share his philosophy of being a steward of the land, and how his spirituality is a source of inspiration to build a sustainable farm that integrates not only the human but also the plant and animal communities.

Notes from Debbie’s Kitchen . . . . . . . . Have a recipe you’d like to share? Contact Debbie. A couple people have sent in avocado recipes, but first a blurb on Dinosaur kale for any newbies out there! - Debbie

Lacinato or "Dinosaur" Kale
Thanks to CSAs and farmers markets, kale is no longer the ‘huh?’ veggie it used to be. More people are aware of its existence now, though not everybody knows what to do with it (that’s where I can help!). There are several kinds too, but Tom typically grows Red Russian, and Dinosaur (also known as Lacinato, Tuscan, Black, or Cavalo Nero). The leaves are long and thin, a dark, dusty green color with white ribs, and a bumpy surface with curled-under edges (see pictures on recipe page of website). I think the appearance is what got it its ‘dinosaur’ moniker: it looks something like what one would imagine dinosaur skin would look like! Anyway, the simplest way to prepare it is to wash the leaves (discarding any yellowed or overly battered ones), then separate the greens from the stems by holding the base of the stem in one hand and stripping off the greens (zip!) with the other. (Though the stems are edible, they can be kind of tough so I compost them). Set a pot of well-salted water on the stove to boil while you’re washing/stripping the leaves. (The salt is an important ingredient here; it really brings out the flavor of the kale. Try it in salted and unsalted water and compare, if you don’t believe me.) When the water is boiling, dump in your pile of stemless green gold and boil, oh, 3 minutes or so, then drain well (I squeeze out extra water with the back of a spoon) and chop – it’s easier to chop after cooking like this than before. From here, there are several ways to eat it. The simplest (and one of my favorites) is what I call ‘hot salad’ – simply drizzle it with olive oil then squeeze fresh lemon juice on it. If you have it, try grating fresh parmesan on top too... that’s really good! Or try sautéing some onion until soft, then adding the cooked chopped kale, a small handful of golden raisins or currants, and maybe some toasted nuts. Add a splash of water or white wine and cover and simmer a bit so raisins plump. Or steam up some flavored sausages like Aidell’s or something and add the kale near the end to simmer in the sausage juices. Or go to the recipe database for even more ideas!

Chilled Avocado Soup
from a Cooking Light magazine, modified slightly (submitted by Randy Robinson, of Vino Locale)

1 C canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 C chopped peeled cucumber [I’d leave the peel on w/this week’s thin-skinned English/Japanese cukes – Debbie]
½ C buttermilk
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp. chipotle (or ground red) chile powder
1 (14-oz) can chicken broth (or equivalent of your own stock)
1 ripe peeled avocado
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Combine first 7 ingredients (through avocado) in a blender; add 1/4 tsp. salt. Process until smooth; stir in 1/8 tsp. salt and chopped fresh cilantro. Cover and chill 2 hours. Serve w/tortilla chips.

Avocado and Fresh Corn Chowder
from Vegetarian Times (submitted by member Holly Trapp)

2 ½ C almond milk
2 ½ C raw corn kernels (try Trader Joe’s frozen organic since we don’t have fresh)
1 avocado peeled and diced (about 1 C)
½ tsp. salt
cracked black pepper to taste
Puree almond milk, 2 C of the corn kernels, ¾ C of avocado and salt in blender until smooth. Ladle into bowls, garnish with remaining corn and avocado and sprinkle with cracked black pepper.

Cucumber salad with capers, anchovies and marjoram
modified from a recipe in the SJ Merc (from "The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market Cookbook"); serves 6

1 clove garlic
generous pinch sea salt
6 oil-packed anchovy fillets
2 tbsp. capers
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (or wine vinegar)
fresh ground black pepper
½ C olive oil
2 English cucumbers, cut diagonally into thick slices
2 tbsp. fresh marjoram or oregano leaves, chopped

Pound garlic and sea salt into a paste in a mortar and pestle. Add anchovies, pound to combine. Ditto for capers, until well integrated but still chunky. Add lemon juice and pepper to taste, pound and mix until incorporated, then add olive oil and mix well. Allow flavors to mingle as you cut the cucumbers. Combine mixture with sliced cucumbers, and toss to coat evenly. Serve topped with fresh marjoram (or oregano).

*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 key ingredient. Recipe site is updated weekly during the season.