Weekly CSA Newsletter: September 10-16, 2006 (Week #14)

In This Issue:

  1. This week's share may include: ...
  2. Pick-Your-Own Crops and Information
  3. Notes from the Field: Our Community Farm
  4. Recipes
  5. Upcoming Events: Third Sunday Gathering September 17th at 4 PM
  6. CFO Contact Information

1. This week's share may include

  • Lettuce
  • Kale
  • Collards
  • Swiss Chard
  • Escarole
  • Arugula
  • Kohlrabi
  • Potatoes
  • Leeks
  • Salad Turnips
  • Tomatoes
  • Peppers
  • Eggplant
  • Melons
  • Carrots

2. Pick-Your-Own Crops

  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Plum Tomatoes
  • Cilantro / Dill / Basil / Parsley
  • Hot Peppers
  • Tomatilloes
  • Flowers

All shareholders are invited to pick your own from 9 AM to 7:30 PM on Sundays and from 3 PM to 7:30 PM on Thursdays. Please visit the PYO station near the red shed for locations of crops and all PYO tools and materials.

3. Notes from the Field

Our Community Farm

What's in a name? I've been thinking about that quite a bit lately, as our little organization goes through some fascinating and sometimes contentious discussions about its future. Many topics, including education, hunger relief, office space and, yes, our name (or names) have been covered in these conversations, often with the fortunate addition of a glass of wine to ease over some of the rougher spots. Some of the most thought-provoking for me, however, have been our conversations about our agricultural operation, our little farm, and what it is, as well as what it can and should become over the next few years.

Why are we called Waltham Fields Community Farm? What is a community farm, anyway? Is it inherently a farm operated by a nonprofit organization? Does it always sell its products through a community supported agriculture arrangement? What does it mean to choose to take on that big word 'community' as part of the name of a farm, which is traditionally a fairly solitary venture?

These are big questions, to which I can only give partial (and very personal) answers. If you type 'community farm' into an internet search engine, you get a funny list of results. Many, although by no means all, are CSAs (Natick Community Organic Farm and Codman Community Farm in Lincoln are good local examples of those that are not). Many are family farms (like Heirloom Harvest Community Farm in Westborough), but some have educational, food justice, or conservation components that have taken on a nonprofit life of their own (like Brookfie ld Community Farm in Amherst). Most welcome their shareholders and often the public to their farm fields. Some are very rural and some very urban. Some are organic, some are biodynamic, and some simply grow according to their own principles and common sense. They are, in short, a happily diverse assortment of farms with a range of sizes, missions, values, and budgets.

What all these farms have in common, and what we share with them, is a commitment to letting their communities in on the amazing secret of local agriculture - sometimes their immediate communities, and sometimes communities of eaters a bit removed from the actual physical farm, as is the case with many Hudson Valley farms with shareholders in New York City. Our farm tries to do that through our CSA program, which also supports us financially, as well as by distributing food to folks in need and bringing a wide variety of people into our fields through our volunteer and education programs.

We try to hear what our community needs from a farm - is it longing for contact with the soil? Eager to eat fresh-picked heirloom tomatoes? In need of more collard greens for a Thursday food pantry? Looking for a place to contribute and feel appreciated? Hoping for a bit of productive, open green space where a family can picnic, wrestle, or graze in the cherry tomatoes? Searching for ways to make local, sustainably grown food available to people of all income levels? Great, so are we.

But what does that really look like, now and for the future? To me, it looks like a farm where, on any given day, your carrots might be harvested and washed by a team of cheerleaders from a local college, ably led by the eight-year-old son of a shareholder while his brother happily eats an entire cantaloupe. Or a farm where the staff greets you when you arrive and might even know some of your favorite vegetables. Or a farm where some of the most beautiful and delicious produce we grow might end up in the belly of a homeless mother. It looks like a farm that invites folks to take part, that takes care of its land and its farmers, and that continues to build on ideas for making change in our community while being careful to sustain itself. It means, as Chris Yoder likes to say, that we are part of 'the movement' - which I like to define as the movement towards a society where justice and hedonism can co-exist - where the summer's first taste of a Sun Gold cherry tomato, a private moment that many of us on this farm relish, takes on a radical political meaning when the opportunity is extended to all.

Does that mean that other local farms without 'community' in their names are not part of this movement? Of course not. Chris's farm is in the vanguard of the movement, and so are many others. For me personally, the name 'Waltham Fields Community Farm' is an invitation to be mindful of our commitment - to the land and the community - each time we say or write or think it. Thanks for being part of that commitment. Hope you enjoy the harvest.

Amanda Cather, for the farm staff

4. Recipes

Farm Dinner August 27, 2006

Stephanie and Paul Thurrott, Jeff Giles, Kerry Hawkins

Salad: Arugula, cucumber, pepper and cherry tomatoes tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper

Collards: First boil in salted water and squeeze dry. Chop and set aside. In a frying pan cook up a few slices of bacon (we got some at Codman Farm), remove and chop. Saute an onion in the bacon fat, and add collards and bacon back to the pan to warm.

Green beans: Boil briefly in salted water and set aside. Saute chopped garlic in olive oil, then add beans to warm. Splash in a bit of white wine and after about 30 seconds turn off the heat and cover with foil.

Garlic roast potatoes: Chop potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Skin on is OK. Chop 2-3 cloves garlic. Spread in a baking dish, add 1/8 to 1/4 cup olive oil, mix everything together and bake at 400 for 30 to 40 minutes, turning every 10-15 minutes.

Grilled leg of lamb: (Also from Codman Farm) Debone the leg and coat with salt, olive oil and chopped herbs. We used the herbs from the flower garden PYO— thyme, sage, oregano, chives and mint. Grill and serve in thin slices.

Dessert: Sliced peaches from the fruit share

Striped Bass with Couscous, Fresh Herbs, and Vegetables

The striped bass was fresh-caught on a fishing trip in Cape Cod bay.

  • 1 1/2 - 2 lbs Striped bass fillets cut into serving-sized pieces
  • 1 1/4 cup couscous
  • 1 summer squash cut into thin slices
  • 2 cups green beans cut in half
  • 1 lemon cut in thin slices
  • 3 tbs butter
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tbs chopped fresh oregano
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tsp salt

Mix the herbs and garlic together in a small bowl. Spread the coucous over the bottom of a covered baking dish. Mix in the water, wine and all but two tablespoons of the herb mixture. Add the green beans and arrange the squash slices around the sides of the dish. Place the fish pieces i n the dish and add the salt. Place the butter, reserved herb mixture and lemon slices on top of the fish. Cover and bake at 400 degrees until the fish is just cooked through, 20-30 minutes (don't overcook). Uncover and serve directly from the baking dish.

Baked Eggplant slices

Stephanie and Paul Thurrott

Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch slices, spread on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. (This draws out some of the moisture.) Let sit for 30-45 minutes.

Brush both sides of eggplant slices with olive oil and sprinkle with good-quality bread crumbs. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes per side, until golden brown and slightly crisp. When they are close to being done sprinkle the top side with fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Cold Red Pepper Soup

Parrish Rhodes via Marla Rhodes - serves 6

Marla's note: my mom Parrish lived in Great Britain for a time, hence some of the language oddities...

  • 2 lbs (about 6) ROASTED RED PEPPERS
  • 1T. oil
  • 1 minced onion
  • 3 garlic
  • 2t. cumin
  • 1C. red wine
  • 2 1/2 cups stock
  • 1T. cilantro

Bung it all in the blender, puree till desired.

Hot Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Just made a HOT ROASTED RED PEPPER SOUP yesterday - really delicious - make lots and freeze it. Saute 1 1/2c. chopped onion in 3T. oil. Add 1c. broth, (I use chicken broth - if you don't eat anything with a face, vegetable broth is fine, or even water - just adjust seasoning, if you need to), 2 c. water, 1t. salt, and pinch of cayenne. Bring to boil, cover, simmer 20 minutes. Add chopped roasted red peppers, *cook 15 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid. Puree. Add 2T. lemon and 5 chopped up basil leaves, add liquid back, cook 10 minutes. NOTE: * This is the recipe, BUT I forgot I had it on the stove, and, luckily, came back to the kitchen when the liquid had just pretty much evaporated. I just added more stock, and pureed it. It had a wonderful, deep, concentrated flavour. I added the lemon and basil right before I ate it. It was an elusive, delicious, deep flavour, probably because of cooking it until the liquid was almost gone and I think I'll make it this way all the time. These freeze beautifully. I'd suggest you don't add the extra stock, but freeze it in the thick pureed form in portions, then add the extra stock to the desired thickness after defrosting.( Add the fresh basil right before eating.) Saves room in your freezer - also saves room if you freeze it flat in zip-lock bags rather than in containers. Gets that needed veggie in you when you really just want a cheeseburger (have soup first...).

Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette

Here's a quickie for ROASTED RED PEPPER VINAIGRETTE : 2 red peppers, salt, pepper, 1 garl ic cloves, 2T balsamic vinegar, 3T EVOliveOil, drizzle honey. Garnish with chopped black olives (optional). Enjoy!

5. Upcoming events

Sunday, September 17th, 4:00 pm Third Sunday Gathering

Third Sunday Gatherings: The third Sunday of every month we host an informal gathering of members, shareholders and supporters. This is a chance to connect with other farm-friendly folks. The gatherings are scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM. Meet near the distribution shelter. Third Sunday Gatherings begin in May and are held through the third Sunday in October. The Third Sunday of November will be a harvest potluck and CFO's Annual Meeting will now be held in January 2007 (date TBD).

6. Contact Information

To reach us:

Community Farms Outreach is a nonprofit organization dedicated to farmland preservation, hunger relief, and education.

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