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Waltham Fields Community Farm
CSA Newsletter #9
August 2, 2010
In This Issue
What's in the share this week
Pick-Your-Own Crops
Dill Yogurt-Orzo Salad with Cucumber
Garden Salad of Small Zucchini, Cucumbers, and Beets
Notes from the Field
Upcoming Programs at the Farm
  
Please join us...
 
Our Children's Learning Garden Summer Sign your child up today!
 
Check out our 2010 Program Brochure!!!
 
Fun on the Farm/ Agricultural Journaling
Thursdays 3:30 - 5pm
Kids of all ages, join us for free play and occasional old-fashioned games on the farm, while your parents pick up their shares and chat with other members. Bring a nut-free snack to share if you're so inclined. Mobile meet up: Just look for the kidpack!
 
Agricultural Journaling  Have a yen to capture the unfolding of the agricultural season from week to week? Bring sketchbooks, drawing implements, watercolors, camera or what have you. (Also a camp chair, if you don't like standing or sitting in the dirt.) All ages. Meet-up: Check in with Natasha; she'll know where we are.
 
For either gathering, check in with Natasha at the distribution shed. 
 
Questions? Contact Anastacia.
 
Jointly organized by A-OK Home Learners, Purple Giraffes 4H and Waltham Fields Community Farm CSA. Any member of these three groups is welcome to attend!
 
For more information, see our website.
Recipes
Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? It's okay if youLooking for ideas on how to prepare Farm produce?! We have a wealth of possibilities for you! See our Recipe pages.
Compost at the farm
Feel free to add to our compost pile! Just look for the pile labeled "Add compost here"!
 
If possible, please bury your scraps and/or cover them with leaves from the nearby leaf pile. And remember no meat scraps, no whole bread loaves. Biodegradable serving-ware from picnics or parties needs staff approval
Summer CSA Distribution Days 
 
Tuesdays 3-7 PM
Thursdays 3-7 PM
Saturdays  8 AM-12 noon
Quick Links
What's in the share this week...
 
yellow flowersPlease note:  this list is prepared the week before you receive your share.  Some guesswork is involved! We do our best to predict which crops will be ready to harvest, but sometimes crops are on the list that are not in the share, and sometimes crops will be in the share even though they're not on the list. 
  • Tomatoes
  • Peppers
  • Eggplant
  • Okra
  • Carrots
  • Onions
  • Lettuce
  • Cucumbers
  • Summer Squash
  • Zucchini
  • Chard
  • Potatoes
  • Sweet corn from Verrill Farm
Need recipe ideas for some of the farm produce listed above!? See the Produce information and recipe pages on our website.
Pick-Your-Own Crops
 
small greenYou are welcome to harvest the PYO portion of the share during any daylight hours, 7 days a week.  Please check the board at the little red kiosk for information on amounts and locations. Remember, you can pick one time per week but it doesn't necessarily have to be at the same time you are picking up your share.
  • Beans
  • Dill
  • Parsley
  • Basil
  • Perrenial Herbs
  • Flowers 
  • Cherry Tomatoes

Reminder: Please check the PYO board before picking
 
I'm sure many of you have noticed that the raspberries are beginning to ripen...We have too and we're very excited! We expect the late summer picking to be good in the patch and we will begin irrigating in earnest during this fruit swell period to help them along.
 
However, in order to allow a significant amount to be ripe for 350 shares, we ask that folks check the PYO board to see when the raspberries are "open" for picking. Thanks for your patience!
Dill Yogurt-Orzo Salad with Cucumber
 
From The Wright Recipes (check out more cukes and zukes recipes there!)
 
Cook 1 cup orzo in boiling salted water until al dente; drain and run under cold water to cool. (Drain well.) Toss in a large bowl with ½ a seeded, chopped cucumber, 1 (15-oz.) can Great Northern or cannellini beans (rinsed and drained), ¼ cup chopped dill fronds, ¼ cup yogurt and ¼ tsp. finely grated lemon zest; season with salt and pepper. Serves 4.
Garden Salad of Small Zucchini, Cucumbers, and Beets 
from the L.L. Bean book of new New England cookery / Judith and Evan Jones ; illustrations by Lauran Jarrett. New York, NY : Random House, 1987.
 

Shareholder Martha writes: I'm attaching a recipe that I used last week that was really great and that used many many things from the CSA share and my small herb garden. 

 
Ingredients
About 6 medium beets, cooked and cut into thin slices
1 small zucchini, sliced thin
1 cucumber, sliced thin
1 young onion, including some of its tender greens, sliced thin
½ cup Vinaigrette* (recipe calls for ½ cup; may want less)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh coriander or dill
Salt and freshly ground pepper
 
Toss all ingredients with the vinaigrette and herbs. Season to taste with salt, if necessary, and freshly ground pepper.  Serve on lettuce leaves or slightly steamed beet or other greens.
 
*Vinaigrette
1 teaspoon Dijon-type mustard
½ teaspoon salt
About ½ garlic clove, minced fine
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2/3 cup oil, preferably olive oil, or a combination of olive oil and peanut or other vegetable oil
Freshly ground pepper
About 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as chives and tarragon, or dill, chervil, or marjoram
 
Mix together the mustard and salt.  Work in the garlic.  Add the vinegar and lemon juice and blend well. Whisk in the olive oil slowly.  Season to taste with fresh ground pepper and herbs.  You can also  put all ingredients into a small mason jar and shake, or use a food processor.  
 
Notes from the Field
 

rows Last week we closed the book on the late summer and fall plantings. We planted the last generation of cucumbers, summer squash, broccoli and cauliflower. Cucumbers and squash will be fruiting in a few weeks, but the broccoli and cauliflower won't begin heading up until mid September. From this point forward we will tend to them as needed and watch them grow with the summer heat.

yellow flowersI'm happy to have the last of our big plantings finished...and it couldn't have come at a better time. I'm taking a week away from the farm and look forward to a little rest. I'd like to send out a heartfelt thanks to Erinn, Dan, Amy and all the folks on the Weed and Field crews for their hard work both while I'm away and over the past weeks and months this season. Knowing these 11 folks will be here allows me to rest easy while I'm away. 
 
 
For the farm staff,
Andy 
 
Andy Scherer, Farm Manager 
Jericho Bicknell, Education and Outreach Coordinator
Amanda Cather, Special Projects Coordinator
Amy Cook, Assistant Grower
Dede Dussault, Student Intern
Debra Guttormsen, Administration and Bookkeeper
Paula Jordan, Learning Garden Educator
Claire Kozower, Executive Director
Alex Lennon-Simon, Learning Garden Educator
Marla Rhodes, Development Assistant
Dan Roberts, Assistant Grower
Erinn Roberts, Assistant Farm Manager
Waltham Fields Community Farm | 240 Beaver Street | Waltham | MA | 02452