Working Member Potluck and Recipes

Hey there!  Well, the season's over, and we are all geting cozy with this big snowstorm.  I thought I'd post a couple recipes to share as well as a few pictures from our last days at the farm (notice all the heavy winter coats!).  Be sure to click the pictures for the best view...

The Tuesday working members had a potluck to celebrate a season well done, and Karen brought this awesome Pumpkin Ribbon Bread.  She said:

This recipe was a hit with the Tuesday Farm Crew and will be with anyone else you share it with. It's soooo easy and very yummy.

I've played with this recipe over time and have worked to make it less sweet but enough for either 2 loaf pans or 1 bundt pan. It's pretty in the bundt pan and easier to take a slice. I don't recommend cutting the recipe in half as it disappears really fast!

It's not gluten free, but I would imagine you can substitute with either oat flour or maybe spelt flour.

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese (Not the low fat kind...it separates and makes it weird)

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoons flour

1 egg

1 teaspoon orange extract

Bread:

1 can pumpkin (15oz)

1/2 cup canola oil

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Filling: Beat cream cheese, sugar and flour. Add egg and orange extract. Mix to blend. Set aside.

Bread: Combine pumpkin, oil and eggs. Add sugar, salt, cinnamon, flour and baking soda. Mix to blend. Pour 1/4 batter into 2 greased and floured loaf pans OR 1/2 batter into greased and floured bundt pan. Carefully spread the cream cheese mixture over the bread batter (1/2 to each loaf pan or all of it into the bundt pan). Add remaining batter, covering filling. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan(s). Store in refrigerator (if there is any left). My oven apparently runs hot, but its always done in 60 minutes!

*Serve with hot spiced cider with orange slices and cinnamon sticks. Then take pictures of all the smiles!

This bread was soooo delicious, and we were all clamoring for the recipe.  I'm certain you could also make it with homemade pumpkin puree instead of canned as well.  In fact, we actually tried it with pureed butternut squash instead of pumpkin, and orange zest instead of extract (I didn't have any extract on hand) and it can out pretty tasty too.  Karen did get a few responses from other farm members suggesting honey instead of sugar, coconut oil instead of canola, and that spelt is not gluten free and many people with celiacs cannot eat oats. There are three brands of oats on the market today that claim to be gluten-free. Oats themselves do not necessarily contain gluten but there is cross contamination that can cause problems. She's not tried the honey, but it makes sense and although she personally don't like coconut, if the oil doesn't make it taste or smell like coconut...Karen says go for it.  Enjoy.

Another Tuesday member, Fran, shared this recipe with me:

Coconut Peach Cobbler

Frozen peaches work in a pinch - without all the fuss of peeling fresh ones.
If the mixture seems too juicy, stir in 1 Tbs cornstarch to help thicken it. 

For the filling -

3 lbs ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced (6 cups)

2/3 cup sugar

1-1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut, divided

1 tsp ground ginger

2 Tbs unsalted butter, diced

For the biscuit topping -
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 cup shortening or unsalted butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp coconut extract
1-2 Tbs milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Toss peaches with sugar, 1/2 cup coconut and ginger for the filling.  Reserve 1 cup coconut for biscuit and topping.  Place fruit in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or in a square baking dish.  Dot with butter.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt for the biscuit topping in a large bowl.  Using a pastry blender, cut shortening into dry ingredients until mixture resembles small peas.

Stir in 1/2 cup of the remaining coconut, the buttermilk, and the coconut extract.  Lightly knead mixture until all ingredients are incorporated. 

Form dough into a ball; let rest 5 minutes.  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a circle about 8-inches in diamenter and about 1/2-inch thick.  Carefully lay biscuit dough over peach filling; brush dough with milk.  Scatter remaining coconut over biscuit topping. 

Bake cobbler until a toothpick inseerted in the center of the biscuit topping comes out clean, about 30 minutes.  Cool 5-10 minutes.  Serve with ice cream, if desired.

We had a great summer, and hope you did too!  Stay tuned to this space for periodic updates, and see you next summer! 

10/19/09 Newsletter

Dear Friends of the Farm;

It is the last week of summer distribution and the time has flown by! Jerry & I would like to thank you for your generous support of this farm. We ended up with a great variety of produce under the circumstances! I understand there were other CSA farms in the area that did not fare as well.

We tried something different with the working members by having Team Leaders. These Leaders came from our Core Group & took ownership in our distribution day by getting everyone assigned job duties, overseeing Distribution, supervising the loading of trucks and even going on deliveries now and then. This was a huge help to Jerry and I and each Team Leader did an outstanding job!

Your CSA farm would not function without your working members. These are very unique people that want to be more involved with the farm than just getting produce. They are the very people that help in the planting of your crops, weeding and even harvesting those same crops. They get the opportunity to watch the farm reinvent itself spring, summer and fall. Members' children benefit from this the most by seeing crops evolve from peas & lettuce in the spring to winter squash in the fall.

Another experiment this year was having non-working members help with farm chores at certain times of the year. It was wonderful seeing all the people that came out in the spring to help plant this year. Our fall harvesting crews were smaller, but very effective. We would love to see more members get involved. This will help you feel more connected to your farm. It is fun and a great opportunity to meet other members. The more members that come out to help (especially in the spring), it will help to keep our costs down so that we do not need to raise prices every year!

Please continue to send in your surveys, either by mail or Distribution Centers will take them. Jerry & I take the time to read each and every one of them. We want your surveys, both good and bad. However, if you do not send in a survey, we will assume you were extremely happy with your vegetable share and wouldn't change a thing, (although it is always good to hear that)!

For those of you who wish you could get more produce; this is what our normal shares look like. If it wasn't enough produce for your family, you may need to increase your share size. For those of you who got too much, you may need to decrease your share size. Keep in mind, every growing year is different and we may not be able to supply the same amount of produce from year to year. A member who has been with the farm for 14 years had this to say, "It appears you have one bad year for every three good ones. The good ones more than make up for the one bad year!"

If you change your mind about the Winter Share and would like to get involved, please let me know. We did not get enough interest in a Golden Distribution Center, but did get enough members to start the Broomfield Distribution Center. The two Distribution Centers in Central Denver have given me their hours: 38th and Tennyson is from 4:30pm to 6:30pm and the Colfax and Sheridan location will be from 3pm to 6pm. Those members signed up for the Central Denver site will need to call me and let me know which location is your preference. There is a limit of 25 members per location, so if one fills up, you will automatically be placed in the other! Winter Distribution will begin Wednesday, November 4th.

This week you are getting French fingerling potatoes, Delicata winter squash, yellow onions, carrots, garlic, green cabbage or cheddar cauliflower, red and green peppers and tomatoes.

Thank you again for your support this summer and winter. We look forward to being your farmers again next year! Have a great winter!

Jerry, Jacquie, Alaina and Kyle

Drying Pumpkin or Squash Seeds

Rinse fibers from seeds. You will need ¼ cup salt to one quart water. Cover seeds with salted water and bring to a boil. Simmer for two hours. Drain seeds and dry on paper towels. Spread seeds on a shallow baking sheet. If desired, can add other seasonings at this time, such as; garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, jalapeno powder, chili powder etc. Bake at 225 degrees for one hour or until golden brown. Stir occasionally. Seeds should be crisp to bite. Let cool completely and store in an air tight container.

10/12/09 Newsletter

Dear Shareholders,

Wow! It was cold this weekend! Our temperatures dropped to 15 degrees overnight. Just to return to a balmy 25 degrees during the day! I am really looking forward to our warmer days by the end of the week! Somebody tell me; is it supposed to be fall or winter?

The crew is working hard to get all the winter crops harvested for the Winter Share. This week they will be working on harvesting the winter carrots and the green and red cabbage. The carrots will be stored in a pit, six feet underground. The cabbage has a colder room waiting for them in a strawbale building. Hard to imagine, but the pit stays at a warm 55 degrees where the strawbale building will be colder because of being exposed to the weather. Which is just what the cabbage, popcorn, garlic and onions prefer!

We hope to plant next years garlic by the end of the week. Working Members started separating garlic last week. This isn't a hard job, just a monotonous one! Hopefully the job will be completed this week and Jerry can get it planted by Friday.

I made an error in one of the Denver locations. I was informed that 6th Avenue and Colfax run parallel to each other. (I did know that, but failed to recognize it at the time!) The actual cross streets are Colfax and Sheridan. Since the Central Denver locations have moved from the Wash-Park area, we will be calling each and every one of you who have listed the Central Denver location as your Distribution Center. You will have a choice of one or the other, (38th and Tennyson) with the understanding there is a limit as to how many people can be served at one location. Then everyone else will automatically go to the other location not completely filled.

The Boulder location will stay at Arapahoe and Foothills. Jon and Kim Haines (with the help of neighbors) have worked out a schedule to run the Distribution Center. It now looks like we will have a Broomfield Distribution Center too. Sherri MacLean has offered her home. We know of at least 8 to 10 people that would like to sign up; if there is a Broomfield location. If anyone would like to change Distribution Centers or would like to join as a Winter Shareholder now that we have a Broomfield Distribution Center, please let me know. Connie Brown is also willing to be a Distribution Center for Golden. We will need a minimum of 10 people to join at this location before we will make the drop off. Again, please let me know if you want to pick up at this location if there becomes a Golden Distribution Center.

Those of you who get honey monthly and bi-monthly will be getting the last shipment of the season. Hopefully, you have planned for the winter and have a small stash in your pantry by now!

This is also the last delivery of fruit. You will be getting DAnjou winter pears. They will keep one or two months in your refrigerator (helping you to extend your fruit into the winter). You will be getting them in the light green stage. It will take anywhere from 6 to 10 days to finish ripening on your counter top. They are ready to eat when they have a slight yellow tinge. This is a very prestigious pear. First Fruits is very excited to have them & hope you will enjoy them thoroughly! First Fruits would like to thank you for being patient with them and Mother Nature. They love being orchardists, but hate they do not have more control as to when fruit ripens!

This week you are receiving Acorn winter squash, Yukon Gold potatoes, yellow onions, carrots, celery root, garlic, broccoli, red and yellow bell peppers and tomatoes.

You have had everything before except the celery root. This is very popular to put into soups, stir-fries, salads or serve on a relish tray. It is one of the ugliest veggies we raise! Peel the outside tough root skin and discover the prettiest white flesh inside. Cubed, sliced or Julian is the best way to prep it.

This is week 17 out of 18. We have one more week to go! Your Distributors will be notifying you of the amount owed for eggs received this summer. Please bring a checkbook next week to pay for those eggs! Speaking of eggs, if you would like to receive eggs over the winter, you can do this even if you do not get a Winter Share. Send in your order form and we will get you set up.

Thanks everyone and have a great week!

Jacquie and Jerry, Alaina and Kyle

Herb Scallop Potatoes

¼ cup onion, chopped
1/8 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp rosemary
¼ cup butter
¼ tsp thyme
¼ cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1 ½ tsp salt
5 to 7 large potatoes, sliced

Melt butter on medium-high heat and summer onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper & herbs. Add milk, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. Cook 2 minutes more. Place potatoes in a casserole dish. Pour milk mixture over potatoes. Cover and bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 30 minutes or until potatoes pierce easily with a fork.

Roasted Oregano Potatoes

5 to 7 medium potatoes
½ tsp dried oregano or 1 tsp fresh
2 Tbsp oil
¼ to ½ tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced finely
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

Wash potatoes thoroughly do not peel! In a large bowl toss potatoes in the next six ingredients. Arrange on a cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for one and a half hours.

Note: This can be done with all root crops, try a mixture of turnips, beets, celery root & carrots to impress company! Important to make sure all veggies are approximately the same size.

Do you blog? Get to know other members!

Well, since I posted that newsletter this week, I've seen increased traffic not only here on the Farm's blog, but on my own blog: Schell Urban Homestead as well.  And, I received a great tip from another member and blogger, Annie @ http://www.jeremyandannie.com/, in the comment section of one of my posts.  Annie has some amazing pictures of the farm (and all kinds of other fun things) on her blog.  Did you know that she received her working membership as an anniversary gift!?  How cool is that! 

This gave me an idea... to post a members' blogroll as a way for us to get to know each other a bit and to see pictures and exchange recipes and ideas.  We all have at least one thing in common already: loving the amazing, fresh organic produce from Jerry & Jacquie. 

So if you blog and are interested in connecting this way, leave your blog address in the comments section on this post.  I will add you to the blogroll at the right!  In the mean time, check out some of Annie's recipes on her site or some Thrifty Thursday tips at my own.  ;)

Sweet Sugarloaf

Yum!  Get a load of those sweet Sugarloaf squash in our shares this week!  My favorite way to eat them: cut in half, scoop out seeds, butter the edges and bake for 40-60 minutes.  The flesh is great just like that, or with a little brown sugar and cinnamon added for dessert!  Delish! 

You can use this squash the same way you would use pie pumpkins or any other winter squash!  It's delicious!

*image from google search

October 5th Newsletter from Jacquie

Dear Shareholders,

This was one of the most interesting years to farm in. We had such a cold and rainy summer! To tell you the truth, we really didn’t know what to expect from the crops that were planted. We have started to use more plastic mulch and drip irrigation every year. This year, it was a god send. The plastic mulch allowed plants to survive the rain as well as thrive. We feel we couldn’t have harvested as much variety without this important part of our irrigation system.

We have now had our first hard freeze. Normally, we can get a frost (sometimes not killing) anytime after the 20th of September. This year it occurred Friday, October 2nd with the low getting down to 25 degrees. Because of the help coming from Working Members and the Volunteers, we were able to get most of the tomatoes and peppers picked for the next few of weeks. We were also able to get most of the sweet potatoes harvested for the Winter Share. Thank you all for your time given to the farm!

I’m sorry I couldn’t get everyone out to pick pickles & tomatoes this year. We got as many people out as the field could handle and still give out the numbers we needed for distribution every week. Unfortunately, that’s what Mother Nature gave us to work with! We can only hope next year will be more plentiful!

This week you are getting Sugarloaf winter squash, red potatoes, yellow onions, carrots, diakon radish leeks, garlic, bell peppers and tomatoes.

Potato Bread

1 pkg active dry yeast 1 cup mashed potatoes, warm not hot
1 1/2 cups warm water 6 to 6 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar 1 cup whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp softened butter or vegetable oil 1 tsp salt
2 eggs at room temp. milk to brush over top of loaves

Mix yeast with water in large bowl; let stand 5 min. Add in sugar, butter, eggs and potatoes. Add 5 ½ cups flour, the wheat flour and salt to make a soft dough. Now add another cup of flour to make a smooth dough. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth & elastic – about 5 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl; let rise, covered, in a warm place until double the size. This will take 1 to 1 ½ hours. Punch down and divide dough into 2 pieces. Shape and place into greased 9X5 loaf pans. Let stand, loosely covered, until double in size - another 45 min. Brush loaves with milk and bake at 375 degrees until golden brown; approximately 45 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.

Harvest Stuffed Peppers

This recipe is a bit different then your traditional stuffed pepper.  It is one of those recipes that ends up catching all the random veggies in the kitchen that need using. It’s great with mushrooms, garlic, eggplant, celery, zucchini, extra peppers, even a tomato added at the end. It would also be great topped with grated cheese.

Harvest Stuffed Peppers

2 bell peppers that can stand on their ends
2 medium sized potatoes
1/2 white or yellow onion
1 or 2 peeled carrots
1 small or medium sized squash
1/2 to 3/4 cup protein of choice: left over diced ham is in the picture, but eggplant, eggs, ground beef or sausage works great too.
Fresh torn basil – to taste
Salt & pepper
2 TBS olive oil

Cut the tops off of the peppers, remove seeds and ribs and set peppers aside. Chop all other ingredients into a 1/4-inch dice. In a 12-inch skillet with a lid heat olive oil; add potatoes, onions and carrots. Season well with salt and pepper. Put on lid and let cook over medium, stirring to keep from sticking to bottom of the pan, until onions are soft and the potatoes and carrots are on their way to being cooked through.
Add squash (sometimes I add the pepper tops too). Let cook uncovered until potatoes are almost tender, stirring as needed to keep from sticking.
Add cooked meat (or raw eggplant), and basil. Mix well, taste and adjust for seasoning. Scoop mixture (which I call hash) into the peppers. Place peppers in a rimmed pan and bake at 375 until heated through and potatoes are done. They could also be finished on the grill instead of the oven.

This recipe makes enough hash to stuff four peppers (serve four people), but I only stuff two for Rick and I. The remaining hash gets divided into two portions – one for Henry, and one for Rick’s lunch the next day.  If you want to make it for four, just add two more bell peppers!

September 7 Newsletter

Dear Friends of the Farm,

New crops this week are French Fingerling potatoes, a long red radish, orange bell peppers and yellow tomatoes. The radish is from China and is both spicy and sweet. I have eaten them raw or in stir-frys. They store well placed directly in the crisper drawer.

In addition to this you are also getting yellow cooking onions, carrots, lemon cucumbers, patty pan squash, , green bell peppers, anaheim peppers, globe eggplant, broccoli, fennel, celery, red tomatoes and one melon of any kind.

It is time to sign up for the Winter Share. I will need your deposit by October 1st. If you decide to split your Winter Share with another household, all payments must be made by the member signing up for the share. Please do not send me two checks in two different names. It is very difficult for us to keep track of who is sharing with whom! You are welcome to add the second person's name on the form, but everything will be set up under the current Member's name or the first name on the form if two members are signing up together. Also keep in mind, when there is a household with two last names, we will be using the last name of the person who is listed first on the check. We usually sell out on these shares pretty fast, so get your sign up form in soon!

I need to keep this letter short this week. I have hurt my upper back and cannot be in any position for very long! Here is a recipe I think you will like!

Jacquie, Jerry, Alaina and Kyle

Basil & Summer Squash

1 med. to large summer squash of any kind, cubed
1 clove garlic
1/4 onion, chopped
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, cubed
2 Tbsp fresh basil (if using dried, 1 Tbsp)
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute squash, onion and garlic with salt and pepper until squash and onion are soft. Reduce heat to low and add cheese & basil. Keep stirring until cheese has melted and has combined with squash. Allow to sit for a minute or two before serving.

Winter Storage Share

Produce should be distributed every two weeks, November through February. Crops you could expect to see: potatoes, onions, carrots, winter squash, cabbage, celery root, red beets, garlic, leeks, pumpkins, popcorn and possibly sweet potatoes. There will also be some lettuce that will come from cold frames until a very hard freeze occurs. Plus any produce that can still be harvested from the previous summer will also be included.

If you just can't stand the thought of going back to grocery store produce, this is a great way to extend the summer season into winter! Distribution will start November 5th and produce should be delivered every other week through February.

The total cost of the Winter Share is $400. $150 of that is non-refundable and due at sign-up. The remainder can be paid in two equal installments on December 1st and February 1st. Deadline for sign-up is October 1st.


Tear off bottom portion and return with your check to:

MONROE ORGANIC FARMS
25525 WCR 48
Kersey, CO 80644



Name

Phone Number
_________________________________
Address
____________________________________



Eggs

Free-Ranged organic eggs can be delivered every other week along with the Winter Share. By filling out this form, you understand that the distribution center will keep track of how many eggs you have received over the winter and will charge you for those eggs at the end of the season. A check will need to be made out to Monroe Organic Farms and given to the distribution center the last day of distribution. I will need a phone call by 7 p.m. on Monday to cancel your egg order. If we deliver eggs and you do not pick them up, you will still be charged for them. They will then be donated to a place of need.


Beef

Not available at this time.


Honey

Not available at this time.


____dozen eggs a month
($5.00 a dozen)
____Winter Storage Share:
$400
($150 is non-refundable and due at sign up.)


Distribution Center Circle one:

Aurora Boulder Centennial Central Denver
Ft. Collins Lakewood
Greeley, at the farm

September 1st Newsletter

Dear Members,

New crops this week are Banana Fingerling potatoes, Patty Pan summer squash, Moon & Stars watermelon, white sweet corn, honeydew melon (green or orange flesh) and with the possibility of either Zebra, Roma or our regular tomatoes. In addition to this you will also receive red onions, lemon cucumbers, carrots, green & purple bell peppers, Banana peppers, cinnamon basil, green beans and muskmelon.

Banana Fingerling potatoes are elongated and small. They are very easy to cook; boiled or roasted is the most commonly way it is served. Patty Pan summer squash looks like a flying saucer! It can be white, yellow or pale green in color. Cut them lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and bake for half an hour. Fry up some thinly sliced carrots, garlic, onion, bell peppers & basil. Stuff the squash and bake another 15 to 30 minutes. This squash can also be used the same way you use the others. Moon & Stars watermelon is a very old heirloom watermelon. It has a dark green skin with yellow flecks throughout. If you are lucky, you will see one or two large yellow spots; these are the moon & stars. We would love it if you could save the seed of this watermelon. Rinse the seeds, dry them on a paper towel and seal them in an envelope. Do not put them in a plastic bag, they will mold and be unusable!

Jerry and I really do not know what to expect from our fields anymore. This has been such an unusual summer! It feels like we went from spring to fall…no summer at all! We were taking our normal spin around the farm this morning. Stopping at the watermelon patch, we were eating different kinds of melon. We have discovered that the melons, (watermelon, honeydew and muskmelon) just don’t seem as sweet this year. Much to Jerry’s chagrin; the rain seems to have washed out the sweetness! Needless to say, this has made Jerry very unhappy. He only wants the best for his members!

It is less than a month from the Harvest Festival! We are already getting started mowing around the farm getting it ready for the big day. I still need RSVP’s from everyone planning on attending the festival. I need to know how many adults and how many kids will be attending. I need this more for the ordering of beef patties and hot dogs. So if you are vegetarian or your children will not be eating from the grill, please let me know! You may place your RSVP up to the date of September 15th.

I still need Master Grillers from 11 to 1 and 1 to 3; someone to clear off the buffet table, rinse the dishes and put them back under the buffet table from 11 to 1 and 2 to 3; there is also a need for a bathroom checker to make sure we have tata paper & paper towels available and take out the trash. I expect everyone to help keep the bathrooms neat and tidy!

This is such a fun day! There will be extra produce to pick and a self tour of the premises. You are welcome to bring popped popcorn to feed to the chickens (it’s their favorite snack!) or pick the weeds and grasses around the pens for them. Everyone needs to see how popcorn is taken off the cob and the popcorn sheller is the place to see it. We will have the popcorn sheller working in the barn and the apple press on the East side of the house. Please bring half a dozen apples to add to the mix; that way everyone could get a small sample of fresh apple cider! Hay rides will start just as soon as Jerry has eaten his lunch and has regained some energy!

Attention all horse breeders and trainers! There will be stick horse races at 1pm the day of the festival. Bring your best bred stick horse. Ribbons will be awarded for most original breed as well as for 1st, 2nd and 3rd race places. There will be several races with multiple age groups mixed together. This was so much fun to watch last year and we have decided it is a keeper! There were many wonderful homemade creatures! I think this year we will have a parade too so that everyone sitting down can see them!

It is time to start up the weekend workdays again. If you have not put in your four hours volunteering at the farm, now is a great time to do it! We will be gathering at the barn at 1 pm on Monday the 7th; Saturday the 12th at 9 am; Saturday the 19th at 9 am and Sunday the 27th at 1 pm. As we were taking our spin around the farm, we discovered the winter squash vines have collapsed and are now ready to pick and get into storage. We will be doing this until all of it has been harvested; which may take a few weeks! More than likely, we will continue to have workdays into October. Please contact Lorna Carnahan and let her know when you are coming. This way, if there is a cancellation for some reason, we can email you and let you know. Lorna's phone number is 303-593-1754 and her email address is lornacarnahan@gmail.com.

Thank you for helping us during this busy time of year!

Jacquie, Jerry, Alaina and Kyle

Do It Yourself Produce Rinse (similar to Fit)

1 quart water
2 Tbsp baking soda
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cream of tartar

Mix and keep refrigerated for up to 3 weeks!

Fire & Ice Salsa

How about those melons! Jerry's been bringing on the most beautiful melons this year. The yellow watermelons are my favorite. And from time to time Jerry's been known to accidentally drop a melon near the kids when the working members are out there. Too bad it has to be eaten right away!

Here's a recipe my mom shared with me recently, and just in time! Not that watermelon isn't great on its own, but here's a refreshing way to use it, and it's a perfect side dish for your next barbeque!

3 cups chopped watermelon
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1-2 tablespoons chopped jalapeño pepper (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

After chopping, drain excess juice from watermelon in a colander. Combine melon in a large bowl with green pepper, lime juice, cilantro, green onion, jalapeño and garlic salt; mix well. Refrigerate 3 hours. Serve with corn or potato chips!

8/26/09 Newsletter

Hello Members,
New crops this week are our regular green basil, tomatoes, oblong watermelon, yellow beans, golden beets and green flesh honeydew. In addition to this, you are also getting Yukon Gold potatoes, sweet white onions, summer squash, lemon cucumbers, Japanese eggplant, green peppers, Ivory peppers, carrots and muskmelon.

Jerry and I were discussing the plight of our tomato patch. You know the story that tomatoes appear to grow (or ripen) overnight. We have always known that the temperatures need to be between 65 and 95 degrees for tomatoes to grow, mature and ripen. Nothing has proven this more to us than this summer. Our average nighttime temperatures have been in the high 50's. Our summer highs have been in the 80's. As some of you have observed with your own gardens, the tomato plants are just sitting there waiting patiently for warmer temperatures. They really do grow overnight! When our daytime temperatures are in the high 90's or low 100's, they protect themselves by pushing all their water into the tomatoes. This is why you see splits on tomatoes. At night, when temperatures drop, the plants pull the water from the fruit into the plant for nourishment & growth, allowing the tomato to ripen. When the temperatures at night are less than 65 degrees, the tomato plants go into a type of hibernation, waiting for warmer temperatures. We are not seeing enough warm days of bright sunshine to make up for the low nighttime temperatures. And the repeated weeks of cool & cloudy or rainy days do not help the situation! We hope to give everyone at least one tomato each. But with today being cloudy and supposedly we are to get rain on Monday and Tuesday, we will see what we have by the end of the week.

I have to laugh when I say this, but we are picking our early tomatoes. Our main season tomatoes are starting to show signs of ripening, but this particular plant comes on earlier than our main season planting. I do not know if there will be any tomatoes for picking by the box, but, I have a feeling that we may have a whole field on at the same time, (if it ever matures)! So let's go ahead and get a list going of those of you who would like to come out and pick tomatoes by the box. When you call in, leave your name and phone number along with how many boxes you are interested in getting. We will either call you and get you scheduled to pick because there is only a few ready. Or we will let you know through the newsletter to call and make an appointment because the whole field is on!

The oblong watermelon you are getting this week is an heirloom called Charleston Gray. This a type of watermelon most of us grew up with when we were kids. Do you remember when Grandma or Mom would come home with a long watermelon instead of the round ones we get today? Hope it is a good one. It is hard to find the seed for oblong watermelon and we would like to add this as one of our staples!

We grow several different kinds of honeydew. This week you are getting a gourmet green fleshed honeydew that should thrill your taste buds! As most of you already know, Jerry has a passion for growing melon, especially watermelon! We hope you will enjoy all the different types, because it sure is fun to grow them!

Have great week!

Jacquie, Jerry, Alaina and Kyle

Creamed Zuchini Over Pasta

Saute ¼ cup olive oil
Add 5 cups zucchini, chopped
1 onion, chopped
½ cup fresh parsley
3-4 cloves of garlic smashed
1/2 cup fresh basil
1 cup dry white wine
Cook until zucchini is soft. Transfer to a blender and blend with:
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Serve over pasta of your choice.

Working Member submitted

Melon Freeze

Cut up and freeze muskmelon.
Add frozen melon and 1/4 to 1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate to a blender.
Appearance will be of a soft sorbet.
Drink immediately, tastes better while semi-frozen.

Wendy Oldenbrook

Jacquie's Summer Pasta

1 Bell pepper, any color or 2 banana peppers, chopped 1 or 2 tomatoes, chopped
2 Summer squash, any kind 2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion (I prefer white but any will do) your favorite pasta
1 or 2 cloves garlic, smashed then chopped (I use elbow macaroni or bowtie)

Bring salted water to a boil and add your favorite pasta and cook according to the directions on the box. Saute onion and bell peppers for 2 minutes in oil. Add squash, garlic & tomato. Cook until squash is soft & tomato has broken down. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta.
Options:
Can add basil, dill or hot peppers to give it a different taste or some kick!

Eggplant!

How incredible is this week's share!??! So pretty with those pale green banana peppers, vivid watermelons, and gorgeous eggplant!

Last year when we got eggplant in our share, we weren't quite sure what to do with it. The only way I'd ever seen it prepared was in eggplant Parmesan. I needed options people!

So I started researching a few recipes. One of the best I've found was called 'Whole-Wheat Pasta with Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes' from the Great Food Fast cookbook by Everyday Food. I've made it quite a few times and come up with this variation. It's my husband's favorite way to eat purple food!

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 cups cherry tomatoes, or a few Roma tomatoes roughly chopped
2 small or 1 large zucchini, sliced into bite-sized pieces
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 lb whole-wheat penne pasta
2-3 TBS capers (to taste)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 450. In a medium 9x13 pan, combine the eggplant, onion, tomatoes, zucchini, and oil; Season with salt and pepper, to taste; toss well to coat. Roast about 30 minutes, tossing mixture halfway through.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the package instructions - do not over cook. Reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water; drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
3. Add the roasted eggplant mixture, capers, and Parmesan. Toss to coat, add the reserved pasta water, if desired to make a sauce. Serve immediately, sprinkled with more cheese.

Serves 4-6. Total time: 45 minutes.

What about you? How do you enjoy your eggplant?

7/12/09 Newsletter

Dear Members,

This week you will be getting new red potatoes, sweet white onions, garlic, red beets, broccoli, cucumber, Q-ball squash, zucchini, yellow squash and green beans. Yea! The beans are on! Now it really does feel like summer! If you are looking for a new way to serve your squash, try this: Q-ball squash is a very mild zucchini. It will take on the taste of any marinade you love or grill it with olive oil, salt and pepper. It is mostly known for stuffing. Take off the top, scoop out the seed cavity and fill with your favorite stuffing. Try a bread stuffing, sausage stuffing or a rice stuffing. (You can do this with regular zucchini, (cut lengthwise) too.) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cut in half and serve.

Our white Sweet Spanish onions are great for eating raw and for cooking. The Walla Walla are so sweet, they lose their entire flavor when cooked. But the white onions have a wonderful taste and will caramelize marvelously! I add them to my beans with (frozen) red peppers. It is a beautiful dish to serve to guests too!

After seeing the crazy weather we were having this spring, Jerry decided to plant carrots into the two cold frames on the farm. You will not get carrots from the fields until late summer…it was just too cold and wet for them to grow very fast. This is why you will only get a few carrots now and then.

We really look forward to the first picking of each and every crop. At our household, we only eat in season. New potatoes just can’t be beat in the spring. And by the time we get green beans, cucumbers and sweet corn; we are desperate for them! The same goes for the carrots and tomatoes in late summer, melons in the early fall and winter squash by late fall! These are just a few of our favorites we look forward too. What are some of your favorites you can hardly wait to get in distribution?

Several of you know my children. Alaina has had eye surgery when she was a child. Due to recent complications, she had a procedure at the beginning of June and will have another Tuesday the 14th. If you belong to a prayer chain, would you add Alaina? If you believe in spirit guides, would you send them our way? We need your prayers and positive thoughts in our direction! I will be unavailable this week to answer any questions you may have. Jessica, my office assistant, will be here on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. She will do her best to help you until I can spend more time in the office. Thank you for being so understanding!

Jacquie, Jerry, Alaina and Kyle Monroe

Mock Apple Pie French Apple Crumb Topping

4 to 4 ½ cups zucchini slices
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp tapioca/flour
½ cup butter
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp cornstarch
nuts (optional)

Peel & remove seeds from squash, cut into slices. Blend together until butter is the size of peas. Mix with rest of ingredients. Place into pie crust. Place over pie filling. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or 350 degrees for 55 minutes.