Hello from the farm!
In your box:
Kale Spinach Peas Strawberries Lettuce
Garlic Scapes Basil
Well, we’re slowly creeping up to our goal of 10-14 items in the box! We’re excited to see peas, kale and Strawberries(!!) make it into the box this week! This has been a goofy weather week, (again) but the rain and cooler temps have been good for the greens and peas.
We barter beekeeping for strawberries at Demulling Farms in Osceola. As I mentioned earlier, they took quite a hit from the hail a few weeks ago. Luckily, there are still some great berries coming! We will be picking these for the boxes this week. There will be a quart of berries in each box. Jen and Loren are not able to open the farm for picking this year, but they are working hard to fill a limited number of orders. If you would like to order berries for delivery THIS THURSDAY, please let us know by TUESDAY, MIDNIGHT. They will be picked on Wed. morning. $15 for 5lbs of berries. E-mail us with your name, the # of pounds you would like and where your pick up site is. Please mail a check made out to Demulling Farms to us here-
Threshing Table Farm
2249 150th St.
Star Prairie, WI 54026
We hope to have more berries next week, but time will tell. We’ll keep you posted! Watch the newsletter for info.
We’re watching the summer squash plants blossom, the potato plants blossom and the winter squash and pie pumpkin plants as they start to canopy. Mike, I and the crew have been quite busy weeding, weeding, weeding. So far, we feel like we are winning the war… most of the time. Who hasn’t been busy weeding? Claudia. Our oldest is on a 10 day vacation to visit her friend Aimee in Alberta, Canada. She has never been away from home this long before, or this far, or alone for that matter! So it’s a grand adventure and growing experience for all of us. She’s been enjoying the great outdoors of Canada swimming and horse back riding along with some shopping, a concert and a whole lot more we’ll hear about when she gets back. Some of you may remember hearing about or meeting Aimee when she visited us here last summer.
Exciting News!!!!
Bifrost Farms Creamery is anxiously waiting to provide you with a goat cheese option with your upcoming CSA box for July 6th. These selections will be offered during the first and second weeks of each month during our season.
This time, Bifrost Farms is offering the following cheeses to be added to your share. One selection per member, please. To order and pay for your selection, go to http://www.bifrostfarms.com/csa/ and fill out the contact form provided and use the Paypal button on that page to pay Bifrost Farms directly. Your cheese will be included in your share next week. Please have all orders placed by midnight, Sunday July 2nd for July 6th delivery.
Plain Chevre
Garlic Dill Chevre
Herbs de Provence Chevre
Salzkase, a Greek Feta-style cheese.
All packages contain at least 4 oz. of fresh goat cheese.
On to the veggies!!!
Storage:
Kale, Spinach, Lettuce- Wash, Spin dry and then keep in covered container or plastic bag in fridge.
Peas- in covered container in the refrigerator, if they even made it home! These are sugar snap peas- so enjoy the pod and all!
Garlic Scapes- in the crisper drawer
Strawberries- the sooner you eat/use the better. Store in the clamshell, in your refrigerator.
Basil- Glass of water on the counter.
Recipes:
Shells with White beans, Kale and Bacon
8 oz box of pasta shells (or other pasta)
4 – 6 slices bacon, chopped
2 cups chopped onion
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 cups chopped kale
1 cup chicken broth
3 cups cooked or canned cannellini or other white beans, drained
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese
Cook pasta until tender.
While pasta is cooking, start cooking chopped bacon on med-high heat. After 1- 2 minutes, add onion and celery and cook until just soft. Add the kale and cook until the bacon is done. Add stock and beans, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until heated through, about 5 more minutes. Add more stock or water if needed. Add pasta and stir gently. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Enjoy!
Easy Spinach Dip
2 cups fresh spinach- lightly saute in olive oil until wilted.
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
1 packet onion soup mix
pepper to taste
Mix together. Chill 1 or more hours.
Mixed Greens with Garlic on Couscous
2 bunches fresh greens, such as spinach and kale
2 T. olive oil
1-2 garlic scapes, chopped
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt
11/2 cups vegetable stock
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup Couscous
Wash greens, remove thick stems. While still wet, place greens in a pot. Do not add additional water. Cook, covered, just until wilted. Drain in a colander. Heat oil in a large skillet over med heat. Add the garlic scapes and red pepper flakes. Cook 2 minutes, don’t brown. Add the greens, mix well and cook until the greens are tender-about 3 minutes. Season generously with salt.
Make couscous according to package. Serve topped with the wilted greens.
Happy Eating!!
Your farmers- Jody, Mike and the kids