Week 5 CSA Newsletter (July 4-11, 2021)
CSA Newsletter Week 5
July 4 – 11, 2021 | “A” Week
Kurt trains the crew on safety.
What’s in the Box this Week?
HEAD LETTUCE ~ This will either be a Bibb or Romaine style lettuce. Store it in a Debbie Meyer Green bag, or in a FridgeSmart container, and try to use within 5 days.
ZUCCHINI & YELLOW SQUASH (3) ~ Take these out and dry them off — the condensation in the box can make them deteriorate faster. Zucchini will only last about 5 days. Store it in a plastic bag or a Fridgesmart container. I like to grill these in long strips with some olive oil. They’re also great spiralized as noodles. Or try grating the zucchini and baking with it. You can freeze zucchini too in a Ziploc bag. (Just grate it first, squeeze out as much liquid as possible, and freeze it in the portion sizes you’ll need it for later).
LACINATO KALE ~ Our famous dinosaur kale is back again. Store the bunches in a Debbie Meyer green bag and use within 7 days. Try eating kale raw in tacos or a salad! Chop the leaves finely and “massage” the kale to soften it. The leaves can be blanched and used in dips or sauces or simply sauteed with a vinegar dressing. If this veggie intimidates you, try making our CSA’s popular frozen “Green Cubes” and add them to stews/sauces for later.
RED TROPEA ONIONS (1 bunch) ~ We call these “torpedo onions” for their fun warhead-like shape. Tropea onions have a, medium-size pinkish/white bulb. These will come with green tops. You can trim the green tops and use them to garnish tacos or salads or meat dishes. (You can also chop them up and freeze them for later use!) Use the bulbs wherever you would use onions. They are a bit on the sweeter side, so they’d also be great for salad dressings.
BASIL (SMALL BUNCH) – We need to prune our basil to get them to grow bigger, so you’re all getting a small portion of fresh basil leaves. I’m not sure how these will end up being harvested. If they come with sizeable stems, then you should store them like a cut flower in a glass of water on your countertop. Otherwise, I recommend you store these wrapped in a paper towel in a plastic bag on your counter, so they don’t turn black.
PURPLE KOHLRABI — Kohlrabi showed up in your box last week too, but this week, it’s PURPLE-SKINNED! (The inside flesh is still white, though). This medium-sized head of kohlrabi is a member of the broccoli/cabbage family. It forms as a bulb on top of the soil bed, and it has a kind of cabbage/broccoli taste. The leaves are edible too — use them like you would kale. The bulb has a thick skin around it. You’ll need to peel that off (or use a knife). The inside is a crisp texture like a potato or radish. I like to eat it raw, diced, in a veggie platter with some dip. You can also steam it and then mash it with some potatoes. It’s also great grilled or roasted with other veggies. And you can grate it raw and add it to a cole slaw with some cabbage.
Tokyo Bekhana is a new green for us this year.
TOKYO BEKHANA GREENS ~ This member of the Napa cabbage family actually looks more like a lettuce. The leaves are a lime green color, and it grows like a tall head of lettuce. If you liked our “BOOM” lettuce mix, then you’ve tasted this green. It has a slightly spicy kick as you chew — but not as strong as arugula. I would use it in Asian cooking, stir fry, or added to other greens in a salad. Store it like you would lettuce — in a Debbie Meyer Green bag or FridgeSmart Container.
RED RADISHES ~ Take the tops off your roots before you store them. The tops can be used in scrambled eggs or omelettes, soup, spaghetti sauce. The bottoms should be stored in a plastic bag and will last for several weeks. Eat them raw, on toast, or try pickling them (Kurt’s favorite way to enjoy radishes). I also have had them roasted with potatoes and other root veggies in a 400 F oven, tossed in some olive oil and seasonings. Roasted, they take on a totally different texture and taste — almost like a potato.
CARROTS — These carrots come from Wayward Seed Farm in Fremont, one of our partner farms in our organic farm cooperative. Our own carrot crop is pretty weedy, and so we’ll be harvesting from it in a couple weeks. Remove the tops from the roots as soon as you get home and store them separately in a green bag. You can also dry them and use them like dried parsley as an herb. Or add them into green cubes or make pesto! The bottom roots do not need to be peeled. Just wash them and roast, boil, grill or eat raw. Store them in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to 5 weeks.
THIS WEEK’S ADD-ON SHARES:
It’s “A” week (for all our bi-weekly shares)
Fruit: sweet cherries from Quarry Hill Orchard in Berlin Heights (not organic), rhubarb from Wayward Seed Farm.
Maddie & Bella’s Coffee: Nicaragua Cafe Diego (smooth, creamy, sweet caramel)
Cheese: Pineapple chevre, Flat Rock, and Black Swamp
Knueven Ice Cream Share Flavor: honey lavender. Made with local honey and lavender from Schooner’s farm
The Salmon Run begins this week! Order your salmon now.
The Salmon Run Begins in Alaska…
Time to pre-order your wild-caught Alaskan Salmon
I know we just finished ordering our fresh halibut, but it’s now time for the Salmon Run out in Alaska. If you want to order your freshly caught wild Alaskan salmon, this is the time. Our partnership with our Community Supported Fishery at CitizenSalmonAlaska.com means you get a 5% discount off your total order when you use our CSA’s unique coupon code. (It’s also how Kurt and Corinna get their affiliate commission). Check your weekly email to find it!
Head to www.CitizenSalmonAlaska.com to place your order now. You’ll get your order sometime around July 13th, when they begin shipping. Your fish arrives frozen via FedEx overnight shipping. Remember: the price you see on the website INCLUDES the shipping. You’ll get the best deal if you buy a large portion size. So get a group together of friends and family, or organize something in our Facebook group to get a group order.
One of our CSA members, Shannon Ford, was recently in Homer, Alaska, and went to meet our fisherman, Aaron Sechler in person! How cool is that!!?
One of our CSA members, Shannon Ford, visited our CSF fishery in Alaska last week!
Garlic Harvest Party!
Join us Saturday, July 10, 9 AM- 12 PM for this Volunteer Farm Event!
Can you help us pull the garlic? It looks SO GORGEOUS! And we’ve got 3 beds of it to pull out. Lucky for us, it’s been raining for a week, so the ground should still be pretty soft, making it pretty easy. The date has been set for Saturday, July 10th, from 9 am to noon. If you can help, just show up and give us an hour of your time. This is a great activity for children too! Wear tennis shoes or boots (if it’s still tacky in the field) We’ll run our plastic lifter over the beds to “lift up the soil bed.” You’ll then be asked to pull out the individual garlic plants, tap off the mud/soil, and place them in piles on a trailer. (We’ll eventually place this garlic on the greenhouse tables to cure). If you volunteer, you’ll be able to take home some garlic as our thank you!
Field to Table Dinners are BACK!
Imagine eating a fancy dinner on our farm, where you can rub shoulders with your farmers AND watch the Master Chef at work just a few feet away. That’s the idea behind our Field to Table private dinners.
This year, we are partnering with Chef Joseph Jacobsen (the former chef of Degage), who is now the owner of Cork and Knife Provisions — a premier catering company based in Perrysburg. Chef Joseph has always been a big proponent of supporting local farmers. He is a regular buyer of our produce for his clients, and you’ll find our product featured on his menu. This year, Chef Joseph will be offering 3 dinners at our farm — 2 private dinners for 16 guests, and one larger dinner for 50 guests. And you can now reserve your seats!
Here are the dinner dates:
Saturday, July 24 — Private Dinner #1 for 16 guests, 6-9 PM.
Friday, August 6 — Private Dinner #2 for 16 guests, 6-9 PM.
The evening begins with a 6 PM arrival with mocktails and a chance to walk the fields. Our sit-down dinner begins at 7 PM. Due to the smaller guest list, this 5-course dining experience will have a more intimate feel. You’ll be able to see Chef Joseph prepare and plate your meal just a few feet away, and have a chance to talk with him. You’ll also have a chance to rub shoulders with your farmers Kurt & Corinna, who will also join you for dinner. Menu will feature locally sourced meat and produce from our fields — whatever is in season. Sorry, per chef request, no menu substitutions or vegetarian options available. Ticket Price: $100 per person. Price does NOT include gratuities or alcohol. BYO wine/beer/drinks. We’ll provide a mocktail, lemonade, and water for beverages. Dress is “nice” but casual.
3. Friday, September 17, 6-9 PM – Field to Table Dinner for 50 guests, 6-9 PM
You cannot reserve tickets for this event yet, but we want you to know about it. The evening begins with a 6 PM arrival with mocktails and a chance to walk the fields. Our sit-down dinner begins at 7 PM, seated at long tables in the fields. This will be a larger event — with 50 guests in attendance. Your farmers Kurt & Corinna will kick things off with a toast and make a point to stop at every table to say hello. The evening will round out with a campfire for lingering guests, as the sun goes down, and a chance to talk to your farmers. The menu will feature locally sourced meat and produce from our fields — whatever is in season. Sorry, per chef request, no menu substitutions or vegetarian options available. Ticket Price: $75 per person. Price does NOT include gratuities or alcohol. Drinks (wine/beer) are BYO. We’ll provide a mocktail, lemonade, and water for beverages. Dress is “nice” but casual.
How Do I Reserve My Dinner Tickets?
We are not selling these tickets in the online store. Instead, to reserve your seat, you must email your farmer at sharedlegacyfarms@gmail.com and tell me WHAT date and how many tickets you want to reserve. I will then invoice you. If you choose the larger dinner, we will be sure to seat you with your friends. YOU MUST PRE-PAY FOR YOUR DINNER TICKETS VIA CHECK OR PAYPAL within 7 days of your reservation. There will be no paper tickets. We will reach out to you via email 5 days before the dinner with information.
FARMER KURT’S FIELD NOTES
It rained a lot this week. The fields are pretty wet. But it could have been so much worse. I’m watching social media feeds of my farmer friends in Illinois, who have their wheat fields under water, and I’m counting my blessings. Most of the big rains actually avoided our farm. We got about 2 inches total this week. This is the reason why I take the extra step to create “raised beds” for all the veggies I grow. Rain drains off and runs into the trenches between the beds. The downside is that we’ll be seeing a lot of weeds pop up again. I’ve got my crew coming out all day Saturday to try and knock out the asparagus acreage. The next priority is the tomato and peppers starting early next week.
Because I couldn’t seed or prep any ground with all that standing water, I had to find other things for the crew to do (although they did get a day off! That’s one of the nice things about rain. It forces you to take some down time). We pulled out all the old lettuces, so the low tunnels are now clear, and ready for the next planting. Lucero surprised us all by showing up to visit her mom Catalina. (Lucero used to work for us a few years ago. But her niece Chloe came down with some medical issues, and so she has been staying down in Florida the last few years to take care of her.) I put her to work of course while she was here!
The fields are pretty wet, but we’re okay!
The broccoli came in faster than expected. Those hot days accelerated their ripening. This week, we have a lot of new items — the Tokyo Bekhana is a new one for me. Also the Okinawa spinach in the online store, which I’m trying out. I’ve also had such a great response to the currants, that I’m planning to plant more bushes for next year. I’m glad you liked those!
I’ve been trapped inside doing desk work this week. In anticipation of my “Food Safety” audit this coming week, I’ve been getting my documentation and paperwork ready. We also suffered 3 crew injuries this week — one involved a trip to Urgent Care. It’s a good reminder for me to slow down, and make sure I don’t take anything for granted. Sometimes you forget that you have to train people on simple safety measures, like how to cut with a harvest knife. Farming is a dangerous occupation — there are a lot of places a person can get hurt.
The garlic looks like it’s about ready to come out. I’m throwing together a “Garlic Harvest” party next Saturday, July 10th. I’d sure love it if you came out for an hour to help us pull the garlic. It’s pretty easy, and there’s free garlic in it for you! I hope to see you show up. You can come anytime between 9 am and noon.
Harley gets to hang out with her friend, Ginger.
Corinna has been trying to train our puppy Harley. I’m not sure it’s going so well. We live right alongside a busy bike path, and she just loves to run alongside joggers or bikers. And if she sees another dog going for a walk, forget about it! Unfortunately Jed and Josiah taught Harley how to play a game called “Paw Points,” which involves chasing the dog and trying to touch her for points. Harley thinks that we’re playing this game whenever we try to grab her on the bike path. It’s very frustrating (and a little embarrassing when it looks like I don’t have control of my dog).
Finally, on a personal note, we took the weekend to head to my college friend’s house for the Fourth of July. My buddy Cole, from Ohio State days, hosted a lake party and camp-out. I’ll be taking the boys and Corinna to Bucyrus, where we’ll be playing in the water, jumping on a water trampoline, “riding the inflatable bull,” and eating all kinds of tailgate food. I can’t wait! Corinna’s father (who lives in Texas and is a 4th of July Birthday boy) will be celebrating his 80th birthday this Sunday. She’s hoping to take the boys down to visit later in the season, when there’s more time to take a whole week.
~Your Farmer, Kurt
We pulled out all the leftover lettuce plants from the greenhouse high tunnel.
WEEK 5 ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Come volunteer for our Garlic Harvest event! No need to sign up anywhere. Just show up at the farm next Saturday, July 10th, from 9 am to noon. Give us ONE HOUR. Bring water, sunscreen, and wear boots. You’ll likely be getting dirty, pulling out garlic from the soil blocks. There’s free garlic in it for you if you come!
- Sign up for one of our two first Field to Table dinners. Choose from 2 dates: July 24 or Aug. 6th. See our article above for details on times and price. To reserve your spot, you must email Corinna at sharedlegacyfarms@gmail.com and let her know what date and how many people are coming. She will then mail you an invoice.
- It’s time to make your pre-order for Wild Alaskan Salmon. The Salmon Run begins next week in Homer, Alaska! Aaron from CitizenSalmonAlaska.com will be shipping freshly harvested salmon around July 13th. Remember, you can get the best deal when you place a large order, since shipping is built into the price you see online. Feel free to organize a group neighborhood or family/friends order, and have it ship to your house. It will arrive frozen via FedEx. Be sure to use our CSA’s unique coupon code to get 5% off your entire order. Look in your email or the facebook group to see the coupon code.
- If you want to order items from Knueven Creamery each week, you must do so on their website by Sunday. Please be sure to select the CORRECT PICKUP SITE when you order, or your milk order may end up going to the wrong site. This applies for all sites except Port Clinton.
- Want to volunteer for a couple hours, packing the CSA bin? If you’d like to help out one time during a CSA Pack night (Mondays and Wednesdays from 4-8 PM), please email me at sharedlegacyfarms@gmail.com. We require our volunteers to be vaccinated if you want to be mask-less. Otherwise masks must be worn while working.
- You can order additional items from the Shared Legacy Farms online store. curly kale, dinosaur kale, Okinawa spinach, Swiss chard, white scallions, green cabbage heads, garlic scapes, broccoli, green kohlrabi, black currants (very limited), goose-berries (very limited), rye flour, maple syrup, and honey. Our store link is super easy to remember: www.sharedlegacyfarms.com/store. We reload and open the store inventory on Saturdays, around 6 PM. Just be sure to select the right pickup site that coincides with your pickup location. If the pickup option is greyed out or not available, it means you missed the window to order. You need to place your order 2 days before your site, because we harvest the product early on Monday and Wednesday mornings.
This red currant simple syrup was one of our most popular recipes last week.
WEEK 5 CSA RECIPES
Members: You can download these recipes as a PDF here. These recipes are designed to inspire you to use your box this week! Please check inside our private Facebook group to find your fellow members sharing ideas for what to make with their box! Share a photo and you might be featured in next week’s newsletter!
Basil Vinaigrette
Oven Roasted Carrots and Kale
Kohlrabi and Carrot Slaw
Zucchini Kohlrabi Carrot Fritters with Herb Yogurt Sauce
Pickled Radishes
Carrot, Radish and Ginger Salad
Sautéed Kohlrabi, Onions and Basil
Sheet Pan Chicken with Spring Vegetables
Carrot Zucchini Mini Muffins
Garlic Roasted Radishes
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars
Banana Cherry Smoothie
Raspberry Rhubarb Margarita