CSA MEMBER NEWSLETTER HIGHCROSS CSA MEMBER NEWSLETTER FARM To everything there is a season, a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted. Finest F i n e s t Quality In This Issue Happy Healthy Vegetable Plants In the Box this Week Potato Blossoms Today H i g h C r o s s F a r m HighCross Farm CSA Newsletter Summer Share Week #5 - July 14, 2016 Happy Healthy Vegetable Plants Sun + Heat + Water + Organic Soil + TLC = Everything a vegetable plant needs to grow happy and healthy. The veggies are growing very well here this summer. Tomatoes ripening in the hoophouse Prorated 2016 Summer CSA Shares are Available 2nd Installment Payment Due 7/15 Photos from the Farm this Week Note that your pick-up site host contact info is available (for most sites) through your CSA online account under Pick-up Directions. HighCross Farm Fresh Market Produce Steve & Kath Vogelmann W2292 Rustic Drive Campbellsport, WI 53010-3126 920-533-FARM (3276) Best wishes from your Farmers Steve, Kath & Crew I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 2
In the Box this Week Storage information: Lettuce and leafy greens should be kept in the coldest area of your refrigerator, ideally on the lower level or in the crisper drawer. Place all items in plastic bags or wrap in a damp towel, to prevent wilting due to the dehydrating effect of refrigeration. Monitor the produce over time; it should be kept neither too wet nor too dry inside the plastic bag. Slightly open the bag if you see water droplets forming on the inside. Lettuce - Two heads in the large share and one head in the small share. Unfortunately, there will be no lettuce in the shares for a while. Broccoli - We usually keep some of the leaves on the broccoli. The leaves are good for food and they taste like broccoli! Some of these heads look weird (light green with uneven beading). It has to do with the weather and these early varities; later broccoli will look normal. Snow Peas - In the small share this week, the large share next week. Essential ingredient for Oriental cuisine. Great raw in a salad or perfect for stir-fry. Sugar Snap Peas - In the large share this week. Vegetable candy. Crunchy, sweet. You can pull off the string along the edge. Spring Onions - These are baby bulb type onions (Red Bull variety), thinnings from our onion plantings. Great sliced into your salad or use in egg dishes or kale spread. Use 100% of these onions from stem to stern. Summer Squash - Here they come! You ll be receiving the following types over the next weeks: - Green Zucchini - The one almost everyone is familiar with. We always trial different varieties, so the green color may vary somewhat. Some of these hide and get way too big; they are offered cheap on the web store, when available, for zucchini bread, etc. - Golden Zucchini - Just like the green, except golden in color. - Zephyr - A straightneck squash with a light green tip and very good flavor and texture. This is one of our favorites. - Romanesco - A ribbed Italian heirloom with delicious rich flavor. Not as juicy as zucchini. Another one of our favorites. - Patty Pans - Our very favorite summer squash. We call these UFO Squash around here. They have a rich, nutty taste. Green Zucchini, Golden Zucchini, Straightneck, Zephyr, Romanesco, Patty Pan Sugar Snap Peas at HighCross Farm We most often eat these simply steamed or microwaved until tender. Trim the stem and blossom ends; cut into little cubes. Place in a microwave dish and heat for 5 minutes. Stir, and check for doneness. Microwave for up to 3 more minutes. Drain, add butter and salt; add shredded parmesan as an option. Yum!
Red Mustard Greens - Red Rain variety is a tender, mild mustard. Use some in your salad, soup, or can be stirfried. Fresh Herb - Sage - Chop and sprinkle a little in your salad; good with chicken or pork. If grilling, put some in your marinade. Hang up to dry, or put in a ziplock bag to store in your refrigerator or freezer. Red Rain Mustard Baby Pac Choi - In the large share. Great for stir-fry. Or add to soup or salad. New Red Potatoes - There is nothing like freshly-dug Red Norland salad potatoes for wonderful sweet fresh flavor. Can be made into potato salad; or simply cube, and boil just until tender; serve with butter and maybe an herb, such as parsley or basil pesto. Please take the potatoes out of the paper bag and store in an airy place, as these were just harvested yesterday and are full of moisture. The skin on Red Norlands is very thin and fragile, so some of it comes off during harvesting and washing; of course, you do not peel these, you eat them skin and all. Large Share: Lettuce - 2 heads Broccoli Red Mustard Greens Baby Pac Choi Sugar Snap Peas Summer Squash New Red Potatoes (Dug yesterday) Spring Red Onions with green tops Fresh Herb - Sage Small Share: Lettuce - 1 head Broccoli Red Mustard Greens Snow Peas Summer Squash New Red Potatoes (Dug yesterday) Spring Red Onions with green tops Fresh Herb - Sage Tentative list of some of the items in next week s share: Summer Squash Beets with green tops Kale Snow Peas or Sugar Snap Peas New Red Potatoes Onions with green tops Fresh Herb Maybe Daikon Radish, Green Pepper, Cucumber, Beans Coming soon: Napa Cabbage, Carrots, Cherry Tomatoes Digging potatoes at HighCross Farm
Photos from the Farm This Week Rich the sheep shearer explaining how the shears works. He sheared 30 sheep Here on Monday. Golden Zucchini today Holding a mama ewe s lambs Snow Peas & Sugar Snap Peas Watching mama ewe being sheared. Cherry tomatoes ripening in the hoophouse
2016 CSA Pro-rated Memberships are Still Available We thank you for your referrals. Each week several more new members are signing up. We have plenty of plants in the ground for many more share memberships. Remember that for each new CSA membership listing you as the referral source, we will reward you with a $10 Farmigo credit toward any purchase on the web store. We offer good food that is fresh, beautiful, premium quality, raised organically, and harvested, prepped, and packed with TLC. Feel free to forward our newsletter to interested others. To sign-up, click here: CSA 2016 HighCross Farm Summer Squash at HighCross Farm Consider giving a 2016 Summer Share to someone you care about a gift that keeps giving all season long.
Recipes From Steve and Lindy Meer, our Bayview pick-up site hosts: Hi Farmer Steve, Wanted to share another summer squash recipe we like: Summer Squash Gratin Ingredients (serves 4) - 1/2 lb. to 3/4 lb. (1 medium to large) summer squash, sliced thinly on a mandoline or in a food processor with slicing disk - 1/4 teaspoon salt - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, loosley packed - 8 fresh basil leaves - 1 garlic clove, quartered - 1/4 teaspoon salt - 1/4 cup olive oil - 2 tablespoons butter, melted - 3/4 cup panko - 1/4 lb. red potatoes, sliced thinly on mandoline or in a food processor with slicing disk - 1/3 cup grated Gruyere (or Swiss cheese) Instructions - heat oven to 400 degrees - place summer squash slices in a colander in the sink and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, let drain for 10 minutes - meanwhile in a food processor or blender, puree the fresh herbs, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and olive oil, set aside - in a small bowl, combine the melted butter and panko - in a large bowl combine all ingredients, reserving some of the butter-coated panko. Pour mixture into a shallow baking dish and top with remaining panko. Bake for 30 minutes Note - you can vary the amount of squash/potatoes in this dish - it works with more squash and less potatoes. Regards, Steve Meer
Recipe - Roasted Patty Pan Squash with Mushrooms, Onion and Thyme Sent from our friend and HighCross Farm CSA member Darleen Worm: Not so much a recipe but a way to prepare that we thought was good. Roasted Patty Pan Squash with Mushrooms, Onion and Thyme Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a jelly roll or half sheet pan lightly with olive oil. Wash and pull off leaves of about 10 sprigs of thyme. Set aside. (Or use all dried thyme.) Wash and cut off ends of the patty pan squash. Slice into ¼ thick circles. Place in a large bowl. ( I used about 6 or 7 squash of various sizes.) Quarter a large onion, cutting from stem to roots. Then sliced each quarter into ¼ slices. Separate the slices and throw into the bowl. Wash about a pound of mushrooms. If larger mushrooms, cut in half. Throw in the bowl. Pour olive oil over everything in the bowl, and toss gently with hands or tongs to coat each item LIGHTLY. Generously season with salt, fresh grated black pepper, fresh thyme, and for good measure I also added about ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme. Toss to evenly distribute the seasonings. Spread the vegetables evenly on the prepared pan. Bake about 20 minutes. Mine was done after 20 minutes but I wanted the onions darker. So I raised the temperature to 425 and baked 10 additional minutes.
Recipes From CSA member Anne B: Here's a really easy but delicious summer squash recipe for soup. 3 cups chicken broth 2 large zucchini/summer squash, shredded Cook until squash is tender and add one and a half cups of heavy cream or whole milk, whichever your preference. Season to taste. Delicious with just salt and pepper but I have added garlic, onions, or garlic salt. Anne
Recipes From CSA member Nicole: Thanks for the update. By the way, we have been making baked zucchini fries which are very good and pretty easy to make which might be a nice addition the recipes in the newsletter. Recipe below. Baked Zucchini Fries 2 medium zucchini 1 egg, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons milk 3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Cut each zucchini into thirds lengthwise, then cut the thirds into thirds lengthwise. Cut the thirds in half crosswise. Basically, you want to create "fries" that are 2-3 inches long by 1/4-1/2 inch wide. Combine egg and milk in a medium bowl. Combine breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt and pepper in a separate bowl. Dredge zucchini fries in egg mixture, then in crumbs mixture and place on prepared baking sheet. Spray tops with a little more cooking spray (a drizzle of olive oil would probably work okay too). Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 15-20 minutes. Scrumdidlyumptious! Nicole
Newest Cookbook Designed for Wisconsin CSA Members From the publishers of From Asparagus to Zucchini. Farm-Fresh and Fast Providing easy to create recipes using common ingredients from CSA shares and farmers market stands. This is a great companion book to From A to Z! With Farm-Fresh and Fast, home cooks can: Learn how vegetables and fruits with similar characteristics can be used Find master recipes that make it easy to tailor a recipe to what you have on hand Discover ingredient substitutions that will eliminate worry about ruining the whole dish Find theme menu ideas, food tips and a glossary of common cooking terms Learn how to mix and drink seasonally with farm fresh cocktails Have dinner on the table and ready to serve in under 60 minutes For sale now, exclusively for our CSA members on the HighCross Farm Web Store.