HighCross Farm CSA NewsletterSummer Share Week #2 - June 18, 2015

In This Issue

Sugar Snap Pea Blossoms Today

Greens!

In the Box this Week

How We Determine What Goes into the Shares

2015 CSA Pro-rated Memberships

are Still Available

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 FarmFresh Market Produce

Steve & Kath VogelmannW2292 Rustic Drive

Campbellsport, WI 53010-3126920-533-FARM (3276)

H i g h C r o s s F a r m

C S A M E M B E R N E W S L E T T E R

Finest Q

uality

Fi n

est

Qu

ali t

yHIGHCROSS FARM“To everything there is a season, a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted.”

C S A M E M B E R N E W S L E T T E R

Greens and more greens—this is how the normal CSA season starts out. At first garden plants grow leaves (greens) to increase photosynthesis, and later on they produce the fruit and/or seeds or tubers. So you get lots of greens early on.

See the article below for more information on what goes into your share and why.

Best wishes from your Farmers Steve, Kath & Crew

Italian Leaf Broccoli at HighCross Farm today

“I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good

health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 2

Greens!

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.

The Oregano and Cilantro will keep best in plastic bags in the refrigerator.Let us know if anything in your share is not up to our high quality standards.

Lettuce - Gorgeous head of Red Butterhead, harvested this morning. Get ready for several weeks of lots of lettuce.

Skyphos Red Butterhead

Spinach - Fresh spring-planted spinach; it prefers cooler weather, so enjoy it while it lasts. The large share has two varieties, Space in the large bag and Kookaburra in the small—which one do you prefer?

Great raw in a salad. Or steam just until tender, then serve with butter and salt. These leaves are large but very tender–will melt in your mouth! The spinach leaves have been rinsed, but should be washed again to remove any garden soil.

Note that you can blanche spinach, then freeze in freezer bags. More spinach next week; also available on the Web Store.

Mizuna - A salad green of Japanese origin. Like most Asian greens, it goes great in stir-fry, soups and salad. Mild flavor.

Carrots - These were harvested last December and stored in our walk-in cooler until now. They are sweet and juicy.

Our spring-planted carrots are sizing up and will be ready for harvest in several more weeks.

Hakurei Turnips - In the large share. A Japanese salad turnip. These sneek-preview baby-sized turnips are thinnings. We will have more turnips in all shares in several more weeks.

Sweet and juicy; use sliced raw in a salad or eat raw slices or the whole turnip root, like an apple! Note that the greens can be used as well—raw, or steamed or stir-fried or in soups.

Rainbow Swiss Chard - A rainbow of color. Chard is a member of the beet family, and therefore tastes similar to beet greens. Steam until tender or sauté with garlic and olive oil, or slice a little raw into your salad to add festive color.

\Rainbow Swiss Chard at HighCross Farm

French Heirloom Radishes - Poor germination of this crop resulted in a scant crop—only enough for the large share today.These are a French Breakfast type called D’Avignon.

Some folks cook with radishes, including the greens - or they can be juiced. Otherwise, trim off the tops and keep the radishes in a plastic bag - they should keep a long time.

D’ Avignon Radish

In the Box this Week

Spigariello Liscia - Italian Leaf Broccoli. New item here at the farm. Our debut of this favorite from southern Italy. Sweet and mellow, tastes like a cross between kale and broccoli.

Cook just like broccoli (Farmer Steve tried it out last night, cooked in a covered microwave dish, about 4-5 minutes, until the color just begins to turn. Butter and salt. Mmmm! Try melting a little shredded Parmesan on top.)

The stems seemed too fibrous to use; also cut the main rib out of the leaf first. Let us know what you think. We’ll have it on the web store, for our Italian cuisine aficionados.

The head broccoli will be ready in about another 3-4 weeks.

Cilantro - Widely used in Asian, Caribbean and Latin American cooking (including Salsa) and its distinctive flavor lends itself to highly spiced foods.

Those who enjoy it say it has a refreshing, lemony or lime-like flavor, while those who dislike it have a strong aversion to its taste and smell.

CilantroBest Cilantro Recipes - Allrecipes.com

Cilantro

Garlic Scapes - Bonus item for Spring Share CSA members! Normally these delicate gourmet items are not available until June, but due to the extra warm weather this spring, they were harvested in prime condition this morning and went into today’s share. This delicacy is the immature seed stalk of a hardneck garlic plant.

Use it as a mild form of green garlic for whatever - salad, egg dishes, cooking anything that likes a delicate garlic.More info and recipes at these sites:My Friend the Garlic Scape - A Mighty AppetiteGarlic Scape Pesto: Another Fleeting Pleasure

Garlic Scapes

Herb of the Week - Oregano - The pizza herb, often used in Italian cooking. Good with tomatoes. Try it in an omelet. Great to use when grilling.

If there is more than you can use now, oregano dries beautifully; hang a sprig up in your kitchen to dry. When fully dry, put it in a ziplock bag to extend the season - throw some in a soup next winter. Or you can freeze it in zip lock bags for future use.

Fresh Oregano at HighCross Farm

Here’s the list of what is in today’s box:

Large Share:Red Butterhead Lettuce Spinach (Two different varieties - Space variety in the large bag, Kookaburra variety in the small bag. Let us know which one you prefer.)Mizuna - Japanese Salad GreenRainbow Swiss Chard Carrots from our winter storageSalad Turnips with Green TopsFrench Heirloom RadishesSpigariello Liscia - Italian Leaf BroccoliCilantroGarlic ScapesFresh Herb - Oregano

Small Share:Red Butterhead Lettuce Spinach Mizuna - Japanese Salad GreenRainbow Swiss Chard Carrots from our winter storageSpigariello Liscia - Italian Leaf BroccoliCilantroGarlic ScapesFresh Herb - Oregano

Tentative list of some of the items in next week’s share:

Lots of lettuceArugulaSpinachRed MustardKaleGolden Beets with green topsScallionsMint

Soon: Kohlrabi, Sugar Snap Peas, Cabbage

How We Determine What Goes into the Shares

Each week, we assess what is ready to be harvested in the gardens. When there will not be enough of a particular harvest to fill both large and small shares, we do the math to determine for which size share there will be enough. It always varies, depending upon how fast a particular crop is coming in. Often, the other size share will receive the item the following week.

The large share always receives a greater quantity and almost always a greater variety of items than the small share; the small share will receive some of each type of produce over the course of the entire season, just not as often as the large share.

If both share sizes receive the same item that week, the amount received will usually be more in the large share. For example, if everyone gets potatoes, the small share might get 2 pounds, the large share 3 pounds.

Also, if an item comes in different sizes, it will be distributed according to share size; for example, a smaller head of lettuce for the small share, and a larger size for the large share.

Sometimes, only a portion of the large or small shares will receive the item because the crop is just starting to produce; next week the remaining shares will receive it.

What will always remain the same for both share sizes each and every week is the same high quality you have come to expect: the finest, freshest, cleanest produce available anywhere in SE Wisconsin!

Swiss Chard at HighCross Farm

2015 CSA Pro-rated Memberships are Still Available

We thank you for your referrals. Each week several more new members are signing up.Interestingly, for some reason, sign-ups at most Wisconsin CSA farms are down this year, including our farm. 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 2015 | HighCross Farm

Photos from the Farm this Week

A dear family friend, Gunnar, visiting from Sweden with his grandson, Phillip

Green Cabbage sizing up today at HighCross Farm

More Rhubarb Recipes

From our pick-up site host in Whitefish Bay:

“Thank you so much for the rhubarb surprise last week! We have thoroughly enjoyed changing up our usual jam and sauce, even eating warm strawberry-rhubarb sauce straight from a bowl—as if it were applesauce. The blueberry-rhubarb combo proved even more delicious and jam-like. We can't wait to try this on waffles or pancakes!

Thanks again,Linda Hanson”

Blueberry-Rhubarb Sauce

This recipe is actually a modification of our refrigerator jam, but it's too delicious to only use for jam. Use it to top waffles, pancakes, ice cream, cottage cheese…

1 1/4 lb. rhubarb, chopped in 1/2 inch slices1 lb. frozen wild blueberries (or frozen strawberries, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces)3/4 cup granulated sugar

Bring ingredients to a boil in a 4 quart pot; do not cover. Reduce temperature to gently simmer for about 30 minutes.

Let cool and enjoy! Can be stored up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator—if it lasts that long!

Makes about 3 cups.

FYI, there is still some Rhubarb available on the web store.

For your summer reading, Kath provides this list of some of her favorites:

Bibliography of Suggested Reading

The Color Code - A Revolutionary Eating Plan for Optimum Health by James A. Joseph, Ph.D. and Daniel A . Nadeau, M.D. Explains how the color of brightly colored fruits and vegetables reveals something of the nutritional value within. Explains phytochemicals, antioxidants and has lots of statistics from the latest research.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - A Year of Food Life by Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver. One family’s odyssey into the world of eating locally produced foods. An adventure story, fast paced and readable. Includes some recipes.

From Asparagus to Zucchini - A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce by the Madison Area C.S.A. Coalition.Recipes for veggies from A to Z. Includes cooking, storage and handling tips and how to prepare some veggies you may not be familiar with. Also has a very nice treatise on eating locally and seasonally and how to incorporate more local and seasonal food into your diet.

Nourishing Traditions - The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon with Mary G. Enig, Ph.D.This book looks past the mass produced foods found in big box stores today and looks back to some of the foods found in traditional cultures. Unites the wisdom of the ancients with the latest independent and accurate scientific research. Over 700 recipes, including recipes on cultured foods

Homegrown - Pure and Simple by Michel Nischan“After years of cooking his signature healthful haute cuisine at a variety of upscale restaurants, chef and cookbook author Michel Nischan found that he longed for the simple country cooking his mother had prepared with ingredients straight from the family’s backyard garden.” Beautifully photographed, interesting recipes, and touching personal story.

The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash From the public television show of the same name. More than 800 delectable recipes from perfectly cooked asparagus to pasta prima vera, grated zucchini saute, and pumpkin ice cream.

The Garden Fresh Cookbook by Andrea ChessmanConnects the dots on how to get locally grown veggies to the table. Includes a chapter on CSAs.

The Enchanted Broccoli Forest and The Moosewood Cookbook both classics by Molly Katzen.

Web-sites:

www.kitchengardenseeds.com