Zoe's Garden Community Supported Agriculture

Quick survey

2012-02-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody,

Three weeks left on the shares (and we're still adding members as you all talk about your veggies!). We're looking to make improvements for next winter and for the coming spring. Sign ups will be available for the summer shares soon, but for now we just want a little feedback from the members.

Could you email me (produce@zoegarden.com) or leave a comment about the CSA generally, the shares, the variety, the timing, the quality, and especially the meat share? We're debating over putting meat into the shares for the first 4-5 weeks of the spring, while it is cold enough to leave safely, and we'd like to gauge the enthusiasm.

Thanks,
Dusty and the Zoe's team

Winter - Week 17 (Jan31/Feb1)

2012-01-31T14:15:00.000-07:00

Onions
Red Pontiac Potatoes
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Beets
Turnips
Parsnip
Shallot
Garlic
Banana Squash
Fresh frozen Fruit (mine was peaches... or apricots - I'll have to taste)
Spinach
Microgreens

MEAT: Leg of lamb, Ground beef, Ground lamb - this should be the last week of replacement extras

Winter - Week 16 (Jan 24/25)

2012-01-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

I want to thank everyone for bearing with us in our first winter CSA shares. On the whole, I think it has been pretty successful so far. While David has been serving restaurants in the winter for a couple of years, it takes a few seasons to figure out the timing / logistics / varieties that work best for a consumer level of expectations. Meat, potatoes, spinach, and winter squash seem natural for the colder months, and we all have good supplies of local staples that keeps for a few months and can be supplemented with just a little bit of green stuff from California.

Onions
Garlic
Shallot
Yukon gold potatoes
Pontiac red potatoes
Beets
Parsnip
Spinach
Hubbard squash
Roasted peppers (frozen)
Turnips

MEAT: Ground beef, Lamb shank, and an extra Lamb loin roast

Using up the Winter Squash

2012-01-19T21:55:00.000-07:00

I found a copy of the original Moosewood Cookbook in a free pile of books a couple of years ago. Being one of the original vegetarian cookbooks, they have some fantastic recipes to make use of all of our fresh produce. Here are two adapted recipes for our current winter boxes. While it isn't out of copyright yet, I'm going to risk posting them mostly in their original form with a hearty recommendation that books by the author, Mollie Katzen, are well worth purchasing for your shelf.

Arabian Squash-Cheese Casserole

2 hunks of hubbard or banana squash (from the shares)
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 double handful chopped braising greens (kale, chard, spinach, collards)
1 package of roasted peppers (or a chopped bell)
3 T butter or oil
salt, black pepper, and red pepper to taste
2 beaten eggs
1 c buttermilk, yogurt, or soured milk (milk + 1 T lemon juice)
1 c crumbled feta or cotija cheese
1/4 c sunflower seeds or chopped nuts

Seed the squash and roast until tender in the oven @ 375. Scoop out flesh and mash. Saute the onion and garlic in the butter (oil) until soft, then add the peppers. (Already roasted peppers just need to warm up, fresh peppers need to soften a bit.) Combine eggs, buttermilk, cheese, squash, peppers, and onions, mixing well. Season to taste, and spread into lightly greased casserole dish. Top with seeds or nuts and bake at 375, covered for 25 minutes and uncovered for an additional 10.

Gypsy Soup

3-4 T olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups chopped, peeled winter squash
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup (or can) diced tomatoes
1 package roasted peppers (or 1 chopped fresh pepper)
1 can chickpeas, or about a pound of leftover roasted lamb, diced
3 cups stock

paprika, turmeric, basil, salt, cinnamon, cayenne, bay leaf, and soy sauce to taste
(I don't measure anything, and go entirely by my nose. Shoot for more paprika and go light on the cinnamon.)

Saute the onions, garlic, celery, and squash in the oil in a dutch oven or soup pot until the onions start to soften. Season and add stock. Simmer until the squash starts to soften. Add the rest of the veg, plus the chickpeas (or lamb). Simmer until everything else is soft (or as done as you'd like).

Borscht

2012-01-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

Dinner tonight. Hearty, warm, and uses lots of fresh farm ingredients.

Borscht (Russian cabbage and beet soup)

knob of butter, bacon grease, or double glug of olive oil
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
1 large, sliced carrot
1 stalk chopped celery
1 tsp caraway seeds
3 cups chopped cabbage
4 cups of stock
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced potatoes
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced beets (peeled)
1 can (or cup) of diced tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tbs sour cream per serving
a pinch of dill per serving

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, saute your onions, carrots, and celery until the onions are starting to soften. Add caraway seeds for a couple of minutes, then the cabbage for a couple of more. Add stock, potatoes, beets, and tomatoes, and boil for about 30 minutes. Season to taste, and serve with a dollop of sour cream and a pinch of dill. Probably best with a heavy rye loaf.

Winter - Week 15 (Jan17/18)

2012-01-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

David said time was short, so you'll want to wash things well. Also, please return your boxes. This week's share looks like borscht again. I think I'll try out a recipe tonight and post it for you all - the weather seems appropriate as well.

Yukon Gold Potatoes
Red Pontiac Potatoes
Turnips
Beets
Parsnips
Onions
Shallots
Garlic
Cabbage
Spinach
Banana squash
Frozen strawberries
Microgreens

MEAT: ground beef, ground lamb, lamb rib, lamb shank

Winter - Week 14 (Jan 10/11)

2012-01-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

Keep those potatoes and onions someplace dark and cool-ish. They should keep until well after the CSA ends in February. Check periodically and remove any gone squishy, gooey, or off. The rest will keep better that way.

Spinach
Hubbard Squash
Beets
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Red Pontiac Potatoes
Yellow Onion
Turnips
Baby Daikon Radish
Garlic
Shallot
Turnips
Parsnip
Roasted peppers *

MEAT: ground beef, lamb rib, ground chuck**, lamb shank**

* The peppers are roasted, frozen versions of the peppers from the summer. They are an (unfortunately unlabeled) selection of red bell, marisol, poblano, and anaheim. None of those are terribly hot, but some bags will have a little more heat than others.

** Double meat this week to help pay back the meat shares. Expect a little more lamb and rib shank in the next couple of weeks, so that larger families can gather up enough to make a full meal.

Spinach, hubbard, roasted peppers, onions, baby daikon
shallot, parsnip, garlic, turnip, beets, red and gold potato

Winter - Week 13 (Jan 3/4)

2012-01-03T14:17:00.001-07:00

Welcome back meat!

Spinach
Frozen pears
Apples
Beets
Turnips
Yellow Onion
Red Pontiac Potatoes
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Banana Squash
Shallots
Cabbage

MEAT: beef roast

Top: Red and Gold potatoes, onions, shallots, banana squash
Bot: spinach, beets, turnips, apples, cabbage, [beef roast]

Winter - Week 12 (Dec 27/28)

2011-12-29T11:24:00.001-07:00

A couple of days late, and no pics... sorry. Nothing new anyway, but after getting off the plane, it was all I could do to get the veggies in the fridge. I know I'm getting a minor backlog of winter squash, and even though it keeps great, we want to use it up. I will post some tested recipes for winter squash tomorrow.

Beets
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Red Pontiac Potatoes
Yellow Onions
Turnips
Parsnip
Shallots
Garlic
Hubbard Squash
Spinach
Fresh Frozen Peaches
Honey

David says this week was a little light (volume-wise) because of the honey. It retails for $15 a jar. He wanted to change it up a little as the waves of greens and salad stuff come and go. Expect it to increase a little in variety and volume again as the weeks progress.

MEAT UPDATE! The lamb will be done today, the beef will be done Friday or Monday. There will be meat in the boxes starting with your next pickup.

no post today

2011-12-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

I'm on the road traveling and won't be there to pick up my box. The share list will go up tomorrow (Wednesday).

Of meat and frozen fruit...

2011-12-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

The meat processor is finally accepting the animals today, and they should be traveling on to the butcher's this week. David is really sorry for the delay, and has been repeatedly frustrated. The number of small processors and butchers available to local growers has continued to shrink as big-agra has consolidated animal operations. You'll get your money's worth in the end, but when you're expecting a little meat each week, a long dry spell followed by a huge pile is less than satisfying. Apologies from the farm.

How are you all enjoying the fresh frozen fruit? I say fresh because David's wife spent hours in the late summer / early fall blanching, peeling, cutting, and packing the fruits. They're generally stuff that was picked faster than could sell at the market (usually ahead of storms) or that was picked all at once after the end of market (ahead of the first hard frosts). I think the taste and texture has been way better than canned, plus it is local. We've enjoyed them in yogurt, over ice cream, and in cobblers so far.

BOXES! David isn't getting boxes back from some folks. Please return the boxes to your pickup sites. They are expensive, hard to get hold of, and incredibly reuseable.

Winter - Week 11 (Dec 20/21)

2011-12-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

Spinach
Yellow onion
Beets
Turnips
Fuji apples
Golden Delicious apples
Gala apples
Macintosh apples
Fresh frozen pears
Banana squash
Collard greens
Mixed greens
Red pontiac potatoes
Yukon gold potatoes

Spaghetti Squash

2011-12-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

I'm crying uncle. I'll eat any vegetable. I'll munch on turnips raw. I've even grown to like brussel sprouts and lima beans. I've been staring at the spaghetti squash in the basket for weeks. I have never been a fan of them, not since low-fat "healthy" experiments by my mother as a child. Does anyone have a killer spaghetti squash recipe to share with the group?

Winter - Week 10 (Dec 13/14)

2011-12-13T12:35:00.002-07:00

Nothing new this week. What do you think of the "frozen fresh fruits"? I really enjoyed the peaches with vanilla ice cream and cinnamon. The raspberries can go right back into the freezer for pancakes or ice cream. The spinach and winter squash can go right into the recipe from last week with barley etc. Try that cabbage sauteed with apples, or maybe made into soup with the radish and some miso.

Spinach
Hubbard squash
Spaghetti squash
Beets
Turnips
Yukon gold potatoes
Pontiac red potatoes
Yellow onions
Garlic
Shallots
Cabbage
Fuji apples
Macintosh apples
Golden delicious apples
Black radish
Frozen fresh raspberries

Meat processor is due to deliver next week. Don't worry -- you'll be compensated for the weeks that haven't happened.

No labels this week

Winter Squash Risotto

2011-12-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

This is days late in being posted, but I don't think our share make-up will change drastically this week. My family really enjoyed this recipe from RealSimple. It will make use of your winter squash (I used a chunk of hubbard), onions, and spinach. I threw a couple of cloves of garlic in for good measure.

It was also very simple. About 10 minutes of chopping vegetables and 10 minutes in front of the stove.

Winter - Week 9 (Dec 6/7)

2011-12-06T17:51:00.001-07:00

Pontiac Red potatoes
Yukon Gold potatoes
Yellow onion
Turnips
Parsnips
Black radish
Beets
Spinach
Salad Mix
Red Kale
Banana squash
Fresh frozen peaches
Golden delicious apples
Fuji apples
Macintosh apples
Granny Smith apples

Kale -- cut away the center stem and the thicker veins. Cut the leaves into thinner ribbons when cooking to be sure they get tender. Saute ribbons with garlic and shallots until tender; fold into omelette.

Frozen peaches -- if they're still mostly frozen, you can keep them in the freezer for a couple of months. If they're starting to thaw, they'll keep in your fridge for several days at least. Eat as fresh, with cream or mascarpone, or blend into smoothies. Fresh peach taste!

Tomorrow I'll post a fantastic (and easy) risotto recipe using the onions, garlic, banana squash, and spinach.

No meat this week, sorry. When the butcher gets caught up, so will we!

TOP: spinach, salad mix, red kale
MID: black radish, turnips, parsnip, yellow onion, garlic, shallots, banana squash
BOT: gold & red potatoes, beets, golden delicious, macintosh, granny smith, Fuji

Winter - Week 8 (Nov 29/30)

2011-11-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

Pics in a bit...

Parsley
Spinach
Buttercup squash
Hubbard squash
Red Pontiac potatoes
Yukon Gold potatoes
Yellow onion
Winter kale
Parsnip
Turnip
Black radish
Kohlrabi
Granny Smith apples
Red Delicious apples
Yellow Delicious apples
Beets
Rutabaga

MEAT: honey (The meat processor delayed AGAIN! David is getting quite frustrated. He'll make it square when the meat finally shows up.)

A few ideas to get the ball rolling

2011-11-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

The Fruit Syrup
Refrigerate after opening. Made with Zoe's honey and berries. This is fantastic on pancakes or scones, or on bread pudding made with day after Thanksgiving rolls / pastries (with the frozen strawberries?). Or pour over ice cream. Or make a reduction with white wine and... (something? apples?)... to replace your cranberry sauce.

Apples and Rutabaga
Apparently, a four to one mix of sliced rutabaga and apples, lightly seasoned and oiled, makes for a very interesting tart. A mix of sweet and savory, familiar and unfamiliar.

Galeux D'Eysines
This warty winter squash comes highly recommended for soups and pumpkin pies. 1 1/2 cups of cooked squash = one can of pumpkin puree.

Winter - Week 7 (Nov 22/23)

2011-11-22T14:02:00.002-07:00

Final list..... At the end of the day, there was a limit to what David hoped to pick and get in the boxes and how that fit into the daylight hours. Sorry if you were expecting anything different.

The whole holiday box

parsnips, sunchokes, and rutabaga

Turnips
Rudabaga
Parsnip
Salad Mix
Parsley
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Frozen Strawberries
Berry Syrup (made by David with his honey and berries)
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Red Potatoes
Onion
Garlic
Shallots
Sunchokes
Bell Pepper
Poblano Pepper
Mariachi Pepper
Marisol Pepper
Red Delicious Apples
Golden Delicious Apples
French Heirloom Squash (Galeux D Eysines)
Kohlrabi

MEAT: lamb again -- the processor is three weeks behind with the beef order

That French heirloom squash is famous for its very smooth flesh, which is great for soups and equally great for pies!

David's no-gravy Mashed Potatoes

2011-11-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

I think David learned this working the kitchens at the Grand America. Seriously no gravy needed.

5lbs red or gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/4 lb butter, melted

1/2 cup milk

1 cup cream

3/4 cup mascarpone cheese

salt, pepper, and herbs to taste

Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft, then leave to sit in the hot water while you mix the rest (a good 10-20 minutes is best). You'll want to adjust the liquids -- if you're using lighter cream, you'll need a little less milk. Stir together the butter, milk, and cream. Drain the potatoes, and start mashing, maybe with an electric beater. Whip in the cream / milk / butter in batches to avoid splashing. The final product shouldn't be stiff -- no forks standing up in there. Add more milk if needed. Lastly, blend in the mascarpone and season to taste.

Rutabaga, Parsnip, and a Sunchoke recap

2011-11-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

Here are three of the less common veggies we're getting this week, with some storage and use tips. I'm trying to frontload the posts and give general ideas rather than specific recipes.

Rutabaga
A root vegetable, also called swedes (England) / yellow turnips (US) / turnips (Ireland) / neeps (Scotland), they are actually more closely related to cabbage. To quote Samwise, "Roast 'em, Mash 'em, Stick 'em in a Stew." They have a flavor similar to turnips, but better. You can use them interchangeably in root veg recipes -- mash them with potatoes, put them in soups, roast them with other roots. Store them loosely wrapped in plastic with your beets and turnips in the bottom of the fridge. Fun fact: The Irish traditionally carved rutabaga for Halloween (which was a Celtic holiday) -- pumpkins were an American development.

Parsnips
They look like fat white carrots, but they're sweeter and nuttier in flavor and richer in nutrition. The centers can be woody if the weather was wrong, but those are still good for soups (remove the hard cores when ready to serve). This is a fantastic veg to roast, and shines by itself. Roast them with butter, cardamom, and coriander. Another good use is to roast or mash them with the rutabaga and potatoes.

Sunchokes
I flogged this horse in the spring. See here here and here. We have a lot of interesting root veggies to roast or mash -- these work there, too!

Holiday Boxes!

2011-11-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

I realized I want to post a preliminary share list for the week because 1) you're all making shopping lists and recipes for Thursday and 2) this is the holiday share box and it sounds HUGE.

David mentioned all of the following for the box this week:
beets, parsnips, potatoes (5-6lbs of red and gold), onions, garlic, parsley, chard, salad greens, radishes, turnips, rutabaga, apples, some frozen berries, winter squash (two kinds, I think, at least one good for pies), possibly sunchokes, and probably some prepared items (jams and berry syrups). I know I'm leaving a couple of things out, too. I think there's a good chance we'll see spinach, kale, and peppers, as well.

The reason I say huge is that David estimates our usual shares at a $35 box, at a discount over his wholesale items. He puts these boxes closer to $60, with the discount. Wait until Tuesday evening to do your grocery shopping if possible, so I can get a final list up. I'll also find a couple of recipes for very holiday centered fare that includes the odder items... it will all feel very old world.

Go-to Greens and a Simple Miso

2011-11-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

I know I tend to overuse the Mark Bittmann / Minimalist recipes, but they're generally so flexible, fast, and straightforward that it is hard not to do so.

This week's Minimalist would go well with any of the greens we have been / will be receiving (broccoli rabe, spinach, choy, kale, collards, chard, the nicer beet greens). Not that you can go wrong with parmesan and garlic. Fry an egg, and you have dinner in 25 minutes.

I mention making simple soups out of the vegetables we receive pretty regularly. If you keep miso paste in the fridge (you should), this is a fast, healthy dish that can be as simple or as complex as you'd like.

Here is Alissa's go-to recipe soup. Below is mine...

Twenty Minute Miso
dashi, vegetable, mushroom or chicken stock
(the stock shouldn't be too strong or salty)
1/2 to 1 block tofu, drained and cubed
2 carrots, cut into thin rounds
2 small daikon, cut into thin half rounds
1 small onion, halved and sliced thinly
1 pinch dried wakame seaweed per serving of soup
(You can use a handful of sliced greens if seaweed doesn't appeal)
miso paste to taste (roughly 1T per 2 cups soup volume)

optional:
thin sliced pork, browned, roughly 1/2 lb
1-2 burdock roots, peeled and sliced into rounds

Boil together everything but the miso paste. When carrots are softish, turn off the heat and strain a bowlful of broth out. Dissolve the miso into this broth and return to the pot. Serve immediately.

Winter - Week 6 (Nov 15/16)

2011-11-15T17:30:00.003-07:00

A couple of new items this week...

Hubbard squash (are these more manageable chunks working?)
Spaghetti squash
Spinach
Onions
Red Pontiac potatoes
Yukon Gold potatoes
Black radish
Collard greens
Daikon
Winter red kale
Red beets
Turnips
Red Delicious apples
Golden Delicious apples
Bell pepper
Marisol pepper

MEAT: lamb loin (beef is being portioned out now)

Beets and Turnips -- Remove the greens, scrub the root clean, wrap them loosely in plastic, and keep in the crisper or the bottom back of the fridge. The root will stay good for weeks this way. The beet greens are definitely edible (use them like chard or spinach), but the turnip greens always look like hell this time of year.

Daikon -- This is a Japanese radish, and it literally means "large (dai) root (kon)". The greens aren't bad but aren't great, and you can dispose of them without feeling too bad (or save them for soup stock). The root is a crispy, mildly spicy radish. Store loosely wrapped like beets and turnips, but remember they are a little more tender and won't keep as long. I only ever use them in miso soup, but I make it pretty often. They are also fairly tasty raw and as a quick pickle. Try grinding them very fine (think apple sauce texture), mixing in a splash of soy sauce, and serving as a topping for grilled tofu, fish, or vegetables. Another use: shredded with carrots and tossed with a mix of sesame seeds, mild vinegar, and soy sauce.

Spaghetti squash -- This is a slightly tender winter squash. Store it someplace cool and dark. The flesh inside is stringy (thus "spaghetti"), but when roasted and scraped out, it is great topped with pasta-style sauces.

Potatoes and Onions -- Keep them cool and dark, with your winter squash. These should keep most of the winter.

Cut winter squash -- David is hoping that the smaller pieces of winter squash are working for weekly use, particularly with the singles and small families who won't use up a whole hubbard in one fell swoop. It should go right to the fridge, but I find it is keeping there for a couple of weeks if you're careful.

spaghetti squash, hubbard squash, spinach, golden and red delicious apples

top: onions, red potatoes, yukon gold, bell peppers, marisol pepper, black radish
bottom: beets, turnips

daikon, red kale and collards (red kale has red stems, I bundled them accidentally)

Winter - Week 5 (Nov 8/9)

2011-11-08T16:53:00.001-07:00

Another typical fall share. I'm happy to see the salad greens reappearing! I was just starting to buy salad again in the grocery, so the seasons must be telling us it is time for some raw leafy things. Salads are a great way to use thin sliced lemon cukes / kohlrabi / radishes / beets / peppers, or change it up and throw some roasted red onions and potatoes / winter squash on there with hummus and olives.

Some simple side dishes for you:
- fry some apple and kohlrabi slices in butter with a pinch of coriander or some other subtle spice.
- chop 3-4 slices of bacon into bits, fry them, toss halved brussel sprouts into the mix, serve when softish.
- the plums are soft. Halve them, pit them, simmer them gently in a little water and light seasoning (think coriander, nutmeg, or a single clove). Serve as a topping for pork chops, lamb roasts, or rice pudding.

Beets
Bell pepper
Mariachi pepper
Marisol pepper
Anaheim pepper
Poblano pepper
Kohlrabi
Broccoli
Lemon cucumber (soft, but sweet and crunchy inside)
Black radish
Kale (Siberian like last week, I believe)
Brussel sprouts
Banana squash
Mixed greens (wash 'em well)
Macintosh apple
Italian prune
tomatoes

potatoes and onions (they weren't on the list David put in my box, but they were in my box. If you don't see them in yours, apologies... they were a small "guy who handles the blog" bonus)

Meat: lamb roast

Top: Banana squash, potatoes, onions, tomato
Bottom: beets, black radish, plums, Macintosh apples

Top: Broccoli, lemon cukes, bell pepper, brussel sprouts
Bottom: Poblano, Anaheim, Mariachi, Marisol

Salad greens, kohlrabi, kale (Siberian I think)

Boxes

2011-11-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder for everyone: Please remember to bring back your boxes. They're expensive, but very re-usable. Also, labeling new boxes slows down the packing of the shares.

Winter - Week 4 (Nov 1/2)

2011-11-01T15:18:00.002-06:00

I am excited to see more winter squash. They can keep on the countertop or in the cupboard for months. The Hubbard is sweet and dry, with good seeds for roasting and eating. It has a thick skin, meaning it will keep well. The buttercup lends itself to roasting and turning into a soup. Both of these go very well in curried squash soups... cut them, remove the skin and innards, cube them, roast them in oil to make the sweet, mash them a bit, boil them with salt, basil, garbanzo beans, and Thai curry paste in coconut milk, mash it some more, and serve topped with cilantro and seeds (pumpkin or sunflower). Perfect for the current weather.

Anaheim pepper
Bell pepper
Red Pontiac potatoes
Yellow onion
Bok choi
Turnip greens (a little yellow from the frosts, but fine)
Broccoli
Baby turnip
Spinach
Lemon cucumber
Swiss chard
Macintosh apple
Plums (a little wrinkly, but sweet)
Tomatoes
Hubbard squash
Black radish
Red meat radishes
Buttercup squash

MEAT: ground lamb

LtoR: Chard, Macintosh apples, plums, tomatoes, turnip greens

Clockwise starting left: Buttercup, lemon cuke, Hubbard squash
Anaheim peppers, bell pepper, bok choi

LtoR: Spinach, broccoli, baby turnips, black radish, red meat radish

It occurs to me that I put the potatoes and onion away in my potato basket before I got their picture. There were pre-schoolers involved.

TIP: Save your cuttings, such as the leaves from the broccoli, the tops of the radishes, and that one tomato you feel was a bit too squashed to eat. They can be simmered with carrot peels, potato skins, the outer parts of onions, a few cloves of garlic, and herbs, to create tasty stock. I keep a gallon ziploc in the freezer to collect the parts. It is soup season -- you'll use them up quick, and it only takes about 30 minutes of simmering pre-soup-start to get a lot of flavor.

Throw in a couple of carrots and some tofu, and we have a full dinner that uses several of our ingredients. Serve with rice and pickles or a salad.

MISO
dashi soup stock, or vegetable stock (or fish/shrimp/mushroom stock)
1 black radish, peeled, quartered and sliced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, quartered and sliced
1-2 heads bok choi, sliced into ribbons
1/2 block extra firm tofu, cubed
2-6 Tbsp of miso paste

Boil all the veg and tofu together with the stock, until just tender. Turn off heat, stir in miso paste until dissolved, and serve. If it sits at all, be sure to stir before serving -- the miso will settle.

SESAME WINTER SQUASH
1 small winter squash, or 12 thin slices of a larger squash
2-3 Tbsp sesame oil
1-2 Tbsp soy sauce
3-5 Tbsp sesame seeds, split into two halves

Slice the winter squash into rounds or half moons, approximately 1/4-1/2" thick. Toss with oil-soy sauce-sesame seed mixture and place on a cookie sheet. Roast at 375 until pierced easily with a fork and just beginning to brown. Serve, topped with the remaining sesame seeds.

Using Greens and Roots

2011-10-26T10:28:00.000-06:00

First, a few pics and updates to help out. The share included a kale that wasn't mentioned in the list -- Siberian Kale. Great firm leaves that store well and taste great.

On roots and peppers...

Image from Kitazawa Seed Co.

One of our radishes was called a Chinese Red radish, but it isn't red on the outside. It is also called a Watermelon, Red Meat, or Beauty Heart radish. Great in a salad, as a quick pickle, or treated like a turnip (roasted, sauteed, mashed, or stirfried). The peel can be eaten, and apparently the white outer flesh is spicier than the pink inner.

We also have a largish, black skinned radish. It isn't dirty -- just black. These are supposed to have a stronger, peppery flavor. Generally peeled before eating, the size and firmness holds up well to cooking.

(BTW, here is a great reference on radishes)

With the peppers, none of them are very hot. The mirasol (reddish) and mariachi (yellowish) are both fruity, slightly spicy peppers for raw or cooked eating. You'll recognize the poblano from chile relleno, and they're good stuffed or turned into a mole sauce.

On turnips and greens...
Trying to figure out what to do with those turnips and greens? You can eat them by themselves, or you can eat them together. Root vegetables make great accompaniments to their own greens, but they go well with others as well.

For these young turnips, you can eat them sliced with some nice cheese and apples. Snacky dinner.

Or try this:

Roasted roots and greens
2 double-handfuls of cubed turnips, radishes, banana squash (3-4 cups?)
olive oil to coat
1-2 T diced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
spice according to taste (coriander, curry powder, garlic, or chili)
2 double-handfuls of chopped greens (kale, broccoli raab, turnip greens)

Toss the roots and garlic with olive oil and spices. Roast in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes, or until nearly done (depends on how small your cubes are). Mix in the chopped greens, add a little more oil if it is dry, and return to the oven until the greens are tender (5-10 minutes). Serve, maybe with a splash of vinegar.
(This can be made a single dish meal if a can of rinsed garbanzos is added at the start.)

Winter - Week 3 (Oct 25/26)

2011-10-25T13:45:00.004-06:00

Sorry, no pics. I was moving the parts to make a new chicken coop while I had access to a truck. Not a lot new, apart from the varieties of peppers we've received (most about the level of a banana pepper -- not hot) and the banana squash (large and orange, very sweet fleshed winter squash).

raspberries
spinach
tomatoes
San Marzano tomatoes
pears
Italian prunes
Macintosh apples
eggplant
marketmore cucumber
lemon cucumber
poblano pepper (dark green, mildly spicy)
mariachi pepper (light green / yellow, not spicy)
mirasol pepper (mid-green / red, not spicy)
green bell pepper
broccoli raab
bok choi
black radish
Chinese red radish
broccoli
baby turnip
banana squash
kohlrabi

MEAT: ground lamb
-- the beef is out for processing, but there is a couple of week queue

Winter - Week 2 (Oct 18/19)

2011-10-18T16:56:00.001-06:00

Lots of greens this week. Most of them are pretty hardy, so keeping them loosely wrapped in plastic in the bottom of the fridge should be sufficient. The sorrel and spinach will want a little more babying, with some paper towel in the bag with the greens (in the crisper). The radish and turnips can probably be kept loose in the crisper if you remove their green tops first (save for soup stock); both roots are tasty raw with a strong cheese or roasted.

spinach
sorrel
parsley
pears
peaches
plum
tomatoes
broccoli raab
turnip greens
white pattypan squash
black radish
baby turnip
marketmore cucumber
Japanese cucumber
lemon cucumber
green bell pepper
mixed color miniature sweet bell
blue kale
golden raspberries
red raspberries

Meat share: lamb loin roast

raspberries, peaches, pears, tomatoes, plums

sorrel, parsley, spinach

blue kale, turnip greens, broccoli raab

Recipes for sorrel

2011-10-13T23:07:00.002-06:00

Sorrel

The sharp, almost citrusy green is more common abroad, particularly in Northern Africa, Russia, and South Asia. Sometimes called lemon spinach, it adds a bright note to salads and an interesting taste to soups. Below I'll include two different uses for it, but add it anywhere you're trying to make a sour soup. These recipes are equally good with sorrel, arugula, cress, or any sharp tender green.

Creamy Greens Soup
2 cups of flavorful stock (broth from a pork or chicken roast is great)
4 cups of chopped greens (I used equal parts spinach and sorrel)
2 cups cream or milk
salt and pepper to taste

Boil the greens briefly in the stock, until tender. Puree together if you want it really creamy (I didn't bother). Add the cream / milk, warm it a bit, season to taste, and serve.

"Russian" variation -- add a cup of peeled, chopped beets to the boiling stock for 10 minutes before the greens.

Simple Sharp Green Salad
2 cups shredded greens (arugula, sorrel, basil with spinach)
1/2 cup feta or cotija cheese
1-2 cups of chopped tomato
drizzle of olive oil
spices to taste (I like a little red pepper flake or 5-spice)

The feta and tomatoes will bring down the harshness of the greens. Toss this together and eat soon after.

Winter - Week 1 (Oct 11/12)

2011-10-11T16:10:00.001-06:00

The first winter CSA delivery!! We've seen almost all of these items before, but most of you are new members. To get started, I'll give a few basic pointers.

Greens: Wrap them loosely in paper towels, then in a plastic bag, and stick them in the crisper if you have room. Hardier greens (broccoli greens, bok chois, cabbages, kales, chards) can handle being on the bottom shelf that way, but more tender items should get preferential drawer space. If you need something easy to try out the greens, saute a little garlic in olive oil, then toss in a chopped up bunch of [insert green]. If it is bland, add salt and pepper or soy sauce. If it is too bitter, splash with vinegar.

Summer squash: All of these can be eaten as is, skin and all. If in doubt, treat them like a zucchini, but slightly tougher.

Bell Pepper
Japanese cucumber
Marketmore cucumber
Armenian cucumber
Lemon cucumber
white pattypan squash
yellow squash
zephyr squash
black beauty eggplant **
white Swiss chard
turnip greens
bok choi
broccoli raab
brocco-flower
spinach
sorrel
bartlett pear
Oh Henry peach
tomatoes
Italian plum
red raspberries
yellow raspberries

Meat for the week:
ground sirloin (lean, use a little oil if frying)
ground lamb

** They miscounted the number of eggplants picking in the rain. Three boxes were short -- those boxes will get an extra next week.

Sorrel, raab, and turnip greens all have good descriptions in this post.

LtoR: sorrel, bartlett pears, peaches, spinach

LtoR: raspberries, tomatoes, plums, Armenian cuke, lemon cuke

LtoR: white pattypan, yellow squash, Japanese cuke,
marketmore cuke, bell peppers

LtoR: chard, turnip greens, bok choi, broccoflower, broccoli raab

DELAYED -- October 9th Farm Day

2011-10-07T09:07:00.000-06:00

Too much rain and not enough sun between now and Sunday for garlic planting. The Farm Day is being pushed back tentatively to October 16th.

Last Delivery of the Summer

2011-10-07T08:45:00.000-06:00

Today is the last delivery of the summer CSA (well, of the extra week of hazard pay that went to those who made it through the spring). Thank you all for a great season!

I would love to hear any feedback about the usefulness of the blog / FB / email (however you received the news). Please drop me a line with criticisms, suggestions, go-to recipes, or glowing praises at produce@zoegarden.com

The news will continue to flow through this channel with the winter CSA, and we should have signups available for next summer sometime in March (unlike this year).

Week 20 + 1 Lists (the extra week)

2011-10-04T18:33:00.001-06:00

Only a picture of new things this week. Sorry, I'm hungry!

Top: Italian prune, marisol pepper, green bell
Bot: Asian pear, brown Asian pear, red pear

SMALL

raspberries

white pattypan squash

green bell pepper

broccoli

Armenian cucumber

marketmore cucumber

Japanese cucumber

lemon cucumber

marisol pepper

peaches

tomatoes

cantaloupe

Italian prune

red pear

Asian pear

bok choy

spinach

turnip greens

MEDIUM

crookneck squash

straightneck squash

zephyr squash

brown Asian pear

yellow raspberries

young spaghetti squash

LARGE

golden zucchini

green zucchini

green basil

purple basil

sorrel

cherry tomatoes

extra red pears

extra raspberries

extra brown Asian pears

October 9th Farm Day -- Plant some garlic

2011-09-30T12:49:00.002-06:00

David would like to invite people to the farm on Sunday October 9th. He'll be planting garlic bulbs for the spring and would love people to see the farm and help out.

1700 North Fort Lane, Layton, UT

I'm guessing it will be from 10-2.

Week 20 Lists

2011-09-27T16:28:00.001-06:00

Please keep bringing back your boxes. This last week or two, please bring bags to take your produce home in so that you can leave the boxes behind and not risk keeping them through the winter. The boxes are pricey and bump up the price of the shares when they have to be replaced prematurely.

This is the last regular pickup week for the season. Those that weathered the very sparse spring with us (signup before June 22nd - email me if in doubt) will get an extra box next week in thanks for your early patience. Don't forget to sign up for the winter CSA to keep the food flowing. I have to accentuate just how special local seasonal produce is running through the winter. It is incredibly hard to find! I promise you will be missing all these fresh veggies before Thanksgiving rolls around -- guarantee your supply!

Top: white patty, cantaloupe, tomatoes, turnip greens
Mid: broccoli, pears, raspberries, okra, San Marzano tom, arugula
Bot: lemon cuke, nectarine, Marisol pepper, eggplant, Armenian cuke,
marketmore cuke, peaches, plums

SMALL
white patty pan
marketmore cucumber
lemon cucumber
Armenian cucumber
broccoli
nectarines
peaches
plums
spinach
arugula
tomato
San Marzano tomatoes
raspberries
turnip greens
cantaloupe
purple eggplant
okra
Marisol peppers
pears

Raab, golden raspberries, yellow squash, bitter melon,
yellow pattypan (Frankenstein'd with something)

MEDIUM
broccoli raab
yellow squash
bitter melon
golden raspberries
yellow pattypan
extra pears
extra red raspberries

Top: Napa cabbage, Japanese cuke, blackberries, strawberries, red cabbage
Mid: romas, cherry toms, green basil, purple basil
Bot: young spaghetti squash

LARGE
napa cabbage
Japanese cucumber
blackberries
strawberries
green basil
purple basil
purple cabbage
young spaghetti squash
cherry tomatoes
roma tomatoes
extra peaches
extra plums

New this week, we have okra, eggplant, and fresh basil. All pretty straightforward. Maybe place a paper towel in the bags with the basil to keep them fresh. The okra and eggplant would probably benefit from being wrapped loosely in their plastic bags in the crisper.

That eggplant is an Asian variety -- a little skinny for the typical eggplant parmesan, but not impossible. Try it in a stir-fry, tempura battered, or roasted with other vegetables. After cutting them up for cooking, eggplants benefit from a bit of salting before cooking. Salt them, leave them to sit wrapped loosely in a towel or paper towel for 30 minutes, then rinse them before cooking. It will remove the excess moisture and improve texture.

The arugula is a little exotic to most people, but very accessible once you experiment a bit. It is a very sharp, peppery green when raw, but just pleasantly bitter when cooked. In smallish amounts, add it to salad. It is also fantastic wilted by the heat of a meat or 'meaty' topping (tempeh has a nice quality, as does nicely crisped tofu) that is hot from the oven or skillet (think a bed of arugula greens topped by sliced pork roast, potatoes, and olive oil just before heading to the table). This week, I did a quick saute of cottage bacon, onions, garlic, and apples, and put a triple handful of chopped arugula into the skillet as a pot of pasta finished up. Toss it all together and tasty occurs (especially if a little cream finds its way into the mix).

Sign up for Winter Shares

2011-09-27T09:26:00.000-06:00

The end of the summer shares and the beginning of the winter are creeping up on us. If you'd like to be certain of being in the first week of veggies, sign up by Oct 4th. That will give your first payment time to clear and us the time needed to get you on the lists.

That's one week! Prepaid veggies until February!

Apples and no-spray

2011-09-22T11:18:00.000-06:00

David wanted me to mention that the apples have some worm holes in them this week, and that he's aware they aren't as pretty as they could be. There isn't a great deal of information on the timing of organic sprays to deter the bugs, and getting it right in terms of when the bugs are laying eggs is tricky. The apples themselves are still fine, but there are a few worm holes in there. At least you know they're healthy!

Week 19 Lists

2011-09-20T18:44:00.000-06:00

SMALL

Armenian cucumber

White pattypan

Yellow pattypan

Crookneck squash

Peaches

Spinach

Turnip greens

Broccoli rabe (Rapini)

White peach

Arugula

Bartlett pear

Wealthy apple

Stanley prune

Raspberries

Tomatoes

Cantaloupe

Lemon cucumber

Top: Armenian cuke
2nd: crookneck, yellow and white pattypan
3rd: raspberries, white peach, prunes, peach, lemon cuke
Bot: cantalopue, Bartlett pear, Wealthy apple

Top: spinach, tomatoes
Bot: broccoli rabe (jaggedy), turnip greens (round)

MEDIUM

Zephyr squash

Flying saucer squash

Golden raspberries

Marketmore cucumber

Napa cabbage

Nectarines

Straightneck squash

Top: cuke, golden raspberries, nectarines, napa cabbage
Bot: flying saucer, zephyr, straightneck

LARGE

Beets

Doughnut peach

extra Peaches

Green cabbage

Sorrel (lemon spinach)

Young spaghetti squash

Straightneck squash

Golden zucchini

Green zucchini

Strawberries

Blackberries

Cherry tomatoes

Asian pears (nashi, apple pears)

Top: sorrel, cabbage, cherry tomatoes
Mid: young squash, Asian pears, beets, green and golden zuccs
Bot: jalapeno, strawberries, blackberries, doughnut peaches

Notice the 3-year old hand snaking another berry. I had to snap
this pic in a rush because the strawberries were nearly gone and
she was starting on the blackberries. She does this weekly with the fruit.

Broccoli Rabe (aka Rapini, Rape, Broccoli raab)

A close relative of turnip greens, this jaggedy leafed green is very common in Italian cuisine. Mine was missing the telltale florets that look like miniature broccolis, but you might find small yellow flowers on yours. Store it loosely wrapped in plastic in the crisper. It is all edible. The most common dish for it is chopped and sauteed gently with garlic and olive oil for 15 minutes or so. Serve tossed with pasta.

Turnip greens

Treat them as the broccoli rabe and you won't go wrong. Traditionally served boiled with ham or bacon, these can be cooked up any of the ways you've found you liked kale, Chinese broccoli, bok choy, or collards.

Sorrel (aka Lemon spinach, Spinach dock)

This is a strong flavored green, very citrusy and bright. The sourness comes from oxalic acid, the mildly poisonous ingredient that makes rhubarb so sour and sets your teeth on edge when you chew it. (Don't worry, it is only poisonous in large quantities.) It is a fantastic addition to salads, and is often used in soups and sauces. I like tossing some with equal parts spinach, some sliced tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper, and feta cheese (or fresh Mexican cheese like cotija).

Asian pears (aka Nashi, Chinese/Japanese/Korean pear, Apple pear)

These look like small apples (or large brown apples in some varieties), but they taste like crisp, dry pears. Imminently snackable.

Winter subscriptions are active!!

2011-09-19T13:47:00.000-06:00

I wanted to put the link up for the Winter CSA signup through Farmigo. We're good to go with all the details I mentioned before, but now you can register!

http://csa.farmigo.com/join/zoegarden/winter2011

The winter season starts October 11th. Don't miss it! Installment payments are available, and for those that want a bigger share, I noticed it is very easy to sign up for two shares at once.

Week 18 Lists

2011-09-13T17:04:00.001-06:00

I'm sorry, but no pictures tonight. I locked the keys to my car in the trunk after a meeting. It was late when I got dinner and later still when I got back to the car with the spares. The "new" stuff this week would be arugula (we saw it this spring, though), lemon cucumbers (they look sorta like lemons and have great flavor), watermelons, and apples. That's all pretty standard, minus the arugula, which the medium and large share could confuse with their spinach by sight (but never taste).

David says the watermelon is always a gamble on how ripe it is. Other melons are easy to judge, watermelon - not so much. If it turns out to be too ripe, it is still totally edible just a little mealy in the texture. Too green -- try salting it before you eat it, or blend it into smoothies, mixed drinks, or just dropped into a pitcher of water.

Sorry folks, but enjoy these heavy boxes! Also, we'll have signups for the winter share available on Farmigo within the week (if I don't lock my computer in my trunk again).

I've been snacking my way through the cukes and the fruit, but I'm swimming in a sea of cabbage and summer squash. I'll put up instructions for freezing the summer squash (great for slipping into winter soup and pasta sauce) and maybe I'll take a stab at REAL sauerkraut to share with you all. All you need is salt, spice, a big pot, and a rock. I'll wash the rock first, I promise.

SMALL
watermelon
cantaloupe
arugula
peaches
doughnut peaches
plums
tomatoes
raspberries
Armenian cucumber
white pattypan squash
yellow pattypan squash
kohlrabi
lemon cucumber

MEDIUM
golden raspberries
spinach
extra large watermelon
flying saucer squash
Japanese cucumber
young spaghetti squash

LARGE
extra raspberries
blackberries
extra tomatoes
apples (wealthy)
strawberries
cabbage
Napa cabbage
extra large watermelon
long bean

Winter Share Official

2011-09-09T10:13:00.002-06:00

With some feedback from the members, we have the official details on the Winter Shares now. We should have Farmigo set up to accept your applications in about a week. Deliveries will start the week after the summer shares end.

What’s different about a winter CSA? Most farms don’t offer one! You’ll be able to enjoy fresh, seasonal produce grown by a local farmer through most of the winter. Weekly selections will come from the following:

· Pasture raised beef and lamb
· Fall storage crops such as potatoes, onions, beets, a wide variety of winter squash, turnips, cabbage, garlic, shallots, apples, pears, Asian pears, frozen berries and peaches, and fruit and berry preserves

· Fresh vegetables that don’t mind cool weather, such as kale, broccoli, chard, mustard, kohlrabi, mixed salad greens, spinach, brussel sprouts, microgreens, and probably even tomatoes, summer squash, and eggplants (at least through the end of the fall)

The details on the shares:

· Twenty weeks, starting October 11th
· A single size of share, roughly 1/3-1/2 bushel of produce per week
· A vegetarian box at $35/week, or add a couple of pounds of beef and lamb (ground and roast) for an additional $15/week
· Drops on Tuesday in Ogden (Harvest Moon), Salt Lake (Granato's), Holladay (Granato's), AND Wednesday in Park City (Recycle Center)
· Check our blog for more news, and we’ll provide links to the sign up: http://zoesgarden.blogspot.com/
· Email us at produce@zoegarden.com

A couple of recipes

2011-09-07T14:34:00.000-06:00

Here's a recipe that uses kohlrabi AND summer squash that I found on the Straight from the Farm blog. Visit their site -- they have good pictures of filling the empanadas.

Kohlrabi & Squash Empanadas
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 inch of ginger, peeled and grated
2 medium kohlrabies, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 large summer squash, cut into small cubes
2 large scallions, both white and green parts, finely cut
1 radish, minced (optional)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. butter
salt and pepper to taste
dash of freshly grated nutmeg
1 box of pre-made pie crust or one batch homemade*
1 egg

In a medium skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger to brown. Add kohlrabi cubes, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Toss well and cook 3 or 4 minutes until kohlrabi are softening a bit. Add squash cubes and continue to cook for 4 more minutes. Add scallions, radish, nutmeg and another pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well and cook for one minute before removing from heat. Set mixture to this side to cool.

Roll out dough to be a little thinner than pie crust typically is. If you are using pre-made crust from the store, run your rolling pin over it once or twice.   Using a cereal bowl or large circular cookie cutter, cut out 6 inch-ish circles from the dough. It should yield about 15, give or take depending on your cutter and dough thickness.

Pre-heat oven to 425F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.   Prepare egg wash by beating egg with a teaspoon of water and set to the side along with a small bowl of water.

To make the empanadas, spoon one tablespoon of kohlrabi and squash mixture into the center of a circle of dough.   (It’s better to have less filling than too much or the empanadas won’t hold together. Feel out the right ratio that allows you to close off the dough without any filling popping out.)   Dip your finger in the bowl of water and run it around the outside edge of the dough. Fold dough over the filling to create a half circle. Press down edges. Carefully pick up the dough pocket and pinch edges (see photo) to seal them tightly. A fork can also be used to crimp the edges if you want a less tedious method.

Repeat above process to finish all the empanadas, laying them on the lined cookie sheet when done.  With a fork, prick the tops once and brush with egg wash.   Bake for 8 minutes and turn over. Bake another 5 to 7 minutes until deep golden brown and flaky. Best served straight from the oven.

_________________

In case you've been throwing your beets and cabbage into the bottom drawer and forgetting about them, I harvested these from Simply Recipes:

Beet Hummus - you can use up our cucumbers dipping in it

Roasted beets with balsamic and orange zest glaze - side dish

Colcannon - Irish mashed potato and cabbage dish

Italian sausage and cabbage stew - cabbage stew doesn't sound super appetizing, but the recipe sounds pretty tasty

Week 17 Lists

2011-09-06T21:49:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the late post, everyone. Still adjusting to the school year - three kids in three schools!

A couple of items:

Winter CSA - We should get the sign-ups onto Farmigo within two weeks. We're assuming drops at Harvest Moon in Ogden, the Recycling Center in Park City, and the downtown and Holladay Granato's locations.
Peaches and other soft fruit - David heard your complaints about the squashed peaches. There's a certain amount of marking that happens up near the stems where the branch pushes on the peach. He knows they're going into the boxes perfect (he has supervised extensively the last three weeks) and arriving in pretty good shape (that'd be me), but he thinks a combination of being perfectly ripe and subject to free-range cantaloupe rolling around in the box is leading to bruised fruit. He has scavenged for plastic containers to keep them protected and has started picking them just a little greener to help the problem. PLEASE RETURN ANY PLASTIC CONTAINERS TO KEEP COSTS DOWN AND ENSURE FRUIT SURVIVAL! Heck, throw in your extra salad containers, fruit boxes, and lid-less tupperware. Reduce, Reuse, then Recycle.
Raspberries -- Red raspberries grown at elevation and heat (umm, most of Utah) get white patches of sun-spots (called "white drupelets", which sounds silly). They aren't bad, moldy, or unripe. Eat as usual. Also, when they get to be very ripe they shrivel a bit, especially the goldens that are showing up in the shares this week. David said, "They're ugly, I'm not going to deny it." Also fine, just sweeter than usual and very soft. Honestly, mine didn't make it home - they barely made it from the middle school to the preschool this afternoon. Raspberry mold is big and furry -- you can't mistake it. I promise you're not getting moldy raspberries.
Bacon and Eggs -- Zoe's doesn't do pork anymore and can't do eggs at the moment. I'm going to plug another local alternative. Tonight my son made fried rice with Zoe's carrots, leeks, red cabbage, and garlic, and also eggs and a tiny handful of small-batch-cured "cottage bacon" from Clifford Farms. That bacon was amazing, and her eggs are the only ones I'll use to replace my girls' when they aren't laying enough to fill our fridge. They are just down the row (Eastward) from Zoe's at the SLC farmer's market.

top: cantaloupe, cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli, spinach
mid: raspberries, plums, peaches, Old Germans, romas
bot: yellow and white pattypans, stright neck, zephyr, Arm. cuke

SMALL
spinach
yellow pattypan squash
white pattypan squash
zephyr squash
straight neck squash
peaches
plums
Roma tomatoes
Old German tomatoes
Armenian cucumber (actually a muskmelon, eat the skin)
cantaloupe
raspberries
cabbage
broccoli
kohlrabi

top: crookneck, Italian striped, Napa cabbage, bitter melon
bot: flying saucer, beets, golden raspberries

MEDIUM
flying saucer squash
Italian striped zucchini
Napa cabbage
crookneck squash
bitter melon (see last week's post for suggestions)
golden raspberries
beets

top: bok choy, green beans, spaghetti squash
mid: strawberries, long red beans, amaranth, Shiro plums, cherry toms, San Marzano
bot: doughnut peach, blackberries, Caspian pink, White wonder

LARGE
baby bok choy
Blue Lake green beans
young spaghetti squash
red long bean
amaranth
cherry tomatoes
Shiro plums (means "white" or "castle" in Japanese, but these are yellow and not made of stone)
strawberries
San Marzano tomatoes (the famous Italian sauce tomato)
white wonder tomato
Caspian pink tomato
blackberries
doughnut peaches (cutest things EVER)
extra plums
extra peaches

Winter CSA corrected

2011-08-31T13:23:00.002-06:00

Based on early feedback and some internal discussions, we're going to shift the Winter CSA shares to smalls, with a vegetarian and meat eater option. I updated the post below.

Winter CSA

2011-08-31T11:58:00.002-06:00

We have word on the winter shares! This is still up for debate / request, as it doesn't go forward if you the members aren't interested. Please weigh in with what you'd like to see, by email if you're more comfortable with that (produce@zoegarden.com). At the very least, let me know if you're interested so we can plan the planting scale.

Right now, David is considering

Meat -- cold weather means he can deliver a couple of pounds a week without worrying. There will be a vegetarian version for those that don't want meat.
A single size of share, similar in volume and cost to our current Small shares (roughly 1/3-1/2 bushel a week, roughly $35/week). We're still trying to determine costing of meat vs. non-meat.
October through February (roughly 20 weeks) with a weekly drop (locations dependent on interest). There would also be a bonus holiday box (probably at Thanksgiving) with extras of all of your favorite feasty foods like potatoes, onions, salad, winter squash, and pie apples.
It focuses heavily on vegetables that ripen in the fall and store well (winter squash, apples, potatoes), but includes fresh tasty greens and vegetables that can extend into the fall with the use of high tunnels (spinach, tomatoes, salad greens). All told, you're looking at over 30 different vegetables and fruits that could show up each week -- all local and in season! -- without being as dependent on the weather as the spring / summer veggies were.

Here is the projected crop list:

October and November

Meat: Beef and Lamb

Storage crops: potatoes, onion, beets, acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, buttercup squash, turnip, cabbage, garlic, shallots

Fresh veggies: kale, broccoli, Chinese kale, Swiss chard, mustard, tomatoes, broccoli raab, radishes, pears, apples, Asian pears, eggplant, kohlrabi, raspberries, mixed salad greens, spinach, (possibly) summer squash and cucumbers

December, January, and February

Meat: Beef and Lamb

Storage crops: Yukon gold potatoes, red potatoes, onion, beet, sunchoke, acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, turnip, parsnip, rutabaga, carrot, frozen berries and peaches, fruit and berry preserves

Fresh veggies: pear, apple, kohlrabi, brussel sprouts, microgreens, microbasil, spinach

Week 16 Lists

2011-08-30T14:02:00.002-06:00

Top: yellow pattypan, white pattypan, zephyr, straightneck,
broccoli, cucumber
Bottom: raspberries, tomatoes, green beans, peaches

SMALL
yellow pattypan
white pattypan
zephyr squash
straight neck squash
cantaloupe
cucumber
broccoli
raspberries
Blue Lake green beans
Regina peaches
tomatoes

Top: flying saucer, Armenian cuke, young squash, crookneck, beets
Bottom: plums, blackberries, roma tomatoes, kohlrabi

MEDIUM
Armenian cucumber
flying saucer squash
crookneck squash
beets
young spaghetti squash
blackberries
plums
kohlrabi
extra peaches

Swiss chard, Chinese green beans, bitter melon, wheat grass,
baby squash, cherry tomatoes, leek, corn

LARGE
Chinese green beans
Swiss chard
bitter melon*
cherry tomatoes
wheatgrass
baby squash
corn
extra raspberries
extra peaches
extra tomatoes
extra roma tomatoes
extra plums
extra kohlrabi

Bitter Melon
A tropical relative of cucumbers, pumpkins, and luffas (yes, your bath scrubby is named after a melon), this is among the most bitter fruits grown. It is also being increasingly researched for health benefits (it features prominently in the cooking of Okinawa, one of the longer lived Japanese islands). The Chinese like to use it in stir-fries, particularly with pork. In Indian cuisine, it goes with potatoes and yogurt. Strong spices like curry, and sour flavors like yogurt / vinegar, help to cut the bitterness. Honestly, I had this vegetable prepared three or four different ways in Japan, and was never super excited to see it on the plate. But I'll try again!

Armenian Cucumber
This isn't actually a cucumber, but a type of muskmelon. Don't bother peeling it. Eat it like a cuke, for a week if it is one of the bigger ones. Crunchy and sweet.

Week 15 Lists

2011-08-23T15:25:00.001-06:00

Heavy boxes this week! Nothing new that needs a lot of information on storage. I'll follow up tomorrow with some new recipes for the items we've received and some information on a fall/winter share.

top: cantaloupe, green beans, peaches, cabbage
bot: zephyr, sunburst, pattypan, crookneck squash
corn, raspberries

SMALL

White pattypan squash

Sunburst squash

Zephyr squash

Crookneck squash

Cabbage (last until late September)

Corn (done with this)

Peaches

Green beans (done with this)

Cantaloupe (some will be a little green)

Raspberries

Japanese cuke, flying saucer, beets, blackberries, broccoli

MEDIUM

Red beets

Flying saucer squash

Broccoli

Blackberry

Japanese cucumber

top: amaranth, Chinese green beans, wheat grass, baby squash, tomatoes
mid: purslane, candy striped beets
bot: Armenian cukes, kohlrabi, finger squash, mustard, chard

LARGE

Candy strip beets

Wheat grass

Baby squash (seriously, they're babies)

Cherry tomatoes

Chinese green beans

Armenian cucumber

Red amaranth

Mustard greens

Purslane

Kohlrabi

White Swiss chard

Finger squash

extra Raspberries

Cabbage without borders

2011-08-18T21:53:00.001-06:00

Cabbage grows well, stores well, and keeps you well. And I don't think we've seen the last of it. So here a few simple ways to use it up. Please, chime in with more. I've listed each of these as vegetarian, but all of them are good with a pound or so of ground beef added to the skillet first.

Simplest Cabbage
2-4 T butter
1/2 head shredded cabbage
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the cabbage in the butter until tender, season to taste, serve as a side.

South of the Border Cabbage
2-4 T butter or corn oil
1/2 head shredded cabbage
1/2 onion, diced
1-2 sliced jalapenos
a package of your favorite corn tortillas
a package of cotija or queso fresco

Saute the cabbage, jalapenos, and onion in the butter (or oil) until soft. Serve as filling for the tortillas, topped with some cotija or any other variety of fresh Mexican cheese.

East of the Border Cabbage
2-4 T butter or olive oil
1/2 head shredded cabbage
1/2 onion, diced
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
2 T Worchestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 t paprika
1/2 c sour cream

Saute the cabbage and onion in the butter (or oil) until soft. Stir in the tomatoes, spices, and Worchestershire sauce and simmer another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the sour cream, and serve.

Even Further East of the Border Cabbage
(This is actually a dish called yakisoba, a street food famous in Osaka, Japan. I've only had this made with chicken, but pork and tofu are acceptable substitutes. Stir fry bite sized pieces of about a pound of meat or tofu ahead of time if you'd like to use them.)
2-4 T sesame oil
1/2 head shredded cabbage
1 onion, sliced into thin half moons
thumb length chunk of ginger, diced
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
4 scallions, in 1/4" rounds
yakisoba sauce to taste (Asian section as the grocery, or much cheaper at the Asian store, or sub 1/3 c soy sauce, 1/3 c ketchup, 1/8 c rice wine, and 2 T sugar)
about a pound of yakisoba noodles (refrigerated near the tofu at the grocery, or much much cheaper at the Asian market, or substitute soba, lo mein, or ramen without the seasoning packet)

Brown the meat/tofu first. The put the onion, ginger, and carrots into the mix until just beginning to soften. Add the cabbage and season with the yakisoba sauce. Cook about two minutes, until the cabbage begins to soften, then mix in the noodles and stir well. As everything gets coated with the sauce, it will start to caramelize. Stir in the scallions a minute before turning off the heat. Serve.
(You can watch a video of a Japanese lady making it here. What is up with the dog?)

Week 14 recipes

2011-08-16T23:28:00.000-06:00

First off, we'll try to deal with that pile of summer squash you might be staring down.

Ratatouille -- traditionally heavy on the tomatoes and eggplants, both of which are a week or two away for our particular CSA, this is a great way to use up your summer vegetables. I chose the recipe from Cooking for Engineers, because I'm an engineer and the site amuses me. It has lots of pictures! You could follow the recipe exactly, or sub out the eggplant with the softer pattypans, the herbs with microgreens and garlic chives, and cut some of the sweet corn from the cob to add.

Marinated Garden Vegetables -- Adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

1/2 c red wine or rice wine vinegar
2 T salt
herbs to taste (oregano, thyme, Herbs de Provence) - about 2 t
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c olive oil
1 head broccoli, chopped
2 medium squash (yellow, zuccs, or pattypan) cut lengthwise and sliced
2 medium carrots, cut into rounds
handful of green beans, cleaned and cut into 1" lengths
a bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup of good black or kalamata olives
black pepper to taste

Bring herbs, salt, oil, vinegar, and garlic to a boil in about a quart of water. Add broccoli and green beans and boil for about a minute. Then add the squash, carrots, bell pepper, and olives and boil less than a minute more. Turn off the heat and cover. Allow to cool in the pot, and serve at room temperature or cold, with a bit of the liquid plus the black pepper.

Vegetable Pancakes -- These will use up summer squash in a flash, and this great New York Times article (again, Mark Bittman) brings several international flavors to the table. Many of these can use cabbage instead of summer squash.

Tomorrow I'll try to hit beets and cabbage.

Week 14 Lists

2011-08-16T14:57:00.001-06:00

I was swamped tonight -- I dropped by the house during the work day to throw the veg in the fridge and then took off for more events. Pulling it all back out to photograph at 10pm was a little daunting. No pictures, sorry, but there's nothing here this week that isn't self explanatory for what it is or something that I've pictured before. Corn and peaches are the new guys. I am putting a whack of recipes in a second post to help with using a few of these items up, though.

SMALL
garlic chives
Blue Lake green beans
peaches (early red haven)
white pattypan squash
sunburst squash
Italian green zucchini
zephyr squash
yellow squash
sweet corn (!!)
beets
cabbage
broccoli
raspberries

MEDIUM
flying saucer squash
straight neck squash
Mediterranean squash
Chinese green beans
blackberries
extra peaches

LARGE
apricots
micro pea shoots
red cabbage
Chinese broccoli
bok choy (slightly different variety than usual)
micro purple basil
micro green basil
micro wheat grass
extra raspberries
extra blackberries
extra broccoli

Squash suggestions

2011-08-10T11:34:00.000-06:00

From Alissa, member and manager of the CSA.

Squash & Beet Chips
If you have a dehydrator, make beet and squash "chips". They can also be done in your oven if you have an oven that stays at really low temperatures.
http://www.mommypotamus.com/raw-veggie-chip-recipe/

Quick Squash Pizza Sauce (Hiding the veggies so my kids won't pick 'em off):
One of my favorite things to do with my squash is make sweet pizza sauce. I used to go through an elaborate preparation of cooking down fresh tomatoes and pureed squash until all the water was gone. Then I started wanting to eat more raw foods. So now, I just process my squash in the food processor and add a bit of tomato paste. I also used to go through the elaborate process of making my own pizza dough from sprouted grains. Now, I just plop down a sprouted grain tortilla, add the squash/tomato sauce, raw milk cheese and whatever toppings I want. Then I put it in my oven for 5 minutes just until the cheese gets melty. By the way, I also add spinach and other dark leafy greens to the sauce. It's a great way to "hide" all kinds of vegetables : )

Save your squash. You'll be glad you did.
I love to use my food processor to grate my zucchini. Then I divide it into 1 or 2 cup portions and use my FoodSaver to vacuum seal it (any freezer container works well too) - and put it in the freezer. Then all winter long, I have perfectly sized portions for making zucchini breads, muffins, pizza sauce, etc.

Squash Quiche
This is a favorite with my kids too. I chop the squash into tiny pieces and mix them with eggs to make a quiche (with or without crust). I add herbs, garlic, onions, spinach, whatever I have around. And cheese. Then I bake @ 325 degrees until it seems like the center is no longer liquidy. Don't bake too long, or you'll end up with a dry one.

Week 13 Lists

2011-08-09T15:24:00.002-06:00

TOP: white pattypan, sunburst, zephyr, Italian striped
MED: beets, garlic, red cabbage, raspberries, apricots
BOT: spinach, purslane, green beans, radishes

SMALL
white pattypan squash
sunburst pattypan squash
zephyr squash
Italian striped squash
Detroit red beet
garlic
red cabbage
raspberries (Dinkum)
apricots (the last)
spinach
purslane
blue lake green beans
champion radish

straightneck, mediterranean, peach, spaghetti, zephyr

MEDIUM
straightneck squash
mediterranean squash
young spaghetti squash
early peaches
extra zephyr squash

TOP: Chinese mustard, bok choy, amaranth, buttercrunch lettuce
MID: favas, micro basil, pea shoots, wheat grass
BOT: golden zucchini, flying saucer

LARGE
Chinese mustard
baby bok choy
amaranth
Chinese butter crunch lettuce
fava beans
micro purple basil
micro pea shoots
wheat grass
golden zucchini
flying saucer squash
extra raspberries
extra green beans
extra radishes

Purslane
This succulent is generally thought of as a weed, but it is nutritious and purportedly delicious (I've never tried it, sorry!). It is a rare plant relatively high in omega-3s, the healthy fats. Wrap it in a moist paper towel and plastic, and store in the crisper. Eat quickly. Wash and remove the larger stems. It can sub for spinach in most cooked recipes, is added to soups and omelettes, in salads or on sandwiches, stir-fried or pureed.

Using up the squash -- I'm working on making crunchy pickles out of some of the squash. They're relatives of cucumbers, so they can't be too far off. I'll let you know how that turns out. In the meantime, they're gourmet little guys rather than your bog-standard zuccs and yellow squash, so try sauteeing, grilling, and roasting them until they're all gone in September.

Delivery Day At The Farm

2011-08-08T10:39:00.001-06:00

This past Friday I went to the farm to see what a delivery day entails. I went on the least busy day, only 16 boxes, so I wouldn't be in the way or take up too much of David's time on a busy day like Wednesday where there are 50 shares to organize. I thought I'd done well getting there by 8 from Sandy with two small kids, but David and his help had been working since 6.

Although David prefers to pick the day of delivery, there is simply too much to do for everything to be "same day". David has things growing at other sites (apricots, spinach, microgreens) than the packing field, and to have everything picked the morning of and boxes ready to go by 10 am, some squash had been picked the day before and lay ready under burlap.

This made me think that I need to do better trying to use our share right away since so much effort goes into peak freshness. David needed many more items picked after I arrived, including more pattypan, so we went out to the squash field. It was a slow process, walking through such a large space and so many plants looking for squash to have arrived at the ideal size since the day before.

On this quietest of the delivery days David has 3 workers, but on Wednesdays there are 9. The others were back working on sorting, checking the delivery list that is updated weekly, and writing up new boxes for those that they didn't get back from the week before.

Each box is checked 3 times with the list (when laid out, filled, and before leaving) by the time it gets on the van to make sure the right size is going to the right person. Each week I send David an updated list since shares are traded, delivery sites are changed, and new members sign up.

After all the vegetables are gathered, divided and trimmed/cleaned, they are boxed carefully, matching back to the list again.

At the end David took me on a tour, pointing out a few things that will be ready soon, like broccoli, and showed me the different varieties of fruit, some that will fruit early and others later so he can spread out the crop.

David even let us taste some of the early variety peaches and berries that are starting to come on. He's planning a member picking day for the 3rd Friday in August so everyone can have the chance to get their hands dirty and watch food go from farm to plate. Hope to see everyone there. More details to come.

-Helena

Miscellaneous Produce

2011-08-04T22:34:00.000-06:00

Here's a few ideas I put together this week to use up multiple share items at once. Some of them are small helpings, so they work well mixed with other ingredients as opposed to alone.

A pesto/hummus made from fava beans, microgreens (or basil from the farmer's market), scapes, and olive oil.

A super salad made from lettuce, microgreens, sliced kohlrabi, and roasted beets.

Three sisters made from favas, summer squash, and corn (frozen, canned, or from the market scraped off the cob).

A One skillet meal made from cabbage, summer squash, and meat (ground beef or lamb). Easily wrapped in tortillas or served over rice.

A colorful soup made from green beans, leeks, a winter squash or sweet potatoes, and seasoned to taste.

Week 12 Lists

2011-08-02T17:05:00.003-06:00

The huge rain storms that passed through the valley yesterday dumped 2" on the orchard at Zoe's. David says something like half of the remaining apricots fell in the storm, mostly the very ripe ones. So we're not getting 10 lbs of apricots in every share this week as hoped... but we're still getting 6-7 lbs each. They are mostly not quite ripe, which means they're still totally edible, just a little tart. And that the bulk of them will keep for a week or so.

David tried to estimate what he would charge at the market for the shares again this week. I'll keep asking him for these numbers to help you see the value. It is a little dicey -- size varies, and weighing all the veg would take too long. For example, the patty pan squash sells for $2/lb wholesale, David listed it as $1 in the box, but some of them are pushing 2 lbs in size. Grains of salt.

SMALL ($40)
Pattypan squash - $1
Zephyr squash - $1
Zucchini - $1
Fava beans - $3
Carrots - $2
Radishes - $1
Apricots - $18
White pattypan squash - $1
Spinach - $4
Beets - $3
Green beans - $4
Garlic - $1

MEDIUM ($52)
Wild garden kale
Flying saucer squash
Straightneck squash
(extra) pattypan squash
(extra) apricots

LARGE (the microgreens alone put this at $120)
Golden zucchini
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce
Blackberries
Raspberries
Chinese green beans
Microgreen mix
Pea shoots
Micro green basil
Micro purple basil
Cherries
Mustard greens
Amaranth greens
(extra) spinach
(extra) radishes

Apricots, fava beans, radishes, spinach
beets, carrots, garlic

White pattypan, Pattypan, green beans, zephyr, zucchini

Kale, straightneck, flying saucer, lettuce, golden zucchini

Kohlrabi, leeks, berries, Chinese green beans

Microgreen mix, pea shoots, cherries, basil microgreens

Kohlrabi
It looks like a Martian from a Heinlein novel, but the name literally means "cabbage turnip". It is a variant of cabbage, and can be eaten raw or cooked. Treat it largely like a thin skinned broccoli stem and you'll do well. They should keep several days wrapped loosely in plastic in the crisper, though the leafy arms will get a little limp. Peel the body and slice it into salads, munch on it with cheese and crackers, pair it with summer squash in a simple sautee, or dice it into a curry. Apparently, the leaves and bulb together form one of the most commonly eaten dishes in Kashmir.

Other items
Another small helping of fava's this week. Try boiling them in salted water and then topping a salad with them.
Summer squash -- I stuffed several this past week. They make a great boat for carrying a saute of their innards with garlic, ground beef, some cooked millet / rice / couscous, and herbs / greens.

Apricots

2011-08-02T10:48:00.001-06:00

In preparation for the large pile of apricots you're receiving this week, I'm going to post a link to the USU extension publication on preserving apricots. I could gather up lots of different recipes for you, but honestly, the only thing it was missing is freezer jam (see below). I did, however, add my favorite apricot dessert after the freezer jam -- Apricots and mascarpone. Dead easy and looks professional.

http://extension.usu.edu/energyconsumer/files/uploads/Preserving%20apricots.pdf

Freezer Jam
For freezer jam, you're going to need a couple of packages of pectin (CERTO, SureJell, etc). I always have to look around at the grocery, but they're usually on the top shelf in the baking aisle or near Jello products). You will need to follow the directions on the pectin package as opposed to this, as each is different, but your ratios should be something along the lines of the following:

3 cups mashed apricots (roughly 2 lbs)
6 cups of sugar
2 packages of pectin
water to dissolve the pectin, probably less than a cup

To prep the apricots for mashing, you'll want to wash them, peel them, and take out the pits. Dipping them whole into boiling water for a couple of minutes will help the skin slide right off.

Fantastically Fancy Apricot Dessert
This is an elegant dessert option, but takes almost no effort to make when served cold. It can be served raw or quickly baked. You'll want a couple of apricots per person, some mascarpone cheese, some honey, and maybe a dash of cinnamon or powdered ginger. Wash and halve the apricots and arrange on a baking dish with some butter in the bottom to prevent sticking (if you're serving hot) or a serving plate (if uncooked). [If serving hot, baste them with a little warmed honey and bake them at 400 for 10-15 minutes until soft(er) and starting to caramelize.] Put a dollop of mascarpone in the center of each apricot half, drizzle everything lightly with honey, and add a dash of spice if you'd like (or slivered toasted almonds).

Side note: This makes a great pairing with an apricot wheat / hefeweizen beer as a dessert course. It would also go well with a bit of ginger muddled with soda water for those who don't partake.

Getting more bang from your box

2011-07-27T15:22:00.002-06:00

Some of you may be old hands at using vegetables to their fullest in your kitchen. Some of you may not have seen carrot leaves before this season of CSA and farmer's market shopping. I keep finding new ways that I'm underutilizing the veggies that I bring home, and most of what I don't eat is fed to my chickens and turned into eggs! Here is a short list of tips and tactics to get more bang from your box (and for several items you might not have seen yet but that you might have brought home from the market).

* Compost it. If you don't already have a compost bin or don't have room, but you do have a flower or garden patch, try burying your veggie scraps in strips between your plants. Bury a little, then move over six inches and bury the next batch. Your soil will improve.

* Soup stock it. The bottoms of lettuce, peels of carrots, ends of bok choy, wilted but not liquified spinach leaves, outsides of onions, and general leftovers from chopping things up have a lot of flavor and nutrients in them. Save them in a bag in the freezer until you have several big handfuls, then boil them for half an hour or so in water to cover. Strain it, salt it, and freeze it in baggies, and you'll have flavorful stock that beats a bouillon cube any day.

* Drink the broth. Any time you've blanched or steamed a veggie, a significant portion of the nutrients have gone into the water. Drink that as a clear soup, or use it to start a soup stock (see above), so that you're not losing all those healthy bits. At the very least, let it cool and water your houseplants. (This is one of my guiltier items -- I always get lazy and just drain the veggies so I can eat them.)

* Eat the tops. Beet greens are a lot like chard -- be sure to cut them off before storing the beets, and you can simmer, sauté, or turn a soup red. Carrot greens are remarkably tasty and hold up well to all kinds of treatment -- soup additions, mixed into a stir fry, or tempura battered and deep fried. Onion tops are just as edible as leeks and scallions, though they get a little sunburned and thick late in the season.

* Freeze it. Squishy or bruised fruit isn't a pleasure to snack on, but it eats all the same because it is just very ripe. Freeze apricots and berries that arrive too ripe and put them into muffins or smoothies later.

Do you have any tips or ideas? Post them in the comments!

Week 11 Lists

2011-07-26T15:58:00.001-06:00

Boxes are getting heavier! Quick storage notes: greens (including the beet greens) loose in plastic in the crisper, cherries and berries covered in the fridge, and onions-beans-beets to the bottom of the fridge as well. The squash are probably fine on your countertop if you're going to eat them in the next day or two. Some of the apricots probably aren't totally ripe yet, and if they aren't, put them in a paper bag on the countertop. Check them in the morning and evening until they're as soft as you'd like. (Some of the apricots are also slightly bruised from a wind storm at the farm last night. They're fine, but eat them first.)

I listed the retail values for the small share veggies that David charges at the farmer's market, and we estimated them as best we could by weight. All told, retail, the small box this week is worth $60 at full value.

SMALL

Wild Garden Kale ($4)

Apricots (4-5 lbs at $3/lb = ~$12)

Cherries ($3 for the half pound)

Spring Onions (~$4 worth)

Chocolate Mint ($3)

Blue Lake Green Beans ($5 for the pound)

The green beans might have been left out... I'm checking.

Fava Beans ($8 for the pound)

Sunburst Squash

Italian Zucchini

Zephyr Squash

Straight Neck Squash

(5 lb squash @ $2/lb for cheapest = $10)

Red Detroit Beet ($3 for the 3/4 pound)

Garlic ($3)

Spinach ($5)

MEDIUM

Red Russian Kale

Red Amaranth

Flying Saucer Squash

Red Romaine Lettuce

Micro Pea Shoots

LARGE

Raspberries

Microgreen Mix

Micro Chervil

Crookneck Squash

Straight Neck Squash

Golden Zucchini

Black Beauty Zucchini

Great Lake Lettuce

Red Sail Lettuce

Strawberries

Extra Apricots

Zephyr squash (two different colorations), fava, onion,
garlic, beets, Italian zucc, sunburst, straight neck squash

Spinach, chocolate mint, apricots, cherries, wild kale

Red Russian kale, pea shoots, flying saucer squash,
amaranth, red romaine lettuce

tops: micro chervil, microgreen mix, raspberries, strawberries
bottom: red sail lettuce, black beauty, yellow zucc,
crook neck (or straight neck - I'm not sure), great lake lettuce

Fava Beans

Fava beans are meant to be eaten very young. Remove the beans from their shells and then fry or boil them, mash them and serve them on toasted bread, or sautee them with shrimp and peas.

Seasonally adjusted share

2011-07-25T16:32:00.000-06:00

I'm drawn to the "this time last year" links that show up in most regular blogs / news aggregators. Each growing season is different, but I thought I would bring you all a "(seasonally adjusted) this time last year" to see where we are and where we're going.

With that, we're someplace around here, which is a few weeks earlier than now last year. You can replace the cherries with apricots and know that the tomatoes, summer squash, and cucumbers are a week away, and keep browsing through the weeks from that point on to get a good preview of the next month or so.

Winter shares

2011-07-22T18:08:00.000-06:00

David wanted me to pass along some things he's working on up at the farm. He's putting up more high tunnels that will help him to extend the season into the winter (possibly into early January). He's thinking he'll be able to offer a winter CSA of things like root vegetables, salad greens, skillet greens like kale, and winter squash. He's working on the vegetable lists and pricing.

High tunnels also give him the ability to start the season even earlier next year, and to get the warm season vegetables rolling in safety from the weather.

Keep returning your clamshells and boxes!

Week 10 Lists

2011-07-19T16:06:00.002-06:00

Week 10 -- not quite halfway through the season. And the new additions for the week are pointing us towards the full summer produce. The spinach, scapes, and lettuces are on the way out as they all start to bolt in the heat. In come the first of the zucchini, stone fruit (cherries this week), green beans, summer squash, and beets.

Before we get rolling, I wanted to mention how the farm manages the harvests so that we are all on the same page for what we're seeing in our boxes vs. what we might see on the table at the market. On Monday morning, David goes to the fields and orchards and tries to estimate what will be ripe enough and plentiful enough through the week for the CSA boxes. Will the romaine lettuce have enough heads to supply the roughly 100 small shares on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday? What about the rhubarb -- is there only enough for the handful of large shares? It gets too complicated to manage things in separate weeks, giving it to Wednesday and Friday this week and remembering that Monday needs it next. And anything that doesn't make the cut at the start of the week but is coming up ripe towards the end of the week needs to be harvested regardless. That is why you'll see things on the table at the farmer's market that just didn't make it into the share during the week. Chances are more than good that you'll be seeing it come the next week.

It is also worth noting that produce like fruit orchards are drastically affected by very localized weather and microclimates. One side of a valley can get a one-night frost that kills all the cherry blossoms where the other side gets a full crop. A hail storm can pass over a mile wide swath just as the green apricots are starting to grow. Some summers are luckier than others, and some farms are large enough that when they lose a cherry harvest in one orchard, the others can pick up the slack.

Every farm grows (or grows and trades for) a different mix of vegetables, each in their own microclimate.

SMALL
garlic scapes (last week)
red romaine
green romaine
deer tongue lettuce
spring onion
zucchini
strawberries
oregano
spinach
garlic (fresh heads, can be dried)
cherries

MEDIUM
blue kale
amaranth
microgreens
sugar snap peas

LARGE
yellow snow peas
micro chervil
microgreens
green beans
golden squash (either yellow zucc or crookneck, depending)
baby bok choy
young spaghetti squash
beets
iceberg lettuce
extra cherries

COMING IN THE NEXT THREE WEEKS
cucumbers
tomatoes
lots of peaches
apricots
loads more summer squash

Garlic
These heads of garlic are more mature than the young items we've received so far. If you're going to eat them right away, wash them, peel off the outermost layer, and stick them in the fridge. Peel and use as normal garlic. If you'd like, you can hang them in a warm window or a shaded porch to dry. They'll form the usual papery skin and will store for several months.

Scapes and Lettuce
This is the end of the scapes and the lettuce. The lettuce is bolting at younger and younger ages, meaning it starts to go to see. As soon as it grows seed stalks, the leaves get bitter and tough. Lettuce is a cooler weather crop. There might be a little come the late fall -- especially if David launches the winter CSA as planned.

Cherries
I would tell you what to do with the cherries, but I defy you to keep them around longer than it takes you to store the rest of your veg. If they are still there after that, put them in loose plastic as they came in the fridge -- no special treatment needed.

Beets
(I can't resist... Woot! Beets mean summer!) Only in the large share this week, but everyone should be seeing them soon - they grow really well in Utah (Sugarhouse is named for sugar beet production, afterall). Cut off the tops, put the greens in loose plastic in the crisper and the beets themselves loose into the crisper. The greens are fantastic treated like chard -- sauteed in garlic and olive oil. The roots are great wrapped in foil and roasted until tender OR shredded raw over a salad (or as a salad with shredded carrots).

Green Beans
Store them as delivered in the bottom of your fridge until you're ready to use them. Recipes for green beans are ubiquitous, but I'll try to find a few that go well with the squeaky fresh version (as opposed to canned).

Week 9 Lists

2011-07-12T17:31:00.001-06:00

Week #9 -- quite a bit of the same this week, as usual, with some new things for variety. I'm happy to see things that hold up a little better in the fridge from week to week. Those delicate spring items were hard to use up some weeks before they wilted.... things are getting sturdier, though.

top: great lake lettuce, strawberries/microgreens, spinach
middle: snap peas (fatter), onion, Enlish peas (skinnier)
bottom: shallot scapes, garlic scapes

SMALL

spinach

garlic scapes

shallot scapes

spring onion

sugarsnap peas

great lake lettuce

strawberries

microgreen mix

English peas

top: buttercrunch lettuce, radishes, bean sprouts/microgreens/
edible flowers, green amaranth
middle: romaine, young squash, blue kale
bottom: endive

MED

small +

buttercrunch lettuce

blue kale

LARGE

medium +

young spaghetti squash

endive

romaine

green bean sprouts

micro purple basil

radishes

green amaranth

extra microgreen mix

Spring Onion

The spring onion is basically just a young, 'uncured' field onion. The outside hasn't been dried out like onions from the grocery. Store it in the refrigerator, probably in the crisper drawer.

Endive

A member of the chicory family and a relative of frisee and radicchio, I think this variety of endive is also called escarole. Please correct me if you're more sure of the answer! Endive is a bitter green, very usable as a salad green or suitable for sauteeing and adding to soups. Store it loosely in plastic, preferably in the crisper drawer, much like the lettuces we've been receiving, but it should hold up a little better. Braising might be best for one this size. Add chopped endive to some hot oil in a skillet. Brown lightly (maybe 10 minutes), then add a little vegetable stock, salt, and pepper to taste. Simmer until tender and the liquid is absorbed. Top with vinegar and croutons.

What are we missing?

2011-07-07T16:08:00.000-06:00

I think it is time to check in with everyone who reads the blog for their share information. We're about a third of the way through the season and we're getting ready to change over into the summertime vegetables. What do you, as members, need more or less of in terms of information?

Do you need more recipes that try to use several ingredients at once?
Do you need more recipes for a particular veg?
Do you need more cookbook / website reviews?
Do you need more general use tips?
Do you need _________ ?

Email me at produce@zoegarden.com or leave a comment. Please!

Week 8 Lists

2011-07-05T15:39:00.002-06:00

This week is a lot like the last, with a few more peas and strawberries. In the next couple of weeks, we can expect mulberries, then raspberries, zucchini, and cucumbers.

Top, LtoR: yellow snow peas, snap peas, shungiku,
english peas, great lake lettuce
Bottom, LtoR: onion scape, microgreens, strawberries,
garlic scapes, Chinese broccoli, spinach

SMALL
strawberries
microgreens
spinach
shallot scapes
garlic scapes
sugar snap peas
yellow snow peas
shungiku
great lake lettuce
English peas
Chinese broccoli

spring onion, rhubarb, Chinese butter lettuce

MEDIUM
spring onion
rhubarb
Chinese butter lettuce
extra spinach

very top: romaine lettuce
top: bean sprouts, young squash, basil micros, yu-choi
bot: amaranth, red sail lettuce, Chinese snow broccoli,
mixed salad greens

LARGE
red sail lettuce
romaine lettuce
red amaranth
bean sprouts
salad mix
micro basil (purple & green)
Chinese snow broccoli
yu choi
young squash (actually spaghetti, but treat like zucchini)
extra spinach
extra microgreens
extra strawberries
extra sugar snap peas
extra English peas

New this week are the English peas and the young squash. Both are pretty straightforward.

English Peas
A variety of garden pea, the pods of these guys are inedible. Store them loosely in the plastic bag in the fridge. Crack them open and 'shell' the peas to get access to those green globes of ultimate garden fresh flavor. It takes a lot of pods to get an appreciable pile of peas, so unless you live alone, you won't be serving these alone as a side dish. They can be eaten raw or lightly blanched. A few ideas for small numbers of peas: a salad garnish; blanched and mashed with mint and parmesan; added to a mashed potato dish; added to a pureed soup for color and nutrition. The surprising pairing that shows up over and over for fresh peas is fresh mint, and I have to vouch for its bright flavor and fresh taste.

Young Squash
This is actually a green spaghetti squash. David's family likes them young, so he put them in the shares. He says to use it much like a zucchini, but that it has a slightly sweeter flavor.

of Rhubarb and Cookbooks

2011-07-01T11:37:00.000-06:00

A go-to cookbook is a must-have as the CSA season progresses. My personal go-to manual of all things cookery is Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. He wrote a How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, as well, which expands on the original with a more varied veggie selection. His books cover basic (and advanced) cooking techniques, go through a large list of vegetables one by one with handling and suggestions, and focus on simple but tasty meals (he wrote the Minimalist column for the NYTimes for many years). These books took me from cooking only a few comfort meals I learned growing up to fearing no food and being able to make something out of very few ingredients on the fly.

With that, I'll present a version of one of his recipes (for Dal, and Indian dish focused on lentils) adapted for what we have in our shares this week.

Red Lentils with Rhubarb and Indian Spices
1c dried red lentils, washed
2 or 3 stalks rhubarb, strings removed, chopped
2T minced peeled fresh ginger
3 young garlic, minced
1 spring onion, diced
4 cardamom pods
1T mustard seeds
2 cloves
(you could replace the cardamom, mustard seeds, & cloves with your favorite curry or masala paste / mix)
1t cracked black pepper
1 mild dried chile
salt
2T cold butter or peanut oil
microgreens for garnish

1. Combine the lentils, rhubarb, ginger, garlic, onion, cardamom, mustard seeds, cloves, pepper, and chile in a saucepan and add water to cover by about 1 inch. Simmer until the lentils are soft, adding salt to taste towards the end.
2. Remove the cloves and the cardamom pods. Stir in the butter or oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish with microgreens and serve. (Also tasty with a bit of yogurt dolloped on top)

Not Pie

2011-06-30T22:48:00.002-06:00

I was pretty disappointed at the Member Farm Day when David said the rhubarb went to seed to early thinking we wouldn't get any, so the two stalks in this week's share were a happy surprise. Just enough to make this unique pound cake, which uses cornmeal. The recipe is written for strawberries, but works perfectly with rhubarb. I assume everyone else has no strawberries left by the time the box gets home.

Strawberry/Rhubarb Pound Cake

Week 7 Lists

2011-06-28T15:15:00.003-06:00

Apart from the snap peas and rhubarb, nothing new this week that we haven't seen already. There's more of stuff, though, so those small shares are looking happier. Also, I'm excited for our new additions. Our snap peas barely made it through the pictures before my kids spotted them and they were inhaled, so don't hesitate to pull off the string and crunch away. Grab them by the flower end, snap near the tip, and pull away the string. Sweet, crunchy, and ready for dipping in some hummus.

I, for one, have lettuce coming out of my ears. Luckily it is holding up well, but I need to eat more salads. Maybe sliced snap peas and microgreens will entice me to make a different salad than usual, but I've had difficulty persuading myself to buy tomatoes or cukes in the store.... I know they'll be so much tastier if I can wait for them to get ripe here in Utah. I'll do us all a favor and find a few non-standard salad recipes so we can branch out.

Top, LtoR: spinach, blue kale
Middle: onion, shallot scape, red sail lettuce, rhubarb, garlic scape
Bottom: yellow snap pea, microgreens / strawberries, snap peas

SMALL
Yellow snap peas
Snap peas
Microgreen mix
Strawberries
Rhubarb (the first and last of it, sorry)
Spring onion
Garlic scapes
Shallot scapes
Red sail lettuce
Spinach
Blue kale

LtoR: shungiku, Chinese broccoli, Swiss chard, snow broccoli

MEDIUM
Chinese snow broccoli
Chinese broccoli
Swiss chard
Shungiku

Top, LtoR: great lake lettuce, microgreens, snap peas, salad mix
Middle: small bok choy, garlic chives, amaranth, asparagus, yu choi
Bottom: short baby bok choy, romaine lettuce

LARGE
Salad mix
Short baby bok choy
Small bok choy
Yu choi
Romaine
Amaranth
Garlic chives
Asparagus
Great lake lettuce
extra Snap peas
extra Microgreen mix

Rhubarb
Rhubarb looks like red celery and is most commonly thought of in combination with strawberries. Very tart when raw, it is generally cooked to reduce the tartness. You can make a tasty jam with other dried fruits, an applesauce type concoction for eating right away, stewed rhubarb as a topping for ice cream, or strawberry-rhubarb pie. To make a strawberry - rhubarb pie filling, you'll need more strawberries than we received this week, a couple of cups at least. This site has lots of great pictures. I'll try to get a couple more recipes by week's end if you're not into pies.

10-minute soup

2011-06-23T12:52:00.000-06:00

I spontaneously found a way to use up several of our odder ingredients at once last night, in a way that pleasantly accentuates their flavors. The shungiku and amaranth greens really shine through in something this simple. This was partly dependent on ingredients I keep in my cupboard, namely Udon noodles (a thick Japanese noodle, but you could sub egg noodles) and Tsuyu soup base (a starter broth for Japanese noodle soups, called hontsuyu or mentsuyu - basically soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar -- you could sub any chicken, fish, or vegetable stock with comparable results). And I realize this is a warm dish in our warm weather, but it was perfect yesterday when I came in from cutting grass and was sitting near the swamp cooler.

10-minute soup
about 5 cups water or stock
3-4 tablespoons soup base
two shallot scapes, chopped
one handful shungiku greens, chopped
one handful amaranth greens, chopped
two bundles udon noodles
white (or black) pepper to garnish

Start the water to boil and add your stock flavoring. As it heats, throw in the scapes and greens. About the time it comes to a boil, add the noodles. Udon cook quickly (<5 minutes) so you won't have to wait long. Turn off heat, serve, and sprinkle with white pepper.

Small shares and Meat

2011-06-22T15:29:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,

Two quick updates.

Not so Plump Produce
For those who are thinking that the shares are a little thin this week and last, you're right. Funny weather left the crops not too productive in this gap of time. Everything is growing, though, and you'll find your boxes plumping back up. And the season started so early this year that David will be providing an extra week at the end of the season for no charge. He'll have produce coming out of his ears with the end of the market season, and you'll reap the benefit and receive your "fair share" to make up for these lean weeks.

Meat
The animals David sent out for slaughter last week are being portioned out now. We're looking at lamb (ground, leg, loin roast, and stew meat) and beef (ground chuck, ground sirloin, and ground round). David is wanting to deliver it to members next week, but cannot leave it at the drop site as he just doesn't trust it to stay frozen. You'll need to meet him there when he is delivering (between 12:00 and 3:00, depending on your location), and he's trying to arrange it so he stays at each drop site for half an hour to an hour to facilitate pickup by members. I will put up a detailed price list and pickup window times for you for each drop site later this week, and you'll just need to email me by around noon the day before your pickup with your selections.

Week 6 Lists

2011-06-21T19:19:00.001-06:00

Hey all,

I've been swamped the early part of the day, but I want to get the lists up first so you know what you have in your share. Pictures to follow as soon as I can unpack my box.

SMALL
spinach
oregano
young garlic
shallot scape
garlic scape
asparagus
great lake lettuce
baby leeks
basil microgreens
strawberries (just a couple, they just started to ripen)
green bean sprouts

MEDIUM
small +
red sail lettuce
red amaranth
Chinese snow broccoli
shungiku

LARGE
medium +
green romaine
swiss chard
green amaranth
watercress
baby spinach
wheat grass
purple basil microgreens
purple radish microgreens
baby bok choy
baby yu choi

Top left moving clockwise: spinach, great lake lettuce, oregano,
asparagus, box of strawberries, bean sprouts, and basil micros

LtoR: young garlic, shallot scape, garlic scape (has leaves),
and leeks

top: red sail lettuce
bottom: shungiku, red amaranth, Chinese snow broccoli

top: romaine, wheat grass / microgreens, bok choy, baby spinach
bottom: yu choi, watercress, swiss chard, green amaranth

Leeks
These are mild relatives of onions, and I'm guessing most of you are familiar with them. Great with potatoes, or in sunchoke soup (sorry, I couldn't resist).

Watercress
These are the new green with tiny flowers on them (at least in my batch -- it was how I could tell them from the Yu choi and the green amaranth). They are peppery relatives of the mustards, and really pep up a salad in small doses. Also good as a bed for grilled meats and seared scallops, where the heat of the juices can slightly wilt the greens.

Yu choi
Apparently this is the young leaves and stalks of rapeseed, better known in this hemisphere as Canola. Treat as you have the Chinese broccoli and mustard greens, as the flavor and preparation are pretty close. David told me that the stalks are tastier than the leaves and that he likes them lightly blanched with a sprinkle of salt.

Other suggestions:
You've got a passle of young garlic, and that is a great start to some pesto. I'll get a recipe up in a day or so for several variations that will store well. If you're already a pesto pro, try a little variation -- watercress pesto, or a milder spinach pesto. If you're a fan of oniony flavors, a scape and garlic pesto is a simple topping for any pasta.

Week 5 Lists

2011-06-14T16:50:00.002-06:00

Edible flowers!

Here we go. Another fantastic week of produce, and we're seeing a warmer weather evolution. Also, no more chokes, so quite a few of you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Top moving clockwise: spinach, young garlic, shallot scape,
asparagus, baby bok choy, great lake lettuce
Center: mung bean sprouts and edible flowers

SMALL
baby bok choy
great lake lettuce
young garlic
shallot scapes
bloomsdale spinach
asparagus
edible flowers (viola)
mung bean sprouts

Top: romaine lettuce, red sail lettuce
Bottom: red mustard, chinese snow broccoli, green mustard

MEDIUM
small +
green mustard
red mustard
chinese snow broccoli
extra asparagus
red sail lettuce
(+ romaine lettuce for the Tuesday drops that missed it last week)

Clockwise from top right: blue kale, chinese broccoli,
purple asparagus, bi-color amaranth, chinese butter crunch lettuce

LARGE
medium +
romaine lettuce
chinese butter crunch lettuce
amaranth greens - bicolor
pea shoots
purple asparagus
chinese broccoli
chinese mustard greens (not pictured, smaller)
mustard microgreens
bok choy microgreens
celery microgreens
blue kale
extra spinach

Microgreens, clockwise from top: pea shoots, red mustard,
celery, green mustard

Edible Flowers
This particular type of flower is a viola. Flowers add a sometimes spicy and delicate topping to a salad or dessert.

Overall, nothing new for storage or suggestions. Treat the greens as you have been and enjoy the more delicate ones now while they are still in season. We've been eating a lot of salads. If you find yourself inundated with lettuce, you can always sautee it quickly in butter for a change or turn it into a light soup. And while sometimes you feel flooded with a certain veg, at other times the portions feel too tiny to make up a dish. I've also been collecting the small bunches of hardier greens (mustards, kales), saving them up to make something worth throwing together with a ham hock and some black eyed peas for my largish family.

Enjoy!

More Than Flowers

2011-06-12T22:32:00.003-06:00

The great thing about subscribing to Zoe's is the immense variety, influenced from all over the world, we see when we open our share boxes. I also love learning what other parts of the plants are edible. Last year's bountiful onion scapes proved to be my favorite. Shungiku (Chrisanthemum leaves) were included in this last week's large share. Sometimes finding uses for unfamiliar ingredients may seem daunting, but the internet is a great resource.

While Chrysanthemum flowers are used mostly in Asia for tea, the leaves are often added to a soup at the last minute (as they will turn bitter with too much cooking) and smaller, more tender leaves tossed in salads. Treat them as you would spinach. A simple weeknight meal of chicken soup can be made with a store bought chicken or leftovers from a weekend roast chicken. Adding ginger, soy sauce, and Shungiku changes up the common favorite.

Roast Chicken Noodle Soup with Chrysanthemum

I have several Korean cook books, one truly authentic one that use Shungiku on almost every page, again, in soups. If you're adventurous, give the following recipe a try, not forgetting to add the Shungiku and bean sprouts from your share at the end.

Kimchi Stew

Another use is to add at the end to a stir fry or chop suey, served over rice or noodles.

Basic Chop Suey

As a unique appetizer, leaves can be tempura battered and fried as is done in Japan.

Hope you enjoy cooking with them and let us know how things turn out.

SLC Farmer's Market starts this weekend

2011-06-09T12:59:00.000-06:00

The Salt Lake Farmer's Market kicks off Saturday, June 11th. Stop by the Zoe's Garden booth, meet David and his wife Jen (and their kids), give him some feedback on the veggies you've received so far and what you'd like to see more of, and maybe even pick up some more of whatever you ate the day you got your boxes.

A little side note: when you're stopping by the booth, David has historically given members a discount and will often throw something into your basket that didn't make it into the shares that week, so don't forget to mention that.

If your sunchokes sprout...

2011-06-09T11:24:00.000-06:00

...plant flowers!

I've been told by the folks in the know that our sunchokes, if planted in the ground, will grow into flowers very much like Black Eyed Susans by the fall. So if you're just not a fan, or don't get to them before they start to sprout in the fridge, you can turn gourmet vegetables into very attractive flowers for your dining table.

Sunchoke overload

2011-06-08T14:09:00.001-06:00

One of the vagaries of CSA membership is the overload of some vegetables coupled with the complete lack of others due to crop loss or uncooperative weather. We agree to support the farmer through those ups and downs in return for some really great produce. But occasionally, enough is enough. I believe a few of you are feeling this way about the sunchokes. I can assure you, the two CSA managers have fridge-fulls ourselves. Even sharing them with friends, I have a couple of bags waiting to be used. I don't want them every night or even twice a week for dinner... so they languish. Luckily, they aren't going bad, and options remain for using them up.

Here is a simple (and not terribly heavy) sunchoke and leek soup I found. I made one very similar, but instead of leeks I added Chinese broccoli. This would be great with kale (coming in a week or two).

http://www.laughingduckgardens.com/ldblog.php/2009/02/14/cream-those-sunchokes/

A vegetarian friend of mine, gifted with sunchokes by me and doubly gifted with abilities to improvise recipes, made a fantastic and simple hash-brown sort of recipe from scratch last week.

Skillet Sunchokes
a pound or so of sunchokes
2-4 Tbsp oil (olive, or if you have it, sunflower)
herbs and spices to taste (I think she used salt, pepper, and thyme)
1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds

Clean the chokes well. Slice them into thumb-sized chunks. Throw them into the heated oil in the skillet, stirring to prevent sticking and spicing to taste. When they're soft and getting crispy on the edges, add the sunflower seeds and cook another 3-4 minutes. Serve with salad.

Variations -- add some diced onion, peppers, and garlic to the mix before the sunchokes make it to the pan.

Week 4 Lists

2011-06-07T16:44:00.003-06:00

The extended cool weather has David cursing what he can supply to the members this week... it is just a little bit smaller than last week because a lot of the "cut and come again" greens are only just now starting to resprout as the weather warms. This is part of the vagaries of a CSA, but I promise there will be weeks when the boxes are too full for you to remember the early weeks.

Top: Red Sail lettuce, spinach
Middle: bean sprouts, wheat grass, microgreen mix, snow broccoli
asparagus, onion scapes, young garlic, Champion radish
Bottom: sunchokes, spearmint, Hail Stone radish

SMALL
asparagus
young garlic
champion radish
hail stone radish
spearmint
red & white sunchokes
spinach
red sail lettuce
mung bean sprouts
wheat grass
microgreen mix
onion scapes
Chinese snow broccoli

MEDIUM
great lake lettuce
***romaine lettuce

L to R: shungiku, amaranth, red mustard, green mustard

L to R: purple basil microgreens, sunflower microgreens,
goji berry leaves, romaine lettuce, Great Lake lettuce

LARGE
shungiku
amaranth greens
red mustard
green mustard
romaine lettuce
goji berry greens
purple microbasil
microsunflower greens
extra wheat grass
extra spinach

*** (This was not picked in time for Tuesday's boxes, but will be in Wednesday and Friday's. Tuesday people will see an extra romaine lettuce next week. David apologizes! And I'm going to apologize to the medium shares for the rather small "extra" offerings in the last two weeks, but I promise, the fruit later in the season will make up for it.)

Goji Berry Greens
The leaves of the goji (more commonly known for the berries of the same name that purported amazing health-promoting properties in teas, chinese medicince, and energy bars a few years back) are edible raw or cooked. They also go by the name Matrimony Vine, Wolfberry, and Duke of Argyll's Tea Tree. They carry a lot of the same vitamins and minerals as the berries, and are used to make medicinal teas in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Add them to egg drop soup, simple broths, or salads.

Spearmint
Garnish refreshing drinks, dry and save, make mojitos, steep to make tea, chop and top pork chops.

Please return boxes!

2011-06-07T12:41:00.000-06:00

I'm hoping this will catch a few of your pre-pickup. Please please please remember to return your boxes! More than half of the Friday drops forgot to return boxes last week. The boxes are great because they're so sturdy, but that also makes them expensive.

And as long as you're returning boxes, please return the clamshells from the microgreens. Those are very much reusable and also quite expensive.

More Meat

2011-06-07T10:36:00.000-06:00

A very fast update on the meat before today's pickup postings begin:

David is concerned with frozen meat at the drop sites and extended amounts of time in the summer heat. In the spring, it was less worrisome, but right now and going forward, that is just asking for problems. At the moment, we're considering the best option to be member pricing on the meat at the farmer's market, where David can keep it in a cooler and control the storage. For larger volumes or pickups, we can arrange it ahead of time. We're working on options for the Park City and Ogden neighborhood folks. Thanks for all of your interest and responses!

Fastest soup in the West --- from the East

2011-06-02T12:29:00.000-06:00

From the kitchen of Alissa, our illustrious CSA manager, comes a fast and easy way to use up your greens.

Miso Soup with Greens and shaved Meat

You can use any kind of miso, any kind of greens, and any kind of meat (or no meat)

I chose to use:

- Dandelion Leek Miso from South River Miso (you can order online) OR pick up any miso paste you like at the store

- baby bok choy, chinese broccoli, shungiku, mizuna

- I added ginger, but you don't need to. I added chopped garlic and onion scapes the other day I made it. They're good too. I was just lazy today.

- Shaved ground chunk (from Zoe's Garden of course ; )

1) Take meat out of freezer

1) Boil Water in a tea kettle (I like to stop it just before boiling)

2) As water is heating, chop greens & put them in your soup bowl(s)

3) Add miso to the soup bowl(s) (follow recommendations on package as to how much)

4) Use a really sharp knife to shave really thin slices of the frozen meat. Set aside.

5) Pour hot (just before boiling) water in your bowl & mix until miso is dissolved

6) Add meat (the hot water will cook it)

7) Eat

Yum!

Week 3 Lists

2011-05-31T16:45:00.002-06:00

I will update this later with a picture guide, but I thought people might appreciate a listing of the shares earlier in the evening. I believe that we've seen all of these items in the past, except for some lettuce.

SMALL
young garlic
green asparagus
onion scapes
onion chives
spinach
easter egg radishes
great lake lettuce
microgreen mix
mung bean sprouts
wheat grass
red sunchokes

MEDIUM
small +
Chinese snow broccoli
shungiku
red sail lettuce

LARGE
medium +
Chinese broccoli
baby bok choy
baby spinach
romaine lettuce

white sunchokes

micro-basil

extra spinach

extra radishes
extra wheat grass

I don't see anything to describe as new, except the lettuce. I suspect that if you don't know what to do with lettuce though, you're probably not receiving a share of produce from a farm!

David thinks that next week will be the last on the sunchokes. I know we've had some reports of, um, discomfort with the chokes. My best advice is try them again in smaller quantities -- we responded better the second and third time we ate them. If it was just too much, befriend a vegetarian or an adventurous diabetic -- both should appreciate the gift. Next week might also be the last of the young garlic... they're getting ready to get really tough in the warmer weather. There might be a couple of pounds all at once, so you'll want to prepare yourself for making a pesto that you can freeze. More on that next week.

UPDATE:

Small Share

Medium Share (the difference will become more
pronounced when the fruit comes into season)

Large Share

Great Lake, Red Sail, and Romaine lettuces

Checking in

2011-05-27T12:40:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone is getting a handle on the shares. As a way to help me help you, what sorts of things are people needing? Are you flooded with greens? Are you struggling with all the produce when you arrive home? Are things going bad faster than you can eat them? Is anything stumping you with recipe ideas?

Chime in! If I can't help, someone in the community can. Hopefully this will help steer the information I'm giving you.

Using up your greens

2011-05-26T10:52:00.000-06:00

The spring boxes contain A LOT of green stuff. This is more an issue with the medium and large shares, but small share members - your time is coming! On weeks that are short on time or meal ideas, using up all of those leafy greens can be a little difficult. But with a few minutes in the kitchen, you can save them up for use later in the year when you are craving something green and healthy.

This site has some great instructions for freezing greens. This will take less time than boiling pasta, and will save you that really horrible feeling of reaching into your crisper to find that chinese broccoli or spinach you really intended to make into something tasty -- last week, before it wilted all over the place.

A couple of quick tips: Slightly wilted greens work well for this - it doesn't have to be salad quality to freeze for later use. Also, once you have all these green baggies in your freezer, you have to find a use for them. Soups are great, and these work for items like spinach dip.

Meat for sale

2011-05-26T10:14:00.003-06:00

A short note: David is scheduling some butchering for the next week or so and would like to gauge our interest in meat products. The actual mechanics of ordering and delivering aren't worked out yet. These are animals that David raises himself, on pasture. Selections would include ground lamb, lamb roast, ground beef, ground chuck, ground sirloin, and beef roast. Member pricing is about $1/lb less than David's market price.

If you're interested in some of these items, please email me at produce@zoegarden.com, and I'll pass it along to figure out the volume needed.

I hope you're all enjoying the produce!
Dusty

Week 2 Lists

2011-05-24T21:35:00.002-06:00

A couple of reminders before we get started with the shares. First, David reuses the boxes, so please stack them neatly at your dropoff and remember to return them each week (or leave them behind by bringing bags for your produce). Second, David can reuse the clamshells that contain your microgreens, so return those in your share box if you remember. Third, there are two Saturdays left until the Farmer's Market starts, and there's an informal invite for both the 28th and the 4th to come help at the farm. Come see how the farm operates, lend a hand planting starts, and put a face to your food, this and next Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Here are the second week's share lists!

SMALL
honey (produced on the farm)
sunchokes
spinach
young garlic
purple asparagus
green asparagus
onion scapes
garlic chives
microgreens
wheat grass
mung bean sprouts

MEDIUM
shungiku
amaranth greens
red giant mustard
green mustard

LARGE
baby bok choy
soy bean sprouts (for cooking, don't eat raw)
micro dill
micro chervil
micro peas
micro basil
chinese snow broccoli
chinese broccoli
extra asparagus
extra microgreens
extra mustard greens
extra spinach

Nothing too crazy this week that wasn't there last week. That said, you're going to need some help getting rid of some of these -- they're building up or they're giant bags. If you haven't finished last week's sunchokes, don't worry. Place this week's sunchokes UNWASHED in a paper bag in the bottom of your fridge -- they should keep at least several weeks before starting to sprout. Also, be religious about chopping those young garlic, scapes, and chives into whatever you're cooking each night. The flavor is more subtle than their full grown big brothers, but soon we'll be overwhelmed with piles of them that keep well in the fridge.

Honey
David has hives on the farm. The honey is this week's apology for spring rains making field access to the salad greens impossible. A $12 value, if you're trying to check on getting your money's worth out of the shares.

Asparagus
Purple and green varieties of the stuff you find in the store, but actually harvested fresh and in season for your locale. As asparagusy as it gets. Can't cook it tonight or tomorrow? Put them upright in a bowl of water in the fridge. Risky on the spill factor, but they'll stay crispy.

Wheat Grass
Basically another microgreen. If you're a juicer, juice it. Add small amounts to salads, muffins, smoothies, and pestos.

Mustard Greens
A slightly spicy green that holds up to sauteing and boiling. A classic Southern ingredient, also integral to South Asian cooking. Saute with ham / bacon / seitan / tempeh, or boil and serve with a crispy fried tofu (especially the smoked variety). I'll try to get some recipes out of my friends from India to expand beyond the heavy East Asian bent here.

Amaranth Greens
Not green but red. Also called Chinese spinach, these are super healthy. These will hold up well to the sesame sauce I introduced last week (gomaae), and can be treated like most any boiling/sauteing green. When in doubt -- heat olive oil in skillet, add garlic, add greens, stir, eat. Also popular in Indian cuisine.

And a few reasons to consider the large share next summer.... seriously, this is plush kitchen living....

Micro-herbs
David recommends the micro-chervil on any white fish. I can't wait to throw the micro-dill on some fingerling potatoes or white fish. These would take a salad to the next level with tiny additions.

Soy Bean Sprouts
These have been problematic for David, with some going bad faster than he expects. He never eats them raw -- blanch them or saute them. He highly recommends sauteing these in olive oil with a touch of salt and pepper, adding the micro pea shoots to the pan at the last minute. Earthy and fantastic -- I made this dish tonight.

Chinese Broccoli
There are two varieties this week: regular and snow. The snow broccoli was planted in the fall and grew through the winter, has slightly sharper leaves and veins on the back, and is slightly darker. The regular variety was planted this spring. Use it all - leaves, stems, flowers. This is a slightly spicy, broccoli flavored green. Saute it with some stock (are you sensing a trend in spring veg yet?), make a spicy version of cream of broccoli soup, add it to stir fries.

As always, comment with ideas and email with questions. I'm trying to get these up earlier in the evening on Tuesdays, but the family is hungry before I can get the posts up a lot of nights. Bear with me and I'll streamline the process. As the summer weather becomes more predictable, I can at least get the list and suggestions up on Monday night, with pictures to follow.

Member Farm Day Recap

2011-05-23T14:15:00.000-06:00

A handful of members made it out for Member Farm Day May 14^th to see the progress so far this Spring, get their hands dirty, and to experience some of what it takes to get local produce from a small farm to our share boxes. A couple of members planted several rows of radicchio and Chinese broccoli. Those of us with small kids took to the less delicate task of pulling up sunchokes. A few hours squatting in the dirt gave us more appreciation for the hard work that goes into our weekly deliveries. David welcomes member visits and involvement and is more than willing to answer any questions about farming, vegetables, and recipes.

Radicchio

Chinese broccoli waiting

Bees supplemented with honey water
for energy to come out of dormancy

Lettuces, kohlrabi, peas etc. waiting to go in

Still a slow process with the tractor's help

Sunchokes

Go-To greens with goma sauce

2011-05-20T16:36:00.001-06:00

This recipe used up my whole bag of spinach, and it is super versatile for use with any greens (the mizuna, spinach, and chard this week are all good candidates) and things like green beans, spicy greens, and eggplants that we'll see later in the year. It is incredibly quick, gets rid of the greens that will so quickly overwhelm our share in the next month, and has a simple elegance if served to guests.

"Gomaae" is Japanese sesame-based sauce that is equal parts sweet, salty, and nutty. It is traditionally served tossed with lightly boiled spinach (hourensou no gomaae). The recipe varies from kitchen to kitchen, but what follows is where I usually start. I had to estimate the measurements -- I cook with the "glug" and "splash" measurement and taste frequently. I like this dish a little stronger as well, because I usually serve it with plain rice.

3-4 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (toast them in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring regularly, or by them pre-toasted in the Asian section)
1-2 Tbsp mirin, a sweet cooking wine/vinegar
(alternate: 1 Tbsp sake with 1 tsp sugar, or 1 Tbsp rice vinegar with 1 tsp sugar)
1-2 Tbsp soy sauce
roughly 1 pound of spinach

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Crush the sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle (or with a coffee grinder, gently with a mallet, or with a dowel in a bowl). It doesn't need to be too thorough. Mix in the mirin and the soysauce. Boil the spinach for just a couple of minutes, then drain, squeezing as much liquid out as possible. Roughly chop the spinach and toss with the gomaae sauce. Serve.

Alternate flavors to try: substitute peanuts for the sesame seeds, or substitute miso paste with a tiny amount of water for the soy sauce.

Sunchoke recipe

2011-05-20T16:10:00.000-06:00

I bet you're all cursing the dirt that the sunchokes grew in about now. Try floating them in a sink full of warm water, bang them around a little bit, drain the water, rinse down the bulk of the dirt, and start again. The dirt will fall away pretty quickly with a change of the water. Then give them a thorough scrubbing and rinse.

Here is the sunchoke gratin I threw together last night, using the spinach, the young garlic, and the beef from the share as well.

1 lb ground beef
half an onion, diced
several young garlic, chopped
3-4 smallish potatoes, unpeeled, 1/4" slices
a double handfull of sunchokes, unpeeled, 1/4" slices
a double handfull of spinach, shredded
about a pint of Mexican crema (you could use 1/2&1/2, milk, sour cream, or whatever sounds tasty with your spice combo)
cheese to top

Set the oven to 350 and oil a casserole dish.
Brown the beef with the onion and garlic, spiced to your taste. I used a greek mix that I like a lot, but you could use salt, pepper, paprika, more garlic, herbs -- basically however you'd like to theme your gratin.
Make a layer of potatoes and chokes. Then add a layer of the beef, then some spinach, then some crema, then repeat. Salt and spice to taste as you go. I finished with potatoes/chokes, and topped with cheese.
Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for about 45 minutes.
Uncover and cook another 15-30 minutes. Your cheese should be brown and your potatoes soft.

Enjoy!
Dusty

Sunchokes, aka Jerusalem Artichokes

2011-05-18T16:17:00.001-06:00

These are probably the least common of the vegetables in our share this week. Sunchokes are the starchy tuber of a sunflower relative, with a taste between an artichoke and a potato, and a texture between a water chestnut and a potato. They can be eaten raw or cooked, peeled or unpeeled. These guys are pretty dirty because they were just dug up on Saturday, so give them a good scrubbing in a sink full of water before doing anything else with them. Store them in a cool, dry place, or in the vegetable drawer of your fridge wrapped in paper towels and plastic. They should keep for 2-3 weeks.

My go-to way of preparing a root vegetable that I'm unfamiliar with? Roasting with other root vegetables. And we have parsnips in the share this week as well. Chop them up into a casserole dish, throw in a quartered onion, some chopped celery, maybe a beet, sweet potato, or carrots, then drizzle with plenty of olive oil, salt and pepper, and herbs of your choice. Add a cup or so of stock (or water or beer), cover in foil, and roast @325 until everything is soft and slightly caramelized (between 1 and 2 hours, depending on how much is in your dish).

Sliced sunchokes can be used to make a gratin (just substitute the chokes for the potatoes in your favorite recipe). The spinach and chard we received this week would go great in this. You can also deepfry the slices to make sunchoke chips.

Lightly (15 minutes) boiled sunchokes, pureed, can be added to a soup as a thickener. Or make a variation on potato soup using your sunchokes. Or mash them with potatoes, carrots, or parsnips to make an interesting variation on mashed potatoes.

If in doubt on recipes, go to the web!
About.com has the best synopsis of the roots I found, but if you come across something truly fantastic please share it via the comments.

A word of warning: Some people don't process the starch in this tuber, inulin, all that well. If you haven't eaten sunchokes before, don't overdo it with your first meal. You could get a gassy bellyache.

Week 1 lists

2011-05-17T22:51:00.002-06:00

Here is the breakdown for the first week's produce, along with a picture guide to translate your share.

SMALL SHARE

radish
young garlic
parsnip
spinach
white sunchokes
microgreen mix
bok choy
onion scape
arugula
purple mizuna

MEDIUM SHARE

small share +

baby swiss chard
shungiku
extra radish

LARGE SHARE

medium share +

micro arugula
micro green basil
micro purple basil
micro buckwheat
extra young garlic
extra spinach
extra parsnips
extra radish

All of your greens will want to go into the refrigerator, rinsed, patted dry, wrapped in a paper towel, and then wrapped loosely in plastic. A grocery bag or unzipped ziploc works well for this. The sunchokes, radishes, and parsnips should be loosely wrapped in plastic in the fridge, where they'll keep for a couple of weeks.

Some hints on how to use the produce (more recipes to follow tonight and tomorrow):

Shungiku: This is the leaf of an edible chrysanthemum, popular in Asian cuisine. It is tasty in a supporting role in salads, and as a last minute addition to stir fries and soups.

Young garlic: Treat like a green onion. The bottoms are a little tougher, so saute them a little longer.

Parsnip: A sweet root vegetable, relative to the carrot. Most people know these. Grate them over a salad, roast them with other vegetables, or put them into soup. Fabulous with a bit of coriander and butter.

Mizuna: A Japanese green, a little like arugula, but milder. These pointy leaved greens are good in salads, or tossed at the last minute into a stir fry or simple soup. Try quickly sauteeing them in sesame oil, then tossing with a blend of soy sauce and ground up sesame seeds (here, also good with shungiku).

Microgreens: These are premium goods. They're the nutrient packed 8-12 day old baby versions of plants you know well like basil, arugula, peas, kale, and buckwheat. Swanky restaurants buy them at top dollar, and you're getting them in your CSA share! Try them on salads and sandwiches. Tonight, I mixed some basil and arugula greens (each separate in the Large Share, or in the microgreen mix of the small share) with tomatoes, mozzarella, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and smoked salt, then used the mix to top some crusty bread slices. These won't last long this spring, so please make the most of them while we have them.

Sunchokes: Also known as Jerusalem Artichokes, these are the nutritious tubers of a sunflower relative. Scrub them clean - peeling is optional. They're like a cross between potatoes and water chestnuts. They can be sliced thinly over salads, pureed into soups, or roasted with other veggies. I advise going slow on the first meal with them -- a "pre-biotic" that support healthy gut flora and fauna, they're a little like cabbage in that a minority of people react gassily to eating them. They'll keep in the fridge, and I will get a few recipes to you in the next day or so.

Onion scapes: The flowering tops of onions (all alliums, really -- you'll see garlic scapes in the near future as well), these can be treated mostly as you treat a mild green onion top. I'm pretty sure you don't eat the flowering bulb right at the top. I'll give you some recipes to make them disappear as they become more prevalent in our shares, but for now, chop them up and toss them into stir fries, biscuits, soups, etc.

Please email me with questions! Questions are welcomed, as are suggestions for using up the produce. It can be overwhelming, but if you put it all away properly when you get it home, it lasts all week and into the next. I'll hit you all with recipes and suggested storage methods as the week progresses.

edit I fixed the spelling of shungiku. Leave it to the person who lived in Japan to mess up the spelling of Japanese words.

Heads up - Weather issues

2011-05-17T10:55:00.000-06:00

Here is a heads up for today's pickup. The rain made it impossible for David to harvest the tender greens like lettuce this morning. Those items are "day of harvest" deliveries, and this rain was just too heavy to get in the field. David will be substituting some of his grass-fed beef, and there is an abundance of some other items like sunchokes, parsnips, and microgreens. This is an early start for the season, and we're dealing with the weather. Your boxes will still be filled with goodies, but the breakdown will be different than anticipated.

Honestly, at this time of year, I'll take whatever is fresh and local! Starting before June this year is a major bonus. Final list will be up by late this evening.

Drops start THIS WEEK!

2011-05-16T23:27:00.000-06:00

I have to apologize to the group -- I didn't make it clear that the produce drops start this week. That means today, Tuesday, for over a dozen of you! I'll be emailing and calling most everyone for the Tuesday drop to be sure the word gets around. I'll post a list of the produce tomorrow evening, along with pics, tips, and recipes.

Please bring grocery bags (reusable, of course) to the drop sites to pick up your produce, or plan on being extra vigilent to return your boxes each week.

I suppose if you're looking at this, you're already following the blog. Watch the blog posts for ALL information from the farm. I will try to separate them out into individual posts for important things, like, say, your food starting to arrive.

Farm Day

2011-05-10T15:12:00.000-06:00

A quick reminder: Farm Day this Saturday from 10-2. As long as the weather holds, we'll be digging sunchokes and possibly planting seedlings. If it doesn't, the backup is Sunday. Watch this space for an update.

Microgreens and Lots of news

2011-04-30T21:40:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the long silence! Seems like Mother Nature has forgotten to take her meds, but warm weather is on the way. And most of the crops have survived! Everyone here at Zoe's has recovered from our spring illnesses, and we're looking forward to a fantastic start for the season.

If you haven't signed up yet, but are planning to do so, please be quick! We're starting the season in mid-May this year, and we'd love to have you. Also, you can still take advantage of installment payments. If you're still on the fence on which CSA to join, I'd respectfully point out that Zoe's is the only farm I'm aware of that includes fruit in the shares (and David has increased his fruit trees this year!).

First piece of news: Microgreens. These are highly nutritious, gourmet bundles of taste. Farther along than a traditional sprout, but not big enough to be planted out in the garden, microgreens are the 8-12 day old shoots of various vegetables. David has been working with a wide variety, including pea shoots and red russian kale microgreens. If you've heard of these trendy little guys, it is through high end restaurants and gourmet magazines. They come at a premium in the grocery, but they're going to be included in the first several weeks of our shares this year. They go well on salads, are fantastic used on sandwiches, and can be snacked upon straight from the harvest.

Second: We're still on for an early start to the season. David anticipates deliveries to drop off points starting Tuesday May 17th. The expected list could include (depending on weather, of course) arugula, watercress, microgreens, spinach, baby bok choy, mustard greens, garlic scallions, parsnips, sunchokes, amaranth greens, and lettuce.

Third: FARM DAY! David would like to invite all the members to a day at the farm. We'll be digging sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes, a starchy root tuber), and if the weather is right, planting out some seedlings. The plan is for Saturday, May 14th, from 10 - 2. The rainy day backup is Sunday, May 15th. Watch this space for updates.

Installment Payments

2011-04-01T13:00:00.000-06:00

For your convenience, you can sign up for your subscription with installment payments. At the moment, you can have up to six. As the season gets closer, the window gets smaller, and you'll have fewer installments as options. Sign up between now and April 15th to make use of the six installment payment plan. After that, it will drop to five.

Watch this space for some interesting news soon. The season is gearing up!

Last chance for discount!

2011-03-31T20:50:00.000-06:00

Only a few hours left to get the 5% discount for early sign-up. It is totally worth it, and you can pay in up to six installments.

Last week for discount

2011-03-24T16:15:00.000-06:00

A quick reminder in a busy week: One more week to sign up with a discount! David is offering 5% off the share cost if you sign up by March 31st. That's basically one week free for your share.

Also, check out this article in the Park Record about the recent Park City CSA Open House, featuring David, Zoe's Garden, and several other local farms.

Chime in for drop locations

2011-03-20T23:23:00.000-06:00

Hey everybody. I've had two requests for a "South of Point of the Mountain" drop site and one for Bountiful. Folks should comment here so we can get a rough count for drop votes that don't exist this year. In the end, it does matter how many actually sign up for a given location, so if we're getting close to critical mass, encourage your neighbors to join!

Employee Incentives

2011-03-17T09:11:00.000-06:00

Quick reminder: Two weeks left to sign up with the 5% discount!

And a thought for our members: Does the company you work for take pretty good care of their employees? Do you think they'd like to host a drop site for CSA shares or even offer an employee incentive towards good health? If you think your workplace could produce a solid handful of members, or if you think your HR department would be interested in promoting vegetables and healthy eating, send me an email at produce@zoegarden.com. You might end up with your own bonus of picking up your veggies each week at the door as you leave work.