CSA newsletter week #1

Why organic farm practices?

Here at Sunny Meadows, we chose to follow organic practices because we feel that it is a healthier decision. It may be a little more work for us, but we feel that it is worth the effort. There are many other benefits of doing it this way also.

First, we are able to get more in touch with the way that things used to be. Back when our grandparents’ generation was farming, they were farming this way. They were using hard work and a little sweat to get the weeds out, not chemicals and trying to do as much as they could to benefit the soil and the garden overall.

We have learned that being organic means a lot of preparation on our part. We try to cover crop an area with wheat or rye the year before to add more nutrients into the soil. We also add compost to the soil and use certified organic fertilizer to supplement the nutrients that are plants need and we are not providing otherwise.

Also, to pick something straight out of the garden and eat it without having to worry about washing off harmful chemicals gives us peace of mind. We already eat enough chemicals, preservatives and things that are processed; we want our products to be set apart from all those negative things.

And lastly, I, Gretel, am a foodie. I love to eat first off, but I love to cook too! And, nothing tastes better than something cooked with fresh vegetables from our garden!

What’s included this week?

Your CSA package will include:
1. Radishes- both pink and white
2. Red Russian Kale- great steamed with a little bit of malt vinegar on them, you can sauté with butter, or even roast it for maximum flavor
3. Salad greens- a bit spicy, but great with blue cheese dressing
4. Swiss Chard (the multicolor stuff)- the stems are eaten too, so don’t throw away the good stuff! These can be roasted, steamed, sautéed, or you can put them on the grill wrapped in some foil with your favorite flavorings.
5. Garlic Scapes- these are actually the tops of garlic plants but are excitingly different (see recipe below)
6. Sage- good for cooking meats. You can use this either fresh or hang up the bunch in your house and dry it for later use. The flowers have flavor too!
7. Rustic Baguette from Lucky Cat Bakery in Pataskala. You can put in the oven at 350 F for about 5 minutes to soften it up and eat it. If you can’t eat it all now, then you can cut it up and freeze it for toasting later.

Recipe of the Week

Garlic Scape Pesto

1/2 cup garlic scapes, finely chopped
4 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cups grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Put garlic scapes and lemon juice in food processor, and process until scapes are very finely chopped. With food processor running, add oil through the feed tube and process 2-3 minutes. Remove lid, add half of parmesan cheese and process 2 minutes, then add the rest of cheese and salt and pepper and process 2-3 minutes more.Serve tossed with hot pasta. This would also be good on fish, as a topping for bread, or as a seasoning for cooked rice.

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve