4/10/24 CSA Member Pollinator Event
We hope you’ll join us for our CSA Member Event this weekend.
Sunday, April 14th
10:00-12:00 or 1:30-3:30.
It looks like the rain will be done and we should have good weather. We’ve only had 10 RSVPs so I’m going to stop with that and just say COME if you can. But please do come within one of the time slots.
Come dressed as a favorite pollinator or insect
Bring a picnic snack or meal
Discover who lives in our hedgerows
Take a sensory or micro hike
Explore the Enchanted Bamboo Forest
Test out some tasty produce right from the field
Learn about Bluebirds and their Nesting Boxes
Learn about pollinator plantings
Take some pollinator friendly flowers home to plant!
Take a Farm Tour with Farmer Elizabeth
Next CSA Weekly CSA, New Members, & Price Increase
April 17th is a big day for the CSA.
We go weekly from this point.
We have our first round on new members (17 of them) joining us for the year.
We have our price increase taking place. We know we’ve mentioned 2-3 times since November but no it’s time. Here’s what will happen.
Your current Box Credits are on your account and will stay at the old price. The next time you are billed it will bill you at the higher rate which is:
Classic Boxes @ $32/box & Family Boxes @ $40/box
Produce Notes & Recipes!
This Week’s Box
Little Gem Lettuces
Frisée Endive
Pea Shoots
Easter Egg Radishes
Stu’s Dried Bean Mix (Shone Farm)
Meyer Lemons (Pretty Mike Farm)
Family Boxes: Spinach
In Mid-Spring we have an over abundance of light greens and are done with our over wintered Brassicas, Carrots and Beets plus storage Potatoes and Winter Squash and we welcome other dried goods from local farmers that we know and trust. This week we have a dried bean mix from Farmer Stuart Schroeder. We’ve known him for years, sold next to him at the Sebastopol Farmers’ Market and even served on the board of that market with him in 2016. Over the past 10 years he’s had a love of dried beans and he took this with him as he stopped running his own farm and joined the Shone Farm where he is the equipment operator.
Stu’s Bean Mix is extremely unique. He created this hybrid bean in what he calls “a happy accident.” It is a mix of the black and white Calypso bean, and the Marfax (a New England baked bean.) In a very Gregor Mendel-esque way, Stuart saw some black marfax beans mixed in with his crop one year. Intrigued by them, he sorted them out and sowed them the following year. To his surprise, the offspring was not a black marfax, but the beautiful blend you see here. He has now grown 6 generations of this colorful and delicious mix.
Stu's bean mix would be great for baked beans. They are a dense, meaty bean that is also great for chili, soup, and stews because they won’t fall apart. Stuart says it makes a great soup mix. "Unlike other soup mixes, where the beans don’t quite cook at the same time, these ones should because they came out of the same pod."
These beans will not become super tender like a pinto bean might, so be sure not to overcook them. They are ready when they are soft to the bite.
Stu also suggests cooking them in a way that allows you to taste the flavor of the beans, because each variety is unique and flavorful on its own. Often we treat beans as a base for loads of bbq sauce, molasses, sugar, salsas, etc., but they have a flavor all of their own.
Dried Bean Ratio:
1/2 cup dry beans, before cooking = 1 1/2 cups beans, after cooking = About 1 can of beans
Cooking Dried Beans:
Remember the three S’s: Sort, Soak, and Simmer.
The best way to sort beans is to spread out and do a look-over. Pick out any rocks/dirt clods and rinse thoroughly in cold water.
Place beans in large bowl. Add enough cold water to cover by 3 inches and let soak 8 hours or longer. You can soak them on the counter as long as your house is semi-cool. Change the water after 8 hours if you are not cooking them right away, adding more water if it’s absorbed.
When ready to cook them, rinse them very well and add to a large pot. Cover with 2” of fresh water. You can also add herbs, oil, and onion to the pot, but do not add salt until after the beans are cooked.
Bring water to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the beans are tender. Bean cooking time varies, but check them after about 45 minutes but may take up to 2 hours.
When they are cooked, drain and rinse them again.
We do have Easter Egg Radishes for everyone today! They are a beautiful spring treat. We love this mix of traditional radishes. They’re quite tender in flavor. Although we love them raw sliced thin on salads or on dark bread with lots of butter and salt, they can also be sautéed. In fact for people who don’t like the bite of a Radish this is the ideal method. Last night for dinner I happened to braise Leeks, Frisée, Radishes and White Beans over Rice and it was delicious. I usually prefer them raw but I picked up all the extra big/split radishes which were rejects from harvest for you and they can be a bit stronger in flavor so I cooked them. Recipe below.
Don’t forget you can eat your Radish Greens. Treat them like Arugula.
Sautéed Radishes
Sometimes all it takes to transform a “not so favorite” vegetable to a favorite one is a different preparation technique. If you don’t like the heat of radishes served up cold, try putting a little heat to them. The warm radishes become sweet and mellow.
1 Tbs unsalted butter
1 Tbs olive oil
8 radishes, washed and patted dry, stems and leaves removed, and quartered
Celtic salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 Tbs finely chopped fresh dill, optional
Heat the butter and olive oil in a medium sized skillet over medium high heat until the butter is melted.
Add the radishes and cook until they are lightly browned on all cut sides (about 12-15 minutes depending on the size of the radishes).
Put the radishes in a small serving bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with dill, if using. Serve immediately.
We have Pea Shoots again today, the will continue but not in every box from this point forward. How’s this for a perfect recipe for today’s box!
Pea Shoot, Radish & Bean Salad (via CSA member Sarah)
Mix gently in a large bowl:
1.75 oz pea shoots
1 bunch of radishes, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
14-16 oz. mixed cooked beans (chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, cannellini, black eyed peas etc.) rinsed and drained
Whisk together in a small bowl:
1 Tbs grapeseed oil
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Toss dressing and salad well. Serve right away.
We have a lovely head of Frisée in today’s box. Certainly use it in a salad! But we also love it cooked. Here is an idea we haven’t shared in a long while.
Pasta and Greens (Verdura by viana La Place)
Notes that Frisée Endive has the ability to turn the water in which it cooks into a flavorful broth. Many other greens would work well in this recipe.
1 large head Frisée Endive or Escaole
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
pinch of dried red chile pepper flakes
4 c water
salt to taste
1 c imported tubetti pasta (or other)
2 oz dried ends of Pecorino Romano cheese, cut into small chunks
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Wash the greens well and chop coarsely.
Place olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a soup pot. Sauté over low heat until the garlic is fragrant . Add 4 c water, bring to a boil, and add a little salt to taste (remember Pecorino Romano cheese is salty). Stir broth and then add the chopped greens. Cover and when the water returns to a boil, add the pasta and stir well. Add the pieces of cheese and stir again. Cook until the pasta is al dente.
Ladle the soup into shallow pasta bowls. Serve with grated Pecorino Romano cheese on the side.