AMADOR HILL FARM & ORCHARD
Certified Organic - Locally Grown - Sustainably Farmed
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CSA Box#11 Friday September 7th
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Dear CSA Shareholders,
This week we transition from our summer intern team to our fall intern team. This time of year as the school season begins,
along with the change in interns,
we lose many of our loyal work-share volunteers and our amazing farm crew member and school teacher, Reid. But our fall team is strong, and our fields are healthy! Thank you to Ari and Kori our summer interns for a good season! We welcome our fall interns Katie and Medha to the farm this week!
Pictured here, our fall interns Katie and Medha and work-share volunteers Ben, who all harvested for a hefty box of melons, tomatoes and peppers for you! A full box of late summer produce to bring you joy!
Blessings,
Jacquelyn
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VISIT US AT THE ALMELUND APPLE FEST
We invite you to visit WEI at the upcoming Almelund Apple Fest happening Sunday Sept 16th from 11am - 4pm. A annual tradition in WEI's nieghboring small town of Almelund - between North Branch and Taylors Falls. WEI will be there selling Amador Hill Orchard apples and pressing cider with our old fashion cider press. For more information visit our own
event page or the
Almelund Apple Fest event page.
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DELIVERY TIMELINE
The estimated delivery times we sent you in our first newsletter are remaining fairly consistent. To review your drop site's delivery time you can keep this schedule handy:
CSA PICK UP INFO
Questions call Jerry at 651-583-0705 or Susanne at 651-334-8235
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WHAT'S IN THE BOX THIS WEEK
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MELON - HONEY WHITE
Those of you who received a box last week were introduced to this gem of a melon! A Honeydew variety; pale skin and flesh - nearly white, very dense and intensely flavorful. The skin is thin and the seed cavity very small - giving the maximum amount of flesh for eating! You'll notice a very unique flavor in this melon - sweet, with something familiar...upon my first bite I couldn't place it, but then I recalled the name - HONEY WHITE - yes it has a nice subtle flavor of honey. I hope you enjoy this special variety as much as I did!
Storage:
Your melon will keep - whole - at room temperature for up to two weeks - don't refrigerate until you've cut it open. Once cut, melons will last in the refrigerator in a sealed container a few days.
NOTE: These melons are very difficult to 'read' and know when they are ripe, the usual indicators for melons - a dried curly tendril adjacent the stem, pale bottom, deep netting...just don't happen with this variety. Our farmers are evaluating the ripeness in other ways, but you may want to leave your melon on the counter for a day or two to finish ripening.
Tips on 'reading' melons.
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MELON - SARAH'S CHOICE
This Muskmelon variety has an oval shape and pale skin, with very sweet and juicy flesh. An excellent variety for those who love a good juicy Cantaloupe.
Storage:
Your melon will keep - whole - at room temperature for up to two weeks - don't refrigerate until you've cut it open. Once cut, melons will last in the refrigerator in a sealed container a few days.
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WATERMELON - MOON AND STARS
We know you'll be impressed with this unique heirloom melon, oval and green with specks and spots of yellow - resembling a view of the galaxy, the 'moon and stars'. A favorite variety of many farmers, this melon is a reliable producer and has an excellent flavor with bright red flesh.
Storage:
Your melon will keep - whole - at room temperature for up to two weeks - don't refrigerate until you've cut it open. Once cut, melons will last in the refrigerator in a sealed container a few days.
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TOMATOES
We are packing one or more varieties of tomatoes in each box this week – the varieties will be randomly divided among boxes. Consider a nice heirloom salad, soup or sauce this week. See some tips on freezing your tomatoes below.
Storage:
PLEASE DO NOT REFRIGERATE - tomatoes will loose flavor when chilled, and these are so delicious, you don't want to miss out! Storing your tomatoes at room temperature in a single layer on a platter or shallow bowl is best.
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MIXED SUMMER VEGETABLES
Our farm crew will pack the boxes with any extra produce they harvest this week. Your box may include odds and ends from the farm, made up of things you've seen in the box already this year: Lemon Cucumbers, Marketmore Slicing Cucumbers, a mix of sweet peppers, eggplant or other good producers.
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FARM SHARE RECIPES & TIPS
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Recipe links and tips for using your Farm Share Produce Together This Week:
Melon salads, tomato soup and sauces....
Tips from previous newsletter:
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TOMATOES OVER WINTER WITHOUT CANNING!
Canning is an art and a wonderful way to extend your local food consumption into winter moths. Learning how to preserve food is an important skill to pass on to the next generations, yet, it is not for everyone, every year. Freezing your tomatoes as opposed to canning is a good alternative for those who want a simpler method, have a little extra freezer space and for those who like all of these wonderful heirloom varieties, many of which have low acidity - and are not ideal for canning. Here are some simple ways to freeze your tomatoes. For all methods, be sure your tomatoes are very clean, fresh and not heavily bruised.
- With a knife, cut an 'X' in the bottom of each tomato - just deep enough to score the skin. Drop into a pot of boiling water to blanch - just 2 or 3 minutes, you'll see the tomatoes become bright red and the skin will start to curl off of the flesh. Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and plunge into an ice water bath. The skins will now peel off with ease. Place the cooled tomatoes on a large baking sheet an place in the freezer for an hour or two. Once frozen you can transfer them to freezer-safe containers and freeze all winter long. I use zipper bags and mash the tomatoes down flat - they are less bulky in my freezer and thaw faster.
- Cut the core out of the tomato, score the bottom skin with an 'X', stuff about one pound of tomatoes into quart-sized zipper bag and freeze. Quick and easy! When you take them out of the freezer the skins should come off with ease.
- Make your favorite tomatoes sauce or tomatoes soup now, on a nice cool fall day, stew it all day long, cool off and pack into freezer-safe containers.
Basics for cooking your tomatoes
Of course hot tomato soup, tomato sauce and tomato paste are simple and highly rewarding this time of year! A food mill is extremely useful if you have one, but you can also use a colander to strain seeds and skin. Or try straining with cheesecloth, use a stick blender or process your stewed tomatoes in a blender or food processor for a smooth consistency.
The basics of stewing tomatoes for soup or sauce - wash your tomatoes thoroughly, cut in half or quarters. Throw them all into a large heavy stock pot and get a medium heat going. I always throw some good olive oil in the bottom of the pot, you can add garlic if you like. I add a little Sherry Wine Vinegar to mine. Bring to a strong simmer, mashing the tomatoes periodically. Once most of the tomatoes have liquified, reduce the heat to a low simmer, partially cover with lid and simmer as long as you like. Cook for as little as 20 minutes. For richer, thinker sauces, simmer 20 minutes, run through a food mill and return the sauce to the pot for a very low simmer. If you want a good homemade tomato paste for pizza, cook very low for several hours, adding water as it reduces. You'll have a beautiful deep red, rich flavored pizza sauce.
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STAR TRIBUNE PROJECT
Women's Environmental Institute & Amador Hill Farm are proud to be a part of the Star Tribune's summer long series "Out of the Box: Getting the Most Out of Your CSA". This summer they are hosting a private Facebook group to provide shareholders and farmers market shoppers to dialogue, share and learn how to use amazing fresh seasonal local produce! They will have visiting chefs and great information about eating local. Amador Hill Farm will provide two CSA boxes to the project this summer and our shareholders are encouraged to join and participate in the discussions on line!
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WEI's Amador Hill Farm & Orchard produce is
organically certified by MOSA.
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Interested in getting more involved with the
Women's Environmental Institute?
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15715 RIVER ROAD, NORTH BRANCH, MN 55056
651-583-0705 - wei@w-e-i.org -
WEBSITE
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