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Week 15 Share:
(**
see note, below
)
Broccoli
Carrots
Onions
Peppers:
colored
Radishes
Watermelon
OR
Melon
Possible additions:
Arugula
Cucumber
EOW will also receive:
Celery
Leeks
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Dear Members of Turtle Creek Gardens,
Hints of Fall color are starting to appear as the green fades from the landscape and we're entering the final weeks of the Summer CSA.
As you'll read in Farm Updates, below, thanks to the help of some member volunteers, our late summer harvest is progressing.
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** NOTE:
Pack list is subject to change due to weather or harvest conditions.
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Shared Harvest
We were able to squeeze out 2,000 pounds of tomatoes to take to the processor this week. For reasons unknown, they scheduled us for a later than normal processing date, 1-2 weeks later than our norm, which made for a scramble to get the remaining hanging fruit utilized. Last year, we included another CSA farm, Prairie Wind, to create a label called
Shared Harvest. Combined, our two farms produced over 8,000 pounds for processing into tomato puree last year.
Prairie Wind farm lost 1,200 plants early on this season due to a soil pathogen that killed all their transplants. They called out for backups and were able to replant 1200 seedlings (including about 300-400 we donated) but by that time it was already early July. As a result, they didn’t have any processing tomatoes to contribute this year and we were only able to pull 2,000 pounds out of our field plus about 600 pounds that I had been freezing as tomatoes ripened and were culled.
This project’s original intention was to supply
Engine Co. #3, the chef-owned restaurant of Peter Sandroni. We have done business with Peter since I’ve been here at Turtle Creek and we frequently brainstorm ideas to expand his seasonal menus throughout the year. Last year was the first year we were able to produce enough tomato puree for his annual supply plus allow us to sell retail. I’m afraid this year we will be in short supply.
All in all, it felt good to have that off our plate in time to harvest our first crop of hemp.
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Hemp Harvest
Not sure if hemp will save the world, as some profess, but it might save the farm.
We received our “Fit for Commerce” certificate from the state as our test results came back within the legal limits to sell. We have one variety of CBD (cannabidiol) hemp that was earlier than our other variety and decided that we needed to harvest while the weather was favorable. We discovered it is slightly infested with a small worm called the Hemp Borer. We noticed some ailments and thought it was fungal issues but hadn’t heard much about the Hemp Borer so didn’t know how to manage the pest.
As some of you may know, Wisconsin is amongst the many states that grew industrial hemp for rope during WWII. There are many feral hemp remnants along tree lines, ditches, marshes, and other nooks and crannies. The Hemp Borer has its host in these feral species; it catches the wind, and the rest is history. We will start a treatment of a bacterial insecticide to see if we can mitigate the infestation on our late crop. All in all, the crop looks good. Now we need to send our samples in for a full-spectrum analysis for all the components that give it value.
After drying, we will take the cured hemp and trim it and put it in vacuum-sealed bags to keep it stable.
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Volunteers at TCG
We had many members and friends of TCG offer help. Our first helping hands came Friday to help with the hemp harvest. We had one crew harvesting and another hanging the hemp to dry. Saturday, Brian and Deb Schneider came and cleaned onions for 5 or so hours. The benches are almost onion-free and the basement is filled with cleaned and sorted onions. I think our total is 2300 pounds right now.
Thank you all for offering your precious time, we are blessed and grateful for your support.
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Both peppers and celery can be frozen without blanching, for use in cooked dishes.
- Wash and dry vegetables thoroughly.
- Slice or dice peppers.
- Dice celery and leaves.
- Store in plastic freezer bags or containers. Freeze in measured quantities if desired (one whole pepper per bag, or 1 c. celery per bag, for example)
- No need to thaw before using--just toss into stews, soups, quiches etc. or atop a pizza.
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Ginger Carrot-Radish Slaw
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Ingredients:
2 T. rice vinegar
1 T. tamari
2 t. maple syrup
1 t. finely grated ginger root
¼ t. granulated garlic
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
3 c. julienne cut or shredded carrots (about 5 large)
1 c. julienne cut radishes
½ c. flat leaf parsley leaves, cut into tiny ribbons or chiffonade
Method:
Whisk vinegar, maple syrup, tamari, ginger, garlic and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in oil. Add carrots, radish and parsley and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.
Yield: 4-6 servings
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Balsamic Chicken With Sweet Peppers
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Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 T. olive oil, divided
4 c. thinly sliced bell peppers (red, yellow, orange, green)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1⁄4 c. chopped fresh basil
3 T. high-quality balsamic vinegar
Method:
Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 T. oil.
Saute the chicken over med-high heat, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 8 mins total. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Add the remaining 2 T. oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the bell peppers and onion, stirring often, until just softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in about half the basil and all the vinegar.
Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Reduce heat to med-low. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining basil and season with salt and pepper.
Yield: 4 servings
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Crustless Radish & Feta Quiche
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Ingredient
1 t. olive oil, or as needed to grease pan
6 oz assorted radishes, trimmed
5 eggs
1¼ c. milk
2 oz crumbled feta
1 T. chopped fresh dill weed (1 t. dried)
¼ t. salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a 9" pie dish with 1 t. olive oil.
Using a mandoline or chef's knife, slice radishes about 1/8" thick. Arrange in a circular pattern on bottom of prepared pan. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, feta, dill weed, salt, and pepper to taste. Pour over radishes.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Yield: 6 servings
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Lemon-Garlic Roasted Broccoli & Carrots
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Ingredients:
1 LB broccoli florets
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced on a bias
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 T. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 T. Parmesan cheese
1 T. lemon zest
1 T. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Method:
In a bowl, combine broccoli, carrots, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to distribute.
Arrange vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake in a 450 F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp and lightly browned.
Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Add Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Gently toss to evenly distribute. Serve hot.
Yield: 4 servings
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Turtle Creek Gardens, LLC | 262-441-0520 |
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