 |
Week 6 Share:
(**
see note, below
)
Basil:
Sweet
Blueberries*
Cabbage:
Tendersweet
Chard:
Rainbow
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Peppers:
green
Scallions
Squash:
Summer
Zucchini
EOW will also
receive:
Beets
Mushrooms
|
|
|
|
Dear Members of Turtle Creek Gardens,
Cultivating relationships is an important part of building a healthy, sustainable food system.
That includes your membership in TCG's CSA (thank you!) as well as behind-the-scenes relationships like the ones Janet describes in her
Farm Update
this week.
NOTE:
This week Group B EOW members are receiving organically-grown mushrooms from our partner farm
River Valley Mushrooms
.
|
** NOTE:
Pack list is subject to change due to weather or harvest conditions
.
[ ] Indicates possible addition
|
|
|
|
by Janet Gamble
Sweltering….bracing ourselves for the heat with no rain in sight
….Wait…weren’t we just complaining about the rain and the cold spring?? Is it ever a perfect world for farming?? I know, I know....I think the tomatoes will love this and the melons (cantaloupe) too. After all, melons are from the Middle East and watermelons from Africa originally and growing a good melon is not easy here in Wisconsin. So bring it on…we want sweet melons this year. At this time last year we had tomatoes in the CSA boxes. We’re about two-three weeks from a ripe tomato this season. This heat will help…really.
As you noticed,
we have been putting some other surprises in the box
such as mushrooms from River Valley Ranch and blueberries and strawberries from Michigan. One of the paths I’m on is the idea that our farm doesn’t have to produce everything we sell. I came to realize that we just can’t—for multiple reasons. We lack the capacity. We don’t have the labor to pick time-sensitive and tedious crops such as berries and peas, for instance.
And most of all, I think farmers should be working towards cross-sector collaboration,
meaning farmer-to-farmer collaborations and farmer-to-supply chain collaborations with supporting organizations bringing technical support and assistance through facilitating, training and negotiating on behalf of farmers so we can stay in business.
|
|
I build relationship through getting to know the farmers and producers
I purchase products from. This allows me to know more about their farms and practices and opens additional markets for all of us to serve together and thus increase transparency along the way. I think our customers (you) trust or may come to trust that what Turtle Creek has to offer is the best we can procure and you know more about the food you are receiving.
For instance, in this week’s box we have blueberries from Michigan*
. These berries came through my connection with Margaret Krome, a former colleague of mine from Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. Margaret is the Policy Director at MFAI. Because of her work, Margaret meets many farmers across the nation and has built relationships with them. She helps the Gulf of Mexico shrimp farmers with direct market sales through her annual salmon and shrimp buy in the winter. She organizes an annual blueberry buy from the Latino farmers she works with through her policy work.
Margaret Krome says,
"This morning, one of our neighbors said he admired my entrepreneurism; but really, this isn’t a business venture for me. All of your $$ goes to Filiberto and the growers he works with; I take no cut. But I’m happy that the order is so big; I admire Filiberto and his fellow growers and am glad that we can support their efforts to build a market."
So, I really love the way this circulation of goods and services weaves its way around
from community to community and always has a little story to tell along the way, bringing us some sense of comfort and assurance about the trail the food has traveled.
*The berries are not organic; they are grown using sustainable practices known as Integrated Pest Management (IPM
)
|
|
Orzo with Summer Squash & Pesto
|
|
Ingredients:
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1½ LB zucchini, summer squash, or a mix of both, cut in ¼" dice
(about 4 c.)
2 t. chopped fresh
marjoram or mint
Salt and freshly ground pepper to
taste
10 oz (1⅓ c.) orzo
⅓ c. basil pesto (see recipe, below)
Additional grated Parmesan or pecorino for serving
Method:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add summer squash. Raise heat to medium high and cook, stirring often, until squash is tender and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in marjoram or mint and season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn off heat.
When water in pot comes to a boil, add orzo. Cook 9 minutes, until
al dente
. Stir 3 to 4 tablespoons of the cooking water into the pesto. Drain orzo and toss with squash.
Heat through, add pesto, toss again and serve, garnish with Parmesan or pecorino at the table.
Yield:
4 servings
Recipe adapted from:
nytcooking.com
|
|
Ingredients
4 c. fresh basil leaves
½ c. extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ c. pine nuts, almonds, or walnuts
2 garlic cloves
¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan
¼ c. freshly grated Pecorino Sardo
1 t. coarse kosher salt
Method:
Combine basil, oil, nuts, and garlic in a blender. Blend until paste forms, stopping often to push down basil. Add both cheeses and salt; blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve or freeze for long-term storage.
Editor's tip for freezing pesto:
It's often recommended to freeze pesto in ice cube trays and transfer the cubes to a plastic bag. But opening the bag to retrieve a cube lets in air and hastens freezer burn. Instead, I use Ziploc's
4-oz
square freezer containers so each individual pesto portion is protected with its own airtight lid. The containers stack well in the freezer, too.
Yield:
1 cup
Recipe adapted from
bonapetit.com
|
|
Swiss Chard Roasted with Feta
|
|
Ingredients:
1 bunch rainbow chard - leaves and stems separated and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 T. olive oil, divided
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil.
Toss chard stems and onions in a bowl with 1 T. olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and spread onto prepared baking sheet.
Bake until chard stems have softened and the onion is becoming browned, about 15 minutes. Toss chard leaves with 2 T. olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Sprinkle leaves over stem mixture and scatter feta cheese over top.
Return to oven; bake until stems are tender, leaves are beginning to crisp, and feta is melted and golden, about 20 minutes.
Yield:
2-4 servings
Recipe adapted from
allrecipes.com
|
|
Pork Chops with Green Peppers & Mushrooms
|
|
Ingredients:
6 bone-in pork loin chops (6 oz each, ¾" thick)
2 T. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
½ LB fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (14½ oz) Italian diced tomatoes, drained
1 t. salt
½ t. dried oregano
½ t. dried basil (1½ t. fresh basil)
⅛ t. freshly ground black pepper
1 large green pepper, julienned
Sliced scallions, for garnish
Method
:
In a large nonstick skillet, brown pork chops in batches on both sides in oil; remove from skillet. Add onion, mushrooms and garlic; saute for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes, salt, oregano, basil and black pepper.
Return pork chops to skillet; arrange green pepper between the chops. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until meat is tender. Transfer chops to individual plates, spoon sauce over chops and sprinkle with sliced scallions.
Yield
: 6 servings
Recipe adapted from:
tasteofhome.com
|
|
Marinated Cabbage & Beet Salad
|
|
Ingredients:
Marinade:
1 c. water
½ c + 2 T. light olive oil
½ c. white vinegar
½ c. sugar
1 T. non-iodized sea salt
Salad:
2-3 LB cabbage
8 o beets
2 medium garlic cloves
Method:
In a medium sauce pan, combine all marinade ingredients: Bring to a boil then remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Finely shred cabbage. Grate beets. Finely dice garlic cloves. In large mixing bowl, combine cabbage, beets, and garlic. Pour cooled marinade over chopped ingredients and stir to coat well.
Place a large dinner plate over the cabbage mixture and weight it if necessary to fully immerse vegetables in the marinade. Refrigerate 7-10 hours or overnight.
Transfer salad to a large glass jug for easier storage in the fridge and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. This salad holds well in the refrigerator for about a week.
Yield:
6-8 servings
Recipe adapted from
natashaskitchen.com
|
|
Turtle Creek Gardens, LLC | 262-441-0520 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
