Week 13, Aug 27, 2012

Available for you:

• Watermelon - 1 
• Sweet Corn - Reg - 6, Singles-3, Seniors -2 
• Cucumbers - 2 
• Carrots - 1 bunch 
• Squash - Summer/Zucchini mix - 1 lb 
• Beans - Colored Mix - 1 quart 
• Lettuce - 1 head 
• Kale or Swiss Chard - 1 bunch 
• Tomatoes - 1

Recipes of the week:

Melon Sorbet

Wilted Greens Salad

Greetings Members!

Sweet Corn! No it is not ours, but our certified organic friends from "Riverberry Farm". We had several issues with corn this year. What we did end up with was pretty small and few in numbers. We know how much you love your corn. Therefore, we bought-in sweet corn for you this year. It doesn't seem like summer until you've had corn. So, enjoy this onetime special!

I had the funniest thing happen last week. It was Saturday morning and I was going about household chores when a friend, of a member, called. She was picking up the members share while they were away. She called me to ask me what the black ball was in the bag? I was caught off guard at first. Did we give them an irregular shaped zucchini? She thought it might be a new kind of winter squash. Then it dawned on me, .... it was the "Sugar Baby" Watermelon. Most northern gardeners are familiar with this little ice box variety. Yet people who tend to shop mostly from grocery stores are used to the X-Large oval lighter green with dark green stripe varieties of watermelon. These jumbo watermelons are usually grown in warmer climates that need a longer and hotter growing season. This year we probably could have grown the larger types, but who knew Vermont would have such a long hot nice summer. The cantaloupes will probably be ready next week also, they too, are very sweet and juicy. The recipe this week is for melons and can be used for any type of ripe melon.

Thanks. Enjoy your vegetables!

Anne

Week 12, Aug 20, 2012

Available for you:

• Watermelon - 1 
• Potatoes - 1 quart - Red 
• Cucumbers - 2 
• Carrots - 1 bunch 
• Squash - Summer/Zucchini mix - 1 lb 
• Beans - Colored Mix - 1 quart 
• Lettuce - 1 head 
• Swiss Chard - 1 bunch 
• Tomatoes - 1

Recipes for the week:

Watermelon and Salad

Feisty Beans

Greetings Members!

What a forecast of beautiful weather for this week. The only thing missing is a few evening showers so I guess it will be back to the irrigation pumps. We have been waking up to fog here in the valley lately and that will bring a few dew drops to the thirsty plants early in the morning. It can also brings the moisture diseases so we will be actively scouting and on alert. We all know that fall is just around the corner.

Halfway Alert!!

We are at week 12 (half-way for 24 week members). For those of you with summer (16 week) shares, don't forget to renew now and sign-up for a fall share. Tell all your friends how you like us. We are now accepting memberships for fall and winter shares. Fall Shares will begin on the week of September 24th. Fall vegetables are usually greens, carrots, beets, cabbage, squashes to include the ending of summer and zucchini and the starting of all the different winter squashes. A hard frost will determine the end of many of the summer crops, but tomatoes and cukes should continue into fall a little longer in the heated greenhouses.

We will have beans and watermelons this week. Beans are several colors green, yellow and a few purple. The purple will turn a nice shade of green when cooked. Steaming seems to hold the purple shade a little bit better than boiling. Kids love the purple magic beans changing colors. Eat them raw or cooked, but enjoy them while they are here.

Thanks!
Enjoy your vegetables.
Anne

Week 11, August 13, 2012

Available for you:

• Potatoes - 1 quart - Red 
• Red Beets - with greens - 1 bunch 
• Cucumber - 2 
• Carrots - 1 bunch 
• Summer Squash - 1 lb 
• Lettuce - 1 head 
• Swiss Chard - 1 bunch 
• Tomatoes - 2

Recipes of the week:

Carrot Slaw

Sweet Cucumber Carrot Salad (Raita)

Hot Beet Salad with Greens and Feta

Greetings Members!

I like to think of us all as educated shoppers. Here is something new I learned this week. I was recently reading an article in our local "Mountain Ear" magazine that was very interesting. It talked about how we as consumers can identify specifics about our produce. 

These numbers are called PLU (Price Look up) codes and can be found (on a little sticker) on your produce at the grocery store. The stickers contain a 4-5 digit number that helps identify and distinguish between GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) produce, Organic produce, and conventionally grown produce. A 4-digit numbered PLU code in the 3000 and 4000's means conventionally(with the use of chemicals) grown. A 5-digit PLU starting with a 9 means organically grown produce. A 5-digit PLU starting with an 8 means genetically-modified produce. 

So, I checked with my sources, and this is what they told me:

1. They have never seen this #8 ever used. 
2. The only way a GMO vegetable would be labeled as such is willingly and we know Monsanto isn't going to do that any time soon. 
3. Europe doesn't allow GMO so they are not sure where this code could/would be used, until laws are passed forcing them to be used. 

 So take the time to remember one of these little slogans when shopping for your produce:

"I LIKE MINE #9" or "Number 9 for me and mine"

Valley Dream Farm grows only organically certified produce. We sell a few other local items and try to purchase organic whenever possible. We only give out organic products in our CSA and deliveries. All non-organic products found at the farm stand are labeled quite clearly. You can check out the chalk board behind the register for the details as to where the products are from.

Thanks!

Enjoy your vegetables.

Anne

Week 10, August 8, 2012

Available for you:

• Potatoes - 1 quart Red 
• Cucumber - 1 big, + 1 small 
• Carrots - 1 bunch 
• Summer Squash - 1 1/2 lb 
• Lettuce - 1 head 
• Kale, Lacinato - 1 bunch 
• Swiss Chard - 1 bunch 
• Tomatoes - 3 small 
• Basil - 1 bunch

Recipes of the week:

Summer Vegetable Stew with Basil Puree

Smothered Yellow Squash with Basil

Greetings Members!

How is your summer going? It is definitely an outdoor summer. My daughters and my Mom invited me to the beach in Maine, so I ran away last weekend to the Ocean. It was so nice to get away. The weather was wonderful, sunny and hot. Even the freezing Maine water seemed so warm this year. I stayed in the ocean water riding the waves. It must have been a little too long because even with two applications of sun screen my back got pretty pink. Sunday was warm and cloudy at the beach and a nice morning break for those with sunburn. The afternoon traveling was great, as we stopped at a nice farm stand and gobbled up their pint fresh organic blueberries on our ride back home. This will be the last week we will have blueberries for sale, from our organic patch.

Farmer Joe took me for a ride around the farm on Monday so I could how things were growing. I did see that we will soon have watermelons. We cut one open that was still whitish pink and although it was getting close, it was only pink around the seeds and not quite ready to harvest. Enjoy your fresh basil this week. It is nice to have a Caprese salad of sliced fresh tomatoes, fresh Mozzarella, and a few ribbons of basil or try this week's recipe or others online too.

We know it is August when our college students start talking about heading back to school and fall classes. We will be missing our working UVM students, Mira , Sally and their friend Kasey, as they leave us to prepare for another year of college. They have been wonderful new friends to us all and we will miss their smiling faces. Thanks for planting the Valley Dream Farm sign garden before departing.

Thanks!

Anne