Week 6, July 11 - 19, 2011

In your CSA bag

~ Cucumber
~ Carrots
~ Joi Choy or Bok Choy – 1
~ Summer Squash
~ Radishes –1 bunch
~ Kale
~ Lettuce
~ Green Beans
~ Sugar Snap Peas


Also at the Farm Stand
Grown at Valley Dream Farm...
~ Flowers
~ Herbs
~ Bedding plants (20% off for all members)

Grown locally...
~ Maple Syrup, all sizes available - Maple Shade Farm
~ Tomatoes - Deep Root Organic, Canadian grower
~ Eggs - Pratt of N. Hyde Park

Coming Soon... ~ Boyden Beef

Recipes of the Week
Kale Crunch Chips
Kale Salad
Kale and White Bean Soup


Kale is so good for you I was determined to find a way to cook with it, especially something that kids would like too. I like Kale in any brothy soup. The longer it cooks the sweeter it gets. It tastes great in chicken or vegetable soups. It also tastes great in a sausage and potato soups. But the favorite way to eat Kale is to make some Kale chips. You can be creative too. Maybe you like a little Cajun spices on yours or just salt. We like them with parmesan cheese (not the Kraft powdered one, but the finely grated one where you can see little slivers of the cheese. Try them with your family and see if they like this healthy new snack.

News from the Field

The weather this past weekend was just great! Vermonters seem to relish the short summer season and those warm sunny days were just what we needed. The plants loved it too. They also like a mix of sunshine, heat, and rain. Of course the rain has been a bit heavier up to this point and hopefully we can get a good balance from here on out. The vegetable plants are directly affected by the weather. When we get to much rain the roots can’t get any air and can drowned and die. The plants that survive are weakened (kind of like being ill and exhausted). This leaves them vulnerable to insects as well as all that moisture which makes a great environment for diseases too. The rains not only wash off the organic sprays (that are very water soluble), they also deplete the soils nutrients. You may see yellowing in the leaves which is due to a lack of nitrogen. The farmer wants to re-fertilize but must wait until the field is dry enough to prevent getting stuck and using heavy equipment can cause excess soil compaction when it is wet.

When a plant is stronger it is healthier. A healthier plant is more able todefend itself from diseases, insects and weed pressures during its growth. We are trying to keep ahead of the weeds, which is always a challenge. They compete with the vegetable plant and steal its space and nutrients. On commercial farms they spray chemical herbicides to kill the weeds. The chemicals are so strong that most times they only have to spray once. On organic farms we can hoe the weeds, or mechanically cultivate the weeds. We do not spray with any herbicides or chemicals. So needless to say our weeds return quite frequently. This is also why organic prices are higher as there is much more labor and fuel involved. We invite any members that would like to get their hands dirty and pull weeds to drop by anytime. There is always a patch that needs addressing.

I received a call today that our certified organic Blueberry field that we rent is only a week away from picking.

The Brassica Story
Brassica vegetables are highly regarded for their nutritional value. They provide high amounts of vitamin C and soluble fiber and contain multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties.

There are lots of vegetables in the brassica family. It includes vegetables that are commonly grown and known as Broccoli, Broccoli Raab, Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collards, Kale (this week!), Kohlrabi, Mustard, Radishes, Rutabaga and Turnip. Many of them can be grown for their ornamental leaves. Brassicas are commonly grown in northern climates due to their tolerance of colder weather.

Enjoy the flavors and the sunshine!

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert