Week 11, August 15-22, 2011

In your CSA bag

Regular may take all vegetables listed, Single size members may choose 6 items, Seniors choose 5.

~ Potatoes – 1 quart
~ Carrots – 1 bunch
~ Cabbage or Collards – 1 choice
~ Zucchini - 1
~ Summer Squash or Patty pans – 2
~ Cucumber – 1
~ Chard – 1
~ Peppers – 2
~ Tomato – 2 small
~ Basil – 1 bunch

Recipe of the Week
Sweet Peppers and Pasta


News from the Field
We are very happy to see this week’s rain. It helps save us a lot of time setting up the irrigation rotation. We are unable to get water to our fields up on Dean Rd in Underhill. This season, we have winter storage beans on the Dean Rd field and they are tolerating the dry spell quite well. I think Monday’s rain will bring them up to date to continue growing healthy. Only final yields will really tell, as the plants still look quite healthy. We can irrigate most of the valley; we usually use the piped water from the irrigation pond. From these pipes, we can set- up our generator to pump the water to the water wheel. The waterwheel sprays the water slowly over the crops while retracting its hose. When it’s done and the reel is full of hose it automatically shuts off. When the pond is not available we can use water from our large tanks along with the generator and either the water wheel and/or the irrigation sprinklers. Of course this all takes quite a bit of time to keep up with, but for now the rain is a blessing.

Sweet Peppers

Green and Purple, sweet bell pepper have 2 times as much vitamin C as oranges; red and yellow bell peppers have 4 times as much.

Sweet bell peppers can be orange, yellow, red, purple, brown, black, ivory or green, depending on the stage of ripeness and the variety. Green bell peppers are fully developed, but not ripe. All sweet bell peppers start out green, and change color as they ripen. (They also get sweeter). The color depends on the specific variety; the most common variety is green when unripe and red when ripe.

The other colors can be sold at a much higher price, so they are always allowed to ripen before being sold. The yellow, orange, and red color takes an additional 20-25 days to fully ripen, this adds to the reason they are more expensive and because they are ripe, they have a shorter storage time.

Peppers have complete flowers that are both male and female parts in the same flower. The number of lobes is related to the specific variety of pepper. There are varieties of peppers that produce 2, 3-4, or 3-5 lobed peppers. The 4 lobed 'bell' pepper was (and is) more popular in the U.S., so plants have been bred for this characteristic.

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert

Week 10, Aug 9 - 13, 2011

In your CSA bag

Regular may take all vegetables listed, Single size members may choose 6 items, Seniors choose 5.

~ Beets w/ greens – 1
~ Carrots – 1 bunch
~ Cabbage - 1
~ Zucchini - 1
~ Summer Squash or Patty pans – 2
~ Cucumber – 1
~ Chard – 1
~ Green kale – 1
~ Peppers – 1 choice green/purple
~ Onions – 1 bunch
~ Garlic – 1 bulb

Also at the Farm Stand
Grown locally...
~ Maple Shade Farm – 2011 syrup shares of 2 half gallons for $48.00 are still available.
~ Maple Syrup: all sizes available
~ Valley Dream Farm –all items certified organic
~ Eggs – organic (not certified) -Great Scape Farm, Jeffersonville
~ Peaches – non organic -Pennsylvania Amish
~ Blueberries – Cave Moose Farm, Cambridge, certified organic
Recipe of the Week
Zucchini Bars

News from the Field

Our chickens which were a gift have turned to be a menace. The chickens have learned to fly from their area and ventured into the tomato greenhouses. They have had a grand time and have eaten their way through the red, ripe tomatoes. Those chickens have been relocated away from the farm!!!

The nice hot summer weather that we have been enjoying is not so good for the leafy green vegetables. The lettuce has bolted and we will need to wait for the next planting to be ready before we get more. Bolting means that the plant is trying to produce seeds to reproduce. For lettuce the plant starts to look like a Christmas tree at the top. The lettuce will start to lose its delicious flavor and become bitter.

This fall Valley Dream Farm will host:

The 1st Annual Vermont Organic Festival

Planning is still in progress, but I wanted to give everyone a heads up and invite fellow farmers, businesses, organizations and craftsmen to participate. The event is Saturday, October 1 from 12-4 at the Valley Dream Farm.

Events include: potato sack races, carrot peeling, applesauce eating, hayrides, river walk, live music by the Tammy Fletcher Band and Peter “Professor Fairbanks” Miller.

We are seeking the following: vendors selling organic food or 'crafty' non-food products; volunteers to help run activities or assist with parking the day of the event; and businesses to sponsor the event and help defray costs. Please check out the event website, www.vermontorganicfestival.com for a schedule of events and entertainment. More to come as the time draws near..!

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert

Week 9, August 1 - 8, 2011

In your CSA bag

Regular may take all vegetables listed, Single size members may choose 6 items, Seniors choose 5.

~ Sweet Corn – single 2 / regular 4
~ Cabbage - 1
~ Zucchini – Romanesco Italian - 1
~ Summer Squash or Patty pans – 2
~ Broccoli or Carrots – 1 choice
~ Cucumber – 1
~ Fava Beans – 1 quart
~ Collards – 1 bunch
~ Lettuce – 1 Red or Green
~ Tomatoes – 1 (do NOT refrigerate)
~ Basil – 2 stems

Also at the Farm Stand
Grown locally...
~ Maple Shade Farm – 2011 syrup shares of 2 half gallons for $48.00 are still available.
~ Maple Syrup: all sizes available
~ Valley Dream Farm –all items certified organic
~ Eggs – organic (not certified) -Great Scape Farm, Jeffersonville
~ Peaches – non organic -Pennsylvania Amish
~ Blueberries – Cave Moose Farm, Cambridge, certified organic

Recipes of the Week
Summer Corn Salad
Zucchini Hash

News from the Field

Wishing you had a few more vegetables each week? If a single share is not enough give us a call and we will be happy to upgrade you (on a pro-rated basis) to a regular size share. Additional items are always available for purchase in the farm store or you can pre-order and receive them with your regular delivery.

This is unique squash week. We are offering you romanesco zucchini. This is an heirloom Italian zucchini that wins every taste test based on its unique, slightly nutty flavor and exceptional texture. We are also offering you patty pan summer squash. It tastes very similar to yellow summer squash. It is very delicious, especially when cut in thick flower shaped slices and drizzled with a mix of olive oil 6tablespoons, garlic 1 clove crushed and chopped basil leaves then thrown them on a hot grill and cook until seared on both sides with pretty grill stripes.

Also this week, we have a new vegetable that is very high in protein called Fava Beans. Fava beans were enjoyed by ancient Egyptians 5,000 years ago and 3,000 years later continued to be a prime source of protein in the Near East. The fava is a large, brown bean; these beans are often considered the tastiest bean around, along with being the meatiest bean. The favas grow in large pods that house approximately five beans each. They are popular in many parts of Europe and are beginning to gain a following in the United States. Fresh broad beans should keep fresh for up to a week if refrigerated; where as dried fava beans will keep for up to a year if stored in an airtight glass or ceramic container. They do take a bit of work to prepare.

PREPARING “Fava Beans”

1. Shuck beans (they look like pale green large beans) out of pods and discard pods.
2. Boil beans in lightly salted water for 10 minutes.
3. Remove thin green skins.
4. Cool. Eat warm with butter salt and pepper, or store in refrigerator for later use.
5. Use them in salads or in a stir fry with other vegetables

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert