August 31, 2018 by wobblycartfarm

Wobbly Carrt Farm CSA week 12

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8-28-18

Large shares: gold beets, lettuce, fennel, red russian kale, sweet onion, fresh shelling beans, red cabbage, cauliflower, heirloom tomatoes, dill

Small shares: gold beets, lettuce, sweet onion, fresh shelling beans, red cabbage, heirloom tomatoes, dill

Greens shares: lettuce, mustard greens, Italian parsley

Roots shares: red carrots, yellow finn potatoes, fennel or gold beets

Juicing shares: fennel, red russian kale, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, dill, tomato seconds

Hello everyone,

Things have cooled down significantly in the last week and the smoky air has cleared at last. We definitely have a hint of fall in the cold and misty mornings of late! The day length is rapidly declining as we speed toward the Autumnal equinox.

We will still have several weeks of summer crops including another planting of sweet corn, tons of tomatoes, and three different types of melons coming your way… but we can also expect a subtle shift toward some later season crops soon. Many of the fall greens, kale, and carrots will sweeten up significantly as the season cools down so September and October are some of the yummiest weeks on the farm.

This week we have gold beet bunches. These are just like red beets but have a milder and sweeter flavor. They have an earthy nuttiness to them somewhat like a walnut and sweetness reminiscent of apples or apricots. The color is a phenomenal gold. The greens on these looked really nice and would be great to cook with as well.

The pretty bean pods this week are fresh shelling beans. Our crew member Rosa saved the seed for these beans and we are growing them out. Eventually they will be fully dried beans and seem similar to a Dragons Tounge bean. Vibrantly colored and delightfully patterned, fresh beans also have a subtle sweetness and tenderness that dried ones lack. They don’t need to be soaked before simmering and can be ready to eat in about 10 minutes.

To dress them up, simmer with aromatics like onions, leeks, or fresh ginger, and toss them in olive oil flavored with toasted garlic, fresh marjoram leaves, or citrus zest.

Beans can be refrigerated in their pods for two to three days, or up to a week once shelled. One pound shelled will yield about 1 cup of whole beans.

Have a great week,

Asha

Marinated Tomato Salad: Combine 3 tomatoes, cut into wedges, 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 to 3 leaves fresh basil, minced, 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

Creamy Cucumber Salad with Fresh Dill: Peel 1 large cucumber (several small lemon cucumbers would work just great). Slice very thin, sprinkle with a ½ tsp salt, and set in a colander to drain for at least 20 minutes. In a separate bowl combine 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar, 4 oz sour cream, 2 tsp oil, 1 tsp sugar, 2 Tbsp fresh chopped dill, or to taste. Combine with the cucumbers and serve chilled.

Golden Beet Slaw: Whisk together ¼ cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp orange zest, 1 Tbsp orange juice, ¾ tsp coarse sea salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Peel 1 ½ lb Golden Beets, and cut into matchsticks. Toss the beets with 3 sliced scallions, and ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, and the dressing. Serves 6. (From Martha Stewart Living April 2011).

Tangy Coleslaw: Combine: 1 cup mayonnaise, 4 scallions, chopped, 2 tsp cider vinegar, 1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce, ¼ tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp sugar. Place in a large bowl, dress and toss tightly: 3 cups shredded Cabbage, 3 cups shredded Arugula, 1 carrot, grated, and ½ of a green bell pepper cut into strips. Makes 6 servings. (From the Joy of Cooking.)

Roasted Golden Beets and Sauteed Beet Greens: trim one bunch medium beets with tops to 1 inch. Wash and chop greens and stems. Scrub beets and wrap tightly in heavy duty foil. Roast in the 400 degree oven until tender, 50 minutes. Cool, peel and cut into wedges. Sauté greens, stems and 2 tsp minced garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet over medium heat until tender, 6 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, 2 tbsp each pistachios and goat cheese. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. ( from Prevention magazine June 2012)

Grilled Potatoes with Fresh Dill: preheat grill to 350 degrees. Slice thinly 2 lbs potatoes. Toss with ½ tsp salt, 4 tbsp olive oil, and pepper to taste. Lay out 2 large sheets of foil 12x 26 inches. Oil the foil and arrange the potatoes in a single layer over one side of the foil. Fold the foil over and crimp the edges forming a packet. Grill the packets, covered, rotating once, for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and browned. Open packets and transfer potatoes into a serving bowl. Toss with 2 tbsp butter and ¼ cup chopped fresh dill. Sprinkle with coarse salt and serve.

Kale Caesar Salad: Preheat oven to 300. For croutons, mince 2 garlic cloves, in a medium saucepan warm ¼ cup olive oil and the minced garlic over low heat; remove. Add 4 cups bread cubed into 1 inch pieces. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt. Stir to coat. Spread bread pieces in a single layer on a shallow baking pan. Bake 20 minutes or until crisp and golden brown, stirring once. Cool completely. Meanwhile, for the dressing, in a blender combine 4 cloves garlic, ½ cup olive oil, 6 anchovy filets, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, and 2 egg yolks. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Remove stems from 3 large bunches of lacinato kale and thinly slice the leaves. Add the dressing, and using your hands work the dressing into the kale. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. To serve, sprinkle with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese and top with croutons.

Fresh shell bean and tomato stew: In a saucepan combine 3 cups fresh shell beans, 1 quart water, 2 garlic cloves, halved, 2 thyme sprigs, and a pinch of baking soda and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the beans are tender, 30 minutes. Drain the beans, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid in the sauce pan. Discard the garlic and the thyme sprigs. Add the beans and 1 lb of chopped fresh tomatoes. Simmer the steq over moderate heat until the tomatoes are hot, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter. Add the thyme leaves and season with salt, then serve.

July 17, 2018 by wobblycartfarm

Wobbly Cart Farm CSA week 6

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7-17-18

Large shares: Cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, purplette onions, shell peas, lettuce, fennel, summer squash/zuchinni, fresh garlic, dill

Small shares: green cabbage, beets, kohlrabi, snap peas, summer squash/zuchinni, lettuce, dill

Greens shares: green cabbage, lettuce, chard

Roots shares: carrots, fennel, purplette onions

Juicing share: carrot 2nds, red cabbage, chard, dill, fennel

Dear CSA members,

Well, we survived some pretty intense heat these last couple of days. Highs have been in the high nineties – and on the ground in the open field and inside the greenhouses it is much hotter than that. I’m guessing 105 degrees or more. Yikes! The crew gets a shout out for working a very long day yesterday. That intense afternoon heat really takes it out of you. I am hoping for cooler temps in the next week.

We have harvested our first cauliflower of the year. It looks pretty nice though a bit smaller than usual for us. Next week the small shares should get cauliflower.

Bulb fennel is the large white bulb with abundant green fronds. From the same family as as the herb and seed of the same name, bulb fennel has an assertive anise like flavor, and is excellent shaved fresh into salads and roasted until caramelized. The fronds can be used in salads and as a garnish.

Purple Kohlrabi is part of the Cruciferous family of vegetables, scientifically known as Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes. The word ‘Kohlrabi’ comes from the Germanic words for cabbage, ‘kohl’, and turnip, ‘rabi’. It was given its name for the close resemblance to both a cabbage, and a turnip, with its bulbous stem sitting on top of the ground. To eat you must peel off the slightly tough outer skin in order to enjoy the crisp sweet interior that is best eaten raw in slices with a dip or grated into a salad.

Summer squash is coming on strong with the heat. We harvested many hundreds of pounds yesterday. I tried to give everyone a generous portion without going overboard.

Peas are on their way out with this heat. We should have greeen beans soon though!

I have been seeing ripe cherry tomatoes as well of hints of color on the large tomatoes. The heat and warm nights is helping kick them into ripening mode.

The next month we will be entering into the peak of summer crops. Compsing the harvest list is so much fun this time of year and you can expect your shares to get a bit larger!

Have a great week,

Asha

Creamy Cauliflower Soup: In a soup pot saute in olive oil for 5 minutes: 1 chopped Walla Walla onion, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 large head cauliflower that has been broken into florets, 3 to 4 medium potatoes, cubed, 3 chopped carrots, 1 tsp caraway seeds. Simmer the veggies in just enough water to cover them, and cook until soft. Puree the mixture until smooth. Return to the soup pot and add 1 cup milk, 2 cups grated sharp cheddar, salt to taste, and several tbsp chopped fresh dill. simmer very gently for 5 to 10 min more. Serve with toasted sourdough rye. (adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook)

Roasted Cauliflower: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Break 1 2 lb head of cauliflower into bite sized peices. Toss the cauliflower with 1/4 cup olive oil, 5 chopped cloves of garlic, and 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with 2 tsp kosher salt and 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves and toss again. Roast until golden and tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Pickled Cabbage: Fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Core a cabbage and chop into large pieces, you will need about 4 cups. Add the cabbage to the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds, then drain in a colander. Let cool to room temperature. When cool enough to handle squeeze leaves to soften them and release some water. Meanwhile, combine3/4 cup vinegar, ½ cup sugar, and 2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil to dissolve sugar, and pour into a bowl to cool. When cool, add the cabbage and toss to coat well. Pour all of this into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Refrigerate for 2 days, turning the jar occasionally to coat all the leaves with the brine. Serve cold.

Cauliflower and Potato Curry: Cook for 5 min in a saucepan of boiling water 1 2 to 3 lb cauliflower, cut into florets. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. Add to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes: 2 medium potatoes (or equivalent ) that have been cut into 1/2 inch chunks. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain well again; transfer to the bowl of cauliflower. Process in a food processor until minced: 1 large tart apple ( peeled, cored and sliced) 3 large garlic cloves, 1 2 inch peice of freh ginger, peeled and sliced, 2 hot chile peppers such as jalapeno (seeded and sliced). Then heat a large dutch oven over medium heat; 1/4 cup vegetable oil or ghee, add 2 medium coarsely chopped onions, add the apple mixture and cook, stirring, until the onions are softened and starting to color, 5 to 7 minutes. Add: 2 tbsp curry powder, 1 tbsp all purpose flour. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes to lightly brown the curry powder and flour. Add: 1 14 oz can of unsweetened coconut milk, 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock, 1 tsp salt. Bring to gently boil over medium heat, then add the cauliflower and potatoes and add 1 16 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in, cover and cook until wilted 10 to 12 oz washed and chopped greens such as spinach, chard, turnip greens or kale. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over cooked rice.

Beet salad: Scrub 2 to 3 large beets, place in a large pot and cover with water; boil until fork tender, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, add 2 thinly sliced purplette onions to a medium sized bowl. Combine together in a saucepan ½ tsp ground cardamom, ½ cup red wine vinegar, 3 tbsp agave nectar, and 3 tsp salt; bring to a boil and pour over the onions. When the beets are cooked, strain them and allow to cool. Slice off the tops and tails and use your hands to slide off the peels and discard. Slice the whole beets into rounds, sticks or cubes, and place in a large serving bowl. Add the pickled onions, ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds, a handful of golden raisins, and a handful of arugula or dandelion greens. Drizzle with olive oil and salt to taste, toss and serve. (above recipes from the Olympia Food Co-op)

Lemony Fennel and Radish Salad: Wash 1 bunch of radishes and remove the green. Zest ½ of a lemon, and juice the whole thing. Put the zest in a salad bowl and toss with 3 thinly sliced scallions. Trim a fennel bulb and slice as thinly as possible. Quarter the radishes, and toss both with the lemon zest and scallions. Add the lemon juice and 5 tbsp olive oil and toss with salt and pepper to taste.

Honey Balsamic Beet Salad: place 2 lbs trimmed and scrubbed baby beets in a baking pan. Combine ½ cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp honey, and 1 tbsp olive oil; pour over the beets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until tender. On a platter combine ½ cups cooked quinoa, 2 cups watercress or arugula, and the beets and roasting juices. Top with chopped fresh tarragon.(from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine November 2012)

Cabbage with dill and fresh peas: chop one small onion into half moons, heat 1 tbsp butter in a medium saute pan. Add in onions and a pinch of sea salt, allow to cook 4 to 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add in 8 cups shredded cabbage and another pinch of sea salt. Stir throughly to combine. Allow to cook for 6 to 8 minutes before adding in 1 cup fresh shell peas or snap peas with stems and strings removed. Cook another 5 to 8 minutes or until peas are cooked through and cabbage is wilted and a little browned. Turn off the heat and stir in 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted fennel with Parmesan: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 9 x 13 inch pan. Chop 2 large fennel bulbs into 1/3 inch slices and reserve some of the fronds. Place fennel bulb slices into the pan and cover with salt and pepper to taste, 4 tbsp olive oil, and 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Roast until tender and golden brown about 45 minutes. Chop enough fennel fronds to make about 2 tbsp and sprinkle over the roaste

June 12, 2018 by wobblycartfarm

Wobbly Cart Farm CSA week #1

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6-12-18

Small Shares: fresh dill, garlic scapes, salad turnips, radishes, romaine lettuce, broccoli, chard

Large shares: fresh dill, garlic scapes, salad turnips, radishes, 2 romaine lettuce, broccoli, chard, and snow peas

Dear CSA members,

Hello and welcome to week one of our 2018 CSA! We are so excited to begin our 22-week CSA journey with you. Today’s delivery is a result of many weeks of support from you, our members, and much hard work and preparation on our part.

The first produce of the 2018 season begins with garlic planted in October, and seeds ordered in December, many of them started in the green house in January, February and March or seeded in the fields as soon as the soil allows us. The fields must also be plowed, tilled and amended before planting can begin. Once seeds are sowed or transplanted we must cultivate, weed, water and tend them until they are harvested, washed and packed for you here all the way at the second week of June!

We want to recognize and thank you all for your support this spring. As you know by signing up for a CSA you are investing your food dollars in a small, local, organic, farm. By providing us with upfront money to keep the farm and our employees going in the late winter and early spring when we don’t have produce to sell, you truly help sustain our farm community. Now it’s our turn to return the favor with all the fresh organic goodness that we spend so much time, care and energy producing for you!

The weather so far this year has been unusually cooperative as far as farming goes. We have had no problem getting our spring crops in the ground with all the warm dry weather in May. I was actually quite relieved that we got about an inch and a half of rain last Friday, as the ground had become quite dry and the grasses looked more like late July than early June! Things feel a bit more normal and “June-uary” like now, with lows hovering around 37 degrees here last night. That kind of weather is great for our cool weather loving crops such as kale and peas, which we should see more of in next couple of weeks. Though the tomatoes, melons, peppers and eggplant are not really loving that. I hear it’s going to heat up next week so- the best of both worlds!

Here is a quick run down on the crops this week:

Garlic scapes are the elegant goose necked flower stalks of the garlic plant. They emerge this time of year as the garlic matures and it is best for the final product of the bulb if we snap them off. As an added bonus they are delicious to eat and can be chopped and used just like garlic in any recipe, blended up into a pesto, braised whole and much more. They keep for a long time in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator so no need to worry about using them up right away.

Salad turnips: are a Japanese variety of turnip that is very tender with a crisp delicious flavor even when eaten raw. They have an even-textured density and the flavor pairs well with a variety of different food items. Eat them raw (just whole, or chopped/grated in salads), make a quick pickle, or cook with their greens to enhance their natural sweetness. Handling: Wash and peel the turnip root. Turnips should not be overcooked, or they will become dark in color and strong in flavor. Turnips should be stored unwashed in plastic bag in crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Store greens separately wrapped in damp towel or plastic bag – use them as soon as possible.

Both shares received fresh dill this week. This fern like herb has a nice sweet licorice and parsley like flavor. I think it is delicious with potatoes, in green and pasta salads and in creamy dips.

Snow peas are also known as Chinese pea pods since they are often used in stir-fries. They are flat with very small peas inside; the whole pod is edible, although the tough “strings” along the edges are usually removed before eating. Snow peas are mildly flavored and can be served raw or cooked.

We have some pretty gorgeous broccoli this week. I am always happy when the early broccoli plantings work out nicely. Once you chop up the florets, I recommend peeling the stems and chopping them too. I think they are the most delicious part of the broccoli.

Crops to look for next week (no promises!): more peas, carrots, Walla Walla onions, scallions, kale

Have a great week,

Asha

Roasted Garlic Scapes: Preheat oven to 350. Rinse scapes and pat dry. Cut into smaller pieces of desired size, or leave whole, and place in a 9×13-roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with good sea salt. Optional: add cracked pepper or other herbs/spices. Roast for 24-35 minutes, until softened, browned and just slightly crispy to your liking. Remove from oven and enjoy hot or chilled.

Baby lettuces with goat-cheese dressing, pistachios, and pink peppercorns: for the dressing: in a food processor puree 4 oz goat cheese, ½ cup buttermilk, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp honey and 1 tsp salt until smooth. Refrigerate dressing until ready to use. Divide up 4 cups of lettuce leaves amongst 4 salad plates. Drizzle each serving with ¼ of the dressing and sprinkle with roasted and salted pistachios, fresh tarragon leaves, and coarsely crushed pink peppercorns. Serves 4. (From May 2013 issue of Country Living Magazine)

Swiss Chard Quesadillas: Wash but do not dry 1 bunch of chard. Cut off the stems and slice them 1/4 inch thick; cut the leaves into 1/4 inch ribbons. Set aside. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup finely chopped scallion and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 3 min. Add the chard stems and cook, stirring often, until they are tender but retain a slight bite, 6 to 8 min. Add the leaves and cook, stirring, until they wilt and become quite tender, 3 to 5 min. For each quesadilla, spread 1 tbsp sour cream on a flour tortilla. Top with 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup pepper jack cheese, 1/4 of the chard mixture, and 1/4 cup Cotija. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp ground coriander, 1/4 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp ground cumin, and a dash of hot sauce. Squeeze lime juice over the top. Fold the tortilla in half to enclose the filling. Brush a large skillet with vegetable oil and place over medium heat. Place the quesadilla in the pan and cook, turning once, until the tortilla is golden on both sides and the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes total. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas.

Garlic Scape Pesto: Place 8 10-inch long garlic scapes in a food processor and chop into small pieces. Add 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup shelled walnuts, zest and juice of one large lemon. Process into a rough paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the blade running, slowly drizzle in 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil. Process until the oil is thoroughly incorporated and the pesto is fairly smooth, about 30 seconds. Season with seas salt to taste.

Quick sesame snow peas: Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a large skillet. Add in ½ lb snow peas that have been washed, stringed and patted dry and cook stirring and tossing for 1 ½ minutes until the snow peas are just barely cooked but warmed through. Remove from heat and toss the peas with 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice. Cover and let rest for several minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste and toasted sesame seeds.

Garlicky Roasted Broccoli: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a blender or food processor, puree 6 cloves roasted garlic with 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/4 tsp soy sauce. Add more garlic to taste. Chop up one large head of broccoli ( 4 cups) and drizzle with 3 tbsp of the garlic oil. Toss to coat in a bowl. Spread the broccoli onto a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with red pepper and salt to taste. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is fork tender and quite brown and crispy in spots. 15 to 18 min.

Broccoli with Green Herb Sauce: Break 1 large head of broccoli into florets, peel the stalk and chop into chunks. Steam in a steamer basket over simmering water, covered, until tender to the core when pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Put in a serving dish. Meanwhile mix ½ cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves, 1 tsp each fresh thyme and oregano leaves, zest of 1 large lemon, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp brined capers, rinsed and chopped, 2 tbsp finely diced shallot, 1 small garlic clove minced, ½ cup olive oil, and sea salt and pepper to taste. Spoon about half the green herb sauce over the broccoli and turn gently to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature, with extra sauce on the side.

Pan roasted salad turnips: halve one bunch of salad turnip roots, toss with 1 tsp olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. In a small bowl combine ½ tbsp water and ½ tbsp honey with a pinch of cayenne. Heat a small skillet with an additional tsp of olive oil. Add turnips and sauté for about 10 minutes, turning frequently, until they are golden brown. Add honey mixture to turnips and toss them for a few minutes until they are glazed and tender. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Sauteed Spring Turnips and Radishes with their greens 20 min to make, feeds 4. Remove greens from turnips and radishes and reserve. Halve or quarter 1 bunch spring turnips 1 bunch radishes lengthwise. Heat oil in sautee pan. Add turnips and radishes and shaved garlic scapes, sautee until the roots’ cut edges turn brown. Chop greens and add to pan, cook until wilted and bright Season with salt

Grilled Romaine Lettuce 10 min to make, feeds 4. Slice 2 heads of romaine lettuce in half lengthwise, so each half is held together by the root end. Coat the halves with olive oil, salt, pepper and, if you wish, lemon juice and/or anchovies. Over a warm grill or on hot cast iron skillet, sear the lettuce, cut edge down until the edge begins to brown and darken. Do not burn the lettuce, it smells terrible. Once the heart has begun to brown, flip the head over to just wilt the leaves. Arrange on a plate and dress with balsamic vinegar and shaved parmesan.

July 25, 2017 by wobblycartfarm

Wobbly Cart Farm CSA week 5

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7-25-17

Large shares: red cabbage, lettuce, purplette onions, cauliflower, green beans, snow peas, eggplant, summer squash, fresh dill, garlic

Small share: red cabbage, cauliflower, purplette onions, summer squash, green beans, fresh dill, garlic

Greens share: lacinato kale, Italian parsley, hearts of romaine

Roots share: red beets, gold beets, carrots, fresh yellow onion

Juicing share: 5lb carrot seconds, fennel, red beets, arugula, Italian parsley

Dear CSA members,

Hopefully you have all had a nice week and are as excited as we are for this week’s CSA shares. We have really enjoyed receiving your positive feedback these past weeks and thank you for sharing recipes and ideas on the face book group page. I love getting new ideas for recipes as well as fun things to do with lavender!

This week we have begun the add-on share options. Look for your add on share at the drop site if you have ordered one, they will be labeled with your name. Greens shares have a green dot, roots shares a red dot, and juicing shares a blue dot. Ocean Shores folks, I have added the add-on shares to your regular boxes in the interest of space.

We have harvested some new crops for you this week. First off cauliflower, this harvest was not quite as amazing as some of our plantings from last year but pretty nice. Green beans: our first harvest of green beans was quite plentiful and so small shares will get a ½ lb and large a full lb this week. The first picking of the planting always has the best, most tender beans. I hope you enjoy!

I anticipate that next week we will have new potatoes, basil, cucumbers and hopefully cherry tomatoes as well. Our potatoes and tomatoes are several weeks behind normal due to the extremely rainy and cold spring we had this year. Better late than never though! We still have another planting of peas so hopefully we will enjoy more peas in the next couple of weeks as well.

In the fields we are attempting to keep up with the weeding, by flame weeding some direct seeded crops before the planted seeds emerge, cultivating with the tractors and various weeding implements and hand weeding with hand tools. We are also seeding and transplanting many of our fall crops this time of year. We are putting in many types of storage root crops such as winter radishes, rutabaga, carrots, beets and turnips. From the greenhouse we will be planting radicchio, escarole, winter kale, cabbages, and other greens within the next week.

Have a great week,

Asha

Ratatouille Provencal: Heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat; ¼ cup olive oil. Add and cook, stirring, until golden and just tender, 10 to 12 minutes: 1 medium Eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks, and 1 lb zucchini, cut into 1 inch chunks. Remove the vegetables to a plate and reduce the heat to medium high. Add and cook, stirring, until the onions are slightly softened: 2 tbsp olive oil and 1-½ cups sliced onions. Add a cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender but not browned, 8 to 12 minutes: 2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch chunks, 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add: 1 ½ cups peeled, seeded, chopped fresh tomatoes, or one 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained. 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme, and 1 bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and zucchini and cook until everything is tender, about 20 minutes more. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Stir in ¼ cup chopped fresh basil and chopped pitted black olives if desired. From the Joy of Cooking.

Smoky Eggplant Raita: Heat your grill t o 450 to 550 degrees with an area left clear or turned off for indirect heat. Peirce 1 lb of eggplant in several places with a knife. Grill Eggplant over indirect heat, covered, until very tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to touch. Meanwhile, toast about ½ tsp of cumin in a small dry frying pan over med. Heat until fragrant and beginning to darken, 2 to 3 minutes. Pound fine with a motar and pestle. Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in pan over medium heat. Saute ¼ large onion for 3 minutes. Add 1 lg minced garlic clove and continue to sauté until both are softened, about 2 min more. Let cool slightly. Slit the eggplant lengthwise and scrape flesh from the skin. Chop flesh coarsely and set aside. Combine 1 cup whole milk yogurt, the onion mixture, 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, ¼ tsp sugar. Add eggplant and stir gently. Season to taste with coarse sea salt and cayenne pepper. Garnish with a little more cilantro. From the September 2010 issue of Sunset

Eggplant and Zucchini Fries with Roasted Tomato Dip: Heat oven to 375. Toss 1 cup chopped heirloom tomato in 1 tsp olive oil and roast on a sheet pan for 15 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree with 1 cup greek yogurt, 2 tsp cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and chill. Place 5 large egg whites in a bowl and beat, then place in a separate bowl and mix 2 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs and and additional 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Cut 1 medium yellow squash, 1 medium zuchinni, and 1 small eggplant into 1/2 inch fries. Dip in egg whites, roll in bread crumbs, and place on a baking sheet. Bake until golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve with Roasted Tomato Dip.

Green (or Romano) Beans on the Grill: put 1 lb of green beans on a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to fold and seal. You may need to fold two sheets together. (you can also use one sheet of foil to set the pouch on. This way if any liquid seeps out or it pulls apart it dosen’t leave a mess.) drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the beans. Add 2 – 3 minced garlic cloves and 1 tsp crushed red pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Toss beans with tongs until well coated. Add 1 to 2 tbsp water and fold aluminum foil together at the top and pinch the sides closed. Cook the green bean pouch on the grill until the beans are tender. (food.com)

October 1, 2015 by wobblycartfarm

Wobbly Cart Farm CSA week 15

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9-22-15

Wobbly Cart Farm CSA week #15

Large shares: fennel, carrots, lacinato kale, summer squash, potatoes, shallots, sweet pepper, Poblano peppers, cayenne peppers, garlic, purple mustard greens, salad cucumbers, dill

Small shares: fennel, carrots, lacinato kale, shallots or small sweet onions, purple beauty bell pepper, potatoes, jalapeno pepper, czech black pepper, garlic, dill

Autumn Movement

I cried over beautiful things knowing no beautiful thing lasts.

The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper sunburned woman, the mother of the year, the taker of seeds.

The northwest wind comes and the yellow is torn full of holes, new beautiful things come in the first spit of snow on the northwest wind, and the old things go, not one lasts.

-Carl Sandburg

Dear CSA members,

The heavy lifting days of late September are here. Cold, crisp night last night, near 38 degrees and Orions’ belt peeking over the horizon. We are near the Autumnal equinox and our days will grow short again. I have been hearing the calls of snow geese over -head as they begin the fall migrations to the south and love seeing fresh snow on the slopes of Mt. Rainier. Now is the time that we must bring in all the winter squash, tons and tons of it. The squashes must cure in a warm dry place on order to be stored for the winter months to come. Once cured, we will move them into an insulated room to protect them from freezing. Within the next week or so will be the big potato harvest as well!

In the fields, the late cauliflower and broccoli plantings have been looking really amazing. However, we have been disappointed to find an outbreak of aphids that is really cutting the harvest down. I was hoping to have cauliflower for CSA this week, but it is not to be. We do have some really nice kale instead.

Each share will get a couple of our hot peppers. The large share will have cayenne peppers. These are really hot! I use them for Thai and Indian dishes ( in small quantities). They dry really well and you can grind them easily after they are dried. Small shares get a Jalapeno pepper (mildly hot) which is excellent for salsa and a Czech black pepper. The Czech black pepper starts out black and then ripens to the gorgeous dark red color. They are similar in heat to the Jalapeno, but have a sweeter more complex flavor.

Large shares received a couple poblano peppers. These are the block, conical dark green or dark red peppers. The flesh of these peppers is mildly hot, sweet, and savory. These peppers are excellent for stuffing, chile relleno style.

Both shares received fresh dill this week. This fern like herb has a nice sweet licorice and parsley like flavor. I think it is delicious with potatoes, in green and pasta salads and in creamy dips. Also, new this week is shallots (some of the small shares did not receive shallots). Shallots, like onions and garlic, are a member of the allium family, but their flavor is richer, sweeter, yet more potent. Shallots add a great depth of flavor to pan sautés, soups, sauces, and stews, and pair especially well with chicken and fish. To substitute one for the other in recipes, use half the amount of shallot that you would onion.

Have a great week,

Asha, Joe and the crew at Wobbly Cart

Greek Spinach Dip: heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat, add ¼ cup chopped shallots, 4 chopped green onions, 1 tbsp minced garlic. Sauté 1 minute, stir in 12 oz. spinach leaves. Cook 2 more minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree. Add in ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp lemon zest, 2 tsp lemon juice, 1 cup greek yogurt, ½ cup feta cheese, 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse just until combined.

*a variation is to add thinly sliced fennel and chopped pistachio nuts.

Lemon Potato Soup with Feta: in a 4 quart dutch oven heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat, add 1 cup chopped onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in 4 cups chicken broth and 4 cups chopped potatoes. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in 2 cups chopped kale or spinach and 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until kale is wilted. Remove from heat. Stir in the juice and zest of one lemon and an additional tbsp of olive oil. Let stand for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with 2 oz crumbled feta cheese and additional lemon zest if desired. Serves 4.

August 4, 2015 by wobblycartfarm

Wobbly Cart Farm CSA box #8

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8-4-15

Wobbly Cart Farm CSA box #8

Large share: heirloom tomato, Italian plums, Walla Walla onions, lemon cucumber, slicing cucumber, summer squash, beets, carrots, butterhead lettuce, fresh dill, garlic, jalapeno or Czech black pepper, romano beans

Small share: Romaine lettuce, cucumber, Walla Walla onion, summer squash, eggplant, bell pepper, cilantro, red or heirloom tomato.

“To husband is to use with care, to keep, to save, to make last, to conserve. Old usage tells us that there is a husbandry also of the land, of the soil, of the domestic plants and animals – obviously because of the importance of these things to the household. And there have been times, one of which is now, when some people have tried to practice a proper human husbandry of the nondomestic creatures in recognition of the dependence of our households and domestic life upon the wild world. Husbandry is the name of all practices that sustain life by connecting us conservingly to our places and our world; it is the art of keeping tied all the strands in the living network that sustains us.

And so it appears that most and perhaps all of industrial agriculture’s manifest failures are the result of an attempt to make the land produce without husbandry.”

― Wendell Berry, Bringing it to the Table: Writings on Farming and Food

Dear CSA members,

Well, we survived the latest heat wave. I’m pretty sure we hit 100 here on Saturday. Yikes! Thankfully we now are back to some “normal” summer weather again this week. Some tree species up and down our valley are turning yellow and brown with the drought conditions in a way that is a bit alarming. Heirloom tomatoes are coming in en masse on harvest days, at least those that have survived the sunburn. When temperatures climb into the mid 90’s and higher exposed fruits of delicate tomatoes, peppers and eggplants will literally scorch and cook to the point we can no longer market them. Crazy but true, it is actually too hot for tomatoes in Western Washington this summer!

We also have an enormous abundance of cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, and summer squash happening. If you are interested in bulk quantities of pickling cucumbers we are taking orders now. You can order on our web store http://www.wobblycart.com or call Joe 208 512 3186 and we can deliver with your CSA share or you can pick up on the farm or at our market stands in Olympia and Chehalis.

I took a quick field walk after packing CSA with the intention if checking out our melon crop. This is the first time we have attempted to grow melons on any sizeable scale. And what a great year to do so! We have both a French cantaloupe and a baby size watermelon out there and both are looking amazing. The vines are loaded with sizeable fruit and I’m guessing in a few short weeks we will be enjoying them! I’m very excited about having new and interesting crops around. These melons are fulfilling that need right now!

Also, every year the amazing Italian plum tree that grows by our barn produces a ton of fruit. When the landowner has had her fill, we get to harvest them for our own use. Addison was able to procure enough plums this year for the large shares to get a taste of them! I have vivid fond memories as a child climbing up into large Italian plum trees on my parents’ property and eating myself sick each summer. You wont receive enough plums today to achieve that state, but I hope you enjoy them nonetheless.

Another new item for the large shares is the lemon cucumbers. These small, light yellow, lemon shaped (but not flavored) cucumbers are an heirloom variety. They are tender and thin- skinned and have a nice small serving size.

Some large shares received a jalapeno pepper, and some a Czech black pepper. The Czech blacks are black and red in color and have a sweet flavor that is similar in heat to the jalapeno.

Large shares also received fresh dill. This amazing dark green frondy herb is the same plant that we sell for pickling, just not in its flowering state. As a fresh leafy herb, dill has a mild licorice and parsley flavor and is delicious with egg, cheese, vegetable, potato and fish dishes.

A couple of tips for the best uses of abundant and large summer squash ( these came from the August 2015 issue of Sunset magazine)

– grate it, let it sit, drain it, and freeze in 2 cup portions for zucchini bread

-slice it lengthwise on a mandoline and layer into moussaka, or substitute for noodles in lasagna

-make salt and vinegar zucchini chips in the oven or dehydrator. Thinly slice on a mandoline, toss with salt and vinegar and a bit of olive oil. Layer in the food dehydrator and dehydrate for 8 to 14 hours. Or bake in a single layer at 200 degrees for 2 to 3 hours. I’m going to make these tonight!

Hope you enjoy this week’s box,

Asha, Joe and the crew at Wobbly Cart

Takeout style sesame noodles with cucumber: from the smittenkitchen.com

Serves 4, generously, and up to double that if served as shown, with lots of cucumber, peanuts and herbs

3/4 pound dried rice noodles (see notes up top)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, plus a splash to loosen noodles

2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste or tahini (see note up top)

1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter

3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar

1 tablespoon granulated or brown sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic (from 1 medium-large clove)

Chili-garlic paste, to taste

1/2 pound cucumber, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped

A handful of chopped fresh herbs, such as mint and cilantro, for garnish

Cook noodles according to package directions and rinse with cold water to cool. Drain well. Drizzle with a tiny splash of toasted sesame oil to keep them from sticking until dressed.

Meanwhile, whisk sesame paste and peanut butter in the bottom of a small bowl, then whisk in soy sauce, rice vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil, sugar, ginger, garlic and chile-garlic paste to taste until smooth. Adjust flavors to taste. It might seem a bit salty from the bowl, but should be just right when tossed with noodles.

Toss sauce with cold noodles.

Place a medium-sized knot of dressed noodles in each bowl, followed by a pile of cucumber. Garnish generously with peanuts and herbs. Serve with extra chile-garlic paste on the side.

Butter lettuce and egg salad: from myrecipes.com

6 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 heads butter lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces (about 6 qts.)
1/2 cup fresh dill fronds
3 tablespoons chopped chives
Herb or edible flowers (optional)

Preparation

Put eggs in a medium saucepan, cover with 1 in. water, and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and let sit 9 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard, and oil together.
Transfer eggs to a bowl of cold water and let cool a minute. Crack gently all over, then return to water for 5 minutes. Peel and cut or break into quarters.
Put lettuce in a large bowl and toss gently but thoroughly with dill, chives, and most of dressing. Add eggs and gently toss again. Top with flowers if you like.

Roasted Italian Plums: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Halve and pit 2 ¾ lbs of Italian plums. Toss in a bowl with 2 tbsp melted butter and ¼ cup brown sugar. Place cut side down on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until cooked through and slighty caramelized 15 to 20 minutes. From marthastewart.com

Braised eggplant and broccolini with fried ginger: in a bowl blend 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp sesame oil, ¼ tsp red chili flakes, ½ cup chicken broth, 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger; set sauce aside. Cut 1 lb eggplant into 1 ½ inch chunks and set aside. Bring 3 cups of water to boil in a 12 inch wok or frying pan over high heat. Add ¼ lb slender broccolini , cut in half crosswise. Cook, covered, until stems are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water; when cool, drain and set aside. Drain and dry wok, ass 3 tbsp canola oil, and heat over high heat. Add 1/3 cup finely slivered ginger matchsticks, and cook, stirring, until golden, 2 minutes. Transfer ginger to a paper towel to drain. Pour oil into a bowl; return 1 tbsp to the wok. Add half of the eggplant to wok over high heat. Cook, turning often, until lightly browned, 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add remaining oil to the wok with remaining eggplant and ½ cup finely chopped shallots. Cook as before. Return eggplant to the wok with the sauce. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is soft when pressed, 8 to 15 minutes. Lay broccolini on eggplant, cover, and heat 2 minutes. If needed, cook, uncovered, over high heat until most of the liquid evaporates, 1 minute. Stir in 1 tbsp each of chopped cilantro and mint and top with the fried ginger. From August 2015 issue of Sunset magazine

Marinated plums over pound cake: mix sliced plums with equal splashes of pomegranate molasses and brandy and a sprinkle of sugar. Let steep for at least 10 minutes. Spoon onto grilled or toasted pound cake. Top with whipped cream and sliced almonds. From August 2015 issue of Sunset magazine

June 16, 2015 by wobblycartfarm

Wobbly Cart Farm CSA box #1

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6-16-15

Wobbly Cart Farm CSA box #1

Large shares: strawberries, garlic scapes, scallions, chard, dill, broccoli, snow peas, red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, and radishes

Small shares: strawberries, garlic scapes, chard, dill, carrots, sugar snap peas, crisp head lettuce, and radishes

Dear CSA members,

Let the harvest season begin! Here we are at the first week of CSA deliveries for 2015. We want to first recognize and THANK you all for your support this spring. As you know by signing up for a CSA you are investing your food dollars in a small, local, organic, farm. By providing us with upfront money to keep the farm and our 10 employees going in the late winter and early spring when we don’t have produce to sell, you truly help sustain our business. Now it’s our turn to return the favor with all the fresh organic goodness that we spend so much time, care and energy producing for you!

It has been a warm, dry and busy spring here at Wobbly Cart. Days have been long and hot, more like August than June. This unseasonably warm and dry weather has been pushing our crops ahead of normal, which is great, IF we can keep up with the irrigation and demanding harvest schedule. Which can hard when the staff and infrastructure aren’t quite at August levels yet! Luckily we have hired several new crew members this week, and are rolling out a lot of brand new drip irrigation to help keep up with the watering.

I am very pleased that the early onset of strawberry harvest was not mutually exclusive with CSA receiving a taste of our small strawberry plot! We don’t dedicate a lot of land to strawberry production, and mainly have them around to add fruit variety to our CSA boxes. I was worried that they were going to come on early and be done before we had enough produce to begin CSA. It all worked out pretty well, as the Monday morning picking was bigger than expected!

Some of you who are to the world of CSA and/or local, seasonal eating may not be familiar with the garlic scapes that are in this week’s box. Garlic scapes are the elegant goose necked flower stalks of the garlic plant. They emerge this time of year as the garlic matures and it is best for the final product of the bulb if we snap them off. As an added bonus they are delicious to eat and can be chopped and used just like garlic in any recipe, blended up into a pesto, braised whole and much more. They keep for a long time in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator so no need to worry about using them up right away.

Speaking of using things up, we thought we would share some suggestions for using up the produce in your CSA box each week. Amazingly, one of the biggest complaints (and there are very few complaints) we get from CSA customers is that it is difficult to use up all the produce from week to week! We all know that eating more organic fresh produce is certainly in accords with living a long healthy life, so it’s great we have all taken a first step in getting there, by joining a CSA!

Next, be creative and inspired. Don’t be afraid to try new things! Cook at home with our recipe suggestions, or check out new cookbooks and food blogs. We will try to make suggestions for good books and other resources throughout the season. Sautee vegetables with your eggs in the morning, make a green juice or smoothie, have a salad for lunch! If you have time to prepare a lunch for yourself the night before to take to work, you can avoid eating out in restaurants and use up more of your vegetables

You might be surprised with how your tastes change when you get a weekly (and daily) dose of ultra fresh organic vegetables. Suddenly over processed and fast foods don’t taste so great any more… you can really taste the excessive salt, sugar, and artificial additives. I also find my kids will quickly devour our farm fresh produce while shun grocery store stuff. It works well for me to set out a snack tray with fresh carrots, radishes, snap peas etc. and allow them to graze on it throughout the day. I am actually amazed at how quickly a large share disappears in our house of four! As well as how much the grocery bill goes down once the harvest season begins again.

We would love to have you all share ideas, storage tips and recipes with us, as well successes and failures you’ve had with the produce you have received. It would be nice to have a lively discussion with interested CSA members and also get new ideas for good recipes to try! Maybe a face book CSA group would be the way to accomplish this dialogue? I will work on setting one up this week for us all to share on!

Thank you so much and have a great week,

Asha, Joe and the crew at Wobbly Cart

Garlic-braised broccoli: Bring 4 qts of water to the boil in a stockpot, and add 11/2 tsp of salt. Cut 1 lb of broccoli into 1-inch pieces (stems peeled if desired). Add to the boiling water and boil for 2 minutes, then drain and cool slightly. Squeeze out the excess moisture from the broccoli. Heat in a large skillet over medium heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, add: 1 thinly sliced garlic scape, and 1 small red chile pepper if desired. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove and discard the chile. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. (Serves 4). (Adapted from the Joy of Cooking.)

Brown Sugar Strawberry Tart: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor whirl 1-cup flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp cornstarch, and 1/8 tsp salt. Add ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, and ½ tsp vanilla and pulse until fine crumbs form and dough just begins to come together. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 -inch round tart pan with a removable rim. Bake until the edges are golden, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool on a rack, then gently push tart crust from pan rim; set on a plate. In a bowl with a mixer on high speed, beat ½ cup crème fraiche, ½ cup whipped cream, 2 tbsp sugar and ½ tsp vanilla until thick. Spread in the cooled crust. Arrange 12oz of hulled and sliced fresh strawberries in circles on top. Chill loosely covered, up to 4 hours and serve. (From the April 2010 issue of Sunset Magazine.)

Simple Stir Fried Snow Peas: rinse and trim ends from 8 to 10 oz of snow peas. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok, over medium high heat. When oil is hot add several tbsp chopped garlic scapes or to taste. Stir-fry briefly, and then add snow peas and ¼ tsp salt. Stir-fry briefly then add 1 to 2 tbsp soy sauce or to taste. Stir-fry for another minute and then serve over rice. (Total stir-frying time is 2 minutes).

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar: 30 minutes to an hour before serving; thickly slice 2 pints of fresh strawberries, add 2 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper in a bowl. Set aside at room temperature. When ready to serve place a serving of strawberries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Top with freshly grated lemon zest. Serves 4.

Baby lettuces with goat-cheese dressing, pistachios, and pink peppercorns: for the dressing: in a food processor puree 4 oz goat cheese, ½ cup buttermilk, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp honey and 1 tsp salt until smooth. Refrigerate dressing until ready to use. Divide up 4 cups of lettuce leaves amongst 4 salad plates. Drizzle each serving with ¼ of the dressing and sprinkle with roasted and salted pistachios, fresh tarragon leaves, and coarsely crushed pink peppercorns. Serves 4. (From May 2013 issue of Country Living Magazine)

August 19, 2014 by wobblycartfarm

Wobbly Cart Farm CSA box #10

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8-19-14

Wobbly Cart Farm CSA box #10

Large share: 1 bunch spinach, 1 bunch arugula, 1 bunch red and orange carrots, fresh dill, Walla Walla onion, red onion, 1 lb Romano beans, sweet pepper, purple bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, lemon cucumber, 1 pint Italian plums, 2 pints cherry tomatoes

Small share: 1 bunch spinach, 1 bunch arugula, 1 bunch red and orange carrots, Walla Walla onion, 1 lb green beans, heirloom tomato, 1 pint Italian plums

Dear CSA members,

As I sit down to write after the busy activity at the barn this morning, I’m realizing what a nice crisp morning we are having today. It’s the kind of coolness that reminds me that fall will be here before we know it. I love having the sense of place that allows me to reference the subtle seasonal changes, and the sweetness of the shortening days. Just when we reach our peak in abundance, the pendulum swings us back to the colder and wetter days of fall. Actually, September and October is my favorite time of year on the farm. I enjoy the cooler days, and looking back with satisfaction at all the hard work already behind us. While at the same time enjoying the abundant produce in front of us!

I had a week vacation from the farm as well, and it’s nice to come back with a renewed sense of purpose and a little bit of a rested back. I visited the Salt Lake City Farmers Market and got to see what farmer’s there have to offer this time of year. While their market was nice, it made me appreciate the variety of produce we can grow here year round in the Pacific Northwest. While admittedly they grow a lot of nice peaches and cherries, we are lucky to have broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and spinach right now.

Thanks to everyone’s work on Monday, today’s box is extra pretty. Carrots are back and we have Italian plums from the uber abundant plum tree that resides near the barn! Italian plums are dark purple plums with a slight powdery blush to them. Their flavor is slightly sweet and sour and is excellent for fresh eating, baking, drying and canning. These seem a little on the soft side and should be used up as soon as possible! We also have lemon cucumbers for the large share. These yellow round cucumbers are an heirloom variety with a thin yellow skin and a mild flavor (they do not actually taste like lemon though!). Store and use them as you would a regular cucumber. The sweet peppers are colorful and sweet tasting. We have several varieties of many colors but all are similar in sweetness and crunch. The large purple bell pepper is similar flavored to any green bell pepper but has an extra color punch. For Heirloom tomato descriptions reference a couple of newsletters back. Mild cracking and green shoulders are a normal feature for many of the heirloom tomatoes we grow. The flavor is what counts here!

I was pleased to find that we could skip lettuce this week and change it for arugula and spinach! The arugula has a less than perfect appearance, but the flavor is still nice for a change from lettuce. If you are not already familiar, Arugula is an aromatic salad green often found in Italian cuisine. It has a peppery and nutty flavor and is quite delicate, use it up as soon as possible. Also, I should mention the fresh dill. This frondy bundle of herb greens is delicious chopped in salads, pasta salads and added to fish, egg, cheese, and potato dishes. Store with the roots placed into a jar of water, and a plastic bag loosely tented over the top, then place in the refrigerator.

Enjoy your box,

Asha, Joe and the crew at Wobbly Cart

Fleur’s Summer Plum Cake: Preheat the oven to 350. Blend 2 eggs, ½ cup sugar, ½ tsp salt, ¼ lb sweet butter, softened, 1 tsp vanilla in a medium sized bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add 1 cup flour and 1 tsp baking powder and stir by hand until just combined. Transfer the batter to a greased square baking pan. Place 20 plums that have been split in half and pitted into the batter on their sides, sleeping close together in rows (our plums are kind of big, so I would recommend slicing into smaller pieces). Combine ¼ cup sugar and ½ to 1 tbsp cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture over the batter and plums. Bake for 40 minutes. Do not over bake. Serve warm with vanilla or butter pecan ice cream.

Lemon Cucumber Spa Water: Slice a piece of fresh ginger, a lemon, and a couple of lemon cucumbers. Place in a pitcher and add water. The proportions can vary depending on your taste. Add a handful of mint leaves and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or more to make a refreshing and tasty summertime drink.

Indian Vegetable and Fruit Salad: Combine 1 cup each chopped pineapple and cucumber (lemon cucumber), ½ cup each chopped tomato, red onion, and cilantro leaves, 1 tsp minced jalapeno chile, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 2 tbsp lime juice in a medium bowl. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a small frying pan until very hot, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add ¼ tsp mustard seeds and ½ tsp cumin seeds. When mustard seeds begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes, pour over vegetable mixture and mix well. Serve as a side dish with shrimp. ( from Sunset magazine September 2012).

Tomato, Red onion, and Purple Pepper Salad with yogurt dressing: Thinnly slice 1 medium red onion, place in a salad bowl, sprinkle on 2 tbsp fresh lime juice and 1 tsp salt and mix well. Set aside for 30 minutes. Slice 1 hot chile into matchsticks and add to the onion, cut one medium purple bell pepper into ½ inch wide strips about 1 inch long and toss with the onions and chile. Just before serving add 2 to 3 tomatoes cut into ½ inch pieces and ¾ cup full fat yogurt and toss gently to mix. Taste for salt and adjust, if you wish, and add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Green (or Romano) Beans on the Grill: put 1 lb of green beans on a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to fold and seal. You may need to fold two sheets together. (you can also use one sheet of foil to set the pouch on. This way if any liquid seeps out or it pulls apart it dosen’t leave a mess.) drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the beans. Add 2 – 3 minced garlic cloves and 1 tsp crushed red pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Toss beans with tongs until well coated. Add 1 to 2 tbsp water and fold aluminum foil together at the top and pinch the sides closed. Cook the green bean pouch on the grill until the beans are tender. (food.com)

June 17, 2014 by wobblycartfarm

Wobbly Cart Farm CSA box #1

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Wobbly Cart Farm CSA Box #1

June 17^th 2014

In this week’s box:

Large shares: beets, carrots, kohlrabi, 1 lb broccoli, scallions, radishes, Italian parsley, Galisse lettuce, butter head lettuce, garlic scapes, ½ lb sugar snap peas.

Small shares: beets, carrots, Galisse lettuce, fresh dill, radishes, kohlrabi, and garlic scapes.

Dear CSA members,

Hello and welcome to the first box of the summer 2014 CSA share! We are so excited to begin our CSA season and share the bounty of the fields with you, our lovely members. I want to thank you all for joining us this year and hope you truly enjoy a summer of eating fresh, local, organic produce. I myself have noticed an increase in my own energy and health since we’ve been able to eat fresh from the farm again. Hope you do too!

Our spring and early farm season have been going pretty well. I wouldn’t say it’s been as smooth sailing as it was last year, but things are coming along. One of our biggest disappointments is that all the strawberries in our valley came on extra early this year, before we have enough produce to start CSA. So unfortunately, we wont have any available this year. I know we will more than make up for their absence with tons of gorgeous spring vegetables, however.

It is amazing, this monumental task of tending a diverse organic vegetable farm. Every year is different with its challenges and successes, but in the end, after much hard work, we always come out with an amazing abundance of delicious food. We couldn’t do it without the support we receive from our CSA members!

In this box are a few vegetables that warrant and explanation for those of your who haven’t been in a CSA before. The long pointy curly green things are called garlic scapes. They are the flowering part of the garlic plant that emerges this time of year. They can be broken off the plant without any harm and make a delicious substitute for bulb garlic. They are a bit milder, but for some that may be a welcome trait. Another strange but wonderful vegetable in your box is the purple or green bulb with leaves growing from it. This is a kohlrabi. All you have to do is peel and slice. The inside of the bulb is sweet and tender, a bit like turnip, but yummier fresh. My kids are known to fight over these when they see me peeling one! Kohlrabi is excellent eaten raw for snacks or salads. The small shares received fresh dill, which is the frondy bunch of herb. Fresh dill is a wonderful seasoning for fish, to make dressing and sauces or to add to salads. Large shares received sugar snap peas which are delicious eaten whole and fresh after the stem end has been snapped off. Everything else should be pretty familiar. We made note this morning how amazingly tender the baby carrots are this week, as well as the vibrancy of the radishes and lettuce. We hope you enjoy them!

Have a great week and thank you!

Asha, Joe and the crew at Wobbly Cart

Any questions? Call Asha 360 273 8008

Or email info@wobblycart.com

Roasted Garlic Scapes: Preheat oven to 350. Rinse scapes and pat dry. Cut into smaller pieces of desired size, or leave whole, and place in a 9×13 roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with good sea salt. Optional: add cracked pepper or other hearbs/spices. Roast for 24-35 minutes, until softened, browned and just slightly crispy to your liking. Remove from oven and enoy hot or chilled.

Kohlrabi Coleslaw: peel and shred 2 kohlrabi and 2 carrots, combine with 2 tbsp chopped scallions in a bowl. Combine 1/3 cup vinegar, 1/3 cup sugar, 4 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp celery seeds, and 1/8 tsp black pepper, blend well. Pour over the shredded vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Sauteed Snap Peas with Scallions and Radishes: Trim ¾ lb Snap Peas. Slice 8 scallions (white and pale green parts only) into 2- inch lengths. Trim and quarter 8 radishes. In a large skillet over medium-high heat melt 1 tbsp butter. Add the snap peas; cook stirring frequently, until just beginning to soften (do not brown), 3 to 4 minutes. Add the scallions and radishes; season with coarse sea salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until scallions soften and snap peas are crisp-tender. 1 to 2 minutes more. (From Everyday Food, June 2004)

Roasted Beet Crostini: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim greens from 1 bunch beets, reserving stems and greens. Place beets in a baking pan, cover with foil, and roast until tender when pierced with a knife, 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours, depending on size of beets, uncover and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350. While beets cool, arrange 16 ½ inch slices of baguette in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake, turning slices over once halfway through, until toasted but not browned, about 14 minutes. Thinly slice beet green stems and finely chop leaves; keep stems and leaves separate. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add greens, 1 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, 2 tbsp water and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender and liquid had evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in ¼ tsp salt and remove from heat. Peel cooled beets and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place ¾ cup beet pieces, 4 oz creamy goat cheese and ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper in a food processor and puree until smooth (reserve remaining beets for another use). To assemble crostini, spread about 2 tsp beet-cheese spread on each slice of toasted baguette and top with sautéed greens. (lifescript.com)

Lemon-Dill Shrimp and Pasta: Rinse 12oz frozen shrimp; pat dry with paper towel. Finely shred 1 tsp peel from a whole lemon; set aside. Juice the lemon; set aside the juice. Cook 8 oz dried fettuccine according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a 12 in skillet heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Cook 4 tsp finely chopped garlic scape in hot oil for 1 minute. Add shrimp; cook for 3 to 4 minutes; turning frequently until shrimp are opaque. Add 6 cups baby spinach (substitute chard or beet tops?) and drained pasta; toss until the greens begin to wilt. Stir in ½ tsp Italian seasoning (fresh rosemary?), lemon peel, and 2 tbsp lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and top with plenty of fresh dill. Makes 4 servings. (from the April 2012 issue of Better Homes and Gardens)

June 21, 2011 by wobblycartfarm

Wobbly Cart Farm CSA Box #1 Sign up now shares are still available in Portland, Olympia, Centralia and Chehalis

Wobbly Cart Farm's CSA Box #1

CSA Box #1 6-21-11

Hello all new and returning members,

In this week’s box:

New Red Fire lettuce Garlic Scapes 3/4lb Dry Beans
Green leaf lettuce Purple kohlrabi Dill
Ruby Red Chard Scallions
Radishes Broccoli

We are so happy to have you join us for the 2011 Wobbly Cart Summer CSA. It’s been an exciting year so far and we are looking forward to another great season growing local organic produce for you. There has been so much going on that it’s going to be hard to fit on one page! To start off we’ve been busy selecting many new and delicious fruit and vegetable varieties for you. Tristar strawberries, Savoy Cabbage, Rainbow Lacinato Kale, Azur Star Kohlrabi, Chehalis Gold Cherry tomatoes, Skyphos butter-head lettuce just to name a few. We’ve been busy building our 2 new hoop houses (big greenhouses we can grow crops in the ground in) and planting them with summer squash, carrots, peppers and eggplants, and Heirloom tomatoes. These should really allow us to extend our season in this cold and damp climate. I’ve also been working to propagate rhubarb, artichokes, and rosemary to add to our perennial crops. Mar and Liza will be offering their pasture-raised poultry again this year and the first harvest date is coming right up. Contact us for more info. If you’d like to order some.
Just when you were thinking whew! How do they do all this? Joe managed to purchase 10 acres of beautiful ground just a couple of miles up the road from the farm. All this happened within the last two weeks but Joe has already started breaking ground for our expansion! It’s going to be awesome. I’ll try to get some pictures for the blog up soon.
As for the veggies in your box, a few explanations are in order. Some things probably look really familiar to you, while others may be a bit mystifying. The long pointy curly green things are called garlic scapes. They are the flowering part of the garlic plant that emerges this time of year. They can be broken off the plant without any harm and make a delicious substitute for bulb garlic. They are a bit milder, but for some that may be a welcome trait. See the recipe for more ideas. Another strange but wonderful vegetable in your box is the purple bulb with leaves growing from it. This is a Kohlrabi. All you have to do is peel and slice. The inside of the bulb is sweet and tender, a bit like turnip, but yummier fresh. My kids are known to fight over these when they see me peeling one. I have ideas for cooking them on the recipe page, but they are also delicious raw, and grated into coleslaw like creations. The pretty frondy stuff is fresh dill. It is very sweet and delicious this time of year. I add it to salads, or tuna salad. Again, see the recipe page. The last thing I would like to explain are the dry beans. They were grown by us last season and cleaned and stored for the winter. There is an interesting selection of colorful varieties that you will find to cook up quite quickly compared to store-bought fare. We hope you enjoy them soon, but if not they will store quite well in a normal pantry-type situation.
Almost all rest of the veggies will store well in the crisper drawer of the fridge loosely wrapped in plastic bag. Enjoy eating all this fresh local goodness, there will be more to come next week. Just a heads up, you can look forward to fresh peas, carrots and strawberries! I can’t wait.
Again, I want to thank you for joining our CSA this year. We really appreciate your support and having you join helps us surmount startup costs in the spring so we can get busy with what we do best. Planting and growing delicious, local, and organic vegetables for you. Please check out our blog http://www.wobblycartfarm.wordpress.com for pics of the box and newsletters.

Thank you,

Asha, Joseph and the Crew
(360) 273-7597
http://www.wobblycart.com
info@wobblycart.com
Wobbly Cart Recipe Page #1 6-21-11

Garlic Scape and Swiss Chard Pesto:
1/2 cup finely chopped garlic scapes
1 cup chopped swiss chard leaves
1/4 cup dry roasted almonds
1/2 cup freshly grated romano cheese
kosher salt, to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Add the scapes, swiss chard, almonds, cheese and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Process to desired consistency. While running, drizzle the olive oil in a thin stream down the shoot and into the food processor. Spoon pesto onto hot, cooked pasta and stir until combined. Alternatively, this can be used as a spread on bread (for sandwiches, with fresh mozzarella or just eating).

Grilled beef and spring onion salad: For the dressing: Whisk together 2 Tbsp minced garlic scapes, 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard, ¼ cup white wine vinegar, 2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp ea pepper and sugar, and ¾ cup x-tra virgin olive oil in a large bowl and pour half into a small bowl. Add 11/2 lbs beef tri-tip or round sliced against the grain into ¼ inch slices, and 1 bunch of scallions (roots and top half of the greens removed). Stir to coat and let marinade for 3 hours.
Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium (350 degrees). Oil cooking grate and grill the onions until softened and lightly charred, turning once, 8 to 10 minutes. Increase the heat to 500 degrees and grill the beef in 3 batches, letting the heat come back up to 500 before starting a new batch. Cook, turning once, about 3 minutes per batch, or until browned and cooked through.
For the salad: Toss 3qts loosely packed mixed greens (chopped lettuce, young radish greens, or chopped chard) and 1 large bunch of red or pink radishes cut into thick wedges, in a large serving bowl with half of the reserved dressing. Divide greens among 6 large plates and top with grilled beef, onions and some sunflower sprouts. (Adapted from a recipe in the April 2011 issue of Sunset magazine).

Garlic-braised broccoli: Bring 4 qts of water to the boil in a stockpot, and add 11/2 tsp of salt. Cut 1 lb of broccoli into 1-inch pieces (stems peeled if desired). Add to the boiling water and boil for 2 minutes, then drain and cool slightly. Squeeze out the excess moisture from the broccoli. Heat in a large skillet over medium heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, add: 1 thinly sliced garlic scape, and 1 small red chile pepper if desired. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove and discard the chile. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. (Serves 4). (Adapted from the Joy of Cooking.)

Classic Mexican “Pot” Beans (Frijoles de la Olla): Cooking the beans: rinse about 1 lb of dry beans thoroughly. Measure 3 Tbsp cooking oil or lard or bacon drippings into a large 5 to 6 quart pot, and set over medium heat. Add 1 medium diced onion and cook, stirring regularly, until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Scoop in the beans, measure 2 quarts of water, and remove any beans that float. Add 1 large sprig of epazote (an aromatic herb you may be able to find at farmers markets or Mexican stores), bring to a boil , then reduce heat and simmer partially covered, until the beans are thoroughly tender, about 2 hours or less since these beans are so fresh. Gently stir the beans and add water as needed to keep the level about ½ in above the cooking beans. Finishing the beans: Season with salt, simmer about another 10 to 15 minutes to the beans to absorb the seasoning, then remove from heat, and they are ready to serve. To serve a bowl of beans there should be just enough creamy broth to cover the beans. You can also add fresh jalapeno, Serrano or poblano peppers or chorizo sausage, ham, bacon or smoked hocks. Serve with a smoky Chipotle salsa.

Roasted Kohlrabi: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Peel 4 kohlrabi, and slice into ¼ inch thick rounds then cut the slices in half. Combine 1Tbsp olive oil, 1 minced clove of garlic, sea salt and pepper to taste, in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi slices in the olive oil mixture to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally for even browning. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Return to the oven for 5 min. or until the cheese is browned. Serve immediately. (from http://www.allrecipes.com)

Tuna Salad with fresh dill: In a small bowl mash 1 can of tuna with ¼ cup chopped celery, ¼ cup chopped fresh dill, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh scallion, 2 Tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tbsp yogurt, and ½ tsp Dijon mustard. Serve on your favorite bread or green salad.

Steamed Radishes: Cut the tops from about 20 radishes, trim the ends and peel a small band of skin from the middle of the radish. Steam until fork tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and toss with ¼ cup butter and sea salt to taste. Serve immediately.