Week 11 2016 Summer CSA

Produce for This First Week of September 3rd Through the 9th

String Bean Mix,  Heirloom Tomatoes,  Heirloom Cherry Tomato Mix,  Basil Mix,  Summer Squash,  Zucchini,  Kale,  Italian Dandelion Greens

 

Why You Aren’t Seeing Lettuce

The secretary of Agriculture from the USDA on Tuesday, designated 15 counties in New York “disaster areas” due to the draught. It is being called the worst draught in 75 years.  It has hit hardest along a band stretching from the eastern New England states through western New York, including our little town of Westerlo.  The warm winter and lack of snow fall was not without its drawbacks.  It set us up for a ground water deficit going into the spring.  The late spring and summer have set record high temperatures, making for a “perfect storm” … a bad draught.  Some towns north and south of us have had more than enough rainfall and we’ve watched storm clouds pass all around us without a drop of rain time and time again throughout this summer.  The persistence of this weather pattern has caused all of our lettuce varieties to “bolt.”  Even the heat tolerant varieties which I research over the winter have been lost.  We have been irrigating.  But irrigation when the conditions are this bad, is,  as one farmer suffering badly out in western New York put it, “… like trying to put a forest fire out with a garden hose.”  This is due to the severe lack of ground water combined with the high temperatures and dry winds which have made up the ongoing weather pattern since May.  Insects, which love moisture, seek out and cling to anything that has water in it, so the pest pressure has been enormous.  The animal predators, like chipmunks, groundhogs, mice and rabbits have also been troublesome due to their overabundance from the warm winter and the fact that they, too are attracted to the moisture in the vegetables.  This has caused further loss.  Other vegetables that have been lost this season:  our sweet corn, broccoli, green cabbage, some varieties of beans, some varieties of carrots and kale, some varieties of radishes and flowers, chard over the summer months, Asian greens and arugula.  Our pastures and hayfields have been scorched and not only will hay be in short supply this winter,  but we will have to start feeding hay out earlier due to lack of sufficient grazing. We survive through the spring with your CSA shares coming in and through the winter with market sales.  This winter will be tough.  We as a farm should be o.k.  The diversity of our products should help us pull through.  We appreciate your support of our farm and hope that this will shed some light on why you may not be seeing the variety we normally produce.  Your continued support  is critical to our farm’s survival and we hope that you will continue to enjoy what we are offering the balance of this season, and hope you will stick with us through the good and bear with us through the bad.

Sprinklers  started before dawn in the fields and soaker hoses in the high tunnels have been an ongoing routine all summer

Dandelion Salad with Warm Hazelnut Vinaigrette

1 bunch dandelion greens

1/4 cup hazelnuts

3 garlic cloves

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Cut top 5 inches from greens and reserve.  Cut remaining greens into 4/4 inch slices.  Transfer all greens to a large serving bowl.  Coarsely chop nuts and finely chop garlic.  In a small heavy skillet cook garlic and nuts in oil over moderate heat, stirring until garlic is golden.  Stir in vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Pour hot vinaigrette over greens and toss to combine.

 epicurious.com

Mixed veggies from Eight Mile Creek Farm stir-fry

Kale Salad

3/4 cup turbinado sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped

1/2 oz package frozen edamame thawed

1/4 onion, sliced thin

1 cup shredded carrot

2/3 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup cashew pieces

1/2 cup shelled, roasted sunflower seeds

Whisk sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper and olive oil in a bowl until sugar is dissolved.  Set aside.  Toss kale, edamame, onion, carrot, blueberries, cranberries, cashew pieces and sunflower seeds together in a small bowl.  Pour about half the dressing over the mixture and toss to coat.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4-6 hours.  Serve remaining dressing on the side.

from allrecipes.com

Next week……beets