2010 Summer Newsletter 4
The Veggie Voice Village Acres Farm Summer CSA • June 8st, 2010 • Distribution 4 of 28 address: 229 Cuba Mills Rd., Mifflintown, PA 17059 phone: 717-436-9477
email: [email protected] website: www.villageacresfarm.com
“In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe” - Carl Sagan Farm Note • a word from the Village Acres Crew:
Hi! I want to introduce myself as I am a new summer employee at Village Acres. This is my sixth week working at the farm and I am really enjoying everything that I am learning. I currently live in Beavertown but grew up in a small town in southeastern Pennsylvania about 10 miles west of Reading. My interest in agriculture began in high school when I took some agriculture classes to meet the requirements of my science courses. They were the best classes I had and led me to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Dairy and Animal Science from Penn State University. After graduating in 1999, I got a job with a company that was managing the hogs that Hatfield Quality Meats owned. I continued to work for that company for 7 years and had the opportunity to work in a couple of different positions throughout the company so I was able to learn about various aspects of the swine industry. In 2006, I left the company to pursue opportunities in Christian ministry overseas, with an organization called Youth With A Mission (YWAM). I spent 11 months in Costa Rica and Southeast Asia, returned to the states for about 9 months and then moved to South Africa, for 1 year, to do urban youth ministry. After returning home, I moved to Beavertown where my fiancé lived and got a parttime job working for a Swine Vet. Over the years my philosophy about food and the way it is produced has changed and I have begun to try to buy organic items when possible and eliminate most processed food items from my diet. Because of this and my interest in agriculture I had a desire to learn more about organic farming practices, as well as learn skills that might allow me to run my own CSA or something similar some day so that is what brought me to Village Acres. I am excited about this opportunity and all that I am going to learn this summer. - Celeste Produce and Cooking Notes Lettuce – We’ve got both lettuce heads and a little bit of mix in the boxes this week – there was still a bed of mesclun holding out in the greenhouse amongst the tomatoes and basil, so we thought we’d clear it out and distribute it. As the season goes on we’ll be transitioning more and more to head lettuce, until the fall when we grow mix again. Asparagus – We’re near the end of a disappointing asparagus season, but we’ll still have some for next week. We finally managed to get ahead of the weeds at least, so soon we’ll In the Box just have to figure out what went wrong in that field and if there’s anything to be done Lettuce (and Mix) about it. In the meantime, you might as well enjoy a little June asparagus. Asparagus Green Onions – Our neighbor farm that grows these has successfully brought us over a Green Onions thousand each week, filling our plates and your boxes with these versatile spring staple. Beets Chard Use them when you need an onion that’s quick and sharp rather than robust and earthy. Peas Beets – Full members are getting a bunch of beets this week, perfect for slicing up into a Strawberries salad or roasting for a side dish. Don’t forget, you can add your beet tops to your chard to Cucumber & Zucchini get even more cooking greens! Garlic Scapes Chard – This week’s chard is growing well, so here’s a bunch for everyone. Use it Hakurei Turnips chopped and sautéed in an omelet for breakfast or steam it in some butter and garlic for a side dish at dinner. Most of this came from the farm, but a few lucky members are getting chard from Roy’s “other farm” – the educational plot he maintains at Juniata Mennonite School. Don’t worry – we left plenty for
the teachers to use over the summer. Peas – These are from the same farm that grows our green onions. You’re getting both snap peas (broad, flat peas that can be used shell and all) and shell peas (round bumpy peas, which you should take the shell off of). Strawberries –Our berry crop seems to be holding well this year. Unlike the lettuce, it seems to love this heat, even if it makes picking a little bit more of a chore. Can’t get enough strawberries? Make plans to visit the farm on June 12th for our strawberry festival! Cucumbers and Zucchini – We got an early start on these, with the greenhouse for the cukes and under a row cover for the zucchini. There’s not too many just yet, but we normally can’t have any until late June. Enjoy them now before everyone in your neighborhood starts leaving them on your doorstep overnight in August. Garlic Scapes – These scapes are flower shoots of garlic plants, pulled off every week in an effort to keep the bulb developing instead of the seeds. It’s a little bit of a chore, but the end results are tasty, so I think it’s worth it! Use garlic scapes like you would a garlic-flavored green onion or scallion. Hakurei Turnips – Full shareholders are getting the last of our Hakurei turnips, a sweet white turnip that’s edible raw. Slice them up in a salad or snack on them at work.
Community News Our annual Strawberry Festival is going to be in just a few weeks, on June 12th, at the farm in Mifflintown. We’ll be having a potluck, farm tours, games by the creek, and (of course) strawberry picking! If you’re interested in coming, please RSVP by emailing or calling the farm, or by filling out the short online survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3BJ5P7G . Blue Rooster Farm – On special from BRF for Tuesday, June15, Fresh pork hock for $4.50/lb. Makes great pull-pork sandwiches or braise in beer, as recommended by CSA member Irene Schrapendorth. Join our mailing list at www.blueroosterfarm.com. Thanks, Julie Recipes Garlic Potato Salad From Simply In Season ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
6 cups new potatoes (cubed) 6 garlic scapes or 3 cloves garlic (minced) 1 cup green onions (minced) ¼ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary Salt and pepper
Boil potatoes in water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl, stir in cooked potatoes, and chill for about 3 hours before serving.
The Veggie Voice is sponsored in part by:
State College, Pa 814.231.3927 www.envinity.com
Chard Utopia From Simply In Season (Like a spanakopita, but with chard!) ♦ 2 cups onion (minced) ♦ 1 teaspoon basil ♦ 1 teaspoon oregano ♦ ¼ teaspoon salt ♦ 2.5 lbs Swiss Chard (stemmed, chopped) ♦ 4-6 cloves garlic ♦ 1 tablespoon flour ♦ 2 cups feta ♦ 1 cup cottage cheese ♦ 1 pound phyllo pastry sheets Saute onion, basil, oregano, and salt in a splash of olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the chard and cook until wilted, 5-8 minutes. Sprinkle in garlic and flour, stir, and cook over medium heat for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the cheese and pepper to taste. Place a sheet of phyllo on an oiled 9x13 pan. Brush or spray lightly with olive oil; repeat 7 times. Spread half the filling evenly on top, and cover with 8 more sheets of oiled phyllo. Cover with the rest of the filling and follow with remaining sheets, oiling each, including the top. Tuck in the edges and bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 375 until golden and crispy, 45 minutes.
Edited by Dave Ruggiero and Anna Mast Village Acres Farm is owned and operated by Roy & Hope Brubaker
email: [email protected] website: www.villageacresfarm.com
“In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe” - Carl Sagan Farm Note • a word from the Village Acres Crew:
Hi! I want to introduce myself as I am a new summer employee at Village Acres. This is my sixth week working at the farm and I am really enjoying everything that I am learning. I currently live in Beavertown but grew up in a small town in southeastern Pennsylvania about 10 miles west of Reading. My interest in agriculture began in high school when I took some agriculture classes to meet the requirements of my science courses. They were the best classes I had and led me to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Dairy and Animal Science from Penn State University. After graduating in 1999, I got a job with a company that was managing the hogs that Hatfield Quality Meats owned. I continued to work for that company for 7 years and had the opportunity to work in a couple of different positions throughout the company so I was able to learn about various aspects of the swine industry. In 2006, I left the company to pursue opportunities in Christian ministry overseas, with an organization called Youth With A Mission (YWAM). I spent 11 months in Costa Rica and Southeast Asia, returned to the states for about 9 months and then moved to South Africa, for 1 year, to do urban youth ministry. After returning home, I moved to Beavertown where my fiancé lived and got a parttime job working for a Swine Vet. Over the years my philosophy about food and the way it is produced has changed and I have begun to try to buy organic items when possible and eliminate most processed food items from my diet. Because of this and my interest in agriculture I had a desire to learn more about organic farming practices, as well as learn skills that might allow me to run my own CSA or something similar some day so that is what brought me to Village Acres. I am excited about this opportunity and all that I am going to learn this summer. - Celeste Produce and Cooking Notes Lettuce – We’ve got both lettuce heads and a little bit of mix in the boxes this week – there was still a bed of mesclun holding out in the greenhouse amongst the tomatoes and basil, so we thought we’d clear it out and distribute it. As the season goes on we’ll be transitioning more and more to head lettuce, until the fall when we grow mix again. Asparagus – We’re near the end of a disappointing asparagus season, but we’ll still have some for next week. We finally managed to get ahead of the weeds at least, so soon we’ll In the Box just have to figure out what went wrong in that field and if there’s anything to be done Lettuce (and Mix) about it. In the meantime, you might as well enjoy a little June asparagus. Asparagus Green Onions – Our neighbor farm that grows these has successfully brought us over a Green Onions thousand each week, filling our plates and your boxes with these versatile spring staple. Beets Chard Use them when you need an onion that’s quick and sharp rather than robust and earthy. Peas Beets – Full members are getting a bunch of beets this week, perfect for slicing up into a Strawberries salad or roasting for a side dish. Don’t forget, you can add your beet tops to your chard to Cucumber & Zucchini get even more cooking greens! Garlic Scapes Chard – This week’s chard is growing well, so here’s a bunch for everyone. Use it Hakurei Turnips chopped and sautéed in an omelet for breakfast or steam it in some butter and garlic for a side dish at dinner. Most of this came from the farm, but a few lucky members are getting chard from Roy’s “other farm” – the educational plot he maintains at Juniata Mennonite School. Don’t worry – we left plenty for
the teachers to use over the summer. Peas – These are from the same farm that grows our green onions. You’re getting both snap peas (broad, flat peas that can be used shell and all) and shell peas (round bumpy peas, which you should take the shell off of). Strawberries –Our berry crop seems to be holding well this year. Unlike the lettuce, it seems to love this heat, even if it makes picking a little bit more of a chore. Can’t get enough strawberries? Make plans to visit the farm on June 12th for our strawberry festival! Cucumbers and Zucchini – We got an early start on these, with the greenhouse for the cukes and under a row cover for the zucchini. There’s not too many just yet, but we normally can’t have any until late June. Enjoy them now before everyone in your neighborhood starts leaving them on your doorstep overnight in August. Garlic Scapes – These scapes are flower shoots of garlic plants, pulled off every week in an effort to keep the bulb developing instead of the seeds. It’s a little bit of a chore, but the end results are tasty, so I think it’s worth it! Use garlic scapes like you would a garlic-flavored green onion or scallion. Hakurei Turnips – Full shareholders are getting the last of our Hakurei turnips, a sweet white turnip that’s edible raw. Slice them up in a salad or snack on them at work.
Community News Our annual Strawberry Festival is going to be in just a few weeks, on June 12th, at the farm in Mifflintown. We’ll be having a potluck, farm tours, games by the creek, and (of course) strawberry picking! If you’re interested in coming, please RSVP by emailing or calling the farm, or by filling out the short online survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3BJ5P7G . Blue Rooster Farm – On special from BRF for Tuesday, June15, Fresh pork hock for $4.50/lb. Makes great pull-pork sandwiches or braise in beer, as recommended by CSA member Irene Schrapendorth. Join our mailing list at www.blueroosterfarm.com. Thanks, Julie Recipes Garlic Potato Salad From Simply In Season ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
6 cups new potatoes (cubed) 6 garlic scapes or 3 cloves garlic (minced) 1 cup green onions (minced) ¼ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary Salt and pepper
Boil potatoes in water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl, stir in cooked potatoes, and chill for about 3 hours before serving.
The Veggie Voice is sponsored in part by:
State College, Pa 814.231.3927 www.envinity.com
Chard Utopia From Simply In Season (Like a spanakopita, but with chard!) ♦ 2 cups onion (minced) ♦ 1 teaspoon basil ♦ 1 teaspoon oregano ♦ ¼ teaspoon salt ♦ 2.5 lbs Swiss Chard (stemmed, chopped) ♦ 4-6 cloves garlic ♦ 1 tablespoon flour ♦ 2 cups feta ♦ 1 cup cottage cheese ♦ 1 pound phyllo pastry sheets Saute onion, basil, oregano, and salt in a splash of olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the chard and cook until wilted, 5-8 minutes. Sprinkle in garlic and flour, stir, and cook over medium heat for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the cheese and pepper to taste. Place a sheet of phyllo on an oiled 9x13 pan. Brush or spray lightly with olive oil; repeat 7 times. Spread half the filling evenly on top, and cover with 8 more sheets of oiled phyllo. Cover with the rest of the filling and follow with remaining sheets, oiling each, including the top. Tuck in the edges and bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 375 until golden and crispy, 45 minutes.
Edited by Dave Ruggiero and Anna Mast Village Acres Farm is owned and operated by Roy & Hope Brubaker
