Friday, September 19, 2014

Whit Whit Walk Caumsett State Park TOMORROW Sat. at 8:30am FUN for a GREAT CAUSE.

Greetings!

I just got this info on Thursday before I was leaving for the CSA and couldn’t really do anything about it till now. I was asked to share this event by a brand spankin’ new CSA member, Janna de Risi, who’s very good friends with Tracy Posillico, who is organizing this event…

Feel free to spread the word (and hopefully next year we’ll get this info sooner to be able to get more people informed about it)…

Saturday, September 20th
8:30am

The Whit Whit Walk
Caumsett State Park
25 Lloyd Harbor Rd
Lloyd Harbor, NY
$25.00 Race Fee + $2.50 Sign-Up Fee + $8 Parking Fee (unless you have an Empire Pass)…though you can NOT race or attend and just make a donation

To sign up for the walk/race (you have till noon today to do this though I bet if you just show up you might be able to register right there…you can email Tracy and ask…her contact info is on the event website), get more information, or make a donation…
https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/LloydHarbor/TheWhitWhitWalk

It’s a three mile loop, there will be refreshments at the end of the event, you will get a t-shirt if you pre-register, and there will be raffle prizes.

No pets allowed in the park.

What’s this about?
Our new Green Thumb CSA – Huntington members, Tracy Posillico & her husband Paul, lost their precious daughter Whitney to an extremely rare cancer two years ago, just after her first birthday. Whitney was diagnosed with Rhabdoid Tumor of the Kidney at only 4 weeks of age. Tracy & Paul dedicated themselves completely to saving their daughter despite the odds that faced them. As you can imagine it is still incredibly painful to talk about yet they want to grow the research fund they’ve created at Sloan Kettering to honor their daughter’s memory, and to aid in helping anyone else who may find themselves in this most difficult situation.

This is when Tracy poured over research regarding health, and when she began her plant-based lifestyle using food and herbs to heal her family. Green Thumb Farm and the CSA is important to Tracy as she eats, sleeps and breathes exactly what the farm is all about, and knows this CSA is a special network of very caring people (which is why she wanted to share this with us!  ).

BTW…Tracy just gave birth to a little person about three weeks ago! I can’t wait to see this, literally, newest CSA member visiting the CSA soon!

suzanne
###

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Week #22 September 18, 2014

Happy Summer (it’s still summer till September 22nd)!

Bring bags with you to the CSA! If anyone is picking up for you at the CSA…tell THEM they need to bring bags!!!
Put bags in every vehicle you own or might end up driving.
Bring an assortment of bags…cloth, plastic, paper…as you’ll find them all useful. Basic bagging issue is separating wet food from dry food so one doesn’t start the rotting process of the other. Tomatoes like to be stored in paper, not plastic.

Are you Jewish? Just asking because the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah starts next Wednesday at sundown, so if you can’t make it to the CSA on Thursday night due to holiday related travel/activities…now is the time to see if you can get someone else to pick up your food and hold it till you can pick it up!

Want BULK TOMATOES to can for the winter (sauce? stewed? freeze?)? Call our farm (631-726-1900) from 9:30am to 4:30am any day and order a 22 lb box of their certified organic Red Roma/Plum Tomatoes for $45.00 and they’ll be delivered to the CSA for you!

Planting a garden this year? Get certified organic Herb (many varieties), Vegetable (many varieties) and Flower (some…ask!) plants grown at your farm, Green Thumb Farm! To order plants, call the farm at 631-726-1900 between 9:30am and 4pm any day of the week/weekend and have a credit card on hand for payment. They will be delivered with the next available CSA delivery! I’m hearing from the people who bought these plants so far that they’re doing GREAT!!!

If you’d like to visit our farm (Green Thumb Farm in Water Mill) on days besides our CSA Pumpkin picking in October, the farm stand is now open 7 days a week until Sunday, December 7th. Tell them at the farm stand that you’re a CSA member and it’s sure to bring a smile!

Seriously…put this phone number (631-385-1079) in your cell phone, on your fridge, or wherever you put phone numbers you’re glad to have when you need them! It’s the hall phone of the UUFH to be used only on Thursdays from 3pm to 8pm. We’ve already had a few people who wished they had it and didn’t, and others who had it and found out how handy it can be! 

This email contains…

1. Your CSA does not need you this week! However…
2. WE WEIGH!!!
3. This week’s list…
4. Notes from the Farm
5. What you actually got last week
6. People’s Climate March on Sunday, September 21st!
7. Help feed the hungry…and we could help it be healthier, and natural or organic!
8. Support intelligent, investigative food and agriculture reporting at Mother Jones Magazine…I mean, they’re only asking for $5 (I’ve included some of his articles in these emails)…
9. Anybody familiar with the NYC restaurant Angelica Kitchen? If so (and even if not), please read this…
10. And now for something completely different…



1. Your CSA does not need you this week! However…

You can ALWAYS stop by the CSA a little before 3:30 or 5:30 to offer to help in case someone doesn’t show up (or is late) without letting anyone know…life happens! 

If you didn’t get a confirmation email from Judi (occasionally it’s me), you’re not scheduled to work this week.

And if you got an email from Judi asking you to confirm that you’re working…you need to respond to that in the time frame stated in the email otherwise she’s going to try and find someone else to take your place.



2. WE WEIGH!!!

It’s time to weigh our food!

A. Check the wall chart before taking any food so you know what you’re taking and how much to take…assume nothing and ask questions! 

B. Bring your reading glasses or ask someone to help if you can’t see the numbers on the scale clearly.

C. PLEASE DO NOT GO OVER THE AMOUNT STATED on the Wall Chart. Please err on the under side of the weight posted…NEVER over. It may not seem like much to you but we have 51 members and if every person is off by ONE OUNCE (for crying out loud! It’s only an ounce!!!) …that means we’ll be short over THREE POUNDS of produce and some CSA members won’t get the food they paid for. And I’m sure you wouldn’t want it to be you!

D. IF you are asked to weigh more than one food item at the same time…please follow the directions given to you and weigh in the order you are asked (you might not think there’s a good reason to be doing this but our farmer does and that should be enough of a reason right there…if you want a further explanation – ask suzanne…there is a method to the madness )



3. This week’s list (subject to change without notice because…farming is like that!)…

September 18, 2014
Week #22

1. Lettuce
2. Tomatoes*
3. Leeks
4. Beans, Shelling: Cranberry
5. Peppers, Sweet**
6. Eggplant***

Total Items: 6

*To put in the fridge? Or, not to put in the fridge? THAT…is the question! 
http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/09/why-you-should-refrigerate-tomatoes.html

**
Sweet Peppers and Polenta…
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/polenta-with-sweet-peppers.html

***
3 reasons to be eating Eggplant…
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP05311/3-Reasons-to-Eat-Eggplant.html
Dr. Weil’s Eggplant Dip recipe…
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/RCP00253/Eggplant-Dip.html
Eggplant, Greens, Beans and Udon Noodles…
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/10/toms-kitchen-udon-noodles-eggplant-greens-and-beans



4. Notes from the Farm

September 5, 2014

Labor Day has passed, and the Hamptons have slowed down! We now have a little more time to take care of all the chores we’ve put off for the last several weeks.

Since Labor Day, we’ve had some of the hottest days all summer and STILL no rain. It’s been very hot, dry and dusty in our fields but there’s still plenty of summer crops for the next several weeks…Tomatoes, Lettuces, Beans, Peppers, Eggplants and Summer Squashes.

Winter Squashes are about ready, and we’ll be bringing them in soon. Mustards, Tat-Soi and Pak Chois are all growing well, so look for them by the end of the month.

Swiss Chards, Leeks, Radishes, Celery are also on our CSA menu. We also have some Shelling Beans coming in…Cranberry, Lima and Soy. Melons have been good this year and we also have a few Watermelons to bring in. We raise both Red and Gold, and will hopefully be bringing some in soon.

So, lots going on! Enjoy it all because its season will be over before we know it!

Organically yours,
Farmer Bill (Halsey)



5. What you actually got last week

September 11, 2014
Week #21

1. Watermelon: Red – 1 - $3.00
2. Tomatoes, Mini: Grape, Red OR Yellow – 1 pt - $4.75
3. Cucumber – 2 - $1.00
4. Beans, Snap*: Dragon Tongue, Green, Romano – up to 1 lb - $3.50
5. Beets – 1 bunch - $3.25
6. Eggplant: Japanese – 1 - $1.50
7. Radishes: Gold – 1 bunch - $3.00

Total Items: 7
Total Amount: $20.00
(We pay $18.50 per week for our CSA share. Our farmer has give us $1.50 more this week than the $18.50 which we paid for so, the total so far is $12.75 more than what we’ve paid so far this season)


Herb Share – Sept 1A
Cilantro AND Parsley, Curly

*
Dr. Andrew Weil’s Three Reasons to be eating Green Beans…
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP05290/3-Reasons-to-Eat-Green-Beans.html
Dr. Weil’s favorite French Bean Salad…
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/RCP02391/French-Bean-Salad-with-Vegetarian-Caesar-Dressing.html
Pickled Green Beans…
http://www.usatoday.com/experience/weekend/food/recipe-pickled-green-beans/14005065/



6. People’s Climate March on Sunday, September 21st!

CSA member, Heather Engle, reminded me to include this. There will be a major UN Climate Change event, and global events in support of this march, all going on at the same time. Plus there are over 1,000 groups attending of all sorts…unions, schools, environmental groups, famers, food service workers, businesses, faith groups and much more.

Sunday, September 21st
11:30am

People’s Climate March
Central Park West between 59th and 86th Streets (assembly area)
NYC
For more info (there’s a LOT of info on the website) and to register…
http://peoplesclimate.org/march/

The march will end on 11th Ave between 34th and 38th Streets.



7. Help feed the hungry…and we could help it be healthier, and natural or organic!

Feel free to spread the word on this one…

Saturday, September 13th
10am to 1pm

Together We Can: Island Harvest & Senator Carl Marcellino’s Food Drive
Waldbaums
60 Wall Street
Huntington

Suggested non-perishable Items (there is a way to contribute to food drives with healthy, organic and inexpensive food items…Trader Joes is a decent place to shop for an event like this):
Baby Formula
Cereals (a big bag of that organic “o” cereal might be a nice alternative to Cheerio’s)
Coffee
Fish, canned (Wild Salmon in a can is a good source for Salmon for anyone)
Fruit, canned
Meat, canned
Milk: Almond or Soy
Milk, dried
Nutritional Beverages (they suggest Boost or Ensure…not sure what the more natural equivalents would be)
Pasta (organic whole wheat pasta at Trader Joes…very inexpensive)
Peanut Butter
Soup, canned
Spices
Tea
Vegetables, canned: Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce (Organic Tomato Sauce at Trader Joe’s is pretty cheap…so are the Beans)

Personal hygiene items (some non-toxic things might be nice…again thinking about Trader Joes…Tom’s Toothpaste or Dr Bronner’s soap in Peppermint…who doesn’t like Peppermint? )



8. Support intelligent, investigative food and agriculture reporting at Mother Jones Magazine…I mean, they’re only asking for $5 (I’ve included some of his articles in these emails)…

I'm Mother Jones' food and agriculture correspondent, and I need your help.
Every week, I bring you in-depth reporting on food news that really matters to your health and the environment. To continue this great work, I need you. Mother Jones is a nonprofit, and our investigative fund is still $55,000 short. We've only got a week left to fill the gap.
There's an urgent need for intelligent food reporting. Think: food safety, pesticides, antibiotics, BPA, your health...who do you trust to report the truth? If you value our fiercely independent voice, please donate to our investigative fund.
We only have a few days to make up our shortfall. But if each person reading this sentence gave just $5, we'd beat our goal within the hour.
Please help. It takes less than 60 seconds to make your tax-deductible donation, and you can give on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Please donate now via credit card or PayPal.
Many thanks. I really appreciate your help.
Sincerely,
Tom Philpott
https://secure.motherjones.com/fnp/?action=SUBSCRIPTION&list_source=7G94FTE&extra_don=1

Here’s an example of their educational and interesting stories…
How Superbugs Hitch a Ride from Hog Farms to Your Community…take note that the farms that don’t use antibiotics on their animals were found to have NONE of these issues so if you buy meat that is antibiotic free, you’re helping the animals (at least while they’re alive), the workers, yourself, and the world at large!
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2014/09/think-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-stop-factory-farm-door-think-again



9. Anybody familiar with the NYC restaurant Angelica Kitchen? If so (and even if not), please read this…

The short story is…THEY MAY CLOSE!!!

If you’re a vegan, or someone who’s interested in healthy eating, Angelica Kitchen is either somewhere you’ve already been, or should make a pilgrimage to. It’s probably one of the oldest (if not the oldest) “health food” restaurants in NYC…opened in 1976!!! I was there for Thanksgiving last year (taking my vegan mother-in-law), had a lovely time and plan on going there again this year (and if I’m in the city, I’ll put it higher up on my list of places to dine).

The reasons? The cost of rent is the big issue, but also Hurricane Sandy, the winter of 2013/2014, and I’m sure other reasons have put them in their current precarious position. They’re not alone. Restaurants in the area such as WD-50 and Union Square CafĂ© either have already flown the coop to other locations (or are planning to) or close down altogether.

They’re going to have a meeting this weekend about their plight…

Sunday, September 21st
4:30pm
Kitchen Table Talks
A discussion about Angelica Kitchen’s situation and how to help
Appetizers and Beverages will be served (that may be enough reason to go  )

And what can you do?
1. Go eat there
2. Tell everyone you know to go eat there
3. Buy gift certificates to go eat there
4. Get takeout
5. Share their posts on social media
6. Like them on Facebook



10. And now for something completely different…

Eat out? Read this!

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/09/what-servers-do-when-you-piss-them-off.html

###

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Week #21 September 11, 2014

Happy Summer (it’s still summer till September 22nd)!

REMINDER…Bring bags with you to the CSA! If anyone is picking up for you at the CSA…tell THEM they need to bring bags!!!
Put bags in every vehicle you own or might end up driving.
Bring an assortment of bags…cloth, plastic, paper…as you’ll find them all useful. Basic bagging issue is separating wet food from dry food so one doesn’t start the rotting process of the other. Tomatoes like to be stored in paper, not plastic (and NEVER refrigerated unless they’ve been cut into).

Mystery of the week! Who didn’t get their Flowers last week? Two bunches were left over at the end of the night and we can’t figure out who it would be as everyone who had Flower Shares showed up to the CSA, but a bunch of names weren’t crossed off on the list near the flowers.

Anyone want any BULK TOMATOES to can for the winter (sauce? stewed?)? Read this week’s Notes from the Farm (#4).

Planting a garden this year? Get certified organic Herb (many varieties), Vegetable (many varieties) and Flower (some…ask!) plants grown at your farm, Green Thumb Farm! To order plants, call the farm at 631-726-1900 between 9:30am and 4pm any day of the week/weekend and have a credit card on hand for payment. They will be delivered with the next available CSA delivery! I’m hearing from the people who bought these plants so far that they’re doing GREAT!!!

If you’d like to visit our farm (Green Thumb Farm in Water Mill) on days besides our CSA Pumpkin picking in October, the farm stand is now open 7 days a week until Sunday, December 7th. Tell them at the farm stand that you’re a CSA member and it’s sure to bring a smile!

Seriously…put this phone number (631-385-1079) in your cell phone, on your fridge, or wherever you put phone numbers you’re glad to have when you need them! It’s the hall phone of the UUFH to be used only on Thursdays from 3pm to 8pm. We’ve already had a few people who wished they had it and didn’t, and others who had it and found out how handy it can be! 

This email contains…

1. Your CSA does not need you this week! However…
2. WE WEIGH!!!
3. This week’s list…
4. Notes from the Farm
5. What you actually got last week
6. People’s Climate March on Sunday, September 21st!
7. Win the cookbook, My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz…
8. Got kids in college? Read this…
9. Help wanted…Panera – Huntington Village
10. And now for something completely different…



1. Your CSA does not need you this week! However…

You can ALWAYS stop by the CSA a little before 3:30 or 5:30 to offer to help in case someone doesn’t show up (or is late) without letting anyone know…life happens! 

If you didn’t get a confirmation email from Judi (occasionally it’s me), you’re not scheduled to work this week.

And if you got an email from Judi asking you to confirm that you’re working…you need to respond to that in the time frame stated in the email otherwise she’s going to try and find someone else to take your place.



2. WE WEIGH!!!

It’s time to weigh our food!

A. Check the wall chart before taking any food so you know what you’re taking and how much to take…assume nothing and ask questions! 

B. Bring your reading glasses or ask someone to help if you can’t see the numbers on the scale clearly.

C. PLEASE DO NOT GO OVER THE AMOUNT STATED on the Wall Chart. Please err on the under side of the weight posted…NEVER over. It may not seem like much to you but we have 51 members and if every person is off by ONE OUNCE (for crying out loud! It’s only an ounce!!!) …that means we’ll be short over THREE POUNDS of produce and some CSA members won’t get the food they paid for. And I’m sure you wouldn’t want it to be you!

D. IF you are asked to weigh more than one food item at the same time…please follow the directions given to you and weigh in the order you are asked (you might not think there’s a good reason to be doing this but our farmer does and that should be enough of a reason right there…if you want a further explanation – ask suzanne…there is a method to the madness )



3. This week’s list (subject to change without notice because…farming is like that!)…

September 11, 2014
Week #21

1. Watermelon
2. Tomatoes, Mini
3. Cucumber
4. Beans, Snap*
5. Beets
6. Eggplant
7. Radishes

Total Items: 7

Herb Share – Sept 1A
Cilantro AND Parsley, Curly

*
Dr. Andrew Weil’s Three Reasons to be eating Green Beans…
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP05290/3-Reasons-to-Eat-Green-Beans.html
Dr. Weil’s favorite French Bean Salad…
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/RCP02391/French-Bean-Salad-with-Vegetarian-Caesar-Dressing.html
Pickled Green Beans…
http://www.usatoday.com/experience/weekend/food/recipe-pickled-green-beans/14005065/



4. Notes from the Farm

August 15, 2014

Mid-August is here and our summer crops are beginning to flourish.

Peppers are a plenty, and just starting to turn Gold and Red. All types of Eggplants and Tomatoes are now being picked. Cucumbers, Summer Squash and Beans are also still in abundance. We just began harvesting our Cantaloupes and Watermelons, so expect those in the coming weeks. Leeks and Celery are also coming in.

If you’d like to purchase bulk Tomatoes for canning/sauce making, we have our own certified organic Red Italian Paste Tomatoes available. A 22 lb box is $45.00. To order, call the farm any day of the week from 9:30am to 4:30pm at 631-726-1900 (and have a credit card handy), place your order, and it will be delivered to your CSA on the next available Thursday.

This week we began planting our fall crops: Oriental Greens, Rutabagas, Turnips, and varieties of Kales, Broccolis and Cabbages…all for October thru November.

Swiss Chard, Lettuces, Beets and a variety of Herbs will also be on your menus till the year ends!

This past week, August 13th, saw 13 ½ inches of rain at Islip, NY, just 30 minutes west from us. We were VERY LUCKY and only received ¾” of rain. If we had gotten the 13 ½” of rain, it would have wiped out everything we had in the ground. You just never know…that’s farming!

Organically yours,
Farmer Bill (Halsey)



5. What you actually got last week

September 4, 2014
Week #20

1. Lettuce: Crisp, Red OR Leaf, Red – 1 head - $2.75
2. Tomatoes: Orange, Red, Yellow – up to 2 lbs - $5.75
3. Cucumber – 3 - $1.50
4. Peppers, Sweet: Banana AND Gold AND Romanian Wax – 3 (1 of each kind) - $1.25
5. Cantaloupe – 1 - $3.00
6. Okra: Green and/or Red* - up to 1 lb - $3.50
7. Squash, Summer: Costata Romanesco, Eight Ball, Gold, Kousa, Patty Pan, Yellow, Zucchini – up to 2 lbs - $2.25

Total Items: 7
Total Amount: $20.00
(We pay $18.50 per week for our CSA share. Our farmer has give us $1.50 more this week than the $18.50 which we paid for so, the total so far is $11.25 more than what we’ve paid so far this season)

Flower Share #10 (maybe…maybe not)
Assorted
THE END!!! 

*
Roasted Okra (with Summer Squash and Tomato)…
http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/1016763/roasted-okra.html
Roasted Okra with Farro and a fried Egg…
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/07/toms-kitchen-roasted-okra-farro-and-fried-egg



6. People’s Climate March on Sunday, September 21st!

CSA member, Heather Engle, reminded me to include this. There will be a major UN Climate Change event, and global events in support of this march, all going on at the same time. Plus there are over 1,000 groups attending of all sorts…unions, schools, environmental groups, famers, food service workers, businesses, faith groups and much more.

Sunday, September 21st
11:30am

People’s Climate March
Central Park West between 59th and 86th Streets (assembly area)
NYC
For more info (there’s a LOT of info on the website) and to register…
http://peoplesclimate.org/march/

The march will end on 11th Ave between 34th and 38th Streets.



7. Win the cookbook, My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz…

Enter by Sunday, September 14th, midnight
http://awaytogarden.com/david-lebovitzs-french-onion-soup-win-copy-my-paris-kitchen/



8. Got kids in college? Read this…

The grand prize is a $1,000 gift card from Target AND a catered event by Chipotle for 100 dorm mates (and there are other prizes too)…
http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/html/dormgiveaway.html

Check to see if your child’s college is participating.



9. Help wanted…Panera – Huntington Village

Panera is looking for full and part-time workers.

Go there and tell them the instructions they have for doing it online doesn’t work!!!

I tried and it had no openings for Huntington Village and said this location didn’t even exist yet (no wonder they haven’t had any applicants).

I bet whoever mentions this would get points for letting them know. 



10. And now for something completely different…

Have you ever had a barista at Starbucks spell your name wrong on your coffee cup?

I haven’t, but apparently somebody must have since this video was made about it…
http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/09/your-starbucks-name.html

###

Week #20 September 4, 2014

Happy Summer (it’s still summer till September 22nd)!

TWO mysteries of the other week solved (finally)!
1. Found out who left their Mini Tomatoes by the Flowers and how that happened
2. I found out who didn’t get their Flower Share and how that happened
This is useful to try and plan how to not have it happen in the future (one can always do a little better). Thanks! 

Planting a garden this year? Get certified organic Herb (many varieties), Vegetable (many varieties) and Flower (some…ask!) plants grown at your farm, Green Thumb Farm! To order plants, call the farm at 631-726-1900 between 9:30am and 4pm any day of the week/weekend and have a credit card on hand for payment. They will be delivered with the next available CSA delivery! I’m hearing from the people who bought these plants so far that they’re doing GREAT!!!

If you’d like to visit our farm (Green Thumb Farm in Water Mill) on days besides our CSA Pumpkin picking in October, the farm stand is now open 7 days a week until Sunday, December 7th. Tell them at the farm stand that you’re a CSA member and it’s sure to bring a smile!

Seriously…put this phone number (631-385-1079) in your cell phone, on your fridge, or wherever you put phone numbers you’re glad to have when you need them! It’s the hall phone of the UUFH to be used only on Thursdays from 3pm to 8pm. We’ve already had a few people who wished they had it and didn’t, and others who had it and found out how handy it can be! 

This email contains…

1. HELP!!! Your CSA does not need you this week! However…
2. WE WEIGH!!!
3. This week’s list…
4. Anybody interested in going to the North Fork Foodie Tour?
5. What you actually got last week
6. Coincidence? Which 2 foods from this week’s CSA share are on Dr. Andrew Weil’s 8 BEST foods for a healthy immune system, and why should we be eating more Red Tomatoes?
7. Basil…I thought something was going on here!!!
8. Help change the world with a click!
9. Book sale! Chelsea Green (great eco/green publishing company) is having a 75% sale for the next few days…
10. And now for something completely different…



1. HELP!!! Your CSA does not need you this week! However…

You can ALWAYS stop by the CSA a little before 3:30 or 5:30 to offer to help in case someone doesn’t show up (or is late) without letting anyone know…life happens! 

If you didn’t get a confirmation email from Judi (occasionally it’s me), you’re not scheduled to work this week.

And if you got an email from Judi asking you to confirm that you’re working…you need to respond to that in the time frame stated in the email otherwise she’s going to try and find someone else to take your place.



2. WE WEIGH!!!

It’s time to weigh our food!

A. Check the wall chart before taking any food so you know what you’re taking and how much to take…assume nothing and ask questions! 

B. Bring your reading glasses or ask someone to help if you can’t see the numbers on the scale clearly.

C. PLEASE DO NOT GO OVER THE AMOUNT STATED on the Wall Chart. Please err on the under side of the weight posted…NEVER over. It may not seem like much to you but we have 51 members and if every person is off by ONE OUNCE (for crying out loud! It’s only an ounce!!!) …that means we’ll be short over THREE POUNDS of produce and some CSA members won’t get the food they paid for. And I’m sure you wouldn’t want it to be you!

D. IF you are asked to weigh more than one food item at the same time…please follow the directions given to you and weigh in the order you are asked (you might not think there’s a good reason to be doing this but our farmer does and that should be enough of a reason right there…if you want a further explanation – ask suzanne…there is a method to the madness )



3. This week’s list (subject to change without notice because…farming is like that!)…

September 4, 2014
Week #29

1. Lettuce
2. Tomatoes
3. Cucumber
4. Peppers, Sweet
5. Cantaloupe
6. Okra*
7. Squash, Summer

Total Items: 7

Flower Share #10 (maybe…maybe not)
THE END!!! 

*
Roasted Okra (with Summer Squash and Tomato)…
http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/1016763/roasted-okra.html



4. Anybody interested in going to the North Fork Foodie Tour this Sunday?

If so, maybe we can either carpool or just meet up at some point during the day! Last time we met up for an al fresco lunch at the Lunch Truck…part of North Fork Table and Inn.
Buy food at the truck and sit on lawn chairs, or on the grass out in the back (or bring a blanket in case the chairs are all taken)…
http://www.nofoti.com/the-lunch-truck/

Sunday, September 7th
10am to 4pm

Peconic Land Trust Agricultural Center at Charnews Farm
3005 Youngs Ave
Southold, NY
$25 Adults/Children under 12 FREE
For more info and tickets…
http://www.northforkreformsynagogue.org/community/annual-foodie-tour

You can check out organic farms, a raw milk dairy, mushrooms, meat, cheese, wine, micro-greens, honey, lavender, beer, chickens and a whole lot more!



5. What you actually got last week

August 28, 2014
Week #19

1. Lettuce: Oakleaf, Green – 1 head - $2.75
2. Eggplant – 1 - $2.00
3. Cabbage – 1 head - $1.50
4. Beans, Green* - up to 1 lb - $3.50
5. Cantaloupe – 1 - $3.00
6. Celery – 1 bunch - $3.25
7. Squash, Summer: Costata Romanesco, Eight Ball, Gold, Kousa, Patty Pan (Green, Yellow), Yellow, Zucchini – up to 1 lb - $2.00
8. Cucumber – 2 - $1.00

Total Items: 8
Total Amount: $19.00
(We pay $18.50 per week for our CSA share. Our farmer has give us $.50 more this week than the $18.50 which we paid for so, the total so far is $9.75 more than what we’ve paid so far this season)

Herb Share – Aug 2B
Sage AND Rosemary

*
Dr. Andrew Weil’s Three Reasons to be eating Green Beans…
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP05290/3-Reasons-to-Eat-Green-Beans.html
Dr. Weil’s favorite French Bean Salad…
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/RCP02391/French-Bean-Salad-with-Vegetarian-Caesar-Dressing.html



6. Coincidence? Which 2 foods from this week’s CSA share are on Dr. Andrew Weil’s 8 BEST foods for a healthy immune system, and why should we be eating more Red Tomatoes?

Just got this last night and low and behold…we’ve got TWO of them in this week’s CSA share!

Dr. Andrew Weil’s 8 best foods for a healthy immune system…
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP05302/8-Best-Foods-for-A-Healthy-Immune-System.html

Another one of them we’ll be getting again later in the season, the other (Strawberries) we got for 4 weeks in June/July, and the other 4 can’t be easily grown locally (meant for warmer climates than Long Island…maybe in another 20 years it won’t be, but for now…unless you have a greenhouse they can’t be grown here).

Eat more Tomatoes specifically (the Red ones are the ones with Lycopene), and of course, more vegetables and fruits in general…
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/WBL02419/More-Tomatoes-Please.html



7. Basil…I thought something was going on here!!!

We didn’t get any Basil in our regular CSA share this year, the Basil Shares were shorter stalks of Basil then I’d ever seen before, and there was a break in the Basil share where none came in for a week. All this indicated to me that there was something going on at the farm with the Basil crop. I asked our Farmer Bill but he is a man of few words so all he had to say was that it was done for the season and I know he’s REALLY busy this time of year so I didn’t want to press for more of an answer (plus, it just might be really depressing to think about how much money was lost in the failed crop). In talking to other people at the CSA I thought there might be something going on island wide (between problems in home gardens and other farms) so I wrote to the REAL vegetable queen of Long Island (sometimes I think it’s me  ), Sandy Menasha of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. She deals with organic vegetable growing and problems in our area (as well as non-organic produce). I’ve met her over the years at various events and conferences so I felt ok about contacting her.

This is basically what I said…
Is it my perception, or is it reality, that there were issues with growing Basil this year on Long Island? And if so, can you (or someone) tell me why?

This is what Sandy (who rocks hard  ) had to say…
It is not just perception. Basil downy mildew if the fungal disease that has made growing Basil a nightmare. This disease is so devastating because it produces spores and the undersides of leaves turning them black. Since with Basil we eat the leaves it is then unmarketable and unappetizing. The spores are wind dispersed so it can spread very quickly. This has been a problem all over the US starting in about 20009 or 2010 and was introduced most likely through seed as overseas has had the problem before it was introduced here. Cornell and Rutgers are working on breeding disease resistance into Basil to help manage the problem and Meg is looking at various organic and conventional spray programs that may also help.

My basil in my home garden was hit with Basil downy mildew by late-July and I had to tear out all my plants. Hopefully soon, we will have some good disease resistant varieties available and be able to grow Basil again without any sprays.

Meg has put a lot of information on the web about Basil Downy Mildew. If you Goggle search this you will find more information on the subject.

Last comment from me…
Damn! I am hoping they are not creating GMO Basil (but sure some people are), and at least some are using old school hybridizing programs to create disease resistant Basil varieties (which is the only kind certified organic farmers could use).



8. Help change the world with a click!

A. Tell Governor Cuomo to help the next generation of farmers find affordable farmland!
https://secure2.convio.net/aft/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=BFBFE78AD3496BE690982B4185E5EBAB.app274b?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=463

B. Former US Secretary of Labor Robert Reich asks us to tell Burger King’s corporate headquarters to stay in America (they want to lower the amount of US taxes they pay by merging with Canadian company Tim Horton’s restaurants and switch their corporate headquarters is in Canada where the corporate taxes are lower)…
http://act.democracyforamerica.com/sign/BurgerKing/?t=1&referring_akid=5218.600188.4A5jZl

C. Tell Congress to support the Saving America’s Pollinators Act…and if you’re so inclined there’s a BUNCH more food related petitions to sign that just pop up…
https://takeaction.takepart.com/actions/help-save-our-bees-tell-congress-to-support-the-saving-america-s-pollinators-act?cmpid=tp-eml-justlabelit-bees-2



9. Book sale! Chelsea Green (great eco/green publishing company) is having a 75% sale for the next few days…

If you like books on healthy cooking, green home building, this sale runs through Sunday, September 7th…
http://www.chelseagreen.com/content/summer-savings-time-running/?utm_source=Bronto&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=EOS&utm_content=EOS4&utm_campaign=EOS

Have already seen some books I’m getting…
Growing, Older – Joan Dye Gussow (if you like Marion Nestle, you’ll probably like Joan Gussow…Marion is at NYU and Joan was at Columbia…I own nothing by this woman and she’s a shero of mine)
Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning – Terre Vivante (I’ve wanted to get this one for years)
Seed to Seed – Suzanne Ashworth (a classic seed saving book)
The Winter Harvest Handbook – Eliot Coleman (it’s good to have dreams and anything by Coleman is worth reading and owning)



10. And now for something completely different…

Jeff Bridges narrates and is featured in this film/commercial for Kahlua (what else? If you’re a fan of “the Dude”) that seems like it was directed by David Lynch and reminds me of the plot of No Country for Old Men…
http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/09/jeff-bridges-white-russian.html?om_rid=AADNgX&om_mid=_BUB2LcB88FxjFq

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Week #19 August 28, 2014

Happy Summer (it’s till summer till September 22nd)!

TWO mysteries of the week!
1. Did someone leave their Mini Tomatoes by the Flower Shares last week? There was an unclaimed box of Tomatoes by the Flowers and there was no way we could figure out who it belonged to as we don’t know how long it was sitting there. Anyone notice them being missing? If so, let me know.
2. Did someone else not get their Flower Share last week? There was a bunch left at the end of the night.

Planting a garden this year? Get certified organic Herb (many varieties), Vegetable (many varieties) and Flower (some…ask!) plants grown at your farm, Green Thumb Farm! To order plants, call the farm at 631-726-1900 between 9:30am and 4pm any day of the week/weekend and have a credit card on hand for payment. They will be delivered with the next available CSA delivery! I’m hearing from the people who bought these plants so far that they’re doing GREAT!!!

If you’d like to visit our farm (Green Thumb Farm in Water Mill) on days besides our CSA Pumpkin picking in October, the farm stand is now open 7 days a week until Sunday, December 7th. Tell them at the farm stand that you’re a CSA member and it’s sure to bring a smile!

Seriously…put this phone number (631-385-1079) in your cell phone, on your fridge, or wherever you put phone numbers you’re glad to have when you need them! It’s the hall phone of the UUFH to be used only on Thursdays from 3pm to 8pm. We’ve already had a few people who wished they had it and didn’t, and others who had it and found out how handy it can be! 

This email contains…

1. HELP!!! Your CSA does need you this week! We’re looking for ONE (1) person to be at the CSA from 5:30pm to 7:30pm…
2. WE WEIGH!!!
3. This week’s list…
4. Anybody interested in going to the North Fork Foodie Tour?
5. What you actually got last week
6. Got any Parsley left from last week?
7. Back to school lunches - big people can eat them too!
8. Get a free “No Farms, No Food” car magnet!
9. Got any Nut Butters at home? If so…READ THIS!!!
10. And now for something completely different…



1. HELP!!! Your CSA does need you this week! We’re looking for ONE (1) person to be at the CSA from 5:30pm to 7:30pm…

If you can work this week from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, please…
A. respond to this email before 1pm Thursday
B. call 631-421-4864 before 1pm on Thursday
C. call 631-385-1079 after 3pm on Thursday
D. show up a little before 5:30pm on Thursday

You can ALWAYS stop by the CSA a little before 3:30 or 5:30 to offer to help in case someone doesn’t show up (or is late) without letting anyone know…life happens! 

If you didn’t get a confirmation email from Judi (occasionally it’s me), you’re not scheduled to work this week.

And if you got an email from Judi asking you to confirm that you’re working…you need to respond to that in the time frame stated in the email otherwise she’s going to try and find someone else to take your place.



2. WE WEIGH!!!

It’s time to weigh our food!

A. Check the wall chart before taking any food so you know what you’re taking and how much to take…assume nothing and ask questions! 

B. Bring your reading glasses or ask someone to help if you can’t see the numbers on the scale clearly.

C. PLEASE DO NOT GO OVER THE AMOUNT STATED on the Wall Chart. Please err on the under side of the weight posted…NEVER over. It may not seem like much to you but we have 51 members and if every person is off by ONE OUNCE (for crying out loud! It’s only an ounce!!!) …that means we’ll be short over THREE POUNDS of produce and some CSA members won’t get the food they paid for. And I’m sure you wouldn’t want it to be you!

D. IF you are asked to weigh more than one food item at the same time…please follow the directions given to you and weigh in the order you are asked (you might not think there’s a good reason to be doing this but our farmer does and that should be enough of a reason right there…if you want a further explanation – ask suzanne…there is a method to the madness )



3. This week’s list (subject to change without notice because…farming is like that!)…

August 28, 2014
Week #19

1. Lettuce
2. Eggplant
3. Cabbage
4. Beans, Green*
5. Cantaloupe
6. Celery
7. Squash, Summer
8. Cucumber

Total Items: 8 (?)

Herb Share – Aug 2B
Sage AND Savory

*
Dr. Andrew Weil’s Three Reasons to be eating Green Beans…
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP05290/3-Reasons-to-Eat-Green-Beans.html
Dr. Weil’s favorite French Bean Salad…
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/RCP02391/French-Bean-Salad-with-Vegetarian-Caesar-Dressing.html



4. Anybody interested in going to the North Fork Foodie Tour?

If so, maybe we can either carpool or just meet up at some point during the day! Last time we met up for an al fresco lunch at the Lunch Truck…part of North Fork Table and Inn.
Buy food at the truck and sit on lawn chairs, or on the grass out in the back (or bring a blanket in case the chairs are all taken)…
http://www.nofoti.com/the-lunch-truck/

Sunday, September 7th
10am to 4pm
Peconic Land Trust Agricultural Center at Charnews Farm
3005 Youngs Ave
Southold, NY
$25 Adults/Children under 12 FREE
For more info and tickets…
http://www.northforkreformsynagogue.org/community/annual-foodie-tour

You can check out organic farms, a raw milk dairy, mushrooms, meat, cheese, wine, micro-greens, honey, lavender, beer, chickens and a whole lot more!



5. What you actually got last week

August 21, 2014
Week #18

1. Lettuce: Leaf, Red – 1 head - $2.75
2. Parsley, Curly – 1 bunch - $2.75
3. Leeks – 1 bunch - $3.75
4. Peppers, Sweet: Green OR Hungarian Wax – ½ lb (to be weighed first and then on top of them goes…)
4. Beans, Shelling: Cranberry* - ½ lb (totaling 1 lb with the Peppers and Beans together) - $3.50
5. Tomatoes, Mini: Black, Isis, White (they looked like Lemon Yellow to me!) – 1 pt - $4.75
7. Squash, Summer: Costata Romanesco, Golden, Kousa, Patty Pan, Yellow, Zucchini – up to 1 lb - $2.00
8. Cucumber – 1 - $.50

Total Items: 8
Total Amount: $20.00
(We pay $18.50 per week for our CSA share. Our farmer has give us $1.50 more this week than the $18.50 which we paid for so, the total so far is $9.25 more than what we’ve paid so far this season)

Flower Share #9
Zinnias

*
Cranberry Bean recipe (even though it says Pesto)…
http://www.melissaclark.net/blog/2012/12/frozen-pesto.html
How to freeze Cranberry Beans (or any shelling bean)…
http://www.autumnmakesanddoes.com/2011/08/26/freezing-shelling-beans/



6. Got any Parsley left from last week?

CSA member (and former professional pastry chef) Lisa McInnis Lonigro submitted this article by one of my favorite chefs, Amanda Cohen of Dirt Candy (closed as of but re-opening in a new and bigger space)…
http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/2014/8/19/5-reasons-you-should-definitely-be-cooking-with-parsley?xid=emailsharebarm

And this is her blogpost about Parsley…
http://www.dirtcandynyc.com/?p=7057

Amanda doesn’t include Curly Parsley so I emailed her (I’ve met her, and my partner, Dylan, knows her husband, AND CSA member Maxine Wetanson’s daughter worked for her…it’s a small universe!) to see if she’ll give her opinion about it (very busy closing one space and opening another). I told her if she had the Curly Parsley from Green Thumb Farm she might have a different point of view about it as it certainly changed my opinion from having it in the culinary crap column, to a very happy addition to my herbal arsenal.

And who doesn’t love Pesto???

Parsley and Lemon Pesto…
http://www.foodrepublic.com/2013/06/07/parsley-and-lemon-pesto-recipe

Walnut Parsley Pesto…
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/walnut_parsley_pesto/

Spaghetti with Parsley Pesto…
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spaghetti-with-parsley-pesto



7. Back to school lunches - big people can eat them too!

Scroll down the website below for school lunch ideas…that aren’t too shabby for big people too! 

How many ways can you use your CSA food in these?
We'd be remiss to neglect the stars of late summer on your lunch menu: plenty of fresh vegetables like carrots, celery, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower and cherry tomatoes make great vehicles for enjoying dips like hummus and salsa. Sending your kids off with a healthy, market-inspired lunch is one way to ease them back into the swing of the school year!

http://www.marthastewart.com/923056/school-lunch-ideas-and-strategies/@center/277005/back-school



8. Get a free “No Farms, No Food” car magnet!

Right here…
http://action.farmland.org/site/PageNavigator/No-Farms-No-Food/MJ_Magnet_FY14.html

A. Yes, they will want you to donate money after you sign up for the free magnet
B. the American Farmland Trust IS a really good organization if you feel so inclined to donate now or in the future



9. Got any Nut Butters at home? If so…READ THIS!!!

Trader Joe’s, Maranatha, and Whole Foods Nut Butters recall…how the heck did they manage this???

http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/08/whole-foods-salmonella-recall.html?om_rid=AADNgX&om_mid=_BT9j52B870WAli

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm410533.htm

Jeez…buy nuts and make your own?



10. And now for something completely different…

And here’s some CSA humor from the New Yorker magazine, submitted by CSA member Joanne Schenendorf…
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/welcome-csa

Differences between the author's CSA and ours...

1. we don't get a pre-packaged box
2. we don't get food that's small (unless it’s ok that it’s small), wrinkled and covered with black spots (well, maybe the Fava Beans but it doesn’t matter what the outside looks like since we’re using the insides)
3. no hallucinations yet...I wonder what CSA the author belongs to, and can I join? 
4. no meatstuff for us so no "taintlard"
5. if you know how to cook it, famine root is delicious (and it doesn't take 2 weeks with a lot of other things to hide it)!
6. I've never had large quantities of bugs in any CSA food we've gotten, and if we did…I be pretty freaked out!
7. the bit about Moss isn't funny to me because a young man was killed by a tractor at a CSA farm out east and was crushed to death (sorry to be a Debbie Downer but I don’t think farm safety is a very sexy topic amongst young [and not so young], newbie, hip farmers)
8. we've never gotten a dozen Turnips...ever! :)

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