Week #31 November 20, 2014

Happy Autumn!

Since the topic has come up…
1. CHANGE...the week of Thanksgiving, the CSA is on Wednesday, November 26th, and the hours will be from 2:30pm to 7:30pm (we’re starting an hour earlier as the farmer wants to try and beat holiday traffic on the way back home).
2. The last CSA day is Thursday, December 11th

Anybody want to meet me (or come with me…room for 2) in Queens this Saturday afternoon for a Momo Crawl? Momos are Nepalese/Tibetan dumplings (Beef, Chicken, Potato). If you do, see below for Saturday, November 22nd and get in touch! You can even be back in time to catch some of the Healthy Planet Turkey Free event in Farmingdale!

Want to see the movie Cowspiracy? See below under December 17th and buy your tickets before December 8th otherwise the event won’t happen!

Anybody make it out to the farm the other Saturday? If so, please send any photos or comments about the experience and we’ll share with the rest of the CSA gang. Thanks!

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.

If you’d like to visit our farm (Green Thumb Farm in Water Mill), 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. Drink Tea at Sip Tea Lounge, get a free treat, and support a good cause!
5. What you actually got last week
6. Good news…basically
7. Event Listings
8. Healthy Thanksgiving ingredients…
9. Enter to win…
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!)…

November 20, 2014
Week #31

1. Kale, Russian: White
2. Squash, Winter: Spaghetti
3. Sweet Potatoes*
4. Radish: China Rose
5. Leeks
6. Peppers, Sweet and/or Peppers, Hot (it wasn’t clear on Farmer Bill’s phone message so we’ll see exactly what we get when we get it)

Total Items: 7

*
Think you’ve got too many Sweet Potatoes?
Then think about storing them for use over the holidays. They’ll last a month (Farmer Bill manages to save them till JULY but then again…he’s Farmer Bill  ) in a cool, dark, dry space (that’ll get you to Thanksgiving), and frozen for 6 to 8 months (Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza and New Year’s Day not a problem)…
http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/cooking-science/2013/02/we-prove-it-the-best-way-to-store-sweet-potatoes/
http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/18774

Sweet Potatoes with Ginger and Cinnamon…
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=205&pfriendly=1&utm_source=daily_click&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_email

18 Sweet Potatoes, and Winter Squash, recipes from the gang at Serious Eats…
http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/11/sweet-potato-squash-recipes-for-thanksgiving.html

Smoky Sweet Potato Burgers…
http://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/smoky-sweet-potato-burgers/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Newsletter11192014



4. Drink Tea at Sip Tea Lounge, get a free treat, and support a good cause!

For the month of November (in honor of No Shave November), if you go to Sip Tea Lounge and order a 16 oz cup of Tea, you’ll get a free Mustacheroon (if you like Coconut Macaroons dipped in Dark Chocolate you should LOVE these) and know that a percentage of the proceeds will be going to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
For location and hours…
http://siptealoungeny.com/



5. What you actually got last week

November 13, 2014
Week #30

1. Collard Greens* - 1 bunch - $3.50
2. Squash, Winter: Gold Nugget (never had this one before but if you know what to do with one Winter Squash, you basically know what to do with any that come your way!  ) – 2 - $2.75
3. Sweet Potatoes** - up to 2 lbs - $4.25
4. Celeriac/Celery Root – 1 - $2.25
5. Radicchio: Chiogga – 1 head - $3.50
6. Peppers, Sweet: Mix – 1 lb - $3.25

Total Items: 7
Total Amount: $19.50
(We pay $18.50 per week for our CSA share. Our farmer has given us $1.00 more this week than the $18.50 which we paid for so, the total so far is $24.25 more than what we’ve paid so far this season…that means we’ve gotten one extra share’s worth of food that we didn’t pay for, so if you missed a week of the CSA you didn’t lose any money…though I know it’s still annoying missing the food…been there done that myself with other CSAs I have been a member of in addition to being a member of this one…can’t have too many vegetables!)


Herb Share – Nov 1A
Arugula AND Thyme

*
Collard Greens, Poached Eggs and Shiitake Mushrooms…
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=108&pfriendly=1&utm_source=daily_click&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_email


**
Think you’ve got too many Sweet Potatoes?
Then think about storing them for use over the holidays. They’ll last a month (Farmer Bill manages to save them till JULY but then again…he’s Farmer Bill  ) in a cool, dark, dry space (that’ll get you to Thanksgiving), and frozen for 6 to 8 months (Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza and New Year’s Day not a problem)…
http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/cooking-science/2013/02/we-prove-it-the-best-way-to-store-sweet-potatoes/
http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/18774



6 . Good news…basically

McDonald’s refused GMO Potatoes for its French Fries!
http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/11/mcdonalds-refuses-gmo-potatoes.html

However, now it’s up to us to not buy them if we don’t want these things being grown, and let people know why we’re choosing not to buy them…
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2014/11/simplot-innate-new-gmo-potato-mcdonalds



7. Event Listings…

Thursday, November 20th

2pm to 4pm

Raingardening Workshop
The Waterfront Center
1 West End Ave
Oyster Bay
$10/$25 Landscape professionals
Directions:
http://www.thewaterfrontcenter.org/
Raingardening is catching on as something that everyone on Long Island can do to help with coastal resiliency and mitigating pollution to our waters post-Sandy. Join national raingarden expert Rusty Schmidt as he demonstrates how easy and fun it is to turn any ordinary garden into a raingarden that can also help the local environment Mr. Schmidt, a wildlife biologist and landscape ecologist who has built over 1,000 raingardens, trained numerous raingarden trainers, and co-authored the “Blue Thumb Guide to Raingardens,” will share design and installation recommendations for deep-rooted native plants and grasses which help slow runoff velocity.
Workshops are geared toward conservation professionals, homeowners, landscape professionals, gardeners, and anyone interested in growing beautiful plants and improving our streams and water-bodies. Presentation topics include sizing, modeling, and complete details for a simple raingarden.
Cost for the workshop is $10 for homeowners and residents, and $25 for landscape professionals. Payments will be accepted by check or money order. Light refreshments are included in the price. Space is limited, registration required one week prior to each session. To register email K.C. at nassauswcd2@optonline.net or call (516) 364-5860. Checks or money orders should be made out to NCSWCD or Nassau County Soil & Water Conservation District.
7pm

Grassroots Environmental Education Farm-to-Table Fundraising Dinner
Wainwright House
260 Stuyvesant Ave
Rye, NY
$100
For more info and to buy tickets:
http://grassrootsinfo.org/rsvp/
Directions:
http://www.wainwright.org/

Honoree is Dr. John Wargo for his work on environmental exposures and children’s health.


Saturday, November 22nd

2pm to 5pm

Momo Crawl 2014 (3rd annual)
Jackson Heights Food Court
73-07 37th Rd (corner of 75th St)
Jackson Heights, Queens
Cost: 3 bills of any denomination (I plan on giving $15…3 $5 bills…as the guy that’s organizing this is a GREAT food blogger and does a lot of very cool stuff in the borough of Queens)
For more info:
http://iwantmorefood.com/
And to join (so he knows how many maps to print):
https://www.facebook.com/events/310152259171135/https://www.facebook.com/events/310152259171135/

I’ll be going with my partner Dylan Skolnick and possibly a friend of his who’ll meet us there.

Meet up at the Food Court, get a map, and start crawling and eating. Momos will be $1 a piece and there’s 18 to 20 locations to check out and then rally back at the Food Court to vote for best Momo of 2014 and who’ll receive the Golden Momo award! There will be Henna Momo Tattoos, a make your own Momo workshop, a whistling contest for a dinner for 2, drink specials, and other stuff. It should be a hoot and the organizer, Jeff Orlick, is a legendary food blogger and specialist in the ethnic cuisines of Queens.

My plan is to go to places that I haven’t been before but would be glad to talk about places I’ve been and make recommendations. And parking? I can park along Roosevelt Ave near any subway stop and take it to 74th St to be right near the Jackson Heights Food Court as I imagine parking might be challenging in that neighborhood that time of the day (limited metered parking and LOTS of South Asian folks doing their grocery shopping).

5pm to 9:30pm

Healthy Planet’s 21st Annual Turkey Free Thanksgiving Dinner & Lecture
Sustainability Institute at Molloy College
7180 Republic Airport
Farmingdale
$10 Members/$15 General Public/Under 12 years of age FREE
For more info and to make a reservation:
631-421-5591
https://www.facebook.com/events/987303781296473/?ref=6&ref_notif_type=plan_user_invited
And for more info about the event…
https://www.facebook.com/events/987303781296473/995216520505199/

Vegan potluck, there will be a lecture, live music, soup will be provided as well as some Indian food and vegan Ice Cream, a good time will be had by all!4

The raffles alone are worth going there to participate in. One raffle prize is a $100 gift certificate for dinner for 2 at Bun*ker Vietnamese in Ridgewood, Queens (considered the best Vietnamese restaurant in NYC and the produce is either organic or local, and the meat is pasture raised or local & sustainably raised, they have local or organic brews and biodynamic wine from time to time, and they do have options for vegan and gluten-free folks).


Monday, November 24th

2:30pm to 3:30pm

Farms, Stores and Dinner Tables: How to shape healthy food policy in your community
Stay at home (or work or school) and find out how to make healthy food more available in your neck of the woods and help change local food policies.
Online discussion sponsored by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
For more info and to register and participate:
http://action.ucsusa.org/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=27502&autologin=true


Tuesday, December 9th

6pm

FED UP (the movie)
Ross School
Goodfriend Drive
East Hampton
$10/$5 Members
For more info, reservations (this will sell out) and tickets:
http://www.slowfoodeastend.org/fed-up/

If you missed this at the Cinema Arts Centre, here’s another opportunity to see the movie FED UP with a bunch of other likeminded folks (and visit the VERY lovely Ross School)! Post film Q & A will be moderated by culinary nutritionist and radio show host, Stephanie Sacks.


Wednesday, December 17th

7:30pm

Let’s Eat! Food on Film presents…Cowspiracy: the sustainability secret
Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave
Huntington
$12
For more info and to see the trailer…
http://www.cinemaartscentre.org/event/cowspiracy-the-sustainability-secret/
To buy tickets (if you, the viewing public, don’t buy enough of these by December 8th, the event won’t happen)…
http://www.tugg.com/events/12205

Come join likeminded food folk at the Cinema Arts Centre for their Let’s Eat! Food on Film series, and enjoy non-GMO popcorn (with organic Butter and Sea Salt if you’d like) and their certified organic, shade grown, fair trade Coffee, and other environmentally conscious treats, in the Cinema Art Centre’s Sky Room Café.

In collaboration with Healthy Planet, Slow Food North Shore, and The Sustainability Institute at Molloy College, the Cinema Arts Centre presents the film, Cowspiracy: the sustainability secret.

The film follows filmmaker Kip Andersen, as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it. As Andersen approaches leaders in the environmental movement, he increasingly uncovers what appears to be an intentional refusal to discuss the issue of animal agriculture, while industry whistleblowers and watchdogs warn him of the risks to his freedom and even his life if he dares to persist.


Friday, January 23rd to Sunday, January 25th

Soil: The Root of the Movement
33rd Annual Organic Farming & Gardening Conference
Saratoga Hilton & City Center
Saratoga Springs, NY
For more info:
http://www.nofany.org/events/winter-conference

Keynote speaker: Wes Jackson, The Land Institute
http://www.landinstitute.org/
Farmer of the year: Lakeview Organic Grain, Klaas & Mary-Howell Martens
http://www.lakevieworganicgrain.com/

There’s a children’s conference (ages 6 to 13) and childcare available (ages 3 to 5) as well so it’s fun for families, single folk, young and old. The food is local and/or organic as much as possible in January and accommodates all styles of eating (raw, vegan, gluten free, paleo).

It’s too early to register so either get on the NOFA-NY email list (not a bad thing to do if you’re interested in eating organic food or gardening organically), or joining NOFA-NY (same as I just said) so you can be apprised of when registration starts.

Want to go for free (well, almost…you still have to pay for room and board)???
Enter the Annual Winter Conference T-shirt Contest by October 22nd and if you win you get your registration paid for and 2 t-shirts when your design is printed (and the cool factor of having your t-shirt be THE t-shirt for the NOFA-NY Winter Conference)…
http://www.nofany.org/tshirtcontest


September 19th

Noon to 8pm

Gaia’s Essence: 7th Annual Women’s Wellness Conference
Islandia Marriott Long Island
3635 Express Driveway North
Islandia
$20 till December 20, 2014 (additional group discounts available for non-profits and women’s groups)
For more info and to get tickets:
http://gewwc.com/

Gaia’s Essence Women’s Wellness Conference is an annual event held on Long Island New York. The conference originated out of the passion of the founder of Gaia’s Essence (Farrah La Ronde-Hutchinson) to empower and motivate women in reaching and maintaining their optimum health This gave her the vision to create the conference as an avenue where women of all ages could come together to share, empower and inspire each other to live happier healthier lives.

Farrah La Ronde-Hutchison was born and raised on the Nature Isle of the Caribbean, Dominica. Known for its biodiversity, culture and large centenarian population, Dominica instilled in Farrah a respect for nature, the environment and the power of natural, healthy living. Farrah completed her degree in Environmental Science with specializations in Biology and Chemistry. After much success in her industry, Farrah found a growing need of wellness education and a lack of high quality and affordable loose teas comparable to the ones she enjoyed in her early childhood. This was her inspiration to create Gaia’s Essence in the spring of 2007. The company has since expanded to include a diverse selection of not only loose teas but also an entire line of salt free seasonings blends



8. Healthy Thanksgiving ingredients…

And the CSA provides us with 4 (definitely) to 5 (some years, yes…some years, no) of the 8 foods mentioned (one’s in a bog somewhere on Long Island if you know where to look, one doesn’t grow in this neck of the woods, and one might be available…locally grown stone ground organic corn meal anyone?).
http://www.foodnetwork.com/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-how-tos/the-seven-healthiest-thanksgiving-ingredients0.html?nl=FNHN_111214_quad4&c32=4a81c4ac45fd5bcef69f3e31152e7c17ec529296



9. Enter to win…

A.Win a copy of the cookbook Prune, written by the outspoken, honest and brilliant chef/owner, Gabrielle Hamilton, of the classic NYC restaurant (having been around for 15 years I think it deserves to be called a classic) Prune…
http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/11/win-a-copy-of-prune-gabrielle-hamilton.html

B.Register to get Apartment Therapy emails to be able to win this LOVELY kitchen faucet (must enter before midnight tonight!)…
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/win-the-fresno-kitchen-faucet-by-dxv-giveaway-212291?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DXV%20Giveaway%20November%202014&utm_content=DXV%20Giveaway%20November%202014+CID_3da51009c45ad5991b585abb485e9954&utm_source=email_newsletter&utm_term=Enter%20Now



10. And now for something completely different…

Kim Kardashian nekkid cake pop! It actually looks pretty much like the photo…
http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/11/kim-kardashians-butt-cake-pop.html

Based on these photos (NSFW)…
http://www.papermag.com/2014/11/kim_kardashian.php

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