Thursday, August 25, 2016

Thursday, August 25, 2016 Week #13



Happy Summer!

CSA Weather report…82 and sunny (don’t leave your CSA share in the car…it will be very unhappy because it’s still WAY too hot in there)!

Keep in mind…any time you try a food you’ve never eaten before
1.       Do some reading about what it is, and find out if there are medical contraindications if you’re on medication or have health issues
2.       Eat a single serving size and give it 24 hours to see how your body reacts (some might be fine, a lot might not)
3.       When in doubt how to cook something, look to the countries that have been using it for decades/centuries, and see what they do and don’t do
4.       Any questions, don’t hesitate to ask

What happens if you don’t get any CSA emails and Thursday rolls around and it’s time to go to the CSA? GO ANYWAY! There have been times over the years when various things have prevented a CSA email from being sent…computers, storms, health emergencies, etc. However, the thing to do is to come to the Cinema and in all probability, your CSA share will be there (unless there’s weather that’s so treacherous travel would be extremely ill-advised and even then, the farm will show up and drive from Water Mill to Huntington before some CSA members would drive from Huntington…to Huntington). And if not (which I doubt…there was only one snowstorm where the farm showed up on Friday instead of Thursday because no one could drive anywhere), there would be a sign on the door saying something, or you could call me (though with Hurricane Sandy, even my land line was down because of the Verizon battery it’s hooked up to….grrrrrrr…I need to get that detached so I can get phone calls during those times when the power goes out).

Parking suggestion…try parking all the way around the building in the upper parking lot where the day care center play area is. You hopefully will find a spot, and it’s a short walk down the stairs to the entrance from there, and most people don’t seem to think of parking up there. If you park illegally you can get a parking ticket, it does happen!

If you are going to show up at the CSA later than 7:30pm, but before the Box Office is closing for the night (can be different every week but probably be open till at least 10pm) and it’s the last minute and you’re running late…call the Cinema Arts Centre Box Office at 631-423-7610 xt 0 and ask them to transfer the call to the café (do NOT leave a message to be given to the CSA because there have been occasions where we didn’t get the message and someone showed up to get their food and was not happy their food wasn’t there) so we can pack a bag for you, put your name on it, and leave it at the Box Office. If you don’t get to the Cinema before the Box Office closes, your food will NOT be there the next day. The Cinema is under no obligation to store your food, and we don’t want to be the cause of bugs being attracted to our wonderful CSA food.

If you’re sharing a CSA share with someone…it’s possible they’re not on this email list yet (if not email me their full name and email address…or have them do it), so check with them and then forward this if they didn’t get it (and always check the junk/spam folder).

*Keep in mind that anything you read in this email (unless it’s directly related to the functioning and operation of the CSA) is subjective and like they say in the 12 step world…take what you like and leave the rest!

This week’s email includes…

1.       The CSA doesn’t need you this week (but we will soon enough )
2.       CSA 101 – Bring Bags!!!
3.       We started weighing our produce last week…not rocket science but there are things to be mindful of!
4.       The List- subject to change without notice because…farming is like that
5.    Click here to help change the world
6.    Another reason to be eating organic foods…
7.   Hot weather eating suggestions
8.   Event Listings…both near and far
                    9.   It’s not all bad news! J
10.   What you actually got last week
11.   And now for something completely different



1.The CSA doesn’t need you this week (but we will soon enough)

We’re talking about working at the CSA.

We have the help we need for this week. Whoo-hoo!

If you didn’t already get an email from Rene or/and suzanne talking to you about being at the CSA on the Early Shift (3:30pm to 5:30pm) or the Late Shift (5:30pm to 7:30pm) this week, you’re not on the schedule for this week.

HOWEVER, you can always show up a little before 3:30pm or 5:30pm and offer to help out just in case someone doesn’t show up (stuff happens).



2.CSA 101…Bring Bags!

CSA basic, for this CSA anyway, is that you need to bring your own supply of bags for packing up your CSA share every week from now till December 8th!

So, my suggestion…put bags that you’re setting aside for your CSA share in EVERY vehicle you own or might ride in! J Put them in the trunk, or the glove compartment, or in a bigger bag somewhere in the car, or whatever you think will work for your situation. That way, you don’t even have to remember, they’re just there.

The CSA is under NO obligation to provide you with bags for your food.

I also recommend a selection of canvas, paper and plastic. I bag my CSA share up in my paper (Strawberries) and plastic bags (most everything else) and put it in my bigger canvas bag so when I get home, everything’s pretty much (with some exceptions…like herbs) ready to be put right into the fridge.

And if you send someone to pick up your CSA share for you, you need to tell them to…BRING BAGS!



3.We started weighing our produce last week…not rocket science but there are things to be mindful of!

It’s time to weigh our food!

A.      Please be aware that it may take a little more time for you to collect your CSA share when weighing is part of the experience so plan accordingly.

B.      Check the CSA Wall Chart that our farmer brings in every week before taking any food so you know what you’re taking and how much to take…assume nothing and please feel free to ask questions!

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

D.      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 56 CSA members this week, and if every person is over by ONE OUNCE (for crying out loud! It’s only an ounce!!!) …that means we’ll be short over 4 1/2 POUNDS of produce and 5 CSA members (and one of them could be you) won’t get the food they paid for.

E.       IF you are asked to weigh more than one food item at the same time (and you probably will at some point in the CSA season)…please follow the directions given to you, and weigh in the order you are asked (you might not think there’s any good reason to be doing this but our farmer does, and that should be enough of a reason right there but if you want a further explanation – ask someone working at the CSA or contact suzanne…there is always a method to the madness)



4.The List - subject to change without notice because…farming is like that!

August 25, 2016
Week #13

1.Cantaloupe - 1
2.Eggplant*
3.Leeks – 1 bunch
4.Tomatoes, Mini – 1 pt
5.Cucumbers and/or Bitter Melon (if you still need info on Bitter Melon after everything I’ve emailed already…let me know…happy to resend or whatever)**

Total Items: 5

Flower Share – maybe…maybe not

Herb Share – August 2B
Lemon Verbena AND Pineapple Sage

*
This looked pretty good (and I’m not a vegetarian)…Kung Pao Eggplant (vegan and can be made gluten free)…

*
Baked Bitter Melon Chips…
Bitter Melon and Scrambled Eggs (how easy is this…I don’t bother soaking/salting and I’d add Soy Sauce/Tamari/Braggs Amino at the end)…



5.Click here to help change the world

A.Stop Dow and Dupont from merging (monopoly on pesticides and seed ownership…bad for our food supply)…

B.Stop Bayer and Monsanto from merging (same reasons as above)…

If you want to watch the video before signing…click here (if you are offended by foul language you may want to skip this…but it’s animated and kind of amusing)…

C.Help workers in Thailand on Chicken farm who are being badly mistreated (the Chickens they deal with end up in prepared foods…frozen, etc…not sure if they’re in American food but what the heck, they deserve to be treated humanely regardless)…

D.Tell Burger King to say no to GMO Apples (and read more about why)…



6.Another reason to be eating organic foods…

Surprise, surprise…eat organic to avoid pesticides that could trigger ALS. Also, consider buying eco/green products that don’t contain flame retardants when buying furniture and other items for the home…



7.Hot weather eating suggestions

It’s cooled off, but summer isn’t over till September 21st AND there’s always Indian Summer that can turn up so this info will still come in handy. Basically, if you eat the foods you’re getting at the CSA you’re already doing what the article suggests.

Courtesy of the Cleveland Clinic…Keep your cool! Here’s how to eat well during the dog days of summer.

What do you get when you add a 400-degree oven to a sweltering summer day? Misery, with a side of perspiration. Save the high-heat cooking for cozy fall days and create a summer eating plan that’ll keep you well-nourished and cool as a cucumber. Speaking of which, cukes and other raw veggies and fruits are a great place to start. “When you combine heat, humidity, and outdoor activity, staying hydrated is essential,” says Cleveland Clinic nutritionist Amy Gannon, RD. Besides drinking plenty of water, seek out foods that are cool and have a high water content, like cucumbers, watermelon, berries, celery, and radishes. Lighten up hot dishes by pairing them with a crisp summer salad, suggests Gannon, and break out the grill for fish, veggies, or chicken to avoid heating up your house. Believe it or not, summer is the perfect time to crank up the heat in one respect: spicy hot peppers! “Spices make you sweat, which helps your body to cool down,” says Gannon. Just be sure to drink plenty of water alongside your spicy stir-fry or salsa to replenish what you lose from sweating.



8.Event Listings…both near and far

Thursday, August 25th

10am to 11am

iEat Green online radio show with Bhavani Jaroff
888-874-4888 (to call in during the live show with questions)

This week’s guest is Eveline Hartz, founder of the World on a Plate conference coming up in October being held near Buffalo, NY. And if you miss it, you can listen in the archives.


Sunday, August 28th

5pm to 8pm

Al Golberg’s 3rd Annual Clam Back and Potluck Snail Supper
21 Three Mile Harbor Drive
East Hampton
$50 members of Slow Food/$60 General Public
To register and for more info…

Menu is raw Oysters, Fishcakes with Remoulade, Octopus bites with White Bean puree, Clams with Chorizo/Tomato/Onion/Fennel, and Cheesecake with Berry jam topping. It’s a potluck so you’ll be required to bring something (check the website for details). This event sells out FAST as it’s limited to 50 people! It’s a benefit for Slow Food East End.


Saturday, Sept 10th

6pm to 10pm

Gala in the Garden
Estia’s Little Kitchen
1615 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Tpke
Sag Harbor
$350
For more info and to buy tickets…

Hosted by Chefs Colin and Jessica Ambrose and Estia’s Little Kitchen. Wine tasting, limited edition wine auction, music, hors d’oeuvres followed by a multi-course dinner. It’s a benefit for Slow Food East End, ALS Ride for Life (in honor of Chef Gerry Hayden) and Project MOST and honoring Ted Conklin, Tom and Mary Morgan, and Kate Plumb with the Slow Food Founders Award.

Sunday, Sept 11th

10am to 4pm

10th Annual North Fork Foodie Tour
Peconic Land Trust Ag Center at Charnews Farm
3005 Youngs Ave
Southold
$25/FREE – under 12 years old
For more info:
To buy tickets (if you wait till the event it might be sold out)…

A few of us CSAers (Alyssa Axelrod, Patti Edward, Vickie Muller…brought her daughter and a few friends, suzanne j zoubeck…forgive me if I’ve forgotten anyone) have gone and met up with each other at various places on the tour in the past (and met for lunch at the North Fork Table lunch truck) and it was a blast. This year should be just as swell.


Tuesday, Sept 13th

5:30pm to 7:30pm

Compost Made Easy
Queens County Farm
73-50 Little Neck Pkwy
Floral Park
$5 – Members/$10 – General Public
To purchase tickets and for more info:

If you don’t have one, start one! Great way to use vegetable scraps (or whatever unused vegetables that are beyond eating you might have around) and lawn clippings and yardwaste. The basics of composting for an urban setting (and I’m sure it will be applicable for a suburban one too). Will be bringing home compost for your garden.


Saturday, Sept 24th and Sunday, Sept 25th

11am to 6pm

34th Annual Queens County Fair
Queens County Farm
73-50 Little Neck Pkwy
Floral Park
FREE – Members/$10 (per day) – Adults/$5 (per day) – Children 12 and under
To purchase tickets and for more info:


Friday, Nov 4th and Saturday, Nov 5th

2016 WFAN (Women Food & Agriculture Network) Annual Conference
Lied Lodge and Conference Center
Nebraska City,NE
$80 – Student/beginning Farmer/$100 General Public (plus food/lodging and optional events)
For more info and to register…

Keynote speaker is Karryn Olson-Ramanujum, permaculture educator and teacher at Ithaca College, NY (co-founder of the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute in NY).


Saturday, November 12th

12pm to 5pm (optional health screening starts at 8am)

Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s Breast Cancer Seminar
Hunterdon Central High School
84 Rt 31
Flemington, NJ
$59.95 (plus $29.95 if interested in optional non-invasive health screening)
To register and for more info…

Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s slant is vegan and calls his diet…nutritarian. Author of the book, Eat to Live, and many others.



9.It’s not all bad news!

Panera is starting its cleaner kids menu on Sept 7th (with adult menu to follow)…



10.What you actually got last week (not always what was in the email the week before because farming is like that regarding occasional last minute changes)

August 18, 2016
Week #12

1.Lettuce: Leaf, Green OR Oak, Green – 1 bunch - $3.00
2. Carrots – 1 bunch - $3.50
3.Beans, Snap: Green – ½ lb. bag - $2.00
4.Tomatoes: Black Krim, Pink, Tigerella, Yellow – up to 2 lbs. - $6.25
5.Squash, Summer: Costata Romanesco, Eight Ball, Golden, Kousa, Yellow, Zucchini (with an optional Bitter Melon to add to the mix) – up to 2 lbs. - $4.50

Total Items: 5
Total Amount: $19.25
(since we pay $18.50 per week for our CSA share, this week we got ($.75 more than we paid, SO that means at the moment, our farmer has given us $12 more than we paid for up to this point. Over the course of the CSA year…and over the years…we have gotten at least one, and sometimes up to two, share’s worth of food that we didn’t pay for…so keep reading this and see how it plays out from week to week)

Flower Share – Week #9
Gomphrena (everlast…can be dried)



11.And now for something completely different

If you are offended by foul language, skip this…if you’re ok with it – same as the click video above but it was so good (at least I thought so J ), I’m putting it here too in case you didn’t watch it already…

And if you watched the above video and want to see something different, relax and take 10 to watch a 90 year old Jewish woman trying Bacon for the first time after embracing atheism after discovering the internet at age 88, in the short film…Bacon and God’s Wrath!

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