Green Thumb Farm Huntington CSA

Happy Summer!

There are only TWO extra Honey “bears” left ($10 each – cash only) so if you’re interested, let me know and I’ll put them aside for you. If interested, we’ll have another order in the fall in time for the holidays.

Anyone interested in Pine Nuts (NOT from China…if you don’t know why this is an issue…google it) and Sundried Tomatoes? CSA member Fritz Lang wants to do a bulk order but needs some people to split the booty. He can give you the details so let me know if you’re interested and I’ll make the connection.

Anyone want to be a cheese maker (or know someone)? Catapano Dairy Farm in Peconic is for sale for $1.5 million (down from $3 million)! Includes a herd of goats, 8,000 square foot barn with solar panels, all equipment and recipes. House has 4 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths on 5 acres of farmland which could be used as an educational center for cooking classes and cheesemaking. Listing agent is Elizabeth Gilpin with Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty at 631-749-1155.

Must read re: cooking with CSA food…
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/dining/thats-not-trash-thats-dinner.html

A few quick notes about policies for the CSA being at the UUFH (these notices have been on the board next to our CSA Wall Chart as of last week)…
1. No pets in the building (unless seeing eye/service dogs)
2. Park cars only in designated spaces (my car is out front when I’m unloading and loading and though I may leave it there for as long as I’m at the CSA…I should move it into a spot as well)
3. No unsupervised children inside or outside of the building, and children are not allowed to play on the playset

TIME TO START WEIGHING!!! Digital scales are here. The main thing is to err on the side of under weighing rather than being over the amount stated on the Wall Chart. The second thing is to please follow the weighing directions given by whoever is working by the scales (usually that means weighing more than one thing at a time in a certain order…this is what our farmer wants so this is what we do).

Flower Shares and Herb Shares still available (see #5).

We may have a Green Thumb CSA – Huntington contingent at the NOFA Summer Conference this year! See August 12th under the events listings for more info.

BRING BAGS TO PACK YOUR CSA SHARE…now and forever! Put bags (paper/plastic/canvas) in every car you own so you’ll never be without. In your trunk, glove compartment, back seat…whatever works for you. You’ll be needing them every week for the next 30 weeks and the CSA is not set up to provide them. If you are sending someone else to pick up your CSA share (spouse, relative, friend, offspring), this is the most important thing to tell them.

We have 75 intrepid CSAers for the fifteenth week of the CSA season and we still have room for about 75 CSA members for the rest of the year. If each CSA member were to find ONE more member…ONLY ONE EACH…we could fill the CSA. Green Thumb Farms’ Brooklyn CSA is closed for membership with 200 members, their Queens CSA is closed for the season with 110 members and we’re last on the totem pole still trying to get to 100, and at that point seeing if our farmer will allow us to get to 150 members. Back a few years ago, he would have LOVED for us to have 200 members but since we’ve never come close, I think he’s given up hope…but would be amused and pleased if it ever happened. Plus it’s wacky…with everyone sharing, people having multiple email addresses, and the fact that there are people who want to get our emails who aren’t CSA members (events, veg sheets, etc), I’m sending this email to 110 email addresses! I’d be so happy if that translated to 110 CSA members but not yet!

Attached in the next email will be the CSA “kit” consisting of the contract for new members, brochure and fee sheet. Let’s do this thing! The sooner I don’t have to beat the bushes for members, the more time I have for things like managing the CSA better, finding cool new things to add to the CSA mix (Mushrooms, Tempeh, a Winter CSA Share?) and doing the extra work it would entail.

I’d be happy to place brochures, do a lecture, call, email…do whatever’s needed to spread the good word about CSA. If you have suggestions, please make them known.

This email includes…

1. Your CSA DOES need you this week! We’re looking for ONE (1) person from 3:30 to 5:30pm.
2. Another reason to not eat at fast food places with your children/grandchildren/any children (at least the ones with playgrounds)…
3. The list…subject to change without notice…farming is like that!
4. Beet Salad Recipe I found…
5. Dines Farm Report…same as last week
6. Still have any Bitter Melon/Foo Gwa hanging around?
7. We still have plenty of Herb Shares and Flower Shares available. Why would you want one?
8. Dr. Andre Weil’s Sauerkraut Recipe (we’ll be getting more Cabbage later in the year)…
9. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff to Do (new events added weekly)
10. Fave recipe submitted by CSA member Frank Petersen…
11. Certified Organic Seedlings Available from Green Thumb Farm!
12. And now…for something completely different (as Monty Python used to say)!


1. Your CSA DOES need you this week! We’re looking for ONE (1) person from 3:30 to 5:30pm.

If interested and available…
1. reply to this email before 1pm today
2. call 631-421-4864 before 1pm today
3. call the CSA at 631-385-1079 after 3pm

You can ALWAYS show up a little before 3:30 or 5:30pm at the CSA and offer to work IF help is still needed…you never know! Everyone that’s scheduled doesn’t always show up on time…or at all.

If you didn’t get a confirmation email from Judi, you’re not on the schedule to work this week. If you did, you are.



2. Another reason to not eat at fast food places with your children/grandchildren/any children (at least the ones with playgrounds)…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/13/mcdonalds-playlands-gross_n_897703.html



3. The list…subject to change without notice…farming is like that!

Vegetable Info Sheets attached to email (keep in a notebook – by the end of the year you’ll have a cookbook!)

Week #15
August 4, 2011

1. Summer Squash
2. Lettuce
3. Tomatoes, Mini
4. Beets
5. Radishes
6. Peppers, Sweet
7. Cabbage, Green

Total Items: 7 (?)

Flower Share



4. Beet Salad Recipe I found…

Suggestions from the Rucola Kitchen
Raw Beet and Beet Green Salad
• 1 Bunch raw beets, cleaned, quartered, and sliced thin
• 4 pickled beet stems, chopped, with some pickling liquid
• 1 bunch cleaned and chopped beet greans
• Ricotta salata (or another crumbly cheese)
Mix beets, stems, and greens in a bowl. Dress with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Plate and finish with shaved ricotta salata.


Pickled Beet Stems
• 1 bunch stemmed beet stems
• 1c distilled white vinegar
• 1c water
• 2T Kosher salt
• 1t pickling spices (we use a mixture of bay leaves, black pepper, mustard seed, fennel seed and coriander)
Bring vinegar, water, salt and spices to a boil. Pour over beet stems. Let cool. Pickling liquid can be used as the base for a salad dressing (just strain and whisk in olive oil and black pepper!)



5. Dines Farm Report…same as last week

The short story is that…
1. Dines Farm won’t be here till further notice…I’ll let you know what I know when I know it. In the meanwhile, you can find him on Saturday mornings from 8am to 1pm at the Northport farmer’s market (he’s no longer at the Huntington one on Sunday…they don’t have a permit for him to be able to cook so he’s out of there)
http://northportfarmersmarket.org/

2. Jay Dine is looking for a loan of $50,000 to be able to stay in business. He needs to get USDA certification to be able to sell his meats retail and that would make his life a lot easier (and more profitable). If you have less than a certain number of animals you don’t need USDA certification but he needs/wants to expand his business to stay afloat with the price of gas, etc. It’s a long story. If you are interested, or know anyone who might be (1 person or 50 people loaning $1,000 a piece…why not?), please get in touch with me for further details. He would be eternally grateful and I imagine that person (or persons) would be very well fed.



6. Still have any Bitter Melon/Foo Gwa hanging around?

IF pregnant…don’t eat it as it can possibly cause a miscarriage. However, not seeing how much it would take to do this and….
http://www.drugs.com/npp/bitter-melon.html

this advice looks more reasonable and…
http://www.juicing-for-health.com/bitter-gourd-benefits.html

here’s another opinion that it could be useful for gestational diabetes…
http://pregnanteats.com/2010/05/05/eating-for-a-healthy-pregnancy-bitter-melon/


Oh yeah, I forgot it also slows down the growth of, and kills, breast cancer cells (and not surrounding normal cells) as an extract in a Petri dish…
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-02-24/entertainment/27057193_1_breast-cancer-melon-cancer-research
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100223131956.htm

They want to take the natural extract, turn it into something chemically produced and costing a fortune. I’d rather eat it and pay for the vegetable.

Recipes and chats about Bitter Melon (darker the Bitter Melon…more bitter it is)…
This is a scream…my new favorite cooking show…Cooking with Dog! That dog looks awfully close to the burner!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp-a5y8rY28&NR=1&feature=fvwp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5bwWHImhUA (I’d take the pith and seeds out and don’t eat with bread…ugh…rice would be nice)
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/07/seriously-asian-bitter-melon-stir-fry.html
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/324491
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/asianveg/msg0818541820091.html
http://chinesefood.about.com/od/vegetablesrecipes/r/bittermelon.htm
http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,bitter_melon,FF.html

Bitter Melon (spellings are more how to pronounce than correct…)
Goya – Japan
Kerala – India
Mah-Lah –Thailand
oh-Wah - Vietna
Pahvahkah – India, in Kerala

General Info…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_melon
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69138.cfm#Warnings

I had no idea! The National Bitter Melon Council…
http://bittermelon.org/



7. We still have plenty of Herb Shares, Basil Shares, and Flower Shares available. Why would you want one?

Why a Flower Share?

You’re paying $7 for a bunch of flowers that might easily cost $10 elsewhere (I just paid $10 for two VERY SMALL stems of Lilac the other week at the Sweet Hollow Hall market and they were on their way out after two days…the gal didn’t cut them properly as I learned in my research AND she should have had little packs of flower food to include for that price) AND the Flower Share flowers are organic. I get two Flower Shares every year and they are a joy to behold!

You don’t have to cut the ones in your garden and you can leave them to beautify your landscape.

They’re organically grown so you can sniff with impunity!

The first ones we usually get are Peonies (that’s enough of a reason for me) and then it may be followed by (and not in this order) Sunflowers, Zinneas, Sweet Williams, Snapdragons, Straw Flowers, Gomphrena, Flamingo Feathers…some are everlasts (can be dried) and some are not…all depending on what’s ready and when. The flowers do NOT come every week.

Why an Herb Share or a Basil Share?

Tired of eating the same vegetable more than one week in a row…USE HERBS! They can totally change the flavor profile of what you’re cooking.

Just like we get Vegetable Information Sheets, we have Herb Information Sheets (and we may put an order in for an Herb Wheel…later for that).

You can freeze or dry them for use during the winter (or when you don’t have them fresh on hand).

Herbs are amazing for our health. We don’t eat enough of them. They have more antioxidants than Blueberries! Use them in Juices (in small quantities), on Salad, in Salad Dressings, on most anything you cook…Vegetables, Meat, Fish, Eggs, Soups…anything!

Herbs are green…anything that’s green is ultra healthy. Here’s some info from Dr. Andrew Weil…
To turn down pain: Like some over-the-counter painkillers, some plants also act as natural COX 2 inhibitors, thus reducing pain and inflammation. Adding Basil to the diet may be useful for those with minor aches and pains.
To fight infections: In India, Basil is commonly used a home remedy for coughs and colds and topically for minor cuts and scrapes. Research has now shown that the herb indeed has potent antimicrobial activity and may reduce bronchial spasm, said Dr. Low Dog. Thyme is another herb to consider when fighting off a cold. It is approved in Europe for use in upper respiratory infections; it’s also effective against oral thrush. Likewise, Sage tea is effective for sore throats.
To calm and soothe: Rosemary is a traditional remedy for headaches—perhaps due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Sage is approved in Germany for those troubled by excessive perspiration, and herbalists commonly recommend it for menopausal women troubled with night sweats.
To improve your outlook: Another promising herb for brain health may be Sage. Dr. Low Dog presented some of the research that suggests the herb may improve some symptoms of early Alzheimer’s disease. She also noted that the word “sage” is used to signify a wise elder. Maybe the ancients were on to somethin
We DO get Herbs as part of our basic CSA share (this week we’re getting Parsley) but you get more of them with the CSA share…

We will most likely be getting Celery at some point this season…
Please Pass the Parsley … and the Celery
Parsley and celery contain a compound that may help protect against breast cancer, possibly by blocking the growth of tumor cells. This interesting finding, from a University of Missouri animal study, suggests that apigenin, a flavonoid found in parsley, celery, apples, oranges, nuts and other plant products, seemed to block or delay tumor formation in rats that had been programmed to develop breast cancer when exposed to MPA (medroxyprogesterone acetate). MPA is a synthetic hormone that has been found to accelerate human breast tumor development in women on hormone replacement therapy. In the rat study, apigenin blocked the formation of new blood vessels needed by breast tumors, and also reduced the overall number of tumors the rats developed. However, apigenin didn't stop cancer cells from forming in the breast in the first place. The investigators said that they're not yet sure what dose of apigenin would be appropriate for humans, but suggested that eating some parsley and fruit daily could help ensure that you're getting the minimal amount. The study was published online April 19, 2011 by Cancer Prevention Research.
How to I get an Herb, Basil or Flower Share after the CSA season start?

It’s easy…ASK or EMAIL! You need to join AT the CSA because…it’s a timing thing.



8. Dr. Andre Weil’s Sauerkraut Recipe (we’ll be getting more Cabbage later in the year)…

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02021/Dr-Weil-Savoring-Sauerkraut.html




9. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff to Do (new events added weekly)

Thursday, August 4th

7pm

Creating Balance in the Home from a Yogic Perspective
Holistic Moms Network
Elwood Public Library
1929 Jericho Tpke
E Northport
For more info:
wsuffolkhmn@aol.com
www.holisticmoms.org

Speaker is Roni Yarri, owner of Inner sprit Yoga Center in E Northport.


Tuesday, August 9th

10pm

Watch on PBS…check local listings to make sure the time is right
POV is showing…
Food, Inc.
http://www.pbs.org/pov/foodinc/

If you haven’t seen it…it’s must see tv. If you have…you might want to catch it again….it’s a classic!


Thursday, August 11th

7:30pm

Let’s Eat: Food on Film presents…Forks over Knives
With Dr Caldwell Esselstyn live via Skype!
Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave
Huntington
$9 – Members, $13 – General Public (includes reception catered by Whole Foods)
To reserve tickets:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/185377
For more info about the event:
http://www.cinemaartscentre.org/011/011July/ForksKnives.html#ForksOverKnives
To see the trailer and get even more info:
http://forksoverknives.com/

This event is being catered by Whole Foods, Jericho, and co-sponsored by Slow Food – Huntington, Healthy Planet, CenterFood Co-Op, Sustainable Sea Cliff Cooperative, and Green Thumb CSA – Huntington.


August 12th to 14th

NOFA (Northeast Organic Farmers Association) 37th Annual Summer Conference
With Northeast Animal-Power Field Days
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA
For more info and registration:
http://www.nofasummerconference.org/

I’m going this year…and you? It’s fun, educational, reasonably priced, and anyone who goes WILL have a great time. Whether you’re single, family, senior…whatever…a good time will be had! Keynote speakers will be Eric Toensmeier (author promoting food forestry to sequester carbon) and Ignacio Chapela (GMO, agri-fuel and global food crisis activist and scientist). I’m going there to see ex-Long Islander and the person who’s responsible for turning me on to one of my all-time FAVORITE books, Common Sense Pest Control by Olkowski (not very sexy unless you’re interested in this stuff and then it’s most awesome and I personally think every human should own a copy), Steve Restmeyer…organic landscape expert and apprentice shaman! As well as Ellen Kamhi (the Natural Nurse…from Long island), Mac Mead (head of the Pfeiffer Institute…for Biodynamic study upstate), Lee Reich (fruit growing expert from upstate), and MANY other workshops, parties, etc.
There’s workshops for children, teens, if you’re interested in becoming a farmer, Permaculture, CSAs, and even one on making music about farming/growing things or just singing while you’re out in the garden!

This gives you a good overview of the game plan for the weekend…
http://www.nofasummerconference.org/program.php

Info about teen & the children’s conference and parties, etc…
http://www.nofasummerconference.org/program.php

This is the list of workshop descriptions…it’s overwhelming but awesome…
http://www.nofasummerconference.org/pdfs/2011_Workshop_Descriptions.pdf

Info about meals, parking, details, etc…
http://www.nofasummerconference.org/logistics.php


September 1st to September 30th

The NY Locavore Challenge

Eat fresh, local, in season, organic…for a day, a week, a month! Put on by the Northeast Organic Farmer’s Association, this is the 2nd year for this event.

For more info, to register, and to get involved…keep coming back as clearly it’s early in the planning stages…unless YOU want to help plan and be actively involved…
https://www.nofany.org/?q=node/237
https://www.nofany.org/events/ny-locavore-challenge


Saturday, September 10th

9am to 10am (submit entries)
11am – prizes awarded (Tomatoes can’t be picked up till 5pm)

14th Annual Hicks Nurseries Tomato Contest
Hicks Nursery
100 Jericho Tpke
Westbury
For more info:
516-334-0066

Prizes awarded for heaviest, largest circumference, most unusual looking and tiniest red Tomato.

9am to noon

13th Annual Great Tomato Taste-Off
Quail Hill Farm
Deep Lane
Amagansett
$10 (kids under 12 free)
For more info:
http://www.peconiclandtrust.org/events.php?Ym=20110901#10

Heavy rains will cancel event.


Monday, October 24th

Food Day
For more info:
http://www.foodday.org/



10. Fave recipe submitted by CSA member, Frank Petersen…
Recipe:
The World of Rice Salads
By Mark Bittman
From the How to Cook Everything Vegetarian® app
Introduction:
There are so many kinds of rice to choose from and so many ways to use them that there's no reason to eat the same rice salad twice. This starting point offers enough variations to give you the hang of the way ingredients come together in different cuisines, making rice salad an easy way to experiment with traditional or even cross‐cultural combinations. But there are also ideas here for simple, almost single‐ingredient rice salads. Many of the salads are also vegan. The master recipe here will work for virtually any type of rice. Though I make suggestions for the specific variations, ultimately you should use whatever you like and whatever you have handy. Feel free to try other grains here too. In my opinion, rice salads should never be eaten directly out of the refrigerator (unless, of course, you're desperately hungry), because the starches in the rice need some time to soften up. This slight disadvantage also places them among the ultimate make‐ahead dishes. If the salad is assembled a few hours in advance, the rice has a chance to soak up flavors, whether in the fridge or out (you usually don't have to refrigerate if it's going to be only a couple of hours). Before serving, just pull the salad out and leave it covered on the counter for a half hour or so to take the chill off.
Ingredients:
• 3 to 4 cups cooked rice, cooled
• ¼ cup chopped scallion
• 1 small or ½ large red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ½ cup chopped carrot
• ¼ to ½ cup Vinaigrette, made with extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar, plus more as needed
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Steps:
1. Put the rice and all the vegetables in a large bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and use 2 big forks to combine, fluffing the rice and tossing gently to separate the grains.
2. Stir in the parsley, taste, and adjust the seasoning or moisten with a little more dressing. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for up to a day, bringing the salad back to room temperature before serving.
Variations:
Rice Salad, Japanese Style
Use brown or white short‐grain rice. Halve the amount of celery and carrot and finely chop them or shred them on a grater. Add 1 cup cubed firm tofu (preferably baked). Instead of the vinaigrette, toss with ¼ cup or so of Simple Miso Dipping Sauce. Instead of the parsley, crumble 2 sheets of nori over the rice salad and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds.
Rice Salad, Mexican Style
Long‐grain or medium‐grain, white or brown, all work well here: When blending the vinaigrette, add 1 tablespoon Chili Powder and 2 tablespoons Mexican crema or mayonnaise (or substitute). Instead of celery and carrot, add 1 cup chopped fresh tomato. Substitute chopped fresh cilantro for the parsley and, at the same time, add 2 chopped hard‐cooked eggs and chopped jalapeño chiles if you like. Serve with lime wedges.
Rice Salad, Indian Style
Use brown or white basmati rice. When making the vinaigrette, use rice wine vinegar, replace the oil with coconut milk, and add 1 tablespoon Fragrant Curry Powder, or more to taste. Instead of the bell pepper, celery, and carrot, add ½ cup each cubed cooked potato, cooked cauliflower florets, and green peas (cooked frozen are fine). Substitute cilantro for the parsley.
Citrus Rice Salad
Use any rice. Instead of red wine vinegar, make the vinaigrette with freshly squeezed citrus juice: Choose from lemon, lime, orange, blood orange, tangerine, pink grapefruit, or a combination. Whatever you use, add 2 tablespoons of the grated zest and 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey to the blender. Do not include the scallion or the vegetables. (You might want to use a little less dressing.) Instead of the parsley, use mint if you like. A handful of chopped almonds or pecans make a nice addition.
Tomato Rice Salad
Use any kind of brown or white rice. When making the vinaigrette, eliminate the vinegar and add 1 medium tomato to the blender. Instead of the scallion and other vegetables, add 2 cups chopped fresh tomato (a mixture of heirloom varieties is nice). Instead of the parsley, use chopped fresh basil or mint, or ¼ cup chopped fresh chives, chervil, dill, or about a tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves.



11. Certified Organic Seedlings Available from Green Thumb Farm!

Order certified organic seedlings grown at Green Thumb Farm and have them delivered to the CSA for your garden!

How:
Have your credit card ready (to be paid only by credit card) and call the farm at 631-726-1900 between 9:30 to 4pm any day of the week and they will tell you, depending on when you place your order, what week they will arrive at the CSA…and make sure you don’t forget to pick them up!

How much:
$5.50 per pot (4” pot) with a 4 pot minimum order

What:
(if you don’t see what you’re looking for on this list, or want more details…call the farm and ask)

Flowers
Marigolds, Bonanza
Marigolds, Genie (edible)
Nasturtiums
Petunias

Herbs
Basil
Chives
Oregano
Parsley
Sage
Tarragon, French
Thyme

Tomatoes
Heirlooms
Minis
Red

Vegetables
Broccoli
Cabbage
Kale
Swiss Chard



12. And now…for something completely different (as Monty Python used to say)!

http://territimely.com/_/v/2-short-films?video_id=34

We actually get most of the vegetables “sampled” at our CSA!

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