Happy Summer (till September 21st 😊)!
CSA weather report…rain, rain, and more rain (Trees down?
Flooding? Power outages? Nothing? 😊). Wouldn’t hurt to have
a flashlight with you in case of power outages, or make sure your phone is
charged to use that as a flashlight for “just in case” 😊.
This Saturday is when I’ll be on the panel for
the film Farming the Future: Farm Life on Long Island…if you’ve never seen it,
it’s a really good movie (I’d like it a lot even if I wasn’t in it 😊)
Check the events email for details…it’s free BUT you need to register to
attend.
Important…if you send anyone to the CSA to
pick up food for you, please tell them to BRING BAGS and a FACE
COVERING!
This email includes…
- What you need to know
- Click activism…
- Food safety and
COVID-19…
- Shop for your immune
system (it will thank you 😊)
- Tomatoes…UPDATED info
you may or may not know!
- How to get kids to eat
more veg (maybe can be used on big kids too…meaning adults 😊)
- Emergency situations at
the CSA (hurricanes/electronic communication glitches/etc.)
- It’s not all bad news…
- What you actually got
last week
- Fridge hack to prevent
food waste
- And now, for something
completely different…
Anything in these emails not directly related to the
functioning of the CSA feel free to take or leave at your discretion, and
anything related to health issues always consult with your physician(s) before
taking any action.
1.What you need to know (will be either new info to
first time CSA members, or reminders/old hat to returning CSA members)…
Before you leave the house…BRING BAGS
to pack up your food (CSA members are responsible for packing up their own
shares) – canvas/plastic/paper…bring whatever suits your fancy. The CSA does
NOT provide bags for CSA members…and a FACE COVERING.
Time – 3:30pm to 7:30pm
Place РSky Room Caf̩ in the Cinema Arts
Centre at 423 Park Ave, Huntington
Parking – park in the all the way around at
the back of the building by the day care center (you’ll see a fenced in
playground area with a sandbox)
When you arrive at the CSA –
- Please wear a face covering when entering the building,
and proceed to the restrooms to wash your hands with soapy water (more
effective than hand sanitizers…COVID hates plain soap…NOT
anti-bacterial…the most)
- Check in at the desk with our friendly CSA worker (if
there are more than 3 people/couples/families of CSA members in the CSA,
you may be asked to wait in the hallway…socially distanced…before entering)
- Read the Wall Chart that tells us every week what we’re
getting, how much we’re getting, and what the farm charged us for it…some
weeks it’s take one of everything but SOME WEEKS IT’S NOT!!! So you have
to make sure you read the Wall Chart every week, and not assume anything.
You can also ask your fellow CSA members that are working that day what
the story is for the day (they should have name tags on).
Before you leave the CSA – Make sure you have
everything on the list (like the story of the 3 bears…not too much, not too
little, but just right 😊)! If you get to talking
with people, have kids with you, etc., it can be easy to be distracted and if
you get home and find out you don’t have everything that was on the list,
you’re out of luck because after the CSA closes for the evening, the food is donated
to a local food organization (Community Solidarity…see Events email for more
details about them). And if you accidentally took too much, please get in touch
ASAP (email or phone) so the food can be returned to its rightful owner in
short order.
Veggie info sheets added as needed. This is the link to the: Veggie Info Sheets. Print out, put in a notebook and you end up with a cookbook at the end of the CSA season. Also, there are good tips on storage, prep, and nutrition.
The list…this is a general list and you’ll be sent another
email within the next week with the detailed list after I get it (which isn’t
till the day of the CSA…the list is subject to change without notice because
farming is like that! 😊 However, most of the
time it’s accurate and if it’s not…usually only one food item will be changed)…
CSA words to live by…when trying any new food you’ve
never eaten before…START SLOW!!! Read up about it (make sure it doesn’t
interfere with any medications you might be taking or any health conditions you
might have), see what traditional/conventional ways it’s prepared (cultures
that have been eating certain foods for many years basically have a good idea
what they’re doing, and we can learn from that), try a small portion, see how
your body/digestive system reacts, and proceed from there. Then try preparing
in different ways and see what you come up with, and feel free to ask for
suggestion/info/recommendations!
Paraphrased wise words by a nutritionist that I read (and
don’t remember where I read it or who said it), BUT it’s pretty smart info
regarding eating seasonally in our part of the globe…
Spring… is all about detoxing (what we get
from the CSA at this time is a lot of green things that are really good to help
clean us out from whatever we accumulated during the winter)
Interesting piece about spring greens (out of the 14 listed,
we get 12 of them with our CSA…watercress nutritionally and botanically similar
to Curly Cress/Peppercress) and detoxing…
http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2012/03/detox-with-spring-greens.html
Summer is all about being hydrated (the
popular summer foods are all full of water…Tomatoes, Lettuces, Summer Squashes,
etc.)
Fall/winter is all about storing energy (we
get all the dense vegetables…Sweet Potatoes, Winter Squashes, etc…. that are
energy powerhouses to fuel us through the winter) to get you through the winter
to make it to…Spring!
Week #15
September 9, 2021
- Peas, Snow – 1 bag
- Peppers, Sweet: Lunchbox* - 1 bag
- Swiss Chard** – 1 bunch
- Lettuce – 1 head
- Tomatoes, mini*** - 1 pt
Total Items: 5
Flower Share – maybe yes, maybe no?
*Bell Peppers (a type of Sweet Pepper) are one
of the world’s 100 healthiest foods (good info and recipes)!
http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=50
**Swiss Chard is one of the world’s 100
healthiest foods (good info and recipes)!
http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=16
***Tomatoes are one of the world’s 100
healthiest foods (good info and recipes)!
http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=44
2. Click activism…
As farmers recover from the Covid-19 crisis, they need
support. That’s why I just urged my Senators to co-sponsor the Relief for
America’s Small Farmers Act. Please join me!
https://bit.ly/2V0UsvL?source=email&
3.Food safety and COVID-19…
Watch writer J. Kenji Lopez-Alt (son of a Harvard University
geneticist and immunologist, grandson of a chemist, and author of Food Lab:
Better Home Cooking Through Science), talk about COVID-19 and food safety…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkvw9lZ3v3I
And read in more detail here…
https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/03/food-safety-and-coronavirus-a-comprehensive-guide.html#covid-on-food
4.Shop for your immune system (it will thank you 😊)
Our CSA provides us with a few of these items over the
course of the season (eating seasonally/locally/organic is always a good idea too
😊)…
https://www.doctoroz.com/shopping-list-foods-for-covid-19-immunity
Broccoli (should be showing up in the coming months…but any
cruciferous vegetable will do in a pinch and we get a lot of those), Leafy
Greens (we get a number of varieties), Red Bell Peppers (Red Peppers of any
variety…sweet or spicy…will do the same trick), Squash (we get Summer and
Winter varieties), and Garlic (whatever we get is never enough, which is why I
stock up with a couple of pounds of certified organic Garlic for the winter at
Garlic festivals in September, to last me till Green Garlic shows up in the
spring).
5.Tomatoes…UPDATED info you may or may not know!
Our CSA food can be (depending on what exactly it is) either
MORE hardy, or MORE delicate, than the food we would get at a grocery store.
More hardy…it’s fresher. Most produce in the grocery store
is around 6 weeks old when you get it (organic or not).
More delicate…the food grown by our farmers is not grown for
shipping properties (ex. – if you throw it against a wall, how well will it
hold up 😊). It’s grown for things like flavor (what a
concept! 😊), adaptability to our growing region, and
preserving heirloom varieties of food (like the Costata Romanesco Summer Squash
we get… https://greenbeanconnection.wordpress.com/2016/04/03/costata-romanesco-italian-heirloom-zucchini/
).
That said, the large Tomatoes are on the delicate side. The
minis we get are hardier than the large Tomatoes for some reason (had my Red
Grape Tomatoes on the counter till I finished them today…5 days later).
For ages I’ve been told that fresh, local Tomatoes do NOT
belong in the fridge EVER because chilling them turns off a flavor enzyme and
makes them not taste as good…and you don’t need to. So I am going to say
something I NEVER thought I would say in a million years…
If your Tomatoes are ripe when you get them home, leave them
on the counter for no more than a day or two (and check daily) and if you have
any left…
PUT THEM IN THE FRIDGE!
If the Tomatoes aren’t ripe, leave them on the counter till
they are (shouldn’t be more than a day or two), and then get them in the fridge
ASAP.
I’m always willing to learn and have discovered that the
answer to the question of whether to fridge or not to fridge, isn’t as cut and
dry as I thought. And here’s why…
https://www.seriouseats.com/why-you-should-refrigerate-tomatoes
Also, any Tomatoes that aren’t either Green or Red will be
more delicate (IMHO 😊)…Yellow being the most
delicate, followed by Orange and any other color you might come across.
6.How to get kids to eat more veg (and maybe these ideas
can be used on big kids too…meaning adults 😊)
By being creative…
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/7-smart-ways-to-get-your-family-to-eat-more-veggies
And mindful…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8919661/How-cure-fussy-eater-Children-eat-mindful-way-like-fruit-veg-considerably-more.html
And by any means necessary! 😊
7.Emergency situations at the CSA (hurricanes/electronic
communication glitches/etc.)
- It’s hurricane season! Farmers are more hardcore than
postal workers so your food will be at the CSA between 3:30pm and 7:30pm
on Thursdays, pretty much no matter what. Hurricane Sandy didn’t stop the
CSA. We were at the Unitarian Fellowship in Huntington and there was no
power and there were tree limbs around the property BUT I checked out the
building to make sure there was no danger in being in the building or
entering the property, and with flashlights brought by me, we had our CSA.
If there’s no emails…show up anyway. If there’s some problem/issue with
the food arriving there should be a note on the door of the Cinema letting
you know what’s up (if we’re not already in there waiting for you). In a
storm situation…please bring a flashlight/lantern. It could be helpful for
you and those of us at the CSA. Again…show up and 3:30pm and 5:30pm if
there were no emails and offer to work if you’re able and available. And
if you feel it’s not safe/wise for you to venture out, know that any food
left at the end of the CSA will be picked up and donated by the gang at
Community Solidarity. They have NEVER missed a food distribution day even
in snow and ice storms (regardless of the weather…hungry people will still
be hungry if there’s no food to eat).
- Electronic communication is FAR from perfect. IF you
get no CSA emails or responses to your emails…come to the CSA anyway. It
could be a problem with my laptop, etc. Stuff happens.
- Anything else that might come up (these days…who
knows??? 😊)…no emails, come anyway
and will do our best to keep everyone informed as best we can (look for
notes on front door of Cinema if nothing else). The CSA has always
happened every week during our 20+ seasons…(lifted from the postal worker
motto 😊) - Neither snow nor
rain nor heat nor gloom stays these farmers & CSA crew from the swift
completion of their appointed rounds…to get you your CSA Shares!
8.It's not all bad news…
Panera adds eco badges to low carbon footprint meals
(however, I wish they made this more obvious on the website…if you click on an
item I saw half of the logo that refers to Cool Food Meals…better than nothing 😊)…
https://www.eater.com/2020/10/14/21515868/panera-menu-adds-eco-friendly-badges-to-low-carbon-foot-print-meals
Bottom line…good for them (and us and the planet 😊)!
Cool Food Meals at Panera Bread…
https://www.panerabread.com/content/dam/panerabread/integrated-web-content/documents/panera-cool-foods-meal-menu-items.pdf
9.What you actually got last week
Week #15
September 9, 2021
- Radishes: French Breakfast – 1 bunch - $4.00
- Peppers, Sweet: Cubanelle* - 1 bag (3/4 lb.) - $4.50
- Scallions – 1 bunch - $4.25
- Lettuce: Leaf, Green – 1 head - $3.75
- Tomatoes: Black Japanese Trifele, Orange,
Paste/Plum/Roma (same Tomato…different names), Red, Yellow** - 2 lbs. (up
to and not over) - $6.00
Total Items: 5
Total Amount: $22.50
(We pay $20 per week for our CSA share…some weeks we get a
bit more, some a bit less. This week, it was $2.50 more. So at the moment we’ve
already gotten $39 (1 CSA Share + 😊) more than we paid for.
This adds up over the course of the CSA season, and we seem to always get at
least one CSA share’s worth of food every year that we didn’t pay for…some
years two, and some between one and two…it’s all good! 😊)
Herb Share – September 1A
Mint AND Thyme*
Flower Share – Week #8 (I think…need to confirm)
Statice
*Bell Peppers (a type of Sweet Pepper) are one
of the world’s 100 healthiest foods (good info and recipes)!
http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=50
Cubanelle Pepper info…
https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-are-cubanelle-peppers-4776455
https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-types/sweet-mild-chili-peppers/cubanelle-chili-peppers/
A BUNCH of Cubanelle Pepper recipes…
https://www.yummly.com/recipes/cubanelle-peppers
**Tomatoes are one of the world’s 100
healthiest foods (good info and recipes)!
http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=44
***Thyme is one of the world’s 100 healthiest
foods (good info and recipes)!
http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=77
10.Fridge hack to prevent food waste
Worth a shot…
https://www.wellandgood.com/refrigerator-hack-food-waste/
And if you’re trying to ditch plastic, I’m thinking there
might be some large glass containers one could use (metal would defeat the
purpose of being able to see what’s there)…
https://www.thespruceeats.com/best-glass-storage-containers-4154183
11.And now, for something completely different…
Apples, that aren’t! 😊
https://www.grubstreet.com/2019/03/pastry-chefs-fancy-apples.html
Events…both near and far
Thursday, September 16th
10am to 11am
IEatGreen radio show
To listen to the show live (or listen to the archived
programs)…
http://prn.fm/
Hosted by Long Islander Bhavani Jharoff. Older shows can be
accessed in archives.
Friday, September 17th
4pm to 11pm
Greek Festival
St. Paraskevi Green Orthodox Shrine Church
Pulaski Rd.
Greenlawn
For more info:
http://www.stparaskevi.org/
Not organic, but tasty Greek food…rides, vendors, dancers,
food, flea market, games, family friendly.
6pm to 7pm
Natural Alternatives
WUSB-FM/90.1 FM
https://www.wusb.fm/
Rotates with Healthy Planet radio with Huntington area
resident Bob DiBenedetto, and Dr. Eugene Zampirone of Dr. Z Naturally.
6pm to 9pm
Egyptian Festival
St. Mark’s Coptic Church
90 Woodbury Rd.
Woodbury
For more info…
http://stabraam.org/new/index.php?view=article&id=743:egyptian-festival-2021&catid=2
Not organic but tasty Egyptian food. Tours of church, ethnic
music and dance, family friendly.
Saturday, September 18th
7:30am to 12:30pm
Huntington Farmers Market
228 Main St. (Elm Street parking lot)
Huntington
Runs till some point in November.
10am to 6pm
Garlic Festival
Garden of Eve Farm
Riverhead
$10/Seniors (55+) $5
For more info…
https://gardenofevefarm.com/garlic-festival/
All things Garlic (and organic)! Music, hay rides, crafts
and more!
11am to 11pm
Greek Festival
St. Paraskevi Green Orthodox Shrine Church
Pulaski Rd.
Greenlawn
For more info:
http://www.stparaskevi.org/
Not organic, but tasty Greek food…rides, vendors, dancers,
food, flea market, games.
Noon to 1pm
Food Chain Radio
https://metrofarm.com/food-chain-radio-3/
Host Michael Olsen always has interesting guests on the
issues of food, food politics, health, and related topics. Check out the
archives.
Noon to 9pm
Egyptian Festival
St. Mark’s Coptic Church
90 Woodbury Rd.
Woodbury
For more info…
http://stabraam.org/new/index.php?view=article&id=743:egyptian-festival-2021&catid=2
Not organic but tasty Egyptian food. Tours of church, ethnic
music and dance, family friendly.
5pm to 9:30pm
LI AgriCULTURE: Celebrating Local Foods with the Power of
Film
Farming the Future: Farm Life on Long Island (outdoor movie
screening)
Sisters of St. Joseph
1725 Brentwood Rd.
Brentwood
FREE (but need to get free tickets)
To get free tickets and for more info…
https://prod3.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=703648~31a96320-4160-4f8e-a5f9-05c4f03c9c01&
FYI – Green Thumb Farm is in this movie…and so is your
fearless CSA leader (me…suzanne 😊). Post-film Q & A.
Live music, hay rides, poster sales, and more! Limited to no food provided at
this event (eat before, bring a picnic or takeout).
Sunday, September 19th
10am to 6pm
Garlic Festival
Garden of Eve Farm
Riverhead
$10/Seniors (55+) $5
For more info…
https://gardenofevefarm.com/garlic-festival/
All things Garlic (and organic)! Music, hay rides, crafts
and more!
Noon to 6pm
Egyptian Festival
St. Mark’s Coptic Church
90 Woodbury Rd.
Woodbury
For more info…
http://stabraam.org/new/index.php?view=article&id=743:egyptian-festival-2021&catid=2
Not organic but tasty Egyptian food. Tours of church, ethnic
music and dance, family friendly.
noon to 8pm
Greek Festival
St. Paraskevi Green Orthodox Shrine Church
Pulaski Rd.
Greenlawn
For more info:
http://www.stparaskevi.org/
Not organic, but tasty Greek food…rides, vendors, dancers,
food, flea market, games.
Tuesday, September 21st
10am to 11am
Green Street Radio
WBAI-FM/99.5FM
To listen live or check out the archives…
https://www.wbai.org/program.php?program=365
Join Long Islanders Doug & Patti Wood (founders of the
Port Washington Farmer’s Market…the only all organic greenmarket in New York
State), in their weekly show featuring conversations on health and sustainable
living.
7pm – Volunteers
8:15pm – Drive-thru distribution
Huntington Food Share
Community Solidarity
Fairground Ave. & 6th St.
Huntington Station
FREE
For more info…
https://communitysolidarity.org/foodshares/huntington
To volunteer…
https://communitysolidarity.org/volunteer
Or to make a donation (they REALLY need a new truck)…
https://communitysolidarity.org/donate/funds
Community Solidarity (formerly Long Island Food Not Bombs)
is an amazing group, doing much needed good works. These are the folks our CSA
donates food to (and have for the last several years). If you’d like to
volunteer, make a donation (they REALLY, REALLY need a new truck), or have need
of their services (or know people who might)…get in touch/get information via
their website (listed above).
They also need/accept donations of the following…Bicycles,
Books, Clothing, Flowers (good for general mental health…taking care of the
mind AND the body), Food, Medical Care (is there a Doctor or Dentist in the
house? 😊), Plants/Seedlings, School Supplies, Toys
and more. For details on donating items, please go to the Home Page, scroll to
Donate, and read the appropriate listing (and scroll to Material Goods to see
the topics not initially listed)…
https://communitysolidarity.org/
Here’s founder Jon Stepanian’s TED Talk (TEDxNYU) on
Community Solidarity and Hunger Relief…
https://www.ted.com/talks/jon_stepanian_community_solidarity_hunger_relief
Friday, September 24th
6pm to 9pm
Egyptian Festival
St. Mark’s Coptic Church
90 Woodbury Rd.
Woodbury
For more info…
http://stabraam.org/new/index.php?view=article&id=743:egyptian-festival-2021&catid=2
Not organic but tasty Egyptian food. Tours of church, ethnic
music and dance, family friendly.
Saturday, September 25th
Noon to 9pm
Egyptian Festival
St. Mark’s Coptic Church
90 Woodbury Rd.
Woodbury
For more info…
http://stabraam.org/new/index.php?view=article&id=743:egyptian-festival-2021&catid=2
Not organic but tasty Egyptian food. Tours of church, ethnic
music and dance, family friendly.
Sunday, September 25th
Noon to 9pm
Egyptian Festival
St. Mark’s Coptic Church
90 Woodbury Rd.
Woodbury
For more info…
http://stabraam.org/new/index.php?view=article&id=743:egyptian-festival-2021&catid=2
Not organic but tasty Egyptian food. Tours of church, ethnic
music and dance, family friendly.
Saturday, October 2nd to Sunday, October
17th
Cider Week New York
For more info (there’s a lot going on) and tickets (some
events require tickets, some not)…
https://ciderweeknewyork.com/
The one location participating on Long Island is Wolffer
Estate Vineyard (not organic…ah well ☹)…otherwise, NYC (Brooklyn,
Manhattan & Queens), and other parts of NY State. Wonder if any of the
participating ciders are certified organic? Or biodynamic? Or sustainable? Or
at least “natural”? Hmmmm….. 😊
Saturday, October 16th
Times available – TBD
Green Thumb Farm’s Annual CSA Pumpkin Picking Tour
Green Thumb Farm
829 Montauk
Water Mill
RSVP (will give info when reservations open up)
FREE
Take a hay ride around YOUR farm (you’ll see a different
part of the farm than you did if you went to the June Strawberry picking tour),
and pick some certified organic Pumpkins (good enough to eat…or carve 😊)!
This is a CSA Member exclusive (for current CSA Members only…if
you’re sharing a CSA Share with someone and the CSA Member won’t be attending,
you need to register under the CSA Member’s name…no offense, but as far as the
farm goes – you don’t exist! 😊)!
Recommend eating after (or before if the timing is right) at
the following places…(by me…take ‘em or leave ‘em 😊)
- Barrow Food House in Riverhead – 11:30am to 9:30pm – no
reservations (where I’ll probably go afterwards, but if it’s a madhouse
and I don’t want to wait…or can’t even get near there, will try #2 and
then #3)
https://barrowfoodhouse.com/
Farm to table (farm belongs to the
dad of the chef and is down the road) have had 2 Soups, 2 Salads, Roast Beef
Sandwich, Fried Chicken Sandwich (OMG), side of Greens, Almond Torte Dessert
and everything was good enough for us to want to try everything on the menu
(only complaint was my side of Sugar Snap Peas needed to be de-strung…spitting
out bits of undigestible fiber…ugh…minor complaint but in this sort of place they
could/should do better)
- Farm Country Inn in Riverhead – 11:30am to 11pm – can
make reservations (never been…hear it’s decent…overlooks river)
https://www.farmcountrykitchenli.com/
- Pita House in Medford – 11am to 11pm – not far off the
LIE at exit #64/Rt. 112 heading south - shouldn’t need reservations, not
sure if they take them (long time fave…Turkish AND Turkish grocery store
next door)
https://www.longislandpitahouse.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=gmb&utm_campaign=gmb
- Hamptons Coffee Company – 5:30am to 6pm (right next to
Green Thumb Farm farm stand…have eaten here…didn’t love it, but couldn’t
be more convenient, happy to have this option, and would go again)
https://www.hamptoncoffeecompany.com/
Tuesday, October 19th to Thursday, October
21st
EWG’s Clean Con 2021
To register for notification when tickets go on sale…
https://www.ewg.org/cleancon/?ms=WEB_EWG_BannerCTA
Join scientists, healthy living experts and marketing
innovators in exploring the chemicals that are in our personal environment, and
how we can embrace habit-changing behaviors to live a cleaner, healthier life!
Will learn about the body burden of these toxic chemicals, what “clean beauty”
truly means, and how to make better choices when it comes to food and water.
If you want to check out last year’s event to get an idea of
who the speakers might be and what they may be discussing…
https://www.ewgcleancon.org/home
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