Happy Summer!
CSA weather report…warm
Correction!
Last week our Tomatoes had boxes labeled Pink Girl, and
Heirloom Pink Girl. While it was perfectly possible for there to be two Tomato
varieties with these names, I decided to check with our farmers and lo and
behold, Pink Girl isn’t an heirloom variety and that box was labelled in error.
There are 10,000 varieties of Tomatoes still available in the world (and 3,000
of them are heirloom varieties), and our farm grows a decent number of
varieties, so not surprised it’s challenging keeping track of them (and the
fact that a lot of them look very similar even though they’re different). Our
farms farming philosophy (and that of organic farming in general) is that a
diversified crop is a healthy crop, and monocrops (planting large swaths of one
type of plant and one variety) leads to problems of plant disease and insect
infestation. The farm apologized for the error, and next time I have a feeling
about something like this will try and get an answer during the CSA, and not
afterwards. They were still tasty and certified organic (read #3 to find out
why certified organic is MUCH better…heirloom or not). 😊
Important…if you send anyone to the CSA to
pick up food for you, please tell them to BRING BAGS!
This email includes…
- What you need to know
- Food safety and
COVID-19…
- Still time to order Bulk
Tomato Shares!
- Emergency situations at
the CSA (hurricanes/electronic communication glitches/medical emergencies,
etc.)
- What you actually got
last week
- Cantaloupe and
Tomatoes…fragile fruit!
- And now, for something
completely different…
*Anything in any of our CSA 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)…
Most immediate helpful hints…
- Bring at least TWO bags to the CSA EVERY WEEK
for wet and dry food items (and never the twain should meet)
- When packing up your CSA food, start at the left side
of the long table and work your way to the right and out the garden door.
Why? We set out the food to be packed in that order so the heaviest food
items will be on the bottom of your bag, and your food won’t get squished
(another way to make your food go bad faster), and if you separate the wet
from the dry foods you’re doing pretty good on having your food last
longer! 😊
- When you get your food home, if it’s in a plastic bag
take it OUT of the plastic bag and store elsewhere…even if it’s in another
plastic bag (the original bag will be too wet and your food won’t be happy
there for long)
- Plan on using your food in the order of how long it
will reasonably stay fresh (if stored properly). Any questions regarding
what this would be…ask. 😊
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.
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 –
- Check in at the desk with our friendly CSA worker
- Read the CSA 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 at 7:31pm the food is donated to a local food
organization that’s waiting to pick it up and get on their way.
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 #13
August 25, 2022
- Cantaloupe – 1 pc.
- Cucumbers – check the CSA Wall Chart
- Squash, Summer – check the CSA Wall Chart
- Beans, Snap – 1 bag
- Peppers, Sweet – check the CSA Wall Chart
- Tomatoes, Mini – 1 pt.
- Lettuce – 1 head
Total Items: 7
Herb Share – August 2B
Savory, Winter AND Thyme
2.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…
After keeping the CSA going thru 2020 and 2021 (with
everyone staying healthy using the simple practices of wearing face coverings,
hand washing, and social distancing), this is where we are now at this moment
in time…
- Face coverings are optional
- Hand washing upon entering the theater is STRONGLY
recommended (it’s always a good idea in preventing COVID as well as the
flu and colds)
Why COVID HATES soap (works better than hand sanitizer or gloves),
and we’re talking plain soap, NOT antibacterial soap (the use of which causes
antibiotic resistance which could kill us all ☹)…
https://healthmatters.nyp.org/how-does-handwashing-with-soap-kill-the-coronavirus/
- We will try and keep the CSA area relatively uncrowded
- Enter near the Box Office entrance, and exit thru the
door that leads out to the Cinema garden and upper parking lot stairs
3.Still time to order Bulk Tomato Shares!
Here’s your chance to enjoy CSA Tomatoes all winter long! 😊
If you think 20 lbs. is too much to deal with but would
consider 10 lbs., let me know by email, voice message or at the CSA, and will
see if there’s someone else who wants to split a box with you.
To get in while the going is good, the last two delivery
dates are September 1st and September 8th so email, or
let suzanne know at the CSA this week, when you’d like the Tomatoes delivered,
and bring a check made out to Halseys Green Thumb OR cash in the amount of $45
per box of Tomatoes.
What’s the easiest thing to do with 20 lbs. of Tomatoes? Use
the easy peasy freezy method and freeze them whole (it’s so easy, someone with
NO cooking skills/ability can do this).
Here’s how…(suggestion – freeze in amounts you’d use for one
recipe so you don’t have to hack at a larger amount with an ice pick, etc. 😊)…
https://wholefully.com/how-to-freeze-tomatoes/
Why would you want 20 lbs. of certified organic in-season
Tomatoes? Because the ones we buy when they’re not in season are AWFUL and
tasteless, and are picked when they’re partly green and gassed to make them
look red! And if they’re not organic…fuggedaboutit! Just take a gander at all
the toxic chemicals used in the average non-organic Tomato…
https://whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=TO
While it’s true you can’t use frozen Tomatoes on a sandwich,
you can use them all winter long to make Soups, Sauces, and add to any cooked
dish you like.
However, you could use them on Sandwiches and Salads if you
dried them. More labor intensive but SO worth the effort (one of our CSA
members made them and had some in Olive Oil for me to try, and they were the
best “sun” dried Tomatoes I’d ever had…they used a dehydrator).
How to dry Tomatoes using the sun, your oven, or a
dehydrator…
Sun…
https://www.thespruceeats.com/homemade-sun-dried-tomatoes-1808065
Oven…
https://www.thespruceeats.com/oven-sun-dried-tomatoes-4064025
Dehydrator…
https://www.thespruceeats.com/dehydrated-tomatoes-recipe-1809681
And then of course, there’s the more traditional option of
canning of Tomatoes. When canning Tomatoes…FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE LETTER!
If you don’t, you run the possibility of giving yourself botulism and getting
VERY sick. Canning is NOT the time to improvise, rush, or cut corners (but a
good time to let your inner clean freak fly)…
https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-heat-pressure-steam-can-tomatoes-preserve
4.Emergency situations at the CSA (hurricanes/electronic
communication glitches/medical emergencies, etc.)
- It’s hurricane season till November 30th
(our CSA’s last day is December 8th)! 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 our 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 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 as it could be helpful
for you and those of us at the CSA. Again…show up, and at 3:30pm and
5:30pm if there were no emails please offer to work if you’re able and
available. 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 to
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 on any given week…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, etc., 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! 😊
- If there’s an emergency
situation in progress, consider offering to help out at the CSA whether
you’re asked to or not.
5.What you actually got last week
Week #12
August 18, 2022
- Squash, Summer: Costata Romanesco/Eight
Ball/Gold/Yellow/Zucchini – 3 pc. – (being totaled with Cucumbers…see
below)
- Cucumbers – 2pc. - $2.00 (totaled with Summer Squash)
- Beets: Red – 1 bunch - $5.00
- Cantaloupe – 1 pc. - $5.00
- Tomatoes: Orange Beefsteak/Paste: Red & Yell/Pink
Girl - Heirloom/Pink Girl/Pink Lady – 2 lbs. - $6.25
- Lettuce: Loose Leaf, Red – 1 head - $4.00
Total Items: 6
Total Amount: $22.25
We pay $20 per week for our CSA share…some weeks we get a
bit more, some a bit less. This week, it was $ over $20.00. Doesn’t sound like
a whole lot, but it adds up over the course of the CSA season (so far the total
is up to $19.25 over what we paid). 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
last year it was almost four weeks worth extra so we’re talking almost $80
worth of food we got gratis…it’s all good! 😊
6.Cantaloupe and Tomatoes…fragile fruit!
Yup…in case you didn’t already know, botanically speaking
Tomatoes are a fruit (in fact, they’re a Berry!).
Some of our CSA food is hardy and stores longer than you
might think, and some of it is more fragile. Cantaloupes and Tomatoes are in
the fragile category because our farmers are growing these varieties for flavor
and nutrition, not for how well they can sit in a truck for days and days, or
get bounced against a wall and still look ok.
Treat them right, and you’ll get the most out of them.
Cantaloupes…(I’ll place them on a paper bag, paper towels,
or a towel, so they don’t attract moisture from sitting on plastic or the
counter top…moisture facilitates mold growth - ugh)…
How to pick…
https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/fresh-pick-cantaloupe
How to store…whether on the counter or in the fridge, check
every day and rotate to distribute the weight (so you can delay getting a soft
spot) and make sure it’s ok…
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-store-cantaloupe#how-to-store-cantaloupe
Tomatoes…(see above re: putting them on a paper bag, etc.,
if on the counter, and the same goes for in the fridge, AND will also make sure
they’re not touching each other)…
Whether on the counter or in the fridge, check every day to
use the ones that are the most ripe…
https://www.seriouseats.com/why-you-should-refrigerate-tomatoes
Got too many Tomatoes (or can’t/won’t use them in a timely
manner)? Freeze them the easy peasy freezy way!
How to freeze whole Tomatoes…this is so easy, dead people
can freeze Tomatoes…
https://wholefully.com/how-to-freeze-tomatoes/
7.And now, for
something completely different…
This is amazing, and somehow just wrong…and gross!
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/mcdonalds-burger-fries-over-20-175941548.html
Events…both near and far
10am to 11am
IEatGreen radio show
To listen to the show live (or listen to the archived
programs)…
Hosted by Long Islander Bhavani Jharoff. Older shows can be
accessed in archives.
Sunday, August 28th
7:30am to 12pm
Huntington Village Farmers Market
228 Main St.
Huntington
From now till November.
3pm to 7pm
LI Vegan Pop-Up
Good Shepard Lutheran Church
3434 Hempstead Tpke.
Levittown
FREE
For more info…(IMHO – this group’s website, etc. is out of
date and social media not very well done/coordinated)…
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/long-island-vegan-pop-up-tickets-404917588407?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
https://www.facebook.com/longislandveganpopup/
https://longislandveganpopup.com/
Vegan food trucks, market, etc.
Tuesday, August 30th
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
Saturday, September 10th
1pm to 3pm
Autumn Herb Walk with Ellen Kamhi, the Natural Nurse
Restoration Farm
140 Bethpage-Sweet Hollow Rd.
Old Bethpage
$25
To register and for more info…
https://www.restorationfarm.com/product-page/autumn-herb-identification-walk
Identify plants regarded as “weeds” and learn their culinary
and medicinal properties. Bring a bag or basket to collect some plants.
Sunday, September 11th
10am to 4pm
The 16th Annual North Fork Foodie Tour
$30
For more info and to purchase tickets…
https://northforkfoodietour.com/
9:30am to 11am
Uplifting the Happy Heart: Cardiovascular Wellness,
Naturally!
Online event
$35
For more info and to register…
Join Ellen Kamhi, the Natural Nurse, in this online course
about how to use food choices, stress reduction, and herbal remedies for heart
health.
Friday, September 16th to Sunday, September
19th
10am to 5pm (last admission is 3:30pm)
The Long Island Fair
Old Bethpage Village Restoration
1303 Round Swamp Rd.
Old Bethpage
$20 - Adults/$15 – Seniors (over 60)/$15 – 5 to
12-years-old/FREE – under age 5/$10 (purchase online till 8/31 11pm)
For more info and to buy tickets…
There’s live music, all sorts of entertainment and
activities for children of all ages 😊. It’s a real country
fair so you could enter your own home grown vegetables, flowers, baked goods,
craft items, etc. (check out the website and the Competitive Exhibit Handbook
for details.
Saturday, September 17th
11am to 3pm
100 years Gilbertie’s celebration: Herb Walk and Medicine
Making Funshop
Gilbertie’s Organics
7 Sylvan La.
Westport, CT
$55
For more info:
To register call:
203-227-4175
Join Ellen Kamhi (the Natural Nurse) and Dr. Z (Zamperion)
on a walk for identifying medicinal herbs, and then for a workshop how to turn
these herbs into cough syrups, tinctures, salves, etc..
Saturday, September 24th
Farm Aid (will post more info as I get it)
To sign up for info and updates…
https://www.farmaid.org/festival/
This is Willie Nelson’s annual fundraiser for American
farmers (along with fellow organizers Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Margo Price
& Dave Matthews). Attend in person, or watch online, and make a donation
(or buy some merch) if you so choose. 😊
Sunday, September 25th
11am to 4pm
Fall Season Chinatown Herb Walk with the Natural Nurse
NYC
$50/$25 – student fee
For more info and to register…
https://www.naturalnurse.com/event/2022-fall-season-chinatown-herb-walk-tour-in-nyc/
Join naturopath Dr. Z (Zamperion) and Ellen Kamhi, the
Natural Nurse (before she heads off to Florida for the winter) on one of their
twice yearly Chinatown walks (lunch not included). The visit will include a
visit to the Chinese Cultural Museum, a visit to a Chinese traditional medical
doctor for tongue and pulse diagnosis, a Chi Kung lesson in a park, and
visiting apothecaries where you can purchase various herbs/remedies, and also
includes handouts.
Saturday, October 1st
1:30pm to 4:30pm
Wildman Steve Brill
Belmont Lake State Park
625 Belmont Ave.
West Babylon
Adults - $20/Under 12 years old - $10
For more info and to register…
https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/tour-calendar
Or call 914-835-2153
If you’ve never gone, do you self a favor and check this out.
A great event for the whole family. If you’ve gone before, you know Steve is
the biggest cornball on the planet 😊 but he’s BRILLIANT when
it comes to knowing his foraged foods. A goal I have is to take at least four
of his tours in one year for each of the seasons. If I get to one this year
I’ll be thrilled. 😊 And if you’re
going…read all his directions and follow all his recommendations! You’ll be
glad you did. 😊
Saturday, October 15th
10am/11am/12pm (times to be confirmed closer to event)
Green Thumb Farm CSA Pumpkin Picking Farm Tour
Green Thumb Farm
829 Montauk Hwy.
Water Mill
FREE
RSVP (watch for details closer to this event)
Pick your tour time, and let’s go! 😊This
is one of the two times we CSA Members get invited to tour our farm and get to
take something home to eat…for FREE! 😊 This is a tractor
pulled wagon farm tour for CSA members and immediate family only! Rain or shine
(unless we’re talking torrential rain/thunder storms).
There will be a 10% discount to all CSA Members who take the
tour on all purchases made at the Green Thumb Farm farm stand after your tour.
Sweet! 😊
Dress appropriately for walking on dirt roads and in the
fields (sandals/high heels not recommended), and for being in the sun during
peak sun exposure hours (sunglasses/hat/sunscreen, etc.). I’ve never gotten
ticks on one of these tours yet, but I’d do a thorough tick check once you got
back home (they have a roving band of marauding Guinea Hens that take care of
eating most of them I believe 😊).
Planning on going to lunch after the last tour at Barrow
Food House in Riverhead (farm-to-table and reasonably priced for the area), and
everyone’s invited (they have indoor and outdoor dining options).
Sunday, October 16th to Wednesday, October
19th
Regenerative Healthcare Conference
Rodale Institute
Kutztown, PA
$2,500 (there’s only 50 spots left and there MAY be
scholarships available but not sure if it’s too late to apply or not)
For more info and to register…
https://rodaleinstitute.org/Regenerative-Healthcare-Conference/
This is an invitation to doctors, nurses, medical students,
nutritionists, health coaches and anyone in the healthcare field, to attend the
first conference of its kind, and first in the world, to connect soil health,
farming and health, bridging the disconnect between farming practices and
health. Some of the speakers that I’m familiar with are Dr. Mark Hyman
(functional medicine MD), and Dr. T. Colin Campbell (vegan superstar known for
his China Study). You will get your hands dirty! 😊
Sunday, October 16th
1pm to 4pm
Wildman Steve Brill
Sunken Meadow State Park
Rt. 908K
Kings Park
Adults - $20/Under 12 years old - $10
For more info and to register…
https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/tour-calendar
Or call 914-835-2153
If you’ve never gone, do you self a favor and check this
out. A great event for the whole family. If you’ve gone before, you know Steve
is the biggest cornball on the planet 😊 but he’s BRILLIANT when
it comes to knowing his foraged foods. A goal I have is to take at least four
of his tours in one year for each of the seasons. If I get to one this year
I’ll be thrilled. 😊 And if you’re
going…read all his directions and follow all his recommendations! You’ll be
glad you did. 😊
Saturday, October 29th
9am to 1pm
Fig Sale & Swap
Restoration Farm
140 Bethpage-Sweet Hollow Rd.
Old Bethpage
FREE
Have gig cuttings to sell or swap? Want to try growing Figs
in your yard/garden? Then this is the event for you!
Sunday, November 6th
11:30am to 2:30pm
Wildman Steve Brill
Belmont Lake State Park
625 Belmont Ave.
West Babylon
Adults - $20/Under 12 years old - $10
For more info and to register…
https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/tour-calendar
Or call 914-835-2153
If you’ve never gone, do you self a favor and check this
out. A great event for the whole family. If you’ve gone before, you know Steve
is the biggest cornball on the planet 😊 but he’s BRILLIANT when
it comes to knowing his foraged foods. A goal I have is to take at least four
of his tours in one year for each of the seasons. If I get to one this year
I’ll be thrilled. 😊 And if you’re
going…read all his directions and follow all his recommendations! You’ll be
glad you did. 😊
Saturday, November 19th
12:30pm to 3:30pm
Wildman Steve Brill
Sunken Meadow State Park
Rt. 908K
Kings Park
Adults - $20/Under 12 years old - $10
For more info and to register…
https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/tour-calendar
Or call 914-835-2153
If you’ve never gone, do you self a favor and check this
out. A great event for the whole family. If you’ve gone before, you know Steve
is the biggest cornball on the planet 😊 but he’s BRILLIANT when
it comes to knowing his foraged foods. A goal I have is to take at least four
of his tours in one year for each of the seasons. If I get to one this year
I’ll be thrilled. 😊 And if you’re
going…read all his directions and follow all his recommendations! You’ll be
glad you did. 😊
###
