Happy Summer!
There will be TWO bunches of Flowers available for sale
this week (they’re Strawflowers…lovely and ridiculously easy to dry) if you
don’t already have a Flower Share (or have one and want more 😊).
If interested, bring $12 cash and see suzanne (or email/call before noon
Thursday if you want to have them reserved for you).
CSA weather report…warm/hot (don’t leave your CSA
Share in your car for anything but a short period of time…over 40 degrees and
it’s not happy)
Important…if you ever 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
- Help make a CSA member’s
dream come true…your NEW votes still needed (and it’s not that hard to do 😊)…
- Food safety and
COVID-19…
- A chance to show your
support for…
- What you actually got
last week
- Who knew we should be so
thankful to get our Onions?
- Click activism – every
vote counts
- 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. Not sure as to what that is? Just 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 – Sky Room Café 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 sign-in desk with our friendly CSA
worker
- 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 at 7:31pm the food is donated to a local food organization (Community
Solidarity…read more about them in the CSA Events email under Tuesdays) 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!
July 20, 2023
- Fennel – 1 bunch
- Carrots* – 1 bunch
- Squash, Summer
- Beans, Snap: Green – 1 bag
- Lettuce – 1 head
- Parsley - bunch
Strawflowers (everlast – can be dried)
How to dry flowers (I just put thee in a vase with no water
and make sure not to bunch up the stems so they don’t get moldy)…
https://www.bestproducts.com/lifestyle/a43618877/how-to-preserve-flowers/
Let me know if any of these links no longer work…
*Carrot Tops – with any new food, start slow and see how your body
reacts, check if you’re on any medications for possible interactions, check
with your doctor(s) if you have any concerns/questions
Article and storage
info/recipes…you’ll be happy you checked this out!
https://www.loveandlemons.com/carrot-greens-chimichurri/
Eat or toss? Spoiler alert…it’s EAT 😊…
https://www.eatortoss.com/six-ways-to-use-carrot-greens/
Sauteed Carrot Top recipe –
great details and suggestions for freezing them!
https://www.forkintheroad.co/sauteed-carrot-greens/
More recipes…yum!
https://www.thekitchn.com/5-ways-to-eat-carrot-tops-183415
And more (the Carrot Top Herb Cornbread looks interesting)…
https://insanelygoodrecipes.com/what-to-do-with-carrot-tops/
An Asian take on Carrot tops (though I wish she gave some
suggestions of what to do with the stems…very edible/usable if you know what to
do with them)…
https://www.asiancookingmom.com/how-to-cook-and-eat-carrot-tops-greens-leaves-easy-recipe/
Carrot top Soup…
https://theherbeevore.com/carrot-green-soup-recipe-vegetarian-gluten-free-vegan/
Are you a juicer?
https://vibranthappyhealthy.com/juicing-carrot-greens
If you want to know all there
is to know about Carrot Tops (SIX TIMES as much Vitamin C as the Carrots!!!)…
http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/carrotops.html
And if Harold McGee says
they’re ok to eat…they must be ok! 😊
2.Help make a CSA member’s dream come true…your NEW votes
still needed (and it’s not that hard to do 😊)…
CSA member, Joan Deem, has entered a cooking contest to win
a personal cooking lesson from celebrity chef Carla Hall, be featured in Taste
of Home magazine, AND win $25,000.
She’s in 3rd place at the moment (up from 4th
place last week 😊) and needs to stay here
(or move up) to advance to the next level, and get that much closer to winning
the whole shebang 😊! AND she’s not a
professional chef (she hails from the wonderful world of teaching…but not
teaching cooking 😊) so it’s pretty amazing
she’s gotten this far in the competition.
To help her win and realize a dream, vote here (you can do
it for free thru Facebook, OR enter by donating…even $1.00 makes a
difference…to the James Beard Foundation…also a good cause for those who love
food and appreciate the people who cook for us)…
http://favchef.com/2023/joan-deem
I just voted twice this week (Wednesday and Thursday) and if
she gets thru this round, we can vote again starting Friday (can vote every
day).
VOTING ENDS 10PM tonight so VOTE NOW! And spread the word if
you think you know of anyone else who’d like to make a dream come true! 😊
To learn more about the James Beard Foundation…
https://www.jamesbeard.org/about
To learn more about Carla Hall (have loved her since she was
on The Chew tv show back in the day and managed to not get to her restaurant in
Brooklyn before it closed)…
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…
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
4.A chance to show your support for…
It’s that time of year when YOU get the opportunity to
nominate the businesses, people, groups, etc., that you think are “The Best of
Long Island” (sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union). It’s a yearly thing
and while it’s nice to be nominated, it’s even nicer to be voted The Best of Long
Island in the category you’re listed in. So, the first step is to nominate
those you think deserve the title, and the ones with the most nominations get
to be in the group to be voted as The Best on Long Island.
Nominations are taking place from now till August 1st,
and then the voting for The Best on Long Island begins on October 1st.
I’ve just nominated the following in support of our CSA (and
included all the info you need to do the same if you’d like 😊)…
This is the link to start the nomination process…
https://www.bestoflongisland.com/nominations/
The Cinema Arts Centre has been supportive enough to host
Green Thumb CSA – Huntington for the past number of years, so I think they
deserve to be The Best on Long Island for that reason alone 😊!
Category – Arts & Entertainment
Sub-category - Movie Theater
Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave
Huntington
631-423-7610
Just as on FYI – our CSA farm, Green Thumb Organic Farm, had
been voted the best farm stand in NY State by Organic Living magazine (sadly,
no longer published…this was a spinoff of Organic Gardening magazine, also no
longer published). They listed the best farm stands in every state of the 50
states in the USA, and Green Thumb Farm was considered the best in New York
(quite an honor)!
Category – Food
Sub-category – Farm stand
Green Thumb Organic Farm
829 Montauk Hwy
Water Mill
631-726-1900
https://www.greenthumborganicfarm.com/
Bees’ Needs is the raw Honey company owned by Mary Woltz,
the beekeeper at Green Thumb Farm and she is WONDERFUL (and so is her Honey 😊)…
Category – Food
Sub-category – Local Raw Honey
Bees’ Needs
4 Laurel Lane
Sag Harbor
631-702-5657
If you’re a CSA member and you’d like you or your business
to be nominated, let us know and give us all the info we need and will list the
info in an upcoming CSA email.
5.What you actually got last week
Week #6
July 13, 2023
- Squash, Summer: 8 Ball, Costata Romanesca, Gold, Kousa,
Yellow, Zucchini – 2 pc. Total - $1.00
- Onions, Spring – 1 bunch - $5.50
- Beans, Snap: Green – 1 bag (.6 lb.) - $4.50
- Swiss Chard: Green OR Red – 1 bunch - $5.50
- Lettuce: Boston, Red – 1 head - $4.25
Total Items: 6
Total Amount: $20.75
We pay our farm $22 per week for our CSA share…some weeks we
get a bit more, some a bit less. This week, it was $1. 25 UNDER $22.00 (my
compulsive self is keeping track of all this 😊). Doesn’t sound like a
whole lot whether it’s over or under, but it adds up over the course of the CSA
season (at the moment it’s a total of $9.50 more food than 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! 😊
Flower Shares – Week #4
Snapdragons
Herb Share – July 1A
Mint AND Parsley
6.Who knew we should be so thankful to get our Onions?
They were good (and local and organic😊)…
https://weather.com/news/video/onion-shortage-signals-threat-of-global-food-crisis
7.Click activism – every vote counts
Protect NY from toxic pesticide killing bees and harming
people…
https://action.nrdc.org/letter/1995-af-ny-bbpa-coalition
8.And now, for something completely different…
This Ice Cream commercial does not make me want to try this
(and I LOVE Ice Cream), even though it’s a clever, creative, different
commercial (they’re still selling really unhealthy junk)…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4IFNKYmLa8
It’s a GMO, ultra-processed food-like substance, and
contains Caramel coloring (there’s two kinds…one is carcinogenic and the other
one isn’t, and food companies are not requited to list which one they
use…unless it’s a certified organic food and then they’re probably using the
non-carcinogenic one). Plus, they’re finding out people don’t lose weight and
often gain weight eating low-fat foods (which was the original advertising
pitch for this when it came out) so just get some real Ice Cream and enjoy a
smaller portion (or indulge but maybe not too often 😊).
Organic brands to look for…
Alden’s
Blue Marble (women owned and does good charity work for
women in Africa)
https://www.bluemarbleicecream.com/
Good Pop (some of these are organic and some not)…
Van Leeuwen (not organic but they don’t use stabilizers,
etc., and are glocal…used to use NY State Dairy…may still…need to ask one of
the owners who I used to be acquainted with 😊)
https://vanleeuwenicecream.com/
*Please keep in mind that any events or services listed do
not indicate a direct endorsement from Green Thumb Farm or Green Thumb CSA -
Huntington
Thursday, July 20th
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.
Friday, July 21st
2pm to 2:30pm
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.
Saturday, July 22nd
6pm to 9pm
Dave’ Supper Club
HOG Farm
319 Beaver Dam Rd.
Brookhaven
$175 per person (cash only)
RSVP…
https://airtable.com/shr72xY5HroEPu9pX
Family style local/seasonal dinner presented by HOG Farm
farmer/chef Dave Gould. 6pm Cocktails/6:30pm dinner (arrive on time).
Sunday, July 23rd
8am to 12pm
Huntington Village Farmers Market
228 Main St.
Huntington
From now till November.
10am till 11:15am
Virtual Yoga Class – all levels - modifications offered
(Zoom)
$20
For more info…
https://www.openenergylearning.com/class-schedule
To participate text or call..
917-562-5322
Join CSA Member Marylou Locker in an open energy and flow
class with flowing movement, energizing breath, and strengthening and
balancing postures.
3pm to 6pm
Family Picnic & Environmental Fair
250 Lawrence Hill Rd
Cold Spring Harbor
$25 Adults ($30 at the door)/$10 (age 14 and under)
For more info and to buy tickets…
Live music, interactive displays, activities and games for
the kids, and food (tickets include picnic supper) sponsored by the North Shore
Land Alliance and the Nature Conservancy (with other environmental groups exhibiting).
Monday, July 24th to Saturday, July 29th
49th Annual NOFA (Northeast Organic Farmers
Association) Summer Conference
Online (7/24 to 7/29) AND at Worcester State U, Worcester,
MA (7/28 & 7/29 only)
Sliding scale from $250 to $50
To register and for more info…
https://www.nofamass.org/nofa-summer-conference/
Unfortunately, the website doesn’t have info yet about what
workshops are being offered AND the 1 to 2 person room accommodations at the
college are sold out. This is the NOFA conference that the general public
usually attends. The winter NOFA conferences are more for farmers, who (for the
most part) aren’t working at that point in time.
Tuesday, July 25th
10am to 11am
Tai Chi class (may not be held this week because of holiday)
Cinema Arts Centre
Sky Room Café
423 Park Ave
Huntington
FREE
Join teacher Roger Sencer in this free Tai Chi class that’s
been held at the Cinema Arts Centre for a number of years. All levels welcome.
6pm
Farm Jam & Gathering
HOG Farm
319 Beaver Dam Rd
Brookhaven
$10 Suggested Donation
RSVP required…
https://airtable.com/shrOftRrbwTa3bgZZ
If your plans change, let them know by emailing gather@theHOGfarm.org and let them know
so someone else can take your place
Open mike (6:30pm musicians sign up…no earlier). Cocktails,
Oysters, Pizza, Pastries available for purchase. Bring your own chair.
Suggested to carpool, walk, bike (I guess not a lot of parking).
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
Wednesday, July 26th
7pm to 8pm
Winding Down the Day from Yin to Yang (Zoom class)
$20.00
For more info…
https://www.openenergylearning.com/class-schedule
To participate text or call..
917-562-5322
Join CSA Member Marylou Locker in a bit of active practice
and breathing techniques to prepare for a relaxing night and sound sleep!
Thursday, July 27h
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.
Friday, July 28th
2pm to 2:30pm
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.
Saturday, July 29th
4pm to 8pm
Shuck U BBQ
HOG Farm
319 Beaver Dam Rd.
Brookhaven
$80 – Genera; Public/$70 HOG Farm Members/under 15 years old
pay their age
RSVP (and for event details)…
https://airtable.com/shryErZj5qsfHkRXc
Live music, tickets include, Beer, Lemonade, BBQ, Oysters,
side dishes and fun for the whole family.
Sunday, July 30th
8am to 12pm
Huntington Village Farmers Market
228 Main St.
Huntington
From now till November.
10am till 11:15am
Virtual Yoga Class – all levels - modifications offered
(Zoom)
$20
For more info…
https://www.openenergylearning.com/class-schedule
To participate text or call..
917-562-5322
Join CSA Member Marylou Locker in an open energy and flow
class with flowing movement, energizing breath, and strengthening and
balancing postures.
Tuesday, August 8th
6pm
Farm Jam & Gathering
HOG Farm
319 Beaver Dam Rd
Brookhaven
$10 Suggested Donation
RSVP required…
https://airtable.com/shrOftRrbwTa3bgZZ
If your plans change, let them know by emailing gather@theHOGfarm.org and let them know
so someone else can take your place
Open mike (6:30pm musicians sign up…no earlier). Cocktails,
Oysters, Pizza, Pastries available for purchase. Bring your own chair.
Suggested to carpool, walk, bike (I guess not a lot of parking).
Tuesday, August 22nd
6pm
Farm Jam & Gathering
HOG Farm
319 Beaver Dam Rd
Brookhaven
$10 Suggested Donation
RSVP required…
https://airtable.com/shrOftRrbwTa3bgZZ
If your plans change, let them know by emailing gather@theHOGfarm.org and let them know
so someone else can take your place
Open mike (6:30pm musicians sign up…no earlier). Cocktails,
Oysters, Pizza, Pastries available for purchase. Bring your own chair.
Suggested to carpool, walk, bike (I guess not a lot of parking).
Sunday, October 1st
11am to 4pm
Fall Season Chinatown Walk with Dr. Z and the Natural Nurse
$55
For more info and to purchase tickets…
https://www.naturalnurse.com/event/2023-fall-season-chinatown-herb-walk-tour-in-nyc/
Lunch not included. Learn about Chinese natural remedies.
The Natural Nurse is Long Island’s own Ellen Kamhi, RN.
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