Happy Summer!
DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CSA SHARE IN YOUR CAR FOR ANY LENGTH OF
TIME (it’s too hot and it will not be happy, and won’t last as long as it would
if it were happy…which happens at about 40 degrees).
Important…if you ever send anyone to the CSA
to pick up food for you, please tell them to BRING BAGS (and make
sure at least one of them is plastic for the wet foods so you don’t get the dry
ones wet which would not be a good thing…will make the foods that don’t want to
be wet rot faster)!
- What you need to know
- There’s still time to
order Bulk Tomato Shares!
- Did you know there’s a
serious water shortage going on???
- Click activism
- Food safety and
COVID-19…
- It’s that time of year
again to nominate for The Best of Long Island!
- NEW Cooking contest!
- It’s time for Community
Solidarity’s Back-to-School event!
- Emergency situations at
the CSA (hurricanes/electronic communication glitches/medical
emergencies…on my part, etc.)
- How to not miss any CSA
pickups AND getting in touch with your CSA (you’ll want this info in your
“back pocket” for the one time it might come in handy)
- What you actually got
last week
- 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.
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 go 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.
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.
Veggie info sheets are added as needed. This is the link to the: Veggie Info Sheets. Print them out, put them 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.
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 #12
August 21, 2025
- Cucumber
- Squash, Summer
- Eggplant: Japanese
- Beans, Snap – 1 bag
- Peppers, Sweet
- Scallions – 1 bunch
- Lettuce – 1 head
- Tomatoes – 1 pt.
Total Items: 8
Flower Share – Week #5
Statice (everlast – can be dried)
2.There’s still time to order Bulk Tomato Shares!
It’s Tomato time but like all things in our geographical
neck of the woods, this too shall pass. SO, if you want to have farm fresh
local certified organic Tomatoes over the winter, spring and till next August
when they show up again, you might want to consider buying a 20 lb. box of
Tomatoes from our farm.
OR…of you feel that’s too much for you, consider sharing a
box and getting 10 lbs. (a 20 lb. box is about the size of a box of computer
paper filled about half to 2/3 of the way up). If you want/need someone to
share with, let me know and will see what I can do 😊.
The remaining deliver dates for the Tomatoes are August 28th,
September 4th and September 11th.
What do you do with them? The easiest thing is to freeze
them whole and uncooked till you’re ready to do something with them (adding to
Salads are out but everything else is up for grabs 😊).
How to freeze whole Tomatoes? This is even less work that I
would do (I used to cut out the core first but after seeing this…maybe not 😊)…
https://thewoksoflife.com/how-to-freeze-tomatoes/
OR…if you’re a little more ambitious you can try dehydrating
them in the oven, air fryer (convection oven), or in a dehydrator (if you own
one or maybe this is a good excuse to buy one 😊).
How to dehydrate Tomatoes (after they’re dehydrated, you can
make the best “sun” dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil)…
https://edibletimes.com/sun-dried-tomatoes-in-oil/
And then read this for safety tips…
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/sp-50-701-herbs-vegetables-oil
How to store dried Tomatoes…READ OVER CAREFULLY…MUST THROW
OUT IF GETS MOLDY and ANYTHING STORED IN OIL MUST BE DATED…seriously, you could
get sick and die if not following the rules (we’re talking botulism…not good)…
https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry/drying-general/packaging-and-storing-dried-foods/
Some decent dehydrators if you’re interested…
Excalibur is a long time classic…
https://excaliburdehydrator.com/
But this all stainless steel one looks interesting too…
https://cosori.com/collections/food-dehydrators
3.Did you know there’s a serious water shortage going
on???
The Suffolk County Water Authority has announced a Stage 1
Water Alert in June, and it’s still in effect!
Storage tanks are nearly empty and because of this there is
reduced pressure which makes it harder to deliver water to homes and FIRE
HYDRANTS!
Apparently, us humans aren’t doing enough water conserving
(either at home or those who own businesses) to help alleviate this situation,
and the worst offenders seem to be in Eaton’s Neck, Kings Park, Montauk, North
Bay Shore, Selden and Southold.
This is the latest press release…
And the original press release…
https://www.scwa.com/suffolk-county-water-authority-issues-stage-1-water-alert-for-all-customers/
Here’s a podcast…
What can we do to help?
- Eliminate all
unnecessary water use.
- Drastically reduce lawn
watering.
- If you do water your
lawn, you must strictly follow the odd/even lawn watering schedule:
- Homes and businesses
with odd-numbered street addresses should only water on odd-numbered
calendar days.
- Those with even-numbered
addresses should only water on even-numbered calendar days.
- There should be no lawn
watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
4.Click activism
A.Tell your US Senators to protect your right to sue
pesticide corporations (they’re going for immunity so you can’t sue them if you
have any negative reactions after using or being exposed to pesticides)…
https://toxinfreeusa.org/take-action/s2324-pesticide-injury-accountability-act/
B.Tell Dunkin’ to stop handing out receipts and using labels
with BPS!
The Center for Environmental Health has been investigating
companies for exposing customers to Bisphenol S (BPS) in hard copy thermal
paper receipts — a close cousin of BPA that was added to the list of chemicals
subject to California’s Proposition 65 warning requirements because it can
cause hormone-disrupting and reproductive issues. CEH recently have expanded
our investigation efforts to also include adhesive labels. At the Dunkin’
(formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts) location that CEH visited, the adhesive
labels attached to their coffee cups had the highest levels of BPS out of any
of the adhesive labels we tested! While customers are often given the chance to
opt out of receiving hard copy receipts, this is not the case for adhesive
labels that are attached to food packaging directly, like Dunkin’s coffee cups.
And since Dunkin’ specializes in foods you eat with your hands, it’s
unrealistic to expect that Dunkin’s customers will be washing their hands after
taking a sip of coffee, but before eating a bite of donut.
Unfortunately, this is a bigger issue than the BPS CEH found
at this Dunkin’ location. The Dunkin’ brand is owned by Inspire Brands, one of
the largest restaurant companies in the United States. Inspire owns other
brands such as Baskin Robbins, Sonic, Arby’s, and Jimmy John’s. CEH visited a
location of each of these brands and found receipts with BPS levels that far
exceed the safety limit set for BPS exposure. But Inspire Brands can right this
wrong by mandating that all the franchises under the company use phenol-free
receipt paper that’s safe to touch.
I just urged Inspire Brands to require all its franchises
use phenol-free receipt paper. Can you join me? https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-dunkin-to-stop-handing-out-receipts-and-labels-with-bps/?source=email&
C.Add your name to get BPA out of coconut water! I signed a
petition from the Center for Environmental Health telling 31 coconut water
brands to get BPA out of their products! Can you join me and take action? Click
here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/get-bpa-out-of-coconut-water?source=email&
D.I signed a petition on Action Network telling Barbara
Rentler, CEO at Ross and Michael O’Sullivan, CEO at Burlington to Tell Ross and
Burlington: Remove Toxic Lead from their Supply Chain.
Since 2009, our testing repeatedly found high levels of lead
in leather and faux leather fashion accessories such as handbags, wallets,
shoes, and belts sold at off-price retailers. In 2022 alone, more than 1 in 4
of the fashion accessories we purchased from Ross and Burlington contained high
levels of lead. Exposure to lead can cause cancer, reproductive issues, and
neurological harm. There is no safe level of lead exposure. Ross and Burlington
cater to lower-income consumers, and most of their California storefronts are
located in communities already facing environmental, health, and other
socioeconomic pressures. Affordability should never come at the expense of
people’s health. Will you help us tell Ross and Burlington to remove toxic
chemicals from their supply chains? Together, let’s tell Ross and Burlington to
commit to basic product safety standards to ensure that what they’re selling
does not contain toxic chemicals that can harm our health.
Can you join me and take action? Click here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/tell-ross-and-burlington-remove-toxic-lead-from-their-supply-chain?source=email&
5.Food safety and COVID-19, flu, etc.…
Even though it’s been a while since the word “pandemic” has
been bandied about, people are still getting COVID (there’s new variant going
around) and other illness. And the lessons we learned during the past few years
can still come in handy today to avoid basic things like colds and the flu.
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 while the
Cinema Arts Centre was closed (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 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/
- Will try and keep the
CSA area relatively uncrowded if any future outbreaks of any infectious
diseases occur
- Enter near the Box
Office entrance, and exit thru the door that leads out to the Cinema
garden and upper parking lot stairs
6.It’s that time of year again to nominate for The Best
of Long Island!
I’ve just nominated the Cinema Arts Centre for best Movie
Theater (under Arts & Entertainment), and Green Thumb Farm for best Farm
Stand (under Food). Over the weekend I’ll nominate more but wanted to get these
two in pronto 😊!
If you’d like to be nominated, let us know and give us the
info they ask for on the website, and if you get nominated let us know so we
can vote for you 😊.
You can nominate your fave business, service, restaurant
(and a bazillion other categories) until Sunday, August 31st. THEN
when they figure out who the nominees will be, the voting will begin…
7.NEW Cooking Contest!
Chef Adam Sobel (formerly of the award-winning The Cinnamon
Snail food truck in NYC…sadly, it is no more) has a cooking contest for the
month of August. The prize is any one of his cooking classes (and there are a
LOT of them and they all look delicious, amazing, and I know they will be
entertaining and instructive 😊). I took a live class
of his that was about the basics of cooking with Tofu, and I’m now a fan and
have no hesitation recommending any of his cooking classes.
I happen to LOVE Chef Adam, and if I were to turn vegan (I’m
an omnivore who eats so many vegetables people think I’m a vegan/vegetarian 😊),
he’d be the one to help make it happen. His recipes are pretty great (except
for the Seitan ones which I’m not a fan of as it’s the only food sensitivity I
have that I’m aware of, and not a fan of any recipes that aren’t WFPB…whole
food plant-based…that use ultra-processed vegan ingredients…which aren’t a
majority of them AND he often has links how to make those ultra-processed
ingredients yourself so they’re not). He’s smart, eccentric, and I find him
most amusing (two qualities in humans I find attractive…intelligence and a
sense of humor… and that make him a good teacher in my book 😊).
If you’d like to read more about Chef Adam…
https://cinnamonsnail.com/about/
IF you’d like to see Adam in action (he’s so silly…but also
an amazing chef)…
So, what’s involved in the contest?
- Make his Vegan Picadillo
recipe…
- Leave a comment on his
blog post using the hashtag #cooking challenge, along with a star rating
- Complete this task
before Sunday, August 31st, and the winner will be notified via
the email address they used to leave the recipe review. Winner will be
given 5 days to respond to claim their prize
8.It’s time for Community Solidarity’s Back-to-School
event!
In addition to being the group that picks up and distributes
any leftover food from our CSA, they also do various other charitable things
that benefit those in need in our community throughout the year.
Now, it’s time for their Back-to-School Event.
You can help out in four ways…8
- Donate money between now
and September 30th – the money donated will be used to purchase
computers, tables, hotspots and other items to facilitate online or remote
learning…
- Donate school supplies
such as…
Notebooks
(spiral & composition), backpacks, art supplies (markers, colored pencils,
crayons, sketch pads, watercolors, paint, chalk, clay, and needed erasers),
pens/pencils, loose-leaf paper, graph paper, 3-ring binders, folders,
compasses, rulers, lunch boxes, calculators, staplers, glue, glue sticks, and
safety scissors. Children's clothing (sneakers, pants, shirts, and socks) is
also greatly needed.
https://communitysolidarity.org/back-2-school-drive-2025?mc_cid=0250d11222&mc_eid=2e56bdceae#signup
- Spread the word about
this online on your social media sites, and/or organize a Back-to-School
event with your friends and family, in your house of worship, at your
place of work, and contact Community Solidarity to let them know what
you’re doing and how to donate the funds raised and/or the items donated…
https://communitysolidarity.org/contact
- You can always go down
on a Tuesday night and volunteer with their food distribution in
Huntington Station, see what they’re all about, and ask any questions you
might have about their Back-to-School project. See our weekly CSA Events
email for more info (this is listed every week).
9.Emergency situations at the CSA (hurricanes/electronic
communication glitches/medical emergencies…on my part, etc.)
What NOT to do during a thunderstorm…
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/thunderstorm-safety-meteorologists-goog_l_689265b6e4b07e7958a0e188
- It’s peak hurricane season till November 30th
(our CSA’s last day is December 11th)! 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
for us 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 28+
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.
10. How to not miss any CSA pickups AND getting in touch
with your CSA (you’ll want this info in your “back pocket” for the one time it
might come in handy)
1. If you're running late and it's something you didn't
know in advance and can get to the Cinema Arts Centre by 9pm or 10pm, call the
Cinema Box Office (631-423-7611 xt. 0 - I'd put this number in my phone under
"CSA contacts" or however you think you'll remember to find this
number and have easy access) between CSA hours (after 3:30pm but before
7:30pm), ask to speak to someone at the CSA and you'll be transferred, let us
know you'll be running late, and we can pack a bag for you that will have your
last name on it (when you pick up your CSA Share, make sure it's your last name
on the bag because, for example, if you get an Herb Share and someone else
doesn't, you don't want to miss out on your Herb Share and vice versa), and get
there before the Box Office closes for the night. That time depends on the
length of the movies playing (which change every week) so when you call to ask
us at the CSA to pack your CSA Share I'd ask the Box Office person what time
they'll be closing AND I'd give a call when I was on my way to let them know so
they wouldn't lock the front door (just in case 😊).
2. If you know in advance that you might be running late,
you can contact me (will put below the parameters of when I'm available as I'm
not a 24/7 person in terms of how to get in touch with me), and let me know and
I'll (as in the above), pack up your CSA Share so you can pick it up at the Box
Office before it closes. HOWEVER, if you don't get there by the time they're
going to close, they will have our donating organization come over to take it
as we can't store any CSA food at the Cinema overnight.
3. If you know in advance that you can't pick up at all
on a Thursday, there are options...
A. Have someone you know pick up for you so you can get
it from them the next day OR, if you're going away for the weekend, when you
get back. The only thing they need when they stop by our CSA is knowing where
to go (the Cinema's Sky Room Cafe), what time to show up (3:30pm to 7:30pm),
your name (you'd be surprised at how that's not as obvious as one would think 😊)
AND, to bring at least two bags to pack up the CSA Share to separate wet and
dry foods (and one being plastic or some other material that won't leak water).
B. Have another CSA member take your CSA Share home with
them and...see above. If you don't know any of our CSA members and you'd like,
I will send out an email asking for help, and 9 times out of 10 there will be a
CSA member who'd be glad to hold on to your CSA Share till you're able to pick
it up at that person's home (or another location agreed upon by both people).
They understand not wanting to miss a week of the CSA Season so they're happy
to help. 😊
Have to tell you though, missing at least one CSA pickup
per season is almost like a rite of passage for every CSA member (new and not
new 😊). People miss them for any number of
reasons. From life's unexpected events (like getting caught up at work 😊,
to completely forgetting, to late planning that's not working out as one
wanted. At one point a number of years ago I was a member of our CSA AND
another one (wanted to compare the two CSA Shares 😊),
and I FORGOT to pick up my 2nd CSA Share one week (and was so annoyed at myself
that I never forgot again 😊). If I can completely
forget to pick up my CSA Share (of a CSA site that I'm not managing 😊),
it can happen to anyone 😊.
How to get in touch with suzanne...
1. email gtcsahuntington@gmail.com
- 24/7 HOWEVER there are times when I won't see them. On Thursdays, odds are I
won't see emails from noon till the next day (Friday) after noon.
2. personal phone ( 631-421-4864 ) - for the
purposes of the CSA I use my home phone which is a land line. I want to
separate my home and "work" life so I don't use my mobile phone and
even if it's someone I know, I won't respond to anything connected to the CSA
from my mobile phone. HOWEVER, I won't see any phone messages left on this
number during the same times as the above (won't see voice messages left after
noon on Thursdays and won't check them till Friday after noon...and I don't check
them remotely)
3. Cinema phone ( 631-423-7611 xt. 0 ) - I'd keep this
number in your mobile phone too under "CSA" or any other place you'll
remember where it is. Unlike the above, you can ONLY use this number during CSA
hours (Thursday 3:30pm to 7:30pm) for the purpose of letting us know you're
running late and want your CSA Share packed and left at the Box Office, OR a
last minute plea to try and find someone to take your CSA Share home with them
so you can pick it up the next day (I wouldn't count on this since the pool of
people who will be asked is small BUT I also would still give it a try because
it has worked from time to time).
Lastly, for the past several years, our CSA farm, Green
Thumb Farm, has been VERY generous with us and over the course of our season,
they've given us around $80.00 worth of food that we didn't pay for (so far in
the past few weeks, we've gotten $16.75 more than we've paid for...if you look
at the CSA Wall Chart every week, you'll see that the total amount of money is
usually more than the $23 we pay the farm). SO, that means as far as losing
money, you can "afford" to miss at least one or two CSA pickups (and
possibly 3 or 4) and not lose money BUT, I understand we still want our weekly
veg (and Flowers and Herbs 😊), and miss it if we
don't pick it up or arrange to have our CSA Share held for us.
11.What you actually got last week
Week #11
August 14, 2025
- Cucumber – 2 pc. - $2.75 (cost of this plus the Summer
Squash)
- Squash, Summer: 8 Ball/Globe, Costata Romanesco, Gold,
Kousa, Yellow, Zucchini – 2 pc. – (see above)
- Eggplant: Purple Rain – 1 - $3.50 (cost of this plus
the Sweet Peppers)
- Beans, Snap: Green & Yellow/Wax mix – 1 bag (1/2
lb.) - $4.25
- Peppers, Sweet: Green AND Purple – 1 of each – (see
Beans, Snap)
- Celery – 1 bunch - $5.00
- Lettuce: Salad Bowl, Green – 1 head - $4.50
- Tomatoes: Beefsteak – Yellow, Brandywine – Pink, Yellow
mix – 1 bag (2 lb.) - $6.25
Total Items: 8
Total Amount: $26.25
We pay our farm $23 per week for our CSA share…some weeks we
get a bit more, some a bit less. This week, it was $3.25 over $23.00. Doesn’t
sound like a whole lot, but it adds up over the course of the CSA season (at
the moment it’s a total of $25.25 more food than what we paid). We seem to
always get at least one CSA share’s worth of food every year (we’ve got that
now) 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! 😊
Herb Share – August 1A
Marjoram AND Thyme
12.And now, for something completely different…
If you don’t know why I’m using this phrase, click here (or
even if you do you might want to take a peek 😊)…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bF-rpJz2CA
This was a catch phrase on the BBC tv show Monty Python’s
Flying Circus.
This isn’t all about food but there’s enough in here that it
seemed worthy of inclusion 😊.
I LOVE the Garlic Pillow but have no desire to own one, but
would be most amused if I saw one in someone’s home 😊.
Events…both near and far
*Please keep in mind that any events or services listed do not indicate a direct endorsement from Green Thumb Organic Farm or Green Thumb CSA – Huntington
Thursday, August 21st
5pm to 8pm
Indian Cooking Class
Old Brookville
$150
To register (and get directions) email…
Join Bhavani Jaroff (of iEatGreen, Slow Food North Share and NOFA-NY) at her home and learn how to create the following vegan dishes (after harvesting the ingredients from her garden) and then enjoy them with the class for dinner…Vegetable Pakoras, Saag Palak and Tofu Paneer, Mixed Vegetable Coconut Curry, Saffron Rice Pilaf, Raita Salad with Cucumbers and Tomatoes and Mango Crumble Dessert!
Saturday, August 23rd and Sunday, August 24th
10am to 5pm
Honey Festival
Waterdrinker Family Farm & Garden
663 Wading River Road
Manorville
$20/2 and under - FREE
Tickets purchased at the entrance gate
For more info…
Entrance fee includes admission to the Vendor area (am hoping the Green Thumb Farm beekeeper Mary’s company…Bees Needs…will be here), Family Farm Adventure Activities, Barnyard Animals and Sunflower Fields (not certified organic). Part of the proceeds will be going to Camp Paquatuck, a summer camp for children with special needs.
Saturday, August 23rd
9am to 10:15am
Beach Yoga
Fleets Cove Beach Park
Fleets Cove Rd. (to the right of the house and in front of the kayaks)
Huntington
$20 (cash or Venmo)
Prior to class, text to check in at…
917-562-5322
Join CSA member, Marylou Locker, at the beach to do some yoga (barring bad yoga weather 😊). This is yoga for ALL levels with modifications for every body. You’ll find the healing sights and sounds of nature, experience the salt air, sunshine and a deep sense of renewal, and be part of a supportive community of fans of yoga. What to bring…Beach blanket/towel to put beneath your Yoga mat, Hat Sunscreen, Yoga mat, Water and a big smile 😊!
Sunday, August 24th
11am to 2:30pm
Foraging Tour with Wildman Steve Brill
Belmont Lake State Park
625 Belmont Ave
West Babylon
For directions of where to meet up…
https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/travel
Adults - $25/Children under 12 - $15 and bring exact change (suggested donations…his knowledge and experience is worth at least twice this amount 😊)
For more info about attending a tour…
https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/sign-up
To find more info about this tour…
https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/tour-calendar
To register…
Call 914-835-2153 at least 24 hours in advance of the tour and if you need to cancel, call 24 hours in advance (if you do not cancel 24 hours in advance, you will be charged $25 prior to being allowed to schedule another tour)
If you’ve never gone on a foraging tour with Wildman Steve Brill, do yourself a favor and go 😊. He knows his stuff, he’s entertaining (silly and corny and sweet), and you’ll go home with some interesting and delicious local seasonal foods to eat.
Monday, August 25th
10am to 2pm
Summer of Joy
Southampton (exact location given upon registration…see website for details)
$220 (discount if attending all 3 sessions…see website for details)
5% of the proceeds for this event will be donated to the Alexandra Demoura Rip Current Awareness Foundation
For more info and to register…
https://www.yoga-foundation.com/summerofjoy
The theme for August is Yellow (wear, think, and embody yellow 😊…yellow is associated with positive emotions like joy, happiness, and a sense of fun). AND 😊, the beverages, meals, and yoga practices will all have a “yellow” theme.
CSA member, Danielle Tarantola, has organized, and will be teaching, a Summer of Joy! For more info about Danielle…
https://www.yoga-foundation.com/teachers
Each half day (out of a 3 day series) will have…
Welcome talk and beverage
1 hour asana practice with Danielle
1 hour to spend at a local beach (transport provided) OR enjoy the pool where the event is taking place (see website for details)
Seasonal vegan lunch by Christina Finkel of V is for Vegan (see website for menu details…looks pretty yummy 😊)
Closing meditation with Danielle
Now it’s time to explore the Hamptons (goodie bag will be provided with promotional offers from local small businesses)
Tuesday, August 26th
10am to 11am
Tai Chi class
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 to 8pm
Eric Eaton & Friends
Urban Coffee
101 Broadway
Greenlawn
FREE
For more info about Urban Coffee (no website)…
https://www.facebook.com/urbancoffeegreenlawn/
https://www.instagram.com/urbancoffeeny/?hl=en
CSA member Eric Eaton has started a singer/songwriter series at Urban Coffee. This will be an almost weekly event (except not the first Tuesday of the month when it will be poetry night). It’ll be an evening of home-brewed songs and home-brewed Coffee 😊. Eric will be playing songs of life, love, hope and peace, and then we’ll see what original tunes Katherine has to offer. So, come on down and grab some refreshments for your taste buds and ears!
7pm
Book launch with Bill McKibben…Here Comes the Sun (online event)
FREE
To register…
https://thirdact.org/events/here-comes-the-sun-book-launch-with-author-bill-mckibben/
Hear author and environmental activist Bill McKibben discuss his new book about solar power called Here Comes the Sun, before he starts his book tour in September (he’ll be coming to NYC and Sag Harbor).
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.youtube.com/watch?v=v76MyFuXfqc
Saturday, August 30th
9am to 10:15am
Beach Yoga
Fleets Cove Beach Park
Fleets Cove Rd. (to the right of the house and in front of the kayaks)
Huntington
$20 (cash or Venmo)
Prior to class, text to check in at…
917-562-5322
Join CSA member, Marylou Locker, at the beach to do some yoga (barring bad yoga weather 😊). This is yoga for ALL levels with modifications for every body. You’ll find the healing sights and sounds of nature, experience the salt air, sunshine and a deep sense of renewal, and be part of a supportive community of fans of yoga. What to bring…Beach blanket/towel to put beneath your Yoga mat, Hat Sunscreen, Yoga mat, Water and a big smile 😊!
5pm and 7:30pm
PAWPAW
Lin Beach House
455 NY-25
Greenport
$85 (BYOB $30)
To reserve…
https://www.exploretock.com/pawpaw/
PAWPAW is a pop-up restaurant dedicated to showcasing the ingredients farmed, fished, and foraged on the North Fork of Long Island. On select Saturday evenings, PAWPAW convenes at The Lin Beach House in Greenport to create a five course tasting menu celebrating the bounty that makes the North Fork such a magical place. The result is an ever-rotating multi-course culmination of the season's harvest. Allow 2 ½ hours for the meal.
Tuesday, September 2nd
10am to 11am
Tai Chi class
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 to 8pm
Eric Eaton & Friends
Urban Coffee
101 Broadway
Greenlawn
FREE
For more info about Urban Coffee (no website)…
https://www.facebook.com/urbancoffeegreenlawn/
https://www.instagram.com/urbancoffeeny/?hl=en
CSA member Eric Eaton has started a singer/songwriter series at Urban Coffee. This will be an almost weekly event (except not the first Tuesday of the month when it will be poetry night). It’ll be an evening of home-brewed songs and home-brewed Coffee 😊. Eric will be playing songs of life, love, hope and peace, and then we’ll see what original tunes Katherine has to offer. So, come on down and grab some refreshments for your taste buds and ears!
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.youtube.com/watch?v=v76MyFuXfqc
Saturday, September 6th
9am to 10:15am
Beach Yoga
Fleets Cove Beach Park
Fleets Cove Rd. (to the right of the house and in front of the kayaks)
Huntington
$20 (cash or Venmo)
Prior to class, text to check in at…
917-562-5322
Join CSA member, Marylou Locker, at the beach to do some yoga (barring bad yoga weather 😊). This is yoga for ALL levels with modifications for every body. You’ll find the healing sights and sounds of nature, experience the salt air, sunshine and a deep sense of renewal, and be part of a supportive community of fans of yoga. What to bring…Beach blanket/towel to put beneath your Yoga mat, Hat Sunscreen, Yoga mat, Water and a big smile 😊!
Sunday, September 7th
The 19th Annual North Fork Foodie Tour (and auction)
$30/12 and under - FREE
For more info (listing of who’s on the tour this year)…
https://northforkfoodietour.com/2025-tour-locations-to-date/
To buy tickets…
https://northforkfoodietour.com/foodie-tour-ticket-request-form/
This is a self-guided tour of behind the scenes east end food places (farms, wineries, etc.). If you’re never gone…it’s a good time for all (family friendly events too). There will be an auction also (more info to follow). This is a benefit for the North Fork Reform Synagogue.
Friday, September 12th to Sunday, September 14th
10am to 5pm (last admission is at 3:30pm)
The Long Island Fair
Old Bethpage Village Restoration
Old Bethpage
$21.72 – Adults/16.55 – Seniors (over 60) and Children 5 to 12/FREE – under 5
Half price tickets available till August 31st and you can purchase fill price tickets at the event
For more info and to buy tickets…
The Long Island Fair has been a part of the history of Long Island for 180 years! There’s fun for the whole family (horses and jugglers and live music and MUCH more), AND a million categories in which you could compete from showing off your garden produce to a knit sweater to a painting or poem…and there are categories for children and teens too (entry forms must be submitted by August 27th and maybe you’d take first place and get a blue ribbon 😊).
Saturday, September 13th and Sunday, September 14th
10am to 5pm
23rd Annual Garlic Festival
Waterdrinker North Fork
4560 Sound Ave
Riverhead
$20
For more info…
Live music, vendors, food trucks and family activities. Am hoping they have some certified organic Garlic 😊.
Saturday, September 20th
All day (more info as it becomes available)
Farm Aid 40
Huntington Bank Stadium
Minneapolis, MN
$101 to $390 (plus taxes, etc.)
For more info, to buy tickets (which are going fast), and to watch online…
This is the 40th anniversary of Farm Aid and once again the quartet of Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews will be the headliners amongst a number of other musicians (see website for latest list). If you don’t go you can donate to the cause. If you don’t go you can watch live online.
Saturday, September 27th and Sunday, September 28th
10am to 5pm
Hudson Valley Garlic Festival
Cantine Memorial Complex
Washington Avenue Extension
Saugerties, NY
For more info and to buy tickets…
https://www.hvgf.org/events/hudson-valley-garlic-festival-2025
Eat Garlic, get Garlic, shop at the marketplace, attend cooking demos and food lectures, listen to live music. A good time can be had by all! 😊
Saturday, September 27th
1pm to 4pm
Organic/Biodynamic Wine Tasting
Farrm Vineyards
156 Youngs Ave
Baiting Hollow
$75 if paying by check/$81.88 online ($100 day of the event IF there’s room)
For more info and to register…
For online tickets…
To pay by check…
Made a check out for the amount of $75 to Sierra Club LI and mail before September 13th to…
Sierra Club LI
68 Old Field Rd
Setauket, NY 11733
Vineyard owner Rex will talk about the growing methods on his farm while we enjoy some wine, charcuterie and cheese. There will be four varieties of Bordeaux grapes explored – Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petite Verdoc.
Saturday, October 4th
2pm to 4pm
Biodynamic Gardening Class
KK’s Farm
59945 Main Rd.
Southold
$24
For more information and to register…
The title of this class, appropriately enough, is Preparing for Winter. Come along with Sonomi Obinata, and learn strategies to keep your garden healthy during the winter.
Saturday, October 25th
11am to noon/noon to 1pm
Green Thumb CSA Annual Fall Harvest Tour
Green Thumb Farm
Montauk Hwy
Water Mill
RSVP by responding to this email or leaving a phone message at 631-421-4864 (if you are sharing with someone, you need to use BOTH your name and the name of the CSA member you’re sharing with)
This will be a riding tour on a large tractor-pulled wagon (kids love this 😊). We’ll see various parts of the farm and probably get to feed some animals, maybe get to pick some food from the fields, and get Pumpkins at the end (not necessarily organic and not necessarily from our farm, BUT meant more for decorating though they can be eaten 😊). Everything purchased at the farm stand will get a 10% discount, and after the last farm tour, some of us will go to Barrow Food House in Aquebogue for lunch and you’re welcome to come along. The CSA farm tour is for CSA Members and their immediate family members only.
Monday, November 17th
5:30pm to 9pm
The 32nd Annual Great Chefs of Long Island
Crest Hollow Country Club
Jericho Tpke
Woodbury
$200 and up
For more info and to buy tickets…
https://e.givesmart.com/events/H2a/?isOrderFormActive=true
This is a benefit for The Family Service League, based in Huntington. It will be an evening featuring Long Island’s favorite chefs, restaurants, spirit and beverage companies displaying culinary delights while raising funds for a great organization that helps children and adults.
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