WEEK 1, JULY 10/11, 2009 The 2009 LEHNE FARM CSA has officially begun. We are excited to share the bounty of our farm with you. We learned a lot last summer when we inaugurated our CSA program. We hope to improve our growing methods & logistics in running the CSA, and also implement many of the suggestions we received from our 2008 member surveys. Over the next few weeks we will introduce the Lehne Family to you through our weekly CSA newsletters. At this point we want you to know that Norm’s parents, Myron and Helen Lehne, started farming this land in 1940. Norm and Cinda started the Norm Lehne Garden & Orchards in 1974. We’ve been selling our “Locally Grown, Farm-Fresh, Vine-Ripe Produce...Your Natural Choice!” since then. Our son and his wife, Glen and Wendy, were inspirational in our decision to establish the LEHNE FARM CSA. They were CSA members when they lived in Omaha, Nebraska. So they offer valuable insight from a consumer’s point of view. From time to time you will meet them when you come to the farm to pick up your CSA Harvest box. You wouldn’t believe how nerve wracking it has been earlier this week. We’ve fretted over what we could pick for our 1st 2009 CSA Harvest boxes and our worst fear has been that we wouldn’t have enough items available for your Harvest box. But somehow the Lord always works things out, and we should remember to trust Him in all things. Norm spends much of his time from March until July growing plants in our greenhouse. He starts the seeds, transplants the seedlings into small pots and keeps them fed, weeded and watered. Finally from late April and throughout May, June and July the plants go out into the rich Garden Valley soil. He also plants lots of different varieties of seeds directly into the garden, followed by a schedule of weeding, watering and cultivating. It keeps him very busy. Recently we sent you a message that talked about the LEHNE FARM CSA COMMUNITY SUPPORT idea. We know that you will be the one blessed by giving some Lehne farm produce to someone you know. We look forward to hearing your stories. SPECIAL NOTE: Because we have two share sizes and use the same size box for both large and small shares, here is our system: We mark all of the small share boxes with red duct tape on the sides and the large shares have no tape. If you have a large share and you get home with a box with red tape, we gave you the wrong size box and vice versa. Thank you for your help on this. We will try our best to keep things straight but if mistakes are made please let us know and we’ll correct them. Please feel free to offer any suggestions to make the 2009 LEHNE FARM CSA season the best it can be. We look forward to seeing you again next week. Remember to bring back your clean Harvest box when you come next week. Enjoy this week’s harvest! Your Farmers, Norm & Cinda, Glen & Wendy In this week's box:
LETTUCE: The lettuce we have today actually started out as a weed! It is a member of the daisy/sunflower family. Christopher Columbus actually introduced lettuce to the new world. Over the years varieties have cross-pollinated to the point that many kinds of lettuce are available today. Iceberg used to be the King of Lettuce, but other varieties now seem to dominate the market. There are 4 main types of lettuce: Butterhead, Crisphead, Looseleaf, and Romaine.
Lettuce is a good source for vitamin A and folic acid. Storing: Wash leaves thoroughly. You can wrap the greens in paper towels, roll up and transfer into resealable plastic bags. Refrigerate for about 3 to 4 days. Do not store salad greens near fruits that produce ethylene gasses (like apples) because this will increase spoilage. Enjoy your lettuce cold, raw, in salads, on sandwiches, tacos, hamburgers, etc. You can even grill it. See recipes (below).
“Family Fun on the Farm” Saturday, August 1, from
11:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. Shasta Ray and the Down-Home Band will
perform traditional family oriented music at the Farm. Music
styles include Folk, Gospel, Country and Blue-grass! Bring a
lawn chair and enjoy a fun time with the whole family.
Buttermilk-Herb Dressing Ingredients 1/4 cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives, tarragon or dill
1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme, oregano or marjoram The Greeks believed that lettuce induced sleep, so they served it at the end of the meal. The Romans continued the custom. However, the dictatorial Emperor Domitian (81-96 AD) served it at the beginning of his feasts, so he could torture his guests by forcing them to stay awake in the presence of the Emperor.
Robert Irvine
Ingredients 1/4 cup wine vinegar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves 1 cup olive oil Salt & freshly ground black pepper 4 hard boiled eggs
1 cup sliced black olives 2. Whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley. While whisking constantly, add oil in a thin stream. Season with salt & pepper. Chop 2 eggs, cut the other 2 eggs into wedges for garnish. Toss cauliflower, chopped eggs & black olives together with the dressing. Let marinate in dressing & chill for 2 hours. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with egg wedges and parsley sprigs.
Cauliflower Gratin
Barefoot Contessa
Ingredients Kosher salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups hot milk 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg 3/4 cup grated Gruyere (or Swiss) cheese, divided 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Add flour, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Pour hot milk into butter-flour mixture. Stir until it comes to a boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, until thickened. Off heat, add 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup Gruyere, & the Parmesan. 3. Pour 1/3 of the sauce on bottom of an 8 x 11 baking dish. Place drained cauliflower on top & spread evenly with the rest of the sauce. Combine bread crumbs with remaining 1/4 cup Gruyere & sprinkle on top. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter & drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
4. Bake for 25—30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve
hot or at room temperature. Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese-Bacon Vinaigrette
Guy Fieri
Ingredients 3/4 cup chopped red onion 1/2 pound bacon, chopped 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 2 heads romaine lettuce, cut in 1/2 lengthwise 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
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FOR OTHER 2009 CSA NEWSLETTERS - click on links below 7/10-7/11 7/17-7/18 7/24-7/25 7/31-8/1 8/7-8/8 8/14-8/15 8/21-8/22 8/28-8/29 9/4-9/5 9/11-9/12 9/18-9/19 9/25-9/26 |
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