What's Growin' On - T & D Willey Farms

What’s Growin’ OnT&D WILLEY FARMS’ CSA NEWSLETTER KEEPING YOU UPT&D WILLEY FARMS’ CSA NEWSLETTER KEEPING YOU UP-TOTO-DATE AND IN SEASON.2, 3, 4 Nov. 2010 13886 ROAD 20, MADERA CA 93637 (559)ORG-ANIC VOL 9 NO. 44The poetry of theearth is never dead.~John KeatsBOX CONTENTSSB= SEEDLING BOX, FB= FAMILY BOX(Substitutions may be necessary)ALL PRODUCTS ARE CERTIFIED ORGANIC TUSCAN KALE (SB)(FB) KOHLRABI (SB)(FB) NANTES CARROTS (SB)(FB) ITALIAN PARSLEY (SB)(FB) SWEET GREEN PEPPER (FB) SAVOY SPINACH (SB)(FB) BABY LEEKS (SB)(FB) Iwo’s HACHIYA PERSIMMONS(SB)(FB) Rider’s JONAGOLD APPLES (SB)(FB) Silva’s FUJII APPLES (SB)(FB)Certified Organic from Other FarmsORGANIC ABUNDANCEFOR NEXT DELIVERY(comes in a separate carton)ALL PRODUCTS ARE CERTIFIED ORGANIC NEW! Iwo’s FUYUPERSIMMONS $11/ 4 LB. NEW! Rider’s JONAGOLDAPPLES $10/ 6 lb. NEW! HEIRLOOM BEETS$10 / 5 bunches Iwo’s HACHIYA PERSIMMONS$11/ 4 LB. While they last! Iwo’s WONDERFULPOMEGRANATES $11 / 4 LB. NEW! APPLE MEDLEY $10/5 lb. Silva’s FUJI APPLES $9/ 5 LB Albano’s HONEYCRISP APPLES$10 / 4 LB. GREEN TOMATOES FORFRYING $10 / 6 LB. Recipe incl.Delivery Schedule forThanksgiving:There will be no deliveries onThanksgiving Day. If you normallypick-up on Thursdays pleaseretrieve your box on Mon. Nov. 22.There are no changes to Tuesdayor Wednesday deliveries! Pleasepick-up your box on time; no site willaccommodate LATE PICK-UPSduring Thanksgiving week.FEATURED RECIPESENSALADA DE MARCELOAdapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini,Madison Area CSA Coalition2 cups cooked rice, at room temperature2 cups assorted diced vegetables:Carrots, Kohlrabi, leftover cooked green beans, diced Sweet PeppersDOWN ON THE FARM1/4 cup raisins 1/2 pound summer sausage, diced (optional)1/4 cup chopped olives olive oil1/2 cup cubed provolone or other cheese salt and pepper3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped washed Spinach or salad greensMix rice, vegetables, raisins, olives, cheese, eggs, and sausage (if using). Dress with olive oil andsalt and pepper to taste. Serve to room temperature on a bed of salad greens. This recipe comesfrom an Uruguan agronomy intern who worked at Scotch Hill CSA of Wisconsin in 2001. Serves 6.SPINACH, CARROT & KOHLRABI SALAD Adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini,Madison Area CSA Coalition8 to 10 oz. Savoy Spinach 2 tsp. prepared horseradish1 cup Carrots, cut into matchsticks 1/2 tsp. brown mustard1 Kohlrabi bulb, cut into matchsticks 1/2 tsp. sugar3 Tbsp. olive oil salt & pepper2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 4 Tbs. sunflower kernalsWash spinach and coarsely chop, do NOT discard stems; dry in salad spinner or towels. If you arein a hurry, you can coarsely grate the carrot and kohlrabi, it won’t look as nice, but the flavors willbe there. Place spinach in a large bowl with carrots and kohlrabi. Combine olive oil, vinegar,horseradish, mustard, and sugar in small jar with lid. Season with salt and pepper; shakevigorously. Toss dressing with salad; divide onto plates and garnish with sunflower seeds. Makes4-6 servings.KALE & BLUE CHEESE SPREAD Adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini, Madison Area CSACoalition. Amounts are for SB, FB may double4 oz. cream chesse, softened 1 small bunch Tuscan Kale3 oz. blue chesse, softened freshly ground black pepper2 Baby Leeks, white parts only 1 tsp. each olive oil and butterBring a pot of salted water to boil. Meanwhile, thoroughly wash leeks and strip kale leaves fromcenter stalk. Finely chop leeks and cook over medium-low heat in the olive oil and butter untiltender. Blanch kale leaves in boiling water about 4-5 minutes. Drain, squeeze dry between twokitchen towels and finely chop. Beat together cream cheese, blue cheese and baby leeks. Mix inkale, season to taste with pepper (add tabasco if desired). Delicious on crackers or crostini. If youare fan of “cheesy toast”, as am I, spread over bread before placing in a toaster oven. Toast until abubbly golden brown.Look for Kohlrabi Hashbrowns, Two Good Salad Dressings (spinach) , Denesse’sPersimmon Cookies or many other recipes on www.TdWilleyFarms.com. From the homepage, select RECIPES. Scroll down to Fall season. Each crop is listed with a drop down menu.MORE RECIPE AND STORAGE TIPS…O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn’s being,Thou, from whose unseen presence the leaves deadAre driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing,Yellow, and black, and pale and hectic red,Pestilence-stricken multitudes: O thou,Who chariotest to their dark wintry bedThe winged seeds, where they lie cold and low,Each like a corpse within its grave, untilThine azure sister of the spring shall blowHer clarion o’er the dreaming earth, and fill(Driving sweet buds like flocks to feed on air)With living hues and odours plain and hill:Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere;Destroyer and preserver; hear,oh, hear!-P.B. Shelley, Ode to the West Wind (1819)http://whfoods.org/foodstoc.php

MORE ORGANIC ABUNDANCEALL PRODUCTS ARE CERTIFIED ORGANICWeather permitting: EGGPLANT SAMPLER $9/4 lb. SWEET ITALIAN FRYINGPEPPERS $9 / 3 LB. SAVOY SPINACH $10/2 lb. KOHLRABI $10/4 bunches MEI QING $8/ 6 HEADS TUSCAN KALE $10/ 6 bunches COLLARD GREENS $10/6bunches NANTES CARROTS$10/6 bunches RADISHES $8/6 bunches ARUGULA $10/6 bunches LETTUCE $10 / 6 heads THE SALADMEISTER $10 JUICING CARROTS$12/ 25 lb. Foster’s WHITE ONIONS$10/ 6 LB Russet Potatoes $10 / 8 lb. Red Irish Potatoes $10/8 lb. Full Belly’s SHELLEDWALNUTS $12/1lb. Koda Farms’ MEDIUM GRAINNEW HARVEST RICE SPECIFIYWHITE OR BROWN $10 / 3 LB. BRAGA FARMS PISTACHIOSIn the shell $15/2 X 8 OZ. BAGShelled kernels $15/2 X 8OZ.BAG Braga Farms Roasted & SaltedALMONDS $15 / 2 X 8 OZ. bag BATES & SCHMITT World’s Best!APPLE JUICE $16/ 2-64OZ.bottles$40 / CASE OF 6 BOTTLES CAFÉ MAM, WHOLE BEAN,ORGANIC FAIR TRADE COFFEEFRENCH ROAST ORDECAF ITALIAN BLEND$12 / 12 OZ CAN OR 4 for $38 SCIABICA’s OLIVE OIL$15/ 12.7 OZ.; $23/ 25.4 OZSADEG BRAND GROWN BY SCIABICA:$16/ 16.9 OZ.$35 / 1/2 GALLON (64 OZ) SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY DRIEDFIGS: BLACK MISSION OR WHITECONADRIA $11 / 2- 12 OZ tubs SOGHOMONIAN’S ORGANICRAISINS$9 / 2- 1lb. Bags “EVERYONE WHO EATS IS A FARMER”100% ORGANIC SHOPPING BAGUSA MADE $15Certified Organic from Other FarmsPlace Organic Abundance orders atCSA@tdwilleyfarms.com or by phoning559-ORGANIC, (674-2642)Friday NOON is theDeadline to order OrganicAbundance for your NextCSA delivery!Refrigerate everything. Use microperf bags for all leafy items. Remove and discard topsfrom carrots. Keep vegetables separate from fruits. Please wash Bloomsdale Spinach, ourspecial Savoy variety, as described on the reusable package. We think this is the best spinach forsalads; it is also superb in omelets and quiches, or as a tasty side dish. Both Parsley varieties, flatand curly, have been traced back at least 5000 years to the southern and eastern Mediterraneanregions. Ancient Romans first integrated parsley into everyday life, where it played an importantrole in both cuisine and culture. Parsley was considered an aphrodisiac, and it was used to bothcalm an upset stomach and prevent drunkenness. Italian heirloom, Tuscan Kale (Nero di Tosca)with long blue-green leaves is flavorful, and highly nutritious. Kale is the one of the oldest formsof cabbage, originating in the eastern Mediterranean and believed to have been used as a foodcrop as early as 2000 B.C.E. Kale takes longer to cook than chard or spinach, usually 15- 20minutes. Kale’s hearty flavor pairs well with potatoes, beans, lentils, pasta, Italian or Kielbasasausage, red pepper flakes, vinegar, garlic, Parmesan or Asiago cheese. Kohlrabi belongs to thesame Brassica Family as kale; nicknamed “cabbage-turnip,” from the German words, Kohl(cabbage) and Rabi (turnip). Appearing in Northern Europe just some 500 years ago, it has a veryunique, globe-shaped, swollen stem at the soil’s surface from which tubular stalks emerge andsupport its large leaves. To prepare leaves, gently fold in half so that the center stalk protrudes,cut or pull stalk from the leaf. Use these stalks when making soup stock. The leaves possess acabbage like flavor, cut into fine ribbons, adding to salads, stir-fries or soups. The bulbous stemhas a crisp, apple-like white flesh with a nutty cabbage flavor. Peel the outer surface of the bulbto reveal a delectable flesh inside. Thinly sliced, sprinkled with salt it can be eaten as a snack.Kohlrabi may be roasted like a turnip, or cooked with mashed potatoes. Leave Vince Iwo’sHachiya Persimmons on the counter until very ripe and mushy. Slice in half lengthwise, removelarge brown seeds, then puree pulp in a blender or food mill. Vince has grown organicpersimmons, in Reedley, certified by Q.A.I., since 2002. We’re nearing the end of JonagoldApples with Bruce Rider and Sons, farming 57 CCOF certified acres, and beginning the FujiApple season with Watsonville neighbor, Gene Silva growing 35 acres of CCOF certified apples.FARTHER AFIELDI just hung up from a phone update with my friend Mark Kastel of The CornucopiaInstitute who’s been camped out all week at National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)meetings in Madison, Wisconsin where he’s advocating the issues raised in their“Scrambled Eggs” report, about which I recently wrote. NOSB is a fifteen-member bodyof farmers, processors, retailers, scientists, consumers and certifiers who advise USDA’sNational Organic Program (NOP) on evolving standards for Certified Organic production.This board convenes several times annually for what often turn out to be ardent debates,on topics which range from the most mundane minutiae to sweeping issues definingwhat sets organic food apart from that conventionally produced. Mark observes halfthose testifying are $1,600 per diem hired guns who lobby for corporate food interests,while half are passionate “dirt on the boots” farmers, concerned enough for organicintegrity to have traveled hundreds or thousands of miles in defense of threatenedlivelihoods. Early this decade, when diligent efforts and recommendations of NOSBwere being routinely ignored by USDA bureaucrats, Mark and several colleagues werepersuaded to form an organic watchdog group, today known as The CornucopiaInstitute, to advocate for the interests of family farmers and integrity in the federal law.Cornucopia has since become well recognized, even vilified in some quarters, forpublishing frank investigative reports and scorecards measuring the adherence toorganic production standards of many food brands in the marketplace. Cornucopiafunds their work through donations from 4,000 contributing members, 70% of whom arefarmers. Since signing on with the Institute as a volunteer technical advisor, two yearsago, I’ve encouraged Mark to broaden Cornucopia’s membership and support byreaching out to our nation’s CSA communities. T & D Willey Farms will serve as the pilotproject in an effort to determine whether citizens who eat organic foods are as equallydevoted to protecting its integrity as those who produce it. Denesse and I hope youseriously consider becoming a Cornucopia member and financial supporter afterexamination of the special invitation included in this week’s vegetable box. –Tom WilleyMEMBERSHIP CORNER (Phone 559 ORGANIC, 559-674-2642)A reminder that CSA Subscribers pay in advance. Monthly statements you have justreceived are due Nov. 5 th . To receive a Weekend Box Preview or to join the OrganicAbundance list SEND an e-mail to denesse@TdWilleyFarms.com. Clever CSA membersmake gift wrap from the kraft paper that lines your boxes. Some spritz and spatter watercolorpaints on it, others decorate it with purchased or home made stamps, let yourimagination get the best of you now and you will have plenty of gift wrap for the holidays.Your packages will look great, and you’ll feel resourceful. To request a vacation hold orelectronic statements, order organic abundance, inquire about or make changes to your account orto make a farm tour reservation use CSA@TdWilleyFarms.com. We confirm all emails.