Big Woods Farm CSA

Today’s share (8/18/11) includes the following:

Broccoli at Valley Natural, Beets at MPLS
Celery – this is Minnesota-grown celery, which is smaller and with a stronger flavor than store-bought California celery.
Carrots – remove the greens before refrigerating (they will keep better – we leave them on for the cushioning they give in the box)
Green Beans
Cucumbers (regular, and also perhaps a ridged Asian cucumber that has  non-bitter skin)
Green Peppers – one Bell and one Italian (the pointy one)
Sweet Onions – so far our onions are not sizing up, so these are from Spring Wind farm, a new organic farm near Northfield
Summer squash – a mix of green zucchini, and other summer squashes
Slicing tomatoes (don’t refrigerate, eat tomato when skin/flesh feels slightly soft)
Herbs: Peppermint – add to tea or tabouli, or simply sniff and enjoy
Herbs: Basil – next week we’ll do big bags again
Pears – “Summercrisp” – these are early Minnesota pears.  They are just-picked and should sit on the kitchen counter in a paper bag for a couple days until they become a little softer.
Apples – these tart little treats are a cross between a crab apple and a “regular” apple.  Eat fresh or make coleslaw with the cabbage you may have lurking in your fridge and add these in.  We did not use any pest control on the trees, so the apples are a bit ugly.  But our kids give them thumbs up for taste.

Posted under Share Contents on August 18th 2011
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Today’s share (8/8/11) includes the following:

Broccoli
Red Cabbage (or green at farm pickup)
Celery – this is Minnesota-grown celery, which is smaller and with a stronger   flavor than store-bought California celery.
Green Beans
Cucumbers (regular, and also perhaps a ridged Asian cucumber that has  non-bitter skin)
Garlic – don’t refrigerate since it is in the process of curing/drying
Swiss Chard
Fennel – this is a favorite Italian vegetable with a fennel/licorice taste.
Peppermint – store by putting cut ends in a cup of water
Yukon gold potatoes – these are new potatoes, so don’t peel them
Summer squash – a mix of green zucchini, and other summer squashes
Cherry tomatoes (a mix of orange and red cherry tomatoes)
Slicing tomato (don’t refrigerate, eat tomato when skin/flesh feels slightly soft)

Posted under Share Contents on August 8th 2011
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Today’s share includes the following:
Broccoli
Carrots (twist off the leaves before you refrigerate the roots; offer the leaves to a local Guinea pig or rabbit)
Green Cabbage – “Tendersweet”
Tomatoes – the first cherry tomatoes!  Lots more are available for u-pick at the farm
Summer Squash
Cucumber
Green Garlic
Turnips
Kohlrabi
Herbs: Basil bag – have some  pesto!
Herbs: Cilantro

Posted under Share Contents on August 2nd 2011
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Posted under Share Contents on July 21st 2011
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Posted under Share Contents on July 18th 2011
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• Lettuce
• Beets – these young beets have tender greens that can (and should!) be eaten.  The beet greens can be cooked as other greens (esp. chard, which is the same species as beet), and the roots are wonderful cooked.   See recipes above (go to “Farm News” above, then “Recipes”).
• Greens: Bok Choi
• Greens: Turnip Greens.  These are young turnips with tender greens.  There leaves have a bite them, so are usually cooked – the cooking with mellow the “turnipy” flavor and bitterness.  They can be cooked with any greens recipe (see the recent greens recipes above above – go to “Farm News”, then “Recipes”
• Greens:  Arugula.  This nutty and somewhat bitter Italian green is good in salad, or also cooed and added to pasta.  We often add the chopped arugula to just-drained hot pasta, which wilts and mellows the arugula flavor, then add your favorite sauce.
• Snap Peas – these are a different variety than last week and may have strings on both upper and lower edges of the pod that you can peel off.
• Green Garlic – this is the whole young garlic plant.  You can use the cloves and also the scape at the upper tip of the stem.   Use as you would garlic cloves.
• Basil
• Black Raspberries (farm pickup only)
• Young broccoli (Just Food coop only)

Posted under Share Contents on July 11th 2011
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