|
Cromwell Valley CSA Newsletter |
|
Welcome Cromwell Valley CSA members to the 2010 growing season. In this our 11th season in Cromwell Valley Park we look forward to continuing the educational mission set forth over a decade ago by providing our members with a weekly distribution of farm fresh, local, organic produce. We are very excited for the coming season and have been working tirelessly for months already, to make sure that the 2010 growing season will be the best season Cromwell Valley has had to date. We already have plants in every stage of life. In the field we have garlic which is already scaping (see article below for more on scapes); broccoli raab, radish, pak choi and spinach which are just sprouting; 3 varieties of peas that are near fruiting and 4 varieties of potatoes that are hopefully growing under a fresh layer of leaf compost. The strawberries are having a good run already and we expect that to continue, more than likely providing at least one more early season pick-up. In the greenhouse we have 7 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, 8 varieties of peppers hot and sweet, 4 varieties of eggplant, 6 varieties of summer squash and 2 varieties of cucumbers—lemon and regular. The interns have started moving in and getting dirty. The weeds are |
|
(Picture courtesy of Flickr user ~MVI~.) |
|
Welcome to the 2010 CVCSA Season |
|
May 23, 2010 |
|
Cromwell Valley Park offers a number of fun and educational workshops throughout the season. Learn to cook a new dish, practice gardening techniques, explore nature and more through the park’s family oriented programming. Pull out your calendars, make your reservations and get ready to have some fun! For more information or to reserve your spot for any of these sessions, contact the park office at 410.887.2503 or email info@cromwellvalleypark.org.for more details. Unless otherwise noted, payment must be made to CVP within 5 business days of your reservation, or the reservation will be yielded to the waiting list. All payments are donations and non-refundable unless CVP cancels the program. Make checks payable to: Cromwell Valley Park Council (CVPC). Mailing Address: Cromwell Valley Park, 2002 Cromwell Bridge Road, Baltimore, MD 21234. Workshop details are below: —————————————— SATURDAY JUNE 26 Come learn about and enjoy the lazy gardener’s favorite plant: rhubarb. Reliable and tasty. Ages 8+ with adult. Reservations required. $3 members/$5 non-members. —————————————— THURSDAY JULY 1 Although we don’t usually see them, roots are a vital part of every plant. Join the CSA as we get “down & dirty” to learn about, root for and even nibble on roots! Ages 4 to 8. Reservations required. For more info visit www.cvcsa.org. Please contact the CSA directly to make your reservation - info@cvcsa.org. $3 CSA shareholders/$5 non-shareholders. —————————————— FRIDAY JULY 2 Enjoy a summer evening catching fireflies and making s’mores by the campfire - two of childhood’s best memory makers. Bring a bug box and flashlight. Ages 4+ with adult. $3 members/$5 non-members. —————————————— SUNDAY JULY 11 Join the CSA farm staff for an exciting look at the new Russian Honeybee Colonies! Look inside the hives, learn about the biology of honeybees, and for the kids (even those that are just kids at heart!) play some fun bee games! All ages. For more info visit www.cvcsa.org. Please contact the CSA directly to reserve your spot - info@cvcsa.org. $3 CSA shareholders/$5 non-shareholders. —————————————— STARTING THURSDAY JULY 15 First class of a 3- part series (2nd class Sun. 7/18 at 3 to 7 PM, 3rd class Thurs. 7/22 at 7 to 9 PM). Join Debbie Amster, Holistic Health Counselor, for a food-based cleanse, not a fast, where, through simplified, mindful eating with the seasons, you cleanse your body of toxins, focus your intentions, and awaken to your deeper self. For more information visit www.cvcsa.org. Ages 18+. Registration required. Please contact the CVCSA directly to make your reservations - info@cvcsa.org. $160 CSA shareholders/$175 non-shareholders. |
Highlights in this issue:· Welcome from the farmer · Workshops and events · Welcome from the Board · A recipe to get you started |
|
Workshops |
|
Sign up for one of many summer workshops at Cromwell Valley Park or CVCSA and learn while having fun! |
|
(Picture courtesy of Flickr user Dano.) |
|
Everyday salad dressing |
|
Thanks to newsletter contributor, Maya Brennan for this dressing recipe. It’s perfect for any salad you might create using all the early lettuces and baby greens you’ll find at the farmers’ market and get in your CVCSA shares. |
|
Ingredients · 1 part olive oil · 1 part balsamic vinegar · 1 part maple syrup |
|
Instructions Put the oil, vinegar and syrup in a bowl with some room for mixing. Grab a fork and vigorously whisk the liquid together. Pour over fresh salad greens and enjoy! NOTE: For two people, use about 1 TBSP of each ingredient. For larger groups, increase accordingly using equal parts of each ingredient. |
|
growing faster than you can imagine and all-in-all it is safe to say the season is well under way. We are eagerly watching the progress of our field crops daily and are anticipating a first harvest of June 8th. Our educational mission means that our work doesn’t end when the vegetables leave the field, it begins. I, along with the rest of the 2010 farm staff, believe wholeheartedly in the right of every individual to eat food that is good for them, the environment and their local economy. We believe people should not only know what they are eating, but also why. We plant three seasonal successions: Spring, Summer and Fall. Predictably each succession coincides with the changing of the weather seasons but you may not have considered the nutritional relationship those successions have with our dietary needs. Many of the crops that do well in spring are nutrient dense leafy greens which are just what our bodies need after a long winter diet that typically lacks fresh produce. The farm staff is committed first and foremost to sharing our knowledge of food: growing it, cooking it and preserving it. We want our membership to know firsthand the hardships and rewards of organic agriculture from the farm to your table and beyond. CSAs are an important component of the local food system but they are just one part of a larger movement. We hope to meet as many of your food needs as possible. But more importantly, we hope to help you to meet all of your own food needs in the same vein as the commitment you have already made to eating local by joining us this season. I want to make a very clear commitment to you, our membership, on behalf of the farm staff to be accessible, knowledgeable and to do everything in our power to share our love and enthusiasm for growing (and eating) great food. We challenge you to be inquisitive, to be willing to try new vegetables and to utilize your experience here to help your family, friends and community eat locally, sustainably and organically. We encourage you to participate in CSA activities, educational programming and welcome your weekly presence on the farm. We hope by season’s end you know your farmer(s), know your farm and know your food is contributing to the overall health of your community. See you in the fields! Andrea Anderson |
|
(Picture courtesy of CVCSA Member, Ami Spencer.) |
|
A Welcome Letter from the CVCSA Board President
|
|
Dear Fellow CVCSA Members, Welcome to the 2010 season at Cromwell Valley CSA. We are anticipating a good year and are excited about the new happenings at the farm. Here are just a few highlights. Bees: Over 20 thousand of them are here and off to a good start. The farmer and an intern took a class on beekeeping and have set up two bee boxes. We will not be getting any honey this year because during the first year all of it is for the bees. With luck, we will have (a limited amount) of honey next year. Chickens: We started a pilot program with chickens, which will produce eggs and help enrich one of our fields. Unfortunately, after raising them from peeps, we lost the majority to thieves and vandals. Some did survive, however, and we are trying to incubate the eggs to increase the numbers. Geese: We have acquired two geese who not only serve as alarms--the geese make a heck of a racket if anything gets close to the chickens--but also produce eggs as well. One of the benefits of the animals and bees is their popularity with the kids participating in the many children's programs offered through Cromwell Valley. They are proving to be effective in helping us reach out to the community. They also contribute to the concept of sustainable farming. Well, I guess what you are most interested in is the organic produce. A lot of work has already gone into starting seedlings, planting garlic and potatoes, preparing some of the beds, and many other activities needed to keep the farm running (like WEEDING!). Even though there are a thousand things that can go wrong--and for sure some will--we have expectations of a good year. We have a great group of interns with two of them already here and working. The rest will be arriving before the May 23rd Potluck when you can meet them. I will also be there along with the farmer, and we are all looking forward to meeting everyone, answering questions and showing new members around the farm. I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to fill out the membership survey. We have taken all feedback seriously and have already used some of your suggestions. A recurring theme was about providing more information to members. We are trying to improve in this area. We are now on Facebook and are posting updates and pictures regularly, we will be continuing the weekly newsletters (which Ami has done a great job with) and we are working on improving the webpage. Most of this work, by the way, is done by volunteers who, like me, believe in the importance of education about sustainable farming and healthy food (not to mention eating the food). It is a community supported project that takes a love of farming and education--and a lot of work--to make it happen. You, the members, are the keystone that makes it all possible. Thanks. I look forward to having some fun, eating great food, and meeting interesting people this year. I hope I see you at the potluck! Jerry Schnick CVCSA Board President |
|
Its about to be scape season! Most people tend to remember their first encounter with garlic scapes. They look more like something you might stick in a vase and call abstract art than something to grace your dinner plate. I'd heard about garlic scapes, mostly from people I always regarded as a little on the edge, but the first time I saw them was on the actual garlic plant. I was amazed at their vegetal gracefulness, rapidly curling inward, unlike any other plant I'd ever seen (which, admittedly, was not that many at that point....). |
|
Getting to know the garlic scape |
|
In case you haven't been initiated into the cult of scapes, scapes are the flower part of the garlic, the reproductive organ of the plant, which if allowed to harden and mature, would blossom like the flowers of scallions. Many farmers cut the scape off before it blossoms, because harvesting the scape means that the plant puts more energy into the bulb of garlic, which is really what we're after. However, the scape is totally edible and a late spring treat for those inclined.
There are a variety of ways to eat garlic scapes. Generally, you can use scapes where you might otherwise use garlic, or, you can treat the whole scape like you might a spear of asparagus. For example, some folks like to saute or bake them whole with a bit of butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper, until tender and mild, while others cut them up to add to sauces, soups, stocks or stir fries. They are actually quite versatile.
My favorite way to eat them is to make a garlic scape 'pesto.' Roughly chop the scapes, then add olive oil, lemon juice, salts, nuts (almonds, walnuts, pine nuts and cashews are all good choices) and cheese. Use a high power blender or a food processor to blend until smooth. This is a great sauce for pasta, pizza, grains, other vegetables, or anywhere else you'd use pesto. If you want a more mild sauce you can also add other greens in season. I also like them in a simple stir fry, chopped up with other greens, and some rice with soy sauce and other seasoning.
Here’s to food you would never find in a grocery store (as far as I know)! |
