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Cromwell Valley CSA Newsletter |
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For those who want to participate in work hours and end with a potluck and bonfire, you can commit to work one or more of the following Fridays from 4 to 7 PM: There are two Friday potluck options left: · August 13 · August 27
For those who can’t make the Friday shifts, there will be work sessions on the following pickup days from 3 to 6 PM. These shifts are work hours only and there will not be a potluck following them. · Tues., Aug. 10 · Sat., Aug. 21 To sign up for one or more sessions, please email info@cvcsa.org. Each session will have 20 spots, which will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. |
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(Picture courtesy of Flickr user thebittenword.com.) |
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CSA Work Hours Reminder |
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August 1, 2010 |
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Cromwell Valley Park offers a number of fun and educational workshops throughout the season. Check out the full calendar online. We’ve highlighted a few of the upcoming workshops below. Sign up now to reserve your spot for any of these fun activities down on the farm! For any programs not indicated as sponsored by CVCSA, you can contact the park office at 410.887.2503 or email info@cromwellvalleypark.org for more information or to reserve your spot. 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. For programs sponsored by CVCSA, email molly.amster@gmail.com to reserve your spot or get more information. Workshop details are below: —————————————— SATURDAY AUGUST 7 Raccoons, skunks, and opossum have all adapted to living around people. What are their special adaptations, character traits, and behavior patterns? Learn this and more as we compare pelts, skulls, and prints. All ages. Reservations required. $2 members/$4 non-members. —————————————— SUNDAY AUGUST 8 The Cromwell Valley Park Council invites children of all ages to the Chocolate Chip Cookie Children’s Theater to discover the world of bears through Thirst ‘n’ Howl Musical Productions delightful retelling of this ageless tale. When Papa Bear loses his job at the Harry and Jerry Merry Berry Factory, Mama and Baby Bears take the Papa Bear and the audience on an interactive scavenger hunt through the neighborhood to introduce him to jobs he might be able to do. While they are away, Goldy explores their house, discovering how different it is from her home. Songs include “Get on a Bus”, “The Farmer’s Nose Knows” and “The Mailman Delivers”. This lively musical journey captures the children’s imagination for role playing a worker in their neighborhood and inspires appreciation of workers children meet every day. It also provides a background on bears that live in Maryland. Beginning at 5 PM, performers will assist children in making their own bears masks to take home. —————————————— TUESDAY AUGUST 10 Are snakes really slimy? Do we have venomous snakes in our area? Learn the truth about snakes. Program includes live native snakes, snake eggs, shedding, skeleton, and hike to snake habitats. All ages. Reservations required. $2 members/$4 non-members. —————————————— SATURDAY AUGUST 14 We are going on an insect hunt to learn first-hand about those amazing 6-legged critters. Ages 5 to 12 with adult. Reservations required. $2 members/$4 non-members. —————————————— SUNDAY AUGUST 15 Come learn how to use clues to figure out which animals call Cromwell Valley Park home. We’ll learn which animals live in the Park and how to recognize their tracks, scat, sounds and more. Of course we will also put our new skills to work! All ages. Reservations required. $2 members/$4 non-members. —————————————— SUNDAY AUGUST 15 Join Hanne Blank, writer & cook who learned to can at her grandmother’s knee, to learn the basics of hot water bath canning and freezer storage. Imagine fragrant, fresh tasting peach pie...in February! You will learn everything you need to know to ensure safe, hygienic & delicious canned goods. Ages 15+. Reservations required. For more info visit www.cvcsa.org. Please contact the CSA directly to reserve your spot - info@cvcsa.org $30 CSA shareholders/$35 non-shareholders. —————————————— SUNDAY AUGUST 22 Join the CSA farm staff for an exciting look at our flock of rare-breed chickens. Enjoy a hands-on experience with these incredible birds, learn about chicken behavior, our intensive grazing method, eggs and, for the kids (even for those that are kids at heart!), play a fun chicken game! All ages . Reservations required. For more info visit www.cvcsa.org. Please contact the CVCSA directly to reserve your spot - info@cvcsa.org.$3 CSA shareholders/$5 non-shareholders. —————————————— FRIDAY AUGUST 27 We’ll capture, tag and release monarchs as they head south for the winter. If the Monarchs don’t cooperate, we’ll settle for any of our beautiful butterflies. Ages 7 to 12. Reservations required. $2 members/$4 non-members. |
Highlights in this issue:· Work hours · Food profile · Going vegan · Recipe · Upcoming workshops |
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Upcoming Workshops |
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Sign up for one of many summer workshops at Cromwell Valley Park or CVCSA and learn while having fun! |
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(Picture courtesy of Flickr user thebittenword.com.) |
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Food Profile: Lemon Cucumbers |
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Lemon Cucumbers are a type of cucumber that are round and yellow. They are sweeter than regular cucumbers and not at all sour like lemons. They have a mild flavor and a crisp, fresh texture. Sometimes referred to as "apple cucumbers," they are of the burpless variety of cucumber. This term is a genetic classification indicating they're "specially bred to produce a thin skin, be virtually seedless and have no bitter taste." (SpecialtyProduce.com)
How to use Lemon Cucumbers:
When they appear pale yellow you can eat them with the skin on. They will turn a brighter yellow as they mature; the skin will grow harder and require peeling. They can be used any way you'd use a regular cucumber. Slice them up and drop them in a salad, add them to a sandwich, or simply eat them on their own. Alternatively, for a refreshing summer drink add a few slices, along with some mint, to a glass of ice water or a glass of iced tea. In general, one lemon cucumber makes a perfect single serving. Also just like regular cucumbers, lemon cucumbers are great for pickling.
Sources http://www.foodsubs.com/Squcuke.html http://www.localharvest.org/heirloom-lemon-cucumber-seed-C6685 (growing) http://seattlebonvivant.typepad.com/seattle_bon_vivant/2004/08/lemon_cucumbers.html |
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Learn how to can and freeze the bounty of summer! Join us for a canning workshop in August. |
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On Going Vegan by Elena |
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Editor’s Note: People make lifestyle choices every day that influence how and what they eat. Within CVCSA, I’m certain that there are a wide variety of dietary lifestyles represented. Elena has kindly volunteered to share her experience regarding her transition to a vegan lifestyle. Please remember that this essay is about Elena’s personal experience and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of CVCSA at large. And if you have a dietary lifestyle story that you would like to share with the membership, please contact me at newsletter@cvcsa.org with a brief summary of your experience. Now, on to Elena’s story.
I started out like everyone else – eating and cooking meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs. In fact, I LOVED eating and cooking these products. I have always been drawn to gourmet recipes and read cookbooks like they’re novels. The bottom line is that I love food and I love feeding people. You may be wondering how someone who once thought that to be a better cook, she should learn how to butcher a side of beef ended up becoming vegan. This is the story of my vegan journey. A few years ago I read a book that changed my life. It’s a book that many people involved with CSA’s have also read: The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. This book appealed to me because its subtitle is “A Natural History of Four Meals.” As a self-described food fanatic, I found the topic appealing. What I didn’t realize was that this book would reveal truths about our society’s industrialized food systems of which I had no prior knowledge. As I learned about industrialized farming and the ways that animals are treated on “factory farms,” I began to change my eating habits. I was already buying organic produce out of concern for the environment and so I began also buying organic meat. I realized that I didn’t have to support corporate animal farms and could instead buy my meat, eggs, and dairy products from local independent farmers. For about a year I drove weekly to a nearby farm to purchase milk, eggs, and any other animal proteins that I wanted. If I went out to eat and the meat being served at the restaurant wasn’t free-range, grass-fed, or local, I would opt for a vegetarian meal to avoid supporting the factory farms that produced the meat. I felt positive about the changes I was making – both for my family’s health and for the environment. Around the same time that I read “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” I began a new job working for a nonprofit animal advocacy organization. Over the years working on community education I learned a great deal about the ways that our society views animals. Slowly but surely my eyes were opened to the pervasive violence and cruelty brought upon animals at the hands of human beings. I learned that animals are treated as commodities to be used and discarded when we are through with them. Although I had always eaten animal products, I had never associated my behavior with cruelty or violence. It wasn’t until I began studying our society’s relationship with animals that I started to examine my own personal relationship with animals and to compare the two. I have always loved animals. I grew up in a family that had many pets and that respected and appreciated our natural environment. I have been the proud mom of a black cat named Azrael for ten years and recently adopted a pair of sibling black kittens – Lucy and Buster. I believe that our relationships with animals enrich our lives and remind us of where we come from – highly developed intelligence aside we are animals just like the rest of the beings with whom we share the planet. The final step on my path to veganism was having the rare privilege of attending a week-long series of teachings by the Dalai Lama. Just to clarify, I’m not Buddhist and I do not follow the Dalai Lama closely, but I did take the opportunity to attend this event to learn about his beliefs. When the week came to a close I did not feel like a changed person or think I should become Buddhist. I did, however, come away with a general sense of compassion and peace that I soon realized I had taken back to my everyday life. Over the next few months I considered this sense of living compassionately and my desire to follow a lifestyle of non-violence and peace. I also pondered my goals in life and how I chose a career centered on social change and “making the world a better place.” During all of this introspection I came back to my dietary choices and my strong belief in boycotting the industrialized meat, egg, and dairy industries. As I considered my approach I confirmed that I should continue to support small farms that raise animals in a natural environment. I even took this thinking a step further. Just like Michael Pollan in “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” if I was going to eat chickens, cows, pigs, turkeys, fish, and their products, then I should have been willing and able to slaughter these animals to feed myself. If I truly supported the notion of a small farmer raising her own animals to provide milk, meat, and eggs for her family, then I should have been comfortable killing those animals with my own hands. This is when my eyes fully opened. As I debated and considered the notion of killing a chicken to be butchered and cooked for dinner, I remembered my fascination with animals. I recalled the joy that I have when I see a deer, bird, or rabbit in her natural environment. I reflected on my unbreakable bond with my then eight year old cat, and how much richer my husband’s and my life has been because we share it with him. I recalled my desire to live a life of non-violence and compassion and suddenly my naturally-raised meat approach didn’t feel sound. I realized that if presented with the opportunity to slaughter a chicken, that I would not be able to take that animal’s life. Not only would I not be able to do it, but I felt that killing the chicken would be wrong. When I broke down my own attitudes and beliefs I discovered that I could not support any animal slaughter – regardless of how the animals were raised. It became clear to me that as much as I wanted to live compassionately and improve the world, some of my fundamental choices – including what I ate every day – were in opposition to my values. Once I recognized this conflict I concluded that I had to stop supporting industries that harm animals. Additionally, because many more animals are treated as commodities and killed in the effort to produce dairy and eggs for human consumption, it was only logical to also cut milk, cheese, and eggs out of my diet. I quickly modified my behavior so that my choices were causing as little harm as possible to animals. Not many people go from eating meat to being vegan without a period of vegetarianism first, but I was fortunate to have all of the facts. My decision to abstain from all animal products (in food, clothing, cosmetics, etc) would allow me to fully live my values of non-violence, peace, and compassion for all beings. August will be my two-year anniversary of going vegan. I started out telling myself that I’d just try it to see if I could. Although my convictions pointed to it being the right choice, I feared that it would be difficult or that I would fail. So I decided to just give it a shot and see what it was like for a while. After nearly two years, I haven’t once thought of changing back to a non-vegan diet. By eating in this way I am objecting to the slaughter and abuse of animals at every meal and in so doing I feel rewarded by a stronger connection to animals and the Earth. |
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Snakes, insects, chickens, butterflies and more - learn about nature and wildlife down on the farm. |
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Tuna Stuffed Jumbo Shells |
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I haven’t received may of the potluck recipes, so I decided to start sharing them in the newsletters instead of saving them for a collection. If you’d like to share your potluck recipes (or any other recipes), as always, feel free to send them to me at newsletter@cvcsa.org and I’ll include them in upcoming newsletters. This recipe comes from the Frasca Family and is originally from Taste of Home. If you attended the orientation potluck, you may remember this one. |
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Ingredients Shells: · 10 jumbo pasta shells · 1/2 cup mayo (we use light version) · 2 T sugar · 1 can tuna, drainer · 1 c diced celery · 1/2 c diced green onions · 1/2 c diced green pepper · 1/2 c shredded carrot · 2 T minced fresh parsley
Creamy celery dressing: · 1/4 c sour cream (we use light or no fat version) · 1/4 c sugar (adjust to taste, we use less) · 1/4 c cider vinegar · 2 T mayo · 1 t celery seed · 1 t onion powder |
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Instructions For the shells: Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse in cold water and drain. In a bowl, combine mayo and sugar. Stir in tuna, celery, onions, green pepper, carrot and parsley. Spoon into pasta shells; cover and refrigerate.
For the dressing: Combine sour cream, sugar, vinegar, mayo, celery seed and onion powder.
To serve: Arrange tuna shells on a platter and drizzle with dressing.
Makes 5 servings. |