We're growing for you! 

We can't be around to farm great food without your support.  Thanks for the continued support! 

Please consider becoming a member of the 8 week Fall CSA in October and November.   We thank everyone for being a part of the Bluebird CSA farm membership and also for your additional purchases at the farmers' market and farm!

>>Become a Fall Member<<

Fall CSA Vegetable Boxes

The Fall CSA is 8 weeks long and runs from October 2nd until November 20th.  Pickup on Wednesdays in Hickory or Morganton.  Fall CSA boxes are a little bit smaller than our full season CSA boxes and  cost $120 for 8 weeks. ($15 week average)
Here's an example Fall CSA box.
1 kale bunch
1 Swiss chard bunch (or tender baby collards)
1 head of lettuce
1 bag of arugula
1 bunch radishes (or 1 bunch of herbs)
plus a few others...
Other Possible Vegetables that may be included
Hawkerai turnips

sweet potatoes
tomatoes
sweet bell peppers
carrots
beets
scallions

Around the farm

Tomatoes really are coming soon!  The plants are loaded with fruit- and the fruit is still green.  As you all know, the lack of a regular summer weather pattern is very strange.  Large share members will get a pint of delicious sun-ripened cherry tomatoes this week.  More to come next week! The large tomatoes are starting to turn.  We’re looking forward to some awesome tomatoes all the way until October.

We’ve been rocking and rolling this week in the vegetable field!  We’ve been nursing the pepper plants that are recovering from physical damage to their roots and canopy from thunderstorms. 

Young cucumbers are weeded, more young cucumbers are seeding in the soil, and the oldest plants have been fertilized with some organic fish emulsion to help prolong the harvest! Long live cucumbers!  Hopefully the munchy creature will stay out of the garden because we sprayed the stinky fish fertilizer.

Weather challenges are always huge obstacles for farmers. 

The Positive Side...

We'll have some beautiful tomatoes and peppers if the plants can handle the weather stress.  We currently have beautiful cucumbers. Beautiful!  Beets aren't a sexy vegetable like a tomato. They just aren't natural divas like tomatoes are.  But we have some very handsome beets.  Very sweet tasting and good-natured beets for you to enjoy

And...We've got our packets of amazing organic seeds, the organic fertilizer, and a positive outlook on beautiful fall vegetables.  More kale, Swiss chard, lettuce, radishes, Hakerai turnips, carrots, beets, arugula, and scallions.  And hopefully peppers and tomatoes will produce well all the way into the end of September.  Sweet potatoes should be making an entrance around the 3rd week of September.

Here's to fine summer farm eating! 

Farm Fresh Harvest

Large shares only>>Cherry tomatoes<< Don’t worry, there will be more tomatoes for everyone soon.

Basil- Yum! Finally- we get a little bit of basil.  Usually the basil is ready way back in mid-June.  It hates cool weather!  Chop it up and sprinkle it over your summer dishes that include peppers, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers.  The flavor is so fresh and aromatic.

Garlic- Here’s a little stockpile of heirloom garlic bulbs for you.

Bell peppers- Here’s a few more for you!  The peppers are slowly catching up. 

Beets- Beautiful Beets!

Summer squash and Zucchini- Not a very good squash year.  Guess we just get to savor and appreciate the small harvest!

Cucumbers- The plants are doing well still.  We’re working hard to make sure there aren’t any gaps between harvest of cucumbers, since the plants only produce for a few weeks.  We have to always have young plants to start producing.  Cucumbers come in all shapes and sizes.  We grow little mini cucumbers, large crisp American slicers, and delicate slender European cucumbers.

Scallions- Scallions are a spring or green onion.  Eat the white stalk and the green leaves! They add a sweet, mild onion flavor to any dish! Great raw or substitute a few scallions for a big onion in cooking.

Recipes

Remember, you can look at past articles from the CSA blog for recipes from previous newsletters.

Cool as a cucumbers: 10 Fresh Recipes for Summer

     -from www.Thekitchn.com

http://www.thekitchn.com/cool-as-a-cucumber-10-fresh-re-150520

Fresh Gingered Beets

Adapted from The Passionate Vegetarian, 2002.

Basic Cooking Method

1.       Wash beets well. Cut off and discard root tails and all except 1 inch of stems.  Do not peel.  Cook, covered in lightly salted boiling water for 40 to 50 minutes or until just tender. Drain.  Let cool until easy to handle.

2.       Slip skins off beets under running water.  Carefully slice each beet into 1/4 inch thick slices, removing and discarding remaining stem ends.

Once the beets are sliced, you may splash them with a bit of olive oil and store for about 2 days before using or creating them into a dish.  I like to store beets in Mason jars, so they don’t stain the Tupperware.

1 bunch of beets (approx 5 large beets or 10 golf ball size beets)

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1-2 teaspoons finely diced ginger

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

Recipe:                                                                                                     

1.       Heat 1 teaspoon each butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  When the oils are sizzling hot, add the cooked beets and toss them in the hot fat. 

2.       Then add 1 to 2 teaspoons peeled very finely dice ginger.  Toss for about 30 seconds.

3.       Then add 3 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons water.  Cook, stirring, until the water and brown sugar have bubbled into a glaze, about 30 seconds.

Orange-Beet Salad

From Better Homes and Gardens annual Recipes 2001

Marie’s notes: I used olive oil instead of walnut oil and plain chevre instead of feta cheese. I also omitted the orange peel (the peel of conventional citrus have a high concentration of pesticides) and used 1 extra tablespoon of orange juice.

Tip: Roll the plain goat chevre or feta cheese in a black pepper and thyme mixture (coat the cheese in herbs)  to keep the red juice of the beets from staining the cheese.  I let the beets marinate overnight in the dressing, drained the beets, and then topped the beets with the walnuts and cheese on the dinner plates.   It was delicious!

3 medium beets (about 9 oz)

3 Tbsp. walnut oil or salad oil

1 tsp. shredded orange peel

2 Tbsp. orange juice

1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar or white vinegar

2 Tbsp. broken walnuts toasted

3 Tbsp crumbled feta cheese

¼ coarsely ground pepper

3.      Wash beets well. Cut off and discard root tails and all except 1 inch of stems.  Do not peel.  Cook, covered in lightly salted boiling water for 40 to 50 minutes or until just tender. Drain.  Let cool until easy to handle.

4.     Slip skins off beets under running water.  Carefully slice each beet into 1/4 inch thick slices, removing and discarding remaining stem ends.

5.     Meanwhile, for dressing, in a screw-top jar combine walnut oil or salad oil, orange peel, orange juice, and vinegar.  Cover and shake well.

6.     In a medium mixing bowl gently toss the beet slices with the dressing. Cover, and chill to marinade for 2 to 24 hours. 

7.     To serve, let mixture come to room temperature. Gently stir walnuts into beets. Sprinkle with feta cheese and pepper. Makes 4 servings.