Week 4 of their amazing CSA program.
(Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is a way for small farmers to directly market their produce to the community, and for the community to support its local farmers. Read more about CSA.)
What is in the box:
Carrots | Rainbow Chard | Red Leave Lettuce | Green Leaf Lettuce | Pink Beauty Radishes | Arugula
I bought a blue wool sweater at Value Village in Yakima on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, you know, in January, when I was there visiting my mom and my sister. The point is, I should not still be wearing the same sweater six months later, day in day out. It just isn’t natural. I’m of hearty Norwegian stock, so I can take a chill, bundle up, keep at it and all, but a girl’s got her limits. My husband, farmer Colin, he says we have a new month on the calendar, thanks to global climate change, it’s called Junuary. I have faith. I believe that this sort of cool spring will have to be made up for in the form of an extra hot summer, so we can still produce some of those semi tropical treats. There is an amazing amount of science involved in farming. One can delve as far as one wishes into it all. Me, I prefer hope and faith–and hard work of course. But not all that degree day tracking and to the hour predictions and counting the sugar molecules in the carrots with a brix-o-meter, and what have you. I know when my carrots are sweetest the old fashioned way, I taste them.
Rainbow chard is not so different from any other type of chard. You have probably heard of Swiss chard. It’s the same stuff, just the pretty assorted color type. The seed selectors claim that It has delicate texture and sweeter flavors as well as being more lovely to gaze upon than other chards. This is the first pick of the season for this planting of chard, so it is the most tender it will ever be. You can cut strips of it into your green salad if you are so inclined. The ribs are firm, crunchy, and completely edible. If you are cooking, you’ll want to add the ribs first, then the leaves after, as the softer part cooks faster than the ribs. Chard can be prepared any way that you would use spinach, and it is a member of the same family, with similar flavor. I think of chard as having a more citrusy flavor than spinach with less of the acid that makes your mouth feel funny. I bet I could find a better description in one of my many cookbooks, but sometimes it’s nice to write the news without consulting five other books. Less time consuming. Although, I like to consume my time rummaging around in lots of cookbooks, more than I like cooking, even. When it comes down to it, I like to eat most of it raw, or lightly steamed with a dash of balsamic vinegar. Or roasted in the oven with olive oil. Easy ways.
Two of our fabulous CSA members have purchased shares for the Thurston County Food Bank. What a great idea! Many of you have also donated amounts ranging from five dollars to fifty dollars for our financial aid fund. The financial aid fund is a revolving account, growing as it does and being applied as it is requested. At the beginning of the season, we had three hundred dollars and three people asked for it, so each received $100 towards the cost of their CSA share. Since then, we have added new members to the CSA and more donations, so I was able to give another member $75 towards the share. It’s not very formal, no forms to fill out or papers to sign, but it seems to help, and seems to work. We have enough produce to make more CSA shares, if you would like to purchase an additional share for the food bank, or If you know a friend who is thinking of signing up, we welcome new members all season long.
Maybe summer will arrive upon the eve of summer solstice. It can’t be winter forever. We may be harvesting celery from it’s pots in the greenhouse if the temperatures don’t get up above fifty with any consistency.
P.S. We moved the turkeys outside today, even in the wind and rain. The book says they are fragile as babies, but once you keep them alive past a few weeks, practically indestructible.
Stuffed Chard Leaves
Stuffed Chard Leaves-The New Laurel’s Kitchen Cookbook
Saute one chopped onion in oil. Remove from heat, mix in:
- 2 - 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
- 1 beaten egg
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon dill weed
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Wash and Dry Chard leaves, removing the rib. Ribs can be chopped up small and sautéed with the onion at first to become part of the filling. Place 2 tablespoons of filling on the underside of the leaf, a third of the way up from the bottom. Fold over the sides of the leaf and roll up into a square packet. Place seam-side down in a greased casserole. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes. Alternatively, steam the rolls in a steamer basket over boiling water until the leaves are tender, about 20 minutes. Bake any extra filling and serve with stuffed leaves.
Serves six to eight. (I happen to know yours will only serve six, because that is how many leaves I put in each bunch, but maybe the baked filling will go around farther.)
This recipe appeared in last season’s CSA news, I pasted it up from the web site. It is so good, I just had to share it with you again. Some of you are new, like 30 of you or something, and 75 or so are returning members for whom this recipe will be a re-run. You can always check the web site for more recipes, and also other foodie web sites like epicurious and splendid table. Computers are amazing.
About Kirsop Farm:
Located in southwest Olympia, Kirsop Farm is dedicated to providing affordable organic produce while preserving the agricultural heritage of the county. Your support of our farm enables us to continue to support others doing good work in our community. Kirsop Farm has long been involved with Garden Raised Bounty, South of the Sound Community Farm Land Trust, and others.
About this article:
The CSA news is sent each week along with a great box of produce that can be picked up at Kirsop Farm, the Farmers Market and other locations around town. If you have any questions regarding the CSA program or would like to visit the Farm, please contact Kirsop Farm directly.
Everyday Olympia is excited and honored to have Genine post her weekly Newsletter on our site.
