Two Spruce Farm 

CSA Pick Up: Week Five

7/11/13

Pick Up Site 1: Cobblestone Valley Farm
 6609 New York State Bicycle Route 11, Homer • Friday 4-6pm
Pick Up Site 2: Northland Sheep Dairy
 3501 Hoxie Gorge Freetown Rd, Marathon • Thursday 4-6pm

Basil, beets, carrots, cabbage (both napa and a heirloom head cabbage called Copenhagen), cilantro, collards, culinary bay, fresh garlic, head lettuce, kale, sugar snap peas, new potatoes, rosemary, salad mix, scallions, and swiss chard are all available to you this week. Click here to choose your share!

I also have bulk sugar snap peas. They're $3.75/ lb--let me know on the form above if you'd like some. They freeze well for a nice green ingredient to brighten up your winter cooking.

I'll be digging new potatoes for the share this week. New potoatoes tend to be on the smaller side--great or roasting whole or halving for potato salads. Garlic scapes are done now but to ease the blow, I'm offering fresh garlic--this is garlic that's not quite mature yet. It's delicious!

As we go through the season, I would love to hear what you're cooking and creating from the share. If you make something that you'd like to share, email me a photo and recipe and I'll post it to the farm blog. This week's recipe comes from the New York Times and it uses one of my favorite grains, farro. When I was first introduced to farro (thanks, Megan), I cooked a butternut squash and farro dish with loads of garlic at least half a dozen times in a two week span. Butternuts aren't yet here but collards are and this recipe is a great way to enjoy them.

I have about 20 tomato plants in 3" pots that I'm not going to use this season. They could be any of the 15 or so varieties I'm growing (they're unlabeled, mystery plants). It's getting on the late side for planting tomatoes but if anyone's interested, I'd be happy to give them to you. Email me if you'd like them.

As the weather's getting (and staying) hot, I'm looking for ways to make sure that your produce gets to you fresh and unwilted (especially the Cobblestone customers). I'm considering purchasing cooler bags to give you your shares in. This week the shares will be boxed as usual but if anyone has any bags that I can use (for your or others' shares), that would be great and would save me buying them!

If you don't have a use for them, please return the pint and quart baskets from your shares, I'll reuse them throughout the season.

That's the news from the farm--enjoy your veggies and come see me on Saturday from 9-1 at the Homer Farmer's Market if you want more or just to enjoy the nice atmosphere (there's music every week, too)!

collard greens and farro

1 large bunch collard greens (about 1 1/2 pounds), stemmed, leaves washed

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 1/2 cups farro

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 quarts chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water, or 1 quart each

1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Crumbled feta for serving

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the collard greens. Blanch for four minutes, and transfer to the ice water with a slotted spoon or skimmer. Drain and squeeze out extra water. Cut the greens into ribbons about _-inch wide.

2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt, the garlic and the rosemary, and continue to cook for another minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the farro, and mix for a couple of minutes. Add the white wine, and stir until it has reduced by half. Add the stock and/or water and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, stir in the collard greens, cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until the farro is tender. Drain any water remaining, and return the mixture to the pan. Taste and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle a little feta over each serving if desired.