What’s in the Bag — Week 1

Dear CSA Member,

Welcome to the 2012 CSA season. The spring-time weather has been fine and the crops are growing well. We are starting off the season with beautiful Oriental Greens, tender Lettuces and a favorite of CSA members, Garlic Scapes.

The Oriental Greens: Mizuna, Suehlihung Mustard, Bok Choi, Chinese Cabbage have been covered with row cover since transplanting to keep them from the ferocious insects that love to chew on the leaves. The row cover is a light-weight spun fabric that we will roll and re-use next season. It acts as a physical barrier between the plant and pests keeping the plants in the best shape possible. You can find photos of the row cover on our Face Book page, https://www.facebook.com/StoneledgeFarm, if you are interested. There is a close up of Peter lifting the row cover, checking the Chinese Cabbage plants.

Lettuces are tender and young. Lettuce loves the cool, rainy springtime weather. With all produce from the farm, the vegetables are dipped in water to remove the field heat and give a rinse, but you will need to wash all of the vegetables at home as well. We have had quite a bit of heavy rain and so the inside core of the lettuces will need extra care. I have found the best way to rinse the greens is to cut the base from the plant and rinse the leaves in a bath of cold water. Drain and rinse again. There is nothing to beat a salad spinner to dry the greens after washing. Put the washed and dried greens in a plastic bag, vegetable container or even leave in the salad spinner and refrigerate.

Garlic Scapes are the immature seed head of the garlic plant. The plant sends up the seed head early in the season. We remove the scape to allow the plant to put all of its energy into producing a good bulb. The scape is delicious with a garlic flavor. Just chop and use as you would garlic. Scapes make a great pesto. You can find a recipe for Garlic Scape Pesto on the farm website, Recipe section.

We are utilizing a new programming system this season, and you have access to your account at all times. To check your account and add a Fruit Share or Coffee Share go to the farm website, click on My Account under the center photo. Log in with your e-mail address and password. Share partners will need to get the log in information from the share partner that registered as the Primary Shareholder. The green Summary box on the right has your subscription information. If you would like to add a Fruit Share click on the Add Subscription link and advance past the first Vegetable Share page by clicking Next. Select the Fruit Share and complete the tabs. We will be taking Fruit Share additions until the third week of delivery. After that time we need to make arrangements for Fruit Share amounts and will not be adding more Fruit Shares.

As always, if you have questions please send an e-mail to the farm [info@stoneledgefarmny.org] and we will be back in touch.

Enjoy the Vegetables
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm
Pete S.,, Peter, Arliss

Farmer’s Note — Week 1

Standard share:
Garlic Scapes – 6
Suehlihung Mustard – 1 bunch
Mizuna – 1 bunch
Bok Choy – 1 bunch
Chinese Cabbage – 1 bunch
Red Leaf Lettuce – 1 head (Half share Even members get this)
Green Lettuce – 1 head (Half share Odd members get this)
Rhubarb – 1 bunch
Radishes – Cherriette – 1 bunch

A Note from the Farmer

Dear CSA Member

We are well into May and the fields are filling up.  Rows of small plants line the garden and seem to double in size every day. Most of the plants are transplanted from seedlings started in the greenhouses, grown to transplant size and then planted in the garden. As the greenhouses are emptied of transplants, newly seeded flats replace those that were just taken to the garden. Seeding goes on into July. I have posted new photos on the farm Face Book page for May. Posting photos on Face Book is easier than on the farm website and so I will update them more frequently.  The page is https://www.facebook.com/StoneledgeFarm if you would like to take a look.

The first CSA deliveries will also be taking place next month. The schedule follows:

Wednesday delivery sites:  Southport, Stamford, Sustainable Hastings, Upper Westchester, White Plains and Wilton/Norwalk CSA’s will start on June 6.

Monday delivery sites: 92nd Street Y, City Island, Mt. Sinai Farm Share, Rye/Soundshore, Locust Point and Bronx 810 Gerard Studio will start June 11th.

Tuesday delivery sites: Carnegie Hill, Chelsea, East 88th Street, Greene County, West Village and Yorkville CSA’s will start on June 12th.

As in the past, we will be sending out a weekly e-mail to all members through the site coordinators listing the share for the week and also a brief bit of farm news. You will receive another update before the first distribution.

There is still time to add a Fruit Share or Coffee Share to your Vegetable Share if you would like and have not done so yet. To add shares or if you would like to check and see what you have ordered, log into your member account from the farm home page, www.stoneledgefarmny.org, and click on “My Account” under the center photo.  To add a share to your existing order, click on the “Add Subscription” in red found in the green Summary box on the right side.  Advance past the Vegetable Share page to the “Options” tab by selecting “Next”. You can then select the additional shares to add to your CSA membership.

Take Care

Deborah
for Pete Sr., Peter, Arliss and everyone at Stoneledge Farm