Category: What’s in the Bag

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What’s in the Bag — Week 9

Dear CSA Member

August and the tomatoes are ripe. They are sweet and delicious. The smaller varieties ripen first and so there are Cherry Tomatoes and also small slicers this week. The Walla Walla Onions are a large, sweet summer onion. Peppers for the first time and String Beans. Summer is great.

Please make a note that the Farm Festival is September 8th from 11:30-3:00. It is a day of fun on the farm. Our neighbors Kim and Mickael Paradis will be manning the roaster this season. Their second home is their restaurant located at 114 Fourth Ave, Manhattan, Paradis to Go. We will have roasted Corn on the Cob and pork and fresh fruit.  We ask members to bring a side dish to share and their own place setting. There will be wagon rides around the farm as well as walks around the farm with Peter or myself. It is just a day of visiting with each other and also getting a first hand look at where and how your vegetables are grown.

This week is the August delivery of the Coffee Share for members that have ordered a coffee share. Market Place orders will also be delivered with the CSA shares.

Welcome August. Looking forward to all the great flavors that the summer brings. I have been updating the farm Face Book page each Sunday with photos of what is happening on the farm and also any new vegetables that are coming in your share.

Enjoy the Vegetables
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

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What’s in the Bag — Week 8

Dear CSA Member

Rain and slightly cloudy conditions have eased the drought pressure a bit. Watching the news we are thankful that we can irrigate our crops although the lack of rain does put pressure on the plants and the crew.  The crops are continuing to ripen and look and taste great and are a testament of the hard work and continuous care your vegetables receive.

Fresh Baby Carrots are being dug for the first time this season. They are tender and sweet. Cut the greens from the carrots, wash and steam them with a bit of the stem remaining. The skins are so tender that they do not need to be peeled.

Tomatoes are slowly ripening.  It feels that we wait and wait for tomatoes to ripen for your share.  There are rows and rows of tomatoes, staked and tied to keep the air circulating.  The first tomatoes are such a treat.

Starbor Kale will also be picked this week. It is a frilly early Kale. A nice change from the other greens we have been picking. Kale Chips are a favorite of many CSA members. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

There is still Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage that just has not ended.  There are new recipes on the farm website Recipe section that members have been sending. I think there is nothing better than crispy Cole Slaw.  Cabbage will also keep for weeks in your refrigerator. Easy Refrigerator Sauerkraut Recipe, Cole Slaw and also Braised Cabbage are new to the recipe section.

I have been doing quite well updating the farm Face Book page each Sunday.  Check out the new vegetables, field work and other photos from around the farm.  Go to https://www.facebook.com/StoneledgeFarm.

Market Place orders: coffee, honey, maple, sauce, pickles, preserves, will be delivered with the CSA shares.  To place a Market Place order just log into your account from the farm website home page. Click on Market Place under the center photo.

Enjoy the Vegetables
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

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This Week’s Share — Week 8

This week’s full share is:
Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage-2 heads
Summer Squash-1 pound
Cherry Tomatoes-1 basket
Red Onions-3 onions
Baby Carrots with Greens-1 bunch
Starbor Kale-1 bunch
Green Basil-1 bunch
Thyme-1 bunch

Fruit Share
Peaches-1 basket-local
White Nectarines-1 bag-local
Blackberries-1 basket-no spray

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What’s in the Bag — Week 7

Dear CSA Member

The huge storm that rolled through the metropolitan area last week completely missed the farm. We were waiting for rain but all that arrived was more heat and humidity. Friday, without warning, it rained. Finally. A good soaking rain that everyone welcomed. The air has cooled and the temperature is almost 40 degrees cooler than just two days ago. It may seem that farmers are always talking about the weather, but it is what fills our thoughts, our plans and our days.

Slowly the summer vegetables are ripening. A week of Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage and also Scallions. The Lemon Basil is fragrant and the Chiogga Beets sweet with such amazing rings. The Chiogga Beets are an Italian heirloom beet. They have concentric rings of pink and white and are a beauty. The greens are delicious as well.

If you have had your fill of Beet Greens and Bright Lights Swiss Chard, clean, steam and put them in a plastic freezer bag. Pop it in your freezer and it will be an amazing treat during the winter months when the last greens are long gone.

Enjoy the vegetables
Deborah
for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

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What’s in the Bag — Week 6

Dear CSA Member

New week, same weather.  I think if you were lucky enough to be on vacation, it would be ideal.  There may be showers on Sunday.  Time will tell.

This years’ garlic harvest is in the barn and hanging to cure and dry.  It looks like some of the best garlic we have grown.  We were uncertain how the warm winter would treat the garlic bulbs, but so far, the bulbs look wonderful.

The garlic will now hang and cure in the barn for the next couple of months.  The outer cover will become dry and the cloves will break apart easily.  At least one third of the bulbs will be saved for seed for next year.  If you come to the Farm Festival  in September, you will be able to see how we hang and dry the garlic. The annual Farm Festival is the second Saturday in September, the 8th.  Mark your calendars and we hope you will be able to make the trip.

We are still taking Market Place orders online so if you would like to order coffee, honey, maple, preserves, sauce and salsa, please log in and place your order.  It will be delivered with the CSA shares.

A special thank you to the members that made the trip to the farm this last Friday and helped harvest garlic: Kristen, Anne,Kathy and Alan.  It was a hot and humid day, but everyone held tough and were a great help.

I do try to post photos of new vegetables on the farm Face Book page by Sunday.  So far I have each week.  Look for them this Sunday as well.

Enjoy the vegetables
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

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What’s in the Bag — Week 5

Dear CSA Member,

The heat and sunshine have been relentless. It is summer. Thankfully we have a irrigation pond that is spring fed with the precious resource.  With out irrigation, the crops would have been exhausted in the heat. It is the endless challenge that we face each season trying to work along side Mother Nature as best we can as farmers.

FARM WORK VISIT HARVESTING GARLIC JULY 13, 10am-3pm
This upcoming Friday, July 13th, we are inviting members to come and help harvest the garlic for the first Work Visit. It will be hot and it is not the best time for small children and dogs to visit the farm.  We will be working in the sun and if Friday follows our weather pattern, it will be sunny and very hot. Bring a lunch and plenty to drink along with a hat, gloves if you do not want to smell like garlic and sunscreen.  We start early in the fields but for members 10-3 is the time frame to help harvest garlic.  We have a port o let but you might want to stop at the last rest stop, Malden, before exiting at Thruway Exit 21, Catskill.

If you are planning on coming to help, please use the West Farm Address 145 Garcia Lane, Leeds, NY 12451 address. You will find a map and directions on the farm website, Contact and Directions link.  If you coming to help, please send an e-mail to the farm in case there are any last minute changes. The address is info@stoneledgefarmny.org.  I will also post any changes on the Farm Blog portion of the Stoneledge Farm’s website.

The Scallions are young and tender and the greens are as tasty as the white bulb.  With such young scallions you will be able to use the entire scallion.

Parsley is the herb this week. So packed with flavor. If you happen to have any remaining, chop and put in a freezer bag. Pop in the freezer for use later.

THIS IS THE FIRST FRUIT SHARE DELIVERY FOR MEMBERS THAT HAVE PRE-ORDERED A FRUIT SHARE.

COFFEE SHARE MEMBERS WILL ALSO RECEIVE THEIR MONTHLY COFFEE SHARE.

Enjoy the Vegetables,
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

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Farmer’s Note — Week 5

Full vegetable share:
Summer Squash-2 pounds
Red Leaf Lettuce-1 head
Green Lettuce-1 head
Red Lake Currants-1 basket
Red Ace Beets With Greens-1 bunch
Scallions-1 bunch
Spinach-1 bunch
Parsley-1 bunch

Locally-grown fruit share:
Blueberries-no spray-1 basket

Apricots-1 basket- The orchards have been hit with an early season hail storm and so there is surface damage to the apricots.  Stoneledge felt it was better to have locally grown, delicious apricots with a bit of hail damage that is cosmetic than no apricots.

Sugar Plums-1 basket.  The hail missed this portion of the orchard.  Super sweet.

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What’s in the Bag — Week 4

Dear CSA Member

Sugar Snap Peas.  They consume all of our time when they ripen and the week arrives that we are picking them for your share.  Such little bits of delicious flavor take an army of workers to pick from their vines.  They are worth it all.  Sugar Snap Peas are a edible pod pea and the entire pod and the peas inside are eaten.  Snap the end and strip the string from the edge of the pea.  Use the entire pod.  Quickly sauteed they turn a bright green color and the sweet flavor is intensified.  This will all depend on first getting them from the CSA pick up to your kitchen.  Sugar Snap Peas are also delicious fresh.

There are still lettuces for salad. New this week is Golden Purslane.  Golden Purslane is a relative of the garden purslane plant many weed from their gardens.  For others, it is a prized addition to a salad.   From https://botanical.com/ -” The succulent leaves and young shoots are cooling in spring salads, the older shoots are used as a pot-herb and the thick stems of plants that have run to seed are pickled in salt and vinegar. Purslane is largely cultivated in Holland and other countries for these purposes.  From Johnny’s Selected Seeds, “Flavor is crisp and mild.  Known as “verdolaga” in Latin America.”

Escarole, Summer Spinach, some Summer Squash and Summer Savory.  The dramatic changes we have been experiencing in the weather have essentially stopped the Summer Squash in its tracks.  Plants respond to the weather with more or less growth depending on the stress level.

Summer Savory is also known as Annual Thyme.  The flavor and aroma are like Thyme and will make a wonderful salad dressing.

Market Place Orders will be delivered with the Vegetable Shares.  This is also the last chance to add a Fruit Share.  Please do so this weekend if you would like to add one to your subscription.

Enjoy the Vegetables
Deborah
For everyone at Stoneledge Farm

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What’s in the Bag — Week 3

Dear CSA Member

Summer Solstice and we fall right into heat and humidity.  A fresh salad will be welcome with the weather we have been experiencing and the lettuces are full and beautiful.  A bunch of Arugula and a salad dressing made with the fresh Oregano and chopped Garlic Scapes.

Also this week is Escarole.  Try it in Italian Wedding Soup or with white beans.  Just delicious.  Escarole is the green that gathers at the base.  If you have a hard time, just take a bite.  It is a bitter green and usually not eaten raw.

The beautiful Bright Lights Swiss Chard and Summer Spinach continue.  They are hardy enough to hold up to the heat.

What would Summer be without Summer Squash.  The first picking of Summer Squash also helps to round out the CSA share.  The first picking is never perfect.  It seems it takes the squash plants a picking or two to get the production down pat.  It does not matter.  There is just nothing like the first summer squash, lightly cooked with a pat of butter.  Not fancy but a taste that only comes with freshly picked summer squash.

There are four different varieties of Summer Squash and we pick and pack them as they come out of the field.  Photos of the different Summer Squash are posted on the Farm Face Book page.  There are Zucchini, Romanesco, Sunburst Patty Pan and Zephyr.

JUST A NOTE: If you have not added a Fruit Share and still would like to, I have included the directions below.  We will accept additions until the end of June and then will close the shares.  We will need to notify the other farms and will need our shares set.  If you have any questions, please send an e-mail.

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

DIRECTIONS TO ADD A FRUIT SHARE

PRIMARY SHARE HOLDER WOULD LIKE TO ADD A FRUIT SHARE
Log into your account from the farm website home page, click on “My Account” under the center photo.  Click on the red “Add Subscription” in the green summary box on the right.  Advance past the “Market Place Access Account”, as the primary share holder you already have access to the Market Place for online orders, by clicking on “Next” to the Options tab.  Select the Fruit Share and continue with payment.  The Fruit Share will be added to your membership.  Please send the farm an e-mail with the name of the share partner that will registering for the Fruit Share.

SHARE PARTNERS EACH WOULD LIKE A FRUIT SHARE
If each share partner would like a Fruit Share, log into the CSA account set up by the Primary Shareholder, select 2 Fruit Shares. There is currently no way for the Secondary Share Holder to add a Fruit Share unless it is added through the Primary Share Holders account.

ONE SHARE PARTNER WOULD LIKE A FRUIT SHARE
If only one of the share holders will be adding the Fruit Share and paying for the entire Fruit Share, please select “Pay with Check” option and send me an e-mail with the name of the share partner that will be picking up the Fruit Share.

BOTH SHARE HOLDERS WILL BE SPLITTING ONE FRUIT SHARE
If both share partners are splitting the Fruit Share, log into the CSA account set up by the Primary Shareholder, add one Fruit Share and both names will show on the roster like with the Vegetable Share that is being shared.

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What’s in the Bag — Week 2

Dear CSA Member

The farm is in overdrive this month with transplanting, seeding, cultivating, hoeing, picking, delivering, fertilizing…all in a crazy whirl of activity. The sun is shining and the plants are growing by leaps and bounds.

As we move from spring time into summer the vegetables that will fill your share will change. The cool spring loving plants will be replaced by those that soak in the heat and sunshine. This is still a transition week and there will be some of the same crops that you received the first delivery.  Mustard, Mizuna, Chinese Cabbage, Garlic Scapes, Lettuces are still producing beautifully. New this week will be Bright Lights Swiss Chard, Arugula and Summer Spinach. The Bright Lights and Summer Spinach are so delicious and the colors spectacular.  Almost a bouquet of vegetables.

Members have been sending recipes for Greens and you can find them on the farm website Recipe link. Many of the recipes for the early Oriental Greens are interchangeable so check under the Bok Choy link as well and substitute Chinese Cabbage for the Bok Choy. If you have favorites or a favorite on line blog or link for recipes, please send it to me so I can share it with the other CSA members.

As a CSA member you can also go online and order from the online CSA Market Place.  Just click the Market Place link on the left side bar.  Freshly roasted coffee that we have imported the beans from our fellow farmer partners in Guatemala and Honduras. All of our coffee beans are Organic, Fair Trade and locally roasted and some of the best tasting coffee around.

Honey, Maple Syrup and products from our farm: Salsa, Tomato Sauce, Raspberry Jam (no seeds), Dill Pickles. Fruit products include Apple Sauce, nothing but apples, Apple Butter, Pear Butter. All of the products have been locally processed. Your order will be delivered with your CSA share.

If you are an Additional Contact on the account, the order, for now, will need to go through the main shareholders account.  We are working with the programmers to include a function for Share Partners to have their own accounts to log in and order. I hope to have information about that next week.

Members have also been inquiring about adding a Fruit Share if they have not done so already. We will be accepting additions of Fruit Shares until the end of June. If you would like to add a Fruit Share to your account, go to the farm website homepage, click on My Account under the center photo and log in. Click on Add Subscription in the green Summary box on the right. Advance past the Vegetable Share page by hitting Next and add the share.

Enjoy the Vegetables
Deborah
for everyone at Stoneledge Farm
Pete Sr, Peter, Arliss and the crew