Hello CSA Members! (please click on "CONTINUE READING" to see whole newsletter from us!)
The first box is starting this week! We have been working for this moment for 4 months now and the time has come to officially begin the season! We are excited to get started and hope you are too!
Here on the farm, it is hot and dry. Too dry. However, we are well equipped with several different types of irrigation and are managing it 24/7 in order for the crops to keep growing for the foreseeable future of drought. Strange times, but as they say "You can put water in to the soil, but can't take it out" - so I guess its better than flooding!:)
The crops are looking good, the piggos come this week to the farm, we just got our 2nd batch of broiler chickens and the first ones go to butcher at the end of the month. Our cows are on pasture (muchly in need of rain, but pasture nonetheless) and are calving up a storm. We have had 9 calves so far. They are veyr cute of course!
Here are some very important details about how the CSA works and what to expect: PLEASE READ THIS!!!
All CSA deliveries are on Thursdays.
ALWAYS wait for the Delivery Confirmation Email from us before going to get your box. At first, we make no promises as to the exact time as we are getting our route and schedule down. All boxes will be to their locations before 5 pm, please wait for the email. Most, if not all, will be by 1pm.
Please pick your box up ASAP after you get the email and do not leave it overnight!! most dropsites will throw it away or donate it- please arrange someone else to pick your box up for you or email me if you cannot pick your box up.
Only take the BLACKBROOK FARM BOX WITH YOUR NAME ON IT!!! We label our boxes and your name or your boxmates name will be on it!
If you are a half share, you get a box EVERY OTHER WEEK- starting either this week or next week.
If you are UNSURE of where you pick your box up or when you pick your box up, please look back at your CSA confirmation email you received when you signed up. You can also go to your account here: https://www.harvie.farm/login to see when and where you pick your box up. You can always email us, too at blackbrook.farm.llc@gmail.com
You can also find the dropsite information (where to pick up exactly) in your login and in that email.
Please take the plastic liner with veggies or just the veggies with you and leave the box (broken down please!) at the dropsite. You can take the box with you, too, just remember to bring it back with you the next time you pick up! We DO NOT keep track of boxes or who returns them or doesn't, but we DO reuse them and buy enough for each member to have 2 boxes throughout the season- so it is important to return them!
Our produce is harvested fresh within 24-36 hours of delivery. We are an organic farm and we have lots of post harvest washing/packing methods we use. However, we grow food in the dirt. So, we DO recommend that you wash all of your vegetables if you do not want grit in your salad. We're used to it, but some are not! We do our best, but understand you may find a bug, slug or dirt in there occasionally. It's a living farm! Enjoy knowing your eating the most nutritional, fresh local food you can get your hands on!
If you need to reschedule a delivery or Add a contact- please go to your account by logging in to https://www.harvie.farm/login. You will find under your account details that you can easily reschedule and add contacts. please email me if you need help with this. I have had lots of emails about adding contacts and cant keep track of them all! If you did not hear back from me, that means I probably did NOT do it and you will have to or email me again! Sorry!
Don't forget to customize your box if you want! You can swap out items or add extra items into your box- you can add more vegetables, pork, beef, honey, mustard, coffee beans and more!
Okay, I think that is it!
Without further ado, here are the items that may be in your box this week:
Radishes- With the heat, crops have been growing more quickly than usual so the radishes are quite large. But they are spicy and tasty still! Top these, wash them and put them in a container into the fridge.
Any variation of Radish Toast with Fresh Dill is amazing!
Red Butterhead Lettuce- This butterhead is delicious and so beautiful. Please wash again once you have chopped or peeled it apart. Keep well in a plastic bag or in a container in the fridge.
Try this Butterhead and Radish Salad with Fresh Dill Dressing! I'm going to!
Spinach- Another crop among a few that have seen a bit too much growth due to this unseasonably hot weather. This keeps well in the plastic bag and does not need another wash unless you want to.
Arugula- 1/3 lb bag. Fresh, zippy spicy arugula! Great on a sandwich, added to a green salad or wilted into a pasta salad. I also like to make pesto with it!
Arugula Pesto with garlic (or garlic scapes)
Dill- We usually don't give out both cilantro and dill at the same time, but again with the hot weather everythin has decided to bolt. So, some of your dill will have nice little heads on them but this can be used just the same- potato or egg salad. mixed into a green salad is great, too!
Try one of the recipes above with dill or Farfalle with fresh peas (just chop in the whole peas), feta and dill
Cilantro- This is my personal favorite herb. I think it is amazing, but some people think it tastes like soap. We love it on burritos, chopped into a fresh slaw or to make some pico di gallo with tomatoes and lime.
Zesty Cilantro Green Goddess Dressing
Napa Cabbage- Spring cabbage! We love this for a quick kimchi with your radishes or beets and some spices. This keeps well, just peel off any limp outer leaves. Keep in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Mexican slaw for tacos or other things
Asian Cabbage Salad with mixed veggie of your choice
Herb pot (thyme, oregano, basil (thai or genovese type), parsley and sage)- This pot is created in order for you to transplant them into other herb containers or outdoors in the garden where they can flourish. They wil bolt and not thrive if they are left in this container Thyme (tiny little leaves), oregano (small round lobed leaves), basil (thai or green genovese), parsley (curly green frilly), and sage (greyish green long leaves)
Garlic-fresh, green garlic- 2 per. This garlic is somewhere between green garlic (not headed up and fresh) and the garlic you see in the store. It is fresh and needs refrigeration, but it is also starting to head up so you will have to peel off the tough outer layer and chop the inner part. Potent stuff!!
Garlic Scapes- These are the start of the garlic flower that needs to be harvested off of each garlic plant in order for it to size up. It chops up like any scallion, onion or garlic and can be eaten raw or cooked but we think its great sauteed in eggs! They keep forever and are really versatile!
PEAS!- Thats right, they are a little early and they are TASTY and SWEET and CRISP! Eat the whole thing right out of the pint. Keep in a container if you do not eat the right away otherwise they will go limp in the pulp pint we gave you.
Garlic Beef and Pea Ramen (use any veggies and noodles you have!- peas, beets, radishes, garlic...)
fresh bunched Beets- Yumm! I do know that beets may not be everyones favorite but we find that beets can be used in so many applications. We love to grate it raw into a fresh green salad. or shop and lightly steam to put into a quick stir fry with a peanut sauce. You can add it to any ferment dish, too. Top them and remember to use the greens! They are basically Swiss Chard and can be eaten raw into a salad or sauted into eggs or cooked into a stir fry.
For The MUSHROOM SHARE MEMBERS:
Hello mushroom lovers and farm supporters!
We’re excited you’ve chosen a mushroom add-on for the season.
For your first delivery this week we have Golden Oyster mushrooms and a brownie!
The box your mushrooms come in has a link to a recipe on our website – Mushroom and Chevre Bruschetta. Here's the link so you don't have to type it all in: northwoodmushrooms.com/
An important note about oyster mushrooms! We are an organic farm and some of our mushrooms are grown outdoors. You may possibly see some little bugs on your mushrooms. These are oyster beetles. They just love oysters, and no other mushrooms that we grow. We do our best to brush off any we see and pick them young before a lot of beetles show up. For those of you who are inclined, there is nothing wrong with them, they’re perfectly edible – extra protein! Oysters have a shorter shelf life than firmer mushrooms, so make sure to eat these soon!
Your brownie is gluten-free – made with rice flour (usually white, but sometimes brown if we run out of white). It is not made in an official GF kitchen, so please be aware anyone who has Celiacs. The brownies do contain dairy and eggs. They also contain ground up reishi mushrooms – so they’re tasty and a bit medicinal too. If you really like them, the only place they can be purchased is at the Mill City Farmers Market in downtown Minneapolis!
And now, choose your level of information inundation! We’ll try to provide a blurb (more brief than this) for each delivery date so you'll know what’s coming.
If you want to know more about the farm, we send out a regular email newsletter. It’s weekly in the summer and 2-3 times a month in the winter - some of you might already be on it. You can sign up on our website on the contact us page, scroll down most of the way. https://northwoodmushrooms.
If you want to skip more emails in your inbox, consider following us on Instagram to see picture updates of the farm, and pictures of Spore, the farm cat. We’re @nwdmushrooms.
That’s all for now! Enjoy your mushrooms and your brownie and stay cool out there!
Napa Cabbage great for fresh Asian Slaws or Kimchi
Red Butterhead, so beautiful!
Pac Choi for next week
We hope you really enjoy your first box!
Stay cool,
Your Farmers
