Newsletter – July 29, 2019

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc.

Dear Members,

This week you are getting purple potatoes, onions, carrots, squash, cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, broccoli, purple bell peppers and muskmelons.

Fruit: I’m sorry I forgot to put in the newsletter last week you were getting apricots. I hope you are loving them! This is so unusual I hope you are appreciating them. We never get this many apricots in one year! This week you are getting Rainier cherries. They are a beautiful yellow cherry with a red blush. Soooo delicious!!!

Muskmelons: Many of you know what a cantaloupe looks and tastes like. Muskmelon has that same cantaloupe taste but it is stronger & sweeter with a slight musky taste. Half of you are new to this and are going to experience one of the best tasting melons we grow! Muskmelon is a very old melon originally grown in Egypt down by the Nile river. It loves sandy soils, hot days, cool nights and lots of water. We just happen to have them all! It has the same netting as its cousin the cantaloupe but can be identified by the ribs that run down from top to bottom. Hint: It is best eaten at room temperature. But if you like them chilled, cut open and let sit for 10 minutes before eating….delicious!!

It is the last week of July and the first week of August. Does it seem like this summer is flying by…or it is just me? Aurora is the first area that sends their kids back to school and I believe that happens very soon. As a kid, Jerry and I never went back to school until after Labor Day. But, I have to admit; more kids lived on farms back then and were needed for fall harvest. Jerry Sr. told us that when he was a kid, they took off a couple of weeks in the fall to help get the last of the hay into barns plus hand pick the field corn for winter storage. That must have been fun…. He told us he and his two brothers would hand pick approximately 40 acres of field corn. Wow, can you imagine the amount of energy that must have taken? With all the big equipment around today, no one even thinks about how that was done just a mere 75 years ago!

Summer Squash Bisque

1 stick butter
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cups chicken or veggie stock
½ tsp curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ pounds summer squash, ends cut & roughly chopped
1 cup half & half or canned coconut milk
2 heaping tbsp white basmati rice
croutons for serving

Add butter, onion, curry powder and zucchini to crock pot on high for 30 minutes. Add rice, basil, stock and cook on high for 5-6 hours.

Puree with stick blender, season with salt & pepper and add milk; keep warm for 20 more minutes. Serve with croutons!

Garlic – please help!

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc.

We had a fantastic weekend with so very many volunteers!  Nineteen helping
hands arrived ready to get to work on Saturday and another 26 helping
hands arrived Sunday.  We were able to get half the garlic harvested; a
total of 36 quarter mile long rows!!!

But we are not done yet!  So, in addition to the dates already scheduled for this week, we are going to do this one more day this coming Saturday the 27th.  Again from 8 am to 12pm (please arrive by 7:45 am).  We will take as many hours you are willing to give us.  If one person from all 500 memberships came out for one hour, we could have had this all up and out of the field in one day!  So come on everyone!!! lets get busy and get the garlic picked for the season!

We are so very appreciative of your time to help get this harvested and
drying for the rest of the year.  You will appreciate this wonderful
garlic is so much more once you give a helping hand in harvesting it!

Things you will need:
Gloves
Water
Hat

If you wear sunblock or bug spray…please put on at home and thoroughly
wash hands!

Thank you very much!

Newsletter – July 22, 2019

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc.

Dear Friends,

This week you are getting Yukon Gold potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, squash, cucumbers and green beans. Tuesday Members will be getting cabbage because it wasn’t ready for them last week and some of you will be getting the first picking of muskmelon. It is just beginning to produce, so there is not enough for everyone.

Community Supported Agriculture: I would like to take a moment to thank our Working Members; both those at the Distribution Centers, those who make the journey to the farm and those who volunteer once or twice a year.

The Distribution Centers are very much appreciated for their time and homes. They make it possible for you to have a DC fairly close so you don’t have to drive across town or to the farm.

Working Members at the farm spend an extra hour or two on the road getting to the farm, plus the four hours every week bagging up your produce, loading the truck and then finishing the day doing farm chores. It would be nearly impossible to run this CSA without their help. So many projects are completed every week! Thank you all for your hard work, consistency, patients and good humor. All of you are a hoot to be around!

Our Volunteers are special people because they take time out of their busy lives to help us with special projects like the harvesting of garlic (this past weekend) or the splitting of the garlic in the fall so we can get it planted. These “big jobs” become small ones when there are so many who come lend a hand. We had 19 people show up last Saturday and 26 people show up last Sunday. We were able to harvest half of this very large field!

The true meaning of CSA becomes clear when we understand that we have to work together to make this farm function smoothly. All our volunteers; from those who lend a helping hand once a year to those who help every week; are extremely appreciated and are very important to us. Thank you all for your time!!!

Garlic harvesting: We will be doing this again Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday of this week. Call Jacquie at 970-284-7941 (please do not email me) and let me know you are coming. We will be grateful for whatever time you can give us. We just ask you all show up on time (8:45 on weekdays and 7:45 on Saturday) because no one will be at the house to show you where to go after we leave for the field. If one person came from each membership (500) and gave us one or two hours….we could have finished this the first weekend! We have 36 rows that are a quarter of a mile long and with a large group of people….we can get this done! Thanks again to everyone who helped out last weekend!!!

Need some light reading? The Dirty Life: on Farming, Food and Love, by Kristin Kimball: “A farm is a manipulative creature. There is no such thing as finished. Work comes in a stream and has no end. There are only the things that must be done now and things that can be done later. The threat the farm has got on you, the one that keeps you running from can until can’t, is this: do it now or some living thing will wilt or suffer or die. It’s blackmail, really.”

Call for help

IT’S TIME TO HARVEST GARLIC.

Do you love your Monroe garlic? The farm needs your help! The Monroes are struggling to find enough help to get this year’s garlic crop harvested, and it needs to be harvested NOW!

Monroes need as many members as possible to come out to harvest garlic on any of the following dates (sooner = better!)

• SATURDAY July 20th – 8 am – 12 pm (arrive by 7:45)
• SUNDAY July 21st – 8 am – 12 pm (arrive by 7:45)
• TUESDAY July 23rd – 9 am – 12 pm (arrive by 8:45)
• WEDNESDAY July 24th – 9 am – 12 pm (arrive by 8:45)
• THURSDAY July 25th – 9 am – 12 pm (arrive by 8:45)
• NEW! SATURDAY July 27th – 8 am – 12 pm (arrive by 7:45)

Remember to wear sunscreen and put your bug spray on before arriving at the farm. It is important that all volunteers arrive on time – if you must leave early, that is okay. Even if you can only stay for part of the time, every bit of help is welcome!

Belonging to a CSA isn’t just about enjoying wonderful produce, it’s about community. Please consider taking the time to help the Monroes harvest this very special and very delicious crop. Remember it’s not just for them – it’s for YOU! If it is not harvested soon, the crop will rot. There will be little to no garlic in the summer and winter shares.

THANK YOU in advance for everyone that is willing and able to help!

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc.

Newsletter – July 15, 2019

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc.

Dear Friends of the farm,

This week you are getting Yukon Gold potatoes, onions, red beets, purple kohlrabi, garlic, squash, cucumbers, green beans and kale. Also this week, Tuesday Distribution is getting broccoli and Wednesday and Thursday will be getting cabbage. Extra squash this week

I want you to know the story behind the beans this year. We planted as normal, but the snow in May killed three plantings. Then it rained and rained keeping us out of the fields to plant. We may not have beans again for a while! Enjoy them while we have them!

Honey and Olive Oil: Those of you who purchased monthly deliveries of honey and olive oil will be receiving that this week!

Exchange Box: Each distribution center should have an exchange box. This allows you to take items out of your bag you really don’t want and pick up something someone else has left behind. If your DC does not have an exchange box, ask for one!

Did You Know… in the summer of 1858, during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, a group of gold prospectors from Lawrence, Kansas, established Montana City as a mining town on the banks of the South Platte River, in what was then Western Kansas Territory. This was the first historical settlement in what would become the City of Denver. The site faded quickly; however, by the summer of 1859 it was abandoned in favor of Auraria (named after the gold mining town of Auraria, Georgia). Auraria was located at the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River. General William Larimer, land speculator from Eastern Kansas Territory, established Denver City across Cherry Creek hoping to make it the county seat of Arapahoe County. This site was also across the South Platte River from the seasonal encampment of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians. The site of these first towns is now the site of Confluence Park.

Creamed Zucchini over Pasta; page 67 of CSA Cookbook

¼ cup Healthy Harvest olive oil
1 cup dry white wine (I have used Marsala and loved it!)
5 cups zucchini, sliced or diced
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 onion, chopped
4 Tbsp butter (important for the taste)
½ cup fresh parsley or 2-3 Tbsp dry
Salt and pepper to taste (I used very little)
4 cloves garlic (delish!!)
8 oz pasta
1/3 cup fresh basil or 2-3 Tbsp dry

Heat oil in pan, add zucchini, onion & garlic. Cook 2 minutes. Add basil, parsley, butter and wine & cook until soft. Blend with Parmesan. Serve over pasta. Variations: Do not blend but serve veggies diced (I prefer this). Add small bite size chicken. Can also shred zucchini, slice the onion, substitute cheddar cheese and mix with ¼ cup plain yogurt & serve over linguine

Newsletter – July 8, 2019

*NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc.

Dear Members,

This Week you are getting Yukon Gold potatoes, red onions, green kohlrabi, carrots, turnips, garlic, fennel, squash, cucumbers and Jericho and/or Magenta lettuce.

The fronds and bulb are both eatable on this delicate, wonderful, spicy, sweet bulb called fennel. Many people love to shred the bulb and add it to slaw and salads. It is enticing cooked under roasts (it caramelizes) or roasted with root vegetables. The fronds can be added to potato & macaroni salads as well as fish. Oh Yum!!

Jericho is actually a Romaine with bright green leaves with a silky texture and sweet taste. Magenta is categorized as a Summer Crisp lettuce. It is known for its beautiful bronze leaves and its’ crunchy texture. I love this lettuce! It has a really long shelf life!

Kohlrabi is in the cabbage family, so it can be eaten the same way. Cube it or slice it and eat it raw or cooked; can be simply boiled with salt and butter. It is excellent shredded in salads or in slaw. Put in stir fries in place of water crest and don’t overcook so it stays kind of crunchy …Yum!

Fruit: You will be getting beautiful apricots this week from Rancho Durazno. You will be getting 6 pounds, so plan ahead on whether or not you want to eat them all, freeze some for later use or make jelly. You won’t be disappointed whatever you choose!

There has been a mix up with Ela Family Farms. They had originally set us up to get cherries next week, then forgot and brought them today. So, surprise!!! You are getting cherries this week too.

Produce Payments: Half of all your remaining fees were due the 1st of July (except for animals). Late fees of $25 will be applied on July 15th. Please allow 2 weeks for us to process your checks (will still get credit for arriving on time). We will do our best to get them processed just as soon as possible. Produce will be cut off for anyone who has not made a payment or followed their payment schedule the week of the 22nd. So get those payments in so you don’t miss one single week of deliciousness!!

Veggie Salad

3 turnips, trim ends
1 Kohlrabi, trimmed & peeled
3 carrots, trim ends
Fennel fronds, washed and chopped
Small cucumber, trim ends (do not peel)
Your favorite oil and Balsamic vinegar dressing
1 small onion, sliced thinly & cut into 1 inch lengths

Grate turnips, carrots, cucumbers and kohlrabi, add thinly sliced onion and fennel fronds and toss with your favorite oil and vinegar recipe! Can’t get any easier than this!!!

Newsletter – July 1, 2019

Dear Friends of the farm,

This week you are getting our second picking of Yukon Gold potatoes. These little morsels are easy to wash and easy to cook. Gently wash then cut potatoes so they are basically the same size. Be careful of their skins, they are tender. You may find some of your potatoes are roughed up just from pulling them from the ground. You may also find some brown spots from the air getting to the flesh. These can be removed with a potato peeler. Now, cover with water, salt, include a large pat of butter and boil until the water is gone and fry for just a few minutes. Yum! Do not be surprised if these cook faster than expected. There is something about the first few weeks that make them that way! You are also getting snow peas, white onions, garlic, squash, radishes and red butterhead lettuce. (Last week you got green butterhead lettuce. Jerry changed his mind what he wanted to give you and didn’t clue me in on it!)

Fruit: You will be getting Brook cherries from First Fruit this week. They are a dark red with a good bing-cherry taste and very sweet.

Produce Payment: Half of all your remaining fees are now due (except for animals & if making monthly payments). Late fees of $25 will be applied on July 15th. Please allow 2 weeks for me to process your checks (will still get credit for arriving on time). I will do my best to get them processed just as soon as possible.

Hot, Hot Hot!: It has finally warmed up from our very cold May & June. Did you know that May was the seventh coldest in Colorado’s history? 70% of June was also below normal temperatures. So needless to say, but will anyway….things are ripening slowly. The farm is beautiful this time of year. The plants have kept ahead of the weeds and everything is a beautiful green! Unfortunately, it won’t stay that way! It is simply amazing how fast weeds grow compared to the plants we eat from. It just isn’t fair!

Have a fantastic Fourth of July everyone! Jacquie, Kyle and Jerry

Bubble and Squeak

3 lg potatoes, cubed
¼ to ½ cup chopped ham
4 cups chopped cabbage
3 slices of bacon, crumbled and reserve drippings
½ med. onion, chopped
2 small squashes, grated
salt and pepper

Boil potatoes until tender and drain. Slightly mash potatoes and combine with cabbage, onion, zucchini, ham and bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat bacon drippings in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add potato mixture and smooth flat. Cook for 30 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. DO NOT STIR! Invert onto a plate and serve.