2023 CSA Farm Update: Week 4
Hello Everyone and welcome to week 4 of the Katchkie Farm CSA! The past week has been a very rainy one here on the farm. From last week’s newsletter until now we have had over 4 inches of rain fall with more rain in the forecast. The crops have been handling the rain well. Most notably the cucumbers, melons, and winter squash all started to “run.” This is a great joy to see as the plants start to express their viny nature and spread out into the pathways between beds, slowly making a dense carpet of green leaves to soak up the sun.
One of the caveats of lots of rain is the juggling act of field work. In a factory setting, there is a certain reliability that can be counted on. If widgets need to be made on Monday, they will almost certainly be made on Monday. In a farm setting, if the fall cabbage needs to be planted on Monday, it may or may not happen depending on the weather. Soil that is worked when too wet will damage soil structure, impeding the development of the crop, not to mention making the physical act of planting impossible because the fields have turned muddy. In that case, we keep our eyes on the weather and when the field conditions are right again, planting will begin.
This week’s share brings the first taste of tomatoes for the season! The cherry tomatoes that were seeded back in March and have been slowly growing in our unheated greenhouse will make their way to your bags this week. They are such a treat, they almost seem too dear to roast, but there is no wrong way to enjoy these. Baby fennel with their fronds will also make itsC first appearance this week. Every bit of the vegetable brings a wonderful lightness to any meal. It even brings lightness to the farm fields the way this dense bulb turns into green feathery fronds.
Here's to blue skies, sunshine, and cabbage planting!
Until next time,
Farmer Jon
WEEKLY HARVEST INCLUDES*
Baby Fennel
Broccoli (Burgundy Broccoli or DeCicco Broccoli)
Chard
Cherry Tomato
Head Lettuce
Parsley
Purple Scallion
Squash (Yellow Patty Pan Squash or Cousa Squash)
*We try our best to provide the most accurate CSA list in the newsletter! However, there’s always a chance of last minute substitutions in some bags if we don’t harvest enough of a vegetable.
georgette’s recipe corner
Summer Vegetable Tagine
Ingredients
½ cup whole wheat couscous
1 Tsp olive oil
2 oz dried apricot, reconstituted in warm water, quartered
5 oz red onion, thinly sliced
10 oz yellow and green zucchini, cubed ¼”
3 tbsp olive oil
Dash chili flakes
¼ tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground fennel
¼ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tbsp honey
150g dried apricots, quartered
3 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
½ cup fresh coriander
Salt and pepper
For the Vinaigrette
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1tsp lemon zest
½ Tbsp sherry vinegar
Dash ground fennel
Dash ground turmeric
1 tsp honey
3 Tbsp olive oil
To Garnish
4 Tbsp fresh coriander divided (½ roughly chopped, ½ whole leaves)
2 Tbsp roughly chopped roasted pistachios
Preparation
Cook couscous in salted water with olive oil. Remove from heat and fluff to separate grains. Add half the apricot.
Sauté red onion in 1 tbs olive oil. Set aside. Sauté zucchini in remaining olive oil over high heat. Add spices, and cook very briefly, only until al dente. Add sautéed onion, remaining apricot, chopped fresh coriander. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine vinaigrette ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Add some to zucchini, reserve the rest to serve on side. Arrange zucchini around couscous, garnish with coriander leaves and pistachio.
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