July 31, 2016
Husk Cherries New this Week
By Linda Dansbury

We are well into the summer season and from a harvest standpoint, that means that the crops will stay pretty much the same for the next few weeks with a new or different item here and there. This week we have husk cherries, which are also known as ground cherries and cape gooseberries. They are in the same botanical genus as tomatillos, and look like minature versions of them. They have significant amounts of beta carotene, protein, calcium, fiber, vitamin C and iron. One of their names, ground cherries, is due to how they are best harvested: when they are really ripe, they fall off the plant and so all you do is pick them off of the ground. In most years, they can sit on the ground with just their protective husk for a long time waiting for one of us to pick them up - with all of this year's rain, I am not sure how long they will keep. To store them, you can just leave them in their husks and sit on the counter or table - they will keep for weeks at room temperature. Early settlers and Native Americans used these as a major portion of their diet through the winter because it is a very nutritional item that doesn't require any preservation.

The taste is somewhat tropical - I have read this description of their taste: a cherry tomato injected with mango and pineapple juice. We have a couple of recipes on this site - Ground Cherry Pie and Ground Cherry Jam. Other ways to enjoy them include using them in salsa, adding to salads with a bit of goat cheese, layer with tomatoes and basil for an easy appetizer, or in meat or fish dishes as a replacement for other recommended fruits.

July 31, 2016
Trying to stay cool
By Linda Dansbury

This hot weather has us all trying to figure out how to eat well without heating up the kitchen. One of my obvious answers is to light up the grill, which we do at least a few times each week. This can also be a challenge due to the amount of thunderstorms we are dealing with recently. One thing we have been doing is when we grill, we grill extra. That gives us extra to have for a couple of days after - so as we are watching the heavy rain, we are still eating deliciously grilled foods! We were away most of last weekend and so didn't have time to do the longer term preserving I often do on Sundays, but here is some things we enjoyed. Click on the bolded recipe titles to get to the full recipe.

Eggplant, scallions, summer squash, parsley- grilled as I have described before. The next night or so I make a large pasta salad and cut up the grilled veggies, add a bit of balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs, a nice olive oil and some sort of cheese - feta or grated pecorino are nice choices. Chopped tomatoes or a squeeze of lemon juice brighten the flavors. Added grilled chicken or fish (all leftover) are also great. This makes for a delicious, nutritious and easy meal for busy families and is as flexible as your imagination and refrigerator.

Tomatoes, garlic scapes, basil - heirloom and cherry tomato season is one of the favorite and shortest seasons. In addition to the tomato salads we have been enjoying, this past week we had pasta with Uncooked Tomato Sauce. There are 2 recipes on this site - both are delicious. We had leftovers, so had another dinner in which I added additional cut up tomatoes and shrimp. Yum!!

Snap Beans, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, basil - made a huge salad, that will be eaten for days!

Cucumbers - made the Narrow Bridge Farm Refrigerator Pickles

Cucumbers, mint - I have been making my breakfast as described in member ideas a couple of weeks ago: yogurt, cucumbers, splash of cider vinegar, salt and pepper - our member suggested dill, but I used parsley and mint instead. Very good!

July 31, 2016
U-Pick Note
By Linda Dansbury

I am sure we all feel the same sadness and disappointment when walking through the U-pick tomatoes - a very high percentage are split and rotting due to the extreme weather we have been having. This has happened in past years as well, and I have seen that people then seem to stop going into the cherry tomato beds thinking they are finished for the season. But, they aren't. More little tomatoes will ripen beautifully once the weather dries out again. Later this week is supposed to be beautiful so in another week or 2 there will be a new batch of little delicious tomatoes ready for you to enjoy.

July 31, 2016
More Cooling Ideas
By Linda Dansbury

For this week, I received 2 suggestions - if you have any ideas to share with fellow members, please send to me at lindadansbury@comcast.net. Please put Anchor Run in the subject line so I can find your email. Click on the bolded item for the full recipe.

Laura Womack let me know that she has been placing a slice of cucumber in her glass of seltzer - refreshing and not bitter like citrus can be. The flavor lasts through 2 glasses and then she eats the slice. It is also good combined with an herb such as mint or rosemary.

Emily Mahoney is our Anchor Run "Queen of Soups" member! Her office is very cold, so she brings soup for lunch year around. Late last week she sent me a recipe for Mediterranean Stew. It is made in the slow cooker, so it doesn't heat the house up - freeze it in batches now and heat up later for an easy dinner/lunch. It includes butternut squash but I am pretty sure you can use potatoes instead if you want.

July 31, 2016
Wet Hot Summer Veggies
By Derek McGeehan

Harvest #12 (Week B) should include tomatoes, lettuce, summer squash, cucumbers, eggplant, sweet peppers, fresh garlic, scallions, carrots, watermelon, cantaloupe melon, cabbage, and okra. Some items may be a choice. U-pick should include cherry tomatoes, husk cherries, tomatillos, green beans, flowers, basil, dill, cilantro, parsley, and perennial herbs.

July 31, 2016
Into August We Ascend, Floating
By Derek McGeehan

Well well well, we don't have to use the well. After 4 more inches of rain the past few days July 2016 is officially the second wettest month in the 8 years we have been at Anchor Run. Before the end of today our monthly total is 11.7, surpassing September of 2011 when we endured tropical storm Lee (August of 2011 still prevails with 15 inches). Besides the deluges, we dealt with quite a heat wave this month. Overall, to say the least, it has been a challenge, mentally and physically. We're still hopeful for the crops to pull through mostly intact and without a noticeable yield deficiency in the pick up room. We always grow extra amounts of crops, depend on a diversity of crops, as insurances when weather is unfriendly and sometimes these extras turn into excess bounty and sometimes we lean heavily upon them. Besides our battles with the heat and rain, we're also plagued by creatures eating our high-sugar content crops like watermelon, cantaloupes, and sweet corn. The damage on the sweet corn was extensive enough to reduce the yield so much that we aren't able to give it out for two weeks, our goal. The damage to the watermelon, coupled with the deleterious effects of too much soil moisture and dying vines, means only enough watermelon for two weeks, not four like last season. So far the cantaloupe vines are alive, but slowly but surely the ripe orbs are being eaten. Is it a raccoon, a skunk, an opossum, crows, or all of the above? Adversity is part of life, right, right, right.

July 24, 2016
Question and Ideas
By Linda Dansbury

I am happy when I receive ideas from fellow members, so this week I am ecstatic because 4 of you took the time to email me with both ideas and questions. Thank you so much! If you have ideas, please email me at lindadansbury@comcast.net. Please put Anchor Run in subject line so I can find your email.

Alice Maxfield sent a message saying that she has already made 3 batches of the Narrow Bridge Farm Refrigerator Pickles. This recipe is for folks who want to make/eat pickles but don't have the time or inclination to can. I have made them many times and they are delicious, so try the recipe if you haven't already.

Phyllis (I am sorry, I don't know your last name) asked me a question about some of the eggplants being soft and getting spots within a few days of picking them up and she asked me if they are still okay or if they are bitter. I believe she must be referring to the lighter purple/lavender colored eggplants. I have found over the years that this variety does not keep for as long, so I use these up first. They are used the same as any other eggplant, but they do have a slightly higher water content, so keep that in mind because they don't crisp up as much as the others when frying or grilling, but they are great in any recipe, including baba ganoush - I am also sure they will be good in the soup recipe that another member shared with me this week. Farmer Derek says: "Eggplant is noticeably more sensitive to cold storage, so try to store your eggplant in a less-cold location within your fridge."

Tina Nightlinger sent me a recipe for squash fritters which is funny because I also had planned to make this week. I checked this site and found a recipe for Vegetable Cakes (from fellow member Nancy Popkin) and one for Greek Squash Cakes which are also very interesting - the Greek one is very similar to the one I made so I am going to modify that recipe to accommodate the variation. Here is Tina's note and recipes, which will be formally added to the site. Tina's note on squeezing out the liquid is very important - if we hadn't done that we would have had a pile of mush and the fritters would not have crisped up at all.

"I had a bit of a buildup of summer squash this week, so I decided to make zucchini fritters. Here's my recipe:

Combine all dry ingredients. Combine egg and milk. Combine dry with wet and add zucchini mixture. Deep fry in 375 degree oil for about 3-4 min per side. Serve hot or cold. I usually freeze some.

Note: summer squash has a lot of liquid which effects the moisture of the batter, so after you shred the squash (on a box grater or with a grater attachment on a food processor), wrap it up in a clean towel, and squeeze out the excess liquid. You can also substitute other vegetables for zucchini. Corn works well for example. You can also substitute beer for the milk if you need this dairy free or you just don't have any milk.

I usually serve these fritters with romesco, but I didn't have red peppers of any kind. So I made a tomato version the other day. I think I like it better. Here's that recipe:

Combine tomatoes, garlic, shallot, and hot pepper in a bowl with salt, pepper, and olive oil. You need just enough oil to coat the vegetables. Salt and pepper is to taste, but you can add more later. Spread it out on a sheet tray and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20 min. The tomatoes will shrivel a little and have a slight brownness.
Place the roasted vegetables, basil, oregano, and vinegar in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Then add the almonds a few at a time. What you're looking for is a somewhat thick sauce. When you get there, taste it. Add salt, pepper, vinegar, or whatever you want to get it to your liking.

Thanks for letting me share. I don't really cook with recipes, but I'm trying to write more stuff down so I can reproduce it. I hope it is clear, and that people enjoy it."

Tina, we will all enjoy what you have sent!

Judy Wright sent me a recipe for Roasted Eggplant Soup. Judy said it is equally delicious cold, since it is not exactly soup weather! She froze some, which is a great way to preserve the eggplants we are receiving right now. The recipe itself says that even though it calls for adding cream it is delicious without. I have posted the recipe on the sight and I plan to make it soon, hopefully tomorrow!

Thank you again to all who took the time to email me!

July 24, 2016
Heat Loving Veggies
By Derek McGeehan

Harvest #11 (Week A) should include sweet corn, watermelon, sweet peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, eggplant, scallions, fresh garlic, summer squash, cucumbers, carrots, celery, fennel, and cabbage. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, green beans, dill, cilantro, parsley, basil, perennial herbs, and flowers.

July 24, 2016
Still a lot of Squash and Cucumbers!
By Linda Dansbury

The member ideas are truly reflective of what we are receiving a lot of - and it is so great sharing ideas and recipes! Here is some of what we enjoyed this week.

Summer squash, scallions, garlic scapes - summer squash fritters - the recipes I have checked out are all similar. They have eggs, baking powder, flour, some type of allium(onion), and a cheese component - some add garlic to the mix. Some have a dipping sauce, or just a drizzle of lemon. Mix and match to find what your family likes the best.

Summer squash, garlic scapes, tomatoes, lettuce - made the Warm Sausage Salad with Sumer Squash also using sausage that I got with my pork share from Ledemete Grass. I really like this recipe in part because it uses only 1 pan, so on these hot summer nights it minimizes the amount of heat added to the house. It also tastes great!

Eggplant, parsley - made Twice-Cooked Eggplant Salad from the Zahav cookbook. It was very good with pita chips and would also be good as a side dish with grilled meats, but it was fairly time consuming and required constant watching - I try to keep things pretty simple for things posted on this site, so I am not going to post this one.

Green beans - sometimes things are yummy simply steamed with a little salt and pepper!

July 24, 2016
Sweet Corn and Tomatillos!
By Linda Dansbury

For the first time ever we will be receiving sweet corn as part of our share! Everyone knows how they like to cook their corn - for us, we most often boil a pot of water, add the corn, and then turn the water off. We eat our main course and then eat the corn. We eat it completely plain - no butter, not even salt! Farmers D&D eat theirs raw, uncooked, and plain. They think the flavor needs no embellishing.

A very important thing to remember is that corn loses it's sweetness quickly, especially at warm temperatures - some of the newer varieties stay sweet longer, but you need to put your share in plastic and get into your refrigerator ASAP - or better yet, eat it for dinner the evening of your pick up.

Tomatillos are an unusual veggie that may not be very well known to new members. They look like an un-ripe tomato that has a papery skin around it. To harvest them, as with many other veggies, look low on the plant. The veggie is ready when the papery husk is split and is getting loose around the veggie. In the stores, tomatillos are typically green because they are not at optimum ripeness. Look for fruit that is turning yellow - I have often found the best ones to be laying on the ground, especially as it gets later in the season.

Storing tomatillos is simple - plastic bags in the fridge - they keep for a couple of weeks so I often save 2 weeks worth and then "process" them. They also can be frozen whole after removing the papery skin.

To eat tomatillos, they can be diced up and added to salads - they have a mild flavor, reminiscent of citrus. I don't particularly love them this way so I cook and then use them. I sometimes grill them, or I halve them and roast them in the oven and then proceed with recipes for Salsa Verde, or a sauce to use with chicken and/or fish. I find myself making batches and freezing for use later in the year. My go-to recipe is the tomatillo sauce from the Chicken Stew with Tomatillo Sauce. The tomatillo sauce is great as used in the recipe but it also makes a great salsa for chips. I just searched this site and there are truly nice recipes that I had forgotten about so now I am very excited to pick tomatillos!!

July 24, 2016
Potent Heat Wave
By Derek McGeehan

Five inches of rain followed by this incredibly long heat wave means that, mostly, weeds are growing like mad. It also means crops are maturing fast, early summer crops are waning, and irrigation needs to be considered again. We're all doing our best to stay cool (not), tolerate the constant furnace, and stay hydrated. It's a minor and hopefully temporary challenge. With the heat comes watermelon, sweet corn, and sweet peppers, as well as an increase in tomatoes, both large and small. Carrots were safely harvested and stowed with a workshift this morning while celery and fennel are coming to an end. Onions will arrive soon as well as the wonderful husk cherry, a new farm favorite. With mid-summer upon us soon the arrival of diseases will commence, first with cucumber and squash family afflictions and eventually tomato family blights. So far, though, the tomatoes look happier at this time of year than they have in a few seasons and I'm sure some of us will be happy for a break from squash and cucumbers (or just the harvesting of). Thank you and see you soon.

July 24, 2016
Workshifts This Week of 7/24

Half of your committed work hours should be completed by the end of July! Over the course of the season full shares work 8 hours; half shares work 4 hours. If you're unable to contribute the physical portion of your share, you may contribute to the farm financially at the rate of $15/hour. This fills out the balance of your share cost.

This week we'll transplant kale, lettuce, and beets; pull weeds; cultivate; and possible harvest onions and/or watermelon. Beat the heat by coming in the morning!

Tuesday 7/26 8-10am; 10am-12noon

Wednesday 7/27 8-10am; 10am-12noon; 6-8pm

Friday 7/29 8-10am; 10am-12noon

Saturday 7/30 8-10am

July 17, 2016
Workshifts This Week

Half of your committed work hours should be completed by the end of July! Over the course of the season full shares work 8 hours; half shares work 4 hours. If you're unable to contribute the physical portion of your share, you may contribute to the farm financially at the rate of $15/hour. This fills out the balance of your share cost.

This week we'll harvest carrots, pull weeds, and probably cultivate. Beat the heat by coming in the morning!

Tuesday 7/19 8-10am; 10am-12noon

Wednesday 7/20 8-10am; 10am-12noon; 6-8pm

Friday 7/22 8-10am; 10am-12noon

Saturday 7/23 8-10am

July 17, 2016
Member Share Workshop July 23rd 1-3pm

At the request of members, we are hosting the first follow-up to the Now What?! Workshop. All members are invited to share their successes and/or discuss what issues they are experiencing in handling their CSA Share. We might not have all the answers, but we will sure try!

July 17, 2016
Heirloom Tomatoes Arriving
By Derek McGeehan

Harvest #10 (Week B) should include tomatoes, cabbage, squash, cucumbers, lettuces, scallions, fresh uncured garlic, eggplant, fennel, celery, and carrots. U-pick should include basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, yellow wax beans, cherry tomatoes, flowers, and perennial herbs.

July 17, 2016
Hot and Steamy
By Derek McGeehan

July 17, 2016
Time for Veggie Salads
By Linda Dansbury

It is too hot for long cooked foods, but I did prepare quite a few dishes this past week and hope to do a couple of things today in prep for the coming week.

Cucumbers, scallions, parsley - I make my cucumber salad like my grandmother used to. I slice cucumbers on a mandoline (I have a very simple one with a single blade that I purchased mainly for this purpose, a veggie peeler works, but the mandoline makes it go SO much faster!). I add sliced scallions and chopped parsley. The dressing is composed of a little salt, pepper, celery salt, red wine or apple cider vinegar and a neutral oil. This salad keeps for only about a day - the cucs wilt quickly, so I tend to only make enough for one meal.

Snap beans, scallions, garlic scapes, basil - I prepared a large salad. The dressing is red wine vinegar (sometimes I add a splash of balsamic), olive oil, salt and pepper, oregano and a bit of Dijon mustard. I also added chick peas. When I had it for lunch the next day, I added a few crumbles of feta cheese. Really tasty, healthy and it keeps for at least a week!

Summer squash, eggplant - grilled them - I brush with olive oil and sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper - is all it takes. Any leftovers can be incorporated into a pasta salad.

Cheroke, dandelion, endive, cherry tomatoes, scallions - oops! I found a head of endive that had been pushed to the back of the fridge. The outer leaves had gone bad, but the inner ones were fine. I made a hearty green salad with the mix of greens, tomatoes and scallions. I used a stronger flavored sherry vinegar in the dressing and topped with toasted pine nuts.

Summer squash, cilantro - we had a really simple dinner one night - I am sharing the recipe for Sauteed Summer Squash with Chorizo, Cilantro and Lime. Simply cook the chorizo, when browned and cook, remove from pan and add the cubed up summer squash, cook until browned and desired tenderness then add the chorizo back into pan to heat back up, at end add lime zest and the juice from a lime and a nice amount of roughly chopped cilantro. One pan and easy - I had feta cheese so I topped with a little of that.

Cabbage, Swiss chard, scallions, garlic scapes - Made cole slaw roughly to the Asian Style Slaw recipe on this site. It was even good the next day as a topping for a thinly sliced pork sandwich.

July 17, 2016
The heat is on!
By Linda Dansbury

Yes, it is very hot outside right now, but my reference to it has more to do with the amount of veggies we receive this time of the year - we are close to the peak right now both for those items that are picked up at the barn and u-pick. The veggie list at this time of year doesn't change much, but the quantity is huge! So, I start working on making recipes that we can eat some and freeze some, or salads from veggies that will keep for a few days. Right now I have most of the eggplants from 2 weeks of harvest so I am planning to make some baba ganoush and try an eggplant salad - if it is as yummy as it sounds, I will share it next week.

With all the snap beans, I will make a large green bean salad, which is actually best starting on the second day. It will keep for over a week and I can have it for lunches or as a dinner side dish. I make a simple red wine vinaigrette for the salad - my "add-ins" can be some or all of the following: scallions, basil/parsley, chopped peppers, sliced celery, chick peas, feta cheese.

Speaking of snap beans, we have a couple of simple methods to get them ready for freezing. Last year at our "Now What" Seminar, a member said she had read that you don't need to blanch green beans before freezing, which has been the standard practice for many years. To do this, clean and dry them, then place on a cookie sheet and place in freezer. When frozen, place in good quality plastic bags or containers, and freeze. I have never tried this method myself, so someone who has done it and then eaten the beans later in the year, please let me know how well it works at lindadansbury@comcast.net

I also make slaw with my cabbages - again, large amounts so I can have it for a few days. To boost flavor and nutrition, in addition to using cabbage in my slaws, I slice Swiss chard or other greens thinly and add it to the mix.

July 17, 2016
Cucumber Ideas
By Linda Dansbury

Thank you to 2 members, both of whom sent ideas for using the bountiful amount of cucumbers we are receiving right now. If you have ideas for any of the items we are receiving, please send to me to share with the rest of the members at lindadansbury@comcast.net - please put Anchor Run in the subject line so I can find it.

Nancy Wasch sent the following note and recipe for savory breakfast cucumbers:

Cucumbers are a special treat for me, since I only eat them when they are very fresh - a supermarket cucumber is never appealing. With the abundance of cucumbers, I have been trying to come up with ways to use them all. This breakfast cucumber salad is addictive! Similar to your basic sour cream recipe, but substitute yogurt.

Savory Breakfast Cucumbers

Thinly slice the cucumber (peel first if necessary). Toss with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate a half hour to integrate the flavors. If you just can't wait, go ahead and eat it without the wait - still delish.

Veen Huffnagle sent in a recipe for Cucumber Sushi Rolls that sounds really interesting. I am adding it to the website. Veen says "I made ours vegan and used the carrots, cucumbers and scallions from last weekend's pickup. I also used brown rice, rice wine vinegar, sautéed mushrooms and bell peppers."

July 10, 2016
From Asparagus to Zucchini Cookbooks Are Here!

For several years prior to her departure from our earthly plane, Jeannine Vannais worked hard to transform the Anchor Run herb garden into the lovely paradise that it is today. In her honor and memory we are planning to build a pergola and arbor within the herb garden for vining plants to provide shade atop a comfortable space with benches. To raise money for the materials and installation of the pergola we're having a cookbook sale. "From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce" will be available to purchase for $20 from the pick up room. From each purchase, $7 will go to the cost of the pergola. For more information on the book, please follow this link. Books should be available within the next week or so; look for them in the pick up room.

July 10, 2016
Holiday Weekend Dishes Galore!
By Linda Dansbury

Last week I talked about the several dishes we prepared for our guests on Saturday. Below includes some of what we made for our Sunday guests as well as during the week. Please send your ideas/suggestions to me at lindadansbury@comcast.net, and please include Anchor Run in the subject line.

Eggplant, zucchini, scallions and radicchio - cut into different shapes for visual appeal, drizzled with olive oil and grilled until nicely browned and softened but not falling apart. Arranged on a platter, drizzled with olive oil, a bit of balsamic vinegar and sea salt. I had leftovers, so I chopped everything up and made a pasta salad, adding more balsamic vinegar and olive oil, fresh basil, and a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese.

Carrots, garlic scapes, basil - made a roasted carrot and carrot top pesto salad, which was very well received. Made the pesto, then roasted carrots. Made a separate small "salad" with shaved carrots, a few carrot tops and basil leaves. Plated everything, placed a bit of burrata cheese in the middle of each plate and finished with generous drizzles of the pesto.

Zucchini, garlic scapes - made zucchini fritters

Green Beans, scallions, garlic scapes - green bean salad

Cucumbers, scallion, parsley - I made a couple of cucumber salads the way my grandmother always did - slice the cucs with a mandoline (I have a very basic one that is so much faster and easy clean-up), then add chopped scallions and parsley. A simple vinaigrette with a mild vinegar and oil, celery salt, a bit of salt and pepper - that's it!

July 10, 2016
Fresh Garlic is here!!
By Linda Dansbury

Fresh garlic is wonderful! The reason it is called fresh garlic is because it has just been harvested so the outer protective layers have not "hardened off" by weeks of hanging in a dry area. Use the fresh garlic exactly the way you use hardened off garlic (unlike the scapes, which do not tolerate long cooking). But...it must be refrigerated or it will spoil.

A note on cabbage - it will keep for a long time stored in plastic in the fridge but if you want to make a delicious summery slaw now, add some thinly sliced chard, scallions, garlic scapes, carrots (if you have any left) and your favorite vinaigrette.

July 10, 2016
U-Pick request
By Linda Dansbury

U-pick is a large portion of your CSA share, so please be sure to make time each of your pick up weeks to pick your allotment of crops. The farm is open 8am-8pm Monday through Sunday of your pick up week. A couple of comments/requests on things I have observed that need to be remembered in consideration of all of the farm members:

I noticed that several of the parsley plants in the herb garden have had all of the leaves taken off, making the plants so stripped they died. If there isn't much parsley (or other herb), please just take a couple of leaves. It will only take a short time for more to grow. Also, very shortly there will be an adequate amount in the main u-pick field.

Use the containers in the barn to accurately measure what to pick, then dump them into a plastic bag or other container. I noticed someone doing U-pick right into plastic bags, which will in all likelihood result in picking too much, because a half pint of raspberries looks like such a tiny amount in a large plastic bag.

July 10, 2016
Continuity
By Derek McGeehan

Harvest #9 (Week A) should include cabbage, fennel, celery, lettuces, radicchio, chard, summer squash, cucumbers, scallions, basil, eggplant, and fresh garlic. Some items may be a choice. U-pick should include snap/string beans, dill, cilantro, raspberries, perennial herbs, cherry tomatoes, and flowers.

July 10, 2016
Wellspring of Successful CSA
By Derek McGeehan

With approximately 60 CSA members scattered over 3 2-hour overlapping shifts - with an added hour to finish up at the end - all of the 2016 garlic was harvested and either hung to cure or pruned and put in the cooler. This was truly a community endeavor with so many helping hands taking part in the process. We had a few hiccups such as a flat truck tire and wood beams collapsing in the barn under the weight of the garlic. But, we all came together to see the job through. We're sincerely thankful for the help of the community to see this accomplished and especially to have some help at the end with the barn problem - that was a bit unnerving to say the least. Farm work and life is frantic this time of year but the support of the community of members helps the farm get through these very busy times.

Over the weekend we received 3 inches of rain, more than we received in the whole month of June, and the same amount we received in March and April combined. We needed the rain for sure, but not so fast in such a short burst. When it falls that quickly the ground cannot accept it, so a lot of runs off and carries soil with it, most unfortunately. A couple of the fields acquired a minor gully where there was a natural swale present that ran through the field. It hurts to see soil wash downhill but we'll do what we can to pull it back up with the help of our tractors. We'll also adjust our bed lengths to end where the swale begins and leave a permanent cover of grass there to mitigate future erosion. It was quite an eventful weekend. Thanks again to our wonderful CSA members!

July 3, 2016
New Arrivals
By Derek McGeehan

Harvest #8 (Week B) should include cabbage, carrots, celery, fennel, lettuces, cucumbers, summer squash, basil, scallions, chard, eggplant, radicchio, escarole, and Italian dandelion. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include raspberries, green beans, perennial herbs, flowers, and additional basil.

July 3, 2016
Water Does Fall From the Sky
By Derek McGeehan

The farm fortunately received about 1.8" of rain last week, with the majority falling in about an hour on Tuesday night. Rain that falls early on in the work week sometimes feels like a mixed blessing because although we earnestly want and need the rain, we know we have a lot of outside work to do and don't want to be kept from the fields for too long. The 1.3" we received Tuesday night came right after we planted 3,000 of the 6,000 strawberry plants, so we still had a lot more to do the following day. The ground was parched enough that it swallowed up most of the moisture pretty quickly and by Wednesday afternoon we were able to resume planting. Many thanks go out to the CSA members that helped with this very large task!

During this upcoming week we're planning to transplant the 5th succession of beans, the 13th and 14th installments of lettuces, and the 4th iteration of cilantro, dill, and parsley. We're also hoping to retrieve the rest of the cabbage from the field and begin harvesting the next round of carrots, which were seeded about a month after the high tunnel patch. If all goes well, it looks like carrots will be a part of the share for another month or more. We're striving for another seeding in early August that will be harvested in October or November. This seeding will happen after weed seeds discontinue their germination due to the waning daylight and their lack of ability to mature in time before the first frost and freeze. Carrots take painfully long to germinate and have a very difficult time outcompeting weed pressure. Regardless, enjoy your Independence Day celebrations!

July 3, 2016
Cabbage and fennel
By Linda Dansbury

Cabbage is one of the new items this week. Given that it is summer and cookout time, cole slaw is the obvious choice. Each family seems to have their favorite recipe - years ago, when searching for recipes for Anchor Run, I found one that has become a favorite for our family and friends - Asian Cole Slaw. Shred some of the carrots and slice some celery thinly and add to the mix. Yum! Since we are having a party today, I wish I already had my cabbage pick up. Cabbage keeps for a very long time in the fridge when stored in a plastic bag or container. But...the taste will get stronger the longer it is stored, so for the best flavor, use it up within 2 weeks.

Fennel is another new item for this week and you may not be very familiar with it. It also stores well in plastic in the fridge, although the fronds are pretty perishable. Fennel has a licorice/anise flavor, especially when eaten raw - it seems people either love that taste or not. I happen to prefer fennel cooked, which tames the strong flavor - to me it becomes delicious! There are a lot of fennel recipes on this site - both raw and cooked. Fennel mixes well with many of the other veggies we are receiving now. Try doing something like this: grill or roast fennel and zucchini slices that have been tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper. When tender, make into a pasta salad, adding sliced scallions, garlic scapes and a lot of basil leaves. Toss with olive oil and a bit of your favorite vinegar or lemon juice. Yum! To make it heartier, add a can of white beans to the mix - white beans, lentils and fennel were made for each other!

July 3, 2016
How I enjoyed my harvest this week
By Linda Dansbury

Below is some of what we ate this past week. Please send your ideas, recipes to me at lindadansbury@comcast.net

Green beans, scallions, garlic scapes, basil and parsley - made a green bean salad (with a red wine vinaigrette) and ate it alongside grilled meat - wonderful for a summer evening and can be made a couple of days ahead and is actually better the 2nd and 3rd day. I often add a can of chick peas to my green bean salad and have it for lunch. Feta or parmesan cheese are also great additions.

Carrots - since we have a lot of carrots right now, plus I have some in my own garden, we shredded some and made into carrot fritters. It was simple - a bit of flour, panko, eggs, pecorino romano cheese, salt and pepper. Fried in oil and then topped with feta and a squeeze of lemon. Very tasty!!

Carrot tops, basil and garlic scapes - took both of my bunches of tops and made a double batch of carrot top pesto, one of which I put in the freezer, the other will be used today.....

Beets, scallions and greens - I roasted 3 weeks worth of beets at the same time, peeled them and placed into a container for use during the week. We made a nice salad the one night - I love beet salad with a dijon and tarragon vinaigrette and topped with fresh, creamy goat cheese and toasted pecans.

Beets, beet greens, garlic scapes, parsley - used more of the roasted beets for Roasted Beet and Beet Greens Risotto. It comes out delicious and pretty too!

Escarole, endive, scallions and garlic scapes - used the recipe for Asian Cole Slaw, but went very light with the dressing so the greens didn't become too wilted - it was delicious served with Thai style grilled chicken.

Summer squash, garlic scapes, scallions, Swiss chard - made a saute of all, and ended with a bunch of fresh herbs - I had a leftover piece of grilled chicken to eat with the mostly veggie dinner.

Cucumbers and carrots - I have been cutting them up and eating with my lunch - delicious and healthy.

July 3, 2016
Member ideas and suggestions
By Linda Dansbury

Please share your ideas/recipes with the rest of the Anchor Run community by emailing me at lindadansbury@comcast.net - please put Anchor Run in the subject line so I can easily find your suggestions.

Evelyn Throne sent me her idea to share - she wants everyone to remember that kohlrabi can be grated and added to almost any cooked dish or salad. "It especially dresses up things when grated on top. I even added it to the Italian Wedding soup I made with the escarole and other greens and it made the soup even more interesting."

Thank you for sharing Evelyn!