In The box for week of August 22nd - 24th

This week!

Sweet Peppers

Tomatoes

Steve's Mystery: romanesco, berries, or?

Spinach

Red Beets with great greens

Leeks

Cutting Celery also called smallage: a note on cutting celery: it is related to celery and is often called wild celery. In our kitchen we mostly use it like parsley. It gives vegetable soup, minestrone, potato salad, tuna salad, etc a nice herbal celery flavor. The photo above is of German holding a bunch of herbal celery.

Here are a couple of recipes I found today for the newsletter. I'm enjoying this cookbook from the library: From the Cook's Garden: Recipes for Cooks Who Like to Garden, Gardeners Who Like to Cook, and Everyone Who Wishes They Had a Garden.

Multi Pepper Salad with Fontina
adapted from From the Cook's Garden by Ellen Ogden

1.5 pounds Sweet peppers, roasted and cut into 1/4 inch strips
12 black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and coarsely chopped
6 ounces Fontina cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 1.5 cups)
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon finely chopped cutting celery OR tarragon OR parsley
1/4 cup best extra virgin olive oil
S & P to taste

Combine the peppers, olives, and cheese. Mix the cream, lemon juice, mustard, and herb in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season with the S & P. Pour over the peppers and mix. Serve immediately.
Creamy Beet Soup with Pistachio Mousse
adapted from From the Cook's Garden by Ellen Ogden

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch beets, peeled and cubed
1 small onion or leek, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 cups white wine
2 cups apple cider or juice
dash of ground allspice
1 stick of cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 pint sour cream or yogurt
S & P to taste

Pistachio Mousse

1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup chopped pistachio nuts, slightly toasted
8 sprigs fresh chervil or 4 sprigs fresh tarragon
4 fresh mint leaves
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the beets and onions and cook, stirring often, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the apple juice, spices, and return to the boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook until the beets are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Stir in the sourcream or yogurt.

Transfer to a bowl and cool. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.

Meanwhile make the pistachio mousse. Process all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer to bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve the soup cold, seasoning with the salt and pepper and garnishing each bowl with a spoonful of the mousse.

Vegetable list for July 18 and Quinoa Salad Recipe

These are cubanelle peppers, many of you received them in your box last week. They are NOT spicy. They are an Italian frying pepper, and they can be used in many (all?) places a 'green bell pepper' is called for. But: they aren't bitter like the green bell peppers that are common in grocery stores. You can chop them up in a salad (I made a quinoa salad yesterday, recipe below.) you can saute them alone or with summer squash to make a bit of a succotash...

The List for July 18th, as Steve and Andy recited to me on Friday night, they reserve the right to change this list: (if you have time: email me (julia at mariquita dot com) one recipe that the following list inspires you to prepare, and or 'what you'd do with the box'. be sure to tell me how you want to be credited: Your Full Name; Anonymous CSA member from X Town; First Name Only, etc. )

peppers (not spicy ones!)

onions

spinach

celery

strawberries

lettuce

cilantro

mystery herb

collards OR kale

beets OR carrots

-----

Julia's Quinoa Salad: an All Purpose Recipe

(a quinoa plug: it's a whole grain that's fairly high in protein. My family is always a bit lacking in protein, so I often look for places I can add more. -julia)

I start by taking one package (or one pound) of quinoa from Trader Joes: I dump it in the rice cooker, and add water (1 part quinoa to two parts water.) Cook as you would rice. In my rice cooker, the quinoa acts a little differently and spouts wildly so I drape a tea towel over it so the counter doesn't get so messy. this may not be a problem in your kitchen with your rice cooker. you can of course also cook the quinoa as the package directs with other methods.

I let the cooked quinoa cool off and then put it in a big bowl. Now the sky is the limit for what to add to it to make it into a 'salad'. What I put in last night: olive oil and lemon juice, diced avocado, sliced kalamata (pitted of course) olives, chopped onions, chopped basil, grated parmesan cheese, diced cooked beets, grated raw carrots. And S & P.

I now have a healthy, high fiber, decent protein lunch/dinner/breakfast (I like savory breakfasts!) that's filled with vegetables. I also used up some odds and ends in the fridge: 1/3 jar olives, 3 carrots, half a bunch of basil (Ok, that was on the counter), 3 small onions, etc.

Other addtions? any leftover cooked meat, chopped, smoked salmon, other herbs, pesto, just look in YOUR fridge! oh: you can use brown rice, white rice, couscous, etc. instead of the quinoa.

In The box for week of July 4th, 5th and 6th

Hello, Two Small Farms Community:

We are delivering on Wed July 4th like all other Wednesdays.

In this week's box: Orach, Yellow Carrots, Tropea Onions, Summer Squash, Spinach, Salad Mix, Red Chard OR Beets, Strawberries OR Artichokes (this photo is of the purple orach.)


Recipe Index

Newsletter #401

Table of Contents:

1) In your box this week
2) Community of Food
3) Fastest Box Preparation
4) July 4th deliveries on July 4th
5) Photos
6) Recipes
7) Which Farm?
8) Unsubscribe
9) Two Small Farms Contact Information
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1) In your box this week: Gold Beets, Cauliflower, Spinach, Radishes, Romaine Lettuce, Spring Onions, Oregano, Collards OR Spigariello greens, Mystery

This week’s vegetable list: I try to have it updated by Monday night, sometimes by Mon. am:

**Wed. July 4th we will deliver our Wednesday deliveries as usual, even though it’s the 4th. Please find someone to pick up for you if you’ll be out of town or contact Zelda if you want to donate your share. Thank you.
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2) Community of Food by Zelda S.

(Julia’s note: Andy’s been bugging Zelda to write this article. She comes to us with a wealth of experience in working with CSA farms, including her own! Here’s a bit of her story.)

I first met Tim and John as the new, slightly panicked operations manager for a small food co-op in a small town in northern Indiana. “Operations manager” was a catch-all phrase that was to include cleaning the bathroom (a toilet next to the rickety ladder stairs leading to the storage area in the basement; later to be flooded as I was closing up one night by the upstairs neighbor’s washer. But that’s another story) as well as organizing the working members – members who volunteered a few hours a month at the co-op. This was the forum for meeting Tim and John, a wonderful breath of eccentricity. Tim was at first quiet and always eager to please. John was more interested in talking local politics or explaining why I needed a new bike helmet than in wrapping cheddar cheese. But they regularly came in two times a week to do their shopping and were faithful, monthly volunteers. I gradually came to match dozens of names with faces and we developed a wonderful working community around food.

Two years later, I left the food co-op to embark on a small business venture – farming! I and another woman, Beth, would work a small 6 acre plot at the edge of town and start a Community Supported Agriculture program. This was viewed with some suspicion – “must be some sort of new-age hippie thing.” And Tim and John were right there with us, still eager to please and still rattling on about the mayoral election (can someone really be elected on an anti-mosquito platform?). I saw more of Tim than John over the next five years. Tim worked as an organist for hire and had a pretty flexible schedule. He loved to see what we were up to and talk about what to do with flea beetles, when it is safe to set out his tomatoes and why in the world would I plant okra. Every week, he set off around the garden, taking in all the changes: the ground hog damage to the lettuce, the row cover blown off into the trees, the rust on the green beans, and the mysterious case of the disappearing cauliflower plants (ground hogs again). He also saw the superb spinach, the snap peas billowing in their rows, and the sensual okra flower. I so appreciated Tim and his interest.

Our CSA was quite small by California standards, only 45 members. Members came to the farm to pick up their veggies. Either Beth or I greeted them each week and they were welcome to walk the farm. We were initially surprised with how few took the trip around the gardens. A few enjoyed bringing their children or grandchildren to visit the goats and chickens. But aside from Tim, most were content to look out at the patchwork of vegetables and weeds and know that this is where just a few hours earlier their food had been harvested.

When I’ve spoken in recent years about Community Supported Agriculture to UCSC students at the Farm and Garden program, I have come away with a sense that they expect there to be an intense communal relationship with the members of their future CSA program. There is an expectation that you shouldn’t get “too big” as a CSA or you’ll lose the sense of “community.” I think I initially held that view as well, but I have come to see that community comes in many forms and facets. The community is formed among the co-workers or neighbors sharing a box of veggies. It’s when you sit down at your table and read our newsletter and the shared recipes and stories from the farmers and other members. Or when friends take turns holding a weekly dinner party made up of food from the veggie box and the farmers market. It is formed when a family starts cooking and eating together every week. This is how a community of people gathers to support local agriculture – you eat in community.

Seven years went by, and I had never been to Tim and John’s house. For awhile when he would stop by for his veggies and weekly stroll, his little Festiva would be loaded down with rocks for his path or more plants to go in the back yard. Tim had been reporting over the years on how he had slowly gotten rid of his lawn and what had gone in its place – rock lined paths leading through an edible landscape. And in the meantime, the business relationship with my partner had run its course, and I was through with farming and heading to California. Tim and John came into the bakery where I was working and presented me with an invitation to a bon voyage dinner. I accepted, with a lump in my throat.

When I arrived at their home, it was my turn to take a walking tour. Tim gave me the play by play of what and when he had put things in. “You remember, the year you had the eight foot high okra.” John had typed up the menu for the evening, trying to buy as much as they could from the local growers at the farmers market. It was May, so the variety was limited, but it did include a fresh greens salad with radishes and snow peas, roasted asparagus, and free-range chicken. Of course, since I would be moving to California, they decided we better top the evening off with a trip to Dairy Queen down the street. Who knew when I would again be able to indulge in a peanut buster parfait.

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3) Fastest Way to use this week’s box from Julia:

for all cooking greens: radish and beet tops, collards, and spinach if you’re not going to saladize it: rinse and then roughly chop greens. Cook up with garlic in a bit of oil. Then eat that as a side dish with a squeeze of lemon, or take it further and mix it into a quiche, top a pizza, stir into a hearty bean soup, or just tuck into a quesadilla. Cook up the radish and beet tops in the first day or two, they are delicious but don’t hang out very long. You can store their roots longer in the fridge in a bag.

Cauliflower: steam and eat. Dip in salad dressing if you like.

Lettuce: simple green salads every day til it’s gone!

Onions: use anywhere you use onions, or slice thin into a salad

Oregano: dry or use one of the recipes below.

Radishes: eat if you’re a radish fan, cook if you want to tame the spiciness.

Beets: roast and eat or grate raw into a salad.

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4) Wednesday, July 4th

Week of July 4th: Please note, this year July 4th falls on a Wednesday! We will deliver to the Wednesday pick up sites on July 4th. If you are to be out of town, we encourage you to find a friend to pick up the veggies for you. If no one can pick up the veggies for you, call or email us at least a day in advance and we can donate your veggies to the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry.

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5) Photos

Gold Beets

Radishes (you’ll get EITHER plum purple or candela)

Candela Fuoco Radishes

Purple Plum Radishes

Spring Onions

Spigariello Greens: (for recipes, these work well in any kale recipe)

Oregano

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6) Recipes by Robert, Crystal, and Julia

Oregano Before Tomatoes! It's got some of the same theories as Basil Before Tomatoes. You can easily try drying the oregano. (Basil doesn't dry well AT ALL: it's best to pestoize it and freeze it to keep it for the future.) But oregano is great dried. If you have a gas oven you can arrange the oregano stems evenly over a baking pan (undo the bunch). Put it in the oven with just the pilot light and it should dry nicely. You can also try hanging the bunch (possibly make a couple of smaller bunches) upside down in a dark, dry place. If you have a food dehydrator, try that, using the instructions. OR! Try one of the recipes below: all using fresh oregano, before tomatoes show up!

FISH FILLETS WITH OLIVES AND OREGANO

Elegant but easy, this fast fish dinner is simple enough to prepare on a weeknight and special enough to serve to company.

4 (1 1/4-inch-thick) pieces white-fleshed skinless fish fillets, such as halibut (6 oz each)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 very thin lemon slices
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup pitted brine-cured green olives such as picholine, halved lengthwise (2 oz)
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano or 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled

Special equipment: a 2 1/2-qt shallow ceramic or glass baking dish

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 450̊F.

Pat fish dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear fillets, skinned sides down, until browned well, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer, seared sides up, to baking dish (reserve skillet), then top each fillet with a slice of lemon.

Add wine to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits. Boil 30 seconds, then pour around fish. Scatter olives around fish and bake, uncovered, until fish is just cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes.

Transfer fish to a platter, then whisk lemon juice, oregano, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil into cooking liquid in baking dish. Season sauce with salt and pepper and spoon over fish.

Makes 4 main-course servings.

Gourmet
Quick Kitchen
May 2006

Creamy Yogurt Oregano Dip

This would make a great sauce for falafel, hamburgers, or just crackers/vegetables as dip delivery devices. This recipe can be halved.

2 Cups Plain Lowfat Greek (strained) yogurt (see note below)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 small onion, finely chopped (or two green onions)
juice from 1 garlic clove, (I used a microplane, you can also try a garlic press and just add the juice)
2 quick dashes of worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate to develop flavors, at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.

Serve as a thick sauce for lamb burgers, falafel, as a dip plate, etc.

Makes 6 Servings (About 1 3/4 Cups of Dip).

Greek Yogurt Note: it's a strained therefore thicker yogurt. You can use nonfat or full fat if you like. Trader Joe's sells a Greek brand and their own brand of Greek yogurt. You can make your own too: Set strainer over 4-cup measuring cup. Line strainer with paper towel. Add yogurt to strainer; chill until yogurt is thick (about 1 cup liquid will drain from yogurt), at least 2 hours or overnight.

CARROT SALAD WITH OREGANO AND CUMIN
I know there are no carrots in this week's box, but some of you may still have carrots waiting to be eaten in the fridge...

2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped fine
a rounded 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound carrots (about 8 medium), peeled and shredded fine

In a bowl whisk together oregano, cumin, zest, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste and whisk in oil in a stream until dressing is emulsified. Add carrots and toss to combine well.

Serves 8 to 10 as part of a tapas buffet.

Gourmet
January 1996

GRILLED JUMBO SHRIMP WITH LEMON AND OREGANO

Julia's note: I've made this dish: it's simply delicious. Plan to double the recipe if you have very many shrimp lovers at your table! I've successfully used smaller shrimp as well. I've made this in the oven using the broiler instead of the grill as well....

Gourmet's note: The citrusy dressing makes this dish a standout, and there's plenty extra to be sopped up with rice or crusty bread. Cooking shrimp in their shells keeps them juicy and tender. It all makes for casual finger food that requires plenty of napkins — which is part of the fun.

3 lb jumbo shrimp in shell (7 or 8 per lb)
4 large garlic cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh oregano (from 1 bunch)
3 lemons, each cut into 6 wedges

Snip through shells of shrimp along middle of back using kitchen shears, exposing vein and leaving tail and adjoining segment of shell intact. Devein shrimp, leaving shells in place.

Mince and mash garlic to a paste with salt using a large heavy knife or a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a blender along with lemon juice and pepper and blend until smooth. With motor running, add oil in a slow stream, blending until emulsified. Transfer dressing to a bowl and stir in chopped oregano.

Prepare grill for cooking over direct heat with medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas).

Toss shrimp with 1/4 cup dressing in a large bowl and marinate no more than 15 minutes. (Texture of shrimp will change if marinated too long.)

Lightly brush lemon wedges with some of remaining dressing and grill, turning over once, until grill marks appear, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large platter.

Grill shrimp on lightly oiled grill rack (covered only if using a gas grill), turning over once, until just cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to platter with lemons as grilled. Serve with remaining dressing.

Cooks' note:
If you aren't able to grill outdoors, preheat a lightly oiled well-seasoned large (2-burner) cast-iron grill pan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook lemon wedges and shrimp (in batches if necessary) in same manner as above.

Makes 6 servings.

Culinary Uses
Leaf: Blend with chili and garlic. Add to pizza, tomatoes, egg and
cheese dishes. Stuff fresh haddock with oregano and breadcrumbs. Rub
into roasting meat.
Stem: Give food a faint oregano flavor by laying stems on barbecue
embers.

Spanakorizo
Spinach and Rice
adapted from Meditteranean Vegetables by Clifford A. Wright.

note from author of recipe:
Some cooks like to slide several sunny-side-up eggs on top of the finished dish, and you can do the same if you like. Kefalotyri is a Greek cheese that can usually be found in Middle Eastern or Greek markets; replace it with provolone or mild cheddar if you must. (That's Clifford's opinion, use what you like! -julia)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup uncooked short-grain rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly ground if available)
3 Tablespoons freshly chopped mint leaves, divided
3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano or marjoram, divided
2 pounds spinach, washed will and trimmed of heavy stems (can combine with other cooking greens)
1/2 cup freshly grated kefalotyri cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole over medium heat and cook the onion until yellow, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook until coated with oil, about 2 minutes. Add the water and salt and bring to a boil. REduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice has absorbed most of the water, about 20 minutes.

2. Season with pepper, nutmeg, and half the herbs. Place half the spinachon top of the rice and season with the remaining herbs. PLace the remaining spinach into the casserole and cover. Cook until the spinach is slightly wilted, about 15 minutes, and stir to mix together the rice, spinach, and herbs. Cover and continue cooking, checking the casserole frequently, until the water is absorbed, another 30 to 45 minutes. Correct the seasoning, cover with the cheese, allow it to melt, and serve hot.

makes 6 to 8 servings.

spigariello idea from Crystal, gleaned from Michelle's blog "Getting Your Share"

Crystal said...

Hi. I am new to CSA. I found the
Spigariello delicious. I chopped it up, steamed it, then added it an already sauteed garlic and crushed red pepper in olive oil. Then served it over pasta. It was yummy.

in case you still have cabbage in your fridge: 2 recipes submitted by Robert Gupta

Sesame Cabbage

1/2 cup raw sesame seeds
1/4 tsp salt
1 dried red chili

1 head Cabbage, chopped
3/4 cup water
1 tsp salt

"Popu"
1 1/2 tbsp oil (olive, sesame, canola, etc.)
1 dried red chili, cracked
1 pinch fenugreek
1/4 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp cumin seed

Dry roast sesame seeds and dried red chili in a pan over medium heat. Stir often until majority seeds are brown. Remove from heat and cool. Once cool, grind in a food processor or blender with 1/2 tsp of salt. Excess ground sesame can be stored in the refrigerator for further use.

To cook cabbage over medium heat, add chopped cabbage to 3/4 cup boiling water + 1 tsp salt. Cook until cabbage is desired texture. Once cooked, drain excess liquid. Add 1/4-1/2 cup ground sesame. Turn off heat.

Prepare the "popu" in a separate pan by combing all ingredients, heating over medium heat, and waiting for mustard seeds to crackle. Once ready, add to cabbage, stir and heat over low heat for 1 minute. The "popu" can be prepared when the cabbage is nearly finished.

Potato Scallion Curry

1 inch ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion,chopped
1 bunch scallions or spring onions, chopped
4-6 potatoes boiled, chopped (big pieces) optionally remove peel
2 small green chilis
2 tsp curry powder

"Popu"
1 1/2 tbsp oil (olive, sesame, canola, etc.)
1 pinch fenugreek
1/4 tsp mustard seed1 tsp cumin seed

In a large saucepan, prepare the popu. When the seeds crackle, add garlic and stir until aroma emerges. Add scallions,onion and green chilis. Stir until onions soften and become transulcent. Add potatoes and ginger. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add curry powder, stir for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. Can be served as a filling for dosas, with rice, or chappatis.

Radish, Cauliflower, and Beet Recipe Seekers: please refer to the links below, I used my Recipe Energy this week on the oregano-before-tomatoes recipes, they are above and on my oregano webpage too. Thank you.

Recipe Links:

Radishes

Spinach

Oregano

Beets

Salad Dressings

Summer Squash

Strawberries

Cauliflower
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7) Which Farm?

From High Ground: Mystery, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Flowers
From Mariquita: Onions, Radishes, Oregano, Beets, Spinach, Collards, Spigariello
_________________________________

8) Unsubscribe/Subscribe From/To This Newsletter

BLOG ADVANTAGES: I can change mistakes after I post them. I don’t have to subscribe/unsubscribe folks. Old newsletters easily accessed. Links! (I send this newsletter out as plain text so more folks with differently-abled computer systems can easily read it.) You can sign up for email updates to the Two Small Farms Blog on the main blog page
________________________________________________

9) Two Small Farms Contact Information

Two Small Farms
Mariquita Farm/High Ground Organics
Organically Grown Vegetables
831-786-0625
P.O. Box 2065
Watsonville, CA 95077
csa@twosmallfarms.com
http://www.twosmallfarms.com
http://www.mariquita.com
http://www.highgroundorganics.com

Two Small Farms Newsletter #398

Issue Number 398, May 30th 2007

In your box this week

Salad Mix
Strawberries
Green Onions
Summer Squash OR Artichokes
Lacinato Kale
Loose Spinach
Basil
Mystery*

*why a mystery? Andy thought he'd put carrots in this week, but then the cauliflower decided to be PERFECT. But cauliflower is funny, when it's ready you have to cut it, there's no wiggle room. So some will get cauliflower, others possibly broccoli di cicco, and still others round carrots. it's like a surprise. -julia

From Jeanne and Steve at High Ground Organics:

We loved meeting so many of you this weekend at Kids' Day! Somebody left a little black and brown stuffed bear at the farm. Let us know who you are and we will send it back to you.

This Is Not A Problem by Andy

My alibi was airtight-at the time of the crime, on March 3rd, 2007, I was with my wife and children in a minivan, driving westward on the 10, traveling from Palm Springs to Los Angeles. But while we were rolling past the Morongo Indian Casino in Cabezon some perverse soul set a small plastic bag full of ladybugs on the floor inside in the gallery of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. There was an exhibition of Belgian artist Rene Magritte's work going on at the time. A security guard observed the ladybugs escaping the bag. The crowded museum galleries were evacuated, and the ladybugs were apprehended. The March fourth edition of the LA Times reported that "no one was injured and no artworks were damaged."

What did the L.A. Times expect? Were the ladybugs likely to jump on museum patrons and suck their blood? Obviously no, because ladybugs eat insects that feed on plants. Just imagine the predicament the poor ladybugs found themselves in, stuck in a sterile museum environment with hard floors and threatened by humans in squeaky shoes milling about as they gazed at weird paintings. I can see a ladybug flying towards a "window" only to discover that it's no window to the outside at all, but a framed painting of an open window, with blue skies in the background and ranks of impassive, black-suited men in bowler hats painted shoulder to shoulder outside staring at the viewer, obstructing their "view"-The Month Of The Grape Harvest, Rene Magritte1959 reads the caption.

My farm is named after the ladybug-mariquita means ladybug in Spanish-and I count on beneficial insects like the ladybug to control the insect pests on my farm. I can hardly imagine a cuter or more useful insect friend than the ladybug. If I didn't have ladybugs on my farm I'd have to buy some. I'm proud to say that I'm gradually creating an environment on the farm that attracts ladybugs from around the area and convinces them to stay. We had an open house at our farm last year. Children came to the fields and they were excited to find ladybugs crawling around . I wanted to tell the curator at the L.A. County Museum of Art and the editor at the L.A. Times that "no one was injured."

I also wanted to see the Magritte exhibit, so the next day I went to the museum. Too late. The woman selling tickets said the show was closed for good. I was expressing my heartfelt disappointment when I saw that she was observing me with a wary eye. It occurred to me that I was wearing my Mariquita Farm T shirt printed with a patter that has a number of ladybugs crawling about upon it and I had my Mariquita Farm hat on that is dotted with ladybugs. Did she think that the criminal was returning to the scene of the crime? I scuttled off before she called security. Reality would be hard for me to explain. There's a famous painting by Magritte of an apple with the words "Ceci n'est pas une pomme," meaning "this is not an apple." If I'd been in the gallery the day the ladybugs were crawling amok I would've taken a photo of a ladybug walking across the apple and titled it "This is not a problem."

Isn't it amazing that the public gets so freaked out about bugs and nature that (in)security guards feel they have to treat a hand full of ladybugs like a terrorist threat. People talk a lot about the dangers posed to public health by farmers using agricultural chemicals but you don't hear a lot about how homeowners recklessly contaminate their yards as they indulge their fear of insects. I'm hoping that the guards vacated the museum and inconvenienced the patrons just so they could save the ladybugs from getting trod on by careless visitors. I want to believe that the security guards took the ladybugs into the sculpture gardens outside of the museum and gently blew them aloft into LA's yellow skies, chanting "ladybugs, ladybugs, fly away home." Rene Magritte was a confirmed surrealistic, so he would probably have been amused at the chaos provoked by the ladybugs. I can handle surrealism-it's what passes for "realism" that's got me worried.

Copyright 2007 Andy Griffin

Where to keep the vegetables once their home

Everything should go into the fridge except maybe the basil. There are many basil storage theories out there: the important thing is that it not get *too* cold: if there are warmer parts of your fridge (for some that's the door) that might work. Some folks have put the basil in a jar with water and then covered it with a bag: that might work. You can change the water like a bouquet of flowers. I prefer to just make pesto or another dish and not fuss, but then again I'm married to the basil farmer. -julia (oh: and make sure to remove the carrot greens when you return home, the carrots store better without their greens.)

What to do with this week's box? From Nina S.

Here's my plan for the box:
Basil: My husband will make pesto. His favorite breakfast is a slice of wheat toast spread with pesto and topped with a fried egg. I'll also make pasta with pesto.
Salad Mix: I'll serve a green salad (probably with some nuts, chicken and/or cheese in it) with the pesto pasta.
Spinach: Spinach salad with hard boiled eggs, toasted pecans, and chopped bacon with a honey-mustard dressing and wheat rolls.
Strawberries: Sliced for dessert for as long as they last (never long enough!)
Green Onions, Carrots, Kale, and Squash or Artichokes: I'll put these in soup with chicken stock, chicken and potatoes, plus some sauteed onions, garlic, and fresh herbs from my garden.

Trade Box Theories

We began the 'trade box' (nearly all pick up sites have a trade box) as a way for members to easily trade certain items that their families especially enjoy or don't like so much. We begin each trade box with an item from our farms... the *theory* is that if someone loves fennel but doesn't like onions, they can remove the fennel we left in the box and leave their onions.

THIS IS NOT A FREEBIE box, please please only take something if you leave something. It's not 100% failsafe, if the item you don't want is the same as the only one in there, we suggest you find a neighbor or colleague who would love to take it home to eat. Occasionally someone may just leave an item there so there's more than one, we still ask that you only take one if you're leaving one: it's a nice 'extra' for the pick up site hosts. Thanks much from all of us at 2SF.

Photos

Lacinato Kale

Salad Mix

Spinach

Basil

Parisian Round Carrots

Recipes from Gail, Nina, Phyllis and Julia

SQUASH AND PEPPER SKILLET, from Taste of Home Magazine by Gail Davies

1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
5 medium zucchini, sliced
3 medium yellow summer squash, sliced
1 small sweet red or green pepper, julienned
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
In a skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper and garlic; stir-fry for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper. Yield: 8 servings

Kale with cream (Irish) 4-5 servings

1 3/4 lbs Kale
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp double cream (I used heavy whipping cream)
a pinch or so of nutmeg, salt, pepper
2 Tbsp stock (I dissolved a vegetable bouillon)
Wash kale and strip leaves from stalk, then plunge into heavily boiling water. Cook 'til tender, 20-30 minutes. Drain well and chop finely. In saucepan, combine butter, cream spices, then add kale and stock.Mix well. Cook until well heated and sauce is slightly reduced.
(The sauce is just enough to offer flavor but not drown the kale.)
-Phyllis Mosher

Hot and Sour Soup with Spinach
adapted from Great Greens by Georgeanne Brennan

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (high quality as this is a brothy soup!)
6 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 bunch spinach, stemmed and leaves sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 Tablespoons light soy sauce
3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3/4 Tablespoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon hot chile oil
5 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
5 Tablespoons water mixed with:
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onions, including half the green part, minced

In a large saucepan or a soup pot over high heat, bring the broth to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, add the mushrooms and spinach, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, sesame oil, chile oil, and tofu and stir. Then stir in the water and cornstarch mixture and the eg, and cook for 1 minute.

Ladle soup into soup bowls, and garnish with the cilantro and green onions.

Five Spice Scallion Soba Noodles
adapted from Spices of Life by Nina Simonds 6-8 servings

1 recipe 5 spice hoisin tofu (recipe is below)
4 cups good quality vegetable broth (or chicken broth!)
2 cups water
1/2 cup sake or wine
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups scallions (about 10 scallions), mainly greens, cut finely into diagonal slices
1/2 pound young spinach, rinsed and spun dry
1/2 pound soba noodles

First: Prepare the Five Spice Tofu (recipe below) Let cool and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices that are about 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide, making sure that the slices are still coated with the hoisin marinade.

Second: While the tofu is baking, mix the broth, water, rice wine, minced ginger, and soy sauce together in a large pot and heat until very hot. Cook for about 10 minutes to blend flavors. Add the tofu slices and scallions and cook until the liquid comes back to a boil. Add the spinach and stir carefully. Cook briefly until the spinach leaves are slightly wilted and then turn off the heat. Taste for seasoning, adjusting if necessary.

Third: Meanwhile bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, add the soba noodles, and stir to separate. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes, until al dente. Drain the noodles in a colander, rinse under warm water, and portion into serving bowls Spoon some of the broth, tofu, and spinach over the noodles and serve.

Five Spice Hoisin Tofu
adapted from Spices of Life by Nina Simonds

Mix together the marinade:

3/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup rice wine or sake
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon five spice powder*
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

pour marinade over: 1 1/2 pounds firm tofu, drained and cut in half through the thickness

Let tofu sit for an hour at room temperature
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Then arrange tofu on a rimmed cookie sheet that has been lined with aluminum foil. Pour the marinade on top and bake for 35 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool slightly. Cut into pieces that are 1/2 inch thick, 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. Spoon some of the cooked marinade on top and serve, or use as directed in recipes.

Fresh Basil Dressing

1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
S & P to taste
2 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

Whirl everything together in a blender.

Green Onion Drop Biscuits

Tips: Use a food processor to combine dry ingredients and shortening. Pulse a few times until the mixture is the size of peas. If you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute plain yogurt.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in green onions. Add buttermilk, stirring just until flour mixture is moist.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoons onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 biscuit)

CALORIES 111 (26% from fat); FAT 3.2g (sat 1g,mono 1g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 2.9g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 74mg; SODIUM 135mg; FIBER 0.6g; IRON 1.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 17.2g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1996

Quinoa Chowder with Spinach, Feta Cheese, and Green Onions

8 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 1/2 cups diced peeled baking potato (about 1 pound)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup thinly sliced green onions, divided
3 cups thinly sliced spinach
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
Combine water and quinoa in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain in a sieve over a bowl, reserving cooking liquid; add enough water to cooking liquid to measure 6 cups. Set quinoa aside.
Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add jalapeño and garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in potato, salt, cumin, and black pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 6 cups cooking liquid, quinoa, and 1/3 cup onions; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in 1/3 cup onions and spinach; cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and cilantro.

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 165(29% from fat); FAT 5.3g (sat 2.4g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 6g; CHOLESTEROL 13mg; CALCIUM 116mg; SODIUM 484mg; FIBER 4.1g; IRON 2.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 24.2g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 1999

Basil Beer Bread

Olive oil for the baking sheet
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmesan
1 12-ounce bottle beer, preferably ale
Flour for the work surface
1 cup chopped or torn fresh basil

Heat oven to 400° F. Oil a baking sheet.

In the bowl of a standing mixer on low, or in a large bowl using a spoon, combine the flour, yeast, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Add the beer and mix just until the dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with the basil and knead gently just until incorporated. Shape the dough into a round loaf and transfer to the prepared sheet. Bake until the loaf is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Turn the loaf onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Tip: This dense, hearty bread is best when it's thickly sliced and served with a plate of fresh tomatoes or a bowl of summer minestrone. You can also toast it and drizzle it with olive oil.

Yield: Makes 1 loaf

CALORIES 336 (8% from fat); FAT 3g (sat 2g); SUGAR 0g; PROTEIN 12g; CHOLESTEROL 3mg; SODIUM 977mg; FIBER 3g; CARBOHYDRATE 63g
Real Simple, AUGUST 2006

Italian Pork Chops with Kale

2 lbs kale
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
4 thick pork chops
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 cup hot water
1 small can tomato paste

1. Soak kale and rinse it thoroughly then simmer for 20 minutes in pot of salted water.

2. While kale is cooking, heat oil in large, deep skillet. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes over low heat. Add pork chops and saute for 5 minutes on each side, then season with salt, pepper, and fennel seeds.

3. Dissolve tomato paste in hot water and add to pork chops. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes, adding water if sauce gets too thick.

4. Drain kale and stir into tomato sauce. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.

Kale-and-Cannellini Wrapinis
julia's note: an unfortunate name for an interesting looking recipe!

3 bacon slices
12 cups water
12 cups chopped kale (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup diced carrots
1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated fresh Romano cheese
Preparation
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Bring the water to a boil in a large stockpot; add kale. Cook 6 minutes or until tender; drain and set aside. Drain the beans in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/3 cup liquid.

Heat the drippings in pan over medium-high heat. Add red pepper and garlic, and sauté 3 minutes. Add the crumbled bacon, reserved bean liquid, carrots, sage, and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender. Uncover and cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in kale; cook 2 minutes.

Warm the tortillas according to the package directions. Spoon 1 cup kale mixture onto each tortilla; top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese, and roll up.
Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 wrap)
Nutritional Information

CALORIES 422(24% from fat); FAT 11.3g (sat 3.3g,mono 4.7g,poly 2.2g);
PROTEIN 19.2g; CHOLESTEROL 13mg; CALCIUM 255mg; SODIUM 862mg;
FIBER 6.9g; IRON 5.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 64.4g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2000

Which Farm?

From High Ground: Berries, Artichokes, Salad Summer Squash, Flowers
From Mariquita: Basil, Green Onions, Kale, Carrots, Spinach

To see a picture of the 2 farm families:
http://www.mariquita.com/images/photogallery/twosmallfarmers.hg.jpg

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9) Two Small Farms Contact Information

Two Small Farms
Mariquita Farm/High Ground Organics
Organically Grown Vegetables
831-786-0625
P.O. Box 2065
Watsonville, CA 95077
csa@twosmallfarms.com
http://www.twosmallfarms.com/
http://www.mariquita.com/
http://www.highgroundorganics.com/