2011 CSA Plans

I really want to take some time to wind down from an overwhelming 2010 work schedule but it's almost time to start ordering seeds for next summer and it takes a while to go through all those seed catalogues.

My summer Wednesdays vegetable deliveries were scattered all over Chicago because so many customers begged to be included so I was delivering to the Hyde Park Art Center, workshop, the Hideout, Angel Food, and, until the Andersonville Farmers Market started in late June - three more private deliveries on the north side. That's a lot of wear and tear on my little Honda Civic (stuffed with 25 CSA boxes AND market tent/tables/displays/veggies). Parking a little car like that isn't always a problem if I can find a spot, but it's a sport coupe and getting boxes in and out of that back seat meant a lot of careful packing! Unlike Peapod or other vegetable deliveries, I'm also growing, harvesting, washing, and packing all the veggies in those boxes - and because of a limited operating budget - without staff.

That means I'm planning a more streamlined summer of 2011 and will concentrate on delivering to the Hyde Park Art Center for my "Full Season" offering that runs for 22 weeks on Wednesdays from June 8 to October 26 ($25/week = $550). That option is limited to 10 offers so that I can fill them with a good mix of seasonal veggies, herbs, and (hopefully) fruit. I know everyone wants fruit in their CSA boxes but they're so difficult to grow unless that's *all* your farm does. They're also the most labor-intensive to pick and most are so highly perishable I have to be creative in finding a way to get them to Chicago without looking worse for wear.

The growing season in Michigan really kicks in by September and runs until the first frost (@October 15?). I've been able to keep a lot of the late autumn veggies growing past the frost until mid-November with row covers - that includes kales, collards, mustard greens, peas, radishes, beets, and the like. So I've decided that the "Summer Bounty" for 2011 will be more autumnal: September 7-October 26 ($200).

Questions? Send them to videnovichfarms [at] gmail dot com.

Vegetable CSA 6/16/2010

Swiss Chard

In the box this week:
Swiss chard ("rainbow" stems)
collard greens
mustard greens (ruffled leaves)
garlic scapes
green onions
fresh lavender
cherries

Recipe ideas?
I make a savory pastry filling with the Swiss chard. Steam them until softened, add feta cheese and layer the chard/feta mixture between layers of filo dough (brush each layer with oil or butter). Bake until lightly brown.

The scapes have such a short season but you can freeze this pesto: http://www.theomnivoressolution.com/the_omnivores_solution/2007/06/garlic_scape_pe.html or add them to soup, stir frys, or throw them on the grill.

Here's a link for lavender recipes:
http://www.joys-of-lavender.com/lavender-recipes.html

Farm report: yes, nearly another inch of rain overnight. I'm waaay behind in planting some crops and the tomato/eggplant/pepper transplants are waiting for their feet to dry to continue to grow. I've had some asparagus bean losses as I put them in low ground but I think enough survived for future CSA deliveries.

Vegetable CSA 6/9/2010

So the sun comes out AFTER I harvest all yesterday in the rain! Another light box this week as I'm fighting the elements. . . but the main summer crop that was planted a few weeks ago is still looking good. All the cucumbers, summer squash, beans, tomatoes, peppers. . . look good! Another flooding rain and I'm not sure, though :( Next week I'm looking to neighbors to supplement with fresh strawberries and rhubarb.

In the box this week:
broccoli raab
green onions
garlic scapes (!)
radishes (including an Italian red long variety)
marjoram, mint, and lemon balm (bundled together but use separately)
fresh lavender

Lavender can be used in cooking:
Lavender Sugar (1 cup sugar + 2 tablepoons lavender buds) Grind or chop the lavender, leave whole if you wish, place ina jar with the sugar. Cover and store for at least 2 weeks, shaking occasionally.
Serve over cakes and desserts, in lemonade, coffee, or hot chocolate.
Try it sprinkled on toast.

Fresh or dried lavender can also be used in lemonade, just don't use
too much as it can taste "soapy."

Garlic scapes? Make a pesto with them. Grill them. Stir fry them.

May 23, 2010

My brothers plowing and cultivating the fields.

Vegetable CSA 6/2/2010

There's a LOT of standing water out there! To think last year we were having a drought at this time. We did manage to plow up most of the fields, laid plastic on mounds with irrigation drip tape underneath. The mounds are helping keep the plants out of the water. I finished transplanting 30 varieties of tomatoes, 10 types eggplants, and lots of sweet peppers (with a few hot peppers for flavor). 1/2 the snap beans are planted (yellow wax, French fillet, green Italian, etc) and well as 1/2 the cucumbers (Persians, Asians, etc). Hoping that I can start harvesting by mid-July - you never know with this year's crazy weather!

* * * *

The rain made harvest a little difficult and there'll be sand in your greens, just rinse carefully with cold water (as always). I'm hoping to start deliveries at 2pm at the Hyde Park Art Center and will be heading north from there. Hoping to end up at the Hideout by 4-5pm.

In the boxes this week:
baby Swiss Chard
baby mustard greens
bok choy (some may have bolted in the heat but still great in stir-frys)
green onions
green garlic (scapes next week?)
radishes

I usually just steam my summer veggies but stuff like the Swiss chard is delish in risotto. I add a little feta at the end as they can take the stronger flavor. Lots of green garlic, which you can still use to make pesto, flavor soups, add to salads, etc. Tip: chop them up and freeze them. Add them to soup stock next winter.
Radishes? Make a quick pickle. Chop off the greens and bottoms, cut an X halfway down the radish, put in a lidded glass jar, add 1-2 tablespoons of salt, shake. The radishes will start to "sweat" from the salt and make their own brine. Ready in 20 minutes! It keeps well in the fridge for @ a week. There'll be more radishes for a few more weeks and this is one of my favorite snacks in hot weather. Radish tops are edible! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/radish-top-soup/detail.aspx

Vegetable CSA 5/27/2010

OK, so we went from 40 degrees to 90+? My garden doesn't know how to respond!

This is the final Thursday delivery and we switch to Wednesdays in June and through the rest of the season. I'll be at the Empty Bottle Farmers Market, 1035 N. Western, from 3-8pm - the reason for this week's switch.

In the box this week, some repeats:
green onions
green garlic
radishes
Swiss chard
mustard greens
sorrel

and if the rain holds off in the morning: more mint and some lemon balm.

June and early July are the most difficult CSA boxes to fill (erratic weather and all these items need to be rinsed in cold water and banded or packaged - adding more time to the harvest). If there's a slow week or two please hold on, I will be making up for it at a later date. In our climate the peak growing seasons are August-October but some of these early veggies won't return once the hot weather hits (asparagus!). Part of the fun of a CSA is not knowing what exactly to expect, trying something new (hopefully), and enjoying the taste of freshly-harvested seasonal food!

Vegetable CSA 5/20/2010

In the box:
broccoli raab (rapini)
sorrel
mint
radishes
green onions
green garlic
1/2 dozen eggs! My brother's got a few hens and I though they'd be a nice addition to this week's box. The hens are "free range" and that includes the roosters, too. The eggs will be fertilized, which you may not have seen in store-bought eggs.

I also supplemented with some asparagus from Falak Farms.

There's been a lot of frost damage in the area and the asparagus crop has been hit. My own garden is suffering from too much rain and I've lost about 80% of the radishes I planted (bugs also come out in wet weather). The groundhogs are another problem and keeping them from the Swiss chard and peas is almost impossible!