C.S.A. Week 4

Things in the natural world come in cycles and these cycles all play off of each other. I’ve learned not to waste too much energy on one thing, in any particular year, as it generally will pass. Two years ago on our farm, we began seeing our beets disappear, the roots would be gone and just the tops left lying wilted in the aisles After beefed up fencing failed to stop the mystery culprit, we borrowed a game camera, and caught squirrels on tape stealing our beets and dragging them up nearby trees. I had never heard of such a thing in my short farming career and proceeded to do some research. It turned out they were having a population explosion, due to the previous years bumper acorn crop(think cycles again). A total drop off in nuts the following year, left their larger than normal numbers desperate for food. My reading indicated squirrels much prefer nuts and seeds, but they will begin to forage for other things, when left no other option. I began to take notice of the bodies of dead squirrels littering the highways, and read a newsletter put out by the USDA that commercial apple orchards in Maine were suffering huge losses due to squirrels stripping their trees. Sure enough a cold winter without food stored led to a huge drop in numbers. Satisfyingly enough after that I went almost a whole year without seeing a squirrel. Now, two years later ,with the ground stocked in un-stashed nuts, the chipmunks having their boom. Although I said I’ve learned not to worry, I am keeping an eye on our beets and have acquired two barn kittens who hopefully will turn into protective hunters to patrol our property.

For those of you new to a CSA don’t worry, just like the cycles of nuts and squirrels, the farm will cycle too, and before you know it we will be out of summer squash and peas and into onions and tomatoes.

• Head Lettuce

• Green Cabbage

• Fennel

• Green Beans

• Snap Peas

• Summer Squash/Zucchini

• Radishes

• Purple Cauliflower

• Green Beans -please try these raw, as is, they are so good.

Lettuce and Radishes came from friends at Hancock Family Farm. They are certified organic. As they were swimming in extra lettuce and radishes we ran over and filled some bins…

Spring Salad (thanks again to Joyce for sending this our way, the recipe is from forksoverknives.com)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries (21 oz.)

• 6 cups frisée and/or mixed spring greens

• 2½ cups cooked and cooled wheat berries (1 cup dry)

• 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced (1 cup)

• 2 cups sugar snap peas, halved diagonally

• ½ of a small red onion, thinly sliced (⅓ cup)

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

• ¼ cup white wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

• Sea salt, to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Set aside ½ cup sliced strawberries for the vinaigrette. In a large salad bowl combine Friese, remaining strawberries, wheat berries, fennel, snap peas, red onion, and 2 Tbsp. of the mint.

2. For vinaigrette, in a small food processor or blender combine reserved strawberries, the remaining 1 Tbsp. mint, and the other remaining ingredients. Cover and pulse until smooth. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and toss to coat.