CSA Week 11 newsletter: It’s salsa and sunflower time

In their shares this week, members will receive the following vegetables: 

“Salsa box”: tomatoes, hot pepper (jalapeno or Hungarian Hot Wax), sweet bell pepper, cilantro, garlic and a yellow onion.  Also in boxes are: cabbage (green or red), potatoes (a mix of French fingerling and purple Magic Molly), summer squash/zucchini, cauliflower or broccoli and a Sunflower bouquet. 

This newsletter includes a roundup of news from the farm as well as information and recipes. Feel free to jump to the bottom of the newsletter to find the section titled, “This week’s veggies and recipes.”

News from the farm

As we pedaled our bicycles up the winding driveway, which twisted through the woods and up a hill, we exchanged glances and wondered aloud, “Should we keep going?”

The farm we spotted on the map had an appealing name, so we took a deep breath and continued up the drive. A barking dog and a friendly shout from the house greeted us.

After a brief explanation of our identity as vacationing farmers who had seen their sign and wanted to say hello, the homeowner, initially hesitant, quickly warmed up to us as we strolled and chatted.

This lovely farm, known as Silver Sage Farm & Flowers, nestled just outside Port Wing, Wisconsin, struck us as one of the most beautiful farms we’d ever encountered. It resembled more of a meticulously tended garden than a traditional farm, a testament to Mary Pearson’s decades of dedicated work. She apologized for the weeds, though we couldn’t spot any. Mary emphasized her belief in nurturing the soil over plants, a principle evident in every inch.

Even on vacation with Heather-Marie’s family for a three-day weekend, we couldn’t escape farming. Meeting another farmer, learning from their experiences, and sharing our own struggles during a challenging growing year was an opportunity we couldn’t resist.

We left Mary’s farm encouraged and inspired by someone who had poured all she had into her land and what she grew there.

Being part of the farming community in the northern Midwest is nothing short of an honor. It’s demanding, often poorly compensated work, but the connections you forge with customers and fellow farmers make it all worthwhile. They have a profound commitment to their communities, the land, and sustainable, seasonal food.

Before our vacation, we had the chance to explore the Carlton County Fair and celebrate our success in the agricultural competition. We did pretty well, earning a total of 14 ribbons: 8 first places, 3 second places, 1 third place, 1 fourth place, and even a Grand Champion! We were informed that this year had seen more entries in flowers and veggies compared to the past few years.

Participating in this long-standing community event was a lot of fun, and it reaffirmed that agriculture remains a vital part of Carlton County.

Images from the week

This week’s veggies and recipes

Tomatoes, garlic, onion and cilantro

Everyone is getting over 2 pounds of tomatoes this week.  Those tomatoes were mostly from the high tunnel, with only a few from the field.  Hopefully those field tomatoes catch up soon!

We used to give a “salsa bag” every year (with all the ingredients for making fresh salsa) but we’re trying to cut back on the plastic bags.  So consider these ingredients a “salsa box” instead!  

To get the most out of your cilantro, you need to store it properly.  We put herbs in a glass with water, like a flower bouquet, and keep them on the kitchen counter so they’re visible to use.  You can also place the herbs in a plastic bag with a paper towel.  To use over winter, we chop and freeze herbs.  You can’t use them like fresh herbs but they still work great in cooked dishes.  

This is the first garlic of the season.  We harvested it a couple of weeks ago and it’s been curing in the barn.  You will start to see more garlic in shares and an option to buy in bulk will be coming soon.  This variety is German Extra Hardy.  

This is also the first of our yellow storage onions.  They have NOT been cured and will therefore not last long.  Hopefully, you’ll use it up in this recipe…

Fresh Salsa, Farm Style

This is so yummy — we could eat one batch in a sitting!  This recipe is from Karola Dalen, of Northern Harvest Farm.

• 1 small onion
• ½-1 green pepper (optional, but we always add it)
• ½-1+ hot pepper, seeds removed, or leave them for extra hotness
• basil and/or cilantro (amount depends on preference)
• 2-3 minced garlic cloves
• salt to taste
• splash of apple cider vinegar, lime or lemon juice
• 1 ¾ pounds tomatoes

Process all ingredients except tomatoes in a food processor or blender.  Add tomatoes.  Process again, and it’s ready to eat.  Will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week.  Does not freeze well.  Experiment with different quantities.  

Cabbage

We’ve had a rough go of cabbage this year.  With all the brassicas (the cabbage family including kale, cauliflower, broccoli, etc) Heather-Marie does five successions of plantings.  That means that some of the brassicas will have five plantings.  Cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower all fit in that category.  And with each planting, she seeds 100 plants to account for any loss or to make up for inconsistent growth.  This is fairly standard procedure in brassicas.  They are notoriously unreliable.  So, in total, Heather-Marie seeded about 500 cabbage plants.  We lost most of the first planting (about 100 plants) to root maggots.  We harvested some for the 6th delivery but didn’t have enough so people got either a cabbage or sprouted broccoli.  We then tilled under that planting because the insect pressure was so great (this was brought on by our severe drought).  This is the first delivery where everyone is getting a cabbage.  It’s almost September.  That says a lot about our season and what we’re up against.  Savor that cabbage!

Tangy Shredded Cabbage Salad

from the blog “Smitten Kitchen”

Heather-Marie makes this salad on constant rotation as soon as cabbage are ready.  It is so good!  She suggests tripling the recipe but you might not want to triple the hot peppers!

• 2 c tightly packed, shredded green or red cabbage
• 1 small Serrano chili, seeded and minced
• 2 T fresh lemon juice, or more as needed
• ¼- ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 T canola oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds

In a medium bowl, toss together the cabbage, chili, lemon juice, salt and sugar.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  (Look for balanced sweet/sour)

Heat the oil in a small skillet over high heat.  When oil begins to smoke, add the mustard seeds, covering the pan with a lid.  When seeds stop popping, immediately pour the oil over the cabbage salad and toss well.  Let the salad sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.