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CSA Week 14 newsletter: Humbled by the support of our community
In their shares this week, members will receive the following vegetables: beans, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, onions, arugula, thyme, summer squash (for farm pickup only). Members will also receive either broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage.
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.”
We Raised the Roof!
By every measure this weekend’s Raise the Roof! was an unbelievable success. Roughly 80 people came to the farm Saturday to celebrate the season, eat some great food, listen to some amazing music from The Minorbirds and help us raise money for our planned Pavilion and Farm Stand.
While we’re still tallying up the money and delivering a few silent auction items, it looks like we will come close to having raised almost $3,000, though that does not account for the expenses associated with the event.
The support far exceeded our expectations and left us feeling humbled by the support. None of that happens without the support of so many.
Our family, friends and volunteer CSA members became a highly motivated army, helping us for the past two weeks prepare for the big event. Some friends drove from as far away as Madison, Wisconsin, and Dubuque, Iowa, to lend a hand and join the celebration.
Area businesses and individuals donated unbelievably generous items for our silent auction, which raised close $1,000. Kristina, our Farm Queen, took the lead in organizing this massive task. The auction included everything from ice cream gift certificates at Love Creamery to a giant mushroom harvested from the woods by our friend Scott. In total, we auctioned off more than 30 items from 21 different donors.
We got lots of great feedback from guests raving about the farm-to-table buffet, which was made from vegetables harvested from our farm and cooked by our friends at Denham Run Bar and Grill. The pork was purchased from Y-Ker Acres in Wrenshall, and it was succulent and flavorful.
As the sun sank in the sky, we lit a massive bonfire and were serenaded by The Minorbirds, while children scampered about playing games and enjoying the cool, clear evening.
More important to us than any dollar amount was just the joy of sharing our farm with so many people who appreciate the work that goes into what we do and understand the importance of locally produced food and, of course, of community.
With just three weeks left in the summer season (CSA Fall Share signup coming soon), the evening left us buoyed and inspired for the last big push of the growing season.
It also inspired us to begin thinking about next year and our desire to make this an annual event. While this year’s fundraiser was focused on raising money for our own project, next year we will explore using a portion of the proceeds to support a local community organization.
And now it’s time to get to work on our new pavilion. With the funds we raised, we will likely be able to make some good progress on this project before the snow flies. (If you were unable to attend the event but would still like to contribute, you can do so on our online store Donate to Raise the Roof on a new pavilion.)
Our proposed 600-square foot pavilion will be the new home of our weekly farm stand and will also be used to host future events.
Images from Raise the Roof!
This week’s recipes
This week, we thought it would be fun to share a few of the recipes inspired by the menu served at our farm-to-table buffet. All the food at our buffet was created by Jill and Conor and their crew down at Denham Run Bar and Grill after visiting our farm and talking with us about what we were growing and our plans for the day. If you haven’t gone there for a meal yet, we strongly recommend it.
Roasted Green Beans with Onions and Walnuts Recipe
1 lb green beans, stem ends snapped off
1/2 medium yellow or red onion, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 medium thin-sliced garlic cloves
1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts
1. Place rack in the middle of the oven, preheat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the beans and onions on the baking sheet. Drizzle the beans with olive oil and use your hands to coat the beans evenly. Sprinkle the beans with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, toss to coat, and distribute in an even layer. Roast for 10 minutes.
2. While roasting the beans, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, thyme, and garlic slices in a small bowl.
3. After the beans and onions have roasted for 10 minutes, remove from the oven. Drizzle the vinegar-honey mixture over the beans and onions; use tongs to coat evenly. Put back in the oven and continue to roast until onions and beans are dark golden brown in spots and beans have started to shrivel, about 12-15 minutes longer.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with toasted chopped walnuts, and serve.
Yield: Serves 4.
Cucumber, Tomato and Herb Salad
Mark Bittman for the NYT Cooking
- 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 4 cucumbers, chopped
- ½ small white onion, chopped
- 2 T chopped purple or green basil
- 1 T chopped cilantro
- ½ tsp dried mint
- ½ tsp crushed red chili powder (or ancho chile powder)
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 T lemon juice
- 1 T olive oil
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Stir and toss all ingredients to coat with dressing, and serve.
Couscous Salad with Arugula
by Chef Ellen Ecker Ogden from the Create program, “The Victory Garden”
A couscous salad perfect for a picnic or potluck.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup green lentils
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 cup couscous
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced and mashed into a paste with a sprinkle of salt
- 6 scallions, white and green parts, chopped (or red onion, diced)
- 2 cups packed coarsely chopped arugula or mesclun
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese or rindless chevre cheese
Directions
Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. Just before serving, mix in the cheese. Serve chilled.
Place the lentils in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the lentils are just tender, about 45 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and transfer to a bowl.
In the meantime, bring 1 1/4 cups water and the salt to a boil over high heat. Stir in the couscous, remove from the heat, and cover tightly.
Let stand until the couscous is tender and has absorbed the water, about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir into the lentils.
Whisk the lemon juice, vinegar, oil, and garlic in a small bowl to combine. Pour over the lentils and couscous and mix well.
Add the scallions, arugula, and cherry tomatoes and mix. Season with the salt.
Silent auction contributors
We are incredibly grateful to the 21 individuals and area businesses that contributed more than 30 different items to our silent auction.
We hope you will consider supporting the local businesses who helped to make our day a success:
Little B’s and Little Willow’s Learning Centers
Chickadee Coffeehouse and Deli
Your weekly dog
Each week, I’m going to start posting a photo of me with a dog — just to see if anyone reads this far.
