"A thing of beauty is a joy forever."
- John Keats

What’s in the box this week:

... and if you have an extra-fruit share:
3 additional baskets
of strawberries

What's Up on the Farm
The last few weeks were marked by a lot of celebrations and children filled the fields with their excitement, joy and curiosity. First we had Open Farm Day, and a few days later 20 first graders from a local charter school came to visit. Then on Friday our son, David, had all his friends over for his 7th birthday. And this is just the beginning... who knows, we might just have enough helpers when our tomatoes start ripening. Last week we were busy staking all our tomatoes, planting the peppers and weeding. Dorle who lives in the yurt next to the raspberries has been informing me she’s been snacking on both yellow and red ones. Other fruit on the horizon are plums (in about 3 weeks) and peaches (in 5-6 weeks).

Crops and Critters
Hello friends! My name is Peanut and some of you may have seen me on the farm accompanied by Constance (Farmer's Tom wife) and Dorle (my new friend from Germany!). As you may have noticed, I have an unusually kind disposition for a pony, and because of this the kids voted me the most popular four-legged being at Live Earth Farm. I worked real hard during Open Farm Day: for 3 hours non-stop I initiated dozen of kids to the art of bare back riding, while they were asked to identify crops in the field from a high perspective. I want to give special thanks to the bigger boys and girls who respected my very small frame and accepted leading me around instead of riding me. Another thanks goes to the many children who patiently waited for their turns...even sometimes allowing others who had to leave early to go before them. That is the kind of spirit that I like!!!! So thanks again for your visit and remember me as you eat the delicious carrots which I am so fond of (that's a tip for parents who want THEIR kids to eat carrots!). See you soon! LOVE & SUNSHINE, from your faithful Peanut.

Member to Member Forum
Mini-Camp Planning & Sign-up. Last year, with a few CSA members, we launched the first ever Live Earth Farm mini-camp. It was a great success and we are very excited to do it again this year! Actually, some members have already expressed an interest in coming, so I want to give out the details for everyone to chew on.
The mini-camp will be 110% centered around exploring and sensing the many pleasures of being a living part of the land and its community. For a few days the processes of identifying, harvesting, preparing and eating vegetables and fruits together become a wonderful living adventure. These activities are carried on at a slow pace, to make sure that everyone is participating in the fun with plenty of time in-between to just relax. Everyone pitches in (we all take turns to prepare the bonfire, to cook & clean up, etc.), and the farm provides all the food for the meals. We will probably have a night walk with the children again (Friday is a full moon in Aquarius!), and a few other activities based on what the farm and its community can offer.
Here are the practical details: The dates are Saturday August 4th starting at 10am until noon Sunday the 5th. You are welcome to arrive early -- on Friday August 3rd after 5:30pm -- we will have a potluck dinner at about 7pm for early arrivals. The period for signing-up will be between June 4th and July 27th, and the event is limited to a maximum of 12 families (last year we had 7 families). Sign-ups will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis. We are asking $30/adult and $15/child to a maximum of $100 per family to cover the costs of food & materials, and to pay for someone to replace Thomas at the Saturday and Sunday farmers market. If cost is an issue, please call as we will do our best to offer sliding scale, and we are naturally pleased to accept donations over the $100 benchmark.
If you want to sign up or to know more about the mini-camp, please call me at (831) 763-2340. I am very enthusiastic about this event, so do not hesitate to call. Talk to you soon! Constance

Wood-fired bread oven building project (see last week’s newsletter for details) to happen in July or August. Call Charles Limbach at (831) 663-1161 or e-mail him at 4winds@dedot.com

Remember, if you wish to communicate something to the rest of the CSA membership, you may use this forum to do so. To submit something to be included here, please contact the editor (see below) by Sunday to get it into the following week’s newsletter.

Crop of the Week
Garlic: The first recorded writings on garlic were in Sanskrit and date back to 5000 BC. It is a popular vegetable, herb and medicine all around the world. On the farm we also use it to control pest and diseases. If a problem is caught early, such as aphids, mildew, rust or blackspot (those "lovely" spots on your rose bush), a potent garlic tea/juice will improve things immediately. If the garlic you’ve been receiving in your box is piling up, there are many uses beyond the culinary ones you’re familiar with. Garlic has therapeutic benefits including fighting infections, cancer prevention, and relief from chronic bronchitis. It can also be used as a decongestant, and to help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. It’s said that for medicinal benefits use garlic raw! The 100 sulfur-containing compounds that instill garlic with its medicinal properties also contribute to "garlic breath". A good remedy for this, however, is to chew on a sprig or two of fresh parsley.

Notes from Debbie’s Kitchen . . . . . . . . Have a recipe you’d like to share? Contact the newsletter editor.

Tom tells me we will have an abundance of spinach this week, so let’s see what kind of good info I can provide you with on the subject. I also notice we have cauliflower, and thought people might like some ideas for that too. - Debbie

Spinach prep
This technique has worked well for me, as if I prepare my spinach this way shortly after I get it home, it will easily last me the week without wilting or rotting. It also helps at mealtime, as the spinach is ‘ready to go’, making for quick salads and stir-frys. Thoroughly rinse leaves (to remove all traces of dirt and any resident critters) removing stems if you do not like them (some do, some don’t). Spin in a salad spinner to remove excess water. Lay a strip of 2 - 3 paper towels out and top with a layer of spinach. If you have lots of spinach, add another layer of paper towels and spinach. Carefully roll this ar-rangement up and then slip it into a plastic bag. Gently squeeze the air out, tie with a twisty & refrigerate.

And since we’re still getting beets...

Spinach & Roasted Beet Salad with Ginger Vinaigrette
serves 4
from "Bon Appetit"

4 medium beets, trimmed
3 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. soy souce
2 tsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
8 C fresh cleaned spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F, wrap beets in foil and roast ‘til tender when pierced w/skewer, about 1 hr 15 min. Cool slightly and peel (skins should slip off easily), cut into wedges and set aside in a medium bowl. Whisk vinegar, oil, soy and ginger in small bowl to blend. Season w/salt and pepper. Add red onion and half of vinaigrette to beets and toss. Place spinach in a large bowl, drizzle w/remaining vinaigrette and toss. Arrange beet mixture atop spinach.

North African Roasted Cauliflower
serves 4
from "Moosewood Daily Special"

4 C large cauliflower florets
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp. ground caraway seeds (use spice grinder or mortar & pestle)
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C chopped tomatoes
1 to 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Toss cauliflower w/oil, garlic, caraway, coriander and salt until well mixed and evenly coated. Place in a single layer on an unoiled baking tray and bake until cauliflower is tender and begins to turn a golden brown, 20 - 30 min. Carefully stir a few times during baking. Remove the roasted cauliflower from the oven and transfer it to a platter or shallow serving bowl. Allow to cool to room temp, then top w/tomatoes and parsley. Decorate w/lemon wedges and serve.

*Click Here* for a link to a comprehensive listing of recipes from Live Earth Farm's newsletters going back as far as our 1998 season! You can search for recipes by harvest week OR by key ingredient. Recipe site is updated weekly.