"You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth."
- Kahlil Gibran

What’s in the standard share:

... and if you have an extra-fruit option:
Peaches, strawberries and blackberries

CALENDAR

Sat. Sep 20 - Fall Equinox Celebration
3pm - 9pm
with the Banana Slug String Band!

Sat. Oct 26 Halloween Pumpkin Palooza
all day.
the Banana Slug String Band will play here too!

A short escape. My French family is all coming together to celebrate the baptism of three of its youngest members, and I am the fortu-nate uncle "from across the Atlantic" to witness and participate in this wonderful reunion (the reunion is in Spain). I know it’s very unorthodox for a farmer to leave his farm for a week in the middle of summer, however I am very excited to be able to sneak away. Feeling guilty?? ....Not!!!

Although it doesn’t have to be such a great distance to feel like I'm really 'off the farm,' it is still a welcome break. I will join my wife Constance and son David, who left a week earlier. But one thing is for certain: I am grateful to be able to make this trip, knowing that the farm is in good hands while I am away.

The baptism is taking place in the house that belongs to Constance’s grandmother. Our son, David, was baptized in the same house nine years ago. It’s a beautiful place overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. I have not been back in nine years, and I return with some anticipation. According to my son, the olive tree we planted nine years ago is bearing fruit. Our intentions at the time of his baptism were to plant a tree that symbolizes peace, and also hope for a world where our children can live in freedom from fear and violence. I write this after listening to the radio all day reporting about the bombings and ongoing violence in the Middle East.

Baptisms are a celebration, an affirmation. They are not unlike planting a seed, then committing to see that it grows and flourishes. Baptisms reaffirm our hope that someday we may live in a world of freedom and peace. May our leaders take courage, and be inspired by moments like these to remember the children of the world -- remember that they deserve these basic human rights, and that their spirits need nourishing. – Tom

Notes from the Field
(Nothing this week while Tom is Away.)

Membership Drive
Please continue to spread the word and let friends, neighbors, co-workers know about our CSA program. Although we are closer to capacity, shares are still available. We will always try to make brochures available in the inside back pocket of your pick-up site binder, so feel free to take a few to give out. Or if you'd like, call us and we can send you a flyer to post in your children's school, or your neighborhood's local shop or bulletin board. Thank you!!!

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

Member Diana Foss sent me this carrot recipe, which inspired the two that follow. And in the space left over... how about a strawberry recipe! - Debbie

Diana's 'use-up-those-carrots!' Carrot Loaf
"I made a yummy carrot loaf today with at least two weeks' worth of carrots, including lots of red ones. I shredded the carrots in the food processor, added 1 cup of chopped mushrooms, two of the white onions from the share (also chopped), 4 cloves of garlic (crushed), 1/2 cup of mixed, chopped cilantro and parsley, about 4 oz of shredded jack cheese, 1 cup of breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup of olive oil and 2 eggs (It was a pantry-cleaning recipe, as well). Then I added lots of lemon pepper, and salt just to taste. I mixed it all up with my hands and pressed it into an oiled loaf pan. I baked it for an hour (350 degrees) and served it with Romesco sauce. It didn't hold together in neat slices (more eggs and cheese would solve that) but it was very flavorful and fresh-tasting. And it really cleaned out the carrot stash!"

Note from Debbie: Regarding 'not holding together,' I checked my old Moosewood Cookbook and their ingredients for carrot loaf were similar to Diana's, only they used 5 eggs! They also used cheddar instead of jack cheese, although I expect other cheeses would easily be substitutable (like Diana said -- it was a pantry cleaning recipe!). Regarding 'Romesco sauce' -- I had never heard of this before, and so did a little online research. I learned it is a traditional Spanish (Catalan) sauce made with tomatoes, bread, almonds and/or hazelnuts, vinegar, olive oil and herbs (and sometimes hot peppers). Although Diana's carrot loaf would be good served with ANY favorite tomato sauce, since we're getting tomatoes in force, here are two different Romesco Sauce recipes for you to choose from!


Romesco Sauce
edited* from "Tapas and More Great Dishes of Spain" by Janet Mendel

*The original recipe is "Grilled Prawns with Romanesco Sauce" -- I just left out the prawns and grilling instructions! - Debbie

"Romesco is a Catalan pepper sauce which is truly sensational, particularly with grilled fish and shellfish. But it can accompany any grilled meat or poultry or, thinned with a bit of water, dress salads or vegetables."

3 ripe medium tomatoes
1 head of garlic
2 tablespoons paprika, preferably Spanish
1 toasted chili pepper (seeds removed) or dried pepper flakes to taste
1 dozen almonds, blanched and peeled
2 dozen hazelnuts, skinned
1 slice country style bread, toasted
1 tablespoon parsley
2/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vinegar
Freshly ground pepper

Roast the tomatoes and garlic in a hot oven (400 degrees) until the tomatoes' skins split, about 15 minutes. Remove. Skin the tomatoes, cut them in half and remove seeds. Skin all of the garlic cloves. Put the tomatoes, garlic, paprika, chili pepper, pepper flakes, almonds, hazelnuts, bread, parsley and part of the olive oil into a food processor. Process until you have a smooth puree. Beat in the remaining oil, salt, vinegar and pepper. The sauce should be the consistency of thick cream. If too thick, thin with a little water or white wine. This sauce can be made in advance. Bring it to room temperature before serving.


Simple Romesco Sauce
from culinarycafe.com
yield: 3 to 4 cups (the website said yield of 1 cup... I think not!)

2 large, thick slices country bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup whole almonds
1 pound ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup fruity Spanish olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, soak the bread cubes in the vinegar for 20 minutes. Toast the almonds for 10 to 15 minutes, watching closely. Cool completely, then grind them in a mortar and pestle or food processor until they are finely ground but not oily. Add the vinegar-soaked bread, tomatoes, paprika, salt and pepper to the processor and grind together briefly until evenly pureed. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a thin stream.

Roasted Strawberry Clafouti
by Chef Brian Wolf
Makes 8 servings

"Roasting fresh strawberries concentrates the sugar and brings out their glorious flavor."

3 C strawberries, rinsed, dried and hulled
1/4 C plus 1/3 C sugar
6 large eggs
1/2 C heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 C all-purpose flour
Confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, toss the strawberries with 1/4 C of the sugar. Arrange berries cut side down on a baking sheet and bake until soft to the touch, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Lightly butter a 10 1/2" quiche dish. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, vanilla, salt, and 1/3 C sugar. Sift the flour on top and stir just until blended; do not overmix. Arrange roasted berries in prepared dish. Gradually pour egg mixture on top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the batter is puffed and lightly golden. Let cool on a rack; it will shrink down as it cools. Dust with confectioners' sugar, cut into wedges, and serve warm or at room temp.

*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 key ingredient. Recipe site is updated weekly during the season.