"We ought not to be blindly against progress, but against blind progress."
- David Brower

What’s in the standard share:

... and if you have an extra-fruit option:
more strawberries
(raspberries coming next week!)

CALENDAR

Sat. June 19
Summer Solstice Celebration
field tours 2-5pm
celebration 5-9pm
with Kuzanga Marimba!

July 30, 31, Aug. 1
Children's Mini-camp, Friday eve. to noon Sun.

Sat. Sept. 25
Fall Equinox Celebration
3-9 pm
with the Banana Slug String Band!

Sat. Oct 23rd
Halloween Pumpkin Pallooza

Memorial Day among farmers is considered a non-holiday. Plants don't stop growing in memory of anyone; on the contrary they probably grow more vigorously. With the return of warm weather, summer squash grows faster and needs to be harvested every other day, the strawberries need picking, deliveries need to be made, weeds are flourishing, transplants are waiting in the greenhouse, tomatoes need staking... and oh yes, what about the family? My son's birthday party was this weekend, and Constance just smiles understandingly, realizing I am trying my best to juggle time, to be present without thinking what's going on in the field. The things we have to juggle in today’s environment are astonishing. I don't understand how we can keep accommodating more things if time stays constant, or does it? We are lured to believe that with technology we can do things faster and have more time to do more things and so it goes on and on, as if we could grow endlessly. Eating with the seasons, as you have by now noticed, teaches us patience: waiting for tomatoes, peppers and melons to show up is, well, an exercise in waiting. There is no technology available to speed up the growth and ripening of our tomato plants. The timing of crops follows the natural rhythm of the seasons. Since we live in a time where everything we want is at our fingertips and the gas to get us there is artificially cheap and easily attainable, to be a CSA member seems almost revolutionary. It means slowing down, changing one's eating habits, and stepping out of the fast lane of our current food system. It brings us greater awareness of what the earth is offering locally during different seasons. Although technically you can eat 'fresh' tomatoes year-round if you want to, think about how good your first tomatoes from your own garden taste when they ripen mid-July. Some believe eating locally grown, organic and seasonal food is a backward-looking philosophy. I see it merely as trying to attempt to restore a food system that has been changed or damaged. In some ways we are bringing the past back to life, however, as with all restorations, the objective is to heal in order to create a new future. It's a simple concept, but it means shifting paradigms, and not eating what is easiest and most convenient at times. This idea is not about stopping progress but about questioning globalization and uncontrolled growth. I remember the words of David Brower, a father of the environmental movement and founder of the Sierra Club, "We ought not to be blindly against progress, but against blind progress, and try to distinguish one from the other. Now is the time to admit that the Earth is not only round, but also limited, and not here just for us." – Tom

Crop Notes
We are starting to see the first signs of summer vegetables in our shares with the arrival of cucumbers, basil and summer squash. Broccoli will vary; some of you will receive broccolini – tender shoots which we harvest from plants that produce abundant sideshoots – and some of you will get regular heads of broccoli coming from plants that start with a main head and later produce the sideshoots. The end of radicchio is this week. You will get one of two types: the cone-shaped green type, or a looseleaf red type. I get mixed reviews... some love it, some can't stand the bitterness. I talked to an Italian friend of mine who loves radicchio and he recom-mends baking it in aluminum foil together with prosciutto or cheese. I still recommend searing the finely cut leaves and adding a little balsamic vinegar, little salt and sprinkling with blue cheese. Onions will be in you shares in two weeks, and the Extra Fruit shares will receive raspberries or blackberries beginning next week. Green beans are starting to show flowering buds, which means in 3-4 weeks we should start harvesting, and soon thereafter... cherry tomatoes!!!

Goat Milk and Cheeses
If you have only signed up recently, you may not be aware that we have an association with a neighbor (Lynn Selness, Summer Meadows Farm) who raises milking goats, and from whom you can purchase a 'share' in a goat for the season. In return you receive weekly batches of fresh raw goat's milk, yogurt, buttermilk, or cheeses: chevre, ricotta or queso blanco. The goat share operates differ-ently than the apple juice* share, in that the goat share is not purchased through Live Earth Farm. You pay/purchase directly from Summer Meadows Farm, and then your milk/cheese is delivered along with your CSA share (like the apple juice). For more details, contact Lynn directly at 831.786.8966, or see her flyer which is posted on our website: go to the Newsletters page, and you will see it listed along with Week 5's newsletter.


*Apple Juice?
Did you miss out on the apple juice too? It is still available, and the process is simple: mail a check for $35 payable to Live Earth Farm (address in bottom margin of this newsletter), and when receive it, we’ll start you on your 10-week supply of Billy Bob’s Or-ganic Apple Juice. One 48-oz. bottle a week, from a local orchardist, delivered with your CSA share. (You don’t have to space it out if you don’t want to, i.e. if you want all 10 bottles at once, we can do that too!)

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

Summer’s almost here! You can taste the first bites in this week’s basil and cucumbers. Here are some interesting and different recipes for both, plus extra, if I have room. – Debbie

Freezing Fresh Basil
I used to chop it and put it in ice cube trays with a little water to cover then freeze, however in the cookbook "From Asparagus to Zucchini" they say you can ‘freeze fresh leaves in a plastic zip-lock bag. Remove air, seal and freeze. Do not thaw before use.’ To that I would add: do not wash them first, or if they have dirt on ‘em and need to be cleaned, wash them but spin and then blot dry carefully before freezing. And obviously, when you go to use it after it has been frozen, it will be suitable for cooked dishes only, or dressings or marinades... not for any use where you need the fresh leaves.

and in that same book, a different kind of pesto, with miso instead of cheese...

Miso Pesto
makes 3/4 – 1 cup

3 C basil leaves
2-4 large garlic cloves
1/4 C chopped nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, or sunflower seeds)
1/4 – 1/2 C olive oil
2-3 tbsp. miso (mellow variety is best)
salt to taste

Purée everything in a blender or food processor until a thick paste forms.

Basil-Lemon Cake
from "Your Organic Kitchen" by Jesse Cool

Jesse says, "Although a basil cake sounds unusual, think of the basil as you would mint rather than as an herb used only in savory cooking. Mash cherries, berries, or any juicy sweet fruit and serve them over the cake with chocolate ice cream or whipped cream for an unbelievably luscious dessert." She also says, "This cake actually gets better the next day. Cover it well, but do not refrigerate it unless you need to store it for more than a day or two."

2 1/2 C cake flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C butter, softened
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
2 lg. eggs, beaten
1/2 C chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 C + 2 tbsp. buttermilk
1 1/2 C mixed berries (such as raspberries or blackberries) [or strawberries!]

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a springform pan. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Place butter and sugar in a large bowl. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat until creamy. Add eggs, basil, lemon zest and vanilla. Beat until blended. Add flour mixture, a third at a time, alternating with buttermilk and beating on low speed until smooth. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 35 – 45 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan and cool completely. Place on a serving plate and top with berries.

Cucumber Almond Couscous Salad
also from "From Asparagus to Zucchini."
Serves 6

1 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
3/4 C plus 2 tbsp. couscous
1 C slivered almonds
1 tbsp. canola oil
3 C cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 C thinly sliced green onions or scallions
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper

Bring 2 C water to simmer in a small sauce-pan. Add 1/2 tsp. of salt and couscous. Cover and simmer 4-5 min. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Sauté almonds in canola oil until lightly browned, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Immediately transfer almonds to a small dish to cool. In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, onions, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, pepper and remaining tsp. of salt. Add couscous and almonds. Chill and serve.

Breakfast Kale
This is something I made up the other day. I thought, "Why not get all that good green energy at the beginning of the day?" Here's my idea: Steam or simmer a bunch of kale in salted water, about 3 minutes; drain well, chop. Add to scrambled eggs with a little soy or fish sauce! It is that simple. Optionally you can embellish by sautéing onion or garlic to start, or, brown up and crumble in some bacon, or even top with some cheese if you like. Serve w/toast. Yum!

*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.