"One cannot but be in awe when one contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day. Never lose a holy curiosity."
- Albert Einstein

What’s in the standard share:

(Remember, "Extra Fruit option" doesn't start until May!)

CALENDAR

Sat. May 15
Open Farm Day

Sat. June 10
Summer Solstice Celebration

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

Sat. Sept. 25
Fall Equinox Celebration

Sat. Oct 23rd
Halloween Pumpkin Pallooza

What's Up on the Farm
This week the farm will kick into high gear as we prepare to welcome the first school children of the season to the farm. Over the next two months on Mondays and Thursdays, kids from kindergartens and elementary schools have scheduled field trips to the farm to explore the farm, learn how food is grown and experience where it comes from. I always ask myself how to best communicate to the children this wonderful process of growing plants that end up as tasty and healthy food on their plates. In America, few kids grow up on farms; most only know food from a grocery store, and have difficulty understanding the challenges and joys of relying on one's hands and the earth for a good meal each day. Rather than explaining and giving some intellectual rap, I like to let them just walk around the farm, listening, smelling, touching, and tasting. Every day children are bombarded with information. A visit to the farm is a change in pace, allowing the kids' observations and initiative to direct the flow. I like to watch children experience directly the interrelationships between plants, animals, the soil, and themselves. In the end the most important thing is just having fun and being together in nature. As members of our Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA), you have the opportunity to get to know the farm too. Come visit the fields and orchards where your weekly share is grown. My hope is that this connection is another small step towards facilitating a deeper understanding of what the natural world can teach us, and towards protecting our environment and reversing the ruinous forces currently affecting our planet.

Lynn's goat milk and Billy Bob's apple juice
On Easter Sunday, Fawn (one of our three mama-goats) gave birth to two beautiful baby kids. Although still wobbly on their legs, they seem healthy and the mother has lots of milk to keep them happy. Speaking of goat’s milk, last year Lynn Selness (a small goat farmer on the slopes of Mount Madonna) offered goat milk, cheese, and yogurt to our members. Watch for her flyer in your shares offering these products again, and how to go about ordering them. If you miss the flyer, feel free to call her at 831.345.8033.

In support of further diversifying your choices of local organic farm products with your weekly shares, I also invited Billy Bob's Orchard (a small family farm here in the Pajaro Valley) to offer you their delicious apple juice. Next week everyone will receive a sample bottle of Billy's apple juice, and then you can decide whether you'd like to have a regular order with your share in the future. Details on how to order will be explained with the sample of their juice. As it says on the label, Billy is continuing the farm his grandfather started in the 1800s, growing 8 varieties of apples on about 12 acres of land nestled right here in the foothills of Mount Madonna overlooking the Pajaro Valley.


Morris Grassfed update – 'splitting a share' option
If you are interested in this (see last two newsletters) but afraid even a split-half will be too much for you, please contact Julie Morris (831.623.2933 or info@morrisgrassfed.com), let her know you’re a Live Earth Farm CSA member looking for another member to share a split-half with. Julie will keep track of you, and every time she gets two, she’ll put you in touch with one another!

Veggie Forecast
Artichokes and fava beans are two new vegetables which will make their appearance soon. It is the first time we've tried growing artichokes, and we have not offered favas in at least a couple of years. These two vegetables are only around for a brief period during the spring season, so check out some recipes beforehand so you are ready when they arrive. We continue to be very busy planting. This week it's the nightshade's turn to go into the ground: eggplants, potatoes and tomatoes are all relatives. Don't expect them anytime soon though. First will be potatoes, in about 2 months, then tomatoes in July and eggplant probably the beginning of August, depending on how warm the weather is.

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

Member Lori Clemmons of Willow Glen said her husband made a huge batch of salsa (which disappeared in no time) using all the cilantro and a bunch of the Chinese chives. So if you still have chives left from last week, you might want to try the first recipe. Jesse Cool is one of my very favorite cooks (and a real advocate of organic and locally grown produce). The introduction of orange in her recipe intrigued me! And I think I like the last recipe based on its name alone! As usual, comments in [brackets] are mine. – Debbie

Bob's Garlicky Salsa
6-8 tbsp. chopped Chinese (garlic) chives
1 bunch cilantro
1 big stalk green garlic (or 2 cloves)
Two 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
2-4 serrano chilis, seeded and chopped
juice of one lime
(optional chopped onion)

Wash and prep all ingredients as necessary (remove root ends from cilantro if attached, for example). Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until desired consistency.

Steamed Bok Choi and Water Chestnuts
from "Your Organic Garden" by Jesse Cool
serves 6

Jesse Cool says, "At times, I like vegetables cooked until they are very soft, forming a soup of sorts with a savory yet most often simple broth. The stock adds dimension and flavor without relying on olive oil or butter. This comforting health food is found in my refrigerator often."

1 1/2 lbs. bok choi
2 C vegetable or chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced [or use green garlic]
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 orange, cut into wedges
1 can (4 oz.) sliced water chestnuts
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

If the bok choi heads are small, cut into halves or quarters. If it is a large head, chop into bite-sized pieces. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the broth, garlic, onion and orange wedges to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add bok choi and simmer 5 minutes, or until tender [note from Debbie: the bok choi is very delicate and will cook quicker than you think; I’d do less than 5 minutes, as it will continue to ‘cook’ in the hot broth until you serve it!] Drain and add water chestnuts, cilantro, and tamari or soy sauce. Simmer another minute. Remove and discard orange wedges. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls.

Strawberry Flummery
from "Great American Vegetarian" by Nava Atlas
serves 6

According to Nava, "Flummery is a non-sense word of Welsh and English origins that came to define a food made by coagulation [wait, don’t quit here!]. Here in the United States the name and the practice were continued with thickened milk usually served with sweetened fruit. This cornstarch-thickened version has come to be associated with the Shakers and has been included in several collections as "Sister Abagail’s Strawberry Flummery." I have modified the original recipe by folding the berries into the thickened milk rather than setting them on top, thus significantly reducing the amount of sugar needed. This is a wonderful, elegant dessert that is, I think, even more delectable than strawberries with heavy cream."

2 C low-fat milk
3 to 4 tbsp. granulated sugar or 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp. granular fructose, to taste
1/4 C cornstarch or arrowroot
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pint sweet ripe strawberries, hulled and finely chopped
1 tbsp. lemon juice, optional

Bring 1 1/2 C of the milk to a simmer in the top of a double boiler or heavy saucepan. In the meantime, combine the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl and moisten them slowly with the remaining 1/2 C milk. Stir into the scalded milk. Add the vanilla and cook over very low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until smooth and thick. Remove from the heat. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the strawberries and the optional lemon juice, if you’d like a slight tang. Turn the mixture out into a 1-qt. serving bowl or 6 individual dessert cups. Refrigerate until well chilled.

*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.