LEF logo (small)
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Live Earth Farm (Com)Post
24th Harvest Week, Season 16
September 12th - 18th, 2011
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in this issue
What's in the box(es) this week
Community Supported Farming: a Mutual Commitment to Growing Healthy Food
Discovery Program Fundraiser - big thanks
Another tomato U-pick! This Saturday Sept. 17th
It's Sign-Up Time!
A Quick Note about New Season Box Sizes
Why sign up? A "Terroir-ist" Manifesto
If you choose the "Installment Payment" option...
Rebecca's Recipes
2011 Calendar

"I have that itch that farmers have had for the past 10,000 years; to plant hope, to work toward success and to accept what comes.
"
- Steve Beck, from Esalen's Farm & Garden



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What's in the box(es) this week
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Occasionally content will differ from this list (typically we make a substitution), but we do our best to give you an accurate projection.

 

If one share is scheduled to get larger quantities of certain items than the other two shares, these items will be marked with a "+" sign. Note that delicate share items like strawberries or cherry tomatoes are usually packed outside your box; see checklist in binder at your pick-up site for what to take. 

 

For any items not from our farm, we will identify the source in parentheses.

 

***Click here for a picture of how to tell share sizes apart at your pick-up site***

 

Family Share
Gala apples
Asian stir-fry mix
Carrots
Dill
Green beans
Leeks
Lettuce
Pac choi
Sweet peppers +
Spinach
Summer squash
Tomatillos
Dry-farmed tomatoes (4 lbs!) 

 

Small Share
Gala apples
Asian stir-fry mix
Dill
Green beans
Red Russian kale
Leeks
Lettuce
Padron peppers
Sweet peppers
Radishes
Spinach
Dry-farmed tomatoes (3 lbs!)

 

Budget Share
Carrots
Dill
Green beans
Leeks
Lettuce
Radishes
Spinach
Summer squash
Dry-farmed tomatoes (2 lbs) 

 

Bread Option

This week's bread will be sesame whole wheat      

 

Extra Fruit Option

Gala apples, strawberries, raspberries and sungold cherry tomatoes

 

Meat Chickens
The next delivery of meat chickens is next month (Oct 5-6-7).


Community Supported Farming: a Mutual Commitment to Growing Healthy Food
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With a wonderful bounty of tomatoes and green beans in the field, you'd never know that Fall is just around the corner, and only 9 weeks remain in our current CSA season. It's easy to imagine putting off preparation for the fall and winter now that the weather here on the coast is finally turning warmer and less foggy, but August and September are critical months for field preparations and planting successions to ensure a continuous harvest in the cooler and wetter months ahead. These early preparations will ensure a healthy continuity to the seasonal growing cycles of the Farm, and are directly tied to your up front financial commitment as CSA members.

Live Earth Farm is, at its core, a Community Supported farm. It is supported by you, our community, who has deliberately chosen to eat and be nourished by the diversity Hands holding beautiful heirloom dry beansof foods we're capable of growing on this land. The life cycle of the farm is like that of a seed. Just like we need to save seeds in order to plant, your financial commitment to our CSA is a "seed" we count on in order to continue to plant our crops and operate the farm. As in years past, now is when we need your renewed support in the form of registering for the upcoming seasons: our popular 2011-2012 Winter CSA program (limited to 400 members), and then your early membership commitment for next year, our 2012 Regular season. (Debbie will provide details, below).

The Winter Shares are a wonderful way to stay connected to the farm during what is commonly the "off-season" for most farms; Winter is time to experience the rich, hardy, flavorful and very nutritious produce that is abundant during that time. Thanks to our relatively mild coastal climate, we still grow a remarkably large variety of produce during the colder winter months. Like what, you might ask? Things such as baby gem lettuce, salad and stir-fry mixes (under protective row-cover), carrots, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, leafy greens, beets, leeks, green garlic, winter squash, rutabaga, parsnips, fennel, and broccoli (see Harvest Schedule on our website). We also include a limited selection of fruit: things like lemons, oranges, and apples... but to supplement that you will get at least one preserve a week - either a jar of strawberry jam or dry-farmed tomato sauce; i.e. a little taste of 'summer'. Then of course to compliment your Winter Share you have the option of adding things like pastured eggs, fresh baked bread from Companion Bakers, a "preserve option" from Happy Girl Kitchen, not to mention a larger variety of selected goodies through the Live Earth Farm Web Store.

Sign up now for the Farm's 2012 Regular season, and you will not only enjoy a discount (see below) but more importantly your commitment at this time will go a long way towards ensuring the financial health of the farm during the slower winter months, helping us to maintain a sustainable level of income for our workers, and cover the costs of essential and early season purchases.

To make this financial commitment for 2012 easier for all our members, we are once again offering what we hope are helpful cost-saving and payment options:

1. Everyone who signs up by Dec 31st will receive an 'early registration' discount in the form of a reduced share cost.

2. If you can pay the whole season in one payment, there is an additional discount.

3. Members on tighter purse strings can take advantage of our "Installment Payment" plan. Instead of making a big deposit, and then monthly payments that don't start until May (how we did it in prior years), this plan spreads your payments equally over the months from when you sign up to the end of the season, making each payment proportionally less, and making them very regular, so you can manage your monthly expenditures more easily. [DO read separate section "If you choose the 'Installment Payment' Option", below. - Debbie]

4. Lastly, this winter we have decided to continue offering "Budget Shares," our smallest, most economical share.

As I have said in the past, your CSA membership is much more than a mere weekly box of vegetables. Your participation is directly woven into the life of this land, its people, plants, animals, and soil. Every week you receive a sampling of our efforts in the form of food, which in turn becomes a part of your family meals throughout the season. I am reassured, and grateful, to know that the inherent risks involved in growing food can be shared, and that as a Community Supported Farm, we can rely on each other for support.

- Tom

 


Discovery Program Fundraiser - big thanks
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bags ofA big sigh of relief and thanks is happening on the farm today.  We all worked really hard in the weeks and days leading up to Saturday's event and its culmination was rewarding. We had beautiful weather, delicious food, delectable wine, and fabulous company at our 3rd annual LEFDP fundraising event, "Celebrating Generations of Farmers".  Thank you to everyone who participated. We had an amazing crew of volunteers, chefs, wine makers, our board of directors, farm apprentices, sponsors and guests who all deserve our heartfelt appreciation for supporting us and renewing us.

It tickles me pink to have such a vibrant and varied community of people who support and make our mission -- of educating the community about organic farming, nutrition and sustainable food systems -- possible.  While we move all of those hay bales out of the fields, gather the wheat to be threshed, and take the kids tools and garden signs out of the barn and back to the garden, we will be meditating on the smiles, great conversation, and bounty enjoyed at Saturday's event.  We are revived and renewed by the buoyancy created by the efforts of community coming together. Thank you!

- Jessica

Scenes from this year: The Rib King's lamb curry and eggplant curry on brown basmati pilaf topped with raita, apple chutney, tomato chutney, and a side of kimchi served with a tasting of Storrs Winery 2008 Santa Cruz Mountains Petite Sirah; Lisa Bautista's fabulous dessert: "Blackberry Je ne sais quoi" - a delectable layer of crushed homemade ginger cookies, sweetened goat chevre, blackberry puree and lime mousse topped with more blackberries; the welcoming committee: Cecile, Claudine, Constance and Lorenia; Vibrant Foods Catering's spicy baked tofu and cherry tomato skewers; attendees strolling from one food and wine tasting station to the next; and of course the land itself, gorgeous, bathed in the late afternoon light...

Scenes from the 2011 LEFDP fundraiser

Another tomato U-pick! This Saturday Sept. 17th
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Members received this announcement, but we wanted to let the rest of our farm (and tomato!) fans know...

Hand picking ripe dry-farmed tomatoesThe sunny days and heat are finally coming to the coast and our field of dry-farmed tomato plants are continuing to produce abundantly.  So much so, in fact, that Tom said, "I think we need to have another Tomato U-Pick."  And so we will!

Come and join us for another round of U-Pick Tomatoes (see details below). Invite your friends who oooh'd and ahh'd when you told them about all the tomatoes you picked last time.  And when you get home, you can try all those preserving methods you didn't get to last time.

Please note: this is strictly a U-Pick event not a Community Farm Day, so there will be limited staffing and no tractor rides.

Encore Tomato U-Pick Details
When: Saturday, September 17th, 10:00am - 4:00pm
Where: come to our "Main" Green Valley Entrance at 1275 Green Valley Rd - Follow signs for parking, and to get to the U-pick field.
Cost: $1.50/lb (1st 5 lbs. free for members). And yes, eating while picking is allowed!
Harvest limit: 100 lbs. per family
What else:
<> Bring hats, sunscreen, etc. for protection from the elements
<> Bring your own lunch and picnic on the farm if you like!
<> Bring your own bags or boxes for harvesting (LEF will not provide them)
<> Bring wheeled carts or wagons, if you can, to haul your bounty back to your car (parking area may be a bit of a walk from the field)
<> Don't forget to bring cash for paying (exact change helps!)
<> Bring your own salt if you want to snack on tomatoes in the field! :-)
<> We ask that you do not bring dogs to the farm; please leave them at home - thanks!

SignUpTime
It's Sign-Up Time!
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You heard it right - we are now ready for you to sign up for the coming seasons!

To recap:

<> Each season (Winter, Regular) must be signed up for separately; signing up for one does not reserve your spot for the next.

<> If you are not interested in a Winter share that's fine - you can skip it.

<> Although our Regular season does not begin until next April, we are taking sign-ups for it starting now, so as to start the revenue flow necessary to prepare for the coming season (as Tom talks about above).

 

<> Payment incentives! (Regular Season only): There are two: one for "Early Registration" and another for "One Payment".  

 

<> Payment flexibility! (Regular Season only): Can't pay in one payment up front? Choose our "Installment Payment" option, which spreads the total cost of your subscription equally from the time you sign up until Nov 2012 (the last month of the season). Think of it kind of like a 'lay-away' plan - you make monthly installment payments into your member 'account', and then begin drawing against your 'balance' next spring as you receive your shares. [Please read "If you choose the 'Installment Payment' Option", below.] 

    

The nitty-gritty

Our website has been completely updated with all the current info - prices, schedule, which sites are available for what seasons... I highly encourage everyone to at least check out the "How does it work?" and "What does it cost?" sections, as well as the all important "Info for CSA members" page. 

 

Then as soon as you're ready, click Join, choose your seasons, and sign up for them! It's that simple!  If you plan on doing both seasons, sign up for both now; take advantage of that discount! ;-)    

Clipping from our Website homepage 


A Quick Note about New Season Box Sizes
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Almost forgot to include this!

Ever since we added a third box size - the "Budget" share - there has been some confusion about box sizes: people sign up for a "Small" share, and then if they don't read the instructions, think they're supposed to take the 'smallest' box at the pick-up site. Unfortunately, the Budget share is the smallest...!

SO, we are remedying this with the coming seasons. New box sizes are:
Family (Large) Box
Regular (Medium) Box
Budget (Small) Box

Now the only reason I'm bringing this up is: that picture on our website, the "How to Tell Boxes Apart" one, will continue to show the "Small" share as the middle-sized box... until the end of this current season, while it still holds true. But once the season's over, we will revise that -- and hopefully there will be less box size confusion in the future! ;-)
                                            


Why sign up? A "Terroir-ist" Manifesto
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I wrote this for a newsletter two and a half years ago, but thought it a timely reminder for why you'd consider signing up for a CSA share now. "Terroir", by the way, comes from the French word for 'land' ("terre"), and is used to denote special characteristics that geography bestows upon a particular crop - originally wine grapes, but I believe the term applies to other food items directly influenced by the land from whence it was produced; fruits and vegetables, even meat, dairy and eggs from pasture-raised animals, etc. - Debbie

Jan 28, 2009. Freshly back from last week's Eco-Farm Conference, I was most inspired by Gary Nabhan (a well known author, lecturer, ethnobotanist and local foods activist) in a workshop I attended called 'Renewing America's Food Traditions.' He wrote this amazing poem and read it aloud to us, and I just had to share it with all of you, because it so aptly conveys why we're here, why we're doing what we're doing - why YOU'RE doing what you're doing (in participating in our CSA). So without further ado (but with a few farm pictures added):


A Terroir-ist's Manifesto for Eating in Place
by Gary Nabhan, January 2007

Packing the Shares
Know where your food has come from

through knowing those who produced it for you,
from farmer to forager, rancher or fisher
to earthworms building a deeper, richer soil,
to the heirloom vegetable, the nitrogen-fixing legume,
the pollinator, the heritage breed of livestock,
& the sourdough culture rising in your flour.  

Bernie and goat; fresh chevre
Know where your food has come from
by the very way it tastes:
its freshness telling you
how far it may have traveled,
the hint of mint in the cheese
suggesting what the goat has eaten,
the terroir of the wine
reminding you of the lime
in the stone you stand upon,
so that you can stand up for the land
that has offered it to you.
our crew, spring 2008

Know where your food has come from

by ascertaining the health & wealth
of those who picked & processed it,
by the fertility of the soil that is left
in the patch where it once grew,
by the traces of pesticides
found in the birds & the bees there.
Know whether the bays & shoals
where your shrimp & fish once swam
were left richer or poorer than before
you & your kin ate from them. 

Upper field under winter cover crop; Summer Solstice Celebration; Mogie
Know where your food comes from
by the richness of stories told around the table
recalling all that was harvested nearby
during the years that came before you,
when your predecessors & ancestors,
roamed the same woods & neighborhoods
where you & yours now roam.
Know them by the songs sung to praise them,
by the handmade tools kept to harvest them,
by the rites & feasts held to celebrate them,
by the laughter let loose to show them our affection.

Know where your foods come from
by the patience displayed while putting them up,
while peeling, skinning, coring or gutting them,
while pit-roasting, poaching or fermenting them,
while canning, salting or smoking them,
while arranging them on a plate for our eyes to behold.
Know where your food comes from
by the slow savoring of each and every morsel,
by letting their fragrances lodge in your memory
reminding you of just exactly where you were the very day
that you became blessed by each of their distinctive flavors.


When you know where your food comes from
you can give something back to those lands & waters,
that rural culture, that migrant harvester,
curer, smoker, poacher, roaster or vinyer.
You can give something back to that soil,
something fecund & fleeting like compost
or something lasting & legal like protection.
We, as humans, have not been given
roots as obvious as those of plants.
The surest way we have to lodge ourselves
within this blessed earth is by knowing
where our food comes from.
                                            


If you choose the "Installment Payment" option... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[This information is on our website's "Cost" page as well, but bears repeating.]

Installment Payments HEADS UP - in peoples' eagerness to sign up, sometimes they miss important wording. In the step where you choose your payment plan, if you choose "Installment Payments", under "Price" it will spell out for you the number of and amount of payments (ex: "8 * $97.24" would mean eight installments at $97.24 each). Next to that under "Notes", it then says when those payments will be charged to you -- and this is what people miss: "X payments. First payment now. Rest of the payments on the 1st of each month starting [the month after you signed up]." In other words, in the above example, if you signed up on April 5th, the 1st $97.24 will be charged on April 5th, and the rest will be charged May 1st, Jun 1st, July 1st... etc, until you've made all 8 payments. If you signed up on April 29th, however, your first installment would be charged on the 29th, and the next one would STILL be charged May 1st... i.e. two very-close-together payments! So please be mindful of the fact that if you sign up during the latter half of a month, you will experience this. If cash-flow is tight, you may wish to wait until the beginning of a new month to sign up, so that your payments are spread out more evenly.

 
Rebecca's Recipes
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Click here to go to Debbie's recipe database. Rebecca's recipes will be included in the database as well. [What happened to "Notes from Debbie's Kitchen?"]  

 

Greetings to all --WOW-- what a beautiful celebration at the farm for the benefit on Saturday! I hope many of you were there; I was happy to met a few of you! It was such an honor to be a part of this wonderful day. Karen and I were delighted to be able to prepare and share such vibrant food from the farm. It always amazes me how incredible the vegetables taste when just-picked and lovingly prepared. A few of the eggs we used were literally laid right in my hand! Thank you, dear chickens, for your delicious contribution. Thank you, Tom and Constance and all the workers who are so diligent, for sharing such bounty and abundance. It was a long and lingeringly-sweet day, one that faded into the evening with an almost full moon rising over the blessed hills and valley; one which will stay near and dear in my heart. May you all enjoy and savor this coming week! Blessings, Rebecca

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

SUMMER SQUASH WALNUT SALAD
serves 4

1. Stir together 1 tbsp. each: walnut or olive oil and sherry vinegar, 1 tsp. each: Dijon mustard, sweetener, and 1/4 tsp. garlic granules in a large bowl.
2. Trim the ends 4 squash and thinly slice into a bowl using a vegetable peeler.
3. Add 1/4 C halved cherry tomatoes and 1 thinly sliced shallot; toss to coat.
4. Sprinkle with 1/2 C chopped, toasted walnuts and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve within 1 hour.


RAW KALE SALAD with DRIED FRUIT and SPICED BREADCRUMBS
Serves 6
Use any kind of kale for this. The dried fruit can be a mixture, but goji berries, cranberry, and apricot play beautifully together. The vinegar can also be a combination (try apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, and a small bit of balsamic). The dried fruit will absorb most of the vinegar, creating little sweet-sour bursts throughout the salad. The aged cheese, too, can be anything - a good Parmesan, Asiago, Peccorino, aged cheddar, or aged gouda.

1 C chopped dried fruit
1 C vinegar of choice
2 small bunches of kale
4 radishes
1-2 slices of stale bread (about 1/2 C coarsely ground)
sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
cayenne pepper top taste
3-4 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 C roughly chopped shaved cheese
1/4 C edible flowers (optional)

1. Place the chopped, dried fruit in a mixing bowl and pour the vinegar over it. Let stand about 1 hour, to plump.
2. Meanwhile, cut out and discard the tough ribs from the kale [a much quicker and easier way to remove the stems than cutting is to just hold the stem in one hand and strrrip the leaves off with the other. ;-) - Debbie], rinse and spin dry the leaves then finely chop; place in a fairly large salad bowl.
3. Cut the radishes into thin matchsticks.
4. Pulse the stale bread in a food processor or blender until coarsely ground; toss with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Set aside.
5. Add the vinegared fruit, radishes, and olive oil to the kale. Use your hands to mix well. Dust with salt and pepper as you mix this (this is important - it makes the difference between a good salad and a great salad).
6. Top with cheese, seasoned bread crumbs, and flowers, if using.
[yummarino! I'm definitely trying this one Rebecca! ;-) Debbie]


SAVORY BEET NAPOLEONS
Makes about 20

6 medium beets
2 large bunches of chard, spinach, kale, or beet greens
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste
8 ounces goat cheese, in a log
minced chives (optional)
freshly ground pepper to taste
edible flowers (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub the beets, then wrap them in parchment paper, then aluminum foil, and roast for about 60-90 minutes (depending on the size of the beets) until tender. Test for doneness: beets should pierce easily with the tip of a sharp knife.
2. While the beets are roasting, remove and discard the ribs from the chard or other greens, and roughly chop the greens.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the greens, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. When the beets are done, let them cool a bit. When you can handle them, slip off the skins and slice them into 1/4- to 1/2-inch rounds. Slice the log of goat cheese into the same size slices (if necessary, place the cheese in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to harden, then slice it with a hot knife to avoid crumbling).
5. To assemble, arrange beets on a platter and top each beet with a heaping tbsp. of sauteed greens, then a slice of goat cheese. Garnish with the chives, sea salt, and pepper to taste (and of course with the optional edible flowers!).


SPICY THAI GREEN BEAN SALAD
dressing ingredients:
2 tbsp. almond or peanut butter, or a combination
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. sweetener
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp. water
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste

salad ingredients:
1/2 C chopped almonds
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. green beans
2 cloves garlic, minced
crushed red pepper chile pepper flakes, to taste

making the dressing:
1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk until well combined. Set aside. The dressing can be made a day ahead of time.

making the salad:
!. Place the almonds in a large dry skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring, until they turn brown, just a minute or two. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Pour 1 tbsp. olive oil into the skillet and return to medium heat. Add the green beans, garlic, and hot pepper flakes, and stir to combine. Cook until the beans are lightly cooked, but still crisp, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the reserved almonds, and remove the skillet from the heat. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and refrigerate until cool.
4. When ready to serve, pour in the dressing and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or cold.


GREEN CHILE, CILANTRO and MINT SALSA
Makes about 3/4 cup

2 serrano chiles, finely chopped
Half a sweet pepper, finely diced
2 tbsp. finely diced white onion or scallion
1/4 C cilantro
juice and grated zest of 2 limes
2-4 tbsp. chopped mint
sea salt

Combine the vegetables and herbs in a bowl and toss them with the lime juice, zest, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Add 2-3 tbsp. water, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.


TOMATILLO SALSA
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Salsa made from green husked tomato-like fruits have a pleasantly tart taste. A little pureed chipolte chile is also very good in this salsa.

8 ounces tomatillos, husked
2 serranos chiles, quartered lengthwise
1/2 small white onion
5 cilantro sprigs
sea salt

1. Put the tomatillos in a large saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until they are a dull green, about 10 minutes. Drain. (You can also roast the hulled tomatillos instead of boiling them. Place them on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven and roast for about 10 minutes, until they are soft ands a little bubbly. Remove and let cool, then continue with the rest of the recipe.)
2. Puree cooked tomatillos in a blender with the chiles, onion, cilantro, and about 1/4 tsp. salt. Chill before serving, unless you are serving it with enchiladas -- then it should be warm.


AVOCADO-TOMATILLO SOUP with LIME
Serves 4 to 6
Often smooth and always light, cold soups make a refreshing first course or light meal, a quick pick-me-up and in the case of fruit soups, a divine summer soup. Since the flavor improves withtime, they're good soups to make in quantity and have on hand during hot days of summer and fall.Tart tomatillos add a spark to the creamy avocado which is otherwise too rich and creamy to eat without immediate satiation.

2 bunches scallions
1 sweet pepper
2 tbsp. avocado or sunflower seed oil (or your choice)
12 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 celery rib, chopped
1 scant tbsp. chopped ginger
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tbsp. chopped mint
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1 quart stock
sea salt
2 large avocados
1/2 C buttermilk or sour cream
juice of 1 lime

1. Set aside a few scallions and a quarter of the sweet pepper, then coarsely chop the remainder.
2. Heat the oil in a soup pot and add the tomatillos. Saute over high heat until they color, about 5 minutes, then add the chopped vegetables, ginger, herbs, and half of the chiles. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatillos are browned in places, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the stock and 1 tsp. salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the tomatillos fall apart, 15-20 minutes.
5. Let cool, then puree with the avocados and buttermilk. Chill well. Taste for salt.
6. Finely dice the scallion and set-aside pepper and mix with the mint, lime juice, a pinch of salt, and the remaining chile. Serve each bowl of soup with a spoonful of this mixture scattered over the top.


RASPBERRY-BORSHT RISOTTO
Serves 2
Here's an elegant presentation of rice, raspberries, and yes, beets!

2 medium beets, peeled and quartered
2 carrots, chopped
1 large onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
1 C fresh orange juice
3 C water
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 small white onion, chopped finely
1 C crushed raspberries
2/3 C arborio rice
1 tbsp. sour cream (optional; it is creamier with the sour cream)
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon or orange zest

1. In a large saucepan, combine the beets, carrots, onion, bay leaf, orange juice, and water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
2. Strain the broth into another saucepan and keep it warm over low heat. Discard all the vegetables except the beets.
3. Dice a beet and set aside. In a food processor or blender, puree the other beets, and add to the broth.
4. In the large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 7 minutes.
5. Add the diced beets and raspberries, and stir well.
6. Add the rice and stir to blend. Pour in enough hot beet broth to cover the rice by about one inch. Continue cooking and stirring until the liquid is absorbed, about 4 minutes. Add broth again to cover by about an inch, and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until the rice is plump and soft in the center. No liquid should be left on the surface of the rice, and the texture should be thick, like oatmeal. This process should take about 30 minutes (you will probably have broth left over).
7. Stir in the sour cream and grated lemon or orange zest. Serve at once.


 2011 CALENDAR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Visit our website's calendar page for more details, including photos and videos of past events. This is a great way to get the flavor of what it is like visiting the farm!

Live Earth Farm Discovery Program (LEFDP) activities 

Wee Ones

3rd Tuesday of every month, 10:30am - Noon [year-round]
(free for children 0 - 3 yrs; $10 - $15 per family)
Mothers, fathers, grandparents, caretakers of any kind... bring the babe in your arms to experience the diversity of our beautiful organic farm here in Watsonville. We will use our five senses to get to know the natural world around us. The farm is home to over 50 different fruits and vegetables, chicks, chickens, goats, piglets, and the many wild members of the Pajaro watershed. RSVP requested.

Art on the Farm Camp 

Three weeks to choose from: June 13th-17th, June 20th-24th, or July 11th-15th
all camps from 9am - 4pm daily

(click here for cost and scheduling info)

We'll be engaging campers in creative expression among our 100 organic acres of fruits, vegetables, farm animals, and wild spaces. During the week campers will plant, harvest, and create in the kitchen and beyond; make cheese, make masks, print, paint, and sculpt with natural materials.


For questions about any LEFDP event or activities, contact Jessica at the LEFDP office: (831) 728-2032 or email her at lefeducation@baymoon.com.

  Calendar

Happy Girl Kitchen Workshops at LEF
(all workshops include an organic lunch, as well as take-home items from what is made that day -- these workshops are not to be missed!)

April 16 - Sauerkraut, Kimchee and Kombucha 

May 7 - Cheese

June 11 - Jam with Available Berries 

July 9 - Jam with Apricots and Berries 

August 13 - Pickles

August 14 - Pickles

August 20 - Tomatoes

August 21 - Tomatoes

(to sign up for any workshop, simply click on its name, above)

 

 

Contact Jordan if you have any questions:

 

jordan@happygirlkitchen.com 
http://www.happygirlkitchen.com
Follow Happy Girl on Twitter! @happygirl_co

Community Farm Days and Events

this calendar was revised 7/4/11; please note changes

April 23rd - Sheep to Shawl

April 27th - Community Night @ Saturn Cafe for LEFDP

June 4th - Community Farm Day - U-pick strawberries

June 18th - Summer Solstice Celebration

July 30th - Community Farm Day - From Seed to Bread

Aug 27th - Community Farm Day - U-pick tomatoes (our "Totally Tomatoes" day)

Sept 10th - "Celebrating Generations of Farmers" farm-fresh food and wine pairing fundraiser for LEFDP

Sept 17th - Another Tomato U-pick! (due to popular demand, Mother Nature's sun!)
Oct 22nd - Fall Harvest Festival and U-pick apples and pumpkins

 

"Cooking-from-your-box" classes

Join chefs and CSA members Rebecca Mastoris and Karen Haralson on the last Sunday of each month at Williams-Sonoma in Los Gatos for this fun and informative session on making great food from what comes in your Live Earth Farm CSA box. For info about the latest class, see "Upcoming Events" on Karen and Rebecca's Vibrant Food Catering website.  

 

Medicinal Herb Walks/classes on the farm

April 2nd - Herbs of Live Earth

May 14th - Herbal Basics of Stress Management

June 25th - Herbal Preparations

For more info, contact Darren Huckle at rootsofwellness@gmail.com or 831.334.5177 or visit his website at www.rootsofwellness.net


Contact Information
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farm phone: (831) 763-2448
education programs/school field trips: (831) 728-2032
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