Weekly Weeder

Olin-Fox Farms Volume No. 10 Issue No. 12 June 5, 2008

www.olinfoxfarms.com Summer Season Week 2

STANDARD REMINDER

Please be sure to wash your weekly share thoroughly before serving. To preserve freshness, it is NOT ‘table ready’ (i.e., pre-washed). We deliver your Olin-Fox Farms’ produce right from the fields to ensure highest quality.

REMINDER: This is the second week of the Summer Program.

Next week, June 11-14 is an OFF week.

Schedules can also be found on our website, www.olinfoxfarms.com

This Week's News From The Farms

Last week's OFF week due to the scarcity of produce will be made up later in the Summer, when with Mother Nature's cooperation, our favorite Summer produce will be in abundance, such as tomatoes and cucumbers. Please rest assured, you will receive 12 shares over the course of the Summer Program. The CSA schedule includes two or three weeks of shares followed by an OFF week, and it was designed this way specifically to give us some flexibility, so we can provide you the maximum value for your money. Mother Nature follows her own schedule, and as you all have noticed and heard on the news, the weather patterns are rather unpredictable.

One trend this year is that with all the rain we have received, the various fruits are having very short seasons. Strawberries normally last a few weeks or up to a month, but this year locally grown strawberries lasted about 2 weeks. Sour cherries, a rather sensitive fruit, normally has a brief season of about 2 weeks, but our growers are reporting that this year it is less than a week.

This is why we are providing those with Fruit Shares a double-share of fruit, in anticipation of the possibility that with short fruit seasons, there could be a gap at some point during the Summer Program.

For those who pick up on Thursdays, please note that we have adjusted the delivery schedule. One of the outcomes of the tremendous growth in our CSA is that it takes longer to drop off shares at the various locations. Shares should be delivered on Thursdays by the following times:

Lottsburg 10:00 a.m.

Tappahannock 11:00 a.m.

Stafford 1 p.m.

Occoquan 2 p.m.

Alexandria - Harris 3 p.m.

Alexandria – Crim 4 p.m.

Alexandria UnWined 5 p.m.

Please note that during severe weather, add another hour the the pick up time. We will make every attempt to contact you via email in cases of delays.

In Your Produce Basket This Week

Asparagus, Garlic Scapes, Onions, Sugar Snap Peas

See your site's produce list for more details.

For Those With Fruit Shares: Raspberries and Sour Cherries

Please Note: With elements beyond our control such as the start or the end of a harvest, or extreme weather conditions that may limit the quantity of produce coming in, we systematically address each delivery and pick up group each week and do our very best to see that everyone receives some of everything.

Recipes/Information

Sugar Snap peas are a special fresh treat this time of year. The Sugar Snaps in your share are young and tender enough that merely cutting off the stem provides a wonderful, raw sweet treat. However, if desired, one can de-stem, and then pull the string that runs along one edge of the pod. The casing is tender enough to eat as well, but it is also possible to shell the pod and eat only the peas inside.

Nutritionally, Sugar Snap peas are high in vitamins A & C, and also contain calcium and iron. Sugar snaps were created in the 1970s as a cross between the snow pea and the green pea.

Extensive information about peas in general, and also specifically about sugar snaps, including nutrition, history, and cooking information, can be found by clicking on the link below, or copy and paste it into your Internet browser:

http://www.wholehealthmd.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?nm=Reference+Library&type=AWHN_Foods&mod=Foods&mid=&id=C4150E9082614A46A5DF6FA8E717CC7E&tier=2

Easy Sugar Snap Peas

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2 cups Whole Sugar Snap Peas, washed and dried

1 tsp. Sesame Seed

1 Tsp. Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp. Garlic Scapes, finely chopped

Add oil to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add peas and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped garlic scapes and stir-fry for 2 more minutes. Drizzle peas with soy sauce and stir-fry for 1 more minute.

Lemon Sugar Snap Peas

1 Bag Sugar Snap Peas

1 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Garlic Scapes

2 Tsp. Lemon Juice

1 Tsp. Lemon Zest

¼ Tsp. Salt

½ Tsp. Freshly Ground Pepper

Cook peas in enough boiling salted water to cover for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge into ice water, drain. Melt butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat, add peas and saute' 3 minutes. Add garlic and remaining ingredients. Saute 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Bon Appetit!