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.

Well it looks like summer came back. And, once again we could all use some much-needed rain. Also, some cooler temperatures would be welcome for all the Fall lettuces and greens starting to come in. It's quite a challenge to get the produce from the field to you in the time we normally do. But with the recent warm daytime temperatures, we as well as our Farm Families really must scramble to get the produce harvested and prepared for pickups and deliveries. We protect the produce as best we can by early and late harvesting to keep it from the heat of the day. We strive to bring you the freshest, high quality produce available, so enjoy!

Some Summer crops continue, as some are being replaced by Fall crops. In the coming weeks, with Mother Nature's cooperation, we should be enjoying more apples, Arugula, salad mix, tasoi, white sweet potatoes, potatoes, baby collard greens, kale, turnips, and beets to name a few.

We continually work on improving and refining your CSA, from field to office and the world wide web, to better serve you. In 2009 we will be moving to more earth-friendly packaging, like returnable cloth bags, rather than the paper we are using now. Speaking of 2009, if you are planning on joining any of the 2009 programs, please register soon, so as we can plan for the year, and also secure your spot as many of our locations do get sold out early.

Some of you have had some problems by paying with PayPal. We have fixed the glitches and if you have a PayPal account, log on and go to “Send Money,” then make your payment to info@olinfoxfarms.com. Or, if you do not have a PayPal account, you can request us to send you for full payment or a payment plan of your choice.

Other important information: Please be courteous to your pickup location, and pick up during regular pick up days and times. Also, check or post your program schedule. This may be very helpful, especially during the OFF weeks.

Last but not least, don't forget, the Olin-Fox Farms Second Annual Garlic Roast scheduled for Saturday November 8^th from 2 to 5 pm. Camping is available for members and guests (reservations are required). Hotel rooms are available in the area. More information to come in next week's Weekly Weeder!

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.

Don't forget! Microwaving your squash for a few minutes, or placing in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes, will slightly soften a winter squash, making it much easier to cut.

Lemongrass

A wonderful treat in this week's share is lemongrass! It is a favorite ingredient in Thai/Asian cuisine, and the information below was obtained from: http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/ingredients/lemongrass.html

Lemongrass is related to citronella, and grows well in frost-free climates. Otherwise, it should be brought indoors during the winter. Soups, salads, and curries are often flavored with lemongrass in Thai cooking.

For soups and simmered dishes, cut the trimmed stalk at a very sharp angle into inch-long pieces, exposing its fragrant interior. Smash with the flat blade of a cleaver or heavy knife to bruise and release the aromatic oils before adding to these dishes. For salads, cut with a sharp knife into very thin rounds, breaking up the fibers that run the length of the stalk. When slicing, if the outer layer seems fibrous, peel it off before proceeding. Such thinly sliced rounds of the inner stalk can be easily chewed with other salad ingredients for a refreshing burst of lemony herb flavor.

For curries, cut the stalk into thin rounds before pounding in a stone mortar to reduce to paste. Although lemon grass appears dry when you are slicing it, when crushed, you will see that it really is quite moist. Crushing breaks the juice sacs in the fibers and releases the aromatic oils that make lemon grass so special.

Green Salad with Lemongrass and Pear Slices

Serves 4

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 stalks of lemongrass, outer leaves discarded, ends trimmed, and 5 inches of the lower stalks, minced
4 shallots, minced

2 cups mixed lettuce, washed and patted (or spun) dry

2 cups Arugula, washed and patted (or spun) dry
1 medium-sized pear, ripened to soft point, cored and sliced into 8 wedges

3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
cayenne to taste
2 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced crosswise
Optional: toasted, sliced almonds

In a small bowl whisk together the oil, the lemongrass, the shallots, the lemon juice, the garlic, the coriander, the cayenne, and salt to taste. Place the lettuce and the Arugula on the 4 plates, then top with the pear and tomato slices. Spoon the dressing over them, and let the salad stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Garnish each serving if desired with the almonds.

Roast Salmon with Thai Red Curry and Pac Choi

Serves 4

8 Pac Choi leaves, sliced lengthwise
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon Thai red curry paste*
1 13 1/2- to 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk*
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh lemongrass
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla*)

4 6-ounce salmon fillets

*Thai red curry paste and fish sauce (nam pla) are both available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets nationwide.

**Canned unsweetened coconut milk is available at Indian markets, Southeast Asian markets, Latin American markets and many supermarkets.

Cook pac choi in pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Set aside. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add curry paste and stir 30 seconds. Add coconut milk, chopped lemongrass and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Boil until mixture is slightly thickened and reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 tablespoon fish sauce. Set curry sauce aside.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Cook salmon 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven. Bake salmon until opaque in center, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pac choi and sauté until beginning to brown in spots, about 4 minutes. Drizzle pac choi with remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce. Bring curry sauce to simmer and ladle onto 4 plates.

Arrange 1 salmon fillet and pac choi atop curry sauce on each plate and serve.

Newsletter written by John Cooper and Alice Hershiser.