Weekly Weeder

Olin-Fox Farms Volume No. 7 Issue No. 26 August 24, 2006

www.olinfoxfarms.com Summer Season Week 7

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.


This Week's News From the Farms

There have been many questions about the CSA's Fall Produce Program.  As a reminder, the All Season Program started last November, 2005 and will conclude  October, 2006.  We are offering a short 5-week Fall Program to finish out calendar year 2006.  This way, the new 2007 All Season Program can start in January and coincide with the calendar year.  This eliminates much confusion for accountants as well as the rest of us. 

 

So, join up for the Fall Program to continue to receive your share through 2006.  Please let us know soon about the Fall Program, so that we can plan for the amount of crops needed. We will reserve spots in Alexandria for current members for 1 more week before opening up for new membership. Deadline is August 31st.


Olin-Fox Farms Membership Event, September 8

 On Saturday, September 8th, Olin-Fox Farms is inviting its CSA members to visit the farm.  Canning Farm will be present to sell its "home-raised beef grown without added hormones, antibiotics, or feed additives."  This sale will be available only to our CSA members.  Selections include steaks, roasts, ground beef, hot dogs, snack sticks, and liver.  Prices range from ground beef at $4 per lb. to ribs at $10.50 per lb.  Just ask John, this beef is worth every penny.  It is intense in flavor and there is little or no fat.  Other activities are planned for September 8, stay tuned.

 

Locusville Plantation Music Festival

 Locusville Plantation's 4th Annual Music Festival will be held on Saturday, September 16, 1 - 8 pm.  Located in Ottoman in Lancaster County, this event is free and families are welcome.  You can visit their store, tour the gardens, and enjoy a wide variety of local/regional musical talent.  We will include more information in upcoming newsletters, you can also phone Locusville at 804-462-0002.


Turkey Tales

 We’d come to assume that the antics of the local troop of turkeys around OFF were harmless amusement until Alice noticed one big emboldened tom stationed almost on the front porch.  Farmer John already knew he was up to:  acting as the ‘lookout’, to sound the alarm for all the youngsters on a raiding party among the tomato plants.  When John raced outside, sure enough, they caught the young gobblers and pullet hens racing off with the last of the day's harvest of Sun Gold in their beaks.  Some farms report turkeys going after figs still on the trees.  Maybe it’s this dry weather and the need for moisture, but between the deer, the turkeys and the ground hogs, you don’t find any wind fall fruit on the ground at the farm this time of the year.


Crop Report

 Many of the growers have started seedlings of fall crops like broccoli, collards, kale, tatsoi, bok choi and some lettuces, even though the ground is still parched and hard as a rock.  What all the farms could use is a 3-day soaking rain, as unlikely as that seems.  It's been even too dry to start digging sweet potatoes. 

Weekly Weeder, August 24, 2006 Page 2


Of course, many of the summer crops are loving this heat and dry weather.  The peppers certainly do; they are now coloring up and getting sweeter.  Even the hot peppers are finally getting some heat to

them and should appear in upcoming shares.  The next harvest of green beans ought to be ready soon as well as cucumbers, if we are lucky.  The tomatoes are still producing, although they may become a tad sporadic.



In Your Produce Basket This Week

Rutgers Heirloom Tomatoes, Sweet Pepper, Sungold Tomatoes, Sage, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Black Mission & Brown Turkey Figs, Cucumber, Bartlett Pears


Notice about Pears: Pears are not ready to eat when first picked off the tree. Wait a couple days so they get sweeter and juicier.

Recipe

Wild Rice Salad with Fresh Figs

 

Ingredients:     1 cup wild rice, cooked with water or broth and well drained

                        4 firm, ripe fresh figs, chopped into small pieces

                        1/3 cup chopped pecans             1/6 cup golden raisins or dried currants

                        1/3 cup tiny peas (thawed or fresh—NOT cooked)

                        1/6 cup orange juice       1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind

                        1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar       3 tablespoons light olive oil

                        salt & pepper to taste

 

Combine the wild rice with the figs, pecans, peas and raisins.  Stir together the orange juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and grated orange rind and pour over the rice mixture.  Stir to blend flavors.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Mix well and allow to stand for 2 hours.  Flavors are best when served at room temperature.  Garnish with thinly-sliced sweet peppers and sage.

 

Accompanied with grilled chicken and a green salad, this makes an easy and complete light summer meal.


Newsletter and Recipes by Ethan Brent, Official Newsletter Focalizer

Bon Appetit!