Weekly Weeder

Olin-Fox Farms Volume No. 11 Issue No. 11 May 28, 2009

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.


This is the Second Week of the Summer 2009 Program.

Next Week is an OFF Week.

The Third Week of the Summer Program is June 10 - 13.

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


This Week's News From The Farms

The harvest has been bountiful this week and the heat and humidity have arrived, so we will keep the newsletter brief. The late Spring crops continue, so once again we are including an extra pound of asparagus and the sugar snap peas are really yummy!

As the temperature increases and holds above 70 degree Fahrenheit, more typical Summer crops will be coming in. The squash is starting to blossom although the bees have not yet found it, but soon they will, as well as cucumbers, tomatoes, melons etc.

We plan to update the Projected Harvest List on our website and add a new notification page for our distribution locations. This page will let you know when your weekly shares are available for pick up. This page should hopefully help many of you in Northern Virginia beat the rush hour traffic.

Please note, we are a working farm so please be patient for our email responses as we normally check and respond to emails on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.


In Your Produce Basket This Week

Radishes, Arugula, Pac Choi, Bulb Fennel, Sugar Snap Peas, Garlic Scapes, Mint,

Asparagus, Free-Range Eggs


For Those With a Fruit Share: Strawberries


Recipes and Information

Thanks to CSA Member Trish for this week's recipes!

Mojitos!!!!

This is a mojito as made by the Bacardi people, who swear by spearmint.


Put sugar in a glass to cover the bottom about a quarter inch. Toss in 4 – 6 spearmint leaves and use a blunt object to grind the leaves into the sugar until they are all in little pieces. Add the juice of half a lime and add enough water to slosh around until the sugar dissolves. Add crushed ice, about an ounce of light rum or lemon-flavored rum, and water, club soda, etc. to fill the glass and stir.


You’ll sneer at any other mojito once you have one of these and everyone who has one will clamor for you to make more, so be forewarned.


Shaved Fennel Salad

This recipe is so simple and delicious and tastes like spring. Fennel makes a very delicate salad when sliced paper-thin. It can be difficult to cut the fennel very thin with a knife, so the cheap Japanese slicer is a great thing to have.


  • Trim off the tops and root ends from: 1 fennel bulb

  • Save a few feathery leaves for garnish. Pull off and discard any discolored or dehydrated outer layers or throw them in the freezer for your stock pot.

  • Clean a handful of raw mushrooms.

  • Shave some parmesan cheese with a peeler to make cheese curls.


To make the dressing, stir together:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Grated zest of ¼ lemon

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Salt

Fresh-ground black pepper

Whisk in: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


Taste and adjust with salt and lemon juice as needed. When ready to serve, thinly slice the fennel crosswise and thinly slice the mushrooms. Layer the fennel and mushrooms and drizzle with the dressing. Top with the Parmesan curls and fennel feathers.



Roasted Asparagus With Arugula and Shallot Vinaigrette

Roasting is a way to get rich flavor from fresh asparagus.


8 thin spears fresh green asparagus (about 1/2 pound)

1 tablespoon of your favorite vinaigrette

Coarse salt

3 cups lightly packed arugula (about 5 ounces)

3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh chives

6 shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 1/2 ounce)

Fleur de sel


  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

  2. Rinse the asparagus and trim the tough ends. Arrange the asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet large enough to hold the asparagus in a single layer. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Roll the asparagus around to coat the spears with the vinaigrette and salt. Sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons water.

  3. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast until the asparagus are cooked through, though still slightly firm and browned at the tips (about 12 minutes).

  4. Meanwhile, combine the arugula and chives in a large bowl. Add just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the greens and toss. Transfer to individual dinner plates. When the asparagus are cooked, place them on top of the arugula salad. Scatter the shavings of cheese on top of the asparagus, season with salt and pepper and serve.


Newsletter written by John Cooper and Alice Hershiser.

Bon Appetit!