Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Last Farm Share Delivery is August 25th

Just a reminder, we will be taking a Fall hiatus for planting, starting at the end of this month. August 25th will be our last CSA Farm Share delivery date until we post an update. We will not be taking orders for delivery dates past August 25th.

Please email us with any questions you may have! Thank you!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Farm Share - Contents for August 11, 2011

AsianPears
Cabbage (Green)
Garlic (Dried)
Basil
Chard
Carrots
Corn
Pears (Asian)
Pluots ("Flavor Grenade")
Eggplant
Green Onions (Scallions)
Cherry Tomato Mix
Lettuce (Romaine)
Limes

Item Origins: Maciel Family Farms (Bonsall, CA), Roots and Fruits Farm (Valley Center, CA), Buma Farms (Riverside, CA), Bonsall Farms (Vista, CA), Bernardino Farms (Fallbrook, CA).

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Farm Share - Contents for August 4, 2011

Basil&Peppers
Basil
Chard
Carrots
Corn
Peaches (Yellow, "August Pride")
Pluots ("Flavor Grenade"
Eggplant
Green Onions (Scallions)
Cherry Tomato Mix
Tomatoes (Japanese)
Lettuce (Romaine)
Bell Peppers (Green and Yellow)
Cucumbers (Munchers)

Item Origins: Maciel Family Farms (Bonsall, CA), Roots and Fruits Farm (Valley Center, CA), Buma Farms (Riverside, CA), Bonsall Farms (Vista, CA).

Friday, July 29, 2011

Farm Share - Contents for July 28, 2011

FruitCrate
Basil
Squash (green)
Chard
Beets
Carrots
Corn
Peaches (Yellow, "August Pride")
White Nectarines
Apricots
Anaheim Chilies
Green Beans
Lettuce (Romaine)

Large boxes also saw:
Daikon
Bell Pepper (Green)

Item Origins: Maciel Family Farms (Bonsall, CA), Roots and Fruits Farm (Valley Center, CA), Buma Farms (Riverside, CA), Schmidt Orchards (CA), Bernardino Farm (Fallbrook, CA), Bonsall Farms (Vista, CA).

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Peach Cobbler - Summer Splendor

Peaches
It's peach season! Last week our Farm Share boxes had some beautiful local yellow "August Pride" peaches and they were beautiful. Peaches are one of those summer delicacies that remind you of the sweetness of temporary seasonal bliss in each bite. When the sun is warm and the conditions are right peaches show up true to their summer traditions.

I had some peaches in my kitchen specifically saved for peach cobbler, but the problem was I didn't have an "amazing" cobbler recipe. I've made a handful of cobblers in the past, all with tasty, but alas, only mediocre results. I did a little internet search and found a recipe with really high reviews so I thought I'd give it a shot. IT WAS A WINNER!

The ingredients were simple enough - just the basics, nothing too fancy. The recipe was not boring, and the results certainly weren't either. The whole process kept me interested mostly due to the two part baking process which kept me from sitting around waiting on the timer. I am certain this recipe could work with all kinds of things other than peaches - apples, berries, peaches and ginger, cherries - there are a thousand combinations I'm sure.

For those of you that have a stellar cobbler recipe, this one might rival yours (unless its happens to be from your Southern Grandmother). And if you don't have a good cobbler recipe in your book at all, you'll want to add this one to it.
PeachCobbler

Summer Peach Cobbler
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ingredient List:

{8} fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges
{1/4} cup white sugar
{1/4} cup brown sugar
{1/4} teaspoon ground cinnamon
{1/8} teaspoon ground nutmeg
{1} teaspoon fresh lemon juice
{2} teaspoons cornstarch

{1} cup all-purpose flour
{1/4} cup white sugar
{1/4} cup brown sugar
{1} teaspoon baking powder
{1/2} teaspoon salt
{6} tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
{1/4} cup boiling water

Mix Together:
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

{3} tablespoons white sugar
{1} teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). 

In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined. 

Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes. 

Original recipe found here

Monday, July 25, 2011

Flavor Queens

SugarQueens
Science. Science wouldn't be the first word you would think of when looking at these beautiful fruits, but really the word "science" sums them up perfectly. "Sweet", "colorful", "juicy", "tender" - yes all these things are quite honest descriptions, but I like "science" best.

These lovely fruits are called "Flavor Queen Pluots®" and are a plum apricot hybrid. Our friend who farms his orchard in Valley Center gave us a little lesson the other day about how Pluots® came about. Grafting makes this possible, check it out:


Plum x Apricot = Plumcot  then...
Plumcot x Plum = Pluot®

Science!!
FlavorQueen2
Last week we included these Flavor Queen Pluots® in our Farm Share boxes. They are beautiful fruits with candy-like sweetness. The skins stay this marvelous green color making them deceiving on the outside, but not so on the inside. This variety is only available from mid July through August, which makes them a uniquely prized summer fruit! 

Pluot® is a registered trademark of Zaiger Genetics in Modesto, CA. 

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Farm Share - Contents for July 21, 2011

Scallions
Green Onions (Scallions)
White Spring Onions (Gladstone)
Radishes
Basil
Squash (green and yellow)
Chard
Beets
Carrots
Eggplant
Celery
Grapefruit (Ruby Red)
Pluots ("Flavor Queen") - super sweet! These have a green skin, even when ripe.
Peaches (Yellow, "August Pride")

Item Origins: Maciel Family Farms (Bonsall, CA), Sage Mountain Farms (Aguanga, CA), Roots and Fruits Farm (Valley Center, CA), Buma Farms (Riverside, CA)

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Farm Share - Contents for July 14, 2011

Apricots
This weeks Farm Share packages include:

Basil
Squash (green)
Squash (8 ball, green and yellow)
Chard (rainbow)
Carrots
Cucumber (burpless)
Beets (red, cylinder)
Broccoli
Purple Scallions
Apricots
Plums (Santa Rosa)
Radishes
Garlic (dried)

Item Origins: Maciel Family Farms (Bonsall, CA), Sage Mountain Farms (Aguanga, CA), Roots and Fruits Farm (Valley Center, CA), JR Organics (Escondido, CA)

Thursday, June 23, 2011

CSA - Contents for June 23, 2011

Berries
This weeks CSA Farm Share packages include:

Raspberries

Green Onion
Basil

Squash (green and yellow)

Chard (rainbow)
Turnips

Carrots
 
Cucumber (burpless)
Beets (red, cylinder)
Dill
Cilantro

Kohlrabi
Green Beans

Large boxes also saw:

Daikon
Blackberries

Item Origins: Maciel Family Farms (Bonsall, CA), Bonsall Farms (Vista, CA)

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Beets. What DO you do with a beet??

Beets have a terrible reputation. Among other things they have been blamed for tasting like... well, dirt. Our modern day society does not eat too many beets, nor do most even know what a real fresh beet looks like. A common form (the dreaded canned form) gives beets the appearance and texture of something that has surfaced from a steamy, stinky bog of sorts. I hope I don't offend anyone but I must say that canned beets have to be near the top of my "do not eat" list. Besides, they taste like tin.

Now, you must understand why I feel so harshly towards counterfeit beets. The reason is this: fresh beets can actually taste REALLY GOOD! And fresh beets have another benefit - they are really good for you. Thirdly, they really don't take long at all to prepare, so you may not use that as your excuse!
Red Beets
Ok, lets start with the basics. Let's call it Getting to Know your Beets. Here are a few simple things you should know about this vegetable that may soon work it's way to the top of your favorites:

:: Beets are root vegetables which mean they grow underground. The stems and leaves grow above ground.
:: Not all beets are dark red. Some varieties are white, orange or purple, and just about every shade in between.
:: Beets are extremely high in nutrition. Most notably beets are know for their anti-inflammatory properties and also work as an antioxidant and aid in detoxification.
:: Every part of the beet can be eaten, from tip to tip (yes, including the leaves!)

It is no surprise that beets are highly nutritious (as most vegetables are). This post isn't so much to convince you to eat them because they are good for you, but rather to answer the question: What the heck do I do with them??
Golden Beets
As mentioned above every inch of the beet is edible. Let's start with the beet root. If you think beets have a very "dirty" taste as many people do you will want to peel your beets with a vegetable peeler. This helps A LOT. Now, there are many different ways one can prepare beets. I can't possibly go into every detail here but I can give you some helpful suggestions and links to recipes.

Fresh ::  (uncooked)
    Balsamic Beet and Fresh Spinach Salad

Steamed, Grilled, Baked and Broiled ::
    15 Minute Beets (from Whole Foods Market)
    Roasted Beets (We did this the other night and the beets were delicious! Instead of peeling them after they were cooked we peeled them before hand with a vegetable peeler. This made everything easier).
    Similar to the Roasted Beet recipe above this same method can be done on the BBQ instead of in the oven. If you have a smoker you could totally throw the foil wrapped beets on the smoker too.

Baking ::
    Red Beet Chocolate Cake

More :: There are so many recipes!
    A simple search on Bon Appetit Magazine's website yielded 6 pages of recipes that used beets. Click here to explore them.
    Gourmet Magazine's website yielded 3 pages of recipes that used beets. Click here to explore them.
    Martha Stewart's website gave me more than 18 pages of recipes that used beets when I just searched for "beet." Click here to explore her recipes.

Cylindrical Beets
If you juice, you will want to juice beets and their greens. As mentioned above, beets are extremely nutritious to the body. In fact drinking beet juice can lower you blood pressure, provide anti-cancer benefits, improve digestive functions (thanks to the unique fiber found in beets) and aid in cardiovascular health. Whole Foods Market has a wonderful article on the health benefits of the beet - a must read for those who enjoy learning about the benefits this veggie has on the body.

This brings me to my last point which is using the greens. It is quite common to see the greens of most vegetables discarded as green waste. Take carrots for example. While at the market recently I purchased a bundle of carrots with their tops still on. The checker asked me if I wanted her to rip the tops of for me. Quite the opposite. The greens are often considered the life of the plant. It's where the sunlight enters and where energy is stored. These vegetable parts shouldn't be wasted! Chop them up and use them as salad greens, or put them on a sandwich instead of lettuce. Saute them in a wok, or if you juice, juice them!
Beet Greens
Enjoy experimenting with beets. They really aren't so bad after all. Vegetables give you energy, help your body function at it's best, and give you the satisfaction that you are making good eating choices.

The moral of the story is this: beets can be very very tasty. And while you are processing that don't forget that the Internet is your best recipe resource. There are thousands of ideas out there!

Enjoy some beets!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

CSA - Contents for June 16, 2011

Basil and Cabbage
This weeks CSA Farm Share packages include:

Cabbage (purple)
Green Onion

Cantaloupe
or Oranges (naval)
Basil

Squash (green and yellow)

Strawberries
Chard (rainbow)
Leeks
Turnips

Carrots
 
Cucumber (burpless)
Beets (red, cylinder)
Dill
Cilantro

Item Origins: Maciel Family Farms (Bonsall, CA), Bonsall Farms (Vista, CA)

Monday, June 13, 2011

CSA - Contents for June 9, 2011

CabbageCarrots

This weeks CSA Farm Share packages include: 

Chard (Rainbow)
Leeks
Turnips

Carrots
 
Cucumber (Burpless)
Beets (Red, Cylinder)
Dill
Cilantro
Cabbage (purple) and/or Golden Beets

Green Onion
Canteloupe 
Green Beans
Squash (green and yellow)

Item Origins: Maciel Family Farms (Bonsall, CA), Bonsall Farms (Vista, CA)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Homemade Salsa

Around here we love to make homemade salsa. In fact, we've make it so often it has become somewhat of an expectation at events we attend. Those who have tasted our recipe usually can't stop eating it. With summer just around the corner I thought it would be a great time for us to make salsa! Last week's CSA Farm Share boxes contained cilantro - an essential ingredient for salsa making. Since our family salsa recipe is kind of a secret we will show you the basic ingredients we use, and leave it up to you to decide how much and which spices you will add.
SalsaA
Start by washing your cilantro thoroughly. I absolutely love the smell of my hands after handling this stuff!
SalsaB
We usually use canned stewed tomatoes but you could absolutely use fresh if you have them on hand.

We love using a manual food processor like this one. You can totally use a blender or a food processor too.
SalsaC
Onion is an absolute necessity....
SalsaD
SalsaG
Jalapeno and some garlic...
SalsaF
A little serrano pepper...
SalsaH
There are a ton of different spices you can add - from mild to hot, such as cayenne pepper, chilli powder, onion powder, garlic salt, sea salt, pepper, red pepper flakes etc. There really are a ton of ways you can get creative with this.
SalsaE
Lemon juice...
SalsaI
SalsaJ
... and blend it up!

Now all I need is a bowl of chips, a lounge chair and a salt rimmed margarita on the rocks :)

Thursday, June 2, 2011

CSA - Contents for June 2, 2011

Chard

This weeks CSA Farm Share packages include: 

Kohlrabi 

Chard (Rainbow)
Spinach
Leeks
Turnips (White - and these are giant!)

Radishes (French Breakfast)
Carrots
 
Cucumber (Burpless)
Beets (Red, Cylinder)
Mint
Dill
Cilantro
Lettuce (Iceberg)
Oranges (Navel)

Item Origins: Maciel Family Farms (Bonsall, CA), Bonsall Farms (Vista, CA)

Thursday, May 26, 2011

CSA - Contents for May 26, 2011

Beet Greens, Radishes & Dill

This weeks CSA Farm Share packages include: 

Chard (Variety)

Spinach
Leeks
Turnips (White)

Radishes (English)
Carrots
 
Cucumber (Burpless)
Beets (Red)
Broccoli
Squash (green and/or yellow)
Dill
Cilantro

Lettuce (Iceberg)
Limes (Bear)

Oranges (Navel)

Item Origins: Maciel Family Farms (Bonsall, CA), Bonsall Farms (Vista, CA)

Thursday, May 19, 2011

CSA - Contents for May 19, 2011

Broccoli

This weeks CSA Farm Share packages include: 

Chard (Variety)

Spinach
Green Leaf Lettuce
Leeks
Turnips (White)
Carrots
 

Cucumber (Burpless)
Raspberries
Garlic (Green)
Beets (Red)
Broccoli
Squash (green and/or yellow)

Dill
Chives
Rosemary
Green Beans
Oro Blanco (hybrid of a grapefruit and an orange)

Item Origins: Maciel Family Farms (Bonsall, CA), Bonsall Farms (Vista, CA), Woodson Family Farms (Fallbrook, CA)

Friday, May 13, 2011

CSA - Contents for May 12, 2011

Garlic Bunches


This weeks CSA Farm Share packages include: 

Radishes (Red)
Chard (Variety)
Leeks
Turnips (White)
Carrots
Tomatoes (Roma)Cucumber (Burpless)
Strawberries 
Garlic
Fava Beans
Mustard Greens
Beets (Red)
Broccoli
Basil
Squash (green and/or yellow)

Item Origins: Maciel Family Farms (Bonsall, CA), Bonsall Farms (Vista, CA)

Thursday, April 28, 2011

CSA - Contents for April 28, 2011

Turnips

This weeks CSA Farm Share packages include:

Beets (Red) and/or Beets (Golden)
Radishes (Red)
Chard (Variety)
Kale
Leeks
Turnips (White)
Carrots
Green Beans

Cucumber (Burpless)
Strawberries 
Green Garlic and/or Green Leaf Lettuce
Fava Beans
Mustard Greens
 
Large boxes saw:
Daikon

Tomatoes (Roma)
Broccoli

Item Origins: Maciel Family Farms (Bonsall, CA), Bonsall Farms (Vista, CA)

Thursday, April 21, 2011

CSA - Contents for April 21, 2011

StockFlowers

This weeks CSA Farm Share packages include:

Beets (Red)
and/or Beets (Golden)
Radishes (Red)
Chard (Variety)
Kale
Green Garlic or Leeks
Turnips

Daikon
Carrots
Tangelos
Spinach
Green Beans
Zucchini
Flower bundle (Stock)
 

Medium boxes saw:
Green Leaf Lettuce

Item Origins: Maciel Family Farms (Bonsall, CA), Bonsall Farms (Vista, CA)

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Mushroom Party! Those Eryngiis and Maitakies know what's up.

MushroomPartyB
Saturday night we had ourselves a little mushroom party. Well, really we were just experimenting with mushrooms, but why not make it into a party too? We have a smoker and we use it quite often to cook all kinds of amazing cuts of meat. I have to say that although meat is quite grand, one of my favorite things to put on the smoker is vegetables. Smoked corn on the cob, peppers and even onions have an amazing taste when thrown in and left to absorb the sweet and smoky flavors of hickory, cherry, mesquite and the like. Since we were already smoking ribs Saturday it was the perfect time to try smoked mushrooms.
MushroomPartyA
I had an assortment of Eryngii (King Oyster), Maitake (Hen of the Woods), Portobello, Crimini, and White Button mushrooms that really needed to get used up.
MushroomPartyC
To prepare them I cut them all about a third of an inch thick.
MushroomPartyD
Mushroom amazingness!
MushroomPartyE
We don't have any fancy attachments to our smoker, like a grill basket, so we had to make do. With some of the larger portobello and eryngii slices it was easy to lay them on the grill top, but for some of the smaller pieces that wouldn't work. A little handmade foil tray worked perfectly and was easy to clean up.
MushroomPartyF
For our mushrooms we decided that all we wanted to use was olive oil, salt and a little pepper. We wanted to really be able to taste the mushrooms so we didn't use anything that would take away from their natural taste.
MushroomPartyG
A quick basting with olive oil and we closed the lid to the smoker.
MushroomPartyH
My mouth is watering...
MushroomPartyI
We took them off as soon as they started to turn golden brown. And the results? AMAZING. The mushrooms were tender and juicy with a incredible flavor brought out by the mesquite. This was an insanely easy way to prepare mushrooms and I certainly think we did it in a way that allowed the mushrooms true taste to take the spotlight. We will definitely do this again!

We had leftover mushrooms after Saturday nights feast and decided that a great way to use up the leftovers was mushroom burgers. We diced up what we had left over and mixed it up with our hamburger meat, which made for one of my favorite homemade hamburgers to date. Delicious!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Shields Date Garden, Indio, CA

PalmSpringsA
Last weekend we took a trip out to Palm Springs for the weekend. We went just for fun, but if you know us you'd know that we will often try to find a farm or at least something interesting about food wherever we are. Near Palm Springs is farm town called Indio, which is a major growing region for warm weather crops, namely citrus and dates. A quick drive from Palm Springs to Indio took us to Shields Date Gardens where we learned about the farm, date production and how ridiculously long it takes to grow a producing date palms. I had no idea how valuable dates were!
DateFarmA
We were a little disappointed when we got there because they didn't actually let us go out into the groves, but what we could see from behind the fence it was enough and we learned quite a bit about these incredible little fruits while we were there. Mr. Shield and his wife showed up in Indio in 1924 and decided that was the place for them, and for their date farm. The gardens had a short movie you could watch which educated consumers about how dates are grown and harvested. Date palms take a long time to grow - like 7-10 years until commercial production can begin. I remember the video saying some take closer to 30 years which is insane.
DateFarmB
The dates at the Shields farm are pollinated by hand, which means the farmers have to climb to the top of each palm and pollinate it (see the ladders?). This ensures a good fruit onset, and since you get one harvest a year, doing it right the first time is not taken lightly. When the dates ripen they do not ripen all at once and because of this date pickers will pick the tree 6 to 8 times a season. You can see in the image below that the fruit bearing sections of the tree are covered by a canvas material. We learned that the dates have to stay as dry as they can to avoid the fruit falling off or becoming damaged. Rain is actually quite an enemy to the fruit for these reasons. The palm groves are irrigated by flooding them, which is traditional to their origins middle east origins, and at the same time removes the damage threat over head water poses. Here in Indio as well as the rest of the Coachella Valley dates are picked in the fall - late September through December. 
DateFarmC
The little store at the gardens was packed with all kind of varieties of dates and date products. When kept properly dates can last months. I decided that trying the date shake they sold was the best idea, and it was amazing!
DateFarmD
If you would like to read more about dates I found a great article here, which is from the Ag Dept at Purdue University.

Shields Date Gardens
80-225 U.S. Highway 111
Indio, CA  92201

Thursday, April 14, 2011

CSA - Contents for April 14, 2011

BlueCabbage

This weeks CSA Farm Share packages include:

Beets (Red)
Cilantro
Radishes (Red)
Radishes (French Breakfast)
Artichokes
Purple Cabbage
Chard
Kale
Green Garlic
Turnips
Carrots
Strawberries
Blood Oranges
Mushrooms (may include Bunapi, Bunashimeji, Maitake, and/or Eryngii)

Large boxes also saw:
Golden Beets
Spinach (instead of Kale)

Item Origins: Maciel Family Farms (Bonsall, CA) Bonsall Farms (Vista, CA), Woodson Family Farms (Fallbrook, CA)

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

French Breakfast Radishes :: Spicy Little Things!

EnglishRadishE1
Les radis petit déjeuner... in English: Breakfast radishes. I've read that French Breakfast radishes are not near as spicy as some. I guess I haven't tried very many really spicy varieties because these ones had quite a kick in my opinion - more like that feeling that hollow stinging sensation that wasabi gives your sinuses, rather than a hot sauce that just gets your tongue. The French often eat them halved and raw, with butter and salt. Their crispy texture lend nicely to salads too, or eaten as themselves. Radishes are beautiful, especially the two toned varieties such as these - it's like a paint brush has gently dabbed the ends.
EnglishRadishA
I think its worth noting that when seeking uses for special items such as French Breakfast radishes looking to other cultures for guidance is important. It is likely that my view of lovely vegetables such as these has been tainted by my long time American "super market" mindset. The first thing that comes to mind when I see the word "radish" is "salad." Radishes in salads are really quite nice, but you will do a mighty injustice to this fantastic root if that is all they are used for. I've read that goat cheese is quite nice spread over halved radishes, sprinkled with bits of black olive. Slices layered atop bread, butter sea salt and parsley are also a fantastic way to have these.
EnglishRadishC
I can just imagine strolling along a European marketplace in the spring, bunches of radishes overflowing from market stands. It will be lovely to experiment with breakfast, given the addition of these wonderful little roots.
EnglishRadishD
Les beaux petits chéris...
EnglishRadishB
Nutrition: Radishes are rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium and are a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, magnesium, copper, and calcium. We need to eat more of these! The greens are also completely edible and actually have a sweet flavor with a nice texture and crunch. Tops should be eaten in the first day or so, before they wilt.