CSA Newsletter Week 5

Vegetable List

Booya Broccoli
Cucumborama
Magic White Finger Eggplant
Lacinato Kale
Lincoln Leeks
Muir Head Lettuce
Bell Peppers
Sungolds
Tomatoes
Some Kind of Zucchini and/or Summer Squash


Notes from the Farm

A farm is not one thing.
We make food... which, when I zoom out, and really think about it, it's nuts, it makes no sense... I happen to have some kind of arbitrary right to some dirt, and like magic, food comes out of it... all red or white or green, leafy or heavy, fruity, deeply divergent and all perfectly individualistic manifestations of some unblended rivers of human history... it makes no sense.
But making food isn't what we really do, what we do is hang out... and I think that's the real utility of our farm.
CSA members, farmstand patrons, rando people that just drive up to chat... what we do is hang out. Without the food, no one would be here, it's the backdrop, and for some folks that's all they are after... but not many people.
We might talk about whats coming, or how things are going, but it always quickly moves on to some other thing... a story, we get stories, hundreds of stories, and they're the coolest... even when they are weird, because, ultimately, all you all are sharing something about yourself, or we're sharing something, and that interplay is what really matters... we are social creatures.
My kids tease me about my internet friends... I can start telling them a story about a friend of mine, and they'll ask, “a real friend or an internet friend”... and it's a fair question... for the bulk of the year, for an unfortunate number of people in my social web, I connect through my computer or phone... it's a digital experience, there is no eye-contact, very little emotional nuance, and it's ultimately a serotonin sinkhole...
I can't speak to city or big town culture, but in rural to ruralish Maine, to my experience, it's getting harder and harder to find places to run into people... I don't go to church, community dinners, Pear's is closed, I don't hang out at the beach... I very seldom run into or build new acquaintances (outside of the farm)... and I truly feel acquaintances are the glue of small town America (or world).
Close friends are great, but acquaintances hold it together... the people you know and care about, the people you'd show up for in a minute if they were in a jam, you generally know their family story, a couple of defining facts, but unlike close friends, you don't need to keep a candle burning for them... I also believe it's not a linear evolution, I don't believe that acquaintances need to become close friends, and don't believe that one is better than the other... I love my close friends, as much as I love my acquaintances, differently, but the same... they are different sides of the same social cup.
A deep stable of acquaintances is the ultimate participation trophy in modern human existence... in the best possible way... and that's really what we're trying to do, not just for us, but for anyone that comes here, we're trying to create a platform that cultivates acquaintances, community members, a solid social dynamism free of digital distractions... chat us up, and better yet, chat up anyone else that happens to be here... ultimately, you already have something in common with anyone that drives up the driveway... regardless of home state, religion, politics... you just want corn, and so does that other person... the bridge is there, you just have to cross it.
And that analog social platform is only one part of a farm, but it's important...
I believe in the unconditional love of acquaintance.

Recipes

Leek Tart

All-purpose flour, for work surface
1 sheet store-bought puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package), thawed
2 tablespoons butter
6 leeks (white and light-green parts), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise, rinsed well
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll pastry to a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Halve lengthwise into two 5-by-14-inch rectangles. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
With a paring knife, lightly score each rectangle 1/2 inch from edges, creating a border; prick pastry inside border all over with a fork. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. (To store, keep crusts at room temperature, up to 1 day.)
In a large skillet, heat butter over medium. Add leeks; season with salt and pepper, and stir. Cover; cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Uncover; cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Spoon leeks onto crusts, cut tarts into wedges, and serve.
Store-bought pastry from the freezer case makes the buttery base for the leek tart. Scoring the dough defines the border, and pricking prevents the center from puffing up too much during baking.

Leek Dip

1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium leeks, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced
1 sixteen-ounce container sour cream
1 fourteen-ounce log fresh, creamy goat cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread slivered almonds in a rimmed baking sheet; bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Coarsely chop and set aside.
In a medium saute pan, melt butter over medium-low heat, then add leeks. Saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Place sour cream and goat cheese in a medium bowl, and stir until well combined. Add almonds, leeks, parsley, salt and freshly ground pepper. Keep covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

1 tablespoon coconut or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium leek, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cups Cleansing Broth
1 head broccoli, trimmed and chopped (6 cups)
3 cups baby spinach
1 avocado, chopped, plus more for garnish
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add leek, garlic, and pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add broccoli and cook, covered, until bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, stir in spinach, and let cool slightly.
Transfer soup to blend and puree with avocado. Adjust seasoning. Garnish with avocado and a drizzle of olive oil.