Week 3, Welcome Summer Members

Vegetable List

Astro Arugula
OH BOY! Beets!
Kossak Kohlrabi
Baby Lettuce
Head Lettuce
White ICE Scallions
Red Gem Scallions
Spoon Spinach
Some Kind of Zucchini and/or Summer Squash
PYO Herbs

Notes from the Farm

There are days where I feel like I'm trading my life, my years, for dollars... it's not a good feeling, it's not why I farm.

The way I fell so comfortably into farming is that it seemed to get me out of the transactional nature of everyday life... once I started farming I realized there wasn't a one to one paycheck, there wasn't a predictable schedule, that the farmer community existed outside of civil society, and just like that, I was hooked.
As seasons turned into years and then decades, as I switched from working, to managing, to running and then moving farms, I realized I was getting closer than I would like to touching the veil of modern commodified agriculture... slowly drifting from the world of make-believe that drew me to farming in the first place. The CSA is the piece that keeps us centered... antidote to essentially all my farming woes

Being a member of the CSA isn't a transaction. It's true that at it's simplest, you're paying money and receiving food for that money... but breaking it down into a series of 14 or 8 transactions is nonsense. It's not about the dollar value, it's about the impulse to make our community a better place. You're not paying for food, you're supporting us, investing in our farm, putting faith in our ability to not only grow for you, but for the whole community... and in turn, we're going to farm our brains out to make sure you have what you want or need for food & flowers.
As a member, you support our farm... and as a farm, we try our darnedest to take as good of care of you as we can. It's not a transaction, it's an agreement that having a farm in Casco is a good idea, and together we can create the necessary enviroment to make sure that this farm can serve as many people as the soil will allow.

Thank you for supporting this farm, for helping us build a place that can feed people based on the desires of the community, not the profitability of the crop.
I feel pretty lucky to get to farm for you all...

Recipes

Sauteed Beet Greens

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons tomato paste
8 ounces beet greens, stems thinly sliced (about 1 cup), leaves torn (about 4 cups)
¼ teaspoon coarse salt

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add beet-green stems and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes.
Add beet-green leaves and 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and serve.
Anchovy variation: Substitute 2 chopped anchovies for tomato paste, and reduce salt to 1/8 teaspoon.

Ginger-coconut variation: Substitute an equal amount of coconut oil for olive oil, and 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger for tomato paste.

Kohlrabi, Apple, and Shiso Slaw

3 ½ cups peeled and julienned kohlrabi (from 2 pounds)
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1 tablespoon thinly sliced Fresno chile
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 ½ cups julienned sweet, crisp apple (such as Fuji)
¼ cup fresh shiso leaves, roughly chopped
¼ cup sparsley leaves, roughly chopped

Soak kohlrabi in a bowl of ice water until crisp, 10 minutes. Drain well.
Whisk together lime juice and zest, chile, and oil. Season with salt. Toss with kohlrabi, apple, and herbs. Season with more salt, if desired; serve.

Pizza Bianca

All-purpose flour, for dusting and rolling
1 pound pizza dough, thawed if frozen
½ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
⅓ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
2 cups baby arugula

Preheat oven and roll dough: Preheat oven to 500°F. Lightly dust a work surface, rolling pin, and a baking sheet with flour. Roll dough out to a 13-inch round and transfer to sheet.
Mix ricotta, oil and garlic: In a small bowl, stir together ricotta, 1 tablespoon oil, and garlic; season with salt and pepper.
Spread cheeses on dough: Spread ricotta mixture on dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with mozzarella, then Parmesan. Brush 1 teaspoon oil on edge of dough.
Bake: Bake until crust is golden and cheese is melted and browned in spots, 12 to 14 minutes.
Toss arugula with oil and top pizza: In a small bowl, toss arugula with 1 teaspoon oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top pizza with arugula and serve.