Landisdale Farm CSA report, last week!

Sunday, November 09, 2008

CSA season for me is officially over.  Yesterday was the last week for Landisdale Farms’ CSA program.  This is what was in the share:

one bunch of lacinato kale
one bunch of swiss chard
eight apples
two Kuri squash
three white sweet potatoes
six bulbs of garlic
one dozen small turnips
eight carrots
two bags of spinach

Clark Park is one of the year-round farmer’s markets in Philly, but with a smaller number of vendors.  The owner of BT Brownies told me yesterday that he will only be at the market for a few more weeks - but he’s working on getting those fabulous brownies into more retail markets around the area.  And those of us who need our weekly fix can always order directly through the website.

I’m not sure we’ll join a CSA program for 2009.  It will really depend on if I can find a CSA share that picks up at Headhouse Square on Sundays. 

Landisdale Farm CSA report, weeks 20 and 21

Saturday, November 01, 2008

With one week left in the CSA season at Landisdale Farm, I have two shares here to catch up on: today’s and last Saturday’s.  I was in the Bay Area over the last weekend - it really has to be one of the easiest places to eat local: everywhere you look is locally grown produce, plus they have locally made olive oil and all sorts of other goodies.  There was also a pit stop in Omaha, Nebraska.  I expected to be able to find locally grown meat there easier than anything else, but I spoke to someone who had to have his organic, grassfed turkey flown in from another state.  It definitely makes you appreciate the easy access we have here in Philadelphia not only to locally grown produce, but to locally grown meat.

Last week’s CSA share included: 2 heads of lettuce, 3 small heads of broccoli, six yams, two onions, seven carrots, eight pears, five bell peppers, and five hot peppers.  Oh, and one bunch of kale - I’m told it was thrown in because people are sick to death of lettuce.  This week’s share includes:

• 2 giant heads of lettuce
• 2 bunches of kale
• 3 miniature butternut squash
• 3 miniature Romenesco cauliflower
• 3 onions
• 2 medium cabbage
• 8 apples
• 13 carrots

As usual, the lettuce will go right into the compost heap.  No one in my house is overly fond of salads...and no one outside my house seems to want it.  And I’ll add this kale to all the other bunches of kale we’ve been getting (blanches, frozen).  The cabbage will probably get frozen, as well.

I will likely use the cauliflower to test out a new recipe as a possibility for this year’s Thanksgiving extravaganza.

Since soup weather is finally upon us, some of the carrots and cabbage might end up being soup.

CSA Report: Blooming Glen Farm

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

Despite a day of frigid temperatures and snow (?!), I didn’t hesitate when it was time to head out to Blooming Glen Farm for the CSA pickup.  And thank goodness I didn’t, otherwise I would’ve missed out on daikon radish!  I think I’m going to stir fry the radish along with the bok choy, garlic and leeks I received this week and some of Ray’s famous seitan.  Only one more pickup left this year—I can’t believe it! 

CSA Report: Blooming Glen Farm

Thursday, October 23, 2008

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

When I discovered that I deleted this week’s share photo, Blooming Glen Farm’s very own farmer, Tricia Borneman, took this photo for me.  What a gal I’m loving all these hardy, late season veggies—celeriac, leeks, butternut squash and, of course, SWEET POTATOES! 

Landisdale Farm CSA, week 19

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Just three more weeks left in the CSA season with Landisdale Farm, and this is what was in this week’s share:

• Two bunches of kale
• Four medium heads of broccoli
• Five tomatoes
• About a dozen small purple carrots
• Nine pears
• Two kuri squash
• Seven white sweet potatoes

I’m leaving for a business trip in a few days, so it’s now or never for some of this stuff.  The pears are already cored and peeled, ready to be made into pearsauce.  The broccoli will made into a dairy-less broccoli soup and canned.  The kale will get a similar treatment.  The tomatoes will be chopped and canned.  I’m a woman on a mission.

The carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash will all keep until I come back.  I must say that I was thrilled to see the carrots included in the share - it’s something we haven’t had yet.  While I like sweet potatoes, I am getting a little sweet potatoed-out - I think we’ve had sweet potatoes in the last five shares.  I’m amassing quite a collection of sweet spuds.

CSA Report: Blooming Glen Farm

Thursday, October 16, 2008

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

Broccoli—sweet!  Also new this week, celeriac, leeks, butternut squash and purple cabbage.  The sweet and bell peppers are still coming, as are tomatoes (wow!), herbs and garlic. 

Also this week, Blooming Glen Farm had a harvest festival.  We went and checked out some cool vendors, entered a raffle, watched little monsters make scarecrows and decorate pumpkins, took a hayride and then enjoyed a fantastic potluck.  It was such a wonderful way to wrap up the season, and gave us a really great opportunity to meet other members of the farm.  The event is pretty much volunteer organized and operated, and I do hope it’s something we can continue to enjoy!

Landisdale Farm CSA, week 18

Saturday, October 11, 2008

This week’s share from Landisdale Farm contained:

12 small turnips
7 small pears
2 giant heads of lettuce
1 bag of spinach
Not quite a dozen sweet potatoes
2 small heads of broccoli
3 medium onions

I’m more than a little dismayed to see the return of the lettuce.  My guess is that we are doomed to have lettuce hogging up our share until the end of the CSA season.

Speaking of the end of the season, my husband and I have been discussing our options for which CSA to go with next year.  Craig doesn’t like a Saturday pickup, and I would rather not schlep a zillion pounds of produce on my back on the train ride home for a mid-week pick up at Reading Terminal like I did last year.  I’d love to find a CSA pick up at Headhouse Square market on Sundays (or some other CSA Sunday pickup).  I’ve heard that Old Earth Farm normally has a CSA pick up at Headhouse, but their CSA program was canceled for 2008.  Has anyone heard if they plan to be back in 2009, or of any other CSA pickups on Sundays that are either in Philadelphia or Delaware County?

CSA Report: Red Earth Farm

Friday, October 10, 2008

I know that we’re well into October and the weather has been on the chilly side. But I’ve still been in denial about it being fall. This CSA share is proof that it’s summer no more.

Two heads of broccoli, head of cauliflower, bunch of leeks, bag of green beans, butternut squash, acorn squash, and a half bushel of apples we picked yesterday at Linvilla Orchard. I’ll probably hang on to the squashes for a while since they store well, but stay tuned for apple recipes to come.

We were pleasantly surprised to find a row of producing raspberry bushes amongst the apples yesterday. After stuffing his face with raspberries the toddler had no interest whatsoever in picking apples. It took some work and we suffered through some whining but we still managed to pick several varieties in a short time period- most for cooking but a bunch for eating. I may can some apple sauce or apple butter but most likely I’ll use the apples for fresh baked goods. And for the record, apple picking with a baby strapped to your chest is infinitely easier than strawberry picking with a baby strapped to your chest.

CSA Report:  Blooming Glen Farm

Thursday, October 09, 2008

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

New in the share this week:  a couple pounds of fun blue potatoes, cabbage, acorn squash and turnips!  Thankfully, we’re still getting greens (arugula and collards) as well as scrumptious peppers.

Landisdale Farm CSA, week 17

Sunday, October 05, 2008

While I was competing at yesterday’s Philadelphia Dragon Boat Festival (my team took the women’s club championship - we’re the fastest chicks on the river!), my husband picked up our Landisdale Farm CSA share yesterday at Clark Park.  Here is what we received this week:

• 2 bunches of kale
• 2 small broccoli heads
• 5 white sweet potatoes
• 5 apples
• 8 baby turnips
• 5 tomatoes
• 2 Kuri winter squash

I am not the biggest fan there ever was when it comes to kale.  There was kale in our share two weeks ago, too, and I haven’t used that yet (and no, it hasn’t gone bad - kale seems to last forever).  There are very few ways that I really like kale, but I’ll be trying to use it.

One way I do like kale is in soup.  My plan is to pick a few soup recipes, make up giant batches of it, and either freeze or can it.

White bean, kale, and sausage soup
Lentil Kale soup
Carrot and kale soup
North African Chickpea and Kale soup
Roasted Pumpkin and Kale soup
Cream of Kale soup
Chestnut Kale soup
Potato Kale soup with Seitan
Island Kale and Sweet Potato soup
Sweet Potato, Corn, and Kale Chowder
Yellow Split Pea Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Kale
Sweet Potato Kale soup

Now, dairy doesn’t freeze or can well...which does leave out a few of the recipes above.  But you can definitely can meat, and any of these soup recipes that are mostly vegetarian would can or freeze perfectly.  There’s something to be said for coming home from a busy day at work on a super cold, blustery Winter day and being able to have a warm bowl of hearty soup without toiling in the kitchen!

On a related note, I thought it would be interesting to compare what was in my Landisdale Farm share this week to what was in my Lancaster Farm Fresh share last year at this time.  Fascinating!

CSA Report:  Blooming Glen Farm

Thursday, October 02, 2008

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

Holy technicolor share, Batman!  Here’s a closeup of the Swiss chard and flowers:

Absolutely stunning!  Does anyone happen to know what kind of flowers those are? 

CSA report: Landisdale Farm, weeks 15 and 16

Saturday, September 27, 2008

No photo from last weekend’s share - Naomi picked it up for me as I was competing at the Mercer Lake Dragon Boat Festival (thanks again, Naomi).  But there were about half a dozen tomatoes, two bell peppers, a butternut squash, pears, cabbage, and - I think - spinach.  Honestly, I haven’t even so much as looked at most of it: I got hit with the plague that’s going around and have been down for the count for a few days.

Still a little woozy, Mr. Fish picked up the share this morning.

Here’s what’s in it:

Two watermelons
Two bundles of lacinato kale
A few handfuls of green beans
Two cabbages
Two bags of spinach
Eight pears
Five garilc
Two small eggplants

As you might be able to tell from the photo, the pears are in a rapidly decaying state.  Luckily, I’m feeling well enough to try to deal with the pears.  That also leaves the watermelon, though.  I now have four watermelons because I never did anything with last ones I got.  It’s going to be a busy weekend.

CSA Report:  Blooming Glen Farm

Friday, September 26, 2008

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

More fabulous squash in the share—yum!  This week, it’s a pretty yellow and green delicata squash. 

The delicata slightly softened the blow of no cherry tomatoes this week (sniff, sniff).  This year overall, Blooming Glen Farm graced upon its members eight quarts and two pints of the most scrumptious cherry tomatoes in an endless variety.  We had green and yellow zebra-striped ones that packed a heavenly acidic punch, vibrant and tart orange ones, slightly grape-tasting and pirate-sounding Black Pearls, super mild and pale yellow ones, and of course, classic sweet cherry red ones.  And that’s just to name a few!  I’ve been eating cherry tomatoes every day for the last two months and now… they’re gone. 

Thankfully, I preserved a few quarts by roasting and then freezing them which, along with all the funky winter squashes we’re getting now, is making the cherry tomato withdrawal a smidgen more bearable.  Happy fall! 

CSA Report:  Blooming Glen Farm

Friday, September 19, 2008

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

I know fall is near when funky squashes start showing up at the farm.  Last week, it was a sunshine squash, and this week is the kabocha squash.  The kabocha is knobby, acorn-shaped, striped in several green shades, about the size of a coffee pot.  It’s so peculiar, that our farmers placed a note next to the bin in which they sat, “Sweet tasting squash—not just for decoration!”

Landisdale Farm CSA, week 13. Sort of.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Last week Landisdale Farm canceled the delivery of CSA shares due to the tropical storm deluge.  And that was really good timing for me: I was leaving for a business trip to San Francisco on Tuesday morning (more on my local food hunting, San Francisco-style, another time).  Share deliveries resumed today, and this is what was in the share:

• Two small watermelons
• 8 green apples
• 2 small heads of Napa cabbage
• 2 half pint boxes of basil
• 5 sweet potatoes
• 2 bags of spinach
• 6 tomatoes

Cat not included (that’s Mayor McCheese, one of my cats - he seemed very interested in the spinach).

Sadly, the tomatoes are not particularly firm and will need to be dealt with immediately.  I’m thinking maybe catsup.  The cabbage will get chopped and frozen.

It’s the fruit that continually leaves me scratching my head.  I did make watermelon barbecue sauce and watermelon rind relish with the last batch of watermelons.  There are still lots of options for watermelon, since neither one of us particularly love watermelon just plain.

And the apples...they’re a bit too hard and tart to use for fresh eating.  I could make applesauce or apple butter, but I’m looking for something more interesting.  There’s always the option of making apple pie filling and canning it, but I rarely bake pies.  While I’m not hot on making jam or jelly (because we’re not really jelly people), I am intrigued by the idea of four pepper apple jelly, and spiced apple rings are always sort of comforting.  Ideas? Suggestions?