7th Red Earth Farm Partial Share CSA
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Red leaf lettuce, broccoli, beets, potatoes, onions, green peppers, green beans, and our egg share.
Posted by Erica on 07/14 at 02:24 AM
5th and 6th Red Earth Farm Partial Share CSA
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
New white potatoes, cucumbers, green onions, Swiss chard, and green leaf lettuce.
Garlic (3), sweet yellow onions (2), and Italian basil.
Posted by Erica on 07/07 at 01:46 AM
Oh Snap!
Monday, June 28, 2010
I sing the praises of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’s Root. It’s delicious, and artisinal, and while it’s not made in Philadelphia, it’s labeled here and only available in Pennsylvania. AAMR just announced that they have a new liquor in the works, called SNAP. With flavors culled from the Pennsylvania Dutch recipe for ‘Lebkuchen’ (ginger snap) SNAP is certified organic and 80 proof. No concrete release date has been announced, but look you can look for a bottle (and my post about it) later in the summer.
Posted by Erin on 06/28 at 11:59 PM
4th Red Earth Farm CSA box
Sunday, June 27, 2010
2 bunches of carrots, 2 bunches of Italian basil (pesto!!), zucchini, and Fuyo Shumi (baby pac choi).
Posted by Erica on 06/27 at 10:14 PM
Kohlrabi - a delicious recipe
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
One of my favorite things about my Lancaster Farm Fresh CSA is the weekly email newsletter I receive. It lets me know exactly what I’m going to get in my share, usually includes an interview with one of the farmers who contributes to my CSA and photos of the farm, and recipes for some of the more unfamiliar vegetables. This week, I got a beautiful bunch of kohlrabi - a cross in flavor between turnips and cabbage. This recipe, included in the newsletter (originally taken from the blog Sustainable Pantry) was incredibly delicious. If you don’t have chard, blanch and add your kohlrabi greens! And make sure to peel the kohlrabi very well - it has a pretty hard outer “shell.”
Kohlrabi Curry
2 kohlrabi, peeled, quartered and sliced
1/2 onion, choppedcimg3633
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 T fresh chopped ginger
3-4 chilis (optional, I like things spicy so I used the Vietnamese chilis pictured)
Garlic scapes, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups chard, washed and chopped
1 can coconut milk
2 T red (or green) curry paste
2-3 T peanut butter (I prefer chunky for this, but smooth is fine)
Scallions (for garnish)
Salt
1. In a medium sized pot, Sauté the onion, garlic, ginger and chilis in a neutral oil (canola, safflower) over medium high heat until browned
2. Add the kolhrabi, scapes and chard and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the chard wilts and the kohlrabi softens up a little; season with salt
3. Add the curry paste and coconut milk, then fill the coconut milk can about 1/2 way with water, swish it around to get any remaining coconut milk, and add to the pot. Stir until the curry paste is dissolved. After the mixture boils, lower heat to a simmer and stir in the peanut butter until dissolved.
4. Cook for about 10 minutes. Taste and season as necessary with salt. Garnish with sliced scallions and serve over rice.
3rd and 4th Lancaster Farm Fresh CSA
1 head broccoli – certified organic – Farmdale Organics
1 box new red potatoes – certified organic – Green Valley Organics
1 bunch white garlic – certified organic – Friends Road Organics
1 head red Romaine lettuce – certified organic – Riverview Organics
1 bunch cilantro – certified organic – Noble Herbs
1 head green Romaine lettuce – certified organic – Riverview Organics
garlic scapes
Sadly, I did not receive the beets or the cabbage that I expected along with this delivery.
1 head cauliflower – certified organic – Green Valley Organics
1 bunch beets – certified organic – Farmdale Organics
1 bunch kohlrabi – certified organic – Maple Lawn and Friends Road Organics
2 yellow straight neck squash – certified organic – Goshen View Organics
1 green zucchini – certified organic – Rolling Ridge Organics
1 head red Romaine lettuce – certified organic – Riverview Organics
1 head green Romaine lettuce – certified organic – Riverview Organics
1 head radicchio – certified organic – Bellview Organics
1 bunch dandelion greens – certified organic – Hillside Organics
Kohlrabi recipe to come! I’m going out of town for a long weekend, so I spent the evening blanching the greens (kohlrabi, dandelion, beet) to freeze, and slicing the squashes to also freeze for a nice gratin later.
Posted by Erin on 06/22 at 02:46 AM
The Penn Garden
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Through the efforts of U Penn undergrads, spearheaded by Sandra Zhao, there is now a community garden on campus. The mission of The Penn Garden is ” to educate the Penn community about urban agriculture and to advocate for environmentally friendly, fair food systems.” There will be an Urban Studies course on urban ag developed around the garden, and lots of work days for the greater West Philly community to help plant and harvest. The food will be sold to the dining hall, sold to the community at the on-campus farmer’s market, and donated to local food banks. Here’s the garden’s blog.
Posted by Erica on 06/20 at 01:06 PM
3rd Red Earth Farm delivery
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Third week of my Red Earth Farm half share and egg share CSA: shell peas, green snap beans, escarole, salad turnips, lettuce mix, and eggs.
Posted by Erica on 06/15 at 11:18 PM
Biking to the Farm
What do you get when you combine the riders of the bicycle coalition
With energy of urban farming in Philadelphia
You help a few really great farmer’s buy one of these
The trailer was purchased from the proceeds of a ride sponsored by the Bicycle Coalition and Philadelphia Green’s City Harvest Program. The farms in the picture represent Our Front Yard Garden on Front and Fairmount and Emerald St. Garden in Kensington. The trailers will help them get their locally grown produce into the neighborhoods they serve in a more environmentally conscious and sustainable way.
If you’re looking for a great ride this weekend, check out the Bicycle Coalition’s Freedom Valley Ride on June 20th. Registrations starts at 6:30 AM at the beginning of Boathouse Row. The ride can be as easy as a loop on Kelly Drive to a trek to Valley Forge. The ride starts at 7:45 AM. Have fun.
Posted by Nic on 06/15 at 07:55 PM
What to do with Garlic Scapes?
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Perhaps garlic scapes have popped up in your CSA share, or you’ve seen them recently at a farmer’s market and thought “what do I do with these?
You’re not alone. Before I signed up for my first CSA last spring, I’d never seen a scape or even heard of them. A garlic scape is the greens that garlic bulbs shoot up out of the ground while they are growing (much like onion greens). Farmers remove the scapes so that the garlic bulb devotes more of its energy to making itself big and fat. While farmers used to throw scapes into the compost or feed them to animals, they’ve become a popular market produce and herald of the new Spring season.
So what do you do with them? Basically, anything that you would already do with garlic. Scapes taste like garlic, but with a milder, greener flavor. You can chop them (all the way through the flower) and add them to stir-fries, soups, salads, casseroles, burritos, and really, anything else. Many scape lovers find them especially delightful ground into pesto. I like to fry the scapes before using them (like garlic). Because they are milder, you can use many more scapes than you would white garlic cloves. A good estimate is about one full scape per garlic clove (if you are substituting) and you will still have milder flavor. And if for some reason you just can’t stand garlic, they also look beautiful in a vase!
Posted by Erin on 06/09 at 04:14 PM
First and Second Red Earth Farm CSA
My first CSA delivery was last week, June 1st. I get a half share and an egg share from Red Earth Farm. The pick-up location is only 6 blocks away from my house, and I get to choose what goes in my basket!
Green lettuce, spinach, pac choi, Japanese turnips, green onions, sugar snap peas, and eggs.
Second CSA box, June 8th. Snap peas, summer squash, green garlic, Easter Egg radish, Salad turnip, and arugula. Plus some hydrangea flowers I got from my neighbor and a growler of incredible iced tea made by Amy at Earth Cup in West Philly (45th and Pine).
Posted by Erica on 06/09 at 02:48 AM
3rd Lancaster Farm Fresh CSA delivery
Between the holiday, travel, and the odd schedule last week, I missed the CSA update, but here is week three. I was so excited to see garlic scapes again, and I have less lettuce this time. But what will I do with those turnips? What are you enjoying in your spring CSAs?
1 bunch radishes – certified organic – Friends Road Organics
1 bunch scallions – certified organic – Friends Road and Bellview Organics
1 bunch garlic scapes – certified organic – Friends Road Organics
1 head broccoli –certified organic – Farmdale Organics
1 head Romaine lettuce – certified organic – Riverview Organics
1 head red leaf lettuce – certified organic – Misty Meadow and Railroad Organics
1 bunch beets – certified organic – Millwood Springs Organics
1 bag Hakurei turnips – certified organic – Autumn Blend Organics – 1 lb
3 pcs yellow straight neck squash – certified organic – Goshen View Organics
Posted by Erin on 06/09 at 12:46 AM
Wheat Yard
Saturday, June 05, 2010
I recently walked past this yard in West Philly on Chester Avenue. It’s planted with some sort of blue-ish wheat variety! Now that’s urban agriculture. Does anyone have any other info about this planting?
Posted by Erica on 06/05 at 02:33 AM
New Friday Farmers Market in University City
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Good news for all you University employees, students, summer-workers and University City neighborhood dwellers! A NEW Farmers Market will open this Friday, and run every Friday, at the Radiun building (approx. 40th and Walnut).
Help Odwalla plant a tree in your state!
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Odawalla, the natural juice and smoothie company, is planting trees all across the US this summer with their “Odwalla Plant A Tree” Campaign. Just click on the site below, select your state, and vote using either your email or Facebook accounts. It’s that simple! PA is currently in second place for number of trees planted. The sky’s the limit!
