2016 CSA – Week #11
Notes from the Farm
You may notice a couple of tents set up on the grass on the way out towards the nature trail this week, as we have a group of Yale’s incoming freshman lead by two rising seniors camping here on the farm. They come here as part of a preorientation program called ‘Harvest’, run by the Yale Sustainable Food Program, which sends groups to a number of farms throughout CT for the week to help with the harvest and any tasks around the farm while experiencing a bit of farm life. Our group will be picking tomatoes and cherry tomatoes (no U-Pick this week, as they will harvest it for us), begin our potato harvest, plant lettuces and weed our recent plantings of fall crops. We have hosted Yale Harvest groups each year, and we are thrilled to have them here again. As we welcome them to Massaro for the week we also say goodbye to some of our own farm summer staff who depart as they get ready for the upcoming school semester. Big thanks to Genna, Dan, Jon, Jocelyn, Ella and Marion for such great work this summer!
Dinner on the Farm – Get your tickets today!
The annual Dinner on the Farm is set for Sunday, September 4, and tickets are on sale now. This year’s event will be extra special as we celebrate 100 Years of Farming here, as the Massaro family began the farm back in 1916. In addition to the fantastic menu masterfully prepared by Chef Denise Appel of Zinc Restaurant in New Haven, local beer, wine and specialty cocktails with Massaro grown ingredients, we will have historical artifacts of the Massaro family, videos, student-created art, raffle, silent auction and a tour of the farm. Dinner on the Farm is a wonderful, delicious event, and an important fundraiser to help realize the Massaro Community Farm Mission: Keep Farming, Feed People, Build Community. Purchase tickets online, send in a check to our farm address, or buy tickets at the farm when you come for your produce; $175 per person. We hope to see you there!
Best,
Farmer Steve and our Farmers: Alyssa, Tyler, Ed, Genna, Jocelyn, Jon, Ella, Marion, Briana and Diana
In This Week’s Distribution
Our Harvest: Garlic, Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Eggplant, Sweet Peppers, Hot Peppers, Chard, Zucchini and Yellow Squash, Lettuce
U-Pick: Closed this week; Yale students will pick for us!
Fruit Option: ‘Milton’ Apples
Recipes and Cooking Tips
Roasted Jalapeno Gaszpacho
from midwestliving.com
- 1 large jalapeno chile pepper*
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 6 cups seeded and chopped tomato, assorted heirloom or red (6 large)
- 2 cups seeded and chopped cucumber (about 2 medium)
- 1 medium peach, peeled, pitted and chopped
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 5 large fresh basil leaves
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- Sea salt
- 2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil leaves
- To roast jalapeno pepper: Halve chile pepper lengthwise; remove stem, seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, cut side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with the 1 teaspoon olive oil. Bake in a 400 degrees oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until skins are blistered and dark. Carefully fold foil up to enclose the pepper halves. Let stand about 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Use a sharp knife to loosen the edges of the skins from the pepper halves; gently and slowly pull off the skin in strips. Discard skin. Finely chop pepper. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine 3 cups tomato, 1 cup cucumber and half the peach. Cover; process or blend until until almost smooth but a few small pieces remain. Transfer tomato mixture to a large mixing bowl. In food processor or blender, combine the water, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the vinegar, the 5 large fresh basil leaves and the garlic. Cover; process or blend until until smooth. Transfer basil mixture to the bowl with tomato mixture.
- Add the remaining tomato, cucumber and peach to the processed mixture. Depending on the level of hotness you like, add all or part of the roasted pepper. Stir to combine and season to taste with salt. Cover; chill at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Serve in small bowls or cups garnished with snipped basil.