2017 CSA – Week #3

Notes from the Farm

Important note for next week: The 4th of July falls on a Tuesday this year, so we’ll move our normal Tuesday pick up next week to Wednesday, July 5th. Pick up hours will remain the same 2:30pm-6:30pm. And of course, if you need to switch your pick up for that week or any other week, please let us know a week in advance so we can plan accordingly.
Zucchini and yellow squash are among the first crops that respond to the early summer heat and our hope is that once the plants get going they will keep us very busy harvesting the fruit.   We’ll have both green and yellow zucchini this week, and in the weeks ahead we should bring in a wide range of  summer squash, including yellow crooknecks, patty pans, Italian rounds and Lebanese whites.  Though each variety is unique, they are closely related, as they are all members of the Cucurbitaceae family along with cucumbers, watermelon and winter squash.
Best,
Farmer Steve and our Farmers: Adam, Alyssa, Dan, Jalyn, Kelsey, Nikki, Sara, Shannon, TW and Tyler

 

Our Harvest:  Zucchini and Yellow Squash, Red and Green Lettuce, Kale, Chard, Overwintered Onions or Scallions, Radishes, Salad Turnips
U-Pick: Snap peas and Snow peas; Herbs
Fruit Option: Begins in July with blueberries

Know Your Farmers

There are many reasons why you might have signed up for our CSA this year, one of which might be that you want to know more about your food, including where it comes from, how it is grown, and who is growing it.  Put simply, you want to know your food and know your farmer.  We have an incredible team of farmers here working to bring you a bounty of fresh, organic, delicious produce, and over the course of this CSA season, we’ll include a note about someone from the farm staff so that you can get to know your farmers.
Alyssa DesRosier is our Assistant Farm Manager and is in her fifth year here at Massaro.  Originally from Hamden, Alyssa always knew she wanted to work with plants, but couldn’t quite find her niche. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture and certificates in Horticultural Therapy and Environmental Sustainability from Temple University in 2010, she came back to Connecticut and started working in organic and non-organic garden centers and nurseries. Nothing quite clicked until she attended the CT NOFA 2013 Winter Conference and heard a talk about CSAs. Five months later, in August, she started working at Massaro Farm and hasn’t looked back since.
When off the farm, Alyssa spends much of her time quilting and crafting, both for fun and for business. She is involved in her mom’s business, Seams Like A Dream Quilt Designs, and also creates items to sell in her online Etsy shop, AlyRose Designs. She now lives in Fairfield with her husband Jeff, a band teacher and musician in a traditional Irish band called The Jolly Beggars.

 

Recipes and Cooking Tips

Kale: Packed with nutrients, this leafy green can be steamed or sautéed and served as a side dish, included in soups, stir fries and casseroles, blended in to green smoothies, or baked in to chips for a great snack.

Scarlet Salad Turnips: like a radish but with more cooking greens on top and no spice to the root.  Crisp and delicious, these can be cooked, pickled or eaten raw in many ways. Use in salads, or thinly sliced on crudite plates or with crackers and cheese. You can also cook them in vegetable or miso soups, or steam or stir fry them.  If you do cook them, note that they do not need to be cooked for long.   Do cook the greens, which have are tender, delicious, and can be prepared just as you do other greens.

Root vegetable like turnips or carrots will store better if you remove the leaves from the roots. Store both greens and turnip roots in a moist towel/cloth bag or a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

 

Turnip Salad (for scarlet or hakurei turnips)

Ingredients

1 bunch of turnips, scrubbed trimmed & sliced in 1/4 inch rounds

1/2 cup rice or white vinegar

1/2 tsp salt + more to taste

water to cover

1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

Instructions

Combine the vinegar and salt in a shallow bowl and stir until the salt is dissolved. Submerge the turnip slices and add more vinegar, if necessary, to cover. Allow to stand 15 minutes. Remove the turnips from the liquid, add toasted sesame seeds and toss. Serve over noodles or rice or alongside another dish.

 

Roasted Red Turnips and Sauteed Greens
(serves 2)

1 bunch of turnips with greens attached
2Tbsp olive oil
2tsp lemon juice
3/4tsp regular or smoked paprika
1/2tsp salt
pepper to taste

To roast turnips:
Separate greens from turnips and set aside.
Scrub and rinse turnips well, leaving skins on.
Cut into equal sized wedges about 1/2″ thick.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a glass baking dish or rimmed baking sheet combine turnips, 1 Tbsp of olive oil, 1tsp lemon juice, 1/2tsp paprika and  1/4tsp salt. Toss to coat.

Roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.

To prepare greens:
Thoroughly wash greens and trim lower, tougher stems.
The greens can either be left whole or coarsely chopped before sauteeing.
In a medium skillet, heat remaining olive oil and lemon juice over medium-low heat.
Add greens and stir to combine.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until greens brighten and become tender.
Add 1/4tsp paprika, a pinch of salt and pepper and cook 1 minute more.

Serve roasted turnips and greens together, on their own or accompanied by a protein or grain of your choice.