The first delivery of the summer ‘08 season is finally here! It has been a very busy spring on the farm and we really look forward to the start of the CSA. It’s finally the chance to meet the members who make the farm possible, and who get to enjoy the fruits of our labor!
The CSA has grown again this year—from 21 families in 2006 to 51 in 2007 to 84 in 2008! The farm has also grown — this winter we were finally able to purchase the land that we had been leasing for the past two years. In February we moved into the farmhouse, moved the sheep into the barn, and now live and farm at the same location! In one other way we’re going to grow this year, too — in January Eli will get a sibling to eventually share farm chores with!
This year we have a wonderful full season apprentice, Sara, and we also have shorter-term volunteers Anna and Kelly living and working hard with us at the farm. We appreciate them more than they can ever know and hope you get to meet them all!
As you know already, when you are a CSA member you learn a lot about eating with the seasons. Greens (including kale, chard, arugula, & mesclun) are some of the first vegetables available to us, since they thrive in the cool, wet weather of spring. But everything from potatoes to peas, corn to garlic (and much more!) has been transplanted or seeded in the fields and will start rolling in during the next weeks and months.
If you have questions about anything, please feel free to get in touch with us. We’re excited about the season and look forward to sharing it with you!
– Reba, Bill, Sara, Anna, Kelly, and Eli!
Week 1 veggies: Swiss Chard (Bright Lights), Kale (Lascinato—an heirloom variety), Mesclun Mix, Broccoli, Radishes, Oregano
Pick Your Own Herbs
at the Farm this Week…
Oregano
Sage
Thyme
Mint
Clean grocery bags are
always appreciated for CSA pickup and deliveries… clean out your closets and bring them to us!!
Remember that if you don’t pick up your veggies at church or if you ask us to skip a delivery, your share will be donated to the Area Interfaith Outreach Food Pantry in Rockland. This year, more than ever, they are grateful for any and all donations, and your veggies are always one of the first things out the door. It’s one good reason to feel a little less sad if you can’t make it to pickup!
Need Extra Inspiration in the Kitchen?
Nearly all that we cook has roots in a recipe from one of these cookbooks…
Vegetarian Planet and
Entertaining for a Veggie Planet
by Didi Emmons
her cookbooks are like magic books — every single recipe is delicious!
Farmer John’s Cookbook:
the real dirt on vegetables
By Farmer John Peterson and
Angelic Organics
Organized by veggie especially for CSA members
From Asparagus to Zucchini: a guide to cooking farm-fresh seasonal produce
By the Madison Area CSA coalition
How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
By Mark Bittman
Simple, empowering recipes!
Greens, Glorious Greens!
By Johnna Albi and Catherine Walthers
The name says it all…
Storage tips for Kale, Chard, and all other leafy greens:
All leafy greens will quickly wilt if exposed to the air. The best way to store them is to wrap them in a damp paper or kitchen towel, place them in a plastic bag, and store them in the crisper drawer of your fridge.
The Evert-Fresh green produce storage bags, for sale at the co-ops, do an even more amazing job at keeping veggies fresh!
HATCHET COVE FARM 
Kale! I can’t wait! Oh the joys of salad days!
Hope to see you and your veggies soon.
KJ
The weather has warmed, schools are getting out, traffic on Rte 1 has picked up, but still, something was missing, it did not yet feel like summer to me. But then, something special happened yesterday: the CSA arrived.
I did not know it until my wife cooked me a wonderful pasta dish with Kale in it. The Kale was delicious. It tasted like… like summer. I realized that the Kale, and the CSA as a whole, are an intricate piece of my summer experience, and until they arrive, summer has not begun.
So, thanks for goodies, and thanks for bringing in summer!