July 20 Newsletter

Hello CSAers,

We have made the complete shift from spring to summer during the past week. The main patch of mixed greens are beyond bolting and are starting to develop seeds. The second wave of greens germinated well and enjoyed the cooler weather but have put on the brakes with the warmer temperatures. The peas liked the cool temperature and have continued to produce an abundance of pods.

Thank goodness for warm weather plants! The eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes are flowering and nicely setting fruit. The vining plants are pushing hard and seem to have doubled in size as they expand in all directions. The second wave of cilantro came on fast and even the the rosemary has jumped in height this past week.

Our cherry crews have been working long days. This past week we were picking and packing fresh cherries and also mechanically harvesting cherries. It not only takes many people in the field but also folks to transport the cherries to the receiving area. Then there are the others in the receiving area where they unload the boxes of cherries from flat bed trucks and load onto semi-trucks. We have a small truck which makes steady runs moving small boxes of hand picked cherries from the field to the cooler. We have another crew who work the packing line. The hand picked fruit is sorted on a packing line, weighed and the boxes are and assembling on pallets. Of course, we cannot forget the the people who keep all the spinning plates spinning! Everyday is different, it takes planning, scheduling and marketing to make it all happen.

What you can expect to find in your bin this week:
                                                                                   

Black sweet cherries
Bok choy
Beets
Mixed greens
Radishes
Arugula
Cilantro
Sugar snap peas
Red skinned potatoes

Beyond the Bin:

Cherries 20# boxes or quarts
Black raspberries
Red raspberries
Snow peas

Here are a couple of recipes to try that include some of the items you will find in your Week 7 bin.


Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield: Serves 3-4.

If you are using frozen shrimp, defrost them by placing them in a bowl of ice water or cold water. Adding a little salt to the water will help the shrimp retain their briny flavor.

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp high smoke point oil such as grape seed oil, or canola oil
1  Serrano chile (more if you like it spicy, or just a fraction of one if you want less heat),
                    sliced into rings
1-2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1-2 Tbsp lime juice

METHOD
1 Place a large sauté pan or a wok over your strongest burner on high heat. Let the pan heat up for a minute and then add the oil. Use a high smoke point oil since you will be cooking the shrimp on very high heat. Let the oil heat until it's shimmering. If it starts to smoke, remove the pan from the heat for a moment.
2 Add the chiles to the pan and toss to coat with oil. Cook 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and garlic to the pan and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat with oil. Let the shrimp cook undisturbed for 1 minute before tossing again so they get a little bit of a sear. Stir-fry until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.


3 Turn off the heat and mix in the cilantro, then the lime juice.
Serve hot or at room temperature. Serve alone, over rice, or in a folded heated flour or corn tortilla.

Simply Recipes

Spicy Garlic Grilled Baby Bok Choy

Yield: Serves 4

Total:25 Minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons Asian chili garlic sauce

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

4 heads baby bok choy (about 1 lb. total), halved lengthwise

1/4 cup chopped roasted cashews

Preparation

1. Heat grill to medium (350° to 450°). Combine soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, oil, vinegar, sugar, and garlic in a small bowl. Set bok choy in a rimmed baking dish and brush with two-thirds of soy-garlic mixture. Wrap bok choy tops with foil.

2. Grill bok choy, turning once, until slightly softened and streaked brown, 5 to 6 minutes total. Remove foil from leaves and set bok choy on a platter. Brush with remaining soy-garlic mixture and sprinkle with cashews.

Sunset June 2011