Chatfield CSA E-News July 29 - Aug. 2
Dear Shareholders,
Thanks for joining our local food community! We hope you made it out to our CSA potluck and enjoyed seeing the farm. We want to hear how your CSA experience is going: the produce quality, distribution, new ideas, recipes and suggestions. We want to hear it all! Email us at .
We would like to thank all of our fantastic volunteers! The weeds are waging war on our beautiful veggies and we couldn't fight back without the help of our volunteer team. We'd also like to thank our distribution volunteers for their professionalism and resourcefulness to make each distribution a smooth process for all.
important info:
Flowers: Fresh cut flower bouquets are for sale at both distributions. Please bring $5 in cash to distribution if you would like to purchase one of our gorgeous fresh bouquets arranged by our Chatfield horticulture staff. Flower types include snapdragons, straw flowers, zinnias, African daisy, celosia, salvia, sunflowers and many more.
Honey: Local Chatfield honey should be ready at the end of August, however each year is different so please stay tuned for information on availability and prices from our bee keepers, Bob and Josie.
Rubber bands: We have been bunching a lot of our produce to ease the time you spend in line picking out your produce, and we’d like to keep our process as sustainable as possible, so please save your CSA rubber bands and bring them back to us when convenient.
Fruit shares: The fruit shares will start up mid-August, approximately August 13 and 15. Ela Farms, our fruit share supplier in Hotchkiss Colorado, is higher in elevation than Palisade and some of the other peach producing regions that were affected by the late snow, which means they have a great peach crop coming! There is nothing better in life than a juicy organic Colorado peach (well maybe the CSA basil). Some of the late season apples did get a bite from the frost so apple quantities (think Fuji storage apples) for the fall may be slightly different than last year, however Ela will supply an adequate amount of additional organic goods to compensate if that is the case.
York Street distribution location changes: Please look for a separate email (where you can link to your calendars) so you know when the CSA pickup is at St. John’s Cathedral due to concerts or free days at our York Street location.
community: children's picnic group at chatfield There are families meeting at the children's play area at Chatfield on Thursdays to play and picnic after picking up your CSA shares. For more information please email us at [email protected] and please join if you have kiddos!
this week’s produce list for july 29 - aug. 2
This list is tentative and subject to change.
Green pepper
Garlic
White onion
Carrots or beets
Kale or chard
Summer squash
Cucumbers
Green beans!
Assorted herbs
weekly wild foods are going to take a break while we spend more energy on crops that take significant amounts of time to harvest like beans, squash and cucumbers.
weekly bread: Wholegrain Sesame
featured recipe: We have additional recipes at both distributions so please look for printed, ready to go recipes that feature at least one or more CSA weekly crop.
Green beans with pine nuts and parmesan cheese
Taken from the indispensable cookbook for CSA members, From Asparagus to Zucchini: A guide to cooking farm-fresh seasonal produce.
3/4 to 1 lb. green beans, washed and dried
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss beans with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread in single layer on a baking sheet; roast on top shelf in oven about 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time. Mash garlic with 1 teaspoon salt; add vinegar. Whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil. When beans are done roasting, reduce oven to 350 degrees. Toss beans and dressing; season with salt (if necessary) and pepper. Spread pine nuts on a baking sheet. Roast them, shaking pan occasionally, until lightly browned. Sprinkle pine nuts and parmesan over tossed salad. Serve warm or at room temperature. Adapted from a dish tasted at Restaurant Rech in Paris. Makes 4-6 servings - Enjoy these beans as a side dish during dinner. Also makes a great grab-and-go lunch for a few days
Please check Denver Botanic Gardens' website for information on the CSA Education Series as well as other interesting classes and events at: http://www.botanicgardens.org/programs/classes/lifelong-learning
