News and Blog

Dear %%user-name%%,

It's that time again! Time to sign up for the Fall/Winter CSA Season season at Waverly Farms, which runs from September 19 - January 16.  

Many of you have already notified me that you will be renewing and I was hoping to go into our system to renew for you.  But, to keep everything straight, "The System" wants you to renew online.  

You do not need to pay the entire renewal amount at once, just send a deposit check and we will invoice you for the balance.  Your balance is visible on your weekly Pick-Up/Delivery Reminders so that you may pay over the course of the season.

If you have already sent payment, I will apply that to your account as soon as I receive notification from our system that you have renewed. 

Click here to begin your renewal process. Or just copy and paste the link below into your browser:

%%renewal-link%%.  

We look forward to having you back for the Fall/Winter CSA Season.  A list of items we are growing is displayed below.

Your friends at,
Waverly Farms
2345 Lewiston Plank Rd., Burkeville, VA 23922
214-914-0323 

Fall/Winter CSA Items include:

Arugula, Beets, Bak/Pak Choi, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Chard, Collards, Endives, Kale, Leeks, Lettuces, Melons, Mustard Greens, Okra, Onion, Parsnips, Radishes, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnips, Winter Squash, Herbs.  Members will also enjoy baked and canned goods occassionally.

Hi, Everyone!

We have another good box for you this week, including the following:

Fresh Tomatoes - Both slicing and cherry tomatoes will be in your box again. We have plenty, so consider canning some so that you can enjoy that fresh tomato flavor this winter in stews, soups, and sauces. After a modest investment in canning supplies, which you can find at any good hardware store this time of year, you might enjoy this video that shows you step-by-step how to can tomatoes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMUFIkg39oM

Sweet Corn - We hope you are enjoying this tasty treat. One of our very CSA members, Jennifer, blew me away with this unusual recipe for Sweet Corn Ice Cream: http://honestfare.com/sweet-corn-strawberry-swirl-ice-cream/  Jennifer and Stephen actually made it and this is what she had to say about it: "We made it a couple of nights ago and it was amazing! We let our mixture sit overnight before straining so the corn flavor really set in. Everything that we've made from Honest Fare has been delicious (I recommend her Celery Soup & Beer Bread)." We hope you will try it, too!

Eggplant - Signing into the Eating Well website is free and another source of healthy recipes. I love this recipe for Eggplant Parmesan Pizza.  If you type "eggplant" into their handy search engine you will also find 10 other recipes for eggplant and even an eggplant recipe book to download.  http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/eggplant_parmesan_pizza.html 

Watermelon Slices - Perhaps you will enjoy this Greek-style watermelon salad: In a large bowl, combine 3 cups cubed watermelon; 2 large ripe tomatoes, choppped; 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped; 1 smal red onion, sliced; 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives; 1/3 cup crumbled feta; and some chopped parsley and mint.  Drizzle with olive oil and red-wine vinegar.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.  

Cucumbers - See Watermelon above, or if you are really adventurous, can a pickled relish. This is a fun and easy recipe and now that you have your canning supplies can enjoy homemade relish on hamburgers, hotdogs, sandwices, salads and just about everything that needs a kick. http://recipesfromoutoftheblue-beverly.blogspot.com/2012/06/sweet-pickle-relish.html 

Okra - Many people cook okra with tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic and it's good. But if you prefer okra without the slippery texture, slice it horizontally into 1" pieces, dip it into wisked egg then into cornmeal that has been thoroughly seasoned with cayenne, salt and pepper (and/or Old Bay), dip it into sizzling hot vegetable oil for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle a touch of Tabasco on it and enjoy hot, popcorn okra.  Okra is also fabulous in seafood or chicken gumbo.  

Mixed Hot Peppers - these are great for seasoning, or for making Pepper Poppers: Slice peppers lenghwise and remove seeds. Fill pepper halves with cream cheese and press halves back together. Combine 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of water and a dash of salt. Dip the jalapeno peppers into egg mixture and then into the breadcrumbs to coat them. Place the coated peppers on a cookie sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Heat oil in deep fryer to 370°F. Deep-fry the peppers in batches for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer the jalapeno pepper poppers to paper towels to drain. Cool slightly before eating, they will be hot!  I know, this is not healthy, so if you are worried about that, just chop your peppers into stir-fry or salsa and enjoy them that way.  

Swiss Chard - More greens with be with us in Fall/Winter shares.  Summer is a bit hard on them, but if we had known that we would have had clody skies and rainy weather this year, perhaps we would have planted more. For now, thank goodness for Swiss Chard on sandwiches, in salads, and stir-fried with onion.

Basil - Basil is great with watermelon, cucumber and tomato. You can make a basil simple syrup to add to lemonade or other refreshments by combining 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water and a small bunch of basil in a small saucepan and boiling it until the sugar disolves. Discard the basil and chill. Some people combine this chilled basil simple syrup with 3 cups of pureed watermelon (strained through fine mesh to remove solids) and a 1/2 cup of gin, for several servings of summer refreshment. Serve over ice with or without the alcohol for a refreshing summer drink. Or, just eat the watermelon and enjoy!

If anyone noticed that I did not send a letter last week, I apologize, and take this opportunity to share with you another farm story:  I was working goats with my sister, Carol, and Austin, and always feel that I should not ask them to do anything that I would not do myself. It is essential for me to know the difficulty of their work, and there is a part of me that wants to demonstrate that "if a 55 year old woman can do it, so can they". You probably know where this lesson in arrogance is going... I volunteered to catch the first, largest and most unruly goat of the day. Her name is Domina. Some goats are nice and easy to work and others are not.  Those that are not naturally run from us, so we either put them into our herding aparatus, or a smaller contained space that makes it possible to catch them so that we can trim their hoofs and check their health. I caught Domina, who weighs more than I do, and she used her great force to slam me and, especially, my shin into a metal milking stand. For whatever reason, I did not let go of her and was dragged across the stand. Everything felt bruised, but otherwise fine and bones were in tact. We finished working the goats and I returned to Boston with yet another injury that seemed to do well for a few days, but then took a turn for the worse when an infection began to set into the lining of my bone. Yeouch!  Nothing has ever hurt as badly as an infected shin bone. My good doctor arranged for a visit, x-rays and antibiotics during the time that I should have been writing about the contents of your box last week. Hopefully, everyone knew their vegetables. I'm just fine, now. This experience, like so many others at the farm, reminded of how much I appreciate our crew and the hard aches they endure every day to manage our farm. They are truly amazing and I can't thank them enough.

Enjoy your veggies!

Patti and Stuart Rosenberg
and the amazing staff at
Waverly Farms
www.waverlyfarmsvirginia.com
214-914-0323 

Hi, Everyone!

Barb Krahn shared the following recipes that look terrific.  I hope you enjoy them.  Thanks so much Barb for sharing them!

From Barb:

Hi, Everyone! 

I am having a bit of computer distress, so this letter will be short and sweet (probably appreciated!) because after all, who does not know what to do with summer gems such as fresh sweet corn and tomatoes?

Our staff asked that I remind everyone to please return empty CSA boxes and cartons so that we have enough each week.  Thank you!

This week, your Waverly Farms CSA box includes:

Silver Queen Sweet Corn: Be sure to boil or grill this corn BRIEFLY because it is fresh and will cook quickly! 

Beefsteak and/or Golden Jubilee Tomatoes: Heirloom varieties that are delicious.  We take these gems from the field and put them into our cool room at 60 degrees, the perfect temperature for cooling them off without compromising flavor.

Cherry Tomatoes: Great for just eating.  Terrific in salads, especially with cucumbers, olives, feta cheese and the vinegrette of your choice.

Okra: As we discussed in previous letters, my favorite is to coat these delicious treats with egg and corn meal and dip them until golden in hot vegetable oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Eggplant: We have enjoyed sliced eggplant dipped in egg then coated in Italian bread crumbs and cooked in hot olive oil.  Salt to taste.  Carol then puts a mixture of fresh ricotta cheese and egg between the fried slices, pours marinara over the eggplant/ricotta slices, sprinkles mozarella on top and bakes at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or just long enough to melt the cheese and warm the cheese in the middle.  

Bell Pepper: Eat it raw, put it into salsa, make pepper jelly, add it to tacos or fajitas.  There are so many great things to do with bell pepper.  

Carrots: Fresh or baked, carrots are one of the few natural sources of vitamin A.  

Orange Glo, OR Sugar Baby, or Black Mountain Watermelon: Sweet and very hydrating.  Cut into it and enjoy it by itself, with a splash of salt, with yogurt and honey, or all of the above!

Suyu Long and Market More Cucumbers: Slice 'em and eat 'em.  Cold.

Basil and Rosemary

Enjoy!

Patti and Stuart Rosenberg
And all of the volunteers and staff who work hard to bring you fresh, clean food from
Waverly Farms
www.waverlyfarmsvirginia.com
214-914-0323 

Hello, Everyone!

Forgive me for sending this letter so late.  And, forgive me in advance for rambling a bit in this email.  It's been a hard week at the farm and I thought I'd share it with you.  I promise not to make this a habit.

We have been busy eradicating parasites in our goats as a result of rediculously wet, hot weather.  In goat world, that's a perfect storm that requires swift, diligent action.  The real perfect storm hit our dear llama Mocha.  She was struck by lightening on Monday.  Most of us still tear up at the thought of our loss.  She was one of the first animals on the farm and has guarded many, many young and old goats - protecting them from predators with 100% success!  Welcoming every visitor in the most annoying ways.  Poor, dear Mocha will remain in our hearts forever.  But, we move on because other things need us.

We extracted our first batch of fresh, raw, pure honey for this year.  That's quite a feat after losing all of our hives to the cold, rainy Spring that kept bees from foraging and shortened the blooming of trees. Another perfect storm in the bee world. We purchased new hives - both established and mail order - and put them on a cousin's 2,000 acre farm that backs a State Park, just 3 miles from us. We were worried about the genetically modified corn that was planted last year near our farm.  The "modification" is that this corn, which accounts for the great majority of corn grown in the US, is modified to emit a pesticide from every tissue of the plant - stalk, leaves, pollen, even the kernels we are forced to eat in so much of our food.  Our bee experts thought that at least one of our lost hives was due to this pesticide kill.  In their new home, the bees have access to peach trees, a pollinator patch and an abundance of wild blackberry, so this batch of honey has a hint of fruit. We tasted it for the first time last night over Fage 2% plain yogurt, with strawberries that we'd frozen from the Spring harvest, drizzled with our new honey.  It was heaven!

Another distraction in sending this email to you was that I hosted a dinner last night for the sole purpose of introducing two young people to each other. We served our own grilled pork bratwurst, cooked red cabbage, smashed potatoes with fresh rosemary, Lizzy's Strawberry-Tomato Gazpacho (recipe below) and the yogurt, fruit and honey dessert described above.  Lizzy, who is visiting from Boston, was one of the targets of my matchmaking scheme last night.  It worked, and she has a follow-up date tonight. Oh, the power of good food!  I am so certain that they are perfect for each other that I caught myself wondering whether we would have their wedding at our farm or his. :-)  

While we sat on the back deck of our home, overlooking pastures and enjoying a welcome breeze of cooler air and our grand dinner, we noticed that a herd of bucklings was walking down the farm road toward the highway - obviously escapees.  Only on a farm would everyone at the dinner table simultaneously leap out of their sets, throw on shoes and within seconds be in vehicles - some in the truck and others in the ATV - racing to block the goats from leaving the farm. We worked together seamlessly as we have many times - the bucklings were cooperative, too.  We herded them back to safety and repaired their escape route.  Thank goodness we had dinner outside last night!  We returned to our plates on the picnic table, mostly in tact, but missing a few bratwrust, obviously enjoyed by our dog with vision to poor to join the race, but whose keen sense of smell and opportunistic personality guided her perfectly to the abandoned table.  

This is farm life.  Full of life, love, efficient team work, and often great food made even more special by the reality of hard weather, the death of beloved animals, and nature's decisions about which crops and animals are returned to nurture the life of our soil, and which we are allowed to enjoy.  Life's blessings are illuminated on a farm, and we are reminded that while we are accountable and responsible, we are not in control of the outcome. It's humbling. It makes me feel so alive.

Tomatoes, corn and new melons are beginning to ripen and will be in your boxes soon.  We hope you enjoy the contents of your box this week.  

This week's box includes:

Beets - For those of your who still don't like beets, our CSA member Barbara Krahn offered this irresistible recipe: Beet Brownies - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cost an 8x8 pan with coconut oil, then coat with blanched almond flour. Set aside. Cook and puree 2 beets and set aside.  In a double boiler, gently melt 5 oz. of dark chocolate that is 75% cocoa or higher (if you don't have a double boiler, put a few inches of water in a frying plan and place a pot in that and use low heat).  As the chocolate melts, add 1/4 cup coconut oil and 1/3 cup fresh honey.  Mix until fully combined, then set aside to cool.  In a small bowl, combine 2 free-ranged eggs, 2 tsp of vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract.  Blend well, then add the cooled chocolate mixture. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup blanched almond flour, 2 tablespoons coconut flour, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined.  Mix in the pureed beets. Pour the batter into the coated 8x8 pan and bake for 25 minutes or until fully set. Cool for 30 minutes before cutting with a serrated plastic knife (to reduce curmbling) to serve.  

Mixed Cherry Tomatoes - we love these in salad, and also just as a snack.  My young friend, Lizzy, made the most delicious Strawberry-Tomatoe Gazpacho last night: Throw the following into your blender: 2-3/4 cups of ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded. 2-3/4 cups of fresh organic strawberries. 4Tbsp extra virgin olive oil.  2 tsp high quality balsamic vinegar. 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves.  Blend until a smooth soup consistency add ice or water as needed.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve chilled and garnish with mint leaves, strawberry chunks and pepper, or cheesy croutons.  

Bell Pepper - we asked everyone at the party last night what they liked to do with Bell Pepper.  Some loved to slice it and serve it cold with dipping cheese, such as our Goats-R-Us goat cheese.  Others liked to eat them raw or in a salad.  One liked to fill them with pizza sauce and cheese and bake them for a "crustless pizza".  Another liked to saute them with onions.  And, then there is the favorite stuffed peppers.  We will leave plenty on the bushes in hopes of red peppers as the weather cools. 

Yukon Gold and Kenebec Potatoes - The Kenebecs are red and the Yukons are more brown.  We made smashed potatoes last night by cleaning, quartering and boiling the potatoes until tender, but not mushy.  No need to remove these beautiful skins, they will not hurt you and are full of vitamins. Drain off the water, put in a bowl and add a stick of butter, chopped fresh Rosemary, salt and pepper to taste.  Some people cook them with garlic, or add minced cooked garlic to the butter.  They were a hit last night with our cooked cabbage, grilled American Guinea Hog bratwurst, baked beets and Lizzy's Strawberry-Tomatoe Gazpacho.  

Carrots - enjoy them raw or baked by cutting them into 1" squares and stirring them in olive oil.  But be sure to eat them because they are one of few great sources of both vitamin A and C!

Rosemary - great in smashed potatoes, or don't forget to dry it and we'll help you make rosemary, herb provencal salt later.

Garlic - We've discussed ways to store and use this wonderful herb.  

Swiss Chard - Embarassingly, our only green.  Summer is so hard on lettuces and greens.  But, they will be back as the weather cools.  

Squash or Zucchini - Saute with onions, or make a lasagna (there are many online recipes for vegetable lasagna)

Cucumbers - We had a wonderful Cucumber Gin and Tonic during our recent retreat to The Homestead.  Cucumbers are great in fizzy soda water, too.  Muddle them, then add a few thinly sliced cucumbers to your most refreshing seltzer.  I love to just eat them.  Next year, I hope we grow more pickling cucumbers for you.  I am hoping we have enough this year to send everyone a jar or two.  

Lemon Balm - Tear the leaves and enjoy this wonderful herb in your tea. Freeze chopped lemon balm in vegetable oil and freeze it for use later in recipes. Add it to tomatoes with basil and cucumber.  Make a vinegarette with it.  Chop and sprinkle it over melons, apples or pears.  Add it to the "Lemonade" recipe I sent in previous letters.  Lemon Balm is lovely and incredibly full of phytonutrients.  While a bit pesky to grow, it's a great addition to any herb garden because bees love it. For detailed information about Lemon Balm, you may enjoy this resource: http://herbsociety.org/factsheets/Lemon%20Balm%20Guide.pdf

Enjoy!

Patti and Stuart Rosenberg
and everyone who works so hard to grow this good food at
Waverly Farms
www.waverlyfarmsvirginia.com
214-914-0323 (cell) 

Dear Waverly Farms CSA Member,

We have an exciting box for you this week and soon to come are eggplant, hot peppers, cucumbers, melons, okra and tomatoes. This week in your box are:

Youkon Gold and Kennebec Potatoes - Remember all those months of nothing but leafy greens?  Do you remember how much you longed for a starchy, indulging potato?  Well, here they are.  Fresh from the ground, potatoes are tender and cook very fast, so be careful to not overcook them!

Green Bell Peppers - Stuff them or just eat them raw as an alternative to crackers with Goats-R-Us famous goat cheeese.  

Golden and Red Beets - You may be tired of them by now, but remember that these nutritious treats are seasonal.   If you have not yet discovered baked beets (unpeeled and cut into 1" squares, then stirred in olive oil, salt and pepper and cooked until tender at 400 degrees), then try it now!  Baking beets makes them sweeter and gives them more of a potato texture.  Beets are full of iron and so good for you!

Carrots - Carrots are really hard to grow because they require loose, organic soil and the perfect mix of minerals. This is our first year of great carrots, so we hope you are enjoying them and the significant minerals and vitamin A that you can't get from other foods.

Red and Green Cabbage - Cooking cabbage in a small amount of water, then adding butter, salt and pepper makes it irristable. This fresh, local cabbage will also offer more flavor and and a tender texture in coleslaw.

Swiss Chard - This is your only leafy green during hot weather. It is best cooked (saute onions until tender or crisp and then add Swiss Chard and cook slightly) this time of year because the heat can make it too tough or bitter to eat raw. Don't forget to remove the stems before cooking.

Yellow Squash - Nothing says summer better than squash.  I had some recently that was cooked to perfection with onions, salt and pepper.  Some people make it too mushy, but if you cook it breifly, the texture holds up.  Try it!

Zucchini - Same as squash, but green. Carol loves to make banana/zucchini bread with it. Others like to cook it with squash for a slightly different flavor and color. 

Green and Purple Basil - Basil will not last forevery, so make your pesto now.  Simply throw the basil into a food processor with walnuts, oiive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. If you are refrigerating and eating it soon, include parmasean cheese to taste. If you are freezing it, leave the parmasean out and add it when you thaw your pesto. Pesto makes a great appetizer with crackers and cheese, and is wonderful as a sauce for pasta. We love to spread it on hot garlic bread for a special treat.

Garlic - Enjoy this dried, minced into almost any dish, or wrapped in foil with olive oil and roasted in the oven. Fresh garlic is to be savored or saved. See previous newsletters for the best ways to store garlic.

Onions - Store or enjoy these, too, because we will not have more until next summer!

Rosemary and Lemon Balm - Enjoy these two great herbs on chicken. Lemon balm is also great in summer tea or cocktails, or chopped and added in small quantities to fresh salad.

Enjoy! 

Stuart and Patti Rosenberg
and the very hardworking staff at 
Waverly Farms
214-914-0323
www.waverlyfarmsvirginia.com
patti_rosenberg@hotmail.com 

Welcome Back!

We hope you enjoyed your Independence Day celebrations.  As expected, summer crops are beginning to appear and we have a few in your box this week.  Okra, tomatoes and melons are thriving and will come in future weeks.  

This week, your box includes:

Potatoes - These lovely Irish potatoes will be perfect for summer potatoe salad.  Our favorite way to cook them is to clean, quarter and cook them in salted water until tender (remember, fresh vegetables cook very fast so do not over cook them or you'll have mush), drain and cover in butter and pepper.  You can throw green beans in after a few minutes and have green beans and potatoes garnished with butter.  If you want to get complicated, you can saute 1/4 cup chopped onions to add with the beans.  Very yummy!

Squash - This week everyone will receive either Yellow or Zucchini squash.  Or, you may find both.  They are growing like weeds!  I'm rushing off to a short vacation with our grands, but find a recipe for banana Zucchini bread, or just clean, slice and saute with onions for a delicous treat.  There are also great casserole's online!  I promise to send you recipes next week.  

Cucumber - We're pickling and eating cucumbers like crazy, just waiting for tomatoes to compliment them.  Seriously, as soon as tomatoes appear, we have entire dinners of just cucumber/tomatoe salad, which includes cucumbers, tomatoes, dill or basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.  

Beans - These beautiful green and purple beans are terrific for blanching and freezing, or cooking in a vegetable or chicken broth with sauted onion, garlic added to the broth.   Some people like to dry the purple beans.  Our country neighbors "dress" them with vinegar at the table.  

Beats - Red and yellow beets are super boiled or microwaved with our goat cheese, basil and a drizzle of olive oil and a high quality balsamic vinegar.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  As we've described before, cleaned beets with rough spots removed (but don't peel them), cut onto 1" squares and stirred into a mixture of olive oil, salt and pepper, then spread on a cookie sheet (I like to line mine with foil) baked in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until tender gives beets more of a sweet potato consistency.  For other great recipes using beets, I like this site:  http://www.vegkitchen.com/tips/beets/

Cabbage - Red will be in your box and they are great in slaw or cooked.  Our newest members may like grilled cabbage. Go to:  http://www.food.com/recipe/grilled-cabbage-41419  I cooked some with Swiss chard and kale and sauted onions a few nights ago and the cabbage was phenomenal!  Very tender and tasty.

Garlic - Fresh garlic should be kept in a dark, well ventilated, preferably cool environment.  Good luck finding one in this heat!  I put mine in paper sandwich bags and hang them in a cool, well-ventilated environment.  The paper bag keeps them dark, but does not hold moisture, which would spoil garlic.  More information about garlic was provided in the same News/Blog post described in Cabbage, above. 

Onions - The onions are bigger and absolutely delicious with a tender, mild aroma.  Cook them in anything and they will be terrific.  Try them with your beans, or slice them in half or quarters and stir them in olive oil, salt and pepper and bake them with your beets.

Mint - fresh mint is a lovely compliment iced tea, ice cream, dressings, salads, and the banana/lemon/mint "lemonade" recipe (see below a few modifications).  Mint can be kept fresh by putting the stems in cold water.  

Basil - Green and purple - great for salads and pesto or with goat cheese on warm beet slices drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Carrots - Enjoy purple and orange carrots raw or use them to sweeten your favorite smoothie or salad.  Baking them as you would Beets, above, gives them a rich flavor.  Carol made the most delicious gluten-free carrot cake using a recipe on the back of the Red Mill gluten-free flour.  

Swiss Chard - The workhorse of the garden is still going strong for just a little while longer until the heat turns it bitter.  Enjoy it sauted, in salads or smoothies, quiche's or your favorite vegetable lasagna recipe.  Swiss chard can be prepared any way that you would prepare spinach.  

Kale - Red Russian or Savoy - Massaged kale is a super food and makes a great replacement for lettuce on your favorite hamburger or sandwich.  It is sweet, but can be a bit tough, which is why I like to throw it into a fresh smoothie with Swish Chard, 1-2 peeled pears, 1 apple and a banana.  Add 6-12 cubes of ice and 1/2 cup of water or more as needed.  Blend away and drink it icy cold.  For even more sweetener, add apple juice or carrots.

Rosemary - Cook with it or dry it by hanging it in a shady, cool, dry place.  Once dried, crush it between the palms of your hands, removing the stems, then combine with kosher salt for the best seasoned salt evey.  I use this Provencal salt in just about everything.

Here is the "Lemonade" recipe, again.  I removed the seeds from the onions and added a tablespoon of Agave and the result was a smoother, sweeter Lemonade:  In a blender, combine 1/2 lemon (skin, pulp, juice - just cut it into manageable pieces, remove the seeds, and throw it in); 1 or 2 frozen bananas (peel bananas before freezing), 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (or to taste), 12 ice cubes, 1/2 cup water (more if needed) and blend well.  Serve slushy and cold with a garnish of mint.  It is the best lemonde I have ever had and was packed with potassium, vitamin C and so many vitamins.   

Enjoy!  Patti

Patti and Stuart Rosenberg
and the entire farm staff who work hard to bring you good food 
Waverly Farms
2345 Lewiston Plank Rd.
Burkeville, VA 23922
214-914-0323
www.waverlyfarmsvirginia.com 

Hi, Everyone!

We have beans, garlic and other good things for your health and enjoyment.  The hot weather is expected to put an end to many of our Spring crops like kale as we transition into Summer crops such as squash, cucumbers and tomatoes, just to name a few. Please remember that we do not deliver CSA boxes during the weeks of July 4th or Labor Day, so your next box will be Thursday, July 11th.    

In your box this week are:

Beans - These beautiful green and purple beans are terrific for blanching and freezing, or cooking in a vegetable or chicken broth with sauted onion, garlic added to the broth.   Some people like to dry the purple beans.  Our country neighbors "dress" them with vinegar at the table.  

Beats - Red and baby golden are super boiled or microwaved with our goat cheese, basil and a drizzle of olive oil and a high quality balsamic vinegar.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  As we've described before, cleaned beets with rough spots removed (but don't peel them), cut onto 1" squares and stirred into a mixture of olive oil, salt and pepper, then spread on a cookie sheet (I like to line mine with foil) baked in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until tender gives beets more of a sweet potato consistency.  For other great recipes using beets, I like this site:  http://www.vegkitchen.com/tips/beets/

Cabbage - Green or red will be in your box and they are great in slaw or cooked as a vegetable or sauerkraut.  I sent a grilled recipe previously amd am sending again in honor of July 4th cookouts. Go to:  http://www.food.com/recipe/grilled-cabbage-41419

Garlic - Fresh garlic should be kept in a dark, well ventilated, preferably cool environment.  Good luck finding one in this heat!  I put mine in paper sandwich bags and hang them in a cool, well-ventilated environment.  The paper bag keeps them dark, but does not hold moisture, which would spoil garlic.  More information about garlic was provided in the same News/Blog post described in Cabbage, above. 

Spring Onions - What's not to love about fresh, Spring onions.  Cook them in anything and they will be terrific.  Try them with your beans, or slice them in half or quarters and stir them in olive oil, salt and pepper and bake them with your beets.

Basil - Green and purple - great for salads and pesto or with goat cheese on warm beet slices drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Carrots - Our horses love them and we hope you do, too!  Enjoy them raw or sweeten your favorite smoothie or salad with them.  Baking them as you would Beets, above, gives them a rich flavor. And don't forget about carrot cake, a great dessert for July 4th picnics.   

Swiss Chard - The workhorse of the garden is still going strong for just a little while longer until the heat turns it bitter.  Enjoy it sauted, in salads or smoothies, quiche's or your favorite vegetable lasagna recipe.  Swiss chard can be prepared any way that you would prepare spinach.  I love it on eggs benedict!

Kale - Red Russian or Savoy - Massaged kale is a super food and makes a great replacement for lettuce on your favorite hamburger or sandwich.  It is sweet, but can be a bit tough, which is why I like to throw it into a fresh smoothie with Swish Chard, 1-2 peeled pears, 1 apple and a banana.  Blend away.  

Rosemary - Seriously, if you are tired of baking chicken with it, dry it and crush it between the palms of your hands then combine with kosher salt for the best seasoned salt.

A special recipe for these hot days -  A friend of ours made Lemonade with NO SUGAR!  In a blender, she combined 1/2 lemon (skin, seeds, pulp, juice - just cut it into manageable pieces and throw it in); 1-2 frozen bananas (peel bananas before freezing), 1/4 cup fresh mint (or to taste), 6 ice cubes, 1/3 cup water (more if needed) and blend well.  Serve slushy and cold with a garnish of mint.  It is the best lemonde I have ever had and was packed with potassium, vitamin C and so many vitamins.  Adding vodkan turns it into a healthy alternative to a daiquiri or margarita, which contain way too much sweetener for me.  This one is nutrient dense with no artificial sweeteners and could not be easier to make.  

We wish you the happiest July 4th celebration!

Cheers and Enjoy!  Patti

Patti and Stuart Rosenberg
and the entire farm staff who work hard to bring you good food 
Waverly Farms
2345 Lewiston Plank Rd.
Burkeville, VA 23922
214-914-0323 

Our garden is growing great and so we will take 5-7 new CSA members.  If you contacted us before and are still interested, enroll now. There are 10 more boxes in our Spring/Summer season, therefore Regular shares are $280 for the remainder of the season and Large shares are $380.  Go to www.waverlyfarmsvirginia.com then to our Farm Store, then to CSA Enrollment form to enroll now!  

Hi, %%user-firstname%%!

New in your Waverly Farms CSA box this week are fresh garlic and baby spring onions. We hope the information below will help you enjoy everything in your box:

Fresh Elephant Garlic - Harvested yesterday, this fresh "young wet" Elephant garlic will store for up to 1 week in your refrigerator.  For longer storage, hang it by the stem in breezy shade, or cut the stem to about 1", put it in a paper bag, and store it in a dry dark place.  Humidity is never good for garlic.  Don't store it in sealed containers.  Don't store it in the refrigerator for longer than 1 week because this causes garlic to break down and become moldy.  You can refrigerate minced garlic in a sealed container for longer than one week, but use it soon for best flavor.  Freezing garlic is not recommended because it changes the consistency and flavor of garlic.  

Garlic is thought to suppress tumors and lower the "bad" cholesterol.  Remember that the finer you chop or mince garlic the stronger the flavor.  Roasted whole garlic will be the mildest taste and very sweet.  

To roast garlic, simply peel off the outer leaves, leaving skin on the individual cloves in tact.  Slice off 1/4 of the top to expose the bulbs.  Place bulbs in a muffin pan and coat each one with olive oil, using your fingers to make sure oil soaks into each clove.  Cover each clove with foil crumpled over its top and bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  This will be great on bread or just eaten with a fork.

Baby Spring Onions - These come from "thinning" larger onions to come.  The green portion of these jewels are even more nutritious than the bulb, so find ways to use the entire plant.  Finely chopped green onion in tuna or chicken salads or scrambled eggs adds loads of flavor.  You might slice the bulbs in half and mix them in oilive oil, salt and pepper and roast them in the oven as you would beets or turnips below.

Red Beets - Same as last week, my favorite way to cook beets is to clean, cut in 1" pieces, coat them in olive oil, salt, pepper and bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes or until tender.  Click on this link for more great ways to cook beets: http://www.vegkitchen.com/tips/beets/

Red Russian or Savoy Kale - Again this week, some of your will receive the purplish Red Russian kale, which is a thick leaf with spikes on the end.  It is deliceious and sweet.  Others will recieve Savoy kale which is also thick but solid green with curly leaves.  Both are great in salads or cooked in stirfry, or blended into a smoothie with banana, pear, apple and any other green you like.  Be sure to remove kale from its tough stem and massage it - that's right, just rub it between your palms - to break it down into a tender treat.  

Collards - I'm so sorry if some of you got collards last week and others did not.  This week we have collards for everyone.  Collards are bland looking fan-like leaves, but they hold much flavor.  My favorite way to cook collards is to saute onion and ham or bacon in the bottom of a deep pot until slightly browned, add water,vegetable or chicken broth and the cleaned collards cut into 2"-4" squares.  Cook on medium heat until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain and serve.  Because collards are sweet, they are also tasty i when blended into a smoothie.

Green Cabbage - Cooked in water like collards with ham or bacon, sliced into coleslaw, cooked in soups and even on the grill are popular ways to prepare great cabbage.  To grill cabbage that others will love, try this recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/grilled-cabbage-41419

Swiss Chard - Clean and remove Swiss chard from its stem.  I like to store it in a plastic bag at this point so I can just grab and go when I want to saute it with onion and red pepper, include it in a salad for a sweet flavor, or blend it into a smoothie.  Swiss chard is the most versatile of all greens, in my opinion, and it is packed with nutrition.  You might try this recipe for the healthiest preparation of Swiss Chard http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=100

Broccoli - All I need to say about fresh broccoli side shoots is to steam them soon (or blance and freeze them) and don't steam them too long because they will cook lightening fast!  Am I the only person thinking that steamed broccoli with garlic sauted in butter would be awesome for dinner tonight?  

Turnips - Clean, cut and bake these tender treats the same way you would the beets above, or cut them up and boil them briefly, drain, then slather them with hot butter, salt and pepper.  Turnips this fresh add a nice spice when diced into salads, and are terrific cooked with the collards.   

Pak Choi - The only way for me is to clean them well (the dirt tends to collect in the stem), cut them in half or quarters lengthwise, then saute them in olive oil with soy sauce and balsamic vinegar until tender. Add pepper to taste.  Topped with crisp bacon and served over grits or rice would make a quick meal.

Mustard Greens - Simply saute mustard greens with your chopped fresh baby Spring onions, fresh garlic and olive oil; add a splash of sesame oil at the end for a nutty flavor; and wala!  You're done.  Mustard greens provide more phytonutrients than most of our modern agriculture.  They are more like the greens that kept our ancestors healthy, as is the case with most spicy or bitter greens.  I'll admit it. I'm not crazy about mustard greens, but they're awfully cleansing and we need more nutrition in our diets!  I wonder if they would be a good replacement for lettuce on a hamburger?

Rosemary - Try this rosemary pasta recipe.  It uses fresh garlic and rosemary!  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/rosemary-pasta-in-roasted-garlic-sauce/  

We look forward to moving into Summer tomatoes, peppers, corn, melons, squash, zucchini and other summer crops.  They are growing fast and enjoying all of the rain we are having.  We have much to be thankful for!

Patti and Stuart Rosenberg 
with the wonderful staff and volunteers at
Waverly Farms
2345 Lewiston Plank Rd.
Burkeville, VA 23922
214-914-0323
www.waverlyfarmsvirginia.com