Summer 2025 CSA Newsletter - August 12, 2025 (Week 12)
Howdy Folks,
Our internet connection stinks! It’s been a super stressful week to get things done with the internet working one moment and then not the next. As mostly all office work depends on a reliable internet connection. We have finally had a tech make their way out here to diagnose that our direct burial line is bad that extends our internet from our home to our packhouse where our office is. So we are looking at iffy internet service for another week until we can get an entire new system set up just for the packhouse. We are hanging in there. I’ve moved my computer to the house for the time being as Sabryn and Chris are receiving some signal and me none.
On a happy note melons are here and we hope you enjoy your watermelon this week. We are hopeful that the super tasty cantaloupe will come in on time for next week’s seasonal delight! If you can’t eat all of your melon, know that you can simply cut it up and put it in a plastic tupperware or bag and freeze it or dehydrate them. This is a super treat in the winter. The ice cubes of melon are great in cocktails and mocktails, and the straight up frozen cubed melon of any sort in the winter will usually bring a smile to your kids face. Maybe a quirky kind of smile as it’s usually a super surprise to whip out a bit of frozen summer!
IN YOUR BOX:
All contents of your box are listed on your LABEL! If your label says something other than you think it should, please don’t take something different, please contact the farm. Note: Texting is the fastest way to reach us.
Add On Shares:
Mushrooms:
Shitake: mushrooms have a bold smokey and earthy flavor, with a texture that is both meaty and buttery when cooked. These mushrooms are rich in vitamins and are a great addition to almost any food. The stems tend to be woody, so they are best pulled off and added to soup stock!
Cheese:
We are switching dairies. We are sourcing the next 5 weeks of cheese from Clover Creek Cheese Cellar in Williamsburg, Blair County PA.
Galen’s Reserve Premium aged 12 month Gouda, with subtle notes of butterscotch and toasted nuts. This cheese melts to creamy perfection. Dice into an omelet or sprinkle over roasted veggies!
Fruit:
Durgin Orchards brings us Peaches!
This week’s variety I’m not sure! I forgot to ask, but these puppies are big!
RECIPE IDEAS
Swiss Chard with Feta
Adapted from insimoneskitchen.com
Ingredients:
500 grams Swiss Chard, cleaned and cut into pieces
75 grams feta cheese, crumbled
50 grams roasted pinenuts
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Step 1:
Heat a large frying pan with olive oil over medium heat and add the stalks of swiss chard (They need a little bit longer than the leaves).
Step 2:
Add the leaves after a few minutes and stir fry until done. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3:
Crumble the feta over the top, and add pinenuts.
TIP: Pair with roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes.
Shrimp and Tomato Succotash Skillet
Adapted from Brooke Caison (delish.com)
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
8 oz cherry tomatoes
2 cups corn kernels (about 2 large cobs or frozen, thawed)
Kosher salt
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
½ red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup frozen lima beans, thawed
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil or 1 tsp dried basil
Directions:
Step 1:
In a large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until blistered all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to char, 2 to 3 minutes; season with a pinch of salt. Transfer tomato mixture to a large bowl.
Step 2:
In the same skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Cook onions, peppers, and a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally, onion is softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add lima beans and 3/4 cup water. Cover and simmer until beans are tender and liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl with tomato mixture.
Step 3:
In the same skillet over medium heat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Pat shrimp dry; season with Cajun seasoning and a pinch of salt. Cook, turning halfway through, until shrimp are pink and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
Step 4:
Reduce the heat to low and return tomato mixture to the skillet. Toss to combine. Stir in basil.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Adapted from Marsha McDougal (budgetbytes.com)
Ingredients:
3 bell peppers
2 Tbsp cooking oil, divided
1 pound Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp garlic powder
1 ¼ tsp salt, divided
¼ tsp black pepper
1 cup marinara sauce
½ cup long grain white rice, uncooked
¾ cup chicken broth
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash and dry each bell pepper, then cut the bell peppers in half horizontally. Make sure to cut them as evenly as possible. Using a sharp paring knife carefully cut and remove the stem from the top half of each bell pepper (see picture below). It's okay if there is a small hole left where the stem was removed.
Step 2:
Place each bell pepper half in a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Brush the bell peppers with 1 Tbsp oil and season with ¼ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp cracked black pepper. Bake the bell peppers in a preheated oven for 20 minutes to soften. After 20 minutes remove the bell peppers from the oven and set aside.
Step 3:
While the bell peppers are baking, make the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp of oil. Brown the Italian sausage.
Step 4:
Once the sausage has browned, add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Continue to sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
Step 5:
Next add the uncooked rice, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, 1 tsp of salt, and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir to combine.
Step 6:
Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the mixture to come to a full boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer, without lifting the lid or stirring, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest, without lifting the lid, for an additional 5 minutes.
Step 7:
Next remove the lid, fluff the rice, and stir the mixture again to redistribute the ingredients. Begin to fill each bell pepper with the meat filling. Stuff as much filling as you can into each, filling them all the way to the top.
Step 8:
Top each bell pepper evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese. Loosely place some tented aluminum foil over the top of the casserole dish and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes the bell peppers should be tender but not mushy.
Step 9:
Now remove the foil and turn the heat on to broil. Broil the stuffed bell peppers for 2-3 minutes or just until the cheese gets a little brown on top. Be sure to watch the bell peppers closely at this step to prevent the cheese from over browning. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and enjoy!
Watermelon Sorbet
Adapted from thekitchn.com
Ingredients:
5 cups cubed (1 inch) seedless watermelon (about 3 pounds)
⅓ cup liquid sweetener of choice (maple syrup, simple syrup, honey, or agave nectar)
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice (from 1 medium lime)
¼ tsp Kosher salt
Directions:
Step 1:
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Spread 5 cups cubed watermelon on the baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 3 hours.
Step 2:
Process the watermelon, 1/3 cup liquid sweetener, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a food processor or high-speed blender until the bottom of the mixture becomes smooth and the top remains chunky, about 1 minute. Stop, scrape down the sides, and stir. Process again until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, 4 to 6 minutes more.
Step 3:
Serve immediately for a soft-serve consistency, or transfer to an airtight container or a loaf pan, press a sheet of parchment or wax paper onto the surface. Freeze until solid, 2 to 3 hours. (If using a loaf pan, wrap the entire pan in plastic wrap to prevent ice crystals from forming.)
PICKING UP OF YOUR SHARE/S:
When you arrive at your pick up site, please first look for the RED CLIPBOARD! Find your name and take a look at what is waiting for you. Please check off all the shares listed by your name on the sign in sheet! Then look for a box with your name on the label, this is your box. Please unpack this box and take the contents home. You are not to take home this box! This box is for farm to pick up site transportation only! Please do not take this box home with you, but if you do, please return it the following week. HERE IS A LINK TO A FACEBOOKS PAGE VIDEO SHOWING YOU HOW TO OPEN AND FLATTEN THIS BOX.
READ YOUR BOX LABELS: On your label you will see all that you should be picking up today. Please note, that none of the optional shares are inside of this box although they are listed on the label! These optional shares include, Eggs, Cheese, Mushrooms, and Coffee. These shares are located in the blue coolers. Please reference your box label to make sure you get the correct optional shares that you paid for on each given week. ONLY TAKE THE ITEMS LISTED ON YOUR BOX LABEL AND SIGN IN SHEET UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTIFIED!
The mushrooms are in brown paper bags.
Eggs, half dozen = 6 egg carton
Eggs dozen = 12 egg carton
Cheese is by the piece, just take a block. ( If a cheese has a name on it, don’t take this cheese unless it has your name on it)
Fruit - The fruit share is located in a box labeled Fruit Share, please take one bag per share. 1 bag is 3# of fruit.
If you don’t see a share that you think you should be getting, please don’t take it, please instead be in touch with the farm. If you are ever missing any veggies or add on items or the quality is not up to WCFY par, please be in touch. Call/Text 814-221-7177. Or email us. info@whocooksforyoufarm.com