Summer 2025 CSA Newsletter - July 15, 2025 (Week 8)
Howdy Folks,
Farm News -The Hoot!
In Your Box
Recipe Ideas
Picking up your share
FARM NEWS
Howdy Folks,
Please remember to fold down your boxes and place them with the others to help keep your pick up location tidy and organized. This is a very different kind of box than your normal brown cardboard box, it’s a waxed produce box, HERE IS A LINK TO A FACEBOOKS PAGE VIDEO SHOWING YOU HOW TO OPEN AND FLATTEN THIS BOX.
We have pesto worthy quantities of Basil listed online for delivery next week. ½ lb Basil = $6.00 & 1 lb Basil = $10.00 We also have Fresh 2025 garlic sole by the head.
How do you add items to your CSA? When you are looking at your CSA order cart, above you will see a button that says “Continue Shopping” Press this green “Continue Shopping” button to add items to your cart. Our items are sorted out by type “greens”, “herbs”, “fruits”, & “roots”. When you see an item you want press the green “ADD TO CART” button, from here you can see all the different units it may be available in. ei. Right now basil is available by the bunch, 1/2 pound, and 1 pound increments. You would press the green “ADD” button next to which ever unit you want to purchase. It will automatically be added to your cart. If you add items to your CSA, your credit card on file will be charged when we bulk bill orders for the week. To get back to your CSA or cart, click the little shopping cart in the far right of the green stripe or the green "EDIT ORDER" button if you scroll to the bottom of your cart items. Any questions about ordering please give us a call or text us, and we can walk you through the process.
Howdy Folks,
We have some eventful news. We were awarded a grant we applied for last May! RSFI, Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Grant! It will be helping us expand our packhouse and give us more room to store and cure our veggies for you, as well as continue to add other local farmers goods to our Traditional CSA. Here is a link to the official announcement. It's a 50/50 grant! They pay 50% we pay 50%, although it ends up that we are actually paying a little more than 50%, still the funding does make this dream of Chris' actually doable. Here is a link to the official announcement. We feel so fortunate to have this help and to be a part of the Resilient Food System Infrastructure!
Since we got the word we got our fellow helpers online and we have started demolition of our 4 car garage that has seen better days. It was built in the 1930's. We seldom park our car here, really just one bay in the winter is all that we have available for our car, and another for our farm buggy. The rest of the year it usually has supplies in it.
Below is a picture taken last Friday of the demo and the last clean out.
Have a great week!
Your Farmers, Chris, Aeros & the Who Crew
This is the last clean out of the 4 car garage built in 1930.
Demolition took 3 hours.
Excavation has begun.
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:
Brown Beech is harvested as a bouquet. These petite mushrooms are mild and crunchy in texture and have a sweet and nutty flavor. Chop off where they all come together or cluster. Caps and stems are edible. Separate the individual mushrooms for cooking. They hold their shape well and can be sauted, braised as well as put into stews and roasted.
Cheese:
Goat Rodeo from Allison Park.
Chevre “Our fresh Chèvre is smooth and creamy with notes of sun warmed fields and a hint of lemon. Spread on a fresh baguette and a great addition to any recipe.”
RECIPE IDEAS
Blueberry Basil Frozen Yogurt
Adapted from Marian Cooper Cairns (countryliving.com)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, whole
2 cups half-and-half
3 cups plain 2-percent Greek-style yogurt
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup blueberry preserves
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
Directions:
Step 1
Combine ¾ cup whole basil leaves and half-and-half in a bowl; chill 24 hours. Strain; discarding basil. Whisk together yogurt, sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and half-and-half; let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until sugar dissolves. Chill at least 2 hours or until very cold.
Step 2
Mash together blueberries, blueberry preserves, chopped fresh basil, and lemon zest in a bowl. Add to yogurt mixture and stir to combine.
Step 3
Pour mixture into the bowl of an electric ice-cream maker, and process according to manufacturer's instructions. Freeze 1 hour before serving. Store for up to 1 week.
Dino Kale and White Bean Soup
Adapted from fullcircle.com
Ingredients:
2 cups canned white beans (we used Great Northern Beans)
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 bunch carrots, stems removed, washed and roughly chopped
1 onion (we used yellow), diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 bunch dino (lacinato) kale, stemmed and chopped
Directions:
Step 1
Add everything to the crockpot except for the beans and kale and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Step 2
About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the white beans.
Step 3
Toss in the kale and stir to combine. Cook the kale until just wilted, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
Tomato Basil Soup
Adapted from Jeanine and Jack (loveandlemons.com)
Ingredients:
2½ pounds tomatoes, halved
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
⅓ cup chopped carrots
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 loosely packed cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
Directions:
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the tomatoes cut side up on the baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour, or until the edges just start to shrivel and the insides are still juicy.
Step 2:
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, vegetable broth, vinegar, and thyme leaves and simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 3:
Let cool slightly and pour the soup into a blender, working in batches if necessary. Blend until smooth. Add the basil and pulse until combined.
Step 4:
Season to taste, ladle into bowls, and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
PICKING UP OF YOUR SHARE/S:
When you arrive at your pick up site, please 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! 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 *Friendly Reminder Fruit shares START NEXT WEEK!
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. Call/Text 814-221-7177.