Summer 2025 CSA Newsletter - July 22, 2025 (Week 9)
Howdy Folks,
Farm News -The Hoot!
In Your Box
Recipe Ideas
Farm Pictures
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.
Fruit Shares Start this week for weekly and Bi-week A members. Please check your label and the sign in sheet to be certain that you have a fruit share.
We have larger quantities of veggies at a discount of all sorts of produce for those of you that want to stock up, can, ferment, or freeze. In order to see the different quantities available click on the grey circle with 3 dots, where it says “more options available”. Here you will see all the quantities available to you to purchase. Also even easier, you can choose how you see items available. I like “list view”, the pictures are smaller, but nicer and also all of the quantities are visible without any added clicking necessary. Ei. below.
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,
It’s good to know what you eat. Like the fuel that goes in your car, gas or diesel? Pretty basic for a car. But humans? Lots of debate. Food is your fuel, if it’s not the right fuel the body feels and sounds different than the smooth operating body. Not all food is manageable for everybody. Diet is an amazing connection between you and the planet. It is another way to learn to communicate with your body, it’s not one of words, but of feelings and sensations. Feeding yourself real food is getting to know yourself. What does my body like and not like, who is this being that I am? How can we work together? Although the union is forced, understanding and getting to know you is a life long adventure, and one that can also change with time. Feeling amazing, strong, alert, or happy from something you eat, is way different than a belly ache or feeling sleepy. Honoring yourself by listening to how your body reacts to the foods you eat will reveal more than ever your connection to the earth. Eating whole foods is basic, cheaper and simplifying. It’s also easier to listen to the body when more simple foods are ingested.
Be aware of ingredients. READ the small print on anything that is more than one ingredient. Speaking as a mother, a wife and the shopper for the family. It’s a wild ride to flip to the backside. Everything has to be noted in the ingredients! If you don’t actually know what it is, embrace that initial feeling… weird, what’s that? I don’t have tons of time to look up ingredients while shopping, so I simply put it back on the shelf if I don’t know an ingredient. Just a little bit of an opinion piece! Take care folks, this body only lives once! Live it up and feed it up to its potential!
Chris reads soil samples and plant tissue analysis tests. On the soil once a season and certain plantings of plants that look unusually stressed, we get plant tissue analysis to truly understand what is going on. The plants in the field are fed compost as well as micro and macro nutrients via the drip irrigation system, some are also side dressed with dry fertilizers throughout the season. The plants in the field eat and drink like we do, they need nutrition and water regularly. They are fed weekly or biweekly and watered daily or every other day.
Have a great week!
Your Farmers, Chris, Aeros & the Who Crew
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:
Portobello mushrooms come in various colors and sizes, and are the later stage of crimini mushrooms. They have a strong umami flavor, and soft texture. These mushrooms can be eaten raw, but are often used for pizza toppings, grilled or sauteed, or stuffed with cheese and butter and cooked. Portobello Mushrooms have large dense caps with an earthy flavor and meaty texture, making them good for stuffing or marinating and grilling as a steak. Some people make Portobello burgers, grilling the cap whole and putting it into a burger bun.
Cheese:
Goat Rodeo from Allison Park.
Wild Rosemary ”The newest member of the Goat Rodeo corral, Wild Rosemary is a soft, supple beauty with an adventurous spirit. This artisanal mixed milk cheese is made from rich farm fresh milk and hand pressed with freshly dried rosemary and extra virgin olive oil. Aromatic, smooth, and brimming with herbal flavor, Wild Rosemary is as natural a fit on your finest cheese plate as in your Tuesday quiche. Think Spanish with beverage pairings: Cava, Tempranillo, even a Basque cider.”
RECIPE IDEAS
Oven Roasted Carrots and Kale
Total time ~30 minutes Serves 2-4
Ingredients: ½ lb carrots, sliced lengthwise, then cut on diagonal 5 ounces kale, washed, thick stems removed 1 Tbs EVOO ½ yellow or white onion,4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced Salt and (optional) parmesan cheese to taste
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Chop kale finely. Chop the onion.
Combine kale, carrots, onion, garlic and olive oil in a large bowl and use your hands to mix it well. Make sure all the kale gets massaged with oil.
Spread in a 13 x 9 baking dish and cook 20-25 minutes, stirring once halfway through. (The carrots should be tender and the kale wilted and brown in spots.) Sprinkle lightly with salt and parmesan if using, and enjoy.
Scallion and Basil Pesto Spaghetti
Adapted from Lord Byron’s Kitchen (www.lordbyronskitchen.com) Total Time ~15 minutes
Serves 4 Bonus to you if you sub out the regular pasta and summer squash to make zoodles!
Ingredients: 4 cups scallions, chopped 1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped 2 Tbs fresh chives, chopped, plus more for garnish ½ cup EVOO ¼ cup parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish 3 Tbs fresh lemon juice 1 tsp salt ~2 cups cooked spaghetti, ½ tsp dried red chili flakes, optional
Directions: Add all ingredients (except cooked spaghetti) to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Transfer pesto sauce to a clean, sterile mason jar and secure with a clean lid and seal. Refrigerate 12 hours until ingredients marry together. This pesto can be used immediately, but allowing the pesto to sit results in a more cohesive taste. Pesto will last up to seven days if keep in the refrigerator. When ready, cook your spaghetti according to the package instructions. Drain and add back to the pot. Pour in the entire amount of pesto and use tongs to toss and coat. Serve hot with dried red chili flakes, parmesan cheese, and chives for garnish.
Parsley, Dill or Herb Garlic Butter
Adapted from Epicurious (www.epicurious.com)
Makes ~1/2 cup Freezer Friendly Not sure what to do with those herbs? Make an herb butter!
This also freezes well.
Ingredients: 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened ½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or dill 2 Tbs minced shallot 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice ½ tsp minced garlic 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper
Directions: Purée all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Store in an airtight container or freeze for several months.
Chimichurri Sauce
Adapted from Chef John on All Recipes (www.allrecipes.com) Total Time ~ 15 minutes This is a great sauce to make ahead and use on grilled meats!
Ingredients: ½ cup EVOO 4 garlic cloves, chopped 3 Tbs white wine vinegar, or more to taste ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp cumin ¼ tsp red pepper flakes ¼ tsp fresh black pepper ¼ cup fresh oregano leaves 1 bunch parsley, stems removed
Directions: Combine the oil, garlic, vinegar, salt, cumin, red pepper flakes, black pepper, cilantro, oregano and or parsley in a blender. Pulse blender 2 to 3 times; scrape down the sides using a rubber spatula. Repeat the pulsing and scraping process until a thick sauce forms, about 12 times.
Beetroot and Feta Cheese Salad
Adapted from Scrambled Chefs (www.scrambledchefs.com)
Prep time 10 minutes, cook time 45 minutes Serves 6
Beets and feta are a go to combination; this salad is fairly easy and has the perfect combination of what sweet and salty should be!
Ingredients:
4 medium beets
½- ¾ cup feta cheese
2 Tbs chopped parsley
Lemon Vinaigrette For the Lemon Vinaigrette 3 Tbs lemon juice 3 Tbs EVOO 2 garlic cloves- minced ½ tsp pepper ½ tsp salt (to taste)
Directions: For Salad; Boil the beetroot on medium heat for 45 mins or until it can be easily pierced through with a knife. The skin will easily peel off. After removing the skin of the beets, chop the beetroot into cubes and do the same with the feta cheese. Roughly chop the parsley. Combine beetroot, feta cheese, parsley with the lemon vinaigrette and serve. For Lemon Vinaigrette Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and whisk slightly.
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.
FARM PICTUREs
This is a winter squash blossom. With all sorts of insects pollinating it!
Close up on all those pollinators hard at work!
This is Chris Fertigating at his elixir station. Adding Certified organic amendments to our irrigation water. His elixirs include minerals, micro and marco nutrients, trace minerals, liquid hummus, probiotics, & fish emulsion.
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** Fruit shares START THIS WEEK! Please check your label, to be sure you actually have one for this 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. 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