FLOWER ARRANGING WORKSHOP TOMORROW!
Saturday, August 31st
10:00 am
Are you looking for some tips and inspiration on flower picking and arranging?
Are you a seasoned flower-nerd and feel like sipping bubblies and arranging flowers with like-minded friends?
Our floral ambassador, Cassidy Blackwell, is fresh off an intensive arranging workshop with the legendary Farm at World’s End and excited to share her stoke, and some tips, for making the flower garden a creative outlet in your life.
Join us in the garden this Saturday, August 31st, for our 2nd annual Flower Power Happy Hour!
PLEASE BRING A BUCKET TO PICK INTO and a favorite vase. Members are welcome to bring a non-member friend. Suggested $30 donation for non-members.
Cassidy with an arrangment she made at the Farm at World's End, and a few of our flowers in the garden.
THIS WEEK’S HARVEST
Arugula, Mustard Mix, Rosaine Little Gem Lettuce, Red Butter Lettuce, Escarole, Pink Ladyslipper Radishes, Hakurei Salad Turnips, Carrots, Sweet Corn, Assorted Zucchini & Summer Squash, Sarah’s Choice Cantaloupe & Crimson Sweet Watermelon, Sweet Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Eggplant, Fresh Cabernet Onions, Early Girl & Heirloom Tomatoes
U-PICK
Don’t forget to branch out to the back areas to find the jack-pots!
Albion Strawberries | 3 pints per share
Padrón Peppers | 2 pints per share | Note that as Padróns age, they are more likely to be spicy!
Shishito Peppers | 3 pints per share | While still most likely to be mild, even shishitos can have a little heat towards the end of the season.
Cherry Tomatoes | 5 pints per share
🌟 Dragon Tongue Green Beans | 1 pint per share | See harvest note below
Hot Peppers:
Jalapeños | 7 peppers per share | To find the hottest ones, look for “checking”, the delicate cracks in the skin that indicate the pepper has aged into its heat.
Thai Chilis | 3 peppers | Pick when red
Cherry Bomb Peppers | 8 peppers per share | Pick when red
Herbs: Italian, Purple and Thai Basil, Dill, Tulsi, Chamomile, Parsley, Onion Chives, Garlic Chives, Tarragon, Thyme, Oregano, Marjoram, Culinary Sage, Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena, Vietnamese Coriander, Shiso (Perilla), Catnip, Pineapple, Sorrel, Assorted Mints & Husk Cherries!
Flowers!
HARVEST NOTES
Escarole: One of our favorite members of the chicory family, Escarole looks like hearty lettuce. While it can be eaten raw in salad for those who aren’t afraid of a little bitterness, escarole really shines when sautéed, braised or in soup, as cooking highlights its velvety texture and savory depth. For the most simple preparation, try sautéing it in olive oil with plenty of garlic, Parmesan and lemon. It’s also delicious in Italian Wedding Soup, beans with sausage and escarole and Utica Greens — check out a recipe here!
Fresh Cabernet Onions: This week we’re premiering the fresh form of one of our most beloved staple onions. Cabernet are brilliantly red, and when raw, a little spicier than a yellow onion, or the Cipollini and Torpedoes that we’ve been distributing so far.
Dragon Tongue Beans: Our next succession of beans is just getting started in parking lot field. Look deep inside and underneath the plants for the cream-colored beans with purple speckles. Deliciously sweet!
PRESERVING THE HARVEST
We have reached peak tomato season! Bulk tomatoes will be available for projects, canning and preserving from now until the end of tomato season, but we recommend taking advantage as soon as you’re able to ensure you don’t miss the best of the season. Check out last week’s newsletter for easy ways to put them up.
ZWEIBEL’S OFF THIS WEEK!
Zweibel’s will be taking this Tuesday, September 3rd, off for a short getaway to the mountains, but you can expect them back with all their delicious goods next week! And Sonoma Mountain Breads will be back this Saturday! Our apologies for forgetting to let you know about their week off last week.
FLOWER DYEING WORKSHOP!
Saturday, September 7th
1:00 - 3:00 pm
Come learn the art of dyeing fabric with flowers! Bring a hammer and a notebook and join CSA member Hanna on the farm while she teaches you which flowers can create beautiful lasting color on fabric! We will hammer flowers and herbs onto 2 mordanted organic cotton napkins and then dip them into two different dye pots. You will leave feeling confident in doing this at home! Register for the event here.
MUSIC TOGETHER ON THE FARM!
Music Together is a world wide children's' music program for 0-5 year olds and the people who love them! Come join CSA member Hanna and her children for 10 weeks of making music together under the oak trees. They will meet Thursday mornings starting September 12th at 9:30 and 10:45 am. To sign up for the Fall session go to https://mtofwestsonomacounty.com
WINTER SISTER FARM CSA SIGN-UPS OPEN!
Going to miss us this winter? Well you’re in luck! Our dear friends next door at Winter Sister Farm have got you covered for veggies all winter and spring. All memberships include diverse winter-hardy veggies such as broccoli, carrots, potatoes, onions, winter squash, lettuce, kale, chard, as well as access to a small u-pick garden with cold hardy herbs and spring flowers. Click here to get all the details on this wonderful CSA program and to reserve your spot today!
FARMER’S LOG
THE RHYTHM OF HIGH-SUMMER
This week in the fields was a week fashioned in the unmistakable style of peak Summer.
Monday kicked off with Tuesday’s zucchini, summer squash and melon harvests, followed by one of our biggest tomato hauls of the year yet, followed by a bulk carrot harvest in the afternoon. “Tuesday is as Tuesday does" — which for us is an early morning harvest of our fresh, leafy greens for the afternoon pick-up. David spent Monday & Tuesday afternoons building a 3” overhead irrigation header for a new-to-us Creek Field, which will be planted into final crops for November and December harvests over the next couple weeks.
On Wednesday (aka farming day, aka the only day where we don’t harvest) we had an all hands scallions transplanting session; Asa seeded over 5,000 ft of radishes and salad greens; Ava did a round of strawberry irrigation maintenance; Sarah, Ava and Brent planted a succession of broccoli; Kayta did her walk around the farm checking on the crops and creating the share for next week; and everyone chipped in to tame the surging weeds in Farfield.
Autumn Torch amaranth and Senora zinnias enjoying that beautiful cloudy Saturday.
In high-summer mode, Thursday looks a lot like Monday — another long, bulky, morning harvest of summer’s fruits — soft squash, zucchini, and melons followed by a bulk cabbage harvest, tomatoes, and a small FEED Sonoma order. David finished his irrigation header and started spading the southern end of Creek Field for next week’s transplants. At the end of the day— you guessed it — we dutifully killed a few weeds.
Today the crew ventured out in the misty morning for our fresh harvest haul for Saturday — arugula and mustards, lettuce heads, escarole, some beautiful new cabernet onions… the list goes on. After lunch we washed our spoils; cleaned and prepped the barn for pick-up; Sarah busted out the electric tractor to kill weeds in the furrows of our fall carrot patch; Kayta worked on the newsletter and did her rounds updating u-pick limits; David finished spading Farfield and wrote these very words.
What did we forget? So many things, really. With a farm of this size and a crew of this awesomeness level, there are too many things that happen in any given week to even hold in one brain.
So many I’s were dotted and T’s crossed; so many bins were washed; so much admin was done; so many leaks repaired; so many veggies carefully picked and stored. The local hawks enjoyed hunting in the freshly mowed field; the local turkey babes grew at least an inch. But what happened at night? Only the owls and the vegetables really know…
See you in the fields,
David
As you may have noticed, we’re moving the recipes section to the end of the newsletter! Make sure you don’t miss it!
HERB AND RADISH SALAD WITH FETA AND WALNUTS
BY SAMIN NOSRAT
From The New York Times
This light, crunchy salad is inspired by sabzi khordan, the heaping platter of fresh herbs, radishes, walnuts and feta cheese that accompanies nearly every Persian meal.
Farmer’s Note: While we’re experiencing a brief break between cucumber successions, we think this salad is worth making even without them. Consider using both Pink Ladyslipper Radishes and Hakurei Salad Turnips, and even throwing in some beautiful Purple Daikon from last week if you haven’t used them all!
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
1 cup walnuts
2 bunches small radishes, trimmed (about 15 radishes)
3 Persian cucumbers, ends trimmed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
3 ounces sheep’s milk feta cheese, crumbled (preferably French feta)
½ cup chives cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 bunch)
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and tender stems (about 1 bunch)
1 cup loosely packed dill fronds, stems removed (about 1 large bunch)
½ cup loosely packed mint leaves (about 1 small bunch)
2 sprigs tarragon, leaves stripped
PREPARATION
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool, then chop roughly. Place in a sieve and shake away loose skin and crumbs. Set chopped nuts aside.
Use a sharp knife or mandoline to slice the radishes and cucumbers into thin coins roughly ⅛-inch thick. Place in a medium bowl. Add walnuts.
In a small glass or jar, whisk together lemon juice and olive oil to make the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Just before serving, season radishes, cucumbers and walnuts with a pinch of salt and dress lightly with 3 to 4 tablespoons of vinaigrette. Toss well to combine. Add crumbled cheese and toss gently to combine without breaking the cheese down too much. Arrange in a loose mound in a shallow serving bowl (or on a platter).
Place herbs in the mixing bowl, season with a pinch of salt, and dress very lightly with about 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. Toss to combine, then pile the herb salad atop the radishes and cucumbers. Serve immediately.
CSA BASICS
Drive slow! Please drive slow on Cooper Rd. and in our driveway / parking lot area. Kids at play!
No dogs: Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed on the farm.
What time is harvest pick-up?:
Saturday harvest pick-ups run from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Tuesday harvest pick-ups will run from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Oriented members can come to the farm any time, 7 days a week, sunrise to sunset, to u-pick and enjoy the farm.
Where is the farm? The member parking lot is located at 1720 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472.
Where is the food? The produce pick-up barn is just to the right of the solar panels and above our big greenhouse. You can’t miss it!
2024 CSA program dates: Our harvest season will run from Saturday, June 15th through Tuesday, December 10th this year.
