Hello Everyone,

This week in your box:

Cilantro, Strawberries, English Peas - last week!, Green Kale, Swiss Chard, Italian Parsley, Red Beets, Dino Kale, 1 lb of strawberries, bunch of carrots, green romaine, red butter lettuce, red oak leaf and lolla rosa lettuces

These beautiful lettuce heads make a fabulous salad on their own or mixed together. Boil or roast some beets, remove the skin and eat with toasted walnuts and goat cheese with a nice vingarette.  Toss some shelled english peas on top for nice color and flavor.

Chard and Kale are great in lasagna in place or in addition to meat. They are also great tossed in soup or with other types of pasta. Goat cheese and kale and chard are wonderful also. It doesn’t take too much - just chop into small pieces and steam in water until the water is gone then stir in some goat cheese until it coats all of the leaves. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and sun dried tomatoes if you have them. Yum!

Can you believe we are about to enter July? We have been so very busy tending to our tomatoes - staking and tying them. Our Heirloom tomatoes are just around the corner. You can expect them in your boxes around the last week of July. We come in with our tomatoes later than other farmers that have land more inland. We have the coastal influence being only 5 miles from the coast of Carmel. Unfortunatley on a wholesale basis we have tomatoes a month later than most farmers and start harvesting when the market is flooded. But the taste of Carmel Valley tomatoes beats any other tomato. The fruit sits on the vine much longer continuing to sugar up while the skins turn from green to whatever crazy color the heirloom might be!

On the flip side of coming into the market late with tomatoes, we usually are still harvesting tomatoes until Thanksgiving.  Some years I have had fruit in January! Please be patient with our tomatoes; once they begin to ripen there will be an abundance of all shapes, colors and sizes of heirloom, early girls, San Marzano romas, sungold cherry and red grape tomatoes in your box every single week!

We plan to start our Saturday U–Pick the first week of September and continue as long as the weather cooperates. Look for the sign on Carmel Valley Rd between The Holly Farm and Chateau Julian just before Mid Valley Center.  As a CSA member you get half price at the U-Pick for all of your friends and family too!

We are looking for some untreated wood stakes to stake our tomatoes. If anyone out there wants to donate or sell some 2″ x 4″x 6 feet stakes or something close to those dimensions please contact me at 831-726-9432 or via email.Serendipity Farms is in the new Big Sur Bakery cookbook which just hit the stores on June 24th. It is a great book with not only recipes but a year in the life of an independent restaurant that uses sustainable ingredients and supports those that grow or raise food in the same way. There is a private party this Saturday, the 4th of July with food and drinks included if you buy a cookbook from 1 - 5pm. The cookbook is $40 at the Big Sur Bakery. If you aren’t already a devoted Big Sur Bakery regular, be sure to stop in for a bite.

We want you to know how much we appreciate your support. Farming is not easy and there are so many variables and ways to lose money. Our potato crop was muched on by ground squirrels before we had a chance to harvest them, causing us to lose a large portion of our income. We can still use the potatoes for seed potatoes, but we will have to replant and wait another 100 days until harvest. I came to the realization that farmers feel the way folks affected by the current economic situation feel ALL of the time - so many variables in play with lots on the line that can be lost to such things as weather, squirrels, pests, weeds, etc.   We farmers need all the support we can get and we thank you for helping us with the upfront costs associated with growing good, organic food with loving hands.

Have a beautiful week everyone!

Enjoy this amazing weather.

Jamie Collins

Hello CSA Members,

This week in your box:

Strawberries are back - 1 lb berries, artichokes, mix lettuce, Green Garlic, Red Beets, Italian Parsley, Gold & Green Chard, Lacinato  Kale, and  Green Kale, Bloomsdale Spinach

Hello CSA Members,

In your box this week - English Breakfast Radishes, Cilantro, Red Beets, Lettuce mix, new, smaller variety of english shelling peas (that look more like snaps, so be sure to shuck!), artichokes, Spinach, Dino Kale, Italian Parsley, Chard, and Fava Beans.

Food Inc, a documentary based on a book by Eric Schlosser is premiering at the Osio theatre in Monterey on June 18th. There will be a reception with organic food donated by Serendipity and organic wine from Heller Estates. There will be interesting talks about food, growing and eating after the film. I will be speaking about Serendipity and local food sourcing. There will be folks from Pesticide Watch giving updates too. It will be an interesting night. The film opens in Santa Cruz on Friday the 19th also. Be sure to get  tickets as this is going to be an eye opening documentary.

Here are a few recipes utilizing the veggies in your box.

Spinach, English Pea & Feta - (from Allrecipes online)
Ingredients:

Spinach - 5 oz

English Peas - 5 oz

Olive Oil 4 tbsp.

4 oz Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Salt & Pepper to taste - mix peas, spinach leaves and feta. Toss with oive oil and lemon juice.

Chard And Parsley Quiche With Two Cheeses
Scroll down the page for more quiche recipes. Pastry Shell

• 2 cups all-purpose flour,
• plus extra for working the dough
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter — chilled
• 3 tablespoons margarine — chilled
• 6 tablespoons ice water

Filling

• 6 to 8 medium-size chard leaves
• thick middle ribs removed
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley — stems removed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic — minced
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup BelPaese or similar mild, soft cheese
• cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons butter

To make the pastry shell, sift together the flour and salt into a bowl. Cut the chilled butter and margarine into 1/2-inch chunks and add them to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter and margarine until the mixture forms pea-size balls. Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. At the same time, turn the dough with a fork and then with your fingertips just enough to dampen it. This method will help to keep the pastry light and flaky. Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. (The chilling will make it easier to roll out.)
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

To prepare the crust: On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the chilled dough into a round about 11 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. Drape the pastry over the rolling pin and carefully transfer it to a 9-to-10-inch tart pan. Unfold it from the pin and press it gently into the pan. Trim off the overlap even with the pan’s rim. Line the tart shell with aluminum foil and then add a layer of pastry weights or dried beans. Place the weighted pastry pan on a baking sheet. Place both i n the preheated oven to bake partially, until faintly golden, 8 or 9 minutes. Remove from the oven, lift out the weights, remove the aluminum foil, and let the crust cool completely on the baking sheet. Reduce the oven heat to 375 degrees.
To make the filling, arrange the chard leaves on a steamer rack over gently boiling water, cover and steam for 5 to 7 minutes. The leaves should retain their pretty green color but be greatly reduced in volume. Remove the chard from the steamer and squeeze the leaves to extract any water. Cut the chard into chiffonade strips by stacking the leaves, rolling them up into a thin cigar shape and then cutting them crosswise in thin shreds. Set aside.
Steam the parsley leaves as you did the chard, but for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the steamer and squeeze dry. Mince the parsley. Again squeeze the chard and parsley to remove excess water. Set aside.
Warm the olive oil in a skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and saute until just soft, 1 or 2 minutes. Add the chard and parsley, reduce the heat to very low and cook, turning often, until the greens have absorbed the oil, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream, salt, pepper and eggs. Beat lightly, then add the olive oil-infused greens and the cheeses.
With the partially cooked shell in place on the baking sheet, fill it as full as possible with the mixture without spilling any over the top. Cut the butter into bits and dot the top of the quiche.
Place in the preheated 375-degree oven and bake until the filling is puffed and golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately or let cool to room temperature. Cut into wedges to serve.
Per serving: 506 calories, 27 gm carbohydrates, 184 mg cholesterol, 609 mg sodium, 10 gm protein, 40 gm fat, 22 gm saturated fat
Recipe from “France: The Vegetarian Table” as posted by R. Crockett

Kale & Beet Penne Pasta -(Vegan)

1 1/2 cups onion, diced
2 T. olive oil, divided
4 cups beets, peeled, and diced
8 cups lacinato kale (also called dinosaur kale), or other kale variety, roughly chopped
1 T. garlic, minced
3 T. freshly chopped dill
1 T. freshly chopped thyme
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. penne, rigatoni, or farfalle pasta
2 T. nutritional yeast flakes

 In a large non-stick skillet, saute the onion in 1 T. of the olive oil for 3 minutes to soften. Add the beets and continue to saute the mixture an additional 7-8 minutes, or until the beets are crisp-tender. Add the kale and garlic and saute an additional 3 minutes. Add the fresh herbs, salt, and pepper, continue to saute the mixture until the kale starts to wilt, and then remove the skillet from the heat. Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the penne pasta until al dente. Remove 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and set aside. Drain the penne pasta well and return it to the large pot. Add the reserved cooking liquid, remaining 1 T. of olive oil, and nutritional yeast, and toss well to thoroughly coat the cooked pasta. Add the sauteed vegetable mixture to the pasta, toss well, and watch the pasta turn a vibrant rosy color. Transfer the mixture to a large platter or bowl for service.

Serves 6-8

Dino Kale, Candied Ginger & Lemon
serves 2-3 as a side dish

• 1 small bunch Lacinto Kale, any tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
• about 1 t. olive oil
• 2 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1 - 1 1/2 t. fresh lemon zest
• 2 T. crystallized/candied ginger, chopped

Steam the chopped kale in a covered pan until tender but not mushy, about 4 minutes. It will turn a beautiful bright kelly green. (Note: you can either use a steamer basked or simply place 1/4″ of water with kale in a saucepan to steam).

Once Kale is steamed, toss together with all remaining ingredients

2	cup	Radishes, Thinly Sliced
3	tbl	Orange Juice
2	tbl	Fresh Cilantro, Fine Snipped
1/4	tsp	Salt
1/2	cup	Onion, Chopped, 1 Med
2	tbl	Lime Juice
2	tbl	veggie oil

 

Hello CSA Members,

Hope this letter finds everyone well.

We have been really busy on the farm harvesting English peas and fava beans for wholesale. Peas and beans grow great on coastal soil. We are able to grow them 9 months out of the year, whereas other farmers in warmer areas can’t grow them through the summer.   Both peas and beans make their own nitrogen fertilizer by absorbing nitorgen from the air and ‘fixing’ it in their roots. If you were to pull out a pea plant you would notice white round nodules of nitrogen. It is nice to plant a crop that produces their own fertilizer!  In the winter we plant cover crops that  consist of field peas and bell beans just to grow them up and disc them in for fertilzer, organic matter and to prevent erosion.

Our tomatoes in mid valley are growing well even though the weather has been on the cooler side. We will be staking them this next week and laying down drip tape. We also planted some smaller fruiting varieties on our coastal ranch and will be dry farming them for super sweet flavor. You can expect tomatoes about the first week of August.

We are starting a brand new market on Sundays in San Francisco on Sundays at Inner Sunset on Irving between 8th and 9th street. The market hours are 9 am to 1pm. Some market associations are starting small markets in different areas in the city. I think this is great; small markets and more of them in localized communities benefits the farmers and the neighborhood. We will now be in San Francisco on Wednesdays in the Castro 4 to 8pm, Fillmore at O’Farrell Saturdays 9 to 1pm and Inner Sunset Sundays from 9 am to 1pm!

Speaking of markets, please come down to PG and support the Monday night market from 4 to 8pm. There are now cooking demonstrations each week and stone fruit is in.   We are also back to market in Monterey on Alvarado Street at the end of Bonafacio Place (the bread avenue) in front of Rosine’s restaurant also 4 to 8pm.As a CSA member you get a discount on Serendipity produce - so be sure to mention you are a member!

In your box this week: Dino Kale, Gold Chard, 1 lb strawberries, artichokes, fava beans, cilantro, Italian parsley, Lettuce mix, Red Beets and gold beets.

The easiest way to prepare beets is to chop off the tops and ends and boil them until you can poke a fork in them. Once they cool, roll them around in cold water under the faucet and the peels will fall right off.  Beets are fabulous with goat cheese on a salad with candied walnuts on top of the lettuce mix you received this week. The best dressing, in my opinion is balsalmic vinegar and olive oil especially if it is reduced. Put some balsalmic in a sauce pan on low heat and cook it down until it thickens. Reducing will cause the balsalmic to sweeten up too.

Don’t forget that the greens of beets are really good too. Beets are in the chard family, so the beet leaves taste somewhat like chard, but more tender. Here is a delicious recipe my friend Velvet developed. Whenever we have a party and she asks what to bring, I always tell her to bring her famous beet salad.

Velvet’s Beet Salad

Boil Beets and peel as described above. Throw the chopped greens into the remaining  boiling water for a few minutes at until they are soft. Strain them out and mix with chopped beets. Add in crumbled gorgonzola cheese and toasted walnuts. Toss and serve. Easy and delicious. This side dish is good with meat or on its own.
English peas and favas must be shucked before eaten. English peas can be eaten raw or cooked quickly and added to salads, mashed potatoes, stit fries, you name it. Favas are a lot of work but worth it. Shucking them is like meditation. Schuck and boil or steam, then pop the beans out of their little jackets. Smash them up with some olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper for a wonderful spread or dip. Favas are great with a little butter as a side.

Strawberry Salsa everyone! Chop strawberries with cilantro , add a little lemon juice and a hot pepper of your choice. A sweet twist on salsa!

Chard and Kale have become my favorite thing to cook and eat. Both greens are very versatille. Steam or sautee, add mushrooms and put on top of polenta, quinoa, or couscous. Add a dash of wine vinegar or soy sauce, whatever suits you.

Have a beautiful week!

Jamie Collins

Hello Everyone,

It is nice to be back online. Our blog was having technical difficulties over the past two weeks, so I apologize if you were unable to decifer the produce in your boxes.

This past week we have been planting our green beans. We must wait until the soil temperature warms up enough to germinate the seeds. We have also started tilling the west side of hwy 1 where we will be planting our pumpkins and winter squash. Tomatoes at our Carmel Valley ranch are growing well - we expect them to be ready the first week of August for your boxes. We will also have a U-Pick tomato patch in September and October, which is half price for CSA members.

This week in your box:

Cilantro, 1 lb of strawberries, Italian pin striped beets, gold beets, Green curley kale, lettuce mix, english peas, fava beans, red torpedo onion, and 1/2 lb of certified organic shiitake mushrooms from Far West Fungi

Shiitake are native to China but have been grown in both Japan and China since prehistoric times^[2]. They have been cultivated for over 1000 years; the first written record of shiitake cultivation can be traced to Wu Sang Kwuang, born during the Song Dynasty (AD 960–1127). However, some documents record the uncultivated mushroom being eaten as early as AD 199.

During the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368–1644), physician Wu Juei wrote that the mushroom could be used not only as a food but was taken as a remedy for upper respiratory diseases, poor blood circulation, liver trouble, exhaustion and weakness, and to boost qi, or life energy. It was also believed to prevent premature aging.

(Wikipedia)

Shiitakes also have anti-tumor, anti-viral, anti-fungal capabilities! They are great for you and add a delicious ‘meaty’ flavor to all dishes. The stems are best cut off as they don’t cook at the same rate as the caps and they are not as delicious.

Potato-Shiitake Bake

• 3-4 medium potatoes, pared and sliced

• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced

• 1/4 pound fresh shiitake
  

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

• 1 cup whipping cream
  

• 2-3 Tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley (or cilantro)

1. Butter a shallow baking dish.

2. Layer the potatoes, onions and shiitake.

3. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme.

4. Pour cream over the top. Cover with lid or foil. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

5. Remove the foil or lid and bake 30 minutes longer or until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened and is creamy and smooth.

6. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.
   

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

• 1 8-oz can or 1 cup fresh crab meat
• 4-18 fresh or dried shiitake caps
• 1 unbeaten egg white
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon sherry
• 1 teaspoon salt

Shred crab into a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the egg white. Add the cornstarch, ginger, sherry, and salt. Mix well.

1. Stuff the mushroom caps with the crab meat filling.

2. rrange them in a steamer or on a plate raised above the water in a large pot.

3. Steam fresh mushrooms for 20 minutes, until the caps begin to shrivel.

Kale and Cilantro Pesto

Wash and stem the kale. Leaving water on leaves from washing, coarsely chop kale. Steam in a pan with a little water until wilted 2. Drop garlic into the bowl of a food processor or blender with the motor running. When finely minced, add the basil and / or cilantro and cooked kale. Process until unform. Add a little of the left over water from the steaming to the blender. 3. Add juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pulse to combine. Serve as you would any pesto: toss with pasta; add to soups and stews. Makes about 3/4 cup. You can freeze it into cubes and add it to soups, stews, and salad dressings!

Beet & Goat Cheese Salad - (ask about Serendipity goat cheese)

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 4 medium beets - scrubbed, trimmed and cut in half
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 (10 ounce) package mixed baby salad greens
• 1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces goat cheese
• Place beets into a saucepan, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. Drain and cool, then cut in to cubes.
• While the beets are cooking, place the walnuts in a skillet over medium-low heat. Heat until warm and starting to toast, then stir in the maple syrup. Cook and stir until evenly coated, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice concentrate, balsamic vinegar and olive oil to make the dressing.
• Place a large helping of baby greens onto each of four salad plates, divide candied walnuts equally and sprinkle over the greens. Place equal amounts of beets over the greens, and top with dabs of goat cheese. Drizzle each plate with some of the dressing.
• 
  

  Moroccan Tagine of Fava Beans and Artichokes

  Ingredients:

• 1/2 kg (about 1 lb.) lamb, beef or goat, cut into 3″ or 4″ pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric (or 1/4 teaspoon Moroccan yellow colorant)
• 1 large handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 large handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• ————————————-
• 1/2 kg (about 1 lb.) shelled fava beans (approx. 3 lb. in the pod)
• 8 artichoke hearts
• 1 preserved lemon, quartered and seeds removed
• 1 large handful of red olives

Preparation:

Mix the meat, onion, garlic, spices, herbs and oils in a pressure cooker. Over medium heat, brown the meat, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Add about 2 cups of water, cover the pressure cooker, and increase the heat to high. When pressure has been achieved, lower the heat to medium to medium-high, and cook with pressure for about 30 minutes.

Add the fava beans, artichoke hearts, lemons and olives. If necessary, add enough water so that the artichokes and beans are completely submerged when pushed down with a spoon.

Cover the pot and bring to pressure over high heat. Lower the heat to medium to medium-high, and cook for 10 minutes.

Uncover the pressure cooker, and reduce the sauce over medium heat until it is the consistency of a very thick broth and sits well below the level of the beans and artichokes.

Serve with crusty bread for scooping up the tagine.

Hope you enjoy the recipes. Please share your CSA box recipes with us and we will post them.

Have a beautiful week.

Jamie

 

 

 

 

Hello CSA Members!

This has been a crazy week. We started a brand new market in San Francisco in the Castro on Wednesday which was fabulous! When I returned home late that night I found that our pregnant goat Maggie gave birth to triplets! Three healthy kids which were all different colors. One of the 2 boys Maggie decided she didn’t like and wouldn’t let him nurse. If he didn’t get some colostrum milk soon we wouldn’t make it. He looked skinnier than the other two that obviously had full bellies. I took him inside and warmed up some frozen colostrum from last year that I had saved in case of an emergency like this. He learned how to drink from the bottle and by the next day he was running after me thinking I was his mama! Needless to say I have been feeling like a new mother; up every 4 hours to feed the little baby goat that we ended up naming Castro after the grand opening farmers market we worked that night.

Here is what is in your box today:  Italian Parsley, Red Beets, Red Romaine / Butter cross, Green Romaine, English Shelling Peas, Snap Peas, Fava Beans, Yukon Gold Potatoes freshly dug today, Red Beets, artichokes, and strawberries

I will post recipes later this evening. Gotta run to the PG Market.

Thanks everyone for supporting Serendipity!

Please share your recipes with us and we will post them the next week.

Jamie

Hello CSA Shareholders,

This is has been a big week - we hired some beautiful, hard working ladies to help out with farmers markets. They all have previous market experience and I have faith that they will represent Serendipity well. We also have our nice refrigerated truck up and running making deliveries and farmers markets run smoother and keep product fresher in the heat. We can’t wait to put our logo on the truck with some hot pink glittery flames on the front!

Serendipity attended the Earth Day celebration in Monterey this past Sunday. We gave out free heirloom tomato plants and strawberry samples. It was a cold day, but a great day to meet everyone in the plaza.

We finally have enough strawberries to put them in the boxes this week. The variety is mainly Seascape with a little bit of Chandler mixed in. The flavor is really nice. We hope you enjoy them!

In your box this week: Strawberries!, Artichokes, Dill, Carrots, Cilantro, Gold Beets, English Peas, Pea Tendrils, Dino Kale, Italian Parsley, Green Romaine, Red Butter / Romaine Lettuce and Mix Baby Greens

Here are a few recipes using some of the items in this week’s box.

Strawberry Salsa: Great with chips also as a topping to fish dishes, a nice twist on salsa

• 1/2 lb strawberries, diced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• fresh ground pepper 
• prepare a strawberry salsa by stirring together the diced strawberries, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, and lime juice in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Roasted Roots:  Dice carrots and gold beets (peel with a potato peeler if desired), potatoes and onions into 1″ peices. Toss with EVO, sea salt and cracked pepper. Toss in a few whole garlic cloves. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Artichoke Risotto

5- 10 baby artichokes

1 lemon, plus 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

About 7 cups chicken or vegetable stock, as needed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion or spring onion

Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon finely minced lemon zest

2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or a mixture of Parmesan and pecorino Romano (optional)

Freshly ground pepper

1. Trim the artichokes, rubbing them with a cut lemon as you go, and slice 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. Place them in a bowl of water acidulated with the juice of 1/2 lemon. Put your stock or broth into a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over low heat with a ladle nearby or in the pot. Make sure that the broth is well seasoned.

2. Drain the artichoke hearts and pat dry. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook gently until tender, three to five minutes. Add the artichoke hearts and the garlic, and stir for two to three minutes until the artichoke hearts are beginning to color.

3. Add the rice and thyme, and stir until the grains become separate and begin to crackle. Add the wine, and stir over medium heat until it has been absorbed by the rice. Begin adding the simmering stock, two ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly nor too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid is almost absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock, and continue to cook in this fashion — adding more stock when the rice is almost dry, then stirring — for 20 to 25 minutes. When the rice is tender all the way through but still chewy, it is done. Add pepper, taste and adjust seasoning.

4. Mince the parsley and lemon zest together, and add to the risotto along with another ladleful or two of stock. Remove from the heat, and add a teaspoon or two of lemon juice. Stir in the cheese, if using. Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than lumping in a mound.

Yield: Serves four to six

Advance preparation: You can begin up to several hours before serving. Proceed with the recipe, cooking until halfway through step 3 — that is, for about 15 minutes. The rice should still be hard when you remove it from the heat, and there should be no liquid in the pan. Spread it in an even layer in the pan, and keep it away from the heat until you resume cooking. If the pan is not wide enough for you to spread the rice in a thin layer, then transfer it to a sheet pan. Fifteen to 20 minutes before serving, bring the remaining stock back to a simmer and reheat the rice. Resume cooking as instructed.

Recipe created by Martha Rose Shulman 

Dino Kale and Goat Cheese - My favorite thing to do with Dino Kale is to steam it down in a little water and once the water mostly evaporates mix in some goat cheese and stir until it is spread well. Add some sun dried tomatoes if desired. It makes a great side dish.

My new favorite starch as a base of most dishes I have made lately is Udon Noodles. You can buy them in the refrigerated section (I even found organic ones at Costco when I was shopping for market tables). Udon noodles can be added to just about anything. Chop up chard and kale with parsley and mushrooms and sautee. Add a little veggie broth and some Udon noodles and you have a delicious soup in less than 10 minutes. The pea tendrils would be a great addition to soup with Udon. I made a mediteranean Udon with dry olives, goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes, Udon on a bed of Radicchio. There are unlimited possibilities with Udon noodles. Can you tell I’m obsessed?

Please feel free to send over your recipes to share and I will post them on the blog.

I hope everyone has a beautiful week.

Jamie Collins

Hello CSA Shareholders.

I hope everyone is enjoying being outside in this beautiful, warm weather!

Farmers markets were jam packed over the weeked; people were buzzing like bees to a bloom. I came home exhausted on Sunday afternoon from two days of markets in the sweltering heat and sat down to a nice cold Corona with a meyer lemon squeezed in and thought about how people, just like most animals, insects, plants, or other living things seem to move faster when temperatures warm up. Just as I was having that thought I saw several dragonflies diving in figure eights in the afternoon sunlight. We all respond to day length and temperature changes it appears. Spring is my favorite time of year!
Speaking of temperatures and day length - we have started to harvest small amounts of strawberries from our 1/2 acre. You should see some in your boxes next week. This year we are growing Seascape and Chandler.

It is also time to start planting tomatoes. We have 28 varieties of heirloom tomatoes to transplant this coming week on our Mid-Carmel Valley Tomato Ranch. Our tomatoes are planted only 5 miles from the coast on Carmel Valley Rd and won’t we ready until about the 1st of August. We come in late with our tomatoes compared to Hollister, or other farms that have land in the valley. Our tomatoes have great flavor and are worth the wait because they hang on the vine and ripen over a longer period of time making them extra flavorful and sweet. Our moderate temps allow us to have tomatoes until at least Thanksgiving and sometimes we have eaten tomatoes after the New Year!

In your box this week: Baby Carrots, Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, Green Romaine, Dill, Red Butter& Red Romaine cross. Artichokes, English Peas, Red chard, Snap Peas, Cilantro, Bloomsdale Spinach, Spring Mix, & Dino Kale

Remember fresh herbs are fabulous added to anything! Salads can be spruced up easily with some fresh herbs tossed in.
You have two types of peas in your box, snap peas which you eat the whole crunchy pod, and English Peas - a shelling type of peas that you must remove the outer skin to find the large edible pods.  Both types are great eaten raw. If you plan to cook them be sure not to over cook them as they are best when still crisp.

Enjoy English peas simply cooked and topped with butter for an excellent side dish. Chill cooked peas and toss in salads for texture and an extra burst of flavor. Combine cooked chilled peas with cubed cheese; blend in just enough mayonnaise to moisten; season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill at least two hours. Serve as a refreshing salad. Great dish for picnics.

To store peas, wrap unwashed pea pods in a perforated plastic bag and refrigerate. For optimum quality and taste, use English peas within two to three days. Shelled English peas may be frozen, but they will lose their crisp texture. Note: Don’t shell peas until just before cooking or eating.

I found some great recipes for peas on a website called Chocolate & Zucchini. I really liked the recipes and info I found here. Here is the web address:

http://chocolateandzucchini.com

The following 2 recipes were taken from the Chocolate and Zucchini website. I thought they sounded wonderful to make in this heat wave.

Peacamole

- 300 grams (10 1/2 ounces) shelled green peas, frozen or fresh but not canned
- 1 drop cilantro essential oil for cooking, or a small bunch fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons whole almond butter (like peanut butter but made with unblanched almonds; look for it at natural foods stores)
- 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
- 1 dash Tabasco sauce
- Salt, black pepper

Makes enough for an appetizer for 4.

Steam the peas for 14 minutes, or until tender, and let cool to just above room temperature.

If you’re using fresh cilantro, pluck the leaves and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the peas, almond butter, cilantro (essential oil or fresh leaves), garlic if using, Tabasco sauce, a little salt and some pepper. Process until smooth. If the mixture is a bit too thick for the blade of the food processor to mix properly, add just a little bit of water, a teaspoon at a time, until soft enough to mix.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spread on pieces of multigrain crispbread and serve. The peacamole can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge in an airtight container; it will keep for 2 to 3 days.

Recipe originally developed for ELLE à table, issue #63, March/April 2009.

Chilled Pea Pod Soup ( you can use the snap peas and English peas for this one)

- olive oil
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- the pods from 1.2 kg (2.5 pounds) fresh green peas, stems removed, rinsed and drained (no need to thaw them if frozen)
- sea salt
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 liter (4 cups) quality stock, brought to a simmer
- freshly grated nutmeg (use a whole nutmeg and a small grater)
- freshly ground black pepper
- hot sauce, such as Tabasco sauce
- a few stems of fresh herbs, such as chervil, cilantro, dill, or chives

Serves 4 as a first course.

Heat a little olive oil in a cast-iron or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, stirring regularly. Add the pea pods, season with salt, and cook for a few minutes, until the liquids have evaporated if the pods were frozen.

Deglaze with the white wine, and cook for a minute. Add the hot stock, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the pods are quite soft. Remove from the heat and let cool, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Put on an apron (I mean it; this can get messy). Using a blender or an immersion blender, whiz the soup in short pulses until all the pods are broken down into chunks. They will refuse to turn to a purée; the goal is simply to break their fibers so they’ll be easier to strain.

Set a food mill (or a fine-mesh strainer) over a medium bowl and ladle a few spoonfuls of the soup into the mill (or strainer). Turn the handle of the mill (or press on the solids in the strainer with the back of a tablespoon) to strain out as much of the liquids as you can. Discard the solids (see note) and repeat with the rest of the soup, still working in batches.

Sprinkle the soup with a little nutmeg, stir, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Refrigerate until well chilled. (To speed up the cooling, set the bowl in a larger bowl filled with cold water and a few ice cubes.)

Pour the soup in glasses, add freshly ground pepper, a dash of hot sauce, and a stem or two of fresh herbs, and serve with thick-cut fingers of levain bread.

Note: Rather than discard the solids right away, I prefer to reserve them in another bowl and strain them again after the first pass: I find I can usually strain out a little more liquid after giving them this short resting time.

Nutritional Value of Peas
As a fresh vegetable source of protein, English peas are second only to lima beans. A three-fourths cup serving contains about 100 calories and more protein than a tablespoon of peanut butter or a whole egg, and less than one-half gram of fat.

We finally purchased a refrigerated market / delivery truck.  This is a big step and very exciting! We are growing more than we can carry to market in the flatbed we have so we are stepping up. I drove it home in 50 mph winds last week for the first time and I would say it will take some getting used to! Especially in high wind situations. Its not too long, but pretty tall. Now we can keep things extra cool on hot days and take more to market to sell.

I hope everyone enjoys this beautiful week!

Jamie Collins

Hello CSA Shareholders,

Just a note to relay to whomever is picking up your produce and flowers:

Please, please, please be sure to check the green binder next to your name and see what we have listed for you. If you have someone new that will be picking up that doesn’t know the procedure please let them know how our program works so everyone gets what they have paid for. Often times if a shareholder can’t pick up a box they send someone else and they take one of everything (flowers, eggs, box, etc) without knowing the pick up procedure and not bothering to check the binder.  If we don’t have a box or flowers listed please do not take one, even if you think you should be. Instead contact me right away and I will take care of the problem.  Usually things run smoothly and if things are missing it is usally by accident, not because someone is taking what they aren’t signed up for on purpose. Please be mindful and sign next to your name and look in the note section for any notes we may have for you. Thanks for your cooperation.

Another note, we have more CSA Members now and are having a hard time getting to pick up locations by the 1:00 time for Carmel, Monterey, PG & Sand City locations. We would like to ask that you wait until after 2pm to pick up your box in these locations. We harvest everything fresh Monday morning so we need more time to pick and pack the boxes.

We have added a  new pick up location that may be more convenient for some folks that live or work in Carmel By the Sea. A fabulous new cafe called Cafe Belle opened a few months ago on San Carlos and Ocean Ave in the old Doud Craft Aracade. Kristin and her husband Stephen Viguerie are the chefs and owners. They are open from 8 to 5pm seven days a week and are passionate about sourcing the best local, sustainable ingredients. Their food is excellent, so even if you don’t want to switch pick up locations make a point to check them out and support a great new cafe doing the right thing!

This past week we have been transplanting more flowers and lettuces and direct seeding consequtive plantings of carrots, beets, parsley, cilantro and more. Next week we will be getting our frist planting of heirloom tomatoes in the ground at our ranch in Carmel Valley. We will have 25 varieties this year! I just can control myself when I pick out seed for the season. We stick with 6 varities that we know taste great and perform well for the microclimate in Carmel Valley. In May we will plant several varieties of summer squash and green beans.

The La Ratte Fingerling potatoes that have been in your boxes are already finished. They were selling like hotcakes at the farmers markets. We will be planting more but you won’t see them for about 4 months. This week we dug up the Yukon Gold potatoes. Yukons have more starch than the La Ratte and are great as a mashed potato but also great roasted. You can also make a potato salad with them using the dill in your box.

In your box this week:

Yukon Gold Potatoes, Dill, Salad Mix - (red & green romaine, tango and red oak leaf), teen sized green romaine and red romaine, artichokes, baby carrots, pea tendrils, SNAP PEAS, Chard, & Dino Kale

Recipe for Yukon Gold Potato Salad with Dill:

Baby Yukon Gold Potato Salad with Dill (photo as pictured above by Imajing)

Recipe By: Vanessa Yeung

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes, halved
• 2 stalks green onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons dill, chopped
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Method:

• Cook potatoes in salted boiling water until tender. A knife will go through easily.
• In a bowl combine the rest of the ingredients.
• When the potatoes are done drain and run under cold water.
• Mix all ingredients together. Taste for seasoning.
• Place in fridge to cool down.
• Serve cold.

Mashed Potato Pancake Recipe

• These cheesy fried potato pancakes are a good way to use leftover mashed potatoes. The Swiss cheese and mustard give a delightful tang to the potato cakes.
  

  Prep Time: 15 minutes

  Cook Time: 45 minutes

  Ingredients:

• 1 pound small baking potatoes, unpeeled
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded aged Swiss cheese or Gruyere
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 green onion, trimmed, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon oil or butter

Preparation:

Cook the whole, unpeeled potatoes in boiling, salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and roughly mash in a large bowl.

Add the Swiss cheese or Gruyere, eggs, green onion, mustard, salt, and pepper to taste to the potatoes. Stir to blend with a wooden spoon. With wet hands, form the potatoes into patties about 3 inches wide and 1/2-inch thick. Rinse your hands frequently to prevent sticking.

Heat a large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat until hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Add the tablespoon of oil or butter (ideally, a bit of both to prevent butter from burning). When hot, add the patties, without crowding skillet, and cook until golden brown and crisp on the bottoms. Turn and brown other sides. Repeat with remaining patties, adding more oil as needed.

Menu suggestion: Serve two or three patties per person hot as a side dish or use the potato cakes as the focus of a simple meal with a high-protein soup on the side.

Yield: 12 (3-inch) cakes

Recipe Source: Pancakes A to Z by Marie Simmons

• Yukon Gold  Potato Storage
• Since they have a slightly higher sugar content, gold potatoes do not store as well as russets. They need a cold environment, 40 to 50 degrees F., and 90 percent humidity is optimum. Storage below 33 degrees F. will cause the starches to turn to sugar.

  Store gold potatoes in a paper bag (preferable) or perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator vegetable crisper drawer, away from onions. Use within a week. If you have a cold storage area, you can store the potatoes in a well-ventilated area, being careful to keep them away from any light source.

  Do not wash before storing as you will remove the protective coating. Lightly scrub just prior to using.

  It is true that refrigerating starchy white potatoes promotes the starches turning to sugar. However, the golds have a lower starch content, causing less of a problem. Depending on how long the potatoes have been in storage before you purchase them, some experts say you can remove them from your refrigerator and let them sit in a cool dark place to let whatever sugar has formed revert back to starch. Potatoes with a higher sugar content will brown more quickly during cooking. Have a great week! I’m off to the PG Farmers Market.   Jamie Collins

Hello CSA Members,
We are branching out to more farmers markets this season, and the beautiful weather this past week made for fabulous farmers market turn outs. We are also selling beautiful, organic  South African Protea flowers at our markets now which are grown by our friends at Wild Ridge Organics in Aromas! People were going crazy for the boquets over the weekend. My friend Rick the Protea farmer can’t bundle them fast enough! Bringing the flowers to markets helps us both; in the spring when we don’t have the full variety it makes it worthwhile to drive the distance to the bay area. It also helps Rick to have an outlet for his gorgeous flowers - he is a one man show and can’t be both in the field and at markets selling. The Protea season is also different than most other flowers; it starts in October and goes through the end of May. Come down to the PG Market and check them out. Rick usually has his own stand but will most likely be turning the PG markets over to me so he can get a jump start on all the harvesting for the markets we have lined up. His website is www.wildridgeorganics.com

Serendipity also does the flower arrangements for weddings and can use the Proteas in arrangements if the wedding is during the growing season.

Here is a list of the Farmers Markets we will be attending this season:

Monday - Pacific Grove - Lighthouse Ave 4pm to 7pm

Tuesdays - Monterey - Alvarado St - 4pm to 8pm (starting April 14th)

Wednesdays - San Francisco - The Castro on Noe St between Market and Beaver,(starts April 29th)- 4pm to 8pm

Saturdays - Sunnyvale - Downtown - off South Matilda Ave 9 am to 1pm

San Franisco - Fillmore Ave - 9 am to 1pm (starting end of April)
Sundays - Menlo Park - next to Trader Joes downtown - 9am to 1pm

Campbell - old downtown Camden Ave - 9 am to 1pm

Temescal, Oakland - in the DMV parking lot - 9 am to 1pm (starting the end of April)

In your CSA box this week:

Aspargus! Purple Turnips! Dino Kale, Rainbow Chard, Red Chard, Pea Tendrils, Radishes, 2 teenage romaine, salad mix, 1.5 lbs of La Ratte Fingerling potatoes and Dill!

Did you know it takes about 3 years to produce a mature stalk of asparagus? Producing asparagus organically is difficult and more expensive only because of weed pressure - all weeding is done by cultivating with a tractor and by hand instead of herbicides. All harvesting is done by hand and not machines.  Thankfully, Asparagus isn’t a crop that many pests are interested in. Asparagus are in the Lily family, and what you are eating is the young shoot which is high in dietary fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C. It is an excellent source of the B vitamin folate. A serving of six cooked fresh asparagus spears has 1 g dietary fiber, 490 IU vitamin A, 10 mg vitamin C and 131 mcg folate. Besides, it is also low in fat, sodium and practically no cholesterol.To keep it as crisp as possible, wrap it in a damp paper towel and then put the whole package into a plastic bag. Keeping asparagus cool helps it to hold onto its vitamins.

Asparagus is great steamed (1st cut off the last inch of the tough part of the stem). You can chop the fresh dill and mix with melted butter and cover the aspargus or mix the finely chopped dill with mayonaise for a flavorful dipping aioli.  This morning I had a fabulous breakfast of steamed asparagus, poached eggs and fingerling potatoes with dill.

PROSCUITTO AND ASPARAGUS

6-8 thin slices of prosciutto 12 sticks of asparagus 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 dried red chili hand full of fresh basil and oregano salt and pepper extra virgin olive oil In a mortar and pestle, crush red chili, cumin, fennel and a pinch of salt and pepperAdd a splash of oil to a frying pan and set heat fairly hot. Add asparagus. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add slices of prosciutto and spices. Stir-fry for 1 minute more, then remove from heat and quickly add herbs and a splash of olive oil. Stir to mix well. Arrange prosciutto on plate and lay asparagus on top.

ASPARAGUS SOUP
3 bunches of asparagus 1 quart of cream or milk 1 tablespoon of butter 1/2 tablespoon flour Boil the asparagus in 1 quart salt water till tender. Drain water off, then add cream. Rub butter and flour together and add before taking from the stove. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with toasted bread or crackers.

ASPARAGUS RISOTTO

1 lb. fresh asparagus 1 med. onion (1 c. chopped) 3 tbsp. butter or olive oil & 1 tbsp. for the end 1 1/2 c. rice 1/2 c. dry white wine 5 to 5 1/2 c. chicken broth, heated to simmering 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 c. fresh chopped parsley Ground black pepper Cut up asparagus in 2 inch pieces minus the end of stems. Chop the onion. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion until soft not brown (2 to 3 minutes). Stir in rice uncooked. Cook for 1 minute, stirring rice into butter and onions. Add the wine and bring to boil, stirring constantly. When most of wine is absorbed add first 1/2 cup of chicken broth.Cook rice at gentle boil, stirring frequently. Continue to add broth in 1/2 cup portions as it is absorbed until 5 cups of broth is used up. Add the asparagus after the first 10 minutes of adding the broth. Use last 1/2 cup of broth if rice still tastes too firm. When ready the risotto will have a creamy sauce. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in remaining tablespoon of butter, Parmesan cheese, parsley and ground pepper. Serve at once. Preparation time: up to 1 hour. Serves 4.

Delicious! Sometimes people don’t think of having such veggies for breakfast. But another favorite power breakfast I like is steamed chard with goat cheese folded in and sun dried tomatoes with poached eggs on top.

Purple Turnips are great simple rustic root best chopped in 1/2″ cubes and roasted with carrots and onions in olive oil with herbs for a great side. The high temps cause the turnips to convert some of the starch into a sweet, flavorful root. Adding the carelized onions and carrots is a great way to add more complimentary flavors.

You can also steam turnips, add them into soups or eat them raw. In Aisa they are offen  pickled or boiled and eaten with miso.

AMISH TURNIP
1 c. cooked mashed turnip 1 c. bread crumbs 1 tbsp. sugar Salt to taste 1 egg, beaten 1 c. milk 1 tbsp. butter Mix all the ingredients with half of the bread crumbs. Place in greased casserole. Cover with the rest of the crumbs and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

BUTTERED GLAZED TURNIPS

5 med. turnips, peel and slice about 1/4 inch thick 1 beef bouillon cube (or 1 tsp. granulated bouillon) 1/4 c. butter, melted 2 tbsp. brown sugar Black or red crushed pepper to taste Salt (if you like) to taste Cook turnips until tender in water in which cube is dissolved. Drain and place in casserole dish. Drizzle with melted butter, sprinkle with sugar and pepper. Place in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes until flavors are blended. Serve hot. Serves 4.

We are now taking our CSA up to Santa Cruz. If you have any friends that might be interested, please pass the info along. We have convenient pick up locations all over town!

Thanks for supporting Serendipity!

Have a beautiful week.

Jamie Collins