Community Supported Agriculture

Happy Monday CSA Shareholders

Days are getting longer and so is the work load on the farm. We are now selling our English Peas and fava beans wholesale to local restaurants on the peninsula and beyond. We planted these two crops in mid December and they are finally ready for harvest after a long, wet winter. Usually a pea crop would come on in about half the time. Now you have more of an idea why we had to start our CSA a month late this year.

The first crops that were planned for our CSA in March were planted in December too, and they are just now starting to come on. Some direct seeded crops grew too slowly in comparison with the weeds this winter and it would have been more work than it was worth to try and save them from the weeds that were choking them out.

Its also not a good time to realize that your seed had bad germination and those beds that were planted needed to be reworked and planted with something else. There are so many challenges in farming. I think being a farmer causes one to be a lot more accepting of things out of their control.  I definitely can’t flip out if a late freeze wipes out our newly planted tomatoes. I can be sure that I have another set of plants in the greenhouse that can be planted in their place though! A back up plan is always a good thing.

Today in your box:

Green Cabbage, loose gold beets, carrots, shallots, red butter lettuce, oregano, strawberries, fava beans, fava greens OR red rib dandelion greens

This week the box has the makings for a great salad with the red butter lettuce, shallots, oregano and gold beets. Boil or roast the beets until you can poke a fork in them, then cut them in nice bite sized chunks. Sautee the beets with olive oil, chopped shallots and the fresh oregano. I would also add some nice feta cheese crumbled on the top of the red butter lettuce and add some good quality bacon pieces if you like that idea.

Fava beans are very labor intensive but worth it for the rich flavor. Shuck the beans out of the fava pod and either boil or sautee until soft. Don’t overcook. If the beans you get in your box are on the small side you won’t need to slip them out of their little ‘jackets’ after the first shuck. If you think the beans are a total pain and can’t even think about spending the time to deal with them, I hope you received the fava leaves this week. They taste just like the bean in the form of a green. You will recognize them by the sage looking long leaves that are a soft and have a shade of silvery green. I would cut a few carrots into match sticks and throw them in a hot pan of olive oil with the chopped shallots until they begin to soften. Add the fava greens to the mix and saute until wilted. Drizzle with a little lemon juice or your favorite light vinegar and eat as a side dish.

Steamed cabbage or cabbage rolls would be a good use for your green cabbage this week. I love a good coleslaw and its so easy to make a fiber rich slaw you can much on all week. Good ingredients for slaw: cabbage, carrots, pickled ginger and some good mayo. (At home we have been experimenting with making our own mayo from eggs from our chickens, olive oil and vinegar , lemon juice. We just can’t figure out how to make it thicken. It tastes delicious but way to runny. We tried using corn starch but it changed the flavor and didn’t work anyhow.If anyone knows the secret please let me know!)

Thanks again for supporting Serendipity! We wouldn’t be able to farm without our CSA members.

Jamie Collins

Hello CSA members,

What a busy day!  Not only did we harvest, pack and deliver our CSA boxes today, we scrambled to get back in time to load up and head to the Pacific Grove farmers market for the first time this season. Jessica will be at the Serendipity stand which is in a different location this season. We are on Lighthouse and 16th, facing towards Lovers Point right on the end of the row closest to 16th avenue. Be sure to stop by the stand. Remember CSA members get a 30% discount at the farmers market as long as you are a current member.

Our berries have hit their stride and have amazing flavor. We are growing both Seascape and Albion variety. Our raspberries should be ready starting in June.Look for our U-Pick to include raspberries this year too!

We are now harvesting fat, juicy shelling peas (English Peas). You will see them in your box next week.

Today in the box you will find: red cabbage, strawberries, red beets with tops, green garlic, romaine, fava beans, Bacon avocadoes, cilantro and broccoli

You are going to need to wait about a week for the avocadoes to ripen. Don’t wait for them to turn black though because Bacon Avos stay green but just get softer. We have about 20 avocado trees at our home ranch in Aromas which we have also certified organic. We will be planting more fruit trees on the property for future harvests. This week we will be planting meyer lemons, a few oranges and Mexican Limes.

Be sure to eat the tops of your beets. Beets are in the same family as chard and you can cook the beet tops the same way. Beet tops are actually more tender than chard. My friend Velvet roasts her beets and steams her greens and adds them together with some toasted walnuts, gorgonzola cheese and some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. What a simple and delicious way to make use of the entire beet.

Fava beans need to be shucked and either boiled or sauteed. My favorite way to eat favas is to boil them until you can poke them with a fork easily. Next, pinch them out of their little membrane ‘jacket’. Toss them in a blender with peeled garlic, olive oil and salt. Give it a 3 second blend and scoop into a bowl as a fabulous tapenade. You can garnish with cilantro if you like.

Green garlic can be used like a green onion but has the flavor of garlic, but a little more mild than a clove. Its easier to use green garlic instead of peeling cloves which can be very labor intensive.

More recipes to follow. Please send me your recipes via a comment to this blog or in an email. Let us know what creative idea you had for the produce in your CSA box. We would love to post them here.

Have a beautiful week.

Jamie Collins

White Bean, Artichoke and Chard with Fennel Relish 

Don’t feel like you need to stick exactly to this recipe. Improvise and add complementary flavors as you see fit. I only use a recipe as a guide. I wouldn’t have enough patience to measure each thing out. If you aren’t use to doing that I encourage you to try the recipe first so you know what it is supposed to taste like and then add your own spin to it.

I love white beans with veggies. They have such a nice flavor and add protein and fiber.

A crunchy topping of raw fennel and makes an fabulous accompaniment to the mellow flavors of this slow-simmered stew of beans and vegetables. You can make and refrigerate the relish up to a day ahead to save time.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 cups ragout and about 1/2 cup relish)

Ingredients

• Ragout:
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 3  cups  thinly sliced leek (about 2 large)
• 1  cup  (1/2-inch-thick) slices carrot
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 3  cups  cooked cannellini or Great Northern beans
• 2 1/2  cups  chopped fennel bulb (about 1 large)
• 3/4  cup  water
• 1  teaspoon  dried basil
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained
• 1  (14-ounce) can vegetable broth
• 1  (9-ounce) whole baby artichokes and / or the hearts
• 2  cups  chopped Swiss chard
• Relish:
• 1  cup  boiling water
• 6  sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
• 3  cups  shredded fennel bulb (about 1 large)
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh parsley
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 1/2  teaspoon  sugar
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  black pepper

Preparation

To prepare ragout, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leek, carrot, and garlic; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender.

Place leek mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Add beans and next 11 ingredients (through artichokes). Cover and cook on high 8 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add chard; stir until chard wilts.

To prepare relish, combine boiling water and sun-dried tomatoes; let stand 15 minutes or until soft. Drain; chop. Combine sun-dried tomatoes and remaining ingredients; let stand 30 minutes.

PEA TENDRIL PESTO

Its not time for basil yet at least not on the Central Coast. So while you are waiting try using your pea tendrils in the same way.

Ingredients:
1/4 lb fresh, young pea shoots
1 bunch Spring onion, chopped
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (or walnuts if thats all you have on hand)

salt
pepper

to serve:
1 lb hot cooked pasta
3/4 lb peeled, steamed shrimp (optional)
garnish: additional pea shoots

Directions:
Place the pea shoots, onion, cheese, olive oil, pinenuts salt and pepper in a food processor or blender, pulse until a thick paste forms. Toss with 1 lb cooked pasta, additional pea shoots and shrimp.

Yield: about 4 servings

 

All About Mustard Greens

 

 Description/Taste
Zesty and Red these mustard greens offer the same sassy flavor as regular mustard greens. The only difference is the shape and distinctive red color.

How To Eat Them
Flavorful friends of the red mustard onions, leeks and shallots. Add chopped red leaves to a regular mixed green salad for a more exciting spicy salad. Sweet dressings are a good match for the spice and creates a nice balance. Mustard greens go well cooked with chard and spinach. Most seasonings work well with mustard greens.

To store, wet down, shake off and refrigerate in a plastic bag. 

 

 

Mini Potato-Leek Latkes with Spicy Apple Chutney

found online at: www.katieleehome.com ( I think she’s a bit of a young Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

 

3 LARGE BAKING POTATOES, PEELED AND GRATED 1∕2 CUP FINELY DICED LEEKS, WHITE PART ONLY 3 LARGE EGGS, LIGHTLY BEATEN 1∕2 CUP DRY BREAD CRUMBS 2 TABLESPOONS MINCED FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY 11∕2 TEASPOONS KOSHER SALT 1∕2 TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER 4 TABLESPOONS (1∕2 STICK) UNSALTED BUTTER 1∕4 CUP CANOLA OIL For the chutney 1∕4 CUP ORANGE JUICE 1∕4 CUP WATER 3 TABLESPOONS LIGHT BROWN SUGAR 3 TABLESPOONS APPLE CIDER VINEGAR 1∕2 TEASPOON GROUND CINNAMON 1∕2 TEASPOON KOSHER SALT 1∕4 TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER 2 TEASPOONS OLIVE OIL 2 SHALLOTS, MINCED 1 GARLIC CLOVE, MINCED 1∕2 JALAPEÑO, MINCED 2 GRANNY SMITH APPLES, PEELED, CORED, AND DICED

 

FOR THE LATKES
Press the excess water from the grated potatoes. In a medium bowl, mix the potatoes with the leeks, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, and pepper. In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil. Use a tablespoon to drop potato batter into the skillet. Flatten the potatoes with a spatula. Fry until golden brown, a couple minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

FOR THE CHUTNEY
In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, water, brown sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and jalapeño and sauté about 5 minutes. Stir in the apples and orange juice mixture. Let come to a low simmer. Cover and cook until apples are tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with the latkes.

Amish Turnip Casserole

(This recipe from CDKitchen)

serves/makes 5

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup grated turnip
1 1/2 cup grated potato
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup low fat yogurt
1/2 cup whole grain bread crumbs
1/4 cup sunflower, olive or safflower oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tablespoon dried parsley (fresh is always preferred)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Thoroughly mix all the ingredients, except the bread crumbs, in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased shallow casserole. Scatter the bread crumbs over the top. Bake for 40 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Variation: Fry the bread crumbs in a small amount of oil, before scattering them over the top of the dish.

That should get you started!

Have a wonderful week.

Jamie

 

Hello Monday Peninsula CSA Members,

A quick list of what to expect in your box today:

Meyer Lemons

Strawberries

Fennel

Green Romaine

White Turnips

Artichokes

Red Mustard Greens

Chard

Celery

Pea Tendrils

Leeks

German Butterball Potatoes

We now have a chef working for Serendipity! Jessica Cichowski, the former chef at Deetjens in Big Sur recently joined the family here at Serendipity. I have known Jessica for 9 years  when I had just started farming and selling my veggies locally. She would support the farm by ordering produce from us. After a moving to the east coast to help a new wine sorbet develop and market their new product, she is back to the peninsula looking to be on the other side of food for awhile. Jessica will be writing some recipes for your box each week and posting them to the blog. Jessica will also be at our booth at both the PG (starting next Monday the 26th) and Alvarado Street Market in Monterey in May. She will also be the connection for our wholesale route to restaurant route which is a perfect match. We are super excited to have her join us. Look for recipes posted here soon…

We are also excited to mention that Outstanding In the Field has contacted us to be the host for their dinner in the field with the Big Sur Bakery. The event is already sold out before I had a chance to mention it to CSA members.

However, if you are interested in joining us in the field for a lunch or dinner on another occassion,  let us know. We’ve had similar dining experiences in our fields and would like to put one together for our CSA members and friends sometime this summer.

More to follow this afternoon including recipes and preparation tips for the produce in your box today.

Have a beautiful day!

Jamie

Hello 2010 CSA Members,

Welcome to the 2nd week of our 2010 Season. Last week we had paper newsletters in the boxes just to let everyone know where to find out blog. Soon we will have our newsletters emailed directly to you so you don’t even have to go searching to out blog site. We are in the process of revamping our website to make it more interesting and updated. Farmers are so busy coordinating planting and harvests, so sometimes it takes awhile to get to the task of revamping a website. We will let you know when it gets completed so you can check it out.

This was a big week - we started our CSA in Monterey on Mondays, started the seasonal Castro Farmers Market in San Francisco on Wednesday, delivered CSA to Santa Cruz on Thursday, Saturday farmers market in Sunnyvale, and Sunday farmers markets in Temescal (Oakland/Berkeley area) and in Campbell. This past week I was running all week and was reminded how crazy busy the season gets, and this is just the beginning!

Our long time CSA member, Marina Yurkovich is now helping us Monday mornings to pack the CSA boxes. I have been wanting to include more CSA members in the process and Marina is our first trial on a work trade with Serendipity Farms. Thank you Marina!

We have started harvesting small amounts of strawberries from our field on hwy 1 in Carmel on the west side. We have almost an acre of Sesacape and Albion strawberries in the field. This year the deer have been a huge problem on the west side. They got through our fence and ate lots of the first leaves of the berries. We had to add 3 lines of electric fencing to our regular fence. Luckily the berries grew back and were right on schedule to ripen this spring.

I was hoping we would be able to put berries in your box today but unfortunatley there will be no strawberries in your box today due to the rain. When ripe berries get wet while on the plant they breakdown and rot really quickly. If the berries are still ripening and we have rain it doesn’t cause a problem as long as the weather clears up in time for ripening. We will attempt to put them in your box next week. They are absolutley delicious! We can’t wait to share them with you.

In your box this week:

Celery, chard, mustard greens, dandelion greens, fava leaves, gold beets, red stem spinach, leeks, carrots, parsley, leeks and Odello field artichokes.

Here are a few recipes incorporating the items in your box:

Roasted Beet & Spinach Salad with Italian Parsley, Leeks, Toasted Walnuts & Goat Cheese

Serves 6

bunch beets
Walnut pieces
baby spinach
goat cheese, crumbled
1 TBS fresh italian parsley, chopped

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
1 large leek, minced
1 cup olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove tops from beets, wash and wrap in foil. Place in the oven and roast for approximately one hour, until easily pierced with a knife. When done remove from the oven, unwrap foil and wait until cool enough to handle, then peel. Cut into thick slices and reserve. Place walnuts in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and drain. (Boiling the walnuts first helps to take away the bitter tannins.) Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Spread walnuts out on a flat tray and bake until evenly brown, approximately 25 minutes. Clean the spinach, spin dry and reserve. In a stainless steel bowl place the Balsamic vinegar, minced leeks, a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil to emulsify. In two separate bowls, place spinach and beets with chopped parsley. Toss both the spinach and beets with enough vinaigrette to coat. On chilled plates, make a bed of spinach, top with roasted beets and sprinkle with walnut pieces and crumbled goat cheese.

Mustard Greens Recipe

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions or leeks
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 pound mustard greens, washed and torn into large pieces
• 2 to 3 Tbsp chicken broth or vegetable broth (vegetarian option)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil

 

Method

1 In a large sauté pan, sauté onions in olive oil over medium heat until the onions begin to brown and caramelize, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and / or leeks and cook a minute more, until fragrant.

2 Add the mustard greens and broth and cook until the mustard greens are just barely wilted. Toss with sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

My computer just flashed off with the storm, had to reboot and hope that what I wrote was still there. It was! Its going to be a great day. I will post more recipes later after the deliveries.

Coming Soon: English Peas, Fava Beans, Salad Mix, Collard Greens, and Strawberries

Enjoy today’s bounty!

More later…

Jamie Collins

Hello Everyone this is Ora. I am a seasoned marketeer for various farms, but finally joining Serendipity this year. Jamie and I have been friends for 8 years - we met at the Monterey farmers market - both of us selling produce. Over the years we have kept in touch. I had a project taking pictures of old barns and writing about their history and eventually we started conversations about me working for her. We get along great, have similar sense of humor and like to hang out outside of work although we never seem to stop talking about the farm!

If you call the office the phone you might get me on the other end. I am going to start adding my 2 cents to the newsletter on a weekly basis because Jamie is so busy trying to keep things running smoothly while in the middle of a move.

We are moving the office, horses, 15 goats, 50 chickens and 2 newly adopted Peacocks to our new house. It sounds a little like a holiday song with 6 turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree, and we are running around at Full Steam to get it done.
4th of July weekend we went to Big Sur to party down with the Big SurBakery folks and celebrate the release of their new cookbook. Jamie (the brains and braun of Serendipity) is featured in the cookbook as the organic row cropper and she is quoted for loving “Artisan cheese,the stinkier the better”. The Bakery threw a great party, rolling out
the red carpet, or in this case an extra long wooden slab table covered in lavender straw where the stars sat to sign books. It was just like the Last Supper, with all the disciples of great foods sitting at the long table. In the line up of cookbook celebrities was the baker,
chef, owners, poke pole fisherman (yes, he stands on rocks and skewers fish in Big Sur), the local beekeeper, book-keeper and peacekeeper,purveyors of great wines, wild mushroom hunters, and even the guy with extra pearly snap buttons on his western shirt, who made the hanging meyer lemon /cinnamon stick mobiles that spin around on the ceiling and keeps the place smelling good. I did my job as assistant to those
who need assisting, by keeping the drinks coming for all of the folks signing books and trapped at the table with a line of people out the door all wanting their personal 7 copies signed by everyone! The BigSur Bakery cookbook has got tons of recipes and is full of great stories and a taste of Big Sur culture it’s a must see.

Recipe wise, this one is fuly hi-jacked from Alice Waters, this is a killer summer soup for our special summer squash this week.

Heat in a heavy bottomed soup pot 1/4 cup olive oil
Add and cook stirring often on Med heat
1 large onion sliced up small
Pinch of Saffron if you’ve got some
1 teasponn cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds (if you have cilantro goin to seed in your
garden, same thing!)
1/4 tsp turmeric (or fresh and chopped)
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves sliced up

Cook until soft, but not browning yet and then add
5 medium squash (your bag of squash)
cut into 3/4 inch slices and add with some salt.
Cook 2 minutes then add 3 cups chicken broth (or veggie) and 3 cups water
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile chop mint, parsley or cilantro and mix into 2 tbsp olive oil
and 2/3 cup plain yogurt.
let the soup cool, puree in the blender and top with yogurt or limes!

Ora Gessler

Hello Everyone,

We are getting closer to our tomato harvest - you should see the first tomatoes around the beginning of August in your boxes and you can expect an abundant variety of tomatoes through the end of the season. We come on later with our tomatoes but we last longer than most tomato farms too!

Green beans coming soon too - if not next week the week after.

In your box this week: Orange carrots, green romaine, gold chard, Italian Parsley, gold beets, green kale, Swiss chard, red oak lettuce, lolla rosa baby head lettuce, green zucchini, yellow scallopini summer squash and 8 ball green zucchini.

I have heard from some folks that they “just can’t use” the kale in the boxes. I think the only reason for that is they have not had kale prepared in a way they like. Kale is sooo good for you and can also be ultra-delicious with minimal preparation. We experimented with kale chips using our dehydrator. (You can also use a regular oven and bake the kale if you don’t have a dehydrator).By keeping the temperature under 12o degrees the nutrients in the kale aren’t lost. Basically you can use any combination of tahini, curry sauce, miso, for a thick paste to ‘massage’ into the de-ribbed raw kale. After the kale has a coating of something delciously sticky you can sprinkle with grated asiago or parmesean cheese. Or instead roll the kale in ground up seeds like sunflower or cashews. Our favorite combination was tahini and asiago cheese with a little chili flakes. You will be amazed what you can do with kale. We tried both the dino kale and green kale and liked them both equally.The kale chips are a helathy replacement for potato chips and are much more flavorful and bursting with amazing nutrients!

Raw kale salads are also wonderful. Honey mustard dressing with added apple cider vinegar will soften the de-ribbed kale and you can add in dried or fresh fruit and sliced almonds or nuts of your choice.

The beautiful little squashes in your box this week are wonderful stuffed or sliced and sauteed or roasted. The yellow scallop tastes buttery without adding anything! We roasted whole with a certified organic, pasture raised chicken from a new farm in Prunedale. They are selling fresh chickens at the Pacific Grove farmers market on Monday evenings. I can’t remember the name of the farm right now, but I will find out this evening. They would be a great new farm to support if you are looking for humanely raised, certified organic birds. Try to support these guys as they are new and just forging out on their own. The meat of the chicken had excellent flavor, was more chewy than other chicken I have had but this is because of the birds are allowed to run around free and exercise.

See you at the Farmers Market today!

Have a beautiful week.

Jamie

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