Week 7 of 26 : Cucumbers, Cabbages and Garlic bulbs

This is the view from the seat of the tractor, looking back at our old tobacco transplanter. Tiffany and Jared are feeding sweet potato plants into the pinchers. The transplanter creates a furrow, drops the plant into the ground, gives it a dollop of water, and covers it. But that’s only when it’s working perfectly. We’ll be replacing this machine this month so this was its farewell tour. You can see Caroline and John in the back, filling in with spare plants as needed. Photo by Carrie Vaughn.

---

│ Announcements │ This Week’s Share │ U-Pick │ Recipe │ Coming Soon │

---

Announcements:

• Yes, you DO have a CSA share pick up this week, but next week, don’t come! We’ll be taking the opportunity to get other work done and also to get a quick break with our families. You will not be getting shares Wednesday June 30, Thursday July 1, or Saturday July 3.

• Meeting the masking/un-masking needs of everyone can be tricky. If you would rather we bag your share and leave it on a table for you out of the area with other members and staff, we are happy to accommodate! If you’re picking up at the farm, come around to the far side of the washing station, near the walk-in cooler, and flag down someone working there to place your order. The Dupont and Annapolis pick ups are smaller so making your request will be straightforward.

• Please also note that the pick ups are busiest the first hour. If you are requesting a bagged share, or generally prefer to pick up when the area is less crowded, please avoid the first hour of pick up. Thanks!

Calling All Oyster Shells

If you purchased oysters from us last week (or any oysters any week from anyone) we’d love to have your shells! They make the perfect home for baby oyster spat—your discarded oyster shells are prime real estate.

• The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has oyster collection sites all around Maryland, including at the entrance of the farm, and at the CBF headquarters in Annapolis.

---

This Week’s Share:

• Cucumbers

• Green Cabbage (one head)

• Summer squash (a few)

• Kale and Collards (lots)

• Garlic bulbs (these are so fresh they’ll still have their green tops)

• This week’s share is a little hard to predict so there might be something in your bag that isn’t mentioned here.

---

U-Pick:

In the fields:

• Strawberries (There’s two rows that still have a some ripe berries.)

• Kale and collards

In our herb and flower garden behind the washing station:

• Anise hyssop (licorice flavor; makes a nice tea)

• Basil (Genovese, Greek, Thai, Round Midnight, Lemon and Tulsi)

• Coriander

• Garlic chives

• Onion chives

• Lemon balm

• Mint

• Oregano

• Sage

• Sorrel

• Thyme

• Lilies, yarrow, and other flowers

• Black raspberries (a few along the fence to the right)

In field G2, which is beside the parking area at the washing station:

• Parsley

• More basil of various types

• Cosmos and cleome flowers

Growing wild on the farm:

• Mulberries

---

Recipes:

Cucumbers

I love the way nature gives a glut of one fruit or vegetable, and just when I’ve grown tired of it, I’m swimming in something different. These days it’s cucumbers. I eat most of my cucumbers out of hand because they are a rehydrating treat on an exhausting harvest morning. But for your sake, I’ve assembled some ideas that require more preparation than just opening your mouth.

• This Marinated Cucumber Salad in Honey-Cider Vinegar was lifted from Farmer John’s Cookbook by John Peterson and Angelic Organics. You can assemble this salad in a jiffy (particularly if you slice the cucumbers with your food processor), and then leave it in your fridge for the moments when you need something crunchy.

• I was a skeptic of Chilled Cucumber Mint soup, but I tried it last night and now I’m a convert! Just toss the following in a blender:

  • 6-8 cucumbers (about 4 cups)

  • 1 cup water

  • 2 cups plain yogurt (whole fat yogurt makes it richer)

  • 1 garlic clove

  • a few sprigs fresh mint

  • 2 teaspoons dried dill (or 2 tablespoons fresh)

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 1 teaspoon salt

    Blend it until smooth and eat it right away or chill for later. Garnish with some fresh herbs or finely chopped scallions. Courtesy of the same John Peterson cookbook as above.

• Let’s talk about pickles. There’s a lot of different styles of pickles and some of them are incredibly easy.

  • Basically, if you pour hot vinegar over some cucumbers and leave the jar in your fridge for a day, you’ve made “refrigerator pickles”. Here’s a recipe for refrigerator pickles that includes sugar and spices, all of which can be adjusted or eliminated according to your preferences.

  • Another super simple option is the fermented pickle, which has the added bonus of being probiotic. Sandor Katz is the sage of fermentation, so you can feel comfortable with any recipe or book from him. Here’s his recipe for a crock of pickles. If want to make just a quart jar, adjust the recipe to 1 pound of cucumbers and 1.5 tablespoons salt. A grape leaf improves the “crunch” texture but is not required. Ask us and we can point you to grape vines on the farm. I made a jar last night and after just one day of fermenting they are already delicious.

---

Coming Soon:

The Waiting Game

• Next week, if you want something from the farm, you’ll have to pick it yourself! We’ll add squash and cucumbers to the U-Pick list for one week only.

• Garlic bulbs from now until the end of the season!

• Onion bulbs will be weeks 8-11.

• The kale and collards do not enjoy this hot weather. We might get some in week 8, but we’re not sure.

• We think chard will hold up through week 10, but in small quantities.

• Green cabbages again in week 8.

• Our first planting of squash is on the decline, and our second succession is not as robust as our first. This means you’ll get a little yellow squash and zucchini in the weeks to come, but you won’t be overloaded.

• We’re in peak cucumber right now. There will be more in weeks 8 and 9 but if pickles are on your mind, do it now.

• Fennel week 8

• Some small Korean melons and baby watermelons should start ripening in time for weeks 8-10.

• The first planting of beans is toast. The second planting is already flowering, so you’ll probably be eating those weeks 8-11.

• I’m taking a wild guess that we give you your first tomato or two week 11.

• The potato field is looking spectacular. Potatoes are still a ways away, but they’re definitely coming.

• Peppers and eggplants are still pretty small. I wouldn’t expect those until the end of July.

---

Thank you for Supporting our Farm!

CLAGETT FARM

Wednesdays, 3:00-7:00 P.M.
Saturdays, 1:00-4:00 P.M.

DUPONT CIRCLE DC

Wednesdays, 5:00-7:00 P.M.

ANNAPOLIS

Thursdays, 4:00-6:00 P.M.

Week 6 of 26 : Cucumbers and Squash Galore

We had so many zucchini last week that even the food pantry was overwhelmed. Photo by Carrie Vaughn.

---

│ Announcements │ This Week’s Share │ U-Pick │ Recipe │ Coming Soon │

---

Announcements:

Pick up at Clagett Farm

Saturday June 19 1:00–4:00 PM

38 North Oysters

 12 ct bag                    $12

24 ct bag                    $20

60 ct bag                    $45

To order

Call 301-872-5051 or email jd@38northoysters.com

by noon on June 18

---

• We will be taking one week off from harvest at the end of this month, so you will not be getting shares Wednesday June 30, Thursday July 1, or Saturday July 3.

• Mask and social distancing update: Won’t you be glad when we no longer have to talk about this? Masks are not required for customers. Vaccinated staff have the option to be mask-free at the pickup (but not unvaccinated staff). At the Clagett Farm pickup, we’re noticing that people are still sometimes lining up closely behind each other and we’d like to reinforce that there should be only one person at a time at each of the four stations. We’d like to know how our mask/distancing situation suits you. Send us a note if you’re not feeling comfortable with your pick up arrangement, or let us know when you’re getting your share.

---

This Week’s Share:

• Cucumbers (We grow two categories of cucumbers: slicers, which are long and dark green, and picklers, which are short and lighter green. They both can be sliced, and both can be pickled, so don’t let the name stop you. This month we harvest a pickling variety called Little Leaf, which yields well for our farm and resists cucurbit plant diseases that sometimes happen when we have too much or too little rain.)

• Beets (a few)

• Summer squash (still plenty, especially zucchini)

• Lots of kale and collards, as well as some bok choi, lettuce, and chard

• Garlic scapes (still plenty)

• Kohlrabi and purple-top turnips

---

U-Pick:

In the fields:

• Strawberries (Of the three varieties, one has finished, one is ripe now, and one is just beginning to be ripe. There are fewer to pick than in weeks past, but there are still a lot.)

• Kale and collards

• Beans (The first flush of beans has past. You’ll still find plenty, but it will take a bit longer.)

• Blueberries (We have a small amount of these growing near the high tunnel with the beans. It’s not worth making a special trip to the farm to pick them, but if you’re here anyway, check them out.)

In our herb and flower garden behind the washing station:

• Anise hyssop (licorice flavor; makes a nice tea)

• Basil (Genovese)

• Cutting celery (adds celery flavor to stews and salads)

• Cilantro

• Dill

• Garlic chives

• Onion chives

• Lemon balm

• Mint

• Oregano

• Sage

• Sorrel

• Thyme

• Lilies, yarrow, and other flowers

• Black raspberries (a few along the fence to the right)

In field G2, which is beside the parking area at the washing station:

• Parsley

• More basil of various types

• Cosmos and cleome flowers

Growing wild on the farm:

• Mulberries

All CSA shareholders may U-Pick any week, as often as you’d like, any daylight hours. CSA shareholders include anyone in the household of the person who paid for the share and any household that split the payment of the share with you.

---

Recipes:

Zucchini, Scapes, and Kohlrabi

It’s helpful to remember that freshly-harvested vegetables in season are spectacular with very little preparation. This week, the recipes focus on simple and easy (and healthy and delicious, too!).

Thanks to CSA shareholder Bethanne Barnes for her suggestion of zucchini chips! There’s a lot of different versions online. Here’s a few ideas:

• I tossed the sliced zucchini “coins” in a bowl with sesame oil and seasonings. Bethanne suggested sesame seeds, but I was out of those and instead used an “everything bagel” seasoning blend (sesame seeds, dried onion, dried garlic, salt, and pepper) plus some cayenne powder. Then I laid them out in the dehydrator and dried for 8 hours at 125F. They came out sweet and still soft-textured, which I loved. It’s possible they could get crispier at a higher temperature or for longer drying time, if that’s your preference. Note: Don’t over season! As the zucchini shrinks, the seasoning becomes more concentrated. You can add more seasoning after they’re dried if necessary.

• Don’t have a dehydrator? Here’s a recipe to bake them in your oven.

CSA shareholder Jennifer Amerkhail reminded me of a garlic scape recipe that we published on our blog way back in 2007. She’s been enjoying it every June since then:

• Sauteed garlic scapes by Kristin Carbone. I didn’t have halloumi in my fridge, but I did have a chunk of creamy goat cheese (leftover from that collard recipe from last week), which dissolved into the tomato sauce. It was perfect.

Still have a kohlrabi in your fridge?

• There are lots of recipes for cole slaw out there that use kohlrabi as the main ingredient instead of cabbage. If you’re not a mayonnaise person, consider using a vinaigrette instead. Peel the kohlrabi, cut into matchsticks, combine with ribbons of whichever greens you have on hand, maybe toss with matchsticks of apple or some dried cranberries to add some sweetness, and then add the dressing of your choice. (Here’s some inspiration from chef Bryant Terry if you need it.)

Speaking of Bryant Terry, if you still have some collard peanut pesto from last week, he recommends eating it with grilled or oven-roasted zucchini.

• Roasting zucchini is similar to baking zucchini chips, but you use bigger chunks (try quartering the zucchini lengthwise and then half-inch pieces). Toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper, lay out on a baking sheet (parchment paper makes the cleaning easier) and put in a 400F oven. It needs about 20 minutes to brown up. So easy!

---

Coming Soon:

What to Expect from the Rest of June

• Note that we have a week off between weeks 7 and 8. This follows a natural lull as spring crops like greens begin to bitter in the heat and summer crops like tomatoes are still ripening.

• Strawberries will stay on U-Pick until there’s nothing left. They should last through the end of the month.

• Garlic bulbs will begin next week or after the break.

• Onion bulbs will begin after the break.

• We have a purple variety of kohlrabi that has been slow to size up. We hope to harvest it for week 7.

• Kale, collards, and chard next week and continue on U-Pick through the break

• Green cabbages next week

• Squash and cucumbers next week and probably on U-Pick during the break

• Baby melons and fennel after the break

• Beans will continue on U-Pick over the break. We might pick them for shares again once or twice in June and July. Our second planting is growing nicely and about a month away.

• Tomato plants look large and healthy but are slow to produce fruit this year. We usually expect the first ripe tomatoes in your share in mid-July. Fingers crossed!

---

Thank you for being our SHAREHOLDERS!

CLAGETT FARM

Wednesdays, 3:00-7:00 P.M.
Saturdays, 1:00-4:00 P.M.

DUPONT CIRCLE DC

Wednesdays, 5:00-7:00 P.M.

ANNAPOLIS

Thursdays, 4:00-6:00 P.M.

Week 5 of 26 : Zucchini, Beans, Greens and More

We’ve spent a lot of time in the last few weeks picking garlic scapes. The scapes are the flower buds. When we pick them off, the garlic plant puts more energy into growing a larger bulb. As an added bonus, this harvester/photographer’s laundry room smells like an Italian restaurant. Photo by Carrie Vaughn.

---

│ Announcements │ This Week’s Share │ U-Pick │ Recipe │ Coming Soon │

---

Announcements:

• We have removed the mask requirement for vaccinated individuals. If you decide not to wear one, please be extra cautious about maintaining a wide distance between you and other CSA members. Each pickup site has distinct stations (different tables at Dupont and Annapolis; four bench sections at the farm). Please do not step into a station if someone is already there. And if you would like to pause to chat, please step away from the pickup area so others can carry on picking up their share.

Saturday June 19 1:00–4:00 PM

38 North Oysters

 12 ct bag                    $12

24 ct bag                    $20

60 ct bag                    $45

Pick up at Clagett Farm

11904 Old Marlboro Pike

Upper Marlboro, Maryland

---

To order

Call 301-872-5051 or email jd@38northoysters.com

by noon on June 18

---

• If you’re having as much fun watching and listening to cicadas as we are, you might like to download the Cicada Safari app. You can learn more about the insects and upload photos that will help local scientists understand the distribution of the 3 (!) species of 17-year periodic cicadas. Yay, citizen science!

• We will be taking one week off from harvest at the end of this month, so you will not be getting shares Wednesday June 30, Thursday July 1, or Saturday July 3.

---

This Week’s Share:

Green Is Still the Theme

• Summer squash (The term “summer squash” includes squashes we pick when the skins and seeds are young and tender, such as zucchini and yellow squash. In the fall, we hope to give you winter squash, which includes things like butternut, spaghetti, acorn, and kubocha squashes.)

• Various greens (kale, collards, bok choi, lettuce, chard)

• Green onions

• Garlic scapes (A lot; possibly even all you want. And remember, you can push them to the back of your fridge and store them so long that we have no idea if it’s possible for them to go bad.)

• Green beans (Not getting enough in your share? Pick your own! We mean that in a loving way, but we’re also a little exasperated with this particular chore.)

• Kohlrabi, French breakfast radishes, and purple-top turnips (I know we said you’d get kohlrabi last week, but this week we really mean it.)

• Possibly a few beets

---

U-Pick:

Strawberries Still Going Strong

Current CSA shareholders should have received an email with a U-Pick map last Friday. If you’d like one but didn’t get it, reply to this email.

In the fields:

• Strawberries (any time, any day, no sign up required; don’t let these gems go to waste!)

• Kale and collards

• Beans (it’s hard for us to keep up with the beans, so you’ll help us a lot by picking them)

In our herb garden behind the washing station:

• Anise hyssop (licorice flavor; makes a nice tea)

• Basil (Genovese)

• Cutting celery (adds celery flavor to stews and salads)

• Cilantro

• Dill

• Garlic chives

• Onion chives

• Lemon balm

• Mint

• Oregano

• Sage (with edible flowers)

• Sorrel

• Thyme

CSA shareholders are always welcome to pick any flowers on the farm. We’re getting a nice flush of lilies right now.

Growing wild on the farm:

• Mulberries

• Serviceberries

All CSA shareholders may U-Pick any week, as often as you’d like, any daylight hours. CSA shareholders include anyone in the household of the person who paid for the share and any household that split the payment of the share with you.

---

Recipes:

Turns Out That Collards Are Delicious

I cooked all four of the following recipes (in one meal!) to compare them and loved them all. Some call for collards, others for kale. I find that the two can be used interchangeably, so I used collards in all of them. Also, whenever the recipe called for garlic, I substituted one scape per clove. The garlic flavor in scapes is a little more delicate than in cloves, so you don’t need to cook them as long. Push the chopped scapes around in hot oil for a minute to infuse the flavor into the oil, and that should be enough before you add the other ingredients.

• Citrus Collards by chef/activist Bryant Terry. This one was my favorite of the four. I added orange zest because it was in the photo (but not the recipe), and it seemed helpful. And if I did it again, I might add fewer raisins.

• Collards Pesto. I’m obviously a big fan of pesto, especially with garlic scapes. What I liked about this pesto variation is that it stays so green because there’s no basil threatening to oxidize and turn black. Also, the peanut flavor is fun and unexpected but not too strong.

• Collards with Miso Butter. I climbed on the miso paste bandwagon during the pandemic and never looked back. Caramelizing it was quick and yummy. I had a hard time incorporating it with so much butter, but it still tasted delicious. If you don’t eat butter, try it with olive oil. The butter here is just a flavor carrier—the miso/mirin/vinegar combo is the star of the show.

• Collards and Goat Cheese by Alice Waters. If you’re looking for local cheese from pasture-raised animals, goat cheese is the easiest and cheapest to find. I like its strong, bright flavor, which is highlighted in this very simple recipe.

• This is not a recipe but a quick hint for freezing greens, which I’m including here since they’re on U-Pick and you might want to stock up! Plus, most of the recipes above call for blanching greens in boiling water, so you might as well blanch some extra for the freezer while you have the water boiling.

---

Coming Soon:

Our Crystal Ball Says…

• Strawberries will stay on the U-Pick list for several more weeks.

• Cucumbers begin week 7?

• Garlic scapes, one more week

• Green onions several more weeks

• Kohlrabi, two more weeks

• Kale, collards, and chard continue until July

• Beets next week

---

Thank you for being our SHAREHOLDERs!

CLAGETT FARM

Wednesdays, 3:00-7:00 P.M.
Saturdays, 1:00-4:00 P.M.

DUPONT CIRCLE DC

Wednesdays, 5:00-7:00 P.M.

ANNAPOLIS

Thursdays, 4:00-6:00 P.M.

Week 4 of 26 : U-Pick Greens!

This lacinato kale is now open for U-Pick. We planted these rows between beds of clover that were seeded in 2020. If you were a shareholder last year, you might have seen the clover growing between rows of zucchini and onions. The clover protects the soil and provides habitat and nectar for beneficial insects. Photo by Carrie Vaughn.

---

│ Announcements │ This Week’s Share │ U-Pick │ Recipe │ Coming Soon │

---

Announcements:

• In recognition of Juneteenth, we invite all our CSA shareholders to celebrate on the farm. Please use this as your space—there’s a lot of space for picnics here!

• If you purchased a 26-week share, remember that you may take two shares at any time to make up for weeks that you have missed.

• No matter which pickup day you selected, you are welcome to pick up at the farm on Saturday (1:00–4:00 p.m.) or Wednesday (3:00–7:00 p.m.) any week, without advanced notice.

• Please continue to wear a mask while you are picking up your CSA share. Some shareholders with compromised immune systems are more comfortable when the people standing near them are masked. Thank you for your patience! If you do not wish to wear a mask, a staff person can pack your share for you.

---

This Week’s Share:

Zucchini and Garlic Scapes Join the Party

• Zucchini (1 or 2 small ones)

• Various greens (Chinese cabbage, lettuce, kale, collards, bok choi, spicy mix, arugula — choices and amounts TBD)

• Green onions (1 bunch)

• Garlic scapes (these are the flower buds of the garlic plant; chop fine and use them as you would garlic cloves)

• Green beans (likely an option in a category with zucchini or greens)

• Kohlrabi, French breakfast radishes, and purple-top turnips

• We’ll see how much time we have to pick your strawberries. Please come pick some for yourselves!

---

U-Pick:

Sign Up No Longer Required

CSA shareholders may now U-Pick without signing up in advance!

In the fields:

• Strawberries are abundant! — You may pick as much as you’d like any day of the week, but we are limiting the following two days to these times:

  • Wednesday 3:00 p.m. until dark

  • Saturday 1:00 p.m. until dark

• Kale and collards

In our herb garden behind the washing station:

• Anise hyssop (licorice flavor; makes a nice tea)

• Basil (Genovese)

• Cutting celery (adds celery flavor to stews and salads)

• Cilantro

• Garlic chives

• Onion chives

• Lemon balm

• Mint

• Oregano

• Sage (with edible flowers)

• Sorrel

• Thyme

CSA shareholders are always welcome to pick any flowers on the farm. We have a few beginning to bloom in the flower garden behind the washing station.

Growing wild on the farm:

• Mulberries — Most of our mulberries are ripe when they are black and fall easily from the tree. The most efficient harvesting technique with tall trees is to lay a sheet on the ground and shake the branches so the ripe berries drop. There are mulberries growing all around the farm. Look for the ripe berries on the ground and you’ll see the tree above you.

• Serviceberry — This is a native shrub. In addition to the one growing in front of the washing station, you might see them in your neighborhood. Fruit are ripe when they are dark purple.

All CSA shareholders may U-Pick any week, as often as you’d like. CSA shareholders include anyone in the household of the person who paid for the share and any household that split the payment of the share with you.

---

Recipes:

Garlic Scape and Salad Ideas

This week I’m just passing along some links:

• If you’ve been a shareholder for a while, you know that garlic scapes make a divine pesto. Here’s two variations on that theme. Both include parmesan cheese, but if you are non-dairy, you can replace with some nutritional yeast and it is still terrific.

  • With basil (now on U-Pick, by the way): NY Times Garlic Scape Pesto

  • Without basil: Dorie Greenspan’s Garlic Scape and Almond Pesto

• In case you’re in a salad rut, I enjoyed this recipe with Chinese cabbage and kale cut into thin ribbons, but any sturdy greens would have worked. (Also, I replaced the mandarin oranges with the fruit I happened to have on hand—serviceberries and mulberries, although truthfully, citrus probably would have been a better compliment.)

---

Coming Soon:

Strawberries continue if you’re Picking

Hooray for soaking rain! The tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants should respond nicely. Big thanks to the four stalwart harvesters—Jared, Elissa, John, and Alex—who picked to exhaustion in the rain all day Saturday.

• Strawberries will be u-pick only, peaking now and continuing (declining slowly) for several more weeks

• Soon, yellow squash and cucumbers will be added to the zucchini

• The rest of June will look a lot like this week, but with a gradual decline in salad greens and an in squash and beans.

• Garlic scapes, 1-2 more weeks

• Green onions (aka scallions) through the end of the month

• French breakfast radishes, 1 more week

• Kohlrabi, 2 more weeks

• Purple-top turnips, 1-2 more weeks

• Bok choi, 1 more week

• Kale, collards, and chard continue until July

• Beets in weeks 5 or 6

---

Thank you for being our SHAREHOLDERs!

CLAGETT FARM

Wednesdays, 3:00-7:00 P.M.
Saturdays, 1:00-4:00 P.M.

DUPONT CIRCLE DC

Wednesdays, 5:00-7:00 P.M.

ANNAPOLIS

Thursdays, 4:00-6:00 P.M.

Week 3 of 26 : U-Pick Strawberries Beginning Wednesday 3:00pm

CSA pickup at Dupont last week. Photo by Carrie Vaughn.

---

│ Announcements │ This Week’s Share │ U-Pick │ Recipe │ Coming Soon │

---

Announcements:

• If you’d like to purchase oysters for pickup in Annapolis on Thursday, the deadline is NOON TOMORROW, May 26. Order here. Be sure to select Local Delivery for your shipment method and write “CBF EVENT” in the notes. Otherwise your oysters will be waiting for you three hours away in Salisbury, MD.

• Our next opportunity to purchase oysters will be at Clagett Farm in Upper Marlboro on June 19. Stay tuned for details on how to order.

• Please continue to wear a mask while you are picking up your CSA share. Some of our members (such as young children) cannot be vaccinated, and some need to take extra health precautions. Outside of the pickup area or other spots where we are closely congregated, you do not need to wear a mask. Thank you for your patience!

• Don’t forget to bring back your empty seedling pots! We’ll reuse them for next year’s seedlings.

• We’ve sold out of CSA shares for 2021! Thank you—we’re grateful for all of you!

---

This Week’s Share:

Greens Still Going Strong

• Strawberries (1 pint)

• Chinese cabbage (aka Napa cabbage, 1 head)

• Other greens (kale, collards, chard, bok choi, yukina savoy, possibly spicy mix or arugula — choices and amounts TBD)

• Green garlic (a half dozen or so)

• Green beans (this week or next)

• Hakurei turnips

---

U-Pick:

Strawberries, Herbs, Mulberries, Flowers

We will open strawberries for U-Pick at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, May 25. You must sign up for a slot. U-Pick is open to all CSA members. Strawberry U-Pick is limited to Wednesday 3:00 p.m.–Thursday 8:00 p.m. and Saturday 1:00 p.m.–Monday 8:00 p.m. This gives a few days for berries to ripen before we harvest for your CSA shares.

In our herb garden behind the washing station:

• Anise hyssop (licorice flavor, makes a nice tea)

• Cutting celery (adds celery flavor to stews and salads)

• Cilantro

• Garlic chives

• Onion chives

• Lemon balm

• Mint

• Oregano

• Sage (with edible flowers)

• Sorrel

• Thyme

CSA members are always welcome to pick any flowers on the farm. We have a few beginning to bloom in the flower garden behind the washing station.

Growing wild on the farm:

• Mulberries (Most of our mulberries are ripe when they are black and fall easily from the tree. The most efficient harvesting technique with tall trees is to lay a sheet on the ground and shake the branches so the ripe berries drop. There are mulberries growing all around the farm. Look for the ripe berries on the ground and you’ll see the tree above you.)

• Serviceberry (This is a native shrub. In addition to the one growing in front of the washing station, you might see them in your neighborhood. Fruit are ripe when they are dark purple.)

All CSA members may U-Pick any week, as often as you’d like, as long as you sign up first. CSA members include anyone in the household of the person who paid for the share and any household that split the payment of the share with you.

---

Recipes:

Chinese Cabbage

Many people find Chinese cabbage (also known as Napa cabbage) intimidating because it’s large and unfamiliar. To beat this hesitation, try chopping it into bite-sized pieces right away and storing it in a big salad clamshell or ziploc bag. Then you’ll be more likely to toss it into your salad when you’re hungry and in a rush.

DUMPLINGS:

If you’ve never tried making dumplings, it’s easier than you think. It’s also a fun project with kids. Wonton wrappers are easy to find in most grocery stores in the same refrigerated area where you would find tofu. The filling cooks up quickly, and they can be pan fried or boiled. These filling recipes come from Peter Chang. The first is for vegetarians, the second for meat-eaters.

Vegetarian Filling

• 1000 grams of Chinese cabbage

• 150 grams of fresh mushrooms

• 15 grams of salt

• 8 grams of ginger (finely minced)

• 30 grams of green onions (finely minced)

• 40 grams of sesame oil

  Cut fresh mushrooms into fine pieces, mince the ginger, and mince the green onions. Wash the Shanghai cabbage, and quickly blanch it in hot water for two minutes. Remove it and rinse with cold water to dry. Then chop it into fine granules, wrap it in gauze, and press out the water by adding weight on the top of the wrapped gauze. Take it out after two hours, pour it into a plate, add the mushrooms, salt, minced ginger, and minced green onion, mix well, and then add sesame oil.

Meat Filling:

• 450 grams ground pork (or any meat)

• 450 grams Chinese cabbage (finely chopped soybean size)

• 20 grams soy sauce

• 5 grams salt

• 15 grams ginger (finely minced)

• 30 grams green onion (finely minced)

• 5 grams white pepper

• 30 grams sesame oil

Cut the Chinese cabbage into small, bite-sized pieces and set aside. Mince ginger and mince green onions. Add salt, soy sauce, and minced ginger to the ground pork, stirring constantly, then add the diced cabbage several times and stir while adding it. When the diced cabbage is added, add white pepper, sesame oil, and chopped green onion and mix well.

To make dumplings:

Moisten the edges of a dumpling wrapper, set a small spoonful of filling in the center, then fold the wrapper and crimp the edges. To boil them, drop them in boiling water for about 5 minutes. If you prefer to pan-fry them, set them in a hot pan and fill the pan with water and a tablespoon or two of oil to about half-way up the dumplings. Boil away the water and allow the dumplings to brown.

Dipping sauce:

• 2/3 Black vinegar (available at Chinese grocery stores; if you haven’t tried it, you should—it’s a lovely vinegar. You can substitute with balsamic if needed.)

• 1/3 soy sauce

• Sugar, green onion, ginger to taste

CHINESE NOODLE SOUP WITH CABBAGE:

From Serving Up the Harvest, by Andrea Chesman

Ingredients:

• 8 cups chicken broth (or substitute vegetable broth)

• 1/4 cup soy sauce (or less if your broth is salted)

• 1 Tablespoon Chinese rice wine or sherry

• 6-12 dried wood ear mushrooms, chopped if large

• 2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger

• 3 green garlics, finely chopped

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 3/4 pound Chinese egg noodles

• 1 Tablespoon dark sesame oil

• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken or 1 pound firm tofu, cubed

• 4-6 cups chopped Chinese cabbage (or a mix with other greens such as bok choi)

• 1 carrot, julienned

• Chinese chili paste with garlic (optional)

Instructions:

• Combine the broth, soy sauce, rice wine, mushrooms, ginger and garlic in a large saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 25 minutes.

• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and sesame oil and cook until the noodles are just barely tender. Drain well and return the noodles to the pot to keep warm.

• Add the chicken or tofu, cabbage, and carrots to the broth and simmer for another 10 minutes, until the carrots are tender.

• To serve, place a nest of noodles in each bowl. Ladle the broth, vegetables and chicken/tofu over the noodles and serve hot, passing the chili paste at the table for those who like a little spice.

---

Coming Soon:

Squash, Beans, more Greens

We got a little rain yesterday, but we’re still quite dry. Last week’s dry weather slowed down a few crops. We’re glad to see some significant rain in the forecast.

• Summer squash (mostly zucchini) begins in week 4 or 5

• Green beans from our greenhouse begin week 4 (Some plants are fruiting much sooner than others, so it’s been hard to gauge when you’ll see them. This is the first time we’ve grown beans in the greenhouse.)

• Garlic scapes, weeks 4 and 5

• French breakfast radishes, weeks 4 and 5

• Kohlrabi, weeks 4 to 6

• Purple-top turnips, weeks 4 and 5

• Continuing for several more weeks: strawberries, kale, collards, bok choi, and chard

• One more week of Chinese cabbage

---

Thank you for being our members!

CLAGETT FARM

Wednesdays, 3:00-7:00 P.M.
Saturdays, 1:00-4:00 P.M.

DUPONT CIRCLE DC

Wednesdays, 5:00-7:00 P.M.

ANNAPOLIS

Thursdays, 4:00-6:00 P.M.

Week 2 of 26 : STRAWBERRIES

CBF Educator Kris Belessis returns for the day to help the farm team plant a field of peppers. We use rye straw as a mulch to prevent weeds, retain moisture, protect the soil from erosion, and feed our soil microbes. That dead grass is doing important work! Photo by Carrie Vaughn.

---

│ Announcements │ This Week’s Share │ U-Pick │ Recipe │ Coming Soon │

---

Announcements:

Oysters and Flowers

ANNAPOLIS OYSTER SALE

You can order oysters for pickup with your share in Annapolis on May 27! Eating farmed oysters is unambiguously great for the environment. Oysters spend their lives clarifying the Chesapeake Bay (leaving the sediment and pollution on the Bay floor), and by purchasing them, you are helping watermen grow more. Order online by noon May 26.

**IMPORTANT: When checking out, choose Local Delivery for your shipment method and please write “CBF EVENT” in the Notes section at the bottom of the page.

ORDER HERE

• If you were a shareholder last year, you might have seen some of Bahiyyah’s gorgeous flower bouquets. You can purchase a subscription here and get them every week at any of our CSA pickups! We might also have a bouquet or two for sale on the spot, so keep some cash in your car just in case.

• If you’re picking up your share at Clagett Farm, please wear masks inside the washing station. Some of our members are at greater risk of illness from COVID-19 and will not feel safe if everyone is not masked. Let’s make sure everyone feels welcome!

• You no longer need to wear masks when you are U-Picking at a distance from others in the field. Please keep your mask handy in the herb garden during pickup hours in case people are picking near you.

• Last week you received a couple seedlings from us. We’ll take those pots back when you’re finished to reuse next year. Thanks!

---

This Week’s Share:

Greens, Garlic, Roots, and Strawberries

Because we’re sending this email to you on Tuesday, rather than after we harvest on Wednesday, we can’t tell you yet what quantities you’ll get of each item or what choices you might have. Hopefully getting the information early will make up for the lack of specificity.

• Strawberries (small container)

• Lettuce (bag with a few small heads)

• Kale and/or collards (small bag)

• Green garlic (a robust handful)

• Pink Beauty radishes (a few)

• Hakurei turnips (these are in their prime right now – try slicing raw into your salad)

• We’re not sure yet if you’ll also have other greens options or another seedling

---

U-Pick:

Spring Herbs

In our herb garden behind the washing station:

• Cutting celery

• Onion chives with edible flowers (the flowers have a strong onion flavor – try breaking them apart and sprinkling into your salad)

• Garlic chives

• Lemon balm

• Mint

• Oregano

• Sage

• Sorrel

• Thyme

Growing wild on the farm:

• Stinging nettle

---

Recipe:

Green Garlic Salad Dressing

Instructions

• In a blender, pulse the chopped garlic into small pieces.

• Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

• Taste and adjust ingredients to your liking.

• Makes about one cup dressing.

Ingredients

• 2 stalks green garlic, roughly chopped (trim off the roots and yellow bits)

• ½ cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons vinegar (try apple cider or champagne)

• 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

• Honey to taste (try a tablespoon)

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

---

Coming Soon:

Our Educated Guess of What You’ll See in the Next Week or Two

• Summer squash (mostly zucchini) begins in week 3 or 4

• Green beans from our greenhouse beginning week 3 or 4

• Garlic scapes, weeks 4 and 5

• French breakfast radishes, weeks 3 and 4

• Bok choi, weeks 4 and 5

• Kohlrabi, weeks 4 to 6

• Continuing for several more weeks: strawberries, lettuce, turnips (Hakurei will transition to Purple-top), kale, collards, and various salad greens.

• We hope to have strawberries available for U-Pick very soon! Also coming soon to U-Pick—cilantro, dill, basil, and flowers.

---

Thank you for being our members!

CLAGETT FARM

Wednesdays, 3:00-7:00 P.M.
Saturdays, 1:00-4:00 P.M.

DUPONT CIRCLE DC

Wednesdays, 5:00-7:00 P.M.

ANNAPOLIS

Thursdays, 4:00-6:00 P.M.

Week 1 of 26 : The first harvest of 2021!

Pea shoots, ready for harvest. Photo by Carrie Vaughn

---

Announcements │ This Weeks Share │ Field Report │ Recipe

---

Announcements:

we’re excited to see you!

• We know there has been some trouble getting the emails to everyone. If you can’t find our email in your inbox, check out the blog, where we’ll be posting the weekly updates.

• We haven’t set up the online U-Pick signups yet. If you’d like to pick herbs, please go right ahead. The herb garden is behind the washing station. Please be mindful not to get too close to other members, and if it’s a busy time, try not to linger too long where others might also want to be picking. We’ll have online sign ups ready in time for strawberries.

• We all know how easy it is to forget to bring bags for picking up your share. Try putting some grocery bags and a mask in your car NOW while you’re thinking about it.

---

This Week’s Share:

tender spring greens and more

• A choice of 2 bags of 1/4 pound greens, pre-bagged: spinach, arugula, pea shoots, spicy mix (a blend of baby Asian mustards that vary from very mild to a hint of horseradish), lettuce (small heads of green red oakleaf and green butterhead), tat soi (small heads with delicious florets) and kale

• A handful Green garlic (these are immature garlic plants; they look like onion scallions but carriy a strong garlic taste; you can eat both the green and white parts)

• A couple Radishes or a Hakurei turnip (it’s a perfect amount for your salad!)

• 2 Seedlings for you to plant in your garden or in containers for your window:

  • Tomatoes: Mushroom Basket, Dr. Wyche’s, Ozark Pink

  • Basil

  • Cucumbers

  • Green oakleaf lettuce

  • Edible flowers: calendula, hibiscus and nasturtium

  • Peacework bell peppers

---

Field Report:

light, intermittent rain = happy plants

We’ve been delighted by the recent rain. We’ve had just enough dry weather to get your crops in the ground, and just enough rain to keep the new plants happy. Some recent plantings—melons, summer squash, cucumbers and tomatoes!

---

Recipe:

Green garlic hummus

This recipe comes from your fellow CSA member, Sandra Hamorsky. It’s a real crowd-pleaser! It works well as a dip or in place of mayonnaise in a sandwich. Makes about 2 cups.

Ingredients

• 2-3 green garlics

• 2 cans chick peas (26 oz total)

• 1 Tablespoon tahini, or more

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil, or more

• ½ lemon, or more

Instructions

• Trim trim off the roots and top edges of the green garlic; cut two stalks into a 2-inch pieces

• Start the blender blades, remove the opening at the top of the lid and toss the garlic pieces onto the spinning blades through the hole in the lid until they're chopped fine.

• Stop the blender. Add one can of chick peas AND their liquid. Blend until smooth. Taste.

• Add about 1 Tablespoon Tahini and about 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (this doesn't need to be exact--eyeball it). Add the tahini when the blender is off and pour the olive oil into the blender while it's spinning to help with smoothness. Blend until smooth. Taste.

• Drain the second can of chick peas but KEEP the liquid separate. Add the chick peas and blend until smooth. The hummus will be getting thick at this point. Scrape down the slides of the blender, squeeze half the lemon and add the juice. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt, then blend, adding either chick pea liquid or olive oil through the hole in the top of the lid onto the spinning blades until the hummus blends smoothly. Taste.

• Seem bland? Add a little more more green garlic (spicy) and tahini (kind of smoky).

• Seem dull? Add a little more lemon juice.

• Seem flat? Add a little more salt.

• This hummus should be light green, garlicky and bright tasting.

---

Thank you for being our members!

CLAGETT FARM

Wednesdays, 3:00-7:00 P.M.
Saturdays, 1:00-4:00 P.M.

DUPONT CIRCLE DC

Wednesdays, 5:00-7:00 P.M.

ANNAPOLIS

Thursdays, 4:00-6:00 P.M.

This Week — A Preview

Lettuce seedlings, photo by Elissa Planz

---

│ Announcements │ This Weeks Share │ U-Pick │ Coming Soon │

---

Announcements:

YES, THE FIRST CSA SHARE IS THIS WEEK!

• You’ll receive an email from us on Wednesday around 2:00pm, letting you know what is in your CSA share this week. In case you’re as excited as we are, below is our best estimate of what to expect.

• Like most years, the first weeks are smaller than most. Enjoy these early weeks for the delicious salad greens!

• Did you miss our last email answering all your pressing questions about how to pick up your CSA share, when and where to go, and what to do if you skip a week? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

• Love flowers? We’re partnering with EcoBlossoms Farm again this year! Sign up for weekly bouquets for pickup with your Clagett CSA share.

---

This Week’s Share:

tender spring greens, garlic & seedlings

• A choice of salad greens: spinach, arugula, pea shoots and possibly spicy mix (a blend of baby Asian mustards that vary from very mild to a hint of horseradish)

• Small heads of lettuce

• Small heads of tat soi (a rosette of dark-green, spoon-shaped leaves that have a mild flavor good for salad or quick stir fry)

• Tender, young kale

• Green garlic (the immature garlic plant; it looks like an onion scallion but carries a strong garlic taste; you can eat both the green and white parts)

• A few radishes

• 2 seedlings for you to plant in your garden or in containers for your window, including tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, lettuce, calendula, hibiscus and nasturtium

---

U-PICK:

‘tis the season for green herbs

• Onion chives with edible flowers

• Garlic chives

• Cutting celery

• Lemon balm

• Mint

• Oregano

• Sage

• Sorrel

• Thyme

• Growing wild on the farm: stinging nettle (wear gloves to harvest!)

---

coming soon:

what to expect in week #2

• Strawberries! We expect to have 3-4 weeks of strawberries, and we’re estimating Week 2 for our first harvest (not a guarantee!)

• Salad greens - expect one more week of tat soi and several more weeks of head lettuce

• Kale - we have a healthy crop of both kale and collards, so you’ll see several varieties weekly until about mid-June

• Green garlic - one more week of these, and then you should start seeing garlic scapes

• Hakurei turnips - these are a sweet, white Japanese variety that we love to eat raw. You’ll get them for a couple weeks, as well as some radishes and later purple-top turnips

---

Thank you for being our members!

CLAGETT FARM

Wednesdays, 3:00-7:00 P.M.
Saturdays, 1:00-4:00 P.M.

DUPONT CIRCLE DC

Wednesdays, 5:00-7:00 P.M.

ANNAPOLIS

Thursdays, 4:00-6:00 P.M.

2020 - your thoughts about the farm season and ours

For all that has been going wrong in the world, we are grateful that in 2020 our farm season went remarkably well.  In mid-March we wondered how we could get everything planted without interacting with each other in the field, and how we would give you your vegetables if you weren’t allowed to pick them up.  How would we keep the farm running if we all got sick at once?   

We switched our distribution to pre-bagging your shares, which was a lot of extra labor for us and less choice for you, but as far as we know, no one on the farm contracted Covid-19!  What a blessing.  And we made up for the lack of volunteers and seasonal hires with help from a dozen Chesapeake Bay Foundation staff who never thought their job descriptions would include farming. Phew!  Our yield was about average (62,475 pounds), which is pretty fantastic, all things considered.  It certainly helped that the weather through 2020 was wonderful.   

We have reviewed your survey responses and met together as staff.  As always, we are happy for you toread the complete survey results.  Here’s a few of the questions and comments that came up, and our responses.   

Overall 

Your satisfaction with your CSA share was 8.9 out of 10, and 97% of you would recommend our CSA, which we take as a big vote of confidence.  We received many, many messages of thanks and encouragement, and our hearts are full!  Thank YOU!   

To bag or not to bag  

If Covid were not an issue, most of you would prefer to weigh your own vegetables in order to have more control over the what ends up in your bag.  But if Covid remains at the current threat level, most of you would prefer to get your share pre-bagged and brought to your car.  The problem is, pre-bagging shares takes too much of our time, and it keeps us from getting other field work done.  In 2019, our work week was 2 days harvesting & distributing + 3 days field work.  In 2020, it was 2 days harvesting, 2 days packing & distributing, and 1 day field work.  There’s no way we can continue that in 2021.   

Most likely we’ll ask you to collect your vegetables in a staff-assisted buffet line of sorts, where we handle the vegetables and your bag is packed while you watch.  But a lot can change between now and May, so we won’t know for sure until harvest time is upon us.   

Note that only 4% of you liked the idea of limiting the pick-up window to 30 minutes to avoid waiting in line, so 96% of you will be glad to hear we’ve taken that option off the table.   

U-Pick 

More of you prefer to sign up in advance for u-pick than to come at will and risk a crowded field.  But we agree with the multiple comments that the on-line sign up was cumbersome.  We’ll be looking for a platform that we like better.  If you have one you like that’s cheap, let us know.     

E-mails 

We made an extra effort this year to boost the information in the weekly e-mails, since we wouldn’t have as many face-to-face interactions.  We heard that you appreciated the recipes and hearing about the farm.  Many of you who picked up on Wednesdays wished the emails were earlier and more accurate.  Unfortunately, if they are earlier, they will be less accurate.  It’s a perennial problem.  We’ll do our best.   

Crops you love and hate 

The big favorite crop this year was TOMATOES by a comfortable lead.  Also favored were strawberries, kale/collards, and garlic (in all its forms).  Honorable mentions are peppers (sweets and green bells), winter squash, spicy salad mix and summer squash.   

Your least favorite crops were okra and turnips.  Other frequent dislikes were eggplant, radishes and kohlrabi.   

Your comments 

Here’s just a taste of the comments we received, since there were too many to list them all… 

“I was over the moon satisfied with my share this year and plan on buying a full one next year.” 

“This was an awesome experience as a first time CSA member. I hope I can get to know the community more next time!” 

“Having fresh organic, sustainably grown produce from the farm was a bright light in this awful year of covid. You all literally kept me alive. Thank you!” 

“Other years, to avoid wasting food I only get what I know I'll eat. With prepackaged shares I ended up composting produce I don't like. I hope next year we have better customization for our shares so I can leave things I don't eat for others.” 

“I missed regular u pick so much this year!  Of course, I understand your thinking, but I felt COMPLETELY safe the times I signed up to come out, and for those of us who live in city apartments, especially now, being at the farm is just wonderful.  Thank you for whatever you can do to allow visits next year.” 

“Our household doesn't like eggplant. We've prepared it many different ways (and I used to be a vegan) and no matter what we do we do not enjoy it. It would be nice to be able to have the option to sub sometimes.” 

“After a few years of melons and corn, my opinion is they are not very good. Melons aren’t sweet and corn is often buggy. I’d prefer you grow something else that tastes better. Would love to see more mushrooms, asparagus if possible. Overall, I am still very happy with my shares, and congratulate you on managing to distribute shares so well and so cheerfully this year.” 

“Paper bags may be eco-friendly, but are not compatible with wet or damp produce.  You all did a fantastic job coping with extraordinary conditions!” 

“The road maybe needs to be 1-way.  It was very challenging to exit onto Ritchie-Marlboro and meet incoming cars!” 

“I did think it was odd to receive to small turnips or radishes.  Not much you can do with something like that.  Not even a serving for one.” 

“If you have to operate the same way in 2021 with Covid (your employees have to pre-bag our veggies), I continue to be concerned at how much extra work that is for your employees. Therefore, I think you need to increase the cost of the Share.” 

“Thank you so much for all of your hard work!!  No one complained at all when I asked to remove items from my share.  What a terrific group of volunteers.  The produce was beautiful and tasted so fresh.  See you next year!” 

Conclusion 

This year was a wild ride.  During all of the turbulence of 2020, the one thing that stood out to us most was the importance of community. We learned that in difficult times the most important resource that we have is each other. We learned how to adapt together throughout this crisis to continue something that we feel is truly vital, getting healthy food into your homes. Each and every one of us had to make sacrifices and changes throughout the year, yet together we made it.  

As we continue into 2021, we strive to remember these lessons.  We know that whatever the future brings we will face these challenges together and we will become stronger and more resilient than ever.  

Posted at 04:43 PM | Permalink 

Last Week of Vegetables!

We have questions for you...
 

Announcements

• It's survey time! This survey is for CSA members only (plus our few regular volunteers this year). We want your general impressions of the CSA share this year, and we also have a few specific questions about how to distribute your veggies going forward in the event that Covid is still a threat in the 2021 season. All your thoughts are welcome and the survey is anonymous. The deadline to complete the survey is November 30th, after which we'll send you the results.

• We're now taking wreath orders! Again this year, we'll be handmaking holiday wreaths for your door, your family's doors, friends, colleagues, doctor's office... It's a great gift! There are two pick-up days: December 5th at the farm and December 10th in Annapolis. The deadline to order will be 2 days before the pick-up day (or sooner if we sell out).

• Dupont members: it's forecast to rain all evening, so we're pre-bagging your shares and limiting the vegetable options to keep the pick-up moving as quickly as possible. We don't want people standing in line in the rain. We have a tent and lights. We recommend bringing an umbrella.

• This is the last week of our harvest season. We'll miss you! In a few weeks we'll be sending you an invitation to purchase a CSA share for 2021. We expect the shares to sell out early this year, so we're opening sales to returning members first. Make sure you sign up in that early window. We'll be charging a $50 non-refundable deposit to sign up, and you'll have until March 30 to make the rest of the purchase. When we send you the sign-up information, we'll also fill you in on any changes we plan to make to the pick-ups. Your survey responses will help guide those decisions.

This week's share

• Garlic, 6 ounces loose cloves

• 1 Butternut (some pick-ups will also have the option of sweet potatoes or a small cabbage head)

• Bok choi or tat soi (some pick-ups might instead be able to choose a turnip)

• Greens, a 6-ounce bag of spicy mix, collards or kale

• 3-4 Peppers

• 2 French breakfast radishes

• Optional: a bag of hot chilies (jalapeno, serrano and cayenne)

2020 has been a wild ride, my friends.  We're so, so grateful to serve such a supportive community of wonderful people.  We have high hopes for the future--for a food system that makes healthy vegetables available to everyone, that builds healthy soils, sequesters carbon, keeps our waterways clean, and pays the laborers a living wage.  We think we've found a pretty marvelous way to put those values into action, and this year made that clearer than ever.  Have a wonderful, wonderful winter, and you'll hear from us again soon!

The entire Clagett Farm Team,
Michael Heller, Clagett Farm Manager
Carrie Vaughn, Vegetable Production Manager
Jared Planz, Asistant Vegetable Production Manager
Dave Vernon, Assistant to the Farm Manager
Elissa Planz, Clagett Farm and Annapolis Pick-Up Manager,
Alex Outten, Matt Pombuena, David Tana, a dozen CBF educators, a dozen regular volunteers, and all the staff at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation that support us behind the scenes.

Week 25 of 26: Almost to the finish line

This week's share

• garlic cloves, a tight handful

• sweet potatoes, 1 anxious, sleepless pound and 6 ounces

• eggplant, half pound--can't seem to unite with the other half

• peppers, half pound--ripe & sweet? green? stay tuned...

• cabbage, one small head with a furrowed brow and clenched teeth

• lettuce, a few small heads, one green, one red (or maybe its purple, or maybe 2 green)

• you can make this decision all on your own: purple top turnip or head of bok choi

• optional bag of chilies: we said they would burn, but does anyone care?

Announcements

• Next week is our last week of shares! You can take a maximum of 2 shares at one time to make up for missed shares. Next week will have loose garlic cloves, a butternut, peppers, tat soi, collards, and either kale or mixed salad greens.

• One thing you can eat that is unequivocally good for the environment: Chesapeake Bay farmed OYSTERS. Order them now for pick up at the farm on Saturday November 14th. There will be another opportunity in Annapolis on November 24th, details to come.

• Ever seen bulldozers clearing a large, mature forest for a development no one wants, and yet your sound and fury signify nothing because the decision is already made? You should attend this webinar tomorrow: Before the Bulldozers. Learn how to make your voice heard early enough to have an impact.

• Garlic is sold out

Wishing we grew chocolate,
Carrie About-to-have-an-Aneurism Vaughn

Week 24 of 26: Sweet potatoes make an appearance

Have you noticed the tall plants with yellow flowers in some of our fields?  It's called sunn hemp, and we grow it along with sudan grass for a thick, carbon-rich cover crop to feed our soil.  Sunn hemp isn't related to cannabis.  It gets that name because of its strong, fibrous stalks.  It's actually related to peas and beans, and like them, has bacteria on its roots that gather nitrogen from the air and make it usable to plants. This is how we grow our own fertilizer.  

Announcements

• U-picking is still going on for herbs and any flowers you can find around farm (all by wash station, and some extra striped marigolds over by the where the sunflowers were in G2). We have a nice amount of parsley and cilantro, in addition to many of the other herbs we have mentioned in the past. We might have a frost this weekend, so if you're planning to pick any basil, this might be your last chance.

• The deadline to order fresh, Bay-friendly oysters has passed for the Annapolis pick up on October 29th, but you can order oysters now for pick up at the farm on November 14th! There will also be another chance to pick up oysters in Annapolis--just before Thanksgiving on 11/24. Details coming soon.

• We're still selling garlic!
  For CSA members, the prices are $8/lb or a discounted $6/lb for purchases of at least 10 pounds.
  Non-members pay $12/pound or $8/pound for 10 pounds or more.
  If you're purchasing more than 10 pounds for pick up at Dupont or Annapolis, please give us at least one day advanced notice so we can be sure to get it in the van for you.
  All the options are available for on-line purchase now. We do not ship or deliver, except to our CSA pick-ups.

• It is Week 24 which means after this week, we only have 2 more weeks of shares! Your final week of shares is November 11, 12 and 14.

• Don't forget that you cannot take more than 2 shares at a time. We can tell you at the pick-up how many you have remaining to use up.

• We can still use extra help in the fields with harvesting and other field work, any day, Tuesdays through Saturdays. Call 301-627-4662 to sign up.

This week's share

• 2 heads garlic

• 1.25 pounds sweet potatoes (some of them look pretty funny but they're still delicious!)

• 1 daikon radish

• 1 purple-top turnip

• 1 large head bok choi

• 1/2 pound eggplant

• 1.5 pounds peppers (mostly green)

• Choose 6 ounces of greens from a selection of options (including spicy mix and collards)

• Optional: 8 ounces of a mild or hot blend of chilies

Note that sweet potatoes store best with their dirt on.  If you don't find the dust a nuisance, wait until you're ready to cook them before you wash them.

Recipes

• Sweet Potato Oven Fries

  • Ingredients:
    Sweet Potatoes
    Olive Oil
    Coconut oil (optional)
    Salt

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice up however many sweet potatoes you want about a 1/4" wide, for them to be similar thickness, for even cooking. Toss in a bowl, with enough olive oil to coat, and a little salt.
    If you have coconut oil, I like to put a tablespoon or two on a baking sheet and set it in the oven for a minute to melt. Then spread the oil around the pan for a good coating. You could oil the pan with another high heat oil. I think the oil on the bottom gets them to brown better.
    Spread the sweet potatoes across the pan so none are piled on top of each other, and each has good contact with the pan. Cover the pan with tin foil. Put in the oven and bake until sweet potatoes are tender, about a 1/2 hr.
    Then remove the foil, and put the pan back in the oven to brown. Don’t stir, as this will mess up the browning. Scope the fries out periodically as they bake until you get the level of browning you want

• Baked Tofu with Peanut Sauce and Bok Choi from the Washington Post

• Bok Choi Salad

  • Dressing ingredients:

    • 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

    • 1/2 cup sugar

    • 2/3 cup combination olive oil and toasted sesame oil, to your preference

    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

    • a minced chili

    • If you have a flavor packet with your package of ramen (below), you can use it in place of some of the seasoning in this dressing).

  • Salad ingredients:

    • 1 head bok choi, chopped

    • 1 bunch green onions or chives, chopped (we have chives in the herb garden for u-pick)

    • 1 package ramen noodles

    • 4-8 oz slivered or sliced almonds

    • 1 tablespoon butter

  • Instructions:

    • Mix dressing ingredients and set aside (using a blender will thicken the dressing).

    • Chop bok choi and chives or green onions. Mix with dressing.

    • Crush ramen noodles. Mix with almonds and butter and brown in skillet. Use as a garnish on top of the salad.

    • Serve immediately.

Coming Soon

The forecast for this coming weekend is for a possible frost, so we're busy picking all the remaining peppers and eggplant.  We think we'll have more sweet potatoes, but they will be smaller and skinnier, like fat fingers.  This is the last week for daikon radishes.  We have one more butternut to give everyone, which we're saving for next week.  And we should have bok choi, salad greens, kale, collards, purple top turnips and garlic through to the last week.  


By this time next week election day will have passed!  May we all breathe a sigh of relief when it is over.  
The Clagett Farm Team

Week 23: Coming back to our roots. Big ones.

Sheep loving this fall weather, maybe even more than we are....maybe.
 

Announcements

• U-picking is still going on for herbs and any flowers you can find around farm (all by wash station, and some extra striped marigolds over by the where the sunflowers were in G2)

• Dupont members, many of you didn't get garlic in your share last week. Remind Carrie at your next pick up and we'll give you the missed garlic. Sorry!

• Don't forget about the oyster pop-up in Annapolis on October 29th. The deadline for ordering is Monday (10/26). And we'll have one on the farm on November 14th (details for that location coming later).

• We're still selling garlic!!!
  For CSA members, the prices are $8/lb or a discounted $6/lb for purchases of at least 10 pounds.
  Non-members pay $12/pound or $8/pound for 10 pounds or more.
  If you're purchasing more than 10 pounds for pick up at Dupont or Annapolis, please give us at least one day advanced notice so we can be sure to get it in the van for you.
  All the options are available for on-line purchase now. We do not ship or deliver, except to our CSA pick-ups.

• It is Week 23 which means after this week, we only have 3 more weeks of shares! The season is coming to a close and we hope to leave you with your fill of greens, winter squash, radishes and turnips. We are planning on digging up those small sweet potatoes soon as well for possibly Week 25.

• Concerned about how to store your winter squash? Here's the trick: do absolutely nothing. That's right, you can use it as a door stop or bookend or festive table display. And then 3 months from now, when you're thinking about how great it was to have a farm that grew vegetables for you, you can cook it and eat it. So easy!

• Your final week of shares is November 11, 12 and 14. Don't forget that you cannot take more than 2 shares at a time. We can tell you at the pick-up how many you have remaining to use up.

• We can still use extra help in the fields with harvesting and other field work, any day, Tuesdays through Saturdays. Call 301-627-4662 to sign up.
  
  

This week's share

• 2 heads garlic

• 1 winter squash (butternut)

• 1 daikon radish

• 1 watermelon radish

• 1 large head bok choi

• 1-3 eggplants (about a pound)

• 3/4 pounds peppers

• a few small French breakfast radishes

• Choose 6 ounces of greens from a selection of options (including spicy mix and collards)

• Optional: 6 ounces of a mild or hot blend of chilies
  
  Above, Elissa is gracefully displaying the rather extravagant size of one of our daikon radishes.  Be prepared for some big radishes in your bag today!  Note that the radish greens are quite delicious, so taste a little and decide if you'd like to cook with it or include some chopped leaves in your salad.  
   

Recipes

Aigo Bouido
Our volunteer, Vince Renard, likes to use our garlic to make this classic, French soup.
 
Creamy Winter Squash soup with ginger
TIME: 30 - 45 MINUTES (not including roasting time); SERVES: 6+
This soup can be made with almost any type of winter squash.  I prefer to use Kabocha because of its starchy, chestnut-like texture and flavor, but Butternut does wonders as well. 
*Go with a high-powered blender or food processor, rather than an immersion blender, for the silkiest texture.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium-large winter squash; roasted, flesh scooped out & reserved (about 2 cups)

• 2 tbsp. unrefined coconut oil or ghee/butter

• 1 large yellow or white onion (or 1 - 2 leeks), chopped

• 1 - 3 carrots (opt.), chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1-inch piece ginger, grated

• Water, vegetable broth, or chicken stock (amount depends on desired consistency)

• 1, 14-oz. can full-fat coconut milk

• ~1/4 tsp. each coriander, ground turmeric, & Ceylon cinnamon

• A pinch of cayenne pepper

• Juice from 1/2 - 1 lime (depending on size; to taste)

• 1 tsp. fish sauce (opt.)

• Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste

• Cilantro, chopped

• Greek yogurt or crème fraîche

METHOD

• Heat coconut oil or ghee/butter in a large dutch oven or soup pot. When hot enough to sizzle water, add the onions,celery, carrots, garlic, ginger, & spices. Cook until browned & fragrant.

• Add the coconut milk and roasted winter squash. Add enough water or stock to barely cover. (You can always add more liquid, but it’s hard to cook the soup down once it’s too thin without adding more squash.)

• Cover and simmer on low until soft and thoroughly cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir often to avoid sticking.

• Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Transfer carefully in batches to the blender or food processor and purée until creamy.

• Adjust seasonings: add the lime, optional fish sauce, and salt & pepper to taste.

• Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro and yogurt or crème fraîche.

 
Daikon Radish Pickles
TIME: 15 MINUTES (plus overnight marinating); SERVES: 2 CUPS
This quick-pickle “brine” can be used for a variety of different veggies: radish, cucumber, kohlrabi, celery, etc.. You can make more or less brine depending on the amount of veggies you wish to pickle.  This is not a fermented pickle, like kimchi, so it's a good choice for people who don't want that strong fermented taste.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups daikon radish (or a mix of veggies), sliced into bite-size lengths, but thin enough to soak in the marinade (I like a long, rectangular shape, or half moon)

• ~1 tsp. kosher salt

• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

• ~1 cup water

• 1/4 cup tamari, Nama Shoyu or soy sauce

• 1 tbsp. mirin or Chinese Shaoxing wine (opt.)

• A few dashes fish sauce

• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

• 1/2 tsp. gochugaru or crushed red pepper flakes

METHOD

• Place the sliced daikon radish in a large ziplock bag or a shallow pan/bowl. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

• Combine half of the water plus all ingredients for the marinade in a separate bowl. Pour over the daikon. You want the majority of the radish to be touching the marinade. If you need more liquid, add the other 1/2 cup of water.

• Let sit overnight in the fridge. Mix every few hours to incorporate the marinade on all sides. Pickles will keep for a couple weeks.

Enjoy this magnificent weather! 
The Clagett Farm Team

week 22 of 26 weeks: crunchy vegetables

We have some new items in your bag this week, so these photos might help you identify them.  Above, from left to right: watermelon radish, hakurei turnip, purple top turnip, sora radish and French breakfast radish.  You won't get all of these items this week, but it helps to see them all together for comparison. 

Bok choi and sunchokes (also known as Jarusalem artichokes)


These winter squash might look funny but they have knock-out flavor.  Clockwise from center: Thai kang kob, seminole and kubocha.  Don't expect to get many of these unique varieties, since they were experiments for us, but you might see one this week.  

Announcements

• If you want a chance to get outside and do something great for the world, plant trees this Saturday! And if you can't do it this weekend, there will be another tree planting November 14th. Here are the details, registration is required. All summer these trees have been growing in our nursery, and these two plantings on farms in northern Maryland will keep excess fertilizer out of the streams, carbon out of the atmosphere, and a host of other wonderful benefits.

• As we mentioned last week, we can use your help in the fields with harvesting and other field work, any day, Tuesdays through Saturdays. Call 301-627-4662 to sign up.

• We'll host an oyster pop-up in Annapolis on October 29th. And we'll have one on the farm on November 14th (details for that location coming later).

• We're still selling garlic! For CSA members, the prices are $8/lb or a discounted $6/lb for purchases of at least 10 pounds. Non-members pay $12/pound or $8/pound for 10 pounds or more. If you're purchasing more than 10 pounds for pick up at Dupont or Annapolis, please give us at least one day advanced notice so we can be sure to get it in the van for you. All the options are available for on-line purchase now. We do not ship or deliver, except to our CSA pick-ups.

• We have one more month. Your final week of shares is November 11, 12 and 14. Don't forget that you can't take more than 2 shares at a time. We can tell you at the pick-up how many you have remaining to use up.

This week's share

• 2 heads garlic

• 1 winter squash

• 1 pound radish and turnip medley

• 2 heads bok choi

• 1-3 eggplants

• 3/4 pounds peppers

• 1/4 pound sunchokes (this week only)

• Choose 6 ounces of greens from a selection of options

• Optional: 6 ounces of a mild or hot blend of chilies

Recipes

• Sometimes a basic stir fry recipe is in order. This one focuses simply on the bok choi. Consider adding chunks of winter squash, turnips and sunchokes.

  • Ingredients:

  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 shallot, chopped

  • 1 pound bok choi, rinsed and cut into bite-sized pieces (if you received a baby head, you can quarter the heads length-wise with the core intact)

  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce

  • Preparation:

  • Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add bok choi, soy sauce and 2 Tablespoons water, and cover immediately. Cook 1 minute. Uncover and toss, then cover and cook until bok choi is tender at the core, about 3 more minutes.

• As you might expect us to say, you can add the radishes, turnips, sunchokes, and all the new varieties of squash to the list of vegetables that roast well. Here's some hints for this week:

  • If you're in a hurry, cut your pieces smaller. The winter squash can take an hour to roast if you leave it whole or cut in half. But if you slice it thinly and coat each piece with a little oil, it could take as few as 15 minutes.

  • If you get a bumpy variety of squash, don't feel obliged to peel it. Thai kang kob and kubocha have thin, edible skins. The seminole has a tough skin, so you might try scooping it out of it's skin, once cooked, which is a little easier than peeling. The tough skin, by the way, is one of its assets--seminoles can store on your shelf for a year!

  • Sunchokes taste best if they are roasted until they are very soft through the middle, like potatoes.

• Soups are a perfect way to accomodate most winter vegetables, and sunchokes are no different. I'm going to give you the French style, with lots of butter and cream. Substitute for your dietary needs accordingly. I'm leaving amounts vague to encourage you to make it to your tastes.

  • Scrub the sunchokes and slice thinly. Attentive chefs (not me) will recommend peeling them and after slicing, putting them in ice water to retain their white color. Slice turnips and squash if you wish to use them. Note that squash with a green skin will change the color of the soup, so you might wish to peel it or leave it out for a different dish. Do you have carrots you'd like to use up? Slice them up, too. Don't be too concerned about the width of your slices, just be aware that fatter slices take longer to cook.

  • Choose a nice, heavy-bottomed dutch oven. Melt butter (think about 2 Tablespoons butter for every pound of vegetables in the soup). Add thinly sliced garlic and shallot to the butter until it is soft but not browned. Celery is also a nice addition at this point.

  • Add the sunchokes and other vegetables to the pan, then pour in stock (at least enough to cover the vegetables), and simmer until the vegetables are very soft.

  • Blend your soup. Now is the time to add salt, pepper and cream to your liking, but don't skimp--those ingredients are important. I like to use an immersion blender so I don't have to pour hot soup into a blender and back again.

  • Return to the heat until it's piping hot but not boiling.

• You might not need help coming up with salad recipes, but here's an interesting one from Farmer John's Cookbook (John Peterson is famous in farmer circles from Angelic Organics Farm in Illinois): Young Turnip and Apricot Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Creamy Greens Dressing. You could very easily include radishes with the turnips in this salad.

Coming Soon

• We've finally flattened the okra crop in order to get a good cover crop established. The cover crop (a combination of rye, vetch and crimson clover) will fertilize and protect the soil until May 2021, when we'll plant your peppers in that field. The okra plants measured in at 14 feet and 3 inches! It was our tallest okra crop ever.

• This is the last week of watermelon radishes, sora radishes and hakurei turnips. We'll continue to see purple top turnips and French breakfast radishes, and next week we'll add some daikon radishes to the share, which are quite large! Kimchi lovers, now is your time to shine! Kimchi, as well as other types of vegetables fermented in salt or whey, are magnificently healthy for your digestive system, and the pasteurized versions of pickles at the store don't have that same benefit. But not everyone loves the flavor. If you're new to the idea, check out anything written by Sandor Katz. Fermenting is incredibly easy, it doesn't require fancy equipment, and despite your fears, you won't mess up and make yourself sick.

• The eggplant and pepper fields were under-seeded with cover crop. Under-seeding allows the eggplant and peppers to continue growing, but the cover crop doesn't establish quite as well. Fortunately, we won't need their fields again until fall 2021, so we can grow a summer cover crop after this one to double our impact.

• The greens in your shares should remain about the same for the next several weeks, including bok choi.

Have a wonderful week, and thank you!
The Clagett Farm Team

Week 21: Crooknecks!

These are Pennsylvania Dutch Crooknecks.  They are an heirloom winter squash renowned for their great flavor and for the ratio of squash that is seed-free, making it a little easier to prepare.  Don't be intimidated by their size.  You can chop off the part you want to use immediately and keep the rest in your fridge for weeks.  Or you can roast the entire thing and freeze a bunch of it for some future use (soup is my favorite).  Or maybe you don't want to use any of it just yet? All of our winter squashes will keep for months, unrefrigerated, as long as they haven't been cut or nicked.  If you don't have plans for your crookneck, butternuts or acorns right away, tuck them on a shelf until you feel inspired--some wintery holiday when you can amaze your family with your fantastic pumpkin pie (crooknecks make a better pie than orange pumpkins anyway).   
 

Announcements

• Garlic - new wholesale prices
  You can now purchase 10 pounds or more for $6/pound ($8/pound for non-members)
  For fewer than 10 pounds, the price remains $8/pound for CSA members and $12/pound for non-members. Pay with cash or check (made out to CBF), or purchase on-line HERE. (For now, this link is for the $8/lb price only. We'll adjust for the new wholesale option shortly.)

• We're now welcoming volunteers on Saturdays! Our friends from the education department have gone back to their normal, educating duties, so we're hoping to get some help with harvests (Tuesdays and Fridays) and field work (Thursdays and Saturdays). We can take up to 10 people at a time, and adults can take one CSA share in exchange for 5 hours of work. Call the farm line to sign up: 301-627-4662.

• Do you have a lawn? As a steward of your land, the choices you make can either help clean the Bay or pollute it. You can sequester carbon or release it. TONIGHT the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Glenstone Museum are holding a webinar with experts ready to give you ideas, and none to soon--fall is the perfect time to establish new plants in your yard.

• Has this year inspired you to wonder why our food system is so fragile? Do you have ideas about how to make it more resilient? Future Harvest would like to hear your ideas! Let's use this crisis to create system that will stand up to our next crisis more successfully.

• If you're thinking of owning a farm business someday, a great place to start is with the Future Harvest Beginner Farmer Training Program. They are accepting applications now for 2021, and the deadline is soon--October 16.

This week's share

• 2 heads garlic

• 1 Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck

• 1 Eggplant

• 1/2 pound Sweet Peppers

• 1 Watermelon Radish

• 1 small piece of fresh ginger
  
  Choose one

• Spicy Mix (this week's blend is heavy with tokyo bekana, so it is quite mild)

• Arugula

• Tatsoi

• Collards
  
  You may also add on

• Okra - 6 oz

• Chilies, mild or hot - 6 oz

Recipes

           
Wondering what to do with a watermelon radish? Here are some great links for some ideas:

• https://grist.org/food/whats-a-watermelon-radish-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/ (pickling recipe)

• https://www.peelwithzeal.com/roasted-watermelon-radishes/ (roasting)

• Or you can just slice it up and add it to your salad! The green skin has some tough fibers, so we recommend either peeling off the green layer, or slicing the radish very thinly.

The Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck can be used the same way you would butternut squash.  The world abounds with excellent squash soup recipes, but if you haven't found one you like yet, here's a place to start: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/squash-soup-recipe2-1956330.  Don't add the honey until you've tasted the roasted squash--it might be sweet enough that you don't want it.  The cream and butter can be easily substituted with soymilk and olive oil.  Sometimes I add pearl barley to soups to make it a more filling meal.  And some other additions that I find delicious are blue cheese, harissa (or some smoky hot sauce of your choice) and a topping of roasted squash seeds.  Also, I sometimes use apples or apple cider as a sweetener instead of honey.  

Have you been roasting squash seeds?  Don't throw them out until you've tried it!  When you scoop the seeds out of your raw winter squash, pull them away from the stringy orange bits (no need to be picky--a little bit adds to the flavor), and put them on a baking sheet.  Pour a generous amount of olive oil on top and sprinkle some salt (smoky paprika and cayenne are also good additions, but keep it simple your first try).  Mix around the seeds so they all have a coating of oil, and spread them out on the pan.  Then roast them in a hot oven (400F is good) or even toasting in your toaster oven works.  Cook them until they're brown.  You'll often hear them start to pop when they're about done.  It helps to mix around the seeds midway, but is not necessary.   

That little piece of ginger in your share this week is a tiny nugget of gold.  It is packed with strong ginger flavor but without the fibers.  There's no need to peel it.  You can makea healthy, energizing tea with your ginger, toss bits of it in your smoothies, or use it as you would regular ginger in any recipe.  If you can't bring yourself to use it this week, you should freeze it to keep the strong flavor.  

Coming Soon

• Next week we're planning to harvest the bok choi, and it's beautiful.

• Once we've finished the watermelon radishes (next week? week 23?) we'll start giving out some daikon radishes.

• Next week we might offer a choice of some other unique squash varieties.

• The rest of the share next week should be about the same as this one. The peppers, eggplant and okra are slowing down, so those weights are getting lighter each week.

We'd like to end with this little gem.  We've been seeing tree frogs in our okra field.  Of the seven classes of vertebrate animals, amphibians (including frogs) are suffering the greatest rates of extinction, and they are particularly vulnerable to pesticides because they breath through their skin.  You can feel reassured that your organic farm is a refuge for these beautiful little creatures.  


Photo by David Tana.

Have a wonderful week, everyone,
The Clagett Farm Team

Another beautiful bag of vegetables

Lacinato Kale and Cabbage are freshly weeded and coming along nicely

Announcements

• Week 20 of 26! Just a month and a half left of fresh-from-the-farm salads.

• Garlic is still for sale in bulk!
  Only $8 per pound for CSA members ($12/lb for non-members)
  Pay with cash or check (made out to CBF), or purchase on-line HERE. This link is for CSA members only.

• We have some bad news. The sweet potatoes are not sizing up the way they normally do. We've never seen a sweet potato crop that looks so healthy and (relatively) weed-free but isn't growing potatoes. Our best guess is that much of the growing season was overcast, and the 2 fields they are in are shaded part of the day by tall trees. Thank goodness we had such a surprising abundance of winter squash! They substitute for each other nicely. We will wait as long as we can to dig the potatoes. You can expect to see a few in the last or penultimate share (week 25 or 26).

This week's share

• Garlic (2 heads)

• Acorn squash (2)

• Eggplant (1.5 pounds)

• Sweet Peppers (3/4 pound)

• White turnips & red radishes (a few)

• Green Tomatoes (a few)

• Choose one 6-ounce bag of greens: spicy mix (this week's mix is heavy on arugula), tokyo bekana (a mustard that looks and tastes like lettuce), red russian kale or collards

• Wednesday and Thursday get a small bag of green, yellow and purple beans. Saturday members got their beans last week.

• Optional: 1/4 pound okra

• Optional: 1/2 pound mixed chilies

Recipes

Winter Squash Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

Ingredients

• 1 head of garlic, top third cut off

• Extra-virgin olive oil, for rubbing

• 1 pound baking potatoes

• One 2-pound butternut squash (or other winter squash)—peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces

• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

• 1/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese

• 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

• Kosher salt

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

• 1 stick unsalted butter

• 10 sage leaves, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

• Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings, for serving

How to Make It

Step 1    

Preheat the oven to 375º. Place racks in the lower and middle thirds of the oven. Drizzle the garlic with olive oil, wrap it tightly in foil and roast on the bottom rack of the oven for 50 minutes. Lightly rub the potatoes with olive oil, prick them all over with a fork and bake on the lower rack for 45 minutes, until fork-tender. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Add the squash and rub with olive oil. Bake on the upper rack for about 30 minutes, stirring once, until soft.

Step 2    

Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins into a small bowl and mash to a paste. Peel the hot potatoes and pass them through a ricer into a large bowl. Add the hot squash to the ricer and pass it into the bowl with the potatoes. Let cool slightly. Add the egg yolks, ricotta, parsley, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of the mashed roasted garlic (reserve any extra for another use). Stir until combined. Sprinkle on the 1 1/4 cups of flour and gently stir it in. Scrape the dough onto a floured surface and knead gently until smooth but still slightly sticky.

Step 3    

Line a baking sheet with wax paper and dust with flour. Cut the gnocchi dough into 5 pieces and roll each piece into a 3/4-inch-thick rope. Cut the ropes into 1/2-inch pieces and transfer the gnocchi to the baking sheet.

Step 4    

Lightly oil another baking sheet. In a large, deep skillet of simmering salted water, cook half of the gnocchi until they rise to the surface, then simmer them for 1 to 2 minutes longer, until cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi.

Step 5    

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the sage and thyme and cook for 20 seconds. Add the gnocchi and cook for 1 minute, tossing gently. Season with salt and serve, passing the cheese shavings at the table.

 Make Ahead

The gnocchi can be prepared through Step 3 and frozen on the baking sheet, then transferred to a resealable plastic bag and frozen for up to 1 month. Boil without defrosting.

A few more recipes for winter squash that we liked:

• Black Lentil and Harissa-Roasted Veggie Bowl - I don't usually cook with black lentils, and found these delightful. If you can't find black lentils, try substituting with french lentils, which also stay relatively firm. I used a butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes and it worked beautifully. Also, I didn't have any fresh ripe tomatoes, so I threw some dried tomatoes into the lentils and that seemed like a good substitute. This recipe is vegan and grain-free.

• Creamy Squash Risotto with Toasted Pepitas - This recipe takes a little while. I made the squash puree on one day and then the risotto on another, so it didn't seem like such a bear. I don't normally keep white miso paste around but it was definitely worth having for this dish--it gives the squash a complex, umami flavor. And don't leave out the pepitas with smoked paprika--they do a lot to boost the excitement of this dish.

Coming Soon

• Still crossing our fingers for the first frost to hold off for as long as possible! For eggplant, peppers and okra, a hard frost will be their doom! Be sure to get your fill while they are still around.
  

• While the cool weather slows down some crops, it gives a boost to the greens, turnips and radishes. Watermelon radishes, bok choi and tat soi are all coming in the next few weeks.

Thanks so much for all your smiling faces.  It's certainly a relief to be part of a warm and inclusive community.  Robust health to you and all the people you love!
The Clagett Farm Team

Butternuts are the best

We sure do love this fall weather.  Can you believe this wagon-load of winter squash?  And there's more still to pick from the field!  Photos by Elissa Planz.   
 

Announcements

• CBF is hosting a Tuesday evening series of classes about the Chesapeake Bay and how to help. We're especially welcoming residents of Prince George's County and Montgomery County to this fall's series. Now is a great time to get involved. Learn more HERE.

• Your last week of CSA shares is November 11, 12 and 14. We are currently in week 19 of 26.

This week's share

• Garlic, 2 heads

• Winter Squash, 2 butternuts!

• Sweet peppers, 5-7

• Eggplant, 1 pound

• Green Tomatoes, 1-2

• Choose: quarter pound salad mix or half pound collards

• Choose: half pound chilies or okra

Recipes

• I love roasting vegetables. It's so easy! Give yourself time to heat up the oven to about 400 degrees F, roll your big chunks of veggies in oil and salt, lay them in a single layer on a pan, and about 25 minutes later (depends on size and vegetable) you have transformed your share to something even picky eaters can't resist. It's like magic. Be sure to include garlic and chunks of onion because they make the whole house smell fabulous.

• Epicurious posted a great guide to roasting vegetables. We pulled out a few of the relevant ones below:

  • Eggplant: You’ll notice that a lot of recipes for cooking eggplant begin by instructing you to dice or slice, then salt the pieces and set them aside to draw out the moisture. That’s great for sautéing, where the cooking is usually quick, but it isn’t really necessary for roasting eggplant.
    What is necessary: high heat and plenty of room. Crank the oven to 450°F, then toss eggplant with oil and salt, lay in a single layer on a sheet pan, and roast for 20–25 minutes, checking early if your pieces are small.

  • Peppers: What we tend to call roasted peppers aren’t technically roasted—usually. Instead, they’re blistered on a grill, under a broiler, or right on the eye of a gas stove until the skin is blackened. Then they’re placed in a covered bowl to steam, and finally the blackened skin is rubbed away with the help of a kitchen towel to reveal the tender pepper flesh. From there you can marinate them if you like.
    However, peppers can be roasted the traditional way too. Cut bell peppers in half to make boats that can be stuffed, then pull out the seeds and white pithy ribs by hand. Toss with oil and salt and roast cup side down at 375°F for 35–45 minutes. If you like, stuff with cooked rice or tomatoes and cheese and return to the oven to warm through or melt.

  • Winter Squash: Here we go with the pumpkin, the butternut, the acorn, the spaghetti, the kabocha, and all the many, many varieties of autumn and winter squash that abound throughout the year’s coldest days.
    Whether or not you choose to peel the squash is entirely up to you. I find that, generally, squash skin tastes great and peeling it only results in slippery, hard-to-handle veg. (Watch your fingers!) And for the squash skin that’s a little too tough to eat: The flesh scrapes away easily after it’s cooked.
    Squash roasts best when the flesh makes contact with the pan, but if slicing into a large, firm squash sounds like Dangertown to you, go ahead and prick it a few times to let the steam escape, then roast it whole (425°F for about 30 minutes), or prick and then toss it in the microwave to soften for about 8 minutes on high. Then halve or cut into slices, wedges, or chunks, discard the seeds, drizzle with oil and season with salt, and roast for another 20 minutes.
    If you’re roasting squash that hasn’t been precooked, turn the heat down to about 400°F and cook for 40–50 minutes, tossing once or twice, until browned.

U-Pick

• Not much has changed on the u-pick list this week, except that flower pickings are slim (the zinnias bit the dust) and the okra is super tall! To pick the okra, you have to gently bend the plant down toward the ground to reach the small pods about a foot below the tip of the plant.

If you can believe it, this was taken 3 weeks ago, and now the okra is over 12 feet! This photo of our normal-sized co-worker, Kellie Fiala, was taken by David Tana.
 

Coming Soon

• This is probably the last week of green tomatoes. Have you tried tossing chunks of one into your stir fry or salad? Or you can treat it like a tomatillo and make the last fresh salsa picante of the season.

• You'll start seeing a few sweet turnips soon to go with your salad greens.

• Hopefully the photos make it clear that you have lots more winter squash for the weeks to come, particularly acorn and butternut.

• Sweet potatoes still have a lot of sizing up to do. Let's hope we don't get an early frost.

• Peppers, eggplant and okra are hanging in there but have slowed way down. They'll die with the first frost. We're taking bets on how tall the okra will be before it finally dies (over 12 feet at press time!).

If you need to keep your spirits up these days, take a deep breath and enjoy this perfect weather.  There's all kinds of reasons to take to the streets these days.

Thanks so much for being our members,
The Clagett Farm Team

Acorn squash, and your first taste of fall salad greens

This week's share

Garlic - 2 heads
Acorn Squash - 2
Sweet Peppers - 4
Tomatoes - 1 ripening, several green
Salad mix - 1 small bag
Basil - 1 large bag

Optional:
Okra - 1.5 pounds
Hot or mild chili medley -  6 ounces
Eggplant - 2.5 pounds

*numbers vary depending on the size of the vegetables,
 everyone gets about the same weights 

The varieties in your salad mix, clockwise from bottom left: Red Russian Kale, Tokyo Bekana Mustard, Astro Arugula, Mizuna Mustard, Red Mustard, Tat soi.  Later, you might have a choice of some of these varieties alone, so this is your chance to try them all.
 

Next coming weeks... 

While things like the tomatoes have faded away, this weather has made room for the fall crops.  You'll get a tiny amount of salad greens this week just as a start.  Soon we'll also have kale and collards.  We expect to keep harvesting eggplant, sweet peppers, and okra until October.  And of course, you'll get garlic until the end!

As mentioned last week in the email we will be starting our sweet potato harvest in about a month and right now the field looks great!  In the meantime, we're giving out winter squash--you'll see us cycle through a number of different delicious varieties over the weeks to come.  
 

Reminders... 

Garlic for sale in bulk

Only $8 per pound for CSA members

(We'll be charging $12 per pound to non-CSA members once we know our CSA members have had their fill.)  

*Cash or check (made out to CBF), or purchase on-line HERE. This link is for CSA members only.

Note that streaks and spots of purple, black and brown are normal, natural colors to see on our garlic.  

Curious what the Chesapeake Bay Foundation is up to? 

There's a lot!  Here's just a few highlights:

• We just sued the EPA for failing to hold Pennsylvania accountable.

• Your farm just got a cameo in a snazzy video

• The education program has begun live on-line classes for students that are incredibly engaging, in spite of being confined to your computer screen.

U-pick 

Continue to sign up for u-picking through the link here: U-PICK SIGN UP

The following are available for u-pick:

• Okra (field B2)- This field is way out there, and you will need to walk a long way on foot to reach it. When you enter the farm you will keep right at the first fork to go towards the main office. You may park near the garage area and from here continue on foot up the road that leads behind the garage. As you are going up the hill you will be turning left once you see a covered firewood pile. The gate you come to is for the field B4, but B2 will be the small field connected to it in the far left corner. (Okra is an itchy plant. Please wear long sleeves and gloves, and bring pruners!)

• Flowers - You can pick any flowers you see on the farm. There are still zinnias in field D in the middle. The sunflowers in field G2 have matured into seed, which you can feed your wild birds or save to plant next year.

• Herbs - Everything on this list is behind the washing station. If you desire more Genovese Basil (the one traditionally used for pesto), it will be located down near the zinnias in field D (the big field you pass on your right as you're driving into the farm).

  • Basils (Genovese, Thai, Kapoor Tulsi, Aromatto, Round Midnight, Greek, Lemon)

  • Cutting celery

  • Garlic Chives (with edible flowers)

  • Lemon Balm (looking especially lush right now

  • Lemongrass

  • Lemon Verbena

  • Marjoram

  • Onion Chives

  • Oregano

  • Sage

  • Shiso

  • Sorrel

  • Spearmint

  • Sweet potato greens

  • Thyme

Feeling like Fall

This week's share

Garlic - 2 heads
Small Pie Pumpkin - 1
Sweet Peppers - 6 to 8
Eggplant - 2 to 3 
Tomatoes - 1.25 pounds

Optional:
Okra - 1.5 pounds
Hot or mild chili medley -  6 ounces

*numbers vary depending on the size of the vegetables,
 everyone gets about the same weights 


 

Updates

• Garlic for sale in bulk

Only $8 per pound for CSA members
(We'll be charging $12 per pound to non-CSA members once we know our CSA members have had their fill.)  
*Cash or check (made out to CBF), or purchase on-line HERE. This link is for CSA members only.
Note that purple, black and brown are normal, natural colors to see on our garlic.  

• Photographed above are some members of our crew (from left: Matt, Jared and Ronnie) taking back some of the flower and herb garden behind the wash station from all the weeds this past Saturday. Thanks guys!

• Remember when we forecast an early demise of the tomatoes and winter squash due to the frequent rains we had in June, July and August? We had 10 rain events in August for a total of 16 inches, which is a lot! The tomatoes gave us a bumper crop in their short lives, but alas, they've petered out prematurely. And yet! The winter squash looks amazing! This week you're getting a little pie pumpkin, which is both ornamental and edible. In the coming weeks, you should see some butternuts, acorns and more. We're relieved and delighted. And speaking of fall crops to come, the sweet potato crop also looks healthy and abundant. We expect to start digging them in about a month, and they need a week to cure.

• One of our members asked why we sell the garlic to you instead of including it all in your shares. Garlic is a high-value per pound item that stores well and lends itself to keeping some on hand to sell. It's also a crop that grows relatively easily for us, and we usually have more than most of our members want. It makes sense to give a moderate amount of garlic to all of you, and then sell the rest. That way we can make some additional revenue to help cover the cost of the tens of thousands of pounds of produce that we donate. This year, more than ever, we're having to grow more and spend more time packaging your shares, without charging more to you, our members. And consider, also, that you're getting a deep discount on garlic if you decide to purchase some extra. Thanks!

U-pick 

Continue to sign up for u-picking through the link below 
U-PICK SIGN UP

Please still note there is NO u-pick of tomatoes and chilies.  Those plants have slowed down production.

The following are available for u-pick:

• Okra (field B2)- This field is way out there, and you will need to walk a long way on foot to reach it. When you enter the farm you will keep right at the first fork to go towards the main office. You may park near the garage area and from here continue on foot up the road that leads behind the garage. As you are going up the hill you will be turning left once you see a covered firewood pile. The gate you come to is for the field B4, but B2 will be the small field connected to it in the far left corner. (Okra is an itchy plant. Please wear long sleeves and gloves, and bring pruners!)

• Flowers - You can pick any flowers you see on the farm, including the Sunflowers in field G2.

• Herbs - Everything on this list is behind the washing station. If you desire more Genovese Basil (the one traditionally used for pesto), it will be located down near the zinnias in field D (the big field you pass on your right as you're driving into the farm).

  • Basils (Genovese, Thai, Kapoor Tulsi, Aromatto, Round Midnight, Greek, Lemon)

  • Cutting celery

  • Garlic Chives (with edible flowers)

  • Lemon Balm (looking especially lush right now

  • Lemon Verbena

  • Marjoram

  • Onion Chives

  • Oregano

  • Sage

  • Shiso

  • Sorrel

  • Spearmint

  • Summer Savory

  • Thyme

  • New - We have a small patch of sweet potatoes in the herb garden which you may cut for their delicious greens.

 

Recipes

GRILLED EGGPLANT CAPRESE

Grilled eggplant caprese features perfectly grilled eggplant, juicy summer tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. It’s an easy, healthy and delicious summer dish perfect for using seasonal eggplant! (gluten-free, vegetarian, nut-free)

 

Ingredients

• 1 small eggplant, cut horizontally into 1/2” slices

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Coarse sea salt

• freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

• Slice eggplant, tomato and mozzarella into 1/2″ rounds using a sharp knife.

• Heat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat.

• Brush eggplant with oil on both sides and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

• Grill eggplant for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from grill.

• Arrange eggplant on a platter, alternating with tomato and mozzarella slices.

• Drizzle with balsamic reduction or balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Notes

• Don’t be afraid to oil and season the eggplant well! This will bring out the best flavor and texture.

• Serve warm, cold, or room temperature. Anything goes!

• Serve with toasted sourdough bread for a truly delicious meal, appetizer, or side.

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge

• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2” slices

• 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into 1/2” slices

• Fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

• Balsamic reduction, or balsamic vinegar
  
  
  

Thanks so much for being our members,
The Clagett Farm Team

Where did August go?

This week's share

Garlic - 1 

Sweet Peppers - 8 to 10
Eggplant - 1 to 3
Squash - 1 or 2 
Tomatoes - 4
Okra - 1 pound
(numbers vary depending on the size of the vegetables so everyone gets about the same weights)
Choice of hot chili medley, mild chili medley, garlic chives or tulsi basil
 

Updates

This week we will be starting to offer garlic for sale in bulk
Only $8 per pound for CSA members
(We'll be charging $12 per pound to non-CSA members once we know our CSA members have had their fill.)  Sorry, we misstated the price last week!  
*Cash or check (made out to CBF).  We'll have on-line payment for garlic set up soon.*
Note that it is normal for our garlic to have streaks of purple, black and brown.  We're not sure why garlic in the store is so much whiter--we attribute it to the varieties we grow and our natural process of curing.

There is NO u-pick of tomatoes and chilies.  Those plants have slowed down production.

This adorable skink caught Carrie's attention as she was photographing your chilies.  These native lizards are beneficial--they don't bite, and they eat insects.  Thanks, skinks!
The chilies in the photo at the top of this e-mail are arranged in order of heat, from least hot on the left to most hot on the right: Mellow Star Shishito, Bastan Poblano, Highlander Anaheim, Red Ember Cayenne, Aji Chinchi Amarillo, El Jefe Jalapeno, Hot Rod Serrano, and Hot Paper Lantern Habanero.  All of them ripen red except the yellow one, so the ones in your bag might be red (ripe) or green (unripe).  Both are hot, but the ripe ones might be hotter. 

U-pick 

Continue to sign up for u-picking through the link below 

U-PICK SIGN UP

The following are available for u-pick:

• Okra (field B2)- This field is way out there, and you will need to walk a long way on foot to reach it. When you enter farm you will keep right at the first fork to go towards the main office. You may park near the garage area and from here continue on foot up the road that leads behind garage. As you are going up the hill you will be turning left once you see a covered firewood pile. The gate you come to is for the field B4 but B2 will be the small field connected to it in the far left corner. (Okra is an itchy plant wear long sleeves and gloves, and bring pruners!)

• Flowers - You can pick any flowers you see on the farm, but in particular, the Sunflowers are blooming nicely (those are located in field G2, which is just past the washing station, where you pick up your share).

• Herbs - Everything on this list is behind the washing station. If you desire more Genovese Basil (the one traditionally used for pesto), it will be located down near the zinnias in field D (the big field you pass on your right as you're driving into the farm).
  Basils (Genovese, Thai, Kapoor Tulsi, Aromatto, Round Midnight, Greek, Lemon)
  Cutting Celery (this is a celery grown for its leaves rather than stems)
  Garlic Chives (with edible flowers)
  Lemon Balm (looking especially lush right now
  Lemon Verbena
  Marjoram
  Onion Chives
  Oregano
  Sage
  Shiso
  Sorrel
  Spearmint
  Summer Savory
  Thyme

 

Recipes

Roasted Pasta in a Dutch Oven

• One of your fellow members, Maria Foscarinis, recommended putting bow tie pasta into an oven-safe pot with the raw tomatoes and other ingredients of pasta sauce (chopped vegetables, garlic, onion, herbs) and roasting the mix in a hot oven until the sauce and pasta are cooked to your liking. Roasting the tomatoes intensifies the flavor and caramelizes some of the sugars, and there's no need to boil the pasta separately.

Stuffed Sweet Peppers

• Long grain white rice – leftover rice works great if you have some.

• Sweet Peppers- bell-shaped I cut tops off, others are halved

• Olive oil – only a little is needed for sauteing.

• Ground beef (optional of course can always sub in extra veggies!)

• Yellow onion and fresh garlic

• Tomato sauce

• Parsley, Oregano

• Mozzarella cheese

How to Make

Precook peppers so they are soft

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook rice according to package instructions.

• Meanwhile, trim about 1/4-inch from tops of bell peppers and halve smaller peppers, Then remove stems, ribs and seeds.

• Fill a baking dish just large enough to fit peppers with about 1/2-inch of water then place peppers upside down in water, cover tightly with foil and bake 20 minutes.
  
  Making the filling

• Meanwhile heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over-medium high heat. Add onion and saute 3 minutes.

• Move onions to one far side of the skillet. Add beef in chunks, season with salt and pepper then let sear until browned on bottom, about 2 – 3 minutes.

• Break up beef and toss with onions and continue to cook 2 minutes, add garlic and cook until beef is cooked through about 1 minute longer.

• Remove from heat!

• Stir in tomatoes, half of the tomato sauce (about 1/2 cup) save some to drizzle on at the end , cooked rice, parsley, Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  
  Mix it all together

• Reduce oven temperature to 350. Turn par-baked peppers upright and fill with beef filling.

• Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers. Cover with foil and continue to bake 20 minutes.

• Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese, return to oven and bake until peppers have reached desired tenderness, about 10 – 20 minutes (thinner peppers will be done near lesser time thicker near greater). Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm. Enjoy!

Thanks so much for being our members,
The Clagett Farm Team