ELIJA THYMES

Week One | June 10-14 | 2025

WEEKLY HARVEST

Hello 2025 Summer CSA Members!

Welcome to the first week of our summer vegetable and baked goods CSA.

Our share pick-ups begin this week at our farm located at 43 Foxhurst Road, South Huntington, NY 11746. When you pull into the farm, check in at the large CSA tent where you will pick up your box every week. If you are unsure of your selected pick-up day or have any other questions, please reach out by replying to this email.

Tuesday Pick-Up Members: June 10th between 4 pm and 7 pm

Saturday Pick-Up Members: June 14th between 9 am and 12 pm

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please do not discard your boxes! All shares will be packed in waxed cardboard boxes which will be reused throughout the season. Each member is allocated 2 boxes for the summer so that you can take home your share in the box if you choose. Please return your emptied box in good condition each time you pick up your new share.

Delivery Members: Your first delivery will arrive in the afternoon on Thursday, June 12th.

Please keep your box after emptying and set it out for our delivery service to return to the farm the following Thursday.

FARMER'S CORNER

Thank you for being part of the ELIJA Farm community and supporting our programs!

We are beyond excited to share the abundance of our small farm with you all this season. The fields are thriving thanks to the loving care of our crew members, volunteers, and learners. Members from 2024 may recall our frustrations with crops being decimated by wildlife but this year is looking like a far more fruitful harvest thanks to our new fencing!

We want to give a big shout-out to Steve Corey, a local farmer who generously donated deer fencing to the farm. This season, we installed a 3-dimensional deer fence using two rows of wire at different heights, spaced about four feet apart, creating a strong visual and physical barrier. Combined with a mild electric pulse, it’s been doing a great job keeping deer out. While CSA members won’t be able to loop around the whole farm this year—since the fence crosses the road in two spots—the good news is our veggies are finally safe from hungry visitors!

CROP OF THE WEEK: Swiss Chard

Chard is a vibrant leafy green that’s been eaten and cultivated for thousands of years. It originally came from the Mediterranean, and even though we call it “Swiss chard,” it has nothing to do with Switzerland—the name just stuck thanks to old seed catalogs. It’s actually in the same species as beets, Beta vulgaris, which explains the very similar earthy taste.

This veggie is super easy to grow and does well in both warm and cool weather. It has big, crinkly green leaves and bright, colorful stems that can be white, pink, orange, yellow. We’ve had to compete with deer in past seasons but thanks to our new fencing, we only have to worry about bunny and snail nibbles.

Chard is packed with vitamins A, C, and K, plus fiber and magnesium, making it a total powerhouse food. You can eat both the leaves and stems; tender baby leaves are great raw in salads while more fibrous mature leaves are best cooked like spinach. People have even used it in herbal remedies for digestion. Plus, it’s one of those greens that just keeps giving—harvest a few leaves, and it keeps growing back!

1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Stir in the garlic and cook over moderately high heat until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add the chard leaves in large handfuls, allowing each batch to wilt slightly before adding more. Season the chard with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the leaves are softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chard to a bowl. Wipe out the pot.
2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Add the chard ribs and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the wilted chard leaves and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with the lemon zest, and serve right away.