Week 2                                  Geauga Family Farm CSA                             June 22, 2018 

The Fair Share     

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Round 2 of 20
Welcome to Week 2 of the of the 2018 summer season.
 
For the most part things went well last week. We had a few glitches, but nothing serious. That's to be expected the first couple of weeks. We think we have everyone covered now. If you have any questions or find that something is amiss, please send us an email.  
 
A few tips for new and returning members alike:
  1. Remember to add a weekly calendar reminder to your smart phone - even we have forgotten to pick up our share from time to time.
  2. Like and Follow our Facebook page for up-to-the-minute updates, vegetable ID, to share recipes and just to be part of the GFF community.    
  3. READ OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER! We can't stress this enough. This is where you will find all the info you need - recipes for those unusual/unfamiliar veggies, any changes in delivery, tips and tricks for handling the items in your share and much, much more. And, all our newsletters are archived on our website so you can look back at previous newsletters for additional recipes.                            
Remember, if you're not already a member, there are no deadlines for signing up - you may sign up at any time during the season for a pro-rated cost. 
 
Going on vacation? No problem! Simply go into your account and put your share on hold; you will receive an extra share later in the season. Those who have custom shares will need to put your share on hold when going on vacation, but do not have to ask for a double box when you return. Just place your order when you return with a list of what your needs are as you need it. The dollar value for the custom share remains in your account for the rest of the season until needed. 
 
We are still accepting more members, so refer a friend and receive a $20 Farm Store credit. (Referral must be for a new member's first-time sign-up.)  
 
Thank you for your support of our program and the local food movement!

Warmly,
John Egan, Constance Hendrick  and the farmers and families of Geauga Family Farms
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Corrections, changes
Eddy's Fruit Farm time change: 
The truck will stay Tuesdays from 5 - 6 p.m.  
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In this week's shares  
Look for some of these items in your share this week:
 
Radishes, lettuce (red leaf, green leaf, Romaine), Swiss chard, kale (Lacinato, Winterbore, Red Russian), kohlrabi, green garlic, garlic scapes, sweet onions, spinach, beets, large or medium tomatoes, basil, zucchini, yellow squash and peas.

NOTE:  You will not receive all of the types of produce listed above. This is a list of possible items. Different size shares and shares received at different times of the week may include different items.
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Tips & tricks  
Glorious Greens
Some tips to get the yummy greens onto your plate.
Why is your lettuce looking limp?  Most vegetables have a high water content, but once they are harvested, they have a limited water supply to draw from. To revive your lettuce, it simply needs to be rehydrated. Submerge your lettuce and other greens such as arugula and baby spinach in a cold water bath for 20 minutes or more (cut off any browning leaves before soaking). For heartier greens like collard, chard, kale, beet leaves, etc., trim the ends and stand them upright in a container so water can be absorbed thru the stems. Storing greens that are wrapped in a paper towel in a plastic bag also helps retain moisture.
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Organic food is good for you  
Swiss chard
According to  whfoods.org, recent research shows that Swiss chard is especially good at moving minerals from the soil into its leaves; magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and zinc. Soil quality can be of particular importance. Certified Organic Swiss chard was high in levels of essential minerals and low in potentially toxic elements like cadmium, when compared to conventionally grown greens.
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Now in our farm store  
Want to add some produce favorites to your weekly share? You'll find the following items in our farm store  here. Look for many more items as we progress through the season. Remember, we always have eggs, bread, maple syrup, honey, jams and other items available in our farm store.

Beets - 1 bunch for $3.50 
Lettuce: Romaine, Red or Green Leaf - $3 
Chives - $2.25  Spinach - 8 oz. $3.50 
Collard Greens - $3.75 
Sweet Onions - $2.50 
Cucumbers - 1 for $2.25 
Swiss chard - $3.75
Garlic scapes - $2/bunch 
Tomatoes - Large $4, Medium $2.50   
Green garlic - 1 for $1.75, 2 for $3  Yellow squash - $2 
Kale - 1/2 lb. $2.50, 3/4 lb. $3.50  Zucchini - each $2.10, 2 $3.50 
Kohlrabi - $3.50 
 
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Recipes
We include recipes each week using the items in your share. While we always find great recipes to share, we'd love for you to send us your favorite recipes as well. We will include them in the next newsletter. Please e-mail them to JEgan@geaugafamilyfarms.org.

Here are a couple quick and easy recipes perfect for summer when we know you want to be in and out of the kitchen quickly and back outside to enjoy the warm weather.

Grilled Garlic Scapes 
Garlic scapes (rinse and trim off hard cut edge)
2 Tbsps. olive oil
Black pepper to taste
Sea salt to taste
Gather a few scapes and bundle together simply by looping one end to the other like step 1 of tying your shoe lace. Massage oil onto garlic scapes, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Prepared scapes can be tossed on a low- to medium-flamed grill, or onto a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven. For either method, brown on both sides until they are soft on the inside and crispy green and golden on the outside. Serve hot with salt, pepper and a little more oil if desired.

Roasted Swiss Chard with Feta 
"Our family could not believe how delicious this was. Double this recipe if you are a large family of veggie eaters." ~ Connie

1 bunch rainbow chard (pull off the leaves from the stems separate and chop stems, leaves to bite size)
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste (Also good with a touch of your favorite spices; we like it with garlic salt.)
2 Tbsps. olive oil                             
4 oz. feta cheese, broken into 1/2-inch pieces
Preheat an oven to 350. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
Toss the chard stems and onions in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with spices (salt, pepper etc.) to taste, and spread onto the prepared baking sheet (lightly oiled}.
Bake in the preheated oven until the chard stems have softened and the onion is starting to brown on the edges, about 15 minutes.
Toss the chard leaves with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and black pepper. Sprinkle the leaves over the stem mixture, then scatter the feta cheese over top.
Return to the oven, and bake until the stems are tender, the leaves are beginning to crisp, and the feta is melted and golden, about 20 minutes.
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Local food, farming, environment in the news
We have so many things we'd like to share with you regarding the local food movement, what is affecting the food you eat and the world around us, and much, much more, but we don't want to make our newsletter any
longer. So, we include links to articles you may find interesting. Here are a few. If you run across any articles you find interesting and think other members would be interested in reading, feel free to send us the link for inclusion in an upcoming newsletter.
CONTACT US
(Between the regular business hours of 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Saturday ONLY PLEASE!)
 
Farm Representative

John Egan, 440-749-6137, JEgan@GeaugaFamilyFarms.org  
Constance Hendrick, 214-636-0335, CHendrick@geaugafamilyfarms.org

Geauga Family Farms, Middlefield, Ohio 44062