Week 9                                                     Geauga County, Ohio                                                   Aug. 2, 2016

The Fair Share     

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"Organic farming appealed to me because it involved searching for and discovering nature's pathways, as opposed to the formulaic approach of chemical farming. The appeal of organic farming is boundless; this mountain has no top, this river has no end."
~ Eliot Coleman, pioneer organic farmer, author of The New Organic Grower and Four-Season Farm



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Share
Welcome to Week 9 of the Geauga Family Farms summer season! We are so thankful for everyone who made it out to last week's Farm Visit. It was a beautiful night of friendship and old-fashioned fun. With more than 100 members in attendance, we really appreciated the opportunity to share more about our program with you. We hope a fun time was had by all.

It's so appropriate that the memberships to the program are called shares. Each week we're delighted to have the opportunity to share the bounty of our farms with you, and hope you are sharing the produce with people you love.

Community supported agriculture is all about shared responsibility. Our members share the risk by investing in the farms at the beginning of the season, and we truly appreciate it. In return our farm families take on the responsibility of providing the best we can from our farms, no matter what the weather conditions, throughout the 20-week season. Your confidence in our ability to provide value for your investment is the basis of a business model that has made small-scale farming a viable way of life for our farms.

In the spirit of sharing, mark your calendars for Monday, Aug. 8. It's National Sneak a Zucchini onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night. The holiday was started as a way to share the wealth of overabundant zucchini crops. We welcome you to share the wealth of Northeast Ohio produce and join in this fun holiday. What surprises will you find on Tuesday morning?

Warmly,
Michelle Bandy-Zalatoris
~ with Laura Dobson, Rachel Machesky and the farmers of Geauga Family Farms
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In this week's shares
Look for some of these items in your share this week.

Lettuce (red leaf, green leaf, Romaine), kale (Lacinato, Winterbore), Swiss chard, basil, dill, sweet onions, storage onions, bunching onions, shallots, garlic, tomatoes (regular, yellow, heirloom, cherry), green and yellow beans, carrots, banana peppers (sweet or HOT*), green bell peppers, cabbage, watermelon, blackberries, cucumbers, pickling cukes, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, pattypan squash and sweet corn.

NOTE: Y ou 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.

*It's  pepper season! Hot peppers will be marked with a HOT sticker, but please exercise caution when tasting any peppers. Wash hands thoroughly after handling hot peppers and do not touch your eyes.
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Now in our farm store
Want to add some favorites to your weekly share or can a bunch of corn to eat all winter? Look for quantities of these items, small and large, in our farm store. Look for more items as we progress through the season. 

Dill - $2.50/bunch 
Yellow squash - $24/half bushel
Cucumbers - $30/half bushel
Bunching onions - $1.50/bunch
Sweet onions - $1.75 each
Green beans - $40/bushel, $20/half bushel, $12/peck
Kohlrabi - $2.50/a bunch
Swiss chard - $2.50 a bunch
Green leaf, red leaf or Romaine lettuce - $2 a head
Green cabbage - $2 a 2-3 pound head
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Peaches
We may have the opportunity to include locally grown (but not organic) peaches in the Standard + Non-Organic Apples shares a few weeks from now. We will also have extra peaches available for purchase. These are not yet available, but keep checking our farm store for availability.
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Fill your grill with grass-fed beef
We have decided to extend our grass-fed beef sale for one more week. Don't miss your chance to stock up on this delicious beef for $6 per pound or 10 individually wrapped pounds for $56. Find a link to our beef sale, here.
We also want to let you know that we are temporarily out of stew beef in our farm store. We hope to have more available soon. 
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Recipes
We include recipes each week using the items in your share. While our in-house chefs Rachel and Michelle always have 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 LDobson@geaugafamilyfarms.org.

We thought we would also provide some great grill options for those who do not eat beef. Here are some of our favorites.

Grilled Corn on the Cob
Gilled corn is simple and delicious. Leave corn in the husks and place over heat until the outside is charred and the inside is steamed - about 10 minutes. Turn a few times during this period to ensure even cooking. Pull back the husks and place corn back on the grill for a few minutes to char the kernels a bit. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt, pepper and a bit of smoky paprika.

Grilled Green Onions
2 Tbsps. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp. adobo
15-20 green onions (scallions)
Chop the roots off the scallions and a half inch off the top and line up on a cookie sheet in one layer.
Mix butter and adobo together and using your hand smear the butter onto both sides of the scallions.
Place on a hot grill for 3 or 4 minutes on each side or until they are wilted and slightly charred. Keep an eye on them - they grill quickly.

Grilled Peppers and Goat Cheese 
2 green bell peppers 
1 clove garlic, minced 
2 Tbsps. olive oil
1/2 cup goat cheese 
1 Tbsp. lemon pepper seasoning
Core and seed the bell peppers. Cut each into six wedges, and place into a resealable plastic bag. Add the garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Toss, seal, and set aside to marinate at least 20 minutes. 
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate. Stir the goat cheese and lemon pepper seasoning together in a small bowl; set aside. 
Cook the peppers, skin-side-up on the preheated grill until lightly charred, about 3 minutes. Flip the peppers over, and carefully spoon the cheese onto each pepper. Close the lid of the barbecue, and continue cooking until the bottoms are lightly charred and the cheese is warm, 2 to 3 minutes.
From AllRecipes.com

Grilled Corn Salad
4 ears of corn, do not shuck (or 2 1/2 cups frozen corn for the non-grill option) 
1 large red bell pepper 
1 5-inch long zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise 
1/2 cup chopped red onion 
1/2 cup chopped cilantro 
1 serrano chili pepper, seeded and minced (optional) 
1 tsp. ground cumin (best if you toast whole cumin seeds then grind) 
1/4 cup crumbly salty cheese such as feta or cotija (optional) 
2 Tbsps. olive oil 
2 Tbsps. cider vinegar or lime juice 
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Prepare your grill for high, direct heat. Oil the grill grates. Rub a little olive oil over the bell pepper. Place the corn (in their husks) and red bell pepper directly on the grill grates. (See our method for grilling corn-on-the-cob.) Cover the grill. Turn corn occasionally, so that every part of the husk is blackened. Turn the red bell pepper occasionally until the skin has blistered up all around it. This should take 15 to 20 minutes. For the last 5 minutes or so, rub olive oil over the zucchini pieces and place the zucchini pieces directly on the grill grate, cut side down. Turn them over after a few minutes when they have some nice grill marks on them. Let them cook for just a minute or two on the other side. 
Let the corn cool down for a few minutes and pull back the husks. Stand the corn husks vertically, tip facing down, in a large shallow bowl or baking dish. Use a sharp knife to make long, downward strokes, removing the kernels from the cob, as you work your way around the cob. Once the bell pepper has cooled a bit, remove the outer peel. Cut open the pepper, remove the seeds and stem. Chop the bell pepper into small pieces. Slice the slightly browned zucchini again lengthwise and chop into small pieces. 
Place grilled or toasted corn kernels, chopped bell pepper, chopped zucchini, red onion, cilantro, and serrano (if using) into a large bowl. Add the cumin, olive oil, vinegar or lime juice, and crumbly cheese (if using). Mix gently. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature. Serves 4.
From Simply Recipes

Spiced Roasted Chickpea Pitas with Quick Pickled Kohlrabi and Tahini Drizzle
Serves at least 2
For the chickpeas:
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, or equivalent amount cooked yourself
2 Tbsps. olive oil
2 tsps. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1 healthy squirt Sriracha (optional) if you don't like it spicy you could add 1 clove or garlic grated instead.
Salt to taste

For the kohlrabi:
1/2 bunch of green onions, sliced on a bias or 1 small to medium red onion (Candy knob are my favorite!) sliced thin
2 medium to large kohlrabi, peeled and julienne
1 Tbsp. honey, or sweetener of choice
1 cup apple cider or rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. salt
1 cup water

For the tahini drizzle:
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup tahini
Salt and pepper to taste

Pitas
Parsley or cilantro for garnish

Mix all of the kohlrabi ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (overnight is best). Drain before serving.
Preheat oven to 400. Mix chickpeas, olive oil, spices, hot sauce and salt. Spread into single layer on a cookie sheet and bake until crispy, about 20-30 minutes turning a couple of times.
Add all tahini drizzle ingredients together in a jar and shake until combined. (Make extra - this is great as salad dressing or veggie dip too!)
To assemble, add chickpeas to pita, top with pickled kohlrabi and tahini drizzle. Garnish with herbs if desired.
Enjoy!
Recipe from GFF member Natalie Gertz-Young, who picks up at our Eltech Building pick-up site in Chardon
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Member of the week
Charlotte, whose dad picks up at our Peace Lutheran Church site in the Chardon area, was excited about all the produce her dad brought home last week. 
"Our vacation hold extra gave us the perfect am ount o pickling cukes for me to make a batch of sweet, spicy  dill pickles without having to go seek out extras," dad Matt said. Matt suggested we include a recipe in this week's newsletter, so here you go!

Refrigerator Pickles: 
Simple, Delicious Dill Pickles
1 quart jar with a lid
2-3 cucumbers (as many as you can fit in the jar)
5 sprigs of fresh dill (or 1 Tbsp. dry dill)
2-4 cloves of garlic (or garlic scapes), crushed and minced 
3 Tbsps. white distilled vinegar 
½ - 1 Tbsp. kosher salt, to taste 
Distilled or filtered water - enough to top off jar 
20 black peppercorns, optional 
¼ tsp red pepper flakes, optional 

Cut pickles into discs, spears, or sandwich slices and add to the jar with all ingredients except the water. Once everything is in the jar, fill to the very top with distilled or filtered water and screw lid on very tightly. 

Shake the jar up to distribute flavors and leave on your countertop for 12 hours. Shake again and turn upside down for another 12 hours, making sure the lid is screwed on tightly to avoid leakage. After pickles have sat for a total of 24 hours go taste your creation - you won't believe how good they are! Store in refrigerator and enjoy within a month for maximum freshness.
Notes From the Kitchen
Don't limit yourself to pickled cucumbers, use this recipe with just about any vegetable. We omit the dill and use the recipe for okra, bell peppers, and more. Adjust the spices and be creative because there are so many possibilities.
Sometimes we eat our pickles within a few days. We hate to waste the well-seasoned liquid mixture, so when they disappear too quickly we just pack more fresh cucumbers in the existing liquid. We add a touch more vinegar and top off with more water.
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Area events

Food Choices
Aug. 21
The Capitol Theater,  1390 West 65th St.,  Cleveland
Pre-film reception at 4 p.m., f ilm at 5 p.m., followed by Q & A
Join award-winning filmmaker Michal Siewierski on his three-year journey to expose the truth about food choices. This ground-breaking documentary explores the impact food choices have on people's health, the health of the planet and on the lives of other living species. It also discusses several misconceptions about food and diet, offering a unique new perspective on these issues. The movie features interviews with 28 world-renowned experts.  This film will change the way you look at the food on your plate.  Tickets are $20 and include the reception. Cash bar by Cleveland Cinemas.


FARMAFARE: a celebration of local foods
Sept. 15, 6 p.m. cocktails, 7 p.m. dinner & presentation
The Holden Arboretum, 9500 Sperry Road, Kirtland
The Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District has given local food, farmers and chefs the spotlight at its annual meeting since 2012. This year, FARMAFARE will feature a farm-to-table dinner prepared by local chefs with locally produced beverages. All proceeds support the Lake SWCD. To order tickets or for more information, visit the FARMAFARE listing on Eventbrite, call 440-350-2730, or email soil@lakecountyohio.gov.
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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 and things like the farm bill, the latest news on GMO foods, and much, much more, but we don't want to make our newsletter any longer. Until we get our blog up and running on our website, we are going to include links to articles that you may find interesting. Here are a couple. If you run across any articles you think would be of interest to our members, feel free to send us the link for inclusion here.
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CONTACT US
(Between the regular business hours of 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Saturday ONLY PLEASE!)
 
Farm Representatives

Laura Dobson, 440-478-9849, LDobson@GeaugaFamilyFarms.org
Rachel Machesky216-246-8254, RMachesky@GeaugaFamilyFarms.org
Michelle Bandy-Zalatoris , 216-321-7109, MichelleBZ@GeaugaFamilyFarms.org

Geauga Family Farms, Middlefield, Ohio 44062