4th of July Week and Delivery Schedule Changes

Reminder: This week we are distributing vegetable and fruit shares. Next week we will be distributing vegetable, fruit, egg and dairy shares.

 

Delivery Schedule for the Week of July 4th

 

Tuesday the 2nd:

Allstate 2:30-5:30

Glenview 3:00-6:30

Evanston 3:30-6:30

Lake Forest 4:00-7:00

Grayslake Farm 4:00-7:00 (including members who normally pick up on Thursday)

 

Wednesday the 3rd:

Buffalo Grove 3:00-6:30

Barrington 4:00-7:00

Glen Ellyn 3:00-6:30

Clarendon Hills 3:30-6:30

Oak Park 4:00-7:00
 

Happy 4th of July!



The view from the hill north of our Brodhead farm.

This Week's Vegetable Harvest

• Broccoli
• Cucumbers
• Beets with Greens
• Basil or Curly Parsley
• Red Scallions
• Head Lettuce
• Asian Cabbage (Tokyo Bekana)
• Kohlrabi
• Zucchini/Summer Squash**

**This week we start distributing zucchini and summer squash on an every-other-week schedule. Half of you will receive it this week and the other half next week. The rotation will continue like that into August.


This Week's Fruit Harvest:

• Sweet Cherries
• Sour (Pie) Cherries
• Red Raspberries

In the Farm Kitchen

Sour cherries are rounder, softer, and more tart than sweet cherries. They can be eaten fresh, but we prefer to bake with them.  If you're not interested in making a pie, try a batch of muffins or the scone recipe that appears below. On a different note, don’t forget that tart cherries can be useful in creating savory dishes such as glazes and sauces for roast meats. If you aren’t going to use your cherries this week, pit them with a chopstick or a paring knife and pop them in a freezer bag for use later.
 

Beets are one of nature's superfoods. For an easy and healthy way to prepare beets, leave the skin on and cut them in halves or quarters, being careful to leave a bit of the root and about an inch of the stem on. Then steam or boil them until they are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork. Transfer to a cutting board and allow to cool before gently rubbing the skins off. Slice or cube them and toss with a light dressing. If you're short on time and don't feel like cooking beets, try grating raw beets on top of a salad for dramatic color and great crunchy texture.

This particular type of Asian Cabbage, called Tokyo Bekana, is a relatively new addition to our crop mix, and we really enjoy it. For those of you unfamiliar with Tokyo Bekana, it is the item in the box that has frilly yellow-green leaves and is banded with a twist tie. It's a great addition to our offerings at this time of year because it grows quickly in wet weather, and it matures sooner than traditional cabbage. Tokyo Bekana's mild cabbage flavor provides a nice contrast to the more familiar flavor of head lettuce. Like head lettuce, it can be used raw in salads and in much the same way as you would use Napa cabbage or bok choy. When sliced thinly and paired with an Asian-inspired or vinegar-based salad dressing, the result is a slaw with a nice delicate crunch.

Kohlrabi is a member of the broccoli and cabbage family. Kohlrabi forms when the stem swells to a fat little bulb right about the soil. Some varieties are purple and others are light green or white. The bulb is delicious peeled and eaten raw. Just peel it, slice thinly and serve with or without dip. The greens can be used like you would use kale, collards, and other hearty cooking greens. These types of greens become tender and delicious when simmered over low to medium heat for 30 to 60 minutes. Try sautéing onion and garlic in a pan (a little bacon would be the perfect addition) and then adding the greens to the pan along with some type of liquid-- vegetable broth, chicken stock, white wine etc. The key is not to rush things. These greens will taste best when they're nice and tender.

This Week's Featured Recipes

Sour Cherry Scones
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons, heavy cream
1 large egg
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen
1 cup sour cherries, pitted and chopped
3-5 tablespoons powdered sugar

Freeze the butter for at least an hour. When butter is ready, preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together egg cream. Using a cheese grater, grate frozen butter directly into flour mixture. When all butter has been grated into flour mixture, mix with a fork or whisk so that butter is fully incorporated. Add in the chopped sour cherries and mix again. Add egg-cream mixture and stir until dough comes together in a shaggy mass.

Remove dough to a flour covered surface and shape into an 8″ round, roughly 1 1/2″ thick. Using a knife dipped in flour, cut round into 8 triangles and separate. For softer scones, leave the scones together. For a crisper texture, place each scone at least an inch from each other on a parchment lined baking tray.

Bake 18-20 minutes if in a circle, or 15-17 minutes if separated, until scones are golden brown. Allow to cool before glazing. To make the glaze, combine sifted powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons cream in a bowl. Whisk together until glaze forms. Brush over cooled scones.


Tokyo Bekana Slaw
Serve this slaw alone or over cooked rice noodles. You could also use it as a filling for spring rolls, wrapped up with lettuce in rice paper wrappers.

1/2 bunch Tokyo bekana, shredded
1 kohlrabi, peeled and cut into matchsticks
 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Toss together Tokyo bekana and kohlrabi. Mix dressing ingredients in separate bowl, then pour over vegetables. Toss, then let marinate in refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.



Know Your Food, Know Your Farmers: A Profile of Tyler Kroll

Tyler has been a part of the Sandhill team since 2007. Being a farm kid himself, he has many skills that come in handy around here, and he approaches every job with an infectious sense of humor. He grew up on a farm nearby where he still helps his family run a corn maze and petting zoo. In the time he's been with us, Tyler has done almost every job on the farm--greenhouse seeding, tractor maintenance, field tillage, carpentry projects, weeding, harvesting, driving the delivery truck, working at the farmers market stand, and more. Tyler's been a key part of our success, and we can't imagine our farm without him! 

Information on Upcoming CSA Farm Picnics

Interested in learning more about how we grow your food? This summer we're hosting two CSA picnics -- one in Grayslake and one in Brodhead. Pack a picnic basket (don't forget plates and utensils),  bring your lawn chairs or a blanket, and come enjoy some time on the farm. Water, lemonade and brownies will be provided at both picnics. Walking tours will start around 3:30.

• Picnic at the Grayslake Farm--Saturday, July 20th, 3-6 p.m.
•  Picnic at the Brodhead Farm--Saturday, September 7th 3-6 p.m

The Brodhead picnic will include time to pick your own tomatoes. (All of our tomatoes are being grown at the Brodhead farm this year.) Members may pick up to 40 pounds of tomatoes (heirlooms, hybrids or paste tomatoes) per share. The first 5 pounds are free, and you may pick an additional 35 pounds for $1.50 per pound. Can't make it to the farm but still want bulk tomatoes? We will have pre-picked 20 lb cases of beefsteaks and romas available in September for delivery to your pickup site. Beefsteaks will be $30 per case and romas will be $35.  Please RSVP to jen@sandhillfamilyfarms.com and let us know if you'll be attending one or both picnics.

Next Week's Harvest (our best guess)... peas, potatoes, broccoli, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, arugula, blueberries and more!