Greetings beloved Summer CSA Members,

Sarahlee here.  I’m the one that the majority of you check in with at the market.  
It’s a warm, late summer evening here at the farm. I gathered myself a melon and a few peppers.  I am about to prepare Ashanti and myself a simple dinner with the last tiny eggplants that were lurking in my fridge.  OOoo golly, with pork and cabbage, I savor these last bites of summer.

I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude this time of year.  As our last markets are in sight and the storage crops are coming in beautifully and bountifully, I think back to the talented, hard working, and positive team of people that gathered here during a particularly cool spring.  From tender greens to heaping summer bounty, it was our pleasure to fill your bags each week.  These days, we gather around our meals and explore the deep connection we have with the land and the reward of being so intimate with life-force each day.

We want you to know that we couldn’t do it without you.  We could farm for ourselves, but the magnitude of feeding hundreds of people each week, all year long, is downright addicting.  Thank you, each of you, for being part of this tremendous season and culinary adventure with us.  Thank you for your commitment to this farm, whose purpose is to change the world just a little bit.  
As we finish the season, we are walking our fields and greenhouses and taking note of our achievements and room for improvements.  We look through your feedback from the survey and we plan for an even better year next year.  We very much hope that you had a great experience this year and that you’ll be with us next season!

With gratitude and love,

Sarahlee

Tis the season of winter squash. As the weather is dipping down, we continue to wait for that frost that exposes all the winter squash and really sets them into sweet storage mode. (Fingers crossed it is still a couple weeks away). In the meantime, we are starting to chip away at the Winter Squash harvest. This past week we had Winter Luxury pumpkins and North George Candy Roasters. Who knows what this upcoming week holds.  (Shameless plug, don’t forget to purchase your Winter CSA HERE and have access to many other varieties of winter squash all through those chilly months!)

Less than 20 Winter CSAs left

I know, double sales day, but there are less than 20 Winter CSAs left. If you keep forgetting, now is the time to sign up for your monthly subscription!

• $169 per month
• 10 lbs mixed meat
• 1 crate of vegetables
• deliveries to Bend and Sisters on the first Thursday of the month or pick up at the Farm Store on Friday or Saturday following the first Thursday of the month.

Let us know if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you in November.

Vegetable CSA Harvest List

We think our foundation vegetables this week will include leeks, cabbage, and bok choy. We will let you know on Wednesday if that changes and how many other items you will get to select.

We have been keeping an eye on the hoops and 2-acre garden and have a pretty good idea of what is out there and ready to be harvested, but this is a Sunday estimation of what we will be harvesting on Tuesday. Also, because we have a market style CSA, this isn’t a guarantee of 1 of all these things for everyone. Instead, this will be the variety of what will hopefully (fingers crossed) have for you to choose from this week.)
 

Other Vegetable Options will probably include:

Meat CSA

This week our Meat CSA features beef! (And a very unique cut of pork for the large CSA members).

Recipe Corner

This week we feature a Sarahlee original, a recipe for pork jowl, and 2 easy week night recipes. Each of these feature things you can find in your Farm Share this week!

1. Cut and peel your 2 medium carrots into thin rounds. Dice your celery stalks into ½ inch pieces. Dice your onion into ¼ inch slices.
2. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Whilst it warms up, sprinkle your salt and pepper onto the pork cheeks, you can rub it into the meat if you want to.
3. Add a couple of tablespoons into a skillet on medium heat and add the jowls, cook until the surface is brown on both sides. It should take 3-5 minutes. Remove from the skillet using tongs and place on the side in a bowl.
4. Add your chopped vegetables to the skillet and saute. Then pour in your cup of chopped tomatoes, 2 cups of dry white wine, and your rosemary and thyme. Stirring thoroughly with a wooden spoon or tablespoon to ensure it’s all mixed.
5. Add your cooked jowl and stir everything together, making sure your meat is evenly coated. Simmer in the skillet for a couple of minutes.
6. Cover your skillet and put it in the oven for 1.5-2 hours until it is tender. You know when it’s done when the meat falls apart.
7. Serve up with your sides and be generous with the sauce when plating up.

1. Start by cleaning the leek: Trim the root end, as well as 1-3 inches off the dark green part (just whatever looks bruised/dry, see note below). Halve the stalk lengthwise and cut into thin half-moons.
2. Place leeks in a big bowl of water and swirl around with your hands while separating the layers to release all the dirt. Lift the leeks out of the water and place back onto your cutting board. If the water looks really dirty, repeat the process with new water.
3. Transfer the leeks to a large mixing bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients. Season to taste and serve immediately.

1. Add the oil to a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl to coat the entire surface of the pan.  Add the garlic and shallots, stirring continuously for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
2. Add the bok choy, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Toss to coat and cover. Cook for 1-2 minutes, uncover and toss, and then cover and continue to cook until bok choy is cooked to desired doneness (approximately 3-5 minutes more).
3. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and serve immediately. Enjoy!

We can’t wait to see you at market and don’t forget to pre-purchase your 2023 Summer CSA! We can’t wait to see you at dinner on June 8.

The Farm Crew