Week of 8/29

In your box this week: lettuce, swiss chard (half shares), salad mix, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, parsley, yellow squash, carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, cantaloupe, onions, peppers, eggplant (half shares), watermelon (in separate crates).

Coming next week: cucumbers, zucchini, sweet corn, leeks, tomatoes, watermelon?, lettuce/salad mix, beans?, cantaloupe, cilantro, kale, Swiss chard (for full shares), basil?

Notice! We will have watermelons at your pick-up site, but they are not in your box. Both full shares and half shares can take one from the black crates.

Peaches coming today
For those who ordered peaches, they will be delivered today. We will not be putting a bill in your box. If you ordered 13lbs your total is $23 and if you ordered 25lbs your total comes to $43. Just mail us a check made out to Springdale Farm (address below). If the boxes that the peaches came in are still in good shape you can return them, and the same with the cherry boxes.

Visiting the farm
Several of you have requested a date when you can come to the farm. Next week Monday is a holiday for many of you, but we will still be harvesting and packing veggies so if you'd like to come help, you'd be welcome to! We will be planning another Saturday in the fall when we will have our annual farm day and pot-luck, but we have not decided on a date yet. We will let you know next week!

Organic pork, and chickens, and grass-fed beef available
Our final supply of organic pork is in the freezer and we'd love to find a home for it! The hogs were raised organically and their processing included no msg, nitrates, and the like. We are selling the hogs by the quarter, and the cost for a 1/4 hog which receives all of the steaks, chops, and hams is $4 per pound, and includes 40-45 lbs of meat (the approximate equivalent of a full share sized box). There is an additional $20 charge if you want the ham and bacon smoked. Approximately 8-10 lbs of the meat will come to you as ground pork, unless you'd like it made into breakfast links and/or brats, in which case there would be an additional $15 charge.

Chickens will also be available in a couple of weeks. They are free-range and their feed did not contain hormones or antibiotics. We sell only the whole chicken, and they weigh approximately 5 lbs. The cost is $2.50 per pound, and if you buy 10 chickens, you'll get the 11th free.

We have a limited supply of both chickens and pork, so we're selling it at a first come, first served basis.

The grass-fed beef will also be available later in the fall.

September 1st installment checks
We will be depositing the final installment check next week, a day or two after September 1st.


Recipes: Swiss Chard Ribs with Pasta and Cream (serves 4)
1 lb swiss chard, yielding 2 cups of chopped ribs
1/4 cup (half a stick) butter
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
Enough dry pasta to make about one quart of cooked pasta (use rice pasta if gluten-free is required)
Salt and pepper
1 Separate the ribs from the greens. (Check out http://www.somethinginseason.com/2006/03/preparing-leafy-greens-cutting.html for an easy way to do so.) Cut the ribs into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces. Blanch the ribs in lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes.
2 Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the drained, blanched ribs and simmer for 4 minutes. Add heavy cream and cook until cream reduces by two-thirds.
3 While the cream is reducing, cook up your pasta according to the pasta's package directions.
4 Mix creamed chard with pasta. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper.

White Bean Soup With Swiss Chard from Amy Stanley
8 ounces great northern beans
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped (red & white)
2-3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 lb red swiss chard, ribs and leaves coarsely chopped
5 cups vegetable broth
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with water. Let them soak overnight.
2. The next day, drain the beans, reserving 2 cups of liquid.
3. In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and saute for an additonal 3 minutes. Add the chard and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, reserved bean liquid, beans, garlic and bay leaf. Partially cover and simmer for 1-2 hours, until beans are tender.
4. Remove bay leaf. Puree half of the soup in a blender. Return to pot with remaining soup. Add salt, pepper and parsley.

Juicy Sauteed Swiss Chard
1 bunch swiss chard
2 tsp sugar
2Tbsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp tabasco sauce
1 small onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 medium tomatoes
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
salt & pepper
Trim and chop chard, dicarding any tough stems. In a large skillet, heat olive oil, add onions and garlic, and saute 2-3mn until softened. Add chard, tossing to coat leaves. Cover pan with lid and heat 3-5 mn until chard is wilted and tender. Add tomates, vinegar, sugar, tabasco sauce and basil. Heat 2-3 mn. Remove from heat; mix in sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 4-6 servings.


Crustless Swiss Chard Quiche from recipezaar.com
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 sweet onion
1/2 bunch swiss chard
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese
4 eggs
1 cup skim milk
salt
pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Wash and dry swiss chard. Cut off the very ends of the stems. Roughly chop (leaving stems intact) the chard.Add onion and Chard to the oil and saute until stems are tender (do not overcook). Add salt & pepper to taste.Meanwhile, grate 2.5 cups of cheese. Use whatever varieties you want/have. Be creative! I used Swiss, Cheddar, Parmesan, and Cojito.Wisk eggs. Add milk and cheese. Fold in the onion/chard mixture. Add salt & pepper to taste, if necessary.Pour into a pie dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and no liquid seeps when you poke it with a knife.

Have a great week!