Strawberries

I was not expecting strawberries already!  And they are beyond delicious!  And a dozen brown eggs!!!  John and Anna are trying to keep the boxes filled so they add a little surprise like the eggs until the produce really comes in and then boxes will be jammed.

Farm Day has been scheduled for Friday, June 10, 2016, from 1;00 to 4;00pm.  Not sure but this date may be changed to accommodate the English.  I'll let you know about that later.

Recipe Of The Week: Berry Smoothie

Berry Smoothie

1 1/4 cup of plain yogurt
1-2 Tablespoons of honey
1-2 cups of fresh or frozen berries
1 Tablespoon of flaxseed oil
1 Tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil

If you desire a sweeter finished product, add a little stevia.  Combine ingredients in a high-speed blender.  Smoothies should be consumed immediately or refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
Note: A banana adds extra sweetness.  Peaches can also be used, 1 cup or 1 cup of berries if desired.

First Box Has Been Delivered

Today is the first Tuesday delivery of the 2016 season!  I have my box opened on the kitchen table and the smell is beyond delicious!

Anna and John sent a newsletter in the box this week.  I m not sure if we will receive a newsletter each week or not.  All depends on how much time John and Anna have time to sit down and get one together.

They are excited about the new season and plan to fill our boxes with quality produce each week.  They will try their best to fill the boxes as equally as possible.

Looking forward to all the sweet smells of goodness that will fill my kitchen.

Recipe Of The Week: Creamed Eggs A La Asparagus

If you love asparagus, you don't need an excuse to indulge your passion.  It is not only a gourmet's delight but also one of our most healthful foods.  It is a rare food that has s many protective nutrients with so few calories.  Asparagus is chock-full of three based nutrients that can help us defend ourselves against cancer agents.  The three include three vitamins- carotene (actually pro-vitamin A ) and vitamin C- and the mineral selenium.  //consider its benefits to your heart.  With no fat, cholesterol, or sodium to speak of, as well as modest amounts of cholesterol-lowering fiber, asparagus is ideal for heart healthy menus.

Creamed Eggs A La Asparagus

Melt 3 TBS of butter

Blend in 3 TBS of flour, 1/2 tsp salt, dash of pepper and garlic salt

Gradually stir until thick and bubbly 1 3/4 c of milk, 1/2 c shredded cheese

Fold in and heat through: 5 hard-boiled eggs, sliced and 1 1/2 c of asparagus pieces, cooked and drained.  Serve over hot toast.

The Countdown Begins

A box of 2,000 plants waits to be planted.  Oh my gosh!  I asked John who many hired workers they had to help them.  He looked at me with a funny  look and then said , 'I have all the helpers I need right here (pointing o all his children.)

Some plants from the greenhouse...squash, cabbage,  kale and a few sugar snap peas.

onions

sweet potatoes

Some of the crops still need to be under row covers to stay warm.

sugar snap peas

Swiss chard

May 17 is the first schedule CSA drop-off and pick-up.  I think I will be waiting on the front porch.

Pre CSA Start Visit

I was able to make a pre-CSA visit to the farm on Saturday.  When I pull around the road where you first see the fields I saw Andy, John and Anna's 10-year-old son driving these two huge horses through the field.

These horses are huge!  And I worry about our 14-year-old mowing the grass without someone watching.

 always love seeing Amish laundry (any laundry for that matter) flapping happily in the wind.

Laundry everywhere you see.

The cow had a calf!  He is checking out the 'eating' chickens.

Andy was plowing the field to get out all the dirt clods.

Meet Freda (I named her)

And surprise...she has bunnies!  Which they had no idea they were getting.  Andy is pretty excited about it too.  I am getting  a white one when they are old enough.

They don't even have their eyes opened yet.

Now I have to tell on myself...how dumb can an English woman be?  We have the same rabbit feeders hanging on the inside of the cages.  They are a pain.  The rabbits knock them off all the time.  Andy looked at me like I was crazy when I got excited about finally seeing the correct way to put te feeder on the cage.  I can straight home and fixed Binker up with the correct...Amish told...way to hang the rabbit feeder.  Oh, the many things I have learned on the farm!

I think this might just be my favorite picture of all.  It is as close as I will ever get to having a picture of my Amish friends.  A Little child's footprint in the dirt.  Precious to me.

A Little FYI

  We want to Thank You for joining Cedarmore CSA for our 2016 season.

 How The CSA Pickups Work.

If you are going to be out of town and are unable to pick up your box on a certain pick-up date, you can notify us ahead of time. We will skip your share that week and double your share the following week. You are allowed to do this up to three times during the 2016 season.

   If you have something come up at the last minute and can not pick up your share at the scheduled time please notify us and we will contact the pick up location and do our best to arrange a time that you can pick it up. We want to do everything that we can to insure that everyone gets their produce, eggs and canned or baked goods.

 You can order extra items from the baked and canned goods sheet by e-mail before your pickup. We do need 3 days notice on baked goods though. We will send you an invoice at the end of the month for any extra items you have ordered. Please pay for these by mailing us a check. Please do not leave payment at the pickup location or in the empty box you are returning.

  We do want everyone to know that members are welcome to come out and visit the farm. Just let us know when you would like to come and we will set up a time with you.

   When you go to your pick-up location to pick up your CSA box, eggs or whatever else you have to pick up, please take time to be sure to pick up your stuff and leave the other people's stuff there. This can cause a lot of confusion and problems if you pick up the wrong stuff. If you are having someone else pick up your share please make sure and let them know that your name will be on the produce box. Eggs should be in a box or crate and there should be a sheet of paper on or by it with your name and how many dozen are yours. Most of the pickup locations are members’ homes and the boxes are usually located on the porch. We do ask that you please keep things as neat as possible and that you bring back your empty box from the previous week and flatten it and stack it neatly. It will help us out if you return empty egg cartons and berry boxes also. Besides helping keep our costs down, returning containers for reuse helps lessen the impact on the environment as well.

  We will be sending you an e-mail reminder before your first pickup.

   If you have any questions or need anything please let us know.

Cedarmore Farm@gmail.com