The Smell Of The Box Makes My Mouth Water

Almost all the colors in the rainbow in the boxes this week.  There might be some little purple onions under the zucchini and yellow squash.

This week we got some peanut butter bars with chocolate chips in them.  They lasted maybe two hours!  Delicious!!

Recipe Of The Week: Strawberry Bread

Strawberries are perhaps American's most popular fruit.  They are extremely versatile and are easily adaptable to most areas of North America.  Strawberries burst on the summer scene with a flare of color and flavor in June in most areas.

To start your own strawberry patch, buy plants from a reputable nursery to avoid spreading disease.  Plant strawberries in the spring, setting the crowns at ground level so no roots are exposed.  Allow 24 -inches between plants and 4-5 feet between rows.  This is the hardest part...Remove any and all flowers that develope the first summer to help promote growth in the mother plant and the daughter plants that develop from runners.

To get more even spacing, runners can be hand spaced, allowing a minimum of 4-inches between plants.  Spacings of less than four inches will decrease the size and yield of your bed.  Too many strawberry plants inhabit production just like weeds do.

Weed control is critical during the first summer.  Frequent hoeing around the mother plant before runners set and tilling between the rows is advisable.

In the fall, cover the rows with clean straw mulch.  Straw with a lot of weeds in it will seed new weeds all over your strawberry patch.  The mulch will protect the plants from extreme cold and will keep the ground from going through root damaging freeze/thaw cycles.  Remove the straw in the spring once new growth is beginning and put it in between the rows.  It will make picking more pleasant and help keep the weeds from growing.

Strawberries are irresistible picked fresh from the garden.  The ones that make it to the table, are excellent plain, with sugar and milk, in pies, in sauces, or cooked into jam.

Nutritionally, strawberries are a good source of vitamin C, folate and potassium.  In addition, they have bioflavonoids that help reduce the risk of cancer.

Yield:  1 quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds
1 quart fresh equals approximately 1 pint of frozen mashed or sliced (yield depends on the size of the strawberry)

STRAWBERRY BREAD

3 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of soda
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
3 eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup of vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups of sliced strawberries, drained
1 cup of chopped pecans (optional)

Combine all dry ingredients.  Add eggs and oil, stirring briefly.  Fold in berries and nuts.  Spoon batter into two 8x4 buttered loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour.  Freezes well.

Strawberries Are Hiding In Here

cabbage, lettuce, inions,  Swiss chard, asparagus, and strawberries

Tonight for dessert and tomorrows breakfast we are enjoying some delicious cinnamon rolls.  They are making my mouth water!

Recipe Of The Week: Asparagus Parmesan

Asparagus Parmesan

1 1/2 pounds of asparagus, washed and trimmed
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon of salt1/4 teaspoon of pepper

Cook asparagus 5-7 minutes or until tender crisp.  Melt butter in a casserole.  Place drained asparagus in the butter.  Combine remaining ingredients and sprinkle on asparagus.  Bake at 450 degrees for 5-10 minutes or until Parmesan cheese is melted.

Momma Is Going To Love This One

I might just have to have a little before dinner dessert tonight.

Let me see if I can remember all there is in the box this week...asparagus, Swiss chard, spinach, onions, red and white carrots, kale, lettuce...maybe a few more things.

Check out the recipe of the week for Chard Soup.

Recipe Of The Week: Chard Soup

Chard Soup

8 cups of chard, finely chopped
1 cup of sliced celery
1 cup of chopped onion
2 Tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons of butter
2 large potatoes, peel and diced
5 cups of broth or water
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste
pepper

Separate chard stems from leaves.  String any tough stems and slice them.  In a large kettle saute the sliced stems, celery and onions in the hot oil and butter for 5 minutes.  Add potatoes and broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer 15-20 minutes.  Stir in the chard leaves and cook 4-5 minutes.  Season to taste.

First Boxes Have Been Delivered

It was great to see Rue and his sidekick today for the first box of the season!  I think you will be surprised by what you have and how great it all looks and smells.

lettuce, Chinese cabbage, green onions, radishes, cucumber, asparagus...

The eggs for the Eggs Share looks so pretty.

For hosting a drop-off location I chose baked good share.  There might be only two of these chocolate chip cookies left.

A couple of new things...there will be no newsletter in the boxes this year.  With a new baby and a growing family, not to mention a growing CSA, there just isn't time.  Remember that John or Anna have to write the newsletter out by hand then deliver it to Rua and Susan.  Then they need to type and print it and take it back down the road to Cedarmore for it to be folded and placed in each box. So I have the Amish cookbook and I will choose a recipe that contains one or more items in the box each week.  Usually, the recipe will be published after the blog under Recipes. If you should have a recipe that you would like to share with the rest of us, please feel free to send it to me at itsahoot24@aol.com.  Please write RECIPE in the subject line so I don't miss it in case it goes to my spam folder.

And lastly, please remember to bring back boxes, jars, containers, egg cartons so they can be used again.  Also, please remember to break down your empty boxes and return them to the host house.  We ask that you keep them in a neat pile.  It helps Rue when he packs them back in his van and returns them to Cedarmore.

Looking forward to a great year!

Recipe Of The Week: Asparagus Vinaigrette

Asparagus Vinaigrette

2 pounds of cooked and chilled asparagus

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

1/2 cups of olive or vegetable oil

2 Tablespoons of chopped shallots or onions

Whisk together all but asparagus.  Pour over asparagus.  Serve chilled

It's Finally Time

Next Tuesday, May 15 and Friday, May 18 our first CSA box will be deliveres to eyour hosts house and ready for you to pick-up!

Don't Miss Out

  We are sold out of spring and all seasons shares but still have plenty of summer and fall shares. The deadline for summer and fall is June 1st