Sharing the Harvest

One of the joys of participating in Arctic Organics' CSA this summer has been sharing the overflow with others.

I felt like a real neighbor when I was able to offer watercress and collard greens to my next-door neighbor.

I felt like a philanthropist when I arrived at work with two-gallon bags filled with cauliflower and beets and onions and yes, more greens.

And I felt frugal and deeply connected and like one half of a good friendship when I asked a friend to gather our mail and water our plants while we were out of town--in exchange for our weekly bounty of vegetables. She in turn shared the veggies with her daughter and another of our friends, and it was a great opportunity for her to evaluate the CSA experience before signing up next year (she plans to!).

The online mag Grist has a post this week about single people and CSAs. We're only two in our family (well, three if you count the dog, Brady, who likes "Lettuce Day"), and while it's been a challenge to keep up with the harvest, it has definitely been worth the work. It has pushed me to make connections, be generous, be frugal, and be a friend. I'm about to re-learn how to preserve the harvest. It's a good thing, as Martha would say.

We'll probably try Full Circle Farm this winter, and it has more flexibility for family size. But I hope to be back with Arctic Organics next summer.

Disappearing Zucchini Orzo

A second recipe I was excited to try from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle was Disappearing Zucchini Orzo (another attempt to feed green things to my sweetie).


DISAPPEARING ZUCCHINI ORZO

¾ lb pkg orzo pasta (multicolored is fun)

1 chopped onion, garlic to taste
3 large zucchini
olive oil for sauté
thyme
oregano
¼ cup grated parmesan or any hard yellow cheese

Bring 6 cups water or chicken stock to a boil and add pasta. Cook 8 to 12 minutes.

Use a cheese grater or mandoline to shred zucchini, sauté briefly with chopped onion and garlic until lightly golden.

Add spices to zucchini mixture, stir thoroughly, and then remove mixture from heat.

Combine with cheese and cooked orzo, salt to taste, serve cool or at room temperature.


The verdict? My sweetie wanted seconds, and was disappointed when I took the last of the leftovers to work for lunch a few days later. Definitely a winner.

I'll do this one again and again, and try it with other shredded veggies. Maybe call it Hide-A-Veggie Orzo.

Arctic Organics Week Ten

Local vegetables follow t he season, wherever it may lead…
This is the time when we play Russian roulette with the first (usually light) frost of the season. There are many crops that need as much time as possible to mature and size up, but which are compromised by even a light frost. These include celery, fennel, peas, cut flowers, potatoes, and zucchini. We try corn, artichokes and winter squash every year, but loose just as often to the frost. Many vegetables thrive after the first frost, and that’s why we can plan on a growing season that extends into October. If we’re lucky and have no frost in late August, even the frost vulnerable veggies will have their hay-day in September. Thanks to all who were able to make it out for the Farm Day! It is a pleasure for us to share the farm with you! Enjoy!
- River and Sarah

Today’s delivery includes:
Cauliflower
Zucchini
Market Express turnips w/greens
Kohlrabi
Celery
Brussels sprouts tops
Chioggia beet greens
Mustard greens
Tat soi
Hon tsai tai
Spinach
Lettuce x 2
Watercress
Bianca di Maggio onions
Cilantro
ParsleyBasil

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

I read Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, earlier this summer, before the weekly waves of produce started arriving from Arctic Organics. I knew that our Alaskan veggies wouldn't be as diverse and abundant as those from Kingsolver's new home in Appalachia, but I was still excited to try some of the recipes.

Since my significant other isn't a big veggie-fan, I was particularly interested in the recipe for Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies.


ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
(Makes about two dozen)
1 egg, beaten
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Combine in large bowl.
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
Combine in a separate, small bowl and blend into liquid mixture
1 cup finely shredded zucchini
12 oz chocolate chips
Stir these into other ingredients, mix well. Drop by spoonful onto greased baking sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350°, 10 to 15 minutes.


So when it was finally zucchini time, I made the cookies. The verdict? Replace half the chocolate chips with walnuts. This is not a Toll House cookie, distinctively creamy, buttery, slightly salty. This is a cakey cookie, like individual, mini-quickbreads. It should be itself, not a just-missing approximation of its cousin, the Toll House.

Arctic Organics Week Nine

Heads are rolling!
Your bags are loaded with heavy headed veggies this week, including broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. We can’t hold them back! This sunshine is hard to argue with when it comes to a developing cauliflower head. We are losing five of our workers this week and next, not by our choice, but thanks to school and other obligations. So we are actually glad this large load of veggies is ready to harvest while the crew is still here. Enjoy!
- River and Sarah

Today’s delivery includes:
Beets w / greens
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Zucchini
Cabbage
Broccoli raab
Toscano kale
Celery
Red Giant Mustard
Arugula
Radicchio
Lettuce x 2Scallions

Arctic Organics Week Eight

August 7
Amazing vegetable growing weather!
This is dream weather for farmers: solid rain showers with beautiful sunny days in between. We have certainly paid our dues with les than ideal weather in the past. We had a couple of days off at Tangle Lakes this past weekend, so what do we do for fun? Pick blueberries! As if we don’t get enough picking in already! We savored the time away from the farm, as we are heading into the busiest part of the season, when, ironically, the crew thins out as they head back to school.
- River and Sarah

Today’s delivery includes:
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Zucchini
Market Express turnips / greens
Collards
Braising greens bunch
Spinach
Radishes
Arugula
Escarole
Lettuce x 2
Dill
Parsley
Basil

*Produce “cycling”When we have sugarsnap peas, cucumbers, tomatoes or other crops that we can’t supply to all of the subscribers in one week, we will rotate through the subscribers, using color coding on the checklist (in Anchorage), or by assigning them to an entire pick-up location. This ensures that every member gets its share.