CSA #11

Dear CSA-ers,

This week’s preassembled bag will include Kohlrabi, Collards, Spring Mix, Lovelock Head Lettuce, English Green Tasty Burpless Cucumbers, Parsley, and Gemstone Baby Mustards Mix. Custom orders may be placed between now and Tuesday night on the website at: https://magneyfarm.locallygrown.net/market
Some weeks of farming are more difficult than others, and this was certainly one of the difficult ones. Having two employees gone last week meant there was a lot of catching up to do. Tensions ran high as the incessant rain and muddy ground frustrated efforts at both planting and harvest. On top of that, we were visited by deer for the first time this year. Deer are without a doubt our most damaging pest. They can annihilate an entire crop in a few of evenings. They are particularly fond of romaine and beans. We suffered great losses of young vegetables we worked very hard to plant and care for. Though we have obtained a special license to harvest deer out of season, this solution is far from satisfactory. We are actively looking for better ways to protect our crops. Without a doubt, there will be easier weeks, but this one was admittedly very hard.
The good news is, we have lots of cool things growing right now. Summer vegetables are well on their way. We have a huge variety of squash and zucchini beginning to ripen and they will begin appearing in bags this week. We’re getting closer to our tomatoes, and you’ve probably already gotten to try at least some of our phenomenal cucumber varieties. Thse are truly the vegetables of summer and we encourage you to embrace the bounty of seasonal eating.
The vegetable we’d like to highlight this week is the cucumber. Wild cucumbers originated in Southern Asia, but were domesticated and brought across the Middle East to the Mediterranean region thousands of years ago. Here they became a dietary staple and for this reason, we typically associate them with Greek and other Mediterranean cuisines. Now cucumbers are enjoyed globally and with good reason. Though they are not high in any one particular nutrient, they have small and balanced amounts of many different vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. It is this balance that makes the cucumber so refreshing. Cucumbers can be eaten to hydrate and maintain electrolyte balance, and it’s worth considering trying to eat at least one every day during the summer. Currently we are offering three types; Corinto (a classic green type), Silver Slicer (a solid white slicing cucumber), and Tasty Green (a long European style, nearly seedless type). All of them have their nuances, and we’d love to hear which one is your favorite!

Creamy Cucumber Soup

“There’s no reason to only use cucumbers raw—they are wonderful sautéed then pureed with avocado for a silken-textured soup that’s good warm or cold.”

Ingredients

o 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
o 2 cloves garlic, minced
o 1 small onion, diced
o 1 tablespoon lemon juice
o 4 cups peeled, seeded and thinly sliced cucumbers, divided
o 1½ cups vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
o ½ teaspoon salt
o ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
o Pinch of cayenne pepper
o 1 avocado, diced
o ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
o ½ cup low-fat plain yogurt

Directions

• 1 Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 1 to 4 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Add 3¾ cups cucumber slices, broth, salt, pepper and cayenne; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until the cucumbers are soft, 6 to 8 minutes.
• 2 Transfer the soup to a blender. Add avocado and parsley; blend on low speed until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Pour into a serving bowl and stir in yogurt. Chop the remaining ¼ cup cucumber slices. Serve the soup warm or refrigerate and serve it chilled. Just before serving, garnish with the chopped cucumber and more chopped parsley, if desired.

Despite the difficulties of farming, we really enjoy doing it. We love being able to provide you (and your friends and family) with vegetables, and we thank you for your continuing support of our farm.

Sincerely,
The Magney Legacy Ridge Farm Team