CSA #18

Dear CSA-ers,

This week’s preassembled bag will contain radishes, spring mix, cherry tomatoes, garlic, peppers, eggplant oregano and chives. Custom orders may be placed on the website between now and Tuesday at http://magneyfarm.locallygrown.net/market
We have put a date on our first Farm to Table dinner at the farm. We are still in the process of putting in our commercial kitchen but are forging ahead with our plans of a fabulous Fall dinner on November 1st at 5pm in the greenhouse of the farm. We would like to extend an invitation to our members to come and join us. Tickets will be $25 per person and our yearly members (if you paid for the entire year $700) will get 2 tickets for free. This is a member only perk until August 20th, and then we will open it up to our Farmers Market folks. We want to make sure you get your tickets first as a thank you for your continued support.
Patience is a virtue in farming and good things always take longer than you imagine. Water lines look so simple on paper but become a lot more complicated 3 feet deep in mud. After another evening without water to the house due to damaging the old line, the time is finally drawing near to take the new line live. The good news is, during the down time Sunday, we were blessed with a timely rain that took care of our outdoor watering. Sometimes, we do catch a break.
Fall crops are going in the ground as seeds and tiny seedling transplants. Some crops, like beets and carrots we put into the ground directly as seeds. Other crops need more of a head-start and are sewn by Caroline in the greenhouse weeks before they go outside. These tiny plants grow to size in seedling trays. Once they have 4 to 6 leaves, they’re ready to be transplanted outside. Some plants we have started with this method include varieties of kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and collards.
This week’s featured vegetable is radishes. Classically radishes are enjoyed raw on salads for their crisp peppery bite. We encourage you to delve deeper with radishes, including Caroline’s favorite radish preparation; painted with olive oil and oven roasted. In addition to containing vitamins and minerals, there is a growing body of research suggesting that radishes have potent antifungal activity. The plant uses this to protect itself from fungal pathogens in the soil, but it is thought that these compounds may be active against the irksome Candida fungal (yeast and thrush) infections humans are sometimes prone to. More research is needed to prove this link, but you can be sure that radishes make an excellent addition to a healthy, preventative, and holistic diet. We hope that you will enjoy them as much as we have.
Radish and Parsley Salad with Lemon
Ingredients
• About 10 medium or 12 small red radishes, scrubbed
• 3 large ribs celery, ends trimmed, peeled
• 1 cup tightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more to taste
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
• Trim the root and stem end of the radishes. Halve them lengthwise and then slice them 1/8 inch thick; you should have about 1-1/2 cups. Slice the celery crosswise 1/8 inch thick. Combine the sliced radishes, sliced celery, and parsley leaves in a medium bowl. Add the lemon juice, salt, and olive oil; toss well. Add several generous grinds of black pepper, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve

As always, thank you for your support. We are so pleased to be a part of your community, and serve you and your family through are small sustainable farm.

Sincerely,
The Magney Legacy Ridge Farm Team