CSA Week 5

The pond that we dug last spring is being put to use this season. A diesel pump is drawing water from the pond through many hundreds of feet of hose that feeds to our new traveling sprinkler which is set up to  irrigate our lower fields. This is a great relief to now be able to irrigate our lower fields while simultaneously being able to water our other fields by using the water from the well.

Although we are able to irrigate from our dwindling aquifer and pond we'll still be behind in keeping up with the growing needs of our crops. We hope that Mother Nature can step in soon!

Below Chris manages the new sprinkler on our chard, kale and broccoli crops.

This week's CSA is for all members. Please remember to bring back any wax boxes to your pick up site

as we are able to reuse them. Once again, pick ups are on Thursdays from 4pm until 7pm. 

Thank you!

Your vegetable harvest this week............... 

Baby Corn

Field Cucumbers

Yellow Crookneck Squash

Orange Carrots

Fennel Bulbs

2 lettuce heads

 Fresh Parsley or Sage

Fresh White Onions

Your fruit harvest this week..........

Peaches

Blueberries

Red Skin Plums

Blackberries

Your fruit is from our trusted farmer, Mick Klug Farm, St. Joseph Michigan.

The farm in your kitchen..............

Warm days are still with us, here are a few recipes to quench your thirst and light up your grill.

Fennel! This aromatic, crunchy, slightly sweet anise flavor is great in salads tossed with lemon juice or grilled with onions. It makes a great pair with avocados and citrus fruit. The stalks of the fennel are great in soups and the leaves can be used as an herb on your salad.

The White Onions this week have a strong pungent flavor and would be great grilled with your fennel. 

Baby corn? Yes, we are just as surprised as you are. With the challenges of intense heat and dry weather this variety of sweet corn has taken it's course and grew at only 8 inches tall and produced an ear. Once you take off the husk, remove the silk and you'll be able to eat the entire ear of corn including the cob. It is incredibly tender that you can cut them into pieces and add them to a raw salad. We stir fried it with carrots the other night with yellow squash and garlic, simple and delicious!

Blackberry Gin Fizz Picture and Recipe from Smittenkitchen.com

Adapted from Bon Appetit

For 2 tall drinks

1/4 cup fresh blackberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup (4 liquid ounces or just shy of 3 shots) gin
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from two juicy limes)
Club soda
2 sprigs sweet basil or 2 thin lime wedges (for garnish)

Purée blackberries and sugar in a blender until as liquefied as possible. Strain purée through a fine-mesh sieve or tea strainer into two tall or collins-style glasses; discard seeds in sieve. Divide gin and lime juice between glasses and stir to combine. Add ice to glasses then top each with soda and a sprig of basil or wedge of lime. (Might need another quick stir to combine.) Share with someone you like.

Grilled Peaches with Bourbon Vanilla Whipped Cream  from thekitchn.com

serves up to 12

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon bourbon
6 peaches, halved (with pitts removed)
olive oil

Whip the cream in an electric mixer, adding the sugar, vanilla, and bourbon as it starts to thicken. Continue whipping until soft peaks form, about 4 or 5 minutes. Refrigerate.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush a very light layer of olive oil on the cut side of each peach half. Put the peaches face down on the pan, then cover with a medium sauce pan turned upside-down to create a dome over the peaches. Our sauce pan covered about 4 peaches, so you can cook them in batches depending on how big your grill pan and sauce pan are.

Cook peaches for about 6 to 8 minutes, until there are distinct grill marks and the peaches feel warmed through and slightly softened. Remove from pan (they may stick a tiny bit), flip over, and top with a big dollop of whipped cream.

Cucumber Blueberry Smoothie from Martha Stewart Recipes

1 medium cucumber, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup white grape juice or pear juice

1/2 cup plain yogurt

Blend all ingredients together and pour in a tall glass, add a straw and relax in the shade.

Salads for everyone!

Cabbage, Cucumber and Fennel Salad

Asian Carrot Salad

Shaved Fennel Salad

Summer Squash Salad

Peanut, Cabbage and Carrot Slaw

90+ degree days on the farm...................

Joe teaching the crew tomato tying technique. 

Duncan helping out the crew with tomato tying.

Pepper plants are growing well.

Squash harvest!

Joe and Tomas in the mass of squash plants.

Cucumber harvest!

Asparagus growing well even in this drought.

Keegan and Tomas hand weeding the carrot bed.

Michelle and a fresh harvest of Larkspur.

Garlic curing in our Greenhouse.

Joe filling up with "Water Buddy".

Chris taking care of the bees.

Our tomato crop.

Our farm market stand will be open

Thursday 4-7pm and

Saturday 8-2pm

We look forward to seeing you!

Eat Well!

Your farmers,

Tania and Chris Cubberly along with our amazing crew, Tomas, Michelle, Duncan, Joe, Keegan, Dallas and Colin.

Welcome to week 4 of your CSA!

The hopeful rain that was threatening to come our way last Friday left us dry once again.
Every day I over hear Chris, Joe and Duncan calling out to each other:
"Okay, drip on in field 8 for 5 hours." "then change to field 3, use the blinds, and time for 6 hours"
"sprinkler is ordered and the hose came in for the pond (a sigh of relief)!"
The dry weather has given this farm it's challenges. Crops are slow to germinate and those that have are
producing slightly smaller than average. We've harvested  for you our lettuce heads and cabbage
that may be small but is truly flavorful.

This week's bounty of CSA are for those that purchased a Full Vegetable Share
and/or a Seasonal Fruit Share, Thank you!


Please remember that the pick ups begin at 4pm.
Those of you who are picking up at the farm and come a little early, we ask to
please be patient with us as we set up the stand so we can have a smooth
opening of the market. Thank you!

Your vegetable harvest this week...........

Sweet Salad Hakurei Turnips

Green Savoy Cabbage

Purple Scallions

Green Zucchini

Yellow Crookneck Squash
Fresh Dill

Field Grown Cucumbers

Green Beans (grown by Mick Klug Farm, our crop is laying low with the heat!)

Green Kohlrabi

A Variety of Lettuce Heads

Your fruit harvest this week...................

Blueberries

Raspberries

Red Skin Plums

Sweet Cherries

Sour Cherries


The farm in your kitchen..........

Green Savoy Cabbage has beautiful light and dark green contrasting crinkly leaves. It is simply tender and sweet and can be used in a coleslaw, soup, salad, wrapped, steamed or sauteed. One of my favorite ways to use cabbage is in soup, here is one to try! Veselka's Cabbage Soup!

It wouldn't be a summer without those lovely shelling peas we had last week and to add to our summer memories are the delicate flavors of fresh zucchini and yellow squash. An easy side dish to any meal is to cut them into thin lengths, brush with olive oil and grill, roast or saute them. Once they are done toss with balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese.
Try, Middle Eastern Zucchini Salad

Kohlrabi is back and in green form! These treats have a unique flavor combination of a cucumber and a broccoli stem. Impress your family, date or neighbors with this amazing vegetable. Simply peel away it's out skin and slice up the bulb in rounds or cubes, a mandolin works great. Kohlrabi can be added to your savoy cabbage for a great coleslaw! Or toss them with Seasoned Rice Vinegar and some good Olive Oil. Enjoy!

Your purple scallions will add a nice touch of color to your greens. Add these to your kale saute or make a twist to your everyday cole slaw, Bacon and Scallion Cole Slaw!

For a quick fruit salad topping combine 2 cups plain yogurt, two tablespoons good local honey, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and seeds from a  1/2 a vanilla bean in a bowl. Once your fruit is washed and cut into bite size pieces portion into small bowls or cups and top with the yogurt dressing. Enjoy!


Snacking, steamed, in a salad, with your sautee, for breakfast lunch or dinner, Green Beans are so versatile!

Green Beans with Almond Pesto

serves 6-8

Sea salt

1/2 pound haricots verts or slender green beans, trimmed

1 large clove garlic

1 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Bring a large saucepan three-fourths full of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Drop in the beans all at once and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge the beans into ice water. Set aside.

In a food processor or blender, combine the garlic, parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and process until the parsley is finely chopped. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a slow steady stream and process until a smooth purée forms. Add the almonds and pulse until finely chopped and the pesto is a uniform coarse purée.

Drain the beans and pat dry. Put them in a large bowl, add the pesto, and toss to coat evenly. Arrange the beans on a serving platter or in a bowl and serve at room temperature.

Serve with a poached egg, if desired.

Pictures of the farm...........

Your lettuce heads growing under a shade cloth.

Keegan, Dallas and Pedro harvesting Swiss Chard.

Fennel soon to come!

A handful of gooseberries, champagne and red currents.

These were planted last season and won't produce a good harvest until next season

when the plant is fully matured.

Duncan, happy to harvest the first of the tomatoes from the hoophouse, Sun Golds!

Here Michelle and I take a break from harvesting and show off our flowers!

Bouquets are available on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at the Logan Square Farmer's Market.

Keegan enduring the heat among the enormous leaves of Yellow Crookneck Squash.

Come on out and join us!

Although many area suburbs are cancelling their firework shows on Wednesday
 we'll be sure to dazzle you with our display of produce, fruit, flowers, goat milk soap
 and more at our farm market stand on Thursday, 4-7pm!
(also Saturdays 8-2pm)


It will be another hot one on Thursday but we'll have our fan on with a mister to help cool you down.
Cucumber water and fresh chamomile chilled sun tea will quench your thirst!
We'll be happy to help you with any of your produce needs and all of us here
will be glad to give you recommendations!

Top picks at the farm market stand this week:

Field Cucumbers
Fresh Dill
Sweet Hakurei Turnips
Lettuce Head Varieties
Deliciously sweet Red Skin Plums
Blueberries
Popcorn
Beeswax and Honey Goat Milk Soap
And much more!




Eat Well!
Your farmers,
Tania and Chris Cubberly along with our crew, Keegan, Tomas, Duncan, Michelle, Francisco, Joe,
Dallas and Colin

June's unforgiving heat!

I’m sure many of you are experiencing the challenges this June has given us. The severe lack of rain, high winds and high temperatures is now affecting the farm and it’s crops.

Many crops are just surviving and show very little growth. Spring peas are ripe and ready to pick one day but by the next day sitting in the boiling heat they’ve now over ripened. Crops like Spring Peas should be harvested at least 3 maybe 4 times has now come to just one harvest . Other  crops like broccoli, with the irregular moisture levels is maturing erratically and producing strange looking heads (below I’ve taken a picture of the best looking head in the field). Carrots are  also slow to size up let alone even to germinate in  the sun baked soil. Whew!

  Irrigation has been a 24 hour job around here these last two weeks. We are taking great and expensive steps towards improving our irrigation system but even this will take time to set up and navigate in our fields. I read an article recently about a farmer experiencing his crops slowly fading. His hope is well quoted, “It always rains five minutes before it’s too late.” 

We'll keep doing what we can to make this season as bountiful as it can be!

Harvest for this week is for Full and Half Vegetable Shares as well as Seasonal Fruit Share members.


Please remember that if you are sending a friend to pick up your share let them know that the
On Farm pick up is at 17970 W. Millburn Road from 4 to 7pm.
Logan Square pick up is at 2528 N. California Ave. from 4 to 7pm.
Lake Forest pick up is at 1490 Green Bay Road from 4 to 7pm. (flowers and eggs available!)

The farm market stand is open to the public on 
Thursdays 4 to 7pm and Saturdays 8 to 2pm.
17970 W. Millburn Road
in Old Mill Creek

Your vegetable harvest this week.....

Chioggia Beets

Popcorn 

Fresh Mild Onions

Fresh Garlic

Hakurie Turnips

Tempel Farms Organics' salad mix

Sorrel

Your fruit harvest this week.........

Blueberries and Tart Cherries from Mick Klug Farm, Michigan

Red Raspberries from Seedling Fruit, Michigan

The farm in your kitchen...........

Chioggia Beets are an Italian heirloom that are also know as "Candy Stripe of Candy Cane"

These beets are have a mild slightly sweet flavor that is great for fresh eating and cooked.

I recommend peeling the skin and then slicing into thin rounds. You could add these to a salad or eat them as is with a fresh squeeze of citrus.

Spinach does not grow well in this heat so if you're looking for an alternative the beet greens can be used in place of your spinach. It cooks down the same and is really flavorful.

If you don't feel like using these right away wrap up the beets (minus the greens) in a plastic bag and they will store for a good month in your fridge.

Pasta with Beet Greens

Baked Chioggia Beet Chips

* 2 medium beets with stems trimmed to 1 inch
* 1 cup water
* 1 Tablespoon canola oil
* Sea salt

Peel beets with a vegetable peeler, then slice thinly (but not too thinly) with mandolin or sharp knife, using stems as handles.

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add beets, then remove pan from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Drain beets in a colander, discarding liquid, then let stand in colander 15 minutes more. Toss beets with oil and salt.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 225°F.

Line a shallow baking pan with nonstick liner, then arrange beet slices snugly in 1 layer. Bake beets until dry, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Immediately transfer chips to a rack to cool (chips will crisp as they cool).

Sweet Salad Hakurie Turnips!
These have a mild sweet peppery flavor and are terrific fresh. There is no need to peel the skin, it's thin enough to eat, just do a second washing and slice into rounds and eat in a salad or tossed on it's own with some lemon juice.
Hakurei Turnip Salad


Farm pictures.....

A great looking head of broccoli!

Freezing raspberries for a mid winter treat!

Peppers tolerating the heat.

 

Joe takes on the heat in the hoop house and twines up the pepper plants.

Fresh field flower bouquets will be available for sale on Thursdays and Saturday at the farm,

Sundays at Logan Square Farmers Market.

Food for the soul.

Duncan, Tomas, Colin, Keegan and Dallas tackle the weeds in the bed of lettuce!

Tomatoes in the hoophouse are growing strong!












Eat Well!

Your farmers,

Tania and Chris Cubberly along with our great crew, Joe, Tomas, Keegan, Michelle, Colin, Francisco, Duncan and welcoming our newest crew member Dallas!

Welcome to week 2!

At Tempel Farms Organics growing food is our passion!

We hope that everyone is keeping cool and enjoying the farm's bounty!

Please remember that this week's CSA shares are for members that

purchased a Full Vegetable Share and/or a Fruit Share.

Half Vegetable Share members will pick up their share again

on June 28th. Mark your calendars!

Dusty farm roads, parched potato plants, thirsty chickens

 and hard working farmers is what you'd find if you drove past the farm today!
These dry 90 degree days are testing our ability to keep our plants alive.
We missed out on having a lush green spring and I'm sure that you're feeling the pressure too in your gardens
just to keep your plants and grass healthy and growing.
With the chance of rain in the forecast on Wednesday night we hope to wake up
to a good amount of rainfall everywhere.

Your vegetable harvest this week:

Hoophouse grown Cucumbers

Shelling Peas

Arugula

Summer Savory

Salad Mix
Green Scallions

Red Russian Kale

Purple Kohlrab

Cherriet or French Breakfast Radishes

Your fruit harvest this week:

Red Raspberries

Strawberries
A chance for Blueberries*

Both are local grown by Mick Klug Farm.

This will be the last week for strawberries due to the heat.
Blueberries will be harvest from Seedlling Farm in Michigan. Peter from
Seedling Farm wasn't sure how much they would have for the first harvest so we'll cross
our fingers and hope we'll see his blueberries in your share this week!

The farm in your kitchen .....

Summer Savory has nice tender leaves that could be added to any salad adding a slight peppery followed by a hint of oregano flavor. This herb can be added to make your own Herbs de Provence.
 Summer Savory will highlight your roasted chicken, salad dressings, fish and pork.
Summer Savory Chicken
Experiment with flavor and make your own dressing combining olive oil and vinegar with minced garlic, summer savory and a bit of ginger.

Fresh Summer Savory!

Arugula is an aromatic, peppery salad green. These tender leaves are perfect as a salad, dressed on a sandwhich or paired with eggs, Egg, Arugula and Herb Tartine.
Arugula Salad with Lemon Dressing

Seasonal Summer Fruit always begins with strawberries. Savor these local reds in a Quick Strawberry Jam!

The taste and texture of this "out of this world" looking vegetable is between a broccoli stem and a cucumber, enjoy Purple Kohlrabi! Cooked or raw, simply peel the outer layer to find the white bulb and dress with olive oil and lemon juice with a touch of salt, delicious!
Kohlrabi makes a great pairing with your Red Russian Kale,
Sauteed Kale with Kohlrabi

It's not summer without an  abundance of Shelling Peas!
 Gently snap at one end, remove the strip down the middle
and you'll be amazed at these green gems sitting in it's pod of your Shelling Pea.
If it makes it to a prepared dish with you telling yourself, "oh, just one more bite, one more taste to remember" here is a beautiful salad to gather family and friends around to enjoy:

Shell Pea, Carrot & Arugula with Feta

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

sea or kosher salt, to taste

fresh-cracked pepper, to taste

3-4 cups baby arugula

4 carrots, shaved into ribbons with a vegetable peeler

1 1/2 cup freshly shelled peas

3/4 cup freshly-crumbled feta

Whisk together the lemon juice, mustard and paprika in the bottom of a large bowl.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil; season with salt and pepper.  Add the arugula, carrots and peas to the bowl; toss to combine.  Transfer the salad to a platter and top with feta.

Keegan and Joe harvest arugula for your bounty this week.

Purple Kohlrabi is one of our favorite to grow here, enjoy!

We will have these amazing sunflowers for sale at our farm market stand.
Fill your house with color from our fields!

Michelle harvests a bounty of Green Curly Kale for the farm market stand!
Our farm stand is open every Thursday 4 to 7pm and Saturday 8 to 2pm
rain (we wish) or shine we'll be there with fresh produce, eggs, chicken, a few pork cuts,
goat milk soap handcrafted here at the farm, field flower bouquets, popcorn, maple syrup and a nice selection of potted plants.
Come and join us!
Enjoy your bounty!

Your farmers,
Tania and Chris Cubberly along with our crew, Michelle, Duncan, Colin, Francisco, Keegan, Tomas and Joe!