Hi everyone.  I hope all is well!

New this week:  Black Seeded Simpson Leaf Lettuce.  We actually had this a couple of weeks ago but that was the week that I didn't get a chance to update the blog.  Simpson is a wonderful variety which produces the large, light green leaves that you'll find in this week's share.  This is my favorite 'burger lettuce'.  In other words, I love to put this on my veggie burgers to give them more interest and a flare of summer.  These leaves are large enough that I only need one per burger.  I just tear them down to size (usually in half or in thirds depending upon the size burger/bun you have).  Be sure to rinse your lettuce several minutes before putting it on the bun or it will make things soggy.  Unless, of course, you have a spinner or pat-dry it with a towel.

I also wanted to give you a tip for storing lettuce which may be wet when you receive it.  Storing lettuce or any kind of greens or mesclun mix wet will shorten the shelf life and decrease the crispness.  Below is a picture of how we store lettuce that is too wet.  Simply fold a paper-towel into fourths, open the lettuce bag and place the paper towel on top of the lettuce (or slide it down along side the lettuce leaves in the bag.  Then put the open bag in the crisper.  Each time you remove some lettuce you should check it and the paper towel.  Within a couple of days you should be able to remove the towel (as it should have absorbed most of the excess moisture) and close up the bag.  As long as leaf lettuce isn't too wet, it should last for several days and sometimes longer than two weeks.




Here is a recipe that a member from last year's CSA suggested.  She claims it is quite good though I have not yet had a chance to try it.  Wilted Lettuce - http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1843,137176-238201,00.html

I've also come up with a new way to eat Kale. I call it "Kale Slaw".  This is a substitute until the cabbage comes in (which I hope will happen as fall approaches).  It's Cole Slaw, with Kale instead of the traditional cabbage.  I'd love to know what people think if anyone chances to try it.

I also like to add a dash of thyme but this is obviously a taste preference
Mix all of the above together. Taste test and add more of the above if it is needed.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

I hope everyone is enjoying the greens.  We're working hard to get things going in the garden but unless we get some rain we're in trouble.  I hope this weekend's storm will dump significant amounts on the garden as it is bone dry.

Next week, I hope to have radishes, though I'm not certain they will be developed enough to harvest.  I hope also to be putting together a survey which I will be asking everyone to take.  It will be quick as I know we're all busy.  This will be a preliminary check to make sure everyone likes the CSA and that everything is going well.  Keep your eyes on your inbox during the next week for an email survey.  As soon as I get a moment to put it together I'll send it out through cyber-space.  Until then, enjoy.

Hi all:
Sorry I didn't get a chance to update the blog last Friday.  Lizzie is keeping us pretty busy around here these days. 
Thank you to everyone who returned your share bags.  This is a great help.  I know it's difficult to remember but once we get into a routine it becomes easier to remember to through them in the car on your way to pick up the new share.  If the folks in Bangor could do me a favor and fold your bags and snap them together, I would really appreciate it as it will make my job a lot easier.  Now onto the good stuff.

The only new thing last week was the carrots which were wintered-over in our greenhouse from the fall.  That's the only reason we have early carrots and once those are gone we'll have to wait until fall for the next batch.

Everything is the same this week with the exception of the rhubarb.  There isn't much but it's enough to give you a taste of spring.  I hit the patch pretty hard so for today's share so that will be it until it's had time to recover for another harvest before it goes to seed (assuming it does).  It should be enough to get a good taste of the stuff, a spring staple in Maine.  The most obvious choice for rhubarb is pie.  But there are lots of other ideas.  One is to prepare it like you would strawberries for shortcake.  Cut into small pieces, leave in a bowl with copious amounts of sugar until it is soaking in its own juices and then you can us it in a number of ways.  My favorite is as a topping on toast for a great weekend breakfast.  Below is a link to some other ideas.  You have to scroll down a ways to get to the recipe section.  http://www.plantea.com/rhubarb.htm

There are so many variations on the rhubarb/strawberry pie thing that I'm not even going to put up a recipe for that.  I'm sure there is a recipe near you if you have any cookbooks, Betty Crocker, etc.  I'm not sure there is enough this week to make a whole pie.  However, I do know you can freeze rhubarb until you have enough.  Heat for one minute in boiling water and then sink into a cold water bath before freezing.  This will help preserve the flavor and color.  Be sure to remove as much air as possible from the freezer bag.

Other than that, things are going well at the farm.  The apple blossoms have really come out this week.  At my home, the peach, pear, cherry and apple blossoms are also making themselves known.  It's a great time of the season when all the fruiting trees flower with the fragrance and aesthetic appeal.

Also, last year's parsley is almost ready to transplant to it's new row location in the garden.  We should have parsley in the share soon.  I love this herb.  It's extremely cold hardy, has an awesome fragrance and flavor an is extremely good for you.  It makes a great snack in the garden as I work.


I hope everyone enjoys the produce for this week and as always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call or email.  I may not be able to respond right away but I will get to the emails as best I can.  Have a great long weekend!

I hope everyone enjoy's the first week of produce.  Before I talk about what is in the bag this week, I'd like to discuss the bags themselves.  At Parker Produce we're committed to finding ways to reduce our consumption of disposable, non-renewable items.  Therefore, we purchase the cloth bags in which you'll find your share.  Each week, I'll have the produce in one of the cloth bags for you to pick-up and you can leave the previous week's empty bag (with the ice-packs if applicable) at the drop location.  This will help us reduce the amount of plastic bags being put into landfills!

Now, onto the good stuff...
In this week's share you will find the following items:

                                       
Spinach - You will find large spinach leaves of several kinds.  Spinach is a wonderful green and one of my favorite vegetables.  It is extremely cold hardy (at least some varieties) and is one of the first to be able to come up outside in the spring.  There are several great ways to enjoy spinach.  You can include it in a salad.  Steam it (but be sure not to leave it in too long).  One great idea with large leaves like those in your share is to use them as a wrap.  You can fill them with your favorite filling.  Keep Spinach in it's plastic bag in the fridge and it will stay good for several days, even a couple of weeks in your crisper.  If you're like me though, it won't be around that long.

                                            

Baby Red Russian Kale - If Kale is not part of your diet...you're missing out.  Kale is extremely good for you and is very tasty.  One of my favorite preparation ideas for Kale is to saute it lightly in some olive oil with garlic.  Don't leave it in for very long and it will have a great texture.  Kale is also a wonderful addition to some soups and can be used as an ingredient in salads.  The following link lists some interesting recipes for kale.  I haven't tried any of them because I love Kale all by itself.  As a Vegan, I eat it raw as an excellent source of calcium and vitamins.  But these recipes look interesting. http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Everyday-Cooking/Winter/Kale/Top.aspx

                    

WP Mix - This is a lettuce base mix that is named for the restaurant that inspired it.  Winterport Pizza is committed to buying it's produce from local farmers.  In 2007 they began working with Parker Produce.  Desiree (the owner) was looking for a salad mix that was made up of primarily lettuce instead of the tangier greens found in some mesclun.  But she didn't want to sacrifice the aesthetic look of a good mix.  Thus, WP Mix was born.  This is a lettuce mix made up of loose leaf varieties; Waldmann's Dark Green, Dark Red Lollo Rossa, and Tango (or other leaf lettuces that are in season).

                                          
Arugula-This wonderful green is very versatile.  Use the smaller leaves from the plants in salad mixes.  The larger leaves are stronger in their flavor (this is true of most greens) and can be a bit tougher.  You can use them in soups to give a nutty flavor.  The leaves tend to be a bit spicy to some people.  Arugula is a mainstay in Italian cuisine.  Check out the following link for a great way to use this tasty green in a pesto sauce: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/arugula.htm  Arugula doesn't store as well as the other greens in your share, so this pesto recipe is a great way to extend the period of use.  You can also use the flowers to add taste and visual appeal to your salads.

Finally, I hope everyone will notice the small disclaimer about washing your produce that comes with each bag.  I am very committed to providing safe, clean produce.  However, we do not wash the vegetables as it is very damaging to put them through that process.  You may find that some of the vegetables have soil on them (this is especially true following the heavy rains of our summer thunderstorms).  You should rinse them thoroughly just prior to preparation.  I do not recommend that you wash them in bulk and then store them in the refigerator.  Just so everyone knows, I eat the produce directly from the ground in the fields.  This is partly because being a farmer is hard physical work and I just get hungry, but I also do it as a quality control measure.  I would never provide produce to you that I wasn't happy to eat or feed to my family.

I hope everyone enjoys this week's share.  Please let me know if you have any questions or comments and if anyone has ideas for Kale and Arugula recipes, please share those as well.  See you soon.

Hooray!!!  We have found a location for Bangor area members to pick-up their produce.  I'm pleased to announce that Parker Produce will be partnering with Giacomo's Groceria for the 2008 season.  We're very excited about working with Milva Smith, the owner or Giacomo's.  I met with her today and she is very interested in local, sustainably grown food.  We are very appreciative that she is going to allow us to use some of her very valuable shelf space to accommodate our Bangor area members.  I will contact you each individually to go over the specifics.

If you haven't been into Giacomo's, you should.  It's a wonderful little place right across from the Grasshoper Shop.  This is the kind of place that we at Parker Produce would like to see more of, and with which we like to work.  Be sure to thank Milva when you pick-up your produce, check out the store and all of the other local food she offers, and tell your friends about it.

Hello all, I hope everyone is ready for the first delivery of the season.  Our trip south delayed planting out in the garden a bit, and this rain we've had has made things a bit soggy.  But I have plenty of greens in the hoop house and they are itching to be harvested.  So this Friday will be our first harvest and delivery of the year.  Below is the information for pick-up.  You should find your name on the list under one of the three locations.  I know some of you will be out of town this week.  Thank you for letting me know, I very much appreciate you letting me know.  I hope everyone will let me know throughout the summer if there are weeks when you won't be able to pick-up your share.  This will allow me to donate to the Shaw House and redistribute produce to other members as appropriate. 

Newport
Burgess
Bigusiak
Kus
Ferland
Winterport
Cardello
Estes
Van Vranken
McLean
Bangor
Adair
Morath
Berry/Kurr
Bond
Brzezinski
LeClair
Fonseca
Ranger
Miles

(If your name does not appear on this list, please contact me immediately as I'm sure it is a simple clerical error.)

The Newport location will be at the farm.  Most of you who will be picking up at the farm are familiar with the milk house, where the Christmas wreaths are usually stored in the winter.  Shares will be there in the refrigerator.  Produce will be available for pick-up anytime after 1pm.
Bangor location is still being determined.  I will be checking into a few places this week and will let you know prior to Friday where the drop will be.  Produce will be available anytime after 1:45pm.
Winterport pick-up will be at my home on Dean Street.  My house is the first one on the right.  A big white house with black shutters.  The house is after a big vacant lot.  I'll have coolers in the yard where you can find your share.  Produce will be available anytime after 2:30pm.

Times and days may be subject to change during the season if it turns out they are not working for a majority of people.  I will always let you know if produce will be late for any reason.  This is more of a possibility during the later part of the season when there is simply more to harvest.  I try my very best to always have shares at their locations by the correct time.  However, I may push things back by an hour or so once August hits and things really start fruiting like crazy.  Either way, communication lines will always be open about any changes.

Hello all, I hope everyone has had a nice couple of weeks.  As you know, I have been out of the state on some family business.  My wife and I have returned and are settling back in with a new arrival.  I'm pleased to introduce our daughter!  Meet Elizabeth...


We aren't getting much for sleep but we're very happy and excited  and just feel so lucky.  She's a beautiful, healthy, baby girl and we are glad to have her home. 

As far as actual farm business, this Friday will be the first delivery for the 2008 CSA season!  I'll post another blog tomorrow afternoon to let everyone know where and when the delivery will be.  If you haven't yet sent in your agreement form and check, it's not too late.  I'm looking forward to meeting all of our new members.