Hmong American Farmers Association

Growing community wealth since 2011

Summer CSA Newsletter, Week 5

CSA, Food Hub, HAFA Farmers, Newsletters, Summer / by

Originally published on July 24, 2018
NEWSLETTER:  SUMMER CSA WEEK 5
On the HAFA Farm, Tou proudly shows his cucumbers after cleaning them at the wash station. Photo by Mike Hazard.
 
Dear CSA Members,
 
Greetings from the HAFA Farm and welcome to week five of your summer share! How were your veggies last week? Do you have any recipes to share? We’d love to see what you make with your CSA goodies, so please don’t forget to tag us @hafafarmers on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Can you believe we are already at the end of July? As we head into August, farmers and staff are gearing up for one of the busiest harvesting months. Thanks to the wonderfully warm weather this summer, the farmers are already harvesting corn! We’re excited to include some of Vang Moua’s sweet corn in this week’s CSA along with Tou’s pickling cucumbers (pictured above), and other bounties from the HAFA Farm (scroll down to find out what’s in this week’s CSA box).

Last week, HAFA staff members participated in a Hmong language and etiquette course with Tzhianeng Vang, a Hmong language and cultural lecturer. In addition to learning simple phrases in Hmong, HAFA staff also learned about basic word structures, the different dialects of the Hmong language and the significance of word play and riddles in the Hmong culture. A special thank you, or “ua tsaug” to Tzhianeng Vang for sharing his wisdom with us. 

A friendly reminder: Shares that were prorated to 8 weeks will start delivery, this week, on July 25 and 26.

We hope you enjoy this week’s box and, as always, happy eating!

In solidarity,
The HAFA Family
 
 

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Fall and Thanksgiving CSAs are still available! 
hafa-farmers-veggies-collage
Fall CSA, 7 weeks

September 27 – November 8
Full Share $200
Half Share $125
Flower Share $70
 
Thanksgiving Share
Pick-up November 15 and 16
Veggie Share $50

Optional turkey:
Small – $28
Medium – $36
Large – $45
 
Sign Up Now!
 
Volunteering
 

If you are interested in volunteering with HAFA, please contact our volunteer coordinator Kou Yang at kou@hmongfarmers.com to learn about upcoming opportunities.
 

WHAT’S IN YOUR CSA BOX?
This week you can expect the following in your CSA box:
FULL SHARES

Beets – 1 bunch
Dill – 1 bunch
Green Beans – 1 pound
Kale – 1 bunch
New potatoes – 2 pounds
Pickling cucumbers – 1.5 pounds
Red bunching onions – 1 bunch
Sweet corn – 7 ears
Yellow bunched onions – 1 bundle
HALF SHARES
Cauliflower – 1 head
Dill – 1 bunch
Green Beans – 1 pound
Kale – 1 bunch
New potatoes – 1 pound
Pickling cucumbers – 1.5 pounds
Red bunching onions – 1 bunch
Sweet corn – 4 ears
Things to note:
This is the last week of green beans for a while. We bid this CSA staple a sad (or happy) farewell, and thank the plants for providing food for us all season. It tickles us to say that these green beans are leaving on a slightly ugly, but delicious, note! 
 

RECIPE
 
Roasted Garlic Cauliflower (Serves 6)
 
INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons garlic, minces
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large head cauliflower, separated into florets
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the over to 450 degrees F.
  2. Grease a large casserole dish
  3. Pour your olive oil into a resealable bag, and garlic and cauliflower. Shake to mix.
  4. Pour into the prepared casserole dish, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through.
  6. Top with Parmesan cheese and parsley and broil for an additional 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
 
Bunched kale on the HAFA farm. Photo by Mike Hazard.
Raw Kale Salad (Serves 6)
 
INGREDIENTS

  • 1 bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 ripe avocado
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • salt and pepper
  • Optional: feta or parmesan cheese, olive oil, toasted nuts or seeds (sesame or sunflower)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place the kale in a large bowl.
  2. Using clean hands, squeeze the avocado into the bowl and massage the avocado into the kale until the leaves relax, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
  4. Serve as is or add optional toppings.
 
sweet-corn-hafa-farm
Fresh sweet corn on the HAFA farm. Photo by HAFA staff.
Sweet Corn Pudding (Serves 4)
INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 eggs, beatn
  • Salt and greshly ground black pepper
  • Kernels scraped off the cobs of 6 medium ears of sweet corn
  • Crispy fried onion rings

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a medium casserole dish.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the milk, cream, cheese, cayenne, eggs, salt and pepper. Add the corn and mix will.
  3. Pour into a casserole dish and bake for 35 minutes, or until set and golden brown.
  4. Let cool slightly, then top with the crispy onion rings and serve.

STAFF PROFILE: KUB VANG
Before joining the HAFA team, Kub Vang was an auto technician for 10 years. He has always liked working with his hands, so it was a natural fit when Vang took on the role of farm hand in 2016. In his role, he assists the farm manager in overseeing farm maintenance, helps farmers with tilling and coordinates much of the logistics for farmer trainings in the “off” season.

Vang spent many summers playing in his grandparents’ garden, and would eventually shadow them in the fields. These memories resonate with Vang as he wishes to own a farm one day, perhaps raise a small amount of livestock and manage his own high tunnels.

A hunting enthusiast, Vang looks forward to the cooler weather of fall. As the seasons change, he prepares for water-fowling (particularly geese and ducks) -his favorite sport.