Hmong American Farmers Association

Growing community wealth since 2011

Summer CSA Newsletter, Week 6

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

Originally published on July 31, 2018
NEWSLETTER:  SUMMER CSA WEEK 6
Vang Moua, clearing the last of her onions from the field. She’s getting ready to plant a second round of mustard greens which will be harvested in early fall.
 
Dear CSA Members,
 
Greetings from the HAFA Farm and welcome to week six of your summer share! Let us know what you’re creating with your CSA veggies by tagging @hafafarmers on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. We hope you’ve been enjoying your vegetables and can’t wait to share this week’s box with you.

As indicated in the photo above, many HAFA farmers practice succession planting which allows them to make the most of the growing season. In succession planting, once a particular vegetable has been harvested, and the plant no longer producing, the farmer will pull it, till the land, and replant with a new crop. It takes careful planning and diligence for this type of farming to work; and for most HAFA farmers, it comes instinctually from years of experience. After two and a half months of production, many of our farmers have transitioned to their second and third plantings for late summer and early fall harvests. We are excited to continue sharing the fruits of their labor with you.

This week, photographer Katie Cannon came out on the HAFA Farm to capture photos for the Minnesota Cooks calendar. Minnesota Cooks is a program of the Minnesota Farmers Union, “Celebrating Minnesota family farmers, Minnesota grown food, and the restaurant and home chefs who turn that bounty into terrific meals.” Every year, they host a Minnesota Cooks Day at the Minnesota State Fair. This year, HAFA was selected to be a featured farm and we have been partnered with our long time friends at the Birchwood Cafe. Such a fun way to round out the summer -celebrating at The Great Minnesota Get-Together!

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 shares are sold out
 
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

Carrots – 1 bunch
Globe eggplant – 2 count
Green bell pepper – 1 pound
Jalapeno peppers – .5 pound
Korean Sun Jewel Melon – 1 count
Lemon Balm – 1 bunch
Onion, bunched – 1 bunch
Purple Cabbage – 1 head
Sweet corn – 7 ears
Swiss Chard – 1 bunch
 
HALF SHARES
Carrots – 1 bunch
Green bell pepper – 1 pound
Onion, bunched – 1 bunch
Purple Cabbage – 1 head
Sweet Corn – 5 ears
Swiss Chard – 1 bunch
Zucchini – 2.5 pounds
Things to note:
The Korean Sun Jewel Melon has the crispy flesh of a pear and the mild flavor of a honeydew. This melon is ready to eat and will continue to ripen quickly (within a week from receiving it). If you prefer a firmer flesh, stick it in the refrigerator; and if you prefer a softer flesh, leave it on your counter top. As it ripens, the skin of the melon will turn a deep golden color. Unlike other melons, the skin of the Sun Jewel is edible, so you simply need to cut the melon in half, scoop out the seeds, slice and enjoy!
 

RECIPE
Swiss Chard with Garbanzo Beans, Photo courtesy of The Kitchn, Image credit: Joe Lingeman.
Swiss Chard with Garbanzo Beans (Serves 4-6)
from The Kitchn
 
INGREDIENTS
  • 2 pounds Swiss chard, preferably rainbow chard
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot –or onions from this week’s CSA
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
  1. Wash the chard leaves and stems well in a large sink of cold water. Shake off the excess water, but do not dry the chard.
  2. Tear the stems from the leaves and chop the stems crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside. Stack the leaves and coarsely chop them. Keep the stems and leaves separate.
  3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until crisp and browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the shallot and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until the shallot softens, about 2 minutes.
  4. Add the chard stems and beans. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the stems soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in the leaves a handful at a time until wilted. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chard is tender, about 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot.
 
sweet-corn-hafa-farm
Fresh sweet corn on the HAFA farm. Photo by HAFA staff.
Elote (Serves 6)
from The Noshery
INGREDIENTS

  • Vegetable oil for brushing
  • 6 ears corn, shucked
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup sour cream or Mexican crema
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup queso fresco or cojita cheese crumbles
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
  • kosher salt
  • lime wedges

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and garlic. Mix until well combined, set aside.
  2. Spread cheese crumbles on a plate, set aside.
  3. In a small bowl combine chili powder, cayenne paper, and 1 teaspoon salt, set aside.
  4. Brush grill grate with vegetable oil. Heat grill to high heat.
  5. Place corn directly on the grill. Grill corn, turning occasionally until cooked and lightly charred, about 10 minutes.
  6. Immediately brush the corn with mayonnaise mixture. Roll corn in cheese crumbles sprinkles with chili powder mixture and cilantro. Squeeze lime over corn and serve immediately.
 
Freshly picked Korean Sun Jewel Melon, from HAFA farmer Tim Vang.
Sun Jewel Melon Soup (Serves 4)
adapted from The Food Network
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 Sun Jewel Melon, sliced (about 3 cups)
  • 3 lemons, juiced
  • 1 cup non-alcoholic sparkling cider or apple juice
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons granulated sugar, optional
  • 1/4 cup cold water, optional
  • 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
  1. Place the melon in the blender and add the lemon juice and cider. Puree until smooth and taste for seasoning. Add the sugar, if needed. Use the water if more liquid is needed.
  2. Pour the soup into a medium bowl. Make an ice bath to chill the soup by combining some ice cubes and cold water in the bottom of a larger bowl. Put the soup in the ice bath and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
  3. Season the cucumber lightly with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, pour the soup into the chilled bowls and add some of the cucumber to each.

STAFF PROFILE: REBECCA YOSHINO
 
Rebecca Yoshino joined the HAFA AMP team in December 2017 serving the role of GAP and Procurement Specialist. She has been involved in all aspects of organic farming over the last 20 years on various sized mixed vegetable and orchard operations, most recently serving as the director of Wozupi Tribal Gardens in Prior Lake, MN. She has also worked with a number of Native American tribes and tribal organizations helping to develop regional food production, food safety and education programs that support tribal and regional food sovereignty initiatives. In her spare time Rebecca enjoys exploring flavors of the world through cooking and traveling, being active and outdoors with her beautiful family and discovering new music.