Hmong American Farmers Association

Growing community wealth since 2011

Fall CSA Newsletter, Week 2

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Originally published on October 2, 2018
NEWSLETTER:  FALL CSA WEEK 2
Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the National Council of State Ag Finance Program take a tour of the HAFA Farm with Janssen Hang, HAFA farm manager and senior organizer.
 
Dear CSA Members,
 
Greetings from the HAFA Farm and welcome to the second week of the Fall CSA! It was great to see some of our CSA members during the Mississippi Market $3 Community Dinner last week. Thank you all for stopping by and supporting our farmers!

This week, HAFA is excited to host two groups on the farm. First, we are continuing our partnership with the Saint Paul Academy and Summit School juniors and seniors for an “Introduction to Local Farming Day.” These Environmental Science students will be split their day between learning about Hmong farmers, soil health and sustainable agriculture, and participating in a volunteer activity. Later this week, HAFA will host scholars from the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change program at the University of Minnesota. These scholars will tour the farm and learn about Hmong farming traditions and food justice. 

This month, HAFA is the recipient of Seward Co-op’s SEED Program. For the entire month of October, co-op owners and community members can round up their totals to support HAFA and our farmers. Last month, Mississippi Market owners and community members raised over $11,000 to support our mission! Thank you to everyone who donated.

Scroll down for a peak at what’s inside your CSA boxes this week, recipes and more! Don’t forget to tag us on social media (@hafafarmers) so we can see what you’re cooking up at home.

As always, happy eating!

In solidarity,
The HAFA Family
 
 

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sign up for a Thanksgiving and ArtCrop Share!
Shares are going fast so don’t delay!
Thanksgiving Share*
Pick-up November 15 and 16
Veggie Share $50

Optional turkey:
Small – $28
Medium – $36
Large – $45
ArtCrop Share*
Pick-up November 15 and 16
$25

Featuring a handcrafted, one-of-a-kind art piece crafted specially for share members!
Sign Up Now!
*Thanksgiving and ArtCrop shares are only available for pick-up at the Good Acre on November 15 and 16.
 

WHAT’S IN YOUR CSA BOX?
This week you can expect the following in your CSA box:
FULL SHARES
Beets – 2 pounds
Bok Choi – 1 pound
Cilantro – 1 bunch
Globe Eggplant – 2 count
Green Beans – 1 pound
Green Curly Kale – 1 bunch
Ground Cherries – 1 pint
Radishes – 1 bunch
Sweet Red Peppers – 1 pound
Tomatoes – 1.5 pounds
Turnips – 1 bunch
 
HALF SHARES
Bok Choi – 1 pound
Eggplant Medley – 1 pound
(farmers choice of Thai, Japanese or Italian eggplant)
Green Beans – 1 pound
Green Curly Kale – 1 bunch
Molokai Sweet Potatoes – 1.5 pounds
Radishes – 1 bunch
Sweet Red Peppers – 1 pound
 

RECIPES
Photo courtesy of A Kitchen Garden Notebook.
Roasted Peppers
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 pound of sweet red peppers
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
DIRECTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 500ºF.
  2. Place whole peppers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in preheated oven for about 25-40 minutes (or until skin is wrinkled and charred).
  3. Remove peppers from oven, and cover until cool enough to handle.
  4. Once cool, remove the seeds and stems and place peppers into a bowl along with any juices.
  5. Pour oil over the peppers and cover. The peppers will last for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
 
Green Bean Pepper Salad. Photo courtesy of Tori Avey.
Green Bean Pepper Salad
from Tori Avey
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 lb green beans, washed, trimmed, and cut into 2-inch pieces (if using young small beans, you can leave them whole after trimming)
  • 1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded (or use your roasted peppers from the previous CSA recipe!)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
  • 1/2 tsp pepper (or more to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste)
  • 2 tbsp fresh minced parsley
DIRECTIONS
  1. Put 1 cup of water in a saucepan with the green bean pieces. Boil water and reduce heat to medium. Cover the pot and steam the green beans for 12-15 minutes until tender-crisp (smaller, younger beans may cook more quickly).
  2. Meanwhile, dice the roasted bell pepper flesh into small pieces.
  3. Drain the beans in a colander and run cold water over them to cool them down to room temperature. Shake them dry.
  4. Whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, pepper, salt, and parsley in a small bowl.
  5. Place the steamed green beans and diced roasted bell pepper in a salad bowl and pour dressing over them.
  6. Toss all ingredients gently until the beans and peppers are fully coated with the dressing.
  7. Let the salad marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.
 

FARMER PROFILE:  MAI MOUA
 
Meet HAFA Farmer, Mai Moua. Mai Moua has been a member of HAFA since 2012 and farming on the HAFA Farm since the 2014. This year, CSA members have enjoyed her cauliflower, beets, peppers and more. Her family sells at the St. Paul Farmers Market every Saturday and Sunday.