New Leaf Organics

5th csa

Hi There,
Obviously a photographer I am not! I tried to find you a few good pics from Sarah’s wedding at the farm last weekend, but alas, I never have been very good at finding that perfect angle. Suffice it to say, it was a beautiful day on the farm and we all had a great time celebrating with Sarah and Randy. They are now relaxing on the beach in Jamaica for their honeymoon- and well, we are not. The humidity and sun has found us in true July fashion and we are making the best of it. We began harvesting our garlic today, finishing about half of it and getting it all set up to dry in the barn. It takes a couple weeks till it is really well dried, enough for us to cut and store it for the remainder of the season. In this humidity it is a little more challenging to make it dry in the barn so we’ve got 4 fans rotating all around it and we’ll be checking on it often. The other half will come in next week and go into the greenhouses now empty from bedding plants. Garlic is one of our larger wholesale crops so we really count on it, not only for all of you to enjoy, but to give us income well into early Winter. We spent a good portion of this week thusfar in a state of tractor frustration. It always seems like all the parts go wrong at once, and this week seems to be the once. After not getting anywhere with a hydraulic hose issue for several hours I finally gave in and played the Damsel in Distress to my next door (dairy farmer) neighbors. It took them of course all of about 10 minutes to solve my problem with any number of tools they have on hand, and they insisted that helping me with my problem is a welcome break from the haying season they have been having. I am always amazed at how generous they are with their time and tools and in awe of three generations of people working together day after day, year after year in an uphill battling dairy industry. I am very excited, however, to be able to get our tractor going once again tomorrow as the list is Long! This week’s arugula has been a favorite treat for the bugs. It is delicious, but filled with holes. Don’t be shy. Have a great week everyone! Recipe is below.Jill and crew
Arugula with Pecorino Romano and Toasted Walnutsserves 4
4 large handfuls arugulasalt1/2 cup or more grated pecorino romano1/2 cup cracked walnuts, roasted1/2 cup walnut oil viniagrette  1 1/2 T sherry vinegar,  2 shallots, finely diced salt and pepper 1 T dijon mustard 6 T roasted walnut oil or a mix of oive oil and walnut oilCombine the vinegar, shallots, an 1/4 t alt in a bowl and let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in the mustard then add the oil. Whisk well until the dressing is thick and smooth. Season with pepper and taste/adjust.