CSA and JUICE FEAST for OCTOBER 8th

We don’t have a lot of tomatoes here on the farm, so we are picking Roma tomatoes for the share Tuesday morning. We are picking them from our Buellton property tomorrow and I will trek up there to make sure we have tomatoes in our shares this week. Bagged carrots will continue over the next few weeks, while the tops are not worth bothering with, due to the mildew.
I think the chickens have been protesting the heat this week. They have not been laying a lot of eggs and we might come up short over the next few weeks. We have about 60 new chick-letts being moved daily in our chicken tractors. They are moved daily onto new grass and are fed worms and grain too. We can’t wait to introduce 15 new varieties of chickens (with different color eggs) into our coops and their eggs into your household come springtime.

CSA Contents for October 8th:
LACINATO KALE
ROMAINE LETTUCE
ROMA TOMATOES
CUCUMBERS
ASIAN PEARS from GARCIA FAMILY FARMS
BAGGED CARROTS
CIPPOLINI ONIONS
CILANTRO
GREEN ZUCCHINI
GREEN BELL PEPPERS
BIG BOX ADD: SPAGHETTI SQUASH, RED CHARD, LEEKS, YELLOW CHERRY TOMATOES AND HEIRLOOMS from FRECKER FARMS

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CSA and Juice Feast for October 1st

Our new crop of carrots start next week. We should be back to our normal bunches then. We are should have enough tomatoes as well! Alex Frecker, of Frecker Farms is a good friend of ours. He’s worked with Givens farms for over 10 years and we are always happy to support his new farm down in Carpinteria. Unfortunately he doesn’t have enough to supply our whole CSA, but we are able to get some of his variety in our large shares.
We have cheese available from Casitas Valley Creamery, the same farm we get our apples from. Fresh feta cheese in a range of flavors are offered in the store. They are delicious! Please make sure if you order cheese, that your box will not be sitting on your porch for a few hours. We also have granola made fresh to order in 4 different flavors which are gluten free or certified organic.

CSA for October 1st contains:
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
DANDELION GREENS
ROMAINE LETTUCE
BAGGED CARROTS
CUCUMBERS
GREEN BELL PEPPERS
GRANNY SMITH APPLES from REGENERATIVE EARTH FARMS
RAINBOW OR RED CHARD
GREEN ZUCCHINI
BASIL
BIG BOX ADD: CARROTS, ASIAN PEAR, HEIRLOOM TOMATOES and CHERRY TOMATOES and WATERMELON from FRECKER FARMS

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CSA and Juice Feast for September 24th

Having our farm so close to the beach in Goleta has a lot of great advantages. We stay cooler in the hot temperatures and mild all year round. But it also brings in a lot of moisture that makes growing things difficult at times. Our carrot tops have a bad case of mildew and so we are only harvesting the roots for the time being. We are able to put more carrots in each share this way. Same carrots, just without their tops.
Want more fruit in your share? We are trying out our new fruit expansion add on for $7. About 2-3 lbs of organic fruit, packed in a paper bag and added in with your share. As the seasons change, so will the fruit and the quantities.
We are in between a lot of vegetable crops on the farm. Tomatoes will be back soon, but we had to take a temporary break. We are also looking forward to a lot of spinach in the future. I love kale, but it will be nice to see a different green in the box. Chard is on the way too. I believe this will be the last week for the ambrosia melon, so savor that last glimpse of summer as we head into fall!

CSA for September 24th Contains:
FRENCH GREEN BEANS
LOOSE CARROTS
CUCUMBERS
RED BELL PEPPERS
GREEN LEAF LETTUCE
AMBROSIA MELON
LOOSE BEETS
SPAGHETTI SQUASH
CIPPOLINI ONIONS
WHITE NECTARINES from GARCIA FAMILY FARMS (We ran short on nectarines so you may have received strawberries instead)
BIG BOX ADD: MIXED CHERRY TOMATOES from FRECKER FARMS, HASS AVOCADOS from VINCENT FARMS, ROMAINE LETTUCE, GREEN ZUCCHINI, RED DELICIOUS APPLES from CASITAS VALLEY FARM

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CSA and Juice Feast for September 17th

it has been so hot and dry on the farm. It’s been a struggle to keep up with watering and the bugs are going crazy. That’s why you have not seen spinach, arugula, cauliflower, broccoli and more. We just don’t have a chance at making progress with these crops until it cools down, rains or both. We also had some deer eat through a crop of cucumbers and the plants and got into our watermelon stash as well. I guess everyone is looking for something to quench their thirst.
Local granola is back in action after much demand. Your granola is locally made and by purchasing it your money is staying right here in Goleta. With different choices like Organic Rasin Pecan, Cranberry Cashew or Gluten Free Coconut Seed or Walnut Spice there are many different delicious and healthy flavors to keep you going. We are also looking into making home made salad dressings. My biggest complaint with store bought dressings is the cheap oil/products they use to make them. After making a huge, delicious salad, the last thing you want to poor over it is store bought salad dressing! We will get those up and going and will let you know when they are available.

CSA Contains:
CARROTS
LACINATO KALE
GREEN ZUCCHINI/CROOKNECK
RED PEPPERS
RED BUTTER LETTUCE
CILANTRO
CANARY MELON
RED TOMATOES
CUCUMBERS
HASS AVOCADOS from VINCENT FARMS – these avos will probably need a few days to ripen on your counter
BIG BOX ADD: ROMAINE LETTUCE, RED CHERRY TOMATOES from FRECKER FARMS, CARROTS, ASIAN PEARS from GARCIA FAMILY FARMS, GREEN ACORN SQUASH

Kale Mustard Wrap

(This super simple wrap is easy to make and great to bring for lunch to work or school! It’s filled with kale, cucumbers, avocados and a homemade mustard dressing. The perfect wrap, on-the-go!)
Ingredients: Serves 2
1 cup Tuscan kale, washed and chopped
mustard dressing (see below)
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup cucumber, peeled and sliced
2 whole wheat or whole grain wraps
Mustard Dressing Ingredients
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
Directions:
Make dressing: combine all ingredients together, stirring until combined.
Mix kale and dressing together, allowing the mustard dressing to soften the kale. Assemble wrap starting with avocado, then add cucumber, and finally add the mustard kale.
Wrap up and enjoy!
(Recipe from MindBodyGreen)

Shaved Zucchini, Walnut and Citrus Salad

(Salads don’t need lettuce to be tasty and nutritious. They can also be created with many vegetables. In this salad here, zucchini is shaved to create thin strips that look lovely on the plate and work well as a side dish, or even a main meal with some protein added – try roasted chicken, grilled fish or sautéed tempeh. Other vegetables can be peeled using this method: carrots, beets, cucumbers, jicama, even daikon radish, for variety. Experiment and find combinations that you enjoy!)
Ingredients: Serves 4
For the salad:
3 large zucchini
1/2 cup walnuts
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
For the dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat a large sauté pan on medium. Add the walnuts, and toast, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Do not allow to burn. Set aside to cool.
Chop off ends of each zucchini. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the zucchini into a large bowl, creating long strips. Discard the seedy center.
Add olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper to a small bowl and whisk. Add to the salad and mix well.
Roughly chop the cooled walnuts and add to the salad, along with the green onions and cilantro. Mix well.
Serve immediately.
(Recipe adapted from MindBodyGreen)

Protein-Packed Summer Salad Bowl

(This is dinner in a bowl, full of protein and vitamin goodness. If you use canned beans, it takes 10 minutes to prepare. This salad also keeps nicely in the fridge and makes good packed lunch. It’s perfect for a quick summer dinner, and you can serve it with fresh bread or as a side salad.)
Ingredients for the salad: Serves 4-6
3 cups of cooked beans (or 2 cans) (I used black eyed beans, but any beans would do)
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 big bunch of cilantro
1 deseeded red, sweet pepper
1 leek (white parts only)
2 small carrots
Ingredients for the dressing
2 Tbsp. of olive oil
1 tsp. of chili oil (or more if you can take more heat)
2 Tbsp. of cider vinegar
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Chop cilantro, pepper, leek and carrots
In a bowl combine beans, quinoa, chopped vegetables, and cilantro
Combine dressing ingredients and add to the salad
Mix everything, adjust seasoning if needed and serve.
(Recipe adapted from MindBodyGreen)

Tosca’s Clean Eating Chicken Explosion

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
4 cups organic chicken or vegetable stock
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp natural almond butter
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp coconut oil
Dash of hot chili oil
1 large telegraph cucumber, cut into matchsticks
1 bunch spring onions (4-5) cut into thin ribbons
1 zucchini, cut into matchsticks
2 medium sized carrots, cut into matchsticks
2 bunches romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup fresh chopped coriander
Directions:
Place the stock in a medium saucepan and bring to boil. Add the chicken breasts to the boiling stock then remove from heat and cover to poach for 25 minutes, turning once. You want to ensure the chicken breasts are fully submerged in the liquid to ensure even cooking.
Combine the cucumber, onions, zucchini, carrots and lettuce in a large bowl and lightly season with salt and pepper.
Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and shred into bite sized pieces and add to salad.
To make the salad dressing, combine the almond butter, oils and honey in a food processor and combine. Add ¼ cup of the poaching liquid and process until smooth.
Drizzle dressing over the chicken salad, garnish with the fresh coriander and serve.
(Recipe from The Eighty Twenty Rule)

Juice Feast Contains:
CARROTS X2
RED BELL PEPPERS
CUCUMBERS
ROMAINE LETTUCE
CILANTRO
GRANNY SMITH APPLES from CASITAS VALLEY FARM
RED TOMATOES
LACINATO KALE
CELERY
LOOSE RED BEETS
LEMONS AND LIMES

CSA and Juice Feast for September 10th

We’ve added a fruit expansion option to our CSA boxes. We don’t grow a lot of fruit on the farm at the current time, although we’ve planted raspberries and blackberries and have a lot of citrus trees in our future. But maybe you’d like to see a few more lbs of fruit in your share each week (or bi-weekly). Check out our new fruit option and feedback is always appreciated.
We’ve been having a big problem with a bug called a pepper weevil. It creeps into crops during high heat, low rainfall and can be undetectable until you open your pepper. Even though the weevil can cause the center of the pepper to turn black, and you might actually find the bug as well, the greater part of the pepper should be consumable. We’d also be happy to replace them if you find them inedible. Here’s a recent picture:

We are bringing back cheese from Casitas Valley Creamery, located in Ojai. Fresh feta and cheddar curds will be available as early as next week and their aged cheeses will follow behind. Keep an eye out for that in our CSA Store.
We are also up to about 100 chickens again and will be able to accommodate a lot more orders in the spring. Raising chickens has proven to be very difficult for us. Being on 50 acres of open land leaves a lot of open space for predators to make chicken their dinner. But it has been rewarding too. Working with the hens can be very calming and making them happy makes me very happy. Right now they are feasting on romaine lettuce that bolted, melons, old butternut squash and more.

CSA for Sept 10th contains:
RED GRAPE TOMATOES
GRANNY SMITH APPLES from CASITAS VALLEY FARM
CARROTS
RED LEAF LETTUCE
AMBROSIA MELON
RED BELL PEPPERS
SUNBURST SQUASH
CUCUMBERS
YELLOW ONIONS
GREEN CURLY KALE
BIG BOX ADD: CONCORD GRAPES from VINCENT FARMS, WHITE NECTARINES from GARCIA FARMS, CARROTS, RED TOMATOES, GREEN LEAF LETTUCE

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CSA and Juice Feast for September 3rd

We are back in school! St. Raphael, Mountain View, Cold Spring Elementary and Westmont to be specific. If you have picked up your CSA box here in the past or want to pick up your share here in the upcoming weeks, please log into your account and change your pick up location. Feel free to email me with questions.
Have you ever visited Scarlett Begonia, a delicious restaurant downtown Santa Barbara? We happen to be very close family friends and we sell the same bread, muffins, scones and biscuits through our CSA program. All bread is made fresh the night before you receive it and is made right here in town. Consider purchasing from Deux Bakery for all your bread needs.
Casitas Valley Creamery will be back up and running soon and we will be offering their new line of fresh cheeses, with their aged cheeses following close behind.
Last, but not least – our chickens! We are only getting about 12 dozen per week with our latest loss in population. Our egg subscriptions are maxed out and that’s why you do not see eggs posted in our CSA store at the current time. Subscribing to our eggs means you get priority on the dozens. We have 30 more chick-letts up and coming so please keep an eye out for more eggs in the store.

CSA for September 3rd contains:
CILANTRO
CARROTS
ROMAINE LETTUCE
CUCUMBERS
RED BELL PEPPERS
RED TOMATOES
CROOKNECK SQUASH
CANARY MELON
LACINATO KALE
LEEKS
BIG BOX ADD: YELLOW CHERRY TOMATOES from FRECKER FARMS, RED LEAF LETTUCE, BLUE LAKE GREEN BEANS, GREEN PLUMS from GARCIA FAMILY FARMS, CARROTS
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CSA and Juice Feast for August 27th

A few important things happening in our CSA store. This is our last week selling granola from our local chef. She has a lot going on this year and unfortunately can not provide granola for us anymore. After this week please visit her website at http://cindyshealthycreations.com/ to support her delicious granola. We will be entertaining the idea of selling granola from another local distributor if there is any interest.
Casitas Valley Creamery has been in transition lately with their cheeses. They are in the midst of clearing out their creamery in preparation for a new round of cheese making. They have partnered with two local artisan craftsmen to bring a variety of expertise on board. They are also going to be trying a new cheese rind casing in order to improve appearance, but also keep more moisture in their aged cheeses, while also allowing them to breath and ripen.They are hoping to make more cheese, more often and have consistently better results. This will in turn, will allow them to be more creative in their ability to experiment with new recipes and flavors. The fresh cheeses will be available in our store as early as next week and the ripened cheeses will be available 2 months after that. We look forward to their new line of cheese and will keep you updated on the progression.

CSA for August 27th Contains:
RED BELL PEPPERS
CARROTS
RED LEAF LETTUCE
ORANGE KABOCHA SQUASH
RED TOMATOES
CUCUMBERS
BLUE LAKE GREEN BEANS
YELLOW ONIONS
AMBROSIA MELON
CONCORD GRAPES from VINCENT FARMS
BIG BOX ADD: SUNGOLD CHERRY TOMATOES, CILANTRO, CARROTS, GALIA MELON, +1 MORE THING TO BE DETERMINED
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CSA and Juice Feast for August 20th

I wanted to write a short note about sweet corn because I’m getting a lot of inquiries about it. In response to the drought situation we are in we are limiting our corn to a few rows this year. Corn needs a lot of water to grow and we aren’t doing so well with that this year. I hope to see it in our CSA boxes in about a month.

CSA for August 20th contains:
FRENCH GREEN BEANS
CANARY MELON
CARROTS
RED TOMATOES
CUCUMBERS
YELLOW BELL PEPPERS
RED BUTTER LETTUCE
ITALIAN PARSLEY
LACINATO KALE
GREEN ZUCCHINI
BIG BOX ADD: RED LEAF LETTUCE, AMBROSIA MELON, CARROTS, BABY SPINACH from FRECKER FARMS, WHITE PEACHES from GARCIA FARMS
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CSA and Juice Feast for August 13th

We started a worm farm for our chickens. Turns out that meal worms actually turn into cool black beetles and both make a very good source of protein. Even though I see all sorts of bugs on the farm (and in my house on the farm), and these ones are especially harmless and can not fly, I still have problems touching them. I’m getting used to it!
It’s been a busy week on the farm. New plantings are being made for fall/winter while beautiful new items like red peppers and watermelon are on the horizon. The summer time bring out all the bugs and in turn causes a lot of problems with the food we grow. I’m trying to figure out a way to harvest the bugs and get them to my chickens!
We have an abundance of lemons and fresh rosemary, so all CSA boxes will be receiving this as an extra.

CSA for August 13th Contains:
CARROTS
GREEN BEANS
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
AMBROSIA MELON
ROMAINE LETTUCE
BASIL
ONIONS
BROCCOLI
GALA APPLES from REGENERATIVE EARTH FARMS
CUCUMBERS
BIG BOX ADD: CARROTS, RED TOMATOES, YELLOW PEPPERS, PLUOTS & WHITE PEACHES from Garcia Family Farms

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