Baby Maui Onions – These onions are very sweet. You can cut the tops up and put them in salads, soups, salsa, and tacos. Cut the bulbs up and sauté them to eat with other foods.
Tomatoes - Some good old fashioned tomatoes. The winter has been very mild, so we still have some tomatoes, not as flavorful as I would like, but considering it is January, they aren’t bad. Have the kids eat them whole like an apple.
Carrots – if you have been on any of our Farm Tours, you will know that carrots are usually a favorite with the kids. Wash and leave in a baggie for the kids to munch on any time of the day.
Red Beets - You can eat the tops like spinach, I don’t really care for them. But I do like the bottoms. Boil them until fork tender, peel and put in the refrigerator. Eat cold with some mayo. Make sure to warn your children that when they go to the restroom, their urine and stool will be red from the beets!
Broccoli – I don’t really care for this particular vegetable raw, but steamed broccoli and a little mayo is one of my favorites!
Butternut Squash – Probably something that you would not normally purchase from the store, but this is what it is all about, making time to try new things. Cut in half, take out the seeds, sprinkle w/brown sugar, cinnamon, spread butter & honey. Bake at 350 until tender, about 20 minutes.
Cauliflower – Great raw, break up the head and wash, some ranch dressing and you are ready! Start asking around and find that recipe for mashed cauliflower! Supposed to look and taste just like mashed potatoes!!!! Someone try it out and let us know.
Cilantro – Doesn’t matter what you do with this, it just smells wonderful. Salads, sandwich spreads, soups, or just let it sit in the kitchen.
STRAWBERRIES - These are what we have been waiting for! Our sweet, organically grown strawberries. It is very early in the season yet and we don’t have very many, so savor the flavor of each one.
Snap Peas – One of my favorites, wash and eat these raw. When they are fresh, they are crisp, juicy and sweet. Steam them a few minutes until they are tender, a little mayo and they make a great addition to any main dish.
Lettuce – Tear them up into a salad, use them in your sandwiches or use them like tortillas to wrap other vegetables or meat.
Radishes – I like to eat these raw and enjoy the way that they crunch when you bite into them. I put them in everything, sliced or diced, they provide a little zing in salads, sandwiches and as condiments alone.
Romanesco- NEW NEW NEW!!! Looks like cauliflower, has the color of broccoli, and has a different taste. Steam or cook like cauliflower. Let me know what you think. Just something different.
French Melons- NEW NEW NEW!!! This melon may look small and weird but it is very sweet. Much sweeter than a regular cantaloupe. Cut and enjoy.
Green Cauliflower- The same as white cauliflower but can add a different color to your plate. Eat raw or steamed. It is a great addition to any vegetable platter
Mild Mesclun Mix - A custom mix of mild leafy greens and lettuces. Includes international ingredients such as Kyona Mizuna, Black Summer Pac CHoi, Tatsoi, Red Russian Kale, Red Sails, Saladbowl and Rouge d'Hiver. Mix with your regular salad for added flavor.
These are the various Fruits and vegetables that can be in your boxes depending on the season
Purple Carrots -
Purple Cabbage -
Cucumbers -
Sunflowers -
Maui Onions -
Participants in our CSA Program by city:
LONG BEACH- Bixby Elementary, Belmont Heights Preschool, Emerson Parkside Academy, Fremont Elementary, Long Beach Home Schoolers, Lowell Bayside Academy, Naples Elementary, Newcomb Elementary, Prisk Elementary, Christ Lutheran Preschool, Jewish Community Center, Minnie Grant, Long Beach City College, Kettering Elementary, Coastal Cuties Mom's Group
PALOS VERDES- Peninsula Montessori, Cornerstone School
SANTA ANA- Hewes Middle School, Loma Vista Elementary, Orange County Educational Arts Academy, Redhill Elementary, OCEAA, St. Jeannes
HUNTINGTON BEACH- Circle View Elementary, Hope View Elementary, Golden View Elementary, Pegasus School, Village View Elementary, St Bonaventure, North Huntington Beach Preschool, Patti's Preschool, Ocean View School District, Petterson Elementary,
LAKE FOREST- Montessori on the Lakes
ORANGE- St. John Lutheran
MISSION VIEJO- O'neil Elementary
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA- Community Lutheran Church, Rancho Santa Margarita Montessori, Trabuco Mesa Elementary,
TUSTIN- Aldersgate Church, Tustin Presbyterian Church,
ANAHEIM-
ANAHEIM HILLS- Hepatha School, Canyon Rim Elementary
DOWNEY- East Middle School
TORRANCE- Hickory Elementary
FOUNTAIN VALLEY- Hilltop Preschool
IRVINE- Vista Verde Elementary
LAGUNA NIGUEL- Laguna Niguel Parent Participation Preschool, Mission Lutheran Preschool
REDONDO BEACH- Madison Elementary
FULLERTON- Rolling HIlls Elementary, Emmanuel Preschool
LOS ALAMITOS- St. Hedrig Church, Rossmoor Elementary, Weaver Elementary,
YORBA LINDA- Village Preschool
Baby Bok Choy. This is a asian vegetable. Very hearty and lots of nutrients. Steam, saute, or eat raw. Can be used like spinach. Don't be afraid if you have never tried this before. This is what the CSA program is all about. New and exciting things.
“What might be in your CSA box this week?”
We hope you are enjoying your CSA boxes. We're very happy that you’ve joined the Tanaka Farms CSA program. We are looking forward to deliver seasonal veggies and fruits to you each and every week or every other week, however you have signed up for. We are always trying to bring you the freshest fruits and veggies that are in season.
This what might be in your CSA box for the week of November 22nd, 2009:
~ Green/Red Leaf Lettuce ~ Salad Mix~ Japanese Turnips ~ Broccoli
~ Japanese Turnips ~ Broccoli ~ Green & Yellow Beans ~ Parsley ~ Beets ~ Carrots
~ Beets ~ Carrots ~ Persimmons* ~ Apples* ~ Yams * ~ Squash
~ Apples* ~ Yams * ~ SquashThis what might be in your CSA box for the week of November 15th, 2009:
~ Iceberg Lettuce ~ Salad Mix Wildfire ~ Beets ~ Broccoli
~ Romaine Leetuce ~ Green & Yellow Beans ~ Apples* ~ Persimmons*
~ Carrots ~ Basil ~ Squash ~ Cabbage
*These fruits are grown by our local CA farmers.
Its always fun to try a new recipe with the family and friends. For your interest, we have a collection of recipes. If you would like to try the recipes, please click here. Have fun with the recipes, and when you get a chance, please let us know how the recipe turned out, by emailing us at TanakaFarmsCSA@aol.com.
Honey Orange - A unique orange flesh honeydew. Personally I do not care for the crunchy flesh but it does have a nice flavor. Cut in halve, clean out the seeds and put a mix of berries in the center (or a scoop of ice cream!)
Honey Yellow - A pretty, yellow skinned melon that has a sweet, juicy, orange flesh. At least that is what the seed catalog says. I don't know if I will be planting this melon again next year. Some of you really like it, others aren't sure what to think about it.
Japanese Eggplant - Slice cross ways or long ways and fry or grill until soft. Season to your liking or some soy sauce and enjoy.
11/7/09
LETTUCE, LETTUCE, LETTUCE!!!!!!!!! It is fall and almost winter and that is what grows best! No more limp and smog burned leaves but bright, plump, succulent and juicy!!! Enjoy that crisp salad. Be adventurous, slice the radishes and turnips and toss into that salad to give it some crunch! Oh, what radishes.....what turnips?????? We have a new pest in our mists, the Bagrada Bug, also called a painted or harlequin bug, was first found in June 2008 in Los Angeles Co. California, and is now widely distributed in LA and Orange Counties.
The following info came from the UC Riverside website concerning this pest. "Damage is inflicted on host plants when adults and nymphs insert their needle-like mouth parts and suck juices from the plant. Feeding results in large stippled or wilted areas on leaves. Often the growth of newly formed central shoots or heads of plants become stunted. Populations can build up quickly reaching damaging densities that require control. Heaviest infestations are typically observed in organic farms, community gardens, and residential vegetable gardens were little or no pesticides are used."
It was quite a sight to see. I walked the field one morning feeling proud and wonderful admiring what a wonderful crop of radishes and turnips that would become from the row that I was looking at that had just germinated a few weeks ago. The tiny leaves had that beautiful shade of green and not a leaf had been touched by a worm or not a seedling was pecked out of the ground by birds. The next afternoon as I walked the farm I came across that row of radishes and turnips. They were looking even better than the day before! As I walked down the row to the other end of the field. something looked strange. Those beautiful tiny little leaves were looking wilted and brown. The farther down the row I walked, the worse it looked. Many seedlings were so shriveled, it looked as though they would not make it. The next day, the damaged area spread, and the day after that it spread some more. As I looked at the soil surface, there were so many bagrada bugs that it looked as if the soil was moving. They were all over the tiny speedlings sucking the life out of the plants. As I stood there in amazement, I notice them all over my boots. It gave me the heebie-jeebies.
So, what do we do? There are synthetic pesticides that will take care of them but since we grow things organically, it is a tough battle. I will have to plant more crop in hopes of having enough to survive to supply all of my subscribers and spray more often with our organic material that will hopefully repel the bugs. Both approaches are very costly and there are no guarantees that they will be the solution.
You may be asking, "Why plant radishes and turnips anyways, I don't really care for them." I worry about them because the badraga bug loves everything in the Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) Family, which includes important foods like cabbage, kale, cauliflower, mustard, broccoli, turnip and radish. The Bagrada bug has also been recorded attacking papaya, potato, maize, sorghum, cotton, capers, and some legumes. Yes I am worried and concerned.
WIsh me luck in my new battle!!!!
10/18/09
It has been a very busy week! The pumpkin patch is in full swing, we have added 10 new schools to our CSA program and we are trying to get our strawberries planted. That's right! STRAWBERRIES!! My favorite crop! I absolutely cannot wait until the end of December when I can walk out in the field and taste that first sweet strawberry of the season. You read that correctly. Right around Christmas time I will be roaming the starwberry patch looking for that first red, ripe morsel to taste. By the end of January, there should be enough to share with all of you! Believe it or not, the early strawberries usually taste the best. It seems as though the cooler months they stay on the vine longer before they ripen allowing them plenty of time to develop a wonderful flavor. I can't wait!
This week, some of you will be getting some shelling peas in your boxes. This is a new item that I am trying. They are smaller than I anticipating, not sure if it is something that I did in growing them or if it was due to the erradict weather that we encountered (Can you believe the weather that we have been having? Hot, cold , wet, hot!). Any way, this is a great addition to your box to help get your children involved. Let them help you take the peas out of their shells. Have them break the tip and with that should come the string. Pull that string down the side of the shell. It is like undoigng a zipper and it will reveal the peas inside. Have them push the peas out with their thumb.
They are great raw as a snack or add them to a salad. You can steam or boil them (just for 2-3 minutes) or saute them in some butter or olive oil (also for 2-3 minutes).
I am sorry that you are getting the Japanese turnips again. Had a bumper crop and I didn't want to throw them away. I hope that you all realize that this is not a factory where I can order exactly how many items that I want! That is also why I am short on some items, especially on a new crop like the shelling peas, I have never grown them before and have no idea as to how much they produce. Even if I knew how much they produce I still would not be able to create the exact number that I needed. That is why everyones box will not be exactly the same as your neighbors.
Need to get back out to the "Pumpkin Patch!"
Farmer Tanaka
10/13/09
I know that the produce that everyone has been receiving lately has not been up to par and I would like to apologize for that. Some of our crops are being harvested a little early because of an infestation of beetles that we are having a hard time controlling without conventional chemicals. Harvesting a crop early is not usually a problem, but with the heat that we were having, they wilted very quickly while in the box waiting to be picked up by you at school. Believe me, I know how bad a wilted head of lettuce can look or a limp bunch of carrots. Very unappealling.
Also, I know that the boxes can sometimes look empty. We do try and make the retail value come out to at least $25 and most of the time it is more than that. But there will be times when items are small and do not take up a lot of room to make the box look empty or maybe we are actually short on value. If you have a garden or have had any experience growing vegetables, you can appreciate how difficult it can be to have a plant produce the amount of produce you want when you want it! Just as two children of the same age mature at different times, so do crops.
Please remember that this CSA program is not only about receiving produce from a local farm to consume but it is also a learning experience for our children. Explaining the production cycle and the different seasons and how it affects what we eat.
I appreciate your patience and understanding. I hope that you will all continue to support your school and Tanaka Farms as we work through this period. I guarantee that your boxes will be better!
Farmer Tanaka
Peas Shelling This is a great way to get your children involved. These peas need to be removed from their shells. Have your child break the end off and pull the string down the side of the pod and push the peas out with their thumb into a bowl. Add them to a salad raw or steam, boil or saute them by themselves or with other vegetables..
Fuyu Persimmons - There is a very small window for this Japanese fruit, so enjoy them while you can. There are two main types of persimmons, the Fuyu (short and squat, shaped very much like tomatoes) and the Hachiyas (more acorn shaped). Unlike the Hachiyas, Fuyus are eaten much like apples. Peel or don't peel them, slice them, eat them. You may also eat them when they are soft and mushy which is how the Hachiyas have to be eaten. ENJOY!!
Butternut squash - also known in Australia as Butternut pumpkin, is a type of winter squash. It has a sweet, nutty taste that is similar to pumpkin. Butternut squash is a fruit that can be roasted and toasted and also be puréed or mashed into soups, casseroles, breads, and muffins.
Kabocha is a Japanese variety of winter squash. In some cultures it is revered as an aphrodisiac.It's popular for its strong yet sweet flavor and moist, fluffy texture, which is like chestnuts.Like other squash-family members, it is commonly mixed in side dishes and soups or anywhere pumpkin, potato, or other squash would be. It is a common ingredient in vegetable tempura and makes a wonderful soup by adding a small amount of rice or wheat starch.
Salad Mix Wildfire - A truly beautiful mix of lettuces. High-contrast mix with a high percentage of red-leaved varieties. The darkest reds, like Outredgeous, Garrison and Blackjack make up the bulk of this mix, com[plemented by vibrant greens such as Tango, Royal Oak, Parris Island and Saladbowl. Throw in any other fresh greens that you may have on hand and you have a fantastic salad!
