CSA Newsletter Sixth Edition
Posted on July 24, 2009
This Week’s Harvest:
- Cucumbers
- ‘Multipik’ Summer Squash
- ‘Crookneck’ Summer Squash
- Assorted Zucchini
- ‘Ichiban’ Eggplant
- ‘Yellow Rocdor’ Beans
- Swiss Chard
- Peppermint
- ‘Bronze’ Fennel
- ‘Napoletano’ Basil
Comprehensive Includes:
Bobolink Cave-Aged Cheddar
Artisanal Bread
Crop of the Week – ‘Yellow Rocdor’ Bush Beans
Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae (alternately Leguminosae) used for human food or animal feed.
The whole young pods of bean plants, if picked before the pods ripen and dry, can be tender enough to eat whole, whether cooked or raw. Thus the word “green beans” means “green” in the sense of unripe (many are in fact, not green in color), as the beans inside the pods of green beans are too small to comprise a significant part of the cooked fruit.
The term “bean” originally referred to the seed of the broad bean, but was later expanded to include members of the genus Phaseolus, such as the common bean and the runner bean, and the related genus Vigna. The term is now applied in a general way to many other related plants such as soybeans, peas, lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas (garbanzos), vetches and lupins. In English usage, the word “beans” is also sometimes used to mean the seeds or pods of plants that are not in the family Leguminosae, but which bear a superficial resemblance to true beans, for example coffee beans, castor beans and cocoa beans (which resemble bean seeds), and vanilla beans (which resemble the pods). Beans are one of the longest-cultivated plants, broad beans having been grown at least since ancient Egypt, and the common bean for six thousand years in the Americas. Many modern dry beans come from old-world varieties of broad beans, but most of the kinds commonly eaten fresh come from the Americas, being first seen (among Europeans) by Christopher Columbus during his conquest of a region of what may have been the Bahamas, where they were grown in fields.
One especially famous use of beans by pre-Columbian people is the Three Sisters method of companion plant cultivation:
On the east coast of what would come to be called the United States, some tribes would grow maize (corn), beans, and squash intermingled together, a system which had originated in Mexico. The corn would not be planted in rows as it is today, but in a checkerboard/hex fashion across a field, separate patches of one to four stalks each. Beans would be planted around the base of the developing stalks, and would vine their way up as the stalks grew. All American beans at that time were vine plants, “bush beans” having only been bred more recently. The cornstalks would work as a trellis for the beans, and the beans would provide much-needed nitrogen for the corn. Squash would then be planted in the spaces between the patches of corn in the field. They would be provided slight shelter from the sun by the corn, and would deter many animals from attacking the corn and beans, because their coarse, hairy vines and broad, stiff leaves are difficult or uncomfortable for animals like deer and raccoons to walk through, or crows to land on. Beans were an important alternative source of protein throughout old and new world history, and still are today. There are over 4,000 cultivars of bean on record in the United States, alone.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bean)
Yellow ‘rocdor’ wax beans are early and cold tolerant. A firm textured 6 to 6 1/2 inch, slender bean, holds its deep yellow color well. Upright bush bean, germinates in cool soil. This group of beans is a favorite for the home garden and can be grown just about anywhere because they have a relatively short growing season. They can be planted from seed as soon as the soil is warm (day temperatures are around 60 degrees Farenheit), in full sun and loose, well drained soil. Bush type beans are very easy to grow and manage, reaching a height of only 2 feet tall. To control harvest, bush beans can be planted every two weeks.
(http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_a742.html)
Herb of the Week – Peppermint
Peppermint (Mentha × piperita, also known as M. balsamea Willd.) is a hybrid mint, a cross between the watermint (Mentha aquatica) and spearmint (Mentha spicata). The plant, indigenous to Europe, is now widespread in cultivation throughout all regions of the world. It is found wild occasionally with its parent species.
Peppermint was first described by Carolus Linnaeus from specimens that had been collected in England; he treated it as a species, but it is now universally agreed to be a hybrid.
Peppermint typically occurs in moist habitats, including stream sides and drainage ditches. Being a hybrid, it is usually sterile, producing no seeds and reproducing only vegetatively, spreading by its rhizomes. If placed, it can grow anywhere, with a few exceptions. It is an invasive species in the Great Lakes region, noted since 1843.
(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppermint)
Peppermint tea is a drink that is either a mixture of tea and peppermint (Mentha piperita) or a tisane (infusion) of peppermint alone. This drink is said to have health benefits. Tea made solely from peppermint leaves is naturally caffeine-free, but if blended with Camellia sinensis leaves it will contain caffeine. A tea made from blending peppermint and spearmint leaves is referred to as a Doublemint tea.
Though there have been no human clinical trials on the health benefits or risks of peppermint tea, some believe peppermint tea has healing effects as a result of the menthol that it contains. It is said to ease such problems as irritable bowel syndrome, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, headaches and baby colic; for this last, breastfeeding mothers are sometimes recommended to drink the tea themselves, in the belief that its benefits will be passed on to the baby in the breastmilk. Its minty flavour can take the edge off bad breath. It is also said to control mild asthma, manage stress and ward off the common cold. In some countries, peppermint tea preparations list these proposed effects on their labels.
However, peppermint has muscle relaxant properties and therefore may relax the lower esophageal sphincter, allowing the contents of the stomach to move upwards into the esophagus. For this reason, patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are advised to avoid peppermint. Peppermint contains B vitamins, calcium and potassium.
(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppermint_tea)
Strings Beans & Italian Squash Recipe
Chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup
Announcements:
***Our new website has launched. To continue to receive weekly updates on the CSA program please look out for the confirmation e-mail that will be sent to you from feedburner.com. Go to the link and complete the process. Thank you.
Griggstown Giveaway!!
If you go to our website and sign up for our newsletter, to continue to receive your CSA newsletter, you will be entered to win our Griggstown Giveaway – A picnic lunch here at the farm for 10 people.
Do you know how to sew? Our BagShare Project is about to begin! Two of our wonderful shareholders have secured enough material to begin making reusable bags from recycled cloth. The idea is for volunteers to work together to produce reusable cloth bags. Baskets of these bags are kept at participating shops and patrons borrow a bag if they need one. The bag is then returned to that location or another BagShare location for another to use. We are looking for a few good stitchers who can volunteer time to sew up to 5 bags each. If 10 people can participate, we can make a enough bags to give every shareholder one! If you already have enough reusable bags, we’ll start using them in the store for our returning customers. Please get in touch with Johann (produce@griggstownquailfarm.com or 908-359-5218) if you’d like to help out! A package with cloth, instructions, & labels will be given out to complete the bags at home at your leisure.
We are pleased to announce Picnic Lunch is now being served each week in our herb & flower garden on Thursday, Friday, & Saturday from 12-2. Come visit and enjoy a picnic lunch between the blossoms. The lunch menu includes a variety of sandwiches, salads, desert items, & beverages. This week’s menu features Chicken Salad with Celery & Red Onion Sandwich; Chicken Sausage, Peppers, & Onions Sandwich; and a delicious Grilled Vegetable Panini on Ciabatta Roll with Zucchini, Squash, Portabella Mushroom, & Balsamic Vinagrette.
If you are interested in helping out it any way, please get in touch with Johann at produce@griggstownquailfarm.com or 908-359-5218.
