We are currently sold out for the 2009 season. If you’d like to be added to our mailing list, please send us an email, and we’ll let you know when we’re ready to start signing up new members for the next season.

Or if you just can’t wait to get your CSA fix, check out these other options. There are two new CSAs starting up this year not far from us: Flatbush Farm Share and Crown Heights CSA. Just Food also has a listing of other CSAs all over NYC posted here.

The Prospect Lefferts Gardens Neighborhood Association will be holding their annual meeting on Friday, March 6th at 7:30 pm. The meeting will be at the Church of the Evangel, located at 1950 Bedford Ave, at the corner of Bedford and Hawthorne. The election for the Board of Directors will take place at this meeting, so this is a great opportunity to shape the future direction of this long standing neighborhood organization. All are welcome to attend, but the minimum dues to be able to vote are $5. Here’s a link to the flyer for this event.

** I was just informed that the location has changed. The PLGNA meeting will now be held at Grace Reformed Church at 1800 Bedford Ave, on the corner of Lefferts Ave.

Thinking about joining the CSA this year, but not really sure what it’s all about? If you’re new to Community Supported Agriculture and would like to learn more, check out this short video put together by Josh Bell about the Greenwood Heights CSA.

Novel way to buy locally grown food gains popularity from Josh Bell on Vimeo

We are now renewing memberships for the 2009 season! If you were a member last year, you should have already received a registration form via email, but if for some reason you didn’t get it please contact us. Deposits for returning members are due by February 13th.

After we have completed the renewal process, we will open up registration for new members. Since we have a long list of people and only a limited number of shares available, we will be choosing new members by random drawing. If you would like to join the list for the lottery, please send us an email.

The vegetable prices for 2009 will be $575 for full shares and $325 for half. We will be offering a fruit share again this year as well, but there will be a separate signup for that at a later date. Pickup will still be at Maple Street School every Tuesday afternoon from approximately May 26th through Octobor 27th.

Woodbridge Farm will be offering a pork share this month for $150. The delivery will include around 17 lbs of organic humanely raised pork, including the following approximate weights and cuts:

Pork Loin Chops:  3 lbs
Country Style Ribs:  2 lbs
Sausage (hot, mild or breakfast):  2 lbs
Shoulder Roast:  3.5 lb
Ham Steaks:  3 lbs
Bacon:  3 lbs

Please email us if you’re interested.

I documented my veggie half share again this year. I missed a few weeks (there were 23 weeks total) but this gives a pretty good idea of what a half share looks like. Read the rest of this entry »

Sadly, today was our last vegetable delivery for the season (although we do still have one more week of fruit, and an option to order pork for delivery after Thanksgiving). Our shares this week included a variety of winter squash - acorn, delicata, and pumpkin. If you don’t want to eat this right away, it can be stored for a month or two in cool, dry, dark place.  Winter squash has lots of vitamins A, C, and potassium, so eat up before we head into cold season!

I often get home from work exhausted and in no mood to cook, so I love this idea for sweet and spicy acorn squash. Sounds like a perfect lazy vegetarian dinner, although it could also probably work well as a side dish. And this pumpkin bread pudding sounds really yummy too (replace the canned pumpkin with fresh, obviously).

Parsnips, a member of the umbelliferae family, closely resemble their relatives parsley and carrot. Parsnips are generally thicker than carrots and paler in color. Their flavor has been described as nutty, spicy, or peppery, and they are a good source of fiber and folate. Parsnips are available from fall to early summer - they can stay in the ground over winter and tend to be sweeter after a frost.

Storage

• Remove greens from the tops of parsnips and then store in a paper bag in the refrigerator drawer.
• Although they will keep for up to a month in the fridge, parnsips become more bitter with age and are best eaten fresh.

Preparation

• Scrub parsnips well and slice or chop as you would a carrot.
• Very large parsnips may need to have their woody cores removed. Cut off the thin end and set aside. Then cut the thick portion in half and dig out the core with a sharp spoon. Discard the core and chop the vegetable as usual.
• Parsnips can be eaten raw like carrots, but are more delicious and digestible when cooked. They are well suited for prolonged cooking, as in casseroles, stews, or oven roasting. To preserve nutrients, cook with the skin on and eat it, or peel after cooking.
• Parnips can be steamed, boiled, sauteed, or braised. Try combining parnsips with other root vegetables like beets, carrots, and potatoes. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven, stirring occaisionally until browned and cooked through.

Recipes Ideas

• Cinnamon and Maple Roasted Parsnips
• Parnsip Chips
• Potato, Carrot, and Parsnip Soup

(Big thanks to Just Food for the Veggie Tip Sheet book)

Here’s what we’re expecting from Woodbridge Farm tomorrow:

1 - Carrots
2 - Parsnips
3 - Broccoli
4 - Pac Choy
5 - Winter Squash
6 - Garlic
7 - Onions
8 - Choice of Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes

Besides basic cole slaw, I never know what to do with cabbage, so was happy to find this post on Learning to Love Green Cabbage at The Kitchn. There are some good ideas for wine braised cabbage, cabbage casserole, and other recipes.

Celeriac is another veggie usually stumps me. My old standbys are to either combine it with mashed potatoes, or roast it with whatever other root vegetables I have on hand, but neither of these methods are terribly exciting. Does anyone have any other interesting recipes to share?