Frog Song Organics | Organic Farm | Central Florida

Organic fresh produce and more

  • Home
  • Order Online
  • News from the Farm
    • Farm News
    • Special Events
    • Press
    • Video
    • CSA News and Shares
    • Educational Resources
    • Farm Incubator
  • Recipes
    • Main Dish
    • Soups
    • Breads and Cakes
    • Salads
    • Brunch
    • Sides
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
  • The Farm
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Join Our Team
    • FAQs
  • Locations
    • Farmers Markets
    • Retailers and Distributors
    • Restaurant Partners
  • Join Our CSA
    • Member Resources & Schedules
    • Distribution
    • Veggie Spotlight
    • Crop Calendar

CSA News and Shares

CSA Newsletter for 7/13-7/16

We’re very proud of the production and diversity we’ve been able to maintain amidst this devastatingly hot and surprising dry early summer period. Our summer season has prompted some austerities and adjustments, but we’re moving with these challenges as nimbly as we can. We are very grateful to all of our members who continue to support the farm, either through your CSA subscription, or by participating in our Summer Sustainer program.

Another great way to support the farm is to attend our upcoming Farm-Raiser Cookout! This event will take place on Sunday, July 24th from 4-8pm on the farm in Hawthorne and will feature locally sourced, heritage pork sausages prepared by Gainesville’s Jon Pilgrim of Mayflower Cellars. Vegan sausage options and seasonal side dishes from the farm will also be available! Beer & Wine will be available for an additional small donation.

If you’re planning to attend, please pre-purchase a ticket here to help us have enough food for everyone. Thank you for your support, we look forward to having a great time together!

(We have an alternate sheltered location available nearby in the event of rainy weather.)

In your share this week will be:
Okra: Our bi-color okra plantings are picked daily to ensure that young, tender pods don’t become woody and overripe. If you have a bad association with okra, or don’t like the texture, please give it another chance through this recipe posted on the New York Times Cooking blog. Roasting okra is a super accessible and the light searing adds flavor and tenderizes the pods perfectly.
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Callaloo: Here’s an excellent recipe from ImmaculateBites for a popular West African, Caribbean green of the Amaranth family:

Prep time:
30 mins
Cook time:
15 mins
Total time:
45 mins
 Serves: 3-4
Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh Callaloo, kale, collard greens (about 11/2 pound)

2 thick bacon strips cut in pieces

3-4 garlic cloves minced

1 medium onion

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1 fresh tomato

1 whole scotch bonnet pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

3- 4 ripe plantains

cooking spray- or very little cooking oil

Salt and pepper (optional)

 
Instructions

Cut leaves and soft stems from the callaloo branches, them soak in a bowl of cold water for about 5-10 minutes or until finish with prep.

Proceed to slicing the onions, mincing the garlic and dicing the tomatoes. Set aside

Remove callaloo from water cut in chunks.

Place bacon on saucepan and cook until crispy. Then add onions, garlic, thyme, stir for about a minute or more

Add tomatoes; scotch bonnet pepper, smoked paprika. Sauté for about 2-3 more minutes.

Finally add vegetable, salt, mix well, and steamed for about 6-8 minutes or until leaves are tender. Add a tiny bit of water as needed. Adjust seasonings and turn off the heat.

Using a sharp knife cut both ends off the plantain. This will make it easy to grab the skin of the plantains. Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain; peel only as deep as the peel. Remove plantain peel by pulling it back.

Slice the plantain into medium size lengthwise slices and set aside.

Coat a large frying pan with cooking oil spray. Spray the tops of the plantains with a generous layer of oil spray and sprinkle with salt, freshly ground pepper.

Let the plantains “fry” on medium heat, shaking the frying pan to redistribute them every few minutes.

As the plantains brown, continue to add more cooking oil spray, salt and pepper (if needed) until they have reached the desired color and texture.

Remove and serve with callaloo

Elderberries: We have several elderberries producing trees on the property that are flushing out really beautifully right now. There is a diversity of elderberry uses, both the berries and white petaled blossoms can be an ingredient in tea, pancakes, custards, and muffins. Follow the link here for an excellent elderberry tonic syrup recipe
Sweet Corn: Our sweet corn plantings are very productive right now. These ears are incredibly sweet and can be eaten raw, steamed, grilled or roasted!
Mizuna: Mizuna is a Japanese mustard that has historically been (and still is today) pickled, stir-fried, steamed or added to soups/hot-pot dishes throughout Japan and Southeast Asia. With its crisp stalks and beautiful frond-like leaves, mizuna can also be an excellent salad addition with a mild peppery flavor not quite as pungent as arugula.
Cantaloupe: With varieties like Athena and Halona from Johnny’s, these loupes are brought to you with some very extensive time investments, from staving off hungry deer to heavy straw based mulching to lower soil temperature and reduce weed and pest pressure. We generally find the smaller fruits to hold more concentrated sweetness. Chop the fruit and mix with some granola and raw honey for a delicious and sweet breakfast or after-meal treat!
Figs: Our fig tree has been very generous to us in this very condensed fruiting window. We wanted to share these delectable treats with you while they’re abundant, replacing the strawberry jam this week to make up our value-added item that comprises the summer share. Enjoy!
Fairy Tale Eggplant: These small, striped fruits and very tender and contain very few seeds. Perfect in stir-fries, grilled or oven-roasted,  fairy tales might jump to the top of your new favorite veggies list!
Lemon Basil: Our lemon basil has a wide range of application: you can utilize it in cooking (pestos, soups and stir-frys to neutralize spice) or medicinally, making a tea to extract its prolific health benefits like its anti-oxidizing properties. This flavor is specifically suited to flavor chicken and fish dishes, adding a citrus, floral note.

 


« Elderberry Tonic (Syrup)
“When Community-Supported Agriculture Is Not What It Seems” »
Follow on Instagram

Latest Recipes

CSA 2023 Winter Week 12

CSA 2023 Winter Week 11

CSA Winter Week 9

Copyright © 2011 - 2023, Frog Song Organics, All Rights Reserved

Site by Ghost Pepper Creative