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 -
Red Cabbage -
Cucumbers -
Sunflowers -
Maui Onions - Great to eat these raw in salads or on sandwiches. If you like steak, as a side dish or to put on top of, saute with olive oil and season to taste. Do the same and add your favorite pasta!
Participants in our CSA Program by city:
LONG BEACH - Alpert Jewish Community Center, Birney Elementary, Children's Center, Christ Lutheran Preschool, Fremont Elementary, Halpert Hargrove Company, Long Beach Food Cooperation, LBCC Culinary Arts, Long Beach Unified School District Office, Los Cerritos Elementary Roots & Shoots, Lowell Elementary, Maple Village, Naples Bayside Academy, Newcomb Academy, Patrick Henry Elementary, Prisk Elementary, Kettering Elementary, Tincher Prepatory
RANCHO PALOS VERDES - Cornerstone School, Peninsula Montessori, Pointe Vicente Elementary
SANTA ANA - OCEAA
HUNTINGTON BEACH - Circle View Elementary, Golden View Elementary, Hope View Elementary, Ocean View School District, Patti's Preschool, Pegasus School, Petterson Elementary, St. Bonaventure, Surf City Christian, Village View Elementary, Talbert Middle School
LAKE FOREST- Abiding Savior Lutheran Church Preschool, La Madera Elementary
ORANGE - The Creek Preschool, McPherson Elementary, St. John Lutheran, Santiago Middle School
WESTMINSTER - Westminster
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA - Community Lutheran Church, Trabuco Mesa Elementary
TUSTIN - Aldersgate Methodist Church, Spirit Academy, Tustin Presbyterian Church,
CERRITOS - Leal Elementary
ANAHEIM HILLS - Anaheim Hills Elementary, Hephatha Lutheran School, Hillsborough School, Fairmont Private School
DOWNEY - East Middle School
TORRANCE - Arnold Elementary, Fern Elementary, Hickory Elementary
FOUNTAIN VALLEY- Courreges Elementary, Hilltop Preschool, MemorialCare, Orange Coast Memorial, Vista Middle School, Cox Elementary, Fountain Valley Montessori
IRVINE - Culverdale Elementary, ICF Jones & Stokes, JCC Preschool, Northwood High School, Plaza Vista Elementary, Northwood Montessori, Irvine Child Develoment Center
LAGUNA NIGUEL- Laguna Niguel Parent Participation Preschool, Mission Lutheran Preschool
REDONDO BEACH - Jefferson Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Madison Elementary, St. Lawrence Martyr School
FULLERTON - Rolling HIlls Elementary, Emmanuel Episcopal Preschool, Fullerton Community Nursery School, Rolling Hills Elementary, Sunset Lane Elementary, Orangethorpe Elementary, Eastside Christain School
LOS ALAMITOS - Hopkinson Elementary, Rossmoor Elementary, Weaver Elementary
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 is what might be in your CSA box for the week of July 25, 2010:
Small box might have: yellow beans, red leaf lettuce, tomatoes, Maui type onion, melon, grapefruit*, avocados*.
Large box might additionally have: Green bellpeppers, Japanese eggplant, carrots, sweet white corn.
This is what might be in your CSA box for the week of July 17, 2010:
Small box might have: Carrots, tomatoes, white corn, romaine lettuce, avocados*, oranges*, melon
Large box might additionaly have: cherry tomatoes, thyme, swiss chard, cucumbers
This is what might be in your CSA box for the week of July 11, 2010:
Small box might have: carrots, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, white corn, grapefruit*, oranges*, white peaches**
*These fruits are grown pesticide free by our friends Bob and Mary Polito at Polito Farms in San Diego.
**These tree fruits are certified organically grown by Glen Ivy Farms in Corona. A non-profit organization tended to by Sergio Garcia.
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.
7/25/10
I know that I say this often and I will say it again, TIME JUST FLIES BY! Meaning, enjoy life, enjoy your family and friends because it all goes by sooooo quickly. Stop and try something new because you will never know what you might have missed. Which of course leads me to what is in your box this week.Everyone should be getting one of our sweet Maui type onion. Chop them up and put into your salad or slice them and put on a sandwich. The best way that I like them is to slice them up, saute them with some butter or olive oil. Caramelize them and eat them as is by themselves or add some other steamed or grilled veggies, or add to a pasta or throw them on top of a steak! They are versatile and they are good for your body.
The other neat item is the Japanese eggplant. I was not a real fan of them in my younger days but my taste buds have changed and I love them now. If you are grilling, throw them onto the grill whole. Turn them every now and then until the skin begins to blister. Once the entire eggplant is blistered, take it from the grill and let them cool a bit. The skin should peel right off, add a little soy sauce and there you go!
The weather is prefect, enjoy the outdoors, come out to the farm and enjoy the watermelon tour or make reservations for the cookout tour. What better way to spend a day than on the farm!
7/18/10
ATSUI! That is the Japanese word for HOT! And boy, was it hot this past week! I know, I know.....a little while a go I was constantly complaining about it being cold and rainy. I have good reason to complain about rainy wet weather when it comes to my strawberries. They do not like damp conditions while they are fruiting. This hot weather that we have been having has sunburnt most of those beautiful colored bell peppers and a lot of tomatoes that are hanging on the vine and exposed to the sun! My soil is a little weak and the plants have not developed a real good canopy to protect the fruit from the scalding rays of the sun. Need healthy soil to grow healthy plants!
I said that we will have melons this week and yes we do have melons this week! This one is called "Diplomat." Looks like a cantaloupe but it is has a green flesh like the traditional honeydew. Not overly sweet, nice pillowy texture and very juicy. Enjoy!
7/11/10
I hope that everyone is enjoying the great summer variety of fruits and vegetables! Our delicious strawberries are done for the season but we have some friends close by that grow some fantastic tree fruits! Like last week, the apricots and this week some white peaches. These are grown by my friend Sergio Garcia who has been over seeing the farming operations at Glen Ivy Ranch, a non-profit, certified organic farm located in Corona. The oranges, avocados and grapefruit are grown pesticide free by Bob and Mary Polito at Polito Farms in Valley Center.
One of the reasons that I do not grow tree fruits is that I do not own the property and my lease is on a year to year basis. As you probably know, it takes three to four years to get a decent crop off of most tree fruits. Of course the other reason that I do not have an orchard is that I know nothing about them!
My cantaloupe will be ready, maybe next week. It has been so cool that they are taking their time ripening up! Following right behind them is our personal sized watermelon. The true sign of summer, sweet, juicy watermelon!
Something new this week, celery root! Kind of a pain to prepare, but be adventurous! Give it try!
Have a great summer!
6/27/10
School is out and our CSA numbers have dropped considerably. That is bad for us economically but it is good as we now have a chance to catch up on a lot of neglected maintenance around the farm and also gives us a chance to get ready for our fall festival, the Pumpkin Patch!. We have to sort through all of our signs and spruce them up, check on our animals to make sure that they are ready for their annual visit to our farm! Do some maintenance on our wagons that carry all of the children around the farm. Most importantly, we have to get ready to plant our vegetable garden where our customers can pick vegetables right from the field and of course we are getting ready to plant our pumpkins where that is the main attraction, to come see how pumpkins are grown and to be able to pick your own right off of the vine!!!! A true pumpkin patch!
Even if you have stopped receiving your CSA box, you can still enjoy freshly picked produce by coming out to the farm and participating in our "Watermelon Tour" and our "Cookout Tours" which continue on through the end of August! If you haven't been on these tours, check out our "Testimonial Page" and maybe one of our happy friends will convince you to come out and spend some time with us! And if you have been out and enjoyed the tour, come on back, each and every time is a refreshing experience and bring some friends!
Enjoy the strawberries! They are at their very best right now, sweet, juicy and tender! Maybe two possibly three more more weeks!
6/20/10
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!! We had a great turnout at the farm this weekend. We gave out an extra basket of berries to all the dads that went on the Strawberry Tour or the Cookout Tour. Next weekend will be our last Strawberry tour of 2010, so come on out and enjoy the strawberries right off of the vine!
We are not done for the year. July 5th we begin our summer Watermelon Tours!!! and our Cookout Tour continues until the end of August.
Enough about the tours, I need to apologize for the contents of the CSA boxes last week. With the change to warmer weather of summer the delicate cool weather crops always have potential for problems. Things like lettuce (tip burn), cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage (bugs hidden away in the leaves beets, radishes and swiss chard (bitter and pithy). I leave a lot of decisions up to my people in the field and sometimes I get complacent and don't pay enough attention to what is going in your boxes and again, I apologize. Do not hesitate to let me know when things aren't right with your CSA box because I do listen to what you have to say!
You will notice a lot of kale in your boxes. This will be in there to help stabilize the contents. Of course there will probably more than you can use but I think that it is better than putting everything in bags or plastic containers. So use as much of the kale that you can and throw the rest into your compost pile or just toss it in the garden as ground cover.
Have a wonderful week!
6/13/10
Sorry that I missed updating last week. Had a bad start to the week and was just never able to catch up. Especially since we had that weird green item in the box! I hope you found out that it is Romanesco! It has been in your box in the past but for some of you, you may have never seen it before. Remember, if you do not know what you have, try it raw and you can always steam or saute it!
We have been very fortunate with the weather. Summer is fast approaching and the June gloom weather pattern has been very cool. This is great news for the strawberries as the remaining plants that are alive look great and have a lot of fruit on them! They taste absolutely fantastic right now and we are able to give you a lot more than normal. We pick these strawberries at the absolute peak of flavor but that also causes a problem with their shelflife. You may have noticed that a few may be already a little fuzzy (moldy) when you get them. They are not old,they are just so full of sugar but so tender that they rot very quickly. Please accept my apologies but that is what happens with local berries at this time of the year! Taste great but rot quickly. That is how the change in seasons affect some crops.
Speaking of the change in seasons, tomatoes are here!!!!! This week we have some yellow cherry tomatoes and in a couple of weeks we will have some large red beef steaks!!!! And the sweet white corn!!!! That will also be in ready in a couple of weeks. Maybe even as early as next week!!!!! Fresh barbequed corn!!!!! Nothing better to bring in the summer!!!
Make sure to check out our "Whats in Season?" web page to see about our cooking class on June 26th with Chef Dave!!!! Space is limited so sign up now!!!!!!!
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!
Kohlrabi - Description: Kohlrabi consists of a long stalk and large leaves protruding from a spherical base. This base, a root, tastes like radishes when raw and broccoli when cooked. Varieties include purple and pale green. The leaves can also be eaten like spinach.
Swiss Chard - This is in the same species as the garden beet which are primarilay grown for their edible roots. Swiss Chard is a leafy vegetable that are grown for their edible leaveThe ribs not only come in white but also red and yellow.. Young chard can be eaten raw in salads but get bitter the older the plant is. Mature chard leaves and stalks are typically cooked or sauted, their bitterness fades with cooking, leaving a refined flavor which is more delicate than that of cooked spinach.
Chinese Broccoli ("Gai Long") - is a dark green vegetable in the Brassica oleracea group. This vegetable produces characteristic florets of flowers, much like broccoli. The floret, stem and leaves can be eaten raw in salads, steamed, boiled (my favorite) or the most common stir fried with oyster sauce. The oyster sauce compliments the faint bitterness of the plant.
Boston Lettuce - Is a member of the butterhead family of lettuces. As the name of the family imlies, the leaves are considered to be like butter. The flavor usually has no hint of bitterness and the leaves will almost melt in your mouth. Goes very well with fruitier dressings and or with sweeter items such as cherry tomatoes or grated carrots. You might even try them with some sliced strawberries!
COSTA MESA - Back Bay Montessori, Christ Lutheran PTL, Presbyterian Church of the Covenant
LAGUNA BEACH - Church by the Sea
NEWPORT BEACH - Health Care Cost Solutions
ROLLING HILLS ESTATES - Rancho Vista Elementary
LAKEWOOD - Del Valle Tot Lot, Riley Elementary
LOS ANGELES - Ocean Charter School
WHITTIER - Ocean View School
Purple Cauliflower (Violet Queen) - An intermidiate type with caulifower leaves and broccoli like heads. Turns green when cooked. The seed catalog says that it tastes like cauliflower but I think that it has more broccoli flavor and definitely consistency like broccoli. Not a real favorite of mine, but it is something different and colorful!
Napa (Chinese Cabbage) - Use the large strong leaves as a wrap for your meats or other vegegetables or stir fry or saute with any combination of things. The Koreans use this as a main ingredient in kimchi (a pickled dish with usuaully spicey seasonings).
Radicchio is an exotic Italian salad ingredient related to chicory. This distinctive plant grows in a rich maroon color and has a peppery flavor that adds a textural bite to salads. I prefer to grill or roast it to take some of the bitterness out of the taste.
Kale is from the cabbage family but does not form a head. I have always thought of this leafy vegetable as a garnish but have found out that kale is considered to be highly nutritous with powerful antioxidant properties. It is so high in vitamin K that patients taking anti-coagulants like warfarin should avoid this veggie. Chp and eat raw or cooked.
Brussel Sprouts belong to the cabbage family. Boil, steam or roast them but whatever you do, AVOID overcooking them! Overcooking releases the glucosinolate sinigrin, which has a sulfurous odor and a sulfuric taste. Generally boiling for 6 to 7 minutes is enough.
Red Leaf Lettuce -
Romaine Lettuce -
Spinach -
.WESTCHESTER- Mom's Club of Westchester
Japanese Turnip Hakurei is gorgeous! The gleaming white flesh and greens are eaten raw. Best known for its excellent flavor, the smooth dark green tops are mild enough to eat fresh out of the garden along with the roots. The Hakurei’s mild and sweet flavor makes it a favorite salad ingredient. The nutritious tops can go right into the salad as well, or lightly sauté both together and enjoy them that way.
BREA - Brea Mom's Club
The Tangelo is a hybrid of a tangerine and a grapefruit, about the size of a tennis ball with a tangerine taste but jucier. They generally have loose skin and are easy to peel. They are easily distingushed from oranges by a characteristic knob at the top of the fruit.
Clementines are a variety of the madarin orange and are frequently confused with a similar fruit the satsuma, another name for the Japanese mikan. Easy to peel and uausally seedless. You may come across an occasional seed or two which is from some cross pollination with seeded varieties.
Navel Oranges are a mutation from an orchard of sweet oranges from a monastery in Brazil from the 1820's. The mutation causes oranges to develop a second orange at the base of the original fruit, opposite the stem, as a conjoined twin in a set of smaller segments embedded within the peel of the larger orange. From the outside, it looks similar to the human navel, hence its name.
Pinkerton Avocado is green with a medium-thick and pebbly skin. Signs of ripeness differ by variety, but all varieties yield to gentle pressure when ripe. (Softer for guacamole, more firm for slicing). To ripen an avocado, place it in a sealed plastic bag with a ripe banana at room temperature. Another method is to bury the avocado completely in a jar of flour. Do not refrigerate avocados until they are ripe.
Leeks - The edible portions of the leek are the white onion base and light green stalk. The dark green portion is usually discarded since it has less flavor. As the leek grows, this part becomes woody and very chewy. One of the most popular uses for the whites and light green stalks is for adding flavor to stock. Chefs rarely use the darker part of the leek for stock because of its bitterness. However, a few leaves are sometimes tied with twine and other herbs to form a bouquet garni.
Leek has a mild onion-like taste, less bitter than scallion. The taste might be described as a mixture of mild onion and cucumber, with a fresh smell similar to scallion. In its raw state, the vegetable is crunchy and firm.
Celery Root - Celeriac (Apium graveolens rapaceum) is also known as celery root, turnip-rooted celery or knob celery. It is a kind of celery, grown as a root vegetable for its large and bulbous hypocotyl rather than for its stem and leaves. The swollen hypocotyl is typically used when it is about 10–12 cm in diameter; about the size of a large potato. Unlike other root vegetables, which store a large amount of starch, celery root is only about 5-6% starch by weight.
Celeriac may be used raw or cooked. It has a tough, furrowed, outer surface which is usually sliced off before use because it is too rough to peel. Celeriac has a celery flavour, and is often used as a flavouring in soups and stews; it can also be used on its own, usually mashed, or used in casseroles, gratins and baked dishes.
The hollow stalk of the upper plant is sometimes cut into drinking straw lengths, rinsed, and used in the serving of tomato-based drinks such as the Bloody Mary cocktail. The tomato juice is lightly flavoured with celery as it passes through the stalk.
Celeriac is not as widely used as some other root vegetables, perhaps because it is harder to prepare and clean.
