Mark your calendars for our last social event of the season — the Harvest Full Moon Potluck Dinner to be held on Sunday, October 12 beginning at 6pm. Bring friends, family, and a potluck dish to share. We'll have a bonfire to keep warm.

There is still room in this weekend's cooking class at the farm, featuring Indian cuisine. Contact Annmarie at ambutera@verizon.net to register. The cost is $20 for CSA members.

There are some changes in ordering from Ben Stoltzfus at Pleasant Pastures Organic Acres. The new cutoff time for ordering online for Friday delivery is Wednesday at 4pm. Also, I have updated the website with the new order form, which includes a variety of different products. Check it out at www.maysiesfarm.org.

Pennsylvania Buy Fresh Buy Local has launched a new online resource called Good Food Neighborhood. Linking together local farms, food, and people, it offers practical advice on finding the best foods available in your region. Visit www.buylocalpa.org to find out more about this great program.

The tomatoes will probably start slowing down now that the weather is cooling, but if you're still looking for ways to use up some of your tomatoes, nothing beats a fresh tomato salad. Simply cut some tomatoes into bite-sized chunks, add some shredded fresh basil, and sprinkle with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Adding cheese makes it even better!

Or try this recipe, from "Insatiable" by Gael Greene:

RAW TOMATO SAUCE (6 servings)

4 large, ripe tomatoes, peeled (if desired) and cored
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled
6 large basil leaves, slivered
6 grindings of fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup fruity, extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. bucatini or perciatelli (thick, hollow pasta)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (if desired) for serving

Chop tomatoes coarsely, about 1/2 inch. Place tomatoes and all the juices in a large bowl. Smash the garlic with the side of a chef's knife if you intend to remove it from the sauce before serving. (For a more intense garlic flavor, leave the garlic in the sauce, but mince two of the four cloves.) Add all the garlic, half of the basil, and the pepper and salt to the chopped tomatoes. Stir in the oil. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 10 hours, stirring occasionally. Before serving, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/3 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and toss with the reserved water. Divide the pasta among six shallow bowls. Remove the garlic from the tomato sauce, if desired, and ladle sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle with the remaining slivered basil. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan, if desired.

See you at the farm!

~ Colleen

We hope you are enjoying the sweet corn — better late than never! You have probably noticed that there are sometimes little critters that are enjoying the corn too. These common earworms are harmless (if a bit gross), and if you just cut off the top of the ear, the rest of the corn is fine. As we like to say: better the insects you can see than the pesticides you can't!

Annmarie Butera will be conducting another cooking class on Saturday, September 27 from 11-1 featuring Indian cuisine. The menu includes red lentil pancakes with chutney, chicken and vegetable curry, steamed basmati rice, tomato and onion salad, and shrikhand. The cost of the class is $20 for CSA members. I'm attaching a flyer with more information to this email. Contact Annmarie at ambutera@verizon.net to register.

This is short notice, but there is an event at Green Valleys Association-Welkenweir featuring local food, drink, and music taking place this Friday, Sept. 19 from 6-9pm. Please see the attached flyer for more information. And it's not too late to register for the Regional Harvest Celebration and PASA fundraiser at Longwood Gardens on Friday, September 26. Contact marilyn@pasafarming.org for more information.

We have already sold more than 100 pounds of salmon, and we are re-stocked! We are now also offering two varieties of smoked salmon, including Nova style. Enjoy!

Are you overwhelmed by tomatoes? Whole tomatoes may be washed, wrapped in foil, and frozen, to use for cooking within 2 months. Or you can chop fresh tomatoes and freeze them in plastic bags to use for cooking. The following recipes come from my new favorite cookbook, "Too Many Tomatoes, Squash, Beans, and Other Good Things."

GAZPACHO (serves 6-8)

6 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 green pepper, chopped
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 1/4 cups beef broth
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 large avocado, cubed

Stir all ingredients to blend, chill.

FRESH TOMATO BAKE (serves 6)

8 medium tomatoes, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
8 Tablespoons butter, divided
2 large onions, sliced
2 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Mix first 5 ingredients well. Saute onions in 2 Tablespoons butter for 5 minutes. Melt remaining butter and mix with bread crumbs until blended. In a buttered 1-1/2 quart casserole dish layer tomatoes, onions, then crumbs. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 5 minutes more.

See you at the farm!

~ Colleen

We hope you're planning to attend our annual CSA Potluck Dinner this Saturday, September 13, beginning at 5pm. There will be live music, including a performance by one of our favorite bands, Moondogs! We are also planning on having a bonfire to take the chill out of the September evening. Even the moon is cooperating - it's close to being full. The only thing that might not cooperate is the weather...we will be setting up canopies and are planning on going through with the party unless it's REALLY bad. Anyway, this party always turns out to be a good time and we hope you and your family can join us. Even if you forget to sign up in the barn, feel free to show up that evening. We ask only that you bring a potluck dish (or dishes!) to share.

Unfortunately, the Field to Fork Dinner on Sunday, Sept. 14 at Maysie's Farm had to be cancelled. However, we are hoping to do something like that (fine dining where the food is grown!) in the future. It's such a great idea, and we thank those of you who expressed interest. FYI...there's a similar event happening at Longwood Gardens on Friday, September 26, sponsored by PASA (Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture). It is their first harvest dinner in the Southeast region. This fundraising dinner will assist PASA with the continuation of farm and local foods advocacy and their education efforts. You are welcome to attend - I'm attaching a flyer to this email with more information on this great event.

I love quiche, and I pulled this recipe from an ad for Stonyfield yogurt!

SUMMER QUICHE (6-8 servings)

6 eggs
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 Tablespoon basil
1/2 Tablespoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small yellow squash, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, yogurt, herbs, black pepper and Parmesan cheese. Beat well. Add the onion, zucchini, squash and tomatoes and stir. Pour the mixture into the pie shell, and bake for 35-45 minutes or until cooked (the quiche should be firm to the touch). Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

This next recipe also uses many of the vegetables you're getting from the farm. It comes from Cooking Light magazine:

SOUTHWESTERN CONFETTI SALAD (6 servings)

1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1 cup coarsely chopped zucchini
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup diced tomato
1/3 cup diced bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 Tablespoons diced red onion
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 Tablespoon minced seeded pickled jalapeno peppers
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well to combine. Cover and chill at leat 1 hour before serving.

See you at the farm!

~ Colleen

All of a sudden we have TOMATOES! It's a crazy year when it takes until September to get the summer bounty!

There are still a limited number of spots for this week's cooking class with Annmarie Butera, featuring Middle Eastern and African food. The workshop is this Saturday, September 6 from 11am-1pm. The cost is $25 for CSA members. Contact Annmarie at ambutera@verizon.net to register.

And we hope you're planning on attending our Annual CSA Potluck on Saturday, September 13 beginning at 5pm. We hope to have live music and a bonfire that night. Everyone is welcome - it should be a lot of fun! Just bring a favorite potluck dish to share. There SHOULD be a sign up sheet in the barn at your next pick up.

Nick Milak is still taking reservations for the Field to Fork Dinner at Maysie's on Sunday, September 14 beginning at 4pm. The menu sounds enticing! Tickets are $75 and can be purchased at www.fieldtoforkcatering.com.

The wild Alaskan sockeye salmon will be available starting Friday, September 5. I should have made it more clear in my last update — there is NO pre-order required - we will keep a stock in the freezer in the store. Prices will be marked on each package and you can pay by cash or a check made out to Maysie's Farm. When I first bought this salmon last year I modified a recipe from an old cookbook I had, and my family loved it so much that I've cooked it this way ever since! I just bring a package from the freezer to the refrigerator the morning I'm going to cook it:

GRILLED SALMON

1 package salmon
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 clove minced garlic
1 Tablespoon mustard (stone-ground or Dijon)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Fresh herbs (I usually use rosemary, thyme, oregano)

Prepare marinade in a baking dish. Add salmon, and marinate 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally. Grill on medium 8-10 minutes (no more!).

You can get a lot fancier than that (and I welcome your recipes!), but this sure makes my family happy!

Sam told me that some of you are starting to groan when you see MORE pac choi (bok choy)! It may have taken me 9 years of being a CSA member, but this vegetable has become one of my favorites! You can use it in place of cabbage in almost any recipe. You can also cut it up in a stir fry (you can never go wrong with a little olive oil, garlic and onion!). Here is a recipe that I've used (from Cooking Light, of course!) that calls for cabbage, but works well with bok choy:

SWEET CABBAGE SALAD (6 servings)

6 cups shredded cabbage (about 1/2 head)
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl, toss well. Combine sugar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour vinegar mixture over cabbage mixture, tossing gently to combine. Cover, chill 1 hour.

See you at the farm!

~ Colleen