Spotlight on the Farm: Golden Earthworm Organic Farm in Jamesport, New York

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If you've never become a member of a CSA farm, now is the time to do it. Most farms are just revving up for the season and are still actively looking to sign on new members. Joining a CSA doesn't just mean you'll have great food on your table—you will also be helping slow the rapid pace of development. When farmers can make a living, they aren't pressured to sell their land to developers. By sharing in the fate of the harvest, you can help insulate a farmer from a bad growing season and you also help to advertise the farm to the local community. If you live in the New York area and want information about the Golden Earthworn CSA—go to their website at www.goldenearthworm.com. To locate a CSA near you check out the Robyn Van En Center at www.csacenter.org.

If you find the idea of receiving a mystery box of produce each week daunting, Maggie suggests planning shopping trips after you know what will be in your weekly share and having a well-stocked pantry of staples to pair with seasonal ingredients. Matt recommends pulling last minute recipes from websites such as www.epicurious.com. Both agree that having a few good cookbooks on your shelf doesn't hurt either. Their library includes Paul Pitchford's Healing with Whole Foods (North Atlantic Books, 2002), Deborah Madison's The Greens Cookbook (Broadway Books, 2001), the full collection by Delia Smith, Summer, Winter and Holiday Collections (BBC Worldwide) and their personal favorite The Cuisine of the Sun (Vintage Books, 1979) by Mareille Johnston.

Matt and Maggie start harvesting this month and they hope to have lettuce mix, radishes, Japanese salad turnips, snap peas, arugula, scallions, spinach, red and green Boston lettuce, baby bok choi and beet greens ready for their members. They have also provided the following recipes that you can use with fresh produce from your local farms.

Miso Soup with Baby White Turnips, Snap Peas and Scallions

Ingredients
4 cups water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup kombu
1 small onion, diced 1/4"
1 clove garlic, diced
1 bunch Japanese turnips, sliced thinly 1/4"
1/2 cup snow peas
2-3 tablespoons miso
2 scallions, sliced thinly

Method
Heat oil in bottom of small pot, add onion, garlic, and kombu and cook for about a minute stirring frequently. Add water and bring to a boil over a high flame. Add turnips and cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer twenty minutes. Drop snowpeas into soup and simmer three to four more minutes. Turn off heat and dissolve miso in 1/2 cup water and add to pot. DO NOT BOIL again once miso has been added. Garnish with chopped scallions and serve hot.