Week 14 August 13, 2025

camasswalefarm
Aug 12
6 min read

Recipes: Polenta with Tomatillos, Peppers and Corn and melon sorbet

+ a melon (not pictured)

WHAT'S IN MY BOX?

potato mix - ~ 1.25 (small) 1.5 lb (full)

parsley - 1 bu

tomatillos .6 (small) - .8 lb (full)

green beans - 1/2 lb watermelon -or- melon various - 1 ct ** various types, but predominately crenshaw in the large shares and cantaloupe in the smalls

cooking sweet corn - 2 ct

** its a little starchy this week, the last pick from this round. We have another round coming. But oh my its sweeeeet! Saute, par boil it or grill it and enjoy!

shishito peppers - 1 pint

** remember these are mild peppers, but 1 in 10 has some spice....

cucumbers - 2 ct snack type (small), 2 ct slicing type (full)

yellow onions - 2 ct

butterhead lettuce - 1 ct

cherry tomatoes - 1 pt

Salad Lover's Add-On - salanova salad mix

Egg Add-On , if you ordered eggs pick them up in the egg add-on box at your pick up site this week!

HOW TO ORDER ADD-ONs: The CSA store is open for add-ons. You can use a debit card or your Farmigo credits https://csa.farmigo.com/store/camasswalefarmcsa. Please order 3 days before the desired delivery day.

Lots of add-on items are listed in the CSA store now. Basil and pickling cucumbers are done for now for Wednesday delivery. Other items are just getting started. Using the website is easiest for us. If you have any issues using the website to order, email the farm at camasswalefarmcsa@gmail.com with type, amount and delivery date.

Enjoy!

Where are you from?

I’m from Portland.

How long have you been farming? (At Camas Swale and in total)

Well, I started here a couple weeks ago, and then before this I worked at this summer camp that was on a farm for seven years. It was animals mainly— an educational thing.

Why did you want to work on a farm/ What do you love about farming?

While I was at U of O I took the urban farm class that they do there and that was a really fun experience. And the entire time I was in the class I don’t think I had to buy produce once because we got to take it home every day. And I also got to meet a lot of cool people that way.

What is your favorite crop to harvest and why?

I really like doing the cherry tomatoes because that’s one of my favorite foods. I love how the red and the orange ones are all “ombre” on the vine, and they’re very pretty.

What are some delicious things you’ve been cooking lately with the farm produce?

Recently I cooked up a bunch of zucchini and cauliflower and had that with some salmon that was topped with scallions. I’ve also just been eating cucumbers and carrots with hummus a lot.

Which wildlife sightings do you love most on the farm? (plant, animal, or otherwise?)

I’ve been seeing a lot of turkey vultures— some cute butterflies. We all saw an eagle the other day!

What is your hidden talent/biggest hobby outside of farming?

I play rugby and also I love to do a lot of hiking and camping— anything outside.

If you were a vegetable, which one would you be and why?

I want to say a bell pepper— that’s also one of my favorite vegetables… it’s very refreshing and crunchy. Versatile.

Homemade Cantaloupe Sorbet

From What Great Grandma Ate recipe blog, inspired by a generous homemade ice cream fairy in our life.

4 cups cubed cantaloupe, about 1/2 medium cantaloupe (or other melon)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp maple syrup
Water, if needed

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
After cutting the cantaloupe into cubes, place the pieces on the lined baking sheet in a single layer so they aren't touching each other. Freeze for at least 2 hours.
Add the frozen cantaloupe cubes into the food processor and process until crumbly in texture.
Add lemon juice and maple syrup and pulse until incorporated. You can pause to scrape down the sides if you see any clumps. Taste to add more sweetener, if desired.
The sorbet should be smooth and you should be able to scoop it with a spoon or an ice cream scooper. If not, add 1 tablespoon of water at at time until it reaches the right consistency.
Enjoy right away or store in the freezer in an airtight container. If storing, thaw for 15 minutes before scooping so it's not icy when you want to enjoy it.

Polenta with Tomatillos, Peppers and Corn

cooked polenta, cook per directions-- for a thick porridge you'll cook it in a sauce pan, adding broth as you go to your desired thickness
- Variations to the polenta include adding paprika, butter, cheddar cheese, pepper, or cooked red lentils
salt
olive oil
garlic
chopped tomatillos
chopped green peppers
corn kernels
yellow onion
fresh chopped herbs, parsley or cilantro
pumpkins seeds, optional

Saute in olive oil the garlic and the rest of the vegetables besides the fresh herbs, add salt to taste
Serve over cooked polenta.
Top with pumpkin seeds and fresh herbs

After cilantro and dill come their flowers, a perfect habitat for insects.

CSA Member Calendar

First Summer CSA Delivery

Wednesday May 14th /Friday 16th

First Egg CSA Delivery

Wednesday July 23rd / Friday 25th

CSA Harvest Potluck and Party

Saturday September 13th at 4pm

First Fall CSA Delivery

Wednesday November 5th

ABOUT PICKING UP YOUR CSA

Bring your own bag. Pick up at your pick up location and day (Wednesday or Friday) from 12-6pm. If you ordered an add-on, it will be packed in a separate labeled tote.

HOW TO PICK UP YOUR CSA

#1: Sign-in! the golden rule

Find & Sign-off your name on the sign-in sheet each week and please ONLY take the items listed next to your name.

This vital step helps ensure everyone goes home happy, including our site hosts and farmers, week after week.

#2: Locate your shares

Boxes are labeled as Small or Full. Summer Salad Lover Add-on shares are in a large tote labeled "Salad Add-ons"

#3: Unpack your tote & stack the empties

Please bring your own reusable shopping bag to transport your items - we’ll pick the totes up next week for reuse! We can use them for multiple seasons, reducing waste one box at a time.

USING THE WEEKLY SWAP BOX?

Swap boxes are green with flowers painted on them. Swap boxes are labeled and will stand out! If your pick up site has a swap box, please feel free to swap an item you may not want in your box with an item in the provided and specifically-labeled SWAP BOX. Please limit the swaps to one item for one item per week.

UNABLE TO FIND AN ITEM?

(Please do not supplement it with something else!) Contact the farm directly before taking something else. The sooner you reach out the sooner your item may be located.

SOMEONE ELSE PICKING UP FOR YOU?

(Please share all the details of how to pick up with them BEFORE they attempt to pick up -- BYO bag, take from the right size box, check off the right name). Friends and family picking up for others is the number one cause of pickup mistakes, and we thank you in advance for your consideration.

CSA FAQS PAGE

Since our hands are often tied up with roots, soil or kids we keep this information on our CSA FAQS web page.

VACATIONS

Every CSA member can put their share on hold in trade for a $20 credit per week, up to two. Login to your account and select your vacation dates or email us. Please request your vacation at least three days in advance to receive the credit.

REDEEMING YOUR VACATION CREDIT

Go to our Online Store to see availability for add-ons this week and to double check the value of your credit. You'll need to login to see your credit amount. In the 2025 season you can use your vacation credits to purchase add-ons electronically or apply the credit to a Fall Share. But as always you can also just email the farm. Thanks!

NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE

Your current season of newsletters and many of our newsletters back to 2012 are on our website here. Find recipes from previous seasons. Friday CSA members can go to this link on Wednesday and see what this week's CSA has to offer.