Week 5 June 13, 2025

camasswalefarm
Jun 13
6 min read

Recipes:

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX?

red fire head lettuce (not lil' gem) - 1 ct

zucchini - 2 ct cucumber - 1 ct

italian kale - 1 bu

green onions - 1 bunch

garlic scapes - 1 bunch

broccoli - ~2/3 lb smalls, ~ 1 lb fulls

salad mix for all - 1/2 lb smalls, 2/3 lb fulls

basil - 1 bu (fulls)

Salad Lover's Add-On - Two heads of ButterHead Lettuce this week!

Egg Add-On - starts in late July for Egg Lover's share holders

Coming Soon: another round of basil, dill, carrots, new potatoes, cabbages, fennel, cucumbers and more .... Summer is almost here!

Read on for info or click here to RSVP for the CSA farm walk at 11am Sunday June 29th and paint and sip to follow at 1pm!

Where are you from?

I am originally from a little village in the Northeasternmost corner of Washington state, in the Columbia highlands --it's called Metaline Falls. Population 250.

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

This is my first season at Camas Swale and well... farming in total is a trickier question to answer because it has been such a gradual process of getting deeper and deeper into the subject. I guess starting 15 years ago I was working with a rural community organizing non-profit and got involved in work around farmers markets, farm to school, and agricultural policy. I therefore got interested in food systems and their link to notions of justice and social change work. From there I also started gardening, doing work trade with farmers, got interested in permaculture, and other ways I could take more responsibility for my impact on the earth. I work to be more self sustainable while helping the community.

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

I was drawn to Camas Swale because of personal recommendations, and I wanted to learn about farming on a different scale. I love the realness and inherent creativity in farming-- you can help be part of fostering life.

What is your favorite crop to harvest and why?

Too many to count! I particularly like the different smells that come from harvesting different crops. Also the way pollinators interact with the plants.

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

We've had some good breakfasts with potatoes, scallions, green garlic, purple kale-- kind of frittata-like. Otherwise stir fries with collard greens or ho mi zi.

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

Well I got to see a vole squirming in the ground the other day. That was kind of interesting--just its hind quarters and the earth moving. And of course birds soaring around whether they be the raptors or the vultures.

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

My biggest hobby would probably be music. Primarily I play guitar (acoustic and electronic) and sing, but I also play piano, drums, mandolin, and synthesizers too. And I'm also putting together a band so that's been a recent thing.

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

I'm actually drawn towards an herb called mugwort for the dreaming that it can bring on.

Do you have a favorite vegetable or local food memory to share?

One that really jumps out is my time in eastern Oregon when we did a gleaning effort/community harvest drive with fruit trees. What I loved about it is that it felt like a proverbial barn raising, just, many hands making light work. It felt like how things could be.

Greek yogurt Herb Dressing

From various sources-- for the most greek, Greek Yogurt taste oregano, basil and parsley really make this dressing pop.

1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt (pre-strained or put in colander to drip dry for a half hour)
1 cup fresh basil or parsley
1 cup mixed soft leafy additional herbs-- dill, mint, tarragon, oregano and/or cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus ½ teaspoon zest
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 Tbsp vegenaise or mayonaise
1 garlic clove
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Basil Pesto with Butter

2 cup basil leaves - fresh, packed
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts - OR walnuts, pecans, or pistachios
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter - melted and cool to the touch
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
squeeze lemon juice - fresh (or a pinch of citric acid)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese - OR pecorino cheese, grated
Combine all the ingredients together in a blender or cuisine art until fully blended. It helps to add the cheese and butter after the oil and basil. Freeze in ice cube trays or 4 oz. jars for later use or use fresh!

Garlic Linguine & Zucchini

from K3 Kitchen

Ingredients

1/2 lb uncooked linguine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 lb broccoli, finely chopped
1/2 lb zucchini, thinly sliced
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 a bunch of fresh herbs - sucha as parsley or basil, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried chilli flake
1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Boil the linguine in salted water, for timing please follow the instructions on the pasta’s packaging.
Rinse the linguine with ice-cold water and shake through a sieve to remove any excess water, set aside.
Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan, add the minced garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes until it turns slightly golden in colour.
Add the broccoli and courgette and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Drop in the linguine, thyme and 2/3 of the parsley. Season with salt, chilli flakes, pepper and lemon juice, stir well and cook for another 3 minutes.
Garnish with the remaining parsley to serve.

CSA Member Calendar

First Summer CSA Delivery

Wednesday May 14th /Friday 16th

First Egg CSA Delivery

Wednesday July 23rd / Friday 25th

CSA Farm Tour + Paint and Sip

Sunday June 29th

11 am farm tour

1pm paint and sip

RSVP HERE

Farm tour is open to all ages, the paint and sip is for adults only this time.

CSA Harvest Potluck and Party

Saturday September 13th at 4pm

First Fall CSA Delivery

Wednesday November 5th

Camas Swale Farm partners with Parker Learning Gardens on a variety of farm education projects. PLG is 2 miles up the road, please RSVP for a fun evening on their farm with dinner highlighting Camas Swale Farm produce.

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.