Changes, more changes…

We have undergone another computer system change.  And that means I have spent umpteen hours glued to this silly thing over the past couple of weeks.  This change coincides with the Season switch from Spring to Summer, so the juggling has been really fun (yeah, right).  we have transitioned from the dairy processing and are no longer bottling milk, making yogurt, cheese etc. and are focusing on produce with the CSA subscription format.  This meant our data management needs changed significantly.  So we have changed (back) to the Farmigo system, which is designed for this type of organization.  I think we will all be happier with the new system.

Please note, the web address is the same, it is still www.texasdailyharvest.com .  The difference is where it takes you.  I am still working on getting some of the minor functions up and going, like the What’s in the CSA shares this week page (it is coming).

If you had a Spring CSA share, you were not automatically signed up for Summer, so I hope you added the Summer share if you wanted one.  You can still sign up, you just can’t get your first Summer delivery until next week because they have all gone out for this week.

Summer CSA time!

 

It is time to sign up for the Summer CSA.  We have tomatoes ripening already and there might be some in the first shares.  The first Summer CSA shares will be delivered next week (the week of June 17).  If you want to join, you need to have an account with us.  If you don’t have one already, you can sign up on our website at www.texasdailyharvest.com.

If you already have an account, just click the size share you want in the Shopping Cart and you are good to go.

The first week we expect to deliver: cabbage, kale, chard, green beans, potatoes and onions.  This will be something of a transitional time as the Spring crops are finishing up and the Summer ones are coming on.  Hot weather stuff should be up and running quickly as the temperatures rapidly climb.

Come join us for local, certified organic produce at Texas Daily Harvest.

Spring is in the air

We begin delivering Spring CSA shares this week.  If you have been thinking about signing up, you still have a chance.  There are still shares available, but to get the first week, you need to be signed up by 9am Wednesday.  Click the carrots for more information.

Have you visited the Texas Spice restaurant at the Omni Hotel in downtown Dallas?  If not, you are missing out.  The chef there is a fanatic about local food.  They have been getting CSA shares and cheese from us since last year (and he never ceases reminding me how much he misses our milk and yogurt).  If you are in the area, make sure you stop by and check it out.   You won’t be disappointed.

Texas Spice, serving 3-meals daily, captures the true flavor of Texas with an emphasis on local ingredients and southern style offering a twist on hometown classics. The innovative farm-to-market concept incorporates using the freshest ingredients, such as locally produced vegetables from Texas Daily Harvest, to create great food and a casual dining experience. Texas Spice has a rustic interior designed with repurposed materials that include the red brick walls, garage door style doors and wood details.

Spring and Summer CSA Shares are Now Available

In spite of a few hiccups, sign-ups for this year’s Spring and Summer CSA shares is now underway.  To reserve your space, go to www.texasdailyharvest and create or update your account.  Prices are the same as last year. Instead of one long CSA, we have broken it into two 10 week seasons. 

I have been trying some new recipes that I will share here soon.  Stay tuned for Sourdough Whole Wheat Tortillas, Cashew Butter, and Tangy Sauteed Cabbage.

 

Here’s a little “CSA Spring produce preview” to get your mouth watering ~

 

 

Spring and Summer CSA Time is Almost Here

We are almost ready to take sign-ups for our Spring and Summer CSA’s.   I will let you know when you can sign up.  Since the type of produce varies so much from Spring to Summer, we have broken the time up into two seasons instead of one long one this year.  (We had planned on a Winter season, but the weather did NOT cooperate).  You can choose Spring, Summer, or both.  Use the link at the bottom of the page to see what you can expect from each season.

Right now, I am finalizing the Delivery Locations.  Below is a map of the ones I have so far.  If you would be interested in hosting a Delivery Location at your home, business, church or ?, please reply to this email.  Of, if you know a business that might be interested, please send me that information also.  We have a few businesses right now.  The Life House in Rockwall was the first.  They are a local coffee house that uses local, organic products.  Check them out if you are in the area, you will be in for a treat.  Local Yocal in McKinney is a farmer owned, full service butcher shop and local goods market.  The Life House and Local Yocal were both delivery locations last year and will continue this year.  We also have one new one, a marketing and printing firm in Irving, owned by one of our customers, that has offered to host a location.

If you have a group that would be interested (such as a church or mother’s group) I can set up a “private” group where only your members can join.  I can also do this for offices that want to offer this for their employees only.  You must have at least 5 members to qualify.

If you are willing to be a delivery location for other people to join, I will add your location to the map for others to choose.  You do NOT have to find members yourself (though you are encouraged to tell your friends and neighbors!)  For any given location, we must have at least 5 members before the deliveries begin in order for the group to receive deliveries.

If anyone signs up and chooses a group that does not make, and there is not another location that will work for them, they will be refunded their deposit.

At any Delivery Location where there are at least 10 members, the host will receive a free share.

On this map, the gray marker is a tentative location, the white ones are for sure.  We could really use some other locations, particularly from Coppell, over to Plano, down into Dallas, and up through Irving.  Anywhere there is a large “gap” actually.  If you have any questions about how hosting works, please reply to this email.  I’ll be happy to answer your questions.

We plan to do deliveries on Thursday and Friday, but do not know which stops will be on which day yet.

When products are delivered, they are packaged and labeled.  Hosts do not sort anything and they do not handle payments.  The whole process can be quite hands-off.

 

Want to see what is being planted in the garden this year?  Click Here!

Thanksgiving Ideas

I just opened a blog post from Food Renegade (click the photo below to see the original blog entry) and found a recipe I wanted to share.  That made me think of some other recipes that might interest you, so here we are.  My first blog post in let’s don’t discuss how long…

Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potato Bites – Click for Recipe

Butternut Squash / Beet / Granny Smith Apple Casserole

I found this recipe in the Spring and modified it to make it my own.  I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine did.  Just watch your fingers on the finger-eating mandoline!

Ingredients:
5-6 golden beets (or red if that’s what you have and you don’t mind the color bleeding – it looks funny but tastes good)
4 granny smith apples
1 butternut squash
1 red onion
1 tbsp sucanat (optional)
1/4 cup fresh thyme, roughly chopped (I have used other herbs, try what you have or what you like)
1/2 cup cold-pressed coconut oil, warmed to liquid (I have used olive oil)
Fresh ground black pepper
Fine ground sea salt

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Slice your onion on the mandoline and add it, 1 tsp of coconut oil and sucanat, to a pan and brown over medium-high heat 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. While onions brown, peel and slice your beets on the mandoline and set aside. Slice your apples (do not peel, the green is pretty) on the mandoline, and cut out the core/seeds on the slices where you find it.

Peel your butternut squash and slice as well. Using a pastry brush, or your fingers, grease your baking dish.

Place a layer of beet rounds in the casserole dish. Paint with coconut oil. With a very light hand, sprinkle—SPRINKLE!—a touch of sea salt and pepper on your rounds. It’s important to season all layers, so be sure to be delicate with your amounts. A tiny pinch will do. Imagine, if you had to (or could) count, you’d make it so only 20 little grains of salt/pepper are on each round. I you are not a fan of pepper, use it every third layer instead of on each one.

Sprinkle beets with fresh thyme. Now place a layer of apple slices on top of your beets. Then place a thin layer of onions on top.

Paint with oil. Add a pinch of salt/pepper. Now place a butternut squash round on the apple/onions. Season with pepper/salt. Repeat this order until the dish is full (or you run out. It will bake down some.  Sprinkle grated Parmesan throughout the layers as desired.

Again, use this order and repeat until full:
Beet: coconut oil, fresh thyme, tiny pinch salt/pepper
Apple: coconut oil, tiny pinch salt/pepper
Onion
Butternut squash: Coconut oil, tiny pinch salt/pepper

No matter what layer you finish on, make sure you top it with fresh thyme, salt and pepper.  Finish with a generous layer of grated Parmesan.

Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.

If you want to use the cream, while the casserole is baking, place cream ingredients in the blender and mix until ultra smooth. Drizzle over warm gratins and serve!

You can prepare this a day in advance. Just make sure it is covered well and you reheat it in the oven, never a microwave. Always use fresh cream sauce to drizzle, too.  This casserole reheats very well, the leftovers were devoured in our house, not a bit was wasted.  It is surprisingly sweet and the flavors meld very nicely.

For more Thanksgiving Real Food Recipes, check out Cheeseslave!

Fall CSA

Fall 2012 Produce CSA

Texas Daily Harvest

We are preparing for the Fall CSA. To start with, here is what we intend to grow:

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Cabbage

Brussels Sprouts

Collards

Kale

Swiss Chard

Leaf and Head Lettuce

Beets and Beet Greens

Radish

Carrots

Parsnips

Sweet Potatoes

Potatoes

Mustard and Micro Greens

Bok Choy

Spinach

Turnips and Rutabagas

Leeks

Salad Peas

Winter Squash (Butternut, Acorn, Spaghetti, Buttercup, and Pie Pumpkin)

Items will vary throughout the season. Most of these crops will have multiple varieties offered varying in size, taste, and appearance. All of these crops are being planted now and will hopefully make it to harvest, but, as we know, sometimes nature has a different plan.

We hope to start mid-October, could be early or late October. We plan to do 10 weeks but, as always, that is dependent on the weather.

There will be a $25 non-refundable planting fee due on confirmation of membership. Plus we will require a deposit equal to two weeks’ shares, which will cover the last two weeks of the season. Large shares will be $34/week and Small shares will be $28/week.  Delivery will be weekly.

Before we begin the Fall season, we have found it necessary to overhaul the delivery system. We have found that private deliveries are just not feasible; the cost of delivery makes it unrealistic. Right now, we are leaning towards all shares being assigned to a delivery location. The first thing we need to do is find out where we have interest. I know many of you have emailed me to let me know you want to participate, but please fill out this form (link below) so I have all the information organized in one place.

Filling out my Questionnaire does not commit you, but it does reserve a share for you and allows your location to be taken into account when I set up delivery locations. Please click the link below to get started. (It won’t take long, promise.)

CSA Information Questionnaire

Thank you

Ramy

Texas Daily Harvest

 

CSA Shares Week 3

Large Share:

CSA Large Week 3

 

Small Share:

CSA Small Week 3

Snapshots Around the Garden

Bok Choy

Tractor

Rows, and rows

Heifers

Squash starting to bloom

Ladybug!

Lettuce

Cabbage - are those not beautiful colors?

Beans

 

Week 2 CSA

Here are the contents of this week’s CSA shares.  Both sizes have the same contents, just different amounts.

CSA Week 2