Archive for March, 2010

Pastiera (Italian Wheat Berry Pie) by Sara Jones, Tucson CSA

This is a traditional Easter dish served in Naples. It’s a great way to celebrate spring and citrus season. Most versions call for a special pie crust and fancy lattice work on top. This recipe is simplified to use a pre-made crust and forgo the lattice work. To simplify even further, try the Cuccia recipe in our online recipe archive.

1/2 cup wheat berries (about 1 cup cooked berries)

Zest from 2 oranges

1 pound ricotta, put through a sieve

2 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon orange-flower water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup finely chopped candied orange peel (optional)

1 pie shell, defrosted, if frozen
Soak wheat berries overnight and drain. Place in a large sauce pan, cover in water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until tender. Drain cooked berries and set aside to cool. Mix the ricotta and sugar together. Stir in the eggs one at a time, then add the zest, orange flower water and orange peel. Stir in the cooled wheat kernels. Pour mixture into pie shell and sprinkle top with cinnamon. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, until filling is set.

I grabbed this excerpt from the Tucson CSA Newsletter this week… Thanks Philippe.

It’s aphids time. Crooked Sky Farms has a remarkable record of providing us with mostly bug-free produce, thanks to their integrated pest management methods, without the use of any pesticides. However, every spring, rain or shine, the aphids show up. It is part of a natural cycle: some years are worse than others, but generally the cases are mild. Well, the aphids seem to have arrived. Tania, from the farm, has reported seeing some clusters. We don’t know yet if this year is going to be a good year or a bad year. In any case, expect to find some aphids in your shares over the next few weeks.

Why does this happen? In organically-managed fields, aphids are naturally kept under control by beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings. However, as the weather warms up each spring, the aphid population grows rapidly and it takes a few weeks for the ladybug and lacewing populations to catch up and get the aphids back under control. It’s during this time that we can find aphids on our produce. Cauliflower, cabbage and kale are usually the most affected.

You likely do not wish to include aphids in your diet. If you do find them on your produce, do as follows: fill a bowl with water and add a few drops of dishwashing detergent to it (more for heavy infestations). Swish the produce around in the water until the aphids have floated to the surface. Finish by rinsing the produce in clean water. That should do the trick.

It has been told that in medieval England, when spring crops became infested with pests, farmers would send prayers to Our Lady the Virgin Mary, and soon enough, there came to the rescue this helpful little insect which became known as the poetic ladybug. In England it is known as the ladybird.

• Muddy gator from all the rain the last few weeks http://tweetphoto.com/15433067 #
• RT @katyannev: Oops! Distracted by the goodness…
  http://twitpic.com/1a5siq
  @crookedskyfarms — looks delish! #

Frank and Crooked Sky Farms is sad to report the death of our friend Larry Lopez who died Friday March 19th, 2010.

He was an important part of the farm and worked for us for several years.

He will be deeply missed.