Hmong American Farmers Association

Growing community wealth since 2011

Fall CSA Newsletter, Week 1

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Originally published on September 25, 2018
NEWSLETTER:  FALL CSA WEEK 1
ArtCrop is returning to the HAFA Thanksgiving CSA! Get your shares while they’re available!
 
Dear CSA Members,
 
Welcome to the first week of the Fall CSA! Can you believe the change in weather? It’s only been two weeks since the summer CSA has ended, but it seems as though the farm has completely changed over. Everyday, more crops are prepared for winter storage and, now, cool weather crops such as Brussels sprouts and cabbage are ready for harvest. How do you and your loved ones prepare for fall?

Have you heard that ArtCrop is returning to the Thanksgiving CSA? For those who are unfamiliar, every Thanksgiving HAFA offers a one time share that includes sweet potatoes, potatoes, leeks, greens, squash, herbs and everything you might need to create a delicious farm-to-table Thanksgiving meal for friends, family and loved ones. Last year, we partnered with ArtCrop to bring you one-of-a-kind handmade coasters, using hand-dyed Hmong batik fabric, crafted by the ever talented Oskar Ly. This year ArtCrop is featuring local illustrator Xee Reiter (Xeereiterink). CSA members are now able to add ArtCrop share to their existing Thanksgiving share! To learn more about ArtCrop and Xee, visit the ArtCrop Facebook Page.

This week, stop by Mississippi Market East 7th (which is also a CSA pick-up site) on Thursday, September 27th for their monthly $3 Community Dinner! HAFA Staff will be onsite to sample some delicious ground cherries and shoppers will be able to donate to HAFA by rounding up their check out totals or by donating their 10¢ bag credit. We hope to see you there!

As always, happy eating!

In solidarity,
The HAFA Family
 
 

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sign up for a Thanksgiving and ArtCrop Share!
Shares are going fast so don’t delay!
hafa-farmers-veggies-collage
Thanksgiving Share*
Pick-up November 15 and 16
Veggie Share $50

Optional turkey:
Small – $28
Medium – $36
Large – $45
ArtCrop Share*
Pick-up November 15 and 16
$25

Featuring a handcrafted, one-of-a-kind art piece crafted specially for share members!
Sign Up Now!
*Thanksgiving and ArtCrop shares are only available for pick-up at the Good Acre on November 15 and 16.
 
HAFA needs volunteers for September and October CSA packing! For more information, please respond to this newsletter or email info@hmongfarmers.com.
 

WHAT’S IN YOUR CSA BOX?
This week you can expect the following in your CSA box:
FULL SHARES

Carrots – 1 pound
Dill – 1 bunch
Edamame – 1 bunch
Green Beans – 1 pound
Lemongrass – 1 pound
Red Potatoes – 1 pound
Shallots – .5 pounds
Tomatoes – 2 pounds
Winter melon – 1 pound
Yuchoy – 1 bunch
HALF SHARES
Carrots – 2 pounds
Edamame – 1 bunch
Green Beans – 1 pound
Lemongrass – 1 pound
Tomatoes – 1 pound
Winter melon – 1 pound
Yuchoy – 1 bunch
 

RECIPES
Photo courtesy of the Ominvore’s Cookbook.
Winter Melon Soup with Meatball
from Ominvore’s Cookbook
INGREDIENTS
  • 150 grams (5 ounces) ground pork (lean fat ratio 7:3)
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
  • 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 600 grams (20 ounces) winter melon
  • 4 cups pork broth (or chicken broth)
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
DIRECTIONS
  1. Combine ground pork, minced ginger, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and egg white in a small bowl, mix well. Add 2 tablespoons water, mix until water is fully incorporated. Blend in cornstarch and mix until the ground pork becomes pasty.
     
  2. Prepare winter melon. Use a knife to slice the rind off and discard it. Divide melon into 4 equal parts, then further into 8 parts. Cut off the inner soft part and discard it. Flip the winter melon so that it’s skin side down, and slice along the cut side to make evenly thick pieces.
     
  3. Add pork broth to a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Turn to low heat. Use a spoon to scoop about 1 tablespoon of the ground pork mixture to shape it into a ball, and add it to the soup. Make the meatballs one at a time. After the last meatball is added, stir the soup gently 2 to 3 times. Immediately transfer all the meatballs to a plate and set aside. The meatballs should be cooked on the outside but still raw inside.
     
  4. Transfer the winter melon to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat. Turn to medium heat and boil until the winter melon is almost cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. You can try a piece of winter melon; if the texture has begun to turn soft, it’s cooked.
     
  5. Add meatballs back into the soup. Bring the soup back to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Turn off heat, cover, and allow soup to sit for another 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste, and mix well. 
     
  6. Add cilantro to the soup and serve warm.
 
Lemon grass freshly harvested from the HAFA Farm.
Addictive Fresh Lemongrass Tea
from The Wanderlust Kitchen
INGREDIENTS
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups roughly chopped lemongrass stalks
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • Lime wheels for garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONS
  1. Bring the water to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan.
  2. Add the lemongrass and boil rapidly for 5 minutes.
  3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the tea for an additional 5 minutes.
  4. Strain the stalks from the liquid. Stir in the sugar until dissolved.
  5. Serve warm, or chill in the refrigerator and pour over ice.
 

ARTIST PROFILE:  XEE REITER
 
This year, ArtCrop is  delighted to welcome Xee Reiter as the 2018 ArtCrop artist. Xee was selected because of her passion for illustrating life all around her, depicting Hmong American joy through her family’s adventures with food and fun.

Xee is a self-taught artist specializing in watercolor, pen, and ink illustrations. As a first generation Hmong American, you can largely find cultural influences in her works. Her artistic exploration includes but is not limited to portraiture, art journaling, mural art, typography and calligraphy works. During the warm season, she enjoys and sketches her family’s local explorations. Xee lives in Saint Paul with her husband and three kids. You’ll find her with sketch books, pens and pencils doodling across the cities, from park trails to Hmong Village, as well as in her own backyard where she has started an mini urban farm and garden, complete with chickens and a wide variety of plants and vegetables with her family.

She has worked with local cultural organizations such as Little Mekong, Hmong Museum, and the Minnesota Museum of American Art to connect community through her artistry.

Follow her on Instagram where she shares sometimes overly ambitious visual ideas and conceptions from her sketchbook.

Instagram:  @xeereiter
Facebook:  Xeereiterink