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PHONE: 619.662.1780
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1856 Saturn Boulevard, San Diego CA 92154
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Did you know Suzie’s Farm delivers in San Diego five days a week? Not only that, several acres of our farm in San Diego’s Border State Park is dedicated to custom growing for the specific needs (and imagination) of our local chefs. Can you say boutique and convenience all in one breath? You don’t have to. Just say Suzie’s Farm. Visit our Chef's Page to view our delivery schedule and learn more about our partnership with restaurants.
Recipes
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Most recent entries
- September Newsletter
- Winter Squash with Caramelized Onions
- Box Contents, August 31-September 5
- Eggplant Salad with Dill and Garlic
- moon gardening…
- Box Contents, August
- Have your Way With Fava Beans
- Box Contents, August 17/18
- Box Contents, August 14/15
- Box Contents, August 13
- Zesty Wheat Berries…Friend or Foe?
- Much Ado ‘Bout Okra
- Upheaval
- August Newsletter
- Make your own-Sun Dried Tomatoes & Pasta Sauce
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Now that you’re getting the first offerings of winter squash and lil’ pumpkins, here’s a delicious recipe from Epicurious that will leave you swimming in the aromas of onions, roasted almonds and simmering couscous. MMMMmm I can’t wait!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Winter-Squash-with-Caramelized-Onions-106292
Eggplant (Apple green 4-5, Italian 1-2, Thai 2-4, or Rosa Bianca 3-4)
Head Lettuce - 2
Armenian Cucumbers
Tomatoes – Take 8 if small, 5 if big!
Fennel
Tejas, Red Ruffled Pimentos, Double Up, Red Antohi Peppers
Serrano Chili Peppers (red or green and HOT for salsas)
Swiss Chard
Musk Melon
Hungarian Hot Wax
Cilantro
Basil
Green Beans
Summer Squash
Now that you’re getting loaded up with these gorgeous nightshade plants, here’s a few ways you might be able to prepare them for your friends and family…Get ready for an adventure! Thanks to Epicurious magazine for hooking us up with these great bites….
Ingredients:
3 large eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds each), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons kosher salt
3 red bell peppers
9 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Preparation:
In several large colanders set over bowls, toss eggplant cubes with salt. Let stand 1 hour to drain.
Meanwhile, using tongs or long-handled fork, hold peppers over open flame, turning until blackened on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. (Alternatively, on rack of broiler pan under preheated broiler about 2 inches from heat, broil peppers, turning every 5 minutes, until skins are blistered and charred, 15 to 25 minutes.) Transfer to large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let stand 15 minutes. Peel, seed, and dice.
Rinse eggplant under cold water and blot dry with paper towels. In large heavy skillet over moderately high heat, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil until hot but not smoking. Working in 3 batches and using 3 tablespoons oil for each batch, sauté eggplant and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Transfer eggplant and garlic to large bowl. Add peppers, dill, vinegar, and sugar and toss to combine. Chill overnight.
I sometimes don’t feel like a farmer. I am getting to know the ins and outs of everything that goes into running a farm (and it is a challenge and blessing all the same), but I don’t necessarily always feel like a real farmer.
I read through Ellie’s field report this morning, like I always do to try and get a good sense of what’s going on in the fields. She mentioned that the lettuce was starting to bolt already, and maybe because of the full moon that is occuring tonight. Let alone learning how to grow things we’re starting to consider how to grow thigns according to cosmic variations!? Whew.
There is so much I have yet to discover. About farming. About life. About myself. I guess lately I haven’t been diligent in scheduling myself enough time to be in the fields, to ask questions of Robin about this and that, to spend time weeding or planting. I have a certain, different role here, that I am so grateful for and cognisant of. But there are times I wish I felt that I was doing more farming. More of my hands in this earth and my spirit in this wind and my sweat in the plants.
I want to know how to trim my own basil the best way. I want to know from experience how to plant raised beds for my friends, how to tell my dad why his raspberries didnt’ bloom very much this summer. I want to know the depths of gardening by the moon and growing food that will continue to nourish…everyone. But I also am learning that there is much more to this gig than the planting and the harvesting.
Farming is funny.
The farm continues to act as though summer has arrived. You can literally see - and eat - the results of the warmer days.
Enjoy…
Eggplant (Apple green 4-5, Italian 1-2, Thai 2-4, or Rosa Bianca 3-4)
Head Lettuce - 2
Cucumber White Mini
Tomatoes – Take 8 if small, 5 if big!
Fennel
Golden Treasure, Red Cornos, or Red Antohi Peppers
Okra – Green or Red
Swiss Chard
Padrons
Radicchio
Dandelion Greens
Dill
Basil
Golden Midget Watermelons or Cantalope – Take 1!
Carrots
Zucchini
Now that you’ll be getting fava’s in your CSA boxes and seeing some at the markets again, it’s time for a refresher on how to manipulate and enjoy these tasty beans.
Saute of Fresh Fava Beans
Onions, and Fennel
INGREDIENTS:
3 lb fresh fava beans shelled
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 fresh fennel bulb trimmed, sliced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds coarsely ground with a spice grinder
1 1/3 cup canned low-salt chicken broth more or less
4 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup chopped pancetta
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
PREPARATION:
1.Cook fava beans in boiling salted water 2 minutes. Drain, cool and peel outer skins.
2. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and fennel bulb; saute 5 minutes. Add favas or lima beans and fennel seeds; saute 3 minutes. Add 1 cup broth and 2 tablespoons dill; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors.
3. Stir in pancetta and savory, adding more broth if mixture is dry. Simmer until favas are tender, about 15 minutes longer.
4. Mix in lemon juice and 2 tablespoons dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
Fava beans take some time and effort to prepare, but there is a certain joy that comes from the meditative aspect of popping out each bean from its pod. Cooked in salty water, they taste a lot like edamame, and can be just as deliciously addictive. Here is a recipe for a yummy Fava bean dip with garlic and goat cheese. It’s terrific with jicama, and cucumber slices. The cool crunch of the jicama or cucumber works well with the creamy texture of the dip.
INGREDIENTS
2-3 pounds fresh fava (broad) beans, shelled (about 2 cups)
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 cup chopped green garlic (can substitute 4 cloves chopped garlic)
Olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup or more water
5 ounces goat cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
METHOD
1 Remove the outer shell from the fava beans. The easiest way to do this is to work over a large bowl, bend the fava bean pod near one of the beans, squeeze the bean with your fingers, to have it shoot out into the bowl when the bean snaps. Keep squeezing, pinching and snapping, until you’ve de-beaned all the pods.
2 Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the shelled beans, simmer for 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove beans from the hot water and place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and to shock the beans into maintaining their bright green color. When the beans have sunk to the bottom of the bowl of ice water, fish them out and remove and discard the outer peel.
3 In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium. Add the chopped green garlic (or chopped regular garlic cloves) and cook until softened, but not browned, about 3 or 4 minutes.
4 Place shelled and peeled beans in a food processor with softened green garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and water. Pulse until smooth. Stream in a tablespoon or two more of olive oil while puréeing.
5 Scrape mixture out of food processor into a bowl. Mix in the goat cheese until well combined. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
In going back to our original way of posting the box contents, we are taking it like the old 70s sit-com, One Day At A Time. I know many shareholders will be disappointed because they won’t be able to do their lists and shopping, not knowing what will be in the box at the end of the week. But the reality is that the box contents won’t vary that much between Monday and Sunday. It may be the difference between one or two items. This week for example, it might be fava beans at the beginning of the week and wax beans at the end.
We believe the quality and quantities will better reflect what we have in the fields. And honestly, that’s what this program is all about. Walking the fields. Checking the weather. Insecting. Inspecting. Talking with our field supervisor and the other farmers in the field. Prognosticating and guessing. The CSA boxes are like Christmas for us too. We don’t always know what you are going to get!
At any rate, we know what you’ll get the next two days. It looks like this:
Eggplant (Applegreen 4-5, Italian 1-2, or Rosa Bianca 3-4)
Spring Mix or Head Lettuce
Cucumber White Minis
Fava Beans
Tomatoes – Take 8 if small, 5 if big!
Carrots 1 bunch
Parsley
Corno di Torno or Red Beaver Dam Peppers
Okra – Green or Red
Swiss Chard
Clover Sprouts
Basil
Golden Midget Watermelons – Take 1!
Don’t forget to take your tomatoes and watermelon from the separate boxes provided. We’ve gotten feedback that either the tomatoes were squashed or they had squashed box contents. By packing them separately you’ll get to pick your preferred produce. (Say that five times fast.)
Eggplant (Applegreen 4-5, Italian 1-2, or Rosa Bianca 3-4)
Lettuce Head 2
Cucumber 4-5
Fennel
Watermelon Radish 1 bunch
Tomatoes Heirloom 5 each
Pea Greens
Carrots 1 bunch
Pumpkin Wee-B-Little 3ish
Basil
Eggplant (Applegreen 4-5, or Italian 1-2, or Rosa Bianca 3-4)
Lettuce Head 2
Cucumber 4-5
Dandelion Greens
Watermelon Radish 1 bunch
Tomatoes Heirloom 5 each
Pea Greens
Carrots 1 bunch
Pumpkin Wee-B-Little 3ish
Basil
You’ve gotten our small box of wheat berries before in your CSA box. You’ve probably had one of our marketeers sample you some at the farmers’ markets…but still maybe you don’t know exactly how to cook or use them to the best of their potential…
I’ve incorporated wheat berries into my staple kitchen items list. They’re delicious just sprinkled raw into a salad, or used to make a sort of yogurt parfait with fresh fruit and honey. Cooked they make a great addition to chili or soup-and will keep for up to 1 month in your freezer. There’s no need to thaw them; just stir them directly into the chili. They’re just a yummy thing to play with, to introduce to friends, to add some texture to your staple meals.
This “rib-sticking” chili offers a hearty mix of wheat berries, beans, peppers and onion. Feel free to add an additional chipotle pepper or some of our other hot peppers to crank up the heat! Thanks to EatingWell.com for this great recipe (makes about 6 two-cup servings)
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large yellow bell pepper,chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 15oz cans black beans, rinsed
2 diced FRESH HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (OR SOME SUZIES SPICY
2 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 cups Cooked Wheat Berries, (recipe follows)
Juice of 1 lime
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
THIS RECIPE CALLS FOR:
Cooked Wheat Berries
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Spicy Black Bean Sandwiches with Chipotle Mayonnaise
Cumin-Scented Wheat Berry-Lentil Soup
Southwestern Corn & Black Bean Salad
Sweet Potato, Corn & Black Bean Hash
Southern Pasta Salad with Black-Eyed Peas
Black Bean Croquettes with Fresh Salsa
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili
Black Beans & Rice
Rice & Corn Cakes with Spicy Black Beans
PREPARATION
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, chipotle to taste, broth and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.
Stir in cooked wheat berries and heat through, about 5 minutes more. (If using frozen wheat berries, cook until thoroughly heated.) Remove from the heat. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each bowl with avocado and cilantro.
Everyone at the farmers’ markets gawks over our red okra. They pine for it, they celebrate it, sometimes they buy it. It’s flashy, it’s tasty, it’s strange and exciting. But besides frying the stuff, not many people know what else to do with this mystery plant.
One of our marketeers found this Indian-saute version of an Okra dish. Try it if you wish, share it with your friends, and take advantage of one of our most prized crops.
1 tablespoon coconut oil (mmm!) or canola oil (mmm, accessible!)
1 1/2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
10 fresh or frozen curry leaves
20 okra pods, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup grated fresh or frozen coconut
Extra Coconut milk for drizzling
Place a wok over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and pop for 30 seconds. Throw in the curry leaves, stir a few times, and then add the okra. Stir constantly for 7-10 minutes, until the okra starts to brown. Add grated coconut and stir 2 more minutes, then remove from heat and serve, with a good drizzle of coconut milk on top. Enjoy the aromas, the flavors. Explore the sensations and rejoice in the act of eating as a part of creation, as your nourish your body and celebrate with friends.
I got a few emails in my box this week from disappointed CSA customers regarding the quantity and quality of the boxes. I posed a question on our Facebook page and was pleased and dismayed by the reponses we received. I was pleased because many people responded. I was dismayed because our CSA customers are disappointed.
In general our customers love us, love what we do and are happy to support us. Specifically they feel that their boxes aren’t as wonderful as they once were. Here is my Facebook response:
I am so glad I asked! I truly am! Our goal is always to keep our customers happy and full. We can’t do that without your feedback. Robin always says, if one person complains you can be sure 10 people are unhappy.
We have certainly had some issues - as with the 13, 500 tomato plants that we planted in March, just beginning to bear fruit. Not just bearing fruit but bearing fruit inconsistently, of poor quality and of low volume.
We’ve had crop failures this summer - lettuce, chard, celery, spinach just to name a few.
The soil in some of the field sections we have planted aren’t as healthy as other sections and, as such, don’t produce as well.
The summer has been unseasonably cool, which affects the plants ability to produce abundantly.
In February, we took on Bear Barranca to add to our overall production. Last week, Robin signed another lease for a yet-to-be-named 12-acre piece of land around the corner. Starting last week we stopped planning our plantings in rows (let’s plant 6 rows of carrots) and started planning our plantings in acres (let’s plant 1 acre of carrots) to supply and support you.
We have had tremendous response to our farm and have worked hard to accommodate everyone - which can often prove impossible.
These aren’t excuses. But they are part of the nature of farming. When we have an abundance you receive an abundance - as you might have noticed in the past. When we have crop failures or substandard production, you can see the difference in the box contents - as you are currently noticing.
A few months ago we had a different system for deciding the box contents. I would like to go back to that model for the next few weeks and see if you notice a difference.
We are eternally grateful for your comments, suggestions, thoughts and support. We could not do what we do without you. We don’t want to do it without you. We aren’t perfect by any means, but we strive to do our best. Sometimes our best is better than other times. We thank you for stepping outside of convention, for taking a chance on a new and small farm, and for trying something new.
All I can say is that I have a 10lb box of the most beautiful, weird, colorful, and mouth watering tomatoes sitting on my kitchen counter from the farmer’s market last night and I have to find some ways to use them all up, hopefully for some winter cooking… I’m thinking of experimenting with sun drying my own fruits and veggies and thought this recipe would be tasty. Maybe you can try too??
If you take any of our heirloom tomatoes or even some traditional Romas, making some succulent sun dried goods is quite simple: Here’s what you do…if you prefer, skin the tomatoes. I like to keep the skin because, well I’m a hippy. Core them, slice them in halves (lengthwise), remove the seeds if you want to, and then spread them out evenly on sake trays or cookie trays and let them dry out in the oven for an afternoon. Heat it up to 150, sprinkle some sea salt or other spices on the tomatoes, and turn them every so often for about 10-15 hours until the moisture has left. When they’re ready, they should be flexible like a raisin from a fresh bag; not brittle. Most people describe them as leathery with a deep red color, without free water or a tacky feeling. Once you’ve got your sun dried tomatoes and you’re feeling super cool ‘cause you can do it on your own, try this recipe for some delicious tomato sauce. Keep all this stuff in your freezer and when November rolls around when we’re once again mourning the absence of that luscious summer fruit and drowning in the sea of hearty greens, you can taste and remember the sweetness of summer 
Ingredients:
4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp garlic, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp freshly ground, black pepper
2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup black olives, chopped coarse
Directions
Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-low heat, add garlic and gently cook for 1-2 minutes.
Whisk in cream, tomatoes, paprika, basil, and pepper until blended.
Stir in cheese and olives.
Heat through, but do not boil.
Seve over penne pasta immediately.