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619.662.1780
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our Kiki Town address is:
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.
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Most recent entries
- Cooking With The CSA: Grilled Summer Squash with Fresh Dill Vinaigrette and Stir Fried Green Beans
- Get Yer Strawberry Jam On
- Suzie’s CSA Box Contents, May 14 - 20
- Suzie’s Good Farm Box Contents, May 14 - 20
- The Herb Freak - Part 1
- Ellie’s Field Report - Week of May 7
- Cooking With The CSA: Strawberry Sorbet and Pan-Fried Squash
- Suzie’s CSA Box Contents, May 7 - May 13
- Suzie’s Good Farm Box Contents, May 7 - May 13
- Growing People
- Ellie’s Field Report - Week of April April 30
- Strawberry Jam
- Cooking With The CSA: Sesame Broccoli Salad and Baked Feta With Kale Pesto
- Suzie’s CSA Box Contents, April 30 - May 6
- Suzie’s Good Farm Box Contents, April 30 - May 6
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Grilled Squash with Fresh Dill Vinaigrette and Feta
4 – 6 small yellow squash (or zucchini)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or substitute your favorite vinegar)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
4 – 6 small squash (or zucchini)
Crumbled Feta Cheese
1. Preheat gas grill or prepare coals for charcoal grill
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar, and chopped dill. Slowly whisk in olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in shallot slices; set aside.
3. Slice squash in half, lengthwise, then add them all to the bowl of vinaigrette. Toss to coat.
4. Remove squash from marinade and grill over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes on each side until grill marks appear and the squash is just tender. Remove to a plate, spoon remaining vinaigrette over the squash and sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese. Serve immediately.
Stir Fried Green Beans
1 lb. Green Beans (or other beans)
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
3 Cloves of Garlic - Chopped
Pepper
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce (or Tamari)
Directions:
1. Trim the ends of the beans, and cut into 1” pieces
2. Pre-heat a wok on high heat, then add sesame oil
3. Cook the beans for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add pepper (to taste) and chopped garlic. Cook another few minutes.
5. Just before beans are fully cooked, add Soy Sauce
We are a few days away from our first official strawberry picking party.
Our first strawberry season we had a big problem; our strawberry planting was a success. On the surface this wouldn’t seem like a problem. Our fruit was bright; saturated and sweet. We cavorted in our success. Strawberries! We grew them!
Our problem? As relative unknowns, we had few CSA customers and an overabundance of strawberries. At the time our plants were so prolific we were picking to freeze them for jam. We delivered frozen bags of lusciousness to Jackie’s Jam and had them prepared, processed and packed with the Suzie’s Farm label. Even this wasn’t enough to circulate the strawberries. We sat on jam through Christmas without enough customer interest and let many of the strawberries fester on the plants and eventually go back to the Earth.
In a spark of inspiration I suggested to Robin that we host a U-Pick event, like our Pumpkin Palooza the previous October. We had hosted the original Pumpkin Palooza as a one-time-only event. It had attracted family, friends, and the families of our friends to the farm. It had opened the space up in a new way. It had been fun to see people enjoying the fields; their delight at harvesting their own produce, their buzz at being farmer for a day. It had worked for pumpkins; surely it could work for strawberries.
We announced it through our CSA weekly box contents sheet, (probably) a blog post, and possibly a Facebook post. I was unable to personally work that event, but from what Karina and Ellie reported, it was a wild success with Ellie teaching strawberry harvest techniques that would protect the plants, and Karina weighing and exchanging money. In general the families that attended loved the day out, in the field, eating as many strawberries as they could hold in their bellies while they harvested as many strawberries as they could hold in their baskets.
We were thrilled with the outcome. We regretted not offering another strawberry U-Pick that season.
The following season we had a pathetically poor strawberry season. We waited too late to order our strawberries. By the time we did order we had a miserable time finding organic varieties in the quantities we needed. Instead of planting the previously successful Albion and Camarosa varieties, we planted Sea Scape which was an underperformer. Not enough and poor producing crowns left us with scant quantities to satisfy even our CSA shareholders.
We learned our lesson after season two: order early.
So this year we are back to the Albions and the Camarosas. We ordered early and got our quantities. Still Robin was hesitant; reluctant to put the U-Pick event too early in the season for fear of another wretched performance. We knew we were going to invite all of San Diego County down for this party. You can’t invite that many people to a U-Pick Strawberry event and not have enough strawberries for them to pick.
But here we are a trifling of days away from our strawberry U-pick. This ain’t the Suzie’s Farm U-pick event of two seasons ago; a U-Pick event with possibly 80 people in attendance and one white tent under which Karina managed all the transactions. Oh no. This ain’t that. This is the Strawberry Jam, y’all. And you best get ready for a DAY.
If you don’t know this about us yet, learn it now: we like to throw a party. We like to have people come to Kiki and go to Town. We want you to enjoy the sun, to stroll the fields, to bring your family, and to get dirty.
The mark of a successful field day? The dirty child. Don’t try to stop it. Know that it is as inevitable as spring following winter and prepare accordingly. Your child will get dirty. You will get dirty. They may want to remove their shoes. Dirt washes off. Go with it.
When people come to the farm, I often say “I want you to have the experience you want to have.” This means being like a Girl Scout: Prepared.
Here are some things you might want to consider in order to be prepared for this Saturday, May 19.
The Jamming begins at 10am. The Jam will end at 4pm. You probably want to arrive on the early side if you are a serious Jammer wanting to harvest your organic berries, priced reasonably at $2.50 per pound, for endeavors beyond fresh consumption and if you plan on enjoying it as a full-day event.
Green Truck Food Truck will be in attendance selling their food stuffs. We encourage you to pack a picnic if that’s more your style. An umbrella would be a merry extravagance. A blanket will appease.
Bringing your own chairs is an indulgence. Bicycles to tour the farm are a pleasure. Hula hoops, kites, watercolors, board games (I am a fan of Qwerkle), balls – whatever suits your fancy so that you may fully enjoy the experience.
The weather at the farm can vary greatly over the course of the day. Kiki Town in particular can be mild and overcast in the morning with a glowing sun emerging at noon and winds picking up as the day wears on. Sun screen, hats and layers are an excellent way to manage.
Beverages of all sorts to quench dusty throats are a must. We don’t want dehydration now do we? Wheeled coolers do very well at the farm both for bringing beverages to the farm and for transporting berries home. And if you can think of it, bring your preferred containers to transport those glowing orbs of delight back to your abode. We will certainly have baskets and bags for you. But why not reduce by reusing if you can?
There will be music, for those who like to Jam. Once again music will be provided by our friends The Big Decisions.
We ask that you leave your pets at home. Our friendly farm companions will attend if you need to get your canine fix.
Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you this Saturday! Get ready to get your Jam On!
Suzie’s CSA Box Contents
Spinach
Beans
Celery
Carrots
Dill
Summer Squash
Mixed Beets
Red Kale
Basil
Spicy Sprouts
Radishes
Purplette Onions
Suzie’s CSA Small Box Contents
Beans
Radishes
Celery
Mixed Beets
Carrots
Dill
Purplette Onions
Green Kale
Spicy Sprouts
Items subject to change due to quality and availability.
Not yet a member? Join our CSA!
Good Farm Box Contents:
Beans
Radishes
Celery
Mixed Beets
Carrots
Dill
Purplette Onions
Green Kale
Spicy Sprouts
Items subject to change due to quality and availability.
Learn about our individually sold Good Farm Boxes and Farm Raiser Program.
This is part one of a three part post from Ellie, the Herb Freak. Check back for parts two and and three
Suzie’s Farm attracts a lot of characters. It is absolutely necessary to spend a little time sussing out each new employee. We find it to be very important to play the game of figuring out exactly what kind of Suzie’s Farmer each of us is. It usually starts with the dietary worldview:
So you are a vegetarian? Oh, I see, you’re a lacto-ovo-pesca-bacontarian.
But you are vegan. Raw or no?
And you eat raw liver. But not sugar or grains? Cool, got it.
That one brews beer, this one roasts coffee, and that guy wants to give you a Kombucha baby. Some of us are bossy bosses and some are beasts (they get the job done). Some of us are Suzie’s Farmers by delivery trucking. Some of us are Suzie’s Farmers by website designing and others by performing puppet shows for elementary schoolers in which the main characters are broccolis. There are planters and pickers and slingers. There is a Man of Few Words. We have artist farmers and farming artists. We have dread heads and buzz cuts. Nearly everyone is a dog person, but there is only one Chicken Man. There are dirty girls (who wear the same outfit everyday) and pretty girls (dresses everyday) and Everyone’s Favorite Earth Fairy (turban, often). And now we have a new one: the Herb Freak.
Welcome to the first official blog entry of Ellie Farmer #1 as the Herb Freak. I’ve started sneaking new varieties of herbs into the farm all over the place. You’ll find lemon balm in the “Herbarea” (a Suzie’s Farm portmanteau for the area where the herbs grow) at Bear, white sage hedgerows at Kikitown, echinacea and feverfew in the Flower Field. Today, we’re going to take a fresh look at the classics coming home in your CSA boxes and make introductions to new culinary herbs you’ll see in the market this summer.
Meet The Herbs:
Basil - It’s most everyone’s favorite and we grow a couple of varieties. We know you love the Genovese but give the Purple Thai, Lemon or Verde fine varieties a try for something different. In general, basil is slightly sweet while lightly peppery, with traces of mint and clove. Combines well with garlic, lemon, thyme, fresh heirloom tomatoes and fresh cheeses in salads and sauces. Add leaves at end of cooking for best flavor.
Chive - It’s bright and fresh, green onion grass! It has hollow stems and little purple puff ball flowers. It’s often used to lighten up heavy rich foods like cheesy spreads, sauces, soups.
Cilantro - Supertasters thinks it tastes like soap but we love this aromatic herb. Its leaves are airy and parsley-like, and the plants are topped with lovely white flowers. Cilantro and coriander (the seeds of this plant) are important herbs in Indian, Mexican and Vietnamese cuisine. Growing up in Pennsylvania, people could not understand why my salsa tasted so much better than theirs. I knew the secret of cilantro. Add to curries, noodles and rice dishes too.
Dill - “Pickles!” kids scream when taste-testing dill during farm tours. It’s described as having slight caraway undertones. I love its tangy and clean earthiness. Its feathery fernlike foliage is used to season salmon, cucumber salads and tzatziki, potatoes and all kinds of pickles.
Marjoram - What do we do with you marjoram? You taste very similar to oregano, but a little sweeter and more floral. Traditionally it is used in herb ensembles like Herbes de Provence, zataar, and hierbas de odor. Try pairing with meats and poultry.
Oregano - This classic Mediterranean herb is robust with a peppery warmth. It’s often combined with garlic, thyme and parsley. It’s very versatile and commonly used in pizza seasonings, with chili recipes in Mexican cooking and goes great with breakfast. Try it in your next cheese, zucchini, potato frittata.
Parsley - Probably my favorite culinary herb, so clean and sweet. It tastes like the woods to me. It’s way more than a garnish: it’s super high in Vitamin C, A, K, iron and calcium. Parsley is what makes a good tabouli salad pop. It’s a main ingredient in bouquet garni and acts as a palate cleanser & breath freshener.
Rosemary - Needlelike leaves are pungent and pinelike with touches of mint and ginger. It’s used to season everything from roasted lamb and chicken, to breads, salad dressings, potatoes and other veggies. The leaves must be stripped from the woody stem (which can be tossed in the pot to flavor soups and roasts).
Sage - Soft, fuzzy grey-green leaves are slightly bitter with hints of camphor. Combine with citrus and garlic to season sausage, stuffing, poultry, meats and vegetables. This strong herb can stand up to heavy, rich foods and heat. It’s ok to add it in the beginning of the cooking process.
Spearmint - It’s minty, but sweeter and more subtle than peppermint. Used with meats and sweets. Season lamb or candy. Spice up teas and cocktails like a Mint Julep or Mojito. Add to tabouli or spring rolls. Just get some; you’ll need it for something.
Tarragon - This is another one of those herbs that the French love but most Americans have little experience with. Its elegant leaves are green, long and tapered. They are pungent with delicate hints of anise, not the strong licorice flavor of fennel. Pair with chicken, eggs and celeriac. Make homemade béarnaise sauce.
Thyme - What little leaves you have thyme! Strip them from their woody stems like rosemary. This delicate flavor has a hint of clove and combines well with other herbs (zataar, Herbes de Provence, bouquet garni). Use in soup broths and roasted meats.
Introducing:
Hyssop (hys•sop) - Hyssop has a marjoram/oregano thing going on but with tarragon. Its leaves are smaller and less glossy and it has a peppery minty anise-y pungent flavor. Common in Middle Eastern cooking, combined with sesame seeds, olive oil and salt. Use in savory dishes with meat and soups. It has gorgeous edible purple flowers that add elegance to summer salads.
Nepitella - Oregano + Mint = Nepitella. This Tuscan herb is a beautiful plant with soft fuzzy light green heart shaped leaves. We started growing it last summer when it was requested by Cucina Urbana. It is traditionally matched with mushrooms and artichokes.
Epazote (e•pa•zo•te) - This mysterious spice is used in traditional Mexican dishes. I say mysterious because it’s flavor is hard to describe. It’s pungent and strong. When you pass it around a group and ask the individuals to tell you what they smell, the replies will range from citrus to kerosene. It’s used not only to enhance the flavor of black beans, but is said to ease the gastric discomfort many people experience when eating the musical fruit.
Whoa. That’s a lot of information. And I have more! Please stay tuned, for in the next couple of weeks there will be more blog installments from the Herb Freak. I’ll be writing about summertime elixirs made with relaxing and uplifting herbs, as well as give you some tips on how to dry and store all of leftover bunches for wintertime use. Until then, be on the lookout for these delicious culinary herbs and get ready to expand your palate and cooking.
Last week I was on vacation, but while I was home visiting family I spent a lot of time checking out the local Pittsburgh farming scene. On Sunday, I dragged my brother to a CSA Fair. It warmed my heart to know that my hometown was supporting, and supported by, so many farms. But there is nothing quite like Suzie’s. All the farms were one to two hours outside the city except for one urban farm, and it is 1.5 acres. They are able to accommodate 20 CSA shares and two farmer’s markets this season. Urban farms are usually micro farms, under 5 acres, springing up in abandoned lots and warehouses. They are special because they are so accessible, a positive transformational force within communities, able to provide educational opportunities to folks who may not be able to make the trip out to the country for a visit to “Old MacDonald’s Farm.” Here we are an urban farm of 70 acres! We can feed many more than 20 families, pull carrots with lots of school groups, and look forward to running into you on the street in South Park or Downtown after grabbing a bite to eat. We are lucky San Diego, this is such a unique experience of community. I’m happy to back!
Strawberry Sorbet
1 quart ripe strawberry, stemmed and frozen
5 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup water
Directions:
1. Freeze strawberries for 2 hours or until hard.
2. Place strawberries and sugar into a food processor and pulse machine on and off until fruit is broken up.
3. Add water and continue processing until you have a smooth puree.
4. Transfer to a container and freeze for 2 hours, or until firm enough to scoop. I stir the mixture every 30 mins or so.
Pan-Fried Squash
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups diced yellow squash
2 cups diced zucchini
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Directions:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the yellow squash and zucchini; cook and stir until lightly browned and tender. Transfer to a bowl, and toss with balsamic vinegar.
Suzie’s CSA Box Contents
Spinach
Fennel
Celery
Carrots
Strawberries
Summer Squash
Mixed Beets
Lettuce
Basil
Micro Rainbow Mix
Arugula
Suzie’s CSA Small Box Contents
Strawberries
Celery
Mixed Beets
Carrots
Fennel
Lettuce
Basil
Micro Rainbow Mix
Items subject to change due to quality and availability.
Not yet a member? Join our CSA!
Good Farm Box Contents:
Strawberries
Savoy Cabbage
Mixed Beets
Carrots
Kale
Lettuce
Basil
Onion Sprouts
Little Gem Lettuce
Items subject to change due to quality and availability.
Learn about our individually sold Good Farm Boxes and Farm Raiser Program.
Lately my job has consisted of growing people.
In the early days of the farm, Robin and I did everything ourselves. Hiring and training Marketeers, filling out and picking up the paperwork for organic certification, purchasing the scales and taking them to Weights and Measures to get certified, meeting with chefs, giving tours, ordering office supplies, creating and instituting a planting program that differentiated us through the offering of unique varieties, taking sample boxes to grocery stores, developing the art with our designer, signing up and serving our CSA customers – EVERYTHING was done by us.
The business was still small then. We had a scant number of CSA customers. I was busting to get us into any Farmers Market willing to take a chance on us. I talked to everyone, wore my Suzie’s Farm T-shirts everywhere, passed out 1000 business cards, and used a Suzie’s bag as a purse. I did whatever it took to put the Suzie’s name out there, insuring a possible customer base.
As I’ve said, that first year we developed our farming skills by planting an abundance of vegetables, and our marketing skills by planting the seeds of Suzie’s Farm at every school fair, conference, Farmers Market, and business CSA presentation. I would have attended the opening of a present had I thought it would draw attention and possible customers to Suzie’s. It was not enough to grow incredible vegetables. We needed buyers.
It was a hectic and invigorating time. We made a lot of contacts. We got a lot of experience. But most of all we learned that dreams and passions are rewarded. Our business grew. As a result we received more opportunities to grow our business.
During our first season we grew vegetables.
As we entered our second year our people expressed a desire to experience the farm, not just through our presence at Farmers Markets or upon opening their CSA box. Supporters of Suzie’s Farm wanted to get closer to the farm. They wanted to get dirty. They wanted to pick their own vegetables, or help us weed. They didn’t want to simply know the farm. They wanted to be farmers in their own right – even if just for an afternoon.
So we created a series of events to provide that familiarity for our friends. Weed Dating, Summer Soul-stice, Pedal-Pick-and-Grin, the two-acre Sunflower Maze with its ancillary events like Sunflower Salutations; yoga in the maze, Ellie’s Art Party, and the Autumnal Equinox Dinner. Man, did we learn a lot. We came away with an excellent understanding of the types of events that work best for Suzie’s Farm. In the process we were able to continue attracting support both through our events and the refinement of our farming skills.
During our second season we grew events.
We lost some folks along the way. Early supporters of our CSA program cancelled their subscriptions for reasons as real and varied as poor vegetable quality to an inability to consume the quantity of products in a weekly box. We addressed these issues and shaped new solutions. Some peers in whom we had great confidence were not able to actualize our hopes. In some cases we were unable to meet the requirements, concerns, and specifications of some of our representatives. Some of our most vibrant, most instrumental collaborators moved away, finding more expansive and favorable circumstances beyond our compass. In each situation Robin and I mourned these departures, yet we remained calm in the awareness that people come into your life for a reason or a season, each person generously teaching a lesson to those willing to receive.
This season, as Suzie’s Farm continues to grow, develop and expand, we have made it our focus to grow people.
One of Suzie’s greatest gifts, part of what we think makes us unique, is our humanity. Our face, our heart, our soul, that we willingly expose ourselves beyond what we obviously do which is farm. We are not perfect people – very far from it – nor do we claim to be perfect. Yet we know that we have many gifts to share with our staff. Suzie’s will continue to expand in distinct and enthralling ways. In order to accomplish this we need to have a capable staff keen and equipped to handle the future. It is our goal to mentor our team, and to provide them opportunities for unparalleled personal and professional growth for as long as they are willing or able to fulfill their roles.
It is exciting – My Stars, it is exciting! It is enlivening and electrifying and energizing! And just as we have experienced in the past, it will be a favorable chance to fulfill a dream and reward a passion.
Welcome to Suzie’s Farm.
Hey, remember amphibians? When I was a kid I was really good at finding toads. Then my eyes got further from the ground and my skill faded. Sometimes I’ve worried that it wasn’t my skill that disappeared but the toads themselves. But they’re out there! I have proof. First, I found one sitting among the baby lettuce plants in the greenhouse last week. Its little heart was racing as I got down to look it in its little bulging eyes. Greenhouses, hot and humid and protected, are the perfect toad refuge. And then, Saturday night after attending the kick-off event for the Cultivating Food Justice Conference at Wild Willow Farm I was walking to my car and I heard it. Somewhere in the dark between WWF and the Sun Grown Organics warehouse was a chorus of croaking amphibians, singing into the night. I’m so happy my little friend of the greenhouse knows the joy of being a member of such a passionate community, just like we do!
More information on Strawberry Jam is available here.
Sesame Broccoli Salad
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons white sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Toast sesame seeds for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the seeds begin to turn golden brown. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook broccoli in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes, or until desired tenderness. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and sesame seeds. Pour over broccoli, and toss to coat.
Baked Feta With Kale Pesto On Baguette
8 ounce block Feta Cheese, drained and patted dry
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Rosemary
1 bunch kale, thick stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
1/3 cup Unsalted Pine Nuts, toasted
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 whole wheat or traditional baguette, sliced
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place feta in a small oiled casserole dish with rosemary scattered on top. Bake until warm throughout, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, pulse kale, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor running, drizzle in oil and lemon juice to make a pesto. Spoon pesto around feta and bake 5 minutes more. Serve with baguette slices.
Suzie’s CSA Box Contents
Spinach
Kale
Oregano
Savoy Cabbage
Carrots
Strawberry
Broccoli
Mixed Beets
Lettuce
Basil
Onion Sprouts
Cauliflower
Suzie’s CSA Small Box Contents
Strawberries
Savoy Cabbage
Mixed Beets
Carrots
Kale
Lettuce
Basil
Onion Sprouts
Little Gem Lettuce
Items subject to change due to quality and availability.
Not yet a member? Join our CSA!
Good Farm Box Contents:
Strawberries
Savoy Cabbage
Mixed Beets
Carrots
Kale
Lettuce
Basil
Onion Sprouts
Little Gem Lettuce
Items subject to change due to quality and availability.
Learn about our individually sold Good Farm Boxes and Farm Raiser Program.