Week 19
Delicata Squash (Small, pale yellow and green) or
Red Kuri Squash (Bright red) or
Pie Pumpkin
Butternut Squash (Pale yellow, big)
Spaghetti Squash (Pale yellow, oval)
Acorn Squash
Breakfast Radishes
Pac Choi
Heirloom Tomatoes
Japanese and Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Green to Red Bell Peppers
Sweet Mini Bell peppers (Red, orange, or yellow)
Jimmy Nordelo Sweet Frying Peppers (red long and red)
Serrano Peppers (Long, thin light green and VERY hot)
Jalapeño Peppers (Dark green and hot)
Thai Chili Peppers (Small very red and hot)
Hungarian Carrot Pepper (Small, orange, and VERY hot)
Beets
Carrots
Celery
Garlic
Onions
Cucumbers
Green Beans
Rainbow Chard, Collard Greens or Dino Kale
Yukon Gold and Red Potatoes??
Lettuce??
Herbs:
Basil
Parsley
Sage
Thai Basil
Thyme
Oregano
The end of the 2010 CSA season is here. We are hoping to send you one more heavy box loaded with fall favorites that should last a little while in your pantry. We have been eating lots of squash at our house and are in love with it. We hope you enjoy it, too. Additionally (barring a hard frost tonight) you will each get some wonderful deep green celery to try. As I mentioned before, this celery is much darker and more flavorful than most store-bought. It is a favorite in soups and stews at our house. We are rounding out the squash with roots such as beets and carrots and maybe even beloved spuds. Steve is digging as I write.
Before I get to some Kicking Mule Farm recipes, I wanted to take a moment to thank some folks who made this season possible and successful. First and foremost, thank you, CSA members. Your trust in us and financial backing is the reason we exist. Thank you for allowing us into your homes and bellies. We hope we met your needs and hope you will consider Kicking Mule Farm again in the future.
Additionally, we would like to thank the following: Ted and Janet, for allowing us to use their land, tools, machines, computer and rooting us on along the way. Joel and Ted, for helping us erect the hoop house this spring. Karen at the Lucan Locker, for giving us refrigerator space for our produce. Sue and Dick, for doing one of our deliveries for us. Toni, Robin, Alan, Lori, Anne, Val, Jared, Ashley, Sue, Dick, and Janet, for assisting with planting, weeding, harvesting, and feeding the masses of hungry farmers. Last but certainly not least, thanks to Miles and Frances for patience during the busy season and allowing mom and dad to chase their dreams…and of course for picking those darned peas.
SLOW COOKED BLACK EYED PEAS AND GREENS
This is a favorite of many of our friends and families when they visit. It is relevant because many items in your box this week can be used to assist.
Dry Black Eyed Peas
Chicken or veggie stock
Garlic (lots)
Onions (1/2)
Carrots (2-3)
Celery (2-3)
Greens
Butter
Bay Leaves
Herbs (whatever you like)
Soak peas over night in water. Rinse the next day. Cover with stock in slow cooker or pot on the stove over medium heat. Add bay leaves and whatever other herbs you dig.
Sauté onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in butter. Once they are lightly cooked dump them in with the peas. Stir occasionally to avoid burning on bottom of pot. Cook until peas are soft (1-3 hours, depending on method).
Coarsely chop up greens. Chop more onion and garlic, too. Put some butter, oil, or bacon fat into a pan and sauté onions and garlic, then add greens. Cook to desired consistency. We don’t cook ours very long, because I don’t want them mushy.
Eat!
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
1-2 butternut squash (depending on how many folks you are feeding)
chicken or veggie stock
other veggies of your choosing (I add broccoli to mine)
garlic
onion
bay leaves
thyme
Peel the skin off the squash and cube the meat. Put it in a pot and pour stock over it. Add bay leaves and thyme and cook over medium heat until squash is easily punctured by a fork.
Sauté garlic, onions, and other veggies of your choosing. Add to squash. Mix and add or decrease stock to meet your desired consistency. Remove bay leaves and thyme.
Put soup in blender or mixer and blend until creamy. Eat!
Have a great winter, everyone. Please shoot us an email and let us know how we did, we really appreciate your feedback.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Week 18 Delivery
Week 18
Delicata Squash (Small, pale yellow and green)
Red Kuri Squash (Bright red)
Butternut Squash (Pale yellow, big)
Breakfast Radishes
Pac Choi
Heirloom Tomatoes
Japanese and Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Green to Red Bell Peppers
Sweet Mini Bell peppers (Red, orange, or yellow)
Jimmy Nordelo Sweet Frying Peppers (red long and red)
Serrano Peppers (Long, thin light green and VERY hot)
Jalapeño Peppers (Dark green and hot)
Thai Chili Peppers (Small very red and hot)
Hungarian Carrot Pepper (Small, orange, and VERY hot)
Melon
Carrots
Garlic
Onions
Cucumbers (Slicing and Pickling)
Green Beans
Rainbow Chard, Collard Greens or Dino Kale
Yukon Gold and Red Potatoes??
Beets??
Herbs:
Basil
Parsley
Sage
Thai Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Let’s start with the weather to get the bad news out of the way. We did not suffer as badly as SE MN, but bad enough to mean the possible end to some items. At the time of this post (Friday evening), we have a few inches of standing water over much of the garden and have heard estimates of 4-6 inches of rainfall in our area. Plants can and will survive in a few days of this, but we do not know how long it will take to drain away. Last week when digging potatoes, we hit standing water less than 8 inches under the soil. We are saturated. That said, our winter squash looks great and one way or another your final box next week will be loaded. All I can really say is what a season.
This week you will see some of our winter squash varieties. I will attach some recipes to help you decide how to use them. We love them in our house and hope you do too.
The heirloom tomatoes are nearly done. Thanks to our hoop house, we have some this week and should have a few for each of you next week. Take time to savor the end of their wonderful flavor and color as they will be gone until July or August of next year.
Peppers remain, but their fate is hard to determine as they are one crop completely soaked in standing water. We have separated hot peppers from sweet peppers using bags in your boxes. Please note that while our Jalapeño peppers are rather mild, the others have real kick. Taste test them first to make sure they agree with your palate.
As we stated before, we anticipate lettuce and spinach in the final boxes. They are coming up nicely and the weekly forecast looks decent to help them grow. Cross your fingers for one last round with the delicate leafy greens. Celery will also round out the last box. This is not your grocery stores celery. It is deep green, more leafy, and darned flavorful. Eat the stalk with nut butter and throw the rest into a stew. After posting this I will head to the field to attempt potatoes again. If all goes well, these will be in your last boxes too.
ROASTED VEGETABLES (From Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients
1 small butternut squash, cubed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
1 red onion, quartered
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine the squash, red bell peppers, sweet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Separate the red onion quarters into pieces, and add them to the mixture.
In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.
Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.
Garlicky Baked Butternut Squash (From Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the parsley, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add squash and toss to coat.
Transfer to an ungreased shallow 2-qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until squash is just tender.
Delicata Squash (Small, pale yellow and green)
Red Kuri Squash (Bright red)
Butternut Squash (Pale yellow, big)
Breakfast Radishes
Pac Choi
Heirloom Tomatoes
Japanese and Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Green to Red Bell Peppers
Sweet Mini Bell peppers (Red, orange, or yellow)
Jimmy Nordelo Sweet Frying Peppers (red long and red)
Serrano Peppers (Long, thin light green and VERY hot)
Jalapeño Peppers (Dark green and hot)
Thai Chili Peppers (Small very red and hot)
Hungarian Carrot Pepper (Small, orange, and VERY hot)
Melon
Carrots
Garlic
Onions
Cucumbers (Slicing and Pickling)
Green Beans
Rainbow Chard, Collard Greens or Dino Kale
Yukon Gold and Red Potatoes??
Beets??
Herbs:
Basil
Parsley
Sage
Thai Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Let’s start with the weather to get the bad news out of the way. We did not suffer as badly as SE MN, but bad enough to mean the possible end to some items. At the time of this post (Friday evening), we have a few inches of standing water over much of the garden and have heard estimates of 4-6 inches of rainfall in our area. Plants can and will survive in a few days of this, but we do not know how long it will take to drain away. Last week when digging potatoes, we hit standing water less than 8 inches under the soil. We are saturated. That said, our winter squash looks great and one way or another your final box next week will be loaded. All I can really say is what a season.
This week you will see some of our winter squash varieties. I will attach some recipes to help you decide how to use them. We love them in our house and hope you do too.
The heirloom tomatoes are nearly done. Thanks to our hoop house, we have some this week and should have a few for each of you next week. Take time to savor the end of their wonderful flavor and color as they will be gone until July or August of next year.
Peppers remain, but their fate is hard to determine as they are one crop completely soaked in standing water. We have separated hot peppers from sweet peppers using bags in your boxes. Please note that while our Jalapeño peppers are rather mild, the others have real kick. Taste test them first to make sure they agree with your palate.
As we stated before, we anticipate lettuce and spinach in the final boxes. They are coming up nicely and the weekly forecast looks decent to help them grow. Cross your fingers for one last round with the delicate leafy greens. Celery will also round out the last box. This is not your grocery stores celery. It is deep green, more leafy, and darned flavorful. Eat the stalk with nut butter and throw the rest into a stew. After posting this I will head to the field to attempt potatoes again. If all goes well, these will be in your last boxes too.
ROASTED VEGETABLES (From Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients
1 small butternut squash, cubed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
1 red onion, quartered
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine the squash, red bell peppers, sweet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Separate the red onion quarters into pieces, and add them to the mixture.
In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.
Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.
Garlicky Baked Butternut Squash (From Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the parsley, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add squash and toss to coat.
Transfer to an ungreased shallow 2-qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until squash is just tender.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Week 17
Squash squash Squash
I love squash. Its easy to cook too:
halve it, scoop out seeds, brush with butter or olive oil and bake at 350 until tender. I'm sure some people will not believe me but it is best eaten skin and all; that's right you don't even have to scoop it out!
Week 17
Delicata Squash
Acorn Squash
Pac Choi
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Green Cabbage
Parsnips
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Japanese and Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Green to Red Bell Peppers
Sweet Mini Bell peppers (Red, orange, or yellow)
Jimmy Nordelo Sweet Frying Peppers (red long)
Serrano Peppers (Long, thin light green and VERY hot)
Jalapeño Peppers (Dark green and hot)
Chili Peppers (Small very red and hot)
Melon
Carrots
Beets
Garlic
Onions
Cucumbers (Slicing and Pickling)
Green Beans
Rainbow Chard, Collard Greens or Dino Kale
The Late plantings of fall crops are just starting to come in to production. Cabbage and pac choi are back. The green beans were planted in succession and have provided a constant supply, our last row is currently producing and should for the remainder of the season. Spinach, lettuce and radishes are growing, but not ready for this week. We never got the fall peas planted though.
These fall crops are one of the trickiest things to get right. While summer was blazing, we hemmed and hawed about planting them. Often I said that it was too hot; Molly vowed now or never. In the end, it looks like we could have start the lettuce the broccoli and cauliflower sooner. You may not even see the broccoli and cauliflower.
We’re still battling the rain and have resorted to hand digging the potatoes as It’s just too wet to plow. We got a further 3½ - 4 inches this week, not even kidding; I wish I was. The digging isn’t bad, but it takes time.
The tomatoes are nearly done, the outdoor vines are all but dead, and the high tunnel vines are slowing down (after a great first try). Eggplant are starting to set less fruit. Peppers will follow suit , but as long as the frost remains up north, they still have a good amount of fruit to ripen.
There are just 2 deliveries left after this week. Thanks, KMF
I love squash. Its easy to cook too:
halve it, scoop out seeds, brush with butter or olive oil and bake at 350 until tender. I'm sure some people will not believe me but it is best eaten skin and all; that's right you don't even have to scoop it out!
Week 17
Delicata Squash
Acorn Squash
Pac Choi
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Green Cabbage
Parsnips
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Japanese and Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Green to Red Bell Peppers
Sweet Mini Bell peppers (Red, orange, or yellow)
Jimmy Nordelo Sweet Frying Peppers (red long)
Serrano Peppers (Long, thin light green and VERY hot)
Jalapeño Peppers (Dark green and hot)
Chili Peppers (Small very red and hot)
Melon
Carrots
Beets
Garlic
Onions
Cucumbers (Slicing and Pickling)
Green Beans
Rainbow Chard, Collard Greens or Dino Kale
The Late plantings of fall crops are just starting to come in to production. Cabbage and pac choi are back. The green beans were planted in succession and have provided a constant supply, our last row is currently producing and should for the remainder of the season. Spinach, lettuce and radishes are growing, but not ready for this week. We never got the fall peas planted though.
These fall crops are one of the trickiest things to get right. While summer was blazing, we hemmed and hawed about planting them. Often I said that it was too hot; Molly vowed now or never. In the end, it looks like we could have start the lettuce the broccoli and cauliflower sooner. You may not even see the broccoli and cauliflower.
We’re still battling the rain and have resorted to hand digging the potatoes as It’s just too wet to plow. We got a further 3½ - 4 inches this week, not even kidding; I wish I was. The digging isn’t bad, but it takes time.
The tomatoes are nearly done, the outdoor vines are all but dead, and the high tunnel vines are slowing down (after a great first try). Eggplant are starting to set less fruit. Peppers will follow suit , but as long as the frost remains up north, they still have a good amount of fruit to ripen.
There are just 2 deliveries left after this week. Thanks, KMF
Friday, September 10, 2010
Week 16
Week 15
Acorn Squash
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Apples
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Melon
Carrots
Beets
Green to Red Bell Peppers
Sweet Mini Bell peppers (Red, orange, or yellow)
Jimmy Nordelo Sweet Frying Peppers (red long)
Serrano Peppers (Long, thin light green and VERY hot)
Jalapeño Peppers (Dark green and hot)
Chili Peppers (Small very red and hot)
Garlic
Japanese and Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Onions
Cucumbers (Slicing and Pickling)
Green Beans
Broccoli
Rainbow Chard, Collard Greens or Dino Kale
The end is near! The end is near? For the summer crops at least. Goodbye summer squash. As the weather inches onward towards winter, we remain cautiously optimistic that old man winter is still snoozing and his dreaded first frost is still a bit off. Usually it comes in the first week of October. But a cold front expected next week may dash those hopes. Then it may be goodbye for a lot of other crops.
The impending frost makes us eager to see the season extending benefits of the high tunnel. Currently it houses heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, some greens and hot peppers. We are going to plant some new items and transplant some other items inside. Truth be told, it is really an experiment, but one that we hope you will get to taste the benefits of.
As we wrote last week, the potatoes are not all harvested, but the rain has continued in a seemingly constant drip, drip, drip. As a result, we haven’t gotten any more out yet.
The winter squash are ripening; your first taste is the acorn. More varieties will follow and instead of finding large melons in you box, it will soon be squash.
For the customers that enjoy our eggs: we had to skip last week as the production dropped off from our hens. They appear to be back on track and the eggs are flowing again.
Lastly, we want to remind you that the end is indeed near. We are shooting for three more weeks of production; however an early hard frost could shave that down by a week. I don’t think it will though; be optimistic.
Acorn Squash
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Apples
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Melon
Carrots
Beets
Green to Red Bell Peppers
Sweet Mini Bell peppers (Red, orange, or yellow)
Jimmy Nordelo Sweet Frying Peppers (red long)
Serrano Peppers (Long, thin light green and VERY hot)
Jalapeño Peppers (Dark green and hot)
Chili Peppers (Small very red and hot)
Garlic
Japanese and Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Onions
Cucumbers (Slicing and Pickling)
Green Beans
Broccoli
Rainbow Chard, Collard Greens or Dino Kale
The end is near! The end is near? For the summer crops at least. Goodbye summer squash. As the weather inches onward towards winter, we remain cautiously optimistic that old man winter is still snoozing and his dreaded first frost is still a bit off. Usually it comes in the first week of October. But a cold front expected next week may dash those hopes. Then it may be goodbye for a lot of other crops.
The impending frost makes us eager to see the season extending benefits of the high tunnel. Currently it houses heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, some greens and hot peppers. We are going to plant some new items and transplant some other items inside. Truth be told, it is really an experiment, but one that we hope you will get to taste the benefits of.
As we wrote last week, the potatoes are not all harvested, but the rain has continued in a seemingly constant drip, drip, drip. As a result, we haven’t gotten any more out yet.
The winter squash are ripening; your first taste is the acorn. More varieties will follow and instead of finding large melons in you box, it will soon be squash.
For the customers that enjoy our eggs: we had to skip last week as the production dropped off from our hens. They appear to be back on track and the eggs are flowing again.
Lastly, we want to remind you that the end is indeed near. We are shooting for three more weeks of production; however an early hard frost could shave that down by a week. I don’t think it will though; be optimistic.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Week 15
Week 15
In the box:
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Eating / Baking Apples
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Melon (Honey gold, cantaloupe, sorbet or water)
Green Top Carrots
Green to Red Bell Peppers
Sweet Mini Bell peppers (Red, orange, or yellow)
Jimmy Nordelo Sweet Frying Peppers (multi-colored long)
Serrano Peppers (Long, thin light green and VERY hot)
Chili Peppers (Small very red and hot)
Fresh Garlic
Japanese and Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Onions
Jalapeño Peppers (Dark green and hot)
Cucumbers (Slicer and Pickling)
Zephyr Squash
Green Beans
Green Cabbage or Broccoli
Rainbow Chard, Collard Greens or Dino Kale
Herbs:
Basil
Parsley
Sage
Thai Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Dill
This week the boxes will be heavy and very colorful. We are again sending 2 melons in each box, next week we should be back to one per box. The sweet mini bell peppers are in full force and are delicious and lovely. We use these like crazy in stir fry dishes, grilled, or raw eating. They are more reliable growers than the large bell peppers, which you will also begin to see.
This may be it for summer squash. We figure that you have probably all gotten your fill, so this shouldn’t be a bad thing.
We plowed and pulled two rows of potatoes last week. If we can continue to get into the field with the plow you should get potatoes every week from here on out. Red potatoes are next in the rows, so the variety should change in your boxes soon.
We received close to 3” of rain on Wednesday night. This could mean that tomatoes are nearly done, as they have been barely holding on with the amount of rainfall we have gotten. Look for large amounts this week and then possibly less for 1-2 more weeks.
We will start pulling parsnips and carrots from the ground this week to avoid rot. If they look good they will also fill out the rest of your boxes.
A look in the garden reveals that the lettuces and radishes are fairing quite well, they should also round out later boxes. Additionally we ate our first winter squash (honey bear acorn) last night and are happy to say that the squash is tasting great and will begin next week.
Our yard was filled with hundreds of beautiful monarch butterflies last night. Look on our blog for pictures of them, the boxes, and our delicious local dinner. The pictures don’t do justice to the amazing beauty of them, but they will give you an idea.
We would love feedback on your experience with Kicking Mule Farm this season. Did we meet your expectations for a CSA in terms of quality, quantity, and variety? What did you love? What didn’t you like? What could we do better? Please take a moment in your busy week to let us know so we can continue to refine what we do.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Week 14 Delivery
Week 14
In the box:
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Melon (Honey gold, cantaloupe, sorbet or water)
Green Top Carrots
Green to Red Bell Peppers
Mini-bell colored sweet peppers
Jimmy Nordelo Sweet Frying Peppers (multi-colored long)
Serrano Peppers (Long, thin light green and VERY hot)
Chili Peppers (Small very red and hot)
Fresh Garlic
Japanese and Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Onions
Jalapeño Peppers (Dark green and hot)
Cucumbers (Slicer and Pickling)
Yellow Zucchini, Patty Pan Squash & Zephyr Squash
Green Beans
Green Cabbage or Broccoli
Rainbow Chard, Collard Greens or Dino Kale
Herbs:
Basil
Parsley
Sage
Thai Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Dill
Tarragon
This week each box will again receive two melons. There are some sorbet melons in the mix that look just like the baby flower watermelon but are yellow and orange swirled in the middle. You will each get one type of watermelon and one honey gold or cantaloupe this week.
Unfortunately the corn is done. We thought we had another week of it but found the second round to have little or no pollination. We apologize if you received any un-pollinated last week.
We will be picking apples this week to send next week. They will be a mix of baking and eating from Steve’s dads house. They are not sprayed and just as naturally raised as the rest of our produce.
A check on the winter squash and pumpkin patch shows them to be continuing to ripen. We may be sending honey bear (an acorn squash) as soon as next week.
Oh the potato troubles. We are digging today (Friday) after an unexpected downpour on Monday prevented us from getting the plow down the field until it dried a bit. We will let you know what we discover under the soil.
The parsnip is huge and some show a bit of splitting. Do not be alarmed, some of the best tasting produce may not look the prettiest.
This weekend will potentially be Molly’s last weekend at the co-op as the school year starts and we both work there. Thanks for stopping by and saying hello to her as you grab your boxes each week. We will continue delivering to the co-op every Sunday until the first weekend in October at least, which will be 19 deliveries. If we have more winter squash than we know what to do with we may do an extra delivery. We will keep you posted.
Refrigerator Pickles
Ingredients
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups white sugar
6 cups sliced cucumbers
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup sliced green bell peppers
Directions
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil. Boil until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes.
Place the cucumbers, onions and green bell peppers in a large bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables. Transfer to sterile containers and store in the refrigerator.
Mom's Summer Squash Recipe (from Simply Recipes)
Ingredients
2 lbs squash and/or zucchini, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeds removed, sliced
2 smallish tomatoes or one large tomato, peeled and cut into wedges
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1 clove of garlic, chopped
Olive oil
5 or 6 slices of cheese - jack or cheddar
Basil, either dry or chopped fresh
Salt and pepper
Method
1 Put onion, garlic, squash, bell pepper into a large saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Put on high heat and brown the vegetables slightly to develop flavor. As you are browning, sprinkle either dried basil or chopped fresh basil on the vegetables. When vegetables are slightly browned, remove from heat, add the slices of cheese, and cover the pan.
2 In a separate stick-free fry pan, put the tomatoes and cook at medium hi heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to let the juice from the tomatoes evaporate some. After 5 minutes, add the tomatoes to the rest of the vegetables and stir. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4.
In the box:
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Melon (Honey gold, cantaloupe, sorbet or water)
Green Top Carrots
Green to Red Bell Peppers
Mini-bell colored sweet peppers
Jimmy Nordelo Sweet Frying Peppers (multi-colored long)
Serrano Peppers (Long, thin light green and VERY hot)
Chili Peppers (Small very red and hot)
Fresh Garlic
Japanese and Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Onions
Jalapeño Peppers (Dark green and hot)
Cucumbers (Slicer and Pickling)
Yellow Zucchini, Patty Pan Squash & Zephyr Squash
Green Beans
Green Cabbage or Broccoli
Rainbow Chard, Collard Greens or Dino Kale
Herbs:
Basil
Parsley
Sage
Thai Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Dill
Tarragon
This week each box will again receive two melons. There are some sorbet melons in the mix that look just like the baby flower watermelon but are yellow and orange swirled in the middle. You will each get one type of watermelon and one honey gold or cantaloupe this week.
Unfortunately the corn is done. We thought we had another week of it but found the second round to have little or no pollination. We apologize if you received any un-pollinated last week.
We will be picking apples this week to send next week. They will be a mix of baking and eating from Steve’s dads house. They are not sprayed and just as naturally raised as the rest of our produce.
A check on the winter squash and pumpkin patch shows them to be continuing to ripen. We may be sending honey bear (an acorn squash) as soon as next week.
Oh the potato troubles. We are digging today (Friday) after an unexpected downpour on Monday prevented us from getting the plow down the field until it dried a bit. We will let you know what we discover under the soil.
The parsnip is huge and some show a bit of splitting. Do not be alarmed, some of the best tasting produce may not look the prettiest.
This weekend will potentially be Molly’s last weekend at the co-op as the school year starts and we both work there. Thanks for stopping by and saying hello to her as you grab your boxes each week. We will continue delivering to the co-op every Sunday until the first weekend in October at least, which will be 19 deliveries. If we have more winter squash than we know what to do with we may do an extra delivery. We will keep you posted.
Refrigerator Pickles
Ingredients
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups white sugar
6 cups sliced cucumbers
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup sliced green bell peppers
Directions
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil. Boil until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes.
Place the cucumbers, onions and green bell peppers in a large bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables. Transfer to sterile containers and store in the refrigerator.
Mom's Summer Squash Recipe (from Simply Recipes)
Ingredients
2 lbs squash and/or zucchini, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeds removed, sliced
2 smallish tomatoes or one large tomato, peeled and cut into wedges
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1 clove of garlic, chopped
Olive oil
5 or 6 slices of cheese - jack or cheddar
Basil, either dry or chopped fresh
Salt and pepper
Method
1 Put onion, garlic, squash, bell pepper into a large saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Put on high heat and brown the vegetables slightly to develop flavor. As you are browning, sprinkle either dried basil or chopped fresh basil on the vegetables. When vegetables are slightly browned, remove from heat, add the slices of cheese, and cover the pan.
2 In a separate stick-free fry pan, put the tomatoes and cook at medium hi heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to let the juice from the tomatoes evaporate some. After 5 minutes, add the tomatoes to the rest of the vegetables and stir. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Week 13 Delivery--get another grilling week in!
In the box:
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Melon (Honey gold, cantaloupe, or water)
Green Top Beets
Green Bell Peppers (with signs of turning red)
Mini-bell colored sweet peppers (many more to come!)
Jimmy Nordelo Sweet Frying Peppers (multi-colored long)
Sweet Corn
Fresh Garlic
Japanese and Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Onions
Jalapeño Peppers
Cucumbers (Slicer and Pickling)
Yellow Zucchini, Patty Pan Squash & Zephyr Squash
Green Beans
Green Cabbage or Broccoli
Rainbow Chard, Collard Greens or Dino Kale
Herbs:
Basil
Parsley
Sage
Thai Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Dill
This week each box will receive two melons. Normally we would try and limit it to one each, but we have many ripe melons and many folks sharing boxes, so we are hoping this is okay with you. Barring bad weather we should be looking at 2-3 more weeks of melons.
We have a new batch of sweet corn this week from our later planting. This corn is less affected by the hail storms and is drop dead gorgeous. It is bi-colored and our taste test today revealed it to be oh-so sweet. Please enjoy within a day or two of getting your box as sweet corn quickly loses its sweetness off the stalk.
We continue to have mixed success with our tomatoes. It looks as though there will be 2-3 weeks left of them as well, but the rain has caused a significant amount of die back and some bottom rot. We have re-trellised every plant as they have started falling over from the ground moisture and weight. Occasionally we are finding ourselves needing to pick some before they are fully ripe to avoid bug damage from being close to the ground. All told, 5-6 weeks of yummy heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes isn’t bad.
The bell peppers (mini and regular) are just starting to turn. The mini bell were a member favorite last year as they add lovely color and delicious flavor to whatever you are making. We have loads of pepper plants and cannot wait to share. Our hot peppers are nearly ready. Be sure to read descriptions next week to avoid being surprised by some very spicy peppers.
A check on the winter squash and pumpkin patch show them to be handling the stress of this summer quite well over all. These beauties will hopefully fill out the last weeks of your season with butternut, honey bear, delicate, spaghetti squash, and pie pumpkins. Keep your fingers crossed that they continue to thrive.
Additionally, we have planted late poc choi, napa cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes. These will tentatively be in late boxes, but this will depend largely on the weather. We continue to receive much higher than average rainfall coupled with sometimes down right uncomfortable heat. Some plants dig this, most don’t. Luckily we are blessed with very fertile soil that helps things do well in general. This is our hope.
Other late season produce includes eating and baking apples, lots of carrots, celery, parsnips, and brussel sprouts. These should start appearing in the next couple of weeks.
For the bad news, our potato crop has not held up well to the excessive rain. This really bums us out because just like potatoes are one of our favorite items, we know they are yours as well. We don’t have any fancy equipment to dig them and currently do it all by hand. This is lots of work when you are digging for 15+ families and the wet, heavy soil has made it back breaking. We are looking at a forecast this week of dry, windy weather. If this happens we will be taking our chances and pulling a plow though the rows. Yep, this is bound to damage some taters; but we are hoping it will allow us to have a decent amount to share from next week on. We will keep you posted.
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Melon (Honey gold, cantaloupe, or water)
Green Top Beets
Green Bell Peppers (with signs of turning red)
Mini-bell colored sweet peppers (many more to come!)
Jimmy Nordelo Sweet Frying Peppers (multi-colored long)
Sweet Corn
Fresh Garlic
Japanese and Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Onions
Jalapeño Peppers
Cucumbers (Slicer and Pickling)
Yellow Zucchini, Patty Pan Squash & Zephyr Squash
Green Beans
Green Cabbage or Broccoli
Rainbow Chard, Collard Greens or Dino Kale
Herbs:
Basil
Parsley
Sage
Thai Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Dill
This week each box will receive two melons. Normally we would try and limit it to one each, but we have many ripe melons and many folks sharing boxes, so we are hoping this is okay with you. Barring bad weather we should be looking at 2-3 more weeks of melons.
We have a new batch of sweet corn this week from our later planting. This corn is less affected by the hail storms and is drop dead gorgeous. It is bi-colored and our taste test today revealed it to be oh-so sweet. Please enjoy within a day or two of getting your box as sweet corn quickly loses its sweetness off the stalk.
We continue to have mixed success with our tomatoes. It looks as though there will be 2-3 weeks left of them as well, but the rain has caused a significant amount of die back and some bottom rot. We have re-trellised every plant as they have started falling over from the ground moisture and weight. Occasionally we are finding ourselves needing to pick some before they are fully ripe to avoid bug damage from being close to the ground. All told, 5-6 weeks of yummy heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes isn’t bad.
The bell peppers (mini and regular) are just starting to turn. The mini bell were a member favorite last year as they add lovely color and delicious flavor to whatever you are making. We have loads of pepper plants and cannot wait to share. Our hot peppers are nearly ready. Be sure to read descriptions next week to avoid being surprised by some very spicy peppers.
A check on the winter squash and pumpkin patch show them to be handling the stress of this summer quite well over all. These beauties will hopefully fill out the last weeks of your season with butternut, honey bear, delicate, spaghetti squash, and pie pumpkins. Keep your fingers crossed that they continue to thrive.
Additionally, we have planted late poc choi, napa cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes. These will tentatively be in late boxes, but this will depend largely on the weather. We continue to receive much higher than average rainfall coupled with sometimes down right uncomfortable heat. Some plants dig this, most don’t. Luckily we are blessed with very fertile soil that helps things do well in general. This is our hope.
Other late season produce includes eating and baking apples, lots of carrots, celery, parsnips, and brussel sprouts. These should start appearing in the next couple of weeks.
For the bad news, our potato crop has not held up well to the excessive rain. This really bums us out because just like potatoes are one of our favorite items, we know they are yours as well. We don’t have any fancy equipment to dig them and currently do it all by hand. This is lots of work when you are digging for 15+ families and the wet, heavy soil has made it back breaking. We are looking at a forecast this week of dry, windy weather. If this happens we will be taking our chances and pulling a plow though the rows. Yep, this is bound to damage some taters; but we are hoping it will allow us to have a decent amount to share from next week on. We will keep you posted.
Monday, August 16, 2010
What was in week 12 box?
Here is a picture of the crazy summer bounty. We have had quite a few challanges this year due to weather and cabbage loopers, but so far have continued to be able to fill our boxes. We hope for continued success and appreciate each of our members for their commitment to local food and local farmers.
Some pics for fun from the farm
Just a few pictures to share. One is of our amazing little troopers, Miles and Frances. They are exhausted after a hard day of farming and are sleeping in Frances' room.
Another is of the hens having a hard time letting go of their old litter from the coop. You'd think they would prefer to hang out in the yard or even in their freshly cleaned coop, but I am not a hen and therefore can not speak to why they are having a meeting in their poo.
Another is of the garlic and onions drying in the hay loft of our barn. We are very excited about these as our onions failed miserably last year and this was our first attempt at garlic. Yum.
The last is of our farm from the hayloft.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Melons!!
This week you will receive one melon in your box. This will be one of the three types listed above. The Honey Gold are a type of honeydew, they have bright golden-yellow skin and orange flesh that is slightly firm. Cantaloupe have netted skin and orange flesh. The Watermelon are small variety called Little Baby Flower and have red flesh.
Over the melon season we will be putting one of these melons in each box randomly, hopefully we can get you some of each one before they are done.
Over the melon season we will be putting one of these melons in each box randomly, hopefully we can get you some of each one before they are done.
Week 12
Week 12
In the box:
Heirloom Tomatoes and possibly some cherry
Melon (Honey gold, cantaloupe, or water)
Green Top Carrots
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Green Bell Peppers
Sweet Corn
Fresh Garlic
Japanese and/or Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Onions
Jalapeño Peppers
Cucumbers
Yellow Zucchini
Zephyr Squash
Patty Pan Squash
Green Beans
Rainbow Chard, Collard Greens or Dino Kale (a mixed bunch, coming back from cabbage worm trauma)
Herbs:
Basil
Parsley
Sage
Thai Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Dill
Storage of your produce:
Proper storage will make your veggies and fruit last longer. Basil and Thai Basil must be stored above 50°F or it will turn brown quickly; keep it out of the fridge. You can trim the stems and put it in a vase in fresh water and it will keep nicely or in a plastic bag so it doesn’t wilt too quickly.
All leafy things should be kept in a bag in the fridge, including the rest of the herbs.
Tomatoes have an ideal storage temp of 54°F, too warm for the fridge and too cold for most homes. If some of the are not fully ripe, keep the in a warmer place. For the more ripe ones the cooler the better.
Melons prefer room temperature.
Potatoes like cool, but don’t need to be in the fridge however they do require dark.
Everything else goes in the fridge.
If you notice that you routinely have wilty veggies, then you can bag any of them in the fridge to prevent dehydration.
In the box:
Heirloom Tomatoes and possibly some cherry
Melon (Honey gold, cantaloupe, or water)
Green Top Carrots
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Green Bell Peppers
Sweet Corn
Fresh Garlic
Japanese and/or Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Onions
Jalapeño Peppers
Cucumbers
Yellow Zucchini
Zephyr Squash
Patty Pan Squash
Green Beans
Rainbow Chard, Collard Greens or Dino Kale (a mixed bunch, coming back from cabbage worm trauma)
Herbs:
Basil
Parsley
Sage
Thai Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Dill
Storage of your produce:
Proper storage will make your veggies and fruit last longer. Basil and Thai Basil must be stored above 50°F or it will turn brown quickly; keep it out of the fridge. You can trim the stems and put it in a vase in fresh water and it will keep nicely or in a plastic bag so it doesn’t wilt too quickly.
All leafy things should be kept in a bag in the fridge, including the rest of the herbs.
Tomatoes have an ideal storage temp of 54°F, too warm for the fridge and too cold for most homes. If some of the are not fully ripe, keep the in a warmer place. For the more ripe ones the cooler the better.
Melons prefer room temperature.
Potatoes like cool, but don’t need to be in the fridge however they do require dark.
Everything else goes in the fridge.
If you notice that you routinely have wilty veggies, then you can bag any of them in the fridge to prevent dehydration.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Week 11 Delivery
Week 11
In the box:
Heirloom Tomatoes
Green Bell Peppers
Sweet Corn
Fresh Garlic
Orient Express and/or Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Onions
Jalapeño Peppers
Cucumbers
Yellow Zucchini
Zephyr Squash
Patty Pan Squash
Green Beans
Beets
Rainbow Chard
Collard Greens or Dino Kale (a mixed bunch, coming back from cabbage worm trauma)
Broccoli or Cauliflower or Cabbage
Herb bunch of: sweet basil, Thai basil, sage, rosemary, parsley, tarragon, thyme, and oregano
As we said last week, we are hoping to give one head of garlic each week. If you share a box, you may want to either alternate or pull off cloves to share. We have also pulled our onions and have them drying next to the garlic. You will get a steady supply of 2-3 onions each week for the rest of the season.
Heirloom tomatoes have begun. So far they are being cooperative and ripening at a slow but steady rate. Last year we had green tomatoes until late August and then they all ripened at once. We are hoping they will continue to work with us, providing weeks of fresh tomatoes for you.
The peppers are still teasing us, but we have decided to start sending green bells until the others turn as the plants are falling over from the weight of peppers; there should be no lack of them in the coming weeks.
Eggplant is coming full throttle now and we look forward to sharing. I know at least one of our shareholders avoids nightshade plants, so we are hoping to round out the boxes with many non-nightshades are well.
Sweet corn is back and you will see it for the next few weeks. Enjoy this true taste of MN. Additionally we believe we will be sending one melon per box starting next week. It will be a mixed supply of either sweet baby watermelon, regular watermelon, cantaloupe, or musk melon. You should see these for the next few weeks as well. If we don’t get your box this week, we will get you next week.
The potatoes are giving us a bit of trouble as we move across the rows digging them up. There seems to be a substantial amount of die-back. We are guessing this could be due to the crazy levels of rain we received this season. We will continue to dig and hope for the best. Our goal is to send them nearly every week for the rest of the season, so wish us plentiful digging.
If you have been getting eggs from us after the initial first weeks freebies, you will get a bill this week. You will get billed once more at the end of the season. Please mail us a check unless you see Molly at the co-op.
Eggplant Recipes:
Eggplant Fingers
2 eggplant
olive oil
1 ½ c. bread crumbs
1 c. parm cheese
Cut skin off eggplant and cut into ½ to ¾ inch rounds. Cut the rounds into sticks. Coat with olive oil. Mix cheese and bread crumbs in a bowl and roll eggplant in the mixture. Place on backing sheet and cook at 375 until golden brown.
Eggplant Parmesan (from allrecipes.com)
INGREDIENTS:
3 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
6 cups spaghetti sauce, divided 1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese
, shredded and divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes on each side.
3. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.
In the box:
Heirloom Tomatoes
Green Bell Peppers
Sweet Corn
Fresh Garlic
Orient Express and/or Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Onions
Jalapeño Peppers
Cucumbers
Yellow Zucchini
Zephyr Squash
Patty Pan Squash
Green Beans
Beets
Rainbow Chard
Collard Greens or Dino Kale (a mixed bunch, coming back from cabbage worm trauma)
Broccoli or Cauliflower or Cabbage
Herb bunch of: sweet basil, Thai basil, sage, rosemary, parsley, tarragon, thyme, and oregano
As we said last week, we are hoping to give one head of garlic each week. If you share a box, you may want to either alternate or pull off cloves to share. We have also pulled our onions and have them drying next to the garlic. You will get a steady supply of 2-3 onions each week for the rest of the season.
Heirloom tomatoes have begun. So far they are being cooperative and ripening at a slow but steady rate. Last year we had green tomatoes until late August and then they all ripened at once. We are hoping they will continue to work with us, providing weeks of fresh tomatoes for you.
The peppers are still teasing us, but we have decided to start sending green bells until the others turn as the plants are falling over from the weight of peppers; there should be no lack of them in the coming weeks.
Eggplant is coming full throttle now and we look forward to sharing. I know at least one of our shareholders avoids nightshade plants, so we are hoping to round out the boxes with many non-nightshades are well.
Sweet corn is back and you will see it for the next few weeks. Enjoy this true taste of MN. Additionally we believe we will be sending one melon per box starting next week. It will be a mixed supply of either sweet baby watermelon, regular watermelon, cantaloupe, or musk melon. You should see these for the next few weeks as well. If we don’t get your box this week, we will get you next week.
The potatoes are giving us a bit of trouble as we move across the rows digging them up. There seems to be a substantial amount of die-back. We are guessing this could be due to the crazy levels of rain we received this season. We will continue to dig and hope for the best. Our goal is to send them nearly every week for the rest of the season, so wish us plentiful digging.
If you have been getting eggs from us after the initial first weeks freebies, you will get a bill this week. You will get billed once more at the end of the season. Please mail us a check unless you see Molly at the co-op.
Eggplant Recipes:
Eggplant Fingers
2 eggplant
olive oil
1 ½ c. bread crumbs
1 c. parm cheese
Cut skin off eggplant and cut into ½ to ¾ inch rounds. Cut the rounds into sticks. Coat with olive oil. Mix cheese and bread crumbs in a bowl and roll eggplant in the mixture. Place on backing sheet and cook at 375 until golden brown.
Eggplant Parmesan (from allrecipes.com)
INGREDIENTS:
3 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
6 cups spaghetti sauce, divided 1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese
, shredded and divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes on each side.
3. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Week 10 Delivery
Week 10
In the box:
Fresh Garlic
Orient Express Eggplant
Onions
Jalapeño Peppers
Green Top Carrots
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Cucumbers
Yellow Zucchini
Zephyr Squash
Patty Pan Squash
Green Beans
Beets
Rainbow Chard
Collard Greens and Dino Kale (a mixed bunch, coming back from cabbage worm trauma)
Broccoli or Cauliflower (one or the other or a little bit of both)
Basil
Parsley
Sage
Thai Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Fresh Garlic is here!! We will be giving 1-2 heads per week, hopefully through most of the rest of the season. If you share a box with others, you may want to alternate. We will begin drying it tomorrow, so it will transition from “fresh” to “cured”. It is good and we are so happy with the size of the cloves, we hope you are too.
You are getting a taste of what is to come with eggplant. It is the most beautiful plant in our garden and we love watching it grow and produce. If you are afraid of eggplant, please try it on the grill, sautéed in a stir fry with Thai basil, or marinated with tomato sauce and cheese. It is delightful and our children even love it. Recipes next week as more comes in and you are trying to figure out what to do with it.
The peppers are beginning to ripen and we hope to be sending at least the mini bell peppers next week. The heirloom tomatoes tease us all summer and are starting to turn, so look for the beginnings of them and some cherry tomatoes (the ones we can save from our kids) next week as well. Melons in the field are growing and looking close to done, we are hoping for some musk, cantaloupe, and small water melons within the next 1-3 weeks. More sweet corn soon, too.
We have been blessed with warm weather and enough rain to keep everything happy. Last summer we watered until our pump overheated and this year we have had to water only once. Last year we had one severe weather warning that amounted to nothing, this year we have had at least one every week since June, 70 mph wind, and two hail storms. It is amazing what can change year to year and as I learn the ropes of farming I understand more and more how much we are at the mercy and the blessing of that Mother Nature hands out.
In the box:
Fresh Garlic
Orient Express Eggplant
Onions
Jalapeño Peppers
Green Top Carrots
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Cucumbers
Yellow Zucchini
Zephyr Squash
Patty Pan Squash
Green Beans
Beets
Rainbow Chard
Collard Greens and Dino Kale (a mixed bunch, coming back from cabbage worm trauma)
Broccoli or Cauliflower (one or the other or a little bit of both)
Basil
Parsley
Sage
Thai Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Fresh Garlic is here!! We will be giving 1-2 heads per week, hopefully through most of the rest of the season. If you share a box with others, you may want to alternate. We will begin drying it tomorrow, so it will transition from “fresh” to “cured”. It is good and we are so happy with the size of the cloves, we hope you are too.
You are getting a taste of what is to come with eggplant. It is the most beautiful plant in our garden and we love watching it grow and produce. If you are afraid of eggplant, please try it on the grill, sautéed in a stir fry with Thai basil, or marinated with tomato sauce and cheese. It is delightful and our children even love it. Recipes next week as more comes in and you are trying to figure out what to do with it.
The peppers are beginning to ripen and we hope to be sending at least the mini bell peppers next week. The heirloom tomatoes tease us all summer and are starting to turn, so look for the beginnings of them and some cherry tomatoes (the ones we can save from our kids) next week as well. Melons in the field are growing and looking close to done, we are hoping for some musk, cantaloupe, and small water melons within the next 1-3 weeks. More sweet corn soon, too.
We have been blessed with warm weather and enough rain to keep everything happy. Last summer we watered until our pump overheated and this year we have had to water only once. Last year we had one severe weather warning that amounted to nothing, this year we have had at least one every week since June, 70 mph wind, and two hail storms. It is amazing what can change year to year and as I learn the ropes of farming I understand more and more how much we are at the mercy and the blessing of that Mother Nature hands out.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Week 9 - Sweet Corn and More!
Attached you will find our weekly newsletter and list. Enjoy.
BTW: Eggs are available, we will bill you periodically if you have purchased or do purchase any. $2/dozen. Quantities are limited, but we haven't reached that limit yet.
Thank you.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Week 8- Summer Bounty Begins
This Week, you will begin to see a steady supply of summer veggies emerge. The Squash is just the start. Cucumber, Peppers, Eggplant, Tomatoes. All of these will be weighing down your box in increasing quantities over the next several weeks.
Also, please visit www.mariquita.com/recipes for an excellent recipe collection.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Week 7 Delivery
Week 7 Update
In your boxes this week:
Green topped Red Beets (yep—they are still coming in like crazy!)
Cauliflower (maybe the last for a bit)
Rainbow Chard
Collards and/or Dino Kale
New Yukon Gold Potatoes
Green Beans (a small amount as we wait for new plants to replace hail damaged ones)
Snap Peas
Napa Cabbage
Boc Choi
Rapini
*Yellow Summer Squash (just a taste with much more to come)
*Broccoli
Herb bunch of *thyme, parsley, thai and sweet basil, sage and tarragon
Coming soon:
Lots more summer squash, green topped carrots, broccoli shoots, more cilantro ...
Farm Update:
Things are getting back to normal as recovery happens for our plants. We have a few pickling cukes and greenhouse cukes forming, so we hope to start to share them soon. We are trying to catch up on a crazy amount of weeding that is needed after all of the rain we got, during which time it was impossible to weed. We are planning second plantings of many items to prepare for fall harvest and are debating how to best utilize our hoop house in our fall plans. We are planning to take a much wanted vacation near the end of August, so we may be contacting you for an early delivery, but will keep you posted. We are also speaking to our insurance agent about the possibility of some type of crop insurance to allow us to grow safely and with integrity towards our customers.
Recipes:
Beet Roesti with Rosemary (From Mark Bittman, author of How To Cook Everything)
Makes 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes
An almost unbelievably sweet and wonderful side dish. The sugar in the beets caramelizes, and the flavors of the rosemary, beets, and butter meld beautifully.
1 to 1 1/2 pounds beets
1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter
1. Trim the beets and peel them as you would potatoes; grate them in a food processor or by hand. Begin preheating a medium to large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
2. Toss the grated beets in a bowl with the rosemary and salt, then add about half the flour; toss well, add the rest of the flour, then toss again.
3. Place the butter in the skillet and heat until it begins to turn nut-brown. Scrape the beet mixture into the skillet, shape it into a nice circle, and press it down with a spatula. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the bottom of the beet cake is nicely crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Slide the cake out onto a plate, top with another plate, invert the two plates, and slide the cake back into the pan. Continue to cook, adjusting the heat if necessary, until the second side is browned. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.
Best Broccoli of your Life (from The Barefoot Contessa)
2-3 pounds of broccoli
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
4 cloves garlic
lemon zest and juice
1/3 c. parmesan cheese
2 T. fresh basil
You preheat the oven to 425.
Take 2 to 3 pounds of broccoli, cut into florets and dry THOROUGHLY
Put the broccoli on a cookie sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Now add 4 garlic cloves that are peeled and sliced and toss them in too.
Roast in the oven 20 to 25 minutes, until "crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned."
When it's done, take it out of the oven and add zest a lemon over the broccoli, squeeze the lemon juice over the broccoli, add 1.5 Tbs more olive oil, 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and 2 Tbs julienned fresh basil.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Week 6 Delivery
Week 6 --Kicking it into summer!
What is in the box this week:
Gold beets
Red Beets
Cauliflower
Sugar Snap Peas
Green Beans
Spring Onions
Lettuce (A variety as we get near the end until fall)
Pac Choi
Napa Cabbage
Green Bunch (this will vary also, as we allow our greens to heal from the storm)
New Yukon Gold Potatoes *
Basil* (A small bunch of sweet and/or Thai to get you ready for tomato season!)
Sage
Cilantro
Parsley
Dill
*NEW this week
Coming soon:
Broccoli (we have some, but wanted to wait until we could give you all beautiful heads)
Summer Squash (this would have been ready if not for the storm)
The Yukon gold potatoes are beautiful and oh-so delicate. That is why they will still be dirty when you get them. When handling potatoes as young and fresh as these, you can easily damage the skin and flesh. As a result, we have handled them as tenderly as possible so they arrive to you ready to enjoy. In our humble opinion, potatoes at this maturity are unmatched in texture and flavor. Enjoy!
The basil is a sampling to get started with what we hope will be weeks and weeks, especially when tomatoes are filling your boxes.
An update on the storm:
Our greenhouse looks as though someone had soft ball practice on one side, but is still standing and stable. We look forward to early tomatoes and cukes to arrive soon from inside.
Our main crop cucumbers (marketmore slicers and pickling) have suffered significant damage from the hail. We should still have decent crop, but will likely not be offering pickling boxes this year. Our melons (water, honeydew, and cantaloupe) also suffered greatly. We all guessing at this point that many will live, but may not thrive as they did without the weather they endured. We started more and may offer two rounds to try and accommodate the smaller amount as a result.
The rest of the garden is recovering remarkably well. Some items that we had hoped to offer early this year may come in around regular time as they heal from damage. This is true for the majority of the tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant.
Again, overall we are truly fortunate for the little damage we received from a very large and powerful storm. It is humbling as we move forward and acknowledge how dependant we all are on the Earth to provide and what mother nature can dole out in the blink of an eye.
Recipes:
Many of these are versions of recipes from Molly’s favorite cookbook, Farmer John’s Cookbook. If you are loving CSA’s are going to continue to support this model, or you love to garden, this cookbook is GREAT at walking you through cooking through the mid-west season.
BEETS:
Yummy cold beet salad with fresh dill (adapted from Farmer Johns)
4 large beets, cleaned and trimmed
2 T. fresh chopped dill
3 T. umeboshi vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. olive oil
Plain yogurt or Sour cream as desired for consistency
1. Place beets in pot and cover with water. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce and cook uncovered until tender (35-45 min).
2. Drain under cold water. When they are cool enough to touch, remove skins. Cut into thin strips. Place in medium sized serving bowl
3. Add dill.
4. Whisk liquids and stir in until well mixed.
5. Add sour cream or plain yogurt until you get to the desired consistency if wanted.
6. Chill and serve.
POC CHOI:
Choi with Gingery butter (Farmer Johns Cookbook)
1 bunch choi
6 T. butter
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. finely grated ginger
1 clove minced garlic (or more if you live in our house!)
1 T. finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
1. Bring water to boil. Add choi and cook until tender but still crisp (2-3 min). Drain and run immediately under cold water. Drain again.
2. Melt butter in large skillet on medium. Add soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and choi. Stir constantly until choi in coated and heated through.
3. Remove. Cover with cilantro and serve immediately.
CAULIFLOWER:
Roasted Cauliflower Recipe (Simply Recipes)
Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely minced
Lemon juice from half a lemon
Olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese
Method
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut cauliflower into florets and put in a single layer in an oven-proof baking dish. Toss in the garlic. Sprinkle lemon juice over cauliflower and drizzle each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If the oven hasn't reached 400°F yet, set aside until it has.
2 Place casserole in the hot oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown. Test with a fork for desired doneness. Fork tines should be able to easily pierce the cauliflower. Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
What is in the box this week:
Gold beets
Red Beets
Cauliflower
Sugar Snap Peas
Green Beans
Spring Onions
Lettuce (A variety as we get near the end until fall)
Pac Choi
Napa Cabbage
Green Bunch (this will vary also, as we allow our greens to heal from the storm)
New Yukon Gold Potatoes *
Basil* (A small bunch of sweet and/or Thai to get you ready for tomato season!)
Sage
Cilantro
Parsley
Dill
*NEW this week
Coming soon:
Broccoli (we have some, but wanted to wait until we could give you all beautiful heads)
Summer Squash (this would have been ready if not for the storm)
The Yukon gold potatoes are beautiful and oh-so delicate. That is why they will still be dirty when you get them. When handling potatoes as young and fresh as these, you can easily damage the skin and flesh. As a result, we have handled them as tenderly as possible so they arrive to you ready to enjoy. In our humble opinion, potatoes at this maturity are unmatched in texture and flavor. Enjoy!
The basil is a sampling to get started with what we hope will be weeks and weeks, especially when tomatoes are filling your boxes.
An update on the storm:
Our greenhouse looks as though someone had soft ball practice on one side, but is still standing and stable. We look forward to early tomatoes and cukes to arrive soon from inside.
Our main crop cucumbers (marketmore slicers and pickling) have suffered significant damage from the hail. We should still have decent crop, but will likely not be offering pickling boxes this year. Our melons (water, honeydew, and cantaloupe) also suffered greatly. We all guessing at this point that many will live, but may not thrive as they did without the weather they endured. We started more and may offer two rounds to try and accommodate the smaller amount as a result.
The rest of the garden is recovering remarkably well. Some items that we had hoped to offer early this year may come in around regular time as they heal from damage. This is true for the majority of the tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant.
Again, overall we are truly fortunate for the little damage we received from a very large and powerful storm. It is humbling as we move forward and acknowledge how dependant we all are on the Earth to provide and what mother nature can dole out in the blink of an eye.
Recipes:
Many of these are versions of recipes from Molly’s favorite cookbook, Farmer John’s Cookbook. If you are loving CSA’s are going to continue to support this model, or you love to garden, this cookbook is GREAT at walking you through cooking through the mid-west season.
BEETS:
Yummy cold beet salad with fresh dill (adapted from Farmer Johns)
4 large beets, cleaned and trimmed
2 T. fresh chopped dill
3 T. umeboshi vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. olive oil
Plain yogurt or Sour cream as desired for consistency
1. Place beets in pot and cover with water. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce and cook uncovered until tender (35-45 min).
2. Drain under cold water. When they are cool enough to touch, remove skins. Cut into thin strips. Place in medium sized serving bowl
3. Add dill.
4. Whisk liquids and stir in until well mixed.
5. Add sour cream or plain yogurt until you get to the desired consistency if wanted.
6. Chill and serve.
POC CHOI:
Choi with Gingery butter (Farmer Johns Cookbook)
1 bunch choi
6 T. butter
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. finely grated ginger
1 clove minced garlic (or more if you live in our house!)
1 T. finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
1. Bring water to boil. Add choi and cook until tender but still crisp (2-3 min). Drain and run immediately under cold water. Drain again.
2. Melt butter in large skillet on medium. Add soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and choi. Stir constantly until choi in coated and heated through.
3. Remove. Cover with cilantro and serve immediately.
CAULIFLOWER:
Roasted Cauliflower Recipe (Simply Recipes)
Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely minced
Lemon juice from half a lemon
Olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese
Method
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut cauliflower into florets and put in a single layer in an oven-proof baking dish. Toss in the garlic. Sprinkle lemon juice over cauliflower and drizzle each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If the oven hasn't reached 400°F yet, set aside until it has.
2 Place casserole in the hot oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown. Test with a fork for desired doneness. Fork tines should be able to easily pierce the cauliflower. Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Monday, June 28, 2010
The weekend storm
On Saturday, June 26, we found ourselves in the direct path of a very strong storm system that moved through the Midwest. At our farm and in our various gardens we received 3+ inches of rain in just over an hour, heavy hail, and winds up to 70 mph. We are in the initial process of evaluating the health of our various crops. I would love to tell you that this will not affect what your boxes contain, but that may not be the case. We will do our best to re-establish everything that we can, but please bear with us as we work to nurture what has survived back into health.
Our hoop house managed to survive the ordeal, which is something of a miracle considering the U of M outreach center (which is near us) was completely destroyed. Our thoughts are with them as they have likely lost an entire season of testing various plant growing conditions that help us all be better farmers.
Our thoughts are also with the corn and soybean farmers around us, many have lost acres and acres due to crazy amounts of rain in the last few weeks coupled with the incredible storm over the weekend. Many had just replanted what they had lost from the rain.
We are confident that we will continue the season and see through a successful year with you, but as I stated above it may require a bit of additional patience as we work to restore the health of our plants.
Thank you for your support.
Our hoop house managed to survive the ordeal, which is something of a miracle considering the U of M outreach center (which is near us) was completely destroyed. Our thoughts are with them as they have likely lost an entire season of testing various plant growing conditions that help us all be better farmers.
Our thoughts are also with the corn and soybean farmers around us, many have lost acres and acres due to crazy amounts of rain in the last few weeks coupled with the incredible storm over the weekend. Many had just replanted what they had lost from the rain.
We are confident that we will continue the season and see through a successful year with you, but as I stated above it may require a bit of additional patience as we work to restore the health of our plants.
Thank you for your support.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Week 5 Delivery
Week 5 Delivery
This week’s message will be short as we’re getting some technical help from MOM as we don’t have Internet right now.
Here’s what you can expect this week:
Green top gold beets
Green top red beets
Lettuce
Spinach
Rainbow Chard
Radishes – the last of them
Napa Cabbage
Poc Choy
Snap Peas*
Green Beans*
Spring Onions*
Cauliflower*
Herb bunch of Dill, Sage, Cilantro, Parsley
*These are new items this week
Coming soon:
Broccoli
Yellow Summer Squash
Basil
Potatoes
More update later due to technical difficulties.
This week’s message will be short as we’re getting some technical help from MOM as we don’t have Internet right now.
Here’s what you can expect this week:
Green top gold beets
Green top red beets
Lettuce
Spinach
Rainbow Chard
Radishes – the last of them
Napa Cabbage
Poc Choy
Snap Peas*
Green Beans*
Spring Onions*
Cauliflower*
Herb bunch of Dill, Sage, Cilantro, Parsley
*These are new items this week
Coming soon:
Broccoli
Yellow Summer Squash
Basil
Potatoes
More update later due to technical difficulties.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Week 4 Box
Week 4
In the Box:
Green Topped Red Beets
Green Topped Gold Beets
Bunch of young Rainbow Kale
Bunch of Baby Collard / Dino Kale mix
Spinach
Butterhead, Red Leaf &
Romaine Lettuces
French Breakfast & Easter Egg Radishes
Napa Cabbage*
Sugar Snap Peas*
Mulberries*
Dill
Cilantro
Parsley
Sage
*New items this week
Napa Cabbage : The flavor of Napa cabbage is somewhat milder and a bit sweeter than that of regular green cabbage. It is delicious raw or cooked, and can be substituted for regular cabbage in most recipes.
Shredded or finely sliced, Napa cabbage is wonderful in Asian-style cole slaw. Try adding some shredded Napa cabbage to a mixed green salad for a nice crunch and enhanced nutritional value.
For an easy cold salad, whisk together 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1/4 cup (60 ml) salad oil, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Pour over 4 cups (280 g) shredded Napa cabbage, 1/2 cup (60 g) shredded carrots, and 1/4 cup (25 g) sliced green onions and toss to coat. Garnish with toasted slivered almonds.
In our household, we love Napa cabbage in any sort of stir fry. Often, we shred the cabbage and add it to tofu, chicken, or scrambled eggs and all of our favorite veggies. We wok fry all items and add a small amount of coconut milk, soy sauce, and spicy sauce. We put the wok fried items over a bed of rice noodles and garnish with cilantro and lime.
Sugar Snap Peas: Here is an easy recipe taken from Food Networks Website that also allows you to use your parsley. We understand that this week there are less than enough peas needed for this recipe (especially if you are sharing a share), but these will become abundant in the next few deliveries.
• 1 1/2 pounds sugar snap peas
• Coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
Directions
Place peas in pot and add 1 inch water. Add a little salt, a teaspoon of sugar and a couple of pats of butter to the pot. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook until peas are tender but still bright green, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chopped parsley. Transfer peas to a serving dish.
Mulberries: We have quite a few trees that provide the kids hours of mulberry eating joy in spring, and we wanted to share a taste with you. They are great by themselves, on yogurt sprinkled with granola, or over ice cream. Enjoy within a day or two, as their shelf life is very limited.
Happy Eating!
Soon to come…new potatoes, cauliflower, green beans, summer squash (3 different varieties!)
In the Box:
Green Topped Red Beets
Green Topped Gold Beets
Bunch of young Rainbow Kale
Bunch of Baby Collard / Dino Kale mix
Spinach
Butterhead, Red Leaf &
Romaine Lettuces
French Breakfast & Easter Egg Radishes
Napa Cabbage*
Sugar Snap Peas*
Mulberries*
Dill
Cilantro
Parsley
Sage
*New items this week
Napa Cabbage : The flavor of Napa cabbage is somewhat milder and a bit sweeter than that of regular green cabbage. It is delicious raw or cooked, and can be substituted for regular cabbage in most recipes.
Shredded or finely sliced, Napa cabbage is wonderful in Asian-style cole slaw. Try adding some shredded Napa cabbage to a mixed green salad for a nice crunch and enhanced nutritional value.
For an easy cold salad, whisk together 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1/4 cup (60 ml) salad oil, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Pour over 4 cups (280 g) shredded Napa cabbage, 1/2 cup (60 g) shredded carrots, and 1/4 cup (25 g) sliced green onions and toss to coat. Garnish with toasted slivered almonds.
In our household, we love Napa cabbage in any sort of stir fry. Often, we shred the cabbage and add it to tofu, chicken, or scrambled eggs and all of our favorite veggies. We wok fry all items and add a small amount of coconut milk, soy sauce, and spicy sauce. We put the wok fried items over a bed of rice noodles and garnish with cilantro and lime.
Sugar Snap Peas: Here is an easy recipe taken from Food Networks Website that also allows you to use your parsley. We understand that this week there are less than enough peas needed for this recipe (especially if you are sharing a share), but these will become abundant in the next few deliveries.
• 1 1/2 pounds sugar snap peas
• Coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
Directions
Place peas in pot and add 1 inch water. Add a little salt, a teaspoon of sugar and a couple of pats of butter to the pot. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook until peas are tender but still bright green, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chopped parsley. Transfer peas to a serving dish.
Mulberries: We have quite a few trees that provide the kids hours of mulberry eating joy in spring, and we wanted to share a taste with you. They are great by themselves, on yogurt sprinkled with granola, or over ice cream. Enjoy within a day or two, as their shelf life is very limited.
Happy Eating!
Soon to come…new potatoes, cauliflower, green beans, summer squash (3 different varieties!)
Sunday, June 13, 2010
and what is to come...
I am happy to report that our gardens are holding up well to the 4.5+ inches of rain we have gathered in the last 3 days. Some peppers were underwater but bave since soaked in mother natures goodness.
Some pea pods have formed, so we are hoping to impress you with the delicious first spring taste of local peas next week. We also have little cauliflower heads on all of the cauli plants and the napa cabbage are forming their beautiful heads. Green bean plants are bursting with flowers and our specialty hoophouse cukes are growing teeny tiny cucumbers. So, hopefully this and more next weeks.
Also we will give you some new pics next time.
Love and good eating!
Some pea pods have formed, so we are hoping to impress you with the delicious first spring taste of local peas next week. We also have little cauliflower heads on all of the cauli plants and the napa cabbage are forming their beautiful heads. Green bean plants are bursting with flowers and our specialty hoophouse cukes are growing teeny tiny cucumbers. So, hopefully this and more next weeks.
Also we will give you some new pics next time.
Love and good eating!
Week 3 Delivery and Update!
Week 3
In the Box:
Garlic Scapes
Green Topped Red & Gold Beets
Bunch of young Kale, Chard & Collards
Dill
Cilantro
Sage
Spinach
Butterhead, Red Leaf &
Romaine Lettuces
French Breakfast Radishes
Broccoli Rabe
Pac Choi
Free-Range Eggs
Garlic Scapes are the stalk and future flower of the garlic plant. Despite that the garlic is almost solely grown from a vegetative clone (pant a clove) it still goes through the process of trying to reproduce sexually. The scape is cut off before it matures into a flower and while the tissues or still more tender than fibrous. The scape can be lightly cooked like asparagus: grilled, steamed or sautéed. They can be chopped and sprinkled over salads and dishes like green onions.
But they also produce a delectable pesto:
10-12 garlic scapes
½ cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup almonds or pine nuts
½ cup olive oil
sea salt to taste
Chop the scapes to lengths that will easily go into a food processor. Blend the scapes, parmesan and nuts briefly. Drizzle the olive oil in while blending until you reach a nice creamy consistency. Add salt to taste.
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Serve this as a dip for a nice, crusty bread or mix with pasta. You can also mix with red or white wine or balsamic vinegar to make a salad dressing, about one part vinegar to two parts pesto.
A mixed bunch of hearty greens can be used fresh or cooked. Still young and tender, they can be eaten as salad greens. To cook, steam or sauté very lightly and drizzle with butter, tamari or a dressing.
Eggs for Sale
The eggs you receive this week will be the last for the season that come as part of the share. Here after, we are offering eggs by the dozen for $2.00. This will be on a first emailed, first served basis. We will bill you approximately three times throughout the season.
Thank You, KMF
In the Box:
Garlic Scapes
Green Topped Red & Gold Beets
Bunch of young Kale, Chard & Collards
Dill
Cilantro
Sage
Spinach
Butterhead, Red Leaf &
Romaine Lettuces
French Breakfast Radishes
Broccoli Rabe
Pac Choi
Free-Range Eggs
Garlic Scapes are the stalk and future flower of the garlic plant. Despite that the garlic is almost solely grown from a vegetative clone (pant a clove) it still goes through the process of trying to reproduce sexually. The scape is cut off before it matures into a flower and while the tissues or still more tender than fibrous. The scape can be lightly cooked like asparagus: grilled, steamed or sautéed. They can be chopped and sprinkled over salads and dishes like green onions.
But they also produce a delectable pesto:
10-12 garlic scapes
½ cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup almonds or pine nuts
½ cup olive oil
sea salt to taste
Chop the scapes to lengths that will easily go into a food processor. Blend the scapes, parmesan and nuts briefly. Drizzle the olive oil in while blending until you reach a nice creamy consistency. Add salt to taste.
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Serve this as a dip for a nice, crusty bread or mix with pasta. You can also mix with red or white wine or balsamic vinegar to make a salad dressing, about one part vinegar to two parts pesto.
A mixed bunch of hearty greens can be used fresh or cooked. Still young and tender, they can be eaten as salad greens. To cook, steam or sauté very lightly and drizzle with butter, tamari or a dressing.
Eggs for Sale
The eggs you receive this week will be the last for the season that come as part of the share. Here after, we are offering eggs by the dozen for $2.00. This will be on a first emailed, first served basis. We will bill you approximately three times throughout the season.
Thank You, KMF
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Week 2
Click on the image to view the weekly newsletter. Members are automatically sent the newsletter via email.
Mid Spring
today, molly and I spied the first flower on the pea vines. they hide there buds well, so the little flower is often a true, albeit long-awaited surprise. on the mulberry trees, the teeny fruits are starting to swell. Everything is waiting for a little rain to blow this spring wide-open. We've had a bit of a dry spell lately. the plants get nursed along during these spells, but really pop when mother nature showers down with the real stuff.
In the high tunnel, cauli and broccoli are starting to make tiny buds and tomatoes are putting forth flowers. Everything else is growing like mad; the spinach is very nearly too mad in there and is trying its damnedest to make seeds.
In the high tunnel, cauli and broccoli are starting to make tiny buds and tomatoes are putting forth flowers. Everything else is growing like mad; the spinach is very nearly too mad in there and is trying its damnedest to make seeds.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Week 1 - Happy Memorial Day!
Well good folks, the season begins, for you at least. I think back to that first week in March; the snow was actually beginning to melt. I was out on our southern edge soveling pieces of the high tunnel frame out from under some heavy-ass snow, bragging to Molly that I would have it up and running by month's end. Then in the basement, starting things under lights in our makeshift grow room. Last year we learned a lot; in different ways we've already learned more this year.
The bulk of what you recieve this week is from that high tunnel. Additionally we are pleased to provide you with somethngfrom last years harvest. Look below the list for descriptions and intructions for care and storage.
This Week's Food:
D'Avignon and Easter Egg Radishes
Savoy Spinach
Red Leaf Lettuce
Butterhead Lettuce
Pac Choi (baby Bok Choi)
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Cilantro
Sage
Italian Parsley (Flat Leaf)
Overwintered Onions
Free-Range Eggs
Early CSA boxes are always light in weight. This year we are very excited to provide some storage and overwintered items that add some substance to the first delivery.
Yukon Gold Potatoes
These are storage potatoes harvested in early October. We had a bumper crop last season and pit all exteras into root cellar storage. Now, storage spuds in May have two options: Plant 'em or Eat 'em. For our 2010 season we've planted new seed potatoes, and these are for eating.
Caring for these spuds is easy. Keep them in a dark place! If you cannot think of one, at least use a paper bag to give them extra dim-ness and put them in a pantry, drawer, or under the sink. they can go in the fridge, but don't need to. These spuds will likely start to make eyes before they are all eaten. These days, conventional supermarket spuds are sprayed with an anti-srpout inhibitor, but unsprayed spuds know its that time of year. They are perfectly edible as long as you trim of the eyes. Some people won't be afraid of the sprouting, after-all I remember picking the eyes off of potatoes as a kid. However, younger folks might not be used to it.
We've been eating these all winter; askmolly I love 'em and swear they're the best. Molly is fine with it but just not at every meal.
Over Wintered Onions
Do not waste the tops of the Onion the Bulb is obviously great for all onion related needs. The greens and flower are edible too. the pungent leave are great additions to salads or sprinkled raw atop almost any dish. These too are a nice addition to the otherwise light seasonal fare.
D'Avingnon Radish
A beautiful French-breakfast radish perfect or salads and just raw eating. Be brave and research a cooked recipe. Diced, these can be very lightly sauted with butter and herbs (sage/parsley) and a splash of wine vinegar.
Salads
Need I say it; the spinach is my favorite. Lettuce and spinach both fill the void that your body has expirenced through the winter due to the lack of greens. Not the heartiest, but nutritious and flavorful. Any attemps to wow yourself or others with a hearty and terrific sallad will be buttressed when adding any of the herbs, coursely chopped, and and some hard boiled eggs.
Free-Range Eggs
In a sauce pan, bring water to a boil. Carefull lower eggs in once water starts to roll. I time mine from this moment for 8 minutes. Then, run under cool water. This leaves them cooked through, but with yolks that are still supple (not crumbly).
NOTE: these eggs are less than a week old; they often do not peel from the shell as easily when so fresh. This is because the egg has not dehydrated much yet. Oddly, I find that cracking the shell lightly, without breaking the inner membrane, allows the egg to separte from the shell more easily.
Also great for breakfast.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Growing ons in May, 2010
Things are coming up and away at the farm. The garlic is over a foot high and many early spring plants are peeking out of the soil. The greenhouse is full of greens, which the pictures will show.
Last night we had to move our seedlings of tomatoes, peppers and eggplant from the hoop house to the basement, as the temps in SW MN dipped dangerously close to freezing. We have not had the snow that has been talked about, but it was cold enough to need the furnace turned on after a two month off age.
At our other plot we have 5 rows of potatoes in with plans for 15 more, to accommodate taters nearly every week this summer. We have a few rows of early corn in as well, and the summer squash and melon is started indoors and will be moved outside once we are safely past the cold snap.
We are still hoping to begin deliveries late May / early June...The first will be heavy on greens, but if we get the head start we are hoping for we may have more deliveries for our members than the 17 we have promised.
We experienced very heavy winds last week, gusts of over 50 MPH and the greenhouse survived with no injury. This puts our minds at ease a bit, as with any new adventure it doesn't come without a bit of worry. Hope you are all enjoying spring!
Monday, April 12, 2010
The greenhouse...
Up up and away!
The greenhouse has been an act of courage as we set it up without a proper kit. We put it up on a calm day and then spent the next two nights up listening to wind tear into it, wondering if it would stand. It has and is complete. If anyone ever has questions on how to set it up, please contact us and we will help walk you through, parenting is so much easier with friends!
The greenhouse has been an act of courage as we set it up without a proper kit. We put it up on a calm day and then spent the next two nights up listening to wind tear into it, wondering if it would stand. It has and is complete. If anyone ever has questions on how to set it up, please contact us and we will help walk you through, parenting is so much easier with friends!
Everything starts small...
A post with pics from our newest arrivals!
The first is of the seedlings we have in the greenhouse. Currently we have leeks, onions, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower. We have pepper, eggplant, herb, and cucumber seedlings inside. Direct seeded rows of spinach, lettuce, and beets are now in the ground.
The second pic is of the garlic rows poking out of the straw covering. They are growing leeps and bounds!
The third is of our "new" garden tractor, a circa 1970 Wheel Horse. The Beast has the potential to do all we need to do, but could use a few more attachments, like a tiller. We bought this beauty in Mankato with a mower and snow thrower. No more getting stuck on our gravel road! We are looking for a plow or some such to attach to make this the complete needs vehicle.
The last picture shows our new baby ducklings. These pictures are taken at about two weeks old. We are unsure of the breed or exact age of the babies.
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