Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Lucan Farmer's Market
week one of the farmer's market is here. we're really excited, too. it will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 in the parking lot of the Lucan Locker. this week we'll have a lot of light stuff; blame the lack of sun for that. come and get some fresh local food. and mark your calendars to make the farmer's market a weekly tradition.
Friday, June 17, 2011
June is here
We are anticipating the first Lucan area farmer's market will take place next Thursday or the one after. A walk through reveals beautiful lettuce, peas, radishes, greens, beets, herbs, broccoli, garlic scape, and more. We will post more details soon.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
February on the farm
It has been awhile since I have been able to post, but figured with spring around the corner it is time to update folks that are interested as to what is new.
Let's start with the sad / bad news. We will not be providing a CSA package this season. Being a farmer is hard work, harder than I could have ever imagined. Steve and I have spent the last two years farming for 9 months and working in the school for 9 more. Yeah, that makes 18 which is more than a year and means for 6 months we are juggling two very full time jobs in addition to trying to be great parents. Something had to give. I truly wish we were at a point where we were financially comfortable enough to dive into farming full-time. We are not there yet. If and when we get to that point, we will let you know. It saddens me to share this with those of you that have supported us, but know that we have appreciated your love, support, and kind words. Thanks to people like you, small scale farming can and will survive. Keep on supporting your local farmers!
We will still be growing food, and lots of it! We are expanding our herbs (both fresh and dried), getting more chickens for eggs and meat, raising a couple of pigs, growing 70+ different types of vegetables, and expanding our orchard. Any of these items can still be purchased and we encourage you to contact us if you are interested. We will also be showing up at some local farmers markets (Marshall, Redwood Falls, and possibly starting a new one in Lucan), please come by and say hello.
In the next weeks the plants will be started, the hoophouse will be tilled and planted, and the bounty will begin. I am so excited for fresh baby spinach! I hope you all are, too. Pictures to come.
Love and happy almost spring!
Molly
Kicking Mule Farm
Let's start with the sad / bad news. We will not be providing a CSA package this season. Being a farmer is hard work, harder than I could have ever imagined. Steve and I have spent the last two years farming for 9 months and working in the school for 9 more. Yeah, that makes 18 which is more than a year and means for 6 months we are juggling two very full time jobs in addition to trying to be great parents. Something had to give. I truly wish we were at a point where we were financially comfortable enough to dive into farming full-time. We are not there yet. If and when we get to that point, we will let you know. It saddens me to share this with those of you that have supported us, but know that we have appreciated your love, support, and kind words. Thanks to people like you, small scale farming can and will survive. Keep on supporting your local farmers!
We will still be growing food, and lots of it! We are expanding our herbs (both fresh and dried), getting more chickens for eggs and meat, raising a couple of pigs, growing 70+ different types of vegetables, and expanding our orchard. Any of these items can still be purchased and we encourage you to contact us if you are interested. We will also be showing up at some local farmers markets (Marshall, Redwood Falls, and possibly starting a new one in Lucan), please come by and say hello.
In the next weeks the plants will be started, the hoophouse will be tilled and planted, and the bounty will begin. I am so excited for fresh baby spinach! I hope you all are, too. Pictures to come.
Love and happy almost spring!
Molly
Kicking Mule Farm
Friday, October 1, 2010
Week 19
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.
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, 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.
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