LAST CSA BOX!!! WEEK 18 - October 23rd, 2013

This will be our last box of the season!  Just in time for the snow... Thanks so much for all of your support.  We hope you have enjoyed being a part of our farm.  It was an interesting season (to say the least!) but we feel great about this last year and hope you do too! 

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Pie Pumpkin
Leeks
Honey
Apples
Pea Shoots
Turnips

We will be sending out an end of season letter to everyone in the next week or so.  Thanks again for contributing to a more sustainable agricultural system for our community! 

Your Farmers,

Bryan and Kate


RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD ENJOY:

Pumpkin Cookies:

http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2011/10/pumpkin-cookies-with-cinnamon-icing.html

 Pie Crust:

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_pie_crust/

Pie Filling:

 http://www.momswhothink.com/pie-recipes/homemade-fresh-pumpkin-pie-recipe.html

 Mashed Turnips with Turnip Greens:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/health/nutrition/mashed-turnips-and-potatoes-with-turnip-greens-recipes-for-health.html?_r=0

Pea Shoot Recipes:

http://www.peashoots.com/peashoots-recipes.htm

Week 17 - October 16th, 2013

A nice colorful fall box this week!  We are pulling the last of the root crops and prepping fields for next season.  It is a race against the clock for peas and beans!  We have a final succession of both in and they are starting to fruit but we'll see what happens with frost in the valley.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that we will be able to harvest them in time for our last box!  We will have a round of pie pumpkins next week as well as turnips, leeks, apples, and cooking greens.  We are hoping to have honey done by then as well.  It all depends on the weather at this point! 

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Scallions
Apples
Carrots
Eggplant
Garlic
Pea Shoots

This week was the first week in the history of our CSA that we had everyone's box back!!  Thank you!!!  It was an exciting day today :). 

If anyone is still interested in putting up extra produce let us know.  We have a few crops we are done harvesting and you are welcome to come out grab what's left to put up for the winter.  Let us know and we'll arrange a time for you to come out! 

Your Farmers,

Bryan and Katelyn

WEEK 16 - October 9th, 2013

Lots of greens this week!  The cabbage will store FOREVER so if you don't get to it this week don't worry!  We will have 2 more weeks worth of produce for you this season.  This year really went by quick!  We will be including a sign-up form in the next box for those of you who will be joining us next year.  Thanks for all your support!!!

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Cabbage
Pea Shoots
Rosemary
Apples (Golden Delicious, Prairie Spy, Firesides)
Leeks
Beets
Swiss Chard

Mushroom Share holders, we will have another week of shiitake for you for sure.  After that it will really depend on the weather.  If the temperature continues to drop we may not get any more shiitake.  We will let everyone know how its looking after next week.

Your farmers,

Bryan and Katelyn


RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD ENJOY:

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/old-fashioned-apple-crisp-recipe/index.html

We have cut this recipe in half and baked it in an 8x8 pan.  It turned out great!

Julia Child's Potato Leek soup

http://www.yumsugar.com/Julia-Child-Potato-Leek-Soup-Recipe-24339863

 

WEEK 15 - October 2nd 2013 - Fall Goodness!!!

BOOM...  It's fall!  This week's box is full of fall goodness.  The field work is starting to wind down but now we are extremely busy prepping fields for cover crops, pulling old corps and trellis, getting ready to plant garlic, trying to finish building the shed, and setting up a new shiitake yard.  It feels like things should be slowing down but they aren't!  Sorry for the lack of pictures lately... it's just Kate and I right now so it hasn't been on my radar.  I'll try to get some up next week! 

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Potatoes
Leeks
Apples
Hot Peppers
Sweet Peppers
Egg Plant
Cauliflower
Tomatoes
Garlic
Acorn Squash

Leeks are an allium and can be used just like an onion.  You will notice two kinds of apples in your box.  The small ones are Prairie Spy and are more tart.  These are great for cooking, but personally I like them raw as well.  The larger ones are Firesides and are less tart.  Probably the last week for tomatoes, eggplant and peppers.  The potatoes are from our friends at Whitewater gardens.  We didn't have room for potatoes this year but plan on giving it a go next season.

Coming up for the last few boxes we will have another round of squash/pumpkin, more leeks, scallions, kale and/or chard, radishes, carrots, beets, more apples, hopefully brussel sprouts, and possibly a few other surprises! 

Your Farmers,

Bryan and Katelyn

  

Week 14 - Sept 25th, 2013

We have radishes!  They are at a perfect stage right now.  Enjoy them raw with a little salt or experiment with cooking them.  Don't forget you can use the greens as well!  We have included an excellent radish greens soup recipe at the end of the blog for you to try out. 

Mushroom share folks... as promised we have a special treat for you this week!  In addition to your shiitake you will find a decent amount of Chicken of the Woods mushrooms.  These are a beautiful saprophytic polypore that we usually find on dead oak.  These can get a little tough if you get them when they are too mature but the ones in your box are at a great stage.  You can saute them with a little butter and add them to a cream sauce (or just eat them plain).  As with any wild mushroom we give you, make sure you cook them before eating them.  Enjoy!

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Onions
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Romanesco Cauliflower
Radishes

Isn't this cauliflower cool?!  You can use it as you would broccoli or any other type of cauliflower.  Or just keep it in your fridge and look at it every once in a while :). 

One last reminder that the Mushroom Workshop is this Sunday.  Let us know if you would like to sign up and we will give you the CSA Member Discount!

Your Farmer's

Bryan and Katelyn


RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD ENJOY:

Radish Raita
http://www.mostlyeating.com/radish_raita

Spicy Roasted Romanesco Cauliflower and Tomatoes
http://in.gredients.com/2012/12/17/daily-recipe-spicy-roasted-romanesco-cauliflower-tomatoes/


Radish Leaf SoupForgotten Skills of Cooking

3 tablespoons butter
5 oz potatoes, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup onion, peeled and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups of water or stock of your choice
1 cup whole milk
5 oz radish leaves, chopped

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. When it foams, add the potatoes and onions, and toss until well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well, cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes. When the vegetables are almost soft, but not colored add the stock and milk. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes and onions are fully cooked. Add the radish leaves and boil with the lid off for 4-5 minutes, until the radish leaves are cooked. Do not overcook or the soup will lost its fresh green color. Puree in a blender. Taste and adjust seasoning.

WEEK 13 - Sept 18th, 2013

Thanks to those of you who came out to our first annual Herbal Turtle CSA Potluck!!!  We had a blast and it was great to have the opportunity to talk with you one-on-one and discuss where and how we grow your food.  By the way... the band that played was called "Gravy Train".  Let us know if you would like to book them for anything and we'll get you their contact info! 

Don't forget... We are hosing a mushroom workshop Sunday Sept. 29th!  We are offering a discounted rate for CSA members so if you are interested please let us know!

It feels like fall! The rains finally came (we danced in them for a while) and the temps are dropping. The moisture is great news for the shiitake. Unfortunately the cooler night time temps slowed them down and we did not have enough ready to go around today. We have really been struggling with those shrooms this season!!! We will be including a special treat for those of you with mushroom shares to make up for missing a few weeks. Thanks for your patience.

Katelyn and I are running around like crazy lately! Jenn is back in school and Lynnette just left for Vermont to work for Americorps! We are super excited for her but now it's just Kate and I so if we are a few minutes late for delivery... it's not because we are lazy!

The cool weather crops are looking great. In the next few weeks you will start to see beets, radishes, turnips, carrots, winter squash, kale, peas, beans and cauliflower.

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:
Green Beans
Garlic
Cilantro
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers (bell and belcanto)
Hot Peppers (banana, hot chili, jalapeno)
Egg Plant

We are counting on 1 more week of tomatoes.  Not sure how many we will get now that the weather has cooled down that but hopefully you will have had your fill by then!  By October we will be done with the warm and into our cool weather crops.

Your Farmers,

Bryan and Katelyn

RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD ENJOY:

http://honestcooking.com/coriander-chutney-recipe/

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/rustic-grilled-greek-eggplant-dip.aspx

Week 12 - Sept 11th, 2013 - Better make some salsa!!

Tomatoes!!!!  We have tomatoes coming out our ears.  We loaded you up this week and at the end of this newsletter we re-posted our fresh salsa recipe.  It is perfect for this box since you have an abundance of tomatoes, peppers, cilantro and onions.

The CSA potluck is THIS SUNDAY!  We are really excited to have you out and get to know you better.  We will also have some produce available for you to take home if you would like it.  Things like tomatoes for canning and large zucchini for baking.  Please feel free to bring the whole family!  We only ask that you don’t bring your dogs.  We love dogs but not everyone shares that feeling (including our chickens).  Also, it may become an issue with so much food around.  The last event we had this year, our own dog ate ALL the cookies while we were giving the farm tour.  I love cookies. 

Please let us know if you plan on attending so we can get a head count and give out directions!

WHAT’S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Tomatoes
Eggplant
Green Beans
Onions
Cilantro
Sweet and Hot Peppers
Rosemary
Swiss Chard
Cucumbers

We will be having a mushroom inoculation workshop on Sunday, Sept 29^th!  The cost is $75 ($60 for CSA members) and it will include a presentation, farm tour, lunch, hands-on inoculating experience and a shiitake log to take home.  Let us know if you are interested in attending!

Your Farmers,

Bryan and Katelyn

RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD ENJOY:

Molly Lynn’s Fresh Salsa
1 pound fresh tomatoes
1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded or not (depends on how spicy you like it)
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
small to medium size handful of cilantro
juice of 1 lime
Salt to flavor
Put all the ingredients in the base of a food processor or good blender and pulse to combine for 30 seconds or so until all the ingredients are finely chopped and salsa is desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste. Serve with chips or over tacos.

WEEK 11 - September 4th, 2013

Not only does your edamame make a great snack, it has also been working hard to fix nitrogen back into our soil.  That's one busy little plant!  In the picture you will notice a bunch of tiny ball-looking things on the roots of the plant.  Those are actually nodules formed by a bacteria called rhizobium.  The rhizobium invades the root and multiplies with in the cells.  It is actually the bacteria that fixes the nitrogen but only with the help of a legume (soy, peas, alfalfa, etc.).  Fascinating relationships beneath the soil! 

You will notice an invitation/reminder card in your box regarding the CSA potluck on the 15th.  That's next Sunday!  We are very excited to have you out to the farm!!  Please RSVP so we know how many people to expect and so we can give you directions.

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Cabbage
Edamame
Green Beans
Red Norland Potatoes
Tomatoes
Garlic
Cucumber
Bell Peppers
Belcanto peppers
Eggplant

We are sorry to report that the shiitake did not do well this week.  In fact we pretty much went blank!  If you have a mushroom share with us we will try to double up in the next week or two.  Unfortunately this week we just don't have any shrooms...

The tomatoes are still coming strong but will begin to taper off over the next week or two so enjoy them while they last!   The next few weeks look like they will be full of peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers and beans.  We also have more kale, beans, peas, radishes, cauliflower, beets, carrots, spinach, and head lettuce coming down the line! 

Your Farmers,

Bryan and Katelyn


RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD ENJOY:

Baba Ganouj
The New Moosewood Cookbook

a little oil for the baking sheet
1 medium (7 inch) eggplant
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup sesame tahini
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper and cayenne, to taste
olive oil and freshly minced parsley for the top

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lighly oil the baking sheet
2. Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise, and place face down on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until very tender. Cool until it's comfortable to handle.
3. Scoot out the eggplant pulp, and discard the skin. Place the pulp ina food processor or blender, and add the garlic, lemon juice, tahini and salt. Puree until smooth.
4. Transfer to an attractive serving dish, cover tightly, and chill. Drizzle the top with a little olive oil and parsley just before serving.

Week 10 - Hold Me Closer Tiny Carrot (August 28th, 2013)

We have all installed intravenous saline drips on our bodies to keep from getting dehydrated this week.  No we actually didn’t do that… But we have changed our working hours to the EARLY morning and have been paying extra attention to the amount of WATER we all drink.  It doesn’t take much to work up a good sweat in this heat.  The heat loving plants are not complaining though!  Eggplant, tomatoes and peppers are thriving and we will load you up with them while the getting is good. 

We will be having a CSA Potluck and Farm Tour on Sunday, September 15^th from Noon-3pm!  We will be sending a reminder card in your next CSA box so be on the lookout.  Bring a dish to pass and a plate and utensils.  We’ll supply the refreshments and hopefully some entertainment! 

WHAT’S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Broccoli
Cucumbers
Hot Peppers
Sweet Peppers
Carrots
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet Corn
Edamame (soy beans)

 

Our sweet corn did great this year.  The coon fence worked like a charm and since we planted the corn right into the winter squash, it didn’t take up any additional space.  We will definitely plant our corn in a similar fashion next year.  ½ of the corn we started in flats and ½ we direct seeded.  The direct seeded corn didn’t germinate very well so we bought in some from our friends at Fairview Farms so that we could give everyone a decent amount.        

The cabbage worms have been prolific in the broccoli this year.  They are the little green caterpillar looking things in the picture.  We always hydro-cool the broccoli (meaning we pick it and immediately put it into a cooler full of cold water) to help it keep crisp and also to get rid of any bugs living inside the heads.  We also bang it out and this year have even gone through each head with tweezers and picked out any cabbage worms we could see.  It’s just part of organic farming.  We recommend that you make sure you cut the broccoli up before cooking it and if you want to be really sure you don’t get any bugs in your dinner you can soak the broccoli in some cold salt water before cooking. 

RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD ENJOY:

Caprese Salad

Fresh tomatoes
Fresh basil
Fresh mozzarella
Balsamic Reduction
Olive oil
Sea Salt

Reduce the balsamic vinegar by putting 4 times the amount of balsamic you want to end up with in a saucepan.  Bring it to a boil and then let it simmer for about 5 minutes.  Shut off the heat when you get to ALMOST the thickness that you want as it will reduce more as it cools. 

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella and arrange them on a plate.  Chiffonade the basil and place it liberally on top of the tomatoes and mozzarella.  Drizzle on the balsamic reduction and olive oil and top with sea salt.  Devour.

 Edamame

Soak the edamame in salt water for about 15 minutes.  Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook beans for 5-6 minutes with the lid off.  Remove from water and sprinkle with coarse salt.  To eat pull the beans out of the shell with your teeth.

WEEK 9 - August 21st, 2013

We are extremely grateful for our Solar Camel this week!!!  We have been able to water no problem and our crops are definitely seeing the benefit of a cool drink on these hot days.  We also were able to get the roof on our shed last weekend thanks to the help of our good friend and CSA member Jimmy! 

As you can see from the picture, we had an unexpected friend in one of our tomato boxes this week.  It gave a few of our helpers a bit of a scare when they went to sort the tomatoes!

We will have plenty of tomatoes and peppers next week as well as some egg plant and another round of broccoli.  Sweet corn is also just about ready so you should see that in the next few weeks also.  We are well positioned to continue to have bountiful boxes for many weeks to come! 

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Onions
Beets
Swiss Chard
Cherry Tomatoes
Moskvich Tomato
Zucchini/Patty Pan Squash
Cucumbers
Red Swan Beans

Some of the onions are a bit small this year but the flavor is great!  We think it's because we were unable to get a hold of straw for mulch until very late in the season this year.  The extra weed pressure and possibly loss of moisture are likely causes. 

We recommend that you do NOT refrigerate your tomatoes.  If they are not fully ripened it will stop the ripening process.  Ripe tomatoes will likely become mealy after a few days in the fridge.  Some people also claim that they will lose some of their flavor.  Your tomatoes are picked fresh from the fields weekly, often a day or two before you receive them.  They will easily keep another 3-5 days on your counter before they start to deteriorate.   

RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD ENJOY:

Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Poppy seed Dressing

4-5 Beets, all but 1” of greens removed
Olive oil
1 log of Goat Cheese
1/3 C. toasted walnuts
Salad mix
Poppy seed dressing (recipe below)

Rinse any dirt or debris from the beets – some beets may need to be scrubbed clean. Put beets on a large piece of aluminum foil and preheat the oven to 375. Drizzle the beets with a bit of oil before roasting. For even roasting of the beets, fold the foil over them and crimp the sides closed. Roast beets until tender. The amount of time this will take can vary greatly depending on the size of the beets, how many there are, if other things are in the oven, and how fresh the beets are (fresher beets cook up faster). For smaller beets, start checking them for tenderness at about 25 minutes. Larger and older beets can take up to an hour. Remove beets from oven when tender. Let sit until cool enough to handle. When beets are cool enough to handle, slip their peels off. You can use a paring knife, if you like, but you can also marvel at how easily the peels come off with just a rub of your fingers.

For the Dressing:

1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. vinegar
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. whole milk
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
Place all ingredients in a jar; cover and shake until blended. Keeps several days in refrigerator.
(This salad is also great with balsamic vinaigrette!) 

Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries

·         2-3 small zucchini, sliced into fry shapes

·         1/4 cup flour (I used chickpea flour to offer a gluten-free option, but I don’t see why regular flour shouldn’t also work.) (24g)

·         1/4 tsp salt

·         1/4 tsp garlic powder

·         1/2 cup milk of choice (120g)

·         1 cup breadcrumbs (I made my own by toasting Ezekiel bread and processing it in a food processor. If you’re gluten-free, use gf bread.) (40g)

Zucchini fries recipe: Preheat oven to 420F. Lightly grease a cooling rack, place it on a baking tray, and set aside. Set up an assembly line: flour and spices in one bowl, milk in another, and breadcrumbs in a third. Dip each zucchini stick in the flour, then the milk, then the breadcrumbs. Place on the cooling rack. Bake 18-19 minutes, or until desired crispiness is reached. Makes 40-45 fries.