Box 17 - Oct 10th, 2012

Things are winding down on Herbal Turtle Farms.  We have 2 boxes left this season!  There are LOTS of projects to finish before we settle down for the winter so let us know if you would like to help out with any.  We will continue to take out old crops and trellis, planting garlic and possibly some carrots for next spring, trimming an re-mulching herb beds, putting shiitake logs down to rest, replenishing winecap beds, and more!  We are really hoping to get a cover crop in but it has been so dry this fall that it may do more harm than good.  If we till up the soil and the seeds don't germinate we will be stuck with bare soil over the winter.  If we have a dry winter that could be very bad news.  We may opt to leave the weeds as a cover and try to get a cover crop in early next spring.  

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Snow Peas
Pie Pumpkin
Cabbage
Onions or Leeks
Broccoli
Beets

Since we missed a box in July due to the excessive heat we are offering an extra box during the last week of the CSA.  This box will consist of mainly storage crops such as cabbage, beets, and winter squash, but may also include broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, radishes, etc.  Whatever we have left we will throw into the box!  We realize that not everyone likes to process foods for the winter so we will be giving members the option of requesting the extra box rather than just giving it out to everyone.  If you would like us to include the bonus box with your final CSA pick-up please email or call us and let us know by Monday, Oct 22nd.  You can reach us at info@herbalturtlefarms.com or 507.450.5877 (Bryan) or 507.313.5085 (Katelyn).   

Your Farmers,

Bryan, Katelyn, and Ayden
Herbal Turtle Farms

RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU'D ENJOY:

Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Icing:
These are insane.  I made a double batch last time and we ate them in a few days.  If you only make one recipe that I gave out this year-let this be the one.
http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2011/10/pumpkin-cookies-with-cinnamon-icing.html

Swedish Cabbage Soup:
A really great fall soup!  One of my favorites!
http://www.molliekatzen.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipe=cabbage_soup

BOX 16 - October 3rd, 2012

Just when you were preparing for storage crops and cooking greens... BAM!  We hit you with some snow peas.  And they are TASTY.  You may notice a few spots on them here and there which is a reaction to the first few frosts.  We should have more of these next week weather permitting.

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Broccoli
Bok Choy
Spinach
Snow Peas
Watermelon Radish
Leeks
Squash

We are doing a big push this month to get everything winterized!  We will be planting garlic, pulling out old crops and trellis, tilling and planting cover crops and putting mushroom logs to rest for the winter.  It's going to be a busy couple of weeks...  If you are interested in helping out with any of these projects let us know.

RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU'D ENJOY

Vegetable Stir-fry with Ginger Vinaigrette:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/vegetable-stir-fry-with-ginger-vinaigrette

Coconut Curry Roasted Squash:
http://mindyourbeesandtrees.com/2012/02/16/coconut-curry-roasted-kabocha-squash-and-chicken-with-bok-choy/

Broccoli Rosemary Cassarole:
http://www.organicsoul.com/organic-broccoli-rosemary-casserole/

BOX 15 - Sept 26th, 2012

Pssst... Guess what?  You can make pumpkin pie with out canned pumpkin pie mix!  Yes, ladies and gentlemen it's true, with our revolutionary scientific break-through pumpkins you can now make pumpkin pies from actual pumpkins.  ;)

The frost finished off the rest of our summer crops - basil, beans, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes... but it was a very effective form of weed control also!  Our fall crops are still luscious and beautiful and should produce nicely through the end of the season.  Now that the weather has changed you can expect to get a lot more cooking greens so get those saute pans ready!  You can also easily put up any of these greens by simply cooking, bagging, and freezing them.  The cabbages will last a VERY long time in the fridge so don't worry about trying to get through them too quickly. 

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Watermelon Radishes
Leeks
Prize Bok Choy
Pie Pumpkin

We will be giving out a survey in the next few weeks to get your feedback about your CSA experience this year.  We are always open to constructive suggestions to help us improve our CSA!  Our box supply is quickly dwindling as we approach the end of the season so please be sure to bring your boxes back each week.  Thanks!

Your Farmers,

Bryan, Katelyn and Ayden
Herbal Turtle Farms

RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD ENJOY:

Pie Crust à http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_pie_crust/

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

Aspargus and Bok Choy Frittata (Asparagus is out of season but you can easily replace it with something else):   http://www.cooking.com/recipes-and-more/recipes/Asparagus-and-Bok-Choy-Frittata-recipe-2083.aspx?a%3dcknwrdne03450a%26s%3ds2015057413s%26mid%3d1166100%26rid%3d2015057413#axzz27bPo3VNE

BOX 14 - Sept 19th, 2012

It's getting cold out there!  We worked in wool hats and long underwear this morning.  Not to worry though... our fall crops don't mind :).  We have a beautiful crop of winter squash and already have snow peas forming!   The watermelon radishes are gorgeous and have a nice mild flavor.  We are experimenting with a radish chip recipe (which we've included) but you can also eat them like a regular radish.  Katelyn likes to dip them in butter and cover with salt!

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Spinach
Sweet Peppers
Hungarian Black Hot Peppers
Broccoli
Winter Squash
Watermelon Radish
Royal Burgundy Beans


We've been super busy lately since James started school again and Katie moved to Madison on a new adventure as an author.  If you've been wanting to come and help out sometime Tuesdays are the day!

Your Farmers,

Bryan and Katelyn

RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU'D ENJOY:

Watermelon Radish Chips:
http://www.janespice.com/recipes/watermelon-radish-chips-with-cumin-salt

Roasted Sweet and Savory Squash:
http://thecooksnextdoor.com/2009/11/23/market-fresh-vegetable-side-dishes-2/

BOX 13 - Sept 12th, 2012

Our summer harvests are coming to an end and we are starting to see some beautiful fall crops coming in!  The tomatoes, summer squash, cucumbers and eggplant are all starting to die back so we may not see much more from them this season.  Yesterday we harvested our first winter squash crop of the year and they are beautiful!  All of our fall successions are still looking great and we have a lot more great produce on the way...

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Sweet Peppers
Hungarian Black Hot Peppers
Broccoli
Purple Beans
Tomatoes
Cucumbers/Lemon Cucumbers
Caraflex Cabbage 
Acorn Squash or Pie Pumpkin

We will be putting one of our fields into a cover crop within the next few weeks.  Hard to believe that fall is upon us!  It's been quite a weather roller coaster this season. 

Your Farmers,

Bryan, Katelyn and Ayden
Herbal Turtle Farms

RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU'D ENJOY:

Caraflex Cabbage Slaw:
http://mixedgreensblog.com/2010/07/04/seasons-eatings/basic-recipes-on-the-local-table/conehead-cabbage/

Thai Red Curry with Winter Squash:
http://www.eatliverun.com/thai-red-curry-with-kabocha-squash/

Tuna Salad with Lemon Cucumber:
http://seattlebonvivant.typepad.com/seattle_bon_vivant/2004/08/albacore_tuna_s.html

BOX 12 - Sept. 5th, 2012

We are lovin the bounty of beautiful tomatoes on the vines!  Sometimes they love you back as you can see from this awesome picture Katelyn took the other day!   In other news... We got the walk-in built!  MANY thanks to our very good friends and family members who made it possible!  Though we were growing fond of playing cooler tetris every day... we won't miss it much!  Now we just need to get the electrical run and we will be in business

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Purple Beans
Baby Swiss Chard
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Garlic
Sweet Peppers
Hot Hungarian Black Peppers
Cucumbers/Lemon Cucumbers
Basil

We were happy to get the rain yesterday and don't seem to have any serious hail damage on the crops.  Still have canning tomatoes if anyone is interested... not sure how much longer we will have them available.  Also, please remember to bring your boxes back each week! 

Your Farmers,

Bryan, Katelyn, and Ayden
Herbal Turtle Farms

RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU'D ENJOY:

Cherry Tomato Couscous:
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/cherry-tomato-couscous-recipe.html

Spaghetti with Tomato and Basil:
http://www.thevanillabeanblog.com/2011/09/spaghetti-with-tomato-and-basil.html

Broccoli Basil Mac and Cheese:
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/broccolibasil-mac-and-cheese-recipe.html

Lemony Green Beans:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/lemony-green-beans

BOX 11 - August 29th, 2012

We now have a walk-in cooler!!! Well... to be fair, it's sitting in pieces on a pallet but we have it!  We will be attempting to put it up this weekend.  If any of you happen to be electricians and would like to donate some time to help us wire it up we won't stop you :). 

We harvested the first of our fall successions this week.  Spinach, which you will receive in  your box, and a few pie pumpkins!  We washed the spinach once already but were hesitant to wash it again because we didn't want it to bruise.  We would recommend washing it once more!

We are still harvesting a TON of tomatoes and have been busy putting some up for the winter but our chickens have really been LOVING the leftovers.  There isn't a seed left when they are done. 

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Spinach

Cucumbers

Heirloom Tomatoes

Sweet Peppers

Hot Peppers

Broccoli

Summer Squash

Eggplant

Basil




RECIPES WE THOUGH YOU WOULD ENJOY:

Roasted Eggplant Spread:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-eggplant-spread-recipe/index.html

Fresh Basil Herb Dip:
http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2012/08/recipe-big-bite-of-fresh-basil-herb-dip.html#more
This is a blog that we really like to read.  She has tons of great ideas for gardening and recipes!

Marinated Cucumber Tomato Salad:
2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced into rounds
4 large tomatoes, sliced into rounds
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon slivered fresh basil strips
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Arrange cucumbers, tomatoes and onions in a shallow serving dish.  Mix oil, vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl and pour over the vegetables.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Cover and let marinate for at least one hour and up to 4 hours.  Sprinkle with herbs just before serving (the leftover marinade makes a good dressing for salad greens).  Makes 6-8 servings.





















   

BOX 10 - August 22, 2012

Box 10 means we are officially half way through our CSA season!  We hope you have been enjoying your produce so far.  We have lots of great stuff to come... Honey, pumpkins, winter squashes, soybeans, spinach, watermelon radishes, peas, Herbal Turtle's world famous horseradish sauce and more!  I don't think we'll have much for apples this year :(.  The extra mild winter/early spring caused the trees to start flowering early and when the last frost hit I think we lost quite a few blossoms.

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Broccoli
Swiss Chard
Cucumbers (Lemon or Slicer)
Baby Beets (Detroit Red and Chiogga)
Sweet Peppers (Green or Purple Beauty)
Hot Peppers (Hungarian Black) 
Tomatoes
Zucchini
Basil

Tuesday's are great days for helpers at the farm so if you are interested in getting your hands in the dirt let us know!

Also, if you would like to buy some tomatoes for canning let us know and we have plenty of canning tomatoes that we will give you wholesale pricing on. 

Your Farmers,

Bryan, Katelyn, Ayden, Libby and James
Herbal Turtle Farms

RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU'D ENJOY:

Caprese Salad
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/caprese-salad/

Roasted Broccoli
http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2008/11/the_best_brocco.html

Purple Velvet Torte
http://www.elanaspantry.com/purple-velvet-torte/

BOX 9 - August 15th, 2012

It's been a bountiful week on Herbal Turtle Farms!  The rainfall has been great for us, both in the garden and in the mushroom yard.  We are also starting to see a lot of wild edible mushrooms and hopefully can find a few hours in the week to go out and harvest them.  We are starting to plan our CSA potluck but have not set a date yet... stay tuned for party details!  This will be a great opportunity for you to meet other CSA members and to tour the farm and see where your food is coming from.  Plus we'll have some great food and live music :).

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK?

Famosa Savoy Cabbage

Dragon's Tongue Beans

Basil Mix (Genovese, Purple, Thai, and Lemon)

Tomatoes (Multiple varieties, see previous post for details)

Red Onions

Summer Squash/Zucchini

Broccoli

Black Hungarian Hot Peppers

Sweet Bell Peppers

Garlic


We are already starting to get inquiries about the 2013 CSA and are currently taking orders.  If you are enjoying being a part of our CSA and it is something you would like to do again next year let us know.  We filled up pretty fast this year and we will not be expanding much next season.  We would rather grow slowly and ensure that we are serving our current members the best we can. 

Your Farmers,

Bryan, Katelyn, Ayden and James
Herbal Turtle Farms

 RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD ENJOY:

Ginger Garlic Savoy Cabbage
http://chinese.food.com/recipe/ginger-garlic-savoy-cabbage-15832

Prizewinner Green Beans with Tomatoes and Herbs
(From Asparagus to Zucchini)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
about 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup sliced onions
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound green beans, ends clipped, beans cut in half
1 sprig rosemary
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
salt to taste or 2 tablespoons salted butter

Heat olive oil in deep pan over medium heat.  Add garlic and pepper flakes; saute until fragrant.  Add onions, saute until translucent, 3-5 minutes.  Add 1/4 cup water, the dried spices and green beans.  Stir, cover, and steam cook beans until nearly done, 10-15 minutes.  Stir in the rosemary and tomatoes.  Cook very briefly, until tomatoes are warmed through and beans are done.  Season with salt, or if you prefer, melt salted butter over the beans before serving.  this recipe won a prize in the 2002 Food for Thought Recipe Contest in Madison.  Makes 4 servings. 

BOX 8 - August 8th, 2012

TOMATOES!!!!!!!  We have been harvesting some really beautiful and flavorful tomatoes this last week.  We planted 5 different varieties (4 of them are heirlooms) this season and all are doing very well.  We have included a picture and description of each variety below.  We will be giving out plenty over the next few boxes but please let us know if you are interested in purchasing more and we will sell them to you at our wholesale rate. 

The rainfall has been a blessing and we are very pleased with the germination rate of our fall successions.  We should have plenty of spinich, radishes, carrots, and beets among other tasty treats to come. 

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Tomatoes

Zucchini

Black Hungarian Hot Peppers

Dragon's Tongue Beans (yes, they are supposed to be flat!)

Scallions

Genovese Basil

Listada di Gandia Eggplant (Winona, Trempealeau)

Famosa Savoy Cabbage (La Crosse, Rochester)

We will be hosting a mushroom inoculation workshop again this summer.  Those of you who are interested in learning how to grow your own mushrooms please let us know as we are giving CSA members a discounted rate.  We will post details on this blog as well as on facebook and twitter soon.

Also, don't forget that we are always looking for volunteers!  If you would like to come out for a half day or even a few hours let us know and we will schedule something.

Thanks for your continued support!

Your Farmers,

Bryan, Katelyn, Ayden, Katie and James

 

Organic Brandywine Tomato - HEIRLOOM Big and beautiful! This classic variety was one of the first to bring recognition to the heirloom label. Known for its perfect balance of sugars and flavor. Dark pinkish-red flesh is smooth and juicy, so make sure to have a napkin handy! Fruits are very large, weighing 1 lb or more.

Organic Copia Tomato - A great tomato for farmers’ markets and a must-have for selective tomato growers. Unique fine-lined stripes of golden-yellow and candy-red make this tomato amazing to look at. Large beefsteaks average 12-16 oz with sweet, juicy meat and swirling color throughout. Stabilized by Jeff Dawson from a cross between Green Zebra and Marvel Stripe and named in honor of COPIA, the American Center of Food, Wine and the Arts in Napa, CA.

Organic Red And Yellow Pear Tomato - HEIRLOOM Unique pear shape.  Plants put out high yields of perfect pear-shaped tomatoes and keep producing right up until frost.

Organic Rose de Berne Tomato - HEIRLOOM Dark rose-pink hue and well-loved heirloom flavor that is not too tart, nor too sweet. A tomato taste test topper at Phillies Bridge Farm Project in New Paltz, New York as well as in the HMS trial gardens. Round fruits are 4-8 oz with meaty flesh perfect for slicing. Soft-skinned, but not overly fragile and holds up well against cracking.

Organic Moskvich Tomato - HEIRLOOM High quality, early-season heirloom tomato that rivals the hybrids. Excellent producer of 4-6 oz red tomatoes in just 60 days. Fruits are round to slightly flattened with a deep red color and luscious, rich flavor. Great eaten fresh or for processing. Highly resistant to cracking, making it a great pick for the greenhouse too. Like all Russians, Moskovich can stand up to cool conditions.

RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD ENJOY:

Mark's Sweet and Spicy Squash

(From Asparagus to Zucchini)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3-4 cups summer squash, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1/2 cup diced onion

1 leek, chopped

2 Hungarian hot peppers, diced

3 tablespoons honey

salt and pepper

Heat oil in skillet; add squash, onions, leeks and peppers, and saute until tender.  Drizzle honey over vegetables.  Stir in salt and pepper to taste.  Turn off heat, cover, and let stand 3-4 minutes.  Makes 4 servings

Easy Blender Salsa

http://www.mountainmamacooks.com/2012/01/quick-and-easy-salsa/

This is Kate's sister, Molly's, go to salsa recipe.  You can substitute a pound of fresh tomatoes for the canned and add more salt.