In Your Share This Week:
Butternut or Fairy Squash- Fairy is the same speckled-skin squash you got last week; butternut is a classic tan-skinned tall squash that stores wonderfully- it actually improves in flavor after curing for a month or two, if you can wait that long ;)
Onions- a mix of red and yellow storage onions
Garlic- either soft or hard neck (can you tell the difference?)
Hakurei Turnips OR
Kale, Chard, or Collard Greens- your choice- see Recipes section for Kale Chips, in case you haven't tried them yet!
Rutabagas! I hope you like these sweet, pungent relatives of the turnip as much as I do. You can do anything with a rutabaga that you do with a potato- mash, boil, fry, roast. You can even make Rutabaga cheesecake (no joke- see recipe section!)
Radicchio OR other salad greens- we had to pull the last fall radicchio out of the field (to keep deer away and stop slug damage, even though some of the heads weren't fully firmed up), and there was plenty for Tues pick-up, but Sat. pick-up will get either radicchio OR some other greens- spicy mix, spinach, or lettuce.
Fennel OR Kohlrabi- both these fall crops are tiny, taking their sweet time to size up, but still tasty as babies. We wanted to be sure everyone got to taste fennel, especially if it's new to you, so you may get a baby fennel plant- use it just like big fennel, "tip to tail."
Cherry Tomatoes- sweet treats, though you can probably taste the fall-tomato flavor from shorter colder days (more sun=more sugar in the fruits during summer; fall tomatoes are always more "tomatoey" and less sugary)
Heirloom slicing Tomatoes- can anyone get tired of tomatoes? Not I! I just skimmed past newsletters (from past years) and learned that this is the latest we've EVER had tomatoes in CSA shares- hooray for the frost that never comes, or if it seems to have come, somehow still does not kill the tomato plants!(what the heck is going on here???)
Sweet Peppers- the very last of these mixed bell, Carmen, chocolate, and a few other varieties. All the big or medium peppers are sweet, even if they look like they may be hot- there are sweet varieties besides bells! Most of these are still green, but we wanted to pull them from the plants before frost killed them. So enjoy this very last pepper offering of the season.
Hot peppers- you may see three different varieties- serrano, which look like skinny green (or red) fingers, and are slightly hotter than a jalapeno, Czech Black, a tasty mid-sized, pendant-shaped hot pepper that starts out black but matures to a dark, brick red, and Limon - small schoolbus-yellow hotties with a distinct citrus flavor in addition to that capsicum heat.
Announcements:
1. Garlic! On Friday, November 4, we’ll finally get our garlic in
the ground for next year. Garlic planting is always a nice bookend to the season- tucking the last crop into the ground and mulching, before the snow falls. It's full of hope and plans for the next season. And garlic is always one of the first green things to sprout in the spring! Please join us any time after 3 p.m. Nov. 4th for planting. Wear warm work clothes and bring/wear rain gear just in case. All ages and abilities welcome! Bring apples and a jug to take home cider, or a mug to sample cider in the barn. Stay after for a potluck in the house! Or skip the garlic planting and just come for the potluck- everyone is welcome.
Garlic, a pungent member of the onion family,
is an extremely hardy plant that does
best in our climate when planted in
the fall, just long enough before the
ground freezes to establish roots.
Then in the spring, warm soil
temperatures and spring rains
stimulate growth of the aboveground
leaves and scapes, or
flowering stems. Some of you might
remember these funny-looking, curly items from early summer shares. We'll also plant a patch of densely-spaced cloves to be harvested early for green garlic- remember that? There are so many more ways to use this plan than just the traditional mature clove. Vampires, beware!
2. Winter Shares- several folks have committed to supporting the farm this season via winter shares. Thank you! Shares are still available. There is no form/contract to fill out; just send a note with your name, email, address, and phone, and a check for $50 to $500, depending on how much produce you'll need this winter. Your account will be credited with $55 to $550 (a 10% yield on your "investment"), and debited each time you shop from our table at the winter market or order via the email list. This modified-CSA allows greater flexibility on all our parts. It also makes a great gift for friends who you know love fresh greens in winter!
3. Loving Dog Needs Home- Remember Levi, the sweet, skinny, brindle boxer who lived here this summer? Vicki and the kiddos have moved back into town, into a lovely little rental house that doesn't allow pets. Levi has been staying with friends, but he needs a more permanent home. He's wonderful with kids, adults, and other pets. The thing he loves most in life is to play- with other dogs, people, and/or toys. He's a very undemanding guy (unlike some other black-and-white dogs around here). We learned recently that he had giardia, which is partly why he's so skinny, but he's been treated for that and is getting back to a normal weight. He is one of the sweetest, if funniest-looking, dogs I've ever met. I like this guy a lot; I just can't take another dog here right now- I really hope he finds the right home! Please email Vicki directly if you're interested: vickifritzlan@gmail.com
Field Notes
It's a gray, blustery fall week in Leelanau county, and it is fall clean-up time on the farm. As I write this, Jason is winding up the last of the drip (irrigation) tape and taking down tomato trellises. The giant old box elders outside the farmhouse are holding onto only a third of their leaves (the rest, on the ground, will end up in the compost pile if we get a chance to rake before it snows). The winter crops (baby salad, spinach, kale, chard, turnips, radishes, lettuce, Asian greens, parsley) are rooting down into their beds in the hoophouse, eking out a few more weeks of growth while the days are still long enough to photosynthesize enough to grow.
Chickens and ducks have been moved to their new yard- still behind the red barn, but on the north end of the garden there, rather than adjacent to the barn (come check out Chicken Tunnel #2- they seemed to remember how to use it, and the ducks finally got the hang of it, too). Depending on when we get snow, the birds may get one more fresh yard before winter, or that may be their last spot before we move them back adjacent to the barn for winter (I'd like to build a roof over part of their yard to encourage them to go outside more. Last winter they hid inside whenever snow was covering the ground, which was most of winter- those chickens.)
We've planted winter rye as a cover crop in the garden nearest the house (where the cucumbers, melons, and summer squash grew this year- what we call the "Old Garden"), in the big back field near the bees (the "Back Field"), in the southern half of the garden behind the red barn (the "Red Barn Garden"), and next to the fall brassicas in the garden just north of the house (the "North Garden"). The rye is just sprouting; maybe you'll see a subtle green carpet in those gardens next week at the last Tuesday CSA pickup, or at the Nov. 4th garlic party/potluck. In the spots that are still in crops (the fall brassicas in the North Garden, the beans, beets, Asian greens, and lettuce in "Rhubarb Row"-the garden just downhill from the rhubarb, and the leeks, scallions, and spinach in the Red Barn Garden), I'm going to interplant rye with the crops that are still there. It's pushing the too-late edge of rye planting season, but at the very least, it will germinate, root, help prevent soil erosion this winter, and grow a lush rye stand in the spring.
We've had enough not-bone-chillingly-cold temperatures that people have been able to work full days with only one or two hot tea breaks. I'm about to rent a dumpster to finally get rid of all the stuff we cleaned out of the garage and basement (back in the spring! but then the season started- so now we start to pick back up where non-farm projects left off around April). We'll have a fire circle at the Nov. 4th potluck, weather permitting - there is plenty of scrap wood in the burn pile!
Still to do: get all the reemay (frost fabric), tags, buckets, plastic trays and pots, flagging tape, wire hoops, rocks and logs and other CRAP out of the fields and yard. Last year the snow caught us with drip tape still in the field, and it was a mess to extricate and try to untangle this year. Never again, I said. So far, fall cleanup has gone smoothly. We've had enough dry weather that the drip tape and frost fabric we're taking out of fields is dry (not muddy) enough to go right into storage. The rest of the potatoes still in the field will go directly into the house basement, which serves nicely as a root cellar. The onions and garlic still curing in the barn will go down there, too. Carrots and beets still in the field will be harvested until snowfall, then either sold at market en masse, mulched in place (to be harvested later this winter), or stored in the basement, too. Leeks still in the field will be picked even after snowfall- they're super hardy. We may pull the last few and store them in the basement, but if they sell well at market, we may not need to.
My friend Laura has become the first "food preservation" member at Birch Point - this past month she's taken all the seconds or damaged crops that we can't sell or won't keep, and she's frozen, dehydrated, pickled, or canned them all, in exchange for keeping part of the product! This has been a dreamy and very productive relationship- thanks SO MUCH, Laura!
OK, next week is our last week of pickup. I have SO enjoyed getting to know you and grow food for you this season. For those of you continuing on with a winter share, we'll segway directly into it starting at the first indoor market (Nov. 5) and the first email blast (week of Nov. 7). As soon as I get a check from you, you can start using your winter account to shop at market and from the email list. For those of you not taking part in winter shares, I look forward to seeing you at the winter market anyway! And next season. For now, though, see you next week!
Recipes
Rutabaga Cheesecake!
From Asparagus to Zucchini (an old edition- I'm pretty sure it's NOT in the most recent edition)
The first time I was served this treat
at a potluck, I was pretty sure the
cooks were pulling my leg when they
said “rutabaga” and “cheesecake” in
the same breath, let alone the same
dish. But it is no joke; it is a
cheesecake (how can you go wrong?
Not even with rutabaga, as unlikely
as it sounds!). And it is delicious.
Cheers!
3 cups cubed rutabaga
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 2/3 cup fine graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin or agar
½ cup cold water
¾ cup sugar, divided
½ tsp. salt
½ cup milk
3 eggs, separated
1 cup whipping cream
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. grated orange zest
Boil rutabaga in boiling salted water
until just tender. Drain and puree in
blender or whip by hand; cool and
place in large bowl with cream
cheese; set aside. Mix graham
cracker crumbs and butter. Reserve
¼ cup and press remainder on
bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
Chill. Soften gelatin or agar in
cold water in top pan of small double
boiler. Add ½ cup sugar, salt, milk,
and slightly beaten rutabaga mixture
until smooth and blended. Cool.
Beat egg whites until foamy; add
remaining ¼ cup sugar and beat
until stiff. Whip cream and fold into
cheese/rutabaga mixture; fold in
whipped egg whites. Fold in vanilla
and orange zest. Pour into prepared
pan, sprinkle with reserved crumbs
and chill until firm. Makes 10-12
servings.
Kale Chips- have you heard? it's all the rage at the farmers' market....
Baked Kale Chips-this particular recipe was lifted from smittenkitchen
Adapted from a bunch of inspiring places
1 bunch (about 6 ounces) kale (I used Lacinato or “Dinosaur” Kale but I understand that the curlier stuff works, too, possibly even better)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet (I needed two because mine are tiny; I also lined mine with parchment for easy clean-up but there’s no reason that you must). Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool.
Kale-Dusted Popcorn If you’re making the chips with the intention to grind them up for popcorn, I’d use less oil — perhaps half — so they grind without the “powder” clumping. I ground a handful of my chips (about half) in a mortar and pestle (well, actually the “pestle” was MIA so I used the handle of an OXO reamer, not that anyone asked) and sprinkled it over popcorn (1/4 cup popcorn kernels I’d cooked in a covered pot with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium heat, shaking it about with potholders frequently). I seasoned the popcorn with salt. I liked this snack, but I think Parmesan and Kale-Dusted Popcorn would be even more delicious. Next time!
That’s it for now; have a great week.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
BPF CSA Week 19 News
Big news: TWO more weeks of CSA after this (for a total of 21 weeks, not 20 like I thought last week)! So Tuesday people, your last pick-up will be Tues. Nov 1st, and Saturday people, your last pick-up will be Sat. Nov. 5. That last Sat pick-up will be a the INDOOR winter market at Bldg. 50 at the Commons (Sat. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.). Also- Garlic Planting and End-of-Season Potluck: Friday Nov. 4. Everyone invited!
In Your Share This Week:
Fairy Squash: Its deep yellow-orange flesh has a dense, smooth texture and sweet taste that is unbelievably delicious and rich. It is one the earliest winter squash borne on long, vigorous, rambling vines. It is disease-resistant, particularly to powdery mildew, and stores well into the winter. Extremely versatile, Fairy is exceptional baked, roasted or steamed, and is perfect in either savory or sweet recipes. (description lifted from Kitchen Garden Seeds)
Onions - a mix of yellow and red storage onions
Garlic- this week: soft-neck garlic. Note the multiple layers of smaller cloves, compared to the single layer of larger cloves on the hardneck garlic you've been getting. Softneck garlic has a reputation for storing longer than hardneck, but the trade-off is more time spent peeling cloves. What's your pref?
Leeks- These elegant relatives of onions can be used any way you'd use an onion, but they really shine in Potato-Leek Soup and in Baked Leeks with Goat Cheese (one of my fave ways to prepare them). Did you know that the leek is a national symbol of Wales? It's associated with St. David, patron saint of Wales, who ordered his soldiers to wear the leek on their helmets in a battle against the hated pagan Saxon invaders of Britain. The battle itself is also said to have taken place in a field full of leeks.
Potatoes- Either Kennebec or Katahdin, both white-fleshed, white-skinned, and excellent in soup or fried.
Either Hakurei Turnips or White Carrots: It's the Week of the White Vegetable evidently ;). Hakurei turnips are like no other- sweet, mild, tender, and delicious tender greens to boot. I eat them raw like apples, or grated over salad, or cut into matchsticks. OR roasted OR boiled for turnip soup. They're about as versatile as a vegetable can get. White carrots- same thing! This is a variety called Creme de Lite (I know, it's hard to take a vegetable -or anything- seriously that has the word "lite" in its name, but give it a try)- it tastes sweet, looks funny, and is excellent raw or cooked- I like to include them sliced on a veggie platter and watch people try to figure out what they are.
Cherry Tomatoes- more little sweeties! The field-grown plants are still producing, believe it or not, though slowing down, and the hoophouse plants KEEP on giving! I *think* we'll still have tomatoes next week - a record for CSA at Birch Point, if not for all of northern MI!
Heirloom Tomatoes- I've been so pleased with all the heirlooms we grew this year. Despite a slow, late start, they all produced like mad toward the end of their normal growing season, and WAY beyond, thanks to the lack of frost (so far!). My favorites have to be Crnkovic (light pink, large, similar to Brandywine, but fewer super-weird shaped fruits, and less cracking) and Striped German (mammoth yellow fruits with pink starbursts on the bottom and pink streaks- the silkiest-textured tomato yet, in my opinion). What have been your favorites this season? Your feedback will help inform our seed order next year!
Italian Parsley- flavorful, flat-leaved parsley to go with your potatoes, tomatoes, or anything else you like. If you can't use it this week, parsley freezes well for use in soups, etc. later- just pop into a ziploc bag and freeze. Voila.
Either Arugula or Spinach- for salad or to toss with hot cheesy pasta, or anything else you like to do with baby greens!
Announcements:
1. GARLIC PLANTING and End of Season Potluck: Friday Nov. 4! We'll start planting and mulching early, around 3 p.m. and continue til we're done, OR til 6 p.m, whichever comes first. We'll press apples for cider in the barn, and share food in the house afterward. Come for any or all- you DON'T have to plant garlic to come to the party! Everyone invited, all ages and abilities welcome.
2. honey still available
3. A few Thanksgiving shares still available
4. Winter Shares in the form of declining-balance accounts, with 10% interest on your investment, still available
That's it for this week!
In Your Share This Week:
Fairy Squash: Its deep yellow-orange flesh has a dense, smooth texture and sweet taste that is unbelievably delicious and rich. It is one the earliest winter squash borne on long, vigorous, rambling vines. It is disease-resistant, particularly to powdery mildew, and stores well into the winter. Extremely versatile, Fairy is exceptional baked, roasted or steamed, and is perfect in either savory or sweet recipes. (description lifted from Kitchen Garden Seeds)
Onions - a mix of yellow and red storage onions
Garlic- this week: soft-neck garlic. Note the multiple layers of smaller cloves, compared to the single layer of larger cloves on the hardneck garlic you've been getting. Softneck garlic has a reputation for storing longer than hardneck, but the trade-off is more time spent peeling cloves. What's your pref?
Leeks- These elegant relatives of onions can be used any way you'd use an onion, but they really shine in Potato-Leek Soup and in Baked Leeks with Goat Cheese (one of my fave ways to prepare them). Did you know that the leek is a national symbol of Wales? It's associated with St. David, patron saint of Wales, who ordered his soldiers to wear the leek on their helmets in a battle against the hated pagan Saxon invaders of Britain. The battle itself is also said to have taken place in a field full of leeks.
Potatoes- Either Kennebec or Katahdin, both white-fleshed, white-skinned, and excellent in soup or fried.
Either Hakurei Turnips or White Carrots: It's the Week of the White Vegetable evidently ;). Hakurei turnips are like no other- sweet, mild, tender, and delicious tender greens to boot. I eat them raw like apples, or grated over salad, or cut into matchsticks. OR roasted OR boiled for turnip soup. They're about as versatile as a vegetable can get. White carrots- same thing! This is a variety called Creme de Lite (I know, it's hard to take a vegetable -or anything- seriously that has the word "lite" in its name, but give it a try)- it tastes sweet, looks funny, and is excellent raw or cooked- I like to include them sliced on a veggie platter and watch people try to figure out what they are.
Cherry Tomatoes- more little sweeties! The field-grown plants are still producing, believe it or not, though slowing down, and the hoophouse plants KEEP on giving! I *think* we'll still have tomatoes next week - a record for CSA at Birch Point, if not for all of northern MI!
Heirloom Tomatoes- I've been so pleased with all the heirlooms we grew this year. Despite a slow, late start, they all produced like mad toward the end of their normal growing season, and WAY beyond, thanks to the lack of frost (so far!). My favorites have to be Crnkovic (light pink, large, similar to Brandywine, but fewer super-weird shaped fruits, and less cracking) and Striped German (mammoth yellow fruits with pink starbursts on the bottom and pink streaks- the silkiest-textured tomato yet, in my opinion). What have been your favorites this season? Your feedback will help inform our seed order next year!
Italian Parsley- flavorful, flat-leaved parsley to go with your potatoes, tomatoes, or anything else you like. If you can't use it this week, parsley freezes well for use in soups, etc. later- just pop into a ziploc bag and freeze. Voila.
Either Arugula or Spinach- for salad or to toss with hot cheesy pasta, or anything else you like to do with baby greens!
Announcements:
1. GARLIC PLANTING and End of Season Potluck: Friday Nov. 4! We'll start planting and mulching early, around 3 p.m. and continue til we're done, OR til 6 p.m, whichever comes first. We'll press apples for cider in the barn, and share food in the house afterward. Come for any or all- you DON'T have to plant garlic to come to the party! Everyone invited, all ages and abilities welcome.
2. honey still available
3. A few Thanksgiving shares still available
4. Winter Shares in the form of declining-balance accounts, with 10% interest on your investment, still available
That's it for this week!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
BPF CSA Week 18 News- Wow! Already week 18?!
In Your Share This Week:
Buttercup/Kabocha Winter Squash-One of my favorite squashes, this orange, flaky texture is perfect for baking OR pie!
Onions - little cuties. More big onions next week!
Eggplant - mix of varieties: big purple (Nadia), big pink (Beatrice), pink-and-white (Rosa Bianca), little striped (Fairy Tale), little white (Japanese White Egg), or big white, etc.
Baby Salad Mix with Edible Flowers
Fennel OR Kohlrabi (next week: Kohlrabi OR Fennel) ;)- You know what to do with kohlrabi, but fennel may be new to some people. You can use the WHOLE thing- bulb, stem, and leaf. use the bulb and stem as you would celery (saute to flavor any stirfry or soup, etc). OR slice/shave very thinly to make a classic fennel-orange salad (this recipe calls for arugula- a good way to use the rest of last week's bag if you still have it, or use the baby mix from this week; any greens will do- even massaged kale or collards! I'd also add thinly sliced onion, if you like).
Basil- enough for one last little batch of pesto
Cherry Tomatoes
Heirloom Tomatoes- If this nutty warm weather keeps up (anything over 32, I mean), we'll have tomatoes through the end of CSA! Whoa. That's a first. ;) At least one more week, for sure.
Rutabaga! Time for pasties? Or rutabaga fries- cut into steak-fry sized pieces, brush with olive oil and salt, bake on a cookie sheet at 375 for 30-40 min (or til browned and crispy on edges, and not soggy), turning once during baking. Serve with ketchup, malt vinegar, or my fave fry-dipping sauce: hot sauce and mayo, mixed! (no joke)
Hakurei Turnips OR White Carrots - Hakurei turnips are the sweetest, most tender turnip I've ever tasted
Kale, Chard, OR Collard Greens- I am just so impressed with all these greens, esp. the brassicas (things in mustard family- kale, collards, in this case), since we've still not had a frost, I'd expect them to be tasty but not super sweet (frost sweetens the flavor). But these are some of the best fall greens I've had in years! (who needs a frost? not us.)
Announcements
1. Garlic Planting/Fall Harvest Potluck! A quick poll: is Tuesday afternoon/evening or Saturday afternoon/evening (3-7 p.m.-ish) better for most people? I'm looking at Oct. 29 or Nov. 1, both of which work for garlic. Just let me know which works best for you! We'll plant and mulch garlic, press apple cider (bring apples and jugs to take home cider), and end with a potluck. Everyone is welcome!
2. Winter Shares- drumroll, please- are now available! For winter, we will offer three ways to get fresh BPF veggies:
A. Building 50 Indoor Farmers' Market, November through at least early January, and picking up again for March and April. Saturdays 10-2.
B. Email Blasts- same as last year. I'll send an email with everything available each week, and you can order as much or as little as you like, to be picked up at market or delivered to your home (limited delivery range). This is a good option for folks who know they can't get to market early but don't want to miss their greens! Just ask me to put you on the email list for winter veggies.
C. For winter "shares," we're going to try a new format: a declining-balance account that you fill with as much or as little up-front cash as you like. We'll add 10% to your "investment" so that $100 becomes $110, $300 becomes $330, etc. Throughout the winter & spring, every time you visit our farmers' market table or "order" from the email list, we'll deduct that week's total from your account. This is a great way to support the farm through the winter with cash up front, but still allows you flexibility if you go out of town for a week, or want all arugula one week, or garlic only every third week, for example. This option also makes a great gift! I can help you set up a winter account for your family or friends, with as little as $50 or as much as $500- just ask, and I'll send the recipient a gift certificate with an explanation of your gift. Any balance remaining when regular-season CSA and outdoor markets start up can be transferred to a summer account.
3. Thanksgiving shares: A one-shot (one box) deal for you to share with your family for T-day or hoard for yourself this winter. ;) We include storage crops like potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots, rutabaga and other root veggies, and leafy fresh things from either the field or hoophouse (depends on the weather, but will almost certainly include spinach, salad mix or big lettuce, kale and/or chard, parsley and/or other fresh herbs). In the past we've included winter squash and/or pie pumpkins. We've had a terrible winter squash crop this year, so regular-season shares will probably get all the squash and pumpkins. Thanksgiving shares are $35. We'll offer up to 20, first-come, first-served. Please email me if you'd like to reserve a Thanksgiving share, and spread the word- CSA members and non-members alike are welcome to order.
4. Honey from our beekeeper Greg Griswold (and the bees!) is still available. Just bring a quart jar with your name on it to CSA pick-up, and Tuesday people can go home with a full jar; Saturday people will get their jar back the next week, full of BPF honey. $12 per quart (or $6 per pint, or $24 per growler- which make great honey vessels, by the way). A few people asked about large quantities- if you want a gallon or more, please email me, and we'll hook you up. For 3/4 gallon (3 qts) or less, just bring that many jars!
Field Notes:
Salad mix is back. The baby mustards and Asian greens are beautiful, and mild, hardly spicy at all, surprising given the past week's sun and heat. The nasturtiums (edible flowers) took a hiatus half way through the summer and are now back in full force! Their beautiful orange and yellow flowers pop out of the green foliage on a cloudy day with neon brightness. (Today's the first cloudy day in a while, and I'm looking at them through the window as I type this) They'll be with us til the frost (if it ever comes). I tried transplanting some into pots to bring into the hoophouse, to extend the edible flower season. They're not loving their new, cramped quarters, but I think they'll bounce back and give us a few weeks of extended nasturtium production!
Saturday people may have noticed that we've had things on our market table that aren't in shares- we're not holding out on you; we've just teamed up for market with our neighbors Nic and Sarah, two farmers from Fort Collins, CO, who recently moved onto Birch Point Road, two doors down. They aren't going to market yet (maybe next year!), but they've got a gorgeous garden, and they send some of their overflow with us to market. So much potential for collaboration here- some thoughts include a multi-farm CSA, sharing equipment, doing a two-farm crop rotation, and more. Just ideas so far, but I'll keep you posted. Watch for more from these two; I am SO happy they're in the neighborhood!
In personal news, your farmer is getting married next year! Many of you met Jess Piskor, my farmer-boyfriend, at CSA pick-up last fall, or at the winter market last year. He farms in Northport, at Bare Knuckle Farm. We met two years ago, started dating last summer, and just recently decided to have a wedding! So far, that doesn't change anything for the farm, but we're still thinking through options- how to keep his farm and my farm both productive and successful, and spend more time together. I will keep you updated, but for now I just wanted to share the big news. ;)
Buttercup/Kabocha Winter Squash-One of my favorite squashes, this orange, flaky texture is perfect for baking OR pie!
Onions - little cuties. More big onions next week!
Eggplant - mix of varieties: big purple (Nadia), big pink (Beatrice), pink-and-white (Rosa Bianca), little striped (Fairy Tale), little white (Japanese White Egg), or big white, etc.
Baby Salad Mix with Edible Flowers
Fennel OR Kohlrabi (next week: Kohlrabi OR Fennel) ;)- You know what to do with kohlrabi, but fennel may be new to some people. You can use the WHOLE thing- bulb, stem, and leaf. use the bulb and stem as you would celery (saute to flavor any stirfry or soup, etc). OR slice/shave very thinly to make a classic fennel-orange salad (this recipe calls for arugula- a good way to use the rest of last week's bag if you still have it, or use the baby mix from this week; any greens will do- even massaged kale or collards! I'd also add thinly sliced onion, if you like).
Basil- enough for one last little batch of pesto
Cherry Tomatoes
Heirloom Tomatoes- If this nutty warm weather keeps up (anything over 32, I mean), we'll have tomatoes through the end of CSA! Whoa. That's a first. ;) At least one more week, for sure.
Rutabaga! Time for pasties? Or rutabaga fries- cut into steak-fry sized pieces, brush with olive oil and salt, bake on a cookie sheet at 375 for 30-40 min (or til browned and crispy on edges, and not soggy), turning once during baking. Serve with ketchup, malt vinegar, or my fave fry-dipping sauce: hot sauce and mayo, mixed! (no joke)
Hakurei Turnips OR White Carrots - Hakurei turnips are the sweetest, most tender turnip I've ever tasted
Kale, Chard, OR Collard Greens- I am just so impressed with all these greens, esp. the brassicas (things in mustard family- kale, collards, in this case), since we've still not had a frost, I'd expect them to be tasty but not super sweet (frost sweetens the flavor). But these are some of the best fall greens I've had in years! (who needs a frost? not us.)
Announcements
1. Garlic Planting/Fall Harvest Potluck! A quick poll: is Tuesday afternoon/evening or Saturday afternoon/evening (3-7 p.m.-ish) better for most people? I'm looking at Oct. 29 or Nov. 1, both of which work for garlic. Just let me know which works best for you! We'll plant and mulch garlic, press apple cider (bring apples and jugs to take home cider), and end with a potluck. Everyone is welcome!
2. Winter Shares- drumroll, please- are now available! For winter, we will offer three ways to get fresh BPF veggies:
A. Building 50 Indoor Farmers' Market, November through at least early January, and picking up again for March and April. Saturdays 10-2.
B. Email Blasts- same as last year. I'll send an email with everything available each week, and you can order as much or as little as you like, to be picked up at market or delivered to your home (limited delivery range). This is a good option for folks who know they can't get to market early but don't want to miss their greens! Just ask me to put you on the email list for winter veggies.
C. For winter "shares," we're going to try a new format: a declining-balance account that you fill with as much or as little up-front cash as you like. We'll add 10% to your "investment" so that $100 becomes $110, $300 becomes $330, etc. Throughout the winter & spring, every time you visit our farmers' market table or "order" from the email list, we'll deduct that week's total from your account. This is a great way to support the farm through the winter with cash up front, but still allows you flexibility if you go out of town for a week, or want all arugula one week, or garlic only every third week, for example. This option also makes a great gift! I can help you set up a winter account for your family or friends, with as little as $50 or as much as $500- just ask, and I'll send the recipient a gift certificate with an explanation of your gift. Any balance remaining when regular-season CSA and outdoor markets start up can be transferred to a summer account.
3. Thanksgiving shares: A one-shot (one box) deal for you to share with your family for T-day or hoard for yourself this winter. ;) We include storage crops like potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots, rutabaga and other root veggies, and leafy fresh things from either the field or hoophouse (depends on the weather, but will almost certainly include spinach, salad mix or big lettuce, kale and/or chard, parsley and/or other fresh herbs). In the past we've included winter squash and/or pie pumpkins. We've had a terrible winter squash crop this year, so regular-season shares will probably get all the squash and pumpkins. Thanksgiving shares are $35. We'll offer up to 20, first-come, first-served. Please email me if you'd like to reserve a Thanksgiving share, and spread the word- CSA members and non-members alike are welcome to order.
4. Honey from our beekeeper Greg Griswold (and the bees!) is still available. Just bring a quart jar with your name on it to CSA pick-up, and Tuesday people can go home with a full jar; Saturday people will get their jar back the next week, full of BPF honey. $12 per quart (or $6 per pint, or $24 per growler- which make great honey vessels, by the way). A few people asked about large quantities- if you want a gallon or more, please email me, and we'll hook you up. For 3/4 gallon (3 qts) or less, just bring that many jars!
Field Notes:
Salad mix is back. The baby mustards and Asian greens are beautiful, and mild, hardly spicy at all, surprising given the past week's sun and heat. The nasturtiums (edible flowers) took a hiatus half way through the summer and are now back in full force! Their beautiful orange and yellow flowers pop out of the green foliage on a cloudy day with neon brightness. (Today's the first cloudy day in a while, and I'm looking at them through the window as I type this) They'll be with us til the frost (if it ever comes). I tried transplanting some into pots to bring into the hoophouse, to extend the edible flower season. They're not loving their new, cramped quarters, but I think they'll bounce back and give us a few weeks of extended nasturtium production!
Saturday people may have noticed that we've had things on our market table that aren't in shares- we're not holding out on you; we've just teamed up for market with our neighbors Nic and Sarah, two farmers from Fort Collins, CO, who recently moved onto Birch Point Road, two doors down. They aren't going to market yet (maybe next year!), but they've got a gorgeous garden, and they send some of their overflow with us to market. So much potential for collaboration here- some thoughts include a multi-farm CSA, sharing equipment, doing a two-farm crop rotation, and more. Just ideas so far, but I'll keep you posted. Watch for more from these two; I am SO happy they're in the neighborhood!
In personal news, your farmer is getting married next year! Many of you met Jess Piskor, my farmer-boyfriend, at CSA pick-up last fall, or at the winter market last year. He farms in Northport, at Bare Knuckle Farm. We met two years ago, started dating last summer, and just recently decided to have a wedding! So far, that doesn't change anything for the farm, but we're still thinking through options- how to keep his farm and my farm both productive and successful, and spend more time together. I will keep you updated, but for now I just wanted to share the big news. ;)
Friday, October 7, 2011
BPF CSA Week 17 News
What's In Your Share This Week:
Potatoes- any of several, could be Red Gold (red skin, yellow flesh), Dark Red Norland (hot pink/red skin, white flesh), Katahdin (white skin, yellow-white flesh), French Fingerling (red skin, yellow flesh with beautiful pink patterning inside), or Rose Finn Apple(pink/tan skin with yellow flesh- in crazy, knobby shapes).
Dill OR Parsley- perfect with boiled or roasted potatoes
Squash! Either delicata, spaghetti squash, or buttercup this week- more next week! Super easy squash prep: slice lengthwise, scoop out seeds and seed pulp (toast seeds if you like!). Place 2 halves cut-side down on a cookie sheet with edges or in a 9x13 pan. Add enough water to cover the cut edges to prevent drying out. Bake at 375 for 30-60 min, depending on the size of the squash. It's done when it's soft and tender to the touch. Scoop out and enjoy! Butter, salt, maple, cinnamon, and/or smoked paprika all optional. Or serve in the shell, and eat with a spoon.
Carrots or Turnips- your choice of these fall root veggies. You'll see both again soon!
Onions- a mix of yellow and red fall storage onions.
Arugula- a hearty bag of this nutty, slightly spicy salad green.
Kale or Chard- the kale and chard in shares this week is the last from the hoophouse bed that's been producing since March! We're in transition from summer to winter hoophouse plantings, and the kale and chard had to make way for baby greens. Don't worry- more kale and chard are going in for winter/spring, too!
Heirloom Tomatoes- I think we've peaked with tomato production, and the plants are looking tired and brown, but they are still making tomatoes! The very light frost we got on Saturday night didn't seem to touch the tomatoes or beans, two very frost-sensitive crops, so you can expect at least one more week of both these crops. For those of you patiently awaiting canning (paste) tomatoes, I hope it will be next week that we get a ripe critical mass for harvest.
Cherry Tomatoes- little sweeties from both the field and the hoophouse. I think we'll leave the hoophouse tomatoes in at least another week or two, since they're still producing well. The winter plants waiting to be transplanted into what are now tomato beds can hang out in their pots at least that long, I think!
Melons- probably the last week for these summer treats- cantelope, honey pearl (white skin and flesh), Arava (yellow, netted skin and green flesh), and various small red, yellow, and white watermelons. I'm glad the weather warmed up for our final melon week- I, for one, prefer to enjoy melon on a warm, sunny day, rather than a cold, rainy one!
Garlic- could we go a week without it? I think not.
Announcements
1. Winter Shares- drumroll, please- are now available! For winter, we will offer three ways to get fresh BPF veggies:
A. Building 50 Indoor Farmers' Market, November through at least early January, and picking up again for March and April. Saturdays 10-2.
B. Email Blasts- same as last year. I'll send an email with everything available each week, and you can order as much or as little as you like, to be picked up at market or delivered to your home (limited delivery range). This is a good option for folks who know they can't get to market early but don't want to miss their greens! Just ask me to put you on the email list for winter veggies.
C. For winter "shares," we're going to try a new format: a declining-balance account that you fill with as much or as little up-front cash as you like. We'll add 10% to your "investment" so that $100 becomes $110, $300 becomes $330, etc. Throughout the winter & spring, every time you visit our farmers' market table or "order" from the email list, we'll deduct that week's total from your account. This is a great way to support the farm through the winter with cash up front, but still allows you flexibility if you go out of town for a week, or want all arugula one week, or garlic only every third week, for example. This option also makes a great gift! I can help you set up a winter account for your family or friends, with as little as $50 or as much as $500- just ask, and I'll send the recipient a gift certificate with an explanation of your gift. Any balance remaining when regular-season CSA and outdoor markets start up can be transferred to a summer account.
2. Garlic Planting/Fall Harvest Potluck this month! A quick poll: is Tuesday afternoon/evening or Saturday afternoon/evening (3-7 p.m.-ish) better for most people? I'm looking at Oct. 22, 25, or 29, all of which work for garlic. Just let me know which works best for you! We'll plant and mulch garlic, press apple cider (bring apples and jugs to take home cider), and end with a potluck. Everyone is welcome!
3. Thanksgiving shares: A one-shot (one box) deal for you to share with your family for T-day or hoard for yourself this winter. ;) We include storage crops like potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots, rutabaga and other root veggies, and leafy fresh things from either the field or hoophouse (depends on the weather, but will almost certainly include spinach, salad mix or big lettuce, kale and/or chard, parsley and/or other fresh herbs). In the past we've included winter squash and/or pie pumpkins. We've had a terrible winter squash crop this year, so regular-season shares will probably get all the squash and pumpkins. Thanksgiving shares are $35. We'll offer up to 20, first-come, first-served. Please email me if you'd like to reserve a Thanksgiving share, and spread the word- CSA members and non-members alike are welcome to order.
4. Honey from our beekeeper Greg Griswold (and the bees!) is still available. Just bring a quart jar with your name on it to CSA pick-up, and Tuesday people can go home with a full jar; Saturday people will get their jar back the next week, full of BPF honey. $12 per quart (or $6 per pint, or $24 per growler- which make great honey vessels, by the way). A few people asked about large quantities- if you want a gallon or more, please email me, and we'll hook you up. For 3/4 gallon (3 qts) or less, just bring that many jars!
Field Notes
It's been a quiet week at Birch Point- quieter than usual, anyway. Julie's in California, the cold snap broke and left us with mild, sunny weather. Flipper, the hyperventilating duck, has finally relaxed and is breathing easier. We got a very light frost this past Sat. night, but the only casualties were winter squash and the pickling cukes I was hoping to eke out of the end of the season. Tomatoes, beans, and basil- all frost-sensitive plants- all survived. Do you remember in past newsletters I've lamented the poor winter squash season? We started with a late plant date b/c of the cold, wet spring, had terrible germination in the first round, nearly as terrible in the second round, and then the plants died in the frost before making many squash. I think we got a couple dozen squash total from our planting this year. Luckily, I contracted with our neighbors Nic and Sarah to grow butternut and pie pumpkins for us this year, before I even knew our own squash patch would be such a bust, and theirs did great! So we have butternuts, some buttercups, some fairy squash, and pie pumpkins. A few people got spaghetti squash, and a few got delicata, but that was the end of those.
I think we'll have three more weeks of CSA pick-ups, making Oct. 25 and 30 our final pick-up dates. We guarantee 18 weeks and go up to 22 weeks of CSA, weather permitting, and we're currently on week 17. Three more will put us at a comfortable 20 weeks. If it looks like we'll extend the season beyond that, I'll let you know! For now, plan on the last week of October being the season's end. Thank you all SO MUCH for supporting the farm again this season. I have enjoyed getting to know the new folks and seeing the returning folks every season- I especially love seeing the CSA kiddos grow over the summer! I'm looking forward to sharing winter with some of you as well, this year. We'll keep in touch about next season.
Happy Autumn.
Potatoes- any of several, could be Red Gold (red skin, yellow flesh), Dark Red Norland (hot pink/red skin, white flesh), Katahdin (white skin, yellow-white flesh), French Fingerling (red skin, yellow flesh with beautiful pink patterning inside), or Rose Finn Apple(pink/tan skin with yellow flesh- in crazy, knobby shapes).
Dill OR Parsley- perfect with boiled or roasted potatoes
Squash! Either delicata, spaghetti squash, or buttercup this week- more next week! Super easy squash prep: slice lengthwise, scoop out seeds and seed pulp (toast seeds if you like!). Place 2 halves cut-side down on a cookie sheet with edges or in a 9x13 pan. Add enough water to cover the cut edges to prevent drying out. Bake at 375 for 30-60 min, depending on the size of the squash. It's done when it's soft and tender to the touch. Scoop out and enjoy! Butter, salt, maple, cinnamon, and/or smoked paprika all optional. Or serve in the shell, and eat with a spoon.
Carrots or Turnips- your choice of these fall root veggies. You'll see both again soon!
Onions- a mix of yellow and red fall storage onions.
Arugula- a hearty bag of this nutty, slightly spicy salad green.
Kale or Chard- the kale and chard in shares this week is the last from the hoophouse bed that's been producing since March! We're in transition from summer to winter hoophouse plantings, and the kale and chard had to make way for baby greens. Don't worry- more kale and chard are going in for winter/spring, too!
Heirloom Tomatoes- I think we've peaked with tomato production, and the plants are looking tired and brown, but they are still making tomatoes! The very light frost we got on Saturday night didn't seem to touch the tomatoes or beans, two very frost-sensitive crops, so you can expect at least one more week of both these crops. For those of you patiently awaiting canning (paste) tomatoes, I hope it will be next week that we get a ripe critical mass for harvest.
Cherry Tomatoes- little sweeties from both the field and the hoophouse. I think we'll leave the hoophouse tomatoes in at least another week or two, since they're still producing well. The winter plants waiting to be transplanted into what are now tomato beds can hang out in their pots at least that long, I think!
Melons- probably the last week for these summer treats- cantelope, honey pearl (white skin and flesh), Arava (yellow, netted skin and green flesh), and various small red, yellow, and white watermelons. I'm glad the weather warmed up for our final melon week- I, for one, prefer to enjoy melon on a warm, sunny day, rather than a cold, rainy one!
Garlic- could we go a week without it? I think not.
Announcements
1. Winter Shares- drumroll, please- are now available! For winter, we will offer three ways to get fresh BPF veggies:
A. Building 50 Indoor Farmers' Market, November through at least early January, and picking up again for March and April. Saturdays 10-2.
B. Email Blasts- same as last year. I'll send an email with everything available each week, and you can order as much or as little as you like, to be picked up at market or delivered to your home (limited delivery range). This is a good option for folks who know they can't get to market early but don't want to miss their greens! Just ask me to put you on the email list for winter veggies.
C. For winter "shares," we're going to try a new format: a declining-balance account that you fill with as much or as little up-front cash as you like. We'll add 10% to your "investment" so that $100 becomes $110, $300 becomes $330, etc. Throughout the winter & spring, every time you visit our farmers' market table or "order" from the email list, we'll deduct that week's total from your account. This is a great way to support the farm through the winter with cash up front, but still allows you flexibility if you go out of town for a week, or want all arugula one week, or garlic only every third week, for example. This option also makes a great gift! I can help you set up a winter account for your family or friends, with as little as $50 or as much as $500- just ask, and I'll send the recipient a gift certificate with an explanation of your gift. Any balance remaining when regular-season CSA and outdoor markets start up can be transferred to a summer account.
2. Garlic Planting/Fall Harvest Potluck this month! A quick poll: is Tuesday afternoon/evening or Saturday afternoon/evening (3-7 p.m.-ish) better for most people? I'm looking at Oct. 22, 25, or 29, all of which work for garlic. Just let me know which works best for you! We'll plant and mulch garlic, press apple cider (bring apples and jugs to take home cider), and end with a potluck. Everyone is welcome!
3. Thanksgiving shares: A one-shot (one box) deal for you to share with your family for T-day or hoard for yourself this winter. ;) We include storage crops like potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots, rutabaga and other root veggies, and leafy fresh things from either the field or hoophouse (depends on the weather, but will almost certainly include spinach, salad mix or big lettuce, kale and/or chard, parsley and/or other fresh herbs). In the past we've included winter squash and/or pie pumpkins. We've had a terrible winter squash crop this year, so regular-season shares will probably get all the squash and pumpkins. Thanksgiving shares are $35. We'll offer up to 20, first-come, first-served. Please email me if you'd like to reserve a Thanksgiving share, and spread the word- CSA members and non-members alike are welcome to order.
4. Honey from our beekeeper Greg Griswold (and the bees!) is still available. Just bring a quart jar with your name on it to CSA pick-up, and Tuesday people can go home with a full jar; Saturday people will get their jar back the next week, full of BPF honey. $12 per quart (or $6 per pint, or $24 per growler- which make great honey vessels, by the way). A few people asked about large quantities- if you want a gallon or more, please email me, and we'll hook you up. For 3/4 gallon (3 qts) or less, just bring that many jars!
Field Notes
It's been a quiet week at Birch Point- quieter than usual, anyway. Julie's in California, the cold snap broke and left us with mild, sunny weather. Flipper, the hyperventilating duck, has finally relaxed and is breathing easier. We got a very light frost this past Sat. night, but the only casualties were winter squash and the pickling cukes I was hoping to eke out of the end of the season. Tomatoes, beans, and basil- all frost-sensitive plants- all survived. Do you remember in past newsletters I've lamented the poor winter squash season? We started with a late plant date b/c of the cold, wet spring, had terrible germination in the first round, nearly as terrible in the second round, and then the plants died in the frost before making many squash. I think we got a couple dozen squash total from our planting this year. Luckily, I contracted with our neighbors Nic and Sarah to grow butternut and pie pumpkins for us this year, before I even knew our own squash patch would be such a bust, and theirs did great! So we have butternuts, some buttercups, some fairy squash, and pie pumpkins. A few people got spaghetti squash, and a few got delicata, but that was the end of those.
I think we'll have three more weeks of CSA pick-ups, making Oct. 25 and 30 our final pick-up dates. We guarantee 18 weeks and go up to 22 weeks of CSA, weather permitting, and we're currently on week 17. Three more will put us at a comfortable 20 weeks. If it looks like we'll extend the season beyond that, I'll let you know! For now, plan on the last week of October being the season's end. Thank you all SO MUCH for supporting the farm again this season. I have enjoyed getting to know the new folks and seeing the returning folks every season- I especially love seeing the CSA kiddos grow over the summer! I'm looking forward to sharing winter with some of you as well, this year. We'll keep in touch about next season.
Happy Autumn.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
BPF CSA Week 16 News
What's in Your Share This Week?
Beets- the last of the mid-season beets, these red, gold, and candy-striped pink beets are on the small side, but the new planting is coming on, and we should have fall beets soon. These beets are perfect for roasting- cut of tops, leaving leaf bases (and root skin) intact. Coat with olive oil, roast in a baking pan or cast iron skillet in a hot (400+) oven for 20-40 min (til soft)- skins will be crispy and caramelized; insides should be melting-tender.
Beet Greens OR Turnip Greens- OK, why are the beet greens separate from the beets? Because they're two different plantings of beets- the beetroots have been in the ground most of the summer and are the last of their "generation;" the beet greens are thinnings from one of our fall plantings. Baby beet greens AND turnip greens are excellent lightly steamed or sauteed- chop into bite-sized pieces (stems can be fibrous otherwise), quickly saute in olive oil, add lemon juice and/or vinegar. For beet greens, serve with crumbled goat cheese and pine nuts or walnuts. For turnip greens, serve with lemon or vinegar, salt, and optional sauteed onions/garlic.
Kale, Chard, or Collard Greens- Do you know Sukuma Wiki? It's a Swahili phrase that means "push the week"- to use greens to make leftovers go a little further. But it happens to be delicious even if you're fortunate enough to be rolling in vegetables (which I know many of our CSA members are). Please let me know how the quantity of greens (kale/chard/collards) has worked for you this year- too much? not enough? just right? need more variety? only want kale?
Potatoes- Dark Red Norland, a beautiful redskin potato with a moist, waxy, firm flesh. Excellent boiled, mashed (leave skins on for color contrast), or in potato salad.
Leeks! First of the season- try Potato-Leek Soup for classic fall comfort food (this recipe calls for chives on top; I like to use whatever fresh herb I have on hand- dill is good, parsley, sage, thyme, or fennel are also delicious). You can also use leeks interchangeably with onions. The dark green sections can be fibrous; if you cook with them, chop them finely across the grain. They're perfect for making soup stock, along with any leek scraps you generate. I usually keep a plastic bag in the freezer door, into which I pop any good, tasty veggie or herb scraps I may want to put into stock when I have time. This week I added leek leaves, onion skins, and thyme branches (I used the leaves from a fresh bunch of thyme but the branches are still flavorful and perfect for stock).
Onions- this week we've got cipollini AND a mix of red and yellow storage onions.
Garlic- it's an allium-rich share!
Herbs: Dill, Cilantro or Basil, your choice.
Tomatoes- both cherry tomatoes and big heirloom slicers.
Beans- either Jade (green beans), Tongue of Fire (purple-streaked, flat-podded beans), or Gold of Bacau (gold, flat heirloom pole beans).
Melons! Cantelope, tropical (green-fleshed) Aravas, white-fleshed Honey Pearl, or a mix of watermelons. Saturday people- be sure to get your melons. We don't put them in the boxes usually because they're so heavy they could break the bottoms of the boxes. So be sure to pick up your melons from the market table. If you missed melons last week (a couple of people did), make sure to take extras this week.
Announcements
1. This was Julie DiFranco's last week at Birch Point. We'll miss you Julie! Thanks for an excellent season, have fun in California, and I hope to see you later this fall! Remember the CSA member survey Julie sent out early this season? We had such spotty response that she switched gears and started taking pictures instead. Next time you're at the farm, check out the beautiful photo album she made of BPF farm shots and CSA members. And please bring hard copies of any BPF farm photos you can contribute!
2. Thanksgiving Shares Are Back! Can you imagine the end of November without farm-fresh greens, heirloom onions, hearty root veggies? Thanksgiving Shares are a one-time only box of BPF veggies the week of T-day. We include storage crops like potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots, rutabaga and other root veggies, and leafy fresh things from either the field or hoophouse (depends on the weather, but will almost certainly include spinach, salad mix or big lettuce, kale and/or chard, parsley and/or other fresh herbs). In the past we've included winter squash and/or pie pumpkins. We've had a terrible winter squash crop this year, so regular-season shares will probably get all the squash and pumpkins. Thanksgiving shares are $35. We'll offer up to 20, first-come, first-served. Please email me if you'd like to reserve a Thanksgiving share, and spread the word- CSA members and non-members alike are welcome to order.
3. Winter Shares available soon- we're still working out the details, but I THINK we'll offer an all-greens winter share, possibly with the option of adding on storage veggies (potatoes, onions, cabbage, other root veggies). BPF will be at the winter market in Building 50 @ the TC Commons every Saturday from 10-2 starting in November and going into January. We'll plan to take a break sometime in January through February, and resume winter markets in March.
4. Birch Point honey available NOW from Greg Griswold and Champion Hill Farm (our beekeeper). For CSA members only, BPF honey available for $12 per quart. For Tuesday people, we'll have a bulk bucket at CSA pickup. Bring your own quart jar; we'll fill it for you. For Saturday people, bring an empty quart jar (or two or seven), clearly marked with your name, to CSA pickup. The following week you'll get it back full of BPF honey! Cash or checks payable to Birch Point Farm. Non-members can also buy BPF honey for $14 per quart after members are full up.
Beets- the last of the mid-season beets, these red, gold, and candy-striped pink beets are on the small side, but the new planting is coming on, and we should have fall beets soon. These beets are perfect for roasting- cut of tops, leaving leaf bases (and root skin) intact. Coat with olive oil, roast in a baking pan or cast iron skillet in a hot (400+) oven for 20-40 min (til soft)- skins will be crispy and caramelized; insides should be melting-tender.
Beet Greens OR Turnip Greens- OK, why are the beet greens separate from the beets? Because they're two different plantings of beets- the beetroots have been in the ground most of the summer and are the last of their "generation;" the beet greens are thinnings from one of our fall plantings. Baby beet greens AND turnip greens are excellent lightly steamed or sauteed- chop into bite-sized pieces (stems can be fibrous otherwise), quickly saute in olive oil, add lemon juice and/or vinegar. For beet greens, serve with crumbled goat cheese and pine nuts or walnuts. For turnip greens, serve with lemon or vinegar, salt, and optional sauteed onions/garlic.
Kale, Chard, or Collard Greens- Do you know Sukuma Wiki? It's a Swahili phrase that means "push the week"- to use greens to make leftovers go a little further. But it happens to be delicious even if you're fortunate enough to be rolling in vegetables (which I know many of our CSA members are). Please let me know how the quantity of greens (kale/chard/collards) has worked for you this year- too much? not enough? just right? need more variety? only want kale?
Potatoes- Dark Red Norland, a beautiful redskin potato with a moist, waxy, firm flesh. Excellent boiled, mashed (leave skins on for color contrast), or in potato salad.
Leeks! First of the season- try Potato-Leek Soup for classic fall comfort food (this recipe calls for chives on top; I like to use whatever fresh herb I have on hand- dill is good, parsley, sage, thyme, or fennel are also delicious). You can also use leeks interchangeably with onions. The dark green sections can be fibrous; if you cook with them, chop them finely across the grain. They're perfect for making soup stock, along with any leek scraps you generate. I usually keep a plastic bag in the freezer door, into which I pop any good, tasty veggie or herb scraps I may want to put into stock when I have time. This week I added leek leaves, onion skins, and thyme branches (I used the leaves from a fresh bunch of thyme but the branches are still flavorful and perfect for stock).
Onions- this week we've got cipollini AND a mix of red and yellow storage onions.
Garlic- it's an allium-rich share!
Herbs: Dill, Cilantro or Basil, your choice.
Tomatoes- both cherry tomatoes and big heirloom slicers.
Beans- either Jade (green beans), Tongue of Fire (purple-streaked, flat-podded beans), or Gold of Bacau (gold, flat heirloom pole beans).
Melons! Cantelope, tropical (green-fleshed) Aravas, white-fleshed Honey Pearl, or a mix of watermelons. Saturday people- be sure to get your melons. We don't put them in the boxes usually because they're so heavy they could break the bottoms of the boxes. So be sure to pick up your melons from the market table. If you missed melons last week (a couple of people did), make sure to take extras this week.
Announcements
1. This was Julie DiFranco's last week at Birch Point. We'll miss you Julie! Thanks for an excellent season, have fun in California, and I hope to see you later this fall! Remember the CSA member survey Julie sent out early this season? We had such spotty response that she switched gears and started taking pictures instead. Next time you're at the farm, check out the beautiful photo album she made of BPF farm shots and CSA members. And please bring hard copies of any BPF farm photos you can contribute!
2. Thanksgiving Shares Are Back! Can you imagine the end of November without farm-fresh greens, heirloom onions, hearty root veggies? Thanksgiving Shares are a one-time only box of BPF veggies the week of T-day. We include storage crops like potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots, rutabaga and other root veggies, and leafy fresh things from either the field or hoophouse (depends on the weather, but will almost certainly include spinach, salad mix or big lettuce, kale and/or chard, parsley and/or other fresh herbs). In the past we've included winter squash and/or pie pumpkins. We've had a terrible winter squash crop this year, so regular-season shares will probably get all the squash and pumpkins. Thanksgiving shares are $35. We'll offer up to 20, first-come, first-served. Please email me if you'd like to reserve a Thanksgiving share, and spread the word- CSA members and non-members alike are welcome to order.
3. Winter Shares available soon- we're still working out the details, but I THINK we'll offer an all-greens winter share, possibly with the option of adding on storage veggies (potatoes, onions, cabbage, other root veggies). BPF will be at the winter market in Building 50 @ the TC Commons every Saturday from 10-2 starting in November and going into January. We'll plan to take a break sometime in January through February, and resume winter markets in March.
4. Birch Point honey available NOW from Greg Griswold and Champion Hill Farm (our beekeeper). For CSA members only, BPF honey available for $12 per quart. For Tuesday people, we'll have a bulk bucket at CSA pickup. Bring your own quart jar; we'll fill it for you. For Saturday people, bring an empty quart jar (or two or seven), clearly marked with your name, to CSA pickup. The following week you'll get it back full of BPF honey! Cash or checks payable to Birch Point Farm. Non-members can also buy BPF honey for $14 per quart after members are full up.
Friday, September 23, 2011
BPF CSA Week 15 News
Hey friends, I've been lax about this newsletter- sorry to leave you hanging! We're on week 15 of CSA already! Since we guarantee 18 weeks and will go up to 22, weather permitting, we have between 3 and 7 more weeks- my best guess is we'll do 20 weeks, which means five more pick-ups for you. It may be more; I'll keep you updated so no one misses a share or shows up for food after we're done! Honey is in- bring a jar when you come for pick-up! More news later...
What's in Your Share This Week?
French Fingerling potatoes- delicious fingerling variety which, once it sizes up (almost beyond a fingerling in size), develops a beautiful red pattern inside its yellow flesh- cut cross-sections for visual impact.
Carrots- It's been a few weeks, and this is the last of the mid-season carrots. The late carrot planting is still on the small side, so it'll be a couple of weeks til you see more, but you'll see plenty by the end of the season!
Collard Greens, Kale, or Chard- the first collards of the season. I like to wait til after the frost to harvest them, as they get so so sweet, but these were so tender and delicious already, I couldn't resist. Use just like kale, OR do it the southern way (like my grandmother- saute an onion, add chopped collards, a ham bone, and water or stock. and boil til you can hardly recognize leaves anymore)(I tend to cook them less- til they're just bright green -not gray- and serve with an acidic condiment like chopped tomatoes, vinegar, or lemon juice)
Onions- Italian cipollini (sweet, flattened, coin-shaped- red or white) or Rossa di Milano (looks like the Italians have BPF onions cornered this week) red onions
Garlic- still no vampires!
Baby greens- either spicy salad mix or baby spinach; more of both to come soon.
Beans- either Jade green beans or Gold of Bacau flattened, yellow pole beans
Heirloom Tomatoes- you'll probably enjoy a mix of Crnkovic, Great White, Striped German, Valencia, Japanese Trifele, Moskvich, Rutgers, Eva Purple Ball, Orange Smudge, Wapsapinicon Peach, Cherokee Purple, Ananas Noire, and more. We harvested so many ripe and not-quite-ripe tomatoes last week before the "frost" (which never came) that we have a TON of ripe and nearly-ripe tomatoes. And more are coming! Just holler if you need a bushel or half bushel for canning, dehydrating, roasting and freezing, or just eating.
Hot peppers- a mix of jalapenos and serranos this week, and soon you'll also see Czech Black, Limon, and possibly others.
What's in Your Share This Week?
French Fingerling potatoes- delicious fingerling variety which, once it sizes up (almost beyond a fingerling in size), develops a beautiful red pattern inside its yellow flesh- cut cross-sections for visual impact.
Carrots- It's been a few weeks, and this is the last of the mid-season carrots. The late carrot planting is still on the small side, so it'll be a couple of weeks til you see more, but you'll see plenty by the end of the season!
Collard Greens, Kale, or Chard- the first collards of the season. I like to wait til after the frost to harvest them, as they get so so sweet, but these were so tender and delicious already, I couldn't resist. Use just like kale, OR do it the southern way (like my grandmother- saute an onion, add chopped collards, a ham bone, and water or stock. and boil til you can hardly recognize leaves anymore)(I tend to cook them less- til they're just bright green -not gray- and serve with an acidic condiment like chopped tomatoes, vinegar, or lemon juice)
Onions- Italian cipollini (sweet, flattened, coin-shaped- red or white) or Rossa di Milano (looks like the Italians have BPF onions cornered this week) red onions
Garlic- still no vampires!
Baby greens- either spicy salad mix or baby spinach; more of both to come soon.
Beans- either Jade green beans or Gold of Bacau flattened, yellow pole beans
Heirloom Tomatoes- you'll probably enjoy a mix of Crnkovic, Great White, Striped German, Valencia, Japanese Trifele, Moskvich, Rutgers, Eva Purple Ball, Orange Smudge, Wapsapinicon Peach, Cherokee Purple, Ananas Noire, and more. We harvested so many ripe and not-quite-ripe tomatoes last week before the "frost" (which never came) that we have a TON of ripe and nearly-ripe tomatoes. And more are coming! Just holler if you need a bushel or half bushel for canning, dehydrating, roasting and freezing, or just eating.
Hot peppers- a mix of jalapenos and serranos this week, and soon you'll also see Czech Black, Limon, and possibly others.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
BPF CSA Week 13 News
What's In Your Share This Week?
Potatoes! A red, white, and blue mix of Yukon Golds, Adirondack Red (red skin with red flesh), and Adirondack Blue (blue skin with blue flesh)
Basil- enough for a delicious caprese salad or topping for pasta or grilled summer squash. Please email the farm if you'd like a 1-lb bag ($10 for CSA members) for pesto preserving!
Baby Arugula- we're back on the baby greens bandwagon. Soon you'll see baby spinach, baby kale, baby spicy mix, and baby lettuces again. This arugula was hoophouse-grown, so it's extra tender (the diffuse light and protection from wind in the hoophouse makes for super tender greens) The flea beetles still found it, though, so it's "lacy," since we don't use any insecticides on it.
Heirloom Tomatoes (medium and large slicers, all kinds) - please see separate post and facebook posting about the delectable heirlooms at Birch Point this year. Also, see Recipes section for a yummy-sounding tomato and white bean salad. Do you need preserving quantities of tomatoes? Paste varieties will be available soon, for sauce, paste, and salsa canning. Any heirloom tomato makes a GREAT roasted, frozen treat, though- just slice, lay in a single layer on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and roast in the oven until caramelized on the top and edges. Cool, freeze in jars or ziploc bags, thaw when ready for a burst of summer flavor this winter.
Cherry Tomatoes- we are still harvesting mad amounts of cherry tomatoes from the hoophouse, and the field cherry tomatoes are finally yielding heavily, too. You'll keep seeing a mix of Sungolds (round, orange, sugar bombs), Fargo Yellow Pear (just like it sounds), Black Cherry (round, deep purple-brown), and Juliet (red, roma-esque in shape, but a delicious cherry-type tomato nonetheless). Soon you may also see Reisentraube (small red cherry tomatoes) and/or a few other surprises!
Summer Squash and Zucchini- CSA members, I want to thank you for absorbing huge quantities of these things into your diets- we had the biggest bumper crop EVER of pattypans, yellow crooknecks, zucchini, tondo chiaro, ronde de nice, eightball, and "lemon" squash (yellow squash that resemble lemons or lightbulbs) this year! So you've seen a lot of them. They've also been a hot seller at farmers' markets, thank goodness. My favorite things to do with any and all of these is shish kabob (small ones or cubed large ones), grilled (halved small ones or sliced large ones), or fried in butter with fresh herbs on top. I've also made a few mean zucchini lasagne- slice zukes lengthwise and sub for lasagna noodles, with all the normal filling and toppings. OR (just when my enthusiasm had expired for these guys)- try sending large zukes and summer squash through a Spiralizer! My friend Vicki Fritzlan introduced me to this amazingly weird and funny-looking piece of kitchen equipment just in time for zucchini season. You can make long, elegant "noodles" out of just about anything- zucchini, summer squash, winter squash, carrots, beets, kohlrabi, eggplant, you name it. And for zukes and squash, they're ready to eat raw! No cooking required- just a delicious marinara or vinaigrette. It has been so much fun making raw "spaghetti" with different colored veggies this summer- brings back memories of my playdough hair salon extruder-thingy from childhood (but tastes a lot better).
Cucumbers- same thing. What a year for cukes! I hope you've enjoyed the regular slicers, lemon cucumbers, and Suyo long (Asian, curly, knobby "burpless" cukes) varieties. If you need bushels or half-bushels of picklers for gherkins or dills, or large cukes for bread-and-butter pickles, let me know via email. The small pickling varieites will start to come on late this month (we planted them later because I knew I, for one, would not have time to pickle til late in the season), and we have plenty of big slicers now.
Kale or Chard-always your choice, and there are always extras. If you eat a lot of these bold, leafy greens, just ask if you need more. We have plenty this time of year to share with CSA members (and plenty to sell to non-members). We'll have limited quantities of fresh kale, chard, and other greens from the hoophouse this winter, so freeze now if you know you'll want a lot after November! Recipes section for a stuffed summer squash with tomatoes, kale, etc. that we had for lunch here at the farm yesterday.
Beans! Gold of Bacau pole beans- these super-long, flattened pale yellow beans are my favorites, as of last year. Their flavor is sweet, texture crisp and so juicy, and they stay tender and yummy even when huge, unlike green beans (my pet peeve: gigantic, starchy, chewy beans. ack). Farmers' market customer Barb Piskor suggests a very quick saute with thinly sliced garlic, and dressed with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar, sprinkled with black sesame seeds- this sounds so beautiful and delicious I had to share it with you (I might add to that a handful of coarsely chopped purslane, since I'm on a purslane kick- optional).
Sweet onions and/or red onions- we're finally working our way through the early (sweet, non-storage) onions and moving onto the later season onions. You may see red onions, white, yellow, or red Cipollini (small, Italian, flattened "coin" shaped onions), or a variety of yellow storage onions later on. All but the sweet Walla Wallas should last for months under proper storage conditions (cool, moist). Use sweet onions for fresh eating, grilling, sauteing, or caramelizing and freezing for later use.
Garlic- if anyone's had enough of the stinking rose, let me know! We'll keep including it in shares unless you say otherwise. It will keep for months in cool, dry conditions, OR if you have a garlic backlog, and you don't have a cool, dry storage spot, try making your own minced garlic in olive oil. Peel and cuisinart all the cloves you've got to a finely minced size, pack tightly into a jar, cover, and store in the fridge for months. It's just like the little jars of minced garlic available in stores, but tastes better! Make sure that the olive oil is in contact with all cut surfaces- you may want to stir it into the garlic before packing down in the jar and then covering with more oil, to block oxidation of the garlic.
Announcements:
1. Birch Point honey available from Greg Griswold and Champion Hill Farm (our beekeeper). For CSA members only, BPF honey available for $12 per quart. For Tuesday people, we'll have a bulk bucket at CSA pickup. Bring your own quart jar; we'll fill it for you. For Saturday people, bring an empty quart jar (or two or seven), clearly marked with your name, to CSA pickup. The following week you'll get it back full of BPF honey! Cash or checks payable to Birch Point Farm. Non-members can also buy BPF honey for $14 per quart after members are full up.
2. Preserving Shares Available for farm members and friends- Tomatoes (either slicers for roasting/freezing/canning, or paste for sauce/paste)by the lug. Basil in 1-lb bags for pesto, etc. Cucumbers (either big slicers for bread-and-butter pickles, or small picklers for whole dills, etc). Other crops may be available - just ask if you have a freezing/canning project in mind.
3. Local, chemical-free, free-range meat available: Bare Knuckle Farm in Northport has a few pigs still available for order, either whole or half. These pigs, a Duroc-spot cross, have been raised in Gene Garthe's organic cherry orchard, working to clean up drops, which reduces the plum cucurlio population, minimizing damage to fruit and/or need for sprays. Whole pig= around 200 lbs, half = around 100 lbs. $3.85 per lb. Contact Jess or Abra at bareknucklefarm@gmail.com. Bare Knuckle also has geese and ducks available, and Birch Point may have stewing chickens available in the fall, on request. Contact Jess, Abra, or Michelle for more info.
Field Notes
A couple of our friends (Giving Tree Nursery near Interlochen and Bare Knuckle Farm in Northport) have already gotten frost as of today! Luckily, because of our situation on top of a hill and near water, Birch Point rarely gets hit by the earliest fall frosts. My heart did hurt to hear of wilted squash vines and icy car windows at other farms, though. Except tomatoes and melons, which are peaking right now, our summer crops (cukes, zukes, summer squash, beans, carrots, beets, broccoli, cabbage, herbs, flowers) have been peaking for several weeks!
So I'd like a few more weeks for canning tomatoes (and pickling cukes), peppers, eggplants (which are barely yielding yet),and melons, but I will be happy to welcome fall to the farm when it comes. Even with cold nights and misty mornings, it still feels like summer until frost claims the lives of the hot crops, usually in October. And then we'll be ready for potato-leek soup, roasted rutabaga, baked winter squash, pasties, colcannon (Irish potato-kale dish), and cobblers and pies from all the fruit we've squirreled away in jars and in the freezer.
Next farm work party: Chicken coop mural painting! Tarek, our superstar farm volunteer, has been working to build this Rolls Royce of movable chicken coops this summer, and Sue Green has welded these amazing modified bike wheels onto the frame,and it's almost time to weatherproof and decorate the outside! The last Saturday in September (Sept. 24) is the date, time TBA. Scrounge up all your old exterior paint cans (or interior, if it's great colors, but we need it to be weatherproof, so the more exterior paint, the better). Then.... stay tuned for Garlic planting! It will be the last week of October or first week of November, maybe a costume party on halloween! Check back for actual date, and work up your best garlicky potluck dish for the event.
Recipes
Stuffed Summer Squash with Heirloom Tomatoes, Kale, Garlic, and other CSA goodies
BIG summer squash, round ones (e.g. eightball zukes, tondo chiaro di toscano, ronde de nice), spaceships (overgrown pattypans), or long ones (e.g. regular zucchini, costata romanesca- the ribbed zukes, overgrown yellow crooknecks.
Onions, chopped and sauteed
Garlic, chopped and sauteed
Tomatoes, chopped
Fresh basil, chopped
Kale or chard, chopped
Bulgur wheat, uncooked (or cooked quinoa or rice if you're gluten-free)
Boiling water,twice as much as the bulgur (you'll add it to squash just before baking)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Cheese- I used a combo of mozzarella, monterey jack, and parmesan, but any nice melty cheese for the inside and hard grate-able cheese for the top will do.
optional: chopped walnuts or pine nuts (a good handful)
I can't give quantities, because how much you need depends entirely on how big your squash is, but think of it as a bulgur "pilaf" stuffing (about 4 parts bulgur to 2 parts kale to 2 parts tomatoes to one part each onion, garlic, and basil, and lots of everything else)
Slice tops off round squash as if to carve a halloween pumpkin, and scoop out seeds. For long squash, slice in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Arrange squashes in a 9x13 pan or square pan (or, I used a gigantic round squash that just happened to fit perfectly in a small, round ceramic casserole dish- whatever they fit into snugly, so the sides of the dish and the other squashes keep them from tipping over). Drizzle insides with olive oil and salt. Mix dry bulgur, kale, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and basil (and nuts) in a bowl with a generous quantity of salt and pepper and chopped melty cheese. Scoop into hollowed out squashes- since the bulgur has to cook in the squash, don't pile higher than the sides of the squash- keep it level. Pour boiling water into squashes, over bulgur mixture (if using cooked rice or quinoa, skip this step). You want to approximate a 1:2 bulgur:boiling water ratio, so large squashes will get more, small ones less. Don't worry if it's not exact; just fill the squashes with boiling water. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil, and grate parmesan on top of each one. For round squashes, put the tops back on. Cover with foil. Bake at 400 for 30-60 min, depending on the size of the squash- they're done when the flesh is soft to the touch. Before serving, grate more fresh parmesan on top.
Arugula-Seasonal Fruit Salad
1 bag (or 1/2 bag) baby arugula
1 small cantelope, peeled, seeded, and thinly thinly sliced or shaved
1 super-ripe pear, peeled, cored, and also thinly sliced or shaved
1-2 handfuls ripe blueberries
lemon juice or cider vinegar
olive oil
coarse salt and pepper
Toss everything together. Enjoy. ;)
Heirloom Tomato and White Bean Salad recipe from Local Harvest
Potatoes! A red, white, and blue mix of Yukon Golds, Adirondack Red (red skin with red flesh), and Adirondack Blue (blue skin with blue flesh)
Basil- enough for a delicious caprese salad or topping for pasta or grilled summer squash. Please email the farm if you'd like a 1-lb bag ($10 for CSA members) for pesto preserving!
Baby Arugula- we're back on the baby greens bandwagon. Soon you'll see baby spinach, baby kale, baby spicy mix, and baby lettuces again. This arugula was hoophouse-grown, so it's extra tender (the diffuse light and protection from wind in the hoophouse makes for super tender greens) The flea beetles still found it, though, so it's "lacy," since we don't use any insecticides on it.
Heirloom Tomatoes (medium and large slicers, all kinds) - please see separate post and facebook posting about the delectable heirlooms at Birch Point this year. Also, see Recipes section for a yummy-sounding tomato and white bean salad. Do you need preserving quantities of tomatoes? Paste varieties will be available soon, for sauce, paste, and salsa canning. Any heirloom tomato makes a GREAT roasted, frozen treat, though- just slice, lay in a single layer on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and roast in the oven until caramelized on the top and edges. Cool, freeze in jars or ziploc bags, thaw when ready for a burst of summer flavor this winter.
Cherry Tomatoes- we are still harvesting mad amounts of cherry tomatoes from the hoophouse, and the field cherry tomatoes are finally yielding heavily, too. You'll keep seeing a mix of Sungolds (round, orange, sugar bombs), Fargo Yellow Pear (just like it sounds), Black Cherry (round, deep purple-brown), and Juliet (red, roma-esque in shape, but a delicious cherry-type tomato nonetheless). Soon you may also see Reisentraube (small red cherry tomatoes) and/or a few other surprises!
Summer Squash and Zucchini- CSA members, I want to thank you for absorbing huge quantities of these things into your diets- we had the biggest bumper crop EVER of pattypans, yellow crooknecks, zucchini, tondo chiaro, ronde de nice, eightball, and "lemon" squash (yellow squash that resemble lemons or lightbulbs) this year! So you've seen a lot of them. They've also been a hot seller at farmers' markets, thank goodness. My favorite things to do with any and all of these is shish kabob (small ones or cubed large ones), grilled (halved small ones or sliced large ones), or fried in butter with fresh herbs on top. I've also made a few mean zucchini lasagne- slice zukes lengthwise and sub for lasagna noodles, with all the normal filling and toppings. OR (just when my enthusiasm had expired for these guys)- try sending large zukes and summer squash through a Spiralizer! My friend Vicki Fritzlan introduced me to this amazingly weird and funny-looking piece of kitchen equipment just in time for zucchini season. You can make long, elegant "noodles" out of just about anything- zucchini, summer squash, winter squash, carrots, beets, kohlrabi, eggplant, you name it. And for zukes and squash, they're ready to eat raw! No cooking required- just a delicious marinara or vinaigrette. It has been so much fun making raw "spaghetti" with different colored veggies this summer- brings back memories of my playdough hair salon extruder-thingy from childhood (but tastes a lot better).
Cucumbers- same thing. What a year for cukes! I hope you've enjoyed the regular slicers, lemon cucumbers, and Suyo long (Asian, curly, knobby "burpless" cukes) varieties. If you need bushels or half-bushels of picklers for gherkins or dills, or large cukes for bread-and-butter pickles, let me know via email. The small pickling varieites will start to come on late this month (we planted them later because I knew I, for one, would not have time to pickle til late in the season), and we have plenty of big slicers now.
Kale or Chard-always your choice, and there are always extras. If you eat a lot of these bold, leafy greens, just ask if you need more. We have plenty this time of year to share with CSA members (and plenty to sell to non-members). We'll have limited quantities of fresh kale, chard, and other greens from the hoophouse this winter, so freeze now if you know you'll want a lot after November! Recipes section for a stuffed summer squash with tomatoes, kale, etc. that we had for lunch here at the farm yesterday.
Beans! Gold of Bacau pole beans- these super-long, flattened pale yellow beans are my favorites, as of last year. Their flavor is sweet, texture crisp and so juicy, and they stay tender and yummy even when huge, unlike green beans (my pet peeve: gigantic, starchy, chewy beans. ack). Farmers' market customer Barb Piskor suggests a very quick saute with thinly sliced garlic, and dressed with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar, sprinkled with black sesame seeds- this sounds so beautiful and delicious I had to share it with you (I might add to that a handful of coarsely chopped purslane, since I'm on a purslane kick- optional).
Sweet onions and/or red onions- we're finally working our way through the early (sweet, non-storage) onions and moving onto the later season onions. You may see red onions, white, yellow, or red Cipollini (small, Italian, flattened "coin" shaped onions), or a variety of yellow storage onions later on. All but the sweet Walla Wallas should last for months under proper storage conditions (cool, moist). Use sweet onions for fresh eating, grilling, sauteing, or caramelizing and freezing for later use.
Garlic- if anyone's had enough of the stinking rose, let me know! We'll keep including it in shares unless you say otherwise. It will keep for months in cool, dry conditions, OR if you have a garlic backlog, and you don't have a cool, dry storage spot, try making your own minced garlic in olive oil. Peel and cuisinart all the cloves you've got to a finely minced size, pack tightly into a jar, cover, and store in the fridge for months. It's just like the little jars of minced garlic available in stores, but tastes better! Make sure that the olive oil is in contact with all cut surfaces- you may want to stir it into the garlic before packing down in the jar and then covering with more oil, to block oxidation of the garlic.
Announcements:
1. Birch Point honey available from Greg Griswold and Champion Hill Farm (our beekeeper). For CSA members only, BPF honey available for $12 per quart. For Tuesday people, we'll have a bulk bucket at CSA pickup. Bring your own quart jar; we'll fill it for you. For Saturday people, bring an empty quart jar (or two or seven), clearly marked with your name, to CSA pickup. The following week you'll get it back full of BPF honey! Cash or checks payable to Birch Point Farm. Non-members can also buy BPF honey for $14 per quart after members are full up.
2. Preserving Shares Available for farm members and friends- Tomatoes (either slicers for roasting/freezing/canning, or paste for sauce/paste)by the lug. Basil in 1-lb bags for pesto, etc. Cucumbers (either big slicers for bread-and-butter pickles, or small picklers for whole dills, etc). Other crops may be available - just ask if you have a freezing/canning project in mind.
3. Local, chemical-free, free-range meat available: Bare Knuckle Farm in Northport has a few pigs still available for order, either whole or half. These pigs, a Duroc-spot cross, have been raised in Gene Garthe's organic cherry orchard, working to clean up drops, which reduces the plum cucurlio population, minimizing damage to fruit and/or need for sprays. Whole pig= around 200 lbs, half = around 100 lbs. $3.85 per lb. Contact Jess or Abra at bareknucklefarm@gmail.com. Bare Knuckle also has geese and ducks available, and Birch Point may have stewing chickens available in the fall, on request. Contact Jess, Abra, or Michelle for more info.
Field Notes
A couple of our friends (Giving Tree Nursery near Interlochen and Bare Knuckle Farm in Northport) have already gotten frost as of today! Luckily, because of our situation on top of a hill and near water, Birch Point rarely gets hit by the earliest fall frosts. My heart did hurt to hear of wilted squash vines and icy car windows at other farms, though. Except tomatoes and melons, which are peaking right now, our summer crops (cukes, zukes, summer squash, beans, carrots, beets, broccoli, cabbage, herbs, flowers) have been peaking for several weeks!
So I'd like a few more weeks for canning tomatoes (and pickling cukes), peppers, eggplants (which are barely yielding yet),and melons, but I will be happy to welcome fall to the farm when it comes. Even with cold nights and misty mornings, it still feels like summer until frost claims the lives of the hot crops, usually in October. And then we'll be ready for potato-leek soup, roasted rutabaga, baked winter squash, pasties, colcannon (Irish potato-kale dish), and cobblers and pies from all the fruit we've squirreled away in jars and in the freezer.
Next farm work party: Chicken coop mural painting! Tarek, our superstar farm volunteer, has been working to build this Rolls Royce of movable chicken coops this summer, and Sue Green has welded these amazing modified bike wheels onto the frame,and it's almost time to weatherproof and decorate the outside! The last Saturday in September (Sept. 24) is the date, time TBA. Scrounge up all your old exterior paint cans (or interior, if it's great colors, but we need it to be weatherproof, so the more exterior paint, the better). Then.... stay tuned for Garlic planting! It will be the last week of October or first week of November, maybe a costume party on halloween! Check back for actual date, and work up your best garlicky potluck dish for the event.
Recipes
Stuffed Summer Squash with Heirloom Tomatoes, Kale, Garlic, and other CSA goodies
BIG summer squash, round ones (e.g. eightball zukes, tondo chiaro di toscano, ronde de nice), spaceships (overgrown pattypans), or long ones (e.g. regular zucchini, costata romanesca- the ribbed zukes, overgrown yellow crooknecks.
Onions, chopped and sauteed
Garlic, chopped and sauteed
Tomatoes, chopped
Fresh basil, chopped
Kale or chard, chopped
Bulgur wheat, uncooked (or cooked quinoa or rice if you're gluten-free)
Boiling water,twice as much as the bulgur (you'll add it to squash just before baking)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Cheese- I used a combo of mozzarella, monterey jack, and parmesan, but any nice melty cheese for the inside and hard grate-able cheese for the top will do.
optional: chopped walnuts or pine nuts (a good handful)
I can't give quantities, because how much you need depends entirely on how big your squash is, but think of it as a bulgur "pilaf" stuffing (about 4 parts bulgur to 2 parts kale to 2 parts tomatoes to one part each onion, garlic, and basil, and lots of everything else)
Slice tops off round squash as if to carve a halloween pumpkin, and scoop out seeds. For long squash, slice in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Arrange squashes in a 9x13 pan or square pan (or, I used a gigantic round squash that just happened to fit perfectly in a small, round ceramic casserole dish- whatever they fit into snugly, so the sides of the dish and the other squashes keep them from tipping over). Drizzle insides with olive oil and salt. Mix dry bulgur, kale, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and basil (and nuts) in a bowl with a generous quantity of salt and pepper and chopped melty cheese. Scoop into hollowed out squashes- since the bulgur has to cook in the squash, don't pile higher than the sides of the squash- keep it level. Pour boiling water into squashes, over bulgur mixture (if using cooked rice or quinoa, skip this step). You want to approximate a 1:2 bulgur:boiling water ratio, so large squashes will get more, small ones less. Don't worry if it's not exact; just fill the squashes with boiling water. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil, and grate parmesan on top of each one. For round squashes, put the tops back on. Cover with foil. Bake at 400 for 30-60 min, depending on the size of the squash- they're done when the flesh is soft to the touch. Before serving, grate more fresh parmesan on top.
Arugula-Seasonal Fruit Salad
1 bag (or 1/2 bag) baby arugula
1 small cantelope, peeled, seeded, and thinly thinly sliced or shaved
1 super-ripe pear, peeled, cored, and also thinly sliced or shaved
1-2 handfuls ripe blueberries
lemon juice or cider vinegar
olive oil
coarse salt and pepper
Toss everything together. Enjoy. ;)
Heirloom Tomato and White Bean Salad recipe from Local Harvest
Monday, September 5, 2011
Birdland photos
Ducks and Chickens- shots from the ducks' first day at Birch Point. The ducklings have almost doubled in size since these shots were taken. (note: the camera used to take these photos had its date set to 2007; these are actually current photos, though!) This first one is "Flipper" the protective papa duck who will hyperventilate and waggle his tail at you if you approach acting like a human or other possible predator.
Week 11 AND 12
Late August/Early September Haiku:
Time flies. Newsletters
/ forgotten- crops must be picked.
/ Cucumbers in charge.
Last week AND the week before were full of summer bounty- all the heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, and the very beginning of melons, peppers, eggplants....
You got many of these things plus kale, chard, beets, carrots, sweet onions, herbs like thyme, dill, or chives, elephant-head amaranth (ornamental flowers) for drying, sweet little celery and cabbages, the last of the summer kohlrabi (more to come for fall!), and garlic.
Perhaps I'm forgetting something, but it's comfort food season- things most of us grew up with and know how to use. i.e. no radicchio, no daikon, no tatsoi. (If you grew up with these, I'm jealous!) August and September are the "heart of the season" around here, hence the name of our 6-week summer share. I trust you know how to use kale and chard by now (if those were exotic at first)- at the very least, you can blanch and freeze them to use in soups, lasagne, calzones, etc. in the winter, if you can't eat them all now. If you're at a loss as to what to do with all those cucumbers, try simple refrigerator pickles (if not full-on canned, brined pickles) (note: there are lots of variations on dill pickles out there; I have not used this recipe yet, but it looks promising. I have also added grape leaves to cucumber pickles to help maintain crispness- check that out before you embark on a pickle project- no one wants soggy pickles!).
Time flies. Newsletters
/ forgotten- crops must be picked.
/ Cucumbers in charge.
Last week AND the week before were full of summer bounty- all the heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, and the very beginning of melons, peppers, eggplants....
You got many of these things plus kale, chard, beets, carrots, sweet onions, herbs like thyme, dill, or chives, elephant-head amaranth (ornamental flowers) for drying, sweet little celery and cabbages, the last of the summer kohlrabi (more to come for fall!), and garlic.
Perhaps I'm forgetting something, but it's comfort food season- things most of us grew up with and know how to use. i.e. no radicchio, no daikon, no tatsoi. (If you grew up with these, I'm jealous!) August and September are the "heart of the season" around here, hence the name of our 6-week summer share. I trust you know how to use kale and chard by now (if those were exotic at first)- at the very least, you can blanch and freeze them to use in soups, lasagne, calzones, etc. in the winter, if you can't eat them all now. If you're at a loss as to what to do with all those cucumbers, try simple refrigerator pickles (if not full-on canned, brined pickles) (note: there are lots of variations on dill pickles out there; I have not used this recipe yet, but it looks promising. I have also added grape leaves to cucumber pickles to help maintain crispness- check that out before you embark on a pickle project- no one wants soggy pickles!).
Thursday, August 18, 2011
BPF CSA Week 10 - In Your Share This Week
Just a list for the time being- it's been a nutty week (even nuttier than usual around here!), which means newsletter-writing gets pushed to the bottom of my to-do list. Bear with me- I'll be more chatty next week. ;)
Garlic
Sweet little green celery
Kohlrabi OR cabbage (by the way, Saturday people got cabbage last week instead of pac choi- you probably figured that out)
Sweet Onions
Summer squash/zucchini- all kinds
Cucumbers- all kinds
Beans- rainbow mix and/or green and/or Italian Roma (flat pod)
Carrots OR Beets (red, gold and/or pink)
Kale OR chard
Hoophouse tomatoes (and the very very first field tomatoes!)
Basil- Caprese salad, anyone?
Cilantro- if you can't use it all this week, try making cilantro pesto -same as basil pesto w/ cilantro instead. And I use sunflower seeds in place of pine nuts for this one.
Garlic
Sweet little green celery
Kohlrabi OR cabbage (by the way, Saturday people got cabbage last week instead of pac choi- you probably figured that out)
Sweet Onions
Summer squash/zucchini- all kinds
Cucumbers- all kinds
Beans- rainbow mix and/or green and/or Italian Roma (flat pod)
Carrots OR Beets (red, gold and/or pink)
Kale OR chard
Hoophouse tomatoes (and the very very first field tomatoes!)
Basil- Caprese salad, anyone?
Cilantro- if you can't use it all this week, try making cilantro pesto -same as basil pesto w/ cilantro instead. And I use sunflower seeds in place of pine nuts for this one.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Birch Point 2011 CSA Week 9- summer squash and cucumbers and garlic, oh my!
Week 9 already! Since we guarantee 18 weeks for a full season share, or go up to 22, weather permitting, we could be at the half way mark already! That is nuts- seems like just yesterday we held the pre-season meeting in the barn. Wow, time flies. Right now it looks like we're going to go longer than 18 wks, as the season started on the late side, and we've got the hoophouse this year to extend it.
We are just now entering the true "heart of summer"- field tomatoes *just* starting to ripen, melons on the verge of ripeness, garlic all in the barn, onions starting to come in.... the list goes on. So, in your share this week:
Carrots! the first of the season- how did that happen? These carrots went in the ground early; they just took forever to size up. Thanks for your patience, everyone. You'll see either carrots or beets in your share every week from now on, weather permitting. Storage tip: remove greens from carrots (all roots, really, like beets, radishes, etc) to keep roots firm. Leaves continue to evapotranspire even after harvest, stealing moisture from the roots, which shortens storage life. Soak in cold water, and store in an airtight container in the fridge for max crispiness.
Cucumbers! They are on a rampage. You may see regular slicers, lemon cukes (small, round, whitish-yellow cukes- taste like cucumber, looks like lemon), or Suyo Long cukes ("burpless" Asian cukes that grow in crazy shapes and to enormous lengths).
Summer Squash/Zucchini- also unstoppable right now. You may get a mix of green or yellow zucchini, yellow or green pattypan squash, yellow crookneck squash, "eightball" zukes (round, dark green), Tondo Chiaro di Toscano or Ronde de Nice (both light green round squash), or maybe a mystery squash.... Guess what- they are all interchangeable! Small ones are tender with edible skin; big ones are seedier with thicker skin (great for zucchini/summer squash bread). Though I must point out, I've enjoyed a couple of enormous Tondo Chiaro squash (8" diameter), and they were sweet, tender, and not very seedy at all.
Sweet Onions- the very first Walla Wallas, harvested by Hannah Israel, who moved here three years ago from Walla Walla, itself. Remember how early in the season I lamented our small onions (they went in late and took forever to start sizing up)? Some of them are indeed small, but others lived down their inauspicious beginnings and are at least tennis ball sized. All are sweet and delicious.
Hoophouse Tomatoes- another lovely mix of Juliets (long, red), Fargo Yellow Pears (just like they sound), Sungolds (small, orange), and a few Black Cherries (smoky brown-purple). OR Oregon Spring slicers- an early heirloom that produces copious quantities of early fruits. The Oregon Springs have a good flavor, but I can't WAIT to share the rest of the heirlooms from the field with you, for flavor AND texture. AND color. The very first ripe field tomatoes were spotted last week- I estimate next week we'll have our first CSA-sized harvest IF the heat keeps up. If not, it could be two more weeks.
Fresh GARLIC- all the garlic is tucked away in the barn now, and our garlic planting party will be on or around Halloween/Dia de los Muertos. Check back later for the actual date. Meanwhile, enjoy the "stinking rose." This fresh, juicy garlic stores well in the fridge. Later on, when you start getting cured (dry skin) garlic, it will store better in a cool, DRY spot.
Oh Boy! It's Pac Choi! (a.k.a. "Bok Choy")- Lovely, crisp, juicy Asian relative of the cabbage. This time of year, I like to chop it into a simple Asian salad, with garlic, ginger, hot peppers (optional), cilantro, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. It's always good stir-fried, too. See "A to Z" for more preparation ideas.
Either Broccoli OR Giant Kohlrabi- remember last week when I said that was the end of the kohlrabi until fall? I forgot about the GIANT kohlrabi in the back field! We've had such good responses to kohlrabi that we planted a lot this year. Please let me know what you think about this weird spaceship-like veggie. These giants are now my favorites- they're juicy, tender, and crisp, without any woodiness so far. But if your family is saying "enough already!" to kohlrabi, take broccoli instead.
The very first BEANS of the season- you may get a "rainbow mix" of green, purple, and yellow, or the flat-podded Italian Roma beans, or possibly plain old Jade, my current favorite green bean- the best flavor available, and when picked small and tender, the best texture, too - "to die for" according to CSA member Sheila McRae. A pet peeve of mine: big, stringy, starchy beans. We try to pick them small and tender. Enjoy steamed lightly OR raw- the purples turn green when cooked, so try the rainbow mix in a marinated raw bean salad instead of cooking. Sheila also recommended a recipe from A to Z that involves pine nuts and vinegar and olive oil- "so good it should be illegal." Check it out.
Possibly another surprise or two.....
Announcements
1.Wareberries are back! Ware Farm in Manistee County has a very limited quantity of their certified organic blueberries available. If you'd like to order a 10# box, email me ASAP. Tuesday shares, email me by Sun evening, so I can order your berries to be delivered here Tues. Saturday shares- I know it's short notice, but email me by Friday morning, so I can call Wares to have your box at market this Sat. They *may* extend the blueberry season til next Sat, in which case you'll have one more week to order, but no guarantees.
2. Dilly Beans and Cucumber Pickling Workshop: Thursday Aug 25, from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Birch Point Farm. Come learn how to make and can dilly bean and cucumber pickles; or if you know how, come join in the fun of a community canning party. Register early, since space is limited. Produce, canning jars and lids will be provided. Each participant will can dilly beans and pickles hands-on, and take home a share of the jars at the end of the workshop. There will be take-home information and other canning resources available. Presented by ISLAND (www.artmeetsearth.org) with support from Organic Valley, Eden Foods, & Rising Star Wellness Ctr. $30, Preregistration required. Contact ISLAND at (231) 480-4515 or info@artmeetsearth.org.
Field Notes
45 days til frost! That's the mantra running through my mind this week. It's crazy to think we've not even started picking field tomatoes or melons, and fall is already on the horizon. There's no way to tell exactly when the first fall frost will hit, but the first week of October is a likely bet. The past few years it's been mid-Oct, so we may see that trend continue (later frost), but for planning purposes, I consider Oct. 1 the end of summer. That means we're getting all the very last outdoor fall plantings in (daikon radish, the last round of beets and carrots, fall turnips, trays and trays of late-summer lettuces, radicchio, Asian greens, scallions, one last round of broccoli, and more baby salad mix, to name a few. I even threw in one last batch of transplanted pickling cukes and one last bean planting, to see if we could eke out more late-season summer crops -maybe the frost will come late, after all!).
I'm also attempting to nurture a warm-season spinach planting through the heat of August to harvest in Sept- a trick, as spinach really hates the heat and bolts (starts to flower and turn bitter) in hot weather. I'm watering like mad and have a shade cloth on deck in case of another 95 + degree spell. This goes against my nature, to just eat what grows easily in season, but it seems spinach has a more dedicated following than other greens, so to fulfill the mission of getting more local greens into more local folks, we're trying this. Depending on the outcome of this experiment, you may see some summer spinach in shares in Sept!
Last week we hosted our last field trip of campers from Camp Arbutus-Hayowentha. The girls were the most enthusiastic group of the summer, and they LOVED squishing tomato hornworms and watching the green guts spew everywhere. (I'm repeating what they said) They also helped take down the pea trellises from the early spring garden. A whole batch of volunteers and farm friends showed up on Tuesday for CSA harvest- we had a relaxing day and a bountiful harvest, with plenty of hands on deck. CSA members and friends- you are ALWAYS welcome to come pitch in for harvest, or any day on the farm. Any time you get the urge to dig in the dirt (or pick beans or tomatoes, or weed the compost pile, or do data entry, or clean out the chicken coop), you are welcome. Come for an hour or a day, just let me know you're coming, so we can put you to work. You'll always go home with extras, too.
Recipes
Quick Cucumber Salad
Since it's non-lettuce salad season, I'd like to share my favorite cool cuke salad with you:
2 large or 4-5 small cucumbers, chopped into bite-sized pieces. Remove seeds if you like. Skin if you feel compelled to.
1 sweet onion, sliced into thin half-rounds
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
A handful of any fresh herbs you have on hand, chopped- I'm partial to dill, thyme, basil, or chives
1 Tbsp coarse salt
2 tsp. ground coriander (optional)
2 tsp. ground mustard (optional)
2 tsp. sugar (optional)
1 Tbsp. ground black or white pepper
1/2 c. rice vinegar or any light-colored vinegar
1/4 c. tasty olive oil
Toss cucumbers, onions, garlic, herbs, spices, sugar, salt, pepper, and vinegar, let marinate for 10-30 min (or more- let sit overnight if you like), then toss with olive oil and serve. For a yummy yogurty twist- reduce vinegar to a tablespoon, and stir in 1/2 cup plain yogurt before serving. Garnish with chopped tomatoes or more herbs.
Summer Squash Patties from allrecipes.com
Ingredients
* 8 medium yellow squash, shredded (MF note: use any color or kind of summer squash or zucchini- yellow and green mixed are beautiful)
* 1 onion, shredded
* 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup cornmeal
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
* ground black pepper to taste
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions
1. Place the squash and onion in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and drain about 30 minutes, until no longer moist.
2. In a bowl, mix the squash and onion, flour, cornmeal, egg, and cheese. Season with pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop squash mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls into the skillet, and cook 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
We are just now entering the true "heart of summer"- field tomatoes *just* starting to ripen, melons on the verge of ripeness, garlic all in the barn, onions starting to come in.... the list goes on. So, in your share this week:
Carrots! the first of the season- how did that happen? These carrots went in the ground early; they just took forever to size up. Thanks for your patience, everyone. You'll see either carrots or beets in your share every week from now on, weather permitting. Storage tip: remove greens from carrots (all roots, really, like beets, radishes, etc) to keep roots firm. Leaves continue to evapotranspire even after harvest, stealing moisture from the roots, which shortens storage life. Soak in cold water, and store in an airtight container in the fridge for max crispiness.
Cucumbers! They are on a rampage. You may see regular slicers, lemon cukes (small, round, whitish-yellow cukes- taste like cucumber, looks like lemon), or Suyo Long cukes ("burpless" Asian cukes that grow in crazy shapes and to enormous lengths).
Summer Squash/Zucchini- also unstoppable right now. You may get a mix of green or yellow zucchini, yellow or green pattypan squash, yellow crookneck squash, "eightball" zukes (round, dark green), Tondo Chiaro di Toscano or Ronde de Nice (both light green round squash), or maybe a mystery squash.... Guess what- they are all interchangeable! Small ones are tender with edible skin; big ones are seedier with thicker skin (great for zucchini/summer squash bread). Though I must point out, I've enjoyed a couple of enormous Tondo Chiaro squash (8" diameter), and they were sweet, tender, and not very seedy at all.
Sweet Onions- the very first Walla Wallas, harvested by Hannah Israel, who moved here three years ago from Walla Walla, itself. Remember how early in the season I lamented our small onions (they went in late and took forever to start sizing up)? Some of them are indeed small, but others lived down their inauspicious beginnings and are at least tennis ball sized. All are sweet and delicious.
Hoophouse Tomatoes- another lovely mix of Juliets (long, red), Fargo Yellow Pears (just like they sound), Sungolds (small, orange), and a few Black Cherries (smoky brown-purple). OR Oregon Spring slicers- an early heirloom that produces copious quantities of early fruits. The Oregon Springs have a good flavor, but I can't WAIT to share the rest of the heirlooms from the field with you, for flavor AND texture. AND color. The very first ripe field tomatoes were spotted last week- I estimate next week we'll have our first CSA-sized harvest IF the heat keeps up. If not, it could be two more weeks.
Fresh GARLIC- all the garlic is tucked away in the barn now, and our garlic planting party will be on or around Halloween/Dia de los Muertos. Check back later for the actual date. Meanwhile, enjoy the "stinking rose." This fresh, juicy garlic stores well in the fridge. Later on, when you start getting cured (dry skin) garlic, it will store better in a cool, DRY spot.
Oh Boy! It's Pac Choi! (a.k.a. "Bok Choy")- Lovely, crisp, juicy Asian relative of the cabbage. This time of year, I like to chop it into a simple Asian salad, with garlic, ginger, hot peppers (optional), cilantro, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. It's always good stir-fried, too. See "A to Z" for more preparation ideas.
Either Broccoli OR Giant Kohlrabi- remember last week when I said that was the end of the kohlrabi until fall? I forgot about the GIANT kohlrabi in the back field! We've had such good responses to kohlrabi that we planted a lot this year. Please let me know what you think about this weird spaceship-like veggie. These giants are now my favorites- they're juicy, tender, and crisp, without any woodiness so far. But if your family is saying "enough already!" to kohlrabi, take broccoli instead.
The very first BEANS of the season- you may get a "rainbow mix" of green, purple, and yellow, or the flat-podded Italian Roma beans, or possibly plain old Jade, my current favorite green bean- the best flavor available, and when picked small and tender, the best texture, too - "to die for" according to CSA member Sheila McRae. A pet peeve of mine: big, stringy, starchy beans. We try to pick them small and tender. Enjoy steamed lightly OR raw- the purples turn green when cooked, so try the rainbow mix in a marinated raw bean salad instead of cooking. Sheila also recommended a recipe from A to Z that involves pine nuts and vinegar and olive oil- "so good it should be illegal." Check it out.
Possibly another surprise or two.....
Announcements
1.Wareberries are back! Ware Farm in Manistee County has a very limited quantity of their certified organic blueberries available. If you'd like to order a 10# box, email me ASAP. Tuesday shares, email me by Sun evening, so I can order your berries to be delivered here Tues. Saturday shares- I know it's short notice, but email me by Friday morning, so I can call Wares to have your box at market this Sat. They *may* extend the blueberry season til next Sat, in which case you'll have one more week to order, but no guarantees.
2. Dilly Beans and Cucumber Pickling Workshop: Thursday Aug 25, from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Birch Point Farm. Come learn how to make and can dilly bean and cucumber pickles; or if you know how, come join in the fun of a community canning party. Register early, since space is limited. Produce, canning jars and lids will be provided. Each participant will can dilly beans and pickles hands-on, and take home a share of the jars at the end of the workshop. There will be take-home information and other canning resources available. Presented by ISLAND (www.artmeetsearth.org) with support from Organic Valley, Eden Foods, & Rising Star Wellness Ctr. $30, Preregistration required. Contact ISLAND at (231) 480-4515 or info@artmeetsearth.org.
Field Notes
45 days til frost! That's the mantra running through my mind this week. It's crazy to think we've not even started picking field tomatoes or melons, and fall is already on the horizon. There's no way to tell exactly when the first fall frost will hit, but the first week of October is a likely bet. The past few years it's been mid-Oct, so we may see that trend continue (later frost), but for planning purposes, I consider Oct. 1 the end of summer. That means we're getting all the very last outdoor fall plantings in (daikon radish, the last round of beets and carrots, fall turnips, trays and trays of late-summer lettuces, radicchio, Asian greens, scallions, one last round of broccoli, and more baby salad mix, to name a few. I even threw in one last batch of transplanted pickling cukes and one last bean planting, to see if we could eke out more late-season summer crops -maybe the frost will come late, after all!).
I'm also attempting to nurture a warm-season spinach planting through the heat of August to harvest in Sept- a trick, as spinach really hates the heat and bolts (starts to flower and turn bitter) in hot weather. I'm watering like mad and have a shade cloth on deck in case of another 95 + degree spell. This goes against my nature, to just eat what grows easily in season, but it seems spinach has a more dedicated following than other greens, so to fulfill the mission of getting more local greens into more local folks, we're trying this. Depending on the outcome of this experiment, you may see some summer spinach in shares in Sept!
Last week we hosted our last field trip of campers from Camp Arbutus-Hayowentha. The girls were the most enthusiastic group of the summer, and they LOVED squishing tomato hornworms and watching the green guts spew everywhere. (I'm repeating what they said) They also helped take down the pea trellises from the early spring garden. A whole batch of volunteers and farm friends showed up on Tuesday for CSA harvest- we had a relaxing day and a bountiful harvest, with plenty of hands on deck. CSA members and friends- you are ALWAYS welcome to come pitch in for harvest, or any day on the farm. Any time you get the urge to dig in the dirt (or pick beans or tomatoes, or weed the compost pile, or do data entry, or clean out the chicken coop), you are welcome. Come for an hour or a day, just let me know you're coming, so we can put you to work. You'll always go home with extras, too.
Recipes
Quick Cucumber Salad
Since it's non-lettuce salad season, I'd like to share my favorite cool cuke salad with you:
2 large or 4-5 small cucumbers, chopped into bite-sized pieces. Remove seeds if you like. Skin if you feel compelled to.
1 sweet onion, sliced into thin half-rounds
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
A handful of any fresh herbs you have on hand, chopped- I'm partial to dill, thyme, basil, or chives
1 Tbsp coarse salt
2 tsp. ground coriander (optional)
2 tsp. ground mustard (optional)
2 tsp. sugar (optional)
1 Tbsp. ground black or white pepper
1/2 c. rice vinegar or any light-colored vinegar
1/4 c. tasty olive oil
Toss cucumbers, onions, garlic, herbs, spices, sugar, salt, pepper, and vinegar, let marinate for 10-30 min (or more- let sit overnight if you like), then toss with olive oil and serve. For a yummy yogurty twist- reduce vinegar to a tablespoon, and stir in 1/2 cup plain yogurt before serving. Garnish with chopped tomatoes or more herbs.
Summer Squash Patties from allrecipes.com
Ingredients
* 8 medium yellow squash, shredded (MF note: use any color or kind of summer squash or zucchini- yellow and green mixed are beautiful)
* 1 onion, shredded
* 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup cornmeal
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
* ground black pepper to taste
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions
1. Place the squash and onion in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and drain about 30 minutes, until no longer moist.
2. In a bowl, mix the squash and onion, flour, cornmeal, egg, and cheese. Season with pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop squash mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls into the skillet, and cook 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
BPF CSA Week 8
In Your Share This Week:
the very first POTATOES! Either red or gold, these new potatoes are melty and delicious. Enjoy with the purslane and dill and garlic (and some dressing) for an excellent potato salad.
dill- see "potatoes" and/or "cucumbers"
Cucumbers and/or Summer Squash- the very first cucumbers, and still near the beginning of the summer squash, these will both come on in bigger quantities over the next few weeks. Enjoy a cucumber salad and/or squash on the grill with or without dill (Dawn, you get chives, not dill) ;)
the very first CABBAGE- not the Napa of a few weeks ago, but "conehead" regular cabbage- dense and crispy, thinly shredded or sliced cabbage, marinated in vinaigrette for a day or two makes excellent summer salad, especially with purslane and cucumbers and garlic and tomatoes!
Purslane- the first Wild Edible of the season. We like to include wildcrafted (not cultivated) foods once in a while. Purslane is a wild edible plant that grows like a weed in our garden. It's actually quite popular in Mexican cooking, known as "verdolagas," and if you look on line for recipes, you may come up with more under the Spanish name. It's high in Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and A. Try it raw in salads, scrambled with eggs, blended in smoothies, or any other way you can think of (like potato salad!).
Garlic- more fresh garlic; it will keep coming. ;) Don't bother hoarding.
Broccoli! Who wouldn't want broccoli three weeks in a row?
Kohlrabi! Who wouldn't want broccoli AND kohlrabi three weeks in a row? :) This is the end of kohlrabi til fall, so enjoy.
Kale or Chard- everyone's favorite greens. Freeze any leftovers for winter greens. If you need extras, just ask- I do have an agenda to dramatically increase the leafy greens consumption of our region, and we're happy to supply you with more of these in the interest of meeting that goal.
hoophouse-grown TOMATOES- the second harvest of the season- you'll get either a mix of different cherry tomatoes, or "Oregon Spring" red slicing tomatoes. mmmm......
the very first POTATOES! Either red or gold, these new potatoes are melty and delicious. Enjoy with the purslane and dill and garlic (and some dressing) for an excellent potato salad.
dill- see "potatoes" and/or "cucumbers"
Cucumbers and/or Summer Squash- the very first cucumbers, and still near the beginning of the summer squash, these will both come on in bigger quantities over the next few weeks. Enjoy a cucumber salad and/or squash on the grill with or without dill (Dawn, you get chives, not dill) ;)
the very first CABBAGE- not the Napa of a few weeks ago, but "conehead" regular cabbage- dense and crispy, thinly shredded or sliced cabbage, marinated in vinaigrette for a day or two makes excellent summer salad, especially with purslane and cucumbers and garlic and tomatoes!
Purslane- the first Wild Edible of the season. We like to include wildcrafted (not cultivated) foods once in a while. Purslane is a wild edible plant that grows like a weed in our garden. It's actually quite popular in Mexican cooking, known as "verdolagas," and if you look on line for recipes, you may come up with more under the Spanish name. It's high in Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and A. Try it raw in salads, scrambled with eggs, blended in smoothies, or any other way you can think of (like potato salad!).
Garlic- more fresh garlic; it will keep coming. ;) Don't bother hoarding.
Broccoli! Who wouldn't want broccoli three weeks in a row?
Kohlrabi! Who wouldn't want broccoli AND kohlrabi three weeks in a row? :) This is the end of kohlrabi til fall, so enjoy.
Kale or Chard- everyone's favorite greens. Freeze any leftovers for winter greens. If you need extras, just ask- I do have an agenda to dramatically increase the leafy greens consumption of our region, and we're happy to supply you with more of these in the interest of meeting that goal.
hoophouse-grown TOMATOES- the second harvest of the season- you'll get either a mix of different cherry tomatoes, or "Oregon Spring" red slicing tomatoes. mmmm......
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
BPF CSA Week 7 news
Birch Point CSA
2011 Week 7!
In Your Share This Week:
Fava Beans! These beautiful Italian shelling beans are unlike any other bean- the flavor is unique and wonderful. If you like beans at all, you will love these. The trick is that they take some work to enjoy. Each bean (inside the pod) needs to be peeled before eating- the easiest way is to steam or blanch them first, then they slip from skins easily. Click here for instructions. Last night we made a fava “pesto” on bruschetta- toasted bread rubbed with fresh garlic, then topped with fava spread and shaved parmesan. See recipes section- it’s super easy if you have a food processor, and even if you mash them by hand it’s not hard, just takes longer.
The very first hoophouse Tomatoes! This is exciting, friends. In a year with such a cold, wet, late spring, we’ve got ripe tomatoes in July. I fall in love with the hoophouse over and over. This is just the beginning- a mix of cherry tomatoes and small slicers- there will be so many more!
Summer squash and/or Zucchini- again, the first of the season! You may see classic green zucchini, Costata Romanesca (ribbed zukes), eightball zukes (looks just like the name implies), yellow straight-neck or crook-neck squash, patty pan squash (the bumpy little yellow and green guys that look like spaceships), or light green summer squash. Guess what- while each has their own shape and color, they are ALL interchangeable in recipes; yes, even zucchini bread (any overgrown summer squash/zuke is perfect for that). My favorite is sliced and fried in butter til just browned on the edges, with salt and pepper, and fresh herbs chopped on top.
Napa (Chinese) Cabbage- instead of baby salad mix, this week’s salad greens are Napa. We’re giving the baby lettuce a rest to regrow for next week (we’ve been hitting it pretty hard) and give the newest planting a chance to size up before its first harvest. Napa is a cabbage, so it has a little of that cabbage “bite” to it, but it is mild and tender. So use Napa any way you’d use lettuce- shredded, chopped, whole leaves as a “bed” for other dishes, etc.
Scallions – as far as I know, everyone loves scallions. So we grow a lot. Please let me know how this quantity is working for you.
Beets! Same as last week- who wouldn’t want beets two weeks in a row? If you're not going to use them immediately, to store,remove greens and store separately- if attached, the leaves will evaporate moisture, causing the root to shrink and become soft. Without leaves, the roots can keep for weeks or even months in plastic in the fridge. Some people think the beet greens are the best part- use them just like spinach or Swiss chard (and vice versa).
Kohlrabi- same (who wouldn’t want kohlrabi two weeks in a row?) ;)
Broccoli- the third installment of tiny, early broccoli. It keeps trickling in- I’d like to give you all two heads at a time when they’re this small, but there are only enough heads maturing at any one time to give everyone one per week for now. Enjoy!
Fresh Garlic- the first of the season! This garlic is fresh out of the ground, not cured at all, so refrigerate and use it up. It won’t store for months like fall garlic after curing, but it’s pungent and delicious, and easy to peel since it’s still so moist. Use the upper portion of the plant for making soup stock. See Announcements section for the 2011 Garlic Harvest Party, when you can help get the garlic out of the ground and into the barn.
Kale or Swiss Chard- Katherine DeGood said, “Thanks to a few busy weeks I was inspired to blanch and freeze a bunch of chard and kale to use in my veggie lasagna this winter. Thought it might be good to pass on to those who aren't sure about being able to use it all right away. I blanched it for 2 minutes, drained and cooled it in a colander and then lightly got the excess out once it was cool before putting it in a freezer bag.” Thanks Katherine! Also, see Recipes for Jason’s favorite Kale-Tomato summer slurry.
Announcements
1. Garlic Harvest Party and Movie Night all rolled into one! Saturday July 30. Bring the whole family; we’re digging the Stinking Rose. The Plan: Dig, Pull, Bundle, Transport to barn, Hang up to cure. All ages, experience levels, and abilities welcome. Wear work clothes and gloves, and hard-soled shoes/boots if you want to be a digger. Potluck to follow, featuring anti-vampire fare. Stay after the potluck for a movie in the barn (featuring popcorn and a good vampire flick). Schedule: Garlic Harvest: 3-6 p.m. Potluck 6-ish til 7-ish. Movie directly after. Come for any or all of it! Bring friends.
2. Heart of Summer shares available- a new thing for 2011. Summer-only shares are six weeks long, and are intended for folks who are in northern MI only for summer, who want to try CSA but couldn’t commit to an entire season, or just heard about CSA and can’t wait til next year to join! Cost: $200, starts last week of July and runs through August. Please refer friends and fudgies.
3. Did you see Julie’s CSA Family Photo Album questionnaire that came around two weeks ago? Julie wants your stories- please reply to her email with your info, if you’d like to be part of the album. We’ll have hard copies available too, so you can fill in your info and leave that with us at CSA pick-up (or return it the following week).
Field Notes
This Tuesday, Jason, Julie, and a crew of volunteers pulled off CSA harvest without me! I had to be out of town (for a funeral, my mom’s brother died suddenly the week before), so the fearless crew ran the show here. They did all the chores, installed more irrigation, handweeded, hoed, watered, picked potato beetles, and harvested. They did such a great job that I’m considering taking more long weekends off. ;) I am thankful to have such capable and generous people here on the farm this year- thanks so much to everyone who pitched in from Saturday to Tuesday.
In other news, we’re getting to the season when we harvest every day- things like tomatoes (in the hoophouse for now, but from the field soon enough), summer squash, beans (1-2 weeks out), cucumbers (2-3 weeks out). If you love harvesting and would like to come out one afternoon a week, or even one hour a week, and “adopt a crop,” we will train you and set you loose! Let me know when you’re coming.
Once we get the rest of the fall brassicas in the ground this week, we will be at our summer “plateau”- when we’re not planting much additional space, just maintaining the somewhat crazy level of activity we’ve established. The plateau usually comes in July but got pushed back like everything else from the late spring. The first two weeks of August are Julie and Jason’s vacation weeks, respectively, so we will be down one pair of hands for those two weeks. If you or anyone you know can pitch in a day or two, we’ll put you to work.
I’m looking for a good, heavy-duty gas-powered weed whip. Do you have such a thing languishing in your garage or pole barn? If I can find a used one, that’s my first choice, but if not, I’ll start looking at new ones. What recommendations do experienced weed-whippers have? Brands, sizes, features, etc? I’m thinking string and blade attachments and a shoulder strap. Beyond that, I don’t know what to look for or consider- help please?
Meet Your Farmers
This one’s about me- Michelle. I’m from Michigan; I love the great lakes state and its sweet water, hills, shores, forests, all of it. I have moved away and come back several times, and I think this time it’s for good. I grew up in suburbia in downstate Michigan, and my family always had a little garden, but not a farm. In college, I thought I’d study French or drama, but I took one plant class and it was all downhill to botany from there. I first encountered CSA at the Community Farm of Ann Arbor, the first CSA farm in Michigan. My post-college housemates were apprenticing there, and I volunteered with them a few times and was hooked. I’ve worked at farms in Massachusetts (first full season was an internship at Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, MA in 2000) and Michigan. My masters degree is in horticulture from MSU, and while I was there, I managed the Student Organic Farm through its first three years of life, and, along with the student farmers, started their year-round CSA. In 2006 I took a five-month bicycle tour of CSA farms in Michigan, which landed me here in Leelanau county. My goal here is to make this farm as self-sufficient as possible, closing the gaps in our nutrient cycles and minimizing off-farm inputs. In the next three to five years, I plan on myself and at least one other full time farmer making a living exclusively from the farm (no off-farm jobs), employing several local folks seasonally, and expanding the farm internship program to be more comprehensive and fine-tuned. On the odd occasion that I’m not working on the farm, you might find me walking the dog to the lake to swim, cooking, serving on the board of ISLAND, or xc skiing every day in the winter
Recipes
Fava Beans: true confession time- the only thing I’d ever done with favas was blanch the or sauté in olive oil then eat with salt and pepper and maybe lemon juice. That is quite enough- they are that good. However, I looked up “how to cook fava beans” the other day and came up with some great ideas- many from chowhound.com. I made a version (blanched beans, not poached in oil) of the fava “pesto” to spread on garlic-rubbed toasts last night, and it was amazing. A few entries that jumped out at me are below. Let me know YOUR favorite fava dish! We may have one more week of favas, or these may be the only ones; hard to say if the small ones in the field will size up or not, with the recent heat.
30 seconds in boiling water is long enough to make the skins easy to remove.
Try some raw after you've peel them to see if you like the flavor. When they get a little older they can get a bit bitter and starchy, in which case they would be best cooked more.
My favorite prep is to poach about 75% of the peeled beans in olive oil over low heat for about 10 minutes. Then put the poached beans, reserved raw beans, and oil in a food processor, add salt and pepper, and puree. Add more olive oil if necessary to make it creamy. Spread over crostini and top with black pepper, shaved pecorino, and a few drops of truffle oil. Pure heaven. Serve with an Alto Adige Sauvignon Blanc.
From user nja on May 17, 2006 11:30AM on chowhound.com
Another great vegetarian dish with dried favas comes from Umbria. Purée the reconstituted and cooked beans with a slice or two of crustless white bread soaked in milk. Beat in some EVOO to lighten the texture. Keep warm. Meanwhile, parboil some rapini, then drain and sauté it in olive oil in which you've browned a few smooshed garlic cloves. Spread the purée on a platter, top with the rapini, drizzle with more EVOO and serve, preferably with some crusty peasant bread. Amazing synergy of flavours, one of those greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts dishes. (MF note: you can sub broccoli for rapini; it won’t be as bitter, but will have excellent flavor and color)
From user carswell on May 17, 2006 11:52AM on chowhound.com
Summer Kale-Tomato Slurry by Jason Dudycha
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 med onions, chopped coarsely (or 4-5 scallions, white and green parts)
olive oil
3-4 med tomatoes, chopped large
3-4 kale leaves, incl. stems, chopped coarsely
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
pasta or rice
First sautee garlic and onions in 2 Tbsp olive oil. When browned, add tomatoes, 2 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp salt. Simmer 1-2 min or until tomatoes are soft. Add 1 more Tbsp olive oil, vinegar, and nutritional yeast. Stir until creamy consistency. Add kale, mix all together, cover, simmer 1-2 minutes. Salt to taste. Remove from heat, serve with pasta or rice.
2011 Week 7!
In Your Share This Week:
Fava Beans! These beautiful Italian shelling beans are unlike any other bean- the flavor is unique and wonderful. If you like beans at all, you will love these. The trick is that they take some work to enjoy. Each bean (inside the pod) needs to be peeled before eating- the easiest way is to steam or blanch them first, then they slip from skins easily. Click here for instructions. Last night we made a fava “pesto” on bruschetta- toasted bread rubbed with fresh garlic, then topped with fava spread and shaved parmesan. See recipes section- it’s super easy if you have a food processor, and even if you mash them by hand it’s not hard, just takes longer.
The very first hoophouse Tomatoes! This is exciting, friends. In a year with such a cold, wet, late spring, we’ve got ripe tomatoes in July. I fall in love with the hoophouse over and over. This is just the beginning- a mix of cherry tomatoes and small slicers- there will be so many more!
Summer squash and/or Zucchini- again, the first of the season! You may see classic green zucchini, Costata Romanesca (ribbed zukes), eightball zukes (looks just like the name implies), yellow straight-neck or crook-neck squash, patty pan squash (the bumpy little yellow and green guys that look like spaceships), or light green summer squash. Guess what- while each has their own shape and color, they are ALL interchangeable in recipes; yes, even zucchini bread (any overgrown summer squash/zuke is perfect for that). My favorite is sliced and fried in butter til just browned on the edges, with salt and pepper, and fresh herbs chopped on top.
Napa (Chinese) Cabbage- instead of baby salad mix, this week’s salad greens are Napa. We’re giving the baby lettuce a rest to regrow for next week (we’ve been hitting it pretty hard) and give the newest planting a chance to size up before its first harvest. Napa is a cabbage, so it has a little of that cabbage “bite” to it, but it is mild and tender. So use Napa any way you’d use lettuce- shredded, chopped, whole leaves as a “bed” for other dishes, etc.
Scallions – as far as I know, everyone loves scallions. So we grow a lot. Please let me know how this quantity is working for you.
Beets! Same as last week- who wouldn’t want beets two weeks in a row? If you're not going to use them immediately, to store,remove greens and store separately- if attached, the leaves will evaporate moisture, causing the root to shrink and become soft. Without leaves, the roots can keep for weeks or even months in plastic in the fridge. Some people think the beet greens are the best part- use them just like spinach or Swiss chard (and vice versa).
Kohlrabi- same (who wouldn’t want kohlrabi two weeks in a row?) ;)
Broccoli- the third installment of tiny, early broccoli. It keeps trickling in- I’d like to give you all two heads at a time when they’re this small, but there are only enough heads maturing at any one time to give everyone one per week for now. Enjoy!
Fresh Garlic- the first of the season! This garlic is fresh out of the ground, not cured at all, so refrigerate and use it up. It won’t store for months like fall garlic after curing, but it’s pungent and delicious, and easy to peel since it’s still so moist. Use the upper portion of the plant for making soup stock. See Announcements section for the 2011 Garlic Harvest Party, when you can help get the garlic out of the ground and into the barn.
Kale or Swiss Chard- Katherine DeGood said, “Thanks to a few busy weeks I was inspired to blanch and freeze a bunch of chard and kale to use in my veggie lasagna this winter. Thought it might be good to pass on to those who aren't sure about being able to use it all right away. I blanched it for 2 minutes, drained and cooled it in a colander and then lightly got the excess out once it was cool before putting it in a freezer bag.” Thanks Katherine! Also, see Recipes for Jason’s favorite Kale-Tomato summer slurry.
Announcements
1. Garlic Harvest Party and Movie Night all rolled into one! Saturday July 30. Bring the whole family; we’re digging the Stinking Rose. The Plan: Dig, Pull, Bundle, Transport to barn, Hang up to cure. All ages, experience levels, and abilities welcome. Wear work clothes and gloves, and hard-soled shoes/boots if you want to be a digger. Potluck to follow, featuring anti-vampire fare. Stay after the potluck for a movie in the barn (featuring popcorn and a good vampire flick). Schedule: Garlic Harvest: 3-6 p.m. Potluck 6-ish til 7-ish. Movie directly after. Come for any or all of it! Bring friends.
2. Heart of Summer shares available- a new thing for 2011. Summer-only shares are six weeks long, and are intended for folks who are in northern MI only for summer, who want to try CSA but couldn’t commit to an entire season, or just heard about CSA and can’t wait til next year to join! Cost: $200, starts last week of July and runs through August. Please refer friends and fudgies.
3. Did you see Julie’s CSA Family Photo Album questionnaire that came around two weeks ago? Julie wants your stories- please reply to her email with your info, if you’d like to be part of the album. We’ll have hard copies available too, so you can fill in your info and leave that with us at CSA pick-up (or return it the following week).
Field Notes
This Tuesday, Jason, Julie, and a crew of volunteers pulled off CSA harvest without me! I had to be out of town (for a funeral, my mom’s brother died suddenly the week before), so the fearless crew ran the show here. They did all the chores, installed more irrigation, handweeded, hoed, watered, picked potato beetles, and harvested. They did such a great job that I’m considering taking more long weekends off. ;) I am thankful to have such capable and generous people here on the farm this year- thanks so much to everyone who pitched in from Saturday to Tuesday.
In other news, we’re getting to the season when we harvest every day- things like tomatoes (in the hoophouse for now, but from the field soon enough), summer squash, beans (1-2 weeks out), cucumbers (2-3 weeks out). If you love harvesting and would like to come out one afternoon a week, or even one hour a week, and “adopt a crop,” we will train you and set you loose! Let me know when you’re coming.
Once we get the rest of the fall brassicas in the ground this week, we will be at our summer “plateau”- when we’re not planting much additional space, just maintaining the somewhat crazy level of activity we’ve established. The plateau usually comes in July but got pushed back like everything else from the late spring. The first two weeks of August are Julie and Jason’s vacation weeks, respectively, so we will be down one pair of hands for those two weeks. If you or anyone you know can pitch in a day or two, we’ll put you to work.
I’m looking for a good, heavy-duty gas-powered weed whip. Do you have such a thing languishing in your garage or pole barn? If I can find a used one, that’s my first choice, but if not, I’ll start looking at new ones. What recommendations do experienced weed-whippers have? Brands, sizes, features, etc? I’m thinking string and blade attachments and a shoulder strap. Beyond that, I don’t know what to look for or consider- help please?
Meet Your Farmers
This one’s about me- Michelle. I’m from Michigan; I love the great lakes state and its sweet water, hills, shores, forests, all of it. I have moved away and come back several times, and I think this time it’s for good. I grew up in suburbia in downstate Michigan, and my family always had a little garden, but not a farm. In college, I thought I’d study French or drama, but I took one plant class and it was all downhill to botany from there. I first encountered CSA at the Community Farm of Ann Arbor, the first CSA farm in Michigan. My post-college housemates were apprenticing there, and I volunteered with them a few times and was hooked. I’ve worked at farms in Massachusetts (first full season was an internship at Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, MA in 2000) and Michigan. My masters degree is in horticulture from MSU, and while I was there, I managed the Student Organic Farm through its first three years of life, and, along with the student farmers, started their year-round CSA. In 2006 I took a five-month bicycle tour of CSA farms in Michigan, which landed me here in Leelanau county. My goal here is to make this farm as self-sufficient as possible, closing the gaps in our nutrient cycles and minimizing off-farm inputs. In the next three to five years, I plan on myself and at least one other full time farmer making a living exclusively from the farm (no off-farm jobs), employing several local folks seasonally, and expanding the farm internship program to be more comprehensive and fine-tuned. On the odd occasion that I’m not working on the farm, you might find me walking the dog to the lake to swim, cooking, serving on the board of ISLAND, or xc skiing every day in the winter
Recipes
Fava Beans: true confession time- the only thing I’d ever done with favas was blanch the or sauté in olive oil then eat with salt and pepper and maybe lemon juice. That is quite enough- they are that good. However, I looked up “how to cook fava beans” the other day and came up with some great ideas- many from chowhound.com. I made a version (blanched beans, not poached in oil) of the fava “pesto” to spread on garlic-rubbed toasts last night, and it was amazing. A few entries that jumped out at me are below. Let me know YOUR favorite fava dish! We may have one more week of favas, or these may be the only ones; hard to say if the small ones in the field will size up or not, with the recent heat.
30 seconds in boiling water is long enough to make the skins easy to remove.
Try some raw after you've peel them to see if you like the flavor. When they get a little older they can get a bit bitter and starchy, in which case they would be best cooked more.
My favorite prep is to poach about 75% of the peeled beans in olive oil over low heat for about 10 minutes. Then put the poached beans, reserved raw beans, and oil in a food processor, add salt and pepper, and puree. Add more olive oil if necessary to make it creamy. Spread over crostini and top with black pepper, shaved pecorino, and a few drops of truffle oil. Pure heaven. Serve with an Alto Adige Sauvignon Blanc.
From user nja on May 17, 2006 11:30AM on chowhound.com
Another great vegetarian dish with dried favas comes from Umbria. Purée the reconstituted and cooked beans with a slice or two of crustless white bread soaked in milk. Beat in some EVOO to lighten the texture. Keep warm. Meanwhile, parboil some rapini, then drain and sauté it in olive oil in which you've browned a few smooshed garlic cloves. Spread the purée on a platter, top with the rapini, drizzle with more EVOO and serve, preferably with some crusty peasant bread. Amazing synergy of flavours, one of those greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts dishes. (MF note: you can sub broccoli for rapini; it won’t be as bitter, but will have excellent flavor and color)
From user carswell on May 17, 2006 11:52AM on chowhound.com
Summer Kale-Tomato Slurry by Jason Dudycha
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 med onions, chopped coarsely (or 4-5 scallions, white and green parts)
olive oil
3-4 med tomatoes, chopped large
3-4 kale leaves, incl. stems, chopped coarsely
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
pasta or rice
First sautee garlic and onions in 2 Tbsp olive oil. When browned, add tomatoes, 2 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp salt. Simmer 1-2 min or until tomatoes are soft. Add 1 more Tbsp olive oil, vinegar, and nutritional yeast. Stir until creamy consistency. Add kale, mix all together, cover, simmer 1-2 minutes. Salt to taste. Remove from heat, serve with pasta or rice.
Friday, July 22, 2011
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