tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18304410033808533182024-03-12T17:13:21.872-07:00Birch Point Farm What's Up this WeekBirch Point Farm Trial Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247087197330498327noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-5314358012509112782017-10-02T07:00:00.001-07:002017-10-02T07:33:31.589-07:00News from your farmers-- long overdue!Birch Point Farm Occasional Newsletter: CSA week 16: <i>Share Items and Recipes, Fall Farm Party (Oct 15), Fall-Winter CSA and Preserving Shares</i><br />
<i></i><br />
These many weeks have come and gone; and we've so very much enjoyed growing food for you this season! We're not done yet; just wanted to acknowledge that I know it's been a good long while since the last newsletter. I do hope y'all have been enjoying the summer bounty! With the recent weeks' weather, I wasn't convinced that it was fall, BUT we've been putting together essentially "soup shares" the past couple of weeks, since we're due for some good soup weather :) And it's always (so far) good cherry tomato snacking weather!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">In Your Share This Week:</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<b>Potatoes</b>, either white skinned/white fleshed Superior, an early tasty big multipurpose workhorse variety (read: productive!), or Red Gold (pink skin, yellow flesh, perfect littlemultipurpose spud), or perhaps Ama Rosa, the pink inside-and-out fingerling, or Adirondack Blue, the purple inside-and-out small fryer/baker. Or a mix! potato tip: even though "floury" textured spuds are traditionally baked, and "waxy" textured spuds are typically fried, you can certainly roast or boil anything, and with a little salt and/or butter/olive oil and/or fresh parsley, it doesn't really matter how you prepare them. 'Potatoes are yum!' -Rudy<br />
<br />
<b>Turnips,</b> either Hakurei (white Japanese "salad" turnips) or Scarlet Queen (red inside and out). On the turnip spectrum, with the old fashioned purple-tops as a reference, Scarlet Queens are milder and more tender than purple-tops, and Hakureis are much more mild and even tenderer-- we enjoy them raw (slice, sprinkle with salt or not, dip or not, enjoy like carrot sticks, or grate/slice onto salads) OR roasted like potatoes or made into turnip soup. <br />
<br />
<b>Sweet Onions</b>-- Ailsa Craigs, our favorite sweet onion variety. This year I ordered plants for most of our alliums, instead of starting them from seed in our greenhouse as in the past. I'm happy with their production (and the rain didn't hurt either!), so I think we'll do that again in the future, rather than heat the greenhouse for an entire month just for onions (the earliest seeds we typically sow in trays in the greenhouse, often as early as February!) and come out ahead by the savings on greenhouse propane, even though plants cost more than seed.<br />
<br />
<b>Leeks</b>! the first few weeks of leek harvest of the season, and I have to say, they are looking lovely. Leeks are totally interchangeable with onions in recipes, though the flavor and texture is slightly different. Contrary to what some people would have you believe, the green part is totally edible and useable; I've never understood why it got the reputation of being inedible! This week's share was loosely intended to be a "soup" share, and potato-leek was on my mind. See below for recipe.<br />
<b></b><b></b><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<b>Winter Squash</b>-- we've officially crossed the threshold from summer (zucchini, pattypan, etc) to winter (acorn, delicata, dumpling, buttercup, etc) squash. Those summer (soft skin, fresh-eating) squash plants cranked out so much food this summer that if you're like us, you're not sorry to see them go, but the winter (long storing, hard skinned) squash plants are holding their own, having produced loads of sweeties to enjoy now and right through winter. This or next week we'll do the big squash harvest, bringing everything into the greenhouse to "cure," or develop a hard shell, to maximize storage life. If you haven't already done so, you can join the fall-winter CSA (8 weeks of fresh and storage crops, from November through December) for even more squash! Different varieties develop their best flavor after various curing/storage times, so we're enjoying the "early" varieties now but will see even more diversity later in the fall/winter.<br />
<br />
<b>Swiss Chard, Collard Greens, or Kale </b>"No one can imagine a CSA without kale." - David Hambledon, CSA farmer in NY, at a conference I attended many years ago. I would add "or collard greens, Swiss chard, or bok choi." Vitamin- and mineral-packed greens are really the heart and soul of the farm-fresh veggie revolution. Careful, you may end up with super powers. If you're ever at a loss for what to do with cooking greens, see below for "greens patties" recipe.<br />
<br />
<b>Cherry tomatoes</b>-so many cherry tomatoes!!! Preserving Shares Available if you are the kind of person who likes to roast and freeze cherry tomatoes (our favorite tomato preservation method).<br />
<br />
<b>Heirloom Tomatoes</b>- so many varieties.. my favorites include Crnkovic Yugoslavian, Paul Robeson, Japanese Trifele, and Nepal. Kelly's favorite is Aunt Ruby's German Green. Just ask if you want help identifying the lovely beauties in your share! Each one has a story, and each has a unique flavor, texture, and appearance. Preserving shares also available for lugs of cherry tomatoes OR big heirlooms ($40 per crate, approx. 1/2-bushel, for CSA members).<br />
<br />
<b>Lettuce- </b>is back by popular demand (and by the good graces of the deer). This week you'll get a couple different red and/or green varieties, perhaps classic red leaf, green romaine, red or green summer crisp (which is in between a "leaf" variety and an '"iceberg" variety, but with more character and flavor than an iceberg), or red butterhead.<br />
<br />
<b>Herbs</b>- parsley, thyme, sage, or oregano. If you're ever overwhelmed by fresh herbs, here are two suggestions: 1. "Parsley" Potatoes (sub ANY herb for parsley! equally delicious and different!): Boil or roast plenty of cubed potatoes, toss with a generous amount of olive oil and/or butter and/or heavy cream and/or plain yogurt and/or sour cream (i.e. some type of fat; your choice- try them all over time). Coarsely chop a generous handful of fresh herbs-- less of the more pungent types like sage, more of the mellower types like parsley. Use a mix or only one type of herb, up to you. Toss with hot potatoes, salt generously and pepper a bit, serve and eat immediately. 2. Hang up in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight; when dry, strip/crumble into a jar for winter potatoes/soup/popcorn (yep for real: popcorn with butter or coconut oil or olive oil, with salt AND crumbled dry sage or crumbled dry hyssop or thyme is one of our favorite winter treats)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Announcements:</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">1. <b>Birch Point Fall Potluck and Cider Pressing Party</b>! <b> <i>Sunday, October 15, 2017</i></b> 2:00-5:00 p.m.</span><br />
Please join us at the farm for an afternoon "snackluck" -bring snacks to share, apples and a jug if you like (to take home fresh-pressed cider-- optional; there will be fresh cider to enjoy on site, and part of the fun of a cider party is the "stone soup" aspect of it-- the more different types of apples that go into it, the better the flavor, and the more we can make. So stop by your favorite feral roadside/old field apple tree, pick a few or a lot, and bring them over). <br />
Farm tours, chicken hide-and-seek, yard games, and all-ages conviviality-- all are welcome; bring your family and/or a friend.<br />
<br />
2. <b>Fall/Winter CSA shares- </b>a few spaces remain in our 8-week Fall/Winter CSA. Starts the first Saturday of November and runs eight weeks. $250 for a weekly box of fresh greens, root veggies, squash, onions and other "storage" crops, fresh and dried herbs, and possibly apples and/or chestnuts. Pick up every Saturday at the indoor farmers market at The Commons in TC. Please email/call for details.<br />
<br />
3. <b>Preserving Shares</b>- Half-bushels of mixed heirloom tomatoes ($40) and 1-lb bags of basil ($10)available by request, while supplies last and weather permits. These are not "canning" or "paste" tomatoes necessarily, though there are a few in the mix. I recommend slicing, roasting, and freezing heirloom tomatoes for a lovely burst of summer in the dark winter months.<br />
<br />
4. <b>The End is Near</b>-- the end of main season CSA, that is. :( Hard to believe the season has gone by so very quickly. We are going to run almost to the end of October this year! The weather is still lovely, and crops look good (they probably look good to the deer, too, so fingers crossed for continued availability of greens from the field). The final pickup dates will be Saturday October 21, Tues. Oct. 24, and Wed. Oct. 25. That will give us an almost-one-week break between main-season and Fall-Winter CSA, but don't worry, the final week will be an extra-large share, so you should have plenty of veg through the first week of November! We're mainly taking the mini-break to start putting the farm to bed for the winter, clean up, re-cover the old hoophouse (stay tuned for a plastic-pulling party invitation), and get ready for winter market season.<br />
<br />
5. <b>Thanksgiving Shares --</b> Sign up for a one-time box of fall bounty! $40 gets you $45-50 worth of mixed veggies the Saturday before Thanksgiving- pick up at our stall at the indoor market. And/or consider donating a Thanksgiving share (or partial share, as your budgets permits) to the Goodwill Inn for their Thanksgiving meal. Birch Point Farm typically donates several shares worth of veggies for Thanksgiving; you can make our delivery even more meaningful (bigger) by underwriting one or more shares for the Inn. You write a check to Birch Point Farm; we harvest and deliver the food. Email or call to sign up!<br />
<b></b><span style="color: blue;"><b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: blue;">Recipes </span><br />
<span style="color: #000025;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black;"><u>Greens Patties, or "Leafburgers"</u></span><br />
1 bunch (or so) of leafy greens, chopped finely and massaged in a bowl with coarse salt for 5min, to reduce volume and release moisture, stems optional but also chopped finely<br />
1 med onion, chopped<br />
1-4 cloves garlic, minced<br />
handful of fresh herbs of your choice, chopped. Faves include parsley, thyme, sage, or savory.<br />
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes OR 1 fresh jalapeno, chopped (optional as always)<br />
1 c. flour or fine cornmeal<br />
2 tsp baking powder<br />
2 eggs (or 1 if that's all you have; not critical the exact amount)<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
Mix everything together WELL. The egg and flour are just binders to keep the greens intact once you form them into patties. You can choose to use more or less egg/flour mixture, depending on your household's greens affinity level. More egg/flour = more typical savory "pancake." Less egg/flour mixture = more hippy green experience. Once the greens are thoroughly coated with egg/flour mixture, regardless of how much you use, form the soggy but solid mixture into patties about the size of a typical burger. Heat a generous amount of olive oil or coconut oil over medium heat in a skillet or flat bottomed wok. Gently place a few patties into the hot oil and fry til browned on the edges. Flip and fry til brown on the other side. Check center to be sure egg is thoroughly cooked, and serve immediately or keep warm in oven while frying the rest of the patties. Extra tang: serve with lemon juice-yogurt or lemon juice-tahini dressing.<br />
<b><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></b>
<u>Potato-Leek Soup</u> lifted from <i>http://allrecipes.com/recipe/220779/winter-leek-and-potato-soup/?internalSource=similar_recipe_banner&referringId=22927&referringContentType=recipe&clickId=simslot_4</i><br />
MF note: this is all approximate amounts. Keep in mind that if you prefer thicker or thinner soup, adjust liquid accordingly. If you prefer more salt/cheese/herbs, do it (I would). The approximate ratios of solids to liquids is a great starting point, but don't worry about exact amounts for soup! Also, these directions yield a chunky soup, but if you have an immersion blender, this is a great time for it, either thoroughly blending or just partially blending the finished product.<br />
<u><br /></u>
2 tablespoons butter, or more if needed <br />
<label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"><span class="recipe-ingred_txt added" data-id="4366" data-nameid="4366" itemprop="ingredients">2 leeks, cleaned and chopped</span> </label><br />
<label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"></label><label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"><span class="recipe-ingred_txt added" data-id="4397" data-nameid="4397" itemprop="ingredients">1/2 cup chopped onion</span></label><br />
<label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"><span class="recipe-ingred_txt added" data-id="4397" data-nameid="4397" itemprop="ingredients"></span></label><label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"><span class="recipe-ingred_txt added" data-id="4442" data-nameid="4442" itemprop="ingredients">6 med-lg potatoes, peeled and cubed</span> </label><br />
<label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"></label><label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"><span class="recipe-ingred_txt added" data-id="16133" data-nameid="16133" itemprop="ingredients">4 cups chicken or veggie broth</span></label><br />
<label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"><span class="recipe-ingred_txt added" data-id="16133" data-nameid="16133" itemprop="ingredients"></span></label><label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"><span class="recipe-ingred_txt added" data-id="16255" data-nameid="16255" itemprop="ingredients">1 cup half-and-half</span></label><br />
<label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"><span class="recipe-ingred_txt added" data-id="16255" data-nameid="16255" itemprop="ingredients"></span></label><label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"><span class="recipe-ingred_txt added" data-id="16215" data-nameid="16215" itemprop="ingredients">4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)</span> </label><br />
<label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"></label><label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"><span class="recipe-ingred_txt added" data-id="4409" data-nameid="4409" itemprop="ingredients">1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley</span> </label><br />
<label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"></label><label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"><span class="recipe-ingred_txt added" data-id="16396" data-nameid="16396" itemprop="ingredients">1 teaspoon garlic powder</span> </label><br />
<label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"></label><label class="checkList__item" ng-class="{true: 'checkList__item'}[true]"><span class="recipe-ingred_txt added" data-id="16421" data-nameid="16421" itemprop="ingredients">salt and ground black pepper to taste</span> </label><br />
<ol>
<li><span class="recipe-directions__list--item">Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Cook and stir leeks and onion until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.</span></li>
<li class="step" ng-class="{'finished': stepIsActive1}" ng-click="stepIsActive1 = !stepIsActive1"><span class="recipe-directions__list--item">Stir potatoes and broth into onion mixture; simmer until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.</span></li>
<li class="step" ng-class="{'finished': stepIsActive2}" ng-click="stepIsActive2 = !stepIsActive2"><span class="recipe-directions__list--item">Pour half-and-half into potato soup and continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes more.</span></li>
<li class="step" ng-class="{'finished': stepIsActive3}" ng-click="stepIsActive3 = !stepIsActive3"><span class="recipe-directions__list--item">Stir Cheddar cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper into soup until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.</span></li>
</ol>
<u><b></b><i></i><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></u><u><br /></u>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-31742633940030864852017-07-03T10:17:00.000-07:002017-07-03T17:43:22.054-07:002017 CSA Weeks 1-3, rolled into one blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRq0cqcpkEc6ROGGlWYlM5ePL62GCOjJ6RB86vqdd-1SiKteNpptZBD5TOiM4V9B_bPSodQbI3JGx_2W8etNE2rj1kdXuYgX-5VejmiV0eYFmta_-jG6ok0_MNwOUZ0jofbeB-A3hU5nQ/s1600/Bee+Swarm+in+honeysuckle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
Summer is here! CSA is well underway; the nighttime air temperatures have warmed up, the lake temperatures are still rising, and the fields are full of beautiful, tasty vegetables for you. Thanks for reading this little blog; please <u></u><u></u>"follow" or check back weekly for CSA share items, farm news, and occasional photos.<br />
<br />
<u>What's In Your Share This Week? Stir-fry time!</u><br />
<b>Bok Choi-</b> tender, little heads of this versatile Asian veggie. You probably know choi is wonderful in stir-fry, kimchi, spring rolls, and soup. Have you tried it as a slaw? See below for recipe suggestion.<br />
<br />
<b>Spinach</b>- we have had a great spinach harvest this year. The unusually consistent rains and cooler temps (up til now) have kept this cool-weather crop happy and productive. It's not many years we get to include beautiful spinach in shares for three solid weeks in the summer. Normally by now, hot temps and dry conditions cause the spinach plants to bolt, or send up flowering stalks, and at that point they stop producing new leaves and start to taste bitter, so this has been a great run. Hope you've enjoyed it raw OR cooked, as salad, on pizza, in omelets, wrap/sandwich greenery, etc.<br />
<br />
<b>Scallions</b>- the first of these little beauties. Please use the whole thing! I'm mystified about where the idea of not using the green part came from-- eat it; it's delicious! We mainly enjoy scallions sliced fresh and sprinkled onto anything, but hard core onion lovers will trim the roots and dip the ends in salt for a pungent, raw treat.<br />
<br />
the very first <b>CUCUMBERS</b> of the season! Just a taste of classic green slicers OR little round lemon cucumbers. These young sweeties came from the trellised plants inside the hoophouse; field-grown cuke plants are looking good, but harvest is still a few weeks out.<br />
<br />
<b>Garlic Scapes</b>-- they keep coming! Next week may be the first "true" garlic week, i.e. young bulbs rather than the flowering stems --the scapes-- but for now, enjoy this comical twist on a familiar flavor. We like to think of garlic scapes as vegetables rather than seasoning (though they are completely interchangeable with garlic cloves in recipes, 1:1 by volume, roughly). My favorite way to prepare them is to toss whole scapes with olive oil and salt and pepper whenever the grill or oven is already fired up, and grill or roast them til blackened on the edges, and creamy-soft inside. Basically, any way you'd prepare asparagus applies to scapes! For true garlic lovers, scape pesto (pesto made with scapes and only scapes, no basil!) is to die for. Holler if you'd like a bulk quantity for your freezer.<br />
<br />
<b>Pea shoots</b>-- this fresh, tender treat is so delicious to munch right out of hand that they may not even make it home. Baby pea plants, or sprouts, are grown in trays in the greenhouse, then cut like sunflower sprouts or baby salad, to be tossed with your salad, sprinkled on top of any vegetable or protein, or even cooked. They're so tender that cooking should really just be heating slightly, as they will melt in your pan on high heat, but they're excellent with soft, sautéed garlic or garlic scapes-- as much garlic as you can stand, tossed with as many pea shoots as you've got. We'll include these with shares periodically- even though there's not much "food" there, they are tasty and fun, AND one of the few green things our 2-year-old is excited about (the other is peas themselves-- which have gotten munched several times by rabbits; I HOPE we get at least one good harvest for you, but not counting on much yet).<br />
<br />
Hakurei <b>Turnips--</b> the "gateway variety" for turnip-wary folks, these are so tender, so buttery, and so mild that we normally eat them raw (sliced or grated onto salad, sliced for a crudité tray, or out of hand like an apple). However, they are of course delicious roasted or stir-fried. Don't forget the greens!! Turnip greens are a vegetable unto themselves. Later in the season you'll see turnip greens that will put these to shame, in terms of size and robustness, but Hakurei greens are as good a way to ease into turnip greens as the roots are to ease into turnips. Chopped and sauteed quickly with onions or garlic, sprinkled with hot pepper vinegar and/or lemon juice, they go down easy.<br />
<br />
<u>Announcements</u><br />
1. HOLIDAY LOGISTICS:<br />
<i>Tuesday, July 4</i>, pickup is STILL ON, as usual, tomorrow. If you need to reschedule due to the holiday, please call or email ASAP. Options include picking up on farm any time after Tuesday (call/email to arrange a time), Wednesday afternoon at The Little Fleet, or next Saturday (in which case you'll get a share Saturday and the following Tuesday, but none this week).<br />
<i>Saturday</i> shares will once again be down at the alternate cherry fest market location-- the Old Town parking deck on Eighth St.<br />
<i>Wednesday</i> Little Fleet shares-- please remember to return the previous week's empty box when you come to pick up your share. Leave empty boxes where you find your full box; we'll pick them up Thurs. a.m. If you have a stash of boxes at your house from past seasons, please bring them to our stall at market or to the farm-- we will put them to use; thanks!<br />
<br />
2. <a href="https://www.csacoalition.org/cookbooks/from-asparagus-to-zucchini/" target="_blank"><i>Asparagus to Zucchini</i> cookbooks</a> are available-- recipes arranged by vegetable name, rather than dish type, this book was compiled by and for CSA members and farmers' market customers, and it includes several recipes featuring each kind of veggie, as well as storage and nutrition info. It's published by the Fair Share CSA Coalition in Madison, WI, an organization dedicated to supporting and promoting CSA and education on agriculture, health, and nutrition. $17 for CSA members. <br />
<br />
<b><u>This Week's Featured Farmer Bio:</u></b><u> </u>Christina Barkel<br />
I grew up in metro Detroit and have lived in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Ferndale and now Traverse City. I became interested in sustainable agriculture while getting my degree at the University of Michigan, where I learned about the intersections between social justice, food sovereignty and environmental issues. Plus, I quickly figured out that the best food comes from local farms! My first farm job was at Frog Holler Farm in Brooklyn, MI and I've been farming in some form or another ever since.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2017 is my 4th season farming at Birch Point. My love for the land and creating tangible change motivates me year after year - there is nothing like standing in the back garden on a beautiful breezy day, looking at the garden bed you've just weeded while eating a fresh bean or green from the field. Getting to know our CSA members and market customers is also something I enjoy - I love learning new recipes and swapping stories about food and gardening. Dragging irrigation hoses and harvesting summer squash, on the other hand, are tasks I could live without. My favorite vegetables to grow are peas and garlic, and I live for strawberry season. When I'm not farming I like knitting, swimming, biking and drinking tea. </div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What I ate for dinner last night: Palak Chana (or, how to use up all the greens in your CSA share at once and the leftover greens from last week too)</div>
</div>
<br />
<u><b>Field Notes</b></u> <br />
guest written by Christina this week!<br />
We are really excited about the great start our cucumber, summer squash, winter squash and melon transplants got a few weeks ago. We rented a plastic layer from Michelle Shackelford of Leelanau Specialty Cut Flowers - this magical tractor implement forms a garden bed, lays down irrigation line and black plastic mulch all at the same time. With the rain we got the previous week and some chunky soils we had a little bit of a challenge getting everything working smoothly, but in the end it all came together and now we have beautiful rows of plants all tucked in and covered (to protect against squash bugs). Time to grow up little ones!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx66uTe2qQMi5Gtmucgd1osBxfmK92aLQ0P_kebCfH5h04MNYED1jF4BsQVr1qv5vpwHdbS-YC0DWgWBEn7MsncggYUVAI9TKvPjKgNiDJS9aecGf5Q-3wx-_A2KP7DcRsSJbjfZ4B_HY/s1600/Bed+former-plastic+layer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx66uTe2qQMi5Gtmucgd1osBxfmK92aLQ0P_kebCfH5h04MNYED1jF4BsQVr1qv5vpwHdbS-YC0DWgWBEn7MsncggYUVAI9TKvPjKgNiDJS9aecGf5Q-3wx-_A2KP7DcRsSJbjfZ4B_HY/s320/Bed+former-plastic+layer.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSm3sC59Sl0GfuxwggnJFmTpv45_S5wxOu3ZXL9pbvfaXCpDnm2TQTSIJ5V3QAyoPFHm14MUdKP14OCoeQ-ratwYuE2lDgv2TKIBhjRKHjxunx57uFYG8fkRS9LX6lCkEB_LBserIm_Q/s1600/Planting+and+covering+cucurbit+transplants.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSm3sC59Sl0GfuxwggnJFmTpv45_S5wxOu3ZXL9pbvfaXCpDnm2TQTSIJ5V3QAyoPFHm14MUdKP14OCoeQ-ratwYuE2lDgv2TKIBhjRKHjxunx57uFYG8fkRS9LX6lCkEB_LBserIm_Q/s320/Planting+and+covering+cucurbit+transplants.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We also spent time pounding posts and tying trellis lines in our tomato hoop house. The challenge is getting the lines as tight as possible while you're tying - the tomato plants get huge and need all the support they can get.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Finally, we spent lots of time the past few weeks week cultivating as many garden beds as we could. The heat and rain made the weeds spring up all at once, or so it seemed anyway. We got as much work done as we could so we could go on our first farm crew field trip of the year - to the movies to see Wonder Woman! We have an all-female crew this year and the beginning of this movie (if you haven't seen it, it takes place on an island paradise where strong amazing women train to be warriors) is basically your typical day on the farm.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zj_usJroC8oXp-cmeLanjTPkXK0jBx7aAMLwLZjHPleyZA8jTode7EBDiLJJfpgF4JqZQ-1Id0hOSNCUDfdxxiXoR68pmxyQ5LoKgEmipo-VszwO3oNoPDJUa-Nnziw8zeX5rBNarIM/s1600/Manual+manure+spreader.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zj_usJroC8oXp-cmeLanjTPkXK0jBx7aAMLwLZjHPleyZA8jTode7EBDiLJJfpgF4JqZQ-1Id0hOSNCUDfdxxiXoR68pmxyQ5LoKgEmipo-VszwO3oNoPDJUa-Nnziw8zeX5rBNarIM/s200/Manual+manure+spreader.JPG" width="200" /></a>.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRq0cqcpkEc6ROGGlWYlM5ePL62GCOjJ6RB86vqdd-1SiKteNpptZBD5TOiM4V9B_bPSodQbI3JGx_2W8etNE2rj1kdXuYgX-5VejmiV0eYFmta_-jG6ok0_MNwOUZ0jofbeB-A3hU5nQ/s1600/Bee+Swarm+in+honeysuckle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRq0cqcpkEc6ROGGlWYlM5ePL62GCOjJ6RB86vqdd-1SiKteNpptZBD5TOiM4V9B_bPSodQbI3JGx_2W8etNE2rj1kdXuYgX-5VejmiV0eYFmta_-jG6ok0_MNwOUZ0jofbeB-A3hU5nQ/s200/Bee+Swarm+in+honeysuckle.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our manual manure spreader, AND a gorgeous swarm of honeybees that our beekeeper Greg caught and housed in a new hive in the back field!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRq0cqcpkEc6ROGGlWYlM5ePL62GCOjJ6RB86vqdd-1SiKteNpptZBD5TOiM4V9B_bPSodQbI3JGx_2W8etNE2rj1kdXuYgX-5VejmiV0eYFmta_-jG6ok0_MNwOUZ0jofbeB-A3hU5nQ/s1600/Bee+Swarm+in+honeysuckle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<u><b>Recipes</b></u><br />
<i><u>Asian-ish Slaw:</u></i><br />
1 lg or 2 small heads Bok Choi, chopped thinly<br />
1 carrot, grated or julienned<br />
1 small onion, sliced, or 3-5 scallions, sliced <br />
3-4 garlic scapes or 4-6 garlic cloves, sliced thinly<br />
1 knob fresh ginger, minced or grated<br />
a handful of radishes or turnips, sliced or julienned<br />
1/2 c. toasted sesame oil<br />
1/2 c. rice vinegar, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar<br />
1 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari<br />
<u>optional:</u> <br />
<u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u>1/2 cup toasted nuts or seeds- I like sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, chopped peanuts, or slivered almonds<br />
red pepper flakes, ground cayenne, or fresh hot chiles, sliced or minced- to taste<br />
cooked/soaked/drained rice noodles (follow direction on package), in whatever ratio you prefer (1:1 noodles:slaw makes a nice lunch, or fewer noodles makes a salad with that much more interest)<br />
<br />
Toss everything together, taste, add more tamari or salt if necessary, more spice if you like, or a little more oil or vinegar to dress everything well if necessary.<br />
Bonus: top with fresh pea shoots to serve!<br />
<u><br /></u>
<u><i>Christina's Favorite Greens: Palak Chana</i></u><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1 large bowlful greens (this could be 2 bunches of kale or chard, a big bag of spinach or beet greens, spicy salad mix, or some combination of all of the above)</div>
<div>
1 chopped onion</div>
<div>
3 cloves garlic</div>
<div>
1-inch knob fresh ginger </div>
<div>
2 tablespoons curry powder</div>
<div>
1 teaspoon cardamom powder</div>
<div>
1 dash cayenne pepper</div>
<div>
salt and pepper to taste</div>
<div>
3 tablespoons yogurt</div>
<div>
1/2 cup tomato sauce or 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste</div>
<div>
2 cups cooked chickpeas </div>
<div>
juice of 1 lemon</div>
<div>
a dash of heavy cream or 3-4 tablespoons butter</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1. strip greens from stems if using kale or chard, and tear into rough pieces. wash greens by swishing them around in a big bowl of water, then lifting them out. dump the water and return greens to the bowl. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2. heat enough water to cover the greens to boiling, then pour over the greens. stir for a minute or two, until the greens wilt and turn bright green. drain the greens, return to the bowl and cover with cold water. this blanches them for use later in the recipe.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3. meanwhile, heat the cooking oil of your choice (ghee or coconut oil would be good picks here) in a heavy-bottomed, deep pan. add the onion and fry for a few minutes, until it turns translucent. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4. add the ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for two or three minutes. then add your spices and cook for a minute, or until they deepen in color and become fragrant. be careful not to burn them.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5. add the tomato sauce and stir, be sure to scrap up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. let the sauce come to a simmer and then turn down the heat. Add the yogurt, one tablespoon at a time, and stir.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
6. add your blanched greens along with a tablespoon or two of water, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
7. transfer half of the mixture to a blend or food processor, and process until smooth. if you have an immersion blender, even better! just blend to your desired consistency. I like mine smoother so I usually blend it all.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
8. return mixture to the pan and add the chickpeas, butter or cream, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. let simmer for 10 more minutes. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
9. serve over rice or noodles along with yogurt, pickles or fresh radishes. <b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-47989925780153315942015-09-16T11:55:00.000-07:002015-09-16T11:55:27.927-07:00BPF CSA Week 13: the lusciousness of life<br />
<div>
This week: Semi-Asian Invasion (see "In Your Share This Week"), The Pig Project (pork shares available), Volunteer opportunities (see "Announcements")<br />
<br />
<h4>
In Your Share This Week:</h4>
<br />
Beautiful <b>Bok Choi</b>-the most elegant and versatile of Asian greens- use in a stirfry, sliced thinly inside eggrolls, tossed into a slaw (see my perennial favorite Asian-ish slaw recipe, below), or just eaten raw/plain- seriously, the crunchy, curved stalks make great dippers for just about anything- try Bob's Amazing Tofu Spread (watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY-0SZLLfR8" target="_blank">this video</a> of our pals Seth, May, and Bob waxing rapturous about tofu and local veg- the actual recipe is below).<br />
When faced with a new Asian green, my go-to approach is a simple stirfry with onion and/or garlic, fresh ginger, red pepper flakes (or fresh hot chiles if they are in season), finished with a dressing of toasted sesame oil, tamari or soy sauce, and rice vinegar, and tossed with sesame seeds and/or toasted sunflower seeds. Add fried bits of protein of your choice, serve with rice or noodles, and voila! (remember the voila- very important)<br />
<br />
Various <b>Eggplant</b>- everyone's familiar with the oblong purple ones, but have you tried Apple Green, Rosa Bianca, or the long, skinny Asian varieties? All are interchangeable in recipes; all are delicious. Yes, delicious- even if you are eggplant-averse, try this super simple approach: slice into 1/2" rounds (whatever size eggplant you've got, doesn't matter the diameter), spread on an olive-oiled baking sheet in a single layer, drizzle/brush on more olive oil than seems reasonable (they are sponges; don't hold back!), more salt than you think you'll like, and roast in the oven at 375 or so (whatever temp you're already baking anything at is fine, as long as it's over 350), for 30-60 min, CHECK for doneness. Doneness= brown crispy edges, soft spoonable insides. Then eat it as is; careful don't burn your tongue, OR mash onto a piece of toast with a little feta or goat cheese and a slice of tomato OR single lettuce/kale/arugula leaf. Then come back and tell me you don't like eggplant. I dare you ;)<br />
<br />
<b>MELONS</b>! Watermelons OR muskmelon-style- you may get red, orange, yellow, or salmon-fleshed watermelon, OR orange or green-fleshed muskmelons. The green muskmelons aren't truly muskmelons at all; they are a galia, or tropical, melon called Diplomat; they look like honeydew, and taste every so slightly of banana or pineapple :) The rest of the melons are pretty darn tasty, too. Hooray for sun and water! Melons and squash are so amazing to me-- the amount of photosynthesis that has to take place in those leaves to produce such a concentrated amount of food just blows my mind. Love me some <i>cucurbits!</i><br />
<br />
<b>Parsley OR Cilantro </b>*think Parsley-Potatoes* with butter. yum.<br />
<br />
<b>Sweet Onions</b><br />
<br />
Bodacious <b>BROCCOLI</b>- full up on broccoli yet? We were a little worried that folks were tired of broccoli but here's a tip: blanch and freeze if you can't use it all this week. Remove leaves (but eat them just like kale!), chop into bite sized pieces, blanch in boiling salted water for three minutes, cool in iced water, drain, then pop into freezer bags or containers, label, and you're good for a couple of winter frittatas!<br />
<br />
<b>Tomatoes</b>- sweet orange Sungold cherry tomatoes and/or various heirloom slicers- enjoy summer; it's still here!<br />
<br />
<b>Potatoes</b>- red and/or yellow; mixed varieties. Try buttered boiled potatoes with parsley, why not?<br />
<br />
<b>Hot peppers</b>- always available. If you don't see them in your share, just ASK! We make them optional extras because some people love them and some hate them. Speak up if you love them -- spice up your life!<br />
<br />
<h4>
Announcements</h4>
<div>
1. PORK available by the whole or half hog. See below for the entire rundown from Jae Gerhart about The Pig Project. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2. <i>Boxodus</i>: seems like most of our boxes have up and left! If you have a stash of CSA boxes, PLEASE return them. We will be happy to get them back and use them. Thank you!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3. <i>Heart of Summer Shares wrapped up last week</i>- thanks for joining us! And look for an end-of-season survey via email soon. Your feedback will help us make an even better CSA for future seasons. p.s. your feedback is ALWAYS welcome- don't wait for a survey if you have a question, idea, complaint, or suggestion. We are all in this together, and we do a better job of growing for you when we know what people want. (hint: except for chocolate. can't do that here. YET)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4. <i>Three Volunteer Opportunities</i>:</div>
<div>
1)Greenhouse Plastic Pulling: Want to help with a modern barn-raising? We're replacing the plastic on the old hoophouse, and covering the new hoophouse. The catch: we don't know when it will happen. It's completely weather dependent. What we do know: sometime in the next two months, likely at the crack of dawn (least windy time of day), with no more than a week's notice, and more likely a day or two's notice. If you are a morning person with a super flexible schedule, able to work in a team, follow instructions, and keep your cool in the face of unexpected wind gusts (while holding onto a giant plastic sail), let me know-- I will add you to the email list to get the all-hands-on-deck call when the time is right! Email birchpointcsa@gmail.com with "hoophouse plastic pull volunteer" in the subject.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2)Garlic Planting: It's almost time for garlic planting, and we're switching it up from past years' open house-style work day. Volunteers will need to be here for training before we start. To join the garlic team, send an email with "garlic planting volunteer" in the subject, and we will let you know when we know the date. Likely: mid-October, a weekday afternoon, in good weather (fingers crossed).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3)General Farm Work: It's fall clean-up time! We have a to-do list; do you have a few hours? Any and all skill/experience level welcome. Join us (or plug away on your own) in dragging branches to the burn pile, stacking wood, scraping and painting garage doors,weeding and mulching perennials, fixing the chicken coop door, and more. Call or email to schedule a volunteer shift. Thank you!</div>
<h4>
Recipes</h4>
<div>
<br />
<h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>Michelle's favorite Asian-ish Slaw</u></span></span></h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4-5 cups shredded/thinly sliced Bok choi, Napa cabbage daikon greens, or any green Asian (or not) leafy thing you've got around</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1-2 grated carrots OR beets (beets will turn the slaw pink!)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 finely sliced sm. onion</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1-3 cloves garlic, minced</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">equal amt of fresh ginger, also minced (if you have none, put in 1 tsp ground ginger to dressing)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">at least 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 Tbsp sesame seeds</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 generous handful coarsely chopped fresh herbs: cilantro OR lemon basil OR Thai basil OR dill/parsley if you prefer</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">optional: 1-2 fresh hot chiles, minced</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">toasted sesame oil</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">soy sauce/tamari</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">cayenne and/or your favorite hot sauce (I like Ray's Polish Fire)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">pinch ground coriander</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">salt and pepper</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mix slaw ingredients well. Mix dressing ingredients well, then mix w/ slaw. Enjoy! Top with a good squeeze of fresh lime and/or bean sprouts and/or pea shoots and/or fried tofu and/or anything else you like.</span></span><br />
<h4>
<u>Bob's Famous Tofu Spread</u></h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">1 pound firm tofu, drained and patted dry<br />2 cups finely diced veggies (red or green pepper,celery carrot, onion, etc.)</span><br />
<div>
2 cloves garlic, crushed</div>
<div>
1/2 cup mayonnaise<br />1/4 cup (more or less to taste) nutritional yeast<br />2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
<div>
1 teaspoon wet mustard<br />Dash of hot sauce (optional)<br /><br />Crumble the tofu, by hand, into a serving bowl and blend in all of the ingredients other than the vegetables. Fold those in last. Can be used as a dip or sandwich spread.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
<u>Baba Ghanoush, or How to Preserve Eggplant for Winter</u></h4>
<div>
1 large eggplant</div>
<div>
1/4 c. tahini (easy on the tahini- it's easy to overdo it, and you can add more later if necessary)</div>
<div>
1/4 c. tasty olive oil</div>
<div>
2-4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped</div>
<div>
1 tsp ground cumin (or 2 tsp toasted whole cumin seed)</div>
<div>
generous dash of salt and pepper</div>
<div>
juice of one lemon OR 1/4 c. verjus</div>
<div>
handful chopped fresh parsley-- use stems, but keep leaves and stems separate for now</div>
<div>
optional extra: 1-2 fresh hot chiles</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1. Roast eggplant: cut off stem, and end scar if there is one, cut in half, place face down on a generously olive-oiled baking sheet, rub olive oil over the outside, and roast at 350/375ish for 20-45 min, depending on size of eggplant. Check for doneness: it should give easily to the touch when poked, but skin should not be dried out or crispy. If skin is tender, use the whole thing (no need to peel or scoop; just toss the whole darn thing in the cuisinart, skin and all</div>
<div>
2. Buzz in food processor ALL ingredients EXCEPT parsley leaves- save those for garnish, but toss the stems in for flavor.</div>
<div>
3. Taste- is it tangy enough? If not, add more lemon and/or salt. Is it nutty and thick enough? If not, add 1-2 more Tablespoons tahini. Is it spicy enough? If not, add more garlic and/or hot chiles. Buzz once more for good measure, and taste again. Store in an airtight container, but drizzle olive oil over the top first to minimize oxidation/browning. Freezes well for several months. Or serve immediately, drizzled with super tasty olive oil and that handful of chopped parsley leaves on top. For a super special treat, caramelize 1/2 a sweet onion and sprinkle that on top- you've got savory dessert.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>The Pig Project by Jae Gerhart </u></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">jagerhart@gmail.com</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="110px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Z9cRwgqNAyebWs4gJKPAtuwIpRUqCprzQzMM-cWJ3MskJd2AGSOtPiCK67djPzjVQzNv3iQCXE9hgmN9tgfS84g77mWZjBbMc0kprYC-7D2ifTuikgLqIJqJ5Sgr7d6zFot_-R_8edZtCYyv" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="164px;" /></span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What It’s All About</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s about the fact that some of us love eating meat, pig meat specifically, and we want a freezer full of tenderloin and bacon and ribs and ham hocks for the long winter ahead. It’s about raising that meat with a holistic outlook on the ecological system - clearing land overrun by autumn olives and quack grass. It’s about turning vegetable scraps into bacon, turning brew mash into bacon, turning whey from cheese-making into bacon. It’s about fertilizing. It’s about entertaining neighbors and friends. But most of all, its about offering friends and family quality meat raised and distributed in a sustainable way.</span></div>
<br /><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You Are What You Eat… And Same Goes for the Pigs</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since they arrived as 40lb feeder pigs in May, these oinkers have dined primarily on a non-GMO corn and soy mix, provided by the excellent farmers over at Hall Farms. They have also gorged on produce from Birch Point Farm, food scraps from local restaurants, whey from a local cheese maker, and spent grain mash from NorthPeak Brewery.</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These pigs are not organic, but they’re pretty darn close. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They have a huge beautiful pen to run around and root and forage.</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-----------------------</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How to it Works</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is a direct-to-consumer operation. This means that customers order half and whole pigs from me at a certain price ($4.00/lb.). Customers can opt to pick up their pig live and do the slaughtering themselves, but for most of us its safer, cleaner, and more efficient to have the processor do the work for us. Here is what that looks like:</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hanging Weight* Meat Price: $4.00/lb.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Processor Fee: $0.44/lb.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kill Fee: $25</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For example:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For 180 lbs. of hanging weight on a pig:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">180 x $4.00 = $720</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">180 x $0.44 =$79.20</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Total: $720 + $79.20 + $25 = $824.20</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of these pigs will be between 150 and 200 lbs. hanging weight</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*Hanging Weight: The carcass without the head, non-usable organs, and hooves. The hanging weight is roughly 60% of the live weight.</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Processor – RRR Meat Processing, Buckley MI</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I chose RRR Meat Processing (USDA certified) in Buckley for a couple reasons. </span><span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Location</span><span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> – Buckley is one of the closer processors in area, making it convenient for customers to pick up their meat. </span><span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reputation</span><span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> – my friend and pig-farming mentor Jess Piskor at Bare Knuckle Farm has been using this processor for years, as do local restaurants such as the Cooks House. </span><span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For the Pigs </span><span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">– the pigs get dropped off the night before so they aren’t as spooked and stressed when it comes time to do the deed. This is better for the meat as well as for the pigs and humans involved that day. </span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Common Questions:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bacon thickness: they do 1/8</span><span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 9.6px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">inch slices. Can be adjusted based on customers preferences</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sodium Nitrates: used only in the smoking process.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Breakfast sausage spice mix: does include MSG. </span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you would like to order a whole or half pig, I will send you the order form where you can designate preferences for specific cuts of meat. The order form is confusing, as it is intended for the processor and therefore gives very little information to the consumer. Essentially the pig is delineated into 5 categories: Picnic, Shoulder, Loin, Belly, and Ham, and once I send the form, I will go over the specifics of how to order what you want.</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="233px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/LOiUqb7xCcZb81cbp-VBTFaYtwkqVnorbVyLcT3gZIXkUAXrDtaXljqLYfMdJIkqDXOy8XB0lcOzwI4v4SSWLTTI_gKgt9qtw4w34d42c7Ci2UIl750PvI3a8HxCxq3xviODsn0rj5gVPjps" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="307px;" /></span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Post Processing</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once the animal is processed (mid-October), I will call each of my customers to let them know that their pig is ready. You should plan to pick up your half or whole pig within 3-5 days. I recommend bringing a huge cooler or multiple coolers and a strong back or two to help lift the cooler into your vehicle. </span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you would like to be a part of The Pig Project for the 2015 season, please get a hold of me through email. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">jagerhart@gmail.com</span><span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Include in the email your name, whether you would like a half or whole pig, your phone number and your email address. I will then contact you directly to confirm your pig order and send you the order form. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Big Caslon'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-71758072200802589382015-08-25T22:32:00.000-07:002015-08-25T22:32:01.390-07:00BPF CSA Week 10: grateful for the rain, but what's with the 50-degree temps?<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In Your Share This Week:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Basil</b>! it's pesto time! See <i>recipe </i>below.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Garlic</b>- still relatively fresh (not cured)-- will keep best in fridge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Scallions </b>OR <b>Sweet Onions</b>- YES you can use the whole scallion, white, green, all of it. Slice on the diagonal for extra elegance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Cherry Tomatoes</b>- starting to come in earnest, though they want more HEAT! Same for big slicers-- there are tons of green fruit on the plants. I predict next week's heat wave will push them over the edge, and we'll be awash in tomatoes soon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Kale</b>- "No one can imagine a CSA without kale" -David Hambleton, farmer at Sisters Hill Farm, Stanfordville, NY (and who would question<a href="https://www.sistershillfarm.org/Contact_Us_2_2.html" target="_blank"> this guy</a>?) And btw, have you tried <a href="http://nutritionstripped.com/massaged-kale-salad/" target="_blank">massaged kale</a>?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Lettuce heads</b>- romaine, Batavian, red leaf, or butterhead-- these cool weather-loving beauties are happy for the temporary respite from heat (they may be the only ones, though)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Summer Squash and/or Zucchini</b>- yes they are interchangeable; they are just all different shapes and colors</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Cucumbers-</b>Either Marketmore or Ministro (classic dark green slicing cukes) or Diva (super smooth, light green skin, can grow apparently huge without a hint of bitterness- one of my faves). See below for<i> Sweet and Sour Cucumbers with Fresh Dill</i>, esp if you still have dill left over from last week!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Fennel</b>- a lovely licorice-ish flavored member of the Umbel family (related to celery, parsley, carrot, etc), fennel lends a sweet anise flavor to any dish. Use the bulb and stems cooked or fresh (see below for salad recipe); use fronds chopped in salad dressing or as a bed for fish (or anything!) on the grill</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Three Recipes</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. <b><u>Zee Besto Pesto</u></b> that I've found: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 cups basil- leaves AND tender stems, but not woody/fibrous stems</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 c. toasted pine nuts and/or walnuts and/or sunflower seeds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2-3 fat cloves garlic, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional; can be added at serving time)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil- the more pungent the better</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 Tbsp lemon juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">generous pinch salt and pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Buzz everything in the food processor or blender til as smooth or chunky as you like. Freeze for months if you like, or refrigerate for a week or so. But really, how can you resist eating it all right now? Yes, with a spoon. Or your finger :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. <b><u>Sweet-and-Sour Cucumbers </u></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">with Fresh Dill </u>compliments of farm member Dave Borton</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2-3 cucumbers (1 1/2 pounds total), partially </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">peeled, seeded and very thinly sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1-2 smaller Zucchini, similarly prepared to the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">cucumbers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2-3 small to mid-sized onions, sliced similar to </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">above</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">10-12 or so grape tomatoes, cut in half</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 cup distilled white vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3 tablespoons sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Preparation</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Place vegetable pieces/slices in colander. Sprinkle </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">with salt; toss to coat. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">occasionally. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile, for dressing, stir vinegar, dill, sugar, and </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">pepper in large bowl until sugar is dissolved. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Drain vegetables well; pat dry. Add cucumbers to </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">dressing and stir to blend. Refrigerate at least 15 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">minutes and up to 2 hours; serve cold.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">3. Fennel-Orange Salad </u> MF note: There are lots of variations on this classic combo. I like to make a version of this salad with thick shaved parmesan or asiago cheese, a little thinly sliced sweet onion, and/or a handful of arugula tossed in. The point is sweet orange, pungent-sweet fennel, and piquant onion and dressing. The cheese and/or arugula just up the ante with saltiness and nutty-bitterness. See what your palate and family prefer!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">compliments of Martha: <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/342465/fennel-and-orange-salad">http://www.marthastewart.com/342465/fennel-and-orange-salad</a></span><br />
<div class="col1" style="color: #666666; float: left; letter-spacing: 0.400000005960465px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; width: 268.59375px;">
<div style="border-bottom-color: rgb(23, 23, 23); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #171717; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 0.57143em; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.07143em; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">INGREDIENTS</span></div>
<ul class="components-list" style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="components-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar</span></li>
</ul>
<ul class="components-list" style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="components-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2 tablespoons olive oil</span></li>
</ul>
<ul class="components-list" style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="components-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Coarse salt and ground pepper</span></li>
</ul>
<ul class="components-list" style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="components-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5 navel oranges</span></li>
</ul>
<ul class="components-list" style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="components-item" itemprop="ingredients" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3 to 4 fennel bulbs (about 2 pounds total), ends trimmed, quartered lengthwise, cored, and thinly sliced, crosswise, plus 1/4 cup roughly chopped fennel fronds (optional)</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">DIRECTIONS</span></div>
<div class="col2" style="color: #666666; float: right; letter-spacing: 0.400000005960465px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-top: 0px; width: 474px;">
<section class="directions-group" style="margin-bottom: 1.57143em;"><ol class="directions-list" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 1.14286em; padding: 0px;">
<li class="directions-item" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><div class="directions-item-text" style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper.</span></div>
</li>
<li class="directions-item" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><div class="directions-item-text" style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Using a sharp knife, slice off both ends of each orange. Following the curve of the fruit, cut away the peel and white pith. Halve orange from top to bottom; thinly slice crosswise. Transfer oranges, along with any juices that have accumulated on work surface, to bowl with dressing. Add fennel and, if desired, fronds. Toss to combine<br />.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
</section></div>
Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-34570044997274604742015-08-19T09:31:00.000-07:002015-08-19T09:42:25.522-07:00Birch Point CSA Week 9: Full-on summer!Happy truly-summer (i.e. heat, humidity, and tomatoes!) And <i>so </i>sorry for the lack of communication the past 3 weeks- it's been busy around here!<br />
BANJO SHOW TONIGHT @ BPF: Your farmer <i>Brenin Wertz-Roth</i> in concert with his old pals <i>Hazel Rickard</i> and <i>John Hansen</i>. Join us in the red barn for beautiful old-time, bluegrass, and other music and dancing. Suggested donation: $5-20 (sliding scale). Show starts at 8. Come at 7 for a friends-and-members potluck if you like! All ages. Bring your own folding chair/blanket. <br />
<a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ELk8_LIwFK8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ELk8_LIwFK8</a> <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Oywv8QFJ5rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Oywv8QFJ5rs</a><br />
<h4>
In Your Share This Week:</h4>
<b>Sweet Onions</b>- our fave variety, Ailsa Craig, a large white juicy mellow onion<br />
<b>Cucumbers</b>- mixed varieties. Time for refrigerator pickles!<br />
<b>Summer squash and/or Zucchini</b>- throw on the grill in kebabs or toss w/ pasta for lovely primavera<br />
The very first <b>Cherry Tomatoes</b><br />
<b>New potatoe</b>s- mix of varieties- with butter and parsley... or dill... what could be better?<br />
Lovely <b>lettuce heads</b>- mainly the heat-tolerant Batavians (a cross between green/red leaf lettuce and summercrisp, or iceberg, types), but perhaps a few red leaf, romaine, or butterhead<br />
<b>Apricots </b>from Gary Frederickson in Northport. NOT organic- be sure to wash thoroughly.<br />
<b>Herbs</b>: dill, basil, or parsley *think cuke-dill refrigerator pickles with sweet onion!*<br />
<br />
<h4>
Announcements:</h4>
1.<b>BANJO SHOW TONIGHT</b> @ BPF: Your farmer <i>Brenin Wertz-Roth</i> in concert with his old pals <i>Hazel Rickard</i> and <i>John Hansen</i>.
Join us in the red barn for beautiful old-time, bluegrass, and other music and
dancing. Suggested donation: $5-20 (sliding scale). Show starts at 8.
Come at 7 for a friends-and-members potluck if you like! All ages. Bring
your own folding chair/blanket. <br />
<a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ELk8_LIwFK8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ELk8_LIwFK8</a> <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Oywv8QFJ5rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Oywv8QFJ5rs</a><br />
<br />
2. <b>Pork </b>is still available! Farmer Jae is taking orders for whole and half hogs -- many of you have "met" these pigs already; if not, be sure to ask next time you're at the farm. They're free ranging on pasture, eating brush and weeds, veggie scraps, non-GMO grain, and (we suspect) occasional donuts from our neighbor Jake. Call Jae @ 989-430-0926 for ordering info.<br />
<br />
3. A few <b>Fall-Winter Share</b>s are still available. Sign up soon to save your spot! $250 gets you eight weeks of hearty storage crops (e.g. carrots, potatoes, parsnips, beets, turnips, rutabaga, radishes cabbages, onions, leeks, garlic, winter squash/pumpkins), hoophouse-grown salad mix, spinach, and other delicacies, and luscious fall field crops like kale, Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, collards, bok choi, and herbs. Starts the first Saturday of November and runs 8 weeks. Pick up at the Saturday indoor market at Bldg. 50 @ The Commons.<br />
<br />
4. <b>Storm damage update</b>: For those who haven't been here lately, Birch Point Farm lost LOTS of branches in the Aug. 2 storm, along with a few entire trees tipped up and toppled. Somehow the gigantic old box elders all survived, albeit with lots of branches gone. We sustained minor hail damage, most notably on peppers, but hopefully the plants will grow out of it, and the next round of peppers will be unscarred.. Flowers, especially the tall sunflowers, were wind whipped and bent over, but most lived to tell about it. THANKFULLY no structures or wires were hit by trees/branches-- somehow! Brenin has been chainsawing like a madman in every spare moment, clearing access to fields and buildings, but the branch pick-up will be an on-going project. See a downed branch at the farm? Feel free to drag it to the fire pit or nearest brush pile.<br />
<br />
<br />
Recipe: <b>Quick Refrigerator Pickles,</b> shamelessly cut and pasted from<a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/cooking-basics-very-easy-pickl-83971" target="_blank"> http://www.thekitchn.com/cooking-basics-very-easy-pickl-83971</a><br />
<br />
<br />
We love pickles, and we especially love the variety of flavors and
vegetables being used to make them these days. But we've tended to shy
away from making them at home, thinking that pickling requires <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-review/recipe-fresh-garden-vegetable-pickles-065071">pounds of vegetables</a>, special equipment, and an entire free weekend. Recently, we learned there's another way...<br />
Enter refrigerator pickling! These pickles aren't intended for
long-term storage, but rather for casual eating over the course of a
week or so. They're incredibly easy to make, even on a weeknight, and
are a novel way to use up the odd carrot or quarter-head of cabbage left
in the drawer.<br />
First, clean and prepare all your vegetables. If it's a vegetable you
like to eat raw, you can leave them as is. If not, you can blanch them
in boiling water, steam them lightly, or roast them beforehand. You want
them edible but <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/word-of-mouth/word-of-mouth-al-dente-064357">still a bit crunchy</a>.<br />
Pack all the vegetables tightly into jars - you can use old canning
jars or any other heat-proof container with an air-tight lid. You can
also combine more than one vegetable in the same jar if you don't have
quite enough of one. Just make sure the combined vegetables actually
"go" together because they'll take on a bit of each other's flavors.<br />
We like to use a basic pickling brine (below) and then <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/ingredients-pantry/pantry-basics-pickling-spice-063744">riff on the spices</a>
or use different vinegars depending on what we're in the mood for.
Bring all the brine ingredients to a boil in a small pan and then pour
the brine over the vegetables. Put the lids on the containers, cool them
to room temperature, and then refrigerate for at least 24 hours before
eating to give the flavors time to meld.<br />
Refrigerator pickles will keep for about a month. If they develop any
off flavors or smells, or if you notice fermentation, it's best to just
discard the remaining pickles. Some kinds of fermentation are ok (like
with kimchi), but we'll save that discussion for another time.<br />
Many of these pickles are great as a snack right out the jar while
standing at the counter! We also layer them on sandwiches, toss them in
salads, or serve them as part of an appetizer plate.<br />
<br />
<b>Basic Pickling Brine</b><br />
For every pound of vegetable:<br />
1 cup vinegar (any kind except balsamic)<br />
1 cup water<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1 Tablespoon kosher salt<br />
Extras: fresh herbs, <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/ingredients-pantry/in-praise-of-red-pepper-flakes-053860">red pepper flakes</a>, mustard seed, <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-roundup/quick-tip-using-whole-cumin-seeds-047158">cumin seed</a>, pepper corns, cloves of garlic, or any <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/ingredients-pantry/pantry-basics-pickling-spice-063744">other pickling spice</a>Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-34669381259794151422015-07-21T21:04:00.004-07:002015-07-21T21:05:17.212-07:00Birch Point CSA Week 5<h4>
In Your Share This Week: Starting to turn this Spring Ship Toward Summer!</h4>
<br />
<b>Broccoli </b>OR <b>New Potatoes</b> (whichever you don't get this week you'll get next week)- the very first potatoes of the season, or early broccoli. We leave the greens on broccoli because they're delicious (cook any way you'd do kale, and/or toss in with the broccoli head), but they do transpire moisture away from the head, leading to rubbery broccoli. If you won't use it in the next few days, remove the leaves before storing.<br />
<b>Kohlrabi</b>--click though<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/15/kohlrabi-recipes_n_1597114.html" target="_blank"> here </a>for a huffpost series called "WTF, CSA?" starting with Kohlrabi :) And yes you CAN use the greens- cook them just like kale.<br />
<b>Beet greens </b>OR mustard greens- or mix the two and make a spectacular <a href="http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Spinach-with-Fresh-Indian-Cheese-" target="_blank">sag paneer</a>--you'll notice in this recipe from Saveur, the author specifically mentions that "sag" just means greens, and you CAN use any greens you have on hand for sag paneer. Go on, be adventurous :) Beet greens: <a href="http://foodfacts.mercola.com/beet-greens.html" target="_blank">super nutritious</a>!<br />
<b>Lettuce</b>- more beautiful reds, greens, butterhead/bibb, or romaines<br />
<b>Cilantro</b>- perhaps tossed at the last minute into a spicy stirfry of kohlrabi, scallions, peas, and broccoli? Or perhaps you have a garlic scape and a few pine nuts or sunflower seeds hanging around the back of your fridge? try cilantro-garlic scape pesto: Yum!<br />
<b>Scallions</b>- so delicious, so versatile, and please DO use the entire thing, greens and whites. All is tender.<br />
<b>Peas</b>- snow or snap-- may be coming to an end :( It's been a good pea run, but BEANS are almost ready to take over next week!<br />
<br />
<h4>
Announcements</h4>
1. Heart of Summer shares start THIS WEEK. All Heart of Summer members should have gotten a reminder email- here's another one ;) See you Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday!<br />
2. Wednesday and Saturday shares- PLEASE remember your boxes-- bring back your empty box each week when you pick up your full one. If everyone remembers their boxes, it helps us keep costs and hassle down, AND helps keep your veggies happier than in a plastic bag (the fate of box-hoarders, if we run out of boxes).<br />
3. Reminder: Dilly Bean canning workshop from ISLAND, here at Birch Point: Tuesday Aug. 4, 6-8:30 pm. Details and registration<a href="http://artmeetsearth.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=189" target="_blank"> here</a>. CSA members and general public welcome.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Recipes: </h4>
Save these! and/or bookmark the blog entries, because you'll see a lot of these items again, and next time you'll be even more prepared.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Cilantro Pesto</i></b><br />
Take a basil pesto recipe (for example, the one below). Swap out basil for cilantro. Voila. Hint: you can make pesto out of ANY herb, and many green leafy veggies, too. Anything you enjoy the flavor of will make a delightful pesto. Try basil, cilantro, dill (one of my faves), parsley, sorrel, kale, chives, etc.<br />
2 c. herbs/greens of your choice<br />
1/2 c. toasted nuts/seeds (I like a combo of pine nuts and walnuts and/or sunflower seeds)<br />
2 fat garlic cloves or 1-2 garlic scapes<br />
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese (optional)<br />
1/2 c. olive oil<br />
2 Tbsp lemon juice or verjus.<br />
dash salt and pepper.<br />
Whiz everything in the cuisinart or blender. Adjust salt, add optional heat (ground cayenne, fresh or dried hot pepper), whiz again, taste. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for a week or so, or freeze for up to several months.<br />
<br />
An amazing-sounding<b><i> kohlrabi soup</i></b> I found on the abovementioned huffpost kohlrabi article:<br />
<a href="http://turmericsaffron.blogspot.com/2011/09/sholeh-maash-persian-green-mung-bean.htm">http://turmericsaffron.blogspot.com/2011/09/sholeh-maash-persian-green-mung-bean.htm</a>l<br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Sholeh Maash - Persian Green Mung Bean and Kohlrabi Hearty Soup</b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Ingredients:</b><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Serves 6</span></i><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">1 1/2 cups green mung beans, rinse 2-3 times</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">1/2 cup rice, rinse well</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">3-4 medium-size kohlrabi, peel and cut into small cubes, leave one cubed kohlrabi for the topping</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">1 large bunch of fresh tareh or scallions (green parts only), washed and chopped</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">1 small bunch of fresh tarragon, stems removed and chopped</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Water</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Salt and pepper to taste</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">2 large onions, thinly sliced</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">2-3 garlic cloves, diced</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">1/3 teaspoon turmeric</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">1/3 teaspoon red pepper *optional</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">1/3 teaspoon cumin *optional</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Oil</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Method:</b><br />
<ol style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Place the beans and the rice in a large pot, add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Add the small pieces of kohlrabi, salt, pepper, cover and cook for 45 minutes on low heat.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Periodically check to see if you need to add more water to the soup.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Add the chopped vegetables, taste and adjust the seasoning, add more hot water if needed and let it simmer for another 15 minutes for the flavors to blend in.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">In the meantime, fry the sliced onions in 3-4 tablespoons of hot vegetable oil in a skillet until golden brown. Add the turmeric powder and the minced garlic to the oil, stir and saute further for another five minutes.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Add a large tablespoon of the fried onion to the soup and gently mix well.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Lightly fry the cubed kohlrabi in 2-3 tablespoons of hot vegetable oil until soft and golden on medium heat. Add a pinch of salt, turmeric, cumin and red pepper and stir well.</li>
</ol>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">To serve ladle the soup into a soup bowl, top with the fried onions and kohlrabi. Serve hot with bread and yogurt.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Enjoy!</span>Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-44957097776026699382015-07-15T22:08:00.000-07:002015-07-15T22:08:07.281-07:00Birch Point CSA Week 4<h3>
In Your Share This Week: </h3>
it's still a green, green harvest. If we EVER get a true warm spell, the peas and lettuces will slow down, but on the up side, the tomatoes and beans will LOVE it. For now, enjoy the leafy goodness this extended cool weather has brought.<br />
<br />
The sweetest little <b>Napa Cabbage</b><br />
<b>Kale</b> OR <b>Swiss Chard</b><br />
<b>Italian Parsley</b><br />
<b>Lettuces</b>, all kinds<br />
<b>Baby Salad Mix</b><br />
<b>Beets</b><br />
<b>Turnips</b><br />
<b>Peas</b>! Snow or Snap<br />
<br />
<h3>
Announcements:</h3>
1. Heart-of-Summer shares start Tuesday July 21, or Wednesday July 22, or Saturday July 25, and run six weeks. Heart of Summer shares ARE still available. Know someone on the fence about joining a CSA, or just up here for the summer? Send them our way.<br />
2. Dilly Bean pickling/preserving workshop here at Birch Point, in partnership with ISLAND. Tuesday <b>Aug 4, 6-8:30 pm </b>(during/after CSA pickup). $40 per person, learn the art of dilly bean preserving and pickling/canning safety, and take home jars of the end product! Oryana member discount. Pre-registration required.<a href="http://artmeetsearth.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=189" target="_blank"> All details and how to register HERE</a><br />
3. "Kaia's Cookies," made by our neighbor Kaia herself, are available to purchase at Tuesday CSA pickup. Kaia and her mom bake delicious gluten-free and dairy-free desserts. Support a young entrepreneur, and get a delectable treat next time you're here on Tuesday.<br />
4. Upcoming: Children's Garden workday and events (e.g. cooking demo, fermenting, etc) on the way- stay tuned!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Recipe:</h3>
<u>Farm-ikopita</u> (or Spanikopita made with whatever farmy green-ness you have on hand)<br />
modified from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spanakopita-greek-spinach-pie/<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"></span><br />
<div class="ingred-left" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; float: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 415px;">
<ul class="ingredient-wrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; float: left; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;">
<li data-grams="40.5" data-ingredientid="6307" data-role="recipe-ingredient" id="liIngredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;"><label style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="checkbox-formatted" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; font-weight: normal; height: 23px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 25px;"><input id="cbxIngredient" name="ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$recipe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol1$ctl01$cbxIngredient" type="checkbox" /></span><div class="fl-ing" itemprop="ingredients" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 175px;">
<span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">3 tablespoons</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">olive oil</span></div>
</label></li>
<li data-grams="150" data-ingredientid="4397" data-role="recipe-ingredient" id="liIngredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;"><label style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="checkbox-formatted" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; font-weight: normal; height: 23px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 25px;"><input id="cbxIngredient" name="ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$recipe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol1$ctl02$cbxIngredient" type="checkbox" /></span><div class="fl-ing" itemprop="ingredients" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 175px;">
<span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1 large</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">onion, chopped</span></div>
</label></li>
<li data-grams="225" data-ingredientid="4405" data-role="recipe-ingredient" id="liIngredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;"><label style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="checkbox-formatted" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; font-weight: normal; height: 23px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 25px;"><input id="cbxIngredient" name="ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$recipe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol1$ctl03$cbxIngredient" type="checkbox" /></span><div class="fl-ing" itemprop="ingredients" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 175px;">
<span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1 bunch</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">green onions, chopped</span></div>
</label></li>
<li data-grams="6" data-ingredientid="4342" data-role="recipe-ingredient" id="liIngredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;"><label style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="checkbox-formatted" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; font-weight: normal; height: 23px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 25px;"><input id="cbxIngredient" name="ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$recipe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol1$ctl04$cbxIngredient" type="checkbox" /></span><div class="fl-ing" itemprop="ingredients" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 175px;">
<span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2 cloves</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">garlic, minced</span></div>
</label></li>
<li data-grams="908" data-ingredientid="4516" data-role="recipe-ingredient" id="liIngredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;"><label style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="checkbox-formatted" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; font-weight: normal; height: 23px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 25px;"><input id="cbxIngredient" name="ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$recipe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol1$ctl05$cbxIngredient" type="checkbox" /></span><div class="fl-ing" itemprop="ingredients" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 175px;">
<span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2 pounds</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">spinach, rinsed and chopped OR Swiss Chard OR kale OR beet greens OR a combo of any greens you like. MF note: I also included 4 coarsely chopped turnips into ours- yum!</span></div>
</label></li>
<li data-grams="30" data-ingredientid="4409" data-role="recipe-ingredient" id="liIngredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;"><label style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="checkbox-formatted" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; font-weight: normal; height: 23px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 25px;"><input id="cbxIngredient" name="ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$recipe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol1$ctl06$cbxIngredient" type="checkbox" /></span><div class="fl-ing" itemprop="ingredients" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 175px;">
<span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1/2 cup</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">chopped fresh parsley</span></div>
<div class="fl-ing" itemprop="ingredients" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 175px;">
<span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"></span></span></div>
<ol style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: -5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 25px; padding-right: 35px; padding-top: 0px;">
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: bold; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #4e4e4f; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.</span></span> </span><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.</span></span></span><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.</span></span></span><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve</span></span></span><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #4e4e4f; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>while hot.</span></li>
</ol>
</label></li>
</ul>
<ul class="ingredient-wrap secondColumn" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; float: left; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;">
<li data-grams="100" data-ingredientid="16317" data-role="recipe-ingredient" id="liIngredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;"><label style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="checkbox-formatted" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; font-weight: normal; height: 23px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 25px;"><input id="cbxIngredient" name="ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$recipe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol2$ctl01$cbxIngredient" type="checkbox" /></span><div class="fl-ing" itemprop="ingredients" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 175px;">
<span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">eggs, lightly beaten</span></div>
</label></li>
<li data-grams="123" data-ingredientid="16243" data-role="recipe-ingredient" id="liIngredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;"><label style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="checkbox-formatted" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; font-weight: normal; height: 23px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 25px;"><input id="cbxIngredient" name="ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$recipe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol2$ctl02$cbxIngredient" type="checkbox" /></span><div class="fl-ing" itemprop="ingredients" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 175px;">
<span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1/2 cup</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">ricotta cheese</span></div>
</label></li>
<li data-grams="252.0409" data-ingredientid="16225" data-role="recipe-ingredient" id="liIngredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;"><label style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="checkbox-formatted" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; font-weight: normal; height: 23px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 25px;"><input id="cbxIngredient" name="ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$recipe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol2$ctl03$cbxIngredient" type="checkbox" /></span><div class="fl-ing" itemprop="ingredients" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 175px;">
<span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1 cup</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">crumbled feta cheese</span></div>
</label></li>
<li data-grams="152" data-ingredientid="2330" data-role="recipe-ingredient" id="liIngredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;"><label style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="checkbox-formatted" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; font-weight: normal; height: 23px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 25px;"><input id="cbxIngredient" name="ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$recipe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol2$ctl04$cbxIngredient" type="checkbox" /></span><div class="fl-ing" itemprop="ingredients" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 175px;">
<span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">8 sheets</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">phyllo dough</span></div>
</label></li>
<li data-grams="54" data-ingredientid="6307" data-role="recipe-ingredient" id="liIngredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;"><label style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="checkbox-formatted" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; font-weight: normal; height: 23px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 25px;"><input id="cbxIngredient" name="ctl00$CenterColumnPlaceHolder$recipeTest$recipe$ingredients$rptIngredientsCol2$ctl05$cbxIngredient" type="checkbox" /></span><div class="fl-ing" itemprop="ingredients" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 175px;">
<span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1/4 cup</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">olive oil</span></div>
<div>
<span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
</label></li>
</ul>
<div id="msgAddIngredients" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
</div>
</div>
Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-3023452446593219942015-07-07T08:46:00.000-07:002015-07-07T08:46:18.324-07:00Birch Point CSA Week 3: The Aliens Have Landed<span style="font-family: inherit;">Q: "What IS that?" (the most common response to encountering <i>kohlrabi </i>for the first time) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A: It's the spaceship-shaped vegetable in your share this week-- either green or purple, a round or slightly flattened globe, a member of the broccoli/cabbage family, and soon to be one of your (and your kids') favorite veggies. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<h3>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">In Your Share This Week</span></b></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Kohlrabi</b>- My fave way to enjoy: raw! Peel off skin, slice into sticks or chunks, enjoy as is or with salt or dip of your choice. OR grate onto salad/slaw. OR cook any way you do broccoli: steam, saute, roast, etc. Leaves can be used just like kale; that's why we <i>leave </i>them on!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Beets-</b>the first of the season! You can expect a good variety of beets throughout the season-classic dark red, golden, Chioggia (red-white bullseye pattern inside), all kinds. Roots AND greens are delicious. Roots: roast, boil, or saute (or GRILL whole beetroots wrapped in foil for a special treat). Or grate raw into salad- yum. Greens: saute or steam, or sub for spinach or swiss chard in any recipe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Lettuce</b>- more beautiful heads to make a salad, eat on sandwiches, etc. You know what to do with lettuce.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Either <b>Arugula </b>OR <b>Baby Salad Mix-</b> Some shares got baby salad mix, some got arugula. We'll make sure everyone gets everything-- we'll keep the baby greens coming so you get a good mix throughout the season. Note: all leafy greens have been washed to COOL and RINSE after harvest, but are NOT washed ready-to-eat (unless you don't mind a little grit) ;) If you're a fresh arugula person, excellent. If not, try it slightly wilted, tossed with hot pasta, or arugula pesto. Note: this is VERY mild arugula-- not the high summer spicy stuff that only the hard core arugula lovers can handle. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Garlic Scapes</b>- More! hope you love garlic. remember, you can use these ANY way you'd use fresh garlic- just chop/mince the whole thing. And they keep for weeks in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge. Try garlic scape pesto (Recipe below) for a pungent pasta sauce.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Turnips-</b>Might be a new-ish thing for some people! If your only experience with turnips is the pungent purple-and-white kind, give these baby turnips a try-- you'll be delighted. The white ones are a Japanese variety called Hakurei, and the pink ones are called Scarlet Queen. Both are more tender and mild than the old purple-tops, though the pinks are a little firmer and spicier than the whites. Both can be used raw in salad (grated OR sliced, salted, and let "sweat" before tossing in) or on a crudite platter with salt or dip. OR make a turnip-beet root roast (toss in the last of last week's radishes while you're at it), with a creamy bechamel sauce with blended garlic scapes. Be sure to use the GREENS in any saute, soup, or pesto you might be making, too.</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Peas</b> -either sugarsnap (fat, sugary) OR snow peas (flat pods, more savory), both are for eating whole, NOT shelling. We mostly just eat these raw as a snack, but they're delicious in stir-fries too. Hopefully last night's RAIN will crank up the next week's harvest..</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Announcements</span></b></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Market and CSA pickup (Wed and Sat) is still in the Old Town parking deck til Cherry festival is over. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. BREAD and COFFEE shares still available- please email or call for info if you're interested!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<h3>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Recipes</span></b></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Garlic Scape Pesto</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 bunch garlic scapes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 c. olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 c. toasted walnuts, pine nuts, and/or toasted sunflower seeds- any combo works</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/4 c. grated parmesan (optional)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">juice of 1/2 lemon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">generous dashes salt and pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Optional: 1 c. any greens of your choice (kale, spinach, parsley, turnip greens, basil, etc)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In cuisinart or blender, process olive oil, lemon juice, garlic scapes, salt and pepper. Add nuts, process til as smooth or chunky as you like (if you want it creamy not at all chunky, toss the nuts in with everything else and whiz away; if more texture is your thing, whiz til nuts are in tiny chunks, but not creamy- try different textures and see what you like best). Add cheese last and blend just to mix. Use immediately, refrigerate for at least a week, OR freeze for up to several months. This is a PUNGENT pasta topper, or dip for fries, or serious salad dressing, or sauce for roasted roots or meats. To mellow it out a little (if you like), add other greens of your choice. Parsley is one of my faves, but any leafy green thing will do. Yes pesto IS adaptable to what's on hand! Check<a href="http://everybodylikessandwiches.com/2012/07/arugula-garlic-scape-pesto/" target="_blank"> this blog post </a>I found online for more garlic scape/etc. pesto suggestions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Turnip-Beet-Any-Root Roast with Creamy Garlic Bechamel Sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Turnips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Beets</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Kohlrabi (not technically a root, but goes GREAT in this dish)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Any other roots you have on hand</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Scrub and chop roots into large bite sized chunks. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and roast at 375ish for 30-45 min (longer for larger chunks) or til edges are nicely browned and caramelized and centers are tender. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile, prepare this bechamel sauce (thanks Martha Stewart!), substituting 2-4 garlic SCAPES for the cloves in the recipe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div class="col1" style="color: #666666; float: left; letter-spacing: 0.400000005960465px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; width: 253.0625px;">
<div class="components-container">
<section class="components-group" style="margin-bottom: 1.57143em;"><ul class="components-list" itemprop="ingredients" style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="components-item" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5 tablespoons unsalted butter</span></li>
<li class="components-item" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 small yellow onion, diced small</span></li>
<li class="components-item" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2 garlic cloves, chopped</span></li>
<li class="components-item" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1/3 cup all-purpose flour</span></li>
<li class="components-item" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">coarse salt</span></li>
<li class="components-item" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4 1/2 cups whole milk </span></li>
<li class="components-item" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.400000005960465px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is soft, 4 minutes. Add flour, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until mixture is pale golden with a nutty aroma, 4 minutes. Whisking constantly, add half the milk. Add the remaining milk and whisk until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, until sauce comes to a boil and thickens, 10 minutes. Use immediately.</span></span></li>
<li class="components-item" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><h3 style="color: black; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Children's Corner</span></span></h3>
<div dir="ltr" style="color: black; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By Ava Newell</span></div>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="color: black; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 24pt;">
<span style="color: #366091; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hello! What do you call a cow with no legs? Ground beef!</span></h1>
<div style="color: black; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-1485a8ef-6927-5292-9ae6-a1b9733e1b9b"><span style="color: #4f81bd; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In the children`s garden, we previously have been planting in 5 different sections. Rainbow food garden, herb garden, three sisters garden (beans, squash and corn), Poncho`s pot pie garden and the flower garden. We`ve grown lots of vegetables, but not rhubarb. And I bring that up because my mom gave me a recipe for rhubarb custard cake. We made it for Fourth of July.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="color: black; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Rhubarb Custard Cake</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="color: black; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*1 package yellow cake m</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;">ix</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="color: black; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*4 cups fresh or frozen </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rhubarb</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="color: black; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*1cup sugar</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="color: black; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*1cup heavy whipping cream</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="color: black; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*whipped cream and</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Mint, optional</span></div>
</li>
<li class="components-item" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><div dir="ltr" style="color: black; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Prepare cake batter according to package directions. Pour into greased 13x9" pan. Sprinkle on rhubarb and sugar; slowly pour cream over top. Bake at 350 for 40-45 min or until golden brown.Cool for 15 min before serving; garnish with whipped cream and mint if desired. Refrigerate leftovers. Serves 12-15.</span></div>
</li>
<li class="components-item" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;">MF note: sounds like we should plant some rhubarb in the children's garden!</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
</section></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-4110406119904810242015-06-30T21:02:00.000-07:002015-06-30T21:02:24.558-07:00Birch Point CSA 2015 Week 2 (Newsletter #1)Welcome! or Welcome Back!<br />
We are so glad you've joined our farm for the 2015 season. Our first newsletter follows, and this is how newsletters normally go:<br />
1. A list of this week's share items (what's in the box)<br />
2. Announcements/ Need-to-Know important stuff (this is where you learn about changes to CSA pickup, optional extras available to order, on-farm events, etc)<br />
3. Recipes featuring this week's items<br />
and 4. (sometimes) Field Notes- what's up in the fields! Also occasional updates from the Children's Garden, "Meet your Farmers" interviews/profiles, photos from the farm this week, etc.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In Your Share This Week: Lots of Green Loveliness, some Color, and some Sass</span><br />
<br />
<b>Peas</b>! The very first snap peas of the season- there will be more, if the cool-ish weather holds. Peas love cool, moist times. We've got the cool; if we keep that and add the moist, we're rich in peas. Enjoy fresh (whole pod! these are NOT shelling peas) or tossed in a stir-fry at the last minute.<br />
<br />
<b>Baby salad mix</b>- a lovely blend of baby lettuces, baby kales and chards, baby Asian greens, etc. The salad mix composition changes every week, based on what looks best/what we have lots of. See if you can identify all the different components! *Note* All bagged or bunched greens have been rinsed but not washed ready-to-eat. We recommend submerging in cool water, then spinning dry.<br />
<br />
<b>Radishes</b>- more mild spring beauties- spring radishes, esp. those grown in the hoophouse or under row covers, are so much milder than the spicy summer versions of themselves-- the heat or moisture stress really "kicks it up" in the radish world. Enjoy the mellowness :) If you think radishes are not your thing, give them two more chances: 1. Slice thinly or chop, then toss with a generous amount of SALT. Salt draws out the moisture, making them juicier and more tender, and also cuts the bitterness. Set for 5-20 min, then enjoy as is, or on a toasted bagel/baguette with cream cheese/goat cheese, or in your salad. 2. ROAST them just like potatoes- cut in half or leave whole, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, spread in a single layer in a cast iron skillet or on a cookie sheet, roast at 375ish for 30 min or so, til edges are brown and caramelized, and insides are soft and tender. They'll taste of radish, but NOT of any bitterness. Mix with potatoes or other roots of your choice.<br />
<br />
<b>Bok Choy/Pac Choi</b> (same thing, different spelling)- a most versatile leafy Asian vegetable. My favorite preparation is a raw slaw (see recipe below), but any variation on stir-fry is a great use of choi as well. Some members will get green choi; others red. The red is starting to elongate, or bolt (send up a flower stalk), but we meticulously taste tested it, and it is still super tender and sweet, not stringy or spicy. So go ahead and use the whole thing! Leaves, stalks, AND flower buds-- see below for the story of my introduction to "vegetable flower,"<br />
<br />
<b>Lettuces</b>- lovely heads of red leaf, green romaine, butterhead, or red romaine. Use for salad, sandwiches, on tacos, as lettuce wraps, etc. We love growing lettuces, so we hope you'll enjoy the rotating varieties we include with your share-- what are your favorites?<br />
<br />
<b>Garlic Scape</b>s! The flowering stalk of the garlic plant--- use just like fresh garlic, because it IS fresh garlic, just a part of the plant you don't see every day. That's because the scapes only grow in late spring/early summer for a 3-4 week window at most. We remove the scapes from the plants for two reasons: 1. They are DELICIOUS and tender, and a fun variation on garlic, one of our fave foods, and 2. Removing the flower stalk (before it flowers) allows the plant to redirect its energy into growing a bigger bulb instead of a flower, meaning more garlic (bigger bulbs) for us later in the summer. This way we get two harvests of garlic from each plant! My favorite preparation is on the grill: toss with olive oil, spread on the grill with anything else you happen to have on there, and let it go til blackened on the tips and soft/tender along the stem. Eat the whole thing. Or steam/blanch, then bread and deep fry, tempura-style, for the most decadent onion-ring-type-thing ever. Or just chop/mince and use in any recipe that calls for garlic. AND they keep for weeks - just store in an airtight container, i.e. sealed plastic bag, in the fridge.<br />
<br />
Locally-grown and milled <b>FLOUR </b>from Grand Traverse Culinary Flours. CSA member Bill Koucky produces both flours and culinary oils from locally grown ingredients! The Record Eagle ran <a href="http://www.record-eagle.com/news/business/flour-business-blooms-in-traverse-city/article_64c07f52-8dfa-5708-ac27-49a5a7183ef2.html" target="_blank">this story </a>last year- check it out! Flour AND oil will be available to order soon- this is just a sample to whet your baking whistles (and yes there IS buckwheat flour available for the gluten-averse of ye). Thanks Bill!<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Announcements:</span><br />
<br />
1. Cherry Festival Market Relocation: Starting Saturday, July 4, farmers' market is RELOCATED to the Old Town Parking Deck off Eighth or Lake St. Saturday, July 4, Wed. July 8, and Saturday July 11, come find us and your CSA share on the ground level of the parking deck. As an incentive, the first 100 people to visit the market during festival days will receive $5 of their market purchases!<br />
<br />
2. Bread and coffee shares ARE still available- you can start any week. 9 Bean Rows bread is $4 per week, bread is baker's choice- a rotating mix (one loaf per week). Coffee is $10 per week, you sign up for light OR dark roast, and get a nice variety from within your roast preference each week (12 oz bag, whole beans). Please email birchpointcsa@gmail.com to sign up or for more info.<br />
<br />
3. Strawberries: if you (Tuesday people) ordered strawberries from Ware Farm, they are here today. Sat and Wed people-- we are waiting, with baited breath, to hear if more berries will be available. The most reliable thing for you to do is to contact Bernie and Sandee Ware directly (warefarm@centurytel.net or <span style="background-color: #f4d9a0; color: #000001; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">231 864 3242)</span>and order flats for pick-up at market. (Skip the Birch Point go-between entirely, since you'll be at market/in town for your CSA pickup anyway.) I will let you know if we can take orders for more flats next week.<br />
<br />
4. Tuesday people: remember BAGS and coolers or boxes to carry your share home. We don't supply containers for on-farm pickups. However, we do accept donated stashes of used, clean plastic bags. Bring your collection and leave it in the barn for when you (or fellow CSA members) forget your containers.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Recipe</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Asian-ish Slaw, using Choi of your Choice, or any Asian leafy green, for that matter :)</span><br />
<br />
1 head bok choi (or substitute a small napa cabbage, komatsuna, or a few tatsoi heads), finely chopped across the grain, stems, leaves, and all.<br />
1-3 garlic scapes, thinly sliced<br />
1-3 dried hot peppers, crushed with the side of a knife or mortar-and-pestled, OR 1 tsp ground cayenne (optional)<br />
1 med onion, thinly sliced<br />
1 handful cilantro, coarsely chopped<br />
1-2 sweet peppers, very thinly sliced (optional)<br />
1 carrot, grated or julienned<br />
4 Tbsp black sesame seeds (sub white if black unavailable)<br />
1 cup toasted sunflower seeds<br />
1 tsp ground ginger or one generous knob fresh ginger, minced<br />
juice of one large or two small limes<br />
generous sploosh of toasted sesame oil<br />
salt and pepper<br />
<br />
1. Make dressing: lime juice, sesame oil, ginger, cayenne, salt, pepper. Mix well in bottom of large bowl.<br />
2. Add finely sliced/chopped vegetables: choi, scapes, peppers, carrots, onion. Toss with dressing.<br />
3. Add seeds, toss.<br />
4. Add cilantro just before serving, toss lightly-- keep that cilantro fresh til the last minute!<br />
Enjoy room temperature or refrigerated.<br />
<br />
"Vegetable Flower"<br />
While I was the farm manager at the MSU Student Organic Farm, we hosted several student volunteer work parties. One spring day a class was ripping out the overgrown, weedy hoophouse that still harbored over-wintered Asian greens, among other things. Blong, a Hmong student, questioned why we were ripping out the bolted Chinese cabbage, without distributing it to our CSA members. Upon investigation, it turned out that, at least in his family, bolted (flowering) Asian greens were a delicacy! And that there is a Hmong word for it, which translates to "vegetable flower." We tried it, and he was right-- just as delicious as the non-bolting versions of themselves. Ever since, I've not hesitated to harvest and distribute to CSA members the bolting bok choi, napa, or other Asian greens-- they take a little explaining sometimes, but they are just long, there's nothing wrong! I hope you enjoy whatever color and shape of bok choi you find in your share this week. And please do share your favorite recipe for bok choi or any other slightly uncommon veggie-- your fellow CSA members would love to hear from you.<br />
<br />Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-17130463698928719102014-12-12T17:31:00.000-08:002014-12-12T17:31:49.098-08:00Birch Point Fall-Winter CSA Week 7: the penultimate week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Warm weather! Thursday was the loveliest day since summer, I believe. I hope you all got outside for a good stretch of Thursday. Friday wasn't bad either... this reprieve from bitter cold and gray has got spirits up, even though the ground is still frozen solid. We'd love to harvest the last few root veggies that were still in the ground when the deep freeze hit, but it may be next week before that happens. In good news, the sunshine has warmed up the hoophouse to the point where the baby greens are harvestable! Most things we grow in the winter hoophouse can handle a certain amount of freezing and thawing (e.g. kale, spinach, arugula, lettuce, claytonia, parsley), but quality is much higher when the greens aren't actually frozen solid at the time of harvest! Today they were nicely thawed out and perky, so we were able to harvest a lovely winter salad of arugula, baby kale, and a smattering of lettuce-- mainly arugula and kale, a handful of red lettuce just for color. Hope you enjoy this special treat!<br />
<i>Remember: next week is our final week of CSA for the fall-winter season. </i> We look forward to seeing you-- if shares are outside of Bldg 50, be sure to come say hello when you pick up your box!<br />
<br />
<h4>
In This Week's Share</h4>
<br />
<b>Winter Squash</b>-the squash we carefully harvested, cleaned, sorted, and stored is just starting to show signs of not loving its storage life-- parts of the squash field sustained minimal frost damage this fall before harvest, which can shorten storage life. We've been on the lookout for rot all fall, and I'm impressed that it's just now showing up. Squash normally keeps for several weeks up to several months, but once soft spots develop, the best thing is to use it up or cook and freeze it for later. <br />
For maximum storage life (of non-compromised squash), keep at approx 50 degrees F in a relatively dry environment. Attics or garages that stay well above freezing, spare rooms that are minimally heated, or root cellars with good ventilation are all good for squash storage. What's bad for squash storage: temps too close to freezing or much above 60 degrees F, high humidity, bruising.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://img05.foodily.net/img/620x620/cce2764f7f8b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img05.foodily.net/img/620x620/cce2764f7f8b.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><b>Brussels sprouts</b>- the last of these little lovelies for the season! Brenin harvested them frozen earlier this week, and they are still so sweet and tender, if on the small side. If you think you're (or someone in your household is) not a Bsprout fan, try this: trim and clean, and slice super thinly across sprouts, then fluff into a frizzy, fluffy pile (basically destroying the evidence that they started out as sprouts). Saute onions with olive oil or butter til tender and browned, add shredded sprouts and a generous sprinkle of salt, saute on med heat til bright, bright green and tender. If it starts to dry out or stick, sploosh in a spoonful or two of water. Toss in pan with balsamic vinegar and/or lemon juice- balsamic vinegar will add more sweetness, lemon more acidity. I also like to throw in some dried cherries or cranberries, chopped, at the last moment of cooking. There. See what the haters say now.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Rutabaga%2C_variety_nadmorska.JPG/220px-Rutabaga%2C_variety_nadmorska.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Rutabaga%2C_variety_nadmorska.JPG/220px-Rutabaga%2C_variety_nadmorska.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><b>Rutabagas</b>! I think rutabagas are delicious. The secret? Bring out their sweetness- they ARE sweet, but also pungent. If you love pungent, go for it; you're in your element. If not, take advantage of caramelizing and maximizing surface area-- e.g. rutabaga fries (cut like steak fries, brush with olive oil and bake at 375 til brown and crisp on edges, soft at centers) with ketchup OR spicy mayo (half-half mayo and your favorite hot sauce), rutabaga-and-potato gratin (see recipe below), rutabaga hash browns --use some combo of potatoes and rutabagas (half-half or any ratio, really), and mashed rutabaga (straight up roasted- not boiled- rutabaga OR mixed with potato). These techniques maximize the transformation of starches into sugars, not changing the inherent rutabaga-ness, but allowing their inner sweetness to shine through.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Salad mix</b>-- a winter combo of baby arugula, baby red Russian kale, and lettuces (barely any lettuce-- this is mostly arugula and kale). These greens are so tender I hope you'll try them with the most nominal of dressing- e.g. olive oil and salt, grape seed oil and verjus (the hyper-local equivalent of olive oil and lemon juice), or the like. Let the delicate greens shine as themselves rather than a vehicle for heavy dressings!<br />
<br />
<b>Onions</b>- either Rossa di Milano (big red) or a mix of small reds and yellows. Try chopped, roasted onions along with your rutabaga and carrot (and last week's potatoes if you still have some) in a roasted root medley.<br />
<br />
<b>Carrots</b>- a rainbow mix of orange, purple, and/or white. Enjoy fresh or roasted. I made a lovely purple-and-orange carrot slaw the other day with just grated carrots and an apple, onions, toasted sunflower seeds, cilantro, a minced dried hot pepper, and a sesame oil-rice vinegar dressing. YUM!<br />
<br />
<b>Ida Red Apples</b>- another installment of certified organic apples from our friend Gene, the organic orchardist in Northport.<a href="http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/idared" target="_blank"> Ida Reds</a> are great for fresh eating OR baking; they also store well if you can't use them immediately- keep them cold and humid (refrigerator=great, but anywhere that stays slightly above freezing is fine (breezeway, drafty attic, etc).<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Potato-and-Rutabaga-Gratin" target="_blank">Rutabaga and Potato Gratin</a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">SERVES 6–8<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, Jamrul, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; text-transform: uppercase;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 21px; text-transform: none;"><br /></span></span></b></span></span>4 tbsp. unsalted butter<br />2 tbsp. olive oil<br />4 cloves garlic, finely chopped<br />1 medium red onion, thinly sliced<br />¼ cup flour<br />2 cups milk<br />1 cup heavy cream<br />1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced<br />1 lb. rutabagas, peeled and very thinly sliced<br />1 tbsp. minced thyme leaves<br />2 cups (about 4 oz.) grated<br />Gruyére cheese<br />Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Heat oven to 425°. Heat butter and oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 6 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook until smooth, about 1 minute. Add milk and cream, and stir until smooth. Add potatoes, rutabagas, and 2 tsp. thyme, and bring mixture to a boil; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are slightly tender and broken apart, about 5 minutes. Stir in half the cheese and salt and pepper, and then transfer to a 9″ × 13″ baking dish; top with remaining cheese and bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining thyme before serving.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">And an Even Fancier (more delicious sounding) Brussels Sprout Recipe</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.foodily.com/r/vAaMpbQBP1-brussels-sprouts-chiffonade-with-caramelized-onions-by-sf-gate?ref=freshdirect" target="_blank">Brussels Sprouts Chiffonade with Caramelized Onions</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-53128896741643513182014-12-05T19:53:00.000-08:002014-12-06T04:42:24.572-08:00Birch Point Fall-Winter CSA Week 6Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Brenin was out in Portland visiting old and new friends, and Jess and I hosted all our parents plus a handful of friends here at the farm for dinner-- check out some menu/recipe suggestions at the end of this blog inspired by our Tday dinner (it was delicious and almost entirely raised/grown by the people at the table!).<br />
Note: we were packing shares as dusk turned to darkness this evening. While we're careful to sort and select the nicest produce for your shares, it can be difficult in the dark, as you might imagine, to be as thorough as we'd like ;) IF you find squash with soft spots, or a green potato, for example, please let us know-- it's possible we missed some! Suggestion: if you ever <i>are</i> faced with squash with soft spots, the best thing is to cook it and freeze the cooked squash ASAP-- it'll keep for months in your freezer.<br />
<br />
In this week's share:<br />
<br />
<b>Celeriac</b>-- the alien-looking root veggie that's the most versatile winter food ever. Use them any way you'd use a potato- boiled, mashed, fried, roasted, pureed, etc. Or go the traditional route and use in soups and stews-- chunked into bite sized pieces or pureed for creamy soup. Save the skins (you have to peel these b/c it's nearly impossible to get all the grit out of the root hairs) and use in soup stock. I often find great recipes and info on other CSA farms' blogs and newsletters, and recently came across <a href="http://www.radicalrootsvt.com/celeriac.html" target="_blank">this celeriac page</a> from Radical Roots farm in VT- enjoy!<br />
<b>Potatoes</b>: either red (Red Maria), white (Katahdin) or red French fingerling. Oh potatoes, we'd be hard pressed to find a food as versatile and universally appreciated (perhaps celeriac ... one day!!!).<br />
<b>Leeks</b>: hope you enjoy these lovely alliums as much as we do! Besides using leeks any way you'd use onions, also try them in <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-lemon-frittata-with-lee-77048" target="_blank">this frittata recipe</a> OR baked (sliced lengthwise) in a casserole dish with plenty of cream and/or plain yogurt, goat cheese, and bread crumbs. YUM.<br />
<b>Winter Squash</b>: Kabocha or Buttercup (both dark green with sweet, flaky flesh-- even better than pumpkins for "pumpkin" pie, but so, so delicious baked whole/halved, or sliced into wedges, brushed with olive oil or melted butter, and roasted in a single layer on a cookie sheet).<br />
<b>Cabbage</b>: harvested frozen solid out of the field, most of these cabbages are best for cooking rather than fresh eating. Chances are good they'd be fine fresh, but since we've had some REALLY cold nights without the protection of deep snow, it's possible the cell walls sustained enough frost damage to change the texture of the leaves-- which doesn't matter for cooking but can make fresh eating less satisfying. In honor of Jess's Polish heritage, and his dad's constant quest for good Polish food, here's a <a href="http://www.cooks.com/recipe/c05ji4xx/stuffed-cabbage-rolls-polish-golumpki.html" target="_blank">recipe for golumpki</a>, or traditional stuffed cabbage rolls. Note: you can stuff cabbage with anything you like/anything you've got-- feel free to stray from the traditional suggestions!<br />
<b>Onions</b>- sweet little roasting onions-- peel and roast whole or halved, OR slice and use exactly like large onions.<br />
<b>Sunchokes/Jerusalem Artichokes</b>: a most versatile and tasty root veggie! Check out this Brooklyn foodie's <a href="http://www.gracelinks.org/1488/real-food-right-now-and-how-to-cook-it-sunchokes" target="_blank">blog entry about sunchokes</a> if you missed it the first time around.<br />
<b>Kale OR braising mix</b>-- hoophouse-grown, the braising mix is a blend of kales, swiss chard, and parsley and can totally be eaten as salad if you're into non-lettuce salads. The big kale is from the field and as sweet as it ever can be!<br />
<br />
Our Thanksgiving Feast (can be replicated any time this fall/winter!)<br />
<br />
<u>Roasted Winter Squash</u>-- slice into 1" wedges, skins still on but seeds/inner pulp removed, brush generously with olive oil, arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake @ 365 for 20 min OR til tender and caramelized/browned around the edges. YUM.<br />
<u>Celeriac Remoulade</u>-- a variation of Farmer John's involving matchsticked celeriac, chopped cornichons and capers, dijon mustard and mayo, lemon juice, salt and pepper. So tangy!<br />
<u>Turkey</u>- raised, slaughtered, cooked, and served by our friend Andy (he called her Annabelle)<br />
<u>Chicory-Pomegranate seed salad</u>: Finely chopped Sugarloaf chicory from our friends and neighbors Nic and Sara of Loma Farm, English walnuts from our friend Todd Springer of Gray's Fruit Farm on Old Mission, sliced Spygold apples from our friend Gene of Garthe Orchard in Northport, and gorgeous pomegranate seeds from our 24-hour pal, Fred Meijer. Toss with a lemon-olive oil-tarragon dressing.<br />
<u>Mashed potatoes</u> with garlic- need I say more?<br />
<u>B&B (Beets & Brussels)</u>- beets chopped and roasted, B-sprouts sliced in half or left whole and roasted. Tossed together with a light vinaigrette, served warm.<br />
<u>Tomato Tart</u> from Kate Fiebing: (something like <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/08/tomato-tart/" target="_blank">this recipe</a>) her own garden's sungold cherry tomatoes, roasted and frozen back in August, brought out to share in the cold and grey of November! A savory pastry-crusted delight.<br />
<u>Panade</u> with kale, tomatoes, and gruyere from Barbara Piskor- a savory "bread pudding" in a shallow baking pan. Yum! Try<a href="http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2011/01/zuni-cafes-chard-and-onion-panade.html" target="_blank"> panade</a> with any combo of veggies you happen to have on hand.<br />
<u>Cornbread</u> we made here, <u>sourdough</u> from Nic, and <u>fruit-nut nearly-journey-brea</u>d from Nic.<br />
<u>Pumpkin, Pecan, Apple, and Chocolate pies</u> from Barb Ferrarese and Kate Fiebing- drowned in Shetler's whipped cream of course.<br />
<br />Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-48967931967857930682014-11-21T19:32:00.003-08:002014-11-21T19:32:46.251-08:00Birch Point Fall-Winter CSA Week 4&5: Rolled into one box!Remember: this week's box is the DOUBLE share, and next week (Sat. Nov 29), there is NO CSA pickup. In case you missed earlier communications, members (you) voted to double up on this week's box, to ensure extra bounty for Thanksgiving! And also to skip next week, since many folks will be out of town for Thanksgiving, and/or still in a food coma from Thursday :)<br />
<br />
In this week's double share:<br />
<br />
<b>Beets: </b>either giant specimens suitable for roasting or grating fresh, or smaller roots for boiling/roasting/steaming<br />
<b>Carrots</b>: Rainbow mix of orange, purple, and white, many of which are small and perfect for roasting whole.<br />
<b>Potatoes</b>: either gold or redskin<br />
<b>Onions</b>: either yellow, red, or cipollini<br />
<b>Leeks: </b>Life is bleak without a leek. Use interchangeably with onions. Stores well! (and don't believe anyone or any recipe who says to only use the white parts-- the green parts are totally edible and useable; just slice across the grain finely and cook a minute longer)<br />
<b>Cabbage</b>: a savoyed (crinkly-leaved) variety called "Dead On," one of our faves! Use for slaw OR cooking. <br />
<b>Brussels sprouts</b>: as per earlier note, be sure to double check sprouts on the lower end of the stalk for quality-- we sorted as much as we could, but may have missed some funky sprouts. Slice in half to examine the insides. Halved, caramelized sprouts make a lovely Thanksgiving dish on their own OR with cubed, roasted winter squash and sauteed leeks/onions, and sherry vinegar. If your stalk happens to have leaves on it, slice them up and include them with your Brussels sprout dish and/or with your kale- delicious!<br />
<b>Kale</b>: Holy kalesicles, batman! Harvesting frozen solid kale from under the snow is an adventure, as you might imagine! It also means the kale will be a little wilty when it reaches you-- never fear, just thaw out (if it's still icy), store and/or prepare as usual, and it'll be delicious-- extra sweet from the cold.<br />
<b>Winter Squash</b>- You may see either Buttercup/Kabocha (dark green outside, with dry, flaky orange flesh inside-- makes the BEST "pumpkin" pies!!!), Potimarron (red, teardrop shaped, sweet and creamy), Sunshine (also red, but a kabocha type so a little dryer than Potimarron, which it closely resembles), or Blue Ballet- a baby hubbard-type, blue-gray, moist fleshed, and an excellent keeper, if you need to store it rather than use this week.<br />
<b>Celeriac</b>- the funny-looking, alien-like root with hairy skin (requires peeling!) that tastes like celery but cooks up like a potato. In fact, mashed potatoes WITH celeriac is one of our fave Tday dishes! They'll store reliably for a good long while, so no rush to use them up. Once you're in the mood for a winter soup, celeriac will be happy to help.<br />
<b>Garlic</b>-- also delicious with mashed potatoes. Or just about anything for that matter!<br />
<b>Parsnips</b>- the tannish-white root veggie that resembles a fat carrot. Look carefully at the long, white roots in your box-- some are parsnips; some may be white carrots! Parsnips are slightly scraggly-looking (usually) with tan overtones. Carrots have a much thinner skin and slightly crispier texture. You can always taste them to get a positive i.d- carrots taste like carrots; raw parsnips are similar but much earthier AND denser and slightly fibrous. Cooked, parsnips are even sweeter than carrots, but raw parnsips are only for the hardiest palates and jaw muscles.<br />
Last but not least- <b>organic Apples</b> from our friend Gene Garthe in Northport! These are a variety know as Spy Gold, and excellent eating OR cooking apple. Firm and slightly tart, they're delicious out of hand but also make an amazing pie or applesauce. We hope you enjoy this special addition to our own farm-grown produce.<br />
<br />
We hope you'll enjoy some lovely <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/honey-glazed-roasted-root-vegetables" target="_blank">ROASTED ROOTS</a>,<br />
<a href="http://www.coconutandberries.com/2013/12/11/cabbage-apple-pomegranate-salad-with-ginger-almond-dressing/" target="_blank">Cabbage-Apple-Pomegranate Salad</a>,<br />
S<a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/squash_pie.html" target="_blank">quash pie</a>,<br />
<a href="http://www.bloggingoverthyme.com/2014/11/18/roasted-brussels-sprouts-squash-dried-cranberries-dijon-vinaigrette/" target="_blank">Caramelized Brussels sprouts with Squash and Cranberries</a>,<br />
<a href="http://projects.eveningedge.com/recipes/kale-chickpeas-and-leeks-braised-olive-oil-john-ke/" target="_blank">Kale and Leeks (perhaps with chickpeas?)</a><br />
and <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/314078/celery-root-and-apple-slaw" target="_blank">Apple-Celeriac Slaw</a><br />
with your family and friends this week.<br />
<br />
Thank you SO much for being part of the farm this fall! Remember: no CSA pickup next week (Nov. 29). We'll see you the following week (Dec. 6) as usual.<br />
<br />
<br />Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-4253389994684878472014-11-14T19:05:00.000-08:002014-11-14T19:05:16.998-08:00Birch Point Fall-Winter CSA weeks 1-3Happy SNOW DAY!!! Welcome to the first fall-winter CSA newsletter, in which you'll find a list of each week's share items, recipe suggestions, announcements that you need to know, and news from the farm. We'd been working to get the fields cleaned up (irrigation lines in, trellises down, the very last cover crop sown) before this snow, and mostly succeeded, though this is more snow than we'd anticipated for this early in November! Today's challenge was harvesting and cleaning produce from the snow-covered beds. Things like root vegetables, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and leeks don't mind sub-freezing temperatures, but once the ground and the stalks freeze solid, as you can imagine, it's harder to pick them! So we've got a bunch of crops harvested and in cold storage, but we'll continue to chip away at the greensicles in the field as long as possible, to bring you the freshest (if coldest) veg possible. I have to say, as sexy as hoophouses are (and you'll see some baby greens from the hoophouse before this CSA session is over), I am WAY more impressed by plants that survive in the field in these conditions and continue to provide hearty, nutritious food until the snow/ice is so solid that we can't get to them, or the deer mow them to the ground. We hope you're enjoying the selection of delicious winter food so far-- your feedback is always appreciated!<br />
<br />
Last week: 3 items may require explanation:<br />
1. Braising Mix or Napa cabbage: some shares got sweet little napas; others got braising mix. We spoke with most of you in person about it, but if not, just FYI, that was a spicy mix! Intended for a quick steam or saute rather than as salad. Of course if you like it spicy, braising mix makes a fine salad, too ;) Napa makes a fine salad, slaw, or stir-fry-- the best of both worlds of lettuce and cabbage.<br />
2. Celeriac-- the knobby, hairy root that smells and tastes like celery (the leaves look just like celery too)- the best winter stew, soup, or stock veggie! Besides soup, celeriac is wonderful roasted or boiled and mashed with potatoes, and/or shredded and fried with potatoes. It also keeps for several weeks (or more) in the fridge or in your root cellar. You'll see more celeriac this fall, so no need to hoard them.<br />
3. Sunchokes/Jerusalem Artichokes-- not an artichoke at all, resembles ginger, and may stump you if you've never had them. They are a tasty root veggie, native to North America, in the sunflower family, and you can use them any way you'd use a potato: bake, boil, fry, roast, OR (unlike a potato) eat raw- grated or thinly sliced into salad=yum. <a href="http://www.gracelinks.org/1488/real-food-right-now-and-how-to-cook-it-sunchokes" target="_blank">Here's a wonderful blog entry</a> from a Brooklyn blogger about sunchokes- enjoy!<br />
<br />
<h4>
In this week's share:</h4>
<br />
<b>Potatoes</b>- Possibly the most versatile food ever...? You'll continue to see a mix of various redskins, golds, German butterballs, fingerlings, etc.<br />
<b>Beets</b>-either small with tops (fresh harvested!) or giant w/out tops (from storage). See below for a simple borscht recipe.<br />
<b>Cabbage</b>-purple, green, or Deadon, which is a savoyed (crinkled) leaf cabbage that fades from robust purple outer leaves to pale green, tender inner leaves- one of our favorites.<br />
<b>Kale or Collard Greens</b>- frozen and oh so sweet! sometimes I wonder why we bother eating greens before they've been frosted-- cold temps turn starches to sugars, bringing out the <i>best</i> flavor possible. The leaves were a little zorched (read: soft) from freezing, but they are delicious as ever.<br />
<b>Leeks</b>- Did you know you can use leeks exactly the same as onions? They are slightly milder than most onions, hold up as well or better, and (I think) are more elegant. and YES you can use the green parts! I don't know why people say you can't- they're perfectly good. IF they're slightly more fibrous than the white sections, just slice them finely across the grain and saute a minute or so longer. Or if you don't want green color in a dish you're preparing with leeks, be sure to save the green part for making soup or stock.<br />
<b>Onions-</b> you'll continue to see a mix of red, yellow, and/or cipollini--tiny, flattened Italian heirloom onions-- note: they aren't always this small; the drought this summer was hard on them. In fact, there's a song about this year's cipollini (you'll get the tune): One-two, one-two, tell the people what we grew: We grew some itsy bitsy, teeny weeny, microscopic Cippollini. But they're still delicious and perfect for roasting whole or halved ;)<br />
<b>Brassica Surprise:</b> Either broccoli OR cauliflower OR romanesco (the green, fractalicious cousin of cauliflower- prepare the same way). As most things, harvested frozen solid from the snow- enjoy!<br />
<b>Hot peppers</b>- yes, you've gotten a good amount already, and you may get more! It turned out to be a good hot chile year. If you can't use all those chiles in a week, try drying or freezing. To dry: cut in half (large or juicy hot chiles), use a dehydrator or oven set at the lowest temp available with the door slightly ajar, dehydrate til dry. Or thread onto a string (small, thin-skinned chiles), hanging in a well-ventilated, dry spot until dry. Store in an airtight jar once thoroughly dry. To freeze: cut in half (or not), freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet or plate in the freezer, then seal in bag when frozen andreturn to freezer (IQF, or Individual Quick Freezing, to avoid a frozen pepper brick-- easier to remove individual peppers later, as you need them!)<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;"></span><br />
<div class="left" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; float: left; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 400px;">
<h1 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #2d93c2; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 27px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Farmer John's Holmski Borscht Recipe <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(http://caloriecount.about.com/farmer-johns-holmski-borscht-recipe-r416108)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></h1>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; float: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />Makes 6 servings</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="right" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; float: right; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<form action="http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/account/flog.php" method="get" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></form>
<form action="http://caloriecount.about.com/register" method="get" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></form>
</div>
<br clear="all" /><br />Farmer John's Holmski Borscht<br /><br /><h4 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Recipe Ingredients for Farmer John's Holmski Borscht</h4>
<table border="0" cellspacing="3" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><tbody style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<tr style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"><td align="right" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;" width="50"><b style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1</b></td><td style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-beet-i11081" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">beet</a></td></tr>
<tr style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"><td align="right" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;" width="50"><b style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2</b></td><td style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;">tablespoons <a href="http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-apple-cider-vinegar-i2048" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">apple cider vinegar</a></td></tr>
<tr style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"><td align="right" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;" width="50"><b style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3</b></td><td style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;">tablespoons <a href="http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-canola-olive-oil-i4518" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(canola or olive) oil</a></td></tr>
<tr style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"><td align="right" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;" width="50"><b style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1</b></td><td style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;">medium <a href="http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-onion-chopped-i11282" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">onion (chopped)</a></td></tr>
<tr style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"><td align="right" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;" width="50"><b style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2</b></td><td style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;">large <a href="http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-carrots-sliced-i11124" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">carrots (sliced)</a></td></tr>
<tr style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"><td align="right" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;" width="50"><b style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4</b></td><td style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;">cups <a href="http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-cabbage-shredded-4-cups-i11109" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">cabbage (shredded about 4 cups)</a></td></tr>
<tr style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"><td align="right" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;" width="50"><b style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2</b></td><td style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;">tsp <a href="http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-salt-20-whole-pepper-corns-i2047" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">salt (and 20 whole pepper corns)</a></td></tr>
<tr style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"><td align="right" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;" width="50"><b style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1</b></td><td style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-potato-1-2-i11352" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">potato (1 or 2)</a></td></tr>
<tr style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"><td align="right" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;" width="50"><b style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/3</b></td><td style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;">cup <a href="http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-dill-plus-4-bay-leaves-i2017" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">dill (plus 4 bay leaves and parsley)</a></td></tr>
<tr style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" valign="top"><td align="right" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;" width="50"><b style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2</b></td><td style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: middle;">cloves <a href="http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-garlic-minced-i11215" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">garlic (minced)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Recipe Directions for Farmer John's Holmski Borscht</h4>
<ol style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bring large pot of water to boil over high heat.<br /></li>
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Grate beets and saute for 10 min. in large skillet with half the oil and add the cider vinegar. Set aside.<br /></li>
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Put the rest of the oil in a skillet and add sliced carrots and onions and saute until onions are just translucent and carrots have browned on both sides.<br /></li>
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When the water boils add in cabbage and cook until tender (about 10 min.)<br /></li>
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Add potatoes and cook until tender 15 to 30 minutes.<br /></li>
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Add beet mixture and when soup returns to boil carrots and onions, 4 bay leaves and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook for 4 or 5 more minutes<br /></li>
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Remove from heat. Stir in dill, parsley, and garlic.<br /></li>
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Let soup stand for 20 minutes.<br /></li>
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Garnish with sour cream and dill</li>
</ol>
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>CELERIAC, POTATO, LEEK & APPLE SOUP from CSA member Diane Samarasinghe</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
1 medium onion, chopped</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
2 leeks, white and light green part only, halved lengthwise, cleaned and sliced or chopped</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Salt to taste</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
2 pounds celeriac, peeled and diced (retain tops for bouquet garni and garnish)</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
1 large russet potato (about 3/4 pound), peeled and diced</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
2 granny smith or braeburn apples, cored, peeled and diced</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
2 quarts water, chicken stock, or vegetable stock</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and a couple of sprigs each thyme and parsley, and a stem or two of the celery from the celery root, if still attached</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Freshly ground pepper to taste</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Slivered celery leaves for garnish</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<strong>1.</strong> Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat and add the onion, leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the celeriac and a generous pinch of salt, cover partially and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often, until the celeriac has begun to soften. Add the potatoes, apples, water or stock, salt to taste, and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour, or until the vegetables are very tender and the soup is fragrant. Remove and discard the bouquet garni.</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<strong>2.</strong> Blend the soup in batches in a blender (cover the top with a towel and hold it down to avoid hot splashes), or through a food mill fitted with the fine blade. The soup should be very smooth. Strain if desired. Return to the pot. Stir and taste. Adjust salt, add freshly ground pepper, and heat through. Serve in small bowls or espresso cups, garnished with thin slivers of celery leaves.</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<strong>Yield:</strong> 16 to 18 demitasse servings or 8 bowls</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<strong>Advance preparation:</strong> You can make this a day or two ahead and reheat. The soup can be frozen, but you will need to blend it again when you thaw it.</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<strong>Nutritional information per serving (8 servings):</strong> 134 calories; 2 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 28 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 128 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 3 grams protein</div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<strong>Nutritional information per serving (16 servings):</strong> 67 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 14 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 14 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 2 grams protein</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-62084202025849544982014-10-24T09:31:00.000-07:002014-10-24T09:31:04.755-07:00CSA Week 18: the End is Bittersweet- Appreciation and Gratitude<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxi6FphMzHi5uojJSy1-HIxZqXEUbpf9QyjGwUogBqVyXWROke-ALV4NUz9s7yeDZN38wSjHHk2hxHS8tvqDKlQLz1M1SKzr4uIIp0qn0zFUh-demWUWkbVqfYAsjOAuCFFv4CsNMlb00/s1600/BPFmarkettable9-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxi6FphMzHi5uojJSy1-HIxZqXEUbpf9QyjGwUogBqVyXWROke-ALV4NUz9s7yeDZN38wSjHHk2hxHS8tvqDKlQLz1M1SKzr4uIIp0qn0zFUh-demWUWkbVqfYAsjOAuCFFv4CsNMlb00/s1600/BPFmarkettable9-14.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We'll miss you! Hope to see you at the indoor market <br />in Bldg 50, Saturdays from 10-2, starting Nov. 1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Well, friends- this past week WAS the last week of CSA for the season (unless you joined early and got a message about your bonus share week- you know who you are). What a wild season. Brenin and I have loved working together this first season of collaboration. We couldn't have asked for a better crew than Jae and Christina, who we think will both be back next year! And our work shares-- best work sharers ever! Not to mention farm members-- best group of farm members ever! The past few weeks have been defined, for me, by pregnancy-induced slowness and dependency, which is an incredible, humbling learning curve in itself, and everyone else around here has stepped up, and then some, to keep us on track. They couldn't be more competent and productive, and I couldn't be more appreciative. Thank you, members, SO much for weathering the nutty weather with us, and for all of your support through the skinny times and enthusiasm in the bountiful times! Sorry it took so long to get this newsletter out, but I hope the suggestions below help navigate your last box. Whether you have a winter share or shop as market customers, we hope to see you all at the indoor winter market in Bldg 50, starting the 1st of November (Saturdays 10-2). -MF<br />
Brenin's two cents: "You only know what you know until you do what you do"-BWR<br />
<h4>
AND-reminder! Party tomorrow (Sat Oct. 25) at Birch Point:</h4>
<b>2-5 pm Garlic Planting</b>- dress to get cold and/or muddy! Bring your favorite work gloves and 8" measuring stick.<br />
5-6 pm Mingling and music in the Red Barn<br />
<b>6-7:30ish Potluck in the Red Barn</b>-- Dress for cold weather; the barn is unheated. Bring a dish to share and your own place settings.<br />
<br />
<h4>
What's in Your Share This (Past) Week:</h4>
<br />
<b>Winter Squash</b>: a mix of Acorn, Sweet Dumpling, Delicata, Buttercup, Butternut, or Red Kuri. Again, these should keep a few weeks at least-- if you see any soft spots developing before you're ready to enjoy them, just cook and freeze for later. The long-storing varieties (Butternut, hubbard, Eastern Rise, and to some extent kabocha/buttercups) may keep fine for several months; but they did get frosted, which can shorten their storage life, so keep an eye on them if you store them for later.<br />
<b>Potatoes</b>: large or fingerling<br />
<b>Napa Cabbage: </b>Jae Gerhart's favorite crop! Time for kim chee, slaw, cabbage rolls, egg rolls, stir-fry, or simply marinated wedges grilled or roasted in the oven. There really isn't much you CAN'T do with a Napa cabbage.<br />
<b>Leeks and/or Onions- </b>Leeks should store in an airtight container (e.g. sealed bag) in the fridge for WEEKS if you need them to. Onions do best in cool, dry conditions, like a root cellar, frost-free garage or unheated guest room. Keep them on the kitchen counter if you'll use them in the next couple of weeks.<br />
<b>Celeriac/Celery Root-</b>just like any root veggie, remove greens before storing to maximize crispness and shelf life (attached greens continue to transpire moisture away from roots, leading to rubbery roots. Remove greens and use first). *Think SOUP!<br />
<b>Beets OR Carrots</b>- same (remove greens to store)<br />
<b>Sweet Peppers- </b>the very last, but beautiful and still sweet!<br />
<b>Hot Peppers-</b>your choice among <a href="http://www.habaneromadness.com/types-of-habanero-peppers-hot-paper-lantern-habanero.html#.VEXJ4EYj9Qc" target="_blank">hot paper lantern</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_drop_(pepper)" target="_blank">limon</a>, <a href="https://www.slowfoodusa.org/ark-item/hinkelhatz-hot-pepper" target="_blank">hinkelhatz</a>, serrano, jalapeno, <a href="http://www.heirloom-organics.com/guide/va/1/guidetogrowingthaihot.html" target="_blank">thai hot</a>, and f<a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/fish-pepper-zmaz09amzraw.aspx#axzz3GkCUo47W" target="_blank">ish</a>.<br />
<b>Romaine Lettuce- </b>some of the last fall heads out of the field-- small but crisp and tasty.<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Brussels Sprouts</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">: they did size up in time for CSA to get the very first harvest! If you think you're not a Brussels sprouts fan, please try these before you turn up your nose. Most bad experiences w/ B-sprouts are a result of store-bought (i.e. California-grown) sprouts, which have never seen a frost in their lifetime. Frost sweetens sprouts and many other fall green veggies like nothing else can-- the extreme cold turns some of the starches to sugars, which is why late fall collard greens, kale, B-sprouts, and even cabbage taste sweeter than their summer counterparts. Since we did have a good frost last Wednesday in Grawn (where the B-sprouts are growing), they should be sweet and flavorful. See "Recipes" for preparation suggestions. <i>Heads Up: </i> B-sprouts have sustained a certain amount (10-20%) of damage from cabbage worms and from black rot. We tried to sort out the infected plants and only give CSA the good ones, but if you get a stalk with worms and/or that is soft and black inside the sprouts, PLEASE let us know so we can replace it! (the only way to tell for sure is to cut open every sprout, so we may miss a few) Reminder: If your stalk happens to have leaves on it, be sure to use them! Brussels leaves are just as tasty as the sprouts themselves-- either use just like kale, or chop and toss into the pan along with your B-sprouts (and caramelized leeks with Balsamic vinegar reduction perhaps?).</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b>
<h4>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span">Recipes</span></b></h4>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Feeling Cheesy? <u>Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes with Leeks and Chives (can sub minced onions or minced, blanched leek greens for chives):</u></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Goat-Cheese-Mashed-Potatoes-with-Leeks-and-Chives-12790">http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Goat-Cheese-Mashed-Potatoes-with-Leeks-and-Chives-12790</a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<u>Pan-Seared Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar Reduction</u><br />
1 c. or more Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise (tiny ones can be whole)<br />
Any/all leaves from the Bsprout stalk, trimmed and <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Chiffonade/" target="_blank">chiffonaded</a><br />
1 small onion or 1/2 large leek, sliced thinly<br />
1 c. toasted, chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)<br />
Olive oil<br />
Balsamic Vinegar (not fancy- just for cooking)<br />
Coarse salt<br />
Pepper<br />
<br />
Saute leeks or onion and a pinch of salt in a generous amount of olive oil in a med-large skillet over med heat for a few minutes until translucent. Increase heat to high, add a good sploosh more olive oil, and when hot (not smoking), add chiffonaded B-sprout leaves and halved sprouts, stirring to coat with oil. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking, 3-5 minutes or until sprouts are nicely browned where in contact with the pan. Add enough balsamic vinegar to cover the bottom of the pan, and toss everything to coat. Reduce heat to med-low, cook til vinegar is reduced to a thick syrup that coats everything, stirring occasionally. Toss with nuts, more salt to taste, and a good amount of fresh ground pepper. We served this for Thanksgiving last year-- even family members who claimed not to like Brussels sprouts loved it.<br />
<i>Variation</i>: Asian-ish theme: substitute tamari or shoyu for balsamic vinegar, sub vegetable oil for olive oil but finish (to serve) with a good sploosh of toasted sesame oil, sub peanuts and/or sesame seeds for walnuts/pecans.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnOvRw3mLkSx3CpdQoMDGV2FesWNUG_VNjRVHzztO-hxr0ivWakH-O_A-A9E2B_VlxJ-ZzWxwRiDM4RNNKjrGFKAvg-v8kRUeIigUPds4E6N6ecV7R5VFlkwzIcivTYVbV_leOxxiRK4/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnOvRw3mLkSx3CpdQoMDGV2FesWNUG_VNjRVHzztO-hxr0ivWakH-O_A-A9E2B_VlxJ-ZzWxwRiDM4RNNKjrGFKAvg-v8kRUeIigUPds4E6N6ecV7R5VFlkwzIcivTYVbV_leOxxiRK4/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before we know it, this will be<br />farm life again!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSY_k3-pc3MoyPpfoAED5x4NQtVKNhCksHOlV7T268Sa-a9RgrVZvljGyFNep4ViEJ_NhVPt-oJYzNSQviotX11GxxzN9-g3NHIzbHvoZd4kZ-F4uomMX5v5Z2VskHdrBIkhonhAWE1k/s1600/IMG_0351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSY_k3-pc3MoyPpfoAED5x4NQtVKNhCksHOlV7T268Sa-a9RgrVZvljGyFNep4ViEJ_NhVPt-oJYzNSQviotX11GxxzN9-g3NHIzbHvoZd4kZ-F4uomMX5v5Z2VskHdrBIkhonhAWE1k/s1600/IMG_0351.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Back in the spring- our newest addition!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCAqSezhyphenhyphenOCsbd8OkA0hk28U1F5tDYzC4yFM34FDa_P-oz9bUxDqO4V3cMehtXTng1KPjsKJZbiLVoTWlH6ZOZ9YhxdrcCQRUEjGJD7r4EzfcywtYBcE1_Gfy2ujuyAphDNEiwl0Lhy0/s1600/BPF2014@HG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCAqSezhyphenhyphenOCsbd8OkA0hk28U1F5tDYzC4yFM34FDa_P-oz9bUxDqO4V3cMehtXTng1KPjsKJZbiLVoTWlH6ZOZ9YhxdrcCQRUEjGJD7r4EzfcywtYBcE1_Gfy2ujuyAphDNEiwl0Lhy0/s1600/BPF2014@HG.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your farmers at the Harvest<br />Gathering festival in Sept</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></b>Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-22852556554062217002014-10-18T08:16:00.004-07:002014-10-18T08:16:39.529-07:00Oct. 18 Garlic Planting & Potluck CANCELLED due to weather. Rescheduled for NEXT Sat. Oct. 25- hope to see you here!Oct. 18 Garlic Planting and Potluck CANCELLED due to weather. Rescheduled for NEXT Sat. Oct. 25- hope to see you here!Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-75114113510442761632014-10-14T08:49:00.001-07:002014-10-14T08:49:19.607-07:00BPF CSA Week 17 Sweet and Pungent: Honey, Apples, and Garlic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.championhillfarm.com/images/ws3pd_c7e6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.championhillfarm.com/images/ws3pd_c7e6.jpg" height="200" width="125" /></a><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This just in!</span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/ProdPics/3122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><i>Get your Honey <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">from the Birch Point Bees</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"></span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">thanks to Greg Griswold of Champion Hill Honey</span></span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">AND</span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<i>Stock up on certified organic APPLES </i></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">thanks to Gene Garthe of Garthe Orchards in Northport</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://cdn.jaysonhome.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/471x291/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/g/hg008130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.jaysonhome.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/471x291/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/g/hg008130.jpg" height="123" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Honey</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Bring your jar(s) labeled with your name, and fill up from our bulk buckets.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> $6 per pint or $10 per </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">quart. First come, first served, til we run out! If you pick up in town (not at the farm), just leave an empty, labeled jar in your box when you return it. The following week your full jar of honey will be in your box. Please send payment to Birch Point Farm, 7506 E Birch Point Rd TC MI 49684. If we have honey left by Saturday, Oct 18, bring a jar with you to fill up at the Garlic Planting and Farm Member Appreciation Potluck that day.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Apples:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> This week </span>Early Bird Special<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">: $1 per lb for orders of at least 20 lbs of organic <b>Honeycrisp</b> or <b>Golden</b> </span></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1em; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/ProdPics/3122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/ProdPics/3122.jpg" height="126" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Honeycrisp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Supreme</b> (which is like a Golden Delicious but much better texture and flavor-- actually delicious). Please email b<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: x-small;"><i>irchpointcsa@gmail.com</i> with your order </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: x-small;">BY FRIDAY OCT 17. After Friday, apples will still be available </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: x-small;">but at a slightly higher price. Apples also </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: x-small;">available by the quart ($4 per qt). </span><div style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Available in a few weeks: Swiss Gourmet, Ida Red, Elstar, and Spy/Spygold</span></div>
</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSthdqDmimxtIzlY6pmB_XmnKFpRDktyhLZs-b9x_8wt98EBWe-gRJjQ8s" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSthdqDmimxtIzlY6pmB_XmnKFpRDktyhLZs-b9x_8wt98EBWe-gRJjQ8s" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Golden Supreme</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<h4>
<br /></h4>
<h4>
In Your Share This Week:</h4>
<div style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px;"><b>Winter Squash</b>: Acorn, Delicata, or Sweet Dumpling. These are to use, not to store. These early varieties normally store well for a few months but not all winter like the butternuts and hubbards. In addition, some of the squash got frosted in the field, which reduces storage life, so eat these up! If you can't use them in the next few weeks, <i>and</i> they start to develop soft spots, just bake now and store in an airtight container in your freezer til you need them.</span></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Leeks and/or Onions</b></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Carrots</b></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Brussels Tops OR Braising Mix:</b> Have you tried Brussels greens? From the same plant as the Brussels sprout, the greens are like collards but even better! We're crossing our fingers that the Brussels sprouts themselves will be sized up by next week (the last week of CSA!), but the greens are an often-overlooked, equally delicious treat in themselves-- hope you enjoy them sauteed, steamed, massaged, or in soup. In addition to being delicious, removing the tops from the plants stimulates more lateral growth (i.e. the sprouts) rather than apical growth (i.e. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">plant height), so we get bigger sprouts. Alternately, some shares may receive Braising Mix, a blend of kales, mizuna, tatsoi, and mustard greens-- equally delectable, requires less cooking- ideally a quick steam or saute.</span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Sweet Peppers</b> OR <b>Eggplant</b></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Hot Peppers-</b> we are rich in chiles! If you like hot stuff, this week is for you. If you need large quantities to freeze or make your own hot sauce, please ask about a bulk price. Varieties available: hot paper lantern (a type of elongated habanero-style red chile), Hinkelhatz, Limon, Thai hot, Cayenne, and Serrano.</span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Lettuce (heads</b>) OR <b>baby lettuce mix</b></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
Announcements</h4>
<div>
1. <b>Honey and Apple orders</b>: see above. Get your jars and emails in ASAP!</div>
<div>
2. <b>Garlic Planting & Mulching</b> AND <b>Farm Member Appreciation Potluc</b>k this <b>Saturday, Oct. 18</b>. Weather looks a little iffy-- if slightly drizzly/misty, we are still ON. Wear your rain gear! If full-blown thunderstorms, we'll push it back a week to Oct. 23. Hope to see you for either or both parts! Garlic: 2-5 ish, Music in the barn, cider pressing, mingling: 5-6 ish, Potluck 6-7:30 ish.</div>
<div>
3. <b>ONE more week of CSA to go</b>, after this one! For those who signed up before the end of February, you have TWO more weeks, to thank you for your help making our planning and budgeting easier. Next year: remember, anyone who signs up before the end of February gets a bonus week of CSA shares. Since the majority of our planning and budgeting happens in the winter it helps us greatly to know how many members to plan and grow for, and to get operating cash as early as possible. We appreciate your commitment to the farm and want to show some love back!</div>
<div>
4. A few <b>fall-winter shares</b> still available: 8 weeks of fresh and storage crops to see you through the end of the year (and perhaps beyond). $250 gets you $30-35 worth of produce each week from Nov. 1 through Dec. 20. Pick up at the indoor market at The Commons every Saturday between 10 am and 1:30 pm.</div>
<div>
5.<b> One last thing</b> : Some of you already know this, but Jess and I are expecting a baby around the end of December! You'll see me getting more blimp-like each week (the in-utero name is Helium for that very reason), and you may not see me the last week or so of fall-winter shares and winter market. But there will be a new little farmer to meet very soon!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Recipes</h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u>How to Cook any Winter Squash:</u></div>
<div>
For <b>small squash</b> (e.g. delicata, sweet dumpling, small acorns or small buttercups): Prick the skin a few times, and pop into the oven whole, on a cookie sheet or shallow pan. Bake at 375 for 40-60 min or longer, depending on size. Test for softness-- squash should be soft to the touch but not dried out.</div>
<div>
For <b>any size squash, small or large</b>: Cut in half lengthwise, scoop out all seeds and pulp (reserve seeds for toasted squash seeds if you like!), lay face down in a shallow pan with a little water (so edges don't dry out). Bake at 375 for 20-30 min (small, thin-walled squash) up to 60-75 min (for large, thicker squash); test for doneness.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Scoop flesh out of skins (for delicata and dumplings, go ahead and eat the skins; they are so tender, no need to remove), do with it what you like- add seasoning, butter, maple, whatever you like, or make into squash enchiladas or ravioli, or blend with stock into squash soup--- the possibilities are endless.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Slightly fancier, equally simple: cut in half, scoop out seeds and pulp, and slice into 1/2"-1" thick wedges. Lay in a single layer on an oiled cookie sheet, drizzle w/olive or peanut oil, sprinkle generously with your choice of chili powder and garlic, garam masala and ginger, rosemary and coarse salt, or any other spice combo.</div>
</div>
Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-60860412628376202992014-10-07T18:06:00.001-07:002014-10-07T18:06:04.852-07:00Birch Point CSA Week 16: Only two weeks left! (after this one)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://judiesblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/img_2583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://judiesblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/img_2583.jpg" height="187" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is it an alien? No, it's celeriac!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Wow, the season is flying by faster than any other so far. "Summer" was a flash in the pan; we've been consumed by spring and fall this year. Thankfully, fall is pulling out all the stops and proving to be worth spending the extra time on. In addition to daily lunchtime Beyonce videos, the farm crew has been enjoying daily readings by Hal Borland, a nature writer whose essays appeared appeared in the NYT from the 1941 through 1978.<br />
Today's entry, from <i>Sundial of the Seasons </i>(Lippincott, 1964), titled "To Walk in Beauty," begins<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> One now walks in Autumn itself, along the suburban street, beside the country road, in every woodland. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> For Autumn in </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">the time of the fallen leaf, and the leaves are crispness underfoot, brown and red and yellow </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> a</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd sere tan, the leftover of Summer shade, paper-thin jewel flakes that bring the sunlight and the vividness </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> of sunset down to earth.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.crocus.co.uk/images/products2/PL/20/00/01/47/PL2000014706_card_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.crocus.co.uk/images/products2/PL/20/00/01/47/PL2000014706_card_lg.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celeriac with leaves still on</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>And it's starting to feel that way even in the fields- the tomato trellises have fallen (been taken down), the early gardens have been tilled in and seeded to their winter cover crops; onions are curing in the barn, fall greens are taking on the crisp sweetness that only cool temperatures and brisk winds can bring on. We're planning to get every last squash out of the field and starting to cure this week, and looking ahead to many more weeks of harvesting greens, roots, and certain heading vegetables (did someone say "Romanesco"?). Yes, the Romanesco is on the horizon! It's lagging behind its counterparts, the fall broccoli and white cauliflower, and main-season CSA may be over before the first fractal-headed beauties are ready, but we look forward to sharing them with our fall-winter CSA members and market customers! Meanwhile, we hope you enjoy this week's <b>Soup Share</b>, specially composed to make your fall soup a delicious no-brainer.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<h4>
In this week's share: Everything you need for soup!</h4>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Potatoes</b>, large and/or fingerling</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Carrots</b>- all orange OR a Rainbow mix</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Onions and/or Leeks</b>-- and YES you can use the green part of a leek!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Celeriac</b>, or Celery Root-- this is the thing that will make you say "huh?" -- looks like a hairy alien with vaguely celerey-esque leaves out the top. Flavor=celery times ten! How to use? More like how <i>not</i> to use! First, separate leaves from the root. That root will store for months if you need it to-- celeriac is classic winter peasant food because of its excellent keeping quality. Those leaves and stems are just as flavorful; they just don't keep as long, so use those immediately-- chop finely across the stems and use in soups, stews, stirfry, or even egg salad (chop finely for that; it is a potent flavor when raw!). Depending on the size of your soup pot and love for celery flavor, you could choose to ration the celeriac, using one quarter or half the root at a go, or, to quote Stephanie Mills, use the whole thing in one fell soup<i>. </i>Just slice or chop and saute with your onions and carrots in the very first stages of soup making. OR see Recipes below for my favorite non-soup use: Celeriac Remoulade. ATTENTION: SAVE THE PEELINGS! Celeriac peelings are perfect for soup stock--- whether you make it now (when using the celeriac) or later. Just be sure to strain your stock through a fine filter, like a paper coffee filter, if you use the peelings, because it is IMPOSSIBLE to get all the dirt out of all the root hairs and crevices</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Parsnips</b>! The very first of these fall sweeties. If you are new to parsnips, the best way to explore them is roasting: chop into bite sized chunks OR cut in half lengthwise, coat with olive oil, and roast in a single layer on a cookie sheet or skillet in a 400-degree oven til they are soft and starting to brown on the edges. Of course, they're delicious in soup as well, and/or cooked and mashed right in with your mashed potatoes (which is also a great way to enjoy celeriac, according to farm member Flora Biancalana). And don't forget parsnip fries! Oven-baked, just like any French fry.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Broccoli OR Caulilower</b>- your choice. The fall broccoli is some of the loveliest I've seen. The cauliflower, while equally lovely, is much less consistent in maturing--we find a handful sizing up every week. Hopefully before the end of the season, everyone gets a cauliflower who wants one! A favorite farm lunch last week was cheesy-broccoli soup, recipe below.<br />
<b>Bok choi</b>- OK, so you've got soup AND stir-fry this week. The Asian greens are loving this cool, fall weather. Pardon a few insect holes-- the choi is delicious! Enjoy fresh in slaw or stir-fried OR grilled-- seriously; an entire head of choi, sliced in half lengthwise OR quartered, brushed with sesame oil and face down on the grill til just blackened on the surface <i>may</i> become your new favorite grillable. Drizzle with hot sauce or sweet-and-sour sauce before enjoying.<br />
<b>Eggplant OR Sweet Peppers</b>- just to make the stir-fry mean something. Our favorite way to enjoy eggplant: slice into 1/2" thick rounds. Coat both sides with generous amt of olive oil. Generous pinches of salt and pepper. Bake on a cookie sheet in a single layer, at 375 for 30-45 min (depending on size), til browned and caramelized outside, soft and mushy inside. Bon appetit.<br />
<b>Radishes</b>- the fall radishes are finally sizing up! They took their sweet time, but we hope it was worth the wait. If you aren't yet a radish fan, try them roasted (see parsnip suggestion, above), and get back to me. Radishes, bok choi, carrots, onion or leek, and celeriac, all grated or matchsticked, make a lovely slaw, by the way, with rice vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.marysrosaries.com/collaboration/images/1/1c/Bok_Choy_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.marysrosaries.com/collaboration/images/1/1c/Bok_Choy_001.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bok choi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/sites/bbcgoodfood.com/files/recipe_images/recipe-image-legacy-id--356472_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/sites/bbcgoodfood.com/files/recipe_images/recipe-image-legacy-id--356472_10.jpg" height="181" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celeriac remoulade--<br />
this one has carrots in it</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mastergardenerssandiego.org/guides/gr/parsnip_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mastergardenerssandiego.org/guides/gr/parsnip_1.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parnsnips</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<h4>
Announcements</h4>
<div>
1. <b>Sweet Honey in the Barn</b>- next week! Beekeeper Greg will deliver (fingers crossed) honey here in time for next week's CSA pickup. Limited quantities of BPF honey available at CSA member-only price (TBA; depends on what we end up paying Greg). Bring a jar with your name on it to CSA pickup next week if you're interested. Sat, Mon, and Wed shares: leave a jar with your name on it in your empty box when you return it; the following week it'll be included with your share. I'll let you know the price as soon as I hear from Greg!<br />
<br />
2. A few <b>Fall/Winter shares</b> are still available-- email or call if you're interested.<br />
<br />
3. We'll start taking orders for <b>Thanksgiving share</b>s soon- be thinking about whether you'd like to order a box (prob. around $50 worth) of fall goodies (think root veggies galore, squash, onions, herbs, cooking greens, possibly salad greens -weather permitting, etc-- things for your Thanksgiving feast and/or to squirrel away. Pick up at the indoor market the Saturday before Thanksgiving.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Recipes</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<u>Celeriac Remoulade</u></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
from <i><a href="http://www.angelicorganics.com/ao/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=130&Itemid=180" target="_blank">Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables</a></i> (Gibbs Smith, 2006) by John Peterson and Angelic Organics</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 large celeriac, peeled and cut into matchstick-sized strips</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 Tbsp lemon juice</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1/2 c. mayonnaise, preferably<a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Homemade-Mayonnaise-241868" target="_blank"> home-made</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 Tbsp prepared Dijon mustard</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 Tbsp chopped cornichons</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 1/2 Tbsp capers, drained (and rinsed first if packed in salt)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1/2 tsp herbes de provence</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1. Toss celeriac and lemon juice in a large bowl.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2. Add remaining ingredients, toss well to combine. Add more salt if desired Let stand for half an hour before serving.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
MF note: Remoulade is characterized by the mustard-mayo-pickle tang, NOT ruled by specific ingredients. If you've got the basic sauce (lemon, mayo, mustard, salt, pepper) and at least some amount of brine-i-ness (cornichons, capers), you can sub any matchsticked firm veggie-- celeriac is classic and delicious; but also try adding any mix of carrot, beet (for pink remoulade!), rutabaga, raw winter squash, firm radish, parsnip, you name it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<u>BPF Lunchtime Cheesy Broccoli Soup</u></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 med onion, chopped</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 small (or 1/4 - 1/3 large) celeriac, peeled and chopped (note: I save the peelings and tops/tails of celeriac, celery, carrots, parsnips, onions, and leeks to make a veggie broth later-- pop into a plastic bag in the freezer, and keep adding to it until you have a critical mass, then make a batch of stock)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 med carrots, chopped</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 tsp thyme</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 bay leaves</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 cloves garlic</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 head broccoli, including stem (peel stem if woody),chopped into bite sized pieces, reserving out the tips of the florets</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3 med potatoes, cubed</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
all the cheddar cheese you can stand (1/4-1/2 lb, according to taste-- we are cheesy around here, so you might overdo it if you follow our lead...)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 c. grated parmesan</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2-4 c. stock or water</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 c. milk</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
lots of salt and pepper</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1. In medium, heavy-bottomed pot, saute onion, carrot, celeriac, and potato with thyme and a generous sprinkle of salt, in olive oil or butter over med. heat. Once it's all tender, add garlic and broccoli (keeping the tips of the florets out), saute another few minutes. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2. Add stock or water, enough to cover everything but not much more. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Simmer until broccoli is just tender.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3. Using your immersion blender, blend everything as smooth (or chunky) as you like. If you don't have an immersion blender, blend in an upright blender in batches, or mash with a potato masher in the pot if you don't mind chunkiness (may have to simmer a little longer to soften broccoli even more in that case). Add bay leaves, reserved floret tips, salt, and pepper, simmer 10-15 min longer.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4. Add milk and cheeses, being sure not to let it boil after that (scalded milk will make the soup taste funky). Determine if it needs more liquid, and add additional water or stock accordingly. Garnish each bowl with breadcrumbs and/or fresh herbs and/or more cheese.<br />
<br />
<u>Root Veggie Fries</u><br />
Not just for potatoes!<br />
Any root veggies you have- try parsnips, celeriac, potatoes, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, or even winter squash!<br />
Veggie oil or peanut oil<br />
Salt, pepper, any other seasoning you like, e.g. garlic powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, lemon pepper, etc.<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 375. Scrub veggies well- no need to peel unless you enjoy peeling. Slice into 1/2" wide by 1/4" thick slices (think "steak fries"). Toss with oil, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt. Bake at 375 for 15-25 min, depending on size of fries (hint: slice potatoes, sweet potatoes, or squash a little thicker than the rest if baking a mixed batch-- they tend to cook a little faster than other roots). Bake til edges are browned and just starting to crisp. Sprinkle on seasonings as soon as you remove the pan from the oven. Serve hot with malt vinegar, ketchup, or spicy mayo- 2/3 mayo to 1/3 hot sauce, mixed.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2011-10-09-BakedSpicedCeleriacYamFriesP6E6483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2011-10-09-BakedSpicedCeleriacYamFriesP6E6483.jpg" height="160" width="200" /></a><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-60928023397991129272014-10-02T04:33:00.001-07:002014-10-02T04:33:24.229-07:00Birch Point CSA Week 14-15: Fall BountyThis Saturday, Oct. 4: Grawndezvous! Brenin and his dad Tom are your hosts for this end-of-summer festival at the farm in Grawn. Early evening through ??? Potluck and cookout over the fire. Bring musical instruments, beverages, and a dish to share if you like. Dress for cool, maybe wet, fall temps. If you've never been to <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF-8&fb=1&gl=us&q=Sunset+Breeze,+Grawn,+MI+49637&ei=FMUpVN37LdamyASKm4KgDw&ved=0CBUQ8gEoATAA" target="_blank">the Grawn farm</a>, this is a good time to take a tour-- just come before dark. Follow <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF-8&fb=1&gl=us&q=Sunset+Breeze,+Grawn,+MI+49637&ei=FMUpVN37LdamyASKm4KgDw&ved=0CBUQ8gEoATAA" target="_blank">the link</a> for a map; take a south on Sunset Breeze all the way to the end-- look for the party tent!<br />
Keep in mind: October 18 is the Garlic Planting and Farm Member Appreciation Potluck at Birch Point-- bring a friend! More details soon.<br />
<br />
<h4>
In Your Share This Week:</h4>
<br />
The very first<b> Winter Squash</b>- Acorn, Delicata, or Sweet Dumpling<br />
<b>Broccoli OR Cauliflower</b><br />
The first fall <b>Cabbage</b><br />
Some of the first fall <b>Carrots</b>- either all orange Mokum or mixed Rainbow<br />
A rainbow of <b>Sweet Peppers</b><br />
<b>Sweet Onions or Red Tropea Onions</b><br />
<b>Potatoes</b>- large red Strawberry Paw or white Bintje, or white/purple fingerlings (if you were part of the volunteer potato planting at Birch Point, these fingerlings are some of the <i>roots</i> of your labor)<br />
<b>Kale OR Collard Greens</b><br />
<b>Italian Parsley</b> *think Parsley-Potatoes*<br />
<b>Salad Mix OR Head Lettuce</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pvga.net/named%20digi%20pix/squash_delicata01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.pvga.net/named%20digi%20pix/squash_delicata01.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicata</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sunstoneherbfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/sunstone-sweet-dumpling-squash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://sunstoneherbfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/sunstone-sweet-dumpling-squash.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Dumpling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://missvickie.com/howto/images/acsqsh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://missvickie.com/howto/images/acsqsh.jpg" height="151" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Acorns come in many colors!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.harrisseeds.com/storefront/images/Product/large/11615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://www.harrisseeds.com/storefront/images/Product/large/11615.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tropea Onions</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Announcements</h4>
<br />
1. <b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Fall/Winter Shares available</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">: Join us for eight weeks of fall and winter bounty (yes, "winter bounty" is a thing when you have a hoophouse!). Starting Saturday November 1st, pick up shares every Saturday at the indoor winter market at Bldg. 50 @ The Commons (Sat. 10 am- 2 pm; market runs November through April). Fall/Winter shares will include plenty of root veggies like potatoes, carrots, beets, leeks, onions, turnips, radishes, celeriac; as well as leafy greens like kale, collard greens, spinach, Asian greens, lettuce, cabbage, Brussels sprouts AND greens; winter squash, herbs like parsley, thyme, and rosemary, sexy hoophouse greens like arugula, baby salad mix, baby spinach, and possibly a few surprises. Shares cost $250 and are intended to feed 2-3 adults or a small family. Since there will be so many storage crops, don't worry if you have a small household and can't use the entire share in a week; many things will keep well for weeks or months if you have a root cellar or cool storage area.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">2. <b>Honey </b>from our girls (the honeybees!) will be available soon! Beekeeper Greg Griswold collected supers last week and is extracting honey this week, so we could have honey available as soon as next week. Last year honey was $12 per quart; I anticipate it will be similar this year. The way it works: You bring jars, labelled with your name, to CSA pickup. Tuesday people will fill your own jars on site from the bulk bucket. Sat, Mon, and Wed people will leave your empty jars with your empty boxes, and next week your jar will be in your box, full of honey! I'll send an email shout out as soon as we get the word (and the goods) from Greg.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">3. Three more weeks of CSA after this wek! (Four for those who joined before the end of February) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<h4>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Recipes</span></h4>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><a href="http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/colcannon/" target="_blank">Click here for a simple variation on Colcannon</a>, a traditional Irish potato-and-greens dish (note: you can use any onion; it doesn't have to be green; my guess is that since it's often a St. Patrick's Day dish in Ireland, green onions are what's in season there in the March, therefore that's what's in the recipe, but any allium will do nicely)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">And speaking of internet recipes, here's a nice suggestion for <a href="http://karistaskitchen.com/2011/10/26/five-spice-roasted-delicata-squash/" target="_blank">Five Spice Roasted Delicata Squash</a>, which you could use for any of the squash you'll get this week (any small, thin-skinned squash, basically, not just Delicata). </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: #e2d9ba; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0pt; outline: none medium; padding: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #e2d9ba; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0pt; outline: none medium; padding: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;"><strong style="outline: none medium;">Sweet Dumpling Squash with Quinoa (note: any small squash will do nicely!)</strong></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e2d9ba; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0pt; outline: none medium; padding: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;"><span style="outline: none medium;">Courtesy of </span><a href="http://www.buyhaywood.com/" style="color: #cb722b; outline: none medium; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #663300; outline: none medium;"><span style="outline: none medium;">Buy Haywood</span></span></a><span style="outline: none medium;"></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e2d9ba; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0pt; outline: none medium; padding: 0pt;">
<br style="outline: none medium;" />
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;">1 cup quinoa</span><br />
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;">2-3 sweet dumpling squashes</span><br />
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;">1 tablespoon olive oil</span><br />
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;">1 diced yellow onion</span><br />
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;">1/4 cup chopped nuts of choice</span><br />
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;">1/4 cup chopped dates or raisins </span><br />
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;">2 tbsp brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;">1 teaspoon lemon juice</span><br />
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;">1 teaspoon cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;">1/4 teaspoon nutmeg</span><br />
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;">Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e2d9ba; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0pt; outline: none medium; padding: 0pt;">
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;">1 tablespoon maple syrup </span><br />
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;">6 tablespoons butter</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e2d9ba; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0pt; outline: none medium; padding: 0pt;">
<br style="outline: none medium;" />
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;">Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut the squash in half and remove seeds with a spoon. Use a fork to poke several holes in the skin of each half of the squash. Place squash in baking pan with hollow side up. Add 1” of water to bottom of pan. Bake uncovered on middle rack for 30-45 minutes or until the flesh is soft. Rinse and cook quinoa in 1 and ½ cups of boiling water then let it simmer in pot covered with lid for about 15 minutes. Saute chopped onions in olive oil until translucent and then add nuts, spices, and raisins or dates and sauté an additional minute. Mix in the cooked quinoa and salt/pepper to taste. Divide mixture into squash halves, along with butter, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Drizzle with maple syrup and bake for 20 minutes.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #663300; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: small; outline: none medium;">lifted from http://www.motherearthproduce.com/pages.php?pageid=28</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-54320421168319425052014-09-17T17:52:00.000-07:002014-09-17T17:52:09.092-07:00Birch Point CSA Week 12-13: Parties and fall shares on the Horizon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><img alt="Grow garlic.JPG.jpg" height="200" src="webkit-fake-url://8480971F-20FE-443C-AC7C-C0E35FE61962/Grow%20garlic.JPG.jpg" width="190" /></span>Save the date! Sat. October 18: Garlic Planting, Harvest Celebration and Farm Member Appreciation Potluck at Birch Point. You and your family are cordially invited to join us for the afternoon and/or evening in planting and mulching garlic, sharing food together, or both. Rain date: one week later, Sat. Oct. 25.<br />
<br />
<h4>
In Your Share This Week:</h4>
<br />
<b>Beets w/ greens</b>: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/10/27/magazine/27-bittman-beets.html" target="_blank">click here</a> for one of the most comprehensive and tantalizing (and simple) list of beet preparation ideas from NYT food writer Mark Bittman<br />
<b>Scallions</b>: see below for choi slaw recipe. YES you can use the entire thing- tip to tail! Some restaurants even use the roots as garnish-- they DO taste good even if they look funny on the plate.<br />
<b>Sweet Onions:</b> Fresh or cooked, it's hard to beat a sweet onion.<br />
<b>Leeks</b>: Time for soup! See <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/potato-leek-soup-10000001964017/" target="_blank">here</a> for a simple potato-leek soup recipe. and YES you can use the entire leek- don't ever let anyone tell you the green part is not edible- it is completely edible and delicious. In larger/older leeks, sometimes the green part can get fibrous; not to worry, just chop finely, crosswise against the "grain" and saute a minute or two longer than the white part. If you can't bear the idea of green leeks in your dish, save the green part to make soup stock- it is packed with flavor.<br />
<b>Potatoes</b>: Finally a critical mass of spuds have sized up! You'll see a good mix of potatoes in your share over the next several weeks; let us know your favorites so we can plan accordingly for next year. This week you'll get the hot pink "Strawberry Paw," large tan-skinned Anushka, smaller tan Bintje, or planetary-looking Purple Viking. Try each variety boiled or roasted (to roast: cut into bite-sized pieces, or leave small spuds whole, toss with olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper, roast in a single layer on a cookie sheet at 400 for 30-45 min, depending on size of pieces, test for doneness-- centers should be tender; edges caramelized).<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5150mei_qing_choi.jpg" height="200" src="webkit-fake-url://B471834C-786F-49C6-B2D7-A1B9873C91AF/5150mei_qing_choi.jpg" width="200" /></span><b>Mei Qing Choi</b> (similar to Bok choi): one of our favorite chois (there ARE enough chois to have favorites); mei qing, or MQ as it's affectionately called here, is a lovely light green, small, relatively fast growing choi, excellent in stir-fry OR fresh in slaw (see recipe below) OR used as a dipping vehicle-- serve whole leaves WITH stems with an Asian dipping sauce ( I like Annie's ginger-sesame salad dressing, but anything vaguely sesame-esque and/or spicy and/or peanutty is delicious here). Dip stems, crunch, enjoy. Yes, it DOES encourage double-dipping, as stems are long- if you worry about that sort of thing, just serve individual dipping cups. Leaves themselves may be left on or removed and used in salad or stirfry; it is the stems who are the stars in the dipping scenario.<br />
<b>Lettuce</b>, either green or red butterhead. Lovely butterheads, some of our favorites!<br />
<b>Swiss Chard or Kale</b>: the green, leafy crops have been loving the moist, cool weather lately! Expect to see more of these (various cooking greens) over the next several weeks. See below for preparation tips.<br />
<b>Sweet Peppers: </b>are ripening all at once, finally! We've had a ton (still do!) of green peppers on the plants much of the summer, just waiting for HEAT that never really came, in order to ripen. Despite cooler temps, some of these crisp, gorgeous sweeties are finally changing color anyway, and we're happy to share the bounty with you. If you prefer green (i.e. unripe) peppers to colored (i.e. ripe) peppers, please let us know-- there are tons with your name on them ;) In addition to standard bell peppers, you may see Carmens (long, skinny SWEET red beauties), red or orange Pimientos (small, Cinderella-pumpkin-shaped, thick-walled, SUPER sweet), Lipstick peppers (red or yellow, med-small, with a distinctly pointed end, also thick-walled and super sweet), or Chocolate peppers (the ugliest sweet pepper of all- brown, sometimes lumpy, medium sized, not too pointy, but DELICIOUS! and very productive!)<br />
<b>Heirloom tomatoes </b>have been a delectable if not overwhelming (in quantity) part of the harvest this season. At this point in the summer, only a few varieties are still going strong-- you might see Garden Peach, Green Zebra, Black Zebra, Costoluto Genovese, Kellogg Breakfast, Amish Paste, or Pink Beauty (not an heirloom but a favorite nonetheless), among a smattering of others who have peaked and declined already. Due to the late planting date and cool summer temps, tomatoes tended to ripen only toward the end of summer. We're still harvesting, but many plants are already on the decline. Such is the fate of a cool summer-- happy, bountiful kale and lettuce, not so many tomatoes. I hope you've enjoyed the varieties you've tried so far-- let us know your favorites! We probably won't offer canning/preserving shares this year, due to the low yield. I'll keep you posted if that changes. If we get a hot summer and good yield next year, we'll be back in the canning/preserving share business!<br />
<b>Cherry tomatoes: </b>always a favorite, still producing though also slowing down, due to cooler temps and shorter days. What did you think of the new Bumblebee Tomatoes? those are the slightly-larger-than-average-cherry-tomato, striped (yellow and pink OR red and gold) newbies. They've been quite productive, and beautiful; if you've tried them, we'd like YOUR feedback on flavor and texture.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Green_Zebra_Tomato_Seeds.jpg" src="webkit-fake-url://065EDE0E-0064-4B20-9EF8-61BFAD271469/Green_Zebra_Tomato_Seeds.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Zebra<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="black-zebra-tomato.aspx.jpg" src="webkit-fake-url://3DEB07AD-91B4-4040-994F-864811948F93/black-zebra-tomato.aspx.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Zebra</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Kellogg_Breakfast_Tomato_Seeds.jpg" src="webkit-fake-url://C1CBC004-C017-4A2E-9D11-2B8BC382EE60/Kellogg_Breakfast_Tomato_Seeds.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kellogg Breakfast<br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Yellow_Garden_Peach_Tomato_Seeds.jpg" src="webkit-fake-url://9BA0419D-280E-4DF9-8712-C31AF124DB43/Yellow_Garden_Peach_Tomato_Seeds.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garden (or "Wapsapinicon") Peach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="costoluto-side.jpg" height="150" src="webkit-fake-url://1A516F40-9D52-475F-A59C-F834F4A8A946/costoluto-side.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Costoluto Genovese<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</h4>
<h4>
<br /></h4>
<h4>
<br /></h4>
<h4>
<br /></h4>
<h4>
<br /></h4>
<h4>
<br /></h4>
<h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-weight: normal; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="amishpaste.jpg" height="133" src="webkit-fake-url://AB368912-65F1-4739-975B-418D82739EB6/amishpaste.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amish Paste</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></h4>
<h4>
<br /></h4>
<h4>
<br /></h4>
<h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="2889.jpg" height="200" src="webkit-fake-url://94DFE196-6AD7-4A9C-B3D9-ABE90EF9E2E2/2889.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="191" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink Beauty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</h4>
<h4>
<br /></h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Bumble+Bees.JPG.jpg" height="133" src="webkit-fake-url://FB4B059F-501F-46FA-9768-E91E9017144C/Bumble+Bees.JPG.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bumblebee tomatoes<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Announcements</span></div>
<div>
1. <b>Sat. October 18: Annual Garlic Planting Party and Farm Member Appreciation Potluck</b> at Birch Point. Mark your calendars! Garlic planting in the afternoon (2-5ish) followed by a potluck for CSA members and farm investors in the barn (5:30ish til 8ish). All are welcome- if you missed the pre-season member meeting, this is a great chance to take a farm tour and see where your food has been growing all summer. Who has a cider press we can borrow for the day? We'd like to continue the tradition of pressing apples that day-- everyone bring a crate or bag or handful of apples to contribute, and a jug, jar, or mug to take cider home. Rain date: one week later, Sat. Oct. 23.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2. <b>Sat. Oct. 4: Grawndezvous!</b> Brenin Wertz-Roth and his dad Tom Wertz are your hosts for the annual cookout, potluck, bonfire, and musical extravaganza at the farm in Grawn. CSA members and friends welcome-- if you've never been to the Grawn farm, this is a great chance to take a tour (come on the early, i.e. daylight, side) and see the fall crops still in the field. Tom grows hops there, and Brenin has been farming annual veggies as well as a small perennial nursery there for the past four years. This year after Brenin and I joined forces, we focussed on fall crops that require minimal attention in Grawn-- things like leeks, potatoes, cabbages and Brussels sprouts, hot peppers, and potatoes, several of which will still be in the field in early October. It could be chilly; be prepared!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3.<b> Fall/Winter Shares available</b>: Join us for eight weeks of fall and winter bounty (yes, "winter bounty" is a thing when you have a hoophouse!). Starting Saturday November 1st, pick up shares every Saturday at the indoor winter market at Bldg. 50 @ The Commons (Sat. 10 am- 2 pm; market runs November through April). Fall/Winter shares will include plenty of root veggies like potatoes, carrots, beets, leeks, onions, turnips, radishes, celeriac; as well as leafy greens like kale, collard greens, spinach, Asian greens, lettuce, cabbage, Brussels sprouts AND greens; winter squash, herbs like parsley, thyme, and rosemary, sexy hoophouse greens like arugula, baby salad mix, baby spinach, and possibly a few surprises. Shares cost $250 and are intended to feed 2-3 adults or a small family. Since there will be so many storage crops, don't worry if you have a small household and can't use the entire share in a week; many things will keep well for weeks or months if you have a root cellar or cool storage area.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4. <b>Going to the </b><a href="http://earthworkharvestgathering.com/info" target="_blank"><b>Earthwork Harvest Gathering </b></a>this weekend? As Seth Bernard said, don't pack your coolers too full this year! Birch Point Farm and several other grower/producers will be at the<a href="http://earthworkharvestgathering.com/farmersmarket" target="_blank"> First Annual Harvest Gathering Farmers' Market,</a> located on the northeast corner of the woodlot camping area at the festival. We'll have fresh produce for snacking and for cooking on your campstove, as well as flowers to lively up your campsite!</div>
<div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></div>
<h4>
Recipes: Asian Slaw w/Peanut Sauce, 50 ways to enjoy Kale and Co.</h4>
<div>
<u>Asian Slaw w/Peanut Sauce</u> (note: this is VERY similar to the recipe in the last blog post; the only major difference is the Peanut Sauce-- our farm crew loved this dish so much today for lunch they thought it belonged in the blog!)</div>
<div>
1 lg or 2 sm heads Bok Choi (or Mei Qing or any other choi or Asian greens you've got), finely chopped </div>
<div>
1-2 carrots OR beets, grated</div>
<div>
1 sweet onion, sliced thinly</div>
<div>
1/2 c. peanuts, chopped and lightly pan roasted</div>
<div>
1/4 c. sesame seeds</div>
<div>
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes OR 1-2 fresh minced chiles (heat to taste!)</div>
<div>
the juice of one fresh-squeezed lime</div>
<div>
1/2 lb. firm tofu, cut in bite-sized pieces, pan fried to perfect crispness in toasted sesame oil and/or veg oil, with a good splash of soy sauce/Bragg's/tamari added partway through cooking</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Toss all these things together.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The peanut sauce: </div>
<div>
1 c. peanut butter, creamy or crunchy will do</div>
<div>
1/2 c. boiling-hot water- mix w/pb to make it more mixable w/other ingredients</div>
<div>
1/4 c. tamari/soy sauce/Bragg's</div>
<div>
1/4 c. rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)</div>
<div>
1/4 c. toasted sesame oil</div>
<div>
2-3 cloves minced garlic</div>
<div>
2-3 tsp. minced fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger powder</div>
<div>
1-2 scallions, sliced on a thin diagonal OR 1/3 c. minced onion</div>
<div>
1/4 tsp ground cayenne</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Mix all these things together and taste-- does it need more tang? add a little more vinegar. more salt? add more soy sauce. more heat? add more ginger AND cayenne. more peanuttiness? add more peanut butter OR just the peanut oil that's on the surface of the pb in your jar/tub. Perfect? toss thoroughly with slaw to coat every surface. Enjoy room temp or cold.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u>50 Ways to Enjoy Kale and Other Bodacious Leafy Greens</u></div>
<div>
OK, not actually 50- BUT you can modify these suggestions to create over 500 variations of your own. Note: wherever it says "kale" below, freely substitute Swiss chard, collard greens, beet greens, or any other cooking greens you've got.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1. Raw: remove kale from rubber band. Wash. eat. Variation: Chop first, toss with any acidic condiment of your choice (note: adding an acid makes the iron more bio-available). Variation: Chop finely, massage by hand in a bowl with coarse salt first, then dress, enjoy. Variation: add any companion veggies, e.g. onion, garlic, tomato, olives, herbs, etc.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2. Steamed: Wash, chop, steam, enjoy with any of the abovementioned modifications. Please eat stems- just chop finely and cook perhaps a few minutes longer. they are delicious.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3. Sauteed: Wash, chop, add to med-hot oil along with veggie companions like onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, corn, etc. OR go the other way and toss with toasted walnuts and dried cherries instead of garlic, tomatoes, peppers.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4. Smoothied: Wash, add to blender/vitamix along with other smoothie ingredients. Try a little at first, then gradually work your way up to more!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5. Juiced: Wash, run through juicer. My fave combo: kale, apple, parsley, optional carrot or beet.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
6. In Lasagna: EITHER chop and add to tomato sauce, OR chop and lay kale right in the lasagna as a layer all on its own (can be just kale or you can stir in an egg or two and some ricotta and/or cottage cheese first, then spread that mixture as a layer)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
7. In Soup: I can't think of a single soup that wouldn't be tastier and/or more interesting with a little (or a a lot of) kale tossed in. For brothy, thin soups, add finely shredded/chiffonaded kale leaves early-ish in cooking so they are tender and not overwhelming. For thick chunky and/or stew-like soup, chop coarsely and add any time you like; they won't overwhelm if everything else is also chunky or substantial. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
8. In EGGS- the universal vehicle for any new veggies or for loads of greens. Wash, chop, add to scrambles, to omelets, steam first and then serve poached or sunny-side-up eggs on a bed of it, saute and add to egg sandwiches, or my fave: Greens Patties. Chop and massage a LOT of greens, perhaps an entire bunch of kale or collards or chard or anything you've got. Add some chopped onion and garlic, salt and pepper, fresh chiles or ground cayenne if you like. Add a good handful of flour and mix very thoroughly. Add just a few eggs (1-2 per bunch?) and mix well-- you want to coat every surface with egg, but it's just a binder; you're not making Egg Foo Young. Heat oil in a skillet over med heat, scoop out a handful of mixture, form a patty. Lay gently in pan, use spatula to coax escaping bits back into the circular shape. Flip when thoroughly cooked on one side and can be turned. Serve with spicy mayo or ketchup or hot sauce or.......</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
9. Kale Chips- wash, dry, rip into chip-sized pieces. Either spritz with an atomizer/mister of olive oil, OR toss with oil, coating every surface, but be careful to go easy on the oil- you don't want soggy chips. Sprinkle with salt OR mist/atomize lightly with soy sauce/Bragg's. Lay in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 300 until crisp-- maybe 10-20 min depending on size of pieces AND how drenched in oil/salt they are- check often to make sure they're not burning. There is a fine line between dried/crisped and burnt. I sometimes use an even cooler oven and essentially dehydrate them instead of baking, just to be sure not to burn them. A dehydrator would be even safer, if longer.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
10. As a garnish- just kidding! Did you know Pizza Hut is the largest restaurant-consumer of kale? They use it to garnish their salad bar. I wonder if anyone ever thinks to put it on a pizza. We do! It's delicious, chopped and layered UNDER the cheese, so it doesn't dry out or burn on the edges if exposed.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-1020800116941180372014-09-01T19:56:00.000-07:002014-09-01T19:56:00.424-07:00Birch Point CSA Week 11: Pickling workshop, Tomato Tasting, Winter Shares, and Parties for members and farm friends<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>First</u> of all, now that "summer" (school vacation) is drawing to a close, SUMMER (killer harvest!) is in full swing We've finally been getting the diversity and bounty we'd wanted a month ago, and I hope it is worth the wait. Heart-of-Summer people, this is your LAST week of shares-- it's a great one; nice to go out with a bang. I hope you'll rejoin us next year and/or for a fall-winter share this November and December</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>Second</u>, sorry for no newsletter last week- it was a busy one. Hopefully you could figure out everything in your share. The one thing that may have required some explaining is Beet Greens. You'll see more of these as we continue to thin the fall beets. Prepare them exactly like spinach or chard- and yes, you can leave the baby beetroots on; at that size they cook as quickly as the greens. Just make sure to wash them thoroughly-- lots of crevices for dirt to hide in!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>Third</u>, YOU are invited to a bunch of farmy EVENTS coming up soon, including a</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1458434694439843/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"> pickling and canning workshop (Sun, Sept. 14)</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, our annual Heirloom Tomato Tasting (Tues, Sept. 16), Grawndezvous (a fall celebration at the Grawn farm, Sat, Oct. 4), and more. Please see Announcements for details.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What's In Your Share This Week</span></h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's an Asian-inspired share this week, full of good things to stir-fry and/or make slaw, soup, or snacks.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beans</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- is anyone tired of beans? I know our crew is getting tired of picking them ;) What's your favorite so far? Regular green beans? Purple? Yellow? Exra long yellow Romano pole beans? Fortex (super long, twisty green pole beans)? Purple Romano pole beans? Other? Just trying to get a sense of what to plant more of next year. If you're ever faced with more beans than you can use, or if you LOVE dilly beans, please join us and ISLAND for the </span><a href="http://www.artmeetsearth.org/events.html" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Dilly Bean and Cucumber Pickle Canning Workshop Sunday. Sept. 14!</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Also, it's super simple to freeze them: blanch for 1-2 min in boiling water, cool quickly under cold running water or plunge into ice water (to stop cooking). Drain/dry thoroughly, de-stem, cut if necessary to fit into freezer bags, bag, seal, and label. Voila. Pop into freezer. They're wonderful in winter stew and vegetable soup.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Napa OR mini cabbages</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- The summer Napa cabbage grew sweet and small, due to the drought, as did the mini cabbages (even more "mini" than we'd planned!). Hopefully the fall Napa will size up with the sufficient moisture we've had lately. These two varieties this week are interchangeable in recipes- Napa tend to be more tender and cook more quickly; mini cabbage tend to be firmer and require slightly longer cooking, BUT both can be used in a fresh Asian-ish slaw (see recipe below), or egg rolls, or any way you like cabbage.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Scallions/bunching onions</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- white OR purple. And yes you can use the whole thing! bulbs, greens, all of it. Like ALL leafy green veggies, store in an airtight container in the fridge (like a sealed bag) until using.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Potatoes OR Edamame</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-- I know, a weird choice, right? We figure some people love potatoes and some love edamame. We had a limited amount of edamame thanks to deer and drought, so some folks get to make appetizers, and some get to make chowder ;) If you are new to edamame, they are edible soybeans popular in Japanese cuisine. A simple preparation: Boil heavily salted water (1/4 c. or more salt to 2 qts water), drop beanpods in (remove pods from plant but leave beans in pods), boil til tender. Eat similarly to artichoke- holding the pod in your thumb and forefinger, close your teeth almost all the way around it, then pull it through your teeth and out of your mouth, leaving the beans and possibly some of the skin of the pod in your mouth. Enjoy! Be sure to boil thoroughly and test for doneness-- I usually leave them in 15 min or so, to make sure they are melty-soft. It's more pleasant AND easier to digest a thoroughly cooked soybean than a slightly crunchy one.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beets</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">! Lovely red, purple, or golden roots with delicious greens. Our fave beets: scrub a whole beetroot (or several) well, do not remove skin or tails. Coat completely in olive oil, wrap airtight in foil. Throw on the grill (if already grilling) or in the oven or toaster oven at 450-500 for 45-60 min, depending on size of beets. The super high heat combined with sealing in all the juices results in a thoroughly steamed beet with amazing flavor and texture, and super moist. Skins will slip off, or you can eat them. Serve with a knife for slicing-- they should be so well cooked that a spoon would do fine, too. If you need to store beets for more than a day, be sure to SEPARATE greens from roots- just chop off and store in two separate airtight containers (e.g. sealed bags) in the fridge.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lettuce</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- heads of green or red leaf, butterhead, or romaine. Try lettuce wraps for a new twist on spring rolls! (wrap rice noodles, protein and/or veggies of your choice, cilantro, etc. in a lettuce leaf instead of a traditional spring roll wrapper) Dip in some hot sauce or sweet-and-sour sauce. Voila. The trick is in the wrapping of course- you can use a toothpick to hold it together if you like.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Eggplant</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- the first major eggplant harvest, though we got a few earlier this season. Store eggplant at room temp, and use soon for max quality. My fave eggplant dish: super simple-- slice into 1/2" rounds, coat both sides thoroughly with olive oil, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, bake at 375 for 30-45 min (depending on size of slices-- you want them browned and caramelized on the outsides, soft and melty on the inside. check for doneness). Enjoy. May then be blended up into baba ghanoush, tossed with pasta or other dish you like, or eaten as is.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Peppers</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- sweet or hot. Different harvest days will get different varieties. You may see Hungarian Hot wax (pointy, yellow, turning to orange), a sweet-hot pepper that can be eaten fresh or cooked. Or any number of green, red, brown, or orange bells. Or Carmen, a long, pointy red sweet pepper, or perhaps Pimiento, a Cinderella-pumpkin-shaped thick-walled sweet red or orange pepper. Or any number of hot red or green chiles- cayenne, jalapeno, Thai hot, serrano etc.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tomatoes</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-- a nice mix of heirlooms from the field and/or hoophouse</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cherry tomatoes</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- another box of irresistible sweeties</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Herbs</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">: Cilantro, Dill, Parsley, or Basil</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Announcements</span></h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. <b>Dilly Beans and Cucumber Pickles workshop</b> here at Birch Point, hosted by ISLAND's Preservation Station: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><a ajaxify="/ajax/calendar/day_box.php?day=1410678000&invites_link=0" href="https://www.facebook.com/events/calendar/2014/September/14" rel="dialog" role="button" style="cursor: pointer; position: relative; text-decoration: none; z-index: 2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Sunday, September 14</span></b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>, </b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:00pm - 5:00pm</b>. $35-45 sliding scale: Show up, learn how to make pickles, take pickles home with you. All supplies included. Invite a friend! </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; line-height: normal;">2.<b> Annual Birch Point Heirloom Tomato Tasting</b>: <b>Tuesday Sept. 16. 4:30-7 p.m</b> (during CSA pickup). We're taking a quieter approach this year (acoustic music), but still the great and diverse spread of heirlooms for you to taste and compare and find your favorites. Depending on the harvest that week, tomatoes may be available for purchase (beyond what's already in your CSA share and on the table for tasting). Friends welcome, not just for CSA members. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; line-height: normal;">Note: we did hear rumors of a late blight epidemic downstate. Late blight is the fungal disease that wiped out much of North America's tomato crop in 2009, just for reference. If we don't get hit with late blight before Sept. 16, the tomato tasting is ON. If we do get confirmation of the infestation (i.e. if reports are confirmed) </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">but we haven't been infected here yet</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, we may go ahead and spray copper (an organic fungal control) on our tomato plants to prevent infection. We never normally use any fungicide, but late blight is so devastating that we may just do it to help protect the last few weeks' harvest, since the tomato harvest window has been so short this year. We'll keep you in the loop about what we decide to do.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; line-height: normal;">3. <b>Help wanted: Tuesday Bread Shares need a picker-upper.</b> A couple of people offered to help with this earlier, so now's your chance to help: we need someone to stop by 9 Bean Rows bakery on 204 (between Suttons Bay and Lake Leelanau, at the site of the former Covered Wagon farmstand) Tuesdays between 8 am and 2 pm. Then drop off the bread at Birch Point Farm before 4 p.m. This could be a CSA member, someone you know who commutes from SB/Lk Leelanau area to TC every day around 8, or a retiree who loves picking up bread, for example. Farm vegetable credit in exchange for bread pick up and delivery every Tuesday through the end of the season. Please email for details.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; line-height: normal;">4. <b>Fall-Winter Shares still available!</b> Eight weeks of fall and winter bounty starting the first Sat. in November and running through mid-December. Fall is a great time to savor the amazing diversity of farm food northern MI has to offer-- everything from summer crops like tomatoes (which should still be growing in the hoophouse in early Nov!) and peppers, to cool weather-loving greens like spinach, salad mix, kale, chard, and collards, to hearty storage crops like carrots, potatoes, squash, beets, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and more. I'm always pleasantly surprised how late "fall" actually extends into winter-- hope you'll join us! $250 for eight weeks, share size intended to feed a family of four-ish or 2-3 adult veggie lovers.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><div style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; line-height: normal;">5. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Grawndezvous</b>- Y'all are invited to the annual fall festival held in Grawn at the farm where Brenin's been farming the past four years. Brenin and his dad Tom host a mean potluck, grill-out, and singalong under a big tent and/or around a fire, weather permitting. Save the date: Sat. Oct. 4. More details to come soon!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; line-height: normal;">6. Late summer/early fall <b>CSA Appreciation and Season Celebration Potluck: </b>Date TBA. Look for a doodle poll soon to set the date for a late-season gathering here at the farm (may be in conjunction with garlic planting in October, or possibly earlier).</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /><h4>
Field Notes</h4>
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;">It's been a rainy week and a half around here- finally! It is such a relief to report that. All of our green leafy crops (cabbage, lettuce, herbs, kale, chard, collard greens, etc) are just soaking it up and growing back faster and more lush than before. Root crops (beets, carrots, potatoes, radishes) are sizing up so fast that we're often finding split and cracked roots, but mostly gorgeous and growing big and fat. Droopy peppers and eggplants have perked right up (and in combo with the heat last week, started ripening finally!). The onions that are left in the field are still sizing up, and beans just won't stop. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"> We've been planting our latest rounds of fall crops: more radishes, turnips, spinach, more kohlrabi and broccoli, lettuces, radicchio, herbs, and Asian greens. The cabbages, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, carrots, beets, celeriac and rutabagas, all staple fall crops, are looking great. Mid-season beet are coming on strong, as evidenced by your share this week. Mid-season carrots are on the horizon (finally!), a welcome relief after the terrible germination of the early season carrots. Sunflowers are still going bonzo all around the farm, both the planted rows in the flower garden and the feral sunflowers that pop up all over, which we tend to leave in, for beauty.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;">The children's garden is finally greening up and filling in also! Like the rest of the farm, it benefitted greatly from the rain. We're looking forward to at least one fall music-in-the-garden event for CSA kids and farm friends-stay tuned!</span></span><br />
<div class="_5xhp fsm fwn fcg" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; max-width: 376px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px; white-space: nowrap;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><h4>
Recipe: </h4>
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Michelle's favorite Asian-ish Slaw</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4-5 cups shredded Napa cabbage, bok choi, daikon greens, or any green Asian (or not) leafy thing you've got around</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2-4 grated carrots OR beets (beets will turn the slaw pink!)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2-3 diagonally sliced scallions/bunching onions (greens and bulbs) OR 1 finely sliced sm. onion</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1-3 cloves garlic, minced</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">equal amt of fresh ginger, also minced (if you have none, put in 1 tsp ground ginger to dressing)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">at least 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 Tbsp sesame seeds</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 generous handful coarsely chopped fresh herbs: cilantro OR lemon basil OR Thai basil OR dill/parsley if you prefer</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">optional: 1-2 fresh hot chiles, minced</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">toasted sesame oil</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">soy sauce/tamari</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">cayenne and/or your favorite hot sauce (I like Ray's Polish Fire)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">pinch ground coriander</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">salt and pepper</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mix slaw ingredients well. Mix dressing ingredients well, then mix w/ slaw. Enjoy! Top with a good squeeze of fresh lime and/or bean sprouts and/or pea shoots and/or fried tofu and/or anything else you like.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-85861062821986880252014-08-19T19:28:00.000-07:002014-08-19T19:28:05.466-07:00Birch Point CSA Week 9: Soil Moisture=Increased Production and Weeds!It finally feels like bounty has returned-- we are proud to share this week's harvest with you, and look forward to more diversity and quantity over the weeks to come. We'll try to make sure your boxes are full and delicious without overwhelming you. Keep in mind: we'll send an end-of-season survey, to help guide decisions next season, but we welcome your feedback any time! Keep the comments, suggestions, and questions coming, please.<br />
<br />
<h3>
In Your Share This Week:</h3>
<br />
<b>Swiss Chard</b>- this most gorgeous of leafy greens is in the beet and spinach family-- in fact, chard and beets are the same species (<i>Beta vulgaris</i>)! Our favorite preparation is a simple saute-- saute onions and/or garlic with chopped chard stems in olive oil, add in chopped leaves and saute til tender (not mushy). Douse with your favorite acidic condiment (CSA member Kat Eldred recommends the espresso balsamic vinegar from Fustini's). Perhaps some grated parmesan or toasted, chopped pecans?<br />
<br />
I<b>talian Parsley</b>-- these generous bunches are intended to be used like a vegetable, not a garnish. Did you know parsley is an excellent source of vitamin C? Besides its nutritional value, parsley is delicious-- of course there's the classic <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tabbouleh-iii/" target="_blank">tabbouleh salad</a> (chopped parsley, chopped tomatoes, diced onions/garlic, bulgur wheat, lots of lemon juice and olive oil), but use your imagination-- parsley is wonderful as the base of a salad, tossed with marinated and/or grilled summer squash chunks, coarsely chopped and tossed into hot (or cold) soup by the handful- not just a sprinkle, a handful ;) And of course parsley potatoes (to die for-- toss lots of chopped parsley with hot, bite-sized potato chunks and LOTS of butter, some salt and pepper. Cream=optional)! It's hard to go wrong with Italian parsley-- we prefer it to the curly parsley for its superior flavor AND ease of cleaning (less dirt gets stuck in the large, flat leaves), but any parsley is a good thing.<br />
<br />
<b>Summer Squash/Zucchini OR Cucumbers</b>-- more of these beautiful and tasty members of the Cucurbit family. Check last week's blog for a marinated summer squash salad recipe. Use little cucumbers the same way you'd use big ones. cheers!<br />
<br />
<b>Sweet onions</b>- you may get Walla Walla or Ailsa Craig, the two varieties we grew this year. Sweet onions are fantastic as themselves (try marinating thick rings along with cucumber slices and serve as salad OR throw slices or halves on the grill just til hot) or in cooking-- they're not as pungent as yellow or red storage onions, so even the onion-averse might decide they like onions after all after trying these.<br />
<br />
<b>Beans</b>! Beans are really coming in like mad. The pole beans (yellow Gold of Bacau, green Fortex, or Purple Podded Pole Beans) are producing crazy amounts of beans, and the second planting of bush beans (green, purple, and yellow) are coming into their own and starting to produce. You could see any of these or a mix in your share this week. Try a fresh (uncooked) chopped bean, parsley, sweet onion, and cherry tomato salad with vinaigrette- yum.<br />
<br />
<b>Potatoes</b>- the very first potato harvest! We sample-harvested a bunch of different varieties just to check progress, and ended up with a nice amount to share with you. You may see Anushka (medium yellow-skinned white flesh), Purple Viking (purple skin with red streaking and white flesh), Bintje (small yellow/tan-skinned, pale yellow flesh), or any number of different redskin varieties. A few shares may get fingerlings-- tiny potatoes with thin, tender skin that you can cook and eat whole. We determined that most of the spuds could stand to size up a little more, so we'll probably skip a couple of weeks at least before the next potato harvest. It promises to be a GREAT potato season once they do size up!<br />
<br />
<b>Pea shoots</b>- Saturday and Monday shares got pea shoots in their shares this week. Our favorite thing to do with them is a very brief, hot saute with generous amounts of minced garlic. You can also toss them into any salad or at the end of any stir-fry. They taste like peas, as you might imagine, and are a fun twist on greens. Tuesday and Wednesday shares will get pea shoots in a couple of weeks, and extra beans for the time being.<br />
<br />
<b>Tomatoes</b>- finally the field-grown tomatoes are starting to ripen! Up til now we've gotten about a dozen tomatoes TOTAL from outdoors (not hoophouse-grown). This week marks a turning point in that we finally have some ripe heirlooms coming in. At CSA pickup, your farmers are happy to help identify the different varieties by name and characteristics, if you're curious. If you just want to slice and eat them and do your own taste comparison, that's great too. Fingers crossed for a critical mass to continue to ripen each week til frost! tip: never store a tomato in the fridge. Keep at room temp for best eating quality (flavor and especially texture).<br />
<br />
<b>Cherry Tomatoes</b>- the same mix of reds, Sungolds, bumblebees, and black (brown) varieties you've seen the past several weeks. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
OK, that's the list for now-- more juicy farm news next week ;)<br />
<br />
<br />Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-50068271463480480192014-08-13T10:33:00.002-07:002014-08-13T10:33:53.423-07:00Birch Point CSA Week 8: the rain came down! the spirits lifted.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimn13YmeYmwQGaTzmlaoyrueWr8RkNw8PWavYr8vGnhQhgWG6-kJg8sA9mvf4kkh4EhDUcGqvim1vVk0pcOf9hJqpAtxc8EV77o71mruxJaZXnfDz85kyRUIPHgVjZv73XEjlGWo98ziY/s1600/farm+chicks!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimn13YmeYmwQGaTzmlaoyrueWr8RkNw8PWavYr8vGnhQhgWG6-kJg8sA9mvf4kkh4EhDUcGqvim1vVk0pcOf9hJqpAtxc8EV77o71mruxJaZXnfDz85kyRUIPHgVjZv73XEjlGWo98ziY/s1600/farm+chicks!.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The latest additions to the farm!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Glad I waited til today to send this newsletter- finally, the news we've been waiting to report: It rained on the farm! Most of Tuesday we harvested in a steady drizzle that bordered on downpour at times. The crew donned raincoats, rain pants, wellies, and hats, and STILL managed to get soggy socks and underwear-- hallelujah! I've never been so happy to be so soggy. We got under 0.5" but that was enough to moisten the soil to the point where the low-pressure drip irrigation can finally keep up-- drip irrigation is wonderful for minimizing evaporative loss and foliar fungal disease, directing water at the plant root zones, and for ease of use, BUT by design it delivers less water at once than an overhead system. Drip systems work great when there is already <i>some</i> soil moisture present; this year's incredible drought left many of our plants growing in dusty bricks instead of moist soil, and our well and irrigation system has not been able to keep up. So we're going to keep irrigating, now that a base level of moisture has been restored, in order to keep it up for the rest of the season. Please DO keep those rain dances coming, though!<br />
<br />
<h3>
In Your Share This Week</h3>
<br />
<b>Arugula</b>- it's back! This nutty, slightly spicy leafy baby green is super versatile- we like to use it as salad when it's so tender, but you can also quickly steam or saute it to enjoy with pasta or grain (cooking cuts what little spice is there, if your palate is on the mild side). I recently ordered arugula salad at a great TC restaurant and was disappointed that it was basically micro-greens-- elegant looking, yet next to no substance on the fork or flavor on the palate. I prefer to know I've got food on my fork when enjoying a salad, so we let our arugula grow larger than that. We hope you like the more substantial leaf size-- it's still "baby," as this is the first cutting from these plants, so it's tender and mild. What's YOUR favorite size of salad green? psst....have you tried arugula pesto? If you like arugula, you may love it. Just sub arugula for basil. yum.<br />
<br />
<b>Sweet onions</b>: the first sweet onions are in! These are mainly a variety called Walla Walla, and they are smaller than any Walla Walla I've ever grown-- the drought hit them pretty hard. However, the sweet flavor is delicious as always. Sweet onions keep best in the refrigerator due to their high water content, though there's no need to refrigerate if you use them within the week.<br />
<br />
<b>Basil</b>- it's pesto time! See below for our favorite pesto recipe, OR enjoy basil fresh with sliced or chopped tomatoes, pasta, on bruschetta, tossed with a marinated green bean-and-summer squash salad, sky's the limit really. IMPORTANT: Basil does NOT like temps lower than 50 degrees F, which means do NOT refrigerate, or the leaves will turn brown and mushy. Treat it like a cut flower for max shelf life: re-trim the ends of the stems, place upright in water in a small jar or vase on your counter top. Try to keep the leaves out of water; they'll last longer dry. Trim leaves/stems as you need them for garnish OR toss the whole darn thing into the blender/cuisinart for pesto (yes, even stems, unless they're woody). <br />
<br />
<b>Summer Squash/Zukes OR Cucumbers</b>- your choice. The summer squash and zucchini have been bonzo the last couple of weeks; cucumbers- not so much. You may see pattypans ("spaceship" squash), crooknecks, green or gold zucchini, pale green cousa "stuffing" squash, or classic green slicing cucumbers, little yellow cukes, green or white pickling cukes. All cukes are interchangeable with each other; all summer squash/zukes are interchangeable-- personal preference for shape and color is the major difference. We'll try to make sure everyone gets plenty of both over the course of the season. The current planting of squash is still going strong, and the later planting is coming on. There will probably be a little lull between the two waves of squash/cukes, but I think tomatoes, eggplant and peppers will fill that in nicely. See below for marinated squash and green bean salad recipe.<br />
<br />
<b>Tomatoes</b>-- all I can say is "thank goodness for plastic!" Seriously-- there's some irony there, but if we didn't have a hoophouse, you'd have next to no tomatoes yet this year! Almost every cherry tomato and all the slicing tomatoes we've had this year have come from the hoophouse. The late spring and cool summer temps are the opposite conditions of what tomatoes like. Inside the hoophouse, tomatoes got planted earlier and have a warmer environment, so they've been very productive (though we're just starting to see the tidal wave we normally see 2-3 weeks earlier in the year). Outdoor tomatoes are just hanging out, being green-- we'll feel lucky if we get two months of harvest from them this summer/fall. We planted enough paste tomatoes to offer canning/preserving shares (1 lug paste tomatoes for $35), but until we get a heat wave, all canning/preserving orders are on hold til further notice. I'm getting itchy to can and roast and freeze, too!<br />
<br />
<b>Beans</b>- so many varieties! You may see classic green beans, purple beans (warning: they turn green when cooked, so serve raw for max purpleness), green pole beans (a variety called Fortex, which grow extremely long and convoluted and are fun to pick and to eat), or yellow pole beans (a variety called Gold of Bacau, my favorite bean- it grows big, long, and flat, a "romano" style that is fantastic when it gets longer and bigger- not starchy or tough like other big beans). We tend to eat beans raw, with or without hummous or other dip, but of course you can steam, saute, or grill them, too. The long beans are fantastic laid crosswise on the grill, brushed with olive oil, and just lightly cooked. yum.<br />
<br />
<b>Turnips</b>- either small white Hakureis or red Scarlet Queens. The summer turnips are finally sizing up! These two varieties are both so mild and tender that they're best enjoyed raw. Hakureis are even milder and more tender than Scarlets; we usually eat them out of hand, like little apples, though slicing and salting first is even more delicious. Turnips are also wonderful cooked, of course-- my fave preparation is cut into bite sized pieces, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast at 400 F for 20-40 min (depending on size of chunks) til edges are brown and caramelized and centers are soft. Enjoy.<br />
<br />
<b>Beet greens</b>-- the first "beets" of the season, finally!!!!! A few shares might be lucky enough to get actual beets on the greens, but most folks will get the thinnings this week, which are intended to be used for greens. Beet greens are totally interchangeable with Swiss chard in recipes -- they're actually the same species; just different varieties! My fave is a simple saute with onions or garlic, olive oil, toasted walnuts, a generous amount of balsamic vinegar, and a little heavy cream and chunked goat or feta cheese stirred in at the last minute. Try a pinch of ground nutmeg for fun.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Announcements</h3>
1. Flower shares: we did NOT harvest flowers Tuesday due to the rain (water spots on petals reduces flower quality; I'd rather people get high quality flowers!). Tuesday flower shares can pick up Sat at market, and/or doubles next week Tuesday.<br />
<br />
2. Wednesday Little Fleet pickup will be unstaffed today; please take the box with your name on it and leave last week's box in a tidy stack in the corner. thank you!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Meet Your Farmers:</h3>
This week's featured farmers: Jae Gerhart (aka Jaebird) and Christina Barkel (aka Tina Sparkles)<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This is Jae’s first season at Birch Point Farm. After completing the Student Organic Farmer Training Program at MSU in 2010, she worked as the Production Manager of Sunseed Farm in Ann Arbor and piloted “The Goat Project,” a small goat-share CSA. Jae is super stoked to be up in the Leelanau County area growing vegetables. When she’s not farming she can be found swimming, biking (on her brand new Bianchi road bike!), or dancing. Fun fact: Jae can walk on her hands for an unrealistic amount of time. She LOVES ranch dressing and really really really loves dancing. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Inline image 1" height="200" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=b29220763f&view=att&th=147ad15ef177caf1&attid=0.1&disp=emb&realattid=ii_147ad15b3489d30f&zw&atsh=1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="133" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farmer Jae with Allu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> . </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Christina grew up in Metro Detroit and has called Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Ferndale home. She attended the University of Michigan, where she studied Environmental Justice. After college, Christina worked her first farm job at Frog Holler Farm in Brooklyn, Michigan, where she learned the fine art of salad making, carrot weeding and wheel-hoeing, among other glamorous skills. She next moved to Ypsilanti to work for Growing Hope, an urban farm and non-profit dedicated to healthy food access. Along the way Christina has also gained experience doing farm-to-school work, outdoor advocacy and nutrition education. A new resident to Traverse City, Christina hopes to call the area home for many years in the future. Christina is excited to be part of the Birch Point crew this year - she loves the physical and mental challenge of farming but is really in it for the food and the community. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-jJl_o0JhuwxQqmQ-2GJaDYt2ctBMDZlRavHs5kb6cqZidbmyUVDc_2Kob0aZqzlR1SwQfhyPvfKRZh6rcPav431lFKVda4xzE6VmE4eTRCuMKsbGASyMvSvIJZYXHKrHMDjGkC-i4Q/s1600/BPF+and+CB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-jJl_o0JhuwxQqmQ-2GJaDYt2ctBMDZlRavHs5kb6cqZidbmyUVDc_2Kob0aZqzlR1SwQfhyPvfKRZh6rcPav431lFKVda4xzE6VmE4eTRCuMKsbGASyMvSvIJZYXHKrHMDjGkC-i4Q/s1600/BPF+and+CB.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farmer Christina at market<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
Recipes</h3>
<u>Birch Point Pesto</u><br />
2 c. basil- include stems if they're tender and not woody<br />
1/2 c. nuts- either toasted pine nuts or walnuts or sunflower seeds, or any combo of any of those<br />
2 fat garlic cloves, peeled<br />
big pinch salt<br />
1/2 c grated parmesan (optional-- can also be added just before serving)<br />
1/2 c olive oil<br />
2 Tbsp lemon juice<br />
pinch black pepper<br />
<br />
Toss it all in the cuisinart and buzz til it's a consistency you like. I tend to leave it slightly chunky so tiny pieces of nuts and leaves are still identifiable, but creamy is equally wonderful. If using a blender, you might need to stop and push everything back down into the blades once or twice, and/or add more liquid (olive oil or lemon juice). If freezing for future use, I usually leave out the cheese, since frozen cheese can make the texture weird. Tip: try substituting arugula, parsley, dill, or cilantro for the basil-- equally delicious and versatile!<br />
<br />
<u>Marinated Summer Squash and Green Bean Salad</u><br />
1 pint worth of mixed summer squashes/zucchini, sliced super thin-- if you have a mandoline, that's ideal. If not, just get your sharpest knife and your razor-sharp eyeballs and slice squash super thin, lengthwise.<br />
2 small sweet onions, sliced crosswise into thin rings<br />
1/2 quart green (or purple or yellow or a mix) beans, stems removed and "frenched" (if you have a bean frencher- yes, it's a thing) or cut lengthwise into skinny shards. Don't sweat this step too much; just slice them into something pretty and edible rather than entire pods.<br />
1/2 c. chopped or chiffonaded fresh herbs-- our faves are basil, dill, mint, or anise hyssop, but any fresh herb you've got on hand will be delicious<br />
1 c. apple cider OR white wine OR rice vinegar<br />
1/2 c. olive oil<br />
generous pinch salt and pepper<br />
<br />
Mix oil and vinegar, s/p, onions, and fresh herbs in the bottom of a mixing bowl. Add squash and beans, toss to coat evenly. Let marinate in the fridge 15-20 min or longer. Toss again before serving.<br />
<br />
<u>Birch Point Tuesday Vegetable Soup</u>-- Tuesday was the first day that felt like soup weather in a long time! So this is what we cobbled together for lunch.<br />
<br />
2 med summer squash, cubed into bite sized pieces<br />
2 med potaoes, cubed into bite sized pieces<br />
3 med sweet onions, coarsely chopped<br />
1 c frozen corn from last summer<br />
1 c cooked dried beans (or one can beans of your choice)<br />
2 tsp celery seed<br />
2 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp black pepper<br />
4 Tbsp butter<br />
1 very generous sploosh olive oil<br />
1 qt. canned tomato juice from last summer<br />
1 pint canned tomato sauce from last summer<br />
2 c. water<br />
1 Tbsp "Better than Bouillon" veggie bouillon-in-a-jar<br />
<br />
Heat olive oil and butter til butter melts. Saute onions, celery seed, salt and pepper til onions are browned. Meanwhile in large pot, heat tomato juice and sauce, add chopped potatoes, beans, and frozen corn. Add browned onions to soup, use remaining fat in pan to saute summer squash til browned. Add to soup, scraping every last drop of oil/butter and celery seed/pepper into the soup.<br />
Follow bouillon directions (add to hot water, then add that to soup, stir well). Top with fresh minced onion, fresh diced herbs, sour cream and/or grated cheese (optional).<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9wasRCxn8KWjfBtBNtMYTZFsIyEvS040P4MG9xja4PmZ0CNeFzJF50Yp65FUVL0BFfSt9gHczJEXJ_7UsoDBAIXPqXNKOcIHB4GF8kkMElaZ5OMMcs_Ub9WwInFAWVotNRuxASz6JLY/s1600/Farmers+sailing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9wasRCxn8KWjfBtBNtMYTZFsIyEvS040P4MG9xja4PmZ0CNeFzJF50Yp65FUVL0BFfSt9gHczJEXJ_7UsoDBAIXPqXNKOcIHB4GF8kkMElaZ5OMMcs_Ub9WwInFAWVotNRuxASz6JLY/s1600/Farmers+sailing.jpg" height="200" width="149" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Christina and Brenin on our sailing outing</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-61425396072485459422014-08-04T20:12:00.000-07:002014-08-04T20:13:20.043-07:00Birch Point CSA News Week 7: Still no rain :( Veggies still growing :)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><h3>
What's in Your Share This Week</h3>
<br />
<b>Lettuce</b>: Most of you will be getting the wonderful red and green butterhead variety<br />
<br />
called Skyphos. Not only is it one of our favorites for looks and taste, it has been<br />
<br />
handling the warm, dry conditions remarkably well. Some people may get crisp green romaine or green butterhead.<br />
<br />
<b>Cherry Toms</b>: Thank goodness these summer delights like these conditions. The<br />
<br />
Sungolds are really producing and the other cherries are starting to ripen as well.<br />
<br />
<b>Salad mix</b>: Still going strong but there may be a lull for a couple weeks as the next<br />
<br />
crop grows out.<br />
<br />
<b>Rutabaga greens</b>: Kind of a new crop for us, but a fun surprise. They are very<br />
<br />
similar to turnip greens but with a little more substance. They are great prepared<br />
<br />
the same way as any braising green.<br />
<br />
<b>Summer Squash</b>: So many great kinds of squash this time of year and not your<br />
<br />
grandma’s baseball bats either (though we’ll have those for you zucchini bread<br />
<br />
lovers). We harvest squash and zukes when they are small and tender. Many of you<br />
<br />
may be familiar with the Pattypan type shaped like a flying saucer, but for those of<br />
<br />
you uninitiated, this is another type of summer squash. The name comes from the<br />
<br />
French word for a kind of baking pan or patisson.<br />
<br />
<b>Peppers OR Eggplant</b>: These crops don’t mind the dryness so much, but they really<br />
<br />
want heat, which it seems we’re finally getting after so many chilly nights. There<br />
<br />
is a mix of eggplant varieties this season including the standard black elongated<br />
<br />
type. Don’t be intimidated by any green ones you might see. This is a variety called<br />
<br />
Applegreen and it’s one of my favorites. I was actually quoted in the Fedco seed<br />
<br />
catalogue this year singing its praises. I think it holds its texture really well, which is<br />
<br />
nice if you don’t like your eggplant mushy. I’ve been sautéing it by itself lately to put<br />
<br />
on sandwiches. You may get a smattering of green or colored bell peppers, Feherezon paprika peppers in yellow-green stage (shaped like a frying pepper, mostly sweet with a touch of heat sometimes), and/or Hungarian Hot Wax-- long, lime green, sweet-hot.<br />
<br />
<b>Beans</b>: Both our bush beans and pole beans are producing now. I like all kinds<br />
<br />
of fresh beans, but am especially fond of the flat poded Romano type. They get<br />
<br />
nice and big, which makes them fast and easy to pick, but have a nice juicy crunch.<br />
<br />
Everyone will have a chance this type, but we also have green, yellow and purple<br />
<br />
podded round beans.<br />
<br />
<b>Herbs</b>, Dill, Parsley or Cilantro<br />
<br />
<b>Mini Cabbage</b>: Either compact green heads (Early Jersey OR Gonzales) or tiny reds. These little guys are a baby variety called Red Express that has been<br />
<br />
grown for European markets for a while now. It can be prepared any way you<br />
<br />
would cook cabbage, but these might be fun cut in half and either roasted in the<br />
<br />
oven or grilled. Have fun!<br />
<br />
In some boxes depending on the day of pickup:<br />
<br />
<b>Slicing Tomatoes</b>: Yay! Tomatoes are in. These are mainly from the hoop house,<br />
<br />
but the flavor has been really great. The field tomatoes are starting to produce as<br />
<br />
well. Those who don’t get slicers this week will get more cherries.<br />
<br />
<b>Cucumbers</b>: We’re starting to get more cukes, but aren’t at the green avalanche<br />
<br />
stage. Hopefully we’ll get there soon. Rain wouldn’t hurt.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Announcements: </h3>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
1. A-Z Cookbooks are in, come and get your copies! $15 each.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
2. We are putting out a request for plastic grocery bags- if you have a stash of clean plastic handle bags, we are accepting donations to use at farmers' market AND if folks forget their bag/cooler when picking up CSA shares Tuesday at the farm.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
3. We are missing a good number of CSA boxes, take a look around to see if you've squirreled one (or more!) away. Each TC share (Sat, Mon, and Wed. pickups) are allocated two boxes for the season-- please remember to bring back the previous week's empty box when you pick up the full one! Thanks.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Field Notes</h3>
<br />
First off we want to thank all of you for your support in our decision to suspend the<br />
<br />
CSA boxes for a week. We received so many kind words of hope and encouragement<br />
<br />
from many of you as we struggle through this drought. The diversity and quantity<br />
<br />
in the boxes this week are fruits of that rest time. Unfortunately there is no real end<br />
<br />
in sight and it has become a real 24-hour a day job to keep the irrigation going. We<br />
<br />
got our hopes up a couple days ago when the forecast was predicting a long period<br />
<br />
of 80% precipitation this weekend, but that has dwindled to a few hours at 30% or<br />
<br />
less. Not very encouraging. At this point all we can do is keep on keeping on. Lots<br />
<br />
of new crops have been planted and seeded and are surviving the harsh conditions.<br />
<br />
Hopefully they’ll get a good soaker one of these days soon. On a bright note, the land<br />
<br />
we are farming south of town (in Grawn) has been receiving more moisture (also a little bit<br />
<br />
of hail) and are looking very healthy. There are also little things to be grateful for<br />
<br />
in the midst of a huge challenge. Last night I went out late to change the irrigation<br />
<br />
zones and while I was listening to make sure the drip lines were filling properly, I<br />
<br />
got to watch the deep orange slice of the moon sink towards the hills and listen to<br />
<br />
the sounds of the frogs, insects and coyotes. It was so beautiful I forgot about all the<br />
<br />
worries and consternation over the lack of water.<br />
<br />
Our dear visitors Holly and Kelsey have headed out on the next leg of their journey<br />
<br />
to the sorrow of everyone on the farm. They brought so much fun and hard work<br />
<br />
to the farm. They also got the farm crew out for a fun social event that we’ve been<br />
<br />
hoping to do all summer. As part of their traditional half-birthday celebration we<br />
<br />
went sailing on the bay. It wasn’t much of a windy day but a good time was had by<br />
<br />
all as we tried to stay out of the way of all the fancy racing boats.<br />
<br />
-BWR</span>Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-44498891926037298732014-07-21T12:52:00.001-07:002014-07-21T12:53:42.072-07:00Birch Point CSA Week 6 News: Garlic Out! Fall Brassicas In (hopefully)!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Greetings farm friends! Welcome aboard, Heart of Summer members. Please see Field Notes below for this week's farm news.<br />
<br />
<h3>
In Your Share This Week:</h3>
<br />
<b>Lettuce-</b> Either romaine, butterhead, or green or red leaf. Despite the last few days of heat, lettuce is still loving life and looking great in the field. We'll continue to have lettuce all summer provided we get some much-needed rain to re-soak the soils, to help keep lettuce happy (not a dry- or heat-loving plant).<br />
<br />
<b>Kohlrabi</b>- I know we've sent you home with a lot of kohlrabi lately-- it just happened to thrive this spring/early summer, so we hope you love it as much as we do. If you get a backlog, remember kohlrabi stores really well in the fridge if you remove the leaves and keep it in an airtight container (e.g. a sealed plastic bag or tupperware). And the leaves can be used just like kale- saute, steam, in soup, in omelets, etc.<br />
<br />
<b>Herbs</b>- cilantro, parsley, OR basil (just the very beginning of basil; much more is on the horizon!). Top any dish with fresh minced herbs for more flavor and style.<br />
<br />
<b>Garlic</b>- more early small bulbs-- store in fridge to maintain juiciness, or cut stems off and allow to dry at room temp to cure for later use. Come to the farm TUESDAY during CSA pickup to help pull garlic! See Announcements below for details.<br />
<br />
<b>Baby Salad Mix-</b> it's back! We took a little break when the big lettuces were threatening to overwhelm the CSA, but we should be back to an every-week or every-other-week baby salad rotation. Luckily baby salad mix is planted in one of the gardens that is easy to keep watered, so it's doing great. We'll keep you posted.<br />
<br />
<b>And the fun part</b>: We can't tell you what else exactly will be in your share, because every day (Sat-Mon-Tues-Wed) will be a little different! Due to the drought (see Field Notes, below) and late spring, summer crops are maturing later and less consistently than we'd like. That means we're getting our very first harvests of beans, cherry tomatoes, summer squash/zucchini, peppers, cabbage, etc, but in sporadic quantities every day/week. So you'll get a nice mix of some combo of those things this week and next! Thanks for your patience while we wait for the rain to help size up and mature all those crops in the field that are just hanging out, being small for now. I think it's the quiet before the storm, so don't worry, there will be food and in greater quantities; if it'll just RAIN already!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Announcements:</h3>
1. <b>Garlic Harvest </b>has been moved UP to this <b>Tuesday, July 22.</b> Due to the drought, garlic is ready to be out of the field and into the barn. Sorry for the short notice, but if you'd like to join us, come to the back field during CSA pickup (4-7 pm-- we'll likely be done well before 7, so arrive by 6 at the latest if you want to get in on the garlic harvest). Wear clothes that can get dirty, gloves, and a hat. There is a chance of rain (fingers crossed!), so bring rain gear to stay dry. There will NOT be a potluck following this garlic harvest, contrary to earlier announcement, but we will have a mid-summer celebration, independent of garlic, just as soon as we get some serious rain (something worth celebrating!!!).<br />
<br />
2. <b><a href="http://www.localharvest.org/asparagus-to-zucchini-a-guide-to-farm-fresh-C270" target="_blank">Asparagus to Zucchini</a></b> cookbooks have not yet arrived- it may be next week instead of this. There are still books available (we ordered a case of 20 but only had orders for 12, so there is still time to get in on that). Books are $15 each.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Field Notes</h3>
<br />
The good news: Hoophouse-grown cherry tomatoes and field-grown green BEANS are just starting to mature; either this or next week, members can expect the first tender, snappy green (and/or purple) beans and a small taste of cherry tomatoes in your shares. (Check out the current issue of Edible Grande Traverse for a nice article about green beans, written by our friend Nic Theisen, in which he admonishes the reader to dress nicely and stand tall when preparing green beans! ) The bad news: still no rain :( This is one of the most extreme, if short-term, droughts we've experienced on the farm. Over the past month or more, every rain event that has hit our neighbors 20 or 30 (not to mention 300) miles from here has skipped us. Last week's much-anticipated storm appeared as a bare sprinkle. Tomorrow night's likelihood of precipitation has dropped from 92% to 62% and still dropping. The garden beds that have been harvested already and mowed down (e.g. spring broccoli, early lettuce, turnips, radishes) are too dry for the tiller to dig in. We need to be able to till to re-prep beds to replant, whether to another crop or to cover crop. Drip irrigation isn't cutting it, since some of the beds have dried out so completely and require a good soaking rain to rehydrate enough to be workable. So the trays of transplants that are ready to go in the ground are waiting. Patient, but needing to get in the ground! <br />
Spirits are sagging a little bit at the dusty soils and slowed plant growth. We're running irrigation almost 24 hours a day, but since we're still using a domestic (house) well to supply the farm, we're limited in the volume of water we can use at one time. The current big project is, of course, a new well (if cleaning/flushing/checking the pump for problems doesn't help). That's been on the horizon for a while now, but this year's reduced flow (even less than past years, indicating a clogged filter, faulty pump, or -worst case scenario- depleted aquifer) combined with the drought has pushed the well to the head of the list. We'll keep you posted on developments (results of cleaning filter and checking pump, as well as a timeline and cost estimate from the well drillers). Meanwhile, thanks for all the feedback and enthusiasm about the first third of the season, and thanks for joining us for what's turned out (so far) to be this dry, dry season.<br />
More good news: a giant load of compost was delivered last week! We buy the majority of our compost from Morgan Composting (an aged compost made from dairy cow manure and bedding, known as "Dairy Doo"). I'd called them to arrange a later-summer delivery, and Diane at Morgan happened to mention that Four Seasons Nursery (a few miles from here) was getting a load delivered the very next day, and that if we had our load delivered tomorrow, we could split the delivery fee with the nursery-- good timing! So we have an even bigger load of compost ready for the fields, which will increase the moisture-holding capacity, the cation exchange capacity (ability to make nutrients available to plants), the overall fertility (nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous and micronutrients), and friability (texture) of soil. Like any soil amendment, compost and all its living components (fungi, bacteria, micro- and macro-invertebrates) will really be effective and literally "come to life" when we get rain, and the critters can go to work. Yet another reason to do any rain dance of your choice when you get a minute!<br />
And last but not least, we've been the lucky hosts of two different amazing groups of people: one is the MSU Student Organic Farm <a href="http://www.msuorganicfarm.com/organic-farmer-training-program" target="_blank">Organic Farmer Training Program</a> students, who are currently base camped at the farm while they tour several area farms as part of their program-- a yearly tradition we started six or seven years ago. It's always fun to host this year's crop of students, hear what they're learning, catch up with old friends (staff and faculty who accompany them). The other group is Brenin's old college friends! Genevieve, Holly, and Kelsey all arrived last week, pitched tents and immediately pitched in on weeding, harvesting, and making us lunch. Holly and Kelsey are on a coast-to-coast road trip, visiting friends and farms, talking to folks about farmland, farm financing, farm business management, you name it. Genevieve took off to visit more friends and family before making her way back home to Chiapas, Mexico. Holly and Kelsey are still here for a few more days and still helping out greatly-- if you see them at CSA pickup or at garlic harvest, be sure to say hello.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Holly and Kelsey, superstar volunteers:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToU4cmiNV-TJAY9sC9V0M153wOd2Klu_HCJEJHoJHY2NiJ0s-zrCyB0iccd1bWMLRIT6SIpcMT3Mnsw0TLkjYKyoltNgFY_QkbyJV1KQ5DzyeEBcIOuCXcvmSwck2-6Z2GCHrnzJz96w/s1600/h+and+k.2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToU4cmiNV-TJAY9sC9V0M153wOd2Klu_HCJEJHoJHY2NiJ0s-zrCyB0iccd1bWMLRIT6SIpcMT3Mnsw0TLkjYKyoltNgFY_QkbyJV1KQ5DzyeEBcIOuCXcvmSwck2-6Z2GCHrnzJz96w/s1600/h+and+k.2014.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Recipe</h3>
<b>Kohlrabi Slaw-</b> serves 2, approx.<br />
<br />
2 med kohlrabi, peeled and grated OR cut into matchsticks (slightly nicer texture but slightly more involved)<br />
1-2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 generous handful cilantro OR parsley, chopped<br />
1 Tbsp mayo OR dijon mustard (or both-- your choice)<br />
Juice of one small lime (optimal) OR 1-2 Tbsp verjus or cider vinegar (also good but there's really nothing quite like lime juice. Sad that there's a world lime shortage)<br />
dash salt and pepper<br />
optional: handful chopped olives and/or brined capers, dash red pepper flakes if you like a little spice<br />
<br />
Mix everything together well, let marinate 15-20 min or longer in fridge. Serve chilled. This is especially delicious on tacos and grilled things!Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1830441003380853318.post-32062061448872172432014-07-14T06:53:00.000-07:002014-07-14T07:03:44.912-07:00Birch Point CSA News Week 5: Try New Things, Garlic and Cookbooks, Share the Benefit; Share the Risk<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In Your Share This Week</span><br />
<b>Kohlrabi</b>-- more crisp, bulbous stems! The most common feedback we get about kohlrabi is in two categories: a)what IS that thing? what do I DO with it? and b) Wow! I tried it; I loved it! Never have I had a kohlrabi newbie come back with a negative report-- it may be unknown to some people, but it's consistently love at first bite. However, I've decided from reading popular food/farm blogs and articles that kohlrabi really takes an unfair beating at the hands of certain writers (e.g. <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/confusing-scary-csa-vegetables-recipes">http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/confusing-scary-csa-vegetables-recipes</a> --a good article full of delicious-sounding recipes, but a bit kohlrabi-phobic if you ask me). What do YOU think of this spaceship-shaped vegetable?<br />
<br />
<b>Fresh Garlic!</b> The first, small bulbs out of the field. We'll be trickling in garlic over the next week or two, then we'll hold our big garlic harvest party; stay tuned for the date and time! Store fresh garlic in the fridge for best quality-- it's so juicy at this stage that it can be susceptible to mold at room temp. Also, USE the tops-- the stems and leaves are GREAT in soups/stocks. After you remove the bulb to use, plan to make soup, and just stick the whole stalk in your soup pot til it cooks completely through, then remove to the compost pile. The flavor will then be in your soup. While the bulb wrappers are still fresh and juicy (rather than papery, as later-season, cured garlic will be), you can use them in soup stock the same as the stalks, just for flavor. If you can't figure out what to do with fresh garlic, make a stir-fry out of greens, chop several cloves finely, add to greens, toss with lemon juice and/or vinegar, enjoy. And/or get your hands on a copy of Asparagus to Zucchini (see Announcements, below).<br />
<br />
<b>Swiss chard OR Kale</b>- your choice of two mainstays. If you ever are at a loss for how to use kale or chard, I've got two words for you: 1. eggs 2. massage. <i>Eggs</i> for omelets, scrambles, frittatas, or even egg salad w/chopped greens. <i>Massage </i>coarsely chopped leafy greens by hand in a bowl, with some coarse salt, until they appear cooked-- basically this breaks the cell walls, like the heat of cooking does, without destroying enzymes or nutrients in the leaves (the argument against cooking posed by raw-foodies everywhere). Enjoy well-massaged greens with an acidic condiment of your choice, like lemon juice, vinegar, or tomatoes (soon to be in season!), to make the calcium and iron in greens even easier for your body to absorb.<br />
<br />
<b>Lettuces</b>- all kinds! The late, wet spring meant head lettuces (like butterhead, romaine, and leaf lettuces) got off to a GREAT start and are still going strong (now that the heat wave has passed). We also have a ton of baby leaf salad greens in the field, but those hold a little better in the field than "big" lettuce. And when everything is ready to to harvest at once, we have to triage who goes and who stays in the ground another week. So we're sharing the bounty of big lettuce with you right now; expect to see a return to baby salad mix soon! This week you may see <i>les Oreilles du Diable</i> ("devil's ears"), green leaf, red leaf, butterhead, or romaine in your share. It's still salad season (see "Field Notes" below), though we're verging on grilling season, so I hope you're enjoying lots of big, crisp lettuce salads, as well as lettuce on sandwiches, in spring rolls, as lettuce wraps, etc. There's really not much you can't do with lettuce. Romaine tends to store better than more delicate-leaved varieties, so if you need to prioritize, use the romaine last.<br />
<br />
<b>Herbs</b>- your choice of cilantro OR parsley<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Grab bag surprise</b>-- You may also get one or more of the following (different by pickup day): Bok Choi, Broccoli, Scallions, the first baby zucchini or summer squash, the first hot peppers, or surprise veggie. These things are just starting to come on in small quantities (zukes and peppers) or just finishing their last wave for spring (choi and broccoli), so we still wanted members to have them even though everyone's share will be slightly different as a result!<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Announcements</span><br />
1. <i>Asparagus to Zucchini </i>cookbooks will be available next week. It's a cookbook generated by and for CSA members and farmers' market shoppers, organized by vegetable instead of type of dish. Each section has nutrition and storage info for each veggie, as well as several simple recipes. It makes a great gift for anyone just getting into local, seasonal eating, as well as serving as a survival guide for some new CSA members! $15 per book. We're ordering a case of 20 unless we hear otherwise. Email birchpointcsa@gmail.com ASAP to reserve a copy. Pay when you pick up your books.<br />
<br />
2. <i>Heart of Summer shares</i> start NEXT WEEK. For Saturday folks that's the 19th. Monday the 21st, Tues the 22nd, or Wed the 23rd. Heart of Summer shares run six weeks, and pickup time/location is exactly the same as full-season shares. More Heart of Summer shares ARE still available if you know folks who'd like to join-- please share the invitation!<br />
<br />
3. <i>Garlic Harvest Party</i> is coming up soon! We'll gauge the timing based on weather and maturity of garlic, but it will be in the next two weeks. Keep your eyes peeled for date and time--it's a great work party followed by our first CSA potluck of the season.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Field Notes</span><br />
It's DRY here. Despite several small rain events, the cumulative rainfall has dropped ... er... precipitously below that of the beginning of the season. This week's challenge is getting irrigation to sections of the fields that previously had none. We're setting up new drip systems, running sprinklers constantly, getting mulch hay and straw delivered, and looking forward to Tuesday's predicted storm (fingers crossed!). The dry soils have slowed production in some areas, threatened survival in others, and caused farmers to shake fists at skies and sing our friend <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6_cJ3X460s" target="_blank">Chris Dorman's "Wandering Wanda"</a> song to the skies.<br />
We've had several visits from old friends recently, and anticipate even more in the next week! Farm season is of course also vacation season. Since you live here, you're probably familiar with the phenomenon of friends and relatives on vacation who come to visit and want YOU to be on vacation as well. We work all summer, but feel extremely fortunate to have a lifestyle that allows for visitors, flexibility, and even fun rolled into the work day-- it's incredibly gratifying to be able to catch up with visitors over farm lunch, weeding carrots together, or other tasks that are part of our day but still enjoyable to visitors, allowing us to be productive and still reconnect with dear friends. Often we just need to crank through a day's work, but when it is possible to relax, weed, plant, or water and chat at the same time, we're thankful.<br />
Crops looking great: beets, kale, beans, onions, summer squash, peppers, potatoes, leeks, tomatoes, eggplants, rutabagas, turnips, lettuces lettuces lettuces, parsnips, celeriac, basil, dill, and more. Crops in need of love: carrots need some serious moisture beyond irrigation, and more weeding. I think our first carrots will be even later than the late spring was already going to make them-- but we will have lots when they're finally mature! Cabbage needs irrigation and fertility. Early cabbages were planted in the back field, with the least organic matter (OM) of any soil on the farm (there's lots of variability from garden to garden here). They got fertilized, but the low OM combined with low rainfall makes for some slow growth-- my hope is a good infusion of fish emulsion combined with tomorrow's rainfall will push them over their hesitation, and we'll have gorgeous cabbage soon. Following cabbage: a heavy application of compost before replanting those areas to crops or cover crops. Crop failures: no new bad news to report! hooray. We'll see how the season progresses ;) <br />
This is what the "share the benefits; share the risk" mantra of CSA is about-- we grow a diversity of good food, and you can be assured of getting a good quantity of a good mix of fresh, delicious items. Every year is different, so we never know exactly which crop are going to be amazing and which will be lacking. So you agree to take on part of the risk of not knowing, and also end up benefitting from those that do well. We're benefitting from lettuce right now, taking a hit on peas. We'll benefit from hoophouse tomatoes (soon!!!) and hope that the predicted cool temps don't set back our field-grown tomatoes and other heat-loving crops too much. You and we took a risk by growing at two different locations this year (here at Birch Point and also at Brenin's family land in Grawn, where he's been farming the past four seasons), and we're benefitting from the heavy clay soil down there-- it retains moisture much better than the sandier soils here, meaning less rainfall is less of a problem down in Grawn, which is good since we're there only once a week. The list goes on-- whenever you're curious about how your food is grown, please ask when we see you at CSA pickup. Thank you so much for sharing this farming season with us, financially, socially, and culinarily!<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Recipes</span><br />
<b>Michelle's All Time Favorite Greens (Kale, Chard, Collards, Beet Greens, etc- use what you've got)</b><br />
1 bunch hearty greens of your choice<br />
1 onion or several scallions<br />
a few cloves garlic or more if you're a garlic fanatic, or a handful of scapes if you have them<br />
a generous handful or two of chopped, toasted nuts (I like walnuts, but pecans, pine nuts, or sunflower seeds are also good)<br />
a generous handful or two of dried (or fresh) cherries, raisins, or currants (or OLIVES to take it in a different direction!)<br />
olive oil<br />
balsamic vinegar OR lemon juice<br />
salt and pepper<br />
<br />
Chop and saute, in olive oil over medium heat, onions with leafy green STEMS- having separated the stems from leaves, cook them first so they have a chance to tenderize equally with the quicker-cooking leaves. Add chopped or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRLNS62ITqo" target="_blank">chiffonaded</a> greens, garlic, and cherries, saute til tender but still bright green and vibrant. Remove from heat. Toss in toasted nuts and vinegar/lemon, salt and pepper, serve with rice, pasta, other grains, anything you like! You can use this formula for any leafy greens:<br />
<br />
Leafy greens<br />
+ allium (onion/garlic family representative)<br />
+ acid (e.g. lemon or vinegar)<br />
+ fat (e.g. oil)<br />
+ extra yummy bits (e.g. cherries, nuts, olives, use your imagination)<br />
=<br />
Dinner, or at least a good part of it!Birch Point Farmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01192970593833885120noreply@blogger.com0