9/08/2009
CSA Newsletter
September 9th, 2009
I think the true gardener is a lover of his flowers, not a critic of them. I think the true gardener is the reverent servant of Nature, not her truculent, wife-beating master. I think the true gardener, the older he grows, should more and more develop a humble, grateful and uncertain spirit. ~Reginald Farrer, In a Yorkshire Garden, 1909
The Harvest
¾# salad mix
½# spinach or stir fry
¼# arugula
2 oz basil
1 bunch beets
1 bunch carrots
1 bunch leeks
1.5# potatoes (All Red and German Butterball)
Garlic (Georgian Crystal)
Summer Squash (Early Yellow Crookneck, Flying Saucer Patty Pan, Zyphyr or
Cashflow)
Jalapeno
Not everyone will get the following:
Sweet Bell Pepper
Heirloom Tomatoes (check the board)
U-Pick (check the board)
Eggplant
Cucumber
Nutritional Tip
The humble potato is the 4th largest food crop grown in the world. Genetic testing has indicated that all varieties come from a single origin in Southern Peru. Thousands of varieties persist throughout the Andes, although China is now the world’s largest potato producing country.
The nutrients in potatoes are pretty evenly spread between the skin and the flesh (so for maximum effect eat with the skins on). Almost all of the protein in a potato is contained in a thin layer just under the skin (so again, for maximum effect eat with the skins on). A medium size potato with skin on will give you a good percentage of your daily allowance of vitamin C, potassium and B6, and contains trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, and zinc.
The News
You’ve probably noticed that we are putting in a new field at Copper Moose. Another acre of beds should be ready to go for next summer. It’s a decent process getting a new field up and ready. Obviously the fence and irrigation are a big deal (thanks Craig, Tor, Jason, Lorin, Rob, and GW), but getting the soil ready to go is also a process. Lots of time in the tractor is an integral part, but spraying compost tea and biodynamic preps onto the land is also a big part. One more watering and then one more tilling of the first part of that field, and it will be ready to go into cover crop until next spring. I’ll let the roots of the cover crop do a lot of the work loosening up the subsoil in those beds, and then will incorporate those cover crops into the soil to help increase organic matter. Generally our soil is very good, but a bit low on organic matter. The main reason it’s low on organic matter is because this land has been hayed for decades. Bailing the grass and taking it off the land obviously does not leave much organic matter for the soil. Cover crops and compost are two great ways to increase organic matter. When you add the use of compost tea and biodynamic preps (which both add the microbial population to the soil needed to break down the organic matter), and you’ve got a recipe for repair!
The Recipe
Gratin of Potato and Summer Squash with Herbes be Provence
(taken from the Gardener’s Community Cookbook)
¼ cup olive oil 1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled 2 tsp Herbes de Provence
¾# summer squash 1 tsp salt
sliced 1/8” thick ¼ tsp black pepper
1# red potatoes, scrubbed ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
and sliced 1/8” thick
Herbes de Provence – equal amounts of dried rosemary, thyme, sage, summer savory and bay mixed with a little less of lavender flowers and fennel seed.
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 12X9 inch baking dish.
Combine the oil and garlic in a small pot and simmer together for 2 minutes. Set aside for 15 minutes for the garlic to infuse the oil. Remove and discard the garlic.
In the baking dish, make 2 layers of the squash, potatoes, and onion, sprinkling each layer with the herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Top with the cheese and drizzle the oil over.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender. Let stand for 10 minutes, then serve right away or at room temperature.
That’s all for this week – see you tomorrow between 8-6.
Daisy
September 9th, 2009
I think the true gardener is a lover of his flowers, not a critic of them. I think the true gardener is the reverent servant of Nature, not her truculent, wife-beating master. I think the true gardener, the older he grows, should more and more develop a humble, grateful and uncertain spirit. ~Reginald Farrer, In a Yorkshire Garden, 1909
The Harvest
¾# salad mix
½# spinach or stir fry
¼# arugula
2 oz basil
1 bunch beets
1 bunch carrots
1 bunch leeks
1.5# potatoes (All Red and German Butterball)
Garlic (Georgian Crystal)
Summer Squash (Early Yellow Crookneck, Flying Saucer Patty Pan, Zyphyr or
Cashflow)
Jalapeno
Not everyone will get the following:
Sweet Bell Pepper
Heirloom Tomatoes (check the board)
U-Pick (check the board)
Eggplant
Cucumber
Nutritional Tip
The humble potato is the 4th largest food crop grown in the world. Genetic testing has indicated that all varieties come from a single origin in Southern Peru. Thousands of varieties persist throughout the Andes, although China is now the world’s largest potato producing country.
The nutrients in potatoes are pretty evenly spread between the skin and the flesh (so for maximum effect eat with the skins on). Almost all of the protein in a potato is contained in a thin layer just under the skin (so again, for maximum effect eat with the skins on). A medium size potato with skin on will give you a good percentage of your daily allowance of vitamin C, potassium and B6, and contains trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, and zinc.
The News
You’ve probably noticed that we are putting in a new field at Copper Moose. Another acre of beds should be ready to go for next summer. It’s a decent process getting a new field up and ready. Obviously the fence and irrigation are a big deal (thanks Craig, Tor, Jason, Lorin, Rob, and GW), but getting the soil ready to go is also a process. Lots of time in the tractor is an integral part, but spraying compost tea and biodynamic preps onto the land is also a big part. One more watering and then one more tilling of the first part of that field, and it will be ready to go into cover crop until next spring. I’ll let the roots of the cover crop do a lot of the work loosening up the subsoil in those beds, and then will incorporate those cover crops into the soil to help increase organic matter. Generally our soil is very good, but a bit low on organic matter. The main reason it’s low on organic matter is because this land has been hayed for decades. Bailing the grass and taking it off the land obviously does not leave much organic matter for the soil. Cover crops and compost are two great ways to increase organic matter. When you add the use of compost tea and biodynamic preps (which both add the microbial population to the soil needed to break down the organic matter), and you’ve got a recipe for repair!
The Recipe
Gratin of Potato and Summer Squash with Herbes be Provence
(taken from the Gardener’s Community Cookbook)
¼ cup olive oil 1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled 2 tsp Herbes de Provence
¾# summer squash 1 tsp salt
sliced 1/8” thick ¼ tsp black pepper
1# red potatoes, scrubbed ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
and sliced 1/8” thick
Herbes de Provence – equal amounts of dried rosemary, thyme, sage, summer savory and bay mixed with a little less of lavender flowers and fennel seed.
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 12X9 inch baking dish.
Combine the oil and garlic in a small pot and simmer together for 2 minutes. Set aside for 15 minutes for the garlic to infuse the oil. Remove and discard the garlic.
In the baking dish, make 2 layers of the squash, potatoes, and onion, sprinkling each layer with the herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Top with the cheese and drizzle the oil over.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender. Let stand for 10 minutes, then serve right away or at room temperature.
That’s all for this week – see you tomorrow between 8-6.
Daisy
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