…using organic techniques does not mean simply substituting organic inputs for a conventional one. The most basic organic technique is to observe your farm: what are the complex interrelationships among crops, soils, and wildlife. As organic farmers we take this circle wider – we observe the relationships between our farms and the surrounding community, between our region and the rest of the earth….Organic agriculture is not just a method of production – it is an attitude and an approach towards the world. Organic farming has developed in the country without the benefit of university support, government subsidies, or corporate influence… Elizabeth Henderson touching on the direction organic has gone since government involvement starting in 1990.
What a week it’s been! Cold nighttime temps, the Slow Food fundraiser, the ducks started laying eggs, the dahlia’s started blooming and the tomatoes are petering out! It feels like the harvest is a little slim this week…we are kind of in a lull right now, pre potatoes and storage onions, no cabbage or leeks this week (we’ll start with those again next week), and the greenhouse crops are slowing down. We are in the transition into fall-ish crops (hard to believe). That means that the spinach will show up again in a few weeks, and hopefully some pac choi again also, and then the already mentioned leeks, cabbage, potatoes, and garlic. The tomatoes, cucs, peppers, and eggplant will start dwindling down to nothing, but we’ll keep on keepin’ on with carrots, beets, and greens.
The Harvest 1# salad greens 1 bunch carrots 1 bunch herbs ¼# arugula Hot peppers Squash Not everyone will get the following: ¼# basil (still working on getting everyone ¼# for pesto making) eggplant cucumber heirloom tomatoes 1 bunch beets Sweet peppers U-pick Beans or cherry tomatoes – ask us where and how. I If you harvested last week, please let others harvest this week.
Mustard Greens – There will be ½# bags of mustard greens in the cooler in a bin as well – take a bag if you would like one. Patty Pan Squash – We are growing 2 varieties of Patty Pan this year: Golden Scaloppini and Flying Saucer. The Golden Scaloppini is a golden color, while the Flying Saucer is golden yellow with a dark green kiss around the stem and the blossom end. I haven’t tasted the Scaloppini yet this year, but the Flying Saucer is very sweet, crunchy and juicy – I like it! I even really like it raw, which is unusual for squash and me. The Patty Pan squash originates in North and Central America, as will all squash, and is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family along with cucumbers. The French name patisson comes from the Provencal word for a cake made in a scalloped mould. The French have also nicknamed it Israel artichoke and Priest’s bonnet. Patty Pans are 90% water, and yet still a good source of vitamin A, magnesium, copper and iron. Patty Pan squash should be kept in a cool place with no plastic wrapper, and eaten as soon as possible. I can’t help mentioning the spelling – some spell it Pattypan, and some Patty Pan……. Tomatoes – The tomatoes peaked about 3 weeks ago. At our peak we were getting around 44# twice a week. Then we started dropping to 20 something #’s twice a week, then it went straight from a 22# harvest last Wednesday to a 10# harvest on Saturday…….we’ll see what we get this Wednesday. Anyway, that is the story with most heirloom tomatoes – they have a defined peak, and then they drop off. We will continue to send out tomatoes for a few more weeks, but not nearly at the rate we were. The Green Zebras still have quite a bit of fruit on the vine.
The News Two varieties of garlic (Metechi Red Strip and Georgian Crystal) are out of the ground and hanging to cure in and around the flower shed – be sure to check it out. It is a beautiful sign of late summer harvest for me. I love jobs like harvesting garlic, jobs that happen every year about the same time. They make me remember each year that has passed and what I was doing and feeling at this time each year. Last year’s harvest – reveling in the first garlic harvest at Copper Moose Farm. Three harvests ago – just breaking ground on our home. Six harvests ago – marveling at my first garlic harvest ever - at Ranui Gardens. I’m starting to seriously think about the CSA potluck on September 6th. Mark it on your calendars. Next week I am going to put a sign-up sheet on the cooler door so people can mark down A: if they are coming, and B: what they would like to bring. I would like to harvest anything I can for you for your potluck item. We (the farmies) will be in charge of the pulled pork and beverages.
Becca’s Nutritional Tip Lycopene is a phytonutrient found in tomatoes, watermelon, and red peppers. Current studies show that lycopene has strong anticancer properties. It is also great for the skin, helping to protect against the sun’s harmful rays. Lycopene becomes more bioavailable when cooked and eaten with a bit of fat or oil. So make sure to sprinkle olive oil over a tomato salad or smother your cheese pizza with fresh tomato sauce and olive oil.
The Recipe This one is from the Internet – forgive the awkward copying. StuffedPattyPan Prepare like stuffed peppers. If you decide to stuff the pattypans, cut off the lids; hollow out the inside with a spoon; heat some butter and oil in a skillet until foamy, add onion and cook gently until translucent; add meat and spices; cook for 3 minutes longer; blend in some bread crumbs; stuff the pattypans and place them in a baking dish into which you’ve poured 1/2” of water. Bake for 20 minutes at 350° F, covered with aluminum foil. They can be served on their own, or with a tomato or white sauce, depending on the ingredients of the stuffing. At the end of the cooking time, you can remove the lids and gratiné the pattypans by laying a piece of brie cheese over the stuffing. Stuffing for a one-dish mealSquash flesh, mushrooms, chicken breast and shallots, diced and sautéed; add cream, mint, parsley, salt and pepper and bake for at least 30 minutes in a 350° F oven. OR Stuff with a knob of butter or a mixture of ground beef, tomatoes, sautéed onions, garlic and ginger.
Chocolate Beet Cake (From Quail Hill Farm Cookbook – adapted from www.cakerecipe.com) Grease one 9”X 13” pan. Preheat oven to 360. Sprinkle 2 tsp lemon juice over 1 cup of beets, which have been boiled, peeled and grated. Set aside. Combine 2.5 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking soda, 2 cups sugar, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa, 1.25 cup melted butter, 4 eggs beaten, 2 tbsp honey, .5 cup milk and 2 tsp vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Stir in beets. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Pour into greased pan. Bake at 350 about 40 minutes. Cool and frost. Frosting – combine 3 tbsp cream and 2 oz cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla and a pinch of salt. Add 1# confectioners’ sugar, beat until fluffy. Spread on cake and add nuts if desired.
Arugula Dip (One of our CSA members found this one) Arugula Dip In Blender combine: 3 garlic cloves ¼ cup Olive Oil 2 handfuls of arugula 1 Tbsp rice vinegar 3 Tbsp organic cream cheese Salt and pepper to taste I cut up other veggies and use this as a dip—delicis! Thanks Betsy! That’s all for this week, hope you are having a nice one. Daisy
By the time one is eighty, it is said, there is no longer a tug of war in the garden with the May flowers hauling like mad against the claims of the other months. All is at last in balance and all is serene. The gardener is usually dead, of course. ~Henry Mitchell, The Essential Earthman, 1981
Brrrr, it was cold here this morning. In fact, it frosted a bit! Caught me off guard, that’s for sure, but, all is well, and it’s supposed to warm up again, which is a relief.
The Harvest 1# salad mix ¼# arugula ½# stir fry mix 1 bunch carrots 1 bunch leeks Hot peppers (Fish (red) and Jalapeno (green)) 1 bunch herbs (dill, cilantro, chives or mint) Not everyone will get the following: ¼# basil (a good amount to make pesto with) 1 bunch turnips Sweet pepper (Sweet Cal Wonder Bell) Summer Squash (cash flow, flying saucer, and zephyr) 1 bunch beets (Chioggia (red striped inside), Golden Detroit (gold), Detroit Dark Red (purple)) 1.5# Heirloom tomatoes Cucumber 1 oz edible flowers Eggplant (Snowy) Cabbage (Farao) 2 oz shiso
U-Pick – Purple beans or Sungold cherry tomatoes while they last. Ask us where and how. Leeks - These are Lincoln Leeks. They are an early, slender leek – perhaps not the big fat guys you are used to. Enjoy. Shiso – I talked about this one a few weeks ago – but it’s very new to many people, so I’m going to touch on it again. If you didn’t get basil this week, but you got some other leafy herb, then it’s Shiso. Shiso is a member of the mint family. We are growing 3 different varieties this year: English (one side of the leaf is purple and one side is green), Green (light green leaves), and Purple (you got it – purple leaves). The different varieties have VERY distinct and powerful flavors. I am really enjoying this herb because of the big fun leaves, and the incredible flavors! I hope you enjoy experimenting with it. Keep me posted if you come up with some good recipes.
The News It was great to see some of you last Wednesday at the Tomato Tasting. Thanks for coming! For the rest of you – I hope you can make it next year, it was good fun. And…………….the results are…………………………. **A dead tie between Sungold Cherry Tomatoes and Green Zebra Tomatoes as the CSA favorites** Looking at the board to see which tomatoes people liked and didn’t like has helped me decide which varieties to grow next year. I will probably not be growing Brandywines next year, as they didn’t get many stars for flavor from you all, and I don’t like how the plant performs here. My experience with them is that they are very susceptible to all tomato fungal, viral, and pest problems. Now, Green Zebra on the other hand……the flavor is great, the plant is a prolific producer, and it has been one of the more disease resistant varieties all season. It’s a keeper! Sungold Cherry Tomatoes – of course we’ll grow those again! Striped German – I’ve liked this one. Produced early, big beautiful fruit, and I think a darn good flavor (even though it did not stand out in the ratings last Wednesday). Cherokee Purple – An old favorite. Going to grow this one again also; I like the plant, it produces early, nice mellow flavor, nice color, and it rated along with the Striped German with you guys. Yellow Pear – this tomato got some very purposeful stars from a few people…..but I’ve gotta say that it has not impressed me. I am going to keep searching for a more flavorful pear tomato.
Becca’s Nutritional Tip Phytonutrients are compounds found in vegetables and fruits that interact in a synergistic manner to help boost immunity and overall health, as well as create the colors of each plant. Scientist are finding that phytonutrients help to guard against and cleanse away carcinogens, support heart health, enhance the immune system, and support healthy, graceful aging. So every bite of leafy greens, arugula, beets, turnips, and herbs are working to support your overall health and wellbeing. A quick trick to make sure each meal is full of phytonutrients - the more colorful each dish is, the more phytonutrients you and your family are ingesting.
The Recipe These both come from the Quail Hill Farm Cookbook: Spicy Coleslaw (they actually got this one from the Chez Panisse Vegetable Cookbook) Great with anything BBQ’d or fried.
For every 4 cups of sliced cabbage (cored, quartered and sliced into 1/8” strips), add 1 diced small red onion, 1 thinly sliced jalapeno pepper (with seeds and veins removed), juice of 1 lime, 1 tbsp white balsamic or wine vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, the leaves from a good –sized bunch of cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss it all together and let macerate for 1 hour. Serve at room temperature. Serves 3-4.
Carrot Cake Beat 4 eggs. Add 2 cups sugar and 1 ½ cups safflower or canola oil and beat well. Sift and mix 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt and 2 tsp cinnamon. Fold in 3 cups of grated carrots. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes in a greased 10”X13” pan. Top with cream cheese icing: mix together ½ stick sweet butter, 4 oz cream cheese, 1 cup confectioner’s sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Spread over cake.
Daisy and Alayne’s Summer Concert Series Barley Wraps 2 cups cooked barley (follow cooking instructions for the barley you get – there are different kinds (pearled, hulled). ½ cup roasted beets (quarter beets, toss with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper, sage, and thyme. Roast at 350 for about 25 minutes). Dice the roasted beets after they have cooled. Diced cucumber Diced heirloom tomatoes Diced sweet bell pepper Diced Parsley Diced Thyme Grated carrot Juice from 1 slice of lime Salt and pepper to taste Goat cheese
Toss it all together and bring it to the concert along with basil or shiso leaves to make little bit sized wraps out of. It’s very refreshing!
Please bring back jars if you have them.
That’s all for this week, hope you had a great weekend. See you tomorrow - Daisy
Government involvement in agriculture should be limited to upholding human rights and protecting the environment and should not include regulating production methods or providing subsidies. Kimberton Hills Biodynamic Agricultural Planting Guide and Calendar
There is a lot of really interesting and potentially scary things going on with government regulation of food and food production right now. Raw milk is a big one, the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) and greens production are others. I’m guessing that many people have been made wary by all the outbreaks in the last few years – which people should be. The “solutions” being put forth create huge problems of their own, and do not address the root causes of these outbreaks. Greens growers in California and other States have been asked to cut down their hedgerows to eliminate wildlife and insects near their production fields. Hedgerows have been used for years by ecologically minded farmers, they encourage a healthy diversity. (Boy, in the “old days” that would have been considered a redundancy – ecologically minded farmers. Being a farmer meant you were a steward of the land. How the tables have turned.). Getting rid of good ecological practices is not going to do anyone any good. Raw Milk – I question why the government is regulating raw milk as if it were a dangerous substance. I can walk into Wal-Mart or Home Depot, or my neighborhood grocery store and buy a very dangerous pesticide with proven carcinogens in the ingredient list, but I can’t go into my neighborhood grocery store and buy a gallon of raw milk. People get very passionate when it comes to the debate of raw milk, so I guess I’m going to skirt it a little. The thing I won’t shy away from saying is that I strongly believe that I should have the CHOICE to buy raw milk, from whomever I decide. The government currently does not give me or you that choice. There are very few dairies that you can buy raw milk from in Utah, and Legislation has made that so. More and more small dairy farmers go out of business every year because of un-necessary regulations and destructive legislation. There is a wonderful organization out there called The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. I strongly encourage you all to check out their website and become educated on many of these issues – they do or will affect you (www.ftcldf.org). You can also help support their cause on their website. They are doing very important work defending small farms and farmers whom the government has come down on, often illegally, and tried to shut down. They are working to protect all of our freedom of choice as consumers and lovers of food. I read an interview with one of their lawyers and thought I would pass along some snippets. Gary Cox: “The way I’m looking at it, it really comes down to private activity versus public activity. At what point does the jurisdiction and the authority of the government stop? As a former public servant who represented the State of Ohio in environmental cases, I can certainly understand where there is a need for state government and state agencies to regulate and protect the public. But if a group of private citizens wants to regulate themselves or subject themselves to their own standards of conduct, then I don’t think the government has a place in that area. Whether it is livestock processing or whether it is growing and producing vegetables or whether it is pet food products or it’s grain – if there is a group of people that want to hire somebody to perform a service for that group, then that type of conduct should not be regulated, especially when it comes to food. If I want to choose what type of food I want to put into my body, I should have that choice, and the government shouldn’t mandate what I eat, whether or not it is healthy or unhealthy or dangerous or whatnot. The government eventually has to realize they can’t regulate all areas of a private person’s life. People have a fundamental, indeed a God-given right to produce and consume the food of their choice. I really see a need for the Fund to represent farmers in all facets of farming. What we choose to eat is such a uniquely private decision for each individual that I think we’re really going to have to keep the government out of it.”
The Harvest 1# Salad mix ½# Stir Fry mix ¼# arugula 2 oz basil (lettuce leaf, Red Rubin, Lemon) 1 bunch carrots (mostly Napoli, but some Yellowstone also) 1 bunch beets (a mix of Chioggia, Detroit Dark Red, and Golden Detroit) 1 bunch onions (Mini Red Purplette) Sweet pepper (Purple Beauty or Sweet Cal Wonder Bell) 1 bunch herbs (cilantro, dill, tarragon, sage, or mint) Not everyone will get the following: 1.5# heirloom tomatoes Hot Peppers (Fish – red ones, or Jalapeno – green ones) Broccoli Eggplant (either Snowy or Galine) Cucumber 1 oz Edible Flowers U-Pick – Oregon Sugar Pod Peas (ask us where they are)
U-PICK – we are getting into U-Pick season, yeah! What is u-pick? U-pick is certain crops we are growing for you all to harvest. Right now all we have is peas, but soon we will have cherry tomatoes and beans also. Here is how it will work – there will be small plastic baggies on the outside table, you grab one, and head out to harvest whatever the U-pick item of the day is. If you get there and there are no peas (or beans or tomatoes) of the right size to harvest, then please DO NOT HARVEST THEM. Leave them for next week when they will be ready. Not everyone is going to be able to U-Pick each week – there just won’t be enough. I feel like I have enough lists going, and do enough regulating around here – so it’s up to you guys to share the harvest with your fellow CSA members. I think that if you harvest U-Pick items every other week or so, that will leave enough for everyone. I will let you guys know if you are not keeping up with the U-Pick and need to ramp it up. I hope you enjoy U-Pick!
Basil – if you are having trouble keeping your basil, try leaving it on the counter – not in the fridge. Again, leave the bag open, and make sure nothing is smashing it.
The News Just want to remind you all that next Wednesday (August 6th) is going to be the Tomato Tasting here at the farm, 5:30- 6:30. Come enjoy some tastings of all the tomato varieties, rate the tomatoes, get to know your fellow CSA members… etc. BYOB and anything else you might want. Look forward to seeing you then! How do you all like the salad mix? There are a couple spicy greens in there, and I’m just wondering how you all feel about that? It’s nothing new, it’s the same mix we had last year, just thought I’d check in to see how you all like it. Let me know tomorrow, or shoot me an email. Thanks.
The Recipe Here is another from our new favorite cookbook – yup you got it “Quail Hill Farm Cookbook”.
Mixed Greens with Salad and Fresh Goat Cheese Rinse and dry about 1# of assorted bitter greens (that would be our stir fry mix). In a large bowl, layer greens alternately with ¼# fresh goat cheese cut into ½” cubes. Sprinkle to taste with ½ to 1/3 cup diced red onions (that could be the mini-red-Purplette onion). In a small, non-reactive saucepan, heat 2 tbsp walnut oil and add 3-4 tbsp coarsely chopped walnuts, toasting them lightly. Add 2 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar and 1 tsp maple syrup. Bring to a boil and pour, stirring over salad. Toss lightly and serve immediately with a good crusty bread.
Beet Greens with Pine Nuts and Currants Put on a very big pot of water to boil. Add more water than you think you should and then throw in about 2 tbsp kosher salt. Stem and roughly chop about 1# beet greens. When the water is at a rolling boil, throw in the beet greens and cook well. Put about 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and chop up 2-3 shallots (or the mini-red- Purplette onions) or 1 medium onion. Cook until soft. Drain off the water and put the greens in a salad spinner. Spin a few times and then take out the blob of greens and wring them out. Chop them again. Add the shallots and onions along with a handful or two of tasted pine nits and currants.
Curried Carrot Soup In a pan, cover with water 8 carrots peeled and cut into chunks, 1 onion cut into chunks and 1 clove garlic, minced. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Puree in a blender and then return to pot. Add 1 tbsp of curry powder, salt and then stir in chopped cilantro.
The last week of July…..wow. Hope you are having a great one. Daisy
Government involvement in agriculture should be limited to upholding human rights and protecting the environment and should not include regulating production methods or providing subsidies. Kimberton Hills Biodynamic Agricultural Planting Guide and Calendar
There is a lot of really interesting and potentially scary things going on with government regulation of food and food production right now. Raw milk is a big one, the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) and greens production are others. I’m guessing that many people have been made wary by all the outbreaks in the last few years – which people should be. The “solutions” being put forth create huge problems of their own, and do not address the root causes of these outbreaks. Greens growers in California and other States have been asked to cut down their hedgerows to eliminate wildlife and insects near their production fields. Hedgerows have been used for years by ecologically minded farmers, they encourage a healthy diversity. (Boy, in the “old days” that would have been considered a redundancy – ecologically minded farmers. Being a farmer meant you were a steward of the land. How the tables have turned.). Getting rid of good ecological practices is not going to do anyone any good. Raw Milk – I question why the government is regulating raw milk as if it were a dangerous substance. I can walk into Wal-Mart or Home Depot, or my neighborhood grocery store and buy a very dangerous pesticide with proven carcinogens in the ingredient list, but I can’t go into my neighborhood grocery store and buy a gallon of raw milk. People get very passionate when it comes to the debate of raw milk, so I guess I’m going to skirt it a little. The thing I won’t shy away from saying is that I strongly believe that I should have the CHOICE to buy raw milk, from whomever I decide. The government currently does not give me or you that choice. There are very few dairies that you can buy raw milk from in Utah, and Legislation has made that so. More and more small dairy farmers go out of business every year because of un-necessary regulations and destructive legislation. There is a wonderful organization out there called The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. I strongly encourage you all to check out their website and become educated on many of these issues – they do or will affect you (www.ftcldf.org). You can also help support their cause on their website. They are doing very important work defending small farms and farmers whom the government has come down on, often illegally, and tried to shut down. They are working to protect all of our freedom of choice as consumers and lovers of food. I read an interview with one of their lawyers and thought I would pass along some snippets. Gary Cox: “The way I’m looking at it, it really comes down to private activity versus public activity. At what point does the jurisdiction and the authority of the government stop? As a former public servant who represented the State of Ohio in environmental cases, I can certainly understand where there is a need for state government and state agencies to regulate and protect the public. But if a group of private citizens wants to regulate themselves or subject themselves to their own standards of conduct, then I don’t think the government has a place in that area. Whether it is livestock processing or whether it is growing and producing vegetables or whether it is pet food products or it’s grain – if there is a group of people that want to hire somebody to perform a service for that group, then that type of conduct should not be regulated, especially when it comes to food. If I want to choose what type of food I want to put into my body, I should have that choice, and the government shouldn’t mandate what I eat, whether or not it is healthy or unhealthy or dangerous or whatnot. The government eventually has to realize they can’t regulate all areas of a private person’s life. People have a fundamental, indeed a God-given right to produce and consume the food of their choice. I really see a need for the Fund to represent farmers in all facets of farming. What we choose to eat is such a uniquely private decision for each individual that I think we’re really going to have to keep the government out of it.”
The Harvest 1# Salad mix ½# Stir Fry mix ¼# arugula 2 oz basil (lettuce leaf, Red Rubin, Lemon) 1 bunch carrots (mostly Napoli, but some Yellowstone also) 1 bunch beets (a mix of Chioggia, Detroit Dark Red, and Golden Detroit) 1 bunch onions (Mini Red Purplette) Sweet pepper (Purple Beauty or Sweet Cal Wonder Bell) 1 bunch herbs (cilantro, dill, tarragon, sage, or mint) Not everyone will get the following: 1.5# heirloom tomatoes Hot Peppers (Fish – red ones, or Jalapeno – green ones) Broccoli Eggplant (either Snowy or Galine) Cucumber 1 oz Edible Flowers U-Pick – Oregon Sugar Pod Peas (ask us where they are)
U-PICK – we are getting into U-Pick season, yeah! What is u-pick? U-pick is certain crops we are growing for you all to harvest. Right now all we have is peas, but soon we will have cherry tomatoes and beans also. Here is how it will work – there will be small plastic baggies on the outside table, you grab one, and head out to harvest whatever the U-pick item of the day is. If you get there and there are no peas (or beans or tomatoes) of the right size to harvest, then please DO NOT HARVEST THEM. Leave them for next week when they will be ready. Not everyone is going to be able to U-Pick each week – there just won’t be enough. I feel like I have enough lists going, and do enough regulating around here – so it’s up to you guys to share the harvest with your fellow CSA members. I think that if you harvest U-Pick items every other week or so, that will leave enough for everyone. I will let you guys know if you are not keeping up with the U-Pick and need to ramp it up. I hope you enjoy U-Pick!
Basil – if you are having trouble keeping your basil, try leaving it on the counter – not in the fridge. Again, leave the bag open, and make sure nothing is smashing it.
The News Just want to remind you all that next Wednesday (August 6th) is going to be the Tomato Tasting here at the farm, 5:30- 6:30. Come enjoy some tastings of all the tomato varieties, rate the tomatoes, get to know your fellow CSA members… etc. BYOB and anything else you might want. Look forward to seeing you then! How do you all like the salad mix? There are a couple spicy greens in there, and I’m just wondering how you all feel about that? It’s nothing new, it’s the same mix we had last year, just thought I’d check in to see how you all like it. Let me know tomorrow, or shoot me an email. Thanks.
The Recipe Here is another from our new favorite cookbook – yup you got it “Quail Hill Farm Cookbook”.
Mixed Greens with Salad and Fresh Goat Cheese Rinse and dry about 1# of assorted bitter greens (that would be our stir fry mix). In a large bowl, layer greens alternately with ¼# fresh goat cheese cut into ½” cubes. Sprinkle to taste with ½ to 1/3 cup diced red onions (that could be the mini-red-Purplette onion). In a small, non-reactive saucepan, heat 2 tbsp walnut oil and add 3-4 tbsp coarsely chopped walnuts, toasting them lightly. Add 2 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar and 1 tsp maple syrup. Bring to a boil and pour, stirring over salad. Toss lightly and serve immediately with a good crusty bread.
Beet Greens with Pine Nuts and Currants Put on a very big pot of water to boil. Add more water than you think you should and then throw in about 2 tbsp kosher salt. Stem and roughly chop about 1# beet greens. When the water is at a rolling boil, throw in the beet greens and cook well. Put about 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and chop up 2-3 shallots (or the mini-red- Purplette onions) or 1 medium onion. Cook until soft. Drain off the water and put the greens in a salad spinner. Spin a few times and then take out the blob of greens and wring them out. Chop them again. Add the shallots and onions along with a handful or two of tasted pine nits and currants.
Curried Carrot Soup In a pan, cover with water 8 carrots peeled and cut into chunks, 1 onion cut into chunks and 1 clove garlic, minced. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Puree in a blender and then return to pot. Add 1 tbsp of curry powder, salt and then stir in chopped cilantro.
The last week of July…..wow. Hope you are having a great one. Daisy
Microbes in a healthy acre of soil will weigh as much as an average sized cow.
Hands on Agronomyby Neil Kinsey and Charles Walters
Hello!Hope you all had a great week.We actually got some rain here at the farm, hope you got some at your house also.
The Harvest
1# salad greens
½# baby spinach
2.5 oz basil (Red Rubin, Lemon, Sweet, and/or Lettuce Leaf)
1 bag garlic scapes
1 bunch scallions (this is the last week of these…)
1 bunch turnips (you may wish this was the last week of these…)
1 bunch carrots (Napoli)
1 bunch herbs (lavender, dill or cilantro)
Sweet pepper (Sweet Cal Wonder Bell or Purple Beauty)
Not everyone will get the following:
1 bunch beets
¼# arugula
Edible Flowers
Broccoli
Eggplant
Cucumber
Heirloom Tomatoes
Shiso
Baby Spinach – gotta love the rain….but it splashes soil onto the baby spinach (spinach is a very low growing green, especially when harvested at the baby stage, so it gets muddier than the other greens).We washed it as usual, and even a little more thoroughly, but there still may be some grit on it.You may need to wash it again…depending on your grit tolerance level…
Napoli Carrots – I will let them speak for themselves..
Shiso – Technically named Perilla, is a member of the mint family.It is rich in Calcium and Iron and has anti-inflammatory properties.Perilla seeds form an essential part of the famous seven spices of Japan, which originated more than 300 years ago in Kyoto.Shiso can be used in soups, with Tofu dishes, wrapped around sushi or pieces of meat, shredded in salad, or just a leafy green on a sandwich.
It has an incredible flavor, and I hope you have fun playing around with it.Below you will find a recipe to help you out.
Heirloom Tomatoes – The varieties remain the same: Green Zebra (green with a little yellow streaking – THIS TOMATO IS RIPE!), Brandywine (rose colored), Cherokee Purple (dusky dark red), and Striped German (multi-colored red, yellow, orange).
The News
Things are going well around here.The veggies are growing really quickly right now – gotta love it.
There is a sign-up on the cooler door regarding the Park City Marathon.One of our members is the race organizer and she is hoping that we will have enough members sign up to run a Copper Moose Farm aid station.She is just looking for a 2 hour commitment on August 23rd.Check out the sheet for more info.
Tomato Tasting!!We’d like to invite ya’ll over for a tomato tasting, Wednesday August 6th from 5:30 to 6:30.It’s BYOB and anything else you might like to enjoy your tomato tastes with.Very informal, but thought it would be fun for us all to get together and explore the very different flavors of our heirloom tomato varieties.
The Recipe
These come from our new favorite cookbook, Quail Hill Farm Cookbook, sent home to us from John and Kristi from a farm on Long Island.
Scallion Appetizer
Clean and trim scallions.Dry and rill the scallions in beaten egg, then in corn meal or flour.Heat olive oil in a skillet or wok till close to sizzling.Drop scallions into oil.Add to oil finely chopped herbs such as parsley, thyme, sage, or dill.Season with salt and pepper.Lower heat to medium.Stir and cook for about 10 minutes.Drain and serve immediately.
Ginger Sesame Eggplant
Coat 1 medium eggplant with olive oil and roast at 400 degrees until soft.Allow to cool, then peel, chunk into ½” dice, and mix with any juices.Combine 1 glove of finely chopped or pureed garlic (or a garlic scape instead) and 1 tbsp peeled fresh ginger and 1 tbsp sesame oil.Saute together until translucent.Toss with the eggplant chunks and season with ¼ tsp hot sauve, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, ½ tsp sugar, soy sauce to taste and 2 tbsp chopped cilantro.Serve warm or cold – with chips as a dip, or a sauce for soba noodles.
This comes from Food and Wine network:
Lemon-Lavender Short Bread
ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon dried lavender blossoms, chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
directions
1.In a medium bowl, mix the sugar with the chopped lavender and grated lemon zest. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat in the butter at moderate speed. At low speed, beat in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms. Transfer the dough to a sheet of wax paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Form the dough into a 4-inch log and chill for at least 45 minutes longer.
2.Preheat the oven to 350°. Slice the shortbread dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and place the rounds on ungreased baking sheets. Freeze the rounds for 10 minutes.
3.Bake the shortbread for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Transfer the baked shortbread to a wire rack to cool completely.
MAKE AHEAD The cookie-dough log can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw slightly before slicing. The baked shortbread can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5
Shiso-jito(probably not the recipe you were expecting..)
ingredients
3 shiso or mint leaves, 2 torn into 4 pieces each
2 lime wedges
1 teaspoon chopped candied ginger
Ice
2 ounces citrus vodka
1 ounce chilled ginger ale
directions
1.In a cocktail shaker, muddle the torn shiso and lime wedges with the candied ginger. Add ice and the vodka. Shake well; strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Stir in the ginger ale and garnish with the shiso leaf.
That’s all I’ve got.Hope you enjoy this summer bounty.See you tomorrow.
The quality of our topsoil determines the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat.If the quality of the topsoil is allowed to degrade to any degree, the life it supports degrades to the same degree.
Malcolm Beck, Acres USA May 2008
Topsoil, topsoil, topsoil – that’s what it’s all about!The world’s food supply depends on about 7 inches of soil that covers the earth in some places.It is very valuable, delicate, and only slowly renewable.The most important element of topsoil is the microbes living in it.
When intensively farming land, which is what we are doing, you have to be very conscious of the soil’s health.Each of our 34 outdoor growing beds get’s a cover crop at least once a year.Cover crops help rebuild the soil in many ways.Some are used for their nitrogen fixing abilities, some are used for the massive amounts of organic matter they produce, and all of them enhance the microbial life in the soil.
When plants are growing they excrete excess sugars from their roots.Those plant exudes attract microbes which feed on the sugars, and the surrounding soil.In turn, the plants receive micro and macro nutrients and minerals that the microbes have processed into a plant available form.So, if I can keep the microbes in the soil happy and fed, then all the plants growing in this soil should be happy and fed also!
Some of you may have seen me or Alayne out spraying things early in the morning or late in the evening.The things that we are spraying are helping to feed the microbial life in the soil.In fact, sometimes we are spraying microbial life itself.This leads me to our compost tea brewer!(Oh thank god, I thought it would never come up and I have been DYING to talk about it!)Compost tea is a critical element in many well run organic, biological, and biodynamic farms.Compost tea is made up of an inoculant (some form of compost, I use vermicompost (worm poop basically)), food, and oxygen.The compost and the food are put into some kind of container filled with water, oxygen is added to the mix, and the tea is allowed to brew for 24 hours.After about 24 hours you have the maximum microbial bloom (the population is at its highest), and then you race out and get those microbes on the plants and in the soil.You already know what they are doing in the soil, but we want them on the plant leaves also because they are the good guys and they eat the bad guys that may be on the plant leaves.
There are other elements to my soil management program here at Copper Moose Farm, but I have a feeling I may be loosing some of you (I realize that not all of you think soil science is as cool as I think it is).So, I will save the rest of it for another letter…..
To wrap things up; conventional agriculture has destroyed much of the world’s topsoil, hence the increasing dependence on petroleum based fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.Exhausted topsoil cannot “feed the world” without these chemical inputs.Soil that is treated respectfully and kept healthy can feed the world without the use of dangerous chemicals.Don’t believe Monsanto and Cargill when they tell you that the only way for us to feed the human race is to embrace their Round-up Ready beets, corn and rice and their toxic and unnatural strains of vegetables with deadly chemicals imbedded directly into their DNA!
The Harvest
1# salad greens (spinach is in the salad mix this week)
½# stir fry greens
¼# arugula
1 bunch scallions
1 bunch turnips
1 bag scapes
Sweet Pepper (either Purple Beauty or Sweet Cal Wonder Bell)
Jalapeno (enjoy them, this is the last!)
Not everyone will get the following:
¼# basil
Eggplant
Cucumber
Edible flowers
Beets
Broccoli
Heirloom Tomatoes
Basil
That’s a lot of basil!It must be time to start making pesto and freezing it for later use.That’s why I am giving you so much right now.Don’t seal the bag when you get it home, and make sure it doesn’t get crushed in the bottom of the fridge (it will go bad faster this way).Keep the bag slightly open and in a safe place in the fridge.
Stir Fry Greens
These are mature: mustard, beet greens, chard, kale.These are meant to be cooked.They don’t need long, just a few minutes of steaming or stir frying should do it.
The News
Just wanted to remind everyone of a few events:
August 16th – Slow Food’s Feast of Five Senses – contact Slow Food Utah for more info.
Sept 6th – CSA Harvest Potluck
Copper Moose Farm is at the Park Silly Sunday Market these days.CSA members will receive 20% off flower bouquets – so come see us.
The Recipe
Caroline’s mom sent us this one:
Fluffy Turnips
6 medium size white or yellow turnips 1/8 teaspoon basil
