CSA Newsletter Week 17, September 24th 2015

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In Your Box

 

Hakuri “spring” turnips with greens- remember to use the great greens!

Beefsteak and/or Heirloom Tomatoes

Potatoes- red, yellow and/or whites. All great for roasting and boiling.

Carrots –

Beets

Onions- red and/or yellow. The range of sizes all store well.

Daikon radishes- a sample white, green topped white and purple varieties.

Bok Choy- back for this week only. Great in stirfrys and braised.

Celery—these are smaller and are best used in cooked dishes. See the mirepoix recipe

Sweet peppers- an assortment of many colors and shapes.

 

News from the Farm

Welcome to Week 17. The beautiful fall continues. We have a huge potato harvest this week – almost 80 bushels half of which will go into the CSA boxes and storage shares, the other half which will go into storage for the winter market. We started harvesting some other roots without tops like carrots, beets and daikon radishes for the box, and harvested squash at the end of yesterday which will be in the next 3 CSA boxes – including butternuts, butter cups, acorns are more!

Remember the pumpkin pick, pizza and pie event is this Saturday from 1-5pm. You will get to take home a pumpkin or two, snack on pizza and pie as well as fresh pressed apple cider. We will have a hayride to the pumpkins, will have several farm tours, will collect eggs from the chickens and can visit the piglets too! If you would like to get your pumpkin at an alternate time please call/text/message us.

As the CSA season comes to end (3 weeks left – Oct 14th is the last delivery) remember to return any boxes you might have forgotten in past weeks. We do have space for CSA members in our storage shares. Remember these are farmers market or farm pick up only – we have to say it is going to be a wonderful fall for storage shares because of the greens and warm temperatures.

 Have a delicious week- Kat, Tony, Riley, Ted and Maple

 

Kat’s Kitchen

Mirepoix, soffritto, German Suppengrün and the holy trinity. These are all variations on a theme, aromatic vegetables used as a based for soups, roasts, stews and sauces. Mirepoix is a 2:1:1 ratio of onions, carrots and celery (you can use the leaves); the holy trinity uses peppers in place of carrots and is the base for gumbos and many classic Louisiana style soups; soffritto adds garlic and/or tomatoes and suppengrun uses leeks, celery root and carrot. In all cases vegetables should be diced very very finely and cooked in oil or butter until aromatic about 5 minutes. You can then add broth or just water with salt and make rich stews. All versions can be used to improve your favorite chili, in place of store bough broth and will make dishes rich and flavorful. Last but not least using these to flavor starches like rice or to pan fry potatoes make regular dishes even better. Mirepoix soup: 1 lbs of onions, 1 lbs carrots, 1 lb celery finely chopped. Saute in a mixture of 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter until fragrant, add 5-6 cups vegetable or chicken stock, fresh or dried thyme, salt and pepper to taste and puree. You can use ½ cup cream or coconut cream for a creamy version too.

 

Simple turnip, daikon and carrot kim chi-style salad – there are lots of recipes for real kim chi using these ingredients on the web. If you want to explore it further we have used this recipe with some added fish sauce and hot peppers works great http://www.foodwithlegs.com/wild-pickled-turnips/. We actually like making a milder unfermented version as a salad/side dish/condiment. Thinly slice 1 daikon radish, 2-3 small turnips, ½ onion, and shred a carrot. Combine in a non reactive bowl with 1 tsp salt and stir with hands. Let stand 15-30 minutes, rinse with clean water, add 1 tsp fish or soy sauce (for vegetarians), thinly sliced hot or sweet peppers, 1 clove garlic and fresh ginger. A great burger topping or served alongside rice dishes too. 

CSA Newsletter Week 16, September 17th 2015

Click Here for the Full PDF

In Your Box

Hakuri “spring” turnips with greens- they are back and they are sweet and tender!

Beefsteak and/or Heirloom Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes/saladettes

Red Swan and/or Dragons Tongue Snap Beans-use like other snap beans.

Broccoli or Cauliflower (fulls only)- The newest planting is wonderful

Potatoes- red, yellow and/or whites. All great for roasting and boiling.

Carrots – back for the rest of the season.

Eggplant

Edamame- the last week for these.

Garlic-

Salad mix – baby greens are back

 

News from the Farm

Welcome to Week 16. We cannot believe how fast the weeks are speeding by. Our large harvest projects are lining up – all the onions are harvested and curing. Next week we are digging potatoes, harvesting and curing squash followed soon by sweet potatoes. Due to the warm weather, you can expect tomatoes and peppers in the box for at least two weeks more and we are trying to stock the box with greens too. Fall root crops, squash, and special fall crops like Brussels sprouts will be appearing as the weeks continue.  We are enjoying frost-free farming time but many of our favorite roots and brassica crops taste best when a frost has taken place so we will celebrate summer but wish for an early October frost too.

            The newsletter’s backside features the pumpkin pick, pie and pizza event which is next week. Keep an eye out for several important newsletters over the next few weeks including our annual survey and our early sign-up form for 2016.

            If you have a chance to make it to pizza night or the Wausau farmers market this weekend UW-Madison horticulture department will be here doing tasting of new trial varieties and we of course would love your feedback for the coming seasons. U-pick tomatoes will likely end next week, please call to sign up.

 Have a delicious week- Kat, Tony, Riley, Ted and Maple

 

Kat’s Kitchen

Eggplant with beans and cherry tomatoes – epicurious.com   1.5 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (or soy sauce), 4 teaspoons sugar or honey, 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, 1/2 eggplants (about 2 small or 1 large), 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1/2 green beans, 10 cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves (optional), 1 tablespoon roasted peanuts or sunflower seeds.

In a large bowl stir together fish/soy sauce, sugar, and lime juice and let stand, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes. Preheat broiler/oven. Cut eggplants crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Lightly brush a small baking pan with some oil and arrange eggplant slices in pan. Brush eggplant with remaining oil and broil 3 to 4 inches from heat, turning it once, until tender and browned, about 8 minutes total. Add eggplant to fish-sauce mixture and toss. Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. Cut beans into 1 1/2-inch lengths and in a saucepan cook in boiling salted water 2 minutes. Drain beans and transfer to ice water to stop cooking. Drain beans well and add to eggplant mixture. Halve tomatoes and coarsely chop cilantro. Finely chop peanuts. Add tomatoes, cilantro, and nuts to eggplant mixture, tossing to combine. Vegetables may be prepared 2 hours ahead. Serve vegetables at room temperature sprinkled with remaining nuts.

Edamame and carrot salad (we made this with tomatoes added too) - 1 1/2 cups shelled cooked edamame beans, 4 medium carrots (about 12 ounces), peeled, coarsely grated, 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions/onion, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar,2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice,1 tablespoon vegetable oil,1 garlic clove, minced. Mix together the garlic with oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Toss other ingredients together and dress. Serve cold

 

 

Pumpkin Pick, Pizza and Pie

 

Join us Saturday Afternoon, September 26th from 1-5pm

 Celebrating the 2015 Harvest

 

Food – we will have seasonally themed pizzas to snack on, an assortment of pumpkin and squash pies, fresh pressed apple cider and a water cooler. Please bring your own mugs, cutlery and plates if possible

 

Pumpkins – we have tons of huge jack-o-lanterns, baby pumpkins, pie pumpkins and a few assorted colored pumpkins. Every CSA family can take one home as part of your share. We will have a hayride out to the pumpkin patch too.

 

What to Bring– Wear clothing appropriate for the weather and that can get muddy or wet. The pumpkin patch has weeds and uneven ground so plan accordingly. Visiting family or out of town visitors welcome. Have a friend interested in joining the CSA? Feel free to bring them too.

 

What to Leave at Home- Please leave pets at home.

 

Other Details- This is a CSA Event with no charge. We will have Maple Syrup, Additional Pumpkins, Cookbooks and Sign Up Forms for the 2016 Season available at the event as well. 

CSA Newsletter Week 15, Sept. 9th 2015

Click here and here for the front and backsides of the newsletter

In Your Box

Sweet peppers

Beefsteak, Heirloom Tomatoes

Rainbow Cherry tomatoes/saladettes

Red Swan or Dragons Tongue Snap Beans-use like other snap beans.

Broccoli or Cauliflower - The newest planting is wonderful

Beets with their greens-

Sweet Corn- Finally out new open pollinated corn is ready! A mix of yellow and bicolor cobs.

Spaghetti or Delicata squash – see recipes for details.

Muskmelons (cantaloupe) or Watermelon!

Basil

Cucumbers (fulls only)

 

News from the Farm

Welcome to Week 15. Wow we are ¾ through the season and the bounty of September is upon us. We literally had problems closing boxes and had to take out edamame from the boxes. They are also heavy – the full shares we weighed ranged from 27-31 lbs thanks to melons, beets, and squash. We were unable to harvest potatoes because of the wet weather but hope to have them for at least 4 of the next 5 weeks. In the next 2 weeks we will bring in a huge amount of vegetables for curing – squash, onions and potatoes followed by sweet potatoes and the roots lie carrots after the frost comes. Speaking of frost what a wonderful warm fall we are having. We are starting to feel the pressure of the cold weather even though it is not too cold – since we have about 10 weeks to harvest 50,000 lbs of vegetables (or more!).

If you want a chance to get your hands dirty we welcome help with the harvest – also we will announce a family harvest afternoon once we have a grasp on the fall weather, when you can come out to harvest carrots for donate to the Neighbors Place in Wausau.

Remember that the pumpkin pick, pie and pizza event is coming up on the 26th from 1-5pm. The large carving and pie pumpkins are outstanding. As we harvested squash yesterday Tony exclaimed about 30 times how impressed he was. If you are interested in harvesting your own edamame or hot peppers to preserve we have a ton. Just call to set up a time.  

 Have a delicious week- Kat, Tony, Riley, Ted and Maple

 

Spaghetti and Delicata squash- roasting is the best way to cook all squash. Delicata are wonderful roasted in rings lightly covered in olive oil (maple syrup, chili powder, and salt optional). Spaghetti squash are best cut in half, roasted cut side down until tender and scraped out. You are use as pasta with sauce or top with butter, salt and pepper for a side dish.

 

Amazing roasted or grilled veggie for topping squash OR for stuffing tacos. We have made variations on this all week and our kids love them. You can roast on the grill or in the oven at 350-400 degrees. Combine a mixture of sliced peppers, onions, diced garlic, cauliflower and beans with olive or other mild oil. Roast until tender. For taco topping combine with black beans or browned meat, smoked paprika or chili power and serve topped with cheese. To top pasta or squash just toss together, add salt and pepper and parmesan cheese.

 

Sweet corn ideas- contrary to many beliefs corn does not need to be cooked. It benefits from less steaming, boiling or grilling rather than more. You can shave it into salads fresh, roasted and top with herbs like fresh basil. Or set up a corn “bar” with salted spreads or flavored butters. We mostly eat it fresh or lightly boiled with butter as a side dish J

 

 

CSA Newsletter Week 15, Sept. 3rd 2015

It is actually week 14! 

click here to access the full PDF

News from the Farm

Welcome to Week 14. We have reached another transitional time in the season as we shift from fruiting crops to more fall crops. While this will start next week as beets, potatoes and the first winter squash appear in the box we will hopefully have several more frost free weeks to provide more beans, tomatoes, peppers etc. Our late fall greens are all germinated and we are planting the final hoophouse crops later this week. We are also in the midst of assembling our new hoophouse. It will be the biggest thus far and should provide some great additional space for next year’s early crops and even more importantly space to allow for a good crop rotation. There are several farm events coming up this month – Friday September 18th we will be doing a tasting panel for vegetable varieties with some researchers at UW Madison during pizza night (and the next day at the farmers market). We hope to get good feedback on many vegetable varieties so we will know what to plant and trial for next season. The 19th we are also cohosting a yoga retreat on the farm - http://5koshasyoga.com/special-events/yoga-seasonal-harvest-preparation-with-community-meal-at-stoney-acres-family-farm/. There will be a full page feature next week. Also, mark your calender for the pumpkin pick, pizza and pie event which is for CSA folks only and will feature pumpkin (pie and large carving) picking, all you can eat fall themed pizzas and an array of pies, fresh cider and general fall fun. 

In Your Box

Red Onions

Tomatillos

Sweet peppers

Hot peppers

Celery

Kale

Beefsteak, Heirloom Tomatoes

Rainbow Cherry tomatoes– Note many of these are so ripe they split after we pick them. Refrigerate/ use right away.

Red Snap Beans (smalls only)-use like other snap beans.

Winecap Mushrooms (smalls only)-

Edamame (fulls only) – see last week’s recipes for description and ideas

Broccoli or Cauliflower (fulls only)- The newest planting is wonderful

Eggplant (fulls only)

 

Winecap mushrooms: Great for any dish with a soft mushroom including curry, creamed soups, wine braised meats or veggies. We love these cooked fast (3 minutes max) with caramelized onions and a tablespoon of redwine or sweet vinegar. Use to top any starch or meat!

 

·         Celery, tomato and onion salad- 4-5 plum tomatoes, 2 slicers or the equivalent in halved cherry tomatoes, ½ medium onion, thinly sliced into ribbons, 2 stalks farm celery thinly sliced with 1/8 cup leaves included. Dressing ¼ cup olive oil, 3 Tbs balsamic vinegar or sweet vinegar), 2 tbs heavy cream. Wisk dressing, put on salt adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Great with crust bread and cheese!

·          

Roasted summer veggie casserole – we had this 3 times this week and no one was upset J The key is the preroasting which makes it a bit more labor intensive but also better. In a large bowl toss 4 cups of mixed vegetables including onion, minced garlic, thinly sliced eggplant and/or peppers, summer squash and/or plum/cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. Add 3 Tbs olive oil and roast in the oven at 350 for 25-30 minutes on 2 sheets. Remove from oven and transfer to deeper roasting/cake pan, add 2 tbs fresh herbs (cilantro or basil) or 1 tbs dried herbs (Italian seasoning, basil, oregano all work well), an 1 tsp mixed salt and pepper, add ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, toss and bake for 40 minutes until cheese starts to brown. You can use mozz or probably many other cheeses, add seasoned ground pork, beef or lamb, or make without cheese or meat with chickpeas added. All our versions tasted great!

 

Another kale salad! Both the curly and lacinato (dino) kale this week are perfect for salads. Enjoy with Kalamata or black olives and tomatoes topped with lemon juice, olive oil, pepper and parmesan cheese. 

 

CSA Newsletter Week 12, August 20th 2015

Welcome to week 12 - Click here for the full PDF

In Your Box

Onions-

Cucumbers- see the recipes for ideas. They loved the heat.

Zucchini/Summer Squash- Expect them for 1-2 weeks more.

Beefsteak, Heirloom Tomatoes

Cherry and/or saladette tomatoes –

Garlic-

Salad mix

Peppers-

Hot peppers- yellow hot wax, black Hungarian, green chili .  

Broccoli- The newest planting is wonderful

Carrots- rainbow with tops. Remember separate tops in storage and to use the tops.

Tomatillos – fulls

Eggplant-halves

 

 

News from the Farm

Welcome to Week 12.

We have had a great week. A great family vacation, great and needed rain fall, great crop growth in the warm weather. We have nine new piglets on the farm and they are all healthy and growing. We were extremely honored to be featured on NPRs Morning Edition on Wednesday Morning (you can read the short article on NPRs food blog The Salt). We are also sorry that we were unable to dig potatoes. It was FAR too wet. They will be there next week!

It is Athens Fair weekend. This is one of the highlights of living in our wonderful rural community. We will have our annual fair float (which we are working on during evenings) on Sunday during the parade, but you can see all the events on the backside of the newsletter.

This is also Hannah’s last week on the farm, as she is headed back to college. Next week’s newsletter will feature her essay on a vision for her future farm. We have enjoyed deepening our ties to her and her family.

Upick tomatoes are starting. We expect to have times for the next month or until frost. You can pick Monday-Wednesday 8am-5pm and Thursday afternoon. Call Ahead or text to set up a time. Each share includes a half bushel (20lbs) and you can pick additional tomatoes for $25/bushel. You can also pick tomatillos. We also have celery, onions, garlic, hot and sweet peppers available for picking for salsa or sauce.  Have a delicious week- Kat, Tony, Riley, Ted and Maple

 

 

Kat’s Kitchen

Smashed cucumber Salad – common in Thailand and many neighboring countries, smashing the cucumbers versus cutting allows them to take up dressings better and changes the texture. Rinse 6-8 medium, 4 large or 10 small cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise. On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind. Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours. In a food processor combine 1 Tbs cup olive oil, 1/3 cup tahini, juice of one lime (or lemon), 1 garlic clove, ¼  tsp cumin, 1/4  tsp oregano. Pour over cucumbers and if desired add 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds.

 

Easy Refrigerator Pickles- a great recipe from Tony’s Mother Doreen. 10 cucumbers unpeeled, 2 green peppers diced, 2 onions chopped, 1/3 cup salt, 2 cups sugar, 1.3 cups vinegar. You can also add celery, garlic, dill, and/or hot peppers. Mix add the ingredients well, add vegetables chopped into bite sized pieces for peppers and onions and rounds for cucumbers, and leave for 24 hours outside then refrigerate. These will last for several months and can be enjoyed after 2 days.

 

Roasted veggie and fresh tomato sauce (for pasta, couscous, bread, or stuffing peppers) – preheat the oven to 400. Cut up 3 cups of mixed vegetables into large bite sized pieces or rounds - choose from peppers, onions, eggplant, zucchini. Coat liberally with love oil (especially the eggplant) and roast for 15-20 minutes checking to prevent burning. While these cook caramelize ½ large onion, 2-4 cloves garlic in olive oil and dice 2-3 large tomatoes. When veggies are roasted add to stove top pan with fresh tomatoes and add salt and peppers to taste. Stir until tomatoes start to cook but are still “fresh looking”. And serve a top favorite starch or use as stuffing for peppers with rice or meat, top with cheese and bake. Stuffed peppers will cook faster if they are blanches in hot water for 3 minutes or roasted with veggies until

111th Athens Fair - August 20th-23rd, 2015.

Thursday - August 20th - Bargain Day!!
8:00am to Finish......Junior Fair Horse Show-all classes:  Showmanship, Halter, Horsemanship, Riding, Games
All open class light horses-between Jr. Fair halter and riding show
5pm.......................Miniatures Horse Show
Noon......................Entry Day in the Hall
1:30pm to 9:00pm...Face to Face Judging in the Hall (Jr. Fair Clothing; Knitting and Crocheting; Cake Decorating)
1:00pm to 8:00pm...Exploring and Cloverbuds
3:30pm..................Demonstration Judging
4:00pm..................Clothing Revue
6:30pm...................Earl's Rides - Midway Opens
7:00-8:00pm............Wood Carving Demonstration in Park
7:00pm to 8:00pm......Reduced prices on Midway and at Beer Stand
9:30pm......................Fireworks

Friday - August 21st
8:00am...............Dog Show -Show Ring
9:00am...............Judging of all exhibits in the Community Hall
12:30pm..............Judging of Sheep Showmanship, Sheep, Beef Showmanship, Beef, Goats in show ring followed by Cats, Poultry, and Rabbits in Park
1:00pm................Earl's Rides - Midway Opens    
6:00pm ...............Play Bingo in Commercial Building
4:00-7:00pm.........Fitting Contest Under Shelter
7:00pm................Wood Carving Demonstration in Park
8:00pm...............Old Timer's Band performs at the Village Square
8:45pm...............Clothing Revue on the Stage
9:00pm...............Queen Coronation on the Stage

Saturday - August 22nd
7:00am to 11:30am......Entry for Central Wisconsin Gladiolus Show
8:30am.......................Dairy Show- Showmanship; Junior Fair Young Stock
10:00am to 10:30pm.....Gladiolus Show (Open to the public)
10:00am.......................5K Fun Walk/Run (see below for the attachment for the Registration Form)
11:00am, 3:30pm & 5pm....Wood Carving Demonstration in Park
11:30am......................Judging of Gladiolus Show in Commercial Building
12:30pm.....................Earl's Rides -Midway Opens
1:00pm.......................Dairy Show - Open Class - Over the Hill - Junior Fair Cows and Judging Contest
1:00pm to 5:00pm........Wristband Special on the Midway -
2pm and 6:00pm ..........Play Bingo in Commercial Building
6:00pm........................Horse Show- Draft Horse Carts & Teams (Sponsored by AbbyBank and Meyer Manufacturing)
8:00pm........................Red Higgins and the Yankee Train (Beer Bar)

Sunday - August 23rd
8:30am.........................Horse Show - Draft Horse Halter Classes (Sponsored by Athens Vet Service)
9:00am to 5:00pm..........Gladiolus Show (Open to the public)
10:30am and 2:30pm......Wood Carving Demonstration in Park
12:30pm........................Earl's Rides - Midway Opens
1:15pm..........................Athens Fair Parade -  (Old Timers Band will be in the Parade and concert after parade)
2:30pm..........................Play Bingo in Commercial Building
4:00pm..........................Release of all Livestock Exhibits
6:30pm..........................Awards Program and Raffle Drawings on the Stage
7:00pm..........................Release of all Exhibits in the Community Hall

Enjoy lots of Food-Drink-Entertainment on the Grounds throughout the Fair!!!  Eat at one of the locally sponsored food stands - St. Anthony's, Trinity Lutheran, Christ United, Colby FFA, Holstein Breeders....St. Anthony's School hosts a fish fry on Friday night (4:30 - 7:30pm) and a charcoal chicken dinner on Sunday (10am -12:30pm).  Trinity Lutheran hosts a ham dinner on Sunday in their church basement.  Patronize the Legion/VFW Beer Stand in the park throughout the fair - live music provided on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. View the exhibits - animals in the park and produce, flowers and crafts in the hall.

 

 

 

 

CSA Newsletter Week 11, August 13th 2015

Click here for the full PDF

 

In Your Box

Onions-

Cucumbers-

Zucchini/Summer Squash-

Beefsteak, Heirloom Tomatoes and/or Cherry and/or saladette tomatoes –Saladettes look like mini roma tomatoes. These are all sweet and wonderful

Garlic-

Sweet Peppers- Purple or Green

Red Cabbage-fulls

Broccoli- Halves

Broccoli leaf- use like kale discarding or finely shopping large stem.

Cilantro- make fresh salsa this week or add to a cucumber and sesame slaw.

Hot peppers-Anaheim, jalapeno, hot wax or black Hungarian.

Celery

 

Next Week’s Best Guess: cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet corn, broccoli, zucchini, garlic, potatoes, basil, salad mix, carrots, 

News from the Farm

Welcome to Week 11. In field news we are starting to gain on the weeds and the fall crops look wonderful. The rain on Thursday night, Friday, and Sunday was well timed. Our kids woke up yelling with delight about rain. The crops grew inches overnight and we were happy to get full nights of sleep now that irrigation is not needed for a while.

The barn dance was as good as it’s ever been. We loved meeting new CSA members, seeing old friends, eating great food, dancing and the general celebration. It is hard to believe that this is the 9th barn dance (10th of you count our wedding) and that we have been here for a decade farming away. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting us and building a great community with us. Also, we raised just over $900 for the share-a-share fund to help support shares for lower income families. Thanks for all contributions and donations.

The only bad news of the week is that raccoons are raiding the sweet corn in a serious way. The second planting looks great but we will be setting up fencing to defend the crop. We have not had this issue in 8 years but apparently they are back. We are also excited for a little family time. We are heading out on our annual mini family vacation. Michelle and Hannah will be holding down the farm for 3 days while we are away so if you call, they may be the ones to return your phone call.

Have a delicious week- Kat, Tony, Riley, Ted and Maple

 

Kat’s Kitchen

Summer eating- this is our favorite time of year to eat and have a whole list of ideas for simple meals on the hotter and most busy days of summer on the backside. Our meals at this time of year are almost all veggies and it is wonderful to indulge in a dinner of roasted and raw salads, simple carbs like pasta with veggies and mock apple/zucchini pie!

 

Tomato time- Last Week’s newsletter featured a tomato guide but was light on recipes and other ideas. This is the time of year to celebrate the ripe tomato. Some ideas without recipes (but trust me you can find many on the internet that fit these descriptions if you are a recipe cooker). Pasta with fresh tomato sauce (chop tomatoes and cook very briefly with olive oil and garlic) or with fresh cherry tomatoes, caramelized onion and ribbons of raw kale (added to hot pasta). Tomato frittata (egg, cheese, onions, garlic and tomatoes baked) or little tarts (you can buy small premade pastry shells and just add nice cheese (blue, goat or feta) with a slice of tomato and bake. Bake eggs in hallowed tomatoes (take mixed eggs, mix with onions, garlic, and tomato innards, and top with parmesan cheese bake at 350 until firm).

 

My simple summer squash recipe (that everyone likes)- halve small squash or cut medium/large squash into 4-5 inch ¼-1/2 inch thick slices. In a bowl mix with enough sunflower or olive oil to lightly coat. Toss with adobo seasoning or a mixture of garlic powder, salt, peppers, oregano and paprika. A thickly sliced onion can be added too. Put in a single layer on a baking sheet bake at 350 until squash skin starts to bubble and squash are tender but not mushy (20-30 minutes). Remove from oven, sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese. Serve hot.

 

Super Summer Recipes

Simple Sandwiches

All work great with wheat or crusty bread. Serve with a simple cucumber salad or a cabbage slaw for a full meal.

Caramelize onions in olive oil adding garlic, green or red peppers, and if desired strips of steak or zucchini. Serve on bread with salt and pepper and melted Gouda or cheddar cheese.

Drizzle Bread with olive oil, top with slices of fresh tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella. Also works well with tomatoes, cucumbers, and sliced feta. You can lightly melt the cheese and serve open faced or smush with force between two slices.

Use simple soft sandwich bread and top with mayo or garlic aoli, salt, pepper and tomato slices.

Bruschetta can be made by toasting bread in smaller pieces and topped with fresh diced tomatoes, onions, and peppers marinated in a bit of salt and lemon juice or mild vinegar.

Need more ideas? Martha Stewart, Ina Garden, Epicurious all have great ideas for picnic and summer cooking.

Cold Soups for Hot days

Serve with bread and/or fresh greens with nuts or a side of quesadillas (with veggie filling).

Cucumber soup- 3 medium seeded cucumbers, ¾ cup. Thinly sliced green onions or shaved onion, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. lemon zest, 1 tsp. Sea Salt, 1/2 tsp. Freshly ground pepper, 1 1/2  cup vegetable broth, ½ cup sour cream. Combine all ingredients other than onion and sour cream in a blender and blend to desired texture. Stir in sour cream and top with onions when you serve.

Gazpacho- adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

1 cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled, 2 bell peppers cored and seeded, 4 plum tomatoes, 1 onion 3 garlic cloves, minced, 3 cups ounces tomato juice (or pureed tomatoes), 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 1/4 cup good olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, small tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess! After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice (you can used 3 cups of pureed tomatoes instead), vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

Summer Dips

Summer greens and garlic hummus – 2-3 cups greens destemmed, 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained, ¼ cup (give or take a table spoon) olive oil, ¼ cup lemon juice (fresh is possible), 4 cloves garlic peeled (use 2 if you are not a garlic lover), ¼ cup tahini (not needed but it makes this much better), salt and pepper to taste (about ½ tsp of each). Put everything into a food processor (start with oil and garlic so garlic gets finely chopped), blend until creamy. Serve with veggies, in a wrap with roasted peppers and onions, or with pita or chips.

Cucumber, cilantro and yogurt dip – 2 cups plain yogurt (use Greek yogurt for a thicker dip), 1 cucumber coarsely grated (remove seeds first if large), 2 cloves minced garlic, ½ cup sour cream (optional if using Greek yogurt), 2 tbs lemon juice, ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro, ¼ tsp black pepper. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes for tastes to combine. 

CSA Newsletter Week 10, August 6th 2015

Click Here for the full PDF

Remember this week is the barn dance!

In Your Box

Chicories- radiccio, frisse, escarole and sugar loaf types. NOT LETTUCE. These greens are more bitter than salad. See recipes for ideas.

Celery- Darker in color and stronger than the stuff grown on California sand.

Fresh Sweet Onions-

Cucumbers

Zucchini/Summer Squash-

Tomatoes – This newsletter has a full guide

Garlic-

Sweet Peppers- Purple or Green

Hot peppers-Perfect for salsa (Jalepenos, hot wax, black Hungarian or Anaheim). For less spice remove seeds.

Tomatillos- Halves. These look like mini green tomatoes/lanterns. See recipes for info.

Broccoli- Fulls only.

Fennel

Next Week’s Best Guess: onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet corn, broccoli, zucchini, salad greens, cabbage, broccoli

 

News from the Farm

Welcome to Week 10. We are half way through the CSA. Oh how time flies in summer time. In your box for halves this week are tomatillos – use in salsa with onions and garlic; and Chicory use in roasted salads, soups and together with other salad ingredients in smaller amounts. We have been working on big weeding projects for all the fall crops and are done with 95% of our planting for the year. We really need rain and are hoping that the upcoming forecast is accurate – we are running drop irrigation 12 hours a day and our limited overhead system all night on newer plantings. Overall the dry conditions are not effecting things too much but things like carrots etc have slowed down.

The barn dance is coming this Saturday August 8th. The potluck is from 4:30-6:30pm at the farm (7002 Rangeline Rd) and the dance is from 7-11pm down the road 4 miles (1701 Windfall Hill Rd). This is a family centered event for all ages. Bring your own dishes and cutlery if possible. We will have our annual silent auction to raise money for shares for low-income families. If you have a local food related (or similar) item you can drop it off at the farmers market on Saturday morning or call us to set up a pick up.

Have a delicious week- Kat, Tony, Riley, Ted and Maple

Kat’s Kitchen

Chicory 101-  This bitter greens family is great for your health and some people love it while other find the bitterness overwhelming. Best served fresh finely chopped with hot dressing like bacon or sweet dressings like maple lemon vinaigrettes. The Red Eye in Wausau featured frisse topped with hot bacon dressing and a poached egg. Alternatively it can be added to classic soups like minestrone, to cooked beans, or roasted and served alongside other roasted veggies. Use in smaller amount with celery in slaws to add texture. We had it roasted on burgers last night. The core is the mildest part. The following recipes also work well for cabbage and kale!

 

Chicory with hot bacon dressing - 4 strips bacon, 1 large onion, thinly sliced, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 4 ounces mild blue cheese crumbled, 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 large head escarole, radiccio etc, coarsely chopped. Cook the bacon over medium heat in a medium skillet until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. To the drippings add the sliced onions and toss well. Cook until caramelized, stirring another 15 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together the cheese, vinegar and oil. The dressing will be chunky and not completely emulsified. Place the escarole in a large serving bowl and crumble the bacon over it. When the onions are done and still warm, sprinkle over the chicory along with the dressing. Toss well.

 

Sauteed Chicory -2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , 2 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped (optional) , 1 head radicchio (about 10 ounces), trimmed and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces , 1 bunch chicory (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed and roughly chopped, Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add anchovies, and cook 1 minute. Add radicchio and chicory; saute until slightly wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving platter, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

 

Basic tomato and tomatillo salsa

4-6 tomatillos or 1 large tomato (or a mix), ½ onion diced, hot pepper seeded and finely chopped, 1 clove garlic chopped, salt and pepper to taste, lime (optional). Roast tomatillos in oven at 400 until skins start to blacken then puree. Tomatoes can be roasted or just diced. Combine with other ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste. If you are not sure how much spice you want add peppers gradually. Serve fresh. 

Tomato Time: A Guide for 2015

 

Every season we write a tomato guide because unlike the store we grow many shapes, sizes, colors and or course flavors of tomatoes. For a newbie some of the green varieties look unripe and the scars that some heirlooms have and the patterns are hard

 

U-Pick: We will not start this until the end of the month and will announce times ahead of time. They will last for 3-4+ weeks from the end of August until frost.

 

General info- most heirloom tomatoes have “green shoulders” so the top may be green or harder while the tomato is actually ripe. The bottom of the tomato (or bottom ½) should be similar to the texture of an out stretched palm when ripe. Most Red slicing tomatoes are filly red when ripe and have even texture throughout.

 

Care- All tomatoes should be left on the counter if and when possible. They ripen best and taste best when not refrigerated. They are one of three crops that we do not cool down in anyway.

 

Varieties-We grow a lot of types of tomatoes. Most of what you will get are cherries, saladette, large heirlooms and slicers. You can also use these names to search online for images and next week we will post a picture of most types for the tomato curious.

 

Heirlooms/Slicers

 

Striped German – rainbow from light green shoulders to yellow orange with a red bottom

 Prudens Purple- a pink “brandywine” type. Larger uneven tops with a deep pink color

 Martha Washington-a pink round slicing type;

Cherokee Purple- dusty pink to a brown purple with some darker shoulders

 Paul Robeson- a purple to brown tomato much like Cherokee purple but browner

 Japanese Black Trifele- shaped like a pear with green shoulders and a deep purple red bottom

Cherokee Green -  ripe green tomato. It has a yellow bottom and ranges from light to bright green on top.

Valencia – An orange mild slicing tomato

Cosmonaut – A wonderful heirloom red slicer. Flatter and more flavor filled than the large big beef.

Big Beef - Classic red slicing tomatoes

Trials- we have several plants of these types as we participate in a trial from UW Madison. These look similar to brandywine types and other red slicers.

 

Cherries

 

Sungold- super sweet orange; black cherry-a dusty pink to deep purple large cherry;

Sweetie and peacevine cherry- both red types smaller cherry types;

Montesino – a grape tomato. Sweet and red

Juliet-not a cherry but a miniature roma/saladette oval that is sweet and firm.

Back Cherry- The Cherokee purple of cherry tomatoes, a larger dusky pink to brown color. Best flavor around.

Rainbow “Artisan” tomatoes- We are trialing a set of 7 colored saladette and large cherry types that range from green to pink and darker purple.

 

Romas

 

We grow several romas which are generally thought of as sauce tomatoes. The rounder Bellstar variety is our favorite but you will likely have a range of romas in your box as the season progresses. These are also the tomatoes we use for upick so expect to learn more about these as canning season comes in later august/early sept.

 

CSA Newsletter Week 7, July 16th 2015

Click Here for the Full PDF


Welcome to Week 7.     It is another beautiful week on the farm. We are weeding, planting and enjoying the increasing bounty of summer. The boys are loving zucchini season and have been helping harvest and competing in speed, number and size of squash they can find. We have been turning our attention to innovative ideas about how we can encourage and help young farmers, how to plan for our retirement (we know we are 35), and how we want to incorporate our kids as they get older. We are in our tenth season and it feels wonderful to begin to think about these things after many years of just trying to make the farm work on very basic levels. In less philosophical news carrots are back. Remember to use and enjoy carrot tops. We had a phone call several weeks ago from a wonderful CSA member who was waiting for carrot tops for her summer pesto – see the recipes and ideas below - the pesto is a staple in many of our CSA members’ homes. Beans and Zucchini are here and we have begun to harvest a few full sized tomatoes from the hoophouses and about 20 cherry tomatoes from the fields. We hope to bring you tomatoes and cucumbers next week or the week after! In family news, Ted turned five yesterday (the 15th) and we spent lots of time remembering how Kat picked a bushel of beans the day he was born, how the day of his birth was the first and only time we did not pack CSA boxes ourselves, and how wet 2010 was in the summer.                                                       

 Have a delicious week- Kat, Tony, Riley, Ted and Maple


In Your Box

Salad mix- baby lettuce greens.

Broccoli-

Arrow Head or Savoy (curly) Cabbage

Garlic scapes- the top sprouts of garlic, use all of them, just like garlic in any dish.

Carrots with their tops- make sure to see recipe and ideas for carrot tops.

Snap Beans

Zucchini/Summer Squash- See the backside for a guide and lots of recipes and ideas for the weeks to come.

Fennel – use both the bulb and fronds. See recipes for ideas an storage.

Next Week’s Best Guess: broccoli, fresh onions, lettuce heads, zucchini, snap beans, rainbow chard, new potatoes 


Fennel 101- Fennel is in the same family as carrots, celery, and dill. It is a fragrant vegetable that is also used as an herb to flavor bean dishes, salads and fish. The best way to store fennel is to detach the bulb and fronds. The bulb is much more mild and can roasted, shaved into other salads and slaws, or chopped and used to stuff fish. Fennel goes well with citrus as well. The fronds and stems are best used finely chopped and in smaller amounts as they have an anise like flavor which some people find strong. Roast alongside chicken or add to coleslaw. We like to add fronds to other dishes that normally feature dill or celery for a new twist like potato or egg salad. For a fennel egg salad combine 6 hard boiled eggs, 1/3 cup chopped fennel stalk, 3 tbs fennel leaves, 2-4 tbs chopped onion or 1 tsp chopped garlic, 4 tbs mayo, 1.5 tsp white wine vinegar, 2 tsp mustard and salt and pepper to taste.

 

Cooking with Carrot tops- When you get your carrots you should detach the bottoms and tops for storage but don’t throw out those tops. They are wonderful roughly chopped (take out tough stems) and used like dill or fennel in smaller amounts, used whole with other vegetable scraps to make a broth, and probably best known as a pesto ingredient. You can follow the greens pesto dish from week 5 using carrot tops or this simple recipe. Combine 2 cups carrot tops (stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped) with ½ cup olive or sunflower oil, 3 tbs pine or walnuts, ½ cup greens or fresh herbs (think kale, basil, chard…), 1 garlic clove or scape, and ¼ cup parmesan cheese. Pulse in food processor. This can top pasta, can be frozen in ice cube trays in then put into freezer bags for winter, or used on roasted or grilled veggies like zucchini, fennel, carrots.

 

Quick Meal Cabbage with Ham and Sesame Seeds

2 tbs. olive oil, 2tsp minced scapes, ½ tps red pepper flakes, ½ cup ham, 6 cups shredded cabbage, ½ chicken or veggie stock, salt pepper, lemon juice, toasted sesame seeds. Heat oil garlic and pepper flakes in skillet. Add Ham sauté one minute, Add cabbage. Stir in stock, cover simmer until most of the stock is absorbed (5-10 minutes) add salt pepper and lemon juice, Garnish with sesame seeds. Makes 4 servings.

 

Summer Squash 101

For a video background check out Tony talking Zucchini on Channel 7 (wsaw.com) search “farm to fork.”

Q: What is the difference between summer squash and zucchini?

A: Zucchini are one type of summer squash but increasingly there are new zucchini on the market including ones that are bright yellow, stripped, two tone, skinny and long or short and fat. All types of summer squash can be used interchangeably in recipes since there are only very small flavor differences.

Q: What is the best size summer squash to eat?

A: We tend to prefer the small to medium sized ones for every day cooking because they tend to be firmer and have less of a seed cavity. That said, bigger summer squash of all types are perfect for grating into bread and for stuffing and roasting.

Varieties- We will feature a picture on our facebook page this week and link it to the newsletter. Please note all of these are for eating and are not gourds. Zucchini- we grow two dark green varieties, a classic nutty heirloom called costa romaensco which is a duller white and light green and has a very nutty flavor, A new stripped variety Dario which is long shiny and stripped green and white, and a bright yellow zucchini called Goldy. We grow a classic straight neck pale yellow summer squash, a spaceship looking patty pan squash, and a Lebanese type called Alexandria which is pale yellow and shorter and fatter than a normal zucchini (it is prized for its flavor).

Cooking methods: summer squash can be roasted, grilled, steamed, sautéed, boiled, stuffed, breaded and fried, grated and added to salads or slaws raw, cut into thin ribbons to use in place of pasta and much more.

Sauted- The simplest way to prepare it is to cook in butter or olive oil with garlic (or garlic scapes) and salt and pepper and a bit of lemon juice.

Grill it- cut small squash is half and larger ones into strips. Rub with olive oil, herbs of your choice, and coarse salt and pepper and place on grill turning once after one side is browned (3-5 minutes depending on grill temperature). Serve hot or cool and use in a cold salad. You can grill a whole bunch and use it throughout the week in other dishes such as omelets, marinated or pasta salads etc.

Pasta ribbons- a trend in summer squash/zucchini eating is to use it in place of pasta. You can slice it long and thin and use in place of lasagna noodles (make sure to cook uncovered as it will give off juice), or can use a regular vegetable peeler to make noodle like strips. Peel off several from one side, then turn the zucchini and peel off more. Continue to turn and peel away ribbons until you get to the seeds at the core of the zucchini. Discard the core. You can also do this on a mandolin, adjusted to a very thin slice. These can then be cooked in boiling salted water for 2 minutes (not more) and served with your favorite sauce or pesto. You can also sauté them in olive oil without boiling to cook but make sure not to overcook.

Stuffed Zucchini are well suited to stuffing with other vegetables, rice, meat and cheese. Mixing one part rice with one part vegetables including grated carrots, tomatoes, onions, broccoli and/or fennel and a bit of sauce is a great stuffing. Top with cheese if desired (we like classic mozzarella or feta) and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. For smaller squash cook for less time. If using meat, prebrown it with the vegetables and rice then stuff.

Marinated Salads- zucchini can be roasted, grated or cut into small ribbons (as done for pasta substitute) and then marinated raw – This simple recipe from the NY times is a good intro. You can use lime juice and chili powder to change the flavor or a bit of curry in place of fresh herbs.  1 pound medium or small zucchini, preferably a mix of green and yellow, Salt to taste, 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, crushed or 1 garlic scape finely chopped, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, mint, chives, dill or a combination. 1. Slice the squash as thinly as you can. Sprinkle with salt, preferably kosher salt, and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse and drain on paper towels. 2. Mix together the lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Toss with the zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for four to six hours. 3. Remove from the refrigerator, and remove the garlic clove. Add the fresh herbs, and toss together. Taste, adjust seasoning, serve.

Pretending Zucchini is Apple in desserts- We know it sounds insane but just last summer Ted, our then 4 year old, cried when he found out he was eating a zucchini pie not an apple pie exclaiming “then how does it taste so yummy”. Honestly if you like apple desserts and need to use up some zucchini this is a great option. You can use most any apple pie recipe but zucchini should be boiled fast 2 minutes in cubes, then tossed with lemon juice and some corn starch – adding sugars etc as you would in an apple pie. 

CSA Newsletter Week 6, July 9th 2015

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“…the care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it, and to foster its renewal, is our only legitimate hope.” (The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry)

In your box- Kale, Broccoli or Cauliflower, Arrowhead Cabbage, Garlic Scapes, 

 

Next Week’s Best Guess: broccoli, savoy cabbage, garlic scapes, salad mix, carrots, zucchini, snap beans, rainbow chard

 

Welcome to Week 6. We are entering another seasonal transition from many brassica (cabbage family) crops to beans, field carrots, and zucchini, soon to be followed by cucumbers and tomatoes. One of our big plans for the year was to have more consistent lettuce (every week if possible) and to have more broccoli and cabbage throughout the season. Both those plans are going well. Our old plantings of cauliflower and broccoli are going out and the new broccoli planting is coming in. Next week should bring bountiful broccoli too. There are lots of garlic scapes in the box and you will have a new next week as well. We suggest chopping and freezing in small ice cubes with olive oil, making a greens pesto, or trying garlic scape recipes like our ranch dressing (or use epicurious.com).                                                We spent the last week finishing up more fall plantings, making hay and getting lots of great weeding projects done. The sweet corn is looking good this year and the potatoes are fantastic! We have also been blessed by mostly perfectly timed rains all season which means less time irrigating and worrying and also more time weeding. We are currently in a small battle with cucumber beetles and will be spraying melon and cucumber plants with a fine clay to protect the crop. In other news Kat is featured in this week’s Farmer-to-Farmer podcast. You can listen and learn more about our journey here  http://www.farmertofarmerpodcast.com/                            

Have a delicious week- Kat, Tony, Riley, Ted and Maple

 

Kat’s Kitchen

Yogurt herb ranch-style dressing (for dip, salads or slaws)- ½ to ¾ cup Plain Yogurt or Greek Yogurt, 2 Tbs (or more to taste) of fresh dill or basil; Sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste, 1 garlic scape, 6 Tbs olive oil, 2 Tbs parmesan (optional). Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender. You can use some mayo in place of some olive oil for a more traditional ranch flavor. 

 

 

Roasted Brassicas – great served as a side veggie, as a topping for bread with goat cheese and red sauce, in pasta or for morning eggs. Roasting bring out the sweetness of all veggies. Heat oven to 400-450. Roughly chop broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage and several garlic scapes. Coat with olive or sunflower oil and roast stirring several time.

 

 

Cream of broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower soup. You can also make a thicker version of this soup and use it as a sauce on baked potatoes or rice. Just use 2/3 the liquid. First, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Next, separate the heads of broccoli and cauliflower from their stalks.  Cut the heads of the broccoli and cauliflower into individual florets, place on a sheet pan, and toss together with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place the pan in the oven, and roast the broccoli and cauliflower for 15 minutes, or until slightly caramelized. In the meantime, chop the onion/garlic and stalks of the broccoli and cauliflower.  Place enough oil in a heavy pot to coat the bottom, and heat until shimmering over medium heat.  Add to the pot, and cook until translucent.  While this is cooking, chop the cabbage, add the cabbage, and cook until soft, stirring occasionally. By this time, the broccoli and cauliflower should be just ready, or already out of the oven.  Add that to the pot and stir to mix.  Next, pour in the broth, turn the heat up to high, and heat until just simmering.  Simmer for 20 minutes, or until flavors are blended, turning the heat lower as needed.  While the soup is cooking, dice the provolone cheese, and bring the mascarpone cheese to room temperature.  Once the soup is done simmering, add the cream, and heat until warm and the soup is partially thickened.  Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to an even consistency.  Then, add the provolone cheese, cumin, and white pepper, stirring to incorporate.  As a last step before serving, swirl in the mascarpone cheese.

 

The ABCs of Stoney Acres

Animals. We have several species and constantly debate more. They provide equal amounts of frustration and celebration – providing us with manure for compost, great pasture management and great food, but also sometimes escaping, taking up time as we make them hay and much more.

Barn Dance. Best Party of the season, our wedding anniversary, brings friends, CSA folk, and neighbors together and has the best potluck ever. Not to be missed… August 8th!

Community. We depend on our community at so many levels from our CSA community to the people down the road, through the woods, and in town.

Diversity. Diversity is our organizing principle – grow many things so the farm is always bountiful. Balance out pests by providing habitat for beneficial insects, recognize the importance economically, ecologically, and for human and animal diets.

Ecology. To farm with and to support natural systems. We depend on our farm ecology to grow your food.

Family farm. A farm where the family provides the majority of the labor. That is us. This term is often used for political ends and marketing but has a history as one of the most important forms of economic democracy nationally and internationally.

Greens. Super foods, important to our diets and plentiful in CSA boxes. Don’t forget to freeze for winter when they’re in short supply.

Help. We depend on our parents, friends, employees, CSA dropsite hosts. Help makes the farm work!

Ice cream. The farm is powered partial by Ben and Jerry’s and Maul’s ice cream. Many people relax with a pint of beer, Tony relaxes with a pint of ice cream.

July. The center of farm season chronologically. It is the time we shift from majority planting and weeding to harvesting.

Kids. Always around, mostly helpful and sometimes crazy. We have three of them around here – Riley (7), Ted (5 next week), and Maple (20 Months).  

Local. Many ways to define this term. We are happy that we travel no farther than 40 minutes to bring fresh food to wonderful eaters.

Marketplace. We love the farmers market and feel that putting the “place” back in marketplace is one of missions in life. We celebrate all the wonderful farmers who feed out community.

Neighbors. Family farms need family and neighbors. We are endlessly thankful to those who lend us equipment, time, meals and love.  

Organic. A term that is debated hotly but it provides a clear alternative to pesticides, GMOs, and large issues in industrial agriculture. Is it perfect? No. But it has started an important dialogue nationally on agricultural alternatives.  

Perennials. Our pasture, fruit trees, berry bushes, nuts, wild spaces, woods are all perennials. Perennial systems are part of our planning for bountiful boxes.  

Quixotic. Defined as exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical. Many of the ideas and ideals we have often slip into this category but they also allow us to innovate and to make change at the farm and community level.

Renewable energy – We have an 8K solar system and a wood gasification boiler which provide together about 80% of our electricity and all the heat for the packshed and greenhouse. We are expanding solar to produce all of our electricity next season.

Soil. Soil is the main “crop” we cultivate on our crop as it cares for everything else. Soil is life and life is soil.

Tractor. We have 2 of these, soon to be three. Important for many aspect of soil management and planting.

Umbelliferous crops- carrots, dill, cilantro, celery, celeriac, parsnips. These are some of the most loved veggies from the farm.

Vacuum Seeder. Our matermacc seeder this year has provided a lot of great new things on the farm including the ability to mechanically cultivate (weed) and more uniform spacing.

Wormy. A wonderful description of soil health and the agriculture and culture of our farm.

Xerces. Bee species are important to pollination. We have a neighbor that keeps 30 hives of honey bees on the farm as well.

Ying and Yang- Balance is central to farming, our relationship, our family and our year. We hibernate in winter and work all summer.

Zucchini. In your box next week the vegetable we love and many people love to make jokes about. 

CSA Newsletter Week 5, July 2nd 2015

Click here for the full PDF

In your box: Broccoli, arrowhead cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli leaf, salad mix, kohlrabi, garlic scapes, salad turnips. 

News from the Farm

Welcome to Week 5. What a wonderful and busy week. We have another record breaking pizza night (we hit the 200 pizza mark) and Kim Casey taught a great class. You can find her hand out on the backside of this week’s newsletter if you missed it. Saturday we made hay, literally. It was late but we had a bountiful crop. Sunday was the pancake breakfast. Thanks to everyone who made it out. We loved seeing old friends and meeting new ones and we fed you all a whopping 40 lb of sausage, 25 dozen eggs (in fritatas), 4 gallons of apple sauce, 15 gallons of pancake batter, 160 cups of coffee and lots of milk, butter and syrup. It was surprisingly relaxing on our side as well.

 Weeding season is still upon us but we feel like we might jump ahead in several weeks. We are preparing the ground with compost and making beds for the last planting of some summer crops like late snap beans, and for storage crops like fall carrots, beets, rutabaga and more. In other crop news the snap beans are flowering wonderfully getting ready to make beans, we have tiny zucchini on our plants and we harvested 3 ripe tomatoes. The next weeks should be filled with an increasing diversity of summer food.

Have a delicious week- Kat, Tony, Riley, Ted and Maple

 

 

Kat’s Kitchen

Garlic Scapes 101- They can be used just like garlic in any dish but are a little bit milder. They can be softened by sauting or turned into a garlic paste with olive oil and used as a cooking base. They are also great in pesto, sauteed with greens on high heat with lemon squeezed on top. Use the whole scape other than the tip when chopping. Smaller pieces cook faster and are less pungent, but garlic lovers sometime like bigger chunks. We have even seen some recipes for garlic scape tempura, and also love pickled garlic scapes.

Greens Pesto -Makes 1.5 cups, enough for 6-8 servings of pasta adapted from The Kitchn.com via CSA member Katie Kalish. 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 8 ounces kale or other greens, trimmed, rinsed and chopped, 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese , 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, chopped (or 2-3 garlic scapes), 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper.                                     Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast them in the oven until they are golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Have a large bowl of cold water ready. Drop the chopped kale into the boiling water. When the water returns to a boil, swirl the kale around a few times until it becomes limp. Drain the kale and plunge it into the cold water. Drain again, then place the kale on a clean dishtowel and blot away the moisture. Place the nuts, kale, Parmesan, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a blender and puree until uniformly smooth. You may need to add more olive oil to reach desired consistency. To refrigerate, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pesto. Will stay fresh for up to 3 days. To freeze, place desired portions in small containers with plastic directly on the surface of the pesto, or place in plastic freezer bags, and freeze for up to two months.

Super Brassica salad – this week you have almost every crop in the brassica (cabbage) family. You can subtract one or more veggie from the mix. 1 head broccoli, 1 head cauliflower, 1 cups shredded turnips or broccoli stem or carrots, ¼ cup sunflower seeds, ½ cup dried currants or raisins, 2-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice, to taste, kosher salt, pepper to taste (1/4-1/2 tsp salt and lots of pepper), Pure maple syrup, to drizzle on before serving. Adapted from http://ohsheglows.com/. In a food processor (or chop by hand) process the broccoli (no stems) until fine. Add into large bowl. Now process the cauliflower (no stems) until fine and add into bowl. Do the same with the carrots/stems/turnips (on shredder). Stir in the sunflower seeds, currants, raisins. Add lemon juice and seasonings to taste. Drizzle with maple syrup to taste.

 

Greens Greens Greens ~ Cooking Outside The Box ~ June 2015

 

Raw Greens: Demo = Hummus ~ Garbanzo Beans, Tahini, Lemon, Garlic Scape, Raw Greens, Salt

 

Other places to sneak in raw greens:

  • Salads- obviously but not just green ones. Mayo based or pasta salads perhaps?
  • Pesto- super charge your pesto + stretch it out a bit by adding greens
  • Smoothies- my favorite is yogurt, berries, bananas, coconut H2O, protein, greens

 

Not Raw Greens: Demo = Sauteed Greens ~ Any Or All Greens, Garlic, Salt, Pepper

 

Cook your greens to the perfect spot then refrigerate for later use.  Need ideas?

14 Ideas for incorporating your sauteed greens into other dishes.....

  • In your favorite quesadilla
  • In a quiche
  • In your morning egg scramble
  • In your favorite sandwich wrap
  • In your meatloaf or meatballs
  • On top of fish
  • In your favorite omelette
  • On a burger (beef, turkey, salmon, veggie...)
  • On top of a salad
  • In your taco meat
  • In your marinara / meat sauce
  • On a pizza
  • On a grilled cheese sandwich
  • Cold or hot just by itself or on top of rice, quinoa, pasta, orzo, risotto....

 

Seasonally Adjusting Recipes: Demo = Thai Inspired Stir Fry ~ Sauce= Red Curry Paste, Coconut Milk, Maple Syrup, Olive Oil, Lime, Basil, S&P  Stir Fry= Bok Choy, Cabbage, Carrot, Greens

 

This recipe was adapted from a Thai-inspired sloppy joe that used ground lamb + spinach.  We’ve omitted the meat and spinach and instead used what came in our CSA box this week to make it more local..  This is “Thinking Outside The Box”.  Using seasonal ingredients in place of others.  If a recipe calls for onion but you have leeks...try it...or garlic, or garlic scapes, or scallions...catch my drift?  The original recipe also called for brown sugar.  Instead we are using maple syrup, choosing a local sweetener instead of one that is not.  The recipe won’t always taste exactly the same when you swap ingredients but what’s the fun in that?

 

Side Notes:

  • Not keeping up with your greens?  Cook a giant pot of spaghetti or pizza sauce and at the very end throw some or all of your greens in the pot and immersion blend it all.  Bonus: picky kids will never know!
    • Don’t have an immersion blender?  It’s a VERY useful kitchen tool but if you only have a blender or food processor, transfer some sauce from the pot to either one then add greens, grind them all up and send them back to the pot.
  • Curly Kale can be frozen raw.  I just de-stem, tear into smaller pieces and freeze in small portions.  This is perfect for soups and sauces later in the year when we don’t have fresh kale.
  • Speaking of freezing, though the season ask yourself this questions, “how can I freeze this?”.  
    • You can’t freeze cabbage (that I’m aware of) but you can make cabbage rolls or stuffed cabbage and freeze that.
    • You can make soup and freeze that.
    • If there is anything you aren’t keeping up with, consider chopping it up and freezing it.  The best time this advice works for me is fall when we have celeriac.  I chop it up along with carrots and onions (like mirepoix subbing celeriac for celery) and make soup starter packs that I again freeze in individual portions. Makes it so simple to start a pot of soup! 

 

CSA Newsletter Week 4, June 25th 2015

Click here for the full PDF

In your box- bok choy, kale, broccoli or cauliflower, turnips, kohlrabi, carrots, salad mix, mushrooms (fulls), Chinese Cabbage (Fulls). 

Next week's best guess: broccoli or cauliflower, broccoli leaf, turnips, garlic scapes, salad mix, arrow head cabbage, dill, beets, 

Recipes; massage kale salad, eggs and greens

Featured Story: Super Foods!

CSA Newsletter Week 3, June 18 2015

Click here for the full PDF

In Your Box- Lettuce heads, Chinese Cabbage, Bok Choy, Turnips, Kohlrabi and/or Radishes (halves get both, fulls get one or the other), swiss chard, Carrots, Salad mix (fulls only)

Next Week's Best Guess- Peas, Carrots, Garlic scapes, chinese cabbage, bok choy, salad mix, carrots, turnips, kale

Recipes: See below

Featured Stories Farm Event Details for June 26 and 28th. 

Chinese (Napa) Cabbage- great in slaws, as fillings for spring or egg rolls, and stirfried in thin ribbons with pork or black beans. Mix with taco seasoning or chili powder and lime for a filling in Mexican dishes. Next week’s newsletter will feature “superfoods” and this green tops the list for nutrient density and absorption over everything even kale and blueberries! It is also the main ingredient in kim chi which is the famous Korean sauerkraut- like food.

 

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette aka Jon Jon’s Dressing. Sorry if we repeat this every year but it is our best dressing!

½ cup olive or sunflower oil, ½ cup balsamic vinegar, 2-3Tbs stone ground mustard, 2-3 Tbs maple syrup. Adjust syrup and mustard to your taste, add black pepper if desired.

 

Swiss chard breakfast burrito – from Asparagus through Zucchini (note lots of other veggies like bok choy, shredded carrots or radishes, and later in the season zucchini are great in place of the chard)

3 cups cooked swiss chard (saute in garlic and olive oil or olive oil and chili powder salt and pepper), 6-8 flour tortillas, 2 cup shredded cheese, 4 egg beaten, 2 cups milk, 1 tbs flour, 1 tsp mustard powder, salsa and sour cream. Soil a 9 x 13 inch pan, divide cooked chard down center of tortillas. Sprinkle each with cheese. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in prepared pan. Mix egg milk, flour and mustard powder. Pour over tortillas. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. The next day let to come to room temp. heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until eggs are set, about 45 min. sprinkle a bit of cheese on top. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

 

Quick pickles – They are all the rage we here from friends and CSA folks. These include any sort of veggie put in a brine (usually vinegar, sugar, salt) for a few hours to be used as a condiment or kept in the fridge for a bit longer for the same purpose. Chinese cabbage, turnips, radishes, carrots sliced thinly or into sticks (for radishes or carrots) all work well or in combination. A basic brine is 1 tsp salt, ½ cup rice wine (or apple cider) vinegar, 1 tsp sugar or honey, ½ tsp crushed peppercorns, you can add dill, ginger, or a bit of curry for different flavors. Serve on top of sandwiches like pulled pork or a burger, in tacos or spring rolls or as a snack. 

Farm Event Weekend is Coming!!!

 

June 26th – Pizza night cooking class

Join the wonderful and talented Kim Casey for a 6pm cooking demo and tasting, with ideas for greens and current seasonal veggies. She always has great tricks for using things over the course of a week (or preserving for later) and much more. You can bring your own picnic dinner or purchase pizzas (or both). Alongside Kim’s demo we will have a table of cooking resources and a place to share great recipes with other CSA members as well as CSA member name tags so you can connect with others to talk all things CSA if you want. This event is open to all.

Slow Food Marathon County will also be here having an informal get together so if you want to learn more about efforts to support and expand good, clean and fair eating and farming join the group with the snail flag - http://www.slowfoodmc.org

 

June 28th- Pancake Breakfast

When: Between 9am and1pm

What: Breakfast (or brunch) on the farm. We will be serving our whole wheat pancakes, farm egg and veggie frittata, our pastured maple sausage, homemade apple sauce, our maple syrup, locally roasted coffee and local milk and yogurt from Clover Meadows Dairy in Athens, and hopefully lots of berries. We will have farm tours and will have a map for folks who want to walk all the way to the grain fields or who want to find all the assorted animals etc. The event is rain or shine and we will have plenty of food for all – please arrive by 12:30 for food.

Bring- Your own plates, cup and cutlery if possible. Farm friendly clothing and footwear (think mud).

Leave at home- Pets (Working animals like Seeing Eye dogs are always welcome!).

This is a CSA event not open to the public and has no charge for CSA members. If you have family or friends visiting, grandchildren or someone who you want to bring by all means bring them with you!

 

Week 2, 2015 CSA Newsletter (June 11th)

Welcome to week 2! You can download the full PDF file here

For a picture of the box with labled veggies see https://www.facebook.com/stoneyacresfarmandpizza

In your box: Bok Choy, Green garlic, arugula or spinach, lettuce heads, kohlrabi, turnips, radishes, lettuce heads (fulls only). 

News From the Farm: 

 Next Week’s Best Guess: Lettuce, carrots, kohlrabi, swiss chard, bok choy, radishes, spring turnips, snap peas, Chinese cabbage. 

Recipes: and cooking tips

Bok Choy- we have bok choy on the CSA menu for this week and one more (at least). While the heads look big they cook down a lot and have a texture that is wonderful in cooked and raw dishes. To store wrap loosely in a plastic bag in the fridge. Bok choy can be thinly sliced and steamed, sautéed with green garlic and olive oil, added to tuna salad in place of celery, marinated in ribbons with a simple acidic dressing. It is great served with rice, in homemade fried rice, in spring rolls and has a mild flavor so many kids love it.

 Grilled or hot roasted bok choy From Tide and Thyme

4 heads of baby bok choy (or 1 head of full-sized), 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon Sriracha or chili sauce (optional but wonderful), 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat for 15 minutes, and lightly oil the grate. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, Sriracha, and black pepper. Slice the bok choy in half, lengthwise (if large quarter can work better). Brush the =with the soy sauce mixture on the cut side, letting the vinaigrette fall into the grooves. Lay the bok choy on the preheated grill, cut side up. Cook until the stalks show grill marks and the leaves are crisp at the edges, about 2 minutes. Turn the bok choy, brush with remaining soy mixture, cover, and grill the other side for about 2 more minutes. Remove to platter and serve. You can create the same effect by using a hot oven of 400-450 degrees and cooking on a baking pan and turning.

 

Easy idea- Spring Veggie tuna or egg salad – use a familiar recipe but add 1 cup of finely chopped  or grated bok choy stems, radishes, turnips, and spinach for every 3 cups of egg or tuna salad. Works for mayo and mayoless versions. Any easy egg salad version is 6 hard boiled eggs, ¼ cup mayo or 1/6 cup olive oil, 1 cup mixed vegetables, salt, pepper, lemon zest and dill. 

 

 

5 meal ideas for eating during the greenest weeks of the year

Stir Fry- You could literally use 80% of your box for stir fry. Here is a link to a basic resource for stir fry technique http://lifehacker.com/how-to-cook-any-stir-fry-in-six-easy-steps-508172336 and recipes for several sauces. If you would rather not make your own sauce there are many premade stirfry sauces out. Serve over rice (white or brown), rice noodles (use extra sauce), or as a side vegetable.

Choose 3-5 of the following veggies - peeled and diced kohlrabi discarding the large stem but saving and cutting leaves into ribbons, boy choy (use the leaves and the succulent stem), turnips and their greens, radishes and thier greens, 3 cups spinach chopped. Dice 1 stalk of green garlic (slice all of the steams and leaves), 2 Tbs higher heat vegetable oil. Heat a large pan until hot on medium high. Add garlic followed by most crunch vegetables working your way to the most leafy. This should take 3 minutes. Add sauce (choose one below or premade) and cook 1-2 minutes more until greens are wilted and roots are cooked but still have aa crunch.

Basic Simple Sauce I.  1 tsp garlic (use as an ingredient in cooking), 2 Tbs Soy Sauce, 1 Tbs Sesame oil.

Basic Sauce II. 1 tsp garlic, 1 cup water, ½ cup rice wine (or white wine), 2 tbs tomato paste or 1 pureed tomato, 1/8 cup soy sauce, 1 tbs sugar or honey.

Caesar Salad- For this meal of a salad use lettuce, spinach, arugula or grilled bok choy interchangeably or together. Kale is also wonderful when rubbed (yes use your hand to rub it once it is sliced) with the dressing. Top with a simple protein like grilled chicken, tofu or steak or use as a side dish for a bigger meal.

Traditional: Combine 6 anchovy fillets packed in oil, 1 small garlic clove, and a pinch of kosher salt. Mash with a mortar and pestle or make it in a food processor. You can hand Whisk in 2 large egg yolks*, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and 3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Adding drop by drop to start, gradually whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil, then 1/2 cup vegetable oil; instead of whisking a food processor works great. whisk until dressing is thick and glossy. Whisk in 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Can be made 1 day ahead. 6 anchovy fillets packed in oil, 1 small garlic clove, 2 large egg yolks, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan

If raw eggs freak you out you can use regular mayonnaise instead of the egg and oil combo. You can also use one whole hard boiled egg in place of the egg. If you don’t eat fish you can leave out anchovies altogether or substitute tamari in place

Kale chips- a great way to use kale as part of a grilled meal or a midday weekend snack! See our favorite variations below. Make sure if kale is washed it is very dry. Don’t use damp kale. Remove stems and tear into large pieces throwing in a bowl, massage with olive oil (add enough to lightly coat leaves but not drench them (adding a little at a time works well 9start with 2 Tbs for a whole bunch), spread in a single layer (really don’t overlap!) on baking sheets or plan to bake batches. We bake 3 baking pans at a time and then refill. Cook at 350 for 3-5 minutes checking frequently. You can top kale chips with the traditional salt or more unique toppings like nutritional yeast, paprika, chili powder, chocolate powder, seasoning salt, or dill. Ted’s favorite combo is sea salt, pepper, paprika, nutritional yeast.

Hummus plate- Many local restaurants feature amazing hummus plates. In fact our veggies might been found on Sconnies hummus plate this week or next. You can buy hummus or make it (see recipe). You can use pita chips or warmed fresh or store bough pita bread alongside vegetables and some pickles or nice olives and you have a simple meal. This week the turnips can be washed and quartered or halved, radishes washed and halved, and you can use kohlrabi sticks (peel and cut into sticks), and a few bok choy stems (cut the upper part of the leaf off and halve). Then dip! You can also use the same concept alongside a dressing as part of a meal like a creamy yogurt ranch. Basic Hummus Recipe - 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 clove garlic, crushed (or use 1 tsp green garlic), 1/2 teaspoon salt. Other recipes with the traditional tahini addition can be found online too.

 Cole and other Slaws – a great dinner or lunch side, a great way to incorporate leafy and shredded root veggies, slaw is famous because it is simple and historically can be made with a variety of vegetables. Kim Casey slawed her turnips last week (see recipe below) but boy choy, radishes  and kohlrabi are al great in slaws and any type can be made (creamy or vinegary) to great effect. For a traditional coleslaw from Kim Casey’s mother combine equal parts red wine vin and sugar, a little mayo; add chives and dill and salt and pepper to taste. A cup of dressing covers about 5+ cups of veggies. Another recipe I (Kat) like is ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup apple cider vinegar with 2 tsp sesame soil, 2 Tbs soy sauce, and 1 bs maple syrup with 1 tsp minced green or other garlic. 

 

 

Week 1 2015 CSA Newsletter

News from the farm - welcome and the spring so far

In you box- maple syrup, radishes, spring turnips, scallions, bok choy, broccoli raab, lettuce, and full shares only baby greens. 

Recipes- sauteed broccoli rabe with tips; roasted radishes and turnips with their greens

Backside- cooking with and storing greens AND Events and Announcements.

Click here for the The PDF

See our facebook page for a picture of the box with a listing of the veggies.