News and blog
Welcome to the blog.
Posted 7/29/2010 11:36am by Gary Brever.
Harvest Week 9 - July 29, 2010
| This Week's Share * Garlic * Beans * Carrots * Potatoes * Salad Mix * Cilantro * Cucumbers * Broccoli * Dill * Onions * Zucchini * Cabbage (regular and heart of the season shares) * Dandelion Greens (regular and heart of the season shares) * Eggplant, tomatoes or peppers (regular and heart of the season shares) |
|
A note from your farmer...
This Week’s Box
This week’s box has many of the “classic” vegetables that many of you have been waiting all
summer for. This week we picked a thousand pounds each of potatoes, summer squash and cucumbers. In addition we picked around 400 pounds of beans. This week will be the last week for a while that we will have salad mix. During the heat of summer, the salad mix is difficult to germinate and tends to get bitter quickly out in the field. So it goes on a little 3 week vacation and we should see some again by late August. The Regular and Heart of the Season shares will either be receiving a pepper, tomatoes, or eggplant. These plants are slowing coming into fruit. Every week for the next month there will be an increase of these items in the share boxes.
This week’s activities—
Thursday we started harvesting 3 out of our 5 beds of garlic. It was definitely one of our biggest harvests of garlic ever. In particular, it seems that we have mastered our system of fertility with garlic to grow big heads. The first step in planting garlic is when we started preparing the field that the garlic grew in. This occurred last July when we planted buckwheat. Buckwheat is a cover crop that grows very quickly in the summer time. The buckwheat adds about 2-3 tons of organic matter per acre in as little time as 40 days. Buckwheat is also a phosphorus scavenger, making available this nutrient that would otherwise be unavailable to other crops such as garlic. Before the plant puts out flowers we then disc the crop down. By doing so, buckwheat releases these nutrients to other crops as the residue breaks down.
The next step in the process of growing great garlic occurred last September when we tilled up the beds for garlic and then added compost. The garlic itself was planted the last week of September. The garlic seed that we used came in part from last year’s harvest as well as garlic seed bulbs that we purchased. We used to grow 8 varieties of garlic, but now have settled with just one variety called “Music” which does very well for us. It is important to get the timing of the planting of garlic right. Too early and the plants would put on greens in the fall which would then freeze out. Too late and the garlic does not put on enough root growth before the MN freeze sets in.
We then mulch our garlic with alfalfa hay, placing about a foot layer of mulch on the beds. The mulch is especially important in those years where we have many subzero degree days and little snow. The mulch not only gives protection to the garlic from the cold but also keeps the soil temperature pretty consistent during warm autumns. During the fall and winter most of the garlic seed’s energy goes to root growth. Without the added layer of mulch the sun could warm up the soil too much, and the garlic would start to put on greens before winter which would then freeze out. This we do not want.
In April, right before the frost goes out of the ground we take the mulch off the garlic. Some people keep the mulch on, but we find that by taking it off sooner, we “wake up” the garlic earlier. With the mulch off, the sunny days of spring have a chance to warm up the soil sooner. With the mulch off we also have an opportunity to cultivate the garlic.
The spring is the time when the garlic’s energy goes to the greens of the plant. During this time we want to do as much as possible to care for these greens and make them get bigger. First and foremost this means keeping the weeds down by cultivating and hand weeding so that the plants aren’t competing for nutrients. We also add additional compost in the spring to the beds of garlic and we try to foilage feed the greens with a fish emulsion biweekly. In addition, it is crucial that garlic receives ample amount of water every week.
By early June we start reaping the benefits of our work. This comes in the form of the garlic scapes which you all received in your boxes earlier in the season. We “pop” these stems off before they have a chance to put out a false seed head. By doing so, the energy of the plant focuses its attention to the bulbs underground, sizing up to a marketable size.
From June until July we do very little with our crop of garlic. If we get a chance we will do additional weeding. However, many years we just do not have time and some of the weeds start growing. At this point in the plant’s growth the weeds have very little affect on the yield of the garlic. We wait until about 2/3 of the leaves of the garlic plant are brown before starting our harvest. The leaves on the top of the plant correspond with the skins on the bulb, and we need enough of the skins to be fully dry so that the garlic will store well for the winter.
We harvest our garlic by first coming in with an “under-cutter” which uproots the crops, enabling the plants to be easier to pull. We then scrape off the extra clumps of dirt which hang on the roots. The garlic plants will cure with the greens on for the next 3 weeks in our green house. This enables for the greens to fully die and so when we cut off the greens there is not an open wound that can become a vector for disease.
This week our members will get a taste (a bulb or two) of garlic. The garlic may also find its way into the regular CSA boxes later in the season. However, the bulk of our garlic will be going to our Fall Storage shares. I hope after you taste this garlic it will give you incentive to become a member of our fall storage shares. Please go to http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/members/updatemembership
Storage and Frozen Shares:
Now is the season that we are making plans for our Storage Share and Frozen Winter shares. The Storage Shares are a FANTASTIC bargain. You get a significant amount of produce for a very good value. If you are already a member to our regular CSA season just go to http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/members/updatemembership to sign up. If not, go to http://www.ploughsharefarm
We have a limited number of Storage and Frozen Winter shares available. You should reserve yours ASAP.
Fall Storage Share
This share will supply all the fall storage vegetables that your family will need for the months of October, November and December. We will deliver these shares October 15th, November 12th and December 10th. Each delivery will include 50-75 pounds of produce including potatoes, of carrots, onions, winter squash, cabbage, kale leeks, daikon radishes, beets, celeriac, rutabaga, turnips, brussels sprouts, garlic, and pie pumpkins.
These shares are a great option for saving money on meals especially during the holiday seasons. Most of these vegetables keep very well just in a heated garage (just above freezing) or a cool basement.
The price for the fall share is:
$278 for metro members
$231.75 for rural site members
There is a 3% discount for paying by check (use coupon code 4565)
Reminder:
If you sent a postdated check for the remainder of your share this will be cashed on August 1st. To check the current balance of your account go to http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/members/statusemail
Note: The August 1st, postdated checks will not yet be noted in our system.
Facebook
Reminder: Ploughshare Farm is on Facebook. Become a “Fan” of Ploughshare Farm by going here.
It’s a great way to catch additional pictures of the farm and the crew. We also list the vegetables (approximately) you will be receiving on the Monday before delivery. Suggest to your friends to become fans as well so that together we can help promote Ploughshare Farm.
Cookbooks
We highly recommend the cookbook, "From Asparagus to Zucchini" put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition. It gives essential tips on how to use many of the typical vegetables you will be receiving in our CSA. I have gone ahead and ordered 75 of these books (even though only 30 of you bought one in advance). I hope they will be in for the next delivery. Go to our website to order online and receive yours. : http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312 $18). At that time we will submit our order to the publisher and should receive copies in early July.
T-Shirts
We would like to get another order of Ploughshare Farm T-shirts. You can preorder your shirt at http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312
Show the world that you are a Ploughshare CSA Member with this originally designed T-shirt. Made with Certified Organic cotton.
On the front: Ploughshare Logo
On th
e back: The act of putting into your mouth what the Earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the Earth." Francis Moore Lappe (Author of "Diet for a Small Planet")
Garlic
One of the most versatile and useful vegetables for amateur and professional cooks all over the world is garlic. With a taste that changes based on if or how it is cooked, garlic adds a wonderful aroma and flavor to dishes of all kinds. Store your garlic in a dark cool and dry spot and use before the head becomes soft and shriveled.
If you are using
more than a few cloves of garlic, you can make the peeling process easier by parboiling the cloves. Just simmer in enough water to cover the cloves for about 30 seconds and the skin will become loose, making peeling a cinch. For a clove or two, use the flat side of a chef's knife to smash the clove and the peel will be less work to remove. If you are roasting a whole head of garlic, peel the cloves after they have been roasted.
When cooking garlic, remember that once it begins to brown, the taste will turn bitter. Gently simmer in oil until it is darker in color and tender. Roasted garlic will get very tender and produce a lovely sweet taste. To roast, remove the loose papery outside of the head and cut off the pointed end. Cute enough of the head to expose a bit of each clove. Drizzle oil and sprinkle salt on the cut end. Line a small baking dish with tinfoil, place the garlic, cut side up, in the dish and cover with foil. Bake until soft (at least 40 minutes). The roasted garlic will make a great addition to any sauce or soup, pizza, gravy, or dressing. Or just spread it on toasted bread.
Lastly, if you love garlic but hate the odor it leaves on your hands, just rinse them and rub your fingers on any stainless steel surface (like your faucet or sink) and the smell will disappear!
Potatoes
A staple on most American tables, potatoes are a hearty and familiar part of breakfast, lunch and dinner. The variety this week is Yukon Gold, a classic all-purpose potato that tastes great mashed, fried, baked or anytime you want a starchy potato that doesn't fall apart too easily. The term “new potatoes” refers to potatoes dug before the plants have fully died. The skins of the potatoes are much more delicate. They will keep best in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
To bake the potatoes, they can be scrubbed placed right on the oven rack and baked at 425 degrees until a sharp knife can easily pierce the potato. For even more flavor, rub each potato with olive oil followed by salt. Top your baked potatoes with about anything you love, from butter or sour cream to bacon, hot sauce, cheese and other cooked veggies.
This week's potatoes will work perfectly for homemade hash browns. Shred the potatoes, along with one onion and, if you like, some cheese. Beat one egg and coat the shredded mixture. Season with pepper and mix in enough flour to coat the ingredients. Drop the mix by large spoonfuls in hot oil and carefully turn when browned on one side. When both sides are brown, place on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
Recipes:
Roasted Cajun Potatoes
Broccoli with Garlic and Soy Sauce
Dandelion Greens with Hot Olive Oil Dressing
Dilled Cucumber and Yogurt Salad
This Week’s Box
This week’s box has many of the “classic” vegetables that many of you have been waiting all
summer for. This week we picked a thousand pounds each of potatoes, summer squash and cucumbers. In addition we picked around 400 pounds of beans. This week will be the last week for a while that we will have salad mix. During the heat of summer, the salad mix is difficult to germinate and tends to get bitter quickly out in the field. So it goes on a little 3 week vacation and we should see some again by late August. The Regular and Heart of the Season shares will either be receiving a pepper, tomatoes, or eggplant. These plants are slowing coming into fruit. Every week for the next month there will be an increase of these items in the share boxes.This week’s activities—
Thursday we started harvesting 3 out of our 5 beds of garlic. It was definitely one of our biggest harvests of garlic ever. In particular, it seems that we have mastered our system of fertility with garlic to grow big heads. The first step in planting garlic is when we started preparing the field that the garlic grew in. This occurred last July when we planted buckwheat. Buckwheat is a cover crop that grows very quickly in the summer time. The buckwheat adds about 2-3 tons of organic matter per acre in as little time as 40 days. Buckwheat is also a phosphorus scavenger, making available this nutrient that would otherwise be unavailable to other crops such as garlic. Before the plant puts out flowers we then disc the crop down. By doing so, buckwheat releases these nutrients to other crops as the residue breaks down.The next step in the process of growing great garlic occurred last September when we tilled up the beds for garlic and then added compost. The garlic itself was planted the last week of September. The garlic seed that we used came in part from last year’s harvest as well as garlic seed bulbs that we purchased. We used to grow 8 varieties of garlic, but now have settled with just one variety called “Music” which does very well for us. It is important to get the timing of the planting of garlic right. Too early and the plants would put on greens in the fall which would then freeze out. Too late and the garlic does not put on enough root growth before the MN freeze sets in.We then mulch our garlic with alfalfa hay, placing about a foot layer of mulch on the beds. The mulch is especially important in those years where we have many subzero degree days and little snow. The mulch not only gives protection to the garlic from the cold but also keeps the soil temperature pretty consistent during warm autumns. During the fall and winter most of the garlic seed’s energy goes to root growth. Without the added layer of mulch the sun could warm up the soil too much, and the garlic would start to put on greens before winter which would then freeze out. This we do not want.
In April, right before the frost goes out of the ground we take the mulch off the garlic. Some people keep the mulch on, but we find that by taking it off sooner, we “wake up” the garlic earlier. With the mulch off, the sunny days of spring have a chance to warm up the soil sooner. With the mulch off we also have an opportunity to cultivate the garlic.
The spring is the time when the garlic’s energy goes to the greens of the plant. During this time we want to do as much as possible to care for these greens and make them get bigger. First and foremost this means keeping the weeds down by cultivating and hand weeding so that the plants aren’t competing for nutrients. We also add additional compost in the spring to the beds of garlic and we try to foilage feed the greens with a fish emulsion biweekly. In addition, it is crucial that garlic receives ample amount of water every week.
By early June we start reaping the benefits of our work. This comes in the form of the garlic scapes which you all received in your boxes earlier in the season. We “pop” these stems off before they have a chance to put out a false seed head. By doing so, the energy of the plant focuses its attention to the bulbs underground, sizing up to a marketable size.
From June until July we do very little with our crop of garlic. If we get a chance we will do additional weeding. However, many years we just do not have time and some of the weeds start growing. At this point in the plant’s growth the weeds have very little affect on the yield of the garlic. We wait until about 2/3 of the leaves of the garlic plant are brown before starting our harvest. The leaves on the top of the plant correspond with the skins on the bulb, and we need enough of the skins to be fully dry so that the garlic will store well for the winter.
We harvest our garlic by first coming in with an “under-cutter” which uproots the crops, enabling the plants to be easier to pull. We then scrape off the extra clumps of dirt which hang on the roots. The garlic plants will cure with the greens on for the next 3 weeks in our green house. This enables for the greens to fully die and so when we cut off the greens there is not an open wound that can become a vector for disease.This week our members will get a taste (a bulb or two) of garlic. The garlic may also find its way into the regular CSA boxes later in the season. However, the bulk of our garlic will be going to our Fall Storage shares. I hope after you taste this garlic it will give you incentive to become a member of our fall storage shares. Please go to http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/members/updatemembership
Storage and Frozen Shares:
Now is the season that we are making plans for our Storage Share and Frozen Winter shares. The Storage Shares are a FANTASTIC bargain. You get a significant amount of produce for a very good value. If you are already a member to our regular CSA season just go to http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/members/updatemembership to sign up. If not, go to http://www.ploughsharefarm
We have a limited number of Storage and Frozen Winter shares available. You should reserve yours ASAP.
Fall Storage Share
This share will supply all the fall storage vegetables that your family will need for the months of October, November and December. We will deliver these shares October 15th, November 12th and December 10th. Each delivery will include 50-75 pounds of produce including potatoes, of carrots, onions, winter squash, cabbage, kale leeks, daikon radishes, beets, celeriac, rutabaga, turnips, brussels sprouts, garlic, and pie pumpkins.
These shares are a great option for saving money on meals especially during the holiday seasons. Most of these vegetables keep very well just in a heated garage (just above freezing) or a cool basement.
The price for the fall share is:
$278 for metro members
$231.75 for rural site members
There is a 3% discount for paying by check (use coupon code 4565)
Reminder:
If you sent a postdated check for the remainder of your share this will be cashed on August 1st. To check the current balance of your account go to http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/members/statusemail
Note: The August 1st, postdated checks will not yet be noted in our system.
Reminder: Ploughshare Farm is on Facebook. Become a “Fan” of Ploughshare Farm by going here. It’s a great way to catch additional pictures of the farm and the crew. We also list the vegetables (approximately) you will be receiving on the Monday before delivery. Suggest to your friends to become fans as well so that together we can help promote Ploughshare Farm.
Cookbooks
We highly recommend the cookbook, "From Asparagus to Zucchini" put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition. It gives essential tips on how to use many of the typical vegetables you will be receiving in our CSA. I have gone ahead and ordered 75 of these books (even though only 30 of you bought one in advance). I hope they will be in for the next delivery. Go to our website to order online and receive yours. : http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312 $18). At that time we will submit our order to the publisher and should receive copies in early July.T-Shirts
We would like to get another order of Ploughshare Farm T-shirts. You can preorder your shirt at http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312Show the world that you are a Ploughshare CSA Member with this originally designed T-shirt. Made with Certified Organic cotton.
On the front: Ploughshare Logo
On th
e back: The act of putting into your mouth what the Earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the Earth." Francis Moore Lappe (Author of "Diet for a Small Planet")Garlic
One of the most versatile and useful vegetables for amateur and professional cooks all over the world is garlic. With a taste that changes based on if or how it is cooked, garlic adds a wonderful aroma and flavor to dishes of all kinds. Store your garlic in a dark cool and dry spot and use before the head becomes soft and shriveled.
If you are using
more than a few cloves of garlic, you can make the peeling process easier by parboiling the cloves. Just simmer in enough water to cover the cloves for about 30 seconds and the skin will become loose, making peeling a cinch. For a clove or two, use the flat side of a chef's knife to smash the clove and the peel will be less work to remove. If you are roasting a whole head of garlic, peel the cloves after they have been roasted. When cooking garlic, remember that once it begins to brown, the taste will turn bitter. Gently simmer in oil until it is darker in color and tender. Roasted garlic will get very tender and produce a lovely sweet taste. To roast, remove the loose papery outside of the head and cut off the pointed end. Cute enough of the head to expose a bit of each clove. Drizzle oil and sprinkle salt on the cut end. Line a small baking dish with tinfoil, place the garlic, cut side up, in the dish and cover with foil. Bake until soft (at least 40 minutes). The roasted garlic will make a great addition to any sauce or soup, pizza, gravy, or dressing. Or just spread it on toasted bread.
Lastly, if you love garlic but hate the odor it leaves on your hands, just rinse them and rub your fingers on any stainless steel surface (like your faucet or sink) and the smell will disappear!
Potatoes
A staple on most American tables, potatoes are a hearty and familiar part of breakfast, lunch and dinner. The variety this week is Yukon Gold, a classic all-purpose potato that tastes great mashed, fried, baked or anytime you want a starchy potato that doesn't fall apart too easily. The term “new potatoes” refers to potatoes dug before the plants have fully died. The skins of the potatoes are much more delicate. They will keep best in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. To bake the potatoes, they can be scrubbed placed right on the oven rack and baked at 425 degrees until a sharp knife can easily pierce the potato. For even more flavor, rub each potato with olive oil followed by salt. Top your baked potatoes with about anything you love, from butter or sour cream to bacon, hot sauce, cheese and other cooked veggies. This week's potatoes will work perfectly for homemade hash browns. Shred the potatoes, along with one onion and, if you like, some cheese. Beat one egg and coat the shredded mixture. Season with pepper and mix in enough flour to coat the ingredients. Drop the mix by large spoonfuls in hot oil and carefully turn when browned on one side. When both sides are brown, place on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
Recipes:
Roasted Cajun Potatoes
Broccoli with Garlic and Soy Sauce
Dandelion Greens with Hot Olive Oil Dressing
Dilled Cucumber and Yogurt Salad
Posted 7/29/2010 11:30am by Gary Brever.
Harvest Week 9 - July 29, 2010
| This Week's Share * Garlic * Beans * Carrots * Potatoes * Salad Mix * Cilantro * Cucumbers * Broccoli * Dill * Onions * Zucchini * Cabbage (regular and heart of the season shares) * Dandelion Greens (regular and heart of the season shares) * Eggplant, tomatoes or peppers (regular and heart of the season shares) |
|
A note from your farmer...
This Week’s Box
This week’s box has many of the “classic” vegetables that many of you have been waiting allsummer for. This week we picked a thousand pounds each of potatoes, summer squash and cucumbers. In addition we picked around 400 pounds of beans. This week will be the last week for a while that we will have salad mix. During the heat of summer, the salad mix is difficult to germinate and tends to get bitter quickly out in the field. So it goes on a little 3 week vacation and we should see some again by late August. The Regular and Heart of the Season shares will either be receiving a pepper, tomatoes, or eggplant. These plants are slowing coming into fruit. Every week for the next month there will be an increase of these items in the share boxes.
This week’s activities—
Thursday we started harvesting 3 out of our 5 beds of garlic. It was definitely one of our biggest harvests of garlic ever. In particular, it seems that we have mastered our system of fertility with garlic to grow big heads. The first step in planting garlic is when we started preparing the field that the garlic grew in. This occurred last July when we planted buckwheat. Buckwheat is a cover crop that grows very quickly in the summer time. The buckwheat adds about 2-3 tons of organic matter per acre in as little time as 40 days. Buckwheat is also a phosphorus scavenger, making available this nutrient that would otherwise be unavailable to other crops such as garlic. Before the plant puts out flowers we then disc the crop down. By doing so, buckwheat releases these nutrients to other crops as the residue breaks down.
The next step in the process of growing great garlic occurred last September when we tilled up the beds for garlic and then added compost. The garlic itself was planted the last week of September. The garlic seed that we used came in part from last year’s harvest as well as garlic seed bulbs that we purchased. We used to grow 8 varieties of garlic, but now have settled with just one variety called “Music” which does very well for us. It is important to get the timing of the planting of garlic right. Too early and the plants would put on greens in the fall which would then freeze out. Too late and the garlic does not put on enough root growth before the MN freeze sets in.
We then mulch our garlic with alfalfa hay, placing about a foot layer of mulch on the beds. The mulch is especially important in those years where we have many subzero degree days and little snow. The mulch not only gives protection to the garlic from the cold but also keeps the soil temperature pretty consistent during warm autumns. During the fall and winter most of the garlic seed’s energy goes to root growth. Without the added layer of mulch the sun could warm up the soil too much, and the garlic would start to put on greens before winter which would then freeze out. This we do not want.
In April, right before the frost goes out of the ground we take the mulch off the garlic. Some people keep the mulch on, but we find that by taking it off sooner, we “wake up” the garlic earlier. With the mulch off, the sunny days of spring have a chance to warm up the soil sooner. With the mulch off we also have an opportunity to cultivate the garlic.
The spring is the time when the garlic’s energy goes to the greens of the plant. During this time we want to do as much as possible to care for these greens and make them get bigger. First and foremost this means keeping the weeds down by cultivating and hand weeding so that the plants aren’t competing for nutrients. We also add additional compost in the spring to the beds of garlic and we try to foilage feed the greens with a fish emulsion biweekly. In addition, it is crucial that garlic receives ample amount of water every week.
By early June we start reaping the benefits of our work. This comes in the form of the garlic scapes which you all received in your boxes earlier in the season. We “pop” these stems off before they have a chance to put out a false seed head. By doing so, the energy of the plant focuses its attention to the bulbs underground, sizing up to a marketable size.
From June until July we do very little with our crop of garlic. If we get a chance we will do additional weeding. However, many years we just do not have time and some of the weeds start growing. At this point in the plant’s growth the weeds have very little affect on the yield of the garlic. We wait until about 2/3 of the leaves of the garlic plant are brown before starting our harvest. The leaves on the top of the plant correspond with the skins on the bulb, and we need enough of the skins to be fully dry so that the garlic will store well for the winter.
We harvest our garlic by first coming in with an “under-cutter” which uproots the crops, enabling the plants to be easier to pull. We then scrape off the extra clumps of dirt which hang on the roots. The garlic plants will cure with the greens on for the next 3 weeks in our green house. This enables for the greens to fully die and so when we cut off the greens there is not an open wound that can become a vector for disease.
This week our members will get a taste (a bulb or two) of garlic. The garlic may also find its way into the regular CSA boxes later in the season. However, the bulk of our garlic will be going to our Fall Storage shares. I hope after you taste this garlic it will give you incentive to become a member of our fall storage shares. Please go to http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/members/updatemembership
Storage and Frozen Shares:
Now is the season that we are making plans for our Storage Share and Frozen Winter shares. The Storage Shares are a FANTASTIC bargain. You get a significant amount of produce for a very good value. If you are already a member to our regular CSA season just go to http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/members/updatemembership to sign up. If not, go to http://www.ploughsharefarm
We have a limited number of Storage and Frozen Winter shares available. You should reserve yours ASAP.
Fall Storage Share
This share will supply all the fall storage vegetables that your family will need for the months of October, November and December. We will deliver these shares October 15th, November 12th and December 10th. Each delivery will include 50-75 pounds of produce including potatoes, of carrots, onions, winter squash, cabbage, kale leeks, daikon radishes, beets, celeriac, rutabaga, turnips, brussels sprouts, garlic, and pie pumpkins.
These shares are a great option for saving money on meals especially during the holiday seasons. Most of these vegetables keep very well just in a heated garage (just above freezing) or a cool basement.
The price for the fall share is:
$278 for metro members
$231.75 for rural site members
There is a 3% discount for paying by check (use coupon code 4565)
Reminder:
If you sent a postdated check for the remainder of your share this will be cashed on August 1st. To check the current balance of your account go to http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/members/statusemail
Note: The August 1st, postdated checks will not yet be noted in our system.
Facebook
Reminder: Ploughshare Farm is on Facebook. Become a “Fan” of Ploughshare Farm by going here.
It’s a great way to catch additional pictures of the farm and the crew. We also list the vegetables (approximately) you will be receiving on the Monday before delivery. Suggest to your friends to become fans as well so that together we can help promote Ploughshare Farm.
Cookbooks
We highly recommend the cookbook, "From Asparagus to Zucchini" put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition. It gives essential tips on how to use many of the typical vegetables you will be receiving in our CSA. I have gone ahead and ordered 75 of these books (even though only 30 of you bought one in advance). I hope they will be in for the next delivery. Go to our website to order online and receive yours. : http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312 $18). At that time we will submit our order to the publisher and should receive copies in early July.
T-Shirts
We would like to get another order of Ploughshare Farm T-shirts. You can preorder your shirt at http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312
Show the world that you are a Ploughshare CSA Member with this originally designed T-shirt. Made with Certified Organic cotton.
On the front: Ploughshare Logo
On the back: The act of putting into your mouth what the Earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the Earth." Francis Moore Lappe (Author of "Diet for a Small Planet")
Garlic
One of the most versatile and useful vegetables for amateur and professional cooks all over the world is garlic. With a taste that changes based on if or how it is cooked, garlic adds a wonderful aroma and flavor to dishes of all kinds. Store your garlic in a dark cool and dry spot and use before the head becomes soft and shriveled.
If you are using more than a few cloves of garlic, you can make the peeling process easier by parboiling the cloves. Just simmer in enough water to cover the cloves for about 30 seconds and the skin will become loose, making peeling a cinch. For a clove or two, use the flat side of a chef's knife to smash the clove and the peel will be less work to remove. If you are roasting a whole head of garlic, peel the cloves after they have been roasted.
When cooking garlic, remember that once it begins to brown, the taste will turn bitter. Gently simmer in oil until it is darker in color and tender. Roasted garlic will get very tender and produce a lovely sweet taste. To roast, remove the loose papery outside of the head and cut off the pointed end. Cute enough of the head to expose a bit of each clove. Drizzle oil and sprinkle salt on the cut end. Line a small baking dish with tinfoil, place the garlic, cut side up, in the dish and cover with foil. Bake until soft (at least 40 minutes). The roasted garlic will make a great addition to any sauce or soup, pizza, gravy, or dressing. Or just spread it on toasted bread.
Lastly, if you love garlic but hate the odor it leaves on your hands, just rinse them and rub your fingers on any stainless steel surface (like your faucet or sink) and the smell will disappear!
Potatoes
A staple on most American tables, potatoes are a hearty and familiar part of breakfast, lunch and dinner. The variety this week is Yukon Gold, a classic all-purpose potato that tastes great mashed, fried, baked or anytime you want a starchy potato that doesn't fall apart too easily. The term “new potatoes” refers to potatoes dug before the plants have fully died. The skins of the potatoes are much more delicate. They will keep best in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
To bake the potatoes, they can be scrubbed placed right on the oven rack and baked at 425 degrees until a sharp knife can easily pierce the potato. For even more flavor, rub each potato with olive oil followed by salt. Top your baked potatoes with about anything you love, from butter or sour cream to bacon, hot sauce, cheese and other cooked veggies.
This week's potatoes will work perfectly for homemade hash browns. Shred the potatoes, along with one onion and, if you like, some cheese. Beat one egg and coat the shredded mixture. Season with pepper and mix in enough flour to coat the ingredients. Drop the mix by large spoonfuls in hot oil and carefully turn when browned on one side. When both sides are brown, place on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
Recipes:
Roasted Cajun Potatoes
Broccoli with Garlic and Soy Sauce
Dandelion Greens with Hot Olive Oil Dressing
Dilled Cucumber and Yogurt Salad
This Week’s Box
This week’s box has many of the “classic” vegetables that many of you have been waiting all
summer for. This week we picked a thousand pounds each of potatoes, summer squash and cucumbers. In addition we picked around 400 pounds of beans. This week will be the last week for a while that we will have salad mix. During the heat of summer, the salad mix is difficult to germinate and tends to get bitter quickly out in the field. So it goes on a little 3 week vacation and we should see some again by late August. The Regular and Heart of the Season shares will either be receiving a pepper, tomatoes, or eggplant. These plants are slowing coming into fruit. Every week for the next month there will be an increase of these items in the share boxes.This week’s activities—
Thursday we started harvesting 3 out of our 5 beds of garlic. It was definitely one of our biggest harvests of garlic ever. In particular, it seems that we have mastered our system of fertility with garlic to grow big heads. The first step in planting garlic is when we started preparing the field that the garlic grew in. This occurred last July when we planted buckwheat. Buckwheat is a cover crop that grows very quickly in the summer time. The buckwheat adds about 2-3 tons of organic matter per acre in as little time as 40 days. Buckwheat is also a phosphorus scavenger, making available this nutrient that would otherwise be unavailable to other crops such as garlic. Before the plant puts out flowers we then disc the crop down. By doing so, buckwheat releases these nutrients to other crops as the residue breaks down.The next step in the process of growing great garlic occurred last September when we tilled up the beds for garlic and then added compost. The garlic itself was planted the last week of September. The garlic seed that we used came in part from last year’s harvest as well as garlic seed bulbs that we purchased. We used to grow 8 varieties of garlic, but now have settled with just one variety called “Music” which does very well for us. It is important to get the timing of the planting of garlic right. Too early and the plants would put on greens in the fall which would then freeze out. Too late and the garlic does not put on enough root growth before the MN freeze sets in.We then mulch our garlic with alfalfa hay, placing about a foot layer of mulch on the beds. The mulch is especially important in those years where we have many subzero degree days and little snow. The mulch not only gives protection to the garlic from the cold but also keeps the soil temperature pretty consistent during warm autumns. During the fall and winter most of the garlic seed’s energy goes to root growth. Without the added layer of mulch the sun could warm up the soil too much, and the garlic would start to put on greens before winter which would then freeze out. This we do not want.
In April, right before the frost goes out of the ground we take the mulch off the garlic. Some people keep the mulch on, but we find that by taking it off sooner, we “wake up” the garlic earlier. With the mulch off, the sunny days of spring have a chance to warm up the soil sooner. With the mulch off we also have an opportunity to cultivate the garlic.
The spring is the time when the garlic’s energy goes to the greens of the plant. During this time we want to do as much as possible to care for these greens and make them get bigger. First and foremost this means keeping the weeds down by cultivating and hand weeding so that the plants aren’t competing for nutrients. We also add additional compost in the spring to the beds of garlic and we try to foilage feed the greens with a fish emulsion biweekly. In addition, it is crucial that garlic receives ample amount of water every week.
By early June we start reaping the benefits of our work. This comes in the form of the garlic scapes which you all received in your boxes earlier in the season. We “pop” these stems off before they have a chance to put out a false seed head. By doing so, the energy of the plant focuses its attention to the bulbs underground, sizing up to a marketable size.
From June until July we do very little with our crop of garlic. If we get a chance we will do additional weeding. However, many years we just do not have time and some of the weeds start growing. At this point in the plant’s growth the weeds have very little affect on the yield of the garlic. We wait until about 2/3 of the leaves of the garlic plant are brown before starting our harvest. The leaves on the top of the plant correspond with the skins on the bulb, and we need enough of the skins to be fully dry so that the garlic will store well for the winter.
We harvest our garlic by first coming in with an “under-cutter” which uproots the crops, enabling the plants to be easier to pull. We then scrape off the extra clumps of dirt which hang on the roots. The garlic plants will cure with the greens on for the next 3 weeks in our green house. This enables for the greens to fully die and so when we cut off the greens there is not an open wound that can become a vector for disease.This week our members will get a taste (a bulb or two) of garlic. The garlic may also find its way into the regular CSA boxes later in the season. However, the bulk of our garlic will be going to our Fall Storage shares. I hope after you taste this garlic it will give you incentive to become a member of our fall storage shares. Please go to http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/members/updatemembership
Storage and Frozen Shares:
Now is the season that we are making plans for our Storage Share and Frozen Winter shares. The Storage Shares are a FANTASTIC bargain. You get a significant amount of produce for a very good value. If you are already a member to our regular CSA season just go to http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/members/updatemembership to sign up. If not, go to http://www.ploughsharefarm
We have a limited number of Storage and Frozen Winter shares available. You should reserve yours ASAP.
Fall Storage Share
This share will supply all the fall storage vegetables that your family will need for the months of October, November and December. We will deliver these shares October 15th, November 12th and December 10th. Each delivery will include 50-75 pounds of produce including potatoes, of carrots, onions, winter squash, cabbage, kale leeks, daikon radishes, beets, celeriac, rutabaga, turnips, brussels sprouts, garlic, and pie pumpkins.
These shares are a great option for saving money on meals especially during the holiday seasons. Most of these vegetables keep very well just in a heated garage (just above freezing) or a cool basement.
The price for the fall share is:
$278 for metro members
$231.75 for rural site members
There is a 3% discount for paying by check (use coupon code 4565)
Reminder:
If you sent a postdated check for the remainder of your share this will be cashed on August 1st. To check the current balance of your account go to http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/members/statusemail
Note: The August 1st, postdated checks will not yet be noted in our system.
Reminder: Ploughshare Farm is on Facebook. Become a “Fan” of Ploughshare Farm by going here. It’s a great way to catch additional pictures of the farm and the crew. We also list the vegetables (approximately) you will be receiving on the Monday before delivery. Suggest to your friends to become fans as well so that together we can help promote Ploughshare Farm.
Cookbooks
We highly recommend the cookbook, "From Asparagus to Zucchini" put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition. It gives essential tips on how to use many of the typical vegetables you will be receiving in our CSA. I have gone ahead and ordered 75 of these books (even though only 30 of you bought one in advance). I hope they will be in for the next delivery. Go to our website to order online and receive yours. : http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312 $18). At that time we will submit our order to the publisher and should receive copies in early July.T-Shirts
We would like to get another order of Ploughshare Farm T-shirts. You can preorder your shirt at http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312Show the world that you are a Ploughshare CSA Member with this originally designed T-shirt. Made with Certified Organic cotton.
On the front: Ploughshare Logo
On th
e back: The act of putting into your mouth what the Earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the Earth." Francis Moore Lappe (Author of "Diet for a Small Planet")Garlic
One of the most versatile and useful vegetables for amateur and professional cooks all over the world is garlic. With a taste that changes based on if or how it is cooked, garlic adds a wonderful aroma and flavor to dishes of all kinds. Store your garlic in a dark cool and dry spot and use before the head becomes soft and shriveled.
If you are using
more than a few cloves of garlic, you can make the peeling process easier by parboiling the cloves. Just simmer in enough water to cover the cloves for about 30 seconds and the skin will become loose, making peeling a cinch. For a clove or two, use the flat side of a chef's knife to smash the clove and the peel will be less work to remove. If you are roasting a whole head of garlic, peel the cloves after they have been roasted. When cooking garlic, remember that once it begins to brown, the taste will turn bitter. Gently simmer in oil until it is darker in color and tender. Roasted garlic will get very tender and produce a lovely sweet taste. To roast, remove the loose papery outside of the head and cut off the pointed end. Cute enough of the head to expose a bit of each clove. Drizzle oil and sprinkle salt on the cut end. Line a small baking dish with tinfoil, place the garlic, cut side up, in the dish and cover with foil. Bake until soft (at least 40 minutes). The roasted garlic will make a great addition to any sauce or soup, pizza, gravy, or dressing. Or just spread it on toasted bread.
Lastly, if you love garlic but hate the odor it leaves on your hands, just rinse them and rub your fingers on any stainless steel surface (like your faucet or sink) and the smell will disappear!
Potatoes
A staple on most American tables, potatoes are a hearty and familiar part of breakfast, lunch and dinner. The variety this week is Yukon Gold, a classic all-purpose potato that tastes great mashed, fried, baked or anytime you want a starchy potato that doesn't fall apart too easily. The term “new potatoes” refers to potatoes dug before the plants have fully died. The skins of the potatoes are much more delicate. They will keep best in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. To bake the potatoes, they can be scrubbed placed right on the oven rack and baked at 425 degrees until a sharp knife can easily pierce the potato. For even more flavor, rub each potato with olive oil followed by salt. Top your baked potatoes with about anything you love, from butter or sour cream to bacon, hot sauce, cheese and other cooked veggies. This week's potatoes will work perfectly for homemade hash browns. Shred the potatoes, along with one onion and, if you like, some cheese. Beat one egg and coat the shredded mixture. Season with pepper and mix in enough flour to coat the ingredients. Drop the mix by large spoonfuls in hot oil and carefully turn when browned on one side. When both sides are brown, place on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
Recipes:
Roasted Cajun Potatoes
Broccoli with Garlic and Soy Sauce
Dandelion Greens with Hot Olive Oil Dressing
Dilled Cucumber and Yogurt Salad
Posted 7/22/2010 3:16pm by Gary Brever.
Harvest Week 8 - July 22, 2010
| This Week's Share * Cauliflower (in some shares) * Beans * Carrots * Fennel (full shares only) * Chard * Salad Mix (full shares only) * Romaine (full shares only) * Broccoli * Scallions * Basil * Parsley * Marjoram * Summer Squash * Cucumbers (most but not all shares) |
|
A Note From Your Farmer....
This Week’s Box
This is the beginning of the “Heart of the Season” shares. To those that have just joined our CSA for this type of share box, WELCOME! This time of year, many of the fruiting parts of the plants are coming on strong. In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds. In this week’s box these include the cucumbers, summer squash and beans. For this past week these crops have been going like gangbusters and we could be out in these patches every day picking to ensure that they do not get too big. I do believe if you would sit in our summer squash patch for the day that you could LITERALLY watch these fruits grow. It’s amazing really, how much power the sun has this time of year to bring forth new life.
This being said, this past week the beans kind of got away from us a bit. We realize that folks like them a bit smaller so that they can just have them to snack on the way home. They were not quite ready at picking time for last week’s share box and by the time we got to them they were already on the big side. The positive part of this is that you get more beans in your share (a pound and a half for large shares). Even though they are on the large size they still are tasty when cooked. Try some roasted with garlic and butter….maybe a bit of ginger and lemon juice too. Mmmmmm.
This week’s activities—
Picking, picking picking…
My interns know how fond I am of my bell curve graphs. These graphs I use to describe the amount of work spent doing on our main work out here at the farm. The spring shows a peak of planting activities, and June and early July shows a focus on weeding activities. This time of year through the first freeze most of the energy of the farm is spent on gathering up the harvest. In a typical year we will harvest well over 250,000 pounds of food over the course of the season, each week filling our refrigerator truck to the brim. This leads to some long days of harvesting and packing. Last night for instance the crew and I did not finish with the loading of all the boxes into the refrigerator truck until about 10 pm.
My interns know how fond I am of my bell curve graphs. These graphs I use to describe the amount of work spent doing on our main work out here at the farm. The spring shows a peak of planting activities, and June and early July shows a focus on weeding activities. This time of year through the first freeze most of the energy of the farm is spent on gathering up the harvest. In a typical year we will harvest well over 250,000 pounds of food over the course of the season, each week filling our refrigerator truck to the brim. This leads to some long days of harvesting and packing. Last night for instance the crew and I did not finish with the loading of all the boxes into the refrigerator truck until about 10 pm.
If the weather cooperates today, I hope to be harvesting garlic. This y
ear’s harvest looks like a good one with large bulbs and consistent production on all of our beds. Some of the garlic will go in next week’s share box which will be ready for you to use right away. Much of the rest will be cured in our greenhouse for about three weeks, drying the stem completely before we cut and clean the bulbs.
Lunches
Thank you Jill and Josie for coming out and cooking lunch for the crew last Friday.
It was a wonderful feast and a GREAT way to show your support to the many hands that are growing your food for you.
Storage and Frozen Shares:
Now is the season that we are making plans for our Storage Share and (you can also order a frozen share as well). Talk to most anyone who received a Storage Share in previous seasons and they will tell you what a great bargain these shares are. You get a significant amount of produce for a very good value.
Email me directly in order to order a share. gjbrever@midwestinfo.net
Fall Storage Share
This share will supply all the fall storage vegetables that your family will need for the months of October, November and December. We will deliver these shares October 15th, November 12th and December 10th. Each delivery will include 50-75 pounds of produce including potatoes, of carrots, onions, winter squash, cabbage, kale leeks, daikon radishes, beets, celeriac, rutabaga, turnips, brussels sprouts, garlic, and pie pumpkins.
These shares are a great option for saving money on meals especially during the holiday seasons. Most of these vegetables keep very well just in a heated garage (just above freezing) or a cool basement.
The price for the fall share is:
$278 for metro members
$231.75 for rural site members
There is a 3% discount for paying by check (use coupon code 4565)
Facebook
Reminder: Ploughshare Farm is on Facebook. Become a “Fan” of Ploughshare Farm by going here.
It’s a great way to catch additional pictures of the farm and the crew. We also list the vegetables (approximately) you will be receiving on the Monday before delivery. Suggest to your friends to become fans as well so that together we can help promote Ploughshare Farm.
Cookbooks
We highly recommend the cookbook, "From Asparagus to Zucchini" put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition. It gives essential tips on how to use many of the typical vegetables you will be receiving in our CSA. I have gone ahead and ordered 75 of these books (even though only 30 of you bought one in advance). I hope they will be in for the next delivery. Go to our website to order online and receive yours. : http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312 $18). At that time we will submit our order to the publisher and should receive copies in early July.
T-Shirts
We would like to get another order of Ploughshare Farm T-shirts. You can preorder your shirt at http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312
Show the world that you are a Ploughshare CSA Member with this originally designed T-shirt. Made with Certified Organic cotton.
On the front: Ploughshare Logo
On the back: The act of putting into your mouth what the Earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the Earth." Francis Moore Lappe (Author of "Diet for a Small Planet")
Carrots
Delicious raw or cooked, carrots are commonly found in our fridges, but it only takes one bite to taste the difference between a locally grown organic carrot and the ones that come in a plastic bag at your grocers. Kids and adults love the sweet crispness of fresh from the garden, served with a favorite dip, or as a tasty dinner side dish.
Store your carrots loosely wrapped in plastic in your refrigerator, with the greens removed to save room in the veggie drawer, and they will keep for a couple of weeks. For the most nutritional value, wash but don't peel your carrots before eating, except to remove damaged parts. If you want to cook your carrots, try lightly steaming, braising and glazing or roasting. Carrots taste great with a glaze of orange and ginger, balsamic vinegar and garlic, or maple syrup.
Beans
Beans are a fresh addition to your table, and offer many nutritional benefits, thanks to their high vitamin A, B1, B2, calcium and potassium content. So beans should be enjoyed often, which is easy considering how great they taste.
Your beans should be stored in the fridge in a plastic bag and are best used within a few days. Before using, the strings and the stems should be removed and they should be thoroughly washed. Perfect for a stir fry, steamed, or simmered, beans need only be cooked until they brighten in color and are tender.
A simple preparation for beans is to just slow cook them in a large saucpan with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped, peeled and seeded tomato, 1/2 cup water, a squeeze of lemon juice and salt salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for one hour, checking periodically and adding water if necessary to keep it moist. Top with a bit more oil and lemon juice. Additions to this delicious dish could be bacon, pears, or anything else you may want to get creative with.
ear’s harvest looks like a good one with large bulbs and consistent production on all of our beds. Some of the garlic will go in next week’s share box which will be ready for you to use right away. Much of the rest will be cured in our greenhouse for about three weeks, drying the stem completely before we cut and clean the bulbs. Lunches
Thank you Jill and Josie for coming out and cooking lunch for the crew last Friday.
It was a wonderful feast and a GREAT way to show your support to the many hands that are growing your food for you.
Storage and Frozen Shares:
Now is the season that we are making plans for our Storage Share and (you can also order a frozen share as well). Talk to most anyone who received a Storage Share in previous seasons and they will tell you what a great bargain these shares are. You get a significant amount of produce for a very good value.
Email me directly in order to order a share. gjbrever@midwestinfo.net
Fall Storage Share
This share will supply all the fall storage vegetables that your family will need for the months of October, November and December. We will deliver these shares October 15th, November 12th and December 10th. Each delivery will include 50-75 pounds of produce including potatoes, of carrots, onions, winter squash, cabbage, kale leeks, daikon radishes, beets, celeriac, rutabaga, turnips, brussels sprouts, garlic, and pie pumpkins.
These shares are a great option for saving money on meals especially during the holiday seasons. Most of these vegetables keep very well just in a heated garage (just above freezing) or a cool basement.
The price for the fall share is:
$278 for metro members
$231.75 for rural site members
There is a 3% discount for paying by check (use coupon code 4565)
Reminder: Ploughshare Farm is on Facebook. Become a “Fan” of Ploughshare Farm by going here. It’s a great way to catch additional pictures of the farm and the crew. We also list the vegetables (approximately) you will be receiving on the Monday before delivery. Suggest to your friends to become fans as well so that together we can help promote Ploughshare Farm.
Cookbooks
We highly recommend the cookbook, "From Asparagus to Zucchini" put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition. It gives essential tips on how to use many of the typical vegetables you will be receiving in our CSA. I have gone ahead and ordered 75 of these books (even though only 30 of you bought one in advance). I hope they will be in for the next delivery. Go to our website to order online and receive yours. : http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312 $18). At that time we will submit our order to the publisher and should receive copies in early July.T-Shirts
We would like to get another order of Ploughshare Farm T-shirts. You can preorder your shirt at http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312Show the world that you are a Ploughshare CSA Member with this originally designed T-shirt. Made with Certified Organic cotton.
On the front: Ploughshare Logo
On th
e back: The act of putting into your mouth what the Earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the Earth." Francis Moore Lappe (Author of "Diet for a Small Planet")Carrots
Delicious raw or cooked, carrots are commonly found in our fridges, but it only takes one bite to taste the difference between a locally grown organic carrot and the ones that come in a plastic bag at your grocers. Kids and adults love the sweet crispness of fresh from the garden, served with a favorite dip, or as a tasty dinner side dish.Store your carrots loosely wrapped in plastic in your refrigerator, with the greens removed to save room in the veggie drawer, and they will keep for a couple of weeks. For the most nutritional value, wash but don't peel your carrots before eating, except to remove damaged parts. If you want to cook your carrots, try lightly steaming, braising and glazing or roasting. Carrots taste great with a glaze of orange and ginger, balsamic vinegar and garlic, or maple syrup.
Beans
Beans are a fresh addition to your table, and offer many nutritional benefits, thanks to their high vitamin A, B1, B2, calcium and potassium content. So beans should be enjoyed often, which is easy considering how great they taste.Your beans should be stored in the fridge in a plastic bag and are best used within a few days. Before using, the strings and the stems should be removed and they should be thoroughly washed. Perfect for a stir fry, steamed, or simmered, beans need only be cooked until they brighten in color and are tender.
A simple preparation for beans is to just slow cook them in a large saucpan with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped, peeled and seeded tomato, 1/2 cup water, a squeeze of lemon juice and salt salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for one hour, checking periodically and adding water if necessary to keep it moist. Top with a bit more oil and lemon juice. Additions to this delicious dish could be bacon, pears, or anything else you may want to get creative with.
Posted 7/15/2010 10:46am by Gary Brever.
Harvest Week 7 - July 15, 2010
| This Week's Share * Cabbage (savoy, green or red) * Cauliflower * Cilantro * Fennel * Dill * Salad Mix * Green Romaine * Butterhead Lettuce * Summer Squash * Scallions * Basil * Beets * Kale (Full shares only) * Cucumbers (most but not all shares) |
|
A Note From Your Farmer...
This week's box
Now is the time of year when it starts to get really fun trying to decide what we will pick to go in the box. Part of the decision of what goes in the box derives from what is ready to be harvested in a particular week of course. Tomatoes, for instance, will not be ready to go in everyone’s box for another couple weeks (though 21 shares did receive cherry tomatoes this week). Part of the decision comes from what will not keep for another week (i.e.—lettuces just have a short period of time which they are harvestable especially during the heat of summer). Another factor that contributes to my choice of one vegetable over another is how much I think members will want over the course of the season. There are items, kale for instance, that we could put in the share boxes almost every week through out our season. The more we pick them, the more they produce. However, I know there is a balance between giving an abundance of certain item and giving too much. There are other items that we know we could harvest in a particular week but if they can keep for another week and the box is full we will do this. (We did not harvest carrots this week because I knew that they would get even larger if left in the ground for another week).Putting together what is in a box for a certain week requires a bit of experience in knowing what our members want, a bit of an art in wanting different colors, textures and flavors, and a bit of forecasting in predicting what the weather will be like for the next week.
This week’s activities
Last week was a productive week on the farm. We got the weeding done on the fall carrots, tomatoes, peppers, melons and eggplant. In addition, we were able to get all of our indeterminate tomatoes as well as cucumbers trellised. We also spent Saturday doing our final transplanting of cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, chard and other items that will be ready to harvest into September. There were roughly 20 beds of (each 3 rows, 250’ long) that were planted on Saturday and Monday. In addition to these activities, we spent many of our days harvesting. Our share members receive the bulk of what Ploughshare Farm grows. In addition, we realize that there is only so much of items such as beets, kale, lettuce, etc that can fit in our member’s boxes or that our members would actually want on a weekly basis. Plus we grow roughly 20 percent more vegetables than our 300 member CSA calls for. Because of this, Ploughshare Farm works with the Emergency Foodshelf Network to provide fresh vegetables for those that would otherwise be unable to afford it. This week for instance, we sent down over 900 lbs of food to EFN including kales, lettuces, and Napa cabbage. Part of the funding that makes this possible comes through share members who have donated to the “Harvest for the Hungry” Program. Included below is additional information about the program and a link to our website where you can donate.
Donate to Harvest for the Hungry
Harvest for the Hungry is a partnership with community supported agriculture (CSA) farms to provide fresh, locally-grown produce to Minnesota households facing hunger. We are asking donors and CSA members to help us purchase produce from Minnesota and Western Wisconsin farmers for local hunger relief. When contributing to Harvest for the Hungry, you support local growers and help us deliver fresh nutritious foods to the tables of hungry families who cannot often afford the luxury of fresh, locally-grown produce.
All produce collected through the Harvest for the Hungry program will be delivered to our network of food shelves, on-site meal programs and hunger relief agencies for free.
You can donate online at: http://ploughsharefarm.com/store/315
Storage and Frozen Shares:
Now is the season that we are making plans for our Storage Share and (you can also order a frozen share as well). Talk to most anyone who received a Storage Share in previous seasons and they will tell you what a great bargain these shares are. You get a significant amount of produce for a very good value.
Email me directly in order to order a share. gjbrever@midwestinfo.net
Fall Storage Share
This share will supply all the fall storage vegetables that your family will need for the months of October, November and December. We will deliver these shares October 15th, November 12th and December 10th. Each delivery will include 50-75 pounds of produce including potatoes, of carrots, onions, winter squash, cabbage, kale leeks, daikon radishes, beets, celeriac, rutabaga, turnips, brussels sprouts, garlic, and pie pumpkins. These shares are a great option for saving money on meals especially during the holiday seasons. Most of these vegetables keep very well just in a heated garage (just above freezing) or a cool basement.
The price for the fall share is:
$278 for metro members
$231.75 for rural site members
There is a 3% discount for paying by check (use coupon code 4565)
Facebook
Reminder: Ploughshare Farm is on Facebook. Become a “Fan” of Ploughshare Farm by going here.
It’s a great way to catch additional pictures of the farm and the crew. We also list the vegetables (approximately) you will be receiving on the Monday before delivery. Suggest to your friends to become fans as well so that together we can help promote Ploughshare Farm.
Cookbooks
We highly recommend the cookbook, "From Asparagus to Zucchini" put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition. It gives essential tips on how to use many of the typical vegetables you will be receiving in our CSA. I have gone ahead and ordered 75 of these books (even though only 30 of you bought one in advance). I hope they will be in for the next delivery. Go to our website to order online and receive yours. : http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312 $18). At that time we will submit our order to the publisher and should receive copies in early July.
T-Shirts
We would like to get another order of Ploughshare Farm T-shirts. You can preorder your shirt at http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312
Show the world that you are a Ploughshare CSA Member with this originally designed T-shirt. Made with Certified Organic cotton.
On the front: Ploughshare Logo
On the back: The act of putting into your mouth what the Earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the Earth." Francis Moore Lappe (Author of "Diet for a Small Planet")
From the interns...
In the great Kurosawa film, The Seven Samurai, “granddad” is the wisest man in the peasant village. When the frightened farmers ask him what they should do about the recent bandit raids, voicing their concerns about making tribute payments of grain and their eldest daughters, the old man cuts them off by saying “We’ll Fight!”. He tells them to find hungry samurai who will defend the peasants for no other payment than the food to feed their sword arms. They find seven. I am one of the seven this year at Ploughshare. And a CSA, like a peasant village in feudal Japan, has much to fear. There is the always certain uncertainty of weather, the threat of too little rain, too much rain, crop destroying winds and hail, below freezing temperatures, the organic foods market, and even bandits (we call them potato beetles). This morning looking out the window of the leaky trailer which I have called home since April, I saw the straight line winds blow rain across the barnyard and push the trees, raking leaves from their branches. But even in the wind and the rain I saw people. Running scared, yes, but going out to face the terror of the winds. They were my fellow samurai farmers, racing from one farm building to the next, gathering their rain gear, preparing for another day of harvest, fearful of the weather, the rain, the warnings of tornadoes, but planting each footstep on the earth, into the mud, each footstep a young cauliflower, always growing, despite all terror the heavens might try to smash it with, because it must grow. This is the way of the samurai farmer. To cling to the earth, and to fight.
- Max
Cabbage
This week you will find a head of savoy, green or red cabbage. Savoy has crinkly light green leaves and a mild flavor and the smooth-leaf green and red variations offer a more pronounced flavor. Regardless of which variation you received, keep your cabbage in the fridge and it wi
ll last for a couple of weeks. To prepare, remove the outer leaves and cut away the core. Rating it raw in salads is great as is a light stir fry, sauté or braise.
Use your cilantro this week to create the delicious cabbage slaw from the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition cookbook:
1 head cabbage, cored and quartered, sliced thin by hand or processor
1 pound carrot, peeled and chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon ancho chili powder
Toss all ingredients, let stand for 1 hour, toss again and serve as garnish for tacos, side dish for sandwiches or as a picnic salad.
Cauliflower
Providing us with valuable protein and minerals as well as vitamins A, B, C and E, the immature flower buds of the cauliflower give our whole system a healthy boost. Nutrients can be lost a bit with cooking, especially overcooking, so enjoy this tasty vague raw or lightly steamed, braised, glazed or roasted. Keep your cauliflower in the fridge loosely wrapped in plastic and use it up within a week or so.
To prepare, take off the outer leaves and if you like, separate the florets by cutting the florets from the core at the base. When cooking your cauliflower, only cook until tender enough to pierce with a knife. A simple steamed cauliflower tossed with some butter, olive oil, and/or lemon juice is as easy as it is delicious. Or for a really special addition to your cauliflower, try sautéing over medium heat: 1/4 c olive oil, a few chopped anchovy filets (or more if you love them), minced garlic, and some red pepper flakes. After about 5 minutes the anchovies will start to break up. Add steamed cauliflower (slightly underdone) and turn up the heat to high and cook a few minutes more until the cauliflower is coated with oil and heated all the way through. (From Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything)
Cilantro
One of the most distinctive herbs, is a member of the carrot family and is actually the leaves of the coriander plant. Used widely in Mexican, Carribean and Asian cooking, these leaves add a fresh and delicious dimension to cooked and raw foods. Unless of course you are one of the unlucky few for whom cilantro has a soapy taste. The belief is that these people have a genetic variation in the taste perception gene.
But for the rest of us, fresh cilantro is fantastic. Use it to make guacamole, top soups, tacos, salads, anything you can think of. For a simple and delicious guacamole, mash several avocados with a fork, add chopped cilantro, a small red onion and a squeeze of lime juice. Eat on chips, veggies, burgers, or just with a spoon.
Addional Recipes
Kelibasa and Cabbage
Ratatouille
Margharita Pizza
Sauteed Kale
Reminder: Ploughshare Farm is on Facebook. Become a “Fan” of Ploughshare Farm by going here. It’s a great way to catch additional pictures of the farm and the crew. We also list the vegetables (approximately) you will be receiving on the Monday before delivery. Suggest to your friends to become fans as well so that together we can help promote Ploughshare Farm.
Cookbooks
We highly recommend the cookbook, "From Asparagus to Zucchini" put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition. It gives essential tips on how to use many of the typical vegetables you will be receiving in our CSA. I have gone ahead and ordered 75 of these books (even though only 30 of you bought one in advance). I hope they will be in for the next delivery. Go to our website to order online and receive yours. : http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312 $18). At that time we will submit our order to the publisher and should receive copies in early July.T-Shirts
We would like to get another order of Ploughshare Farm T-shirts. You can preorder your shirt at http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312Show the world that you are a Ploughshare CSA Member with this originally designed T-shirt. Made with Certified Organic cotton.
On the front: Ploughshare Logo
On th
e back: The act of putting into your mouth what the Earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the Earth." Francis Moore Lappe (Author of "Diet for a Small Planet")From the interns...
In the great Kurosawa film, The Seven Samurai, “granddad” is the wisest man in the peasant village. When the frightened farmers ask him what they should do about the recent bandit raids, voicing their concerns about making tribute payments of grain and their eldest daughters, the old man cuts them off by saying “We’ll Fight!”. He tells them to find hungry samurai who will defend the peasants for no other payment than the food to feed their sword arms. They find seven. I am one of the seven this year at Ploughshare. And a CSA, like a peasant village in feudal Japan, has much to fear. There is the always certain uncertainty of weather, the threat of too little rain, too much rain, crop destroying winds and hail, below freezing temperatures, the organic foods market, and even bandits (we call them potato beetles). This morning looking out the window of the leaky trailer which I have called home since April, I saw the straight line winds blow rain across the barnyard and push the trees, raking leaves from their branches. But even in the wind and the rain I saw people. Running scared, yes, but going out to face the terror of the winds. They were my fellow samurai farmers, racing from one farm building to the next, gathering their rain gear, preparing for another day of harvest, fearful of the weather, the rain, the warnings of tornadoes, but planting each footstep on the earth, into the mud, each footstep a young cauliflower, always growing, despite all terror the heavens might try to smash it with, because it must grow. This is the way of the samurai farmer. To cling to the earth, and to fight.- Max
Cabbage
This week you will find a head of savoy, green or red cabbage. Savoy has crinkly light green leaves and a mild flavor and the smooth-leaf green and red variations offer a more pronounced flavor. Regardless of which variation you received, keep your cabbage in the fridge and it wi
ll last for a couple of weeks. To prepare, remove the outer leaves and cut away the core. Rating it raw in salads is great as is a light stir fry, sauté or braise.Use your cilantro this week to create the delicious cabbage slaw from the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition cookbook:
1 head cabbage, cored and quartered, sliced thin by hand or processor
1 pound carrot, peeled and chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon ancho chili powder
Toss all ingredients, let stand for 1 hour, toss again and serve as garnish for tacos, side dish for sandwiches or as a picnic salad.
Cauliflower
Providing us with valuable protein and minerals as well as vitamins A, B, C and E, the immature flower buds of the cauliflower give our whole system a healthy boost. Nutrients can be lost a bit with cooking, especially overcooking, so enjoy this tasty vague raw or lightly steamed, braised, glazed or roasted. Keep your cauliflower in the fridge loosely wrapped in plastic and use it up within a week or so.To prepare, take off the outer leaves and if you like, separate the florets by cutting the florets from the core at the base. When cooking your cauliflower, only cook until tender enough to pierce with a knife. A simple steamed cauliflower tossed with some butter, olive oil, and/or lemon juice is as easy as it is delicious. Or for a really special addition to your cauliflower, try sautéing over medium heat: 1/4 c olive oil, a few chopped anchovy filets (or more if you love them), minced garlic, and some red pepper flakes. After about 5 minutes the anchovies will start to break up. Add steamed cauliflower (slightly underdone) and turn up the heat to high and cook a few minutes more until the cauliflower is coated with oil and heated all the way through. (From Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything)
Cilantro
One of the most distinctive herbs, is a member of the carrot family and is actually the leaves of the coriander plant. Used widely in Mexican, Carribean and Asian cooking, these leaves add a fresh and delicious dimension to cooked and raw foods. Unless of course you are one of the unlucky few for whom cilantro has a soapy taste. The belief is that these people have a genetic variation in the taste perception gene.But for the rest of us, fresh cilantro is fantastic. Use it to make guacamole, top soups, tacos, salads, anything you can think of. For a simple and delicious guacamole, mash several avocados with a fork, add chopped cilantro, a small red onion and a squeeze of lime juice. Eat on chips, veggies, burgers, or just with a spoon.
Addional Recipes
Kelibasa and Cabbage
Ratatouille
Margharita Pizza
Sauteed Kale
Posted 7/8/2010 10:15am by Gary Brever.
Harvest Week 6 - July 8, 2010
| This Week's Share * Summer Squash * Fennel * Parsley and Basil * Onions * Napa Cabbage * Romaine Lettuce * Butterhead Lettuce * Spinach (full shares only) * Beets * Chard * Broccoli (most but not all shares) |
|
This Week’s Box
The past two weeks of sun and then rain has made it wonderful vegetable growing weather. You’re beginning to see in your box many of the delights and diversity of mid-summer. Root crops (beets and onions), fruit crops (summer squash), leafy crops (spinach and lettuce) and seed crops (broccoli) are all together in this week’s box.
According to Rudolf Steiner, in his lecture “The Evolution of Earth and Man and Influence of the Stars:”
“The root primarily nourishes the head (the nervous system).
The middle of the plant, stem and leaves, primarily nourishes the chest (the rhythmic system—heart and lungs).
Fruit (including fruiting vegetables, such as squash and cucumbers) nourish the lower body (the metabolic system—digestive organs).”
This week’s activities—
It’s amazing how quickly vegetables grow this time of year. In fact, yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to find that the crew came back with a few hundred pounds of cucumbers when just last week I only found a couple. We must make sure that items such as summer squash and cucumbers are picked three times a week so they do not get too big out in the field. They are then stored in our large walk-in cooler until packing day on Wednesday.
Interns:
The following is an excerpt from Mary Jo Forbord’s essay What Comes Next:
My crystal ball is experiencing some technical difficulties, so I hope you will help me envision what comes next for Minnesota agriculture.
As I look around my farming community, it seems we have run the course of six generations of northern European immigrant farm families since the homesteading days of the 1860s. The earliest settlers staked their claim in the rich and deep prairie soil, but it was a tenuous beginning at best. Survival for the first white people through the first winters was possible only because of food and medicine offered by indigenous people. In desperation, white settlers dug into the prairie and overcame their fear and trepidation of the native people to accept their gifts of survival.
The settlers moved in quickly, the Indians were relocated to reservations, and the medicine bundles that held the botanical cures were burned in great bonfires to remove the last traces of the indigenous culture. Carving subsistence from the soil with oxen, horses, mules, and many strong backs, yields and railroads grew to supply wheat to Minneapolis, known by 1880 as the “Flour Milling Capital of the World.”
By 1927, 2 billion people lived on the planet, 119 million people lived in the United States, and the farm population was at 28 million, almost a quarter of the total population. The USDA Yearbook of Agriculture heralded the “eastern march of the combine” and “a tremendous increase in the use of large power units in agriculture”. The 1927 Yearbook forecasted that “increased efficiency resulting in an increased output per worker may necessitate a reduction in the number of farmers.”
Fast forward to the 21st century. With 6.6 billion people living on the planet and the U.S. population topping 300 million, less than one million people in the U.S. now claim farming as their principal occupation. The decline is evident as I look around my community and to my
neighbors, mostly descendants of the first white settlers, mostly older couples or widowers past 70 years of age, their children living elsewhere, and far removed from farming. Most now rent their farmland to larger operators. With 50% of farmland transitioning in ownership in the next 10 years, I am more than curious about the fate of farming and my community. I hope some answers will be found in the statistics of the 2007 Census of Agriculture, which promises that “your response will provide a brighter future for you, your operation and your community.”
Wow, I can hardly wait to see that promise come true, but the 2007 data won’t be released until 2009. For now, the 2002 statistics will have to do:
• The average age of all U.S. farmers is 55.3 years, an increase of about one year per year since 1978.
• 26% of farmers are age 65 or older.
• 5.8% of farmers are less than 35 years old. The number of farmers under age 35 has dropped by about 20 percent in each census since 1982.
------
With 
the average age of a farmer in the United States today now approaching 60 years old I feel it is critical to now be asking ourselves, “Who is going to be growing food for our communities in future generations?” Farming requires many skills that take years to master. This is one of the reasons that Ploughshare Farm’s internship program is such an integral part of what we do. Many who come to our farm for our internship program have no previous farming experience. Most of them are idealistic (and HOPEFUL!!!), college aged young men and women, wanting to spend a summer getting their hands dirty. I would say, without exception, that their experience on our farm is the hardest work that they have ever done and for most of them will ever do in the future. However, (also without exception) their year on Ploughshare Farm ends up being one of the most memorable experiences that they have, gaining knowledge that they can take with them no matter where their lives lead. Many of our interns (we have now had over 30 interns come through our program) decide that the work is too hard and the profit margins are too little to actually make a living in farming. However, we also have had several interns that I know that have gone on to work and manage other farm operations or have gone into a farm related educational program.
Our in
terns receive a wage, room and much of the board when they stay here. In addition, this year we have enough interns on our farm that we passed the legal threshold so 
that we now have to pay for unemployment insurance as well workman’s compensation. Because of these added costs, our internship program has become a very large expense for our farm.
We now have a way for you to support our internship program with a scholarship. You can now donate online and the money will be spent to help defray some of the costs associated with our internship program by giving a donation of $50, $100, $500, $1000 or even $5000. You can go online to http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/326 if you wish to donate.
You will also be hearing from interns in the upcoming newsletters tell about their experience on the farm.
The past two weeks of sun and then rain has made it wonderful vegetable growing weather. You’re beginning to see in your box many of the delights and diversity of mid-summer. Root crops (beets and onions), fruit crops (summer squash), leafy crops (spinach and lettuce) and seed crops (broccoli) are all together in this week’s box.
According to Rudolf Steiner, in his lecture “The Evolution of Earth and Man and Influence of the Stars:”
“The root primarily nourishes the head (the nervous system).
The middle of the plant, stem and leaves, primarily nourishes the chest (the rhythmic system—heart and lungs).
Fruit (including fruiting vegetables, such as squash and cucumbers) nourish the lower body (the metabolic system—digestive organs).”
This week’s activities—
It’s amazing how quickly vegetables grow this time of year. In fact, yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to find that the crew came back with a few hundred pounds of cucumbers when just last week I only found a couple. We must make sure that items such as summer squash and cucumbers are picked three times a week so they do not get too big out in the field. They are then stored in our large walk-in cooler until packing day on Wednesday.
Interns:
The following is an excerpt from Mary Jo Forbord’s essay What Comes Next:
My crystal ball is experiencing some technical difficulties, so I hope you will help me envision what comes next for Minnesota agriculture.
As I look around my farming community, it seems we have run the course of six generations of northern European immigrant farm families since the homesteading days of the 1860s. The earliest settlers staked their claim in the rich and deep prairie soil, but it was a tenuous beginning at best. Survival for the first white people through the first winters was possible only because of food and medicine offered by indigenous people. In desperation, white settlers dug into the prairie and overcame their fear and trepidation of the native people to accept their gifts of survival.
The settlers moved in quickly, the Indians were relocated to reservations, and the medicine bundles that held the botanical cures were burned in great bonfires to remove the last traces of the indigenous culture. Carving subsistence from the soil with oxen, horses, mules, and many strong backs, yields and railroads grew to supply wheat to Minneapolis, known by 1880 as the “Flour Milling Capital of the World.”
By 1927, 2 billion people lived on the planet, 119 million people lived in the United States, and the farm population was at 28 million, almost a quarter of the total population. The USDA Yearbook of Agriculture heralded the “eastern march of the combine” and “a tremendous increase in the use of large power units in agriculture”. The 1927 Yearbook forecasted that “increased efficiency resulting in an increased output per worker may necessitate a reduction in the number of farmers.”
Fast forward to the 21st century. With 6.6 billion people living on the planet and the U.S. population topping 300 million, less than one million people in the U.S. now claim farming as their principal occupation. The decline is evident as I look around my community and to my
neighbors, mostly descendants of the first white settlers, mostly older couples or widowers past 70 years of age, their children living elsewhere, and far removed from farming. Most now rent their farmland to larger operators. With 50% of farmland transitioning in ownership in the next 10 years, I am more than curious about the fate of farming and my community. I hope some answers will be found in the statistics of the 2007 Census of Agriculture, which promises that “your response will provide a brighter future for you, your operation and your community.”
Wow, I can hardly wait to see that promise come true, but the 2007 data won’t be released until 2009. For now, the 2002 statistics will have to do:
• The average age of all U.S. farmers is 55.3 years, an increase of about one year per year since 1978.
• 26% of farmers are age 65 or older.
• 5.8% of farmers are less than 35 years old. The number of farmers under age 35 has dropped by about 20 percent in each census since 1982.
------
With the average age of a farmer in the United States today now approaching 60 years old I feel it is critical to now be asking ourselves, “Who is going to be growing food for our communities in future generations?” Farming requires many skills that take years to master. This is one of the reasons that Ploughshare Farm’s internship program is such an integral part of what we do. Many who come to our farm for our internship program have no previous farming experience. Most of them are idealistic (and HOPEFUL!!!), college aged young men and women, wanting to spend a summer getting their hands dirty. I would say, without exception, that their experience on our farm is the hardest work that they have ever done and for most of them will ever do in the future. However, (also without exception) their year on Ploughshare Farm ends up being one of the most memorable experiences that they have, gaining knowledge that they can take with them no matter where their lives lead. Many of our interns (we have now had over 30 interns come through our program) decide that the work is too hard and the profit margins are too little to actually make a living in farming. However, we also have had several interns that I know that have gone on to work and manage other farm operations or have gone into a farm related educational program.Our in
terns receive a wage, room and much of the board when they stay here. In addition, this year we have enough interns on our farm that we passed the legal threshold so that we now have to pay for unemployment insurance as well workman’s compensation. Because of these added costs, our internship program has become a very large expense for our farm. We now have a way for you to support our internship program with a scholarship. You can now donate online and the money will be spent to help defray some of the costs associated with our internship program by giving a donation of $50, $100, $500, $1000 or even $5000. You can go online to http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/326 if you wish to donate.
You will also be hearing from interns in the upcoming newsletters tell about their experience on the farm.
Cookbooks
We highly recommend the cookbook, "From Asparagus to Zucchini" put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition. It gives essential tips on how to use many of the typical vegetables you will be receiving in our CSA. I have gone ahead and ordered 75 of these books (even though only 30 of you bought one in advance). I hope they will be in for the next delivery. Go to our website to order online and receive yours. : http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312 $18). At that time we will submit our order to the publisher and should receive copies in early July.T-Shirts
We would like to get another order of Ploughshare Farm T-shirts. You can preorder your shirt at http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312Show the world that you are a Ploughshare CSA Member with this originally designed T-shirt. Made with Certified Organic cotton.
On the front: Ploughshare Logo
On th
e back: The act of putting into your mouth what the Earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the Earth." Francis Moore Lappe (Author of "Diet for a Small Planet")Summer Squash
One of the most versatile and easy to enjoy items of the summer harvest is summer squash. Yellow squash and zucchini are included in this week's share and both are tender, mild and delicious. Store your summer squash loosely wrapped in plastic in the fridge, but make an effort to use these veggies (or if you want to get technical, fruits) right away for the best flavor and texture.
Summer squash makes an easy addition to whatever you are already making. Grill, steam, roast, saute, bake, fry, braise, often all you need is a bit of oil or butter and a light seasoning of salt and pepper. A simple way to enjoy your summer squash is to trim the ends, chop and saute with onions, garlic, mushrooms, or any other veggie you have on hand. Toss with al dente pasta and enough of the pasta water to make a sauce and top with parmesan cheese. This dish makes a hearty dinner one night and the leftovers are a fresh tasting cold salad to enjoy the next day.
Fennel
Summer squash makes an easy addition to whatever you are already making. Grill, steam, roast, saute, bake, fry, braise, often all you need is a bit of oil or butter and a light seasoning of salt and pepper. A simple way to enjoy your summer squash is to trim the ends, chop and saute with onions, garlic, mushrooms, or any other veggie you have on hand. Toss with al dente pasta and enough of the pasta water to make a sauce and top with parmesan cheese. This dish makes a hearty dinner one night and the leftovers are a fresh tasting cold salad to enjoy the next day.
FennelWith a sometimes mild and sometimes intense anise flavor, fennel can be enjoyed both raw and cooked. Wrapped loosely in plastic, it will keep in your fridge for a week or two. The bulb is what you will be eating, although the feathery fronds make a nice garnish or can be used in place of dill as a fresh herb. To use, slice off everything just above the bulb top and cut the bulb vertically into quarters or slice it in half and then repeatedly chop lengthwise or crosswise.
For an interesting twist on any of your favorite dishes, substitute fennel for celery. It works especially well in pasta sauces that feature sausage. Or prepare it alone by grilling, sauteing, roasting, or top a salad with raw shaved fennel. Fennel also works great simply quartered, tossed with olive oil and baked until tender (30 - 40 minutes).
For an interesting twist on any of your favorite dishes, substitute fennel for celery. It works especially well in pasta sauces that feature sausage. Or prepare it alone by grilling, sauteing, roasting, or top a salad with raw shaved fennel. Fennel also works great simply quartered, tossed with olive oil and baked until tender (30 - 40 minutes).
Parsley and BasilNot the ruffled kind that you find on garnishing your plate but the flat leafed kind that will enliven just about any dish, fresh Italian parsley is anything but ordinary. Basil tastes as good as it smalls and adds a fresh dimension to your meals. It is not difficult to find occasion to use either of these herbs as they can both play an important role in soups, sauces, vinaigrettes, and salads as well as pasta, vegetable and egg dishes.
To make traditional pesto, simply combine the basil leaves, rinsed and dried, with a half of a clove of garlic, a tablespoon of pine nuts or walnuts and 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a food processor. You can also double the batch by adding your parsley leaves. Once processed, top with a bit of oil and store in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a couple of months. Stir in freshly grated parmesan just before serving.
If you can't use your parsley and basil soon after you get your share, take the time to place the plants stem down in a jar of water with plastic loosely placed around the leaves. Set the glass in the fridge and change the water daily. Or to save yourself the hassle, just chop them up and enjoy right out of the box. Toss it on your salad greens, with your sauteed summer squash and onions, or atop your grilled fennel. Its hard to go wrong with with these versatile herbs.
Onions
This week you will find spring onions in your share box. These fresh veggies should be kept in the fridge until use. It is unlikely that suggestions are needed for onion use as they are one of the most common ingredients in meat, vegetable and pasta dishes, so perhaps you might like to try something different with these onions to really explore the wonderful flavor of your local, organic vegetables.
If you have never caramelized onions, you are in for a treat. This slow cooking method changes the flavor of the onion from, well, oniony, to a sweet taste that is full of depth. Simply slice or chop your onions, cover and cook in a skillet over medium heat. After 15 minutes they will become dry and start to stick to the pan. When this happens, stir in a bit of butter or olive oil to coat the onions and add a pinch of salt. Now just let them cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and adding more oil or butter when they start to dry out. Be careful not too add too much fat, which will make the onions greasy. Now is the fun part. Cook them for any length of time you wish, they will change from soft and mildly oniony in taste to sweet and brown with a jam-like texture. In fact, if you let them cook long enough you will have an onion jam that is great for thickening sauces, spreading on sandwiches or flavoring any other dish. The jam will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.
Napa Cabbage
With a ruffled elongated leaf, the Napa cabbage has a wonderful mild taste and works really well raw as well as cooked. Just keep this veggie in the fridge and use it within a week or two. To use, take off the first few layers of leaves until you reach the tightly packed head. Then remove the core by cutting around it on the stem end and pulling the core out. The head can then be shred by cutting it first into quarters and then crosswise into strips.
If you wish to cook your cabbage be sure to refrain from overcooking. It is so much tastier and enjoyable when it it prepared al dente, that is, crisp and tender but not mushy. Cooking it in boiling water for about 5 minutes and tossing it with melted butter and a dash of salt and pepper will do the trick.
Broccoli
Notorious for being the vegetable children are forced to eat, broccoli never lives up
to its bad reputation when it is fresh. Keep your broccoli head in the fridge loosely wrapped in plastic and use within several days. To prepare, remove the leaves (which are also edible and can be cooked with the florets) and remove the dried out end of the stalk. Take off any rough outer skin with a paring knife or vegetable peeler. Separate the stalks from the florets and cut into bite size pieces.
Broccoli tastes great raw, stir fried, steams, boiled, brazed and sauteed. The stalks will need to be cooked a bit longer than the florets so start them first. If you like it crisp, cook it just until it is bright green. For a more tender bite, cook a few minutes longer, but be careful to not overcook or you will end up with a mushy texture. A good rule of thumb is to cook until a knife can easily be inserted into the stalk.
Recipes
Zucchini Bread
Roasted Carrots and Beets with the Juiciest Pork Chops
Shrimp and Egg Fried Rice with Napa Cabbage
Potato-Fennel Gratin
Sauteed Summer Squash Video
To make traditional pesto, simply combine the basil leaves, rinsed and dried, with a half of a clove of garlic, a tablespoon of pine nuts or walnuts and 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a food processor. You can also double the batch by adding your parsley leaves. Once processed, top with a bit of oil and store in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a couple of months. Stir in freshly grated parmesan just before serving.
If you can't use your parsley and basil soon after you get your share, take the time to place the plants stem down in a jar of water with plastic loosely placed around the leaves. Set the glass in the fridge and change the water daily. Or to save yourself the hassle, just chop them up and enjoy right out of the box. Toss it on your salad greens, with your sauteed summer squash and onions, or atop your grilled fennel. Its hard to go wrong with with these versatile herbs.
Onions
This week you will find spring onions in your share box. These fresh veggies should be kept in the fridge until use. It is unlikely that suggestions are needed for onion use as they are one of the most common ingredients in meat, vegetable and pasta dishes, so perhaps you might like to try something different with these onions to really explore the wonderful flavor of your local, organic vegetables. If you have never caramelized onions, you are in for a treat. This slow cooking method changes the flavor of the onion from, well, oniony, to a sweet taste that is full of depth. Simply slice or chop your onions, cover and cook in a skillet over medium heat. After 15 minutes they will become dry and start to stick to the pan. When this happens, stir in a bit of butter or olive oil to coat the onions and add a pinch of salt. Now just let them cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and adding more oil or butter when they start to dry out. Be careful not too add too much fat, which will make the onions greasy. Now is the fun part. Cook them for any length of time you wish, they will change from soft and mildly oniony in taste to sweet and brown with a jam-like texture. In fact, if you let them cook long enough you will have an onion jam that is great for thickening sauces, spreading on sandwiches or flavoring any other dish. The jam will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.
Napa CabbageWith a ruffled elongated leaf, the Napa cabbage has a wonderful mild taste and works really well raw as well as cooked. Just keep this veggie in the fridge and use it within a week or two. To use, take off the first few layers of leaves until you reach the tightly packed head. Then remove the core by cutting around it on the stem end and pulling the core out. The head can then be shred by cutting it first into quarters and then crosswise into strips.
If you wish to cook your cabbage be sure to refrain from overcooking. It is so much tastier and enjoyable when it it prepared al dente, that is, crisp and tender but not mushy. Cooking it in boiling water for about 5 minutes and tossing it with melted butter and a dash of salt and pepper will do the trick.
Broccoli
Notorious for being the vegetable children are forced to eat, broccoli never lives up
to its bad reputation when it is fresh. Keep your broccoli head in the fridge loosely wrapped in plastic and use within several days. To prepare, remove the leaves (which are also edible and can be cooked with the florets) and remove the dried out end of the stalk. Take off any rough outer skin with a paring knife or vegetable peeler. Separate the stalks from the florets and cut into bite size pieces.Broccoli tastes great raw, stir fried, steams, boiled, brazed and sauteed. The stalks will need to be cooked a bit longer than the florets so start them first. If you like it crisp, cook it just until it is bright green. For a more tender bite, cook a few minutes longer, but be careful to not overcook or you will end up with a mushy texture. A good rule of thumb is to cook until a knife can easily be inserted into the stalk.
Recipes
Zucchini Bread
Roasted Carrots and Beets with the Juiciest Pork Chops
Shrimp and Egg Fried Rice with Napa Cabbage
Potato-Fennel Gratin
Sauteed Summer Squash Video
Posted 7/2/2010 6:30am by Gary Brever.
Harvest Week 5 - July 1, 2010
| This Week's Share * Beets * Turnips * Radicchio * Peas * Spinach * Scallions * Salad Mix * Romaine Lettuce * Oak Leaf Lettuce * Kale (full shares only) * Dandelion Greens(full shares only) * Broccoli or kohlrabi (full shares only) |
|
A Note From Your Farmer...
This Week’s Box
You may see some signs of hail on the leaves in your box, but for the most part I feel like we are back on track since the storms hit us two weeks ago. It’s nice to see some other items besides greens as well starting to show up in the box. These include turnips, summer squash and Chioggia beets. This being Fourth of July weekend I want to recommend the use of your grill for many of vegetables. You can experiment with many of the vegetables that you receive.
What I would do for this week’s box is that I would cut up the summer squash and beets in about one half inch rounds and dip in a bowl of olive oil and then place on the grill. After a few minutes I would add quartered the radicchio (also lathered in olive oil) and maybe top it off with the dandelion greens. I would also add the scallions on top which will caramelize over everything and then add some balsamic vinegar to the mix.
Some of the regular size shares will receive either a broccoli or a kohlrabi. In future week’s we will have plenty broccoli for everyone. Also, you just received a taste of summer squash this week and we will soon be have zukes coming out of our ears in no time.
I realize that everyone would like to have more peas than what we can possibly pick(this is one of the reasons that we offer members the opportunity for them to pick their own). Please understand that it takes us several hours even to be able to pick 150 pounds for the 300 share members. Even though it is only a half of pound that you receive in the share I hope you all savor them.
What I would do for this week’s box is that I would cut up the summer squash and beets in about one half inch rounds and dip in a bowl of olive oil and then place on the grill. After a few minutes I would add quartered the radicchio (also lathered in olive oil) and maybe top it off with the dandelion greens. I would also add the scallions on top which will caramelize over everything and then add some balsamic vinegar to the mix.
Some of the regular size shares will receive either a broccoli or a kohlrabi. In future week’s we will have plenty broccoli for everyone. Also, you just received a taste of summer squash this week and we will soon be have zukes coming out of our ears in no time.
I realize that everyone would like to have more peas than what we can possibly pick(this is one of the reasons that we offer members the opportunity for them to pick their own). Please understand that it takes us several hours even to be able to pick 150 pounds for the 300 share members. Even though it is only a half of pound that you receive in the share I hope you all savor them.
This week’s activities
This past Saturday was our pea pick, and I think that everyone who came had a blast. In particular I think folks seemed very interested in how we went about harvesting shar
es each week. It was fun for me to show those who came to pick their ‘Tornado” share just how it is done. I think members also came away with not only fresh vegetables but also a bit of an educational experience. It really is part of the mission of Ploughshare Farm to help educate on where your food comes from and how it is grown. There really is an incredible amount you can learn by spending a day on our farm. Sure, if you come during the week you will most likely learn the “art” of hand weeding or hoeing (it truly is a skill that most everyone who comes here has to be taught). In addition, there are other jobs such as tomato pruning that once shown by a professional, learned and then practiced will be a skill you can take with you for the rest of your life. So, when we call for extra hands to come help out for a day at the farm don’t just think of it as simply work. Rather, think of it as an opportunity to be taught some new gardening skills by professionals with several years of experience. Plus, if you come Monday through Thursday you will usually receive a very decent lunch out of it. Think about spending the 5th of July out at the farm. We do have camping here on our 160 acres if you want to make it an overnight as well.
es each week. It was fun for me to show those who came to pick their ‘Tornado” share just how it is done. I think members also came away with not only fresh vegetables but also a bit of an educational experience. It really is part of the mission of Ploughshare Farm to help educate on where your food comes from and how it is grown. There really is an incredible amount you can learn by spending a day on our farm. Sure, if you come during the week you will most likely learn the “art” of hand weeding or hoeing (it truly is a skill that most everyone who comes here has to be taught). In addition, there are other jobs such as tomato pruning that once shown by a professional, learned and then practiced will be a skill you can take with you for the rest of your life. So, when we call for extra hands to come help out for a day at the farm don’t just think of it as simply work. Rather, think of it as an opportunity to be taught some new gardening skills by professionals with several years of experience. Plus, if you come Monday through Thursday you will usually receive a very decent lunch out of it. Think about spending the 5th of July out at the farm. We do have camping here on our 160 acres if you want to make it an overnight as well.Newsletters
Many of you have given me some good feedback on our new newsletter format. Thank you. I would also like to thank Victor (our intern) for taking many of the photos as well as Heather von Ruden (our Fergus drop site coordinator) who has taken time each week to pull together information on vegetables and works on formatting the newsletter.
Cookbooks
We highly recommend the cookbook, "From Asparagus to Zucchini" put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition. It gives essential tips on how to use many of the typical vegetables you will be receiving in our CSA. I have gone ahead and ordered 75 of these books (even though only 30 of you bought one in advance). I hope they will be in for the next delivery. Go to our website to order online and receive yours. : http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312 $18). At that time we will submit our order to the publisher and should receive copies in early July.
Many of you have given me some good feedback on our new newsletter format. Thank you. I would also like to thank Victor (our intern) for taking many of the photos as well as Heather von Ruden (our Fergus drop site coordinator) who has taken time each week to pull together information on vegetables and works on formatting the newsletter.
Cookbooks
We highly recommend the cookbook, "From Asparagus to Zucchini" put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition. It gives essential tips on how to use many of the typical vegetables you will be receiving in our CSA. I have gone ahead and ordered 75 of these books (even though only 30 of you bought one in advance). I hope they will be in for the next delivery. Go to our website to order online and receive yours. : http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312 $18). At that time we will submit our order to the publisher and should receive copies in early July.T-Shirts
We would like to get another order of Ploughshare Farm T-shirts. You can preorder your shirt at http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312Show the world that you are a Ploughshare CSA Member with this originally designed T-shirt. Made with Certified Organic cotton.
On the front: Ploughshare Logo
On th
e back: The act of putting into your mouth what the Earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the Earth." Francis Moore Lappe (Author of "Diet for a Small Planet")Beets
The beet is a vibrant and beautiful vegetable and more versitile than you may think. Not only are the roots of the beet plant edible, the greens may be prepared and enjoyed as you would chard. Wash the greens well, as you would any other leafy green and refrigerate loosely wrapped in plastic. Prepare by steaming or braising, season with salt, pepper and drizzle with a vinaigrette or olive oil and lemon juice. Beet greens taste great served as a simple side, in an omelet or as part of a sauteed or roasted vegetable mix.To prepare the root of the beet, scrub it well with a vegetable brush, leaving on a bit of the greens to lessen the bleeding and staining of the beet's bright red color. Beets are best peeled after they are cooked. A simple and nearly mess-free method of cooking this veggie is to individually wrap each beet in tinfoil and roast in a 400 degree oven for 45 - 90 minutes. Keeping in mind that the cooking time is largely dependent upon the beet size and some may be finished before others, remove the beets from the oven when a thin knife meets just a bit of resistance when inserted. Once cooked, peel and slice for immediate use or refrigerate for a couple of days. Once cooked in this way, beets can be easily brought to the table following a brief saute in butter or oil over medium high heat followed by a seasoning of salt and pepper.
Turnips
A hearty vegetable packed full of vitamin C, potassium and calcuim, the turnip can be eaten raw in a salad or with a veggie dip as well as roasted, baked, steamed or boiled. They can be kept unwashed in plastic wrap in your refrigerator for a couple of weeks.A simple side dish made from turnips is to peel, boil, mash and season as you would potatoes. Consider adding a few cloves of garlic to the boiling water or saute shallots in butter and add to the mashed veggies. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy.
Radicchio
With a bitter yet spicy flavor, radicchio is a member of the chicory family. Its red and white appearance makes it a dramatic addition to any meal. Clean thouroughly and saute, braise or grill. Or try this recipe:Inspired Radicchio
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 medium red onion, sliced
2 cups bacon, cooked, drained and chopped
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 cup cherries (or any dried fruit)
3 heads radicchio, cleaned and quartered
1 cup walnuts (organic, pan toasted)
Black pepper to taste
Melt 3 Tbsp. of the butter and combine with vinegar and radicchio in a fry pan. Once radicchio becomes wilted, set aside. Melt other 2 Tbsp. of butter, adding onion and bacon. Stir until onion is transluscent. Add radicchio, maple syrup and dried fruit. Top with fresh pepper and walnuts. Serve immediately.
Peas
Peas! What to say about these wonderful little summer treats, except to encourage you to sit down, shell and enjoy them as soon as you are able. Share the experience and delightful taste with a kid and savor the best that summer has to offer. Store your peas loosely wrapped in plastic in the fridge. Although they taste absolutely terrific raw, a quick steam or braise in butter will take only about 5 minutes. You know they are done when they turn a bright green color. Add raw to salads or cooked to stir fries, pasta or rice dishes, or just about anything you want to brighten up with a fresh and colorful addition.Greens
This week's share includes some familiar greens: spinach, salad mix, oakleaf and romaine lettuce,
as well as a couple of new vegetables: dandelion greens and kale. Packed with vitamins, dandelion greens can be rated raw or cooked, but need a thourough cleaning first. Store all of your greens loosely wrapped in plastic wrap in your fridge. To cook your dandelion greens (or any of your greens), simply saute steam or braise. when it is wilted and tender, it is ready to be served topped with just about anything you like, olive oil and lemon, a tasty vinaigrette or as part of a vegetable mix or stir fry.
What you might think of when you hear (as you often will) that you should eat more dark green, leafy vegetables, the kale plant brings terrific health benefits and flavor to your table. It is easily identifiable thanks to its dark, ruffled leaves and tastes great braised, sauted, stir-fried or added to soups and stews.
This week you might consider serving a mix of cooked vegetables atop of your raw greens. Make a bed of mixed greens and top with sauted onions, garlic, peppers, beets, scallions, kale, anything you can get your hands on. Toss some chicken or beef in if you like and finish off with nuts, dried fruit or a squeeze of lemon. No dressing is required as the oil from the sauted veggies will bring the perfect flavor to your salad.
Posted 6/24/2010 7:27am by Gary Brever.
 |
A note from the Brever family and Ploughshare Farm |
It has now been week after hail, much rain, and tornadoes blew through Ploughshare Farm. When we see pictures of the devastation, especially in the town of Wadena we realize how fortunate our farm actually was.
Thank you to all of you for your words of concern in the aftermath of the storms and your willingness to take a week off of delivery so the crew and I are able to tend to the plants.
Tend to the plants we have!!!! It's been an INCREDIBLY busy week here at the farm. We have had very little rain since last Thursday and this has been a wonderful blessing both in the healing of the plants as well as allowing our crew to get some intensive field work done. Since Saturday almost every row of every field has been hand weeded and tended to. Saturday was the first day in a couple weeks where we were able to start hoeing in the fields and we took full advantage of it. This day we had a crew of our 6 interns, Olga, myself, our sons, and 4 others that we hired for the day working until almost 10 pm at night.
That day alone we hoed, hand weeded, and tended to roughly 100 rows of vegetables each 250 feet in length. In addition, that day we were able to get fields prepared and planted with our second planting of corn, carrots, beets, beans, and a mixture of greens.
I am pleasantly surprised at the rebound most of our plants have made this week. Below are some pictures of some of the plants including the chard and summer squash that looked devastated a week ago. After some working of the soil and removal of the damaged leaves many of the items are looking much better. We had to disc down some items that I knew would not come back with quality but this is the exception.
Because of the nice sun that we have been having here at the farm I am already seeing a lot of regrowth on the plants. This gives me great confidence that we will be back on track putting together wonderful boxes of produce by next Thursday's delivery. There may be a few items such as the heads of lettuce which you will be receiving next week which may still have some holes in it from the hail damage. In addition, there may be items such as the brocolli and cauliflower which may have been affected long term by the hail damage and will be much smaller than we would like. However, I think for the most part the share boxes will be full of wonderful produce starting next week.
Pea Pick (and harvest of a share box):
| Our first farm event will be on Saturday, June 26th between 11am to 3:00pm.(10am for pick your own share box--see below) This day allows members to come see the farm, share in a potluck meal as well as pick peas to take home. Because we did not pick peas this week there is an abundance of peas on the plants. Depending on how many people show up to the event (this is why it's important to RSVP) you may pick between 5-10lbs of peas to bring home. The potluck will start around 12:30pm. In addition, because did not deliver shares this week I would like to offer an opportunity for members to come up to the farm and pick their own share box. We will lead a group starting at 10 am to harvest and wash a share's worth of vegetables for you to take home. This will be a great opportunity for members to get a hands-on experience of what we do every week to assemble your shares. In the box we will harvest beets, romaine and butterhead lettuces, dill, kale, turnips, dandelion greens and scallions. Such a "Harvest your Own Box" is in line with the spirit of CSA, and we are thinking we may make this an annual event for one share delivery each year. We would call it the annual "tornado box." If you are physically unable to harvest a share box we will be able to assist you. Please let us know if you will be coming. You can RSVP gjbrever@midwestinfo.net. |
I encourage all of our share members to come out for this farm event this Saturday. It will be a great opportunity to come see the farm, meet your farmers and fellow CSA members.
Thank you again, for your understanding of the need to take off a week of deliveries and for your continued support of our farm.
Your farmer,
Gary
Posted 6/18/2010 3:44pm by Gary Brever.
For those of you not on our Facebook page this is the first time you have heard about this. Yesterday, Ploughshare Farm was hit very hard by the storms that came through our area. We had torrential downpours (2 inches in less than an hour), golfball (and larger) size hail, straight line winds as well as 3 tornadoes that we witnessed.
Fortunately everyone is ok.
Unfortunately we suffered heavy damage on our produce. Below are just a couple pictures. Please check out our Facebook page for many more. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Parkers-Prairie-MN/Ploughshare-Farm/200603249475?ref=ts&__a=75
Much of our produce was heavily damaged...
The beautiful chard was pulverized as well as many of the gorgeous heads of lettuce that we have been enjoying the past few weeks. The broccoli and cabbage as well as our onion fields took a real hard pounding of both hail as well as winds. They look awful right now. However, I still am optimistic that they will recover.
Many of our long term crops such as tomatoes, potatoes, corn, melons, summer squash, look bad right now. However, they should recover, especially if we receive lots of sun and the diseases or pests don't start attacking them because they are vulnerable.
What precisely the damage is to all of our crops is difficult to know at this point. In part it is determined by the weather in the next couple weeks. we need sun and dry.
Here is what we need...
We need one week off from deliveries.
This will allow time for many of these plants to recover. It will also allow myself and the crew a larger window opportunity to care for the plants this next week.
Based on my years of experience in farming I know it is essential that my staff and I concentrate our efforts immediately on tending damaged but recoverable crops and continuing more intensly our succession planting. It is critical to the production of our food for the rest of the summer that we take time now to prevent disease and insect damage to vulnerable plants, and keep planting to fill in areas that were lost.
In order to do this, it is necessary that we take one week off from deliveries. Interrupting the delivery of fresh healthy produce is the last thing any farmer wants to do, but my experience tells me we must do this to ensure the most productive outcome for the rest of the summer.
The nice thing with growing such a wide variety of vegetables that we do is that even when something catastrophic occurs , like the huge hail storm we suffered is that there are many other items that will be taking their place. (i.e. future weeks we will have summer squash, cucumbers, beets, carrots, potatoes and many other items that I know have suffered very little due to the storm).
In addition, because we are succession planting (planting every couple weeks) varieties that may have been damaged by the hail will be replaced by newly seeded plants soon after. In fact, that is what our crew is working on right now... planting hundreds of more new flats of broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.
Today is a new day... the sun is out, seeds are going into flats. Farming is a very vulnerable occupation. Many days of hard work can be wiped out in a matter of hours. However, we cannot lose our optimism for the future, because if we do that we will lose hope.
I hope you all will understand about this missed week of shares. I appreciate your investment in this season's harvest and promise you that we will do everything in our power to ensure the rest of the season you will be receiving share boxes filled with the abundance of summer despite these losses.
Pea Pick
We will still plan to have our pea pick next Saturday. The pea plants suffered some damage and this week's crop got hit by hail. But there are a lot of flowers on the plants too and these will come to ripen by next Saturday.
You are welcome to come out on Saturday, June 26th between 11am to 3:00pm.
You may come out and pick up to 5lbs of peas (depending on how may people show up). Or you may take the day as an opportunity to come out and help our crew get caught up on other tasks (such as weeding).
We will also have a potluck that will start around 12:30pm.
Please let us know if you will be coming. You can RSVP gjbrever@midwestinfo.net.
Strawberry Shares--- The storm did not come to Holmes City so the berries are ok. I think the plan will be that we will be delivering these berries specially next week but this has not yet been confirmed by Holmes City. I will let members know by Monday of next week what is decided between Holmes City Berries and us.
Thank you again, for your understanding and for your continued support of our farm.
Your farmer,
Gary
Posted 6/17/2010 10:39am by Gary Brever.
Harvest Week 3 - June 17, 2010
| This Week's Share * Rainbow Chard * Broccoli Raab (full shares only) * Spinach * Garlic Scapes * Scallions * Radishes * Butterhead Lettuce (full shares only) * Salad Mix * Arugula * Dill |
|
A Note From Your Farmer
This week's box features a bit of color, thanks to the rainbow chard and radishes. The cooler weather in June thus far has benefited the taste of many of the greens. Other varieties of crops such as beets, peas, broccoli and even summer squash are on the horizon for the upcoming weeks. I know by the third week of mostly greens some folks (especially newcomers) get antsy for a bit more variety. I understand this, but I encourage you to try new recipes. We have several on our website www.ploughsharefarm.com . I also encourage you to make the most out of your share by purchasing the MACSAC cook book (see info below).
The rain has been dominating our activities in the past three weeks. We have tried as much as possible to keep up on the weeding, but we have only had about a half of a day in the past two weeks that we could even hoe. This means a lot of hand weeding lately and it also means that we haven't been able to use our tractor cultivators for a long while. Today (Wednesday) is the first day in a long time that we have had the company of the sun. We hope that it will continue for the next few days so that it will dry up so that this weekend we can get caught up on some much needed cultivating. (The request for extra helping hands coming out and helping out once it dries up still stands!!!)
Once it dries up it will also be critical that our final plantings of crops such as carrots, sweet corn, rutabagas, are in the ground. Every couple weeks we are planting many of the same crops --- this is called “succession planting.” ne example of “succession planting” is that we have planted carrots 4 different times already this spring and this week (hopefully) will be our 5th and final planting of carrots for the year. This is one example of how vegetable farming is different than other types of farming. We are continuously planting from March (in the greenhouse) until September. By having several different plantings of the same crop we are assured that these crops are ready to be harvested (and are found in your share boxes) throughout the season. The next couple weeks will be the last time we are able to plant varieties that take longer than 75 days to mature. In fact, because of the long hours of daylight this time of year timing is that much more critical as to when a variety will be harvested. Delaying the planting this time of year even just a few days may mean that when the variety comes to maturity may be delayed a week or two.
Cookbooks
We highly recommend the cookbook, "From Asparagus to Zucchini" put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition. It gives essential tips on how to use many of the typical vegetables you will be receiving in our CSA. Please place your order on our website by June 21st (extended) in order to receive a copy for only $15 (retail price is $18). Go to: http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312
oksWe highly recommend the cookbook, "From Asparagus to Zucchini" put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition. It gives essential tips on how to use many of the typical vegetables you will be receiving in our CSA. Please place your order on our website by June 21st (extended) in order to receive a copy for only $15 (retail price is $18). Go to: http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312
T-Shirts
We would like to get another order of Ploughshare Farm T-shirts. You can preorder your shirt at http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->
Show the world that you are a Ploughshare CSA Member with this originally designed T-shirt. Made with Certified Organic cotton.
On the front: Ploughshare Logo
On the back: The act of putting into your mouth what the Earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the Earth." Francis Moore Lappe (Author of "Diet for a Small Planet")
Pea Pick
Our first farm event will be on Saturday, June 26th between 11am to 3:00pm. This day allows members to come see the farm, share in a potluck meal as well as pick peas to take home (the quantity that you may pick depends on how well that planting has produced as well as how many folks show up). The potluck will start around 12:30pm.
Please let us know if you will be coming. You can RSVP gjbrever@midwestinfo.net.
What the Interns are Eating ...
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->
As the evening sun dipped below the horizon to close yet another beautifully long summer day, a few interns dined on this week’s bounty. Freshly harvested red romaine lettuce became a crisp yet tender Caeser Salad. The salad accompanied a Kale Soufflé (made with eggs and milk from the Wippler Dairy down the road, and fresh dill and green kale from our farm). Wild yeast was used to produce a sourdough starter for a German-styled Sonnenblumenkernbrot (Sunflower Seed Bread), which we topped with freshly whipped dill butter. All in all it was a lovely, delicious and surprisingly simple meal.
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> -Monica, Trevor, and Victor
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->
*Kale Souffle recipe can be found in From Asparagus to Zuchini (3rd ed..; Madison Area CSA Coalition, or www.macsac.org).
*The homemade Sonnenblumenkernbrot was from Wild Fermentation, by Sandor Ellix Katz.
*The Caesar Dressing came from Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon.
<!--[endif]-->
Radishes
When we think of radishes, typically we imagine them being devoured raw, perhaps seasoned with salt. Less usual is cooking radishes, but this preparation can yield a surprisingly delicious result. Store your radishes in the fridge, taking the time to trim and peel them before eating or cooking with them
Braising and glazing are popular methods of radish cooking, as is sautéing in butter. Cook until tender but with a slight bite. Season with salt and pepper and finish with a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
This beautiful plant offers colorful stalks and dark green leaves, perfect for steaming, braising or sautéing. To store, wrap loosely in plastic and keep in the refrigerator. When you are ready to use, wash your chard well, cut the stalks away from the leaves and chop or tear both leaves and stalks. To ensure uniform doneness, always cook the stalks for a few minutes prior to adding the leaves.
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->
A simple and delicious basic preparation of rainbow chard is to sauté in butter with onions, garlic, or both. Once prepared in this way, the cooked greens serve as an amazing addition to rice or cous cous, egg and pasta dishes, srir fries, or just as a side dish with grilled or roasted meats.
Broccoli Raab
With bright spikey leaves, long stems and small flower heads, broccoli raab has a strong, somewhat bitter taste. Keep in the fridge, wrapped loosely for a few days. To prepare it, first trim any dry stem ends. This veggie can be cooked in several ways, in the microwave, boiling, braising, glazing and in stir fries. As with other cooking greens, it makes sense to toss in the stems and cook them for a few minutes longer than the leaves.
Once cooked, top your broccoli raab with a cheese like romano, paremesan or feta. Give it a try with onions, garlic, carrots, nearly any flavorful vegetable or herb.
Recipes
With all of these great vegetables, sometimes a little help in the preparation department is highly appreciated. Try these great recipes to bring delicious and nutritious foods to your dinner table:
* Arugula and Potato Soup
* Spinach Pesto
* Spaghetti with Broccoli Rabe, Toasted Garlic and Bread Crumbs
* Orcchiette with Greens
* Cucumber and Dill Salad
Once cooked, top your broccoli raab with a cheese like romano, paremesan or feta. Give it a try with onions, garlic, carrots, nearly any flavorful vegetable or herb.
Recipes
With all of these great vegetables, sometimes a little help in the preparation department is highly appreciated. Try these great recipes to bring delicious and nutritious foods to your dinner table:
* Arugula and Potato Soup
* Spinach Pesto
* Spaghetti with Broccoli Rabe, Toasted Garlic and Bread Crumbs
* Orcchiette with Greens
* Cucumber and Dill Salad
Posted 6/10/2010 9:39am by Gary Brever.
Harvest Week 2 – June 10, 2010 
|
A note from your farmer:
We continue on into our spring mix shares which include many of the Asian greens. For new members I think it is important to let you know that in the weeks ahead there will be much more variety than what you are receiving in the boxes now.
Please note that while most items are “field washed" all the produce (including the salad mix) should still be washed at home before it is consumed. The damage that you see on the tips of the Bok Choy is from the frost that we had in May.
We have had some nice rains this past week which are great for plant growing. Unfortunately , the rain feeds the weeds too. During this time of year, we only have a few days each week to really focus on weeding as two and a half days are needed to pick, wash and pack share boxes. If the ground is too wet to cultivate during the window of opportunity that we have, we can get behind very quickly.
This is definitely the farm’s busiest time of the year which means it is also the time of year when extra hands are very much appreciated. I put this offer out every year to members to come out and help for a day or two. We always have one or two that take us up on it and we have found that those who do come out to help consistently have a deeper connection to our farm because they have a better realization of just how much care goes into the vegetables that we grow. That’s what Community Supported Agriculture is really all about, isn’t it? It’s about this connection to our food, the land it grows on and the folks who care for it.
I think the main reason that people choose CSA is because they are looking for something authentic. For so long we have been alienated from our food sources. A hamburger at a McDonald’s is no longer anything like a cow. Many of the vegetables that are found on the produce aisle shelves are picked by those working in conditions just above the standards of slavery. I encourage you to spend a day on Ploughshare Farm in order to get a better understanding of where YOUR food comes from. Email me at gjbrever@midwestinfo.net if interested. The weather is looking very good for Thursday, June 10th (there is rain projected for Friday and Saturday) and next week to come out and help. I think you will come away with a deeper appreciation for the farm, the food and your commitment to community supported agriculture.
We Love Our Interns!
The produce that is found in your boxes every week is clearly not grown, harvested, washed, and packed exclusively by me (Gary). Rather, we have a crew of interns and a couple hired workers that assist us every day. At this time I would like to thank them all for their hard work. This year we have one of our “star” crews: Victor, Christie, Max, Olga, Elizabeth, Trevor, and Anne. Thank you!!
Cookbooks
We highly recommend the cookbook, "From Asparagus to Zucchini" put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition. It gives essential tips on how to use many of the typical vegetables you will be receiving in our CSA. Please place your order on our website by June 16th in order to receive a copy for only $15 (retail price is $18). Go to: http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312
Dress Up Your Salad Greens
Garlic Scapes
Kale
The dark ruffled greens of the kale plant are healthy and delicious. To care for this vegetable, carefully wash each leaf and stalk. To store, wrap loosely in plastic wrap in the fridge. For a simple preparation, chop the leaves and stems and steam sauté, stir fry or braise. If your stalks are large, begin cooking the stalks a few minutes prior to cooking the leaves. They are done when the stems are tender enough to easily insert a fork into.
For a great side dish, try flash cooking your kale. Heat some oil in a nonstick pan over high heat. When it starts to smoke, add chopped kale stems and cook until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the leaves and cook until they start to wilt and become brown. At this point, turn off the heat, add salt and pepper and about a quarter cup of viniegar or lemon juice. A simple and delicious addition to any meal.
Strawberry Shares
The last time I spoke with Holmes City Berries they projected that the first delivery
of strawberries will go out next week. The strawberries will be delivered with your regular share. If this changes I will email you before then. We will still accept orders for strawberry shares until this Friday, June 11th. You may order at our website www.ploughsharefarm.com
Shirts
We would like to get another order of Ploughshare Farm T-shirts.
You can preorder your shirt at http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312
Show the world that you are a Ploughshare CSA Member with this originally designed T-shirt. Made with Certified Organic cotton.
On the front: Ploughshare Logo
On the back:"The act of putting into your mouth what the Earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the Earth." Francis Moore Lappe (Author of "Diet for a Small Planet")
Cookbooks
We highly recommend the cookbook, "From Asparagus to Zucchini" put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition. It gives essential tips on how to use many of the typical vegetables you will be receiving in our CSA. Please place your order on our website by June 16th in order to receive a copy for only $15 (retail price is $18). Go to: http://www.ploughsharefarm.com/store/312
Dress Up Your Salad Greens
This week brings more beautiful opportunities to experiment with salad greens. Included in your share are Romaine Lettuce, Oak Leaf Lettuce and a salad mix. Clean all of your greens in cool water as you would spinach. Greens can be stored in a salad spinner if you have one or wrapped in a clean cloth or paper towel and placed in a plastic bag.
Instead of drowning your salad greens in heavy dressings that mask their natural flavors, consider taking the time to create something that brings out the taste of these delicious raw vegetables.
A bit of olive oil and vinegar is all you need to make a salad perfect. Mix up this basic recipe with any good quality flavored oil, like peanut, walnut or sesame. Other vegetables, raw or cooked, or a bit of other greens, like arugula can give your salad an intense burst of flavor.
Garlic ScapesThe stalk of the garlic plant, known as the scape, is a tender and delicious part of the plant. Simply clean and chop up the scape to toss into any salad or stir fry. Add it anywhere you would onions for an interesting change of pace. Try it in soups, stews, pestos, roasted veggie mixes, or dips.
Garlic plants put out a curly stem which would otherwise produce a false seed head. Before the seed head forms we go to plant to plant and "pop" them off so that the energy of the plant goes to producing bigger bulbs underground. The byproduct of this process are these curly stems, called scapes. They are considered a delicacy by many chefs, in part because they are available only two or three weeks during the entire year. In part also because they are DELICIOUS. Sautee them with a little bit of olive oil or butter.... yum!!!! They have a snap like an asparagus with the taste of garlic.
Asian Greens
In this week’s share you will discover three types of asian greens, Hon Tsai Tai (picture
d left), Tot Soi (pictured right), and Bok Choy (below). These are cooking greens that can be sautéed in oil and gently simmered in water or stock and topped with anything you can imagine. When experimenting with these greens, bring your curiosity and sense of adventure - even the flower buds are edi
ble!
In this week’s share you will discover three types of asian greens, Hon Tsai Tai (picture
d left), Tot Soi (pictured right), and Bok Choy (below). These are cooking greens that can be sautéed in oil and gently simmered in water or stock and topped with anything you can imagine. When experimenting with these greens, bring your curiosity and sense of adventure - even the flower buds are edible!Hon Tsai Tai are the reddish purple stems with budded flowers. With a mild mustardy taste, these young vegetables work well chopped in a stir fry, thrown into a soup or raw on a salad. Tot Soi, also known as spoon cabbage, brings a mild flavor to salad mixes and stir fry. And Bok Choy (see below) has the large loose head with stalks with a fresh taste that adds a depth of flavor to nearly any dish.
Kale
The dark ruffled greens of the kale plant are healthy and delicious. To care for this vegetable, carefully wash each leaf and stalk. To store, wrap loosely in plastic wrap in the fridge. For a simple preparation, chop the leaves and stems and steam sauté, stir fry or braise. If your stalks are large, begin cooking the stalks a few minutes prior to cooking the leaves. They are done when the stems are tender enough to easily insert a fork into.For a great side dish, try flash cooking your kale. Heat some oil in a nonstick pan over high heat. When it starts to smoke, add chopped kale stems and cook until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the leaves and cook until they start to wilt and become brown. At this point, turn off the heat, add salt and pepper and about a quarter cup of viniegar or lemon juice. A simple and delicious addition to any meal.