Harvest Week 8 – July 28, 2011


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This week’s share includes:

Garlic-- green (use right away)
Carrots
Celery
Chioggia or cylandria beets
Parsley
Cucumbers
Summer squash (not in mini shares)
Peppers
Onions
Kale
Broccoli

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A Note From Your Farmer

I’m sure many of you are at least one or two generations removed from the farm.  Just a couple generations ago over 25% of the population made their living by farming.

Both my parents grew up on farms. My grandfather on my dad’s side barely eked out a living on the rocky land in the Clarissa area (near Long Prairie). My grandfather on my mom’s side did a bit better raising a dairy heard and pigs near Bluffton (by Wadena). I surely don’t want to romanticize too much on the “good old days” of farming. However, one of the greatest differences between farming today compared with farming back in the 30’s and 40’s is that today less than 1% of the population is farmers. I can only imagine back when my grandparents were farming what it must have been like to have most of your brother’s and sisters sharing the same experience as you. In addition, all your neighbors were sharing a common experience. The same weather that affected your crops and had you working late into the night or kept you inside because of the rain, also affected your neighbor across the street. If you had a bumper crop one year, most likely most of the other farmers did as well. In turn, your community benefited.

Today, it’s not like this. This is true not just for farming but for the general population as well. Most of the neighbors in a community have totally unrelated jobs. Hard times by one business in a community affects others businesses in the community only indirectly. 

There is only one collective experience that seems to affect the population on as large scale today as farmers had in the past and that is how well the stock market does. It’s even curious to read how those that write about the stock market describe what they are going through… (i.e.—“weathering” the downturn in the markets). Just like a hail storm can take out an entire crop, and hence a large amount of what you have worked for, a few percentage points dip in the Dow Jones industrial can have a reaching affect for many.

When I hear economists talk about the future of the U.S. economy there is a lot of uncertainty. If I had investments in the stock market I would probably be feeling very vulnerable right about now as well. I think those who have money tied up in the stock market right now are right to feel a bit afraid of what “storm” may be on the horizon. The way I see things (clearly, I am only a vegetable farmer. What do I know about the economy?) the last 50 years of growth was based upon extraction of resources in the environment. It is clear that this world has a finite set of resources to give. Those resources taken out of the ground for the past 50 years, (for example oil) took billions of years to create in the first place and now are being exhausted. 

The threat of not only peak oil but the loss of many other natural resources is absolutely the inevitable storm that is going to hamper the growth in corporations. This in turn will create a stock portfolio that will be at least sluggish and more than likely worthless.  In addition, there are many other factors that can have serious implications on your wealth and make your investments pretty vulnerable. Just think about the dire predictions that are being made this week if politicians don’t get their act together and increase the debt ceiling. What a game of Russian roulette!!

Though I may have a lot of stress during the year about what may affect my crops, I think farming is still a worthwhile venture.   Elliot Coleman said, “You want to talk about returns?  At 1,000:1 in four months, a tomato seed makes even the highest fliers seem paltry.” Even when a devastating storm hits, there is always a new season to start anew.  I can’t help but worry sometimes whether or not in the not too distant future whether knowing the skill of growing your own food will be more a of a necessity. I can only hope for a future where more communities will see value in investing in their own local farmers for their economic, health and food security. 

Fall Storage Share

If you haven’t ordered a fall storage share I highly recommend you “update your membership” and add a storage share to your regular summer share.  These shares are a very popular option. You will receive a significant amount of produce for a very good value.  See below:

This share will supply all the fall storage vegetables that your family will need for the months of October, November and December.  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:

$285 for Fargo, St. Cloud, and metro area members
$250 for Alexandria and Farm pick-up site members
$275 for Fergus Falls, Sauk Centre and Elbow Lake Members

There is a 3% discount for paying in Full by check (use coupon code 4565)

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Note From Your Farm Intern Brian Alan

When I look back at my first four months at Ploughshare Farm, I’m reminded of a line written by the great Mark Twain:  “Still, persistence in any cause is bound to succeed. He was a very inferior farmer when he first began, but a prolonged and unflinching assault upon his agricultural difficulties has had its effect at last, and he is now rising fast from affluence to poverty.”



I first arrived at Ploughshare Farm in mid March of this year, and after being graciously welcomed by Gary Brever and the rest of his family I decided to walk around the grounds to explore the farm.  March in Minnesota means there is still quite a bit of snow and ice around to impede travel, so my trek was brief.  But I quickly met my closest neighbors (two cows), and as I continued along I made more discoveries.  At one point, I remember doing a double take as I saw what I thought was a deer hoof peaking through the ice.  I paused for a second as I contemplated what was below that ice, assumed ‘what you don’t know can’t hurt you’, and moved along.  A couple days and an inch or so of melted snow later, it became apparent that this hoof was attached to a leg and could no longer be ignored.  Thankfully, I soon learned that the remains ended at the leg and that the limb would turn out to be an impromptu chew toy for the farm's dog.  Now since graduating from college, I spent the better part of my twenties living and working in New York City.  In that world, you have a better chance of seeing a dog riding the downtown 6 train in a designer carrier than you do of seeing one with an all natural chew toy, roughing it in the icy winter.  So for me, this little story encapsulates my motivation for joining Ploughshare Farm.  I wanted an opportunity to move out from the concrete jungle and into nature – to work outside with my hands and to step outside of my comfort zone.

       

And to date, that has been my experience.  I'm no longer working in a temperature controlled office building.  I'm out with the changing seasons, feeling the work evolve from winter’s snow and time spent seeding in the greenhouse to summer’s heat and time spent transplanting, weeding, cultivating, and at long last harvesting.  I've endured hard work while battling any number of obstacles (e.g. hunger, thirst, weather, mosquitoes, etc.) and have learned to laugh through it with my co-workers.  I discovered that being constantly reminded of how to do seemingly obvious tasks isn't a personal affront, but is for the benefit of the overall operation (in my case, it's difficulty in tying twist ties around vegetable bunches - I'm just not good at it).  Through persistence has come the enrichment I was hoping for when I started at the farm.  And at the end of the day, when you can dig your hands in the dirt and pull up the tangible result of your labor, it all seems worth it.  This week's share contains carrots that you have to see to believe – just beautiful stuff.

So here in July after four months at Ploughshare, my current level of inferiority as a farmer is much better judged by Gary than myself.  But as I step back and think about the work ethic required and all I’ve done and all I’ve learned and all the fun I've had with my fellow interns here at the farm – I can say that the experience for me has been an overwhelming success.

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Using All Parts of Your Vegetables

Yesterday’s New York Times had an interesting article that focused on using your peels, stalks and stems. It’s a good read and has some good tips on using parts of the veggies you would normally toss in your compost pile. I included a quick recipe for broccoli later in the newsletter. Check out the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/dining/thats-not-trash-thats-dinner.html?_r=1&hpw
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Green Garlic - Use Right Away!
The garlic in your share today is uncured and we washed it because they were very dirty.  Since the outer skins are wet there may be problems with them spoiling sooner than normal.  We usually like to sit bulbs in the greenhouse to dry for at least a week or two.  If it looks like your bulb may have any spoilage on the bottom I recommend just peeling the skins off and using them in the next few days. In general, the bulbs should be used within the week or two. Some of you may have good luck storing them longer (in a cool dry place), but be warned so that your garlic doesn't spoil on you before you have a chance to use it.

Storage:
For long term storage, garlic can be minced and covered with olive oil and stored in an airtight jar and frozen or refrigerated.

How to Use:
Cooked or raw, garlic is great! If you sauté, only heat it until translucent as it will burn quickly. To mellow its flavor, cook for longer but over low heat so it doesn't burn and smell/taste bitter.

Make garlic butter: Use 1/2 cup softened butter mashed with 4 minced cloves.

Roasted garlic: Cut tops off bulbs to expose garlic, brush or dab with olive oil and bake for 1 hour at 350. Squeeze out of its skins and put on bread, on pizza, or an antipasto or appetizer platter.

Roasted Garlic Dip (2-4 appetizer servings)

1 head garlic
1/2T plus 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
black pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
crusty bread

Heat oven to 300. Cut off top 1/4-1/2 inch of garlic head to expose cloves. Put garlic, cut-side up in baking dish. Drizzle 1/2T olive oil over top and sprinkle some black pepper. Roast about 45 minutes, until soft and fragrant. Cool completely. Squeeze cloves out of skins and mash with a fork. Stir in Parmesan, 1/4 cup olive oil and pepper to taste. Serve on crusty bread.

Adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini

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Carrots
As part of the umbeliferae family, carrots are related to parsley, celery, parsnip, cilantro, fennel, caraway and dill.

Storage:
Remove greens and refrigerate in a plastic bag where they will last 2-4 weeks. If you wish to freeze, blanch for 3 minutes, rinse in cold water, drain, let dry and pack in an airtight bag. Fresh greens can be used immediately in a green salad or stir fry.

How to Use:
Scrub with a vegetable brush (or washcloth) to remove dirt. Don't peel unless removing a damaged area. Raw carrots preserve all nutrients. Steaming for 5-10 also preserves most nutrients as long as you don't overcook them.

Carrots are sweet, so add them to your homemade tomato sauce to lighten it up.

Try a simple puree of carrot soup with onions or leeks, freshly grated ginger and salt or soy sauce.

Creamy Carrot Soup with Curried Beet Creme Fraiche (6-8 servings)

12 carrots
1 medium potato
1-3 cups half and half
1 large red beet
1T curry powder
1 cup creme fraiche

Chop and peel carrots and potato. Cook in a 2-quart saucepan, covered with water, until tender.  Transfer to food processor, add half and half and blend until creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Peel and chop the beet, roast in oven at 400 until tender, about 45 minutes. Blend in blender with curry powder and creme fraiche. Use on soup for garnish.

Adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini

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Celery
Our celery may look and taste more vibrant than what you’re accustomed to. (Some of you might even say it tastes “aggressive.”) This is because we do not blanch our celery plants by hilling soil around them to exclude light. Blanching would make for paler, juicier stalks—but our deep-green, unblanched celery is especially wonderful for cooking. Save the light-colored, mild inner stalks for eating raw.

Storage:
Refrigerate immediately or it will go limp. Wrap in a damp towel or keep in a plastic bag and store in the hydrator drawer of the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For maximum crispness, store stems upright in a container with an inch of water.

How to Use:
Celery is a standard addition to salads, casseroles, soups, stews and stir-fries. Dice into tuna, chicken, egg, potato and pasta salads.

Ants on a Log!

Slice celery into vegetable salads and use the leaves as a substitute for parsley.

Make an aromatic seasoning by sautéing celery along with onions, garlic, or ginger.

Stuffing Ideas for Celery
*Serve raw celery stalks stuffed with peanut butter, cream cheese, or goat cheese (chevre).
*Soft goat cheese blended with chopped arugula or chopped fresh dill
*Softened cream cheese mashed with smoked fish and lemon juice
*Softened cream cheese mixed with crumbled blue cheese, chopped green olives & walnuts or chutney or pesto or tapenade

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Beets
Be sure to enjoy this summer treat raw or cooked!

Storage:
Beet greens are best used fresh. Store greens wrapped in a damp cloth or a plastic bag in a refrigerator drawer. To maintain firmness of the beetroot, cut off leaves and stems 1-2 inches above the root crown. Store in a plastic bag and refrigerate in the hydrator drawer of your refrigerator. 

How to Use:
Try beet greens tossed raw into a green salad. Also use them steamed or sautéed or in place of spinach or other dark, leafy greens (such as chard) in cooked recipes.

Scrub the beetroot clean. If you peel you will lose trace minerals just beneath the surface of the skin. Grate into a salad, cooked or raw. Cube beets into veggie soups or stews. Serve sliced, steamed beets at room temp tossed in olive oil or a citrus vinaigrette and salt and pepper.

To bake, cut off leaves and wash roots. Bake at 350 for 1-2 hours or until easily pierced with a fork. Rub off skins and cut off roots. Serve whole or sliced.

Beets pair well with citrus, vinegars, mint, dill, marjoram, feta cheese and olive oil.

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Parsley

Storage:
For short term storage, wrap parsley in a damp towel or place upright in a container with an inch of water and refrigerate (such as you would store mint). 

Prep:
Rinse well. Chop if necessary or leave long for a garnish.

Cooking tips:
Add to a green, pasta or vegetable salad, or add at the very end of your stir fries. Tastes great in soups and stews - add it at the end of cooking. Parsley also is tasty fresh or dried in homemade tomato sauce (pizza sauce or pasta sauce).

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Cucumbers
Cucumbers are great on sandwiches, in salads, refreshing on your face and most importantly, as pickles.

Storage:
Refrigerate to retain moisture in the hydrator drawer. They will keep for up to one week. Once you slice into one, they don't stay well when refrigerated so use it up!

How to Use:
No need to peel these organic and unwaxed cucumbers. Simply rinse. Dice or slice into salads, sandwiches, or on crackers (with ham and cream cheese!).

Try creamy cucumber salad: slice cucumber and toss with plain yogurt, mayonnaise, fresh or dried dill (weed or seed) and salt and pepper. Add some of this week’s Walla Walla onions, too!

Try chilled cucumber soup: Blend cucumbers with plain yogurt, a pinch of fresh mint, basil and salt and pepper. Add some seeded jalapeño into the blender too if you want some heat.
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Summer Squash
Zucchini, patty pan, yellow crookneck and straighneck squash are popular summer squash varieties. They are delicate and perishable, so enjoy immediately, unlike their storage-friendly winter squash cousins.

Storage:
It dehydrates quickly once picked. Store in a plastic bag or hydrator drawer in refrigerator for up to one week. Cooked, pureed summer squash may be frozen for later use in winter soups. Freeze in an airtight container.

How to Use:
Rinse or wipe - no need to peel. Grate or slice into green salads, or shred to make a squash slaw. Cut into matchsticks or rounds and dip with other veggies.

Steam squash whole or halved. Cook squash cut into 1-2 inch cubes for 10-15 minutes, chunks for 5-10 minutes, or until tender when checked with a fork. Don't overcook!!

Grill halves 3-4 minutes over direct heat then 8-10 minutes over indirect heat. Baste with oil or marinade. Great on kabobs!

Squash pairs well with butter, fresh lemon juice, fresh herbs, Parmesan cheese, black pepper.

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Peppers

Storage:
Refrigerate unwashed peppers unwashed in hydrator drawer 1-2 weeks.

How to Use:
Peppers are tasty, raw, grilled, sautéed, charred, stuffed and as flavor in numerous ethnic dishes.

Stuffed Peppers (serves 8)

1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (about 1 large)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
4 medium-size red bell peppers (each about 4 to 6 ounces), halved lengthwise, seeded
Fresh rosemary sprigs

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix first 9 ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Fill pepper halves with sausage mixture, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Arrange in 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)

Bake peppers uncovered until tops are browned and thermometer inserted into filling registers 165°F, about 1 hour. Transfer peppers to platter. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve.

Adapted from Bon Appetit

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Onions

Storage:
Store onions on a rack in a well-ventilated area spaced a few inches apart. You'll want to use them within three to four weeks.

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Kale

Storage:
Wrap unwashed kale in a damp towel or store in a plastic bag and keep in the crisper drawer. It's best used fresh if you can use it, but will keep for several days if kept moist and refrigerated.

Kale also can be stored long term in the freezer with some simple preparation. Blanch chopped leaves (place in boiling water) for three minutes then transfer to an ice water bath to stop the cooking. (Be sure to have actual ice cubes floating the water to keep the temp cold.) Drain the leaves, squeeze to remove water and place in an airtight freezer bag.

Prep:
Wash thoroughly before cooking to remove hidden dirt and other grit from the soil.

Cooking tips:
Use kale as you would chard, spinach or other greens. They are great wilted in a large pan with oil or butter and a little garlic. Use as a side dish to your main course. Place silver dollar-sized dollops on your pizza (great with goat cheese!) or other flatbreads. Sprinkle with kosher or sea salt and a squeeze of lemon. Also great in egg bakes and quiches. Add to lasagna and pastas for extra flavor and vitamins.

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Broccoli

Storage:
Broccoli is best used within a few days of harvesting. Store in a plastic bag in the hydrator drawer of the refrigerator.

Broccoli also freezes well. Cut into florets and slice stems. Blanch for 3-4 minutes and cool in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain, let dry and place in an airtight container.

How to Use:
Soak head upside down in cold, salted water to remove any hidden field pests. Remove lowest part of stem if woody or tough. Fresh broccoli is great on a veggie tray with a cool dip.

Steaming increases digestibility, heightens color and retains most of the nutrients. The stalk and florets are all edible to be sure to eat it all. Chop and separate florets, steam lightly for 5-7 minutes and eat as an app or tossed into a pasta salad.

Use your broccoli stalks: cut off the tough outer peel, shave the remaining stalk into ribbons with a vegetable peeler, scatter with lemon zest and shards of Parmesan. Enjoy! 

Broccoli pairs well with butter, fresh lemon juice, anchovy, soy sauce and many hard, grated cheeses such as Parmesan.