March

Smells like spring in here!

 

I have spent several hours these past few weeks in sunny, near 90 conditions....right in my back yard.  I must say I have thinned my blood hanging out in the green houses!  When the sun is bright it is down right HOT in there!  It's a near death sentence if you wander in there with your long johns on--whew!  Fans and vents keep the plants cool and sometimes I even open up the doors to make sure none of them overheat. 

 

The longer days bring more growth to the spinach in the hoop house.  And if we actually had some sun, I could harvest just about every week.  The leaves are thick and oh so sweet.  Winter Spinach puts spring field spinach to shame.  No question about it.

 

I did not build any drainage around my hoop house so last week's warmth and rain made the house a muddy river.  Some plants were even under water.  I had to make trenches so the water could flow out of the house and not just settle in ponds inside.  Then I had to put a barrier up so the ducks would not go in and splash around.  They were not very happy with my barricade.  So just when I thought the worst of the spring thaw was over, here we are getting another foot of snow!  Again, the ducks are not very happy.  I too was actually adjusting to seeing the brown earth and am having a hard time switching gears.  Very early tomorrow morning I will be out plowing snow -- that will snap me back into I am sure.

 

Tapping, Hanging, Collecting, Boiling

 

Maple sugaring season is upon us too.  Another tricky season this year with the weather so hot then too cold, we have only collected three times.  300 gallons of clear beautiful sap each time, but that doesn't amount to much syrup.  We will see what the weather brings us after this snow storm.  Hopefully we can collect on Friday or Saturday so there is sap a boiling for Maine Maple Sunday.

Maine Maple Sunday March 25th

Visit Mitch and Penny in Bowdoin for Maine maple Sunday--where I help collect, and where the syrup I sell comes from!  Follow our sapping journal...

http://www.mainemaplekitchen.net/

 

 

MARCH Winter Share Pick Up Thursday 21st

Pick up Includes: winter radish, red/russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, red/yellow onions, parsnips, golden turnips, rutabagas, green cabbage, celeriac, the last of the butternut and spinach!

LOTS of EGGS this week!!!!!!!

 

Recipes:

Green Cabbage Soup --sounds boring but it is simply yummy!

 

 

Orange and Chili Stewed Bottom Round Steaks with butternut Squash and Oregano -- I scanned this recipe from How to Cook Meat by John Willoughby (a great book), but I don't know if this will work, so if you would like the recipe and the link doesn't work, I can email it to you!

March!

March is a funny month for me. It is the transition month between the two gears in my life: "winter" and "farming". Years like this, March is a little easier becuase there is still so much snow on the ground. Meaning--the indoor to do list is still long, and I may have a chance to get to it since the outdoor to do list is still buried in snow. But I am definatly being pulled into spring--1000's of onion, lettuce, cabbage, kale and chard seeds have been sown at the greenhouse! No germination quite yet, but soon, very soon.

This is the month I start to really push my marketing....if you haven't signed up yet for 2011...I go to CSA fairs and Wellness fairs, post brochures, hang fliers...and basically talk my head off about why joining Little Ridge Farm CSA could possibly be the best decision you will make all year. Thank you to all of you talking heads as well! Word of mouth by far is the biggest and most successful advertiser.

I have decided to grow in number by about 15 shares this summer and increase the winter shares from 40 to 50 and raise the pigs by 2. Already I have 50 of the 75 summer shares I would like and have sold out on all the pigs and beef! It is hard for me to say no to people. I find myself thinking, okay maybe I should get more pigs or increase this, increase...It is good to know that demand is high, but I need to be sure I can keep the quality of my product and my life high as well. Small steps. Part of me wants to raise food for 125 shares, with 20 pigs and cows and turkeys and...but part of me likes the little family we have created thus far, small but healthy.

Just say "YES!" to spinach. Although I think I broke my back shoveling and didn't sleep as much due to wind/snow load worry, I think the hoophouse has been a success. I learned a few things this year and will try and improve for next. I hope you all have enjoyed the sweet little treats of green.

This week looks like it be a bit warmer and SUNNY on Thursday for pick up! The winter shares have been a lot of fun for me, I think a good decision to do this instead of the farmer's market. More my style.

CANNING WORKSHOP!!!!

In my kitchen during pick up March 17th.

Pat, a volunteer from UMaine Extension, will be making blueberry jam. Stop in to see how it is done, ask questions and receive paper print outs!

This months share: winter roots, the last of the winter sqash, fresh spinach and a surprise : )
Recipe:

Carnival Winter Squash:

This small colorful squash has a mellow flavor, similar to a sweet potato. You can stuff it, use it as a base for soups or mix it with butter as a side dish. The skin is hard, so you will want to bake it first before scooping out the meat.

Winter Root Vegetable Slaw Recipe

The choice of root vegetables here works well, but you are free to mix and match. Just be sure to not have too many sweet vegetables like carrots and parsnips, or too many sharp ones, like radishes or turnips.

Ingredients

· 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 1 teaspoon sugar

· 1/4 cup sherry or red wine vinegar

· 1 cup chopped parsley, loosely packed

· 2/3 cup olive oil

· 2 large carrots (choose different colored carrots if you can find them)

· 2 medium parsnips

· 1 small celery root

· 2 black radishes or 1/2 daikon radish

Method

1 Put the mustard, salt, sugar, vinegar and parsley in a blender and process until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the blender, cover and process at its slowest setting. Drizzle in the olive oil slowly. When it is all in, move the blender to its highest setting and puree for about 90 seconds.

2 Peel all the vegetables except for the radishes, if you are using black ones. The slivers of black in the salad look cool, so I leave them in. Using a vegetable peeler or a coarse grater, slice shreds off the vegetables into a bowl. Try to keep the shreds roughly the same length if you can.

3 To finish, toss some of the vinaigrette with the shredded vegetables and let stand in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before serving.

January!

The Hoop House Construction and its Inaugural Use

Mid August--It's always been a bit of a toss up for me as to whether I should get a hoop house or not, but this year with the new winter share and the desire to have earlier greens for the summer share I decided to go for it!

I had a super team of "experts" help me to erect the house and despite a few challenges like gusty winds and initially putting the plastic on backwards, we did it!

30x50 feet in size, I am hoping to have a nice supply of greens. Although I have told myself this is just bonus space, the outside fields are the real dirt and if the hoop house greens don't make it then well so be it.

Late October--the spinach and lettuce waiting for me to put it's winter blanket on for the winter months. I draped a thin fabric over the hoops above the greens. The hoops keep the fabric off the plants as to not damage them (because the frost will penetrate the fabric and freeze to the plants) and to create another insulating airspace around the plants.

January--And here we are shoveling out the hoop house so that it does not collapse under the weight of the snow. It is pretty sturdy structure but...and the wind. Oh my gosh the flapping of the plastic as I shoveled was enough to give me a near heart attack!

The greens freeze and thaw throughout the winter (there is no heat in a hoop house). I am hoping for a warm day this week so that I can harvest some spinach for this week's pick up. After harvest the plants will remain dormant until the day length gets longer (mid Feb, March) and then the plants will begin to regrow for a (hopefully) 2nd harvest in March.

It's all pretty exciting...and nerve racking...stay away wind and sleet!

Thursday the 20th is the first Winter Share pick up! I am happy that I have exceeding my expectations of shareholders and am hoping that all will be pleased with the selection. So far the veggies are storing well in the "root cellar" (insulated cooler).

WINTER SQUASH--I had a super winter squash year! I have loads left and they are storing quite well as of now. However, it would not hurt for you to take and/or buy extra this month. If you notice a bad spot, cut it out and cook it right away. I tend to cook several at a time and freeze what I do not use so that I can have precooked squash for other dishes in the future.

Store in a cool (45 to 50 degree) dry place such as a basement, cabinet or under your couch! The Delicata variety is probably my favorite. It is mild tasting yet delicious, easy to cut and you can eat the skins. There are a lot of fancy ways to cook this squash, but I prefer to keep it simple and bake it with butter, brown sugar, and a little maple syrup. It adds sweetness and depth without overpowering the flavor of the squash.

You can also make a quick stock out of the skins and seeds of winter squash. After baking, remove flesh from skins (non delicata variety) and just cover with water. Add the reserved seeds, salt, onion, carrot and simmer for 30 minutes.

We’ve found that the seeds are very tasty when toasted like pumpkin seeds! Save them, toast them, eat them!

Hope your winter is cozy and fun. I admit we love the winter and are having a blast in this snow!!!! Especially Simon...and the ducks, they are like natural snowshoes!

January's Winter Share Pick Up:

spinach (hopefully), winter squash, beets, onions, carrots, potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, cabbage, garlic and parsnips

Recipes:

Check out "Smitten Kitchen" blog, type in Winter Squash....all the recipes look good....there is a pumpkin swirl brownie (it has chocolate!)

Delicata Squash Bisque with Cashew Cream Sauce Serves 4 large bowls, 6-8 Cups
3 Pounds Delicata Squash, (2 pounds after prepping)

Oil for roasting

4 Cups Rich Vegetable Broth

1 tsp Thyme

Lots of Black Pepper

1 1/2 tsp Salt, more or less to taste

Cashew Cream

1 Cup Raw, Unsalted Cashews

1 Cup Rich Vegetable Broth, divided

Preheat oven to 400º F.
Peel squash and chop off the ends. Halve the squash and scrape out the seeds. Place on a baking sheet cut-side down and brush lightly with oil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until tender and beginning to brown. Flip squash before the baking is finished if needed to prevent burning.

Meanwhile, add the cashews to your blender and 1/2 cup of veggie broth. Begin pulsing to incorporate, eventually turning the blender all the way on while slowly adding the other 1/2 cup of broth. Once all the broth is added (1 cup total), let the blender run for 1-2 minutes until very, very smooth. Set cream aside. If your blender can’t get the cream completely smooth, strain before adding it to the soup.

Remove squash from the oven. Using a spatula, transfer it into a large soup pot. Break up the squash into chunks with a spoon or your spatula and add 4 cups of veggie broth, thyme, and black pepper. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, covered.
Working in batches if needed, blend the soup until very smooth, being careful not to overfill your blender. My 64 oz blender fit the entire batch of soup.

Return the blended soup to the pot and add all but 1/4 cup of the cashew cream. Season with salt and more pepper. How much salt you add with depend on how salty your broth is to begin with. I thought 1 1/2 tsp salt was perfect for my batch, but yours might differ.
Remove soup to bowls (or mugs!) and garnish with extra cashew cream drizzled on the top and some fresh black pepper. Little squigglies of cream look nice, but you can also draw hearts or stars or swirls, whatever! http://veganyumyum.com/2008/10/delicata-squash-bisque/

Acorn Squash (you could use delicata)Quesadilla Adapted from a Dos Caminos demonstration recipe, but similar to many found in their awesome book, ModMex
The secret to getting your quesadillas crisp, Lindquist insisted, is to cook them in either butter or lard, and no skimping. A griddle is best if you have one, but a regular old frying pan will do in a pinch.
1 small/medium acorn squash

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons diced white onion

1 tablespoon minced jalapeno (use those hot peppers you froze this summer!)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled and cut into strips

Salt and pepper to taste

10-inch flour tortillas

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend of your choice (I used Muenster, not Mexican but worked great!)

Butter for frying quesadillas

First, roast the acorn squash. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly oil a baking sheet. Halve the squash, scoop out the seeds (you can save them to toast later, if you wish) and cut each half into half-inch slices. Lay them on the baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, until soft but not cooked to mush. (You’ll finish it in the pan.)
When cool enough to work with, use a paring knife or your hands to peel the skin off each slice. Lightly chop the squash and put it in a bowl.
Saute the onions, garlic and jalapeno in the oil until translucent. Add the poblano strips and cook for a couple minutes more. Add the squash and cook for another 5 or 10 minutes, until the squash is tender and the flavors have melded. Season with salt and pepper and take off heat.
Spread a few tablespoons of the cooked squash mixture onto one half of a 10-inch flour tortilla. Sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of the cheese. Fold over and place in a hot pan with melted butter, and fry until crispy. Cut the finished quesadilla into four triangles and top with your choice of garnishes. Eat while warm. http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/10/acorn-squash-quesadillas-tomatillo-salsa/#more-858

Garnish with your tomatillo or tomato salsa you make from the farm this summer : )

December Holiday Share

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!

What a tremendous growing season! A warm summer and Mother Nature has gently lifted us into winter. The ground is starting to be crunchy and those little flakes of white aren't melting in the shade. I was happy for the temps to get a little cooler because I was needing for the root cooler to cool down enough to pack all the veggies in. And I mean pack..when I open the cooler door, onions come toppling out!
I am experimenting this year with "quick hoops." They are a low fabric and plastic cover that I can take down in the spring and is cheaper than another hoophouse. I will be amazed though if they last the winter. West winds are fierce and I have already been chasing plastic. If they do work, however, I am hoping to have some overwintered spinach, carrots, kale and scallions.
Walking around the farm, I am happy to see green. Most folks wouldn't notice, but we take great care to cover the soil in a cover crop for the winter. The roots of the cover crop hold in the nutrients, hold the soil in place and add organic matter for the following year. All but where the pigs were last is covered in cover crops or "green manure". I seeded their spot anyway after they left in October, but mid September is the last date to usually get growth.

So now everything is put to rest. The strawberries are under their blanket of straw as well as carrots, parsnips, garlic and leeks. They will wait out the winter visited by rodents and cold, but will emerge again in the spring.
I like late fall projects: pruning raspberries, putting away equipment, mulching. It is like wrapping gifts, knowing that when I open them in April they will all seem like new.
May you all have a cozy Holiday, filled with cheer and good food! Keena
December Holiday Goodies: carrots, potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, beets, onions, cabbage, winter squash, pumpkins, maple butter and potato rolls
Raw Organic Chocolate Bark
Order this decadent and nutrient-rich, "superfood" chocolate to pick up on Dec. 16th with your farm share. Handmade locally by Holistic Health Coach, Kendall Scott. Made with Maine maple syrup, no sugar and the purest, organic chocolate ingredients right from the cacao bean. Makes a delicious, healthful gift or just treat yourself! One "Holiday Flavor" - coconut, cranberry almond. 1/4 pound = $9 (10-12 pieces)1/2 pound = $16 (about 20-22 pieces)
Email info@kendallscottwellness.com to order by Thursday, December 9th.
Recipes:
Cabbage: www.mom-mom.com/cabbage.htm

Rutabaga FriesOlive Oil
Salt, garlic powder, and paprika
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 F. 1) Peel rutabagas with a paring knife and slice in 1/4" rounds. If you like, you can do them in strips - they will cook a little faster, but you have to watch them carefully or they'll burn.2) Smear with oil and a little salt and put them on a nonstick baking sheet.3) Cook about 12 minutes, turning twice. Take out when golden brown and tender. Immediately sprinkle with garlic powder and paprika. I like to add kosher salt at the end as well.

Winter Squash and Pumpkin http://smittenkitchen.com/pumpkin-winter-squash-recipes/

Week 23 Oct 26th and 29th

THE LAST PICK UP...CLEANING OUT THE FIELDS

This week, you may see some strange looking vegetables in the share. These crops are able to withstand the colder temps and actually get sweeter with frosts, so I have left them for the very end.

Purple Kohlrabi: I blogged about kholrabi earlier in the summer. This is very similar, just purple. It has a sweet "broccoli stem" flavor, that you may want to cook or eat raw.

Fennel: This cool looking vegetable is Mediterranean in origin and has a unique anise, or black licorice flavor. Again, it may be eaten cooked or raw. It aids in digestion and packs in Vitamin A, calcium, potassium and iron.

Brussel Sprouts: I didn't take a photo. I should have , they look like a little pineapple plantation out there in the field. You will sort of get the idea of how they grow when you see them at pick up. I leave them on the stalk because they store better that way. Just before you eat them, "snap" the sprouts off the stem, clean off any yellowed leaves and prepare. They are not your school cafeteria sprouts! Just be careful not to over cook them.

Delecata Squash: Many of you have been waiting for this sweet little winter squash. It is small but flavorful and makes a great soup, sauteed veg, roasted veg or baked and stuffed. The skin is so thin and "delicate" that you can eat it after cooked! Check out the Delecata squash bisque recipe posted on the blog last October.

A big thank you and blessing to the turkeys and cows!

So this is it, the last pick up of a long and extremely productive
season. Thank you all for your support, and love for fresh food. I
had a super time growing this year and loved meeting all of you and your families. Many of you I will see during the winter share pick ups, but if
not, happy winter and I look forward to seeing you again in the spring! Be sure to sign up for the 2011 season soon after the New Year.

The Last Week's Loot: carrots, chinese cabbage, brussel sprouts, kohl rabi, daikon radish, kale, chard, fennel, delecata squash, spaghetti squash/pumpkin, onions, leeks, oregano, thyme, sage (sorry no taters, I need them for winter).

Recipes

Fennel, Carrots and Pecans

2 cups carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 Tbs olive oil

1/2c thinly sliced fennel

1/4c maple syrup

1/4c roasted pecans

2tsp cornstarch

1Tbs chopped parsley

Steam carrots until tender-crisp. Heat oil and saute fennel 2 minutes. Add syrup, pecan and carrots, and simmer briefly. Mix cornstarch and 1 Tbs water and stir into skillet. Stir in parsley and serve.

Brssuel Sprouts in Cider with Apples and Onions

1 lb brussel sprouts, halved

2 apples, 1/2 in cubes

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs olive oil

1 red or yellow onion, chopped

1.5c cider

1/2tsp salt

1/2tsp pepper

2 star anise (could use a little fennel)

1/4c balsamic vinegar

Melt butter and oil in pan on low. When foams turn up to medium and add apples and onions, saute til apples soft and onion clear, bout 4 min. Add sprouts, cook about 3-4 min. Add remaining ingredients cept vinegar. Cover, reduce heat and simmer til sprouts are easily pierced with a fork, bout 10 min. Remove contents with a slotted spoon and place in a serving dish. Heat reserved liquid until reduced by half, add vinegar, cook 2 min stirring and scraping pan, pour over sprouts

Baked Kohlrabi

1 fennel bulb

2 c kohlrabi, sliced 1/2 in thick

2 cups stock

1/3 c milk or half and half

3 Tbs butter

2 Tbs flour

1/4 c parm

1/2 tsp paprika

Heat over to 350. Slice fennel 1/2 thick. Bring stock to a boil and add veg and cook til tender 7-10min, Drain, reserving stock. Add enough stock to milk to total 2 cups. Heat 2 Tbs butter stir in flour and cook 2 min. Whisk in stock until smooth. Season with slat and pepper. Butter a casserole dish and place veg in pan. pour sauce over it, sprinkle with parm and bake 1/2 hour

Week 22 Oct 19th and 22nd

WINTER ROOTS

This year I experimented with growing vegetables for the Crown of Maine Organic Cooperative. Crown of Maine is a local coop that buys food from farms and resells it to restaurants, grocery stores and food coops. I have really enjoyed selling to them as I feel they are in tune with us farmers and give really fair prices. Anyway, this year I grew colored carrots and winter radishes for them. These are the only 2 crops that you will get "2nds" as Crown of Maine gets the perfect looking stuff. You have already seen the colored carrots and this week I will introduce the winter radishes!

From left to right: Daikon, Saisai Leaf, Green Meat, Munchener Bier, Nero Tundo

Daikon: An Asian root, crisp and full of hot flavor. Cooking mellows the heat. Used mostly in making kimchi, a pickled root dish.

Saisai Leaf: This root is very similar to the daikon, but a little plumper. It was bred so that it leaves could be harvested for salads, stir-fries and pickling. I didn't try any leaves this year, maybe next.

Green Meat: Unique miniature daikon. Crisp and "sweet".

Munchener Bier: Germans traditionally serve this mildly pungent radish sliced thin and salted with a dark beer. Try them sauteed and salted too.

Nero Tundo: Black radishes have been traced back to the 16th century conquistadors. Pungent white flesh loses some heat when boiled or stir-fried.

Radishes are exalted for their many nutritional supplements and vitamins.

--Radishes, especially black ones, contain a unique phytochemical called MIBITC that is even stronger than the much-lauded anti-cancer compound sulforaphane, which is found in broccoli.

--radishes are rich in vitamin C, the B vitamins and sulfur.

--The radish root can also be crushed and used as a poultice for burns, bruises and smelling feet.

As for eating, well...your imagination is your limit!

All of these radishes may be cooked, eaten raw, grated or pickled. Most are quite spicy (especially since it was so hot and dry), but flavor mellows or sweetens when cooked. Grating them onto salads or on top of soups adds nice flavor, but not too much spice all at once.

According to several online recipes, winter radishes work very well peeled, chopped into matchstick-sized pieces and cooked in stir fry dishes. They can also be thinly sliced, baked and eaten as "chips" or grated and mixed with sour cream and lemon juice as a salad/side dish.

Gilfeather Turnip This heirloom "turnip" (it's actually a rutabaga) is sweeter than most turnips. It is wonderful grated with carrots or roasted in a pan. It was either developed or discovered by a lanky secretive bachelor, John Gilfeather, in VT who was said to have cut off the tops and the bottoms so that no one else could propagate them. However a few seeds escaped and were eventually commercialized. This year will be the 8th annual Gilfeather Turnip Festival in Mt Snow Vermont!

Inca and Pedro have started to explore the outdoors. They were so cute with the ducks. I think Inca has potential to be a duck herding cat!

This Week's Loot: lettuce/spinach mix, winter radish, leeks, onions, potatoes, carrots, beets, cabbage, chard
Next Week's Loot: greens of some sort, delicata squash, onions, carrots, potatoes

Recipes:

Radish and Root Kimchi --Wild Fermentation, Sandor Katz, an awesome book
Ingredients for 1 qt
2 daikon
2 turnips
3 carrots
a few small red radishes
3 Tbs or more fresh ginger root
3 clove garlic
2 onions/leeks
3 hot peppers or more

Process:
1. Mix a brine about 4 cups water and 3 Tbs salt
2. Slice roots, leave on skins.
3. Place them in the brine and place a plate on them to make sure they are fully emerged overnight
4. Prep ginger, peppers, garlic
5. Drain brine off veg., reserving brine, you want it to taste salty, but not unpleasantly so. If too salty, rinse. If not salty enough sprinkle with a couple tsp and mix
6. Mix spices into veg and stuff into a quart jar. Pack tight, until brine rises, if you need to add reserved brine to cover veg do so. Place something on veg so it stays immersed and cover it with a towel to keep off dust and flies.
7. Place jar in a warm place. After about one week, place jar into fridge to slow fermentation down. You may also taste kimchi daily and place it in the fridge when you think it tastes ready.

CIDER SCALLOPED GILFEATHER TURNIPS
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup apple cider or juice
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
½ cup Jarlsberg cheese, shredded
1 cup milk
½ cup chicken broth
¼ teaspoon black pepper, ground
½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 lbs. Gilfeather turnips, peeled and thinly sliced
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Put oven rack in center position. Grease 10 x 2 round baking dish or an 8 x 10 rectangular baking dish; set aside. Place flour in a medium heavy saucepan; gradually add milk, whisking until smooth. Whisk in cider, broth, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly. Cook one minute more, remove from heat and set aside.Combine cheeses. Arrange half of the sliced turnips (slightly overlapping) in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle half of cheeses on half of the turnips. Arrange another layer of turnips on top of cheese. Pour cider mixture over turnips.
Golden Winter Soup
Leeks and potatoes provide the base for this hearty vegetable soup, and butternut squash adds a hint of sweetness. Gruyère toasts add a salty note.

2 tablespoons butter
5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled russet potato (about 12 ounces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sliced leek (about 2 medium)
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
12 ounces baguette, cut into 16 slices
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
3 tablespoons chopped chives
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Preparation
Preheat broiler.
Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, potato, salt, and pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add leek; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Place half of potato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture. Stir in half-and-half. Cover and keep warm.
Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Broil bread slices 2 minutes or until golden. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with about 1 teaspoon chives. Serve 2 bread slices with each serving. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, if desired.

Week 20 Oct 5th and 8th

PYO PUMPKIN PARTY

What a beautiful day for a pumpkin harvest! Thank you to all who came and for your help. We had so much fun, it felt like we were hanging out with old friends.




We loaded up the wagon with people (a little tight) and then loaded up the wagon with pumpkins (so full we had to use the pick up truck too!).





I admit, I made folks do a little work, but we still had fun and now all of you at pick up this week get to bring home some pumpkins! All of the pumpkins this year have nice edible flesh. Hopefully some are big enough for carving and decorating too.

Cortland apples for sale at pick up this week.

Sign up
in the barn for apple cider for next week.

SLOW FOOD

This year I was asked by Slow Food Maine to grow some heirloom crops for them. They are a movement geared towards Renewing America's Food Traditions, meaning eating more "real" food, unprocessed whole foods. I grew Gilfeather Turnips and Katahdin Potatoes. Every year they have a dinner with these foods prepared by well known local chefs. It sounds like fun--check out the website for more details. (Sunday October 17th from 2-5).

http://www.slowfoodmidcoastmaine.org/

This Week's Loot: pac choi, spinach, carrots, potatoes, pumpkins

Next Week's Loot: chinese cabbage, winter radish, carrots, potatoes...
Recipes
Chilean Squash Casserole
4c cooked squash or pumpkin, mashed or pureed
1Tbs olive oil
1 1/2c chopped onion
1tsp salt
2 small bell peppers
4 cloves garlic, minced
1tsp cumin
1/2tsp dried coriander
1tsp chili powder
2c corn (here is where that frozen corn comes in handy!)
1c grated cheddar
1. heat the olive oil in a pan add onion, saute 5 min, add salt and bell peppers, saute 5 min
2. add garlic, black pepper and cayenne saute few more minutes
3. combine remaining spices corn and squash and spread into a 9x9 baking pan.
4. spread cheese over top, bake 25-30 minutes at 375

December Holiday Share

Happy Winter!

And it is truly winter! The snow is beautiful, albeit hard as a rock : ) I was hoping for a bit of a "warm" day for pick up since my barn is pretty darn chilly, but I guess I should be happy it is not snowing!

Many of you ask if life slows down for me in the winter...In a farming sense, yes. I put away all of my laboring tools and stick on my thinking cap (that is a stocking cap to keep me warm in my cold house) and settle in to plan for next season. The seed catalogs are already arriving in the mail and I am eager to pour through them and pick out fun food for us to eat. It is like forced shopping, but fun shopping! I take all of your feedback from this past season into account, and create a list of goods that will hopefully satiate your palates.

The other great thing I get to look forward to in winter is helping my friends collect maple sap! The syrup I have for sale is from this wagon : ) It's a super late winter, get me (and Simon!) in shape for spring, kinda project. Loping through the snow, lugging two 3-gallon pails full of sap, cold and just slightly sweet. And then the boiling--makes me hungry for pancakes every time!!



Oh, and I do a bit of snow plowing to make a little cash.


Hope your holiday is rich with warmth from friends and family...and good food, Keena



Winter Squash Galette
This recipe I just found and I LOVE it! I have used the galette dough for a kale, cheese mixture too and it was superb! You could probably fill the galette with just about anything.

2.5# of winter squash
1 samll head of garlic, not peeled
1 Tbs olive ooil
1 onion, finely chopped
12 sage leaves, or 2 tsp dry
1/2 cup parm chaeese
1 egg, beaten

Cut squash in ahlf and brush the surface with oil, bake at 375 until soft
Roast the garlic until soft in the oven too (or I use the toaster)
Scoop out squash and add the mash rasoted garlic


Warm 1 Tbs oil in pan, add onion and sage, cook about 2 minutes
Add squash, cheese and salt


Plop this in the center of the dough and then fold the sides up and cover about 2 inches of the squash all around the sides, so the center is open
Brush dough with the egg

Cook about 25 minutes, or until crust is golden


Galette Dough
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbs cold butter
1/2 cup ice water

Cut butter into flour and salt
Sprinkle in water
Form a ball and then roll it out to be about 1/8 in thick
I put mine on a flate baking stone for cooking

Week 20--The Fall Harvest

The pick your own pumpkin party and potluck was a blast! Thanks for all who came (and helped move all the pumpkins!) The food was fabulous and it was fun getting to know all of you better!

And, of course, Simon had a blast too. He helped to pick out the perfect pumpkin and to make sure there were no mice hitchhiking on them : )

This past week, I was busy harvesting rutabagas, cleaning onions and popping garlic. Today I will plant the garlic and cover it with a neat bed of straw. Soon all that will be left in the gardens for harvest are hearty greens like kale and spinach.

...Speaking of Spinach...these last two weeks will be full of greens! Fill up on them, because this is it until spring! They will keep in your fridge in a perforated plastic bag for at least a week. You may also chose to make soups or pies with them and freeze, or blanch the greens for 2 minutes, drain and freeze. Stock up for winter : )

Half the cows go this Thursday. I am sold out this year, but it isn't too early to sign up for 2010--the pork and beef go fast!

The turkeys go on Friday---I still have some left to sell. And I have lowered the price to $3.50/#, what a deal!!!!

This Week's Loot: lettuce mix, spinach, chard, kale, potatoes, carrots, onions, chinese cabbage, tat soi, pac choi, pumpkins

Next Week's Loot: lettuce?, kale, leeks, onions, potatoes, carrots, beets, winter squash, fennel

Stir-Fried Kale and Spinach with Hazelnuts

1/2 cup hazelnuts

2 Tbs olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

10 cups kale and spinach, chopped

salt and pepper

1. toast hazelnuts in a n ungreased skillet, stir constantly for about 5 minutes, then chop when cool

2. Saute onion and garlic, add greens in batches, stir fry until tender, about 8 minutes

3. stir in hazelnuts

Apple Flavored Winter Squash Cake

1 stick butter, room temp

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups cooked winter squash

1/2 cup apple cider

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp bkg soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp ginger

1. Beat butter until fluffy. Beat in sugar until mixed. Add eggs, one at at time. Add squash and cider, mix well.

2. Sift flour bkg soda, salt and spices. Add to cream mixture in batches.

3. Pour into a buttered and floured bundt pan

4. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and pour on glaze.

Apple Cider Glaze

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup apple cider

Sift sugar into a bowl. Whisk in cider until smooth, pour over cooled cake right away

Week 18--The Thank You Note

Taking a walk around the fields today...I can't believe it is October. The season has flown by and although I am happy with most crops, I was hoping for a little Indian Summer to beef up a few last minute plantings. Yellow and red leaves shower me as I drive under the maple trees on the edge of the field and watching the cows graze in front of a backdrop of color has been delightful these past few days. My back is sore from lugging most of the winter squash into our basement to protect them from cold nights, and long rows of carrots, beets, rutabagas and cabbage await their chance to be bundled in my arms. It is very satisfying to feel abundant, rich in food. A joy to rid of that "pit of the stomach ache" that drenched me in the early summer. I hope that you, too, have felt abundant in food most of this season and for seasons to come.

Thank you to all who filled out a survey! Your comments throughout the entire season have been helpful. All in all folks seemed very pleased (thank, God!). A few reoccurring themes were:

1. A handful of folks wanted the note printed out. No problem! I will print out a few notes each week and if this appeals to you, help yourself. Sorry though, there will be no photos.

2. More fruit. Ahh that would be nice. However, growing fruit is an art of farming technique and time all in itself. I grow the PYO strawberries and raspberries in hopes that you feel you have your "own" patch. And I will always pick at least one quart of strawberries per full share. Raspberries just take too long for me to pick enough for all. I will try to be more diligent on buying in blueberries when they are in season. And I could buy in some apples if you would like, although they won't be organic. Let me know. We are thinking about a PYO blueberry patch, but that will be down the road. Apples will be a part of the Thanksgiving share...We have planted a few peaches, plums and pears, but the trees are young and by no means did we plant an orchard. I encourage you to visit a local orchard like Rocky Ridge (Bowdoin) or Willow Pond Farm (Sabattus) in the fall.

3. Lack of quantity and diversity early in the season. Part of joining a CSA is that you take the good with the bad, the glut of melons with the lack of spinach. However, I am taking steps to improve the spring season like planting more, just in case, and erecting a hoop house (an unheated greenhouse) for early greens. AND next year the asparagus should be ready to pick!!

So thank you for your patience, encouragement, comments, compliments and love of food! I hope you will consider joining again next year. (It's not too early to sign up now.) And please pass the farm name along!!!! I had 32 members this year and next year I would love to have 50.

Goodbye to the 8 not-so-little pigs. I admit, I am a little sad and am not ready for them to go--they are so entertaining! But alas, I am a meat eater and what better meat to eat?!

This Week's Loot: Tomatilloes (great for making green salsa!), Lettuce, Tat Soi, Chinese Cabbage, Potatoes, Carrots, Beets, Delecata Winter Squash, Leeks, Peppers, Broccoli, Sorrel, Parsley

Next Week's Loot: Lettuce, Chard, Broccoli, Pac Choi, Kohl Rabi, Butternut Squash...

Sorrel--I think if you try this herb, you will love it!!! I added a 1/4 cup chopped in my potato leek soup this weekend--it adds a nice lemony falvor. A small amount chopped into a salad is superb too!

Tomatilloes--These little fruits are related to tomatoes and are excelent roasted and used in salsa or sauce. They are not very good eaten raw by themselves, but you can make a raw salsa with them.

Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe
To cook the tomatillos, you can either roast them in the oven, or boil them. Roasting will deliver more flavor; boiling may be faster and use less energy. Either way works, though boiling is a more common way to cook the tomatillos.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 Jalapeño peppers OR 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
Salt to taste
Method
1 Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well.
2a Roasting method Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.
2b Boiling method Place tomatillos in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove tomatillos with a slotted spoon.
2 Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, chili peppers, sugar in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.
Serve with chips or as a salsa accompaniment to Mexican dishes.
Makes 3 cups.

Delicata Squash is an heirloom squash. Since it’s an heirloom veggie, it’s grown for flavor and not for mass-shipping; the thin skin of this squash made it harder to transport thousands of miles from where it was grown. The thin skin is a great asset, in my opinion. It makes it easy to prepare (you don’t need an axe and and a tree-stump to cut up this squash), and you can even leave the skin on and–get this–eat it after baking! But besides the skin, the flesh is golden, sweet, and smoothly-textured. It’s perfect for just baking, chopping into stir-fry or blending into a lovely silky bisque.

Delicata Squash Bisque Serves 4 large bowls, 6-8 Cups3 Pounds Delicata Squash, (2 pounds after prepping)

Oil for roasting

4 Cups Rich Vegetable Broth

1 tsp Thyme

Lots of Black Pepper

1 1/2 tsp Salt, more or less to taste
Cashew Cream

1 Cup Raw, Unsalted Cashews

1 Cup Rich Vegetable Broth, divided
Preheat oven to 400º F.
Peel squash and chop off the ends. Halve the squash and scrape out the seeds. Place on a baking sheet cut-side down and brush lightly with oil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until tender and beginning to brown. Flip squash before the baking is finished if needed to prevent burning.

Meanwhile, add the cashews to your blender and 1/2 cup of veggie broth. Begin pulsing to incorporate, eventually turning the blender all the way on while slowly adding the other 1/2 cup of broth. Once all the broth is added (1 cup total), let the blender run for 1-2 minutes until very, very smooth. Set cream aside. If your blender can’t get the cream completely smooth, strain before adding it to the soup.
Remove squash from the oven. Using a spatula, transfer it into a large soup pot. Break up the squash into chunks with a spoon or your spatula and add 4 cups of veggie broth, thyme, and black pepper. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, covered.
Working in batches if needed, blend the soup until very smooth, being careful not to overfill your blender.

Return the blended soup to the pot and add all but 1/4 cup of the cashew cream. Season with salt and more pepper. How much salt you add with depend on how salty your broth is to begin with. I thought 1 1/2 tsp salt was perfect for my batch, but yours might differ.
Remove soup to bowls (or mugs!) and garnish with extra cashew cream drizzled on the top and some fresh black pepper.