January

Welcome to Wintah!

Brrrrrrr.  I admit I like the cold (although I will also admit that I spent 2 weeks in California visiting my brother in early January!).  The ice storms made us a little restless, worrying about collapsing greenhouses and power outages.  We looked at generators (our annual visit to the topic), realizing I have thousands of dollars in product in our chest freezers and walk in cooler, but alas we didn't buy one and luckily so far so good. 

The greenhouses were covered with a half inch of ice and shoveling was like shoveling shards of glass.  The single digit temps and short day lengths did not allow for the snow to slide off the roof as usual so I spent an entire day roof raking, shoveling and praying the remaining ice would not slice through the plastic.  Again, so far so good!

Now on to the FUN part of winter farming!  Every year I have been ordering my seeds earlier and earlier because many varieties of seeds sell out if I wait too long.  This year was a new record for me.  I usually try and get the order in by January 13th, but since I was not going to be back form California until the 15th, I sent my order in on December 31st.  And when I returned home it was like Christmas all over again!  I sorted and recounted/rechecked all the seeds I have with a smile on my face.  There is always a second or third or fourth order during the season due to seeds forgotten, failed germination, failed growing or some other drastic occurrence.  Hopefully those orders will be at a minimum this year : )

 

2014 Sign Ups!

Thanks to all of you, the signs ups have been rolling in faster than ever....

I am at near capacity for all my shares, so if you are thinking about it, don't delay!

 

 

1st Winter Share Pick Up

January 23rd

 

butternut/carnival winter squash

pie pumpkins

potatoes

onions

leeks

garlic

rutabagas

turnips

watermelon radish

parsnips

carrots

cabbage

Chinese cabbage

beets

celeriac

 

....and a little sweet treat!

 

 

 

 

CELERIAC

Celery root, also called celeriac, is harvested in the late fall. This ugly duckling has a distinct, refreshing flavor reminiscent of a cross between celery and parsley.

 

http://www.marthastewart.com/274202/celery-root-recipes/@center/276955/seasonal-produce-recipe-guide

 

 

WATERMELON RADISH

We love them as winter crutities--beautiful, crisp, slighty spicy sweet!

 

http://www.yummly.com/recipes/watermelon-radish-vegetable

 

 

October 8th and 11th: Fall Fun

We had a BLAST...

Riding on the wagon...

Feeding apples to the pigs and turkeys...

Playing tomato baseball...

Gathering pumpkins...

Celebrating big pumpkins...

and playing Pin the Tire on the Tractor!

 

ThAnk YoU to all who came and made the day

full of life and laughter!

 

 

 

This week's bounty:

lettuce

cabbage

leeks

potatoes

hakurei

sorrel

celeriac

tomatoes

peppers

 

 

How to Use Celery Root

Celery root needs to be peeled - and be aggressive when you do it. Remove all of the slightly hairy brown exterior to reveal the creamy, solid flesh inside. Celery root is most classically and commonly used shredded and cooked in a simple Celery Root Salad. It is also delicious added to soups and stews. Try this Pork and Celery Root or, one of my favorites, use it in this Moroccan Vegetable Stew in place of the potatoes. Add celery root to mashed potatoes for a great twist.
Like all root vegetables, celery root is quite flexible, taking well to roasting, braising, or simmering. See 10 Ways to Use Root Vegetables for more ideas.

How to Use Sorrel

Sorrel is also a half-way point in terms of how to use it. More than anything else I can think of, it falls straight between herbs and greens. Use it as a leafy herb - like parsley or basil or mint - chopping it up to use in marinades and dressings or stirring it into soups (like this Sorrel Leek Soup) or casseroles for a bit of fresh flavor. Or, use it as a green, ripping the tender leaves into salads and stir-fries.
The tart and bright flavor of sorrel makes it particularly good at adding some life to potatoes, eggs, and whole grains. It is also delicious with smoked or oily fish like salmon or mackerel. Sorrel is classically paired with cream, sour cream, or yogurt - adding a vibrant green color and tartness to these plain items as their fatty creaminess tames the sharp flavor of the sorrel.
Sorrel is also a great addition to other cooked greens. Add a handful or two when you cook spinach, chard, or kale for a lovely sour kick.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I hope this new year finds you all happy and well.  We had a fabulous holiday!  My family from San Diego came to visit and my 3 nieces went crazy over an inch of snow!

Many folks ask what I do in the winter... Lay by the fire and drink hot chocolate of course! 

Ha!  I snow plow when the flakes decide to fall.  And I do some house maintenance.  This year I will be replacing the last of our old windows.  (As I type now I am wearing gloves, hat, 3 shirts and a blanket over my lap!)  hopefully the new windows will cut down some draft up here!

Mostly I am farm planning.  Thinking, calculating, organizing...I went to great conference in Manchester in December and then to the Maine Ag Show up in Augusta last week.  It is the perfect time to share ideas and get insight from other growers.  I spend hours pouring over the seed catalogs.  And this year I have really used your answers to the survey to change some things around.  Then I do some website updates and marketing.  

Yesterday and today I have been filling the house with heat and scents from making apple and pumpkin butter.  And soon I will make jam from the strawberries and raspberries that fill the freezer.  And then cranberry ketchup. 

It is a fun time for me as I really like to think, plan and network and I do not have much time to do so during the growing season.  It is also an anxious time...waiting for folks to sign up for the season and hoping I will fill all the slots.  I have yet to have had a problem in the past, in fact I always sell out pretty quick, but in times of economic difficulties, one can never know.  That being said, please know that I am very flexible in my payment plans and if it is important to your family to eat our food, I am sure we can work something out.

FIRST WINTER SHARE PICK-UP

Thursday January 19th from 3-7 at Little Ridge Farm

The time has come for winter share pick ups!!!  The spinach is sweet and crisp waiting to be harvested from the hoop house and I am excited to see all of you again!

January's Loot:  potatoes, winter squash, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, celeriac, garlic, winter radish, daikon radish and a bag of spinach!



***If you receive this via email, go to the actual blog site http://littleridgefarmmembers.blogspot.com/ to find recipes listed by vegetable--NEW!!!

celeriac--this funky looking vegetable is one of my fall favorites!!!  It is celery like in favor so it is great in soups and raw grated in carrot/beet salads or on top of your green salad. 

Martha Stewart did a nice job with recipe ideas: http://www.marthastewart.com/274202/celery-root-recipes/@center/276955/seasonal-produce-recipe-guide#/192752

Daikon Radish--This long radish is from Japan and is used raw to aid in digestion.  It is high in Vit C.  It is spicy when eaten raw, but vinegared or sauteed its spiciness is much less.  It goes great with chicken and ginger...try it in soups and stir fries

Try http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Daikon_Radish_744.php for information and ideas. The recipes are listed at the bottom in accordance to ease and if they are vegan, vegetarian or not:

Easy Daikon Salad
serves 4
Click here for the printable version of this recipe on Tablespoon.com.

2 cups julienne cut daikon radish (I used my food processor to cut it)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp sweet rice wine (mirin)
OPTIONAL: crushed peanuts
Place the daikon in a colander/mesh strainer over a bowl or the sink and sprinkle with salt. Mix well. Let sit for 30 minutes. Squeeze out excess water and then rinse well with cold water. Drain.
In a small saucepan, combine the seasoned rice vinegar, sugar and rice wine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves (this will only take a few minutes).
Transfer the daikon to an airtight container and pour the rice vinegar mixture over. Shake or stir well to combine. Chill for 20 minutes before serving.
This can store for up to a few days in the fridge, if it lasts that long. If desired, serve topped with crushed peanuts.

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.