September 27, 2014 - Share #14

The old farm windmill - can you tell what's caught in its blades?

 WHAT'S IN THE BOX:

BEETS

KALE

ARUGULA

SPINACH

RADISHES

CABBAGE

ONION

GARLIC

WINTER SQUASH

POTATOES

DRIED OREGANO



STORAGE TIPS: Remove tops  from beets and radishes and save for stir-fries. Store beets and radishes in plastic in the fridge to maintain crispness. All leafy greens keep best in plastic bags - if you rinse them first be sure to drain them before storing. Cabbage in the fridge unless you want to store it as sauerkraut! (see below) Potatoes, garlic, onions and squash can all keep outside the fridge. The dried oregano is from an early cutting that was bunched and hung in our barn loft for a month. Crumble the leaves, remove any large stems, and store in a small container for use throughout the winter. Oregano goes in many, but especially tomato-based, dishes!





Okay, can you see the frisbee and the tennis ball in the blades? This was the result of a post-workday left-handed frisbee throw contest. The tennis ball was supposed to dislodge the frisbee! We haven't had any strong breezes lately so they are both still there ( and no other items have been added yet!).













RECIPE SUGGESTIONS: Your share once again reflects the weather and the happy cabbage crop!

A traditional and nutritious use for cabbage, and way to preserve it, is to make sauerkraut! Here is an excellent description of sauerkraut's benefits, along with a very accessible method for making a small quantity of sauerkraut in a mason jar. The cabbage in your share should provide just the right amount for a mason jar or two of "kraut" and a lot of good probiotic eating! As the blog says, "when life [or your CSA] gives you cabbage, make sauerkraut"!

 We finished up our winter squash harvest this week and are starting on the sweet potatoes, which turned out to be a little sulky due to the cool summer. The sweet potatoes are curing and should be available in the shares to come. You can wait for them to try out this recipe for Curried Sweet Potato and Quinoa Pilaf. OR, you can do what we did - substitute winter squash for the sweet potatoes! (We also used Michigan apples from the Farmers Market - the fall apple harvest is on!).

From one of our CSA members we received this incredible recipe for "Cheesy Kale Chips". No cheese, but tons of flavor. So if you're looking for a new twist for using your kale, give this one a whirl. We also used the sauce over pasta and had a quick vegan Mac n' Cheese. Delicious!

We appreciate hearing from members and how they are using the veggies in their share. Here is another tip from member Ponda: Winter Squash with Caramelized Onions. You have two of the main ingredients in your share this week, so have at it!

And here's a blast from the past! From the 2010 newsletter: Intern Angie wowed us tonight with tempeh cutlets marinated in tamari and wine, mashed potatoes with garlic and parsley, and mushroom gravy. Get your fresh Michigan mushrooms from Tantre Farm at the Farmers Market! Well, Angie is back with us this year and still cooking amazing dishes. Tantre Farm still has mushrooms at the market and now you can buy fresh, Michigan-made tempeh from our friends at The Brinery - available at the Farmers Market and select stores around town. Let the fall feasting begin!

And another blast from the past - the 2010 newsletter tells us that...Intern Kirstin suggests this flavorful fall salad: Equal parts spinach and arugula, toasted sliced almonds or walnuts, apple chunks, dried cranberries, goat cheese or feta (optional but not really), and dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Still sounds delicious, and there's more to come on Kirstin!

We be jammin'! L. to r.: Autumn Olive Jam, Grape Jam, Ground Cherry Jam, Raspberry Jam.

A Farm Jamboree! We have been busy preserving the harvest this week, and here are some of the results! Angie and Kirstin are smiling behind four different jams. The sun was a little bright, but hopefully you can see the beautiful contrasting colors, and the beautiful smiles!









Another day in the kitchen yielded more raspberry jam, Pickled Peppers, "Wonderful Salsa" (it is!), and a Chili sauce. It also yielded good conversation, shared music picks, a toast with the wine that was called for in one of the recipes, and a feeling of proud productivity as those beautiful completed jars started to line up. If you have canned before, you know the satisfying popping sound as the jars seal. And all of ours did!

Kirstin checks to see if the jars have sealed

If  you can't use all of the produce in your share, we hope you are finding ways to preserve the harvest. You'll be glad you did next January! We'll have more tips on food preservation in the next newsletters.




MEET THE INTERNS - KIRSTIN POPE

Kirstin in the Jerusalem Artichoke patch. The "sunchokes" are coming to a stall near you very soon!

Actually, Kirstin needs no introduction to many of you, as she has been contributing to the farm in a myriad of ways since 2010. Kirstin had just returned from two years in Mali with the Peace Corps, and was looking for a farm to learn about growing food. By chance, Kirstin's dear friend from Kalamazoo College was interning at Frog Holler that year and encouraged Kirstin to join her here. Even though it was late in the season, we decided we could take on another crew member, and we're glad we did! 

Kirstin in 2010.

Kirstin grew up in Germany, where her parents taught at an Air Force base. Kirstin's parents then moved to England to teach at a base there, and that's where Kirstin visited them in the winter after her first summer at Frog Holler. Since she worked a partial season in 2010, she decided to see what an entire season felt like in 2011 and returned to the farm in April. Since 2010 Kirstin has continued that pattern of Europe in the winter, Frog Holler in the summer.

Kirstin with Lionel kibbutzing

 Kirstin's artistic ability is evidenced in many places on the farm. Here she is putting the finishing touches on our market sign that was totally redesigned in 2011. Kirstin's patience and skill helped bring it into reality. ( She is patient with cats too!)

Kirstin with brother Kai

 And here is the sign hanging at market!

Among Kirstin's many skills is an ability to drive a stick shift. Because of that, Kirstin was able to drive the pickup to our Wednesday market and so, since 2011, has taken over the main responsibility for managing our stall on Wednesday. Here she is with her younger brother Kai, who visited in 2011. In true big sister fashion, Kirstin made, that is, strongly encouraged her little brother to join her for the 4:30 AM wake-up call!

Kirstin with "Pampas Plume" flowers

One of the ways Kirstin's artistic sensibility has been expressed is through her interest in growing and arranging flowers. Here she is in 2012 with our first small flower bed. For the last two years Kirstin has designed a much larger flower patch and many of you who shop at the market (or come to the farm) have appreciated the beauty that the flower bouquets add to the stall (or to their homes for those who have purchased bouquets!).

Kirstin picking red clover blossoms

 Kirstin's interest in herbs - both wild and cultivated - has been evidenced at our stall by an increasing diversity of herbal choices.

Kirstin diving into the Lemon Grass harvest!

 And in 2013 Kirstin created her own Herbal Tea Blends - all 100% organic and crafted from herbs gathered at Frog Holler Farm. They are available at the Farmers Market or by special order.

Kirstin with Tea Blends and single dried herb tins.

 Actually, if you have seen anything at our stall that looks a bit different or interesting, there's a good chance Kirstin is behind it! From Okra to Ground Cherries to Moringa Leaves to Shiitake mushrooms, Kirstin has enhanced the diversity of our stall through her wide-ranging interests and hard work.

Kirstin soaks logs in the bathtub in the woods to encourage a shiitake mushroom bloom.

Sadly, we are saying goodbye to Kirstin after this season. As she goes off to find other opportunities to grow and learn, we wish her well, knowing that the farm has been positively affected through her dedication and creative pursuits, and knowing that it sure won't be the same in her absence.

Thank you Kirstin - we will miss you!

Kirstin 

 

 

 Have a great week everyone! Just two more shares left - thanks for bringing your boxes back!