CSA Newsletter - August 29, 2020

Billy King built bat houses this week and he and bro Kenny installed them.

 Bats eat a lot of mosquitoes and mosquito-sized insects and are said to be beneficial to have around. We are happy to provide them with a spot to roost, but we don't want them in our belfry!

WHAT'S IN YOUR SHARE:

TOMATOES

BEANS

KALE

POTATOES

ONION

GARLIC

CARROTS

SWEET PEPPERS

CILANTRO

LETTUCE    

RECIPES:

A lot of kitchen time was spent preserving this week. Twenty quarts of tomatoes, three big batches of pesto, frozen green beans, and spaghetti sauce in progress. After a long day in the kitchen, it was very gratifying to slather some pesto on pita bread, add a slice of cheese and fresh tomato, and sit down! Sometimes simple is the best.

Note about Cilantro: if Cilantro is relatively new to you, you might not know to use the stems. They are just as tasty as the leaves and almost as tender; they can also add a slight crunch to a salad. You don't have to take the leaves off the stems - just chop it all together and enjoy the unique cilantro flavor. Years ago we had a customer from Thailand who asked us to bring cilantro bunches with the roots attached; cilantro root is preferred in some Thai cooking. You probably can't find cilantro bunches with roots attached at most markets, but go to shops specializing in Asian cuisine and you'll see bunches of the entire plant - leaves, stems and roots!

NOTES FROM THE FARM: MEET CREW MEMBER KEEGEN CARTY

Keegen led off our first CSA newsletter! 

Often our crew members are fresh out of college and looking for hands-on experience for where their food comes from, before heading off on other adventures. Other times our crew members have already had many life experiences or are taking a pause in their job/work to explore a different pace or approach. Keegen Carty falls in the latter category, leaving several years working in the corporate world to forge a new path. Fun Fact: Keegen is also the only crew member who joined the farm after returning from a recent sojourn in India!

"Tree-gen" by the Ganges

When Keegen returned from India in March, he quarantined for two weeks and then started looking for his next step. He also started looking for his first house. He found his next step at Frog Holler in April and he found his first house this week!

Keegen jumped into the farm tasks with both feet and proved himself an attentive and quick learner. Of his time at Frog Holler, Keegen says, "Coming to work on the farm this season, during Covid, felt like a really important action I could take to help contribute to a stable, healthy and local food supply. And we get to eat the fruits of our labor- amazing fresh vegetarian lunch every day at work! Treating our bodies with care and respect and hopefully preventing illness starts with high quality food. This is what Frog Holler does for the community! I love it!"

Ashleh, Cale, Milan and Keegen - enjoying lunch and each other! On the menu: "TLT's":
Tempeh Bacon from our good friends at The Brinery, grilled peppers/onions, copious tomato slices
and lettuce, homemade Russian dressing, on homemade sourdough.
Thanks to Emily for the lunch menu and working the grill!

Keegen takes occupancy this fall and we appreciate that he is willing, despite lots of loose ends to tie up,  to stay on the farm crew until the end of the season. Especially because we are saying...

GOOD-BYE TO CREW MEMBER MILAN ANDERSON!

Milan leaves the farm for a tutoring job in Ann Arbor starting this September. We featured Milan in the June 27 Newsletter as we highlighted Milan's interest in foraging and introduced the Medicinal Wild Plants section to our produce ordering site. Milan researched and gathered the plants, providing a "wild" option to many interested customers.

Milan in her happy place, gathering purslane for an order

Milan has many interests and talents, one being music - she writes songs, plays cello and guitar, and sings beautifully. With the help of Frog Holler farmer/musician Billy King, who happens to have a recording studio in our barn, Milan made a music video of one of her original songs, titled "home!". (The video has lots of scenes at the farm and was taken by her friend, Xan Schwartz, when she visited this summer.) 

If you would like to download the song, here's the Bandcamp link:

https://milan.bandcamp.com/track/home

 Milan is donating all proceeds from Bandcamp to WECAN (Women's Earth and Climate Action Network).

Big thanks to Milan for being such a good sport, totally game for anything, and sticking it out from the beginning of the season until now. According to Milan, these four months went really fast. We hope that the time flew because she was having so much fun and hopefully she felt that, for a little while, she was home!

We'll give Milan the last word. In reflecting on her time at the farm, she says, "I can't think of many professions that  - through tireless, focused, and willful attention/labor - bring about the satisfaction of farming. You work the soil, plant seeds, you give 'em water and a surviving chance by weeding, and weeks later, you're putting those plants' babies into the hands of someone who, more often than not, cherishes them."

Milan, who many of you may have met at our market stall, goes on to say, "Maybe it's just because I'm a "young pup" still fresh in this so-called farming business, still cheerful and wide-eyed at those blaringly early farmer markets, but I like to think they're a culmination of our collective energy both above and below ground, a kind of weekly celebration!"

And thank you all for celebrating with us - have a great week!

 

CSA Newsletter - August 22, 2020

Oops - tomatoes didn't make it into the photo!

Here's what's in your box - pictured above, listed below

BEANS - Green beans and Romano beans

CARROTS

ONION - Sweet Spanish

GARLIC

ZUCCHINI/SUMMER SQUASH

PAK CHOI (BOK CHOY)

CABBAGE - green

SWEET PEPPERS - NEW

TOMATOES

ARUGULA

FOR STORAGE: Pretty much the same for everything: quick rinse, drain, bag and refrigerate. Tops off carrots. Beans can be frozen for winter Minestrone. Or cooked for summer Minestrone! 

RECIPES: We actually did have Minestrone this week and it worked fine on a breezy late summer day. The linked recipe calls for two cups of mixed seasonal veggies so you have lots of options from your share. Only the Pak Choi seems like it might not sync with Minestrone - but then again, why not? Fusion soup! Apparently Minestrone was traditionally made to use up leftover vegetables, so feel free to use any seasonal vegetables and greens you have on hand.

It might sound strange but we had Arugula Peach salad this week and it was delicious! The recipe calls for feta, which would be delicious, but we didn't have it so we added chopped sweet peppers along with the arugula, peaches and walnuts. Also delicious! We dressed it with a classic balsamic vinaigrette. Peaches are in season in Michigan now so don't miss a chance to pair their luscious juicy sweetness with our assertive peppery arugula (so much more flavorful than "baby arugula"!).

NOTES FROM THE FARM: We have been feeling slightly disoriented this week and a bit pensive. Right around this time, for the last thirteen years, we have been going slightly (majorly) crazy as we prepare for our festival, Holler Fest, that celebrates farming, food and music. This year, along with all other Michigan large gatherings, Holler Fest has been cancelled. We are keeping ourselves plenty busy with our expanded CSA (up 1700% from last year - we only had five members) but we will miss the weekend when the farm is filled with music, kids' laughter, friendly greetings and famous farm meals. To give you a peek at what we might have been doing this week, here is a short video taken in 2017 by Brian Ackley, a videographer who stayed at the farm that summer in exchange for, you guessed it, weeding! Brian made a number of videos highlighting the 2017 Holler Fest. Here are the Intro/festival prep scenes:

And here is the segment featuring some of the fun that kids have at Holler Fest. With many dedicated volunteers helping with crafts in the Kids Area, along with special kid-friendly musical events, it really is an amazing kids weekend!

And of course it wouldn't be a Frog Holler Farm event without lots of fabulous farm food!

And finally, Holler Fest supports many local musicians and they bring their spirit to share with the community. And round and round it goes!

And for this year....

                                                                    original design by Sheri Pullins

Thanks everyone - have great week and see you at Holler Fest 2021, Aug. 27-29!

CSA Newsletter - August 15, 2020

Our first tractor: 1954 Ford Golden Jubilee
Now in retirement among the flowers
(No we didn't purchase in 1954!
Thanks to neighbor Tom for the photo tip)

WHAT'S IN YOUR SHARE:

CELERY - NEW!

Celery is a great source of vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber

DAIKON RADISH - NEW!

Pronounced "dye-kon" and means "big, or important, radish" in Japanese

PAK CHOI

Graceful and tasteful; also known as Bok Choy

CARROTS

Just finished digging the first patch and starting to harvest the second.
Finished weeding the third!

BEANS

This pretty bug hitched a ride to market on a green bean. 
That's a clean, but hard-weeding finger!

 
 TOMATOES:

Don't worry, the tomatoes in your share are red but we are still seeing lots of slow-ripening
 green specimens. Bracing ourselves for the avalanche when they finally all ripen!

BASIL:

Next winter you will be glad you made pesto!

POTATOES 

LEEKS

STORAGE TIPS:

Celery: Where the tops start to get leafy, cut straight across. Rinse, drain, and store the stalks in the fridge in a plastic or veggie-keeper bag. Dry the leaves at low heat in the oven to make nice celery-flavored additions to winter soups. Carrots, daikon: separate greens from roots. Rinse, drain, and store the roots in the fridge in a plastic or veggie-keeper bag. Greens are edible and nutritious; google for recipes or check previous newsletter. Beans, Bok Choy, Zucchini/Summer Squash, Leeks, Basil: Rinse, drain, and store in the fridge in a plastic or veggie-keeper bag. Tomatoes: On the counter for up to seven days.

RECIPE TIPS:

Now that you are past the half-way mark in the CSA, you're ready for some advanced items in your share. Although some of you will no doubt welcome that large white root veggie thing reclining in your share box, many of you will no doubt be scratching your heads. How can this be a radish!? Daikon Radish is a widely used root vegetable in Japanese cooking. It has a crunchy texture along with a light peppery flavor with sweet undertones. It is much milder than the small round radishes we are more familiar with.

Daikon is popular in many types of Asian cooking and grated or pickled Daikon is often served with deep-fried dishes and heavier meals. It is believed to help eliminate fats and excess toxins, as well containing enzymes that stimulate digestion and improve blood circulation. Low in calories but high in fiber, Daikon is a good veggie friend to know!

So what did we do with Daikon? We basically took the first four items listed above, (Celery, Daikon, Pac Choi/Bok Choy, Carrots), as well as onions and garlic, and made a delicious stir-fry, chopping the carrots into matchsticks so they didn't take a lot longer to cook than the less dense veggies. We seasoned the dish with ginger, tamari, toasted sesame oil, and a little cayenne. Delicious!

Or if you prefer, you can go for Spicy Roasted Daikon Radish French Fries. We haven't tried this yet but it looks fantastic. 

Or just add raw Daikon to a salad like you would any radish. Lots of ways to use this versatile veggie - if it's new to you, have fun exploring!

Maan, our Lebanese neighbor who likes to cook for the crew and has been waiting for the beans and tomatoes to coincide, made us his famous Lubiye Green Bean Stew this week, p. 61 in the Frog Holler Recipe Book. If you look at the recipe you'll see that it's geared for feeding a farm crew; you can easily adapt it for smaller servings. Yes, he cooks it a long time and yes it melts in your mouth! Here's a recipe from the internet for Loubyeh b'zeit (green beans in olive oil) which is slightly different from Maan's but very easy and  does remind us to soak up the juices with some good Lebanese bread. Maan usually supplies Pita bread with the dishes he brings over for just that purpose - lucky us!

                                                Loubyeh b'zeit - thanks Maan!

We also made our Simple Summer Squash Sauté this week, our go-to dish for speedy, summery, satisfying fare! P. 69 in the Frog Holler Recipe Book and uses the zucchini/summer squash and basil in your share.

Now according to "Growing Produce", the Vegetable Industry newsletter that we peruse occasionally, green beans are "TRENDING UP". Four years ago 44% of commercial industry farms reported growing green beans but for the past two years, 52% are now growing the lowly bean. So if you prepare Maan's classic Lebanese green bean dish, you can be traditional AND trending!

And why don't we let Thoreau have the last word on beans? This excerpt from Chapter Seven of Walden, was found by crew member Milan, obviously inspired by the many hours spent in the bean rows. At least we didn't plant seven miles of rows!

MEANWHILE MY beans, the length of whose rows, added together, was seven miles already planted, were impatient to be hoed, for the earliest had grown considerably before the latest were in the ground; indeed they were not easily to be put off. What was the meaning of this so steady and self-respecting, this small Herculean labor, I knew not. I came to love my rows, my beans, though so many more than I wanted. They attached me to the earth, and so I got strength like Antaeus. But why should I raise them? Only Heaven knows.This was my curious labor all summer- to make this portion of the earth's surface, which had yielded only cinquefoil, blackberries, johnswort, and the like, before, sweet wild fruits and pleasant flowers, produce instead this pulse. What shall I learn of beans or beans of me? I cherish them, I hoe them, early and late I have an eye to them; and this is my day's work. It is a fine broad leaf to look on. My auxiliaries are the dews and rains which water this dry soil, and what fertility is in the soil itself, which for the most part is lean and effete. My enemies are worms, cool days, and most of all woodchucks. The last have nibbled for me a quarter of an acre clean. But what right had I to oust johnswort and the rest, and break up their ancient herb garden? Soon, however, the remaining beans will be too tough for them, and go forward to meet new foes.

Thank you for the gentle inspiration, Mr Thoreau!

AND FINALLY!  Since we are heading past the half-way mark of this season's CSA, it's time for a Mid-term Crossword Puzzle Exam! You will find the answers in past CSA Newsletters (or a simple Google). It was tried on the crew who assured us it was diabolically difficult and asked if they could please go back to weeding. What do you think?  Prizes and glory to the puzzler who completes and sends a screenshot or confirmation of completion. Hope you enjoy looking back at the season through the puzzle!

Crew giving up on puzzle - probably a smart move

Have a good week everyone - and don't throw your computer!

CSA Newsletter - August 8, 2020

Our view from the packing area

WHAT'S IN YOUR SHARE:

CARROTS

We made carrot juice this week - yum!

CURLY KALE

Ready for bunching

PAK CHOI - NEW!

Stir-fry tonight?

ROMANO BEANS - NEW

Romano beans - big, squashed-looking, and delicious!

ZUCCHINI/SUMMERSQUASH

It takes a long time for us to dip all the ends in green beeswax!

ONION

Remember all that weeding the crew did?

POTATOES- Purple!

Purple inside and out

CABBAGE 

The humble cabbage - so versatile and a good keeper!

GARLIC 

 

ARUGULA 

First picking of new patch - young and tender leaves.

BONUS - HEIRLOOM TOMATO!

STORAGE TIPS:

Rinse, drain and place in plastic or veggie-keeper bag for most. Garlic and onions, although not cured, can stay out of the fridge for a few days; refrigerate for longer storage. 

WHAT'S COOKING:  Romano Beans! If new to you, be assured that Christina Chaey, writing for Bon Appetit, crowns Romanos the "...Queen of Snap Beans," and goes on to add that "these beans should have their own show and it should be called “Everybody Loves Romanos”! So what to do with these celebrated beans? Ms. Chaey offers a number of recipe suggestions in her article, but we also like her general suggestions that  "...they taste best when they’re cooked, whether quickly blanched for crudités, charred on the grill and dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, or slow-braised in a tasty broth so they plump up and soak up all that flavor." Say, you can use your homemade soup stock for braising! :-)

Looking for something new to try with zucchini (and its cousin summer squash)? From the PFC comes this recipe for Grilled Marinated Zucchini, where they suggest that "a simple lemon marinade adds big flavor to mild zucchini". We especially like the option to take the grilled zucchini, cut in chunks, and add tomato, feta, and couscous for a tasty mediterranean salad.

CSA member Sylvia sent this recipe for Zucchini Butter with Herbs and although she hasn't tried it, the recipe's Comments section was full of rave reviews. A tasty way to use up some extra zucchini!

NOTES FROM THE FARM - WEEDS!

From Adrian Higgins, Home & Garden writer for the Washington Post:

If you had to define the purpose of gardening, the answer might be that it is the act of crafting beauty from nature.

That would be the poetic response. At its base, gardening is about holding back the immense, ravaging forces of weeds. A garden is, metaphorically, a quivering bunny rabbit surrounded by snarling wolves.

This sounds like hyperbole. It is not.

In the Mid-Atlantic, and surely in many other regions of the country, the weed pressure is unrelenting in every month of the year. In the heat and humidity of summer, the pace is supersonic.

Well, it sounds like Mr. Higgins has been weeding a lot - or maybe too much :-)! But here's another expert chiming in  - from Timothy Tilghman, the head gardener at Untermyer Park and Gardens in Yonkers, N.Y., a 43-acre former estate on the Hudson.

“If you can’t enjoy weeding, you won’t be a happy gardener,” said Mr. Tilghman, citing its importance to a garden’s health and visuals. “Everyone enjoys the neatness of a fresh planting, but unless you’re willing and eager to get in there and weed …”

So where does the Frog Holler crew fall between these two weeding attitudes? Holding back ravaging forces, or hoping to create order? They haven't published any articles about weeding to our knowledge so we will say they are willing, if not eager - determined, if not combative - and very good-natured as they go about the seemingly endless nose-to-the-ground, hands-in-the-dirt task of making space for our chosen plants to grow.

We realized that if you met any of our crew on the street, you might not recognize them, as most of our photos show them weeding away with their heads down. This week's cases in point:

Cleaning up the next beet patch

Liberating the tiny carrots (can you see them?) from too many weeds. This patch almost got away from us! 

We asked the crew to look up for this shot. These are the onions in early spring.

Neighbor and retired dentist Steve who grew up farming and missed weeding! He volunteers regularly and led the charge into the onion patch this spring (and into the carrot patch this week)!

More heads down as the crew plucks the results of their weeding labors from the onion patch this week.

Onions curing in the pole barn along with their garlic neighbors. Harvest complete!

And we don't think all weeds are bad; as some of you know, we offer fresh-picked medicinal herbs (aka weeds) on our produce ordering site, thanks to the interests and efforts of crew member Milan. And we are grateful that we live on a diverse piece of land that is chock full of wild plants, woody plants, pollinator plants all living together in a happy weedy jumble. We just ask for a few acres of admittedly unnatural rows and appreciate the efforts of the crew to maintain a little order!

Well they can't weed me from the garden!

Have a great week everyone!