Collards
Beets
Carrots
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Leek
Peppers
Melon
Arugula
Specialty Basil - either Opal, Thai, Fine Leaf or Cinnamon
Salad Mix or Chard and Tat Soi (Asian spinach)
The Holler Fest bonfire - Friday night
Notes from the field and festival: Last Saturday at Holler Fest was a bit damp, but Friday and Saturday night, along with all day Sunday, were lovely and we were happy to see so many folks enjoying the music, exploring the land, and eating the food!
The Holler Fest hillside starts to fill
The food line at the Holler Kitchen
Saturday night bonfire with the moon
Jenny
Jenny Johnson blew in with dust-bowls and cacti at her feet from the four corners region where she worked at Black Mesa, a Navaho or Dineh indigenous reservation. On Black Mesa there are little distractions and Jenny got to know the elements on a more intimate level. She was exposed to a culture that respected the environment and each other. The simple lifestyle she led with the sheep-herding community required presence of mind that she has since realized is applicable everywhere.
It was just our luck that on that southwest breeze she passed by our stall in June and struck up a conversation. She has been a welcome addition to the farm, introducing everyone to the joys of gluten-free treats and astrological readings. Jenny; who is a talented wood chopper; enjoys sleeping after a hard; honest days work. Here at Frog Holler she is particularly fond of cultivating and digging carrots.
The most rewarding aspect of farming, and what inspired her to dedicate herself to this work, was a need to be responsible for the production of healthy food for herself and her community. Jenny has learned that she wants to prioritize the beauty of the moment rather than future planning or past-dwelling. Frog Holler has taught her to pay attention, reach out to others, and that true connection is stronger when we share bits of ourselves. Jenny reminds us that it is a myth to segregate one's connection to nature from more urban areas- “the earth is everywhere,” she says.
Here are some recipes from Jenny:
Yummy Cinnamon Curry Carrots
Take a medium onion and chop into long pieces lengthwise. Fry in some oil and add nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, curry, cumin and pepper and let the onions caramelize in the pan, adding more oil or water if they start to stick to the pan. Chop some carrots and keep them the size they are (some maybe quite big depending on the size of the carrot). Throw them in the with onions and add a little bit of water. Cover with lid and let cook for 20 or so minutes so that the spices start to concentrate and the carrots are very well done. The result is a deliciously spicy and sweet dish!
Oil a baking pan and start the oven at 400 degrees. Cut onions until diced and spread on pan. Take any size potato and chop into quarters so that you may be able to cut pieces that are very thin about the size of your pinky finger. Spread on pan and spice with salt and pepper, also rosemary, thyme, oregano, celery leaves (basically any green spice will taste great). Plop in oven and let bake for about 45 minutes or more until they are soft enough for a fork to go through, stirring occasionally. Then enjoy them!
The Holler Fest hillside starts to fill
The food line at the Holler Kitchen
Saturday night bonfire with the moon
Holler Fest seems to mark a juncture for our interns and this week, three interns and one of their good friends who made himself indispensable these last two weeks, all left for further adventures. Kat Curtis, who edited the CSA newsletter the last three weeks is leading a wilderness group in the wilds of Ontario, but she leaves us this interview that she conducted last week.
Meet the Interns: Jenny Johnson
Meet the Interns: Jenny Johnson
Jenny
Jenny Johnson blew in with dust-bowls and cacti at her feet from the four corners region where she worked at Black Mesa, a Navaho or Dineh indigenous reservation. On Black Mesa there are little distractions and Jenny got to know the elements on a more intimate level. She was exposed to a culture that respected the environment and each other. The simple lifestyle she led with the sheep-herding community required presence of mind that she has since realized is applicable everywhere.
It was just our luck that on that southwest breeze she passed by our stall in June and struck up a conversation. She has been a welcome addition to the farm, introducing everyone to the joys of gluten-free treats and astrological readings. Jenny; who is a talented wood chopper; enjoys sleeping after a hard; honest days work. Here at Frog Holler she is particularly fond of cultivating and digging carrots.
The most rewarding aspect of farming, and what inspired her to dedicate herself to this work, was a need to be responsible for the production of healthy food for herself and her community. Jenny has learned that she wants to prioritize the beauty of the moment rather than future planning or past-dwelling. Frog Holler has taught her to pay attention, reach out to others, and that true connection is stronger when we share bits of ourselves. Jenny reminds us that it is a myth to segregate one's connection to nature from more urban areas- “the earth is everywhere,” she says.
Here are some recipes from Jenny:
Yummy Cinnamon Curry Carrots
Take a medium onion and chop into long pieces lengthwise. Fry in some oil and add nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, curry, cumin and pepper and let the onions caramelize in the pan, adding more oil or water if they start to stick to the pan. Chop some carrots and keep them the size they are (some maybe quite big depending on the size of the carrot). Throw them in the with onions and add a little bit of water. Cover with lid and let cook for 20 or so minutes so that the spices start to concentrate and the carrots are very well done. The result is a deliciously spicy and sweet dish!
Baked Potato Fries
Oil a baking pan and start the oven at 400 degrees. Cut onions until diced and spread on pan. Take any size potato and chop into quarters so that you may be able to cut pieces that are very thin about the size of your pinky finger. Spread on pan and spice with salt and pepper, also rosemary, thyme, oregano, celery leaves (basically any green spice will taste great). Plop in oven and let bake for about 45 minutes or more until they are soft enough for a fork to go through, stirring occasionally. Then enjoy them!
Notes from the Box:
Well, we're moving past the half-way point in this share season, with seven more weeks of veggie-ful share boxes headed your way! Now if that last sentence induces feelings of anxiety as you feel your pulse start to rise and you glance guiltily at your refrigerator where a large part of last week's share is now stored - don't worry folks! You have simply contracted an increasingly common new syndrome: Share Box Fatigue! Other tell-tale signs are, as one food blogger posted: "a) resenting dinner invitations from friends because of the lost opportunity to work through some more of the share and b) selecting friends to invite for dinner based on their preference in vegetables (“we can’t have Jane over, I don’t care if it’s her birthday, she doesn’t eat beets”)." (see the entire post at Gastronomical3)
There is a treatment for this syndrome and it simply involves a little time, perhaps a friend to cook with or at least share symptoms with, a little Googling, and possibly some of the recipes to follow!
Let's take a look at the box for this week: Okay, the melon - that's easy - set it aside for a cooling treat later on. Okay, what's next? Aha - red peppers! Food writers rave about the superiority of fresh roasted red peppers - this might be the week to try. It's really simple to roast peppers, but go here for some basic instructions. Use your roasted peppers in sandwiches, on pizza, in hummus - experiment!
While the oven is heating to roast the peppers, put your soup pot on the stove, add chicken or veggie stock (or water) and start your Potato Leek Soup. You can use some of the garlic from last week's share to round out this classic dish.
Now the beets...hmmm, running out of ideas for beets? It might be time for Double Chocolate Beet Muffins! If you're not inclined to adding beets to your treats, you can go the savory route with Beet Arugula Salad. But if your beets are going into muffins, take that arugula and make a delicious Arugula Pecan Pesto! You can boil the beets or, after you have roasted your peppers, switch the oven to Bake and roast those beets for later use.
Of course save your beet greens for a Mixed Greens Stir-Fry of beet greens, chard and tat soi (non-salad mix shares).
Okay, while soup is simmering and veggies are roasting or boiling, chop the tomatoes in large chunks, mince your specialty basil - doesn't matter which one, they all are delicious - and stir into the tomatoes. Salt and pepper to taste and you have a classic summer salad.
Our prepared salad mix is starting to reflect the turning of the season - chinese cabbage is now ready to add its sweet and peppery crunch to the mix. Those without the salad mix can chop the chard, tat soi and arugula together for a robust late summer salad. Sprinkle on some chopped red pepper for color and sweet crunch!
Since we're storing the carrots because they keep so well, we really only have the collards left to deal with. Collards come from the nutritional powerhouse family of vitamin and mineral-rich greens. They take a bit longer to cook than kale, and although traditionally collards were boiled for hours with a big ham bone, a modern preparation method suggests simmering the bite-sized greens (no ribs) for 8-10 minutes before draining and adding to soups or stir fries. You could also use some of last week's garlic and onions, saute until translucent, add the collards chopped into bite-sized pieces, then add 1-2 c. veggie broth and simmer until tender. Salt and pepper to taste - delicious!
Okay, we're done! That wasn't so bad, was it? Kick back and crack open that watermelon - good job and good eatin' - you're cured! Recipes to follow:
Potato and Leek Soup
3 tablespoons butter
2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
3-4 potatoes (about 18 ounces total), peeled, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/ tsp dried thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Heat the butter with a splash of extra-virgin olive oil in a heavy pot. Saute the leeks and garlic until the leeks are tender. Add potatoes and cook until they begin to soften, but before they start to brown. Add the stock, bay leaf and thyme, and simmer until potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes. Use an immersion blender or food processor to blend soup until it is smooth and creamy. Garnish with chives, if available.
Arugula-Pecan Pesto
1 bunch or more of arugula
1 small clove garlic
1 cup chopped pecans
1 to 2 tablespoons golden raisins
5 to 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt to taste
lemon juice to taste
Combine arugula, garlic, raisins and pecans in a food processor or blender and pulse until combined. Stream in olive oil and blend until smooth, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Arugula Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese Recipe
Goat cheese - chevre
Walnuts - chopped
Dressing ingredients:
Olive oil
Lemon
Dry powdered mustard
Sugar
Salt and pepper
The dressing for three individual salads was 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/2 lemon, 1/4 teaspoon of powdered mustard, 3/4 teaspoon of sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Actually, it is all to taste. These are only approximate measurements.
Assemble the salad according to how much you want. A handful of arugula leaves, a few beet juliennes, some crumbled goat cheese, garnish with chopped walnuts. Use a vinaigrette salad dressing or the one provided with this recipe.
Double Chocolate Beet Muffins
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter
2/3 c. bittersweet chocolate chips
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. beet puree*
2/3 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
*To make beet puree: Remove greens from beets and boil for 35-40 minutes. When cool, the skins should slip right off. Puree beets, adding a little bit of the cooking water, until they reach the consistency of applesauce.
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line it with paper cups; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together first 5 ingredients until well combined. Stir in the half cup chocolate chips; set aside.
4. In a small saucepan, melt the other 2/3 cup chocolate chips and butter over very low heat. Stir to combine and set aside to cool until lukewarm.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, beet puree, buttermilk, vanilla and melted chocolate.
6. Pour the chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until just combined.
Immediately spoon batter into 12 well-greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Batter should completely fill the cups.
Place muffin pan in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes.
Cool muffins for 10 minutes in pan then remove them to a wire rack to cool
Well, we're moving past the half-way point in this share season, with seven more weeks of veggie-ful share boxes headed your way! Now if that last sentence induces feelings of anxiety as you feel your pulse start to rise and you glance guiltily at your refrigerator where a large part of last week's share is now stored - don't worry folks! You have simply contracted an increasingly common new syndrome: Share Box Fatigue! Other tell-tale signs are, as one food blogger posted: "a) resenting dinner invitations from friends because of the lost opportunity to work through some more of the share and b) selecting friends to invite for dinner based on their preference in vegetables (“we can’t have Jane over, I don’t care if it’s her birthday, she doesn’t eat beets”)." (see the entire post at Gastronomical3)
There is a treatment for this syndrome and it simply involves a little time, perhaps a friend to cook with or at least share symptoms with, a little Googling, and possibly some of the recipes to follow!
Let's take a look at the box for this week: Okay, the melon - that's easy - set it aside for a cooling treat later on. Okay, what's next? Aha - red peppers! Food writers rave about the superiority of fresh roasted red peppers - this might be the week to try. It's really simple to roast peppers, but go here for some basic instructions. Use your roasted peppers in sandwiches, on pizza, in hummus - experiment!
While the oven is heating to roast the peppers, put your soup pot on the stove, add chicken or veggie stock (or water) and start your Potato Leek Soup. You can use some of the garlic from last week's share to round out this classic dish.
Now the beets...hmmm, running out of ideas for beets? It might be time for Double Chocolate Beet Muffins! If you're not inclined to adding beets to your treats, you can go the savory route with Beet Arugula Salad. But if your beets are going into muffins, take that arugula and make a delicious Arugula Pecan Pesto! You can boil the beets or, after you have roasted your peppers, switch the oven to Bake and roast those beets for later use.
Of course save your beet greens for a Mixed Greens Stir-Fry of beet greens, chard and tat soi (non-salad mix shares).
Okay, while soup is simmering and veggies are roasting or boiling, chop the tomatoes in large chunks, mince your specialty basil - doesn't matter which one, they all are delicious - and stir into the tomatoes. Salt and pepper to taste and you have a classic summer salad.
Our prepared salad mix is starting to reflect the turning of the season - chinese cabbage is now ready to add its sweet and peppery crunch to the mix. Those without the salad mix can chop the chard, tat soi and arugula together for a robust late summer salad. Sprinkle on some chopped red pepper for color and sweet crunch!
Since we're storing the carrots because they keep so well, we really only have the collards left to deal with. Collards come from the nutritional powerhouse family of vitamin and mineral-rich greens. They take a bit longer to cook than kale, and although traditionally collards were boiled for hours with a big ham bone, a modern preparation method suggests simmering the bite-sized greens (no ribs) for 8-10 minutes before draining and adding to soups or stir fries. You could also use some of last week's garlic and onions, saute until translucent, add the collards chopped into bite-sized pieces, then add 1-2 c. veggie broth and simmer until tender. Salt and pepper to taste - delicious!
Okay, we're done! That wasn't so bad, was it? Kick back and crack open that watermelon - good job and good eatin' - you're cured! Recipes to follow:
Potato and Leek Soup
3 tablespoons butter
2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
3-4 potatoes (about 18 ounces total), peeled, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/ tsp dried thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Heat the butter with a splash of extra-virgin olive oil in a heavy pot. Saute the leeks and garlic until the leeks are tender. Add potatoes and cook until they begin to soften, but before they start to brown. Add the stock, bay leaf and thyme, and simmer until potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes. Use an immersion blender or food processor to blend soup until it is smooth and creamy. Garnish with chives, if available.
Arugula-Pecan Pesto
1 bunch or more of arugula
1 small clove garlic
1 cup chopped pecans
1 to 2 tablespoons golden raisins
5 to 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt to taste
lemon juice to taste
Combine arugula, garlic, raisins and pecans in a food processor or blender and pulse until combined. Stream in olive oil and blend until smooth, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Arugula Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese Recipe
Beets - (boiled until a fork easily goes in it, about an hour), peeled, sliced into strips
Fresh arugula - rinsed, patted dry with a paper towel
Goat cheese - chevre
Walnuts - choppedDressing ingredients:
Olive oil
Lemon
Dry powdered mustard
Sugar
Salt and pepper
Method
The amount of ingredients depends on how many people you are serving and how much salad you intend to serve them. The important thing is that this is a good blend of flavors. Each plate was composed individually.The dressing for three individual salads was 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/2 lemon, 1/4 teaspoon of powdered mustard, 3/4 teaspoon of sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Actually, it is all to taste. These are only approximate measurements.
Assemble the salad according to how much you want. A handful of arugula leaves, a few beet juliennes, some crumbled goat cheese, garnish with chopped walnuts. Use a vinaigrette salad dressing or the one provided with this recipe.
Double Chocolate Beet Muffins
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter
2/3 c. bittersweet chocolate chips
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. beet puree*
2/3 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
*To make beet puree: Remove greens from beets and boil for 35-40 minutes. When cool, the skins should slip right off. Puree beets, adding a little bit of the cooking water, until they reach the consistency of applesauce.
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line it with paper cups; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together first 5 ingredients until well combined. Stir in the half cup chocolate chips; set aside.
4. In a small saucepan, melt the other 2/3 cup chocolate chips and butter over very low heat. Stir to combine and set aside to cool until lukewarm.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, beet puree, buttermilk, vanilla and melted chocolate.
6. Pour the chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until just combined.
Immediately spoon batter into 12 well-greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Batter should completely fill the cups.
Place muffin pan in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes.
Cool muffins for 10 minutes in pan then remove them to a wire rack to cool
