Share #3, July 2, 2011

Look who's nestled in the garlic scape!

In this week's box:

Spinach
Chard
Russian Kale
Baby Beets
Broccoli
Scallions/summer onions
Garlic Scapes
Radishes
Arugula
Dill or Parsley or Cilantro


Notes from the Box:

Spinach - last time for the summer. The lettuce crop is waning a little, so spinach salad this week! Spinach is a cool weather crop, and although this summer's temperatures haven't been too steamy, spinach will be happier taking a break until fall.

Swiss Chard - Chard, on the other hand, is happy to produce the entire summer. We hope you are making friends with this generous vegetable!

Radishes & Russian Kale - be sure to check the Recipe section for some tips on cooking.

Garlic Scapes - Last of the scapes until next year. We'll be harvesting garlic bulbs soon!

Scallions/summer onions - Scallions, or green onions, also like cool weather. As the summer progresses, they are inspired to realize their inherent bulbous nature. These summer onions are excellent for cooking or adding zip to egg, potato or tuna salad.

Arugula - We are starting to pick a new patch so this arugula is very tender and mild. Adds a sprightly nutty flavor to any salad.

Dill/Parsley/Cilantro - Your choice from one of these bunches. Sorry, we don't have an unlimited supply of these herbs, so early folks will probably get more choice! They're all good!

Broccoli - This broccoli comes to you with the Well-Fed Groundhog Seal of Approval! This year we have shared a lot of our cole crops with these voracious critters and we're not so happy about it. Our yield has been reduced, but at least the groundhogs confirm how delicious the broccoli is!

Anyone want a cute little pet? :-)

Notes From the Field:

This week a large weedy carrot patch literally brought us to our knees. Baby carrots are delicate but the crew stuck with it through several painstaking sessions - and emerged victorious! Those carrots are going to taste so good!



carrot patch - partially weeded, partially weedy

carrot weeding crew - a nose-to-the ground job

carrot patch finished - carrot weeders finished off!

yay - we're done!


Notes from the Frog Holler Recipe Box:
Check out these garlic scape recipes for delicious ways to use your last batch of scapes. Also, visit Diana Dyer's blog for all things garlic. Diana's other very informative blog is 365 Days of Kale. How healthy can two blogs get? Diana's blogs have lots of nutritional information and recipes - very helpful.

You can also learn about or be reminded of delicious ways to use your weekly greens allotment at the Frog Holler Recipe Box. If you haven't made Kale Chips, do check out the recipe on the Kale Page in the Recipe Box and give it a try. Your kale will disappear fast!

Have you roasted radishes yet? Once you do, you might never eat them raw again!

Recipes are great for learning new ways to cook favorite or unfamiliar foods, but sometimes at the farm we are too tired to cook but are still hungry. This minimalist Kale recipe emerged from a desire to eat something healthy with no fuss and in a short time. It has become a staple!






Meet the Interns: Evan Dayringer

Evan comes from a relatively rare tribe: Ann Arbor natives! Born and raised in Ann Arbor, Evan graduated from Community High, and went on to receive a BS in Mathematics from MSU.

Evan's family was a member of Ann Arbor's first CSA farm, The Community Farm of Ann Arbor, while he was growing up. That early exposure to good food and good growing practices led him to an internship at Tantre Farm last year. Evan is continuing his exploration into a livelihood more grounded in reality as he self-educates himself in farming practices. Although ready to leave the abstraction of academic study, Evan appreciates the intellectual challenge provided by farming. There is always something to try and figure out!

While at Frog Holler, Evan can often be seen running the trails through the woods and over the hills. At other times, he might be reading an 800-page tome of classic Chinese literature, The Water Margin. In the photo, Evan is reading a poem from an 18th c. book of Chinese literature titled Story of the Stone. The poem is about burying the blossoms of spring, and Evan shared it with the Friday crew just after the summer solstice. It was sad but beautiful!

Evan divides his work days between Frog Holler Farm and The Brinery, a fine new local business dedicated to creating artisan fermented foods and educating the public to their benefits.

Evan's culinary style lends itself more to process than specific recipes. Here is a Share Box Lunch Dish that Evan recently served up to a very satisfied lunch crew. There are as many variations of this dish as there are vegetables, so enter into it with Evan's spirit of experimentation and discovery and you'll do just fine. As Evan says: When you start with good ingredients, you're very likely going to end up with good food!

Evan is also an organizer of the Michigan Young Farmer Coalition, an organization dedicated to supporting agricultural stewardship, community farming initiatives, and young people getting started in farming. Obviously Evan has contributed to many local food-oriented businesses and organizations in the Ann Arbor area. We're glad that he has brought his dedication and inquiring mind to Frog Holler this season!



Hope to see you at the farm party - have a great weekend and week!

Share #2 (and #1 for some!), June 25, 2011

In the box:

Collards - big round "platter" leaves (see photo!)
Spinach - bagged
Lettuce - Green Bibb, soft light green rosettes
Garlic Scapes - green stalks with curly ends
Scallions (Green onions)
Baby Beets - dark red, small globes, dark green/red leaves
Radishes - bright pinkish-red, light green leaves
Fresh herbs: Arugula - small bunch, light green leaves
Dill - small bunch, fern-like leaves, darker green
Sprouts - a mix of Alfalfa, Mung Bean, Aduki, Red Clover, Radish
Strawberries - the patch is winding down...:-(

Edwin and Angie reach for the last berries

Notes on the box:

Collards - full of nutrition like its Kale cousins. Cook like Kale.
Spinach - see last week's newsletter for nutritional info
Lettuce - ditto above
Garlic Scapes - see last week's newsletter for more info and recipes
Baby Beets - Our first harvest of beets; they will continue to size up over the next few weeks. Use the greens too; they are tender and flavorful.Toss into stir-fry or soups; chop into salads. Very nutritious!
Radishes - you can also use these greens. Steam, saute, or throw into stir-fry for a spicy nutritious green option with a mild mustard flavor.
Fresh Herbs: Arugula and dill. From the Joy of Cooking, first edition: Confucius, a wise man, refused to eat anything not in season. Everyone who has tasted the difference between food served with fresh rather than dried herbs knows how wise he was. Enjoy these fresh herbs!

Storage tips for your share: First off, you are getting fresh-from-the-farm produce, so you're ahead of the game to start with. But in order to keep your veggies at the peak of their flavor and crispness, here are a few suggestions.

Most greens keep best if you give them a quick rinse, shake offthe excess water, and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. The thicker greens such as kale and collards will keep a little longer than the thinner leaved greens such as lettuce, chard, spinach and arugula.

Folks have the most success keeping salad mix by spinning off some of the moisture and storing in a plastic bag in the fridge. Some customers have gone to elaborate lengths such as layering the salad mix between sheets of paper towels to extend its freshness. That might help but it's a lot of work. Just get your mix relatively dry and enjoy!

Beets and radishes keep best and stay firm if the roots are cut from the greens. Store in separate plastic bags - the roots, of course, will keep longer than the greens.

Opinions differ on the best way to keep fresh herbs. Some folks like to place the herb stems in a glass of water in the refrigerator (some also cover the glass lightly with a plastic bag). Others simply treat the herbs like greens: rinse, drain and store in plastic. Fresh Dill also freezes very well: simply chop, place in plastic bag and freeze.

This has been a week of harvesting the early crops, planting the late crops, and weeding weeding weeding all the crops. In the above photo, the crew heads out of the new lettuce patch after weeding all afternoon, while Billy seeds a new patch in the next bed.

Frog Holler Recipe Box

Chickpea Spinach Soup is a hearty recipe using several of your share box items.

Emily Foley, our featured intern, suggests this tasty Beet Salad.



Meet the Interns: Emily Foley

Emily graduated from U-M in 2009 with a BA in Screen Arts and Culture. She must have also had a Minor in world travel; since graduating from high school in 2005 , Emily has spent a summer in Ethiopia, two semesters in Capetown, South Africa, two months in Nepal, and a month in Israel! Emily grew up in Boston, but comes to Frog Holler from Brooklyn, NY, where she has been living for the past year doing freelance film work. Emily leaves the farm at the end of July to film a Kundalini Yoga Conference outside of Paris, France.

Emily arrived at Frog Holler in early May, and shortly after her arrival, volunteered her time and talent to create a video of last year's Holler Fest. She condensed footage from eight hours (!) of film taken by intern Kirstin Pope into a lively two-minute synopsis of Holler Fest highlights. Check it out!

Emily delighted the lucky lunch bunch this week with her version of a dish she enjoyed in Nepal: Momos. They are a Tibetan dumpling, filled with tasty spicy veggies. In the photo, the momos have not yet received their delicious sauce.

Emily has covered a lot of ground, but is also very much at home on the Frog Holler ground (and in the Frog Holler pond!). Emily comes from a food-conscious family, and, while at U-M, she worked at Zingerman's and was one of the leaders of the Zingerman's Edible Landscape program, which connects the gardens around the deli to the food being served at the restaurant. An interest in deepening her experience of farming and community brought her to Frog Holler; we appreciate Emily's enthusiasm and creativity and are very glad to be a stop on Emily's world tour!

2nd of July Party

You are all welcome to come out and see the farm on the 2nd. Camping is an option for those who would like to stay; we appreciate your letting us know if you plan to camp.


There will be walking trails and self-guided farm tours during the day (after 4 PM). We have a lovely swimming hole, but it is not kid-friendly (no wading) so please keep that in mind. Potluck is scheduled for 6 PM with live music starting around 7 or 7:30 - a preview of some of the bands/ musicians who will be playing at Holler Fest.

Hope to see you!

Share #1, June 18, 2011

Meet your farm!





















Welcome new and returning members! We look forward to sharing the fruits of our collaboration with the earth, weather and Mother Nature! We also hope to see you out at the farm on July 2nd. More information on that next week.

As you all know, except for two downright tropical days, it has been a cool spring. The greens are happy and warm weather crops are biding their time. We picked strawberries for the first time this week, which is unusually late. We should be picking for another week or two, so June 25th shares will also have some berries. Yes, the berry season is short and sweet, but look how happy the lettuce is!

Back garden lettuce patch

Here's what's in the box for this week:

Kale: Red Russian or White Russian. (Gray-green leaves, purple or white stems)
Swiss chard: Rainbow variety (Dark green leaves, stems and veins of different colors)
Kohlrabi: Purple! (dark purple bulb, green leaves)
Lettuce: Red Romaine (elongated deep red leaves)
Arugula (light green smaller leaves)
Scallions
Garlic Scapes (bunched stalks with crazy curly ends - use all that seems tender)
Radishes
Rhubarb
Sprouts: Frog Holler Mix
Strawberries!

NOTES ON THE BOX:

Kale: Red Russian Kale is an old-fashioned variety once called "Ragged Jack" and said to have been brought to this country by Russian trappers in the 1800's. White Russian is a sister variety. They both are sometimes called Siberian Kale, have "ragged" or frilled edges, and are very hardy and delicious!

Swiss Chard: Rainbow variety known as "Bright Lights". Be sure to use the beautiful stems in your cooked veggies or soups. The leaves cook like spinach; the stems cook more like celery, so adjust your cooking times. Read more about the value of making friends with Swiss Chard from "Nutrition - Answers @ Your Fingertips," a new CSA newsletter feature by Jennifer Wooley, a registered dietitian who is volunteering her time and expertise to Frog Holler.

Lettuce: Red Romaine. Read about the nutritional values of the various lettuce varieties and enjoy this robust and beautiful Romaine variety.

Kohlrabi: Growing in popularity, this purple variety offers sweet cauliflower/cabbage crunchiness along with vibrant color for salads, slaws or crudites. Also good steamed, sauteed or roasted!

Garlic Scapes: Once unknown in this country, but now wildly popular, read all you need to know about this short season treat in a recent AnnArbor.com article by Kim Bayer. And see a photo of Angie Martin, one of the Frog Holler interns! Most importantly, enjoy your scapes! In stir fry, pesto, soups, roasted veggies and any dish enhanced by a light fresh garlic flavor.

Sprouts: This is a blend of alfalfa, mung bean, red clover, aduki bean, and radish. We enjoy fresh sprouts year-round - in the winter when fresh local salad greens are scarce, and in the summer as a crisply tender addition to salads and sandwiches.

Meet Jennifer Wooley,MS, RD, CNSC. Jennifer, who obviously has lots of nutritional background, is volunteering her skills and knowledge to provide nutritional information on the veggies we enjoy all season. Jennifer loves sharing her expertise and/or researching for new information, so feel free to send questions and suggestions. And thank you Jennifer for contributing to the Frog Holler Farm CSA in such an informed and creative way!

Check out Jennifer's nutritional rundown for some of the veggies in this week's share!



FROG HOLLER RECIPE BOX

Here is where you'll find many delicious ways to use the veggies in your share. You'll see listings from last year, organized by vegetable, and we'll be adding new recipes each week that correspond to items in the box. Visit often, and "follow"!

Added this week: Garlic Scape-Kale Pesto, Massaged Kale (scroll down on the Kale page), Roasted Kohlrabi, and Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp. It's difficult to cook strawberries when they're so fresh and sweet, but if you find yourself with an abundance of berries or rhubarb, do try this Crisp recipe; it has drawn raves!The amount of sugar can be reduced, especially if adding a sliced ripe banana to the fruit!


NOTES FROM THE FARM:
Here are some of the Frog Holler interns scrutinizing the work ahead on the Monday morning garden walkaround. We have a great crew this year and we'll have them face the camera for future newsletters!

NOTES FROM THE HOLLER MUSICIANS Angie Martin, Billy King, Kenny King

They put down their hoes and pick up their instruments! The Billy King Band, composed of Billy and Kenny King, along with intern Angie Martin and other musical friends, regularly performs upbeat folk/pop/country fusion tunes around the Ann Arbor area and at Frog Holler Farm events. Here's what's coming up this month:

Barn Dance at Rancho Tranquilico

June 18, 6-10pm
11300 Island Lake Rd., Dexter
Another opportunity to celebrate Legacy Land Conservancy's 40th Anniversary. Join us for music and dancing in the barn at former Legacy Executive Director Barry Lonik's beautiful property. Enjoy the sweet originals and tasty covers by Billy King and Friends, with a bonfire to follow. All ages welcome, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks available. Bring a chair and what you like to drink. Donations requested.


Saturday, June 25 - 8pm - Yellow Barn - Frank Allison / Billy King - 416 W. Huron Ann Arbor, Michigan - Frank and Billy will take turns sharing tunes. Acoustic.

The YELLOW BARN’s driveway is at the bottom of the hill, on the left, just before the railroad bridge as you head east into downtown Ann Arbor on Huron Street - It’s just a short way into the drive. It’s the big yellow barn on your left! Easy parking.

Media media media: Follow Frog Holler Farm on Twitter and Facebook for more farm updates. Check out the Frog Log for occasional reflections from Frog holler matriarch, Cathy King.

Have a great week everyone!