Share #8, August 6, 2011

Okay, second in our series of Uninvited Farm Share members! Caught in the act, this little fella has a lot of kale, broccoli and chard in him. He was taken several miles away and released in a wooded area with no nearby gardens!

IN THE BOX:

Cauliflower - new!

Cucumbers - new! either slicing or pickling cukes (gherkins)

Tomato - our tomatoes are ripening very slowly, but we wanted to get you started!

Rainbow Chard

Asian Greens - mixed baby bok choy and yukina savoy

Beets - the beets with the darker greens are "Detroit Dark Red", a variety of beet local to the Great Lakes region - thus, the name!

Zucchini/Summer Squash

Garlic

Potatoes

Basil

Herbal surprise -


NOTES FROM THE FROG HOLLER RECIPE BOX: Here's a tasty Swiss Chard with White Beans and Parmesan recipe that could work with the Asian greens as well. Wondering what to do with those chard stems? The Recipe Box has a simple and simply delicious way to use them. Fresh peaches have arrived; here's a way to enjoy them in a Peach and Basil salad (From the Gojee.com web site that was mentioned in last week's newsletter). And although this recipe calls for baby potatoes and summer squash, it would work fine using chunks or slices of more mature veggies and roasting them first instead of boiling. Experiment!

MEET THE ...FARM CATS!

Although we still have two more interns to "introduce" ( you have probably already met Angie and Kirstin at the market), the farm cats demanded to be acknowledged for all the hard work they do. So here they are - the amazing, resourceful, productive, not-spoiled-at-all cats of Frog
Holler!



Gus, the Frog Holler watch cat! Named Augustus for the month he was found (August 1, 2010), the story is that Gus dropped out of a tree into Angie's arms. He timed his fall perfectly and has confirmed his place in the farm through his puppy-like antics and friendliness, and his cat-like purring snuggles.






Luna, the Frog Holler driver! Getting ready to dismount from the golf cart that she just parked, Luna has settled right in after being found in the greenhouse last fall. She makes up for her small size with a big purr, and is always up for a belly rub. And sometimes she gets a little wild; then we call her Luna-tic!














Sparky, Frog Holler Ninja cat. Nicknamed Spry Sparky, she has patrolled the Frog Holler fields for sixteen years and was originally named for the legendary Tigers manager, Sparky Anderson.




Lionel Kingsley Bartholomew I: top cat and ace sleeper! Lionel appeared in an uninhabited stone cabin on the farm in the fall of '09. He has obviously made himself right at home!












New kitty on the block, this little tabby (pictured below) just showed up in the corn patch this week. The crew has named him Norbert, or Norbie, and he is sweet, comfortable with people, very game despite a gimpy leg that doesn't stop him, and looking for a good home! Interested?









TWO NEAT FARM-RELATED EVENTS

The People's Food Coop has organized a Farm Tour Field Day, visiting farms in this area that supply the Coop with all their good produce. Although we don't actually sell to the Coop, our connection to the PFC goes back almost forty years. The Coop grants a Life as Art Award each year, in honor of the memory of Ken King, Frog Holler's founder and first (posthumous) recipient of the award. The tour is a great way to travel the terrain of this area's farmland, meet the folks who grow, and experience the community of folks committed to raising good food awareness. Frog Holler's turn on the tour is from 3:15-4:00 Pm, Sunday, Aug. 21.

Slow Food Huron Valley has organized a lovely event in the Waterloo area, a Picnic Supper at the Farm. Unfortunately it falls on the same day but a little later in the day as the PFC Farm Tour. Aren't we lucky to have so many interesting events in our area? The Waterloo Picnic event will also include the delicious expertise of our friend and market neighbor, John Savanna of Mill Pond Bread. Wherever Mill Pond baked goods go, good eating can't be far behind! (Mill Pond bread will also be featured in some Holler Fest meals.)

And don't forget Holler Fest the following weekend (Don't worry, we won't let you forget!).

Have a great week everyone!