September 7, 2013 - Share # 9

One of the highlights for kids (and adults!) at Holler Fest is our friends from Ambry FarmS circling the Fest with their beautiful team of draft horses.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX:

BEANS - GREEN

CARROTS

COLLARDS - BIG round leaves

PEPPERS - RED, all sweet

CHARD - RAINBOW, colorful veins and stems

ZUCCHINI OR SUMMER SQUASH

KOHLRABI ( light green root vegetable) OR RED CABBAGE

SWEET BASIL

GARLIC

TOMATOES!

NOTES FROM THE FARM/FEST : It has been two weeks since Holler Fest, but we are still catching up/cleaning up! Crops have been pouring out of the garden as well, so we are keeping busy. Three cheers to our crew who managed to take on extra Festival duties plus keep the farm work on track. We hope you came out for Holler Fest and enjoyed yourselves! The weather was perfect; musicians shared their art and heart on three different stages; the food was "locally grown" (like from our garden right next to the Festival), and we were happy to see so many folks and families enjoying the beautiful setting.

Frog Holler Farmer Billy King, with his group presently named "NPK and the Trace Elements" closes down the Main Stage on Saturday night.

Folks leave their seats to dance to The Womack Family Band, from Norwalk, Ohio

WHAT'S COOKIN' WITH THE SHARE:

For those of you still scratching your heads about that big Daikon Radish, check out these suggestions for enjoying Daikon. Polling folks who bought a Daikon radish at the market brought these ideas: grate into salads; slice and pickle them with a salt brine; slice and place on buttered bread for a radish sandwich; use in stir fry or miso soup. If you have a friend who hails from Japan, ask for some ideas -  Daikon radishes are a staple of traditional Japanese cuisine and are appreciated for their healthy and hearty qualities!

Okay, that was last week - now if you're wondering what to do with the kohlrabi in your share (or the one you still have from last week!), check out this NYTimes article, especially the recipe for Kohlrabi Home Fries. At the farm, we slice and eat raw kohlrabi, usually with hummus as a dip. Or we roast it, similar to the Home Fries idea - really delicious!

Getting a Red Pepper buildup in your fridge? Things could be worse! This seems to be a banner year for peppers on the farm and we're happy to pass along these delicious and Vitamin C-filled veggies. If you can't consume all of them fresh, peppers are also one of the easiest items to freeze: simply chop, spread on a cookie tray, and place in freezer. After frozen, bag up the pepper pieces for tasty additions to your winter soups and stir fries; they will lose their crunch so are not useful for fresh use.

Collards (or Collard Greens) are often associated with Southern cooking, classically simmered for hours with a ham hock. These sturdy greens do require a little longer cooking time, but this NYTimes article offers some excellent option if you are lacking a ham hock and all day to cook. |They also have an excellent nutritional profile, like their kale cousins!

As for those green beans, we had a visit from our Lebanese neighbor chef this week, and as long as we snap the beans for him, he will make us this delicious classic Lebanese bean and tomato dish. 
No, this isn't Maan's recipe - he isn't sharing that! But it looks pretty close and is a very rich and satisfying dish.

If you don't like to cook your green beans as long as the Lebanese dish suggests, just go with the classic method from Joy of Cooking. Drop the snapped beans into a big pot of boiling water. When they change to bright green (three minutes or so, depending on how much water you have), remove the beans and plunge immediately into a large bowl of cold water. Drain and use as is, or lightly saute garlic and add the drained beans to the pan until they are warmed through.

And finally, the article by Mark Bittman in the NYTimes has a link to lots of delicious-looking ways to prepare tomatoes. If you have finally had your fill of savoring a simple slice of a fresh tomato, maybe with a little salt, maybe on a slice of buttered bread, then you might want to try some of these cooking options. The tomatoes won't be here forever and are actually starting to wind down, so we hope you preserved some for the winter and are stuffing yourself while they are fresh and plentiful!

Okay, hope that makes up a little bit for the pre and post Holler Fest newsletter blackout!

COMMUNITY FARM OF ANN ARBOR TURNS UP THE BEET!

Our friends at Community Farm are producing a wonderful evening of music at the Ark on Sunday, October 6. Two of Michigan's favorite homegrown musical groups will play - one of which has played at Holler Fest for the last two years to great acclaim! This event is also a fundraiser for the Community Farm and we are happy to support and spread the word for our long-time friends and colleagues. Get more info at the Community Farm web page or check out the Ark listings for October. See you there!

HOMEGROWN FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND! All things local - including beer! At the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, 6-10, Saturday, Sept. 6. Lots of food and fun for all ages. Maybe see you there!

Have a great week everyone!