August 1, 2015 - Share # 6

WHAT'S IN THE BOX:

Earth laughs in flowers - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Flowers are not in the box, but did you know that Frog Holler has started having sweet bouquets for sale at market? Check out the table next time you're there and see what might brighten your day!

This painting of last week's flower bouquet is by our resident CSA member/artist/neighbor, Dorothy Ann Coyne. Dorothy Ann was featured in one of last year's newsletters with her beautiful painting of the farm. She also painted a bouquet just about every week last year, and the above painting shows that she is carrying on the tradition quite nicely for this year! Thank you Dorothy Ann!

and back to veggies - here is this week's bill of fare:

Green beans

Zucchini/summer squash

Carrots

Rainbow Chard

Potatoes

Leeks - new

Celery - new

Onion - new

Arugula

Sweet Basil

Everything goes in plastic and in the fridge, except the potatoes and basil. You can refrigerate basil if you want, but some of the leaves may turn black.

RECIPES FROM OUR MEMBERS!

We love to hear how our CSA members are using the veggies in their shares! Here are some delicious ideas from several of our local members.

Sharon W. was delighted with the purslane last week so that she could try this Potato-Purslane Salad. She pronounced it a winner! Maybe you still have your purslane left over from last week, but if not, or if you didn't get a share last week, bet you can find some purslane growing in someone's garden!

Sharon also sent along her favorite go-to summer salad: Warm Potatoes with Basil Vinaigrette. And it's easy to make with this week's share!

Ponda S. sent this Thai Noodle recipe that she says is always popular when she serves it to guests. You'll have to collect some of the ingredients, but the basil in your share will at least make a contribution to a delicious cause!

Patty S. wrote to say she is also collecting ingredients for this Raw Summer Pad Thai. And here's an interesting idea - the noodles are made from zucchini and kale! You can definitely do that, although the recipe's author suggests using a julienne peeler to make the noodles. And she is sold on julienne peelers, suggesting that "...This $5 piece of kitchen equipment will change your life. Seriously, people. Life changing. Being able to eat more raw vegies in the summertime, being able to eat my favourite pasta dishes subbing vegetables for the carbs... amazing. Yes. Run out and buy one right now." Recipe from What’s Cooking Good Looking by Jodi Moreno And although there is no kale in this week's share, noodles made from Rainbow chard might be a lovely sub. we'll await Patty's report - or yours!

Thank you to our creative members who checked in with these interesting recipes. How do you use the veggies in your share? Share it!

A LITTLE MIDSUMMER TOUR OF THE FARM:

Nothing left in the garlic patch ...except weeds!

 All the garlic now hanging from the rafters

And we're eyeing the onions for the next big harvest.

First rows of onions drying beneath the garlic

Joe has done a nice job keeping the hoophouse tomatoes in order. But he needs to start painting them red!

Our beautiful Rainbow Chard patch - in your share this week! 

And while we harvest some patches and maintain others, we have to look ahead to the fall and keep planting. Here is our fall lettuce patch. We set the seedlings this week, and they had a nice drink from the Wednesday showers. It was getting dry!

They're growing!

Have a great week everyone - thanks for bringing your boxes back! Peep peep!

July 25 - Share # 5

 WHAT'S IN THE BOX:

Not baby chicks!

 Beans - new!

Potatoes - new!

Purslane - new!

Cucumbers/pickling cukes

Summer squash/zucchini

Kale - curly

Carrots

Lettuce

Garlic

Choice of Basil or Cilantro



ABOUT THE BOX - storage and prep:

As promised last week, beans are now abundant. If you don't get to them right away, rinse, drain and store in a plastic bag. Same with everything else except the potatoes. These are new potatoes with tender skins so they should be refrigerated for long-term storage, but bet you'll eat them soon!

Purslane - revered around the world!

Purslane? Did you just weed that out of your garden? Considered a weed in the US, purslane has been a traditional mainstay in many cultures. One grower at the A2 Farmers Market told us about picking bushels of purslane as a kid to sell at the Eastern Market, largely to Mexican customers. But purslane is also popular in Indian cuisine and has been known as "Gandhi's favorite vegetable".  The flavor of the succulent leaves and stems is mild with a citrus undertone, while the texture is juicy and crisp. With some of the highest antioxidant levels of any green plant, you just might benefit from adding a little purslane to your plate. Stir-fry, salads, or smoothies - give it a whirl!

Maan's green bean stew with whole head of garlic floating on the top!

Previous newsletters have mentioned our Lebanese neighbor, Maan Abdul-Baki, who loves to cook the traditional food of his culture and loves to share it! Maan has been (im)patiently waiting for the first green bean harvest and when we delivered a batch this week, he returned the favor with this Lebanese green bean stew (loubyeh b'zeit). (Note: this is not Maan's recipe - he doesn't need a recipe! But you get the idea.)

It is juicy with tomatoes, rich with garlic and olive oil, and tremendously delicious and satisfying. The only improvement will be when we can supply our own tomatoes with the next batch of beans! (hopefully, soon!) Maan cooks several authentic Lebanese dishes for lucky folks on Sundays at Holler Fest. Might be a good reason to stay the whole weekend at the Fest!

 Speaking of Holler Fest - our three-day celebration of local food, music and culture, starts in just a month! As Frog Holler Farm CSA members, you are entitled to one or two weekend passes, depending on your level of membership. Come on out to the beautiful Irish Hills and see the farm, listen to great local music and share the last sweet days of summer with friends and family.

CSA member Faye Ogasawara offering massage at Holler Fest

And even though you have a pass, consider volunteering at Holler Fest. (Volunteers receive a weekend pass in exchange for two volunteer shifts.)We need lots of good help to create this special event, and volunteering is a fun way to participate. Several of our CSA members contribute in a variety of ways - check out the Volunteer Link on the web site to learn more about how you can help. Thank you and see you at Holler Fest!

CLUCKS FROM THE FARM:

Harriet Hen - new mother!

We have been a bit distracted this week as one of our hens hatched out nine baby chickies! A few weeks ago she  started to sit on a few eggs and, since we don't have a rooster and our eggs aren't fertile, it wasn't going to go anywhere. So Emily got some fertile eggs from a neighbor and gently placed them under Harriet. Then...but let's let Harriet tell the story herself. Our CSA reporter caught up with Harriet for this heartwarming story.

CSA Weekly: Congratulations! We understand you "got broody" and that's how this all began.


Harriet Hen: Humph! What is this "broody" thing? I was going on a three-week meditation retreat, to contemplate the sound of one hen clucking. My sitting practice was going very well and then someone pushed a bunch of eggs under me!


 CSA: I see! What did you do then?

HH: I changed my meditation to what comes first, the chicken or the egg!

CSA: But we understand that at one time you got up and actually left your nest to sit in another one.

HH: Well you try sitting on a pile of eggs! I had nearly figured out my koan: if a hen clucks in the coop and no one hears her, is there an egg? But I was getting distracted by all those lumps under me!

Mother Harriet Hen and babies!

CSA: But we understand that the eggs were moved back under you again.

HH: Yes, talk about mother hens!

CSA: And we understand that you even moved again just before your chicks started hatching.

HH: Well it tickled! And all these little pecks and chirps were very distracting to my meditation practice.

CSA: Well, lucky for the chicks they were moved back under you again and started to appear over two days.

HH: Ah yes, I finally reached a state of total acceptance...
and you know, they are kind of cute!

Emily - proud midwife of nine chicks!

Tacy's boyfriend Eric visited from Chicago and got to hold a baby chick

Chicks emerging from under Harriet's generous plumage

 Have a great week everyone - thanks for bringing your boxes back - peep peep!

July 18 - Share # 4

Bringing in the garlic!

 WHAT'S IN THE BOX: 

Lettuce

Kale - Tuscan, or sometimes called Dinosaur

Rainbow Chard

Zucchini or Summer Squash

Cucumbers - pickling and slicing

Red Cabbage

Carrots

Fresh garlic

Cilantro 

ABOUT THE BOX:

This "Seattle Summer" has continued to provide copious greens, while the hot weather crops are wondering "what happened"?? Looking at last year's CSA newsletter, we see that there was no lettuce for the share - not the case this week! But we did have green beans in last year's share - not the case this week! (we should have enough beans for shares next week).

New this week are cukes! And you don't have to save those smaller cukes for the pickle crock - pickling cukes are sweet, crunchy, and lunchbox-sized!

The dark green, crinkled Kale goes by Tuscan, Lacinato, Cavalo Nero or even Dinosaur, since theoretically it looks just like a dinosaur's hide. But it's not as tough as tyrannosaurus! This is a nice kale variety for stir-fry, kale chips, kale salad, and smoothie! And here's a tasty braised Kale recipe using the kale, carrots and garlic in your share.

The fresh garlic is also called "wet" garlic, which means it's fresh out of the ground and not cured for long-term storage. It also means it's crunchier and sweeter! Ann Arbor is lucky to have a local organic garlic farm growing over forty varieties(!) of garlic, and from our friends, Dick and Diana Dyer, of the Dyer Family Organic Farm (aka Dick's 'Pretty Good Garlic), we offer this recipe for Chicken Fricassee with New Garlic.

 Now you won't get  the 8-12 heads of garlic in your share that the recipe calls for, but you can find it at the market if you're inspired!

It's early to be getting tired of zucchini, but if you're looking for another use for these prolific veggies, here's a Cornbread recipe, rendered moist and tender with the addition of zucchini.

Or try this simple Summer Squash Salad. We know it's simple because it's a recipe from a farmer! At the farm, with not much time to fuss in the kitchen, we keep it simple, fresh and delicious! Summer Squash or Zucchini Stir-fry with fresh herbs of choice (basil or dill are excellent) is a consistent go-to quick summer side dish. Nope, we're not tired of zucchini yet!
 
NOTES FROM THE FARM:

Garlic was one of the themes this week as we began the garlic harvest. Reporting the garlic harvest is becoming a newsletter ritual at this time, as last year's newsletter chronicled the garlic harvest, as well as 2013 and 2012. This year's crew put in a good effort as with crews before them, and you'll enjoy the fruits of their efforts in share boxes to come!

Digging the garlic up on "the slope"

Tacy with garlic heading to drying shed

 

 

Mikki bundling the garlic

Nhin ready to hang the garlic bundles

Nhin hanging garlic

Happy garlic crew - but that's only a quarter of the patch!

(RE)MEET THE INTERNS: TACY SALLEN

Anastasia "Tacy" Sallen

 Tacy interned at Frog Holler in 2011 and was featured that year in the July 9 newsletter. Four years later she returns for another tour, and we're glad to have her back!

In 2011 Tacy was heading off to the University of Oulu in Finland  to earn a Masters degree in
Education and Globalization. She completed her two-year program with a Masters thesis titled, "Cultivating Utopia: an argument for messy, mundane process and urban agricultural projects". Tacy credits her time on the farm for inspiring her study of the cultural value of gardening and food connections for certain populations. (Or maybe we were just messy? :-).

Oulu in northwestern Finland, half way up the western coast

Tacy enjoyed her time in Finland, but, being a Florida native, she found herself missing the sun - especially during the winter when two hours of sunlight was the norm for a good stretch of the time. But the reverse of that was the summer when blackout curtains were needed in order to sleep; then it literally was "the land of the midnight sun"!

Tacy in 2011

 When Tacy returned to the States, she spent some time with her family and then headed to Chicago to fulfill a promise to her dear friend and college roommate to live together after graduating. Well, that friend, Chrissy Martin, happened to be the sister of one of our present interns, Angie Martin (who is also a friend of Tacy's). When Tacy's job as an after school and assistant teacher at the University of Chicago Laboratory School ended in June, she had an open summer. With the proximity of the farm and good friends already on site, the lure of Frog Holler proved irresistible! And actually Tacy had already strengthened that connection when she returned to the farm last Holler Fest to be part of the ace cooking crew.

Tacy is enjoying this second time as an intern, feeling like she can understand more about the farm processes, or at least ask more informed questions. She hopes to apply the knowledge and experience she is accumulating to eventually have her own homestead, while also finding a way to teach kids in a setting that facilitates some of her core principles, such as the value of nature and the connection to the land in providing a more holistic learning environment.

We are certain that Tacy's dedication and compassion will find an expressive outlet and we're happy to spend another summer with her positive energy  and thoughtful participation in all aspects of the farm.

Tacy - glad to be back!

Have a great week everyone - thanks for bringing your boxes back!







http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/grilled-summer-squash-baba-ghanoush?mbid=nl_fig_07072015_Daily&CNDID=34997590

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/shaved-summer-squash-salad

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/three-greens-soup-with-spinach-gremolata

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/zucchini-cornbread

July 11, 2015 - Share # 3

Holler Fest is coming! More info in future newsletters. Card designed and colored by Nhin.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX:

 Lettuce - Romaine and/or Leaf      


Cabbage

Carrots

Summer squash

Collards

Rainbow Chard

Beets

Basil

Garlic - new crop for 2015! Fresh out of the ground - not for storage. 

To store: quick rinse, drain and then into plastic in the fridge...except beets, which should be stored in the fridge but separated from the greens. Store beet greens as you would kale or lettuce. And basil: each year we offer various suggestions for storage gleaned from customers over the years. So, to store basil: 1) place bunch in a cup of water in the fridge; 2) place bunch in a cup of water out of the fridge; 3) place bunch in a cup of water, in the fridge, covered with a plastic bag; 4) place bunch in a plastic bag in the fridge, which is what we do, or 5) make pesto!

Basil can turn black when it gets too cold, so some of these methods try to mitigate that possibility. Perhaps you have a good method you can share!

The fresh-pulled garlic won't keep as long as cured garlic and should be refrigerated if you don't get to it for a couple of weeks. But we bet you will - it is delicious!

NOTES FROM THE FROG HOLLER RECIPE BOX:

Storage carrots from fall, 2014.

 Last week, a little facetiously, we told you that "stewed carrots are the new pulled pork" and gave you a recipe to prove it! And we also suggested you not do that to the crisp fresh carrots in your box! Well, we happened to have some not fresh, not crisp carrots stored from last year. They have served us well, but as the fresh crop arrives, it is time to use them up. We tried the pulled pork idea and declare it a winner!

Well, truth in advertising, some of the crew familiar with pulled pork sliders were a bit underwhelmed by the texture of the carrot substitution. But many of us found them very tasty, especially with the homemade slider buns
and either your favorite or homemade barbecue sauce.

Use the cabbage and carrots in your share for a fresh Cole slaw and you have a super meal! Serve it at your next picnic and see who you fool!

Could we fool you?

Also, last week we linked to a Collards Wrap recipe but didn't supply any collards! That oversight is rectified this week, although, lacking collards, you can use kale as a fresh wrap.
But collards are perhaps easier to work with, so have at it this week! And to inspire you, here is a short clip of collard wrapping in the farm kitchen:

You'll see intern Joe applying  homemade hummus, to his wrap, along with other add-ons like massaged kale and kohlrabi slices, in this case. We hadn't harvested carrots yet when we made these, but shredded carrots would be a nice topping. Use your imagination and wrap it!








MEET THE INTERNS: JOE NEWMAN

Joe at the Wednesday market

Canton is really upstate New York!

Joe hails from Canton, a small town in upstate New York - so far up that the closest big city is Ottawa, Canada! You can see from the map why Joe rolls his eyes when someone refers to Albany as "upstate New York"!

Extended periods of zero and sub-zero degree winter days were common when Joe was growing up, and perhaps that explains a little why, after attending SUNY Potsdam and majoring in English and Anthropology, Joe headed south and landed in New Orleans last fall!

Joe worked at the New Orleans Food coop and held many positions, including Bulk Food Buyer, which he enjoyed. But he had always wanted to learn more about where that food came from. Joe had grown up on a small homestead with a large garden, chickens and goats. He enjoyed it and wanted to expand on his early experiences.When a friend working at a nearby farm told him about Frog Holler, he applied, we complied, and Joe headed back up north for the summer, arriving at Frog Holler in late May.

Joe in the tomato hoophouse

Joe has fit into the flow of farm work very smoothly, and although he says he has liked all the work he has done so far, he finds it especially enjoyable to live and work in community with the other interns. He has also recently taken responsibility for tomato management in our hoophouse - weeding, staking, tying up, and eventually picking some fine specimens for your share boxes!

Joe has also enjoyed the Wednesday market, and agreed to be our regular Wednesday marketer, so, unless you are making a Wednesday stop at the market, you might not see him in person too often!

 Due to his experience growing up with a garden and working at food coops, Joe didn't see a lot of vegetable surprises when he came to the farm. But he did see long rows of beets, his favorite vegetable! Joe eats beets in just about any form: grated raw into salads, roasted, juiced into a flavorful blend of carrot, beet and ginger, OR here's a tasty beet dish that Joe said he ate almost every day for lunch in New Orleans.

Beet Sandwich!
Slice beets very thin and saute until soft and almost done. Cook one or two eggs on top of the beets, cooking them to your desired doneness. Place on bread with some chopped spinach, chard or kale - cooked or raw. Dig in!

Joe is also an experienced kombucha maker and has three batches going right now, one of which will be flavored with the beet/carrot/ginger combination. (Anyone out there making your own kombucha and need a SCOBY? Just let us know! )

Joe was a late applicant to the farm crew, but his steady competence and genuine interest in the work  have quickly made him a key player. We're glad he headed back up north this summer, although now we know it really isn't up north!

Joe says: Eat yer beets!

Have a great week everyone - thanks for bringing your boxes back!

July 4, 2015 - Share # 2

Frog Holler Farm interns - class of 2015! Mikki, Nhin, Joe, Angie and Tacy - more about them in future newsletters!

WHAT'S IN THE BOX:

Carrot love!

RAINBOW CHARD

CURLY KALE

LETTUCE - FRENCH ROMAINE/MIXED VARIETIES

SCALLIONS

GARLIC SCAPES

BROCCOLI

CARROTS

ARUGULA

STRAWBERRIES 


Storage tips: Everything has been dipped, but if any veggies seem dry, give them a quick rinse, drain and store in plastic in the fridge. Except the berries - eat 'em up! This is it, folks, for strawberries, so enjoy each flavorful little gem. Strawberry season: so short and so sweet!

NOTES FROM THE FROG HOLLER RECIPE BOX:

In honor of our first carrot harvest of the 2015 season, we offer this curious idea: stewed carrots are the new pulled pork! There's really no reason to do that to fresh young carrots - just clean them up and munch away!But it's an interesting idea for a tasty vegetarian dish and might be fun to try a little later in the season. Or use those embarrassed store-bought carrots that are huddling in the corner of your crisper now that these bright young dandies have come to town!


This time of year, the greens are lush and luscious; we eat them at just about every farm lunch - braised, stir-fried, massaged, in a wrap, or used as the wrap! 


For garlic scapes info and ideas, revisit last week's newsletter.

NOTES FROM THE FARM:

We were inspected this past week for our Organic Certification...and passed!

We have been Certified Organic since 2008, although we have been growing organically since 1972. We really didn't change our growing practices when the new law was passed that required certification in order to use the term "organic".   But the paperwork required has "forced" us to keep more records on paper instead of in our heads, and that is generally helpful.

Inspection consists of a walk-around to every field and then a rather lengthy assessment of farm records.The inspectors come once a year, and they have often been helpful - not looking for someone to "bust" but for ways to help growers learn and improve. This year's inspector was no exception - but we're still glad it's over!



This week we visited a neighboring farm (five miles away - close!) for a Farmers Social gathering. In the past ten years or so, the Ann Arbor area has experienced a renaissance of new growers. Some of the group are trying to meet regularly, taking time from busy schedules to kick back and get social with other growers. It's also very interesting to see other farming operations and a farm tour is always a highlight. We enjoyed our time at Hand Sown Farm and look forward to hosting members of this merry group in the future!

Farmers being social!

Farmers being silly!

And, to really convince you that farmers have fun, here's a recipe for Whiskey Ice Cream that we learned from two of the growers, Kari and Miguel. Of course Kari and Miguel use cream from their own cows and maple sugar from the trees they tap. Well, we think they don't use whiskey from their own still! You without a cow in the backyard can substitute local Calder cream and a maple syrup/cane sugar combo to sub for the maple sugar. We stirred in a few strawberries as well. Enjoy!



Whiskey Ice Cream


1 slightly overfull qt. cream
8 egg yolks
5 T. whiskey
1 c. maple sugar
1 pinch salt

Whisk first two ingredients together. Add remaining ingredients and place in ice cream maker. Get cranking! (or press the button)

Have a great week everyone - and thanks for bringing your boxes back!