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!