October 3, 2015 - Share #15

 

A basket of heat

 WHAT'S IN THE SHARE:

POTATOES

GARLIC

RAINBOW CHARD

PASTE TOMATOES

SWEET PEPPERS

HOT PEPPERS - choose from Serrano, Jalapeno, Cayenne, Anaheim (in descending order of hotness). Limited quantities - first come, first serve.

WINTER SQUASH

SWEET POTATOES  - NEW

CARROTS

PERENNIAL HERB - choose from Thyme, Oregano, Lemon Balm, Sorrel. Quantities limited - first come, first serve.

COOKING TIPS:

Creamy Butternut Soup with Herbed Crostini

  Soup weather is upon us and CSA member Edith Huber gives high marks to this  creamy
winter squash soup recipe.

If you're an Ann Arbor member, you can go next door to our stall and get a nice loaf of sourdough bread from Mill Pond Bakery to make the crostini!

This quinoa/butternut squash/spinach recipe makes a nice fall side dish, and you can sub the chard in your share for the spinach!

Mariquita Farm is ten times the size of Frog Holler and located in the Salinas Valley of California. But...Andy Griffin, the owner, is dedicated to organic growing and writes a thoughtful and often funny newsletter titled  "The Ladybug Postcard." (Mariquita means "ladybug" in Spanish.)

 One example from the farm newsletter is this essay titled "Pesticides".

 There are also tons of recipes on the Mariquita Farm web site that have been compiled over the years and offered in an alphabetical section. Check out this link to their sweet pepper recipe page for lots of delicious ideas, especially the first recipe for a hearty Lentil/Sweet Pepper soup - good fall eating!

Tacy's jam served with crackers and brie!

If you selected a Jalapeno Pepper, you might want to try the latest craze at the farm - Jalapeno Raspberry Jam! 
That might sound like a strange way to treat raspberries - or jalapenos - but somehow the blending of the berries and peppers creates a sweet treat with a kick - almost addicting!






FARM NOTES: We have been harvesting sweet potatoes, as your share reflects - next week's share will too!  We are cleaning up harvested patches and just starting to tidy up the farm in general, now that the summer weed pressure has abated. Fall projects have been started - this week Billy and Nhin built a pump house to protect the well from freezing. Not that glamorous (but kind of cute) and oh so necessary!

Pump house from above

The pump in its "tiny house"

Mikki and Alex with our apple harvest

We had a little time to pick apples this week so headed off to Keeney Orchards in Tipton. Apparently it has been a super year for apples - the trees were loaded and Keeney's has some old-fashioned varieties that were delicious! Yes, we did pick some Red Delicious, but we were after Northern Spies and loaded our baskets. We also picked some Jonagolds, a lovely red/yellow apple that seemed to glow on the trees. Let the pies begin!

Nhin and Tacy ready to roar off

At this turning of the seasons, we are saying good bye to summer crops and summer interns!

Tacy's last market was on Wednesday and she will head back to Chicago at the end of the week. From there she and her boyfriend Eric will go on a road trip down the east coast to see her family in Florida and up the east coast to see Eric's family in New Jersey before heading back to winter in the Windy City. Tacy has been busy canning and jamming and will be able to take some tasty reminders of her summer with her.

Bye bye Tacy!

But will it cross the Pacific?

Nhin and Mikki have purchased their plane tickets for their flight to Viet Nam and will be heading out at the end of the month.








We also said good bye to Alex, an adventurous beginning farmer who pitched in for the last two weeks. Alex really enjoyed the market and may have helped some of you at the stall.

Angie

And as we bid adieu to this year's intern crop, we would be remiss in not giving a virtual good bye to one of our longest suffering, that is serving interns - Angie Martin!

Angie first came to the farm in the fall of 2009. She happened to call during the week before Holler Fest to see if we needed any farm help. We said, Yes!, hired her sight unseen, and sure were glad we did!

Angie returned in 2010 and 2011, took two years off from farming in this area (but not from Holler Fest) and returned again in 2014 and 2015.

Angie with garlic scapes

There are many ways that you might know Angie already.You might know Angie from our farmer's market stall, where her welcoming smile and ready laugh have greeted many of you at shopping or share pickups.

With extensive knowledge in growing and cooking, Angie could always offer helpful and delicious tips to our market customers.










You might know Angie from her beautiful singing. She has performed many times over the years with the Frog Holler Farm bands - adding her soulful harmonies and electrifying

Angie (far r.) guest singing with Jive Colossus on the Holler Fest Main Stage this year

lead singing at many venues around Ann Arbor, as well as at farm parties and Holler Fest.

Angie getting ready to sing at the Manchester Gazebo concert.

Angie at work in the Holler Kitchen (far l.)

Or, if you're very lucky, you might know Angie from her cooking! Angie is a natural cook, and has spearheaded the Holler Fest cooking team since 2010, even flying in from Dallas in 2012 and 2013 to create the Holler Fest fare.


Many folks cite the food that is served up from the Holler Kitchen as one of the reasons to attend Holler Fest - and Angie's creativity and expertise, along with her inspired cooking team, are some of the reasons why there are long lines when the Holler Kitchen opens.

The farm crew reaps the benefits of Angie's positive cooking energy throughout the season, and her ready willingness to whip something up, as well as her speedy ability, keeps the serving tables and the stomachs full!

Angie's cooking skill took her away from the farm shortly after Holler Fest and she has been in New Mexico cooking for hunters at Elk Camps in the wilds of the southwest. One camp was so remote that supplies had to be hauled in from an hour and a half away! We are certain that Angie rose to that challenge and that the hunters are enjoying some of their best camp meals ever!

Angie returns to this area in the winter to help a new farm establish an organic creamery.With her energy and enthusiasm, and her dedication to growing, cooking and serving good food, we know Angie will make a positive contribution wherever she lands!

Angie - ready for the next adventure!

Have a great week everyone - next week will be the last share and newsletter!