Newsletter #8 - July 31, 2021

 

Potato digging time! Cale on the digging fork while Edwin and Morgan retrieve these red beauties.

As we move through mid-summer and beyond, it seems like there is always something new to harvest. Some harvests continue throughout the season and some crops need to be harvested all at once. When it's time to harvest potatoes, you best be at it, as they will deteriorate if they stay in the fields. And in our case, we will have to share more and more of the tasty spuds with whatever little critters are taking nibbles. Potatoes are a humble and familiar vegetable, but there is definitely a process to get them from the ground to your table!

Potatoes grow underground, with several spuds spreading out from the mother plant, just beneath the soil's surface. We loosen the soil with digging forks, and then it's basically a treasure hunt. We can't see the potatoes, so it's a matter of combing through the soil by hand until we can feel the lumps that signal a find. After we think we have located every spud from that plant, we move on down the row, digging, searching and sifting until our tubs are full. But that's not all!

As you see, potatoes come from the ground and are covered with dirt. The next step is to wash each spud. You can see Kenny King at our newly improvised washing station.

Kali oversees as Billy and Donya wash.

To farm on a small-scale is to improvise. This year, in a grand improvement, Billy hooked up this multiple spigot sprayer, with the ladder providing overhead hose support. Bungees always come in handy.

Closeup of the nifty setup

After the potatoes are washed, that's still not all! In order to store without refrigeration, the potatoes must be dried.

Potatoes on our improvised drying racks: ladders with legs added and screen stretched across. Also, if you look closely at this photo, you will see something that is more couch potato than spud!

When the potatoes are thoroughly dry, they are boxed up and stored, ready for market and your shares. Thanks to all the diggers, washers and dryers - and supervisor Kali - who helped to bring in this harvest!

So do you think you have POTATOES IN YOUR SHARE this week? Yes, you do! Red or white and freshly dug! This week we roasted, boiled and fried potatoes to see which we liked better: all good!

Also, our faithful friend, CURLY KALE.

Another faithful friend for a while: ZUCCHINI AND/OR SUMMER SQUASH.

And CUCUMBERS - in great numbers! Cukes do store well if you still have some in your fridge from last week. Just keep them in a plastic bag or veggie keeper bag. Or you can make this recipe for Tzakziki, recommended by crew members, Ashleh and Cale. A refreshing cucumber-based sauce for dipping and spreading on just about anything.

OR you can do what we did a lot this week: make hummus (here's an easy hummus recipe), slice cucumber spears and carrot sticks, dip and munch away!

Because you do have CARROTS in your share!

Carrots arriving under all those greens

Along with GREEN OR YELLOW BEANS.

PAC CHOI returns for an easy stir-fry, quick-cooking green. 

And finally, GARLIC - it is still drying but may be cured enough to store out of the fridge. Refrigerate if you aren't sure. Or cook it up!

And finally, The Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Journal ran a nice feature on the King Family and Frog Holler Farm. It has been in print since April but they also just added a digital option. If you check it out, be sure to click on the musical collaboration with Frog Holler farmer, Billy King, and featured musician, Emily Slomovits on p. 3. Their cover of Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now will warm your heart!

Here's the link: https://crazywisdomjournal.squarespace.com/weekly-62

A peck of Kali

Have a great week everyone!

Newsletter #7 - July 24, 2021

 

Black Swallowtail butterfly just hatched at the farm thanks to efforts of Donya

Last week our newsletter focus was on weeding - which was also our farm focus. Weeding isn't over but this week we will focus on harvest. So, here's WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX:

BEANS - GREEN OR YELLOW

Harvesting the beans

The beans!

KALE - LACINATO/TUSCAN/DINOSAUR - many names, same variety. Dark crinkled leaves, good for stir-fry or Kale Salad. (Be sure to massage your kale!)

Harvesting Kale 

Bunching Tuscan Kale

ZUCCHINI (GREEN)/ SUMMER SQUASH (YELLOW)

Harvesting zucchini

Zucchini and summer squash - picked and packed

CUCUMBERS -  NEW!

Edwin starts picking cucumbers

The cucumbers! (Actually pickling cukes - which are also excellent for fresh eating)

CARROTS

Digging carrots

Bunching carrots

HERB BUNCH - EITHER THYME, OREGANO OR SAGE

l. to r. Thyme, Oregano, Sage

MAYBE: PAC CHOI (ASIAN GREENS)

Kalisi approved

MAYBE: BEETS

Maybe without the greens

STORAGE: Most veggies like a quick dunk, drain, and being stored in a plastic or veggie-keeper bag. Remove greens from carrots for storage. The herbs can be refrigerated for a bit and also dry easily - hang upside down out of direct sunlight.

THYME: a versatile herb that goes with many veggies and soups. Especially nice with carrots; a zucchini stir-fry would also take nicely to thyme.

OREGANO: has a significant place in Italian and Mexican dishes. You could try steaming or sautéing green or yellow beans and adding oregano and a marinara sauce.

SAGE: often associated with poultry and turkey stuffing, try these Savory Herb Biscuits for a delicious pre-holiday use for sage. 

We don't know which bunch you will get; explore and enjoy!

ZUCCHINI BOATS: Looking for ways to enliven your zucchini preparation? Try one of these versions of Zucchini Boats: traditional or vegan. Usually a kid favorite as well. At the farm, when cooking time is often limited, we adopt the jet-ski version of zucchini boats: Slice zucchini in half, cover halves with cheese of choice and maybe a sprinkle of garlic powder or salt, bake until zucchini is tender and cheese is browned. Works best with medium to small zucchini or summer squash.

FARM NOTES: As you can probably see from the photos, harvesting is a hats on, heads down sort of affair. Since we haven't yet figured out how to sit in easy chairs and have the plants come to us, we will continue to bend our backs and bow to the bounty. Thanks to the hard working crew under those hats - we'll get them to face the camera in future newsletters! :-)

Hope you enjoy this mid-summer box!

Freya says, "Have a great week everyone!"

CSA Newsletter #6 - July 17, 2021

Kalisi hitches a ride as Billy starts to address a very weedy field

We had one dry day this week when we could approach some fields that have been weedy but too wet. Most of the cultivation at Frog Holler is done by hand, by inclination and incline. Inclination: Working with hand tools gives us a chance to see closely how the plants are doing, plus hand tools offer more precision and an ability to clean up close to the plants. Incline: Located in the "Irish Hills" of southeast Michigan, there is very little flat ground on the farm. Tractor cultivation does best with big fields (we have smaller "patches" due to the uneven terrain) and flat ground, so the tractor doesn't inadvertently slip and start taking out the veggies instead of the weeds!

Hence, we crawl and cultivate, and kitties join us, in their unapologetically opportunistic ways!

So satisfying when it's done!

WHAT'S IN YOUR SHARE:

A super healthy helping of KALE (frilly leaves) and COLLARDS (flat round leaves)! These two hardy greens are related – both are technically a variety of cabbage in the species Brassica oleracea. As a result, both greens are very nutritious and rich in vitamins A, B, E and K. Collards are lower in calories and high in fiber and protein, while kale contains more iron.

CARROTS - Vitamin A! Along with beta-carotene, fiber and Vitamin K. Plus yummy crunch.

ZUCCHINI/SUMMER SQUASH - low in calories, fat and sugar. High in folate (a B-vitamin). And happy to get along with just about any herb or seasoning you prefer!

GREEN PEPPERS - NEW! - low in calories and loaded with good nutrition. All varieties are excellent sources of vitamins A and C, potassium, folic acid, and fiber.

FRESH GARLIC  - Garlic is low in calories and rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese. It also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients.

PARSLEY - either flat or curly. Parsley is an excellent source of vitamin K and vitamin C, and a good source of vitamin A (mostly in the form of beta-carotene), folate (vitamin B9), and iron. So much more than a garnish!

POSSIBLY: GREEN BEANS AND/OR CUCUMBERS We're just starting to harvest the patches and will see how much we get. If not this week, soon!

A NOTE ABOUT COLLARDS: A question that has circulated in foodie circles for some time is:

  Are Collards the New Kale?

It's a catchy title, and perhaps a helpful reminder that Collards, long relegated to the two-hour boil with a ham hock stock pot , are just as nutritious and versatile as their trendy cousin Kale. The linked article will provide several helpful recipes, including the use of Collards as a wrap for bean burritos or veggies. We served Collard Wraps at our music festival one year to many favorable comments.

Twenty-one different heirloom varieties of collards!

You can also learn a lot about collards from this extensive Collards primer: how to cook collard greens (101). Many interesting approaches in this article, including Collard Greens Slaw with Feta.  It's a far cry from the two-hour boiled ham hock, although that traditional recipe remains firmly in the Collards Canon. At the farm, we usually braise collard greens - first sautéing garlic and onions, adding the rinsed and chopped collard greens, and then simmering in soup stock until tender. 

Hopefully you'll enjoy all the Superfoods in this week's share - have a great week everyone!

Chickens chillin' on a picnic table: A chick-nic?

CSA Newsletter #5 - July 10, 2021

 

Morgan, Edwin and Cale on the digging line with some fruits of their labor in the foreground.

Garlic digging week! A yearly tradition at the farm, and despite being hot and steamy, the garlic showed us that it was time to dig. Digging too early doesn't give the garlic bulbs enough time to fully develop. Digging too late and the bulbs might stat to deteriorate in the moist ground. This week, with temps unfortunately in the nineties, the time was just right! But first....

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX: 

CARROTS 

CURLY KALE: There are some excellent tips for Kale Chips in last week's newsletter.

ZUCCHINI - NEW! The arrival of zucchini means summer is in full swing. And although zucchini's relentless productivity is the butt of many jokes, especially by summer's end, we pick the fruits when they are young and tender and always enjoy a quick stir-fry. There will be green and/or yellow squash in your box.

YOUNG NAPA - NEW! These Asian greens are on their way to becoming the large bulbous vegetables you may be familiar with. But we plant Napa thickly so we can thin the patch early and enjoy the greens and the mildly spicy flavor long before the plants make their big heads. Use in any stir-fry.

SCALLIONS: This is the end of the scallions for this year, so the greens aren't so purty. We will miss their unique mild onion flavor, but look forward to the bulb onions that are not too far in the future.

HERB: Hasn't been harvested yet but most likely basil or parsley - you will know!

GARLIC: This is fresh-picked garlic so it has not gone through the drying process and is not meant to store. Use it up or keep in the fridge.

To learn how this humble bulb made it into your share box, read on for the Garlic's Journey! Since this adventure happens every year, we went back to past years' posts for some background and more photos:

NOTES FROM THE FARM: the week of the "stinking rose'! (July 11, 2020)

Garlic has been called the stinking rose for nearly a century, thanks to a French writer and physician, Henri Leclerc, who in 1918 roughly translated garlic’s ancient Greek name, scorodon, to skaion rodon, and then to rose puante, or stinking rose. *

Although garlic is in the Lily family (along with tulips and, of course, lilies), roses are not in the Lily family. But the "stinking rose" nickname has been affectionately embraced by garlic lovers; there is even  a popular California restaurant named "The Stinking Rose" and renowned for including garlic in every dish. (now temporarily closed )

Garlic, like many garden crops, requires patience and delayed gratification. We plan and we plant; we weed and we wait. Garlic, however, might win the delayed gratification prize, requiring planting in the year before harvest!

Planting garlic in the fall is often the last field task of the season - Ashleh, Cale, Kirk, King Bros.photo from 2019.

After the single garlic cloves are planted one-by-one in the rows, the entire patch is covered with straw, to deter the cloves from premature sprouting in the fall. The garlic stays snug under the straw throughout the winter and then, when the weather and ground are warm enough in the spring, each clove starts to send up a green shoot. 

When the cloves sprout, the straw is removed from the rows so the garlic can get a good growing start. A spring weeding is usually in order at this point. Then, when the plants reach a certain maturity, they start to make the "garlic scapes" that have been in your shares. We remove each scape so that the growing energy goes into making good bulbs, rather than going into the seedheads that the scapes represent.

Garlic scape with froggy friend - photo/2011

Once all the scapes have been harvested and the garlic bulbs have reached their full size, the green tips start to brown and we know it is time to dig.

Mia bringing in an armload of garlic on digging day - photo/2013 

Ashleh and Cale on the digging line - 2020

After the entire patch has been dug, the piles of garlic - bulbs with strong stems attached - are sorted into bundles that can be hung for air-drying.

Needing to be bundled - 2010

A bundling party - 2010 (l. to r. - Jenny, Chrissy, Angie, Julien, Dorothy,  Kat)

Then the bundles need to be hung for quick and thorough drying so that the dried bulbs will store.

After the last bundle was hung - Edwin, Nhin, Stevie, Tacy - 2015

Bundling in our new pole barn - no junk yet! Kathryn, Nhin, Kim, Paul - 2014

 

More bundling - Mason, Marc, Nhin (his third and final garlic bundling) - 2016

Bundling in the pole barn - now with lots of storage/junk! Cale, Milan, Ashleh - 2020

Completing the hanging of the bundles - Cale and Keegen, 2020

All this eventually leads to the garlic in your share:

One bulb - many hands!

We hope this little photo essay gives you an idea of the many stages involved in growing garlic, and the many crew members, present and over the years, who have been willing to offer their time and hands to this process. We certainly appreciate their good-natured help! 

By joining a CSA, not only do you get a "box of produce", you also have an opportunity to connect more closely to the cycle of the growing season, to acknowledge (for better or worse) the vagaries of Mother Nature, and to appreciate the many hands that help create the story of each item in your box!

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

Cale, digging with the rising sun to beat the heat (but not the bugs!)

 

CSA Newsletter #4 - July 3, 2021

Bench warmers

You probably don't want to see all the weeds we were looking at this week, so how about a fine photo of some of our good-looking chicks! We did manage some important weeding  in between dodging raindrops. We never like to complain about rain, but some of our low ground is very saturated and needs a little time to dry out before we can approach some necessary weeding. We'll see what Mother Nature has planned!

Some new items and old friends in your share this week:

CARROTS -  NEW - first picking of the new patch. 

HAKUREI TURNIPS - NEW - the link will give you some background information on this relatively new, and increasingly popular, variety of turnips. We enjoy them roasted, in stir-fries, or sometimes in a fresh veggie salad, marinated with dressing for a bit. These are nothing like the old-fashioned bitter turnips that you might be more familiar with. Do give them a try!

FRESH DILL - NEW -  while you're roasting the Hakurei Turnips, you can also add a pan of Roasted Carrots with Fresh Dill. OR you can make the Chard and Egg Bake from last week's newsletter, because you do have... 

RAINBOW CHARD in the share again this week, along with...

KALE! Yes, the kale patch is loving this wet weather and is happy to join your share each week. If you're feeling a bit of a kale overload, try this Kale Chips recipe: Six Tips for Flawless Kale Chips. A lot can go wrong when making Kale Chips, but with utilizing these tips, and a bit of patience, you will have a nutritious and satisfying snack, PLUS your kale supply will magically shrink!

SCALLIONS - either red or white, just different colors - same flavor.

BEETS -  as with most vegetables, roasting concentrates the flavor and sweetness. Beets take a little longer than carrots, that take a little longer than Hakurei Turnips, but if the temps stay cool, you can have a lovely roasting session and perhaps create a special dish for the holiday with roasted red beets, white turnips, and (sort of) blue Kale! 

If you would rather not roast, just boil your beets until fork-tender, slip the skins, and go on to prepare this Russian-inspired Beetroot Caviar. (only veggies - no fish products). It makes a vibrant and nutritious spread on a nice slice of rye bread.

Or you could skip this whole healthy veggie thing and make a Flag Cake for the holiday!

Recipe (and calories!) courtesy of Ina Garten, Food Network

Although we prefer the Five-Layer Earth Cake! 

If you feel like baking all day!

But we actually would prefer to spend our time outside - and probably weeding! However you spend it, have a lovely holiday weekend and a great week to come!

Dill fireworks!

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