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Field Notes
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 | | Vova planting potatoes. |
It has been a pleasure to see so many friendly faces over the past week. This past Saturday and Sunday the open house was well attended. The greenhouse tours were full of excellent questions about how we grow our earliest crops. It is comforting knowing that those who eat the food that we grow are also very passionate about how it is grows, and well-educated about the finer details of what makes our food healthy and dense with nutrients. Saturday evening, at our Burlington pickup location, and the prior Sunday at our Reading pick up location, I gave well-received presentations on my more recent international agriculture work (many thanks to Burlington Presbyterian Church and Old South United Methodist Church of Reading for hosting me!). Again, the questions and discussions show how knowledgeable the members are about their food. Before the season really gets going, it is nice for me to get off the farm and out to meet those for whom we are growing.
Before this week's rains, we planted the season's potatoes. The soils were a nice fifty-four degrees. For the last week, we kept the seed potatoes in a warm area to encourage the eyes to sprout. This past weekend, those eyes had grown out to a good half-inch, and we cut the potatoes into pieces so that each piece had an eye. The eye is the beginning sprout of the potato, and without the eye, the cut potato is less likely to produce a good crop. Each potato, cut up into pieces, can grow into more than twenty new potatoes by the time harvest arrives in the fall (assuming the growing conditions were good). Plants like to grow; it is the farmers work to provide the best growing conditions possible.
Farmer Dave
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Vegetable Shares Begin in 5 Weeks!
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We are only 5 weeks away from the beginning of the season for our vegetable share members! You can still register for pre-boxed vegetable, choice-style vegetable, fruit, and late fall shares. Now is the time to sign up and reserve your space for all pick-up locations. If you owe us a payment for your shares, please mail it in as soon as possible. If you have any questions about what your balance or when your payment is due, please contact Ginger. As always, feel free to contact us with questions any time! |
Worktrade Members Wanted
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Love picking up your share? Want to help out at pick-up in exchange for a vegetable share and a fruit share? We're seeking worktrade members for our Malden, Reading, and Boston Medical Center pick-up locations. To read more about these worktrade positions, visit our Employment Opportunities page. |
Meet Farmer Dave in Lawrence this Saturday!
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Farmer Dave will be speaking at the Colonial Heights Neighborhood Association quarterly meeting on Saturday, May 12. He'll be sharing about his agricultural development work in the Republic of Georgia, our CSA, and how the crops are growing this spring.
The meeting will take place at Relief's In, 1 Market Street, Lawrence, MA. It runs from 10 a.m. - noon, with Dave speaking around 11 a.m.
We hope to see you there!
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Brox Farm Open for Flowers and Plants; Stop in for your Mothers' Day Plants!
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We're offering a beautiful selection of perennials and annuals at Brox Farm, 7 days a week, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Many thanks to those who attended our Open House this weekend! |
In The Spring Shares - Week 8
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The following items were included in the spring shares this week, depending on pick-up location:- Field-grown spinach
- Other greens
- Carrots
- Cucumber
- Chives
- Mixed herbs and edible flowers
- And possibly more, depending on harvest conditions!
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A Fun Idea for your Edible Flowers and Herbs
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Looking for something different to make with your edible flowers and herbs? How about a compound butter? Here's a video that can show you how to make nasturtium butter. Try these recipes for herb butters as well:
Expect these butters to last for about a week in the refrigerator, or longer in the freezer.
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Recipes of the Week
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Adapted by Farmer Dave's from Sook and Cook
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. Spinach, washed
- 3 medium carrots, sliced thinly
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 2-3 Tbsp. Olive oil
- Salt, pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp. Pine Nuts
Directions:
In pot on top of stove, saute onions and garlic in olive oil.
When soft, add carrots. Once carrots are soft, add Spinach and Pine nuts, and salt and pepper to taste.
Once the spinach wilts and releases water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the carrots are done.
Palak Paneer
Adapted by Farmer Dave's from Show Me The Curry
This recipe is an excellent way to use a large amount of spinach!
Ingredients:
- 16-24 ounces spinach, chopped and steamed
- 7 ounces paneer cheese
- 3 tbsp oil or butter
- 2 medium onions, minced
- 1" piece of ginger, minced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 large tomatoes, or one 14oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp Garam Masala (a spice mixture that can be found at some grocery stores, specialty stores, and Indian grocery stores)
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- Red Chili Powder - to taste
- Salt - to taste
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, or to taste
- Milk - to taste (optional)
Directions:
- Blend cooked Spinach to desired texture (avoid over-blending).
- Heat 2 tbsp Oil in a medium non-stick pan on high heat.
- Once Oil is hot, add in the minced Onions, stir, cover and let it cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add in the Ginger and Garlic and mix. Cook for another 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the Tomates, cover and cook till the oil seperates from the mixture.
- Keep stirring frequently as the Masala (Onion, Tomato, Ginger & Garlic mixture) tends to burn very fast.
- While the Masala is cooking, cube the paneer to desired size (1/2" cubes work well).
- In a non-stick frying pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp Oil.
- Once Oil is hot, add in the paneer cubes and let them cook till they are golden brown on all sides.
- Remove from the pan into a plate with paper towel to soak the excess oil.
- In a couple of minutes, pour the Paneer into a bowl of cold water. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, once the Masala is prepared, add in the mashed Spinach.
- Mix and add the Garam Masala, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Salt, Chili Powder & Turmeric Powder.
- Mix well and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add in the desired amount of Cream and /or Milk. Mix and cook for another few minutes.
- Gently squeeze the water out of the Paneer and put the Paneer in the Spinach.
- Mix gently and serve hot.
- Serves 4 . Enjoy with Naan, Chapati, Paratha or Rice.
Want to a vegan version? Try this one, from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.
Skillet Baked Eggs with Spinach, Yogurt, and Chili Oil
Adapted by Farmer Dave's from Bon Appetit
Baked eggs are an attractive change from plain old scrambled or poached eggs! Spinach makes a perfect complement.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons chopped leek (white and pale-green parts only), or substitute fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons chopped scallion (white and pale-green parts only), or substitute fresh chives
- 10 cups fresh spinach
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon kirmizi biber (Turkish chili powder), or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of paprika
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
Directions:
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Mix yogurt, garlic, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
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Preheat oven to 300°. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add leek and scallion; reduce heat to low. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add spinach and lemon juice; season with salt. Increase heat to medium-high; cook, turning frequently, until wilted, 4-5 minutes.
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Transfer spinach mixture to a 10" oven-proof or cast-iron skillet, or 2 6-inch skillets, leaving any excess liquid behind. If using 2 smaller skillets, divide spinach mixture equally between skillets. Make 4 deep indentations in center of spinach in larger skillet or 2 indentations in each small skillet. Carefully break 1 egg into each hollow, taking care to keep yolks intact. Bake until egg whites are set, 10-15 minutes.
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Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add kirmizi biber and a pinch of salt and cook until butter starts to foam and browned bits form at bottom of pan, 1-2 minutes. Add oregano and cook for 30 seconds longer. Remove garlic halves from yogurt; discard. Spoon yogurt over spinach and eggs. Drizzle with spiced butter.
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 Groundwork Share-A-Share™ Update
|  Thanks to generous donations by you (CSA members) to the Groundwork Share-A-Share™ fund, we were able to subsidize the cost of shares in 2011 for over twenty individuals and families, as well as shares for local food pantries.
For 2012, we'd like to continue to offer subsidies to those in need. We already have around 25 individuals and families on a waiting list, and in order to be able to subsidize everyone, we'll need to raise almost $10,000.
Please consider helping us in our efforts to make the CSA accessible to more families by donating to Groundwork Share-A-Share.
To learn more about the program, click here. Thank you all for helping us keep this program going in 2012! |
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Contact us:
Farmer Dave's
437 Parker Road
Dracut, MA 01826
(978) 349-1952
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