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Weekly Greetings CSAers!
If you haven't already planned on coming out this weekend to the farm for Harvestival, think about it...it will be fun! Check out the section below for all the events, music, speakers and more on this fantastic warm fall weekend.
Each week we include below what we foresee to be in the shares each week, but this is at best a forecast, and just like the weather man, many times it is correct but the other part of the time it will have variations. Typically if you don't find one thing listed you will find another thing in your box that was not. For example, purple cauliflower last week. We had thought it was going to be ready based on how far along it was and the weather and conditions ahead, well mother nature and the cauliflower had other plans and it was simply too small yet for our standards, so we have had to wait. Despite our best laid plans, the information we receive from our palm readers, fortune tellers, roaming gypsies and the occasional consultation with the magic eight ball (which at times the reply is hazy) our intended recipes for the shares gets railroaded and we bob and weave with the best to harvest what is ready for you each week. We do know that everyone tries to base their week's dinner, and grocery plans around what is in store for you in your shares, so we apologize if your meals end up more fusion that intended, but then again this is the hip thing these days next to skinny jeans and big sunglasses. With all kidding aside, please bear with us, for no matter what we do, we and all of us really only have so much control over things, and growing food is one of those where it is best to be in the current in the direction you want, but to understand that you move with it not against it.
Tomatoes! Do you know that Issac (our Education Coordinator/Intern and WWOOF wrestler/farmer/all around nice guy) has been working with all of our interns, WWOOFers, and at times Somali refuges to harvest close to 10 tons (20,000 lbs) of tomatoes EACH WEEK! This is an amazing feat. In order to harvest tomatoes, you have to be out there every day, and be selecting the ones that are ready to not only harvest, but not too ready where they are set to go right onto a sandwich within minutes. At times, they are so busy making sure they have the tomatoes for the next day that they do not have time to get to the cherry tomatoes, so this is why you may see them listed but not see them. Cherry tomatoes are very labor intensive compared to a full size one, so the teams will not always have the time in the day to get to both. The same team is also harvesting your peppers and eggplant.
A quick note on the fruit shares. We have a plum orchard on the farm that did not have a great stand this year, so we hope to include a few plums with your shares this week, but with that being said we also may not. If you do have them they are a variety called Mtn. Royal and they are a smaller, sweet plum
Anyhoo, enjoy this week of veggies and fruits and we hope to see you on the farm!
This weeks shares may look something like this:
Single Share: Kohlrabi, cilantro, green onions, lettuce, kale, Colorado rose potatoes, turnips, broccoli, red beets, heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, cheery tomatoes, Rocky Mtn. sweet onion.
Couple Share: Green onions, lettuce, kale, eggplant, Napa cabbage, Colorado rose potatoes, turnips, broccoli, red beets, heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, cheery tomatoes, Rocky Mtn. sweet onion.
Family Share: Green onions, kohlrabi, cilantro, lettuce, kale, eggplant, Napa cabbage, Colorado rose potatoes, turnips, broccoli, red beets, regular cabbage, heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, cheery tomatoes, Rocky Mtn. sweet onion.
Single Fruit Share: One bag of Gala apples, one bag of pears, maybe a few plums.
Double Fruit Share: Two bags of Gala apples, two bags of pears, maybe some plums.
*This week the apples are from Kris and Kevin Kropp (First Fruits), Suzanne Reader (Rocky Mountain Peach Company) and Steve and Willie (Mountain Sweet), the pears are from Steve Ela (Ela Family Farms) and the Kropps, and the plums are from our farm.
Bread Share: Multi-Grain
Mouco Cheese Share (one round per share): ColoRouge
Haystack Goat Cheese Share (one log per share): Apple cinnamon
Windsor Dairy Cheese: Farmer's Choice
Contents of the box may vary depending on weather, timing of the harvest and the whim of the farmer!
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Harvestival 2011 is THIS Weekend!
THIS WEEKEND!
(Oct. 1st-2nd)
Fun for the Whole Family!!
We invite you to join us for the 2011 Harvestival celebration on October 1st and 2nd. Harvestival is two days of music, speakers, workshops, food, our beer and wine garden, and fun activities for the kids. The event is held on beautiful Grant Family Farms in Wellington, Colorado.
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Member Emails
"This is my third year as a member and I just want to let you know that this is the best year by far!!!! We have gotten such a wonderful variety, and not a whole lot of things we don't know what to do with or are so tired of because there was so much! I get a family vegetable share, single fruit share, bread, eggs and flowers and we love it all. I hope that the winter share will be as good as the summer. I ended up throwing out a lot of bitty potatoes last year because a person can only fix so many marble sized potatoes! I love the winter squashes with a few pumpkins. Hope there will be plenty of butternut, spaghetti etc. Thanks for a wonderful summer of healthy delicious food!"
"Thank you so much for all the wonderful fruits and vegetables I get a single share and there are so many wonderful things each week I have to share with all my neighbors and they may join next year! I have done allot of experimenting and the best so far has been a vegetable sheppard's pie and a pear pie. Your recipes are yummy too. It feels so good to know some of us are going back to a more simpler way of eating. My parrot Darby O'Gill is a big fan of yours and La Luna my dog loves your carrots and broccoli.
Many thank to you and all your hard workers I can actually feel the love each time I pick up a new share.
Blessings to you."
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Crispy Turnip Fries
3 pounds turnips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil and lightly grease.
Peel the turnips, and cut into French fry-sized sticks, about 1/3 by 4 inches. Place into a large bowl, and toss with the vegetable oil to coat. Place the Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, paprika, onion powder in a resealable plastic bag, and shake to mix. Place the oiled turnips into the bag, and shake until evenly coated with the spices. Spread out onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until the outside is crispy, and the inside is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
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Grilled Fruit
Grilled fruit is fantastic way to enjoy seasonal fruit with much fuss. Fruit is perfect for the grill because it is so easy to prepare. Fruit is basically made up of water and sugar and by grilling it you can concentrate the flavors by reducing the water and caramelizing the natural sugars. The process is very simple. You need sliced fruit, water, and cooking oil to make the most basic grilled fruit. What you will get is a quick and easy addition to any meal whether it is as an appetizer, side dish, or dessert.
Below are some instructions and ideas for grilling pears and apples, two late season Colorado fruits that you can enjoy far into the season.
Grilled Apples
Get your apple ready by coring and seeding it. You can leave the skin on unless you don't like the taste.
Cut the apple lengthwise to grill both halves, cut it crosswise for apple rings or chop it into chunks and thread it onto a bamboo skewer that's been soaked in water for 15 minutes.
Soak the apple or apple pieces in a water and lemon juice mixture for a few minutes before grilling. This keeps the apple moist and enhances the juices.
Create a spice mixture using flavors that enhance the apples and please your palette. Tasty spices for grilled apples are nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, cloves and white sugar. Put the mixture in a bowl and place in next to the grill.
Coat the apple with a light flavored oil or melted butter before placing it on the grill. This keeps the apple from sticking to the grill and lets the spices stick to the apple.
Place the apple on the grill over medium heat and grill for six to eight minutes on each side, basting with extra butter as needed. Once you remove the apples, quickly sprinkle the spice mixture on top and serve.
Grilled Pears
Prepare a grill to medium hot heat (you should be able to hold you hand an inch over the cooking grate for 2 to 3 seconds. Make sure the cooking grate is clean and well oiled. Halve pears and scoop out their cores (at least 1 pear per person). You can peel them if you like, but it's not necessary. Put pears on a tray or baking sheet. Brush them with a light, neutral flavored oil such as canola oil or grapeseed oil. Put pears, cut-side down, on the grill. Cover and cook until grill-marked and heated through, about 10 minutes.
5 pears
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons Mexican vanilla extract
1 quart vanilla ice cream, for serving
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
Cut pears into thick slices (4 to 5 per pear). Place slices evenly in a large pan or bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Pour melted butter over pears. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla to pan and mix until pears are thoroughly coated with the mixture.
Place pears directly onto hot grill. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove pears and place in individual dessert bowls. Pour remaining butter mixture into a medium, grill-safe saucepan. Place saucepan on grill and cook, stirring, until boiling. Remove from heat.
Place 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream over the pears in each bowl. Pour butter sauce over ice cream and serve.
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Who's Your Farmer?
Your CSA Team
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Back To The Start
Farming has changed and is continuing to, both in good ways and in bad. Farmers typically do not have much control in all the directions they take, for the retailers and thus consumers dictate much of the trends. It has been lately that consumers have helped farmers move in a more beneficial direction in both regards to the food they grow and raise and the way they do it. Check out the link below for a cool video that helps explain this. Your support in CSAs, farmer's markets and all local food helps us all!
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Beet,Cheddar, and Apple Tarts
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed and cut into six 4 1/2-inch rounds
3/4 cup shredded white cheddar (3 ounces)
1 apple, cored and very thinly sliced
1 beet, scrubbed, peeled, and very thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pastry rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Divide half the cheese among pastry rounds. Top each with 2 to 3 apple slices. Tuck 2 to 3 beet slices among apple slices and top with remaining cheese. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with thyme. Bake until pastry is golden brown and slightly puffed, 13 to 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Grilled Ham and Cheese w/ Pears
4 slices sandwich bread
8 ounces Gruyere cheese
1 pear, thinly sliced
8 ounces deli ham, thinly sliced
Butter
Layer 4 slices of sandwich bread with 8 ounces Gruyere or other melting cheese, 1 thinly sliced pear, and 8 ounces thinly sliced deli ham; top each with bread.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spread outside of both bread slices with butter. Cook sandwiches in batches, if necessary, until golden and cheese is melted, flipping once, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Cut sandwiches in half and serve hot.
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Creamy Broccoli Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, florets separated, stems peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
Coarse salt and ground pepper
*Potatoes can be added to this as well, you will simply want to start those first (boil) so they have time to cook.
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion, and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add nutmeg; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in broth, 1 1/2 cups water, oats, and broccoli. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until broccoli is tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Puree soup in batches, filling blender halfway. Return to pot. Season with salt and pepper.
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"Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education."
~Mark Twain
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