Serenbe Farms
  CSA Newsletter and Recipes 4-21

September 29th, 2009
Farm News from Paige

Howdy everyone!  Welcome to fall at last!  Last week was a very interesting time for us farmers.  Justin and I two time zones away watched news reports of all the mayhem and destruction that occured from mother nature's saturation.  It was scary at times to think of all of our friends, family, plants, and microbes, back in the southeast trying to remain rooted.  I hope that you all faired well in the time of distress.

The farm did stay rooted, minus small field relocation, a little topsoil loss, and some disease and pest issues due to the wet weather.  All in all we did great compared to our neighbors and other farmer compadres.  Up to this point, I've sometimes complained about our odd shaped farm, the hills and elevation being a challenge, but in moments of 10+ inches of rain, I praise the design and location of our farm.  We do have pretty good drainage for better or worse.

The fall crops did enjoy this wet period.  Lettuces are growing nicely, the greenhouse crops tend to like rainwater far better than our irrigation water and the collards and kale are almost ready to pick (hopefully next week!). One foe of ours really took this time to gain control of our territory...the cross striped cabbageworm.  This guy has been feasting on everything, from green beans to sweet potato leaves, from cabbage to chard, and beyond.

There are a couple of things we can do to eradicate this slightly attractive worm.  We will soon spray Bt var. kurstaki, a biological pest control that is not harmful to any of our beneficial insects, isn't harmful to us or the health of our plants...it's OMRI labeled (meaning it's A-ok to use on our certified organic farm).  Here's a great website about how Bt works-- BT facts (fyi: home gardeners, it works on most caterpillar pests).  We also do a lot of scouting and hand squishing.  Satisfying and disgusting at the same time, the squishing is usually one of those tasks that volunteers and interns have issues with until they realize that the hand picking really does make a difference.



I must let you know that our losses may have been more severe had Brandon and Natalie not been here to keep guardian over the fields.  While Justin and I were out rock climbing, mountain biking, backpacking, and soaking our tired bodies in natural hot springs in central Idaho, the Serenbe Farms interns were hard at work.  With the storm sitting on top of us, they still managed to harvest several hundred pounds of goodies, stake up many straw bales and retaining walls (with flashlights at 10:30pm!), and make sure that
the farm remained functional...weeding, mowing, and the like.  Thanks a million you two!

And finally I'll mention the farmers that were not so lucky.  There are a couple of local small scale farmers that suffered great losses from the recent flooding.  Those of you that support more than one local farm likely know that Joe and Judith at Love is Love Farm in Douglasville have lost a huge portion of their arable land.  Check out this website: http://www.slowfoodatlanta.org/ for info on how to contribute to the Georgia Flooded Farms Relief Fund.  Many of the farmers that did lose land and resources were counting on their fall crops for income.  Please do what you can to support them as we're all in this together as one farming community.



I appreciate the feedback we received in the surveys.  Many of you asked for shorter newsletters (and me usually being the most verbose will gladly oblige).  You'll be happy to know that the on farm pick up location is now stump free and that we have valued your opinions about what you'd like to see more of in the fall share.

Thanks a ton and happy eating!
Paige
This week's share:

2 lb beans
1 lb okra
3 red bell peppers
2 roasting peppers
2 tomatoes
1 watermelon
1 bunch 'other' herbs
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch turnips (sweet hakurei--variety)
hot peppers
Yoga at Serenbe with Farms Volunteer Stephanie Pearce
 

Tuesday, Noon - 1:15 p.m. at the Serenbe Institute Studio; occurring every Tuesday. 

Please bring your own yoga mat & water.  Classes are Drop-in. Serenbe residents: $10; Non-residents: $12.  If you have a family of 4 or more, each additional person is $8.  Contact Stephanie Pearce for more information:  678-772-5192.

Become a friend of

Links
www.serenbefarms.com
www.georgiaorganics.org
www.slowfoodatlanta.org
Important Tidbits

--Always remember to wash your veggies.  No chemical residues I assure you, but you may find bug residues or dirt.
--Sign up now for our fall/winter share option!(included in full shares) 

--Volunteer on the farm!
Thursdays are volunteer days so come on down and get dirty (and maybe even learn a thing or 2)!
Been wondering
what to do with those hot peppers?
 
Pepper vinegar rocks!!
There are many different ways to make pepper vinegar.  Here's a simple way:

Use a clean or sterilized narrow-necked bottle, and fill with peppers of choice. Any of the hot peppers will do. 

Cover with apple cider vinegar (or distilled white vinegar) and let sit for a couple of weeks. Add more vinegar as it is used.

You can heat the vinegar before pouring over the peppers, and I make a slit in the peppers which makes for a hotter product.

You can boost the heat by making a pepper puree (2 T of kosher salt & a handful of chilis) to add to the bottle with the whole peppers & vinegar. The salt & acidity are great preservatives so don't worry about it going bad.

Be sure and put some away for green season...those greens will be back before you know it!  Mmmm...collards and pepper vinegar, yum!
Roasted
Red
Peppers  
 


 You'll be getting lots of red peppers in the future.  I love them roasted, especially the long 'roasting' types that look like horns. 

Here's a link that describes a bunch of different ways to roast peppers and many ways to use them after you've roasted them.

http://www.squidoo.com/RoastedRedPeppers
Green
Beans
with
Sour Cream
Sauce  
 
Ingredients:

4 to 5 cups cut green beans
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 bunch chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup liquid from beans
salt
3 teaspoons honey (or brown sugar)
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

Preparation:
Cook green beans in boiling salted water until tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. In a saucepan, heat butter over low heat; add onion and parsley and sauté until tender. Blend in flour; stir, adding reserved 1 cup liquid from beans, salt, honey, and vinegar. Add beans and heat through. Just before serving add sour cream. Heat just until hot; do not boil.

Fancy
Green
Beans
(from the food network...
good ole Paula Deen) 
 
Ingredients

2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans
2 slices bacon
1/2 cup red bell pepper strips
1/2 cup thin onion wedges
1/2 cup whole cashews

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together the teriyaki sauce, honey, and butter.
Fill a bowl with cold water and ice cubes.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the lemon juice. Drop in the beans and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until beans are bright green. Drain the beans in a colander and then plunge them into the iced water. Drain again and set aside.
In a skillet, cook the bacon until very crispy, crumble and set aside. Saute the bell pepper and onion in the hot bacon fat for 2 minutes. Add the beans, cashews, and bacon to the skillet. Add the teriyaki-honey sauce and toss gently.