CSA Newsletter and Recipes 4-29
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Our last fall CSA share is scheduled for December 8th.
Next year: We have lots of interest for our 2010 CSA program. We'll open up early registration to current members on December 1st. You'll have until January 15th to reserve your spot with a deposit before we open up the shares to the public. Registration forms will be emailed as soon as details are confirmed.
|
|
Farm News From Justin-
What is a few inches thick frequently abused and stepped on but separates man from starvation? Topsoil.
It's safe to say that being a member of a CSA you understand the need for safe, fresh, local, and nutritious food. But do you understand what makes food nutritious? I recently found myself searching for the answers to this question and stumbled upon a very interesting cycle. The soil to life cycle is essential to mankind's existence and we degrade soil more and more each day. It is truly amazing the things that effect this cycle. Even constructing new driveways, residences, or businesses effect this cycle. Any time the ground area becomes non-permeable [I.e. roofs, pavement, etc... ] you have separated this soil from the "whole" that creates the essential life giving force we rely on.
So this takes "You are what you eat" to a new degree. Not only are we growing our food on depleted soils but modern agriculture does nothing to replenish what is lost. Typical practice is to add nitrogen rich fertilizers which cause acidity and get short-term gains, but long-term losses. The soil continues to degrade and since it's not well rounded and very acidic; it progressively gets worse.
How is Serenbe Farms different? We strive to add more organic matter to each field every time we plant something new. We start with compost. We add up to a few hundred pounds per bed per field. This increases our amount of organic matter. Organic matter helps prevent erosion and holds nutrients in place. Depending on the previous years soil test we add anything from rock type salts for mineral content, to well rounded fertilizers. We also spray solutions of minerals from seaweed, mixtures that raise the overall sugar [brix] levels in our crops, trace minerals [boron, sulfur], and many other things.
We strive to add back the essential nutrients that were present before we begin misusing our soils many years ago. An example is adding sulfur back to our fields to help with the overall balance of nature. Sulfur and nitrogen exist in a perfect ratio in amino acid compounds. Having unbalanced fields leads to a crop that isn't correctly balanced for your body which leads to malnutrition and the need for supplements. Many people today lack proper sulfur content. Many of us supplement with MSM. Not having proper levels of sulfur effect everything from flexibility to basic chemical reactions that occur each day. Here at Serenbe we try to balance our soils. We spend a lot of money, time, and energy each year ensuring that we put back way more than we remove.
While the CSA season is drawing to a close we have been busy bees planning for next year and already planting! Paige and I transplanted about 1000 strawberry runners into a new field for next year production. If all goes well and they can avoid pests and disease, these strawberries will find their way into your share next spring. We also have began interviewing a lot of folks for next years intern positions, building needed structures, cleaning up, and everything else you can imagine!
I wish you all a fantastic Thanksgiving!
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
This week's Thanksgiving share:
1/4 lb arugula
1 bunch/head broccoli
1 bu radish
1 bu baby carrot (I envision these roasted with your turkey)
1 bu parsley
1 bu mint
1.5 lb Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes)
1 bu greens (collards or kale)
1 bu hakurei turnips or kohlrabi
hot peppers |
|
|
|
|
Massaged Green Salad -- Debra Mazer
Debra did a chef demonstration this year at our Farmer's Market here in Serenbe. This is a basic rendition of her recipe for a massaged green salad. It is a great raw dish I love making these!
Kale, Chard, or other Green bunch
Lemon juice
Salt
Minced garlic
Vinegar
Avocado
Raisins, cranberries, or other
Nuts or seeds
Wash greens. Dry and chop finely. Place into large mixing bowl. Add about 1/4 cup lemon juice. Add a few tablespoons of vinegar if desired. Add garlic, salt, and other spices. Begin "massaging" or mixing the greens with the liquids and salts. Be liberal with squeezing the greens this helps to breakdown the cell walls and make them digestable. I massage until the greens are done. I then add avocado, raisins, flax seeds, and other goodies. I even sometimes use artichokes and beans. This is a great idea for a quick salad. It is nice to make it the night before and leave it in the fridge until lunch the next day.
I found this one online....
1 bunch Kale finely chopped
2 carrots shredded
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes soaked and chopped into bitty pieces
1 red onion cut into thin rings
raw black olives
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup cold pressed olive oil
sea salt
few dashes of Bragg's liquid aminos
Mix all ingredients...set in fridge overnight.
|
|
|
|
Kohlrabi soup
If you didn't get kohlrabi in the choice you can substitute your turnips. Or save this recipe for next week when we'll be harvesting more kohlrabi!
1 large or 2 small kohlrabi washed peeled and chopped into small cubes
butter
1 large white onion minced
3-4 c chicken broth
1 c heavy cream
herbs to season [chives, parsley, dill]
salt and pepper
cooked chopped bacon or soy baco-bits for topping
Heat a few tablespoons of butter in a large pot. Add kohlrabi and onion once the buttter is hot. Add garlic here if desired. Cook until onion is clear and tender. Add chicken stock and cook until kolrabi are tender. Process with immersion blender or use food processor to make smooth. Add cream slowly and stir to ensure proper consistency. Add herbs, salt and pepper. Server with bacon bits or sour cream. |
|
Lemon Chicken with Jerusalem Artichokes Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Ingredients:
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 fresh lemons
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided use
4 chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron
1/2 pound Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes), peeled
10 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Hot, cooked rice Preparation:
Finely grate 1 teaspoon of zest from the lemon and set aside. Juice both of the lemons (discarding pulp) and set aside.
Place a large, deep, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. Place skin-side down in the hot pan and quickly brown them, turning only once. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, chicken broth, and saffron to the skillet. Bring to a boil, stirring to loosen any browned bits. Add Jerusalem artichokes, and garlic cloves. Return chicken to the skillet, along with any accumulated juices.
Reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes, until chicken and sunchokes are tender. Stir in cream and thyme leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning, if need be. Return to a simmer and cook an additional 10 minutes.
Serve over cooked rice and sprinkle with pine nuts to garnish.
This is a great sounding recipe from about.com.
Sunchoke pickles
Paige and I made some pickles and they turned out nicely.
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Ingredients:
2-1/2 pounds Jerusalem artichokes
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 pound cauliflower (optional)
Pickling salt
4 cups cider vinegar
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
1-1/2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 large green pepper
1 large red pepper
1 large onion Preparation:
Peel and cut the Jerusalem artichokes into 1/2-inch chunks and drop into water acidulated with lemon juice. Cut up the head of cauliflower, break flowerets into 1/2-inch pieces, and peel and cut the stems into 1/2-inch cubes. Crisp the vegetables in a brine solution made this way: Cover the chokes and cauliflower with water to see how much water you need, then drain the vegetables, saving the water, and mix into it 1/3 cup pickling salt per quart. Place the vegetables in this brine and soak for 24 hours.
Combine the vinegars, water, sugar, celery seeds, turmeric, mustard seeds, and dry mustard in a stainless steel or enameled saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar, reduce heat, and let simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
While the brine is simmering, coarsely chop the peppers and onion. Drain the chokes and cauliflower, rinse them well to remove salt, and drain again. Combine chokes, cauliflower, peppers, and onion and pack into clean hot jars, following manufacturer's directions. Ladle in hot brine, a bit at a time, making sure it runs through the vegetables. (Putting a long, sterilized skewer in the jar and moving it around helps the syrup flow through the vegetables.) Fill to 1/8 inch of the jar top, seal, and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Set pickles in a cool place for at least 1 week before serving.
|
|
| |
|
