Serenbe Farms

  CSA Newsletter and Recipes (year)6-(week)26



October 18th, 2011
Farm Update From Ryan
   
sweet potatoes


Well the weather sure has been a blessing this week. With cooler days and a few nice days of rain, my week irrigating and managing the greenhouse was nice and easy. We are staying busy planting out the remainder of the fall crops, as well as onions and garlic for next season. We have also been busy tearing out some summer crops, and sowing cover crop seeds while we had the rain to aid in germination. 

 

We had a pleasant surprise this week as we dug our third row of sweet potatoes. Turns out the "Covington" variety has taken the cake as the big producer so far. Harvesting a whopping 1200 lbs. off of one 200' row. We also harvested 640 lbs. of cabbage off of one 200' row.  We sure got our exercise this week lifting full bins or cabbage and sweet potatoes an average of 3 times. Nobody said farming was easy. 

 

 

Beneficial Insects


parasytic wasp 

Sure we have our fair share of cutworms, aphids, stink bugs, and other pests on the farm. But we also have an abundance of beneficial insects like ladybugs, parasitic wasps, and honey bees. Not only do some of these insects act as pollinators, they also help to keep the less desirable insect populations at bay.

 

Beneficial insects are species of insects that perform valued services like pest control or pollination, often facilitating propagation and fruit production. We encourage beneficial insects by providing suitable living conditions, such as planting buckwheat that attracts all kinds of beneficial insects. 

 

Bees are beneficial pollinators as well as predatory or parasitic insects, killing pest insects. Bees can be attracted by many companion plants such as the buckwheat that we use as a cover crop, bee balm, and pineapple sage. Plant things in the apiacea family like Queen Anne's lace and parsley to attract more predatory bees. 

 

Ladybugs are another beneficial insect. They are thought to be beneficial because they feast on large quantities of aphids, mites, and other small insects that feed on various crops.

 

Other insects that are often considered beneficial include the assassin bug, damsel bug, soldier beetle, green lacewing, big-eyed bug, mealy bug destroyer, Trichogramma wasp, and  the Ichneumon wasp. It is a good idea to become familiar with the appearance of these beneficial insects and encourage their populations in your home gardens. 

Weekly Vegetable Insight: Rutabagas 

 

rutabaga gratin 

 

The rutabaga is a root vegetable that looks like a turnip but has ridges at its neck. Although rutabagas have been grown and marketed in our country for nearly 200 years, it remains an uncommon food in American cuisine. Rutabagas have a sweet flavor with hints of cabbage and turnip. 

 

The first record of rutabaga cultivation is from the early 17th century in Southern Europe where they were eaten and used as animal feed. Rutabagas thrive in cold weather and became popular in Scandinavia and Sweden where the became known as "swedes." Rutabagas were first cultivated in the US in the early 18th century. Today, northern US and Canada are the largest producers of rutabagas. 

 

Rutabagas are often thought of as a yellow turnip. They are actually thought to have evolved from a cross between a wild cabbage and a turnip and belong to the cruciferous family. 

 

Recipe: Rutabaga Gratin

 

rutabaga gratin

 

Ingredients:
2 pounds rutabaga (peeled, sliced thinly)
1 cup heavy cream
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 teaspoon thyme (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups gruyere (grated)
 
Directions: 
1. Heat the sliced rutabaga in boiling water for 3 minutes and set aside.
2. Bring the cream, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes and then remove from the heat.
3. Pour a bit of the cream into the bottom of a casserole dish.
4. Place a layer of rutabaga on top, followed by some cream and some cheese. Continue to layer ending with a layer of cheese.
5. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until bubbling on the sides and golden brown on top, about 30-40 minutes.


 

 

 

 
This week's share
(this list is subject to change): 

4-5 Cucumbers

Cabbage 
 
1 bunch collards

Head lettuce 
  
Bell peppers
 
Sweet potatoes
 
Garlic 
 
Rutabagas (or kohlrabi)
 
Radishes
 
Herbs
 
Hot peppers
 
More from this list (depending on today's harvest):
eggplant
okra
1-2 tomatoes

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Links
www.serenbefarms.com

www.georgiaorganics.org
www.slowfoodatlanta.org
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