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CSA Sales Going Briskly
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Over 70% of the 2013 CSA shares at both the Horsham and Highlands site have sold. Invitations to current members and those on the waitlist have been emailed. If you are not yet on the waitlist and want a share...please join the waitlist.
Click here to join the waitlist
These are exciting times for the farm...two sites, more members, more programs on the horizon..
Join now!
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We Specialize in Kale
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Friday December 7
KALE IS FINALLY GETTING the spotlight it deserves. No longer just a garnish, the leafy green is now an A-list celebrity in the vegetable world, and everyone wants a leaf of it.
For the food bloggers, kale is the addition that sends their mac and cheese to the top of the search engine charts. For President Obama, it's the garden-sourced salad gracing his Thanksgiving table. For the health conscious it's a crispy baked alternative to the potato chip. And for local chefs, like Citron and Rose's Yehuda Sichel, it's more than a side dish, starring in salads and stews, or as a replacement for parsley in tabbouleh.
Click here for full article
For the Pantry
by Marisa McClellan Kale has long been a staple in my kitchen. Fresh, it keeps for a week in the fridge. But to further preserve your kale, here are some options: - To freeze, blanch briefly (45 to 60 seconds in boiling water), wring out the water and portion it into freezer bags. Press to remove the air and freeze.
- For truly convenient storage, powdered kale is best. Wash, dry and bake at 400 degrees until crisp. When cool, pulverize in a blender. Use in soups, smoothies and sprinkled over popcorn.
- For pasta lovers there's kale pesto. Replace half the basil in your favorite pesto recipe with kale leaves (no stems). It keeps seven to 10 days in the fridge and up to a year frozen.
Canned kale is terrible, but the other methods listed above leave you with something delicious that will keep for a long time.
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Readying Highlands for Farming! 
Interested in helping prepare the Highlands for our growing season next year? Do you want to get your Share Duty hours for 2013 completed early?
Join us for our first Highlands Clean-up Days:
Thursday, Dec. 13, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Friday, Dec. 14, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
We will be cleaning out the lower level of the barn, and the potting shed (the small building attached to the greenhouse.) Dress warm, both of these buildings are not heated, bring work gloves. Hope to see you there!
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Notes from the Edible Classroom
The weather the last few weeks has been crazy! One day I'm crawling into my gortex-lined pants and pulling on my Bogs and another I'm back in my shorts. It's pretty easy for us to adapt to the changes in temperature, but it's a whole other matter for our winter share crops. A walk down the farm road this time of year offers a glimpse into how the farmers manage crop growth in fluctuating temperatures. Most of the action is on the right side of the road. Season extending row covers are used on select sections of the farm. These long, white tunnels protect mixed greens, kale and broccoli. The tunnels are low tech, labor intensive and really work! They are comprised of plastic hoops, plastic sheeting, stone/sand-filled bags and tie-offs. When the weather was nice and you were still picking your own, you may have noticed the farmers installing the hoops over certain rows. You may have also seen them positioning large rolls of plastic at the ends of the hooped rows. You may have even seen them filling bags with stones and sand and then positioning them the length of a row. As the weather turned cold, the farmers put all those pieces together to create little micro climates for our plants.  The winter row covers require almost daily attention because they are so good at what they do - they keep the cold air and wintery precipitation off the crops. However, on warm days, the row covers have to be either partially or fully pulled off so the crops don't get too hot.I have a winter work share and last week we harvested kale and broccoli growing in the tunnels. Before a kale leaf could be snapped or a broccoli head cut, we had to move the bags weighing down the  plastic, then carefully lift the plastic to one side of the row. At the end of the day the farmers decide to either fully or partially cover the rows. If the forecast allows, the rows may remain uncovered overnight.For you winter share folks, if you get to the farm while it's still light, talk a stroll down the farm road and check out the tunnels or peak in the moveable high house. The farm may look quiet, but there's plenty going on!Happy Holidays!Diane
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| Winter Calendar
 Kimchi Making Demonstration
Thursday, January 24, 7pm - 8:30pm, $20
Kimchi is a signature side dish of Korea and was named one of the five "World's Healthiest Food" by the Health magazine. Learn and experience hands-on how to make most popular Korean style Kimchi and take some home to share with your family. PFEC CSA member Jackie Kim will lead the class. Jackie is a homemaker for a family of 7 who enjoys healthy, nutritious cooking. Participants should bring: a pair of food safe gloves (we will be touching spicy spices), apron, and a jar with lid to take home your very own Kimchi. Register Here
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