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TWIN SPRINGS FRUIT FARM


Spooky Huh?

For what's at market this week please see below.  (Click here for locations and time)
 
 
     The above picture, taken of the new 4 bay at night, shows just how surreal the new LED lighting can look. Keep in mind that this is just a couple of lights over top of the "Nursery" area down at the end of the lettuce and cress bay. The lighting is just too expensive at this time for us to do anything other than run a few experiments, on both baby plants as well as on some maturing lettuce, mostly Red Oakleaf varieties. We are looking for thicker, more compact growth on the seedlings so that they are stronger and less spindly than in the past. 
     Short daylight hours at this time of year, as well as so many overcast days, have the effect of "stretching" the plants, as they want to grow up to reach more light. Adding the LED lighting has indeed improved the overall growth and compactness of the baby plants and turns out to be worth the expenditure, at least it will be over the long term. 
     The jury is still out, however, on the use of lighting to speed the growth of lettuce and cress crops; it seems to make little difference, a bit surprising. Another effect for which we were looking was to produce more actual red color in the foliage of various varieties of lettuce, like the "Ferrari" our standard Red Oakleaf Lettuce, which have the reddish hue in some leaves, indicating higher nutrient values. Tom tested about five other strains of red loose leaf lettuces, and while they were very nice, you may have purchased some a couple of weeks ago, there was not much more red to the leaves than our standard variety.

PROGRESS CONTINUES IN THE OLD "4 BAY"
     In the picture below you can see Michael and Henry emptying a wheelbarrow of soil into the newly lined troughs, soon to be planted with tomato and cherry tomato seedlings. While it isn't visible there is a perforated drainage pipe in the bottom of each trough which will carry off any excess water; this is the reason why the floor was carefully graded to have a 2 inch "fall" from one end to the other, a distance of a hundred feet. We don't want any dips or hills to pool water. Just like out in an orchard, both air and water drainage are essential to healthy plants; to that end the air is constantly moving including being replaced with outside air to maintain ideal humidity in the confines of the greenhouse.
     Speaking of progress, Arturo tells me that the "3 bay" and the "new 4 bay" have had their first plantings of tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peppers. While it may be the dead of winter we have Spring coming along in the greenhouses where it is bright and warm and the young plants are lovin' it. 

WINTER SQUASH'S HEALTH BENEFITS

     Picked in the fall and stored in our new facility at the farm, the three varieties we offer are all pretty much interchangeable; it's just that they all seem to develop their own following. All three, the Kabocha variety named BonBon, the Buttercup called Sunshine and the Butternut, are all powerhouses of flavor and nutrients. It would behoove everyone to incorporate this fine fruit/vegetable into their diet, at least through the winter.
     Winter squash is low in fat and provides plenty of dietary fiber; and while it is sweet it has a low glycemic index. The orange color indicates that, like sweet potatoes and carrots, it is packed with carotenoids. Beta carotene protects against heart disease and has been shown to be a deterrent against some cancers as well as macular degeneration. Remember your mom getting you to eat your carrots, as they were good for your eyes? Well, that is true and is due to the the presence of carotenoids as seen by the orange color.

     It's rich in potassium, folic acid, magnesium, and omega 3's. Smooth, delicious and nutritious, once your family tries this super food, they'll never want to go without it again. To prepare the squash so that you have the smooth sweet pulp to either use as it is or as a side dish; it won't need any help from the addition of sugar or spices, though that's always an option.

How do all the nutrients of winter squash benefit me?

  • Folic Acid: Essential for pregnant women as it helps with development of the brain and spinal cord of your growing baby. 
  • Magnesium: Aids in absorption of calcium, helping to build strong bones and teeth. Excellent for people with osteoporosis and your growing children!
  • Vitamin A: The human body converts beta carotene into vitamin A, which not only helps protect against heart disease, but also helps with vision and may reduce the risk of macular degeneration.
  • Fiber: Addition of fiber to the diet helps enhance the digestive process as well as helping to keep you full longer throughout the day.
  • Potassium: Squash is rich in potassium which helps reduce blood pressure and is also beneficial for heart health and muscle contractions.

WINTER SQUASH BISQUE

INGREDIENTS

1 TSFF  Winter Squash
     (2 - 1/2 lbs)

1 Medium TSFF Candy Onion

2 Tbs. Butter

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

2 1/2 cups of Chicken Stock

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black         pepper, to taste, I use a lot.

1/4 tsp. dried Thyme

1/2 cup light cream

Hot pepper sauce and salt to taste (I use Original Cholula)

INSTRUCTIONS
  • Halve squash and place it cut side down, leaving seeds, and bake at 425F for approximately 30 - 45 min., till very soft.
  • When a bit cooled remove seeds (which may be roasted for later munching) and scoop out the flesh.
  • In a medium pot melt butter till slightly browned; add the olive oil and onion. Slowly cook and stir until the onion is very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Add squash, stock, pepper and thyme. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool slightly and process (immersion blender is great) or blend* until very smooth.
  • Return to pot; add cream and pepper sauce; heat thoroughly but don't boil. 
  • Adjust salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.

                *If using a blender or small processor take care and do it in small batches to prevent scalding yourself.




While it's been pretty cold out we're hoping
 you'll join us and make it out to market.
Thanks for the support 
Aubrey, and the gang at Twin Springs

 
WHAT'S AT MARKET THIS WEEK
Here is a list of what we expect to carry at all locations this coming week. 

  • Apple Varieties - Goldrush, Fuji, Pink Lady, Cameo, Buckeye Gala, Stayman, Nittany and Golden Delicious                                                                                         
  • Discounted apples - are still available at most markets and make a good, money saving choice for all purposes, but especially for cooking and juicing. Keep in mind they are still our great apples, just with some minor flaws. 
  • Fresh Green Garlic - New from the greenhouse, they look a bit like Spring Onions, but are actually young garlic plants, grown from the cloves which are smaller than we want to plant for our regular crop of garlic. Michael tells me they are a lot bigger and nicer than last week.
  • Radishes - New from the greenhouse! We are growing three varieties of radishes, pulled fresh and bunched. Try some!
  • Brussels Sprouts - We still have quite a few.
  • Winter Squash Sunshine (Kabocha), Bon Bon (Buttercup) and Butternut squash. All are quite sweet and ready for roasting, soups and casseroles.
  • Sweet Potatoes - Both the traditional Beauregard and the extra sweet Japanese sweet potatoes, both are also considered to be super-foods.
  • Pure Apple Cider - Tangy and light, with the superb flavor you expect from our apples. There is never any sugar or preservatives added to our wholly natural and nutritious cider. It is "flash-pasteurized" for safety, but the quick and relatively low temperature ensures that the flavor is unaffected, and the healthful enzymes remain unchanged.
  • Spring Mix Salad Greens - some available this weekend - But as it is often cut on Saturday, and Lyn and I then bag it on Saturday, while Michael is building the Sunday loads, it seldom goes to market on Saturday.
  • Vivaldi Potatoes - (a Weight Watcher's Club pick) We advise a simple wash but not a hard scrub or peel, many nutrients, especially minerals, are in or just below the skin. 
  • Onions - We have both the Candy, sweet yellow onions, and Mercury, the mild red onions available.
  • German Hardneck Garlic - Remember Jo's advice to always crush or press the garlic and let it sit for at least 10 minutes so that it will produce the Allicin, a beneficial compound only formed after the cloves have been "damaged" in some fashion, at which point the Allicin is created by a reaction between two substances, alliin and alliinase.
  • Arugula - We expect to have plenty this week.
  • Lettuce - We will have an abundance of lettuce, Green Buttercrunch and Red Oakleaf both.
  • White Carrots and Orange Carrots -  Nature designed these root vegetables to last for the long haul and we are trying to have them available year-round. We are now putting some of the large, and the nicer of the broken or split ones in 4 pound bags at a discount (a bag is going for $6.00 at this time, only 1.50/lb.).
  • Pink Lady Dried Apples - "Apple Snitz" as the Amish call it
  • Twin Spring's Own Products - Jarred Peaches, Hot Pepper Jelly, Peach Jam, Chipotle Ketchup, Marinara Sauce, Apple Butter and Apple Sauce. All may be purchased individually, or by the 12 jar case, for 10% off. 
  • Patty's Apple Cider Caramels - Made fresh weekly using the current batch of Twin Springs' Cider, these caramels have become a new hit, with some customers purchasing a number of bags at a time. Patty only has so much time; these will always be few and far between. For my Takoma customers: you may purchase them from Patty herself at the Audia Farm stall. I promised her that I wouldn't sell them there.  

In addition, we will offer the following products at OUR OWN Markets: 

  • Tart Cherry Juice - a very powerful natural anti-oxidant food, which is simply Montmorency sour cherry juice with no added sugar etc. I still find that drinking about 8 oz., around two hours before bedtime, usually adds at least 20 to 30 minutes to my sleep. It also seems to help with inflammation, especially of the arthritic kind, as in the case of my thumb joint.
  • Fresh Hard Pretzels - both regular and whole wheat, baked right down the road in Gettysburg, so they are always fresh.
  • We usually have "Breakfast Loaves" at these locations; they are baked by Elizabeth and Gary, and are small, fresh, homemade cakes, a number of rotating recipes, some seasonal.
  • Michelle's Granolahandmade and freshly baked in the DC area
  • Allen's fresh Eggs - Raised right outside Gettysburg, both brown and white, from "free walking hens". Delivered fresh to us every Wednesday.
  • Artisanal Cheeses - Twin Springs carries Ed's fresh local: Sharp Cheddar, Cheddar, Smoked Cheddar as well as Smoked Jalape�o; also available are his Goat Gouda and Goat Cheddar.
  • Local Wildflower Honey - Jim Small has kept us supplied with his pure, raw honey, much of it drawn from hives kept year-round at our farm.
  • Maple Syrup and Maple Sugar - tapped and bottled on the Patterson Farm in Pennsylvania.
  • McCutcheon's Products - We carry an extensive line of their jams, some fruit sweetened, ie. no cane sugar or corn syrup, and jellies as well as many other great products created right in Frederick Maryland.
  • Baked Goods - from the Stonehearth Bakery, also in Frederick, all items are baked "that" morning. Baguettes, innumerable kinds of fresh breads, both sliced, and unsliced crispy crust loaves, croissants, scones and cookies