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Farm Notes:
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With winter on our door step and the feast of Thanksgiving behind us, our focus now begins to switch from harvesting to winterizing. While we still have more brassicas to harvest in the coming weeks, this week we will focus on pulling the remaining carrots and digging the remaining potatoes from the ground before they freeze. These two crops we will put into storage for us to enjoy months from now in the spring share. The carrots will be stored deep in a sand pile to be kept just above freezing. We will check the temperature and humidity of the sand every two weeks or so all winter long. If the humidity in the sand pile drops much below 95% we will add moisture to prevent the carrots from shriveling. The potatoes will be stored in the basement of an old building with a stone foundation. In year's past we have put the spuds into the basement and then hoped for the best until we ate them up all winter and into spring. Being a basement, the temperature is typically about 45-50 degrees. Potatoes will store best and longest at about 38 degrees and about 90% humidity. We are installing a small "refrigeration" system that will use the cold winter outdoor air to cool down the potato/root cellar. If the air inside the cellar is too warm, air will be brought inside by a small four inch diameter fan, while a second small fan brings the warmer inside to the outside. But, this air exchange will only happen if a second thermostat allows the system to turn on, that is, when the outdoor air is cold enough- below 32 degrees. The smaller size of the fans will ensure that the potatoes never change temperature quickly, as the air inside will be changed very slowly- usually at night. Humidity will be monitored and added if the air gets too dry. The porosity of the field stone foundation will help to ensure the higher humidity needed in the space. This very low energy storage system relies on the cold of a northern winter. Sometimes, living in colder climates has its advantages.
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In Your Share- Late Fall Week 5
| The following items may make an appearance in your share this week. As always, the contents of your share are ultimately determined by Mother Nature's harvest conditions.
- Kale
- Bok Choi or Tatsoi
- Lettuce
- Celeriac
- Radishes
- Broccoli
- Sweet potatoes
- Butternut Squash or Acorn Squash
- Apples
- and more!
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Produce Spotlight: Pea Tendrils
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Did you know that the entire pea plant is edible? Pea tendrils are the tender young shoots of the plant and pack a pea-flavored punch. They are popular in Asian cooking, as a tasty garnish and as an addition to salads.
Storage:
Best used in 1-2 days. Store wrapped in a paper towel inside an open plastic bag in the fridge.
Preparation tip:
Chop into small pieces and add to your salad or try sauteed in a little olive oil with a half-clove of garlic.
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Recipe of the Week!
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Now that we've all finished our Thanksgiving gorging, here's a light, healthy and filling recipe to provide a change of pace from the heavy holiday meals.
Mustard Crusted Tofu with Kale and Sweet Potato
Ingredients:
- 1 14-ounce package firm tofu
- 1/2 cup whole grain Dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1/2 medium onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
- 1 bunch kale, stem cut from each leaf, leaves thinly sliced crosswise (about 8 cups)
- 1 small red-skinned sweet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Directions:
- Cut tofu into eight 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange on paper towels; drain at least 10 minutes with a weighted plate on top to press out moisture. Spread both sides of each slice with mustard and let marinate while preparing rest of recipe.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and ginger; sauté until fragrant and onion begins to become translucent. Add sweet potato and saute until slices begin to caramelize. Add kale and lime juice. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until potato is tender and kale is wilted, about 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in another large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu; cover and cook until heated through and crisp, about 2 minutes per side (some mustard seeds may fall off tofu. To increase the amount of mustard that remains on the tofu do not move the tofu in the pan until you are ready to turn it over. Allow it to sear slightly.)
- Arrange kale and sweet potato mixture on plate. Overlap tofu slices atop vegetables and serve.
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| 2013 CSA Registration | |
Registration is open for all of our 2013 CSA shares!
Spring
Summer
Fruit
Late Fall!
Visit our website to register!
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| Groundwork Share A Share Update |  Thanks to generous donations by you (CSA members) to the Groundwork Share-A-Share™ fund, we were able to subsidize the cost of shares in 2012 for over thirty individuals and families, as well as shares for local food pantries.
We'd love to be able to subsidize late fall shares as well. Please consider helping us in our efforts to make the CSA accessible to more families by donating to Groundwork Share-A-Share.
To learn more about the program, click here. Thank you all for helping us keep this program going in 2012!
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Contact us:
Farmer Dave's
437 Parker Road
Dracut, MA 01826
(978) 349-1952
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