Farm Where Life is Good:  CSA Produce Subscription Distribution -- Week 40

Your box for Week 40

Farm Where Life is Good

Produce Subscription (Week 40)

Your boxes will be in their respective drop site locations by 9am Wednesday. (Dropsite Location Details) Find the box with your name and have at it!

If you have any questions, please call Roger on his delivery phone 626 488 5437 (if before 10a) and the farm phone 715 426 7582 (if after 10am).

Melon outside your box and more fall crops inside your boxes this week. Pick up one melon from the common bin.

Mesclun Finally some weather to make the baby salad mix grow well. This week is just the spicy stuff, so dress it accordingly (Asian twist or sweet). Or braise it in sesame oil and fresh ginger for a quick side.

Wheat berries Ok, so you now have to try them. Cook them up and freeze for quick access meals. Try warm Whole Grain Fruit and Nut Hot Breakfast Cereal, hearty Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili, or chewy Wheat Berry Cranberry Salad.

Boc choi, green and red A simple braise in toasted sesame oil, sea salt and minced garlic (add at the end to get that great garlic punch and all of its nutritional benefits). Perfect!

Kale, White Russian Smoothie-ize it with fruit, soup it with lentils, salad it with ginger. The versatile super food.

Potato, Goldrush baking variety We have noticed hollow heart in many of our culled potatoes (not visible from the outside); it is a developmental defect, unrelated to pest or disease, but rather stress. Yes, potato stress. Have pity on the little fellas, but know that it is not harmful to humans. Just unsightly, very sorry.

Broccoli A little bit of the green stuff is back. Fairly poor showing from the Fall plantings. Deer and cabbage loupers are to blame. Just can’t keep these things covered with the highly advanced deer we have in Wisconsin.

Melons (either water or musk) Crossing our fingers again, that these will be ok. Make sure you pick yours up… it is NOT in your box.

Tomato, cherry variety Rog found his favorite— the little round cherry variety. For a guy who doesn’t like fresh tomatoes, this revelation was quite the story!

Tomato, paste A San Marzano sauce-variety for a nice fresh pasta w/sautéed onions, Italia peppers, parsley and garlic.

Tomato, slicer variety Four varieties, red to pink, smooth to ruffled.

Pepper, sweet Lunching, frying, saucing, salading. Something for every application.

Pepper (Jalapeno) Just one to zest up the last of the fresh salsas, or maybe the wheat berry salad?

Cucumber, slicers We have eeked out another week; know that they are not at their peak, but still nice and crunchy. Add some dill, sea salt and Tofutti brand Sour Supreme and serve it alongside some excellent falafel. A new favorite on the farm.

Onions, white and red For the savory meals…saute them up with the Italia peppers, slowly, then increase the heat to caramelize slightly. Nice!

Garlic, Susanville variety A soft-neck variety that is said to be great for roasting and then spreading like butter on the bread. Mild in its raw

Shallots Ooo, add this to the cucumber combo above for eating with falafel.

Parsley A sprig or two does something nice to a green fruit smoothie. Phytonutrients!

Recipes for your consideration

The uncooked, just soaked/sprouted, chickpeas/garbage beans surprised me. But this recipe is fabulous. And highly adaptable with tweaks to the spices and vegetables added. Yes, it is fried in oil, but we’ll let that slide (no pun intended!) As MP put it to me, “This is stupid good.” We whole-heartedly agree..¬

Falafel

1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 large onion, rough chop (about 1 cup)
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, rough chop
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, rough chop
1 cup kale leaves, rough chopp
1 sweet pepper, rough chop
1 tsp salt
1 jalapeno/peperoncini pepper or 1/2-1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
4 cloves of garlic
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp baking powder
4-6 Tbsp flour
High-heat vegetable oil for frying

Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.

Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.

Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.

Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts, or use a falafel scoop, available in Middle-Eastern markets.

Heat 1/2 inch of oil to 375 degrees in a heavy pad (cast iron works well) and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Serve alongside cucumber/dill/Sour Supreme salad or stuff half a pita with falafel balls, chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and pickled turnips. Drizzle with tahini thinned with water.

Adapted from— Epicurious

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This is the kale recipes to beat all. It is in the deli case at Mississippi Market (and Whole Foods, etc.) and I always “impulse” buy it when I am shopping on my way home from work. Now if one has to have a weakness such that one impulse-buys, well, this is a good one to have. Simple, quick and perfect with a few slabs of Spicy Baked Tofu alongside. Hmm, maybe I just talked myself into dinner again. Funny how that happens each week!¬

Emerald Kale Salad

2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 bunch kale, leaves stripped from stems and chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame seeds

Heat oils over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute. Add chopped kale and sauté for 4 minutes. Sprinkle water over kale if it sticks to the pan. Add tamari and sesame seeds. Stir to incorporate well.

You can also make this a raw salad. Add all ingredients to a large container with a tight lid. Shake it hard to bruise the kale (it’s a good kind of bruising) and distribute the ingredients well.

Adapted from: Whole Foods Cookbook

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Warm and satisfying; an alternative to rice pudding with more fiber and a heartier chew..¬

Wheat Berry Pudding

1 cup wheat berries
2 tablespoons plus 3 cups soy/almond/coconut milk, divided
1 cinnamon stick
1 strip orange zest, (1/2 by 2 inches)
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Sort through wheat berries carefully; discard any stones. Rinse well. Place in a large heavy saucepan and add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, adding more water if necessary, until the wheat berries are tender, about 1 hour. Drain well.

Place the wheat berries and 2 tablespoons soymilk in a food processor. Pulse, scraping down the sides as necessary, until most of the wheat berries are coarsely chopped (some may remain whole).

Combine the chopped wheat berries, the remaining 3 cups soymilk, cinnamon stick, orange zest and salt in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often to prevent sticking, until the mixture is very thick, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; discard the cinnamon stick and orange zest. Stir in maple syrup and vanilla.

Serve warm or chilled, sprinkled with cinnamon and topped with a dollop of maple yogurt, if desired. (Stir in more soymilk if the pudding gets too thick as it stands.)

Adapted from: Eatingwell.com

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Everyone feel free to add your favorite recipes to the website.

Farm News

Whew! Freeeeeezing this morning. Wet hands picking little baby leaves of mustard and mizuna…frooooozzzzen. First time this year, so I am counting myself lucky (well, said counting happened AFTER I stopped crying from the re-warming pain!) Rog was bouncing around in the field at first light, freezing his tuckus off, on the tractor trying to finish the winter-wheat planting before the rain tomorrow. (It had better rain now, I tell you what!)

Grain drill and Allis, the tractor

Next week is the last week of the Produce Subscription/CSA deliveries. Ok, all together now…Big Sigh! The marathon has ended. You no longer have to conjure meals out of a ¾ bushel box. Whew, you made it. We had hoped for a Fall showing of produce, but nature (in its many manifestations) has conspired against that plan. We will load you all up with a couple of staples next week to carry you forward a bit. And will post on the market what storage crops we have produced, with an eye toward Thanksgiving planning.

Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the vegetables.

Roger and Lara

Spa City Local Farm Market Co-op:  Volunteers

Volunteer slots have been filled for this week. Thank you to Huey Grandstaff and Karina Alvarez!!

Volunteers still needed for future markets. Please check out our calendar on VolunteerSpot at http://tinyurl.com/Co-opVolunteers and sign up!

-Karen Harbut
Volunteer Coordinator
kgharbut@aol.com

Champaign, OH:  Heroes

Though nothing, will keep us together…
We could steal time…
just for one day…
We can be Heroes, for ever and ever…
What d’you say?
(David Bowie – Heroes)

Heroes…I remember when this song debuted. I was a HUGE Bowie fan. I used to haunt record shops, record basements, for Bowie albums to add to my collection. He was the master of disguise, master of song, master of story telling and character.

I remember hearing this song, for the first time, on a college radio station…shout out to the old WUSO:)And my favs who were late night DJ’s at WUSO.

Anyway…heroes. In song, in real life, we all need them. I know that I hold all that is honorable in the heroes who have touched my life in the past and the present. A hero, to me, is anyone who teaches you, gives you inspiration, makes you adhere to a higher code.

The heroes that I have in my life have been bigger than life. Models of who I can only hope to make proud. Men, like my grandfather, who set my standards for good men. My daughter, who, if you don’t know her story, is probably my hero for life! My grandmother, an eternal hero who gave me the permission to have wings.

A hero can be anyone who touches your life. I am proud to say that I am still finding and adding heroes to my list. Friends, fellow vendors, business associates, chance encounters.

From a hero, we take growth, truth, pride, confidence, a calm in adversity, a mentor, a teacher, an anchor in the wind.

This market houses many heroes. I look at the vendors who stand in front of me, each week. I look at my assistants. I look at the market, itself. I look at the backing of the YMCA. A hero, everywhere I look. I constantly learn, I constantly admire, I constantly am amazed.

This market is a little local hero. It was built on uncertainty, it grew, it built wings, it conquered, it got a voice, it took on adversaries, it withstood…all because of people that are my heroes. People who dared to rock the boat, make a leap, look at the daunting challenge, and ran with it. We made it all happen. We stand strong. We are your local united front of goodness. Pioneers of a sort. Explorers. We took the challenge, charted the course, took on the obstacles, fought for our market to remain one of truth, one of amazing vendors, and one that we are proud to offer, each and every week.

My heroes of local…take a bow.

The market is open until 10pm..I am here, all evening, taking in your orders, keeping the lovelight on, making sure we do everything we can for you.

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

ALFN Local Food Club:  Learn New Skills at ALFN's Fundraiser!

I’m sure it’s been a rough week, not being able to order from the market and all, but I’ve got just the thing to cheer you up: You can purchase tickets to ALFN’s Fall Fundraiser today to learn how to make pickles, ricotta cheese, and/or gourmet bavarian pretzels from some of the most talented foodies in town. You’ll get to learn new skills ALL while supporting our work to support a stronger local food system here at the Arkansas Local Food Network.

Now’s the time to purchase tickets, since space is limited and we’ll open up sales to the wider community tomorrow. We always appreciate your support and could not do the work we do without you!

Speaking of which, there’s still time to attend our customer focus group tomorrow, Wednesday, October 1st, from 6-7:30pm in Parke Hall (the Food Club room). You’ll get (a guaranteed) $5 in local food bucks as well as the opportunity to help us serve you better. Just e-mail me at arlocalfoodnetwork@gmail.com if you’d like to attend.

Thanks so much for your constant support!

- Alex Handfinger
Director of Operations

Do you have questions or comments about this, or any, weblog? Thoughts on local food, goods, or events? Reply to this email and let us know what’s on your mind. Your feedback is always greatly appreciated!

Middle Tennessee Locally Grown:  Just a Short Time Left to Order!

Please remember to place your market order very soon. This week’s market will close for ordering at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday), for delivery fresh from local farms on Thursday. Don’t forget all our eggs, creamline milk, summer fruits & vegetables, local honey, jams and bread! What good eating, so easily available on our online market! We also have a great selection of perennial plants & hanging baskets, herbal & handmade products.

Pickup will be at Square Books, 113 E. Main St, Manchester, from 3:00-4:30 on Thursday. Please e-mail me or call (931) 273-9708 if you would prefer to pick up on Friday morning between 10 am and 1 pm.

Thanks for your orders last week! Please encourage your local friends and family to shop with us and support local farmers!

Here is the complete list for this week. See you on Thursday!

~ Linda

How to contact us:
On Facebook
By e-mail
By phone: (931) 273-9708
On Thursdays: Here’s a map.

Statesboro Market2Go:  Fall Veggies!

We have new fall veggies this week! Butternut squash and sweet potatoes are in season!

Be sure to order before midnight.

www.statesboromarket2go.locallygrown.net

Russellville Community Market:  RCM Order Reminder

Hey everyone! Just a quick reminder that we’ll be closing for orders tonight at 10:00 p.m. Get your orders in soon!

Happy ordering!

We hope to see you on Thursday for the market pick-up!

Check out our Facebook page for great info on local foods issues and upcoming events.
Be sure to click on the “Like” button at the top of the Facebook page to get automatic updates. Thanks!

FRESH.LOCAL.ONLINE.
Russellville Community Market

Tullahoma Locally Grown:  Kefir and cherry tomatoes

Hi guys,
I’ve added free kefir grains to anyone who has been interested in trying to make this delicious cultured milk product. Similar to yogurt but yogurt only has 2-5 stains of beneficial bacteria whereas kefir has 30 beneficial strains of bacteria and yeast which aggressively colonize the gut by destroying pathogens. Kefir is also incredibly easier to make than yogurt. Order your grains or give me an email if you have questions!

Also Wayne Diller has added cherry tomatoes, get them before the frost does!

See ya thursday

Champaign, OH:  Regroup, Recharge, Plan

Well, your market manager is bouncing back from a crazy, fast paced, bake-a-rama, kind of summer season!!

I spent the past two days out in my yard dealing with some much needed TLC to my plants, herbs, weeds…I sort of just closed my eyes to the whole ordeal, all summer, as I would speed out of my drive to venues, markets, festivals, and my shop.

Sunday morning, I put myself out of contact with most people. I let myself soak up the sun, listen to Grateful Dead tunes, pull weeds, pick up sticks, become one with myself and my tasks.

I am such a social person, such a high energy person, such an ON person, that when I begin craving the quiet, the peace, the sun, my inner thoughts, I know I have hit that Cosmic wall.

I think it is important for our souls to drop out, tune out, at times. I was very selective on who’s phone call or texts I took. I answered no emails. I had no friends over. I made no attempt to contact my friends. The recharge had taken over in order for me to regroup, and then yes, start the plan for this next part of Cosmic Charlie.

I have a year anniversary coming up in my Cosmic shop, I just celebrated 5 years at The Depot Coffeehouse, 3 years out at Mad River Market, 3 years at this little lovely market. I love looking back at old notes, old baking lists, old market lists. It lets me smile, it lets me laugh, it lets me see just how far you can go with never ending determination. But, you also need the little pockets of time to recharge, regroup, plan, so that you CAN continue to move forward.

Why not make that your goal, this week. Let us worry about getting all of our local needs out of the way. Go ahead. The market closes at 10pm, tonight. Order today, close the book on that, begin your recharge, regroup, plan. We will see you on Thursday, with orders ready to roll, when you are ready to come back to reality!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

CLG:  Tuesday Reminder - Market Closes Tonight!

Hello Friends,
There’s still time to place your order for pickup on Friday, October 3rd. The market closes tonight around 10pm.

How to contact us:

DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. Instead…

Phone or text: Steve – 501-339-1039

Email: Steve – kirp1968@sbcglobal.net

Our Website:

www.conway.locallygrown.net

On Twitter: @conwaygrown

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Conway-Locally-Grown/146991555352846