The Weblog

…from Farm Where Life is Good

We’ll give you an insider’s view of life and growing on the farm. Share the excitement of a great harvest and experience the disappointment of a crop failure.
We have it all!



 
View the Complete Weblog

CSA Produce Subscription Distribution -- Week 37


Your box for Week 37

Farm Where Life is Good

Produce Subscription (Week 37)

Another gorgeous week with perfect weather for working outside. If the rain holds out, a few potatoes are coming out of the ground this week. Little by little they are maturing. And winter squash continues to scramble toward ripeness ahead of the Old Farmer’s Almanac prediction of snow the third week in October. (Gasp…)

Meet Charlie; young Charlie (and colleagues) was/is responsible for most holes in leafy things this season.


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).

Tomatoes (and other colorful things) in your boxes this week. Lift from below (wow! 26#)

Potato, Swedish Peanut fingerling The first time growing this little gourmet item for us (for you). Cute little things. They are reported to have a “creamy, golden flesh, and it is the epitome of nut-like potato flavor.” See what you think.

Melon Several different varieties distributed amoungst ya’ll. See how they are. Given the marked deer predation on the melon field, they are sparse…so the only sampling I have done is on the cast-outs. I am hoping the “good” ones are good. Not our best melon showing. Sorry.

Tomato, cherry variety Another variety pack with 6 different ones scattered in there.

Tomato, saladette/paste Time for fresh pasta sauce.

Tomato, slicer variety Tomato salad, tomato sauce, tomato puree, tomato chutney, tomato dressing, tomato "xxx"…fill in the blank.

Pepper, sweet Italia (red), purple, orange, lipstick (red), green. A pepper rainbow.

Pepper, Feher Ozon paprika (immature) A nice tofu scramble for breakfast this weekend?

Squash, zephyr They are fading…so enjoy them while they last.

Zucchini Try the Zapple Muffins; they were a favorite at the farm this week. I shredded in the food processor instead of chopped; no skinning either (I go for easy!)

Cucumber, variety pack Same old, same old.

Celery The Creamed Celery Soup was a hit from last week; give it a try. Follow this link for a primer on various ways to freeze celery.

Kohlrabi These are bigger than their spring cousins. Peel like usual and then eat fresh, baked, sautéed, etc. They store in the fridge for months.

Carrot Just a few this week…sorry. Shouldn’t be so hard…but they are!!!

Onions, yellow and red

Garlic Transylvania variety. Reported to have a bit of a “bite” when fresh. Maybe that is just a pun, and they are funnin’ us.

Oregano

Thyme

Recipes for your consideration

An odd one, the kohlrabi veggie, but pretty darn good! Milder than broccoli and much more versatile.¬

Baked Kohlrabi Fries

kohlrabi, stems and leaves removed
1-2 Tbsp melted coconut oil or olive oil
salt
chili powder and ground cumin

Preheat your oven to 425F. Wash the kohlrabi, then use a sharp paring knife or good vegetable peeler to peel them. Cut them into matchsticks.

On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the kohlrabi sticks with the oil and sprinkle very generously with salt and chili powder, and sprinkle on a smaller amount of cumin. Spread the kohlrabi in a single layer.

Bake in the oven, flipping once, until they are soft and getting blistered and dark on the outside, about 30 minutes.

Remove and eat warm with ketchup, creamy horseradish-dill dip, hummus, etc.

From: fiveandspice.com


A little bit of a mix! And a lotta bit of flavor. But really, really simple and less fattening than frying…¬

Fajita Quesadillas

1 red pepper, sliced (bite-sized pieces)
1 orange pepper, sliced (bite-sized pieces)
1 green pepper, sliced (bite-sized pieces)
1 Anaheim (milder) or 2 Jalapeno (hotter) peppers, diced (optional)
1-2 onions, halved and sliced half-moon
1 Tbs olive oil
1 lb wheatmeat/seitan (Whitewave brand), ripped into bite-sized pieces (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
6-8 large wheat flour or rice flour tortillas
1 pkg Daiya brand cheddar-style cheeze shreds
2-3 tomatoes, diced

Sauté peppers and onions in olive oil until soft but still holding their shape/texture. Add wheatmeat/seitan and heat thru. Salt and pepper to your liking.

Arrange flour tortillas on large baking sheet(s). Sprinkle Daiya cheeze evenly over surface. Bake at 350F until cheeze is melted (approx 8 min). (Daiya melts but looks different than regular cheese, so test as you go.)

Remove from oven, add pepper mixture to half of tortilla, top with chopped tomatoes and fold over. Serve warm.


Here once again…it uses up a lot and takes very little time. A staple on a busy night/weekend.¬

Savory Scramble

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 sweet pepper, diced (paprika peppers work nicely)
1 squash/zucchini, sliced or diced
1 tomato, diced
1-2 other vegetables as you please (kale, broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, green bean, mushrooms etc. Add to sauté early if a dense vegetable.
1 # extra-firm tofu, crumbled (just squish it in your fists; cooking is fun!)
1/2 cup soymilk, unflavored
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 Tbsp fresh or dried parsley, chopped
1-2 sprigs fresh oregano, minced (or 1 tsp dried)
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped from stem (or ½ tsp dried)
2 cloves garlic, pressed/minced

Start the sauté with olive oil and onions on medium heat, then add peppers, then squash, then tomato, then other veggies, then tofu.

Meanwhile, mix the soy milk and herbs/spices in a small bowl.

Once the veggies are cooked to your liking, add the seasoning liquid the pan and stir well to coat. Allow to heat thru for 3-4 minutes on medium.

Serve warm with toast and maybe a patty or two of GimmeLean sausage.


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

For Your Reading Pleasure

Grass, Soil, Hope – A Journey Through Carbon County by Courtney White

“Grass, Soil, Hope tackles an increasingly crucial question: What can we do about the seemingly intractable global challenges of climate change, hunger, water scarcity, environmental stress, and economic instability?

The answer involves carbon. It’s the soil beneath our feet, the plants that grow, the wildlife we watch, the livestock we raise, the food we eat, the energy we use, and the air we breathe.
Scientists maintain that a mere 2 percent increase in the carbon content of the planet’s soils could offset a large percentage of greenhouse-gas emissions going into the atmosphere. Is it even possible? It is not only possible, it is essential.

Land-based, low-tech carbon sequestration efforts already in use by farmers, ranchers, and gardeners around the world help to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. These include composting, no-till farming, climate-friendly livestock practices, conserving natural habitat, restoring degraded watersheds and rangelands, and producing local food.

In Grass, Soil, Hope, White shows how these efforts can be bundled together into an economic and ecological whole as a way to reduce atmospheric CO2 while producing substantial co-benefits for all living things."

Grass, Soil, Hope— Purchase thru MOSES (Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service)

Farm News

Frost is on the horizon…hmmm, there goes a lot of stuff. Just when the hot peppers are coming on line…what will we do for sriracha? Ok, everyone collectively say “Frost, frost, stay away…come again sometime in the distant future.” (A poet I am not!)

Just did a tally on our wheat harvest…drumroll please. 2700# Whew! Any interest in fresh local wheat berries or flour or wheat bran or seed for wheat grass? We will start grinding to order in a week or so.

Two more weeks…maybe three. Gorgeous!

Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the vegetables.

Roger and Lara