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…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.
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Online Market is OPEN for Business (Week 27)


They are breeding like rabbits out here!

Life on the Farm (Week 27)

Somehow these wee beasties know deep down that we are softies. But on the surface, during the growing season, we do not look on them with smiles. (The youngsters are cute tho, aren’t they?) The bean seedlings are holding their own against them, although we just weeded them so they are much easier to find. The rows of lettuce heads are holding their own too, but they have gone undercover and might cook in this hot-humid weather. The peas, well, the peas are a foregone conclusion.

Fava bean sprout…any Silence of the Lambs fans?

Fava beans are a trial this year; we’ll see what ya’ll think. Edamame will hopefully make its debut too. Both will require some extra cooking/eating time, but might just be worth it. Need to stay culinarily creative here in the Great White North if we are all going to eat local. California it ain’t!

Lettuce incognito…shhhhh.

More field flooding last night. Approx 1.7 inches in about an hour. We just happen to be on the ATV with the mutt doing a field reconnaissance, heard the thunder and promptly got drenched. HUGE raindrops. Wow! Well, no need to water this week…again!

The Market is now open for some herbs and brassicas.

Ordering will be open from Sunday morning until Monday 8pm. Get your orders in now so harvesting can begin specific to your requests.

Deliveries will be made Wednesday per usual to your chosen Dropsite Location .

Recipes for your consideration

One pan, lots of flavor, huge nutrition.

Kale, Lentil, Sausage Skillet

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 pkg Kielbasa Tofurky sausages
1 onion, thinly sliced (alternates: chives, garlic chives, leeks)
2 Tbsp chopped garlic
pinch crushed red pepper
2 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup red wine
1 1/2 cup lentils, preferably French green
8-12 cup kale, chopped
1-2 tsp sage, fresh, chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt
ground black pepper, to taste

Add oil and onion to large skillet pan and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add water and wine, increase heat to high and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add lentils, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook, partially covered, for 40 minutes.

Add kale, sage, sausage and salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and kale are tender, about 10 minutes more. Add black pepper to taste.
_ Adapted from EatingWell Magazine_


Light and flavorful, packed with good stuff. Kids might find the creative noodle type either fascinating and fun or ew! and gross!

Asian noodles with Napa cabbage

Asian noodles with Napa cabbage

4 oz thin rice noodles or bean-thread/cellophane noodles
3 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, divided
1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced (alternate: chives, garlic chives)
2 cloves garlic, crushed/minced
4 heaping cups napa cabbage, thinly sliced/shredded
1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts (alternate: broccoli)
8 oz spinach leaves (alternate: kale)
12-16 oz firm tofu, diced (Wildwood brand is best!)
3 Tbsp season rice vinegar
1/8 cup tamari/soy sauce
large handful fresh herbs (basil, mint, parsley, or cilantro) coarsely chopped
1 small hot pepper, deseeded and finely chopped (or 1 Tbsp sriracha)
1/4-1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Prepare noodles according to package directions (they aren’t cooked like regular pasta noodles, beware.) Set aside.

Fry tofu in 2 Tbsp sesame oil until just turning brown; use spatula to turn frequently.

Add onion and stir-fry until translucent; add cabbage and stir-fry until cabbage is tender-crisp and lightly browned.

Add sprouts and peppers; continue stir-fry until sprouts are tender-crisp.

Add spinach and herbs and cook until just wilts.

Whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sesame oil and pour over vegetables; heating thru.

Toss with noodles and chopped peanuts. Serve hot.

Adapted from: Wild About Greens by Nava Atlas


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

Baked Kohlrabi Fries

2-3 kohlrabi, stems and leaves removed
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.
_ Source: fiveandspice.com¬_

Did You Know…

Eating fruits and vegetables will allow you to live longer. Have a look at the data…

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and All-Cause, Cancer, and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality: Analysis of Heath Survey for England Data

Subscription Box Highlights

Anticipated this week for the CSA/Subscription Boxes:

Broccoli
Kale
Kohlrabi
Napa cabbage
Head lettuce
Salad turnips
Salad mix
Baby leeks
Cilantro
Sage
Garlic Chives
Maybe a handful of garlic scapes…

Start your meal planning now!

We hope to feed you soon!

Roger and Lara



**If you’d like to stop receiving emails, just jump into your account on the website (farmwlig.locallygrown.net, My Account) and scroll to bottom; check appropriate box.

CSA Produce Subscription Distribution -- Week 26


Your box for Week 26

Farm Where Life is Good

Produce Subscription (Week 26)

Rain is the topic of this week too. And heat! Just found our first damp-loving and heat-loving pests— aphids. They were finding succor on a weak little kale plant, much his neighbors’ junior. Off they all when to the compost for recycling and renewal! The lettuce is just beginning to suffer from bottom rot with all of the damp; and their tops are feeding our little herd of deer who have oddly taken up residence at Farm WLIG. A young fawn spent the night under our side steps, several yearlings daily investigate the greenhouse, adult females frequently are seen to saunter across the yard unfazed by us, the dog, and the hub-bub. Needless to say, none of us are pleased by the wee beasties; lettuce without a heart is no lettuce at all!

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).

Green is the color of life in your boxes this week!

Broccoli No huge heads (need to work on our nitrogen) but plenty of florets for easier preparation and less dense stem to throw away. (How’s that for glass half full?)
Mesclun More quick salads this week.

Lettuce Another mix of types and colors. The iceberg and butterhead types are not taking the heat well, so harvested before they left us…hard to grow but wonderful to eat! The baby romaines are heartier and will give you the crunch.

Kale (White Russian) A new variety to the farm; highly recommended. See what you think.

Cabbage (Caraflex) How about a fresh spring coleslaw? Is it still spring? Was it ever?

Cabbage (Napa) These beauties are leafy and crispy and delicate and perfect for the Bangkok Curry recipe below. Thanks, MP.

Potatoes, Purple majesty or All Blue Purple Mag is the deepest color; All Blues have a white “line” just under the skin when sliced. Both are similar in their “handling” when cooked. Good for salads, boiling, fries.

Garlic chives I think I like these little fellas better than regular chives. Now I am craving some Chedda-n-chive biscuits!

Dill Well, dill. I have missed you. Anyone else? Mince with a nice olive oil and sea salt over some boiled blue potatoes. Mmmmm, a meal in itself.

Thyme Try making some of your own homemade mustard. This Beer-Thyme Mustard Recipe
is awesome and simple.

Recipes for your consideration

Mind you, this is a concoction, but straight from the field, to the stove, to the table, to our bellies on this harvest day. Quick and satisfying.¬

Braised brassicas with tofu and ginger

1 tub tofu, extra-firm (Wildwood brand is my favorite)
1 bunch garlic chives
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup tamari/soy sauce
1-2 Tbsp sriracha (homemade from last year! Yum.)
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 inch ginger root, zested
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp garlic powder (dried from last season) or 2 cloves fresh, minced
1-2 cup broccoli, rough chopped
1 bunch kale

Drain tofu and cut into bite-sized cubes. Chop garlic chives. Heat sesame oil in wok or large fry-pan to medium-high. Add tofu and chives and braise for 5-10 minutes, until moisture from tofu is evaporated and tofu is just beginning to brown.

Meanwhile, mix tamari/soy sauce, sriracha, maple syrup, ginger, sesame seeds, garlic powder. When tofu is done, add to bowl of sauce and set aside.

Strip kale from heavy stems and rough chop. In same wok/pan, maintain med-high heat and add kale and broccoli (and any green brassicas will do— mustard greens, boc choi, turnip greens, etc.) Toss every 30 seconds or so to thoroughly wilt/braise the greens. Cook to your preference but try to maintain a bright green color for optimal nutritional content.

Add marinated tofu back to wok/pan while still heating. Toss to coat greens and mix. Serve over rice, rice noodles, quinoa, etc.


This is a nice “make ahead” and pop in your lunch box option. High protein, low carb, great flavors.¬

Tofu Quinoa Burgers

½ cup quinoa
1 tsp olive oil
¼ cup minced scallion/onion/chives
¼ cup chopped parsley
10oz tofu, mashed
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp soy sauce
½ tsp sea salt
4 Tbsp garbanzo flour
2 Tbsp almond butter or tahini

In saucepan, boil ¾ cup water and add quinoa. Return to boil, reduce heat and cover. Cook approx 14min or until all water absorbed. Transfer to bowl to cool. (Or cook according to package directions.)

Preheat oven 400F and lightly oil sheet pan.

In sauté pan, sauté scallion/onion/chives in oil, approx 3-4min until soft. Stir in parsley and cook until wilted. Transfer to quinoa bowl.

Drain (press if you’d like) and crumble tofu into quinoa bowl. Add herbs/spices, soy sauce, salt, garbanzo flour and almond butter/tahini; knead and mix with hands. Make ¼ cup patties approx. 1/2 in thick and place on baking sheet.

Bake 20min, until tops are browned and crust has formed.


Anyone been to Noodles &Co.? We find it a nice stop for a quick dinner on the road; my favorite is the Bangkok Curry with Tofu. MP loves it too and wrangled this recipe from somewhere on the web; yahoo!¬

Bangkok Curry

1 lb rice noodles, thin/flat type
1 cup (or more!) broccoli florets
1 cup carrots, julienne cut
1/2 cup scallions (cut on bias) or red onion, half-moon sliced
1/2 cup sweet red pepper, julienne cut
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp ginger root, zested
1 Tbsp Thai curry paste (red or green)
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 can coconut milk, lite
1 Tbsp tamari/soy sauce
1/2 cup sweet chile sauce
1 cup napa cabbage, finely sliced (per person)
1 tsp black sesame seeds
4 oz tofu, extra-firm (per person), bite-sized cubes

Soak noodles in lukewarm water for 30 minutes. Drain and cool in ice water. Drain, let rest & toss with oil.

Blanch broccoli & carrots in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain, cool down in ice water, drain and set aside.

Place large sauté pan over high heat. Add canola oil and sauté mushrooms and cubed tofu until lightly golden.

Add coconut milk and Thai curry paste.

Add carrots, broccoli, peppers, scallions, ginger, sweet chile sauce, sweet soy, and noodles to pan in that order. Toss once or twice to coat all ingredients well with sauce.

Make a bed of napa cabbage on plate, add noodles/sauce/veggies atop. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds.

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

For Your Reading & Viewing Pleasure

I stumbled upon several interesting sites recently and saved them for the newsletter. This first one regarding Keeping Vegetables Fresh is a quick read. Good recommendations.

And this five minute video about Grilling Your Vegetables Properly will get you all prepped for some wonderful summer grill-fests with FarmWLIG fare.

When I was trialing some burgers for the recipe section, I came across this site that itemizes 10 Vegetables for Making Burgers and many associated recipes. Great resource for some creative patties!

And finally, I’m always on the lookout for ways to encourage/brainwash/entice/bribe/fool/coerce kids into eating whole, fresh, colorful food. As a kid, I ate my green beans by cuttting them into small pieces and swallowing them whole, just so I could leave the dinner table. Quite the transition to today! This colorful USDA fruits and veggies poster is printable as a PDF and might be educational for any of ya’ll working or living with kids.

Farm News

The high tunnel is shaping up nicely. After weathering the scourge of the cutworms, we still have a goodly number of healthy tomato plants. Some of the creative cherry types we are trying this year may be few and far between, but ce la vie.

Trellising the cucumbers in the hightunnel. Cucs in a couple weeks!

Three beds of hightunnel peppers are putting down their roots. Hoping soon to start seeing the flowers that signal the arrival of sweet peppers again. Here’s hoping for another good Year of the Pepper.

Peppers…TMTC! The sweet color from last season.
(Here’s to hoping.)

Please bring your boxes back this week. Reduce – Reuse – Recycle (thanks!)

Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the vegetables.

Roger and Lara


FarmWLIG Online Market Closed Wk 26



Melons all lined up, for now. Just wait a month for the twisty-macrame-hodgepodge.

Farm Where Life is Good

No Online Market this week, but regular Produce Subscription/CSA delivery is planned

We are very sorry for our inability to service the Online Market this week. We hope to open again next week!

All of the teenaged melon transplants are firmly seated in their new field homes. Several of the annual herbs are spreading their transplanted roots as well this weekend (with at least one day of dryness!) Beans are poking about 4" above the soil (new one this year— Fava Beans…any Hannibal fans?) Peas have been eaten down to within 1" of the soil by troublesome deer. Cucumbers and squash are getting painted white tomorrow with kaolin clay against the pesky beetles. Specialty and pickling field cucumbers are also getting their trellises installed to start their climbing lives.

Sounds like a lot of activity to not be able to open the market. Sad but true. This weird spring (and Rog’s weird belly) have things all turned around. But starting to straighten out.

Produce Subscription/CSA boxes look like:
Napa/Chinese cabbage
Spring cabbage
Broccolini
Lettuce
Potatoes
Kale
Salad mix
Herb bundle

Have a happy week.

We hope to feed you soon!

Roger and Lara


CSA Produce Subscription Distribution -- Week 25


Your box for Week 25

Farm Where Life is Good

Produce Subscription (Week 25)

Rain is the topic of the week. Two inches here, two inches there, a wee bit of wind to wash it all down!

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).

Salads are on the menu in your boxes this week!

Leeks It’s so hot, how about leeks on the grill— low heat and slow cooked to caramelize and sweeten.

Broccoli Pair this with your leeks on the grill. Amazing!

Mesclun Quite a pile, but the heat will take it if we don’t. Pop a handful in a Tupperware w/ some chopped radish/turnips for a satisfying lunch.

Lettuce A triple bunch of different baby romaines— see which one you like best.

Boc choi, baby Well, actually probably could consider these teenagers, but still that lovely mild mustard flavor and crisp crunch.

Kale (Red Russian) Another teenager, but heartier for a nice lentil and kale stew or kale w/ sesame, ginger and garlic braising. Oooo, I am hungry again!

Potatoes, Purple majesty That’s it for the storage potatoes; “new” potatoes coming soon. Mmmmm, can’t wait.

Radish, red salad and Turnip, white salad Add the crunch to your salads and the greens to your smoothies or soups.

Chives A different, smaller variety with a more subtle flavor— a nice addition to a savory salad dressing.

(One of these days I will get these photos all the correct size!!! Webmaster I am NOT.)

Recipes for your consideration

Here’s a quick link to a food blog and some quick tips on making sandwich wraps. (A good general recipe blog too.)


A quick and satisfying presentation with tofu (gasp!).¬

Herb-crusted Tofu

1 (8 ounce) package extra firm tofu (Wildwood really is the best!)
2 tablespoons Spike brand herb seasoning mix (it’s a good one to have around)
1 (16 ounce) package Japanese panko breadcrumbs

Drain tofu well (if using a softer tofu, wrap in towel/papertowels and “press” with a heavy plate/cutting board/etc. to extract some liquid and firm up). Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut tofu into 1/4 inch slices/slabs/triangles.

In mixing bowl, combine Spike seasoning with Panko crumbs.

Dredge each slice of tofu into Panko mixture , coating both sides.

Place tofu onto lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Flipping over after cooking for 15 minute. (Alternatively, lightly oil pan with olive oil, heat to medium-high and pan-fry tofu slabs to golden brown and crispy.)

From: Food.com


Herb-crusted tofu with crispy baked leeks alongside mashed potatoes and kale sautéed with garlic. What a pairing!¬

Crispy Leeks

3-4 small leeks, white and light green parts only
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut leek in half lengthwise, then cut each piece in half crosswise. Cut each quarter into long, thin strips. Rinse the strips in hot water and pat dry.

Toss in a medium bowl with 2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle flour, paprika, garlic powder and salt over the leeks; toss well to combine. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet.

Bake, stirring once or twice, until the leeks are crispy and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand on the baking sheet until serving.

Adapted from: EatingWell Magazine

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

For Your Reading Pleasure

From back cover: “Author Barbara Kingsolver and her family abandoned the industrial-food pipeline to live a rural life—vowing that, for one year, they’d only buy food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it. Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is an enthralling narrative that will open your eyes in a hundred new ways to an old truth: You are what you eat.”

I have mentioned this book before, each season, but must plug it once again. Ms. Kingsolver writes so very well, the topic is well viewed from many angles thru her prose (and that of her husband and daughter) and the issues are eye-opening for all. It changed how I view and approach my interaction with the land and my food— it helped shape my goals in this arena. Someday…

Farm News

Rog is back in slow-motion action. If you see him lift a box this week during delivery, give him a swift rap on the knuckles and tell him to put it down! No lifting for 6wks. But lift a hand in greeting to John Mayaya who is helping out on the farm this season and with deliveries these next few weeks.

My dad is visiting this week from sunny California (notice he chooses sunny summer Wisconsin to visit! He’s no dummy.) He received the royal farm tour, pictured here being wowed by the greenhouse melon transplants! (That’s a Norwegian “wow!” look.)

The beans are poking up thru the warm soil. The peas are officially all eaten by the deer. The spring greens have now all bolted or been harvested. And the melons are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for the soil to dry out enough to get transplanted! More lettuce and broccoli are in the pipeline. Pumpkins and winter squash are starting out their lives in the basement. Little baby fennel root just poked its green fronds up out of the soil. The perpetual spring/summer/fall cycle is unfolding here at Farm Where Life is Good.

Please bring your boxes back this week. Reduce – Reuse – Recycle (thanks!)

Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the vegetables.

Roger and Lara


Online Market is OPEN for Business (Week 25)


9 hours of flail-mowing…whew and ouch!

Life on the Farm (Week 25)

Things are slowly getting back to quasi-normal this week. With the sunny, warm weather, we were able to get a lot of the seeds and transplants in that were waiting out the wet soil. 1500 row-ft of carrots…translate that to 1500 row-ft of challenging weeding! If the weather cooperates, we are going to try some flame-weeding on the carrot beds this year. It’s tricky— weed 1-2 days before the carrots emerge and get the pesky weeds. Too soon and the weeds are still hiding. Too late and the carrots go up in flames too! Oy vey! But, we’ll give it the ole’ college try.

(Just had a flame-out of our power momentarily as I type, so maybe this newsletter and market opener will be delayed!)

Rog is back to being vertical again. Whew! But can’t lift, pull or push more than 10# for 6wks. Now you tell me, how do I enforce that? You’ll be seeing a new face on delivery days. A childhood friend of Roger’s, John Myaya, has been helping out on the farm. He’s a great help and will share the heavy lifting for the next few weeks.

Taking back the field from weeds— occultation!

The cool weather, spring produce has already bolted (i.e. gone to flower) given the unusually warm spring we have had thus far (and losing a week of harvest last week), so we’re experiencing a dearth of items this week and probably next. Eat your salads and enjoy them!

Broccoli coming along; napa cabbage next door under cover.

The Market is now open for some leafy spring greens.

Ordering will be open from Sunday morning until Monday 8pm. Get your orders in now so harvesting can begin specific to your requests.

Deliveries will be made Wednesday per usual to your chosen Dropsite Location .

Recipes for your consideration

If you’ve never tried grilling your salad, you certainly should! A little olive oil, a little salt, and a minute on the grill and you’ll have crisp greens with crunchy grilled flavor. You will be amazed how much romaine one person can eat when it’s prepared this way! Different and fun!

Grilled Romaine

romaine lettuce
olive oil
sea salt
pepper
crushed croutons

Cut each head in half the long way.

Brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt & pepper (Tip: Brush the concave sides first – if you do the flat side first, all the salt falls off when you turn the head over to brush the back)

Grill 1-2 minutes per side. It works well to grill these on 3 sides – concave side down, leaning to the left, then concave side down, leaning to the right, then flat side. They don’t take long, just a couple of minutes total!

You can sprinkle them with crushed croutons and Parmesan cheese once off the grill – and eat them by picking them up by the base and biting pieces off – like a big green grilled carrot. Delicious!

From: Kathy & Beth


A little time consuming to make, but well worth the effort. If you’d like to use as a main course, consider increasing the recipe and adding a protein (the Italian or kielbasa Tofurky-brand sausage, diced; nice!)

Greens Risotto

1 tsp sea salt
1 cup cooked greens (boc choi, mustard, spinach, kale, chard, wild greens)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, minced (alternate: chives, green onion, onion)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Arborio/risotto rice
2-3 cup vegetable broth, divided
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp margarine (Earth Balance brand is nice)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a spoonful of salt.

Put the greens into the boiling water. Stir the greens and let boil for about 3-5 min. Remove the greens with a skimmer or tongs and immediately dump them into a big bowl of ice water. Once the greens are cool, drain them in a colander.

Roll up the greens in a cloth or tea towel. Twist one end of the cloth one way, then the other end of the cloth the other (like a candy wrapper) and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.

Chop the greens finely (don’t use a food processor, or you will get mush). The finer you chop, the smoother your risotto will be. Remove any stray stems.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucier or heavy pot over medium-high heat; add the shallot. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often.

Add the garlic and the rice and stir to combine. Stirring constantly, cook everything for a minute or so or until all the rice is well coated with margarine.

Stir 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of the vegetable stock into the rice and increase heat to high. When the rice starts boiling strongly, turn down the heat to medium and stir often, at least every minute or so, until the rice absorbs the stock. Repeat with a second cup of stock.

When the second cup is absorbed, add the greens and the third cup of stock. If using store-bought broth, switch to water for this third cup—otherwise your risotto could become too salty. Stir well to combine. Keep stirring constantly to develop the creaminess in the risotto and to distribute the greens evenly. Let the stock absorb well. Add white wine and allow to absorb, stir well.

Add additional salt, if desired. The risotto may need another full cup of stock or water, as you want the dish to be loose, not firm (and you will need at least a little more stock to loosen the risotto for the nutritional yeast).

Add tablespoon of margarine as well as the nutritional yeast. Stir everything well and let the margarine and nutritional yeast melt in the risotto for about 2 or 3 minutes, stirring often. Serve immediately.

Adapted from: Organic Gardening website

Did You Know…

The Predisposition Theory, proposed during the 19th century, suggested that host plant must first be negatively predisposed by unfavorable conditions before the pest can prevail. This theory brings into practice the concept of plant-positive (vs. pest-negative) means of managing plant-pest interactions. (“Plant-pest interactions” Ha! Mind you, I type that phrase calmly when I am NOT sitting amoungst my flea-beetle ravaged spring greens.)

“Let a man profess to have discovered some new Patent Powder Pimperlimplimp, a single pinch of which being thrown into each corner of the field will kill every bug throughout its whole extent, and people will listen to him with attention and respect. But tell them of any single common-sense plan, based upon correct scientific principles, to check and keep within reasonable bounds the insect foes of the farmer, and they will laugh you to scorn. — Benjamin Walsh, The Practical Entomologist (1866)

Thomas Jefferson (in a letter to his daughter in 1793) wrote: “When earth is rich it bids defiance to droughts, yields in abundance and of the best quality. I suspect that the insects which have harassed you have been encouraged by the feebleness of your plants and that has been produced by the lean state of the soil.”

So the trick to “true” organic growing is: Healthy plants are not bothered by pests. Some trick, huh? And the trick to THAT trick is…. Well, it’s what we are striving toward here at FarmWLIG. Stay tuned!

Subscription Box Highlights

Anticipated this week for the CSA/Subscription Boxes:

Broccoli
Boc choi
Kale
Head lettuce
Radish or salad turnips
Potatoes
Salad mix
Chives
And maybe some kohlrabi and/or spring cabbage if they size up after this rain!

Start your meal planning now!

We hope to feed you soon!

Roger and Lara



**If you’d like to stop receiving emails, just jump into your account on the website (farmwlig.locallygrown.net, My Account) and scroll to bottom; check appropriate box.

Update/Alert…No FarmWLIG Delivery Wk 24





Beauty at home.

Farm Where Life is Good

No Online Market or Produce Subscription/CSA Delivery this week

We are still down at Mayo this beautiful sunny day and will not be able to process orders, harvest or deliver produce this week. We apologize for the interrupted availability and promise to work hard to extend the season on the other end.

The promise of a bountiful summer of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, broccoli, lettuce and more remains!

Have a happy week.

We hope to feed you soon!

Roger and Lara


CSA Produce Subscription Distribution -- Week 23


Your box for Week 23!

Farm Where Life is Good

Produce Subscription (Week 23)

Hey, who brought summer to the Midwest so EARLY! More greens, lettuce and now some broccoil this week. Everything is bolting (going to flower) extra early and thus throwing our best laid plans all a kimbo.

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).

More greens and roots and the beginning of baby broccoli season in your boxes this week!

Broccoli These early sprouts take top billing. The heat brought them on quickly…too quickly! Almost missed them. Hopefully more to come.

Mesclun This salad mix might be a bit zingy; this heat! (I know, how can I belly-ache about “hot” after that winter!)

Braising greens, variety The heat has brought this harvest to a close pretty darn quick (quiet, ya’ll, their good for you!) We just enjoyed Cheezy Mac and Greens; give it a try!

Lettuce A pint-sized romaine and a big fluffy leaf-lettuce!

Parsnips Try them made simply; slice, place in pan with ½ of water and dollop of olive oil and tsp or so of dried dill weed. Simmer away until water is all steamed off. Mmmmm.

Potatoes, Purple majesty More of the queenly treats.

Boc choi, red These fellas are showing their dislike of the heat and the pesky flea beetles. Taste is still my favorite. Next year a different variety! (I’ll save these for the fall when they are beautiful.)

Radish, red rover I just love the color and the crunch…then the mouth zing gets me several minutes later.

Turnips, salad The pop of the red radish and the clean look of the crystal white turnips will jazz up your salads or dippin’ platter this weekend.

Chives Couldn’t pass up the floral bouquet; use them in a centerpiece!

Garlic Chives These little fellas are great; check out the recipe for Asian Chive Pancakes. Fab!

Rhubarb Just like my grandmother used to grow…literally! I give thanks to her for some wonderful heirloom rhubarb.

Recipes for your consideration

I just love biscuits. These are great as a side to a soup or even accompanying a savory breakfast (with a Gimme Lean Veggie Sausage patty sandwiched in between.
Chedda n Chive Biscuits

1 cup soymilk
1/2 cup green olives w/ pimentos
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp onion granules
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp garlic granules

1 1/2 cup unbleached AP flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all AP is ok)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup minced chives
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven 400F

Place first 7 ingredients in blender and whiz until smooth.
In a large bowl, stir together remaining dry ingredients + chives. Make a well in the center and pour in the blended mixture. Stir until well moistened, but don’t over mix. It will be sticky.

Drop by spoonful onto parchment papered, oiled or non-stick baking sheet. Bake 15-20min or until just starting to brown. Cool on wire racks. Serve warm or room temp.

Adapted from: The Uncheese Cookbook by Joanne Stepaniak


I was reading this great farm book and out of the blue they stuck a sidebar in with a recipe of my favorite thing…sorta (check out The Tea House in St Paul for Scallion Pancakes; close second.) These puppies are fab!!!¬

Asian Chive Pancakes

1 cup AP flour
1/4 cup rice flour
3/4 cup cold water
1 Tbsp canola oil, plus extra for pan
1 cup garlic chives, chopped into 1" lengths

1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Optional: sugar, hot pepper flakes, minced garlic, minced ginger root, toasted sesame seeds to taste

In large bowl, mix the flours together. Add water, a little at a time, until you reach the consistency of thin pancake batter. Add the 1 Tbsp canola oil and stir until smooth. Stir chopped chives into batter, tossing to coat.

Heat large frying pan over medium heat and coat with oil. Add batter to hot pan to make 1/4" pancakes. Cook over medium heat approx 4min; flip and repeat on that side. Serve hot with dipping sauce.

Dipping sauce: Whisk together all ingredients; add extras as you prefer.

From: The Season’s on Henry’s Farm by Terra Brockman


This is quite incredible! I was introduced to it with asparagus spears, then adapted it to lightly braised/steamed boc choi. Mmmmm good.¬

Toasted Sesame Aioli

1/4 cup Veganaise or Nayonaise
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 tsp ginger root, zested/grated
1 clove garlic, minced

Whisk all ingredients together; served chilled with steamed vegetable of your choice. Asparagus and boc choi both work great!

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

For Your Reading Pleasure

The Season’s on Henry’s Farm by Terra Brockman.

This is a great read that puts you into the flow of a working vegetable farm thru all seasons. Recipes accompany the changes in seasons after reading about the harvests. Well done and good insight into where our produce comes from…or “should” come from. (just a little soapbox ? )

Farm News

Working on empty tonight, so not wit and wisdom from this end right now. We may need to make some delivery adjustments next week for CSA/subscription members and the Online Market may NOT open this weekend. Rog is going in for some quasi-elective/not-so-elective surgery on Friday and will be in the hospital at least thru Monday if all goes well. His little wifey-poo will be there making the doctors and nurses toe the line.

So this puts a bit of a crimp in the flow of things. There may be an abbreviated box or none at all next week, so be advised. I’ll keep ya’ll posted, as I sit and pull my hair out down at Mayo this weekend! (More than you wanted to know, I know!)

He’s gonna throttle me when he sees this!
Ok, a little bit of wit. :)

Please bring your boxes back this week. Reduce – Reuse – Recycle (thanks!)

Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the vegetables.

Roger and Lara


Last minute tomato plants, anyone?



273 tomato plants later…

Farm Where Life is Good

The leftover cherries need a good home.

We have a handful of cherry tomato seedlings remaining after filling up the high tunnel. They are not your “Gerten” varieties nor the “Gertens” sizes, but they will grow well if treated kindly. All are indeterminate, meaning they grow until frost. It also means they do best when pruned frequently and grown in a vertical manner. They don’t have to go that way, but they can get unruly otherwise! (I am happy to train anyone who wants to learn tomato pruning. Piece of cake!)

They will come as 2 inch, naked root balls and will need to be transplanted immediately/same day as delivery. (Trim all leaves up to top cluster, plant in 6-8 inch trench, on its side with top leaf cluster just above the soil surface.)

Purple Bumblebee
Blush
Beam’s Yellow Pear

The Market has them listed under “live plants”.

Ordering will be open from Sunday morning until Monday 8pm. Get your orders in now so harvesting can begin specific to your requests.

Deliveries will be made Wednesday per usual to your chosen Dropsite Location .

Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the anticipation of homegrown tomatoes.

We hope to feed you soon!

Roger and Lara


Online Market is OPEN for Business (Week 23)


Meet Flail, our new mower for mulch/green manure management.
(Seen here prepping the oats-n-pea “manure” for the tomato/pepper/cucumber beds.)

Life on the Farm (Week 23)

Planting continues in earnest at Farm WLIG. Direct seeding has been a challenge with the major downpours and flooding, but the transplants are getting settled nicely. We were just out putting in more green onions and the shallots and bulb onions planted a few weeks back look fabulous!

More lettuce and broccoli and kale made their debut today too. (While I sunburned the back of my calves wearing the first shorts of the season over fish-white-winter legs!) If we are lucky, the first round of summer squash will hit the dirt tomorrow.

The Transplant Wagon: Tiny transplants headed out to the big wide world!

The Market is now open for some leafy spring greens and wonderful potatoes.

Ordering will be open from Sunday morning until Monday 8pm. Get your orders in now so harvesting can begin specific to your requests.

Deliveries will be made Wednesday per usual to your chosen Dropsite Location .

Recipes for your consideration

Beautiful eating by BR and Co.

Mashed blues and snips

Potatoes, blue
Potatoes, blue
Parsnips, peeled
Sea salt
Margarine
Soymilk
Chives, fresh
1. Choose your volume of ingredients based on the volume of eaters. Wash, peel and rough dice potatoes and parsnips. Bring pot of water to boil, with sufficient water to cover your volume of spuds and snips. Add potatoes and parsnips to boiling water and simmer for 10min or so until both are soft when poked with a fork.
2. Drain potatoes and parsnips and return to pot. Add Tbsp of margarine (or more as needed), a pinch or two of sea salt, a splash of soymilk and mash with potato masher to the consistency you prefer (mashed vs. just smashed).
3. Dice the chives, reserve small amount for garnish, and stir in the remainder to mashed spuds and snips. Reserve any chive flowers for garnish or break up the buds and incorporate into the mash with chive greens.
4. Serve warm. Salt and pepper to taste.


Minorly complex recipe with great variety of flavor mixes.

Spicy Grits and Greens
1 Tbsp olive oil
7 oz Gimme Lean vegetarian sausage (1/2 tube) (optional)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 c water
1 tsp chipotle chile peppers in Adobe sauce, finely chopped (optional, hot!)
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 c grits (otherwise known as polenta)
1 c greens, rough chop (kale, chard, mustard, boc choi, spinach) 1/3 c Sour Supreme/“Better than Sour Cream” Tofutti brand
1/2 red peppers, roasted, julienne cut
3/4 c Daiya veggie cheese, mozzarella-style, shredded
1. In a large skillet, sauté onion in olive oil on low-medium until translucent. Add veggie sausage if you like, and stir/chop it around until cooked and in small pieces. Remove to small bowl and set aside.
2. To the same pan, add water, chile peppers, salt and pepper; bring to boil, then reduce to low simmer. Add grits gradually while stirring; keep stirring on low heat for 5 minutes. Add greens and stir to incorporate.
3. Remove from heat and stir in Sour Supreme. Transfer to greased 9×9 pan or individual ramekins. Spoon veggie sausage/onion mix on top, add few strips of peppers and sprinkle with Daiya veggie cheese. Bake 20 minutes at 350F. Let stand 5-10min prior to serving.
Adapted from: Eat Well, Lose Weight


A staple around the farm. The sauce is actually quite quick to make, and easily adaptable to whatever flavor you have a hankering for. And it hides huge quantities of greens in plain sight.

Green Cheezy Mac

10 oz noodles (elbow mac, fusilli, small shells, other small noodle)
4 cup greens, rough chopped (spinach, mustard, arugula, dandelion, etc
3/4 cup raw cashews (find in the “bulk” section of coop-type stores; keep in the freezer for quick creamy recipes)
2 1/2 cup water
5 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (again, find in bulk section)
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp garlic granules/powder (make it yourself in the Fall)
1 1/2 tsp onion granules/powder (another make-it-yourself in the Fall)
1 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (if you don’t like the smoky taste, use all sweet/regular paprika) 1 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp sweet paprika (another make-it-yourself, in the Summer; THE best, seriously!)
1 Tbsp margarine (Earth Balance is best)
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. While that is starting, rough chop your greens; rinse and spin in a salad spinner. Add pasta to boiling water and set timer for time according to directions minus 1 minute. Add greens for that last minute of cook-time.
2. When time’s up, drain well and return to large pot; cover to keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, put cashews and water in blender. Start slow and wean up to high speed. Blend until it is pure cream, no pieces of nut. (Time depends on blender power.)
4. While that is blending, measure out remaining dry ingredients (5 Tbsp nutritional yeast, cornstarch, flour, garlic, onion, salt, paprika x2). Once cashew cream is well on its way, add to blender and mix well.
5. Transfer to sauce pan and heat over medium heat, whisking continuously. Once simmering, reduce to low heat and whisk 3-5min until thickened.
6. Pour over greens and pasta and fold in to cover/distribute well. Add margarine and last Tbsp nutritional yeast and stir well. Salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot/immediately.

Did You Know…

Food shelves/pantries have a tough time rounding up fresh produce…especially up here in the great white north. Check out this entrepreneurial venture looking to solve this food gap. Consider planting an extra row or bush if you have the room in your garden plot.

Ample Harvest

Subscription Box Highlights

Anticipated this week for the CSA/Subscription Boxes:

Garlic chives
Boc choi
Braising greens
Lettuce
Radish or salad turnips
Potatoes
Parsnips
Rhubarb
Scorzonera (maybe…still haven’t quite figured this root vegetable out!)

Start your meal planning now!

We hope to feed you soon!

Roger and Lara



**If you’d like to stop receiving emails, just jump into your account on the website (farmwlig.locallygrown.net, My Account) and scroll to bottom; check appropriate box.

CSA Produce Subscription Distribution -- Week 22


Your inaugural box for Week 22!

Farm Where Life is Good

Produce Subscription (Week 22)

Welcome to the first week of the 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).

Greens and storage roots in your boxes this week; winter-spring combo!

Pea shoots A quick hit of a green springtime seedling! They come but once a year. Green smoothie, quick flash braise, salad, sandwich topping…versatile and unique.

Braising greens, triple bunch A variety of flavors; pair them with a tangy barbeque sauce + protein of your choice. (Sorry, I forgot to photo these fellas. You’ll recognize them!)

Lettuce A pint-sized romaine and a big fluffy leaf-lettuce!

Spinach, Red Kitten A little different look to this variety with its red veins. But same old spinach and its plethora of nutritional bennies! Spinach

Parsnips These are perfect for some freezer pot-pies. Dice with other roots, make up a simple roux for a mellow gravy and fold it all in a nice crust. Bake and freeze. Or freeze and bake.

Potatoes, Purple majesty What a name for a potato, huh?!

Boc choi, red and green Flash braise in a pan with a little sesame oil, cover and steam. Serve under Honey Sesame Wheatmeat

Radish, red rover Spring crunch and a little sweet bite!
Chives Keep it simple with potatoes and chives.

Recipes for your consideration

A little time consuming to make, but well worth the effort. If you’d like to use as a main course, consider increasing the recipe and adding a protein (the Kielbasa Tofurky-brand sausage, diced, nice)

Greens Risotto

1 tsp sea salt
1 cup cooked greens (mustard, spinach, kale, chard, wild greens, pea shoots)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, minced (alternate: chives, green onion, onion)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Arborio/risotto rice
2-3 cup vegetable broth, divided
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp margarine (Earth Balance brand is nice)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a spoonful of salt.
Put the greens into the boiling water. Stir the greens and let boil for about 3-5 min. Remove the greens with a skimmer or tongs and immediately dump them into a big bowl of ice water. Once the greens are cool, drain them in a colander.
Roll up the greens in a cloth or tea towel. Twist one end of the cloth one way, then the other end of the cloth the other (like a candy wrapper) and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.
Chop the greens finely (don’t use a food processor, or you will get mush). The finer you chop, the smoother your risotto will be. Remove any stray stems.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucier or heavy pot over medium-high heat; add the shallot. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often.
Add the garlic and the rice and stir to combine. Stirring constantly, cook everything for a minute or so or until all the rice is well coated with margarine.
Stir 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of the vegetable stock into the rice and increase heat to high. When the rice starts boiling strongly, turn down the heat to medium and stir often, at least every minute or so, until the rice absorbs the stock. Repeat with a second cup of stock.
When the second cup is absorbed, add the greens and the third cup of stock. If using store-bought broth, switch to water for this third cup—otherwise your risotto could become too salty. Stir well to combine. Keep stirring constantly to develop the creaminess in the risotto and to distribute the greens evenly. Let the stock absorb well. Add white wine and allow to absorb, stir well.
Add additional salt, if desired. The risotto may need another full cup of stock or water, as you want the dish to be loose, not firm (and you will need at least a little more stock to loosen the risotto for the nutritional yeast).
Add tablespoon of margarine as well as the nutritional yeast. Stir everything well and let the margarine and nutritional yeast melt in the risotto for about 2 or 3 minutes, stirring often. Serve immediately.


Pea shoots come but once a year. The Tea House in St. Paul (great restaurant, by the way) has them seasonally. They are simply done. And the taste— well it’s first the texture of greens and then pea-flavor comes thru. Very odd. Very delicious.¬

Sauteed Pea Shoots
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 lb pea shoots
1 Tbsp tamari soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed/minced

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add pea shoots, soy sauce and garlic. Cover and cook for 3-5 min, until pea shoots are well wilted but still retain a bright green color. Serve immediately.


Anything with potatoes and olives has to be good! Two of my favorite things.¬

Garlicky potatoes with greens and olives

6 medium new potatoes, scrubbed
1 bunch kale, chard, spinach or mustard greens, chopped (when chopped probably 3 big handfuls)
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1/2 cup pitted Kalmata olives, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp lemon juice (or substitute seasoned rice wine vinegar)
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Slice potatoes thickly. Boil in hot water until just tender with fork-test. (Don’t let them fall apart to mush.) Drain and set aside.
De-stem kale (if using); chop roughly. De-stem chard (if using); chop roughly and then thinly slice the stem. (If using) spinach, just chop roughly.
Heat oil in pan, sauté garlic for just 1 minute over low heat (don’t toast it!)
Add potatoes and kale or chard (if using spinach or mustard greens, wait to add for 2-3 minutes; they don’t take as long to cook). Add ¼ cup water, turn up heat to medium-high and cook 5-7min until greens are tender but bright green.
Remove from heat and stir in olives and lemon juice/rice vinegar, sprinkle with basil and salt and pepper. Serve immediately.


Simple, sweet and delicious.

Parsnips and Dill

Parsnips, peeled and sliced
Dill weed, dried
1 Tbsp olive oil
Pinch sea salt, to taste
Heat oil over medium heat in a skillet w/ a lid. Add parsnips and sauté for a few minutes.
Add enough water to pan to cover bottom 1/4 inch. Sprinkle dill weed over parsnips (as much as you like…approx 1-2 tsp). Add salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer.
Monitor every 3-4 minutes until water has boiled away. Allow the parsnips to cook just a little bit longer until lightly caramelized. Serve immediately.

h3<.

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

For Your Reading Pleasure

GOMBBS: Greens, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, Beans, and Seeds or G-BOMBS!

Click here for a brief tutorial on this list of essential foods to have in your daily diet. This spring at Farm WLIG, we are doing our part to satisfy the “G” for you. (Now you just have to eat them!)

Farm News

Well, another downpour last night. And then the mosquitoes emerged today, en mass! (So you get to hear about them for awhile.) It felt like a muggy rainforest day all during harvest. A quick trip up the hill on the ATV to scope out morel mushrooms was just what we needed to dry off from the steamy day.

Flea beetles are out in record numbers; they have foiled our fabric row covers, and we are hesitant to use chemicals (even natural ones) to knock them out. We can’t seem to figure out how to reduce their populations, and just end up feeding them our boc choi, arugula, kale, mesclun. Gets depressing after awhile. We apologize for the lacy appearance of the various greens in your boxes this week…

So as not to end on that lousy note, morel mushroom season is just about to start (we hope). If we can find enough of the wee-little wild beasties, we will offer them on the market. Stay tuned.

Please bring your boxes back next week. Reduce – Reuse – Recycle (thanks!)

Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the vegetables.

Roger and Lara