Life on the Farm (Week 41)

Well, sniff, the season is coming to a close. This will be the last Online Market for the 2014 season at Farm Where Life is Good. Stock up on wheat berries, potatoes, onions and herbs while the local stuff is here! Think “THANKSGIVING”!

We are putting all of the outdoor fields to bed. Cover crops are all in. Field debris is being hauled to the compost piles. And garlic is being planted this week. Perennial herbs are likely going to be dug, divided and moved this week too, so they can settle in for the winter in their new locations. If you want some bare-root thyme, chive, garlic chive plants, let us know.

It has been a challenging season on the growing front, but quite the pleasure on the market front. We have enjoyed your business, your feedback and your excitement over the various products coming from Farm WLIG.

Preparing for Winter and the 2015 Maple Season…with room for Fall expansion.

The Market is now open for the last week of the season.

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

Simple, quick, protein-rich, phytonutrient rich, and warm! Just what is needed on a cold, Fall evening in the Great White North.

Cabbage and White Bean Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 fresh or frozen plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 head cabbage cut into 1-inch squares (about 5 cups)
1 quart water
2 cups vegetable broth or homemade stock
1 tsp rosemary or thyme, crumbled
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 cups drained and rinsed canned or dry/soaked/cooked white beans, preferably cannellini beans
¼ cup coconut bay-con (recipe below)

In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

Add the cabbage, water, broth, rosemary/thyme, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the cabbage is tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the beans and simmer until just warmed through, about 3 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle the coconut bay-con over the top.

This is a unique con that can be undertaken by any food con-artist, even you! The coconut gives you some awesome fiber and healthful oils. The other ingredients just give you some tastebud “wows”! And with all of the potent seasoning, it will satisfy hunger pangs until the next mealtime, so snack away..

Coconut Bay-con

2 Tbsps tamari, Bragg’s aminos or soy sauce
1 Tbsp liquid smoke
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
3 1/2 cups large flaked coconut (about a 7 oz.)
mineral salt for sprinkling, optional
coconut oil, for greasing

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix the first four ingredients in a small bowl making sure to break up any clumps of paprika. In a large bowl add coconut flakes, drizzle the wet mixture over top and gently toss making sure to coat each flake well, about 45 seconds or so.

Using a slotted spoon, scoop seasoned coconut flakes and place onto a lightly greased, or parchment paper lined, cookie sheet/s. I used two sheets so they could be laid out in a single layer as much as possible but you can also use a single cookie sheet or a large 9 × 13 baking dish and have good results (the key is to stir during baking). Sprinkle coconut flakes lightly with a bit of mineral salt if desired.

Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Set the timer for intervals of 5 minutes and stir each time making sure to rearrange all pieces by bringing the center to the outside and the outside to the center for even cooking. You may even like to change the position of the sheets in the oven after the second interval, moving the top sheet to the bottom rack and vice versa. After the first 15 minutes, keep close and keep watch as the coconut bacon can burn very quickly at this point. I really babied my coconut bacon towards the end, it’ll be worth your while if you do too!

Remove when coconut has a nice browned and caramelized color. Let cool, it will get crispy as it cools.

Once completely cooled you can store leftovers in an air tight container and keep in the pantry for up to a week or two. If it softens a bit, re-crisp in the toaster oven on medium for a few minutes, or under the broiler for a few seconds, keeping an eye that it doesn’t burn.

Notes:
Use more or less maple syrup to suit your taste. I like the maple flavor and usually add a heaping Tbsp. Omit it if you don’t want any maple flavor at all.

Keep in mind there are different flavors of liquid smoke…ie, hickory, mesquite, etc., use your favorite.
For a more intense smoke flavor, add up to 1 Tbsp more of the liquid smoke of choice.

Some recipes call for an addition of 1 Tbsp water or oil in the seasoning mixture. I found that I didn’t need it and do not call for it in my recipe. Use your discretion as to whether you want/need to add this ingredient. Oil is used to help coat and bind the seasoning to the coconut flakes. Water is used to ensure there is enough liquids to coat flakes evenly.

From— http://thesimpleveganista.blogspot.com/2013/05/coconut-bacon.html

This is good. Breakfast or dinner. Good. And making a bunch of cooked/shredded potatoes, then freezing them in recipe-sized batches gets you a head-start on winter breakfast hashbrowns. Bonus!

Kale & Potato Hash

8 cups torn kale leaves
2 tablespoons horseradish
1 medium shallot, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked shredded potatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

When preparing kale, remove the tough ribs (grasp around stem lightly and strip toward tip), chop or tear the kale as directed, then wash it—allowing some water to cling to the leaves. The moisture helps steam the kale during the first stages of cooking.

Boil potatoes until they can just be pierced with a fork but are not completely tender. Let cool slightly, then shred.

Place kale in a large microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, and finely chop.

Meanwhile, mix horseradish, shallot, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Add the chopped kale and potatoes; stir to combine.

Heat oil in a large nonstick/cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the kale mixture, spread into an even layer and cook, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes and returning the mixture to an even layer, until the potatoes begin to turn golden brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes total.

From: Eating Well magazine

If anyone has some good recipes for this week’s ingredients, pop on over to the website and enter them there for everyone’s benefit!

Did You Know…

Vegetable Stock is a pre-compost treatment that will speed up your composting BUT, more importantly, will give you a load of fabulous soup stock for all your winter eats. This website description of making your own stock is about the best I have found. The slow-cooker is the best idea, because I agree, hot-hot cooking of the stock will make it bitter. Ugh. (But you can simmer on the stove too…so don’t let that dissuade you.)

And if you are averse to the thought of using “scraps” to make your stock, just start thinking of the process of saving your vegetable cuttings as advanced prep of ingredients for another recipe…not as saving scraps.

Every fall I can a ton of stock while I am making soups to can. Celery is one of the best flavorings, along with onions and garlic. Those go in just about ever soup I make for canning. So, insto-presto, I have the ingredients for a batch of stock!

And if you keep earthworms for composting, they love the advanced treatment of the veggies prior to their feeding. Just a little perk…for the red-wiggler-philes out there.

Whip up a batch or two, save it in different sizes/forms, and thoroughly enjoy it over the winter.

Subscription Box Highlights

Anticipated for the last week of 2014 CSA/Subscription Boxes:

Tomatoes
Sweet peppers
Potatoes
Winter squash
Kohlrabi
Spicy mesclun
Boc choi
Onions
Celery
Shallots
Garlic chives
Leeks
And a few bulb fennel if they are worth the picking (tiny little slow pokes!)

Start your meal planning now!

We hope to feed you soon!

Roger and Lara

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