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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.
We have it all!
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..¬
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
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!¬
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
Warm and satisfying; an alternative to rice pudding with more fiber and a heartier chew..¬
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
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
Online Market is OPEN for Business (Week 40)
Rog taking Allis to task for broken bolts on her tow bar! The seed drill needs to get to work while the sun still shines.
Life on the Farm (Week 40)
We had a little fun that got in the way of opening the market. Ugh, sorry (sheepish grin!) But, back at it.
These warm summer-(f)all days are testing our adaptability scores. We definitely know broccoli varieties chosen for cool fall weather do not like warm summer weather…and other than harvesting and putting in the cooler, we have little we can do about it! And it is quite clear that once a squash plant has experienced 29F temps, it will NOT re-emerge to enjoy 80F temps like us! Rog is also getting quite good at draining all water lines nightly (Agility for Farmers), just in case we are surprised by 60 degree temperature swings and it goes below freezing at night. But, warm sunny days demand water, water, water.
But boc choi and baby mesclun/salad mix are loving it all. So greens are baaaack. Stock up on chlorophyll before the snow flies!
Sneaking away to treat the Mutt to some water-based adventure for a few hours…shhhhh.
We are discovering thru the consumption of “farmer’s potatoes” (those cut by the potato harvester), that many of the Gold Rush baking potatoes have “hollow heart”. This is a developmental problem caused by potato stress (who know potatoes can be as stressed as humans?!) during tuber formation, and is not related to pests or disease. We are unable to screen for it, because externally, potatoes are unblemished. If you receive unacceptable potatoes, please let us know and we will replace them for you.
The Market is now open for a herbs, wheat berries, tomatoes and just a wee bit more.
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
Crunchy slaw with creamy dressing and tangy apple surprise in each bite. ’Tis the apple season.
1/3 cup Sour Supreme (Tofutti brand is best)
1/3 cup Veganaise or Nayonaise
2 TBSP white wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar or honey
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp salt
6 cup very thinly sliced bok choi (1-pound head, trimmed)
1 tart apple, julienned or shredded
1 carrot, julienned or shredded
1/2 cup slivered scallions or red onion
Whisk first 6 ingredients together.
Toss with vegetables/fruit; let sit in refrigerator 2-3hrs prior to serving.
Adapted from— Cooking.com
And to say Ta Ta! to the summer season, celebrate (or cry) with a fresh bowl of cool and tangy vegetable soup.
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red onion, diced
1 cucumber, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, roughly chopped
2 lbs tomatoes, diced (approx 8 tomatoes)
1 zucchini, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup red wine, balsamic or sherry vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
½-1 fresh jalapen?o, seeded and finely chopped
? cup almonds
One ½-inch slice white bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
½ tsp sea salt, to taste
¼ tsp black pepper, to taste
In the bowl of a food processor or in a blender, combine one-half of all vegetables, all of the almonds, bread, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth.
Remove to large bowl.
Add the remaining vegetables to the food processor/blender, and pulse until all ingredients are minced but still recognizable.
Combine with puree. Test for salt and pepper.
Chill soup for at least a couple of hours; soup needs to be very cold!
Garnish with cilantro and fresh French bread drizzled with olive oil and grilled.
We eat a lot of gravy…it is a simple one-pan way to make up something flavorful and then just add a protein and top a starch or greens. This recipe is where we start, and modify the herbs as cravings direct.
1 lb mushrooms (your choice), sliced or chopped
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 Tbsp dry)
5-10 leaves fresh sage, chopped (or 1 tsp dry)
Optional/substitutions: 1 tsp thyme (3-4 sprigs), 1 Tbsp chives or garlic chives, chopped
1/4-1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
4 cup vegetable broth/bouillon
1/4-1 tsp sea salt (if needed)
1/2 cup wheat flour or corn starch
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup cold water (1/2 cup margarine for high fat version)
Sauté mushrooms, onions, garlic in olive oil until onions clear and mushrooms tender. Add wine (if using); allow to evaporate a few minutes.
Add parsley, sage and black pepper.
Add vegetable broth, cover and bring to a light simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Add salt if desired.
Mix flour and nutritional yeast with cold water in a container with lid. Shake vigorously to create a thick,
pourable paste with no lumps. Add more water as needed.
Alternatively, for high fat version, melt margarine in pan, mix in flour and nutritional yeast. Add more melted margarine as needed to make a paste (roux). Stir over low heat for 2-3min.
Slowly pour paste into simmering broth while stirring constantly with whisk or slotted spoon. Note gravy consistency; stop adding or make up more paste as needed to achieve gravy consistency you prefer.
Warm, creamy, chewy, rich, satisfying. Perfect for pre-school/pre-work sustenance to get you thru until lunch (or snack time!)
Whole Grain Fruit and Nut Hot Breakfast Cereal
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins or craisins or dried peaches/apricots
2 cups soymilk (or coconut or almond or hemp or ricemilk)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups Cooked Wheat Berries, (recipe follows)
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted (see Tip)
Microwave: Place oats, raisins, soymilk and salt in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Stir to combine. Microwave on High, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Stir in cooked wheat berries and microwave again until hot, 1 to 2 minutes more. Let stand for 1 minute. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and serve.
OR
Stovetop: Bring soymilk to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in oats, fruit and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in cooked wheat berries and cook until heated through, about 1 minute more. Remove from the heat. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon; let stand for 1 minute. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and serve.
Tip: Toast slivered almonds in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
2 cup wheat berries (hard/high protein varieties work best)
7 cup water
1 tsp salt if desired
Rinse and pick thru to eliminated stones and debris. Add to pot of water (and salt).
Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse. Serve hot or cool for freezer storage.
If storing, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to several months.
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!.
Subscription Box Highlights
Anticipated this week for the CSA/Subscription Boxes:
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Sweet peppers
Potatoes
Spicy mesclun
Boc choi
Broccoli
Onions
Celery
Melon
Shallots
Garlic
Parsley
Thyme
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 39
Your box for Week 39
Farm Where Life is Good
Produce Subscription (Week 39)
Red is the name of the game this week. Tomatoes and pepper are overflowing your boxes. Get ‘em while the getting’ is good. Freeze ‘em if you have to…neither one needs blanching. Just chop and bag and freeze in recipe-sized portions. This season is offering a pretty short window for the heat-lovin’ things. Cucumbers are done. Tomatoes have had their crewcut…encouraging them to ripen what’s hangin’. And all field items that rely on warm nights are done, kaput, finito, bloto.
Tomatoes were pruned today— high and tight— to improve air flow, eliminate morning dew on the plants and reduce bacterial spotting that will end our tomato season real quick!
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).
Watermelon outside your box and lots of variety inside your boxes this week. LIFT YOUR BOX FROM BELOW (33#) Pick up one watermelon from the common bin.
Potato, Goldrush baking variety Lightly russetted skin and golden interior; dry/mealy like any respectable baker should be!
Watermelon, Blacktail Mountain Crossing our fingers again, that these will be good. Make sure you pick yours up… it is NOT in your box.
Tomato, cherry variety
Tomato, paste A couple of varieties; one plump and juicy while the other is dryer and better for making a nice thick sauce. 
Tomato, slicer variety Several different large slicers and a couple of the little orange Jaune Flamme.
Pepper, sweet Many! Italia (red), purple, chocolate, red/lipstick…all kinds of choices.
Pepper, sweet lunchbox A handful of these snackers for someone’s lunchbox. Stuff ’em with hummus for a nice combo. 
Pepper, Sweet Habanero Ok, these are odd. Trust me, I tried them before I packed them. They are sweet (compared to a proper habanero, that is.) There is a mild mouth tingle when you eat them. They are sweet, citrus-y, floral-y, very thin walled. Odd, but appealing. I think they will create some diversity in a mixed salad or minced in a simple vinaigrette. They are way too slow in the growing…this is the first harvest and the take is puny. 
Pepper (Jalapeno) Just one to kick-start your salsa or soup or what-have-you.
Squash, zephyr and Zucchini Ok, definitely the last week of these kids. 
Cucumber, variety pack Probably the last week of these fellas too; the plants were chilled beyond recovery in the high tunnel. Sensitive little things, they are.
Cabbage, green A denser cabbage than earlier in the season; holds up well in*Bubbles and Squeak*. 
Kohlrabi We have a report of someone loving the Baked Kohlrabi sticks. Check them out. Whole, they will store well in the fridge for a while. 
Celery Made a great (and simple) lentil soup for lunch today with the celery, peppers and onions. Hearty enough for a stand-alone dinner with a nice crusty bread and will travel well for lunch-on-the-go. (Or can it with a pressure canner; my plan for tonight.) 
Onions, white and red Working thru the various varieties…
Shallots These are milder cousins in the onion family. They work very nicely in salad dressings. Try the Maple Mustard Dressing.
Sage Dries very well; stores for those Thanksgiving recipes! Try it in the lentil soup for a rich flavor. 
Chives A little sprinkling on the big bakers? 
Recipes for your consideration
This is a quick cooking, quick preparing soup that can vary with what’s available. Change up the herbs, the veggies, the greens…different every time with the perfect lentil holding it all together with that fabulous flavor.¬
1 cup lentils (green/French ideal, or brown)
4 cup water
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cube vegetable boullion, optional
2 sweet peppers, chopped
5-6 stalks celery, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 tsp herbs (thyme or sage or basil or rosemary)
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped (optional)
1-2 turnips, chopped (optional)
1 small rutabaga, chopped (optional)
1 cup winter squash, chopped (optional)
2 Tbsp dry sherry (optional)
1 packed cup kale, chopped fine
Wash lentils and add to pot with water. Start simmering with salt, pepper and bouillon.
Add chopped peppers, celery and onion; and any optional veggies you are using. Continue to simmer with lid on.
Add herbs and sherry and kale.
Simmer until lentils are soft, approx 30-40 minutes. Serve warm.
Here’s an interesting way to consume cabbage. Simple and tasty! Great way to gobble up the fabulous phytonutrients in your cabbage.¬
Garlic Rubbed Roasted Cabbage Steaks
1 2# cabbage, cut into 1" slices
1/5 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves
sea salt
black pepper
Preheat oven to 400F and brush or spray a baking sheet with oil.
Remove outer leaf of cabbage; cut cabbage from top to bottom (bottom being root) into 1" thick slices.
Rub both sides of cabbage with smashed garlic.
Use a pastry brush to evenly spread the olive oil over both sides of the cabbage slices.
Finally, sprinkle each side with a bit of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Roast on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Carefully flip the cabbage steaks and roast for an additional 30 minutes until edges are brown and crispy. Serve hot and Enjoy!
From— Everydaymaven.com
Quite a combo of flavors and textures; quite filling. Not something I would have made up myself, but I really like this recipe. Creative for the tastebuds.¬
Caramelized Cabbage and Onion Pasta with Bread Crumbs
Ingredients
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp margarine (Earth Balance the best)
3 slices wheat bread, torn into pieces
2 Tbsp fresh sage, rough chop
1/4 tsp ground black pepper, more to taste
1 lb whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente
1/4 cup reserved pasta water
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 head cabbage, roughly chopped
1-2 large onion (or 5-6 mini-onion)
1/2 cup grated Parmasan-style cheeze (Galaxy brand)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
In a food processor, combine half the garlic, sage, and bread; pulse until you have fine bread crumbs.
Melt margarine in a skillet and add the bread crumbs. Stir and toast for about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
In a large skillet, turn on the heat to medium-high and add the olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, and the remaining garlic. When the oil is hot, add the sliced onion and cabbage, along with a pinch of salt.
Stir the cabbage and onions until they begin to reduce and caramelize, about 15 minutes.
Add a 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water to deglaze the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan with the water.
Toss your cabbage/onion mixture in with the pasta and bread crumbs. Serve with grated Parmesan cheeze. Top with toasted walnuts.
From— New York Times, adapted by blogger A Little Bit Crunch, re-adapted by Razz_
Everyone feel free to add your favorite recipes to the website.
Farm News
We are winding down here on the farm. Fall came in with a rush, crunched all of the tender things, and then backed off for a nice run of warm weather…too bad we can’t convince the plants to come back and enjoy the sunshine. We enjoyed the beautiful sunshine and breezes today during harvest!
The end of the cucumber season at FarmWLIG
We have spotted some winter squash that might have matured sufficiently…little Dumpling variety…so hopefully will have enough of those for next week. No promises…they really needed 2 more weeks. On the upside, a nice bed of broccoli looks like it will give us a dose for next week too. We probably inundated you with broccoli this season, but just a bit to wind out the year! And if the deer stay out, we may have some fennel and beets next week. The deer have become quite bold in their attacks on the infrastructure. Out of sight, out of mind does NOT work.
Swiss chard "undercover"…NOT. What can chard possibly smell like to a deer-nose thru row cover?
Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the vegetables.
Roger and Lara
Online Market is OPEN for Business (Week 39)
The long white tunnel…boc choi running the gauntlet
Life on the Farm (Week 39)
Another night of quenching rain awakening to sun and breezes. The trees are just beginning to turn, and growing is slowing down in the fields. Anyone else feeling claustrophobic with the arrival of late dawn and early dusk?
The tomatoes and peppers in the high tunnel are appreciating this respite from frosty weather. Cucumbers, well, they took a hit even inside. The outside offerings are looking mighty peaked as the fields take on that spent Fall appearance…begging for cleanup vs. harvest.
All open spaces are in cover crops now. Some will winter kill, others will hibernate until spring and come back. Garlic seed has arrived and is awaiting planting to overwinter and emerge first in line in the spring.
Hightunnel #3 position building nutrients with peas and oats
The Market is now open for a herbs, tomatoes and just a little bit more.
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
A hearty chili with lots to chew and savor— wheat berries, beans, peppers and onion. No fuss, no muss with a one-pot meal.
Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large sweet bell pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed (or dried beans cooked/frozen)
4# tomatoes, chopped w/ juices (blanched 1min and peeled, if desired)
1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (or roast your own)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp maple syrup or 2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 cups cooked Wheat Berries, (recipe follows)
Juice of 1 lime
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Heat oil in a Dutch oven/large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add beans, tomatoes, chipotle to taste, broth and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.
Stir in cooked wheat berries and heat through, about 5 minutes more. (If using frozen wheat berries, cook until thoroughly heated.) Remove from the heat. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each bowl with avocado and cilantro.
2 cups wheat berries (hard/high protein varieties work best)
7 cups water
1 teaspoon salt if desired
Rinse and pick thru to eliminated stones and debris. Add to pot of water (and salt).
Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse. Serve hot or cool for freezer storage.
If storing, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to several months.
Adapted from: Eatingwell.com
This is a simple recipe that uses just one pan, has all the protein you need, lots of flavor for the palate, and packs in those healthy super greens too.
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 package Kielbasa Tofurky sausages
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
Pinch of crushed red pepper, or to taste
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups red wine
1 cup lentils, preferably French green
12 cups chopped kale leaves, tough stems removed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add Tofurky Kielbasa sausages and cook until browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a clean cutting board and slice into bite-sized discs.
Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and onion to the 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 and salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and kale are tender, about 10 minutes more. Stir sliced Tofurky sausages into the pan along with pepper. Cover and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Adapted from— Eatingwell.com
These make a great addition to pasta sauce (use up those great tomatoes), mashed potatoes and gravy. AND they freeze well for quick meals later in the winter when fresh herbs are long gone and it is dark out and too late to plan a fancy dinner.
1 cup ground raw potatoes
2 tsp soy flour
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 tsp fresh sage, minced
½ tsp fresh thyme, stripped from stems
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 cup ground walnuts
1/2 tsp. salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
Mix all above ingredients thoroughly. Form into balls.
Either: Put into baking dish. Cover with your favorite gravy or pasta sauce and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.
Or: Bake on parchment paper 350 F for 20-30min, cool and freeze for later use.
I think I am craving Thanksgiving. Maybe we need a dry run before the big day! I’m making stuffing, yes I am.
1 large onion, chopped
5 celery stalks, chopped
Optional, 1 large apple, chopped
Optional, 1 cup raisins
Optional, 1 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
Optional, ½ cup pecans, chopped
½ cup margarine (Earth Balance works great)
1 tsp ground black pepper
5-10 leaves fresh sage, chopped (or 1 tsp dried ground sage)
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 Tbsp dried parsley)
3-4 cups vegetable broth (more or less for moist or dry stuffing)
2 loaves stale French bread, cubed or crumbled (or equivalent stale corn bread/muffins)
In a large pot, sauté onion and celery (and optional ingredients) in margarine until onion is clear. Add pepper, herbs and broth; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add stale bread and fold bread into broth mixture until well coated.
Turn into large baking pan; cover with foil. Bake at 325-350?F for 30-45 minutes; remove foil during last 10-15 minutes for crisp top.
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!.
Subscription Box Highlights
Anticipated this week for the CSA/Subscription Boxes:
Tomatoes
Summer squash
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Sweet peppers
Baking potatoes
Onions
Celery
Cabbage
Melon
Shallots
Sage
Chives
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 38
Your box for Week 38
Farm Where Life is Good
Produce Subscription (Week 38)
The frosting is on the FarmWLIG cake. Grrrr. Brrrr. Sad to see all of the summer vegetables take such a big hit from frost. I remember them as seedlings! But the daytimes have been beee-ah-utiful. Great harvest experience today. Tanning while working!
Baby photos: Awww, do you remember when…
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).
Left over sandbags and other delicacies in your boxes this week. Seriously, LIFT FROM BELOW (28#)
Potato, Swedish Peanut fingerling More of this little twirp. How were they? We haven’t had a chance to try them yet. 
Melon Two varieties, Canary and Honey White. Again, we struggled with many forces to make these get to the boxes. Hopefully they are sweet and nice; very sorry if they are not. They freeze perfectly for winter smoothies!
Tomato, cherry variety Variety pack of bite-sized wonders. They roast down to chewable treats beautifully! Try it; 200F, sliced in half, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and toss a couple garlic cloves (in their skins) on the tray too; roast for 3-6hrs.
Tomato, paste More fresh salsa.
Tomato, slicer variety 5 different large slicers and a couple of the little orange Jaune Flamme.
Pepper, sweet Italia (red), purple, chocolate. More colors of the pepper.
Pepper, Feher Ozon paprika (immature) Just a titch of spice. 
Pepper (Jalapeno) Just one to kick-start your salsa or such.
Squash, zephyr Probably the last of the yellow beauties. Sayonara until next summer.
Zucchini Also the last of the Zzzzzzs.
Cucumber, variety pack Same old, same old.
Cabbage, tendersweet The last of this delicate variety; moving next week to the winter variety. The outer leaf(ves) have taken a beating in the field; remove to find the delicate, pale inner leaves perfect for salads. 
Kohlrabi Peel, cut into sticks and dip away. They store whole for months.
Onions, yellow and red Working thru the various varieties…
Parsley Mince it up for a simple tomato salad with vinaigrette.
Cilantro It’s hanging in there thru the frosts, but probably the last of the “love-it-hate-it” herb. 
Recipes for your consideration
I was introduced to this dipping sauce to be used with asparagus spears, etc. on the steamed side of things. BUT, it is absolutely drinkable! So maybe we need to try it with crunchy kohlrabi. What do you think? I’m thinking, yes.¬
1/4 cup Veganaise or Nayonaise
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp lemon juice (I’ve also substituted seasoned rice vinegar)
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 tsp ginger root, zested/grated
1 clove garlic, minced
Whisk all ingredients together; served chilled with dip-able vegetable of your choice.
Dal is the BEST, simply the best. This recipe is pretty simple. Make extra, it is great for lunch boxes.¬
1¼ cup dry red split lentils
1 cup water
1 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp mild curry powder
1 Tbsp coconut oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, cored and finely chopped
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp garam masala
1 Tbsp margarine
Rinse lentils well, place in saucepan and cover with cold water (not the 1 cup listed in the recipe, just cover them with water). Bring to boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with hot water and place back in the pot with the measured water, turmeric and curry powder. Simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes adding more water a bit at a time if need be until the lentils are fully cooked and there is very little water left.
Meanwhile heat 1 Tbsp of coconut oil and fry the cumin seeds a few seconds. Add the onion and fry until slightly golden brown, about 10 minutes. With a few minutes left add the garlic (you can add a finely chopped chili now if you want more heat, keep in mind this is a mild dal). Add the tomatoes and cook until they start to break down.
Stir this into the lentils along with the garam masala, salt and margarine. Stir until the margarine melts and everything is well blended.
Make Your Own Garam Masala
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds (from green cardamom pods)
1 small cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Toast lightly in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant (be careful not to burn). Remove from heat, cool, and grind in a coffee grinder or spice mill. Use immediately or seal tightly and store in a dark place away from heat. Makes about 2 tablespoons.
From: Fatfreevegan.com
I found this on the InterWeb. Urban legend has it that it is not EXACTLY the recipe but close. See what you think.¬
Chipotle Pico de Gallo Salsa Recipe
6 vine ripened tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
pepper to taste
Toss all ingredients together.
Chill at least an hour to allow flavors to blend.
Note: Chipotle recommends cutting tomatoes into quarters and removing the seeds and the pulp before chopping. That really made a difference.
Everyone feel free to add your favorite recipes to the website.
Farm News
Frost is no longer on the horizon, it is in our rear-view mirror. Two nights of hard frost have knocked out much of the “outdoor”/non-hightunnel things. Summer squash, winter squash (I’m going to cry), eggplant, basil, green beans (tried to squeak in one last batch). Peppers may hold on, same for the tomatillos and ground cherries. The kale and cabbage are loving it. Brussels sprouts are just playing with me…they will not behave and head up.
Frost is beautiful on the celery
Last plantings of broccoli and cauliflower took a major hit from cabbage loupers after the deer danced all over the row covers…*I think that is what you call a symbiosis*…but hoping they will give us some floral heads, any heads. The up-and-coming boc choi, beets and fennel are getting a new set of hoops/row cover tomorrow in an attempt to foil the deer…and save their little green and red lives.
Painted Pony beans
If we can figure out how to harvest the dry beans, maybe a batch will show up soon in the boxes. That is the veggie-scoop out where winter seems to be coming early. Just a few more weeks for the boxes of bounty…
Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the vegetables.
Roger and Lara
Tomato Last-minute Sale-- open 'till midnight only.
Slicers have taken on new responsibilities!
Attack of the Tomatoes, Part II — Summer Sale!
Available until 12midnight only. Market is open ONLY for Tomato Sale…ONLY for Tomato Sale. All previously placed orders are packed and ready for delivery.
The tomatoes of the slicing variety (4 different ones) are literally popping off the vines. They want to be on your sandwiches and in your salads this week. They want to be dehydrated or oven roasted for your winter treats. They want to be quarterd and frozen for SuperBowl chili! Order now! Delivery tomorrow.
Get ’em while they are here…with two frosts already on the farm, they will not last.
Head to The Market and find your slicer tomato options in the SALE section.
(Open until 12midnight only; taking add-on/last-minute orders for the slicer tomatoes only.)
Delivery tomorrow to your chosen dropsite, like usual.
Have a wonderful week, and have fun putting them up or munching them down.
Roger and Lara
Online Market is OPEN for Business (Week 38)
Frost, really?
Life on the Farm (Week 38)
Well, I’m on my way to California…and frost descended upon the Midwest. Is it payback for escaping? Will there be sriracha peppers when I get home? How about winter squash? Did the fennel survive? And the cilantro? Average first frost is 29 Sept in our little hollow. Now I know what average means, truly. Mayhap this harkens a rough winter ahead? Or rather, a nice, long further-frost-free-Fall?
There’s frosting on the window pane and sorrow in your eyes" Name that tune…
The Market is now open for a herbs, tomatoes and just a little bit more.
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
Time for some tangy tomatoes served up in southern style.
Fried Green Tomatoes with Horseradish Dip
4-5 green slicer-type tomatoes
1 cup white cornmeal
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup soymilk w/ 1 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 cup Sour Supreme, (Tofutti brand)
1 cup sour Supreme (Tofutti brand)
¼ cup Veganaise or Nayonaise
1/4 cup horseradish (Go crazy, and grate some fresh, but watch out; fumes will knock you over…seriously! Otherwise, use the plain jar stuff.)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 quart corn oil, for frying
Wash, dry and slice the tomatoes into 3/8-inch thick. Transfer the tomatoes to a paper towel to drain.
Combine the cornmeal, panko bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and cayenne in a shallow bowl.
In a second shallow bowl, combine the soymilk/vinegar and ½ cup Sour Supreme.
Meanwhile, combine 1 cup Sour Supreme, Veganaise, horseradish, lemon zest, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to make the horseradish dip. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Heat the oil in a cast iron pan to 365 degrees F, medium-high heat until a sample of crumbs really sizzles.
Dip the sliced tomatoes in the buttermilk mixture and shake off any excess. Press them into the panko mixture and repeat until all the tomato slices have been coated.
Carefully lower the battered slices, in batches, into the hot oil. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on both sides, then move them to a wire rack to drain. Sprinkle them with salt while they are still hot. Arrange them on a serving platter and serve immediately with the horseradish cream.
Adapted from: Guy Fieri— Food Network
Cayenne pepper provides the “fire” and cooling cucumbers provide the “ice” in this simple but well-seasoned Southern (meets Northern) side dish.
5 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 medium onion, sliced
3/4 cup white vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 large cucumber, sliced
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes and onion; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, water, mustard seed and cayenne. Bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute.
Pour over tomatoes and onion; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Add cucumber; toss to coat. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with a slotted spoon.
From: Cooking.com
A little bit of chopping and then toss it in the crockpot for a slow cook overnight. Lunch for a week!
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onions
2# tomatoes (~5-6 slicers)
1 tsp fresh thyme, stripped from stems
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or cilantro (for different taste experiences)
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons flour
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/3 cup grated parmesan-flavor vegan topping (Galaxy Foods)
1 3/4 cups soymilk (unflavored) warmed
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the oil, celery, carrots and onions; cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden. Add to slow cooker.
You can blanch to skin the tomatoes if you’d like (or not; we blend it at the end of cooking, so skins just add good fiber in my mind.) To do so, boil a pot of water, drop the whole tomato in, push it around for 30-60 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and dunk in cold water. The skin will split and peel off easily with your hands.)
Core and chop the tomatoes, making sure to reserve the juices. Add tomatoes and juice to slow cooker. Then add vegetable broth, thyme, basil/cilantro, and bay leaf.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours, until the vegetables get soft and the flavors blend. Remove bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth (or you can carefully do this in small batches in a regular blender).
Melt the margarine over low heat in a large skillet and add the flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in about 1 cup of the hot soup, then add the 1 3/4 cups of warmed soymilk and stir until smooth. Pour back into the slow cooker and stir, add the Parmesan-style topping and adjust salt and pepper, to taste.
Adapted from: Skinnytaste.com
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…
Lycopersicon
(ly-koh-PER-see-kon)
The tomato has a long history, starting with the Aztecs, who called it xitomatl (pronounced shee-TOH-mahtl or zee-toh-ma-tel). Botanists originally named it Solanum because of its close resemblance to its botanical cousin, the deadly nightshade. French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort attempted to distance it from that reputation by providing a new Latin botanical name, Lycopersicon esculentum. Linnaeus rejected the taxonomic split and new name, and moved it back to to the Solanum genus.
More recent botanical shuffling has placed it back in the Lycopersicon genus. Whether you say “to-may-to” or “to-mah-to,” once Americans were convinced tomatoes were safe to eat, they quickly rose in popularity with American gardeners and cooks. Joseph Campbell helped things along by introducing condensed tomato soup in the late 1800s; Campbell’s tomato soup remains a popular American food staple today. (But we FarmWLIGers know we can do better, don’t we!?)
The fruit (or vegetable according to an 1893 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on taxation of tomatoes) have been found to contain lycopene, a powerful natural antioxidant. Cooked tomatoes have more lycopene than raw, and are potentially valuable in preventing certain cancers and improving the skin’s ability to protect against harmful UV rays.
Subscription Box Highlights
Anticipated this week for the CSA/Subscription Boxes:
Tomatoes
Summer squash
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Sweet peppers
Potatoes
Onions
Celery
Cabbage
Cilantro
Parsley
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 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.¬
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…¬
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.¬
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
Online Market is OPEN for Business (Week 37)
A little fennel bulb baby making its way in life.
Life on the Farm (Week 37)
The “Clausen Dill” pickles mentioned last week are fantastic! Simpler than regular pickling— the fermenting process sounded all scary and difficult but turned out to be a snap. And the added bonus, I got to smell the wonderful garlic-y/dill-y scent in my pantry for the week.
The tomatoes are doing wonderfully in the high tunnel this year. Now is the peak time; the warm days are ripening all of the clusters. Today is a day for “lowering and leaning” to keep the stems from overshooting their 8ft trellises. It’s becoming quite the jungle in there!
Razz and the Toms
Next week might be somewhat lean on the market as the Chief Inventory Manager (Razz) will be out of town doing continuing education for the ol’ day-job. We’ll do our best to make the opening as comprehensive and accurate as possible.
The Market is now open for a wide selection of warm weather produce.
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
A savory twist on the classic midwestern fruit dessert— using a"vegetable" fruit, the Tomato. A wonderful side-dish, or boost it up with some Tofurky-brand Italian sausages and serve it as a main event. Mmmmm good.
1 T olive oil
5 medium tomatoes, 1/2" dice
1 shallot, fine chop
1 garlic clove, crush and fine chop
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp corn starch
½-1# cherry or firm paste tomatoes
Crumble—
1c course bread crumbs
1/4c grated parmesan-flavor vegan topping (Galaxy Foods)
1 T nutritional yeast
2 T fresh chives, chopped
1/4c margarine, melted
Preparation:
Grease ramikins (4x 8-10oz) or baking dish (9×9)
In large skillet, add olive oil, chopped tomatoes, shallots, garlic, sea salt and corn starch. Stir and simmer 10-15min until tomatoes are broken down and puree has thickened. Remove from heat and add whole cherry/paste tomatoes.
Mix dry ingredients for crumble, then add melted margarine and stir to coat.
Add tomato mix to baking dish(es), and top with crumble.
Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool 10min pre-serving.
_ Adapted from King Arthur Flour catalog_
This is absolutely bursting with flavor! Perfect for a cool late-summer meal on the porch.
Triple Garlic Pasta With Oven Dried Tomatoes and Olives
1 quart cherry or plum tomatoes, split in half
10 cloves garlic (4 thinly sliced, 2 minced, 2 smashed), divided
6 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 slices hearty white bread, roughly torn
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 pound penne, ziti, rigatoni, or other thick tubular pasta
1 cup sliced pitted kalamata or other olives
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion whites and pale greens
Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 300°F. Place tomatoes, cut-side up, on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Scatter sliced garlic cloves and thyme sprigs evenly over tomatoes. Season with salt. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and place in oven. Cook, rotating occasionally, until tomatoes are shriveled and half dried, and garlic is golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs.
Meanwhile, combine bread and 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Season with salt and process until broken into fine crumbs, about 10 seconds. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add bread crumbs and cook, tossing and stirring frequently, until pale golden brown and starting to crisp, about 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and continue tossing until golden brown and completely crisp, a few minutes longer. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool slightly. Stir in chopped parsley and set aside.
Wipe out skillet, add remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil and 2 smashed garlic cloves, and place over medium-low heat. Cook, flipping garlic occasionally, until garlic is tender and pale golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer garlic to a cutting board, allow to cool, and finely mince. Return garlic to skillet.
Add tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano to skillet with garlic oil and cook, stirring with a whisk, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add white wine, whisk to combine, and simmer until reduced and saucy, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
When tomatoes are cooked, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.
Add cooked pasta to skillet with tomato paste/white wine mixture. Add dried tomatoes/garlic. Add olives, scallions, and pasta cooking liquid. Cook over high heat, tossing and stirring constantly, until sauce evenly coats all of the pasta. Add half of bread crumbs and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs, and serve immediately.
From— http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/02/pasta-oven-dried-tomato-olive-bread-crumb-recipe.html
Make them last awhile by drying them (with some flavor boosters) and keeping them well into the winter!
Cherry, grape or small Roma tomatoes
Whole cloves of garlic, unpeeled
Olive oil
Herbs such as thyme or rosemary
Preheat oven to 225°F. Halve each cherry or grape tomato crosswise, or Roma tomato lengthwise and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the cloves of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, just enough to make the tomatoes glisten. Sprinkle herbs on, if you are using them, and salt and pepper, though go easily on these because the finished product will be so flavorful you’ll need very little to help it along.
Bake the tomatoes in the oven for about 3 hours (or up to 8 hrs). You want the tomatoes to be shriveled and dry, but with a little juice left inside–this could take more or less time depending on the size of your tomatoes.
Either use them right away or let them cool, cover them with some extra olive oil and keep them in the fridge for the best summer condiment, ever. And peel the cloves of garlic when you’re done–they’ll be wonderful and sweet–and store them in the container with the tomatoes for smearing on a sandwich.
From— http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/08/slow-roasted-tomatoes/
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…
“…that deer do not have upper incisors. The lower incisor teeth are pressed against a hard upper pad, to pinch and tear off plant parts. The 8 lower “incisors” are actually 6 incisors with an outside pair of lower canines. Through evolution, these lower canines have moved forward in the jaw to look and function as incisors. The lower jaw also has 3 premolars and 3 molars on each side that mate with their counterparts above to grind and regrind food. Fawns are born with all 8 lower incisor-like teeth, all 3 premolars, and 1 molar on each side of the jaw. All incisor-like teeth and premolars are replaced with adult teeth before the age of 2 years, which provides a method of ageing deer according to their tooth eruption and replacement patterns. After 2 years, all adult teeth are present and ageing is accomplished by looking at the wear on the teeth.”
So how is it that this little mouth with no upper teeth can bite into a fully grown watermelon and then proceed to eat the entire thing? Watermelon disappearing every night regardless of Roger’s antics on the ATV every two hours. Despair at FarmWLIG this month.
Subscription Box Highlights
Anticipated this week for the CSA/Subscription Boxes:
Tomatoes
Summer squash
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Sweet peppers
Potatoes
Kohlrabi
Carrots (just a few)
Onions
Celery
Oregano
Thyme
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 36
Your box for Week 36
Farm Where Life is Good
Produce Subscription (Week 36)
Whew, and the rain came down! I think we have had our dose of watering for the week; what do you think? I think the peppers are going to be crisp, the lettuces will be steaming in their own leaves, the hoses and sprinklers will be idle, the weeds are going to be happy and the deer looking for a meal after hunkering down under the downpour. Maybe this will push the next round of green beans along toward fruiting!
A garlic-chive meadow feeding the wee little beasties.
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).
Lots of color (and heft) in your boxes this week. Again, lift these 22# from below.
Tomato, cherry variety 2lbs of the little fellas. Pop them in the freezer whole if you can’t finish them. Add to soup this winter.
Tomato, saladette/paste A simple fresh pasta sauce or filo topped with sliced tomatoes, basil and olive oil. Mmmmm, my stomach is growling!
Tomato, slicer variety A sampler pack of 4 different slicing tomatoes with different bouquets.
Pepper, sweet How about whipping up a quick stove-top Western Barbequeand serving over rice. Yes, that sounds like just the thing…but I’d substitute the ketchup out and simmer down your paste tomatoes with a little salt and a spoon of maple or brown sugar.
Lettuce, red or green summercrisp
Squash, zephyr If you are looking to store some of your summer squash/zucchini, just put it thru the shredder (hand or food processor), squeeze out liquid (a potato ricer works great), and freeze in serving/recipe sized bunches. Zucchini brownies this winter!
Zucchini Try these Curried Zucchini Chips for a great snack.
Zucchini, baby striped 
Kale (Lacinato) This stuff turns your green smoothies NEON green! 
Cucumber, slicers Here is a link to instructions on how to freeze cucumbers. Who knew?!
Cucumber, lunchbox 
Cucumber, Little Potato, True Lemon, Crystal Apple and/or Mini-white 
Celery This celery will be strong— stronger than the typical you find in the grocery stores. It is a great addition to X-salad sandwiches when diced tiny and it will serve you well at Thanksgiving when you make your dressing/stuffing if you freeze it now (chop or slice ¼" and freeze in recipe-sized batches). Follow this link for a primer on various ways to freeze celery.
Cabbage, tendersweet Combine the two and make a nice colorful coleslaw salad for the lunchbox.
Cabbage, red 
Onions, white and red 
Basil 
Chives, garlic Mince it up and make a great Cheddah-n-Chive Biscuit to go with a nice fresh tomato soup.
Recipes for your consideration
For all of the peaches out there…. I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was a great idea! Snack-able cobbler that can go on any breakfast-in-a-bowl. Love(d) it.¬
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
4 Tbsp hot water
1 T. almond milk
3 T brown sugar
1/2 C. Old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 C quinoa washed and dried (not cooked)
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground ginger
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
1/4 C. cashew pieces
2-3 ripe peaches but firm
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, whisk flax and hot water together, then add milk and mix. Set aside.
Put all the dry ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until there are just small crumbs. Put in small bowl.
Cut peaches into large wedges so they are about 1 inch thick. Dip them into the flax mixture and then roll them in the crumb mixture. Place them on a parchment paper lined baking pan.
Bake about 30-35 minutes or until fork tender, not mushy.
Serve with coconut yogurt, cashew cream, or alone.
Adapted from: http://graincrazy.blogspot.com/2014/08/baked-peach-wedges.html
I am being kind and giving you delicious ways to consume all of that zucchini. You can thank me later. This is a wonderful fresh tomato soup.¬
3 lbs tomatoes
1/4 C olive oil
2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves pressed
1 zucchini sliced
1/2 sweet pepper chopped
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 fresh basil leaves
1 T dried rosemary
4 C water (add more if it is too thick)
Heat oven to 400. Toss tomatoes that have been sliced in 1/4 pieces, into a bowl with olive oil 1 T basil and a little salt and pepper. Spread on cookie sheet. Roast 45 min. Don’t let them burn.
In a large pot heat on medium heat onions, garlic with and oil, and red pepper flakes until golden brown. Add zucchini, red pepper, and spices, and let cook a couple minutes. Then add the water. Then add the oven roasted tomatoes too. Bring to boil and then simmer about 35 minutes or until thickened. The flavor gets better as it cooks. I put the large chunks of vegetables and some liquid, into a blender and pulse for a few seconds.
You can add more spice if you prefer. It is wonderful to have extra! I love this soup and it freezes well for lunches!
Adapted from: http://graincrazy.blogspot.com/
This is unique and serves as a perfect side dish to most mains and vegetables. Toss some slabs of marinated tofu in the dish and you have a one-dish meal!¬
2- 3 tablespoons canola oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or parsley
1 sweet pepper, cored and chopped
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups finely chopped plum tomatoes
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (the kind in the can)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart ovenproof baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Heat oil in a medium skillet. Stir in onion, herb and bell pepper and sauté 4 or 5 minutes, stirring. Stir in rice and sauté 2 or 3 minutes longer, stirring. Remove pan from heat.
Spoon rice mixture into baking dish. Stir in tomatoes, coconut milk, salt, black pepper and pepper flakes. Mix well. Cover baking dish tightly with a lid or aluminum foil.
Place dish on the lower oven rack and bake for about 40 minutes, or until he rice is tender, and all liquid is absorbed, stirring a couple times.
Adapted from: http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/05/tomato-coconut-rice.html#.VASN08t0zIU
Now, this is a “must” for winter hot-dishes! Make your own now and, wow, isn’t it so much easier to put together a nice 1-pan meal when it is dark and cold out.¬
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped roughly
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 head of celery, cleaned & chopped roughly
1 white potato or 1 cup cauliflower, chopped
1 quart of vegetable stock
Salt and pepper, to taste
Heat the oil in a non stick pot and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.
Puree the soup using a blender. Hand held works fine.
Return to the pan, check seasoning and serve
From: http://goodnessgreen.com/give-celery-a-go/
Everyone feel free to add your favorite recipes to the website.
For Your Reading Pleasure
The Transformation of American Agriculture: Farming, Eating, and Investing Amid Upheaval by Kathy O. Brozek
is a great read for anyone interested in learning more about the food they consume, all of which is affected by the two radically different transformations currently underway in American agriculture. Ms. Brozek’s book also features entrepreneurs across the U.S.—most of whom have made dramatic career transitions—who are creating new ways to produce and distribute local and sustainably-grown food.
How can the average consumer support these innovative food/ag entrepreneurs? Ms. Brozek explores new financial vehicles available to any individual investor who cares about food, farmland, and farmers…and wishes to make a difference."
You can read the preface here: The Transformation of American Agriculture
Farm News
It seems like summer just arrived, but my brain is telling me to switch into stocking-up-for-winter mode. Eat it or lose it. Store it or lose it. Now is the time to get the herbs dried so winter soups and crackers and breads are bursting with flavor. Now is the time to freeze those extra tomatoes for hearty chili during football season. Now is the time to freeze the superfood kale so winter green smoothies are still super green. And go grab some fresh sweet corn to get in the freezer so you can enjoy it all winter! It is all really manageable, honest. Happy to help with suggestions, etc. if you need them.
A baby sweet dumpling squash trying to grow big before frost. Grow, baby, grow!
Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the vegetables.
Roger and Lara