• 1 1/2 cups chopped seeded tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• Olive oil
• 6 large 1/2-inch-thick slices country-style French bread
• 9 ounces soft mild goat cheese (such as Montrachet)
Combine chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh basil and red wine vinegar in small bowl. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Brush 6 largest eggplant slices lightly with olive oil (reserve remaining eggplant for another use.) Brush bread lightly with olive oil. Grill eggplant and bread until golden, about 4 minutes per side for eggplant and 2 minutes per side for bread. Arrange bread slices on plates. Spread goat cheese over, dividing evenly. Top with eggplant slices. Season with salt and pepper. Using slotted spoon, mound tomato mixture on eggplant, spread to cover and serve.
From Bon Appetit Magazine, 1994
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Eggplant-Tomato-and-Goat-Cheese-Sandwiches-1802#ixzz0uBodQK4f
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Spanish-style Grilled Zucchini
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium zucchini (12 ounces), cut diagonally into ¼-inch-thick slices
Salt
About 2 tablespoons Spanish-style Garlic and Parsley-flavored olive oil (see below)
1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsely
To make Spanish-style garlic and parsley flavored olive oil:
1 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Put the oil and garlic in a small pot and set over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for just 5 seconds, then immediately turn off the heat. Let the oil cool for 15 minutes, then stir in the salt and parsley.
To make the zucchini:
Set a cast iron griddle or frying pan over high heat. Let it get hot. Dribble just enough olive oil, about 1 tablespoon, to grease it lightly. When the oil is very hot, a matter of seconds, lay down enough zucchini slices to cover the bottom in a single layer. Do not overcrowd. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the bottom of the slices turn a rich medium brown.
You may need to move the slices around so they all cook evenly. Turn the slices over. Cook for another 2 minutes, or until the second side turns medium brown. Remove the slices from the pan and arrange in a single layer on a large platter.
Cook all the zucchini slices this way. With each batch, remember to add enough oil to keep the pan lightly greased.
When the zucchini are all cooked, lightly sprinkle salt over the slices. Dribble the flavored oil evenly over the top, sprinkle on the parsley and serve.
Serves 4
From: World Vegetarian
2 medium zucchini (12 ounces), cut diagonally into ¼-inch-thick slices
Salt
About 2 tablespoons Spanish-style Garlic and Parsley-flavored olive oil (see below)
1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsely
To make Spanish-style garlic and parsley flavored olive oil:
1 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Put the oil and garlic in a small pot and set over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for just 5 seconds, then immediately turn off the heat. Let the oil cool for 15 minutes, then stir in the salt and parsley.
To make the zucchini:
Set a cast iron griddle or frying pan over high heat. Let it get hot. Dribble just enough olive oil, about 1 tablespoon, to grease it lightly. When the oil is very hot, a matter of seconds, lay down enough zucchini slices to cover the bottom in a single layer. Do not overcrowd. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the bottom of the slices turn a rich medium brown.
You may need to move the slices around so they all cook evenly. Turn the slices over. Cook for another 2 minutes, or until the second side turns medium brown. Remove the slices from the pan and arrange in a single layer on a large platter.
Cook all the zucchini slices this way. With each batch, remember to add enough oil to keep the pan lightly greased.
When the zucchini are all cooked, lightly sprinkle salt over the slices. Dribble the flavored oil evenly over the top, sprinkle on the parsley and serve.
Serves 4
From: World Vegetarian
Strozzapreti- Italian Swiss Chard Dumplings
Serves 8 to 10.
1. Wash 1 large bunch Swiss chard. You will need about 2 lb. Cook it in the water that clings to the leaves. Drain, cool, and squeeze dry. It is easiest to use a food processor here, however a blender or even chopping by hand with a heavy knife will do. Puree the chard adding 3 eggs (if using a machine) or beat the eggs by hand and add to finely chopped chard. Melt 2/3 stick butter and add to chard with 1 cup parmesan and 1 to 1 ½ cup bread crumbs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill.
2. Make tomato sauce.
3. When ready to serve, fill a large pot 1/3 full of water. Add 1 Tb. salt and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer. Test one dumpling to see if it holds together in the poaching liquid. If not, add more bread crumbs. The point is to keep them as light as possible and not have them fall apart. When batter is perfect, poach about 5 dumplings per serving using 2 spoons to shape ovals. Drain on paper towel before placing in shallow soup boel. Sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan and serve tomato sauce on the side.
From: The Political Palate
1. Wash 1 large bunch Swiss chard. You will need about 2 lb. Cook it in the water that clings to the leaves. Drain, cool, and squeeze dry. It is easiest to use a food processor here, however a blender or even chopping by hand with a heavy knife will do. Puree the chard adding 3 eggs (if using a machine) or beat the eggs by hand and add to finely chopped chard. Melt 2/3 stick butter and add to chard with 1 cup parmesan and 1 to 1 ½ cup bread crumbs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill.
2. Make tomato sauce.
3. When ready to serve, fill a large pot 1/3 full of water. Add 1 Tb. salt and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer. Test one dumpling to see if it holds together in the poaching liquid. If not, add more bread crumbs. The point is to keep them as light as possible and not have them fall apart. When batter is perfect, poach about 5 dumplings per serving using 2 spoons to shape ovals. Drain on paper towel before placing in shallow soup boel. Sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan and serve tomato sauce on the side.
From: The Political Palate
Classic Andalusian Gazpacho
Ingredients:
• 1 (2-inch-long) piece baguette, crust discarded
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar (preferably "reserva"), or to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
• 2 1/2 lb ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered
• 1/2 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Andalusian hojiblanca)
• Garnish: finely chopped red and green bell peppers
To Prepare:
• Soak bread in 1/2 cup water 1 minute, then squeeze dry, discarding soaking water.
• Mash garlic to a paste with salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large knife). Blend garlic paste, bread, 2 tablespoons vinegar, sugar, cumin, and half of tomatoes in a food processor until tomatoes are very finely chopped. Add remaining tomatoes with motor running and, when very finely chopped, gradually add oil in a slow stream, blending until as smooth as possible, about 1 minute.
• Force soup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing firmly on solids. Discard solids.
• Transfer to a glass container and chill, covered, until cold, about 3 hours. Season with salt and vinegar before serving.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Classic-Andalusian-Gazpacho-106874#ixzz0uBSbhcJf
• 1 (2-inch-long) piece baguette, crust discarded
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar (preferably "reserva"), or to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
• 2 1/2 lb ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered
• 1/2 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Andalusian hojiblanca)
• Garnish: finely chopped red and green bell peppers
To Prepare:
• Soak bread in 1/2 cup water 1 minute, then squeeze dry, discarding soaking water.
• Mash garlic to a paste with salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large knife). Blend garlic paste, bread, 2 tablespoons vinegar, sugar, cumin, and half of tomatoes in a food processor until tomatoes are very finely chopped. Add remaining tomatoes with motor running and, when very finely chopped, gradually add oil in a slow stream, blending until as smooth as possible, about 1 minute.
• Force soup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing firmly on solids. Discard solids.
• Transfer to a glass container and chill, covered, until cold, about 3 hours. Season with salt and vinegar before serving.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Classic-Andalusian-Gazpacho-106874#ixzz0uBSbhcJf
Poems from Walden by Haiku
By Ian Marshall
a long war with weeds
sun and rain and dews
on their side
distinctions with the hoe
level one species
cultivate another
seeds
see if they'll grow in this soil
truth and the like
a long war with weeds
sun and rain and dews
on their side
distinctions with the hoe
level one species
cultivate another
seeds
see if they'll grow in this soil
truth and the like
Guidelines for Tomato Selection and Storage
By Nicole Sugerman
With so many colors and varieties of tomatoes, it can sometimes be hard to tell which are ripe. If you are unsure, ask the shareholder staffing the pickup for help. Here are some guidelines when selecting tomatoes:
• We harvest some of the tomatoes less ripe purposefully. Tomatoes ripen very quickly. If you do not think you will eat your tomatoes within the next day or two, do not select the ones that are the ripest—select one that is a little firmer, with some green, and it will ripen up within a couple of days on your kitchen counter.
• You can determine ripeness by how squishy the tomato is, and how it smells. Some of our tomatoes ripen green, some ripen yellow, some pink. Instead of looking only for bright red color as an indication of ripeness, feel it and see if it is soft or firm. A riper tomato will also smell more tomato-ey.
• For best taste, do not put your tomatoes in the fridge! Refrigerating tomatoes ruins the consistency and diminishes some of the flavor. Your tomatoes will not spoil if you leave them at room temperature—just eat them when they are ripe. If you use part of a tomato, you may have to refrigerate the unused half to prevent molding.
With so many colors and varieties of tomatoes, it can sometimes be hard to tell which are ripe. If you are unsure, ask the shareholder staffing the pickup for help. Here are some guidelines when selecting tomatoes:
• We harvest some of the tomatoes less ripe purposefully. Tomatoes ripen very quickly. If you do not think you will eat your tomatoes within the next day or two, do not select the ones that are the ripest—select one that is a little firmer, with some green, and it will ripen up within a couple of days on your kitchen counter.
• You can determine ripeness by how squishy the tomato is, and how it smells. Some of our tomatoes ripen green, some ripen yellow, some pink. Instead of looking only for bright red color as an indication of ripeness, feel it and see if it is soft or firm. A riper tomato will also smell more tomato-ey.
• For best taste, do not put your tomatoes in the fridge! Refrigerating tomatoes ruins the consistency and diminishes some of the flavor. Your tomatoes will not spoil if you leave them at room temperature—just eat them when they are ripe. If you use part of a tomato, you may have to refrigerate the unused half to prevent molding.
Carrot Harvest
By Zemora Tevah
Sweetness stored in soil
Pop says earth as she lets go
Vibrant purple roots
Sweetness stored in soil
Pop says earth as she lets go
Vibrant purple roots
Tomato Taste Test!
By the entire crew
Last week, the farm crew had an impromptu communal dinner at Nina and Nicole's house. The main course was beet borscht, but tomatoes were just coming in, so I brought home a sampling so everyone could familiarize themselves with many of the varied and unique tomato varieties we are growing. We had a great time with this tomato taste test, and we wrote down our reflections to help you pick out a tomato you might enjoy. Tomatoes vary greatly in taste from variety to variety, due to differing sugar/acid ratios. This is why I find growing different, weird varieties so seductive and exciting. We are growing almost thirty different types! Here are our reflections and descriptions of a few:
Red Zebra- (Small, red and green striped)- Beautiful, mild, subtle tanginess.
Goldie- (Large, deep orange)- sweet, pineapple undertones, pleasant, fleshy
Mule Team- (Deep red, large)- classic, earthy undertone, complex, awesome
Purple Cherokee- (Large, deep purple with green shoulders, almost black inside)- smoky, tender, good on a bagel or blt, high sugar content, unique
Paul Robeson- (Smaller, dusky dark red with green shoulders)- juicy, grassy, thick skin
Green zebra- (Small, green and yellow striped)- tart, good consistency, almost citrusy, more acidic
Kosovo- (Pink, pointed on the bottom, medium sized)- mild, dull sweetness, subtle like cucumber, refreshing
Oxheart- (pink, pointed on botton, large)- good, sugary, satisfyingly meaty, rich, not too acidic, good for sauce
Look for more tomato guidelines as more varieties ripen and we sample more of them!
Tomatoes and the Lingering Terror of Late Blight
By Nicole Sugerman
Tomatoes are in! I am excited after a spring in which I did not allow myself to think about how much I enjoy this beloved summer crop. I did not think about their juiciness, or imagine all the recipes I could make that feature this joyful fruit. On Monday, we had our first gigantic tomato harvest of the season—once they come in, they really come in—and I allowed myself to feel excitement over eating tomatoes for a long time to come, but also relief; we got tomatoes before late blight got us.
Those of you who are returning members may remember last year’s late blight. Brought in on seedlings sold at big-box stores from commercial greenhouses in the south, where late blight can overwinter, late blight devastated the tomato and potato crops of farmers throughout the northeastern United States. Late blight is named for the fact that it usually hits this region late in the season, traveling up from the south and thriving on cooler weather, but last year’s unusually cool wet conditions combined with its assisted travel to this area early in the season created the perfect conditions to foster a minor catastrophe. Many small farms make up to 30% of their income on tomatoes. While some farmers, like us, were able to keep their tomatoes alive and producing (with diminished yields and quality, in many cases including ours) for a while, some farms lost their entire crop before a single tomato ripened. I recently spoke to one farmer who operates a fifteen acre organic farm in New Jersey who estimates that he lost $30,000 worth of tomatoes last season; the tomatoes were all staked, tied, pruned, and ready, before late blight wiped out his entire crop.
We are all still a little traumatized. We still swap late blight stories, and strategize and debate about whether we will get it this year, and how we might avoid it; even though the weather is hot and dry, and the late blight was not supposed to be able to overwinter in this area, the late blight is still returning earlier than usual, with sightings already reported in western Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Connecticut. One farmer I know is letting all the weeds get big between his tomato rows to try to decrease air space for spore travel, which is how late blight spreads. Other farmers I know are spraying copper sulfate, an organic-approved fungicide, preemptively. Others are just stocking up on fancier, more efficient spray equipment so they can be ready if the late blight hits.
We had a late blight scare already this season. On our lowest row of tomatoes, we noticed spots that resembled the late blight lesions of last season. We concluded that we had the disease. Nina and I stayed at the farm until ten o’clock that Friday night, removing affected leaves from the plants and spraying copper to try to prevent it from spreading. We took samples of the leaves to send to Penn State Extension, which performs free diagnostic tests on plant samples sent to them by farmers, just to make sure, but we were sure our tomatoes were doomed for another season.
Luckily, we had misdiagnosed our tomato disease. Two days after we sent in the samples, I got a call from Penn State assuring me that the samples were late blight free—we had early blight, a common, not-very threatening early season disease for organic growers, and Septoria, a leaf spot-causing fungus. Both diseases can be controlled through crop rotation, increased air circulation, and cleaning up crop debris in the fall to prevent overwintering. While having disease is not good news, tomatoes, especially heirlooms, catch diseases very easily, so getting them is not particularly worrisome if they are not late blight! We were thrilled and relieved.
I have heard other farmers tell me the same story, with false scares and anxious tomato patrolling throughout the spring. While we could still get late blight, at least the tomatoes are in and producing heavily—so we can all enjoy the amazing taste of tomatoes for what I hope will be a long while. Even though harvesting tomatoes is no one’s favorite task on the farm (it takes forever, the fruits damage easily, and the plants make us itch!) we are all thankful for the privilege this year. Enjoy your tomatoes! We are happy to have them for you.
Tomatoes are in! I am excited after a spring in which I did not allow myself to think about how much I enjoy this beloved summer crop. I did not think about their juiciness, or imagine all the recipes I could make that feature this joyful fruit. On Monday, we had our first gigantic tomato harvest of the season—once they come in, they really come in—and I allowed myself to feel excitement over eating tomatoes for a long time to come, but also relief; we got tomatoes before late blight got us.
Those of you who are returning members may remember last year’s late blight. Brought in on seedlings sold at big-box stores from commercial greenhouses in the south, where late blight can overwinter, late blight devastated the tomato and potato crops of farmers throughout the northeastern United States. Late blight is named for the fact that it usually hits this region late in the season, traveling up from the south and thriving on cooler weather, but last year’s unusually cool wet conditions combined with its assisted travel to this area early in the season created the perfect conditions to foster a minor catastrophe. Many small farms make up to 30% of their income on tomatoes. While some farmers, like us, were able to keep their tomatoes alive and producing (with diminished yields and quality, in many cases including ours) for a while, some farms lost their entire crop before a single tomato ripened. I recently spoke to one farmer who operates a fifteen acre organic farm in New Jersey who estimates that he lost $30,000 worth of tomatoes last season; the tomatoes were all staked, tied, pruned, and ready, before late blight wiped out his entire crop.
We are all still a little traumatized. We still swap late blight stories, and strategize and debate about whether we will get it this year, and how we might avoid it; even though the weather is hot and dry, and the late blight was not supposed to be able to overwinter in this area, the late blight is still returning earlier than usual, with sightings already reported in western Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Connecticut. One farmer I know is letting all the weeds get big between his tomato rows to try to decrease air space for spore travel, which is how late blight spreads. Other farmers I know are spraying copper sulfate, an organic-approved fungicide, preemptively. Others are just stocking up on fancier, more efficient spray equipment so they can be ready if the late blight hits.
We had a late blight scare already this season. On our lowest row of tomatoes, we noticed spots that resembled the late blight lesions of last season. We concluded that we had the disease. Nina and I stayed at the farm until ten o’clock that Friday night, removing affected leaves from the plants and spraying copper to try to prevent it from spreading. We took samples of the leaves to send to Penn State Extension, which performs free diagnostic tests on plant samples sent to them by farmers, just to make sure, but we were sure our tomatoes were doomed for another season.
Luckily, we had misdiagnosed our tomato disease. Two days after we sent in the samples, I got a call from Penn State assuring me that the samples were late blight free—we had early blight, a common, not-very threatening early season disease for organic growers, and Septoria, a leaf spot-causing fungus. Both diseases can be controlled through crop rotation, increased air circulation, and cleaning up crop debris in the fall to prevent overwintering. While having disease is not good news, tomatoes, especially heirlooms, catch diseases very easily, so getting them is not particularly worrisome if they are not late blight! We were thrilled and relieved.
I have heard other farmers tell me the same story, with false scares and anxious tomato patrolling throughout the spring. While we could still get late blight, at least the tomatoes are in and producing heavily—so we can all enjoy the amazing taste of tomatoes for what I hope will be a long while. Even though harvesting tomatoes is no one’s favorite task on the farm (it takes forever, the fruits damage easily, and the plants make us itch!) we are all thankful for the privilege this year. Enjoy your tomatoes! We are happy to have them for you.
CARROT TOP PARSLEY
Cut off your green carrot tops. Lay them in a warm, dry, dark place, all spread out. When completely dry, collect and crumble into flakes. Use as a parsley replacement in cooking.
SQUASH BLOSSOM FRITTERS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
a few grinds of black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano
1 egg
8-9 squash blossoms, torn into thirds
1/4 cup diced mozzarella
2 thin slices ham, cut into thin strips (optional)
Vegetable oil for frying
In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, pepper, salt, Parmigiano and egg and stir until well combined. Add in the squash blossoms, mozzarella and ham. Stir in enough cold water until a nice batter forms (should be the consistency of a pancake batter).
Heat about a 1/2 cup of vegetable oil over medium heat until shimmering. Using a dinner spoon, drop a spoonful of batter into the oil to make small pancakes. Fry on both sides until golden, a few minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and season with a pinch of salt. Continue frying the remaining pancakes.
http://www.finecooking.com/item/18493/squash-blossom-fritters
1 tsp. baking powder
a few grinds of black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano
1 egg
8-9 squash blossoms, torn into thirds
1/4 cup diced mozzarella
2 thin slices ham, cut into thin strips (optional)
Vegetable oil for frying
In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, pepper, salt, Parmigiano and egg and stir until well combined. Add in the squash blossoms, mozzarella and ham. Stir in enough cold water until a nice batter forms (should be the consistency of a pancake batter).
Heat about a 1/2 cup of vegetable oil over medium heat until shimmering. Using a dinner spoon, drop a spoonful of batter into the oil to make small pancakes. Fry on both sides until golden, a few minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and season with a pinch of salt. Continue frying the remaining pancakes.
http://www.finecooking.com/item/18493/squash-blossom-fritters
CHINESE SCALLION PANCAKES
recipe by Elsa Chen
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for flouring the rolling surface
1 cup water
2 teaspoons oil
A bunch of green onions, green and white parts, chopped medium-fine
A few tablespoons of oil to brush on pancakes (a mix of canola or corn oil and sesame oil is good) some salt A few tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
Directions:
Mix together the first three ingredients by hand or in a food processor. Flour a surface and knead the dough. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes before continuing.
With a rolling pin, roll the dough out on a well-floured surface into a big, flat square or rectangle 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
Brush the pancake with a bit of oil, and sprinkle with spring onion pieces and a little salt. Starting at one short end, roll up the dough tightly, jelly-roll style, so you have a "snake."
Cut the "snake" crosswise into 8 - 10 pieces. Then flatten each piece again gently with your palm and rolling pin to make a little rectangle. Don't flatten it too firmly, because you want a little air to remain trapped between the layers of the pancakes so they'll puff up a bit between the layers and be lighter.
Press one or both sides in sesame seeds (optional).
Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large skillet. Shallow fry the pancakes until both sides are golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
Serve plain or with dipping sauce. An easy sauce can be made by mixing soy sauce with a little minced garlic, scallion, and rice vinegar
http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/scallions.html
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for flouring the rolling surface
1 cup water
2 teaspoons oil
A bunch of green onions, green and white parts, chopped medium-fine
A few tablespoons of oil to brush on pancakes (a mix of canola or corn oil and sesame oil is good) some salt A few tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
Directions:
Mix together the first three ingredients by hand or in a food processor. Flour a surface and knead the dough. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes before continuing.
With a rolling pin, roll the dough out on a well-floured surface into a big, flat square or rectangle 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
Brush the pancake with a bit of oil, and sprinkle with spring onion pieces and a little salt. Starting at one short end, roll up the dough tightly, jelly-roll style, so you have a "snake."
Cut the "snake" crosswise into 8 - 10 pieces. Then flatten each piece again gently with your palm and rolling pin to make a little rectangle. Don't flatten it too firmly, because you want a little air to remain trapped between the layers of the pancakes so they'll puff up a bit between the layers and be lighter.
Press one or both sides in sesame seeds (optional).
Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large skillet. Shallow fry the pancakes until both sides are golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
Serve plain or with dipping sauce. An easy sauce can be made by mixing soy sauce with a little minced garlic, scallion, and rice vinegar
http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/scallions.html
ZUCCHINI WITH DILL AND BUTTER
Ingredients:
• 2 medium zucchini, unpeeled
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• dried dillweed
Preparation:
Cut zucchini lengthwise in half; cook in about an inch of boiling, salt water for 12 minutes, or until tender. Drain zucchini; brush with melted butter and sprinkle with dill.
Serves 4.
http://southernfood.about.com/od/zucchinirecipes/r/bl40320j.htm
• 2 medium zucchini, unpeeled
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• dried dillweed
Preparation:
Cut zucchini lengthwise in half; cook in about an inch of boiling, salt water for 12 minutes, or until tender. Drain zucchini; brush with melted butter and sprinkle with dill.
Serves 4.
http://southernfood.about.com/od/zucchinirecipes/r/bl40320j.htm
YELLOW SQUASH PATTIES
Ingredients:
• 2 cups grated yellow squash
• 1/4 cup self - rising flour
• 1/3 cup self - rising cornmeal
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• pepper to taste
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together. Spoon out into hot greased frying pan (I use olive oil). Brown both sides. Drain on paper towel. Suzi's Note: I enjoy these very much! Sometimes I make them real crispy, other times I make them like potato pancakes and have apple sauce with them.
http://southernfood.about.com/od/summersquash/r/bl30515f.htm
• 2 cups grated yellow squash
• 1/4 cup self - rising flour
• 1/3 cup self - rising cornmeal
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• pepper to taste
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together. Spoon out into hot greased frying pan (I use olive oil). Brown both sides. Drain on paper towel. Suzi's Note: I enjoy these very much! Sometimes I make them real crispy, other times I make them like potato pancakes and have apple sauce with them.
http://southernfood.about.com/od/summersquash/r/bl30515f.htm
VEGETARIAN STUFFED PEPPERS
1 (16 oz.) can pinto beans
1/2 c. wheat flour
1/2 stick (1/4 c.) butter
4 c. cooked white rice
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato paste
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. honey
6 green peppers
Combine the rice, tomato paste, m oregano, basil and cayenne pepper. Remove tops and insides of peppers. Fill peppers 2/3 full with rice mixture. Melt butter in a skillet and add flour and honey and cook until thickened. Add the beans and let cook for two or three minutes. Fill remainder of peppers with bean mixture.Place small amount of butter in a baking pan and bake the peppers at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. This is really tasty.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1726,150172-251192,00.html
1/2 c. wheat flour
1/2 stick (1/4 c.) butter
4 c. cooked white rice
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato paste
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. honey
6 green peppers
Combine the rice, tomato paste, m oregano, basil and cayenne pepper. Remove tops and insides of peppers. Fill peppers 2/3 full with rice mixture. Melt butter in a skillet and add flour and honey and cook until thickened. Add the beans and let cook for two or three minutes. Fill remainder of peppers with bean mixture.Place small amount of butter in a baking pan and bake the peppers at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. This is really tasty.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1726,150172-251192,00.html
MEDITERRANEAN BRAISED CHARD
Note: Add a few anchovies in for "unexpected complexity." This recipe can be made with beet, mustard, turnip, or older dandelion greens in place of the chard; serve it with grilled meat or fish, or eat the greens on their own with a dollop of tangy yogurt.
INGREDIENTS
2 bunches Swiss chard, washed, thoroughly dried, and stems trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium white onion, minced
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons golden raisins
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup whole pitted black olives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Juice of 1/2 medium lemon
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Slice chard stems from leaves. Coarsely chop stems and set aside; cut leaves crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips and set aside.
2. Heat oil and butter in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Once butter foams, add onion, anchovies, and raisins and cook until onion is softened and anchovies have broken down into a paste.
3. Add capers and garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant and lightly browned.
INGREDIENTS
2 bunches Swiss chard, washed, thoroughly dried, and stems trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium white onion, minced
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons golden raisins
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup whole pitted black olives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Juice of 1/2 medium lemon
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Slice chard stems from leaves. Coarsely chop stems and set aside; cut leaves crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips and set aside.
2. Heat oil and butter in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Once butter foams, add onion, anchovies, and raisins and cook until onion is softened and anchovies have broken down into a paste.
3. Add capers and garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant and lightly browned.
Poems about Rain!
Rain
by Shel Silverstein
I opened my eyes
And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head
And flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.
I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can't do a handstand--
I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--
I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.
RESOLUTION AND INDEPENDENCE
(An excerpt from)
By William Wordsworth
I
THERE was a roaring in the wind all night;
The rain came heavily and fell in floods;
But now the sun is rising calm and bright;
The birds are singing in the distant woods;
Over his own sweet voice the Stock-dove broods;
The Jay makes answer as the Magpie chatters;
And all the air is filled with pleasant noise of waters.
II
All things that love the sun are out of doors;
The sky rejoices in the morning's birth;
The grass is bright with rain-drops;--on the moors
The hare is running races in her mirth;
And with her feet she from the splashy earth
Raises a mist, that, glittering in the sun,
Runs with her all the way, wherever she doth run.
by Shel Silverstein
I opened my eyes
And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head
And flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.
I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can't do a handstand--
I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--
I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.
RESOLUTION AND INDEPENDENCE
(An excerpt from)
By William Wordsworth
I
THERE was a roaring in the wind all night;
The rain came heavily and fell in floods;
But now the sun is rising calm and bright;
The birds are singing in the distant woods;
Over his own sweet voice the Stock-dove broods;
The Jay makes answer as the Magpie chatters;
And all the air is filled with pleasant noise of waters.
II
All things that love the sun are out of doors;
The sky rejoices in the morning's birth;
The grass is bright with rain-drops;--on the moors
The hare is running races in her mirth;
And with her feet she from the splashy earth
Raises a mist, that, glittering in the sun,
Runs with her all the way, wherever she doth run.
Meet the CSA Pick-Up Staff
Its about time we formally introduce to you our team of shareholders who staff the CSA pick-up! This year we greatly expanded our team of working share members (last year we had one working share). We are grateful for the help and the increased involvement that these people are contributing to Henry Got Crops. You see one of the working share members every time you come to pick up your vegetables. The pick-up staff get a discount on their share for working a specified number of hours at the farm. They have received rigorous training on staffing the pick-up and are now experts and can answer all of your vegetable pick-up questions! They also often have great suggestions on how to cook the veggies in your share. Don’t be shy to introduce yourself! This week, meet the Tuesday staffers Carl (who staffs 2 to 5) and Sarah (who along with Anna staffs from 5 to 7):
Carl Notter
Past:
Born in the 1940’s, grow-up in the 50’s (Traditional American Family), survived the 60’s (seven years in an orphanage, then off to Viet Nam). The 70’s are a blur, started a family and secured employment (not yet interested in education). In October 1980 I was recruited by the Special Operations community. At which time, I took a leave of absence from the school district to go back on active duty to complete the SFQ course. After two years on active duty I returned to the area and in 1984 I retired from the Philadelphia School District and moved on to the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD). I was recruited by the PPD to be a mounted police officer (good move). During my police career I was often on active military duty due to multiple deployments, e.g., Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay, Panama, Norway, Denmark, and many more (a good change of pace). In February 2001 I retired from the PPD and went back on active duty until my mandatory retirement from the US Army in June 2009, with 42 years of total service for pension.
My quest for education started somewhat later in life. At this time, education is my driving force. In 2000 I discovered the Veterans Upward Bound Program at the University of Pennsylvania, a college preparatory course for veterans. After completion of the course, I received a scholarship to Humboldt State University (Northern California) to study oceanography and biology. I completed my lower level course work at Philadelphia Community College before obtaining my Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from Excelsior College (Online Military Distance Learning) in May, 2006. In May, 2008 I received my Masters Degree in Special Education from Arcadia University, while at a mountain Combat Outpost (COP) in Eastern Afghanistan. Obviously, Online distance learning worked for me.
Present:
I do volunteer work at Henry Got Crops (HGC) each Tuesday from 2X7. I believe in Sustainable Living (SL). Therefore, by working at HGC I hope to learn something each week and contribute in a small way to the growing SL community. On Fridays and Sundays I volunteer at the Pegasus Riding Academy www.pegasusridingacademy.com by working the horses prior to the children taking their riding lessons and leading them during their lessons. On a personal note, I exercise everyday and spend a lot of time in the woods hiking, berry picking, biking, and just enjoying nature.
Future:
I plan to relocate with my clan to an area with warmer weather and longer Summers. As for education, I plan to continue my quest for learning by pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sustainable Living, utilizing the MGIB.
Sarah Punderson
I live in Fairmount/Art Museum area. My favorite vegetable is the banana pepper. In my spare time at the farm, I enjoy trying to pet the sheep through the fence. (Nicole: "Oh by the way, it's electric.")
Carl Notter
Past:
Born in the 1940’s, grow-up in the 50’s (Traditional American Family), survived the 60’s (seven years in an orphanage, then off to Viet Nam). The 70’s are a blur, started a family and secured employment (not yet interested in education). In October 1980 I was recruited by the Special Operations community. At which time, I took a leave of absence from the school district to go back on active duty to complete the SFQ course. After two years on active duty I returned to the area and in 1984 I retired from the Philadelphia School District and moved on to the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD). I was recruited by the PPD to be a mounted police officer (good move). During my police career I was often on active military duty due to multiple deployments, e.g., Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay, Panama, Norway, Denmark, and many more (a good change of pace). In February 2001 I retired from the PPD and went back on active duty until my mandatory retirement from the US Army in June 2009, with 42 years of total service for pension.
My quest for education started somewhat later in life. At this time, education is my driving force. In 2000 I discovered the Veterans Upward Bound Program at the University of Pennsylvania, a college preparatory course for veterans. After completion of the course, I received a scholarship to Humboldt State University (Northern California) to study oceanography and biology. I completed my lower level course work at Philadelphia Community College before obtaining my Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from Excelsior College (Online Military Distance Learning) in May, 2006. In May, 2008 I received my Masters Degree in Special Education from Arcadia University, while at a mountain Combat Outpost (COP) in Eastern Afghanistan. Obviously, Online distance learning worked for me.
Present:
I do volunteer work at Henry Got Crops (HGC) each Tuesday from 2X7. I believe in Sustainable Living (SL). Therefore, by working at HGC I hope to learn something each week and contribute in a small way to the growing SL community. On Fridays and Sundays I volunteer at the Pegasus Riding Academy www.pegasusridingacademy.com by working the horses prior to the children taking their riding lessons and leading them during their lessons. On a personal note, I exercise everyday and spend a lot of time in the woods hiking, berry picking, biking, and just enjoying nature.
Future:
I plan to relocate with my clan to an area with warmer weather and longer Summers. As for education, I plan to continue my quest for learning by pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sustainable Living, utilizing the MGIB.
Sarah Punderson
I live in Fairmount/Art Museum area. My favorite vegetable is the banana pepper. In my spare time at the farm, I enjoy trying to pet the sheep through the fence. (Nicole: "Oh by the way, it's electric.")
The Drought, the Heat, the Irrigation and the RAIN!
By Nina Berryman
People always joke about talking about the weather and how it’s a mundane thing to discuss. Around here, its life and death for our plants! It preoccupies our minds and dominates our conversations as if it were the breaking news of presidential election results. At the end of last season we would say, “After a season like this I hope it’s the driest, hottest season ever next year!” Then we would nervously look at each other and wonder if we were unknowingly cursing ourselves. Well, for a moment there it seemed like our superstitions almost came true!
The combination of hot weather and low rainfall has been an especially tough combination recently. It poses different problems for different crops in various parts of the farm. Across the street from where you pick up your vegetables is a small field where we grow mostly potatoes and leeks. This area has absolutely no irrigation hooked up as it’s quite far from any water source. Because of this we specifically put our hardiest crops over there. Plants were definitely beginning to wilt over there (in fact even the weeds were wilting!), but the rain came in the nick of time.
On the main part of the farm (where the U-pick has been) we have irrigation on all the annual vegetables beds. We have three different methods of watering on this side of the field. First, after we transplant something, we water it in by hand, meaning with a hose or a watering can. This deep soaking ensures the transplants can have all their water needs met as they go through the shock of being transplanted.
The second, and most heavily used type of irrigation is called drip irrigation. This is a network of tubing that starts at a water spicket and connects to each bed. On the vegetable bed we lay a specific type of tubing that is called drip tape and has many tiny holes in it, much like a soaker hose. We regulate the pressure of the water so that is it enough to squeeze through the holes in the drip tape. This type of irrigation conserves water as it goes directly to the soil instead of evaporating in the air. Up until the rain last Friday, our drip irrigation had been on almost constantly for the past few weeks. One downfall of the drip irrigation is that it is sometimes is not far-reaching enough to water some of our more crowded beds, like our carrot beds for instance. In an average year, there is usually enough rainfall that nature keeps these plants alive. However this has not been the case this year!
This brings us to our third type of irrigation- sprinklers. In the past two years we've used them infrequently if at all. In the last week before the rain, we rotated a sprinkler around different parts of the field all day and all night. Sprinklers are less water-efficient than the drip irrigation because much of the water evaporates in the air before it hits the soil. However, because of their oscillating movement they are very effective at watering the entire bed.
In addition to the lack of rain the heat has been an added challenge. Many of our beds are covered in white row cover, called Remay. Remay is a physical barrier for pests such as insects and groundhogs. However the Remay acts just like a blanket, and heats the air underneath it, surrounding the plants. It’s been so hot this year, this extra heating has resulted in having to replant eggplant and cucumbers multiple times, and caused some of our lettuce to bolt and go to seed, making it inedible.
Let’s hope the rain we’ve gotten continues!
People always joke about talking about the weather and how it’s a mundane thing to discuss. Around here, its life and death for our plants! It preoccupies our minds and dominates our conversations as if it were the breaking news of presidential election results. At the end of last season we would say, “After a season like this I hope it’s the driest, hottest season ever next year!” Then we would nervously look at each other and wonder if we were unknowingly cursing ourselves. Well, for a moment there it seemed like our superstitions almost came true!
The combination of hot weather and low rainfall has been an especially tough combination recently. It poses different problems for different crops in various parts of the farm. Across the street from where you pick up your vegetables is a small field where we grow mostly potatoes and leeks. This area has absolutely no irrigation hooked up as it’s quite far from any water source. Because of this we specifically put our hardiest crops over there. Plants were definitely beginning to wilt over there (in fact even the weeds were wilting!), but the rain came in the nick of time.
On the main part of the farm (where the U-pick has been) we have irrigation on all the annual vegetables beds. We have three different methods of watering on this side of the field. First, after we transplant something, we water it in by hand, meaning with a hose or a watering can. This deep soaking ensures the transplants can have all their water needs met as they go through the shock of being transplanted.
The second, and most heavily used type of irrigation is called drip irrigation. This is a network of tubing that starts at a water spicket and connects to each bed. On the vegetable bed we lay a specific type of tubing that is called drip tape and has many tiny holes in it, much like a soaker hose. We regulate the pressure of the water so that is it enough to squeeze through the holes in the drip tape. This type of irrigation conserves water as it goes directly to the soil instead of evaporating in the air. Up until the rain last Friday, our drip irrigation had been on almost constantly for the past few weeks. One downfall of the drip irrigation is that it is sometimes is not far-reaching enough to water some of our more crowded beds, like our carrot beds for instance. In an average year, there is usually enough rainfall that nature keeps these plants alive. However this has not been the case this year!
This brings us to our third type of irrigation- sprinklers. In the past two years we've used them infrequently if at all. In the last week before the rain, we rotated a sprinkler around different parts of the field all day and all night. Sprinklers are less water-efficient than the drip irrigation because much of the water evaporates in the air before it hits the soil. However, because of their oscillating movement they are very effective at watering the entire bed.
In addition to the lack of rain the heat has been an added challenge. Many of our beds are covered in white row cover, called Remay. Remay is a physical barrier for pests such as insects and groundhogs. However the Remay acts just like a blanket, and heats the air underneath it, surrounding the plants. It’s been so hot this year, this extra heating has resulted in having to replant eggplant and cucumbers multiple times, and caused some of our lettuce to bolt and go to seed, making it inedible.
Let’s hope the rain we’ve gotten continues!
German-Style Apples and Cabbage
2 packed cups thinly sliced red or green cabbage
1 ½ cups peeled, sliced tart apples
1 cup sliced red onion
½ cup apple cider or beer
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 tespoon caraway seeds
½ teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
Place cabbage, apples, red onion, and cider or beer in a heavy saucepan or skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables become slightly tender, about 8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; cook another 7 to 8 minutes. Add more cider if necessary to keep vegetables from sticking. Serve with ring bologna, bratwurst, kielbasa, or sautéed mushrooms.
Makes 3 servings.
Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition, From Asparagus to Zucchini
1 ½ cups peeled, sliced tart apples
1 cup sliced red onion
½ cup apple cider or beer
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 tespoon caraway seeds
½ teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
Place cabbage, apples, red onion, and cider or beer in a heavy saucepan or skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables become slightly tender, about 8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; cook another 7 to 8 minutes. Add more cider if necessary to keep vegetables from sticking. Serve with ring bologna, bratwurst, kielbasa, or sautéed mushrooms.
Makes 3 servings.
Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition, From Asparagus to Zucchini
Thai Fresh Cucumber Salad
Yields 4 to 5 cups
3 medium cucumbers, sliced as thinly as possible
Salt
½ teaspoon dried hot pepper flakes
1 tablespoon sugar dissolved in ¼ cup hot water
4 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon minced scallions
In a bowl, generously salt the sliced cucumbers. Allow to site for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Combine the other ingredients.
Squeeze out as much of the cucumber juice as you can, by wringing a handful at a time in a double layer of cheesecloth or a dish towel. Twist until you can extract no more juice.
Combine the squeezed cucumbers and the sauce in a serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant
3 medium cucumbers, sliced as thinly as possible
Salt
½ teaspoon dried hot pepper flakes
1 tablespoon sugar dissolved in ¼ cup hot water
4 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon minced scallions
In a bowl, generously salt the sliced cucumbers. Allow to site for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Combine the other ingredients.
Squeeze out as much of the cucumber juice as you can, by wringing a handful at a time in a double layer of cheesecloth or a dish towel. Twist until you can extract no more juice.
Combine the squeezed cucumbers and the sauce in a serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant
Sweet and Sour Beets
Slice or dice:
1 pound/ 12 ounces cooked beets (about 3 cups)
Stir in the top of a double boiler until smooth:
½ cup sugar
½ cup cider vinegar or dry white wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
2 whole cloves
Cook over simmering water, stirring, until clear. Add the beats and let them stand over the hot water, off the heat, for about 30 minutes. Just before serving, reheat the beats until just heated through, and add:
1 tablespoon butter
And:
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
Or
½ teaspoon cider vinegar
Joy of Cooking
1 pound/ 12 ounces cooked beets (about 3 cups)
Stir in the top of a double boiler until smooth:
½ cup sugar
½ cup cider vinegar or dry white wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
2 whole cloves
Cook over simmering water, stirring, until clear. Add the beats and let them stand over the hot water, off the heat, for about 30 minutes. Just before serving, reheat the beats until just heated through, and add:
1 tablespoon butter
And:
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
Or
½ teaspoon cider vinegar
Joy of Cooking
Saucy Green Beans
½ to ¾ pounds green beans
1 ¼ cups salted water
1 large onions, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 ½ teaspoons dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Rinse and trim green beans and cut them in half. Bring water to a rolling boil. Drop the onion slices into the boiling water. After a coupl of minutes, add the green beans. Cook until the beans are tender. Drain, reserving the liquid.
In a separate saucepan, make a roux. Melt the butter on low heat. Whisk in flour and continue cooking for a minute or two, stirring constantly and making sure not the burn. Whisk in about one cup of the reserved liquid, the sour cream, and the lemon juice. Add 2 teaspoons of the dill. Salt and pepper to taste.
Place the beans in a serving dish and pour sauce over them. Serve sprinkled with remaining dill.
Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant
1 ¼ cups salted water
1 large onions, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 ½ teaspoons dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Rinse and trim green beans and cut them in half. Bring water to a rolling boil. Drop the onion slices into the boiling water. After a coupl of minutes, add the green beans. Cook until the beans are tender. Drain, reserving the liquid.
In a separate saucepan, make a roux. Melt the butter on low heat. Whisk in flour and continue cooking for a minute or two, stirring constantly and making sure not the burn. Whisk in about one cup of the reserved liquid, the sour cream, and the lemon juice. Add 2 teaspoons of the dill. Salt and pepper to taste.
Place the beans in a serving dish and pour sauce over them. Serve sprinkled with remaining dill.
Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant
Sweet Zucchini Biscuits
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground mace
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cips shredded, drained zucchini
½ cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease 2 baking sheets.
Beat butter until fluffy. Beat in sugar, eggs, and orange juice.
Combine flour, baking powder, spices, and salt; stir into egg mixture.
Stir in zucchini, pecans, and orange zest.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes; cool.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Makes 5 dozen biscuits.
Angele Theriault, Harmony Valley Farm
From Asparagus to Zucchini
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground mace
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cips shredded, drained zucchini
½ cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease 2 baking sheets.
Beat butter until fluffy. Beat in sugar, eggs, and orange juice.
Combine flour, baking powder, spices, and salt; stir into egg mixture.
Stir in zucchini, pecans, and orange zest.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes; cool.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Makes 5 dozen biscuits.
Angele Theriault, Harmony Valley Farm
From Asparagus to Zucchini
Mannie’s Cold Zucchini Salad
Zucchini
Canola Oil
Minced Garlic
Red wine vinegar
Salt
Slice Zucchini into thin strips lengthwise. Fry lightly in hot oil until soft throughout. Transfer zucchini to a bowl; salt lightly. Discard most of the oil in the pan. Add generous amounts of garlic and sauté lightly. Add ¼ inch of red wine vinegar to the pan and bring to quick boil, then remove from heat. Toss sauce with squash. Cover and refrigerate, then serve.
From:
Drumlin Community Farm
From Asparagus to Zucchini
Canola Oil
Minced Garlic
Red wine vinegar
Salt
Slice Zucchini into thin strips lengthwise. Fry lightly in hot oil until soft throughout. Transfer zucchini to a bowl; salt lightly. Discard most of the oil in the pan. Add generous amounts of garlic and sauté lightly. Add ¼ inch of red wine vinegar to the pan and bring to quick boil, then remove from heat. Toss sauce with squash. Cover and refrigerate, then serve.
From:
Drumlin Community Farm
From Asparagus to Zucchini
Featuring: Thai Basil and Purple Basil
Some of you may have noticed that we are growing some unusual types of basil. We decided to grow more Thai and purple basil this season because last season, our green basil incepted downy mildew, a destructive disease first seen in the United States in 2008. This disease has been prevalent in Europe since 2001, and has reoccurred commonly each year since then, sparking concerns that it will be similarly widespread in the United States.
Green basil, the most common and popular type of basil, is most susceptible to downy mildew. Thai basil has proven to be quite resistant to the disease in several tests, and purple basil has shown moderate resistance. We decided to hedge out bets and plant more of the resistant varieties so that we would still be able to provide basil even if we got the disease again.
Luckily, Thai and purple basil are delicious! Thai basil has a light anise flavor. Purple basil tastes similar to green basil. Both can be used to make pesto, a staple of basil-lovers, or can be used in place of green basil in any recipe. Here are some specific used for both:
Tofu Stir-fried with Thai Basil
Firm tofu or deep-fried tofu - about 3.5 oz
(Asian groceries will sell you deep-fried tofu if you can't make your own)
Garlic - 3 cloves
Hot green chillies (preferably Thai bird chillies) - 4-6 (adjust this to your taste please; I like mine hot)
Shallots - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Light soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Dark soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Stock or water - 1/4 cup (about 4 tbsp)
Sugar - 1 tsp
Peanut oil - about 1 tbsp (adjust as required)
White pepper - 2 pinches
Thai basil leaves - large handful
Mince the garlic cloves and chop the chilis finely. Cut the tofu into bite-sized chunks.
If you have the time, pound the garlic, chilis, shallots, and salt together into a paste. This makes the flavors blend better. If you're in a hurry, let it be.
Heat a wok until hot. Add the peanut oil.
When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the pounded paste. If you haven't pounded them together, add the chillies, garlic, shallots, and salt to the oil. Stir-fry on medium heat for about 10-15 seconds, taking care to make sure that the garlic doesn't burn.
Add the cut tofu and stir-fry again for another minute. Then add the light and dark soy sauces, the sugar, white pepper, and stock or water.
Stir-fry for one more minute to allow the sauce to thicken a bit and coat the tofu. Then tear the basil leaves with your hands and add them to the wok.
Stir it around till the basil wilts. Check quickly for any adjustments to seasoning. Take it off the heat.
Preparation time is about 3-5 minutes and cooking time is about 3 minutes. Serve this dish with white steamed rice or noodles or fried rice or anything else that's not too assertive.
http://www.shiokfood.com/notes/archives/000015.html
Purple Basil Lemonade
Yield: 4 servings
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
-1/2 cup loosely packed purple basil leaves (about 1/4 ounce)
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 4 cups ice
- 4 purple basil sprigs
Combine 4 cups water and juice in a large bowl. Place 1/2 cup basil and sugar in a mortar; pound with pestle until a paste forms. Add sugar mixture to juice mixture; stir until sugar dissolves. Strain mixture through a sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Place 1 cup ice in each of 4 glasses. Pour about 1 cup lemonade into each glass; garnish each serving with 1 basil sprig.
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1906345
Green basil, the most common and popular type of basil, is most susceptible to downy mildew. Thai basil has proven to be quite resistant to the disease in several tests, and purple basil has shown moderate resistance. We decided to hedge out bets and plant more of the resistant varieties so that we would still be able to provide basil even if we got the disease again.
Luckily, Thai and purple basil are delicious! Thai basil has a light anise flavor. Purple basil tastes similar to green basil. Both can be used to make pesto, a staple of basil-lovers, or can be used in place of green basil in any recipe. Here are some specific used for both:
Tofu Stir-fried with Thai Basil
Firm tofu or deep-fried tofu - about 3.5 oz
(Asian groceries will sell you deep-fried tofu if you can't make your own)
Garlic - 3 cloves
Hot green chillies (preferably Thai bird chillies) - 4-6 (adjust this to your taste please; I like mine hot)
Shallots - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Light soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Dark soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Stock or water - 1/4 cup (about 4 tbsp)
Sugar - 1 tsp
Peanut oil - about 1 tbsp (adjust as required)
White pepper - 2 pinches
Thai basil leaves - large handful
Mince the garlic cloves and chop the chilis finely. Cut the tofu into bite-sized chunks.
If you have the time, pound the garlic, chilis, shallots, and salt together into a paste. This makes the flavors blend better. If you're in a hurry, let it be.
Heat a wok until hot. Add the peanut oil.
When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the pounded paste. If you haven't pounded them together, add the chillies, garlic, shallots, and salt to the oil. Stir-fry on medium heat for about 10-15 seconds, taking care to make sure that the garlic doesn't burn.
Add the cut tofu and stir-fry again for another minute. Then add the light and dark soy sauces, the sugar, white pepper, and stock or water.
Stir-fry for one more minute to allow the sauce to thicken a bit and coat the tofu. Then tear the basil leaves with your hands and add them to the wok.
Stir it around till the basil wilts. Check quickly for any adjustments to seasoning. Take it off the heat.
Preparation time is about 3-5 minutes and cooking time is about 3 minutes. Serve this dish with white steamed rice or noodles or fried rice or anything else that's not too assertive.
http://www.shiokfood.com/notes/archives/000015.html
Purple Basil Lemonade
Yield: 4 servings
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
-1/2 cup loosely packed purple basil leaves (about 1/4 ounce)
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 4 cups ice
- 4 purple basil sprigs
Combine 4 cups water and juice in a large bowl. Place 1/2 cup basil and sugar in a mortar; pound with pestle until a paste forms. Add sugar mixture to juice mixture; stir until sugar dissolves. Strain mixture through a sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Place 1 cup ice in each of 4 glasses. Pour about 1 cup lemonade into each glass; garnish each serving with 1 basil sprig.
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1906345
A Report-back from the United States Social Forum
By Zemora Tevah
I spent last week in Detroit, Michigan, at the United States Social Forum. I missed the farm crew, the vegetables, and our friends the groundhogs, but I had an amazing time and learned a lot!! If you haven't heard of the Social Forum before, don't worry. It's hard to describe, but I'll try. It's basically a convergence of leftist and radical activists and organizations from all corners of the country (and even the world) getting together and learning from one another, building momentum, networking, sharing skills, resources, ideas, workshops, energy, and action.
The Social Forum is completely built by its participants, for the people and by the people. Over 20,000 people attended, and led over 1,000 workshops, spanning five days. More details can be found on the website, ussf2010.org:
“The US Social Forum (USSF) is a movement building process. It is not a conference but it is a space to come up with the peoples’ solutions to the economic and ecological crisis. The USSF is the next most important step in our struggle to build a powerful multi-racial, multi-sectoral, inter-generational, diverse, inclusive, internationalist movement that transforms this country and changes history...We must declare what we want our world to look like and we must start planning the path to get there. The USSF provides spaces to learn from each other’s experiences and struggles, share our analysis of the problems our communities face, build relationships, and align with our international brothers and sisters to strategize how to reclaim our world."
So why was I drawn to the Social Forum? The Forum had many interconnected themes, among them, poverty, immigration, climate justice, labor, indigenous sovereignty, housing, building alliances across race, class and gender... I was specifically most interested in learning about the food system, and how it is intertwined with all of the above. I see the ways that we as humans produce, consume, and distribute our food as interwoven with the current economic and ecological crises. I was lucky enough to attend various food related workshops and also to tour a few of Detroit's community gardens. I'll tell you about the first workshop I went to, the thoughts it provoked, and what it taught me.
The workshop I went to on farmworker's rights was held by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), the tomato pickers of Immokalee, Florida, a corner of Florida where most of the tomatoes for the nation's fast food chains and supermarkets are grown. They had faced exploitative conditions, including being beaten in the fields, bosses stealing paychecks, very long days at low pay, living in isolated labor camps, and many instances of what they termed "modern day slavery." They began “The Campaign for Fair Food”, and battled eight corporations (including McDonalds, Taco Bell, Burger King, and Subway) eventually becoming victorious in their demands. They were successful in getting 1 cent more per pound of tomatoes (it doesn't sound like much but over the course of the day, it adds up to significantly higher wages) as well as the corporations being held accountable to a new code of conduct, designed and implemented by the workers. This code of conduct included things like being actually being paid for overtime, having shade in the fields, being more protected from sexual harassment, and a zero tolerance policy for slavery conditions including physical violence. (see www.ciw-online.org)The CIW is now engaged in a struggle to change the policies of supermarket chains and their suppliers.
Hearing the stories of members of the CIW really made me think a lot about the so-called "food movement," what that means, and who it leaves out. In mainstream media the faces we see are frequently of young, college-educated, usually white farmers.These are the faces of the fashionable food movement, but this is so far from the whole story. We can't forget that the majority of our food supply still comes from huge corporations that exploit, abuse, and dehumanize people, and we have to change this. It's easy to forget this crucial aspect of the food system, especially when you work on an awesome small farm, and are surrounded by others who are working on growing food in better ways that don't hurt people or the earth. But it's not enough to focus on local, organic, fresh food. The general awareness of the importance of "local" and "organic" food seems to have grown tremendously in the last few years alone--which is a huge step-- but there is so much more to fight for. We need to work for fair food as well.
If you're interested in learning more about the Social Forum, or about the dynamics of the urban agriculture scene in Detroit in particular, here is a pretty good article in the Nation, entitled "Detroit's Social Forum: Hope in A Crisis." It can be found at: http://www.thenation.com/article/36615/detroits-social-forum-hope-crisis.
I spent last week in Detroit, Michigan, at the United States Social Forum. I missed the farm crew, the vegetables, and our friends the groundhogs, but I had an amazing time and learned a lot!! If you haven't heard of the Social Forum before, don't worry. It's hard to describe, but I'll try. It's basically a convergence of leftist and radical activists and organizations from all corners of the country (and even the world) getting together and learning from one another, building momentum, networking, sharing skills, resources, ideas, workshops, energy, and action.
The Social Forum is completely built by its participants, for the people and by the people. Over 20,000 people attended, and led over 1,000 workshops, spanning five days. More details can be found on the website, ussf2010.org:
“The US Social Forum (USSF) is a movement building process. It is not a conference but it is a space to come up with the peoples’ solutions to the economic and ecological crisis. The USSF is the next most important step in our struggle to build a powerful multi-racial, multi-sectoral, inter-generational, diverse, inclusive, internationalist movement that transforms this country and changes history...We must declare what we want our world to look like and we must start planning the path to get there. The USSF provides spaces to learn from each other’s experiences and struggles, share our analysis of the problems our communities face, build relationships, and align with our international brothers and sisters to strategize how to reclaim our world."
So why was I drawn to the Social Forum? The Forum had many interconnected themes, among them, poverty, immigration, climate justice, labor, indigenous sovereignty, housing, building alliances across race, class and gender... I was specifically most interested in learning about the food system, and how it is intertwined with all of the above. I see the ways that we as humans produce, consume, and distribute our food as interwoven with the current economic and ecological crises. I was lucky enough to attend various food related workshops and also to tour a few of Detroit's community gardens. I'll tell you about the first workshop I went to, the thoughts it provoked, and what it taught me.
The workshop I went to on farmworker's rights was held by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), the tomato pickers of Immokalee, Florida, a corner of Florida where most of the tomatoes for the nation's fast food chains and supermarkets are grown. They had faced exploitative conditions, including being beaten in the fields, bosses stealing paychecks, very long days at low pay, living in isolated labor camps, and many instances of what they termed "modern day slavery." They began “The Campaign for Fair Food”, and battled eight corporations (including McDonalds, Taco Bell, Burger King, and Subway) eventually becoming victorious in their demands. They were successful in getting 1 cent more per pound of tomatoes (it doesn't sound like much but over the course of the day, it adds up to significantly higher wages) as well as the corporations being held accountable to a new code of conduct, designed and implemented by the workers. This code of conduct included things like being actually being paid for overtime, having shade in the fields, being more protected from sexual harassment, and a zero tolerance policy for slavery conditions including physical violence. (see www.ciw-online.org)The CIW is now engaged in a struggle to change the policies of supermarket chains and their suppliers.
Hearing the stories of members of the CIW really made me think a lot about the so-called "food movement," what that means, and who it leaves out. In mainstream media the faces we see are frequently of young, college-educated, usually white farmers.These are the faces of the fashionable food movement, but this is so far from the whole story. We can't forget that the majority of our food supply still comes from huge corporations that exploit, abuse, and dehumanize people, and we have to change this. It's easy to forget this crucial aspect of the food system, especially when you work on an awesome small farm, and are surrounded by others who are working on growing food in better ways that don't hurt people or the earth. But it's not enough to focus on local, organic, fresh food. The general awareness of the importance of "local" and "organic" food seems to have grown tremendously in the last few years alone--which is a huge step-- but there is so much more to fight for. We need to work for fair food as well.
If you're interested in learning more about the Social Forum, or about the dynamics of the urban agriculture scene in Detroit in particular, here is a pretty good article in the Nation, entitled "Detroit's Social Forum: Hope in A Crisis." It can be found at: http://www.thenation.com/article/36615/detroits-social-forum-hope-crisis.
Mimi's Zucchini Pie
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup all-purpose baking mix
- 1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
- 1 1/2 cups sliced yellow squash
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 large ripe tomato, sliced
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch deep dish pie plate.
2. Whisk together eggs and oil in a bowl with salt and pepper. Stir in baking powder and baking mix until moistened. Gently fold in zucchini, summer squash, and onion. Pour into prepared pie plate, and arrange sliced tomato over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to taste.
3. Bake in preheated oven until puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes.
Source: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/Mimis-Zucchini-Pie/Detail.aspx
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup all-purpose baking mix
- 1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
- 1 1/2 cups sliced yellow squash
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 large ripe tomato, sliced
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch deep dish pie plate.
2. Whisk together eggs and oil in a bowl with salt and pepper. Stir in baking powder and baking mix until moistened. Gently fold in zucchini, summer squash, and onion. Pour into prepared pie plate, and arrange sliced tomato over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to taste.
3. Bake in preheated oven until puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes.
Source: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/Mimis-Zucchini-Pie/Detail.aspx
Collard Greens and Beans
- 3 slices bacon, coarsely chopped -1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic, or to taste
- 5 cups collard greens, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves chopped
- 3/4 cup water, or as needed
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
-salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Place the bacon in a large, deep pan with a lid, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon pieces from the pan, and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir the sliced onion into the hot bacon fat. Cook and stir the onion until it begins to brown, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook and stir 4 more minutes. Return the bacon to the pan, stir in the collard greens, and toss gently until the greens are wilted, about 3 minutes.
Pour in the water to almost cover the collard greens, and stir in the brown sugar, vinegar, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer the collard greens until very tender, 1 to 2 hours.
About 1/2 hour before serving, stir the cannellini beans into the collard greens, and return to a simmer.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Collard-Greens-and-Beans/Detail.aspx
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic, or to taste
- 5 cups collard greens, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves chopped
- 3/4 cup water, or as needed
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
-salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Place the bacon in a large, deep pan with a lid, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon pieces from the pan, and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir the sliced onion into the hot bacon fat. Cook and stir the onion until it begins to brown, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook and stir 4 more minutes. Return the bacon to the pan, stir in the collard greens, and toss gently until the greens are wilted, about 3 minutes.
Pour in the water to almost cover the collard greens, and stir in the brown sugar, vinegar, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer the collard greens until very tender, 1 to 2 hours.
About 1/2 hour before serving, stir the cannellini beans into the collard greens, and return to a simmer.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Collard-Greens-and-Beans/Detail.aspx
Tsatsiki
Serve this yogurt-based Greek staple as a first-course accompaniment to pitas and other breads, or as a light but creamy sauce drizzled over spiced roasted meats.
• 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup plain yogurt (preferably goat's or sheep's milk)
Accompaniments:
• pita wedges or chips
Toss cucumber with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a colander and drain 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt, then whisk together with olive oil, yogurt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Squeeze out any excess water from cucumbers with your hands, then stir cucumbers into yogurt mixture. Season with salt.
From: Gourmet Magazine, 2008 http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tsatsiki-242347#ixzz0s5uyq27L
• 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup plain yogurt (preferably goat's or sheep's milk)
Accompaniments:
• pita wedges or chips
Toss cucumber with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a colander and drain 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt, then whisk together with olive oil, yogurt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Squeeze out any excess water from cucumbers with your hands, then stir cucumbers into yogurt mixture. Season with salt.
From: Gourmet Magazine, 2008 http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tsatsiki-242347#ixzz0s5uyq27L
Cucumber-dill soup with scallions
• 5 large cucumbers, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and seeded
• 1 bunch scallions
• 1 bunch dill, ends picked
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• Juice of 3 large lemons
• 4 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• Salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
• Dash of Tabasco
1. Thinly slice half of the cucumbers crosswise. Thinly slice half of the scallions crosswise. Set aside.
2. Coarsely chop the remaining cucumbers and scallions and transfer to a large bowl. Add the dill, garlic, lemon juice, buttermilk, and yogurt, and give a good but gentle stir. Season with salt and pepper and puree in a blender until liquefied. (NOTE: You can use a food processor, but a blender will give a smoother, more pleasing result.)
3. Transfer the soup to a large bowl and add the reserved sliced cucumbers and scallions. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and Tabasco to taste. Chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
From: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cucumber-Dill-Soup-with-Scallions-352429#ixzz0s5u9S91A
• 1 bunch scallions
• 1 bunch dill, ends picked
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• Juice of 3 large lemons
• 4 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• Salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
• Dash of Tabasco
1. Thinly slice half of the cucumbers crosswise. Thinly slice half of the scallions crosswise. Set aside.
2. Coarsely chop the remaining cucumbers and scallions and transfer to a large bowl. Add the dill, garlic, lemon juice, buttermilk, and yogurt, and give a good but gentle stir. Season with salt and pepper and puree in a blender until liquefied. (NOTE: You can use a food processor, but a blender will give a smoother, more pleasing result.)
3. Transfer the soup to a large bowl and add the reserved sliced cucumbers and scallions. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and Tabasco to taste. Chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
From: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cucumber-Dill-Soup-with-Scallions-352429#ixzz0s5u9S91A
Fennel Chips
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 small fennel bulb (1/2 pound), trimmed
Preheat oven to 225°F.
Boil water and sugar in a small saucepan, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Cut fennel bulb lengthwise into paper-thin slices using a mandoline or other manual slicer. Pour sugar mixture over fennel in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes.
Put Silpat or Exopat pad on a baking sheet. Shake off excess liquid from fennel slices and arrange on pad in 1 layer (don't let slices touch). Bake in middle of oven 1 hour, or until dry and crisp. Working quickly, carefully peel chips off liner and transfer to a rack to cool.
From: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes /food/views/Anise-Spiced-Squash-Soup-with-Fennel-Chips-102932#ixzz0sCz4pXfP
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 small fennel bulb (1/2 pound), trimmed
Preheat oven to 225°F.
Boil water and sugar in a small saucepan, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Cut fennel bulb lengthwise into paper-thin slices using a mandoline or other manual slicer. Pour sugar mixture over fennel in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes.
Put Silpat or Exopat pad on a baking sheet. Shake off excess liquid from fennel slices and arrange on pad in 1 layer (don't let slices touch). Bake in middle of oven 1 hour, or until dry and crisp. Working quickly, carefully peel chips off liner and transfer to a rack to cool.
From: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes /food/views/Anise-Spiced-Squash-Soup-with-Fennel-Chips-102932#ixzz0sCz4pXfP
It is Cucumber Pickle Time!
By Nicole Sugerman
The cucumbers have been producing at full capacity for about a week, and they show no signs of slowing down. We farmers have been harvesting those cucumbers every single day; we have bins and bins of cucumbers in the cooler. That means that you all need to use up a lot of cucumbers! I have included a number of cucumber recipes in this share letter, but one of the most tried, true, and delicious ways to use a lot of cucumbers all at once is to make a batch of pickles.
Pickling means different things to different people. I used to be a pickle purist; when I said or made ‘pickles’, I meant the lacto-fermented kind, soured in a salt brine on my kitchen counter over the span of a week or two. I am still partial to this kind of pickle, partly for the politics of it, partly for the health benefits, and partly for the taste. But I have come around to the fact that the ‘other’ kind of pickle, the one you put in vinegar and stick right in your refrigerator, tastes pretty good itself.
A word on the politics of the pickle to which I refer: Fermented pickles came first. Most, if not all, traditional cuisines of the world have fermented foods as integral parts of their food cultures. Fermenting food not only preserves it for later use, but makes it more nutritious, using wild microbacteria to pre-digest the food and make the nutrients more available to our bodies, as well as adding nutrients not originally available in the food. The ‘problem’ with fermented foods, in a modern context, is that, because they make use of the wild bacteria present in any particular micro-region, a fermented food will always taste different depending on when and where it is made. This was not conducive to industrialized food production and distribution, which wanted a standardized product for widespread shipping, long term storage, and brand development.
Fermented foods are made in the home and stored in a cool place, like a root cellar; they have no longevity on a supermarket shelf and no potential for homogenization of taste and culture.
Enter the vinegar pickle. Vinegar can be mass-produced and, poured on the cucumber, will preserve it in such a way that the taste will be the same each time the pickle is made. Vinegar is a preservation agent, and, when canned, the pasteurization process can preserve it for indefinite storage. Still, vinegar pickles are easy to make and can be stored in your refrigerator like fermented pickles. Make a batch of both!
For these recipes, I recommend that you use pickling cucumbers. Pickling cucumbers are bred to grow slightly smaller and with a thicker skin than slicing cucumbers, keeping them crispy in pickling recipes. You can, however, also eat pickling cucumbers raw. For making pickles, try to select pickling cucumbers that are roughly the same size.
Lacto-fermented Cucumber Pickles
Timeframe: 1-4 weeks
Special Equipment:
• Ceramic crock or food-grade plastic bucket
• Plate that fits inside crock or bucket
• 1-gallon/4-liter jug filled with water, or other weight
• Cloth cover
Ingredients (for 1 gallon/4 liters):
• 3 to 4 pounds/1.5 to 2 kilograms unwaxed
• cucumbers (small to medium size)
• 3⁄8 cup (6 tablespoons)/90 milliliters sea salt
• 3 to 4 heads fresh flowering dill, or 3 to 4
• tablespoons/45 to 60 milliliters of any form of dill (fresh or dried leaf or seeds)• 2 to 3 heads garlic, peeled
• 1 handful fresh grape, cherry, oak, and/or
• horseradish leaves (if available)
• 1 pinch black peppercorns
Process:
1. Rinse cucumbers, taking care to not bruise them, and making sure their blossoms are removed. Scrape off any remains at the blossom end. If you’re using cucumbers that aren’t fresh off the vine that day, soak them for a couple of hours in very cold water to freshen them.
2. Dissolve sea salt in ½gallon (2 liters) of water to create brine solution. Stir until salt is thoroughly dissolved.
3. 3. Clean the crock, then place at the bottom of it dill, garlic, fresh grape leaves, and a pinch of black peppercorns.
4. Place cucumbers in the crock.
5. Pour brine over the cucumbers, place the (clean) plate over them, then weigh it down with a jug filled with water or a boiled rock. If the brine doesn’t cover the weighed-down plate, add more brine mixed at the same ratio of just under 1 tablespoon of salt to each cup of water.
6. Cover the crock with a cloth to keep out dust and flies and store it in a cool place.
7. Check the crock every day. Skim any mold from the surface, but don’t worry if you can’t get it all. If there’s mold, be sure to rinse the plate and weight. Taste the pickles after a few days.
8. Enjoy the pickles as they continue to ferment. Continue to check the crock every day.
9. Eventually, after one to four weeks (depending on the temperature), the pickles will be fully sour. Continue to enjoy them, moving them to the fridge to slow down fermentation.
From: http://www.wildfermentation.com/ resources.php?page=pickles
Refrigerator Pickles
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 cups white sugar
• 6 cups sliced cucumbers
• 1 cup sliced onions or scallions
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil. Boil until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes.
Place the cucumbers and onions in a large bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables. Transfer to sterile containers and store in the refrigerator.
The cucumbers have been producing at full capacity for about a week, and they show no signs of slowing down. We farmers have been harvesting those cucumbers every single day; we have bins and bins of cucumbers in the cooler. That means that you all need to use up a lot of cucumbers! I have included a number of cucumber recipes in this share letter, but one of the most tried, true, and delicious ways to use a lot of cucumbers all at once is to make a batch of pickles.
Pickling means different things to different people. I used to be a pickle purist; when I said or made ‘pickles’, I meant the lacto-fermented kind, soured in a salt brine on my kitchen counter over the span of a week or two. I am still partial to this kind of pickle, partly for the politics of it, partly for the health benefits, and partly for the taste. But I have come around to the fact that the ‘other’ kind of pickle, the one you put in vinegar and stick right in your refrigerator, tastes pretty good itself.
A word on the politics of the pickle to which I refer: Fermented pickles came first. Most, if not all, traditional cuisines of the world have fermented foods as integral parts of their food cultures. Fermenting food not only preserves it for later use, but makes it more nutritious, using wild microbacteria to pre-digest the food and make the nutrients more available to our bodies, as well as adding nutrients not originally available in the food. The ‘problem’ with fermented foods, in a modern context, is that, because they make use of the wild bacteria present in any particular micro-region, a fermented food will always taste different depending on when and where it is made. This was not conducive to industrialized food production and distribution, which wanted a standardized product for widespread shipping, long term storage, and brand development.
Fermented foods are made in the home and stored in a cool place, like a root cellar; they have no longevity on a supermarket shelf and no potential for homogenization of taste and culture.
Enter the vinegar pickle. Vinegar can be mass-produced and, poured on the cucumber, will preserve it in such a way that the taste will be the same each time the pickle is made. Vinegar is a preservation agent, and, when canned, the pasteurization process can preserve it for indefinite storage. Still, vinegar pickles are easy to make and can be stored in your refrigerator like fermented pickles. Make a batch of both!
For these recipes, I recommend that you use pickling cucumbers. Pickling cucumbers are bred to grow slightly smaller and with a thicker skin than slicing cucumbers, keeping them crispy in pickling recipes. You can, however, also eat pickling cucumbers raw. For making pickles, try to select pickling cucumbers that are roughly the same size.
Lacto-fermented Cucumber Pickles
Timeframe: 1-4 weeks
Special Equipment:
• Ceramic crock or food-grade plastic bucket
• Plate that fits inside crock or bucket
• 1-gallon/4-liter jug filled with water, or other weight
• Cloth cover
Ingredients (for 1 gallon/4 liters):
• 3 to 4 pounds/1.5 to 2 kilograms unwaxed
• cucumbers (small to medium size)
• 3⁄8 cup (6 tablespoons)/90 milliliters sea salt
• 3 to 4 heads fresh flowering dill, or 3 to 4
• tablespoons/45 to 60 milliliters of any form of dill (fresh or dried leaf or seeds)• 2 to 3 heads garlic, peeled
• 1 handful fresh grape, cherry, oak, and/or
• horseradish leaves (if available)
• 1 pinch black peppercorns
Process:
1. Rinse cucumbers, taking care to not bruise them, and making sure their blossoms are removed. Scrape off any remains at the blossom end. If you’re using cucumbers that aren’t fresh off the vine that day, soak them for a couple of hours in very cold water to freshen them.
2. Dissolve sea salt in ½gallon (2 liters) of water to create brine solution. Stir until salt is thoroughly dissolved.
3. 3. Clean the crock, then place at the bottom of it dill, garlic, fresh grape leaves, and a pinch of black peppercorns.
4. Place cucumbers in the crock.
5. Pour brine over the cucumbers, place the (clean) plate over them, then weigh it down with a jug filled with water or a boiled rock. If the brine doesn’t cover the weighed-down plate, add more brine mixed at the same ratio of just under 1 tablespoon of salt to each cup of water.
6. Cover the crock with a cloth to keep out dust and flies and store it in a cool place.
7. Check the crock every day. Skim any mold from the surface, but don’t worry if you can’t get it all. If there’s mold, be sure to rinse the plate and weight. Taste the pickles after a few days.
8. Enjoy the pickles as they continue to ferment. Continue to check the crock every day.
9. Eventually, after one to four weeks (depending on the temperature), the pickles will be fully sour. Continue to enjoy them, moving them to the fridge to slow down fermentation.
From: http://www.wildfermentation.com/ resources.php?page=pickles
Refrigerator Pickles
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 cups white sugar
• 6 cups sliced cucumbers
• 1 cup sliced onions or scallions
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil. Boil until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes.
Place the cucumbers and onions in a large bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables. Transfer to sterile containers and store in the refrigerator.
Summer is here!
By Nicole Sugerman
I can barely believe that July is almost here. Until I wipe the sweat off my brow and realize that the temperature has been over 90 degrees every day for the past week. Until I glance at the sky when the sun is about to go down and realize that it is 9:00 at night. Until I remember that we are harvesting an entire bin of squash every day, and remember that the broccoli and the mustards are flowering. All of the evidence points to the fact that summer has arrived, in all of its excitement and frenzy.
Summer crops are exciting and delicious, with some universal favorites coming into production: cucumbers, zucchini, and basil have been in your shares for a few weeks now, with eggplants, new potatoes, onions, and string beans on the near horizon. Unfortunately, some of our cool-weather standards are not enjoying the summer heat; broccoli and hakurei turnips are nearing the end of their spring season, to return in the fall, while salad mix and lettuce will continue to grow but more slowly throughout the summer.
Summer brings new insect pests as well. The arugula and mesculun mix bear the telltale buckshot holes of flea beetles, while I crushed at least ten of my arch-nemeses, the prolific and destructive harlequin bugs, within the last week. On Saturday, I began crushing squash bug eggs, golden and armored, on the backs of the squash leaves as I harvested. Happily, our beneficial insects are also flourishing. We collectively saw several baby praying mantises last week, and ladybugs are everywhere.
One of my favorite things about summer is the thunderstorms, which come in so quickly we can barely run up to move our backpacks into the shed, counting the seconds between lightning and thunder to make sure we are not being foolish as we continue to harvest in the downpour, cold with big hard raindrops when we had previously been emanating heat. After the storm, I can tangibly feel the relief—of the humidity, of the parched and thirsty plants, and of the dust, settled instead of hovering in clouds as we work in the dry fields. Our first summer storm last week was exciting and joyous even as the winds ripped a piece of the roof off our wash station! I wish it had been a bit longer—the precipitation barely penetrated the first few inches of soil.
Summer is all about setting priorities. As harvests get larger, our ‘real farming’ activities get squeezed into smaller pockets of time throughout the week. Simultaneously, as the weeds get larger, our list of tasks gets longer and our schedule begins to resemble an exercise in triage- do we have time to proactively hoe the carrots, or should we try to save the peppers from the pigweed? Should we try to pick the ragweed rhizomes by hand out of the turnip beds, or should we just till them in because it’s faster? We work as a group to come up with solutions, encouraging each other to work faster and use our time efficiently so that we can whittle away our list of tasks and keep the farm productive, with an eye on the long term goal of reducing weeds and maximizing soil and plant health.
Now that summer is here, our time also looks a little different. We take a break from hosting many large classes until the fall, working only with the incoming first years once a week. We are poised to welcome our four Saul summer interns next week, who will spend twenty hours a week with us throughout the summer. We appreciate the chance to do more focused, one-on-one instruction even as we miss the energy the big groups bring to our space.
There is a strange pleasure to the summer heat, an enjoyment even through the whining as our skin is coated in sweat, even before we begin farming in the morning. Water has never tasted so good. Neither has a post-work water ice or popsicle. I try to soak up as much summer as possible, knowing that in a few months, I will look back at this hot, busy season with nostalgia—this is a farmer’s true season to shine.
I can barely believe that July is almost here. Until I wipe the sweat off my brow and realize that the temperature has been over 90 degrees every day for the past week. Until I glance at the sky when the sun is about to go down and realize that it is 9:00 at night. Until I remember that we are harvesting an entire bin of squash every day, and remember that the broccoli and the mustards are flowering. All of the evidence points to the fact that summer has arrived, in all of its excitement and frenzy.
Summer crops are exciting and delicious, with some universal favorites coming into production: cucumbers, zucchini, and basil have been in your shares for a few weeks now, with eggplants, new potatoes, onions, and string beans on the near horizon. Unfortunately, some of our cool-weather standards are not enjoying the summer heat; broccoli and hakurei turnips are nearing the end of their spring season, to return in the fall, while salad mix and lettuce will continue to grow but more slowly throughout the summer.
Summer brings new insect pests as well. The arugula and mesculun mix bear the telltale buckshot holes of flea beetles, while I crushed at least ten of my arch-nemeses, the prolific and destructive harlequin bugs, within the last week. On Saturday, I began crushing squash bug eggs, golden and armored, on the backs of the squash leaves as I harvested. Happily, our beneficial insects are also flourishing. We collectively saw several baby praying mantises last week, and ladybugs are everywhere.
One of my favorite things about summer is the thunderstorms, which come in so quickly we can barely run up to move our backpacks into the shed, counting the seconds between lightning and thunder to make sure we are not being foolish as we continue to harvest in the downpour, cold with big hard raindrops when we had previously been emanating heat. After the storm, I can tangibly feel the relief—of the humidity, of the parched and thirsty plants, and of the dust, settled instead of hovering in clouds as we work in the dry fields. Our first summer storm last week was exciting and joyous even as the winds ripped a piece of the roof off our wash station! I wish it had been a bit longer—the precipitation barely penetrated the first few inches of soil.
Summer is all about setting priorities. As harvests get larger, our ‘real farming’ activities get squeezed into smaller pockets of time throughout the week. Simultaneously, as the weeds get larger, our list of tasks gets longer and our schedule begins to resemble an exercise in triage- do we have time to proactively hoe the carrots, or should we try to save the peppers from the pigweed? Should we try to pick the ragweed rhizomes by hand out of the turnip beds, or should we just till them in because it’s faster? We work as a group to come up with solutions, encouraging each other to work faster and use our time efficiently so that we can whittle away our list of tasks and keep the farm productive, with an eye on the long term goal of reducing weeds and maximizing soil and plant health.
Now that summer is here, our time also looks a little different. We take a break from hosting many large classes until the fall, working only with the incoming first years once a week. We are poised to welcome our four Saul summer interns next week, who will spend twenty hours a week with us throughout the summer. We appreciate the chance to do more focused, one-on-one instruction even as we miss the energy the big groups bring to our space.
There is a strange pleasure to the summer heat, an enjoyment even through the whining as our skin is coated in sweat, even before we begin farming in the morning. Water has never tasted so good. Neither has a post-work water ice or popsicle. I try to soak up as much summer as possible, knowing that in a few months, I will look back at this hot, busy season with nostalgia—this is a farmer’s true season to shine.
Baked Fennel
• 2 fennel bulbs
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3/4 cup half-and-half cream
• 3/4 cup creme fraiche
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the base off of the fennel bulbs. Slice the fennel vertically (upright) into 1/4 inch thick slices.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the fennel, and fry for about 5 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and creme fraiche until well blended. Transfer to a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
3. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown and the fennel is tender enough to pierce with a fork.
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3/4 cup half-and-half cream
• 3/4 cup creme fraiche
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the base off of the fennel bulbs. Slice the fennel vertically (upright) into 1/4 inch thick slices.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the fennel, and fry for about 5 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and creme fraiche until well blended. Transfer to a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
3. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown and the fennel is tender enough to pierce with a fork.
Fried Summer Squash
Put about a cup of flour, salt and pepper to taste (a tsp each is good for starters) in a brown paper sandwich bag. Slice squash pretty thin and put in the bag and shake. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or so.
• Heat oil in a frying pan to around 350 degrees F. You don't need a lot of oil - around 1/4 inch.
• Lay squash in a single layer in the oil. Brown. Flip. Put on paper towels to drain.
These are a bit like potato chips but made with squash.
Source: http://southerncuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/summer_squash_recipes
• Heat oil in a frying pan to around 350 degrees F. You don't need a lot of oil - around 1/4 inch.
• Lay squash in a single layer in the oil. Brown. Flip. Put on paper towels to drain.
These are a bit like potato chips but made with squash.
Source: http://southerncuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/summer_squash_recipes
Garlic Beets
• 6 medium beets
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• salt to taste
1. Wash the beets and boil until tender, about 45 minutes (or 20 minutes in a pressure cooker). Remove the skins by running cold water over the boiled beets, and then slipping of their skins. Slice the beets and toss with the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and salt.
Source: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/Garlicky-Beet-Delight/Detail.aspx
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• salt to taste
1. Wash the beets and boil until tender, about 45 minutes (or 20 minutes in a pressure cooker). Remove the skins by running cold water over the boiled beets, and then slipping of their skins. Slice the beets and toss with the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and salt.
Source: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/Garlicky-Beet-Delight/Detail.aspx
Cucumber Soup
Cucumber Soup
• 2 cucumbers
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon farina
• salt to taste
• 1/8 tablespoon dried tarragon
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
•
1. Peel, seed, and chop 2 cucumbers.
2. Cook the chopped scallions in the margarine until soft. Add the chopped
3. cucumbers and the wine vinegar. Pour in the broth, and stir in the farina. Salt to taste, and add tarragon. Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes, or until the cucumbers are soft.
4. Put the soup into a blender, and puree it.
5. Pour the puree into a bowl, and whisk in the sour cream. Taste the soup for seasoning. Pour the soup into bowls, and garnish with cucumber slices and chopped parsley.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cucumber-Soup-I/Detail.aspx
• 2 cucumbers
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon farina
• salt to taste
• 1/8 tablespoon dried tarragon
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
•
1. Peel, seed, and chop 2 cucumbers.
2. Cook the chopped scallions in the margarine until soft. Add the chopped
3. cucumbers and the wine vinegar. Pour in the broth, and stir in the farina. Salt to taste, and add tarragon. Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes, or until the cucumbers are soft.
4. Put the soup into a blender, and puree it.
5. Pour the puree into a bowl, and whisk in the sour cream. Taste the soup for seasoning. Pour the soup into bowls, and garnish with cucumber slices and chopped parsley.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cucumber-Soup-I/Detail.aspx
W.B. Saul FFA Member to Conduct Ag Research in India
In February 2010, Jenna Moser, W.B. Saul FFA Member (Future Farmers of America), received an offer that presented her with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; she had been offered an internship with the World Food Prize.
The World Food Prize was conceived by 1970 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Dr. Norman E. Borlaug. This prestigious award has recognized outstanding individuals who have made life-changing contributions to improving the quality, quantity or availability of food throughout the world. IN 1990, John Ruan, Des Moines businessman and philanthropist, took on the sponsorship of The Prize and established the World Food Prize Foundation, located in Des Moines, Iowa.
Each year the World Food Prize selects 16 high school students to receive the Borlaug-Ruan International Internship. Moser was one of the individuals chosen. The all-expense-paid, eight-week hands-on experience provides youth the opportunity to work with world renowned scientists and policymakers at leading research centers in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Moser will be stationed at the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Chennai, India.
“I hope to gain a better understanding, appreciation and insight into other cultures,” Moser said. “I think it’s going to be really interesting to see and live in a completely different environment. I’m a bit nervous that I will only know myself when I get there, but I know this is going to be a life-changing experience.”
Before she was chosen for the internship, Moser was planning to run for Pennsylvania State FFA Office in June. She has chosen to defer running for one year in order to go through with the internship. In the fall, she will continue her education at Penn State, Main Campus studying agriculture education with a minor in international agriculture. In June 2011, Moser plans to stick with her dream in acquiring a Pennsylvania FFA State Office.
Upon return from India, Moser will submit a research report and reflection paper documenting their research project. “I never knew how severe the global food crisis and other devastating agriculture issues were. Now, I want to help, especially the farmers.”
Moser departs for her internship on June 19, just five days after her high school graduation. She will return August 17, not leaving much time between then and when she will begin classes at Penn State University.
Moser was one of the initial students that worked on and conceived “Henry Got Crops”. She will represent Philadelphia helping to bring low input sustainable agriculture to both the World Food Prize and India.
The World Food Prize was conceived by 1970 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Dr. Norman E. Borlaug. This prestigious award has recognized outstanding individuals who have made life-changing contributions to improving the quality, quantity or availability of food throughout the world. IN 1990, John Ruan, Des Moines businessman and philanthropist, took on the sponsorship of The Prize and established the World Food Prize Foundation, located in Des Moines, Iowa.
Each year the World Food Prize selects 16 high school students to receive the Borlaug-Ruan International Internship. Moser was one of the individuals chosen. The all-expense-paid, eight-week hands-on experience provides youth the opportunity to work with world renowned scientists and policymakers at leading research centers in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Moser will be stationed at the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Chennai, India.
“I hope to gain a better understanding, appreciation and insight into other cultures,” Moser said. “I think it’s going to be really interesting to see and live in a completely different environment. I’m a bit nervous that I will only know myself when I get there, but I know this is going to be a life-changing experience.”
Before she was chosen for the internship, Moser was planning to run for Pennsylvania State FFA Office in June. She has chosen to defer running for one year in order to go through with the internship. In the fall, she will continue her education at Penn State, Main Campus studying agriculture education with a minor in international agriculture. In June 2011, Moser plans to stick with her dream in acquiring a Pennsylvania FFA State Office.
Upon return from India, Moser will submit a research report and reflection paper documenting their research project. “I never knew how severe the global food crisis and other devastating agriculture issues were. Now, I want to help, especially the farmers.”
Moser departs for her internship on June 19, just five days after her high school graduation. She will return August 17, not leaving much time between then and when she will begin classes at Penn State University.
Moser was one of the initial students that worked on and conceived “Henry Got Crops”. She will represent Philadelphia helping to bring low input sustainable agriculture to both the World Food Prize and India.
Some Summer Poetry!
I suspect that summer weather may be always ushered in in a similar manner -- thundershower, rainbow, smooth water and warm night. A rainbow on the brow of summer.
-Henry David Thoreau
Summer is a new song everyone is humming.
-Diane Ackerman, Cultivating Delight
-Henry David Thoreau
Summer is a new song everyone is humming.
-Diane Ackerman, Cultivating Delight
The Summer Solstice
By Nina Berryman
Monday the 21st is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of sunlight of the entire year. I have always been especially interested in astronomy and am overjoyed with nerdiness when this topic overlaps with my interest in agriculture. Monday has more minutes of sunlight than any other day of the year because of Earth’s tilt. The sun will rise at 5:32 am and set at 8:33 pm, for about 15 hours of sunlight. It will feel like slightly more because sunrise and sunset are calculated from when the edge of the sun dips above or below the horizon, but rays of sunlight still light up the sky before and after that. To explain what happens on the solstice, here is an exercise: Imagine the sun is a basket ball and the Earth is a potato with a stick piercing all the way through it. Point the stick straight up and down. One end of the stick is the North Pole and one point is the South Pole. If you hold the stick at either end and spin the potato around once, this is how the Earth turns on its axis in one day. Stick a pin somewhere on the top half of the potato (the northern hemisphere, where we live). This represents you standing on the Earth. Now continue spinning it. When you are looking at the basketball you are in sunlight and when you are looking away from the basket ball you are in night time darkness. For exactly half of the spin you are in daylight and for half of the spin you are in darkness. Now tilt the stick slightly toward the basketball (23 degrees to be exact). Now keep holding either end of the stick and spin the potato once again and take notice of when the pin is facing toward the basketball and when it is on the opposite side of the potato from the basketball. Now, because of the potato is tilting toward the basketball, the pin is in sunlight for more than half of the spin. This is why we have more hours of sunlight on June 21st! Still confused? Try this: Move your pin to the base of North Pole, right where the stick comes out of the top of the potato. When you spin the potato on its tilt, you’ll see the pin is always in the sunlight. This is why this part of the Earth, during the time of the summer solstice, is called Land of the Midnight Sun, because the sun is out all day, even at midnight! Still confused? Take a look at the diagram below.
What does this have to do with farming? Well, this tilt of the Earth is one of the factors responsible for causing our seasons. Back to the potato and the basketball…With the potato still tilting toward the basketball, take note of something in the room that the North Pole is pointing towards (perhaps the top of a bookshelf or door frame). Now keep the stick pointing toward that object while moving the potato around the basket ball in an even plane. Stop when you are half way around the basketball from where you started. The potato should still be pointing at the same original object, but because the potato is on the other side of the basketball from where it started, the top of the stick will now be pointing away from the basketball. Spin the potato around the stick again, like before, and you’ll notice your pin (if it is still on the top half of the potato) is in the dark for most of the spin. Try moving the pin back to the North Pole and you’ll see the pin is in the dark for the entire spin. This is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year (in the Northern hemisphere). See the diagram on next page.
Because the sun heats the Earth, when there are more hours of sunshine on the Earth, the days are not only longer, but warmer. When you have more and more days of longer and longer sunlight, the Earth will get warmer, and hence we have summer!
Many people wonder why the summer solstice is not also the hottest time of year. The reason is the same as why a pot of soup is not instantly hot when you put it on the stove to heat. Imagine the stove is the sun and your pot of soup is the Earth. Your pot of soup is cold and you put is on the burner and the burner is on high. The soup will not instantly be scalding hot, it takes a few minutes to warm the contents of the pot. In our situation, this takes a few months, with the hottest time of year coming around August, instead of June 21st.
Again, what’s the connection with farming? The change of the seasons dictates everything we do. Because we are located where we are on the Earth, the mid Atlantic, we can have a CSA which is 26 weeks long. Just last night I was talking with my friend who is working at a CSA in Montreal, considerably closer to the North Pole, and her CSA season is only 17 weeks long. Seasonality is why we have bok choi and radishes in the spring and fall, but not in the summer. It is why our tomatoes aren’t ready until the end of July. It’s the reason we can take an extended vacation in January! It’s the reason you have to grow specific onion varieties in different parts of the country, since onions are sensitive to the length of day. My friend in Montreal will have a different number of hours of sunlight on the summer solstice than we will have here, and so she is growing different kinds of onions on her farm than we are here!
I can’t stress how much of a geek I can be over astronomy, so if anyone wants an reenactment of the summer solstice with beets and turnips, just let me know!
Monday the 21st is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of sunlight of the entire year. I have always been especially interested in astronomy and am overjoyed with nerdiness when this topic overlaps with my interest in agriculture. Monday has more minutes of sunlight than any other day of the year because of Earth’s tilt. The sun will rise at 5:32 am and set at 8:33 pm, for about 15 hours of sunlight. It will feel like slightly more because sunrise and sunset are calculated from when the edge of the sun dips above or below the horizon, but rays of sunlight still light up the sky before and after that. To explain what happens on the solstice, here is an exercise: Imagine the sun is a basket ball and the Earth is a potato with a stick piercing all the way through it. Point the stick straight up and down. One end of the stick is the North Pole and one point is the South Pole. If you hold the stick at either end and spin the potato around once, this is how the Earth turns on its axis in one day. Stick a pin somewhere on the top half of the potato (the northern hemisphere, where we live). This represents you standing on the Earth. Now continue spinning it. When you are looking at the basketball you are in sunlight and when you are looking away from the basket ball you are in night time darkness. For exactly half of the spin you are in daylight and for half of the spin you are in darkness. Now tilt the stick slightly toward the basketball (23 degrees to be exact). Now keep holding either end of the stick and spin the potato once again and take notice of when the pin is facing toward the basketball and when it is on the opposite side of the potato from the basketball. Now, because of the potato is tilting toward the basketball, the pin is in sunlight for more than half of the spin. This is why we have more hours of sunlight on June 21st! Still confused? Try this: Move your pin to the base of North Pole, right where the stick comes out of the top of the potato. When you spin the potato on its tilt, you’ll see the pin is always in the sunlight. This is why this part of the Earth, during the time of the summer solstice, is called Land of the Midnight Sun, because the sun is out all day, even at midnight! Still confused? Take a look at the diagram below.
What does this have to do with farming? Well, this tilt of the Earth is one of the factors responsible for causing our seasons. Back to the potato and the basketball…With the potato still tilting toward the basketball, take note of something in the room that the North Pole is pointing towards (perhaps the top of a bookshelf or door frame). Now keep the stick pointing toward that object while moving the potato around the basket ball in an even plane. Stop when you are half way around the basketball from where you started. The potato should still be pointing at the same original object, but because the potato is on the other side of the basketball from where it started, the top of the stick will now be pointing away from the basketball. Spin the potato around the stick again, like before, and you’ll notice your pin (if it is still on the top half of the potato) is in the dark for most of the spin. Try moving the pin back to the North Pole and you’ll see the pin is in the dark for the entire spin. This is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year (in the Northern hemisphere). See the diagram on next page.
Because the sun heats the Earth, when there are more hours of sunshine on the Earth, the days are not only longer, but warmer. When you have more and more days of longer and longer sunlight, the Earth will get warmer, and hence we have summer!
Many people wonder why the summer solstice is not also the hottest time of year. The reason is the same as why a pot of soup is not instantly hot when you put it on the stove to heat. Imagine the stove is the sun and your pot of soup is the Earth. Your pot of soup is cold and you put is on the burner and the burner is on high. The soup will not instantly be scalding hot, it takes a few minutes to warm the contents of the pot. In our situation, this takes a few months, with the hottest time of year coming around August, instead of June 21st.
Again, what’s the connection with farming? The change of the seasons dictates everything we do. Because we are located where we are on the Earth, the mid Atlantic, we can have a CSA which is 26 weeks long. Just last night I was talking with my friend who is working at a CSA in Montreal, considerably closer to the North Pole, and her CSA season is only 17 weeks long. Seasonality is why we have bok choi and radishes in the spring and fall, but not in the summer. It is why our tomatoes aren’t ready until the end of July. It’s the reason we can take an extended vacation in January! It’s the reason you have to grow specific onion varieties in different parts of the country, since onions are sensitive to the length of day. My friend in Montreal will have a different number of hours of sunlight on the summer solstice than we will have here, and so she is growing different kinds of onions on her farm than we are here!
I can’t stress how much of a geek I can be over astronomy, so if anyone wants an reenactment of the summer solstice with beets and turnips, just let me know!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Cauliflower with Rye Crumbs
• 4 slices day-old rye bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
• 1 (2 1/2-to 3-pounds) head cauliflower
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, lightly crushed
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Pulse bread in a food processor to form medium-fine crumbs. Spread in a 4-sided sheet pan and toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool.
Core cauliflower, keeping head intact, then cook in a large steamer rack over boiling water, covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter and keep warm, covered.
Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat and stir in caraway seeds, toasted crumbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, until hot, about 2 minutes. Spoon over cauliflower.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cauliflower-with-Rye-Crumbs-350880#ixzz0qt13Ao3B
• 1 (2 1/2-to 3-pounds) head cauliflower
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, lightly crushed
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Pulse bread in a food processor to form medium-fine crumbs. Spread in a 4-sided sheet pan and toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool.
Core cauliflower, keeping head intact, then cook in a large steamer rack over boiling water, covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter and keep warm, covered.
Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat and stir in caraway seeds, toasted crumbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, until hot, about 2 minutes. Spoon over cauliflower.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cauliflower-with-Rye-Crumbs-350880#ixzz0qt13Ao3B
Roasted Beet Salad with Oranges and Beet Greens
Serves 3
• 3 medium beets with beet greens attached
• 1 large oranges
• 1/2 small sweet onion, cut through root end into thin wedges
• 1/6 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon grated orange peel
Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim greens from beets. Cut off and discard stems. Coarsely chop leaves and reserve. Wrap each beet in foil. Place beets directly on oven rack and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool. Peel beets, then cut each into 8 wedges. Place beets in medium bowl.
Cook beet greens in large saucepan of boiling water just until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Cool. Squeeze greens to remove excess moisture. Add greens to bowl with beets. Cut peel and white pith from oranges. Working over another bowl and using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release segments. Add orange segments and onion to bowl with beet mixture. Whisk vinegar, oil, garlic, and orange peel in small bowl to blend; add to beet mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Serve.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Beet-Salad-with-Oranges-and-Beet-Greens-109070#ixzz0qsz4R3YK
• 3 medium beets with beet greens attached
• 1 large oranges
• 1/2 small sweet onion, cut through root end into thin wedges
• 1/6 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon grated orange peel
Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim greens from beets. Cut off and discard stems. Coarsely chop leaves and reserve. Wrap each beet in foil. Place beets directly on oven rack and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool. Peel beets, then cut each into 8 wedges. Place beets in medium bowl.
Cook beet greens in large saucepan of boiling water just until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Cool. Squeeze greens to remove excess moisture. Add greens to bowl with beets. Cut peel and white pith from oranges. Working over another bowl and using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release segments. Add orange segments and onion to bowl with beet mixture. Whisk vinegar, oil, garlic, and orange peel in small bowl to blend; add to beet mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Serve.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Beet-Salad-with-Oranges-and-Beet-Greens-109070#ixzz0qsz4R3YK
Mustard Flowers
These edible flowers are from the tops of mustard greens. They are spicy with a tiny touch of sweetness. You can enjoy them in all sorts of ways:
• Add them to the end of your stir fry for a bit of color
• add them raw to your salad for a little spice
• use them as a garnish on any dish that needs some color and a little spicy flavor (fish, duck, cooked greens, etc)
• Add them to the end of your stir fry for a bit of color
• add them raw to your salad for a little spice
• use them as a garnish on any dish that needs some color and a little spicy flavor (fish, duck, cooked greens, etc)
Cream of Squash Soup
This soup could also be made with zucchini or broccoli.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 pounds yellow summer squash
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1/4 lemon, sliced, seeds removed
• 1/4 cup flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 to 4 grinds of fresh nutmeg or dash of ground nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream
Preparation:
Wash and trim squash. Slice, reserving 8 very thin slices for garnish. In a large saucepan, melt butter; gently saute onion and lemon. Sprinkle with flour and cook slowly, stirring, until flour is absorbed. Add chicken broth gradually, then sliced squash, salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 hour. Puree soup in blender or food processor. Add nutmeg. To heat, stir in cream with a wire whisk and cook over low heat. Do not allow to boil. Garnish cream of squash soup with reserved squash slices.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 pounds yellow summer squash
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1/4 lemon, sliced, seeds removed
• 1/4 cup flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 to 4 grinds of fresh nutmeg or dash of ground nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream
Preparation:
Wash and trim squash. Slice, reserving 8 very thin slices for garnish. In a large saucepan, melt butter; gently saute onion and lemon. Sprinkle with flour and cook slowly, stirring, until flour is absorbed. Add chicken broth gradually, then sliced squash, salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 hour. Puree soup in blender or food processor. Add nutmeg. To heat, stir in cream with a wire whisk and cook over low heat. Do not allow to boil. Garnish cream of squash soup with reserved squash slices.
Hakurei Turnip Gratin
Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a non-stick 12 inch skillet (make sure you have a top to fit the pan.)
Wash one bunch of white hakurei turnips well, top and tail them, and slice them in 1/4 inch slices. Save the turnip greens for another recipe. You don’t need to peel the turnips. Layer the slices in the pan. Sprinkle the sliced turnips with 1 teaspoon dry thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, and 1/8- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, then pour 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup stock over the top. Cover and cook the turnips over medium heat for 20 minutes. The turnips will be completely cooked through, but there will be considerable liquid left in the pan. Remove the cover and cook to reduce the liquid. When most of the liquid has reduced (about 5-10 minutes), and the sauce is thickened, grate finely 1/2 cup of fresh parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Watch closely as the cheese melts and make sure that the liquid does not entirely cook away.
Serve the turnips hot. The recipe is supposed to serve 6, but maybe realistically it would only serve 4, once they discover that they love turnips!
Source: http://www.gfzing.com/?p=191
Wash one bunch of white hakurei turnips well, top and tail them, and slice them in 1/4 inch slices. Save the turnip greens for another recipe. You don’t need to peel the turnips. Layer the slices in the pan. Sprinkle the sliced turnips with 1 teaspoon dry thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, and 1/8- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, then pour 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup stock over the top. Cover and cook the turnips over medium heat for 20 minutes. The turnips will be completely cooked through, but there will be considerable liquid left in the pan. Remove the cover and cook to reduce the liquid. When most of the liquid has reduced (about 5-10 minutes), and the sauce is thickened, grate finely 1/2 cup of fresh parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Watch closely as the cheese melts and make sure that the liquid does not entirely cook away.
Serve the turnips hot. The recipe is supposed to serve 6, but maybe realistically it would only serve 4, once they discover that they love turnips!
Source: http://www.gfzing.com/?p=191
Some Vegetable Facts
*Kohlrabi is one of the only plants that is bred for its edible korm, which means an enlarged lower stem
*Popeye, a cartoon character known for gaining superhuman strength after eating spinach, first debuted in 1929.
*Turnip infused honey is believed to help treat asthma
*Zucchini and Summer squash are believed to be native to North America—archaeologists believe that they were grown as a food staple in Mexico in 7,000 to 5,500 BCE.
*Popeye, a cartoon character known for gaining superhuman strength after eating spinach, first debuted in 1929.
*Turnip infused honey is believed to help treat asthma
*Zucchini and Summer squash are believed to be native to North America—archaeologists believe that they were grown as a food staple in Mexico in 7,000 to 5,500 BCE.
Ojala que lleuva café—May it rain coffee in the countryside
By Juan Luis Guerra, Dominican poet
Ojala que llueva café en el campo
Que caiga un aquacero de yucca y te
Del cielo una jarina de queso blanco. . .
May it rain coffee in the countryside.
Let a downpour of cassava and tea fall.
From the skies a drizzle of white cheese,
And to the south a mountain of watercress and honey.
May it rain coffee in the countryside.
Comb a tall hill with grain and yams.
Go down the slope of fluffy rice,
And keep ploughing with your love.
In the autumn, instead of dry leaves,
May my harvest be dressed in pitisale.
Plant a field of sweet potatoes and strawberries
May it rain coffee.
May it rain coffee in the countryside,
That down on the farm, there is not so much suffering.
May it rain coffee in the countrysides,
So that in Villa Vazquez they head this song.
May it rain coffee in the countryside,
So that all the children sing.
May it rain coffee in the countryside,
So that in La Romana they hear this song.
May it rain coffee.
Ojala que llueva café en el campo
Que caiga un aquacero de yucca y te
Del cielo una jarina de queso blanco. . .
May it rain coffee in the countryside.
Let a downpour of cassava and tea fall.
From the skies a drizzle of white cheese,
And to the south a mountain of watercress and honey.
May it rain coffee in the countryside.
Comb a tall hill with grain and yams.
Go down the slope of fluffy rice,
And keep ploughing with your love.
In the autumn, instead of dry leaves,
May my harvest be dressed in pitisale.
Plant a field of sweet potatoes and strawberries
May it rain coffee.
May it rain coffee in the countryside,
That down on the farm, there is not so much suffering.
May it rain coffee in the countrysides,
So that in Villa Vazquez they head this song.
May it rain coffee in the countryside,
So that all the children sing.
May it rain coffee in the countryside,
So that in La Romana they hear this song.
May it rain coffee.
: Will the summer squash and zucchini get any bigger?
We harvest them small on purpose. Small summer squash taste better, have smaller seeds, and enable the plant to produce for longer. On occasion, we do miss a few and they get huge—use these for zucchini bread or art projects. . .
Meet Nicole!
I grew up in Connecticut, in a family that had lost its relationship with agriculture back when my great grandparents emigrated from their plum farm in Poland. I reengaged almost by accident, inspired in college by a newfound angst about economic globalization to try to understand my local agricultural system, then hooked on farming by the hard work, opportunity for inventiveness, the extremely high caliber of conversation that occurs while weeding a bed of carrots, and the sudden opportunity to never go indoors. My spirit plant is the dandelion, although I am also drawn very strongly to the bean and the kohlrabi. I enjoy singing at the top of my lungs while operating farm machinery, because then nobody can hear me very well.
Meet Kirsten!
Hey there! My name is Kirsten and as the latest addition to Weavers Way Farm at Saul, I’d like to introduce myself to the Northwest Philadelphia community.
I hail from a small town in northern New Jersey and have been going to school at Reed College in Portland, Oregon for the past three years. I study contemporary American history with a focus on environmental, social, and cultural histories. Outside of school I coordinate and lead community service projects in Portland to urban farms, city parks and community gardens, and the Oregon Food Bank with an organization called SEEDS (Students for Education, Empowerment, and Direct Service).
So what brings me back all the way across the country to Philadelphia for the summer? Urban farming! To be perfectly honest, it’s hard to remember exactly how I ended up on this path. Last summer I volunteered at Pennypack Farm & CSA in Horsham, PA and did an “intern-swap day” at Weavers Way Farm at Awbury Arboretum. I met a lot of people not much older than me who were involved in urban agriculture hand heard about the community gardens and farms and sustainable food initiatives all over Philadelphia. I was so inspired.
And it dawned on me that organic farming in the city and working with young people was exactly what I wanted to be a part of. I wanted to apprentice here because of the opportunity to learn more about how to make an urban farm a real, sustainable source of local, organic, and secure food, do hands-on education with students, work for a newly blossoming CSA, and of course—grow some delicious vegetables.
In my free time I love to bike around the city, read food histories, practice yoga, get lost in the mountains on long hikes, cook for loved ones, and experiment with vegan & gluten-free baking.
It’s super exciting to be back in Philadelphia. I feel so lucky to work with and learn from Nina and Nicole, as well as Sarah and Zemora, here at Weavers Way Farm. Thank you so much for welcoming me into your community. I look forward to meeting more of you CSA members and celebrating the summer harvest!
I hail from a small town in northern New Jersey and have been going to school at Reed College in Portland, Oregon for the past three years. I study contemporary American history with a focus on environmental, social, and cultural histories. Outside of school I coordinate and lead community service projects in Portland to urban farms, city parks and community gardens, and the Oregon Food Bank with an organization called SEEDS (Students for Education, Empowerment, and Direct Service).
So what brings me back all the way across the country to Philadelphia for the summer? Urban farming! To be perfectly honest, it’s hard to remember exactly how I ended up on this path. Last summer I volunteered at Pennypack Farm & CSA in Horsham, PA and did an “intern-swap day” at Weavers Way Farm at Awbury Arboretum. I met a lot of people not much older than me who were involved in urban agriculture hand heard about the community gardens and farms and sustainable food initiatives all over Philadelphia. I was so inspired.
And it dawned on me that organic farming in the city and working with young people was exactly what I wanted to be a part of. I wanted to apprentice here because of the opportunity to learn more about how to make an urban farm a real, sustainable source of local, organic, and secure food, do hands-on education with students, work for a newly blossoming CSA, and of course—grow some delicious vegetables.
In my free time I love to bike around the city, read food histories, practice yoga, get lost in the mountains on long hikes, cook for loved ones, and experiment with vegan & gluten-free baking.
It’s super exciting to be back in Philadelphia. I feel so lucky to work with and learn from Nina and Nicole, as well as Sarah and Zemora, here at Weavers Way Farm. Thank you so much for welcoming me into your community. I look forward to meeting more of you CSA members and celebrating the summer harvest!
Meet Zemora!
Hi! My name is Zemora. I'm really excited to be interning at Henry Got Crops!
Right now, my favorite thing we've got growing is probably the hakurei turnips. I think they taste like ice cream. My interests include hiking, drawing, reading, going on adventures, and laughing at funny shaped vegetables, especially carrots that look like pants.
I go to Hampshire College in western Massachussetts where I study community food systems and resistance to capitalism. When I was little, I lived with the largest flock of angora goats east of the Mississippi. If this helps you know anything about me, I'm a pisces, my moon sign is scorpio and my ascendant is sagitarius.
I've dabbled in a few farms and gardens here and there, but this summer is my first experience really farming for a long stretch of time. So far, it's off to a great start. My main goals for the summer are: to learn by doing, to connect with and explore Philly's abundant urban agriculture scene, and to gain skills that will help me weather the apocalypse. I also hope to learn a lot of new recipes, get a rockin' farmer's tan, and perhaps even discover what my spirit plant is.
Looking forward to seeing you at the farm!
Right now, my favorite thing we've got growing is probably the hakurei turnips. I think they taste like ice cream. My interests include hiking, drawing, reading, going on adventures, and laughing at funny shaped vegetables, especially carrots that look like pants.
I go to Hampshire College in western Massachussetts where I study community food systems and resistance to capitalism. When I was little, I lived with the largest flock of angora goats east of the Mississippi. If this helps you know anything about me, I'm a pisces, my moon sign is scorpio and my ascendant is sagitarius.
I've dabbled in a few farms and gardens here and there, but this summer is my first experience really farming for a long stretch of time. So far, it's off to a great start. My main goals for the summer are: to learn by doing, to connect with and explore Philly's abundant urban agriculture scene, and to gain skills that will help me weather the apocalypse. I also hope to learn a lot of new recipes, get a rockin' farmer's tan, and perhaps even discover what my spirit plant is.
Looking forward to seeing you at the farm!
Meet Sarah!
Hello shareholders, I'm so excited to be living and farming in Philadelphia. After growing up in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, I moved to Boston, Mass. to go to college and studied cultural anthropology. After a stint as a museum assistant, I decided to try out farming for a month on Long Island and I realized it was the only thing I wanted to do. I had my first apprenticeship last summer at a small CSA farm in northern Rhode Island and am here in Philly to learn more about farm education and working side-by-side with youth. In my free time, I like to ride my bike, explore the Wissahickon, daydream about pie, write letters and make comics. My spirit animals are the manatee, orca whale, Atlantic harbor seal and the turkey. Feel free to talk to me about mid-Atlantic plants and trees, astrology and garlic.
Chard, Kale, Chicken Salad
Serves 4
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 bunch kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 pound grilled skinless, boneless chicken breast, sliced
• 1 (6 ounce) container crumbled feta cheese, or more to taste
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
Whisk the vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and oregano in a bowl until the honey has dissolved. Whisk in the olive oil until evenly blended. Place the kale, Swiss chard, chicken, feta cheese, raisins, and walnuts into a bowl. Toss with the dressing to serve.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Kale-Swiss-Chard-Chicken-and-Feta-Salad/Detail.aspx
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 bunch kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 pound grilled skinless, boneless chicken breast, sliced
• 1 (6 ounce) container crumbled feta cheese, or more to taste
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
Whisk the vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and oregano in a bowl until the honey has dissolved. Whisk in the olive oil until evenly blended. Place the kale, Swiss chard, chicken, feta cheese, raisins, and walnuts into a bowl. Toss with the dressing to serve.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Kale-Swiss-Chard-Chicken-and-Feta-Salad/Detail.aspx
Grilled Garlic Scapes
Take your garlic scapes and coat them in olive oil. Throw them on the grill until lightly browned and soft. Remove from grill and enjoy!
Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts
Serves 2
1/4 cup raisins
1 slice crusty bread
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/6 cup pine nuts
3/4 pound young spinach, stalks removed
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt and black pepper
Put the raisins in a small bowl with boiling water and let soak for ten minutes. Drain
Cut the bread into cubes and discard the crusts. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and saute the bread until golden. Drain.
Heat remaining oil in the pan. Saute the pine nuts until they begin to color. Add the spinach and garlic and cook quickly, turning the spinach until just wilted.
Toss in the raisins and season with salted pepper. Sprinkle croutons on top and serve hot.
1/4 cup raisins
1 slice crusty bread
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/6 cup pine nuts
3/4 pound young spinach, stalks removed
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt and black pepper
Put the raisins in a small bowl with boiling water and let soak for ten minutes. Drain
Cut the bread into cubes and discard the crusts. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and saute the bread until golden. Drain.
Heat remaining oil in the pan. Saute the pine nuts until they begin to color. Add the spinach and garlic and cook quickly, turning the spinach until just wilted.
Toss in the raisins and season with salted pepper. Sprinkle croutons on top and serve hot.
Sesame Kale Salad
Serves 4 to 6.
1 pound fresh kale or other greens
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
dash of black pepper and/or ground red pepper
Separate kale leaves from stems. Chop stems and greens. Steam stems a couple of minutes, then add the greens and steam until just tender. Drain, and let kale cool enough to handle it. Squeese out as much water as possible. Place in a serving bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients in another bowl. Add to greens. Mix, chill, and serve.
From: From Asparagus to Zucchini, adapted from Extending the Table: A World Community Cookbook
1 pound fresh kale or other greens
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
dash of black pepper and/or ground red pepper
Separate kale leaves from stems. Chop stems and greens. Steam stems a couple of minutes, then add the greens and steam until just tender. Drain, and let kale cool enough to handle it. Squeese out as much water as possible. Place in a serving bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients in another bowl. Add to greens. Mix, chill, and serve.
From: From Asparagus to Zucchini, adapted from Extending the Table: A World Community Cookbook
Farmer Biographies: Meet Nina!
Hi Shareholders!
In case we haven’t met yet, I am one of the co-managers of the CSA. I moved to Philadelphia a little over two years ago with the purpose of learning more about urban agriculture. I grew up in Vermont and always loved working and playing outside and had a love for being in nature. It wasn’t until college while getting my undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies that I decided I wanted to learn more about growing food. When I was younger, I knew I wanted a career that kept me active and outside, but gardening and growing food had previously been something I considered a hobby or a temporary summer job. After graduating from McGill University I stumbled across a program in British Columbia called the Linnaea Ecological Garden Programme. Linnaea Farm is on rural Cortes Island and the people that live there invite students to come and live on the farm and study agriculture for an entire season. For eight months farming was my life and it struck a chord deep inside me. I left the program realizing that farming was the perfect mix of my interests: working outside, taking care of the earth and being self-sufficient. I also realized that after living in such an isolated area for 8 months, I didn’t want to farm in the country but wanted to try urban farming instead. I also wanted to teach others about the importance of growing food. I returned home to Vermont and began searching for an urban farming position. After some quality time on the internet, I discovered that Philadelphia had more urban farming opportunities than most cities on the east coast. I applied for an apprenticeship at Weavers Way in 2008 and haven’t left since.
When I’m not farming, I put my energy towards various activities and crafts. I’m currently trying to learn more about sewing as well as fixing bikes. I have a bit of a one-track mind and don’t stray far from farming even when I’m doing these other activities. I am currently daydreaming about sewing a farm banner and building a bike-powered salad spinner! In the winter when the farming season slows down I try to spend as much time as possible in the snow back in Vermont.
In case we haven’t met yet, I am one of the co-managers of the CSA. I moved to Philadelphia a little over two years ago with the purpose of learning more about urban agriculture. I grew up in Vermont and always loved working and playing outside and had a love for being in nature. It wasn’t until college while getting my undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies that I decided I wanted to learn more about growing food. When I was younger, I knew I wanted a career that kept me active and outside, but gardening and growing food had previously been something I considered a hobby or a temporary summer job. After graduating from McGill University I stumbled across a program in British Columbia called the Linnaea Ecological Garden Programme. Linnaea Farm is on rural Cortes Island and the people that live there invite students to come and live on the farm and study agriculture for an entire season. For eight months farming was my life and it struck a chord deep inside me. I left the program realizing that farming was the perfect mix of my interests: working outside, taking care of the earth and being self-sufficient. I also realized that after living in such an isolated area for 8 months, I didn’t want to farm in the country but wanted to try urban farming instead. I also wanted to teach others about the importance of growing food. I returned home to Vermont and began searching for an urban farming position. After some quality time on the internet, I discovered that Philadelphia had more urban farming opportunities than most cities on the east coast. I applied for an apprenticeship at Weavers Way in 2008 and haven’t left since.
When I’m not farming, I put my energy towards various activities and crafts. I’m currently trying to learn more about sewing as well as fixing bikes. I have a bit of a one-track mind and don’t stray far from farming even when I’m doing these other activities. I am currently daydreaming about sewing a farm banner and building a bike-powered salad spinner! In the winter when the farming season slows down I try to spend as much time as possible in the snow back in Vermont.
What do Farmers do on their day off? …FARM!
By Nina Berryman
Ok, so we are not THAT boring every weekend, but this weekend we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to partake in a rare and exciting farming event…on our day off! This Sunday was the first wheat harvest at Fernbrook Farm in Bordentown, NJ. Small scale, local grains are sadly even more difficult to come by than local vegetables. Most of the tools, terms and methods for growing grains on a small scale have quietly slipped into museums, outdated books and the memory banks of retired farmers. Because of this, the invitation to help with the harvest of about an 1/8 of an acre of wheat this weekend was something I couldn’t pass up.
Fernbrook Farm is about an hour away and is a 375 person CSA. Tucked away in one of the fields is an experimental patch of wheat that was planted last October. The field was first disced with a tractor, then the seed was broadcast (meaning not planted in rows but spread out all over). A winter-hardy variety was planted so it grew a few inches in the fall, stayed alive during the winter, then shot up in the spring, putting on a few feet of growth. According to the farmer who planted this wheat, you want to harvest the wheat when the wheat berries feel harder than stiff dough, but are still soft enough that you can indent them with your fingernail. If you harvest the wheat before this time, the wheat berries on the stalk will not have much gluten in them and if you make bread with flour from the wheat it won’t rise properly. If you wait to harvest the wheat beyond this point, you run the risk of the wheat berries sprouting after a rain.
With a crew of about 13 people, we cut the wheat down with scythes, picked the wheat stalks up off the ground, placed them in piles, and tied baling twine around them. We filled the back of a pickup truck twice on Sunday and once on Saturday. Then we stacked the bundles in a barn to let them dry and allow the wheat berries to fully harden. While taking my turn cutting the wheat, I was reminded of what a lost art scything is. I thought about the fact that the dimensions of an acre are based on the amount of land a person is supposed to be able to mow with a scythe in one day. Anyone who can scythe that much land in one day has my respect!
Now the wheat will sit in the barn for a few weeks until it is ready for threshing, then winnowing, and then grinding to turn it into flour. All of these tasks are also great large group projects so if we go back to lend a hand we’ll keep you updated on the process!
Ok, so we are not THAT boring every weekend, but this weekend we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to partake in a rare and exciting farming event…on our day off! This Sunday was the first wheat harvest at Fernbrook Farm in Bordentown, NJ. Small scale, local grains are sadly even more difficult to come by than local vegetables. Most of the tools, terms and methods for growing grains on a small scale have quietly slipped into museums, outdated books and the memory banks of retired farmers. Because of this, the invitation to help with the harvest of about an 1/8 of an acre of wheat this weekend was something I couldn’t pass up.
Fernbrook Farm is about an hour away and is a 375 person CSA. Tucked away in one of the fields is an experimental patch of wheat that was planted last October. The field was first disced with a tractor, then the seed was broadcast (meaning not planted in rows but spread out all over). A winter-hardy variety was planted so it grew a few inches in the fall, stayed alive during the winter, then shot up in the spring, putting on a few feet of growth. According to the farmer who planted this wheat, you want to harvest the wheat when the wheat berries feel harder than stiff dough, but are still soft enough that you can indent them with your fingernail. If you harvest the wheat before this time, the wheat berries on the stalk will not have much gluten in them and if you make bread with flour from the wheat it won’t rise properly. If you wait to harvest the wheat beyond this point, you run the risk of the wheat berries sprouting after a rain.
With a crew of about 13 people, we cut the wheat down with scythes, picked the wheat stalks up off the ground, placed them in piles, and tied baling twine around them. We filled the back of a pickup truck twice on Sunday and once on Saturday. Then we stacked the bundles in a barn to let them dry and allow the wheat berries to fully harden. While taking my turn cutting the wheat, I was reminded of what a lost art scything is. I thought about the fact that the dimensions of an acre are based on the amount of land a person is supposed to be able to mow with a scythe in one day. Anyone who can scythe that much land in one day has my respect!
Now the wheat will sit in the barn for a few weeks until it is ready for threshing, then winnowing, and then grinding to turn it into flour. All of these tasks are also great large group projects so if we go back to lend a hand we’ll keep you updated on the process!
The Soil in which we Grow
By Nina Berryman
This spring at one of our shareholder orientation meetings a shareholder was asking about the land on which we grow. There are multiple ways to answer this question. There is the micro analysis of what our soil consists of, and there is the historical analysis of how the land has been used. I am more versed in the micro analysis of the soil and would like to learn more about the historical use of the land. If anyone has grandparents who grew up in the area and might know what this land looked like 70 years ago, I’d love to talk with them! What I do know about the history of the land is that since Saul High School has been leasing the land from Fairmount Park it has either been maintained as turf grass, planted in flowers, or planted in peach trees. At one point there were also bee hives in the area where our lower hoop house is. I can write in more detail about the land in which your vegetables grow on the micro level. The first year we tested for heavy metals to make sure the soil was not contaminated. Soil is considered safe if it has less than 150 parts per million. The soil in our field is 38.37 ppm. Because we know no contaminants have been added to the field since we started farming here a year ago, we only needed to test for heavy metals once. Every year, as soon as the ground thaws we take a soil sample to determine what and how much amendments we want to add. We sample in the main vegetable field, our hoop houses, and the corn/potato field across the street. To do this we dig about twelve holes, randomly scattered around the farm and take a soil sample from each hole. We then mix the samples together in a bucket, spread that composite out on newspapers to dry for twenty-four hours, and then take a one cup sample from that sample. This sample we send to Penn State Extension Soil Lab. This year the pH was 6.8. pH is measured from 0 to 14, with 1 being very acidic and 14 being very basic. For vegetable production slightly acidic soil is ideal, so we are right on target. Some plants prefer more acidic soils such as blueberries and potatoes. Having soil that is slightly acidic increases plants’ ability to take up nutrients that are available in the soil and reduces the plants ability to take up toxins that might be in the soil. Also, when the pH is right, beneficial organisms are most active. If you have soil that is too acidic, adding limestone is the most common way to raise the pH to a more desirable level. If you have soil that is too basic, you can add sulfur to lower the pH.
Cation exchange capacity (CEC) is another important part of the soil analysis which is another measurement of the soil’s capability of retaining and supplying nutrients. CEC can be thought of as the micro-level transfer of nutrients in the soil to the plants roots. Organic matter provides most of a soil’s CEC capability. Clay, also provides a portion of a soil’s CEC capacity. If you have very sandy soil with low organic matter the CEC will be low. We add compost to our vegetable beds to increase the organic matter content. According to UMass-Amherst Department of Plant and Soil, a “balanced” soil has a 70% Calcium saturation (ours is 76.7), a 12% Magnesium saturation (ours is 18.0), and a 4% Potassium saturation (ours is 5.3).
NPK is a key part of the soil test as well. N, P, and K are the periodic table of contents abbreviations for Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. In essence, this is the food for our plants. Plants also need a lot of other nutrients, like calcium and magnesium, but NPK are the nutrients which plants need the most of. Nitrogen is very variable in the soil and very little remains in the soil after the growing season. It is necessary for almost every aspect of plant growth. For these reasons we apply a fertilizer with a relatively high percentage of nitrogen (5%).
Phosphorus enables plants to use the energy that they create from photosynthesis. According to or soil test our field exceeds the plants’ needs for Phosphorus, so we use a fertilizer with only 1% Phosphorus content.
Potassium enables plants to utilize Nitrogen and water. Our field also exceeds the plants’ needs for Potassium so we use a fertilizer with 1% Potassium content.
One major part of our soil analysis that we don’t need a laboratory to test is the soil type; that is, whether it is sand, silt or clay, or a mixture. Sand, silt and clay are different categories of mineral particle sizes, with sand being the largest, then silt, and clay being the smallest. Oh, and there is the category of…extremely rocky! In my opinion, a soil can be considered rocky when it has particles that are large enough to get stuck in your tiller tines! Some parts of our field are rocky, some are very rocky. Between the rocks, our soil is on the sandy side.
This spring at one of our shareholder orientation meetings a shareholder was asking about the land on which we grow. There are multiple ways to answer this question. There is the micro analysis of what our soil consists of, and there is the historical analysis of how the land has been used. I am more versed in the micro analysis of the soil and would like to learn more about the historical use of the land. If anyone has grandparents who grew up in the area and might know what this land looked like 70 years ago, I’d love to talk with them! What I do know about the history of the land is that since Saul High School has been leasing the land from Fairmount Park it has either been maintained as turf grass, planted in flowers, or planted in peach trees. At one point there were also bee hives in the area where our lower hoop house is. I can write in more detail about the land in which your vegetables grow on the micro level. The first year we tested for heavy metals to make sure the soil was not contaminated. Soil is considered safe if it has less than 150 parts per million. The soil in our field is 38.37 ppm. Because we know no contaminants have been added to the field since we started farming here a year ago, we only needed to test for heavy metals once. Every year, as soon as the ground thaws we take a soil sample to determine what and how much amendments we want to add. We sample in the main vegetable field, our hoop houses, and the corn/potato field across the street. To do this we dig about twelve holes, randomly scattered around the farm and take a soil sample from each hole. We then mix the samples together in a bucket, spread that composite out on newspapers to dry for twenty-four hours, and then take a one cup sample from that sample. This sample we send to Penn State Extension Soil Lab. This year the pH was 6.8. pH is measured from 0 to 14, with 1 being very acidic and 14 being very basic. For vegetable production slightly acidic soil is ideal, so we are right on target. Some plants prefer more acidic soils such as blueberries and potatoes. Having soil that is slightly acidic increases plants’ ability to take up nutrients that are available in the soil and reduces the plants ability to take up toxins that might be in the soil. Also, when the pH is right, beneficial organisms are most active. If you have soil that is too acidic, adding limestone is the most common way to raise the pH to a more desirable level. If you have soil that is too basic, you can add sulfur to lower the pH.
Cation exchange capacity (CEC) is another important part of the soil analysis which is another measurement of the soil’s capability of retaining and supplying nutrients. CEC can be thought of as the micro-level transfer of nutrients in the soil to the plants roots. Organic matter provides most of a soil’s CEC capability. Clay, also provides a portion of a soil’s CEC capacity. If you have very sandy soil with low organic matter the CEC will be low. We add compost to our vegetable beds to increase the organic matter content. According to UMass-Amherst Department of Plant and Soil, a “balanced” soil has a 70% Calcium saturation (ours is 76.7), a 12% Magnesium saturation (ours is 18.0), and a 4% Potassium saturation (ours is 5.3).
NPK is a key part of the soil test as well. N, P, and K are the periodic table of contents abbreviations for Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. In essence, this is the food for our plants. Plants also need a lot of other nutrients, like calcium and magnesium, but NPK are the nutrients which plants need the most of. Nitrogen is very variable in the soil and very little remains in the soil after the growing season. It is necessary for almost every aspect of plant growth. For these reasons we apply a fertilizer with a relatively high percentage of nitrogen (5%).
Phosphorus enables plants to use the energy that they create from photosynthesis. According to or soil test our field exceeds the plants’ needs for Phosphorus, so we use a fertilizer with only 1% Phosphorus content.
Potassium enables plants to utilize Nitrogen and water. Our field also exceeds the plants’ needs for Potassium so we use a fertilizer with 1% Potassium content.
One major part of our soil analysis that we don’t need a laboratory to test is the soil type; that is, whether it is sand, silt or clay, or a mixture. Sand, silt and clay are different categories of mineral particle sizes, with sand being the largest, then silt, and clay being the smallest. Oh, and there is the category of…extremely rocky! In my opinion, a soil can be considered rocky when it has particles that are large enough to get stuck in your tiller tines! Some parts of our field are rocky, some are very rocky. Between the rocks, our soil is on the sandy side.
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