Spicy Carrot Soup

8 carrots, roughly chopped.
5 celery sticks, cut into pieces.
2 cloves of garlic, chopped.
1 large onion, chopped.
4 cups of water.
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of curry powder.
Salt.
Heat up the olive oil in a frying pan; then fry the chopped garlic and chopped onion for 4-5 minutes.

Add a teaspoon of curry powder, then stir.

Add all of the remaining ingredients except the salt and cook until the vegetables are tender.

Mix in a blender until the soup is smooth.

Radishes with Flavored Salts and Butter

• 3 tablespoons whole fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
• 2 cups coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons ground paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 24 medium radishes, trimmed
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1. Toast fennel seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking pan continuously, until aromatic, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder; grind until seeds are no longer coarse. Repeat with cumin seeds.
2. In a small mixing bowl, stir ground fennel seeds into 1/2 cup coarse salt; transfer to a small serving bowl. Wipe out mixing bowl, then mix ground cumin seeds into 1/2 cup coarse salt; transfer to another small serving bowl. Wipe out mixing bowl, then stir paprika and cayenne pepper into 1/2 cup coarse salt; transfer to a third serving bowl.
3. Arrange radishes on a serving platter. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup salt into another serving bowl. Transfer softened butter to a slightly larger bowl. Serve.
Source: http://www.marthastewart.com/355413/fresh-radishes-flavored-salts-and-butter?czone=food/produce-guide-cnt/spring-produce-recipes

Brown Butter Pasta with Tatsoi

Serves 2
Your pasta of choice, preferably curved or with ridges
1/2 stick unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
Leaves of 2 to 3 bunches of tatsoi, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped sage
Freshly grated parmesan
Lemon wedges, optional
Cook pasta to al dente in salted water.
When pasta almost done done, melt butter in a skillet. Swirl the butter in the pan as it foams. (At this point, remove pasta from the heat and drain well in a colander.) When butter begins to brown, toss in pasta and mix to coat with butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Add tatsoi and sage and cook until slightly wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Plate and serve immediately with grated parmesan and lemon wedges on the side.
Source: http://backyardfarming.blogspot.com/2008/06/marisas-csa-week-2.html

Weather Update

As if hurricanes, heat waves and nonstop rain weren’t enough, let’s add snow in October! I’m not quite sure what else Mother Nature could throw our way all in one season! A frost is typical around Halloween, but three inches of snow is unheard of. We were expecting cold temperatures Saturday night, so Friday afternoon Molly (with the help of her dad), harvested what was left of the eggplant and summer squash and covered everything else in white row cover. We did all that we could, shy of pulling an all-nighter harvesting everything in the field! The weather report called for chance of snow Saturday night. On Saturday morning I was eating my breakfast and watched the rain turn to snow at 10am. Suddenly nervous about our preparations, I went to the farm, in full raingear, long johns and winter hat to clothespin holes in our row cover and put the one remaining piece of fabric on our most precious bed- the lettuce heads! Some crops will fare just fine in fact a few will even improve with the cold temperatures. Kale and carrots for instance become sweeter with a frost. Others, I am more worried about. For example the bok choi, tat soi, baby greens and lettuce are less hardy. It’s now Sunday afternoon and I’ve been watching the thermometer like a hawk all weekend. I’m hoping that because it didn’t dip below 32, we might be in luck and the air temperature wasn’t quite cold enough to burst the cell walls of the plants. I’m fearing that because the snow was so heavy it may have pulled the row cover, which was propped up by hoops, low onto the plants, letting the cold snow rest on (and maybe crush) the leaves of the plants. On Monday morning we will see!

New Pick Up Routine

Every CSA has a slightly different way of distributing their vegetables. Some CSAs box them for you and you have no choice in what you receive. Others let you pick some of your vegetables but require that you take others. Some CSAs apply no restrictions and offer a first come, first serve distribution.
In previous years we had a system of some choice, but not all choice, which proved to be much too complicated and resulted in certain items running out earlier than they were supposed to. This year we tried to simplify things, by only allowing choice and trades through a more diversified swap box. For week 25 (not this week, but next), we will be trying a trial run of a new system in a continued effort to find a system that works for both the farmers and the members.
The new idea is to put more diversity on the table, with item sizes for each vegetable written on the chalk board (for example, eggplant: 1lb). Smalls shares can pick any 6 items, and larges can pick any 12 items. In an effort to maintain diversity throughout the 5 hour pick up, smalls may not choose more than one item of any one vegetable, and larges can take one or two items of any one vegetable. For example, you won’t be able to take 6 (or 12) bunches of carrots (but larges can take two). My hope is that diversity in people’s preferences will be better met while maintaining a diverse pick-up table. If this sounds complicated, don’t fret, our trusty staff will be on hand to help you through it! Feedback can be offered in our end of the year survey, soon to come!

It Takes a Village Part II

This year we almost doubled our number of working share positions and it was one of the best changes I made this year! Working members receive a discount on their share in return for two hours a week of work for the farm. Many of working share members have gone above and beyond this requirement, contributing whatever it took to get the job done. They have been supporting me in many of the behind the scenes work that frees me up to stay focused working in the field. Let me extend a huge thank you to all of these people, as I introduce them below.
Staffing the pick up: Thank you Gene Lang, Georgia Kirkpatrick, Randi Weinberg, Stephanie Taglianetti, Katy McClure and Lisa Kolker for managing the pick-up smoothly all season long. You provided explanation for first timers picking up their shares, suggested recipes, promoted farm events and were the face of the farm for the shareholder community during those hours. I never could have accomplished what needed to get done in the field if it wasn’t for your help running the pick-up. Thank you for answering the same questions over and over and ensuring fellow shareholders had a pleasant experience at the farm!
The Weeding Team: Every time a weeding shareholder showed up for their weekly two hour shift I presented them with a herculean task, and never once did anyone of them even bat an eye. The weeds at our farm are thorny, tall, deep and downright ferocious. Thank you Sarah Punderson, Kristy Schultz, Eric Dougherty, Laura Demme, Catherine Provenzano and Katy Kilcullen (a Saul student) for all your hard work! Your task may have seemed endless at times but your efforts made a HUGE contribution. I cannot stress how grateful I am for all your help. In moments of despair and feeling overwhelmed, you were a pillar of support!
Newsletter: Thank you Ann Keiser for the tedious job of formatting and editing every single newsletter and posting it on our blog. These newsletters are crucial to sharing information to the shareholders, and you made them beautiful and easy to read. I never would have kept the blog up to date without you, and the newsletter was always professional looking and full of beautiful pictures. Thank you!
Event Coordinator: Nancy Dearden is the mastermind behind all of our potlucks, workshops and fundraisers. These types of events really help establish a sense of community for our members and offer an opportunity for people to gather and connect over the farm which brings us together. Thank you for your countless hours organizing these events this year.
Data Entry: Joan Stockton has brought our record keeping to a new level! After years of our record keeping consisting of un-analyzed papers in a three ring binder, we now have working excel files with which we can make educated decisions about next year based on real harvest data. I also want to thank Anna Hoover for stepping up to give Joan a hand with the arduous task of copying numbers into excel files. Thanks to the two of you, I can learn so much more from our year to year numbers.
Payments: Thank you Lisa Kolker for diligently keeping track of everyone’s payments. This is no small feat, with various discounts, staggered payment plans and such a large membership. This system was much more timely and organized this year, thanks to all your help!
Saul Liason: Jess McAtamney is technically a working member, but in reality is more like a co-manager. Jess is the reason Weavers Way is at Saul High School. Before Henry Got Crops existed, Jess and her Agroecology students at Saul worked with Weavers Way in one of their existing hoop houses on campus, growing vegetables. When she found out we were considered different locations around the North West to start a second farm, she emphatically said, “oh, well of course it will be here.” That was the end of that conversation and ever since she has been an integral part of every aspect of the farm. She set the example for class involvement which has inspired many other teachers to become involved with the education programs that Clare runs at Henry Got Crops. Jess works incredibly hard, alongside her students who are a crucial part of operations on the farm. She also facilitates all conversations and negotiations with the school to maintain a positive, reciprocating relationship with the staff and students at Saul. Thank you Jess, it has been a pleasure working with you for three years and I look forward to the seasons yet to come.