• large potatoes
• half-and-half
• butter
• salt and pepper
• paprika
Preparation:
Scrub potatoes; prick in a few places with a fork. Bake at 450° for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Cut a slice from the top of each potato; scoop out pulp. Reserve potato shells; set aside. Mash potato pulp, beating in enough half and half to make fluffy. Season with butter and salt and pepper to taste. Stuff reserved potato shells with mixture, rounding the tops. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with paprika. Bake potatoes for about 15 minutes, or until nicely browned.
Source: http://southernfood.about.com/od/bakedroastedpotatoes/r/bl30319r.htm
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Freezing Parsnips
1 1/4 lb To 1-1/2 lb (without tops)- Makes 1 pint
Choose small to medium, tender, not woody, parsnips.
2. Remove tops, wash, pare, and cut in 1/2-inch cubes or slices.
3. Blanch 3 minutes. Cool; drain well.
4. Pack in containers, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Seal, label, and freeze.
5. Cook frozen parsnips about 10 to 12 minutes.
Souce: http://www.justvegetablerecipes.com/veg-0047049.html
Choose small to medium, tender, not woody, parsnips.
2. Remove tops, wash, pare, and cut in 1/2-inch cubes or slices.
3. Blanch 3 minutes. Cool; drain well.
4. Pack in containers, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Seal, label, and freeze.
5. Cook frozen parsnips about 10 to 12 minutes.
Souce: http://www.justvegetablerecipes.com/veg-0047049.html
Caramelised Parsnips and Baby Onions
1 1 ounce fresh root ginger; scrubbed and finely grated
1 lb Parsnips; scrubbed and cut into 1/2in x 2in batons
8 oz onions; peeled pickling (pour boiling water over them first to loosen skins)
1 tb Soya oil
1 tb Honey
1/2 ts Turmeric
Squeeze grated ginger tightly in one hand over parsnips so all the juice runs out. Discard the remaining fibrous gin- ger. Mix all ingredients together and place in a shallow tin. Cook uncovered at 150 degrees C/300 degrees F/ Gas 2 for 45 minutes. Turn occasionally. Increase temperature to 200 degrees C/400 degrees F Gas 6 and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until crisp and golden.
Source:
http://www.justvegetablerecipes.com/veg-0081865.html
1 lb Parsnips; scrubbed and cut into 1/2in x 2in batons
8 oz onions; peeled pickling (pour boiling water over them first to loosen skins)
1 tb Soya oil
1 tb Honey
1/2 ts Turmeric
Squeeze grated ginger tightly in one hand over parsnips so all the juice runs out. Discard the remaining fibrous gin- ger. Mix all ingredients together and place in a shallow tin. Cook uncovered at 150 degrees C/300 degrees F/ Gas 2 for 45 minutes. Turn occasionally. Increase temperature to 200 degrees C/400 degrees F Gas 6 and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until crisp and golden.
Source:
http://www.justvegetablerecipes.com/veg-0081865.html
Mashed Rutabagas
Ingredients:
• 2 to 3 pounds rutabaga
• water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Peel rutabaga; cut into chunks. Put the chunks in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for abou 25 to 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and let them dry in a colander or in the pan with the top ajar.
Mash the rutabagas with the butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper.
Serves 4 to 6.
Source: http://southernfood.about.com/od/turnipandrutabagarecipes/r/r70424a.htm
• 2 to 3 pounds rutabaga
• water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Peel rutabaga; cut into chunks. Put the chunks in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for abou 25 to 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and let them dry in a colander or in the pan with the top ajar.
Mash the rutabagas with the butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper.
Serves 4 to 6.
Source: http://southernfood.about.com/od/turnipandrutabagarecipes/r/r70424a.htm
Student Involvement this Fall
This fall we have had four classes from Saul that have been coming out to the farm on a weekly basis. The Agroecology class, the Landscape Design class, and two of the Aquaculture classes. Here are some of the jobs on the farm they have been learning about and helping us with:
• Pest management of Harlequin beetles
• Potato digging
• Clearing beds that are no longer producing
• Doing final harvests of crops before the frost
• Turning beds and planting cover crop of rye and clover
• Laying down black plastic and mulch for weed suppression
• Building a hoop house
• Building a vermin-compost bin
• Winnowing seed for seed saving
• Drying flowers
• Staffing pick-up
• Staffing the farm stand on Henry Ave.
Thank you to all the students who have helped this year!
• Pest management of Harlequin beetles
• Potato digging
• Clearing beds that are no longer producing
• Doing final harvests of crops before the frost
• Turning beds and planting cover crop of rye and clover
• Laying down black plastic and mulch for weed suppression
• Building a hoop house
• Building a vermin-compost bin
• Winnowing seed for seed saving
• Drying flowers
• Staffing pick-up
• Staffing the farm stand on Henry Ave.
Thank you to all the students who have helped this year!
What do the farmers do over the winter?
By Nina Berryman
As the days become shorter and the nights become colder, many of the shareholders have been asking us what we do over the winter. The change of seasons is bringing a reality check- the growing season is over, so if we are not growing food, what do we do as farmers? First, let it be known, as I’m sure you all already know, Nicole and I are not in typical farming positions. Most farmers work for themselves, their income is completely tied to their production and they have to pick up a second job in the winter to stay afloat, and as it is most are still in debt. Nicole and I don’t work for ourselves; we work for Weavers Way Cooperative. Our income is only sort of connected to our production. For now, Weavers Way pays us independently of what our sales are. However, the CSA can not be a long term financial drain on the co-op, so our goal is to break even by year three. This year, the CSA did better financially than expected; we opened a few half season shares part way through the season. However, we are still far from breaking even. This is expected when starting a new project, and the co-op has agreed to support the CSA for a second year. After a few years the sales from the CSA will need to cover costs though. Regarding getting second jobs in the winter, Nicole and I may work part time in the Weavers Way store to help offset the farm’s costs during the winter when we aren’t bringing in any money from vegetable sales. All in all, we consider ourselves to be in a very fortunate farming position.
Because of our unique situation as employed, year-round farmers, part of our job is to do everything we can during the winter to make the next season as successful as possible. In other words, agood portion of what we will do this winter is planning, reorganizing, record keeping and outreach. Nicole and I actually just sat down last Saturday to make a comprehensive list of “things to do” before next season. The first thing we are planning around is a little vacation! A typical work week for each of us during the CSA is 60 hours, and since taking time off during the spring/summer/fall is nearly impossible, we will both be taking a one month vacation this winter.
After that, we will get going on our list of things to do. One of the largest tasks before us crop planning. We need to calculate the number of seeds to buy according to the number of new shares we open, as well as adjust for the feedback we got from shareholders about which crops are more popular than others. We need to research different varieties of vegetables to keep the share interesting and reliable. We also need to map out where crops will be planted (a crop rotation) to reduce pest problems and overtaxing the soil. We also need to adjust our planting methods; for instance our lettuce was planted too close together this year and so next year we need to spread it out and allocate a larger area in the field for it. All of this work translates into a lot of number crunching and then a massive seed order. This needs to be done by early January so we can get our seeds and start seeding in the greenhouse by mid February.
There are also some large projects that are under way and need to be finished by next spring. These include a new hoop house, a new wash station and the worm compost bin. The students and ourselves have been involved with the design process so far and will continue to help with the construction of these projects.
Another task that takes much of our time is record keeping. One of our shareholders has graciously volunteered to help with this monstrous project! We need to keep track of how much we are producing and sales to shareholders, farmers markets, restaurants, as well as donations. To do this we have to enter the numbers we have been keeping track of all season long into a data base.
Over the winter, we also need to recruit new members. We are planning on expanding next year and we need to contact the people on our waiting list and get all the payments in by the spring time.
Lastly, some harvesting and sales will continue as the plants in our hoop houses mature. These will mostly be sold to Weavers Way Co-op.
Given that farming is considered a “seasonal” job, there sure is a lot to do in the winter time!
As the days become shorter and the nights become colder, many of the shareholders have been asking us what we do over the winter. The change of seasons is bringing a reality check- the growing season is over, so if we are not growing food, what do we do as farmers? First, let it be known, as I’m sure you all already know, Nicole and I are not in typical farming positions. Most farmers work for themselves, their income is completely tied to their production and they have to pick up a second job in the winter to stay afloat, and as it is most are still in debt. Nicole and I don’t work for ourselves; we work for Weavers Way Cooperative. Our income is only sort of connected to our production. For now, Weavers Way pays us independently of what our sales are. However, the CSA can not be a long term financial drain on the co-op, so our goal is to break even by year three. This year, the CSA did better financially than expected; we opened a few half season shares part way through the season. However, we are still far from breaking even. This is expected when starting a new project, and the co-op has agreed to support the CSA for a second year. After a few years the sales from the CSA will need to cover costs though. Regarding getting second jobs in the winter, Nicole and I may work part time in the Weavers Way store to help offset the farm’s costs during the winter when we aren’t bringing in any money from vegetable sales. All in all, we consider ourselves to be in a very fortunate farming position.
Because of our unique situation as employed, year-round farmers, part of our job is to do everything we can during the winter to make the next season as successful as possible. In other words, agood portion of what we will do this winter is planning, reorganizing, record keeping and outreach. Nicole and I actually just sat down last Saturday to make a comprehensive list of “things to do” before next season. The first thing we are planning around is a little vacation! A typical work week for each of us during the CSA is 60 hours, and since taking time off during the spring/summer/fall is nearly impossible, we will both be taking a one month vacation this winter.
After that, we will get going on our list of things to do. One of the largest tasks before us crop planning. We need to calculate the number of seeds to buy according to the number of new shares we open, as well as adjust for the feedback we got from shareholders about which crops are more popular than others. We need to research different varieties of vegetables to keep the share interesting and reliable. We also need to map out where crops will be planted (a crop rotation) to reduce pest problems and overtaxing the soil. We also need to adjust our planting methods; for instance our lettuce was planted too close together this year and so next year we need to spread it out and allocate a larger area in the field for it. All of this work translates into a lot of number crunching and then a massive seed order. This needs to be done by early January so we can get our seeds and start seeding in the greenhouse by mid February.
There are also some large projects that are under way and need to be finished by next spring. These include a new hoop house, a new wash station and the worm compost bin. The students and ourselves have been involved with the design process so far and will continue to help with the construction of these projects.
Another task that takes much of our time is record keeping. One of our shareholders has graciously volunteered to help with this monstrous project! We need to keep track of how much we are producing and sales to shareholders, farmers markets, restaurants, as well as donations. To do this we have to enter the numbers we have been keeping track of all season long into a data base.
Over the winter, we also need to recruit new members. We are planning on expanding next year and we need to contact the people on our waiting list and get all the payments in by the spring time.
Lastly, some harvesting and sales will continue as the plants in our hoop houses mature. These will mostly be sold to Weavers Way Co-op.
Given that farming is considered a “seasonal” job, there sure is a lot to do in the winter time!
The Season in Review!
By Nina Berryman
Earlier this year I wrote an article that began with a statement I often exclaim: “I can’t believe it’s that time of year already!” Well, the same applies now as we are at the final week of our CSA. It was over a year ago when we began planning this project. Back in May when we set up for the first pick-up it seemed like this day was ages away. Well here it is- the end of our first season! I can say I feel a combination of a sense of pride, excitement, relief and a bit of exhaustion! CSA is truly a unique form of food distribution that inherently relies on the cooperation of everyone involved. This CSA is a great example of this as we not only have a working partnership between farmers and shareholders but also an entire high school! Being our first year, we owe an especially large “thank you” to all the shareholders who were willing to put their money (and faith!) into a brand-new project. Many people these days are talking about local, healthy, chemical-free food, but it won’t end up on anyone’s dinner plate unless people like you directly support the farmers who grow that food. Shareholders came out to the farm in all sorts of daunting weather this year to bring home the beloved vegetables that our farming crew put so much time and energy into growing and harvesting. Thank you!
We also want to recognize the countless hours that Saul students put into this project. Students have been working side by side with us for the entire season. They helped us till the very first beds this spring and are still out in the field helping us plant cover crop to protect the beds over the winter. We also want to recognize all the work that Ms. Naugle McAtamney has put into this project so far. Last fall before we even decided exactly where to do the CSA, she heard we were considering Saul and she practically made the decision for us! She has been enthusiastically supportive from the very beginning and has facilitated the partnership between Weavers Way and Saul. Not only is Ms. Naugle McAtamney talking to teachers and staff at Saul to ensure that this partnership runs been smoothly, but she is out in the field with her students planting and weeding with the rest of us!
Partway through the season, when we found ourselves with more produce than expected, we added a few half season shares. Our grand total of shareholders is 83, with 56 small shares and 27 large shares. We attended the Manayunk Farmers market for about 12 weeks and our total sales were over $2000. We made a few sales to local restaurants, including Mango Moon on Main Street in Manayunk. Wtotaled over 800 lbs of food, which is the equivalent of over $1000 worth of fresh produce.
And … it was one of our wettest summers in a long time! We hope that next year will bring more sunshine and an even more successful season full of delicious, locally produced vegetables.
We also opened a farm stand on Henry Ave. once a week for about 10 weeks which has brought in roughly $500. We have donated vegetables every week since almost the beginning of the season to North Lights Community Center. This has totaled over 800 lbs of food, which is the equivalent of over $1000 worth of fresh produce.
And … it was one of our wettest summers in a long time! We hope that next year will bring more sunshine and an even more successful season full of delicious, locally produced vegetables.
Earlier this year I wrote an article that began with a statement I often exclaim: “I can’t believe it’s that time of year already!” Well, the same applies now as we are at the final week of our CSA. It was over a year ago when we began planning this project. Back in May when we set up for the first pick-up it seemed like this day was ages away. Well here it is- the end of our first season! I can say I feel a combination of a sense of pride, excitement, relief and a bit of exhaustion! CSA is truly a unique form of food distribution that inherently relies on the cooperation of everyone involved. This CSA is a great example of this as we not only have a working partnership between farmers and shareholders but also an entire high school! Being our first year, we owe an especially large “thank you” to all the shareholders who were willing to put their money (and faith!) into a brand-new project. Many people these days are talking about local, healthy, chemical-free food, but it won’t end up on anyone’s dinner plate unless people like you directly support the farmers who grow that food. Shareholders came out to the farm in all sorts of daunting weather this year to bring home the beloved vegetables that our farming crew put so much time and energy into growing and harvesting. Thank you!
We also want to recognize the countless hours that Saul students put into this project. Students have been working side by side with us for the entire season. They helped us till the very first beds this spring and are still out in the field helping us plant cover crop to protect the beds over the winter. We also want to recognize all the work that Ms. Naugle McAtamney has put into this project so far. Last fall before we even decided exactly where to do the CSA, she heard we were considering Saul and she practically made the decision for us! She has been enthusiastically supportive from the very beginning and has facilitated the partnership between Weavers Way and Saul. Not only is Ms. Naugle McAtamney talking to teachers and staff at Saul to ensure that this partnership runs been smoothly, but she is out in the field with her students planting and weeding with the rest of us!
Partway through the season, when we found ourselves with more produce than expected, we added a few half season shares. Our grand total of shareholders is 83, with 56 small shares and 27 large shares. We attended the Manayunk Farmers market for about 12 weeks and our total sales were over $2000. We made a few sales to local restaurants, including Mango Moon on Main Street in Manayunk. Wtotaled over 800 lbs of food, which is the equivalent of over $1000 worth of fresh produce.
And … it was one of our wettest summers in a long time! We hope that next year will bring more sunshine and an even more successful season full of delicious, locally produced vegetables.
We also opened a farm stand on Henry Ave. once a week for about 10 weeks which has brought in roughly $500. We have donated vegetables every week since almost the beginning of the season to North Lights Community Center. This has totaled over 800 lbs of food, which is the equivalent of over $1000 worth of fresh produce.
And … it was one of our wettest summers in a long time! We hope that next year will bring more sunshine and an even more successful season full of delicious, locally produced vegetables.
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