Call us softies, but when we got requests from three people to spare one of our turkeys... and when Seneca asserted, "but not the old one," when we told her the turkeys were going away... and when she outmaneuvered us endlessly the morning of the harvest... we decided to pardon one of our Black Spanish birds, "the old one," the lady who was always smarter than the rest of 'em and the one, frankly, who we just couldn't bear to do in. There is no wonder such a pardon exists. Enjoy the holiday.
Monday, November 24, 2014
A Thanksgiving pardon
Call us softies, but when we got requests from three people to spare one of our turkeys... and when Seneca asserted, "but not the old one," when we told her the turkeys were going away... and when she outmaneuvered us endlessly the morning of the harvest... we decided to pardon one of our Black Spanish birds, "the old one," the lady who was always smarter than the rest of 'em and the one, frankly, who we just couldn't bear to do in. There is no wonder such a pardon exists. Enjoy the holiday.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
All's quiet on the farm
All's quiet on the farm. (Except for those baby chicks who think it's funny when we chase them each evening in the dark to get them back in their coop, safe and sound.)
Seriously, there is a void on the farm. Our pigs are gone, and the sounds of them frolicking in the woods, eating their feed, moving around in their hut, running up to Jason each morning... all gone. I felt this void last year, too, after we shipped our pigs off to a slaughterhouse to come back as delicious, packaged protein that we thoroughly enjoyed and shared all year long.
But this year's feeling is different, because this year's slaughter was different. There was no shipping off. There were intense, intimate moments with our three pigs up until their slaughter and even just after. With the help of a skilled friend, we took the lives of "the brown one," "Brigitte" and "the other one," as I so affectionately called them. Images from that morning are, thankfully, now ingrained in me. I will never be the same. Which sounds dramatic. But I only wish people could still have such real experiences with life and nature and death in order to grow and situate themselves appropriately in the world and in existence.
When the three of them were dead - when there was silence - I felt so conflicted. I felt respect, joy, sadness, relief, guilt... but mostly I felt love (again, dramatic - but true). I wanted so badly to hug my kid right after the deeds were done (only after I hugged those pigs, of course).
I can't express how thankful I am to have had this experience.
Now 5 days later, after we butchered the pigs under the tutelage of a master butcher right in our very own garage, after we vacuum sealed all of our precise cuts until midnight that evening, and after I cooked up a delicious country-style pork chop for dinner the next day, I'm expecting the cold weather to set in for a winter of rest and reflection.
Seriously, there is a void on the farm. Our pigs are gone, and the sounds of them frolicking in the woods, eating their feed, moving around in their hut, running up to Jason each morning... all gone. I felt this void last year, too, after we shipped our pigs off to a slaughterhouse to come back as delicious, packaged protein that we thoroughly enjoyed and shared all year long.
But this year's feeling is different, because this year's slaughter was different. There was no shipping off. There were intense, intimate moments with our three pigs up until their slaughter and even just after. With the help of a skilled friend, we took the lives of "the brown one," "Brigitte" and "the other one," as I so affectionately called them. Images from that morning are, thankfully, now ingrained in me. I will never be the same. Which sounds dramatic. But I only wish people could still have such real experiences with life and nature and death in order to grow and situate themselves appropriately in the world and in existence.
When the three of them were dead - when there was silence - I felt so conflicted. I felt respect, joy, sadness, relief, guilt... but mostly I felt love (again, dramatic - but true). I wanted so badly to hug my kid right after the deeds were done (only after I hugged those pigs, of course).
I can't express how thankful I am to have had this experience.
Now 5 days later, after we butchered the pigs under the tutelage of a master butcher right in our very own garage, after we vacuum sealed all of our precise cuts until midnight that evening, and after I cooked up a delicious country-style pork chop for dinner the next day, I'm expecting the cold weather to set in for a winter of rest and reflection.
Monday, October 20, 2014
2015 season begins
Seneca and I started our 2015 planting season last week, planting garlic into some newly prepared beds. Garlic has a long growing season, so the cloves are put in the ground in October in these parts, where they start to grow enough to have a head start in the spring, but not so much that they are damaged by the cold winter to come.Monday, October 13, 2014
Recipe w/ winter squash
Miso-butternut squash soup w/ black beans and cilantro salsa
Ingredients: onion, olive oil, ginger, cumin, cayenne, butternut squash, miso broth*, cream, cooked black beans, yellow tomatoes, cilantro, shallot, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper
Preparing: Dice your onion and cook gently in olive oil. Add grated fresh ginger, 1-2 tsp cumin, a splash of cayenne pepper and stir for 1 minute. Next add cubed butternut squash, salt and pepper, and miso stock (about 4 cups of stock to one medium squash). Cook until squash is tender. Puree soup until very smooth. Put back on heat and stir in heavy cream (about 1/2-1 cup, to taste), cooked black beans, and chopped yellow tomatoes. Heat through.
Eating: Serve hot soup with this garnish/salsa: cilantro leaves, sliced shallot, 1-2 Tbsp sherry vinegar and salt.
Dish history: Leftover miso-squash soup (original adaptation from here) with some freshy-harvested black beans and end-of-season yellow brandywines... delicious. If you don't like cilantro (shame on you), at least stir in some sherry vinegar to the soup before eating.
* To make miso broth: I suppose everyone has their own method... I heat 1 cup of water for each Tbsp of miso paste. But the key is stirring the miso paste in a small amount of that water until it forms a paste, and then stirring it into the rest of the hot water. Never let miso stock boil.
Ingredients: onion, olive oil, ginger, cumin, cayenne, butternut squash, miso broth*, cream, cooked black beans, yellow tomatoes, cilantro, shallot, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper
Preparing: Dice your onion and cook gently in olive oil. Add grated fresh ginger, 1-2 tsp cumin, a splash of cayenne pepper and stir for 1 minute. Next add cubed butternut squash, salt and pepper, and miso stock (about 4 cups of stock to one medium squash). Cook until squash is tender. Puree soup until very smooth. Put back on heat and stir in heavy cream (about 1/2-1 cup, to taste), cooked black beans, and chopped yellow tomatoes. Heat through.
Eating: Serve hot soup with this garnish/salsa: cilantro leaves, sliced shallot, 1-2 Tbsp sherry vinegar and salt.
Dish history: Leftover miso-squash soup (original adaptation from here) with some freshy-harvested black beans and end-of-season yellow brandywines... delicious. If you don't like cilantro (shame on you), at least stir in some sherry vinegar to the soup before eating.
* To make miso broth: I suppose everyone has their own method... I heat 1 cup of water for each Tbsp of miso paste. But the key is stirring the miso paste in a small amount of that water until it forms a paste, and then stirring it into the rest of the hot water. Never let miso stock boil.
Recipe w/ parsnips
Parsnips w/ ginger
Ingredients: parsnips, butter, ginger, sour cream, salt + pepper
Preparing: Cut your parsnips into matchstick-thin strips. Blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes. Cook grated fresh ginger in some melted butter for 2-3 minutes. Then add the parsnips, s+p. Next, add sour cream and toss to coat. At this point you can either continue to cook until hot on the stovetop, or pop it in the oven at 375F for about 15 minutes (the latter will result in a drier dish).
Eating: A good side dish to some stewed or braised red meat.
Dish history: Another adaptation from Classic Home Cooking.
October 2014 Workation
Thank you to all who joined our fall workation on Saturday. We had about 60 people join us here for some work in the garden - clearing beds and preparing them for the long winter and even weeding our fruit trees. It really means a lot to us and our farm to see so many friends, family and neighbors come together for a community day.
Enjoy some photos and the recipe for the corn chowder...
Enjoy some photos and the recipe for the corn chowder...
Recipe w/ corn
Corn chowder
Ingredients: onions, carrots, celery, olive oil, tarragon, potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, chicken stock, corn, heavy cream, salt and pepper (serves 6-8)
Preparing: Dice your onions, carrots and celery and sweat in a pot with some olive oil. Meanwhile, chop potatoes (we don't peel ours), sweet potatoes and winter squash (we use butternut squash and delicata) to desired size, about 1/2 inch chunks. Once onions are translucent, add tarragon and salt and pepper and stir for 1 minute. Next add potatoes, squash and 4 cups of chicken broth and 4 cups of water. Simmer, partially covered, until potatoes and squash are tender. Then add corn kernels from about 4 ears of corn (if frozen, be sure to thaw them beforehand) and 2 cups heavy cream. Heat to hot and taste for salt.
Eating: Add grated cheddar cheese to each soup bowl and ladle the hot chowder on top.
Dish history: Made this for our 2014 October workation - a nice, hot soup on a cold, rainy day.
Ingredients: onions, carrots, celery, olive oil, tarragon, potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, chicken stock, corn, heavy cream, salt and pepper (serves 6-8)
Preparing: Dice your onions, carrots and celery and sweat in a pot with some olive oil. Meanwhile, chop potatoes (we don't peel ours), sweet potatoes and winter squash (we use butternut squash and delicata) to desired size, about 1/2 inch chunks. Once onions are translucent, add tarragon and salt and pepper and stir for 1 minute. Next add potatoes, squash and 4 cups of chicken broth and 4 cups of water. Simmer, partially covered, until potatoes and squash are tender. Then add corn kernels from about 4 ears of corn (if frozen, be sure to thaw them beforehand) and 2 cups heavy cream. Heat to hot and taste for salt.
Eating: Add grated cheddar cheese to each soup bowl and ladle the hot chowder on top.
Dish history: Made this for our 2014 October workation - a nice, hot soup on a cold, rainy day.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Final CSA basket
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| Baby chicks have arrived! |
Expect the following in this final basket:
Potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, peppers, eggplant, beets, radishes, kale, braising mix, arugula, lettuce, parsley, leeks
Monday, September 29, 2014
Week 19 CSA basket
Expect the following in this next-to-last basket:
Butternut squash, pie pumpkins, potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, leeks, greens (a variety of them), parsley, scallions, peppers, eggplant.
~~~
These baby pam pumpkins we're giving you (courtesy of PJD's growing) are meant to be eaten! Their flesh is sweet and smooth. Nothing beats a pumpkin pie or some pumpkin tacos.
Butternut squash, pie pumpkins, potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, leeks, greens (a variety of them), parsley, scallions, peppers, eggplant.
~~~
These baby pam pumpkins we're giving you (courtesy of PJD's growing) are meant to be eaten! Their flesh is sweet and smooth. Nothing beats a pumpkin pie or some pumpkin tacos.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Week 18 CSA basket
This is the last of the corn - and likely last of the tomatoes, too. But we still have a lot of squash for you and plenty of greens.
Speaking of greens, our turkeys seemed to take a liking to them. When I went out this morning to harvest our perfect-looking bok choy, I found them in there helping themselves to some for breakfast. Sadly, that means that those flawless leaves now have a few nibbles in them. Still delicious, though.
Still on greens... we've lopped off the tops of our Brussels sprouts plants. This encourages the sprouts to grow rather than the plant to grow taller. So we're giving out B. sprouts tops this week (Friday members got them last week). We eat them like cabbage or make them in the style of kale chips.
Expect the following this week:
Tomatoes, corn, peppers, leeks, potatoes, arugula, bok choy, chard or kale, scallions, parsley, cilantro, spaghetti squash, delicata squash, butternut squash.
Speaking of greens, our turkeys seemed to take a liking to them. When I went out this morning to harvest our perfect-looking bok choy, I found them in there helping themselves to some for breakfast. Sadly, that means that those flawless leaves now have a few nibbles in them. Still delicious, though.
Still on greens... we've lopped off the tops of our Brussels sprouts plants. This encourages the sprouts to grow rather than the plant to grow taller. So we're giving out B. sprouts tops this week (Friday members got them last week). We eat them like cabbage or make them in the style of kale chips.
Expect the following this week:
Tomatoes, corn, peppers, leeks, potatoes, arugula, bok choy, chard or kale, scallions, parsley, cilantro, spaghetti squash, delicata squash, butternut squash.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Week 17 CSA basket
All that squash and corn you've been receiving has come from the fields of Boscobel, farmed by one of your fellow neighbors and CSA members. Many thanks! And this week we've harvested the remaining winter squash there: spaghetti squash, butternut squash and pie pumpkins. There's a break in sweet corn this week, but more to come next week. And all those fall greens we planted in August should start being ready then, too.
Expect the following this week:
Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, peppers, spaghetti squash, lettuce, arugula, braising mix, parsley, cilantro, basil.
Expect the following this week:
Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, peppers, spaghetti squash, lettuce, arugula, braising mix, parsley, cilantro, basil.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Recipe w/ spaghetti squash
Roasted spaghetti squash
Ingredients: Spaghetti squash, butter, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, parsley or cilantro or chives
Preparing: Slice the spaghetti squash in half along the meridian. Scoop out seeds. Place a 1/4 inch of water in a roasting pan, add squash cut side down and roast squash at 375 for about 40 minutes. Once squash is out of the oven, melt butter in a pan and add 203 cloves minced garlic. Then add cumin, coriander and cayenne (in a 2:1:pinch ratio) and salt to taste. Turn off heat once garlic is lightly browned. When squash is cool enough to handle, hold over a the garlic-spice pan and use a fork to scrape out the spaghetti-like strands. Stir and saute more if you'd like a little brown to your squash. Stir in chopped parsley or cilantro or chives at end.
Eating: Delicious side dish.
Dish history: I remember seeing this recipe on smittenkitchen.com, a great cooking blog.
Ingredients: Spaghetti squash, butter, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, parsley or cilantro or chives
Preparing: Slice the spaghetti squash in half along the meridian. Scoop out seeds. Place a 1/4 inch of water in a roasting pan, add squash cut side down and roast squash at 375 for about 40 minutes. Once squash is out of the oven, melt butter in a pan and add 203 cloves minced garlic. Then add cumin, coriander and cayenne (in a 2:1:pinch ratio) and salt to taste. Turn off heat once garlic is lightly browned. When squash is cool enough to handle, hold over a the garlic-spice pan and use a fork to scrape out the spaghetti-like strands. Stir and saute more if you'd like a little brown to your squash. Stir in chopped parsley or cilantro or chives at end.
Eating: Delicious side dish.
Dish history: I remember seeing this recipe on smittenkitchen.com, a great cooking blog.
Recipe w/ delicata squash
Delicata squash rings
Ingredients: delicata squash, salt, oil, spices of choosing (I'd go either sweet, e.g., cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of brown sugar, or savory, e.g., cumin, coriander, cayenne)
Preparing: The skin on delicata squash is edible! So just slice your squash into 1/2 inch rounds, scoop out the seeds and admire those pretty fluted circles. Then salt the rounds and let sit for ~30 minutes. Rinse squash. Then re-sprinkle with salt. Heat oil in a heavy cast iron pan or otherwise and add squash rings. If you keep enough space around them, they'll brown and crisp nicely. If you crowd them you'll get more of a steaming effect. Both good, depends on your intention. Takes about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from heat to a platter and sprinkle with your spices of choosing.
Eating: You could even top these rings with a relish or slaw. Or make use of the seeds that you removed: sprinkle them with salt and cumin, bake them for ~20 minutes and then put them on top of the rings.
Dish history: I think I've seen this in a Thanksgiving menu or two. Very versatile and easy since there's no peeling of the squash.
Ingredients: delicata squash, salt, oil, spices of choosing (I'd go either sweet, e.g., cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of brown sugar, or savory, e.g., cumin, coriander, cayenne)
Preparing: The skin on delicata squash is edible! So just slice your squash into 1/2 inch rounds, scoop out the seeds and admire those pretty fluted circles. Then salt the rounds and let sit for ~30 minutes. Rinse squash. Then re-sprinkle with salt. Heat oil in a heavy cast iron pan or otherwise and add squash rings. If you keep enough space around them, they'll brown and crisp nicely. If you crowd them you'll get more of a steaming effect. Both good, depends on your intention. Takes about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from heat to a platter and sprinkle with your spices of choosing.
Eating: You could even top these rings with a relish or slaw. Or make use of the seeds that you removed: sprinkle them with salt and cumin, bake them for ~20 minutes and then put them on top of the rings.
Dish history: I think I've seen this in a Thanksgiving menu or two. Very versatile and easy since there's no peeling of the squash.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Week 16 CSA basket
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| Delicata squash |
Expect the following this week:
Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, corn, potatoes, shallots, onions, peppers, eggplant, chard, parsley, arugula, lettuce, delicata squash and spaghetti squash
~ ~ ~
Here are two easy recipes for delicata squash and spaghetti squash. Enjoy!
~ ~ ~
Here are two easy recipes for delicata squash and spaghetti squash. Enjoy!
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| Spaghetti squash |
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Week 15 CSA basket
 |
| Another happy pepper |
We'll be checking the field this morning to see if the next batch of corn is ready. Otherwise, expect the following in this week's basket:
Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, sweet peppers, hot peppers, edamame, leeks, kale, radicchio (tender green/red leaves, not the usual round red head), lettuce, parsley, basil, cilantro, dill
Recipe w/ peppers
Stuffed poblano peppers
Ingredients: poblano peppers (i.e., ancho pepper; could also use a sweet pepper), rice mixture (we used , but you could use any of your favorite rice dishes, leftovers are best)
maqluba
Preparing: Make your favorite rice dish (we adapted the maqluba recipe from the Jerusalem cookbook, using basmati rice, eggplant, delicata squash, veal/pork meatballs, tomatoes, onion, garlic, turneric, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom). Slice the tops of your poblano peppers off and remove seeds and membrances and then stuff them with the rice mixture. Poblanos are very mildly spicy and have a lot of depth once roasted. Place the stuffed peppers in an oiled baking dish and roast for 40 minutes @ 400F. A broil at the end will nicely blacken the peppers if they haven't already.
Eating: We served these with a yogurt/cucumber topping dish (grate a cucumber into some greek-style or strained yogurt; smash a garlic clove in salt until you get a fine paste; combine all with olive oil and garnish with a sprinkle of sumac or paprika).
Dish history: Poblanos have been our most successful pepper this season, so with the abundance - and with the delicious leftover maqluba - we decided to try the classic stuffed pepper.
Ingredients: poblano peppers (i.e., ancho pepper; could also use a sweet pepper), rice mixture (we used , but you could use any of your favorite rice dishes, leftovers are best)maqluba
Preparing: Make your favorite rice dish (we adapted the maqluba recipe from the Jerusalem cookbook, using basmati rice, eggplant, delicata squash, veal/pork meatballs, tomatoes, onion, garlic, turneric, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom). Slice the tops of your poblano peppers off and remove seeds and membrances and then stuff them with the rice mixture. Poblanos are very mildly spicy and have a lot of depth once roasted. Place the stuffed peppers in an oiled baking dish and roast for 40 minutes @ 400F. A broil at the end will nicely blacken the peppers if they haven't already.
Eating: We served these with a yogurt/cucumber topping dish (grate a cucumber into some greek-style or strained yogurt; smash a garlic clove in salt until you get a fine paste; combine all with olive oil and garnish with a sprinkle of sumac or paprika).
Dish history: Poblanos have been our most successful pepper this season, so with the abundance - and with the delicious leftover maqluba - we decided to try the classic stuffed pepper.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Recipe w/ corn + edamame
Corn + edamame salad
Ingredients: corn, edamame, cilantro, onion, hot red pepper (fresh), white balsamic dressing
Preparing: Cut corn kernels off of the cob. Boil edamame pods for 7 minutes in salted water and once cool take beans out of the pods. Dice your favorite onion (we use red onion, shallot or scallion, whatever's on hand). Roughly chop cilantro (or parsley or basil, whatever you've got). Combine corn, edamame, onion and herbs. If you like a bit of heat, finely slice a fresh hot red pepper (we use hot portugal or a red jalapeno) - this adds great color, too. Toss with your favorite vinaigrette. A mayonnaise-based dressing also works really well with the corn.
Eating: A summer salad for lunch or dinner.
Dish history: With lots of corn and edamame on board at the same time, this is a delicious combo of the two.
Ingredients: corn, edamame, cilantro, onion, hot red pepper (fresh), white balsamic dressing
Preparing: Cut corn kernels off of the cob. Boil edamame pods for 7 minutes in salted water and once cool take beans out of the pods. Dice your favorite onion (we use red onion, shallot or scallion, whatever's on hand). Roughly chop cilantro (or parsley or basil, whatever you've got). Combine corn, edamame, onion and herbs. If you like a bit of heat, finely slice a fresh hot red pepper (we use hot portugal or a red jalapeno) - this adds great color, too. Toss with your favorite vinaigrette. A mayonnaise-based dressing also works really well with the corn.Eating: A summer salad for lunch or dinner.
Dish history: With lots of corn and edamame on board at the same time, this is a delicious combo of the two.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Week 14 CSA basket
The last basket before Labor Day, before back-to-school, before we start thinking fall... There will be a lot of corn again and you'll find celery in the basket (freshly cut celery is delicious! save the celery greens for soup stocks - just freeze them in a ziploc until you make your next chicken soup). We'll be digging up some potatoes, too, and might even throw a few leeks into the basket.
Also new this week: edamame! You'll get a bag of pods (we already took them off of the plant for you) - just boil in salted water for 6-8 minutesre-salt them once drained, and pop the beans right out of the pod for a tasty snack.
Expect the following this week:
Corn, edamame, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplant (still slow and small due to the cool summer we've been having), peppers (hot and sweet), chard, kale, potatoes, leeks?, onions, parsley, cilantro, dill, scallions.
Also new this week: edamame! You'll get a bag of pods (we already took them off of the plant for you) - just boil in salted water for 6-8 minutesre-salt them once drained, and pop the beans right out of the pod for a tasty snack.
Expect the following this week:
Corn, edamame, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplant (still slow and small due to the cool summer we've been having), peppers (hot and sweet), chard, kale, potatoes, leeks?, onions, parsley, cilantro, dill, scallions.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Week 13 CSA basket
Lots of corn! What you can't eat fresh, please freeze for your winter corn chowders. Just cut the kernels off of the cob and freeze in bags. (Some sources say to blanch the kernels first, but I never do.)
Expect the following in this week's basket:
Corn, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, peppers (hot and sweet), beets, Chinese cabbage, collard greens, parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, onions, scallions.
Expect the following in this week's basket:
Corn, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, peppers (hot and sweet), beets, Chinese cabbage, collard greens, parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, onions, scallions.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Being a small-scale farmer...
... Please take a few minutes to read this article just in The New York Times. This is not news to us, as micro-farmers who hold down a farm, a half-time job, 5 teaching gigs and a few other things on the side, but I think it sets us all up for an interesting discussion of (1) what we want the future of our food to look like and (2) how we're going to afford it as both producers and consumers.
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