Farm Newsletter September 14, 2021
Farm News Crop Forecast
U-Pick Recipes Nuts and Bolts
Greetings!
The Glory Days of Fummer!!!!!
We even took a leap forward in time this week and harvested a couple rows of sweet potatoes!! That felt a little strange, to dig into a winter starchy crop, since most of what we’re picking now is strictly summer/fummer fruity abundance. They taste like cardboard now; they need to weeks of curing to develop their flavors, so we pick them now in order to have them in the share when we hit October.
It’s been busy and beautiful here — herbalism classes, lots for people to Upick, our crew bringing in harvest after harvest, and pallets of produce going out to schools and distributors, bound for cafeteria meals and grocery store shelves.
We continue to be dazzled by the colors and flavors — including the flowers by the driveway! And the crew’s side projects too –Emily’s dent corn patch cranked out some gorgeous multi-colored old corn varieties, and in the fall Alissa’s always ready to pull out a handful of beans, each handful a kaleidoscope of colors and patterns.
We’re all grateful for a lush, abundant year.
Crop Forecast
Red Peppers, Tomatoes, Cilantro, Basil, Hot peppers, Napa Cabbage, Golden Beets, Carrots, Cabbage, Kale, greens and lettuce, red and yellow onions. A little Cauliflower! A few Shallots too. Summer squash and zucchini and cucumbers are almost done. Broccoli is a maybe, but more is coming. Swiss chard next week.
WINTER SQUASH ON THE WAY –– They all have decent color but need a little time yet til they taste good. Spaghetti squash hopefully will be ripe enough next week. Then acorn, carnival and delicata, then by the end of the month the butternut should be good. Sadly ambercup and buttercup did not germinate well (twice!) so we won’t have much of them.
For Spinach, we are going to try to get enough for everyone to have a taste this week. It did not get off to a good start, but is growing a little better now….
That’s the end of Garlic in the share — 6 weeks — but it’s still for sale for $1 / head in the barn. If you want you can buy enough now to get you into October, then in October buy enough to get you through January.
What’s for U-Pick?
Cherry Tomatoes are loaded, for a limited time only! A kind CSA member picked a bunch of cherry tomatoes today to give out to folks who can’t or don’t have time to pick them. They will be outside the barn on a table on Tuesday. Grab a bag if you would like. Thanks Sharon!!
Tomatillos — the second tier has been slow to size up … hopefully more soon.
Sage, Thyme, Oregano, Parsley, Anise Hyssop — All are in the cilantro/basil area, in a bed in the middle, with white signs.
Cilantro and Dill and Basil !!! Are all still happy.
Beans and Edamame are still going! The plants look scraggly — that gravelly ridge tends to do that — but there are a surprising amount of beans on them.
Nuts and Bolts
Bulk Produce for You
We like to offer you the same produce beyond what you get in your share, at or just above our wholesale prices, to use for parties, special events, serving guests, or just filling your family’s bellies each week.
This week’s selection is : Beets, Carrots for $1.25 / lb. Green Cabbage for 75 cents/lb, aka $1.50-$4 per head, you can choose what size if you want. Great for sauerkraut! Lettuce $5.25 / lb. Green Bell Peppers $1.50/ lb. Tomato boxes $18 for 10 pounds. Garlic for $1 / head. Maybe Red Peppers next week. $2/lb. Check in with us next week if you want some.
To place a bulk order, simply email us at least 2 days ahead of the day you’d like to pick it up. Orders can be picked up at the farm during our regular pickup hours, but it doesn’t have to be your share pickup day.
From Luann in the Medicinal Herbs Garden:
A quick note about a couple classes I’m offering on Saturday, 9/18, at the garden. The topic at 10:30 will be “Herbs for Immune Support” followed by a fire cider making session at 11:30. Click here for more information.
Push Pin Sign-In When you come to pick up your share, please “sign in” with the push pin by your name, inside the barn door. This helps us know how many people came each day, so we can be sure to pick/have more than enough for everybody.
For split shares — instead of leaving notes on the sign in sheet, you can email or text your share partner to communicate “Who gets what this time”.
Share Pickup Hours TUESDAY and THURSDAY 1:30-6:30 pm.
Change Pick-Up Day Form — Click here. Please fill out this form instead of emailing us. Thanks! If you need to come during a different time slot on your same pickup day, that is ok, no need to email us or fill out the form.
Where is the farm? 4151 320th Street West, Northfield.
Please Drive Carefully —Children are everywhere.
If You Send Someone Else to Pick Up Your Share — Please forward them the basic pickup videos that we sent you a few weeks ago. Then just tell them to introduce themselves to us in the barn, just so we know.
We love having all of you come to the farm! Thank you for making it such a great place to be!
Your farmers,
Erin and Ben, with Allia, Alexandra, Alissa, Amelia, Emily, Erika
RECIPES
Mom’s Carrot Cake
from Kirsten Johnson, Erin’s mom
- 1 ½ cup corn oil 2 tsp cinnamon
- 4 eggs ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 cups sugar 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups flour 3 cups raw carrots, grated
Beat together oil, eggs, vanilla, and sugar. In a separate bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Add carrots to creamed ingredients. Add dry ingredients. Grease and flour a 9×13” pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. Remember to save time for cake to cool before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup butter
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla
When beating, add sugar until sweet enough. Spread on cake when it is cooled.
Mexican Stuffed Peppers
from Simply in Season Cookbook
- 4 green, yellow, orange, or red sweet peppers—Cut 1/2 inch off the top of the peppers and discard seeds. Steam whole peppers in 1 inch boiling water until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Remove peppers from water and set aside.
- 1/3 Cup onion (chopped)
- 2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
- In large frypan sauté in 1 TBSP oil
- 2 Cups Tomatoes (Chopped)
- 1 Jalapeno pepper (minced after seeds removed)
- 2 TBSP fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 TBSP fresh Oregano (Chopped: or 1tsp dried))
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Bay leaf
Add and cook 5 minutes.
- 2 Cups corn
- 1 1/2 Cups cooked Black Beans
Add and simmer 10 minutes. Place peppers in oven-proof dish so that they stand upright, with cut ends up. Stuff peppers with vegetable mixture. Any extra filling can be placed in dish next to peppers.
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated)
Sprinkle on top. Bake at 350F to heat through, 20 minutes.
Open Hands Farm 