August 31, 2006
We are all connected
Here is a post I have been meaning to make for some time. We have a way of checking our website statistics, and one category shows links from other sites -- these are other websites that have referred people to us. So sometimes I link back to those referring sites and see who is sending us traffic. It turns out there are a lot of very interesting farm/homestead/food/vermont blogs out there! Here is a sample.
And of course, 802 Online
And if you link through to some of the other sites that these sites link to, well, you could end up spending hours in the foodie/farm/homesteading corner of the blogosphere. Enjoy!
August 30, 2006
CSA Week Twelve
News from the field:
It is hard to believe it is Labor Day already. But the nights make for good sleeping these days, and the days are cooler but sunny. The biggest difference we have noticed this week is the sunlight. We start at 6 am on harvest days around here (Peter starts at 4 am), and nowadays it isn’t getting light until 5:30-6:00. We may have to start sleeping in!
We are already looking ahead to next year and talking and dreaming about what crops to add in next year. Last week, Peter and I had pretty much ruled out kohlrabi – who eats kohlrabi, we decided. Then a customer and CSAer out of the blue requested it! Kiwis are also on the dream list as are artichokes, jerusalem and italian, asparagus, scallions, including funky huge Japanese negi. Most of those will stay as dreams, for now. The crop most likely to make the cut for next year is basil. I love basil in all forms, especially pesto, and this year we have learned a lot about how to grow it, so we will probably grow it more in earnest and more skillfully next year. Probably Genovese basil, but we’d love to hear your suggestions.
This is a long way of asking you to mull on vegetables you’d like to see in the basket next year. We’ll probably do a real written survey in a few weeks, but we welcome your suggestions and ideas any time.
In the Basket:
Corn - Sweet corn is in!!
Melon – This is probably the end of the melons, so enjoy a double dose to carry you over until next year.
Basil – Our basil patch got kind of beat up by the hail and rain and a couple of chilly nights a few weeks ago. But even though it doesn’t look too great, it tastes great, and will make some yummy pesto. Recipe on the back.
Sun golds, brandywine (heirloom) tomato, sweet white onion, cucumbers – All favorites for good reason.
Cabbage, carrots, and cayenne pepper – Asian slaw recipe on the back.
Griffin Family Pesto
basil - 1/4 pound is the size bag in the basket
pine nuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts, or pecans - 1/4 cup
parmesan cheese - 1/4 cup fresh grated, plus extra for topping.
1 garlic clove (or 2 or 3)
olive oil
salt and pepper
Wash and dry the basil in a salad spinner. Toast the nuts – I toss them in a hot, dry, cast iron skillet. Put the garlic clove in the food processor and chop fine. Add the basil and most of the olive oil. Chop finely. Add parmesan cheese and nuts. Chop just a bit – I like the nuts to be still chunky. Taste. Add salt if desired.
We especially like this with pasta and sungolds (cut in half) or other tomatoes in it. The pesto freezes well too, but I usually freeze without nuts and cheese. Once the cut basil is exposed to air it turns a darker green. If you want to keep it bright, leave a layer of olive oil on the top of your pesto.
Asian slaw
½ head cabbage, shredded
1 cup shredded carrots
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (or lemon or lime juice)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
optional additions: chopped peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, chopped fresh cayenne pepper, avocado, fresh grated ginger, garlic, chopped onion, cilantro
Mix the dressing: the vinegar, oils, soy sauce, honey. Toss with cabbage and carrots. Add any additions you have and like. Enjoy!
This is an amalgamation of recipes from the Candle Café Cookbook and our friend and CSAer Sarah Frederick!
August 27, 2006
CSA Week Eleven
News from the field:
One last push! We are getting to the point in the season where we are harvesting and marketing more than anything else. But to keep things going deep into the fall, we need to continue with our weekly plantings and weeding, plus some getting ready for next year. So the next few weeks represent our last big push for the season. After mid-September or so, the pace slows considerably because we don’t have weekly plantings to worry about, and because if we haven’t gotten to certain weeds by mid-September, we just probably aren’t going to get to them.
But until then we need to keep chugging along. We want to crank out as much yummy stuff as we can because come December, we will be longing for those summer tastes.
In the Basket:
Melon – It is a short but very sweet season!
Mesculn and arugula – We have been light on the greens the last few weeks, but they are back. Enjoy those A vitamins!
Sun golds and brandywine tomato – Brandywines are an heirloom tomato that is grown for flavor – not looks. Sungolds are sungolds, which means they are yummy.
Broccoli - Some green crunchy crunch. Pizza recipe on back!!
Sweet white fresh onion – Another Alisa Craig this week. Sweet, juicy and almost too beautiful to eat!
Summer squash and cucumbers – Nothing says summer like some nice cucurbits.
Broccoli and Walnut Pizza
Our friend/employee/housemate Kat made us a delicious pizza dinner last night! Kat said she does not cook the broccoli at all before putting it on the pizza – it just cooks in the oven with the rest of the pizza. Kat said to keep the pieces of broccoli small. This recipe is adapted from The Cooks’ Garden seed catalog.
one pizza crust (homemade or store bought)
8 oz fire roasted tomato sauce
1 ½ cups grated mozzarella chese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup broccoli florets, cut small
½ cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup black olives (optional)
Cornmeal
Preheat oven to 450. Roll out pizza dough. Sprinkle cornmeal on thin (not insulated) cookie sheet or pizza pan. Put dough on. Top with tomato sauce, grated cheeses, broccoli, walnuts and olives. Bake for 25 minutes.
August 23, 2006
Happy Birthday Henry!
Henry is nine months old today! He is crawling and very much enjoying it.
August 22, 2006
Localvore challenge
A while back we put up a post about localvore groups -- people who try to eat locally, and who get together for locally grown potlucks, and who take on local eating challenges, such as trying to only eat stuff produced within 100 miles for a week, or a month.
Well, the Mad River Valley localvores have a week long localvore challenge coming up in September, and two of the folks working here at the farm are up for the challenge. Kat and Cornelia are going to give it a shot, and they are going to make posts about their experiences.
So welcome Kat and Corn to blog post authorship, and wish them well on the localvore challenge!
August 21, 2006
Usually we save the big picture debates for the wintertime -- in summer there is too much running around for much deep thought. But a customer at one of our farmer's markets send us a link to this this article and I found if very thought provoking. In my email response to him, I explained that we (perhaps obviously) have first hand experience with three occasionally conflicting currents -- the surge in interest in organic/local, the reduced efficiencies of local production, and the public's habit of paying subsidized food prices at the supermarket. It is a bit of a conundrum.
For example, sometimes we charge what might be considered a premium price by supermarket standards, and people assume we are getting rich. We aren't, trust me. It is just that crappy industrialized food is so subsidized, and has so many more economies of scale, that we look expensive by comparison. The article linked to above discusses how small, local farms can become economically sustainable, given some of these problems.
In the end, however, the richness of our farm comes in different forms, and while it is not always financial, we love this life, and wouldn't want any other.
August 20, 2006
Waverly at market
Waverly loves to buy blueberries at market.
August 19, 2006
CSA Week Ten
News from the field:
Welcome to veggie farming in Vermont! Two weeks ago we had heat index warnings -- this past weekend we had frost warnings! The plants don't know whether to grow or hibernate! But the cooling off has actually been welcomed by us and our farm crew, and even though it is still August, you can feel those first autumnal breezes beginning to blow.
But not yet! We still have one last summer fling in this week's basket -- melon season! It is a very short, but very sweet season. And we are in no hurry for fall to come yet, so enjoy them and the last few weeks of summer.
In the Basket:
Melon!!! Melons are in!! Fewer than last year though, due to the weather. These melons are a french charentais that is fragrant and complexly sweet. We pick them at their peak flavor so it is ready to eat now.
Sun golds and brandywine tomato – Brandywines are an heirloom tomato that is grown for flavor – not looks. Let us know what you think.
Broccoli - Something green to balance the basket.
Yellow and green beans
Sweet white fresh onion – For you allium fans, these are Alisa Craig onions. They are very small for Alisa Craigs, due to the rain/weather/hail, but they have that same mild onion-y goodness.
Potato - This variety is Superior. They are a great all around potato. We usually bake them but our friend and CSAer Chris Lehrich boiled them for an excellent potato salad. He said they did crumble a bit but they were dense and moist and perfect when I ate them!
Beets - Recipes on the back!!
Chris's Beet Recipes
These recipes came from our friend and CSAer (and professor) Chris Lehrich!!
Beet Bruschetta
Beets
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Chives
Caraway seeds
Salt and pepper
french bread
parmesan cheese
Boil several trimmed, fat beets in cold water to cover, about 30-40 minutes, until tender. Reserve the liquid for the beet drink (see next recipe). Refrigerate beets, then peel and dice coarsely. For every 1/3 pound or so beets, toss with 1 Tb extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, 1 Tb finely minced chives, ½ tsp caraway seeds (optional but nice), and salt and pepper to taste. Toast some french bread rounds, then mound the mixture on top. If the beets are cold and you want something warm, heat the whole thing in a 350-degree oven or a toaster oven. Shave some Parmesan on top and serve.
Sharaab al-Shuwander (ancient pink lemonade)
This is one of the most ancient beverages known. Something much like it appears in a cuneiform tablet from about 1700 bce, and since we know the Sumerians used beets extensively it seems probable that they made a drink like this at the very beginnings of history. It requires little more than the cooking liquid, making it amazingly frugal. And to top it all off, it is both delicious and visually beautiful.
Take the beet-boiling liquid and strain through a paper towel to remove impurities. For every 2 cups: while liquid is hot, add 1/3 cup sugar and stir to dissolve completely. Chill well, then add the juice of ½ lemon. Add a dash of rose water (optional). Serve in clear glass so the ruby color shows up.
August 18, 2006
Gee, Peter, what's in that veggie bin?
Oh, it's Waverly!!
Waverly was using this bin as a splash pool -- I filled it with a bit of water for her. This was last weekend, at about 9 a.m. in the morning after the night of frost warnings. So even that early, in the sun at least, it was warm enough for splashing.
August 17, 2006
Mama, don't let your children grow up to be organic vegetable farmers
Every now and then we get an email from someone who wants to get into farming, and they write seeking advice. I got one of these emails yesterday, and when Maryellen saw my response, she said, "You should put that on the blog." The emailer wanted to know how we got from being non-farmers to buying the farm. He correctly points out that the blog kind of picks up the story at the point when we got our farm, but he wanted to know about the work we did before that. Here is the bulk of my response to him, phrased as if I was talking to him:
When we started out we were both in our late 20s- early 30s, and we both had been avid gardeners/wannabe farmers for about 10-15 years. So when we started, we had some basic knowledge about stuff like tomato diseases, cucumber pests, etc., and we had some basic ideas about organic veggie practices. Like you, we were also at a stage in life where we had obtained some skills to make a living, independent of a farm.
What neither of us had, however, was any idea of how our gardening knowledge could be transferred to a farm business that could be economically sustainable. Like you we spent a bunch of time reading books and trying to research how to start a farm. We also hit the farm conference circuit, which means we went to any state or regional conference we could find that looked even remotely related to veggie growing. Each state NOFA organization (i.e., VT, MA, NY) has its own annual conference, plus there are other annual conferences for things like CSAs, seed savers, etc. We found the workshops at these conferences to be very valuable in exposing us to how farms work, and we tried to talk to as many people as we could at these conferences. The conferences were also helpful for us because we saw people who were living our dream, so it helped us to realize it could be done. Plus, we liked the people we met at these conferences and figured that we wanted to be like these people.
(Although looking back we have learned a lot since then. Maryellen was remembering the other day that at one of these conferences she went to a basic tractor repair workshop, and she had no idea what anyone was talking about. Now, 5-10 years later, she knows as much about farm tractors as anyone.)
We also took a course at the New England Small Farm Institute about how to start an agricultural business. I think it was call "Building a farm dream" or something like that. We drove almost 2 hours each way for 6 Tuesday nights in a row to attend this class, and it was well worth it. The New England Small Farm Institute rocks, and they have a variety of resources that might help. Here is their site.
Another thing we did was get subscriptions to relevant publications, like NOFA's Natural Farmer, Growing for Market, etc.
The other thing that I did was I worked on two other farms. That experience was obviously invaluable. I didn't do an apprenticeship, but I wish I could have. I couldn't work on either of these farms full time, because I had to keep my day job happy, but working for someone else is the way you learn. To get a job on someone's farm, I just started asking for work. I tried to pick successful farms, and I told people I was willing to work hard for cheap because I wanted to learn about farming. It worked, and now one of those two farmers I worked for is a mentor to us.
Hope this helps.
Peter
August 15, 2006
More information about the September CSA
The CSA is a taste adventure. Everything is local, fresh and delicious! A lot of the baskets are stuff that most people already know they like. Tomatoes for example. Mesclun. But we also include a smattering of things that many people don't eat every day -- cauliflower, for example. We pack the baskets with emphasis on what's in peak season with an eye toward balancing colors, flavors and variety.
You can get a sense of what you can expect in the basket by checking out the baskets of the past, particularly the baskets from last September which are here, here, here and here. This year's baskets won't be exactly the same, but it should give you an idea.
Part of the point of CSA is to eat local, organic vegetables. People are frequently surprised to find themselves enjoying vegetables that they thought they didn't like. It helps a lot that the veggies are super fresh. That said, you are allowed to trade out in the CSA. That means, if you really don't like peppers, for example, and peppers are in the basket that week, you can trade those out for anything else of similar value on the farmstand.
We do a September CSA to make the CSA accessible to even more folks. A lot of people want do the full season CSA, but can't, because they are away too much in the summer. The September CSA lets those folks be a part of the CSA.
A lot of people can't shop the farmer's market much come September because their schedules change. Either they go back to work or their kids back to school or other reasons. The September CSA is a great way for those folks to get their locally grown veggies. You can just zip in and pick up and be done with your shopping in ten minutes. Or you can send a friend or neighbor to pick up for you (sign up with a friend and share pickups!).
Finally, a fair number of people are interested in the CSA, but want a chance to test the waters before they sign up for a whole season. The September CSA is just that.
Whatever your reason, we'd love for you to be a part of the September CSA!!
August 11, 2006
September CSA
This is the flyer we've been handing out. For more information, click here!
Four weeks of great tasting vegetables this September!! Our September CSA is local, organic, delicious and affordable! These next two sentences are in little boxes on the flyer: The September CSA is great for folks whose schedules change in September!! The September CSA is a great way to try out our CSA!!!
Our baskets. Every week we pack a basket for you full of great tasting vegetables. Last September, the baskets had (in rough order of the weeks) carrots, sweet peppers, arugula, cauliflower, sun gold tomatoes, salad turnips, red tomatoes, leeks, lettuce, spinach, red onions, beets, green beans, yellow beans, winter squash, mesclun, kale, garlic, hot pepper, potatoes, green peppers, collard greens and broccoli. This year’s baskets won’t be exactly the same as last year’s, but that gives you some idea of what to expect. Everything is certified organic and grown on our farm.
The price. In the September CSA, you pay $75, for four baskets of veggies, worth about $21 each in farmers’ market prices. (You save about 10%).
Pickup options. Pickup on Wednesday mornings, 9-1, at the Danville Farmers’ Market, on Friday afternoons (starting 9/8), 4-7 at our farm in South Peacham, or on Saturday mornings (starting 9/9), 9-1, at the Mad River Green Farmer’s Market in Waitsfield.
Questions? For more information about us, our farm, the regular CSA, or the September CSA, check out our website at oldshawfarm.com or call Maryellen or Peter at 592-3349.
To sign up. Bring by or mail your check to Old Shaw Farm, P.O. Box 181 Peacham, VT 05862. Be sure to tell us which pick up day you want.
August 10, 2006
CSA Week Nine
News from the field:
Yow. Last week was hot. And then suddenly, this week is starting to almost feel autumnal. There is less light in the morning when we wake up for harvests and markets. And there is a chill to the air.
The plants actually start to grow more slowly over the next month or so, and then from late September to the middle of October, they barely grow at all. So we are busy trying to plant our fall crops now in sufficient quantity that we can stretch the harvests out over the last few weeks of the season. Broccoli, late cauliflower, collards, kale, broccoli raab, salad turnips, spinach, mesclun are all going in this week. A couple of weeks ago we got our fall carrots and beets planted, and those are starting to come along nicely.
Barring any more hail or an early snow storm (I know, I shouldn't even joke like that this year), it is shaping up to be a nice fall!
In the Basket:
Sun golds - Two pints!!
Sweet colored peppers - The only other holdover from last week. There’s lots that’s new!
For the recipes on back:
Eggplant
Cauliflower
Zephyr, pattypan, and crookneck squash - Summer squash for the kebab recipe.
Red onion - Put on the kebabs, in your arugula salad, or on your burger!
Also featuring:
Arugula - A peppery, fancy salad green you may remember from earlier in the spring. Eat it on its own, mixed with other greens, or on a sandwich.
Yellow beans - If you’re firing up the grill to make kebabs, try tossing these with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasting them on the grill. Messy but delicious!!
Dana's Fire Roasted Eggplant
Last summer, CSAer Dana Kraus showed me how to roast eggplants directly over the gas flame on the stove top. You just place the eggplant right on the burner (like roasting peppers), and turn it (with tongs) when skin goes from purple to black until the whole thing is black and soft and collapsed. It is surprisingly quick – 20 minutes maybe, depending on the size. I would imagine you could do the same thing on the grill or in a hot oven.
Once the eggplant cools enough to handle, you can peel off the skin with your fingers and it easily breaks into strips perfect for adding to pasta (especially good with roasted peppers) or turning into baba ghanouj, a smoky dip.
To make baba ghanouj, put your roasted eggplant (without the peel) in a blender with 1½ tablespoons olive oil, a clove of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 2 tablespoons tahini, 2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper. Blend and add more of any of the ingredients to taste.
Cauliflower recipes
Dana also passed on her family’s recipe for cauliflower. Break and cut cauliflower into smallish florets. Steam until tender. Drain. Add butter to the hot pan and melt. Add caulflower back in and toss. Toss with bread crumbs. Enjoy.
Another idea for cauliflower came from CSAer Deirdre Detjens. She makes her cauliflower mashed, like mashed potatoes. After steaming puree the cauliflower in the blender with milk, butter, salt and pepper.
August 09, 2006
Fun fun fun
Last weekend was THE Danville Fair. Wavy and I went Friday night. Then Wavy and Henry were in the kid's parade on Saturday morning. And then we all went back Saturday night, after I got back from market. Since Maryellen had the camera, the pictures are mostly of me and Wavy, but we all had fun.
Me and Wavy on the car/truck merry-go-round ride.
The ferris wheel.
Plus, fried dough . . . yum.
But when I asked the fried dough lady if her operation was certified organic, she seemed puzzled. I wonder why?
My God . . . that is good. Only 360 days until the next Danville Fair!
August 03, 2006
CSA Week Eight
News from the field:
It’s finger crossing time on the melons. We thought the cold rain early in the season would do them in, but it didn’t. We thought the hail would do them in, but it didn’t. The melons are looking good, and we are starting to get our hopes up. The biggest threat to the melons right now is rain. This heat is great for them, but too much water puts the melons at risk of cracking as they ripen. Cross your fingers that all will go well, hopefully in a few weeks we will be bringing you melons!!
Other things to look forward to in the weeks ahead: a new crop of summer squash - pattypan and zephyr (a bicolored squash). Cauliflower is looking good too.
The bounty, the bounty, the bounty!!
In the Basket:
New this week:
Sun golds - Woohoo!
Beets – Beautiful, baby beets are back!
Seasonal visitors:
Cabbage - Cole slaw recipe on the back
Carrots - The last carrots for a bit
Colored pepper - Perfect in cold grain or pasta salads
Basket staples:
Mesclun - Hail schmail! Mesclun is back too!
Cucumbers - Just two, though we’ve got tons if you want more.
Tomatoes - Red slicers to beat the heat.
As always, we welcome your feedback!!
Not grandma's cole slaw recipe
My mom makes the best cole slaw. I called her for the recipe, but she couldn't give it to me because, she said, she never measures anything. This is what I made up based on talking with her. Two tips she passed on: try to make the cole slaw a couple hours ahead so it can marinate and taste the cole slaw before adding vinegar because it is easier to tell if you have the right balance of salt, pepper and sugar before you add the vinegar.
Grate, thinly slice or chop cabbage to desired texture.
Add sugar, oil, salt and pepper to taste. Start with 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper per head of cabbage. You'll probably end up with double that, but it's easier to add then subtract!
Taste and add more salt, pepper, oil and sugar to taste.
Add vinegar, start with about a third of the amount oil you used, then keep adding to taste.
Let sit for 2 hours if possible.