Wednesday, April 27

CSA Spring Harvest week two

The forsythia blossoms are fading. Now the cherries and magnolias take center stage. We recently witnessed an amazing frog orgy and continue to appreciate the presence of a pair of nesting wood ducks in our marsh. It is middle spring.

This week we planted onions: red zeppelin, white spanish, and cippolini. The seed potatoes are in the basement waiting for attention. There are weeds to pull and areas to till and daffodils to smell.


In this week's share:

1) one bag springalicious salad mix: a mix of red and green buttery baby lettuces.
2) one bag baby astro arugula
3) one bottle apricot stomp juice: from Red Jacket Orchards in Geneva, NY. Their 100% fruit juices are pressed on the orchard using time honored methods that capture the fruit’s true essence and flavor. Cold pressed and unfiltered, these juices provide a good source of fiber and are 50-80% more effective as an antioxidant than clear apple juice.Their “secret” to making deliciously fresh juice is to keep it simple by simply pressing whole fruit and adding little else.
4) one bunch chives
5) one bag baby kale: variety is red russian. Recipe below.
6) half gallon 2% Arethusa Dairy milk: this is a great dairy in Litchfield.
7) one box pea shoots: this is our first microgreens crop! A great success in our minds. Delicious raw or wilted. Recipes below.

Pearl Barley Risotto with Artichokes and Baby Kale

Why pea shoots are so great.

Top ten pea shoot recipes here.

See you tomorrow!

Monday, April 18

CSA Spring Harvest: week one

Hooray!
First pickup/delivery this week on Thursday.

In this week's share:

1 bottle Ambler Farm pure maple syrup, 2011
2011 was a great syruping season. 2010 was dismal. It's all weather driven. This year, our long drawn-out early spring created perfect conditions. Ambler Farm, a not-for-profit, town owned farm in Wilton CT produced our syrup today. They also produced an exquisite early season light syrup which is available at the stand.

1/2 dozen free range eggs: nothing like the taste, nutrition, and appearance of an egg made by a roaming chicken with a varied, organic diet. Today's eggs are from our flock. Enjoy them. Demand usually outstrips supply.

red-veined sorrel: This interesting lemony herb is a welcome addition to many dishes. We suggest chopping it up and adding to a batch or two of scrambled eggs, but there are many possibilities including pastas, soups, etc.

spinach: spinach is a great spring crop. It's performance lags as the days become longer and hotter. Great raw or wilted. Nutritious and delicious.

bok choy: There's no reason to be intimidated by this useful asian green. It can be chopped and added to many dishes or used alone. Pairs wonderfully with fresh ginger and tamari. Here's a recipe (sub maple syrup for brown sugar).

2 crispin apples:
grown by Red Jacket Orchards in Geneva, NY. They are not certified organic, but they adhere to what we deem sustainable practices. Crispins are also known as mutsu. They have a crisp texture and spicy, tart flavor.

Saturday, April 16

Human Powered


Many folks are surprised to find a farming operation going on behind the fence of typical-looking suburban lot. Enter the driveway and find a stable of unheated hoophouses, raised beds, vegetable plots. We are not conventional farmers.

Like many before us, we've found wisdom in small-scale, low-tech, intensive farming methods. We amend the soil by hand, we seed by hand, we weed by hand, we rake by hand. We are communing with the crops and the soil and producing a lot of food - high quality fresh food. Fossil fuel use is minimal, noisy machines mostly absent. The work is challenging and gratifying. We are striving to demonstrate a vision of what is possible in a densely populated suburban community.

Sunday, April 3

Farm Stand is open



The spring CSA harvest distributions start on Thursday, April 21. In the meantime, you can shop at our farm stand open daily 8am to 6pm. At the stand now: baby carrots, spinach, radishes, baby bok choy, fuji apple juice, and delicious nutritious eggs!

Bourdeaux spinach



Bourdeax spinach is a lovely red-veined smooth leaf variety. It is especially intolerant of warm temperatures and, thus, a spring and fall delicacy.