The Weekly Bushel, Week 22, 2009
LotFotL Community Farm
The Weekly Bushel
#22
Oct. 11, 2009
Greetings!
It's another chilly week on the farm. The hard frosts of the last week have wiped out several crops, but we were able to clear out many ahead of time. What was once 9 acres of a diverse set of crop families, is now 3 acres of roots and leafy greens. What was once a 6 person full time crew is set by week's end to be a two person show. Change happens all the time. As usual though, we have a diverse share ahead for you, featuring roots and leafy things, with the roundings out of the disappointing and now past summer season.
Last South Shore market this week!
This saturday marks the last South Shore market for 2009. We've learned a lot at South Shore this year. In truth, it has been a most disappointing season there saleswise. The growth of "organic" growers entering the market, and the vast downward pressure on prices has been very costly for us, especially since we being a certified organic grower must pay .5% gross to a certifier, whereas "organic" growers do not. It has been a tough year for the average market shopper though too, and without tomatoes to sell, there are other factors to consider as to why things didn't go well. If nothing else, our market stall needs a serious makeover.
We'll spend the next few weeks and months deliberating about what our future at South Shore will look like. I'm not 100% sure that we will be selling produce at South Shore in 2010, but if we pull out, it will not be without deep considerations, and some sadness. South Shore has been one of two linchpins of LotFotL from the very beginning. Friends congregate there, meeting up with us and each other. It is also a great chance for us to meet those of you that pick up there. If we do decide to stay, we will make many changes to how we operate there. Something's gotta give. Should we decide to not come back, we have connected with a business not 3 blocks away that will happily serve as a drop off for CSA shares.
For those of you that pick up there, would you still consider keeping your memberships with us if we switched to a pre-packed share for pick up at a local business? What if that drop off was mid week?
Shares for south shore members beyond this weekend will be delivered to 3129 S. Illinois Ave in Bayview, by
8am.
Winter Reading Recommendations
I haven't had many leads on winter work yet, but I'm confident things will fall into place. So, in the meantime, I'm planning to busy myself cooking up a storm, writing some, planning crop schedules, building an employee handbook, and also trying to compile a winter reading list. Any recommendations for good winter reading? I'm a sucker for novels, but only those that instruct or give a solid insight into the world. Past novels of winter significance have been the corrections, The poisonwood bible, jennifer government, and yet another failed attempt at the brother's karamazov. Non novels are great too. A people's history of the us is on my list already, but as it looks, I should have lots of time.
Last Chance to lock in for extended shares
We are planning on putting together extended season storage shares. These will first be delivered the first week in November. Contents include but aren't limited to:
fingerling potatoes
celeriac
turnips
carrots
beets
rutabagas
onions
radishes
leeks
kale
broccoli(if we're lucky)
kohlrabi
spinach
winter squash(found a good organic local source)
All the above will be in larger portions than what you've received in shares. We will stick with 8-10 items/share. We hope to extend all the way to November. Cost per box=$30. We will deliver to Good Harvest, Newberry Blvd, Local Industry in East Troy, and 3129 S. Illinois Ave. Still searching for a brookfield location to distribute at, so if you have a garage or porch and are willing to allow us to utilize some of your space as a drop off, that would be much appreciated. We will try to distribute all shares on wednesdays, to minimize driving time.
If you are interested in getting extended shares, and have not yet confirmed this with me by sending me an email saying so, please do this by week's end so we can appropriately plan for how many shares to deliver. If you've already emailed me to confirm, we have you locked in and will send more info soon.
The Food!
Roots galore! Perfect for stew, bulk pickling, roasting, steaming, or to just freeze up and save for a later day. We'll cling on to leafy greens as long as possible, but they will likely dwindle in the coming weeks, if it gets any colder outside. We don't have enough watermelon for everyone to get their own whole melon, but have decided to slice them, wrap them up, and send them along. Better than me trying to eat through 50 melons in the next couple of weeks. Still plenty delicious. Eggplant has come and gone, but we should still have bell peppers for the next two weeks.
This Week's Share:
Carrots
Onions
Leeks
Turnips or Black Spanish Radishes
Kale
Watermelon-medium whole or sliced large
Bell Peppers
Rutabagas
Salsify-delectable ground oyster. not anything special in taste or texture till you roast it or cook it heavily. Then it is divine.
Dill
Parsley
Fixins
Salsify or Vegetable Oyster Soup
http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=222250
5Salsify roots, medium
1qtMilk, whole
1tblButter
Salt
Pepper
Method :
Pare roots and slice or run through fruit chopper. Boil in just enough water to cover salsify. Add milk, butter and seasoning. Bring to a boil.
Root Stew
http://www.veganpeace.com/recipe_pages/recipes/RootStew.htm
Serving size: 8
An easy, hearty old-fashioned stew. Earthy root vegetables make a warming winter meal.
Ingredients
1/4 cup water
8 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced
1/4 cup tamari (soy sauce)
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pinch black pepper, optional
4 potatoes, cubed
3 carrots, cut in 1-inch chunks
2 yams or sweet potatoes, cubed
2 turnips, cubed
2 onions, sliced
1 bunch greens, (turnip, collard or kale), chopped
Directions
Choose a large, heavy pot with a tight fitting lid. Heat the water and sauté the garlic and ginger adding more water if necessary. Stir in the tamari, rice syrup, lemon juice, and pepper. Add the vegetables and stir lightly to coat with the sauce. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes over low flame until tender.
Rutabaga and Apple Scallop
http://southernfood.about.com/od/turnipandrutabagarecipes/r/bl30129b.htm
This rutabaga and apple scallop is baked in the oven.
Prep Time: :
Cook Time: :
Ingredients:
6 cups shredded rutabaga, about 1 1/2 pounds
1 large apple, peeled, cored, chopped
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons butter
Preparation:
Mix turnip, about 3/4 or the chopped apple, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle remaining apple over the top of rutabaga; dot with butter. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours, or until rutabaga is tender.
Rutabaga and apple bake serves 6.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Sincerely,
tim huth
LotFotL Community Farm
Save $25 Sign up for your 2010 CSA membership before January 1st, and receive $25 off. Offer valid for 2009 CSA members only
Offer Expires: January 1, 2010
