Harvest Week 6 – July 14, 2011


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This week’s share includes:

Beets

Summer Squash

Broccoli

Kale

Basil

Dill

Butterhead & Summer Lettuce

Napa Cabbage

Cilantro (in large shares only)

Kohlrabi or Turnips (in large shares only)

Green Garlic or Scallions (large shares only)

Scapes (mini shares only)

Some members also received peas.  We picked all that was left out in the fields. There was only about a 100lbs left after the pea pick.  Some of them too seemed a bit dehydrated.  However, they will be great cooked.



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A Note From Your Farmer

We had a super turn out for a pea pick this last Saturday. Many peas were picked, much food eaten, and great conversation was had. Not only do these farm events offer an opportunity for our members to put a “face to their farmer and their food,” they also give my workers and I a chance to realize that the food that we are growing goes to feed real people. I had some particularly good conversations this weekend that helped me realize what a difference our produce is making in the lives of our members. I had one member share with me that he had lost 40 lbs since starting Ploughshare last year. Another member talked about the savings she has had on her average grocery bills by joining our CSA. Many members spoke about cooking more and being excited to plan their meals using the diverse vegetables they receive every week from Ploughshare Farm. 

   
It’s nice for me to get this kind of feedback.  It’s great to hear that Ploughshare Farm is making a difference in people’s lives in so many different ways; especially in the way they eat and the way they think about their food and where it comes from.

This week we planted the last of our fall vegetables. All of our broccoli, cauliflower, collards, carrots, and beets that we expect to grow are in the ground. This time of year timing is crucial. In the early spring, a few days between plantings will be insignificant as to when the crop will be harvested. However, this time of year (during the long, sunny days of early July) missing a planting by as little as a week may have the consequence of that crop not being ready to harvest before the first frost.

Many of the root vegetables that we are planting now are bound for the fall storage share.  If you haven’t ordered a fall storage share I highly recommend you “update your membership” and add a storage share to your regular summer share.  These shares are a very popular option. You will receive a significant amount of produce for a very good value. 

Fall Share
This share will supply all the fall storage vegetables that your family will need for the months of October, November and December.  Each delivery will include 50-75 pounds of produce including potatoes, of carrots, onions, winter squash, cabbage, kale leeks, daikon radishes, beets, celeriac, rutabaga, turnips, brussels sprouts, garlic, and pie pumpkins.

These shares are a great option for saving money on meals especially during the holiday seasons.  Most of these vegetables keep very well just in a heated garage (just above freezing) or a cool basement.

The price for the fall share is:

$285 for Fargo, St. Cloud, and metro area members
$250 for Alexandria and Farm pick-up site members
$275 for Fergus Falls, Sauk Centre and Elbow Lake Members

There is a 3% discount for paying in Full by check (use coupon code 4565)

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A Note From Your Farm Intern Kristina

“So… what do you... like… do?” As an intern here at Ploughshare Farm this is a question I hear almost daily from family and friends. Completely new to farming myself, before coming to Ploughshare I would have been inclined to ask the exact same question of an organic farm intern. However, after living and working at Ploughshare for about six weeks my attempted answer usually sounds something like this: everything. While many days are filled with seemingly endless hours of hand weeding and hoeing, everything from seeding and transplanting to packing and harvesting fill the many hours in-between. There is, without question, always work to be done. I am only beginning to understand that farming is a constant battle against unpredictable elements, and such an existence requires the efforts of dependable laborers. A single exposure to severe weather or, as was recently experienced here on the farm, the breakdown of a delivery truck could lead to serious setbacks in the already short days.



But the overall picture is something much bigger than the daily trials. One thing I’ve learned through my experience is that even the most tedious and simple of tasks has a purpose and needs to be done correctly and efficiently as doing so directly affects the wellbeing of the beautiful vegetables you see on your dinner plate. So in response to the curious, what do we do every day here at Ploughshare Farm? The answer is anything but simple. We only hope that the results of our labors are enjoyed by all families fortunate enough to be a part of the Ploughshare community. As the days continue to fly and become just a little bit shorter, I will be returning to college but definitely not empty handed. I will always remember these long hours spent crawling in the mud swatting flies and mosquitoes. And when someone asks me what I did that summer I spent living on an organic farm, I will still hardly even know where to start.

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Beets

For those of you who participated in the pea pick, you saw the rows of fresh beets, ready to be picked. Be sure to enjoy this summer treat raw or cooked!

Storage:

Beet greens are best used fresh. Store greens wrapped in a damp cloth or a plastic bag in a refrigerator drawer. To maintain firmness of the beetroot, cut off leaves and stems 1-2 inches above the root crown. Store in a plastic bag and refrigerate in the hydrator drawer of your refrigerator.

How to Use:

Try beet greens tossed raw into a green salad. Also use them steamed or sautéed or in place of spinach or other dark, leafy greens (such as chard) in cooked recipes.

Scrub the beetroot clean. If you peel you will lose trace minerals just beneath the surface of the skin. Grate into a salad, cooked or raw. Cube beets into veggie soups or stews. Serve sliced, steamed beets at room temp tossed in olive oil or a citrus vinaigrette and salt and pepper.

To bake, cut off leaves and wash roots. Bake at 350 for 1-2 hours or until easily pierced with a fork. Rub off skins and cut off roots. Serve whole or sliced.

Beets pair well with citrus, vinegars, mint, dill, marjoram, feta cheese and olive oil.

Crunchy Raw Beetroot Salad with Feta and Pear (serves 4)

(This is a darn good salad)

Salad

4 medium-large beets, scrubbed and cut into fine matchsticks

3 ripe pears or apples, peeled, cored and cut into matchsticks

Dress beets and pears/apples in a bit of the lemon oil dressing (see recipe below) and taste to see if flavors are balanced. Add more if needed.

Seasonings

salt and pepper

7 oz feta cheese

small bunch of fresh mint

sunflower seeds (optional garnish)

Lemon Oil Dressing

3.5T fresh lemon juice from one lemon

10T good quality extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Put lemon juice and oil and salt and pepper in jam jar and shake shake shake. Taste and adjust.

Divide the salad among four plates or on a large platter. Crumble the feta over the salad, sprinkle the mint leaves and sunflower seeds. Enjoy!

Adapted from Cook with Jamie

Harvard Beets (serves 4)

1 pound beets

2T sherry vinegar

2T orange juice concentrate (undiluted)

Roast, steam or boil beets until tender. Remove skins. Cool and slice. Toss with sherry vinegar and OJ concentrate. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

Adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini

Beet Chocolate Cake (10 servings)

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1/2t salt

2t baking powder

1t baking soda

3-4 oz unsweetened chocolate

4 eggs

1/4 cup oil

3 cups shredded beets

Heat oven to 325. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans. Whisk dry ingredients together. Melt chocolate slowly then cool. Blend chocolate with eggs and oil. Combine dry mix with chocolate mix, alternating with the beets. Pour into pans. Bake 40-50 minutes, until toothpick comes out of the center with only a few crumbs stuck to it.

Adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini

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Summer Squash

Zucchini, patty pan, yellow crookneck and straighneck squash are popular summer squash varieties. They are delicate and perishable, so enjoy immediately, unlike their storage-friendly winter squash cousins.

Storage:

It dehydrates quickly once picked. Store in a plastic bag or hydrator drawer in refrigerator for up to one week. Cooked, pureed summer squash may be frozen for later use in winter soups. Freeze in an airtight container.

How to Use:

Rinse or wipe - no need to peel. Grate or slice into green salads, or shred to make a squash slaw. Cut into matchsticks or rounds and dip with other veggies.

Steam squash whole or halved. Cook squash cut into 1-2 inch cubes for 10-15 minutes, chunks for 5-10 minutes, or until tender when checked with a fork. Don't overcook!!

Grill halves 3-4 minutes over direct heat then 8-10 minutes over indirect heat. Baste with oil or marinade. Great on kabobs!

Make a simple casserole: Layer blanched squash slices alternately with chopped onion that's been cooked with bread crumbs. Repeat 2-3 layers and top with butter. Cook at 350 in oven until hot and bubbly.

Squash pairs well with butter, fresh lemon juice, fresh herbs, Parmesan cheese, black pepper.

Sweet and Spicy Squash (serves 4)

2T olive oil

3-4 cups squash, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1/2 cup diced sweet onion

1 leek, chopped

2 Hungarian Hot wax peppers, diced

3T honey

Heat oil in skillet. Add vegetables and sauté until tender. Drizzle honey over vegetables. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat, cover and let stand 3-4 minutes.

Adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini

Sage-Roasted Squash (serves 4)

4 medium squash, cut into 1-inch cubes

2T olive oil

2T fresh sage, chopped

1T minced garlic

Heat oven to 350. Toss squash with other ingredients and roast until tender, 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

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Broccoli

Broccoli was discovered in the Mediterranean wild and has now been bred into various varieties.

Storage:

Broccoli is best used within a few days of harvesting. Store in a plastic bag in the hydrator drawer of the refrigerator.

Broccoli also freezes well. Cut into florets and slice stems. Blanch for 3-4 minutes and cool in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain, let dry and place in an airtight container.

How to Use:

Soak head upside down in cold, salted water to remove any hidden field pests. Remove lowest part of stem if woody or tough. Fresh broccoli is great on a veggie tray with a cool dip.

Steaming increases digestibility, heightens color and retains most of the nutrients. The stalk and florets are all edible to be sure to eat it all. Chop and separate florets, steam lightly for 5-7 minutes and eat as an app or tossed into a pasta salad.

Broccoli pairs well with butter, fresh lemon juice, anchovy, soy sauce and many hard, grated cheeses such as Parmesan.

Roasted Broccoli (serves 4)

1 head broccoli, large stem and medium stems removed and saved for another use

1.5T olive oil

1/2t garlic salt

1t balsamic vinegar

1/4t black pepper

Heat oven to 400. Break broccoli head into medium florets and toss with remaining ingredients. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet. Roast 18-22 minutes, shaking pan after 10 minutes. Remove from oven when broccoli is a deep golden color with some darkened spots.

Adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini

Indian Broccoli with Spiced Yogurt (serves 4)

1 head broccoli, broken into fl