CSA week #9

Our first processing session ever- duck breasts for dinner... yum!

Fall planting

It seems like summer may be coming to an end, but we are actually only half way through the CSA as this marks week number 9 of 18. We are now in the process of planting all of our fall crops, which seems crazy since it is so hot out there still. To think about planting cool weather crops means we are nearing fall, although for us it can’t come soon enough. With many days this summer being around 90 degrees, this summer has been a struggle for us. We wilt just as fast as the flowers do out there in the heat.
This fall we are focusing on planting things that will store well through the winter or will withstand some cold weather. That is why you plant them now, because they have to be large enough and developed enough before the frost hits. The first or second week in October is when the frost typically comes, making our transition from summer to winter crops. None of the flowers we grow will survive the frost, so that’s when we officially make the switch to selling just produce which will continue until the first flower blooms again in spring.
This year we’ve got sweet potatoes planted, pie pumpkins, butternut squash and lots of carrots for us to store in the root cellar. We don’t officially have one, but we are going to dig any area to bury some produce as deep enough in the ground stays around 55 degrees even during the winter. Also, once the flowers are gone, our cooler is used for storage of crops. If you think you will need to store some of the product that you get in the fall, look up how to build your own root cellar or the conditions necessary for storage. There is lots of information out there about the proper storing conditions for each root crop. Preserving without canning or freezing is made possible with the help of a root cellar.


What’s included this week?
1. Tomatoes
2. Zucchini
3. Apples- these are from a friend’s farm who does not spray, so they may not look perfect, but they taste good. And, if you don’t want to eat them raw, just cook them up and then you can forget about the blemishes on the outside.
4. Sweet Corn
5. Potatoes
6. Sausage from our pigs- great for breakfast!

Recipe of the Week
Apple Crumb Pie
Filling:
6-8 apples, peeled and thickly sliced
½ cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Topping:
¾ cup all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup butter

Toss the apples, sugar, and cinnamon until the apples are well coated. Mix the topping ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Spoon in the apple filling and sprinkle with the crumb topping. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40-50 minutes until the topping has browned.
This is an alternative to pie with two crusts, but there are plenty of recipes out there for regular apple pie, so I thought I would give you something different to try instead. This one also seemed much easier for the beginning baker.


Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

CSA week #8

A lovely Caprese Salad- tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil- what can beat that summer treat?

The entrance to our permaculture garden...

Farm Update
Being in the swing of wedding season, it has been kind of crazy here lately. We had two weddings last weekend and actually provided flowers for three weddings this weekend. This is on top of doing the orders for the florists, prepping for Whole Foods, and also going to two markets a week.
Luckily this year, we have had some help. I look back and wonder how we did all this on our own before. We have a floral designer that has been helping with the weddings, and have had a couple employees here at the farm. And, even with help it has still been pretty hectic around here.
Whole Foods would take 1,000 stems of sunflowers from us a week if we could keep up with them. We have been selling them so much that it is hard for us to even keep with having enough for the farmer’s markets. Summer is also the time for both of our birthdays and our wedding anniversary, so we try to squeeze some fun things in there too.
Last night we actually went to a class in Yellow Springs to learn more about Permaculture. This is a theory where perennials are used to build ecosystems that mimic how things would naturally grow in a forest. Meaning, making sure everything included in your garden is serving some purpose. I ordered the books for Steve for Christmas and we were able to go see the author speak about his theory (which is much easier to grasp the concept rather than reading an entire textbook about it).
Dave Jacke spoke about using native plants or reintroducing ones that have been crowded out by monocultures in our current agriculture system. So, to put it in English: we are too focused on having large fields of corn and soybeans that are sprayed with lots of chemicals, deplete the soil, and don’t create habitats for beneficial insects or other animals. In the permaculture theory, you focus more on creating a whole system by planting fruit or nut trees for the canopy above, while having blueberry bushes or rhubarb plants below. This allows you to better utilize your space because you are gardening vertically which is how nature does it, rather than horizontally in rows as most farmers do.
I’m sure it’s really confusing reading it for the first time, as I still didn’t understand everything that he talked about last night, but there is a lot of information out there should you be interested. His name is Dave Jacke and his book is called “Edible Forest Gardening”. You can also look up Bill Mollison, another author who wrote about permaculture. They even talked about turning a small yard into something that will feed your family rather than just a lawn. Very interesting, so check it out!

What’s included this week?
1. Green Beans
2. Tomatoes
3. Basil
4. Squash
5. Okra- slice then coat with egg, dip in flour, and fry. Do not stir it around while it is cooking, let the mixture cook on one side and then flip it all at once. The more you toss it around, the more of the coating will come off of the okra. This can also be used in any stews or stir fry to help thicken.

Recipe of the Week
Simple Spaghetti Sauce
Quart of tomatoes
Handful of basil
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
Splash of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut any large tomatoes into quarters and put in large sauce pan. The tomatoes will take the longest to cook into sauce. All of the juices will come out of the tomatoes and then you will see the juice start to cook off and evaporate. That is when you add any other ingredients to your sauce. Make sure to stir the mixture often as any sticking to the bottom of the pan will burn during this process. How long you let the tomatoes cook down is really your personal preference. I leave some juices in there for a thinner sauce because I like to toss my cooked pasta into the sauce and absorb some of those juices. This can be used for any Italian dish too, not just spaghetti!

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

CSA week #7

Canning and Freezing
As I touched on in the last farm update, I do a lot of canning and preserving food. It takes a lot of hard work and is definitely a hot, sweaty process, but it is worth it in the middle of winter when you are eating things that you know came from your garden. Yes, buying canned goods is easier, but you can’t buy this taste in the store!
With the help of Craigslist this year too, I have built up a nice collection of canning jars with ones ranging from half pints to half gallons. And, I’m not done collecting yet, so if you see any at garage sales, think of me! I have also added a couple crocks to my collection in hopes to make some good fermented sauerkraut, then maybe eventually more fermented vegetables.
There are lots of good books out there with recipes, but jam or pickles I think are a good start. Just don’t use the sugar free pectin mix that is sometimes sold because the recipes do not set up into spreadable jam. You need the sugar in the recipe to help hold everything together no matter how fresh your fruit is. They try to convince you that the fruit has enough natural sugar in it, or that you can add artificial sweeteners, but neither have I found to be actually true.
I have included the recipe for bread and butter pickles, which is a good recipe to start with. There are enough acids and sugars involved, that you don’t even have to put them into a hot water bath. You will, however, need sterilized jars which can be done by placing jars into a 200 degree oven for an hour. This I usually just do before you start cooking the pickles, then they can just sit in there until you are ready for them.
If you are reusing jars, remember that you can’t reuse the lids. You can buy new lids at the store for like $2.00 a package. When you are getting ready to use them, heat some water either by boiling some on the stove, or microwaving until almost too hot to the touch. Then place the lids in the hot water and let them sit while packing the jars. You just need to heat up that rubber ring around the edge of the lid to ensure better sealing.
And, if you don’t have jars to use, even new at the grocery store, they are worth the investment. They are good to reuse for leftovers, or even as drinking glasses. I know my house is small enough I love anything that has a double use.

What’s included this week?
1. Cucumbers
2. Green peppers
3. Onions
4. Sweet Corn- if you feel like you are getting more than you can eat, just scald in boiling water for 4 ½ minutes then place in an ice bath. Then you can scrape the kernels off the cob and put in the freezer for the winter. It is very easy and totally worth it.
5. Potatoes

Recipe of the Week
Bread and Butter Pickles
(a multigenerational recipe)
2 quarts sliced cucumbers
1-2 large green peppers
3 large onions
¼ cup coarse salt
Slice the veggies thinly by hand or use a mandolin if available. Put all veggies in a large pan and mix well. Add 2 trays of ice and let stand for 3 hours. Drain. I usually start the next step before the 3 hours is up, then you can drain and get the cukes ready while the mixture below is coming to a boil. Just before you start the next step, put your jars either in the oven or in a hot water bath.
2 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ cups vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 Tablespoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon turmeric
Mix and bring to a boil, then add drained cucumbers and bring to a 2nd boil. You will see the transformation from cukes to pickles as the mixture turns green. While you are waiting for the second boil, prepare the lids as described before. Pack the finished pickles into the jars and make sure they are covered with the juice. You will want to leave 1 inch of space at the top, so don’t overpack. Put lid and ring on them and you are done! You will hear a pop when they seal as they cool down. Unlike dill pickles, you can eat these immediately or store them on the shelf. This recipe yields 4 pints or 2 quarts so can be doubled once you are comfortable with it and want to can more. One batch doesn’t last long in my house. And you can gift it too!

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

CSA week #6

Buying Local
Besides Whole Foods, most grocery stores don’t specify where there products are coming from. You may assume, such as bananas and pineapples are obviously not local, but nothing may be specifically labeled. There are also sometimes when I think people would rather not know that their clementines come from Spain, Mexico, or some South American country. We would rather just grab them and go without a second thought. As long as it is available at the grocery store, then it must be in season somewhere right?
Most things that have to endure that long haul in shipping are picked when they are underripe so the skins are harder and so they can ripen throughout the time it takes for them to get to the store. That’s why if you buy a tomato in winter, it may look nice and red on the outside, but is just grainy textured mush on the inside. Buying things that were picked that morning at their optimum freshness just make more sense for our taste buds and nutritionally.
Going to the farmer’s markets is one of my favorite things to do, and not because I am a vendor there. I shopped at farmer’s markets before I even thought about becoming a farmer, mainly because I enjoyed being able to talk to the farmer that grew it with his own two hands, and because everything tasted so much better.
When I was in college, I had organic strawberries in season for the first time, and I swore they were the best strawberries I had ever eaten. Experiences like that get tainted by the fact that strawberries are available all year at the grocery store, most people don’t even know when strawberry season is anymore.
When it comes to the choice of organic or local, to be honest with you, I choose local. I would much rather buy something that was fresh out of the field, then purchase something that has been in the shipping process for multiple days before it gets to me just because it has the organic label. Freshness is the key to taste.
And, I mean ultimately this idea applies to much more than just buying produce. Wouldn’t you rather support your neighborhood, independently owned business than the big corporations? I’m not trying to sound like I’m against the man or anything, but times are tough and small businesses need the support. It’s a hard decision to make, but worth the extra price that you sometimes have to pay for fresh, local produce.

Learn more about being a locavore at
http://www.local-matters.org/ or visit your local farmer’s market.

What’s included this week?
1. Eggs from Roshon Farms
2. Yellow Crookneck squash
3. Tomatoes- Celebrity Supremes, a red hybrid (heirlooms to come)
4. Potatoes
5. Garlic

Recipe of the Week
Frittata (a Spanish omelet)

Goes great with fried potatoes too!

6 eggs, beaten
1-ounce Parmesan, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup chopped roasted squash
1/2 cup chopped country ham (or not if you don’t eat meat)
1 tablespoon parsley leaves
Preheat oven to broil setting.
In medium size bowl, using a fork, blend together eggs, Parmesan, pepper, and salt. Heat 12-inch non-stick, oven safe sauté pan over medium high heat. Add butter to pan and melt. Add squash and ham to pan and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour egg mixture into pan and stir with rubber spatula. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the egg mixture has set on the bottom and begins to set up on top. Sprinkle with parsley. Place pan into oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned and fluffy. Remove from pan and cut into 6 servings. Serve immediately.

This recipe yields 6 servings, so if you don’t want to use all your eggs in one recipe, half it and only feed 3 people. The good thing is that it uses one egg per person so you can stretch them out a little bit!

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

CSA week #5

Living a Sustainable Lifestyle
You hear the term thrown around a lot, but what does being sustainable actually mean? Well, it means that you are a system that supports yourself without any outside assistance. In today’s world, it is close to impossible to completely escape it, but it is definitely a goal to strive for.
Here at the farm, we try to do as much for ourselves as we possibly can. First, we grow our own food, which is a first big step. With all of the preserving that I do, our grocery bill is quite minimal. Also, we heat our house with a wood burning stove which means that we are constantly splitting firewood to keep up with our heating needs. But why would you want to live like this?
We take pride in living minimally and although sometimes it is definitely harder than just letting someone else do it, or just going to the grocery store, it is worth it knowing that you are responsible through hard work and perseverance. Don’t get me wrong, some of it is out of necessity as well. Being a farmer isn’t the most well paid job, but if the world was coming to an end, we would know how to support ourselves.
The animals that we raise are a part of the system of being sustainable as well. With the pigs that we had, the chickens, and the ducks, we also provide ourselves with another healthy alternative to buying mass produced meat from the grocery store. Really once you’ve had meat that is raised the proper way, conventional meat just won’t taste the same. And yes, sometimes it is difficult to slaughter the animals that you have worked so hard to raise, but at least you know they led a good life while they were around.
Our chickens figured out how to hop the fence last year and have been completely free-range ever since. This is good for us because we know we have some happy egg layers, and it cost less to feed them when they are out and about eating bugs. They also get fed our kitchen scraps, meaning that they get a well rounded diet.
The pigs are at another farmer’s place because he has more space for them to run around and be happy pigs. We enjoyed the meat so much last year that we are raising another round of pigs. The half a pig that we received in November is actually already been gone for a while because we couldn’t keep our hands off of it. And with raising pigs, preserving food, having fresh eggs, and heating the house with wood, our costs were significantly low this winter. These are the steps that we are taking to try to live a sustainable lifestyle with being off the grid as our eventual goal. What can you do that will help yourself and our environment?

What’s included this week?
1. Brats fresh from our pigs that were processed last week- grill these out with the corn…yum!
2. Bunching onions- aka scallions
3. Sweet corn- soak overnight and then just put on grill with husk on, gives you roasted, fair food-like flavor
4. Carrots
5. Mint- use fresh or hang to dry

Recipe of the Week
Fresh Sun Tea

1 large sun tea container (usually about a gallon in size)
5 tea bags
2 fresh sprigs mint

Place the tea in the bright sun for a few hours. Bring it in and mix in any sweetener that you want while it is still warm, that way the sugar or honey will dissolve. Do not leave out in the sun all day, and don’t try on a cloudy day either. Other than that, it’s pretty plain and simple.

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

CSA week #4

Berry picking, caught red handed! These are the berries that were used in my berry jelly... yum!

What’s been going on?

This year we have been focusing more on the flowers since that seems to be what we are good at. We have attained some helpers that assist with the weeding, daily farm chores, and the produce. This allows us more time to devote to the flower part of the business. We have been really fortunate for the help though and couldn’t be doing what we are doing this year with out them.

Since a lot of fruits are in season now, I have been working hard at trying to preserve some of them for the winter time. The hard thing is, they taste so good, that it is difficult for me to keep them on the shelf. We’ve already blown threw the first batch of peach plum preserves and have moved onto the mixed berry jelly. New this year for me, I canned a lot of applesauce and turned some of that into apple butter. Yes, it is apple season, but only the early tart ones.

We finally got some rain that was well needed and deserved. These plants have been suffering through these 95 degree days, and needless to say, so have we. We try to wake up as early as possible, but are at least out in the field by 7 am. When it gets that hot during the day, it is worth waking up early to beat the heat. During the hottest hours of the day, we typically try to make our deliveries or prepare bouquets in the garage so we are at least not in the blazing sun. We have definitely entered into the dog days of summer.

The transition from spring to summer always begins the waiting game where you know you as a farmer have done everything you need to for those healthy plants, and now you just have to be patient with Mother Nature as to when your tomatoes turn green, your peppers come on, and your squashes start growing. In the meantime, we are just trying to keep everything weeded, which is a never ending battle when you don’t use any chemicals. Your hands become the best tools you’ve got!

Overall with the lettuces and other spring crops we grew, it was a good spring. Besides having all of our lilies eaten, everything else produced well and got us ready for the madness of the summer. So, let the craziness ensue!

What’s included this week?

1. Green tomatoes- slice hamburger style, dip in raw egg scramble, then in cornmeal or flour… place in frying hot oil and brown on each side. Enjoy immediately, well once they cool down enough that is.
2. Kohlrabi- good raw or sautéed in a stir fry, or treat it like cabbage in the slaw recipe below
3. Carrots
4. Kale
5. Sweet corn
6. Basil

Recipe of the Week

Kohlrabi Slaw

3 kohlrabi heads, peeled
2 carrots
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 fluid ounces plain yogurt
2 fluid ounces mayonnaise
1 tablespoon pickle juice
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
Kosher salt, as needed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Shred or finely chop the kohlrabi and the carrots (depending on how chunky you like your slaw) and put into a colander. Toss with a couple big pinches of salt and let sit for at least an hour to pull the juices out of the kohlrabi, just so you don’t have soggy slaw. Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together in a large mixing bowl. Put the veggies into the dressing and toss until well covered.

If you prefer vinegary slaw, sometimes I use olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and honey instead of sugar to sweeten. You will basically follow the same 3 parts oil to one part acid as the dressing from last week. So, if you got creative with a dressing last week and found something you liked, don’t hesitate to try it on this slaw as well!

Thank you for your support, Gretel and Steve

CSA week #3

Our potato plants before they died off and were harvested.

After taking a week off for the holiday, we are back with a vengence!

Our Vendors

This year we have really expanded our wholesale market with both the flowers and the produce from the farm. Most of these have been picked up by merely dropping off samples to them, following up, and they have liked our product enough to pick us up. Not only do they like to support smaller businesses instead of large wholesalers, but they like to support local growers to preserve freshness.

We sell produce to Black Creek Bistro which is a restaurant downtown next to the Buckeye Ranch by the corner of Parsons and Broad. They are trying to build back up the community of Olde Town East with Black Creek at the forefront. The owner is a farmer himself but what he can’t produce he tries to find locally. He also composts scraps from the kitchen and turns the oil into biodiesel. It really is a great place and the food is delicious!

We have also been selling produce to a restaurant in Canal Winchester called Village Wines and Bistro which is run by a husband and wife team. The food is fantastic and so is the wine! The Greener Grocer inside the North Market has also been buying things off of us to sell in their store and also to put into their CSA packages.

We sell our flowers to a few florists including Village Flower Basket in Granville, Wayside Flowers in New Albany, and an assortment of others occasionally. Our biggest account with the flowers is by far Whole Foods. They order lots of sunflowers from us and also sell my mixed bouquets in their stores. When we get an abundance of one type of flower, you will also see individual seasonal bunches with which you can make your own bouquets. Just look for the LOCAL stamp on the labels and they will tell you where they are from. We sell to both the one in Upper Arlington and the one in Dublin, so go check us out!

What’s included this week?

1. Lettuce- with the warm weather this will be the last week for this until the fall, so enjoy!
2. Carrots
3. Garlic- make sure to hang or put in mesh basket, garlic needs airflow to continue drying or else it will not last as long
4. Onions- same care as the onions, refrigerate once you’ve cut into them
5. Potatoes- freshly dug, so leave the dirt on them for them to continue to dry out like the onions and garlic. This will allow the outer skin to thicken so they can store better. When you are ready to use them, then wash the dirt off, prepare however, and eat!

For the full share only
1. Flowers

Recipe of the Week

The Perfect Salad Dressing

Contrary to popular belief, it is very easy to make your own salad dressing! You know exactly what goes into it, nothing artificial, and you can change it based on your taste buds. Basically, you want 3 parts oil to one part acid whether it is balsamic vinegar, wine vinegar, or lemon juice. Then you add your favorite spices, salt and pepper and viola! It’s fun to see what you can come up with, like a science experiment. I just put all the ingredients into a jar, put the lid on tight, and shake to incorporate everything well. If you let it sit, make sure to shake it before pouring as it will naturally settle.

Honey Mustard

6 T extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping T Dijon or spicy mustard
1 heaping T honey
2 T white wine vinegar
salt and pepper
(or if you like it creamy, substitute plain yogurt for the olive oil)


Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve