The blog is moving!

Hi all - I've decided to move our blog to another host - wordpress. You can find our new blog home at www.midnightsunfarm.wordpress.com. I've re-posted some of the more recent posts there already, and will be trying to post more frequently with pictures and stories from the farm this year. Yay!

Heirloom seeds!

This last weekend, Nick and I took advantage of one of our last "free" periods before the season starts to visit his family in Stillwater, Oklahoma (more on that later). Our route home took us through Mansfield, MO, home to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, and also to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

We've been a fan of Baker Creek ever since last winter, when we stumbled upon one of their beautiful catalogs, which features seeds from thousands of heirloom vegetable, herb, and flower varieties. They collect seeds from people and places in many countries, with the end result being a comprehensive picture of the types of vegetables grown on farms and in gardens worldwide. It was hard to stop ourselves from buying one of every kind of seed they had. In addition to the seeds, the folks there keep some crazy heritage-breed ducks, chicken, and geese, some swell sheep, and a few cute small ponies and donkeys.

"Heirloom" is a buzz word these days for people who talk and write and blog about food - an heirloom variety is just one that has been maintained for a long time - 50 or 100 years or longer. Non-heirloom varieties are, for the most part, hybrids that have been developed by crossing several varieties with various characteristics until a desired combination of traits is maintained - high yield, consistency of size, resilience to shipping, and long shelf life, for example (sorry if this begins to sound like a class in genetics - my dad has taught genetics for 30+ years and I guess it rubbed off on me).

Large-scale vegetable growers tend to grow hybrids that have been developed to withstand being grown and harvested on a large-scale. Small scale growers, like us, can more easily adjust our growing and harvesting practices to a diversity of varieties, which makes growing heirlooms easier for us. The payoffs are numerous - apart from producing cool looking, unique vegetables, we can hedge our bets against pests, disease, and weather conditions by growing a suite of varieties which may each have resistances to a different one of these things, thus ensuring that at least a few varieties of each crop do well. Just like in natural ecosystems, the farm ecosystem tends to be more resilient as a whole if there is a lot of genetic diversity in what we are growing. Similarly, on the worldwide scale, it is important to maintain crop diversity - imagine what would happen if one of the mainstream hybrid varieties got decimated by a new kind of mold or beetle. Finally, from a historical perspective, it is really fun to grow vegetables that have been staples of kitchen gardens for generations!

In short, if you're planning your garden right now, or even if you just like really nice pictures of vegetables, give a look at the Baker Creek website. You will not be disappointed!

WInter market this weekend!

It's been a while since our last post! Since then, Nick has been spending most of his time keeping our adult laying hens happy in the cold and snow, and raising 200 baby chickens, who will grow up to become our second generation of layers. The job certainly got harder once the big snow fell and sub-zero weather kicked in, but Nick loves the weather and has nicknamed the 1/4 mile walk out to the hen house (plus sled, often filled with 100 lbs. of feed!) his "workout regime". The chickens seem to be holding out well, too - they are active, their plumage looks good, and their egg production has held fast at about 5 dozen eggs a day. I'll post some pictures this weekend!

If you'd like to see some of these eggs for yourself, then please come say hi at the Glenwood Sunday Market this weekend, 9 am-2 pm, at 6900 N. Glenwood (at the corner of Morse and Glenwood) in Rogers Park. There is sure to be some awesome cheese, meat, baked goods, sprouts, and maybe produce (King's Hill farm, I'm looking at you). In addition, there may be a fun wine tasting fundraiser going on after market, so come on down!

Choosing a CSA program

Hi all,

Happy new year to everyone! Now that the holidays are over, we're really starting to focus on the coming growing season - ordering seeds, getting ready to receive 200 new chicks, and seeking out good deals on used farm equipment. We've been eating a lot of root vegetables and pumpkins in the past month, and this morning I pulled a renegade kohlrabi head out from our crisper - slightly slimy on the outside but crunchy and delicious once it got peeled. That sucker must have been three months old!

January is also the time that people start thinking about joining CSA programs. I've had several conversations with friends and family recently about this topic. Some people are super enthusiastic about being CSA members - they like being exposed to new vegetables, enjoy the challenge of cooking with new ingredients and feel that it simplified menu planning and shopping to be presented with a pre-selected bag of food every week. Other people aren't thrilled with CSA membership - they prefer to receive vegetables that are familiar to their families and individual cooking styles, or find the weekly schedule too inflexible. Usually, people were more excited about being a member of a CSA if they had the time and inclination to try new recipes and if they already cooked most of their meals at home.

The price of joining a CSA program represents a substantial part of a household food budget, and is usually a one-time expenditure at the beginning of the season (look around, however - there are some organizations, like Growing Power in Milwaukee, that allow you to purchase weekly baskets rather than a season-long subscription). While CSA members do generally receive more for their dollar than they would if they were buying each item separately at market, this is only really a savings if you end up using all the vegetables you receive. A savvy CSA member can make a summer of CSA shares last longer by storing root vegetables and canning or freezing what does not get eaten when fresh. However, smaller households or newcomers to the CSA scene might want to find a farm that offers half shares (smaller bags or a bag every other week), or go in with another family, in order to help match what you buy with what you will actually use.

My mom cut the following article out from the Tribune last week, and I thought it was a really thoughtful take on some of the considerations that one should take in to account before signing up for a CSA program:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-12-29/features/sc-food-1224-frugalista-qa-20101229_1_csa-farms-offer-local-farm

CSA programs are an important piece of the sustainable agriculture movement, but they are by no means the only piece - farmers markets and grocery stores or food coops that sell foods from local farms are also a great option, as is community gardening or container gardening, for people who want to produce some of their own vegetables. As we work towards improving our farm, one thing that we're always thinking about is how best to make produce available to the widest possible range of people. Our hope is that, eventually, everyone with a desire to eat local and organic will be able to find ways to do so.

Winter Markets!

Hello all! We've made it to the slow end of our first season and are so pleased with the way things went! We're most excited about meeting many great people, in Grayslake, Prairie Crossing, and Rogers Park, who have been supportive and generous with their knowledge and help. Thankyou thank you to all our friends who helped to make this year a success.

We promise to get the season's last few newsletters up on the blog soon. In the meantime, you can find us in Rogers Park once a month at the

GLENWOOD SUNDAY MARKET!!!

The first winter market will be held this weekend, Nov 14th, from 9 am to 2 pm, Next door to the Glenwood Tap (near the intersection of Morse and Glenwood in Chicago). Check out the market site (http://www.glenwoodsundaymarket.org) for details. We'll be bringing eggs, beets, turnips, cabbage, boc choi and tatsoi, carrots, and maybe even some broccoli. We're looking forward to it.

Newsletter August 27th

NICK’S
FARM
REPORT
August 27, 2010

Hello all! We’re excited about the bag we’ve packed this week and we hope that you will be too. You will be receiving, along with many tomatoes, the makings for both salsa and ratatouille. Please see the recipes section for specifics. We hope that you get a chance to enjoy your tomatoes
while they are fresh (or give them to others to enjoy). However, if you experience tomato overload this week, please note that you can freeze tomatoes easily. In fact, I find that
frozen and defrosted tomatoes often work better than fresh in sauce and casserole recipes, since the tomato tends to lose a lot of its water content when it is frozen and then thawed. I
have included some instructions on freezing tomatoes in the “In Your Bag” section of the newsletter.

It seems that tomatoes in recipes often go hand in hand with peppers and eggplant. This is probably a direct result of the three plants flourishing under the same environmental conditions – the hot, dry days of late summer. Interestingly, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant are members of the same family (Solanaceae), which also includes potatoes, tomatillos, and ground
cherries. Wild relatives of these cultivated crops include nightshade, a weed which is often found in suburban areas, and which bears poisonous purple fruits. I still distinctly remember
learning about nightshade during a nature walk that I took as a girl scout through someone’s back yard in Oak Park.

It may seem odd that nightshade has so many edible relatives. In fact, Solanaceae is only one of several plant families that feature both poisonous and edible members. Carrots, parsley,
cilantro, and parsnips belong to the family Apiaceae, which also includes such deadly plants as the water hemlock. It seems amazing that people, throughout the course of agriculture, have been successful in identifying and cultivating the edible members of these plant families. It is also a good reminder to those of us who love to browse the prairie for edible plants such as
purslane, lambs quarters and dandelions – always check to make sure that you know what something is before you eat it, and never assume that a plant that you find in the wild is edible
just because it resembles a garden variety cultivar. On a more cheerful note, please
enjoy all that the garden has to offer this week – 100% edible, organic, and
delicious!

In the CSA Bag This Week:
Tomatoes! – We have included about 6 pounds of tomatoes in your CSA share this week. See the recipes below for tomato intensive ideas like salsa and ratatouille. If you can’t finish all your tomatoes before they get soft, you can freeze them for use later in soups, stews, sauces, and casseroles. Place them in a Ziploc bag and freeze, if you plan on using them all at once at a later date. To freeze tomatoes so that they will be individually available, place them on a cookie sheet before placing them in the freezer, and combine in a bag once frozen through.
Onions –These onions have not been cured, so they should be stored in the fridge and used within a few weeks. You have received a mixture of cippolini and yellow storage onions this week.
Arugula – Store in a plastic bag in the fridge. If your greens are a little bit wilted when you get them home, run them under cold tap water before you bag them, and they will perk right up in the fridge.
Cilantro – Cilantro is the perfect addition to salsas, tacos, or spicy dishes like curries. Store it in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Flat Parsley – You will be able to distinguish the flat parsley from the cilantro in your bag by its more deeply divided leaves. The parsley bunches are smaller, as well. Store parsley in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Green Beans – These beans may need to be cooked slightly longer than your average green bean. They should keep in your fridge for about a week.
Eggplant – Please enjoy these eggplant - we think they are quite beautiful. Eggplant is a key ingredient in ratatouille, below, but I love to roast them as well. Just slice the eggplant thinly, salt, and let stand for about ten minutes. Rinse, brush well with olive oil, and bake in a 350 F oven, turning often, until the slices are soft and brown (this can take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes, depending on how thick your slices are). Remove and eat in slices, or blend and use as a dip. Eggplant will keep either on your counter for about a week, or longer in your fridge.
Sweet and Bell Peppers – The sweet peppers in your bag will take one of three forms this week. Some of you have received bell peppers, which resemble those that you buy in most grocery stores. Some of you have gypsy peppers, which are thinner than a bell pepper, but still stout looking. Their taste is similar to bell peppers, although we find them more flavorful and sweet. The bell and gypsy peppers will range from green to yellow to red. Both bell and gypsy peppers can be used for salads or cooking. You will also find some long, gnarled-looking red peppers in your bag. These are an heirloom variety of pepper, “Jimmy Nardello”, that is great for cooking or salads and is quite sweet. Store all peppers in your fridge.
Hot Peppers – (Note: wear gloves or wash hands thoroughly after handling peppers, and be sure not to touch your eyes or other sensitive areas during or after chopping peppers!!) There are two types of hot peppers in your bag this week. One kind, the jalapenos, are easy to distinguish, as they are short, stubby, and green-purple in color. Jalapenos are spicy, and can be used in salsas or sauces, or stuffed with a mixture of cream cheese, mozzarella, and cumin and baked or deep fried to make jalapeno poppers. The other hot pepper is a Hungarian Hot Wax, and has an elongated, smooth appearance, with coloration from yellow to red. We have noticed that many of these peppers have only a little heat to their taste, but they are suitable as an addition to any recipe where you would use bell pepper, but where you would require some
spiciness. They would also be a good addition to salsa. Store hot peppers in your fridge as well.
Summer Squash – Remember that you can shred or slice and freeze zucchini and summer squash in a Ziplock bag! For immediate use, these store best in the warmer parts of your fridge.

Ratatouille
(from the Rodale Cookbook – this makes
about 10 servings, so halve the recipe if
you’re not having a huge shindig, or
freeze the leftovers for later)

2 medium sized onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
5 tbsp olive oil
2 pounds (about 2 smallish) zucchini or
squash, thinly sliced
2 pounds (about one large) eggplant,
peeled and cubed
2 medium or three small sweet pepper,
seeded and cut into 1 inch strips
5 medium sized tomatoes, peeled and
quartered
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste

1. In a large, heavy skillet, sauté onions
and garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil for about 5
minutes.
2. Add squash, eggplant and green
pepper, adding more oil as needed. Stir
gently and sautè for 10 minutes. Stir in
the remaining ingredients, reduce heat,
and cover tightly.
3. Simmer for 15 minutes longer. Serve
immediately.

Basic Salsa
5 large tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c onions, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp jalapeno (or to taste), veined,
seeded and chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 small bunch cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and puree to
desired texture (the result can be either
chunky or smooth, depending on how
you like your salsa). If desired, you can
hand chop all ingredients and forego the
puree for a very chunky salsa.

Newsletter, August 20

NICK’S FARM REPORT

August 20, 2010

Happy August everyone! We are on the downhill side of the season here, and nothing but good stuff to look forward to, produce-wise. The final seedings and plantings are going in the ground in the next couple of weeks, and the weeds have mostly given up trying to take over the garden, so things feel a lot more relaxed, which is nice.

Of course, anytime you’re on the farm and you start to relax, you need to look around for what you’re forgetting. The next big job we’re eyeing is the final chicken processing, and then the turkeys!

You will find in the bag this week some familiar things, and one new-ish item is the yellow wax beans. This is an item we meant to get to you earlier this year, but we had a failed seeding due to cold soil, so we bought them in from a neighboring farm. This is the Prairie Crossing Learning Farm, which is staffed by a group of enthusiastic high school students and presided over by an ace teacher/farmer. It is always nice to see young people around learning how the magic happens on the farm.

Also you will find some eggs in the bag, some of which are in a re-used egg carton. Pay no attention to the label on those, all the eggs came from us. Some of you will find that your eggs are different colors than you usually see as well. If you are one of the lucky folks who have a blue or green bunch of eggs, congratulations, you are eating eggs that were layed by our Auricauna chickens, bred to throw the pastel delights you received. They taste and cook just the same as the brown and white ones though, don’t worry.

In the CSA Bag This Week:

Kennebec baking potatoes – These potatoes have been partially cured, and will store for a few weeks in a cool place. A good baker and masher.

Yellow wax beans – Use these the same as you would a green bean, they are a nice presentation item in salads and soups.

Roquette Arugula – A tender, peppery mustard good in salads. Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Baby beet greens – These baby beet greens are tender and delicious, and can be sautéed or used as a salad green. The baby beets can be grilled, boiled, steamed, or roasted in a 350°F oven until tender. We recommend removing the baby beets from the greens and storing both separately, in your fridge, in a plastic bag.

Tomatoes – Store tomatoes on your kitchen counter.

Beets – An excellent storage item, good cut thin for salads, cut thick and hearty for soups, excellent roasted with other root crops, and good for pickling as well. Kept in the lowest drawer in your fridge, wrapped in a bag, these will keep well into the winter.

Chicken eggs – These will keep in your fridge for over a month, but they have the best quality eaten fresh.

Summer Squash – These also store best in the warmer parts of your fridge.

I know it’s awfully hot out still to be turning on the oven or the stove, so these recipes are good if there is a break in the weather, or if you have a really solid air conditioner. Otherwise, maybe do like us and just put those beets and potatoes in a cool dry place, make up a salad, put it next to a beer, and wait for August to be over!

- Nick

Sesame Potato Salad

Dressing:

2 parts olive oil

1 part sesame oil

2 parts soy sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds (optional)

(For a full share bag, this should be about ¾ cup of dressing. A half share would be about half that.)

Take about all the potatoes in this week’s bag, and half the wax beans. Cut them into bite-sized pieces, and boil them until tender. Drain off the water, and put the beans and potatoes in your serving bowl. Add the olive oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce and stir it all up. After that, if you have them, throw in the roasted sesame seeds and give it one last mix-up. If you can, put it in the fridge overnight so all the flavors get good and into the beans and potatoes. Serve cold.

Have you ever made Fritatta?

It’s easy! And so much nicer in the morning than cereal!

So: Take a squash, and cut it into thin slices, and sauté it in some butter or light oil in a skillet. Before the squash is quite cooked, add a bunch of chopped-up beet greens to the pan and sauté them and the squash until the leaves are limp, but not too wilted. Make sure you have a pie pan, and then beat about half a dozen eggs in a bowl (it is no good to beat all the eggs and then find out you don’t have a pie pan). Salt and pepper the eggs to taste, I go with about a teaspoon of each to start with. Oil the pie pan with butter or oil very liberally, and pour the beaten eggs into the pie pan. Add the sautéed vegetables to the eggs, and stir them in a bit to make sure they are covered by the egg. Now, slice a tomato and put the slices on top of it all, and pop it in the oven at 350 degrees until set, maybe 40 minutes. Serve hot, or cold as an antipasto.

One thing that is good is to add about a half a cup of grated cheddar cheese to the egg and vegetable mix before you put the tomatoes on, but this recipe will work well without it.