NICK’S FARM REPORT
July 9, 2010
It has been busy around the farm this week! Almost all our broiler chickens are now out of the field and in the freezer. Now that we are left with just the turkeys and the laying hens, poultry duties have become a lot easier. That’s good, since the tomatoes will be here soon, and our second succession of summer squash and cucumbers are beginning to put on fruit! We’ll certainly have our hands full once the tomatoes begin to ripen.
This week, we have been reflecting on how lucky we are to have so much help and support from friends and people in the community. Nick, with the help of our friends Andy, Todd, and Jeff, was able to slaughter almost all of our chickens in a few days. True friends are the ones who will show up at 7 AM to help with the messiest job on the farm. Throughout the whole season, we’ve also had tremendous help from one of our Prairie Crossing neighbors,
As you unpack your bag, you will notice that we’ve included broccoli, complete with leaves and stalk, in your share this week. All parts of the broccoli plant are edible, with the taste of the stem resembling kohlrabi, and that of the leaves resembling kale or collards. Broccoli stalks are often peeled, shredded, and added to coleslaw, or stir-fried together with the crown. The leaves may be cooked as you would kale, cabbage, or collards, or combined with any of these greens and cooked together.
The other thing you will also notice about our broccoli is that the crowns are quite small! As with everything this year, these broccoli crowns represent one more step in the learning process. For successful growth, broccoli requires lots of nutrients, and does not respond well to periods of extreme heat. Because this is our first year farming the land we are leasing, we have learned a lot about the fertility of our soil by observing what grows well, where. One thing we learned is that the fertility in our first broccoli field was pretty bad. Luckily, broccoli is a crop that we plant many times throughout the season, and we have already planted more successions of broccoli, which we have amended with several types of fertilizer. Hopefully, the next broccoli you get will be less leaf and more crown!
In the CSA Bag This Week:
Collard Greens – Collards are in the same family as kale, and have a similar taste. They can be prepared as you might other greens, but they do need some extra cooking time, as they are very hearty. Collards go very well with meat dishes – after preparing roasted or baked meat, combine chopped collards with any drippings left in your roasting pan, and cook in a heavy skillet. To store fresh collards, place in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Napa Cabbage – Napa cabbage is in the same family as regular cabbage, but it is more tender, with a milder flavor.
Carrots – To store, cut or twist off the greens. Place carrots in a plastic bag or container in the fridge.
Broccoli – See above for a description of the different broccoli parts. You can combine broccoli leaves with collard greens when cooking. To store, place in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Summer Squash – See the recipe for honey squash below!
Cucumbers, slicing and pickling – Pickling cucumbers can be used and stored in the same way as slicing cucumbers – in the warmest part of your fridge!
ïïï And, a special buy-in this week
Cherries – These cherries come from Wayne Miller Farms, a family owned farm located in
Honey Squash
About 1 lb. summer squash
Carrots
2 tbsp butter
¼ – ½ c. water
1 tbsp honey (more, if desired)
1. Slice squash and carrots into rounds.
2. Melt butter in a skillet on low to medium heat.
3. Add the carrots, and sauteé for a few minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add the squash, and sauteé for a few minutes more, continuing to stir.
4. Add water and honey, reduce heat to low, and cover, stirring every few minutes, until squash is translucent and carrots are tender. Serve hot or at room temperature.
1 tbsp sesame or vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Carrots, broccoli stalks, and/or onions,
chopped (if desired)
Up to 3 c. chopped napa cabbage
1 tsp oyster sauce
1. Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat (you can use half sesame, half vegetable oil, if you like).
2. Add garlic, and stir until browned.
3. If desired, add carrots, broccoli stalks, and onions, or any other “harder” vegetables to the skillet. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add napa cabbage to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, stirring continually. 5. Add oyster sauce, and continue cooking and stirring frequently until the napa cabbage is as tender as you wish.
And, finally, Cole Slaw with Peanut Sauce (from last week’s news letter) can be made with a combination of napa cabbage, shredded carrots, and cubed or shredded broccoli stalks!
No comments:
Post a Comment