Time for the requisite winter photo of bright fresh starts in our hot house. Oh, how these tender green pea tendrils stir our hearts with dreams of spring! It is coming!
Yesterday we celebrated Imbolc here in our house by picking out and ordering some special seeds for the kids to grow in their own garden plots this year. Also known as Groundhog Day or Candlemas, February 2 seems to be an important moment in many Northern Hemisphere cultures as it approximately marks the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox — thus the halfway point in winter.
In this mild and temperate part of the world, I remark every year that Imbolc almost feels more like the end of winter. Really, that would be premature — snow (lots of it even) has fallen here after February 2 in at least one year. But it certainly marks a shift to a different kind of winter days. Days continue to lengthen and the world wakes up in slow but dramatic ways.
I love to mark those seasonal turns, and in this quiet time of year, the littlest signs can feel loud and exciting. I have to admit that in mid-summer’s abundance I don’t quite as readily notice the succession of changes until they take a turn toward fall. But now, each tiny marker is noted and celebrated. The daffodil greens that have already put out the first buds. The bright green leaves that are unfolding on the earliest of the Indian Plums. The first of the turnip rapini shooting up from their roots (we’ll pick the first of it for next week’s share!).
Our bird feeders have been busy places lately too. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so many species in our yard at once as I have these recent weeks. Recently while I was cooking lunch, I counted more than ten different species on or around our feeders. I am still such an amateur birder than I have yet to positively identify all of them, but I’m working on it. I want to know more about who is a resident, who is coming, who is going, and so much more. The world feels very much alive on the farm right now — the vitality of the earth and its residents pushing us toward spring’s eventual arrival. Hoorah!
Enjoy this week’s newsletter!
Your farmers, Katie & Casey Kulla
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Let’s talk about plastic bags & food storage … Our goal as CSA farmers is to deliver produce to you that will serve you well over your week of eating. That means helping you take it home in good condition and store it properly. For some of our vegetable items, plastic bags are incredibly useful in meeting both those goals. But, of course, plastic bags have their own challenges too.
We have received positive feedback over the years about the quality of our bags — many of our conscientious customers reuse them dozens and dozens of times before finally recycling them. Oh, hoorah! That warms our hearts to hear, and we are glad that a simple piece of packaging we provide can serve a longer term purpose in your home.
However, we also know that many of you would prefer to simply not bring plastic home at all. We are happy to help you meet that goal. If you would like us to fill your own bags (reused plastic or cloth or whatnot), just ask Casey at pick up for what item you’d like placed in there. He is happy to do this (although at peak times, you may have to wait some extra time). Another option is for you to simply empty the contents of one of our bags directly into your tote bag or basket and then return the bag to us. We are happy to reuse bags that have not yet left the store in this way!
Remember though that many vegetable items really do need to be stored in some kind of container in your fridge. Fridges have a drying element inside them (that’s what keeps the air circulating for best cooling and prevents frost build-up), and if you, for example, put carrots directly on a shelf without protection, they will shrivel and become rubbery with a few hours or days. It’s quite sad. Most other foods will do the same — tender greens can wilt to almost nothingness. So, we do recommend using something to contain your vegetables within your fridge — plastic bags that you reuse, a tupperware-type container, or a moist muslin bag (make sure it’s wet or else the same thing will happen).
While we’re talking about food storage, also beware of crushing greens in the bag. This is a sure fire way to have them get slimy and wilt sooner than they would if they were stored with space.
If you ever have any questions about how to best store your produce, just ask us! Since everything is harvested fresh for our CSA each week, we expect our produce to last at least the week that will pass before the next share. Most items will actually be good longer, but why wait? Eat those yummy veggies while they’re super fresh — what a joy and delight they are when they still have all the vibrancy of the field in them!
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Meet this week’s vegetables:
- Apples — Your choice between Liberty or Goldrush apples (or some of each!)
- “Spaghetti” winter squash — We love these squash so much. They make a simple meal and definitely can be a delicious substitute for spaghetti on the plate. Start by slicing your squash in half lengthwise and scraping out the seeds with a spoon. Then bake each half, cut-side down, on a baking sheet at 350°. Bake until a paring knife enters the skin without any resistance — 30-60 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. At this point, the skin will be browning and when you turn the squash over, the flesh will be loose enough to pull out in the “spaghetti” strands with a fork. I usually leave the squash on the pan cut-side down until I am ready to serve up, because it stays warm that way. Then, when I am ready to serve, I carefully hold each half and scrape out the flesh onto our plates. I might toss it with butter and salt or just top it with some kind of delicious stew-y dish — kale cooked with sausage and lots of butter, or a Ragu-style tomato sauce with lots of mushrooms and chard. Those are just ideas!
- Pie pumpkins — Contrary to what you might expect, a good pie pumpkin is usually less sweet than other kinds of winter squash. The goal of a pie pumpkin is to achieve flavor and smooth flesh that is balanced between moist and dry. These pumpkins fit the bill, and they make delicious flesh for using in all kinds of baked goods (including, yes, pumpkin pie!). We will often bake a pumpkin before we even know what we’re going to make, just so we have the cooked flesh available. It’s easy — just pop it on a pan whole (you may need to knock the stem off to fit it in your oven) and bake at 350° until a paring knife pierces the skin with no resistance at all. After I remove the pumpkin from the oven, I like to cut it in half to let it cool before putting it into the fridge. Once it’s cooled, the seeds and pulp will come out easily and the flesh can be peeled away from the skin. We love making pumpkin muffins around our house, and here is our favorite recipe (it’s grain-free!). But most standard cookbooks like The Joy of Cooking have quick bread recipes calling for pumpkin. Pumpkin bread with chocolate chips is pretty divine.
- Mustard greens
- Red Russian kale
- Green chard
- Turnips
- Parsnips
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Leeks
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And this week’s extra goodies from the farm:
- Eggs! — They’re sizing up! The price is back to our normal $6/dozen. We only feed our hens certified organic feed, and they are raised on pasture. These eggs are the best of the best, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Pork — Roasts and ground pork are $8/lb; pork chops and hams are $12/lb.
- Lamb — Roasts and ground lamb are $8/lb; chops are $12/lb.
Beef— More beef coming soon!
