On our annual farm retreat to Breitenbush Hot Springs, we found snow, warm water, lots of stars, sun, and plenty of friendly familiar faces. Read more in my post-script below …
I am writing the text for this week’s newsletter quite early. It’s Monday morning right now, and the farm is just simply DRENCHED in the most exquisite sunlight I think I have ever seen. Everything is just glowing with warmth and vibrancy.
We are headed out after lunch today for our annual farmer retreat at Breitenbush Hot Springs. Our excitement is even greater than usual knowing that we’ll be exploring that magical (and raven-filled) forest in some perfect weather. We certainly love the years we get to tromp through snow (which is more often the case), but there is a special ease and wonder to being in that place during sunny, dry weather.
We will arrive back to the farm to a full week of activities ahead. We’ll jump right into the remaining CSA harvest — we already washed all the roots and things and will be bunching greens for you as normal on Wednesday afternoon (while the kids play in and around their now-famous play house!). Then that night some or all of us will head into town for an Ash Wednesday service at church. Because the Christian season of Lent is beginning!
For those unfamiliar with this lesser observed season in the church calendar, it is the 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday. The date of Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. This year, the Full Moon comes only a few days after the equinox, putting the start of spring and Easter only a week apart! And meaning that Lent starts early quite early this year!
Lent is a “penitential” season in the church year, which means it is a time to prepare and a time for contemplation. It is not a time of festivity, and in churches it is common to not sing particular songs or say certain words (such as “Alleluia!”). Typically celebrations like marriages do not take place during Lent, although a kind priest made an exception for Casey and me 16 years ago (we celebrate our anniversary on March 18).
Before Lent begins, many cultures like to celebrate the opposite at that quiet season with lots of loud revelry. Hence Mardis Gras, which falls on “Fat Tuesday,” the day before Ash Wednesday. It’s good for the soul to feel all these different things in rhythms — the loud exuberance and then the quiet (followed by more loud celebration at the other end!). The seasons provide their own rhythms of quiet and exuberance too of course!
I have to admit I was feeling just slightly disappointed to not be home to celebrate any kind of Mardis Gras / Shrove Tuesday / Carnival type of thing here with our family (at the very least to eat pancakes for dinner, which is a tradition in many churches!) … but this sun. I think it’s doing the celebrating for all of us — here, we are reveling in all its glory just before we return for a last, long, intentional spell of meditation on the dark. The timing is appropriate, because of course winter is still here, and we are certainly not at all done with dark and stormy and dreary days. Lent will provide an opportunity to contemplate those topics again while we simultaneous get busy with some serious spring farm work (Lent, after all, does mean “spring”!).
I’ll be sure to add a fun photo from our little get away with perhaps a post-script if there’s anything noteworthy to share from our time in the mountains with other farmers. We look forward to seeing all your smiling faces again on Thursday! Enjoy this week’s vegetables!
Your farmers, Katie & Casey Kulla
P.S. Well, we’re back! And exhausted! (As usual!) The unofficial theme of this year’s gathering seemed to be all about finding balance, redefining success as a family farm business, and looking to the future — all things that resonate with us too right now. As we closed out the last session that I attended (all about the dynamics of farming and family relationships), I listened to old friends share from their heart about how this life has shaped their relationships — both the challenges and the benefits and all the growth that comes from both. I was moved to tears hearing their words, which reflect so much of our own experience. But my tears were also stemming from deep gratitude for our far-flung farmer friends, many of whom we have known for ten years now. We don’t see each other nearly often enough, but just knowing they are out there walking this path too keeps the connection present in our daily life. So much gratitude tonight! We will see you tomorrow!
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Meet this week’s vegetables:
- Apples — Your choice between Liberty & Goldrush apples
- Scarlet Turnip rapini — The first of this winter’s rapini! We mentioned this last week, and we are so excited to add it to the winter shares. To us, rapini is such a sure sign of the progressing season. And, it’s delicious! We use the word “rapini” to refer to the bolting shoots and blossoms of all brassica-family plants. Most brassicas are biennial plants, which mean that they have to over-winter before flowering (broccoli is a notable exception to this rule! One might think of it as the brassica that has been most carefully cultivated for its — LARGE! and early — rapini!). From now through spring, each of the brassicas we have in our fields now will take its turn shooting up from growth points and producing tender, delicious stalks and flower buds. Turnips always come first. You can eat these in many ways — they are often tender and sweet enough to be chopped into salad. Or, you can chop and throw in with your other cooking greens in the pan (which we often do). They are also wonderful when tossed with oil and laid in a single layer in a pan to roast at 425° until the stalk and leaves have browned and gotten crispy. Salt to taste and eat these with your fingers!
- Red Russian kale — I get to stand next to this gorgeous crop at its place in the CSA veggie line up (right at the beginning — its place of glory!). I love hearing the comments from folks about how amazing it has been. I concur.
- “Spaghetti” winter squash — I included directions on how to prepare this squash in last week’s newsletter if you missed it!
- Butternut winter squash
- Pie pumpkins — I included directions for these too!
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Leeks — As I’m sure you’ve noticed, this winter’s leeks have been more slender than we might sometimes expect (which is why we’re bunching them together more like large scallions). We are still using these in place of onions or leeks in every dish — starting our cooking process with that exquisite smell sensation of chopped leeks sauteing in butter (I’m sure there’s no better smell … except of course for ripe August blackberries hanging on hedges … or stinging nettles drying in the pantry … or … ). BUT! You might also try a different preparation that puts the leeks in a highlighted position. Try roasting them (whole, halved, or quartered) until they are crispy and cooked through (use butter or oil and salt of course!). Serve one on the side of each dinner plate or gracefully draped over the top of another dish. Eat these with your fingers. The whole thing is edible and outstanding.
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And this week’s extra goodies from the farm:
- Eggs! — $6/dozen. Our supply is still growing. Only half of our flock is laying yet (we started two batches of chicks last fall), so we look forward to having even more as we walk toward Spring!
- Pork — Roasts and ground pork are $8/lb; pork chops and hams are $12/lb.
- Lamb — We just loaded up the freezer with a whole new round of lamb! So we’ve got everything you might want! Roasts and ground lamb are $8/lb; chops are $12/lb.
- Ground beef — It’s baaaaaaaack! We have restocked our wonderful, amazing, beloved ground beef! The price this year is $8/lb (to match our other ground meats and to reflect the increase in price to us as we are using a different butcher).
- Beef CUTS! — We also had a quarter of this beef butchered into cuts! Yes, you’ve been asking for that!!!! Prices will be the same as our other meats: roasts $8/lb and steaks $12/lb. Come and see what we’ve got!
- Beef bones — Folks have been asking about bones too! Here’s a new batch for your beef bone broth! Get them while they last! $4/lb.
