CSA Newsletter and Farm news

Shot from last year.

Greetings from the Garden!  This box has potatoes, carrots, beets, celery root, black radishes, onions, potato onions, garlic, winter squash, and mini greens.

Field Notes.  This has been an unusual winter.  Each month from November through February has been in the top ten warmest recorded.  There has been very little snow.  It has been a bit disconcerting for those of us who like to skate, cross country ski and snowshoe.  And as farmers we have been wondering how dry the spring will be.  

Then, the last day of February we got about eight inches of heavy wet snow.  We couldn't say March came in like a lion!  Now we are experiencing record high temperatures so people who are making maple syrup are nervous.  The best maple syrup weather is sunny, windless days with highs in the 40's and  low's in the 20's so that the sap runs up in the day and down each night. Too cold it doesn't go up; too warm it doesn't go down.  Once the maples start to leaf out the flavor of the sap changes and the season is done.  

Not long now

This spring Ken is getting ready to fire the pottery kiln in mid April.  The pottery forming is about done, and now he moves on to glazing and stacking the pots in the kiln.  

Sunday was a beautiful sunny day, so in the afternoon Ken went out to check his hoops.  He found that not only was the air temperature warm, but the soil is also warming up.  He spent much of his time shedding clothing - gloves, hat, jacket, vest, etc.  But as the sun waned he re-dressed.

Here's a goose egg

Crops are coming up and birds are laying eggs.  We are selling CSA memberships and egg shares right now.  Thanks to all who have signed on.  

From the Kitchen.  We are still firing up the cook stove in the morning.  I have been poaching eggs in broth for breakfast.  After having soup for breakfast during our year in Japan, we like to start the day with warm food in our stomach.  We had some August hatch males in the chicken and turkey flocks that were fighting, so off to the kitchen with them along with some older hens and geese.  We make soup stock from bones and pick the meat off the bones for soups and stews.  Onions, garlic, a bit of celery root, radishes, potatoes, and a few frozen peas are a nice combination.  I have saved some of our cabbage as an experiment and have been making beet and cabbage borscht as well.

The winter squash is still good, but it does not have the spark for me that it does in November.  I never know if the squash is less flavorful or I have had a lot by now.  I tend to get more adventurous in my squash preparation.  I like to toast nuts like hazel nuts, pecans or walnuts in a skillet, chop, return to the pan with butter and add cooked squash. Cover and reduce heat until warm.  Watch enough to prevent scorching.

I also make a squash pudding - a pie recipe without the crust.  And I cook squash knipira - check blog entries for kinpira.  It is a Japanese cooking style that seems complicated the first time you try it, but becomes second nature with some practice - and it is a sure way to wow guests.  Ken has been making squash pie and squash soups.  

Soon we will be digging roots that were overwintered in the ground - parsnips and sunchokes.  And the greens, they are a - growing.  Thanks for your continued support.