CSA Newsletter

Window greens

Greetings from the Garden!  This box has salad greens, potatoes, onions, garlic, shallots, carrots, beets, black radishes, celery root, and the last of the squash

Field Notes.  The days are getting longer and now we are in daylight savings time.  I still have not figured out how to "save" daylight, and would prefer to just leave the clocks.  The animals here are sun, not time driven.  And I am no exception.  But "springing ahead" is yet another sign of the nearness of spring.

Ken and Loring

While Loring was visiting from Arizona, he set aside his postman's uniform and borrowed Ken's bib overalls.  He helped Ken plant in both tunnels. 

Ken's new blade

They also tapped some maple trees.  We are hoping weather this season is more conducive to maple syrup making - last year simply put was a bust!  optimum is sunny, windless days in the 40's and nights in the high 20's so the sap goes up the tree each day and down to the roots each night.  Last year at this week we had several extremely warm days and no cooling at night.  Not only was it a poor syrup year, it also was tough on many of the fruit trees that set blossoms early and were frosted out.  As much as people say they wish the snow was gone, I like a cool, gradual spring so the plants don't get ahead of themselves.  We often have nights in the teens in May!

It is EGG season here, and we have them.  You can call and add to your box or get an eggstra egg share - sorry it was just to tempting!  We also have sauerkraut straight from the crock.

From the Kitchen.  While Loring was here he ate eggs and vegetables!  In a dutch oven I sauteed onion, added sauerkraut and topped with pork chops I had rubbed with herbs and browned - baked the combo at around 300 for about a half an hour.  I used the meat drippings to make a gravy for boiled potatoes.  And I boiled and slipped some beets, sliced them and placed in olive oil and butter and crushed fennel.

photo form last August

We had several soups - sauteed onions and chopped cabbage  with our home canned tomatoes, and our frozen corn, cubed turnips, and peas with thyme and oregano.  We had eggs poached in chicken stock and chicken soup with onions, carrots, cabbage, and potatoes,  I took some pureed broccoli from the freezer and added that to sauteed onions, soup stock, ran it all through a food mill and added a dash of cream and some freshly grated nutmeg for cream of broccoli soup.

And I made custard to go with thawed strawberries for break and dessert.

A smaller Hubbard variety

Today's squash is great stuffed - Lay the squash so it sits flat, cut a jack o lantern type cap, scoop out the seeds and stuff with either a bread sage or rice and spicy sausage type stuffing. Ken oils the skin to seal flavors and give it a nice firm skin. Set on a pan or plate.  Bake around 350 'til done Depends on size of squash.  I usually allow 2 - 3 hours.  Lift lid and insert knife into squash to test to see if it is done.