Hello folks,

Wow, 20 weeks…5 months of seeing all of you every Thursday for your vegetable pickup- next week is going to seem so quiet. I want to first and foremost THANK each of you and your families for giving us the opportunity to grow your produce this season. Even with the funky weather this year, Id say we came out great (tomatoes or no tomatoes!). I really appreciate it when I hear from you all that I’ve helped you “eat better”, “eat out less”, “opened my eyes to some new vegetables we’ve never had before”. So, again thank you for your support of our family farm- we’ve enjoyed getting to know all of you and I hope we’ll see you next year for another wonderful Vermont season. We have some new ventures in the works for next year so stay tuned for our exciting news. A reminder of those who pickup in Richmond only and have not come to visit our home farm in Huntington, please give us a call when you are in our neck of the woods and come by to see the animals and say hello this fall/winter!

As I write this newsposting, so much is going on in my head. Im thinking about this weeks wonderful harvest of fall vegetables for tomorrow.  Im also reflecting on the season as a whole and looking back at my list of the harvest at each pickup week in my records realizing the bounty that the earth can give us in such a short season. As a grower who also strives to learn and do better each season, I start to make notes on what I might do differently next year (or the same). I hope all of you will take a few minutes to fill out my CSA end of season survey to help me with your thoughts on the farm share. Id appreciate that! As we all understand, its implicit when signing up for a CSA, that mother nature will do her thing and we have to accommodate and hope the selection of vegetables will withstand her forces of nature. We certainly try to beat the odds as much as we can. Thank you for all of your support this season.

REMINDERS: Bring 2 bags! It will be a nice hearty harvest this week – heavy stuff! Reusing any produce bags is also appreciated.

There will be cider at the barn, enjoy and save a few minutes for filling out the CSA survey. Thank you in advance. 

My guess is that folks will be out of veggies by Nov 5th. So consider a Early Winter Storage Share bag of vegetables! 35lbs of mixed vegetables for $70! Its a great way to finish off the season and get ready for the holidays. You can cook dishes for your family and guests and tell them “they are from my CSA!” Just put your name on my list and pay at the time of pickup.

ORGANIC TURKEYS- we are still taking orders! Let us know Thursday, call us or fill out an order form from our website.

THIS WEEKS HARVEST: Are you ready? Parsnips, Brussell Sprouts, Potatoes, Garlic, Celeriac (celery root), Cabbage, Winter squash: Delicata and also your choice of several of you favorites, a few small turnips, Onions, and of course a large pumpkin for Halloween.

A few tips on your root crops:

In the refrigerator: Beets can be stored for up to 1 month (store greens separately), Carrots are best in a plastic bag for up to 3 weeks, Celeriac can be in for 1-2 weeks, Parsnips are also good in a plastic bag for up to 3 weeks and Turnips for about 1 week.

For longer storage, they need to be in a cool, humid environment. 

AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR A GREAT SEASON! KEEP IN TOUCH. EAT WELL! HAVE A GREAT WINTER!

Beth, Bruce, Nate, Micheal, Jason, Ashley, Bryn and David

IN THE KITCHEN: Dont forget to remove the woody core of your parsnips before using.  Many of you are stumped about what to do with your cabbage. If you are not into saurkraut, then try Molly Stevens recipe

Braised Cabbage wtih Carrots and Onions

1 med, head of green cabbage (2lbs)

1 onion, sliced into rough 1/3 inch slices

1 lg carrot, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

1/4 cup chicken stock or water 

1/4 cup olive oil

coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325 and put rack in the middle. Cut cabbage into 8 wedges, and trim away some of the woody core leaving each wedge intact. Arrange in baking dish laying in a single layer. Scatter the onion and carrot over the cabbage, and pout the stock and oil on top of the mess. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the dish TIGHTLY with foil and put in the oven. Cook for 1 hour and remove and gently turn the cabbage wedges. If dish is dry, add a few tablespoons of water. Cover the dish and cook until the vegetables are tender about 1 more hour. When the cabbage is tender, remove the foil turn up the oven to 400 and cook until the vegetables are browned lighlty on the edges (another 15 min).

Parsnip Purée with Sautéed Brussels Sprouts Leaves

Gourmet  | November 2008

Hello folks!

Well in our neck of the woods we woke up today (Tues) with some wet snow on the ground covering our fields with a spotty blanket of white we havent seen in a while! Then of course, true to early season temps, it all turned to rain and now we are left with some good ol fashioned MUD!

CSA Members, be thinking about how this season has been for you. I will be asking you next week to fill out a survey on your experience with Maple Wind Farm CSA. Im looking for comments that can help our CSA in years to come meet your needs. Constructive comments and kudos are welcome.

We would love to have you back next year. I will put a 2010 CSA reservation form in the mail in November (with a early bird incentive of course). Let us know if you have friends or neighbors that I should send one to. Thanks.

IN THE GARDEN: Frost hit the garden on Monday morning, we did  have time to harvest the rest of the eggplants and tomatillos for this week and cover about half of the pepper plants. The basil, may it rest in peace, did not fair so well.  We’ve started readying the garden for the winter; ripping out irrigation drip tape, plastic mulch and putting our tools away. I will say that I underestimated the time broccoli and cauliflower grows in the later part of the summer and fall. I planted a nice crop and they are a long ways off to producing any harvest. It will be into November possibly and then I might have to right it off as a lost cause. My apologies for giving you ideas we’d have fall broccoli- more like winter broccoli? The bright side: we will be having some great veggies these next two weeks.

Have no fear the CSA doesn’t have to end…you can reserve a one time pickup of a  Storage Share for Nov 5 or 12 . I’m taking reservations for the share (35 lbs for $70!) at the final weeks of the CSA. Pickups will be at the Andrews Barn. Its a great way to have some extra vegetables from Maple Wind through the holiday season.

Thanksgiving Turkeys- still taking reservations! Spread the word! They will be between 10-20 lbs @ $4.75/lb. $25 deposit required.

THIS WEEK’S HARVEST: Potatoes, Carrots, Leeks, Tomatillos, Small Eggplants, Whats left of the peppers, Greens (Kale, Chard, Collards), Spinach!, a nice winter squash selection – Butternut & Kabocha, Onion

Next week, parsnips, beets and more celeriac.

IN THE KITCHEN:

Hello folks!

Here we are, Oct 7th. The fall foliage could not be more beautiful- although the rain and wind today has really taken a toll on speeding us along to post autumn, stick season. Driving to Warren today, I thought I was in one of those snow globes that when you shake it around, the snow flies everywhere but in todays case the fall leaves were swirling and spinning all over the roadway in front of my car.

CSA announcements: Folks are asking when the last week is going to be (are you ready for it to be over and head back to the routine of shopping at a … grocery store- for your produce!) Well we have slated to go the full 20 weeks as promised which means two more until Oct 22. The real indicator will be when we give out the big jack 0 lantern pumpkins, thats the last week.

Please bring in your bags! Thank you.

This week- Cheese share and DEANS BAKERY last week (boo hoo) we’ll miss the goodies! But consider signing up for his winter CSB!

Again for 2009- MWF Storage Share will be available. 35 pounds of storage/root crops for $70. This delivery to  you in one big bag will comprise of great veggies for you to store at home (or to use for holiday dishes) including potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, celeriac, parnips, winter squash, pie pumpkins, cabbage, leeks – Pickup either NOV 5 or 12 at the Andrews Farm. A sheet on storage tips will be included. NOT JUST FOR CSA MEMBERS, SPREAD THE WORD TO NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED.

Get your Organic Thanksgiving Turkey deposits in – or tell a friend- $25 deposit will hold a fresh turkey for your dinner. Pick up is at the Andrews Farm.

ON THE FARM: No real big news. The guys spend a good bit of time in the woods bringing out some trees for our wood production. Our farmers market season is winding down. Come visit us at one of our markets. Fall is a great time to be with friends, hear music and pickup some local goodies.

THIS WEEKS HARVEST: A great variety of fall crops including some loose greens, brussel sprouts, celeriac (great for soups! try the recipe below) beets, a selection of greens (chard, collards, kale), garlic, winter squash and cabbage. There may be more, lets see what the garden will bear!

IN THE KITCHEN: The following 2 recipes are submitted by our farm apprentice from last summer- Thanks Lucy!

Braised Red Cabbage

2 cups chopped onions (1 medium)

½ lb. bacon ends, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

4 cups diced sweet or boiling potatoes (2 large)

1 head red cabbage (1-1/2-2 pounds)

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

Saute onion and bacon in a big skillet or dutch oven (which I prefer) until onions are slightly browned. Add the garlic and sweet potatoes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the cabbage, chicken stock, vinegar and sugar and stir to mix. Bring the liquid almost to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until cabbage is softened and sweet potatoes are tender. Serves 6 as a side dish.

Celeriac Soup

You need:

• 1 celeriac
• 2 carrots
• 1 celery branch
• 2 potatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 shallot
• Fresh parsley
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Cream and 1 bay leaf (optional)

Steps:

• Take a large heavy-bottomed pot like a Dutch oven
  Start by washing, peeling and cutting all vegetables in big pieces.
• Chop the garlic and shallot thinly.
  Heat the oil and start by cooking the shallot and garlic, with the celery branch, for about 3-4 mns, until softer.
• Add the other vegetables and let cook for about 5 mns.
• Pour the chicken stock and water, enough to cover the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
  Bring to a boil, then reduce and let cook covered for about 20 mns, until the vegetables are tender.
• Put the soup through a blender. If you think your soup is too thick, add some water or stock

I often add a bay leaf while the vegetables cook, and remove it when done, before blending the soup. It really adds a nice flavour. If any fresh herbs are handy, I add them too, such as coriandor or sage (which I really like for its fragrance)

Winter Squash and Kale Risotto with Pine Nuts
Serves 4

Each serving equals 1 1/8 cups of fruit or vegetables
This is an official Fruits & Veggies—More Matters recipe (source: National Cancer Institute.)

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup of Arborio or short-grained rice
2 Tbsp pine nuts
2 (10 oz) cans of low-sodium, fat-free vegetable broth
1 (12 oz) package of frozen winter squash, thawed slightly and diced
2 cups fresh kale, finely chopped

Heat oil in a large, shallow saucepan over medium heat. Add salt, onion and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes.

Stir in rice and pine nuts and toast for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add ½ cup broth; cook on medium-low heat, stirring often, until liquid is nearly absorbed. Add remaining first can of broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring often until each addition is nearly absorbed before adding the next.

Add diced squash, and from the second can, ½ cup of broth. Stirring often. Add remaining broth, ½ cup at a time as before. Along with the last ½ cup of broth, add the kale. Cook mixture until all broth is absorbed and kale is soft and bright green.