December 2 2009

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Greetings Everyone!  It's cold out there! Tonight as we made deliveries it even  snowed a little! Not quite ready for snow yet, like a lot  of conventional farmers, we are probably also a month behind  with our winter preparations. But......we got one of our  first seed catalogues today and that means spring is not far  away :) I also spent a good part of the day today putting  together "cut sheets" for pork orders for our hogs that we  brought to the butcher this week. If you would still like  to get in on some great tasting Berkshire pork, please let  us know ASAP. We need to bring our cutting instructions to  the butcher tomorrow.  Today in your box.......  Cabbage - Green and tender - we really enjoy this just cut  up in wedges, steamed and served with butter and some herbs  sprinkled on top.  Brussels Sprouts - even if you think you don't like these -  just try them! Trim off the stem end, wash them  and.....steam, grill (try a little olive oil and balsamic  vinegar) etc. These would be great paired with your baby  carrots.  Lettuce  Spinach  Kale - Either Red (with kind of a purple stem) or Green.  You shouldn't need to stem the kale, but if you have a few  larger leaves in your bag, you may want to just tear out  that stem. Cook it with your potatoes and mash them all  together, or try adding it to some beef soup with a tomato  base. This frost sweetened baby kale is also great added to  salads.  Swiss Chard - great cooked or raw  Butternut Squash  Garlic  Baby Carrots  Finger Leek - This mild member of the onion family is a  fall/winter favorite at our house. Great sauteed with other  vegetables or meat. We love it in potato-leek soup. Leek  tends to collect dirt, so be sure to chop it up and then  throw it in a sink of water to wash it thoroughly before  cooking.  Have a great week!

In the box for this delivery you should find;

spinach

salad mix

lettuce with arugula

kale

radish

red potato

red cabbage

celeriac

green peppers

turnips

cauliflower or broccoli

carrots






















It has been too long. We did our last summer CSA distribution and then had a 2 week break before we began our fall CSA deliveries. For the first delivery we didn't do a newsletter because we didn't make time to do it ahead of time and then afterwards we felt tired, combined with thinking that everything in the box was routine, standard and needed no explanation etc. We failed. We should have sent a note saying the round white things were red meat radishes. The turnips are in this weeks box!

I would like to show how the greens in your box got there today. Here are some pictures beginning outside, going into the tunnel to gather the greens and then to the barn for the packing.

The Cornucopia Carrot Vol.3, Issue 20!

Wow, it is September 21 and we are at the end of another summer of vegetables.  It is hard to believe and yet, today, we commented to each other that the weather has changed and fall is in the air.  

As we have mentioned (hopefully to all of you) we are preparing to do a Fall Share CSA.  If you aren't sure what you will do without fresh vegetables from The Cornucopia, then this is your answer.  A Fall Share will consist of six (6) bi-weekly deliveries starting on October 7 with the last delivery December 16.  You can expect things like beans and peppers (until a hard frost) and more cold tolerant items like brassicas, carrots, celery, and many greens like spinach and lettuce (we have the tunnel planted full).   Also included will be storage crops like onion, garlic, squash, potatoes and leek.  You might wonder how it is possible to have things like greens available until December, but remember that many of these crops are actually improved by cold temperatures both in vibrant color and flavor.  Price for the Fall Share will be $180 - that is just $15 per week delivered to Sioux Center and Orange City. Please let us know by October 2  if you plan to participate.  You may send us an email and we will accept your payment with the first delivery or you may send us a check in the mail. If you have friends or family that would be interested, please pass this information along to them as well.  

There are some great movies/documentaries out there right now about local food and knowing where your food comes from.  Tomorrow evening, we are heading for Sioux Falls to "Food, Inc." and recently we viewed a trailer about a new documentary called "Fresh".  Tomorrow and Wednesday we are participating in "Green Week" at Mercy Hospital in Sioux City

When you come to pick up your share tomorrow, please remember to return all of your boxes.  It will be helpful if you bring along a bag or box of your own to put your share in, but if you forget, John will have some bags available for you.  Thanks again for your patronage this year and we look forward to serving you in the coming season.  

In your share this week.....

Carrots - This is a new crop with the tops on.  We kept planting them throughout the year for a continuous supply.

Broccoli - loves this cool weather.

Beans - as long as the weather holds, so will the beans.  Keep enjoying them while you can.

Yellow Onions

Butternut Squash - Yum!  this is one of my favorite signs of fall.  If you can resist, these squash will actually improve in flavor and sweetness if you cure them for about a week.  Place them in a sunny window or better yet, out on your porch in direct sun.  However, if frost threatens, take them inside.  You can cook this squash by peeling, cubing and steaming it until tender, or you can simply cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and then place cut side down in a baking dish with at least 1/2" of water and bake at 350 degrees until tender and then scoop the meat out of the shell.  I like to eat it with some butter and a little salt and pepper.

Peppers - Red Beauties!  I picked over 100 this afternoon and didn't get finished.  Did you know that red pepper has more vitamin C than an orange?  Pack one in your lunch and eat it like an apple.  Chop it up and throw it in a salad or stir fry or add some to your chicken soup for extra color and nutrition.

Leaf Lettuce - time for a salad

Green Cabbage - cabbage rolls, cole slaw, steam or grill a wedge and drizzle some herbed butter or balsamic vinegar over the top.......

German Butterball Potato - cool weather just makes me think of potato soup and looking at the list of items above I see a lot of things that would go well in it, like broccoli, carrots, peppers, onions.......

Whole shares will also have a bunch of Crunchy Royale Radish

The Cornucopia Carrot Vol.3, Issue 19

Dear Friends

You have your boxes because Janna delivered them this evening. We are anticipating a week of sunshine! and look forward to getting things done outdoors.

In you box you will find;

spinach

broccoli

kale

kohlrabi

yellow crookneck squash-this is an excellent summer squash that you can use like Zucchini in stir fry's etc.

german butterball potatoes

green beans

garlic

yellow onion

red peppers

tomatoes

Sometimes life is a blur! Too often I work outdoors doing chores till just before a meeting in town and need to eat my supper in the van/truck on the way to town. This evening I had a meeting at church and my food tasted so good. I had green beans done just right soaked in butter,  Sunday's leftover mashed potatoes heated up with butter and chunks of chicken. I had to tell Janna when I got home that it was the best supper I had in long time. Just basic homegrown home cooked food being eaten in the old pickup. I hope you all enjoy a meal or two this week just I like did. 

The Cornucopia Carrot Vol.3, Issue 18

Hello!

We have seeded one of our tunnels to cold tolerant crops like salad mix, arugula, spinach, lettuce, carrots and some others.  The challenge is knowing when to seed to get a plant large enough so that when it is cold outside that it is almost mature and ready to harvest yet will stay in very good condition because the tunnel acts like a large fridge keeping the crop good and we should be able to harvest as we need it in October, November and December. In your box this week there is a package of salad mix that was grown outdoors in the last 4 weeks. We have another planting outdoors just coming up now for 4-5 weeks from now before we anticipate harvesting in the tunnel. The other tunnel still has tomatoes in it and will have for several more weeks.

If you would like to participate in a "fall subscription" or purchase some of these cold tolerant crops please send us an email. 

In the boxes this week:

Asian Greens-Greens like this are one reason why spring and fall are our favorite seasons.

Arugula

 

Acorn Squash-Janna made one for lunch late last week, we each had a half, Janna likes to put butter on the squash on her plate, I like it plain. Great flavor and texture.

Green Beans

Peppers- We are so happy we have peppers. The plants looked so poor in May and didn't grow much in June. It was so cool and wet early in the season just when the plants needed heat. 

Cherry Tomatoes-The little tomatoes are a favorite snack. We had a visitor Friday that really didn't think much of tomatoes till he helped himself to little orange ones, he kept picking and eating!

Austrian Crescent Potatoes- We had some for lunch today. This potato turns green very quickly. Please store them in a dark place. For some reason the sun penetrates the soil near the top of the tubers or at bottom of the plant and a lot of the tuber tips turn green. We tried to leave them in the field or sort them out but if you have a tip that is green please slice it off before you prepare your potatoes. We like them boiled or steamed. They have a very firm texture which is great for potato salad. They roast very well too.

Carrots

Full shares also have Cauliflower.

Please watch for an email near the weekend about next week. John is a delegate to a classis meeting next Tuesday in Platte and Janna may come along to visit family friends near Platte so we may make other arrangements for the box distribution.

Enjoy your food!

The Cornucopia Carrot Vol.3, Issue 17

Cool nights, heavy dew, mild days and slight breezes. Does it feel like August? Tomorrow it will be September. Where has the summer gone?

We would like to thank all of you for your compliments, kind words and encouragement. We do like continuous improvement so please give us suggestions on what we could do better in future. 

We have free tickets to a movie! Food Inc. is being shown in Sioux Falls and our chiropractor friend Dr. Ben Rall has given us 12 tickets to give away.  Many people have read Michael Pollan's book The Omnivores Dilemma or have heard about a farmer named Joel Salatin, both are featured in this film about food production. Check out the link for more information or google Food Inc. and there is alot of information online including trailers and clips at youtube.com.

http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-film.php

Food Safety bills continue to work their way through the legislative system in Washington D.C.. Part of me is alarmed and concerned to the point that I wonder if we will be able to do this in future. On the other hand some of the proposed rules are so beyond common sense they will not have enough agents to inspect or enforce all their rules. Please watch for them and ask our representatives to keep in mind the small producers, the little farms like the Cornucopia.

In your box this week;

Celery 

Garlic

Carrots

Cucumber (last time)

Carola Potato

Peppers ( colored)

Cherry Tomatoes

Tomatoes

Daikon Radish

The full shares will also have beans and the half shares have a melon.

We have 3 weeks left in this season! 

John and Janna

Greetings!

School has started again.  Elizabeth is back teaching, Jessica moved into her dorm and Madeline, Adrienne and Rachel have returned to their studies as well.  This, of course, means that our work schedule really changes. I love the approach of Fall.  Days are shorter, but cooler night temperatures and cool mornings with warm dry afternoons are a pleasure.  We hope that your transition to more fall-like weather is pleasant.  The changing of seasons also helps us look forward to a change in types of produce.  While some items will remain staples, such as carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, etc.,  we can still look forward t0 things like winter squash, leek and more broccoli, cabbage, beets and fall greens.

This week in your share.....

Cucumbers -

Summer Squash - this will include a variety of regular zucchini, yellow crookneck, and some little rounds called "Light Green of Tuscany". The small round would be nice quartered and the larger rounds might be nice with the tops sliced off, seed pocket hollowed out and then stuffed and baked.

Carola Potatoes - very similar in appearance to German Butterball, these are also of German origin and are a nice all purpose potato.

Cherry Tomatoes - 

Tomatoes - 

Sweet Peppers - 

Beets - mostly the sweet chioggia and golden variety.  Wonderful cooked and served with a little butter.

Kohlrabi - a great raw snack to pack into your lunch box.

Have a great week!

The Cornucopia Carrot Vol.3, Issue 15

Greetings,

It has been another pleasant week.  Rain showers over the weekend are helping to germinate the seeds we planted last week - greens, lettuce, spinach, carrots........  Today, after picking your produce, we spent time cleaning up spent crop residue and weeding.  It is always a challenge later in the season to keep up with weeding, but it is still important as weeds let go at this time of year will go to seed and leave many years worth of seed for us to tackle later.

This week we will also bring another group of chickens to the butcher.  We have had a great response this year and as a result have been completely sold out for the last two weeks.  If you are interested in a freezer order later this fall, please get your request in soon so that we will be able to fill it.  Thanks!

In your basket this week.....

Carrots - 

Tomatoes - 

Cherry Tomatoes - 

Cucumbers - 

Lemon Basil - 

Austrian Crescent Fingerling Potatoes - These are known as the "king of the fingerlings" and are a great salad potato.  Also delicious simply boiled, steamed or roasted.

Zucchini - 

Peppers  - Sweet and Hot - 

Swiss Chard - 

I have once again found a great looking recipe on www.101cookbooks.com that I think you will enjoy.  Please refer to the website for pictures and comments on this recipe.  It was also suggested that you might use quinoa in place of the couscous.

Cherry Tomato Couscous

Keep your eyes peeled for whole wheat or barley couscous - either would work great here. You can easily make this vegan by leaving out the feta - maybe do some sort of harissa drizzle instead?

3 cups cooked couscous* 
1/2 a basket of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup cooked chickpeas

1 lemon, cut in half
1 lime, cut in half
about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup basil or cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Combine the couscous, tomatoes, cucumber, and chickpeas in a large bowl. Lori - squeezes the lemon and lime juice directly into the bowl, so start by giving a good squeeze of lemon and lime juice into the bowl, add the olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Toss well, taste, and adjust with more of the above until it tastes just right. Lori notes - this really needs a generous amount of salt, and the lemon and lime juices might need to be adjusted depending on how juicy the fruit is.

Add the basil and feta and toss gently until it is evenly dispersed.

Serves 4 - 6.

*To cook the couscous: Either follow the package instructions or bring 3 1/2 cups of water to a boil, stir in a scant 2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt and 2 cups of couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Steam for 5 to 10 minutes and then use a fork to fluff up the couscous.

101 Cookbooks http://www.101cookbooks.com/

Over the weekend we enjoyed some homemade pizza.  Simple and delicious with fresh ingredients.   Here is the crust recipe from my friend Glenda Bos. I whipped it up in my KitchenAid in no time at all and we went grocery shopping while the dough was rising.

Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water (110F)

1 (1/4 oz.) pkg active dry yeast (or 2 1/2 tsp.)

1 tsp. sugar

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup semolina flour

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. salt

Combine water, yeast, sugar and stir.

Let sit until foamy (5 minutes or so)

Add 1 1/2 cups of flour, the semolina, oil, and salt and mix until smooth.  (I didn't have semolina, so I substituted some whole wheat)

Keep adding flour - 1/4 cup at a time with the mixer running until all the flour is incorporated but the dough is still a little sticky.

Knead until smooth, but still slightly tacky, 3-5 minutes, adding little bits of flour if needed.

Oil a large bowl and place dough in the bowl, turning it to oil all sides of the dough. Cover the bowl and set in a warm place until nearly doubled in size (1 - 1 1/2 hours).

Divide the dough and roll into 2 round crusts (or whatever shape you need to fit your pan).

Bake in a 475F oven

We brushed the crust with olive oil and prebaked it for about 10 minutes and then added toppings and finished baking.  Toppings included, halved cherry tomatoes or thinly sliced regular tomatoes, cheese, basil (add this after you take it out of the oven), green peppers - use your imagination! You could probably experiment with this and try prebaking and wrapping and freezing the crust to use later.

Have  a great week!

The Cornucopia Carrot Vol.3, Issue 14

Hello,

Sunshine seems to be the order for this week.  Tomatoes are ripening!  Last Tuesday we hosted a tour for a creation care camp for kids.  

John and Janna,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for letting us come by on Tuesday morning. I know that I really enjoyed seeing your gardens and all of the animals. Sally and I were discussing how most adults - even in our creation tenders group - have probably never seen anything like that. The kids were quite taken with the chickens. And they loved the garlic! (My car still smells of it!) They played with it and nibbled it all afternoon. One boy even took a dare from Laremy De Vries and ate a whole clove - his eyes watered, his face turned red, and he felt quite sick afterwards (And he still smells like garlic today!) Laremy gave him $5 instead of $1 as he felt bad for his suffering: :) 

We roasted the 3 chickens and carrots and potatoes yesterday. The smells drove the kids wild all morning. And they devoured every last bite. One boy raved that the potatoes were the best he had ever had in his life! And most kids had never had a roasted chicken before - they kept commenting on how tender it was.

And then I made some soup with the bones and carrots for lunch today which disappeared quickly. The boys, especially, were impressed as it fit in with the 3 R's we talked about yesterday (reduce, reuse, recycle). 

So thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to show us around. We loved all of the information and seeing the chicken chores. Your hard work is evident - and delicious!

Blessings to you all,

Becky

Tomorrow we have another group coming and will tell you about it next week.  This past week we did a lot of planting......more beans, radishes, peas, zucchini, beets, greens.......it is amazing what can still be produced even late in the season.  We are also beginning to watch for the first ripening melons as they are sizing up nicely.

This week in your share......

Tomatoes

Cherry Tomatoes

Cucumber - An even simpler twist on cucumber salad.  Peel and chunk or slice your cucumbers,  add some very thinly sliced onion and/or diced green pepper (optional), add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, chopped fresh dill - about 1 Tbsp (or to taste).  Toss it all together and refrigerate 1-2 hours, then serve.

Red Thumb Fingerling Potatoes - with a pretty pink swirl inside.  These are perfect for roasting.  Slice in wedges lengthwise, toss in olive oil, spread on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, pepper and any of your favorite herbs.  Bake at 350 - 400F until tender and browned.  Try pressing some garlic and adding it to the olive oil  for a nice variation.

Filet Beans - these tender little beans are a gourmet delight.  Prepare them just as you would regular beans.

Green peppers

Carrots - how about some carrot cake!

Lettuce

Below is a recipe for Carrot Cake from www.101cookbooks.com   I really enjoy this website because there is a stress on using healthy fresh ingredients and there are always great pictures of the prepared recipes. I would encourage you to check it out.  I used regular plain yogurt in the recipe and substituted chopped pumpkin seeds for the walnuts (John has a nut allergy).  Without added sugar, this makes a really nice breakfast loaf or a hearty snack.  We didn't bother to frost it, but just buttered our slices to serve.  Enjoy!

Carrot Cake Recipe

If you have a hard time finding whole wheat pastry flour, feel free to substitute unbleached all-purpose flour. Reader Nicole mentions that she made a wheat-free version with good results - substituting one cup oat flour and one cup gluten-free baking mix. Thanks Nicole!

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts 
4 ounces unsalted butter, heated until just melted
1/2 cup dried dates, seeded and finely chopped into a paste
3 ripe bananas (1 1/4 cups), mashed well
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (2% or lowfat is ok)
2 eggs, lightly whisked

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9x5x3 / 8-cup loaf pan (or 8x8 cake pan) and line it with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the walnuts and set aside.

Stir the dates into the melted butter, breaking up the dates a bit.

In a separate bowl combine the bananas and carrots. Stir in the date-butter mixture, breaking up any date clumps as you go. Whisk in the yogurt and the eggs. Add the flour mixture and stir until everything just comes together. Spoon into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean in the center of the cake - it'll be less if you are using a standard cake pan. Remove from oven and let cool.

While the cake is baking whip together the cream cheese and agave nectar. Taste. If you like your frosting sweeter adjust to your liking. When the cake has completely cooled frost the top of the cake with an offset spatula.

Makes one carrot cake.

101 Cookbooks http://www.101cookbooks.com/

The Cornucopia Carrot Vol.3, Issue 13

August Greetings to you all!

It is hard to believe that we are already into our 13th week of CSA.  The weeks just seem to fly by when we are so busy. 

 Allison informed us yesterday that July 2009 has been the coldest July on record in over 100 years. Wow!  No wonder the tomatoes and other heat loving crops are taking their time.  However, when I went out to pick cucumbers today I was almost overwhelmed by the abundance hiding under the vines.  I also planted a variety of gourds this year just for fun and the vines are crawling all over the place.  Fortunately, they are able to spill over into a grassy ditch so I can guide them away from a new group of carrots.  

As we anticipate fall, we also keep planting cooler weather crops for later.  These include some of the same crops we enjoyed in the spring like salad greens, and brassica crops such as broccoli and cabbage as well as root crops like carrots and beets.  Many of these crops don't do as well in the summer heat, but are able to tolerate quite a bit of cold.

But for now we will continue to enjoy the summer warmth and the bounty of the garden.

In your basket this week.....

Cherry Tomatoes - 

Cucumber - crispy and sweet these are begging to be eaten raw or tossed with a light vinaigrette in a salad.  (see the recipe below)

Bintje Potatoes - 

Zucchini - 

Tomatoes - just some regular red ones for slicing

Onions - 

Lettuce - Just in time for some BLT's - YUM!!

Carrots - 

As always, if you have any recipe suggestions that you would be willing to share we would be happy to pass them along.  Thank you!

Have a great week!

 Chilled Cucumber Salad
CDKitchen http://www.cdkitchen.com

Category: Cucumber Salad 
Serves/Makes: 6    |   Difficulty Level: 2    |   Ready In: 30-60 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups thinly-sliced chilled cucumbers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup thinly-sliced fresh onions
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 dash cayenne

Directions:
Place cucumber slices in medium-size glass bowl and sprinkle with salt. Stir in onions. 

Place remaining ingredients in 2-cup glass measure and beat with fork to combine. Pour over cucumbers and onions and toss lightly. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Stir before serving.

Recipe Location: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/133/ChilledCucumberSalad69769.shtml
Recipe ID: 40550
Don't forget to stop back at CDKitchen and write a review or upload a picture of this recipe!

This recipe is from CDKitchen http://www.cdkitchen.com
© 1995-2009 CDKitchen, Inc.

 

The Cornucopia Carrot Vol. 3, Issue 12

Greetings to you all,

It has been a beautiful week of warmer temperatures and sunshine. It almost seems odd to have to think about watering again - most vegetables need at least 1" of rain per week. We have been busy harvesting, but also doing a lot of planting seeds and transplants for fall.

Our biggest job this past week was harvesting the garlic. We are happy to report that it is all hanging and drying nicely. John and I were both amazed at the rate of drying over the weekend. This weekend we rushed home from market and set off for Kanawha, Iowa - about 150 miles - to a tour (sponsored by Practical Farmers of Iowa) at the farm of our mentors. We had an enjoyable evening visiting.

In your basket this week....

Zucchini - nice standard green zukes great for cooking and baking. If you have extra, you can always grate it up and freeze it to save for soups later on.

Cucumbers - Yummy! crispy and delicious

Cherry Tomatoes

Potatoes - Kerr's Pink

Green Beans -

Green Peppers - first of the season!

Garlic -

Whole shares will also include Red Cabbage this week.

Have a Great Week!

The Cornucopia Carrot Vol.3, Issue 11

Good evening!

Another rainy afternoon brought us inside, but not before we accomplished a lot of work outdoors.  It is time for garlic harvest and I am estimating that about 1/3 of it is pulled and stacked in the barn waiting to be trimmed and hung to cure.  The girls think it looks really "cool" hanging in long strings from the rafters to the floor.  Adrienne took some pictures before supper and we will get those posted soon.  It is actually a fairly messy job due to the rains.  Ideally we would have a few weeks of drying weather before garlic harvest, but it looks like that is not to be, so we must forge ahead and hope that it dries well without any fungal problems.  We cannot wait too much longer, or the bulbs wrappers will start to deteriorate or worse, the bulbs will "shatter" as they get overripe. 

Our helpers did a great job of prepping your veggies today and John also had some help clearing out old plants.  We rented a big mower for the tractor to even out the pasture and mow off the old strawberry plants in preparation for plowing.  While all of this was going on, I managed to transplant about 800 Kohlrabi which will benefit from the cloudy damp conditions, and plant a row of late basil.  The girls donned rain gear and hosed each other off along with the potatoes and carrots :0)

Our little piggies continue to thrive and are a good source of entertainment.  The turkeys also continue to grow and do well.  If you are interested in a turkey for Thanksgiving be sure to reserve one now - thank you to those of you that have already ordered.  We ordered the turkeys a little later than usual so that they would be ready just before the holiday and we are hoping to offer them as a fresh (not frozen) bird.

In your basket this week......

Kerr's Pink Potato - this is a wonderful tasting Irish masher.

Tomatoes - either cherry or regular

Carrots - crispy and sweet

Daikon Radish - wonderful in salads or sliced up on a sandwich

Onions - these are really getting "huge", but are wonderfully sweet and delicious - red or white.  If you find yourself getting ahead on onions, just chop them up and put them in the freezer - ready to pull out and add to a cooked dish  when you are in a hurry.

Green Beans - we are amazed at how the cool weather has affected the rate of growth of the beans.  We really could use some warm days of sunshine

Broccoli - we had really hoped to bring you some zucchini this week, but once again the cool weather........., anyway, zukes for sure next week!

Whole shares will also have a cucumber this week.

Some Recipe ideas that I tried this week that you may also enjoy.....

Root Veggie Slaw 

I heard the idea for this on my way home from market last week while listening to the public radio show "The Splendid Table".  The great thing about it is that you can use just about any veggies you have on hand, and the dressing is a nice light change from traditional creamy slaw dressings.  (from The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schneider)

1 small celery root (@12oz)

4 med. parsnips (8oz)

2 parsley roots (8 oz)

1 tsp lemon  or orange zest

8 oz yellow or red beets

Dressing:  whisk all ingredients together and pour over vegetables and stir - taste and adjust seasonings.

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

Kosher salt - to taste

Pinch of sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil or roasted hazelnut or walnut oil

1 tsp. warm water

Freshly ground black pepper - to taste

I used the dressing recipe above, but my veggie mix consisted of:

chopped cabbage

peeled, finely chopped raw beets (these add nice color)

minced onion

grated carrots

grated daikon radish

You could also use small chunks of broccoli or cauliflower - use your imagination!

Listed below is another root veggie salad recipe.  I think this would also be nice with equal parts daikon and carrot.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/sr/22257/japanese-daikon-carrot-salad/recipe/

Japanese Daikon Carrot Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 1/3 c peeled & finely shredded daikon radishes .
• 1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted .
• 1/3 c finely shredded carrots .
• 3 tbsps granulated sugar .
• 1/4 c rice vinegar or white vinegar .
• 1 1/2 tsps salt

Directions

• Step #1 Toss radish, carrot & salt together in large bowl.
• Step #2 Let stand for 10 mins.
• Step #3 Knead until soft.
• Step #4 Squeeze dry. (or let drain in a colander)
• Step #5 Combine rice vinegar & sugar in small c.
• Step #6 Stir until sugar is dissolved.
• Step #7 Pour over radish mixture.
• Step #8 Toss until well coated.
• Step #9 Sprinkle top with sesame seeds.
• Step #10 Makes 2 c.
• Step #11 Company�s Coming.
• Enjoy the Japanese Daikon Carrot Salad recipe

Have a great week!

The Cornucopia Carrot Vol. 3 Issue 10

Good Evening Folks!

I hope it is dry tomorrow morning at the park for your subscription pick up. I was assured by friends this evening that it will dry up.

What can I tell you about this past week? It rained and rained, digging carrots and potatoes meant washing off mud. The onions and beets took more rinsing than usual.

In preparing today for tomorrow morning we sure miss the energy and skills of our youngest daughter. Adrienne is off to music camp at USD-Vermillion for the week.

A highlight this past week was being the "featured vendor" at the Falls Park Farmers Market. Chef Jonathan from the Sanford Hospital comes and prepares a treat for visitors to the market based on produce from the "featured vendor". Madeline liked it so much she made it for supper tonight.

California Blend Salad

1 head Broccoli (cleaned and destemed)
1 head Cauliflower (cleaned and destemed)
6 carrots (cleaned and sliced)
½ C. Favorite Dressing

1. Blanch all vegetables in steamer or olive oil
In boiling water for 4-8 min.
2. Chill veggies and toss in your favorite dressing.

Roasted 4 Potato Salad

Ingredients:
Potato Mix of Yukon Gold, Bintje, Rio Colorado & Kerr's Pink (cleaned & diced)
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
olive oil
1. Mix all ingredients
2. Spread out on sheet pan
3. Bake at 350 for 25 min, or until tender
4. Serve hot or chill and serve.


In your box this week....

Cherry Tomatoes!!! - Yes! they are finally ripe in a quantity that you could all have some. John calls this a "teaser" - they may not make it home - a nice little assortment of colors, shapes and sizes. Enjoy!

Garlic - this is uncured garlic, but I couldn't resist sharing these bulbs of plump cloves with you. Peel off the outer layers and store cloves, wrapped in a "baggie", in the fridge.

Onion - Red or Yellow - we can't get enough of these sweet summer onions.

Beans - Green or Yellow - always good steamed, but also nice pickled in a bean salad.

Carrots - with all the rain we've had, these are super crispy

Potatoes - this week we are featuring a Dutch heirloom called "Bintje" a really nice white potato.

Beets - scrub these up and try roasting some in the oven to go along with your potatoes.
Due to wet conditions, these are coming to you this week without tops.

Cauliflower -

This week, the full shares will also be receiving green cabbage

Have a wonderful week!

The Cornucopia Carrot Vol.3, Issue 9

Well, you would think that someone that majored in history at college and continued to read books about the past till recently, would have learned not to repeat the error of the past. Every time John picked green beans in the past it led to back trouble. About a year ago he was treated in Sioux Falls several times and has felt much better this winter/spring compared to the previous three years. This afternoon while Janna, Jessica and Adrienne were picking beans he thought he would help! Big mistake, a few minutes later while digging carrots something in the lower back said it quit. Bottom line for our customers is that the carrot digging stopped. 

It was very beautiful outside this morning and most mornings lately. The rain was just wonderful over the weekend taking off the pressure to irrigate. We had watered pretty steady last week and were feeling on top of the moisture situation and on top of the weeds. To be blessed with a such timely rain is great. Now when it dries a bit (today) we will get on the weeds and clean up of broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage plant remains and feed them to the pigs.

If you have been following our posts since January you may recall we purchased some purebred Berkshire glits which were bred and gave us 19 wonderful little feeders! They were farrowed at a friends farm and were brought here about a week ago. Janna and Madeline put broccoli in the freezer today and we fed them the stumps and rejected pieces. They cleaned it up! We like taking care of our compost that way!

This wednesday our second batch of pastured broilers will go to the butcher and get packaged. We continue to hear wonderful remarks about the flavor of meat from people that have purchased them.  Now last thursday the third batch of broiler chicks arrived and with them the turkeys. We bring it to your attention now because they are heritage breeds, at 6 weeks they will be on grass till butchering, which this year will be just before Thanksgiving. They will be ready just it time so it will be a "fresh" bird! Again there will be  a limited number so please reserve one early.

This week in your shares you will find some of the following;

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Beans

Potatoes-Red Norland

Lettuce-Summer Crisp, a heat tolerant variety!

Cabbage

Onion

Carrots

The Cornucopia Carrot Vol.3, Issue 8

"Warm" Greetings to all of you!

It has been a very hot week!  While we welcomed the drying that the warmth brought so that we could get at the weeds, it was also a challenge to work in such heat.  Most of our days started early so that we could take a break during the day when the sun was hottest.  We also recruited some extra helpers to help us with the weeding.  Tuesday my cousin and her daughter, in town visiting from Ohio, dropped by and volunteered their services as well - which we did not refuse :)  Thank you Rachelle and Elaine!  

On top of all this, it was a week of strawberry picking.  The strawberry season has been rather short-lived this year due to the heat that seemed to make everything ripen at once.  We probably could have picked every day last week, but in order to stay sane and save our backs, we managed to keep it to every other day.  The berries in your share this week will be the last this season.  I think that eleven days is a really short season, but I noticed that the beans are coming on, so it is a good thing that they are finished.

Recycle your green strawberry boxes back to us if you still have them - we would really appreciate it - as we have many uses for them throughout the season.  Thanks!

This is a week of standard vegetable favorites that we hope you will enjoy.

In your share this week......

Peas - Super Sugar Snax

Carrots - crisp and flavorful

Potatoes - Purple Viking - these have purple skin and white flesh.  We have enjoyed them this week mashed with skins on and also as "oven roasted fries".  Scrub your potatoes and cut in wedges.  Pat dry. Toss in olive oil to coat.  Arrange on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt or seasoning salt.  Bake in oven 425F for about 45 minutes, or until tender.  The time may vary depending on how thick you cut your wedges.  Serve with ketchup or mayo.  We also like to roast carrots with the potatoes.

Broccoli - 

Onions - Super Star white onions are mild and sweet and the greens are still great to use too!

Strawberries - get out the ice cream or whip up some cream and enjoy this seasonal treat!

Full share will also include Garlic Scapes this week.  Try coating these with a little olive oil and grilling them.  Yum!  or... add these to your potatoes like chives.  

Have a great week!

Next week look forward to green beans and cauliflower

The Carrot Vol 3, Issue 7

Hello Everyone,

This is one of those weeks when we are very thankful for air conditioning. We are planning on an early start to our outside work tomorrow so that we can retreat indoors for the hottest part of the day. If you are able, it will be a good idea to pick up your box as early as possible to keep your things from getting overheated. We are excited to have our main cooler up and running. This allows us to bring the produce in and store it at 38 degrees, keeping it fresh for you.
Strawberries are ready. We will also have them available for sale at the farmstand. Let your friends know - they are delicious and with this heat they may not last long.

Some information to pass along that may be of interest to you....
1) We are including a flyer in your box about the upcoming NISO tour of gardens.
2)This evening we visited with the organizers of the Eat Well Food Tour. They are leading discussions on the connection between faith and food. They will be in Sioux Center at Children's Park Tuesday evening for a pot-luck. Check their web site for more details
www.eatwellfoodtour.com

In your basket this week.......

STRAWBERRIES!! - the rain of the past two weeks has produced some large, very nice tasty berries

Green Cabbage - make some cole slaw!

Head Lettuce -

Garlic Scapes - We are popping the tops from our garlic so that the plant will concentrate on developing the bulb. These scapes can be used the same way you use the bulb.....in stir fry, salads, make it into some pesto, soups, etc. Keep these loosely wrapped in the bag they come in, in your fridge and they will keep for several weeks, but I think you'll have them eaten in no time.

Half share will also have Beets this week

Whole share will also include...

Carrots

Swiss Chard

Kale

Garlic Scape Pesto - Your share this week has about 1/2 # of scapes, so you will need to adjust the recipe accordingly. Also, the amount of olive oil you use will depend on whether or not you choose to use the nuts. Walnuts will also work well in place of the pine nuts.

My favorite thing to do with them is to make garlic scape pesto. It is super easy to make and refrigerates well for several weeks in a well sealed jar. I also plan on popping some into the freezer to top off my winter soups. I use this pesto on brushetta, pasta, eggs, foccacia, and just about anything I grill like shrimp, salmon, chicken. It’s also fabulous added to mayonnaise and smeared on a big roast beef sandwich. Now I’m hungry!!!

Garlic scape pesto
1 pound garlic scapes
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Olive oil (about 1/2 to 1 cup)
Pine nuts if available
Chop the garlic scapes into 3 inch lengths. Put it int he food processor and process until pureed. Add the parmesan and pine nuts and process until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil as the food processor runs and continue until all the oil is combined into the garlic. Store in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator.

I copied the post above from this site....
http://www.whatgeekseat.com/wordpress/2007/06/16/garlic-scape-pesto/

Have a great week !

The Carrot Vol 3 Issue 6

Hi,

The day began with a few clouds but by mid morning the harvesters had these yellow suits on! They were so easy to spot from a distance, I even used a rhyme, a yellow fruit that goes with Janna..., she turned the hose on me! Jessica generally wears shorts and flip flops. I have tried for 4 years to get her into a solid pair of socks and boots but she doesn't get it, even Jessica put on a yellow suit and rubber boots! Despite the rain we got a nice selection for your subscription.

kohlrabi - green this time. This is a great dipping veggie, but is also nice chopped and steamed with its leaves

broccoli

radish-shunkyo semi long - with a wonderful crisp texture - try them sliced on a sandwich, mixed into some tuna, or with cream cheese on some crackers -the possibilities are endless....
Guess what.....you can also eat radish greens :) no kidding.

peas - still the variety with those great juicy edible pods.

onions - slice them, dice them, they are great with everything

lettuce - speckled - also called "flashy trout back"

Full shares may also include......

beets - Madeline made a wonderful lunch with the chopped green tops and some onions thrown in - all sauteed in some butter and tossed with angel hair pasta and topped with parmesan cheese.

napa cabbage - wonderful for some coleslaw with onions and radish chopped in or try it in a stir-fry with peas thrown in at the very end.

cilantro/parsley - your choice

We are very thankful for the rains of the past week. We talked to a college friend this morning. He farms near Platte, SD and said that this is the "weirdest spring weather" that he can remember. We have had to do some re-planting due to dry weather(seed didn't germinate) and hot wind that killed newly emerged seedlings leaving very uneven stands of some crops. The recent moisture is a real blessing - allowing seed to germinate and cloud cover gives new transplants the chance to get established without wilting in the hot sun. With the promise of warmer weather this weekend things should really "take off".

We hope that you have a wonderful week!

The Cornucopia Carrot Vol.3, Issue 5

Welcome to another week at the farm!

Rain this weekend has brought much needed moisture for which we are thankful.  We also welcome Elizabeth VanMaanen as a new employee.  She will be helping out several days each week and we are enjoying getting to know her better.  We feel like things are really moving forward and having extra help really makes a big difference.  We got a lot of weeding, mulching and transplanting done this week.   

Tomorrow you can expect to see one of our girls at the farm stand as we will be heading up to Minneapolis to pick up our oldest daughter, Allison, who is returning from choir tour in Europe.  

A Reminder:  please remember to return your box each week so that we don't run out. Thanks!

In your basket this week.......a number of firsts of the season....

Peas - We can never get enough of these delicious treats - once again, these are the variety with the sweet edible pod - string them and eat the whole thing!

Potatoes - First new potatoes of the season.  Either Yukon or Rose Gold varieties.  I like them best steamed until tender and served with a pat of butter.  

Leaf Lettuce - try this light dressing for a change... 4 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 Tbsp lemon juice,  1 Tbsp. honey, 1/2 Tbsp brown mustard.  Whisk together or shake it up in a small jar.  You may adjust the honey and mustard to your taste.  Also tastes good with some balsamic vinegar in place of some of the lemon juice.

Carrots! - www.carrotmuseum.com  check out this site for some great ideas and information about this year round favorite.  You might even want to try some of the suggestions on using the greens of the carrot in soups, salads, etc.

Broccoli - (or trees as my kids used to call it :)  

Whole shares this week also include the following.....

Salad Turnips - white, crunchy and mild.  You'll like them raw for snacking or chopped up in your salad.  These are also tasty lightly steamed - and nothing goes to waste with the turnip - start the root part cooking and then toss in the green tops toward the end.  These will make a nice medley with the peas and carrots. 

The tomato garden tomatoes are caged and mulched with chopped bean straw in the walk ways.

Garlic


Super Sweet Sugar Snax Peas




Tunnel # 1 The lettuce is almost all gone, the tomatoes are staked and pruned to a leader and up the pole they grow!

Leaf Lettuce in the "center garden."


Onions in "pasture garden". The Sweet Peppers are in the five mulch rows to the right of the onions. We planted the pepper plants in the plastic mulch and then put bean straw mulch down between the plastic mulch rows after the picture was taken. By now you have noticed the drip tape for irrigating. We have used over 10,000 feet of 5/8's inch drip line so far this year and have more on order. We have watered more this last two weeks then most of last growing season. A one or two inch rain would actually be very good. In places where we haven't watered seed hasn't germinated because its too dry.




Garlic, stiff neck Garlic. Some have been harvested as garlic greens.

Green Beans in the front garden, only 22 rows about 50' long. We use chopped bean straw as a mulch to suppress weeds, hold in moisture but mostly to prevent dirt splash up againest the beans when we have those July thunder storms with big rain drops.


Cabbage in Tunnel # 2. It seems a little later than last year but making steady progress.



All the potatoes have been hilled. These are in the "pasture garden". The variety on the right are Red Norlands, an early red potato. We have a variety called Rose Gold in Tunnel # 2 that flowered two weeks ago and will be dug tomorrow and Monday. There is also a row of Yukon Gold in Tunnel #2 but they haven't flowered yet.

Beets in the "center garden" taken June 3.

This is Rowdie, Rosie's calf born back in late March. He is doing very well. Had a close call last week when got a halter on by himself, typical toddler, and it was stuck on a post. He pulled and pulled and nearly choked himself to death, I heard the commotion from elsewhere and got in the shed and cut him free but he still had the halter around his neck tight enough to prevent him from drinking. I had nieghbor Luke come over and rope him and he wrestled with him till he got the halter off.

This is Mindy, about 3 weeks younger than Rowdie, one of the nicest heifers I have had. Maxine has done a wonderful job with her and she has been trouble free!

These broilers are 2.5 weeks old, this is their second day on grass/pasture right next to the cows. I move the pens to fresh grass twice each day.

The Cornucopia Carrot Vol.3, Issue 4

Greetings!

It has been a busy, busy, busy day!  We did our picking in the cool of the morning and then spent most of the afternoon and early evening weeding and planting.  Last Wednesday we brought our first group of chickens for the season to the butcher and they needed to be picked up today.  Before he left for Hospers to pick them up, John, with Adrienne's help, moved the next group of chicks out of the brooder pen and into the chicken tractors.  These birds came back with an average size of 4.4# and look great!  Please contact us if you would like to place an order.  

This afternoon we also had a visit from some of the members of  the sustainable ag board from the Leopold Center at Iowa State.  We were also pleased to be able to supply the produce for their dinner on Tuesday at Dordt College.  On top of that all, it was a beautiful day for being outside and I even managed to get a walk in this evening.

Once again we thank you for your vote for local food by being a member of our CSA.  We thought that you might find the movie trailer at the link below interesting.

http://www.foodincmovie.com/

In your basket this week...........

PEAS!!!  Yes, peas are here and we are excited.  These are the Super Sugar Snax that everyone loves so much.  They have a juicy succulent pod that is edible, so all you need to do is string them and steam them....or you can just enjoy them raw.

Red Romaine - a twist on the standard romaine with a deep red color - very pretty.

Leaf Lettuce - This is a new stand of lettuce and a very nice mix of colors and shapes.

Radish - I've listed a recipe from allrecipes.com  below for a new way to prepare radishes.  A friend from market told me about it and said that her children even asked for it again.  I'll be trying it this week too.  You could use those garlic greens - if you still have some, or I'm sure that green onions would substitute nicely too.  If you don't want to heat up the grill, you could also saute these.

Green onions - the flavor of these is, in our opinion, outstanding.  Try some cooked or in a salad.

Spinach - the green that just keeps on giving :)  We keep picking and it keeps producing - until it gets too hot outdoors of course.

Kohlrabi - full share will also receive purple kohlrabi this week.

Have a great week!

Grilled Radishes

SUBMITTED BY: librarylady  PHOTO BY: LINDA MCLEAN 

"These are great matched with a simple grilled chicken breast. Use more or less garlic to taste."

RECIPE RATING:

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PREP TIME	15 Min
COOK TIME	20 Min
READY IN	35 Min

SERVINGS

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Servings
US METRIC

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 20 ounces radishes, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cube ice
• salt and pepper to taste

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DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the grill for high heat.
2. Place the radishes, garlic, butter, and ice cube on a double layer of aluminum foil large enough to wrap contents. Season with salt and pepper. Tightly seal foil around contents.
3. Place foil packet on the grill, and cook 20 minutes, or until radishes are tender.