Maplewood Organics

Winter

CSA Newsletter

Volume 3

Issue 1

October 18, 2010

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Week 1

Welcome to our third fall/winter CSA! Thank you so much for joining us in extending the local food eating season. We did a better job growing most of our winter CSA crops this year and were able to sell a few extra shares. In fact, Eric's parents and our family will be getting a winter share for the first time this year! This year, every pick-up day is a Monday. In the past, I've switched to Mondays only for the holiday weeks. This caused some confusion, so we're going to stick with Mondays all the way.

Local Harvest website blog (

http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M13345): Go here and click on "Read Our Blog" to view our posts and past newsletters with recipes.

Garden Progress

We're putting the gardens to bed bit by bit. Last week, Sita and I took down the poles for the pole beans and put them in storage behind the barn. We finally finished digging the rest of the potatoes out of the muck by hand. We did as much as we could with the potato digger, but still had close to 200 pounds to get out by hand. We were lucky to have Sita's friend, Colin, helping us that day. This week, we'll finish digging up the sweet potatoes and try to get them cured. It's tricky right now to cure/dry anything because of the temperatures. We don't have any heat in our workspace, so it's a constant challenge. On that note, we will get to a point when we won't be able to wash your potatoes anymore. We store them in the basement with the soil still on them...more than usual this muddy fall. Right now, we're taking out what we need and are washing them. In a couple weeks though when we get consistently below freezing temperatures, we won't have running water in our work space. We'll do the best we can brushing off as much soil as we can.

Bulk Beef Packages

We offer a variety of bulk beef packages, starting with our 12 pound sampler at $120 with a 10% savings right up to our 180-pound Family package at $1500 with a 15% savings and a few sizes in between. Our most popular packages are the Weekender (30 pounds) and the Bachelor (50 pounds). You can also have your beef custom cut by purchasing it from us by the hanging weight ($4.50 per pound). This means that you would work directly with the butcher of your choice to have the beef cut and packaged the way you want and pay the cutting and wrapping fee directly to the butcher.

We also sell our beef by the cut right at the farm. You may preorder from us any time, and we’ll make sure your meat is ready for you to take along with your vegetables right when you pick up your Winter CSA share. Just give a call or send an email to check availability! We will have ground beef available for sale at the High Street location also. We hope you’ll try our beef. We don’t think you’ll switch back after you’ve had a taste of ours!

Box Contents

Delicata squash, carrots, kale, onions, sweet potatoes, beets, green peppers, potatoes, parsnips.

New Next Week

Butternut squash, garlic.

Recipes of the Week

Recipe for Parsnip, red onion, kale and gouda frittata

fromwww.mostlyeating.com
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 eggs, lightly whisked
1 medium parnsip (peeled and cut into half cm cubes)
2 cups of kale (remove the tough central ‘rib’ and slice into ribbons)
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 ounces grated gouda
Small hand fresh parsley (optional)

Warm the olive oil over a medium heat in a deep sided frying pan.
Add the cubes of parsnip to the oil and cook for about 10 minutes, until lightly golden and soft to the tip of a knife.
Turn your grill on at this stage - you’ll need it in a little later.
Add the red onion and cook for a further 5 minutes, taking care not to burn the onions.
Stir in the kale, adding a little more olive oil if needed.
Season the eggs with pepper, a little salt and the parsley if using.
Turn up the heat under the frying pan to high and spread the vegetables out to distribute them evenly. Pour the eggs over the vegetables and cook on high for one minute.
Turn the heat down to medium and cook for another 6 minutes, until the frittata is cooked at the edges but is not completely set on top.
Sprinkle the cheese over the frittata and cook under the grill until the cheese is golden and bubbling, about 4 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Kale & Potato Hash From EatingWell: October/November 2005

•8 cups torn kale leaves, (about 1/2 large bunch; see Tip)

•2 tablespoons horseradish

•1 medium shallot, minced

•1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

•1/4 teaspoon salt

•2 cups cooked shredded potatoes, (see Ingredient note)

•3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

1.Place kale in a large microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, and finely chop.

2.Meanwhile, mix horseradish, shallot, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Add the chopped kale and potatoes; stir to combine.

3.Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the kale mixture, spread into an even layer and cook, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes and returning the mixture to an even layer, until the potatoes begin to turn golden brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes total.

Tips & Notes

•Tip: A 1- to 1 1/2-pound bunch of kale yields 16 to 24 cups of chopped leaves.When preparing kale for these recipes, remove the tough ribs, chop or tear the kale as directed, then wash it--allowing some water to cling to the leaves. The moisture helps steam the kale during the first stages of cooking.

•Ingredient Note: Fresh, partially cooked, shredded potatoes for hash browns can be found in the refrigerated produce section and sometimes in the dairy section of most supermarkets. Alternatively, boil potatoes until they can just be pierced with a fork but are not completely tender. Let cool slightly, then shred.

Serves 2 as a main meal