Final Week CSA 2013!!

Hi everyone,

I can't believe it's the last week of vegetables! Despite a tough first month, we ended up having a pretty good season overall, and it has to be a record for us to be giving out tomatoes on Halloween! 

I hope you enjoyed your experience as a member of our CSA- we really appreciate you joining with us for another adventurous year of growing vegetables organically. You are the people who make farming on a small, sustainable scale possible and we want to say Thank You!

We'll be sending out an email in a month or so about sign up for next season- if you enjoyed your membership, please tell your friends and neighbors. Most of our marketing is by word-of-mouth, so feel free to let people know about the farm. 

So here's the final list:

Yellow and Red-skinned Potatoes

Savoy Cabbage (use like regular, but here's a little page about cooking with Savoy)

Assorted Onions

Carrots

Sweet Peppers

Tomatoes

Butternut Squash (tan skin)

Buttercup Squash (green, warty skin)

We wish you all the very best and hope you and your families have a wonderful, happy, healthy winter.   Eat good food and take care!

~Sarah for Lucky Moon Farm

Here's a recipe from the Moosewood for using some cabbage:

Caribbean Vegetable Stew- serves 4, takes 35 minutes to prepare

2 cups chopped onions

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 cups chopped cabbage

1 fresh chile, minced, or 1/4 tsp cayenne powder

1 Tbsp grated ginger root

2 cups water (or replace 1/2 cup of the water with a 1/2 cup of coconut milk for a richer flavor)

3 cups diced sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-1/4 inch cubes

salt to taste

2 cups chopped tomatoes (undrained)

2 cups sliced okra (or sweet peppers)

3 Tbsp lime juice

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

In a soup pot, saute the onions in the oil on medium heat for 4 or 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and the chile or cayenne and continue to sauté, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. 

Add the ginger and water, cover the pot and bring to a boil. Stir in the sweet potatoes, sprinkle with salt, and simmer for 5 or 6 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender. Add the tomatoes, okra and lime juice. Simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the chopped cilantro and add salt to taste. 

If you like, sprinkle with chopped peanuts and serve over rice or with some crusty bread. 

And another version from somewhere else warm:

Tunisian Vegetable Stew- serves 4, takes 30 minutes

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 cups thinly sliced cabbage

dash of salt

1 large green bell pepper, cut into thin strips

2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cinnamon

sprinkle of cayenne to taste

3 cups undrained chopped tomatoes (canned or fresh) (28 oz can)

1 1/2 cups drained cooked chickpeas (16 oz can)

1/3 cup raisins or currants (optional)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

salt to taste

In a large skillet, saute the onions in the oil for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the cabbage, sprinkle with salt and continue to saute for at least 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and cayenne to the skillet and saute for another minute or so. Stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas and optional currants or raisins and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste.

 Top with feta and sliced almonds, if you like. 

Serve over couscous or any grain of your choice. 

Week 21- 1 more to go!

 

Hi everyone,
So we're down to the penultimate week of veggies! Hard to believe- but the freezing wind and rain and hail have made it a little easier to accept. :>) But despite the cold weather, we have some nice veggies for you this week.

Here's what's in your bags:
Leeks
Acorn Squash and/or Delicata Squash
Kale
Tomatoes
Kennebec White Potatoes
Green Peppers
Eggplant

Lots of great things to cook with these- here are a few ideas for the potatoes and leeks-
A classic Potato Leek Soup recipe:
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/potato_leek_soup/

Or baked in a Potatoe Leel Gratin:
http://localfoods.about.com/od/winter/r/potleekgrati.htm

And a flexible recipe that can use the leeks, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes:
A Turkish vegetable casserole called Turlu Turlu. Sue made it and it was a big success. The flavors only got better with time!
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/turlu-turlu

Week 20- 2 more to go!

Hi everyone,
The season is really starting to wind down now. But the late fall veggies are some of my very favorites. I love potatoes, winter squash, carrots for roasting, leeks, cabbage, cauliflower... the list goes on. As I get all my onions cleaned and my garlic braided and my winter squash washed and stored, I feel secure and ready for another winter. I assume this satisfaction at stashing a bunch of food for the cold months is a feeling left over from a time when the grocery store wasn't just a short drive or walk away. But it is nice to know there's plenty of food in the house ready to be used for many meals with family and friends. It makes winter something to look forward to, really, instead of dreading it.

But enough philosophizing. In your bags this week you have:
Yellow potatoes
White onion
Garlic
Cooking (Pie) pumpkin
Kohlrabi or Cauliflower or Broccoli
Rainbow carrots (yellow, white, pink, orange and reddish- they're all carrots and all very tasty!)
Red or green cabbage
Tomatoes

If you're not sure about kohlrabi or what to do with it, check out this article. It has a bunch of recipes and cooking instructions- note the kohlrabi and celery root puree, if you still have your celeriac (aka celery root) from last week. 

 

And don't be shy about cooking that pumpkin!

Treat it just the same as any other winter squash- cut off the top, cut it in half (the skin isn't very tough so it cuts pretty easily) and scoop out the seeds. Feel free to save these for roasting, if you like. The I put the two halves cut-side down on a cookie sheet or broiler pan. Bake in the over for an hour or so at 350. Cook longer if you need to, it varies quite a bit. But the end goal is for the pumpkin to be quite soft when poked with a fork.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Then just scrape the soft flesh off the rind, whip with a fork in a bowl, and it's pumpkin puree, ready to cook with or freeze once it's cooled off. It freezes really well, so I usually cook my pumpkins right away and freeze it to use in pies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, pumpkin cookies or pumpkin pancakes (my favorite!). You probably don't want to let it sit around until Thanksgiving. It might last, but pumpkins aren't usually the best keepers, so better use it before you lose it!

Happy Cooking, everyone!

Best,
Sarah
for Lucky Moon Farm

Lucky Moon CSA Week 18

Hey everyone-
Sorry for the lapse in posts. What with all the work it takes to grow your veggies, there hasn't been much time for anything else.

But in your bags this week:

Shallots (like onions, but fancier :>)
Beets
Delicata Winter Squash (cooks fast, and you can eat the skin- yum!)
Sweet Peppers
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Yellow Satina Potatoes
Beans or Cauliflower
Salad Mix
Eggplant

The Satina potatoes are just about my favorite- smooth, creamy, great for baking or mashing- they're great.

 And the Delicata squash are really nice. They have great flavor- you can cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and bake it in the oven at 350 for 20-30 mins until soft. Then a little butter and salt, and you've got a very tasty treat. 

I tried this new recipe the other day out of my Joy of Cooking book:
Cauliflower and Potato Curry- wow!

1) Cut a cauliflower head into florets and boil for 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Peel and cut into 1/2 cubes two medium potatoes. Boil for 5 minutes in the cauliflower water, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop them from cooking. Set aside with the cauliflower.
2) Chop a medium onion and add to 1/4 cup of oil heating in a dutch oven or deep skillet with a lid. Saute the onions for a few minutes. Meanwhile, in a food processor, mince 1 peeled, cored, sliced apple, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 hot peppers and 1 Tbsp shredded ginger (or add powered ginger later). Add the minced mixture to the onions and cook until the onions are getting soft.
3) Add 3 Tbsp of curry powder, 1 tsp salt (ginger if you need to) and 1 Tbsp flour and continue sauté-ing for 3 minutes, stirring, to brown the curry and flour slightly.
4) Add 1 15 oz can of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of broth or water. Stir, then add the potatoes and cauliflower back to the dutch oven. Add 1 can of chickpeas. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes. Add more broth if it seems too dry. Add peas or spinach at the end if you'd like something green.
5) Serve over rice, sprinkled with golden raisins and chopped cashews. (optional)

Lucky Moon CSA Week 16

Hi everyone-
It really feels like fall now- I've been apple picking, I'm making loads of applesauce, and my living room is filling up with onions that need cleaning and garlic to be braided (and soon baskets of dry beans and crates of winter squash). It gets pretty crowded :>)

Here's what you have this week:
Tomatoes (starting to slow down a bit)
Cherry Tomatoes
Yellow Onion
Salad Mix
Cilantro
Baby Bok Choy
Beans
Sweet Peppers (even the long red wrinkly ones- they're an Italian heirloom frying pepper)
Summer Squash for some (we'll be doling it out as it comes in)

The bok choy and peppers would be nice in a stir fry together-

I stopped by Adam's Acres last weekend- it's a local organic apple orchard, and they have some really nice looking apples! They're located between Pompey and Jamesville off of Sweet Road.
Here's their website with better directions: Adam's Acres

An organic apple orchard is a real rarity these days, so if you get the chance, stop by and pick a peck! They need our support to stay open and operating.

Have a great week!
Sarah
for Lucky Moon Farm

Lucky Moon CSA Week 15!

 

 

Hi everyone,
Wow, Week 15 already! I've had a few people ask me how long the CSA will run, and we plan on a total of 22 weeks, so plenty more to come-

The summer squash and cucumbers are winding down, so there will only be a trickle of them from here on, but the tomatoes, peppers and beans are still doing great. And then all the heavy end-of-season stuff is still on it's way. Potatoes, onions, winter squash, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, kale and leeks... lots of great things to look forward to.

This week you have:

Carrots
Summer Squash
Cucumbers
Mixed Basil
Salad Mix (making sure you wash the lettuce is especially a good idea this time of year- the caterpillars are out in force. They seem to know cooler temperatures are coming and they're in a race against time)
Beans
Onions- variety: Ailsa Craig- as close to a Vidalia as we can grow here!
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Green Cabbage (an early small-ish variety called Gonzales)
Sweet Corn

If you have a lot of cucumbers piling up, why not try making refrigerator pickles? You can make them in very small batches, and you don't have to worry about any water-bath canner or making sure they seal properly. It's really quite simple and not very time-consuming. Here's a recipe and instructions for a small batch of Dill Pickles (any of the cucumbers you've received in the CSA will work fine). And here's a nice one for Bread and Butter Pickles (my personal favorite :>)

I don't eat a lot of meat, but this recipe caught my eye as a tasty way to use cabbage and carrots:
Beef and Cabbage Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce

And here's a tasty looking recipe for green beans, copied from The Pioneer Woman blog. If you like, she includes a lot more pictures, descriptions and commentary on her page-

Fresh Green Beans, One Way

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound Green Beans
• 2 Tablespoons Bacon Grease (can Substitute 1 Tablespoon Butter And 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil)
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 cup Chopped Onion
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• 1/2 cup Chopped Red Bell Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Kosher Salt (can Substitute Regular Table Salt; Use 1/4 To 1/2 Teaspoon)
• Ground Black Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Snap the stem ends of the green beans, or cut them off in a big bunch with a knife if you’d like. Just don’t tell Granny.

Melt bacon grease in a skillet over medium low heat. Add garlic and onions and cook for a minute. Then add green beans and cook for a minute until beans turn bright green.

Add the chicken broth, chopped red pepper, salt and black pepper. Turn heat to low and cover with a lid, leaving lid cracked to allow steam to escape. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until liquid evaporates and beans are fairly soft, yet still a bit crisp.

You can add more chicken broth during the cooking process, but don’t be afraid to let it all cook away so the onions and peppers can caramelize.

Have a wooden spoon handy to protect your fair share.

CSA Week 14

Hi everyone,
This has to be really quick because I'm off to teach my little sister how to make pie (an important life skill!) I'll try to post a few recipes on this entry tomorrow.
But here's a quick post to tell you what's in your bags:
Salad Mix
Summer Squash
Cucumbers (think cucumber salad or refrigerator pickles!)
White Onion
Garlic
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
1 Black Bell Pepper (treat it like a green pepper- it's just a more dramatic color)
A few hot peppers- either blocky dark green poblanos, long skinny red/orange/yellow Hotwax or short little red Jalapeno-type peppers
Russet Potatoes
Beans

So many options! Have fun trying new recipes!

Best,
Sarah VanNorstrand
for Lucky Moon Farm

Lucky Moon CSA Week 13

Hello again,
 August is drawing to a close- the days are getting shorter, the asters and goldenrod are blooming, and for many of you, the school season is staring up again. Best of luck!
But the season is far from over at the farm. We picked a whopping 500 pounds of tomatoes this week- we don't have enough table space for them all! And the eggplant keep producing like there's no tomorrow. The squash and cucumbers are doing well and the beans are becoming more productive with the hotter weather. And we're getting the first broccoli, too. The veggies are far from being done!

In your bags this week:
Summer squash
Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Broccoli
Salad mix
Cilantro (Tuesday folks- Thursday folks had it last week)
Beans
Cucumbers
Red onions
Eggplant

One of the CSA members told Sue about an eggplant 'meat'ball recipe she's tried a few times and really enjoys. I was immediately intrigued because I love eggplant, but I don't have enough recipes for it and I love meatballs, but I'm mostly a vegetarian. I don't have her exact recipe yet (though I'm hoping to get it) but here are some recipes I found online for "Polpette di Melanzane" (sounds better than eggplant meatballs- two rather unflattering compound words- not very appetizing)
Recipe 1
Recipe 2

And another CSA member told me about a new gadget he and his wife just bought that they've been enjoying. Here's what he says:
"Here's a link to the spiral cutter I told you about. We are loving it so far! We put spicy thai peanut sauce over cucumber noodles, indian potatoes over squash noodles, and chinese letovers over squash/zucc noodles."

 

So I guess if you really can't figure out what to do with that zucchini, you can make noodles for your eggplant meatballs :>)


Hope you all have a good week- happy eating!

Sarah

Lucky Moon CSA Week 12!

 

It's Gladiolus time at the farm

 

Hi everyone,
Sorry again for a late-ish post. I'm trying to get a bunch of salsa canned, and of course, it's taking longer than I thought it would... but it smells really delicious!

Things are going pretty well at the farm- the weather's been a bit hotter lately, which some of the crops have been appreciating, and then we got a decent rain this evening, which will help everything along at this point. Somehow, despite the less-than-ideal weather this summer and some disease pressure, the tomatoes are doing splendidly! We picked yesterday, and between the greenhouse tomatoes and the ones outdoors, we harvested 340 pounds of tomatoes! And about 50 quarts of cherry tomatoes, too. And we got it all done before lunch :>)
That was definitely a record for us.
We're starting to harvest some potatoes, and those are looking better than expected as well. The corn is all tasseled out, so it won't be too long before sweet corn. That is if we can keep the racoons out of it. They always seem to know exactly when it's ready.

Oh, and we've been seeing these around the farm this week:

 

Giant Swallowtail Butterflies

They're huge!

In your bags this week:
Summer Squash
Salad Mix (with baby Kale! One of my favorite salad additions)
Carrots
Yellow Onion
Purple-skinned Potatoes (named Purple Sun)
Cucumbers
Beets
Cherry Tomatoes (quite an assortment of colors- and yes, the green ones are supposed to be green)
Regular Tomatoes
Sweet Pepper (some of the regular shares have long, skinny, wrinkly red ones- they look like they should be spicy, but they're actually an Italian heirloom called Jimmy Nardello, and they are an excellent fry pepper)
Cilantro (Thursday shares only this week- Tuesday shares will get it next week)

Lots of lots of options for meals this week!
If you haven't tried it before, put your beets in a roasting pan with a lid in the oven (covered up to keep them moist and tender) and roast for an hour or so (could be shorter or longer depending on the size of your beets). You can skin them and chop them up before that, or just roast them whole with their tops and bottoms cut off. They'll slip right out of their skins once they're cooked. They are so delicious like that! If you'd like more detailed instructions than that (and I admit, those are pretty vague), here's a website with some good directions.

I would love to know how you've been consuming your vegetables. Any recipes that you'd care to share? If so, feel free to email me at sarah_ziegi at yahoo dot com. Or you can post them as a comment on this blog.

Enjoy the summer!

Best,
Sarah VanNorstrand
for Lucky Moon Farm

Lucky Moon CSA Week 11

Hi everyone,
Sorry for the late post- I was making another batch of pickles and it took me a bit longer than I thought it would... a common occurrence when I'm canning :>)

Anyways, your vegetables this week:
Red-skin potatoes
Eggplant
Mixed Beans
Summer Squash
Mixed Basil
White Onion
Cherry Tomatoes
Regular Tomatoes
Salad Mix

Things are going pretty well at the farm. Sue's peach trees are loaded and we started picking some of them yesterday. I believe we'll have some for sale at the farm if you're interested in getting some peaches. They're not as big as Georgia peaches, but they're not too shabby for upstate NY!

Here's a nice looking pasta recipe with roasted eggplant, basil and tomatoes (it calls for canned, but fresh would work too). You could also easily add zucchini to this or broiled cherry tomato halves. 

Linguine with Eggplant Ragout

And here's an interesting summer soup to try- the reviews were very good.
Zucchini Soup 

Remember to check back on previous blogs for other recipe ideas. Happy cooking!

Best,
Sarah VanNorstrand
for Lucky Moon Farm

CSA Week 10

Hi everyone,
Another week, another bag! A cooler start to August than I was expecting, but it's made for pleasant working weather.

Here's the list for this week:
Salad Mix
Swiss Chard
Scallions (aka Green Onions)
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Summer Squash
Beans (mixed colors) for some
Cilantro
Hot Peppers (the dark green ones are Poblanos and the pointy yellow/orange ones are Hungarian Hotwax- both are medium spicy)

You probably already saw this in the email we sent out or on the slip of paper in your bags, but please make sure to wash your tomatoes before eating them. The weather conditions are ripe for outbreaks of Late Blight (the disease that killed all the potatoes in the Irish Potato Famine- a really nasty fungus) and we're using an organix spray to try and protect our tomatoes, which are particularly susceptible. It's a copper fungicide and is permitted for use in organic farming, but it's probably a good idea to rinse off any residue.
We always want to let you know whenever we use anything out of the ordinary because that transparency is an important part of our relationship with our CSA members. And it's one of the main advantages of small farms being directly in contact with their consumers- this way you can know all the details about how your food is produced and what if any sprays or fertilizers are being put on your vegetables.

Tomatoes with Late Blight- yuck!

Not too much else to report from the farm. A little rain and some warmer weather would be good right about now- and I think we're at least going to get the precipitation.

Also, I wanted to let you know about the new Sidehill Farmers Butcher Shop in Manlius. I'm not personally a big meat eater, but I have to admire the stuff they have in there. The meat is locally raised and cut to order, and they have prepared meals cooked daily and ready to pick up at the shop.

Also, they bring in some produce from local farms as well as milk, eggs, yogurt, cheese and flour all produced locally. And then they have some unique things like lard and natural pet food.

It's really cool! This is the way to buy and consume meat- you know where the animals were raised, the butcher is right in the shop and cuts the meat to your specifications and you can walk away feeling really good about the whole exchange. I still don't think I'm going to be a big meat eater, but if I do decide to buy some, this is where I want to purchase it. You should stop in sometime- it's in the plaza behind Sno-top in Manlius, right next to the Subway shop. 

CSA Week 9!

Hi everyone,
Week 9 already... it's hard to believe. And July's already come and gone! The summer really flies by.
We've had pleasant weather for farming recently and most everything is doing pretty well. The only exceptions are the plants outside that really love the heat (beans, tomatoes, squash). They're producing, but not at their usual rate. But there's still plenty to give out- and the greenhouse tomatoes and eggplant are really stellar this year.

Here's what's in your bags:
Salad Mix
Eggplant
White Onion
A Tomato or two
Cherry Tomatoes
Summer Squash
Beans or Sugar Snap Peas
Mixed Basil (cinnamon, Thai, lemon, sweet and purple basils- a truly incredible aroma! they can all be used together as you would regular basil)
Arugula for some
Carrots

The eggplant is just incredible; it's really going all out, and we handed out some real beauties this week- some classic dark purple, some white, and some a gorgeous shade of purple-pink. 

  

A few words about the veggies:

• Be careful with the eggplant stems- they have little spiny thorns, and they're quite sharp!
• We have a variety of summer squash: some green zucchini, a bright, orangey-yellow zucchini, a plain yellow crookneck summer squash, and a yellow summer squash with a green bottom. You can use all of them the same way, and they have subtly different flavors.
• The tomatoes will come out to you in various stages of ripeness. The best check on how ripe they are is a good sniff (should smell nice and tomato-y when ripe) and a very gentle squeeze to see if they're still quite firm, or if they have a little "give." But remember, be gentle! Our tomatoes are not like the ones in the grocery store- these are mostly heirloom varieties that don't travel well because they can be easily bruised or squished, but they have an incredible flavor!

We dug 180 lbs of carrots this week! And they were beautiful, too- very long and straight, for the most part.

Just the other night, I tried out a recipe Sue gave me. Actually, it's more like a cooking method, and it uses the veggies you received this week. It's sort of like a ratatouille (rat-ah-too-ee, I think) but super quick and simple. And it's really really delicious. I spooned ours on top of rice, but feel free to experiment. I bet it'd be delicious on polenta, or maybe even pasta.

Lucky Moon Ratatouille
Prepare a deep roasting pan or oven-safe casserole dish by coating the bottom with olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 450, and chop up some garlic (3-4 cloves is nice). Put the garlic in the pan, and place in the oven as it's preheating. Let the garlic cook for a few minutes until golden brown, but check it so it doesn't burn.

Remove the pan from the oven, and shake some bread crumbs to coat the bottom. Toss in some chopped onion, then place a layer of eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch -1/4 inch rounds, across the bottom of the roasting pan. Drizzle with some olive oil and shake on some more bread crumbs.

Cut zucchini into rounds (about the same thickness) and layer on top of the eggplant/breadcrumbs. Repeat the olive oil and breadcrumbs. Cut thick slices of tomato and layer on top, adding some more bread crumbs on top (and maybe some cheese? Mozzarella? Parmesan?)

Bake in the oven about 45 minutes, covered, until all the layers are soft.

Week 8, CSA 2013

Hi everyone,
Another week has come, and with it, the beginning of the real summer vegetables. It's so exciting to eat those first cherry tomatoes, pick the first beans, and see the first of the summer squash under the leaves! Now is the time for really good eating-

In your bags this week:
Salad mix
Snow peas
Sugar Snap peas
Green/Yellow/Purple Beans (any mixture of the three- they all cook up the same way)
Basil
Cherry Tomatoes
Summer Squash (green or yellow zucchini and yellow summer squash)
Braising Greens or Arugula

So many options! Andrew and I had a nice stir fry for dinner- we tossed in some spears of summer squash, snow peas, garlic and some of the spicy greens. We topped it with orange-glazed tofu, and it was a real treat.

Here's another recipe someone handed me today, from the cookbook "The Farm" by Ian Knauer

Green Beans with Garlic Chips and Olive Oil (serves 4-6)

3 Tablespoons olive oil
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 red onion, sliced
salt and black pepper
1 lb green beans, trimmed
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

-Heat the oil with the garlic in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden, 5-6 minutes. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon, transferring to a paper towel.
-Add the butter to the oil in the skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Add the onion, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper and saute, stirring, until the onion is golden, about 6 minutes.
-Add the beans and continue to saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.
-Transfer the besn to a serving dish and sprinkle with the garlic chips.

Wow, that sounds good~

Also, a reminder that this Saturday, Lucky Moon Farm will be taking part in the Madison County Open Farm Day. It's a fun event where a bunch of different farms across the county open their doors for people to visit and see their operations first hand. We'd love for you to stop by and see where your food is grown! We'll be available to answer questions, though we'll still be trying to fit in some work, as well.  There's always plenty that needs to be done, so we'll use every day with good weather. So you can see us in action :>)

The farms are open from 10-4 and we hope you can stop by. The address is 4976 Lincklaen Rd in Caz.

Maybe I'll see you there-

Best,
Sarah

Week 7- Turning up the heat!

Sugar Snap Peas

Hi everyone,
Whew! It's hot. Summer is really ramping up now and the real summer veggies are starting to come on. It won't be too long before zucchini, tomatoes and beans!

Because of the heat, remember to get your veggies home and in the fridge as soon as possible. They chilled in our walk-in cooler for a while, but they don't appreciate being out in the heat once they're harvested.

Here's what you have this week:
Snow Peas (wide, flat pod)
Sugar Snap Peas (thick, fat pods)
Salad Mix
Swiss Chard
Carrots
Garlic

I've had a few people ask me about ways to use Swiss Chard, and here are a few more ideas:
in a salad, chopped up in a stir fry, in a quiche, in a frittata, or sauteed with cheese on top...

Here's a recipe I just found online that looks really tasty and simple: Roasted Swiss Chard with Feta 

Hope you all can stay cool but still get out and enjoy the sunshine! Swimming is an ideal method :>)

Best,
Sarah

Snow Peas

CSA Week 6

Hi everybody
Looks like we might finally get a dry weekend! The rain just hasn't let up for the last few weeks-
But things are moving along at the farm rain or shine and this week your bag includes:

Salad Mix
Arugula (first picking for this bed- it's beautiful!)
Asian Braising Greens- a mix of mustards, mizunas, collards, tatsoi, boc choy, baby kale and more- great lightly sauteed
Beets
Snow Peas

Here's a simple recipe I found for the Braising Greens:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/simple-braised-greens-garlic.html

And a couple of different beet recipe ideas:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-beets-and-sauteed-beet-greens/

And here's a great recipe for an Arugula, roasted beet and goat cheese salad- my mom makes this a lot and loves it!
http://www.seasonalpotluck.com/arugula-salad-roasted-beets-goat-cheese-balsamic-reduction/

 

A picture from the Seasonal Potluck blogpost

 

Also, I wanted to let you all know that in a couple of weeks, Lucky Moon Farm will be one of the stops available on the Madison County Open Farm Day. It will be Saturday, July 27th and it'd be great if you wanted to stop by, visit the farm, and see first hand how and where your food is grown. We'd be happy to show you around and answer and questions you might have. Farms will be open for vists from 10AM to 4PM. There are a lot of great places to check out, so you can make a day of it, if you like.

Week 5- Happy 4th of July!

Hi everyone,
Happy 4th of July! I hope you all can celebrate with friends and family- lets hope it doesn't rain. Actually, how about it doesn't rain for a couple weeks? Things might finally get a chance to dry out- all the plants would be much happier for it! But we soldier on, despite the crazy weather.

Here's what's in your bags this week. Starting to get into the more bulky foods- again, the weather has delayed our normally scheduled produce to give out to you all.

Salad Mix
Garlic
Carrots
a few Snow Peas (more coming soon!) or Swiss Chard
Spinach

Just a reminder to wash your veggies before using them- especially an extra rinse for your greens would be a good idea. With all the rain, the fields have been pretty muddy, which then splashes up onto the lettuce, spinach and chard. We rinse everything once in cold water before packing them in bags, mostly to get the heat out of them so they won't wilt. But they'll need a second washing to get rid of any leftover dirt. A salad spinner is a great tool for drying the greens after washing- they're available at some grocery stores and most hardware stores. A good investment for years of tasty salads!

  

I don't know if the rain is partly responsible, or that we had a real winter with good snow cover and normal, cold temperatures (which lots of shrubs and fruiting trees need), but everything is loaded with flowers and fruit this year. My roses have bloomed like never before, my 3-year-old peach tree has about 35 peaches on it, and I discovered 3 or 4 mulberry trees in our neighborhood that had never fruited before completely covered in berries. I love fruit, and I've been picking mulberries and going to Tre-G, the local strawberry u-pick place in Pompey as often as I can. There's nothing quite so wonderful as eating freshly picked fruit. Here's a website with some handy lists of u-pick places in the area-  http://www.pickyourown.org/nycentral.htm  It's a really great thing to do with kids. It was always one of my favorite summer activities growing up (and still is, actually :>)

I've posted some recipes below, but if you're looking for more cooking guidance, I can't recommend highly enough the collection of Moosewood Restaurant cookbooks that are out on the market. There are hundreds of excellent, delicious recipes that use normal ingredients, are quite healthy for you, and can help you learn to cook new or unfamiliar vegetables. I own and use constantly their Moosewood "Cooks at Home" and "Cooking for Health."

Spinach Salad w/ Strawberries & Pecans
-actually, this is more like a salad template. Spinach and strawberries go especially well together, especially with a poppy seed dressing, but adding different fruits, fresh or dried, nuts, cheese, meat or herbs are a great way to turn your side salad into a satisfying meal all on its own. I often use golden raisins, chopped up dried apricots, an apple, a pear, any kind of nut I have on hand, bits of cheese, a radish or a carrot- if it sounds good to you, give it a try!


Spinach Salad w/ Strawberries and Pecans
8-oz Spinach
1 c. strawberry halves
1 c. pecan halves (or walnuts, or almonds)

Dressing:
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1/3 c. oil
1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 small onion
2 tsp poppy seeds

In a large bowl, combine spinach, strawberries and pecans.
Dressing: mix cider vinegar, oil, sugar, dijon mustard, salt pepper and onion in a food processor until smooth. Add poppy seeds and mix.

Spinach Quesadillas (From the Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health cookbook)
- yields 4 quesadillas
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
1 fresh chile, minced (or a sweet pepper, if you prefer)
~5 cups chopped fresh spinach (coarsly chopped with large stems removed)
pinch of dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 whole wheat tortillas, or your favorite kind
1 cup grated cheese (such as Montery Jack)

1) In a large saucepan on medium-high heat, warm the oil and cook the onion and chilis for about 4-5 minutes, or until softened. Add the spinach, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir until the spinach had wilted, a minute or two. Remove from the heat and drain.
2) Place one of the tortillas in a dry skillet on medium heat. Sprinkle on 1/4 cup of the cheese. After about a minute, when the cheese has begun to melt, spread 1/4 of the drained spinach mixture over 1/2 the tortilla. Fold the tortilla over the spinach and cheese to make a 1/2 circle and cook for a minute. Turn the quesadilla over and cook until the cheese is thoroughly melted.
3) Remove tortilla, slice into wedges, and dip in your favorite salsa. Repeat with remaining tortillas.


Sauteed Spinach w/ Roasted Garlic, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Feta
~10 oz spinach
3 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 c. onions, chopped
1/2 c. sun-dried (or roasted) tomatoes
1/4 c. sherry (optional)
1/4 c. lemon juice
5 T. butter
1/2 c. feta
salt & pepper to taste

Over medium heat, saute garlic and onions in olive oil until golden brown ( ~ 2 min). Add tomates, add sherry and lemon juice and reduce by a third ( ~3 min) Add butter and toss until it melts. Add spinach. Cover and stir occasionally until the spinach is slightly wilted and warm (~ 3 min). Add feta and cook briefly until slightly melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
NOTE: this is great to toss with your favorite pasta!

 Baked Swiss Chard and Spinach w/ Chickpeas and Feta Cheese
4-6 servings

4 Tbsp olive oil
10 oz Swiss Chard, heavy stems removed
1 Lb Spinach, heavy stems removed
One 15-oz can of chickpeas, drained
4 scallions (white and green) chopped
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped dill
salt and pepper to taste
3 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees, spread 1 Tbsp oil around a 12x9x2- inch casserole dish
2) In a steamer pot, steam Swiss chard until it wilts, about 4 mins. Add the spinach to the steamed chard and steam another 4 minutes until the spinach wilts, too. Remove both greens and drain, squeezing out excess water once they are cool enough to handle.
3) Chop greens and toss with remaining 3 Tbsp of oil, chickpeas, scallions, garlic, dill and season w/ salt and pepper.
4) Transfer to the casserole dish Push the feta cheese down into the mixture and bake until it's sizzling, about 35 mins. Serve hot.

Week 3

Hi everyone,
This might be a bit short since we actually are having a few dry, sunny, beautiful days! The rain we've had over the last month has been really challenging. It put everything on the spring planting schedule way behind. So now that the weather is giving us a window, there's a lot to do!

As you saw in an email a few days ago, the veggies available to give out this week are a bit limited. There's plenty more on the way, and lots more is getting planted right now to be ready for future CSA days, but right now things are a bit tight. Thanks for hanging in there with us!

Here's what you have:
Salad Mix (with pea shoots- so tasty!)
Swiss Chard (very nice in a quiche or frittata)
Rhubarb
And depending on your pick-up day and share size:
Tuesday Large share- beet greens
Tuesday regular share- arugula
Thursday both shares- Asian Greens

-Don't worry, if you haven't had it yet, you will soon!

I have another rhubarb recipe to share from a CSA member. This is especially good for people with gluten or dairy sensitivities.

(copied from the "Stuff I feed Brian" blog)
Buckwheat Rhubarb Cobbler Recipe - Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free version

Gluten Free Rhubarb Buckwheat Cobber - with yogurt on top!

Ingredients:
1 cup buckwheat groats soaked for about 30 minutes
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
cinnamon
6-8 tbs honey*
2 tbs coconut oil
1 tbs chia seeds stirred into 8 tbs water to make chia gel
4-6 stalks of rhubarb sliced thinly (about 2-3 cups)
1/2 tsp lemon zest
*for a vegan option replace honey with maple syrup or agave

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If using solid coconut oil, scoop a teaspoon of the coconut oil onto a glass casserole dish that has a lid.  (About 8"x8" or a 9" diameter round dish is good.). Place in the warming oven for a couple minutes to liquefy the oil and then tilt the pan to grease the dish. 
• Place your chopped rhubarb in the baking dish and mix gently with the lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of honey, and about 3 tbs of water. 
• Mix together your gluten free flour and baking powder in a bowl. 
• Drain the soaked buckwheat. Mix together the buckwheat, chia gel and 1 tbs liquefied coconut oil. 
• Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients as well as some cinnamon and the remaining honey. 
• Plop your buckwheat mixture on top of the rhubarb and cover. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350 degrees, uncover the dish, and bake for about 30 more minutes or until golden brown on top. 
• While this is a great, naturally sweetened dessert, I also justified eating leftovers for breakfast because buckwheat and fruit are both breakfast foods. Tasted great with yogurt on top!

And here's another recipe for rhubarb pie:
Ethel's Rhubarb Pie
"Here is my grandmother's Rhubarb Pie; very sweet, and very good, especially after it has been refrigerated."

3 cups Rhubarb, cut into 1/2" pieces before measuring
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 T flour
large pinch of salt
Mix sugar, flour, egg and salt. Add to rhubarb and bake between crusts.(I have made the pie with just a bottom crust successfully). Bake at 450 F for 10 minutes to brown the top crust, then turn oven down to 350 F for 30 minutes.



Also, I had a request for tips on how to freeze some of the greens you've been getting. It's pretty simple, but it won't work equally well for all the different greens. Probably the best sports about being frozen are spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens and kale. Arugula is probably too delicate- it'd be better to make it into a pesto (which will keep quite a long time, preserved in the olive oil).
The basic method is to blanche the greens lightly (i.e. boil it for just a few seconds), then drain it, pat it dry a bit, then put it in a freezer bag or tupperware. However, I don't really like the idea of boiling greens. It just seems too rough. I've asked around, and what seems to work even better is to put the greens to be frozen in a bowl with a microwave-safe cover, and heat in the microwave from 1-2 minutes until wilted down. (You may have to experiment with the time, depending on the size of the greens, your microwave, etc). Once they're wilted, you can chop them up slightly and put them in your freezer container. Once frozen, they can be thawed and used in quiches, casseroles, lasagna, spanakopita (Greek spinach pie/pastry- delicious!) or just heated up with a drizzle of vinegar as a side. I don't know exactly how long they'll stay good in the freezer, but in my experience, if I use something within a year, it's fine. But feel free to use your own scruples, as I don't think that is an official guideline. :>)

Spanikopita- yummy!

CSA Week 2

Hi everyone,
Welcome to week two. We're a little sick of the rain at the moment- I mean, of course it's good to have plenty of water as things are growing, but it's a bit tricky to get out into the fields to do what needs doing when it's so soggy! But there's not controlling the weather, so we'll just have to wait it out. Sometimes I feel like I'm always complaining about the weather (in relation to gardening and farming, that is). If it's not raining too much, then it's terribly dry, or it's unseasonably hot, or it's unnaturally cold... you get the idea. You might think I'm just impossible to please, but what I've come to realize is what a delicate balance of weather is needed to grow food. We need just enough water, but not too much. We need sun and warmth, but not too soon. And a late cold spell can be disastrous. It's kind of amazing we ever get a successful crop! On the other hand, many plants are surprisingly resilient: tomatoes that are seemingly drowning in puddles of water will somehow make it through and recover. Peppers that were sunburned and scorched can rebound with some water and shade. Somehow things usually work out OK, but it can be very stressful when the weather is so completely out of our control and seems to be more and more erratic every year.

Anyway, enough rainy day blues! You have a lovely collection of greens this week. Lots of tender young greens to cure what ails ya!
Here's the list:
Salad Mix
Baby Spinach
Asian Greens (spicy- think stir-fry!)
Garlic Chives (can be used like normal chives, but adds a garlic flavor, too)
Radishes- some ruby red beauties for your salads
Pea Shoots (taste like new peas- great on your salad, eaten fresh out of the bag, or on top of a stir-fry)

 

(Asian greens- mustard, mizuna, tatsoi, collards, etc)

It's salad season, and I always look forward to those first salads after a winter of dried, canned or frozen produce (we put up a lot of our own food and don't often buy much in the produce section of the grocery store). After a bland, cold, grey winter, a fresh, colorful bowl of salad greens is just the ticket. I often forget to buy things like salad dressing, so I make my own. It's very simple, and I learned it while staying with some farming folks in Southern Germany.

Maple Vinaigrette
Olive Oil
Apple Cider Vinegar
Maple Syrup

I start with a dollop of olive oil, add about an equal dollop of vinegar and then a smaller dollop of maple syrup. I usually mix these up in a jam jar and then taste them to see what needs a bit more added. If it tastes too oily, I add more vinegar, and then usually a tad more maple syrup to sweeten it up. You can also use honey or sugar, but I like the maple flavor.

If you're looking for recipes for Garlic Chives, they are very common in Chinese cuisine. Here's a link to some more information about them and some recipes: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/vegetablesrecipes/a/garlicchives.htm

Week 1 of the 2013 Season!

Hi everyone-
Welcome to the 2013 season at Lucky Moon Farm! We're so glad you've decided to join us for another adventure in farming and food. All of you returning members, welcome back! And to anyone who's new, thanks for giving it a try. Local, sustainable farms are only possible with the support of local consumers, and we really appreciate that you've chosen to invest in our farm and in the area's local food network. And we promise you beautiful, healthy, naturally-grown vegetables in exchange for your patronage. So let us begin!

First of all, my name is Sarah VanNorstrand, and I work at Lucky Moon Farm for Sue & Claude Braun, who own and run the farm and CSA. I help out with whatever they're doing (planting, harvesting, weeding, etc) as well as try and keep up a basic blog to let you know what's in your bags (in case you don't remember what the sign said) and some ideas about how to use them. 

By now, you've already received your first bag of veggies- Remember that this is just the beginning, and what might seem like a light bag at first will quickly get loaded up with some of the heavier produce (but that's all still growing at the moment :>)

This week, you have a nice assortment of spring produce:
Salad Mix
Arugula (spicy greens, often used in Italian cooking, or just look up some of the many recipes on line- it's very popular right now as a salad with roasted beets and goat cheese, just to give you an idea- it also makes a great zippy pesto)
Radishes- ruby red, but they've got a kick!
Shallots (part of the onion family- they cook up amazingly in butter or olive oil)
Rhubarb

I love rhubarb. It's perennial (meaning it comes back every year- plant it once and feed it, and it will live a long, long time), it's one of the earliest things ready to eat in the spring, and it makes a lot of food. Not to mention, I love how it tastes, especially when combined with strawberries. They balance each other out- tart and sweet and perfect!
Of course, there's the classic Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie, which in my opinion, can't really be beat. But you can use it in quick breads, in a crisp, in jam, cakes, muffins or as a sauce to put on ice cream, pancakes or French toast. And it's really pretty- the bright, cheery greens, pinks and reds are a nice splash of color early in the spring.

So part of joining a CSA is experiencing new foods. There will probably be something you'll get in a bag along the way that you have never eaten or don't know what to do with it. That's ok! I'll try to post some recipes with my list of vegetables for the week, but also feel free to dive into some cook books (my favorites being Joy of Cooking, any of the Moosewood cookbooks, and whatever one your mom used the most :>) or explore some of the many recipe websites with literally thousand and thousands of recipes to try. I often use Allrecipes.com when I really have no clue. Also, please feel free to send me any of your tried and true recipes. I'll be happy to post them here for other people to try- the best way is to email them to me at sarah_ziegi at yahoo dot com

 

Here's a recipe for Rhubarb Muffins from Joanna Frittelli:
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Topping:
1 teaspoon melted margarine or butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinammon

Preheat oven to 400. Grease muffin tins. Combine sugar, oil, egg, vanilla and buttermilk; beat well. Stir in rhubarb. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and powder, and salt. Mix dry ingredients in rhubarb mixture just until blended. In a separate bowl, mix topping ingredients. Spoon batter into tins, sprinkle with topping and press lightly into the batter. Bake 20-25 minutes until muffins are golden brown and a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Makes 20 muffins.

Enjoy!