Think Spring!

Hi everyone!
Well, it's been a long, cold winter, but the snow is shrinking slowly away and the ground is starting to wake up. I won't say it's here quite yet, but spring is definitely coming!

I wanted to let you all know that registration is officially open for Lucky Moon's 2011 CSA. Brochures are available if you're interested, or feel free to email me (Sarah- I work on the farm) for more information, but here's the general rundown:

Lucky Moon Farm on Lincklaen Road in the hills near Cazenovia, is run by "locally grown" farmers, Sue & Claude Braun. On the farm, they grow vegetables for the CSA, their farm stand and several winter farmers' markets. They also produce and sell maple syrup, cut flowers, garlic, eggs and hay.

Sue & Claude started in 1992 on 50 acres of worn-out farmland and have been rebuilding the soil using cover crops, compost, minerals, rock powders, and certified organic fertilizers with the knowledge that the best tasting vegetables are produced from healthy soils. Although Lucky Moon is not certified organic, Sue & Claude have used organic practices for 19 years and they annually sign the NOFA Farmers' Pledge. They offer small and large shares, depending on you're family's consumption as well as a delivery or pick-up option in Cazenovia or Manlius.

If you're new to the idea of CSAs, here's a description of how they work and what the benefits of participating in one can be for individuals and a community:

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and is also called Subscription Farming. It's essentially a way for farmers and consumers to interact directly, without the produce having to go through all those middle men before it reaches your table. Members of the CSA sign up and pay for a share of the harvest at the beginning of the season, and then the farmer provides those members with a box or a bag of fresh produce once a week. By paying for the vegetables up front, the members ensure that the farmer has enough funds to purchase the seeds, tools and natural soil amendments that he or she needs to grow the crops. It also means that the CSA members and the farmer share the risk of a crop doing poorly due to weather, disease or insect problems. However, shortfalls are pretty rare and more often than not, members end up getting extra produce when a crop does better than expected.

I really like subscription farming for lots of reasons. My personal favorite is that as a member, you can see for yourself exactly how your food is grown. Eating real food, grown by someone you know in your own community, makes a big difference when you consider all the repercussions of our country's current method of growing and transporting produce. Whether you're concerned about ingesting chemicals from industrial herbicides or pesticides, or you are aware of the incredible amount of oil that goes into petroleum-based fertilizer, or the effect of the chemical run-off from industrial farms on surrounding ecosystems, the CSA system offers a sustainable alternative.

And even if none of those issues really influence your eating choices, you simply have to taste the difference when a tomato or a carrot or lettuce isn't shipped all the way across the country (or from a different hemisphere!) Eating produce grown a few miles away and harvested the day you pick it up is an experience that too few of us enjoy these days. The difference in flavor and texture is incredible!

So that's my spiel- Subscription farming offers a sensible (and tasty!) alternative to the produce section of the average chain grocery store, and it helps you and your family get reconnected with the land. Knowing where your food comes from and how it's produced is really important. We are eating this stuff, after all.

If you're interested in joining the CSA for next year, or want to find out more about Lucky Moon's program, please contact me by email or give Sue and Claude a call.

Late Fall and a Bountiful Harvest

Hi everyone-

I don't really have any excuses for being such a terrible blogger. I just don't spend enough time on the computer to get new posts written. But I do have some time today and I thought I'd wrap up the season with a few things.

First of all, to all of you who subscribed to Lucky Moon's CSA this year, thank you so much for participating! We had a really great season with about 60 shares altogether. The weather was generally good, and we had one of the best crops of tomatoes in a long time. I've never seen anything like it, but I am a newcomer to growing on a large scale like this. Tables and tables full of tomatoes... it was quite a sight!

Well the tomatoes are gone now and Sue and Claude are busy getting everything ready for the winter. Even with the harvesting over, there is still lots to do before the snow flies. I've been over a few times and we have lots of great fall produce ready to sell at winter markets: lots of winter squash, tons of carrots, rutabagas, beets, garlic braids and single bulbs, onions, shallots, and still some cold weather greens (I think).

If anyone's looking for some excellent carrots to carry you through the winter to add to soups, stews, as sides or simply to snack on, feel free to give Sue a call.

Also, eggs are back into higher production as the young chickens have just started laying.

I've had some time to do more cooking and baking lately, and I wanted to encourage anyone who still has their pumpkin from the CSA sitting on their counter top to use it to make a real pumpkin pie. Until last year, I had never made one from scratch before, but it's really not difficult. Not to mention that the pumpkins you received make really excellent pies! Some people received long oval-shaped pumpkins (though you might not have recognized them as pumpkins) and others received more of a classic pumpkin, though a bit small to use for jack lanterns.

Cooking them is really very simple. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and strings in the inner cavity. Oil a baking dish and place the pumpkins cut-side down (though I don't think this really matters one way or another) and cover the pan with foil. Bake in the oven at 350-400 until the rind is easily pierced by a fork and the flesh is very tender. This might take more than an hour, so do it on a day when you'll be around the house and can check on it every so often. As a bonus, your house will smell great! Once the flesh is very tender, let the pumpkin cool in the pan until you can handle it comfortably. Scoop and scrape the flesh out of the rind and mash it up in a bowl. Don't waste any of that great pumpkin! At this point you can either use the mashed pumpkin in any of your normal recipes that call for canned pumpkin, or you can let the pumpkin puree cool completely and then put it in a container (tupperware works well) and freeze it.

Whenever you do plan on making that pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, or pumpkin pancakes, pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw. It handles freezing and thawing very well and really keeps its flavor. I froze some last fall and used this September and made the best pumpkin pie I've ever had. I also recommend the recipe in the newer Joy of Cooking- really topnotch.

Feel free to use any kind of winter squash to make a pumpkin pie. Winter squash and pumpkin are really the same thing, so don't let the names throw you off. Buttercup squash supposedly makes a really great pumpkin pie.

Well, I guess that's about it. I hope everyone has a safe and healthy winter- remember to spend time with family and friends and eat great food!
We would love to have you join us again next year for 2011 and please pass the word to other people you think might like participating in a CSA. We'll be in touch in the new year to send out information for next season.

All the best from Lucky Moon Farm!

Sarah

Recipes!

Hi everyone-
It's the first of September, and things are progressing pretty well on the farm. This week, you're getting:
Salad mix (lettuce, Asian greens, arugula, baby Swiss chard, spinach)
Beans
Broccoli
Potatoes (Nicola)
Onion
Summer Squash (enjoy it while it lasts!)
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Eggplant (everyone will get some over the season; we're keeping track of who's received it so far and who hasn't)
Cilantro


So here are a bunch of recipes in case you're looking for a new way to prepare some of these veggies:

Summer Squash Saute- serves 8
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 Lbs assorted summer squash, thinly sliced into disks
1/2 tsp salt
- In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, combine oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic begins to turn golden. Add the squash and salt and toss to coat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes, stiring occasionally, until the squash begins to break apart.
- Uncover the pan and increase the heat to medium. Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the liquid is almost gone. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds.

Chocolate Zucchini snack cake- 12 servings
1 3/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour (or just use regular flour)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. vanilla yogurt
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. shredded zucchini
3 cups chocolate chips

- Preheat oven to 350, grease a 11 x 8 inch baking pan.
-Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
-whisk the eggs, sugar, yogurt, oil and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add the zucchini and 1 1/2 cups of the chips. Add to the flour mixture and stir until blended. Spread in the pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
-Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips over the cake. Spread with a spatula as the chocolate melts, placing back in the warm oven if necessary.

Heirloom Tomato Salad w/ Aioli and capers
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 recipe for Lemon Aioli (see below)
2 paper thin slices red onion
1/4 cup basil leaves
2 tsp capers, rinsed, drained and finely chopped

-Arrange the tomato slices on 4 salad plates
Use the back of a spoon to spread aioli on the tomatoes. Separate the onion rings and scatter over the aioli. Scatter on the basil and capers.

Aioli:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
1/2 tsp lemon or lime zest
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic minced

-Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Week 13

Hello-
Cool, rainy start to week 13 that is reminding me that the summer is starting to wane. Of course, we often have a really nice September and the first half of October here in CNY, so it's not like the good times are over yet... but still, it makes me think.

This week you're getting a nice variety:
Green Cabbage
Broccoli or Cauliflower
Summer Squash
Red Cipolinni onions
Bag of assorted tomatoes (to find out what kinds they are, see my last post)
Cherry tomatoes
Dill
Salad mix (lettuce, asian greens, beet greens and baby swiss chard)
Arugula

I have just been given a whole bunch of recipes, so I'll be posting them soon.
Here's one that has been tested and found to be very tasty:

Broccoli-Cashew Salad - 4 servings
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small, uniform pieces
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted cashews
1/4 cup slivered red onion
1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes

Combine mayonnaise, vinegar and salt in a large serving bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Add the broccoli, cashews, onion and red-pepper flakes. Toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Week 12 (I think!)

Hi everyone-
Same old story- I've been so busy I barely check email anymore, but things on the farm are going pretty well, as you may have guessed by the increasing weight of your bags every week.
This week has an especially pretty bunch of vegetables (tasty and aesthetically pleasing!)
You're getting:
Purple Viking potatoes (purple skins with pink splotches and very white flesh)
Rainbow carrots- an assortment of white, pink, orange, yellow and "Purple Haze" carrots
Beet Greens (which aren't green at all :>)
Saffron Shallots
Assorted summer squash- in all shades of yellow and green
Hot peppers (they are roughly equivalent to Jalapenos)
Assorted cherry tomatoes (including the sweetest of the sweet, Sungold, Black Cherry, Sweet Chelsea (big round red ones), Principe de Bourgese (red with a pointed end) Fargo Yellow Pear, and Juliets (firm, red, oval ones)
Broccoli or Cauliflower
Bag of assorted tomatoes- Note if you get a green tomato, it's not unripe- it's a variety called Aunt Ruby's German Green, and it's one of my favorites for sandwiches.

Arranged on a table, that would be quite a colorful picture!

My little sister (who's not so little anymore...) has expressed disbelief at the idea that tomatoes come in other colors than red, and I realize that many of the varieties that we grow at Lucky Moon are fairly unusual. So here's a list of the tomatoes that are grown at the farm, and where I can, I'll include a picture:
Sandwich Tomatoes-
Brandywine- ever popular, large pink tomato, probably the most famous of the Heirloom tomatoes

Aunt Ruby's German Green- green tomato that's beautiful when sliced- has a faint yellow-pink blush on the blossom end

Striped German- rainbow tomato!

Black Krim- dark purple tomato

Rutgers- the Campbell's soup tomato- it's a bright red

Cosmonaut Volkov- Large, round, bright red tomatoes

Jubilee- yellow/orange

Green Zebra- small round tomatoes, but they turn faintly yellow with dark green stripes

Rose de Berne- perfect small round tomatoes that are a lovely rose-pink color

Spring Shine- Small pink tomatoes with greenish shoulders

Paste Tomatoes- good for sauce or fresh eating!
Amish Paste- large, dark red, ox heart tomatoes (apparently the way they are shaped, but I've never seen an ox's heart, thankfully)

Orange Banana- medium-sized, oval, orange tomatoes

San Marzano- smooth oval , red tomatoes that are the classic Italian paste tomato

Cherry Tomatoes- so sweet and juicy!
Sungold- our favorite sweet orange bites of heaven

Fargo Yellow Pear- not the most flavorful, but the yellow pear-shaped fruits are so cute!
Black Cherry- dark purple, and very sweet

Principe de Bourgese- Italian-type, dark red with a pointed end, very good tomato flavor

Sweet Chelsea- large round, red cherry that has a wonderfully sweet flavor

Juliet- plants produce loads of firm, oval, blemish-free tomatoes that are great for drying, slicing in salads, adding to pasta or just eating fresh


Bon Appetite!
Sarah

Week Nine

Hello-
It's high summer and I have to remind myself to enjoy every hot steamy minute of it. It comes and goes so quickly! The tomatoes are pouring in and I still can't get enough of them... the peppers are recovering pretty well from their aphid attack and are sending up new growth even as the first peppers on them are turning all sorts of bright colors- reds, oranges and yellows, mostly, but there are some lovely shades of purple and green, too. To control the aphids, which are tiny little bugs that reproduce incessantly and suck the juices out of the plants, leaving them brown and wilted, Sue bought a box of ladybugs and set them loose in the pepper tent. Ladybugs love to eat aphids, and they really went to town in there. We weeded the peppers today (which is very hot work, since the pepper tent is actually a pepper sauna...) and didn't find a single aphid, just lots of ladybug babies. I've read about using beneficial insects to control a problem like this often enough and I plant lots of flowers to try and attract beneficial insects to my garden, but I'd never seen what 4500 hungry ladybugs can actually do to an aphid infestation that must have numbered in the millions. Very cool-
Here's a picture of some not-so-lovely aphids:

And here's a ladybug nymph that turns into a full-grown ladybug

Here are some other pictures of summer!

Garlic that's drying before getting braided-

A delicious pasta "sauce" made from some of my heirloom tomatoes, fresh PA peaches and an Ailsa Craig onion from the garden. Yum!