CSA Week 13: Final countdown and an unexpected award

In their shares this week, members will receive the following vegetables: Red cabbage, slicing tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, karola gold potatoes, summer squash, green beans, scallions, carrots, yellow onions, Thai basil, cilantro and either broccoli, cauliflower or a green cabbage.

This newsletter includes a roundup of news from the farm as well as information and recipes. Feel free to jump to the bottom of the newsletter to find the section titled, “This week’s veggies and recipes.”

News from the farm

The alarm came early on Labor Day. It was still dark in the sky and we had to force ourselves out of bed. We chugged down smoothies and got our harvesting gear from the pack shed just as the sun was beginning to crest the horizon.

As much as we would have liked to enjoy the holiday, the weekend’s record-breaking heat meant that we had to be up early to harvest before it got too hot to do so. Thankfully, we did get to take a little time off in the afternoons to sit by the lake and unwind just a bit. 

By many measures, this has been our most successful season ever. Our largest CSA membership. Our biggest selling farm stands. We were even recognized recently with an award for our efforts that we’ll tell you about in this newsletter.

If you’ve been reading these newsletters you also know it’s been one of the most challenging years farmers in our region have faced.

As we enter the 13th week of the summer growing season, the routine at the farm has gradually shifted. Just a few weeks ago every bed was filled, and we were at our peak. It’s hard to believe now, just a couple of weeks later, we are preparing beds for the end of the season and even starting to think about next spring.

With our walk-behind tractor, we are mowing down spent crops, mulching their plant matter into organic material that will add nutrients to the soil. We are planting cover crops to protect the soil from erosion to compete with weeds and to add nitrogen back to the soil.

Meanwhile, there is still a lot of food out in the field — and a lot of flowers. We spend our days harvesting and getting ready for our final CSA deliveries of the summer season and the fall shares and our bulk orders of tomatoes and potatoes and garlic that will all be delivered and processed in the next month and a half. 

The final four deliveries left of the summer CSA should be good ones. We were excited to harvest a small sampling of carola, a creamy yellow potato much like a Yukon gold. They are still considered new potatoes because the skins are thin and tender, but they will be maturing each week and will increase in size as they do.

We are also hopeful to have large shares of Russet potatoes in the final two summer CSA deliveries.

We have three more plantings of carrots that look healthy but are growing slowly. 

Eggplant are growing slowly but should start being available soon.

We will be giving a variety of onions with summer shares, including yellow onions and leeks.

While we’ve had decent success with sweet peppers, hot peppers have been a disappointment this season. Likely stressed when they were setting fruit, the plants have provided only modest amounts of fruit. However, it’s not unusual for them to produce in September, so we’ll remain optimistic. 

Our fall crops are growing steadily, and we have been checking what’s growing to ensure the fall shares will have a nice mix of fall storage crops such as pumpkins, winter squash and garlic as well as leafy green vegetables, including spinach, which tastes fantastic as the air begins to cool, and, of course Brussels sprouts. 

For us, this is also the time of year when we are putting up food – or when we should be. Part of the way the farm sustains us is by feeding us throughout the year. We’ve been blanching and freezing green beans and broccoli. John has made kimchi and hopes to make some sauerkraut soon. Heather-Marie will pickle beets and make dilly beans. 

With any luck, we’ll also pickle some hot peppers.

Nature, too, is shifting gears. Last Thursday morning, Heather-Marie was working in the high tunnel and John was planting winter rye, when he looked up to see a pair of swans do a low-altitude flyover. Each morning, the field is filled with sparrows and other birds, beginning to move about in preparation for fall migration.

All season long, we’ve wondered if the weather had some kind of personal grudge against us. We’d see a system of storms on the radar build up and move across the state – big and red on the radar, indicating a pretty serious storm. But what we got used to was that as it would approach Carlton County (and the lake, we suspect), it would disintegrate. By the time it would pass over the farm it would be mere clouds and we would get not a drop.

Rain would hit north of us or south of us or sometimes both north and south of us.

Or so it seemed. But maybe we were imagining it?

But this week, the National Weather Service Drought page posted an update to show that we were in a swath of land that was now classified as experiencing “extreme drought,” instead of severe drought. 

On the one hand, we can be grateful that we have a strong well and, with the help of grant funding and our own investment, a top of the line irrigation system. At the same time, we were reminded this week that even this has an impact on the environment. An article in The New York Times this week documented how humans have been using ground water in irrigation and other uses that is having a profound environmental impact. One article documents how farmers in Minnesota have used millions of gallons of ground water in recent years to grow potatoes and other water-intensive crops as drought conditions gave them few options: “They cranked up their powerful irrigation wells, drenching their fields with so much water that they collectively pumped at least 6.1 billion gallons more groundwater than allowed under state permits.”

Unexpected recognition

One of the best things that happened to us at the farm was that when we moved here in 2020, we began reaching out to the different federal and state agencies that work with farms and rural landowners to get feedback as we began planning our farm. 

One of the most helpful agencies has been the Carlton Soil and Water Conservation District. The team there helped us to get certified through the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program.

They also worked with us on planting a rain garden with native pollinators, helped us to find funding for an irrigation system, worked out a plan for the use of cover crops and planned out a patch of field where we will put in native grasses and pollinators. We’ve also planted more than 50 trees that we got from their annual plant sales. 

This month, we’re excited to be hosting a Field Day at our farm where experts from a number of agencies and other farms will be on hand to talk about how to use conservation practices such as these on a small vegetable farm. 

And when the crew from Soil and Water showed up at our farm recently to help us plan the event with us, they also shared some news: We had been chosen by the Carlton Soil and Water Conservation Board as the county’s 2023 Outstanding Conservationist Awards. 

We were flattered and surprised – especially considering how many gifted and passionate farmers there are in our county. 

It’s hard work to be sure, but it feels good to be recognized for all we’ve tried to accomplish. 

At our farm stand last Friday, Heather-Marie got a surprise visit from Gayle and Jack, a husband and wife who were CSA members of the farm the first few years she began. 

They were so excited to see the farm and all that we’ve achieved in such a short time.

“Look at what you’ve done,” said Jack. “You’re living the life that you always dreamed of!”

Indeed we are.

Images from the week

This week’s veggies and recipes

Tomatoes

This week marks the introduction of field tomatoes.  We’ve had a few last week but the field tomatoes have finally caught up with the high tunnel tomatoes.  Above is a photo with all the tomatoes we grow.  A note, you’ve been somewhat spoiled up til now with mostly blemish-free high tunnel tomatoes.  They’re grown in a controlled environment!  But you’ll notice that this is not the case with the field tomatoes (second photo) where they are exposed to the elements.  We will definitely give you tomatoes with blemishes.  We don’t believe in perfect produce.  In fact, we think that grocery stores do a disservice by only giving “manicured” produce.  This is what organically-grown produce really looks like.  We check all the tomatoes ahead of time and even though they may have cracks and blemishes, they shouldn’t have soft or broken skins.  Just cut those parts away and enjoy! 

Scallions and green beans

Ramen noodle salad with charred scallions and green beans

When both scallions and green beans are ready at the same time, this is one of John’s favorites. It’s great hot or later at room temperature (and really good for potlucks). The chili sauce is one we make often and use in other dishes, including with eggs. The recipe is adapted from one from The New York Times.

Chili oil

• 2 tablespoons red-pepper flakes (see Tip)
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed, vegetable or canola
• 1(1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Noodles

• Kosher salt
• 4 (3-ounce) packages ramen noodles, seasoning packs discarded
• 2 bunches scallions (10 to 12 scallions), white and green parts separated and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 to 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed, vegetable or canola
• 10 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved diagonally
• 1(2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and julienned
• White pepper
• 1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds

Directions

1. First, make the spicy oil. Put the red pepper flakes and salt in a bowl that can handle heat. In a small pot, heat up the oil, ginger, and garlic until it starts to bubble (about 2-3 minutes). Be careful because it’s hot! Carefully pour this hot oil over the red pepper flakes. Add the sesame seeds and sesame oil, and give it a good stir. Leave it aside while you do the rest. You can keep this spicy oil in a sealed jar at room temperature for a month or in the fridge forever.

2. Now, get the noodles ready. Boil a big pot of water with some salt. Put the ramen in and cook it like the package says (usually about 3 minutes) until the noodles are soft. Drain them, rinse with cold water, and drain again.

3. Cut the white parts of the scallions into long strips, making them thinner if you want them to cook faster.

4. Get a wok or a big, deep skillet really hot on high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, throw in the green beans, and sprinkle some salt. Cook the beans for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing them around until they start to get a little burnt. Take the beans out of the wok and set them aside.

5. Keep the same wok or skillet on high heat. When it’s really hot, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil, along with the scallions (both the white and green parts) and the ginger. Let them sizzle for about 20 to 30 seconds to release their smell, then stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the scallions turn a bit brown.

6. Put the green beans and noodles back in the pan. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of the spicy oil (keep some for later) and add some salt and pepper. Mix everything together until the noodles are warm. To serve, put the noodles in bowls, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top, and drizzle with more spicy oil.

Red cabbage, carrots and cilantro

Vegan Thai Tacos (or spring rolls) from the blog A Whisk and Two Wands

Former CSA Member Rachel sent this recipe to us.  These are so good!  And if you skip the “meat” this can be an easy, no-cook meal.  An alternative to taco shells, we have also used rice paper and made spring rolls instead.  We would definitely double the peanut sauce.

Vegan Thai Tacos (or spring rolls) from the blog A Whisk and Two Wands

Thai Tacos

• 8 6-8″ tortillas (Seite Amond Flour Tortillas, grain free, gluten free, vegan)
• 1 9oz package Beyond Chicken Strips, or sub tofu (Beyond Chicken Strips, Grilled Strips vegan and soy free chickenless strips)
• 1/2 medium red/purple cabbage, shredded
• 4 oz shredded carrots
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1-2 ripe avocados (2 teeny tiny avocados)
• 1/4 c chopped peanuts
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, steams removed and chopped

Thai Peanut Sauce

• 1/4 c peanut butter (Peanut Butter & Co)
• 3 oz canned coconut milk (So Delicious Culinary Coconut Milk)
• 1 tsp coconut palm sugar
• 1 TBSP liquid aminos/soy sauce
• 1/2-1 tsp chili garlic sauce*

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare veggies as listed in the ingredients, shredded, sliced, ect.
2. Cook vegan chicken strips per package instructions, heating in a skillet.
3. While strips are cooking prepare the Thai Peanut Sauce.
4. Either in the microwave or small sauce pan, mix together peanut butter, coconut milk and sugar until creamy and combine. Remove from heat and stir in liquid aminos/soy sauce. Set sauce aside.
5. Cut avocado(s) in half, remove pit, and cut into cubes or slices.
6. Your chickenless strips should be cooked, turn off heat and assemble tacos.
7. If you like your tortillas warm and toasted as we do with these heat a skillet and warm tortillas for about 30 seconds per side or for ours until they start to get toasted.
8. Fold your tortilla as you would a taco shell and fill with the grilled strips, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, thinly sliced red pepper, avocado, drizzle of the Thai Peanut Sauce, chopped peanuts, and cilantro. Or you can assemble and serve with the Thai Peanut Sauce on the side.
9. Repeat with remaining tortillas.  
10. Enjoy!