CSA week 3: Weather teaches a lesson on patience

In their shares this week, members will receive the following vegetables: Turnips, radishes, lettuce mix, red head lettuce, kohlrabi, Napa cabbage, broccoli/sprouted broccoli and oregano.

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

In our minds, we had envisioned writing this letter telling the story of how CSA members came out Saturday and Sunday and joined us in getting most of our late-season vegetables into the ground.

Instead, we woke Saturday morning, walked out and looked at the rain gauge and saw that 2 inches of rain had fallen overnight. We walked to the field and saw standing water in the walkways between beds. The beds themselves looked a little like chocolate pudding.

There would be no planting this weekend. 

It’s comforting to make plans; it makes us feel like we have some kind of control. Farming reminds us almost weekly that you are at the mercy of the elements and have to adapt based on what happens in the natural world. 

While that can be exasperating, it’s also a pretty powerful thing to remember. 

Thankfully, our CSA members are also adaptable and supportive. 

Last week, the mother-daughter team of Rosanne and Alesha came out and spent an afternoon helping Heather-Marie burn holes into landscaping fabric that we use as a protective, heat-producing barrier when we plant tomatoes and other heat-loving vegetables. They were an amazing team.

After canceling our Saturday and Sunday work days, we put out a call for help this week and members have answered, coming out Monday as well as this upcoming Wednesday and Thursday to make what we hope will be the final big push of the season.

Matt, a new farm member, came out for a big day on Monday and helped us, along with Heather-Marie’s Mom, plant 160 tomato plants in the field. He also got to play with a flame thrower and help us put down black plastic on tomato beds.

In other news at the farm:

Kestrel babies: Two years ago, we put up a kestrel box at the north end of our property in hopes that these birds of prey would take a liking to it and hatch eggs there. This season, we noticed activity at the box and went out there with a selfie stick and a cell phone. Sure enough, at least three baby kestrels are in the box.

One of our other CSA members, Clinton, is the head naturalist at Sax-Zim bog, and has been advising us on the birds. He, and his wife Kristina, have promised to host a talk at the farm about the kestrels, so stay tuned for news on that. 

First farm stand of the season: This Friday evening from 4 to 7, we will be hosting our first farm stand of the season at the farm. We will have many early season favorites for sale, so please stop by and say hello and also tell your friends and neighbors. Here is the link to the event on Facebook.

Our two-year anniversary at the farm: Last week marked the two year anniversary of the day we purchased this farm from the Johnson family, who had farmed and lived on this land for five generations, from the early 1900s. We remain humbled and grateful by the chance to live on this land and try to be good stewards of it as we also work to be good members of our new hometown of Barnum, Minnesota. 

This week’s veggies and recipes

Tips for turnips, and other roots

In the earlier part of the growing season, you will find your root vegetables still attached to their greens.  That is because the greens are still tender enough to eat.  Later in the season the greens become tougher and roots like storage carrots, will have their tops removed.  

So a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Remove the greens promptly.  If left on for too long, roots will become soft.  
• Store the roots and greens separately. They will both keep longer. 
• Cook up the greens like you would any other greens.  Turnip greens are used quite frequently in southern cooking, along with collards. 

Quick Pickles

“Six Seasons,”  by Joshua McFadden

Brine

• (makes enough for about 3 pints pickles)
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• 1 Tb white wine vinegar
• 1 ½ cups hot water
• 5 Tb sugar
• 1 Tb plus 1 tsp kosher salt

Put everything in a pot or big pitcher and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved. 

Using clean canning jars, fill with your vegetable in a way that shows off the beauty of it, pour over the brine until the vegetables are completely covered and the jar is full, and screw on the cap.  Refrigerate for up to 2 months.  Start tasting after the first day to see how the flavor and texture are developing.  They are ready to eat as soon as you think they are ready.

Turnip Pickles

• Seasoning
• 5 smashed garlic cloves
• 3 strips of orange zest
• 1 Tb black peppercorns
• Rinse all seasonings.

Preparation

Use early season Japanese turnips.  Remove tops, leaving ½ inch of the greens.  Scrub but don’t peel, then cut into quarters lengthwise.  With larger late-season turnips, peel and cut into wedges.  Layer with seasonings.  

Kohlrabi (along with ideas for radishes and turnips!)

• Most people eat kohlrabi raw– peeled, sliced and cut into sticks, like carrots.  
• Can also be used in a non-traditional slaw with grated kohlrabi, turnips and/or radishes, chopped parsley, scallions and dressing of choice (we really like aioli, recipe to follow.
• Can be sliced or cubed and added to soups, salads or stir-fries.

Lettuce mix, head lettuce, oregano

Mayonnaise

“New Recipes from the Moosewood Restaurant”

This recipe is adaptable for many uses.  We like the Aioli Sauce variation (below) as a rich salad dressing.

• 1 egg
• dash of Tabasco sauce or cayenne
• 5 tsp vinegar or fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 Tb hot water
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

Place the egg, vinegar or lemon juice, and seasonings in a blender or food processor.  Turn on the blender and begin adding the oil, drop by drop.  Gradually increase the flow of oil to a thin stream.  Continue until all of the oil is used or until the mayonnaise is the right consistency.  Blend in a tablespoon of hot water to stabilize the mayonnaise  

Mayonnaise will stay fresh refrigerated for up to a week.

Variations

Herbed Mayonnaise: Add chopped scallions or chives and finely chopped fresh basil, tarragon, oregano and/or dill.

Aioli Sauce: Start by adding one pressed garlic clove.  Add more garlic to taste.  Aioli Sauce is delicious on steamed vegetables and chilled fish.  

Optional: replace half of the vegetable oil with olive oil.  

Napa Cabbage

Asian Noodle, Mushroom and Cabbage Salad

This is why we grow Napa Cabbage!  Don’t let the long ingredient list scare you off, this salad is amazing.  

• 12 large dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 Tb peanut oil
• 3 c. thinly sliced Napa Cabbage
• 1 Tb minced garlic
• 14 green onions, 12 halved and cut into 2½ in. pieces; 2 chopped
• 3 Tb soy sauce
• 1 1-lb package fresh thin Chinese egg noodles or one 12 oz package dried Chinese egg noodles (** I just use regular wide egg noodles)
• 1/3 c. oriental sesame oil
• 2 Tb lemon juice
• 1 Tb unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3 hard boiled eggs, 2 thinly sliced, 1 chopped for garnish
• 1 c. fresh cilantro
• 1 Tb minced ginger

1.  Place mushrooms in medium bowl with boiling water to cover.  Set until softened, 45 minutes.  Drain.  Cut off stems and discard.  Thinly slice caps.

2.  Heat peanut oil in heavy wok over medium-high heat.  Add cabbage, ginger, garlic and mushrooms.  Stir-fry until cabbage wilts, about 2 minutes.  Add 2½ in. green onion pieces; toss until tops begin to wilt, about 30 seconds.  Remove from heat.  Mix in 1 Tb soy sauce.

3.  Cook noodles in boiling water until just tender but still firm to bite.  Drain well.  Place in large bowl.  Whisk sesame oil, next three ingredients and 2 Tb soy sauce in small bowl.   Add to noodles.  Add sliced eggs, ¾ c. cilantro and cabbage mixture; toss well to blend.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and chill.

4.  Sprinkle salad with the 2 chopped green onions, chopped egg and remaining ¼ c. cilantro.