In the Share: Week 24
SWEET POTATOES (F/P)
CABBAGE (F/P)
BROCCOLI (P)
SPINACH OR LETTUCE (F)
CHOICE OF GREENS: SWISS CHARD, BOK CHOY OR TATSOI (F/P)
ROOTS: BEETS, TURNIPS, RADISHES AND KOHLRABI
GARLIC
HERB CHOICE (F/P) Cilantro and Dill
DRIED HERB (F/P) take a tin of herbs dried in our greenhouse for the winter.

Also this week: Bread of Life delivery

Farm report
The last week of the 2008 season is upon us. We are both sad to be saying farewell for the winter but also grateful for the chance to rest. We thank you all for your support of our farm and hope that you enjoyed sharing the season with us as much as we enjoyed sharing the harvest with you. Tom and I are really looking forward to celebrating our 5th CSA season with all of you at the End of the Season Dinner this Saturday. We’re working on a summary of our efforts thus far as well as some thoughts on the future. We hope to see many of you there.

As I was finishing the blog tonight, I was sent a link to a fun youtube video on blanching Fair Share Farm greens from Emily Akins & Sergio Moreno. Have a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJdDaQU308c

The end of the season also means the end of the apprenticeship of Jennifer Baughman. Jenn was a real treat to work with and we will absolutely miss her as she sets out on a search for her farming future. Here’s a few words from her to all of you:

Hello, my name is Jennifer Baughman. As the 2008 growing season comes to an end, I will share my reflections on my learning experience as Fair Share Farm’s apprentice this year.

What a blast! THE BEST EVER! Tom and Rebecca are incredible teachers and very patient (as I was pretty inexperienced in the beginning). They showed me the importance of being very detail oriented and very very organized, from planting methods to post harvest handling, always ensuring that the CSA’s standards are being met and even exceeded. I feel inspired to apply all that I have learned right away!

Where am I going from here? Before I decide where to live permanently, I plan on visiting a few more farms. I am interested in bio-dynamic farming, no-till methods, and permaculture, and plan to marry all three methods along with specializing in wild crafting and medicinal herbs. Next up on my journey, I will travel to a BEAUTIFUL camp resort down in Georgia. Enota Springs is found tucked deep in the forests at the beginning of the Appalachian Mountains.( http://www.enota.com/index.htm)

As for this winter, I will be focusing on my home-based business, where I work with my boyfriend to supply Kansas City with the highest quality superfoods available. As well as host nutrition classes and potlucks through our meetup group.(http://rawfood.meetup.com/423/)
Thank you for your comitment to local, organic food. Together, we enhance our wonderful environment.
Jennifer
ExoticOrchard@gmail.com

Blanching and Freezing
As the season winds down, we are harvesting what remains in the field that is mature enough for picking. There is more of some things (mainly greens) than we will be handing out in the shares, so the bulk list is back on-line. If you would like any kale, collards, chard or Asian greens to stock in your freezer, now is the time. They are easy to freeze and store for use in side dishes, soups, stews and other winter dishes.
The trick to successfully freezing vegetables is the blanching process. This step, which consists of dunking the vegetables in boiling water for a minute or two, destroys enzymes that will otherwise cause loss of color, texture and flavor. To freeze greens—
1. Clean greens and remove stems if desired. You can cut, but do not chop greens. They will wilt significantly when blanched and will pack into freezer bags easily.
2. Blanch things like spinach and Asian greens for 2 minutes and tougher greens like collards and kale for 3 to 4 minutes. Start counting when the water comes back to a boil. Use a large volume of water so it will keep boiling when you add the vegetables.
3. Remove the greens from the pot and cool immediately with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain thoroughly and pack in freezer bags or containers.

Bulk List
Chard, collards, kale, Asian greens $2.50/bu

NEED TO KNOW MORE? Go to our Recipe page and search.

Asian Staple
This season has been a challenge figuring out what to hand out each week. We evaluate the plants to try to pick them before their prime passes because of stress from too much rain. The Chinese cabbage and bok choi are peaking now, and just right for making kimchi. This Korean specialty is an example of how Asian cuisine treats the idea of sauerkraut.

Wikipedia notes that “the magazine Health named kimchi in its list of top five ‘World’s Healthiest Foods’ for being rich in vitamins, aiding digesting and even possibly retarding cncer growth.” So we hope you use this week’s share (next week’s for partials) to make this tasty condiment.

Kimchi (adapted from Sunset Oriental Cook Book, ©1984)
1 small Chinese cabbage and 1 bok choi (1-1/2 to 2 lb total)
2 tbsp salt
1 large watermelon radish, cut into matchsticks
2 green onions (including tops) cut into thin slivers
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 dried red peppers, cut in half or 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
¼ tsp cayenne
1-1/2 tbsp honey

Cut cabbage into chunks about 1 inch square; place in a large bowl and add 2 teaspoons of the salt. Mix well. Cover and let stand at room temperature until cabbage is wilted and reduced to about half it’s original volume (3 to 4 hours). Rinse thoroughly, drain. Return to bowl along with the radishes, onions, garlic, peppers, cayenne and honey. Mix well. Pack lightly into a 1 quart jar; cover with lid or plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature, tasting often, until fermented to your liking. (In warm weather, fermentation may toke only 1 to 2 days; in cooler weather, count on 3 to 4 days). Store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 3-1/2 cups.

In the Share: Week 22
LEEKS (F/P) This week only.
BROCCOLI or CAULIFLOWER (F/P)
BOK CHOY (F) see Tom’s kimchee recipe
NAPA (CHINESE) CABBAGE (F) ditto above
SWEET POTATOES (F/P)
LETTUCE: (F/P)
KOHLRABI & CELERIAC (P)
GARLIC (F/P) choice for the partials with the herbs. Fulls get both
HERB CHOICE (F/P) Basil, lovage or a dried herb.

Also this week: Bread of Life delivery

Next Week: More greens, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and roots. Perhaps carrots and beets. Green peppers. Parker Farms delivery.

Farm report
We continue to prepare the fields for their dormant period. The Saturday crew weeded and mulched the strawberries in record time. Photo courtesy of CSA member, Emily Akins.

Despite the fact that 2008 has been one of the most difficult for vegetable growing that we’ve seen, we feel lucky that we did not have actual flooding like many others. While it is my nature to obsess over the details of every crop failure, I must admit that we really cannot complain. The mid-season survey results seem to show that you all feel the same. You are apparently pretty content in both the produce you receive and in the CSA organization. Berries continue to win the ‘please grow more’ category and the okra lovers and haters continue to be equally represented. However, the overwhelming response was none at all. If you did not complete a survey (and you are actually reading this) let us know why not. Perhaps your comments will help us reach more of you next time. The survey results were discussed at our recent core group meeting whose main purpose was to plan the End of the Season dinner taking place this October 25th. As always it is the best potluck in the metro with live entertainment from the membership along with a season wrap-up from us, door prizes and kid’s activities. In the spirit of community, the coordinators are looking for folks who can come early or stay late to help. Keep an eye out for the email invitation which should be coming to your inboxes this week from Social Coordinators, Ann & Mark Flynn.

But I Digress…
…as I tell you that we bought some won ton wrappers and tried last week’s sweet potato ravioli recipe, and it was delicious. The nice thing is that you can make more than you need and freeze the rest.

Broccoli and Cauliflower
This combo is a sign that Fall is here. And so are some of the most nutritious vegetables around. The September issue of National Geographic describes a 0 to 100 rating system from Yale University called the Overall Nutritional Quality Index. The system scores foods based on their nutrients, vitamins, sugar and salt (among other things). At the low end with a rating of 1 are Popsicles. At the high end (100) is broccoli!

What’s Not in Your Share
While we don’t have apples yet (our orchard is still growing), it is apple season here in Missouri. We encourage you to take advantage of the times. One local source of apples is Bad Seed. If you cant’ make the 39 St. or Bad Seed Markets contact Brooke for pickup during City Distribution.
The recipe below is a staple of our larder. Apple chutney goes great on pork, other meats, and fried foods. This version has been modified from the one in Larousse Gastronomique.

Apple Chutney
1 quart vinegar3 lbs apples, peeled, cored and diced
½ cup raisins
½ cup dried apricots, chopped
½ cup candied ginger, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp salt
¾ cup brown sugar
3 jalapeno or other hot pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp lemon zest

Put in 1 quart vinegar which has been brought to a boil, 3 pounds of apples. Cook them 5 minutes. Add the raisins, apricots, garlic, ginger, mustard, salt, brown sugar, hot pepper, and lemon zest. Heat to boil, then turn to down heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until mixture thickens. Process in hot water bath canner, or cool and store in fridge.

NEED TO KNOW MORE? Go to our Recipe page and search.

In the Share: Week 21
BROCCOLI (F/P) The fall crop debuts a bit wildly
CAULIFLOWER (F/P) a bit wild as well, the purple is due to stress.
SWEET PEPPERS (F) last of the ripe ones and some green
GREENS CHOICE (F) kale, collards, chard or asian greens
LETTUCE: (F/P) One heads-worth for all again.
TURNIPS OR RADISHES (P) Hakurei Turnips, Purple-Top Turnips or Watermelon Radishes. For the Wednesday shares; the Saturday partials got them last week.
ONIONS (F) the last of them
HERB CHOICE (F/P) Basil, chives, thyme or a dried herb.

Also this week: Parker Farms meat & egg share delivery

Next Week: More greens, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and roots. Sweet potatoes return. Bread share delivery.

Farm report
The hot topic amongst area organic farmers is a revolutionary no-till approach. It began when Patrice Gros, a Frenchman farming in Arkansas, visited our area last winter to talk about his practices. He loads on the straw along with some rabbit manure and gets high yields out of a small area. The thick layer of organic matter allows the soil to stay loose even after a downpour. It sounded intriguing enough to us but we might never have tried it if our neighbors, Vicky and Dallas Brock, hadn’t shown up one day with a trailerload of grass clippings from their yard. Thanks to them we’ve covered four 100 ft. beds with thick layer of hay and are hoping to do more. We got so inspired by the project that we’ve begun raking up grass clippings wherever we can find them. Here’s Jen laying straw right over the top of our buckwheat cover crop in the spring field. Rocky pitches in the best he can.

Our enthusiasm for the no-till idea has a lot to do with the problems we see in our soil. The clay that Clay County is known for (but not named for; Senator Henry Clay holds that honor) covers the limestone bedrock of our farm. Ages ago, winds carried our soil here from distant lands and left a deep and fine layer called loess. The rich loess deposits of our corner of Missouri and up into Iowa supports a varied and productive agriculture even as much of the best soil has already washed away. What is left on our farm is really fairly good for our area. There is a good foot of topsoil and below that several feet of clay. Despite being able to reliably grow carrots and a variety of tender vegetables, a wet season like this one surely shows us our limitations. The almost 10 inches of rain that fell this September compacted the soil leaving few spaces for oxygen to penetrate. The sun only needed a few days to bake it until it cracked. Today we realized we needed to irrigate after thinking we were done with it for the season. A thick layer of organic matter might have made a difference. Now to find that rabbit poop…