Farm Blog

Recipe: Malabar Spinach Fritters

By Emma on


You'll need:

  • Malabar spinach leaves, whole
  • 1 cup gram flour (thoroughly pulverized garbanzo beans, easy and fun to make if you can't find it)
  • 1 small egg
  • 3/4 cup cold water
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 pinch baking soda
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Malabar Spinach is unusually succulent for a leafy green. As a result, it takes a tempura batter unusually well for a leafy green. Crispy and juicy all at once, you won't be able to put them down.

Mix together gram flour, baking soda, salt, egg and water. You are looking for a thinnish consistency.

Heat oil to 375 degrees.

Drag the leaves through the batter, one side at a time, and gently lower into the hot oil.

Fry until golden brown (this doesn't take long!) using tongs, flip to fry other side.

Serve and enjoy! We eat ours with spicy mayo because it's easy to make and you basically can't go wrong with it. It's just sriracha and mayo!

CSA Week 6

By Mike on


IT'S FALL! Well, no — it’s still July. But we’re already started into a bag of pumpkin spice coffee. No apologies. This week you get your first nightshades in the form of peppers, and also some delicious Malabar spinach. Unfortunately there is no kale in your shares today, as Mr. Woodchuck came back with a vengeance. But we had a talk with him, and he has moved on. So look for the return of kale next week, along with the green beans he was also chowing down on.

What's In Your Bag

Malabar Spinach
One of our favorites! Not actually spinach or even closely related but instead is a vine from tropical Asia. We like it better as a cooked green as when it’s raw it’s a little okra-gooey, but if you like okra then try it in a salad. As for cooking: Excellent in stir-fries and soups, and you can drag it in batter and fry (posting this recipe to the blog).

Patty Pan Squash
Try stuffing them with a sausage mix, just like a lil’ pumpkin.

Peppers
Banana peppers and jalapeños for frying and spicing up your day!

Lettuce Mix
Buttercrunch.

Rainbow Swiss Chard
Luckily, This particular woodchuck had no interest in chard. Don’t really understand that, as it looks at least as good standing in a row as it tastes, and chucks have surprisingly high aesthetic standards.

Zucchini
The machine is still chugging along. Starting to see our first signs of squash bugs, later than usual.

Onions
The first of many! We’ve harvested these a touch early and left the tops on so you can use them.

Carrots
Straight Purple Haze today. Your carrot sticks will be the talk of the party.

CSA Week 5

By Mike on


THE WOODCHUCK made his return this very morning. You were supposed to get Toscano kale this week, but he had other ideas. This one has an awfully specific preference for dino kale, and so far he’s left the beans and the squash flowers alone. Which is good, because we’ve been really excited about the patty pan squash! Now that the sun has been out for a few days, the nightshades are starting to come along, so be watching for peppers and tomatoes soon!

What's In Your Bag

Zucchini
The green is producing better than the yellow this week. They’re zucchini boat-sized this week! We’ll be making some for dinner.

Chives
Chives + a good melty cheese + scrambled eggs. Call it an omelet if you want, we prefer to call it a NOMelet.

Orange Mint
Excellent muddled into some iced tea. Or chop it onto a salad with a nice balsamic vinaigrette. Or both. Yes, both.

Patty Pan Squash
An heirloom variety, Jaune et Verte. These buttery squash nuggets are at the perfect size. No need to skin them, just slice and cook. Try them seared in a skillet with a little oil and salt.

Rainbow Swiss Chard
What have you been doing with your chard this season? We’d like to hear!

Lettuce Mix
Five Star again this week, still tender and sweet from all the rain.

Beets
Beet salad, anyone?

Red Russian Kale
Can’t get enough of this beauty? Neither can we.

Carrots
Some Purple Haze and some Malbec this week.

CSA Week 4

By Mike on


THE RETURN OF THE SUN has started to be felt in the gardens, especially the zucchini patch. This morning’s harvest was delightful; just humid enough to keep it cool, with a breeze and a mist, and barely any mud. The grass around the garden edges will finally get the good mowing it needs soon, and all will be well. No further sign of our woodchuck nemesis, which is both relieving and unnerving. But today we celebrate, with zucchini!

What's In Your Bag

Carrots
Some Mokum again, but bunched with Purple Haze!

Zucchini
Starting to really roll in now. This week we picked them a little bigger. They’re still tender and delicious but a little more flexible. We’re posting a recipe on our blog for a garlic & squash dip that we can’t put down.

Opal Basil
It’s a deep purple and frilly but don’t be fooled, it’s very much a good basil! You might notice it’s a little sandy today. That’s because of all the rain, but we can’t wash the basil before we pack it on account of how it shortens its shelf life. Wash right before you use it.

Rainbow Swiss Chard
Still Strong.

Lettuce Mix
Baby Buttercrunch makes its return this week.

Onion Tops
So many things you can do with these. Chop them up and throw them into an omelet, or a bowl of ramen, or your salad. You really can’t go wrong.

Red Russian Kale
Can’t get enough of this beauty? Neither can we.

Recipe: Squash Dip

By Emma on


You'll need:

  • 4-5 medium zucchini
  • 5-9 garlic cloves
  • Mild Olive oil
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • A good salt

You'll also need a mortar and pestle.

Lib Koosa is the name of a dish that translates from Arabic loosely as "squash insides". It's traditionally made with the core of the squash after removing the core to make stuffed squash. We like to use the whole thing! We use zucchini here but you can make it with any summer squash. Try it with pita chips or on garlic bread, anywhere you would use hummus. Also you could have mix it with some rice and yogurt for something really special. We're giving a range for the garlic amount here, but as in most things we cook, we err on the side of more garlic personally.

Dice the zucchini. Drizzle a little olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced zucchini. Add a healthy pinch of salt to the pan. Cover and cook down.

Meanwhile, mince the garlic and put it into the mortar with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Smash it well. Smash it again for good measure. You're looking for a garlic paste (aren't we all?). If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can hack it well enough with a small bowl and the back of a wooden spoon, although you are fairly warned that it will smell of garlic for the rest of time if you do. This could be a bonus.

When the squash is a fine mush, add the garlic paste to the pan, along with the turmeric. Mix together well. If you have a taste for extra virgin olive oil, now is the time to add in just enough for flavor. Take off the heat and put it in a warmed bowl and you're done!

CSA Week 3

By Mike on


THE CONTINUING RAIN has been, on the one hand, a boon. We haven’t needed to irrigate since sometime in May. On the other, it’s making harvest into a world-class mud wrestling match, and really slowing down our nightshade crops: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant. We look forward to more balanced precipitation moving forward. Our other challenge this week: first signs of that perennial doer of supreme mischief, Marmota monax – THE WOODCHUCK. We have posted an eviction notice. Updates to follow.

What's In Your Bag

Beets
Whole beets this week, which means both beetroot and tops! Separate them for storage if you won’t be using them over the next day or two as the stems and leaves will wick moisture out of the root. We like both the roots and greens (with lettuce) in a salad with goat cheese and walnuts.

Zucchini
These are at the very best size. Tender and delicious, no skinning necessary. Lightly grilling or sauteeing them will produce spectacular results.

Red Russian Kale
In soups, in salads. Try with miso!

Rainbow Swiss Chard
Sailing along this year with all the water! It keeps them mild and makes them grow like weeds. We wish all our weeds were chard.

Lettuce Mix
Allstar mix this week, one of our favorites. An assortment of green oakleaf, red oakleaf, green romaine, red romaine, lollo rossa, and red leaf lettuces for a variety of texture, and a little more flavor than Buttercrunch.

Onion Tops
A delicious byproduct of topping one’s onions, which is done to improve bulb growth. You can use them in anything you would use green onions in, because they’re the same thing, which translates loosely into anything you would use onions in.

Recipe: Radish Pickles

By Emma on


You'll need:

  • 8-10 radishes
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 garlic scape
  • 1 1/2 c. rice wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 c. water
  • 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. sesame seeds
  • Salt to taste

These fridge pickles are just as good as canned pickles, but with less the work. They make a refreshing snack on a hot summer day. They're also a nice accent on sandwiches or wraps, if you can keep them that long....

Proper sanitation is very important here. Make sure you keep your hands, utensils and work surface very clean. Wash your veggies thoroughly before you begin. When you're done, Keep refrigerated.

Slice the radishes, carrots and scapes into 1/4 inch pieces. Put them in a bowl or jar. Mix the rice wine and balsamic vinegars together, and pour over the bowl with water in equal parts until the vegetables are covered. Add the sesame seeds, and salt to taste. Let rest for at least 48 hours in the refrigerator; the longer they go, they better they are. When you just can't wait any longer, open them up and enjoy!

CSA Week 2

By Mike on


THE WEATHER has been weird lately, obviously. But we've gotten enough rain that we really haven't needed to water too much, and it's hard to grumble about that. This week's lineup is pretty similar to the last, with some delicious orange mint instead of peas (which the recent heat mostly fnished off). There are zucchini on the near horizon though!

What's In Your Bag

Radishes
Delicious fresh, though we made fridge pickles with them this week and didn't reget it. We'll be posting the recipe on our website.

Orange Mint
The very best mint variety for mojitos, just in time for the 4th. Also particularly good in tabbouleh.

Red Russian Kale
So good. Uhh for you.

Baby Carrots
Variety is Mokum this week. To keep the roots crisp, remove the tops. No need to throw those away, they make great pesto!

Rainbow Swiss Chard
We try to get all the pretty colors into a given bunch, but there are so many!

Toscano Kale
Ever have a kale Caesar salad? This week's Toscano is the perfect size and tenderness for that.

Lettuce Mix
Baby leaf Buttercrunch this week, tender and sweet.

Garlic Scapes
From our neighbor again this week (our own garlic is late and he had a surplus). Chop them up and put them into anything, raw or cooked, as they're clinicallly proven to make literally anything taste 600% better.

CSA Week 1

By Emma on June 22, 2019

It's finally here: Week 1.

Growing vegetables is something I love. There is a rhythm and a pattern that makes it peaceful. There's the seed order, when you let your imagination run away with you as you pour through the Johnny's Select Seeds catalog and circle every other vegetable, telling yourself you will make the time to experiment with all these beautiful new varieties. In the long, sometimes mundane winter, this little connection with the seasons ahead gives you an energy and a sense of your limits that is often a bit misleading when it comes time to actually plant. Still, that excitement is joyful at the time.

Next comes time to start your seeds indoors. It is a quiet, thoughtful task. A good time to chat if you have someone working alongside you, or else get lost in your head, mulling things over as you carefully count out the seeds to go into each cell.

There is this little time between starting the seeds and setting them out – where you are nurturing the tender seedlings. Things never feel quite real at this time. It is hard to picture the trays of seeds in front of you filling the gardens and feeding so many people. And it is too early to begin most tasks out in the gardens. It feels like it will never be time to break earth and start planting.

Then all of a sudden – it is.

All of a sudden it's time for everything all at once to be happening! I always end up feeling behind during this time. This year in particular, that was actually true. We had a long, wet Spring. It made it impossible for me to plant on my earliest planting dates. I'm not going to lie – I probably panicked a bit. Just for a moment, though. Then I set to work. Since as early as the ground could be worked, we have been out there, day in and day out, working on getting the vegetables to our CSA members on our start date. There have been set-backs – besides the late start, we had a visitor in the form a groundhog. A groundhog who didn't much care that we had people counting on us for their vegetables. It took a week of him sampling our greens beds to take care of that problem. As a result, there are no snow peas or kale for our first week like we had hoped. Our little friend nipped the tops off our entire crop, a few each day, requiring the whole thing to be replanted.

Here we are, though. Week 1! This is the biggest year for our CSA that we have had. There are so many people who have put their faith in us to provide them with fresh vegetables for the next 18 weeks. It is intimidating, but rewarding. We are at the part where we share our labors of the Spring with people. Where the work we do arrives on someones plate to nourish them. It is an exciting time for us! We will be adding links to recipes as we go along. We also invite our CSA members to share their own for us to pass along to others.

New Website

By Mike on March 9, 2019

We're EXTREMELY HAPPY to introduce you to our new website. It's been a long time coming, and we hope you like it!