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From the Farmer
Greetings Winter Shareholders. Though the farm may look dormant at a glance, the rumblings and stretchings of a new season have begun deep inside the heart of the farm. As with a seed that begins to quiver and tremble beneath the barren soil surface, the forces of the earth and the cosmos are also at work on the life of the farm itself (on all our lives, really).
How does a seed know when it's time to crack open its hard shell, when it's time to put down its first root tip, and when it's time to venture up out of the darkness into the bright world above? How could it not know, after thousands of generations of ancestors came before it, honing their efforts and timing to attune the forces within with the forces beyond and bundling all of that knowledge into tiny packages of highly-informed DNA. So too, do we know what to do and when. As so often is the case, it's more a matter of quieting and opening the mind so that we are better able to remember.
This week we take to the office to meditate on numbers large and small, we fill calendars and make schedules, we continue to coalesce the members that will make up the whole of the farm. We reflect, we listen, we eagerly strategize, hoping to make the growing season ahead our best ever, as we do every winter.
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Harvest Report
Potatoes, Onions, Carrots, Beets, Parsnips, Celeriac, Kohlrabi, Turnips, Rutabaga, Daikon Radishes, Watermelon Radishes, Cabbage, Garlic.
Bonus: Popcorn! 1 bag for 1/2 shares, 2 bags for full shares (total for the entire 10 windows) Please check off the popcorn column on the sign-in sheet when you take your bags, in addition to signing in as usual.
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Enjoying the Harvest
with Maggie
Roasted Sausage and Cabbage on Winter Roots Mash
Winter Roots Mash:
This is a variation on plain old mashed potatoes. It is a delicious way to enjoy a variety of roots. Cut any variation of potatoes, carrots, parsnips, celeriac, turnips and rutabaga. I like to do approximately 1/3 potatoes and 2/3 other roots. Cover with water, add 1 tsp of salt and bring to a boil. It is best to boil the roots other than potatoes for about 15 minutes before adding the potatoes. Once the other roots are fork tender, add the potatoes and boil until they, too, are fork tender. Drain the roots and return them to the pot. Add a hearty amount of butter, salt and milk (we use cashew milk and non-dairy butter in our house due to sensitive tummies). Mash and adjust the salt to your liking.
Roasted Sausage and Cabbage:
(Adapted from Dinner by Melissa Clark)
1 medium head of cabbage
1/4 olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh round pepper
1 pound sweet Italian sausage or kielbasa
Heat the oven to 425. Chop the cabbage into thin wedges or steaks. Spread the cabbage on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and black pepper. Coat the sausages lightly with oil and nestle them in amongst the cabbage. Roast, turning them over halfway through, until the sausages are golden and cooked through and the cabbage is starting to brown, about 25 minutes.
Serve over the root mash with a side of sauerkraut. Totally yummy!
And here is a recipe from the wonderful Madeline Leue, CSA Member Extraordinaire. Thanks, Maddie!
Indulgent Parsnips
I didn’t really think you could improve on parsnips roasted in the oven, but this does just that.
Parsnips (pro tip, I like to slice my parsnips “quarter-sawn” rather than as disks by cutting a two inchish section, cutting in half the long way, then slicing wedges out of it. It takes longer, but they come out so much better).
Hazelnuts
Goat butter (available at all the local coops)
Rosemary
Parmesan
Melt in a big cast iron pan at least a half a stick of goat butter. Add hazelnuts and toast on low till they are just browned. Don’t burn them! I do this while cutting the parsnips, but it’s certainly tempting fate. Remove hazelnuts but leave the butter. Add in the parsnips and a sprig of rosemary, cover with a lid. Stir every 5 minute or so for about 35 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready because they’ll get caramelized and gooey. Serve with thick shavings of parmesan. The most indulgent meal ever.
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Farm Store
As some of you may know, our beloved granola from The Sweetish Baker is no more. As with so many local businesses, the folks at The Sweetish Baker had to make the unfortunate and difficult decision to close their doors and cease production. It took us some time, but granola is now back in stock, and we have decided to stock different options for now, so that we can gather feedback from you all.
BOLA Granola is made in Great Barrington, Mass. and comes plain, which gives you the freedom to mix in any fruit, nuts, or sweeteners you desire! Many but not all of its ingredients are organic, and it comes in a larger, 1 pound package.
Back Roads Granola is made in Brattleboro, VT and comes in a vast array of flavors. They also offer truly gluten free, paleo options that we know a lot of our customers may appreciate. They are certified organic and certified glyphosate-residue free. We have decided to stock a number (but not all) of their options, with the hope of getting feedback from you all on your favorites. Please let us know what you like!
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Another local business that we lost this year was Full Kettle Tea. David has personally sipped Greg's tea every day for years, so this was a particularly hard one to lose, but another local grower has stepped in to fill those shoes. Hannah Jacobson-Hardy of Full Moon Ghee and Sweet Birch Herbals has begun making similar blends of tea from ingredients organically grown on her farm right next door in Ashfield, MA. We will begin stocking her teas by Thursday of this week. We are excited to support her and hope that you will love her teas!
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