Winter CSA Week 3: See you in 2018!!

First Snow of 2017!!!

We had our first magical snow of the Winter season! However, it has also put a rather abrupt end to our growing season here at the farm (also the rapid drop in temperature that is predicted for this week is sure to make an end to any hope of extra greens coming out of the fields). Luckily, Cole harvested a bunch of leeks before the snow fell and we got in the last of the radishes, cabbage and carrots earlier. Cole and I are off to the New England Vegetable and Fruit Growers Conference in NH for most of this week.  I look forward to this conference every year- the trade show helps us find new suppliers, introduces us to engineers of equipment and products that could improve (or not) our own farms, but the biggest part is that we will be inspired and daunted by the accomplishments of our fellow farmers and farmer-scientists through workshop after workshop of the how’s, what’s, when’s and why’s (or nots). It never ceases to amaze me- we all work so hard to grow food, but we are also citizen scientists collecting data on pollination, yield, plant and soil health, making connections and combating disease, and so many many more and then they share those discoveries/inventions/failures/successes with their fellows so that we don’t make the same mistakes or we will try something new. I can’t wait!!!

The snow is beautiful out there- don’t forget that you are all welcome to come enjoy outdoor sledding, cross-country skiing or snowshoeing adventures here on the farm all winter long. We will have some fun events coming up throughout the cold season (and our woodstoves and campfires will be blazing to keep us toasty as we sip hot cider or cocoa at nearly all of them). Keep an eye on Facebook , thetrustees.org and this CHF blog and MySouthborough.com for updates on all our programming. I am super excited for the wooden reindeer friends that will be showing up around the Christmas holiday and hanging out waiting for bells to be hung around their cute antlers by adorable children.

Storing these veg in your own kitchens:

Winter squashes- actually do best on top of the fridge. They like the warmth and not a lot of humidity, just don’t forget them there! (I typically find one squishy gross squash disaster up there in the spring…)

Carrots and beets and other roots: keep in their plastic bag (or better yet, put them in a zipper lock bag and squeeze the air out) and put in one of bottom drawers of your fridge. They like it cold and with just a little humidity, not a lot or they will try to grow). If you have a nice cold basement- you can also store these roots in clean sand in a rubbermaid container down in the cold.

Cabbage, Kale, Lettuce: So these also do well in a high humidity fridge drawer. Cabbage will last for months, but kales and lettuce need to be eaten sooner!

Potatoes: These like to be at room temperature or colder, but not freezing and low humidity. The important thing for them is darkness. Throw out any green potatoes- they are bad for you. I keep mine in a dark corner cabinet.

Onions: room temperature is fine. The red ones will want to sprout, don’t worry about that, eat the green shoots (I actually let mine green shoot for most of a winter once and they just kept growing back) and eat the whole onion in a short time (you will be getting more!)

Summer CSA sign-ups are OPEN!!!!Give the gift of health and fresh delicious food this holiday season by buying your loved ones (or yourself!) https://goo.gl/zqzdWi

What’s in Your Share this Week:

·         Cabbage, green & red

·         Leeks

·         Onions, white

·         Kale-Appleton Farm, Ipswich

·         Lettuce/Salad

·         Butternut Squashes from Seaview Farm in Rockport, MA

·         Potatoes, Upswing Farm, Dover

·         Carrots, Appleton Farm, Ipswich

·         Beets, Appleton Farm, Ipswich

·         Purple Radishes (so good!!!so beautiful)

·         Tomato puree (a little taste of Chestnut Hill Summertime in a jar)

·         You may pick your own Sage, Thyme and Oregano from the beds near the CSA parking area if you can find them under the snow!

Upcoming Engagement and Education Events- Register on-line (https://goo.gl/otZo12)  or in the farmstand:

It might be cold outside and winter may be coming upon us quickly, but there is a lot of fun activities starting up on the farm for the winter season

• ·         Farmstead Solstice Stroll- On December 21 from 6-8p Join us as we celebrate the winter solstice, a traditional new year’s holiday that dates back 5,000 years and has deep agricultural roots. Join us as we light up the night with a Solstice stroll and celebration at the farm. Participants will meet in the parking lot for a guided candlelit walk through the woods that will include presented passages from the story "The Shortest Day" by Wendy Pfeffer. After hiking the trails throughout our pastures we'll gather back in the orchard to warm up by a fire and enjoy hot chocolate and s'mores as we welcome the new season under the stars. 
•       There are reindeer visiting the farm, and they want you to find them and put on their Christmas bells and ribbons. We will have baskets outside the farmstand with bells for you to take on your Reindeer Quest. Starts the weekend before Christmas.
•  

Farmstand:

This week! CSA Members take 10% off dry goods in the farmstand!!! That’s right, stock up on honey, puree, tea, coffee and more. Other sales going on as well, look for them this week.

Our farmstand will continue to be open on Tuesdays during Meat CSA pickups so don’t forget about us. If you haven’t already, like our page on Facebook so that if/when we update days/hours open, you don’t miss out.

Recipe of the Week

Beet and Greens Cheddar Crumble

This is like a veggie version of mac and cheese and it sounds so so so good. I snagged it from the NY times….

INGREDIENTS·        
          1 pound medium beets·        
           3 sprigs fresh thyme branches plus 3/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
·         ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
·          Kosher salt and black pepper
·         1 ¼ pounds beet greens, Swiss chard, kale, spinach or a mix
·         11 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, more for greasing pan
·         1 1/3 cups  all-purpose flour (divided in half)
·         2 cups milk
·         9 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated (2 1/4 cups)
·         2 to 3 tablespoons English mustard powder, to taste
·         1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
·         ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce, more as needed
·         1/4 cup  rolled oats
·           toasted hazelnuts, chopped (3 tablespoons)
·         1 ½ teaspoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
·         ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
       2 garlic cloves, peeled

· 

1.   PREPARATION 
    Combine beets, thyme branches, garlic and peppercorns in a large pot. Cover with cold salted water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; cook until beets are tender, 15 to 30 minutes depending on size. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add greens and cook for 2 minutes (do this in batches if necessary); remove with tongs and transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water. Drain well.

2.    Once beets are cool enough to handle, peel them and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Roughly chop greens’ leaves and stalks.

3.    Prepare the béchamel: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 5 tablespoons butter. Stir in 2/3 cup flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes; roux should smell cooked but remain white. Slowly whisk in milk until mixture forms a thick, smooth sauce. Stir in 8 ounces Cheddar (2 cups) until melted. Stir in mustard powder, Worcestershire and Tabasco. Season with salt to taste.

4.    Make the crumble topping: In a small bowl, stir together remaining 2/3 cup flour, the oats and the hazelnuts. Use your fingers to work in 6 tablespoons butter, the remaining 1 ounce Cheddar ( 1/4 cup) and the Parmigiano-Reggiano. It should be a mixture of large and small pieces. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper and the nutmeg.

5.    When you are ready to assemble the dish, heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart gratin or baking dish. Spread a layer of béchamel on the bottom. Top with a layer of beets, followed by a layer of greens and stalks. Season generously with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Spread another layer of béchamel on top and repeat process to fill dish (you will end up with 3 or 4 layers). Cover entire surface with crumble topping. Transfer dish to oven and bake until bubbling and golden brown in spots, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Cover crops germinating in PYO field

Winter CSA: Week 2 I’m still stuffed and my fridge is full.

Sunset across the fields

Hello all and I hope you had a warm and wonderful meal and gave thanks for all that is blessed in your life. We hope that you could use some of the veggies that went home with you two weeks ago to bring a locavore twist on your holiday. If you did, let us know about it! We would love to see your recipes- you can send them to Des or to Kira or post them on our Facebook page.

As usual, I spent most of the holiday in the kitchen, cooking. It is one of the few times of year that I go into the kitchen as gleeful as a child making cookies because I’ve given myself permission to take the day off and be completely immersed and deliberate in my cooking glory. There is no rush on the day, and it all happens in sequence because nothing fits in that oven with a 30lb turkey basting away for 6 hours. I don’t think about whether the recipe is ‘healthy’, I experiment with ingredients going into the stuffing and it gets better every year. I throw the kids out of the house (conveniently not raining this year) and I just chop and sauté and bake and make glorious food.

One of the dishes that was new to our repertoire this year was a cabbage slaw (because this really was a ridiculously good cabbage year and it is SO sweet after being frosted that I was inspired by all of you to try a couple of the slaws you have been telling me about eating). Please try this recipe (see below) because even if you think you don’t like cole slaw, you will like this one. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. One thing about this recipe is that I loved it on the first night when all the veggies were crisp, but my partner loved it the next night because he said the flavors are better when everything had a chance to meld. You be the judge.

We also hope that you’ve managed to get out to visit one of the amazing special places in our area during these last, impossibly gorgeous, warm days of the late fall. I’ve been walking the farm trails in the last couple of weeks, first with the Southborough Conservation Commission, our head Steward and our CR monitor from Sudbury Valley Trustees, and then with family on the day after Thanksgiving when we gathered to celebrate a second time. I love the strange diversity of our woods- its wide branching, field grown white oaks (sometimes called Lone Wolf trees), gangling tall pitch pines, and red maples, bright and slender. It’s like nowhere I’ve ever lived (being predominantly hemlock, ash and sugar maple forests of western mass and Vermont or the live oak, saw palmetto, prickly pear and scrub pine of Florida’s eastern coast) and I find it fascinating. I love the second growth field edges filled with black cherry and warblers. The snags full of woodpeckers and flying squirrel nests, the chipmunks and hawks that live so enmeshed with us humans. Coyotes have been having a blast lately- yipping and yowling across the hills at night.

Just because it is chilly out don’t miss the opportunity to explore the winter woods! Nature’s secrets are all revealed as the leaves fall to mulch back into earth and you can see old bird nests, hidey holes, winter homes of squirrels, paper wasp creations (wasps are scary when the nests are active in summer, but check out the nests up close if you can right now- they are incredible). We explored the Turenne Wildlife Habitat here in Southborough over the weekend. The planted bird garden habitat is fabulous even in the late fall! It was filled with birds- our new find was the white-throated sparrow who was just as curious about us as we were excited to see it. There is a fun letterbox to find as well if you are interested in treasure hunting expeditions.  

Storing these veg in your own kitchens:

Winter squashes- actually do best on top of the fridge. They like the warmth and not a lot of humidity, just don’t forget them there! (I typically find one squishy gross squash disaster up there in the spring…)

Carrots and beets and other roots: keep in their plastic bag (or better yet, put them in a zipper lock bag and squeeze the air out) and put in one of bottom drawers of your fridge. They like it cold and with just a little humidity, not a lot or they will try to grow). If you have a nice cold basement- you can also store these roots in clean sand in a rubbermaid container down in the cold.

Cabbage, Kale, Lettuce, Spinach: So these also do well in a high humidity fridge drawer. Cabbage will last for months, but kales and lettuce need to be eaten sooner!

Potatoes: These like to be at room temperature or colder, but not freezing and low humidity. The important thing for them is darkness. Throw out any green potatoes- they are bad for you. I keep mine in a dark corner cabinet.

Sweet potatoes: similar to regular potatoes for temperature, tho if you have room they will last longer in the humid drawer of your fridge. Don’t worry about light for them- and don’t worry about any little shoots (those are edible actually).

Onions: room temperature is fine. The red ones will want to sprout, don’t worry about that, eat the green shoots (I actually let mine green shoot for most of a winter once and they just kept growing back) and eat the whole onion in a short time (you will be getting more!)

What’s in Your Share this Week:

·         Cabbage, green & red

·         Leeks

·         Onions, red and white

·         Lettuce/Salad

·         Butternut Squashes from Seaview Farm in Rockport, MA

·         Sweet potatoes, Upswing Farm, Dover

·         Potatoes, Upswing Farm, Dover

·         Carrots, Appleton Farm, Ipswich

·         Beets, Appleton Farm, Ipswich

·         Purple Radishes (so good!!!so beautiful)

·         Spinach, Appleton Farm, Ipswich

·         You may pick your own Sage, Thyme and Oregano from the beds near the CSA parking area.

Upcoming Engagement and Education Events- Register on-line (https://goo.gl/otZo12)  or in the farmstand:

It might be cold outside and winter may be coming upon us quickly, but there is a lot of fun activities starting up on the farm for the winter season.

·         Chestnut Hill Art and Craft Festival December 1^st from 7-9p and December 2^nd from 10-5: this annual event is not actually a Trustees event, but is closely related and part of the farm history. Come enjoy and buy from local artists and craftsman for unique and special holiday gifts. We will be there with gift baskets and a variety of edible farm products! This event is held at 2 locations- one is across from the farm at 10 Chestnut Hill Rd, but please park in the trailhead parking area. The other location is at the L’Brie Fellowship on 79 Lynbrook Rd in Southborough, just a few short minutes away from Chestnut Hill.

·         Woodland Décor Workshop- Saturday, December 2^nd from 11-1. Inspired by the beauty around you and want to try your hand at making your own gorgeous holiday decoration? A wreath, a swag, or more? Walk through the woods of the farm with Kira and harvest some beauty to turn into a gift or decorations in the coziness of our classroom. All materials provided. $

·         Barnyard Brew Hike!!!! Start your weekend early and come take a walk in the moonlight with us in December! We’ve been hearing owls, nighthawks, deer and coyotes lately (don’t worry- they are TERRIFIED of us humans but are awesome running across the landscape under the moon). We will have either a craft brewer joining us or a selection of brews to enjoy from a local brewery and we will mingle and delight in the full moon and the beauty of the autumnal season. It will probably be cool and brisk, so dress accordingly even though we will finish our hike by the campfire with some tasty treats. Thursday evening from 6-730p on December 7^th.

·         Digital Photography Series: Places and Objects Our own former Trustees photography master, Mark Gardner is leading this photography series on the farm. Bring your own cameras, but Mark will guide and lead this photography adventure around the farm. $

·         Farmstead Solstice Stroll- On December 21 from 6-8p Join us as we celebrate the winter solstice, a traditional new year’s holiday that dates back 5,000 years and has deep agricultural roots. Join us as we light up the night with a Solstice stroll and celebration at the farm. Participants will meet in the parking lot for a guided candlelit walk through the woods that will include presented passages from the story "The Shortest Day" by Wendy Pfeffer. After hiking the trails throughout our pastures we'll gather back in the orchard to warm up by a fire and enjoy hot chocolate and s'mores as we welcome the new season under the stars.

Farmstand:

This week! CSA Members take 10% off dry goods in the farmstand!!! That’s right, stock up on honey, puree, tea, coffee and more. Other sales going on as well, look for them this week.

Our farmstand will continue to be open until mid December on Tuesdays and Saturdays for our regular hours and we will be open after that on Tuesdays during Meat CSA pickups so don’t forget about us. If you haven’t already, like our page on Facebook so that if/when we update days/hours open, you don’t miss out.

Vegetable of the Year- Cabbage

The humble cabbage is often overlooked as something that is just a ‘filler’ vegetable or one that we remember only as that strange boiled soup/stew that our grandmothers made to torment us. The cabbages in the grocery are frequently very old and have lost most of their sugar and crisp texture. They were also varieties chosen for their long shelf life and not necessarily their flavor. In the last few years, the revival of the farmer’s market, fresh markets and

CSA have led to a resurgence in cabbage varieties that return flavor and sweetness to the common cabbage. These varieties have crunchy texture, a bright sulfur bite and a higher sugar content (which also makes for better home-made kraut). It doesn’t just lie there begging to be ignored in a slushy heap on the plate.

This year the weather (rainy spring and warm fall) and the current soil composition of our fields, favored cabbage above all other veggies. We were able to offer cabbage in some form (green, red, napa) in the share every week. We found that our favorite way to eat it was raw. Thinly sliced and mixed with other veggies- it was beautiful and delicious- and it was an easy side that even the kids enjoyed.

Cabbage Slaw, Southern style (non-dairy)

So I have a mandoline slicer that I use to do all the veggies in this but the cabbage. I highly recommend one to make this as quick and easy as possible.

1 small red cabbage, or half a green cabbage and half a red, cored and thinly sliced- about 6 cups

1 red onion

2-3 carrots (about 1 cup)

2 purple radish (also about ½-1 cup)

You can also add up to a cup of other veggies that you enjoy raw- fennel, red radish, salad turnip, daikon, beets, etc

¼ cup vinegar (cider, white wine or rice)

¼ cup good oil (EVOO, avocado, sunflower)

Juice from one lemon

1 Tbsp sugar (yes, this seems weird, but it doesn’t make the salad sweet, it helps to meld flavors)

Salt and pepper to taste

Other favorite spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, caraway, fennel, etc. Just sprinkle a little in to start and go from there.

Optional: 1 diced ripe avocado (I would not do this if you plan on making a big batch for the week and leaving to sit in the fridge. Instead add it just before serving so it doesn’t turn gray and odd looking on you)

Mix all of the veggies together with vinegar, juice, oil and spices. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve. Crispier veggies the first day, second day and on the veggies get softer, but the flavors deepen.

Another recipe that I found while perusing the Wegman’s holiday mag was the following:

Roasted Carrots & Kale with Cranberries and Sunflower seeds

Ingredients:

2 lbs carrots, cut in 1 in pieces on the bias

4 Tbsp good EVOO or herby flavored oil

Salt and pepper to taste

½ bunch kale, destemmed and chopped

½ cup dried cranberries

2 Tbsp roasted sunflower seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. Toss the carrots and ½ the oil in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast about 20 min, until tender, turning once halfway through. Remove from the oven, add kale and season again and drizzle with remaining oil. Roast 5 min more. Remove from oven, add cranberries and sunflower seeds and toss to combine before serving.

Winter CSA Week 1: Welcome to our first extended season share!

Beets looking good in the field before the big chill

We have had a couple of years now of offering just a single pick up Thanksgiving box, but this is the first season where we are offering an extension of CSA with three pickups happening from November to December. We had a great run of mild autumn weather that kept things growing beautifully in the field until the recent cold snap. The cold finished off our farm season rather abruptly and we aren’t going to have quite the gorgeous greens we were hoping for (even though we spent some extra time double covering them and trying to keep them tucked in and safe). We still have lots of beautiful veggies in our storage areas and tucked under layers of row cover that did survive the blast of winter weather.

We have been busy on the farm the last couple of weeks! We have been getting the last of the fertility and cover crops into the fields, picking up irrigation, taking down tents and fences, harvesting and weeding. The short (and cold!) days make the work a little harder and a little tougher to stay motivated, but it all has to get done before the snow really starts to fly.

hoeing the arugula before covering

As usual for me, the shorter days also mean more time in front of the computer, meetings with colleagues and training workshops for myself and the crew. We’ve attended two workshops in the last few weeks- one on No-till Vegetable farming (basically, that this is a technique that is very beneficial to soil structure and organic matter and all of us farmers could do more to incorporate areas of no-tilling into our operations) and another on Lean Farming principles (improving efficiency and organization and morale on your farm and with your team). Both were excellent and we learned a lot that we are going to try a few things on our farm next year. Never stop learning and growing!

Storing these veg in your own kitchens:

Winter squashes- actually do best on top of the fridge. They like the warmth and not a lot of humidity, just don’t forget them there! (I typically find one squishy gross squash disaster up there in the spring…)

Carrots and beets and other roots: keep in their plastic bag (or better yet, put them in a zipper lock bag and squeeze the air out) and put in one of bottom drawers of your fridge. They like it cold and with just a little humidity, not a lot or they will try to grow).

Cabbage, Kale, Lettuce: So these also do well in a high humidity fridge drawer. Cabbage will last for months, but kales and lettuce need to be eaten sooner!

Potatoes: These like to be at room temperature or colder, but not freezing and low humidity. The important thing for them is darkness. Throw out any green potatoes- they are bad for you. I keep mine in a dark corner cabinet.

Sweet potatoes: similar to regular potatoes for temperature, tho if you have room they will last longer in the humid drawer of your fridge. Don’t worry about light for them- and don’t worry about any little shoots (those are edible actually).

Onions and garlic: room temperature is fine. The red ones will want to sprout, don’t worry about that, eat the green shoots (I actually let mine green shoot for most of a winter once and they just kept growing back) and eat the whole onion in a short time (you will be getting more!)

beautiful Powisset Farm in Dover

What’s in Your Share this Week:

·         Cabbage, green

·         Leeks

·         Romanesco cauliflower

·         Onions, red and white

·         Kale

·         Lettuce/Salad

·         Brussels

·         Butternut and Acorn Squashes from Aprilla Farm in Essex, MA

·         Sweet potatoes, Powisset Farm, Dover

·         Potatoes, Powisset Farm, Dover

·         Carrots

·         Beets

·         Apples, Cider Hill Orchard, Beverly

·         Bunched herbs: Sage and Rosemary

·         Celery (if it survives the cold snap- use the tops!!!)

Upcoming Engagement and Education Events- Register on-line (https://goo.gl/otZo12)  or in the farmstand:

It might be cold outside and winter may be coming upon us quickly, but there is a lot of fun activities starting up on the farm for the winter season.

·         Chestnut Hill Art and Craft Festival December 1^st from 7-9p and December 2^nd from 10-5: this annual event is not actually a Trustees event, but is closely related and part of the farm history. Come enjoy and buy from local artists and craftsman for unique and special holiday gifts. We will be there with gift baskets and a variety of edible farm products! This event is held at 2 locations- one is across from the farm at 10 Chestnut Hill Rd, but please park in the trailhead parking area. The other location is at the L’Brie Fellowship on 79 Lynbrook Rd in Southborough, just a few short minutes away from Chestnut Hill.

·         Woodland Décor Workshop- Saturday, December 2^nd from 11-1. Inspired by the beauty around you and want to try your hand at making your own gorgeous holiday decoration? A wreath, a swag, or more? Walk through the woods of the farm with Kira and harvest some beauty to turn into a gift or decorations in the coziness of our classroom. All materials provided. $

·         Barnyard Brew Hike!!!! Start your weekend early and come take a walk in the moonlight with us in December! We’ve been hearing owls, nighthawks, deer and coyotes lately (don’t worry- they are TERRIFIED of us humans but are awesome running across the landscape under the moon). We will have either a craft brewer joining us or a selection of brews to enjoy from a local brewery and we will mingle and delight in the full moon and the beauty of the autumnal season. It will probably be cool and brisk, so dress accordingly even though we will finish our hike by the campfire with some tasty treats. Thursday evening from 6-730p on December 7^th.

·         Digital Photography Series: Places and Objects Our own former Trustees photography master, Mark Gardner is leading this photography series on the farm. Bring your own cameras, but Mark will guide and lead this photography adventure around the farm. $

·         Farmstead Solstice Stroll- On December 21 from 6-8p Join us as we celebrate the winter solstice, a traditional new year’s holiday that dates back 5,000 years and has deep agricultural roots. Join us as we light up the night with a Solstice stroll and celebration at the farm. Participants will meet in the parking lot for a guided candlelit walk through the woods that will include presented passages from the story "The Shortest Day" by Wendy Pfeffer. After hiking the trails throughout our pastures we'll gather back in the orchard to warm up by a fire and enjoy hot chocolate and s'mores as we welcome the new season under the stars.

Farmstand:

This week! CSA Members take 10% off dry goods in the farmstand!!! That’s right, stock up on

Simple Gifts Farm in Amherst, MA after one of our workshops

honey, puree, tea, coffee and more. Other sales going on as well, look for them this week.

Our farmstand will continue to be open until Thanksgiving on Tuesdays and Saturdays for our regular hours and we will be open after that on Tuesdays during Meat CSA pickups so don’t forget about us. If you haven’t already, like our page on Facebook so that if/when we update days/hours open, you don’t miss out.

Desiree’s Favorite Holiday Recipes:

So Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. I love it for the way that we all gather together as friends and family and hold each other in light and feel gratefulness for another year, another season and for the gift of plenty. This is the time of year when I give to food pantries at nearly every shopping trip and try to figure out how I can be more giving throughout the year to those in need. I set small goals for myself by saying- this year, I will donate X amount every month. I will research what is needed most at my local food pantries and buy a little more of that. The farm donates extra produce every week during the main season to the Southborough Food Pantry, but these are my personal goals. I encourage all of you to do the same. Recently our 4-H club (Powisset Farm’s Hens and Hogs) sat outside a grocery in Medway for 2 hours and collected 600 pounds of food and over $200 to donate to Natick’s A Place to Turn! It was amazing!!!! Never doubt that you can make someone’s life a little more secure by giving just a couple of dollars, cans, boxes of food or sanitary supplies every week.

Ok. Again, I love Thanksgiving and I love making food. I always make the turkey (usually a huge one) and stuffing, a pumpkin cheesecake, cranberry relish, mash, gravy and whatever anyone else that was coming forgot. This year, my parent have emigrated to Florida and can’t make it back up for the holiday and so we will be bringing the said giant turkey to a friend’s house. I also plan to add some of the following to the menu since my mum won’t be coming to make them. 

Sweet Potato Souffle from Paleohacks.com by Megan Olson

Sweet potatoes are delicious- and they are super versatile, making a pie as easily as they make a French fry. I don’t think we’ve made a sweet potato holiday recipe more than once- I think my mum found it to be a challenge to create a new delicacy every year from this veg. I recently abandoned my favorite twice-baked recipe (because all my sweet potatoes were small and we had a no dairy/refined sugar guest) and instead opted to make a soufflé with farm eggs. It wasn’t too sweet and make a lovely side dish that was light and beautiful and surprisingly easy.

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cooked, and mashed
• 1 T butter (for dairy-free use coconut oil)
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 3 large eggs, separated
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 T coconut flour
• ½ t nutmeg
• ½ t cinnamon
• ¼ t salt
• 1 T finely chopped pecans
• 1 T finely chopped walnuts
• Coconut oil for greasing
• Coconut sugar for dusting

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease a 1½ quart soufflé baking dish with coconut oil. Set aside.
• Heat a medium saucepan to medium-low heat. Add butter and coconut flour to the pan, whisking until combined. Slowly add the coconut milk while continuing to whisk until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the mashed maple syrup, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, sweet potatoes and egg yolks into the mixture. Set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, add egg whites and mix with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
• Carefully fold eggs whites into the sweet potato mixture. Do not over mix.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish. Add finely chopped pecans and walnuts evenly on top of the soufflé. Sprinkle a bit of coconut sugar on top.
• Bake 30 minutes until the top is lightly browned and puffed.
• Serve immediately with coconut cream or dairy-free ice cream.

Roasted carrots and brussels with dried cranberries and toasted pecans

I love this. It’s so good I want to eat it all the time. Take the time to toast the pecans.

Ingredients:

1 lb cleaned Brussels sprouts, quartered

½ lb carrots, cut into strips or chunks

Olive oil

Maple balsamic dressing

Salt/pepper to taste

½ cup of dried cranberries

½ cup toasted pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Toss sprouts and carrots together with the olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast until the veggies are fork tender but not soft, about 20-30 mins. Drizzle with Maple balsamic dressing and turn to coat the veggies. Return to the oven for another 5-10mins. Remove and toss in the cranberries and toasted pecans and serve.

 

Cranberry Relish

Not like other ‘relishes’, but a sweet and tangy marmalade-chutney that makes the turkey come to life. I usually make a little more and can it for use on other turkey concoctions later in the year.

Ingredients:

1lb fresh cranberries

2 oranges

1 ¼ cup sugar

½ cup dried cherries

½ cup walnuts or pecans, toasted

Directions:

In a medium saucepan on med-low heat, combine the cranberries, sugar, juice of both oranges and the zest from one orange. Heat slowly and stirring occasionally until the cranberries pop. Remove from the heat, add the toasted nuts and dried cherries and stir well. Put into a nice serving dish and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Cans well. Is a good one to make ahead of time (with the pies!)

Visit some of the Special Places in your area during the school break! We explored two new ones in the last month! Agassiz Rock and Halibut Point Reservations. They were both so fun and beautiful that I couldn’t stop taking pictures.

Exploring the rocky shore and tidepools of Halibut Point Reservation in Gloucester