Week 16: Tired farmers, heavy harvests and short days.

It is that time of year again…autumn winds in with slightly cooler temps (sure to change in a flash with no warning), gorgeous golden light and the sweet changing of leaves. For us, it means a scramble to get in the heavy stuff- buckets and buckets of onions, cabbage, winter squash, potatoes while still getting the last tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. The short days mean we have to hustle a little more, and inevitably, it looks like physical therapy for sore joints, yoga and NSAIDS to keep moving smoothly.
It’s a beautiful time of year- some of the harvest has been nursed along all season from tiny seeds carefully tended in pots in March and April to the fields in June and then carefully weeded and weeded and weeded again, irrigated, fertilized, checked and managed for pests and disease to harvest now like presents from the earth. And then, when the harvest is in, we turn the soil over, plants and debris curving gently back into the earth so that fertility can be added for nourishing the cover crops that will blanket the soil to keep it intact under winter frosts, ice and snow until next spring. We call it ‘putting the fields to bed’ because it feels exactly like that- a tucking carefully in for winter sleep- and it is nourishing for both the soil and for us.

What’s in Your Share this Week (maybe):

• Cherry tomatoes (PYO, take a quart first planting is looking pretty done, but the second is still going strong)
• Beans, dragon (PYO-2nd planting is starting to come in!!!)
• Hot peppers (PYO)
• Tomatillos (PYO hiding under all the huge growth-they should be bursting out of their paper skins)
• Arugula and/or Braising Mustards (spicy and delicious)
• Cabbage, tendersweet
• Radishes/Salad turnips
• Onions
• Eggplant
• Peppers, sweet
• Rapini (also called Spring Raab or Broccoli Raab
• Kale
• Chinese Cabbage (napa cabbage), Red
• Tomatoes, sauce
• Carrots
• Delicata/Sweet Dumpling

Upcoming Events: HARVEST FEST IS COMING UP FAST!

• HARVEST FEST is just around the corner!!!! Coming up on October 8th (the day before Heritage Day here in Southboro) we will hold our 3rd annual celebration of the harvest and the farm! It is a fun time full of local music, pumpkin carving, our fantabulous hay maze, crafts, food and more. Put in on your calendar!!!!
• First of our Barnyard Brew Hikes!!!!October 5th, Thursday from 630-8pm There will be local craft brews to try and guided hiking by the light of the full moon.
• We have a call for artisans and vendors for Harvest Fest! Have a trade, a skill to demo, craft and art to sell and want to be a part of the fun at the festival? We still have some booth space open and would love to have you join us! Please contact Kira at kbaker@thetrustees.org or talk to Desiree during pickup for details.
• Our Preschool Farm Explorer Program Series is happening during October. The Fall has a lot of fun to offer on the farm- see how big our goat kids have gotten! Milk a goat! Romp through the farm fields eating a cherry tomato or picking flowers with Kira, explore the fields, the forest and the hills, meet the cows. We have spaces available! Sign up online or email kbaker@thetrustees.org to get in on the fun. (Program is meant for 2.9-6 year olds, with a caregiver).

Farmstand: 

We have APPLES & PEARS from Cider Hill this week in the farmstand. Apples include varieties: Paula Reds, Red Free, Zestar, Cortlands, Macouns, Galas and Macs (red ripe from the tree!!!!) WHOA! 7 types of apple!!!!
UM. OUR NEW SWEATSHIRTS ARE INCREDIBLE!!!!! In honor of autumn, we have gorgeous, warm hoodie sweatshirts with our goat logo on the front. Support the farm and buy one today! We also have great, sturdy canvas tote bags to haul your veggies home from CSA! Tote bags are USA made and printed locally so grab one up today.

Veggie of the week: Oh those mustard greens…they are so good. 

So we’ve noticed that many of you are avoiding the mustard greens. Are they too spicy? Too colorful? Too weird? Know that this type of green contains high amounts of vital nutrients to support anti-inflammatory and cardiac health and skin radiance. Especially when paired with good olive oil (by ‘good’ we mean, not the cheap stuff- good olive oil isn’t anything but olive oil but it has the highest adulteration rate of any oil….! Try to buy producer direct oil if you can, cold-pressed is best AND California is making some great olive oil!!!! Don’t be afraid of American pressed olives!) and nuts/seeds. These greens are a mix of our favorites and most of them actually aren’t spicy at all. The mix consists of mizuna, Russian kale, tatsoi, hon tsai tai, red giant, golden frills, green giant, ruby frills, and probably a couple more. We admit that some of them have a bit of a kick to them, but the overall blend isn’t too spicy and any kick can be mellowed out easily with a little creamy dressing, by braising them in a pan (essentially a wilted salad- particularly good with chunks of pear and goat cheese) or by making our mustard green pesto. The recipe below calls for soaking the nuts/seeds overnight and doesn’t include any parmesan or romano cheese. I would suggest eliminating the soaking or buying presoaked/sprouted nuts/seeds if you don’t have the time, but if you do- go for it, it makes the nut part creamier and easier overall for humans to digest. This recipe keeps for a month in the fridge, but freeze it in ice cube trays or small containers and pull it out for a mid-winter summer greens kick! Add the cheese after to
ssing it with pasta, roasted potatoes or grilled meats/fish.

Mustard Green Pesto

Ingredients
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• 6 cloves garlic, (crushed)
• 2 bunches mustard greens, (trimmed and chopped)
• ½ teaspoon unrefined sea salt
• 1½ cups extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
1. Toss pecans, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds into a bowl, and cover them by 2 inches with warm water. Allow them to soak for 4 to 6 hours, drain and rinse well. If you're in a bind, you can substitute sprouted or roasted nuts and seeds.
2. Place soaked pecans, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and garlic into your food processor. Pulse 3 to 4 times until just combined. Toss in mustard greens and sea salt and pulse for a few seconds.
3. Turn the food processor on and slowly drizzle olive oil into the seeds and greens until it forms a smooth and uniform paste. Serve immediately or transfer to mason jars, cap with additional olive oil and refrigerate for up to a month.

Week 15: Winter CSA!!!!! and Fay Farmers' Market and Get out and Hike Your Town Southborough!!!

 We encourage you to come and visit us at the Fay School Farmers' Market. It is a great time for the whole family! Discover new locally produced treats, buy some extra veggies to tide you over until the next CSA pick-up, try a new bakery delight, or buy a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. There are new and interesting vendors coming every week and there are lots of fun lawn games and activities for kids as well. It is every Saturday morning from 9a-12p so come and see us!

Our Winter CSA now has a live link for sign-up OR you can sign up in the farmstand during distribution hours!!!! www.thetrustees.org/chestnuthillwinter Check it out and sign up soon!!!! The CSA fun does not have to end as soon as it has in the past (and yes, brussels sprouts). The shares will be larger than a typical weekly share and will contain storage veggies such as potatoes, onions and winter squashes along with fresh greens and more from the fields (don’t worry, we will have prep and storage guides at distribution for you!)

There will be 3 pickups: November 17^th (yep, the Friday before Thanksgiving!!); December 1 and December 15^th. The farmstore will also be open for additional purchases! 3-6pm. 

Welcome to Victoria Blumenfeld who has joined the farm crew part-time for the next few weeks. She will be helping us harvest CSA veggies and working in the farm store on and off, so be sure and welcome her to Southborough!

What’s in Your Share this Week (maybe):

• ·         Cherry tomatoes (PYO, take a quart first planting is looking pretty done, but the second is still going strong)
• ·         Hot peppers (PYO)
• ·         Tomatillos (hiding under all the huge growth-they should be bursting out of their paper
  
  skins)
• ·         Chard
• ·         Cabbage, tendersweet
• ·         Radishes
• ·         Onions
• ·         Summer squash
• ·         Broccoli
• ·         Rapini (also called Spring Raab or Broccoli Raab
• ·         Kale
• ·         Salad Turnips
• ·         Chinese Cabbage (napa cabbage) Green and RED!!!!
• ·         Tomatoes
• ·         Peppers!!!!

Upcoming Events: September is SUPER BUSY and LOTS of FUN! 

September 23^rd- Hike Southborough Day!!!! Two enterprising Girl Scouts are starting a new Community tradition and leading hikes to explore beautiful places in Southborough. There will be guided hikes at Chestnut Hill Farm (2:30pm), the Beals Preserve (9:30a and 6pm), the Sudbury Reservoir and more. The event is free and open to the public! Meeting place and kickoff point (also…bathroom) is at 9am here at Chestnut Hill Farm.

 HARVEST FEST is just around the corner!!!! Coming up on October 8^th (the day before Heritage Day here in Southboro) we will hold our 3^rd annual celebration of the harvest and the farm! It is a fun time full of local music, pumpkin carving, our fantabulous hay maze, crafts, food and more. Put in on your calendar!!!!

·         We have a call for artisans for Harvest Fest! Have a trade, a skill to demo, craft and art to sell and want to be a part of the fun at the festival? We still have some booth space open and would love to have you join us! Please contact Kira at kbaker@thetrustees.org or talk to Desiree during pickup for details.

·         Our Preschool Farm Explorer Program Series is happening during October. The Fall has a lot of fun to offer on the farm- see how big our goat kids have gotten! Milk a goat! Romp through the farm fields eating a cherry tomato or picking flowers with Kira, explore the fields, the forest and the hills, meet the cows. We have spaces available! Sign up online or email kbaker@thetrustees.org to get in on the fun. (Program is meant for 2.9-6 year olds, with a caregiver).

·         Farmstand: 

      We have APPLES & PEARS from Cider Hill this week in the farmstand. Apples include varieties: Paula Reds, Red Free, Zestar, Cortlands and Macs (red ripe from the tree!!!!)

Tomato Puree back in stock!! Our first round of tomatoes went to Appalachian Naturals last week and has come back as delicious, no nonsense added puree. It is perfect for all your tomato base needs- turn it into pasta sauce, creamy tomato soup, and more. It’s summer in a jar so stock up now before they are gone! Price has gone up a little this year due to higher production costs (ain’t that always the case?) to $5/jar. Still a bargain for this beautiful product. I have from a CSA member that it makes the most delicious tomato soup with the addition of some sautéed onion, some spices, salt and a little good chicken stock (partner that with a grilled cheese on sourdough bread and I’m thinking of the perfect lunch!)

·         Wolf’s Neck Mozzarella- fresh and hand-stretched, this mozz is made from Appleton Farm cow milk so it is creamy and delicious with a lot of grass in it from those lush rolling fields. There is a slight skin on each roll, and the inside is creamy and tender. Perfect for those last precious few Caprese salads of summer.

·         For those who missed it on Tuesday- Anna Banana’s Homemade Goodness joined us for distribution with her full array of chocolates and marshmallow and caramel apple incredulousness.  And if you did miss it- she has restocked our fridge with her delicacies, including her seasonal special caramel apples. Trust me- these glorious confections are worth every bite and are meant to be shared.
     We also have a bunch of new Chestnut Hill Farm shwag!!! Gorgeous totes with our Goat logo on it are only $20 and these were made in the US and printed locally! We also have cozy warm hoodie sweatshirts just in time for fall's cooler temps! Come get them while they last- $40/each.

      Veggie of the Week : So I found a recipe site that I love- of course it is associated with a CSA (albeit a delivered share site from NJ, but they had loads of recipes with simple, easy ingredients and it was incredible what I found there- like these little gems below). Check out JustFarmed.com for more recipes using all the crazy different veggies i send your way.

Orzo Salad with Radish, Fennel and Scallion

Orzo Salad with Radish, Fennel and Scallion
Lemony dressing and fresh mint add vibrant flavor to this myrecipes.com pasta salad. Serve chilled or at room temperature, and garnish with pretty mint leaves, if desired
INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups diced fennel (about 1 bulb)
• 1/2 cup chopped radish
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 3 tablespoons minced red or white scallions
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

DIRECTIONS

Cook orzo pasta with 1 tablespoon kosher salt according to the package directions, omitting additional fat. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well.

Combine lemon juice and next 3 ingredients (through pepper) in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add orzo, fennel, and the next 4 ingredients (through 1/2 teaspoon salt); toss well to coat. Cover and chill. Top with nuts before serving

Sautéed Broccoli Rabe
INGREDIENTS:

• Kosher salt
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe, tough, non-leafy stems removed
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Set up a bowl of well salted ice water. Drop the broccoli rabe into the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the boiling water and plunge immediately into the ice water. Once cool remove from the ice water and let dry. It can be used right away or held for future use. Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil. Add the smashed garlic and crushed red pepper and bring to medium heat. Once the garlic is brown and aromatic, remove it from the pan and discard. It has fulfilled its garlic destiny. Add the broccoli rabe and toss around in the oil to heat up and season. Remember the broccoli is already cooked. Add more oil, if needed and season with salt if needed
Roasted Fennel with Parmesan
INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 fennel bulbs, cut horizontally into 1/3-inch thick slices, fronds reserved (recipe can be halved)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Lightly oil the bottom of a 9 x 9 or 13 x 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange the fennel in the dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then with the Parmesan. Drizzle with the oil. Bake until the fennel is fork-tender and the top is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Chop enough fennel fronds to equal 2 teaspoons, then sprinkle over the roasted fennel and serve.

Week 14: Public Service Announcement & the end of Summer veggies

early morning harvest

This time comes every year well before any of us are truly ready, but the summer veggies are starting to succumb to disease and are not long for the world. We will still eek out eggplant, tomatoes and peppers for a week or so yet. The hard part about coming to the end of the summer veg is that it is always short and the veggies are so fresh and delicious that the ones you find continuously in the grocery all winter are a pale shade of the real deal. The upside is that we come into the glory, once again, of the tender greens, the crisp roots, the kick of mustards as the cool weather comes upon us. Broccoli will appear (and hopefully, cauliflower), brussels, more cabbage….all the foods that our seasonal selves need as we turn to the dark of the year and the inevitable table of sweet, rich and starchy comfort foods. Eat these beautiful greens while we have them to cleanse before the holiday feasting starts. Your body will thank you.

Our Winter CSA now has a live link for sign-up OR you can sign up in the farmstand during distribution hours!!!! www.thetrustees.org/chestnuthillwinter Check it out and sign up soon!!!! The CSA fun does not have to end as soon as it has in the past (and yes, brussels sprouts).

Our public service announcement concerns the lovely lines of the new fencing that has gone up around the farm. Cattle have returned to graze the fields that held summer’s bobolinks, savannah sparrows, redwing blackbirds and more. This means that all those fences are now electrified! This is to keep the cattle from wandering into our fields of beautiful vegetables or on to the gorgeous lawns of our neighbors. Please be aware that the fences will give you a nasty shock if you touch them so keep younger kidlets a little closer (and while dogs are not allowed on the farm-and this is and always

has been the rule set forth by the TOWN- they are particularly sensitive to electric shocks and can bolt, terrified, we’ve seen it happen). We have not and will not cut off access to permanent trails, even those permanent trails that hug the field edge unless we are moving livestock through that space temporarily. The lanes that were mowed earlier this summer around the bobolink field (now fenced) are NOT a trail and never have been and were mowed to make it easier for us to fence. Sorry for any confusion. As more new fences go up around the farm, you will see certain kinds of ‘people-only’ gates into some trails/fields, please respect any instructions on the gates for your own safety. Again, we are not closing or blocking any permanent trails unless we are temporarily moving cattle or other livestock through laneways from one paddock to another. Please be patient and understand that the trail will be open immediately again as soon as livestock are moved. Please note that gates will either be open or removed for winter skiing, snowshoeing and sledding! We fully intend that the public will have access to fields when the cattle and bobolinks are not residing there.

If you have any questions regarding the new fencing or trail access please contact our livestock manager, Jesse Robertson at meatcsa@thetrustees.org.  

What’s in Your Share this Week (maybe):

         Okra (PYO, we clearly don’t grow enough of this and next year we will grow more)

·         Cherry tomatoes (PYO, take a quart)
·         Beans, dragon (PYO-1^st planting is going down and second planting is on the way but still not ready, but the dragon beans are still rocking it)
·         Hot peppers (PYO)
·         Tomatillos (hiding under all the huge growth-they should be bursting out of their paper skins)
·         Chard
·         Cabbage, tendersweet
·         Radishes
·         Onions
·         Summer squash
·         Eggplant
·         Kale
·         Salad Turnips
·         Cucumbers (last week for CSA cukes and may get replaced with Broccoli in later part of the week because there was a week when Thurs/Fri/Sat folks got cukes and Tues didn't)
·         Chinese Cabbage (napa cabbage)
·         Tomatoes
·         Lettuce (please keep to the limit- we have just enough!)

Upcoming Events: September is SUPER BUSY and LOTS of FUN!

·         Friday Farm Dinner on September 15th. Sorry folks, this dinner is sold out….we are thinking about adding one in October, let us know if you like that idea.

     

      Giving a Shout OUT for everyone to head over to Powisset Farm in Dover on Saturday!!!!Make a weekend adventure of visiting this great farm's HARVEST FESTIVAL from 10a-3p and combine it with a hike at the beautiful Noanet Woodlands or Rocky Woods. Cost is $9/person or $24/family for members. Games, pumpkins, food, crafts, hayrides and more!!!!





      

      Chestnut Hill Farm HARVEST FEST is just around the corner!!!! Coming up on October 8^th (the day before Heritage Day here in Southboro) we will hold our 3^rd annual celebration of the harvest and the farm! It is a fun time full of local music, pumpkin carving, our fantabulous hay maze, crafts, food and more. Put in on your calendar!!!!

·         We have a call for artisans for Harvest Fest! Have a trade, a skill to demo, craft and art to sell and want to be a part of the fun at the festival? We still have some booth space open and would love to have you join us! Please contact Kira at kbaker@thetrustees.org or talk to Desiree during pickup for details.

·         Our Preschool Farm Explorer Program Series is happening this month. It is a small person version of our Farmer for a Day Camp. It was super fun in the spring and the Fall has a lot of fun to offer on the farm- see how big our goat kids have gotten! Milk a goat! Romp through the farm fields eating a cherry tomato or picking flowers with Kira. We have spaces available! Sign up online or email kbaker@thetrustees.org to get in on the fun. (Program is meant for 2.9-6 year olds, with a caregiver)

·         Plein Air Painting: Saturday, September 23^rd 10:30-12:30 $60/members and $75/nonmembers

This class is for beginning and returning painters who want to acquire fundamental painting skills and new approaches to painting. A local artist will guide students through the process of creating a landscape of our farm, with one-on-one teaching geared to all levels of experience. Whether picking up a brush for the first time or the hundredth, students emerge from this morning on the farm with greater confidence and a renewed passion for painting.

Some basic art experienced is preferred. Cost includes materials. Please note that space in this class is limited and pre-registration is required.

·         Also on September 23^rd- Hike Southborough Day!!!! Two enterprising Girl Scouts are starting a new community tradition and leading hikes to explore beautiful places in Southborough. There will be guided hikes at Chestnut Hill Farm (2:30pm), the Beals Preserve (9:30a and 6pm), the Sudbury Reservoir and more. The event is free and open to the public and we will have more details and a schedule out soon!!! Meeting place and kickoff point (also…bathroom) is at 9am at Chestnut Hill Farm.

·         Farmstand: We have APPLES & NECTARINES from Cider Hill this week in the farmstand. Apples include varieties: Paula Reds, Red Free, Ginger Golds, Cortlands and Macs this week!

·         We have Sidehill Farm yogurt in stock in the fridge. This yogurt was a staple in our house when we lived in Western Mass and we have wished many times that we could find it in a close by location out here. This is made from Normande and Jersey breed cows that are grazed rotationally and intensively on organic pasture. They are happy and their farmers, Paul and Amy, adore them. Happy cows make happy yogurt. We’ve known these farmers for more than 15 years (we remember when they grew vegetables and didn’t even have cows!) Check out more about how fabulous they are and why you should buy and eat their yogurt here. http://www.sidehillfarm.net/cows/

·         Tomato Puree back in stock!! Our first round of tomatoes went to Appalachian Naturals last week and has come back as delicious, no nonsense added puree. It is perfect for all your tomato base needs- turn it into pasta sauce, creamy tomato soup, and more. It’s summer in a jar so stock up now before they are gone! Price has gone up a little this year due to higher production costs (ain’t that always the case?) to $5/jar. Still a bargain for this beautiful product.

Veggie of the week: Napa Cabbage (or really ANY cabbage)

So we have cabbage this season, and it is pretty amazing. Crisp texture, sweet and tangy afterbite…but we’ve had quite a run of it compared with other years and we are hearing you ask more, what do I do with this now? Here’s a couple of fun options.

Red and Napa Cabbage Salad with Braeburn Apples and Spiced Pecans

Bon Appétit January 2007

Yield Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 2 tablespoons golden brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon (scant) cayenne pepper
  

• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar*
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 medium unpeeled Ginger Gold, Cortland or Fuji apples, quartered, cored, thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
• 2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
• 3/4 cup dried tart cherries (about 5 ounces) 
  

• *Also known as sushi vinegar; available in the Asian foods section of supermarkets and at Asian markets.

Preparation

1.  
1. Melt butter in nonstick medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add pecans and stir 1 minute. Add brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne; stir until nuts are coated, about 1 minute. Transfer nuts to foil sheet and cool.
2. Whisk both vinegars and mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Do ahead Spiced pecans and dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Store pecans airtight at room temperature. Cover and chill dressing; bring to room temperature and rewhisk before using.
3. Toss apples with lemon juice in large bowl. Add cabbages and dried cherries; mix. Add dressing and toss. Stir in pecans and season salad with salt and pepper.

 

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Recipe courtesy of Rachel Ray

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided  
• 1 cup raw white rice  
• 1 quart plus 2 cups chicken stock, divided  
• 1 1/2 pounds ground meatloaf mix (a combination of beef, pork and veal)  
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice, eyeball it in your palm  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander, half a palm full  
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, eyeball it in your palm  
• Salt  
• Pepper  
• 1 bay leaf  
• 1 onion, chopped  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced  
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler into strips then finely chopped  
• 1/2-3/4 head Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced  
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes  
• 1 cup tomato sauce  
• 3 tablespoons dill, finely chopped  
• Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped  

Directions

Heat a sauce pot over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 tablespoons. Add the rice and toss to coat in oil. Add 2 cups of chicken stock, bring up to a simmer, cover and cook for 16 to 18 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Heat a deep pot over medium high heat. Add the remaining extra-virgin olive oil, once hot add meat and begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the meat with allspice, coriander, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Add bay leaf, onions, garlic and carrots. Cook veggies 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften them, then add cabbage and wilt it down a bit. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and remaining stock and cover the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, add to the soup and continue to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in parsley and dill, adjust salt and pepper to your taste, and serve.

Boston Ag Expo Fun!