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.