Tuesday November 7, 2007

Greetings CSA Members,

***See Saratoga CSA Members  tomorrow between 3-4:00 in front of the Market at High Rock Park. *** I just finished reading The Bottom Line and thought that I would share an interesting finding:

“Vegetables now have lower levels of minerals and vitamins than those grown a half-century ago. Probable reason: Today’s farming methods rely on chemical fertilizers and overuse of soil to yield large crops.

Best: Eat more vegetables, and buy them from farm stands and farmers’ markets that value quality above quantity.”

Rest assured that we value quality over quantity, use no synthetic chemicals or additives, and are good stewards of the land by rotating our crops along with planting cover crops and green manures. We irrigate from our clean streams and creek. And we buy organic seed. The soil’s health is vital to growing the most nutritional vegetables and Brian is constantly building up the soil fertility and health. We know that due to our organic farming practices; we have abundant wild life (sometimes too many deer), lots of earthworms, and healthy hives of honeybees. Most of all, we hope that you feel a bit healthier too!!

Sunday we finished digging all of the potatoes. Ruby, our dog, loves to be out with us, chasing the voles that come to the surface once Brian has run the digger through the soil. She could sniff and hunt all day long, but she is incredible to watch once she has found a scent. She jumps up from all four feet into the air and then pounces (similar to a fox), leaping and pouncing in rapid succession. She is quite amazing to watch in action.

The season has turned very quickly from summer into winter. Many of these mornings lately, I have awakened to see 20-23 degrees on the thermometer. Thus, we are quickly losing our field crops. You will probably notice this week’s and next week’s shares will include mostly root crops. We knew that the balmy weather in October would come to an end sometime, but these extremely cold mornings are a bit too hard to take!

In your share this week, you will most likely find some or all of the following: Carrots, Beets, Topped Turnips (wonderful mashed with or without potatoes, roasted, and grated raw in a green salad), Sweet Potatoes, Leeks, Laratte Fingerling Potatoes, Spinach, Winter Squash, Cabbage, and Garlic.

This is the final CSA share for the season! We want to thank you all so very much for the tremendous support, encouragement, and enthusiasm with which you have provided us all season long. As I said to one CSA member, your kind words and gestures help to make a long, hard day that much easier. We truly appreciate all that you do for us.

We look forward to seeing you at the indoor winter Farmers’ Markets. In Saratoga, we will be outside on the lawn of the Salvation Army Building from 9-1:00 for the next 2-3 Saturdays in November and inside the building through December. In Troy, we will be inside the Atrium, located directly in front of the entrance closest to CVS from 10-2:00. We will be there through December and into January (until the root crops are gone!!).

Remember to check online for an order form for the November and December Winter Boxes. Deadline for sign-up is November 10th. Pick-ups are at the farm and at the Troy Market. But we encourage any and everyone to coordinate coming to the farm to pick up multiple shares for a group. Please call if you have any questions.

And finally, please join us again next year for the 2008 season. The membership agreement form will be on the website by November 15th!

Thank you again for a wonderful season, enjoy your share, and take good care during the winter months –

Justine

BRIAN’S ROASTED ROOTS

Beets Carrots Potatoes Parsnips Leeks

Onions

Garlic Shallots Turnips Winter Squash

Celeriac

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Use any combination of the vegetables listed above.

Slice each ¼” thick. Grease 1-2 cookie sheets with olive oil. Coat both sides of the vegetables with the oil from the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast at 385-400 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until they begin to brown. Flip the vegetables and continue to roast for 5-10 minutes more.

SPINACH SALAD

½ - ¾ lb. Spinach ½ cup Golden Raisins

1 cup chopped Apple ½ cup Walnuts

Dressing

½ cup white wine vinegar ¼ cup vegetable oil

2 Tbl. chutney 2 tsp. honey

1 ½ tsp. curry powder 1 tsp. dry mustard

Combine all ingredients of the dressing except the oil. Slowly whisk to combine. Continue to briefly whisk while adding the salad oil. Warm the dressing just before serving so that it is warm but not hot.

Chop walnuts roughly and toast until golden. Chop spinach and place in salad bowl. Toss spinach with warm dressing. Top with apples, walnuts, and raisins.

(Recipe from a CSA farm in La Grand, Oregon)

POTATO, LEEK, CELERIAC, AND SPINACH SOUP

1 Bunch Leeks (approx. 3-4)

6 Large Potatoes, scrubbed and cubed

1/3 – 1/2 Celeriac Root

1/2 lb. Spinach, washed and cut into small pieces

5-6 cloves Garlic, minced

2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2-3 Tablespoons Butter

4-6 cups Water (enough to cover the potatoes and leeks)

¼ cup cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat Oil and Butter in the bottom of a large soup pot.

Slice thinly the leeks, add to the heating oil and butter and cook until tender and translucent. Add the potatoes and garlic and sauté until the potatoes begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add a bit more oil, if needed.

Add the water and grate the celeriac into the potato/leek mixture. Cook over medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Either hand mash or puree mixture in a blender (I prefer some chunks, so I use a hand masher). Add the spinach and cook for another 15 minutes. Add more water if needed.

Just before serving, add the cream, salt and pepper.