047 Ordering pastured turkeys, Thanksgiving on the farm, eating healthy tastes bad

This coopcast is a bit of Thanksgiving fun with the theme of “plate” (from pasture to plate) running through the segments.  So pull up a chair, have a seat on the farm and join us for a Thanksgiving discussion!

Farm updates:

• Customer looking for pastured turkeys the week before Thanksgiving,
• Pig fencing takes a hit from deer, 
• General farm updates

CoopCast Community:

• We just talk more about food… and answer a question from Josh about our breakfasts.

Farmers Choice:

• We discuss food… In particular how we have noticed that eating good food from the store never seems to taste very good.  Can healthy food taste good?

There is a time for everything...

I remember last years post like it was just the other day.  It's always bittersweet as the gardens wind down and Fall begins it's daily appearance.  After this Summer I think we are actually glad to have a break in the work and just enjoy life a little.  So, without waxing too poetically about the end of the CSA this year, let's ask the same question we have asked for the last 18 weeks one more time for good measure...  Hey, what's in the box?

The final harvested share of 2011 in the CSA 

Tomatoes- savor these red globes holding the last taste of summer. We didn't get a frost yet but it's been mentioned so these really are at their end.
Swiss chard - enjoy now or freeze for later- you'll miss the fresh swiss chard when it's cold and snowy (but it is planted in our greenhouse)
Another delicata squash - be sure to give this delicious squash a try- Wegman's and epicurious have great recipes.
Butternut squash- there are endless recipes for using your butternut squash but using it for soup is a favorite.  These squashes store for a long time so don't worry about using them right away. Save it for a holiday dish and brag to the family - "this is from MY farm!"
Edamame - one more container of edamame.  This is a different variety compared to last week- can you taste a difference?  We don't do anything fancy with out edamame - steam or boil  - add salt and shell and eat right at the table!  That's how it's served at our favorite asian restaurants when we order edamame (not that we really have favorite asian restaurants...  that just sounded cool).
Beets- one last bunch of beets for the season - you'll see there is a mix of bull's blood beets with the dark leaves and detroit red beets with the greenish leaves.
Small bunch of celery- celery doesn't grow as well around here because the growing season isn't as long but you'll see it's just kind of small.  What these little guys lack in size they make up for with taste!  It is time for making soups and stews so we're sure you'll put it to good use.
Banana pepper- these are hot but delicious. We love them on homemade pizza or in quesadillas.
Lettuce - a final head of late-planted lettuce for the year.  This is a golden, lime green colored lettuce that is freshly-picked and yummy... and we forgot the variety so we used lots of adjectives to throw you off.
Carrots!  They were just picked so use a vegetable brush to clean off the soil and then store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.  There is an array of carrot varieties and colors in your bunch of carrots - small and large orange carrots, yellow carrots and purple carrots!

Ohh, there's one more thing in the box...  a note from the farm to you...  Thanks.

And that's it folks.  The end of the 2011 Chicken Thistle Farm CSA!

Is if Fall?

This Labor Day Weekend was a classic switch from Summer to Fall.  It's very clear that the gardens are winding down and there's only a few more CSA shares to be delivered this season.  It's a great time of year for working in the garden and we are rotating some of the pigs into one of the gardens this week.  The change of seasons also opens the door to using your share for some of your favorite fall recipes! So here's what's in the box:

The season is slowing (really)

-Tomatoes- some cherry and a mix of regular tomatoes.  There are some large ones this week- make a big BLT sandwich for the kids to bring to school for lunch!
-Onions- a mix of red and white onions
-Garlic- another NY white garlic
-Sweet peppers- a mix of orange, green and red peppers.  Be sure not to mix these sweet red peppers up with the hot red peppinos from last week.
-Cucumber- did we mention before that it has been a good year for cucumbers?!
-Leeks-start your search for a leek recipe at this link http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/fruits-and-vegetables/vegetables-a-m/leeks/main.aspx or simply use leeks in place of onions in your favorite soup recipe
-Swiss chard (variety is called Bright Lights)  As we head into September, this Swiss chard has the colors of fall!
-Collard greens- just a small bunch to sample since many people have never tried collard greens.  Check out this recipe (you'll have to scale it down given your small sample). http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Collard-Greens-with-Red-Onions-and-Bacon-13471
-Turnip- some people don't like turnip roasted by itself- try it in a recipe that blends the flavor- like a cheesy casserole or in beef stew

A share you don't WANT to share!

Why would I say you don't want to share this share?  Well, mainly because all the weather extremes of this season that we have been able to manage are finally weighing in on the gardens.  In reality many of the plants look like they are in mid-September, slowing down like they normally would.  We are guessing it's because they "rushed" to produce with the extremes (plants do that) and now are spent.  What that really translates to is an encouragement to enjoy this share and the next because that may conclude the CSA for this year...  well...  sorta ;)



So - what's in the box?

-Tomatoes - cherry tomatoes and a mix of standard tomatoes

-Cabbage- The weather conditions each year dictate what does well and what doesn't.  It's been a great year for cabbage...so here's another head of cabbage.  Have you tried creamy cole slaw or the fresh slaw recipe we posted?  Both are great options for Labor Day parties.  You might also try this cabbage tomato pasta toss recipe.  We've served it hot and also cold as a side dish - another Labor Day party option.  Looking for other cabbage options?  Check this out.

-Summer Squash- you'll either see zucchini or yellow squash in the box.  This looks to be the last of it for this year so enjoy!  Did you know you can make zucchini bread and freeze it?! (Or zucchini-blueberry muffins that you bring to the farm to share - mmmm)

-Tuscan kale - this type of kale is commonly used to make kale chips.  Try out the recipe!

-Beets- It's also been a great year for beet.  This variety is called bull's blood - notice the dark burgundy leaves.  They are supposed to be excellent as sauteed greens.  And thanks to CSA member Kelly for sharing the beet hummus recipe below.  We're going to try it out this week too!

-Onions - You have two different onions this week- a milder white onion and a more onion-y yellow onion.

-Garlic- This is the fourth of the 4 varieties we grew this year.  This is a smaller type of garlic called NY white.  It is small but very flavorful - a very mild garlic flavor per clove!  This is a "softneck" variety and is best when you cut the tops off each  clove and roast in the oven with a little olive oil on it.  Then squeeze the roasted cloves out onto a slice of bread.

-Hot peppers- This week you have a container of three types of hot peppers.  You'll see several green jalapenos, a yellow hot banana pepper and a hot red peppino.  The peppino is quite hot so it is best used in a large pot of chili or soup.   The jalapenos are not as hot as some people think, particularly if you remove the seeds.  They are a great addition to nachos, corn bread, and even mac and cheese.  You could even pickle them!

-Parsley - Flat italian parsley is a great addition to so many soups, stews and sauces and there's no need to buy it fresh in the winter.  Chop it, add it to ice cube tray, cover with water and freeze. Once frozen, store the cubes in a freezer bag or old yogurt container.  Pull out a cube of parsley to add to anything you make all winter!

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Beet Hummus Recipe (Thanks CSA member, Kelly)

1/2 pound beets (about 4 medium ) cooked, peeled, cubed

2 Tbsp tahini sesame seed paste

5 Tbsp lemon juice

1 small clove garlic, chopped

1Tbsp ground cumin

1Tbsp lemon zest (zest from approx 2 lemons)

Generous pinch of sea salt

Pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust ingredients and seasonings as desired. Makes two cups.

Your share of summer (in a box)

The extreme weather continues this summer... in 2 days this weekend we made up the deficit of rain that was missing for the last 2 months!  Included in that was hail, extreme winds and torrential rains.  Still - we are producing some very yummy veggies.  So the question is - whats' in the box.

A box of veggie goodness

-Tomatoes - same a last week mix of several varieties including cherry tomatoes.  You will see one odd-shaped, kinda of ugly tomato with some cracks.  That is an heirloom variety known as piriform.  It has a good taste and is a type you don't come cross very often!

-Cucumber- we experimented with growing cucumbers in the new greenhouse this year and they are still producing even though the ones in the garden are pretty much done .  This has been a long season for cucumbers. Not sure what else to do with cukes?  Have you tried making some cucumber soup?  Look up a recipe online!

-Kale- It's not just a garnish!!  Fresh kale salad with a vinagrette dressing is delicious but this kale is also excellent in soups and stews.  It's a great and tasty way to sneak extra vitamins into many dishes, even in pasta dishes!

-Beets- a mix of golden beets and bull's blood beets.  Do you know that many people (and our pigs) love to eat beet greens as well?  Check out this recipe- we're planning to try it out this week: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Farfalle-with-Golden-Beets-Beet-Greens-and-Pine-Nuts-351260

-Garlic- This week you're receiving a different variety of garlic known as Canadian hardneck.  It's a very hardy, smaller bulb with a STRONG flavor.  Have you ever made bruschetta?  Try this simple recipe using your tomatoes and garlic:  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/double-tomato-bruschetta/detail.aspx

-Peppers- more green pepper and hot banana pepper.

-Cabbage- This is one of the vegetables that has done well with the ups and downs of this crazy summer weather. You'll see some marks on the surface of the cabbage from the two hail storms we've had recently!!  Have you made the slaw recipe listed in last week's post?  If not, be sure to give it a try!

-Zucchini- This is a vegetable that hasn't done as well this past summer.  Normally, there is an overload of zucchini so everyone gets sick of it but we've actually found ourselves out in the garden searching for some more!

-Beans- more green beans.  You'll notice a few with some pink/red coloring. We just started picking one of our new heirloom (and Ark of Taste) varieties called Cherokee trail of tears.  Check out some info here: http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=36.   Blanch and freeze your share of beans if you need a break from them this week.   They taste so good when we're wishing for fresh veggies in the middle of winter.

-Herb bundle- this week you're getting an assortment of basil, parsley and rosemary.  Rosemary is an excellent seasoning for chicken.  Find one of the many Rosemary Chicken recipes online and use one of your Chicken Thistle chickens and this rosemary to make a delicious meal!  Have no need for these herbs this week?  Hang the rosemary to dry it.  Chop the parsley and place it in an ice cube tray with a little water.  Add a cube or two to soups and sauces you make this winter!