CSA MEMBER NEWSLETTER HIGHCROSS CSA MEMBER NEWSLETTER FARM To everything there is a season, a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted. Finest F i n e s t Quality In This Issue Fall Bounty In the Box this Week Today s Large Fall Share H i g h C r o s s F a r m Fall 2014 CSA Share Looking Ahead to 2015 HighCross Farm CSA Newsletter Fall Share Week #1 - November 6, 2014 We could barely fit everything into your share box today, and we expect to do the same next time. Fall Bounty A fresh batch of Kath s Sauerkraut is now available on the web store. Note that we ll be putting lots of Grade B and year-end close-out items onto the web store over the next two weeks, so check back often. Photo from the Farm this Week Recipes Note that your pick-up site host contact info is available (for most sites) through your CSA online account under Pick-up Directions. HighCross Farm Fresh Market Produce Steve & Kath Vogelmann W2292 Rustic Drive Campbellsport, WI 53010-3126 920-533-FARM (3276) - Farmer Steve for Kath and Crew Rainbow Swiss Chard at HighCross Farm I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 2
In the Box this Week Carrots - More of these crisp sweet carrots next time.. Storage information: The cabbage family, and leafy greens should be kept in the coldest area of your refrigerator, ideally on the lower level or in the crisper drawer. Place all items in plastic bags or wrap in a damp towel, to prevent wilting due to the dehydrating effect of refrigeration. Monitor the produce over time; it should be kept neither too wet nor too dry inside the plastic bag. Slightly open the bag if you see water droplets forming on the inside. Note that you can simply chop and freeze onions and peppers for use later. Please let us know if anything in your box is missing or bad. Green Top Carrots at HighCross Farm Red Onions - Red Bull variety. Storage type onion. Rainbow Swiss Chard - Swiss Chard hearts, the last of the season, made sweeter by the frosty weather. Potatoes - White Superior in the large share and Carola in the small share (some greening of the Carola potato skin; peel off before cooking). Green Tomatoes - Kath made a Green Tomato Pie this morning, and it s already more than half eaten! It tastes similar to apple pie; see the recipe below. Or make fried green tomatoes. Lacinato Kale - Also known as Tuscan, Dino, Black, and Cavolo Nero Kale. Whatever you call it, it is the favorite kale of many chefs. Rich and very flavorful. It will keep a long time. Use it in stir-fry, soups, kale dip (recipe below), or make kale chips. For more info & recipes, see: http://www.discoverkale.co.uk/recipes/ Hot Pepper - Jalapeños. Will keep a long time under refrigeration, or may be chopped and frozen for use later. Hot Pepper - Cayennes. Long, thin, green or red. Medium hotness; use as you would any hot pepper. Will keep a long time under refrigeration, or may be chopped and frozen for use later. Lacinato Kale at HighCross Farm Sweet Peppers - Green and/or red pepper. See this link for recipes & an in-depth discussion of all the healthy nutrition found in peppers: Bell peppers Italian Flat Leaf Parsley - A powerhouse of nutrition. Use to make the Kale Dip recipe below. See this link for more information: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php? tname=foodspice&dbid=100
Tomatoes - Red or Yellow tomatoes. We will have canning quality tomatoes on the web store again next week. Fresh Herb - Peppermint - Use it in salads, with fruit, in a tea, or as a garnish. We bruise a few leaves and put them in our lemonade for a very refreshing drink. Delicious with lamb and other grilled meats. Celeriac - Also known as celery root. Tastes like celery. Peel the skin, then use it just like celery. Cube or shred some raw into a salad. Add to soups or stews. Can be cooked along with potatoes and then mashed. Will keep a long time. Celeriac at HighCross Farm Winter Squash - We like to cut them in half, scoop out the seeds and bake cut side down on a cookie sheet at 350 F. until fork tender (usually about 35-40 minutes). Or cook cut side up with a little butter and brown sugar or maple syrup in the cavity until slightly golden brown. Go here for some great squash recipes and photos: Squash TasteSpotting Winter Squash - Sunshine, Hearts of Gold, Hooligan (and Butternut in the large share) Sunshine Squash Butternut Squash Large Share: Lettuce - Small head - the last of the season Onions - Red Bull variety Carrots Rainbow Swiss Chard Lacinato Kale Celeriac (Celery Root) Potatoes - Superior variety Italian Flat Leaf Parsley Mini Green Cabbage Sprouts Tomatoes Green Tomatoes - See Newsletter for Pie recipe Green or Red Sweet Peppers Hot Pepper - Jalapenos Hot Pepper - Several Cayenne (long, thin) Winter Squash - Butternut, Sunshine, Hearts of Gold, Hooligan Peppermint Small Share: Lettuce - Small head - the last of the season Onions - Red Bull variety Carrots Rainbow Swiss Chard Lacinato Kale Celeriac (Celery Root) Potatoes - Carola variety Italian Flat Leaf Parsley Mini Green Cabbage Sprout Tomatoes Green Tomatoes - See newsletter for pie recipe Green or Red Sweet Peppers Hot Pepper - Jalapenos Hot Pepper - Several Cayenne (long, thin) Winter Squash - Sunshine, Hearts of Gold, Hooligan Peppermint Best guess in the final Fall Share, Thursday, November 20: Hooligan Squash Hearts of Gold Squash Spinach, Brussels Sprouts, Beets, Carrots, Cilantro, Tropea & Cippolini Onions, Celery Root, Kale, Potatoes, Parsley, Parsnips, Red Mustard, Red Savoy Cabbage, Rutabaga, Salad Turnips, Tomatoes, Fresh Sage, Winter Squash.
Looking Ahead to 2015 We plan to hit the ground running for the 2015 Summer Share with a strong showing in the boxes right from the start, Thursday, June 4 and running 20 consecutive weeks through Thursday, October 15, 2015. After holding to the same share price for 3 years in a row, we must raise prices by about 6%. The Small share will increase from $490 to $520; the large share will increase from $650 to $690. This modest increase will help us keep pace with our expenses, which have continued to rise each year. Howsoever, as a perk and thank you to our existing CSA members, for a very limited time, you may receive the 2015 CSA Summer Share for the same price as the past 3 years. This will help us as well, by raising some capital now to take advantage of end-ofthe-year buyer s discounts for some of our inputs, such as potting mix, drip tape, row cover, and planting supplies. Pay for your share in full to receive the full discount, or pay half now to receive a half discount. If paying by check, it must be mailed within 7 days of sign-up. To receive your 2015 share at the 2012-2014 price, enter the following applicable coupon code in the Coupon Code box on the Terms page (codes are not case sensitive); then click the blue Apply box. For the 2015 Large Summer Share: $40 discount, enter: largefullpayment $20 discount, enter: largehalfpayment For the 2015 Small Summer Share: $30 discount, enter: smallfullpayment $15 discount, enter: smallhalfpayment Here is the link to sign-up for the 2015 Summer Share: https://www.farmigo.com/join/highcrossfarm/summer2015 We will try to get a CSA member survey out to you soon. We want to know your preferences and how we can better meet your needs. Customer satisfaction is our number one goal. We are not satisfied until you are. We plan to again offer a two delivery Fall Share during November, 2015.
Fall 2014 CSA Share Celebrate your Thanksgiving and December holidays with the finest, freshest produce available in SE Wisconsin, direct from our family farm to your dinner table. The Fall share will include not only good amounts of typical fall storage items (onions, potatoes, root crops, and winter squash) to last you into the new year, but also fresh greens, made sweeter by the cool weather. This will be a hefty share, packed into our standard large share box (1 & 1/9 bushel size) or small share box (5/9 bushel size). Includes mustard greens, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery root, cilantro, kale, onions, parsley, parsnips, peppers, potatoes, rutabaga, spinach, swiss chard, tomatoes, winter squash, and fresh herbs. TwoThursday deliveries: November 6 and November 20, 2014. Small share is $70. Large share is $100. To sign-up, log into your CSA account and toggle the Season Selection box at the upper left to Fall 2014 and then hit the click to join link. Or simply click here: https://www.farmigo.com/join/highcrossfarm/ fall2014 To make an electronic payment, select to pay via PayPal; you will then have the choice to pay with your PayPal account OR choose the option to pay with a credit card. Or send a check to HighCross Farm. Your satisfaction is guaranteed. Heavier items such as winter squash, potatoes, and root crops are packed in the bottom of the boxes. November 16, 2012 November 29, 2012
Photo from the Farm this Week This is MacTavish. He is one of four cats who live at HighCross Farm. Very smart, excellent hunter, and believes definitely that he is the Lion King. Look at the size of those paws appears to have a Maine Coon Cat blood line.
Green Tomato Pie 4 cups Peeled, thinly sliced green tomatoes 1 to 1 & 1/4 cup Sugar ½ tsp. Cinnamon ½ tsp. Nutmeg ¼ tsp. Nutmeg ¼ tsp. Salt 4 to 5 Tbsp Flour 2 Tbsp Lemon juice 2 Tbsp Butter Pastry for 2-crust pie To peel tomatoes, immerse in boiling water until skins will slip off (about 3 minutes). Blend together sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, flour, and lemon juice in a bowl. Toss with green tomatoes. Place in a pastry-lined 9 pie pan. Dot with butter. Adjust top crust and flute edges; cut vents. Bake in a hot oven (400 degrees) until tomatoes are soft and juicy and crust is lightly browned, about 50 to 60 minutes. (Cover pie edges with a thin strip of foil or pie crust shield to keep it from getting too brown.) Note: If you don t have quite enough green tomatoes to make 4 cups, you may use sliced apples to make up the difference.
Recipes Hi Steve and Kath, Here's a recipe for a fabulous butternut squash bisque - a favorite fall soup, especially for Thanksgiving weekend. Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque 1 larger butternut squash (or two smaller squash)- cut in half length wise 1/2 large yellow onion 1 rib of celery 1 carrot 2 bay leaves 1 tsp chopped garlic 1 tsp chipotle sauce 1 qt vegetable stock or chicken stock - (I prefer organic low-sodium chicken stock) 1 cup heavy cream salt and pepper to taste 4. Add salt, pepper and Chipotle sauce to taste. Start a bit light on the Chipotle sauce - you can always add a little more to your liking. This bisque always seems to taste a little better on the second day, after it sits in the fridge overnight. :) Enjoy, Craig 1. Roast the butternut squash for 45 minutes to an hour - or until it's browned, sweet and fork tender. The more it's browned, the sweeter the flavor. 2. Let the squash cool, then remove the skin. 3. In a large stock pot sauté onion, celery and carrot in olive oil, add stock and bay leaves, simmer until vegetables are soft (approximately 30 minutes). 3. Add squash, heavy cream and puree with handheld blender (remove bay leaves prior to blending)
Note from Farmer Steve: You can use any kind of squash for this recipe. Use the kale in this week s box. White Bean and Kale Stuffed Delicata Squash White Bean and Kale Stuffed Delicata Squash, adapted from Eggs on Sunday 2 medium Delicata squash White Bean and Kale Stuffed Delicata Squash by PATRICIA EDDY on OCTOBER 20, 2009 3 Stuffed Delicata in Profile Salt and pepper Lightly flavored oil of your choice 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced 10 oz white beans, cooked 1 bunch of kale, destemmed and torn into chunks 1 Tbsp sage leaves, minced 4 Tbsp breadcrumbs 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese Prepare the Squash White Bean and Kale Stuffed Delicata Squash Ah, autumn. How I love you with your fires in the fireplace, your scarves, your hot tea in the afternoons, and your assortment of squashes. Yes, squashes. I love squash. Well, I love winter squash. I m still not too keen on the summer squash variety, but I m working on it. Today though, we re talking about winter squash. Specifically, the delicata variety. Delicata squashes are instantly recognizable by their pale yellow skin and green striations. The taste is somewhere is mild, and like most winter squash, it is a bit sweet. Delicata squash is full of potassium, iron, Vitamins A and C. Our go-to method of cooking delicata squash is just to slice it, remove the seeds, and brush with melted butter and a bit of brown sugar before roasting. This autumn though, we want to branch out. There were several mentions of stuffing delicata squash on Twitter last week so we went in search of a stuffed squash recipe. As luck would have it, we found one that called for all of the ingredients we had on hand! How could we refuse? The original recipe is vegetarian and with a slight bit of adaptation, you could even make this dish vegan. You can get fresh white beans from Alm Hill Gardens or Alvarez Farms. Alm Hill s beans are fresh, which means they don t need soaking before cooking. It also means they only last about a week in the fridge. Alvarez s beans are dried, so soak them overnight before cooking. To cook your beans, just place them in a pot of water and boil for 15-20 minutes or until tender. 1. Preheat the oven to 350. 2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. 3. Brush your oil over the insides of the squash and season with salt and pepper. 4. Bake in the oven until just tender (make sure they aren t so soft they are falling apart). During the last 15 minutes of cooking, assemble the filling. 1. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. 2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. 3. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the kale. 4. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. 5. Turn the heat back down to medium and add the white beans and sage. 6. Season with salt and pepper and set aside until the squash is done. Stuff the squash 1. Remove the squash from the oven. 2. Fill with the kale and white bean mixture. 3. Mix the Parmesan and bread crumbs together and top the stuffed squash with the mixture. 4. Bake for another 10 minutes, or until the Parmesan is melted and the stuffing is heated through. 5. Serve and enjoy.
Recipe from Chef Bernie Oven Roasted Root Vegetables Here s a quick recipe from the Chef s Corner: Peel and dice roots into small even-sized cubes (so that they will cook evenly). Soak in cool water with ice cubes if possible, for 20 minutes. Place on a cookie sheet with edges (or a metal or glass baking dish or cake pan), and drizzle with olive or other oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and thyme (included in this week s share), or seasoning of your choice. For the sweet tooth, sprinkle with brown sugar, honey or maple syrup. Or just let the natural sugars concentrate and caramelize. Bake at 350 F. for 30 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside and fork tender on the inside. (This chef likes them crisp.) Hint: Monitor them for doneness and turn with a spatula a couple of times as they start to brown. Enjoy!!! Let us know what your experiences are with your HighCross Farm recipes. Chef Bernie
Recipes Oven Roasted Root Vegetables Oven roasting brings out and intensifies the natural sweetness of root vegetables. Here is an easy and very delicious way of preparing them. You can vary this dish according to what you have on hand or like. 2 lb. Mixed vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, squash, celeriac, sweet onion Vegetable or olive oil Fresh herbs such as chives, rosemary, thyme, oregano, or sage 2 T. Balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Top and tail the carrots and chop into roughly 2 or 3 lengths. Peel the squash, beets, and celery root. Cut the squash, beets, and potatoes into chunks, and the celeriac and onions into wedges, keeping the vegetable chunks approximately the same size. Pour 1/4 to 1/2 inch of oil into a roasting pan. Add the prepared vegetables to the pan and turn them in the oil until well coated. Cut the herbs into sprigs about 4 inches long and lay them on top of the vegetables and stir them in. Roast for about an hour, stirring the vegetables two or three times during cooking. Test the vegetables to see that they are fork tender. Remove herb sprigs, season with salt and pepper and a little balsamic vinegar, if you like. Enjoy! Source: Adapted from The Book of Herbs by Dawn Titmus