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 Thank You! Red Savoy Cabbage H i g h C r o s s F a r m HighCross Farm CSA Newsletter Summer Share Week #20 - October 30, 2014 Thank You! Fall Nutrition By Anna Jonker Fall 2014 CSA Share Looking Ahead to 2015 In the Box this Week Photos from the Farm this Week Recipes Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you this past summer. We consider it both a great responsibility and a privilege to provide you and your household with the finest in fresh wholesome produce. And we so appreciate your enthusiasm and encouragement. Some of you will be staying on for the Fall Share (heavy, jampacked boxes) and some of you have already signed up for the 2015 Summer Share (remember to take advantage of the limited time offer for early sign-up savings see below for details). We will remain busy during the off season making repairs and infrastructure improvements to enhance the CSA operation. - Farmer Steve for Kath and Crew I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 2 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)
Fall Nutrition By Anna Jonker But there is a way to avoid this sequence: by keeping an attentive eye on your nutritional intake, especially in regard to vegetable intake. While there are fewer vegetables in season and available this time of year, all hope is not lost: we can still rely on the fall vegetables. Winter squashes are a great source of vitamins A, C and B6, as well as potassium, manganese, folate and beneficial antioxidants. Cabbage, pumpkins and sweet potatoes can also be added to the list of vitamin C boosters, which can be essential for good immune function. Living in the northern hemisphere (and the north of the northern hemisphere at that) means that we have distinct growing seasons. And, as you all are aptly aware, we have nearly reached the end of our primary growing season. This means fresh locally grown vegetables and greens aren t available to us (that s, of course, not considering methods of growing produce in the winter through hoop houses or the like which is the topic of another column!). Without local fresh vegetables readily or as easily available it is easy to lapse on efforts to maintain good nutrition and in-turn negatively impact our health. The cause of our lapse from good nutrition can partially be blamed on fewer fresh local vegetables, but there are other factors at play. Our motivation to eat fresh vegetables can also change with the seasons. For me, not being able to wander out to the garden and pick the vegetable before I eat it means I don t eat as many vegetables as I should. More hours of darkness, and the food of the holiday season also means we can easily be drawn to those comfort foods which much too often consist mainly of simple carbohydrates (such as refined grains and sugar). 1 More sugar in our diets can stress our immune system. That stress combined with more hours indoors, and viruses that thrive in dry environments, creates an excellent recipe for sickness. To ensure your intake of green vegetables (and the intake of indoles and lutein phytonutrients) broccoli, Brussels sprouts, celery and kale (all of which are fall crops) are go-to vegetables. A variety of the green leafy vegetable (since they are technically classified as such) category often over-looked are herbs, many of which produce through the fall. By adding fresh herbs to your cooking you benefit from their essential oils, and great flavor. So even as the hours of darkness grow longer, and we spend more time indoors, be sure to keep an ample serving of vegetables on your menu. Even in the fall season you can continue to enjoy fresh vegetables, and maintain good nutrition at a critical time of the year. With a healthy (and happy, if I might add) immune system you can stop the predicted sequence of this season and keep those pathogens at bay. 1 Getz, L., 2009. Winter Nutrition Healthy eating offers good protection during the chilly season. Today s Dietitian 11: 48. Picture source: http://blog.greendeals.org/go-green/wp-content/ uploads/2013/10/pumpkins-squash-gourds.jpg Accessed: 10/30/2013
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 arugula, Asian greens, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery root, cilantro, kale, kohlrabi, 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
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, we will offer 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-of-the-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.
In the Box this Week 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. Spinach - Fall spinach. Sweet and succulent. Although we have rinsed it several times, please rinse again to remove all garden soil. 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. Red Onion - Red Bull variety. Storage type onion. French Fingerling Potatoes - In the large share. Gourmet potato with a pink swirl in the flesh. We were not able to wash all of these due to being short-handed on help this week. Spinach at HighCross Farm Red Beets - A couple of red beets. Carrots - Freshly dug Wednesday, the first of the fall planting.. There will be lots more carrots in the fall shares. French Fingerling Potatoes Green Tomatoes - Make fried green tomatoes; make green tomato pie. Hot Pepper - Jalapeños. Carrots 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 Kohlrabi - Green kohlrabi.
Tomatoes - Red or Yellow slicing tomatoes or Roma type. Also heirloom tomatoes, which come in many different shapes and colorations; very flavorful and tender, although they often develop cracks and scars. The cooler than average summer weather has not been conducive to the ripening of tomatoes. The recent frosts have knocked back most of the tomato plants. We will have canning quality tomatoes on the web store this week; please check back, especially Tuesday PM. Red Savoy Cabbage - Big beautiful savoy cabbage. Sweet and crisp. Will keep a very long time under refrigeration. We ve left some of the large wrapper leaves on; they re good for food too. See recipes below. Red Savoy Cabbage 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 - Acorn, Delicata, Jester, Autumn Crown, or Vegetable Spaghetti Fresh Herb - Apple Mint - 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. Fresh Herb - Sage - Chop and sprinkle a little in your salad; good with chicken or pork. If grilling, put some in your marinade. Hang it up to dry to save for your turkey and/or stuffing. Large Share: Spinach Onion - Red Bull variety Red Savoy Cabbage Carrots Kohlrabi Red Beets Tomato Green Tomatoes Green Sweet Peppers Potatoes - French Fingerlings Hot Pepper - Jalapenos Winter Squash - Acorn Winter Squash Vegetable Spaghetti or Autumn Crown or Jester Apple Mint Fresh Sage Small Share: Spinach Onion - Red Bull variety Red Savoy Cabbage Carrots Kohlrabi Red Beets Tomato Green Tomatoes Green Sweet Peppers Hot Pepper - Jalapenos Winter Squash - Delicata Winter Squash - Acorn or Jester (like Acorn) Chocolate Mint Fresh Sage Best guess in the first Fall Share, Thursday, November 6: Spinach, Carrots, Tropea Onions, Sweet & Hot Peppers, Celery Root, Lacinato Kale, Potatoes, Rainbow Swiss Chard, Parsley, Green Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Several different varieties of Winter Squash and more.
Photo from the Farm There she was, blending into the landscape in the Tamarack Swamp here at HighCross Farm. She just stood there for several minutes, not moving a muscle, like a statue. We stared at each other, while I squeezed off a half dozen shots. She continued to remain motionless, until I finally drove away on the ATV. There she is, in the center of these photos; fortunately, the camera has a nice telephoto lens.
Photos from the Farm Frosty Mint Frost-glazed gardens with temps in the low 30s while Farmer Steve and crew harvest spinach
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 fresh sage leaves in this week s box. White Bean and Kale Stuffed Delicata Squash White Bean and Kale Stuffed Delicata Squash by PATRICIA EDDY on OCTOBER 20, 2009 White Bean and Kale Stuffed Delicata Squash, adapted from Eggs on Sunday 2 medium Delicata squash 3 Stuffed Delicata in Profile 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. 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 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
Recipe from Chef Bernie Don't know what to do with your cabbage this week? Chef Bernie has an idea! Kraut Brooke 1 half cabbage head, shredded 1 pound ground beef 1 1/2 cups chopped onion 2 1/2 tablespoons crushed garlic 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon black pepper 2 tablespoons Lowry s Seasoned Salt Two frozen bread loaves (thawed in the refrigerator - do not let rise) Brown your ground beef and drain. Set it aside. Fry your onions, cabbage, and garlic in the butter and olive oil until tender. Add ground beef and seasonings. Put to the side and let it cool. Take bread dough out of the refrigerator. When cabbage/meat combination is cool, squeeze and roll out bread dough. Fill with cabbage/meat filling and crimp the edges. Bake with edge down in a pan at 350 degrees until brown, just like bread. Put some butter over the bread. Serve immediately with sour cream. This is a newly stolen recipe that Chef Bernie got ahold of. Enjoy. Have a good day Chef Bernie
Recipes Kath's Creamy Cole Slaw 1/2 head average size cabbage 1 sweet onion 1 carrot 1 apple 1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts 1/4 c. coconut (optional) 1/4 c. dried currants 1 T. lemon juice 1 T. sugar or honey 1/2 tsp. sweet hot mustard (we like Inglehoffer brand) Dash salt Mayonnaise Grate fine the cabbage, onion, carrot and apple. Add the coconut, currants, lemon, sugar, mustard, salt and enough mayonnaise to bind (about 1 cup). Mix all together. Chill and let the flavors blend. The flavor only improves with age, but this cole slaw usually disappears fast around here. Wilted Cabbage 1 sweet onion, chopped 1 small or 1/2 large cabbage head, core removed and shredded fine (cut cabbage in half and cut a V to remove core). Place cabbage flat side down on cutting board and slice fine. 2-3 T. Olive Oil 1/8 tsp. fresh nutmeg (opt.) Salt and pepper to taste Saute onion in olive oil in a large frying pan (12 is ideal) until golden (about 4 minutes). Add cabbage and stir fry till wilted and golden (about 8 min.) Add fresh nutmeg, remove from heat and cover pan a few minutes to let cabbage braise. This is a basic recipe, you can try variations, such as adding a sweet sour sauce at the end. Other additions might include toasted pecans and dried currants or golden raisins, etc.
Homemade Sauerkraut Transfer to the refrigerator or other cold storage where it should keep for at least 6 months and up to 1 year. Adapted from: Nourished kitchen: reviving traditional foods (http://nourishedkitchen.com/homemadesauerkraut/) Accessed: 10/09/2013 A simple recipe to make traditional, lacto-fermented, homemade sauerkraut using only cabbage, salt and time. Ingredients: 2 medium cabbage heads (about 4 to 5 total pounds, cored and finely shredded) 2 tablespoons sea salt or kosher salt Instructions: 1. Toss cabbage and salt together in a large mixing bow; then let it sit for a couple of hours, until the cabbage has become limp and releases its juice. 2. Then transfer it to a sauerkraut crock or glass jar with straight sides. Pack the salted cabbage into the crock or jar as tightly as you can, eliminating air bubbles. 3. Continue packing the cabbage into the container until the cabbage is completely submerged by liquid. Place a lid/plate or other flat surface over cabbage with a weight on top of it to unsure the cabbage stays submerged. Cover loosely with a cloth to prevent air contamination. Store fermenting cabbage between 60 70 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 to 6 weeks, or until it is done to your liking. If scum (from fungal growth) appears floating in the brine of your homemade sauerkraut, simply spoon it off. You won t be able to remove it all, but skim off what you can and don t worry about it.