Volume IX, JOURNAL 16
September 29, 2014
Blue Heron Farm Journal
So what’s happening on the farm this week?
Week 16J
Hi everyone- Sorry we haven't written in
a few weeks. It comes down to time
sometimes - wherther we have enough time to pick this or that or write the newsletter,
or wash eggs or feed lunch..you know how it is.
I wanted to make sure we wrote today to fill you on the next few
weeks.
We have pickup today
September 29 from 4-630 and drop offs on thursday october 2 (except for FAHC
which will be on wednesday)
·
October
6 from 4 to 630 and drop offs Thursday October 9. - week 17
·
SKIP
the whole week of October 13 (Columbus Day)
·
October
20 from 4 - 630 and drop offs Thursday October 23 - Week 18 - Last pickup
·
Also
on October 20 will be Blue Heron Farm's Annual Hoedown Potluck - bring a dish
to share, bring an instrument and come celebrate the Blue Heron Farm's 10th
Birthday!! Eating will start around 5. You can pick up your share anytime between 4
and 630. We'll have birthday cake, farm
fresh food, mulled cider and music and other treatsJ
This is open to anyone who wants to come and celebrate the farm's birthday!
This weekend October 4
and 5th we will be at the VT Sheep and Wool Festival at the Tunbridge
Fairgrounds. We will have all our wool
there along with fresh colors for this year.
It is an amazing festival including a yarn tasting, sheep dogs, food,
music, amazing farmers and their wares.
We will also be at the Saturday Farmers Market in Grand Isle thanks to
Carly and SophieJ
Thanks to the amazing
volunteer crew on Mondays - Diantha,
Gretchen and Gail and Carly we have been able to harvest all the onions -
nearly 500 lbs last Monday and today we harvested almost 500 lbs of potatoesJ
We still have more potatoes coming - the storage varieties and more of those
yummy gold potatoes. It looks like the reminerilzation of the potato and greens
soils are paying off. We also have very
sweet carrots coming - Delia and Sadie
have been tasting them every day to make sure they are sweet. The girls have been eating the spinach like
potato chips this week - they gobble it up - no cooking neccesary. The baby red russian kale in your share this
week is perfect to eat raw, put in smoothies, stirfry or make kale chips. We
went to a wonderful family potluck over the weekend and we brought a tossed
salad with lettuce mix, kale, spinach and arugula - it was gorgeous! We made a
maple balsamic vinaigrette - something that should be on a magazine cover ;)
We found out a couple
of weeks ago our cow Maggie is pregnant and due May 6 - Christine's
birthday. Annie our other milk cow is
due November 6th. We will be breeding
our sheep soon - probably the middle of October or so. We were gifted two blueberry bushes from
Island blueberries - Delia is ecstatic - blueberries are her favorite. Sadie's our raspberries - we will have to get
her a few bushes this fall or next spring.
We will be processing meat birds this Wednesday if anyone is interested
in buying some. they will be fresh til end
of day Saturday - then they go in the freezer.
It's so easy to focus
on all the hard things, all the challenges with farming and family life. We struggle with the balance. I have been reflecting
on this a lot lately - crops fail, wars, violence, not enough time to do x, not
enough rain, too much rain, housework needs to be done, we need to build house,
laundry, paying bills, etc. We all get
bogged down with all the quagmire. If we focus on all the challenges of every
day life, we don't get to see the zinnias amongst the quack grass. J
this is so easy to say than do, really. We are trying to focus on the positive
- the positive gives you a lot more energy than constantly harping on what is
wrong or negative. We are not looking at the world with pollyanna glasses but
to see the bigger picture. A friend
texted me this yesterday "The brave who focus on all things good and all
things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in
the here and now, they are the change agents who bring fullest Light to all the
world." So be brave. Revel in the
moment. Bring the brave light.
It is amazes me how
much this land nourishes all of us - our bellies, our souls, our minds. Thanks
for being part of it. Thanks for
listening.
Have a great
week.
We
look forward to farming with you this season.
Peace,
your farmers, Christine, Adam, Sadie and Delia, and Carly
What’s in the share this week:
This list is what is in a full share this week. Things may change between Monday and Thursday
and Individual and Salad share will get differing amounts and may not get
everything on the list. Onions, Lettuce
Mix, Potatoes, Spinach, Baby Red Russian Kale, Cilantro, Dill, Winter Squash,
Heirloom Tomatoes
Farm Fresh Raw milk for Sale
We are very lucky to have two milking cows - Annie and Maggie - both
give us plenty of milk each and every day and we would like to share that with
you and anyone else would like to have raw milk. We sell it $5 a half gal. We also can do a sliding scale if needed for
the milk. You can buy milk at CSA pickup
or anytime out of our barn fridge next to our house at 34 quaker.
Eggs for sale We have the pretty girls’ eggs for sale – these are
free-range, certified organic chicken eggs that are brown eggs– with the brightest
yellow/orange yolks you ever seen. The
eggs are $5.00 a dozen. $3.00 half dozen
***FRESH CERTIFIED ORGANIC whole CHICKEN AVAILABLE at the FARM TODAY - $5.50 a lb*** Also available in the fridge freezer section in our barn milk fridge next to our house.
Recipes:
Slow-Cooker
Caramelized Onions & French Onion Soup
http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/11/11/slow-cooker-caramelized-onions-french-onion-soup-make-ahead-mondays/
The
slow-cooker is the ideal way to make big batches of luscious, brown, meltingly
tender Caramelized Onions for whatever purposes you like them. Included is my
recipe for perfect French Onion Soup using the caramelized onions as a base.
Ingredients
For
the Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions
12
small to medium sized yellow onions
3
medium sized red onions
6
tablespoons olive oil
1/2
teaspoon kosher salt
1/2
teaspoon dried thyme
For
the French Onion Soup:
1
1/2 cups beef broth - you could use veg broth
1
1/2 cups chicken broth - you could use
veg broth
kosher
salt and black pepper to taste
6-8
slices (1 to 1 1/2-inches thick each) French bread
olive
oil for drizzling
6-8
thin slices Swiss cheese (or 1/4 pound grated Swiss cheese, or more to taste)
Instructions
To
Make the Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions:
Halve,
peel, and thinly slice all of the onions. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive
oil over the bottom of the slow-cooker's crock. Add about half of the onions,
sprinkle about half of the salt over the onions, drizzle another 2 tablespoons
of the olive oil, and repeat with the remaining onions, salt, and olive oil.
Sprinkle the thyme over everything and then use tongs to toss the contents so
the onions are evenly coated with oil. Place the lid on the crock, turn the
heat to HIGH, and let it cook for 9-10 hours, stirring and flipping the
contents from bottom to top after 1 hour and again after 3 hours. After those
stirs, you should not need to keep agitating the contents of the slow cooker
unless your cooker runs hot. If you know it runs hot, it wouldn't hurt to move
the onions around every couple of hours to prevent scorching. When the onions
are deep golden brown to medium brown, turn the slow-cooker off and portion out
the onions into freezer safe containers. I tend to do one batch big enough for
French Onion Soup, and two smaller containers for pizzas, flatbreads,
sandwiches, and whatnot.
To
Make the French Onion Soup:
Preheat
the oven to 400°F. You can either remove half of the caramelized onions from
the slow cooker and finish making the soup in the crock or you can transfer
half of the caramelized onions to a pot to make the soup. Either way, add the
beef and chicken broths to half of the caramelized onions over HIGH heat. While
the soup heats, drizzle the bread slices with olive oil on both sides.
Depending on the size and shape of the bowls you will be using to serve the
soup, you may have to trim the bread to fit. Toast the bread in the preheated
oven for about 6 minutes, flipping halfway through the time, or until golden
brown and crisp on both sides. Set aside.
When
the soup is steaming hot, but not boiling, taste the broth and adjust with salt
and pepper if necessary. Ladle the soup into broiler-safe bowls, top each bowl
with one or two croutons. Top each crouton with a slice of Swiss cheese or a
generous handful of grated Swiss cheese. Put the bowls under the broiler until
the cheese is melted, bubbly, and browned in places. Serve immediately.
All-Dressed Kale Chips
Crispy and chewy kale chips baked in the oven and seasoned to perfection. Enjoy
these as a healthy alternative to potato chips. Use as many or as little spices
as you'd like.
per baking sheet:
approx. 1/2 bunch kale leaves
1/2
tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
1.5
tablespoons nutritional yeast
1
teaspoon garlic powder
3/4
teaspoon chili powder
1/2
teaspoon onion powder
1/2
teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4
teaspoon fine grain sea salt or pink Himalayan sea salt
1/8
teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Preheat oven to 300F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with
parchment paper. Remove leaves from the stems of the kale and roughly tear it
up into large pieces. Compost the stems (or freeze for smoothies). Wash and
spin the leaves until thoroughly dry. Add kale leaves into a large bowl.
Massage in the oil until all the nooks and crannies are coated in oil. Now
sprinkle on the spices/seasonings and toss to combine. Spread out the kale onto
the prepared baking sheet into a single layer, being sure not to overcrowd the
kale.
Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another 12-15
minutes more until the kale begins to firm up. The kale will look shrunken, but
this is normal. I bake for 25 mins. total in my oven. Cool the kale on the
sheet for 3 minutes before digging in! This really makes all the difference!
Enjoy immediately as they lose their crispiness with time. Repeat this process
for the other half of the bunch.
Note: Feel free to make these in a dehydrator if you have one. You
can also experiment with the convection or dehydrator setting on your oven (if
applicable). Read more: http://ohsheglows.com/print-recipe/?id=762#ixzz3EjYHa0oZ
SHARE THE HARVEST
FUNDRAISER THIS THURSDAY OCTOBER 2
As you know, we
partner with NOFA-VT to offer Supported CSA shares to community members who not
be able to participate otherwise. On Thursday, October 2nd, 2014 generous restaurants, coops, and food
stores statewide will participate in Share the Harvest 2014 by donating a
portion of their day’s sales to the Farm Share Program. NOFA Vermont
thanks these participants and all of the people who eat out or shop
at participating establishments on this date.
NOFA Vermont's Farm Share Program is a great way that limited-income
Vermonters can afford to purchase CSA (community supported agriculture) shares
of fresh produce from their local farmers. Donations to the Farm Share Program
go into a fund which helps subsidize CSA shares to needy Vermonters. NOFA
Vermont believes that all Vermonters should be able to eat local organic food,
regardless of their income level, while also making sure farmers get a good
wage for their hard work.
In 2014, the Farm Share Program
is serving over 1,400 limited-income people statewide with participation from
50 Vermont farms. Demand for Farm Share Program support is significant and a
waiting list for CSA share recipients has been established. The Farm Share
Program is funded by individual donations and by the annual Share the Harvest
fundraiser.
Click on any of the 2014 Share
the Harvest participant's names below to learn more about them.
If you know of a
restaurant or food store who would like to participate in Share the Harvest
2015, please contact Becca Weiss at becca@nofavt.org or
802-434-4122 x 20.
Share the Harvest 2014 participants are listed
below.
Special thanks to those
businesses who have shown their commitment to our local food system with their
long-time participation in Share the Harvest. Businesses with 8 or more years
of participation are designated with asterisks (*).
|
2014 Participants |
Location |
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Bennington
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Bradford
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Bradford
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Brattleboro
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Bristol
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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Burlington
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S
Burlington
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Charlotte
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E.
Thetford
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Enosburg
Falls
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Essex
Junction
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Essex
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Fairfax
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Hardwick
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Hinesburg
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Manchester
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Manchester
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Manchester
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Manchester
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Middlebury
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Middlebury
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Middlebury
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Middlebury
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Middlebury
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Middlebury
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Middlebury
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Middlebury
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Middlesex
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Montpelier
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Montpelier
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Montpelier
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Montpelier
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Morrisville
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Plainfield
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Plainfield
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Putney
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Putney
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Richmond
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Rutland
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Shelburne
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Springfield
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St.
Albans
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St.
Johnsbury
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St.
Johnsbury
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S.
Burlington
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S.
Hero
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S.
Royalton
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Stowe
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Stowe
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Vergennes
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Waitsfield
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Waitsfield
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Waterbury
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Waterbury
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Waterbury
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Waterbury
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White
River Junction
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Williston
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Woodstock
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