Week 3; June 21, 2018

What's in the box?  

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Strawberries
cilantro
salad mix
green top beets
leaf lettuce
napa cabbage (large and medium shares)
green garlic
spinach

Notes on the box.  

It rained right before we picked strawberries so some might be a little dirty.  Give them a rinse right before you eat them.  
The tops and the roots of the beets are edible and both will store best if you remove the beets from the greens.  
Green garlic isn't cured and should be stored in the fridge.  It's mild enough to eat raw or you can use it as you would regular garlic cloves.
Everything will store best in plastic bags in the fridge.  

 

Cosmic Wheel Creamery Cheese Shares.  

Circle of the Sun is an original recipe to our farm.  It's my favorite cheese to make and a favorite to eat, also!  It's bright and the flavors of the grasses the cows are eating come through nicely.  
I have also included a cheese called Quark.  It's a German style of cheese that is most similar to chèvre, but it's made from cows milk, not goat milk.  You can make it into a really nice spread for crackers by adding some salt and finely chopped herbs, green garlic, scallions, and/or chives.  If you were one of the lucky members who got a cucumber this week, adding the quark to a sandwich with cucumbers is a favorite of mine.  You can also go sweet with it and use it in a tart with the strawberries. It's nice mixed with some honey and lemon zest.  It should last about 2-3 weeks in your fridge.  If you don't think you'll get to it by then, you can put it in the freezer for later use.  

Recipes.  

Spicy Napa Cabbage Slaw

Peanut Cilantro Slaw
1 Napa cabbage and/or boy choy halved lengthwise then cut into thin strips crosswise.  
1/2 cup toasted, unsalted peanuts
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
sliced scallions or thinly sliced green garlic tops
Dressing-
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon tamari
1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
Combine cabbage, cilantro, scallions, and peanuts in a large bowl. Whisk together dressing ingredients. Toss dressing with cabbage mixture. Taste and adjust tamari or maple syrup to taste.

Tangy Buttered Beets and Beet Greens with Dijon

Asian Collard Wraps with Peanut Sauce

How to Make Collard Green Wraps from Kitchn

Collard greens have a thick stem and center rib that need to be dealt with first. I go about this by trimming the stem, then trimming down the center rib so that it's about the same thickness as the leaf. You can go the extra step of making the leaves even more flexible by placing them in a large saucepan of boiling water for about 30 seconds, then transferring them to an ice bath. To assemble, add your favorite sandwich ingredients (hummus, grilled chicken or tofu, veggies, etc) and roll everything just as you would a burrito.  

On the Farm.

This week we were lucky to have a visit from Josh's dad.  Then Rama's mom and dad and pawpaw came for a visit.  Pawpaw is 89 years old and lives in Texas and took his first airplane ride ever to come out to visit us at Turnip Rock Farm.  He's an avid lifelong gardener who is enjoying seeing the farm.  We are really happy to have him here.  

We wanted to share with you that you can order an herbal CSA share from our dear friend and neighbor Nancy Graden.  Her farm is called Red Clover Herbal Apothocary and her herbal CSA shares are the best!  The quality is so incredible and the salves and tinctures are very effective and the teas are very tasty.  We really can't recommend her seasonal CSA shares enough.  And if you order one it can be delivered to your dropside on Thursday with your Turnip Rock CSA.  Check out this link to get more info and to sign up!  

Turnip Rock Farmer Comment
Week 2; June 14, 2018.

What's in the box?  

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Romaine lettuce
Leaf lettuce
green onions
arugula
Spinach
Herb pot
Strawberries for Medium, Large. hope we can get more next week.
Salad Mix
Kale
Storage beets

Notes on the box.

The strawberries were picked ripe from our friends patch at Sleepy Root.  Sleepy Root isn't doing a CSA this season but have a beutiful berry patch and let us come pick at their place.  Eat the berries ASAP!  I sure you wont have any trouble with that one!  We were only able to get enough for medium and large shares this week, but hope to get more for next week for small shares.
More beautiful lettuce and salad mix.  As well as beautiful spinach and arugula.  I really like to have the beets peeled, diced, and steamed or roasted and them put them in a container in the fridge to put on salads.  The spinach leaves are big, but still tender.  I like chopped spinach or arugula in a salad with roasted beets, feta, and some toasted nuts.  
Everything should be stored in plastic bags or containers in the fridge.
I know if can be tricky for some folks to get through all the lettuce and greens before the next share rolls around.  If it's at all possible to wash, spin, chop, and store the lettuce in a ready to eat way, you are more likely to get though them.  Have your favorite dressing on hand and have a salad with your meals.  
 

Cosmic Wheel Creamery Cheese Shares.  

This week I included two cheeses that I love on salads!  Feta and our cow's milk manchego called Antares.  If you don't think you'll eat the feta in the next few days, you can make a brine to store it in.  2 cups of water and 2 tsp salt and keep it covered in the brine to extend the shelf life. Feta is great crumbled on salads, on top of pizzas, on scrambled eggs or fritatas.  
Manchego is normally made of sheep's milk, so this cow's milk version will be different.  This batch of Antares is very creamy since it was made at the end of the season when there's a lot of fat in the milk.  Cube or shred it on top of a salad or shred it on eggs or on cooked greens like the kale. It's got a really nice piquant lingering finish and is a favorite at farmers markets.  

Recipes.

Skillet Poached Eggs
Wash and chop a bunch or two of spinach (You can include the stems.  Use more than you think you need since it cooks down a lot.  Also works for arugula and chard or any combination of these greens).  The water from washing will help with steaming.  Heat 2 Tbsp of butter or oil in a pan.  You can add minced garlic, onion, or green onion at this point stir those around.  Add the chopped greens. If you like you can squeeze in some lemon juice.  Stir and cook until just wilted.  This will only take a couple minutes.  Spread the greens over the bottom of the pan  and make little wells, spaced out, for as many eggs as you want to cook.  Crack  eggs into the wells and put the lid on top.  Cook until whites are set, about 5 minutes.  Shred on some Antares cheese if you have it!  Serve over toasted sourdough.  

10 Salad Dressings to Know by Heart

Lemony White Bean and Arugula Salad -confirmed delicous by Robbinsdale host, Paula.  Thanks for the suggestion, Paula!
 

On the Farm.

Mark July 14th on your calendar  We are participating for the second year in the Local Farm tour.  https://www.coopfarmtour.com  We will have a self guided tour of the farm with a map, cheese tasting (and buying), and some burgers and hot dogs on the grill. 

We will also have 25# packs of 100% grass fed ground beef on sale. Pick up on the farm only. 

Mostly we hope you get to visit the place where your food is from. 
We will have other events too, if you cant make this one. 

We often get the question "Did you get all the planting done?" It's usually taken as more of a "are you caught up, are things going well?"  But technically they are two different questions and two different answers. We plant something every single week of the summer, ending only in late September with a few last ditch efforts at spinach and radishes. When we start harvesting I'm thinking about the end. Not because I wish it to be over, but because that's what the timing requires.  Early July marks about the last window to get anything transplanted into the field (think broccoli) and still have.a good chance of making a crop. Most transplants require 4 weeks in the greenhouse. Seeding carrots of any storage size also share this same window. That makes the first half of June a critical moment where the beginning meets the end.  We are less than 100 days from average first frost which seems crazy to think about, but we have a very short growing season here so we have to make every moment count!

Recently we finally got the spring weather we were hoping for back in May!  Tomatoes are trellised and pastures are tall. The first fruits of summer squash are showing themselves, and some hoop house cucumbers are making fruit.   Weeks 4-5 can be tricky ones, when summer is here, but Spring is done sprung.  Hopefully the plants with fruits keep growing and the weather cooperates...

Next week
Head Lettuce
salad mix
Spinach
Napa cabbage
Kale or Collards
Cilantro?
green garlic or scapes?
Come on Broccoli! 

 

 

Turnip Rock Farmer Comment
First Delivery of 2018! Week 1- June 7, 2018

What's in the box?

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clockwise:
rhubarb
storage beets
French breakfast radishes
Arugula - Large and Medium shares
chard
napa cabbage - large and medium shares
red romaine lettuce
baby bok choy
herb pot
salad mix
spinach - large and medium shares
butterhead lettuce
 

Notes on the box.

We've had a really hot and dry May which made the little flea beetles come out early and nibble things pretty hard.  So you'll notice tiny holes in their favorite things to eat, especially the Arugula leaves and Radish leaves.  Don't worry, the holes don't taste like anything!
The hot weather has made the spring greens a little tougher and spicier than the last few seasons.  If you haven't had radishes sliced thin on bread with butter and a sprinkle of sea salt, now is the time to try it!  The butter helps with the spiciness of the radishes.  
The Rhubarb is from the farm of our dear friends at Sleepy Root Farm.  They aren't doing their CSA this season but had a large patch of rhubarb that they planted that was ready to harvest.  Thanks Sleepy Root for sharing your bounty!  
Storage tips: 
Remove tops from radishes right away for longer storage.  Put the radishes in a bag in the fridge and try to eat within a week for these French breakfast type. The tops are edible if you like spicy greens with some serious texture.  Otherwise, they compost very nicely.  
The greens and lettuces will all keep best in plastic bags (we leave them open) in the crisper of the fridge.  Plan on lots of salads this week for your meal prep!  The early boxes are always heavy on the greens.
Your herb pot will have some combination of basil, thyme, parsley, oregano, or sage.  You can re plant them into their own pots and let them get bigger or plant them outdoors if you have space.  Keep herb pots in a sunny spot and keep the soil moist.  

Cosmic Wheel Creamery Cheese Shares.

Cheese shares are for members with Eat Like a Farmer, Eat Like a Vegetarian Farmer, or those who added on the Cheese Share.  PLEASE DO NOT TAKE CHEESE IF YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THE LIST!  Cheese shares are in a seperate box or cooler at the drop site with a checklist.  Be sure your name is on the list and grab a share.  All shares have the same thing and this season are not labeled with individual names.  If you are the last to pick-up and there's no cheese share, contact us and we will make it up to you. If your name is not on the list and you think you should be, contact us and we will figure it out.  

This week we have some lovely squeak perfect cheese curds and an aged cheese called Aquila that is a jack cheese recipe.  To get the squeak back in your curds after they have been refrigerate, just let them sit and get up to room temp.  They are perfect for snacking on or having on or alongside a salad.  I usually age Aquila longer until it becomes drier and firmer, but this was made in the fall when the fat content in the milk was higher, so it is nice and creamy.   It's great shredded on eggs in the morning or cut off a few slices to enjoy as you prepare dinner and have a drink.  Sometimes if we have had a late lunch or just want something quick and light for dinner we make a little cheese board with something sweet (honey, jam, or fruit), something crunchy (radishes or pickles), and some nuts or meat to pair with the cheese and some bread or crackers.  Add a salad and you can enjoy an easy dinner that's pretty special without turning on the stove.  

Hey!  You want to meet your cheesemaker?  I'll be at Cheese Fest at Linden Hills Coop this Saturday from 10-2 giving out samples of our cheese.  Cosmic Wheel Cheeses and other local cheeses will be on sale at the Wedge and Linden Hills Coops this weekend for 20% off!  

Recipes.

Rhubarb Vinaigrette
1 rhubarb stalk, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. champagne vinegar (red wine, raspberry, or rice vinegar would work well too)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard (or to taste)
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
In a small saucepan, simmer the rhubarb with 1/4 - 1/2 cup water for 5 minutes, or until very soft. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. 
Put the rhubarb into a blender with the honey, vinegar and mustard. Pulse until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil. 
Great on top of a Spinach, Lettuce, and Roasted Beet Salad with some toasted nuts!

Easy Rhubarb Breakfast Cake

Chard Cheese Tart. Recipe calls for green onions and garlic which didn't make it into this weeks box, but you can use regular garlic and onions, just saute before adding to the recipe.

Radiant Bok Choy. You can use your baby bok choy for this.  I think you could also cook the napa cabbage this way.  

Napa cabbage is great in stir-fry added at the very end, or you can try this yummy sounding recipe.  Braised Napa Cabbage  

Creamy White Bean Peso Arugula Salad

Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Arugula. This Recipe calls for a measly 2/3 cup of Arugula.  I'm suggesting you use at least half the bunch.  Chop it up and go for it!  

On the Farm. 

What a wild ride this spring has been. It went from record blizzard to 90 plus temps within 6 weeks and then we had no rain for a month. It was difficult to manage and really had us on edge. We ended up having to replant lots of tender plants that couldn't take the heat and lack of water.  We were grateful to have other farmers in the area with extra peppers, tomatoes, and cucumber plants to help us with some replacements. We attempted to cram all the April work into May since it was so cold and snowy through April.  We managed to avoid major catastrophy, meaning just a small hail storm, and just a few minor wind damage events. 
Now it seems like we are setting up for a summer more similar to last year where its hard to get things planted and weeded between the rain. 
But hey, we are in the business of adapting and being flexible.  So lets eat!
Thanks again for joining us !  All things considered we are setting up for a good season
A few reminders:
Try to leave your boxes at the drop site. Its ok to take the box with you if you forget to bring a bag, but bring them back. We reuse them. 
Leave your drop site tidy. Fold down your box (without ripping) and store it in the designated spot. 
Let your drop site host know if you cant pick up your box or if you will be late. so they know what to do with it. If you aren't sure who to talk to, contact us. 

 

 

Turnip Rock FarmerComment