Past Newsletters

January 16, 2010

What’s in the Vegetable Box? Arugula, Salad Mix, Green Garlic (use as a mix between garlic and onions), Spaghetti Squash (cook like any other winter squash, bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes, but then cut in half remove center seeds, then remove the noodle like flesh and make into a spaghetti meal), Braising Mix, Tatsai (almost like spinach, munch on it raw, add to salads or stir fry), tangelos and Broccoli Romanesco.

What’s in the Fruit Bag? Satsuma Mandarin Oranges, Raisins, Grapefruit, & Navel Oranges

Fruit during the Winter Season: This time of year the fruit that we will be harvesting is various types of citrus, there really is no other fruit growing right now, all apples you see in the stores are coming from storage or other parts of the world. In the fall you started to see the first of the citrus in your weekly box, the Satsuma Mandarins coming from Riverdog farm in Guinda, followed by the sweet Navel Oranges from John Ceteras who lives up the Capay Valley in Rumsey. Our Late Lane Sweet Oranges will be starting around February. Last week you saw the first of our Meyer Lemons which have a sweeter juice and a thinner skin. Later we will harvest the Lisbon lemons that are knobbier with a thicker skin and tarter. The Tangelos will be sweeter in Februarys and March although when Jeff or I pass them in the citrus orchard right now we pick one, they are tart and juicy, a bit more time and they will sweeten them up. We have a few pummelo trees but never enough to put in the weeks shares. Citrus likes to be grown in hot summer climates and not so cold winter climates. The hard freeze that came in December was not good for the Citrus trees. We ran our sprinkler irrigation all night for several nights to keep the fruit and trees from freezing temperatures. The ice that forms from the water actually acts as a protection and keeps it at a higher-warmer temperature. You can see some damaged leaves on the trees right now, like they were burned, but over all I think that we have a very heavy crop of fruit that is only becoming sweeter with time.

History of Citrus: Citrus Fruit cross very easily between species and the grapefruit is the best example of this.

The Grapefruit are believed to be hybrids of the pummelo with the sweet orange, and the only citrus fruit native to the New World. They are round, yellow fruit growing in huge, impressive clusters like a giant bunch of grapes, hence the name. The Mandarins were brought to Japan from China around CE 500 and brought to the United States in the mid nineteenth century. The Sweet Orange also called the China orange or Portuguese orange reached Europe comparatively late, in about 1500, when Vasco da Gama brought the first ones from India. The sweet orange spread around Europe during the next century, but it was still an expensive luxury. The species was introduced to the New World in 1565 by the first Spanish colonists in St. Augustine, southern Florida, and Spanish missionaries planted sweet oranges in California in 1707. However it was not until Florida became part of the United States in 1821 that sweet oranges became a major export. The lemon first arrived in the Middle East from India and China in the twelfth century, and has been cultivated ever since in Israel and Iran. Columbus brought the fruit to the West Indies on his second voyage in 1493, and the seeds were introduced to Florida from Haiti in the early sixteenth century. The Tangelo developed about 2,500 years ago in China, was a spontaneous hybrid of a tangerine and a pummelo.

This year marks the tenth year of building our new house, and we just may finish it too! This year Jeff will turn 60. This year Zach and Nicole his sweetheart from High School will have been together for 10 years. This year Zach and Nicole will be getting married at the farm on Mothers Day May 9. This year on 10-10-2010 Claire will turn 21. This year Jeff and I will celebrate our 35^th Wedding anniversary! It feels like a lot of big events are coming up, and I am not sure that one can be prepared for much in advance. Well, I have been working on the garden for the last year getting it spruced up, rearranged, new plantings, a new rose arbor, and as of fall grass planted in the path ways in preparation for a wedding, but I think I would have done most of it anyway, it was time for a change, my garden and I have been in the same dance for 25 years, and I was ready to shift to a new look. Moving to a new look, a new view, a new perspective point; now maybe that is my seed planting for this year?

The girls have been home and it has been nice to have some time to be with them, I think that has been the best gifts of this holiday season. We have gone to movies, dinners together, celebrated my moms 89^th birthday, talk’s together, quiet time, working on the house together, and the other day we had a photo session in the garden. It was such a kick having us all back together trying to get the perfect photo. It so brought me back to the time we all lived together: nobody on time, Zach coming out the door tattling that Ali had put a piece of chicken in his ear, and then later Zach throwing orange pieces at the girls, kids teasing Jeff about his shoes and clothes being muddy, and so much laughter, jokes and fun poking.

The fog lifted early this week and some rain moved in. It was sure nice to hear the rain drops pitter pattering on our tin roof (the tin always magnifies the sound and it seems like more drops than it really is). The farm is definitely muddy and everything got a good drink from the rain, but we sure do need more. It might be time to start thinking of that rain dance that we do sometimes to ask for more storms and more precipitation. I have to admit to a fear that I have that comes from past winters when the rain didn’t show up until late spring early summer and it almost took our entire fruit harvest. So you see when you ask for good weather in the winter, your wishes may be granted, but then delaying the winter into spring just brings chaos to us farmers. Grin and bare it and pray for the winter season in the winter. Bring on the rain, but not in floods, so it’s just enough. After that wonderful rainfall came beautiful clear skies, and I don’t know about you, but all of a sudden I was in spring time. My gut got all floppy, my head a bit turned around, I could feel the stress of “shoulds” moving in. I should be in the garden weeding, should be pruning roses, should be cutting back and dead heading last years flowers… I get kinda twitchy and my eyes keep moving back and forth to the garden, what am I missing, what is happening that I haven’t attended to??? With the good, clear, warm weather my focus goes outward. A time when I am more physical, a time when it is harder for me to remember to take care of myself, because the weather, the season, the possibilities are so expanding, exciting…. Ok, ok I had to calm myself down, reassure myself that the soil is tooooo wet to do anything, it is still January, get back to the office and don’t worry about garden work yet, get back to the seed inventory and planning for the year, This is just a pre-spring like warning telling us that she will come, but to make sure to get the hibernation time in, do that personal work, personal focus, inner evaluation and planning that needs to be done. Ah, I do enjoy winter, it never lasts long enough, I love the less distractions, and lately have noticed an irritation rise up when I do get a phone call, who is that knocking on my cave door? Have a great week, and thanks for the positive comments about the veggies and the newsletter, they are ALWAYS APPRECIATED and recipe suggestions!!!!! Annie

I will cook some ham steak in a large roasting pan and covered with cabbage, beets, golden turnips (which are beautiful), leeks, garlic, parsley and probably add steamed beet greens and some lemon at the end. A cold season kind of hearty meal.

We had roasted beets last night with pistachio butter from the mark Bittman cookbook...mmmm. The pistachio butter is also so good on roasted Kabocha Squash.

Fresh orange compote is an especially refreshing and not too sweet, it may be served alone or with shortbread or chocolate wafer cookies. Leftovers, should you have any, can be served the next day on vanilla ice cream or stirred into yogurt.

Peel and section the oranges into a serving bowl. In another, smaller bowl, mix together the orange

marmalade and liqueur to make a sauce. If necessary, add the juice from a few orange sections to the marmalade to reach a pourable consistency. Stir the sauce into the oranges. Refrigerate at lease 20 minutes, and serve chilled. To section an orange quickly, cut both of the ends form the orange and place it cut side down on a cutting board. Slice down he sides of the orange with wide strokes, just deep enough to remove the peel and all of the white pith. Hold the peeled orange over the serving bowl to catch any drippings juice, and with a paring knife, carefully cut between the membrane and one side of each orange section and back out the other side to release it from the membrane. This can be done with one smooth in and out motion. When all of the sections are removed, squeeze any remaining juice from the membrane into the bowl. From Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

ORANGE BEETS AND OLIVES

Place the beets in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low. Cover, and simmer foe 45 minutes, or until the beets are tender. Drain the beets and run cold water to remove the skins. Cut the beets into ¼” cubes and place in a large bowl. Squeeze the juice from the oranges over the beets. Add the olives, vinegar, oil, ginger, and chives. Toss to coat well and let sit for 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

In a medium stockpot, bring chicken stock to a simmer over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, ¼ cup cilantro and mint leaves, and chicken. Simmer until chicken is cooked through about 30 minutes. Remove chicken and allow to cool. Tear each breast into about 6 pieces, discard bones. Strain broth and return to pot over low heat. Add bok choy (or Napa) and simmer 5-10 minutes.

Soak noodles in hot water until softened, 5-10 minutes. Cook noodles in boiling water until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water.

Divide noodles among 6 bowls. Add chicken pieces, scallions, remaining mint and cilantro, and Tatsai. Pour hot broth and bok choy over top. Serve with Tuong Ot Toi.

Garlic puree is best when made with spring garlic; the young bulbs are moist and sweet-with green stalks. Spread the puree on croutons, for soups, or use it in a salad dressing, or in almost any recipe calling for finely chopped garlic. This recipe calls for a lot; adjust the amount to the bunch in your box: 20 heads of young tender garlic whole and unpeeled ½ cup olive oil

Divide the garlic into 2 groups of 10 heads each, wrap each group in heavy duty foil and bake the garlic on a baking sheet in a preheated oven (375 degrees) for 1 hour. Unwrap the garlic and let it cool until it can be handled. Separate the garlic cloves from the head and press each clove between the thumb and forefinger, squeezing the flesh into a sieve set over a bowl, stir in all but 2 tablespoons of olive oil and discarding the papery covering. (With the green spring garlic there should not be much of the papery covering) Pack the puree into a sterilized jar top it with the remaining oil and seal jar, when opened keep a layer of olive oil on top.

January 9, 2010

What’s in the Vegetable Box? Leeks, Turnips, Beets, Salad Mix, Spinach, Cabbage, Arugula, and Broccoli

What is in the Fruit Bag? Satsuma Mandarin Oranges, Dried Fruit, Lemons, & Navel Oranges

Reminder to start picking up your box this Saturday January 9^th and Tuesday January 12.

Winter Health Tips from Chinese Medicine

We Westerners spend the month of December fending off the growing darkness and cold with lights, festivities, and frenetic busyness. On New Year's Day, we resolve on even more activity and effort.

“Follow nature and align with seasonal energies,” advised the ancient Taoists, advice that underpins Chinese Medicine. If we steal a moment from our busyness and look around, we might note that everything else has slowed down. The plants in our gardens send their energies deep into their roots. The fields outside of town lie fallow and quiet. Further a field, bears conserve their energy through hibernation. Nature's winter message is: rest, go inward, conserve your energies, and enjoy the quiet.

Winter, in Chinese medicine, is the most “Yin” of the seasons. Yin energy, or qi, manifests as coolness, darkness, and lack of activity. Over the course of the year, Yin qi is balanced by Yang, epitomized by the warmth, light, and growth of summer. Our capacity to harmonize these energies internally—as rest and activity, coolness and warmth—both daily and seasonally determines health and well-being. Since Western culture tends to be exclusively “go go Yang”--think of the Energizer Rabbit—many of us fail to hear nature's call for rest and quiet. Ironically, some of us end up, in midwinter, feeling too Yin: sick, exhausted, or depressed.

So a winter prescription from Chinese medicine is “give yourself a break.” Let loose your inner slacker: stop multi-tasking, spend an afternoon enjoying a good book without feeling guilty, occasionally substitute a leisurely walk in the Arboretum for your daily run (no, you can't quit exercising altogether). Give yourself the extra hour of sleep you crave. Trust that a bit of dormancy will re-charge your batteries body, mind, and spirit.

In Chinese medicine, winter's element is water and its organ is the Kidneys. The Kidneys are said to house our foundational and reserve qi. They govern reproduction, growth, and longevity and are depleted by overwork. Abundant Kidney qi helps us to age fearlessly, with grace and wisdom, and with fewer health problems.

Chinese medicine suggests supporting Kidney qi by eating more beans (black and, of course, kidney) and by snacking on a few roasted nuts, especially walnuts and chestnuts. While the point of winter is to chill out from our usual overheated and frenetic pace, we don't want our water element to freeze, so keep warm with more soups and stews, whole grains, and warming herbs like cinnamon and ginger. Eat less raw salads and instead shift to leafy dark greens cooked with warming garlic and onions.

A little winter down-shift with gentle self-care will help you prepare for the return of light, warmth, growth and activity in the spring.

This morning we woke to the dripping on our tin rooftop of a thick fog. I looked out of our bedroom window which is up on the second floor and could only see white just a tad beyond the very close tree line. The white cave has enshrouded our world. I thought, well this is as close as it comes to hibernation that one can find in California. I think of the bears in there dark winter sleep and envy them to that quiet time, but this morning I realized that we do have that darkness here too, only it comes in the form of fog. I know many of you are sending me arrows to hush up, as some of my friends are gong crazy in the Valley Tule Fog that has engulfed the lower marshes of Yolo County, which is what most of the area is. But if we redefine fog, and realize it is our opportunity to hibernate like the bear and not look beyond what is 2 feet in front of us it might not be so terrible. I don’t get depressed with lack of sun during the winter, but it might be because of my over dose of summer sun, I know I couldn’t live in a place where fog, clouds and rain dominate. It also might be hard to hibernate if I lived in town, with everyone going and coming to work, the busyness of the community might make it hard to shut down.

This world out here on the farm is very different I think than what you live with in town. The fog does bring everything to a stop, there isn’t noise, expect the dripping of the heavy drops, or the birds that on doing their little dance in the garden or on the lawn searching for seeds or insects. You can hear them chirping in glee when they find something, but it really isn’t load or noisy, you have to listen to hear them. Francisco has been coming to prune the orchard, his car will whiz past and then he disappears into the mist. No other crew members are coming right now as there hasn’t been any harvesting going on, and so Francisco walks out with his pruning sheers and clips away and nobody knows he his here.

It is quiet; I guess you could say fog quiet, and a visual shield that limits the eye and mind from outward distractions. We are in our own world, just like the bear in her dark cave. This is the quiet time of the year, from the winter solstice to the spring equinox we are in a time of contemplation (well that really isn’t true here in California, maybe just January). The New Years Resolution is really figuring out what seeds you want to plant for the coming season. As farmers this is the time of year that we look at the past season’s crops and evaluate what did well, which crops produce abundance and continue them this year, or which planting do we want to rouge out, the seeds or crops that really didn’t carry their weight. What trials do we want to expand, or what new trials do we want to experiment with this year. This quiet time is a time of contemplation, evaluation, of looking at the seeds catalogues, kinda like your kid’s toy catalogues, or your clothes or hobby catalogues. It is a time to dream, imagine and create a new season of possibilities for the coming summer season. And you know it all if true for us too in our personal lives. What went well this year for me, what changes do I want to make for myself, or what work do I still need do continue on, and what newness do I want to bring in this year? We are planting our seeds and the quiet of the fog is the perfect time to do it, as I am in my own world, with little distractions having to be with myself-face myself and ask those hard questions. I also got sick this week which means that I hadn’t slowed down enough and my body is making me do it, really making me taking the break.

So I am drinking my tea and talking to you, hoping that you too can enjoy the slowness of the fog, have time for contemplation, stay warm, eat lots of soups and yummy greens and listen the quietness of this time of year. 2010 here we come-slowly; quietly but sure as shooting we are coming!!!! Have a great week, season, year-Annie

Place chicken in a large stock pot with water to cover, coarsely chop carrots, medium onions, and celery, and add to the pot, along with garlic, washed parsley, black peppercorns, and salt. Bring to boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours. After the chicken is done (in the first hour of cooking) remove let cool and then pick the meat from the bones and return the carcass to the pot. Reserve the meat for another use. Once the 2 hours of cooking are up, remove bones of chicken and then add ½ pound of your favorite noodles (we use rotelle) and cook until the pasta is tender, according to the package. Stir in 2 cups of washed, parsley leaves and simmer for 1 minute more. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 6 cup soufflé dish with 1 teaspoon butter, dust with flour (tap out excess) and set aside. Boil diced peeled trimmed turnips in a pot of salted water over high heat until soft 8-10 minutes: drain well and mash until smooth. Melt butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and mashed turnips and cook until thick, about 5 minutes. Add minced peeled onions and salt and pepper to taste. Remove pot from heat and gradually stir in egg yolks. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and set aside. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl until stiff peaks form gently fold into turnip mixture and spoon into prepared dish. Bake until puffed and golden about 35-40 minutes.

Place sugar and lemon juice in a large stainless steel bowl. Push yolks through a sieve into bowl, and whisk to combine. Set bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk unit mixture thickens, 15 to 20 minutes. Cook 5 minutes longer. Remove bowl from hat, and stir in zest. Stir in butter piece by piece until completely melted. Pour into cooled tart shell and chill until firm for at least one hour. Preheat broiler. Remove outer ring of tart pan and place pan on a large cookie sheet. Place outer rind upside down on top to protect pastry from burning, sift sugar evenly over top and place under broiler. Watch carefully; remove tart when top is evenly browned.

December 21, 2009

What’s in the Vegetable Box? Parsley, Salad Mix, Spinach, Turnips, Winter Squash, Mandarins and Broccoli

What is in the Fruit Bag? Satsuma Mandarin Oranges, Dried Figs, Lemons, & Navel Oranges

NO DELIVERY

Saturday December 26

Tuesday December 29

Saturday January 2

Tuesday January 5

Happy Solstice and a Great Start to 2010

Last newsletter for the year of 2009. Thank you all for giving us the chance to spend it with you. I hope that the rewards for you have been as valuable as they have been for us. The dream of providing food through our efforts in harvesting from the giving of the earth still guides our hours. The desire to be more aware of how to do it in a better way for you, for us, and for all life continues to shape our thoughts for the future. The past thirty odd years have convinced me that there is no better way I might have spent those years.

It is so quiet now. Standing at night, looking out across the farm to the windbreak line, brings out hidden memories of other times, standing and watching for something. A cold and wet night, perfect stillness, a mist blurring edges of indistinct bushes and trees, one distant token pinpoint of light, all this acts on my imagination and feelings until I know there is something here with me. The chance to stand immersed in that feeling, searching emotionally for something more, is one of those moments of mystery that keep life alive. All my life, I have looked forward to the fall and winter, to the return of the quiet time.

I want to continue to tell you about our trip to the East Coast, particularly about our stop in Durham, North Carolina. I was primed for this visit to the tobacco country because on both my parent’s sides, my family is descended from North Carolinians. I always knew the story of my Mother’s father, the youngest of 12 children and a twin, who left the plantation near Asheville to work for Liggett and Myers (L&M) as a pipe tobacco blender, came to San Francisco in that capacity, and spent the last dozen years of his career starting and running the cigar making shop at San Quentin Penitentiary through the 1940’s. I had also recently learned that an ancestor in my Father’s mother’s family had left North Carolina shortly after marrying a woman named “Cherokee” Terry and changing his name from Burroughs to Burris. Sounds like a good story there……

So setting down beside the trees along the runway at the Durham-Raleigh airport was, after the stone and iron of New York, an occasion for a big sigh. While not home, the feeling of familiarity, of something I knew about was an occasion for a deep outbreath. On the trip south from NYC I had been most impressed by the sheer force of the light put out by the Atlantic City casinos, which was a white-hot point surrounded by filaments of light feeding it. From a couple of thousand feet it was a pleasure to see the light spread out, diminish and fade as we came to North Carolina.

We, along with five other farmers from around the country and the photographers and local producers, were the guests of the producers of the “Five Farms” documentary series. We were all there, ostensibly to participate in a small seminar learning about the effects of the documentary making and its aftermath on our lives, but really to get a chance to learn more about each other and to get a face-to-face social encounter with the team that dedicated themselves to the production of this effort. It was during those encounters that it became more than an extended tour of our farm for someone carrying a microphone. The faces and lives behind the stories are way more arresting and inspiring and difficult and ordinarily heroic than I could have imagined. And that is the photographers, the producers and the staff at the Center for Documentary Studies. Don’t laugh. It is the truth that the world we entered for a few moments showed us all these characteristics and many more as we listened to these people talk about their professions, their lives and stories during the making of this documentary, and now its relevance to their lives. It seemed such a privilege afforded to us to be able to sit and listen to them as they mingled freely among the farming people. So many stories and so much life. At the end of the time it became evident to me that we had participated in something that was much bigger than a set of five storyline edits. We had all affected each other’s lives and as a new community were sharing each other’s journeys.

As I sit here and wonder if all this about our lives, and not really about the farm, is worth the kilobytes I feel again the certain knowledge of the billions of stories that surround me. It is very similar, sitting here in my life, to standing in the night listening in the darkness for the stories that are out there on the edge of my life. Jeff

I looked in most all of my cook books and could not find a recipe for broccoli soup. So here is my version that I made for lunch today. You have to know that I didn’t measure, I’m not really good at flowing recipes, or making them exact…so use this as a guide only

Cut broccoli heads into florets do not remove the leaves or the stem. Cook it all in a about 1 quart of water until tender. Blend the broccoli and use milk to keep the blender buzzing. Once the broccoli is ready I then melted the butter and sautéed the leeks, garlic and thyme until they were mostly soft, I scooched the leeks out of the middle of the pan added another ¼ cup of butter, melted it and then added the flour. (This is a quick white sauce lazy method). Once the flour has covered the leeks, I slowly added the broccoli/milk blended mixture to the leek flour mixture, first making a paste, and then added the entire broccoli mixture, including the reserved water from steaming. Cook until all is thickened and hot. Serve

Gently reheat the roasted turkey before adding to the cooked risotto so you won’t overcook the dish trying to warm the turkey thoroughly before serving.

Bring 3 ¼ cups chicken broth and water to a simmer in a large saucepan (don’t boil). Keep mixture warm over low heat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat, add squash and shallots, sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browed. Stir in remaining ½ cup broth, 1/4 cup wine, sage, salt, and pepper. Cover reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove squash mixture from pan, and keep warm. Increase heats to medium high add remaining oil and Arborio rice to pan. Sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stir in 1 cup broth mixture and remaining wine, cook 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add the remaining broth mixture ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth mixture is absorbed before adding the next (about 35 minutes total). Gently stir in squash mixture and reheated diced turkey, and top with crumbled goat cheese. Yield 4 servings. From Cooking Light November 2006

Cut turnips in half and into ½ inch wedges. Combine water and remaining ingredients in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add turnips, turning to coat, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Uncover and cook 7 minutes or until turnips are glazed. Yield 4 servings. From cooking Light

2 oranges-remove the juice by putting oranges in the microwave for 20 seconds then roll with hands on countertop before juicing.

Peel the onion and cut finely and sauté along with garlic in olive oil until the onion is translucent. Put into bowl. Chop the parsley add to onions along with the rest of the ingredients. This goes well with anything grilled, or on tortillas with grilled chicken, or seafood, falafel, or livening up some scrambled eggs. Makes about 1 cup.

Southwestern Version-Substitute cilantro or mint for parsley, use limes instead of lemons and 2 tablespoons papaya nectar for the orange juice. Add ½ teaspoon toasted cumin seeds-makes great bean burritos.

December 15, 2009

What’s in the Vegetable Box? Mediterranean Salad Mix, Head Lettuce, Carrots, Rosemary, Bulls Blood Beets, Broccoli, and Potatoes

What is in the Fruit Bag? Satsuma Mandarin Oranges, Dried Apricots, & Navel Oranges

NO DELIVERY

Saturday December 26

Tuesday December 29

Saturday January 2

Tuesday January 5

Happy Solstice and a Great Start to 2010

Sorry about last week’s newsletter. We arrived home Monday night from NYC and Durham, NC to the first night of a really huge freeze. I spent the first two hours home running around wrapping pipes and turning water on the citrus. I read the thermometer at 8:00pm and it said 31 degrees so I knew it was going to be really cold. We passed last year without a freeze and the past several years have been mild enough that with our elevation above the floor of Hungry Hollow the cold air that would cause a freeze has drained into the valley below. So when I turned on the water in the citrus I knew that we were facing something unusual. When I turned on the misting sprinklers under each orange tree, the fog of warm water was visible, and I felt the relief that we had arrived home just in time to do what we could to avoid losses. The night was so still and clear that it almost felt as if the universe had creaked to a halt due to cold. Windless nights like that are worse for freezing because the air doesn’t drain as well, and any wind can mix the air in the grove so that the coldest air doesn’t sink to the bottom. But in our case, I was giving thanks for the lack of wind, because that meant the warmth of the water would meander upward through the tree, creating a localized warm zone. We awoke the next morning to icicles hanging from the lower branches of all the citrus. If only I could have created an Ice shield, a 32 degree protective layer, over the whole tree that would have been the end of my worries. But of course the weight of all that ice might send branches already burdened with oranges and tangelos and pommelos and lemons crashing to the ground, so I worried a little instead.

The trip to the East Coast, while memorable in so many ways, is one that I am sure will always feel better viewed as a memory. That is for me, at least. Annie will surely feel differently, being the veteran traveler that she is. It was the first time that Annie and I had flown together, each of us having traveled separately on various occasions. Annie of course, has taken our children to various parts of the globe in her search for connection with others living on and with the land. I have traveled here and there over the years, but preferred mental travels with feet firmly planted here. As a result the farm had never missed both of us for longer than 4 days, and we had never left it to its own designs for long enough to be too concerned about what it may have cooked up for us on our return. So traveling together was the first adventure. Since we left San Francisco at 11:00PM and arrived in New York at 7:30AM our adventure was less than inspirational, both of us dozing and growing more bleary as the trip went on. But waking up to crossing Long Island at about 2000ft. and viewing the quadrangle of Central Park in the first sun of the morning was special. So much water! I had not realized, growing up in the arid West, that that part of the coast was a series of deltas of rivers draining large and small watersheds that receive water all year. From the air, water is the dominant natural feature. It surrounds all the well-known Islands, Manhattan, Long, Staten, Governors, Ellis, the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn and Queens, and the Bronx. Looking at all that on a map did not convey to me the same impact as seeing the physical reality. It is a watery world.

Emerging at JFK, feeling comfortable and adequately spiffy in my lucky plaid shirt, red Stanford Sequoias hat, and work Levis and worn old Redwing boots, we saw through the glare of the giant airport windows behind her, our first New York woman. She was tall, wearing a warm and well fitted long grey coat that emphasized her cultural and fashion superiority, and stood with an ease that let us know that she was at home and comfortable in any situation she might find herself. I was jolted when she turned toward us, and barely recognizable as Alison, walked toward us, arms open. Tender moment, made even more tender by the sudden realization of what she was capable of becoming.

Alison was there with Gary Baum, a friend for many years, artisan contractor and a buff of all life relating to Brooklyn as the center of life, the universe, and everything. So began our running tour of life as it was and is around our daughter. I remember a constant round of subways, lights, small shops under mountainous stonework, magnificent and formerly magnificent wrought iron everywhere, breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night snacks at places that like a geode stone, only showed their wonders after breaking through the everyday exterior.

Would I go back? If I had to, yes. If there was a good reason, yes. Do I need to go back? No. I remember how good and real it felt to hear that “we will be arriving at San Francisco International in 20 minutes, on behalf of the crew, I would like……”.

Am I worried about my daughter? Yes. She lives in a place foreign and unrecognizable to me, and I have only gained a few threads to connect me to her in her new place. There is a decay, natural through age and recognizable through neglect that lies on the fringes and beneath the constant renewal and energy that forms the vital core of the living city. It is its own thing, disconnected from all earth around it except as a medium for its expression and further out, as a resource necessary for life. This decay lies at the fringes of her life, and all lives there, and bounds the safety and security that she fashions for herself. But I am so encouraged by the adaptability and resourcefulness of her youth, and realize that she is capable of mastering the tremendous adjustment from farm to city and that within her lies the ability to pause, analyze, gather and prosper wherever she goes.

It is really nice to be home, back in the normal flow of the week, walking over a place that clings to my boots. I am through, for the time being, with popping in and out of flying sausages, and down and up from snaking underworld tunnels. Thanks for the opportunity to talk about my impressions, it helps to put them to bed. I am anxious to talk nest week about our adventures in Durham, North Carolina as the guests of the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, the producers of the “Five Farms” documentary.

One really great thing that Gary Baum gave me after an exchange about the people on the sidewalk in Brooklyn. He said “Jeff, you’re talking and looking as if someone is going to attack you at any moment! I’ve always looked for the nice in people and found it and I personally have always refused to participate in that misconception about city life”. It was not a rebuke, it was a personal sharing of his joy in the relationship and community natural to human beings everywhere. And the more we traveled in the city, the more I learned about the willingness of people to step out of their lives, even for a moment, to help someone. Have a great week-Jeff

You can deep fry virtually any ultra thinly sliced root vegetables and get homemade chips, but you can also crisp slightly thicker pieces in the oven, with a lot less oil and a lot less mess. Beets are especially great this way because of their bright color and naturally sweet flavor. Other vegetables you can use are carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, kohlrabi, sweet potatoes or turnips.

Preheat the oven to 400, lightly grease a couple of baking sheets or line them with parchment.

Cut the beets in half and then crosswise into thin slices (1/8 inch or so). You can use a mandoline for this; just don’t set it too thin. And if the beets are small simply cut them crosswise. Toss them in the oil and spread the slices out on the baking sheet. It’s okay if they are close, but don’t let them overlap.

Roast the beet slices until they are beginning to brown on the bottom, 10-12 minutes. Flip them over and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Keep roasting until they are well browned, another 10 minutes or so. Serve immediately.

Superb on any short, substantial pasta, it also tastes good by itself, with a big chunk of crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Try a combination of beets greens. kale, escarole, or chard, and mustard greens to complement the pungent flavor of the cheese.

3 large bunches fresh greens stemmed if necessary and coarsely chopped about 12 cups

Heat the oil in a large skillet or deep Dutch oven. Add the onion and salt lightly. Sauté over high heat for about 5 minutes, then turn the heat to medium, cover and let the onions cook until very tender about 10 minutes.

Add the greens in batches, sprinkling lightly with salt after each addition. When all the greens are wilted, stir in the feta and cook for about 2 minutes longer. Taste to adjust salt, some feta cheese are saltier than others.

Transfer to a platter, and grind on a generous amount of black pepper. Serve hot or warm, on or next to pasta or grains, or by itself.

December 8, 2009

What’s in the Vegetable Box? Salad Mix, Radishes, Braising Mix, Carrots, Butternut Squash, Leeks and Cabbage.

What is in the Fruit Bag? Dried Persimmons, Satsuma Mandarin Oranges, Meyer Lemons, and Almonds

This Week on the Farm-

Jeff and I returned from our New York and North Carolina trip on yesterday afternoon and are just getting back into the program after being gone a week. I think that we will give you an update next week when we have mentally landed and have collected ourselves. We had fun, but traveling is a little like stirring the soup pot and we are still going round and round.

NO BREAD: With the craziness in us both leaving the farm (at the same time) last week I forgot to order bread, so there is no bread at the drop this week. I am so sorry; I thought that I remembered the bread order before I left. We will be delivering two loaves next week; I hope this is not too much of an inconvenience for you.

The Stir Fry Story
It happened back in Œ86 when I was just an entry-level farm worker at Stone Free Farm, just outside of town on the south bank of Putah Creek. The birth of Stir-fry Greens, or Braising Mix, as we originally named it. The boss was a vegetarian and loved to cook greens. During one of the slow winter months when we were a bit short of product for market, he went wandering about the farm foraging for choice young leaves of the various greens - chards, kales, mustards, bok choy - and tossed them all together. The result was a very versatile mix of diverse flavors that was as convenient to use, as it was nutritious.
JUST WOK IT. In general, the leaf size of items in the Stir-fry Mix is considerably larger than what¹s in Salad Mix, though they may be the very same greens (except lettuce, of course). Thus, they are generally not eaten raw. When someone asks me how to cook the greens, I suggest, for starters, that they try either Asian Style or Italian Style. Asian Style means you use peanut oil, ginger, garlic, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, and well, you know, Asian kinds of things. Italian Style means you go for olive oil, garlic, onions, herbs like basil or oregano, and maybe some mushrooms. In either case, the preparation is basically the same: Just throw everything into a hot wok and toss it until all the greens are wilted. I emphasize the term wilted to encourage people not to overcook the greens. Amorphous green mush has never seemed appetizing to me.
Over the years I have come to enjoy the Stir-fry Mix more and more just steamed with no sauce or seasoning, or as a warm salad with but a drizzle of vinaigrette. I drop a steamer basket into a stockpot and bring the water to a boil. Then I dump a bagful of Stir fry Greens in and steam them for only three or four minutes. I then find myself poring over a mound of colorful wilted greens that I pick leaves out of, one by one, sampling and comparing flavors and textures. Red Russian Kale; Dinosaur Kale; Curly Green or Curly Red Kale; Red Mustard; Frilly Green Mustard; Swiss Chard; Red Chard; Gold Chard, Baby Bok Choy; Tatsoi; Napa Cabbage; Red Cabbage; Collards; Beet Greens; or Mizuna? Hmmm... What’s in the stir-fry today? Needless to say, just about every other vegetable can go into a Stirfry dish, even rutabagas! (But, like potatoes, you might want to precook them a bit.) On the other hand, you don¹t have to Stirfry the Stir-fry Mix. Miso soup or Ramen-type noodle soup becomes more flavorful and nutritious with the addition of a handful or two of chopped up Stirfry Greens. I¹ve used Stirfry Greens in place of spinach to make a Spanakopita-type phyllo dough casserole. Just a couple of minutes in the steamer basket brings out the natural sweetness of many of the greens (e.g., Kale) and reduces the pungency or bitterness of others (such as Red Mustard). By Jim Eldon, MOP*, Fiddler¹s Green Farm, Inc (*= Manager, Owner, President)

Fragrant Rice Noodle with Vegetables from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

Southeast Asian inspired sauce with colorful strips of leeks and mixed vegetables in a creamy, peanut-lime sauce.

6 ounces ¼ inch wide rice noodles (or linguini if rice noodles are not available

In a covered pot, bring the water to a rapid boil. When the water boils, add the noodles and cook for 3-5 minutes, until just tender. (I have found that really alls you need to do with rice noodles is bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat and place the noodles in the hot water and let set until tender.) Drain, rinsed briefly under water, drain again and set aside.

Combine the sauce ingredients and mix them by hand or puree them in a blender until smooth. Cut the leeks in half long ways; wash the insides looking for dirt under each layer. This recipe calls for squash, but this time of year you could replace with kohlrabi, fennel, carrots or any other in season vegetable. Cut the vegetables into sticks 5-6 inches long and ¼ to 1`/2 inch wide. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet, stir fry the leeks on medium high for 2-3 minutes. Add the vegetables and continue to stir fry for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender. To prevent scorching or sticking add about ¼ cup water while stir frying. Add the noodles and the sauce and toss well until heated through. Serve at once.

Recipe adapted from The Savory Way by Deborah Madison. The recipe calls for Taleggio Cheese, but other cheese may be used in its place such as Fontina, mozzarella or Gouda (or a mixture). This dish can be assembled earlier in the day and then finished in the oven or it can be made completely on the stove, the potatoes added after the cabbage is cooked and the cheese shredded and tossed in at the end. Makes 4 to 6 servings

If the skins on the potatoes look fresh, scrub them and leave them on. Otherwise peel them and cut into ½ inch chunks. Bring several quarts of water to a boil; add salt and the potatoes and turnip or parsnip. Lower heat to a slow boil and cook until they are just tender. 7-8 minutes. Remove them from the water and rinse briefly to stop cooking. Heat the butter in a skillet and add the sage, leeks, garlic, red pepper, fennel and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add enough water to just cover the bottom of the pan and stew for a few more minutes; then add the cabbage by handfuls or in whatever size batches the pan will accommodate. Salt lightly. Cover the pan and cook until the cabbage is tender. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Toss the cabbage mixture together with the potatoes, and the Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Layer the cabbage in an earthenware dish with the cheese. Cover and bake until the cheese is melted and the vegetables are hot, about 20 minutes. This is great as a farm box recipe. I used similar items such as potatoes and turnips or parsnips. I used the fennel to add flavor as well as a small green pepper. Most of the ingredients can be found in a box one week or the next, just buy some of your favorite cheese.

Brush cut side of squash with oil, place face down on baking dish and roast until tender about 1 hour. Cool and then scoop enough flesh out to measure 3 cups. Melt butter in large pot, and cook at medium heat carrots, onions, apple, about 2 minutes. Add curry paste stir 2 minutes, add chicken broth, bay leaves and squash. Stir in and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Remove bay leaves, and puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to soup pot. Stir in cream and honey and season with salt and pepper. Serve with garnish in each bowl.

December 1, 2009

What’s in the Vegetable Box? Beet (make sure to use the greens of the beets like chard or spinach), Chard, Carrots, Salad Mix, Arugula, Purple Broccoli, Potatoes and Radishes

What is in the Fruit Bag? Hachiya Persimmons (the ones that have to be gushy soft to eat), Dried Nectarines, Apples and Mandarins.

SPECIALTY HOLIDAY ORDERS

Orders will be delivered as part of your delivery on Tuesday 8^th and Saturday December 12th

For those of you that have signed up for winter quarter thank you for continuing into the season of greens, roots, and citrus. The winter fields looks so beautiful, they are full of produce ready to harvest, and lots just planted for the future. The orange trees are so full this year that we are propping up the branches to make sure they don’t break before harvest, weather has been spectacular too; I should be out taking lots of photographs for you to see.

With the new quarter brings change and I thought it might be good to let you all know how the change effects us. Summer 2007 our CSA membership in Sacramento was up to 120 and held at that until this summer 2009 where it dropped to 96 and starting this winter quarter we are at 90 with no waiting list at the moment. This last summer quarter many families decided to plant a garden to cut costs to help get through the economy crunch. Some have returned, some have not and in the end we too feel the crunch and loss of members. Some that have dropped out were long time supporters, with changing family dynamics, kids growing up leaving only two at the dinner table making the farmers markets or local grocery stores a more economical way to spend the weekly food allowance. What the consequence are for us with the decline in numbers is that at some of the delivery spots where the numbers are lower than the required 10 boxes per delivery, are in need of canceling if we can not bring them back up to a number that makes it economical to make the stop. Jeff and I can figure that the economy is what is keeping families from the CSA type of shopping; families are less able to pay in advance for the three month period. We offer a payment plan of your own creation to work around the advanced payment if needed; we would rather keep our customers than loose them because of money flow issues. We do not want to assume that the economy is the problem if there something else going on. Many folks have dropped this quarter because they are traveling over the holidays, and others didn’t say why they are going to take a break for the winter. It sure is true that the box is not as full as it was two years ago, the prices have gone up. I know also that I have had several folks say that they miss the hard copy of the newsletter in their box; the e-mail version isn’t as satisfying. Do we go back to hard copies in the box? Would that make a difference to you? Jeff and I would like to hear comments why our numbers are on the decline, ideas on how to bring them up, and any thoughts to better the system. We defiantly have the produce in the field to deliver and would like to have the families there to pack boxes for. And if we can’t bring the numbers up will need to look for other ways of marketing our crops to keep our income at a leave to support all that work here.

I thought you might be interested to see where our deliveries go and the numbers at each spot. Possibly you have family or friends in these areas that you could recommend getting a box. The ones that are below 10 are definitely in danger of being dropped, even though it means fewer boxes made overall. The red number of boxes are the drops where we need to increase the most. If you have ideas on how we could do that, newsletters in local school papers, or organizations, churches….that would be helpful to bring our numbers back up.

THE MYSTERY TO MISSING PRODUCTS-One last issue that I would like to talk about is the missing bread or flowers, vegetables or fruit. Each quarter mysteries happen, this quarter at the Davis Waldorf School takes the cake! This quarter one member did not receive 5 weeks of flowers ordered; she got them if picked up before 5 and not if picked up after 7. A MYSTERY that I have not been able to solve. It is really important that if you signed up for a product and your name is not on the list, please call us to clear up the confusion, but do not take the item until it is cleared up. If you have not signed up for items and take them thinking they will not be picked up, you are taking what belongs to someone else and they have paid for it.

Jeff and I are heading to North Carolina this Tuesday after the CSA run. We have been invited to gather together with the other four farms from the FIVE FARMS NPR program at Duke University to meet each other, and share experiences. You can still listen to the 5 hour program by going to www.fivefarms.org. We will also be visiting Ali in New York for a few days. This will be Jeff’s first trip to New York, and our first trip flying together!!!!!!!

Beet Salad with Mandarin Radicchio & Endive

(Additional 1 tablespoon l each of olive oil and orange juice for beet roasting)

1 small radicchio – cored with outer leaves and thickest white portion removed, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 375. Clean and trim beets, leaving skins on. Toss beets with orange juice and oil. Add a little water in bottom of pan with clove of garlic and roast beets covered loosely with foil. Cook beets, depending on size, until they can be easily pierced with end of knife, from 10 to 20- minutes. Add both juices and vinegar to a bowl with shallot and zest. Whisk in olive oil to emulsify adding salt and pepper to taste and set aside. Remove beets from oven and cool. Peel beets, and then cut into small slices. Toss radicchio and dressing and cover bottom of platter. Arrange endive, mandarins and beets on top. Drizzle with any remaining dressing over top and cover with nuts. Serves 6.

Enjoy half of this comforting soup now, and freeze the other half for a quick meal on a busy day. For best results prepare the croutons shortly before serving.

To prepare the soup, sort and wash the beans, place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans, cover and let stand 8 hours or overnight. Drain beans and set aside. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat, add onions and carrot and cook 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Increase heat to high and add wine. Cook until liquid is reduced to ½ cup, about 5 minutes, add salt, pepper, and rosemary sprigs, and cook 30 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in beans, water, and broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until beans are tender. Add chard, cook 15 minutes, or until chard is tender. Discard rosemary sprig. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Croutons: combine olive oil and bread toss to coat. Add chopped rosemary, toss to combine, arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until golden, turning once. Ladle soup into bowls and divide the croutons evenly among bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. Cooking Light November 2006

Soak raisins/dates in brandy or sherry and set aside. Combine persimmon pulp with soda and set aside (will solidify slightly). Combine sugars and eggs and mix thoroughly. Add oil and applesauce to sugar/egg mixture and then add dried fruit/liquor mixture and persimmon mixture. Slowly add in the flour and spices so that the mixture is a medium consistency. Pour into a lightly greased bunt pan and cook for ~75-80 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Very heavy cake, but delicious!

What’s in the Vegetable Box? Spinach, Beets, Carrots, Sage, Parsley, Tokyo Turnips, Sugar Pie Pumpkin from Short Night Farm, Potatoes, Watermelon Daikon from Riverdog (the Daikon and Turnips are great eaten raw used with on a vegetable platter with a ranch dip).

What is in the Fruit Bag? Persimmons, Apples from Coco Ranch, Mandarins from River Dog, and Raisins from Capay Canyon Ranch.

Well, last week of the quarter. These are important events in the life of the farm, now creating an entire life of their own 4 times a year. At the end of each quarter we say goodbye to some new friends who have tried the system and found it not reasonable for them, goodbye to some old friends whose lives have made it necessary, for whatever reason, to make an adjustment in eating habits or in location, and then we say hello to some new friends who have grown excited by the promise of getting closer to the source of the food on their table. Often, these people also come with the hope of learning more about the new stories being told about healthy, local food. They come hoping to hear, see, touch, and ultimately ingest and become part of a healthy, believable, an accountable movement toward individual choice and responsibility that they may become intimately associated with on a day to day basis. Is this true? In some cases surely, but we here at Good Humus Farm believe it to be true every single time we deliver boxes to your neighborhood. We have truly bought into the story that is being written in these days about the change in the way that people of this world perceive their world. We believe that we are engaged in the enviable task of bringing to you each week a little of the bounteous excess that is provided us by a truly nurturing planet. We do believe that we are adding our labor to a processional chain that links all of us to a viable future in service to that which sustains us.

At this point, I would like to acknowledge the farming community around us, people that share closely our lives and work and in whole lives we share. They are frequent contributors to our farm in so many ways, similar to yourselves. As we head into the season of the High Holidays, the gathering of family and friends in warm community calls to us. It is appropriate, therefore to remember the contributions of the people who surround us and nurture our existence. While not the only community, our rural neighbors are the community in which we interact most physically, and in whose stories we participate daily. And such stories they are. As we have grown into this rural way of life together, each of us has lived out our own individual life stories. And in ways both casual and, occasionally, intimate, I have been both surrounded by and helped to surround each of these lives. As such, I participate in their stories and they in mine. The local pioneering farms of the organic movement, such as the Beeman/Pelican farm, Odyssey Orchards, the old Good Humus Partnership, Fiddler’s Green and Leeside Farm, later to be Full Belly Farm established a fertile ground to germinate the growth of Stonefree Farm, Terra Firma, Everything Under the Sun, Riverdog Farm, Terra Firma, Durst Farms, Blue Heron, and many others from our local area that are familiar to all of us. And now the story is continuing into the next generation in Yolo County, as sons and daughters of those farms step up to put their own imprint on the evolving story of the local and organic movements in Yolo County. In this great networked community, arguably now the most productive organic community in the United States, we are the beneficiaries of their know how, their marketing expertise, their contacts, their moral support, and the publicity generated by being part of such a vibrant structure.

Sadly, each community has its losses and over the past few years my community has taken its hits. And so it is with the end of each quarter in the CSA. We take our hits and lose some friends and inspirational figures, but their memory continues within the community and contributes to the vibrancy of its future. And new come forward with their own contributions to take us into the next generation of local, healthy food production. Jeff

Combine vinegar, sugar, juice, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cook 1 minute. Remove from heat, and stir in sour cream. Drizzle warm dressing over spinach mixture, toss well. Sprinkle with bacon, serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings. From Cooking Light November 2006

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until it can be pierced with a fork, but is still somewhat firm. Melt butter

in a small saucepan over low heat, stir in honey, dried fruit, walnuts, cinnamon and nutmeg. Turn squash over and fill with dried fruit and nut mixture. Bake uncovered for another 20 to 25 minutes until squash is tender and topping is browned and bubbly. Rhonda & Tony Gruska Monticello Bistro

1 pounds each turnip, potatoes, carrots, and rutabagas, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch-thick

2 medium red onions, cut into 1 inch-thick wedges (before cutting into wedges, cut off top and peel each onion, then cut off roots, leaving root end intact)

Position 1 oven rack in top third and 1 oven rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Whisk 1/3 cup olive oil and chopped fresh herbs in large bowl. Add turnips, potatoes, carrots, rutabagas, and onions and toss to coat. Place the whole beets at one end of a sheet pan to keep them from discoloring the other vegetables, then divide remaining vegetables between prepared sheet pans. Sprinkle to taste with salt and pepper. Roast 50 minutes until easily pierced with a fork, turning once, about halfway through cooking. Remove sheet pans to cooling racks. Plunge beets into cold water, slipping skins off when they are cool enough to handle. Cut beets into 3/4-inch-thick pieces and place back on one of end cookie sheet with roasted vegetables. This can be done several hours in advance. Next, whisk balsamic vinegar with remaining 3 tablespoons oil and drizzle over roasted vegetables. Bake at 400 degrees until heated through. Serve immediately. Rhonda & Tony Gruska Monticello Bistro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half or quarters, remove seeds and place on a baking sheet. Roast until it can be pierced easily with a fork and is starting to caramelize. Cool completely. Remove skin and beat squash pulp with a mixer until very smooth. Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a medium sized metal bowl. Allow to soften 1 minute. Whisk egg yolks and sugar into gelatin mixture and set bowl over a pot of simmering water. Beat mixture, with a portable mixer or by hand, until mixture doubles in volume and becomes a thick cream. Remove from heat and continue beating about 5 minutes, until cool, and when you lift the beaters, it dribbles off in a thick, sticky ribbon. Beat in pumpkin and spices. Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour, until chilled but not set. Using clean beaters, whip cream until thick but still soft. Add vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into pumpkin mixture gently but thoroughly. Transfer mousse to a decorative serving bowl or simply spoon mousse into individual glasses or bowls. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Rhonda & Tony Gruska Monticello Bistro

What’s in the Vegetable Box? Salad Mix, Radishes, Carrots, Mai King Choy braising mix, Butternut squash, Pepper. Leeks from Riverdog and Garlic from Short Night Farm

What is in the Fruit Bag? Lemons, Hachiya Persimmons-these are the ones that only can be eaten dead ripe, set them out and wait until they are very soft, and Walnuts from Short Night Farm

It appears that there is rain on the way this Wednesday, at least says my high tech weather forecasting station, Francisco Montes. I prefer to say “Si Dios quiere”, which is a great saying that incorporates an entire cultural disposition toward prediction of events. I find it really useful in weather. Cuca is the champion of si Dios quiere on the farm using it to say goodbye, I’ll see you on Monday, si Dios quiere, if God wants it. Are you expecting to have that tractor running soon? Bueno, si Dios quiere. Will we get the order for the Coop out tomorrow? Si, si Dios quiere. Cuca, when will you feel better? Manana, si Dios quiere. Cuca, how do you feel today? Mejor, gracias a Dios. It’s a two-edged sword out here, able to be used to either deny responsibility or to let go of unnecessary worries. I love to hear its use around here, as it is also often offered as a good luck message,

similar to “Vaya con Dios”, “Go with God”. So it’s fun to hit Francisco with a “Si Dios quiere” when he tells me about the weather prediction, because we both know that the accuracy of weather prediction here on the farm is as much based on Si Dios quiere as it is on the millions of dollars spent in these changing times.

We gave a tour to a young man from Uganda last week. He is a guest through the helpfulness of Engineers without Borders. We all introduced ourselves, and his first question was what are your problems? I immediately flashed on his country, and the problems farmers must face in that decidedly Third World country. It was really hard to answer that question because we are so blessed on so many ways. I ended up telling him that we have no problems here to compare with what he would consider problems, and our situations are so dissimilar. All I could say was look, this is California. The climate is incredible, the market is right here, the water and the power to pump it are readily available, and the infrastructure is relatively stable and supportive. We have both hope and faith, borne of experience, that we can plant a tree and be around to harvest it in 10 years. As I looked at him and watched him laugh and talk of his future in farming, I was amazed at his willingness to embark on a farming venture. He was here actually trying to make up his mind whether to expand his current subsistence farm. I told him that he honored himself retaining his hope for the future.

As we found out more about his situation, it gave us pause. The surface water was seasonal, two rainy seasons and two dry. The only well was in the middle of town and people drew drinking water from it. Power was very intermittent, a few hours a day. There were no freezes, being near the equator, at an altitude of about 3000 feet. Everyone around was doing the same kind of farming and he was hoping to distinguish himself in some way. The two Americans that came with him had been helping in the village for some time, and said that he was a very talented farmer and his farm was among the most well cared for in the region. The village was a long way from major markets and no transportation reliably available to taker produce to market. I didn’t really ask but my impression has been that the political situation is not stable. How could I say we have problems? We agreed that faith and hope were two essential ingredients for the success of the farmers in his village. It is so hard to plant year after year without the hope for and faith in a harvest. And so here he was, speaking across the chasm that separates our experiences, and I really felt the inadequacy of anything I could tell him in terms of our farming practices.

After he left, I reflected some on our situation. As we had talked, it had come out how much we agreed that the faith and hope of the people on the land was so necessary to long term agriculture. Even though I have been lucky to have lived in a very stable time in American history, I realize how easy it is to take for granted, and not to cherish (Gracias a Dios) the gift of being able to plant with the certain knowledge of harvest. This acknowledgement of the gift, however, doesn’t absolve us (Si Dios quiere) of the responsibility to live our lives to preserve for future generations the reasons to have hope and faith in the acts of planting and harvesting.

Sugar And Orange Coated Walnuts

Be sure all nuts are coated well. Pour onto wax paper and separate at once and let dry and cool to touch

Separate eggs, put whites into a small bowl. Grate lemon rind, squeeze juice. Mix together in heavy saucepan: sugar, cornstarch, flour and slat. Stir in boiling water gradually (or it will lump). Cook over direct heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened. Beat yolks slightly and stir in some hot sugar mixture along with rind, juice and butter. Stir and cook until clear and thick. Cool and fill already cooked pie shell.

Meringue Beat 4 egg whites until stiff. Add 1/8 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon lemon extract and ½ cup sugar. Spread or plop onto of pie, and then bake for 12 minutes at 350 just until browned.

A quick vegetable stock made with herb and vegetable trimmings packs flavor into the rice. The tough, green parts of leeks and the stems of parsley and cilantro impart great flavor. If time is tight, use water instead of stock, and add another ½ teaspoon sea salt to the rice.

To prepare stock: combine first 10 ingredients in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. Strain through a cheesecloth lined colander into a bowl, and discard solids. Set aside 3 cups stock, reserve any remaining stock for another use. To prepare rice: Preheat broiler and place chilies on a foil lined baking sheet, broil 8 minutes or until blackened and charred turning after 4 minutes. Place in a zip top plastic bag and seal, let stand 15 minutes. Peel and discard the skins. Cut a lengthwise slit in each chili, discard seeds and stems, set aside.

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat; add 2 cups leek and rice, sauté 5 minutes. Add 2 ¾ stock, ¾ salt and bay leaf, bring to boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer 18 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, discard bay leaf and fluff with a fork.

Combine ¼ cup stock, roasted chilies, parsley leaves, and cilantro leaves in a blender process until smooth. Gently fold chili mixture into the rice. Sprinkle with cheese. Yields 6 servings.

1 bag of braising greens, washed and drained.
1 piece of bacon
Genuine Maple syrup, to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Fry up the bacon till crispy. Remove the bacon, crumble it, and pour off all the bacon grease. But don't wash the pan, leave a skim of grease in the bottom. Put the pan back on the medium-high burner. Add the braising greens. Add Maple syrup (try starting with 1 teaspoon, and add more to your liking). Sprinkle on the bacon. Cook until greens are wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy! Serves 2-4 people

What’s in the Vegetable Box? Salad Mix, Sunchokes (the whitish knobby ginger looking root), Chard, Arugula, Radishes, Butternut Squash and Carrots from Riverdog Farm

What is in the Fruit Bag? Fuju Persimmons, White Figs, and Apples from Greg House

I’ve wanted to say thanks to you all for a while now. You really can have little idea how great it is to be producing food for a very specific set of people who know us, know our farm, and who, because of that knowledge, have decided to support our efforts through the purchase and eating of the food that we produce. As the years have stretched out and our CSA has gained a history, it has become more and more comfortable, knowing that our livelihood is dependent on you. Ha! Can you believe that when we started out in organic farming, small as we were, we would have to sell a portion of our fruit and vegetables to conventional wholesalers in San Francisco and Oakland? About 1980, I would go to Veritable Vegetable in SF, drop off say, the apricots they had ordered, and then go back across the Bay Bridge to Oakland, change the label so it didn’t say organic in order to protect the sales Karen, Bu, and Mary Jane at VV, and offer the rest of our harvest to the conventional wholesalers on consignment. Our relationship with those guys, and they all were at that time, was pretty one-sided. We needed them to survive and they didn’t need us. But by delivering good quality produce, we established first a small business relationship and then a little camaraderie with the street vendors who hawked our boxes to the smaller grocery and restaurant people who liked the look of it. They negotiated a price, the money passed hands and after subtraction of their cut, the commission house sent us a check. It was quite a game, full of personalities and manipulation, and it was a fine line that I traveled in establishing a, well, relationship is too strong a word, but a presence in their minds. Oh, boy, and how it paid to know someone who knew the market and could steer and guide you to the houses that would take a chance on a small, young grower and his bunches of beets or boxes of lettuce, and what’s more pay a fair and honest price. I would love to set down those memories someday when I’m not busy and it snows in July.

But what I am getting at is the change in relationships. In those days I could count very quickly the people to whom we owed thanks through the year for keeping us afloat. The ladies at Veritable, the produce buyer at the tiny Davis Food Coop, and our friends at the Davis Farmer’s Market. Being at the whim of a very few relationships meant that everything we did was invested into pretty murky, mobile, and limited group.

How that changed with the coming of the CSA program! The comfort of having a hundred voices saying thank you for the wonderful fruit or food, is so different than calling the salesman that is in charge of your and fifteen other apricot accounts and hope that they ask you to bring more. The realization that we are in touch with and know and are known by most of the people that eat our food is one of the greatest gifts of the past 20 years. It means that the people who want to produce food for their people are in touch with the people who want to know their food and the people who produce it. In the middle of a sort of frightening societal trend away from human interaction, this is such a special statement. Perhaps we are on the verge of something bigger than we know.

All I can really say about this is that it is a blessing to have been in the right place at the right time, so that our impulse to provide healthy food to our community has coincided with the desire of all of you for a larger responsibility and understanding of that which sustains us all. For that reason, I can say thank you very much, everyone who uses our CSA, or any other CSA, for taking action on that desire for a new way of eating and living. And many, many thanks to the friends we’ve met over the years who have taken us along with them through their journey.

Sadly, sadly, sadly, we lost a young friend and son of two of the original members of the Good Humus partnership. Che Barnes, brother to Noah, Thad and Freeman, died in an air collision while conducting a search and rescue mission for the Coast Guard. Annie and I were privileged to be part of the memorial service at McClellan Air Force Base as the guests of his brothers and father, Martin. His loss has reminded all of us of the rare beauty of a life being lived in the service of others and the terrible finality of chance events. It also reminds us of how interconnected we are, how we think that we lead our individual lives separately and do not have an effect of each other. We may work in our individual fields, possibly alone day after day, and may not see our neighbors for a month, but for this organic faming community when one of their sons is lost, the community members feel that loss. There is a sign on the High School Bill Board that is honoring Che that everyone can see as you pass through Esparto. Growers and customers at the Davis Farmers Market where Che spent many markets with his parent’s, wept and embraced others with the knowledge of his death. The crew members at their farm that have known Che and his brothers since they were nine years old and played with their children cried for his loss, shaking their heads in disbelief. We are intertwined in this life of ours with those around us, with you as our community members, deepening relationships makes it so much more meaningful and rich, and the loss is so much harder. Jeff & Annie

Sunchokes are tubers that have a delicate flavor that is slightly sweet and nut-like, similar to jicama and water chestnuts. Sunchokes store their carbohydrates in a form of inulin, a starch that is not utilized by the body for energy, as opposed to sugar. They are recommended as a potato substitute for diabetics since they are filling but not absorbed by the body, and because they also show indications of assisting in blood sugar control. In reference to the question about Jerusalem artichoke as a source of insulin, I believe the carbohydrate in Jerusalem artichoke is INULIN. Insulin is the (protein) hormone that controls glucose absorption by animal cells. If eaten, insulin is broken down to its component amino acids, which is why insulin is injected intradermally by dependent diabetics. Inulin is a carbohydrate which breaks down to fructose. Fructose is not used to treat diabetes, but is considered a better sugar for most diabetics because it must be converted to glucose before being absorbed by cells.. Jerusalem artichoke flour is also recommended for those who are allergic to wheat and other grains. High in iron, potassium and thiamine, low-fat sunchokes also feed the healthy bacteria (lactobacilli) in the intestional tract. However, they can cause flatulence in some people and first tastings should be in small amounts. For those sensitive to gas-producing foods, pre-cooking before baking or a good boiling is recommended, and eating them raw should be avoided. On another note, one strange case of an allergic reaction has been linked to inulin, which may be a subject of interest to those who suffer swelling and breathing difficulties from other foods.

The Author says: "This thick soup has less cheese than a traditional cheese soup, allowing the Sunchoke flavor to dominate. Add more cheese if you prefer. Serve with roasted thin black bread triangles. With a salad, you have an unusual and filling meal-in-one." --Marian Morash

1 pound Sunchoke
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 stalks celery
1 medium onion
6 Tbsp butter
2-1/2 cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp flour
1-1/2 cups medium-sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 cup cream
salt
Cayenne pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Wash, peel, and roughly chop chokes and keep in water to which lemon juice has been added until ready to use. Chop celery and onion and cook in 2 tablespoons butter until slightly wilted, approximately 10 minutes. Add chokes and 1-1/2 cups chicken broth, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through. Puree in a blender, food processor, or food mill. In a medium-size saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter, add flour, and cook for 2 minutes without browning. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 cup broth, then cook for 5 minutes. Add cheese and mustard and stir until blended. Stir in choke mixture and cream and cook until soup is heated through. Season with salt, cayenne pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Note: For a thinner soup, add additional chicken stock. Yield: 4-6 servings From: Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash

8 ounces Buckwheat noodles (I usually use up to 16 ounces of regular pasta like Bow Tie and it works well)

Sort and rinse lentils well; cover generously with water and bring to a boil with bay leaf and salt.

Cook at slow boil until tender 15 to 20 minutes, do not overcook! Drain, save liquid. Toss with little olive oil. Add salt, freshly ground black pepper, and set aside.

Cut chard leaves away from stems, wash them well, and slice leaves into strips about 1 inch wide (I use most of the good parts of the stem too.)

Slowly warm 4 tablespoons of the oil in skillet with the garlic and cook for 1 minute, taking care that the garlic does not color. Add carrots, celery and leeks and stir to coat them with oil. Cook for 1 minute over medium heat with some salt. Then pour in 2/3-cup water or stock and add the carrot. Stew until vegetables are tender. If liquid evaporates, add more so that there will be a little sauce at the end (I usually use the lentil liquid). Add lentils.

Cook noodles, and then add them to vegetables. Toss everything together; add parsley, Parmesan, and the rest of the oil.

Salad Mix, Acorn Squash, Lemon Thyme, Green Peppers, Carrots and Curley Kale from Riverdog Farm and Gala Apples from Coco Ranch.

Fuju Persimmons (the ones that can be eaten like an apple, you do not need to wait for them to be mushy and soft) Quince, Dried Apricots, Pomegranates and Apples from Coco Ranch

Last week I started with the notion of talking about the finishing of the crop year and wandered off into putting the summer to bed through remembering some high points. But putting the farm and its summer energy to bed is more than that, because we are also preparing a “bed” for the winter. And that is a curious mixture, because it involves both the active assisting in the creation of a good environment for the life of winter to do its work, and the protective covering of that environment from the winter excesses of nature. All that seems like a lot of work, and it can be, but because everything is slowing down, the crises that mark our progress through the year seem to come at a slower pace, too.

Interesting notion, that we on the farm measure our progress through the passing of crises and that our pace is determined by the speed at which crises occur. But it’s true, I’ve long been aware of the anticipation that exists within me, of the projection of my activities, for the next crisis. I’ve noticed that this exists in families also that do a lot of entertaining, that life exists kind of in anticipation of the next event, and that the time in between events can sometimes cease to exist except as a place to prepare for the next event. That is a good picture of how my life sometimes feels when the crises of farming and farming lifestyle and farming business come close on each other’s heels. It can seem as if my life is spent anticipating, reacting and recovering from crises, and my ability to do that becomes my ability as a farmer. So the speed with which crises occur, and how well I deal with them can be pretty important to me in defining how the season has gone.

So when the autumn comes and the atmosphere becomes a protective blanket over the farm rather than a transparent, shredded wisp through which pours the fierce heat and light of the summer, all calms down under it’s protection. A crisis may build slowly, gaining the momentum to become a pressure point that needs attention and release, but it can be seen, adjustments made and entered into with more calm. After over 30 years of living that rhythm, we’ve become adept at being aware of what is necessary to prepare for and survive the onset and duration of crisis management, and have become so thankful for the time in the fall when the periods between crises lengthen and a little foresight creeps into our lives. What a blessing.

That aspect of our lives is a strong part of our sense of the fall, of the wet blanket thrown over the fires of the summer, of the cooling cover that heals the burns and starts the regenerative process that allows us to look forward to the burst of vitality that is the spring of the year. In the same way part of the fall work is “putting to bed” or providing the covering protection for our ground and plants that nature gives to us. So this fall as in every fall, we select the land that is going to go uncovered, to sacrifice, so that we can earn our living, and so that you can all have the benefit of fresh vegetables all winter. This is a sacrifice because in order to raise the crops we eat, we keep the soil in our rows and beds free of the covering weeds that would shelter the soil from the pounding rains, free from the mulch that would protect the soil life from the temperature swings, free from the deep rooted perennials that would pierce the lover layers and drain away the excess water at a quicker rate to prevent drowning anaerobic conditions, free from all the plant life that would provide the barricades to washing away or erosion of the habitat of all the life of the soil. And so it is a real sacrifice, we know it and do what we can to keep that sacrifice limited in severity. In the best of times, we plant winter cover crops that provide some of the services mentioned above. We rotate that sacrifice through our fields in an effort to allow recuperative time to each field or part of a field. We provide border plants that protect the edges of the field from washout floods from uphill. We mulch with a neighbors hay to shield some areas from the pounding rain. And we stay off, as much as possible, the wet ground, because we have learned that all activity has an impact, and it is always necessary to find ways to minimize impacts. But there is not a doubt that on a rainy day in January, needing to fill a box, we will slog through the mud, squishing all the life giving air out of the mud, making bricks of some of the best farmland on earth. Doing all these things with the full knowledge of our impact and its effects, and with the intention always of minimizing our effect, is the duty that we have to that six inches of topsoil that provides us life on earth. And we are able to keep having that impact, necessarily requiring that sacrifice, only by minimizing our disruption and maximizing the protection of that which we impact to the best of our ability and in the best way that we know how.

As I think of it now, the best way I can put the farm to bed is by looking around and seeing the healing processes of nature, mimic those by providing some of the elements of healing, the nutrients, the cover, the peaceful lightening of the footsteps so well employed in the processes all around us. Doing that well is putting the farm to bed in the Great Central Valley of California. Jeff

The texture is chalky and dry. It’s tough to slice, and there’s no pint in tasting it raw since it must be cooked to be enjoyed. But what makes the quince alluring enough to overcome such drawbacks is its perfume, which lingers with the fruit after cooking. Quince is an old fashioned fruit. Once valued for its pectin as well as it hardiness in the garden. It revels hints of both apples and pears in its shape and the patterns of the seeds. It is a rustic version thought for its shape is often ungainly and its skin is sometimes coated with a soft down. When ripe, in the fall the fruit will be hard, aromatic and golden. Quince go beautifully into dishes that contain pears and apples, but they take longer to cook than either, so if you wish to add some to a dish it is a good idea to cut them more finely than the other fruit. Grated quinces can be added directly to quick breads and pancakes. Generally I find that poached quinces are the most useful form to have. Each fall I poach as many as I can in syrup until they turn deep pink, then keep them refrigerated in their syrup and use them over the next few months, adding them to compotes or poached pears, tarts tartins, apple galettes, pies, crisps, and so for the. Anything that is made with apples or pears is even better when quince is mixed in.

Peel 4 quinces, reserving their peels. (As you work, set aside peeled quinces in a bowl of water and lemon juice to prevent browning.) Place quinces in a large saucepan-one big enough for quinces to fit in one layer on the bottom. Add peels, which will bring out a pink color, and add the ingredients for one of the poaching liquids below. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and poach quinces, turning occasionally, until tender, about 30 minutes (depending on variety, size, and ripeness.) Allow quinces to cool in poaching liquid, then transfer to a bowl, and reduce liquid over high heat until syrupy, about 20 minutes. Strain and pour over quinces. Set aside to cool; serve at room temperature.

Pork Shoulder is an ideal cut of meat for slow cooking because it retains its moistness and delivers a lot of flavor. Here, it’s braised in balsamic vinegar and red wine, both of which balance the sweetness of the fruit and contribute a delectable kick to the sauce.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a 6-8 quart oval roasting pan brown meat on all sides in hot oil. Remove the meat from the pan and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Sprinkle meat lightly with salt and pepper, set aside, reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions to pan and cook about 5 minutes or until tender. Add the bay leaves, rosemary, vinegar, wine, dried plums and apricots, figs and quince. Bring to boiling and cook for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat. Return the meat to the pan, cover and place in oven for 2 ¾ hours. Add apples cover and cook 15 minutes more or until meat and apples are tender. Remove meat and fruit from the pan using a slotted spoon, cover meat and fruit loosely with foil to keep warm. Remove and discard bay and rosemary leaves from pan. For sauce place pan on range top and cook uncovered over medium heat about 15 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to 1 ¼ cups, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits. To serve slice the pork and arrange it on a plate with the fruit. Spoon some of the sauce over the pork.

The three pome fruits meet in this delectable pastry. I especially like this tart when made with puff pastry, which our local bakery makes far better than I do. If you can arrange to buy a 16 ounce piece of fine puff pastry from a bakery, obtain frozen make by Dufour, or are willing to make your own, then use puff pastry. Otherwise use a Galette Pastry.

Roll chilled puff pastry into a square ¼ inch thick. Place it on a sheet pan and refrigerate until ready to bake. Peel and core the apples and slice them into wedges ¼ inch thick. Peel and core the pears and slice them a bit thicker. Toss the fruits with the cinnamon and the sugar. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator, loosely arrange the fruit in the middle, drizzle the butter over it, then pull the opposite corners toward each other, they won’t meet. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 and continue baking unit the pastry is puffed and golden and the fruit is tender. 40-50 minutes. Serve with softly whipped cream or crème fraiche.

Salad Mix, Spinach, Sorrel, Chard, Pomegranates, Pumpkins, and Yellow Onions and Red Beets

Grapes, Fuju Persimmons (the ones that can be eaten like an apple, you do not need to wait for them to be mushy and soft) Almonds from Capay Canyon Ranch, and Apples from Coco Ranch

Well, not really, not in California, but it’s the thought that came to me this weekend characterizing the feeling on the farm this past week. After the pounding rains of two weeks ago, we spent a week just dealing with its muddy remnants, downed branches, and detours. But then the last school group of the year left the farm, the ground dried a little, and the blades and hearts of the new crop of winter weeds burst green from the earth.

Annie and I sat down at the end of one day last week and toasted each other’s completion and the farm’s completion of the journey through the summer. And in that breathing-out moment, we realized that truly, all things considered, another summer had passed, and, global warming or not, things had changed.

Previous to this we had gone through the motions of preparing for the winter to come, trying to keep up with the late summer planting schedule, interring crops that had finished, ordering seed, but the end of summer wasn’t real yet. There was still water to move, breakdowns to fix, crops to hoe, farm visits to prepare for that kept us bustling through the slowly shortening days of the early fall, which in California are suspiciously similar to summer with slightly longer evenings. So we went through the motions of preparing for what we knew, in some vague primordial and instinctual way, was coming, but couldn’t really think about yet. We did this only because experience has taught us that bad things happen, like no harvest in November and December, if we don’t fool ourselves and the plants into thinking in late July and August that someday, someway, the heat and sweat and overproduction might end. So, that’s life, right up until the moment that it happened!

The first rain this year, felt like a warning from Mother Nature of what life could be like if she wasn’t basically compassionate, of what she might be like if her immune system decided we didn’t belong here. A time of laughing nervously at jokes about beachfront property. But all of us weathered it, dug out, and said, “Well, I guess its winter”.

Part of going to bed or putting the farm to bed, is the moment when we sit and look back at the recent past, like one day or one summer, and reflect for a bit. And so Annie and I sat and were able to marvel at the wealth of the summer. Surrounded by it in the madness of the summer, we skimmed the surface of the wealth of this place, packed it up in various ways and transported it to marketplaces for consumption. It is hard to realize the wealth all around in the middle of the harvest process, but every time a child or class left their mark and were marked in return, or a bell pepper or tomato, or potato went to someone else’s hand, the resulting smile or nod reminded us of the wealth we were handing along. There were more school classes here than ever before. The fruit trees and perennial crops were bountiful in their gifts. The wild areas are assuming their own personality. And the summer vegetables continue to remind us there are no end to the ways that we can err through excess management, excess haste, and excess speed. So many people enjoyed their time here that we wonder if there is not some new facet of this land making itself known. Thus, in the last week or two, the summer has been put to bed, and the winter is rising. Jeff

Sorrel Frittata

Frittatas make a wonderful light meal; they are tasty served at room temperature.

Melt butter in medium skillet over low heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, or until softened. Add sorrel and cook until wilted. Set aside. In a medium love, beat eggs until frothy. Add sorrel, parsley, cheese and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat broiler, in a medium ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium high heat, swirling to coat the pan. Add egg mixture, reduce heat to low and cook, until golden brown, watching carefully. Do not overcook. Let frittata cool in the pan for a minute, place in a serving plate over the skillet and invert. Variation: I think I would add some cooked rice (2 cups) to the egg mixture and cook it all in the over until golden brown.

Pasta with Sorrel and Feta

Sauté vegetables in oil and stock, wine, corn, and tomatoes. Heat up then quickly steam sorrel in sauce and pour over cooked pasta, toss with feta and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Add the lemon zest and juice, dill, salt, pepper and scallions. Blend until smooth, pour into a bowl and blend in the sour cream and yogurt. Cover and refrigerate until very cold. Taste for seasoning it should be nice and lemony. Garnish each bowl with chopped chives and blossoms.

To Roast: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub each beet with olive oil and place them in a baking dish. Roast for 40-60 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool before peeling.

To boil or steam: Steam whole beets over boiling water in a covered container until tender, or cook in boiling water until tender. Cooking times varies with the age of the beets. For boiling whole young beets, allow 30-40 minutes. For steaming whole young beets allow 50-60 minutes. Cook older beets 10-15 minutes longer. There should be no resistance when you test them with a knife.

Salad of Winter Squash, Pomegranate & Chicory

Peel off skin, halve squash and remove seeds. Cut into 2 inch sections. Cut flesh into thin julienne strips. Drop into boiling salted water, return to boil, and then drain at once. Drop into bowl of ice water and drain. Spread on paper towel to dry. Combine ginger, salt, lemon juice and vinegar in jar and shake to blend. Add oil and shake again. Combine ¾ of dressing with squash. Toss and refrigerate until serving time. To serve, toss remaining dressing with chicory, add squash and pomegranate seeds and mix gently.

Persimmon Apple Crumble

Filling

Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a 9-inch pie pan. Make a well in the middle and add milk and oil. Mix until all ingredients are blended. Form evenly to cover bottom and edges of pan.

Cut butter into small pieces, blend in flour, sugar, and almonds using hands until a course mixture is formed. Starting on the outside, crumble the topping over the filling until completely covered.

Bake crust and filling for 25 minutes at 375 degrees using the center rack. Remove crumble from oven and add topping. Bake additional 25 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Eggplant, Winter Squash-Butternut, Basil, Dried Peaches, Salad Mix, some parsley, and Red Russian Kale along with Scarlet Turnips from Riverdog Farm

Last week was wild; the storm that came in on Tuesday was a duzzie! We had branches breaking all over the farm, and leaking drips in many places in our house. The 9^th grade Sacramento Waldorf School was slated to come on Tuesday, but with the high winds branches braking, and all the rain- definitely a dog dish full, it was too dangerous to have visitors. I have learned for myself that I need to pay attention to the weather, when the conditions are that severe, it really is time to hole up, not try to plow through the normal planned day, it really is a time to stay home, batten down the hatches and weather the storm the best we can. The roads were definitely flooding too so I cancelled the first day of the week long farm to school visit with the kids. They were to come on Wednesday morning. What a relief! Then as we were all loaded up and ready to go on the CSA run to Sacramento Jeff looked at me and said he really didn’t want to go out into the storm. The van was packed, but internally we both wanted to build a fire, drink some tea and wait it out. It would have been hard to call 100 folks to say we are delivering on Wednesday, so after the momentary hesitation he jumped into the van and took off. He survived the drive without any mishap!

On Tuesday my niece Jenny who has worked with me on our farm to school programs weathered the storm and came out to help me organized our new shop kitchen so it would be ready for the kids to cook in during the week. It was soooo much fun, Jeff and I had stayed up until midnight the night before hanging cabinets and putting up counters in the kitchen, then Jenny and I were able to I fill it up with all my canning supplies, big cooking pots, spices and herbs, supplies for cooking, dish racks, a coffee pot (which the crew can use too), & dishes. I had our house kitchen stuffed to the brim along and more supplies in our “stuff it all in the storage room”, it was so great to find and put them all together in one room and have it all organized. We were working all day then we moved on to the new house as this is where the kids were going to eat and possibly sleep if it rained on Wed too! By the time we finished we were definitely ready for the kid’s arrival and I was totally pooped out. On Wednesday when they arrive there still was some wild weather and it set the pace for the week-wild and chaotic! Jenny and I had the week planned, when we would have meals, the work rotations, and work activities, but I am not sure anything happened when it was suppose to or that we did what we were planning. With about 3 inches of rain, the fields were saturated and full of water, I did not want 24 sets of feet compacting the soil, so Jenny and I were shooting from the hip the entire time which made for chaos in itself. We ended up making wreaths with them with the help of the ladies from our crew, pulled all the broken branches to the burn pile, were able to do some work in my garden spreading chips and dead heading old flower heads, they did some propagation with a friend of my Kendal that comes out weekly (she and I are planning to have a plant sale possibly next fall). But what they did the most was cook and eat and they ate well! I had organized that a cook would help direct each meal, but there wasn’t anyone I knew that could work cooking with the kids all week, so we had 4 different “chefs” come in to the kitchen to direct the cooking pot. That alone was a bit crazy, but everyone was great, learned a lot, and we never were short of food. They made tomato soup from scratch, plum jam for their toast, and they pressed apple juice for their meals. They camped in our drying yard where there is only stacks of drying trays left, it is right out our bedroom window, and those kids were wired-they were at it until close to midnight both nights, but you know Jeff and I can sleep through anything. We had lectures and conversations about the farm-Jeff in another life I am sure was a College Professor who loved to lecture (when growing up the kids pleaded for not yet another lecture!), they helped at the Wednesday Farmers Market-they did so well Katie and I just sat back to added out bit of wisdom once in awhile other wise they ran the show. Over all those kids were on an adventure, they loved it, didn’t seem to mind the wet, mud, and would start singing in the midst of doing a job. They were a great bunch of kid’s well really young adults, and I think we all felt good about their experience here at the farm, and let out a sigh of relief when they left.

As Jenny was leaving on Friday she said to me that she loves working with the class visits on the farm. She graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Outdoor Education and has worked for the city down there doing some event planning. She said that they gave her and event to organize but really it was all organized and there was no room for her to create or put herself into the event. Here at the farm we had plans that got thrown out the window time after time, and I depended on her to help me figure out what to do next. I think that is the lesson that I have learned as a farmer living out on the edge away form town. The weather comes in and what ever was planned for the day gets changed, or something comes up in the middle of a project that is not related to what we are doing. Constantly we are made to adjust to the moment’s crisis or needs, and then of course there is the problem of not having the right ingredient for a recipe or part for a repair. Improvising it the name of the game when ever possible, I guess that is why I really don’t “follow” recipes I never have everything nor the forward planning to get it before I need it. It means that in situations like the farm visit, we don’t get too stuck on what can’t happen, we just roll with what it in the moment-but at times I have to admit it can cause a little hair pulling and possibly graying too.

Today it is raining again, and tomorrow we have our last school visit of the year. The 3^rd grade Davis Waldorf kids are coming for an overnight, but we shall see how that unfolds-Have a great week-Annie

Feel free to jazz up with a few springs of fresh thyme, or a teaspoon of curry powder, or other spice mix or simply a couple of cloves of garlic. Other vegetables you can use are anything hard and fibrous really, carrots, jicama, parsnips, celeriac, waxy potatoes.

1 pound turnips, radishes, trimmed or daikon radish, rutabaga, beets, carrots, peeled and cut into chunks.

Chopped parsley for garnish Combine the butter, radishes and stock in a sauce pan sprinkle with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers, cook until the roots are tender, 15-20 minutes. Uncover and raise the heat to boil off almost all the liquid so that the vegetable becomes glazed in the combination of butter and pan juices, this will take 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, add a little lemon juice and garnish and serve.

1-2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (I used fig which was yummy Sauté chopped onion and minced garlic in olive oil until translucent add chopped braising mix and cook until mostly wilted, then add the balsamic vinegar, you could add a goat cheese too. Make the polenta by bringing to 2 cups water boil, then adding 1 cup of polenta. Simmer slowly until done, add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon of butter, and stir in. Pour into a flat pan and let cool a bit until it sets firm enough to cut into wedges. Serve with greens on top.

The fruit that’s doing the hinting is the humble dried apricots, which might seem bizarre at first glance, or even at second glance. But something subtle and magical happens when the apricot flavor modestly blends into the soup. Try this easy, intensely seasoned, oil free winner, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Optional Garnishes of Extra slivers of dried fruit or a swirl of yogurt or a sprig or two of cilantro or parsley

Cover beans water and allow soaking for 8-12 hours changing water once in awhile. Place the lentils and water in a soup pot or Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes. Add the onion, cumin, and mustard, and continue to simmer, covered, until the lentils are very soft. Add small amounts of additional water, it it seems to thick. Add the garlic, apricots, and salt, cover and let it simmer for another 15 minutes or so. Stir in vinegar, black pepper, and cayenne to taste. At this point the soup will keep for several days. Serve hot topped with a garnish.

Mixed Peppers, Mixed Eggplant, Winter Squash, Parsley, Grapes, Chard and Cabbage from Riverdog Farm.

Flame Grapes, Pomegranate, Raisins from Capay Canyon Ranch and Apples from Coco Ranch

What do farmers do when they take a week off from deliveries? This last week Jeff and I tried to catch up with unfinished chores. Jeff planted seeds, the crew transplanted seedlings from the greenhouse, and I think that we are ready with winter crops and the rain that is coming. It feels good to know that seeds are in the ground for this coming winter season, that the transplants are on time, looking good, and where they belong. Jeff was on his tractor most of the week, cultivating some of the crops that were planted a month ago and getting ground ready for what the crew just transplanted into. He turned under finished fields, cleaned up the orchard, the potato patch is no longer with us………..Over all we are most nearly ready for the rains. The guys have almost picked up the entire dry yard, there are stacks of drying trays still waiting to be moved to their winter storage spot, and slowly everything is getting put away. The fruit sorter is still up in the middle of the barn, that will get taken down when the rain hits and outside work is not possible. The ladies cleaned the dried herbs and got them separated into varieties and stored in containers for later use. If we try to clean them after it rains the dried leaves take up water and they are not crackly dry and easy to remove from their stems (small details that make a difference)! I tried to get the house back in order after a summer of neglect but mostly after weeks of focusing on organizing the Hoes Down Kids area. I made progress, but of course got side tracked into the shop kitchen organization. This week we have 24-9^th graders coming from Tuesday to Friday and we are providing all the meals, and a place to cook it. The kitchen as most projects around here are half finished, so we are putting shelves into the cabinets, and Jeff is finding more cabinets that we salvaged from a friends kitchen remodel to add to the shop kitchen. It is actually very exciting to be organizing this kitchen with all of my large pots, canning supplies, equipment that is spread out between storage, and stuffed into nooks and crannies in my house kitchen. It is almost like moving into a new space, maybe a preview of our next move into the new house. I spent a lot of time this week meal planning for the visit, and ordering food from our local farms. It was kinda fun! I also needed to find help with cooking while they are here. With the kids coming along with the rain, I think that their first job will be to clean the construction mess in the new house so they can sleep there during the rains that are forecasted for Tuesday.

Mid week the Last Crop a documentary about our farm and farm preservation was shown at the Department of Food and then also with Slow Food Yolo where almost 100 people showed up! On Saturday it was our daughter Claire’s 20^th birthday and on Sunday our 34^th wedding anniversary which we spent at a wedding of one of Zach’s school mates and friends of ours. We sat there thinking of our own wedding so many years ago at my parents farm in Santa Rosa where it rained so much that all the cars parked in the field got stuck and my uncles were in their glory pulling them out with the tractor, to thinking about our son and his friends old enough to get married. Funny I don’t feel old enough to have a 34^th wedding anniversary, that image is still for my parents. And to realize that we haven’t been to a wedding in a long time because all of our friends are married.

It was a full week, no vacations, but a break none the less. The weather cooled and fall certainly arrived. I heard folks talking at the market how they love summer and don’t want the fall and winter to come so soon. The stress lessens with the weather change, more sleep is possible each night, and harvest doesn’t is so demanding, we can let it slide a day if it rains. With the fruit, if you don’t pick it on time, it is lost, if it isn’t sold on time, it can be cut, but a loss in value and if it isn’t cut soon enough it is lost. I love the coolness, the darker mornings, and shorter evenings, I guess I am not sad to see summer coming to an end, it is a relief to me, relief from the heat, a relief from the pressure of harvest.

On that note I think I will end, have a good week, dance in the rain this week, soak it up like you are the parched hills that surround us, revel in the season changing, marvel in the new foods that are coming, rejoice in this life we have, it is forever changing, and forever the same. Hugs, Annie

Parsley is a centerpiece of Middle Eastern tabbouleh, French persillade, and Italian gremolata. Use it as an all purpose herb to add vibrancy to soups, sautéed vegetables, meats, and seafood. Use stems in bouquet garni for stocks, poaching liquids, and braises. Add leave whole to salads or chopped

Cabbage has a bad rap: a cellar backup to thicken soup, a colorless heap to toss with mayonnaise, an after thought at the family picnic. But lately its reputation has shifted as savvy chefs realize that , cooked right, this sweet nutty vegetable can hold its own against most sophisticated fare.

Cabbage has nutritional clout. One cup of cooked cabbage contains half the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, less than a gram of fat, and 3.4 grams of fiber. That’s almost twice the fiber of a slice of whole wheat bread at half the calories. It is packed with calcium, iron, and folic acid as well. And cabbage is loaded with disease-fighting phyotchemicals that may help prevent heat disease, stroke, and some cancers.

A study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found that three or more servings a week of cruciferous vegetables-the family of vegetables that includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, as well as cabbage-cut the risk of prostate cancer by 41%. Other studies point to lowered risks of lung, cervical, breast, endometrial, tongue, liver, bladder and colon cancers and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Although some studies suggest that raw cabbage offers greater protection than cooked.

Many folks just don’t know how to cook cabbage. Boiled cabbage disintegrates and release smelly chemicals called sulfides. The trick is to steam, stir-fry ro braise cabbage briefly-just long enough to release its sweet flavor, yet leave some bite.

The pungent flavors of turmeric, mustard, and curry powder go well with grilled pork loin or lamb.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, sauté 2 minutes. Add mustard, curry and turmeric, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in cabbage and remaining ingredients, cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add tofu cubes and cook 9 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan.

Add cabbage to pan and cook 45 seconds or unti cabbage wilts, stirring constantly. Stir in tofu peas, green onions, and salt, cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated stirring occasionally.

This late season squash is roasted to coax out its subtle sugars before being mixed with citrus juice, chili and cilantro.

Put oven racks in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Halve squash lengthwise then cut off and discard stem. Scoop out seeds and cut squash lengthwise into ¾ inch wide wedges. Toss squash with black pepper, ¾ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons oil in a bowl, then arrange cut sides down in 2 shallow baking pans. Roast squash, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until squash is tender and undersides of wedges are golden brown 20-35 minutes.

While squash roasts, mince garlic and mash to a paste with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Transfer paste to a small bowl and whisk in lime juice, chili (to taste), cilantro and remaining ¼ cup oil until combined. Transfer squash browned sides up to a platter and drizzle with vinaigrette.

Mixed Peppers, Tomatoes, Basil, Potatoes, Onions, Squash and Cantaloupe from Short Night Farm

Gallery 625 and the atrium of the Erwin Meier Administration Building at 625 Court Street in Woodland. The event, in its second year, will begin at 3:30 p.m. and run through 9:30pm To purchase tickets for the Art Farm fundraiser, or for additional information on California Arts Day go to www.yoloarts.org, or phone the YCAC at 530-406-4844.

And if you don’t have enough activities planned……This is the film about our farm that is a work in progress, we showed it at the Peach Party and here is another opportunity to see it.

Davis Senior High School Performing Arts Building, located at 108 West 14th Street

Come meet the filmmaker Chuck Schultz and local farmers Jeff and Annie Main for a special screening of the 23 minute work-in-progress of The Last

Crop. The film explores the struggles of sustaining small farms which have to compete with large agribusiness. All event proceeds benefit Davis Farm to School Connection (www.davisfarmtoschool.org) and Davis Senior High School’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) program. These programs promote small farms like Good Humus’ by sponsoring farm visits for second graders in Davis public schools and by instilling in our next generation a genuine respect for local farmland and local farmers. TICKETS: $10 general admission, $7 for seniors and students, children 11 and under free. Available at www.brownpapertickets.com and at the door or www.slowfoodyolo.com for more information.

Lord: it is time. The huge summer has gone by.
Now overlap the sundials with your shadows,
and on the meadows let the wind go free.

Command the fruits to swell on tree and vine;
grant them a few more warm transparent days,
urge them on to fulfillment then, and press
the final sweetness into the heavy wine.

-Rainer Maria Rilke

Transition is starting to take place in the weather, is it hot still, is it cooler in the evenings, clouds sneaking in to create a pink orange sunset, keep the swamp cooler on tonight or not. The shadows coming into the kitchen are different, softer; the dancing leaves on the walls feel more playful than in full summer light blast. Back and forth we go, between two worlds of summer and fall, like putting the big toe in the cold water, ohh no, too cold and pull it out, but so wanting to take the plunge into the lake. Wanting so much for the Indian Summer, the leaves turning color, the cool sweet evening breezes, the colder mornings that call for a long sleeve sweater. It was hot last week, and cooler so far this week, and even though the summer was not over the top with hot hot temperatures, the change to cooler times feels so good. The mind is shifting too, transitioning into a tad more reflectiveness, wanting to slow down and just look into space, not letting the brain speeding to the next project for event to take place. The body feels sluggish, draggy, too, is it a slight cold coming on, or is it just that the body has spent the last 3-4 months up long summer hours on the go, pushing to work every bit of those light filled hours?

I have been working on the new house more, slipping away from the shop letting the ladies do the sorting or flower bunching. I certainly feel guilty doing it, but the desire to move into this house is getting really strong. So I have been sealing the redwood siding on the outside of the house, Steve Schroeder is making the cabinets and counter in the kitchen and we starting to see the finish work around the stove, so I have been sealing the redwood wainscoting, fir counter tops and the cabinets. But afterwards, after an afternoon of work I go out on the front porch and sit in the rocking chair that I have there and just check out. The dogs and I have sat there for a few hours at dusk, watching the dragon flies…It is a great spot because it faces away from the main activity of the farm and nobody knows where I am-heehee.

Jeff has been working in the fields turning over the spring and summer crop residue, cleaning up the orchard discing, making sure everything gets the end of the summer irrigation as the perennials move into the winter hibernation and depend on winter rains. We are on the verge of harvesting the first of the fall crops, lettuce mix in a few weeks. The green house is full of baby broccoli, cabbage, kales, cauliflower, and all looking perfect for planting which should happen this week.

Change is in the air, in the fields and in us, soups are starting to sound good, as does baked winter squash. As the season moves into fall our tastes move into another season of desires. It is fun to see this happen, to acknowledge that it is time to make apple pies, eggplant stew and have caramelized red peppers over pasta. I love those red peppers, but am starting to crave the greens again; I have wanted chard for a while now. As we all know this time will come too soon, and even sooner we will be tired of the collards, kale and chard, yearning for the summer tomatoes. The rhythms the circles of the cycles keep going round and round.

Have a wonderful week; I hope we see you at Art Farm, Hoes Down and the Last Crop Screening.

An enchilada is a soft corn tortilla wrapped around a filling and baked in a sauce. Usually the filling is quite plain (cheese, chicken, or beef) and bland, and the sauce is the spiced element. The following recipes contain unusual, not so plain enchilada fillings and two different sauces.

If you are using frozen tortillas, defrost first fully wrapped to prevent drying out. Prepare the filling and sauce. Moisten the tortillas this encourages flexibility by sauté them very briefly on each side in a little oil-10 seconds each side. Assemble the enchiladas by placing a few tablespoons of filling on one side of each tortilla and rolling it up. Pour a small about of sauce into a shallow baking dish, add the enchiladas and pour the remaining sauce over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350. Serve Hot.

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet; add onion, garlic, and salt and sauté over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until the onion is quite soft. Add the bell pepper, zucchini, and seasonings. Stir and cook over medium heat another 5-8 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, allow to cool for a few minutes before filling the tortillas.

Place tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt, chilies, and cayenne in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat and partially cover. Simmer for 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature before stirring in the herbs. You can leave it chunky or puree in a blender or food processor.

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat, partially cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes. You can leave it chunky or puree.

Spearmint, Calliope Eggplant, Mixed Peppers, Mixed Sungold and Red Sun Cherry Tomatoes, Mixed Red and Heirloom Tomatoes, a Baby Crimson Watermelon from Short Night Farm and Delicate Winter Squash from Riverdog Farm.

Woodland, CA - Each year over fifty area artists participate in Art Farm - a unique exhibition that features artwork based on Yolo County landscapes. Many of these works are created on farm visits sponsored by the Art and Ag Project, a program that invites artists to Yolo County farms to raise community awareness of the importance of agriculture and visual art.   A joint project with Yolo Arts, the Yolo Land Trust and the Davis Farmers Market Foundation, Art and Ag cultivates a dialog between farmers and artists in our area.  Art Farm is the culminating event which includes an "Art Harvest" and silent auction on Friday, October 2 at Gallery 625 in the Yolo County administration building, 625 Court Street in Woodland.
     The "Art Harvest" will begin at 6:30 p.m. A limited number of tickets for the pieces of art will be sold and will entitle the holder to choose a piece of original art when their ticket is drawn. The first ticket drawn gets first choice. A silent auction featuring original art will also be a part of the evening's action. Tickets for the lottery portion of the event are $150 each and include admission for two, wine, food and complimentary wineglasses. Tickets only for food, wine and participation in the silent auction are $10 each.
     "The talented artists of Yolo County who participated in the farm visits have donated original work to this event," said Janice Purnell, the Art and Ag project coordinator.  "All of the pieces donated are have a minimum value of $150, with quite a few valued over $500," Purnell added.
     Some of the local artists participating in Art Farm and donating art include: Joseph Bellacera, Donna Billick, Marcia Cary, Alejandro Rubio, Claire Haag, Sheila Groom and Dorathea DeSimone. The art will be on display beginning Friday, September 4 at 5:30 p.m. at Gallery 625. The exhibit will continue through October 2.

     YoloArts will also be celebrating California Arts Day on October 2 at Gallery 625 and the atrium of the Erwin Meier Administration Building at 625 Court Street in Woodland. The event, in its second year, will begin at 3:30 p.m. and run through 9:30 p.m. Art demonstrations, interactive art, the Crocker Art Ark, music and dance performances will be featured during this celebration of art for all ages.
      To purchase tickets for the Art Farm fundraiser, or for additional information on California Arts Day go to www.yoloarts.org, or phone the YCAC at 530-406-4844.

What is Happening on the Farm As you can see from the last few weeks of information in the newsletters there are two big events coming up the weekend of Oct 2 and 3 for us, Art Farm and Hoes Down. I am personally up to my ears helping to organize both events so that is why you are getting so many announcements about them. The next two weeks will be a little crazy for us here trying to keep things organized here at the farm while also juggling organizing the food for Art Farm and the Children’s area for Hoes Down. I do hope that you all are able to attend both of the events-why not just say it and ask for you all to jump into the full weekend.

The art work that is up at the County Office buildings is great, definitely worth checking out, we have lots more art this year, and more artists participating. This is such an exciting program, more and more artists are coming out to the monthly visits to Yolo County Farms, this last week they went to Courtland which is still in Yolo County to visit the J.H. Thomas Ranch one of the original fruit farms on the Sacramento River. This year there were 15 artists in the class rooms guiding 2^nd graders to create an art piece inspired from their earlier farm visits! Make sure to see the exhibit & join in on the fun Oct 2^nd.

This next Sunday we will be having a work day at Full Belly building the Hay Fort, the brain child of Jeff and a yearly tradition for Zach and the valley kids (or should I say now adults but still kids at heart) to help design, build and then trial the complete fort to make sure that there are enough long dark hallways and one giant pitch black center room. It started as a small fort with I am not sure how many bales, and now gosh they request as many as possible hitting up to 400 bales. During the day at Hoes Down, the place is like a hive of swarming bees, with kids crawling over it, and yes there is always lost kids, well really they are not lost in the castle of straw, but the parents haven’t seen them for hours and start to get worried. I think it is one of the most popular and the activity that the kids remember about the Hoes Down. Last year Zach brought his fire fighting buddies on Sunday morning and had a training where they all were geared up with oxygen, suits, even had masks over their eyes so they couldn’t see and went through the fort. The kids that were around got sooooooo excited to see the fireman-they asked all sorts of questions, what each of their gear was for, what it was like……. oh they loved it, hopefully Zach will bring a crew back on Sunday this year too.

Meanwhile Jeff has got his big caterpillar tractor running, ground is getting turned, and fall plantings are going in. Baby carrots are up, as is lettuce, spinach, beets, so with the cooler fall weather, the fall produce is coming. I love the change in weather, we have a hot spell this week, but everything is shifting, starting the transformation from summer to winter in this time called fall. Happy Equinox-Annie

I made this for the family knowing that I am the only eggplant lover at the table. I said nothing, and they all were going on seconds when Zach asked “does this have eggplant in it”? He knew from the crunch of the seeds, yet they all agreed that it was creamy and yummy. Jeff even thought it had meat in it! You have to try it! It is from Local Flavors1

Preheat the broiler. Brush a sheet pan lightly with oil. Arrange the eggplant on it, and brush the tops with more oil. Broil on both sides until browned 12-20 minutes per side. Remove and cut into wide strips. Lightly oil the peppers, then broil, skin side up, until blistered. Stack them on top of one another to steam for 15 minutes, then dice into small squares. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven; add the onion, peppers, garlic anchovies, and the parsley. Sauté over medium heat until they are softened about 5 minutes. Lower the heat and add the eggplant, tomatoes, olives, capers, oregano and ½ cup water or juice from the tomatoes ( I added a small can of tomato paste). Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until done, then drain. Place in a large heated bowl, spoon over the vegetables sauce and top with cheese and parsley. Toss before serving.

The short baking melds everything together, transforms the flavors, and yields juices so delicious they invite dunking. This is served cold as a little salad, but it also makes a great filling for a sandwich or frittata.

Roast the peppers until charred. Drop them into a bowl, cover, and set them aside while you prepare everything else. Then wipe off the blackened skin, pull out the seeds and core and cut into wide strips. Trim off any ragged ends and set them aside for another use. Score the ends of the tomatoes, and then drop them into boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove the skins, halve them crosswise, and gently squeeze out the seeds. Cut the walls into wide pieces. Reserve the cores for a soup or sauce. Pluck the leaves off the parsley stems. You should have about ½ cup. Chop them finely with the marjoram and garlic, and then put in a bowl with the capers, olives, and the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 400, lightly oil a small gratin dish. Add the tomatoes, peppers, and sauce and gently toss with your hands, season with pepper. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, let cool before serving.

For the tomatoes-in a shallow bowl, mix the tomatoes, scallions, parsley, rosemary, garlic, olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the bowl and let the tomatoes marinate at room temperature for at least one hour, but preferable 3 to 4 hours. Stir them occasionally so that all the tomatoes are marinated. If the tomatoes are very ripe and marinate long enough, they will brake and burst, allowing their juices to mix deliciously with the marinade.

For the garlic bread-combine the olive oil and garlic and let the mixture stand for 10 minutes, so the flavors will blend. Meanwhile, heat the broiler, brush one side of each piece of bread with the garlic and oil mixture and broil them oiled side up, until lightly browned. Put a slice of provolone and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan on the toasted side of each slice, saving a little Parmesan for garnish. Set the bread aside until you are ready to serve the tomatoes.

Just before serving-heat up the broiler again, toast the bread until the cheese is bubbly and serve each bread in a shallow soup bowl and spoon about ¼ cup of tomatoes on or around the edge of the bread, garnish and serve.

Mixed Green Peppers, potatoes, Mixed Sungold and Red Sun Cherry Tomatoes, Mixed Red and Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil, a Cantaloupe from Short Night Farm and fresh shelling Black Eyed Peas along with mixed Summer Squash from Riverdog Farm.

Flame Grapes, Mixed Bosc and Comice Pears, Sharlyn Melon from Short Night Farm, and Apples from Coco Ranch

It is Jeff’s turn to take a break from the farm for a few days. It is hard for us both to take a vacation together, but so important to get away for a bit. His brother Marty lives in Medford Oregon and is a Small Woodland Management Consultant, and sometimes gets contracts from the Forest Service to harvest cones for seeds this time of year. He hasn’t gotten many in the last several years, but when he does he always asked who in the family wants to join him in the search. Zach has fond memories of tree climbing for those cones, as does Jeff-they get to put on climbing spurs, ropes kinda like the AT&T telephone pole guys only no helpful steps to get up the first 60 feet of the tree where there the first branches start. Zach said his first time was pretty good until he was half way up to those first branches and happened to look down, he was 30-40 feet up just hooked to the tree with ropes and still a long way to go before being in the tree….Yikes he freeked!!! Anyway they got to go to Diamond Lake this year and harvest Shasta Fir cones-about 100 bushels-Jeff loves to sit up in those trees and look over the forest top-quite a view!

So I was home holding down the fort so to speak-Jeff made sure to make the San Francisco delivery before he left so I just had the Sac and Davis Coops on Friday and the market on Saturday. You know that we both have separate tasks to do at the farm and at times like this we take over the others jobs as best we can. There are some things that I can not do at all-vehicle maintenance-zip! Jeff does all the field plantings and tractor work, I am the organizer-what goes into the CSA boxes each week, availabilities for store sales and farmers market harvest, phone calls, I am the glorified secretary. The other roll I carry is going to the Davis farmers market twice a week, and Jeff does the CSA delivers twice a week to the Sacramento area and then to San Francisco. But Jeff is always the one that loads the van for everything-CSA’s and markets. You see he graduated with an engineering degree, and you know our education comes in handy in the least likely places during our lives. No one here or I think I can say on any other local farm can match his skills of loading a vehicle! We make deliveries in our small Camry car, or the van and he can pack it to the gills without any spills. When we have an order and I count the number of boxes that needs to go into the vehicle, I shake my head and say “it is not possible to get all those boxes in there”………he takes out the seats in our car and gets 100 of our peach boxes into it- boxes and Jeff is all you can see! After every market I do load the left over stuff in the van for the return trip home- and I do try to organize it and make sure I make it home ok so I am not a total lame brain about how to do it, and I have to set up the market so I can see how he packs it in. But somehow seeing is not knowing, watching is not doing, as there is an art to setting up our farmers market stand so that it looks like a large bountiful harvest cornucopia, there is also an art to loading a van! And as in all art, not everyone has the skill innately born in them. It can be learned or built upon to reach a point of perfection, but that takes years and years of practice, which I didn’t have. So without saying more I have to tell you that taking up some of Jeff’s tasks was fine, I was dreading loading the van for market. The crew left Friday around 5, and I still had tomatoes to sort, a few flowers to prepare, the last of some small special orders to put together. But the entire time I was thinking about the van-where was my magic wand to just snap the wrist and some glittery stars dust would sprinkle over the coolers and the boxes would be neatly stacked for me and I just had to smile and close the doors for the morning run. Dream on sister! Jeff usually gets up at 5am on Saturday morning drinks his coffee and then loads-getting me off at around 6:15. I knew that I would need more time than that, and to not even think about that cup of tea first-if I had time I could have a cup after I finished. So I decided to break it up into two parts, market stand supplies and tomatoes Friday night and then the rest Saturday morning. So I just jump in and start tackling the mess that I had from the drive home on Wednesday market-you see there were some tomatoes that had not been securely stacked, so I had to pick up two boxes of rolling, smooshing fruit flying cherries tomatoes off the floor before I could start loading. With that done I was challenged to make sure that I got this day’s load of cherry toms to market still in boxes. You know it is so hard to describe the process for you to completely understand the difficulty in packing the van…it is not just a square box that square boxes fit nicely into to. The top of the van curves in, there are wheel bumps inside along with different size boxes, width and heights, and weights (it is not good to put heavier boxes on top of lighter ones). So I got the tomatoes in, cherries secure and the rest would happen in the morning. The 5am alarm went off and I have to say I did not jump out at once, but crawled out 10 minutes later. The crew doesn’t come until 6:30 so they couldn’t help me, even if they knew how to pack the van it wouldn’t help. So I opened up the cooler doors the van doors, and started the complex process-Ya know I kept thinking of Zach’s brio set or stacking those blocks that he had as a young child, it was just like that, carefully stacking like size boxes together, making sure they had a strong base to build on, off setting them and using wooden blocks to keep them even. Although it was overcast this early am, as I worked sweat drips were hitting the boxes I was loading. When the cooler was empty, all the flower boxes were in, the CSA boxes for Woodland and Davis too, I looked at the clock and it was 6:15-no tea, but on time. Off I went, not bad, but the success of the job comes when I get there with all boxes still packed where I put them. I did good until I took the CSA boxes out in Woodland-by the time I got to Davis some unsupported flowers boxes had slid atop the lower boxes of flowers…….nothing terrible-but packing the van, and knowing what those boxes will do…..well I have to say that I soooooooooo appreciated Jeff more than ever that Saturday morning.

On October 3 and 4, Full Belly Farm will host the 22nd annual Hoes Down Harvest Festival. For a weekend, our farm will be transformed into an agricultural wonderland, featuring a children's area full of hands on activities, delicious organic food, a farmers market, games, educational workshops, live music, and a community celebration of the end of harvest season. Together, we will have the chance to boogie down to some of the best music in Northern California, watch sheep shearing demonstrations and spend time on the land that continuously fuels our bodies.

We would love for you to join us at our event, so much so that I have created a "Top 10 List of Reasons Why You Should Come to the 2009 Hoes Down Harvest Festival." So, in true David Letterman fashion, here they are:
#10: Every cent made at the Hoes Down Harvest Festival benefits the Ecological Farming Association (www.eco-farm.org) and local community groups, such as the Esparto/ Capay Valley 4-H Club, Capay Valley Vision, and the Community Alliance of Family Farmers.
#9: The food alone is worth any drive- such mouthwatering sensations can only be found at the Hoes Down! From locally grown fruits and vegetables to fresh Prather Ranch beef, you will definitely leave with your belly full and happy taste buds!
#8: The Hoes Down has a children's area that is eye-popping. From a straw bale fort built with over 200 bales to roller- coaster style dunk tank, the children's area definitely is not just for kids. Come spend the day weaving, churning ice cream, or painting gourds.
#7: Have you ever wondered how to better your canning and preserving skills? Where that warm wool comes from? The workshop schedule for the 2009 Hoes Down is 'jam' packed with learning opportunities and provide a great way to spend the day!
#6: We have a great line up of entertainment! From Pomo Indian dancers to jugglers to funk rock bands, our schedule will keep your toes tapping and booty shaking all day long!
#5: Your "hipness" factor will automatically increase by at least 10 points by attending the Hoes Down- and who doesn't want to up their hip factor?
#4: After spending the night camped under the stars, you can wake up to a delicious breakfast and a Sunday filled with activities- from in depth workshops and seminars to REALLY fun farm clean up, we won't let you go home early!
#3: One of the BEST ways to experience the Hoes Down is to spend a few hours as a volunteer. If you commit to just four hours of volunteer time, we will offer you and one child admission, as well as camping- and those are just the tangible benefits! It is incredibly fulfilling to spend a few hours at the grill, flipping vegetables, knowing that you are part of an amazing community event.
#2: As members of a Community Supported Agriculture, this event gives you a chance to interact with other members of the same community. The Hoes Down is about celebration- it is a time to form new friendships, strengthen relationships, and spend a weekend playing with those you appreciate and love.
#1: The range of experiences you can have at the Hoes Down are unparalleled- where else can you compete in an apple peeling contest one minute, learn about biodynamic composting the next, and finish up the hour by taking a leisurely walk around the beautiful Full Belly Farm? Only at the Hoes Down Harvest Festival!

With that, I would like to extend an invitation to you- come to the Hoes Down, celebrate rural living, kick up you heels, and spend the first weekend of October on Full Belly Farm. I promise you won't be disappointed!

To find out more information about the Hoes Down, visit http://www.hoesdown.org. To sign up as a volunteer, email Connie at volunteers@hoesdown.org. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at info@hoesdown.org. See you on October 3!

Spain’s famed gazpacho is the quintessential summer soup. In its native Andalusia, gazpacho was originally served at the end of a meal. Gazpacho Anduluz was probably invented in Seville.

Puree bread, cucumber, tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, olive oil and 1 cup water in a food processor until very smooth. Push puree through a sieve with the back of a wooden spoon. Gazpacho should be fairly thin, season to taste. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Adjust seasoning; sever in individual glasses, or in soup bowls with garnishes inside

Cover potatoes with cold salted water by 1 inch in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and cool, then cut into bite size pieces. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a well-seasoned 10 inch cast iron skillet over high heat until foam subsides, then sauté potatoes with salt and pepper to taste, turning once or twice, until nicely crusted 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sauté corn, pepper and squash in remaining 3 tablespoons butter in skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until crisp and tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in beans, and cherry tomatoes and sauté, stirring until heated through. Season with salt and pepper and add to potatoes with onion and chives, stirring to combine.

Grill peel and seed the peppers. Chop and combine peppers, garlic, basil, vinegar and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let stand 30 minutes at room temp to allow flavors to blend.

Vanilla seeds perfume the syrup, making this simple yet elegant dessert a standout. Refrigerate extra poaching liquid for up to 3 months; serve over ice cream or pancakes.

Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add vanilla bean and cinnamon. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Peel and core pears, leaving stems intact. Cut abut ¼ inch from the base of each pear so they will sit flat. Add pears to sugar mixture cover and cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until tender. Remove pears with a slotted spoon, chill thoroughly. Discard the cinnamon stick. Scrape seed from vanilla bean and stir seeds into sugar mixture. Discard bean. Set aside 2 cups sugar mixture reserve remaining mixture for another use. Return 2 cups sugar mixture to pan, bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until slightly syrupy and reduced to ½ cup about 12 minutes. Chill thoroughly. Serve sauce with pears at room temperature or chilled.

September 7^th, 2009

What’s in the Vegetable Box?.

Jimmy Nardello Sweet Italian Peppers, mixed Thai Green and Japanese Purple eggplant, potatoes, Italian Flat leaf Parsley, Sungold and Red Sun Cherry Tomatoes, Sharlyn Melon from Short Night Farm and an Armenian Cucumber from Riverdog Farm.

What is in the Fruit Bag?

Flame Grapes, Dried Nectarines, Mission Figs from Short Night Farm, and Apples from Coco Ranch

Let's start with the fact that climate change is anthropogenic.
More or less, people have agreed on that. That means it's caused by human behavior.
That's not to say that engineering solutions aren't important.
But if it's caused by human behavior,
then the solution probably also lies in changing human behavior.
-Elke Weber

Art Farm

An Exhibition Inspired by the farmlands of Yolo County

Gallery 625

County Administration Buildings 625 Court Street Woodland

Gala Fundraising Event Friday October 2^nd 6:30-9pm with Art Harvest and Silent Auction.

I have been part of this project that is helping to fundraise for Yolo Land Trust for farmland preservation. Each month a farm opens its gates to artists to use their landscape as a palette, and it has been fun to watch the process and to finally see the walls full of the finished produce. I hope that you will find time to go the county offices any day of the work week form 8-5 to see the show from September 1-October 3, and also that you will be able to attend the ART FARM GALA event. There will be fresh local wine and food for a $10 donation, and art will start at $150.00 Please check out the Yolo Arts Council at www.yoloart.org

What is Happening on the Farm? It has been awhile since I have been here at the computer poised to write a newsletter, awhile since I have had to string coherent thoughts together, try to describe sights seen, experiences experienced that would be of value to you all. Jeff has been holding down the fort, putting his prose to paper and staying on the run. It feels good to be here, trying to put it all together for you, hard to straighten out the jumble that is rattling around in my head, but nice to be working the brain in that fashion.

A few weeks ago both our girls were home, bringing back from their lives away from home all their belongings and “stuff”. The house was aclutter more that usual, not only with belongings but also with bodies. Hard to remember what normal was, or what was on the daily routine, but it was fun to have the doors banging again and action around the place besides what work will get done that day. We had some welcome home and good by parties for them, and then it came time for another chapter to begin for everyone. Claire headed back to Monterey Bay State, her second year, with her sisters car (a nice real girl car), new roommates, and a new set of confidence and self understanding that will carry her far. In many ways a different girl, much more worldly and I guess really ready to take the world by the tail more than ever.

Ali our 22 year old daughter and I headed into another world altogether, a time and place that is as foreign to us as purple Martians on Mars. We jumped onto an Amtrak train in Davis and crossed the United States. It took us four days to reach New York, but it was sure an adventure, a very different look than from 30,000 feet! We hadn’t even gotten to Sacramento when a young woman came up to me and asked “are you a farmer”? Well I knew I am a dork and all, but did it really show that much that I am a farmer, I did put on clean clothes for the trip, didn’t even wear jeans. Well one thing lead to another, and low and behold her family is a CSA member of ours from San Francisco!!!!!!!! She too was heading back to school in Denver, small small world we live in. The California Zepher is a wonderful train with an observation car that has many windows to watch the scenery, and while we were taking it all in, I think still in California, another woman looked at me and said aren’t you the Jam lady? She works at the kitchen that I rent to make our jam. So very quickly we all got to know each other and create a little traveling community, bumping into each other as we walked the isles or playing the “name the capitol of the states” game together. It was so much more fun than flying, and we got to get out every two hours to take a “smoke stop” but some of us took the time for a power walk on the edge of the small towns we were passing through. Nevada and Wyoming an empty sage brushy landscapes, some train travelers telling us how they love the stark beauty of the desert because that is where they grew up. So much empty land with sun casting lonely shadows on the smooth hill sides and towns out in the middle of nowhere just like the old time western movies would show, with folks still there, making me wonder what on earth brings them to call it home sweet home. We missed the heart of the Rockies unfortunately and dropped into Denver from Wyoming, but once we continued east out of Colorado it was a new world. It just kept getting greener and greener as we snaked though the Midwest. And somehow Michael Pollan kept coming back to me with his comment on corn. We are what we eat and if that is so, then we are corn. And where is all this corn that Michael talks about, yeah the corn belt of the U.S. of course, but I am now thinking that it is not a belt but an entire garment. Once out of Denver and on into Nebraska all the way to Albany New York we only saw corn growing, with a bit of soy beans!!!!!!! That is days of corn! No wonder we are corn. We saw bits and pieces of the Eire Canal that Jeff would sign about as the kids grew up, and then down the Hudson River, what a place, I could so vividly image the Last of the Mohicans and the native Indians running through that forest making a wonderful living off the land. We passed this huge, castle like, prison like structure along the Hudson, old place, really old place looking like it was ready to jump into the river, later we found out that was West Point Navel Academy!

Finally we arrived into the land of many people, tall buildings that tickle the sky, the side of the country that has ocean that we have never swam in, a place where people don’t seem to stay home at night but go out and have fun with their friends, always on the go because there are so many things possible right here in Rivercity! Fortunately we had friends to catch us as we jumped off the train, and took us by the hand and carefully guided us slowly, steadily into this new world. We shopped Ikeas to get Ali’s dorm room set up…but if you don’t have a car how do we get all the goods home? How do we find each other only 4 miles apart, how do I navigate buses and subways, and enough quarters to travel? How much do I tip taxies, or the bar tender for the beer that cost as much as a six pack? I felt like I was missing an arm and a leg, I am so used to jumping into our van or car and doing what ever I want without having to think where is the train stop, how close is it the Ali’s dorm, what ‘hood’ am I walking through, what time of day am I going to be there, should I walk another route?????????? GREEN AROUND THE EARS, yep that was Ali and I! We spent the week discovering places to eat around Pratt Art Institute in Brooklyn, where the closest farmers market is, is there a CSA she can join, where is the hardware store, and the we went to a Coney Island Baseball game-which was a blast, visiting Ellis Island and saw some of our ancestors names etched onto the wall of immigrants, and I was able to watch Ali slowly adjust to her new home. The first few days in the train and then in Brooklyn were hard, quiet, tough for her, and as she began to ground herself be able to make her own nest of a room, feel the safeness of the campus she started to awaken and become herself, or really start a new self in a new place. The hardest moment for me was when I was in the air flying home and looking at the silhouette of the New York skyline at sunset, leaving our girl, so far away from home, on her own, but I know she is ready, she can handle it, and the world is small cause we have friends everywhere that can be there to help her out if she asks.

It is good to be home back to the world I know, but I do see it differently I am not sure how, but I do. I think of farms on roof tops in New York and wonder how the buildings can support all that soil. People doing so much work to change our behaviors how ever they can. Our Davis Farmers Market was voted the best market in the United States a few weeks ago, and Just Food in New York is trying to connect community gardens with farmers markets hoping to help those that are growing food and brining food to the local community. Each meal I cook I realize the immense bounty that we live in, I realize that I live more in the plant world than the human world and that is rare, but if not connected to you, to the people world the work would be for nothing. It is good to be home and eat our tomatoes, the last of the peaches, the red peppers, the grapes, and to know that Jeff is planting carrots, chard, kale, beets, lettuce and other winter crops for us all. My garden is weedy, needs my attention, I have work to do for you. Have a great week. Annie

Interesting info about some of the Items in your box

Jimmy Nardello Peppers-the long red crinkly ones-The Jimmy Nardello peppers are a variety given

to Seed Savers Exchange where we order some of our seeds in by Jimmy Nardello who lived in Naugatuck, Connecticut until his death in 1983. His family had been growing these peppers ever since coming to the U.S. Mr. Nardello’s mother originally brought the seeds with her when she immigrated to the U.S. in 1887 with her husband Guiseppe from the Basilicata region. This is one of the best peppers for frying. They should be sweet, but I ate one last week that had some heat to it, so check them out as you cook them.

Thai Green Eggplant- Is used extensively in Thai cuisines with its tender light green shin that does not require peeling with its tender fine quality white flesh and with a mild pleasant flavor that absorbs spicy flavors well.

Armenian Cucumbers-are actually a melon, but used like a cucumber. They are best used when they are smaller but will grown to 24-30 inches long. Nice mild flavor, easily digestible, skin and all.

Cucumber Salad with Chile and Roasted Peanuts from Local Flavors

This could be the place to use those searing habanero chilies that you find in markets everywhere. I’ll stick with Serrano’s and jalapenos, but those who are inclined can go ahead and try the superhots.

1 long cucumber or lemon cucumbers

1 bunch scallions including ½ inch of the greens

1 Serrano chili, finely diced-try using the Jimmy Nardellos

Grated zest and juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoons light brown sugar

4 teaspoons roasted peanut oil

½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped

6 mint leaves, slivered

6 Thai basil or purple leaves

Peel the cucumbers halve it lengthwise, and cut into long strips. Or remove long thin slices with a vegetable peeler. Thinly slice the scallions on the diagonal, making them long and thin. Combine the cucumbers, scallions and chili in a bowl.

Combine the lime zest, juice, soy, sugar and oil

Toss the vegetables with the dressing, then add the peanuts and herbs and toss again.

Baba Ghanouj (Eggplant and Tahini Puree)

The most important part of this dish is roasting the eggplant. You can do this on a gas stove, it makes a mess, but the flavor can’t be beat. Other options are on a grill, under a broiler, or in a hot oven. The oven is the least preferable because it can’t give the eggplant the desired slightly charred flavor.

3 pounds of eggplant

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

To roast the eggplant, set each eggplant directly on the flame, grill or grate. If you are using the oven, set a tray on the rack under the eggplant to catch any drips. The eggplant will start to crack and give off juices; it should become an ashy gray black. Turn as it cooks, but be careful as it softens under heat, it becomes difficult to move with out splitting. When the eggplant is charred gray and very tender all the way through, transfer it to a plate to cool. Slice off the top of the cooled eggplant, and then cut it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to carefully remove all the pulp, but avoid any bits of blackened skin. With a fork, stir the eggplant to break up the large pieces and add the rest of the ingredients. Taste s you mix and adjust seasoning. Turn Baba Ghanouj into a bowl and chill before serving on crackers, break

Tuna and Red Pepper Pasta Salad

Lemon juice and capers five this simple past salads a tangy zip

2 cups uncooked small seashell pasta

1 cups finely chopped red bell pepper

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

½ cup finely chopped red onion

½ cup finely chopped celery

1 16 oz can solid white tuna in water-drained

½ cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons capers

½ teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ teaspoons finely ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water, drain. Combine pasta bell pepper, parsley, onion, celery and tuna in a large bowl, tossing gently to combine. Combine lemon juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over past mixture, toss gently to coat. Yield 4 servings

Honey Apple Crumble with Dried Fruit

In addition to rehydrating the dried fruit and cranberries, the cider deepens the flavor to the apples

1 ¾ cups apple cider

¼ cup finely chopped dried fruit (your choice)

½ cup nutlike cereal nuggets (like grapenuts)

½ c up packed brown sugar, divided

5 tablespoons flour divided.

1-teaspoon cinnamon divided

3 tablespoons honey

1-teaspoon vanilla extract

5 medium apples (about 2 ½ pounds) peeled and cut into 8 wedges

Preheat oven to 350 Bring cider to a boil, Remove from heat, and stir in dried fruit and cranberries. Let stand 20 minutes. Drain dried fruit in a colander over a bowl, reserving cider. Combine dried fruit, cereal. ¼ cup sugar, 1-tablespoon flour and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl. Combine1/4 cup sugar, ¼ cup flour and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a large bowl; Stir n reserved cider, honey and vanilla. Add apples, tossing gently to coat. Place apple mixture in an11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, top with cereal mixture.

Bake at 350 fro 55 minutes, yields 6 servings.

September 1^st , 2009

What’s in the Vegetable Box ? Basil, Big Beef Tomatoes, Globe Eggplant, Green & Yellow Peppers, Cherry Tomatoes, Potatoes and Torpedo Onions

What’s in the Fruit Box? Flame and Empress Grapes, Plums and Summerset Apples from Greg House

Picking up Your Box of Vegetables

· In your box your will find a small sheet of paper telling you some of the helpful things you can do while picking up your vegetables.

· Also check the roster to make sure you name, phone number and items you are to pick up are correct or on there. If you see that there is something incorrect or no phone number please give us a call or e-mail to make sure we have everything

· If you see a red box next to your name it means that we did not hear from you and there is no box made for you, please give us a call if this is in error.

This Week on the Farm

Quite the unusual week. Sunday night last, Annie and Alison were in Brooklyn, NYC, and entering Alison’s dorm home-away-from-home for the first time and preparing for a week of mother and daughter functions at Pratt Institute of Art. Meanwhile, three thousand miles away, Claire, who has been home all of 10 whirlwind days after a summer herding Girl Scouts through the Rhode Island woods, is pushing all her hard-won stuffed animals from the Yolo County Fair Arcade alongside her computer and clothes for the return trip to Monterey and a new set of roommates. Zach had been off for awhile on a series of fires in the Burney area. Jeff, Bean and Molly, watching the dust settle in the driveway, look at each other, two of us wagging our tails tentatively, and wonder why it is so quiet all of a sudden?

That Sunday evening it was really hot, a muggy hot, so I sat outside, as the shade of various tallow, redwood, oak and willow trees stretched across the open spaces. The farm changes dramatically when people leave. When the last car of the day leaves down the driveway, an almost physical presence drops over the place. It is invisible and has only the very lightest of touches. It is best noticed near sunset. Under its influence, the smallest of parts of the farm, dust motes and insects, turning leaves, reflections in a faucet puddle, become major presences. It amplifies the smallest of sounds in the absence of the usual bangs and clatters of the workday. The cooing of a dove, the passing of a breeze in the trees, the whirr of a grasshopper, is loud enough to focus my attention. If I were in the Napa Valley or the South of France, I would probably be paying $500 a night for this experience. No fooling. It really is that peaceful.

I was reminded of that thought a few days later at dinner at Susan and Randy Byrnes home a few miles from our place. They and Chuck and Dave, our nearly resident documentary makers, had invited me over to resuscitate this poor temporarily undernourished, temporarily batcheloring farmer, and we sat, the six of us, under an arbor hung with trailing grapevines, as the sun went down over some distant hill, drank a bottle of Merlot, and laughed and talked, and ate a dinner prepared with care and thought. I looked around me at some point in the dinner and realized that this is the richest of times, and a million dollars could not have bought me any better moment. If I can etch in my mind those people, those thoughts, that view of the California landscape, I will be a rich man forever.

Then, of course, came Saturday. Got up just before 5:00, (that’s AM for you teenagers) stumbled down the stairs and almost crashed into Dave, readying his camera for a shot of the “early rising” farmer. After mumbling something about having been up since…. Which he mercifully let go, I brewed a cup of coffee paste-thick, and we went out to load the van for market. During the next 5 hours, this is how some of my thoughts went. Zach can’t drive the van…is everything checked out under the hood?... Yep....he called last night on his way to the Pasadena fire….is that the one where they are evacuating firefighters?.... cooler cleaned out….close the doors….ask Ricardo to follow me to market in the car…he’s fine with that, better than hoeing weeds and moving pipe…..Drive to market…..Augh!, left all the tomatoes and cherry tomatoes in the other cooler…..can’t turn around, too late as it is….get to market set up stand with Jenn….ask Kendall, ask Jenn, if Kendall can drive Jenn’s car to go 45min back to pick up tomatoes….ok. Kendall on her way…. forgot to tell her where the tomatoes are and which ones to bring……Jordan’s here to help Jenn….Ricardo and I back to farm…..Kendall come and gone with Francisco’s help….Sac Coop people are here for a tour with old friend Amigo Bob Cantisano….great fun…..preach to the choir for awhile….let the farm show off on its own……talk about cycles and easement…recognize their contributions, Good Humus and work nothing without their choices of support….say goodbye, grab Ricardo, back to market……Ricardo drives car home, I stay and help finish the market and load the van for the return trip……and home. Sit down, remember how much I used to love the excitement and sense of accomplishment at the end of a day like today, and allow myself to stop, it’s ok.

A week that volleys back and forth like that reinforces many of the things that the farm has taught me, the nature of cycles, and the value of remaining light on my feet, the sanctity of special moments. Gotta go! Jeff

Spray grill with oil spray and prepare barbeque. Spray eggplant on both sides with oil spray, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until tender, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Place 1 cheese slice atop each of 4 eggplant slices; top with remaining eggplant slices. Grill until cheese melts about 2 minutes. Whisk oil, vinegar and garlic in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add arugula, tomatoes and basil; toss. Divide among 4 plates. Sprinkle with pine nuts and top each with 1 eggplant sandwich.

This salad is simple and tasty, you can use the ling skinny Japanese eggplant because they can be sliced into little rounds or cut into half moon shapes. If tomatoes are not in season, use good quality canned tomatoes instead. Marjoram or oregano can be used instead of basil. A roasted bell pepper also is tasty in this dish, and sometimes I add kalamata olives instead of capers. Serve as a small tapas salad with bread or garlic toast.

3 Italian or Japanese eggplants or 1 large eggplant cut into ¼ inch slices2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice eggplant, if using large eggplant cut slices into smaller bit size pieces. Toss with 2 tablespoons oil, then place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake about 15 minutes, turning once or twice, until tender and cooked but not too soft. Transfer eggplant to a bowl. Add onion, tomato, garlic and capers. In another small bowl, combine olive oil with vinegar and sugar. Season with salt and pepper, blend with a fork. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and toss. Add basil and toss again, then taste for seasoning, adjust with salt and pepper, oil or vinegar. Serve immediately or keep at cool room temperature for about one hour. If you refrigerate it, bring to cool room temperature before serving.

Heat butter, add garlic and onions and sauté until soft. Add green peppers, sauté until soft, 5-6 minutes. Mix in flour and cook 2-3 minutes. Add about 2 cups broth and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool down. Process in a food processor or blender until smooth. Transfer back to pan, add the rest of the broth, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer until bubbles form, mix in cream, lemon juice and adjust seasonings to your taste. Cook for another 4-5 minutes. Serve.

August 17th, 2009

What’s in the Vegetable Box Green Beans, Peppers, Cherri Tomatoes, Rosemary, Russian Banana Potatoes, Peaches and Red Torpedo Onions from Riverdog Farm

What’s in the Fruit Box?

O’Henry Peaches, Thompson Seedless Grapes, Plums and Gala Apples from Coco Ranch,

FALL QUARTER

PAYMENT IS DUE TODAY

The new quarter begins Sept 1 and ends November 24th

Veggies $200.00 Fruit $175.00 Bread $36.00 Flowers $84.00

Please do send your payment in as soon as possible or let us know what you plan to do for summer quarter

NO DELIVERY NEXT WEEK

Tuesday AUGUST 25^TH & Saturday AUGUST 29^TH

Julie's Box" for this next quarter?

We wanted to let you know that the recipient of this quarter’s Julies Box who has pancreatic cancer had additional difficulties, her husband now has cancer. He has an aggressive form of prostate cancer and had surgery last week to remove 3 tumors and some lymph nodes. They are hopeful that they got all the cancer cells and it appears that the lymph nodes are clean. But will have to keep testing to know for sure. Can you believe this!! That one family can have this happening to them all at once and at the same time?? So, that brings me to say that we are nominating them to continue to receive this quarters Julies Box. Send your them your prayers too.

Things to remember while picking up your box

1. Please flatten your own boxes (their mothers do not live at the drop off sights!) – Our drop off hosts pitches in by making their front porch available so they would appreciate it if you would pitch in by flattening your own boxes.

2. Also, please check off your names in all of the categories and not just the first one they see. Some times it is a little hard to sort out who may have left some, but not all, of the items for which they are paying. I think in some cases it may be that folks are going to be out of town so they ask a friend to pick up their "veggie" box and forget to tell the friend to also pick up the bread and/or fruit. So the friend picks up the box, checks off the box and then leaves the other items.

3. Please let us know if you did not get an item that you ordered. It helps if you do not wait until it happens one or two more times, we like to figure out the problem as soon as possible.

Special Note-The Davis Waldorf School has been having problems consistently with not enough bread-PLEASE DO NOT PICK ANYTHING UP IF YOUR HAVE NOT ORDERED IT, OR ARE NOT ON THE LIST!!!!!!!!

What will you see in the Fall Box???

Our tomatoes, eggplant and peppers have just begun, so you will see them all fall, along with more green beans, basil, melons, cucumbers, onions, and potatoes. By the end of September you should be seeing some of the winter greens, spinach, turnips, lettuce, beets, and it will take carrots until end of October before they are ready. As far as the Fruit Box goes you should see grapes, the many variety of apples from Greg House, pears, melons, plums, pomegranates, persimmons, dried fruit and nuts, and at the end of the quarter you should start getting some of the mandarins and citrus.

Five Farm-Stories From American Farm Families

I thought you would like to know that the Five Farm stories that Jeff and I were a part of will be heard all around the world this week as part of the regularly scheduled program "Outlook," produced by the BBC World Service in London and broadcast by stations all around the globe. Each day this week, "Outlook" will feature a profile about one of the five families included in the series. The feature will be excerpted from the full length programs that John Biewen produced for broadcast in the United States. Here's a link to the program, with a place you can search for "Where to Listen." BBC World Service - Programmes - Outlook

This Week on the Farm

Both Claire and Alison are home for a few days. Claire returned from Rhode Island last Wednesday full of stories, a jillion Girl Scout songs, new friends and she was just plain up and full of life. Claire will be heading back to Monterey Bay State this coming weekend to start her second year. In the meantime she is catching up with old friends while making plans for meeting up with her new friends this fall and for next summer. Ali has moved out of my mom’s house in Santa Rosa after living with her for four years and competing Junior College. She has two more days before she and I head to Brooklyn via the Zephyr Amtrak train. It will take us four days to cross the country on the train, some folks have asked why the train, thinking that one of us doesn’t like to fly. Well it really came from having more options for luggage than the flying, and then also giving some time for transition between jobs and a new school, leaving family, leaving her boyfriend, and starting a new life on the East Coast. Zach is still out on a fire in Burney in Northern California, he has been there two weeks now and should be returning soon, most likely home a day and then off to one of the other many California fires that are happening right now.

As you can see from the note above we are not delivering boxes next week that was to lessen the load for Jeff while I am helping Ali get settled at school for the next ten days. I think that I am more excited than she is about this, kinda weird a mother excited about her daughter moving so far away. Of course I don’t want her to be so far away, but I want her to experience the art world to see if she wants to be a part of it. She got some offers and sold some of her paintings that are up at Lita’s Café in Santa Rosa where she was working, which was very exciting. It will be a very different type of schooling since she has competed most of her undergraduate requirements, it will be full days of art classes. They do have a gym and girl’s volleyball teams, so that will keep her athletic side in shape. We will report in-Have a great couple of weeks-Annie

Beer Battered Onion Rings

1 cup all purpose four

1 teaspoon coarse salt

Cayenne pepper

¼ cup buttermilk

3/4 cup beer, preferably larger or pilsner

1 large egg

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Vegetable oil for frying about 4 cups

2 large white onion cut crosswise into ½ inch thick slices, separated into rings

Sea Salt

1 lemon, cut into sedges for serving

Combine flour salt and a pinch of cayenne in a medium bowl. Whisk in buttermilk, beer, egg, and lemon zest, and let stand for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place a baking sheet on the middle rack of oven. Heat oil to 380 degrees in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Dip a few slices of onion in batter, turning to coat. Gently drop slices into oil. Cook turning once with a sire mesh skimmer, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer rings to paper towels, season with salt immediately, then transfer onions to the baking sheet to keep warm. Repeat with remaining onions. Adjust heat as necessary to keep oil at a steady temperature. Serve wit lemon wedges for squeezing

Chicken Red Onions and Peaches

4 large peaches

1-tablespoon sugar

8 chicken thighs (about 2 pounds) skinned

2 large red onions, each cut into 8 wedges

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoons black pepper

1-teaspoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

4 cups hot cooked couscous

Cut an x on the bottoms of peaches, carefully cutting just through the skin. Fill a large Dutch oven with water; bring to a boil. Immerse peaches for 20 seconds; remove with a slotted spoon, and plunge into ice water. Slip skins off peaches using a paring knife. Cut peaches in half and remove pits. Preheat oven to 425 Place peaches in a large bowl sprinkled with sugar, cover and chill. Combine chicken and onions in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Drizzle with oil; toss chicken gently to coat. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes. Combine balsamic vinegar, molasses, dried thyme, and crushed red pepper, and drizzle over the chicken, turning to coat. Bake chicken an additional 20 minutes. Add the peaches to chicken mixture in dish, basting with cooking liquid. Bake an addition 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Place 1 cup couscous on each of 4 plates, and top with 2 chicken thighs. 4 red onion wedges, and 2 peach halves. Spoon sauce evenly over each serving. Yield 4 servings

Wheat Berry Salad

This is a really good salad!!!!!!!!!!!

½ cup wheat, barley, or rye berries

1 apple cored and chopped into small squares

¼ pound feta cheese

¼ cup toasted walnuts

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or raspberry vinegar

Cook the grain in 2 cups of water for 45 minutes or until tender. Cool, and drain, and mix in the chopped apple, crumbled feta cheese toasted, chopped nuts & the oil and vinegar and mix. Serve on a bed of lettuce

August 10, 2009

What’s in the Vegetable Box Squash, Basil, Cucumbers, Green Beans, Peppers, Eggplant, Cherri Tomatoes from Durst Farm and a Cantaloupe from Riverdog farm.

What’s in the Fruit Box?

O’Henry Peaches, Bronx Grapes, Gala Apples from Coco Ranch,

FALL QUARTER

PAYMENT IS DUE August 18

The new quarter begins Sept 1 and ends November 24th

Veggies $200.00 Fruit $175.00 Bread $36.00 Flowers $84.00

NO DELIVERY

Tuesday AUGUST 25^TH & Saturday AUGUST 29TH

This Week on the Farm

Sunday morning Jeff looks as me with the Cheshire cat grin, and I said what? He said “it’s Sunday”! Ah, yes Sunday, no harvest, no deliveries to make, with not one other person here but us, and after many past Sunday’s full we both put our feet up, I jumped into our hammock to read my book and Jeff slept some more after breakfast, about 5 more hours. I asked Jeff if he could use a week of Sundays like this and he said how about two years! We got a phone call from a fellow that orders our dried fruit and he asked if we did business on Sunday and I didn’t hesitate I said no call me back Monday morning! Wow I usually don’t say that, but mid season Sundays are scared personal down time that Jeff and I treasure. I didn’t want to go to bed that evening because I didn’t want Sunday to end.

But here we are Monday morning and that fellow from the Bay Area called who wanted to place an order for our new crop of tomatoes, apricots and peaches. Jeff and I had to figure out the cost of this year’s dried fruit, we had paid more to the folks who cut the fruit, and I don’t think I had raised prices since 2005. So it made me think that was something maybe we have not talked about in the newsletter too much.

All the fruit that comes into the shop comes in the same boxes that you get your CSA veggie delivery in, about 25-30 pounds of fruit. The guys bring it to the back of the barn where they unload it near a sorting machine that we have. This machine is great for only round objects as the fruit is placed onto the conveyer belt which moves it onto a cone shaped object that is turning in circles, moving the fruit around so that the different size fruit passes through different shoots sizing the fruit as it rotates around. The smaller sized fruit shoots out first, and then the openings get bigger as it moves around. At each shoot (there six different size shoots) there are boxes waiting with green plastic cup holders in them that the fruit gets set into. That is the number one fruit that gets shipped to the stores, other farms and market along with your CSA boxes. We packed 752 boxes of apricots, about 10,528 pounds of fresh fruit this season.

At the top of the line as the ladies are sorting fruit selecting only the perfect fruit for the packed boxes, they are removing all of the fruit that has any soft spots, bruises, worm damage, branch scar, deformation, and split pit, all which gets re-boxed in those same CSA boxes and set aside for the folks that will eventually cut the fruit for drying. In mid season the “cutters” (usually a family of four) are here everyday cutting each day’s sort outs. They have a huge black walnut tree out behind the barn where they have shade to work under and drying trays set up ready to be filled. They cut the fruit in half, if it is too large into quarters and lay them as close to each other as possible skin side down on the old redwood trays that we have. We purchases these old trays that were probably made in the 1930’s that are specially used for drying fruit, with opening between the slats so the air can flow easily. Once the trays are full, and it takes about 2 ½ boxes to fill a tray they are set out into the sun. With the California heat the fruit seals over in the first day so that it is not an attraction to insects and depending on size will take about 10 days for the peaches to dry completely. We test the dryness by seeing if the fruit will “slip” between our fingers, any movement means that there is still moisture in the fruit and is not fully dry. We will stack the trays 10 high to let them dry further but not in the sun. Once they are completely dry the ladies will collect them into five gallon buckets lined with a plastic bag. We use dry ice to preserve them, which pushes all of the air out of the bucket and kills any insects that may be on the fruit. The fruit is stored like this until we have orders then the ladies once again look at each fruit for any insect’s damage, pits that didn’t get removed or any trash such as leaves or dry grass that has gotten stuck on them while drying. Of the 60 pounds of peaches that start out fresh on the tray, it ends up that two trays will fit into those 5 gallon buckets totaling about 16 pounds. This is about a 1 to 8 ratio of dry down, and the dried tomatoes are about a 1 to 10 ratio of dry down. With the tomatoes we started with 700 pounds of fruit and packed about 70 pounds of dried into 7 five gallon buckets!!!!!! We store the buckets in the cooler all year as they wait to be sold. Each year is different, but many times we will dry a ton of peaches (2000 pounds) which would be about 16,000 pounds of fresh fruit, half ton of apricots and nectarines, and maybe 250 pounds of tomatoes. And most farms that sell fresh fruit throw the seconds away! We have a pile of pits that we let dry down, I mean a pile of pits and then use it as road fill! Well I think that is most of the story about our dried fruit.

Have a great week, Annie

White gazpacho is traditionally made with lots of raw garlic and merely garnished with grapes. Here we’re toned down the garlic and bumped up the fruit factor for a cold soup that’s sweetly satisfying.

Puree cucumber, 1 ½ cups grapes, ½ cup almond milk, onion and garlic in blender or food processor until smooth. Add almond milk, vinegar, and oil, pulse until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Halve remaining grapes, and combine with remaining almonds and arugula in small bowl. Garnish gazpacho with ½ cup halved grape mixture.

2 cups water
2 cups frozen lima beans (10 oz package)
2 onions, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
4 yellow summer squash, thinly sliced into half circles
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried dill
2 cups chopped tomatoes
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup feta cheese
ground black pepper to taste
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add the limas. Following the package instructions, cook about 10 minutes, until tender. While limas cook, sauté the onions in the oil in a large skillet until translucent. Add the squash, thyme, and dill and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes. When the limas are tender, drain them and stir them into the sautéing vegetables along with the lemon juice and crumbled feta cheese. Add plenty of black pepper. Cook until feta begins to soften and serve immediately.

Halve cucumbers lengthwise, scoop out and discard seeds, thinly slice and set aside. Combine cream cheese, basil, and if desired, salt in a small bowl. Spread about 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture on one side of each bread slice. Top four bread slices with the cucumber, the peaches, the spouts, and the arugula. Top each sandwich with one remaining slice of bread.

3 Italian or Japanese eggplants or 1 large eggplant cut into ¼ inch slices2 tablespoons olive oil

August 4, 2009

What’s in the Vegetable Box Squash, Lemon Cucumbers, Green Beans, Potatoes, Flamingo Peppers from Riverdog Farm, Heirloom Tomatoes from Durst Farm and Corn from Full Belly (some of the corn has blanks, but it is still sweet and yummy)

What’s in the Fruit Box?

O’Henry Peaches, Grapes, Gala Apples from Coco Ranch,

FALL QUARTER

PAYMENT IS DUE August 18

The new quarter begins Sept 1 and ends November 24th

This Week on the Farm

Jeff and I would like to thank all of you that have sent cards or messages about Jeff’s dad passing this last week. It has been a sad week, and your thoughts have really helped and been a part of our grieving process. Jeff’s words about his dad struck some of you, helping work through your own loss in your families, and I think that is what our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is all about- connected by the food we grow and eat, but also tied emotionally in many more ways with support that nourishes each of us deeply. Thank you all so much.

It was not an easy week getting ready for our big Peachy Party event with the sadness we carried, but life goes on, and I know Ted (Jeff’s dad) would want us to continue with our plans, so we did. I always get worried that nobody will come after all the food preparations and as we get closer to the arrival time I am less able to carry my stress well and get a little bossy and bitey. But after 16 years of putting this party together, I know some what to expect, folks always come and really seem to enjoy themselves seeing the farm, eating wonderful food, pressing apple juice and have peaches on everything. Ali and my mom came Friday afternoon and jumped right into helping the prep. We stayed up late peeling pounds of garlic for the lamb marination, Ali and I both agreed we hated peeling garlic, after so many it starts to penetrate you finger pores. The ladies here made 200 tamales with a fabulous mole sauce, even some peach tamales, they will do any crazy thing I ask them, they are troupers!!!!!!!!

My mom at 88 does not know how to sit and do nothing, she wants to keep busy and be a part of what is going on. She is amazing. She brought her friend Lucille who was a Girl Scout leader with my mom many years ago once we kids finished scouts they went on to hike and travel together to this day. They don’t hike anymore but yearly are going someplace. (I sure hope I can do that when I am in my 80’s) Both of them were in the kitchen making pies, the peach basil sorbet, washing dishes, working like they always do.

Ali always makes the signs for trash, port-a-potties…and this year as usual she made some duzzies, in fact I think we will laminate them for future use. Ali is poising herself to leave this community and my mom-she has lived with my mom for the last four years, preparing to make the transition to the East Coast at the end of this month to start art school in Brooklyn. So this party was really important to her to be with her community of friends, to set memories deep that will help her move into her new life.

Many jobs get left to the last minute, I had the apple press, the apples, the jars and all that is necessary to make apple juice ready to go but had not checked to see if the press was in working condition. Mid afternoon I sent Zach over to get it going and what do you know the press won’t work. You have got to love the “process” and realize that fixing the machine while folks are waiting to see how the apple press works is just part of the day. Zach and Jeff worked through the problem and got it going, and we were able to experience my favorite part, watching the kids throwing apples it the hopper and drinking the juice that comes out, marveling at its sweetness! Zach said that he spoke to a lot of folks that he didn’t know this year; we all evolve, mature and are a part of the growth, maturity and death process. Zach is great with people, the market has shaped him tremendously, and he can talk and joke with anyone, he has left behind his shyness. I think being a firefighter, and first responder for accidents, jumping in to help people has also shaped him to be very present with daily life.

Many of you asked about Claire, she is still in Rhode Island working at a Girl Scout Camp as a Counselor and was so pained not to be here for the Peach Party. She has been my biggest helper the last few years (I think she would use the word “slave”) and I certainly missed her. She is always there to organize the lighting, directing Rye from Full Belly and Ali as to what and where everything goes, she so loves to be with her friends, making the peachy drinks, keeping everyone happy. She called just before we had our blessing circle talking to everyone, able to get some of the festivities though her conversations, also making sure her blessings were added to the evening.

Mid party I asked Jeff how he was doing, he is so good to do all that it takes to make this event happen, but he said “well I kinda agree with Bilbo Baggins, maybe I will just surprise everyone and disappear!” Sometimes it is a little much, and I think I caught him at that moment. I told him he couldn’t disappear unless I could go with him too. The peach party started as a blessing for the purchase of this land in 1993, and it has become a mid summer tradition, taking a pause from the work of the season, giving thanks for the gifts of this land, celebrating the harvest, embracing our community who has spent the season eating the harvest. Traditions of eating peaches in any manor possible-even a fabulous peach beer this year for the first time. As we held hands in our blessing circle I realized that I have a connection to most every single person there, a story between us, a story that has added a deepening quality to who I am, not only a part of the path on our yellow brick road. Our stories are intertwined molding who we are, how we walk the path of this lifetime, making traditions together, evolving to the next level of life. Ted grilled Greek Lamb for Jeff and I when we got married so many years ago, and last year he was here at the Peach Party at the grill again, giving directions on how to cook the lamb, (The recipe came from a Greek friend of Ted’s while they lived in Yuba City when Jeff was young) and for the first time a few of Jeff’s cousins were here along with his two brothers cooking the lamb. This year even more of Jeff’s extended family came, some who had never been to the farm. Ted wasn’t with us in body, but the wisdom has been passed to the next generation, the traditions are being shared, tying us even tighter together as we pass them on to our next generation of children. Thank you all who were able to come, who are a part of our lives, weaving the stories of our lives together, each of you are part of our richness we live in. Have a good week, Annie

Greek-Style Potato Salad

(from Working Mother magazine, June 2001)

This salad is chock full of Mediterranean flavors: olives, herbs, and salty feta.

3 1/2 lb. Yukon Gold or re-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 1/2 tsp. salt, divided

2 cloves garlic, minces

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup kalamata or other brine-cured olives, pitted and halved

1 red pepper, thinly sliced, then slices halved

1 1/2 cups Italian parsley leaves, chopped

3 Tbsp minced fresh dill (from 3 sprigs)

1 pkg (4 oz.) feta cheese, crumbled

Place potatoes in a large pot; cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tsp of the salt. Cook about 10 minutes, until potatoes are just tender. Drain; transfer to large bowl. Meanwhile, in blender or food processor, combine garlic, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, black pepper, and remaining 1 1/2 tsp salt. Puree until smooth; drizzle over warm potatoes. Add onion and olives; toss to coat. Fold in remaining ingredients. Serve at any temperature. (Salad can be made 1 day in advance. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving.)

Southwestern Squash Sauté

This sauté is a good partner to grilled fish, chicken or steak. With the addition of some cheese and a sliver of rive avocado, you get a wonderful filling for quesadillas and soft tacos.

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion diced

salt & pepper

1 medium bell pepper diced

3 summer squash (about 1 pound)

1 large ear fresh corn, kernels cut from the cob

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large hot chili (such as Serrano or jalapeno) seeded and minced or 1 mild green chili such as poblano or Anaheim, roasted peeled seeded and diced.

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon chili powder

1-2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro

½ lime

Set a large skillet over medium heat, when hot add olive oil and let it heat, then add onions, season with a little salt and sauté until translucent about 2 minutes. Add the peppers and sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer the pepper and the onion to a bowl or plate. Turn the heat to high, add a little more oil and the squash. Season with salt and pepper and sauté 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, so that it begins to brown lightly and the flesh turns slightly translucent and is pleasantly tender, don’t overcook; it should still be toothy, not mushy. Put the peppers and onions back in the pan, and add the corn, garlic, chiles and season again. Season with a few grinds of pepper, the cumin and chili powder. Toss in the cilantro, squeeze the live over all toss and serve.

Peach-Tomato Salsa

3 firm peaches (about 1 lb.)
1 tablespoons lemon juice
2 ripe tomatoes (about 1/2 lb.)
6 large green onions
1 tablespoons canned jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, coarsely chopped
12 tablespoons good quality olive oil
6 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons honey

July 27, 2009

What’s in the Vegetable Box Squash, Purple Basil, slicing cucumbers with one yellow lemon cucumber, onions, Potatoes, Eggplant and Cantaloupe from River Dog Farm, Cherry Tomatoes from Durst Farm.

What’s in the Fruit Box?

Flavortop Nectarines, Santa Rosa Plums, Flame Grapes, and a Honeylope from Full Belly Farm

Hope you are coming to the

Peachy Party

Saturday, August 1st, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Support the Good Humus Farm Preservation Project.

We still have some pies to offer: The first 36 to make a contribution of $25 or more will receive a free peach pie deliciously crafted by Mission Pie of San Francisco (with Good Humus Peaches)Those who make a donation of $50 or more will receive a free case of Good Humus peaches! Pies are limited so please let us know by July 29! We may just have some pies at the peach party to for a last minute purchase. Pick up will be at our Annual Peach part. Order via email (humus@yolo.com) or call 530-787-3187. Check made payable to Equity Trust-and is tax deductible.

All basils add fragrance to lemonade, but colored and scented varieties contribute extra personality Dark purple basils tint the lemonade a pretty pink but have a milder flavor than green varieties. You can make the lemonade up to 1 day ahead, cover and chill.

In a 1 1/2 to 2 quart glass measure or bowl, combine rinsed leaves and sugar. With a wooden spoon crush leaves with sugar until thoroughly bruised. Add water and lemon juice. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Taste and add more sugar if desired. Pour through fine strainer into ice filled glasses. Garnish with springs of fresh basil.

Place the flour and salt in food process to mix, and then add butter and pulse just until the mixture resembles

coarse meal, three to five times. Add the water and pulse just until pastry begins to hold together. If the pastry is dry

add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it begins to hold together. Transfer to surface and form into a flat round.

Roll out one half of the pastry to form an 11-½ inch round to fit a 10-½ inch tart pan with removable bottom. Transfer

dough to pan fitting to bottom and sides. Place the remaining round on a baking sheet and place both in the refrigerator

for 1 hour Preheat oven to 425. Prick the pastry in the tart pan all over with fork and bake until the pastry is golden about

15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the water for an egg wash.

Set aside In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, thyme, and garlic and crème fraiche, tossing the ingredients with your

hands until they are combined. Season with salt and pepper; transfer the potato mixture to the baked pastry shell, spreading

it out as evenly as possible. Brush the edges of the pastry shell with the egg and fit the top crust over the tart, being

very careful. Press the top crust onto the edges of the bottom crust, brush with egg, cut holes in center. Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the tart form the oven, and gently push the nuggets of butter into the center hole. Return the tart to the

oven and bake until the pastry is golden and potatoes are tender 10 minutes. Remove & serve.

This recipe adapts easily to seasonal vegetables. This is our late summer version, try whole grain pasta for a heartier dish. Servese 4-6

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, combine carrot, zucchini and eggplant strips, onion and red pepper. Toss with oil, salt and pepper to coat. Spread evenly in 1 layer over a lightly oiled baking sheet, and bake about 20 minutes, stirring once, until the carrots are tender and the vegetable begin to brown. Meanwhile cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. Return pasta to the cooking pot and toss with the roasted vegetables, thinly sliced purple basil, cherry tomatoes and enough of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Use only as much as you need to keep the pasta from sticking. Season pasta with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

July 21, 2009

What’s in the Vegetable Box Squash, Basil, slicing cucumbers, onions, Potatoes, Charentais Melon and Heirloom Tomatoes from Durst Farm, and Full Belly Special White Corn

What’s in the Fruit Box? Suncrest Peaches, Flavortop Nectarines and Santa Rosa Plums and Flame Grapes from Capay Canyon Ranch

Good Humus Produce

presents

The 16th Annual Peachy Party

Saturday, August 1st, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Support the Good Humus Farm Preservation Project. The first 36 to make a contribution of $25 or more will receive a free peach pie deliciously crafted by Mission Pie of San Francisco (with Good Humus Preaches)Those who make a donation of $50 or more will receive a free case of Good Humus peaches! Pies are limited so please let us know by July 27! Pick up will be at our Annual Peach part. Order via email (humus@yolo.com) or call 530-787-3187. Check made payable to Equity Trust-and is tax deductible.

This Week on the Farm

As I said last week I was hoping that our daughter Claire would write a newsletter for us from where she is working this summer, So here is what she sent:

So as many of you most likely know I have decided to spend my summer, and just to clarify…SUMMER

(this will be important for the rest of my story) in Rhode Island working at a Girl Scout Camp. I came with a

lifelong friend Anna Pearson, Anna and I met in first grade at Davis Waldof School and have been

friends ever since. She and I applied for this job during the school year and never heard back from the

camp, so my mom fixed me up with a bunch of jobs (on the farm helping her do farmers markets, massage

for the community of farmers, doing deliveries…) for the summer and you know I didn’t really mind as long

as I was making money for college. I would rather have gone to a new place and met new people and all that,

but since it didn’t look like I was going to get the job, I took what I could get. Anna actually heard a few

weeks into summer so I decided to give the woman in charge a phone call to see what was up. Well she had

lost my application, so gave me an interview right there on the phone and by the end of the conversation I

had been hired, and needed to be in RI in two weeks! I was excited, nervous and a bit sad as I was going to

be leaving everyone for a place that I didn’t know……but I bought my plane ticket, some supplies and spent

as much time with my friends and I could before leaving.

Anna and I headed out on an adventure, not really knowing what to expect at all. Finally navigating a plane ride, to a bus ride, and then a train ride (including a back-track to recover my forgotten sleeping bag at the bus station) we arrived at Camp Hoffman. It was nice, sun was out, the lake we were on looked nice, and it was surrounded by big tall trees and it was quiet. We were excited, but that didn’t last long, by the next day it was pouring rain. We had a week of pre-camp training for swimming, courage, everything you could imagine, but most of all games and songs…..oh yeah and some more songs, we had to learn 12 songs a day!

Then the kids came, and man, I haven’t seen so many kids in my life! Four of us counselors took care of 27 kids…and it was my first time, I mean I have helped my mom with her farm visit, for a few hours, even a few days, but I was so overwhelmed and to make it ever harder, it had not been sunny since the very first day of our arrival. Our schedule is to get up at 6am run a mile and then jump is the frozen lake…sounds like fun doesn’t it. I got a Polar Bear pin for doing that for five straight days! The girls go to bet at 9, but you know how that is….10:30 and we can’t go to sleep until the kids are all asleep so I am hitting the pillow around 11pm. So we have pretty much a 17 hour work day. On my second day I was so tired that I figured out a way to get them to go to sleep early which would then let us get to sleep earlier. They have three jobs each day, cleaning up camp, building the fire and cleaning the flushies, so I told my girls that whoever was the loudest tent that night would have to clean the flushies the next day! It totally worked, and once the word spread counselors all over camp started using it and the next couple of nights were quiet at 9:45, it was nice! The food……well it is camp food, mac and cheese, salad…..and more mac and cheese……haha that’s about it, and has anyone heard about coffee milk? Well I guess it is the state drink, and to me it tastes like melted coffee ice cream, people drink it here like some sort of religion.

We get one day off a week and two hours off a day, but we can’t leave camp during those two hours because not having a car, we would have to walk 2 miles to the bus, and when it is raining that is not really the thing you want to be doing. On my first day off Anna and I we went into Providence to do a little bit of shopping, but instead we got lost, took the bus almost 40 miles too far and then couldn’t figure out how to get back. Our second day off we were excited because we had it off together and it had been raining all week, well all camp session (I need to remind you that it is in fact summer here too). It was cloudy, but not raining so we watched a move in camp and right in the middle of the movie we heard lighting hit right next to the building we were in, and got stuck in the staff lounge for 4 hours. We were wearing t-shirts, but found some plastic bags to wear to the dinning hall and we found the entire camp there weathering the storm. That is how we spent our day off!

The bugs are another story…you would think we have it bad during the summer at home on the farm, but the bugs here follow you around, I am not kidding, the mosquitoes eat you alive, and the tents we sleep in have spiders the size of the ones in Harry Potter, and if you know me, I don’t like spiders. But being a farm girl has come in handy…I was unit leader this week, and a toilet got clogged, and I mean gross, there were chunks and water sprayed all over from where folks tried to unplug it before. But I fixed it and was awarded the Miss Fix It award for unplugging the unplugable! Yeah up here my talents really come in handy, I also got an award for the juiciest name (Peaches). I got my archery badge by hitting a bulls-eye not on the first shot, but pretty close, and I got a Match Fire Bead, which is a lot harder that it sounds. You make a fire and not useing any paper, only wood and one match to get the fire going, and you have to keep it going to be able to get your bead, I am a pro now, I have it down to a science. My next badge I am going to work on is the Roadrunner-running 5 miles for 5 days straight. I figure that I might as well get as many pins and badges as I can while I am here, go home and show my mom, it will look like I have been in girl scouts my entire lied, like she was, I think she will be proud.

The sun finally came out, let’s hope it stays around, I was able to go to the beach and lay in the sun for a few hours, it was nice. I got promoted to unit leader this week like I said, we shall see how long that’s lasts, but it has been fun meeting people from around the world, at least after this I will have some friends I can visit…It has been fun, you know fun and not fun, there are moments where I am glad I came, but then moments when I wish I had stayed home. I know everything we do has those kinds of moments, but I think that is the fact that we keep trying, we looked at the good things, with the bad and we keep taking the adventures even if we don’t’ really know how they are going to turn out. I personally love to do new things, I love to go to new places, and this time I got paid for it, but that is not the point, the point is that I tried it, I without of my comfort zone and I found a whole new side of me that I had only touched on before. I knew I was pretty good with kids, and that I could handle some, but 27 at a time with 3 other staff members looking to me for what to do, that I had never done, I was always the one looking to others to tell me what to do. It is stressful and I’m not sure what to do all the time, but I am not afraid to ask for help…….but anyway, I am on my break and should be getting back to the shouting and the million questions of my girls, the sun is shinning and I still have half an hour before returning so if you don’t mind I going to enjoy the rest of my break. Love you all, and see you soon. “Peaches”

July 14, 2009

Peaches by the Box 10 pounds $25.00 please e-mail (humus@yolo.com) or call in your order now for delivery this Saturday to Davis, Woodland or San Francisco or for next Tuesday. If you want them for tomorrow 7-14 really call NOW!

What’s in the Vegetable Box

Squash, Potatoes, Suncrest Peaches, Spearmint, Red Slicing Tomatoes and Gypsy Peppers from Durst Farm, and Full Belly Special White Corn

What’s in the Fruit Box?

Suncrest Peaches, Flavortop Nectarines and Santa Rosa Plums

Good Humus Produce

presents

The 16th Annual Peachy Party

Saturday, August 1st, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Come early and let’s make the party together!

This Week on the Farm

Two fuzzy antlered bucks and two does are calling Good Humus home sweet home, they are watering at the faucet in the middle of the farm, and have been seen up near the house in the parsley patch, Molly our dog only chased them when I told her to do her job of keep stray varmints out of here. The fence that Jeff and the guys put up in the back field stopped them for a bit, admittedly the fence was two sided, not a 10 foot barbed wire cyclone fence surrounding the farm that would maybe keep these jumping beauties out of here. We really thought that Jeff’s unwashed work shirts would really scare them off, but I guess we all can get used to smells! We have invited wildlife to our farm, and so it is very hard to be upset with the additions, but they too have to be reasonable about how much they eat. We never really recovered after last fall’s devastation, licking clean one entire 200 foot bed of chard. On an early morning pick up this last week to Durst Farm just down the road from us a fox and I had a short eye to eye stare down, and then he went racing off into the wheat stubble. I sat in awe for a few moments before driving on, marveling at what lives around us, is rarely seen but very much a part of our landscape.

So last week we got the newsletter half together, and then it completely got dropped, a few inquires came in as to what happened, wondering where the news was. Well I took a short trip to Santa Rosa to see my mom and Ali, and just felt the need to stay out of Dodge a little longer, boy it was nice to have a change of scenery so I didn’t come home until Monday eve. Jeff said he would put the newsletter together, but…well…. hum…. you know how that goes? Life here is in full swing; Francisco and Jose are picking the peaches with octopus hands, bringing in over a hundred boxes a day, Celia, Elvira, and Cuca keeping the flowers picked, herbs harvested, vegetables washed and the fruit sorted. Ricardo and our nephew Bryce are in the squash patch every day at 7, then on to the green beans, potatoes and onions. We have had a record harvest of green beans this year; the first patch is just about finished just in time for the next one to come in! The fruit is coming in fast; the apricots were slow and steady lasting 5 weeks because of the cool weather. But not for the peaches, so if you want to do come canning or jamming of peaches now is the time. Jeff is keeping up with spraying the grapes with sulfur, hoping that we will have a harvest of more than one out of seven of our grape varieties this year. The flame grapes are possibly going to be ready in two weeks! Without spraying the sulfur the grapes mildew and are not eatable at all, which is what has happened for their entire grape lives, except the Bronx grapes that there seems to be nothing that bothers them. Jeff is also trying to plant the last of the summer produce, and has started on ground work for fall plantings which will include putting fields into cover crops. And what do I do??? Well try to keep the office running, the fruit and vegetables to market, either the Coops or Farmers markets two times week, we will be making apricot and strawberry jam tomorrow. I know the elderberries are ready to pick and make into syrup, the crabapples are ready too. We have had two summer kids groups come out so far, the ETC inner city kids that stay 3-4 days, and then a one day UCDavis kid’s summer camp wanted to pick peaches to make a pie so we went on a Good Humus sampling tour, eating what ever we could on a walk that eventually took us too the orchard. It was kinda fun; they were eating fresh herbs, fruit that is in various stages on the drying trays, raw squash and green beans, then the plums, apricots and peaches, Francisco showing them what is green and what is ripe and how to tell the difference when the fruit is in the tree. We have two more groups coming out in August, and then I think that is it for a bit. I am trying to keep my garden watered with all of the new plantings I have made, have lost a few, the maple bit the dust……… I don’t know where the time goes, but it sure goes!

I have had a report in that they have seen enough squash in the box for a lifetime!!!!! Well the zucchini is starting so I don’t think you have seen the end of it yet, but we will lighten the load a bit. The boxes tend to be rolly polly and sort of empty looking this time of year, (not that the value is not there) so I have to admit that I put in extra of what we have an abundance of which is squash to “fill” up the box. We have to get produce from our neighbors because we were so late in planting this spring with all the tractor repairs that took a hundred years to fix! So our eggplant, tomatoes and peppers won’t be coming in until August. Have you tried grilling the squash with olive oil and soy sauce, that is really good, or making a light soup with it? Any one have great recipes to share with everyone for the squash???

Tangy Limas with Squash and Tomatoes (Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home)

2 cups water
2 cups frozen lima beans (10 oz package)
2 onions, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
4 yellow summer squash, thinly sliced into half circles
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried dill
2 cups chopped tomatoes
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup feta cheese
ground black pepper to taste
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add the limas. Following the package instructions, cook about 10 minutes, until tender. While limas cook, sauté the onions in the oil in a large skillet until translucent. Add the squash, thyme, and dill and contue to saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes. When the limas are tender, drain them and stir them into the sautéing vegetables along with the lemon juice and crumbled feta cheese. Add plenty of black pepper. Cook until feta begins to soften and serve immediately.

Zucchini Frittata

1 ½ lbs. small zucchini cut crosswise very thin

10 eggs

4 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated (divided)

Fresh ground pepper

2 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoon olive oil

Quick Tomato Sauce

Spread zucchini on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. This draws out the moisture. Preheat oven 350F. In a large bowl beat eggs until lightly frothy. Add zucchini and 2 tablespoon. Cheese. Season to taste with pepper. In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, over medium heat, melt butter and olive oil. Add zucchini mixture and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place in oven and bake until set but still slightly moist, about 20 minutes. Serve warm with Quick Tomato Sauce. This is good without but the tomato sauce puts it over the top. Tip: Prep the zucchini the night before; roll up in the paper towels and leave in ‘fridge. Makes it easy to assemble in the morning.

Quick Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 lb. fresh tomatoes

Pinch of sugar

2 tablespoon fresh basil

1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley

Salt and pepper

In skillet, warm olive oil. Add garlic and, when it sizzles, stir in tomatoes and sugar. Sauté, stirring just until the tomatoes’ juices begin to thicken, 5-7 minutes. Stir in basil and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spearmint Syrup

This multipurpose syrup is a great way to capture the essence of mint. Drizzle the syrup over a fresh fruit salad, use I to flavor hot or cold green tea, or add to a fruit smoothie.

1 small bunch fresh spearmint

1 cup granulated sugar

Rinse the mint well and drain. Put the sugar in a small saucepan and toss the mint on top. Crush the mint into the sugar with a wooden spoon to release the flavor. Add 1 cup water, bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar is dissolved. As soon as the syrup starts simmering rapidly, remove from heat and set aside to infuse for 30 minutes. The longer the stronger the flavor. Strain mint and discard, let cool and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Mojito

A hot summer day calls for a cool drink like the refreshing Cuban mint and lime cocktail. You can muddle the mint with the sugar together in a mortar or other vessel and then transfer it to the serving glass.

8 large fresh spearmint leaves plus 1 nice spring for garnish

4 teaspoons superfine sugar

1 lime

Crushed ice as needed

2 fluid ounces of light rum

Cold club soda as needed

In a tall narrow glass, mash the mint leaves into the sugar with a muddler or a similar tool (like the handle of a wooden spoon) until the leaves look crushed and the sugar starts to turn light green, about 30 seconds. Cut the lime into quarters, squeeze the juice from all four quarters into the glass, dropping two of the squeezed quarters into the glass as you go. Stir with a teaspoon until the sugar dissolves into the lime juice. Fill the glass with crushed ice and pour the rum over the ice. Top with club soda, stir well, garnish with the mint sprig and serve right away.

July 7, 2009

What’s in the Vegetable Box Crookneck Squash, Potatoes Basil, Onions, Red Slicing Tomatoes from Durst Farm, Garlic and Eggplant from Full Belly Farm.

What’s in the Fruit Box? SunCrest Peaches and Santa Rosa Plums

This Week on the Farm

This uncooked seasoning can be made in advance. Use on pasta or on a baked potatoes, or on your sandwiches instead of mayonnaise.

Start with olive oil first in the blender, but not all of it, maybe half, and then add your basil leaves a little at a time to make sure the blender keeps working. Once you have added half the basil then add the nuts, continue blending all of the ingredients. If the blender gets stuck, add more olive oil, the pesto should have a smooth thick consistency enough for spreading, if too think add more olive oil, if too runny add more basil and nuts or cheese.

If fresh mozzarella is not available substitute another fresh soft cheese, such as queso fresco or feta. For added flavor use an olive oil infused with herbs or roasted garlic instead of plain olive oil.

Set aside several whole basil leaves for garnish. Using a sharp knife, chop remaining basil leaves. Combine chopped basil, oil, and pepper in a medium bowl. Cut mozzarella into 1 inch cubes: toss cheese cubes gently with herb and oil mixture till cheese is well-coated. Cover and let chill for 1hour-5 days.

Transfer cheese mixture to a serving dish; garnish with whole basil leaves and, if desired tomato slices. Serve with baguette slices or crackers.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Remove vegetable from bowl, reserving mixture. Place the onion and bell pepper on grill rack coated with cooking spray, grill 7 minutes on each side or until tender. Grill zucchini 3 minutes on each side or until done. Hollow out bottom half of bread leaving a ½ inch thick shell, reserve torn bread for another use. Layer grilled vegetables on loaf, drizzle reserved vinegar mixture on top. Cover with top of the bread press lightly. Place filled loaf on grill rack, grill 4 minutes on each side or until cheese melts. Cut into quarters. Yield 4 servings.