Week 1: November 9, 2007
Dear Early Winter Shareholders,
Thanks again for having faith in us as we try this new venture. New things are good, I guess, because challenges are good and keep us growing and thus more interesting as human beings. Having said that, it still is scary, and cold. Cold this week. We have had to batten down the hatches, finally closing up our windows (I know that most of you did that long ago, but as we are a passive solar house, we get lots of heat into the house during the day, and it can get nice and toasty.
Over the past two or three days we have successfully covered everything in the hoop houses with either plastic or remay (spun bonded polyester blanket). The chard is not happy at this juncture. I am not sure if it will come back for an actual crop this winter. The Asians, lettuce, kale, spinach are looking good. We have folks in various stages of development. We will see how much growing proceeds on the sunny days. We also have turnip greens, cilantro, parsley (transplanted from outside) and some trial carrots and beets – no promises here.
This week you will receive some already split garlic – 1 pound. We didn't have enough room to plant it all – so lucky you all. Also, 1 lb of carrots, beets, potatoes, 3 little delicata or sweet dumpling squash, some hoop house Asian greens, a bunch each of kale, collards and parsley and a cabbage.
This was a big slaughter week on the farm. The old layers and the pigs went to their makers on Sunday. I always feel some reverence (well, yes, some guilt too) for all the work that they do for us for the time they are here. Chickens do a lot of bug work and incorporation of organic materials, along with their manure – and a very healthy egg almost every day. The pigs have successfully de-rocked large sections of our farm this year, added untold fertility, and caused us a lot of joy and entertainment.
We are finishing up, hopefully over 100 quarts, of lard this weekend. The smells are quite nice in the kitchen this time of year. We ship lard all over the country – a project for next week.
As noted earlier, we have pork for sale. Remaining are a number of really nice roasts, around 4 lbs, at $6.25/lb. So they will cost about $25 each. They will be in the freezer until we sell them out. So ask anytime if you would like to buy one.
I hope you enjoy your first week of food. You will recognize most of it from the field this week...
Julie
Recipe From Nina
Tips from Ellen
Here are some tips about using collards that our daughter Ellen sent to me:
- "Collard greens taste great simply prepared with olive oil and onions, leeks, or garlic. Strong flavorings such as hot pepper, ginger, curry, vinegar, hot sauce, and bacon also enhance the flavor. Slivered collard greens taste good in soups and bean stews.
- What is the best way to turn out delicious collard greens? Surprisingly, not by steaming. We have found, through comparison tests, that steamed collard greens are hard to chew and almost unpalatable. Boiling them in a large pot of water, Southern style, turns out a limp mass of mild-tasting greens that have lost their distinctive flavor. It is also time consuming and makes for a greater loss of nutrients.
- The method we use is quick-cooking in a small amount of water as a preliminary step before sautéing. Bring about 2 cups of water to a boil in a skillet large enough for the greens to spread out. Add the chopped greens to the boiling water, cover, and cook on high "fast and furiously" for 8 to 10 minutes. Cooking greens quickly preserves nutrients, color and taste. The cooked greens can then be drained (save the broth!) and sautéed in a little oil with other vegetables and flavorings. The cooking broth is a delicious, nutritious beverage to enjoy while you finish your preparations.
- Alternatively, you can sauté the collards. These greens will be a little chewier and stronger tasting than precooked collards, but slightly quicker to cook. Start with onions or leeks and garlic in a small amount of oil. Add the sliced collards and enough water to keep the greens from sticking to the pan and burning, about ½ cups per bunch. Cook the greens for the same amount of time, up to 10 minutes. This method saves the step of precooking."
- A fun and quick way to chop collards: Cut the stem out of each leaf. Stack the leaf halves together and then roll them up like a cigar. Slice into ¼ inch or larger strips (depending on the recipe).