Dear CSA members and Farm friends,

The deadline for signing up for the Winter CSA is today at noon. Sign-up online at: cedarmountainfarm.org

Kerry

Dear farm friends,

Our farm stand now has bagged vegetables in our store cooler for sale everyday. We have beets, carrots, onions, winter squash, garlic, celeriac, turnips and cabbage. We have frozen beef sausage, ground beef, stew, roasts and steaks, and lamb in stock. We also have honey, maple syrup, farm made cheese and frozen yogurt.

Kerry

Dear CSA members,

The CSA vegetables will be available for pick-up Tuesday and Wednesday this week for the holiday. Come any time between noon and 9PM. If you ordered a turkey let me know what time you want to pick it up. They are in our back cooler.

Kerry

Dear CSA members and farm friends,

Misty Knoll Thanksgiving turkeys are available for pre-order. Deadline to order is Friday November 13th. The turkeys will arrive be ready for pick-up on Wednesday before Thanksgiving. They will be fresh not frozen. Cost is $4.75 per pound and size choices are

Small 14-15lbs

med 16-18

large 19-22

x-large over 23 pounds

If you want a turkey email or call the farm and drop off a $25 dollar deposit by Friday the 13th at noon.

Kerry

Dear CSA members and farm friends,

We have bulk vegetables and beef boxes available for purchase at the farm.

Kerry

Dear CSA members,

The Fall CSA season starts next week Wednesday. Signup online or by check for a Fall vegetable or Omnivore share

Dear CSA members and farm friends,

Help, what is that vegetable in the basket this week? Thanks to the Huffington Post for this help ” If you find yourself staring at a garlic scape thinking, "WTF is that?" don't worry. You're not alone. They might be something of a mystery to many, but garlic scapes are worth getting to know. They're twisty, curly, bright green stems that shoot up from garlic bulbs. They are also sometimes called garlic shoots, stems, spears, or, our favorite, serpent garlic. The garlic that we all know and love has separate cloves and papery skin. That stuff starts out as green garlic (or spring garlic), before it matures. The bulb and roots grow underground while a stem, leaves and scapes soak up sunshine up above. Obviously, garlic is amazing for lots of reasons, but here's our favorite one: the whole plant is edible. This includes the scapes, which are treats that come along early each summer in markets and CSAs. Using the whole plant isn't only trendy, it's responsible and will open your horizons. Garlic scapes, you win this one. Scapes taste (duh) like garlic, but a bright, fresh, verdant version of it. You can use them anywhere you'd use regular garlic. So is there any real reason you should buy garlic scapes instead of garlic? Cooking with garlic scapes is like getting to have scallions that taste like garlic -- so yes, go get some while they're around!” “Garlic WHAT?” Get excited for one of spring’s most anticipated farm-fresh delights– garlic scapes! Scapes are the wild shoots that spring from the tops of garlic plants. Their color is springtime green, and the shoots can be thick or thin, curved or corkscrewed, and vary in height. They also come with leaves, which are more similar to leeks or green onion, and are also edible! Garlic scapes have a mild garlic fragrance and a mellow garlic flavor. The scapes are meant to be cut from growing garlic in order to help the garlic grow. So it’s a win-win for the farmer and us, the cooks!

1.  Pickle ’em Because who doesn’t love pickles? These pretty pickled Garlic Scapes are so simple, even pickling/canning novices can enjoy. Pickled Garlic Scapes

1   pound or more of scapes,whole

3   cups vinegar

5cups water

¼  cup kosher salt

Fresh Basil Leaves

Chili Flakes

Boil the water, vinegar & salt solution. Pack hot jars with whole scapes, 1 fresh basil leaf, a pinch of chili flakes (depending on your spice tolerance) and then the brine. Put on lids, place in a hot water canner and boil for 45 minutes. Leave at least 2 weeks before serving to get best flavor. I adapted the recipe from EverGreen Farms. With one bunch of scape I made 2 8 oz. jars and have an abundance of pickling liquid left ready and waiting for more scapes.  

2. Make Pesto Pesto is a delicious spread to keep handy- wonderful for any number of pastas, as a spread on sandwiches, a base for salad dressings and sauces, or simply eaten with a nice chunk of bread. You can throw in other herbs or green leafy things too.  

3. Wrap ’em in Bacon For meat eaters, there’s really nothing better than something wrapped in bacon. Show off the flavor of spring while keeping your carnivorous friends happy.

4. Roast Like with garlic itself, roasting the scapes brings out their sweetness, making for a lovely side dish. Simply toss the washed scapes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 450 for 5-7 minutes, until browned nicely. If you’d like to use the leaves too, roast them for 5 minutes first.

5. Use Raw Like the spring onion greens we’ve also seen this season, they’re terrific raw! Thinly chop the shoots and  add to a tuna or chicken salad, stir into hot rice or scatter over a salad, the way you might scatter sliced scallions or an herb.

6. Stir-Fry Garlic scapes are excellent for stir-fry dishes as they don’t compete with stronger flavored ingredients, but rather complement them with a sweet succulent character.

7. Gift Infused Vinegar For fresh vegetable salads, only the best dressing will do- and what’s better than a salad dressing you made yourself? Make your own Garlic Scape Vinegar and gift to friends and family throughout the summer. Simply add olive oil + a squeeze of lemon for a beautiful salad dressing! 

8. Make Spring Soup Take advantage of everything green to make a beautiful spring soup 9. Make Mayonnaise  garlic scapes give mayo a delicious boost for potato salads, sandwiches, and more!  

10. Wait for the bulbs to bloom! Paul of Mexas Farm says if you aren’t a huge fan of garlic, simply use as a springtime bouquet! The little bulbs will bloom in about a week, turning into pretty purple fuzzballs. Perfect for outdoor barbeques or garden parties.”   From The greenling blog.

Dear CSA members and Farm friends,

This past week has been another busy one. We have planted all the field tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. We have put our heirloom tomatoes in the hoop house. The heat loving crops are planted on black plastic with a length of soaker hose underneath. This warms the soil and help control weeds and disease from dirt splash. We cultivate between the rows of plastic with the horses. More fall broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce flats were sown in the greenhouse. We are gearing up to make dry hay for the cows. We make small square bales to feed inside in the old barn. We will make about 6000 or so. The rest of our hay will be round bales about 350 which are equivalent to 20-25 square bales each. The round bales are easier to feed out in our big white barn. The round bales take less human labor to make. The process to make round and square bales starts out the same. The hay is cut with a mower/conditioner on day one. On day two the hay is turned over to expose the underside called tedding. On day three the hay is raked into windrows late morning or early afternoon. Then the tractor is hooked up to the baler with a wagon behind it. Every square bale is baled, kicked into a steel wagon and unloaded onto the hay elevator. The bales then go up the track into the hay mow and are stacked by hand. Round bales are baled, then wrapped in white plastic and moved and stacked outside. When we feed out the squares bales are thrown down and carried by hand to feed calves, young heifers, horses and to top dress in the pack barn. The round bales are moved to the feed alley and rolled out and forked into the manger. A mature cow will eat a bale of hay a day. The horses are very low maintenance and only need a ¼ bale a day each. We always make at least two cutting of hay, 1St cut and 2nd cut. The first cut hay is more volume and fiber. The second cut is softer, more nutritious and lower yields per acre. More on hay next time.

Recipes and Storing advice from Martha Stewart.com

Spiced Steak Kebobs

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grill

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 pounds sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

10 large button mushrooms, trimmed

Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

1.    Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. In a small bowl, combine oil, cumin, and coriander; season with salt and pepper.2.   Alternately thread steak, bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms onto ten 8-inch skewers. Brush with oil mixture and grill until steak is medium-rare and vegetables are lightly charred, 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally. Refrigerate 4 kebabs, up to 3 days, for later use. Serve remaining kebabs with lime wedges.Cook's Note Refrigerate 4 kebabs, up to 3 days, for later use.

Asian-Style Grilled Beef Salad

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 Thai chile, thinly sliced

4 reserved Spiced Steak Kebabs

1 head butter lettuce, leaves torn into bite-size pieces

1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped

Directions

In a small bowl, combine vegetable oil, lime juice, fish sauce, and chile. Remove beef and vegetables from kebabs. Halve beef pieces and mushrooms and add beef and vegetables to a large bowl with lettuce, mint leaves, and scallions. Add dressing and toss to coat. Top with peanuts and serve. 3.    When you buy lettuce and other leafy greens early in the week, clean and refrigerate until ready to toss in a salad or layer on a sandwich. Smarter Storing for lettuce To keep lettuce and other greens fresher longer, wash and dry them thoroughly before storing. Wrap greens in paper towels, then place in resealable plastic bags. Seal the bags tight, and keep in the vegetable crisper. Check the bags during the week, replacing any damp towels with dry ones.  

Dear CSA members,

The Summer CSA pick-ups at the farm and at the UV Coop start on Wednesday June 10th.  Farm site shares are ready from 12-9PM and the UV Coop shares are available 3-8PM. If you are away or cannot get you share email the farm or call.

Kerry

Wednesday June 10th

4-H dairy nutrition workshop at 3:30 given by Mike St. Onge on dairy cow nutrition.

Farm potluck dinner  at 6:30PM at the farm stand unless it is raining.