Welcome Home....SHIRLEY!!

This past weekend, the One Acre Farm family grew significantly. No, no, it is not what you are thinking, but Michael and I added a sister to our farming (equipment) family. Last year, my uncle gave Michael a cultivating tractor, who he called Big Red. Big Red is a 1950s-era Farmall tractor, with an offset seat. Apparently, the offset seat allows you to actually see what you are cultivating in front of you. (Footnote for those not hip to the farm lingo…cultivate doesn’t actually mean what you (or was it just I?) think – to harvest. Cultivating is actually the process of disturbing the soil, i.e. weeding). But I digress! Who knew there were special tractors for different aspects of farming? Certainly not me as Michael became increasingly frustrated by my repeated questions of “Can’t Big Red do that?”


Because Big Red can’t do everything, Michael spent hours searching for the perfect tractor. And by searching, I mean searching. He went online; he called his mentors; he drove two hours away to “test-drive;” and yes, he signed up for an online network of farmers called Tractorbynet.com. The man was obsessed! And obsessed he should be when making such a big investment as a tractor!

It turns that out on his test drive two hours away, he fell in love with a big girl named Shirley. Shirley is red (like her future brother, Big Red), has a canopy, a front loader (essential for turning compost) and a relatively short working life dispute being twelve years old.

After waking up in the 6s on Saturday morning, Michael and I were in Ashland, Virginia a short two hours later to bring Shirley home. We needed a BIG trailer to bring our big girl home, and luckily – by chance – I knew someone who had the proper equipment to load her up and make the trip back north.

I do have to admit, when the salesman brought her out of the garage, my heart was swelling with pride. This was a big deal, our very first tractor…to call our own. My eyes tear up a little just thinking about that moment and how I am so very glad that Michael decided to do a weekend pickup so that I could be there.

Here are a few pictures from our exciting Saturday…and welcome to One Acre Farm, Shirley!!

Yes, that is Michael in the center of the picture, supervising the loading of his precious cargo!

Michael and Shirley - December 11, 2010!

Shirley is ready for her close-up!

End of the Year Celebration!

For the second year in a row, our members Martha and David graciously opened their home to our members to celebrate the end of the season.  Last year I was unable to come (oh, the life of a litigator) but this year's party fell on our four year wedding anniversary so I was going to be there come he** or high water!

Here are some pictures of the last bountiful harvest:

Here are some beautiful Tat Soi, Cabbage and Peppers:

Martha and David provided delicious wine and beer for our adult members and cider for our younger members.  Some members brought food to share from the farm's harvests.  Derek made amazingly scrumptious sweet potato pie tarts that I couldn't get enough of!  (Tim, we missed you, but you'll be glad to know that Derek's tarts were not too cinnamony!)  Derek promised to provide the recipe for his delicious tarts... Derek, if you'd be so kind, please leave the recipe in a comment below or send me the recipe so I can post it here!

The party was a great way to cap off the end of (what we thought was a) successful second season!  Thanks to all of you for your continued support of our humble venture!  Until next time...

Stay Tuned...

It has been awhile since I last posted -- almost two whole months.  I apologize for that.  I have great pictures from the end of the year party in Capitol Hill and promise to put those up by the end of the week.

I also have a lot of farm-specific posts lined up but wanted to peak your interest and keep you coming back for more.  Cruel, I know.  Let's just say, we have some potentially new developments in the works...

Please check back later this week -- and hopefully early next week -- for all of the winter happenings on the Farm. 

How Many Ways Can You Really Eat Swiss Chard?!

Michael and I went to visit an old farm colleague of Michael's from State College, PA last weekend.  It turns out we crashed her CSA potluck dinner but were also able to score a short tour of her fall fields.  During our party-crash (not exactly CNN-worthy), we chatted about how to possibly cook all of the leafy greens that are abundant in CSA shares.  I was so glad to hear that this farmer's advice fell in step with our go-to instructions for cooking these leafy greens: olive oil, garlic, saute and...voila!

After reading this week's Washington Post's Food section (aptly titled: "Vegetables with issues"), I discovered that there really are people out there who love (yes, love!) Swiss Chard.  Who are these mad people and what the heck do they do to their Swiss Chard that invites such a love affair?  I can tell you one thing, they most certainly do not solely rely upon the "olive oil, garlic, saute, voila" approach to cooking chard.  In fact, the author of the Swiss Chard article (sorry, Eggplant, you apparently have "issues" as well) noted that the strong leaves are perfect for rolling and stuffing.  So, if you are looking for a new way to cook your Chard (or Collards) from this week's share, think about using their leaves instead of cabbage (even though you got cabbage this week, too...but I like to mix that with my lettuce for a heartier, and crunchier, salad) for stuffed Chard leaves with ground turkey and rice.  You can also use chard in frittata or quiche recipes (but the Post author recommends using the olive oil, garlic and saute maneuver before whisking into scrambled eggs -- I am glad to know that my go-to way to cook any leafy green actually made it into the Food Section...I have arrived!).

Try this delicious soup that I made a few weeks ago and use any leafy green from your share in place of the Kale. I cannot take credit for the recipe, but I certainly take credit for it when I put it on my table because this soup is delicious and easy to make!

Two Bean Soup with Kale (Recipe from myrecipes.com)

Prep Time 30 minutes
Yield 6 servings (1 1/4 cups per serving)

Ingredients:
3 T olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 t salt, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
7 cups stemmed, chopped Kale (about 1 bunch) [Blogger's note: I also use the stems but chop them]
2 (15 oz) cans no-salt-added Cannellini beans, rinsed, drained and divided
1 (15 oz) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 t ground black pepper
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions:
1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add oil to pan, swirling to coat.  Add onion, carrot and celery and saute for 6 minutes or until tender.  Stir in 1/4 t salt and garlic; cook 1 minute.  Stir in 3 cups vegetable broth and kale.  Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat, simmering for 3 minutes or until Kale is crisp-tender.

2. Place 1 can of cannellini beans (rinsed and drained) in blender or food processor with 1 cup vegetable broth until smooth.  Add pureed bean mixture to Dutch oven, remaining can of cannellini beans and black beans and pepper.

3. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in remaining 1/4 t salt, vinegar and rosemary.

To read the Post's Food Section Article about Swiss Chard, click here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/12/AR2010101202256.html

Chard is also good for you.  It is rich in Vitamins A and C and antioxidants.  Some might consider chard a Superfood.  Seriously?  Seriously.  So, get inspired and come up with new ways to cook your chard or incorporate it in main dishes or other foods you love.  CALLING ALL COOKS: did you come up with something great and have the urge to share?  Feel free to post your recipe or cooking suggestions in the Comments Section.

Winter Squash: Not Just Another Halloween Decoration!!

One of my favorite things about Fall is the delicious produce that is in season...broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts (not everyone's favorite, but I did say my favorite things), and winter squash.  A few weeks ago, Michael's dad asked whether he was growing "gourds," to which Michael responded "yup" and to which I interjected a resounding "no!"  I knew his dad meant the decorative (even with their weirdly pimpled rinds) variety that sit in kitchen table centerpieces and doorstoops across the country from late September until Thanksgiving...whereas I knew Michael was responding yes because he understood the question to encompass Winter Squash. 

What is Winter Squash?? There are a lot of varieties of Winter Squash out there, but I am sure you are mainly interested in One Acre Farm's varieties...this year we have Butternut (great for soups and roasting), Acorn Squash (can we say butter and brown sugar....YUM!), and my personal favorite Spaghetti Squash (cook until done, fork up the stringy noodles and serve with your favorite tomato sauce for a great vegetarian meal)!  How can you not be excited for the next few weeks' distributions?!?!?

What most people don't necessarily know about Winter Squash is that a cup of cooked squash provides great nutritional value.  According to the world's healthiest foods website, http://www.whfoods.com/, winter squash provides the following nutritional benefits:

• 25% of your dietary fiber requirements;
• 145% of your daily value of Vitamin A;
• 33% of your daily value of Vitamin C;
• 25% of your daily value of Potassium; and,
• Winter Squash is also rich in beta-carotene, which is a great antioxidant.

Michael reports that the Farm's squash is a little unripe because the plants that bear the fruit have fallen prey to a disease (I am pretty sure that bugs -- stink, bed, or otherwise -- will continue their reign of terror for months to come).  So, while the "fruit" has grown to ample size, the plant has cut off nutrients that continue the ripening process.  Our Potomac members (who received squash last week) reported that the squash was delicious.  Michael, however, suggests that you may need to cook it longer to ensure it is nice and soft and possibly add additional (or more) seasonings if you find that the squash a little bland.  We made Acorn Squash the other night and I did not notice a marked difference in the taste from last year's harvest, so for now, I am going to chalk Michael's suggestions up to his usual nerves associated with the fear of never being able to please everybody.   Please feel free to let us know if you have any recipes or cooking suggestions.  Here are two recipes for this week!

A recipe from one of our Potomac members, Louise, is as follows:

2 Acorn Squash (cut in half, seeded and sliced into about 8 wedges for each squash)

Leaving the skin on, place in a greased casserole dish in a single layer

Sprinkle the squash with salt and drizzle with maple syrup

Cover the dish with foil at 350 degrees until soft; probably around 30 to 40 minutes

Enjoy!

Roasted Root Vegetables
Note:  I wish I could take credit for this recipe...I did bring it to my family's Christmas dinner (where we have eaten the same staples every year since I was practically born...what can I say, we are rich in tradition) and now, my brother begs for it every year.  I think I got the recipe from Cooking Light or the Simply Recipes website, but I cannot locate the exact recipe.  The way I make it, however, is not a "hard-and-fast" recipe.  I usually adjust the amount of each vegetable used based on the number of people I am serving and to ensure a nice variety of colors.  Also, make sure you try to cut the different root vegetables in similar-sized pieces so they cook consistently.  I think the original recipe called for fennel (blech! no offense, fennel, and your fans), so feel free to substitute vegetables for what I've identified below.  And, of course, ENJOY!

1 Butternut Squash (peeled, seeded and cut in cubes)
Handful of parsnips (peeled and cut)
Handful of turnips (peeled and cut)
Handful of carrots (peeled and cut)
A few sweet potatoes (peeled and cut in cubes)
A few small red potatoes (cut in cubes, leave skins on)
Head of garlic (use whole cloves, do not chop, mince or otherwise) OR Shallots, halved

Fresh Thyme
1/4 cup Honey
Salt
Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Combine the Honey, Olive Oil and Thyme; Toss all vegetables in the Honey Mixture.  Spray a casserole dish (or shallow baking dish) with cooking spray.  Spread vegetables in single layer (as best you can) and bake for 35 minutes or until all vegetables are tender and slightly browned.  Stir/mix the vegetables occasionally throughout the baking process.

Until next time...

The "To Refrigerate or Not Refrigerate" Mystery Solved!!

First, I want to apologize for the lag in posts.  My late summer months flew by, with an insane work schedule and my brother's wedding (destination: MIA) this past week/weekend.  I hope to get back to a regular posting schedule, hopefully on Wednesday evenings, and promise to post more than the hokey game or two (which I realize have been the subjects of my last few posts).  I hope to keep posting with more information about the goings-on at the Farm in order to give you a better glimpse into the trials and tribulations of being a small Farm owner...so, check back later in the week for a more Farm-inspired post...but for today, I am leaving you with the long awaited answers to the Refrigerate "game."

Jill, I have to admit that you are correct, based on how the grocery store groups its produce is certainly not random. So, why, then when we get our beautiful tomatoes home, do we refrigerate them?  This (I guess) is okay when you have store-bought tomatoes, which are picked on the vine when they are still green (and which have harder, thicker skins to withstand coast-to-coast delivery).  But, when you have vine-ripe tomatoes, you typically ruin them by putting them in the refrigerator.  The cool, damp refrigerator reduces the flavor, causes mushiness, and in my humble opinion, dries out an otherwise perfectly plush flesh.  If you are going to store your tomatoes for less than a week, then the countertop or windowsill is perfectly fine.  If you plan to store them for more than a week (One Acre Farm's tomatoes are so vine-ripe that if you wait a week to eat them, they may have passed their prime...and who are we kidding, they don't last more than a day or two in my house because they are so fresh that I can eat them plain!), then find a cool, dark place (pantry shelf), or the refrigerator at last resort!

Likewise, potatoes and onions should be stored in a cool, dry place.  Good ventilation is also important.  I have seen baskets in cabinets (or the pantry), but paper bags (reduce, reuse, recycle!) should work just as well.  If the potatoes are kept at a temperature below 40 degrees (F), they develop a sweet taste because the starch turns to sugar.  (I googled it!)  The dark place is key because lengthy exposure to light causes the potatoes to turn green and taste bitter.  Don't throw away your potatoes if they begin to sprout...just trim off the sprouts and enjoy!  At first, I thought Michael was nuts at suggesting this, but I don't want to waste his hard-work, so I have converted into a sprout-cutter, and trust me, they taste just fine!

Now for the basil.  I tend to wrap my basil in a paper towel and store in the refrigerator.  A website that I found recommends layering the basil in damp paper towels in the refrigerator for up to four days.  I also read in the Post (I think it was a Hint from Heloise!!) that all herbs -- including basil -- should be treated like fresh flowers: trim the ends and store in a glass with some water.  Unlike flowers, however, cover the top of the glass (and the herbs) with a plastic bag.  Change the water frequently (this same website says every day).  This will extend the "shelf-life" of your herbs!  For those of you who were encouraged about my pesto tip, I have read a little more into it and it appears that you should do make the basil and oil into a paste and freeze that; don't add the pine nuts, garlic and Parmesan cheese until you are ready to use the paste.

I hope this has been somewhat informative (although, I suppose it is a little "elementary" because I found most of the answers by googling storage tips and information) and I am in no way claiming to be an expert in food storage principles (the lawyer in me comes out!).  If you have any other storage techniques or tips, feel free to share them!

Refrigerate or Not to Refrigerate?!?!

As promised (albeit over a month ago), here is the next "game" for this week.  Based on your current refrigeration practices, let me know whether these items should be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature:

• Tomatoes (all kinds)

• Onions

• Basil

• Potatoes (all kinds)

If you have any good storing techniques, please feel free to share. 

This week, I also want to share my basil storing "techniques:"

I personally have been having a heck of a time trying to figure out what to do with the mountains of basil Michael brings home.  I decided to take matters into my own hands and have been breaking the leaves off of the stems and "drying" them on a baking sheet in our oven's warming tray on the lowest setting.  If you do not have a warming tray, I would think you could set your oven on low (apprx. 200 degrees) to obtain the same effect.  When the basil is dried out, I crumple the dried leaves over the baking tray and then scoop them into a mason jar for "fresh" dried basil (that is more fragrant -- and probably correspondingly tastier) than the bland dried basil from the grocery store.

Another pointer that I have heard, but admittedly have not used, is making pesto with the basil and then placing the pesto into ice cube trays and freezing them.  Each pesto cube is good for one serving of pasta.  (I will double-check with my Italiano capo on the serving size).

With both of these basil-saving techniques, my eyes light up at the sight of basil, basil and more basil!!