little lambsie divey

My heart beets for beans!

2011-11-17T10:48:00.000-05:00

I (with a lot of help from friends) have been shelling beans like MAD!

I grew a nice variety this year: black, red, and speckled. Shelling is a bit tedious, but man, are they beautiful!

Also, Kim Grace (the school chef) found this funny little beet in the shape of a heart!

food + science = art? yes!

2011-11-13T22:43:00.000-05:00

Now that things are slowing down for the season, I have more time to not only write blog posts, but read them too... which also means passing on cool stuff to all of you!

I have to share these beautiful photos of various foods - under a microscope. I had some fun trying to guess what some of them are. (Some are obvious... and some are simply stunning!)

Enjoy.

farm tour (with photos!)

2011-11-06T20:30:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we had a CSA member potluck to gather together, enjoy food, talk about the season, etc. After the meal we headed out into the fields for a tour of the gardens and to look at what's to come next season.

Here are some photos Jenny, TCS director + CSA member, took:

One of our really productive crops this year was beans, both fresh and drying. While all that's left of the fresh beans is whatever is in the freezer, the drying beans are in the greenhouse - drying!

Also in the greenhouse (and the new high tunnel) are greens! Little lettuces, big radishes, arugula, spinach, and chard - oh my!

Speaking of radishes, how about a sample?!

Out in the fields, there are some things to be seen: new no-till beds, Brussels sprouts, and kale. There is also lettuce, being protected by some row cover, of course.

Although the CSA season has ended for 2011, I am still growing over here. Weekly harvests on Thursdays of kale, lettuce, chard, arugula, and whatever else is toughing out cold nights and soaking up daily sunshine!

I am really excited to see how the winter goes and I look forward to next year's summer growing season, too.

building MORE beds

2011-10-13T19:27:00.000-04:00

We have revolutionized the process a bit (thanks in a HUGE way to the Conway Daily Sun having end rolls*):

NOW, we load the Napa truck with manure, hook one of the end rolls under the tailgate, and drive, shovel, drive, shovel, drive!

*End rolls are a product of the newspaper printing process. Once X number of papers have been run, and before another batch can be, the rolls get down to an amount that cannot be used in the machines. The rolls are taken off of the machine and set aside for alternate uses. There are literally HUNDREDS of feet of newsprint left on the roll - PERFECT for building beds!

Farmageddon

2011-10-09T19:39:00.000-04:00

There is a new "food" movie out, and I plan to see it this week at our local independent movie house, The Majestic in Conway.

I don't like getting political.

I don't like telling people what they should/should not consume (unless they are family, of course!)

I don't like shedding light on the negative part of our society.

But... sometimes, ya just gotta!

Farmageddon - Movie Trailer from Kristin Canty on Vimeo.

"Fast Food"

2011-10-02T19:06:00.000-04:00

Last weekend Pat + I traveled to Long Island for a wedding. We left at about 6am, and I was out late the night before at a farmer lecture, so I didn't get to pack us travel snacks...

About 1/2 way through our 6+ hour trip, I got HUNGRY!

Rest stop food just won't do for us now (me being gluten free and pat being glutton free), so we stopped at a grocery store instead...

building beds

2011-09-30T21:51:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, we began the process of building no-till beds here at the farm.

We started with the beds along the side of the new high tunnel.

BEFORE

The process goes like this:

Mow the area of land as close to the earth as possible (already done before this photo)

Lay down newspaper where the beds will be sited
** if it is windy, using a hose to spray water and weigh down the paper helps!
** try not to get too distracted by the funnies!

Go the compost pile and grab a heaping bucket of lush, brown, organic matter. Then, driving carefully backwards over the bed, have two helpers with shovels scoop the compost from the bucket to the newspaper.

AFTER

Not bad for a (long) day's work!

Growing in the Greenhouse

2011-09-28T13:37:00.000-04:00

We seeded one of the beds in the greenhouse (not the high tunnel... the heated one) at the start of the month.

Add water.

Add sunshine.

Grow!

More to do with winter squash, and tomatoes, too!

2011-09-28T13:33:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned last week, we had a marathon pre-frost winter squash harvest. We were able to save a TON of winter squash from freezing. Here are harvest pictures, as promised

But, now that the frosts have passed, we are back to warm, mostly sunny days, tomatoes still kickin, and even the beans are holding on!
Since we are now finding ourselves in-between seasons with a cross section of foods, I think the following recipe should be fun!

Butternut Squash, Lamb and Cheese

Adapted from epicurious.com

5-6 cups peeled cubed butternut squash (5 to 6 cups)
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces ground lamb **
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
8 ounces multi-grain penne pasta
1/2 cup grated caerphilly cheese, divided **

**we've got Locke Farm lamb and Sandwich Creamery Cheese at the farmstand!

Preheat oven to 450.

Toss squash with 11/2 tablespoons oil in large bowl.

Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Transfer squash to large rimmed baking sheet.

Roast until tender and brown around edges (30 - 35 min).

Remove from oven and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add lamb and onions.

Sauté until lamb browns and onions soften( 7 - 8 min).

Add garlic, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne

Stir 1 minute.

Stir in tomatoes and broth and bring to boil

Reduce heat; simmer until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.

Stir in squash.

Season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta.

Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

Return pasta to pot.

Add lamb mixture.

Grate cheese over mixture; toss.

Add reserved cooking liquid by 1/3 cupfuls to moisten.

Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer pasta to bowl.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

First frost = winter squash!

2011-09-20T20:49:00.000-04:00

We got our first frost this past weekend (in September!)... two frosts, actually. And, yes, they were killing frosts, not just 'kissing' frosts.

So, we lost some things in the garden: cucumbers - gone; basil - gone; summer squash - gone. The jury is still out as to whether we lost the beans or not...We did save the tomatoes + peppers, though. And, of course, our marathon winter squash harvest last Friday (pictures to follow) was worth it!

I know it is not truly Autumn yet, but I can't help but be a little excited to eat yummy, hearty, autumny things like carrots, apples, potatoes, and winter squash!

There are tons of GREAT recipes for those yummy squashes.

Heidi Swanson over at 101 cookbooks has a good way to bid farewell to that fresh corn and hel-lo to those hearty garden goodies with a Roasted Corn Pudding in Winter Squash

And I found another that uses greens, apples, and wheat berries from Sweet Local Farm.

Whichever way you choose to dive into Autumn, enjoy it! And don't fret, if you aren't quite ready, we've still got cherry tomatoes and big boys, tomatillos and green peppers to pick for next week... salsa is still an option!

Horn worms

2011-09-12T08:51:00.001-04:00

I try to find beauty in everything... so here's my attempt at beauty within a VERY destructive creature.

The Tomato Horn Worm (Manduca quinquemaculata) has been eating and eating and eating our plants, flowers, fruits... ANYTHING it can get it's little mouth around in the tomatoes.

It is hard to believe that something this relatively small can be so hugely destructive.

I have to admit, it is an absolutely beautiful creature... and I say that to myself that every time I squish one under my boot!

I think this is the caterpillar that inspired the same form in Alice in Wonderland

picture from: http://www.dragoart.com

New dishes to play with

2011-09-08T09:21:00.000-04:00

I went to an estate sale this past weekend and picked up some new kitchen items, including this fab little dish...

I was so excited to use my new stoneware, we got all cozy in the kitchen last night and cooked up something warm and fall-ish.

With all of this cold rain we have been having, this is just the thing you need... for dinner OR breakfast! (I had it for breakfast this morning - warm + yummy)

Early September Harvest Bake (for a small dish - serves 2, maybe 3)

1 small delicata squash

1tbl butter

1 small onion

2 small apples

1/2 bunch kale (~ 10 leaves)

1/4 cu cream

1 1/2 cu cooked rice

1 tbl maple syrup

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cinnamon + sprinkle

I cooked the rice earlier in the day and let it sit... a little extra water in the rice helps, you want 'wet' rice for this.

heat oven to 350

slice and seed squash

place squash on bottom of buttered stoneware dish

slice butter over squash

bake squash for 20 minutes

meanwhile...

stem and chop kale

chop apples and onions into same bowl

wisk egg and cream

scoop into mixing bowl

pour egg+cream over rice

add onions+apples

add maple syrup + salt + cinnamon

mix until creamy

pull baked squash from oven

chop squash, still in pan, into bite-size chunks

mix creamy rice mixture into squash

sprinkle kale on top of mixture

cover stoneware, back into oven

bake 30 more minutes

remove and cool

serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon

Tomayto, Tomahto

2011-08-31T09:34:00.000-04:00

It is tomato time... The vines are ripe with fruit in the high tunnel:

Sungolds, Brown Berry, and White cherries.

Prudens Purple, Cosmonaut, Yellow Brandywine, Green Zebra, and Rose De Berne heirlooms.

With all of the other veggies coming into form, it finally looks, smells and tastes like summer!

Beans, the new green!

2011-08-31T08:26:00.000-04:00

This week is the final week for the Summer share, and the start of the Fall share... I know, I can't believe it, either!

Everything is in full swing: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, summer squash, greens galore, and beans!

So, of course, since beans are coming on strong... here's this week recipe, a bean celebration

Green Bean Salad (adapted from 101 cookbooks)

3/4 pound green beans, stems pinched off
1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced scallions
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
tiny pinch of freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
a handful of small cherry tomatoes, each cut in half
1/2 cup almonds, smashed and toasted

Start by making the dressing.

Whisk together the chives, thyme, shallots, lemon juice, heavy cream, salt and pepper.

Whisk in the olive oil with a fork, stirring until everything comes together.

Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Set aside.

In the meantime, bring two quarts of water to a boil.

Salt generously and stir in the green beans.

Cook for about 1 1/2 minutes.

Just until the beans brighten up and soften a touch, I go a bit beyond "al dente" here for this salad. Quickly drain them and run under cold water to stop the cooking.

In a large bowl toss the green beans with about 1/2 of the almonds, and a big splash of the dressing.

Toss well.

Taste, and add more dressing, salt or pepper at this point.

Toss again if needed.

Add the tomatoes and toss very gently.

You can turn this out onto a platter or plate individually topped with the remaining almonds.

Serves about 4.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 10 min

Arugula!

2011-08-23T18:06:00.000-04:00

Here we are at week ten, one week until the end of the summer share, and the start of the fall share... tomatoes are starting to swing in - just in time to cooler weather!

I don't think I have to tell you what to do with these delicious beauties... eat them, eat them, eat them!

Things are a bit too hectic to always have my camera on me, but the camera in the phone works - kind of! Monday's harvest brought in tomatoes, tomatillos, husk cherries, and more!

For this week's recipe, one of my CSA members recommended this use of arugula (a veggie she vowed she hated until discovering this recipe!) I am excited to try it myself:

From: The Gracious Bowl

Cream of Arugula Soup
Serves 2-4

2 Tbsp salted butter
2 medium red onions (or 1 large), finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 whole garlic cloves
4 c vegetable stock
1 lb arugula, rinsed well with stems removed
1/2 c cream
salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add red onions, celery, and garlic. Simmer until vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes

2. Add vegetable stock and arugula leaves. Bring pot to a boil, partially cover, and heat until arugula is wilted, about 10 minutes.

3. Add cream. Puree soup to desired consistency using an immersion blender or do so in batches with a food processor and then pour it back into the stockpot. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Optional: Serve garnished with a little arugula leaf, a sprinkle of goat cheese, or some pancetta.

week nine is looking fine!

2011-08-16T16:58:00.000-04:00

I CANNOT believe we are at week 9 of the CSA season. August 16th!

This week's share proves it, though, that we are well into the growing season: carrots, cabbage, onions, garlic, greens, cucumber, peppers hot and mild... just waiting on tomatoes! (although we are able to pluck a few sungolds this week, just enough for a pick-up time snack!)

As for a recipe... I suggest grilling up those onions and peppers - we are supposed to get clear skies here soon, folks - and take advantage of those brisk summer evenings!

Broccoli twist

2011-08-10T09:31:00.000-04:00

One of the unfortunate aspects of farming (and CSA-style farming in particular) is crop failure. I seeded in the early spring, creating tiny little plants with hopes of growing big, only to find that some of those little things simply didn't.

After much waiting and waiting and waiting for the broccoli and cauliflower to head up, I had given up this week. It was far past the time that they should have headed, other farmers at market have had broccoli for weeks. I looked into uses for the plants without heads and found that the greens, lucious and beautiful like kale, are certainly edible and can be used in many ways. So for this week's harvest, I set out to pick leaves.

Of course, now that I was committed to a leaf harvest, what did I find on the plants yesterday?!?! HEADS! Tiny, almost bolted, bulby green heads were staring right at me through the broccoli leaves. So, in this week's share we have two broccoli items:

tiny, almost bolted, bulby green heads (cut with long stalks - eat those too!)

and the leaves

What to do with the leaves:

sautee them, just as you might kale, with a little garlic, onions, and olive oil

brush them with olive oil and garlic and make chips

steam them, puree them, mix with garam masala and some curry and add to pasta for an Indian-inspired pesto! (toss in some sauteed summer squash and onions - yum!)

Farmer's Table Dinner Menu Aug. 18

2011-08-07T06:51:00.000-04:00

Lianne has out done herself again!

If you haven't put The Community School's annual summer dinner on your calendar, stop reading this and do so now! Thursday, August 18 from 6-8pm it is, and not to be missed. We're pulling out all the stops with an evening of food which will excite your palate, fill your belly, and give you some bragging rights.

What? Bragging rights?

If you've been following our weekly meal postings, you know that we at The Community School like to make use of all good foods local. We try new recipes, tempt you with flavors you might not have considered, and generally have a lot of fun. Fun it is.

I've spent about three months researching the perfect recipes for this dinner. Now the potato salad and pasta recipes weren't too hard to come up with and tweak for a crowd, even considering that I wanted fresh taste combinations. The tongue and beef heart, however, took some time. Yes. Tongue. Yes. Heart. And you're going to love them.

You'll arrive at The Community School at 6pm, ready for a cool drink and a little nosh with conversation before dinner. You'll have platters of Sandwich Creamery cheese and Big Farm Bakery crackers to start you off, but then you'll be glancing around the room and notice a gorgeous little pile of ground meat with slabs of Sunnyfield Bakery bread nearby. You'll drift closer and the zing of garlic will tempt you to draw in. You'll pick up a hint of tarragon, and you won't be able to help yourself. You'll smear your bread, take a bite, and forget your friends. You might even forget dinner. This stuff is transformative. But why stop now? You've already eaten the tongue, so move on, move on!

Despite the vilification this hard-working part of a cow might get, you must, must, must not confuse heart with its cousin the liver (though liver and I do get along). Beef heart is a finely-grained, lean muscle (hardest working muscle you'll ever meet) that not only looks more like filet Mignon than anything else but tastes pretty darn good. You'll find a platter heaped with thin slices of marinated and lightly grilled beef heart with basil garlic vinaigrette at the head of the buffet table, when you pick up your dinner plate.

If you just can't wrap your head around the whole nose to tail eating experience, then never fear. Leave the meats to your friends and skip right on past to the chilled Thai squash soup with cilantro and yogurt, heirloom tomato and dill linguini with grilled sweet onions, sesame kale salad (would it be a TCS dinner without it?), potato salad with toasted cumin vinaigrette or dilly cukes.

Save room for dessert.

We'll have ice cream from the Sandwich Creamery adorned with the Pearson's blueberries and butter good cookies.

Food for this meal will be grown and produced by at least 15 farmers, growers, bakers, and creamers in our region, including but perhaps not limited to: TCS' own organic garden, Stanton Brook Farm, Windover Farm, Red Gables Farm, Mad Hen Farm, DiFilippe Farm and Greenhouse, the Behr Farm, Sandwich Creamery, Earl Pearson's blueberries, Sunnyfield Bakery, Spiderweb Gardens, Pineholm, BigLove Mexican Diner, Stonehedge Farm, and Young Maple Ridge Sugarhouse. This is a delectable chance for you to support local agriculture and local education while feasting with friends.

The meal is served by donation. Pay what you can or what you think it's worth.

We hope to hear that you'll be coming. An RSVP always ensures that we have enough food to fill all bellies without being wasteful.
Give a call to save a plate or with questions: 323-7000.

See you on the 18th!

Lianne Prentice

Trash or Dinner?

2011-08-05T21:05:00.000-04:00

An interesting article in the NY Times... with a seeming loss of early summer broccoli and cauliflower, maybe we'll give out the greens next week!

*or maybe we'll just let the pigs decide what's trash and what's not...

It's summer... squash

2011-08-01T22:43:00.000-04:00

As we all know, summer squash can be prolific... and it has been a major part of the weekly batch off food from the farm. So much so that I bet some of us are getting to the point that we don't know what to do with it all. Well, fear no more. This weeks' feature veggie is a familiar one, summer squash!

Here is another recipe from 101 cookbooks, hope you enjoy it!

Summer Squash Gratin Recipe

zest of one lemon
1 1/2 pounds summer squash or zucchini, cut into 1/6th-inch slices
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups fresh whole wheat bread crumbs*
1/2 pound waxy potatoes, sliced transparently thin
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese, grated on a box grater (or feta might be good!)

Preheat oven to 400F degrees and place a rack in the middle. Rub a 9x9 gratin pan (or equivalent baking dish) with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with lemon zest, and set aside.

Place the zucchini slices into a colander placed over a sink, toss with the sea salt and set aside for 10-15 minutes (to drain a bit) and go on to prepare the oregano sauce and bread crumbs.

Make the sauce by pureeing the oregano, parsley, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes, and olive oil in a food processor or using a hand blender. Set aside.

Make the breadcrumbs by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until the butter is wonderfully fragrant, and has turned brown. Wait two minutes, then stir the breadcrumbs into the browned butter.

Transfer the squash to a large mixing bowl. Add the potatoes and two-thirds of the oregano sauce. Toss until everything is well coated. Add the cheese and half of the bread crumbs and toss again. Taste one of the zucchini pieces and add more seasoning (salt or red pepper) if needed.

Transfer the squash to the lemon-zested pan, top with the remaining crumbs, and bake for somewhere between 40 and 50 minutes - it will really depend on how thinly you sliced the squash and potatoes - and how much moisture was still in them. You don't want the zucchini to go to mush, but you need to be sure the potatoes are fully baked. If the breadcrumbs start to get a little dark, take a fork and rake them just a bit, that will uncover some of the blonder bits. Remove from oven, and drizzle with the remaining oregano sauce.

raspberry baret

2011-07-27T22:21:00.001-04:00

It is berry season in New Hampshire, and we are taking full advantage (or enough advantage as we have time for!)

Last week Pat and I set out for an afternoon of picking, and came home with a nice little bounty.

I made personal-sized raspberry pies. Pat was in charge of pancakes for dinner!

Next up: BLUEBERRIES!

potAYto, potAHto

2011-07-26T06:34:00.000-04:00

Pat and I spent yesterday morning diggin' up spuds. It is one of my favorite tasks, and now one of Pat's... it's really a farming treasure hunt!

This weeks feature veggie/recipe is something I have only heard about and can't wait to try: Salt Potatoes. Everyone up here keeps talking about them, but upon further research, I learned that salt potatoes actually hail from NY state. So here is a version I found in the NY Times:

New York Salt Potatoes

8 cups of water

1 1/2 cups of kosher salt (add another cup if using the Diamond Crystal brand)

3 pounds well-scrubbed small red or white potatoes, as uniform in size as possible and with skins on

1 stick butter, cut into pieces

Freshly snipped herbs (optional)

Pepper.

Bring salt and water to a boil and add potatoes. Cook until tender, about 25 minutes.

Drain potatoes in a strainer and place pot back on stove over medium heat and add butter.

When just melted, after about a minute, add potatoes and, if desired, herbs and black pepper.

Toss and serve immediately.

Kohlrabi

2011-07-18T22:15:00.000-04:00

I have to admit - I like to grow this veggie for it's looks. I know, I know, in our society things of beauty are generally favored and I really should not encourage such discrimination. But I just can't help myself! And, honestly, I like the taste and texture, too!

I adapted the following recipe from a book - of sorts - that some dear friends gave me when I left Philly, and architecture, for the country. "The Vegetable Box" is a fun box filled with small books each containing recipes for all kinds of veggies. This would go well with some short grain, sweet brown rice.

Kohlrabi With Coconut (Adapted from Cabbage With Coconut)

2 Kolrabi

3 Tbl grated coconut

2 Tbl oil (I use coconut oil to sautee everything!)

1-2 Tbl mixed spices: garam masala, curry powder, Chinese 5-herb powder, ras el hanout, etc.

4-5 Tbl coconut milk

Salt

Peel leaves from kohlrabi (these are edible, you might wish to chop them and add them to the meal, or save them, they are just like kale!)

Cut kohlrabi into thin sticks (1/4" thick or so)

Heat a large skillet or wok and toast coconut, shaking the pan

once coconut starts to brown, remove from heat, transfer to dish

In (now empty) large pan, heat oil

Add kohlrabi and spices, stir over high heat for 2 minutes

Add coconut milk + stir for 1 minute more

Salt to taste

Sprinkle with toasted coconut and serve

5 for Farms

2011-07-17T14:09:00.000-04:00

Pasha from Holland Hill Studio has come up with a great way to get people out and about, walking or running around the farm!

Next Sunday, the 24th, at 8am is the "Five for Farms" 5K walk/run at the Community School to raise money for their farm, specifically soil enrichment.

There is a $20 entry fee, kids + students get a discount, with all proceeds going to the farm. Each participant gets to bring home a bunch of beautiful flowers from the farm and a heart full of joy and
pride.

There is also an extra (yummy!) challenge...

Dan Kush, of BIG LOVE Burritos, can run! And since he thinks he is the best thing on two legs running around this farm, he is giving everyone a 10 minute head start!

If he can't catch you, you get a FREE BIG LOVE Burrito at the end of the race.

Burritos will be available for all participants at low cost with proceeds going to the farm.

At 9am, kids under 5 race for free around the farm.

big love, pig love

2011-07-15T06:44:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since pig photos...

A new food truck (the only food truck) is in town, Big Love Burritos. They are super awesome, and since The Community School is 'home base', the piggies get slopped with really good food!

Kevin and Sassafras are taking turns in the 'pool' while Hamlet is LOVEing himself some Big Love slop!

Many hands

2011-07-14T17:28:00.000-04:00

The past two days on the farm have been EPIC!

Tuesday morning, Sarah and Daimon from NHIAF came by to help in the high tunnel, stringing up tomatoes... it's starting to look and smell like summer in there! Daimon even piked 2011's first Sungold tomato!

A new member to the farm crew, Jared, started, too. A TCS graduate, Jared is home from college and looking for work, and boy do we have plenty of that!

In the afternoon, Blythe and crew came by from The World Fellowiship Center for a farm tour and to help weed the flower garden. I couldn't let them leave empty handed, so we stopped by the collard greens on the tour to load up!

Today we had a visit from Camp Robindale. The girls stopped by on their way to an overnight camping trip up north. It was fun to have a group of 'city gals' on the farm, learning about veggies and soaking up some farmer sun!

Chicken, Cheese, and Arugula Salad

2011-07-12T07:19:00.000-04:00

Here we are at week 4 if the CSA. We are patiently awaiting the arrival of tomatoes... The plants look great - bright green, healthy, flowering - we should be enjoying the most anticipated of summer fruits soon!
Because of such a wait, (we are also waiting on a few other goodies to be ready for harvest) this weeks share is a bit light and very green!

Here is this week's recipe with the feature veggie, arugula.
I switched out some ingredients to make it a bit more local + seasonal, enjoy!

Chicken, Cheese + Arugula Salad (adapted from 100 Best Fresh Salads, pg 106)
~ 1/2 bunch arugula
1/2 cucumber
2 scallions, trimmed and sliced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 oz walnut pieces
12 oz chicken, roastes
4 Tbsp Sandwich Creamery Boursin cheese
1 handful quartered strawberries (optional)
salt + pepper

For the dressing
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp chopped mixed herbs of choice
*place all ingredients into a mason jar, shake well

Wash + dry arugula, place in large salad bowl
Add cucumber, scallions, parsley + walnuts
Mix together
Transfer to large serving platter
Arrange chicken + cheese over leaves
Scatter berries (if using) and add salt + pepper to taste
Drizzle dressing over salad and serve

Hooray for kale

2011-07-04T19:59:00.001-04:00

Maybe you've noticed the "Eat More Kale" bumper stickers, or maybe you've had a delicious kale salad at the Bluegrass meal here at the school, or maybe you just know the wonders of kale...

Welcome to week #3 for the CSA.

This week's feature veggie is, you guessed it: kale!

I love kale. It can be enjoyed raw or sauteed, in soups, in quiches, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Since this veggie is going to be a staple for the season, we'll explore a number of ways to enjoy it. And since this week is a bit hot, I'm going to give you a way to avoid heat in the kitchen - a raw kale salad.

Once again, I am using my go-to recipe blog: 101 cookbooks

Raw Tuscan Kale Salad

1 bunch kale (washed + stemmed)
2 handfuls good, coarse breadcrumbs (instructions included... use your Sunnyfield bread!)
1/2 garlic clove (or some of last week's scapes) 
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
1/4 cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon (scant 1/4 cup or ~50ml)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Slice the kale into 3/4-inch ribbons (you should have 4 to 5 cups).
Place the kale in a large bowl.

Toast bread it until golden brown on both sides and dry throughout.
Tear into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, or crumbs to your liking.

Using a mortar and pestle or a knife, pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste.
Transfer the garlic to a small bowl.

Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine.

Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves).

Let the salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with the bread crumbs, some additional cheese, and a drizzle of oil.

Wolfeboro Farmer's Market

2011-06-30T19:43:00.000-04:00

Market season has begun around the lake!

This was week three of the Wolfeboro Area Farmer's Market, and it was a great success!

Here are some photos from week one:

And here is the WAFM Facebook page!

Garlic Scape Pesto

2011-06-25T13:44:00.000-04:00

I will be away at a funeral for Tuesday's pickup, so I am posting the recipe for the week of June 28/July 1 early!

This week's feature veggie is garlic scapes. The season of these guys is fleeting - only lasting about 1 week - and really only being picked once. Scapes are the flowering part of the garlic plant, and if they are not plucked off, the garlic head that we all know and love will not fully develop. Plus, they are beautiful!

Scapes provide a delicate tasty preview to the true garlic that is harvested late July/Early August. They can be sauteed pr eaten raw, just as you might garlic. But my favorite way to enjoy them is in pesto.

I am in a bit of a rush off to the airport, so here is a quick cut-and-paste recipe for scape pesto... enjoy and feel free to expirement!

GARLIC SCAPE AND ALMOND PESTO

10 garlic scapes, finely chopped

1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture)

1/3 cup slivered almonds (you could toast them lightly, if you'd like)

About 1/2 cup olive oil

Sea salt

Put the scapes, 1/3 cup of the cheese, almonds and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle).

Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil and, if you want, more cheese.

If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil.

Season with salt.

If you're not going to use the pesto immediately, press a piece of plastic against the surface to keep it from oxidizing. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or packed airtight and frozen for months.

it's CSA time!

2011-06-20T21:45:00.000-04:00

Our first CSA pick-up is tomorrow, Tuesday, June 21st.
It is also, by chance, the first official day of summer.
This week the share is on the green side of things (the peonies are starting to end their stay here at the farm, otherwise it would be a pink and green share).

I think the show-stopper in this week's share is the first-picked Swiss Chard. Related to beets, this mighty green is chock full of vitamins and phytonutrients. Not to mention how beautiful it is: deep green with highlights of reds and yellows.
One of the major phytonutrients found in chard is syringic acid which has been shown to regulate blood sugar. In a similar vein (sorry!) chard has also been found to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification properties

Okay, okay, enough raving and on to the recipes!

Wash the greens in a big bowl (or sink) full of clean water, rinsing and swishing to rinse away any stubborn grit and dirt. Drain, and rinse again.

Like beets, chard has a very distinct flavor - a bit on the bitter side of the pallet. My favorite way to eat this leafy green is to wilt, or braise, it in coconut milk. The sweetness of the coconut balances the bitterness of the greens (our American pallets love sweetness and do not love bitterness). If you happen to have coconut milk in the cupboard, dig it out! If not, I've got another way for you to enjoy chard this week.

Coconut Swiss Chard

1 bunch Swiss Chard, stemmed,
1 can coconut milk
2 cloves galic
1 small handful raisins (optional, for the real sweet tooth)
salt to taste

pour just enough coconut milk into a sautee pan to cover the bottom
dice up garlic cloves, toss in to milk
meanwhile, tear up chard leaves into bite-sized pieces
now that the milk is hot and the garlic has had a tiny head start, toss in the chard and pour in most of the remaining coconut milk
**add raisins if you are aiming for sweet, they will plump up nicely while the greens cook**
stir, stir, stir until the chard is bright green, 2-4 minutes depending on the heat

use tongs or a big fork to fish out the greens from the thick-ish milk
Salt (if you want) and serve - hot!

Garlic greens (from 101cookbooks.com)

1 bunch Swiss chard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
5 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (opt)
crushed red pepper flakes

In a large skillet heat the olive oil
Add a couple big pinches of salt and the greens
Stir continuously until their color gets bright green, 2-4 minutes
Just before you pull the skillet from the heat, stir in the garlic
Saute a bit, remove the pan from the heat
Stir in the Parmesan if you are using any
Add a big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Salt, if needed, and serve-immediately!

happy solstice, all!

Housing update

2011-06-19T21:50:00.000-04:00

Walls are up, electric wiring has been run, even insulation is in!
Hopefully this coming week will bring sheetrock on the walls and ceiling.
Pat and I have been sketching and discussing new furniture layouts and kitchen appliances (we need a full-size fridge, two dorm fridges stacked on each other is cutting it, but it's awkward!)

More excitement and photos to come.

How does the garden grow?

2011-06-15T20:18:00.000-04:00

With the perfect combination of sunshine and rain - which we are finally getting this week - and, of course, with the help of many!

Today was the last day of school here at The Community School. Everyone came out this morning and put in some time in the flower garden - weeding, planting, and seeding - and in the onions, weeding, wedding, and weeding!

It feels great to be able to look out across the field and see food!

Let the weed battling begin

2011-06-15T07:47:00.000-04:00

Pat and I spent a good part of Monday weeding the carrots (anyone who has weeded carrots just let out a sympathetic 'ohh', I am sure). Believe it or not, I found that I missed weeding! It is kind of meditative - you don't have to think much, you get into a rhythm, and at the end you can really see and take pride in what you have accomplished!

Pat also spent a couple of hours yesterday continuing the trend with the beets.

more planting

2011-06-15T07:44:00.000-04:00

Kim Grace came over yesterday to continue what Jessica started on Saturday while I was at market: planting tomatoes in the high tunnel! Thanks to a generous donation from one of our CSA members, we were able to build true no-till beds with compost and a thin layer of newspaper to suppress weeds.

While Kim was planting 'inside', Jessica and I were diligently doing the same 'outside'. Rows and rows of kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and collards greens went in yesterday. A rainbow of yummy brassicas!

expansion!

2011-06-13T22:47:00.000-04:00

Work started today on our new living space. We couldn't be more excited. After a long day of fieldwork, Pat and I stood in the new space and dreamed about how to arrange furniture.

So much fun!

market, market

2011-06-13T22:37:00.000-04:00

Boy-o-boy has June been busy, busy!

The Tamworth Farmer's Market started up with a bang Memorial Day weekend - ringing in our first official harvest. This past Saturday, Madeline Moneypenny came with me and we shared a baguette and cheese! Despite the weather (we are finally getting some much-needed rain) there was a great market turn-out this week.

Last Thursday I went up to Center Conway to get a feel for a mid-week market. It was a bit slow, but it is still pretty early in the season up here. I am sure things will pick up soon.

CSA pick-up starts next week, June 21st. I can't believe it is already mid-June!

NPR, CSA, YUM!

2011-06-09T05:18:00.000-04:00

The past few days have been HOT. I mean, Pat + I just got back from Texas and we feel like we haven't actually come home yet! We did fly back north, right!?!?

Anyway, we have been working (and wilting) hard in the fields - prepping for CSA distribution to start in a couple of weeks. And low-and-behold NPR wrote this morning about CSAs! Here is the article, with delicious recipes and photographs, too. Enoy!

potato planting

2011-06-06T23:44:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago Jessica and I spent a day planting potatoes. I borrowed a furrow maker from a friend and we set to work... No-till potatoes aren't really possible! We added a potash material to help boost the alkalinity of the soil, along with some potassium (the black stuff in the picture).


I drove the tractor while Jessica shoveled the potash from the bucket into the furrow.

Somehow I managed to get the stuff all over my face!

Hotter'n a pig...

2011-05-30T17:59:00.000-04:00

My mother always had a saying when it was hot out...

"It's hotter'n a pig in a wool suit doing the Lambada".

Well, let me tell you, it's HOT out right now. Summer has hit and hit hard. And the pigs feel it too.

I don't know about dance moves... but they seem to be into waterobics!

seed potatoes

2011-05-25T07:39:00.000-04:00

For every one potato in a sack, there are 2-5 seeds. The trick is to cut the nobby tuber so that each new chunk has at least one eye. This eye becomes a sprout, growing into a potato plant, sending out more roots, turning into more potatoes. If you are lucky (it's a good weather year, you hill them well, there is little pest/weed pressure, and you got a good variety) 1# of planted potato seed can yield 10# of new potatoes!

Last week the garden class helped to cut down about 85# of seed, to be planted today. I LOVE that the seed company sent our certified organic seed in a recycled box: would you like fries with that?!?

Black Magic

2011-05-23T08:23:00.000-04:00

Although I have never used it myself, many farmers rely on plastic 'mulch' to suppress weeds, keep the soil warm, or both. The thing is, when you lay the stuff down, you have to leave almost a whole bed's width empty on either side, taking up valuable growing real estate - not to mention you are putting petrochemicals on bare earth.
I am pretty strongly against the stuff.... however, when I pulled up some plastic that was over-wintered (Jenny helped!) I realized that is really does suppress weeds.
Then a thought came to mind (Jenny helped!): Why not plant in the beds that were covered last season, and cover the 'open' beds - killing the weeds that grew last year.
With a no-till practice, I won't be summoning up dormant seed on the clean beds; and after this season - with the weedy beds under plastic - there will potentially be NO WEEDS in the entire plot. At least that's the experiment. What's more, since winter squash take up so much room, I would be planting them every-other bed anyway, this is the perfect spot for this trial...

Tractor work

2011-05-21T22:25:00.000-04:00

Pat has continued to be a huge help on the farm.

A few weeks ago he spent an ENTIRE day working in "the back 40" organizing the compost piles:

This past week there was more.

Why the rain coat? Not because of the weather... but because of the black flies! A new enemy of ours, we don't have these things 'down south', biting gnats are the WORST! One bit me the other day smack in the middle of my forehead! People keep telling us that after a season we will be 'immune' to their bites, that they won't itch or leave a mark... but for now we look like Measles patients!

onion planting

2011-05-21T21:43:00.001-04:00

I don't think I have to explain to anyone what kind of spring it has been... we, and everyone else, are about a week behind schedule due to rain, rain, rain. While overcast skies are great for transplanting... downpours are not!

This week we are finally able to get onto the fields to get some plants into the earth. And today (between downpours) we finished planting all of the onions - and leeks and scallions. Being the most tedious of plants to get in, we are glad to be done!

Get in line, you onions!

Because there is a history of cutworms on this land (and evidence of them in the hoop houses) we are taking preventative measures with these little plants. We don't have enough time or resources to protect every onion... but at least the ones near grass (where the cutworms enjoy the winter months) will get cardboard fortresses at the stem.

Jessica!

2011-05-16T10:50:00.000-04:00

My apprentice, Jessica, started last week. She moved all the way up from Austin, TX to work for the summer here at The Community School. Her first week was a big one: Flatbread night, Spiderweb Gardens, the Spring Fair... And now we are looking at a week of RAIN! The season has begun, and we are all excited for it!

pigs on the move

2011-05-13T20:54:00.000-04:00

We opened up a new space for the three little pigs this week. It is amazing (and awesome) how quickly they are rooting up the space (just 1 week!) here is a side-by-side:

Flatbread Pizza night

2011-05-11T20:22:00.000-04:00

Thank you to everyone who ate pizza last night (either at the restaurant or to-go) Having never done a benefit night before, I had no idea what to expect... I had a blast! It was great to see smiling, pizza-stuffed faces. I am sure it was a success, helping fund the building of our new high tunnel.

THANKS EVERYONE!

May's Garlic

2011-05-07T22:16:00.000-04:00

With help from many hands (Pat, Lori, the garden class), we were able to carefully pull the growing rye grass cover crop from the garlic. Then Pat + I spent an afternoon mulching it! Grow, garlic, grow!

names chosen

2011-05-07T09:30:00.000-04:00

Our new threesome has acquired names

Two boys and one girl - the girl always seems to be in the middle, a protection thing, perhaps?! Using the top right photo as reference, clockwise from the left: Hamlet, Sassafras, and Kevin Bacon.

Piggy Gaga

2011-05-02T23:00:00.000-04:00

The first crew of pigs to be raised here at The Community School arrived today!

PEAS!

2011-04-29T07:35:00.000-04:00

In one of the small hoop houses... grow, peas, grow!

I also just planted some zucchini in there... I seeded them too early and they were growing into HUGE seedlings, so I had to give them a home. Hopefully our warm nights continue and they survive!

More Manure, Please!

2011-04-28T16:45:00.000-04:00

Today was another s@*&%y day... I mean that literally! Pat + I ventured out and got another load of poo. Rain storms came and went today so in between thunder and downpours, I spent some time getting muddy and weeding the garlic. Thankfully able to get a load before the first storm!

Sunny day work

2011-04-28T08:09:00.000-04:00

The weather has been pretty on-again-off-again this week. When the sun's out, I try to get out into the fields and work on a no-till way of getting cover crop out of the ground. I have chosen one of the plots to be a true no-till plot: tearing out the cover crop (cover crop not really being part of the no-till equation) by hand:

Some students from the garden class cam out to help with cover crop removal

The beds of this field will be built of either finished compost or hot manure (depending on the crop to be planted). I am collecting AS MUCH manure as I can get my hands on to start to build compost windrows or to use right away:

Pat + I picked up some horse manure yesterday from a farm right down the road.
Thanks to Diana Louis for the poo and to Chris Moneypenny for the truck!

I get by...

2011-04-25T22:23:00.000-04:00

...with a little help from my friends.

Farmin' ain't easy. But having a bunch of helping hands around sure helps! I have been getting all kinds of help from some great people: Chris + Ashley* are fantastic greenhouse helpers, while Pat has been a great field hand this past week. Jenny came out to clean things up, too!

*I will have to snap a greenhouse photo next time Chris + Ash are around...

By the truckload!

2011-04-20T21:57:00.000-04:00

I got a call Saturday morning that made me jump for joy! Wayne, the fahmah from Remick, had a truckload of manure for me. Delicious!

Pat and I wasted no time putting this to use and getting it out near the fields. We dug around in the windrows we have here and mixed up a lasagna of poo and decomposing leaves which rotated few times then laid out into beds to be planted.

That's right... Pat! Driving a tractor! Working on the FARM!

Up, Up, and Away!

2011-04-20T21:42:00.000-04:00

The new high tunnel is coming along swimmingly (almost literally with all of the rain we have been getting!) The guys at Ledgewood really know their stuff, and get right down to it, fast!

A crew of two came over Monday and Tuesday evenings and in a total of about 4 hours, here we are!

Interview with a fahmah

2011-04-18T20:58:00.000-04:00

For anyone who missed it, here I am on the radio! Thanks to the wonderful Mr. Patrick Griffin, there is video to accompany the audio, what fun!

Farmographer?

2011-04-17T18:27:00.000-04:00

A few weekends ago, I found myself helping out at a workshop at the Remick Farm Museum. I was mostly in charge of the camera for the event, which was a lot of fun. I haven't really had the opportunity to be an 'event photographer' well, ever.

I guess my photography prowess showed and Erica (the event coordinator) put me in touch with a woman who is writing a book and needed someone to take the cover photograph. The book is set during the time of the Revolutionary War and the photograph was going to be taken at the Remick in front of the hearth.
Last Friday Patrick + I headed over to the Remick to have a photo shoot. It was a lot of fun - I haven't had a 'model' since my college photography courses - but I think we were able to get quite a few good shots.... We'll see once the book comes out!

radio killed the internet star

2011-04-14T14:59:00.001-04:00

TODAY!

5pm

Listen. Or be square.

art for plant's sake

2011-04-13T18:36:00.000-04:00

Plants are not the only thing currently growing in the greenhouse, an art collection is, too!

Okay, maybe "art" is a loose label. But at least it's fun, right? An Indian prince is watching over the propane heater, a cassette mobile hangs above the potting bench, and "beef nuggets" remind us daily of what food is - and isn't. What part of the cow is the nugget, exactly?!

Loud + Clear

2011-04-13T14:12:00.000-04:00

Every weekday at 5:05pm, WMWV features a non-profit organization... and tomorrow, April 14th, the featured organization will be The Community School CSA! Listen on the radio (if you're a local) or online (click the image above!)