In this week’s box…

Oregano                            Leeks                              Beans                              Summer Squash                 Onions

Potatoes                           Bell Peppers                   Jalapeno Peppers             Tomatoes                          Lettuce

Swiss Chard                    Rutabaga                          Eggplant                           Cilantro                             Cherry Tomatoes

 

What a fun time we had Friday night! It’s always so nice to see so many of you at the Pack Shed party! Gravel Road made sure there was great music, and many of you supplied the wonderful food and great conversations. We’re looking forward to next year’s pack shed party!

Saturday was another big day on the farm. Due to some lobbying I was involved in with Land Stewardship Project in February, I have been having  some conversations with Congressman Duffy’s office about the 2018 farm bill as well as the rural economy and the state of agriculture in our state.  Congressman Duffy asked us to host a small- midsized farmer roundtable discussion. About 10 farmers got together with Mr. Duffy and shared concerns and ideas for helping to make sure new and current farms are successful. More farmers on the land is a good thing!  The conversation is far from over, but it was a good next step.

Around the farm, we are watching summer crops gasp their last breaths while fall crops move in with vigor.  This is likely the last week of Summer Squash. Next week, we will probably see winter squash. I cooked up a few for supper tonight, just to see if they are ready. Those I chose were perfect.  The tomatoes are still doing well. The plants are dying quickly, as they have septoria. It is a disease they often get in wet, humid years. But the tomatoes are still ripening beautifully. Many farm friends in the Amery and Osceola areas have 100% loss of tomatoes due to late blight. We are very grateful that we have not been impacted by the blight. So far…  It could still come.  The cucumbers are done, but the peppers are just gearing up!

Fairy House Pottery Class details!

Friday, Sept 22nd from 6-9pm.

Cost is $30 for a project with a $5 materials fee. A single person or parent/child could work on one project, or people have the option to pay $15 + $5 (for materials) for a second project for a child or additional child.

Sign up online with New Richmond Community Education at https://www.newrichmond.k12.wi.us/Domain/14
They can also call or stop in the office from 7:30-4:00. 715-243-7421

Farm member Sharon Overland will be offering a “Pottery on the Farm” class here at Threshing Table Farm. We will be making Fairy House Luminaries in the pack shed. Come and enjoy the first evening of fall with friends, new and old. We will learn how to use simple molds, and how to add texture and handmade details to slabs of clay to create one of a kind handmade luminaries. No experience necessary. 10+ years old is recommended, although children are welcome to work on a project with a parent (or create their own), but must be able to follow directions and sit for the duration of the project.  Claudia and I are excited to make fairy houses! Join us!

 

Saturday September 23rd, Fall Farm Dinner with Taher

If you haven’t signed up, do so quickly! I haven’t heard it’s sold out yet, but act quickly! I promise a beautiful and delicious evening.

 

Order your goat cheese from www.bifrostfarms.com. Deliveries will be the first two Thursdays of the month. Please be sure to let Meg know your name, pick up site and what flavor of cheese you would like.

 

Storage tips:

Oregano and cilantro- covered glass jar in the refrigerator

Leeks- crisper drawer.  Leeks need to be washed carefully to get the dirt out of the many layers that make up a leek.

Beans- Plastic bag in the refrigerator

Summer squash, peppers, Rutabaga- crisper drawer

Onions- not totally dry yet. Store on your kitchen counter but keep an eye on it- use it sooner rather than later.

Potatoes- Cool, dark place

Tomatoes- on the counter. ONLY refrigerate if you are trying to keep them from over-ripening.

Chard and Lettuce- Plastic bag in fridge

Eggplant: crisper drawer

 

Recipes

 

Pico de Gallo

2 cups diced tomato

1/4 cup diced onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 jalapeno

1 lime, juiced

salt to taste

 

Pizza sandwich

On a slice of bread:

Layer with tomato slices, oregano, cheese, peppers, onions, cooked ground pork or pepperoni and any other pizza toppings you like.

Place under the broiler on low for 5-6 minutes or until cheese is melted.

 

Zesty Mexican Soup

1 medium onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 T. red chili powder

3 cups + 1 T. chicken or vegetable broth

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 small summer squash, diced

1 cup finely chopped Swiss chard

1 cup of diced tomatoes

2 cups black beans, rinsed

1 cup corn

1 jalapeno pepper, diced

1 T. fresh oregano

1 tsp. of ground cumin

1/4 cup chopped pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

 

Heat 1 T. broth in a medium soup pot. Sauté onion, garlic, and green peppers in broth over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add chili powder and mix in well. Add broth and tomatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes and add beans, corn and jalapeno, oregano and cumin.

Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes longer. Add summer squash and chard and cook another 5 minutes. Add chopped cilantro, pumpkin seeds, salt and pepper.

 

Rutabaga puree with leeks

Combination of potatoes and rutabaga to make 2lbs.

2 medium chopped leeks, white and light green parts only.

1 garlic clove, chopped

salt and pepper

2 T. milk

2 T. butter

2 tsp. thyme

Peel and chop rutabaga into small pieces. Chop potatoes into pieces twice the size of rutabagas to even out cooking time. Put vegetables, leeks and garlic in a pot with cold water just to cover. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and simmer, partially covered, until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid. Mash the vegetables with a fork for a rough-textured puree or blend with immersion blender. Add 2T. or more milk or broth to thin to desired consistency. Stir in butter and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Farm Members!

In your box this week you will find:

Cabbage             Onion               Beans                          Rutabaga                      Kale

Parsley                Thyme             Tomatoes                     Carrots                        Bell Peppers

Summer Squash                         Cucumbers                  Potatoes

 

This is a week of changes and excitement  around the farm. Claudia starts school at Hill  Murray this Thursday. Laura, our steadfast, hardworking employee started school at Century College this past Monday. We will miss those two laughing and working together!  We’ve got some great people who are stepping in to fill in those labor holes. It’s wonderful to have a deep pool of fabulous people to help us out on the farm. We are really grateful to our employees, volunteers and work shares. We couldn’t do it without you!

We are also looking forward to the Pack Shed party!! Please come and join us!!!!!!  Friday night, 6pm potluck, followed by Gravel Road, camp fire, lots of visiting, dancing and fun on the farm! This life we live is intensive, exhausting and too often- serious work. It’s a great thing to be able to relax, kick back and enjoy the farm and the people in our community.

Fabulous fun fact! We’ve accidentally made the discovery that if you store parsley with basil together, in a glass of water, both herbs will last for a very long time. My basil looked great for over a week! The parsley must have a great preservative effect on the basil. Try it and see how it works for you! Sadly, our basil is not looking good, so we cannot send any this week. I am sending parsley, so if you have beautiful basil of your own, put them together in a glass of water. We have a younger batch of basil still coming, so we hope to see some more basil soon.

Elsewhere on the farm- we are winning the battle of keeping Chumley on grass but not wandering free! Our very old horse loves to be put out on grass, but refuses to stay in the temporary fences we make for him. He then quickly wanders off our property, which is not safe. We have started to tie him to a stake in the ground and so far, so good! He gets out on grass for a good part of the day and we feel better, knowing he is where we left him!

The baby chick keeps on peeping and growing. Mama hen is doing  a great job keeping her baby safe from predators, including a black lab puppy who is just too excited about everything! Mama hen has taught Tess who is in charge.

We’re starting to pull the onions in and we are eyeing up the winter squash. It’s turning color nicely and should be ready in the next few weeks to start sending. The cucumbers are quickly coming to a halt. The summer squash is also halting, but at a much slower rate. We should have some for the next few weeks.  The beans we picked this week didn’t time out quite right. One patch was nice but larger than I’d like. The next patch was nice as well, but smaller than I’d like. Kind of like Papa bear beans and Mama Bear beans. Maybe next week, we will find the “just right” sized ones. You’ll know which ones you got as soon as you see them.

We are really thrilled with the tomato crop so far. Beautiful, big tomatoes! And small tomatoes! And striped tomatoes! And yellow tomatoes! This is the first picking and we have a beautiful assortment. There are just a few for each of you this week, but that should increase as the weeks progress. Tomatoes do better if we pick them before they are completely ripe. They will continue to ripen as they sit on your kitchen counter. Use them as they ripen to your liking.

We’re waiting on the next patch of Sweet Corn, so no corn this week.

Cabbage is again a mixed lot. You will get a green Savoy or red cabbage. Use them interchangeably.  Rutabaga is a nice fall item. Some were getting so big though, we decided to harvest a little early. If you would like to store them for a fall dinner, you can. Just place in the crisper drawer and check it now and then for any bad spots. It should store just fine.

Order your Bifrost Goat cheese for delivery the first two weeks in September. www.bifrostfarms.com

Check out last week’s newsletter for info about a bread making class with ancient grains from sunflour mill.

And next week I hope to have the final details for the fairy house pottery class that will be held on the farm September 22nd.

Taher Farm Dinner Saturday, September 23rd. See the e-mail Mike sent out on Monday. If you would like to come, order tickets ASAP. We expect the dinner to sell out quickly.

Storage tips:

In your crisper drawer or open plastic bag in your refrigerator:

Cucumbers, summer squash, cabbage, beans, rutabaga, carrots, kale and peppers

Kitchen Counter: thyme (It will dry nicely), in a glass of water- parsley, tomatoes and onions.

In a dark cabinet: Potatoes

 

Recipes

Raw rutabaga salad

1 whole rutabaga

1 orange

1/4 cup raisins

Grate the rutabaga on a mandolin or large side grater. Put the strips into a bowl. Peel the orange and cut into bite size pieces. Mix the orange pieces with rutabaga. Add some raisins.

Zucchini with pasta

8oz spiral pasta

1/2 c. olive oil

1 clove garlic

1/2 lb sliced mushrooms

2-3 small summer squash or zucchini

2 small carrots, sliced

1 pepper, seeded and sliced thin

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta. Heat oil and sauté garlic until slightly browned. Add vegetables and stir. Saute 3-5 minutes or until tender crisp, stirring frequently. Toss with parsley and drained pasta. Season to taste. Sprinkle with grated cheese before serving.

 

Cabbage Sandwich Spread

1/4 cup chopped cabbage

3T. chopped apple

3T. chopped carrot

3T. chopped celery

3T. chopped bell pepper

1 T. chopped onion

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Mix together and spread on bread

 

Roasted chicken, potatoes and thyme
1 1/2 lb.  boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Sweet paprika, to taste
2 Tbs. olive oil
1  onion, finely chopped
1 lb.  potatoes, quartered
8 carrots,  cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. gluten-free flour mix (Or regular flour.)
1 1/3 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup   dry vermouth or dry white wine
1 1/2 Tbs. minced fresh thyme

Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper and then generously with paprika. In a large, heavy fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Add the onion to the pan and stir, then add the potatoes and carrots. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until the vegetables are beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the flour mix and stir to coat. Gradually stir in the broth and vermouth and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Return the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil.

Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through, stirring and turning the chicken over occasionally, about 25 minutes. Stir in the thyme. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Divide the chicken and vegetables among 4 warmed plates and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Weeknight Gluten Free, by Kristine Kidd (Weldon Owen, 2013).

Happy eating and see you at the pack shed!
Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas

 

 

 

 

In this week’s Box:

Basil                    Cabbage                       Bell pepper                     Jalapenos                       Kohlrabi                           Carrots

Onions                Potatoes                       Garlic                               Cilantro                          Summer Squash               Cucumbers

Beets w/Greens  Sweet Corn

 

Hello!

Remember the little chick we saw last week? S/He is still doing really well and peeping it’s cuteness out to the world as it follows mama. There is some cuteness competition around the farm though- we’ve just come across two different families of mom and baby pheasants. One family is living in our front field, and one in the north field. We’ve seen one papa pheasant on the edge of our north field. This makes Mike very happy!

This has been a very cool and wet August. Usually this is a very hot and dry month. The tomatoes really love the heat. They are ripening extremely slowly. Farm friends in Osceola have lost all of their tomatoes to Late Blight. We are watching ours closely, but so far, so good. There is nothing to be done to keep late blight away, all we can do is watch and wait.  The wet conditions make it more likely to happen. Late blight affects potatoes as well, so Mike has spent the evening mowing the potato plants down. This ensures that the plants won’t get late blight and the potatoes in the ground will be safe. Luckily, the potatoes are matured enough that they don’t need to grow any larger.

We’re still planting some fall things- lettuce, radishes, beets and more. We’re doing a few weeding projects, but over-all, the weeding is subsiding. We’re busy harvesting, and watching the winter squash. They’re sizing up and putting on nice color. Summer squash and cucumbers are still coming on strong, but they are moving a little slower. It’s fun to see the rutabaga, leeks and pumpkins that are still coming. We’re taking a break from beans this week, but there are still several patches of beans to come yet.  It was nice to see those of you who came out to pick your own beans from last week’s patch.

We have lots of fun things happening out at the farm-

Pack Shed Party!!! Come on out! Bring a chair, bring a dish to pass and bring your favorite beverages. Eat, visit and dance to Gravel Road. It’s one of our favorite nights of the year!  Friday, August 25th, 6pm-?

Sour Dough Bread baking Class- At the last farm dinner, I met the owners of Sunrise Flour Mill. They mill organic, ancient grains into flour. I am not celiac, but I do struggle with wheat and other grains. I have to watch that I don’t eat too many. I was given the Sunrise flour left-over from the pie baking done for the dinner. I baked bread, pies, cookies and a few other things and found it was delicious, easy to work with and didn’t bother my tummy!  This is a common comment made about the ancient grain flours that Sunrise Flour Mill produces. They are going to come out to the farm on Thursday, September 14th at 6pm to hold a class about their flours, baking sour dough bread and they’ll also be bringing a pizza oven so that we can all enjoy pizza made from Sunrise flour. Watch your e-mail for more info on the class and directions on how to sign up.

Fairy House Pottery Class with Farm Member- Sharon Overland. Friday, September 22nd.

 Farm member Sharon Overland will be offering a “Pottery on the Farm” class here at Threshing Table Farm. We will be making Fairy House Luminaries in the pack shed. Come and enjoy the first evening of fall with friends, new and old. We will learn how to use simple molds, and how to add texture and handmade details to slabs of clay to create one of a kind handmade luminaries. No experience necessary. 10+ years old is recommended, although children are welcome to work on a project with a parent (or create their own), but must be able to follow directions and sit for the duration of the project. Stay tuned for cost and more information

Taher Farm Dinner

Plans are in the works for a September dinner. More details to come!

Storage:

Basil: Glass of water on your counter

Cabbage: Red, Green, Savoy, or Napa- they’re all coming in together, and in stages. Store any of them in your crisper drawer. Though they have slightly different flavors and textures, you can use them interchangeably in your favorite cabbage recipes

Peppers: Crisper drawer

Kohlrabi, Carrots, beets, summer squash, cucumbers- Crisper drawer or plastic bag

Potatoes- cool, dark place

Onion- Walla Walla, not a great storage onion. Use soon or place in refrigerator

Cilantro- covered jar in refrigerator

Sweet Corn- Bag or crisper drawer

Garlic- counter

Beet Greens- salad spinner, plastic bag or covered container

Potatoes and Cabbage

1 head of cabbage
3 medium potatoes
1/4 c oil
1/4 c butter
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

Rinse head of cabbage. Remove leaves from cabbage, discarding the core. Slice cabbage leaves into 6-8 pieces. Wash and slice potatoes. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and add oil.  Add potatoes, garlic and cabbage leaves, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add salt and pepper. Stir to coat and simmer another 10 minutes until potatoes are tender.

 

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 Tbps olive oil
1 1/2 cups basmati long grain white rice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
Zest of one lime
3 Tbsp lime juice
1/2-1 cup lightly packed chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems

1 Brown the rice: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium high heat. Add the raw rice and stir to coat with the olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice has started to brown.
Add the garlic and cook a minute more.

2 Add water, salt, zest, then simmer: Add water, salt, and lime zest to the rice. Bring to a rolling boil, then cover and lower the heat to low to maintain a very low simmer.

Cook undisturbed for 15 minutes (check your rice package instructions), then remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
Fluff the rice with a fork.
3 Stir in lime juice and cilantro: Transfer the rice to a serving bowl. Pour lime juice over the rice and toss with chopped cilantro.

Serve with chicken, steak, shrimp, Mexican or Asian food.

 

Carrots and Basil

carrots (sliced diagonally)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves (sliced thinly)
2 tablespoons fresh basil (thinly sliced or chopped)

Cook carrots in boiling water for for 2 -3 mins until tender but crisp or microwave if desired.
Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of liquid.
Combine the garlic and oil in a nonstick pan and cook over a moderate heat until fragrant (you can smell the garlic).
Add the carrots and stirring, cook until well combined and hot, adding a little of the reserved cooking liquid if necessary.
Remove from the heat and stir in the basil

 

In your box this Week:

Savoy Cabbage                                   Bell Pepper                 Jalapeno peppers                          Kohlrabi

carrots                                                 cucumbers                   summer squash                            celery leaves

walla-walla onion                                potatoes                      basil                                                garlic

beans                                                 broccoli                        lettuce

 

Hello from the farm! What a fun time to be in the fields, there are vegetables begging to be picked everywhere! They are even screaming louder than the weeds! (At last!)

So the big news around here is that Claudia had a great time at the Wisconsin State Fair last week! If you don’t follow us on our Threshing Table Farm facebook page, (And you really should…)  you may not know that she placed 12th in the state  in dairy showmanship. Showmanship is all about how she handles the calf, not about how good the calf is.  She was 12th out of 90 kids her age. She is thrilled and so are we! She’s already counting down the days until the fair next year.  (344)

Aside from that, we are enjoying the cooler temps as  we are out working each day. The weather has been beautiful. This is making for a slower ripening of the tomatoes, but we are seeing some red glimpses out there. The carrots have been struggling this summer. They have not sized up like we would like. We will have some for you this week and next, and then a long break while we wait to see if the fall carrots fare better.  And we have Garlic! Beautiful garlic! We have never had such an abundant, beautiful crop as this, and we are pretty proud! The bulbs may not be totally dry, so please use soon or leave in a warm, dark, dry place to continue drying. A dark corner of your kitchen counter will probably be fine.  The onions are coming in big time! Enjoy the Walla Walla’s!

We’ve got some fun activities coming up on the farm…

Pack shed Party!!  August 25th, 6pm-? Come for the pot luck and stay for the music!

Fairy house building!!

Save the date… Friday, September 22nd. Farm member Sharon Overland will be offering a “Pottery on the Farm” class here at Threshing Table Farm. We will be making Fairy House Luminaries in the pack shed. Come and enjoy the first evening of fall with friends, new and old. We will learn how to use simple molds, and how to add texture and handmade details to slabs of clay to create one of a kind handmade luminaries. No experience necessary. 10+ years old is recommended, although children are welcome to work on a project with a parent (or create their own), but must be able to follow directions and sit for the duration of the project. Stay tuned for cost and more information.

Peep Peep!

Each spring we move the chickens to the moveable coop and set them out on the farm somewhere. This allows them to have fresh dirt, vegetation and bugs while also fertilizing and eating ticks that helps us. We always have a few rogue chickens that refuse to stay in the moveable coop no matter what we do. They remain living near their winter coop. This week, one of the hens hatched out 1 chick.  So we have a tiny yellow “Peep” wandering after it’s mama. Totally adorable. Since the rooster lives in/near the moveable coop and the rogue hens never want to go over there, I have no idea how those two managed to “hook up” but we’re glad they did.  If you’re out at the farm, take a look for her.

 

Bean picking

We have a nice crop of beans and if you would like to come out this weekend to pick some, feel free! Free beans! Come pick as many as you would like. Bring bags/containers. Please walk out to our north field using the path behind the greenhouse. The path runs along side the neighbor’s corn field.  Stay on the path until you reach the bean patch. We’ll have a sign out there so you’ll have no problem finding  them.  Enjoy!

 

Storage Tips:

Cabbage: Crisper drawer or plastic bag in the refrigerator

Peppers: Crisper drawer

Kohlrabi: Crisper drawer

Carrots: Plastic bag in the coldest part of your refridgerator

Cucumbers/Summer Squash-:Crisper drawer

celery leaves: covered container in refrigerator

Walla-walla- refrigerator

potatoes- cool, dark place

Basil- glass of water on kitchen counter

Garlic- warm, dry, dark place

Beans: covered container in refrigerator

RECIPES

Blackberry Basil Crisp

6 cups blackberries

8 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons

juice of half a lemon

2 cups rolled oats

3/4 cups ground flaxseed

1/3 cup butter melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together blackberries, lemon juice, basil and salt in a 9×9 baking dish. In a bowl, combine oats, flaxseed, sugar and butter. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of berries. Place baking pan on cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and crisp and the fruit is bubbling. Add whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and serve.

 

Cabbage and sausage skillet

1 small head cabbage, shredded (5 cups)

4 medium potatoes, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings

1 tsp caraway seed (optional)

1 lb cooked kielbasa cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup apple juice

2 T. prepared brown mustard

1 tsp. worchestershire sauce

In a 12inch skillet, combine cabbage, potatoes, onion and caraway seed. Top with sausage.

In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over sausage and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

 

Cucumber water

1 cucumber, sliced and unpeeled

1 1/2-2 liters water

3 mint sprigs

half a lemon, sliced and unpeeled

 

In a pitcher, combine all ingredients. Let it rest in the refrigerator 24 hours. Serve with ice.

 

Grilled Zucchini

zucchini or summer squash, cut into 1/4 inch thick sliced, lengthwise

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

Heat grill to high.  Rinse and dry zucchini. Cut into long slices. Toss with olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper. Grill over direct heat until well browned. 4-6 minutes per side.

 

 

In this week’s box:

Thyme         Cucumbers                 Summer Squash                   Cabbage                  potatoes               Beans

Swiss Chard                Kohlrabi                   Lettuce                   Dill                          Broccoli

 

Welcome to August! We are kicking off a few great weeks of cabbage! We have 4 types of cabbage planted and they are all coming in together. They are also maturing at equally, unequal rates! We will be harvesting and sending them as they size up, but know that from week to week and box to box, you may find different cabbages.  Most of you will be getting a Napa cabbage this week, but a savoy might sneak in a few boxes too.

The potatoes are washed this week. Though the skins are a bit fragile, they are tougher than they have been the past few weeks. This variety is called, “Dakota Pearl” and they are beauties!

Are you enjoying the broccoli? We hope so, but if you are finding you get more than you can use, you can freeze it for eating later. Boil a large pot of water. While that is happening, cut your broccoli into bite size pieces. Drop the broccoli into the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from boiling water and submerge into ice water to cool. Drain and package into freezer bags. Seal and freeze. There. Done. This is called blanching and a blanching pot can make the job even easier.

4-H has taken our kids this week… and done lovely things with them.  Claudia is at the Wisconsin State Fair. She left at 4am Tuesday morning and won’t be home until Sunday. She is showing her dairy calf there. She also has a set of pillows that were chosen at the county fair to go to the state fair. I’m jealous that she will be near those state fair cream puffs!  Malcolm is on a 4-H Wisconsin trip to spend 3 days in Green Bay. Lots to see and do there.  Jonas gets to go to the state fair with grandma and grandpa, so he gets a fun excursion as well.

Mike and I will be home, keeping the farm moving along. We’re doing some weeding, but it really is slowing down. The fall carrots are starting to show themselves and we’re busy with harvesting and still a little planting.

CHICKEN ORDERS
If you ordered chickens from Farm Sweet Farm, I will be picking those up today.  They will be in my freezer and ready for pick up as early as tomorrow.  Please let me know when you will be coming to pick them up and I will make sure to be handy to get them out for you and figure out your total payment.  Thanks!  Did you miss the chance to order chickens? No worries! Contact Heather at www.farmsweetfarm.org and she will get you set up! She had a larger than average set of birds and has more to sell!

Bi-Frost Farm’s Goat milk cheese!
Time to order more Goat’s Milk cheese. Deliveries will be the first two weeks in August.
Due to Meg’s does not milking as much as they should be, she is  short on milk. Therefore she is  only making two kinds of Chevre right now, Plain and Garlic Dill, as they are the most popular. She’s hoping in September to be adding Feta/Salzkase back to the line up.  Order your cheese at:  bifrostfarms.com
715-643-2208

Stone Soup!

It’s getting closer! If you would like to be a part of Stone soup, please contact our farm member, Sue Keskinen at skeskinen@yahoo.com

For those of you not aware, Stone soup is a fun event to share your crafty side with others. Everyone involved brings about 10 items made by you, (10 of the same type of thing is preferred) and then traded with others. It’s kind of like a Christmas cookie exchange without the cookies. We’ve had really wonderful items of art in the past- pottery, homemade soaps, wooden signs, jewelry, dried herbs and many more! The list is never ending. All levels of craftiness are welcome and we’re even having a youth stone soup. So sign up with your young one! It’s helpful to let Sue know what you will be making when you sign up. The actual event “Stone Soup” will be a gathering in early November. It will be here before you know it. Get creating!

Pack Shed party! August 25th. Invite to come in a separate e-mail.

Green Beans

We like to offer a Free-Pick of green beans when they are in season to all of our members. If you are interested in picking green beans for winter, please let us know and we’ll let you know when a good time to come out is. I think we’ll have some this weekend, but I am hoping for an even better week next week.

 

Storage Tips:

Thyme: Refrigerator in a plastic bag, or I just like to leave it on the counter. It dries nicely.

Dill: In a glass of water on the counter or refrigerator. Can also be chopped and frozen for later use.

Cucumber, summer squash: Crisper drawer

Cabbage: Put in plastic bag in refrigerator

Beans and Broccoli: plastic bag in fridge

Lettuce and Swiss Chard- Plastic bag in crisper drawer

Kohlrabi- Crisper drawer.  My favorite way to eat these is peeled, sliced and raw!

Potatoes – cool, dark place

Recipes:

Vegetable Fried Rice

1 1/2 cups long grain brown rice

Make rice as directed. Cool, at least 2 hours.

Heat 2 T. oil in large skillet over med-high heat.

Fry 1/2 lb tofu, chicken or scramble a couple of eggs. Set aside.

Saute-  3 swiss chard ribs, 2 cups shredded cabbage, a handful of diced green beans and

1 onion, just until hot. Reduce heat to low and stir in the rice and veggies. Add tofu, chicken or eggs.

Pour on 1/4 cup tamari soy sauce. Cook slowly, tossing frequently until hot throughout. About 10 minutes.

Thyme roasted potatoes with chicken

3 pounds small red potatoes, halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves
2 whole chickens (3 1/2 to 4 pounds each), rinsed and patted dry, or 1 large chicken.
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
To make the seasoning: in a small bowl, combine thyme leaves with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 2 teaspoons salt; set aside.
Working from neck end of chickens, use your fingers to gently separate skin from flesh, including thigh and leg areas. Distribute thyme mixture under skin of each chicken, dividing evenly; season cavities generously with salt and pepper. Tuck wings under breasts. Using kitchen twine, tie legs together securely on top of chickens. Besides helping them cook evenly and stay moist, this will also help preserve their shape.

Nestle chickens, breast sides up, among potatoes; rub chickens with remaining tablespoon oil, and season each with salt and pepper.
Roast, tossing potatoes occasionally and brushing chicken with pan juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees. about 1 hour.  Longer if using one large chicken.
Let chickens rest in a warm spot 10 minutes before serving.

Napa Cabbage Salad

napa cabbage, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/2 onion chopped

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup sliced almonds

DRESSING
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1/8 teaspoon gorund ginger
In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, cider vinegar, sugar,  oil, salt and pepper and ground ginger and simmer for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and refrigerate.
In a small saute pan, heat oil over low heat and add noodles, sesame seeds and onion; stirring frequently, cook until golden brown.
In a large salad bowl, toss the nuts/seeds and sliced cabbage together.
Add dressing

 

Green Beans and Dill
9 ounces fresh green beans
1/3 cup vegetable broth or water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons butter
salt & freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Place fresh green beans in a saucepan with vegetable broth and dill.
Cover; bring to a boil.
Separate green beans with a fork, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until tender.
Drain.
Stir in butter, adding salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve and enjoy!.