Week 18 B

October 11, 2018

In this week’s box:

Butternut Squash            Buttercup Squash                   Spaghetti Squash              Garlic

Onions                            Brussel’s Sprouts                    Carrots                              Cabbage

Cilantro                           Dill                                            Kale                                  Peppers

Pop Corn

Hello Threshing Table Farm Members!

This is it- the final box! It’s always a bitter-sweet time for us. It’s sad to lose the weekly connection we have had with all of you these past months.. But we are looking forward to some rest and a change of pace. I’m looking forward to some reading of books, cleaning the house, spending time with family and friends and substitute teaching.  Mike is looking forward to hunting and family time as well. We definitely miss all the outside time, the fresh produce and the dirt on our hands. But since the weather is moving on and we can’t change it, we’ll just enjoy winter and look forward to spring.

I am happy to say that my week was much calmer than last. (But I must confess, I haven’t done anything further with the bees. Dragging my feet on that one!)  We have been working around and mostly through the rain. It’s very wet out there, but since we harvest things by hand, it was not fun, but doable. I am SO grateful for all of our employees, work-share people and volunteers who have come out in all kinds of weather.  We could not have done what we did each week without them!  We will miss them all as we all retreat to our winter lives. We have the most beautiful people as part of this farm! Members, employees, neighbors, and so many more who make up our community. Thank you for being a part of it!!!

We also say Good Bye to the pigs this week. 🙁   Their time here with us is over. We are sad to see them go, but grateful that they were such a big part of our farm this summer. They offered us many hours of entertainment and lots of help as we moved many scraps through them. We are also grateful for the gift of meat that they provide for us.

We are really excited to have purple carrots in the box this week! They are beautiful and worth the digging with forks in the mud. The popcorn and Brussel’s sprouts have also been end of the season treats. If you missed the note last week- save the popcorn for a few more weeks. It needs to dry out some more before it can be popped. Try popping it around Thanksgiving. If it still doesn’t pop. leave it in a dry place a bit longer and try around Christmas.

Carrots with Dill

2 lbs whole carrots
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp freshly chopped dill
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the carrots on a pan and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss with your hands to make sure they are evenly covered in oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast the carrots for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and turn the carrots with tongs. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp freshly chopped dill and roast for an additional 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, place carrots on a platter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp of fresh dill. Serve immediately.

Squash Cookies

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup oil or butter
2 T molasses
1 cup cooked mashed butternut squash
1 tsp vanilla
Optional: ½ cup oats, chopped walnuts, raisins, coconut shreds
Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices in a bowl. In a separate, larger bowl mix together, oil, molasses, squash and vanilla until well combined. Add dry to wet, folding to combine. Add optional ingredients after combined.
Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheets. Bake for 16 minutes at 350. For best flavor, let them cool and set a bit.

We are grateful and humbled that we were able to be your farmers,

We’re already looking forward to next year!!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas Lenz

October 4, 2018 Week 17A

Hello Threshing Table Farm Members!

In this week’s box:

Cabbage              Kale                      Onions                 Garlic                            Carrots

Brussel’s Sprouts         potatoes                Celery Root and tops                    Parsley

Popcorn                      Butternut Squash                     Buttercup Squash               Spaghetti Squash

peppers

**This is the final delivery for “A” week, 1/2 share members. Thanks for being with us! Full share and “B” Week half share members, we’ll see you next week!!

Last week was a tough one for this farmer. I started off the week with a lot of back pain. I don’t usually struggle with back pain, but I was pretty miserable for a couple of days. Luckily, we have amazing farm members who could help me out!  I went to Marjan Schwartz for Cranio Sacral Massage,                         715- 977-0682   cs.marjan@gmail.com                                                                                                         and that helped a ton! That is such an amazing therapy that is so relaxing, you almost forget why you went to see her in the first place!  Then I saw Chris Rud at Somerset Chiropractic 715-247-3050    and he gave me an adjustment that helped get me pain free as well. After seeing the two of them, I was feeling a lot better. I was looking forward to moving forward with the rest of the season at full force. I’m very glad that my employees were able to pick up my slack and get everything done that needed to be.

Friday, I was feeling fine and went out to harvest lettuce. I noticed that bears had knocked over my beehive. So, I suited up in my bee jacket, hood and gloves, and went out to reset the hive. Those bees were NOT having it! They were acting as if I was the bear that tore their home apart. Two bees managed to get into my bee suit. I walked as calmly as I could, several hundred yards away from the hive. They started to sting me, so I was frantically trying to remove my bee suit. I didn’t realize that hundreds of their friends had followed me. By the time I got my bee suit off, I was covered in bees like some horror movie. I knew I was getting stung, but other than a bit of pain, it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. I am not allergic, so I wasn’t too worried. Things calmed down, I got my bee suit back on and finished setting up the hive.

Then, I walked back to the pack shed, got out of my gear and headed back out to the lettuce field. After harvesting 60 heads of lettuce and bringing them into the pack shed, I started to feel woozy. And my chest hurt. And I had a hard time seeing. So I took the 4-wheeler out to the spinach patch where my employee, Felicia was. She saw my distress and managed to get me to the house before I completely lost consciousness. I remembered on that long ride back to the house that we had an epi-pen because Mike is allergic to bees. I managed to tell her where it was and she found that- used it on me and in not too long, things got better. Thank Goodness!  It ends up that I had about 8 stings on my neck (and  more elsewhere) that likely caused the severe reaction.

Mike came home from work and took over my farm chores so that we could get the boxes packed that head out to Taher Food Service and once again, my employees saved the day. And me!  Farm member Pete, an EMT- and neighbor, stopped by to check in on me too. All’s well that ends well. But now I know… 2 bees in the suit are better than hundreds without the suit!  And in case you are wondering- no honey worth mentioning after all that. Sigh… Maybe next year.

We had a hard frost on Friday night. Luckily, we knew it was coming, so we were prepared. We saved the peppers, squash, and anything else that we could. The cabbages, Brussels’ Sprouts, Kale and more- are just fine through a frost.

Our rabbit is moved into the house for the winter. He’s not much for the cold, so he is enjoying life in the laundry room. The rest of the animals do just fine during the cold weather. A blanket for Chumley and water heaters are used when it gets REALLY cold, but we’ve got time before that is needed.

POPCORN!!

The popcorn is probably not dry enough for popping yet. Set it somewhere to finish drying, (anywhere in your house that is not humid would be fine.) I like to wait until around Thanksgiving to try and pop it. If it doesn’t pop well, wait until Christmas, and try again.  You can either remove the popcorn from the cob by twisting it, then pop as you would other popcorn, OR (my favorite) you can place the whole cob, (no leaves) in a paper bag. (Lunch sack size works great.) Place the bag in the microwave and put it on the popcorn setting. Listen carefully- when it’s done popping- take the bag out and there you are! Amazing microwave popcorn!!

Honey Glazed Carrots

1 T. butter

1 tsp. olive oil

8-10 carrots, sliced (no need to peel.)

Parsley, chopped, to taste

Salt to taste

1 T. honey

Heat skillet with oil over medium heat. Add carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Add butter and honey and continue to cook for 3 more minutes or until crisp-tender. Turn off heat and sprinkle on salt and parsley.

Braised Chicken with celeriac, carrots and onions

1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3lb frying chicken, cut up
3 T. Lard or olive oil
3/4 c. hot water
1 celery root, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cup sliced carrots
3/4 c. finely chopped onions
3/4 c. chopped bell pepper

Combine flour, salt and pepper: coat chicken pieces. Brown chicken in hot oil in large skillet. Drain excess oil from pan. Add water and 1/2 tsp. more salt. Cover tightly and simmer about 1 hour. Add vegetables and cook 10 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender crisp. Serve over potatoes if desired.

Cabbage Sandwich Spread

1/4 c. chopped cabbage
3 T. chopped apple
3T. chopped carrot
3 T. chopped celery root
3 T. chopped bell pepper
1 T. chopped onion
1/4 c. mayonnaise

Mix together and spread on bread.

If this is your last week with us, we wish you a warm, happy and well-fed winter! We can’t thank you enough for being a part of our farm and community this past season! We appreciate what you do to make this work.

Your farmers-

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas Lenz

Week 16 B

Sept 27th, 2018

Dear Threshing Table Farm Members,

Happy Fall!

In this week’s box:

Celery Root and leaves     Potatoes       Onions           Garlic                   Buttercup Squash

Kabocha Squash              Carnival Squash               Cilantro          Parsley

Spinach                         Peppers                    Broccoli             Lettuce

Cabbage                 Tomatoes

This week’s been beautiful and summer like. It’s also been cold, dreary and deep-fall like. We try to make the most of the sunny, dry days and grit our teeth and make our way through the wet ones. Several changes of clothing really help.

We are getting ready for the frost that is predicted at the end of this week. We are  picking all the squash and peppers, trying to store what we can for a bit, until we can get them all out. We are saying goodbye to some things like tomatoes and eggplant.  (Honestly, the tomatoes have been saying goodbye to us the past few weeks and we’ve been hanging on as hard as we can!)  With other things, we rejoice about the frost because it actually improves the flavor. Broccoli, Brussel’s Sprouts (You’ll see those next week!) and cabbage should be a bit sweeter.  Doodle the cat, will get an insulated box to make into a warmer home for him. The goldfish will move back into the house after a long summer in the spacious pond, “Horse Water Tank”. And a sure sign of the season’s change- I’ve broken out the long underwear.

Fall is here and with it comes Celery Root! We love celery root in soups, stews, salads or roasted with other veggies.  It tastes like fall. The leaves are great to use fresh or dried in any food you would use celery in. All the flavor without the stringy- celery texture! Store the root in the crisper drawer and hang the leaves to dry.

We only have 2 more weeks left in the season! This is a great time to look around for any white farm boxes that you “accidentally” took home or  bean bags that didn’t make it back to your pick-up sites. Drop them off at your pick up site or the farm. No questions asked! We’re just glad to get everything gathered up and tucked away before the snow flies.

Time to Stock Up!!
(Christmas is coming too!)

Mike’s Maple Syrup  $15/quart  $8/pint

Jensen’s Cattle Company:  Contact Dave for Beef or Pork!   Dave Jensen at 612-685-0155.

Heather Flashinski, Farm Sweet Farm- Grass Fed Beef  715-289-4896

Coffee!   Contact Tim Scanlan directly to order up your freshly roasted beans and handle payment. Learn more at: facebook.com/birchbarkcoffee/ or give him a call 715-690-4986. Beans run $12-$14/lb.

Thanks for supporting local farmers and businesses!

Potato Celery Root Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 fresh onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
5 potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 celery root, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup milk or cream (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
Cider Vinegar, 1-2 Tbsp.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a Dutch oven or your soup pot over low heat. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic. Sauté slowly, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have begun to caramelize, but are not yet browned.
Stir in the potatoes and celery root. Add the stock and turn the heat up. As soon as the stock boils, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potato and celery root cubes are completely tender.

Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor in batches and puree until smooth. An immersion blender is easier and will also work. Add the milk or cream to the soup if you prefer a creamier soup. Season with salt and pepper and the cider vinegar to taste.

Butternut Squash Cake

2/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup maple syrup (use local, or real! Do NOT use fake pancake syrup)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3/4 tablespoon nutmeg
1 cup butternut squash cooked and mashed(or can of pumpkin puree)

Turn the oven to 350 degrees.
Beat the oil and syrup together.
Add eggs and yogurt, beat well.
Stir the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in. Stir gently.
Add spices and squash. Stir just until mixed.
Spray (or line with parchment paper) a 9inch pan.
Pour the batter into the pan.

Bake 40 minutes. When cool, frost with cream cheese frosting or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Spinach Smoothie (There are a TON to choose from! Search the internet, and you will find one that works for you!)

Serves 2
– 1 mango
– 2 ripe bananas
– 2 cups of spinach
– 1/2 a cup of cashew nuts
– 2 cups of almond milk, coconut water or water
– 1 lime
Optional: a tablespoon of chia seeds
Optional: Soak cashews in a glass of water overnight, then in the morning drain them and add them to your blender once you’re ready to make your smoothie. If you don’t have time don’t worry though, if you have a strong blender it should still be able to blend the cashews into a smooth, creamy deliciousness!
Once you’re ready to make your smoothie, peel the mango and then add it’s flesh (discarding the stone) to your blender with the banana, spinach, cashews and lime juice.
Blend until smooth and creamy.

September 20th, Week 15 A

Hello Members!

In this week’s box:

Lettuce     Leeks          Broccoli           Potatoes              Onions            Carnival Squash

Summer Squash          Acorn Squash    Kabocha squash (The orange one)       Beets     Tomatoes

Something purple       Garlic                   Dill                          Spinach           Cilantro

Something Purple?? We have lots of eggplant, but not quite enough. We also have some lovely purple cauliflower that is just starting to come in. So you will enjoy one or the other. We’ll try to keep track of which sites get what and hopefully as more purple things come in, we will be able to balance things out.

The chickens are keeping us busy this week. I’ve slowly been noticing a decrease in the number of hens I have. Along with that, is a huge decrease in the number of eggs. I’m assuming a hawk or eagle is to blame for the missing birds. There is little sign of a struggle or missing feathers. It could be a super fast fox, but I don’t know. I’m moving the chickens back to their “winter” coop which is near the house so that I can keep an eye on them a little better. Mike moved the moveable coop up to the winter coop and this morning I opened the door so they could be out for the day. We opened up the winter coop and assumed they’d put themselves in there at the end of the day. (They tried getting in there for a month after we moved them into  their summer coop.) Worst case, they’d enter back into the summer coop which we left parked near the winter coop.  Instead, they wandered back to the field behind the silos and sat there, wondering where their home was. Bird Brains.  Mike drove the moveable coop back there, waited for them to go in and settle for the night, and then moved the coop back over to the winter coop. There we moved them one at a time over to the winter coop where we locked them in for the night. I’ll keep them locked in for a day or two, so they learn that this is “home” and they will know where their food and water is. Then, we’ll open the door and they should have forgotten all about the summer coop.  Maybe?

Things are continuing to look good in the field. We’re excited about the spinach, beautiful broccoli and more winter squash that is in the boxes this week. The last of the weeding was officially done this week (Yeah!!!) and we’re looking forward to the rain.

With the slowing down of some of the farm chores, I am starting to scratch the surface of my housework. Luckily, my mother -in-law and mother stopped by to help in that area a few times this summer. It really does take a village!

Jensen Cattle Company Pork and Beef for SALE!!!!

The pigs on our farm will be moving on to freezers in our community in October. If you would like some pork for your freezer, please contact Dave Jensen at 612-685-0155.  Whole and half hogs are available. NOW is the time to order.  Check in with him about beef too!

Potatoes, Spinach and Dill

2 pounds extra-small potatoes
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
5 ounces fresh spinach, well-washed
2 T. dried parsley
2/3 cup fresh dill, fronds only and loosely packed
1 onion, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large pot of water to boiling and salt the water generously. Add the potatoes and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they are quite tender and creamy. Slit each potato in half and return them to the pot.In a measuring cup whisk together the lemon juice, zest, olive oil, and sugar. Whisk until well-combined — it will be thick and opaque yellow. Pour over the hot potatoes and stir gently until the potatoes are coated with dressing.
Slice the spinach leaves into thin ribbons. Mince the parsley leaves (discarding the stems) and the dill fronds as well. Add the spinach, parsley, dill, and shallots to the potatoes, and toss gently. The spinach and herbs will wilt as they are combined with the hot potatoes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Serve hot, warm, or cold.

Roasted Broccoli

2 pounds broccoli
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Trim 1 inch from stems of broccoli. Using a vegetable peeler, peel outer layer of stems; cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Separate florets into bite-size pieces.
2. In a large bowl, toss florets and stems with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; roast, turning broccoli halfway through, until tender, about 15 minutes.

Kabocha Squash Dip  (The orange squash)

1 kabocha squash (2 1/2 pounds), halved, seeded, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (6 cups) (Add any kind of winter squash as needed).
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons hot curry powder
Kosher salt
Pepper
1 jalapeño, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat the oven to 450°. On a large baking sheet, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the curry powder and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is lightly golden and tender. Let cool to room temperature.

Scrape the squash into a medium bowl. Fold in the jalapeño, onion, lime juice, cilantro and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

The dip can be refrigerated for 3 days.
Serve With
Thick-cut tortilla chips or pita chips.

Have a great week and Happy Eating!!!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas Lenz

Week 14B

Sept. 13th, 2018

Hello Threshing Table farm Members!

We are Back!!!!!!

In this week’s box:

Tomatoes                 Bell Pepper                Onions          Garlic                         Carrots

Carnival Squash       Acorn or Delicata Squash                   Sage                     Potatoes

Leeks               Savoy Cabbage           Ground Cherries                  Swiss Chard

We are back. The hail knocked us down for a good two weeks. We’re grateful we were able to put as much into the boxes as we did, but it was a struggle for much of it. The hail damage will likely be with us for the remainder of the season in one way or another. The peppers are still struggling and you can see many of the greens show damage. But it will still taste good and much of the time you are shredding for slicing or cooking the greens, so the damage won’t be noticeable then.

We’re happy to have a nice amount of tomatoes this week too. They’re on a down hill slide as far as production goes, but we’ll put them in the boxes as long as we have them.

Despite the difficulties in the field, this was one of the most memorable weeks of the farming season.  Friday night was a lot of fun! Pack Shed Party #4!  We had a great crowd with lots of fun people! Thanks to those of you who came out! The food was delicious and plentiful! It’s always a fun pot luck as the food just keeps on coming through out the evening. And Gravel Road was once again- amazing!!  We are so blessed to have such a great group of musicians who love to come and play each year! Thanks to Farm Member Scott Herron and the rest of the band!

Saturday started with the 4am arrival of 3 Taher Chefs to start the hog roast.  They got right to work. (I assume, I didn’t get out to see them  until around 7.)  With the hog on the rack over an open fire, we got ready for 20+ volunteers from Excel energy who came out to glean food for United Way. United Way will be sharing this food with the local food pantries. They were hard workers and a lot of fun. Squash and potatoes were picked. (Thank goodness the fields had finally dried out!) Lots of Cherry tomatoes were picked and onions were boxed up. After the Excel volunteers left, it was clean up time in the pack shed again, to get ready for the dinner.

The chefs did an AWESOME job! What an experience!!  Appetizers through dessert- absolutely perfection. It was a lot of fun and we enjoyed meeting new people as well as catching up with some old friends. There were 8 chefs on hand and a few other helpers as well.  We are humbled by the kindness and talent of these people. If you haven’t made it out for a farm dinner yet, put it on your 2019 bucket list.

On to the vegetables!!

Squash:  Leave squash on your kitchen counter. Watch for any soft spots. If you spot some spots- cook as soon as possible, cutting out any soft areas.  Easy way to make all squash: Slice in half. Scoop out the seeds. Place squash cut-side down in a cake pan. Add 1-2 inches of water. Bake at 350 for 45min-1 hour or until soft. Have a lot of squash piling up? Bake them all at once. Scoop out any left-over squash and put into a freezer container. Freeze until you want to heat up for a meal.

Tomatoes- leave on your counter and watch for spots on those too!

Ground Cherries:  On the counter. Eat the ones with brown papery coverings. Leave the yellow/green ones for a few days and they will ripen.

Potatoes, Onions and Garlic- dark, dry place like a cabinet is best.

Everything else- Crisper drawer!

Recipes

Chard and Squash

2 acorn squash, halved crosswise and seeded (Any other Squash will work too.)
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for the skillet
1 large leek (white and light green parts only), halved and sliced
1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 c. fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 c. raisins
3 tbsp. pine nuts
2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Place squash, cut side down, in prepared skillet. Cover with foil and bake until tender, 34 to 36 minutes. Remove to a plate; reserve skillet.
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in chard and garlic and cook, stirring, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in breadcrumbs, raisins, pine nuts, and Feta. Season with salt and pepper.
Fill squash with chard mixture, dividing evenly. Place squash, cut side up, in skillet and bake until tops are golden brown 15 to 20 minutes.

Squash and Sage Biscuits

1 medium-small delicata squash ( or 1/2 cup other squash purée)
2 cups unbleached white flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. cane sugar
1 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled
1 small bunch of fresh sage (1 1/2 tsp. chopped and 10 whole leaves for garnish)
3/4 cup heavy cream
For the egg wash:
1 small egg
1 Tbsp. milk

Slice the delicata squash in half, lengthwise. Remove all the seeds and stringy pulp around the seeds. Place the squash halves cut-side facing down on a baking sheet. Roast in a 400F oven for about 30 minutes or until a knife pierces the flesh like soft butter. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit. Scoop out the roasted flesh and discard the skins. Mash by hand with a potato masher, or if you wish, purée with a hand blender until smooth. Measure out 1/2 cup of squash purée. Chill the purée in the fridge.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Using a box grater, grate the cold butter into the flour mixture. Place this mixture in the freezer while you prepare the wet ingredients (about 5 to 10 minutes).
In another bowl, mix the chilled cream, squash purée, and finely chopped sage. Whisk together until smooth. In another smaller bowl, make the egg wash by beating the egg and 1 Tbsp. of milk together.
Remove the dry ingredients from the freezer. With a pastry cutter or your hands, make sure the grated butter is fully incorporated into the flour (it should look like bread crumbs). Gently add the squash and cream mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just until the dough starts to come together. Using your hands, lightly knead the dough in the bowl, until uniform, but avoiding overhandling it.
Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour and either roll or simply press the dough out to 3/4 inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2 inch round or square cookie cutter, cut out the biscuits. Brush the tops with egg wash and gently press a whole sage leaf on top of each biscuit. Place on a lightly buttered baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in a 400F oven, until golden on top. Transfer the biscuits to a cooling rack and serve warm.

Carrots, Garlic and potatoes

5 large carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch slices
4 medium potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 medium onion, cut into eighths
2 cloves garlic, diced
6 tablespoons butter, melted
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine carrots, potatoes, onion and garlic with melted butter in 8×8″ square glass pan.
Season generously with salt and pepper, toss.
Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Uncover, stir and continue baking for another 30 minutes (or until browned to your satisfaction), stirring occasionally to lift bottom portions to top to allow to brown and crisp.

Happy Eating!!!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm, and Jonas

Week 13 A

September 6, 2018

Dear members,

In your box this week:

Garlic                         Onions                                Acorn Squash                   Delicata Squash

Arugula                     Bell Peppers                         Jalapeno Peppers            Ground Cherries

Tomatoes                  Sage                                   Dill                                      Parsley

Broccoli

This has definitely been one of the tougher weeks of farming. The hail we got a week and a half ago is still affecting our produce. That, combined with too much rain and humidity, is making our produce tough to harvest. It’s also done enough damage that some of our crops are a loss. Some things, like potatoes and carrots are just waiting for dryer days. Other things like the peppers and many of our greens are going through a “growing out” phase of the damage. Still others, like the tomatoes, are dying. We hope to have tomatoes next week, but I don’t think we’ll have them much after that. For every 1 pepper I pick to keep, I throw 5 out that are rotten. You may have a few spots on your peppers. Cut them off if they are soft and use them soon. If they’ve lasted this long without getting rotten, I decided they deserved a spot in the box.

Remember when I was lamenting the dry weather and wishing we got some rain? Ahhh… those were the days!  The thing about water… You can always add more, but you can’t take it out. We’re doing our best to harvest what we can but are frustrated by the things that should be in the box but are not. We are really looking forward to some dry and sunny days!

Enough of that! On to the good news!

Winter Squash is here!! We have 2 varieties this week: Acorn and Delicata! Delicata are great for slicing thin and sautéing or roasting. No need to peel! Super yummy! The Acorn is great for cutting in half, placing cut side down in a pan with an inch of water and baking for 45 minutes, until tender. Add some of Mike’s Maple syrup and you are good to go! We have a lot more squash varieties out in the field that you will see in the coming weeks.

Ground Cherries are also in the box this week! They are a favorite in our family. If you’ve never had them before, just slip the papery outside off of them and pop the berry in your mouth. Yum! You can find recipes to use them, but we just enjoy eating them as they are. The ground cherries are ripe when the papery part is brown. If they are green or yellow, just let them sit a few days until they brown up. Leaving them on your counter is the best way to store them. No need to refrigerate.

Claudia had a great time at the State Fair. The calf she showed won the Junior Champion for the Guernsey breed. She had a great time and learned a lot!  All 3 kids are now in school, making for much quieter days around the farm. I miss their energy and help, but in some ways, it does simplify my life. Our mornings are a bit more hectic, but we’re getting it done. (I can say that with confidence as we have now completed day 1 of all 3 leaving for school.)  🙂  Ask me how it’s going in a couple of weeks!

PACK SHED PARTY!!!!

THIS FRIDAY!!!!!!

After all this hard and frustrating farming the past 2 weeks, it’s nice to have a time to celebrate!! Please join us!   6:30 pot luck. Bring a dish to pass, chairs and beverages.

Gravel Road will be playing for the evening so bring your dancing shoes!!! It’s a great time for everyone!

Saturday, we are going to continue celebrating with the Taher Farm Dinner!! Can’t wait! If you would like tickets, send me an e-mail. I might be able to get a few yet. $65 per person.

Delicata Squash and onions

1 medium Delicata squash , halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 medium red onions, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch rings
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
4 fresh Parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons maple syrup
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°F degrees. Place the squash, red onion, garlic, Parsley and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper; toss to coat.
Spread vegetables evenly onto two large, rimmed baking sheets. Bake the squash on the upper and lower racks of the oven, tossing, rotating, and switching the pan positions half way through cooking, until tender and browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Taste and season again with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Fresh Tomato Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups water
4-6 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. In a large saucepan, cook onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour to form a smooth paste. Gradually add water, stirring constantly until thickened. Add the tomatoes, parsley, salt, sugar, thyme, bay leaf and pepper; bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Discard bay leaf.

Happy Eating and hope to see you Friday!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas

August 30th, 2018

Week 12

In this week’s Box:

Tomatoes                   Potatoes                          Eggplant                               Beets

Summer Squash             Sweet Corn                            Onions

Garlic                         Beans                             Kale                                      Basil

Oregano

Dear Members,

Sunday morning I woke to the sound that every farmer dreads. Hail. Mike was already up and outside, moving vehicles inside and closing up what doors he could. Hail lasted for about 20 minutes. It felt like hours, and we could only imagine what havoc it was wreaking on our plants. In the midst of it, Chumley, our horse broke out of his pen and ran for it. He is more afraid of loud noises in his old age and the hail coming down on to his metal shed must have been more than he could take. The pigs happily shoved each other trying to eat the hail. For them, it was like manna from heaven.  It was nice to see someone enjoying this weather.

After the weather cleared, we took a drive around the fields to look at the immediate damage. Then, we took a longer drive around the neighborhood trying to track down Chumley. Thankfully, he wandered back home about the time we circled back. He was no worse for the wear. We cannot say the same for our plants.  The things I’m saddest about are the tomatoes. We were so excited about the absolutely thriving jungle that was our tomato patch. Now, it’s just tomatoes hanging on dead branches. The good news: The leaves took the hardest hit. The tomatoes are a bit bruised, but not terrible. So we do have a fair amount to give this week. You may see more bruised, cracked spots from the hail. Use them sooner rather than later and cut off the bad spots if they are mushy. The blossoms were all wiped out. So whatever green tomatoes we have on the plants right now are all we are going to get. We’ll pick them as they ripen and hopefully we have some for the next few weeks.

The greens also took a big hit. Our arugula was going to go in the box this week, along with beet and Asian greens. They were all beaten down badly. Our Swiss chard was just starting to come back from the mid-summer mowing we give it. It too was badly damaged. It may bounce back in a few weeks, but we won’t know for a bit. Same for the broccoli. The almost mature broccoli did fine, but the young “Teenager” plants are really beaten down.  Time will tell.

When the neighbors were done checking their soybeans and corn, they stopped in to see how we fared. The question came up about crop insurance. Mike explained that there is no govt. crop insurance program for our type of farm. But better than an insurance program, we have you, our members. By purchasing your share up front, agreeing to take on the risks and rewards of our farm season, we know we won’t be out money from the hail damaged crops. It still is a loss we feel terribly, but your support helps us to weather those risks much more successfully. THANK YOU.  We couldn’t do this without each and every one of you.

GREAT NEWS!

The heat and rain has been great for some of our crops. We have awesome sweet corn this week!! We are really excited about that!  Due to the earlier drought, the ears didn’t really size up, but they are tasty. We also have the FINAL crop of green beans. They are a bit weather beaten, but they’re here!

Phil’s Fall Raspberries are  here!!

AND… He has time to pick them! Let me know if you would like to order some, and I’ll send them with your share. $4 a pint. I would need to know how many pints you would like by noon on Wednesday.(Today!) Or we can send them the following week.  Please make checks out to Star Prairie Berries and mail them to us at Threshing Table Farm, 2249 150th St. Star Prairie, WI 54026

PACK SHED PARTY!!

We are only a little over a week away from the pack shed party! Please stop by and stay if you can! Great food, awesome band, a bonfire and dancing! The kids have a blast playing around the farm and it’s a great community get together!

Bring a dish to pass, a chair, beverages and we’ll pass the hat to pay the band. It’s a great time, please join us!!  It’s one of our favorite events on the farm. It is important for us to celebrate this beautiful farm and the people who support it. (And to take a break from all the work!)

TAHER Farm Dinner!

The fall dinner put on here at the farm by extremely talented chefs is next weekend!

6pm on Saturday, September 8th. Sorry for the late notice- but the final plans came together recently. $65 per seat. It will be delicious! It will be beautiful and a lot of fun! Tickets are VERY limited!! Please let us know ASAP if you would like some. Send us an e-mail and it will be first come, first serve.

A little family news…

Claudia is busy this week at the MN State Fair showing dairy cattle with our neighbors, Crisdhome farm. She is having a blast! And since she gets out of school for 4 days, that’s an extra bonus. Malcolm started school last week as well and so far, so good. Jonas is getting anxious to start next week.

Doodle the cat is quite sick. It sounds like Pneumonia. Luckily, Dr. Bohl, our neighbor, knows how to help sick cats! A good round of antibiotics and Doodle should be back up to greeting everyone with a meow and a few cat antics. As sick and friendly as he is, he sure put up a HUGE fight about getting a shot!

A few notes about your veggies:

Garlic- Small but valuable!! We are thrilled with the garlic crop this year. They cured nicely. These bulbs will last for months. We’ll be sending them for several weeks (or more!) until we run out. Leave in a dark, dry place to store.

Eggplant: Also survived the hail, so you might see some damage. Store in the crisper drawer.

The rest you’ve seen before, and are surely experts on by now!

Kale Beet Salad

1 bunch kale, washed, dried, ribs removed, roughly chopped
1 pound beets, washed, dried and peeled
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 cloves minced garlic
salt and pepper
olive oil
1/4 medium onion, thinly sliced
1-2 tbsp slivered almonds, toasted

Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 lemon, juice of
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried rosemary
Salt and pepper

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Prepare ingredients as indicated above.
Toss kale with salt, pepper and a little olive oil. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Roast in oven for a brief five minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Take peeled beets and cut them into 1 1/2 wedges. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle with rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss with a little olive oil making sure beets are well-coated with the olive oil and spices.
Place the beets on the middle rack of the 400 degrees F-heated oven. Roast for 45 minutes, tossing/turning beets twice.
While beets are roasting, make the lemon-honey vinaigrette. Simply mix vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl, whisk to combine. Set aside.
When beets are tender to your liking, remove from oven and let them cool slightly.
In a medium salad bowl, combine kale, beets and sliced red onions. Dress your salad with the lemon-honey vinaigrette, and toss together. Garnish with the toasted slivered almonds.

Tomato Eggplant bake

1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1 tomato, sliced
1/4 cup grated fat-free Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick oil spray. Arrange eggplant rounds on the cookie sheet and sprinkle Parmesan over the eggplant. Layer one slice of tomato on top of each eggplant round. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

August 23rd, 2018

Week 11 A

Hello Members,

In your box this week:

Tomatoes        Bell Peppers                   Jalapeno Peppers               Summer Squash

Cucumbers     Savoy Cabbage              Carrots                                Basil

Onions            Green and yellow beans                                            Lettuce

Dill                   Sweet Corn

Oh… Happy Day! It was so wonderful to get some rain this week! We’ve been watering non-stop, but we can only do one section of the field at a time. And no one does it like Mother Nature! We’re still keeping the watering up, we could use more rain, but none the less, it was really nice to have some.

The tomatoes are picking up steam! We are happy to be giving those this week along with basil, peppers, onions and other tomato loving veggies.  If all goes well, we will have tomatoes until frost. Hard to believe we are even mentioning the “F” word in August, but September is coming. And with it- usually frost. But enough about that! Hopefully we have a good month or more before that happens!

The sweet corn took a beating in the hot, dry month we’ve had. The husks are much drier than they should be, but the corn seems to be quite good. Of course, we can’t open and taste the ones we’ve given you, but we did sample quite a few cobs as we picked and were surprised by how good they were. Hopefully we didn’t find the only sweet ones in the field as we were sampling.

The onions are curing very nicely. The hot dry weather has been good for that. The whites are not long keepers, so use them in the next few weeks. The yellow onions will store much longer, but hopefully you will get to use them up before long.

Our oldest two kids start school on Thursday and the youngest starts next Tuesday. Many of you are also getting ready to send your kids back to school or work in the school yourself. Good luck to everyone!

PACK SHED PARTY!!!!

Friday, September 7th.

6:30-? Music by Gravel Road. Potluck. Bring your own beverages, chairs and we’ll pass a hat to pay the band. Bring your family and friends too! It will be a great time!

Storage Tips:
Tomatoes: Leave on counter to fully ripen.
Savoy Cabbage: Great cooked, raw, in any recipe calling for a green cabbage. Savoy leaves are easier to use when making cabbage rolls, etc. than other green cabbage. Store in the crisper drawer. Place in plastic bag for longer storage.

beans: Covered container in fridge (Or plastic bag)
Summer Squash, cucumber, pepper: Refrigerator, crisper drawer.
Basil: A covered jar in the fridge. Or on your counter in a jar of water.
Onions: dry place out of direct sunlight.

Carrots: Crisper drawer, in plastic bag.

10 minute Tomato Basil Salad

1 large tomato, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, or to taste
1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste (optional)
Directions
Combine tomato, basil, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl; toss until tomato wedges are evenly coated

Cabbage Cucumber Salad

1/2 head  cabbage shredded or chopped
2  cucumbers sliced
2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
2 tablespoons onions chopped
2 teaspoon salt divided
1/2 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons avocado or extra virgin olive oil
additional salt and pepper to taste

Finely shred or chop cabbage, discarding the core. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and mix thoroughly with hands pressing into the cabbage to help release natural juices. Set aside
Add chopped cucumbers, fresh dill and green onions.
Squeeze the juice of one lemon. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Pour oil and combine well.

Beans and tomatoes
1 pound green beans, broken into pieces
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove (smashed)
2 T. minced basil
¼ teaspoon salt and pepper
2 cups tomato chunks
2 tablespoons pine nuts

Cook green beans in boiling water, 5 minutes till tender crisp. Drain beans and rinse in cold water.
Combine fresh lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, basil, salt and pepper in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk.
Combine green beans with the tomatoes and toss with the vinaigrette.
Add pine nuts just before serving.Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Happy Eating!!!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas Lenz

10B  August 16th, 2018

Dear Threshing Table Farm Members,

In your box this week:

Potatoes              Carrots                      Napa Cabbage                         Tomatoes

Cucumbers           Summer Squash      Sweet Corn                              Chives

Lettuce                 Bunching Onions      Beans                                       Broccoli

It is hot and dry on the farm.  I’m sure your yards are dry as well. We’ve been doing what we can to stay cool and hydrated in the heat. We’re very grateful for the cool nights and air conditioning in the house. Mike and Malcolm have been orchestrating the irrigation, hoping to water as much as possible.  It’s never enough, but the effort is valiant. We are watching the corn around our farm wither as well. Our neighbors have giant irrigation pivots, and those aren’t doing it  either. We could really use some rain.  When Chumley walks in his grass pasture and kicks up dust, you know it’s dry! Poor Chumley. He gets put out on grass, but there’s nothing substantial to eat. We put him back in his pen and feed him grain. But he gets bored, wants back out on grass, but then can’t find anything to eat and wants to go back into his pen.  It’s a frustrating life for the old guy right now.

Aside from the lack of rain, things are going well on the farm. We’ve got a lot of great produce! The summer squash and cucumbers are still coming, but are definitely slowing down. Peppers and eggplant are picking up steam and this batch of lettuce seems to be holding it’s own in this heat which is a small miracle. Sweet corn is here! The cobs are small, but tasty. We’re picking tomatoes for the first time this week and at this point, it looks like we should have several weeks of tomatoes. They’ll be coming in greater numbers each week for awhile.

What you need to know about our tomatoes!

We choose many varieties for their TASTE! and also color, size, growing attributes and to have different varieties. Many of these are heirloom. You will see many colors of tomatoes. They are beautiful! BUT… They are also imperfect.  Scabs, cracks, knot-holes, are all normal. We try to pick them before peak ripeness, as they will continue to ripen after picking. We want you to be able to eat them over a few days, not have to eat them all immediately.  Choose the ripest ones to eat first. Leave the rest on the counter to ripen slowly. DO NOT REFRIGERATE TOMATOES!!! Unless you want to save them for a very long time. But you will lose taste.  We do have a German Green tomato. If you see a green tomato with some striping on it, do not wait for it to turn red. It’s ready when the tomato is no longer hard. A ripe tomato will be firm, but have a little give to it.

Elsewhere- we’re pulling all the forms, uniforms and school supply lists together. Time to get everyone ready for school.

Tomorrow I pick up the organic chickens from Farm Sweet Farm that were ordered this spring. If you ordered them, watch your e-mail and I’ll send a note with pick up directions.

Storage Tips: 

Potatoes: We were finally able to wash them! The skins have cured enough. Store in a dark, cool place until ready to eat. Do not store in the refrigerator.

Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Onions, Napa Cabbage, Lettuce, Carrots, Broccoli: Crisper Drawer, plastic bag or containers will keep them even fresher.

Sweet Corn: Crisper drawer

Zucchini Pita Pockets

6 whole wheat Pita Pockets

1 c. thinly sliced zucchini

2 medium tomatoes, Sliced

1/4 cup green onions, diced

6 leaves lettuce

Feta Cheese

Tzatziki sauce

Put all ingredients in pitas.

Napa Cabbage Salad

1 head Napa cabbage, shredded

2 large carrots, finely grated (if carrots are not in the cabbage mix)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon dried mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup (2 ounces) – more, if desired- crumbled feta cheese
garnishes:  onion slices and pepperoncini (optional)
Directions:
Place cabbage and carrots in a large bowl, and toss.
Place olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, oregano and dry mustard in a jar; cover tightly and shake to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss well. Mix in feta cheese.
Top the slaw with a few onion slices and/or sliced pepperoncini.

Carrot Zucchini Cake

9 ounces white whole-wheat flour (about 2 cups)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

3 large eggs

1 cup grated carrot

1 cup grated zucchini

3/4 cup drained canned crushed pineapple in juice

4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese,

softened 1 tablespoon unsalted butter,

softened 2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Combine sugars, butter, and eggs in a separate bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir carrot, zucchini, and pineapple into sugar mixture. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; stir until moistened. Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 33 minutes or until done. Cool on a wire rack.

Combine cream cheese and butter in a bowl; beat with a mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar; beat just until smooth. Spread evenly over top of cake. Sprinkle with coconut flakes. Cut into 16 pieces.

Praying for rain…

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas Lenz

Week 7A  July 26th, 2018

Hi Threshing Table Farm Members,

In your box this week:

Potatoes          Savoy Cabbage    Turnip Greens            Kale

Summer Squash

Green Beans      Onions                Savory                     Oregano                 Cucumbers

Beets                   Fennel

We are enjoying all the smells of summer. The herbs are delicious, the hay near us has been cut and the pigs… well, they are adding their own flavor to the air.  It is hard to believe that the County fair is behind us and the reluctant countdown to school starting is ahead of us.  We had a great time at the fair. Some great awards were earned, some disappointments were handled well and a lot of growth and learning happened. We also treated ourselves to plenty of fair food and enjoyed visiting with old friends and making new ones.  One particular high note is that Claudia’s “Chicken” art work earned her a grand champion.

Fair week is always pretty exhausting, as we have to juggle that with the  farm work. We are still trying to catch up on sleep.  A quick nap here or there is all that we can do, but that’s what winter is for.

The late summer crops of cabbage, greens, kohlrabi and more are looking lovely in the field. We are looking forward to those as well as the tomatoes, peppers, squash, etc.  We’re still a few weeks away from tomatoes, but we’re seeing a fair amount of green ones on the plants. Cucumbers and summer squash are at their peak right now and keeping us very busy with every other day pickings.   The potatoes have sized up nicely and the summer carrots are nearing maturity.

We planted the fall carrots just before the fair. The most exciting thing about fall carrots is that they are plagued by very few weeds. This is the opposite of the summer carrots which we spend a ridiculous amount of time weeding and never quite win the battle. It’s only because the weeds know they won’t be able to grow to maturity and set seed, so they just don’t show up.  Smart buggers!!

Storage Tips:

Potatoes:  Cool, dark place. These are not cured, so these are not for real long storage.

Savoy Cabbage: Great cooked, raw, in any recipe calling for a green cabbage. Savoy leaves are easier to use when making cabbage rolls, etc. than other green cabbage.  Store in the crisper drawer. Place in plastic bag for longer storage.

Turnip Greens and Kale: Covered container in fridge (Or plastic bag)

Summer Squash, cucumber, fennel, beets:  Refrigerator, crisper drawer.  A Great way to use the fennel:  Cut up the bulb into chunks and place in the slow cooker with a beef roast and quartered onion.  Sprinkle on some Savory and Yum!

Herbs: A covered jar in the fridge.

Onions: They are starting to cure. You can keep these on the counter, but keep an eye on them. If they seem to not be growing a new stem, use them fast or stick them in the fridge.

Kale and Turnip Green Gratin

2 cups heavy whipping cream
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh savory
1¼ cups shredded fontina cheese, divided
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
1 bunch turnip greens, trimmed and chopped
2 cups day-old cornbread, cut into 1-inch cubes
Garnish: chopped fresh savory

Preheat oven to 375°.
In a small Dutch oven, bring cream, garlic, and savory to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup fontina, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper until smooth. Remove from heat.
In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Working in batches, stir in kale and turnip greens; cook until wilted. Stir in cream mixture until combined. Top with cornbread. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup fontina.
Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Garnish with savory, if desired.

Cucumber Sandwich Spread

1 1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber

1/2 cup chopped celery

3 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1/2 cup mayo

1 T.

minced onion

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. chopped parsley

Partially peel and remove seeds from cucumber before chopping. Drain well by squeezing between two layers of clean cloth. Combine cucumber with remaining ingredients. Mix well. Spread on buttered bread.

Zucchini Potato Patties

1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini

1 1/2 cup shredded potatoes

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. parsley

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

3 eggs, slightly beaten

Squeeze excess liquid out of zucchini. In a large bowl, toss zucchini, potatoes and onion with flour. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop zucchini mixture about 1/4 cup