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