August 20th, 2015

What’s in this week’s box??

*A barrel washer!!

zucchini Summer squash cabbage Basil

Cilantro Marjoram onions Eggplant

Leeks carrots potatoes Beans

cucumbers sweet peppers tomatoes

Pack Shed Party

Friday, August 28^th, 6:30-?

Bring a potluck dish, beverages of choice and lawn chairs.

Mike and his friend Wayne spent the entire hot, humid weekend wiring the new pack shed with electricity. It’s a big job, but we now have lights and outlets! This is a huge step in getting the new pack shed up and running. The 2^nd big improvement is our new barrel washer! We cannot contain our excitement!! We were able to wash all of our carrots in about 15 minutes!!! In the past, this would have taken us over 2 hours.

When we washed the potatoes we thought we had taken the skins right off of them- but no, they were just that clean!! The skins are very much still attached. We are thrilled that we will be able to provide cleaner produce for you using less labor from us. This means we will have more time for other farm tasks.

We are also a huge step closer to celebrating the pack shed and the labor saving, quality enhancing aspects of it. What we are most excited for though- is to celebrate the people who made this pack shed possible. Friends and neighbors who helped with the grunt work, community members, family members and strangers who helped fund our Kiva Zip loan, and all of you who support us by being members of our farm. We feel so blessed to see the pack shed take shape, knowing that it could not be done without a wonderful community around us. Please come out and celebrate with us! If that’s not reason enough, Pot luck’s have the best food, hay rides, outdoor movies of I Love Lucy and Macgyver, and we will have Live music!! Brought to us by the band, Gravel Road. You don’t want to miss it!

Tomatoes: We grow many different varieties. We have heirloom and hybrid. Big ones and little ones. Our tomatoes grow outside in all the elements of nature. They are not grown for beauty, but for flavor. Each tomato offers its own strength and weakness. Some of them acquire blemishes quite easily. Please don’t be afraid of the cracks. Cut around them and enjoy the tomato- usually the more cracked it is, the more likely it is to be an heirloom -valued for flavor. If they aren’t fully ripe, just leave them on your counter until they are. It’s best not to refrigerate tomatoes. Use them as they ripen.

**If you would like to purchase tomatoes for canning, please let me know.

¾ bushel boxes of mixed tomatoes are: $25

¾ bushel box of straight Romas $30

This is a member’s only price. Non-farm members will pay $5 a box higher.

I will fill orders first come, first serve, as the tomatoes ripen. I can send them with your share if you would like or you can come here and pick them up. A ¾ bushel box will have at least 25lbs of tomatoes in it.

I expect that we’ll have tomatoes for the next 3-4 weeks, but mother nature is a finicky one! We’ll see.

Zucchini/Summer Squash/ Cucumbers: Store in refrigerator, crisper drawer is best.

Carrots: Store in plastic bag in crisper drawer.

Onion: The onions are starting to cure- but haven’t completely yet. Use as a fresh onion.

Pepper: Crisper drawer

Potatoes: We’ve moved in to the Satina variety. They are a nice gold/yellow potato. Store in a cool, dry place.

Beans- best if stored in plastic container.

Cilantro- plastic bag in the refrigerator

Basil- place in water on your counter. This basil is UGLY! Sorry! We have been having a tough time producing beautiful basil. IT TASTES GREAT!!! So ignore the holes and use in recipes. Make pesto and freeze it for winter. We’ll try one more new batch before fall and hope it is prettier. Did you know that vegetable farming is really a beauty contest?

Marjoram: Plastic bag in refrigerator or hang to dry.

Cabbage: Crisper drawer or plastic bag in refrigerator

Leeks: Crisper Drawer, Leeks are a member of the onion family and are related to shallots, garlic, chives, and scallions. They have a sweet, delicate flavor all their own. Before using leeks, it is essential to clean them well, as dirt, sand, and grit can collect between the layers.

Recipes

Sauted carrots with marjoram

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pounds carrots (about 16), cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

½ tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram4 teaspoons lemon juice

In a medium nonstick frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic, carrots, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Uncover the pan. Raise the heat to moderate and cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots are very tender and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes longer.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt, the lemon juice, and the fresh marjoram.

Braised Leeks

• 2 leeks

• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

• 1 tablespoon cold butter

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. Remove outer leaves; cut dark-green ends from leeks. Trim roots, keeping leaves attached. Halve lengthwise; rinse to remove grit.
2. Bring broth to a boil in a large skillet. Add leeks; cover, and cook over medium-low heat, turning once, until easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer leeks to a platter.
3. Boil broth until reduced to 1/2 cup, 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter; swirl to melt. Add parsley; season with salt and pepper. Spoon over leeks.

Summer Squash with Basil Pesto

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves

• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan (1 ounce)

• 1 tablespoon pine nuts or walnuts

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 pound zucchini

• 1/2 pound yellow squash

Preparation

In a food processor purée together basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, salt, lemon juice, and oil until smooth and season with pepper.

With a mandoline or other manual slicer, cut zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise into very thin slices. Arrange slices in one layer, overlapping them slightly, on 2 large platters and drizzle pesto over slices. Chill zucchini and yellow squash, covered, at least 1 hour, to allow dressing to be absorbed, and up to 1 day.

Have a great week and happy eating!!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas

August 13th, 2015

What’s in this week’s box??

*Farm Kids

zucchini Summer squash Red cabbage Lemon Basil

Cilantro Oregano onions Eggplant

sweet corn carrots potatoes

cucumbers sweet peppers tomatoes

Welcome to week 9. This is the half-way point of the season! How did we get here so fast? In between the farm work I’m trying to get through the kids’ school supply lists, some shopping done and organizing of school clothes. This is a good reminder that yes, indeed, we’re in week 9.

We’re watching the zucchini slow down a bit, but a new planting of summer squash is coming in strong. The cucumbers and pickles are still plentiful. The sweet corn is continuing to ripen, as the first batch finishes, the second is coming in right behind it. We’re spending some extra time cleaning up the farm a bit as we get ready for our Pack Shed Party. Summer vacation is winding down but the farm is definitely not. 

If you would like to pickle cucumbers, please let me know.

I will sell extra cucumbers for $1.50 a pound and pickles for $2.00 a pound. The pickles will be young cucumbers, 2-4 inches in length.

I also have mature dill with seed heads, $1.50/bunch. Please let me know if you’d like any and I’ll send it along with your share as soon as I can.

Pack Shed Party

Friday, August 28^th, 6:30-?

Bring a potluck dish and lawn chairs

Raspberries….

Coming soon! We’ll keep you posted!

Meet Fred!

Fred is a 6month old rooster we picked up this week. He’s white and his tail feathers are just starting to grow in. It looks like they’ll be beautiful! Our previous rooster disappeared one day, we think a hawk may have gotten him. So our ladies have been without a beau for some time. I enjoy waking up to the cock- a- doodle- doo and he will do a good job keeping them near the coop. His crow sounds like a teen-ager’s right now- a bit croaky. But it will ring out as clear as a bell by fall.

In your box:

*Farm kids

Today I watched my kids pick, shuck and eat corn. I watched them google the kind of snake they found (only the 2^nd one I’ve seen in the 8 years we’ve lived here) and then attempt to catch it. (I’m happy to say they missed it.) The boys planted fall beets and lettuce in the greenhouse (spilling more dirt than they used) and Claudia spent a lot of time washing produce in the wash shed. Watching kids get dirty and learn from the farm is a wonderful perk to my job. (And in case you think this sounds too ideal… we have our share of whining about farm work. ) It was a lot of fun to meet some of our member’s kids this past week too as they came out to pick beans. Hopefully we’ll see even more at our Pack Shed Party!

Tomatoes: We grow many different varieties. We have heirloom and hybrid. Big ones and little ones. Our tomatoes grow outside in all the elements of nature. They are not grown for beauty, but for flavor. Each tomato offers its own strength and weakness. Some of them acquire blemishes quite easily. Please don’t be afraid of the cracks. Cut around them and enjoy the tomato- usually the more cracked it is, the more likely it is to be an heirloom -valued for flavor. If they aren’t fully ripe, just leave them on your counter until they are. It’s best not to refrigerate tomatoes. Use them as they ripen.

Zucchini/Summer Squash/ Cucumbers: Store in refrigerator, crisper drawer is best.

Carrots: Store in plastic bag in crisper drawer.

Onion: The onions are starting to cure- but haven’t completely yet. Use as a fresh onion.

Pepper: Crisper drawer

Potatoes: Store in a cool, dry place.

Beans-taking a break this week, but they’ll be back!

Broccoli- done for a few weeks. We’ll see it return closer to fall.

Cilantro- plastic bag in the refrigerator

Lemon Basil- place in water on your counter

Oregano: Plastic bag in refrigerator or hang to dry.

Sweet Corn: Keep in crisper drawer

Red Cabbage: Crisper drawer or plastic bag in refrigerator

Recipes

Rainbow slaw

4 tsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. raw honey

½ tsp. caraway seeds

pinch of salt and pepper

4 cups finely shredded red cabbage

1 cup shredded carrot

1 cup shredded zucchini

½ cup sliced onion

¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

Whisk first 5 ingredients together. Toss with cabbage, carrot, zucchini and onion. Let stand 20 minutes. Stir in sunflower seeds.

Moroccan chickpea Salad

3 T. olive oil

3 T. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

pinch cayenne pepper

3 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 large carrot, peeled and julienned

¼ cup chopped onion

2 small tomatoes, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

¼ cup chopped, fresh cilantro

1/3 cup crumbled feta

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice and spices. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients.

Pour dressing over chickpea mixture and toss to combine. Serve immediately or cover for up to 24 hours to allow flavors to marinate.

Zucchini and Eggplant Lasagna

1 lb eggplant

1 zucchini, cut into slices

1 yellow squash, cut into slices

1 tsp. olive oil

½ large yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 ½ cups small curd cottage cheese

1 T. fresh oregano

olive oil cooking spray

6 oz. shredded mozzarella

Fresh basil for garnish., optional

Preheat oven to 375. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and spread eggplant, zucchini and squash out in a single layer on sheets, leaving a slight space between each round. Bake for 30 minutes; remove from oven and set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium for 1 minute. Add onion and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cottage cheese and oregano.

Lightly grease an 11×7 baking dish. Line bottom of dish with zucchini and squash, using all rounds and overlapping them so dish is completely covered. Top with cottage cheese mixture. Arrange eggplant over cottage cheese in overlapping rows, then top with mozzarella. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve immediately, garnishing with basil if desired.

Have a great week and happy eating!!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas

August 6th, 2015

What’s in this week’s box??

*Sounds of summer evenings

broccoli zucchini Summer squash lettuce

parsley thyme onion savory

sweet corn green beans carrots potatoes

cucumbers sweet pepper tomatoes

This week’s box screams early August. The cucumbers are in full throttle, the tomatoes and peppers are just starting and the sweet corn is here! You’re getting quite a few, so I’m including several cucumber recipes in the newsletter. If you have a favorite, please send it my way and I’ll share it in the next newsletter.

If you would like to pickle cucumbers, please let me know.

I will sell extra cucumbers for $1.50 a pound and pickles for $2.00 a pound. The pickles will be young cucumbers, 2-4 inches in length.

I also have mature dill with seed heads, $1.50/bunch. Please let me know if you’d like any and I’ll send it along with your share as soon as I can.

BEANS!!!

The beans are plentiful!! We like to plant a huge planting of beans at least once during the summer to ensure that we will have plenty for members to pick. This is the batch! We have yellows and greens, free for the picking to all Threshing Table Farm members. Come any time. The patch is located in the north field. When you come to the farm, walk out behind the greenhouse. Just before the corn field is a dirt path. Follow that out past the pigs and the chicken coop. Stop by the wooden cow and you are there! All the rows between the cow and the onions are ready for picking. They are quite weedy (Sorry- it’s been the theme out there this year) but the beans are easy to find. Tip: The further away from the cow you go- the less picked over the beans are. For best quality, I suggest coming this week or weekend.

This is perfect for those of you who would like to freeze or can beans this winter. Also a great opportunity for those wanting to puree and freeze beans for baby food.

We are busy getting our new pack shed ready for the Pack Shed Party. We re-purposed an old shed to be used as our new pack shed. It’s been a much longer process than we anticipated, but the cement is done. Tonight Mike spent spray washing the walls. There was dirt on there from at least 50 years ago. Next is electricity! The Pack Shed Party is Friday, August 28^th. Please see the invite we sent out on Tuesday.

If you are interested in pork from the pigs raised on our farm, please call our neighbor Dave Jensen. The pigs belong to him. He is taking orders for ½ and whole hogs. The pigs will be butchered in fall. If you would like to purchase some, please call him at

612-685-0155. He also has beef to sell. If you are interested in purchasing some local beef, give him a call about that too.

Raspberries….

Coming soon! We’ll keep you posted!

In your box:

*Sounds of summer nights

Each night, before heading into the house, I put my chickens away. I have to wait until dusk or later, as the girls will put themselves away in the coop. I just have to lock the door to keep any predators out. I always enjoy the walk. I watch the moon and stars come out as the last rays of lights disappear. It’s been a great year for lightening bugs and the sounds of the night are soothing. Tonight was much like every other night. The frogs were singing their night song, the pigs were grunting quietly as they settled in amongst each other and the kids were laughing and fighting as they headed into the house for baths.

Occasionally, we have some roaming chickens who wander into the cornfield. They get a little turned around and wander down the row until somehow, they come out behind one of our sheds and into the yard. They can never seem to find their way back out to the north field to the moveable coop. So, tonight I was carrying a chicken with me while heading out past the pigs. She was cooing, the pigs were snarfling and the frogs were peeping. Suddenly from the north field I heard Mike screaming, “JUNE NO!!!” (June’s our dog.)

And then, all was quiet, serene and as it should be. .. until I made it back to the coop with the chicken. What an awful scent of skunk! Poor June… she’ll have to sleep outside tonight- but at least she’ll be enjoying the sounds of summer nights 

Lettuce: Lettuce doesn’t much care for heat, though this is a variety that tolerates it fairly well. It’s stronger flavored, so I suggest using in on sandwiches or mixed with other greens in a salad.

Broccoli: Store in your crisper drawer or in a covered container. Summer broccoli has a stronger flavor than the fall or earlier broccoli. If it’s too strong for you plain, enjoy it smothered in cheese or in your favorite salad.

Tomatoes: Just starting, there will be more each week. If they aren’t fully ripe, just leave them on your counter until they are. It’s best not to refrigerate tomatoes. Use them as they ripen.

Zucchini/Summer Squash: Store in refrigerator, crisper drawer is best.

Carrots: Store in plastic bag in crisper drawer. Remove the tops for best storage results. Please bear with us as we send the tops. The carrots are small and bunching them with the tops helps us to wash them better. Hopefully next week the carrots will have sized up and we will be sending without tops.

Onion: The onions are starting to cure- but haven’t completely yet. Use as a fresh onion.

Pepper: Crisper drawer

Potatoes: These potatoes have not cured either, they are new, with tender skins.

They will not store as long as cured potatoes. Store at room temperature. NEVER put potatoes in the refrigerator. It will turn them starchy.

Beans: Store in plastic bag in crisper drawer.

Parsley: We have curly leaf and flat leaf. Use them interchangeably. Store in plastic bag in refrigerator.

Summer Savory: Try with any meat or vegetable. Dry it or keep in a plastic bag/container in the refrigerator.

Thyme: Leave on the counter. It can be used fresh or when it has dried.

Sweet Corn: Keep in crisper drawer

Recipes

Refrigerated Pickles

Combine:

6 cups cucumbers

1 pepper, sliced

1 onion, sliced

Mix together:

1 cup vinegar

2 cups sugar

1 T. salt

Pour over cucumber mixture. Refrigerate overnight before eating.

Cucumber Sandwich spread

1 ½ cup finely chopped cucumber

½ cup chopped celery

3oz package cream cheese

½ cup mayonnaise

1 T. minced onion

¼ 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 a clean cloth. Combine cucumber with remaining ingredients. Mix well. Spread on buttered bread.

Cucumbers in Sour Cream

2 large cucumbers, sliced

1 tsp. salt

1 c. sour cream

¼ c. chopped onion

2 T. sugar

2 T. vinegar

pepper

Slice cucumbers into a shallow bowl. Sprinkle with salt and let stand about 20 minutes. Drain. Add remaining ingredients and toss lightly. Chill before serving.

Beef Stir Fry with Zucchini

2 cloves garlic, drushed

1 T. olive oil

1lb beef round steak cut into 1/8 inch strips

salt and pepper to taste

2 small zucchini or summer squash, sliced

1 cup tomato slices

¼ cup Italian salad dressing

2 cups hot, cooked spaghetti

1 T. parmesan cheese

Saute garlic in hot oil 1 minute. Add beef strips, half at a time, stir fry about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove with slotted spoon and keep warm. Add zucchini to same skillet. Add more oil if needed. Stir fry 2 to 3 minutes or until tender crisp. Return beef to skillet with tomatoes and dressing; heat through. Pour beef mixture over hot pasta; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Have a great week and happy eating!!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas

July 30th, 2015

What’s in this week’s box??

*Leopard frogs

broccoli zucchini Summer squash Kale

cabbage? Thyme onion Cilantro

Fennel green beans Carrots potatoes

It’s been a beautiful week on the farm. The rain today (Tuesday) certainly slowed our field work down, but the heat and sun of the other days have sped up the growing most other days. Our summer squash and zucchini patch gets picked every single day and it’s amazing the growth we see each time we pick. When we find a zucchini that is the size of a baseball bat we can’t help but giggle at the ridiculous size and wonder how we could have walked past that thing day after day! The pigs and chickens don’t mind the big ones, they enjoy them often!

Our cucumbers are still plugging along, slowly. We were hoping to have lots of them in the box this week, but it’s again going to be a lottery win if you get one. Next week… Next week… On the other hand, I feel very confident saying that next week we will be having sweet corn!!

The beans are a fun mix that include mostly green beans. We also have some yellow wax beans thrown in as well as an heirloom variety called Dragon’s Tongue. Enjoy the splash of color!

Our tomatoes are starting to show a bit of color on one of the early varieties. I’ll walk the patch tomorrow and see if I can round up enough to put in the box. You might find one…

It’s a bit of a surprise box this week!

Our pigs are growing so fast! If you’ve gotten the chance to visit them you’ve probably seen them rooting in the mud, sleeping cuddled up with one another or scratching against a tree. It is so much fun watching them be pigs, and enjoying nature the way they were intended to. The pigs belong to our neighbor Dave Jensen. He is taking orders for ½ and whole hogs. The pigs will be butchered in fall. If you would like to purchase some, please call him at

612-685-0155. He also has beef to sell. If you are interested in purchasing some local beef, give him a call about that too.

Maple Syrup

We still have syrup available-

Quarts: $15

Pints: $8

Make checks payable to Mike Lenz

And mail them to us at:

2249 150^th St.

Star Prairie, WI 54026

Or leave in the red barn cookie jar at the farm.

In your box:

*Leopard frogs- Ruth Hilfiker is a farm member with a lot of knowledge about the soil, insects and plants that make up a healthy farm. She is often seen walking through our fields, looking at what is going on and evaluating what is going well and where things are struggling. She noted this on her last visit, “ I saw lots of leopard frogs hopping around your “organic” farm in the cabbages!  They do not tolerate pesticide contaminated soil so yeah you.”

We couldn’t agree more… Yeah us!! Yeah Leopard Frogs!!

Savoy Cabbage: Keep in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer. We’re again sending cabbages as we have them. The wet conditions continue to be a struggle for them. The red cabbage, still to come, will hopefully fare better.

Kale: Store in crisper drawer, preferably in plastic bag or container.

Broccoli: Store in your crisper drawer or in a covered container. Summer broccoli has a stronger flavor than the fall or earlier broccoli. If it’s too strong for you plain, enjoy it smothered in cheese or in your favorite salad.

Fennel: Store in crisper drawer

Zucchini/Summer Squash: Store in refrigerator, crisper drawer is best.

Carrots: Store in plastic bag in crisper drawer. Remove the tops for best storage results.

Onion: This is a fresh onion, one that hasn’t cured. Store in your refrigerator until you need it.

Potatoes: These potatoes have not cured either, they are new, with tender skins.

They will not store as long as cured potatoes. Store at room temperature. NEVER put potatoes in the refrigerator. It will turn them starchy.

Beans: Store in plastic bag in crisper drawer.

Cilantro: Place stems in glass of water and place in refrigerator or on the counter.

Thyme: Leave on the counter. It can be used fresh or when it has dried.

Recipes

CSA Salad

I wanted to share this recipe with you I found in a cookbook from our local grocery store.  It has evolved in our household with family and friends as the “CSA Salad” and is a popular request.  I will be making it tonight with my broccoli from our last CSA box!  I add some cubed mozzarella and pepperoni to make the salad an entree.- Jessica Rennich, Member

• 1 pt. Grape Tomatoes, halved

• 2 cups broccoli florets

• 1 cup diced yellow bell pepper

• 1 cup diced green bell pepper

• 1/2 English cucumber, sliced

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion

• 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles

• 1/3 cup prepared Greek vinaigrette

• 1 tbsp. thinly sliced fresh basil

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Refrigerate, covered, or serve immediately.

Fennel, potato and thyme gratin

Serves 6-8 as a side dish

• 1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, sliced thin

• 1 onion, thinly sliced

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 2lb potatoes

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 2 1/2 cups grated cheese

• 1 Tblsp. fresh thyme leaves

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup crumbled raw walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the inside of a 10-cup baking dish, then set aside.

Thoroughly wash your fennel to remove any soil or grit. With a sharp knife, remove the stalks, woody base and fronds (retain the feathery fronds for garnish and discard the rest). Divide the fennel bulb in half; thinly slice the bulbs crosswise.

Melt the butter in a large pan or pot with the splash of olive oil (the oil helps to prevent the butter from burning).  Add in your sliced onion and fennel, then sauté on medium heat for approximately 15 minutes (or until tender). Set aside to cool slightly.

Wash and peel your potatoes. Thinly slice them (about 3mm thick) by hand or with a mandoline. In a large bowl, mix your sliced potatoes with the cream, 2 cups of cheese,  the fresh thyme leaves, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add in the sautéed fennel and onion. Mix well until the cheese and fennel mixture are thoroughly incorporated

Pour the potato mixture into your prepared baking dish. if necessary, then press down lightly to immerse the top layer under the cream. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for one hour before removing the foil and sprinkling over the walnuts. Bake for another 30-40 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbling. Set aside for ten minutes to rest before serving.

Kale Salad

Kale is a superfood: an antioxidant, a powerful anti-inflammatory and an exceptional source of vitamins K and A which are necessary for blood clotting and healthy vision. So eat it up!

6-7 cups kale, thick stems removed and leaves torn

1 T. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. olive oil

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 small avocado, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

3 tbsp pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

¼ cup fresh blueberries

¼ cup feta cheese

Dressing

¼ cup fresh blueberries

3 T. olive oil

2 T. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. honey

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

In a large bowl, combine kale, lime juice, 1 tsp oil and salt and pepper. Massage mixture into kale with your hands until leaves are slightly wilty. Transfer to serving platter.

Sprinkle rest of salad ingredients on to the kale.

Prepare dressing by placing all dressing ingredients in a blender. Add 3 T. water. Blend until smooth and drizzle over salad.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken and Kale Quesadillas

• 10 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders

• 1/2 tsp olive oil

• 3 cups kale, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 15-oz BPA-free can unsalted pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• 1/2 cup diced vine tomato

• 1/4 cup diced yellow onion

• 2 tbsp seeded and minced jalapeño chile pepper

• 1 tbsp ground cumin

• 3 tbsp shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

• 3 tbsp minced fresh cilantro

• Olive oil cooking spray

• 8 6- or 7-inch whole-grain tortillas

         GUACAMOLE:

• 1 small avocado, peeled and pitted

• 1/2 cup reduced-fat (1% or 2%) plain Greek yogurt

• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

• 1/4 cup diced red onion, divided

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced, divided

• 2 tbsp seeded and minced jalapeño chile pepper, divided

• Pinch coarse sea salt, or to taste

• 1/2 cup diced vine tomato

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add chicken and bring to a simmer; cook until opaque throughout, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly, then dice into 1⁄4-inch pieces.

2. Meanwhile, prepare guacamole: In a medium bowl, combine avocado, yogurt and lime juice; use a fork to mash mixture until smooth. On a cutting board, pile 2 tbsp each red onion and cilantro, 1 tbsp jalapeño and pinch salt; mince mixture finely, then use flat side of knife to scrape mixture against cutting board into a paste. Stir paste into avocado mixture. Fold in remaining 2 tbsp each red onion and cilantro, 1 tbsp jalapeño and 1⁄2 cup tomato. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

3. In a medium pot, heat oil on medium-high. Add kale and sauté, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Reduce heat to medium and add beans, 1⁄2 cup tomato, yellow onion, 2 tbsp jalapeño and cumin. Sauté for 5 minutes, until onion softens and mixture is heated through. Stir in chicken and cheese and cook until cheese melts; stir in 3 tbsp cilantro.

4. Mist a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Stack 2 tortillas and add to skillet; heat for 30 seconds. Turn and cook for 30 more seconds, until soft and heated; remove from skillet. Transfer 1 tortilla to a clean cutting board and spread 1⁄2 cup chicken mixture evenly over top, leaving 1/8-inch border along edges. Brush edges with water and place second warmed tortilla over top, pressing edges to seal. Carefully transfer to skillet and heat, turning once, for 2 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture.

5. Cut each quesadilla into 4 pieces and serve with guacamole.

Have a great week and happy eating!!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas

July 23, 2015

What’s in this week’s box??

2 ½ more inches of rain!

broccoli zucchini Summer squash Lettuce

Savoy cabbage kohlrabi onion cilantro

Fennel green beans dill potatoes

Fair week is now a happy memory. The kids showed their projects, learned a lot and met new friends while reconnecting with old ones. Mike and I had pretty much the same experience. We came home each evening tired, sticky and happy. We love the opportunities that 4-H offers kids in our community. If you would like information on 4-H, please let me know!

Despite our love of the fair, it highlights the struggle that July is for us as farmers. July is always the hardest month. We’re still planting crops for fall harvest, weeding and harvesting daily. It’s a lot to get done. The days are long, but we’re still up before the sun and going to bed after it has set. I am often asked, “How do you do it all?’ The answer is: I don’t. I have lost the battle of a functionally clean house, some weeds have won in the field and my kids are a bit more free range than I’d like. At times it seems overwhelming. Then- I ask myself- “Is it worth it?” and the answer is yes. We love what we do and I am proud of the beautiful food, the inspiring community of people we feed and my work worn hands. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. The late summer crops- tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc. are looking really good. The new transplants are weed free (well… almost) and some of our weediest stuff is getting mowed down as we are finished with them. I am in no rush to have summer leave, but I know it will go fast and I will savor every exhausting moment of July!

Maple Syrup

**Awarded an “Honorable Mention” ribbon at the St. Croix County Fair!

Each spring, while I am manning the greenhouse and the baby plants, Mike spends his free time at our cabin in Winter, WI. With the help of family and friends, they tap over 400 trees, attach buckets and wait for the drip, drip, drip of spring. This year was a great sap run. They cooked 100’s of gallons of sap over a wood fire, resulting in beautiful, tasty Maple syrup.

If you would like some, we have the following for sale:

Quarts: $15

Pints: $8

Make checks payable to Mike Lenz

And mail them to us at:

2249 150^th St.

Star Prairie, WI 54026

Or leave in the red barn cookie jar at the farm.

In your box:

More rain! This has been a very wet summer. We’re enjoying this much needed, drier week.

Savoy Cabbage: Keep in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer. At the time of this writing, I am not sure if we will have enough cabbages for each of you. This planting is not liking the wet conditions. We’ll do our best.

Kohlrabi: Crisper drawer. We love to eat them sliced and raw.

Broccoli: Store in your crisper drawer or in a covered container. There may be some cabbage worms in your broccoli. Sorry- it’s just that time of year. We’re working at moving them out. Until then just keep an eye out for them when chopping up your broccoli. Or you can soak your broccoli in a gallon of ice water with ¼ cup of salt for half an hour. This will kill any worms that made it home with you.

Fennel: Store in crisper drawer

Zucchini/Summer Squash: Store in refrigerator, crisper drawer is best.

Lettuce: Store in plastic bag in crisper drawer

Onion: This is a fresh onion, one that hasn’t cured. Store in your refrigerator until you need it.

Potatoes: These potatoes have not cured either, they are new, with tender skins.

They will not store as long as cured potatoes. Store at room temperature. NEVER put potatoes in the refrigerator. It will turn them starchy.

Green Beans: Store in plastic bag in crisper drawer.

Cilantro and Dill: Place stems in glass of water and place in refrigerator or on the counter.

Recipes

Roasted Fennel with Parmesan

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
4 fennel bulbs, cut horizontally into 1/3-inch thick slices, fronds reserved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Lightly oil the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange the fennel in the dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then with the Parmesan. Drizzle with the oil. Bake until the fennel is fork-tender and the top is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Chop enough fennel fronds to equal 2 teaspoons, then sprinkle over the roasted fennel and serve.

Pizza Dippers (Thanks to member Mindy Connelly for sharing this one!)

• 3-4 small zucchini, sliced long into quartered spears, and then I like to halve each spear so they are easier for little ones to dip (smaller/skinnier zucchini work better than the big fat ones)

• 1 TB avocado oil (or melted butter or coconut oil)

• ½ tsp sea salt

• 2 tsp Italian seasoning

• ¼ cup (or more/less) grated Parmesan cheese

• Spaghetti sauce

Instructions

1. Place the zucchini on a baking sheet and toss them with the oil, seasonings, and cheese.

2. Line up the zucchini so the flesh is facing up.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, and then under the broiler on high for another 3-5 minutes. Watch the dippers under the broiler after a few minutes so they don’t get too brown.

Cilantro Pesto

(This is an all-time favorite of mine! I freeze this pesto in mini muffin tins, and then store the “muffins” in a bag in the freezer. I pop one out and thaw to eat with avocados in the winter or spread on a sandwich. YUM!)

½ cup walnuts

1-2 garlic cloves

½ c. olive oil

juice from ½ lemon

½ tsp. sea salt

1 large bunch cilantro, stems removed

Blend all in food processor and enjoy!

Chicken Salad Pesto

Very good… and the leftovers are excellent sauted for breakfast with potatoes and zucchini!

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

In food processor:

½ cup finely chopped dill

¼ cup raw walnuts

1 garlic clove

Pulse. Slowly add ¼ cup olive oil.

Toss chicken with pesto, ¼ cup chopped onion and juice of 1 lemon. Salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar. Toss and enjoy!

Have a great week and happy eating!!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas

July 16, 2015

What’s in this week’s box??

* Monarch caterpillars

broccoli zucchini Summer squash beets

Swiss Chard kohlrabi onion

Basil green beans dill potatoes

What do you call a baby potato? A small fry! A little farm humor there…

It’s another beautiful week on the farm! We’ve again been blessed with plenty of rain and more rain and lots of sunshine. The produce is coming on strong! We have a few new arrivals this week, including potatoes! There is something so wonderful about the first new potatoes! The humble, beautiful, potato that makes amazing potato salad, golden breakfast hash or drizzled with oil, chopped dill and roasted on the grill. I should not write these newsletters on an empty stomach! 

We have been blessed with a little too much rain . We are battling mud in the fields which is making it hard to harvest and weed (yet again!), causing the beans to get rust spots and generally making things soggy. Many unwanted pests seem to thrive in this wet weather as well. We’re looking forward to some dry and sunny days. We enjoy the weekly rains. Mike hasn’t had to irrigate once this summer. However, we wish it would rain ½ an inch instead of 3+. Farming… Mother nature is our greatest partner but she doesn’t much care what we have to say. We realized a long time ago that this is not an equal partnership.

Here are updates on some other yummy opportunities:

Strawberries

The berries are done for the season, this last rain hurried that up a bit. We sure appreciate all the work Demullings did to provide us with great berries and we look forward to their return next year!

Raspberries

Will be coming very soon! Maybe as soon as next week. We’ll keep you posted!

Maple Syrup

Each spring, while I am manning the greenhouse and the baby plants, Mike spends his free time at our cabin in Winter, WI. With the help of family and friends, they tap over 400 trees, attach buckets and wait for the drip, drip, drip of spring. This year was a great sap run. They cooked 100’s of gallons of sap over a wood fire, resulting in beautiful, tasty Maple syrup.

If you would like some, we have the following for sale:

Quarts: $15

Pints: $8

Make checks payable to Mike Lenz

And mail them to us at:

2249 150^th St.

Star Prairie, WI 54026

Or leave in the red barn cookie jar at the farm.

Fair Food

Roasted Sweet corn, honey lemonade, deep fried cheese curds, chocolate malts…. Mmmm….. The list of summer food just keeps going!

This is it! The biggest week of the year for the Lenz kids! The St. Croix County Fair is in Glenwood City, this Thursday- Sunday. They are each bringing a calf to show. Claudia is also bringing her horse Chumley. There are also some non-animal projects like woodworking, home decorating and legos. I’m getting in on the fun too by entering some home canned items in open class.

Stop by and see us! Some or all of us will be there the entire time. In the dairy and horse barns, look for Riverside 4-H club. The kids’ calves’ names are: Tropicana, Mrs. Gunderson and Instagram.

They’ve been working hard, under the guidance of their project leaders, getting their animals trained, washed and learning how to show the animals. We hope to see you there! There is free admission to the fair. You do pay for parking if you choose to park on the fairgrounds.

In your box:

Monarch butterflies: The plight of the Monarch is important to us. They have lost so much of their habitat to mowing, pesticides and development, that their population has decreased to dangerously low numbers. We are doing what we can by farming with organic methods, saving their most important food, milkweed, whenever possible. We have seen some monarchs flying around the fields and the other day we found a caterpillar. Go Monarchs!

Swiss chard: Keep in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer.

Kohlrabi: Crisper drawer.

Broccoli: Store in your crisper drawer or in a covered container. There may be some cabbage worms in your broccoli. Sorry- it’s just that time of year. We’re working at moving them out. Until then just keep an eye out for them when chopping up your broccoli. Or you can soak your broccoli in a gallon of ice water with ¼ cup of salt for half an hour. This will kill any worms that made it home with you.

Basil: Basil doesn’t like it below 40 degrees. It’s best to place it in a glass of water on your counter. Our basil is a little rough, having been beaten down by the rain. However, the flavor is still amazing!

Zucchini/Summer Squash: Store in refrigerator, crisper drawer is best.

Beets: Remove greens and store separately. Store greens like any other green. Store beets in crisper drawer, in a plastic bag.

Onion: This is a fresh onion, one that hasn’t cured. Store in your refrigerator until you need it.

Potatoes: These potatoes have not cured either, they are new, with tender skins.

They will not store as long as cured potatoes. Store at room temperature. NEVER put potatoes in the refrigerator. It will turn them starchy.

Green Beans: Store in plastic bag in crisper drawer.

Dill: Place stems in glass of water and place in refrigerator or on the counter.

Recipes

Zucchini Patties from member Ginny Rassier

Here is the zucchini patty recipe. It’s a great basic recipe you can adjust to your tastes.  (you’ll notice we like cheese)

Ingredients
2 cups grated zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt to taste
Garlic to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil —-for frying

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, eggs, onion, flour, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and salt. Stir well enough to distribute ingredients evenly.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop zucchini mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls, and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden.

Almost as good reheated!!

I use Almond meal instead of flour.  Delicious!!  Add or subtract ingredients to your taste!

Zucchini Meatloaf

(A favorite in our house!)

**Shred extra zucchini and freeze in 2 cup amounts. Thaw and add to your meatloaf all winter long!

2lb ground beef 1 tsp. salt

2 c. shredded zucchini 1 tsp. oregano

1 c. milk 1 tsp. parsley

1 c. bread crumbs ¼ tsp. pepper

1 onion, finely chopped ½ c. parmesan cheese (optional)

1 egg, beaten

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Bake in a loaf pan at 350 for 1 ¼ hours.

How to freeze green beans:

Wash beans.

Break stems off and break beans into desired size.

Drop 2 handfuls into pot of boiling water.

Blanch (boil) for 3 minutes and immediately immerse them into ice cold water.

Drain and freeze in freezer containers.

Wilted Swiss Chard with Basil

• 2 Tbs. olive oil

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 6 to 7 large Swiss chard leaves, rinsed and coarsely chopped

• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil plus whole leaves for garnish, optional

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Fresh lemon juice to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, chard and basil, and cook just until the chard begins to wilt, for about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice. Garnish with basil, if using, and serve warm.

Have a great week and happy eating!!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas