Reminder: go to new blog link

Reminder: go to the new blog address :)

Find it here:


http://www.fertilefamilyfarms.blogspot.com/


I will be taking this one down in a few more weeks... I just want to be sure that everyone has time to transition to the new site and not miss any information.

Stacy

changes ahead

I didn't get on here to update, not sure how I missed it. I am slowly working on transferring info to a new blog.

We are working towards removing the family name from the internet as much as possible, to come in line more with their faith.

Please look for the new blog at:

http://fertilefamilyfarms.blogspot.com/

I posted the new 2011 Season pricing on there, too!

Stacy

Planning ahead...

We are working on next season's planning. One of the big things to address is that the family has asked that I work on removing their name from the internet completely. I will be sending out a message with updates as soon as we come up with a new name that is both suitable to them, and available yet on the internet.

Thank you for your patience!
Stacy

Post season ponderings....

It seems like fall is finally here. This week sure was different, not having to rush around getting all the boxes delivered. There are very few leaves left on the trees as I look out my window, I am finally realizing that I am ready for a rest. Maybe I could even hibernate for the winter! Well, maybe not, but it feels cooler today and the skies are gloomy, so it sounds like a good day for a nap.

With so many great things in our boxes, I spent a lot of time trying to make use of things for my own family, and didn't get as many recipes posted as I would have liked. I did get a great recipe for coleslaw from a friend, though, in case any of you have some of that delicious red cabbage left to use up. I have had it a few times at their house, AFTER it came out of the freezer, and it is delicious! It is still crisp, not at all mushy, and I couldn't tell that it was not fresh. I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I do!

Stacy

Freezer Coleslaw

1 Medium Cabbage shredded (Approx. 5 c.)

2-4 Carrots (approx. 2 c.)

1 Pepper chopped

1 Tbsp. salt per head of cabbage

1/3 Onion ( or 1 whole onion for 3 batches)

Mix salt with cabbage. Let stand 1 hr. Squeeze out excess water.

Add carrots, pepper, & onion.

Dressing

1 C. vinegar

2 c. sugar (or 1 1/2 c. honey)

1/4 c. water

Boil & cool til warm. Pour over slaw.

Add 1 tsp. whole mustard seed.

Put in containers & let stand overnight, then freeze. Can be frozen in bags.

Season Finale! October 12th!

Greetings Friends!

We made it! Here it is week 20, and we are planning our final drops of the season. For those who didn't catch it, we are doing all of them this week on Tuesday! We hope to have a driver in Thief River Falls at about 10:30am at your usual meeting point.


As for the contents of the box this week, it will be a total surprise! Being the end of the season, the quantities are not as large as they are in the peak of the season, and we are trying to not have any waste. Usually, the boxes are exactly the same, according to the size of share, but this week, the boxes will be loaded with items as they are available. We will be starting at one end of the row, filling with amounts that seem reasonable for each box, and going back and forth until items run out. This means that each box should get a usable amount of each item that they do receive, but may not receive as many items as we would usually put in the boxes. We hope to have a variety of things that will last you a bit longer.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Stacy! We are looking forward to next season already, and would love to hear your feedback before the big planning starts. Drop a letter in the mail (if you haven't done so already!) or send an email, and we will take your words into consideration. We have quite a few who have shown interest for next season, and that is encouraging to us. This season was full of learning experiences for all of us and are hoping for an even better year next year.

The blog will continue throughout the off season with updates as we have them. I will share news of things we plan to do, things we want to change from this season, and odds and ends news about all of us involved. I also hope to continue to add recipes and even start finding nutritional information so that everyone can understand why we choose to offer many of the items that are grown on the farm.


Don't forget to bring all of your empty boxes to your drop points tomorrow and to use a container/box/bag from home for your produce!


Stacy

Weekly Update October 5/7

A little late, but here goes:

Next week will be our last week for the season. That will make it 20 weeks for us! We are thrilled! Admittedly, we had a few rough spots this year, but we are learning and growing.
We hope you have enjoyed your food as much as we have.

Please return all of your boxes next week, and bring a bag, basket or other container to empty your full box and leave it where your pick up location is, so that we don't have to shuffle and track them down later. We hope to assess the condition, how long we can reasonably expect them to last, if any can be re-used for other purposes, which boxes held up the best, etc.



Now, for the contents of the box this week:

POPCORN! It may need to dry a bit more, but it is 100% edible! If you aren't that brave, just use it for a great decoration

Swiss chard
Dried Beans
Red Cabbage
watermelon
butternut squash (or other winter variety, some substitutions are possible)
carnival squash
beets
carrots
celery (just a small taste of it, this stuff is stronger than the stuff you will find in the store, but it is also a bit difficult to grow in large quantities and have it turn out well)



I got some great recipes today from a CSA Member, I am excited to share them with you! I love getting new recipes to share with everyone, especially "tried and true" recipes, rather than the ones I dig up online for everyone.

Pot Roast:

1 Roast Beef – any size or cut you like. Can be fresh or frozen.

I usually put a tablespoon or so of oil in a pan – heat until hot and sear the roast good on all sides (or as best you can).

Select a kettle for the oven and lightly spray with pam or olive oil. Slice 1 large onion and lay in bottom of pan. Lay seared roast on top of onions.

Season the roast however you prefer – you can use your favorite fresh herbs or spices. Sometimes I sprinkle a packages of Lipton’s dry soup over the top.

Next add whatever vegetables you like – I usually use whatever combination from the following – depending what I have on hand:

Potatoes, Rutabagas, Parsnips, Turnips, Carrots, Celery stalks (for flavor), Fresh mushrooms, and always more Onions (cut in ¼’s).

Leave the vegetables in large pieces.

Depending on the size of your roast and how long you leave it in the oven or crockpot – you can either put the vegetables in the same pan as the roast or cook as follows:

Roasted Root Vegetables:

• 2 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 2 russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 pound turnips, cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon each fresh rosemary and fresh thyme leaves
• 1 red onion, sliced

You can do just about anything …… you can add garlic, a little beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, etc. You can even sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of flour on your roast before searing. It’s up to you.

You can either serve the roast with the whole vegetables on a platter or you can mash some of the veggies together and serve.

Make your favorite gravy with the juices from the pan and enjoy!

For Roasted Root Vegetables:

One hour before the pot roast is done cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add all the vegetables to a large bowl and add the canola oil, rosemary, thyme, and onion. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and arrange on a sheet tray. Roast for 30 minutes, then toss and roast another 30 minutes. Arrange on a serving platter and serve.

(Thanks, Sherry!)

Weekly update, September 28/30

Wow! Time is flying. Fall is surely here! Orange pumpkins are everywhere, including at the farm.

I need to apologize, apparently, I have lost last week's blog post. I had a couple of people point out that they hadn't seen any recent updates. Wellllllllll, I am still a rookie at some of these things and make mistakes. I am just not sure what happened to them. I have a couple of great recipes shared by members that I had on there, along with the plan for the end of the season.

This week, look for more root crops in your boxes...potatoes, beets, carrots, onions, rutabaga, parsnips... along with some goodies like a pumpkin, one last watermelon, and a few other items that I will find out about when I get to the farm.

We hope to have the details for the end of the season hammered out today. This is week 18!!!! Our sprouting little CSA has grown quite well this season, we hoped to get at least 15 weeks, but it looks like we may really see a full 20 week season! This is the number that it seems most CSAs in the Upper Midwest shoot for, but with our unpredictable weather, it isn't always a reality. We are all thankful for the great season, even with it's ups and downs!


Hope to update later today!

Stacy