Week 6: August 5, 2012
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Coordinator: Mike Rabinowitz: House Phone: Before 5:30. 895-2884
Farm Cell: 6 – 6:30 p.m, 689-7693
WEEK 6 – ALREADY!
By now you know the routine and phone numbers. If we don’t hear from you by 6:30 p.m. on the day of pick-up, we will take your veggies back to the farm. Please be sure to (1) let us know that you plan to come and (2) check your name off the Green Board on the Chill Room Door when you take your bag. On Saturday morning, there was a Monday bag and two Wednesdays still waiting patiently in the chill room. I was tempted to grab some things for the house but Mike said to wait until he made sure no one was coming for them. When you come for pick-up, take a peek around. Look across the path into the greenhouse where we added Geo-thermal in the spring. Mike says the tomatoes are a month early.
SWAP BOX AND TAILGATE SALES!
Bring your money and take your chances. Mike tries to include a few interesting things. Eventually, there will be a few pints of berries, extra tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. I will send in a couple of Pea Shoot kits for that last minute Birthday gift. Don’t forget for special orders, such as extra basil for making pesto, or those heart shaped flower pedals to decorate an anniversary cake, e-mail us ahead. Your wish is our command.
WHAT’S IN THE BAG?
Pot Potpourri? We had an e-mail, asking, when and how, someone might get a cucumber, instead of something else in the mix. Mike wrote back to say. These were only samples. Soon he hopes to have cukes as well as tomatoes for everyone.
Snow Peas. Hurrah! Finally a few peas for Monday Group. Only a taste, but peas, nonetheless. I have explained how Mike and Mike only picks the peas every evening, placing them carefully in the bag on a special shelf where he collects items for the for the Veggie Coop. I don’t think I told you what happened to the first batch he saved. That’s the story for this week. If you want to hear another farm tale, you will find it after recipes.
WHAT’S HAPPENING ON AND OFF THE FARM!
WOOFERS! Good-Bye and thanks, Julia and Clement! Julie left on the ferry on Thursday. Clement’ is still in St. John’s, doing research on his family history. Welcome, Isabel! She is from Montreal and just finished a University program in film and cultural studies. She helped out at the market on Saturday, is helping pick and pack your Monday veggie bags and is off to Burnt Cove or there about for a couple of days to help with a project out there. It seemed like an opportunity that was too great to miss. We’ll learn more when she returns!
CALLING ALL RAIN DANCERS, PLEASE!
Everything is dry. Some plants are suffering more than others. The garlic is in, but extremely small and spicy. Mike says this is due to lack of water and lack of weeding. Keeping up with watering and irrigation is pretty much a full time job, although we try to work it in, among other tasks. We move large sprinkling systems from place to place in lettuce and green gardens, with a similar set-up for herb gardens. The greenhouses have either soaker hoses or over-head sprinkling systems, which are turned on as needed and monitored. Watering new transplants, growing tables and flowers takes around 45 minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon.
Wanted: Rain Dancers!
One of the first things we did was develop an irrigation system, by creating a system which borrows surface water, which comes down naturally from the high hills and forest on the back of the property. This is achieved by digging a series of ditches, bringing the water down into a pond dug in what was a incipient bog. The pond is 14 ft. deep. The water is pumped out of the pond, through a series of hoses spread about several gardens, and then, flows back, topically, down hill, eventually to the creek below our property, which, in turns runs through a series of small water falls and streams, eventually spilling into the ocean below. However, surface watering for some of the field is still a challenge, as is moving the systems around to make sure everything gets adequate water. So, although I won’t be there to join in, perhaps a rain dance at pick-up will convince the heavens to open up! If you are so inspired, please step to the front of the line!
Fresh Fish and Local Beef Available at Ferry Dock in Portugal Cove.
Jim Parsons is the owner of former fish plant which closed a few years ago. Last year, he opened a small fish market and is expanding into local chicken and beef, which he purchases from a farmer in Carbonear. The fish comes from Harbour Grace. We have tried both the fish and the beef; it seems very fresh and well managed. He makes a trip “out around the bay,” every few days to get produce. If you are planning on coming out, call ahead and see what he has in supply. One morning I went down at eleven and the closed sign was still on the door. I thought perhaps he was closed for good. But, no, when I went down to take the farm workers to the ferry, the Open sign was up. I check in, explaining I had been there earlier. He explained that was late getting back because he had to wait on the fishing boat to get in. Can’s get fish much fresher than that! Phone: Jim Parsons. Cell: 689-1023.
Brian Martin Memorial Golf Tournament, Bally Hal Golf Course, September 6, 2012.
This is an important fund raising event for the Stella Burry Foundation which provides social housing to meet a variety of needs from emergency to long term apartments for people who live with challenges such as mental illness. The Organic Farm is donating gift certificates for the Farmers Market. The Stella Burry Foundation has been developing many different services to meet local needs over the past thirty years. It also operates the Hungry Heart Cafe, as part of its employment skills program. You may want to visit the website to learn more about how the mission and vision that has unfolded under the guidance of Jocelyn Greene, ED, and the volunteer Board of Directors in the past thirty years. For more information about the tournament or how to make a donation contact: Janis Penney-Swartz, Manger, Social Enterprise, Stella Burry, Ph: 738-8953
Looking For A Blue Tooth in Currant Patch!
It is fun to pick you own berries or currants on a pleasant, sunny day, especially if they are just slightly off the beaten path at eh Organic Farm. At least, it seemed that way, until Maureen got home and realized that she had lost her blue tooth ear piece, while picking black currants. We have been carefully, tip toeing in the currant path but nothing yet. This reminds me of the time we were looking for a contact lens in a snow bank in Iowas, when contact lens were about the same price as a gold ring. It was the middle of winter in Iowa. The culprit was snow. We actually scooped up the snow in large tubs and waited for it to melt, then strained it, bit by bit.. We did find the lens after several hours of intense work. Not sure what the second level strategy should be for a blue tooth ear piece?
RECIPES.
(These two Recipes are Excerpts from an E-mail from Veggie Coop Member, Michelle Lacraoix. Thanks, Michelle. It is always fun to learn new recipes and to share them. Melba)
We usually make it with Daikon radish and carrots. It’s fantastic! The recipe is from a cookbook called Clean Food. I’ve also included a recipe for a marinated kale salad that we love and eat all the time. It’s from the VegNews website.
Quick Homemade Pickles
3 cups thinly sliced vegetables of choice (great with Daikon and carrots)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbsp sucanat (we’ve also used cane sugar)
1/2 tsp sea salt
Place sliced vegetables in a glass bowl and set aside.
In a medium pot over high heat, combine the water, vinegar, sucanat and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until sucanat dissolves. Remove from heat and cool 2-3 mins. Pour the pickling liquid over the vegetables, cover and refrigerate. If the liquid does not cover the vegetables completely, stir every 30 mins and continue marinating until vegetables break down and liquid covers everything (about 2 hours). Refrigerate pickles in a glass jar with the pickling liquid.
Marinated Kale Salad
This fresh, healthy salad will quickly become a dinnertime staple. Some VN staffers eat it nightly!
Though kale leaves can be a little rougher than your average roughage, it is certainly one of our favorites. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a huge salad at the end of a long day, and this recipe blends the perfect variety of textures and flavors. The secret is to marinate this salad for at least 10 minutes before serving to tenderize the kale and develop the flavors. Of course, feel free to throw in any of your other favorite veggies—the more the merrier!
What You Need:
• 1 bunch fresh kale, de stemmed
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (shiitake or brown)
• 1/4 cup red onion, sliced thinly
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup flax seed oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• Tamari (to taste)
What You Do:
• Tear kale into small, bite-size pieces. In a bowl, toss all vegetables with kale.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flax seed oil, lemon juice, and tamari. Pour over vegetables and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
MORE FARM STORIES!
Artist, Ed Rich contacted Mike about organic ingredients for a fund raising dinner he was planning for a local charity. He talked to Mike as he was planning the menu; one of the items he wanted was snow peas. The plan was to bring the things to the Farmers Market for Ed to pick up. After Mike picked on Friday evening, he decided he had enough to share a few and still have what he needed for Monday bags. He left a message to this effect for Ed, but didn’t hear back.
To Market, To Market On the Run!
I was on my way out the door at 8:30 the next morning, with the van packed and ready to go to St. John’s. The phone rang and it was Ed. “Yes, Yes, please bring peas!” I didn’t have time to stop, weigh and bag the peas. No problem, my want-to-accommodate everyone mind, said. I grabbed the whole bag from the chill room shelf, put them on the front seat and headed to the market. Jesse, our helper met me at the door and helped bring in the tubs of goodies. Meanwhile, I took a handful of peas, which I estimated to be 100g and left them with Ed’s happy veggies that were headed for slaughter for a good cause. I put the rest in a cooler tub with a lid, under the table. When we had the vendor table set up, I said hello to a couple of people and left. On the way home, my mind wandered over the events of the morning, up to 9 am. It was my first morning working with Jesse. I congratulated myself on arriving at the market a few minutes before 9 in time to have things under control and was thinking how to improve the schedule for the following week. Then it hit me.
The Peas! Where were the precious peas Mike had hoarded for the Monday group? I realized they were still in the tub under the table. Not to panic, I thought! I will call Jesse and get them when I go back to relieve him for lunch later in the day. I did try to call him a couple of times – no answer. I was still not worried. However, when I got back to the market, Jesse said he found them in the cooler, put the whole bag on the table and some man came along and bought the whole bag. For how much? Jesse couldn’t remember. And thought he had made a great sale! – $5.00 or 10.00. I knew Mike would be more upset about not having the peas for the group than the money. As for Jesse – not his fault. It was his first day covering at the market and he had not yet learned that fresh, locally grown, organic peas may be equivalent to the finest kind of contraband!
If the Farm Notes interest you, please send in your recipes and also your stories – but remember that Farm Notes are on the Website and can be read by everyone!
Thanks/ Melba Rabinowitz
