Veggie Coop Farm Notes
WEEK 1: June 24, 2013
THE BASICS
Welcome new and returning members. If you are an “old” member, you will want to skip this first piece which tells the rules of the game. You may need to read some of the next section about handling the veggies as it is a re-worked piece from a prior year.
FIRST THINGS FIRST!
Veggie Coop Coordinator: Mike Rabinowitz. Pick-up is from 6 – 6:30 at the Science Building Parking Lot, MUN Campus. If you are not coming or running late, please phone us at home before 5 p.m. The number is 895-2884. We will also have the Farm Cell at pick-up. After five call 689-7693. We hope to leave the pick-up site at 6:30. If members are not there on time, your bag will go back to farm to be picked up the next day. If you are picking up at the farm for the first time and don’t know the way, call for directions. When you get to 42 Churchill Rd, come up the long asphalt drive, toward greenhouses. Look for the white two story shed on the left. Park and enter the shed. (Note that the dogs bark but are very friendly.) Go past the potting table and stairs on the left. Look for the door with the green chalk board . This is the door to the chill room where your veggies will be hiding , Open the door and take the appropriate bag that will be marked “smaller” or “larger”. If your regular pick up place is the farm, your name will be written on the door. Check your name SO WE KNOW YOU CAME! If you are picking up because you missed the pick up at MUN and your name is not on the board, write your name on the board below the other names and check it.
WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE FARM and Recipes Ideas for Chinese Cabbage!
This is the place in farm notes you will find a little news, a little gossip and any current activities which affect life on the farm. One of the best aspects of Farm Notes is sharing recipes. We have collected recipes for years from members. Some of these are already on the Website; the others will be sent along when the veggies are available. We only share the recipes hat we have used or have been developed or used by Veggie Coop members. When we share, we like to name the member who gave it to us; and also the source if it comes from the Internet.
Chinese Cabbage, the most versatile vegetable on the farm.
I looked up a bunch of recipes. While this was taking place, we had already used two heads in steaming, stir fry and a tender cole slaw. For steamed cabbage, remove the centre, white stems and set aside for stir fry, like I am doing for supper tonight. Steaming is simply that; it is done in a large steamer; add Chinese cabbage when water is rolling, return lid and check in ten minutes. Serve immediately. Add low salt margarine or butter and toss lightly.
Cole Slaw
This recipe is based lightly on my Mother’s Tennessee Cole Slaw recipe which I will send along with the first cabbage. Lay Chinese cabbage on its side on a cutting board and cut as thin as possible. Do the same with tomatoes, thinly sliced and then halved or quartered. Add thinly sliced onions or “tons” of chives. I have the privilege of going to the Chive Patch and whacking a big hand full with scissors, and then trimming them delicately, like green falling snow. Dressing is very light. A triple sprinkle of vinegar, maybe l/4 cup, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 tables spoons of olive oil; 2 tables spoons of mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste. NOW USE THE TASTE TEST. If the combination of ingredients seems off balance, adjust to your taste preference. Mike and each of my sons make their salad dressings a little differently. You will find yours. I like the dressing to be light, more like a lettuce salad, instead of heavy, the kind usually found in regular cole slaw served at a Sunday Buffet or a Deli.
Lovage
I asked Oz, our son, and Alice, a long term employee who is interested in healthy food and everything organic, to give me the good graces of Lovage. Here is their summary. Lovage is a good celery replacement, leaves included. For good soup or stock shred the lovage and throw it in; it will blend in on its own. Complimentary flavour with tomatoes; if you are making soup, sauce, stir fry with tomatoes, just chop it up and throw it in. Basically, the message is that LOVAGE is a good thing. Try it. It’s great!
More soon! If you have anything you want to share with other member, recipes or otherwise, forward it to me and it will see the light of day, in the Farm Notes.
Melba Rabinowitz, the other half of the Organic Farm
