Circle S Farms

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”
― Helen Keller, The Open Door

Well – I had a runaway trying to hitch my mules today.  I was all excited about hilling potatoes and I haven’t tried out my potato hiller yet.  I had it all hooked up, and the potatoes are definitely ready to hill, and I went to hitch the mules and they acted skittish.  So I went in the arena to line drive them first and they bolted – numerous times – and I just had to let them go and watch them run around and around until they would stop.  Then I would gather up the reins, and they would do it again.

I had been feeling so confident – I guess they knew I needed to come down a notch.

Needless to say, the potatoes never got hilled, better luck next time!!

Farm News:  Dry.  The garden needs more water than my few lines of irrigation can give it.  I have rows of peas, okra and corn trying to come up ,  I hope they can make it.

What’s in the bucket?! Fancy lettuces, snow or sugar snap peas, kale/collard or mustard greens, arugula, turnips with greens, young onions, strawberries.

Everyone wonders what to do with turnips.  I LOVE turnips and put them in everything!  Making a pot of soup? add some sliced turnips.   Making a salad? add some thinly sliced turnips.  Making a pot of greens?  add small cubes of turnips.  Roasting potatoes or vegetables? you know what to do….add turnips.  They’re wonderful slightly bitter flavor gives a little zing to whatever you are having.

If you really aren’t excited about eating greens two weeks in a row, or you just have some left over, make some cooking greens pesto – with mustard, kale, collard or turnip greens.

3 cups oversalted cooked greens, cooled and finely chopped

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, walnuts or pecans

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

enough olive oil to turn it into a thick paste.

combine the first four in a food processor, drizzling in the oil while processing.

Recipe From: An Everlasting Meal

Happy eating and thanks for buying local food from Circle S

“With the advent of spring and beginning of the new harvest season the creators of abundance, our peasants, come out to the fields to sow with good aspirations and hopes.”      – Islom Karimov

I have really gone back in time and bought a cultivator for my mules.  Of course, it’s a new age cultivator. Even though Amish built, it has all kinds of attachments, bells and whistles.  I tried it out for the first time last week and my friends Julie Clark and Georgia Pollock came over to help me.  Above is one of Julie’s photos.

For anyone without experience with horses or large animals – they are powerful creatures (that’s why they call it “horse power” right?).  So attaching something to them that they are not used to can be tricky.  Luckily, Madge and Mack had no problems.

Farm News:  The CSA starts this week and runs 10 weeks.  So far the garden is a bit slow – with the cool spring and rainy weather.  We are starting to see progress now, and hopefully everything will go and grow well.

What’s in the Bucket this week?  red and green butterhead lettuce, greens (kale, turnip, collard, and/or mustard),  spring onions, easter egg radishes, spinach, basil and cilantro and hopefully a few strawberries.

Whenever I find myself eating junk food because I’m “too busy to cook”, I have to remind myself the simplest, best meals are simple.

A snack everyone will love:  clean your radishes and keep them whole or halved in the fridge.  When someone you care about walks in the door, serve them radishes with a bowl of salt and some softened butter.   If you are really crazy about them, serve them strawberries with a bowl of local honey to dip in!!

Another trick (and great for anyone avoiding gluten):  keep a soft spread (hummus, cream cheese, avocado, pimento cheese, peanut butter – anything will work) on hand.  For lunch, spread lettuce leaf or collard or kale leaf with your spread, then load it up with chopped radishes, spring onions, spinach, herbs more greens – whatever floats your boat.  Roll it up and enjoy.  I even make a few if my leaves are smaller and stick a toothpick through to hold them together.  That’s fancy!!

Following – my favorite greens recipe.  It will work with any green, or you can mix them together.

Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway! – John Wayne

Cattle Working

Farm News:  When the calves have all arrived, it’s time to vaccinate, ear tag and castrate the bull calves.   Some people have fancy chutes and equipment, some people catch the calves one a time as they are born before they are fast enough to get away.  At Circle S, we do it the old fashioned way, we have a round up.  We ask our neighbors and friends to come help, we work together and get it done, and then we share laughs and have a cookout.

It’s always a little bit wild when you get horses, cattle and people together.  Two of our friends had young horses (who did GREAT), but Curtis got kicked right off the bat by one of them.  He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Luckily, he was so close to her he didn’t get the full brunt of the kick, and it just knocked him down and made him a little sore.

Above are pictures from this year’s roundup, which was yesterday.

Housekeeping:  LAST WEEK FOR 2014 CSA!!!!  Your shares will be in paper bags.  Please remember to return your buckets.

What’s in the bucket?  Lettuce, kale, spinach, turnips, sweet potatoes, turmeric (see last weeks blog) and dried cayenne peppers (see last week’s blog), Blackberry Jam.

Easy ground beef and kale

Enough for 2
450g (1lb) ground (minced) beef
1-3 small red chillies, finely sliced
1 large bunch kale, finely sliced crosswise
1 lemon

1. Heat a little olive or coconut oil in a large frying pan on a high heat.

2. Add beef and chilli. Stir fry for a few minutes until will browned.

3. Add the kale and continue to cook, stirring now and then until the kale is wilted and tender – another few minutes.

4. Taste and season with salt, pepper & lemon juice.

Thanks for buying local food from Circle S farm!!

 Don’t think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter.  It’s quiet, but the roots are down there riotous.  -Rumi

Housekeeping: If you are a half share and receiving this e-mail, this is your last week.  I will be delivering your share in a paper bag.

Farm News:  Quiet here this week.  The warm weather has made the animals happy and they bask in the sun knowing winter weather is coming.  Our cows have been calving, and 15 out of 16 have had their calves.    The cow, we lovingly named Suzanna after Suzanna at Alexzanna farms had her calf last week.   Suzanna loves her calf and the dogs see stars if they get too close to her.

What’s in the Bucket? Fresh Turmeric Root from Rising Fawn Gardens (Steve and Karen Persinger), dried long Cayenne chilies (you can smash these chilies, tear off the bottom, and shake the red pepper out.  Or grind with mortar and pestle and make a wonderful hot chile powder), kale, red and/or green leaf lettuce, turnips, sweet potatoes.

Fresh turmeric root is a treasure and, in my mind, a superfood.  It possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities.  Turmeric is protective against Alzheimers and Cancer.  People in India have 1/4 the rate of Alzheimers of the US population.  It also slows tumor growth and helps delay liver damage from alcohol consumption.  What a list!!

Substitute 3 times fresh turmeric for dry turmeric in recipes.  Turmeric is wonderful in humus or sauerkraut.   It makes a wonderful tea.  I am including two easy turmeric recipes to get you started – then you can experiment yourself.

Turmeric Rice

Ingredients
1 cup long grain rice
2-1/4 cups vegetable broth
1/8 teaspoon dried turmeric or 1/4 teaspoon fresh turmeric, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins or other dried fruit, chopped
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped almonds, walnuts or pecans, toasted
Cooking Instructions
In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent. Add garlic, turmeric, and rice, and cook 2-3 minutes. Add broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Add raisins and almonds, and stir gently to combine. Cover and cook 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender.

Turmeric Potatoes

2.5 # sweet or white potatoes

1 1/2 t fresh grated turmeric

pinch of chile flakes (use the flakes out of your dried chiles!)

2 T olive oil

sea salt

pepper

Peel potatoes and cut into chunks.  Toss all ingredients together and roast at 375 degrees on metal cookie sheet, flip with spatula half way through,  30-40 minutes or until tender.

Happy Eating and thanks for buying local food from Circle S.

“There are two types of people;
those who eat kale and those who should.”
~~ Bo Muller-Moore

Which kind do you think this one is??

Farm News:  Bull is finally happy – back in with the cows.  We had to load him in the trailer and take him over to the other pasture so he wouldn’t mow any fences down on his way over there.  I’m guessing his days are numbered at Circle S if he keeps being so destructive.

What’s in the Bucket:  Lettuce, kale, arugula, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, cilantro, my mother-in-law’s Apple Butter.

Kale and White Bean Soup  (6 servings, Main Course)

1 lb dried white beans such as Great Northern, cannellini, or navy
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 cups chicken broth
2 qt water
1 (3- by 2-inch) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf (not California)
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 lb smoked sausage such as kielbasa (optional), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
8 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 lb kale (preferably lacinato), stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
Accompaniment:provolone toasts
preparation

Cover beans with water by 2 inches in a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand, uncovered, 1 hour. Drain beans in a colander and rinse.

Cook onions in oil in an 8-quart pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add beans, broth, 1 quart water, cheese rind, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and rosemary and simmer, uncovered, until beans are just tender, about 50 minutes.

While soup is simmering, brown sausage (if using) in batches in a heavy skillet over moderate heat, turning, then transfer to paper towels to drain.

Stir carrots into soup and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in kale, sausage, and remaining quart water and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper.

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
~Grandpa Jones

I have been busy today making pumpkin marmalade.  I hope it turns out – I saved a few pumpkins so I could do this for my CSA at Thanksgiving.  I will put it in jars tomorrow – wish me luck.

Farm News:  DELIVERY AND PICK UP THIS WEEK IS ON TUESDAY  – the MAIN STREET MARKET is on TUESDAY this week….so you will have time to use all your precious produce for your Thanksgiving meal!!

We’ve had a quieter week this week.  Curtis hurt his arm fencing – so we have been trying to let him rest it.  Can’t seem to keep him from throwing 5 gallon buckets full of water for the animals over the fence though, during the cold spell!

What’s in the Bucket this week:  Arugula, lettuce, kale, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes and pumpkin marmalade.

I wouldn’t dream of sending this recipe out any other week (Ok, maybe Christmas).  Hence the quote at the top!!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

Servings:
2-4
Units: US | Metric
casserole
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup cream (or milk)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)
Directions:

1
Mix all of the casserole ingredients together until well blended.
2
Spread into a buttered casserole dish.
3
Mix topping ingredients (except marshmallows) together and sprinkle over the casserole.
4
Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.
5
Remove from oven.
6
If topping with marshmallows, place them on the casserole and bake for an addition 5-7 minutes or until marshmallows have melted.
7
Serve.

Happy Thanksgiving…Happy Eating and thanks for buying local food from our farm!!

“To expect life to treat you good is foolish as hoping a bull won’t hit you because you are vegetarian.”  -Roseanne Barr

Farm News:  We’ve had another interesting week.  Our project for the week was to fix the gates at our home farm, and toughen up our fences a little bit, as they are wearing out.  Curtis brought the post driver home from Circle S South – and we got to work.

We moved our cows into a back pasture to let them clean up some grass, and started working on the gate going into their field.  Well, Lucky (our bull, who we keep in a different paddock)  decided it was time for him to go back in with the cows.  He walked over the top of one of our fences and started making his way to the cows.  Heavens,  only one more fence between him and the cows.

Curtis and I went to get our horses.  Luckily, when we got back he was still on the right side of the fence.  We started working to push him and the steer that is his friend (who also walked over the fence) back toward our corral.  It was cold and our horses were fresh – we both had a bit of a rodeo.  I wish I had pictures of that part!!

We heaved a sigh of relief when we got him back into the corral, and went to put our horses up.

By the time we got back, he had busted out of the corral and was back to walking the fence.    Curtis and I went back to get our horses again….  Lucky busted out 3 (almost 4) times before we finally got a hot wire around our corral.  He folded one of our gates half in two.  Needless to say, my horse wasn’t so fresh by the third go round.

So long story short – we will be fencing again this week!!

What’s in the bucket? Napa cabbage and/or lettuce, collards and/or kale, carrots, beets, purple potatoes, parsley or cilantro, blueberry lime jam.

If you are out of ideas for Napa cabbage, asian slaw is always a crowd pleaser!!  You can search back through the blog to find my recipe – or there are lots of good recipes online.

Following, a recipe for a warm kale and beet dish for this cold weather we are having!!

Kale with bacon and beets

Ingredients
2 beets (about 14 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
6 thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon slices (8 ounces), diced
1 large bunch kale (about 1 1/2 pounds), washed, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken stock
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Wash and trim the beets, removing both ends. Place them on a 12-inch square sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drizzle with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Seal up the foil packet and roast until the beets are fork-tender, about 1 hour.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until medium-crisp (or however you prefer your bacon). Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Increase the heat to high and add the kale, stirring to coat in the rendered bacon grease. Cover and cook for a few minutes, and then add the chicken stock and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Stir to combine, cover and allow to wilt for 6 to 8 minutes.

Peel and cut the beets into chunks and add them to the kale. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar. Add the bacon, stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Happy Eating and thanks for buying local food from our farm!!

Sweet are the uses of adversity,
Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head;
And this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in every thing.

As You Like It Act 2, scene 1, 12–17

I’m trying to find the sweetness in adversity this week. .

Farm News:  This week has been a bad luck week.  Among other things, we lost a calf in calving and almost lost his mother.  He was too big for her to have, so we had to pull it.  We weren’t strong enough, so we had to saddle up Curtis’s horse (appropriately named Rock because he can handle anything) and he helped us pull.  He also helped us pull the mother into a position where we could sit her up.  A cow will bloat if she lays flat out for too long.  THANK YOU ROCK!!

At the end of that day, I was ready for a cold beverage and was about to get one for myself when my rowdy Blue Heeler, Temple, flew out the door to chase the horses as she’s done hundreds of times.  Soon after, I heard her screaming.  She hit the trailer hitch on the back of the truck (there was blood and hair all over it) and tore her side open.  It was a big, gaping wound.  We just made it to our vet in time for him to bandage it and tell me to bring her back for surgery the next day.

I have not been able to leave her side since.  She has been terribly uncomfortable, and wants to scratch the incision and pull the drain out.

And this after Otis (our celebrity dog)  impaled himself with a stick and had to have surgery the week before!!  Curtis asked our vet how many visits did it take in one week to get a free visit.

On a positive note, my milk cow Precious, had her calf Tuesday and seems healthy and strong.

So, if you haven’t lost your appetite, WHATS IN THE BUCKET this week?

Carrots, red and green leaf lettuce, greens, Napa cabbage, purple new potatoes (these are not sweet potatoes, just regular potatoes for a change), Brussels sprouts, and parsley, and Blueberry Lime jam – great on a peanut butter sandwich or a slice of cheesecake!!

Following, a few recipes for pesto.  Remember, you can make pesto out of just about anything!! Just use oil, a flavorful hard cheese, nuts and an herb or green and maybe some garlic.  One of our market customers was buying turnip greens to make pesto.  I bet mustard greens would make a very flavorful, peppy pesto.  Arugula makes a wonderful pesto.    AND, pesto is not just for pizza or pasta, it’s great on potatoes, rice, grits or polenta, roasted vegetables, in soups and stews, on a burger, the possibilities are endless!  And – if you freeze it in ice cube trays, you can thaw out just enough for whatever you are making!!

Kale and Walnut Pesto

1 T plus 1 t salt, divided

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 # kale

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup grated parmesan

freshly ground black pepper

Toast walnuts in a heavy skillet over high heat until fragrant – do not burn!!  Put all ingredients in food processor except olive oil.  Pulse until well combined.  With food processor running, add olive oil.

Parsley Pesto

Kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted, roasted almonds
4 cups (packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
3/4 cup chopped fresh chives
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients in food processor and pulse until combined.  With food processor running, add olive oil.  You could substitute spring onions for chives.

Winter greens Pesto

Ingredients:
1/4 cup nuts or seeds, such as sunflower seeds, walnuts or pine nuts
2 cups firmly packed chopped raw winter greens (stems included), such as kale, chard, collard greens or mustard greens
3 tablespoons grated hard cheese, such as Parmesan or Romano
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine all in food processor until desired consistency.

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wanter are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

-J.R.R Tolkein, The Fellowship of the Ring

We had frost this AM.  Cold weekend.  Finally feeling like winter is coming.  We have had fires in our wood stove, and have started feeding hay to the animals.  The season is changing.

Farm News:  My Mom and Dad are here this weekend.  We had a great walk on the new farm property Friday when they got in.  Yesterday mostly sat by the fire and visited, it was a cold windy day.

No new calves lately.  I’m anxiously awaiting my milk cow, Precious, to have her calf.  I have been keeping her in the yard at night and waking up to check on her.

What’s in the Bucket: Kohlrabi is back!!  Also, radicchio, kale and/or mustard greens, Brussels sprouts, purple sweet potatoes, beets, cilantro.

Raw Beet and Kohlrabi salad

Serves 4

1 generous pound total of beets and kohlrabi, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Zest and juice of a lemon
Fresh cilantro or dill, chopped
Few drops of Tabasco

Grate the beet. (There’s no need to peel, the grater will just push the skins back.)
Slice off the thick skin of the kohlrabi with a knife, then grate or chop using a mandoline. Toss with the remaining ingredients.

Looking forward to the next few weeks….carrots and lettuce are coming!!!!

Happy Eating and thanks for buying local food from our farm!!

“You must give to get, you must sow the seed before you can reap the harvest.” -Scott Reed

I am STILL harvesting sweet potatoes. The mules helped me drag in the last of them today – and I will cure them when I get the others out of the curing room. Which YOU are helping me do this week as they are going in CSA buckets.

I have to admit – other than the sweet potatoes and pumpkins – I am a little disappointed in my fall harvest. I did sow a lot of seeds – but the harlequin bugs got the better of me and damaged all of my broccoli harvest. They are also working on the cauliflower and collards. I don’t have a good solution for them, and have not had an infestation like this in years. My lettuce transplants I planted over a month ago and they are just sitting there – not growing at all. Maybe everything was stunted by getting hit by the hailstorm a few weeks ago.

What’s in the bucket this week? Radicchio, kale, small butternut squash, beets, purple sweet potatoes, mustard/turnip or collard greens, cilantro and my favorite – cobbler jam. A piece of blackberry cobbler in a jar!! I give this to my family for Christmas every year and they ration it down to the last spoonful.

Following, a recipe for kale and radicchio salad. I think you could substitute the cilantro for basil.

Kale and Radicchio Salad

Ingredients
4 cups finely julienned kale, cleaned and stems removed
2 cups finely julienned radicchio, cleaned and core removed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juiced and 1 teaspoon zest
1/2 cup shaved Pecorino Romano, plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup dried currants
2 tablespoons finely sliced fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
Directions
Toss the kale and radicchio with about half of the oil, lemon juice and zest in a large glass mixing bowl. Let stand about 2 minutes. Add the Pecorino, currants, basil and the remaining oil, lemon juice and zest. Thoroughly mix. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Fold in the walnuts just before serving and top the salad with a pile of Pecorino.

Happy Eating and thanks for buying local food from our Farm!!