Sunny Slope Farm

Too Many Onions???

2011-06-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

Do you have a large quantity of onions that you need or want to use quickly? Here's a recipe Rachel found and made with her best friend several years ago. We enjoyed it again the other night after harvesting a complete row of Texas Super Sweet onions and separating out a large quantity of "seconds" for home use.

Onion Pasta Serves 4-6

5 onions, thinly sliced
1/2 c olive oil
4 T butter
1 c water
1 t dried basil
1 T chicken bouillon
1 pinch black pepper
1 lb. uncooked pasta
Parmesan cheese

Sauté onions in oil and butter until golden brown. Add basil, pepper, water, and bouillon. Cook on low 10 minutes. Boil pasta in separate pan. Add onion mixture to cooked pasta, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, toss, & serve.
NOTE: Good with chicken pieces added.

Two Kale ideas

2011-06-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

Kale is useful for more than a garnish that will look crisp in hot weather! Really!

Many people tell us they've tried to use kale, but haven't cared for it. These are two recipes that we've enjoyed...the first one given to us by former CSA customers who moved to another state and the second by a former intern. Oh, look, both recipes call for potatoes and one uses some of the mid-summer onion supply!

Restaurant-style Zuppa Tuscana 6 servings

1 lb. smoked sausage, cooked and cut into 1/2" slices
2 potatoes, cut into 1/4" slices
3/4 c chopped onion
6 slices bacon
1 1/2 t minced garlic
2 c kale, washed, dried, and shredded
2 T chicken soup base
1 quart water
1/3 c heavy whipping cream

Fry onions and bacon together. Remove bacon pieces and crumble. Add garlic to onions and continue to fry for 1 minute. Add soup base, water, and potatoes and simmer 15 minutes. Add bacon, sausage, kale, and cream and simmer 4 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Mashed Potato Spinach Casserole

5 lbs potatoes
2 or 3 10 oz-pkgs chopped spinach--or substitute washed & shredded kale.
1 t salt
Dash of pepper
1/4 c butter
Dill weed
1 c sour cream
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese

Peel, wash, and cut potatoes in smaller chunks. Put in large cooking pan with lid. Add water up to half the potatoes. Cook until potatoes are very soft. Drain, reserving "juice." Add butter, sour cream, salt, pepper, and dill weed to potatoes. Beat with mixer until fairly smooth. If too dry add some of the potato "juice" or milk.

In second pan, cook spinach or kale until soft. Drain off liquid until dry. Add cooked, drained spinach or kale to mashed potatoes and mix well. Put mixture into a greased oven dish. Sprinkle grated cheese over top evenly. Bake at 375ºF for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and dish is heated through. This is good served with cooked sausage.

"Strawberry Fields Forever" -- Reprise

2011-06-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

OK, so I know this is cheating, but the best new list of strawberry recipes I've found is at www.about.com. Paste the link below into your browser to see the likes of....
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie with Almond-Filled Crust
Strawberry Chiffon Cake
Strawberry Mousse
Strawberry Cordial
Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/fruits/tp/strawberries.htm?nl=1

Or, go back to our archive entry in this blog from June 2009 titled "Strawberry Fields Forever" for another nice list featuring a number of recipes from our favorite seasonal resource, "Simply in Season" (pub. Herald Press)
Includes:
Strawberry Bread
Strawberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Strawberry Pie
Strawberry Daiquiris

An equally important thing to do, in my opinion, is to squirrel away some berries for the rest of the year. (You may need to get some more from us!). It's simple to do: Just wash and trim, then spread out on a tray and freeze, then pack into freezer bags for storage. Let us know if you need more! All our varieties have a very short shelf life, even on a shelf in your frig! So use promptly.

"Strawberry Fields Forever!"

Green Tomato Salsa Verde

2010-10-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

Yet another really good recipe from Simply In Season (Herald Press, 2005). We've tried this one and really like it with tortilla chips....!

1 cup green tomatoes (coarsely chopped)
1/2-1 fresh jalapeno pepper or other chili pepper
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 green onions (white and green parts cut in 1-inch pieces)
1/3 cup water

Combine above ingredients in a small microwavable bowl. Cover tightly. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. Let stand 1 minute. Carefully remove cover. Place cooked vegetables in blender or food processor.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp salt

Add and blend until smooth. Use as a salsa over beans and rice, with tortilla chips, or as a dressing on salads.

How to Keep a Sweet Potato for Winter Storage

2010-09-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

Sweet potatoes are a funny crop, really a southern plant, and not actually a potato at all. Nor are they related to "yams" grown commonly in tropical countries.

They can be harvested all the way until the vines are frost-killed. However, around here, mice will take too large a toll if the sweet potatoes are left in the ground that long. Also, curing sweet potatoes is easier while we still have some warm days.

After early harvest, if eaten immediately, some varieties of sweet potatoes will be starchy and not sweet. So we usually give them at least a few days before using them. This allows some of the starch to convert to sugars, for the familiar sweet flavor.

Sweet potatoes will usually keep for a month or two with no curing, just kept in a cool/dark place. However, if you want to enjoy them all the way through winter and spring, they must be "cured." When a sweet potato spoils, it generally does so through the nicks in the skin, and where the plant stem broke off. These areas need to form a hard plug or scab, to protect the stored sweet potato from spoilage. To do this, the sweet potatoes should ideally be kept at 85-90 degrees in a well-ventilated spot for 10-15 days. This is not exact, but the more warmth they get during this curing time, the better.

After curing, store sweet potatoes in a cool place (55 degrees or so) but not too dry (75-80% humidity) so they don't shrivel too badly. A "root cellar" is ideal!

Pumpkin Season!

2010-09-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

What do you do with a pumpkin ?! (Or any other winter squash, for that matter)

To bake your pie pumpkin, just cut it in half, remove the seeds and strings, and place the halves open-side down in a cake pan, with about 1/2" of water in the pan. Then bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or more, until the flesh of the pumpkin is tender and begins to fall apart. Put the pulp through a bleder or ricer.

At our house, this often gets made into a pumpkin pie filling, which becomes "crust-less pie."

From the Joy of Cooking cookbook: Pumpkin or Squash Pie

Mix until well blended:
2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin or squash
1 1/2 cups undiluted evaporated milk or rich cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg or allspice
1/8 tsp cloves
2 slightly beaten eggs

Pour the mixture into a pie shell or a greased bowl or pan. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degress and bace about 45 minutes longer or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

For a variation, try omitting the milk and substituting 2 Tbsp molasses and 1 1/2 cups sour cream.

Another favorite at our house: Winter Squash Bars (from Simply In Season)

Beat together in a mixing bowl:
2 cups winter squash or pumpkin (cooked, pureed as above)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Mix in:
1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Pour into a lightly greast 11 x 17 inch pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degress for 25-30 minutes. Mmmm....

And finally, get a copy of Simply In Season cookbook (Herald Press, 2005) and try out their
Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake (p. 219) or their Pumpkin Pecan Pie (p. 217). They sound wonderful !!

THE SEPTEMBER CHICKEN MASSACRE !

2010-09-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

OK, well, no, the sky isn't exactly falling, but SOMEthing has reduced our hen population by about 40 birds...! It started with a look at the flock on Friday evening as I was doing chores, and saying to myself, "THAT doesn't look like 90 birds to me." As it was almost dark, and the hens were on their roosts, a quick count came up with only about 48 birds. .... ..... UH-OH. So, we go into "lock-down" mode -- sorry, ladies (addressing the poultry, that is). No more free-ranging until we have a chance to move the birds and their hoophouse closer to the buildings.

Now, the reason the hens have been banished so far from the house in the first place is their known propensity to enjoy the garden entirely too much. I mean, they're welcome to eat all the foxtail seed heads they want. But, they're NOT welcome to peck on the strawberries during September! So, if they move in closer, they'll have to be inside the electro-net fence, a confinement they don't entirely appreciate, nor do they entirely respect it, leading to a daily nuisance of playing "chicken round-up."

What is the prevailing theory? Well, we don't suspect Salmonella contamination of the feed -- contrary to the recent scare involving the "big boys"!!! More likely, a coyote and/or a fox -- or 3. We've never lost this many birds completely unsuspected. Raccoons, possums, skunks, and even stray dogs, all leave their grisly evidence behind, each with its own unique appearance -- "Let's not go there". But we've heard many a tale of foxes grabbing a bird and going off some distance to enjoy the feast. And, our hens really do enjoy poking around in fox heaven, meaning the brush on the south edge of the farm. So it seems pretty likely. And then, there's the "smart farmer" confession that I really think the last "hen count" was probably the day the hens moved back into their rebuilt quarters, which was... well... 3 months ago.....

I'm a little chagrined that just earlier Friday morning I was replaying for our tour group my usual brag on our ace-in-the-hole farm mutt (you all know, Bonzo), and how, no, we really haven't had any problem with losing chickens out 300 yards from the house. Bad brag! I think we made a tactical error, though, in that, between the house/garden and the chicken pasture, we are currently grazing 5 steers, one of whom has recently shown a distinct dislike for the dogs, especially the "little one" (rather hot contempt/disdain might put it better!), and this seems to coincide with a recent distinct lack of presence of the dogs in the pasture near the chicken coop.

Which of course leads back to a recurring theme in the ongoing saga of the Friesens' steep learning curve in this "diversified farm" game. I never cease to be amazed how the various pieces of the farm puzzle interact in fascinating, but often unpleasant and seemingly totally unpredictable (at least "unpredicted") ways. How am I, the confessed newbie, supposed to guess that finishing a steer in the cornfield would result in losing almost 1/2 of the layer flock in another pasture 200 feet away?! Get smarter, I guess. "Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment."

Now the good news: We were debating how to thin down our aging flock of hens, a few still veterans of our move here 3 1/2 years ago. We were semi-seriously considering releasing a bunch of the elder ladies for a last hurrah free-ranging in the back 40, until they became (inevitably) "food for the wildlife." Although.... I don't think the killer in this case was quite as discriminating in sparing the younger hens!
The other good news: I found 3 eggs today from the new pullets just maturing in the barn pen. And, I don't think it's too late yet to carry out our plan to raise a crop of pullets through the fall and winter. All does not appear to be lost -- for the moment!
And, thirdly, this does put the current egg production of about 20/day in a more favorable light, considering the number of remaining birds....

In the meantime, we patrol the now "cooped-up" hoophouse at chore time, trying to be sure a determined attacker hasn't chewed right through the chicken wire in its enthusiasm -- and yes, that is the voice of experience speaking from a few years ago. (That memorable morning we awoke to "the sounds of silence -- complete silence -- from the coop!

Sweet Potato Harvest

2010-09-08T05:58:00.000-07:00

The "tuber rescue" has begun... Two weeks ago, Rita harvested a short section of one sweet potato row. Nine days later, she harvested a second section with the volume nearly doubling and signs of mouse-testing which hadn't been present before. On Labor Day, with the help of Miriam and Isaiah, the row was finished along with the partial row next to it. We have two more full rows of Beauregard and one full row of NC Japanese to dig. The vines are still very vigorous so the tubers will continue to grow. The mulching did an excellent job of keeping the weeds under control, so the digging is quite easy. We've included these in shares already and begun to add them to our meals. We enjoy them baked or boiled or fried (haven't pulled out the deep fryer yet, but we will!) and as the base of a dinner roll recipe which we found in Simply in Season:

Sweet Potato Crescent Rolls -- 2 dozen

1½ c whole wheat bread flour
¼ c sugar
1 T active dry yeast
1 t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
½ t ground nutmeg
¼ t ground ginger
¼ t ground allspice
Combine in a large bowl.

1 c sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 c milk
¼ c butter
Combine in large saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until butter is melted and mixture is warm. Add to flour mixture. Beat with mixer set on low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is all moistened, 1-2 minutes.

1 large egg, beaten
Add and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.

2-2½ c bread flour
Stir in enough flour by hand to make dough easy to handle. Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 709 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turn to grease both sides, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down dough and divide it in half. Roll each half of dough on lightly foured surface into a 12" circle.

2 T butter, melted
Brush each circle with 1 T butter. Cut into 12 wedges and tightly roll up each wedge from wide end to point. Place crescent rolls, point-side down, on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled. Bake in preheated oven at 375ºF until golden brown, 10-12 minutes.
Option: Roll each half into rectangle, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Roll like a log, then cut into ½" pieces. Place in 9"x13" pan and cover until doubled. After baking, frost lightly for a tasty cinnamon roll.

Eggplant Burgers and Cucumber Salad

2010-08-09T05:57:00.001-07:00

Late summer's heat is a good time to enjoy these favorite vegetables -- cucumbers and eggplant.

Eggplant Burgers (from Simply in Season)

2 Tbsp oil
2 tsp vinegar (wine or balsamic vinegar if available)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Whisk together in small bowl.

1 large eggplant
Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices to make 12-16 slices. Brush with the oil mixture. Grill over medium-high heat. close lid and cook, turning and brushing occasionally with remaining oil mixture, until tender, 5-10 minutes. Remove from grill. (Eggplant slices may also be cooked under the broiler or sauteed in a frypan until tender, 4-5 minutes per side.)

8 thin slices provolone, Gouda, or other cheese
2 tomatoes (thinly sliced)
or 4 large pices roasted red sweet peppers
8-16 leaves fresh basil
freshly ground pepper
Place a slice of cheese on 1 eggplant slice; top with another eggplant slice. Top with 2 tomato slices or a piece of roasted red sweet pepper, then 2-4 basil leaves. Top with third eggplant slice, then another slice of cheese. Top with fourth eggplant slice. Place on grill; close lid and cook about 2 minutes, turning once.

4 crusty rolls or 8 thin slices sturdy bread
Drizzle balsamic vinegar on inside of split rolls. Or brush bread with olicve oil, toast on grill, and lightly rub a cut clove of garlic over the toasted surface. Add vegetable stacks and serve immediately. Or cool, wrap tightly, and refrigerate several hours, allowing flavors to blend.

Cucumber Salad (from More With Less cookbook)
Place in a bowl:
1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
1-2 Tbsp finely cut fresh dill (use feather leaves, not seeds) or dill weed, dried
Combine in small bowl:
2 Tbsp mayonnaise or sour cream
1 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
dash pepper
Mix and pour over cucumber slices. Chill and serve.

Gad-Zukes, It's Zucchini season!

2010-07-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying a nice crop of zucchini this year. I thought we should give you some ideas of ways to use them, so you wouldn't have to drop them (on the sly) in people's cars at church.

First of all, my least favorite way to eat summer squash: Cut them into chunks and boil them till soft, then serve lightly salted.... what a waste! :-)

On the other hand, an equally simple way to enjoy zucchini is breaded and fried. Just dip in flour seasoned with seasoning salt and pepper, then fry in the vegetable oil of your choice.

But to really enjoy the flavor of a zucchini, try these ideas:

Zucchini Fritters (from "Vegetable Fritters" in Simply In Season.)
1/3 cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 eggs (beaten)
Mix to form a smooth batter.
Add 3 cups shredded summer squash (zucchini, or may also mix with yellow summer squash). Add 1/3 cup onion (minced) or 2 cloves garlic (minced)
Add 1 Tbsp fresh parsley (chopped) -- optional
Very lightly spray a frypan with oil and heat to medium hot. Drop a large spoonful of batter onto frypan. Fry until golden, turn and cook on second side until done. Serve with butter -- YUM!
Caution: This recipe is never enough for some of "us" :-)

Zucchini Casserole -- always a favorite at our house. (See the June 2009 blog entry on "Zukes" for this recipe.)

and finally.... Let's not forget zucchini bread, and chocolate zucchini cake.... although I personally think these are just poorly-concealed excuses for an out-of-control sweet tooth!

The Chocolate Zucchini Cake recipe is also already posted on the June 2009 blog "Zukes."

Zucchini Bread
In mixing bowl, combine:
3 beaten eggs
1 cup oil
3 cups peeled and grated Zucchini squash
Into this mixture, sift:
3½ cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ cup chopped nuts
Optional: 1 cup crushed pineapple and ½ cup raisins
Pour into 2 large loaf pans (greased and floured) and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

No summer is complete without some of these zucchini squash favorites!

Stewed Cabbage with Dried Fruit

2010-06-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

For another interesting variation on cabbage, try this recipe from Mennonite Foods and Folkways, contributed by CSA member Zella Penner.

4 Tbsp. shortening
6 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 bay leaf
10 prunes
1/2 cup raisings and/or 1 cup dried apples
1 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar

In a heavy saucepan melt shortening. Add cabbage, bay leaf and fruit. Cover tightly. Simmer over low heat about 1-1½ hours. Stir occasionally. Add extra water if necessary. Cabbage should be golden brown.

Mix salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar and season cabbage and fruit mixture. Serve

Orange Mint Tea

2010-06-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

Another favorite summer recipe from Simply In Season.

3-4 cups water
5-6 sprigs fresh mint (each about 6 inches)
Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Add mint, cover, remove from heat and steep 15 minutes or longer. Remove mint.

1/3 cup sugar or to taste
Add and stir until dissolved. The resulting concentrate may be poured over ice to dilute and serve, or may be cooled and frozen for later use.

For orange mint tea:
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
water and ice
Combine juices in a half-gallon serving pitcher. Add mint concentrate plus water and ice to fill the pitcher. Chill completely and serve garnished with mint sprigs and thin slices of oranges or lemons.

Pickled Beets -- Merlin's Favorite

2010-06-22T20:23:00.000-07:00

As we're sending you all this good crop of beets, might I suggest a great way to enjoy them through the summer, or all year:

Pickled Beets

Select and prepare small whole beets with 1-inch stem and all the root. Boil at least 15 minutes, until fork-tender. Trim off roots and stems. Slip off skins under running cold water.

Prepare a boiling pickling syrup of equal parts vinegar and sugar. Dilute with 1-2 cups beet juice (from cooking) according to taste. Add 1½ tsp salt. If desired, add 1 cinnamon stick and 6 whole cloves or whole allspice. Cover cooked beets with boiling syrup.

For refrigerator storage, boil beets and pickling syrup for 3-5 minutes. Cool. Beets may be kept, covered and refrigerated, for 4-6 weeks.

For canning, pack beets whole, sliced or diced into hot canning jars, and cover beets with pickling syrup, leaving ½-inch headroom in jars. Process in boiling-water bath for 30 minutes.

Rita's Favorite Poppy Seed Cole Slaw

2010-06-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a favorite way to enjoy the freshness of summertime cabbage....

Chop in blender, or shred and cut finely:
2 large or 3 medium heads cabbage
2 stalks celery (if desired)
3-4 carrots
1 onion
Sprinkle generously with salt and set awide while making dressing. Before adding dressing, squeeze dry.

Poppy Seed Dressing:
With an electric mixer mix:
1 ¼ cups sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
2 Tbsp. grated onion
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dry mustard
Stir together and gradually add 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
Beat for a long time (at least 10 minutes). This cannot be mixed too long.
Add:
a bit of garlic salt
1 ½ Tbsp. poppy seed, as you stop the mixer.

Pour dressing over cabbage mixture, and mix well.

OR...
For a lighter dressing that lasts for months in refrigerator...
(from More with Less cookbook)
Combine in saucepan:
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup vinegar
1/8 tsp pepper
1-2 tsp. celery seed
Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. When cool, add to cabbage. Mix well.

Whole Beet Skillet

2010-06-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

Here's another good one from Simply In Season --

Start with:

4-6 medium beets with fresh greens

Cut greens off beets, leaving about 1 inch of greens on beets. Place beets in large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beets are tender when pricked with fork, 15-30 minutes depending on size. While beets are cooking, remove stems from beet greens. Chop stems in 1-inch pieces. Chop greens separately. Drain the cooked beets and rinse with cold water. When beets have cooled enough to handle, slip peels off with fingers. Cut beets in slices. In saucepan, saute' stems in 1-2 Tbsp. butter until tender. Add greens and saute' until bright green and just tender. Add sliced beets and heat through.

Add in:

1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1-2 tsp. ginger root (peeled and minced)

1-2 tsp. honey (optional)

Serve immediately.

What to do with those beet greens....

2010-06-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

This time of year is wonderful for using greens as a flavorful side dish. We often think of using spinach or even kale this way. Many people are also familiar with using beet greens in the same way. The die-hards among us will also cook mustard greens or turnip greens, although they're a bit much for us!

The following recipe is from Lorrie Stierwalt, and will work with your leafy green beet tops....

Lorrie's Greens

Cook greens from several beets in a little water until they have a deep color and are cooked through.
Add a little bit of unsalted butter, garlic powder, pepper, basil and a "smidgen" of vinegar. :-)

We tried it and we liked it!

Strawberry Vinaigrette dressing

2010-06-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

This salad dressing is one of our seasonal favorites, along with all the fresh salad greens we're eating at this time of year! And, we have been known to occasionally enjoy making this recipe from frozen strawberries in the off-season.
1 cup sliced strawberries
4 tsp. vinegar (white or rice)
4 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp each: garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil leaves, dried parsley flakes, pepper
1/4 cup olive oil.

Puree strawberries in blender. Add remaining ingredients except oil. Blend, then gradually add oil while blending on low speed.

Enjoy!
.... (another recipe from Simply In Season)

Quality Food -- Is it taste, nutrition, freshness, safety or appearance?

2010-05-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

What is quality?

One of the frequent challenges in growing produce for our customers is to judge whether a given piece or batch of a product is of adequate quality to go in our CSA share boxes. One of the “rubs” is whether produce with blemishes should be included in shares, or not....

There are several food quality markers that compete for priority in the U.S. market. I think of values such as appearance, safety (purity), freshness, nutrition and taste.

Without a doubt, appearance ranks high in the supermarket. Food sold there must be of uniform size, appealing color, free of blemishes, and attractively packaged. So much so, that oranges sold in the supermarket have often been painted to deepen their orange color!

I think all eaters would agree that safe food is another major value. We would like to be able to assume that our food is free of dangerous substances or bacteria that could cause illness. Clearly, recent events have shown that food safety can not always be taken for granted. Even the humble spinach has been the source of bacterial poisoning outbreaks. (Interestingly, the government allows consumers to buy and eat both raw spinach and raw oysters, and does not first require that they be “pasteurized” before being sold – but I digress.)

Consumers have been slow to recognize that chemical contamination of food (with low levels of pesticide or other residues), while much more insidious than bacterial contamination, may represent an even more important health risk in the long term. To give some perspective, I have read that “Chilean grapes” available in the stores during the winter have, on average, 4 times the pesticide residue of grapes sold in-season, grown in this country. Unfortunately, most of these details are simply not available to the average consumer. This is a strong argument for buying chemical-free or organic foods.

Another food value is “freshness,” closely tied to a related value, “flavor.” Many foods just taste and look better if eaten fresh. As a kid, I thought asparagus was absolutely disgusting. I don't think I ate any asparagus except out of a can, until I visited Rita's family and ate fresh asparagus from their garden – a very different food experience!

Today, many (even most) foods travel hundreds and thousands of miles before arriving at our table. As a result, produce is often harvested at an unripe stage, and sometimes (in the case of tomatoes) even subjected to chemical treatment to ensure “ripening.” In terms of flavor, most of us have eaten cafeteria tomatoes with a pale pink color, and the texture and taste of plastic! The travesty is that this is often the case even when fresh local tomatoes are in season at the local farmers' market!

Many consumers are not aware that even the varieties grown for mass transportation and marketing, are chosen for their ability to handle long delays after harvest, and the extra handling and jostling that transportation requires. In other words, varieties must be “tough” more than “tender and flavorful.” The opposite is generally true when you buy varieties sold by local growers.

Nutrition is a tricky value to work with, depending on what we consider most important. In this day of abundant food, vitamins and minerals are in plentiful supply, and are often added to our foods (such as cereals and milk). But what about “negative nutrients,” such as simple sugars and high-fructose corn syrup? Many supposedly “nutritious” cereals, for example, are overloaded with these sugars, leading to significant negative health consequences.

Also, fresh whole foods arguably may provide more ultimate nutritional benefit than foods supplemented with individual chemical nutrients. From a health nutrition viewpoint, I think Michael Pollan is right when he advises against choosing foods with more than a few listed ingredients! His 2009 book In Defense of Food is an excellent exploration of these issues.

I could go on to include other values that are unfamiliar to most consumers, such as local vs. long-distance, embedded petroleum energy and “carbon footprint,” food justice (“fair trade” issues impacting the growers), and purchasing patterns that directly benefit local small farmers and artisans. But this article is getting too long, and that would be “preaching to the choir” anyway, at least for most of our Sunny Slope Farm customers!

So, back to the original question: What about appearance? Clearly, as growers, we at Sunny Slope Farm put a high priority on safety (chemical-free and grown carefully to avoid contamination with harmful germs). We also value taste, nutrition and freshness, all common features when you choose locally grown produce. But how important is appearance? When 50% of a batch of green beans have little blemishes from being “munched on” by competing 6-legged consumers, do those beans go in CSA shares or not?

Let me say that appearance is important to us! Typically, 70-80% of what we harvest is suitable for our share standards. But this is variable. Once in awhile, the “munchers” have carried the day, and we must decide whether to include any of that product, with blemishes, or just forego it completely. Sometimes, Rita and I disagree on this one. I tend to put more weight on the fact that blemished produce is still safe, flavorful, and nutritious. But, often we send out the (relatively) unblemished produce, while we get to enjoy a generous supply of the “seconds”, which suits us fine! We're sure that occasionally blemished produce gets past us and into boxes, and we apologize if that happens (and welcome your feedback to bring this to our attention).

But, at the end of the day, when it comes to defining quality, contrary to the mass market, we at Sunny Slope Farm will put appearance as a secondary priority, ensuring that safety and flavor remain our highest goals.

An herbal salad dressing

2010-05-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

Spring herbs are a wonderful fresh addition to your menu. Our late spring shares include several fresh herbs -- garlic chives, cilantro, oregano, and dill.

A little cilantro chopped into a salad adds a touch of zest. Garlic chives can be substitued for garlic in some recipes. Many foods will be jazzed up with a garnish of fresh herbs.

One of our favorites is a ranch-style dressing using several of the fresh herbs. Try experimenting with this recipe to suit your preferences.

Whisk (or blend in blender) the following together:

2 cloves garlic (minced or mashed) OR 24"-36" chopped garlic chives
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4-1/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp. parsley (or try fresh finely chopped cilantro instead?)
2 Tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. Onion powder
1 tsp. vinegar
dash pepper

RADical RADishes -- Marinated Radish Salad

2010-05-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, we're surprised by what actually grows well in the garden in a particular year. But, radishes never surprise. They almost always seem to grow like gang-busters in the spring, and this year they're particularly abundant, large and mild.

When we're trying to dream up things to do with radishes besides slicing into salad, or eating raw with a little salt, this recipe adds a little variety:

Marinated Radish Salad (from Simply in Season)

8 large bunches radishes
8 green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, or 1 Tbsp dill seed

Combine.

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

Stir together, pour over radish mixture, and toss lightly. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 4. Remove 30 minutes before serving. Stir.

6 ounces Swiss cheese (shredded)
Sprinkle on top and serve.

Let us know if you need more radishes for this or other recipes. And please do share any favorite other recipes for radishes!

To Be or Not To Be (Organic)?

2010-05-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

Organic or Not Organic?

Sunny Slope Farm supports the production of “organic” foods as a healthier alternative for people and a more sustainable alternative for the environment.

The main features of organic foods are:
-- they are produced without using potentially dangerous chemicals like insecticides and herbicides, which leave measurable residues on conventional industrially-produced foods.
-- they are produced by using “natural” fertility agents and techniques, including “natural” soil amendments, composts, manures, and cover crops.
Organic production techniques, especially small-scale, result in safer foods, healthier soil, no release of poisons into groundwater and air, and measurably higher nutrient composition. They also reduce the dependence of food production on petroleum and petroleum-intensive chemicals and fertilizers.

In recent years, the label “Organic” has legally come to mean “certified by the USDA.” This means, in practice, following a fairly rigid set of rules and standards, and paying large annual certifying and inspection fees. It unfortunately does not require or guarantee that food was raised sustainably (without large energy inputs from petroleum), or that all inputs be certified as organic (regulations allow the use of manures from non-organic farms, which may contain antibiotics and other chemicals). It also does not mean small-scale local food production; most “organic” food is actually produced on large factory farms (with their attendant problems for the environment, and for animal and human health). And finally, it does not require that meats, milk or eggs be produced humanely -- ie. on pasture. In fact, much “certified organic” food is actually raised in factory-style confinement facilities.

Sunny Slope Farm is not "certified Organic" (USDA). However, like many small local producers across the country, we do subscribe to the original “organic” philosophy (ie. before USDA certification):

-- in avoiding pesticides, antibiotics or hormones in our production
-- in the use of composts, manures, and cover crops for as much of our soil fertility as possible, and only using minimal amounts of gentler artificial fertilizers where needed
-- in incorporating soil amendments which improve the biological health and fertility of our soil
-- in providing pasture and natural foraging as the primary living environment for all of our animals
-- in raising healthier meats and eggs, through shifting to reliance on grass rather than grain in their production.
-- in marketing fresh foods only, at the peak of their quality and nutrition

You as the customer will notice the difference, not only in food quality, but also in the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your food is healthier, free of chemicals, and produced wholesomely and humanely.

"Just What the Doctor Ordered..."

2010-05-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

During 20 years of primary care medical practice, I became more and more concerned about the deteriorating health of my patients, largely due to unhealthy lifestyles. While smoking and sedentary living are very important, diet is an equally huge issue. The explosion of obesity in America is already causing havoc in our health, and promises to become an increasing issue. The result is that, for the first time in our history, the next generations are expected to have a shorter life expectancy than their seniors.

Obesity is a leading cause of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and joint pain, to name a few. Unfortunately, when it comes to treating obesity or its results, the doctor’s favorite tool (prescribing chemicals of various sorts) is a dead-end street.

As a physician, I think it’s important to be more involved in modelling and promoting healthy foods. For me, this means growing and eating foods that are simpler, unprocessed, not loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners, direct from the producer, and not tainted by potentially harmful chemicals (like pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones).

This is what Sunny Slope Farm is all about:
-- providing chemical-free fruits and vegetables, and healthy pasture-raised meats and eggs
-- as a healthy alternative to the standard processed, industrial, fast-food American diet.

Merlin Friesen MD

Rhubarb Sauce & Chive-Topped Focaccia

2010-05-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

At our recent open house, 2 recipes jumped out.

You’ll really like the sweet’n’tangy Rhubarb Sauce, topping angel food cake or some
other plain cake, or going on vanilla ice cream.

Rhubarb Sauce (from Simply in Season)

4 cups rhubarb (chopped)
1/2 cup honey or 1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. tapioca
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)

Combine. Let stand for 10 minutes or until some juice forms. Heat slowly to boiling.
cool and serve. Or try stirring in sliced strawberries or raisins and serve for breakfast or
as a side dish, in place of applesauce.

---------------------------
For an interesting bread/pizza addition, try this
Chive-topped Focaccia (from Simply in Season)

1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
Combine in a large bowl, stirring until yeast dissolves.

1 cop whole wheat bread flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
Mix in, stirring until smooth.

1 3/4 - 2 1/4 cup bread flour
Add enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Knead 8-10 minutes until elastic.
Place in greased bowl, turn to grease both sides, cover with a damp cloth, and allow to
rise until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes.

Handful finely-chopped basil
Fold into dough, kneading only as much as needed to distribute evenly. Cover and let
dough rest 10 minutes. Pat and stretch to fill a greased 10x15-inch jelly roll pan. Lightly
rub top of dough with olive oil. cover lightly with a damp cloth. Let rise 10 minutes.
Top with chopped chives and bake in preheated oven at 450 degrees until the crusst is
lightly browned, 12-20 minutes. If bottom gets brown before top is done, finish under the
broiler. Serve immediately.

Serve with a green salad for a light summer meal. Try other toppings: pesto, sun-dried
tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, halved cherry tomatoes.

Spring Greens, Salad Turnips and Sunchokes!

2010-05-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

First CSA shares went out today, including several varieties of lettuce, several types of other salad greens, as well as salad turnips and rhubarb.

We really like the delicate Black-Seeded Simpson lettuce,

as well as the coarser but very sweet Buttercrunch.

This time of year the heavy rich flavor of Red Romaine is a treat.

Later, you may also see the more delicate fine-leafed Salad Bowl, either green or red.

You'll notice that we're doing a little different growing technique, with more big heads of lettuce, rather than the dense beds of fine leaves. It seems to grow better that way, and is easier to handle. As the days grow warmer, it becomes more and more of a challenge to get the lettuce to you in excellent condition -- though we are learning a few tricks to help this.

In the shares, we'll also be packing Mizuna, Arugula and Tatsoi.

Tatsoi is a round dark leaf on a thick stem. It's sweet and crunchy and very mild.

Arugula, also known as "Rocket", is a long oval green leaf with a very aromatic (some say "nutty") taste -- a little goes a long way as an interesting salad addition, but too much can easily dominate the flavor of the salad.

Mizuna, a Japanese green, has a ragged leaf shape. Although it's a relative of mustard, it has a mild pleasant flavor.

Here is some spinach that over-wintered in the greenhouse. The spring spinach is still small and growing pretty slowly.

Salad Turnips are a very sweet juicy type of white turnip, also of Japanese origin. They are eaten raw, in chunks or slices, or included in a salad. They are remarkably different from the fall cooking turnips, with only a hint of the taste that dominates the fall turnips so strongly. I really enjoy them, while the fall turnips just don't impress me.

Sunchokes are a type of sunflower with an edible root, very similar to a water chestnut. The root can be scraped or peeled, then cut in chunks or slices for a tossed salad, or added to a stir-fry.

We hope you enjoy all these interesting Spring veggies!

Merlin

More on Kale

2009-09-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

Found another resource regarding kale and other greens that you might like to read for more detailed information. Check it out at http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/greens.html.

Kale

2009-09-16T07:01:00.000-07:00

An experimental first message from Rita:
Writing isn't my strong point, but I do enjoy cooking, so will share a recipe that you can use with the kale. One of our CSA members shared this with me and we also thought it a tasty recipe.

Restaurant-style Zuppa Tuscana 6 servings
1 lb smoked sausage cooked and cut into ½" slices
2 potatoes cut into ¼" slices
3/4 c chopped onion
6 slices bacon
1½ t minced garlic
2 c kale--washed, dried, shredded
2 T chicken soup base
1 quart water
1/3 c heavy whipping cream
Fry onions and bacon together. Remove bacon pieces and crumble. Add garlic to onions and continue to fry for 1 minute. Add soup base, water, and potatoes and simmer 15 minutes. Add bacon, sausage, kale and cream. Simmer 4 minutes longer. Serve.

We also like kale in quiche. Recently, I sautéd some swiss chard with green onions and a small pepper which had matured to red. That was tasty and very attractive with the vibrant green, red, and white colors. I believe that the main trick with kale, swiss chard, and bok choy is to chop the stem separately from the leaf (or remove it from a tougher leaf of kale) since the stem needs more cooking time and the leaf portions can be added a few minutes before serving a stir fry or soup.

Zukes!

2009-06-30T12:55:00.001-07:00

One of the very first days that I was here on the farm, my job was to plant rows of squash, zucchini, and cucumbers. I was incredulous. Yes, I understand mentally that seeds grow into plants, and understand more or less how it works, but... it seemed that it would be forever before these seeds would turn into plants that could grow any kind of actual food. Besides, last summer I tried to grow zucchini at my house in Kansas City, and I failed miserably. I hoped and watered and watched and coaxed until the plants were green giants sporting bombastic yellow flowers, only to come out one day to find them all nibbled off at the base of the plant before I even got one single zucchini.

Since planting these squash rows, I haven't done a whole lot with them, until yesterday. I stood at the beginning of the rows mentally preparing myself for a long day of weeding, when I noticed that I wasn't just seeing yellow flowers but also big green fruits peeking out between the weeds. I know this moment is the planned outcome of gardening, but it seems there are so many ways it can go wrong and that it is so out of our control, that the actual harvest is highly improbable.

But here were are--today I was able to put the first zucchini of the season into CSA boxes, and last night Rachel and I enthusiastically introduced Kim to our favorite zucchini casserole. I can't help but feel a little proud and a lot in awe of the ability of plants to produce food from the soil.

Here are two of the best zucchini recipes, ever.
Enjoy,
Miriam

Zucchini Casserole
This is the dish we wait for every summer--and we liked only having to share it between the three of us yesterday :)
2-3 zucchini, unpeeled--cube
3-4 carrots, grated
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream
seasoned stuffing (yesterday we used wheat bread cubed and sprinkled with basil, oregano, garlic, & parsley)
butter
1 med onion, grated
Saute zucchini, onion, and carrots in butter. Add mushroom soup and sour cream. Put in greased casserole pan.
Brown stuffing in butter. Mix 3/4 c. in casserole and place some on top of casserole. Bake 35-45 min in 350F oven

Zucchini Cake
Anyone who thinks you can have too much zucchini hasn't had this cake.
1/2 c. margarine
1/2 c. salad oil
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs.

Cream well. Then add:
1 t vanilla
1/2 c sour milk
4 T. cocoa
1 t. soda
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt

Stir in grated zucchini (2+ cups). Put in 9x13" pan and sprinkle with 3/4 c. chocolate chips. Sprinkle with 2 T. sugar.
Bake at 325 for 40-45 min.

Strawberry Fields Forever.........

2009-06-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

In preparation for this Tuesday's CSA shares, we picked 100 quarts of strawberries. This was partly because there were so many hands around to pick--Ginette, the oldest Friesen daughter, was in town with her husband Chad Swanson and his brother Reid. The three summer interns at Sunny Slope (Miriam and Rachel Friesen, and Kim Schmidt) were also available for picking, the first activity that the entire Friesen/Sunny Slope Farm crew did together for the summer.

100 quarts was much more than we could put in the shares, of course, and we have since been swimming in ripe strawberries and pulling out every strawberry recipe we can think of. In case you have some extra strawberries (or want to come take some strawberries off our hands...) here are a few of our favorites:

Strawberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (Simply in Season)
1 C Strawberries
4 t. rice vinegar
4 t. lemon juice
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 t honey
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. each garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil leaves, dried parsley flakes, pepper
1/4 c. olive oil
Puree strawberries in blender. Add remaining ingredients except oil. Blend, then gradually add oil while blending on low speed.

Strawberry Bread (Simply in Season)
1 c flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c strawberries (mashed)
3/4 c sugar
2/3 c oil
2 eggs
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda.
Mix together, stirring until just combined. Pour into greased 8-in loaf pan and bake in preheated oven at 350F/180C until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (1 hour).

Chilled Strawberry Soup (Simply in Season)
1 c apple juice (actually, we tried it with orange juice, which was still good!)
3/4 c water
2/3 c sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
Combine in saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat (or microwave in glass bowl until boiling. Remove from heat; cool.

3 c. strawberries
1/4 c water
Puree until smooth. Pour into a large bowl.

2 c plain yogurt
1 t vanilla
Add to pureed strawberries with juice mixture. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Garnish with additional strawberry halves. The soup freezes well and is especially good with small ice crystals left in.

Strawberry Pie (Simply in Season)
1 c sugar
3 T cornstarch
Blend in a saucepan

1 c strawberries (mashed)
1/2 c orange juice or water
Add and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

2 T lemon juice.
Stir in and cool

4-6 c whole strawberries
9-inch baked pastry shell/crust
When cooked fruit is cool, gently fold in additional strawberries and pour into crust. Chill for 3 hours.

Mabrooshee (Note from Miriam: This is a recipe I brought back from Nazareth. My friend Laura worked in a hostel and part of her job was to prepare "cake" for the guests, and this was it. I would call this a bar cookie, not a cake, but whatever it is, it is pretty delicious)
3 eggs
3 T. baking powder
1 T. vanilla
2 c sugar
1 c oil/butter/shortening
Mix together; add flour until not sticky.
Set aside about 1/3 of the dough, press the rest of the dough into a 9x13 pan. Spread a thin layer of strawberry jelly or jam on top followed by a layer of fresh sliced strawberries (actually this can be done with any jam or fruit filling, but it's strawberry season so we're calling it a strawberry recipe). Use a cheese grater to grate reserved dough over the top. Bake at 300F until golden (about 45 min)

Last but not least:
Strawberry Daiquiris (Cooking Light)
1 c. halved strawberries
1/2 c. Simple Syrup (Combine 1 1/4 c sugar and 1 c. water in small saucepan; bring to a boil; cook 1 1/2 min or until sugar dissolves stirring occasionally. Yields 1 1/2 c, enough for three batches of daiquiris)
1 T lemon juice
3 c. crushed ice
1/2 c. rum
3 T lime juice
Combine first three ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl, discard solids. Combine strawberry mixture, 3 c. crushed ice, rum and lime juice in blender; process until smooth. Yields 6 servings.

We'd love to hear your strawberry recipes too! We've still got a lot of strawberries to get through...

Early Summer Recipes

2009-05-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

Sun Country Deviled Eggs (from the American Egg Board)
2 T. chopped dried tomatoes
6 hard-boiled eggs
2 T. Italian dressing

Reconstitute tomatoes according to package directions, drain and finely chop. Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove and mash yolks. Stir in tomatoes and dressing until well blended. Refill whites, using about 1 T. yolk mixture for each egg half. Chill to blend flavors.

***

Clafuti (Egg custard)
3/4 C flour
4 eggs
1 can evaporated milk or cream
1 1/4 C. sugar
2 C. Rhubarb
1 C. Cherries

Beat eggs. Add other ingredients. Bake in 9 inch square pan at 325F for 1 hour.