Week 3: Certified Naturally Grown

Though today is drizzly, we have had the opportunity to get a lot of seeds and starts in the ground over this past week. In fact, the drizzles are helpful. The dry bean seeds appreciate a bit more moisture :)

There is more to plant yet, so I think I'll show off the (finally!) fully planted fields in next week's post. 

This week I'm all about the Certified Naturally Grown inspection that happened at the farm last Saturday. 

The Certified Naturally Grown program has a lot in common with the Organic Certification program. It asks growers to follow identical guidelines regarding soil inputs, allowed pesticides and herbicides, etc. 

The big difference is the inspection itself, which is peer to peer or community based. No official inspector comes out to the farm for a CNG inspection, instead the inspections are performed by other CNG farmers or, as we chose to do it this year, by farm customers.

So, five Wintergreen Farm CSA members came out to the farm last Saturday to get a behind the scenes look at our growing practices.

They spent about two hours at the farm.

Much of it at this table

going over ten pages(!) of exciting CNG provided
forms like this one.

They also got to walk the entire fields at our Wintergreen Foods location.

They listened attentively as we talked about our growing methods.
Scott isn't always a talker, but if you get him going about soil
fertility, you better be ready to listen :)

They even smelled our compost! The form said to and they dutifully verified that we truly are not spreading a big pile of raw manure on our fields. 

And in the end, one of our inspector/customers wrote this:

Reads: "Andrea and Scott care a lot about doing things in a thoughtful
manner and really display a commitment to the beneficial farming
practices outlined in this checklist--it's hard to farm in the U.P. of MI,
and they are making it work!"

Which pretty much made my day.

This week's share will include: Mesclun (it's extra spicy this week, with a bit more cress than the last two shares had), Arugula, Pea Shoots, Braising Mix, Radishes (either French Breakfast or Easter Egg--there might be a couple daikon to choose from too), Pac Choi (this is a full sized variety called Joi Choi), and a choice of Fresh Herbs.

As you can see, the shares are still heavy on the leafy greens. As I've mentioned (and you've probably noticed), it's been a cool and wet June. The weather makes for challenging planting, but happy greens!   

Hopefully members are finding delicious ways to eat all the greens that have been in the shares thus far. I've come up with a simple pasta salad recipe (which would be perfect at a 4th of July picnic, you might want to double it to feed a crowd) to add to the list of excellent greens dishes I am sure everyone has been making. 

The sharp feta and sweet cranberries in this salad pair especially well with the assertive arugula and extra spicy mesclun members are getting this week.

Fourth of July CSA Pasta Salad 

• 12 ounces pasta (I always like bowties for pasta salad) cooked according to the package directions and rinsed in cold water to chill
• 1.5 ounces arugula (about half of what is in the share) roughly chopped
• 2 ounces mesclun (again, half the share quantity) roughly chopped
• 1-2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil or mint
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 4 ounces crumbled feta
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1.5 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper                                                                        

Toss together the chilled pasta, greens and herbs, cranberries, and feta.

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Toss the dressing over the pasta and greens to coat. Serve immediately or chilled for up to 24 hours.

Happy 4th of July!

Week 4: Snow Peas and Green Lace (wings)

It's snow pea season!

The snow peas are coming on strong. Everyone can expect a
generous quantity of them this week and, if the weather
cooperates, the next two or three weeks to come.

It's also green lacewing season.

These are green lacewing eggs, next to our front doorknob. I have no idea why
a mama green lacewing would decide to lay eggs here, but I think it's awesome.

Normally green lacewings lay their eggs on plants, especially those likely to become infested with aphids, because aphids are what their nymphs - which are sometimes referred to as aphid lions - like to eat. There are green lacewing eggs all over the place this year. I saw a gazillion of them on the snow peas during harvest. I only saw one aphid though. Last year was a really bad aphid year, and this year we are seeing somewhat fewer than average. In the insect balance of the vegetable farm universe, lots of aphids last year means a big year for green lacewings this year, though many of the nymphs that hatch from these eggs won't make it to maturity for lack of prey. Especially the ones on my front door. Next year the green lacewing population will likely be back to normal. 

Just thought I'd mention them. Now you'll know what they are if you happen to get some green lacewing eggs along with your share this season.

In addition to green lacewing eggs and snow peas, members can expect to receive: Braising Mix, Endive, Kale, Basil, Scallions, and Parsley or Sorrel.

Some of you may have noticed the article about grain salads that I linked to on the facebook page the other day. It encourages a lot of improvising in the kitchen, which I know not everyone is comfortable with. So, I came up with a grain salad that uses share items and stuff I had on hand in my kitchen. If bulgar isn't something that you tend to have on hand, you should. It's handy.

Bulgar Salad with Snow Peas and More

As with the example in the article I mentioned above, this recipe is meant to be experimented with. You can follow it exactly or change it as much as your comfort level allows. Consider soaking the bulgar well ahead of time. We keep a jar of soaked bulgar in the fridge (when we remember to) for spur of the moment salads. This quantity would make a light lunch for two or a side dish for four. Feel free to multiply it.

• 1 cup soaked bulgar (a generous 1/2 cup dried bulgar, soaked for at least an hour)
• 2 oz (a large handful) snow peas, stems removed and chopped.
• 1 or 2 scallions, sliced
• 1 kale leaf, sliced into narrow ribbons
• 2 or 3 sprigs of parsley, minced
• 1/4 cup peanuts, I used raw but roasted would work too, chopped roughly
• 1 small apple, chopped and sliced into bite sized pieces
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 
• salt and pepper to taste

Stir together the bulgar and chopped vegetables, apple, and nuts. 

Use a fork to whisk the oil and vinegar together, add salt and pepper to taste. Stir the dressing onto the salad until everything is well coated with dressing. Eat immediately or refrigerate for up to 24 hours to allow the flavors to meld.

Week 11: The Perfect Summer Salad

Looks like there is a bit of heat yet this season!

We were dripping with sweat as we harvested potatoes last Friday, right up until sunset! And our predicted high for this Thursday is 89. I knew there was still hope for the field tomatoes.

This weather, and this week's share, combine to make the perfect opportunity for a lovely summer salad. Below you will find a recipe for my favorite summer salad, Middle Eastern Fattoush.

The share this week will include the following: Head Lettuce, Cucumbers, Tomatoes plus Eggplant/Peppers/Ground Cherries/OR Tomatillos, Beets, Carrots, Summer Squash, Potatoes, and Sorrel or Parsley.

The sorrel/parsley choice is back, for this week at least. The occasionally cool temperatures have allowed them to make a resurgence, though they may need a rest next week after struggling through this Thursday.

The fattoush recipe relies on the classic Middle Eastern ingredient of flat leaf parsley, so if you would like to make it be sure to select parsley at pick-up.

Fattoush

We usually use summer lettuce, which tends to be somewhat tougher and more flavorful than spring lettuce, in sandwiches, but it's also great in salads with a lot of flavor, like fattoush. Sumac is traditionally added to fattoush dressing, to heighten the sour flavor. Though it is easy to find sumac growing wild in this area (and now is a great time to collect it!) I don't think it is available in stores around here, so I left it out of this recipe.

• Two loaves pita bread
• Juice of one lemon (about 1/4 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• One head of lettuce, chopped or torn into bite sized pieces
• Approximately 1 cup of chopped tomatoes
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 bunch of parsley, chopped roughly

Toast the pita bread and break it into bite sized pieces.

Combine the lemon juice, garlic and salt in a small bowl.

Wisk in the olive oil until it is combined with the lemon juice.

Toss together the pita bread, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and parsley. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat.