Fresh and Value-Added Items:
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Beets Carrot and Beet Nori Wraps
- Watermelon Radishes
- Onions
- Cabbage, Green or Red: Chicken Soup with Cabbage and Apple Cranberry Walnut Slaw
- Pickles
- Eggs-1 dozen
- Raspberry Jam-1/2 pt
Frozen Items:
- Vegetable Stock 1 Qt: water, onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, parsley, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, salt & pepper. Uses for stock.
- Minestroni Soup 1 Qt: Vegetarian based. Roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic, water, vegetable stock, carrots, zucchini, green beans, beans, olive oil, oregano, basil, salt, pepper. Add freshly boiled noodles or rice to this base if you like, with some parmesan cheese. You could also add browned sausage or beans to this if desired.
- One of these two soups:
- Mardigraw Soup 1 Qt: Vegetarian based. Vegetable stock, roasted tomatoes, red and green cabbage, carrots, kidney beans, onion, chili powder, oregano, cumin, caraway, olive oil, vinegar,sugar, salt, pepper.
- Curried Tomato Eggplant 1 Qt: Vegetarian based. Vegetable stock, tomatoes, eggplant, carrots, onions, olive oil, garlic, curry, salt, basil, cumin, paprika, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg.
- Spaghetti Sauce 1 Qt: roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, olive oil, basil, oregano, salt, pepper (I like to add 1 can of tomato paste to thicken and deepen the tomato flavor/color and add salt/pepper/garlic to taste. You can also add cooked hamburger &/or spicy pork sausage, red wine, fennel seeds, and Italian seasoning for a lovely lasagna or spaghetti base.)
- Raspberries 1 pt (frozen): whole berries, keep frozen until you want to use them. Great in yogurt and smoothies.
- Spinach 1 pt (frozen): blanched spinach leaves Spinach Pesto 35 other ways to use frozen spinach
- Roasted Sweet Peppers 1 cup: Add to dishes to deepen flavor such as pasta, salads, dips. Add to pizza toppings, tacos, or create a sandwich spread with them. Purée in a blender with another 1/4 cup (or more) olive oil and salt to make a condiment that’s good for anything from burgers to steamed fish.
- Rhubarb 1 qt: chopped rhubarb Rhubarb Crisp
I have officially reached my disdain of the word vortex. I am looking forward to not wearing my 30 pounds of winter Carhardt gear, boots, hats, balaclava, leather mittens, and layers of clothing. The sunshine is at least a wonderful reprieve and I look forward to some warmer temperatures next week.
Inside the high tunnels, we do have spinach plants that are alive and are just waiting for a little break to get themselves going. I see some leaves of new growth and am hoping to harvest these for the next CSA share if the weather cooperates. There are new seeds planted and watered in another high tunnel in order to have some early protected greens for our spring shares. Some winter greens did not survive the extreme cold this winter and we could really see the difference between the high tunnel features, moisture levels in the fall, and the amount of covering over the plants. We are constantly learning, adjusting, and making plans for next time.
We are looking forward to planting a crop of early tomatoes in one high tunnel, a new approach this year. These tomato plant babies have already germinated and are growing in the heated grow room. Other seeds such as onions, leeks, and celeriac are also beginning their slow growth cycle to ready themselves for spring planting. We will see if the colder than usual winter temps and mounting snow piles effect the onset of spring and ground thaw. However, it does give me a little piece of mind to have 3 high tunnels and our greenhouse space available for weathering out the unpredictability of the weather patterns.
Eat Well. Smile Often.
Your Farmer,
Heather