Monday, December 28, 2009

Winter on the Farm


I'm not really much of a writer, but I wanted to let you know what's going on at the farm.

First, we finished cleaning up all the fall crops which means removing every thing from the bed and putting it in the compost pile. This leaves a clean bed which is easier to work and the green waste breaks down faster in the compost pile. The strawberries and raspberries are cut back, weeded, and composted. We planted a lot of cover crops for the winter. This helps shade out weeds, controls soil erosion, and best of all, provides lots of nutrients for the spring and summer crops.

On rainy days we have been working on the planting schedule and ordering seeds. We've planted a few of the crops that take the longest to grow like bunching onions, carrots, beets and sugar peas. Soon we will sow lettuce, broccoli and kohlrabi in the greenhouse followed by cilantro and spinach a little later on.

Our new garden is keeping us busy. We have cleaned up the site, put in an irrigation system and have it bedded up-germinating weeds after each rain that we will till under before we plant in January.

This time of year is pretty exciting because the farm is like a blank canvas. I will continue to keep you updated.

Wishing all of you a happy and healthy new year,
Jerry

Monday, November 23, 2009

Tomatillo Stew

Hi everyone,
I think you'll all enjoy this tomatillo stew. We're having it for lunch today.

Ingredients

  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound chopped tomatillos
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup sour cream (optional)
  • salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Heat oil over high heat in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Saute chicken in oil until both sides are browned, approximately 2 minutes per side. Remove the chicken, and set aside.
  2. Add onions and garlic to saucepan, and saute until golden. Stir in the tomatillos, jalapeno peppers, and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover the pot, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
  3. Puree vegetables in batches in a blender or food processor. Return to pot, and reheat. At this point taste the soup; if not piquant enough, add cayenne pepper or pepper sauce.
  4. Slice the chicken into thin slices, and then shred. Stir into soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  5. When ready to serve, stir in the minced cilantro and ladle into bowls. Put a dollop of sour cream on top of each portion, and let it melt a bit. Top each dollop with a single cilantro leaf, and serve immediately.

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 171 | Total Fat: 10.5g | Cholesterol: 31mg

Monday, June 22, 2009

Just wanted to share some recipes from Sara at the Tucson CSA

Moroccan Slaw

Sara Jones, Tucson CSA

Consider using any combination of mixed grated root vegetables-

preferably beets, carrots and turnips or kohlrabi.

Mix:
1 cup beets, peeled and grated
1 cup carrots, scrubbed and grated
1 orange or grapefruit, peeled and cut crosswise in thin slices

Dress with:
1 pinch ground cumin
1 pinch ground coriander
¼ cup yogurt
cashews, chopped
fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper

You can replace the yogurt with oil and apple cider vinegar.

Refrigerate before serving.



Roasted Winter Vegetables

Sara Jones, Tucson CSA

Baby carrots, beets and turnips are
delicious roasted together. Serve over
cooked grains as a side dish.

Cut off your beet and turnip greens and cook them
together to eat in the same meal, or save
them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for
another time.

1 bunch baby carrots, scrubbed clean
1 bunch beets, scrubbed clean and quartered
1 bunch turnips, scrubbed clean and quartered
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss vegetables together with oil and vinegar and place in
a baking pan.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast vegetables in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes until they are all tender. (Test one of each vegetable, as they have slightly different cooking times.)

Beet and Carrot Cake

Sara Jones, Tucson CSA

2 cups grated carrots and beets, mixed
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
¼ cup yogurt
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt

Streusel topping:

2/3 cup oats
2/3 cups walnuts
¼ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make topping by mixing
streusel ingredients together in blender, pulsing, until
well mixed.

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar,
oil, eggs and yogurt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer
on medium speed until well blended.

Add beets and carrots; beat well. Combine flour and spices in a large bowl. Add to wet mixture and mix well.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9×13″ cake pan.
Sprinkle evenly with streusel mixture. Bake at 350° for
30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center
comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on wire rack;
remove from pan.

Cottage Pie

Sarah Martin, Tucson CSA

This recipe can be easily altered to accommodate a changing
variety of produce. Try adding or substituting green beans,
turnips or other seasonal vegetables.

1 1/2 pounds red skinned potatoes, cubed
2-3 ounces shredded farm house cheddar cheese
1/4 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef*
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup peas
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon bay leaf
worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the
potatoes and 1 cup of the vegetable stock in a saucepan. Bring
to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer 10 minutes or until
the potatoes are tender. Set aside. Do not drain.

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add ground beef. Break the beef into chucks as it
cooks. When you don’t see any more pink, poor off any extra
fat and add the carrots, onion and peas. Cook 5 minutes more.

Add the Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf and salt and pepper to
taste. Stir the flour into the beef mixture making sure to coat
all of the ingredients. Cook 2-3 minutes more.

Slowly poor the remaining vegetable stock into the beef and bring to a boil.
Pour mixture into an 8 or 9-inch casserole. Mash the potatoes
in their cooking liquid and stir in the shredded cheese and
yogurt. Spread the potatoes over the beef and vegetables. You
can sprinkle extra cheese on top of the potatoes if you like
things extra cheesy. Bake 30-45 minutes or until bubbly along
the edges.

*Substitute ground lamb and you have a shepherd’s pie, or
cooked lentils for a vegetarian option.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to let you know what will be in your bag today.

Carrots
Onions-small red
Potatoes
Eight ball squash--my favorite for stuffing
Zucchini squash
Lettuce
Fennel
Beets
Strawberries or Artichokes--we don't have enough of both for everyone so if you get artichokes this time you'll get strawberries next time and vice versa.
Kholrabi
Kale

Welcome to all of our new members. You have all been so great about recommending us to your friends that we are growing, growing, growing!

Farm Camp for our members will be June 29th- July 3rd 10a.m.-1p.m.
It's free for all member's kids and any members that want to join us. We'll be learning all aspects of sustainable farming in a fun hands- on way. Get ready to get your hands dirty. Let us know if you'll be coming.

Our friend and local artist Tommy Hacker will also be having Art in the Garden @ Blosser Urban Garden this summer . Cost is $110/week and includes all materials and lunch. The first session starts June 22-26. 11a.m.-2p.m. to sign up and for more information send us an email.

Thanks again for all of your support. We are having a great time!

Sunday, April 19, 2009


Hi Everyone,

Well the plants survived the heat. Now for the heat on delivery day. It's supposed to be hotter tomorrow than today so if we're dropping off your bag on the doorstep, we'll look for a shady spot. Every bag will also have ice packs in it to keep all your delicious veggies fresh. If you want to leave a cooler out we can transfer the ice packs and produce to your ice chest.

We've heard lately from some of our friends that it's hard to "keep up" with the vegetables and we totally understand. I find that if I wash and prep everything at once and have it handy in the fridge, I will be way more likely to use it. I also like to have everything ready for a quick salad or lettuce leaves washed and ready to make a lettuce wrap. Our kids love tuna wraps and it's not like eating another "boring" sandwich. We also use a lot of our vegetables in one meal. Here's an example : this week we'll have broccoli, baby bok choy, carrots, and gr. cabbage so... what I do is make a stir fry with all these vegetables and add them to pad thai noodles--super inexpensive at trader joes-- if I have extra spinach I'll add some too towards the end so that it stays crisp. Then I sprinkle the spring onions on top. This is so fast and easy.

For salads this week I plan to pair arugula with strawberries and some type of citrusy dressing.

I know it's so hot that it's hard to imagine having soup but I've added a soup that I think will be easy and delicious. so Kath and Cath there are no more excuses--eat your veggies.

Adapted from The Basque Table by Teresa Barrenechea (Harvard Common Press, 1998).

This soothing soup is from the colorful Basque region of Spain. The recipe gets its rich, creamy texture from pureeing the ingredients, not from dairy or fat. Fresh young spinach and spring onions give it lots of mineral nutrition, and the preparation is simplicity itself.

INGREDIENTS

4 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
1 bunch of spring onions both white and green parts, cut into 4 or 5 pieces, crosswise
3 medium carrots, cut into chunks
1 bunch spinach
6 cups water
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Croutons for garnish (optional)

1. In a large saucepan or stockpot, combine the potatoes, onions, carrots, and spinach with the water and bring the contents to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, until the root vegetables are fork-tender. Add the oil and season to taste with salt. Cook for about 5 minutes longer so the flavors blend.


Bread, Flowers, Eggs, and Plants

We have a great local baker that is willing to make organic whole wheat delicious bread for our CSA members. he has been working on the perfect formula and I have been cooperating by trying every batch. If your interested email us and we'll put a fresh, organic loaf of bread in your bag next week.


As some of you might know, we are collaborating with our friends at Growing Grounds this year. Growing Grounds is a great place where clients from Transitions Mental Health work on a 3 acre farm on Foster Rd. This year we have taken over the planting of the vegetables and Ariela and Chris from Growing Grounds are growing their amazing flowers. This gave us an opportunity to expand our CSA since we had more land to plant and it's a good way for Growing Grounds to cut down on their costs. So now if you need beautiful flowers just let us know and we can put those in your bag too.

We can also get free range eggs from a farmer in Nipomo if you are interested. Our chickens are keeping us very happy with their eggs but we don't have enough to offer to our members. I guess we need more chickens.

If there is anything else tht you would like to be able to purchase that is organic and local, let us know. We have a lot of friends that have wonderful products to share with our members.

Jerry has finally given the okay to sell the summer starts for your gardens. He didn't want them to go in too early. So if your interested come by on Monday when Jerry is here. He can show you what we have and give you some tips. Tim(our 12 year old) also wants me to tell you that if you don't want to water your garden very much, he has beautiful succulents for sale.


We are planning on having an Earth Day Our Way this month but are not quite sure of the date. (probably the last weekend in April) If you have anything you would like to share with other members please let us know.

On April 4th we had the children from Los Adobes de Maria plant the Children's Garden you can see more at

http://web.me.com/blosserurbangarden/El_Jardin_de_los_Ninos/Welcome.html

Have a great, healthy, happy week.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Here We Go Again

Hello Everyone,
It is amazing to us that it's time to start again. We hope that you've missed the veggies as much as we have.
It has been a busy week getting ready for our first CSA day. Thank you to all of you that joined us for our second year. We really appreciate you telling your friends about us because our CSA has really grown this year. It's so exciting to have so many new members. Our community continues to grow just like the garden.
I thought I would go over the rules and regulations =) since we do have so many new members. First of all, please feel free to contact us at any time. If there is something not right with your order or you want to change your delivery or you have a question just email us or call us. My email is alejandramahoney@gmail.com and phone# si 878-1456. Jerry's is jerrymahoneyjm@yahoo.com and phone# 878-1744. if we are delivering to you and you won't be home, just leave your bag by the front door and we'll pick up the empty and give you a full one.
This week in your bag--oh by the way we chose the Trader Joes bags because they are durable and hold a lot of fruits and vegetables. We don't need to manufacture more bags just so they'll have our name on them. It's more sustainable this way. So.... in your bag..

Broccoli Raab- the big leafy stuff that has tiny broccoli buds on it. It is so nutritious and you can put it in anything. Blanch it in salted water first and then you can stir fry it add it to soup, or eat it like spinach

Carrots- I'm lucky if I can wrestle one of these away from the kids.

Green /Red Onions - these are great grilled- just sprinlkle a little olive oil and salt on them, grill and eat.

Parsley and Cilantro-it's fun to have the kids try and figure out which is which.

Kale-- the dark green kinda bumpy leaves- great in soups

Strawberries- from our very own garden-- we couldn't believe our first planting would do so well. They'll just get sweeter and sweeter.

Blueberries-- the blueberries are the only item that is not certified organic. Our friend Gary Teixeira is a local farmer and they are so good we couldn't pass them up.


Beets- you can boil the tops and bottoms. Our favorite way to eat them is to roast them with the carrots--A little olive oil drizzled over the top and put them in the oven until they're tender.

Cabbage- We make a coleslaw with a cilantro dressing. Just blend some cilantro, lemon juice and mayo in the blender and pour over thinly sliced cabbage. We also put this cabbage salad in out tacos.

Red Leaf Lettuce and Green Leaf Lettuce-- these two lettuces were picked right before we delivered. They are so tender and sweet. If they were wilted or crushed in your bag please let us know. It does happen sometimes. We mixed them together with coarsely chopped carrots and some roasted beets for dinner tonight- everyone loved it.

Broccoli- tiny florets and carrots are a great lunch time snack.

Again, Thank you so much for your support. We are so happy to be able to share our harvest with you.
Alejandra