A Sense of Place
When we arrived at the farm on North Sugan Road in February the fields were made of mud and dried stalks of soybeans that had been harvested the fall before. Brush and vines were growing up the fence, the barn was cold and dusty, the driveway was full of holes and the orchard was unmowed and unpruned. Slowly, we built a greenhouse, filled the barn with tools and boots and jars of peanut butter, we cleared the fence, pruned the orchard, built a shed, cleaned out the ruins and planted flowerbeds.
The corn and soybeans that had been planted for years before had been seeded and harvested by machine to be consumed by animals to be processed into meat to be sold at unknown grocery stores across the country. We plowed in those stalks and mapped out fields to be planted in vegetables that were transplanted, weeded and harvested by human hands. Food that was to be picked and sold to people we know, to be put cooked in pots and pans in kitchens we drive by every day.
Before this year the fields were silent and empty save the hum of the occasional tractor pass for seeding, spraying and harvesting. But now our place is full of laughter, serious conversation, shouting, singing, cell phone rings, the occasional rotten tomato toss and the whir of the diesel truck. Anticipation
and dog barks fill the air when a car drives down the driveway filled with people for a visit or a truck for a delivery. The bustle and impatience is palpable as we hurry to pack the van for CSA or markets, checklists silently being marked off in everyone’s mind. This space that was empty has now become full with sound, energy, connection and spirit. We have filled our farm with life and made it a place that can grow food.
We took a piece of land that was being ‘farmed’ and made it into a place that is being ‘lived’. It is a place that people spend their days working together. It is a place that makes us laugh and sweat and cry. While we are trying to create a healthy ecosystem for plants to grow, we have inadvertently created a place for us grow as well.
Thank you all for an amazing first season. We can’t wait to keep growing with you.
The last share of the our first season:
kale
swiss chard
collard greens
asian greens
pac choi
arugula
spinach
broccoli
cabbage
brussel sprouts
eggplant
garlic
onions
sweet potatoes
winter squash
beets
carrots
rutabaga
parsnips
salad turnips
radishes
leeks
kohlrabi
escarole
radicchio
fennel
herbs
Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Red Onions with Balsamic Vinegar
Serves: 8
Prep: 6 min
Cook: 24 min
Total: 30 min
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb red onions, thickly sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Directions
1. Heat oven to 450˚F. Line large baking sheet with foil.
2. Spread brussels sprouts in single layer on prepared pan and toss with oil. Roast in upper third of oven, stirring occasionally, 12 minutes.
3. Add onions to pan, tossing to combine, and roast until vegetables are tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Drizzle with vinegar, tossing to combine, and roast 2 minutes longer. Transfer to serving bowl and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
Beef Stew with Root Vegetables
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 pounds beef stew meat
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup red wine
4 cups beef broth, more as needed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 carrots, roughly sliced
2 parsnips, roughly sliced
1 small turnip, roughly sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, optional
Minced fresh parsley, for garnish
Directions
Heat the oil and butter in a pan and brown the beef. Remove the beef from the pan, throw in the garlic and onions and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Pour in the wine, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, sugar, paprika, salt and some pepper. Then return the beef to the pan, cover and simmer on a low heat until the meat is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If the liquid level gets too low, add more broth as needed.
Add the carrots, parsnips and turnips and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is reduced, about 30 minutes.
If the stew is still too liquidy, remove a cup of cooking liquid from the pan and stir in the flour. Add the flour mixture back into the pan and stir. Simmer for 10 minutes until the stew is thick. The meat should be very tender; if it's tough, let it continue to cook.
To finish, add the parsley and stir through the stew.
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/beef-stew-with-root-vegetables-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback
Best Cream Of Broccoli Soup
Submitted By: Jessie A.
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Ready In: 35 Minutes
Servings: 6
"Onions, celery, and broccoli cooked in chicken broth are pureed with milk in this quick scratch-made cream of broccoli soup."
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
8 cups broccoli florets
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, and saute onion and celery until tender. Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. 2. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot. 3. In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. Season with pepper and serve.
Love to you all,
Malaika, Amanda, Matt, Candice, Nat and Josh.