A tomato plant in early April

Tomato seedlings now

Hi members and friends,

Less than a month to go until your first pickup!  We hope you all are craving those luscious, fresh greens that signal the start of the CSA season.  Everything has been full-steam at the farm–seeding, planting, watering, weeding, hauling compost.  Until today, it’s felt like southern California here, with a seemingly endless stream of beautiful, sunny days.  The rain is great news, though, since it’s been drier than normal, which means lots of scheduled irrigation on our part.  After the long winter, it’s been a pleasure to spend every day outside, taking note of each new type of bloom and hearing the familiar bird songs around the farm–today, we heard our first wood thrush, one of our favorites.    The plants are growing steadily, and the fields are filling up.  We look forward to next week, which is the official last frost date of the year (hopefully!)–that means we can plant our tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and other warm season crops.

We’re also happy to announce that we are full for the season!  Thanks everyone for signing up!

Your lettuce, spinach and peas making good progress

In our last post, we mentioned the killdeer that nested in our fields.  We planted our potatoes around them and gave them some space so that they could continue nesting, and so we had a workable detante where they kept their shrill “killdeer! killdeer!” peeping to a reasonable level.  Since then, their eggs have hatched, and now the family of  five is off, running about the farm announcing themselves all day long.  Check out the video at the end of the post (sorry it doesn’t play on mobile devices) to see how the killdeer parents went all out performing their fake-broken-wing distraction dance after Bryn took this photo:

A killdeer chick!

All the best,

Bryn and Wes

Whew! It’s up and working!

Hello members and friends!

Activity on the farm has really picked up over these past two weeks, along with the general rise in daytime temperatures.  We’re more than halfway through our seeding, with the greenhouse full of seedlings and with beets, spinach and peas sown out in the field.  I transplanted two hundred feet of delicious kale on Wednesday, in time for the rain, and onions and kohlrabi are next.  We also finished construction on our fancy shmancy double-wall inflated hoophouse, which is coming in very handy as we need to move seedlings out of the greenhouse into an intermediary space before they are planted in the fields.  There was a healthy dose of trials and tribulations along the way — plastic that was slightly too small (no problem, we just had to build a raised wall along the north side of the house), an incomplete blower assembly (we devised a creative mounting system instead) and the generally uncommon shape of our structure, which led to some adjustments in order to prevent stress points on the plastic.   But, luckily, over the years we’ve acquired a respectable pile of tools  along with coffee cans full of screws and bolts, so the sky’s the limit when it comes to creative, frugal repairs.

Utah presides over the 24×60 foot piece of plastic for the hoop house

In other news, we’ve made some connections with local livestock farmers who are offering meat share options to the community.  We want to let all of you know about these options, in case you would like to get your local meat this way.  Ryan Fitzgerald in Accord is raising organic, free-range chickens this year and offering a 5-chicken share for delivery in July for $125.00.  This means you would need to have a big freezer to hold them all, or you could split your chicken share with another member.  Another farm, Karl Family Farm in Modena (near Gardiner) offers differently sized 6-month meat shares with a variety of options for monthly pickup, including: Full Meat Share (approximately 3.25 lbs of Beef, 5.5 lbs. of Pork, and 2 Whole Chickens that are approx. 3.5 lbs. each at $780.00), Half Meat Share (approx. 1.5 lbs. Beef, 2.25 lbs. Pork and 1 Whole Chicken approx 3.5lbs at $390.00), and also Full and Half Poultry Shares.  Let us know if you are interested in these options, and we can get in touch with these farmers.

VIDEO TIME!  Lastly, we leave you with a moment of nature.  Yesterday, as I transplanted our kale in the morning, I had the company of our annual avian companions, the killdeer.  They are rather uptight birds, since they nest right in our fields (which can be inconvenient, but we leave them alone) and have to engage in all sorts of antics to distract anyone/thing that might encroach upon their nest.  They run around frantically, stretch out on the ground pretending they have a broken wing and make a racket.  Check out the video I took to see for yourself!

And remember, it’s always a great time to sign up if you haven’t yet!  Tell your friends and family!

All the best,

Bryn

Hi everyone!

New this season: videos! First installment: wondering what it’s like at the farm this time of year? Here’s a snippet–some words about the greenhouse at Four Winds Farm. Highlights: footage of some of the seedlings, hot compost doing its thing, new woodstove adds additional warmth and dryness to the greenhouse air, and Utah demonstrates the main purpose of the stove. Also, narrating things makes me nervous, so I apparently say “wonderful” a lot in order to compensate.

And, if you haven’t signed up yet, we are able to take on more members, so go ahead and mail in that registration! Tell your friends!

All the best,
Bryn

Muddy greetings, members and friends!

We’re convinced that you are all special people.  Not just because you are members of Second Wind CSA or have an affinity for us, but because you have chosen to be a part of the farming community and commit to keeping many of your dollars local while eating healthfully, with the seasons.  I went to an agriculture conference recently at SUNY New Paltz where two CRREO researchers showcased their study that found that CSA members are the most civically engaged citizens.  They care about the economy AND the environment, and they get out there and do the most to further more just systems.  We appreciate that you are doing more than buying local, organic food — you are part of a positive change in the food system, whose current industrial, globalized foundation cracks a little more every year.

A special note–we are almost FULL for the season!  Thank you everyone who joined early this year.  If you have friends or family who have wanted to join, you should encourage them to act fast, because we have just a few spots left.

Onions popping up

So, what’s going on at the farm?  The red wing blackbirds are trilling out by the pond, garlic is starting to sprout in the fields, and we’ve seeded the first of your crops for this season.  We always start with onions, leeks and celeriac, since they prefer colder temperatures during their younger days.  When you get your leeks and celeriac in the fall, we will remind you all to take a moment to appreciate all the time and nutrients that went into these veggies as they sat in the field for the entire season.  They’re basically the grandmas and grandpas of the field.

Everyone in the germinater

As requested by a few members last season, we’ve added shallots to your menu this year, for a little extra sweet onion-y punch in your summer and fall recipes.  Today I seed head lettuce, broccoli, chard, and some flowers.  Next week is a little crazy, with all the tomatoes, peppers and eggplants.  All the sown seeds get cozy and warm in the farm’s homemade refrigerator-turned-germinater, where they are kept at about 75 degrees for a week or so until the first sign of sprouting.  Then we will move them out to the greenhouse, where they can stretch out until we move them out to the hoophouse, and then into the fields they go!

Wes watering the little sprouts

All the best,
Bryn

Utah in the beds of garlic lying dormant until the summer harvest

Hello members and friends,

Wes sifting compost

We hope this mid-winter post finds you well. Even though it’s frosty and the farm is in its deep, regenerative slumber, we are keeping busy in the farming spirit. We’ve been putting together this season’s crop plan, which is simultaneously forward-looking as it calls upon our memories and harvest records from 2012.  It’s fun to think back on the flow of veggies from last season in order to adjust for this one.  We’ve also been spending some savored time in the greenhouse, sifting compost to make the farm’s potting mix. On the engineering end of things, we’re making headway on our planned hoop house improvements, the goal being a double-walled, inflated structure to protect vulnerable seedlings before they get transplanted out into the fields.

Jay’s winter kale in the greenhouse, interplanted with young garlic.

It’s also been a welcome pleasure for us to go to several farming conferences over the last few months. We were awarded scholarships to our first Northeast Organic Farmers Association NY (NOFA-NY) conference, which is an event that some old timers (like Jay and Polly Armour, the fine owners of Four Winds Farm) have been attending for decades. We enjoyed getting to know some of these accomplished stewards of the land. Some other highlights included learning about advanced irrigation techniques,  growing dry beans on a large scale, proper tool sharpening and maintenance the old-fashioned way, and in-depth perspectives on soil science. Hopefully in twenty years, some greenhorn will refer to those geezers Wes and Bryn at NOFA.

Lastly, we’re happy to report that we are already over half full.   So, if you’re planning on joining, don’t delay too long!  Sign up info is here.

All the best,

Bryn, Wes and Utah

Utah takes a nap in the row covers brought in from the fields.

As we put the farm to rest for the winter, we want to drop you a quick note to thank you for being a part of the Second Wind community this season.  It was a pleasure to get to know you all, and we hope to see each of you next season.  You will be hearing from us soon about signup for 2013.  Enjoy your squash and the other long-lasting fall veggies– if you didn’t eat them already over Thanksgiving!

If you have any thoughts or ideas for how we can make the CSA better, please let us know.  Otherwise, enjoy the winter.

Warmly,

Bryn and Wes (and Utah)

And now, here we are at the last week of the regular distribution season!  (not including the Thanksgiving share in a few weeks.)  What a great season it’s been – Mother Nature gave us a fantastic growing season and we were pleased to be able to offer bonus weeks at the beginning and the end of the season.  We are already planning next year, and are excited to continue to be your farm for 2013.  Details will be on the website soon.

In the mean time, enjoy this week’s share!  And for those picking up tomorrow, no costumes are necessary for these treats (although we certainly won’t turn you away)!

• Arugula
• Beets
• Parsnips
• Carrots
• Head Lettuce
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Celeriac
• Winter Squash
• Onions
• Garlic
• Dill

SHREDDED BEET-CABBAGE SALAD

• 1 cup shredded beet
• 1-2 cup shredded carrot
• 1 cup shredded cabbage

Steam separately until barely tender (about 5 minutes).  Let cool to room temperature.  Arrange on plates and dress with your favorite dressing (or use this delicious tahini dressing: 1/2 cup tahini, 1/2 cup oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup soy sauce, and water).

MAPLE GLAZED PARSNIPS

• 2 cups parsnips
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp butter
• 2 tbsp walnuts (chopped and toasted) – optional

Dice parsnips to 1/2 inch and place on oiled baking pan with salt sprinkled on top.  Bake at 400 degrees until soft – about 30 minutes.

Combine maple syrup and melted butter and pour over cooked parsnips.  Top with walnuts and serve.

AU GRATIN CABBAGE

• 2 cups cabbage
• 1/2 cup carrots
• 1/3 cup green onions
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp cheese (shredded)

Saute cabbage, carrots, and green onions until crisp with oil in frying pan.  Transfer to baking dish.

Combine milk, egg, and shredded cheese.  Pour over vegetables.  Garnish with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

We apologize for the late post.  Perhaps we will get some recipes posted later in the week (feel free to send us your own!).  We hope you are enjoying some time lying in piles of leaves in t-shirts, absorbing the sun’s warmth on your faces and musing at how the fiery maple leaves sometimes glow as if lit from within.  Here are the contents of this week’s share.

• Leeks
• Chinese Cabbage
• Chard
• Bok Choy
• Carrots (warning, Utah may try to relieve you of one)
• Potatoes
• Butternut Squash
• Garlic
• Onions
• Turnips
• Mustard Greens
• Dill
• Cilantro

See you at distribution!

25° here in Gardiner on Friday night!  What was the lowest that you saw? And now it was close to 70° today!

Well, the expected average first frost date is October 15 for this area, so it was to be expected.  We spent a hurried Friday bringing squash, onions, and garlic inside (we cure them in the unheated greenhouse, where they’d have been frost-damaged).   We covered all the plants that had a chance of surviving with floating row cover, but some of the most temperature-sensitive crops were destined to meet their end. The champion of our fields, the mighty tri-color beans, no longer dominate the farm, having succumbed to the chilly night.  We salute their drooped, darkened branches.

We’ve got a lovely share this week, with our fall succession of cabbages ready to hop onto your plates, joining with the tried-and-true favorites (don’t forget the kimchi recipe that we posted earlier in the season).  We’ve been relishing the Fall greens in our own kitchen, so we’re excited to have a nice selection this week.  This share’s new treats are pie pumpkins (see below for an easy pumpkin pie recipe) and parsnips.  The pie pumpkins are primo eating pumpkins – not the type you’d carve on Halloween, which tend to be watery and stringy.  Pie pumpkins have a firm, sweet flesh and are perfect for pies, roasting, and soups.  One 6” pumpkin is about equivalent to a 15 oz.  can of pumpkin puree.

Enjoy!

• Peppers
• Carrots
• Bok Choy
• Kale
• Braising Mix
• Chinese (Napa) Cabbage
• Parsnips
• Head Lettuce
• Pumpkin
• Onion
• Garlic
• Parsley
• Dill

 FRESH PUMPKIN PIE

•  2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 cups mashed, cooked pumpkin
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1.  To prepare mashed pumpkin, halve pumpkin and scoop out seeds and stringy portions. Cut pumpkin into chunks. In saucepan over medium heat, in 1 inch of boiling water heat the pumpkin to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain, cool and remove the peel. Return pumpkin to the saucepan and mash with a potato masher.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Prepare pie crust by mixing together the flour and salt. Cut shortening into flour, add 1 tablespoon water to mixture at a time. Mix dough and repeat until dough is moist enough to hold together.
4. With lightly floured hands shape dough into a ball. On a lightly floured board roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. With a sharp knife, cut dough 1 1/2 inch larger than the upside down 8 to 9 inch pie pan. Gently roll the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it right side up on to the pie pan. Unroll, ease dough into the bottom of the pie pan.
5. In a large bowl with mixer speed on medium, beat pumpkin with evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Mix well. Pour into a prepared crust. Bake 40 minutes or until when a knife is inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean.

ROASTED PUMPKIN SOUP

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 apple, peeled and diced
• 2 cups fresh pumpkin
• 1 tablespoon sage leaves
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup cream
• Salt and pepper

1. To roast pumpkin, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut whole pumpkin in half and then cut each half into several pieces. Discard seeds or reserve for another use. Place pumpkin on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until tender but not falling apart, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool, peel away skin, and dice.
2. In a stockpot over medium heat, melt butter and saute onion, carrot, apple, roasted pumpkin, and sage until all are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Puree the mixture in a food mill, food processor, or blender.
3. Return the puree to the stockpot, add the chicken stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the cream and simmer for 5 more minutes, lowering the heat if necessary so it does not boil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
4. Divide soup among 4 soup bowls and serve immediately.

CURRIED APPLE PARSNIP SOUP

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
• 6 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 2 medium Granny Smith apples
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, whisked to loosen

1. Melt butter with olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add curry powder; stir 30 seconds. Add broth and parsnips. Bring to boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until parsnips are soft, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat; cool 15 minutes.
3. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to pot. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
4. Peel, quarter, core, and coarsely shred apples. Stir apples and yogurt into soup.
5. Warm soup over medium heat, stirring occasionally (do not boil). Season with salt. Divide soup among 6 bowls. Garnish with fried apple peel. 

APPLE PARSNIP MASH (A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO MASHED POTATOES!)

• 1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 pound apples (such as Honeycrisp or Fuji), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• salt and ground pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, combine parsnips, apples, and water. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium and cook, covered, until parsnips are completely tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
2. Transfer mixture to a food processor, add unsalted butter, and process until smooth. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

COLE SLAW WITH PECANS AND SPICY DRESSING

(Note, this is a more complicated cole slaw recipe that we wanted to give for inspiration.  There are plenty of more basic recipes out there if you’d prefer something simple.)

• 1 head napa cabbage, shredded

• 4 carrots, shredded
• 2 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• Leaves from 1 bunch fresh mint, for garnishDressing:

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine the cabbage, carrots, apples, onion, and pecans in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the mustard, sugar, mayonnaise, ground chipotle, and lemon juice until blended. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss well to coat. Taste again for seasoning, then mound onto a platter and garnish with mint leaves.

(*note* There wasn’t a post last week for Week 19, since we were on vacation.)

We are back from a whirlwind trip to California for Wes’ brothers’ wedding, and we want to thank Sam and Erin again for taking care of everything during our absence. After 10 days of bizarrely consistent sun, warmth and lack of precipitation, we have returned to a nearly frosted and quite sodden Hudson Valley.  (But what beautiful Fall foliage!)  There was a scare that a frost might do in some crops on Sunday night, but luckily that event remains postponed. The usual time for that is mid-October.

Celeriac in the field

This week, we step almost completely into autumn fare, but we still have one toe in summer with a few tomatoes and peppers hanging in there. Also, we have some cilantro, generally considered a summery herb, but below we’ve posted a few fall recipes incorporating it.  New this week is celeriac, which is the knobby stem of the celeriac plant (closely related to celery). Some of you are familiar with it, but for those who aren’t, your taste buds may make a new friend this week. We love celeriac–it tastes like a mixture of celery and pineapple to us, and makes a delightful addition to soups and stews. It’s not the prettiest veggie you’ll have gotten this season, but with a little peeling (easiest to just use a sharp paring knife, not a peeler) and cubing, you’ll be in for a treat. There is a recipe below, and here is a site with some extra info about celeriac and other meal possibilities.

The idea behind including kohlrabi and celeriac together is to allow you to explore with some less traditional root-bakes; you can also include onion, garlic, and/or beets (as well as any other root-type veggies you have around).

Wes picking tri-color beans

Your share this week:

• Beans
• Carrots
• Beets
• Bok Choy
• Spring Raab
• Salad Mix
• Chard
• Kohlrabi
• Celeriac
• Peppers
• Tomatoes (probably one each)
• Onions
• Garlic
• Cilantro

CARROT AND CILANTRO SOUP (from Country Living)

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 small Onion, chopped
1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds, crushed
1 pound Carrots, sliced
3 cups Vegetable Stock
1 bunch Fresh Cilantro, chopped, saving some for garnish

In a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onion and coriander. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots. Cook, covered, until softened, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a separate pot, bring stock to a boil. Add onion-carrot mixture and bring back up to a boil. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend (in batches, if needed) until smooth. Season with sea salt. To serve, return soup to pot, stir in chopped cilantro, and reheat on low. Ladle soup into warmed bowls and garnish with cilantro.

HONEY-GLAZED CARROTS WITH CILANTRO (from Martha Stewart)

This is well-matched to roasted chicken, pork or braised beef.

6 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons dry white wine, low-sodium chicken broth, or water
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

In a large skillet, combine carrots and olive oil; add just enough water to cover carrots (about 2 cups). Cook over medium-high until water is evaporated and carrots are tender, 15 minutes. Cook, tossing often, until carrots are light golden, 2 minutes. Add honey and wine, broth, or water; cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until carrots are glazed, 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro.

SMASHED CELERIAC (from Jamie Oliver)

• 1 celeriac, peeled
• olive oil
• 1 handful of fresh thyme, leaves picked
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3–4 tablespoons water or stock

Slice about 1cm/½ inch off the bottom of your celeriac and roll it on to that flat edge, so it’s nice and safe to slice. Slice and dice it all up into 1cm/½ inch-ish cubes. Don’t get your ruler out – they don’t have to be perfect. Put a casserole-type pot on a high heat, add 3 good lugs of olive oil, then add the celeriac, thyme and garlic, with a little seasoning. Stir around to coat and fry quite fast, giving a little colour, for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to a simmer, add the water or stock, place a lid on top and cook for around 25 minutes, until tender. Season carefully to taste and stir around with a spoon to smash up the celeriac. Some people like to keep it in cubes, some like to mash it, but I think it looks and tastes much better if you smash it, which is somewhere in the middle. You can serve this with just about any meat you can think of.