CSA #3 Fall and Winter

October 29th

We hope you are enjoying your Fall baskets so far, I know the cooler weather had us craving soup this week and i think we made a different one every other day.  We are halfway done planting our garlic which should be done this week.  The focus now will be getting our greenhouse finished before the weather gets too bad.  We have some new items in baskets this week.


In your baskets this week:

Chez Salad Mix
Celery (green)
Poblanos
Flower Sprouts
Kale
Radishes

Extra greens : a double salad bag and an extra kale

Celery Harvest 

We grew 2 celery varieties this year red and regular.  The red seems sweeter while the green has a stronger celery taste.  

Harvesting radish

I grew a lemongrass this year and am hoping to multiply it over the years to offer in baskets.

Greenhouse crops are getting large.  

Poblanos were the star of one of the soups we made this week.  The recipe doesn't call to puree the peppers but you can if you want an even heat instead of the odd spicy bite.  Had to pick out the pepper pieces for my non heat lovers but i was more than happy to add them to my bowl! Also you can use whatever milk you like i had almond on hand.

http://www.makingthymeforhealth.com/vegan-roasted-poblano-corn-chowder/

CSA #2 Fall and Winter

October 22

This week's mission was garlic.  When we saw days of rain coming we knew our time was limited because once the beds get saturated in the fall they almost never dry up and that makes it hard if not impossible to work the beds.  We grow 2 full gardens of garlic and one was still home to the tomato field which is quite a job to clean up.  By Wednesday night the garden was cleaned and prepped and then luckily covered with a giant tarp just on time to keep out the rain.   These tarps have been extremely useful on the farm and for the time being they will keep these spots workable until all our garlic is planted.  We are planting 3 varieties Music, Siberian and Northern Quebec.  Northern Quebec is a variety we began with but almost lost and this summer none was for sale as we were rebuilding our seed stock. We'll be happy to be able to offer this beautiful large porcelain garlic again next year.

In your baskets this week:

Cherry Tomatoes
Chez Nous Salad Mix
Flower Sprout Leaves
Anaheim peppers (med heat)
Sweet Peppers

Extra Greens: Chez Nous Salad Mix and Flower Sprouts

As the weeks go by the baskets will get greener and greener. This week is the last of the cherry tomatoes from the greenhouse and today they are replaced with winter spinach.  Enjoy!

Flower Sprout leaves which are very similar to Kale Leaves but thicker can be steamed for about 15 min when they become tender and are ready for a scoop of butter and some smoked ham or whatever you'd like.  My lunch for the last 2 days.

Anaheim peppers for the most part are pretty mild but every so often you hit a hot spot I'm assuming the seeds or membranes.  I roasted a large batch to freeze for winter use.  There is a lot of peppers this year and if your having a hard time keeping up i suggest freezing them.

Mesclun can be found here and there on the farm.

Hoping to harvest some radishes this week.

Flower Sprouts from a large majestic plant to an awkward stump of developping flowers. 

The field

Arugula

Mustards and Kales coming your way!

More greens growing along well with the grass carpet.   If it were summer we'd make sure to weed those paths but at this point the beds are very wet. 

A future garlic bed.

 Thanks
Have a great week!
Shirley

CSA #1 FALL and WINTER

October 15 2016

We were kinda surprised by the frost this week upon our return from a few days up north.  I noticed the minimal damage Tuesday afternoon, a reminder that it's just a matter of time. Some years are quite forgiving, like last  year, which really allowed us to get everything properly cleaned up and put away. Other years have gotten cold really fast, covering everything up with snow before we were ready.  This CSA will take us to mid February, what will the next 18 weeks bring?  Thanks for joining us on this journey.

Growing food during the off season has been one of the most surprising discoveries in becoming a small scale farmer.  Most people still think we have the winters off.  Some days the work is crazy, trucking through the snow which is blasting at your face just to get out back, frozen cheeks...frozen fingers...frozen water, survival days.  Other days, are mild with the sun nearly blinding you....quiet and peaceful outside, hot and summery in the greenhouse which is bursting with life.  And the food grown or subjected to the cold elements of nature are not the same, as you already know... or will learn this season.  They are sweeter and crisper....winter candy.

In your baskets this week:

Chez Nous Salad Mix
Sweet Peppers
Eggplant
Hakurei Turnips
Parsley
Flower Sprouts

Greens extra: Kale and Kohlrabi


This is the time of year I really enjoy my salads.  There are so many available greens in the garden and they are at their best.  I miss the subtle flavour the lemon basil of the summer offers but welcome the sweet and spicy arugula and mustards, the crunch of the Napa, diversity of the Asian Greens, sweet Spinach, parsley, celery etc...   I would love to know the nutritional value of this mix.  After all the years I still love it best with Mme Karolynn's Dressing ( named after a lovely co-worker from years ago). Here's the link to an old post with the recipe. http://www.cheznousfarms.com/2013/09/the-best-grass-i-ever-had-chez-nous.html

Flower Sprouts....cutest little things...cross between Brussels Sprouts and Kale.   Just boil or steam until steam is just tender...butter and salt.

Here's the Flower Sprouts field after the plants have been topped.  The next step is to remove the leaves and then the sprouts grow faster.

Harvesting some of the nice leaves as they store for quite a long time and can be used as kale.

Below are different stages of growth from pea size to full.  There are 3 colours...green, multi and purple.

 

 Rick breaking off the leaves with a stick....boys. lol! They actually come off quite easily that way.

 You can expect some peppers for the next few baskets.

 The greenhouse was filled with transplants except for 2 rows in which we germinated more turnips and Arugula.

See you next week.

Shirley

CSA 18

Friday September 30


The last one...  I won't be forgetting that hot summer in a while! In spite of the lack of rain and extreme heat i'm happy with how things turned out.  Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant and Zucchini stole the show. We were also able to get some decent crops growing for our Fall and Winter Csa which is due to start October 14.  We'll be sending out details soon.  Thanks for your business and for those that will be leaving us for the winter we hope to see you soon.



In your baskets this week:

Chez Nous Salad Mix
Cherry Tomatoes
A double of sweet peppers
Hakurei Turnips

Greens Extra: Napa and Salad Mix

Here taste it!  My husband comparing the greenhouse Doe Hill peppers to the outside ones.

We really have some beautiful carrot beds happening this year...waiting for some frost!

The Flower Sprout Garden has had all it's leaves stripped to force out the sprouts.  It always kills me to see the leaves come down because it is such a majestic plant but as Rick says it needs to be done!

There are actually 3 variety of flower sprouts

This weeks mission was to have the new greenhouse fully planted.

Mission accomplished...now lets get this thing finished! Today I will start planting our old smaller house with spinach, all spinach...so sweet.

And that's all. We'll see you soon on our new adventure which will be the winter CSA... never know what Mother Nature will throw at us!

Thanks again

Shirley and Rick

Chez Nous Farms