We Have Moved

We are now New Leaf Farm located at

15 Crystal Springs Drive

New Lebanon, NY 12125

For information about the Farm and

2015 CSA Shares

Please visit us at newleaffarm.wordpress.com

On the Farm- December 20th

The field looks empty and hard. The entire length was plowed this fall and only a hardy row of kale plants struggle to live through the winter, pushing out from the powdery white or crusty, cold earth into the open air and sunlight. It is time to look toward next year. 

We are excited to welcome Lauren Bonn to the farm as Co-Farmer for the 2012 season. She joins us after farming in the San Francisco Bay Area and is excited to be farming on the east coast. We are enthused about working together to make the farm even greater in the season to come.  Lauren and I are currently attending a USDA funded class for beginning women farmers on whole farm planning where we hope to improve our farm management skills. We have big plans to install an irrigation system and add new crops and varieties to the farms offerings.

We are eager to have more member involvement on the farm in the form of volunteer days and CSA gatherings. We are also in the process of creating a farm advisory committee.  The organization is in the very beginning stages, but if you really care about the future of the farm and have an interest in getting involved please let us know.  Save the date- January 29^th– plans are brewing for a winter farm diner. Details will come your way to come soon.

There is a CSA membership renewal form attached to this e-mail. Please sign up by January 1^st to reserve your spot and help us plan for next year.  Thank you to those who have already renewed! We will begin excepting new members in January so please tell your friends and neighbors.

We look forward to having you on the farm for another season,

Ellen & Lauren

Two Husk Cherry Recipes

Husk Cherry Salsa

Adapted from http://www.5thjoy.com

 (Makes about one cup)

1 1/2 pints small husk cherries, husked

1 jalapeno

1 medium clove of garlic

1/2 tsp-1tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1 small yellow onion, coarsley chopped.

1 handful cilantro or parsley

Juice of 1/2 lime

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Husk the fruits and quarter the jalapeno.   Place them whole on a baking sheet. Bake until the husk cherries show initial sign of charring (one or two brown or black spots).  Put tomatoes, onion, cumin, garlic, lime juice and salt in a food processor.  Blend until combined.  Add the cilantro (or parsley) and pulse once or twice until the larger leaves are broken up. Serve over grilled chicken breasts, or with tortilla chips.

 Husk Cherry Waldorf Salad

From Maine Food & Lifestyle, September 2009

1 cup walnuts
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 pint husk cherries, husks removed and halved (a generous cup)
2 Tablespoons sliced shallot
½ cup vanilla soy yogurt
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Green or red leaf lettuce, chopped (optional)

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast walnuts for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until they become lightly browned and fragrant. Allow walnuts to cool, then combine with celery, husk cherries, and shallot in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt and lemon juice. Pour dressing over salad and stir gently to combine. Serve over lettuce if desired.

Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side.

On the Farm- October 25th

This is the last week of CSA pickup. A month ago it seemed as if the season would continue on for ages, and now it seems all too abrupt an ending.  Long days of work are transitioning to a time of rest. Today new ground was plowed up for next year and this year’s fields were turned in. The field that was once a patchwork of colors and textures- sprawling green vines, reaching purple leaves, is now brown, brown and stony. This soil is my canvas. And today it is a new canvas, calling to hold cabbage here and sweet potatoes there. The barren field is potential, possibility. This winter I will processes the year, its challenges and bounty, your comments and my notes. It will swirl together with hope, innovation, and spreadsheets to blossom into next year’s farm.

I appreciate your support in a tough season of weather extremes and hope you will continue to enjoy all that the farm offers in years to come. Pick up a share renewal form in the barn if you haven’t already and encourage your friends to join the farm next year. In the meantime, savor the last week, the last vegetables, and the last farm meals of the season.

*I will not be at Distribution on Saturday. I am attending my first Whole Farm Planning class for Beginning Women Farmers. Your produce will be available in the barn all day, though I will not be there to answer your questions. I apologize for missing our last week of the season!

Sausage and Kale Dinner Tart

From My Pantry Shelf,  http://mypantryshelf.com

The Tart Shell:

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled

 1 pinch salt

 3-4 tablespoons ice water

Cut the butter into small cubes. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until butter is pea-sized. Slowly drizzle water through the top of the food processor while pulsing. You have added enough water when dough sticks together when pressed. Remove dough from processor and press gently into a disc. Wrap disc in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and unwrap. Place disc on a lightly floured board. Roll dough into a circle 12 inches in diameter. Place dough in 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom. Dock dough with a fork. Lay parchment paper or foil over dough and fill with beans or pie weights.

Blind bake the tart shell (with pie weights) for 20 minutes. Then remove parchment and weights and bake an additional 5 minutes until the crust begins to brown. Remove from oven and set aside on cooling rack.

The Sausage and Kale Filling:

1 tablespoon butter

 1 teaspoon olive oil

 2 cups onion, minced

 2 garlic cloves

 1/2 pound Italian sausage

 1 bunch kale (a large bunch)

1/4 cup white wine

 1/2 cup fresh basil, cut into thin strips

1 egg

 1/4 cup ricotta

 salt and pepper.

Heat oil and butter in pan on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until onions are soft and light brown. Season with salt and pepper. Remove onions from pan and set aside.

Increase heat to medium and add sausage to pan. Brown sausage and break into small pieces. Remove sausage from pan and set aside. Drain all but 1 Tablespoon of oil from pan.

Add kale to pan. Pour white wine over kale. Scrap any bits from the pan and cover. Cook 3-5 minutes, until kale is wilted. Season with salt and pepper. If kale is still very wet, cook uncovered for a minute or two. The overall mixture should be fairly dry. Remove kale to a large bowl.

Toss cooked kale with cooked sausage and onions. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Toss mixture with basil, egg, and ricotta. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon sausage and kale mixture into cooked tart shell. Be sure to evenly cover the bottom of the tart shell. Bake the tart on a baking tray for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove tart from oven when the filling is set and the tart shell is nicely brown. Cool tart slightly on a wire rack. Slice and serve with a big green salad.

Butternut Squash Risotto

by Erin Alderson

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 leeks

1 cup arborio rice

1/4 cup dry white wine

3-4 cup veggie stock

1 medium butternut squash

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 425˚. Cut butternut squash in half, brush both sides with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side up on a baking tray and roast for 45-55 minutes until squash is tender. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cooled slightly, scoop out the squash into a large bowl and mash until smooth or place in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
2. In a medium pot, heat vegetable stock to a simmer. In another pan, melt butter with olive oil. Dice leeks and soak in cold water to remove dirt. Add leeks to pan and saute until tender. Stir in the rice and mix with leeks. Once rice has cooked for 1-2 minutes, pour in the wine and continue to stir until absorbed. Once wine is absorbed, add two ladles of stock and stir. Once stock is absorbed, keep adding/absorbing stock until risotto until the rice is tender with just a little bite to the rice.
3. When risotto is near done, stir in butternut squash puree, Parmesan cheese, and salt/pepper to taste.
4. *if you have extra butternut squash, freeze for later use.

On the Farm- October 18th

Much of the work this week has been cleaning, putting to bed. I pull plants laden only with rotting fruit. I gather hoops and row covers, pull up plastic and chicken fencing. But, amid all the taking down, we also planted the garlic.

 Bulbs were broken down into cloves.  Many hands helped press the cloves into the moist soil on Saturday morning. Crouching figures quickly filled the holes as they were formed. 

 Over 3, 000 future garlic plants were nestled into the ground, covered with straw and left to rest and emerge early in the spring.

Thanks to everyone who pitched in and made quick work of the planting job. Thanks to those who stuck around and helped us make 4-5 gallons of delicious apple cider. It is always a pleasure working, eating and growing with you.

Marinated Asian Kale Salad

From Frank Schmidt and Nancy Lasher at Grandstreetcsa.org

Kale – Tuscan is best but any will do – washed, destemmed, and thinly shredded
2 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
5 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Sugar (other sweeteners like agave are fine)
½ Tbsp Minced Ginger
½ Tbsp Minced Garlic
Red Pepper Flakes or Sriracha
Toasted Sesame Seeds

Mix all dressing ingredients together in a jar and mix well. This can be made a day or so in advance.

One to two hours before serving, mix kale and dressing in a big bowl. Stir to coat all kale pieces. Dressing should cover all the kale and have a few tablespoons in the bottom. Stir every 10-15 minutes to make sure dressing coats and wilts the kale. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving. Enjoy.

Note: The flavors are all very strong in this recipe. Feel free to increase or reduce any ingredient according to taste. If it’s too strong, increase the rice wine vinegar and/or add a tablespoon or two of water to the dressing before mixing.

Celeriac Apple Potato Soup

From Tinyurbankitchen.com, Saturday, September 01, 2001

Ingredients
1 large celeriac root or two small (peeled and chopped)
2 medium sized potatoes (peeled and chopped)
1 large apple (peeled and chopped)
1/2 onion, diced
1 Qt chicken broth
1 T butter
1 T oil
1/2 tsp dried Thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Blending
Saute onions in butter and oil under medium heat for a few minutes until browned and translucent. Add the celeriac and potatoes. Saute for about 8-10 minutes until they are cooked. Add broth and apples. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender or, if using a blender, blend in batches in the blender. Garnish with toppings of your choice and serve!

Garnishes
You can cook some bacon, pancetta, or proscuitto in a pan and crumble a small amount on top of the soup. Another variation by Gordon Ramsey adds a splash of lemon for tartness and crumbled stilton.  You can also consider chopped chives, croutons, or blue cheese.  There’s really a lot of room for creativity here. You can easily make this soup vegan by omitting the butter and the bacon. You can also thicken it up by adding a bit of heavy cream to the soup.

On the Farm- October 11th

This is an exciting week on the farm and I hope many of you will make it out to our Fall Farm Festival, However,  I am going to curtail my weekly comments in order to lend this space to Anna Duhon from the Farmscape Ecology Program. She will be at our distributions this week and I hope you will spend some time talking with her and learning more about her research.

-Ellen

Greetings from the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program!

We’re very excited to have the opportunity to visit your CSA pickup site this week, and hopefully gather some of your thoughts and experiences about food, agriculture and your CSA share through a brief (5-10 minute) survey. 

 As some of you might know, we’re a small research and outreach program within the Hawthorne Valley non-profit that is dedicated to exploring the cultural, ecological, and agricultural landscape of Columbia County, NY.  We work closely with Columbia County farmers, and have been working on a Rural/Urban CSA Study in conversation with Hand Hollow Farm and others to provide useful information to help CSA farmers better connect with their members and to help us better understand our county’s food system.

 In this study we’re exploring the relationship between CSA farms in Columbia County and the CSA members in both rural and urban areas that are served by these farms.  We’re particularly trying to better understand the diverse rural and urban populations that are supporting agriculture in Columbia County – in other words, you!

 We would love to include you in this study, and to this end we’ll have an anonymous survey with us that we hope you’ll take a few minutes to fill out while you’re at the pickup site.  Your responses will help us provide useful information to not only your CSA farmer and core group, but also a larger group of CSA farmers.  You’ll also have the opportunity to see the results of the study once they’re compiled.

 We are grateful for any time you can spare to participate in this survey, and look forward to talking with you!

-Anna Duhon