Monthly Archives: September 2016

Good byes and Popcorn

So with the season coming to a close, I would like to say thank you one last time for being a member of our CSA, and giving time to help us harvest and weed throughout the season. Many have you have mentioned to me that it feels like this season has “flown by”…In my mind, during some of those scorchingly hot days I couldn’t agree less, yet on the other hand, these past few weeks have indeed passed quickly. This may be due to the fact that the days are shorter and the weather quite pleasant, but also because I will miss seeing you all during distribution:)

For anyone interested, we will be having a deep cleaning of the barn this Tuesday from 8 until noon, as well as 5 – 7 pm. We will also be doing a few tasks out in the fields, so feel free to join during this time for a final good bye.

 

Lastly, several of you have asked about how to make popcorn, so I wanted to provide some tips about how to make it in the microwave and over the stove:

Microwave:

Very simple and easy..Simply microwave 1/4 cup of kernels in a small brown lunch paper bag. Make sure the bag is closed and folded over 3 or 4 times and firmly crease the seam so that it stays closed. No need to add any oil to the kernels as this won’t make much difference. If you wish to add more kernels, use a larger paper shopping bag.

Microwave for 2 – 4 minutes. Listen closely — when the time between pops slows to about 2 seconds, your popcorn is ready. Depending on your microwave, popping can finish in as little as 2 minutes or take as long as 4 minutes. Do not wait for all the kernels to pop; your popcorn will burn. It’s normal for there to be un-popped kernels in the bag.

Add some melted butter or oil and sprinkle with salt when finished cooking.

Stovetop Popcorn

Yields: 2 servings  Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp coconut, peanut, or canola oil (high smoke point oil)
  • 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels
  • 1 3-quart covered saucepan
  • 1 Tbsp or more (to taste) of butter (optional)
  • Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat the oil in a 3-quart thick-bottomed saucepan on medium high heat. If you are using coconut oil, allow all of the solid oil to melt.

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2. Put 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil.

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3 When the kernels pop, add the rest of the 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds.

This method first heats the oil to the right temperature, then waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the heat, they all pop at about the same time.

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4 Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once the popping starts in earnest, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner.

Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release (the popcorn will be drier and crisper).

Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and dump the popcorn immediately into a wide bowl.

With this technique, nearly all of the kernels pop, and nothing burns.

5 If you are adding butter, you can easily melt it by placing the butter in the now empty, but hot pan. Note that if you let the butter get just a little bit brown, it will add an even more intense, buttery flavor to the butter and to your popcorn. (Here’s more info on how to brown butter.) Just drizzle the melted butter over the popcorn and toss to distribute.

6 Salt to taste.

Reference:

Week 18 Pickup List

So the final week has arrived! Next Monday, October 3rd will be the last distribution day, and since we would like to provide as much produce as possible for each pickup day, there will be no more extras at the end of distribution. Tomatoes, Melons, Peppers, and eggplant are all very thin as you all know, thus we may not have enough of all of these crops for every distribution day. The winter squashes and pumpkins may collectively serve as one pickup item, and we have the addition of popcorn as well! Lugi’s 1 lb honey jars and cookbooks will both be sold at $12. Here is this weeks list:

  • Potatoes
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Watermelons, cantaloupe, musk melon (certain distribution days)
  • Tomatoes (certain distribution days)
  • Peppers
  • Hot Peppers
  • Eggplant (beginning Wednesday)
  • Popcorn (beginning Wednesday)
  • Red onions
  • Acorn and Butternut squash
  • Sugar Pumpkins
  • Pick your own zinnias
  • Egg and fish shares for those who registered

Quite the summer it has been!

With the season winding down, I wanted to give a special thanks to all of our shareholders for supporting us this year. This has been a wonderful learning experience for me, partly because of the opportunities I’ve been given to get to know several of you more personally. Several of you are certainly not afraid to give some good input and suggestions about the CSA, all of which is very helpful and certainly taken into consideration. Although there is only one week remaining, I would love to receive more suggestions about what we could grow more or less of next year, or any other ideas about the way distribution is run, what to include in the blog, etc…I have been in communication with one shareholder about holding a canning and pickling class next year for instance, and hopefully this project will hit the ground running when next year’s growing season comes around.

I would also like to provide a brief “shareholder spotlight” on Carol Fraser, who has been a shareholder for several years now. Almost every week Carol has provided unique and tasty recipes at distribution, and given great tips about how to cook and roast our produce. Carol also makes food pantry deliveries to Foxboro and Brockton, and clearly exhibits a certain joy in providing fresh food for lower-income families.

Carol Fraser

Carol, in addition to many shareholders, have helped make this community supported farming experience that much more enjoyable. Next week I would like to share the spotlight on a few other active and involved shareholders, as long as I can snap a photo of them. Although I won’t be able feature as many members as I would like to, I hope these posts can serve as a “shout out” to all of the members as a token of our appreciation. I can’t say enough about those of you who have given me some great ideas about ways to increase a sense of community; not to mention the people who volunteered to help spur of the moment  when I was left to run distribution alone…Life savers!

the crew

Here is a quick shot I got of our farmhands and farm manager Mathew – the coolest cats this side of Sharon.

Week 17 Pickup List

Hi all,

So we are almost finished! This week we will return to Sugar Pumpkins, yet our Eggplants, Peppers, Tomatoes, and Melons are becoming slimmer and slimmer, thus we may not be able to give out all of these crops for every distribution day. 1 lb Lugi’s honey jars and cookbooks will continue to be sold for $12, and due to the limited amount of all the remaining crops, we may not have enough for extras at the end of distribution. Here is this weeks list:

  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Potatoes
  • Watermelons, cantaloupe, musk melon combination (certain distribution days)
  • Tomatoes (certain distribution days)
  • Peppers (certain distribution days)
  • Hot peppers
  • Acorn Squash
  • Butternut Squash
  • Sugar Pumpkins
  • Red Onions
  • Pick your own Zinnias
  • Egg and Fish shares for those who registered

Cooking with Butternut and Acorn Squash

Over the past couple weeks, I have heard several comments from people about how much they appreciate some of the “bonuses” of being apart of the CSA, which include the chance to learn how to cook some vegetable you may have never cooked with before – winter squash being a common one. Instead of having the choice to cook with what we prefer or what we may be used to from the supermarket, we have to deal with only what is ready to harvest from the field. Being able to provide you all with a better idea of how to cook some of these unfamiliar crops is what being apart of a CSA is all about!

Roasting Acorn Squash

You may want to eat your Acorn squash rather soon because they will not hold for much more than 4 weeks. Unlike most other winter squashes, the quality of Acorn squash does not increase after curing for a couple weeks. And remember, store all of your winter squash in a dry and cool place, never in the fridge (unless they have already been cooked of course).

Very similar to preparing Spaghetti Squash, you can cut the Acorn squash in half, remove all of the seeds and stringy bits, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then roast. Cut the squash with a large chef’s knife since they can be quite tough, and be sure to cut from the stem downwards. Rub the oil all over the cut surface and bowl of the squash, and place the cut-side up halves in a preheated oven of 375 degrees. Roast for 45 to 60 minutes; when finished the halves should be caramelized around the edges, and you should be able to easily poke a knife all the way through the flesh.

You may also want to add a few garlic cloves, or a scoop of brown sugar into the bowl of each squash half. Another option is to stuff each half with whatever you like; bread crumbs, shredded meat, leftover vegetables, cheese, etc…Here are a few things you can do with your roasted squash:

  • Soup: Scoop all the flesh from the squash and either chop it into large chunks for a brothy soup, or puree it for a creamy soup.
  • Casseroles: Layer the scooped squash into a lasagna or toss it into a casserole.
  • Salads: Toss big chunks of the leftover squash in with salad fixings.
  • Pasta: Squash and pasta is a great combination. Add some brown butter and sage to the mix.
  • Put it in (or on) a crust: Squash-stuffed calzones. Squash-topped pizza. Squash-filled quesadillas…Very tasty recipes.

Butternut Squash

I have also been receiving some questions about how long butternut squash will last and what is the curing process all about. Curing is simply storing winter squash at a warm temperature with good air circulation for a period of time, usually 10 to 14 days. When you harvest winter squash, the mature fruits contain excess water. The process of curing squash allows some of that water to exit the fruit. Getting rid of excess water does several things:

  • It concentrates the natural sugars, which makes the squash taste sweeter.
  • It slows the fruit’s respiration rate, which enhances long-term storage.
  • It helps reduce chances of rot.

During the curing process, the skin becomes harder, forming a protective layer over flesh. That harder skin slows respiration, which ultimately improves fruit keeping quality. Harder skin also resists rot better, another secret for problem-free long-term storage. Use fruits with broken stems first because any fruits with damaged stems will not store very well. Butternut squash can store for up to 6 months at 50 – 55 degrees F.

Here is a quick recipe for Caramelized Butternut Squash:

Total time: 1 hr 10 min     Yields 6 – 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 – 5 lbs worth of butternut squash, or 2 medium butternut squash,
  • 6 tbs unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off and discard the ends of each butternut squash. Peel the squash, cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch cubes and place them on a baking sheet. Add the melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. With clean hands, toss all the ingredients together and spread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until the squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize. While roasting, turn the squash a few times with a spatula, to be sure it browns evenly. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.

Caramelized Butternut Squash

 

References:

bonnieplants.com                                                                                                             thekitchn.com                                                                                                                                  foodnetwork.com

What to expect for the final weeks

As our season winds down, I wanted to address some of the good questions I have been receiving about the changes in what’s being distributed lately, as well as give a heads up about what to expect these final two weeks. The last distribution day will be on Monday October 3rd, meaning that we have two more full weeks of distribution left. In case anyone is wondering, the season began on a Wednesday right after Memorial day, thus we are ensuring that everyone has an equal amount of pickup days. In the past, we have sometimes had seasons that have allowed us to add an extra week of pick-up, but that is not the case this year – the drought has indeed affected the length of our season.

As you can all see, there are less crops being given out, and sadly the tomatoes are all but finished. While we are fortunate to have produced a full 8 weeks of tomatoes thus far, the plants are not producing fruit. Some of the tomatoes on the lower field have caught a disease, late blight, which is a fungus that can infect the entire plant including the fruit. Because we are certified organic, we are limited in the amount of spraying, and the type of spray, we can apply to our crops, yet we have been able to counteract the potential for this disease in a number of ways. Copper fungicide, which is a natural compound, has helped reduce the spread of this disease once signs of it were present. Tomatoes are also vulnerable to blight if their foliage becomes repeatedly wet or moist. With the lack of rain, we didn’t have to worry about the weather creating the right conditions for blight and we use drip irrigation so as to not create the conditions ourselves. While the drought has certainly taken it’s toll on the farm, it is because of the commitment to building good soil health, and carefully rotated crops, that we have been able to survive the lack of rain water. Considering that the upper field is not irrigated at all, and also had a lack of rain water, I can’t think of another expression besides “incredibly resourceful” in order to fathom this.

The strategy behind our planting of corn is another example of how we have countered the drought. By planting a few varieties of corn in April, May, and June, we were able to provide enough corn that was ready to harvest after the scorching heat of July had passed. Because this corn was transplanted from the seed bed’s at Ward’s, they were more disease resistant and hardier compared to the direct seeding method. Our late plantings of lettuce and swiss chard were also able to survive the hot weather despite the lack of rain water, mainly due to some afternoon shade provided by the nearby trees. However, not all second plantings survived the drought and there were some vegetables we had hoped to provide more of, that just didn’t make it and we definitely noticed some vegetables not reaching the full size we would want before they were ready for harvesting.

While many vegetables have been hit hard by the drought — the eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, squashes, etc — the future of our field’s are bright considering how resistant, hardy, and “tough” these vegetables have shown to become when being grown organically. The eggplant may be yellowing, the tomatoes may have a few splits, and the cucumbers have…well they have put up a fight to the bitter end, at one point demanding for an unsolicited abundance in your kitchen.

So yes, we have experienced some late struggles as most farms are experiencing during this extreme drought, and though the very last week may only include 5 or 6 items, those squashes and potatoes should be as high quality as any other week of the season. As always, we are grateful that our shareholders are willing to take this journey with us – sharing in the success, or the struggle – of the season.

We look forward to seeing you all during these last few weeks,

–your CSA team

Week 16 Pickup List

Hi all,

Only three full weeks left to go! (With Monday October 3rd being the last day). Several crops are very limited, including melons, peppers, and eggplant, yet we hope to provide these crops for at least 2 distribution days this week. Spaghetti squash has finished, yet this week will include the additions of red onions, “Heart of gold” acorn squash, and “Waltham butternut” squash. We may also be providing some split and “holey” butternut squash for anyone who would like to salvage the good parts of this veggie. Our pumpkins and “Tay Belle” acorn squash are ready to distribute, yet due to their limited quantity, we plan to distribute them during the final two weeks so as to provide enough variety as the season finishes.

Cookbooks are still being sold at $12, and only the 1 lb jars of Lugi’s honey are available at this time. Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who came to the potluck on Sunday and brought delicious dishes! It was quite the treat to see everyone’s talent in the kitchen. Here is this week’s list:

  • Acorn Squash
  • Butternut Squash
  • Red onions
  • Potatoes
  • Watermelons, Musk Melon, Cantaloupe (will most likely not be available every distribution day this week)
  • Eggplant (Certain distribution days)
  • Peppers and hot peppers (certain distribution days)
  • Pick your own Zinnias
  • Swiss chard (available Monday yet uncertain for rest of week)
  • Tomatoes (available Monday yet uncertain rest of week)
  • Egg and fish shares for those who registered
  • 1 lb honey jars for $12

Star Gazing Nights – August 11: Perseid Meteor Showers

To quote just a little of Ray Stevens, a singer, songwriter, and comedian, is a great way to sum up the evening in the skies – “Yes, they call [it] the Streak…lookatthat-lookatthat”.

No doubt that since this night was the peak of the Perseid Meteor Showers we had over 40 people in attendance with a dozen astronomers, but having Mars and Saturn also present made for an evening full of things to observe – even the International Space Station made a brief appearance!

Persied meteor image

while not our picture, we did have several sightings of meteors such as this during the evening.

Clearly the top event of the night was the Perseid meteors. The best time to see them is past midnight to dawn, when the skies are darkest and constellation Perseus, the locus or focal point of the shower is high in the sky. But, we were treated with some really nice, bright, and some times long-lasting, streaks. Of course, you have to be looking up at the moment that they appear, for they appear for only a moment and then disappear.  You have to be patiently scanning the sky to have a good chance at seeing one. Many a person was just leaving the field for the evening when they would hear “lookatthat…lookatthat”, only to turn around and miss the meteor.

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the Moon – Saturn and Mars can just barely be seen above the tree tops

We had a good mix of telescopes, this time. I was able to set up two of them:  a 2.5 inch diameter refractor (spyglass type where you look through lenses) and a 6 inch diameter Newtonian reflector.  I was hoping to bounce back and forth between them to have people view through both and compare what they saw, but we had so many people come through that at times I had to abandon the refractor scope or have it fixed on the moon, which was near first quarter that night.  Saturn, Mars, and the star, Antares, in Scorpio, formed a near right triangle in the sky. The name, “Antares,”  is a contraction of the phrase “Anti-Ares.”  Ares, in this case, is the Greek name for the god of War.  The Roman equivalent is “Mars.” So when the star was named, it was referring to the red planet, Mars, because Antares has almost the same orange-red color and is similar in brightness. This was a great time to compare them side by side!  All month, Mars, Saturn, and Antares are together in that triangle formation.

The night was not great for faint objects like galaxies and globular clusters due to the moon being in the sky and the sky itself wasn’t that transparent – a term to describe how well can you see through the atmosphere – like seeing through a dirty versus a clear glass window.

The next scheduled star-gazing night is on Friday, September 23 – the first full day of fall!

Thank you to Craig Austin for this Star Gazing post. Craig is often present during Moose Hill’s Star Gazing Nights, along with a few members of the Astronomical Society of Southern New England, and other local amateur astronomers. We are grateful for those who share their scopes and knowledge with anyone who is interested in learning more and seeing the night sky from our open field.

Alex’s Farm Tidbits

The winds are changing and the seasons are shifting but we have been enjoying some beautiful days and some wonderful vegetables! Check out these photos!

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Red onions are ready to cure  and will be giving out soon!

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The geese are already migrating!

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Our farm hand Kate found a family of voles while digging up sweet potatoes

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The spaghetti squash is looking sooooo good! I hope it tastes good too!

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Geese in the field

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More geese

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A cantaloupe in its natural habitat

  • Alex

This post is by Alex MacLellan who is in his first year as one of the Farm Apprentices at Moose Hill. Alex has some of the highest energy we have seen out in the fields. He has begun to share pictures of the varieties of crops that we have and some of the fun things our farm apprentices and farm hands find in the fields.

Types of Winter Squash

For the final distributions we are going to be giving out all the wonderful winter squash we have been lovingly growing all season. Here is a peak at what is in store! You’ve already seen the Pinnacle Spaghetti but the others are new 😉

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Waltham Butternut Squash

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Heart of Gold Acorn Squash

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Pinnacle Spaghetti Squash

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Tay Belle Acorn Squash

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Mystic Pumpkins!

I can’t wait to get these into the barn so you can start eating them!

  • Alex

This post is by Alex MacLellan who is in his first year as one of the Farm Apprentices at Moose Hill. Alex has some of the highest energy we have seen out in the fields. He has begun to share pictures of the varieties of crops that we have and some of the fun things our farm apprentices and farm hands find in the fields.