Tag Archives: CSA

A Beverage You Cannot … Beet

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Ryan B.

Beets are great ! Roast them, pickle them, turn them into slaw, or if you find yourself tired of the same old beet recipes, perhaps try drinking them? While I typically don’t reach for a fancy drink when i choose to imbibe, this Beetnik Martini really appealed to me flavor wise. Ginger, beets, vodka, whats not to love? Though, I haven’t tried this recipe with golden or chioggia beets, I imagine the results would be similar, though the color will obviously be different.

Beetnik Martini

Ingredients

Vodka And Syrup

6 medium red beets (about 2½ lb.), scrubbed, trimmed
1 750-ml bottle vodka
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoon grated peeled ginger

Assembly

3 oz. fresh lemon juice
3 oz. fresh lime juice
12 slices lemon slices

Preparation

Vodka and Syrup

Cook beets in a large saucepan of boiling water until tender, 1–1¼ hours. Drain; let cool slightly. Peel and slice. Combine warm beets and vodka in a large 1½-qt. jar (save vodka bottle to store finished product). Cover; chill for at least 5 days and up to 1 week. Strain into a medium bowl; discard beets. Pour beet vodka back into reserved bottle. Cover and chill.

Bring sugar, ginger, and ¾ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Let cool. Strain ginger syrup into a medium jar; discard ginger. Cover and chill. Beet vodka and ginger syrup can be made 1 month ahead. Keep chilled separately.

Assembly For each cocktail, combine 2 oz. beet vodka, ½ oz. ginger syrup, ¼ oz. lemon juice, and ¼ oz. lime juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until cocktail shaker is very cold. Strain drink into a coupe or Martini glass. Float a lemon slice on top.

Source

Bon Appetit

Meet The Meats Of Moose Hill

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Ryan B.

Looking for a compliment of beef to pair with your CSA vegetables? Or a steak to grill this weekend? Well you are in luck!

In collaboration with the Trustees (a neighboring conservation organization), we are now offering a variety of cuts of beef for sale at distribution. All cattle are raised on Trustees farms using practices designed to maintain sustainability and animal health. The pastures and oak woodlands of Moose Hill Farm in Sharon, Powisset Farm in Dover, and Weir River Farm in Hingham provide the cattle with stress free grazing conditions that results in top quality meat. For more information, please visit the Trustees.

The cuts we are offering for sale at distribution include the following:

Everyday Steaks
- Chuck Steak
- Flat Iron Steak
- Bottom Round Steak
- Eye Round Steak
Beef Short Ribs
Ground Beef
T-bone Steaks
Porter House Steaks

If you are looking for a particular cut, please inquire at distribution and we can check the availability of the cut.

Farm Lunch: June 14th

Posted on June 14, 2017 by Ryan B.

Being a farm apprentice has numerous perks, one such perk is having daily access to fresh organic vegetables. On this occasion, I capitalized on my proximity to produce and made some arugula pesto.

As far as recipes go, pesto is fairly straightforward and flexible in terms of interchanging ingredients. While the traditional pesto calls for basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, salt, and Parmesan cheese, you can substitute many of the ingredients in favor of ones you find more palatable. For instance, I used arugula, raw almonds, some spring garlic, and some garlic powder from Organic Green Kitchen in place of the basil, pine nuts, and regular garlic. However, pesto can be made with any leafy green that packs a punch, like kale, mustard greens, and even radish greens. As for the cheese and nut options, try using any number of hard cheese or nut variety.

I used the recipe provided here as a guide for creating my pesto. Being without a food processor, I made do with a blender to turn the raw almond slivers into a course meal, but the same result can be achieved by using a rolling pin and a large sandwich bag to crush the nuts. As for the garlic amount specified in the recipe, I found it truly wanting and ended up using three or four medium sized bulbs and stalks. Obviously, tweak your own recipe to taste and to the amount you are making.

In the end, I combined my pesto with tri-colored radiatori, the fins of which hold the pesto nicely, and topped it all with some rough cut radish for an added crunch.

Green Grows The Berry

Posted on June 11, 2017 by Ryan B.

Strawberries are fickle and ephemeral. In one day, strawberries can pop from a field of green on green, to one afloat with the deep red of ripe berries. In the same amount of time, these tender berries can be picked over by birds, bugs, beasts, and berry mad farmers.

If the anxiety of waiting for the berries to ripen is overwhelming, then try this preemptive recipe to alleviate the tension.

Pickled Green Berries

Ingredients

1 pint of green strawberries, washed and hulled
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon celery seed
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
pinch of red pepper flakes (if you want add a little heat)
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup water
2 tablespoons honey or sugar
1 ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt or pickling salt

Instructions

Clean and dry a jar big enough to hold all the strawberries. Fill the jar with the washed and hulled green strawberries, packing them tightly together. Add the black peppercorns, bay leaves, celery seeds, caraway seeds, yellow mustard seeds and red pepper flakes (if using) over the top of the strawberries. Set the jar aside while you prepare the brine.
In a saucepan over low heat add the vinegars, water, honey and sea salt. Gently simmer until the honey and salt has dissolved. Set the mixture aside until it has cooled completely. Pour the mixture over the green strawberries (if it doesn’t completely cover the strawberries you will need to make more brine). Cover the jar and give it a few gentle shakes to move all the spices around a bit. Refrigerate the green strawberries for at least a few days before using.
NOTE: Normally you would add the brine while it was still hot, but for this recipe you want it to cool down so the strawberries don’t become mushy and chewy.

Sources

Shared Appetite

Smithsonian Magazine

Early June In The Fields

Posted on June 11, 2017 by Ryan B.

After a spastic spring of cool and damp days, we are excited to finally have some warm andsunny days on the farm. The past few days have done wonders for our crops.

Peppers in the lower field.

Tomatoes ready for another trellis.

Pea bushes blooming in the lower fields.

CORN ! Not knee high.

One of the first squash blossoms of the season.

Native Plants For Sale At CSA Barn

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Ryan B.

Looking to spruce up your yard with some native plant species? Well swing by the CSA barn on distribution days ( Monday , Wednesday, and Friday 4-7 pm or Saturday 10am-noon) to grab some Culvers’ Root and Mountain Mint. We will have these available until they are sold out.

Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum ) is a perennial wildflower native to the eastern United States. Mature plants can typically grow up to five feet tall and bare “candelabra” like white flower clusters from mid-June to late August. These flower clusters are great for attracting local pollinators to your yard. Culver’s Root grows best in USDA Zones 3 – 8 and benefits from full to partial sun, planted in moist, well-drained soil.

Photo courtesy of Prairie Moon Nursery

Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) is another perennial plant native to the eastern United States. This relative of the mint family can grow up to three feet tall and bare tight clusters of light purple flowers that can accommodate several pollinators at once. Mountain Mint flowers usually bloom between July and August. The leaves have a pleasing mint aroma, ideal for making herbal tea with. Mountain Mint is well suited for USDA Zones 3 – 7 and benefits from full to partial sun planted in moist soil and along stream edges.

Photo courtesy of Prairie Moon Nursery