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In the Box 10: Last Box of the Season! for Madison and Mount Vernon Delivery Members

10/22/2014

 
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Last week we lost Howie.
Those of you who have been to the farm and had the chance to interact with our gentle giant may have some sense of what a tremendous loss we have experienced. The garage where he slept seems very empty in the evenings. And the hill he kept watch on is oddly silent. The walker and joggers who greeted him each day at the end of our drive are still asking questions and we visit and lament together the big hole he leaves. The short answer to the questions is that he died quickly and easily as a result of blood loss from an abscess on his knee. He basically went to sleep, with myself, Shannon and the vet gathered around him. While we were all surprised, the moment wasn't stressful or panicky, but rather quite peaceful and quiet. So we say goodbye and thank you to a relentlessly loving, leaning and patient presence. We are deeply grateful for the large space he occupied in our lives.

And so life goes on, different, but good. We must harvest and we must eat. We are thankful for the good work and the good crew and the good food. This week's box is our last of the season and could not be more full or delicious. The cooler temperatures of fall literally change the plants, and subsequently, their flavors. We find them sweeter, with more depth and crispness. Our menus on the farm have changed to reflect these altered tastes and we feel that we've never eaten better! Of course, we feel that way with every change of  season, but that doesn't make it any less true.  Braised turnips and Brussels Sprouts are the jewels of the table right now, while kale sautees and cabbage slaws enliven breakfast, lunch and dinner.   Here's what's in the box:

Kale – Yum! We missed these beefy, flavorful, vitamin-packed greens while we let the plants bounce back from the early summer harvests. Back and better than ever.

Broccoli – What a year it has been for broccoli!

Leeks – These aren’t real leeks – they are Japanese scallions but they behave just like leeks in cooking and they have a wonderful flavor. We have really enjoyed this new variety of allium this year and hope you have as well. Great paired with the potatoes!


Cabbage
– These gorgeous savoy cabbages are an English variety that we think stands up better to bugs and heat than the thinner-leaved light green variety you might be used to. And the flavor! Sweet. Just an exceptional vegetable. We like this braised in stout with a bit of leftover ham cubed into it.

Turnips
– Another great braising vegetable! This we braise in a bit of bacon grease and apple cider and sprinkle with parsley. But another great way to enjoy these is raw, cut into sticks and dipped in a creamy goat cheese dip.  Don’t bother trimming the skin off  - it is tender – and DO save the greens to sauté up with bacon and serve over grits.

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Beauty Heart Radishes – These could not be prettier! Green on the outside, pink on the inside! Delicious braised or raw, lovely cut into little triangles or slices. Scrub, don’t peel, and save the greens to add to a dish with kale or turnip greens. Great in soup.

Brussels Sprouts – We don’t always have these to put in the boxes, though we always grow them and aim for the last box. Sometimes they don’t size up, and sometimes they don’t get frosted, which improves the taste. This year, they did both for you!


Potatoes – These very special potatoes are purple on the outside, but on the inside they are golden. Their shape is like a russet, but their flavor like a fingerling. A complicated potato of many contradictions! And a fabulous flavor. This potato will literally make you sit up and take notice. Called Peter Wilcox, this newer variety developed by the USDA breeding program has a medium purple skin color and a medium to dark yellow flesh. It was bred for nutritional qualities.  The carotenoid content is 15% higher than Yukon Gold; and it has a high Vitamin C content. Peter Wilcox is also known as Purple Sun and Blue Gold.
  You also have some beautiful, huge Russetts - good for storage and baking.

Sweet Potatoes
– Some of these got huge, which made it difficult to dig them without damage. So some of you may have received a few large, but less-than-perfect tubers. We think you’ll enjoy them just as much! Try the sweet potato cornbread! We served this at our last field-to-table dinner and got lots of recipe requests.

Popcorn – These little ears of popcorn aren’t quite ready to use yet. Enjoy them as decorations in your kitchen through the harvest and Thanksgiving season, then ease the kernels off into a paper bag. By then they should be dry enough to pop. We pop them in the microwave right in the paper bag, but you can pop them on the stove, too!


Box 10! Last Box of the Season! Farm Pickup and New Glarus Delivery: Oct 16-17

10/17/2014

 
Picture

This week we lost Howie.
Those of you who have been to the farm and had the chance to interact with our gentle giant may have some sense of what a tremendous loss we have experienced. The garage where he slept seems very empty tonight. And the hill he kept watch on will be starkly lonely tomorrow morning. The walker and joggers who greeted him each day at the end of our drive will have questions and we will lament together the big hole he leaves. The short answer to the questions is that he died quickly and easily as a result of blood loss from a ruptured abscess on his knee. He basically went to sleep, with myself, Shannon and the vet gathered around him. While we were all surprised, the moment wasn't stressful or panicky, rather quite peaceful and quiet. So we say goodbye and thank you to a relentlessly loving, leaning and patient presence. We are deeply grateful for the large space he occupied in our lives.


And so life goes on, different, but good. We must harvest and we must eat! We are thankful for the good work and the good crew and the good food. This week's box is our last of the season and could not be more full or delicious. The cooler temperatures of fall literally change the plants, and subsequently, their flavors. We find them sweeter, with more depth and crispness. Our menus on the farm have changed to reflect these altered tastes and we feel that we've never eaten better! Of course, we feel that way with each change of the season, but that doesn't make it any less true.  Braised turnips and Brussels Sprouts are the jewels of the table right now, while kale sautees and cabbage slaws enliven breakfast, lunch and dinner.   Life is very very rich indeed.

This is your last box of the 2014 season
, and we hope you've had as fun of a time opening them as we have packing them! It is like Christmas all season long at Circle M.  We'll make sure to wrap up the season with a survey in the next week or so, and we'll let you in on some of our still-forming plans for next year. So look for some more communication from us in the inbox soon. Here's what's in the box:


Kale – Yum! We missed these beefy, flavorful, vitamin-packed greens while we let the plants bounce back from the early summer harvests. Back and better than ever.

Edamame – One of our favorite harvests of the season, these are the stalky-bean things in your box.  They did get nipped by frost this week, so their pods are damaged and should be used within a few days. Just pull off the filled-out pods (leave the flat ones for compost) and boil them in very salty water for about 5 minutes. Let cool a bit, then squeeze the beans right out of the pods and into your mouth. Yum! This is a bar snack in Japan and we can see why. Very addictive!


Leeks – These aren’t real leeks – they are Japanese scallions but they behave just like leeks in cooking and they have a wonderful flavor. We have really enjoyed this new variety of allium this year and hope you have as well. Great paired with the potatoes!


Cabbage
– These gorgeous savoy cabbages are an English variety that we think stands up better to bugs and heat than the thinner-leaved light green variety you might be used to. And the flavor! Sweet. Just an exceptional vegetable. We like this braised in stout with a bit of leftover ham cubed into it.

Turnips
– Another great braising vegetable! This we braise in a bit of bacon grease and apple cider and sprinkle with parsley. But another great way to enjoy these is raw, cut into sticks and dipped in a creamy goat cheese dip.  Don’t bother trimming the skin off  - it is tender – and DO save the greens to sauté up with bacon and serve over grits.

Beauty Heart Radishes – These could not be prettier! Green on the outside, pink on the inside! Delicious braised or raw, lovely cut into little triangles or slices. Scrub, don’t peel, and save the greens to add to a dish with kale or turnip greens. Great in soup.


Brussels Sprouts – We don’t always have these to put in the boxes, though we always grow them and aim for the last box. Sometimes they don’t size up, and sometimes they don’t get frosted, which improves the taste. This year, they did both for you!
See the recipe blog for Box 10 for prep and recipe ideas.

Potatoes – These very special potatoes are purple on the outside, but on the inside they are golden. Their shape is like a russet, but their flavor like a fingerling. A complicated potato of many contradictions! And a fabulous flavor. This potato will literally make you sit up and take notice.

Peter Wilcox A newer variety developed by the USDA breeding program. It has a medium purple skin color and a medium to dark yellow flesh. It is an attractive potato that can produce good yields. It was bred for nutritional qualities; the carotenoid content is 15% higher than Yukon Gold; and it has a high Vitamin C content. Peter Wilcox is also known as Purple Sun and Blue Gold.
Sweet Potatoes
– Some of these got huge, which made it difficult to dig them without damage. So some of you may have received a few large, but less-than-perfect tubers. We think you’ll enjoy them just as much! Try the sweet potato cornbread! We served this at our last field-to-table dinner and got lots of recipe requests.

Small Hard Squash - We packed you various hard squashes that were appropriate for the size and fullness of your box. You might have a butternut, a delicata, an acorn, carnival or baby pam pumpkin. All cook up the same and can be used interchangeably in recipes. Try shredding instead of cooking, for an interesting fall slaw!


Popcorn – These little ears of popcorn aren’t quite ready to use yet. Enjoy them as decorations in your kitchen through the harvest and Thanksgiving season, then ease the kernels off into a paper bag. By then they should be dry enough to pop. We pop them in the microwave right in the paper bag, but you can pop them on the stove, too!








In The Box 9: Madison and Mount Vernon, Oct. 9

10/9/2014

 

Warm and Wooly Festival guests enjoying the farm...

 
Box 9. Wow. This is when we start to panic every morning on the farm walk – how will we get everything to you that we still have in the gardens??  We are just going to try and do our best!  This week’s boxes are full and heavy with winter crops like potatoes and squash and carrots. Next week we have to fit in beets and cabbage and Beauty Hearts and Brussels Sprouts. Abundance is a good problem to have.

Thanks so much to all of you who came out to celebrate the year with us at the Warm and Wooly Fall Farm Festival. What a blast! We saw a ton of new faces, re-connected with lots of good old friends and really, really enjoyed the mini-friends brought to us by our neighbors at The Downs Mini-Donkey Farm. Who knew such tiny animals could pull carts with adult passengers?  As usual, Potluck Dinner was amazing. Thanks for bringing such great dishes, and wonderful wines! We’re passing on some of the favorite recipes we made over on the Recipe Blog for Box 9.

Of course, it's harvest party time all over our beautiful countryside, and I'd like you invite you back out to Blanchardville for the town's Holiday Happenings Celebration on Saturday, October 18. If you can find your way to Main Street downtown, you'll find yourself in the middle of lots of fun activities for adults and kids.  Start out by getting a cappuchino at the Pecatonica Grapevine at 8am, then work your way across the street for the Women's Club Bake Sale and town holiday craft bazaar. At 10am, MooGrass will be playing there.  At noon, you should hit Lady Dawn's for a burger or Husie's for Pizza. At 2pm, there are hayrides for kids, pumpkin carving and snacks and at 5pm, a storyteller by the fire in Ryan Park. Of course, come out and see us if you are driving by!

Here’s what’s in the box:

Salad Mix – Everything spring is back again! Enjoy this last hurrah of tender garden greens!

Salad Turnips – A favorite of mine! These tender and sweet white turnips are not the tough, purple-topped monsters you might remember from your grandma’s kitchen. They are tender enough to eat raw, and have a sweet cabbage taste with no bitterness. Eat raw, dip in a nice dressing, or dice and sautee with butter and bacon. USE THE GREENS as you would spinach or kale – very very tasty and nutritious. My favorite way to enjoy the greens is to sauté in a tiny bit of bacon grease and season with a shake of malt vinegar.  Best turnip root dish this week was Diced Turnips braised in the mustard/grape juice sauce I had left from cooking the ham for Warm and Wooly. Amazing!

Sage – SO so so yummy with winter squash, potatoes or sweet potatoes.  And absolute MUST for fall cooking.

Carrots – So sweet and crisp, now that they’ve been sugared-up by the cold nights. Nothing compares to a fall carrot.

All Blue Potatoes – These terrific waxy potatoes are stunning in a soup, and just in time for a Halloween Mash!

Sweet Potatoes – These sweet potatoes should be eaten in a few weeks. They are very sweet – we’ve been eating them for breakfast along with mashed winter squash. A little salt and cinnamon is all they need, but almond milk or half-and-half splashed on top is pretty terrific, too.

Winter Squash – Full Share folks, you have butternuts. Shorties have delicata or small acorns. Both are sweet and delicious, easy to cook by simply cutting in half, removing the seeds and placing cut-side down on a baking tray in a 350-degree oven until tender. Enjoy scooped right out of the shell, with a little butter, salt and spices.

Broccoli – Side shoots still coming on strong. Sweeter than ever, stems included.

Edamame Soybeans -  The bushes in your box are soybeans for fresh eating. In Asia, these are served salty as bar snacks. And YUM! That’s how we like them, too. Remove the full pods from the bushes (leave the flat pods, they won’t have any bean formed inside), wash in a colander, and boil in very salted water (like two tablespoons in a small sauce pan) for 5 to 10 minutes. Pluck one out at 5 and squeeze out the beans to check for tenderness. These can also be added to salads, sautees, soups. But we like them so much we just eat them as snacks!

Radishes –  These pretty yellow radishes are lovely sliced into your salad mix, but also terrific braised in butter! Save the greens to chop into soup or sautees, or combine with the turnip greens and cook in stock with some diced ham.

Tennessee Dancing Gourds – We found more! These cute little decorations should liven up your fall dinner tables. Our house kittens are certainly enjoying batting them around!

In The Box 9: Farm Pickup and New Glarus Delivery

10/3/2014

 
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 Come see us this Sunday, October 5, from 3 pm to dusk!

Celebration time! Come join us for a gorgeous autumn day on the farm this Sunday as we pull out the wool and the wheels and have some fun with felting and spinning, along with visiting animals and touring the gardens. There will be campfires, of course, and a very special visit from our neighbors, The Downs Miniature Donkeys! At 6pm we'll set up for our always-amazing potluck dinner, featuring Circle M Ham and your sides, desserts and drinks. At about 7pm we'll enjoy the bluegrass and country songs of MooGrass String Band. Bring comfy shoes, warm layers, a camera, and some money to buy meat, Circle M t-shirts, market bags and other local goods. OH ! And bring friends! This is a free open house, and all are welcome.

We've been having a ball planning our potluck offerings, and in addition to our famous farmstead ham, and a beer-braised cabbage side,  we'll be sharing some fall desserts based on this week's harvest from the gardens. See the Recipe Blog for our Brown Butter Carrot Cake and Thug Kitchen's Sweet Potato Bread. Yum!

Here's what's In The Box:

Salad Mix w/ Nasturtiums and Baby Tatsoi – Everything spring is back again! Enjoy this last hurrah of tender garden greens!

Carrots – So sweet and crisp, now that they’ve been sugared-up by the cold nights. Nothing compares to a fall carrot.

All Blue Potatoes – These terrific waxy potatoes are stunning in a soup, and just in time for a Halloween Mash!

Sweet Potatoes – These sweet potatoes should be eaten in a few weeks. They are very sweet – we’ve been eating them for breakfast along with mashed winter squash. A little salt and cinnamon is all they need, but almond milk or half-and-half splashed on top is pretty terrific, too.

Winter Squash –  We grew some smaller varieties this year so we’d be able to easily put them in the boxes. You may have mini-butternuts or small acorns. Both are sweet and delicious, easy to cook by simply cutting in half, removing the seeds and placing cut-side down on a baking tray in a 350-degree oven until tender. Enjoy scooped right out of the shell, with a little butter, salt and spices. If you got a butternut, which has a smooth tan skin, you can also try shredding it in your food processor and eating it raw in a slaw! We love that with pecans and balsamic vinegar.

Cherry Tomatoes – This really is it for tomatoes!

Eggplant - Another last time around.

Broccoli – Side shoots still coming on strong. Sweeter than ever, stems included.

Radishes –  These pretty yellow radishes are lovely sliced into your salad mix, but also terrific braised in butter! Save the greens to chop into soup or sautees, or combine with the turnip greens and cook in stock with some diced ham.

Salad Turnips – A favorite of mine! These little white turnips are not the tough, purple-topped monsters you might remember from your grandma’s kitchen. They are tender enough to eat raw, and have a sweet cabbage taste with no bitterness. Eat raw, dip in a nice dressing, or dice and sautee with butter and bacon.

Sage – SO so so yummy with winter squash, potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Watermelon (Full Shares Only)

Tennessee Dancing Gourds – These cute little decorations should liven up your fall dinners.

BON APPETIT!  VIVA LOCAL FOOD!
For prep and recipe ideas, check out the Farmer Kriss Pinterest Pages or the Box 9 Recipe Blog on this site.



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