My dear Community,
It’s been a whirlwind of a week. The farm routine seems to speed up as the weather gets warmer and the days, longer. I’m definitely missing that hour of sleep but I’m constantly invigorated by this work that I love so much. I’m in the midst of building new chicken coops, thinning peach trees and trying to figure out where to install a barn owl box I purchased.
To revisit last week’s post, I’m centered on how I can make the biggest impact on our farm’s ecosystem in a positive way. The laws that I mentioned come from a high up government office where the individuals are out of touch with daily happenings on a farm, especially organic ones, and aren’t considering long term impacts on our planet. While these laws have been in place for at least a few years, they are really hitting our farm hard now. (Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Audits | Agricultural Marketing Service (usda.gov)) In my eyes, if you’re treating the soil with respect and ultimately being a steward of the land then mother nature takes care of the rest. As new government laws seem to trickle down to our farm and more and more inspectors visit and call for the removal of animals, compost and common sense further away from farming, I can’t help but push back. I have no choice but to raise my voice in concern for our farm and farms that are even smaller than us and can’t afford to bring new machinery and ultimately more employees on just to check boxes on a list. I lean more towards putting my energy into balancing our ecosystem. It’s going to take some major grass roots to help people understand what’s happening behind the scenes. Go straight to the source of your food. Shop your local farmers markets and thanks for supporting our CSA program.
Be good to each other.
CSA Contains:
CARROTS
SALAD MIX
BABY SPINACH
ITALIAN PARSLEY
RED CABBAGE
SUGAR SNAP PEAS from SUNRISE ORGANICS
STRAWBERRIES
HASS AVOCADOS from SAN ROQUE
GREEN GARLIC
KOHLRABI
BIG BOX ADD: SUGAR SNAP PEAS, RED LEAF LETTUCE, STRAWBERRIES, CARROTS, ASPARAGUS from DURST FARMS
JUST the BASICS:
CARROTS
SALAD MIX
STRAWBERRIES
SUGAR SNAP PEAS
HASS AVOCADOS
RED CABBAGE
JUICE FEAST:
CARROTS x2
ROMAINE LETTUCE
FUJI APPLES
RED CABBAGE
BABY SPINACH
EUREKA LEMONS
RED BEETS
BLUEBERRIES
STRAWBERRIES
ITALIAN PARSLEY
FRUIT EXPANSION: BLUEBERRIES + STRAWBERRIES
LETTUCE of the WEEK: RED LEAF
MUSHROOM MIX: SHIITAKE + OYSTERS from WOLFE FARMS
Kohlrabi Slaw
Ingredients:
1 kohlrabi (green or purple) peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 cup shredded red cabbage
2 carrots
1 apple
3 tablespoons mixed seeds (pumpkin, sesame, poppy etc…
1 scallion (spring onion) chopped
FOR THE COLESLAW DRESSING
½ cup mayonnaise
tap here
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional for a sweeter coleslaw)
(Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Veggie Desserts)
Perfect Roasted Cabbage (Quick & Easy!)
Ingredients:
4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (red or green)
1 ½ – 2 tsp avocado oil (or olive oil // use the greater end of range if adding spices)
1 healthy pinch sea sal
1 healthy pinch black pepper (optional)
1 ½ Tbsp curry powder (optional)
(Find the full recipe and inspiration here at The Minimalist Baker)
Grilled Cabbage Steaks with Jalapeño Chimichurri Lentils & Maple Mustard Tahini
JALAPEÑO CHIMICHURRI LENTILS:
¾ cup brown lentils, rinsed
2 cups flat leaf parsley, lightly packed
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely minced
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced <– sub 3-4 green garlic heads)
1 tablespoon capers, finely minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
MAPLE MUSTARD TAHINI:
¼ cup tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
sea salt, to taste
⅓ cup cold, filtered water
CABBAGE:
1 small green cabbage (about 3 lbs)
avocado oil spray
1 tablespoon Montreal steak spice blend
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
(Find the full recipe and inspiration here at The First Mess)
Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients:
Caramelized Walnuts
1 cup walnuts
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash cayenne
Balsamic Dressing
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Spinach Salad
12 ounces spinach (loosely chopped)
2 cups cooked quinoa (cooled)
12 ounces strawberries (sliced)
2 small avocados (cubed, or 2 small avocados)
1/4 cup hemp hearts
(Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Jar of Lemons)