It is safe to say that we’re about to get a real taste of winter this week, and with just two more weeks of harvest left for 2018, the feeling is bittersweet. My mind and my limbs are ready to welcome the seasonal slowdown with open arms, but my heart sinks a little when the sense of abundance that we enjoy throughout the growing season gives way to sustenance like this. There aren’t enough hours of daylight, nor degrees of warmth to grow things quickly and without major effort this time of year. We do our best, but we reach our limits. As do the hens (more on that below). Thankfully, we’ve been putting diligent effort into storing up for winter, tucking as many roots away for the coming months. Many roots will survive the cold if left in the ground; however, when things get just cold enough, things like carrots might freeze from the top down and risk rotting. With temps set to dip into the the twenties tonight, the crew has been working since the weekend in preparation, setting up space heaters where we need them, disconnecting extraneous irrigation and adding extra layers of tarps to the hen houses for warmth.
Read moreNapa Cabbage + Carrots + Daikon = One Dynamic Trio! →
WILD HARE WEEKLY #9/11
Napa Cabbage, Carrots and Daikon seemed like the perfect post-prandial remedy to a rather epic series of Thanksgiving meals that we’ve (over)indulged in over the past several days. Are we alone? I doubt it. In short, this week’s harvest will give you everything you need to make a scrumptious pot of soup, a quick and tasty weeknight stir fry, or if you’re up for it, a little batch of kimchi. The elongated leaves of Napa Cabbage have many uses, and they get along swimmingly with daikon and carrots. We’re going to make sure we get the crop planted a couple of weeks earlier next year, but though the heads are small-ish, they’re tasty. As I type, my fridge is overrun with little jars of quick-pickled radishes and things that Mark and Kim keep churning out and trading back and forth. We typically use them in our lunches—stirring pickles or kimchi into a simple broth can make a nice warming soup of its own, and Mark just can. not. shut. up. about how good grated radishes are on leftover turkey sandwiches. I can’t blame him though. It translates into good food for gray and rainy days like these, if I do say so myself. It was a muddy day out there in the field for the crew, but they’re working diligently to make a diligent dent in the carrot harvest before the bunnies beat us to it. They don’t call us Wild Hare for nothing, I guess! At any rate, the root cellar is filling up beautifully as we head into the last three harvest weeks of 2018. Can you believe?! Must be time to sign up for Winter Share!
Best,
Katie
Read moreLove, Vegetables & Gratitude: Happy Thanksgiving from Wild Hare! →
WILD HARE WEEKLY FALL #8/11
Happy Thanksgiving! It is a holiday harvest week, and the farm will be plentifully stocked with organic produce for those holiday meals and leftovers. (Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potatoes, Onions, Roots & more, of course!) We’re holding our regular Tuesday (12-7) and Wednesday (10-5) hours. If you pre-ordered bread, we’ll have it for you at the counter. I look forward to seeing you at the farm, and if you’re one of the folks picking up a CSA share at the farm this week, I hope that you’re pumped to mix and match your roots and apples this week. For me, the best apple pie, tart, crisp or sauce is one that mixes several varieties, tart, sweet, red, pink and green. And for the roots, you really can’t beat the recipe below for “Bagas & Butter,” as Jade has affectionately named it. If you don’t make it for all of your guests this week, there’s no shame in savoring it for yourself. It is that good.
And as you read this, please know that am so very thankful for YOU. I remain in awe of the people we are lucky enough to share this place with, and I wish you all a whole lot of love at at time when, lets face it, the world could use a whole lot more of it. Love…and vegetables. I am so grateful for the sustenance and sense of meaning that you bring to our lives. I hope that we all get to eat well, spend good time with good folks, slow down and take a break this weekend, but I know that is much easier said than done. It was super frosty in our part of the valley this morning, which meant I had to deal with a super antsy Mark who just wanted to get out there and harvest carrots. Mark in turn had to deal with an even antsier Kim who wanted to harvest and plant in the greenhouses, but had to wait for things to thaw. (All frost and no work turns the farmers here into real pains in the neck). Thankfully, the afternoon is gorgeous and the crew is out there, giving it their all for the Thanksgiving harvest of carrots and braising greens.
Best Wishes,
Katie