Summer Share #17
My Fine Homestead Newsletter
9/28/2016
In This Issue:
  1. Announcements 
  2. In Your Box
  3. Potato Heart 
  4. Recipes -  Pink Applesauce, Gina's "Grate Raw Beet"
  5. On The Farm . . .
Announcements
 
1 .  It's an "Even week " as in Box #18. If you have an  EOW Share AND you pickup at any of these places:

Plain, John Muir Dr, Madtown Twisters, Waban Hill, Wayland Dr, Arena, SG Farmers Market - this is your week!

2. Winter Shares & Yearly Memberships are but limited so sign-up now! 


3.  Previous newsletters are on our website and our Facebook page .  

4.  ??? Questions ??? stacey@myfinehomestead.com  

In Your Box
Full Share

Watermelon Radishes - 1, cut in rounds and then in slices like a pizza to see the tiny "watermelon"slices 
Cucumber - 2
Cherry Tomatoes - 1/2 pint
Tomatoes - 1 heirloom or slicer, f a tomato is on the orange/red side (or green for yellow & orange tomatoes) and very firm to the touch, set it on your kitchen counter for a few days to ripen
Pepper - 1 red Italian Horn Pepper
Eggplant - 1  
Potatoes, yellow Carola  and/or Red Norland - 1 lb, Treat as new potatoes and refrigerate if you don't use these right away. Steam in a covered pan with nothing but their own moisture, some butter and sage - yum!
Kohlrabi  - 1, We left the leaves on if they were in good shape. So if you have leaves on your kohlrabi - consider them collard greens and use as such.
Beets - 1 bunch
Winter Squash - 2 acorn or carnival, We are finding it works well with these small squash to cut the top off, scoop out the seeds, fill cavity 1/2 full with water and microwave for 5 minutes or bake at 375 F for approximately a 1/2 hour and poke with a fork to make sure they are done.  
Parsley - 1 bunch  
 Half Share

Tomato - 1,  either slicer, heirloom or paste,  if a tomato is on the orange/red side (or green for yellow & orange tomatoes) and very firm to the touch, set it on your kitchen counter for a few days to ripen
Swiss Chard - 1 bunch
Potatoes- 1 lb yellow Carola, steam in a covered pan with nothing but their own moisture, some butter and sage
Kohlrabi - 1, We left the leaves on if they were in good shape. So if you have leaves on your kohlrabi - consider them collard greens and use as such.    
Beets - 1 bunch, you may have some purple carrots in your bunch
Winter Squash - 1 acorn or carnivalWe are finding it works well with these small squash to cut the top off, scoop out the seeds, fill cavity 1/2 full with water and microwave for 5 minutes or bake at 375 F for approximately a 1/2 hour and poke with a fork to make sure they are done.    
Parsley - 1 bunch

Potato Heart
If you find a potato heart in your box - email us at stacey@myfinehomestead.com and we'll give you a bar of our handcrafted soap.

Right now we have lemon, cinnamon oatmeal, patchouli spearmint, rosemary all with goat milk and a Grapefruit & Peppermint with Himalayan Sea Salt.

Any one will make your hands clean without drying them, and your heart happy!

We didn't have a winner last week - if you find this unusual potato, be sure to let us know!
Pink Applesauce

8 small apples (about 2 lbs)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 small beet (about 2 ounces), peeled and grated medium-fine to yield 1 tablespoon

Optional: 1/2 cup heavy (whipping cream)

Cut apples into quarters (do not peel or core), and put in a medium-size saucepan. Add the maple syrup, 1 cup water, and the grated beet.

Cover the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook until the apples are soft, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the variety. Lift the lid from time to time to stir and add water as needed, making sure the apples don't stick to the bottom and burn. 

Put the mixture through a food mill to strain out the skins, seeds, stems, core walls, and any hard bits of beet. (You can also use a coarse strainer, but a food mill does the best job.)

Serve warm or at room temperature, either in individual bowls or in one shallow serving bowl. Optional: Drizzle the cream in a spiral design on top, or pass it separately. 
Gina's "Grate Raw Beet" Salad
raw beets and carrots
salad oil and salad vinegar
chopped parsley
honey (optional)

Scrub beets and carrots, then grate equal amounts - or whatever proportion you like or have on hand.

Mix in your favorite vinaigrette dressing (or make your own 1:1 salad oil and vinegar). Sprinkle with parsley.

Add a touch of honey for additional sweetness if desired. Makes any number of servings.                                             
    All ready at market.
On the Farm . . .
A shedding baby bullsnake Marlee found  behind the barn.

We are drying out from all the rain of the last weeks. The vegetable fields sport new ruts in the drive paths, and Byrds Creek, which flows through our pastures, overflowed its banks for the second time this summer. Recently seeded beds of spinach were washed out. And even though I woke the morning of the rain certain the broiler chicken pen was too close to the waterrun, and the chicks had all drowned, they were fine. Whew!

We are lucky. The farm is on the southern edge of Richland County, and most of our land is high ground so we didn’t experience the flooding the northern part of the county did. The Richland School District, among others in the area, had several cancelled days as roads were closed and some homes flooded.

Being dependant on the weather for our livelihood, and with an important election looming, it brings home to this farmer how important it is to have leaders who not only realize climate change is happening, but that actions are needed to prevent irreversible consequences. Of course, the weather always presents challenges for those working in it, day in and day out, season to season. However, we are experiencing more challenges. This summer there have been more insects, more fungal problems, and a long season of wet weather that doesn’t seem to be letting up. I don’t know what it means for the future of our farm, but it is concerns us and behooves us to vote accordingly.

Sunday saw us in the pasture behind the barn clearing out several patches of burdock that had taken hold the last years when it wasn’t used regularly. Now with the acquisitions of a cow and calf, Aidan’s three sheep, as well as our goats, we need it. Bill fenced it a month or so ago, and the animals ate the green vegetation so we could go in and pull out the offending stalks. At the end of the day, we surveyed our work with a few aching muscles and lots of satisfaction. The pasture, in our opinion, was beautiful. We, on the other hand, were a bit of a mess. Cockle burrs adorned our hats and heads as well as the back of our shirts, gathering them in weird bunches. But the job was done. We tried to pull most of them off each other as we headed in for supper and a relaxing evening. It felt like a good day and it hadn’t rained – a perfect reward!

I hope you have a great week,

Stacey