Mountain Bounty Farm News
Week 3/52 | January 15th
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Dear Farm Friends,
As someone who has been immersed in the farming and food world for most of my adult life, I enjoy taking a look at vegetables that have become so commonplace on the farm they can be hard to see with fresh eyes. Take kale for example. While kale has been popular with organic gardeners since the 1970’s, when I started farming in the mid 90’s, now popular kale varieties like Lacinato (dino) kale, or more tender varieties like Red Russian, were just starting to be accepted as commercial crops. These kales, prepared in a massaged kale salad, or added to a smoothie, became super trendy for a bit, and are now vegetable cliches.
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It can even get political. I overheard one of my buddies who is, shall we say, at the far other end of the political spectrum, disparaging kale eaters and Prius drivers. I was able to absolve him of some of his misconceptions by reminding him that kale is what’s been paying my mortgage, and what a great and nutritious food it is. Soon after that, he started asking me for recipes.
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Kale is not a new vegetable, we just think it is new, because as Americans we are often inclined to think anything we just recently figured out is new. In fact kale has been cultivated since at least 2000 BC, and eaten around the world since the middle ages. There is a reason for this long term popularity and for why kale is a workhorse staple on organic farms like Mountain Bounty. Kale is relatively hardy, undemanding to grow, productive, nutritious and delicious. It can also be boring, tough, and harsh tasting if not prepared properly. You might say it’s the Prius of vegetables, not super exciting, but its going to get you there. A smart choice vegetable for rational folk.
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While we’ve come to expect kale in the stores year round, in many traditional farming cultures kale was not harvested until after the first frost. With the onset of cold weather, kale and many other greens are able to concentrate sugars in their leaves, which act like like natural antifreeze. So our kale of the moment is super tasty. But at the same time, it’s not at its cosmetic best. Kale is most beautiful in spring and early summer when it’s growing quickly and the leaves are young and tender. Consistent cold weather, along with time in the field, and exposure to all the elements, can take a toll on how the leaves look. I can relate, I’m not quite as succulent as I once was either! No worries, let’s let the sweetness shine through.
-John
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Mushroom Share CSA
Provided by Grass Valley Mushrooms
Great news! The seasonal Mushroom Share is now year-round, beginning THIS WEEK. Signups are limited, so grab a spot today for delivery next week!
The WNC Mushroom Share is offered as a Weekly or Bi-weekly CSA Subscription.
This week your mushroom shares will be Oyster or Lions Mane Mushrooms.
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Farm Box Contents
(Contents are subject to change depending on harvest and weather conditions at Mountain Bounty and our Partner Farms.)
Please check the delivery list at your CSA site and sign your name indicating you have picked up your shares. We deliver exactly what is on the delivery list.
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Regular Box (Feeds 2-4 people)
- Butternut Squash (Terra Firma Farm)
- Shallots (Coke Farm)
- Carrots (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Parsley (Pinnacle Farm)
- Fingerling Potatoes (Riverdog Farm)
- Kale (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Broccoli (Terra Firma Farm)
- Choi (Pinnacle Farm)
- Gold Beets (Coke Farm)
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Small Box (Feeds 1-2 people)
- Butternut Squash (Terra Firma Farm)
- Shallots (Coke Farm)
- Carrots (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Parsley (Pinnacle Farm)
- Fingerling Potatoes (Riverdog Farm)
- Broccoli (Terra Firma Farm)
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Fruit Share CSA
(Provided by FROG HOLLOW FARM)
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MORE Great News!!
We have been working with Frog Hollow to reduce our Fruit Share packaging as well as to help our drivers out with return transport, and the new boxes are here this week!
Please be sure to break them down flat for return, similar to the Vegetable Share Boxes. Thanks!
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Box contents:
- Tarocco Blood Oranges (Frog Hollow Farm)
- Arkansas Black & Pink Lady Apples (Cuyama Orchards)
- Ruby Red Grapefruit (B&J Ranch)
- Ettinger Avocados (Eco Farm)
I'll be making this Sparkling Grapefruit Mocktail (Click here) this week. It looks especially interesting to me as it calls for strong green tea!
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Recipes (including an all new "use it up" section for last week's leftovers), storage tips and inspiration:
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Use your golden beets this week in a Beetroot Koshimbir (Click here). Roast your beets, spread some yogurt on a plate and top with sesame seeds, cilantro and chili for a refreshing side dish!
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"USE IT UP" WEEKLY RECIPE!
If you still have some Dino Kale in the fridge from last week (or you have eaten it all and are looking to use this week's bunch), try this very simple and quick One-Pan Lemony Kale Pasta (Click here).
You can even add your leftover cauliflower, brussels sprouts or chard from last week to boost the veggie content. Top it with some of this week's parsley.
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