THE FARM NEWS Volume 4; Issue 0R/1E May 14, 2012
Greetings,
Things are hopping around here. We are doing our first CSA harvest today, Monday. We spent the weekend working on fowl things. We cleaned out the goose shed and created a new nesting box for Duke and Daisy. She has started laying eggs again, so guess we will see if any of these hatch. At lease it is not the end of December and extremely cold this time. We also worked on prep-ing the chicken coop for a new roof. We are putting up a metal roof this time and are now ready to install the metal. Hopefully, that will happen later today, after the CSA boxes are packed.
We are harvesting the first round of snap peas today. Dan said that this first time, he only got 9 lbs. This means that you all will only get a small taste of fresh peas, but he could see that there should be a great pick next week. He was not as happy with the lettuce this morning, but said that the spinach looked good. I reminded him that we are just starting to harvest and that there are always next week’s boxes. He just grinned. He reminded me that he was planning this week’s box, not next week’s. This time I grinned.
We have 15 Extended Share CSA boxes going out tomorrow, so for those of you, who have the Extended Share, please be sure and look for your boxes! Just a reminder for everyone, we recycle our boxes! So be sure to return them the following week, when you pick up your next box.
Based on input from you all, we are going to have the open house on Monday, Memorial Day, May 28th. As this is a holiday, it seems to work out best for most people. Just a reminder, you are welcome to come visit anytime, just be sure to let us know you are coming so that one of us can be here to show you around. The open house hours with be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a sandwich lunch buffet, shortly after noon. Because we are serving food, could you please RSVP by May 23rd? This gives us enough time to get the food ready.
Have a blessed week!
From our home to yours,
Dan & Donna Moe
www.thefarmofmn.com
ITEM OF THE WEEK – HORSERADISH
Visit our page on Horseradish for more info
A couple of quick things:
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Horseradish is not recommended for children under 4 years old. Not quiet sure why, but it may have something to do with their digestive systems not being able to process this. Brassica vegetables as a whole are not currently advised for children less than 4 years.
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Always process Horseradish either OUTSIDE or in a WELL VENTILATED area! The smell can be over-powering and may create a burning sensation in your eyes. Rumor has it, that it is also hard to get out of the house!
A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
• Fold 1 Tablespoon fresh grated horseradish into stiffly-whipped heavy cream and salt to taste for a classic horseradish sauce to accompany beef dishes. You can also add Dill Weed as a tasty addition.
• Add 1 Tablespoon fresh grated horseradish to 1 cup applesauce for a piquant condiment to pork dishes.
• If you want to retain the spicy zing of horseradish in cooked dishes, add it at the end of the cooking process, after the dish has been removed from the heat.
Recipes
HOMEMADE HORSERADISH
Ingredients
- 1 cup peeled and cubed horseradish root
- ¾ cup white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons white sugar – more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Preparation
- Peel the horseradish like you would a carrot.
- Cube into approximately 1 inch pieces.
- In an electric food process or blender, add all your ingredients, and process until mixture is the consistency you want.
- NOTE: BE SURE THE AREA IS WELL VENTILATED – OR DO THIS OUTSIDE!
- Carefully remove the cover of the processor or blender, be sure to keep your face away from the container.
- Refrigerate the horseradish mixture in a sealable glass container.
Chicken Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 1 lbs. Chicken – cut into 1 inch stripes (You can substitute any type of meat)
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1-2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce – to taste
- 1-2 cloves of Garlic, minced
- 2-3 cups fresh Vegetables – You can add any type you like, here are some of our favorites: sliced carrots, peas – either pods or shelled, sprouts, sliced peppers, sliced or dices onions and water chestnuts. But you can use any type of veggies you like.
- Optional: Nuts – approximately ½ cup if large nuts like cashews or peanuts, but only 1/8 cup if sunflower seeds
Directions
- In either a large sauce pan or a stir fryer, add olive oil and chicken and garlic. Cook until meat is done.
- Add soy sauce and vegetables. Cook until vegetables are heated through – usually about 7-10 minutes.
- NOTE: if using sprouts, add them in the last 3-4 minutes of cooking. This will keep them crisp.
- Serve over rice or noodles. Can also be served over greens, like spinach or leafy lettuce.
This Week’s Items – Extended:
- Snap Peas – Great to add to a salad or stir fry
- Horseradish
- Bean Sprouts – for salad or stir fry
- Spinach
- Chives
- Asparagus
- Dried Onions – for seasoning
- Green Onions
