Good Earth Farm
The Com Post
July 23, 2009
A weekly Post for our Community Supported Agriculture Members
Volume 4, Issue 7
This week in your box:
Week A
Fresh Onions: Store cut onions in the
refrigerator in an airtight container to
avoid transference of flavors to other
foods.
Salad Mix: Top a bed of salad greens
with a Mediterranean rice mixture.
Garlic: Each week from now until the
end of the season, you’ll be receiving a
head of garlic in your box.
Green-top Carrots: Tender, just pulled,
young carrots. No need to peel these
beauties. Plus, good-for-you minerals
and nutrients are close to the carrot’s
skin surface.
2 other crops will also be in your box.
Update as of July 22nd: It has finally
rained at the farm! On Wednesday we
got 1/2 inch of rain. The plants (and
the farmers) are smiling!
On the Farm
In the field
Enough about the dry fields, and the fact
that we could use rain. It’s time to talk
about the good things going on in the
field. Like garlic! The garlic harvest is
upon us.
The GEF garlic began it’s life in the field
last autumn when we planted over 8000
cloves. Those cloves, planted in October,
were then mulched with grass and straw
to protect them from the harsh Wisconsin
winter. They emerged in the spring; one
of the first signs of life in the field.
We plant so many garlic, not only to provide you with garlic throughout the season, but to have enough to plant again in
October. We are growing our own garlic
“seed”.
By growing our own supply, and replanting year after year, the garlic is changing
and adapting to our soil and its conditions.
Garlic is an important crop to the farm. It
is a culinary staple, used in cooking world
wide. Just like onions, garlic serves as a
“base” for many dishes. So, you can
think pasta sauce, but how about roasted
garlic dip, buttermilk garlic dressing,
hummus, pizza topping, minced raw into
pasta salads, garlic butter , or Spanish
Garlic soup (see the back). Need more
ideas? There are more recipes than you
can imagine online.
All About Garlic
on garlic in Sanskrit in 5000 B.C.
Garlic lore is fascinating. Slaves
forced to build great Egyptian pyramids refused to work without a daily
garlic ration. Garlic’s protective powers extended beyond its medicinal
properties. Wreaths of garlic were
believed to ward off witches and vampires. Jockeys may rub their horses’
bits with garlic or tie a clove to the
bridle to prevent other horses from
passing. Bullfighters may wear garlic
around their necks to protect them
from the bulls’ horns.
Truthfully, garlic does offer more than
great-tasting dishes. It’s gaining recognition for its health and healing
benefits as more and more medical
studies reveal excellent results. Some
of garlic’s believed therapeutic benefits
include fighting infections, cancer prevention, stimulating the immune systems, prevention and relief of chronic
bronchitis, use as an expectorant and
decongestant, and reduction of blood
pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Note: If the medicinal benefits
are what you’re after, use your garlic
raw!
The 100 sulfur-containing compounds
that instill garlic’s medicinal properties also contribute to “garlic breath”.
Chew a little raw parsley to remedy
any odors that might annoy you and
continue to enjoy garlic’s many gifts.
(adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini)
Sweet peppers growing in the GEF field.
Garlic is a highly esteemed vegetable,
herb, and medicine in many cultures
around the world. Its rich history speaks
to its culinary and medicinal importance,
beginning with the first recorded writings
So, get going and make something
great with garlic!
Cheers,
Nicole
Good Earth Farm W8965 Oak Center Road, Oakfield, WI 53065 920.583.2121 [email protected] www.goodearthfarm.net
Green-top Carrots
Sweet young orange carrots with the greens on are a mid-summer delight.
If you are not going to eat them right away, cut the greens an inch from the root and store the carrots in a plastic bag in the crisper
drawer. Leaving the greens on will result in limp carrots. The greens suck moisture away from the root.
If stored properly, the roots will last several weeks in the refrigerator. Did you know? The greens can be used like parsley!
Going ga-ga over Garlic
•
Sauté garlic only until translucent, as it
will burn quickly, producing a bitter unpleasant flavor.
•
Press, mince, or slice garlic cloves. A
sharp knife yields best results when chopping. One medium clove of garlic equals
1 teaspoon minced. The variety of garlic
you have received the last two weeks has
cloves that would be considered large;
some may be equal to 2 medium cloves.
•
To mellow garlic’s strong flavor, opt for
longer cooking. To enjoy its more pungent flavors and increased medicinal
benefit, use it raw or with minimal cooking.
•
Make garlic butter: Use 1/2 cup softened
butter mashed with 1 or 2 large minced
cloves of garlic.
Sopa de Ajo (Spanish Garlic Soup)
INGREDIENTS:
5 T. olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika, divided
4 cups chicken broth
Salt & pepper
1 T. minced garlic
4 cups stale French bread, cut in 3/4 inch cubes
6 eggs
1 cup diced ham
DIRECTIONS:
Heat 1 T. olive oil in pot over med-low flame. Add sliced garlic and cook
briefly, without browning. Stir in half the paprika, all of the chicken broth, and
3 cups of water; cover and simmer 45 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Combine remaining olive oil and minced garlic in skillet; heat briefly over
low flame. Add bread and cook, stirring often, until crisp, 10-15 minutes. Toss
in remaining paprika. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place 6 ovenproof bowls on a
baking sheet. Pour a little simmering broth into each bowl. Break an egg into
each bowl, then scatter ham over eggs. Fill bowls with remaining broth. Bake
until eggs are set. Scatter in “croutons”; serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.
From MACSAC
Roasted Garlic Dip
INGREDIENTS:
• 1 head garlic
• 1/2 T. plus 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• baguette or other crusty bread
DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 275 or 300 degrees F. Cut 1/4 - 1/2 inch off of garlic head
to expose the tips of the cloves. Lay garlic head cut side up in a small
baking dish. Drizzle 1/2 T. olive oil over top; sprinkle on some pepper.
Roast until soft, fragrant, and lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Cool
completely. Squeeze cloves from the base and use a fork to dislodge
flesh from skin. Mash garlic with a fork on a small plate. Stir in Parmesan, additional 1/4 cup olive oil, and pepper to taste. Serve with baguette
or crusty bread. Makes 2-4 appetizer servings.
“From Asparagus to Zucchini”-MACSAC
Dates to keep in mind: August 1st (Potluck) and October 10th (Pumpkin Pick)