CSA
CSA
MEMBER NEWSLETTER
MEMBER NEWSLETTER
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HIGHCROSS FARM
“To everything there is a season, a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted.”
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Thank You!
Fall Nutrition
By Anna Jonker
R ed Sa vo y C ab ba ge
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HighCross F
HighCross Farm CSA Newsletter
Summer Share Week #20 - October 30, 2014
T h a n k You !
Thank you for giving us the
opportunity to serve you this
past summer. We consider it
both a great responsibility and a
privilege to provide you and
your household with the finest
in fresh wholesome produce.
And we so appreciate your
enthusiasm and encouragement.
Some of you will be staying on
for the Fall Share (heavy, jampacked boxes) and some of you
have already signed up for the
2015 Summer Share (remember
to take advantage of the limited
time offer for early sign-up
savings—see below for details).
We will remain busy during the
off season making repairs and
infrastructure improvements to
enhance the CSA operation.
- Farmer Steve for Kath and
Crew
“I pray that in all respects you
may prosper and be in good
health, just as your soul
prospers.” 3 John 2
Fall 2014 CSA Share
Looking Ahead to 2015
In the Box this Week
Photos from the Farm this
Week
Recipes
Note that your pick-up site host
contact info is available (for most
sites) through your CSA online
account under “Pick-up
Directions.”
HighCross Farm
Fresh Market Produce
Steve & Kath Vogelmann
W2292 Rustic Drive
Campbellsport, WI
53010-3126
920-533-FARM
(3276)
Fall Nutrition
By Anna Jonker
But there is a way to avoid this sequence: by keeping
an attentive eye on your nutritional intake, especially in
regard to vegetable intake. While there are fewer
vegetables in season and available this time of year, all
hope is not lost: we can still rely on the fall vegetables.
Winter squashes are a great source of vitamins A, C and
B6, as well as potassium, manganese, folate and
beneficial antioxidants. Cabbage, pumpkins and sweet
potatoes can also be added to the list of vitamin C
boosters, which can be essential for good immune
function.
Living in the northern hemisphere (and the north of the
northern hemisphere at that) means that we have
distinct growing seasons. And, as you all are aptly
aware, we have nearly reached the end of our primary
growing season. This means fresh locally grown
vegetables and greens aren’t available to us (that’s, of
course, not considering methods of growing produce in
the winter through hoop houses or the like – which is
the topic of another column!). Without local fresh
vegetables readily or as easily available it is easy to
lapse on efforts to maintain good nutrition and in-turn
negatively impact our health.
The cause of our lapse from good nutrition can partially
be blamed on fewer fresh local vegetables, but there are
other factors at play. Our motivation to eat fresh
vegetables can also change with the seasons. For me,
not being able to wander out to the garden and pick the
vegetable before I eat it means I don’t eat as many
vegetables as I should. More hours of darkness, and the
food of the holiday season also means we can easily be
drawn to those “comfort foods” which much too often
consist mainly of simple carbohydrates (such as refined
grains and sugar).1 More sugar in our diets can stress
our immune system. That stress combined with more
hours indoors, and viruses that thrive in dry
environments, creates an excellent recipe for sickness.
To ensure your intake of green vegetables (and the
intake of indoles and lutein phytonutrients) broccoli,
Brussels sprouts, celery and kale (all of which are fall
crops) are go-to vegetables. A variety of the green leafy
“vegetable” (since they are technically classified as
such) category often over-looked are herbs, many of
which produce through the fall. By adding fresh herbs
to your cooking you benefit from their essential oils,
and great flavor.
So even as the hours of darkness grow longer, and we
spend more time indoors, be sure to keep an ample
serving of vegetables on your menu. Even in the fall
season you can continue to enjoy fresh vegetables, and
maintain good nutrition at a critical time of the year.
With a healthy (and happy, if I might add) immune
system you can stop the predicted sequence of this
season and keep those pathogens at bay.
1
Getz, L., 2009. Winter Nutrition –Healthy eating offers good
protection during the chilly season. Today’s Dietitian 11: 48.
Picture source: http://blog.greendeals.org/go-green/wp-content/
uploads/2013/10/pumpkins-squash-gourds.jpg Accessed:
10/30/2013
Fall 2014 CSA Share
Celebrate your Thanksgiving and December
holidays with the finest, freshest produce available
in SE Wisconsin, direct from our family farm
to your dinner table.
The Fall share will include not only good amounts of
typical fall storage items (onions, potatoes, root
crops, and winter squash) to last you into the new
year, but also fresh greens, made sweeter by the cool
weather.
This will be a hefty share, packed into our standard
large share box (1 & 1/9 bushel size) or small share
box (5/9 bushel size).
Includes arugula, Asian greens, beets, Brussels
sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery root, cilantro, kale,
kohlrabi, onions, parsley, parsnips, peppers, potatoes,
rutabaga, spinach, swiss chard, tomatoes, winter
squash, and fresh herbs.
TwoThursday deliveries:
November 6 and November 20, 2014.
Small share is $70. Large share is $100.
To sign-up, log into your CSA account and toggle the
Season Selection box at the upper left to “Fall 2014”
and then hit the “click to join” link.
Or simply click here:
https://www.farmigo.com/join/highcrossfarm/
fall2014
To make an electronic payment, select to pay via
PayPal; you will then have the choice to pay with
your PayPal account OR choose the option to pay
with a credit card. Or send a check to HighCross
Farm.
Your satisfaction is guaranteed.
Heavier items such as winter squash, potatoes, and
root crops are packed in the bottom of the boxes.
November 16, 2012
November 29, 2012
Look ing A he a d t o 2 0 1 5
We plan to hit the ground running for the 2015 Summer
Share with a strong showing in the boxes right from the
start, Thursday, June 4 and running 20 consecutive
weeks through Thursday, October 15, 2015.
After holding to the same share price for 3 years in
a row, we must raise prices by about 6%. The
Small share will increase from $490 to $520; the large
share will increase from $650 to $690. This modest
increase will help us keep pace with our expenses,
which have continued to rise each year.
Howsoever, as a perk and thank you to our existing
CSA members, for a very limited time, we will offer
the 2015 CSA Summer Share for the same price as
the past 3 years. This will help us, as well, by raising
some capital now to take advantage of end-of-the-year
buyer’s discounts for some of our inputs, such as
potting mix, drip tape, row cover, and planting
supplies.
Pay for your share in full to receive the full
discount, or pay half now to receive a half discount.
If paying by check, it must be mailed within 7 days of
sign-up.
To receive your 2015 share at the 2012-2014 price,
enter the following applicable coupon code in the
Coupon Code box on the Terms page (codes are not
case sensitive); then click the blue “Apply” box.
For the 2015 Large Summer Share:
$40 discount, enter: largefullpayment
$20 discount, enter: largehalfpayment
For the 2015 Small Summer Share:
$30 discount, enter: smallfullpayment
$15 discount, enter: smallhalfpayment
Here is the link to sign-up for the 2015 Summer Share:
https://www.farmigo.com/join/highcrossfarm/summer2015
We will try to get a CSA member survey out to you
soon. We want to know your preferences and how we
can better meet your needs.
Customer satisfaction is our number one goal. We are
not satisfied until you are.
We plan to again offer a two delivery Fall Share
during November, 2015.
In the Box this Week
Storage information: The cabbage family, and leafy greens
should be kept in the coldest area of your refrigerator, ideally on
the lower level or in the crisper drawer. Place all items in plastic
bags or wrap in a damp towel, to prevent wilting due to the
dehydrating effect of refrigeration. Monitor the produce over
time; it should be kept neither too wet nor too dry inside the
plastic bag. Slightly open the bag if you see water droplets
forming on the inside.
Spinach - Fall spinach. Sweet and succulent. Although we
have rinsed it several times, please rinse again to remove all
garden soil.
Note that you can simply chop and freeze onions and peppers
for use later.
Please let us know if anything in your box is missing or bad.
Red Onion - Red Bull variety. Storage type onion.
French Fingerling Potatoes - In the large share. Gourmet
potato with a pink swirl in the flesh. We were not able to wash
all of these due to being short-handed on help this week.
Spinach at HighCross Farm
Red Beets - A couple of red beets.
Carrots - Freshly dug Wednesday, the first of the fall planting..
There will be lots more carrots in the fall shares.
French Fingerling Potatoes
Green Tomatoes - Make fried green tomatoes; make green
tomato pie.
Hot Pepper - Jalapeños.
Carrots at HighCross Farm
Sweet Peppers - Green and/or red pepper. See this link for
recipes & an in-depth discussion of all the healthy nutrition
found in peppers: Bell peppers
Kohlrabi - Green kohlrabi.
Tomatoes - Red or Yellow slicing tomatoes or Roma
type. Also heirloom tomatoes, which come in many
different shapes and colorations; very flavorful and
tender, although they often develop cracks and scars.
Fresh Herb - Apple Mint - Use it in salads, with fruit, in a
tea, or as a garnish. We bruise a few leaves and put them in
our lemonade for a very refreshing drink. Delicious with
lamb and other grilled meats.
The cooler than average summer weather has not been
conducive to the ripening of tomatoes. The recent frosts
have knocked back most of the tomato plants.
Fresh Herb - Sage - Chop and sprinkle a little in your salad;
good with chicken or pork. If grilling, put some in your
marinade. Hang it up to dry to save for your turkey and/or
stuffing.
We will have canning quality tomatoes on the web store
this week; please check back, especially Tuesday PM.
Red Savoy Cabbage - Big beautiful savoy cabbage. Sweet
and crisp. Will keep a very long time under refrigeration.
We’ve left some of the large wrapper leaves on; they’re good
for food too. See recipes below.
Red Savoy Cabbage
Winter Squash - We like to cut them in half, scoop out
the seeds and bake cut side down on a cookie sheet at
350 F. until fork tender (usually about 35-40 minutes).
Or cook cut side up with a little butter and brown sugar
or maple syrup in the cavity until slightly golden brown.
Go here for some great squash recipes and photos:
Squash | TasteSpotting
Winter Squash - Acorn, Delicata, Jester, Autumn
Crown, or Vegetable Spaghetti
Large Share:
Spinach
Onion - Red Bull variety
Red Savoy Cabbage
Carrots
Kohlrabi
Red Beets
Tomato
Green Tomatoes
Green Sweet Peppers
Potatoes - French Fingerlings
Hot Pepper - Jalapenos
Winter Squash - Acorn
Winter Squash Vegetable Spaghetti or Autumn Crown or
Jester
Apple Mint
Fresh Sage
Small Share:
Spinach
Onion - Red Bull variety
Red Savoy Cabbage
Carrots
Kohlrabi
Red Beets
Tomato
Green Tomatoes
Green Sweet Peppers
Hot Pepper - Jalapenos
Winter Squash - Delicata
Winter Squash - Acorn or Jester (like Acorn)
Chocolate Mint
Fresh Sage
Best guess in the first Fall Share,
Thursday, November 6:
Spinach, Carrots, Tropea Onions, Sweet & Hot Peppers,
Celery Root, Lacinato Kale, Potatoes, Rainbow Swiss
Chard, Parsley, Green Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Several
different varieties of Winter Squash and more.
Photo from the Farm
There she was, blending into the landscape in the Tamarack Swamp here at HighCross Farm.
She just stood there for several minutes, not moving a muscle, like a statue.
We stared at each other, while I squeezed off a half dozen shots.
She continued to remain motionless, until I finally drove away on the ATV.
There she is, in the center of these photos; fortunately, the camera has a nice telephoto lens.
Photos from the Farm
Frosty Mint
Frost-glazed gardens with temps in the low 30s while Farmer Steve and crew harvest spinach
Recipes
Hi Steve and Kath,
Here's a recipe for a fabulous butternut
squash bisque - a favorite fall soup,
especially for Thanksgiving weekend.
Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque
1 larger butternut squash (or two smaller
squash)- cut in half length wise
1/2 large yellow onion
1 rib of celery
1 carrot
2 bay leaves
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp chipotle sauce
1 qt vegetable stock or chicken stock - (I
prefer organic low-sodium chicken stock)
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1. Roast the butternut squash for 45 minutes
to an hour - or until it's browned, sweet and
fork tender.
The more it's browned, the sweeter the
flavor.
2. Let the squash cool, then remove the skin.
3. In a large stock pot sauté onion, celery
and carrot in olive oil, add stock and bay
leaves,
simmer until vegetables are soft
(approximately 30 minutes).
3. Add squash, heavy cream and puree with
handheld blender (remove bay leaves prior
to blending)
4. Add salt, pepper and Chipotle sauce to
taste. Start a bit light on the Chipotle sauce
- you can always add a little more to your
liking.
This bisque always seems to taste a little
better on the second day, after it sits in the
fridge overnight. :)
Enjoy,
Craig
Note from Farmer Steve: You can use any kind of
squash for this recipe. Use the fresh sage leaves in this
week’s box.
White Bean and Kale Stuffed Delicata Squash, adapted
from Eggs on Sunday
White Bean and Kale Stuffed Delicata Squash
■
2 medium Delicata squash
White Bean and Kale Stuffed
Delicata Squash
by PATRICIA EDDY o n O C T O B E R 20 , 20 0 9
3
Stuffed Delicata in Profile
White Bean and Kale Stuffed Delicata Squash
Ah, autumn. How I love you with your fires in the fireplace, your
scarves, your hot tea in the afternoons, and your assortment of
squashes. Yes, squashes. I love squash. Well, I love winter
squash. I’m still not too keen on the summer squash variety, but
I’m working on it.
Today though, we’re talking about winter squash. Specifically,
the delicata variety. Delicata squashes are instantly recognizable
by their pale yellow skin and green striations. The taste is
somewhere is mild, and like most winter squash, it is a bit sweet.
Delicata squash is full of potassium, iron, Vitamins A and C.
Our go-to method of cooking delicata squash is just to slice it,
remove the seeds, and brush with melted butter and a bit of
brown sugar before roasting. This autumn though, we want to
branch out. There were several mentions of stuffing delicata
squash on Twitter last week so we went in search of a stuffed
squash recipe. As luck would have it, we found one that called
for all of the ingredients we had on hand! How could we refuse?
The original recipe is vegetarian and with a slight bit of
adaptation, you could even make this dish vegan. You can get
fresh white beans from Alm Hill Gardens or Alvarez Farms. Alm
Hill’s beans are fresh, which means they don’t need soaking
before cooking. It also means they only last about a week in the
fridge. Alvarez’s beans are dried, so soak them overnight before
cooking. To cook your beans, just place them in a pot of water
and boil for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
Salt and pepper
■
Lightly flavored oil of your choice
■
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
■
10 oz white beans, cooked
■
1 bunch of kale, destemmed and torn into chunks
■
1 Tbsp sage leaves, minced
■
4 Tbsp breadcrumbs
■
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
■
■
Prepare the Squash
1.
2.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the
seeds.
3.
Brush your oil over the insides of the squash and season
with salt and pepper.
4.
Bake in the oven until just tender (make sure they aren’t
so soft they are falling apart).
During the last 15 minutes of cooking, assemble the filling.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the kale.
Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Turn the heat back down to medium and add the white
beans and sage.
6.
Season with salt and pepper and set aside until the
squash is done.
Stuff the squash
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Remove the squash from the oven.
Fill with the kale and white bean mixture.
Mix the Parmesan and bread crumbs together and top
the stuffed squash with the mixture.
Bake for another 10 minutes, or until the Parmesan is
melted and the stuffing is heated through.
Serve and enjoy.
Recipe from Chef Bernie
Oven Roasted Root Vegetables
Here’s a quick recipe from the Chef’s Corner:
Peel and dice roots into small even-sized cubes (so that they will cook evenly).
Soak in cool water with ice cubes if possible, for 20 minutes.
Place on a cookie sheet with edges (or a metal or glass baking dish or cake pan),
and drizzle with olive or other oil.
Sprinkle with sea salt and thyme (included in this week’s share), or seasoning of
your choice.
For the sweet tooth, sprinkle with brown sugar, honey or maple syrup. Or just let
the natural sugars concentrate and caramelize.
Bake at 350 F. for 30 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside and fork
tender on the inside. (This chef likes them crisp.)
Hint: Monitor them for doneness and turn with a spatula a couple of times as they
start to brown.
Enjoy!!!
Let us know what your experiences are with your HighCross Farm recipes.
Chef Bernie
Recipes
Oven Roasted Root Vegetables
Oven roasting brings out and intensifies the natural sweetness of root vegetables. Here is an easy and very delicious way
of preparing them. You can vary this dish according to what you have on hand or like.
2 lb. Mixed vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, squash, celeriac, sweet onion
Vegetable or olive oil
Fresh herbs such as chives, rosemary, thyme, oregano, or sage
2 T. Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Top and tail the carrots and chop into roughly 2” or 3” lengths. Peel the squash, beets, and
celery root. Cut the squash, beets, and potatoes into chunks, and the celeriac and onions into wedges, keeping the
vegetable chunks approximately the same size.
Pour 1/4 to 1/2 inch of oil into a roasting pan. Add the prepared vegetables to the pan and turn them in the oil until well
coated.
Cut the herbs into sprigs about 4 inches long and lay them on top of the vegetables and stir them in. Roast for about an
hour, stirring the vegetables two or three times during cooking. Test the vegetables to see that they are fork tender.
Remove herb sprigs, season with salt and pepper and a little balsamic vinegar, if you like. Enjoy!
Source: Adapted from The Book of Herbs by Dawn Titmus
Recipe from Chef Bernie
Don't know what to do with your cabbage this week? Chef Bernie has
an idea!
Kraut Brooke
1 half cabbage head, shredded
1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 1/2 tablespoons crushed garlic
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons Lowry’s Seasoned Salt
Two frozen bread loaves (thawed in the refrigerator - do not let rise)
Brown your ground beef and drain. Set it aside.
Fry your onions, cabbage, and garlic in the butter and olive oil until
tender.
Add ground beef and seasonings. Put to the side and let it cool.
Take bread dough out of the refrigerator. When cabbage/meat
combination is cool, squeeze and roll out bread dough. Fill with
cabbage/meat filling and crimp the edges.
Bake with edge down in a pan at 350 degrees until brown, just like
bread.
Put some butter over the bread. Serve immediately with sour cream.
This is a newly stolen recipe that Chef Bernie got ahold of.
Enjoy.
Have a good day
Chef Bernie
Recipes
Kath's Creamy Cole Slaw
1/2 head average size cabbage
1 sweet onion
1 carrot
1 apple
1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 c. coconut (optional)
1/4 c. dried currants
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. sugar or honey
1/2 tsp. sweet hot mustard (we like Inglehoffer brand)
Dash salt
Mayonnaise
Grate fine the cabbage, onion, carrot and apple. Add
the coconut, currants, lemon, sugar, mustard, salt and
enough mayonnaise to bind (about 1 cup). Mix all
together. Chill and let the flavors blend. The flavor
only improves with age, but this cole slaw usually
disappears fast around here.
Wilted Cabbage
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 small or 1/2 large cabbage head, core removed and
shredded fine (cut cabbage in half and cut a V to
remove core). Place cabbage flat side down on
cutting board and slice fine.
2 - 3 T. Olive Oil
1/8 tsp. fresh nutmeg (opt.)
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute onion in olive oil in a large frying pan (12’’ is
ideal) until golden (about 4 minutes). Add cabbage
and stir fry till wilted and golden (about 8 min.)
Add fresh nutmeg, remove from heat and cover pan a
few minutes to let cabbage braise.
This is a basic recipe, you can try variations, such as
adding a sweet sour sauce at the end. Other additions
might include toasted pecans and dried currants or
golden raisins, etc.
Homemade Sauerkraut
Transfer to the refrigerator or other cold storage
where it should keep for at least 6 months and up to 1
year.
Adapted from: Nourished kitchen: reviving traditional
foods (http://nourishedkitchen.com/homemadesauerkraut/) Accessed: 10/09/2013
A simple recipe to make traditional, lacto-fermented,
homemade sauerkraut using only cabbage, salt and
time.
Ingredients:
2 medium cabbage heads (about 4 to 5 total pounds,
cored and finely shredded)
2 tablespoons sea salt or kosher salt
Instructions:
1. Toss cabbage and salt together in a large mixing
bow; then let it sit for a couple of hours, until the
cabbage has become limp and releases its juice.
2. Then transfer it to a sauerkraut crock or glass jar
with straight sides. Pack the salted cabbage into the
crock or jar as tightly as you can, eliminating air
bubbles.
3. Continue packing the cabbage into the container
until the cabbage is completely submerged by liquid.
Place a lid/plate or other flat surface over cabbage
with a weight on top of it to unsure the cabbage stays
submerged. Cover loosely with a cloth to prevent air
contamination.
Store fermenting cabbage between 60 – 70 degrees
Fahrenheit for 3 to 6 weeks, or until it is done to your
liking. If scum (from fungal growth) appears floating
in the brine of your homemade sauerkraut, simply
spoon it off. You won’t be able to remove it all, but
skim off what you can and don’t worry about it.