VOLUME 7, ISSUE 16
WWW.BURROAKGARDENS.COM
BURR OAK GARDENS, LLC
To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves- Mohondas Gandhi
!
This Week on the Farm
Hi everyone! This is Tyler writing the newsletter for the first time in probably a couple of
years, so bear with me if I ramble or repeat things that Kate has already written about. Today the chill
was definitely in the air, when I went out (in the dark) this morning to open up the packing shed it
was only 48 degrees. I finally made the switch to pants and a sweatshirt. Of course the chill means its
fall, and fall means a whole other set of activities on the farm.
This past weekend were able to harvest the remainder of our winter squashes and get them
safely stored away in the greenhouse. Now my next task with the squash is to set out the mouse traps
so that the mice don’t get the tasty squash before you do. We made a couple of adjustments to the
squash planting this year, plant spacings and planting times and I think that it really helped. The
weed pressure was not as horrible and the squash ripened on time, both of these led to an increased
yield on fewer plants. We also tried a new variety of Delicata squash that grows in a bush habit. I like
that the plant is more compact, easier to cultivate, and the fruit size is bigger, but the number of fruit
per plant was lower than the vining type. I think that we may do another side-by-side trial again next
year to gather some more data.
New in the box this week are the Schwarzer Runder radishes. I think that they look awesome
sliced. It is so uncommon to have that deep black color in the vegetable world, and then to contrast
that with the snow-white color of the flesh. They have a rougher skin texture than normal radishes,
but this also helps them keep longer in the refrigerator. This is a new crop for us this year so please
let us know what you think of them.
A question that I have been fielding a lot lately has been how the recent heavy and consistent
rains have been affecting us. Well, if there is one benefit to farming on sandy soils it is having good
drainage in a wet year. We haven’t lost anything to flooding this fall, but with all of the rain, dew, and
high relative humidity I am keeping a close eye on our
fall Brassicas and mustards. They are susceptible to a
yellow leaf spot that makes the plant chlorotic and
eventually die. We usually get it when the plants get
older and more stressed, but with the favorable weather
for fungal development I wouldn’t be surprised if it
shows up a little early. The other issue we are running
into is that the prolonged period of wet soil has
prevented us from finishing our potato harvest. We
have about a third of our potatoes still in the ground. I
am hoping that the upcoming week will stay dry so that
we can finish that harvest that should have been done
Wash enjoying the fall day.
weeks ago.
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VOLUME 7, ISSUE 16
Our slicer tomato plants are still hanging on as we get
through the last week in September. I am really happy with our late
season slicer variety. It is holding up really well to the less than
ideal weather conditions and high disease pressure. We should
have probably one more week of tomatoes in some capacity, but
beyond that I don’t want to predict because you never know what
Mother Nature will throw at us.
We had our organic inspection for this year last week. Our
certifying agency MOSA sent one of their inspectors out to do a
farm tour, inspection, and audit. That sounds a lot scarier than it is,
especially when Kate does such a great job maintaining all of the
records we need. Basically what happens is the inspector goes over
all of our crop inputs, seed sources, and growing practices to make
sure that they follow the UDSA NOP guidelines. After verifying all
of our paperwork is in order, they then do a sample audit. This is
where the inspector selects one crop that we put in the box from
one week and asks to see documentation for everything about it.
This includes when it was harvested, who it was sold to, how much
was harvested, how often it was weeded, if it was fertilized & at
what rate, when/if it was transplanted, how many were
transplanted, what greenhouse it came from, when it was seeded,
and finally what the seed source was. We have to provide
documentation for all of these criteria in order to maintain our
ability to use the USDA Organic seal and to just be able to use the
word “organic” in our marketing. It was very daunting to keep all of
those records when we first started, but Kate has developed some
very easy spreadsheets that have streamlined the process for us.
She definitely is the Queen of Excel!
If you haven’t purchased any of our honey yet, you should,
its fantastic! We do still have some left so let us know as soon as
possible how much you would like. Until next week!
Honey Now On Sale
$8 per pound (Sold in one pound jars)
Contact [email protected] to place an order.
Make check out to Burr Oak Gardens, LLC and send
payment to Burr Oak Gardens, LLC
W5511 County Road B
Rio, WI 53960
(Honey will be placed in your next CSA tote after payment is
received)
WWW.BURROAKGARDENS.COM
Your Box This
Week
!Garlic- Store in a cool dry
place out of direct
sunlight.
!Winter Squash- Same as
garlic.
!Tomatoes- Store on the
countertop (not in the
fridge!)
!Roma Tomatoes- Same
as tomatoes.
!Hungarian Hot Wax
Peppers or Jalapeños
(Fatter peppers with
heat of a jalapeño)Store in fridge in a paper
bag.
!Red Flame Peppers
(Thin red peppers,
very hot!)-Same as hot
peppers.
!Highlander Pepper
(Bullshorn hot
pepper)- Same as hot
peppers.
!Bell Peppers- Same as
hot peppers.
!Schwarzer Runder
Radishes- Remove the
tops and store in a plastic
bag in fridge.
!Looseleaf Lettuce Mix-
Wash the lettuce and spin
or pat dry with paper
towel. Spread evenly on a
paper towel and loosely
roll the paper towel. Place
rolled towel in a plastic
bag and place in the fridge.
!Pac Choy- Same as
looseleaf lettuce mix.
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VOLUME 7, ISSUE 16
Radish Salad
2 cups diced radishes: any kind : black, daikon,
watermelon...
3/4 cup Gruyere cheese cubed
2 scallions chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise (I might use greek yogurt instead)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sour cream
Toss together radishes, cheese (Gruyere or Swiss) and
scallions, reserving a few chopped green parts of scallion for
garnish. Combine mayo, mustard and sour cream together in a
small bowl, mixing well. Add to radish mixture, being sure to
coat all pieces. Cover and refrigerate, allowing flavors to blend.
To serve, spoon salad onto romaine leaves and sprinkle with
chopped greens. Or serve with crackers. This salad might also
be used as a canape topping or as the filling for a grilled
sourdough sandwich with melted Gruyere cheese.)(From
www.mariquita.com)
Homemade Hot Sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
2 medium chile peppers, such as poblano, New Mexico
or Anaheim, diced
2-4 habanero peppers, or other small hot chile peppers,
stemmed, halved and seeded (see Tip)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound tomatoes, diced (about 3 cups)
1 cup distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1-3 teaspoons sugar
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add
onion, chile peppers, habaneros to taste and garlic and cook,
stirring, until the onion is soft and beginning to brown, 3 to 4
minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add tomatoes, vinegar,
salt and sugar to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the
tomatoes begin to break down, about 5 minutes. Carefully
transfer the tomato mixture to a food processor or blender.
Puree until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot
ingredients.) Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl; pour
the pureed mixture through the sieve, pushing on the solids
with a wooden spoon to extract all the liquid. (Discard solids.)
Let the sauce cool to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours.
Tip: The membranes that hold the seeds are the spiciest part
of chile peppers (that's where the capsaicin is). The seeds
pick up some spiciness by association. You can customize
the heat of salsa or hot sauce by using some or all of the
seeds along with the flesh of the pepper and tasting as you
go. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after chopping
hot peppers or wear rubber gloves. (From
www.eatingwell.com)
Hot Pepper Cream Sauce w/ Fettuccine
For the hot cream sauce (Makes 2 cups)
1/2 cup raw whole cashews (80 g)
2 large poblano or other hot peppers (230 g, you will
need 2 heaping cups chopped)
4 large garlic cloves left in their skins
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (this is what is added to the
blender)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2-3/4 cup water
For the veggies and remaining ingredients
2 extra large bell peppers sliced
One package brown rice fettuccine or your preferred
pasta
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup water (for the onion)
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1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (for the onion)!
First, you will need to soak your cashews. If you do not have
a high powered blender like a Vitamix, I'd suggest soaking
them covered in boiling water for a couple of hours. This will
soften them quickly. I just soaked mine in boiling water for 30
minutes. If you don't want to deal with soaking them the day
you plan to make this, and to save time, just simply soak
them overnight the day prior in a bowl covered with water.
After they have soaked, be sure to drain/discard the water
and rinse them.
You will be roasting the poblano peppers and the bell
peppers at the same time in the oven, this makes for a faster
meal. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees and line 2 sheet pans
with parchment paper. Chop the poblano peppers and make
sure to remove all the seeds and don't touch your eyes, they
are spicy! Spread them out evenly on one of the pans.
Season them generously with salt. Place the garlic cloves
(with skin on, do not peel) on the sheet as well. Slice the bell
peppers into 1/2 inch strips and spread them out on the other
pan. Season well with salt and pepper as well. Roast both
pans for 15 minutes at the same time.
While the peppers are cooking, prepare your pasta. Bring a
large pot of water to boil and make sure to salt your water
well, as this helps to flavor the pasta and prevent sticking.
The fettuccine takes about 10 minutes to cook, check for it to
be al dente, firm but tender. Drain and rinse.
While the pasta is cooking, saute the onions in 1/4 cup water
with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5
minutes until tender or until the water is gone. Add a bit of water
if needed. You want all the water gone before adding the onion
to the blender.
By now the peppers in the oven should be done. Add just the
poblano peppers to a blender (not the bell peppers). Peel the
garlic and add those to the blender along with the cooked onion
and remaining ingredients under "poblano sauce" (soaked
cashews, 3/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp salt and lime juice). Add 1/2 cup
of the water and blend until completely smooth. Add more water
as needed to reach desired consistency. I only added 2 more
tablespoons. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Serve the pasta with the roasted bell peppers and top with lots
of poblano cream sauce. I then garnished with chili flakes
because I love spice so much.
(From www.thevegan8.com)
Glazed Shiitakes W/ Pac Choy
2 pounds baby bok choy (Pac Choy)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 small dry red Chinese hot peppers
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
Salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
6 scallions, sliced diagonally, for garnish
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds for garnish
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cut off and
discard stem ends of bok choy. Separate leaves, rinse and
drain. Drop leaves into boiling water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes,
until barely cooked. Immediately remove, rinse with cool water,
drain and pat dry. Arrange leaves in one layer on an ovenproof
earthenware platter, then set aside.
Put a large wok or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add oil and
heat until nearly smoking, then add hot peppers and shiitake
!3
caps, stirring to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Stir-fry
for 2 minutes. Reduce heat slightly and add garlic, ginger, sugar,
sesame oil and tamari. Stir-fry for 1 minute more.
Spoon shiitake and pan juices over reserved cooked bok choy.