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James and I have successfully escaped for the winter months. We have taken a short-term contract in Port-au-Prince Haiti, working for a small NGO called the International Lifeline Fund. If you would like more information as to what we are up to check out this link to the Forbes Magazine blog http://blogs.forbes.com/csr/2010/12/13/cleaner-cookstoves-for-christmas/#post_comments. For now I have a little treat for you all, a short video that I shot a couple of years ago in Uganda and have recently edited for the ILF water program. Enjoy.
please accept these flowers from us.
we have been busy figuring out what our winter is to look like this year. although we toyed with the idea of a winter garden experiment, we have decided instead to travel to haiti to do some work with ilf. we are looking forward to working with the people of haiti to help them get back on their feet. we most certainly haven’t chosen the easiest option (the other option was work on a biodynamic vineyard/farm in new zealand) but it is our hope that we can do some good work in haiti.
we sincerely hope you like the flowers. they are all native to the northwest and will be making an appearance in our members’ boxes this week.
when the rigors of life a city starts to tax me, i often think of living in the woods with simple tools and a simpler way of life. although the work is no less taxing, i find it to be inherently more rewarding than the work i have done in cities for the past decade. when brian asked me to join him on the farm in the beginning of the season, i was admittedly reluctant, having never grown a vegetable in my life. it was a true test for me: living a life that i had been longing for (one that was inclusive of growing my own food). as it turns out, i can build, haul, saw, chop AND grow.
perhaps this life in the woods is not so far out of reach… the true question remains, however, how does one balance love of the city with longing for the country?
as we have worked our way through this first season, the first thing we seemed to have let go of was fun. i am an active proponent of the inherent value of fun in one’s life, and was absolutely dismayed to realized that neither brian nor i had taken more than one day off since the start of the season! with stress levels rising, and our life outside of work a bit neglected, we ventured off to the woods for two days of camping, hiking, and quiet campfire talk. the farm was with us the whole time, and although our worries about being away for 36 hours never completely diminished, we did get to breath a bit easier and just enjoy being together. and when we returned for our CSA harvest… we had melons growing, and bright and lively vegetables to include in our members’ boxes. the general state of our vegetables seemed a testament to both the value of hard work and persistence, and of the importance of taking a day off.
although brian and i arise and fall everyday very very tired, we do so with little smiles on our faces thinking about the things below:
we have ceased to give weekly CSA box updates, as our members seem to enjoy our printouts much more. if anybody would like to see our weekly offerings again, shoot us a quick email and we will be happy to re-start.
in lieu of a box update this week, here is a dish that has made several appearances lately and seems to have become a new favorite around our house… enjoy!
Collard Greens with Bacon Recipe
Chef’s tip: don’t overcook the bacon. It should be barely brown around the edges and still somewhat raw-looking in the middle.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 strips thick-sliced bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Several dashes hot sauce
- 1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar
- 2 pounds collard greens, stems removed, sliced into 3-inch-wide strips (can substitute kale or chard)
- 1 cup chicken broth (or water)*
METHOD
1 Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Cook the bacon in the skillet until it just begins to brown around the edges, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and cook until they have softened and are just starting to brown.
2 Add the garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and hot sauce. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about a minute. Add the vinegar, bring to a simmer, and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by half, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
3 Add the collard greens and the chicken broth (or water) and bring to a simmer. Reduce the temp to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the collard greens have wilted and have lost their brightness. Season to taste with additional vinegar and hot sauce. Serve with some of the pan juices from the pan.
Serves 6 to 8.
yesterday after successfully completing our first farmers’ market, (thanks to johnny “cookie” parker for the immense amount of help he’s provided), brian and i sat down on our porch in happy, exhausted disbelief. at the beginning of the season we were terrified of CSAs, grocery store and restaurant accounts, and farmers’ markets. and yesterday evening, in that same state of exhausted disbelief, we realized that we have experienced all four. wow. it feels like this small success will afford us the right to stop for a minute and rest… and it did… for the evening. and today we are back at it, brian to the farm to finish his monster irrigation project (thanks on his behalf to AJ from EWING, michael, and to johnny “cookie” parker’s back), and me to the making of strawberry jam with the leftovers from yesterday’s market… and then off to work for the evening.
i will leave you with this delicious recipe for strawberry jam from the Barefoot Contessa
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
Directions
Combine the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the strawberries and continue to cook over very low heat for 20 minutes, until the strawberries release some of their juices and the mixture boils slowly. Cook until a small amount of the juice gels on a very cold plate. (I keep one in the freezer.) Pour carefully into 2 pint canning jars and either seal or keep refrigerated. Use immediately, or follow proper canning guidelines below.
Tips on Sterilizing Jars:
Properly-handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for years. Sterilizing jars is the first step of preserving foods.
Sterilizing Tips:
Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with a glass, plastic, or metal lid, which has a rubber seal. Two piece lids are best for canning, as they vacuum seal when processed.
To sterilize jars, before filling with jams, pickles, or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Leave in a preheated 175 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Or, boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.
Use tongs when handling the hot sterilized jars, to move them from either boiling water or the oven. Be sure the tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.
As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies, and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands.
we just spoke with the market manager of the new boise elliot farmers’ market, and will be peddling our vegetables tuesdays and saturdays starting july 17th! we are thrilled about the opportunity to provide fresh produce in a neighborhood in sore need of good produce (it’s my old neighborhood). brian is jumping for joy at the opportunity to get into a new market, and i am equally ebullient about working at a farmers’ market. i. love. farmers’. markets. while living in san francisco, i had the pleasure of working for a small farm at the ferry plaza farmers’ market, and loved every minute of it. farmers’ markets are, for me, an amazing opportunity to directly interact with the community, expose people to new food (superschmelz kohlrabi!), and really take part in the movement toward a more local and sustainable lifestyle. we hope you all can stop by to say ‘hi’ for a moment if you find yourselves in the neighborhood…
until then,
james and brian
This week’s post will be a photo montage of the ingredients included in the box.
top row (l to r): kohlrabi, chioggia beets, sparkle white tip and french breakfast radishes, sweet basil (in the little brown bag with a variety of other delightful herbs)
bottom row (l to r): red romaine, green wave mustard, bright lights swiss chard, esmeralda lettuce
stay posted this week for recipes…!
cheers,
brian and james
With this week’s CSA delivery comes great excitement about its bounty. Although the rain has drastically slowed the growth of many vegetables we have been cultivating, it has provided us with a great abundance of delicious and healthy greens.
A few of our members have been asking us questions about exactly what has been included in their boxes (thanks for the questions!), and after some research, we have found a great online food encyclopedia to share with you all. The BBC Food Ingredients page provides detailed descriptions of each item, a picture of what it looks like, nutritional information, and some great recipes (that we will be testing very soon). We hope this provides you all with some good information about the treats that are in your boxes each week.
And without further ado, this week’s bounty:
Nero Di Toscana Kale
Bright Lights and Magenta Sunset Swiss Chard
Outredgeous Red Romaine
Esmeralda Butterleaf Lettuce
Slyvetta Wild Arugula (and nesting on top are a couple of edible and delicious Nasturtium flowers)
Joi Choi (a relative of Bok Choi)
Red Raspberries from Rich at Smith Berry Barn
a little bag of coffee from our dear friend Dave Beach, owner of Back Porch Coffee Roasters in Bend
and a beautiful bounty of fresh herbs, including:
Mammoth Basil, Italian Parsley, Cilantro, Sage, Chives, and four types of mint (Spearmint and Chocolate, Orange, and French Peppermint)
With the highly anticipated arrival of summer, the mint is a fun addition to any backyard BBQ drink. If anybody wants extra next week for making Mojitos, feel free to write and we will provide all you can handle!
Cheers,
Brian and James
PS… One of my favorite summer salads is one that includes two of this week’s ingredients: arugula and raspberries. It is a simple salad of goat cheese, arugula, raspberries, and balsamic vinaigrette, and is a hit at dinner parties. Enjoy!
CSA Week #1
Hello everyone here are the goods for our first week. We hope you all enjoy them as much as we have been!
Herbs:
Sweet Basil
Rosemary
Lemon Thyme
Oregano
Sage
Coriander Santo (Cilantro)
Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
Veggies:
Bights Light Chard
Magenta Sunset Chard
Green Wave Mustard
Ruby Streaks Mustard
Golden Streaks
Cherry Ball Radishes
Nero Di Toscana Kale
French Sorrel
Esmeralda Lettuce
Outredgeous Lettuce
Fruit:
Sextan Strawberries
Little Fun Things:
Terra cota Red Lettuce Leaved Basil plant
Enjoy and lets all cross our fingers for more sunshine.
P.S. Remember to bring your empty boxes back in exchange for full ones next Wednesday.
P.P.S Here is a fun recipe for one of the lesser known greens we have included, French Sorrel. While it is great in salads, it is also a beautiful lemony accompaniment to any fish dish.
Sorrel Sauce for Fish
1/2 cup chopped fresh sorrel
2 T dry white wine
3 T minced green onions
1 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 t fresh lime juice
Ground white pepper
Combine sorrel, wine and shallots in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sorrel wilts, about 2 minutes. Add cream and lime juice. Boil until reduced to sauce consistency, about 12 minutes. Transfer sauce to blender. Puree until almost smooth. Return sauce to same saucepan. Season with ground white pepper and salt.
Cheers, Farmer Brian and Farmer James
There is so much to report!
Our babies have been treated to healthy doses of water with the incessant rain, thereby slowing their growth, but also hopefully storing some much needed water for the coming dry season. Brian and I took the opportunity last weekend to sneak to the coast after we readied the babies for another few soggy days.
We have just harvested our first radishes; succulent monsters whose green tops scores of cole-loving beetles have feasted upon and whose tender flesh critters have nibbled on. After tasting one, I don’t blame the little pests. They are spicy and delicious (and going in our first CSA box)!
And speaking of CSA boxes, delivery number one is Wednesday. To the folks at GBD Architects, we can’t wait to meet you! We have some special little treats in store for you. Excitement is in the air.
We are looking forward to what this season will teach us (and what it already has), will try our hardest to accept these lessons graciously, and hope to have some tools in our toolbox that will enable us to grow healthy food for happy people.
heartjames
These days have been better suited to a cup of coffee, a Steinbeck novel and a warm bed than an early morning on a soggy farm. After all, no hurry; the babies in the green house are not in danger of overheating and there is very little watering to be accomplished. It seems that most the farmers in the valley are expressing the same concerns. When will we have time to plant? Do we just keep potting our little ones up until the sun finally shows itself, drying the soil and making it workable. It makes me both calm and anxious, like one of those bad dreams where you can’t move, like your legs are full of sand and there is some sort of urgent matter that needs your attention.
I watch the rain from inside the green house. Me, The Tomatoes, and Jackson Browne all watch the rain like some misanthropic travel troop, not that we begrudge humanity but the gods responsible for this extended season. It is as if we are Sojourns from winter trapped in the summer months. After all, our CSA starts in two weeks and we need the sunshine to mature our vegetables. Maybe a libation to the gods would be most appropriate. These days…
Regards, B
p.s. The Boy, I believe it is time for you to come home.
with this week’s rain has come the great excitement of finding radishes bursting from the ground and tomatoes ripening on the vine. brian’s ebullience was enough to turn grey skies blue. i couldn’t help but giggle as i surveyed all the seedlings sprouting and the toddler plants outgrowing their seed trays. wandering around the farm brings endless delight as i taste succulent and spicy mustard greens, sweet chard, tender lettuce, and crisp radishes and survey the bountiful growth that spring inspires.
-james
I planted these sugar ann snap peas in memory of my auntie ann, one hell of a woman in her day.
On some days the idea that our loved ones, here and gone, are with us on the farm imbuing it with life and light, fills me with deep joy. their light leaves an indelible mark on the land we have the priveledge of stewarding.
-james
Check out our CSA page for more information.
p.s. “I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world”
– George Washington
our stamps are here! look for them in a bathroom near you.
The first of our Early tomatoes have begun to flower. We are proud of them and are encouraging them to reproduce as frequently as the desire. We are proud parents, although at times, it is difficult to let them go out on their own. We try to protect them, hoop houses, fish emulsion, etc… but in the end you just have to let them go. It is in nature’s hands now.
b
heartjames
working hands farm 