November 2013 - Morning Song Farm

Farm Volunteer Day December 7th

By | Uncategorized | No Comments

Come on out to Morning Song Farm and get your hands dirty! Projects abound, and we’ve got a laundry list of “to do’s” that we’d like to tackle and sure could use some help. Let us know you’re coming: csa@morningsongfarm.com so we can be prepared in every way….parking is always a bit of an issue, and of course we’ll want to have all supplies needed for chosen projects! Hopefully we will have enough participants to divide into teams so that you can choose what you’d like to do. We’ll have coffee/tea and macadamia muffins to get you started!

Date: Dec. 7th
Time: 9-1:00

Ancient Grains Sprouted

By | Uncategorized | No Comments

We continue to enjoy and trail sprout seeds for our CSA boxes. Many may not be aware that it is not safe to purchase generic seeds, whether organic or otherwise, at the grocery store, farmers’ market or on-line and use them for sprouts. The seeds we use here are certified organic, grown in North America, and were grown specifically for commercial sprout applications. Each and every lot is labeled and tested for bacteria contamination. Seeds that are sold for gardeners to plant in the soil or for consumers to grind and use as flour or add to smoothies do not need to have the same level of safe handling practices.

We’re excited about our newest trial: our Ancient Grain Mix: lentils, fenugreek, kamut, and adzuki beans. A few years’ back I recall a concern in New York City of a mysterious maple syrup scent that would present itself from time to time. The source turned out to be an international importer of fenugreek seeds. True enough, the seeds do smell heavenly sweet; more like a spice for dessert than a source for a salad sprout.

Adzuki beans are ancient, and sweet, too. The little bean is recognized by its sweet, nutty flavor and is often used in Japanese cooking for desserts.

Kamut is an ancient member of the wheat family and contains  40% more protein than a typical wheat used today. While our modern breeding programs have left it behind; it continues to offer its ancient nutrition, flavor and goodness to all who will give it a try.

Pre Post of Thanksgiving Week Harvest

By | Uncategorized | No Comments

 

Yes, to anyone who was wondering or has emailed us.. asking if the crew here at MSF was going to bug out and leave everyone hanging for the Thanksgiving Week holiday… we are harvesting and delivering same as usual.
 
The Christmas Week deliveries, will be shifted slightly one day forward and back, but not Thanksgiving Week’s.

 

Ok, with the caveat that sometimes our best laid plans don’t pan out, which is why I don’t pre-post regularly…..but this is such an important week I think I will blog our harvest hopes and intentions for Thanksgiving Week:

1. Baby spinach

2. Spring Mix

3. Yams

4. Spaghetti Squash

5. Heirloom tomatoes, dead ripe

6. Collards: two bunches in large, one in small
 
7. Celery: two bunches in large, one in small
 
8. Frisee (a spicy chicory that can be used sparingly in raw salads, or braised)
 
9. Limes
 
10. Fuerte avos (first harvest of the 9 to 10 month harvest….these will not be ripe for Thanksgiving day as we’re harvesting today and tomorrow mostly.)
 
11. Sprouts (radish and/or brassica mix and a trial of an aromatic Ancient Eastern Blend.)

 

Probably/Maybe:

1. Rosemary sprigs

2. Pineapple guavas…coming up on the end of guavas

3. Navel oranges

4. crunchy bean mix probably for large shares.

 

Trade in boxes (where there are six or more participants picking up..in addition to more of what we put in boxes, we have small quantities of:
 
2. Swiss Chard
3. Green Onions
4. Maybe rhubarb, first harvest ever
5. Jalapenos
6. Baby Arugula, clam shelled
7. Radishes
8. Clam Shells of cherry tomatoes
9. mandarins very first of harvest (maybe)

 

What’s coming up soon:

We are moving into our macadamia harvest!!!, avocado season, and it looks like we will be harvesting mandarins in a couple weeks for all.

 

 

Yam Pie

By | Uncategorized | No Comments

I wish we could rename the common yam, or at least my recipe below, to something with a better marketing zing. This pie is really rich and tasty, even for professed yam-haters…and doesn’t take a lot of work. I actually made it last night without a crust, (which makes it not a pie, actually)… pouring it into a glass brownie pan and then serving in squares with freshly whipped cream. I had meant to cool overnight and serve for dinner tonight, but I see my teenager has eaten most of it for breakfast…rendering any planned photo op somewhat useless, except as proof of its tastiness. 🙂
(see empty dish….draw conclusion.)

Bake 4 or so yams in the microwave or oven until soft. Cool so you don’t burn yourself scooping out.

You need:
2 cups of mashed yams
1 and a half cups of rich cream.(and extra if you want whipped topping)  I’m sorry to say that I’ve discovered for the first time that I can’t buy cream, either organic or conventional, that isn’t ultra-pasteurized. More on that later.
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons of black strap molasses
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon (I prefer to grind my own from cinnamon bark)
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 eggs

I didn’t bother to do a two step process. I just threw everything into my counter top mixer and mixed until smooth; and then poured into my glass brownie pan that I had buttered and floured to prevent sticking. (May not have been necessary)

Bake at 425 until a fork comes up clean when poked in the center.

I whipped a half cup of whipping cream with sugar and vanilla and had planned to use that as the topping. Since that’s missing too, I will assume it was used as intended.

Harvest Ticket For November 19-20th, 2013

By | Uncategorized | No Comments

 Click HERE to view this week’s complete Harvest Ticket

This week’s Large Box shot. A few random boxes received spaghetti squash, and all Wednesday boxes received sprouts. (sprouts weren’t quite ready for Tuesday’s boxes as we are trying to adjust start times as the weather has cooled.) Wednesday Large Boxes received two clamshells of sprouts: one of our Daikon Radish Sprouts, and one of our Brassica Mix Sprouts. All Wednesday Small Shares received one or the other. I know I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating: radish sprouts (and today’s clamshells both have radish; either as a single seed or in the Brassica mix) will have tiny, white fibrous roots on the radishes. This is sometimes mistaken for mold, but is just our healthy, just -harvested radish sprouts–fibrous roots and all.

Book Now!