Week 7: 3/2 - 3/5
Thursday 3pm - till Sunday Night | SELF SERVE
13197 10TH St. South. Afton, MN. 55001 | 612.770.7194
On the farm this week:
Some farmer thoughts in a long winter:
We have started planting our summer transplants in our greenhouse! Even though we keep getting snow and ice and clouds and everyone is very ready for a good thaw, we are preparing for the spring and summer long before we can feel it. It makes me think that faith is an innately agrarian idea. Putting seeds in the ground and having faith they will grow; planting transplants for a season you have faith is coming but can not see; plants needing water and having faith it will rain.
Now, humans have mitigated a lot of variables in farming with technology and irrigation and GMO's and the like, but we still hide a seed from view and expect it to sprout new growth. In sustainable farming models we rely on soil biology that we can not see with our naked eye to support the plants growth and faith has a lot to do with that. I have faith that if I treat the soil with respect, allow for natural ecosystems to thrive, it will feed me in return. With winter farming we have faith that "life will find a way" (to quote Jurassic Park) when strong ecosystems and diverse soil biology can make those winter crops strong and resilient. Being witness to this miracle of life solidifies how much I took it for granted before I started farming; that I would be fed and clothed and sheltered by a natural world I knew little about and, honestly, contributed very little too.
This winter in MN, we have received double the precipitation we do in an 'average' winter. 9 of the last 10 years in the USA rank among the 10 hottest years since record-keeping began in 1880. Drought and floods are happening unpredictably all over the world and it is impacting food production, dependability of supply and an imbalance of who-gets-fed-what and when and, who gets fed at all. Our overall faith in our natural systems to fulfill our needs is waining.
I guess what Im saying is to have faith is to have trust. To have faith is to recognize we may not understand everything before us but we trust in it regardless. Humility is an important element in a strong faith, whatever it may be in. The natural world has always influenced us more than we did it and we took advantage of that, took it for granted, as we do with most very necessary things in our short lives. We often think we are smarter than nature, can provide more sophisticated solutions than nature can. By doing so, we are forcing nature to have faith in us to keep it fed, provide it shelter. Now that we have grown to a population on the planet that cannot help but to influence the natural world, we should be conscious and intentional of that influence.
Our faith depends on it.
So when you support local, sustainable farms, responsibly produced products and try to give back to nature what it gives to us you are participating in a faith that started 10,000 years ago when the first communities of people put seeds in the ground and believed that seed would feed them and their families. 10,000 years of proof that natural systems can be relied upon when respected and nourished. 10,000 years of a faith that has allowed humans to grow and thrive.
Every faith needs a community to grow and become stronger, to keep the faith on course, to make change and find hope for the future. I am very thankful that I get to be part of your community of change makers, faith influencers, nature lovers, truth spreaders and believers in a good future. You humble me as nature humbles me and help me have faith that spring will come.
-Hallie
reminder: the winter share is EVERY OTHER WEEK so the next bag pick up is the March 16th!!
In Your Bag This Week
Persephone Mix: Great base for any salad filled with cold loving greens like mustard, romaine and asian greens. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Spinach: slightly sweet, crisp and tender. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Celery: Celery is another crop that tastes so much better in the winter as it loves to freeze. The flavor gets a little sweeter and its celery essence gets stronger too. Great for cooking. Store in your fridge.
Rosemary: Add to any dish for an extra burst of flavor. Pairs well with anything fatty or earthy (meat or roasted veggies). Store in a bag in your fridge.
Micro Arugula: crisp and peppery, top off your eggs, pizza or sandwiches for added zing! Store in your fridge.
Flavor Mix Micros: mild and tasty, these make an easy salad on their own or can add some color to any other salad. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Pea Shoots: sweet pea flavor but in a green! Great addition to sandwiches or salads. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Garlic Spinach and White Beans | Serves: 4 | total time: 10 mins
Ingredients
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced
1 (15 oz) can small white beansrinsed and drained, such as navy beans or great northern beans
3 cups baby spinach
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice about ½ large lemon
¼ tsp Kosher salt
pinch of black pepper
1 Tbsp chives thinly sliced
1 Tbsp parsley chopped
1 Tbsp capers drained
Flaky sea salt for serving
High quality extra virgin olive oil for serving
Instructions
Cook the garlic. Heat a saucepan with 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add 3 cloves sliced garlic and sauté until fragrant and light golden brown, about 30 seconds.
Stir in beans and spinach. Add 1 can drained beans and sauté about 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add3 cups fresh spinach.
Finish, then serve. Pour in 1 Tbsp lemon juice, then season with ¼ tsp Kosher salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cook until spinach is just wilted, about 1-2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in1 Tbsp chives, 1 Tbsp parsley, and 1 Tbsp drained capers. Serve immediately or set aside and eat later at room temperature. Just before serving, sprinkle with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt and a drizzle of high quality extra virgin olive oil.
Cabbage & Pea Shoot Salad | Serves: 4 | Total Time: 10 mins
Ingredients
FOR THE SALAD:
1 small head cabbage
2 oz (about 1 handful) long pea shoots
3 stalks celery
1/2 cup chopped basil
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
3/4 cup roasted peanuts
FOR THE DRESSING:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce (or tamari if gluten free)
2 tsp honey
pinch salt
Instructions
Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the cabbage in half through the core, then cut each half in half (so you have 4 quarters). Slice each quarter from the end very thin until you reach the core. Give the core to the dog (My lab, Dedas, loves them). Alternatively, you can use a mandolineto shred it.
Cut the celery stalks into 1/2 cm slices. Chop the basil and cilantro, then toss it all together with the cabbage and pea shoots in a large bowl. The pea shoots like to stick together, so this may take a couple minutes to get everything evenly distributed. Dump the peanuts on top and gently toss just a bit to distribute them.
Combine the remaining dressing ingredients in a measuring cup and mix well. Pour over the salad and toss to distribute. Serve with more peanuts on the side, if desired.
We wash everything in your bag but we wash them in bulk so some things may need an extra rinse at home. Please bring your bag back next week so we can re-use them! thanks!