Winter Newsletter 2019

Work has slowed down a bit, the glittering of frost makes a beautiful winter scene.  But there is still plenty to do to keep the farm running.  The greenhouse needs repaired.  It needs new plastic put on it.  All the machinery needs to be checked to make sure it is all in good working condition.

Looking back over the past 2018 season they feel that things have gone well although they had a little trouble with deer and raccoons.  The deer seemed to like the mini watermelons.  They would go down the row and take a single bite or two out of one melon and then go on down the row to the next one.  The plan is to fix this by using heavy fishing line and put it around the melon patch about one foot from the ground.  The deer can't see it and then when the run in it they can't figure out what it is.  This will startle them and scare them off.  The raccoons, of course, will first go to the sweet corn.  The plan is to build a fence around the four acres where the corn will be grown and hopefully this will ensure a good crop for everyone next year.

The outline for 2019 will be much like it was in 2018.  The share prices will be the same except for the egg prices that are going up 15 cents to $4.15.  The pickup times and locations will basically be the same although we are adding a new Anderson/Eastgate location that will be delivered on both Tuesdays and Fridays.  The new location that was started in Mt Washington on Tuesdays and Fridays will be kept. They will also start delivering to Mariemont location on Tuesdays and Fridays.  There is a new location in Mt Orab that will be on Tuesdays.  We had around 200
Summer Shares last year and are hoping to have that many again this year.

Please be prompt in buying your shares.  Ensure yourself a spot on our program by signing up early.  This also helps us in planning how much to plant for the upcoming season.  Please notice that the sign-up deadlines by the share dates and prices.  Thank you for supporting us and we look forward to serving you again in 2019.

Any questions please contact Cedarmorefarm@gmail.com.  You can also request all the forms above.

Recipe Of The Week: Potato Egg Casserole

Potato Egg Casserole

1/2 pound of bacon
1/4 cup of dry bread crumbs
6 medium potatoes, cooked and peeled
6 sliced hard-boiled eggs
2 Tablespoons of minced chives
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of milk1 Tablespoon of flour

Fry bacon in a skillet.  Remove bacon and drain off all but 1 Tablespoon of the drippings.  Saute bread crumbs in drippings in skillet until brown.  Slice potatoes.  Crumble bacon.  Arrange half of the potatoes in a buttered, shallow, 2-quart baking dish.  Spread the top with the remaining potato slices.  Combine sour cream, milk, and flour.  Mix well and pour over potatoes.  Sprinkle with crumbs.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until done.

Vegetables Are Still Growing Strong

Brrrr...It is getting cold out there.  There have been a few hard freezes on the farm but they have managed to keep most of the crops growing for now.  The radishes that were in the boxes are either Daikon or Japanese green radishes.  They can be used raw in salads or you can saute them or use them in soups etc.  Some of you may be wondering 'where is the broccoli?'  Sorry.  But it did not do well this season.  So different from other years when we had loads of beautiful heads.  Hopefully, it will do better next year.  They still have winter lettuce, kale, cabbage, turnips, and some mixed salad greens growing and they have potatoes, sweet potatoes, and a few different varieties of winter squash stored.

Stay safe and stay warm.

On The Count Down

potatoes, butternut squash, lettuce, radishes, garlic, sweet potatoes, kale

5 weeks remain in the CSA for this year.

Recipe Of The Week: Coconut Custard Sweet Potato Pie

Coconut Custard Sweet Potato Pie

3 eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of ginger
2 cups of cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup of evaporated milk
1 cup of coconut
1 uncooked pie shell

Put all ingredients (not the pie shell) in the blender.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Some Good Looking Kale This Week

It loos like fall is finally here.  Last week there was good wether on the farm and this week they are calling for rain.  There are 6 more weeks to go of the 2018 season.  They have a good supply of fall squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, kale, garlic, and lettuce greens.  Greenhouse lettuce will be ready for the last weeks of the season.

Recipe of The Week: Yummy Potatoes

Yummy Potatoes

9 pounds of potatoes, cubed
1 cup of butter
1 Tablespoon of salt
1 Tablespoon or course garlic salt with parsley
1 Tablespoon of parsley flakes
1 teaspoon of black pepper

Cook potatoes in 1-2 quarts chicken broth with soup base until soft.  Then drain.  Put potatoes in a roaster and sprinkle seasonings on top.  Melt butter and drizzle over seasonings.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Fall Harvest

Looks like a great harvest this week!  And I spy an orange pumpkin-looking thing.  It is only the end of October and the boxes look like someone is ready to cook Thanksgiving dinner.  With the temperatures starting to drop we will be seeing more cold hardy vegetables.

Recipe Of The Week: Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1Tablespoon of chili powder
2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1 cup of water
1 medium onion
2 medium to large sweet potatoes (peeled and sliced)
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1 16 oz jar of salsa or 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 15-19 oz can of black beans, 1 cup of the liquid from one can and drain the other can

Heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.  Add onions, garlic, and cook, stir until soft.  Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the beans.  Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook potatoes until tender.  Add beans and the cup of bean liquid and cook until heated through.

Variation:  Add 1 1/2 cups of diced chicken.

Recipe Of The Week: Baked Parmesan Sweet Potatoes

Baked Parmesan Sweet Potatoes

2 sweet potatoes
2 Tablespoons of grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
2 Tablespoons of butter melted
dried parsley

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel and cube the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes.  Place garlic, oil, butter, garlic salt, cheese, and Italian seasoning in a bowl and mix well.  Add sweet potatoes to the mixture and stir coating the potatoes well.  Place on foil and spread out evenly.  Bake 18-20 minutes.  SErve warm.  Sprinkle with dried parsley if desired.

Such Good Looking Fall Foods

Somehow I missed last weeks information from Cedarmore.

The boxes were filled to the brim and smell delicious!

This coming week John and Anna expect to have potatoes, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, bell peppers, winter squash or green beans.  They have been working really hard to get the row covers on the susceptible crops because it looks like the weather is going to change for hot humid days to wet, soggy, foggy, cold days and nights.

Chinese Cabbage

Things on the farm must be really busy this week.  I was able to get a picture of this weeks box but the newsletter was slow in coming.  Everyone is busy pulling out spent veggies and planting and harvesting the fall veggies.  Expect to see kale, sweet potatoes, potatoes, green beans, spicy greens, and bell peppers.  Kale and Swiss chard should be ready soon. 

Looks A Little Bit Llike Fall In Your Boxes

It is hard to believe that it is already the last week of the Summer Share.  John and Anna would like to thank all of the folks that joined us this year for the Summer Shre.  Please consider coming back next year and telling your friends about the variety and quality of the produce you received.

Those of you that have the Fall Share or the All Season Share, you will be getting 10 more weeks (TEM MORE WEEKS) of produce.  As far as they can tell it will be a bountiful harvest this season.

Fall crops are looking really good.  So enjoy the goodness!

Recipe Of The Week: Mixed Mashed Sweet Potato Casserole

Mixed Mashed Sweet Potato Casserole

Mix your favorite burger (chicken and turkey are especially good with this)  and press into a roaster.  Bake until done.  Pour off grease if there is any.  Meanwhile, prepare sweet potatoes as you would for mashed potatoes.  Cook, mash, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and garlic pos=wder, adding butter, sour cream, and milk.  Spread on top of baked meatloaf and top with cheese and bacon bits.  Finish baking after lowering the heat.

The Rains Have Stopped and The Sun Is Out

There are veggies hiding under the green beans and lettuce...not going to give it away.

I love to visit when Anna and the girls are cooking.  It always smells so good.  Right now the house smells like tomatoes and onions because they are making ketchup and tomato juice.  The next thing they will make and can is vegetable soup.  Anna loves chopping up all the veggies and adding them to the soup.  After it is canned the jars are taken to the basement where they can be kept cool.  Then this winter when they will need some hot soup to warm them up from the cold out it will come.  I imagine there might be some homemade bread to go with it.

John and his boys are out in the field putting up all of the tomato plants.  That is a really hot and itchy job.  They will work hard to get the job done. 

Recipe Of The Week: Fresh Green Beans

Fresh Green Beans

1/2 cup of butter
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 pounds of bacon, fried and crumbled
green beans
Seasonings:  garlic salt, Greek seasoning, salt, or Farm Dust seasoning

Melt the butter in a 10" or12" skillet.  Saute onions a little.  Fill with green beans and add seasonings to taste.  Cover, stirring occasionally.  When the beans are almost done, sprinkle with bacon on top and cover until you are ready to eat.

Lots Of Rain

There has been so much rain at Cedarmore, they have less time so there is no info from them this week.  They are literally just trying to keep their heads above water.

Recipe Of The Week: Raised Potato Doughnuts

Raised Potato Doughnuts

4 cups of milk
1 cup of butter
2 cups of mashed potatoes
1 1/4 cup of sugar
2 Tablespoons of yeast
1/2 cup of warm water
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
10 cups of flour

Scald milk.  Melt butter in milk and add potatoes and sugar.  Cool.  Dissolve yeast in water.  Add to lukewarm milk mixture.  Add eggs and salt.  Gradually stir in flour.  Add more flour if needed.  Let dough rise in a warm place until it is double in size ( about 1 hour)  Punch dough down and roll out 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface.  Cut with doughnut cutter.  Let rise again until double (about 45 minutes).  Deep fry at 375 degrees for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.  Don't overcrowd the fryer or skillet or the temperature of the oil will drop too much.  Sugar by shaking a few doughnuts at a time in a plastic bag containing sugar.
Variation:  Glaze with a glaze by mixing 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1/4 cup of milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Here's To Cooler Mornings and Evenings

I think I am just about back to 'normal' whatever that is. From now until the end of the year I will once again be posting for Cedarmore Farm CSA.  I apologize to everyone for dropping off the planet but it couldn't be helped.

So back to these wonderful boxes of healthy goodness!

John is busy digging up sweet potatoes and tearing out the old tomato plants.  Anna is busy canning tomato-y things.  All the rain that we have had lately has been hard on the plants.  But they are loving the cooler, fresh mornings.  They try to hold onto that good feeling for the rest of the day until the heat sets in.  Then they look forward to the cooler evenings.

Recipe Of The Week: Cheesy Potato Bake

Cheesy Potato Bake

4 large unpeeled baking potatoes
1/4 cup of butter
1 Tablespoon of grated onion
13/4 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
1 cup of shredded cheese
1 Tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley

  Thinly slice potatoes and place them in a shallow greased 2-quart baking dish.  In a small saucepan heat butter, onion, salt, and pepper until butter is melted.  Drizzle mixture over the potatoes.  Cover with foil and bake at 425 degrees or until tender.  Sprinkle with cheese and parsley.  Bake uncovered until cheese melts.

Vegaterian Dinner In A Box

Can you say super fresh!

We got some more than delicious zucchini bread today!

Recipe Of The Week: Raw Green Bean Salad

Raw Green Bean Salad

2 cups of young green beans
1/2 cup of chopped green pepper
1/4 cup of radishes chopped
1/2 a medium onion, diced
1 small cucumber, diced
salt and pepper to taste
a dressing of your choice, enough to hold salad together

Combine vegetables and mix well.  Add dressing of your choice.  Chill and serve

Best Looking Lettuce I Have Ever Seen

onions, summer squash, Swiss chard, lettuce, cabbage

Summer squash is a general term for more than 70 different varieties of fast-growing, tender-skinned. soft fleshed. bland tasting squash.  Zucchini is by far the most famous ( or is it infamous?) of all the summer squash.  Some other types are yelllow squash-either straight or crookneck- and scallops (also called patty pans.

Summer squash are easy to grow by direct seeding after the soil is warm and danger of frost is past.  Plant seeds 1/2 deep every 6-12 inches, thinning to a final spacing of 18 inches from bush plants and 2-3 feet for vining plants.  Squash seeds are susceptible to rotting in cool wet soils: minimum germination temperatures are 60 degrees: ideal is 70 degrees.

For earlier crop start seeds indoors in individual pots, 3-4 weeks before setting out.  Black plastic mulch and row covers are well suited for growing summer squash.

Pick summer squash while seeds are young and tender.  Seeds and skin can both be eaten at this stage.  Under ideal growing conditions, summer squash needs to be picked every 2-3 days to keep them from getting big.  There will be good ones tomorrow.

All summer squash can be interchangeably in recipes.  Preferences are due to color, size, and shape rather than flavor.

Because of their bland flavor, summer squash leads themselves to many different cooking appliances, taking on the flavor.  or of whatever they are cooked with.  Try using them as a substitute for rice, pasta, and potatoes.  Young, tender summer squash are excellent raw with dips or in salads.  They are also delicious steamed, fried, sauteed, stuffed or baked into breads.  Squash flowers are edible too.

As a testament to their extreme versatility, I suspect that there have been more recipes inspired by zucchini than by any other vegetable.

Summer squash provides vitamin A and C as well as folate.  It can be kept in the refrigerator for 7-10 days without refrigeration.  they cannot be winter stored.

Yield:  1 pound of summer squash = 4 cups sliced or diced.

1 bushel =40 pounds = 32-40 pints

These were gone when I came back from a 3 hours CPR class sot hey must be the best cookies ever!

FYI: Rue is sending an email to each customer that contains the newsletter.  This week he says that the farm has seen lots of sunshine and moisture is making things grow by leaps and bounds.  Bell peppers should be coming up in the boxes next week.

Recipe Of The Week: Beef and Zucchini Burgers

Beef and Zucchini Burgers   

1 pound of ground beef
1 large egg
1 small zucchini shredded
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon of salt
onion or garlic (optional)]

Mix all ingredients.  Form into balls,  Grill or pan fry until done.

Dinner Tonight Honey Is Going To Be Delicious

asparagus, yellow squash, cabbage, lettuce, lettuce, kale, zucchini

yummy

Recipe Of The Week: Stove Top Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage comes in 4 styles: green cabbage with smooth leaves, red with purplish-red leaves,
Savory cabbage with crinkles leaves and Chinese cabbage with tall leaves.  Savory and Chinese cabbage heads are not packed as tightly as the red and green types.  Chinese cabbage is sometimes called celery cabbage because it looks like a celery plant.

Like all cold crops, cabbage can be direct seeded, but it is usually started from transplants.  Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before planting out.  Set early cabbage 12-18 inches apart and late cabbage 18-30 inches apart.  Rows should be 30-36 inches apart.  Cabbage likes fertile soil with plenty of moisture and full sun.

Cabbage can be used as soon as he heads have a solid feel.  If you have many cabbages ripening at the same time, prune some of them by twisting the stem 1/4 turn.  This keeps the plant from taking in as much water, slows maturity and prevents heads from cracking.

Green cabbage if good fixed anyway...raw, in salads, cooked, steamed, braised or fried.  Red cabbage as a sharper flavor and coarser texture so it needs to be cooked longer.  Savory cabbage has a more delicate (some say superior) flavor than the red or green.

Overcooking cabbage gives it a strong flavor and odor...watch cooking times carefully.  Cooking celery with cabbage helps cut the strong cooking order of cabbage.

Solid heads can be stored for 3-4 months in cold storage with high humidity, although the flavor gets stronger in stored cabbage.

Chinese cabbage is more closely related to mustard than to cabbage.  It is often used in quick stir-fries or eaten raw in salads. 

Chinese cabbage does not transplant well.  Sow seeds thinly in rows 24-30 inches apart.  Thin seedlings to 18 inches apart.  Chinese cabbage matures in 75-85 days.  If it freezes before heads form, you can still eat the greens.

Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C and bioflavonoids.

Chinese cabbage keeps for a week in the refrigerator.
Yield:  1 pound = 4-5 cups chopped

Stove Top Cabbage Rolls

1 pound of ground beef
1/4 cup of chopped onion
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 cup of cooked rice
10 large cabbage leaves
boiling water
2 cups of peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
garlic salt
2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons of sugar

Mix beef, onion, salt, pepper and rice.  Cover cabbage leaves with boiling water and allow to stand about three minutes to make the leave pliable: drain.  Roll a portion of meat mixture in each leaf: fasten with toothpicks.  Heat remaining ingredients to a boiling point in a covered skillet.  Add cabbage bundles and simmer, covered until tender...about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

The Smell Of The Box Makes My Mouth Water

Almost all the colors in the rainbow in the boxes this week.  There might be some little purple onions under the zucchini and yellow squash.

This week we got some peanut butter bars with chocolate chips in them.  They lasted maybe two hours!  Delicious!!

Recipe Of The Week: Strawberry Bread

Strawberries are perhaps American's most popular fruit.  They are extremely versatile and are easily adaptable to most areas of North America.  Strawberries burst on the summer scene with a flare of color and flavor in June in most areas.

To start your own strawberry patch, buy plants from a reputable nursery to avoid spreading disease.  Plant strawberries in the spring, setting the crowns at ground level so no roots are exposed.  Allow 24 -inches between plants and 4-5 feet between rows.  This is the hardest part...Remove any and all flowers that develope the first summer to help promote growth in the mother plant and the daughter plants that develop from runners.

To get more even spacing, runners can be hand spaced, allowing a minimum of 4-inches between plants.  Spacings of less than four inches will decrease the size and yield of your bed.  Too many strawberry plants inhabit production just like weeds do.

Weed control is critical during the first summer.  Frequent hoeing around the mother plant before runners set and tilling between the rows is advisable.

In the fall, cover the rows with clean straw mulch.  Straw with a lot of weeds in it will seed new weeds all over your strawberry patch.  The mulch will protect the plants from extreme cold and will keep the ground from going through root damaging freeze/thaw cycles.  Remove the straw in the spring once new growth is beginning and put it in between the rows.  It will make picking more pleasant and help keep the weeds from growing.

Strawberries are irresistible picked fresh from the garden.  The ones that make it to the table, are excellent plain, with sugar and milk, in pies, in sauces, or cooked into jam.

Nutritionally, strawberries are a good source of vitamin C, folate and potassium.  In addition, they have bioflavonoids that help reduce the risk of cancer.

Yield:  1 quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds
1 quart fresh equals approximately 1 pint of frozen mashed or sliced (yield depends on the size of the strawberry)

STRAWBERRY BREAD

3 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of soda
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
3 eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup of vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups of sliced strawberries, drained
1 cup of chopped pecans (optional)

Combine all dry ingredients.  Add eggs and oil, stirring briefly.  Fold in berries and nuts.  Spoon batter into two 8x4 buttered loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour.  Freezes well.

Strawberries Are Hiding In Here

cabbage, lettuce, inions,  Swiss chard, asparagus, and strawberries

Tonight for dessert and tomorrows breakfast we are enjoying some delicious cinnamon rolls.  They are making my mouth water!

Recipe Of The Week: Asparagus Parmesan

Asparagus Parmesan

1 1/2 pounds of asparagus, washed and trimmed
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon of salt1/4 teaspoon of pepper

Cook asparagus 5-7 minutes or until tender crisp.  Melt butter in a casserole.  Place drained asparagus in the butter.  Combine remaining ingredients and sprinkle on asparagus.  Bake at 450 degrees for 5-10 minutes or until Parmesan cheese is melted.

Momma Is Going To Love This One

I might just have to have a little before dinner dessert tonight.

Let me see if I can remember all there is in the box this week...asparagus, Swiss chard, spinach, onions, red and white carrots, kale, lettuce...maybe a few more things.

Check out the recipe of the week for Chard Soup.

Recipe Of The Week: Chard Soup

Chard Soup

8 cups of chard, finely chopped
1 cup of sliced celery
1 cup of chopped onion
2 Tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons of butter
2 large potatoes, peel and diced
5 cups of broth or water
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste
pepper

Separate chard stems from leaves.  String any tough stems and slice them.  In a large kettle saute the sliced stems, celery and onions in the hot oil and butter for 5 minutes.  Add potatoes and broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer 15-20 minutes.  Stir in the chard leaves and cook 4-5 minutes.  Season to taste.

First Boxes Have Been Delivered

It was great to see Rue and his sidekick today for the first box of the season!  I think you will be surprised by what you have and how great it all looks and smells.

lettuce, Chinese cabbage, green onions, radishes, cucumber, asparagus...

The eggs for the Eggs Share looks so pretty.

For hosting a drop-off location I chose baked good share.  There might be only two of these chocolate chip cookies left.

A couple of new things...there will be no newsletter in the boxes this year.  With a new baby and a growing family, not to mention a growing CSA, there just isn't time.  Remember that John or Anna have to write the newsletter out by hand then deliver it to Rua and Susan.  Then they need to type and print it and take it back down the road to Cedarmore for it to be folded and placed in each box. So I have the Amish cookbook and I will choose a recipe that contains one or more items in the box each week.  Usually, the recipe will be published after the blog under Recipes. If you should have a recipe that you would like to share with the rest of us, please feel free to send it to me at itsahoot24@aol.com.  Please write RECIPE in the subject line so I don't miss it in case it goes to my spam folder.

And lastly, please remember to bring back boxes, jars, containers, egg cartons so they can be used again.  Also, please remember to break down your empty boxes and return them to the host house.  We ask that you keep them in a neat pile.  It helps Rue when he packs them back in his van and returns them to Cedarmore.

Looking forward to a great year!

Recipe Of The Week: Asparagus Vinaigrette

Asparagus Vinaigrette

2 pounds of cooked and chilled asparagus

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

1/2 cups of olive or vegetable oil

2 Tablespoons of chopped shallots or onions

Whisk together all but asparagus.  Pour over asparagus.  Serve chilled

It's Finally Time

Next Tuesday, May 15 and Friday, May 18 our first CSA box will be deliveres to eyour hosts house and ready for you to pick-up!

Don't Miss Out

  We are sold out of spring and all seasons shares but still have plenty of summer and fall shares. The deadline for summer and fall is June 1st 

SPRING AND SUMMER SHARES DEADLINES HAVE BEEN EXTENDED TO APRIL 14, 2018

Back In Business...Well, Sorta

I must apologize for not posting anything much since the end of October.  I just wasn't able to type with a broken arm/shoulder.  But the doctor says the arm is healed but the shoulder needs more work.  Like three days of therapy a week for a month.

So back to the CSA I can come!  Yea!  I've missed it!

Look what I have for you today...

With the New Year comes the New Sign-Ups for the CSA for 2018.  Read through it and enjoy looking ahead to what the new season holds.  If you have any questions please email us 

cedarmorefarm@gmail.com.