Hello Farm Folk,
Please help others to learn about what we are up to, and how to get involved: 1. Twitter (http://twitter.com/): Follow us at @thecuttingveg; 2. Facebook: Like us at http://on.fb.me/iTSbQQ, 3. E-mail this newsletter to anyone who may be interested; 4. Share the link to this newsletter (http://bit.ly/ga5Am0) on Facebook or Twitter. 5. Bring a friend with to the farm or a CSA pick-up. Thanks for helping us to spread the word!
We will be welcoming volunteers to the farm this Monday-Friday, and next Sunday, from 6:30am-3:30pm. We will be on the Brampton farm all of these days but Tuesday, when we will be at the Sutton farm. If you are interested in helping on the farm this week, please rsvp to jessica@thecuttingveg.com, and let her know what day you want to come, and if you need directions to the farm, or a lift (leaving at 6am from Davenport and Bathurst area). Hope to see you on the farm this week!
Farm Update:
The rains of last weekend were a blessing in disguise. We had already planted in most of our available beds, and the saturated soil prevented us from tilling up more beds. Thus, this past week we were forced to stop planting, and instead focus our energy on weeding. Being able to focus most of our time and energy on weeding for a week was a gift, as it ensured our existing crops got the loving attention they need. By weeding our beds full of chard, kale, peas, parsley, beets, onions, salad greens, Asian greens, turnips, radishes, etc, we were able to reduce the competition for space, nutrition, and moisture, and provide a more optimal environment for our crops to thrive in. All of these crops are doing well, and it seems our chard, kale, peas, and next timelines of salad, Asian greens, and radishes will be harvestable soon. Meanwhile, we were very excited to add 265 Rhubarb plants to the team this past week, which we planted at our Sutton Farm. The rhubarb plants will spend this year establishing themselves, and we will begin to harvest from these plants next spring. This week, emphasis will turn back to planting, including our Winter Squash crop (Acorn and Delicata), our next timelines of Salad Greens and Beans, still more Onions (almost finished getting our 130,000 Onions in the ground), Beets, Sunflowers, and the rest of our Tomatoes. At this time of year, there is always more work to do than time available, and an ensuing tension — plant or weed? This past week this decision was made for us, and thanks to the tenacious will of Paul and Jessica (our staff team), and our Intern and Volunteer teams, our weeds are under control, and our crops are looking happy and healthy.
The extreme nutrition of Turnip Greens:
While we’re used to eating the roots of the plant, turnip greens are also edible, and extremely nutritious. More info on the incredible health benefits of turnip greens here: http://bit.ly/RefRy. While many do enjoy the flavour, some find cooked turnip greens to be too bitter when cooked as its own dish. Thus, you can just integrate the turnip greens into something else you’re cooking — a soup or a stew or a stir-fry. When cooked amongst other things, the bitterness goes unnoticed, and you still get the health benefits.
RECIPE: Steamed Greens & Lemon Dill Sauce (via Marni Wasserman – www,marniwasserman.com)
1 bunch of greens, such as kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, bok choy, spinach, or chard.
Dressing:
1 ½ cup fresh scallions, chopped
1/2 cup tahini
1/3 cup fresh parsley
3 tbsp lemon juice (1 lemon)
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger or 1 clove of garlic
¼-1/2 cup water to thin out
- Steam greens and rinse with cold water to maintain brightness.
- Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until creamy and smooth.
- Transfer spread to a small bowl.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and allow flavors to blend and the spread will become slightly firm.
That’s it for this edition of Farm Talk. Until next time, Keep Livin’ on the Veg!
Daniel
