Newsletter: Back in the Greenhouse Groove
The lights are still on and we're washing more greens!
The might and magic of the greenhouse seems to know no bounds. As I mentioned in the updates above (which I know you always read fastidiously...), there are somehow, some way, still greens in this box! While the nights of November 22 and 25 did dip into the low teens as we predicted, our Kickin' Mix, arugula, and spinach all held strong. Last newsletter I predicted that we were at the end of the greens. Sometimes it's nice to be wrong, which is good when you're wrong as often as I am.
I can safely say that this box will be the final box of the season with fresh greens, not just because it's currently single digits outside, but also because we don't have anything left! Not for this year, anyway. We do have four beds of spinach that just germinated. They'll hang out in one of our 4 greenhouses, in stasis, until February when there's enough sunlight to wake the plants up. By the the first week of April, we'll have our first fresh harvest of the season, just in time for the Spring CSA.
I'll be totally honest with you all, I'm having a really hard time finishing the essay this week. On Friday, our farm family got four legs larger. Our light brown husky shepherd mix Rexana just got a new brother! Frehley is an eight month old Dutch shepherd and pit bull mix, and he has my whole heart. He's a rescue just like his sister, and has a hard time being more than six inches from me at any given time. While I've been writing this his paws have typed out a few lines (since removed, I have a suspicion that he cannot read).
Frehley and I spent much of Saturday in the wash shed. When I was washing greens, he scoured the trough for every frozen carrot and brussels sprout that fell to the floor last harvest day. He is a very good boy, and it's his dinner time. Until next time, enjoy the veggies!
-Cody
What’s in the Box?!
-Sweet Mokum Carrots: Still sweet and tender, these are the first of our best storage carrots around. Peel for snacks or add them to any recipe.
-Kabocha Winter Squash: These store nicely. They're sweeter than a pumpkin, and have a slightly more dense texture. Great to roast or mash.
-Napa Cabbage: Great in stir fry or slaw!
-Red Ace Beets: Peel if you want to blend these. We like these nutrient-dense roots roasted on a salad or tossed together with maple syrup and nuts as a side dish.
-Brussels Sprouts: Roasted, steamed maybe fried in your favorite oil or fat, brussels sprouts are my favorite vegetable.
-Daikon Radish: These are great pickled or roasted in chunks.
-Apple Sauce: (Organic Apples, Water) Sweet Batch this year. Great with breakfast or frozen into popsicles.
-Kickin' Mix: A lively mix of kale, red frill mustard greens, and red & green mizuna. Great raw in a salad.
-Arugula: Not as zesty after several hard frosts, but much sweeter. Great mixed in with the spinach!
-Spinach: Mild and sweet. Delicious with nasturtium dressing.
-Nasturtium Salad Dressing: (Nasturtium infused distilled white vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt, pepper) We infused flowers, and it became bright red! Honey was harvested from my dad's hives Wonderful on any salad greens or slaw. Shake well before using. Will store for up to 30 days once opened. Keep refrigerated.