blue goose news
BLUE GOOSE NEWS OCTOBER 3 – 5, 2017 – Week 18
From the Farmer… We just finished our 10th CSA season! It seems almost unbelievable to me. I can tell you I have gotten more than a college degree from all of the self-taught knowledge and plain ol’ hard knocks farming and business experience that I have gone through. When we started our CSA 10 years ago, we were still participating in 3 farmers markets and selling wholesale, which made the CSA portion no more than one-third of our business (with only 120 members). Today, ten years later, we have acquired 300 members, we no longer do farmers markets, and the only wholesale we handle is supplying a CSA in Pittsburgh. It is amazing for me to think that our product growth just for our BGF CSA has gone from one-third to 90% of our business. Having a CSA farm has blessed us in so many ways and many of those we have proclaimed in the weekly newsletters. But one very large blessing is that this farm, this CSA, what I do every day provides a living for our family. Thank you for letting this be my occupation. It is a huge comfort to have all of our produce sold from week-to-week. And that is all because of you having faith in us back in March that we would have full boxes of produce all summer long. We appreciate your continued support and partnership. Again, we thank everyone who came to our Farm Day. Thank you to those members who shared their personal family connection to our CSA in the newsletters. Thank you to everyone who sent kinds words and compliments through emails. And I want to thank all of our 19 hosts for opening up their homes and businesses to all of our many members who stop by every week. It has been a good, long season. And as I sit writing this I am looking out at the white frost on the fields – Mother Nature’s way of telling me the season is coming to an end. When the season is over, I spend much of my time thinking how to improve upon things for the next year, and how to make CSA even better. I also try to figure out how to make our farm even better and more efficient. I am sure that once October ends, and I get the fields gleaned and tilled, and the buildings straightened up, and 1600 bulbs of garlic planted for next year, I will sit down to do just that, and start the process all over again. So until then…
IN THE LAST BOX
Acorn Squash Carrots Garlic Onions Peppers Potatoes Red Cabbage Spaghetti Squash
Rows of Carrots to be pulled.
Have a wonderful winter break! Scott & Chrissy Farabaugh
Heads of Garlic to be planted. www.bluegoosefarmnicktown.com
[email protected]
2 FOOD FOR THOUGHT “A CSA share is the best natural teacher we have for living in the moment, enjoying the sustenance we have in front of us, and moving on when the season changes.” Each week we are presented with a box filled with a delight array of colorful and fresh vegetables. From that we are expected to whiz up trendy and unique dishes that impress our families and friends, and more so win over the children in our lives. Not everyone can take on such a challenge. You should be commended for your tenacity. We appreciate our featured CSA families letting us peek into their kitchens to see what food inspires them to cook. For some cooking is a challenge (How do I get into the celeriac?). For others it brings joy (Leeks, leeks, we got leeks!). But no matter that reason you joined our CSA, you have no choice in the matter but to cook. And the great benefit of it all, in the end, is that food brings the important people in our lives together to share a meal, to share company, to share a moment. CSA produce can be challenging as it is constantly evolving through the entire season. And after reading through the wonderful write-ups from our members’ families this summer, we know you have learned to enjoy what we have when we have it...and eat the heck out of it until you’re sick of it. So as you take a break from us and rest up and hibernate this winter, keep track of simple, inspiring recipes from your magazines or Pinterest boards. And when we meet again the same time next year, you’ll be ready for us, and ready to cook! www.bluegoosefarmnicktown.com
In the kitchen
We hope you took time to freeze some things to enjoy this winter. Even if it’s a small portion, it’s probably enough to add to a hearty stew or a cozy casserole. Perhaps just enough of a hint to remember how much you enjoyed your summer with our CSA! FARMHOUSE BEEF SOUP 1 (4 lb.) beef roast, trimmed ½ C flour 2 t salt 2 t black pepper 1 onion, thinly sliced 6 garlic cloves, minced 4 C potatoes, diced 2 C carrots, sliced in ½-inch rounds 1 C frozen peas (or green beans or corn) 2 (12 oz.) bottles lager beer (or beef broth can be used) 2 T cider vinegar 2 T Worcestershire sauce 1 T beef bouillon granules 2 T dried parsley flakes 4 bay leaves Whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper. Pat dry roast. Dredge roast in flour mixture and rub in. Place roast in a 6-qt. slow cooker. On top of the roast, layer the sliced onion, potatoes and carrots. Whisk together the beer, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and bouillon; pour into slow cooker. Sprinkle parsley over liquid and lay bay leaves on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours, or until fork tender. Gently remove roast and shred with forks. Gently stir peas into cooker at this point. Carefully add shredded roast back into slow cooker. Serve with warmed, crusty rustic bread. YUM! STUFFED ACORN SQUASH 2 C cooked brown or wild rice blend 8 oz. ground seasoned pork sausage 2 acorn squash; halved and seeded Olive oil ½ C onions (or leeks) 2 sweet apples; peeled, cored, diced ¼ C dried cranberries 2 T pecans, chopped ½ t dried thyme ¼ C orange juice 1 t orange zest (optional, if using fresh squeezed orange juice) 1 T pure maple syrup Salt and pepper to taste Dash of cinnamon Dash of clove Preheat oven to 350F. Brush acorn halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on foil–lined baking sheet. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until tender. Meanwhile, prepare filling: Brown sausage in a large skillet. Once almost cooked, add onions and apples and continue cooking until sausage is completely cooked. Stir in cooked rice, cranberries, pecans, and thyme. Stir in juice, zest (if using), and syrup. Season to taste with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and clove. Once squash is cooked, turn halves over on baking sheet. Fill each halve with ¼ of the filling. Return to the oven for 10 minutes to lightly brown. [email protected]
From the Farmer… We just finished our 10th CSA season! It seems almost unbelievable to me. I can tell you I have gotten more than a college degree from all of the self-taught knowledge and plain ol’ hard knocks farming and business experience that I have gone through. When we started our CSA 10 years ago, we were still participating in 3 farmers markets and selling wholesale, which made the CSA portion no more than one-third of our business (with only 120 members). Today, ten years later, we have acquired 300 members, we no longer do farmers markets, and the only wholesale we handle is supplying a CSA in Pittsburgh. It is amazing for me to think that our product growth just for our BGF CSA has gone from one-third to 90% of our business. Having a CSA farm has blessed us in so many ways and many of those we have proclaimed in the weekly newsletters. But one very large blessing is that this farm, this CSA, what I do every day provides a living for our family. Thank you for letting this be my occupation. It is a huge comfort to have all of our produce sold from week-to-week. And that is all because of you having faith in us back in March that we would have full boxes of produce all summer long. We appreciate your continued support and partnership. Again, we thank everyone who came to our Farm Day. Thank you to those members who shared their personal family connection to our CSA in the newsletters. Thank you to everyone who sent kinds words and compliments through emails. And I want to thank all of our 19 hosts for opening up their homes and businesses to all of our many members who stop by every week. It has been a good, long season. And as I sit writing this I am looking out at the white frost on the fields – Mother Nature’s way of telling me the season is coming to an end. When the season is over, I spend much of my time thinking how to improve upon things for the next year, and how to make CSA even better. I also try to figure out how to make our farm even better and more efficient. I am sure that once October ends, and I get the fields gleaned and tilled, and the buildings straightened up, and 1600 bulbs of garlic planted for next year, I will sit down to do just that, and start the process all over again. So until then…
IN THE LAST BOX
Acorn Squash Carrots Garlic Onions Peppers Potatoes Red Cabbage Spaghetti Squash
Rows of Carrots to be pulled.
Have a wonderful winter break! Scott & Chrissy Farabaugh
Heads of Garlic to be planted. www.bluegoosefarmnicktown.com
[email protected]
2 FOOD FOR THOUGHT “A CSA share is the best natural teacher we have for living in the moment, enjoying the sustenance we have in front of us, and moving on when the season changes.” Each week we are presented with a box filled with a delight array of colorful and fresh vegetables. From that we are expected to whiz up trendy and unique dishes that impress our families and friends, and more so win over the children in our lives. Not everyone can take on such a challenge. You should be commended for your tenacity. We appreciate our featured CSA families letting us peek into their kitchens to see what food inspires them to cook. For some cooking is a challenge (How do I get into the celeriac?). For others it brings joy (Leeks, leeks, we got leeks!). But no matter that reason you joined our CSA, you have no choice in the matter but to cook. And the great benefit of it all, in the end, is that food brings the important people in our lives together to share a meal, to share company, to share a moment. CSA produce can be challenging as it is constantly evolving through the entire season. And after reading through the wonderful write-ups from our members’ families this summer, we know you have learned to enjoy what we have when we have it...and eat the heck out of it until you’re sick of it. So as you take a break from us and rest up and hibernate this winter, keep track of simple, inspiring recipes from your magazines or Pinterest boards. And when we meet again the same time next year, you’ll be ready for us, and ready to cook! www.bluegoosefarmnicktown.com
In the kitchen
We hope you took time to freeze some things to enjoy this winter. Even if it’s a small portion, it’s probably enough to add to a hearty stew or a cozy casserole. Perhaps just enough of a hint to remember how much you enjoyed your summer with our CSA! FARMHOUSE BEEF SOUP 1 (4 lb.) beef roast, trimmed ½ C flour 2 t salt 2 t black pepper 1 onion, thinly sliced 6 garlic cloves, minced 4 C potatoes, diced 2 C carrots, sliced in ½-inch rounds 1 C frozen peas (or green beans or corn) 2 (12 oz.) bottles lager beer (or beef broth can be used) 2 T cider vinegar 2 T Worcestershire sauce 1 T beef bouillon granules 2 T dried parsley flakes 4 bay leaves Whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper. Pat dry roast. Dredge roast in flour mixture and rub in. Place roast in a 6-qt. slow cooker. On top of the roast, layer the sliced onion, potatoes and carrots. Whisk together the beer, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and bouillon; pour into slow cooker. Sprinkle parsley over liquid and lay bay leaves on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours, or until fork tender. Gently remove roast and shred with forks. Gently stir peas into cooker at this point. Carefully add shredded roast back into slow cooker. Serve with warmed, crusty rustic bread. YUM! STUFFED ACORN SQUASH 2 C cooked brown or wild rice blend 8 oz. ground seasoned pork sausage 2 acorn squash; halved and seeded Olive oil ½ C onions (or leeks) 2 sweet apples; peeled, cored, diced ¼ C dried cranberries 2 T pecans, chopped ½ t dried thyme ¼ C orange juice 1 t orange zest (optional, if using fresh squeezed orange juice) 1 T pure maple syrup Salt and pepper to taste Dash of cinnamon Dash of clove Preheat oven to 350F. Brush acorn halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on foil–lined baking sheet. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until tender. Meanwhile, prepare filling: Brown sausage in a large skillet. Once almost cooked, add onions and apples and continue cooking until sausage is completely cooked. Stir in cooked rice, cranberries, pecans, and thyme. Stir in juice, zest (if using), and syrup. Season to taste with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and clove. Once squash is cooked, turn halves over on baking sheet. Fill each halve with ¼ of the filling. Return to the oven for 10 minutes to lightly brown. [email protected]
