IN YOUR BASKET
Spaghetti Squash
Turnip
Braising Greens
Red Russian Kale
Green Onions
NOTES FROM THE FIELD
Happy 2011! We hope everyone had a great holiday season and is looking forward to weekly local vegetables again. We farmers are especially excited for the sun-filled week ahead. The rain came down so much on Heart Arrow Ranch that we have found new sinkholes and slides in the landscape. The land literally moves here.
Snow by Adam's loft on New Year's Day
Many more lambs have been born, keeping us busy, as we have to check them often and sometime bottle-feed them. In the month of December, over 20 lambs were born. We finally castrated our baby bull, which was like a mini rodeo event. And our pigs are in hog heaven as long as we give them enough straw bedding. With livestock, the rain makes manure and soil management challenging.
In the dry week ahead, we expect to cultivate and start planting vegetables in the new greenhouse. Even today, it was quite warm inside it. And we are spending most of our evenings on crop planning, budgeting, cash flow forecasting, and general brainstorming. Crop planning, including crop rotations and cover cropping, really means planning a year out. The weather that actually happens – like when the rainy season actually ends and starts – forces us to make adjustments in those plans along the way. As many of you know, that’s what makes farming challenging, but having CSA members like you, it’s less risky and more manageable. Thanks!
Eat well,
Adam and Paula
Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Herbs
Adapted from MarthaStewart.com
Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise, seeds
removed
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, & more for brushing
1 tbsp packed light-brown sugar
Salt & pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup blanched hazelnuts (1 oz.), toasted and coarsely chopped
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400º. Brush the cut sides of squash with oil, and sprinkle with sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Place squash, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender, for about 45 minutes. Let it cool slightly on the sheet on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
2. Using a fork, scrape the squash to remove the flesh in long strands. Place the strands in a large bowl. Add oil, Parmesan, parsley, cilantro, hazelnuts, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss, and serve immediately.
Did you know that you could eat spaghetti squash and meatballs?
