By Alyssa
The weather change is on the wind this morning. When a harvest day dawns breezy and cool like this, starting in the tunnels is a welcome reprieve. Wind is a powerful force on this land. We try to work around it, or with it, but we don't always succeed. As we begin to till and plant, you might see us battling with huge tarps that turn into sails when the breeze picks up.
During those windy storms in January, the plastic covering Tunnel B tore in several places. At the time, Jesse and Danny did a quick fix with Tyvek tape, and the veggie crew threw shade cloth over the whole thing to help keep it in place against the winds. It stayed secure, but began to slow the growth of some of the crops in that tunnel.
Over the weekend, after several false starts, we finally had both the necessary number people (four) and the good weather (warm, no wind) to replace the old plastic. Using the high tech tools of tennis balls, rope, pliers, an electric drill, and several ladders, Jesse, AJ, Cecilia, Sarah, and I removed the old plastic and secured the new plastic without much of a hitch. There is a little bit left to do, but at least for me, it is a relief to have the majority of the task completed. I hope everything growing in B will get a good boost from the added light and warmth. Next up (eventually): the shade house!
Upcoming Farm Events: Potluck Friday 3/10 at 5:30 pm
CSA barn hours:
Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)
Summer: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)
Pick List:
Eggs
Red Norland, Yellow Finn, and Harvest Moon Potatoes
Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions
Rhonda Beets
Joan Rutabaga
Hablange Parsnips
Mars Celeriac
Purple Top Turnips
Bora King Daikon and Watermelon Radish
Storage #5 Green and Ruby King Red Cabbage
Rosalba, Treviso, and Rubro
Dazzling Blue Kale
Prize Choi
Regiment Spinach
Lettuce Mix
Spaghetti Winter Squash and Pie-Pita Pumpkin
Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries
Herbal Tea Blends, Ground Chiles, and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)
Pick your own flowers and herbs
Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)
Sauteed Rubro with Onion and Apple
This is a side I like to make for lunch with a slice or two of bread and a few fried eggs, but it would also go well with meat or beans. The sweetness of the onion and the apple easily balances out the bitterness of the radicchio. For a single serving, I usually use 1/4 onion, 1/2 small head of rubro, 1/2 a small apple.
1 head of Rubro, chopped
1 apple, diced
1 onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
Heat a pan with a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch or two of salt. Once translucent, add the apple, and cook both until they begin to brown. Add the chopped Rubro, and cook, stirring occasionally until wilted and beginning to brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste. A squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar or wine to deglaze would not go amiss, either!