October 21, 2021
The Lettuce Rejoice!
Firmly Rooted Farm's Newsletter for their Veggie Loving Farm-ily
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On the Farm: What’s In Store
Hello again my veggie loving friends,
It’s beginning to look a lot like… spring?? Well, sort of. We are certainly already looking ahead to spring. Baby greens that won’t be harvested until next spring have already been planted, and soon Tamara will be putting together crop plans and seed orders. The storage carrots have all been harvested and will hopefully tie us over until spring. The new greenhouse is nearly completed, it just needs end walls and plastic, meaning it will also be ready to plant this fall in anticipation of spring. The cover crops are growing beautifully, reintroducing nutrients to the soil, and will provide protection over the winter, so that the soil and nice and ready for planting in the spring. Sometimes in farming, just when you think you can relax, you find you cannot stop thinking about everything there is to do the next day, month, or season.
Now that we are in the midst of our winter share, I thought I would share some storage tips with you. Many of the vegetables we offer in our winter share are storage vegetables themselves and hold up for long periods of time under the right conditions. I like to make preserves or ferments to lengthen the amount of time my vegetables last. My favourite ferment to make is sauerkraut, you can find a simple recipe here. I often add seasonings like grainy Dijon mustard, caraway seeds, or grated turmeric for some additional flavourings!
If you don’t want to preserve or ferment, there are certainly other ways to lengthen the amount of time your veggies keep in the fridge. Potatoes and onions are both stored in a dark, cool, dry space, but should be stored separately, as they each release moisture causing the other to spoil faster. For your veggies stored in the fridge, low moisture can cause them to wilt, and the crisper usually doesn’t cut it. Store veggies in containers or bags to allow them to last longer. Large leafy greens can be stored for a greater amount of time if they are washed and stored in a plastic bag. Tamara will send through a special storage guide later today.
Kitchen Corner
As I’m sure you know, we have lots of ginger to offer! The ginger we grow is technically baby ginger since our season isn’t long enough for it to grow fully matured, the point in which it would develop that toughened outer skin. Since our ginger is baby, you don’t need to peel it to use it. It stores well in the fridge for a week to 10 days, after which it should be put in the freezer. Another benefit of storing it in the freezer is that it grates very easily when frozen. The stalks can also be used to infuse flavour, just muddle or smash them and infuse them into teas, broths, soups, or curries! I’ve shared with you a ginger and squash soup, one of my favourites to warm up with on a cool fall day. Try playing with the seasonings a bit or roast the squash first before adding it to the soup!
Kitchen Clean-Up
Just a reminder that when you are customizing your box, remember to swap out vegetables instead of removing them. Some folks have been ending up with undervalued boxes because they aren’t replacing the lost value with vegetables.
Also, we know that the paper bags we are using are terrible. We are really sorry. Tamara sent them back once with assurances the replacements would be from our typical supplier only to be sent terrible bags once again. We are trying to decide the best plan for packaging moving forward and will keep you posted.
That’s all for now folks, happy eating until next time!
Farmer Erika
