Whats Happening at the Farm?
We finished planting out our garlic beds this past week. Over 6,300 garlic cloves have gone in the ground to grow, divide, and become big & beautiful garlic bulbs next summer! We love garlic <3 We plant over 10 varieties of Garlic. There are 2 main types of garlic- soft neck and hard neck. The main difference between the two is that hard neck sends up a flower head in the spring time that is an edible delicacy! Those tasty garlic scapes (or whistles as some people call them) you received waaaayyy back in the spring time. It feels like so long ago. We are quickly coming to a close this season. For many of you, this is the last box of the year and for others, you may have already had your last box delivered. But fear not- there is one last fall harvest box left that still has a few spots open. Our Fall Cornucopia Share brings a plethora of veggies, herbs, dry beans, and storage crops to get you through the holidays. You can still sign up for this box until this Sunday at midnight. It's a one time delivery that is $60 (plus home delivery fee if you don't want to pick it up at our farm). To see details head to: https://www.harvie.farm/farm/flat-tack-farm/signup
We have scholarship funds available and if you or someone you know is in need of a sponsored Cornucopia share please email Kelly at flattackfarm@gmail.com
Other farm tasks include: -Pulling and rolling up the remainder of drip irrigation lines. We roll them on a spool and store them until next spring.
-Harvesting and storing the wintertime storage crops like Radishes, Carrots, Rutabaga and Kohlrabi before the frost hits again.
-Tarping and mulching empty beds to keep the soil covered over the winter. This not only keeps the soil healthier by helping it retain nutrients, but it also helps us suppress weed growth. We use thick silage tarps that are black on one side and white on the other to cover the beds. We are also using cardboard/wood chip mulch in the pathways and leaf mulch from the Vancouver School District for some of the beds.
-Preserving other crops to have a full pantry for the winter. We love making salsa, pickles, hot sauce, and freeze drying fruits and veggies for later use.
Kitchen Notes
Winter Squash!!! The shares for the past few weeks have had lots of different varieties of winter squash. This last weekend Patrick and I made a super delicious Vegan Potato and Butternut Au Gratin. We sliced the potatoes and butternut squash thinly and layered them alternating. Then covered with this delicious Vegan Au Gratin (made with Cashew base) and baked for 45 min at 375 deg.
I also love slicing up Delicata Squash or Acorn Squash and pan frying for a hearty breakfast. Here's a recipe for an Easy Delicata Squash Egg Bake https://biglousonionsauce.com/delicata-squash-egg-bake/ *Substitute in some salsa or hot sauce for a zestier flavor! You can also use any smaller sized squash for this- Kabocha or Dumpling squash would work perfectly!
Or Check out this Paleo/Keto/Whole 30 friendly Autumn Breakfast Casserole https://realsimplegood.com/autumn-breakfast-casserole/
It's also soup weather! Winter Squash Soup is a go to for us, especially on a busy day. We throw ours in the instant pot for a quick, easy & comforting meal. Here's a great recipe from Erren's Kitchenhttps://www.errenskitchen.com/winter-squash-soup/
For more details about winter squash and how to prepare it, see our farm happenings post from a few weeks back: https://www.harvie.farm/admin/happening/show/24688
Local Spotlight:
Some of you may be familiar with Small Eats from the Vancouver Farmers Market. Small Eats is owned and operated by Laramie Dorris (Patrick's younger brother) and Dee Chow. They create delicious Taiwan style street food. You can find them at the Farmers Market every weekend and also doing a new pop-up lunch menu at Nonavo Pizza (110 West Sixth Street, Vancouver, WA 98660) starting Sunday, November 14th from 11-3 pm. Definitely try their Crispy Basil Chicken, hand made dumplings & Bao Buns with vegetarian and meat fillings. The Shao Bing is also one of my Farmers Market favorites! Another great fall comfort food is the Congee (made with pumpkins from our farm!)
Other details: ***Please note- We are NOT attending the Farmers Market this weekend. If you were scheduled to pick up there you will receive another separate email with instructions and options for alternate pick up / delivery. Please let us know which option works best for you!
This season is coming to and end for many of you and we’d like to extend another huge THANK YOU for all of your support this year and for not only helping us continue to do what we love, but also for the impact that supporting local has on your community, your health, and the wellness of the world! The average distance that food travels from farm to consumer in the United States is approximately 1,300 miles. That’s a huge carbon footprint that you've saved this season!
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts <3
Kelly & The Flat Tack/ Sprout & Blossom Team
