Good Morning Members - Happy Tuesday! Don't know about you - but for me December has been flying by! I have been at the Farm most days working on the crop plan - and our volunteer program - determining tasks, dates needed, shifts needed, starting in February, planting seeds in the greenhouse and ending in November picking rocks out of the fields!
The garlic that we planted in October has grown some roots and is now taking its winter's rest under its blanket of straw!
Same drill as last month - after receiving this email - you will receive a second final email from Harvie - so that the software program will generate labels for the share boxes. There is nothing you need to do. Each winter share box will contain the same produce. You do not need to reply - Even though it says adjust cut-off time is 10 am - You do not need to reply.
Couple of new items in you shares this month are beets - turnips - rainbow carrots - and some cider to warm up add a cinnamon stick and sip!
Thank you for your support of the winter shares - an additional 10 people signed up for a December share - so welcome and thank you for your membership! Please contact me with any questions!
We have the winter storm warning in effect for Wednesday night and Thursday morning - my plan is still to deliver the shares to their pick up sites and have them available for normal pick up times listed below - if anything changes I will send out an email and let you know.
Pick-up schedule for Thursday - December 17th and Friday December 18th
Regional Food Bank (965 Albany Shaker Rd, Latham) – Thursday 3 – 6 pm Friday 8 am - 4 pm
Patroon Land Farm (132 Ketcham Rd, Voorheesville) - Thursday 11 am – 5 pm - Friday 9 am – 2 pm
Clifton Park (Exit 8 – 40 Longwood Drive, Clifton Park) - Thursday 12 noon – 6 pm
Great Flats Brewing ( 15 Lafayette St, Schenectady) - Thursday 4 – 8 pm
EOC (39 Bath St, Ballston Spa ) - Thursday 12 - 4:30 pm - Please call when you arrive - they will bring out your share - 518-288-3206
Wishing you and yours a very Happy Holiday Season and New Year
Very best - Bob
Hot Mulled Cider Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon of fresh, unfiltered apple cider (non-alcoholic)
- 1 orange
- 12 whole cloves
- 4 3-inch sticks of cinnamon
- 15 allspice berries
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg
- 7 pods of cardamom
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar (optional)
Directions
1 Simmer apple cider with orange and spices: Pour apple cider into a 3-quart saucepan, cover, turn the heat on medium-high.
While cider is heating up, take a vegetable peeler and peel away a couple thick strips of peel from the orange. Press about half of the cloves into the peeled part of the orange. (You can also just quarter the orange and add the slices and cloves separately. I just like seeing the orange bob up and down.)
Place orange, orange peel strips, the remaining cloves, and the rest of the ingredients into the sauce pan with the cider. Keep covered and heat the mulled cider mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes on low heat.
2 Strain out the orange and spices: Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the hot mulled cider away from the orange, cloves, and other spices.
If you want, you can add a touch of bourbon, brandy, or rum to spike it up a bit.
Serve hot. Add a cinnamon stick to each cup if desired.
And here are some muffins to have with your hot cider -
Cinnamon Pear Muffins
- ROASTED PEAR PUREE
- 3 large Bosc Pears
- coconut oil cooking spray
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- PEAR MUFFINS
- 1 large Bosc Pear, seeds removed and finely diced
- 1 and 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 cup pureed roasted pears
ROASTED PEAR PUREE
- Slice 3 large Bosc pears in half. Then, place pear halves on a greased baking sheet flat side up. Spray pear halves with coconut oil cooking spray and pierce pears a couple of times with a fork. Then, sprinkle on some ground cinnamon.
- Roast at 400ºF for 15 minutes flat side facing up. Then, flip pears and roast for another 10-15 minutes or until you can easily pierce them with a fork.
- Let pears cool for 15 minutes before removing seeds and skin. Place in a high-speed blender and add 1 tablespoon of water. Blend on high until a puree has formed. This should yield around 1 cup of pear puree.
CINNAMON PEAR MUFFINS
- First, preheat oven to 350ºF and spray a nonstick muffin tin with coconut oil cooking spray.
- Prepare pear chunks by slicing a large pear in half. Remove the seeds and stem and finely dice. Then place into a medium bowl along with all of the other dry ingredients. Mix.
- Place 1 cup of pear puree* (from above) into a large bowl. Then add all wet ingredients (minus the melted coconut oil) and whisk until combined.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to wet and mix until combined. Add in melted coconut oil and mix one final time, making sure everything is thoroughly combined.
- Transfer batter into muffin tin by filling each muffin about 3/4 of the way full or even close to the top. Option to sprinkle on optional nuts or rolled oats for texture.
- Then, bake at 350ºF for 18-20 minutes or until muffins are fully cooked in the middle.
