Farm Happenings for January 13, 2022

Irrigation Pond has become a Skating Pond

Hello Members -Happy New Year 2022!  Hope your holidays and time with family and friends was very pleasant!  I enjoyed my 3 grandchildren as we spent some time outside in the little snow that fell - bit of tubing - mostly tossing snowballs around!

Brrr - Brrr - Brrr    A bit of winter has arrived these last couple of days!  Never appreciate the heater in the car so much until days like these that chill the bones as we clean off the snow and scrape the ice!

I need to send out this email and then 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 3 pm - You do not need to reply. Thank you!

Greenhouse is warm and busy at the Farm! We have posted a schedule on the Food Bank website - www.regionalfoodbank.net - for volunteers to sign up for washing trays and for planting seeds - we have limited the number to 4 per shift to provide more than 6 feet between volunteers. Questions - please contact Farmer Brandon at   brandonm@regionalfoodbank.net - Thank you!

 Your reminder for pick up - January 13 & 14  - Please return your boxes to your sites - Thank you!

 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

Thank you for your valued support - we enjoy the opportunity to keep in touch over the winter and bring you a monthly share of hearty winter vegetables!  This is the last winter share.  I will be back in contact soon with all the details on our Summer 2022 season!  Stay Warm!

Very best, Bob

Included in your share - Apples - Beets - Carrots - Garlic - Onions - Potatoes - Sweet Potatoes 

APPLE SALSA WITH CILANTRO AND LIME

INGREDIENTS
1 cup red apple,
unpeeled and diced
⁄ cup red onion, diced
⁄ cup anaheim chili
(seeded and minced)
⁄ jalapeno pepper
(seeded and minced)
(optional)
2 tablespoons fresh lime
juice
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro,
chopped
⁄ teaspoon black pepper
⁄ teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Combine apples, onion, chile pepper, (jalapeno pepper, if desired), lime
juice, cilantro, black pepper and salt in a large bowl; mix well. Cover with
plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight. Serve with
tortilla chip

Your recipe is wonderful and really tasty, I'm glad I had all the ingredients on hand!
Cilantro and lime juice are very important as well giving the salsa adequate time to sit  -giving the flavors a chance to blend

Apple Bake

Many apple-related baking recipes call for apples to play second fiddle to some sort of dough. This apple bake recipe makes the apples the star. This is a simple dessert recipe that’s delicious and healthy. If you want to make it a little less unhealthy and even tastier, add some whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream while it’s still warm from the oven.

Ingredients

• 3 large apples*
• 1 cup rolled oats
• .5 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• .25 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp. Pie Spice or your Favorite Pumpkin Pie Spice
• pinch of salt
• 4 4bsp. unsalted butter, chilled and diced

• Method

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Cut apples in half lengthwise.
  3. Use a melon baller or small spoon to scoop out the core, making a 1-inch well in the middle of each apple half.
  4. Set apples in a baking dish cut side up.
  5. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
  6. Add butter and use a pastry cutter or your hands to mix butter into dry ingredients until mostly combined.
  7. Pack each apple half with a generous mound of oat mixture.
  8. Cover the baking dish with foil then bake the apples for 20 to 40 min. (see *Tip below) depending on how soft you want the apples.
  9. Remove foil and bake another 10 min. for the topping to caramelize slightly. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

  Tip: Baking time is going to vary by apple size and type. We found McIntosh and Red Rome apples to soften the fastest, in about 30 min. total. Other varieties like Fuji, Red/Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Gala took up to 50 min. total to soften. Bake for less time if you want apples to hold their shape and still be firm enough to eat with a knife and fork. Bake longer if you want them to be spoon-soft.

• Roasted Beets With Pistachios And Thyme

• Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds beets 

    trimmed and scrubbed

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 

    divided

  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme 

    plus more for garnish

  • kosher salt and Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup Aged balsamic or sherry vinegar
  • 2 small shallots 

    halved and thinly sliced

  • 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios
  • crumbled feta cheese 

     

  • Instructions

    Heat oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Combine beets, thyme, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and salt and pepper in a baking dish and toss to coat. Roast until beets are knife tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle then rub off skins with paper towels and cut beets into sixths.

    Mix beets with shallots, vinegar, and olive oil, and the leaves of 1 thyme spring. Season with salt and pepper and let sit at least 1 hour. Toss with pistachios and feta, if using, just before serving.

    Beet Hummus

    The only thing we love more than hummus? Hummus that’s bright pink, obviously. Thanks to a genius addition of beets, this darling snack is getting a major (and surprisingly easy) upgrade.

    INGREDIENTS

    8 servings

    4 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

    ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

    1 medium beet—cooked, peeled and chopped

    ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

    3 tablespoons tahini

    1 garlic clove, smashed

    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

    Pita chips, tortilla chips, crackers or chopped vegetables, as desired for dipping

    1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chickpeas, olive oil, beet, lemon juice, tahini and garlic.

     

    2. Puree until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

    3. Serve with your choice of chips, crackers and veggies.

    Steps to make Oven Roasted Beets

    1. Scrub them clean first – beets grow in the ground and are dirty, so make sure you wash them really well before they get cooked.
    2. Lop off the leaves attached, but don’t toss them – treat them like you would spinach, kale, or your favorite leafy green.
    3. No need to peel the beets before roasting – when they’re done cooking, their skins basically just rub off with little effort using gloves or a paper towel.
    4. Roast them whole in foil – beets are super dense all the way to the center, so don’t bother cutting them. Wrap them loosely in foil, which helps them steam and concentrates their flavor.
    5. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil – place your packets of foil-wrapped beets on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. This ensures an extra layer of protection in case any beet juice leaks.
    6. Roast at 375 degrees F for about an hour – beets are done when a skewer slides easily to the center without any resistance. (If your beets are really small, start checking after 30 minutes. You don’t want them to dry out or scorch on the bottoms.)
    7. When the beets are cool, trim the stems and root ends, then rub the skins off – they should slip off easily. If not, use a vegetable peeler, but be gentle.

    Perfect Roasted Carrots (Three Ways!)

    Who knew carrots could be SO good?! Roasted carrots are an easy, healthy and affordable side dish. This is the only roasted carrot recipe you’ll ever need! Recipe yields 4 to 6 side servings.

    Ingredients

    Basic

    • 2 pounds carrots
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • Optional garnish: 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives, green onions, parsley or dill

    For the spiced version, you’ll also need*:

    • ½ to 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder (use less for more mild carrots, or the full amount for spicy carrots)
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

    For the honey butter version, you’ll also need**:

    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 1 tablespoon honey

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup, if desired.
    2. To prepare your carrots, peel them and then cut them on the diagonal so each piece is about ½″ thick at the widest part (see photos).
    3. Place the carrots on the baking sheet. Add the olive oil, salt and a few twists of pepper.*
    4. Toss until the carrots are lightly coated in oil and seasonings. Arrange them in a single layer. Roast the carrots until they’re caramelized on the edges and easily pierced through by a fork, 25 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway.** (Heirloom carrot varieties will roast in as little as 25 minutes, but regular carrots are more dense and typically require 35 to 40 minutes.)
    5. Sprinkle fresh herbs over the roasted carrots, if using. Serve the carrots warm, straight from the sheet pan or from a serving dish.Leftover carrots will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for 3 to 4 days. Gently reheat before serving.

    IF YOU’RE MAKING THE SPICED VERSION: Add the chili powder and cinnamon with the olive oil and salt.

    **IF YOU’RE MAKING THE HONEY BUTTER VERSION: When the carrots are nearly done baking, melt the butter in your smallest saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, cover the pan to avoid splatters and continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, just until you start seeing golden flecks at the bottom, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the honey. Once the carrots are done, drizzle the mixture over them and toss to coat.

    MAKE IT DAIRY FREE/VEGAN: Simply make the basic or spiced versions.

    PREPARE IN ADVANCE: You can peel and slice the carrots in advance. For maximum freshness, store them in a bowl of water in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roast them. Drain and pat dry before proceeding.

    DOUBLE IT: You can roast two pans of carrots in the oven at once. Just position two racks near the center of the oven before you preheat it. When you toss the carrots halfway through cooking, swap the pans on their rack positions (from top to bottom, and bottom to top).