Greetings! We are back from an amazing back country adventure. It was great to remove ourselves physically and mentally from the farm - a place that's hard to get away from, to be honest! Our weekend away included hiking, star gazing, glacial water bathing, waterfalls, card games, lots of fireside time, frosty nights and warm afternoons. It was perfect. Thank you for your support and patience in our striving for better work-life balance. It is part of what it means to us to be a regenerative farm - gotta take care of the farmers too!
FARM NEWS
Turnips are ready in abundance this week and we would love for you to try them - they are one of our favourite vegetables - sweet, juicy and tender! We love them raw and sometimes eat them like an apple! Our pup is a big fan too:)
A note about tomatoes: If you are receiving some in your farm share, handle them with care. They are more fragile than the ones you get at the grocery store.
There's just one more chance to come out to see the farm on Sept. 24 from 10-11:30. We'll have a look around, see how the no till system works, share our passion for soil health with you and get to know each other a little!
Last week we had a touch of frost. It wasn't too bad, and didn't affect our tomatoes under the cold frame, but it did spell the end of cucumbers and our second crop of tender beans, which were just ripening. Our summer squash was touched also, but the fruit is still good, and there are enough viable leaves that we can continue to expect some production. Many crops will taste even better with the cold nights; plants create more sugars in order to withstand the cooler temperatures! (So, what doesn't kill them makes them stronger??)
Our next crop of cauliflower is shaping up to be a beauty! This is a crop that we continually have trouble with, so we are excited to see some big beautiful heads coming along.
Monday mornings consist of counting crops and getting numbers for your shares! Here we are looking at our winter cabbage crop, which is coming along nicely, but not ready for harvest yet. We planted this particular cabbage crop extra thick so that the heads would be smaller - last year our cabbage was so big that folks didn't want to buy it!!
The signs of a frost!
This week we also celebrate the birthdays of Michael (who doesn't like having his photo taken) and Tishawni, two of the wonderful people that keep the farm running smoothly! Happy birthday you two!!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Spinach (and other greens) Tarts
This is a recipe that I have created for when we are swimming in spinach, and I am sharing it this week because we have a very productive patch of spinach at the moment. It is a meal/snack that is very forgiving in terms of adjusting quantities. It's a great item to pack in lunches too!
Crust: I use a homemade puff pastry for the crust, but this can be subbed for your favourite short crust or store bought puff pastry to make it faster. Here is the link to the very easy puff pastry recipe that I use though: https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/puff-pastry/
Filling:
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bags of spinach (or more if you want your tarts to have lots of greens - you could also add kale or chard here for more bulk)
3/4 cup cream cheese
3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled (add or subtract the cheese as well - this is up to your taste!)
1 or 2 eggs, whisked
dill or nutmeg - your choice
salt and pepper to taste
Sauté the onion in a generous amount of olive oil till tender. Add garlic and sauté briefly before adding the greens. You can do the greens a couple of different ways. If you are using spinach exclusively, then you can add it directly to the pan to cook it down. If you are using kale and/or chard, I recommend blanching and draining them first in a large pot of salted, boiling water. Once your greens are blanched, dip them in very cold water (I do the blanching and dipping all in a metal colander placed in a large pot so that I can remove the greens all in one go from the pot and then also from the ice water bath). Transfer the greens to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out the moisture over your sink. Chop your greens and add them to your onion and garlic mixture. Add salt and pepper to your liking (I love lots of fresh ground pepper) as well as dill or nutmeg. If using nutmeg, just a pinch will do. If using dill, use up to 1/2 cup, again to taste. Once everything is incorporated, add the cheeses and stir until well incorporated also. Remove from heat and add whisked eggs.
Divide your dough into squares large enough to fill 12 muffin tins (you want cups to hold the filling). Spoon the filling into your cups and bake at 375 degrees Farenheit for around 35 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. Alternatively, you can make a large tart and skip the small ones as pictured.
REMINDERS AND GENERAL TIPS/INFORMATION
What To Do if You Are Away
You have three options:
1) BEST OPTION - Reschedule your share. This is our recommended option because it means you get your full value. What we suggest is that you reschedule your share to a week near the end when you will get more storage-friendly items that will last longer in your fridge, though you're welcome to reschedule to any date that works best for you. When you reschedule, you will get the scheduled share as well as the rescheduled share or shares, so be prepared for a lot of food.
2) Cancel your share for the week. This can be managed on your Harvie account page. It must be done before the Wednesday morning cutoff time of 6 a.m. The disadvantage here is that you lose whatever you have invested into that share. So if you've paid 50%, then you forfeit that amount.
3) Have someone else pick up for you. In our experience, friends assigned this job sometimes forget, so help them remember!
Location Options and Info
King's University (East Edmonton) Friday pickups, 12-4, some flex if you have to come a bit later. We will not retrieve any shares left here.
Breadlove Artisan Bakery (St. Albert) Saturday pickups, 10-2, no flex & closed on Sunday. We will not retrieve shares left here.
Awn Kitchen (Southwest Edmonton) Saturday pickups, 10-2, no flex.
Uproot Food Collective (Central Edmonton)
Saturday pickups, 10-2, some flex, but let's respect the hours as best we can.
Strathcona Farmer's Market (Edmonton) Saturday pickups, 8-3, no flex.
The Butcher Block (Sherwood Park) Saturday pickup, 9:30-4, some flex, open till 5.
Get Real Natural (Fort Saskatchewan) Saturday pickup, 10-5, no flex
Sundog Organic Farm (near Gibbons) Saturday, 9-2, flexible
A few more tips in case you haven't read them yet...
*When picking up your bin at King's, Awn, Breadlove, Butcher Block, Get Real Natural or the farm, please make sure that you are getting the bin with your name on the label. We want to make sure that everyone gets the correct bin.
*Make sure that you set your preferences on your Harvie account. This ensures that you receive boxes tailored to you. Save the 5 star rating for things that you really love and don't give everything 5 stars because that skews the algorithm that the software relies on.
*Take advantage of the swapping and adding extras to further customize your shares! Remember to do it before Wednesday morning, 5:00 a.m.(basically Tuesday night unless you are a very early riser).
*Let us know if you ever want help. You can send in a note via your Harvie account, or email us directly at jamesandjenny@sundogorganicfarm.ca. If it is a more urgent concern, call us at 587-409-1106. We are always here for you.
