Can You Dig It? March 2009

Greetings fellow food and farm lovers! WELCOME new and old timers alike. We are forever grateful once again for the support you are giving local agriculture. In return, we (Nic, I and crew) are going ROCK this season, putting everything we've got into making your food healthy and tasty. While you've already done you're part, we are asking one more favor: Read the TIPS below. I think it'll help make this your best CSA season yet.

TIP #1 USE www.csafarms.org for just about everything!

Our newsletters, event listings, recipes and a forum for discussion will be on OUR page

On the homepage you'll find handy links to veggie ID and veggie storage sites

Links to Black Star Farms and 9 Bean Rows websites

Newsletters will be monthly. But recipes, you're week's share and “TABLE TALK” (a section devoted to how Nic and I are preparing our food at home) will be posted each week.

TIP #2 The best way to reach us is by email.

TIP #3 If you don't know how to prepare something ASK! If you want to know anything farm related call us!

TIP #4 Visit our farms (and other farms for that matter) as often as you can. WE NEED EXCUSES TO TAKE BREAKS!

That's it! You're prepped. Now it's time to celebrate. Why??? Because today at exactly 11:44 a.m. Winter ends and Spring begins. Put on your dancin' shoes and find yourself a hoe down because, it's official, NO MORE WINTER! Ok, so maybe your not as excited as we are....You must understand, we farmers have been spending many long winter nights dreaming of what we can plant, when we can plant, and most importantly, when we can harvest and now, that day is, according to our books, officially here.

Speaking of harvesting, we're smack dab in the middle of maple syrup production. We had to take off our dancin' shoes this week and replace them with muck boots to go outside to collect sap from our maples. We only tapped about 7 large trees on our Northport farm, but the yield in just a few days was incredible. We had a few perfect days with daytime temps in the upper 40's and night time temps in the 20's resulting in some seriously sweet syrup. This “first run” (the initial sap collected) sap makes the most intensely flavored syrup. It doesn't taste at all like the syrup you buy from the store—those syrups tend to be a blend of the “first run” and later grades.   So of course, I had to try a new recipe that would use this stellar “first run” syrup. I made Almond Maple Cookies using NATURALLY NUTTY ALMOND BUTTER and replacing the brown sugar I normally use with the syrup. It worked! You can find the recipe by searching the recipes section on www.csafarms.com.

What are we doing besides collecting sap and hovering over a pot watching it boil? PLANTING, PLANTING and more PLANTING. Seeds are being sown directly into the hoophouses and transplants are making the transition from their happy home indoors to the less comfortable outside. Now is the time that if you've had a hankering for some fruit or veggie that you would like us to grow, let us know.
It's also idea time at the farm. We're constantly dreaming up new ways to get everybody together for good eats and friendly conversation.    I've come up with what I think will be a stellar event which involves great chefs, great food and YOU. I'm hoping to launch the first annual CSA CHEFS CHALLENGE this year. We would be bringing together CSA farms with local chefs that make a point to cook with local ingredients for an all out CRAZY CSA COOKOFF. If anyone likes this idea and wants to help bounce around ideas to make it happen get a hold of me. In more immediate event news, Nic and I would like to cordially invite you to the farm (Black Star) for a Spring CSA Sunday Brunch. This will be a great chance for members to meet other members and for US to get to know YOU. We hope you can make it.

What: Spring CSA Sunday Brunch
When: Sunday May 3rd @ 11:00am
Cost: $10 per person, KIDS ARE FREE

Tentative Menu:

Wood Fired Hearth Breads with Black Star Farms Jams
Croissants and Pastries
Morel and Wild Ramp Breakfast Strata
Pancakes and Farm Syrup
Sparkling Juice and Mimosas (after 12pm)

Stay tuned for more events coming to a farm near you...

Until we meet and eat, our best regards!

Nic and Jen.

This page last updated on 1/21/2010.

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