News and blog

Farm News: The autumn harvest season is bountiful. Many of the crops that are harvested at this time of year will keep. In times past, people would use the autumn bounty to stock their pantries and root cellars for the long winter. Although most of us no longer have root cellars, we can still keep the excess produce that is not used weekly. Follow the tips below for storing extra produce from your share.

1) Use fresh greens first, preferably within 1 week. Any greens not used can easily be frozen for later use. Simply steam or boil in 1 inch of water until wilted. Drain and cool in ice water. Squeeze out excess water and pack into freezer bags or containers. These will be wonderful to have in the winter and take up little space in the freezer.

2) Store tubers and alliums (potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, and garlic) in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight.

3) Store roots (carrots, beets, celeriac, turnips, etc.) in a cold, humid place. In the fridge, use plastic bags in your crisper drawer. The dry air of the fridge causes the roots to dry out and become rubbery. In a cold cellar, pack roots in damp sand in rodent-proof containers if necessary.

4) Store cabbages in a cold, humid place. For long term storage, wrap cabbages in newspaper or brown paper rather than plastic bags. If outer leaves turn black and slimy, simply wash off and peel cabbage until you come to a good layer.

5) Peppers are easily frozen, sweet or hot. Simply de-seed and chop for short-term storage, 1-2 months. For longer term storage, it is best to steam peppers for 1-2 minutes, cool in ice water, dry and pack in freezer bags. This blanching will stop enzymes and preserve more nutrients for long term storage.

"STOCKING UP SALE" ORDER FORMS DUE TOMORROW!

To place an order, please click on the link for the 2014 "Stocking Up" Order Form. Fill it out and return by email or to the barn by Tuesday October 14th. Orders will be available for pickup the last week of CSA, Tues. Oct. 28 and Fri. Oct. 31. Payment is due at pickup.

OTHER GOODS: Switchback Pizza will be coming on Oct. 28th and 31st. Ordering information will follow in a separate email. Wild for Salmon will be coming to the farm for stock-up sales on Oct. 21 and 24th. More info in an upcoming email! Ledamete Grass Farm will be sending out their own stocking up order form shortly as well.  

THE HARVEST

Mix N' Match Greens: Arugula & Asian greens

Savoy Cabbage (pictured below)

Broccoli

Bok Choy

Carrots 

Salad Mix

Turnips &/or Radishes

Red Beets

Green & colored peppers

Eggplant

Onions

Garlic 

Potatoes

COMING SOON: Butternut squash, sweet potatoes, Red cabbage, celeriac

 UPICK: Hot peppers, fresh herbs, flowers

COOPERATIVE SHARES this week:fruit and bread

RECIPES & STORAGE TIPS

Savoy cabbage is a crinkly, dark green cabbage. This pretty cabbage can be used to replace green cabbage in any recipe, such as Cabbage rolls, Sauerkraut, Coleslaw, etc. which are "old favorite" recipes - type into search engine to find.

My favorite method of cooking cabbage is braising. Check out this Butter Braised Savoy cabbage recipe for a simple, creamy-tasting side dish.

For a delicious and pretty dish, try this Savoy Cabbage, Apple, Onion & Gruyere Rustic tart.

This recipe for Leek & Turnip soup is a simple and tasty meal, with rice in the soup. To use brown rice instead, just increase the cooking time to 45 minutes.

Since we have big beautiful bok choy heads again this week, check out these links for new ideas  . . .

http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/5-ways-with-bok-choy/

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/vegetablesrecipes/tp/bokchoy-recipes.htm

 Enjoy!

As always, if you need an idea for the produce in your share, check our Recipe Page! You can search by vegetable!  

Your farmers,

John and Aimee Good

Quiet Creek Farm

Farm News: So the new Red Kitten spinach that I wrote about last week will actually be in the share this week! It had not sized up as much as we had hoped for last week's share, but the green spinach had re-grown beautifully, so we harvested that instead. The second planting of broccoli is in, and the first fall carrots are ready - yeah! Although it was very cold this weekend, we did not get a killing frost, and the eggplant and peppers are still producing.

We dug all the sweet potatoes from the ground last week. Because they are spreading plants and the roots themselves are brittle and break easily, we dig them by hand - 3000 feet of sweet potato rows with 5 people. It was a tiring week! Now they are all laid out in the greenhouse for curing. The curing process sweetens the roots and also seals any broken ends. Like winter squash, them emit a sap that heals any wounds which helps them to store through the winter.

"STOCKING UP SALE": There was a typo on the order form for the price of ribeye steaks. They are $15.20/lb not $145.20/lb.

To place an order, please click on the link for the 2014 "Stocking Up" Order Form. Fill it out and return by email or to the barn by Tuesday October 14th. Orders will be available for pickup the last week of CSA, Tues. Oct. 28 and Fri. Oct. 31. Payment is due at pickup.

OTHER GOODS: Switchback Pizza will be coming on Oct. 28th and 31st. Ordering information will follow in a separate email. Wild for Salmon will be coming to the farm for stock-up sales on Oct. 21 and 24th. More info to come shortly. Ledamete Grass Farm will be sending out their own stocking up order form shortly as well.  

THE HARVEST

Red-veined Spinach (new variety called Red Kitten)

Broccoli

Carrots 

Salad Mix

Radishes &/or Turnips

Red Beets

Sweet peppers

Eggplant

Onions

Garlic 

CHOICE: Tomatoes, Leeks, Sunshine Squash, Cabbage, Bok choy, zucchini

COMING SOON: Butternut squash, sweet potatoes, Savoy and red cabbage, celeriac

 UPICK: Hot peppers, fresh herbs, flowers, raspberries

COOPERATIVE SHARES this week: cheese, fruit and bread

RECIPES & STORAGE TIPS

Two great recipes for broccoli: Braised broccoli with leeks and Roasted broccoli with parmesan, one from me and one from farm manager Michelle - tested and approved! 

 Enjoy!

As always, if you need an idea for the produce in your share, check our Recipe Page! You can search by vegetable!  

Your farmers,

John and Aimee Good

Quiet Creek Farm

It is hard to believe, but we are nearing the end of the CSA season. The last days of CSA pickup will be Tuesday Oct. 28th and Friday Oct. 31st. Every year we give our members a chance to "stock up" on the wonderful foods from our local suppliers including grass-fed beef, local honey, wholesome dairy yogurts, Hillacres Pride cheeses, and Klein Farms yogurts and cheeses. In my experience the storage quality of these items is as follows: beef will keep frozen for several months, yogurts will keep for up to a month in the fridge, fresh cheeses such as mozzarella, ricotta, and spreads will keep frozen for several months, vac-sealed hard cheeses from Hillacres Pride  will keep for several months in the fridge; these cheeses are aged at least 6 months prior to being packaged and sold.

To place an order, please click on the link for the 2014 "Stocking Up" Order Form. Fill it out and return by email or to the barn by Tuesday October 14th. Orders will be available for pickup the last week of CSA, Tues. Oct. 28 and Fri. Oct. 31. Payment is due at pickup.

OTHER GOODS: Wild for Salmon will be coming to the farm for stock-up sales on Oct. 21 and 24th. More info to come shortly. Ledamete Grass Farm will be sending out their own stocking up order form shortly as well. As I hear from any other producers, such as the pizza, bread, and fruit folks, I will let you know!

Your farmers,

John and Aimee Good

Quiet Creek Farm

Farm News: The lovely rainbow of fall color has begun. And the change in weather is bringing some new vegetables into the harvest. A new variety of spinach which we trialed this year called Red Kitten is in the harvest this week. It has a lovely red-vein and very tender leaves. We have the first fall cabbages in the share, as well as the fall beets. The hakurei turnips which you will remember from the spring are back, with lovely tender greens. 

You may notice that some of the crops, such as turnips, cabbage, and broccoli, which are grown in both spring and fall, are more beautiful in the fall. There are less flea beetle pests in cool weather to put holes in the leaves. Also, as they are reaching maturity, the weather is becoming cooler, which is more favorable for their continued growth. The spring cool season crops are planted in cool weather, but the summer is approaching as they are nearing harvest time. They are sometimes forced to ripen prematurely by a heat wave, or damaged by the increasing populations of insect pests arriving with the summer heat.

THE HARVEST

Mix N' Match Greens: Asian greens, Red-veined Spinach 

Kale

Salad Mix

Radishes

Hakurei turnips

Cabbage

Beets

Sweet peppers

Eggplant

Onions

Garlic

Potatoes

CHOICE: Tomatoes, Leeks, Broccoli,Delicata Squash

COMING SOON: Butternut squash, sweet potatoes, Bok choy

 UPICK: Hot peppers, fresh herbs, flowers, raspberries

COOPERATIVE SHARES this week: chicken, fruit and bread

RECIPES & STORAGE TIPS

A CSA member suggested we include this delicious recipe for Baked Delicata Squash with cream and parmigiano on the website. Thank you! Also, here is a lovely Beet dip made with greek yogurt.

Reminder: winter squash prefer to be stored at room temperature, 50-65 degrees is perfect for them. They can get chilling injuries if stored in the fridge. Delicata squash are unique in that their skins are very tender. Farm assistant manager Michelle inspired me to experiment with chopping the delicata in small cubes (after de-seeding) and sauteing. I made a burrito mixture with black beans and corn seasoned with cumin, chili powder and cilantro for dinner, as well as a breakfast hash with onion, potato, delicata, and orange pepper. Have fun experimenting in your kitchen. Pass on your good results!

-Aimee

Enjoy!

As always, if you need an idea for the produce in your share, check our Recipe Page! You can search by vegetable!  

Your farmers,

John and Aimee Good

Quiet Creek Farm

Farm News: A Note about the Potatoes

Even though we had amazing yields from the potato planting last season, we did increase our planting this year, to accommodate for the increase in shares. We planted almost an acre of potatoes. However, right after we planted the seed in the spring, we received about 4 inches of rain in one week. The fields, which were still wet with the late snow melt from the winter, were saturated. A few weeks later, as the potato plants were beginning to emerge from the soil, we noticed that they were only coming up on the two ends of the field, which are higher than the middle. We thought perhaps that they were planted deeper in the middle, and so we waited one more week. Unfortunately, nothing happened. After digging in the middle of the field we discovered that those seed potatoes had rotted in the ground in the heavy rains. This equated to a loss of over half of the crop.

We decided to plant more at that time, which was late May, in hopes that they would mature for a late crop. We ordered 500 lbs of seed potatoes and re-planted. These late potatoes germinated well and were off to a good start when late blight arrived early. Since these potatoes were so young, we had to spray them with copper every week and after every rain to prevent them from succumbing to the disease. Thankfully, they have survived and we hope they have yielded well. We will be digging this late crop shortly, and we hope it will provide for several weeks of potatoes in October. The potatoes which you received earlier in the season were the yields from the spring crop.

We are of course disappointed that we were not able to provide potatoes throughout the fall, but please know that we worked very hard to produce that potatoes that are in the share! It is the nature of farming. Sometimes our hard work yields amazing results, and sometimes it does not. We thank you for understanding and enjoying the bounty that the farm provides, different as it is each season!

THE HARVEST

Mix N' Match Greens: Kale, Asian greens, Spinach

Surrey Arugula (a wild-type variety)

Salad Mix

Radishes

Delicata Squash

Broccoli

Sweet peppers

Eggplant

Onions

Garlic

CHOICE: Tomatoes, Zucchini & Squash, Carrots Leeks

COMING SOON: Cabbage, winter squash, sweet potatoes, potatoes

 UPICK: Hot peppers, fresh herbs, flowers, raspberries

COOPERATIVE SHARES this week: cheese, fruit and bread

RECIPES

Thanks to a CSA member for sharing this delicious Chicken and Kale Casserole recipe. Also, here is a recipe for Arugula, Avocado, and Radish Salad with Poached Egg, which I cannot wait to try for lunch. 

Enjoy!

As always, if you need an idea for the produce in your share, check our Recipe Page! You can search by vegetable!  

Your farmers,

John and Aimee Good

Quiet Creek Farm

Of interest in our CSA community:

CSA Member Christine Storch is a certfied Music Together Teacher and is offering classes for young children and a parent/caregiver. My son Lyle and I have taken her classes and thoroughly enjoyed them. Click on this link for her flyer for more information.

Your farmers,

John and Aimee Good

Quiet Creek Farm

Farm News: It truly feels like autumn has arrived this week. The fall crops have benefited greatly from the cool summer and consistent rains. These broccoli heads are as big as dinner plates! The cabbages are also sizing up well. The fall roots are coming along nicely. So far, this has been a wonderful season for carrots and beets, and we hope it will continue with the fall plantings.

STORAGE TIPS:

1) All roots need a high level of moisture to maintain their crispness. Be sure to store your carrots and other roots (except potatoes) in a plastic bag or other sealed container. Do not leave them loose in the crisper drawer or they will dry out and become rubbery. 

2) Greens keep very well in the plastic grocery store-type containers, or in plastic bags. Be sure to leave them loosely packed to avoid crushing. Also be sure to keep them away from the back of the fridge to prevent freezing.

3) Sweet corn is best used as soon as possible, preferably within 1-2 days of getting your share, for the best flavor. The sugars in the corn will slowly turn to starches in storage, so it is at its best and sweetest when eaten right away!  It should be refrigerated in storage, to slow the sugar-to-starch conversion.

4) Garlic and onions will keep for a long time - even over the winter, if stored in a cool, dry place. So if you are not using your share each week, you can stock up and store them for your winter use. A dry cool basement shelf will work, otherwise a pantry cupboard. If you want to refrigerate, do not store in a plastic bag because they want to be dry, not damp. You can store garlic loosely in a sealed glass or plastic tupperware  and onions loose in the crisper drawer in the fridge if you want, but this type of cold storage is not necessary.

 UPCOMING EVENTS:

RODALE INSTITUTE ORGANIC APPLE FESTIVAL

Saturday, September 20, 2014
10:00 am - 4:00 pm

THE HARVEST

Greens: Kale, Asian greens, and/or Arugula

Salad Mix

Spinach

Broccoli

Carrots

Sweet peppers

Red Onions

Garlic

Sweet Corn

CHOICE: Tomatoes. Cukes, Zucchini & Squash, Eggplant, Radishes, Leeks

COMING SOON: Cabbage, winter squash, sweet potatoes

 UPICK: Hot peppers, fresh herbs, flowers, raspberries

COOPERATIVE SHARES this week: fruit and bread

RECIPES

Since the broccoli is bountiful, here are two recipe ideas for you. Carmelized Broccoli with Garlic, and Broccoli Chowder with Corn and Bacon.

Enjoy!

As always, if you need an idea for the produce in your share, check our Recipe Page! You can search by vegetable!  

Your farmers,

John and Aimee Good

Quiet Creek Farm

Farmer John will be part of a panel discussion tomorrow evening at 7 pm at Northampton Community College titled Agriculture & the American Identity: Past & Present Panel Discussion.

This event is free and open to the public. Click on this link for the informational flyer.

Your farmers,

John and Aimee Good

Quiet Creek Farm

Farm News: The first winter squash of the season will be in the share this week. The Delicata squash, shown on the right curing in the greenhouse, is an early-ripening winter squash, more of a fall squash really. The farm crew harvested all the Delicatas about 2 weeks ago. First they cut them from the vines in the field. Then they were gathered and brought to the greenhouse for curing. We like to give them at least 1 week to dry and sweeten off the vine. Like all winter squash, these are excellent keepers, but as an earlier variety, their flavor is best when eaten within a few months of harvest. However, they are so delicious, I am sure they will be eaten sooner! Delicata have a sweet, dry flesh, and thin skins. They take well to roasting, stuffing, etc. Check out the recipes below for ideas.  Enjoy this beautiful fall weather and the first treats of the fall harvest this week!

Quiet Creek Farm in the News: Avant Garden Decor's blog featured a story called "Pennsylvania CSAs We Love", and Quiet Creek Farm is listed. Check it out here . . .  http://www.avantgardendecor.com/blog/fresh-local-produce/pennsylvania-csas-love/

 UPCOMING EVENTS:

RODALE INSTITUTE ORGANIC APPLE FESTIVAL

Saturday, September 20, 2014
10:00 am - 4:00 pm

THE HARVEST

Arugula &/or Salad Mix

Delicata Squash

Potatoes

Kale

Carrots

Sweet peppers

Red Onions

Garlic

Tomatoes

CHOICE: Cukes, Zucchini & Squash, Eggplant, Radishes, Leeks

COMING SOON: Broccoli, spinach, winter squash, sweet potatoes

 UPICK: Green beans,  hot peppers, fresh herbs, flowers, paste tomatoes

POTATO STORAGE NOTE: The potato storage quality has been affected by the presence of late blight on the farm this year.We do wash and sort the potatoes just prior to each pickup. However, some potatoes will turn in storage and so we advise you to please check your potatoes frequently and remove any soft or rotten potatoes. They should keep longer in the fridge, if you have room for them. If not, store in a dry and dark place, such as a cupboard. Either way, check them frequently.

COOPERATIVE SHARES this week:  Pizza (Tuesday only), cheese, fruit, and bread

RECIPES

My favorite simple way to prepare Delicata Squash is sliced and baked: and I call it Baked Delicata Squash Moons. (You will have to search for this one - its an old favorite.)  And to enjoy those tasty seeds, check out the Roasted Squash Seeds recipe. You can roast any squash seed, and my favorites are actually Delicata and Butternut seeds, rather than pumpkin.

Two new recipes for Delicata squash can be found here:

Baked Delicata squash with cream & parmigiano

Roasted Delicata squash with Quinoa Salad

Enjoy!

As always, if you need an idea for the produce in your share, check our Recipe Page! You can search by vegetable!  

Your farmers,

John and Aimee Good

Quiet Creek Farm

Farm News: Although fall is almost here, planting season is not over yet. On Friday the farm crew planted 3500 strawberry plants, which we hope will bear a fruitful harvest next June. They are in the long field just past the raspberries.

It is time to prepare for the garlic planting as well. The garlic will be planted mid-October, but we must first sort out the biggest, best heads from the harvest to be the seed garlic, enough to plant about 6 beds. Rainy days throughout the next month will be spent breaking up the garlic heads into their individual cloves to prepare for planting.

Both the strawberry patch and garlic beds will be mulched with a thick layer of straw before the winter comes, to protect the soil and also to prevent the plants from heaving out of the ground through freeze/thaw cycles.

 UPCOMING EVENTS:

RODALE INSTITUTE ORGANIC APPLE FESTIVAL

Saturday, September 20, 2014
10:00 am - 4:00 pm

THE HARVEST

Potatoes

Kale

Carrots

Sweet peppers

Red Onions

Garlic

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Sweet Corn

CHOICE: Melons, Zucchini & Squash, Eggplant

COMING SOON: arugula, salad mix, french breakfast radishes, spinach, winter squash, sweet potatoes

UPICK: Green beans, edamame, hot peppers, fresh herbs, flowers, paste tomatoes (pick as needed again) 

PLEASE NOTE: Paste tomatoes can be picked in larger quantities for making sauce. However, if making extra for freezing, use only lesion-free fruits, not those where you have to cut off part of the tomato. The paste tomatoes should not be canned. The blight infection can raise the acidity of the tomatoes to a level which is unsafe for canning.

COOPERATIVE SHARES this week:  Pizza, fruit, and bread

RECIPES

Please note that there is an updated and improved version of the Yellow Squash Carrot Muffins on the website. 

This simple Foccacia recipe is very delicious, and the topping can be varied to suit your tastes and the harvest! The sweet pepper-feta topping is perfect for this time of year. 

Mashed Potato and Kale cakes are simple to make, yummy and kid-friendly too. This recipe includes a link to Martha Stewart's 28 Healthy Kale recipes, as I have adapted this recipe from her online produce guide.

Enjoy!

As always, if you need an idea for the produce in your share, check our Recipe Page! You can search by vegetable!  

Your farmers,

John and Aimee Good

Quiet Creek Farm