Enjoy game day with these easy crowd pleasers!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. pork ribs, rinsed & patted dry
1 & 1/2 cups local honey
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 tbs. high heat sunflower oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 cup Dijon spicy mustard
3 tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. spicy Texas bbq style meat seasoning
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat grill on medium setting. In a large saute pan, heat oil on medium & saute onion until browned & carmelized. Slowly add vinegar, honey, mustard, pepper flakes, Texas seasoning, salt & pepper. Stir continuously until well blended. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then set aside. Rub ribs with salt & pepper to taste on each side. Turn grill down to medium-low temperature. Place ribs on grill & cook for 17 minutes. Flip & cook for 17 minutes on other side, being careful not to dry out & overcook. Slather on sauce generously, cover & cook 8 minutes. Flip ribs, slather other side with sauce, cover & cook 8 minutes. Using a meat thermometer test for optimum cooking temp. & remove from heat. Heat up remaining sauce & serve. Pairs well with homebrew or golden ale. Perfection!

This week’s harvest includes a butternut squash variety called “Waltham”. It has a delicate & bright flavor, great in this recipe for a savory, rich classic!

Ingredients:
1 medium/large butternut squash, roasted & pureed
1 medium/large shallot, diced
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated (I like Parmigiano Reggiano but if anyone knows of an Oregon made parmesan please comment below:)
1/2 stick Tillamook butter
1/2 tsp. nutmeg, ground
1/4 cup organic heavy cream
1 tsp. ground sage
fresh ground pepper
Kosher salt
1 package manicotti pasta shells, cooked al dente

Directions:
Melt 1 tbsp. of the butter in a large, deep saute pan over low/medium heat. Add the shallots & lightly saute for 1-2 minutes being careful not to burn. Pour in the squash puree, cooking for 5 minutes. Add in the cream, salt & pepper to taste. Turn off the heat & add in the nutmeg & parmesan cheese. Let cool for 5 minutes & add the chopped parsley, mixing thoroughly until it’s blended completely. Set aside. Oil the bottom of a deep baking dish & carefully place in the partially cooked manicotti shells with the open ends facing up. Fill each shell with a generous portion of the squash mixture. In a small skillet, heat the remaining butter until it’s melted & sprinkle in the ground sage. Pour the melted butter/sage mixture over the filled manicotti shells. Grate extra parmesan over the entire dish & bake for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melty & bubbly. Pairs well with Beacon Hill Estate’s biodynamic Chardonnay!

Winter bees on the farm:

Lately in the media it’s been trendy to talk about the plight of bees. But what do people really know about these mini pollinators called Apis Mellifera? First of all, we rely totally on bees for pollinating atleast 90 of our vegetable and fruit crops. And how many other farm critters have 6 legs, 2 pairs of wings, 3 eyes on top of their heads and the ability to fly 6 miles? (No offense to cows)!

We’re truly infatuated with honey bees. We’re so obsessed we keep 5 hives on our green farm in the winter and 20 hives in the summer. In the winter they live inside their hives feeding off of the honey and pollen they collected during the warm summer months. As a matter of fact, winter bees are a little different than summer bees. Winter bees have fatter bodies than summer bees and their job is to help heat the hive through the winter. They live for 4-6 months whereas the summer bees only live for 45 days.

Farm Fact: Bees are exothermic (cold blooded) but together they’re endothermic (generate their own heat). When outside temperatures lower to 54 degrees the bees form a tight cluster within the hive and begin to shiver, generating heat for their queen. Talk about team work!

Honey bees can maintain a balmy 93 degrees Fahrenheit in the center of their hive cluster, even if it’s freezing cold outside! When the temperature reaches above 55 degrees outside the bees fly out of the hive to expell waste. This way they keep their hive sanitary.

Among other things, bees produce honey which contains essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes and a brain strengthening antioxidant called pinocembrin. Honey bees make propolis, a resin they collect from tree sap. They use propolis to seal up gaps as small as 6 millimeters in their hives. For larger holes they use beeswax. Propolis is such an effective sealant that even rodents can’t get in! It’s also a tool the bees use to containerize any “trash” that’s too big for them to carry outside. People use propolis in everything from cough drops to musical instrument varnish.

On our green farm, we feed our bees extra in the winter. Bee feed consists of an organic sugar and water syrup. They need it when the crops haven’t flowered yet. We want them to have the best chance of survival when spring arrives and their brood expands. Some of our most effective cover crops are also favorite foods of bees- specifically red clover.

Try this tangy, low cal recipe for a snack or dinner salad-

Ingredients:
1/4 cup candied/preserved Calomondin orange (or Kumquats or Meyer lemons), thinly sliced
1/2 lb. local salad/mustard greens, chopped
1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted & diced
1/4 cup Pomegranate seeds

For the dressing:
1 tsp. shallot, minced
3/4 cup cold pressed organic Canola oil (or Sunflower oil)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I like Pinot Noir vinegar)
1 tbsp. local honey
salt to taste

Directions:
Combine the vinegar and shallots in a small bowl, whisk and set aside for 5 minutes. Blend in the oil, honey and salt to the vinegar mixture, set aside. In a large salad bowl combine the candied citrus and mustard greens. Toss in the dates and pomegranate seeds. Just before serving, drizzle the vinaigrette over the greens. Enjoy!

Enjoy this savory spanakopita with healthy winter greens:

Ingredients-
2.5 lbs. kale or mustard greens (winter grown greens are sweeter) washed, chopped & dried
2 bunches scallions, diced
3 yellow onions, diced
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch dill, chopped (or 3 tbsp. dried)
1/8 tsp. nutmeg, ground
5 tbsp. Tillamook butter, melted
1/2 lb. organic ricotta cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup olive oil
1 lb. phyllo pastry sheets, thawed
1/2 lb. organic feta cheese, crumbled
salt & pepper to taste

Directions-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saute pan heat 3 tbsp. of the olive oil & saute the onions & scallions until tender. Toss in the greens, parsley, & dill continuing to saute for 5 minutes or until the greens are wilty. Sprinkle on the nutmeg & salt & pepper to taste. Cool & set aside. In a mixing bowl combine the feta, eggs, & ricotta. Mix in the greens until thoroughly combined. Set aside. In a separate bowl mix the melted butter & remaining olive oil. Using a pastry brush grease 2 rectangular cookie pans. Lay out 1 sheet of phyllo dough on each baking pan & brush with the olive oil/butter mixture. Repeat for 10 sheets on each pan, making sure to brush each phyllo sheet with the olive oil/butter mixture. Pour on the greens mixture (evenly between the 2 pans) & flatten with a spatula. Continue to layer on 10 more phyllo sheets for each pan, brushing with olive oil every time. Lightly score the very top layer of phyllo to make serving easier. Bake for 25 minutes or until the flaky layers turn golden brown. Pairs well with Eola Hills Sauvignon Blanc.

Like many local farmers we’ve invested a lot of money and time in tools. Our barn is comprised of our favorite tools that we purchased after meticulous research. If we think about how many resources we’ve put into acquiring these tools it only makes sense to spend atleast the same amount of time maintaining them. Here are some of the ways we manage our tool investments for optimum dividends.

Storage: We start with a clean area in the barn that’s dedicated to tool maintenance and storage. It’s a nice space to work in on a miserable January day and we make it fun with a wood stove fire and a radio. Large garden tools like rakes are stored on hanging racks and smaller ones like loppers are hung on peg boards. The important thing is to keep them off the floor or they’ll attract dirt and moisture, not to mention it’s easy for the farmer to trip on them!

Scheduling: So when the tools are taken out of their designated spots in the barn and used in the greenhouse or field it’s tempting to toss them on the ground at quitin’ time. But when garden tools are left outside moisture from the grass and dew will create rust. Farm tip: we’ve found that it’s much easier to care for the tools daily if we schedule it into the work day. We dedicate 20 minutes of the last work hour to gather, clean and store tools.

Clean up: For tools like hoes and shovels we use high pressure water to remove clods of soil, a scrub brush for grass removal, and an old towel to dry them. Pruners and loppers are wiped dry and we use a little green turpentine to remove any sap.

Maintenance: To keep wooden handles smooth, a quick sanding and a coat of boiled linseed oil is effective. For rust prevention we apply a protective coating to moving parts like hinges. We prefer Bull Frog Rust Blocker. Evapo-rust, which is biodegradable, is great for tools that have already rusted.

Sharpening: It’s critical to have the hoes and loppers sharpened before spring. It’s a monotonous task best done in the winter. For beginners, a mill file is appropriate and we prefer the 10″ second cut side. We use a farm made alder wood handle for it but plastic handles are available at the hardware store. Begin by securing the tool in a clamp and finding the factory made angle on the tool’s blade. Remember, mill files cut on the push stroke. Using both hands, push the file away from you pausing after each stroke to check that you’re following the factory made angle. Look for the shiny metal, sand away any burrs with 300 grit paper and your done. A faster but more dangerous tool for sharpening is a hand angle grinder either from Makita or Dewalt with a 4.5″ wheel. This is a more difficult sharpening method because of the high speed of the rotating blade. It can pinch against the tool and cut the operator or a bystander so it’s really important to know what your doing. This method needs to be done outside because of flying sparks and we wear a full face shield made of polycarbonate, heavy duty long sleeve work shirt, pants, and gloves. Again, look for the factory made angle on the tool and copy that.

Stay tuned for our beekeeping blog next week……

Ring in the new year with these Vegan lemon cream pie minis. They’re guilt-free crowd pleasers!

Ingredients:
1 package of vegan ginger cookies (I like Zest brands available at Whole Foods)
1 stick Earth Balance vegan butter, softened
2 tbs. agave sweetener (for the crust)
2 tbs. organic lemon zest, grated
1/2 cup fresh organic lemon juice
3/4 cup agave sweetener (for the filling)
2 packages of silken tofu (extra firm), drained
1 cup frozen Oregon strawberries, partially thawed

Directions:
In a food processor, combine the ginger cookies, softened butter, and 2 tbs. of agave sweetener until it forms a pie crust consistency. Press the mixture into the bottoms of 6 large martini glasses, distributing evenly. Place in the refrigerator to chill. Clean the food processor or use a separate blender to combine 1 & 1/2 tbs. of the lemon zest, lemon juice, 3/4 cup of agave, and tofu. Puree the ingredients until smooth and pour into the chilled martini glasses until each is half full. Layer on the strawberries and continue pouring on the rest of the pureed mixture until each martini glass is topped up. Garnish with the remaining lemon zest. Happy 2012!

Winter is the perfect time for tool and implement care. While it’s windy and cold outside we’re happy working inside the barn and a little preventive maintenance goes a long way. This week’s winterizing projects are drip irrigation tape and water valves. We prefer to winterize our irrigation system before the first hard frost but like many projects on the farm it’s better late than never!

We start by turning off all water lines supplying the drip system. We remove any tape end caps and let all the excess water drain out. It’s important to prevent water from sitting in the tape during freezing weather because the ice expands the plastic causing cracks to form. While waiting for it to drain, all timers and batteries are collected and stored in a dry spot inside the barn.

After storing the timers etc. we remove any washers (tiny rubber rings) from the irrigation valves to prevent them from becoming brittle and store them in a plastic bag next to the timers. When all the drip tape tubes have sufficiently drained we use our air compressor to blow out the system (using 30 psi or below!) to thoroughly dry them out. We’re careful to replace all tape end caps to exclude insects and dirt and then we roll it up.

Farm tip: We keep a farm-made “drip tape repair kit” in the barn with the rest of the irrigation supplies. It’s just a simple box that includes extra fittings, couplings, 1/4″ and 1/2″ tubing, extra emitters, plugs and a soft nylon brush for cleaning the filter screens. It’s kinda like a first aid kit for irrigation and it’ll come in handy next spring.

We store the rolls of drip tape in a dry spot in the barn near the timers and batteries. After winterizing all the drip irrigation it’s time to insulate any exposed water pipes and valves. We use pipe wrap foam for all the water pipes and foam insulation boxes for each valve. It doesn’t hurt to wrap them all with heat tape first if the forecast calls for lots of snow.

Next week we’re doing hand tool maintenance inluding cleaning, sharpening and storage…….stay tuned!

Impress your family & friends with this fabulous pork roast dish!

Ingredients:
A 3-5 lb. locally grown pork shoulder (or leg) roast
6-8 medium German Butterball potatoes, thoroughly washed & chopped into quarters
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1/4 cup organic high heat sunflower or safflower oil
3-5 sprigs organic fresh thyme, roughly chopped
2 cloves organic garlic, chopped
1 tsp. coarse ground kosher salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the roast in a deep dish baking pan & arrange the quartered potatoes around it. Drizzle the oil on the roast & potatoes. Sprinkle on the thyme, garlic, salt & pepper. Bake for 1 hour & 45 minutes. Sprinkle on the chopped scallions & continue baking for 15 minutes. Check the internal temp. for 160 degrees & let it rest for 15 minutes before serving. Pairs well with a Pinot Noir or Merlot.

Let the cleanup begin!

Even with frost on the ground and low light levels there’s still plenty of work to do on the farm in December. These short days are perfect for cleaning up and reflecting on the past growing season. We’re perusing our 2011 crop journals for hits and misses and although we had a difficult season from tricky La Nina weather we’re really excited about spring of 2012! With thirteen years of CSA farming notes on file we’ve got some great prospects for next season including more rain/mildew tolerant varieties.

Out in the field it’s time to gather all the drip irrigation lines and garden hose. Inside the greenhouse we’ll be dismantling tomato and pepper trellising. Since the compost pile is frozen we’ll wait for a spring thaw to fertilize the greenhouse beds, but in the meantime we can rake the aisles and collect any random icy tomatoes or peppers for composting.

Farm tip: Irrigating the greenhouse twice per month in the winter will keep the dust down making it much easier to rake and clean.

Out in the orchard there are lots of apple tree prunings to be burned and broken branches damaged from heavy frost to be collected for kindling. Inside the barn, tractor implements will be cleaned and maintained for next season and any building repairs due to wind damage are a must. All of these tasks can be done on cold, foggy days.

Ofcourse the greenhouse has plenty of cold hardy vegetables and herbs ready for harvest including kale, collards, chard, sage and thyme.

After spending a day on wintertime farming it’s time to sit in the greenhouse with a mug of hot cocoa and start dreaming of next year!