Mountain Bounty Farm News
Week 45/52 | November 5th
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Important MBF News this week
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"Share the Bounty" Thanksgiving Box!
Presented by
Mountain Bounty Farm & the Food Bank of Nevada County
Share the Bounty this Thanksgiving!
This month we're partnering with the Food Bank of Nevada County on a special Thanksgiving community food effort. On November 16th, Mountain Bounty Farm has a goal of providing 85 Small Boxes to the Food Bank's home delivery program, bringing fresh, local produce to households in our community.
Serving neighbors such as homebound seniors, individuals with disabilities, and others who are unable to attend food distributions, the Food Bank's home delivery program helps ensure that community members facing mobility or transportation challenges can still access nutritious food and essential support. Deliveries are widespread - ranging from Penn Valley to North San Juan and from Truckee to Grass Valley.
We're inviting our CSA members to join us by purchasing a box (or two!) to help make this possible. It's a simple way to share the abundance of the season and help ensure that more of our neighbors have fresh, nutritious food on their tables this Thanksgiving. If you are checking out through our storefront, please be sure to choose The Food Bank of Nevada County as the delivery location.
Thank you for helping us spread the bounty!
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Dear friends,
Becky suggested I write a newsletter reflecting on the last 30 years of the farm by making a list of 30 things I’ve learned over the years. I started thinking about it and I’m daunted. There’s too much there, I’d have to write a book. Maybe someday. She’s a better list maker, so hopefully she will be putting together her own reflections for upcoming newsletters.
Often I feel like I don’t know much about farming, because the mysteries and unanswered questions seem endless. Then I’ll meet someone who is new to it and I see that I have learned at least how to approach some of the key issues. The farm has survived and evolved through a process of working with the practical questions that are in front of us. Questions like: how do we grow food for a lot of people while improving the soil? How do we choose what to grow, and where to plant it? How do we keep ourselves happy and interested in the work? Answering as best we can, through trial and error, copying others’ ideas, and seeing if we can repeat our successes. It’s not like I deeply understand tomato plants, just a few things that have worked in the past and might work again. So, one of the biggest lessons has been practicing and slowly growing the ability to be sensitive and observant. It’s been a real pleasure watching things grow and trying to figure out what the heck is going on!
-John
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Regular Box (Feeds 2-4 people)
- Escarole (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Thai Basil (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Carrots (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Napa Cabbage (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Kale Mix (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Butternut Squash (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Broccoli/Leeks (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Arugula (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Fennel (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Watermelon OR Daikon Radish (Mountain Bounty Farm)
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Small Box (Feeds 1-2 people)
- Napa Cabbage (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Thai Basil (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Carrots (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Kale Mix/Arugula (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Butternut Squash (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Escarole (Mountain Bounty Farm)
- Watermelon Radish (Mountain Bounty Farm)
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Fruit Share CSA
(Provided by Frog Hollow Farm)
Box contents:
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Fuyu Persimmons (Frog Hollow Farm)
- Valencia Oranges (Terra Fresh Organics)
- Pomegranite (Frog Hollow Farm)
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Chestnuts (Edulis Farm) OR **Hachiya Persimmon (Frog Hollow Farm)
- Reed Avocado (Churchill Orchard)
- Feijoa AKA guava (Frog Hollow Farm)
- Dulce Mandarin (Fruit World)
**If you have Hachiya persimmons (the long teardrop shaped persimmons, not the squat, tomato shaped persimmons) in your box, do not eat them until they are completely soft! If you eat them hard, they have high levels of tannins in them that will be bitter and make your mouth feel chalky and dry!**
Chestnuts are in the Fruit Share this week! Farm family member David Ahmadi, a self-taught pro-chestnut roaster who has been continuously perfecting his art, wrote this blurb on roasting these delicious nuts:
"My family has experimented with several different ways of roasting chestnuts in an attempt to find the best technique available. It has become a seasonal tradition for us, and many cold nights have been spent by the fire with family and friends roasting chestnuts. When we first started, we tried scoring the shells and boiling them before roasting. We compared results with oven roasted chestnuts versus those done over an open fire. We tried different types of containers to help the chestnuts get hot fast and steam the inner lining loose prior to the nut drying out. With all the experimentation it seems that keeping it simple is the best, after all it’s about roasting the chestnuts with friends and family. It’s not really about the nut.
What we have landed on is roasting them really hot and fast, almost burning the outer shell off. First, get a really good bed of coals built up in the firepit and push the wood in the fire to one side, so you can keep everyone warm while roasting. We use an old school wire mesh popcorn popper as the roasting utensil, but really anything will work. Cast iron pie molds work also but they get really hot and the nuts can sometimes explode. Put an amount of chestnuts that will be eaten immediately in the popcorn popper and put it directly on the coals. Shake the nuts around every 30 seconds or so until they are charred and the outer skin will come off easily when you rub it in between your hands. This is generally about five minutes or so. To remove the skin just rub it in between your two hands and hopefully the inner lining is burnt to the outer shell. If some of the inner lining sticks pick it off. If it doesn’t come off or the nut doesn’t taste good then oh well, it’s not really about the nut anyways."
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Everlasting Fall Flower Bouquets
Provided by Sweet Roots Farm
Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday - we are excited to offer Everlasting Fall Flower Bouquets from Sweet Roots Farm. There will be a one time delivery of these gorgeous dried organic flowers on Thursday, November 19th. Bouquet numbers are limited, so reserve yours today!
Our fall everlasting bouquet is a great way to finish off the season! Certified organic flowers harvested, dried and arranged by Sweet Roots Farm. Keep out of direct sunlight and misty bathrooms and you will have it for years to come.
-The Sweet Roots Farm Team
| | Recipes, storage tips, inspiration and nutrition information: | | |
Mountain Bounty Farm suggested CSA Box recipes:
You have a big beautiful head of napa cabbage heading your way this week. Start a batch of Kimchi (click here)! It will be ready in 2-5 days depending on the temperature of your kitchen, and will store in the fridge indefinitely after that! It is so nice to have a jar of kimchi to take out and add to your sandwiches, eggs, salads, noodles... Basically anything you want to add some tang and heat to!
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CSA-curated recipe from Chef Lexi, of Rasa Kitchen - As we move into fall and winter, the qualities of nature change. Fall is predominantly Vata season: colder, drier, lighter, windier and more variable. Winter brings more Kapha qualities: cold, heavy, damp and slow. This is where the bitter escarole, fennel, aromatic herbs and ginger become important. They bring some lightness and digestive warmth to a dish that otherwise could become quite heavy. Try this Mediterranean Braised Escarole, Fennel & Butternut Squash (click here) to make the most out of this week's seasonal box.
A Watermelon Radish and Goat Cheese Salad (click here) it crunchy and salty! The orange in this recipe adds a subtle sweetness too! Replace the green onion with some Thai basil for an interesting twist!
Pair your arugula with your fennel in this Easy Shaved Fennel and Arugula Salad (click here). The addition of some crisp apple and a sprinkle of pistachios really make this dish stand out!
Italian White Beans and Escarole (click here), also known as beans and greens, is a delicious meal that uses your escarole from this week's box! It’s typically served like a thick stew with crunchy bread and can be a main dish, side, or appetizer.
"Feed the Fam" Baby/Kid/Pet friendly recipes - Risotto is a creamy treat, especially when you load it up with Butternut Squash and Leeks (click here). It cooks long and slow and turns out to be a warm and filling meal for the whole family.
| | “USE IT UP” WEEKLY RECIPE! | | |
*MEMBER SPOTILIGHT RECIPE*
Do you have a recipe you would love to share with the Mountain Bounty community? Be sure to email us (feel free to include a photo!) at info@mountainbountyfarm.com
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