What's in the Store
- onions
- leeks
- garlic
- swiss chard
- red kale
- lacinato kale
- cabbage
- napa cabbage
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- brussels sprouts
- lettuce
- dandelion greens
- celery
- fennel
- cardoons
- beets
- radishes
- fresh oregano, thyme, and rosemary
- lemons
- oranges
- almonds
- dried cayenne and serrano peppers
- eggs
- ground beef
- cheddar cheese
- organic monterey jack cheese
Farm News
With the end of February, we said goodbye to four of our favorite interns and welcomed five new ones. We're pleased to have Cody, Hannah, Katrina, Mark, and Phil join us for three months of learning, good food, and hard work!
Intern Jenny has been hard at work on a new design for greenstringfarm.com. The new site will have tons of information on who we are and how we farm, as well as a list of what's in the store that will be updated at least once a week, so you can be sure of what's available before setting out! The new site is scheduled to go live Monday, March 9.
To go along with the new website, Green String Farm now has a blog! Go to greenstringfarm.blogspot.com for recipes, news, stories, and musings from our interns and staff.
We know our plants have been enjoying the wonderful rain, and we hope you're enjoying the colors of the season -- have you seen the incredible field of wild mustard across the street from the farm store?
Working with Weeds
One of the most important ways to improve soil is by planting cover crops (we also call them "nature crops"). Each plant improves soil structure by spreading out its roots and tunneling through the dirt, and in a natural setting, plants interact with a number of beneficial microbes -- particularly certain kinds of bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and protozoa -- to get the nutrients that they need. In this symbiotic relationship, plants literally feed the life in the soil by excreting simple sugars through their roots. Thus, the presence of any plant is a boon for the overall quality of soil. And because each plant has a slightly different niche, having many different kinds of plants leads to imroved balance in soil ecology.
When we realize this, we must change the way we look at so-called weeds. If every plant helps, then what are weeds but nature's cover crops? Instead of fighting against these persistent plants, we let them grow up alongside our planted cover crops (such as barley, wheat, triticale, fava beans, shell peas, and clover) and our food crops.
When the nature crop grows so vigourously that it threatens to impede on the food crop's share of sunlight, it's time to manage the competition. In an orchard or vineyard, cover crops are flattened with a heavy roller pulled by a tractor. In vegetable fields, the tall plants are mowed or scythed down so that they are shorter than the food crop. The key is to control the nature crops without killing them.
ingredient available at farm store
Strange Slaw
When intern Melissa first whipped up this delightful side dish, she warned us: "It might be a little... strange." But it was an instant hit and became a regular dish at the intern house. This recipe is great for using up leftovers. Serves 6
- salad ingredients
- 1 green cabbage
- 1 red cabbage
- 1 leek
- 3 celery stalks
- approximately 1 cup raisins
- 3 beets or carrots
- optional: walnuts or almonds, leftover grains like quinoa, flax seeds, chopped salad greens, what have you
- dressing ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1-2 tablespoons honey or sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- Grate, shred, or mince cabbages, leek, celery, and beets or carrots.
- Toss all salad ingredients.
- Place dressing ingredients in a lidded jar and shake until well combined.
- Dress salad and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately or refrigerate to let the flavors mingle.
Spicy Lemon-Glazed Napa Cabbage
For a quick lunch or side-dish, intern Jenny whips up a pan of spicy-sweet greens. Try subsituting any dark leafy greens for the napa cabbage. Serves 4-6
- Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon honey
- juice of one lemon
- zest of one lemon
- 2 cayenne peppers, cut very fine
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 napa cabbage, roughly chopped
- Combine honey, lemon juice and zest, peppers, garlic, and salt in a small bowl.
- Heat oil in your largest pan set over high heat. (If your pan isn't large enough to accomodate all of the greens in a small layer, consider cooking in two batches.)
- Add honey mixture to pan. Stir for about 30 seconds.
- Add napa cabbage. Toss constantly, making sure that leaves are evenly coated, while cooking over high heat until the greens look slightly wilted and well-glazed -- only a couple minutes.
- Adjust seasoning, if necessary, and serve hot.
Rosemary Cookies
Intern Julia makes little sandwiches with these cookies and her homemade tomato jam, and it's just about the classiest dessert we've ever had. Makes about 4 dozen cookies, or 2 dozen sandwiches
- Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons milk
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 3 long sprigs rosemary leaves, chopped fine
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, salt, lemon zest, egg, and milk.
- Combine the flour and rosemary. Gradually add to the butter-sugar mixture and stir until just combined.
- Divide into thirds, and roll each portion into a log in wax or parchment paper. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Remove dough from paper, slice into 1/4" rounds and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.