The 2012 season saw a lot of growth – we’ve expanded our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) to 65 members, regularly sell produce to Arturo’s Osteria in Maplewood and Rob’s Bistro in Madison, and have kept our Farm Stand open into this winter.  We even got to sell our produce at the Chatham Farmers Market this November.

Through the winter months, we will continue selling produce, meat and eggs on Saturdays at our Farm Stand.  Please look for our woodland-raised pork this January.

Next Saturday, December 22, please stop in for a selection of mustard greens, kale, carrots, parsnips, garlic and other winter crops – sure to make your holiday meals much more tasty!

Our summer Farm Stand is now open Fridays and Saturdays from 9-6 – stop by for some fresh summer vegetables!

We offer a wide range of heirloom tomatoes, summer squash, cucumbers, greens and herbs.

To join our Farm Stand mailing list, please e-mail: bennett.haynes@gmail.com

Great share this week!

Here’s a list of what to expect in this week’s share:
Garlic scapes!
Bok Choi
lettuce
swiss chard
kale
sugar snap peas
scallions
basil
and maybe a few “wild” surprises

We love growing garlic and love the flavor of fresh garlic scapes even more!  What are scapes?  Here’s a great little intro and a nice garlic scape pesto recipe:

http://unsophisticook.com/garlic-scape-pesto-recipe/ – Garlic scape pesto is a real treat, try adding some basil as well!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup garlic scapes, buds removed and chopped
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
2. Refrigerate covered for up to two weeks. The flavor will mellow some as it sits.

We also have big, beautiful chard this week – which is a delicious green that can be eaten cooked or raw.  I recently got a copy of The Farm: Rustic Recipes for a Year of Incredible Food by Ian Knauer.  Both of these recipes below have been adapted from his book.

Shredded Chard Salad
It’s unusual to eat chard raw but if you slice the leaves very thinly, it makes for a tasty salad green. And a very healthy one, to boot. 

1 bunch chard (about 6 ounces)
½ small garlic clove
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1/2  fresh chile pepper, very thinly sliced (optional)
Black pepper
¾ cup fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated

1. Wash and dry the chard leaves. Remove the stems, then stack the leaves in a pile, roll them up tightly, like a cigar, and thinly slice crosswise into very fine strands. 2. Mash the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt. Whisk it with the oil, vinegar, shallot, chile (if using), ¼ teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl. Toss the chard with the vinaigrette. 3. Sprinkle with mozzarella, season with more salt and pepper to taste, and serve. Makes about 2 servings.

Easy Sauted Chard – serves 4
2 large bunches of Swiss Chard (1 1/2 lbs)
2 slices of thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves (can substitute with garlic scapes)
salt and pepper
2 small scallions, thinly sliced

separate the chard leaves from the stems, cut the stems into 1-inch pieces.  Cook the bacon with the oil in a large skillet, over medium heat, turning occaisonally until the bacon starts to brown.  Add the garlic, chard stems, salt, pepper and saute, stirring occaisonally until the garlic is brown.  Add the chard leaves by the handfull, turning over with tongs so they wilt evenly.  Once the leaves are wilted, let them cook until the water they produce evaporates.  Toss in the scallions, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

“It’s a genuine alternative for both the producer and consumer: I have a guaranteed, reliable market from a committed community…For me to have that kind of connection to consumers is important.”

From the article:

“GR: What needs to happen next? 

I think we need to support the development of more farm-based, value-added enterprises. Farmers deserve their fair share of the food dollar. We need more small-scale or mobile slaughterhouses, canneries, commercial kitchens and farm product incubators to diversify and strengthen farm businesses.”

We’ve been busy on the farm since the new year, sealing off the greenhouse end-wall, re-organizing our supplies and getting equipment ready for field-work.  At the end of last season, I bought a used roto-tiller for the tractor.  The implement’s price was a steal, but I knew the roto-tiller blades would have to be replaced.  Today I finished cutting off the rusted bolts and blades and can now start attaching the new blades.

The “bird wagons” are coming along, too.  This season there will be 2 new flocks of chickens – the Barred Plymouth Rock breed – known to be good on pasture and can be raised for meat or egg-laying.  The “bird wagons” are built out of old sod pallets and are meant to be moved around like a wagon to keep the birds moving onto new parts of the pasture.

And, the chicks have now arrived!  53 little ones are all healthy and romping around in their brooder until moving out into the bird wagons and fresh cover crop to munch on in the greenhouse.

Seeding in the greenhouse gets underway next week – beets, bok choi, chard and kale will all be getting their start!

Interested in a hands-on farm internship?

Ralston Farm is looking for an intern from April-October 2012 to assist in all areas of the farm, including season preparation, greenhouse and field-work (transplanting seedlings, weeding, harvesting), CSA distribution and small livestock management.  We are planning to expand our business in 2012, so the intern will be crucial in supporting consistent, high-quality production.

Some farm experience is preferred and applicants should be fit, healthy and willing to work long days in varying weather conditions.  A weekly stipend will be provided and a part-time internships may also be available.  Interns will get to work closely with our Field Manager, Phil Haynes, during the summer months.  Please forward to anyone possibly interested in the Mendham, NJ area.

Please contact bennett.haynes@gmail.com or call 908 334 8018 for more information.

We have acres of Norway and Blue Spruce trees, from 5 to 10+ feet tall.

We are open 9-4:30 Saturday and Sunday – $10 per foot of tree

Cut them down yourself with a hand saw or we’ll cut them down for you.