From the Apprentice PerspectiveGreetings to the entire Sisters Hill community! My name is Andrew Buckwalter and I feel honored and privileged to be afforded the opportunity to help grow your food for the 2007 season. As an apprentice I am inspired weekly, if not daily, by Farmer Dave’s enthusiasm and passion for growing great wholesome food for the members of Sisters Hill Farm. Melissa and I frequently reminisce about our frigid first days on the farm in early March. The days of long underwear, winter hats and wonder are over. Now we marvel at how exquisite and delectable the fields currently look, while we converse about how we can’t wait to share the harvest with all the members. It was a pleasure to meet many of you during last week’s distribution and I look forward to getting to know you better over the next few months.
How in the world did a guy from Lancaster, PA find his way to the Hudson Valley you ask? Well, allow me to give you a brief glimpse into the adventures of an aspiring farmer. I arrived at Sisters Hill Farm after retiring from the world of private school education at the ripe old age of thirty. I worked at the Trinity-Pawling School for six wonderful years as an English teacher, college counselor, dormitory parent and soccer coach. The plan was to pursue a graduate degree in business after a three year teaching stint, but my love for education and working with young people trumped my aspirations for a career in the corporate sector. With a little help from a friend, I realized that I had been lucky enough to find a true calling. While at Trinity-Pawling, I began conducting research on environmental issues as they related to the schools community. My research quickly blossomed into the development of an Environmental Council, which offered students and faculty a chance to address concerns and express ideas about our schools impact on the environment. A primary focus of the Environmental Council became the schools dining hall and food service. We started small by purchasing locally grown apples in the fall and then built up to an “organic night” in the dinning hall with education segments worked into the class day.
My involvement in setting up such a program inspired me to work on an organic farm in Washington, CT for a summer. The following summer was spent working for a wilderness adventure company, guiding their leadership programs in Washington and Alaska. During one of the backpacking segments I began to seriously ponder the idea of starting my own farm. The cream colored pages of my leather bound journal began to fill with ideas and concepts for my farm. That was it! I had found a new calling.
My aspirations for the future are to return to Pennsylvania where my family owns eighty plus acres of tillable farm land. It served as a testing ground of sorts for New Holland Tractors during the 1940’s. The land has been conventionally farmed for many years, but I have managed to begin to transition ten of those acres to be certified organic by 2009. When I am not at Sisters Hill Farm, I am at my apartment working on my business plan. My fiancé and I hope to pack up our belongings and our beloved ninety pound golden retriever/yellow lab Otto, and make the move five hours south as early as November. We would like to have a CSA much like Sisters Hill Farm. Coral, my bride to be, currently has her own organic gardening business in the local area and will look to take her love and knowledge of plants to our greenhouse in PA. Because of my education background I would also like to develop an on farm educational segment for the local school districts.
My goal for the season is to learn as much as I possibly and get to know as many of you as time allows. Thanks for reading and happy eats to all.
Life is a garden, Dig it.
From the Editor
How in the world did a guy from Lancaster, PA find his way to the Hudson Valley you ask? Well, allow me to give you a brief glimpse into the adventures of an aspiring farmer. I arrived at Sisters Hill Farm after retiring from the world of private school education at the ripe old age of thirty. I worked at the Trinity-Pawling School for six wonderful years as an English teacher, college counselor, dormitory parent and soccer coach. The plan was to pursue a graduate degree in business after a three year teaching stint, but my love for education and working with young people trumped my aspirations for a career in the corporate sector. With a little help from a friend, I realized that I had been lucky enough to find a true calling. While at Trinity-Pawling, I began conducting research on environmental issues as they related to the schools community. My research quickly blossomed into the development of an Environmental Council, which offered students and faculty a chance to address concerns and express ideas about our schools impact on the environment. A primary focus of the Environmental Council became the schools dining hall and food service. We started small by purchasing locally grown apples in the fall and then built up to an “organic night” in the dinning hall with education segments worked into the class day.
My involvement in setting up such a program inspired me to work on an organic farm in Washington, CT for a summer. The following summer was spent working for a wilderness adventure company, guiding their leadership programs in Washington and Alaska. During one of the backpacking segments I began to seriously ponder the idea of starting my own farm. The cream colored pages of my leather bound journal began to fill with ideas and concepts for my farm. That was it! I had found a new calling.
My aspirations for the future are to return to Pennsylvania where my family owns eighty plus acres of tillable farm land. It served as a testing ground of sorts for New Holland Tractors during the 1940’s. The land has been conventionally farmed for many years, but I have managed to begin to transition ten of those acres to be certified organic by 2009. When I am not at Sisters Hill Farm, I am at my apartment working on my business plan. My fiancé and I hope to pack up our belongings and our beloved ninety pound golden retriever/yellow lab Otto, and make the move five hours south as early as November. We would like to have a CSA much like Sisters Hill Farm. Coral, my bride to be, currently has her own organic gardening business in the local area and will look to take her love and knowledge of plants to our greenhouse in PA. Because of my education background I would also like to develop an on farm educational segment for the local school districts.
My goal for the season is to learn as much as I possibly and get to know as many of you as time allows. Thanks for reading and happy eats to all.
Life is a garden, Dig it.
From the Editor
Our first Saturday pickup was a wonderful bounty of Spring greens and veggies. The farm was a sight to behold. Farmer Dave, Melissa, and Andrew deserve much praise for their work. A job well done.
Bob Cohen
All Hail Kale (Recipes from "Eating Well")
Bob Cohen
All Hail Kale (Recipes from "Eating Well")
Think of it as spinach on steroids: robust flavor, real texture and over-the-top nutrients. Season it just right and they’ll always ask for more.
Kale is low in calories, at just 36 per cup (cooked), but rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and manganese. It is also a good source of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and E—as well as calcium, copper, iron, lutein, and zeaxanthin.
Basic Sautéed Kale
Simply sauteed kale seasoned with the big blast of sherry vinegar is a deluxe combination.
Makes 4 servings, about 1/2 cup each
ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided1-1 1/2 pounds kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped (see Tip)1/2 cup water2 cloves garlic, minced1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper2-3 teaspoons sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar1/4 teaspoon salt
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add kale and cook, tossing with two large spoons, until bright green, about 1 minute. Add water, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Push kale to one side, add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the empty side and cook garlic and crushed red pepper in it until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in vinegar to taste and salt.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 80 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 176 mg sodium.
TIP: Tip: A 1- to 1 1/2-pound bunch of kale yields 16 to 24 cups of chopped leaves. When preparing kale for these recipes, remove the tough ribs, chop or tear the kale as directed, then wash it, allowing some water to cling to the leaves. The moisture helps steam the kale during the first stages of cooking.
BOK JOY
A member of the powerhouse brassica family (think: cabbage, broccoli), bok choy is high in all the nutrients you want and works well in preparations from roasting to braising. You can even eat it raw.
BOK CHOY NUTRITION: A 1/2 cup serving of cooked bok choy has 10 calories and provides 70% daily value of vitamin A and 35% dv of vitamin C . It also contains some folate, calcium, iron and fiver and is rich in antioxidants: Indoles, isothiocyanates and beta carotene.
Roasted Baby Bok Choy
A quick trip to a hot oven, combined with a drizzle of lemony dressing, brings bok choy to the table in no time at all.
Makes 4 servings, about 3/4 cup each
ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
4 heads baby bok choy (1 1/4 pounds), trimmed, leaves separated
(the bok choy from the farm works just fine)4 teaspoons canola oil1 clove garlic, minced (I used 4 cloves)1/4 teaspoon kosher salt1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest1 tablespoon lemon juice1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon or 3/4 teaspoon dried1 teaspoon mirinFreshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss bok choy, oil, garlic and salt in a roasting pan. Roast on lowest rack, stirring twice, until wilted and tender-crisp, about 6 minutes. Whisk lemon zest and juice, tarragon, mirin and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle over the roasted bok choy.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 58 calories; 5 g fat (0 g sat, 3 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 110 mg sodium; 12 mg potassium.
No comments:
Post a Comment