May 30, 2021
July to March Temps!
By Linda Dansbury

The week started out quite warm, so we grilled. As I write this, the last couple of days have felt like very early spring, so we have taken stews out of our freezer! Here are a few of the things we enjoyed this past week. Share what you are enjoying - either in a recipe or a methods and/or ask a question. My part of the newsletter is to help you enhance the enjoyment of your farm share. Email me at lindadansbury@comcast.net and please put Anchor Run in the subject line so I can find your email.

Bok choy - I love these little baby bok choy - you can do so many different things with them - add to salads, stir fries, saute, roast. This time, I used an Asian type dressing with sesame oil, soy sauce, a touch of rice vinegar and a bit of rice vinegar. Brushed the dressing on the veggie and placed on direct heat for about a minute per side - they will burn easily so don't walk away. When they came off the grill, we sprinkled toasted sesame seeds on them. A very nice accompaniment to grilled fish.

Swiss chard, green garlic - the small leaves are really fun to use in different ways: add to salads, saute with garlic and red pepper flakes, make into creamed "spinach" and more. This time I used it in a ravioli dish, in which I sautéed the garlic, added small tomatoes and cooked until tomatoes were browning and the juices were thickening up. Added a bunch of Swiss chard leaves, the cooked cheese ravioli and a large spoonful of pesto that was in the freezer from last year. Yum!

Kale - finished up my kale by adding it to a stew that was in the freezer (the stew included a lot of late fall share farm ingredients).

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/July-to-March-Temps-2625/

May 30, 2021
New Veggies Coming
By Linda Dansbury

This time of year, we are presented with new veggies almost every week - in the coming week or two, we will receive the following delicious veggies:

Kohlrabi - A member of the same family that gives us broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage and more; therefore it is very nutritious, while being low in calories. Both the leaves and funny looking bulb are edible - I typically cut the leaves off and put into the freezer for use in soups - they tend to be a bit more tough than some of the other leaves. However, you can saute them with other greens - just add them to the pan a bit earlier than tender leaves. Kohlrabi bulbs store really well in plastic in the fridge - staying delicious for weeks! Peel these funny bulbs (although I have seen Derek eat them skin and all!) and then slice and eat raw as part of a crudite platter, added for crunch to salads, julienned or shredded for use in cole slaw; cut into chunks, tossed with olive oil and salt and roasted in a 375 degree oven until brown and tender for about 30 minutes depending on the size of the chunks; or shredded and made into fritters.

Romaine - This one is familiar to most people as the main green for Caesar salad. We love to halve or quarter the heads, brush them with a bit of olive oil and grill on direct heat, till just barely charred on the cut side(s). Remove from grill, chop up and toss with your favorite Caesar or other dressing. As with other lettuce greens, do not store in a way that the head sits in water. Place a paper towel or kitchen towel in the bag or container you store it in.

Radicchio - A member of the chicory family, along with escarole, among others. One of the important things about this veggie from a nutritional standpoint is it contains a chemical that helps the body soak up glucose, which helps prevents glucose resistance. It lasts pretty long in the fridge in plastic - if I am mixing it with other lettuces, I tear off a leaf at a time. Radicchio is quite bitter, and it seems people love it or hate it. There are a lot of ways to minimize the bitterness: mix it with other, more mild lettuces, dress with a balsamic vinegar based dressing and top with the cheese and/or nuts of your choice. Grill it or roast it, chop up and toss with pasta, drizzle with olive oil and grated cheese. To grill or roast it, cut into halves or quarters, leaving the the core intact. Brush with olive oil or a balsamic vinaigrette, and roast in a 400 degree oven for 12-15 min. To grill, use medium heat, turn frequently and remove when a fork pierces it easily, about 8-12 min. A couple uses for these is over pasta, chopped, drizzled with olive oil, feta cheese and chopped herbs. BTW, I haven't had this season's radicchio, but the varieties the farm has had in the past are far less bitter than what you buy in the store. But I have heard people in the pick up room saying it is just too bitter - I hope you try it - check out this site for recipes and ideas.

Escarole - Another member of the chicory family, but not as bitter. The outer, darker leaves are thicker and somewhat bitter - the inner leaves are more pale, softer in both texture and flavor. Escarole is another one of the leafy veggies that can be enjoyed raw or cooked and you should try doing both. Use the inner leaves in your salads, and saute the outer leaves with garlic and red pepper flakes. Add a can of white beans and some stock of your choice. Toss with pasta (or not and have a nice bread to dunk up up the juices). Of course the iconic Italian Wedding Soup features escarole (in my family it was called Escarole soup).

Check out this site for recipes for all of these amazing veggies!

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/New-Veggies-Coming-2627/

May 30, 2021
Late Winter Strawberries
by Farmer Dana

Harvest #3 (Week A) should include kohlrabi, radishes, turnips, romaine, kale, chard, choy, head lettuce, lettuce mix, dill, cilantro, escarole, and radicchio. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include strawberries, peas, and herbs. Please consult the U-pick board for allocated quantities (per share, per week).

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Late-Winter-Strawberries-2628/

May 30, 2021
Workshifts This Week (5/31/21)
by Farmer Derek

This week's workshift schedule:

Please bring gloves, water, a hat, and sturdy shoes!

We meet under the large red maple at the end of the barn by the pick up room.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Workshifts-This-Week-53121-2629/

May 30, 2021
The Great Switcheroo
by Farmer Derek

Keeping my notes short and sweet this week.

U-pick crops are beginning to come in! Strawberries began earnestly ripening last week and snow peas arrive this week. The cooler weather should lengthen the time frame of both harvests.

Regarding U-pick, please consult the board for allowable quantities, which are per share per week (that means if you split a share, you divide what's listed). Thank you for your cooperation. If extra is taken, other members may miss out. Some tasting along the way is fine for sure!

Happy produce eating/sharing/strawberry picking/pea poppin'!

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/The-Great-Switcheroo-2630/

May 23, 2021
Delicious Start to the Season!
By Linda Dansbury

It is always so exciting when the season starts - every year I look forward to walking into the barn to see all the beautiful veggies - and last week the variety and colors did not disappoint! So, how do you use some of the items we are receiving right now?

Green garlic - keep it refrigerated and use the entire stalk. Green garlic is used like dried garlic, but I don't cook it for as long as dried garlic, because the flavor fades away - perfect for the quick cooking meals of late spring.

Hakurei turnips and radishes - I group these together because they can be enjoyed in the same ways - eaten raw in salads or with dip (another name for Hakurei turnips is salad turnips); roasted in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, sliced up and sauteed or stir fried. And...please don't throw the greens away - they are really great when sauteed with onions and/or garlic and other veggies, stir fried, or added to stews and soups - although the thought of a long simmered stew is not very appealing today. If you can't use them right away, cut the greens off the bulbs, and discard any yellow leaves. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and place the greens in a large colander placed in the sink. When the water boils carefully pour over the greens. Allow to cool, then squeeze out as much water as you can. Place in a freezer bag until ready to use. I love this method so much more than placing the greens in the pot and boiling them - learned this years ago from a fellow member. One recipe on this site that I particularly like is the Asian Green and White Saute. It is fast, uses both components of the veggie, and most important it is delicious - change up the herbs/spices to complement the protein you are eating.

Lettuce/Swiss chard - there are a lot of salad dressing recipes on this site, demonstrating how easy it is to make your own dressings. As for storing these tender greens, I have found the best way is to use a large plastic container with a kitchen towel or paper towels placed in the bottom. The worst thing for greens is to sit in water and to be squished. So using a large plastic container with something absorbent on the bottom takes care of the water, and the roomy container allows for more air flow. I use an old Tupperware cake storage container and it works great.

Bok choy - another of the flexible veggies, bok choy is yummy raw and cooked. There are several recipes on this site, including the Spicy Roasted Bok Choy and the Asian Style Cole Slaw. Everyone I have made the Slaw for loves it - and I use whatever I have - no cabbage, no problem! Use the bok choy, turnips and Swiss chard! Yum.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Delicious-Start-to-the-Season-2618/

May 23, 2021
Hooray for Spring Veggies!
By Linda Dansbury

What a delicious start to the season! Here are a few things we enjoyed this week:

Green garlic, turnips, kale - made the Kale Rice Bowl - one of my staples for weeknight eating. A note on the ground pork that goes in it: the flavor of the dish is so much better when flavorful local pork is used. We added a new twist this time - we cut a few turnips into matchsticks and added them just as the meat was browned - resulted in a very nice crunch.

Radishes, turnips - made a dip I found a couple of years ago: Radishes with Goat Cheese Dip - it calls for a food processor, but you really don't need one and I use Greek Yogurt instead of the sour cream. This dip is great with all sorts of veggies, so try it for your Memorial Day cookout as a yummy appetizer.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Hooray-for-Spring-Veggies-2619/

May 23, 2021
Greens Galore
by Farmer Dana

Harvest #2 (Week B) should include radishes, turnips, kale, green garlic, head lettuce, lettuce mix, bok choy, swiss chard, cilantro, and dill. U-pick should start this week and will include labeled herbs from the herb garden (lemon balm, mint, catnip, oregano, parsley, garlic chives, thyme, etc).

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Greens-Galore-2620/

May 23, 2021
Workshifts this Week (5/24/21)
by Farmer Derek

This week's workshift schedule:

Please bring gloves, water, a hat, and sturdy shoes! For now, masks should be worn unless social distancing is achieved (6'+).

We meet under the large red maple at the end of the barn by the pick up room.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Workshifts-this-Week-52421-2621/

May 23, 2021
Too Hot and Dry for May
by Farmer Derek

Where did spring go? For the past week or so it's felt more like mid-summer. In addition to the high temperatures, it's been 2.5 weeks since we've had a good rain on the farm, no rain is forecast until maybe Friday, and with all these days in the 90s crops are very very thirsty. We've spent a lot of time setting up and connecting irrigation. As of now we're almost caught up and have been able to provide a drink to most of the crops. Certain crops, like potatoes which occupy way too much field space to add water to (unless we're really desperate and also have ample time), will probably have to wait until the rain for a drink. The top growth of the potatoes (which looks just like a tomato plant) only recently broke through the surface of the soil and the roots/tubers aren't bulking up just yet. Even during this 'drought' the tops have continued to actively grow. A new patch of rhubarb, also without water so far, grows like it doesn't have a care in the world. New blackberry transplants, u-pick flowers, and the herb garden also await a drink, biding their time. Crops transplanted two weeks ago that are still alive and actively growing are a testament to the wonders of the plant world and perhaps the health of our soils and north facing slopes.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Too-Hot-and-Dry-for-May-2622/

May 23, 2021
Memorial Day Pick Up Schedule Same as Usual
by Farmer Dana

Next Monday, 5/31 Week A Harvest #3, harvest will run normally (pick up from 1-8 pm) despite the Memorial Day holiday. Please email us if you need to switch your pick up day or week.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Memorial-Day-Pick-Up-Schedule-Same-as-Usual-2623/

May 23, 2021
Compost at the Farm!
by Farmer Dana

Composting is one the most marvelous transformations is this world. Turning food "waste" into valuable soil by doing mostly nothing at all is just too easy not to participate in. We are avid compost participants and are more than happy to provide the opportunity to community members who may not have the space or will to keep their own compost piles at home. If you are interested in turning your kitchen waste into soil instead of landfill fodder, consider bringing it to the farm to contribute to the compost pile by the parking lot.

Probably the simplest container to hold your compost is a 5 gallon bucket with a lid. It's large enough to hold a week or two's worth of kitchen waste and uncomplicated enough to travel with to the farm.

We'll accept all biodegradable food waste except cooked bones, which we don't want our dog to get a hold of. Just make sure to filter out plastic food packaging/containers. Please contact us if you have any questions - we are here to support you on your composting journey!

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Compost-at-the-Farm-2624/

May 16, 2021
Workshifts this Week (5/17/21)
by Farmer Derek

Please bring gloves, water, a hat, and sturdy shoes! For now, masks should be worn unless social distancing is achieved (6'+). We meet under the large red maple at the end of the barn by the pick up room.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Workshifts-this-Week-51721-2609/

May 16, 2021
Welcome!
by Farmer Dana

Main Season Harvest #1 (Week A) should include salad radishes, salad turnips (hakurei), kale, green garlic (whole plant is edible at this stage), head lettuce, lettuce mix, bok choy, and swiss chard. Some items will be a choice. No u-pick just yet.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Welcome-2611/

May 16, 2021
Let's Eat!
by Farmer Derek

Welcome to the 2021 Main Season CSA! We're eager to begin harvesting crops we've been working so hard to raise for the past 2.5 months. We've got an awesome farm crew this year including multi-year veterans Pat and Craig, and Sarah who is full of positivity and excitement as a first time farmer. The veggies of our labor - and yours if you've been to a workshift already - are bursting and ready to pick and consume. We'll begin the season with spring stalwarts such as kale, chard, bok choy, lettuces, chicories, radishes, turnips, green garlic which will shortly be joined by u-pick favorites peas and strawberries. In June romaine, radicchio, scallions, kohlrabi, zucchini, cucumbers, beets, cabbage, fennel, beans, annual herbs will also grace our tables. Tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and eggplant should arrive in July. But let's enjoy fresh seasonal produce slowly and fully and not rush ahead.

The farm's been a busy place since late March, when outdoor production fully commences. Basically a switch gets flipped that first week of transplanting and a mad rush begins. We quickly shed our winter pace and dash around the farm. So much field space needs to be planted in spring that by June our managed footprint covers 75% of the farm even though there's still more than 3 months of planting left. All that space for the crops needs to be mowed, chisel plowed, bed shaped, and managed for weeds. By the end of June an internal/external shift begins and the heavy harvesting portion of the year starts. It is a nice feeling when we exit the planting stage, when so many of our crops are in the soil and growing. Management and maintenance still require a lot of time, work, and focus but we appreciate the change. Right now, though, we're intent on harvesting these tender spring crops and hope they don't mind the hot summer-like weather about to descend (ascend?) later this week.

Thank you for joining us for the 2021 Main Season! We are truly looking forward to seeing everyone on the farm again!

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Lets-Eat-2612/

May 16, 2021
Pick Up Days, Times, and Time Slots
by Farmer Dana

Mondays, 1-8pm

Thursdays, 1-8pm

Saturdays, 10am–12pm

We sent an email earlier this week reminding you of your designated pick up day and week (for half shares). Please email us if you did not receive it.

If you need to switch your pick up day and/or week temporarily, please email us by 5pm the Sunday prior to the week of the change.

To help moderate the flow of people in and out of the farm, we are having members sign up for pick up time slots again this year. You need to be logged in to sign up (log in here). Navigate to the calendar. Click on the person/plus symbol next to the time slot hour you wish to sign up for. The page will refresh. A plus button will then be next to your name. Click it once. Page refreshes. If you signed up successfully a trash can and another plus button will appear (this other plus button is for adding another name to the list but is only used for workshift sign ups).

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Pick-Up-Days-Times-and-Time-Slots-2613/

May 16, 2021
Pick Up Essentials
by Farmer Dana

- BYO baskets/bags/boxes, to bring your harvest home. Sometimes we have donated shopping bags on hand to pack your shares in, but sometimes we don’t!

- Sign up online for a pick-up time slot (log in and sign up on the calendar).

- Check off your name on the sign-in sheet before collecting your share from the barn.

- Follow harvest amounts written on the chalk boards labeled with your share size (Full, half, medium).

- If you need help with anything please feel free to ask a Farm Staffer in the barn for help at anytime!

- Parking is available in the large stone lot at the end of the driveway. Parking next to the barn is available for people with physical challenges and for cars with sleeping kids.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Pick-Up-Essentials-2614/

May 16, 2021
U-Pick
by Farmer Dana

- Check the u-pick board on the outside of the barn for u-pick crops and amounts before picking. Only crops listed on the board are available for u-pick.

- U-pick crops and weekly allotments can be harvested any day of the week, 8am–8pm Monday through Sunday of your pick up week. So if you can’t do your u-pick on your scheduled pick up day, feel free to come back any other day that week.

- BYO u-pick scissors for herbs and flowers.

- We will provide half-pint, pint, and quart u-pick baskets for members to measure and harvest into.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/UPick-2615/

May 16, 2021
Covid-19
by Farmer Dana

Currently we are asking members to wear masks when in the barn collecting their shares and practice social distancing. We are limiting the number of members in the barn to 4 at a time. Please form a line extending out towards the herb garden if the barn is at capacity.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Covid19-2616/

May 16, 2021
A Note on Storage
by Farmer Dana

Over the years many members have asked the best way to store farm veggies. Ours is probably not the best storage method but it works just super for us. We hang on to plastic bags that we acquire through other purchases and repurpose them, washing and drying them between uses. Big bags (like 2 gallon zip lock bags) work the best. In general we group similar items in the bags with each other. For example with this harvest I put lettuces together, kale and bok choy together, the roots and green garlic together, and the swiss chard all by its little lonesome. Then store in the refrigerator, not in the very back or on the top, or wherever is susceptible to freezing in your fridge. Easy peasy.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/A-Note-on-Storage-2617/

May 10, 2021
Workshifts this Week (5/10/21)
by Farmer Derek

Please bring gloves, water, a hat, and sturdy shoes! Masks should be worn unless social distancing is achieved (6'+). We meet under the large red maple at the end of the barn by the pick up room.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Workshifts-this-Week-51021-2607/

May 10, 2021
Harvest Season Begins!
by Farmer Dana

Share distribution begins next week, 5/17, for Full, Medium, and Week A Half Shares.

Week B Half Shares will start the week of 5/24.

To see your pick up day, week, and balance please go to your member page. If you need to change your scheduled pick up, please e-mail us.

A more detailed announcement with pertinent pick up information will come out later in the week.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Harvest-Season-Begins-2608/