FRINKLEPOD FARM

We are selling seedlings at the farm all week as we count down to the “official” opening of the farm stand for 2013… this Saturday, 10am!

We offer dozens of varieties of seedlings for your garden or front porch.  Grown from mainly organic and/or heirloom seeds, they are potted in organic-approved soil — these are the exact same seedlings we plant in our own fields, so we can really vouch for their quality.  Peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, cukes, squash, basil, broccoli, cabbage, zinnias, and many more.

We also offer about 60 varieties of beautiful, interesting seeds from Seed Savers Exchange, a well-respected non-profit dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds.  $2.50 packet.

The countdown to Opening Day has begun…. 17 more days!   Last week we harvested a small bunch of asparagus for ourselves, a nice surprise since we just planted them last year and it usually takes a couple years for new asparagus plants to produce.

The Summer CSA has just filled up and we are so looking forward to greeting both familiar and new faces once the season begins!  We have big plans for our second summer season and will continue to post news, stories, and photos here whenever we have a chance!

What’s in your box this week:   (please refer to past weeks for recipe links)

• Greens
• Potatoes
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Turnips or Beets (you choose)
• Garlic
• U-Pick from the Choice Table: some favorites from earlier weeks: you choose from Frinklepod Popcorn, Frinklepod Dilly Beans, Kountry Kettle preserves, Pastor Chuck’s Apple Butter, Maine heirloom bean mix
• Large Shares only: Frozen Peppers or Frozen Beans (you choose)

What’s in your box this snowstormy week!…

• Greenhouse spinach/greens mix
• Yellow onion
• Rutabaga — this root veggie originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip.  They can be roasted, boiled, steamed, stir-fried, mashed, or stewed. Cook them with potatoes and mash together. Quarter them and roast along with potatoes. Enhance the flavor of stews with chopped or quartered rutabagas. Dice them and add to soups. Stir-fry with onions.
• Apples
• Potatoes
• Frinklepod dried herbs
• Heirloom bean mix — great for soups, chilis, Mexican food, etc.  How to cook dry beans:  Soak them in plenty of water for at least 8 hours, then discard the soaking water and rinse the beans.  Add beans and fresh water to a large pot, bring to a boil, and cook until the beans are tender.  If you or certain family members find beans difficult to digest, definitely check out this article which explains some simple cooking strategies to make them easier on your body: http://www.nourishingdays.com/2011/03/why-beans-are-hard-to-digest-8-tips-for-making-them-easier-on-the-belly/

• “Ocean Approved” Kelp, an innovative new business that sustainably farms kelp in Casco Bay — your choice of “slaw cut” or “salad cut.”  Here is their description of the two from their website, which also includes many recipes (http://www.oceanapproved.com/)
  • Our Kelp Slaw Cut™ is produced from fresh Digitata laminaria or “Horse tail”. It has been described as a vibrant, crunchy and mild flavored green vegetable. Very versatile, it can be used as a salad, in soups, on burgers and fish, and in many other recipes. Our Kelp Slaw Cut is recipe-ready. The kelp has been cooked “al dente” and we recommend adding it to your hot dish in its final stage for the best results. Kelp Slaw is a good source of calcium, iron and iodine.
  • Our Kelp Salad Cut™ is produced from fresh Alaria, or “winged kelp”. Known as the North Atlantic’s Wakame, it has been described as having a slight walnut flavor. Our Alaria works well in salads, soups and even cookies! Quick and easy to use as a salad, it is also delicious in appetizers and entrees. Our Kelp Salad Cut is recipe-ready. The kelp has been cooked “al dente” and we recommend adding it to your hot dish in its final stage for the best results. Our Wakame dressing is fantastic drizzled over the top. Kelp Salad Cut is a good source of iron and iodine.

It’s time to sign up for your Summer CSA share!   Our CSA model is a unique and effective way to get the best deal on super fresh, healthy produce while also providing crucial financial support to the farmers during the time of year when our overheard costs are highest.  Unlike some CSAs where you are on the receiving end of a predetermined bunch of veggies, which you must pick up at the same time every week, the Frinklepod Farm Summer CSA allows you to come get whatever veggies you like, in any quantities, at any time that works for you.  The flexibility of this program allows you to go out of town without worrying that you are missing out on your CSA share, to host guests for large meals without worrying that you won’t have enough food, and to ensure that you have plenty of the veggies you love (and none of the veggies you hate [is there such a thing as hating a vegetable?!]).

Click here for more information.  Print out the sign-up sheet and send in your deposit to hold your place now!

What’s in your box (a rainbow of colors!):

- Carrots

- Greenhouse greens

- Green cabbage

- Red potatoes

- Yellow onions

- Red beets

- Your choice: Maine-made berry preserves OR “Pastor Chuck’s” organic apple butter*

• GARLIC
• POTATOES — garlic-roasted potatoes: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/garlic-roasted-potatoes-recipe/index.html
• CARROTS
• BEETS  – easy roasted beets are great in salad or as a side dish!:  http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/bobby-flays-roasted-beets-for-recipes-370885
• GREENS (some combination of baby kale, collards, mild mustard greens, mesclun mix…hand-harvested by Noah literally minutes before you pick it up!)
• ONIONS
• LIMITED EDITION FRINKLEPOD “GOLD” POPCORN.   When you bring this home, transfer it from its wax paper bag into a glass jar or other container.  Pop it on the stove, in an electric popper, or in a microwave (using this method: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/microwave-popcorn/)
  • Growing corn of any kind is a very space-, nutrient-, and labor-intensive undertaking (which is why we didn’t grow any sweet corn last summer).  However, we decided to experiment with growing a special variety of “popcorn” just to see how it would turn out, and here, you lucky CSA members, you get to enjoy the result.  The quick story of how this delectable popcorn ended up in your CSA box:   1. We ordered the organic seed, called “Dutch Butter Flavored Popcorn” from Fedco Seeds, after reading that this “pre-1885 heirloom” was “rich, buttery, and delicious.”  2.  In the late winter we planted the seeds in potting soil in the greenhouse, and let the seedlings grow strong and healthy before planting them out into the fields in the late spring.  3.  The popcorn beds were carefully mulched and weeded throughout the summer.  4. After the ears of corn matured on the stalks, they were left to dry on the cobs until the damp fall weather set in; then we harvested the ears, husked them, and let them continue drying in the greenhouse.  5. We hand-shelled every kernel off of every ear of corn and spread them out on blankets to continue drying in the greenhouse.  5. When the corn was truly dry, we (ok, I, at 8.5 months pregnant) winnowed the chaff/extra debris off the corn using a household fan and kitchen sieves, then packaged it up into half-pound bags (70 of them)!  We are calling this our “gold” popcorn because we know that if we calculated our labor at minimum wage, the monetary value of this delicious stuff would be comparable to caviar!

With the New Year right around the corner, we are excited to announce that the details of the Summer CSA 2013 will be available to the public on January 15!  After that, you can sign up as soon as possible with a variety of payment options, including an “early bird special”:  pay in full by Feb. 1 and receive a free $10 gift certificate to the farm stand.  Stay tuned.

In the meantime… winter squash, anyone?