Minnesota Waldorf Eighth Grade Trip

Eighth graders from the Minnesota Waldorf School participated in service-learning projects at the farm. They gathered kindling for starting the winter's wood-burning stove, mucked the chicken coop, applied compost to the flower beds, stacked hay in the barn, de-seeded and sorted the remaining pumpkins, and fed the inner pumpkin pulp to the chickens, of course. They left with a few de-seeded pumpkins and ambitions of making homemade pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, etc! Thank you!

Jane Addams School for Democracy

Families, children, and adults attended the annual Jane Addams Farm Trip to share fun and work experiences together across the generations. They helped save seeds from our pumpkins, raked the farmhouse yard, and transported firewood to the porch for winter use. We celebrated with a potluck lunch and a beautiful autumn hike. Warm hugs were exchanged, many languages spoken, and good times were had by all. Thank you!

Celery Root and Wild Rice Chowder

Deborah Madison must have had Philadelphia Community Farm in mind with this recipe because it features many of our fall vegetables. It is rich, hearty, and grounding.

Yield: About 4-6

Ingredients
1/2 cup wild rice
2 celery roots (about 3 cups chopped)
2 large leeks
2 tablespoons butter
1 celery rib, diced
1 cup thinly sliced russet potato
1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
1 bay leaf
1 large thyme sprig
sea salt and pepper
2 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water
2 cups half and half or milk
truffle oil (optional)

Procedure

1. Cover the wild rice with 5 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until tender.
2. Thickly cut away the celery root skins, then quarter and chop the root into bite-sized pieces. You should have about 3 cups. Chop and wash the leeks.
3. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the vegetables, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and 1 1/2 half teaspoons salt. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, then add the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the half and half and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Taste for salt and season with pepper. To give the soup a creamy background, puree a cup of the vegetables and return them to the pot. If the soup is too thick, thin it with some of the rice water or additional stock.
4. Divide the soup among 4 to 6 bowls then add a mound of wild rice to each. Garnish each bowl with parsley and a drop of truffle oil, if using, and serve.
   

Carrot Salad with Parsley, Lovage, and Mint

Carrot salad is a winter staple at the farm, a breath of freshness during the cold months. Deborah Madison's recipe from her Local Flavors cookbook is simple and tasty. Lovage is a little like celery. It's leaves look like celery leaves and share a clean pungent taste. Celery can be substituted for lovage in the recipe, the substitution possibilities are endless.


Yield: About 4-6 servings

Ingredients
1 pound carrots
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped lovage
2 tablespoons chopped mint
sea salt and pepper
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Procedure
Peel, then grate the carrots. Toss with the chopped herbs and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, the zest, and just enough oil to coat the carrots lightly. Season with pepper and chill before serving if time allows.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

This recipe is my all-time easy favorite for brussel sprouts. The sprouts that you will receive in your fall shares are especially sweet because we harvested them after the frost. Try one raw while preparing them, they're much sweeter than the typical brussel sprout.

Ingredients
Brussel Sprouts
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
   
2. To prepare the brussel sprouts, pour them into a large bowl of water and gently swish them around. Drain. For the larger sprouts, peel off the outer layer, chop the base of their stems off, and cut in half. For the smaller sprouts, leave whole.
3. Toss in a bowl with a generous amount of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Roast until the sprouts are tender, bright green, and have a few carmelized, brown edges, probably not more than 25 minutes. Take care not to over cook as they will turn drab green and mushy.
   

Youth Farm and Market Fall Trip

Youth Farm joined us after their fall trip to the log cabin. They continued the everlasting pumpkin seed-saving project and finished the brussel sprout harvest. In the photo above, two students demonstrated their no-frills approach to removing the leaves from the plant so the sprouts could be easily harvested.

Northwest Passage High School

Northwest Passage's Food in America Class spent a day at the farm learning about our approach to food and getting a taste of farm life. They arrived on brussel sprout harvest day and started the long process of harvesting the remaining sprouts, helped separate and clean pumpkin seeds for our seed-saving project, transported compost to the hoop house, and spent time with the animals, and enjoyed a walk to the waterfall.

City of Lakes Third Grade

A big thank you to the City of Lakes Third Grade Class who joined us on the farm for three days helping with chores, mucking the chicken coop and Burrito's stall, mulching strawberries, seeding the pumpkins, raking leaves, and learning about farm life. The students brought a wonderful enthusiasm for the animals and chores, making the week a delight.

All students had the opportunity to feed the chickens and get to know chicken life better, and some students had the task of smashing (slightly rotten) pumpkins in the chicken yard so the flesh would be accessible to the pumpkin-loving chickens.

Last week of Summer CSA Harvest...in the snow!

You may have noticed that this week's boxes are less full of vegetables than the other summer boxes. These photos offer a bit of an explanation...

Conditions were dire while harvesting leeks, and thank goodness Anna, Loyal, and Amy arrived to help out. The shared work and conversation helped block out the cold fingers!

As you can see in the background, we still have leeks remaining in the fields for fall shares.

The kale was a miniature forest.

Braised Chard

"Delicious! The best chard I've ever had." We found this recipe in Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. The paprika gives a rich depth to the chard.

Yield: About 4 servings

Ingredients
2 large bunches chard, leaves sliced into 1-inch ribbons
chard stems, chopped
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup cilantro
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper

Procedure
Place all ingredients in a wide, heavy pot with a few pinches salt. Add 1/4 cup water, cover tightly, and cook over low heat for 45 minutes. Check once or twice to make sure there's enough moisture. If anything is sticking, add a few tablespoons water. When done, taste for salt and season with pepper. The chard should be silky and very fragrant.

Northwest Passage High School

This group of hard-working, down-to-earth young women visited the farm as part of their expeditionary learning program.

We separated 25 pounds of garlic into individual cloves for planting.

Planted 2 beds of garlic

Harvested the remaining carrots in the snow on Saturday morning

And moved firewood for the winter. Thank you for all your hard work!

Celery Root and Wild Rice Chowder

This recipe by Deborah Madison seems perfect for Philadelphia Community Farm garden members since it uses celery root, leeks, celery, and potato.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup wild rice
1 celery root
2 large leeks, white parts only
2 tablespoons butter
1 celery rib, diced
1 cup thinly sliced russet potato
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 large thyme sprig
salt and pepper
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups half and half or milk
truffle oil, optional

Procedure

1. Cover the wild rice with 5 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until tender.
2. Thickly cut away the celery root skins, then quarter and chop the root into bite-sized pieces. You should have about 3 cups. Chop and wash the leeks.
3. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the vegetables, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, then add the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the half and half and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Taste for salt and season with pepper. To give the soup a creamy background, puree a cup of the vegetables and return them to the pot. If the soup is too thick, thin it with some of the rice water or additional stock.
4. Divide the soup among 4-6 bowls and then add a mound of the wild rice to each. Garnish each bowl with parsley and a drop of truffle oil, if using, and serve.

Celery Root AKA Celeriac

Cold Hands in October

As you can see, we have been bundling up for the October harvest and washing. It has been quite chilly in the mornings, so we're going to pack boxes in the heated green house tomorrow morning. Hooray for warm fingers! Besides harvesting for the second to last summer delivery, we also winterized a few more garden beds with an extra layer of compost.

Remember, October 13th and 15th are the last summer deliveries!

Slaw with Sorrel and Lovage

A flavorful slaw with a festive twist...sorrel and lovage!

Yield: About 4 servings

Ingredients
2 cups finely sliced cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped lovage
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon mustard
salt and pepper
about 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Procedure
Toss vegetables in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice or vinegar, honey, mustard, and salt and pepper. Taste for flavor, then add olive oil slowly while whisking until it reaches the desired taste or consistency. Pour over the vegetables and mix.

Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Stew

Maybe you have a few eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and basil waiting for this recipe? It comes from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors cookbook.

Yield: About 6 servings

Ingredients
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes
2 large peppers
vegetable oil
1 cup packed basil leaves
1 cup packed cilantro leaves
3 large garlic cloves
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon roasted ground cumin
2 large onions, peeled and cut into eighths
1 pound eggplant, cut into long strips
2-3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (1 can, rinsed)

Procedure

1. Preheat the broiler. Bring 6 cups water to boil and add 1 teaspoon salt. Slice the potatoes lengthwise about 1/2 inch thick, boil them for 5 mintues, and drain. Halve the peppers lenthwise, press to flatten them, then brush with vegetable oil. Broil, cut side down, on a baking sheet until blistered but not charred. Stack them on top of one another and set aside to steam. When cool, remove the skins and cut the pieces in half. Set the oven temperature at 350 F.
2. Coarsely chop the basil, cilantro, and garlic, then puree in a small food processor with the olive oil, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Toss all the vegetables with 1 teaspoon salt, some freshly ground pepper, and the herb mixture. Using your hands, rub the herb mixture into the vegetables, especially the eggplant, then add the chickpeas and toss once more. Transfer everything to an earthenware gratin dish. Rinse out the herb container with 1/2 cup water and pour it over all. Cover the gratin dish tightly with foil and bake until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil, brush the exposed vegetables with the juices, and bake for 20 minutes more. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

We had our first frost last night, and autumn is in the crisp, sunny air. The farm is beautiful in all of its fall colors. In the photo above, tomatoes and basil are still producing in deer field but several of the beds have already been winterized...they have been shredded, disked, and compost and Preparation 500 have been added. In the photo below, the greenhouse is the focus of attention, as it will remain all winter long with our wintering greens.

Happy Michaelmas

Bob, a friend of the farm, grew this massive pumpkin for our Michaelmas decoration!

Debbie and Robin facilitated the making of the stone soup with some hardworking assistants.Several folks applied the fields with Biodynamic Preparation 500.

Chevella, Jeromaya, and Alex picked carrots with character!

City of Lakes Second Grade

Thank You to all who made the farm visit wonderful!

The energetic second graders helped separate the garlic cloves in preparation for fall planting, saved pumpkin seeds for next year's crop, and fed the cows, chickens, and Burrito, the donkey. They braved the stormy skies and even the rain to participate in farm chores and hike to the waterfall and prairie. Thank you for a fun, productive day!

Small Wonders IV

Walking Stick

Horn worm found while weeding strawberries

Flowers in the morning dew

Steamed Brussel Sprouts

An easy recipe that showcases the flavor of Brussel sprouts.

Ingredients
Brussel sprouts
Butter

Procedure
Cut tough ends off the sprouts and remove loose outer leaves. With a knife, make a little cross in the end to help the sprouts cook more evenly. Steam for 5-10 minutes until just tender, but do not overcook! Serve with a pat of butter.

Eggplant Info

Beet Soup

Yield: 4-6 Servings

One of our members loves this recipe from the Asparagus to Zucchini Cookbook.

Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
olive oil
vegetable or chicken stock
4 large beets, cubed
1 large potato, cubed
other vegetables: celery spinach, carrots, kale, chard, etc, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
plain yogurt

Procedure
Saute onion for a few minutes in olive oil in a large pot. Add the other vegetables (except leafy green which would be added near the end) and saute until fragrant. Add stock and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper and serve each bowl with a generous portion of yogurt in the center of the soup.

Beet and Onion Salad

This easy salad is a mainstay at the farm.

Ingredients
1 pound beets
2 tablespoons lemon juice or your favorite vinegar
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
5-6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, sliced thin
herb of your choice

Procedure

1. Set a pot of water to boil that is large enough to cover the beets. Cook beets in simmering water until they are tender, but not soft.
2. While beets are cooking, prepare salad dressing. Combine lemon juice or vinegar, salt and pepper, mustard, and honey. Whisk in olive oil.
3. Drain beets and remove their skins if they easily slide off. Let cool briefly and then slice thin. Combine with salad dressing while they are still warm.
4. Add onions just before serving so that they can retain their contrasting color. Garnish with the herb of your choice.
   

Roasted Ratatouille

This versatile summer recipe is always a flavorful hit. Serve over rice, with pasta, as a topping for quiche or omelets, as a pizza sauce...the options are endless. The ingredients can be used in any combination or quantities.

Ingredients
2 onions, chopped
olive oil
1 large eggplant, cubed
1 zucchini, sliced
1 green pepper, diced
5 tomatoes, chopped (optional to peel and seed them)
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
fresh basil for garnish

Procedure
Preheat oven to 35o. Saute the onions, eggplant, zucchini, green pepper, and tomatoes separately in a generous amount of olive oil and then combine with the garlic and thyme on a baking sheet. Bake uncovered for about an hour. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh basil.

Michaelmas, Sunday,Sept 27th

Michaelmas Festival at Philadelphia Community Farm Sunday, September 27 from 3-7:00 PM
By Deborah Dornemann

Welcome community members and friends to Philadelphia Farm’s annual celebration of the harvest and honoring the courageous deeds of Archangel Michael! The festival includes garden and craft activities, gathering and chopping vegetables for a "stone soup", music (perhaps dancing), a powerful Michaelmas play, and a potluck meal. Please bring your own plates, bowls, and silverware and a dish to share. Soup, bread and beverages will be provided. If you haven’t been out to “the farm” yet now is the perfect time. The gardens are beautiful, the waterfall continues its peaceful flow, and the people and animals have open hearts eager to meet you. The address is 599 280th Street, Osceola, WI 54020 or call 715-294-4048 for more information or directions. Autumn blessings!

Images of September

Mornings are foggier

Sunbeams are dramatically pronounced

Production in the fields is tapering down and Roland prepares them for winter

The view as walking up to the fields!

Carrot Information

The rest of the large carrots were harvested this weekend to be carefully stored in our root cellar for use all winter long. We still have two more beds of smaller carrots that we'll harvest later in the season. More on carrots later!

Chocolate Beet Cake

Yield: 10-12 Servings

Accumulating beets? This moist cake can win the hearts of those who don't even like beets! It comes from the Farmer John's Cookbook and is recommended by garden members.

Ingredients
oil and flour for preparing the cake pan
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1 and 3/4 cup sugar
2 cups pureed cooked beets (about 3 medium beets)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
powdered sugar

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly coat a 10-cup Bundt pan or two loaf pans with oil and dust with flour.
2. Partially fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer. Put the chocolate and 1/4 cup of the oil in the top of the double boiler. Heat just until the chocolate melts; remove from heat and stir until well combined.
3. Combine the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly beat in the remaining 3/4 cup oil, chocolate mixture, beets and vanilla.
4. Sift the all-purpose flour and whole-wheat pastry flour into a large bowl. Stir in the baking soda and salt. Gently stir the flour mixture into the egg and chocolate mixture just until flour is mixed in. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes for the Bundt or 25 minutes in the loaf pan. Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
6. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and let cool on the rack. When completely cool, dust with powdered sugar.
   

Grated Beet Salad with Cilantro and Cumin

Yield: 4-6 servings

This salad can be served raw or barely blanched. If blanching, dip the beets briefly in salted boiling water, drain, and towel dry.

Ingredients
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
zest and juice of two limes
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/3 cup olive oil
1 pound beets, grated
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Procedure
Combine garlic, salt, lime zest and juice, cumin, and coriander in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Whisk in oil until desired consistency and taste is desired. Combine with grated beets and cilantro.

Standing Cedars Fall Work Days

The Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy hosts fall volunteer work days to clear invasive trees and shrubs, pick seeds, and spread native seeds.

Saturday, September 26
Saturday, October 24
Saturday, November 7

Meet at the parking lot near 20th Ave and 280th St in Osceola at 9 AM. Bring your lawn rakes and expect to get dirty!

Potato Harvest--Complete

A big Thank You to all who helped with the potato harvest!

We started harvesting potatoes around 8:30 am when the rain tapered off. A few showers sprinkled during the first hour of harvest, followed by a rainbow. Roland took the tractor through with an improvised potato digger, and then everyone else followed behind picking up the exposed potatoes and digging with pitch forks to find the remaining ones.

Many hands make light work!In total we harvested over 4,300 pounds of potatoes, finishing today what we didn't complete on Friday. Here's to potatoes for the fall and winter!

Fall CSA Shares Available

Enjoying the farm's biodynamic bounty of summer?
Wishing it could continue through the fall?

Philadelphia Community Farm
Fall CSA Shares Available

Fall vegetables include:
potatoes, onions, garlic, winter squash, brussel sprouts,
Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, kale, celeriac,
beets, and possibly carrots and greens

Five deliveries in October-December

Contact the farm for more information: 715-755-4690
sarah_philadelphiacommunityfarm@hotmail.com

Asparagus to Zucchini Cookbooks For Sale

Contact the farm if you would like to purchase a cookbook ($20): 715-755-4690 or 715-294-4048.

Ever wonder how you'll ever be able to use all your vegetables? From Asparagus to Zucchini answers the question of what to do with your armloads of greens, herbs (and the never-before-seen vegetables), with recipes that are as concise and doable as they are appealing. Created for and by Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members, the book is an indispensable tool for anyone who wants to eat seasonally and locally.

Organized by vegetable—fifty-three in all—each section includes nutritional, historical, and storage information, as well as cooking tips. With more than 420 original recipes created, tested, and enjoyed by chefs, CSA members, and farmers, you'll never be without a delicious recipe to make the most of the season's bounty. The best part is that lesser-known vegetables like burdock and kohlrabi have more recipes, not fewer!

From Asparagus to Zucchini is more than just a cookbook. Also included are essays that address the larger picture of sustainable agriculture, how our food choices fit into our economy, environment, and community, and more information on home food preservation and how to help kids appreciate—and even eat—their vegetables. Readers will find an extensive resource section and recipe index to round out this unique resource. With this book, prepare to awaken and reaffirm your dedication to enjoying the unique flavors of local foods while nourishing the life of sustainable family farms.

St. Croix Garden Club

Calling Everyone with an Interest in Gardening
St. Croix Valley Garden Club

• Meetings with speakers on topics of interest
• Share knowledge and ideas with local gardeners
• Work together on community projects
• Start planning for your garden next year

Come to the first meeting of the St. Croix Valley Garden Club
Wednesday, September 23rd
7-9 PM Osceola Public Library

We’ll learn about community gardens and start planning for Club activities and fun. All gardeners and “gardener wanna-be’s”of any age are welcome. Come and see what we can do together!

For more information, call Verna at 294-4048 or email Kate Bergeron at dkbergeron@charter.net

Let’s start a Garden Club!