2023 CSA Farm Update: Week 14
Kale
Hello Everyone and welcome to week 14 of the Katchkie Farm CSA. The past week on the farm was quite a wild ride weather wise. The whole week saw temperatures into the 90’s with high humidity. Then Thursday night, winds came howling in, streaks of lighting lit up the sky, and rain came pouring down. Somewhere in the middle of the storm the lights flickered a few times, then everything inside became dark and quiet. There are times when the power goes out and comes back on shortly after, but his was not one of those times. Upon checking with the power company in the morning, there was no estimate of when the power would be restored. It also turns out that the storm damage was widespread in the area and many thousands of households were without power. Sometimes as a farmer, shortly after waking and taking an overview of the day, it is very clear what is the main task. Friday’s main task was to get power to certain parts of the farm.
Friday is one of our larger days for picking and washing produce. We can pick the produce without electricity, but we cannot wash or cool our produce without electricity. After a brief meeting with the farm crew in the morning, we decided that they would harvest as planned and I would figure out how to get the well and coolers running off our portable generator. After assessing what we had on the farm to get power safely to the well and generator, I decided to install a transfer switch that would enable us to run a few very crucial components of the farm one at a time. If the well pump is on, the coolers have to be off, and vice versa. After 5 or so hours of splicing, and running wires and cables, we had power to the well and coolers! Our days harvest was washed and cooled, just as planned.
This last week we said goodbye to two of our summer workers, Ricardo and Christopher. They have been with the farm now for 3 summers and are learning more every year. The summer months on the farm are so filled with harvesting, planting, and cultivating that it is a great help to have these extra hands on board to lighten the load. I have to say it is also a very special experience to see these young men learning the craft from their grandparents and aunts who have been with the farm for many years. That is an education that they will never forget. Christopher and Ricardo, we wish you much success in your upcoming school year!
On Saturday, I had the pleasure of giving Chef Matthew Joyce a tour of the farm. It is so interesting how everyone comes to the farm with different eyes. As an avid gardener, he knew many of the varieties we grow on the farm and offered his experiences in bringing them to the plate. His culinary work is with Prime at the Plaza in Albany which serves breakfast and lunch to legislators and employees at the Empie State Plaza in Albany. He is paired with Katchkie Farm for the Capital Roots benefit dinner on September 14th in Troy, NY. He is working with our rainbow lacinato kale, garlic, fingerling potato, leeks, fennel, red and gold beets. I look forward to tasting what he does with our produce.
Until next time,
Farmer Jon
WEEKLY HARVEST INCLUDES*
*We try our best to provide the most accurate CSA list in the newsletter! However, there’s always a chance of last minute substitutions in some bags if we don’t harvest enough of a vegetable.
DELICIOUS RECIPES TO TRY
KALE WITH RICE AND TOMATOES
Ingredients:
Salt
1/2 cup long-grain rice
1 large bunch kale
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
6 large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan; add a big pinch of salt and rice, cover, cook over low heat for 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed.
While the rice is cooking, remove the kale leaves from the ribs and rinse and drain them well. Chop the leaves finely.
Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat; add the garlic and stir until it is golden, about 1 minute. Raise the heat to medium, add tomatoes and kale and cook the mixture for 3-5 minutes, stirring, until kale is tender.
Fluff the rice and combine it in a serving dish with the kale mixture; season to taste with salt and pepper.