volume 1 newsletters, 2010

8/7/2019 volume 1 newsletters, 2010

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The ManocleThe complete first volume(2010) of Mano Farms CSA

newsletters.By Quin Shakra & JustinHuhn, with David Klein.


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Table of ContentsTableofContents.....................................................................................................................2 Turnips:Vol.1,issue#1,January4th,2010....................................................................4 Manopharmacysmullein:Vol.1,issue#1.5:January11th,2010...........................6Vol.1,no.#2,January18 th,2010........................................................................................8 RadishTopSoup...................................................................................................................10 Vol.1,#3:February1st,2010............................................................................................11 Vol.1,#4:February15th,2010.........................................................................................13 RecipesforHealth:StuffedCollardGreens..................................................................16 HowSwedeitistobelovedbyyou:Vol.1,#5:March7th,2010........................18 Vol.1,#6:March22nd,2010..............................................................................................19 RecipesforHealth:RisottoWithBroccoli....................................................................20 Vol.1,issue#7:April8th,2010.........................................................................................21 Vol.1,issue#8:April22nd,2010.....................................................................................23 FennelOrangeSalad............................................................................................................24 TheCSAnewslettercrossover!Vol.1,issue#9:April29th,2010.........................25Rutabagaprepandstorage:Vol.1,issue#10:May13 th,2010..............................27Commondandelion:Medicinal,edible,bitter&nutritious:vol.1,issue#11:

May20th,2010.......................................................................................................................30 Vol.1,issue#12:June2nd,2010.......................................................................................32RecipesforHealth:StewedLentilswithCabbage......................................................33 Vol.1,issue#13:June17th,2010.....................................................................................34 Vol.1,issue#14:July8th,2010.........................................................................................35Zucchini&Kickstarter:Vol.1,issue#15:August5th,2010....................................37Veganzucchinibread..........................................................................................................38 Vol.1,issue#16:Aug19th,2010......................................................................................39 Vol.1,issue#17:September5th,2010...........................................................................41Vol.1,issue#18:September19th,2010........................................................................42 TomatilloSalsaVerde.........................................................................................................42 Vol.1,issue#19:October10th,2010..............................................................................44


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ManoFarm,FoodJustice,andKickstarter:Abriefreflectionandaccounting.45 Vol.1,issue#20:October23rd,2010.............................................................................47 FarmerAccountability:Vol.1,issue#21:October31st,2010..............................49 ArecipeforMustardGreens(thefrillygreenswithalittlespice)......................50Vol.1,issue#22:November7th,2010............................................................................51Vol.1,issue#23:November21 st,2010.........................................................................52 Creamykale&whitebeansoup......................................................................................53 Vol.1,issue#24:December5th,2010..........................................................................54 RutabagaandCarrotPuree...............................................................................................55 Farmingamidsttherain,orour2011budget:Vol.1,Issue#25..........................56 RecipesforHealth:AndalusianCabbageStew............................................................58RecipesforHealth:SpicyStir-FriedCabbage..............................................................58

Bibliography...........................................................................................................................60


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Turnips: Vol. 1, issue #1, January 4th, 2010

Hey everyone, Quin here. Welcome to the first edition of our currently untitled (anysuggestions?) newsletter. We are writing to keep our Community Supported Agriculture

(CSA) members in touch with whats happening on the farm, provide the occasionalrecipe and nutritional profile of the food were growing, and make any other pertinentannouncements.

This week our shares include chard, kale, purple-top turnips, radishes, lettuce, Chinesecabbage and chicory. Chicory is the small, lance-shaped bunch of greens and it isincredibly bitter. Its also commonly referred to as Italian or Catalonga dandelion. Dontfear the bitter! Herbalist James Green observes that this flavor has been virtuallyeliminated from the American diet, save for beer, coffee or chocolate (the latter two ofwhich are commonly sweetened). Bitters (tasting the flavor itself being quite important)help support healthy digestion by stimulating the exocrine and endocrine glands.1 Theyalso help the liver perform its detoxification function. Perhaps most provocatively, Greensuggests:

[T]he bitter action, as it stimulates actions and sensations within the entire physiology of thebeing, has a marked antidepressant psychological effect along with a subtle grounding effect on

ones consciousness. It is difficult to remain in a depressed state with all the internal secreting and

squirting going on in the gut and glands due to the secreting effect of bitter flavor.2

Slowly acquaint yourself with chicory by chopping a small amount into your salads(salads have been historically composed of bitter greens) or try stir-frying it with some ofour kale, collards and chard.

David and Justin were initially turnip weary but have since come full circle; all it took

was finding an ideal method of preparation. We peel the bulbs (sad to lose the purple, Iknow), thinly slice and then stir-fry them. They absorb the flavor of whatever oil andspices we use and seem to digest very well. Nutritionally speaking, turnips providehumans with fiber, vitamin C, pantothenic acid, manganese, copper, thiamine, niacin,potassium, magnesium, folic acid, riboflavin, and vitamins B6 and E(!). Turnip tops arealso edible, being many times more nutritious than the root.3 Because they are a bitspindly, Id recommend cooking them (either steaming or stir-fry) first. Weve got a lotof these turnips in the ground, so we hope that you will become acquainted with thismagical vegetable.

The flower in your box is a calendula. Calendula is the archetypal Mano flower edible,

ornamental and medicinal not to mention astoundingly beautiful. Seeing these flowersflourish in the winter season brings joy to my heart. Pull the petals off the blossoms andmix them in with your salad or add them to a soup at the last minute. Or simply put the

1 James Green, The Male Herbal: The Definitive Health Care Book for Men & Boys , 2nd Edition

(Berkeley, California: Crossing Press, 2007), p 32.2 Ibid.3 Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno and Lara Pizzorno, The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods (New

York: Atria Books, 2005), 244.


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flower in a vase; it seems to have a decent shelf life and when it finally dries out, makesome tea with it. More on calendula in the future, as its got more offer as the days bothwarm and lengthen

All of above preparation tips are just suggestions, of course. As you probably know, thereare no hard and fast rules when it comes to cooking. You can eat nearly everything thatsincluded in our CSA shares (save this newsletter, of course) without any preparation atall. Needless to say, Mano Farm is and always will be pesticide and poison free.

Looking toward the horizon, weve ordered a 5-gallon salad spinner. Once that arriveswell be able to include bagged salad mixes in your share. Were also consideringincluding a bagged mix of stir-fry greens so those of you with busy schedules can have amix that can go directly into the pot or pan with minimal preparation.

I grew potatoes in a large blue bucket to keep them warm and I hope to harvest in timefor the shares next week. Our purple sprouting broccoli should be ready in a few weeks.Weve got more broccoli coming up right behind the purple stuff so we intend on

providing our members with a steady supply. Beets (white, red and gold!) are still sizingup and perhaps need another month. Spinach: we have some now, but not enough to goaround. We planted more this week.

Farther off is purple cauliflower, gai lan (a Chinese broccoli grown primarily for itsstem), purple (purple, purple, beginning to detect a theme?) carrots, fennel, peppermint,and true dandelion. Weve also got a good supply of garlic in the ground, but thats notgoing to be ready until May or June.

Were also working on setting up a subsidized CSA program where members can supportlow-income families or individuals by purchasing vegetable shares. Well get details toyou in the next newsletter.

With respect,

quin


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Mano pharmacys mullein: Vol. 1, issue #1.5:January 11th, 2010.

I didnt plan on writing another installment of this newsletter until the following week,yet given the number of people who have succumbed to flu season, I thought it would begermane to share some information about that little fuzzy green-yellow bunch of leaveswere including in this weeks shares.

The plants name is Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), and its a Eurasian import that hasnaturalized itself across most of the United States. Herbalist Gregory L. Tilford writesthat mullein is common to clearcuts, burns, and partially developed lands.4 Iveencountered the plant in the high deserts of central Oregon, along state highways nearnational forests in southern Washington, and in the craggy rock faces that run parallel tothe Cross County Parkway in Bronxville, New York.

Figure 1: Common mullein growing in a rock face. Bronxville, New York, December 2007.

Importantly, mullein is an ideal medicinal plant to be taking during throughout fluseason. Its not a magic bullet cure (few herbal medicines are) but I have found that itgently heals my respiratory ailments. Tilford writes:

Herbalists use mullein leaves for an expectorant and respiratory antispasmodic. Tea made from it

may be especially useful at the onset of a respiratory tract is acutely inflamed, a tickley spastic

cough has ensued, and the subsequent secretion of soothing, cleansing mucus seems long

overdue.5

Similarly, herbalist Michael Moore (not to be confused with the filmmaker) notes:

Mullein is an herb for the lungs and throat and can be consumed in any rational quantity needed,

being basically free of toxicity. It is a mild sedative to the lungs and especially useful in the initial

4 Gregory L. Tilford,From Earth to Herbalist: An Earth-Concious Guide to Medicinal Plants

(Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1998), 143.5 Ibid., 144.


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stages of an infection, when there is a mild fever, raspiness in the throat, and a hot, dry feeling in

the chest. Its effect decreases when the infection is broken and an expectorant is needed.6

Moore recommends to steep a tablespoon of the slightly disagreeable leaves, wellcrushed, in sweetened water and drink during the day.7 However, because our mulleinleaves are fresh (if youre looking for them at an herb store, youll usually find them

dried) I would recommend simmering them in a saucepan for 7-10 minutes. If you wantto save these leaves for future use, Tilford recommends drying them on a nonmetallicsurface, or tying them into bunches and hanging them in a dark, airspace. Mullein, hepoints out, seems to be vulnerable to mold, so watch it closely and rearrange itfrequently.8

Were in the process of ordering seeds for the next three growing seasons. Next week,wed like to give you a more detailed picture of what we plan to grow, along withinformation about our low-income subsidy program, and perhaps some thoughts aboutwhat to do with radish tops.

6 Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, Revised and Expanded Edition (Santa

Fe, New Mexico: Museum of New Mexico Press, 2003), 171.7 Ibid.8 Tilford, 145.


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Vol. 1, no. #2, January 18th, 2010.

I write these words early Monday morning, during a lull in what looks to be a week ofrain. I pay attention to weather patterns more now than at any point in my life; my

livelihood has never felt more tied to them. Yesterday, as Justin and David were finishingup some new vegetable beds at Mano, I was with Steve Sprinkel over on his Gozo Farm,helping him plant hundreds of broccolis, cauliflower, cabbages, and snapdragons. Steveand I finished up as the first raindrops were falling, and afterward I ran back with Justinto Mano to take care of the few preparations for this onslaught of rain.

So much has happened in the past few weeks that is worth recounting. Before I do so Irealize theres this polarity with this project that is quite humorous. We are on the onehand, very low-tech. For instance, (thanks to an unexpected donation by the father of aCSA member) we recently invested in a scythe that will be used use to remove the largeportions of biomass growing (both the weeds and cover crop we seeded) in areas that wearent cultivating. Justin, David and I also sat down a week ago to determine the seeds wewant grow over the next three growing seasons. We decided to invest in largely heirloom,open pollinated varieties (the kinds of seeds that have been used during most of thehistory of agriculture) from small companies such as J.L. Hudson, Baker Creek, WildGarden Seeds, and Territorial Seeds. Were getting our seed potatoes from Irish Eyes andour sweet potatoes from Sand Hill. Id originally wanted to include an extensive list ofwhat were growing, but it turned out to be so long that I instead plan to post it on ournew web site.

Which brings me to the other hand, in which we are very high tech. From the beginningof this farming project weve been wired. I opened a Twitter account(http://twitter.com/manofarm) for the first time because I felt like there was finally a

reason to use it. Weve been regularly updating it with information about what weredoing on the farm, such as planting, digging vegetable and herb beds, and any otherannouncements (such as who were supporting in this late night television debacle). I alsoset up a Facebook group, a Facebook fan page (after my brother clued me into theadvantages of the latter over the former), and finally, our own web site athttp://manofarm.org. There can be a fair amount of redundancy in all these socialnetworking technologies, but our main goal with these mediums is community outreach,to both current members and those folks who are interested in participating in our farm.Still, we know weve got a ways to go with the crucial C part of the CSA. We needto stress more that CSAs are not aimed merely at replacing the supermarket shoppingexperience; they are about reconnecting people with land on which their food is grown.

We aspire to create strong farm-supported community, and were grateful to have thesupport that youve provided us thus far. Its only gonna get better from here.

On that note, were launching a subsidy program with the goal of minimizing the socio-economic barriers that prevent individuals and families from accessing healthy, freshproduce. Members of our CSA already subsidize the farm, but we also want to let folksknow that they can also subsidize healthy eating for others. This program will soon have


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a writeup of its own, but if youre interested in supporting someone, email me [email protected].

This weeks box contains our first pick of Calabrese Green Sprouting broccoli. What Ilove about winter broccoli is the flavor of the stalk: its sweet and not fibrous. Brassicas(the plant family that broccoli is part of) love the cold nights. Youre also receiving yourfirst bag of chopped salad greens. The edible flower petals in the bag are calendula, thevery same bright red or yellow flower that punctuates your box. Lastly, our friend Plynhad inquired, What to do with radish tops? which led to the inclusion of our very firstCSA newsletter recipe: Radish Top soup. Thanks to Caroline for cluing us into this.Enjoy, and note that vegans/vegetarians can replace butter, heavy cream and chickenbroth with coconut oil, soy creamer, and vegetable stalk.


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Radish Top SoupIngredients2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, diced

2 medium potatoes, sliced

4 cups raw radish greens

4 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup heavy cream

5 radishes, sliced

DirectionsMelt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and saut until

tender. Mix in the potatoes and radish greens, coating them with the butter. Pour

in chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30

minutes.

Allow the soup mixture to cool slightly, and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth.

Return the mixture to the saucepan. Mix in the heavy cream. Cook and stir until well

blended.

Serve with radish slices.

Nutritional InformationAmount Per Serving: Calories: 177 | Total Fat: 10.2g | Cholesterol: 28m


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Vol. 1, #3: February 1st, 2010.

While nearing the end of our workday at Mano last Thursday, Quin, David and I weregraced with a visit by our friend and CSA member Kaiulani. She arrived during a typical

oh-so-magical Mano sunset to shoot photos for her class at Brooks Institute. Upondeparting, she thanked us for visiting our farm. I promptly corrected her: This is yourfarm, too. I always wanted a to have a farm, she replied, smiling.

I've been thinking a lot about our CSA program and what it really means to be a member.For some, a significant paradigm shift may be necessary to appreciate and understandyour involvement and support of the farm. This may change your relationship with foodand definition of community. These changes include: 1) shifting away from the retailfood model we have all become accustomed to and toward eating what is growing locallyand seasonally; 2) opening up to new foods that may bring a newfound excitement forexperimentation in the kitchen. Instead of a share purchasing "X" amount of vegetablesfor "Y" dollars, think about your money as an investment: in your farm, health, andcommunity.

In his bookFarms of Tomorrow, Trauger Groh writes, "...the term CSA is slightlymisleading. It implies that the problem is special support for agriculture....Although itmay seem a fine point, the primary need is not for the farm to be supported by thecommunity, but rather for the community to support itself through farming." Part of thissupport means shared risk: sharing in times of abundance (which we are presentlyexperiencing), but also sharing in potential scarcities crop failure, predation, etc..

Of late, the funds from donations and your CSA membership has afforded us theopportunity to purchase two ground squirrel traps, a couple much-needed tools,

informational publications on biodynamics, and all of our seeds for the coming springand summer seasons. The list is quite long of what we are planning on growin, but weare particularly excited about rutabagas, parsnips, sweet potatoes, two dozen tomato andwinter squash varieties, and a Japanese heirloom turnip, the Scarlet Ohno Revival.Equally as exciting are the medicinals: osha, marshmallow, echinacea, astragalus,pennyroyal, and many others. On the medicinal note, we're including our fuzzy friendMullein again in this week's box as we're noticing many folks in our community aredealing with persistent and lingering cold & flu-related respiratory issues. Simmer thisbeautiful leaf for 15 minutes and sip the tea...it's a completely safe and effectiverespiratory-healing herb, soothing the irritated mucus membranes of the lungs, and actingas a gentle expectorant.

As we enjoy the last couple weeks with our beloved purple-top turnip, we continue tohear creative ideas for consuming them. We received a tip from CSA member Caroline:lightly blanch the turnip greens with salt water to reduce their bitterness. This is sure tomake them more palatable for your bitter-shy dinner guests. We at Mano like to recallthe timeless words of Blue Oyster Cult, "Don't fear the bitter." In this weeks box, and fora couple weeks you'll find you share of the harvest of our first small round of beets. Eatthe greens...they're incredibly nutritious. Steam/saut them like you would any other


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Mano green. The beetroot can be shredded raw as a colorful & sweet addition to yoursalad, or boiled/steamed and chopped, added to your favorite grain/veggie dish.

The latest: our greenhouse is up, and we are starting seeds during every new and fullmoon. Fennel, chard, spinach and beets will be going in the ground within the next weekor two, as well as snow/snap peas, carrots and radishes. The roots: radishes, turnips,beets, carrots will come and go during the next couple months. The leafy greens,however, continue to thrive, and barring the visit of a hurricane or a marauding family offamished deer, there'll be no stopping them. The break from rain for a week or so hasallowed us to do a bit more digging...stay tuned for upcoming member volunteer days.

If you have questions or comments, or would like to come visit Mano, give me acall...758-3184. If you haven't already, check out our new website: www.manofarm.org

much love,

Justin


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Vol. 1, #4: February 15th, 2010.

Hey everyone, Quin here. I want to make a few brief announcements atthe outset of this newsletter:

Weve scheduled a Mano Farm Volunteer Day for February 21st

from 1 to

4 pm. Well likely be digging some new vegetable beds and weedingestablished ones; transplanting crops, and starting new seedlings. We want tomake this an educational experience that elucidates some of our fledglingcultivation philosophy (e.g. why we plant in triangles, start seeds in flats, anddouble dig). Rest assured, were no martinets: our typical day at Mano ispunctuated by scrumptious food and this volunteer day will be no different.Following work well be creating a meal composed of farm vegetables andother ingredients. This means well also be doing some harvesting. We hopeto see you there. For those who have yet to visit us, directions are enclosed in

this document. Each box now contains a sheet that lists what were giving you; while were

keeping more lengthy newsletters to a biweekly basis, this list will be includedevery week.

Thanks for those of yall who are leaving your boxes outdoors for us to pickup! We can rinse them clean and re-use them for the following weeks shares.

Writer and satirist David Sedaris once remarked, I haven't got the slightest idea howto change people, but still I keep a long list of prospective candidates just in case I shouldever figure it out.9 I find this germane because Ive recently realized something aboutthis Community Supported Agriculture program that theres no skirting around: Us

farmers are trying to change the way we eat and relate to our food, away from the modernagriculture experience which is based on quantity, uniformity, cheap prices, andperennial availability of fruits and vegetables and toward an ecologically sane andsustainable model of food production. The CSA model precipitates an almostuncomfortable confrontation for many accustomed to exclusively supermarket shopping.And while I pretty much agree with Sedaris Im without the slightest idea about howto change folks, and furthermore Im not entirely sure if I want to whats a CSA farmerto do when their basis for a living is predicated on changing the way people eat?

Sharing The Harvest: A Citizens Guide To Community Supported Agriculture isprobably the most thorough resource that explains both the history and diversity of the

CSA movement. Robyn Van En, who started the first U.S. CSA program at Indian LineFarm in 1985, began writing the book before her untimely death from asthma in 1997.Writing was completed under the auspices of Elizabeth Henderson, another CSA veteran.Now in its second edition, the book is loaded with practical information distilled fromcountless farmers and members experiences with CSA programs. In the sectionCommunity and Communications the authors discuss some common members face as

9 David Sedaris,Naked(Newport Beach, CA: Back Bay Books, 1997), 215.


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they decide whether or not to renew their involvement with CSA programs. Two inparticular struck me, because they again touch upon this confrontation with change.

The first was that members initial excitement of participating in a local agriculturalproject tends to wear away. The book cites a study of CSA member reactions to theirprogram over two seasons: spring and autumn. In spring, new members would say thingslike Im looking forward to working with new vegetables Ive never eaten before orIm assuming that these will be pretty much the only vegetables I buy. However byautumn these same members enthusiasm had markedly waned, as evidenced by remarkssuch as, When I said I wanted variety, I really meant within the things I was used toeating or I never got a wide enough variety to really keep me from having to go to thelocal grocery store.10

The authors use cooking to explain a second barrier to CSA renewal. Some folks startmeals deductively, with a preconceived recipe and need for specific ingredients. If I wantspaghetti sauce, for instance, I need tomatoes, oregano, olive oil, etc. I cant very wellsubstitute tomatoes for kale or chard, so this leaves me in a bind. What use is a CSA

share that wont help make my favorite foods? Conversely, the inductive cooker flingsopen the refrigerator door one hour before dinner, rejoices at the abundance, puts threequarters of the meal on the table raw, and is happy that this is possible without stepping afoot in the supermarket.11 Clearly, a inductive cook might be more naturally inclinedtoward a CSA program. Yet the aforementioned frustrated autumn CSA memberdiscussed was very likely a deductive cook thats the cook that our farm must reachout to consistently. Yet and this again hits on the topic of change the deductivecook might also consider adjusting their meal planning toward seasonally availableproduce. To this point, weve included a recipe for Collard Dolmades (Grape Leaves), atwist on a classic that will hopefully appeal to both the inductive and deductive cookersin us all. I had these on thanksgiving with Justin and my Mom and they were absolutely

delightful.

We also want to challenge deductive cooks to reconceptualize how they think aboutdiversity. For instance, I spoke over the phone to a potential CSA who wanted pineapplesand zucchinis in their CSA box; sadly, neither are in season, and only one of them can begrown locally. Compared to the individuals expectations, Mano Farm might not seemthat diverse. However, when diversity is considered laterally not only across butwithin vegetable/plant families and locally as in what Ojais landbase is capable ofgrowing due to day length and other climatic factors Id argue were one of the mostdiverse farms in the vicinity. Think two varieties of cabbage; three of broccoli and chard;four of beets; five of rutabagas, kale, and potatoes. I lost count of how many types of

garlics we put in the ground. Six? Or was that seven This unbridled, almost recklessvegetable and crop experimentalism is undoubtedly the advantage of our farms youth:we dont know yet what works so were trying everything. Reckless but hopefully not

10 Elizabeth Henderson and Robyn Van En, Sharing the Harvest: A Citizen's Guide to Community

Supported Agriculture, Revised and Expanded Edition (White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green

Publishing Company, 2007), 147.11 Ibid., 148.


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feckless. For a complete list of what were growing now and in the coming seasons, visitour web site at manofarm.org.

Hope to see you this coming Sunday. If not, were planning a Spring Equinoxcelebration on March 20th, so there will be another chance to meet each other then.

-quin


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Recipes for Health: Stuffed Collard Greens

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

If greens, raisins, nuts and grains of rice all symbolize prosperity, then you'll do well to make this recipe for

your New Year's Eve party. Collard greens are great stuffing leaves; theyare large and easy to work with,and they can stand up to long simmering. The filling is a typical Greek dolmades filling.

1 large bunch collard greens (about 1 1/2 pounds), stemmed1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large red or yellow onion, finely chopped4 garlic cloves, green shoots removed, mincedSalt to taste1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 cup rice, either medium-grain or basmati, rinsed well in several changes of water2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts (to taste)1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained (retain juice)

2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup currants or dark raisins (to taste)

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon3/4 teaspoon freshly ground allspice berries1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 1/4 cups water2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup chopped fresh dillJuice of 1 lemon1 lemon, sliced thin (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you carefully stem the collard greens, trying to keep the leavesintact. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the collardleaves in batches. Blanch two minutes and transfer to the ice water. Drain, gently squeeze out excess waterand set aside.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat in a large lidded skillet, and add the onion. Cook,stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic, salt and sugar, and cook, stirring, until the garlic isfragrant, about a minute. Add the rice and pine nuts, and stir together until the rice is coated with oil. Stir in

the tomatoes, currants, cinnamon, allspice and salt and pepper to taste. Stir together, and add 1 cup water orenough to barely cover the rice. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until all of the liquid hasbeen absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Allow to sit for 10 minutes without disturbing.Stir in the mint and dill.

3. Oil a wide, deep, lidded saucepan with olive oil. To fill the leaves, place one on your work surface, veinside up and with the stem end facing you. The leaf may have a big space in the middle where you stemmedit; if so, pull the two sides of the leaf in towards each other and overlap them slightly. Place about 1 leveltablespoon of filling on the bottom center of each leaf. Fold the sides over, then roll up tightly, tucking in

the sides as you go. Place seam side down in the pan, fitting the stuffed leaves in snug layers. Drizzle onthe remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and pour on the lemon juice. Barely cover with water, and top with alayer of lemon slices.

4. Cover the stuffed leaves with a round of parchment paper, and place a plate over the paper to weightthem during cooking. This will keep them from opening. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer over lowheat for 45 minutes to an hour until the leaves are tender. Remove from the heat, and carefully remove thedolmades from the water with a slotted spoon or tongs. Allow to drain on a rack set over a sheet pan. Servewarm or cold.


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Yield: About two dozen stuffed leaves.

Advance preparation: These keep well for three or four days in the refrigerator.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can order presentation-ready copies for

distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers, please click here or use the "Reprints" tool thatappears next to any article. Visit www.nytreprints.com for samples and additional information.


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How Swede it is to be loved by you: Vol. 1,#5: March 7th, 2010.

First things first: Were hosting a Spring Equinox gathering at Mano on Saturday, March20th. Well be commemorating the beginning of our third season of cultivation on thisbeautiful piece of land. Equinox holidays have historically celebrated the balancebetween darkness and light, and the ushering in of warmer times. For us farmers, itmeans a heralding of the quickest growing season of the year. Vegetables grow leaps andbounds in a matter of a few weeks; yet unfortunately so do the weeds around them.Because this spring will surely be the busiest and most abundant season yet for our youngfarm, we want to take this day to celebrate.

I want to mention Manos newest veggie resident: the beloved swede, aka rutabaga,cousin of the turnip. These healthy seedlings are now holding space in four freshly-dugbeds, amended with our first batch of Mano-made compost. Under bird netting they

thrive, growing strong enough to ward off critters un-deterred by the netting. Theswedes are neighbors to simultaneously-sown wild kale, and the Scarlet Ohno turnip.The bagas and Ohnos will turnip at your doorstep in about two monthsthe kale a bitsooner.

We are already mourning the end of our first small sowing of beets, and are taking ourfriend Dales advice: When in doubt, plant beets! Why, you ask? Not only are theyhighly nutritious, they also send down a ten-plus foot taproot, breaking up and looseningcompacted clay soil, therefore aiding our ongoing mission to build the soil structure. Wehave subsequently planted flat after flat of these powerhouse veggiesthe next round ofwhich you should be seeing in your box in a few weeks.

In your box this week you will find a small bunch of our first sowing of carrotseitherPurple Dragon, or Cosmic Purple. If you havent figured it out by now, we really likepurple veggies. Youll also find a couple oranges, donated to yall from CSA comradeAlexa, as well as an avocado, courtesy of Mano land owner Kim.

Thanks to everyone who took part in our first volunteer day. We planted out 200 sq ft ofpotatoes, shared food and music and good times around a fire. Well keep you updatedon our next volunteer opportunity.

Sincerely,

Justin


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Vol. 1, #6: March 22nd, 2010.

Weve been at Mano Farm for seven months and Sundays spring equinox marked thefirst full season of our Community Supported Agriculture program. Thanks to all of you

who made it out for our equinox gathering. The food was delicious and so was thecompany. Our farm was formed out of friendships and I have enjoyed not only deepeningthese existent ones but also experiencing these expanding circles of community.

If you didnt end up making it, no worries; were going to continue holding seasonalcelebrations. Summer solstice for sure, yet were also considering doing something onBeltane (May 1st). Also consider attending our upcoming Volunteer Day on Tuesday,March 30

thfrom 4 to 7pm. We decided to start in the afternoon because the the focus

will be weeding our vegetable beds, and we dont want the sun scorching our bodies. Plusthe late afternoon is ideal time for the idyllic farm experience: the sound of crickets, softgolden light, the occasional mosquito bites. We hope we can demonstrate a few tool andhand-based weeding techniques as well as introduce you to the prodigious LambsQuarter (Chenopodium spp) and dastardly (but no less prolific) Nut Sedge (Cyperusrotundus): both unwanted (dead or alive) within the boundaries of our vegetable beds.

After a weeklong hiatus, broccoli makes its reappearance in this weeks CSA box. Thesebeautiful purple shoots are an overwintering variety that we planted last August! Wehope you find them worth the wait. Broccoli, by the way, is a rich source of vitamins K,C, and A as well as folic acid and fiber. Store these shoots in an open plastic bag in yourrefrigerator crisper. If you plan on washing broccoli, wait until youre about to cook it;excess water encourages degradation.12 The stalk is wonderfully nutritious as well infact, moreso than the flower. Try the enclosed risotto recipe, and gosh, so sorry if wedidnt parse out enough of that flat-leafed parsley that the ingredient list calls for.

Also note the return of the radishes. These are the cherry belle variety; and weve also gotsome mixed varieties that will replace these belles once theyre through ringing. Ournewest sowing of beets is sizing up and we expect a steady supply for your boxes by nextweek. Last but not least on our vegetable forecast is purple cauliflower; weve glancedthe first heads of these forming and hope theyll be cauling you soon.

quin

12 Murray et al., 172-173.


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Recipes for Health: Risotto With Broccoli

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

Sometimes I get bored with broccoli but then I use it in a risotto, and its like a completely new

vegetable. The diced stems retain a nice texture that contrasts with the tender flowers. Make sure to slicethe flowers thin for the most delicate results.

2 quarts well-seasoned chicken or vegetable stock, as needed2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion1 1/2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), green shoots removed, mincedFreshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc1 pound broccoli (2 good-size stalks), stems peeled and cut in small dice, flowers thinly sliced1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

1. Put your stock or broth into a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over low heat with a ladle nearby or inthe pot. Make sure that the stock is well seasoned.2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet or in a large, wide saucepan. Add the onionand a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until it is just tender, about three minutes. Do not brown.

3. Add the rice and the garlic, and stir until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add the wine, and stiruntil it has been absorbed. Begin adding the simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at atime. The stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Cook,stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock, and continue to cookin this fashion, stirring in more stock when the rice is almost dry. You do not have to stir constantly, but stiroften. After 10 minutes, stir in the diced broccoli stems. Continue to add broth and stir the rice for anotherfive minutes. Stir in the thinly sliced flowers. Continue to add broth and stir the rice for another 10 minutesor so. When the rice is tender all the way through but still chewy, it is done. Taste now and adjust

seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add another ladleful of stock to the rice, along with theParmesan and the parsley, and remove from the heat. The mixture should be creamy (add more stock if itisnt). Stir for about half a minute, then serve in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thinlayer rather than a mound.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6.

Advance preparation: You can begin up to several hours before serving. Proceed with the recipe and cookhalfway through step 3 that is, for about 15 minutes. The rice should still be hard when you remove itfrom the heat, and there should not be any liquid in the pan. Spread it in an even layer in the pan, and keepit away from the heat until you resume cooking. If the pan is not wide enough for you to spread the rice in athin layer, transfer it to a sheet pan. Fifteen minutes before serving, bring the remaining stock back to asimmer, and reheat the rice. Resume cooking as instructed.

Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com .

(This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can

order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues,

clients or customers here or use the "Reprints" tool that appears next

to any article. Visit www.nytreprints.com for samples and additional information. Order a reprint of this

article now.)


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Vol. 1, issue #7: April 8th, 2010.

Spring is a merely two weeks young, yet for us farmers of the chaparral its virtuallykaput in terms of what were working on growing. Sure, there are the straggler seedlings

wild mustard greens, green glaze collards, and another sowing of purple top turnips that well be finding places for in the ground expeditiously, but seriously: most of theseare a lark. Theyll probably grow, yet theyll undoubtedly be stronger tasting than theirautumn and winter counterparts. This is because Brassicaceae/Cruciferae familyvegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, turnip, rutabaga, radishes, and Asianvegetables love the cold. It sweetens their stalks and keeps their leaves tender,whereas heat promotes bolting (the plant going to flower and then seed) and that telltalemustardy spiciness. So its too late to start any new seedlings. What weve got is whatweve got. Make way for summer! Basil, tomatoes, zucchini, okra, potatoes, summer andwinter squash (the latter so-called because it stores over the winter), melons, corn,eggplant if it grows, weve got it going.

As you Monday CSA folks are aware, we made a decision to make our deliveriesexclusively on Thursdays. The impetus for this decision was our desire to focus more ongrowing your food and less time in trucks. We appreciate your understanding. Iveobserved a positive cycle: more time on the farm allows us to grow more food for you,which allows us to grow our membership base, which allows us more time to grow morefood. Your continuing support of our CSA has allowed all three of us to reach closer toour goal of making this farm a full time project, and I cannot fully express the gratitude Ifeel to be supported this much (especially in such a short span of time). Our circlegarden, which we broke ground on August 10th of last year, was completed last week.Were now hand-cultivating roughly 4000 square feet of vegetable beds. Most of this areawas established through a process known as double digging, which involves digging12-inch deep trenches, forking the trenched soil an additional 12 inches deep, and thenrepeating the process in the delineated area of our choosing in our case, mostly 100square foot beds. This method is initially more labor intensive but over time allows us tocreate a very healthy soil or tilth. Some of our beds have been double-dug twicealready; some are still on their first cycle. Regardless, after a few double-digs, the soil isideally texturized enough to be redug using a tool called a broad fork or U-bar;basically a giant digging fork with 18 inch tines. This makes re-digging the beds aquicker endeavor. We purchased this tool thanks to an anonymous donation by one of ourmembers.

With the help of our volunteer day crew of Dale, Roberto, Kata, Juli, and her son E.J., we

broke ground outside our circle garden, digging about 10 three by three square feetmounds. These mounds will eventually cover about a third of our acre, and be plantedwith melons and winter squash. Yours truly has a thing for white pumpkins and weregrowing three varieties Valenciano, Lumina, and a hybrid variety called Full Moon, abig ol thing that produces pumpkins that weigh up to 90 pounds. To borrow a pokerterm: Go big or go home. Whats a farm without a giant pumpkin? Okay, if youre notbig on the white pumpkins weve got some great surprises in store for you winter squash


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and melon lovers, as long as our baby seedlings can fend off the onslaught of gophersdigging around our field

A few notes about this weeks box: This is the last of our chicory aka Italian dandelioncrop. Most of yall will probably not mourn the loss of a bitter green that has steadfastlyshown up in your boxes for months on end, yet for those who cant get enough of these,weve got another set of seedlings flourishing in our greenhouse. Next, our purplecauliflower seems to be heading up sporadically and seems markedly similar to ourpurple broccoli so were mix and matching these together, hope you dont mind. Lastlynote the return of the turnip or as I like to say, returnip.The variety, as Justinmentioned in a previous newsletter, is called Scarlet Ohno Revival, and originally hailsfrom Japan. We chose to grow this turnip not only for its striking red bulb but also itssmooth, edible leaf that we thought might be more appealing to yall than the fuzzy, itchyleaf on the purple tops wed been previously growing. Still, go sparing on this leaf whenyou cook with it; its much stronger than a kale or Swiss chard. Try blanching it with saltwater to soften the flavor.

We hope you enjoy these final weeks of the spring crops as we gracefully transition to thebounty of summer

all the best,

quin


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Vol. 1, issue #8: April 22nd, 2010.

Hi allJustin here. Id like to start this weeks newsletter off with some good news.

About six weeks ago we sent a small sample of our soil to Kinsey Agricultural Servicesto be lab tested for a breakdown of its contents, and the results are in! It turns out Manosterra firma is sufficiently full of trace minerals: Boron, Iron, Manganese, Copper & Zinc.These are needed for healthy plant growth, as well as healthy human bodies. Our soil hasplenty of Phosphorus and Sodium, but is too high in both Calcium and Magnesium. Thissounds like a good problem, but in fact this excess causes the soils Potassium to becomeunavailable to the plants. Sowe add a bit of Sulfur to counter the Cal and Mag andopen up the Potash. Also, well add some Nitrogen in the form of Soybean and Alfalfameal to complete our newfound enlightened fertilizing regime! All of this in addition toongoing amending with compost. Results to come

Im finding it to be quite difficult to narrow down my trains of thought concerning thefarm into concise, eloquent snippets and summaries. So much happens out there in asingle day, that to highlight and report on the past two weeks is overwhelming. So Illhighlight just todays farm experience: Tuesday, April 20th.

I arrived this morning @ 8:30 to find David already halfway done with forking up weedsfrom what recently had been a bed of beets. I checked in with the babies in thegreenhouse to make sure they were sufficiently moist, and inspected the trays of somerecently sownEchinacea angustifolia seeds to see if theyve awaken. Not yet. Then outto the circle, eyeing the clouds and impending storm. I check the gopher traps setyesterday evening. One gopher killed, then buried deeply underneath a soon-to-besquash mound for fertilizer and hopefully gopher deterrent.

Our goal today was to prep and plant the former beet bed with cucumbers, our secondofficial summer crop, before it started to rain. Our first summer crop, amaranth, wasplanted last week. At around 9:30 I said to David, I bet it starts to rain around noon.Ten minutes later, were getting wet. Im still learning to tune in to the barometric shifts.I weed and scratch in fertilizer in the broccoli and purple cabbage beds, hoping toincorporate the added nutrients before the deluge, effectively sending the goods straightdown to the roots. We bail at @ 11:00 for an early lunch and to warm up as the rainpours down. During lunch we crunch numbers: which beds are coming available for anew planting and when? What do we have in the greenhouse that needs to be planted andhow soon? How much corn and beans will we need to start in order to provide for 30

CSA members? This discussion during lunch was quite detailed, but truthfully, weretalking what and where, how much and when often throughout each farm day.

After lunch, in the brilliant sunshine we built another compost pile, layering kitchenscraps, soil, straw, and the purple broccoli plants we pulled the day before. We thenfinished broadforking, shaping, fertilizing, and planting a gorgeous bed of two differentvarieties of cucumbers.


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I could attempt to paint a literary picture across the landscape of your imagination oftodays idyllic sunset, or describe how it feels to stop digging for a few minutes to watcha mid-air battle between a Red-tailed Hawk and a few crows, but what Id really like is toshare these experiences with my community. Our membership is twenty strong, andmore than half of you have never been to the farmsome of you weve never even had

the pleasure of meeting. If you have yet to set foot on the farm, we encourage you to joinus out there sometime soon, and make a physical and personal connection with the sourceof our food. Weve set aside Thursday afternoons from 3 oclock on as an open time forCSA members and friends to visit or lend a hand. If that day/time doesnt line up foryou, give us a call or send an email to set up a time to come out.

We are grateful for your support! Now with twenty CSA members on board, we wouldlike to grow our membership by adding five or six new folks for the month of or seasonstarting in May. If you are happy with your experience with us or feel you are a part ofsomething important and worthy of supporting, we encourage you to talk to friends orfamily about us.

We appreciate hearing from you with your praises, likes/dislikes & suggestions.

In gratitude,

Justin

Fennel Orange SaladIngredients

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced 2 medium oranges, peeled 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar salt and pepper 2 tablespoons sweetened dried cranberries

Directions

Place the sliced fennel in a salad bowl. Slice oranges to divide flesh sections and add to

bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper. Toss, top withsweetened cranberries and serve.


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The CSA newsletter crossover! Vol. 1, issue #9:April 29th, 2010.

Steve and Olivia, the co-owners of Farmer and the Cook, are in New Orleans this week

enjoying the jazz, eating oysters at all-night restaurants and helping on farms that wereestablished in the wake or Hurricane Katrina. They have left me, Quin, to caretake GozoFarm, their 12-acre plot of land adjacent to Rice Road and Highway 150. Forgive theredundancy, as about 60 of you Gozo CSA members are probably aware of what Ive justwritten. Yet heres something you might not know. Myself and two other friends haveour own project an acre of land known as Mano Farm. About 20 of you the size ofour CSA are probably aware of this. Add to that Johnny Fonteyns plot at Gozo andthat makes three organic farms all within a few miles of each other. When I have amoment to take a breath I realize how special it is to be part of a growing movement offarmers and community members. It also seems like weve managed to avoid stepping onour toes (most of the time anyway). I truly believe cooperation, not competition, is

central to farm-based communities.

This preamble was written to inform you that this is a crossover issue of CSAnewsletters. You know crossovers, right? Its a concept borrowed from numerousnarrative forms whereby characters from novels, television shows, and comics makecameo appearances in other novels, television shows, and comics. The Manocle is whatweve affectionately dubbed our newsletter, and of course Forager is usually Steveswriting.

Of course, Im doing this to save time and perhaps by this point you might be wonderingif Im wasting yours. Yet given that our farms are loosely integrated there are some

practical facets to this crossover concept. Your broccoli in this weeks shares, forinstance. I planted this with Steve @ Gozo in January and now were swimming in somuch of it theres plenty for everyone. Its a variety known as marathon, so-called for

both its rapid rate of growth and its ability to help you win marathons, guaranteed.

This week Steve, Olivia, John Phaneuf, Jose and I planted row after row of eggplants,tomatoes, sunflowers, and basil. Steve had so many starts that weve brought some toMano and are putting them in the ground there. Weve already got our own going butwhos going to deny more variety? I imagine by late summer well have enough eggplantto launch a subsidy program whereby residents of Ojai receive their very own fruit ofListada De Gandia (one of the varieties we put in the ground).

Elsewhere on the horizon, were full of beans. Ive been helping Olivia get anasazi,yardlong, white beans and other nameless varieties growing. I picked up some dragontongue beans from my recent travels and us Mano farmers plan on going big on those. Tosquash in a few more cucurbits: Cucumbers dont seem too cucumbersome as they arecucumbering up everywhere and waiting for some fertile ground. Zucchini is around andwill likely be annoying you in overwhelming amounts starting June and lasting through

Not guaranteed.


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October. @ Mano we have already put our first winter squash in the ground. Steve saysits too early to plant @ Gozo but weve got a banana belt going @ Mano. Pumpkins foreveryone well before Halloween.


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Rutabaga prep and storage: Vol. 1, issue #10:May 13th, 2010.

A friend I once knew spoke of her poems in terms of plateaus, a point of

accomplishment from which she could look back on what shed written, revised, andstruggled through before embarking upon further revision(s). This metaphor is germaneto our farm. We spent a lot of the first months of our CSA worrying about whether wewould have enough food to go around, if our crops would actually grow or be overrun bypredators or if people would be even interested in what were doing. Every now and thoseold anxieties creep back in; as on Monday morning when I plucked about 50 snails fromour rutabaga beds, I thought it was any wonder they grew at all. Yet grow they did, and Ilast week I was effuse with joy as pulled the first of these roots out of the ground andbunched them to put in your boxes.

In the beginning of this project farmer felt like a foreign title, like it was something

undeservedly bestowed upon me merely because I had a plot of land to work with. Ieschewed the label whenever possible. Yet nine months into this project and a few yearsexperience on other farms, I suppose Ive been thinking about the point when oneauthentically becomes a farmer. Like poet or artist theres no universallyrecognized certificate or degree. David draws a distinction between gardening andfarming: a garden is when you grow food for yourself and a farm is when you grow foodfor your local community and beyond. By this definition, I suppose we are finallyfarmers and the proof is the consistent weekly vegetable shares that show up in yourboxes.

Were now planting our summer crops with confidence melons, zucchini, pumpkins,

squash, okra just to name a few while our spring vegetables are holding out strong.The rutabagas are here for a number of weeks so we hope you enjoy them. Justinphotocopied a little sheet about themdidnt reach all of you so were including it foreveryone again. My favored method of preparation is utilitarian yet delicious: thinlysliced (perhaps a at most) in vegetable stir-fries. Start with some olive oil and greengarlic, then add the rutabagas, cook for 5-10 minutes until they reach the desired texture,and then add any number of other Mano Farm vegetables, salt and enjoy.

Speaking of stir-fry: you may have noticed last week that sugar snap peas slipped into ourMicro-green stir-fry mix. Weve got even more in there this week, including a varietyknown as golden (I wanted to mention that so yall didnt think the yellow meant thepods had turned). Theres also spinach, kale, a little chard, and amaranth greens in thatmix. Amaranth greens? you ask. Youll be hearing a lot more about this crop from us,which was a staple in the diets of the pre-Columbian Aztecs. The seed grain is morecommonly consumed and available in grocery stores, but according to The Encyclopediaof Healing Foods, the leaves are also nutritional stars in their own rite:

1 cup of cooked amaranth leaves provides 104 percent of the daily value of Viamin A, along with72 percent value of vitamin C 19 percent of the daily value of folic acid, 18 percent of B6, 16percent of the daily value of B2, and 10 percent of the daily value of B3 63 percent of the daily


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value of manganese, 28 percent of the daily value of calcium, 24 percent of the daily value ofpotassium, 23 percent of the daily value of copper and magnesium, 17 percent of the daily value ofiron, and 15 percent of the daily value of zinc.13

Yum. I had a bunch of these this afternoon and the flavor is delightful as well.

In other news, were actively seeking out new members for our CSA. We can presentlytake on about 5-6 new members, but wed love to have more (a waiting list, in fact). Ifyou like what were doing, recommend us to your friends and family. We know some ofyou already have, and the referrals are much appreciated.

Were holding a solstice party on the farm on June 21st. Details forthcoming.

Enjoy the food,

quin

Rutabaga Preparation and Storage

Healthy Ways to Prepare This Fall and Winter Root Vegetable

Jan 25, 2010Renee SheltonRutabagas are a root vegetable that can be served both raw and cooked. Here are two great healthy recipes for arutabaga, carrot and orange salad and mashed rutabagas.

The Rutabaga,Brassica napobrassica, is a root vegetable that is easily found in most markets year round withtheir peak season occurring during the fall and winter months. They have a light to dark yellow-colored fleshwith a multi-colored outside skin. Rutabagas can be used as a substitute for potatoes in recipes where they can bemashed or cubed and added to stews and soups.

Nutritional ValueRutabagas have no cholesterol and are very low in fat. They are a good source of fiber and Vitamin C. Whilethey are lower in carbs than a white potato, they have around 15 g carbohydrate and 66 calories per 1 cup plain

boiled cubes.Purchasing & StorageThe smaller rutabagas will be the sweetest tasting. Younger rutabagas are also more tender making them a betterchoice for raw salads. Older rutabagas will be very large with an abundance of rootlets sprouting. Rutabagas likehigh humidity so storage in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator is preferred although they can be storedfor a short time at room temperature on the counter top.Rutabagas are prepared the same as potatoes for stews and soups. Cut off the ends, then peel and chop as needed.Cutting the rutabaga into uniform pieces will ensure even cooking. Rutabagas are also great fresh in salads or cutup and served with other crunchy vegetables for a snack. Below are two different recipes for rutabagas using

them in both raw and cooked forms.

Carrot, Rutabaga and Mandarin Orange SaladGrated carrots and rutabaga with an orange white wine vinegar dressingIngredients:

2 cups grated carrots

1 cup grated rutabaga

1 cup mandarin oranges, drained and seeds removed

1/2 cup canola oil

2 Tbsp orange juice

2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

13 Murray et al., 339.


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1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/4 tsp dry ginger

1/4 tsp dry mustard

Salt and white pepper to tasteProcedure:

1. Toss the grated carrots, rutabaga and oranges lightly in a large mixing bowl.

2. Whisk the canola oil, orange juice and white wine vinegar in a separate, smaller mixing bowl.3. Add chopped chives and parsley, dry ginger and dry mustard. Sprinkle in salt and white pepper to taste.4. Pour over the carrot, rutabaga and orange mixture and toss to coat.5. Serve.

Mashed RutabagasOmit the butter and use defatted chicken stock for a low-fat side dish.Ingredients:

2 lbs. rutabagas, peeled and chopped

2-3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/4 to 1/3 cup chicken stock, or as needed

Salt and pepper to tasteProcedure:

1. In a large pot, boil the cut up rutabagas until tender.

2. Drain. Press the rutabagas through a ricer or food mill, or mash with a potato masher.3. Add in the soft butter, and stir in the chicken stock. Begin with a quarter cup and add in additional stock

as needed for desired consistency.4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.


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Common dandelion: Medicinal, edible, bitter& nutritious: vol. 1, issue #11: May 20th, 2010.

Hello everyone. Quin here. This week marks the return of bitter greens to our CSA.

Those small green bunches of leaves are common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale),which doubles as both an edible and medicinal plant.

Some brief suggestions for preparation:

For a nutritious tea, simmer the fresh leaves in water for 5-10 minutes.

Dry and store leaves, then brew as them in a tea; pour boiling water over them &steep until desired strength is acquired.

Chop fresh greens into your Mano Farm salad mix.

Stirfry or steam greens with other Mano Farm vegetables.

Wed previously been putting bunches of Italian dandelion/chicory in our shares, whicha discrete genus/species of plant: Cichorium intybus. Forgive me while I geek out ontaxonomy but the common names had me fooled, so those bunches in your box mark aminor triumph. Last year when I lived in Manhattan I would buy organic Italiandandelion from the health food stores @ $3.99 a bunch (!) thinking I was getting the truestuff. When I bought Catalongna dandelion seed and planted flat upon flat of it lastautumn, I thought the same thing. Then one day I quite accidentally discovered thisdandelion was chicory, a wonderfully nutritious bitter green in its own rite, as well asthe source of the chicory root commonly found in the herb sections of health food stores.In fact weve planted more of that on the farm, a beautiful red veined variety.

Figure 2: Common dandelion (left); Common chicory (right)


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But why all this fuss over which dandelion is which? Because common dandelion long a scourge to landscapers and gardeners of the prim and proper ilk; regularly a victimof backpack sprayers filled with glyphosate (and no, the irony was not lost on me as Iweeded out the dandelion bed) must be one of the most underrated medicinal andedible plants in the history of food. When Hippocrates famously declared, Your food

shall be thy medicine and your medicine shall be your food, Im pretty sure he musthave had dandelion in mind, because it exemplifies the qualities of both. What followsare excerpts from literature on my bookshelf:

From Michael Murray, The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods:

dandelion contains greater nutritional value than many other vegetables. It is particularly high invitamins and minerals, protein, choline, inulin, and pectin. Its carotenoid content is extremelyhigh, as is reflected by its higher vitamin A content than carrots dandelion has 14,000 IU ofvitamin A per 100 grams compared to 11,000 IU for carrots Dandelion is a rich source ofnutrients and other compounds that may improve liver functions, promote weight loss, possessdiuretic activity, and improve blood sugar control. Overall, dandelion is a rich source of medicinalcompounds that have a toning effect on the body, and both the greens and the roots can be used

for this purpose.14

From Gregory Tilford, From Earth to Herbalist:

This plant offers an incredibly broad spectrum of therapeutic and nutritional usefulness. Whendandelion was introduced from Europe, it was known as piss-in-bed herb because the diureticactions of the leaf are so strong. Dandelion is unique as a diuretic because it is a rich source ofpotassium and other trace minerals and vitamins, which replace what would otherwise be lostthrough the urination it stimulates. For this reason, dandelion is widely used by herbalists in thetreatment of any variety of disease that involves fluid retention, such as pulmonary edema or gout.

Dandelion is considered a safe but powerful liver stimulant and is frequently used to treat variousliver and digestive disorders, as well as chronic skin condition that may result from an overworked

or dysfunctional liver or gall bladder. As a bitter fresh dandelion leaf or tincture is useful ifconsumed immediately before eating a meal to kick start the digestive process before foodenters the stomach, which maximizes digestion and nutrient absorption

It is a perfect example of a plant food medicine rich in protein, inulin, iron, and potassium,and vitamins A, C, and B-complex (to name a few).15

From Richo Cech,Making Plant Medicine:

Dandelion is a classic spring tonic. The herb is somewhat laxative, marked diuretic, and improvesthe function of the liver, promoting the secretion of bile. As such, dandelion is an excellent blood-cleanser, especially when combined with burdock, helping rid the system of accumulated toxinsand improving bad skin. Dandelion will also benefit those suffering from indigestion andarteriolosclerosis. 16

14 Tilford, 190.15 Murray et al., 91-92.16 Richo Cech, Making Plant Medicine (Williams, Oregon: Horizon Herbs, 2000), 139.


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Vol. 1, issue #12: June 2nd, 2010.

Our Summer Solstice Party is on June 21st, from 6 to 9 pm. Join us for a mealand fire; if you are so inspired, bring a course to our optional-potluck. If youve

got young ones, weve decided to make this an adults-only event. Sorry: after ourfirst two seasonal gatherings, we decided that our farm space is not sufficientlyorganized to host young children. We hope to set up a childrens space in the nearfuture, when time and resources allow.

The cabbage we have placed in this weeks shares is a variety known as Savoy. Wepurchased the seed from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and started them in our greenhousearound late January. Weve got probably a week or two of Savoy heads left for you; thered drumhead cabbages arrive next (although to me they always look more purple thanred). This is the first time weve grown cabbages on the farm, and were excited to havethem ready so late in the season. After I pulled our first wheelbarrow full of them out of

our field, the fledgling historian in me perked up: Where did this really come from?Beyond our particular seed and dirt, where did crops such as Cabbage begin?

Derived from the wildBrassica oleracaea, which is native to the Mediterranean coastscabbage is undoubtedly a crucial vegetable, not only for the nutrition it provides but alsofor the diversity of cultivated varieties that presently exist: Brussels sprouts, broccoli,cauliflower, collards, kales (save the Siberian types) and kohlrabi are all derivations oftheBrassica oleracaea. One text suggests cabbage was brought to Europe from Asia byroving bands of Celtic people around 600 B.C.E.17 while another asserts we knownothing before Romans introduced cabbage to Europe around the year 43 CE.18

What we do know is that cabbage is a nutrient-dense, low calorie food. It is primarily

known for its Vitamin C content, cabbage also contains more phytochemicals withdemonsratable anticancer properties than any other vegetable family?19 Thats right:eating cancer may help reduce the risk of cancer. Thats apparently the word from theAmerican Cancer society. For more information about Savoy cabbage or any othervegetable we put in our shares, I recommend two sources: NutritionData(http://www.nutritiondata.com), and Michael Murrays The Encyclopedia of HealingFoods, from which I frequently cite. Also enclosed is an article and recipe from MarthaRose Shulmans excellent Recipes for Health series, published in theNew York Times.

17 Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno and Lara Pizzorno, The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods (New

York: Atria Books, 2005), 176.18 Bill Laws, Spade, Skirret and Parsnip: The Curious History of Vegetables (Phoenix Mill: Sutton

Publishing, 2004), 54.19 Murray, et al. 177.


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Recipes for Health: Stewed Lentils with

CabbageBy MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

This humble and hearty combination makes a satisfying main dish, especially on a cold night. Lentils are anexcellent source of folate and molybdenum and a very good source of dietary fiber, protein and manganese.Any type of lentil will work in this recipe.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1 medium onion, half of it chopped, half sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced1/2 pound lentils (brown, green, or beluga), rinsed and picked over3 1/2 cups water (more as needed)

1 dried red chile1 bay leafSalt to taste6 ounces waxy potatoes, scrubbed and sliced about 1/2 inch thick1 1/2 pounds green cabbage (1 medium head), cored and cut crosswise in 3/4-inch wide ribbons

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsleyFreshly grated Parmesan for serving (optional)

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan or casserole over medium heat. Add the choppedhalf of the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 2 of the garlic cloves and cook,stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the lentils, water, chile, and bay leaf, and bring to asimmer. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and thepotatoes and continue to simmer gently for 30 minutes, until the lentils and potatoes are tender. Add more

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

2. While the lentils are simmering, cook the cabbage with the remaining onion and garlic in a wide liddedskillet. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add the sliced onion. Cook,stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the garlic and stir together until thegarlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cabbage and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until

the cabbage begins to wilt. Add 1/4 cup water, turn the heat down to medium, cover and simmer 10minutes, or until the cabbage is tender and sweet, stirring from time to time. Add salt and freshly groundpepper to taste.

3. Spread the cabbage over the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Top with the lentils and potatoes.Sprinkle on the parsley, and serve in wide soup bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan if desired.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Advance preparation: You can make this dish up to a day ahead and reheat on top of the stove.

Approximate Nutritional Information per Serving (based on 4 servings): 346 calories; total fat: 7.6g;saturated fat: 1.1g; cholesterol: 0mg; sodium: 39mg; total carbohydrates: 54.0g; dietary fiber: 23.1g;sugars: 8.3g; protein: 18.0g; vitamin A: 5% Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) based on a 2,000calorie diet; vitamin C 129% RDA; calcium 12% ; iron 30%


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Vol. 1, issue #13: June 17th, 2010.

We have decided to cancel ourSummer Solstice Party this coming Monday.With the recent Summer-like heat, we have simply been too busy with work at

Mano to prepare for this event. We will keep you posted about another possibleevent during the summer.

We will be taking a week off next month! There will be no CSA pick on July22nd. Everyone will receive an additional week CSA membership to make up forour absence. This break is sorely needed for us, but will be brief, consisting of atrip up north to Oregon to visit other CSA farms & seed companies wevesupported some which we buy our seeds from regularly. Well give youanother reminder of our week off as it nears.

In this weeks box youll find threecountemthree new editions: Purslane, Red-veined Chicory, and New Zealand spinach.

Purslane is widely considered a weed. A single plant can produce more than fiftythousand seeds, and easily spreads throughout the garden or farm. The good news: itcontains more Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids than any other leafy vegetableplantperiod. It also contains vitamins A & C, and is loaded with minerals. Eat it rawin a salad, or stir-fry it with some Mano greens.

Red-veined Chicory is a bitter green that were particularly fond of for not only itsbeauty, but for its ability to aid and tone the digestive system. It can be pretty intenseraw, but for the brave amongst us can chop it small and add it sparingly to salads. Weusually stir-fry it up.

New Zealand spinach is the succulent green found in your bag of stir-fry mix. Weresuper excited about this one! Though unrelated, it cooks down like spinach, and issimilarly nutritious. It looks to be a productive, heat-tolerant green.

Coming soon: beetsoh so delicious sugar beets followed by a crop of red beets, a bitmore lettuce and chard, carrots, basil, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant,summer squash & onions to name a few right around the corner.

I hope you do something special to welcome the return of shortening days this comingMonday. We wish you health and enjoyment of the ongoing bounty

Blessings,

Justin


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Vol. 1, issue #14: July 8th, 2010.

Just a reminder: we will not be delivering CSA shares on July 22nd, as David,Justin and Quin are traveling to Oregon to tour farms, seed companies, and bask

in the old growth forests of Cascadia. Your CSA shares will be extended oneweek to expiate for our absence.

Were preparing to raise funds for subsidized CSA shares through the web siteKickstarter. Weve assembled a short film that will be available imminently. Staytuned.

Sorry for the lack of newsletter last week. Weve been in the fields so much thereshardly been a moment to sit down and document our progress. While weve been fillingevery last nook and cranny of our circle garden, weve also been busy expanding into thesouth side of our field, where rows of beans, tomatoes, winter squash, and melons(watermelon and cucumber) are now established (save the occasional gopher-induced

casualty). Luckily weve had a lot of volunteer help, in the past week especially. Wevebeen hosting our very first WWOOFer, Maria, who put in a number of solid workdayswith us. Then theres Paige, Allegra, Chris, Sara, and Melissa who have all come out toweed, plant, and kill squash bugs. Immense thanks to you all. The English writer JohnHeywood famously said, Many hands make light work, and Ive been thinking howthis is especially true for a project such as ours, which relies so heavily upon humanlabor.

This mild summer climate has dovetailed nicely with our spring crop gambles. Thelettuce not only is here, but also tastes wonderful (summer typically imparts a bitterflavor to even the most succulent of varieties). This marks the fourth and final week ofour cabbage patch, which gave so wonderfully into the summer. And kale? I dont know

anyone else in the valley who is growing it, and these bunches are from brand new plants.

For those awaiting proper summer, be careful with such wishes: temperatures in theupper 90s are expected by the weekend. That should be the perfect boost for oureggplants, tomatoes, and peppers, which all need and love the heat.

We hope the white, elongated roots in last weeks CSA share didnt cause confusion:theyre sugar beets. And sorry to keep tooting our horn, but as far as Im aware, these arealso Mano Farm exclusives. It baffles me why this is the case; theyre my favorite cropweve grown, and they can be planted nearly year round. I encourage everyone to growtheir own. Maria and I started more from seed this week.

David and I have been cooking the sugar beets as follows: slice thinly (1/4 inch thick),heat a pan with olive oil, chop some onions, stirfry both together, add culinary or Thaibasil (both included this share), a dash of cayenne pepper, garlic, soy sauce, toastedsesame oil, and any other leafy vegetables you desire.

Also making their first appearance are our potatoes! We planted a smattering of red,white, and blue potatoes in February, and I had the idea we could put them in last weeks


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share just in time for Independence Day. However, we figured wed give them a smidgenmore time. So now here they are.

If youre wondering what you can do with that red-veined bitter (and-oh-so-helpfuldigestive aid) chicory, heres one creative suggestion from a member: blend it up in afood processor with basil, the nuts of your choice, raw garlic, olive oil, salt, and youvegot a new variation on a classic pesto.

Since we went three weeks without a newsletter, I hope we can write another next weekfor our final box before we take off to Oregon.

Happy trails,

Quin


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Zucchini & Kickstarter: Vol. 1, issue #15:August 5th, 2010.

Weve decided to move away from Thursday CSA share deliveries and towardSunday farm pickups. Were contacting members about this directly, but the gistof the transition is as follows: were honoring the delivery policy for remainder ofyour monthly or seasonal share, but folks who want to renew will need to comepick up their veggies on the farm. The impetus for the decision was that it is notfeasible for us to farm full time and also do deliveries for 15+ people on a weeklybasis. Its an issue of ideals versus reality. Additionally, we desire a greaterinteraction between our member base and the farm. We want to see yall moreregularly!

Weve just begun a 60-day, $10,000 dollar fundraising campaign through the website Kickstarter. Our listing, which can be accessed through this URL http://kck.st/dee7KU contains details and a short film about our farm. Quinsbrother Micah put the film together, and were all hoping to collaborate onsomething longer in the future.

Zucchini is a vegetable that never seems to rise above the clichs that surround it. Theway its joked about in food circles reminds me of a friend who unicycles; the mostfrequent common she hears from passers-by is, Youve lost a wheel! Ha ha. Thatszucchini for ya. Every summer, it arrives, gives, gives, gives, and then finally its wornout its welcome. We inevitably forget to harvest them and then one day discover an over-sized, seedy monster left on the vine. And its not only us. We pick up the vegetablescraps from Farmer and the Cook and have been adding boxes of unsold zucchini invarious stages of decay to our compost piles. Steve, co-owner of the store and fellow

farmer, solemnly joked: People dont buy this; they want local food. You can do yourpart to mitigate zucchini waste by trying out my own recipe for zucchini bread, enclosedat the end of this newsletter.

Farming is all about rhythm and consistency. Even though weve been back for a week tome it feels like its only today that weve gotten back into the swing of things. Werepreparing the northern third of our field for our autumn brassicas (kale, collards,cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, rutabagas), and have requested the assistance of Steve tohelp us rip the north field with his tractor. Since our farm is centered on small-scale handcultivation, we discussed how this decision would affect our farming philosophy, andweve decided that it wont really alter it very much. Farming at present is irrevocably

petroleum-based yet we remain committed to long-term petroleum independence.However, in the short term, we have decided to use the technology available to us.Steves help will allow us plant out a third of an acre in a week instead of months wethink all our members and the Ojai community in general will benefit from this decision.


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Vegan zucchini bread

Back in the day I would bake this for Farmer and the Cook, and I recall it being prettypopular. Its my own recipe and like all good things in life, subject to adaptation, critique

and/or revision. For instance, try coconut milk instead of orange juice, pumpkin insteadof zucchini, peach sauce instead of apple, almond extract instead of vanilla, etc etc.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Dry ingredients:

3 cups pastry flour (I often use white spelt, but a whole wheat flour will imparta cakier texture to the bread)1 tsp cinnamon1 tsp baking soda1 tsp baking powder1 tsp salt1/2 tsp ginger powder

3. Wet ingredients:

Mix separately: 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed in 9 tablespoons of water. Letsit for approximately 10 minutes.

2 cups fresh grated zucchini1 cups rapadura or sucanant sugar1 cup oil (sunflower or safflower preferred; soy or canola also works fine)

cup apple sauce1/3 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed preferred)1-2 tsp vanillagrated lemon peel (or lemon extract): add to preferred taste

Mix the wet ingredients together, and then mix the dry ingredients into wet. Pour flaxinto the dry/wet mixture. Pour into baking pan with dimensions of approximately 9.5 by13.5 by 2 inches deep. Glass baking pans with gas ovens cook things the most evenly,with electric ovens and metal baking pans less ideal. Work with what youve got. Bake45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on oven. Cool considerably, as Ive noticedvegan pastries that use flax need the coolness to gel and gain a cakey texture.


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Vol. 1, issue #16: Aug 19th, 2010.

Id like to take this opportunity to connect with you via this unique form ofcommunication known as the Manocle CSA newsletter to say: Thank You. Thank you

with full sincerity for supporting this precious farm and us! We could not be doing thiswithout you, and Id like to remind you that this is your farm too. We are growing foodfor you, and because of you. We truly appreciate your support through this first year offarming and through all of our changes!

We here at Mano are fully aware of the tempting convenience of the retail-based foodexperience that not only is alive and kicking, but quite abundant in this small town. Weknow you are sacrificing a certain amount of convenience in favor of accessing thefreshest and undoubtedly most nutritious produce in the valley, and having a directrelationship with your food source. Your participation in our CSA and direct support ofus farmers means a lot to us.

As mentioned previously, we are transitioning away from a Thursday pick and delivery toa Sunday morning farm pick-up. We are honoring the delivery of shares for those of youwho wish to continue to receive them through your current membership. If, however,you would like to start picking up on Sundays before renewing in our CSA, we welcomeand encourage this voluntary shift. This transition will most immediately afford us moretime on the land, ensure the freshness of your food, and most likely will foster the Caspect of CSA. We appreciate your understanding

This coming autumn promises unprecedented abundance at Mano. If you are happy withyour experience in our CSA, please kindly spread the wordwe are looking for somenew folks to join our membership and share in the coming bounty. If youre not happy

with your experience, please let us know why, as we are always open to feedback.

Another heat wave is upon us, and this time were ready and looking forward to it! Why?Our tomato plants are loaded down, but sluggishly ripening. The eggplant is about tohatch. This relatively cool summer has been comfortable, for sure, but our heat-lovershave straggled a bittheyll soon be going off. Soget ready. Here they come.

We are actively planting out our newly cultivated north field. Fifty-four gorgeous bedsjust waiting to be filled! Its really a special experience, to have this blank canvas and topaint it with food. We have just planted out 1000 square feet of broccoliCalabrese,Oregon Longneck, De Ciccio, and Purple Sprouting. The first three varieties youll startto see in late September/early October, with the Purple Sprouting arriving in spring.

Were really excited about this one, as we grew a small crop of this last year withminimal attention and insufficient fertilizerand it still produced well! So this yearwere starting it earlier, and giving it serious love, knowing it will give back tenfold.Youve gotta be patient for it, though, for throughout the winter it grows and grows,waiting for the first hint of heat in the spring to start producing its delicious purpleflower heads we call broccoli!


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The tomatoes in your box are predominately of the variety Costoluto Genovese. Therewill be others coming soonyoull know it when you see them. The Genovese is a mild-mannered tomato, comfortably at home in a batch of salsa or bruschetta. However, Ivereally been enjoying cooking them...this brings out some sweetness that is not there wheneaten raw. Toss a couple in your largest skillet after youve sauted your onion in some

olive oil. Cook em down for a bit alongside a couple cut-up potatoes or choppedsummer squash. If you like it hot like me, chop up one of those Ahi Amarillo peppers(the long, yellow, spicy ones) nice and fine and toss it in, too. Once the potatoes arealmost soft, bam it up a notch by adding basil, salt, and some thyme or oregano from yourgarden. Last but not least, add that finely chopped kale or beet greensdont beafraiduse the whole bunch, and cook until tender. This clearly is a meal in and ofitselfI like to add it to some brown rice pasta, then drizzle even more olive oil over itall, and another pinch of salt. This has been an every other day meal for me latelyitjust keeps getting better!

Coming soon: more swiss chard, carrots, melons, and lettuce. For autumn/winter:collards, kale (were planting some really unique varieties of kale!), chard, broccoli,

carrots, parsnips, spinach, beets (and more beets), turnips, cabbage, radishes, wintersquash, and more. We have already purchased most of our seed for the fall/winter, butbeing that this is your farm too, we are open to requests and suggestions.

We hope you are enjoying this bountiful season as much as we are! If you would like tocome out and get your hands and/

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volume 1 newsletters, 2010