Winter Share

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc.

Jacquie will be accepting Winter Share orders through Thursday October 31.  Until then, If you are on the fence about joining; here is a testimonial from a current member…

“While I do love the summer share, the winter share is my favorite.  The
winter share has all the things needed for delicious winter soups and stews.  I like having a larger quantity of each item so I can make batches of potato leek soup, carrot soup, and lots of other delicious dishes.  It’s farm fresh comfort food all season long. We have also received some dried beans to use which are super tasty and the popcorn is a family favorite.  I’m looking forward to the first pick up and can’t wait to get cooking.  Thanks Monroe family!”

– Danielle Henshaw

Hot Peppers!

We are starting to collect surveys and from reading over them, so far,
members seem to be overwhelmed with hot peppers.  Unfortunately, they were the only peppers to survive the freeze!  The freeze took out so many
“soft” crops; we felt it was better to give out these peppers to the
membership instead of allowing a few to pick by the bushel & have them
roasted.  Here are two recipes that will help you use up those peppers and
your family will love them.  By using these recipes, you will get the
flavor of the pepper without the heat.  Don’t forget to broil your chili
peppers until blistered, put into a plastic bag until cool and peel before
using!

Chili Relleno Casserole

Butter a 9×13 pan, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place 4 to 8 diced chili peppers (the long red or green peppers) into pan.
Add 1 1/2 to 2 pounds shredded Colby/Monterey Jack cheese on top of chili’s.
Beat 10 eggs in a bowl; add 1 tsp salt, 4 Tb flour & 1 can evaporated milk
( I have used whole milk and it worked fine.)

Pour over all and bake 45 minutes.

Options:  Can add diced cooked potatoes and/or country sausage.

Jalapeno Bites

Mix 8oz cream cheese with 8oz parmesan, 2 to 4 diced jalapeno peppers and 1 large egg.  Mix well then form into balls.  Roll balls into 3 cups dry
plain breadcrumbs.  Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10
to 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm.

This is one of Trisha Yearwoods’ recipes and you will love it!
Once you try both of these recipes, you will be in love with your hot
peppers!

Garlic Separating – Done for the Year!

We are not getting together to separate garlic this Sunday (Oct 20th). Between the working members and the members who came out last weekend, we have separated everything we need for planting next year’s crop.

I want to thank everyone for offering their time; it is very much
appreciated!

Have a great winter and we will see everyone next summer!!!

Jacquie Monroe

Newsletter – October 14, 2019

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc.

Dear Friends of the Farm,

This is our last week of distribution for the 2019 season. You are getting Yukon Gold potatoes, yellow onions, garlic, turnips, eggplant, hot peppers and tomatoes.

Surveys: Please send in your surveys! They were on the back of the September 30th newsletter and everyone should have gotten one in their bag that week. I am sending a few extra forms to each DC if you would like to fill it out there or take it home and mail it to me. Your voice is important to us. We really do want to hear what you have to say about your CSA!!!

Winter Share: Someone with the name EDELSTON has paid for a Winter Share, but did not fill out a form. I do not have an address or phone number for this person. By chance does your spouse have a different last name? I cannot attach this to any particular member. Please contact me ASAP or go on line and fill out a Winter Share form!!! We have around 25 more spaces to fill. Please send in those forms before the 27th so I have time to process them.

Hogs/Lambs: We are starting to take the hogs into the processor this month. Lambs will start to go to processing next month. And a few animals will go in every month from here on out. It is time to pay off those animals! I will not send them to the processor without full payment! If you have not paid for your animal before I take it to the processor, I will be switching you out with another member who has paid in full. We have sold out and do not have any extras at this time.

Conclusion: What a year it has been! I hope you have enjoyed the produce you have gotten from the farm. It came with much love, sweat and a few tears too!

Spring was tough on us with cold temperatures, rain and hailstorms…three to be exact! But boy, when it decided to warm up; did it ever! August and September are in the top three warmest months on record! (Based on days over average.) And we could feel it too. Jerry and Kyle would drag themselves home every day! Then we got that stupid hailstorm on Sept. 11th. The farm recovered fairly well and was able to get you some great one time deliveries of kale, celery, turnips and kohlrabi. (I made the best Miso soup with the kohlrabi!)

October was such a relief to us when the nights would cool down and the days weren’t so hot. We were not expecting the 9th to be 83 degrees and that night drop to 13 degrees. After a bunch of snow melted as it came down, we measured another two inches on the grassy areas the next morning. What normally would take an hour to get to our first Thursday DC stop took two hours of white knuckling craziness! Cars were everywhere and people were driving way too fast for the conditions. Were they out of towners?! Native Coloradoans should know better! Thank you for a great summer!!!

Jacquie, Jerry, Kyle and Sam

Newsletter – October 7, 2019

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc.

Dear Members,

   This is week 17 out of 18:  You are getting Yukon Gold potatoes, red onions, garlic, purple carrots, Globe eggplant, anaheim, pablano and jalapeno peppers, celery, kale and tomatoes.

   The celery variety we grow can be very strong tasting.  Some Members do not like to eat this raw.  It is excellent for cooking and adds so much flavor to any recipe.  Makes the best celery soup too!  I dry the leaves for future use in casseroles in the winter.  Simply wash and dry on a paper plate.  Another way you can store celery is to chop it up, put into ice cube trays, add water and freeze. 

   Your produce will be in plastic bags for the last two weeks of the season.  We do this so that we can get all our mesh bags back by the end of the year.  We do not want these bags back.  Do not be surprised if your DC really gets after you about returning your bags.  We need to take inventory and order additional bags if necessary!

   Fruit:  This is the last delivery for the year.  You will be getting Empire apples from First Fruit.  These apples are a great large red eating apple.  They also make a wonderful apple pie!

   Honey and Oil:  The final orders for honey and oil will be delivered this week.

   Garlic Separating:  It is that time of year to prep the garlic for planting.  As most of you know, this is a wonderful time to connect with other members, the farm and work as a group toward a common goal of separating the garlic cloves. We always have garlic that is unfit for planting and you will be able to take that home with you. 

  We will do this Saturday & Sunday the Oct. 12^th and 13^th and again Sunday the 20^th at 9am until 12pm.  If you are interested, (and it’s warm enough) you may bring a lunch and after we clean up the barn, we can have a meal together.  This is something a lot of members look forward to participating in because of the comradery.  Join us.  It is a lot of fun and you will make a huge impact on the work that needs to be accomplished!

   Survey/Changes:  Jerry and I are getting older (every day!) and cannot continue working at this pace.  Kyle and Sam are taking on more of the duties of this farm every year.  But some changes will have to occur to make it their own and more functional for them.  The survey we sent out needs to be filled out by as many members who want an input in their CSA.   We need your thoughts.  We may need to not only reduce how many shares we offer, but how many varieties we offer.  Tell us in your own words what you liked & did not like about the share!  Write a letter if you do not want to fill out the survey.  What can you absolutely not live without; what can go by the wayside?  Manilla envelopes will be provided at each DC so you can remain anonymous and hopefully be returned full of surveys and letters.

   First Snowfall:  Hard to believe it is going to snow this week…especially when three days before it happens it will be in the mid 70’s!  But isn’t that what makes Colorado wonderful?  As farmers, we love the first snowfall.  It represents to us the end of a fabulous summer.  Time to close up the farm, put on wooly sweaters, make a good pot of tea, try a new soup recipe and read a book!

Spicy Cream of Celery Soup

3T butter

1 head celery, sliced

2 large onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, diced

1 large carrot, shredded

3T flour

6C vegetable or chicken broth

1 bay leaf

5 balls allspice

1C heavy cream

1T hot sauce

Melt butter, add first 3 vegetables and cook until just tender on medium heat.  Add flour and brown.  Add carrot, broth and spices and simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove and discard bay leaf and allspice.  Remove half of the veggies and set aside.  Blend the rest in a processor or blender.  Put everything back into pot and then add cream.  Add salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.  For a traditional taste, do not add hot sauce!

Gluten free: reduce broth to 4 ½ cups and change cream to 1 ½ cups.  No need to add any thickener.