Two Dog Farms 2016 Fall Harvest Week 1

Contents of this week's box: Top row: cucumber, zucchini, squash, kohlrabi, lettuce. Bottom row: dino kale, easter egg radishes, swiss chard, bok choy

Hi Folks and welcome to week 1 of your fall CSA. We are so thankful and excited to have everyone join us this season! It is so great to have our returning members back for another season, and we have many new members this season as well! 

A lot has been going on at the farm and now we are desperately trying to fend off deer. It's amazing that our 3 dogs have no interest in chasing deer off! Really?? Is that even normal? Van has had a genius idea to buy the blow up halloween decorations that go in your yard, and put it out in the middle of our vegetable rows! Hilarious and festive! I will post a picture as soon as it happens. 

We are also busy planting the last of our crops for the season, and fending off lots of weeds. "Pig weed" is so bad this season and we are trying to remove the 'blankets' of it from our direct seeded crops such as carrots, beets, mustard greens, turnips, etc. If you don't know what a Pig weed is, it is one nasty weed, big, vigorous, and has thorns all over. Not a weed that you want with your seedlings.

It is very dry at the farm and so thankful for irrigation, but there is nothing like God's rain that makes a plant grow big and happy. Let's all say a prayer and do a dance.

We have some yummy greens and vegetables to share with you this week, and look forward to seeing everyone! Have a great week and cheers to a great season!

Below is a list of the bounty in your vegetable box this week followed by pictures and recipe suggestions:

1. Bok Choy- a very tasty asian green. The entire plant is edible, and leaves will be milder than white stalk. Great for stir fries.

2. Swiss Chard- Such an earthy tasting green! Great sautéed, and thrown into everything from quiche to pasta, or just eaten by itself. YUM. 

3. Lettuce- A head of lettuce grown in the dirt (we will only have lettuce this week and next week since most members purchased the additional hydroponic lettuce). 

4. Kohlrabi- This is one of our favorite vegetables, and has been gaining popularity. It is incredibly versatile! You can eat raw, with just a little s&p, or made into a coleslaw. It can be sautéed, roasted, baked, thrown into soups.. the possibilities are endless. It is a wonderful potato substitute for fries, chips, or Au gratin. Make sure to peel until you get to its crispy apple like texture, and don't discard those greens, they are also edible. 

5. Kale- The variety this week is Tuscano, also called Dino Kale. We actually like to substitute for lettuce or mix it with lettuce in our salads. Kale yeah!

6. Radishes- This bundle will be a Easter Egg variety. Did you know that the leaves have more protein, vitamin c, and calcium than the roots. Spicy, peppery throw into smoothies, soups, or make into a pesto. If leaves are removed before refrigerating, the radish will store longer and stay crisp. 

7. Summer Squash- Toss on the grill, eat raw in salads, stuff them with other veggies and cheese, or simply dip in hummus or your favorite dip.

8. Zucchini- same as above.

9. Cucumber- A big and delicious slicing cucumber. 

10. Salad Days Hydroponic Lettuce (if already purchased)

KALE & BOK CHOY SLAW WITH SPICY SESAME-GINGER DRESSING

KOHLRABI AND ZUCCHINI FRITTERS WITH SRIRACHA MAYO

BOK CHOY STIR FRY WITH SAVORY MUSHROOMS AND CHILI SAUCE

Two Dog Farms 2016 Spring/Summer Harvest Week 16

Top left to right: Cucumber, krimzon lee, peaches

Middle left to right: Eggplant, honey, Bell Peppers, Okra

Bottom left to right: Shishito and corno di toro 

Hi Folks, welcome to the final week of your Spring/Summer CSA. We hope everyone has enjoyed the last 16 weeks of produce. We have enjoyed getting to know everyone, and we are so grateful for you all! We really hope to have y'all join us again in the fall! 

We have the website updated to accept fall CSA members! So please go ahead and secure your spot to join us. We have also added Salad Days lettuce as an add on to your CSA box this fall.  If you would like to receive hydroponic lettuce  with your weekly box, please add "Lettuce Share" to your cart when checking out.

We have gotten 5+ inches of rain in the last week! It was been great for the plants, but we are looking forward to a break so the ground can dry out enough for us to get our fall tomatoes planted. We are working hard getting plants seeded and everything prepped. I love the fall season, it is my favorite time of the year to grow, harvest, and eat local produce. 

Between the heat and our cooler freezing we are having to supplement more items this week including honey from MS Bees Honey in Flora. They have about 40-50 bee hives on our farm. The peaches are from Cherry Creek Orchard in Pontotoc, Ms, they are also our neighbors at the High Street Farmers Market. 

Thanks again for helping us have a great season and we look forward to seeing everyone in the fall! Here are the contents of this week's box:

1. Bell Peppers

2. Okra

3. Eggplant

4. Slicing Cucumbers

5. Shishito Peppers

6. Krimzon Lee Peppers- A large paprika frying pepper. Sweet and spicy thick flesh is choice for roasting, frying, grilling, salsa, and adventurous salads. 

7. Corno Di Toro- translates to 'Horn of the Bull'. So juicy and so sweet, this Italian heirloom variety is sure to be a favorite! (bagged with the shishitos to not cause any confusion with the Krimzon Lees. 

8. Honey- A bottle of honey from our friends at Mississippi Bees. 

9. Peaches- from our friends at Cherry Creek Orchard.

These are great looking recipes all suggested to me by a few CSA members, Enjoy!! 

Roasted Spanish Tapas Peppers

Easy, Stacked Eggplant Parm

This recipe looks really great. Substituted Okra. Here are a few adjustments: regular flour instead of chickpea flour, and she cut the little okras in half and then quartered the larger okras:

Cornmeal Masala Roasted Okra

Two Dog Farms 2016 Spring/Summer Harvest Week 15

top left to right: hot pepper mix, eggplant, bell peppers

middle left to right: cubanelle peppers, cantaloupe, anaheim peppers

bottom: okra, eggs, onions

Hi Folks, and welcome to week 15 of your CSA. I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by. We have been busy ordering seeds and starting what seeds we already have to get ready for the fall. There is a short window to get everything seeded, I have had some extra help from Hazel, and the ground worked and prepped to make sure we will have produce available before the first frost. But of course some plants depend on the frost to deliver a sweet, delicious crop like winter squash for example. Also, root crops turn sweeter once a frost is upon them as well. I can't wait for the fall bounty. We are looking forward to a really great fall CSA and hope to have you join us! We will be accepting applications starting next week, so don't delay and reserve your spot. We will have a link on our website to do so. 

Well, it is always something. Our cooler at the farm malfunctioned and froze all of our produce that we had in it. We had to throw away HUNDREDS of melons, eggplant, squash, zucchini, peppers. It will literally make you sick and want to take the week off. BUT that is what farming is, and you just do the best you can do. That's what we have to remind ourselves anyways.... So this week we are supplementing some fresh brown eggs from our friend Mike at the Brown Egg Co. You will be receiving a half dozen share in your box along with quite a few peppers. We have added a hot pepper mix, that makes for a great hot pepper sauce, which would be perfect to put on all those yummy greens coming out of the field in the fall!  Van's dad sent us a bottle he made, and it turned out so good! Or try a hot pepper jelly. I hope everyone has a great week and are able to get into the kitchen and clank some glasses. Here is the bounty of this week's box:

1. Onions

2. Cantaloupe

3. Cubanelle Pepper- Great mild/sweet family friendly pepper

4. Okra

5. Hot Pepper Mix- A mix of Jalapeños and Serranos

6. Bell Peppers

7. Anaheims- Great mild/sweet family friendly pepper. Great for rellenos or stuffing

8. Eggplant

9. Brown Eggs

Pepper Vinegar Sauce

Pepper Jelly

Anaheim, Sweet, Hot, Bell Pepper Egg Scramble

Two Dog Farms 2016 Spring/Summer Harvest Week 14

Howdy folks and welcome to week 14 of your CSA. We are moving right along through the season and now we are looking forward and getting ready for our fall CSA. The fall CSA's bounty will include a lot of the same cooler weather vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, greens, kale, brussels sprouts, radishes, carrots, beets etc. And we are also planting another round of summer squash and zucchini and tomatoes that will hopeful make it to your box for the first couple of weeks. 

Sorry about the blog being tardy, but our internet has not been working. We are starting to work the ground and seed some more plants. Right now we are seeding an assortment of winter squash and pumpkins. I am getting excited because I know that cooler weather is right around the corner! The 'real feel' at the farm today was 110 degrees!  IT IS HOT! 

I was hearing a lot of really good feedback about the Shishito peppers, and they are back in the box this week. And new to the box are beets and cantaloupe. 

We are looking forward to sharing more info with y'all soon about the fall CSA, and hope to have y'all join us for another season. Here are the contents of this week's box:

1. Sweet Peppers

2. Cantaloupe

3. Watermelon

4. Beefsteaks

5. Okra

6. Eggplant

7. Shishito Peppers

8. Lemon or Slicing Cucumbers

9. Beets

Mexican Casserole with Eggplant

Italian Eggplant Casserole

Two Dog Farms 2016 Spring/Summer Harvest Week 13

Hi Folks and welcome to week 13! One more month left to get your fresh local veggies. We hope everyone has been enjoying everything so far! Thanks for being the best bunch that we could have asked for this season! So thankful for y'all!

We are excited to be adding a couple of melons to your box this week! We really wanted to add the seedless variety to your box, but unfortunately they didn't produce as many as we were hoping. BUT the ones that we did pick we sold to Rainbow Co-op. So, if you are around the area stop in and pick up a really great seedless watermelon from them along with some other goodies. Nonetheless, we have some really delicious melons coming your way. 

Shishitos are also new to the box this week. These little peppers are SO good. When I am packing and picking them at the farm, I continually eat and eat and eat them raw. A mild  and sweet pepper with a delicious flavor. Great pepper to blister on the grill and very delicious to enjoy as a sautéed pepper as well. I have added a link at the bottom of the page for an excellent and simple way to enjoy these! Especially during cocktail hour. The restaurants have been loving them as well! We have sold tons to The Manship, Walkers, Local 463, and others around town. 

We can't believe how long and how much the lemon cucumber plants have been producing! This little cucumber is such a mild sweet cucumber and seems to pair well with everything or makes a great pickling cucumber. Also, a good idea is someone mentioned was they slice these up and put in a pitcher of water! And boy do they produce! But their time is coming to an end soon. 

We got quite a bit of rain this past weekend! I think it was close to an inch. Everything enjoyed a nice drink of water and made for a cooler evening on the farm last night. Hope everyone has a great week and enjoys the bounty of this week's box:

1. Bell Peppers

2. Shishito Peppers- Sweet, Asian pepper. The pepper is small and finger long, slender and thin walled.

3. Beefsteaks

4. Cherry Tomatoes

5. Okra

6. "Galia" Tropical Melon- This melon is a hybrid mix of cantaloupe and honeydew. Outer husk looks like a cantaloupe but the inside meat is green like a honeydew melon and has a sweet and nutty flavor. 

7. "Little Baby Flower" Watermelon- A very small personal melon. Has seeds and red meat. A very sweet melon with a small rhine. 

8. Eggplant- We grow a few different varieties you might see. "Clara" Italian variety white, very creamy. "Black Beauty" traditional Italian variety and black. "Beatrice" has a light bright purple color and is shorter and wider than traditional. "Orient Express" Japanese variety that is long and deep purple.   

9. Slicing Cucumbers

10. Lemon Pickling Cucumbers

Sautéed Shishito Peppers

Okra with Tomatoes I think this would be an easy recipe to replace canned and frozen ingredients with fresh ingredients from your box. A take on a southern classic dish. Add bacon if desired!!

Seared Okra and Tomatoes A simple, quick sauté equals a non-slippery okra dish! 

Baked Eggplant  easy and delicious way to serve eggplant. 

Two Dog Farms 2016 Spring/Summer Harvest Week 12

top left to right: cherry tomatoes, carrots, anaheim peppers

middle left to right: eggplant, lemon and pickling cucumbers, onion, bell peppers

bottom left to right: heirloom tomatoes, beefsteaks

Hi Folks! Welcome to week 12 of your CSA! We had a really great Fourth of July and hope the same for everyone!

We made some hamburgers with some ground meat from Reyer Farms and added a slice of a striped german heirloom tomato and it was almost double the size of the bread and beef patty! So juicy and delicious. We also sliced some eggplant and threw it on the grill, then put the grilled eggplant on our burgers. It was so good and creamy that I didn't even have to put cheese on the burger. 

If you haven't seen this link on our Facebook page, here is a link that the Clarion Ledger posted of a short video of how we use the water wheel planter. Peppers were being planted in the video, and it is neat to think that now you are able to enjoy this great bounty. 

Watermelons are getting close to being ready. We cut into one the other day and it was about 90% ripe. 

We hope everyone has a great week and enjoys the bounty of this week's box:

1. Bell Peppers

2. Carrots or Okra

3. Yellow Onions

4. Beefsteaks Tomatoes

5. Cherry Tomatoes

6. Heirloom Tomatoes

7. Lemon Cucumbers

8. Eggplant

9. Anaheim Peppers- great mild- medium heat chili with a rich flavor makes this a family favorite! Its large size makes it a very versatile pepper. Really nice to stuff or make a mild salsa with it. 

10. Pickling Cucumbers

Roasted Eggplant with Pepper, Tomato, and Herbs

Stuffed Anaheim Peppers

Two Dog Farms 2016 Spring/Summer Harvest Week 11

Hi folks and welcome to week 11 of your CSA. Hope everyone has had a good week and are looking forward to this upcoming holiday weekend. Included again in your box is a large variety of tomatoes for everyone to share in salads or throw on hamburgers this weekend when celebrating the 4th. The growing season for tomatoes is 4-6 weeks in Mississippi, so get them while you can!! I personally plan to eat them until I get sick, but also want to make sure I have plenty of sauce put up to last me thru the upcoming winter. We are selling 10 pound boxes of the beefsteak tomatoes for $20.00 and 10 pound boxes of heirloom tomatoes for $30.00 . If you are interested in getting a box of "sauce" or "salsa" tomatoes please let us know via email twodogfarmsllc@gmail.com. It took a while, but we have pulled all of our onions out of the field! Thank goodness!! They are now drying at our dear friend, Mr. Charles' shop just down the road from the farm. Hope you enjoy the red onions in your box along with these contents:

1. Kale or Swiss Chard

2. Squash or Zucchini

3. Lemon Cucumbers

4. Slicing Cucumbers

5. Carrots

6. Heirloom Tomatoes

7. Beefsteak Tomatoes

8. Cherry Tomatoes

9. Red Onions

10. Cubanelle or Sweet Banana Peppers- Cubanelle is a sweet pepper that has a thin wall and is typically a frying or stuffing pepper; Banana Peppers are typically eaten raw or pickled

Unstuffed Pepper Recipe

Cucumber and Red Onion Try adding tomatoes to this salad! 

Two Dog Farms 2016 Spring/Summer Harvest Week 10

Hi folks, welcome to week 10 of your CSA! Hope everyone has had a great week, and a great weekend with loved ones. Happy belated Father's Day to all the Dads out there. Did y'all enjoy the bounty of last week's box? 

We have a great one this week including even more tomatoes! A nice big heirloom, lots of beefsteaks, and cherries. I am excited to make some tomato pies and tomato gravy dishes. Try tomato gravy, served on top of Swiss chard greens served on top of grits or rice. Yum! 

The fields are really starting to crank out the tomatoes. Unfortunately, we are finding Southern Stem Blight on some of our cherry tomato plants, and are having to pull out a large number of plants. Tomatoes are especially prone to this disease. It starts where the stem meets the soil and will kill a plant quickly. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do but pray that it doesn't keep spreading. 

In other news, we were able to take a delivery to New Orleans Saturday evening and then head east and meet some of Van's family in Santa Rosa beach. We were able to enjoy all day Sunday celebrating Father's Day on the beach. We had such a great time! Then drove back Monday afternoon. It was a short but sweet trip. Hazel is fearless of the water and enjoyed herself playing in the sand! So much fun!  Hazel and I are very lucky and proud of the man we get to call DaDa. The hardest working, loving, caring, and most fun Dad we could ask for. We love you Van!! 

We have just gotten new hats in, and a limited amount. Get them while you can! The bounty is grand this week, and we can't wait to share with you. Here are the contents of this week's box:

1. Swiss Chard

2. Carrots

3. Lemon Cucumbers

4. Heirloom Tomato

5. Beefsteak Tomatoes

6. Cherry Tomatoes

7. Pickling Cucumbers

8. Squash

9. Zucchini 

10. Onions

Swiss Chard and Garbanzo Beans with Fresh Tomatoes

Swiss Chard with Carrots and Onions

Marinated Cucumber, Onion, and Tomato Salad

Macaroni with Tomato Sauce Chard and Goat Cheese

Tomato Gravy

Two Dog Farms 2016 Spring/Summer Harvest Week 9

from top left to right: parsley, slicing cucumbers, safari zucchini, zephyr squash

middle left to right: purple cabbage, carrots

bottom left to right: cherry tomatoes, green tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, dried yellow onions

Hi folks, welcome to week 9. This week we have 3 types of tomatoes! Cherry tomatoes that are great for salads, or if you are like me, I pop them like potato chips. Big Beef beefsteak tomatoes, great for sandwiches, salads, etc... and green tomatoes which can be fried or try making a little relish or chutney. If you have an abundance of squash and zucchini you can also make a relish, see recipe below. 

We are also excited to have added a beautiful bunch of carrots to your box this week! These are the most beautiful carrots we have ever grown! It has been difficult digging them, but the rain sure has helped soften the ground. Thankful for the rain. The carrots are delicious, but also try the greens! Try them in a pesto, add parsley as well. Or try the recipe below, warm chickpea salad with greens. I also enjoy throwing these herbaceous greens into a smoothie. Some of these carrots grow in peculiar ways, and I had one that decided to sit and stay a while (see picture below). I love it!

We have little watermelons on the vine! I am so excited about this, but know I must wait patiently. It takes almost a month for them to ripen, but will be worth the wait to have this sweet treat on a hot day. Speaking of hot days, it is really starting to heat up on the farm. We have been trying to keep up with the tomatoes, which has grown wild on these hot days. We keep up with them by stringing them. We weave string from post to post to insure, most of the time, they grow upwards and not into our aisles. We are still pulling onions to cure. We probably have about 10,000+ more to pull out of the 30,000 we planted this spring. 

We have new comfort color tanks for sale in a nice watermelon and teal/aqua color. These are so awesome! Great for all summer outdoor activities. I am sad they weren't delivered sooner! We hope everyone has been able to beat the heat, get in the kitchen, clank some glasses, and have a great time doing so! Here are the contents of this weeks box:

1. Green Tomatoes- this is a beefsteak tomato. Try as fried, as a relish, chutney, or salsa.

2. Beefsteak Tomatoes- the variety is Big Beef. Delicious, juicy, and vine ripened under the sun.

3. Cherry Tomatoes

4. Carrots- The variety this week are Rainbow and Nelson. Don't discard those greens! Try the salad below, the pesto recipe, or try them in your smoothie.

5. Purple Cabbage

6. Cured Yellow Onions

7. Parsley

8. Zucchini

9. Squash

10. Slicing Cucumbers

Warm Chick-pea and carrot top salad

Carrot top and parsley Pesto

Green tomato and onion Gratin

Green tomato Chutney

USE IF YOU HAVE ABUNDANCE OF SQUASH/ZUCCHINI Tangy Squash and Zucchini Relish

Two Dog Farms 2016 Spring/Summer Harvest Week 8

top left to right: Toscana Kale, mint, green sorrel, thai basil

middle left to right: slicing cucumbers, green beans, daikon radish, lemon cucumber

bottom left to right: Patty Pan squash, cherry tomatoes, zucchini

Hi folks and welcome to week 8 of your CSA. We hope everyone is having a great week so far. We can't believe we are already half way into this season! 

Last week we discovered that we had worms on a variety of plants in the field. This is just a part of farming, and especialy when you don't spray harsh chemicals. We did however spray an organic bacteria that kills the worms once they ingest it. It is called bt bacillus thuringiensis. And we then spray a neem. All natural. Just wanted to keep everyone up to date on what is being sprayed on the plants. We apologize to anyone that might have found any worms on their kale last week! 

Well we have found the perfect job on the farm for Hazel. She is a natural born tomato picker and taste tester. She loves to pick the cherry tomatoes, and then of course once picked the next step is to taste it. Now I am trying to teach her the difference between a ripe and unripe tomato! Also, Elvis is back at the farm and doing great! We are relieved and happy to see him adjusting so well. 

It is that time of the year to get busy in the kitchen and put back some jars. Jars that can be later enjoyed during the off season. Don't limit your pickling or fermenting with just cucumbers. One of our CSA members pickled her radishes and kohlrabi she had left. I also love to pickle beets and green beans! The bounty this week makes me think of Asian cuisine and making some spring rolls, sushi, stir fry, or curry. I just LOVE Thai food! Here are the contents of this week's box:

1. Kale- The variety this week is Toscana kale.

2. Mint- great to use for flavoring iced tea, mixed drinks, shredded salads, spring rolls, or garnish your favorite dessert with it.

3. Green Sorrel- the lemon of the vegetable world is back by high demand! 

4. Thai Basil

5. Slicing Cucumbers

6. Green Beans- We grow a variety of pole beans: The Rattlesnake, green with purple streaks, Louisiana Purple Pod, and the light green variety is the Provider.

7. Lemon Cucumber- An heirloom variety of cucumber. Sweet and mild. The lemon cucumber does not have a lemony taste, just the shape and color. 

8. Zucchini

9. Daikon Radish- Cylindrical and mild tasting radish. One of my personal favorites. Great to be eaten in salads, stir fries, or when rolling your own sushi! I love it pickled as well or roasted. 

10. Summer Squash

Thai Steak Salad with mint and basil

Sorrel and Cucumber Soup

Thai Style Peanut Chicken Wraps

Cucumber Mint Salad with Thai Dressing

Two Dog Farms 2016 Spring/Summer Harvest Week 7

top left to right: kale, dandelion greens, and collards

middle left to right: slicing cucumber, bag of pickling cucumber with dill and garlic, beets, and radish

bottom left to right: yellow patty pan squash, round and straight zucchini, and dried onions

Hi Folks and welcome to week 7 of your CSA. We hope everyone got to enjoy the holiday weekend and remember those that weren't able to spend it with you. We had a good bit of family in town this weekend. We actually got to take the day off on Sunday and spend time with everyone. It was very relaxing! Hazel got to go swimming in a big pool. She loved it! I say big pool because we actually have her a kiddie pool that we fill up when at the farm! She loves the water so much. 

The farm has been very hot! I can't believe that this is just the beginning and it will be getting hotter. The tomato plants are loving the heat and have grown a foot since last week! The peppers and eggplant are also starting to get bigger. Tomatoes should definitely make an appearance in next week's box. The rain has unfortunately been dodging Flora. We got a good rain last night at our house near Gluckstadt and thought for sure it would be raining at the farm, but it missed Flora. Hoping for rain later this week!  The heat also ensures the arrival of insects. We have had to harvest the radishes in your box this week without the greens, since the beetles have found them. It has also been really hot for the beets and we harvested them without the greens as well because they were starting to wilt. We are also pulling onions out of the field and letting them dry and cure. We have pulled 2 rows so far and have about 5 more to go! Our cucumber and squash plants are really producing some vegetables. With the rate they are going we were nervous how quickly they will be done producing so yesterday we seeded some more rows of cucumbers, zucchini and squash. 

We are definitely staying busy on the farm with the arrival of summer. A big thank you to our CSA member Nell Floyd for doing a great write up on the farm in the Clarion Ledger. If you haven't read it yet, check it out here: http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2016/05/29/mississippi-veggie-growers-make-possible-eat-local/85039904/ 

We have been getting a lot of pictures and recipes from members. We really appreciate the input! Thanks for sharing! SEE BELOW! I'm excited to see what y'all do with this week's bounty. Here are the contents of your box: 

1. A 2lb. bag of pickling cucumbers accompanied with a sprig of dill and garlic clove. Try the easy refrigerated pickles recipe in the link below! 

2. Radish- the variety shown in the pic above are watermelon radishes. These are a beautiful pink color on the inside. 

3. Red Beets- delicious roasted or peeled and sautéed. I also enjoy pickling my beets as well! `

4. Dandelion Greens- these are a very bitter green. Wonderful when braised. 

5. Kale- the variety shown above is the Siberian Kale. 

6. Collards

7. Squash- the variety shown in picture is a Patty Pan called Sunburst.

8. Zucchini- the varieties shown in picture are round 8 Ball and traditional straight. 

10) Dried Onions

Refrigerated Garlicky Dill Pickles- http://www.thekitchn.com/small-batch-recipe-cucumber-pickles-urban-preserving-with-marisa-mcclellan-173303  Substitute the Dill seed for fresh Dill! 

10 Ways to Use Dandelion Greens- http://www.thekitchn.com/10-ways-to-use-those-dandelions-recipes-from-the-kitchn-188774

Beet, Radish, and Cucumber Salad-  http://tonispilsbury.com/beet-cucumber-radish-salad/ You could try roasting the Beets and Radishes for this salad also! And add on top of the Kale instead of lettuce! 

OR try this Recipe our CSA member Ben sent us! 

Roasted Squash Casserole

★★★★

Side, Vegetable

Makes 6-8 ∙ Source Tea-Time at the Masters

Ingredients

• 2 pounds yellow squash, sliced into coins 
• 1 green pepper, diced 
• 1 onion, sliced and quartered 
• 4 T butter 
• 3 c cheddar cheese, sharp, finely shredded 
• 2 eggs, beaten 
• ½ cup evaporated milk 
• 16 saltine crackers, crushed 
• salt, to taste 
• white pepper, to taste 

Directions

Preheat oven to 450F. Roast squash, green pepper, and onion for 20-25 minutes, until the squash is fork tender. You may want to take the pepper and onion out of the oven ~5 minutes earlier than the squash since they will carmelize faster.

Turn down oven to 350F. In a large bowl, mash squash, pepper, and onion. Mix in butter and 2 c cheese. Mix in eggs, milk, and cracker crumbs. Season to taste.

Pour mixture into greased 2 quart casserole. Top with remaining 1 c of cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Notes

Original recipe calls for the veg to be boiled and drained, instead of roasting, before mashing, but I prefer to roast. The original recipe also calls for margarine, not butter. Also, be conservative with the salt and white pepper. I like salty food and I forgot to add the seasonings the first time I made this casserole, but to my surprise I did not miss them at all.

And another recipe our member Chris sent to us! 

Made this with broccoli beets and Onion. Used Cajun seasoning and made glaze with apricot jam and Worcestershire sauce. Baked it in oven for 30 min then put glaze on it back in oven for 15 min. It was wonderful.

And a picture from a dish Fran made last week! 

Two Dog Farms 2016 Spring/Summer Harvest Week 6

Hi Folks, we hope everyone is well and had a great week. We were able to finish planting our summer crop with no time to spare! We will finish connecting irrigation in the next day or two to help water transplants and get our beans to germinate since we did not get much rain. 

The farmer's market seems to really be picking up. A good sign that summer is right around the corner. We had a really busy market on Saturday, and had a lot of Tshirt sales! I know I am loving mine! Elvis is doing well, and I hope he will be able to get his staples out this week. We are eagerly awaiting his return to the farm, and I know he is too. It hasn't been the same without him.

Well our baby Hazel turns ONE today! I still can't believe it.  This past year has been one of the wildest rides we have gone through, but she has brought so much laughter and love into our lives! So grateful to be her parents. 

Your box this week is a very full box! This will be the last appearance of broccoli in your box, and I'm sure some of you are rejoicing and some are not. We had a very long run of broccoli this year and have learned a lesson or three from it! We are hoping for a bit of moisture because we went to harvest carrots for this week's box and the ground was so hard it was actually damaging the carrots to pull them out! Hopefully by next week we will be able to have them. Many different varieties of plants are now bolting and producing beautiful flowers for the bees to enjoy. Some of my favorites are the dill flower (pictured below) and the onion flower. Not only are they beautiful, but also all the flowers are edible and add a lovely pop of flavor to any dish. We hope to include some for you soon. Looking forward to getting into the kitchen this week. Here are the contents of this week's box: 

1. Fennel

2. Onions 

3. Genovese Basil

4. Garlic- raw garlic

5. Swiss Chard

6. Green & Purple Cabbage

7. Zucchini

8. Squash

9. Kohlrabi- one large bulb or two small bulbs.

10. Slicing Cucumbers- great for salads, gazpacho, or on sandwiches!

11. Broccoli

SUBSTITUTIONS CAN BE MADE WITH ITEMS IN YOUR BOX

Braised Summer Squash with Fennel, Basil, Olives, and Swiss Chard- http://www.highgroundorganics.com/recipes/braised-summer-squash-with-fennel-olives-basil-and-chard/#more-9542

Fennel and Cabbage Sauté- http://www.highgroundorganics.com/recipes/saute-of-savoy-cabbage-and-fennel/

Lemony Grilled Squash with Herbs- http://www.highgroundorganics.com/recipes/lemony-grilled-squash/

"Carpaccio" of Summer Squash or Zucchini- http://www.highgroundorganics.com/recipes/carpaccio-of-summer-squash/

Two Dog Farms Spring/Summer Harvest Week 5

top left to right: onion, Thai basil, and garlic

middle left to right: parsley, squash and zucchini, and beets

bottom left to right: broccoli, purple cabbage, and bibb lettuce

Hi Folks. Hope everyone had a good week and are enjoying this cooler weather!!! It has been a relief to be planting on these cooler, cloudy days, and the plants do much better being transplanted on days like these as well. We got our rows up and covered, but to our surprise the farm never got a heavy rain. Hoping to get a light rain in the next couple of days. LIGHT was the keyword there. We still have several rows that need to be planted.

The past week has been really hard for our family. Our sweet boy, Elvis, had a terrible accident and had to under go surgery. We had a specialist out of Tupelo come to town to perform surgery, but unfortunately Elvis' rear leg had to be amputated. We were really praying and thought that his leg would be able to be reconstructed. Unfortunately, the doctor found some fractures during surgery that didn't show up on the X-ray, and decided this was his only option. He is recovering exceptionally well. He has even jumped up on his favorite chair without any coaxing. I was very surprised! It's amazing his will to be a survivor! 

We are excited to announce we will have new T shirts for sale by this weekend at the Farmer's Market downtown. The design is so awesome, we love it! We will also have women's fitted Tees and hats! Come see us downtown and get your summer gear. 

Hope everyone has a safe week, are able to cook some tasty meals, and spend time with loved ones. Here are the contents of this week's box: 

1. Onions

2. Garlic- Raw Garlic

3. Bibb Lettuce- A tasty hydroponic head of lettuce from our friends at Salad Days. Perfect lettuce for lettuce wraps, Recipe links below. 

4. Thai basil- If anyone has eaten Thai food they are definitely familiar with this potent herb found in so many Thai dishes. It has a slight licorice flavor. Please be sure to put basil in a vase or cup of water on your counter. DO NOT REFRIGERATE!

5. Parsley- try the parsley pesto recipe below! If you don't have enough parsley, perhaps you could add some leftover basil to recipe as well!  

6. Broccoli

7. Purple cabbage 

8. Squash

9. Zucchini- does anyone have a zucchini spiralizer to make pasta noodles? I've been dying to get one! Try the recipe link below with the zucchini noodles. 

10. Beets

Take a look at our farm from an aerial view! 

6 Parsley recipes including a parsley salad and Chimichurri- http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/04/01/parsley-recipes-kathy-gunst#chimichurri

Cabbage Soup- https://snapguide.com/guides/make-cabbage-soup/

Parsley Pesto with Walnuts- http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/walnut_parsley_pesto/

Zucchini Noodles with Parsley Pesto - http://dishingupthedirt.com/zucchini/zucchini-pasta-with-parsley-pesto/

Thai Basil and Chicken Lettuce Wraps-http://communitytable.parade.com/9638/wearenotmartha/thai-chicken-basil-lettuce-wraps/

Grilled Thai Basil Zucchini and Summer Squash- http://www.fortheloveofbasil.com/grilled-thai-basil-zucchini-and-summer-squash/

Two Dog Farms 2016 Spring/Summer Harvest Week 4

top left to right: broccoli, red bibb lettuce or romaine lettuce, garlic, and collard greens

middle left to right: French green sorrel, summer squash and zucchini

bottom left to right: vidalia onions, basil, and kohlrabi

Howdy Folks and welcome to week 4 of your CSA! We hope everyone had a great weekend and got to spend some time with family. Maybe even cooked mom a meal using your CSA veggies! 

We have been trying to get a lot done around the farm before the rain comes this week. It has been dry enough to put up more rows for the peppers, eggplant, melons, and more. It has also been dry enough to move the chicken coop onto the farm! This was totally done Beverly Hills style, but it made it none the less! I am so excited to be taking on a mama bird role. We are hoping that in the fall and possibly by the end of the summer CSA you will see pasture raised eggs in your boxes! We have about four different varieties of 30 birds, but every time i see a different variety i am wanting to add her to our flock! It is somewhat addictive! I have so much to learn. 

It is definitely starting to feel like summer at the farm and seeing squash and/or zucchini make an appearance this week in your box confirms the feeling! This is the start of the spring to summer transition for your boxes. We hope you are excited as we are! Here are the contents of this weeks bounty: 

1. Onions- This weeks variety is Vidalia onions. These are sweet white bulbs.

2. Garlic- This is a fresh garlic, "uncured' garlic is moister than "cured" garlic, but can be crushed, baked, diced, etc. just like normal garlic. 

3. Bibb Lettuce OR Romaine Lettuce- Great head of lettuce grown in the field. 

4. Basil- A wonderful herb originally grown in Italy. Known as the King of herbs for its strong flavor and fragrance. 

5. French Sorrel- This is a green herb, also known as the lemon of the vegetable world. The name sorrel is derived from the french for sour. Check out the link below to learn more about this herb and for recipes. I have also been wanting to try it in a smoothie with other greens. I think it would be really great! 

6. Broccoli- I have had the pleasure of talking to a couple of different chefs that have been cutting off skin of broccoli stem and then using the core and making a mash. 

7. Kohlrabi- Our favorite weird vegetable is back! Remember to peel and you can also eat the greens.

8.  Squash and/or Zucchini- A great variety of yellow squash called Zephyr or  crooked neck yellow squash and green zucchini.

9. Collards

Broccoli Mash- http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/broccoli-puree-recipe.html

All about Sorrel! http://www.thekitchn.com/got-sorrel-10-colorful-spring-recipes-170262

Kohlrabi and Squash Skillet with Bacon http://allrecipes.com/recipe/230863/kohlrabi-and-squash-skillet/

Two Dog Farms 2016 Spring/Summer Harvest Week 3

top row left to right: beets, swiss chard, yukina savoy. 

middle row left to right: broccoli, green head cabbage

bottom row left to right: dill, cauliflower, fennel, red bibb lettuce.

Hi Folks, welcome to week 3 of your CSA!  We hope everyone is getting into the swing of cooking  lots of veggies at home. If you are struggling to get through your box, remember that the greens are great in smoothies, or cook one of our favorite meals, the 'compost' fried rice. This is when we have a fridge full of vegetables that need to be cooked as soon as possible. We just make a huge stir fry, scramble some eggs into the stir fry, and then add in brown rice! Easy, delicious, and great left overs. Try with pasta too!

We have an abundance of broccoli coming out of the field and you will be receiving a couple of heads in your box this week. We are also getting out into the restaurant scene and hustling lots of broccoli and other veggies. So if you do dine out, dine local! We have brunch reservations for The Manship this Sunday! This mom is super excited to have someone cook her a tasty meal using the vegetables that we grew! Doesn't get much better! 

Our CSA member Fran is doing an exceptional job cooking and posting pictures of her meals to social media. I will try to do a better job at including the recipes for the pictures that are posted! If you do post on Facebook or Instagram any pictures of the meals you are cooking with your CSA please include the hashtag #twodogfarms2016springcsa. We can't wait to see what y'all come up with this week! I have also included links to recipes listed below!! Here is your bounty for week 3:

1. Beets- One of our favorite root crops. I personally like beets roasted and I like to sauté the greens! They actually cook down wonderfully with the swiss chard. 

2. Swiss Chard

3. Dill

4. Broccoli (2 heads)- I included a recipe to lacto ferment the stems with the dill! I love it when the whole vegetable is used. Also, you can throw the stems into soups or stir fries! Don't discard those stems! 

5. Cauliflower- A member of the brassica family. We like to cover this guy in hot sauce and roast in oven like a big chicken wing. Also, try the honey garlic baked cauliflower recipe below. 

6. Yukina Savoy- A beautiful bouquet of spicy Asian spinach

7. Cabbage- A traditional green head of cabbage. 

8. Fennel- Fennel has a bulbous base and green feathery leaves. Both are edible and have a mild aniseed or licorice flavor. Try the pizza recipe below, and substitute the swiss chard for spinach! I also like to make pizzas on Naan Bread! Easy way to make your own pizza 

9. Red Bibb Lettuce- A gorgeous head of field grown lettuce. 

LINKS TO RECIPES BELOW!!!!!!

Swiss Chard wraps with hummus, roasted veggies, and cauliflower rice- http://daniellelevynutrition.com/2016/02/19/swiss-chard-wraps-with-hummus-cauliflower-rice-roasted-vegetables/

Tortilla-less Chicken Enchilada Bake- http://ifoodreal.com/skinny-tortilla-less-chicken-and-poblano-enchiladas/

Lemon and Parmesan roasted Broccoli- http://cupcakesandkalechips.com/lemon-parmesan-roasted-broccoli-recipe/#_a5y_p=4049972

Fermented Broccoli Stem Spears- http://www.littlebigharvest.com/2015/05/broccoli-stem-spears.html

Roasted Broccoli Fennel Soup with Kale- http://withfoodandlove.com/broccoli-fennel-soup/

Honey Garlic Baked Cauliflower- http://kirbiecravings.com/2016/01/honey-garlic-baked-cauliflower.html 

Pizza with Caramelized Fennel, Spinach, and Goat Cheese- http://www.dangthatsdelicious.com/2015/04/30/pizza-with-caramelized-fennel-spinach-and-goat-cheese/

Two Dog Farms 2016 Spring/Summer Harvest Week 2

from top left to right: red leaf lettuce, yellow spring onions, and green leaf lettuce

from bottom left to right: collard greens, radishes, cilantro, broccoli, dinosaur kale, and spinach

Hi folks, and welcome to week 2 of your CSA! We hope that everyone enjoyed their first box and the bounty that came with it. We absolutely LOVED to see what everyone was making with their vegetables. It's wonderful to be able to share recipes and ideas with other members. Please continue to share and post pictures! 

We have had a great week, and hope the same for you. A small part of land was dry enough to get the tractor out and work some ground, our flower field. We are planting mostly sunflowers and zinnias, but have a couple additions like calendula and echinacea. This will be our main flower field, our biggest, but we also plant small plots or rows of flowers next to our rows of vegetables to help attract beneficial insects. Also, sunflowers make a great trap crop for stink bugs! Instead of infesting our delicate, vine ripened tomatoes, they will HOPEFULLY decide to drink from a sunflower instead.

Praying the rain misses us this week and the fields are able to continue drying. We have a great box for you this week. Here are the contents of this weeks harvest:

1. Broccoli- Some of the most beautiful heads of broccoli I have ever seen! I think so anyways ;)

2. Collards- This hardy green is a staple in southern cuisine. Remove the stems before cooking. These can be cooked with other greens such as kale, turnip greens, or spinach when making a big pot of greens. Check out link below for untraditional recipes. 

3. Spinach- Included is a bag of big leafed spinach. Eat raw or cooked. 

4. Cilantro- A classic herb in Middle Eastern, Mexican, or Asian food. A great accent to many dishes.

5. Green Leaf Lettuce- Grown in the field

6. Red Leaf Lettuce- Grown in the field

7. Radishes- This bundle will be a mix of French Breakfast and Easter Egg varieties. Did you know that the leaves have more protein, vitamin c, and calcium than the roots. Spicy, peppery throw into smoothies, soups, or make into a pesto. If leaves are removed before refrigerating, the radish will store longer. 

8. Yellow Spring Onions- These are young yellow onions, but are forming big bulbs.  

9. Dinosaur Kale- Also called Lacinato Kale, one of our most tender varieties. Ideal for raw kale salads and soups. 

LINKS TO RECIPES LISTED BELOW!!

http://cookieandkate.com/2012/coconut-quinoa-and-kale-with-tropical-pesto/

11 Collard Greens recipes  http://www.saveur.com/gallery/Collard-Greens?image=5

Two Dog Farms 2016 Spring Harvest Week 1

from top left to right: Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Spring Onions, Kale, Dill, Micro Greens

from bottom left to right: Bok Choy, Yukina Savoy, Kohlrabi, Napa Cabbage

Howdy Folks! Welcome to week one of your Spring/Summer CSA.  The fields are full of spring greens just waiting to be shared with your family. 

We have been getting a lot of rain at the farm, I think it was a total of 7 inches this past week, 10 inches couple of weeks prior! Glad that the sun has been out the last couple of days and drying the ground up for us. We still have a greenhouse full of tomato plants, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, melons, and more, that are just waiting to go in the ground! We will hopefully be able to break some new ground within the next couple of weeks, if the rain decides to hold off for that long! None the less, we sure are staying busy. 

Thank all of you so much for joining our "farmily" We are very excited and thankful for this year and thankful for every single one of you!! We believe this will be the best year that we have had yet. Included are the contents of your box (also pictured above) and recipes. We hope you enjoy all of the green, fresh vegetables in your box this week. 

1. Bok Choy- a very tasty asian green. The entire plant is edible, and leaves will be milder than white stalk. Great for stir fries.

2. Yukina Savoy- Also called an asian spoon spinach, and rightfully so. The leaves cook down the same as spinach, and the stalks are also edible. This spinach has a kick to it almost like a mustard green.

3. Napa Cabbage- Also referred to as Chinese Cabbage. This delicious cabbage is packed full of vitamin C. Throw into a stir fry, or throw the leaves on the grill in foil with a little soy sauce.

4. Swiss Chard- Such an earthy tasting green! Great sautéed, and thrown into everything from quiche to pasta, or just eaten by itself. YUM. 

5. Lettuce- A hydroponic head of lettuce from our friends at Salad Days. 

6. Kohlrabi- This is one of our favorite vegetables, and has been gaining popularity. It is incredibly versatile! You can eat raw, with just a little s&p, or made into a coleslaw. It can be sautéed, roasted, baked, thrown into soups.. the possibilities are endless. It is a wonderful potato substitute for fries, chips, or Au gratin. Make sure to peel until you get to its crispy apple like texture, and don't discard those greens, they are also edible. 

7. Kale- The variety this week is Red Russian. This is one of the most tender of kales that we have grown. We actually like to substitute for lettuce or mix it with lettuce in our salads. Kale yeah!!!

8. Green onions- These are early spring onions

9. Dill- I love dill and put it on anything and everything. I especially love it chopped up finely and thrown into my salads. Give it a shot. 

10. Micro Greens- Spicy or Mild. These are a tiny form of vegetable greens that add that extra kick to salads or sandwiches. Also makes a great visual garnish and can be eaten like sprouts. 

LINKS TO RECIPES BELOW!!! PLEASE COMMENT AND SHARE YOUR RECIPES AND DISHES YOU MAKE! 

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12339-kohlrabi-risotto

http://cookieandkate.com/2015/crispy-apple-kohlrabi-salad-recipe/

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/garlicky-greens-recipe.html

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2015/03/one-pot-mushroom-and-swiss-chard-pasta/

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016744-chard-and-sweet-corn-tacos

ONE OF OUR CSA MEMBERS DID THE CHARD AND SWEET CORN TACOS WITH A FEW ALTERATIONS: 

I followed this recipe but added garlic, parsley, and red chili flakes when I added the greens- the chard and yukina savoy. I made soy chorizo separately and then filled tacos with a layer of the chard/sweet corn, chorizo, chard/sweet corn, salsa verde and goat cheese. I also threw in crispy acorn squash because I had it and chorizo is often paired with potatoes but that is just superfluous.

Two Dog Farms Harvest Week 8

Howdy folks and welcome to your final CSA box of the 2015 season. We hope you all have enjoyed the past 8 weeks of fresh produce. It's been a wonderful fall season here at the farm, and we have enjoyed getting to know everyone. Yall are all so amazing and we are so grateful for your support in our farm.

It is crazy to have 60 degree weather in the middle of December, but we are very glad that we decided to plant a large fall crop. We will hopefully be able to continue harvesting throughout December and into the new year and supply our produce to local grocery stores like Rainbow Co-op and local restaurants like The Gathering, Local 463, Saltine, Jefferson 303 and more. So if you are missing us as much as we are missing yall, please support local! But if you are in our neck of the woods, please stop by to say Hi, grab produce, or enjoy a beer! We would love to see you!

So, THANK YOU!! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for joining us, and we hope to see you next year as well. Folks like you make it possible to live out our dream, we are forever grateful. Cheers to you all!

Much love,
Your farmers Van, Dorothy, & Hazel

Sorry to say that the carrots and brussel sprouts were not ready to add to your box, it has been very different fall/winter weather.

The contents of your box this week:

1. Broccoli

2. Collard greens

3. Beets- we really wanted these to make an appearance in your box despite the deer, so there will be two small beets, with greens, which are so delicious sautéed!

4. Dill- still my absolute favorite to throw into salads

5. Kale

6. Swiss Chard- this is a very earthy tasting green! Great sautéed with beet greens. No need to throw away the ribs either.  This guy really wanted to make it into your box because it got knocked down once from deer, twice from the frost, but is a vigorous, hardy grower! Gotta love it.

7. Lettuce- a hydroponic head from our friends at Salad Days!

8. Green head cabbage- have you tried slicing like bread and roasting in the oven? It's sure to please!

9. Butternut squash

10. Turnips and Greens

SWISS CHARD, DILL, FETA, AND ORZO BAKE

YIELD: 4-6 servings

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

COOK TIME: 60 minutes

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and chopped into half moons, rinsed well of grit
1 large bunch chard, rinsed well, leafy parts and stems divided, stems finely chopped and leaves cut into ribbons
2 medium cloves garlic, chopped (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 cup (about 5 ounces) uncooked orzo pasta
4 ounces feta cheese, cubed
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a two-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add leeks, chard stems, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until vegetables sweat but do not brown, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add chard leaves and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and orzo and bring to a boil, stir well, and remove from heat. Add feta, dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and transfer to baking dish, smoothing top.

Spray a piece of aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover dish tightly. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake until top of orzo has browned slightly, about 20 minutes longer. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.


DILL AND CHARD FRITTATA  

YIELD: 4 servings

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 45 minutes

Leaves from one bunch chard
Olive oil
One large onion, thinly sliced
Six eggs
8 ounces feta
16 ounces ricotta
black pepper (you will not need added salt, the cheese has enough)
One small bunch dill, snipped
A few sprigs of parsley, if you happen to have some as well
2 tablespoons pine nuts

Preheat oven to 350. Wash the chard leaves and steam them in a large pot. Remove the leaves from the pot and chop them roughly as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Heat the olive oil in an iron skillet. Add the sliced onion and cook until gold and softened. Add the chopped leaves to the onions and continue cooking a few minutes more. Allow to cool.

Beat the eggs with a fork. Stir in crumbled feta, ricotta, snipped dill, and minced parsley. Add a few grindings of black pepper. Stir in the cooked onion and chard mixture and mix. Pour a little more olive oil into the same skillet and set over heat. Pour the egg and chard batter into the skillet, scatter pine nuts over the top and place in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes or until puffed and beautifully colored.

Two Dog Farms Harvest Week 7

Howdy Folks! Welcome to week 7 of your CSA. We hope y'all had a great week and are continuing to embrace the fall bounty. Time is starting to wind down for the 2015 season.  I know at times getting a big box of vegetables every week can seem daunting, and we hope this season that you have learned to cook more heavy vegetable meals and eat at home a little more too. Maybe you even stored some of these delicious fall treats to last you through the winter until spring! Whatever you decided, we hope you have enjoyed the vegetables as much as we have enjoyed growing them for you! 

Can you believe this outstanding Fall weather? I know Van is stoked to be farming in amazing conditions like this. This weekend Van was invited to north Mississippi to attend a group discussion with about 30 other sustainable farmers from around the state. Needless to say he has returned enlightened and geared for the 2016 growing season! I know his wheels are turning! 

We hope you all have a wonderful week, eat some nourishing meals, and get to spend some time outside. Here is what to expect in this week's box: 

1. Broccoli- I saw a recipe online to roast with thin lemon slices, leeks, & garlic. After the lemons roast and caramelize, then you can eat the whole thing! Rind and all!  It is a must to try this! Serve as side dish or in a Parmesan sauce with pasta. How wonderful must your kitchen smell when roasting lemons too!!? Win win. 

2. Green head cabbage

3. Olympic kale- looks similar to the red Russian, but hardier

4. Parsley- try the recipe below with angel hair pasta, or try making a simple, delicious chimichurri sauce that is sure to please on anything grilled. 

5. Romaine- this head of lettuce was grown in the dirt by Two Dog

6. Kabocha squash- the orange, nutty, sweet, pumpkin looking squash. 

7. Green tomatoes- have some leftover cilantro from last week? Try making a green salsa. 

8. Arugula- maybe try an arugula and parsley pesto. 

9. Hydroponic Lettuce- A delicious and favorite addition from our friends at Salad Days. 

I'm sure you can add your favorite source of protein and this turn out delicious: 

PARSLEY SAUCE WITH ANGEL HAIR PASTA

YIELD: 4 servings

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 10 minutes

1 cup unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic. bruised

3 egg yolks

1 pound angel hair pasta 

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 and 1/2 cups fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup grated parmigiana 

Gently sautee garlic in butter, pressing on cloves to release juices. Beat egg yolks with salt. 

Cook angel hair according to instructions on package. Drain, but while still dripping wet, transfer pasta to large serving bowl and toss with garlic butter, grated cheese and egg yolks. Be sure the eggs coat the pasta. 

Toss in parsley. 

Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!

SWEET AND SPICY ROASTED KABOCHA SLICES

YIELD: 4 servings

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

COOK TIME: 30 minutes

1/2 small kabocha squash

3 tablespoons light brown sugar (plus more for sprinkling)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne  (or hot chili powder)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Preheat the oven to 400°F Line a baking sheet with a silicon baking liner or parchment paper.

De-seed and cut the squash into slices about 1/4 inch thick.

Combine all the dry ingredients. Toss the squash slices in this until coated thoroughly. Add the soy sauce and toss well again.

Spread the slices in a singler layer on the baking sheet and drizzle them with the oil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then turn over, drizzle with more oil and sprinkle more sugar, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Click here for ALL recipes!

Two Dog Farms Harvest Week 6

Howdy Folks! Welcome to week 6 of your CSA! Seems like time is going by so fast. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed their time with family. Van and I had a really relaxing Thanksgiving at home and ate lots of veggies and an entire pumpkin pie between the two of us. It was amazing. I have since cooked 3 more pies and we are still enjoying them! Hazel has also been enjoying some pumpkin lately. I love this time of year.

We were busy around the farm despite how well and how much we ate. We planted all the garlic for spring, planted many rows of greens, and broke ground and got all of our cover crops out before the rain! 

Brussel Sprout plants are starting to form delicious little heads on its stalks! Looking forward to these hopefully in the next couple of weeks.   

Same with the beets and chard. They had to start over after the deer favorited snacking on their greens. But hoping a good fertilization will get them into your kitchens in the next couple of weeks! 

Big news! We are so excited to be getting a chicken coop for the farm!! Our good friends from Mississippi Bees will be lending an old coop of theirs, so we can try our hand at raising chickens. We would love to include eggs from the farm in boxes next year! We hope everyone has a great week!

Here are the contents of this week's box: 

1. Spaghetti squash

2.Cauliflower

3. Kohlrabi (2)

4. Napa cabbage

5. Romaine lettuce- grown in the dirt at the farm. 

6. Baby fennel (2)- Baby fennel has a bulbous base and green feathery leaves. Both are edible and have a mild aniseed or licorice flavour. Try the pizza recipe with a cauliflower crust and caramelized fennel, onion, and olives. 

7. Daikon radish

8. Bag of red vein sorrel- Sorrel has a mild lemony zing that is tangy and mildly acidic. Treat sorrel as you would both a leafy green and an herb. It can be eaten raw or cooked. Great chopped and added to salads. 

9. Bag of cilantro

10. Lettuce- a hydroponic head from our friends at Salad Days

I plan to make the following recipe but making substitutions:  Radishes instead of turnips, I might even roast them, whole, in the oven before adding to the dish. Kohlrabi instead of potatoes & Kohlrabi greens along with some older leftover kale I have in fridge... 

CAULIFLOWER, CHICKPEA, AND KALE CURRY

YIELD: 4 servings

PREP TIME: 15-20 minutes

COOK TIME: 35-40 minutes

¼ cup ghee or coconut oil

2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 Tablespoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

¼-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 small head cauliflower cut into florets

2 medium thin-skinned potatoes, cut into 1” dice

2-3 turnips, scrubbed and diced

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 cup water

4 cups shredded kale

1/4cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium high heat. Add cumin seeds until they brown, about 20 seconds. Add rest of the spices. Stir for a moment and add cauliflower, potatoes and turnips. Stir constantly for 5 minutes so all vegetables are coated.

Add chickpeas and crushed tomatoes. Scrape up any bits of brown on the bottom of the pot and continue cooking until juices thicken, about 5 minutes.

Add water, kale and 2 teaspoons of salt. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

 Remove pot from heat. Taste and adjust for salt. Serve hot sprinkled with cilantro.

KOHLRABI-RADISH SLAW WITH CUMIN AND CILANTRO

YIELD: 4 servings

PREP TIME: 30 minutes

COOK TIME: 5 minutes

3 Tbs. white wine vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. clover honey

1/4 tsp. cumin seeds, toasted, coarsely ground in a mortar and pestle or ground cumin

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 Tbs. canola oil

5 radishes, grated (about 1 cup)

3 medium carrots, grated (about 1-1/2 cups)

2 small unpeeled kohlrabi bulbs (purple, green, or both), trimmed and cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks (3 cups)

1/2 medium head green cabbage (about 1 lb.), thinly sliced (5 cups)

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a small bowl whisk the vinegar, mustard, honey, cumin, 1/4 tsp. salt, and a pinch of pepper. Gradually whisk in the canola oil until combined.

Put the radishes, carrot, kohlrabi, cabbage, and cilantro in a large bowl. Pour in the dressing and gently toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

CARAMELIZED FENNEL, ONION, AND OLIVE PIZZA WITH CAULIFLOWER CRUST

YIELD: 2-4 servings

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

COOK TIME: 20 minutes

1 tablespoon olive oil 

2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 2 small bulbs) 

2 cups thinly sliced onion 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

Remaining ingredients: 

1 cup tomato-basil pasta sauce(pizza sauce, whatever you have)

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 

1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives

To prepare the topping, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the fennel and the next 5 ingredients (fennel through black pepper), and cook for 20 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.

Preheat oven to 450°.

Spread sauce over crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border; sprinkle with fennel mixture, cheese, and olives. Bake at 450° for 18 minutes or until browned.

You can find recipe and instructions to making your cauliflower crust here!! 

http://detoxinista.com/2012/01/the-secret-to-perfect-cauliflower-pizza-crust/

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