Two Dog Farms 2018 Fall CSA Week 2

Top Row: Shishito Peppers, Red Russian Kale, Cherry Tomatoes, and Napa Cabbage!

Bottom Row: Beefsteak Tomatoes, Arugula, Pickling Cucumbers, and Sweet Dumpling Winter Squash!

Howdy folks and welcome to week 2 of your CSA! I hope everyone enjoyed their box last week. We have a great box this week! We are really looking forward to some cooler weather next week! I am sure that everyone can relate!

In the box this week is one of our favorite peppers, shishitos. Some of our patrons know shishitos well and to some of you it is new. I will link an easy blistering recipe below that you don’t have to remove stems or anything! Just throw them into a hot skillet for a wonderful side dish or appetizer. I will also link an easy refrigerated pickles recipe to use as a guideline. Measurements would need to be edited! I will also add a kale salad with tahini dressing we made the other night that was a big hit.

We were able to dodge some rain so far this week, and we put up a few more rows to continue planting our fall crop! Cheers to that! We hope everyone has a great week and cooks some delicious and nutritious meals with loved ones. Here are the contents of this week’s box:

1. Shishito Peppers

2. Red Russian Kale- A wonderful slightly curly and very tender kale.

3. Cherry Tomatoes- Great for salads or try roasting with a favorite dish or fish.

4. Napa Cabbage- Chinese cabbage, traditionally used in stir fries, but also great for raw salads or coleslaw.

5. Beefsteak Tomatoes

6. Arugula- One of my favorite greens that has a peppery flavor. Chop up for a salad all on its own, or as an addition to any salad. Also wonderful braised.

7. Pickling Cucumbers- Can be used as pickling cucumbers or use as you would as a slicing cucumber.

8. Sweet Dumpling Squash- Similar to acorn squash in size and appearance minus the stripes, but so much sweeter and has a great nutty flavor.

Blistered Shishito Peppers

Sweet Dumpling Squash Stuffed with Lemon Herb Rice

Easy Refrigerated Pickles “Guide”

Greek Kale Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing

Two Dog Farms 2018 Fall CSA Week 1

Top Row: Swiss Chard, 2 Kohlrabi, and Collard Greens

Bottom Row: Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Squash, and Aji Dulce Peppers

Hey y’all, and welcome to week 1 of your fall CSA! Thank you all so much for joining us this season. Now all we need is some cooler weather to really make things feel like fall!

We have been harvesting most of the winter squash out of the fields. Most of the squash will still need to sit and cure for a couple of weeks, meaning that they will sit until ripened and their skins are fully hardened. We are able to cure the squash in our high tunnel, next to the rest of our fall seedlings/starter plants, and a couple of rows of cherry tomatoes, so we are very thankful for that high tunnel! It has served many different purposes so far.

I guess we should be called 3 Dog Farms now, because we have recently added a new addition to the farm, or I guess I should say he added himself! We had a stray come to the farm and never left, and Hazel has named him “Runner”, so after he was named by Hazel, we knew for sure he wasn’t going anywhere. Welcome to the farm, Runner! Although he barks at everything, he really loves it there, and is so so sweet!

Deliveries have really geared back up and we are delivering to New Orleans twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays. Now for the final bit of news, we are welcoming to the farm today 300 new baby chicks! We have acquired a new brooding pen and will go ahead and get these girls off to a good start to lay in the spring. We are so excited!

I hope everyone has a great week and you enjoy this week’s bounty of vegetables. Cheers! Here are the contents of this week’s box:

1. Swiss Chard- A beautiful green that cooks similar to spinach. I pull the leaf from the stem, but don’t throw away that stem! Chop like you would celery and add to your dish! Great way to add some different texture and you are still able to eat the entire plant! I recently made a big pot of creamed swiss chard, similar to creamed spinach, it was very tasty!

2. Collard Greens- I’m sure everyone’s familiar with this green. Cook traditionally in a big pot with some broth and onions or try using the collards as a wrap. I wrapped up some chicken salad the other day and it was delicious, also we have a restaurant who makes Dolmas using collards instead of grape leaves! Yum!

3. Kohlrabi- This is one of my favorite vegetables that we grow. It is extremely versatile and makes a wonderful potato substitute. Peel the skin until you get to a crispy textured fruit. It tastes like a mild broccoli, so try it raw, sliced in salads or with hummus. I love to roast it, make “fries” with it, mash it, put it in soups, it really has so many possibilities! Do not discard those greens! They are wonderful cooked down and even add to your collards!

4. Field Tomatoes- Field grown and ripened Beefsteak tomatoes.

5. Slicing Cucumbers- Great to add to any salad, or Greek or Asian style. I love to add to stir fries, noodles, and curries.

6. Summer Squash- Yellow squash, you may receive a bi-color variety or patty pans!

7. Aji Dulce Peppers- One of our favorites, this is a mild-medium pepper that is FULL of flavor! Favorite ways to prepare is roasted. Also, turns into a great sauce or pepper jelly, or try stuffing with your favorite cheese

Kohlrabi, Potato, and Corn Chowder

Creamed Swiss Chard with Bacon

Two Dog Farms 2018 Spring/Summer CSA Week 14

Top Row: Cabbage, Okra, and Spinach

Middle Row: Chioggia Beets, Squash, and Sweet Peppers

Bottom Row: Corn, MS Bees Honey, and Cherry Tomatoes

Howdy Folks! Welcome to your final CSA box this summer. We hope that you have enjoyed everything this past growing season. We had a good season with some ups and downs, but every year we are learning more and trying to become more successful! Thank you so much for taking the risk and joining us. I hope more than anything you were able to eat a little healthier and more often at home with family and friends. 

We have updated our website for the fall CSA, and a few of you already signed up. Thank you! We are looking forward to a really great fall season at the farm. It is my personal favorite time at the farm. Perhaps because it is not as hot, and the bugs aren't as intrusive, but I also LOVE all of the produce that time of year. We have been busy seeding and prepping our fields for the fall. We really hope you decide to join us again!

We have had a lot of help from the NRCS this past year. They helped us get our high tunnel greenhouse. This was a huge addition for us to be able to start our own seed. We hope to apply for another one next year. They did a little write up HERE about our farm. 

So thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Our little farm family wouldn't be where we are now without you and we hope to see you in a couple of months! Here are the contents of your final box:

1. Cabbage

2. Okra

3. Spinach

4. Chioggia Beets- The recipe for roasted beets with balsamic glaze below is good, but I actually like to roast them at a higher temp of 375-400 degrees and then roast for an additional 5-10 minutes after I add the glaze to them. 

5. Squash

6. Sweet Peppers

7. Corn

8. MS Bees Honey

9. Cherry Tomatoes

Roasted Beets with Honey Balsamic Glaze

Two Dog Farms 2018 Spring/Summer CSA Week 13

Top Row: Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, and Amaranth Greens

Bottom Row: Corn, Onions, Gold and Red Beefsteak Tomatoes, Witch's Stick Pepper, and Radishes

Howdy folks! Welcome to week 13 of your CSA! We have a great box this week for you. New to your box this week are Witch's Stick peppers, Amaranth greens and Spinach! The peppers started off mild and with maturity they heat up. You can expect some heat, I needed water right after trying them, with the more mature pepper. Amaranth greens are the leaves of the amaranth plant, you may be more familiar with the grain. They are a beautiful deep green streaked with red and purple and can be eaten raw when young and tender, but are traditionally cooked. The most likely cooking suggestion you will get is to saute it with garlic, but you can use it anywhere you would include cooked spinach or Swiss chard.

Amaranth greens are delicious with cumin, chile peppers or onions and hold up well to intensely spiced dishes like curry. Saute, mix into stew or add to sauces for extra nutrition and texture. Amaranth is full of iron! The spinach is a tender, red veined, amazingly heat tolerant, and vine growing variety called Malabar. We absolutely love this spinach!

The farm has been good, and we were able to get some rows up in our bottom field to plant winter squash and fall tomatoes! If you have previously joined our CSA in the fall, you know the fall is a great time of the year in Mississippi to grow produce! We are expecting to have everything from squash, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes to carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, salad turnips, lots of greens, and winter squash like butternuts, spaghetti, acorn, etc. Next week is our last week for the summer CSA, and we appreciate you all so much and hope that you will consider joining us in the fall! It will be a 10 week share starting around the 2nd week of October and ending the first or second week in December. We will get our website updated soon for signups. 

Unfortunately we were unable to get melons in the ground early enough this year due to rain, so we will not be able to include any in your CSA box for the 4th of July celebration. They are still a few weeks until they will be ready, darn! BUT we hope everyone has a great time celebrating and cooking some good food with loved ones. Happy Independence, y'all!! 

1. Onions

2. Cherry Tomatoes

3. Spinach

4. Corn

5. Beefsteak Tomatoes

6. Amaranth Greens

7. Witch's Stick Peppers

8. Radishes

Amaranth Leaves in Coconut Milk

Black Beans with Amaranth

Two Dog Farms 2018 Spring/Summer CSA Week 12

Top Row: Zucchini and Squash, Blueberries, Anaheim Peppers, Corn, and Eggplant

Bottom Row: Cherry Tomatoes, Cubanelle Peppers, Beefsteak Tomatoes, and Beets

Howdy folks and welcome to week 12 of your CSA. 
This will be the last week for blueberries, and this variety, “powder blue”, is so sweet, dare I say sweeter than the previous blueberries!?

New to this week’s box is corn, cubanelle and anaheim peppers, and beets. Anaheim peppers are famously known for their use in "Chile Rellenos." These have a bit of heat to them and the Cubanelles are a mild pepper. I am going to try to stuff my anaheims this week with diced, roasted eggplant, and cubanelles. Mix everything with quinoa and add some chili powder, cumin, and tomato sauce. Stuff this into my anaheim's and top with goat cheese! I may even do some "mexican" street corn on the side. I roasted some grouper the other night with some cherry tomatoes, and it turned out so good! A nice, juicy tomato with every bite of grouper was perfect! 

Things at the farm are pretty hot and wet. So hot and wet that it is really starting to take a toll on our tomato plants. Plus, the past few storm fronts we have had has knocked down our plants several times. I’m talking entire rows, completely loaded with fruit, knocked down to the ground. That has been pretty frustrating!

Alrighty, we hope you've been enjoying the bounty so far. If you're having trouble getting through all the veggies don't forget to whip up our favorite "compost pasta" recipe. Which is basically a huge pot of sautéed veggies (throw all of them into the pot) with plenty of butter and garlic and stir into hot pasta with some parmesan cheese. It's a bullet proof method for making room in your fridge for the next round of vegetables.

As always, we're so thankful to have you all be a part of our farm family. Thanks for taking the risk to join a CSA and for riding this crazy wave with us. Y'all are awesome. Cheers!

1. Blueberries

2. Cherry tomatoes

3. Eggplant

4. Corn

5. Beefsteak Tomatoes

6. Anaheim and Cubanelle Peppers

7. Squash

8. Zucchini

9. Beets

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Two Dog Farms 2018 Spring/Summer CSA Week 11

Top Row: Cherry Tomatoes, Zucchini, Squash, Sweet Peppers, and Savoy or Green Cabbage

Bottom Row: Cucumbers, Heirloom Tomatoes, Blueberries, and Beefsteak Tomatoes

Hi folks, and welcome to week 11 of your CSA. We hope everyone has had a great week. I would like to say that we appreciate each and every one of our members. If there is ever an issue with your box of vegetables, please contact us personally so we can fix it. My phone number is 601-624-4914 (Dorothy). I am more than happy to talk to you and try to find a solution. 

Ready for some tomatoes?!! We literally have 1,000s of pounds right now! Tis the season for tomato pies, tomato sandwiches, tomato sauce, canning, tomato salads, caprese, and anything else that involves a tomato! I am seriously eating my weight in tomato sandwiches. SO GOOD. 

We received 1/2 an inch of rain in 20 minutes on Monday, and it has been raining every day since then with no intention of stopping. Do y'all remember the last couple of summers when we were in  a drought? Crazy weather this summer in Mississippi. Of course we still have July and August left! 

I hope everyone has a great week and enjoy your box of vegetables this week. Check out the link below, Southern Living put together 15 recipes that really embrace all the items in this week's box! Here are the contents:

1. Cherry Tomatoes

2. Savoy or Green Cabbage

3. Zucchini

4. Squash

5. Sweet Peppers

6. Beefsteak Tomatoes

7. Cucumbers

9. Blueberries

10. Heirloom Tomatoes

Fresh and Fabulous Recipes that Celebrate Summertime

Two Dog Farms 2018 Spring/Summer CSA Week 10

Top Row: Beefsteak Tomatoes, Cured Onions, Watermelon Radishes, and Potatoes.

Bottom Row: Green Beans, Cherry Tomatoes, Blueberries, and Shishitos. 

Hey everyone, hope y'all have had a great week. Welcome to week 10 of your CSA. We hope that you enjoyed the bounty last week. We were asked if the blueberries were organic, and if anyone else was wondering, they are. We get the blueberries from a family friend's farm in Brookhaven. They are so plump and sweet. I hope y'all have enjoyed them! 

We have gotten the rest of our summer field planted, and looking forward to some juicy melons! New additions to your box this week are beefsteak tomatoes, shishito peppers and pickling cucumbers. Are you ready for some tomato sandwiches? Van and I each ate 2 1/2 sandwiches the other night. They were really great, we almost went back for a 3rd sandwich! The pickling variety of cucumber is also really great to enjoy in salads, with dips, and sliced on top of dishes. Some of you may remember the shishito peppers from last year! They are a thin walled blistering pepper. Mild and sweet roulette pepper, meaning that 1 in 10 will be spicy! These are some of our favorites that we grow. I will post an awesome, easy blistering recipe that makes for a great appetizer.

We hope everyone has a really great week and enjoy this week's bounty! Cheers!

1. Blueberries

2. Cherry Tomatoes

3. Watermelon Radish

4. Potatoes

5. Beefsteak Tomatoes

6. Shishito Peppers

7. Onions

8. Green Beans

9. Cucumbers

Blistered Shishitos

Marinated Cucumber, Onion, and Tomato Salad

Two Dog Farms 2018 Spring/Summer CSA Week 9

Top Row: Cabbage, Romano Beans, Cherry Tomatoes, and Blueberries

Bottom Row: Onions, Zucchini, Squash, and Eggplant

Hey everyone, welcome to week 9 of your CSA. We hope everyone is well and had a great weekend!

We are really starting to see tomatoes come out of the field. Just in the last couple of days we have harvested several cratefuls!

I wanted to give everyone a chicken update. Our girls are a little over 15 weeks old and getting big! It is pretty wild that they grow so much over night. In the last couple weeks we really saw them jump into adolescence and soon they will be of laying age. Pullets usually start to lay around 20 weeks. So in a short month we should start to see some good egg production! 

We just ordered the fencing we will use when moving them from pasture to pasture. We have had some predator issues, but hopefully it will stop. 

We hope you all have a great week and are able to get into the kitchen and make some great healthy meals. Here are the contents of this week's box:

1. Head of Cabbage

2. Romano Beans- Italian string bean! It is a flat string bean. 

3. Cherry Tomatoes

4. Blueberries

5. Onions

6. Zucchini

7. Squash

8. Eggplant

Stewed Romano Beans with Tomatoes

Romano Bean Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

Roasted Eggplant

Two Dog Farms 2018 Spring/Summer CSA Week 8

Top Row: Parsley, Green Beans, Daikon Radishes, and Sorrel

Bottom Row: Potatoes, Onions, Cherry Tomatoes, and Banana Peppers

Hello folks! Welcome to week 8 of your CSA! We hope everyone had a safe, eventful weekend with family and friends.

Last week got a little busy and everyone but baby Ivan had the stomach bug! Hazel was able to hold off the sickness until after we celebrated her 3rd birthday, so that was fortunate! A lot has been going on at the farm! We had all of the broccoli ready at once, as well as the cauliflower. We had to donate well over 1,000 lbs of broccoli and now we are going through the cauliflower and finding hundreds of lbs to donate. The weather this spring was abnormal enough to push all 3 separate plantings to be ready at once. We are definitely in the transition from spring to summer produce. No need to worry this week if you will have more cauliflower, we have a whole new assortment for you! You will definitely be feeling the summer love with this box!

We hope you enjoy your vegetables, and I appreciate the feedback, good and bad. Thanks for the support everyone! 

Here are the contents of this week's box:

1. Beans- Snap beans that are a bush variety. I love to simmer these down with some broth of your choice and a little onion until all the liquid is gone. This makes for a tender bean full of flavor. 

2. Cherry Tomatoes- Fresh off the vine and ready to be added to salads, pastas, or just eaten by themselves! 

3. Potatoes- Y'all, some oh so delicious creamy potatoes! So excited about these!

4. Sorrel 

5. Banana Peppers- Sweet and mild pepper

6. Purple Daikon Radishes

7. Cured Onions- Onions that have been harvested out of the field and dried and cured. 

8. Parsley

Southern Style Green Beans

Home Fries with Peppers and Onions

Two Dog Farms 2018 Spring/Summer CSA Week 6

Hey folks! Welcome to week 6 of your CSA! Hope everyone had a great weekend.
So, we were receiving a little feedback and thought we would try something a little different. We are going to double up on items in your box this week. Doing so, you would be able to make some big casserole dishes. Maybe make a couple of casseroles to put in the freezer for an easy dinner one night. I know I need things as easy as possible now a days! I have added some recipes and they seem to be kid friendly as well.

I really love the recipe below for a healthier broccoli and cheese casserole. Made with quinoa and whole grain bread crumbs. You also won’t find mayonnaise or cream of mushroom in it. I’m sure you could add some shredded or cubed chicken to it also!

I also have added a recipe for slow cooker greens. It does call for a ham hock, but I have found just using bacon or skipping out on the pork, and it is still delicious! Might as well go ahead and put some greens up in the freezer. Here pretty soon with the heat, they won’t be able to grow.

Cauliflower takes on the flavor of pretty much anything you want it to. One last recipe I added is for a loaded cauliflower mash recipe. It is low carb since you are replacing the potatoes with cauliflower.

I would love to hear feedback if you like the doubling up on veggies, and what you make. Hope everyone has a great week!

1. Collards

2. Collards

3. Cauliflower

4. Cauliflower

5. Broccoli

6. Broccoli

7. Torpedo Onions

8. Squash and Zucchini

Loaded Cauliflower Mash

Slow Cooker Greens

Healthy Broccoli Casserole

Two Dog Farms 2018 Spring/Summer CSA Week 5

Top Row left to right: Torpedo Onions, Golden Beets, Swiss Chard, and Bulb Fennel.

Bottom Row left to right: Dill, Sweet Peas, Broccoli, and Mizuno Mix

Hey everyone, I hope y'all had a wonderful week. Well, the summer heat is upon us. It has been hot, and I know this is just the beginning. Van and I were talking the other day how we are not ready for it! Haha, but it is inevitable. We will have some extra cut sunflowers available to buy at our CSA pick up locations! They have all just started to open their blooms, and are so stunning! I figured it may be a nice addition to your CSA box for mother's day this weekend! ;) 

We received our new delivery truck! Van has it today in New Orleans. Later this week we will attempt to do a second delivery in New Orleans and also the Crescent City Farmer's Market on Saturday. It should be a busy weekend! 

I hope y'all have been enjoying all of the vegetables so far. We have a really great bounty for you this week. I hope everyone has a wonderful week and you are able to cook someone dear to you a delicious meal! Here are the contents of this week's box:

1. Mizuno- A braising mix of red and green mizuno. This mix is flavorful and colorful. You can really use any of our greens to braise. Add any greens to this mix if you need to stretch it further for a meal. See easy recipe below. I personally use coconut oil or butter and sometimes i like a squeeze of lemon to replace red pepper. Also, mizuno adds a lot of flavor when chopped thinly and added to a salad. 

2. Golden Beets

3. Torpedo Onions- A variety of spring onion that is longer with a smaller bulb.  Looks like a torpedo. 

4. Swiss Chard

5. Broccoli 

6. Dill 

7. Fennel Bulb with Fronds- Fennel has a familiar anise flavor. The bulb is great to chop and caramelize with onions. Have it as a side or add to pizzas and pastas. Also, i like to save the fronds, the long leafy greens, and use them to flavor different dishes. I added a recipe below, but be aware it takes a little over an hour to prepare. It is easy tho, one of those dishes that you can stir every so often as you prepare the rest of your meal. 

8. Sweet Peas- This variety of peas are best when shelled. They are a great snack for on the go, just sitting around, added to salads, or shell, cook, and add into a main dish. 

Caramelized Fennel and Onions

Caramelized Fennel with Fettuccine and Goat Cheese

Fennel and Sweet Onion Pizza

Two Dog Farms 2018 Spring/Summer CSA Week 4

Top row left to right: Collards, Watermelon Radishes, Curly Kale, and Leeks

Bottom row left to right: Sorrel, Broccolini, Parsley, and Spinach

Hey Folks! Welcome to week 4 of your CSA! This spring/early summer has really thrown me off with the lower temperatures, but I know that the blazing heat is right around the corner. We are really gearing up for it too. We have started prepping our summer melon field! I can't wait to bite into one of those sweet, tasty miniature watermelons! If you have had our melons before, you know what I'm talking about! :) Hopefully we will be able to have some in time for the Fourth of July. 

My favorite and the easiest way to make vegetable broth is simply by getting a gallon sized freezer bag and every time I have a piece of onion, carrot, radish, etc., that I would normally throw away, I add it to my freezer bag. When my freezer bag becomes full, I simply add contents to a big pot of water and boil to make broth!

Do you happen to have any cabbage left over from last week? I added a spinach and leek quiche recipe at the bottom of the page, and I love the idea of using cabbage leaves as the pie crust! Follow the link below to check it out! 

I hope everyone is having a great week so far and we look forward to another box followed by more creative and delicious meals! Cheers y'all! 

1. Spinach

2. Watermelon Radish- A milder radish that when cut open resembles a watermelon! 

3. Sorrel- This tasty green has a really great lemon or citrus flavor. A traditional way to enjoy sorrel is cooked into a sauce and served with fish, lending a lemony flavor without the use of lemon. It's also great cooked into soups or stews. And if you don't have lemons to make a salad dressing, use sorrel to add tang.

4. Curly Kale

5. Broccolini- No, this is not baby broccoli ;) Broccolini has small florets, long stalks, and a few small leaves — all of which are edible.

6. Parsley

7. Collards

8. Leeks- Milder onion flavor. Great in soups, finely chopped in salads, or sautéed with other vegetables. 

Roasted Broccolini with Lemon (or Sorrel!) and Garlic

Leek and Spinach Quiche

Two Dog Farms 2018 Spring/Summer CSA Week 3

Top Row left to right: Daikon Radishes, White Beets, Lacinato Kale, and Spring onions

Bottom Row left to right: Cilantro, Field Lettuce, Mizuno Mix, and Napa Cabbage

Hey folks! I hope everyone is doing well and y’all have been enjoying all of your vegetables! There is a new variety of beets that we are growing, white beets! I made some roasted beets this past weekend and devoured them with a nice big pot of mixed greens. So much broth was in the mixed greens that it was like eating soup! I love me some pot liquor!! 

We have ordered a new delivery truck (little bigger with more horse power). We are needing this kind of truck for driving longer distances like New Orleans, etc. We have also been talking about going for a 2nd delivery to New Orleans on the weekend and also a Saturday Farmers Market there. We are so thankful for an extra outlet, such as New Orleans, & delivering our produce to local consumers there. 

We have a really great box this week! One of my favorite ways to cook the Napa Cabbage is to roast it in the oven until fork tender! I also like to add a slice of bacon on top while it is roasting :). I hope everyone has a wonderful week, and eat some really nourishing meals! Cheers! 

1. Mizuno Mix- A braising mix of red and green mizuno. This mix is flavorful and colorful. You can really use any of our greens to braise. Add any greens to this mix if you need to stretch it further for a meal. See easy recipe below. I personally use coconut oil or butter and sometimes i like a squeeze of lemon to replace red pepper. Also, mizuno adds a lot of flavor when chopped thinly and added to a salad. 

2. Purple Daikon Radishes- Traditional radishes used in kimchi. This is also one of my absolute favorite radishes to roast in the oven. 

3. White Beets

4. Lacinato Kale 

5. Napa Cabbage- Light green leaves with white prominent veins. Can be used in stir fries, raw in slaws. Makes great cabbage rolls and great Kimchi, a traditional fermented Korean side dish, see recipe below. 

6. Cilantro 

7. Field Grown Lettuce

8. Spring Onions

Roasted Spring Onion and Beet Salad

Simple Braised Greens

Easy Kimchi

Cilantro Lime Coleslaw

Two Dog Farms 2018 Spring/Summer CSA Week 2

Top row left to right- spring onions, yukina savoy, red beets, and swiss chard

Bottom row left to right- broccolini, dill, baby kale, and lettuce

Hello folks! I hope everyone had a great week and weekend. I am thrilled to have received great feedback from your first box. If you ever have any questions or need suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact us! Some of you received curly kale instead of collards in your box last week. We had a shortage of collards and had to substitute. 

One of our CSA members created a facebook page for people that are involved in a CSA. This is a wonderful way to share recipes/meal ideas, get a little inspiration, or one may comment about different vegetables that are in their box! I really encourage everyone to join in on this page! It's called Jackson Eats Plants! <------- Click on the link to go to their Facebook page.

Last week was very busy for us! We are finding our groove and working out a few kinks. This is our weekly schedule: Mondays we harvest for New Orleans restaurants and farmers market. Tuesday, Van leaves at 3:45 in the morning and heads to the Crescent City Farmers Market in New Orleans. Then after market he delivers produce to restaurants. Meanwhile at the farm, we are harvesting for our tuesday CSA boxes and wednesday CSA boxes. From 4-6pm, CSA pick up at the farm. Van is usually back around 7:30 or 8. Wednesday, I head to the Greenville and Cleveland to deliver CSA boxes and restaurant orders. At the farm, they are harvesting for Jackson restaurants. Thursday, harvest and pack CSA boxes for thursday pick up. Then off to deliver to local restaurants in Jackson and CSA drop off from 4-6pm at M7. Friday, we harvest for High Street Farmers Market and CSA. Saturday we are the market until 2 then general maintenance at the farm. Sundays we usually dedicate to the chickens. 

We have sold quite a few T-shirts! We still have plenty more and I will have them at each CSA pick up location. It is a clever design of a beet growing in the soil with " Two Dog Farms" in the soil as well, and "Nothing BEETS Local" above the beet. On the front is a pocket with our logo.

We hope you enjoy your bounty this week! Here are the contents of this week's box:

1. Baby Kale

2. Yukina Savoy- This is an Asian green, also known as Asian spoon spinach, with young tender leaves and stalks that are excellent for salad mix and stir-fry dish. It makes a great substitute for spinach and looks/cooks about the same, but just a little spicier almost like a mustard green. 

3. Red Beets- Delicious roasted or peeled and sautéed. I also enjoy pickling my beets as well! You can also eat the greens. They taste similar to swiss chard, but a little sweeter. 

4. Swiss Chard

5. Broccolini- Similar to broccoli but with smaller florets and longer, thin stalks.

6. 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. 

7. Field Grown Lettuce

8. Spring Onions- Young onions that are harvested with greens. 

Yukina Savoy and Mushrooms

Roasted Broccolini

Roasted Beet and Baby Kale Salad

Two Dog Farms 2018 Spring/Summer CSA Week 1

Hello everyone, and welcome to week one of your CSA! We are very thankful for you joining our farm, and looking forward to a great growing season. 

As you all know, this past weekend we had some really cold temperatures. We were 1 degree away from losing all of our summer crops! Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, squash, cucumbers, and our cut flowers such as single stem, pollen less sunflowers, celosias, zinnias, and snap dragons. Thank goodness we had minimal damage, everything still looks to be in good shape. 

Previous springs, we didn't have a warm enough place to start our own seeds. We got a local nursery to start our spring plants, and we would start our summer plants. This year we were able to start all of our plants for this spring/summer season in our high tunnel (greenhouse structure with a dirt floor for planting), which we got last summer. This was such a great accomplishment for us. Once all the starter plants have been planted in the field, then we will direct seed small greens like arugula, baby kale, etc. in the high tunnel. Having the high tunnel has really upped our farm game. We are hoping to get another high tunnel put in later this year.

Below is a list of what to expect in your CSA box this week. We hope you have so much fun creating healthy meals for yourself and loved ones. Cheers! 

1. Spinach- Mature, green leaf spinach. Great raw or sautéed. 

2. Radishes- This variety is known as Easter Egger radish. Versatile and milder radish that can be used for salads or to cook with. 

3. Collards- Big green leaves that can be cooked and stewed down to make a classic southern side dish, or get creative and try using them as wraps or a slaw. 

4. Kohlrabi- This vegetable is one of my favorites. It is a root vegetable that taste like a mild broccoli. Peel the skin to get to a crisp texture on the inside, somewhat like an apple. I love to eat this vegetable raw, sliced as chips, and served with a favorite dip. Or you can mash, roast, sautee, stew, and pretty much anything else that you would do to a potato (kohlrabi is a wonderful substitute for potato). Also, don't discard the greens, they are also edible and delicious. Add them in with your collards!

5. Field grown Lettuce- you know what to do.

6. Green Onions- Scallions to add to different salads and entrees. 

7. Swiss Chard- I love this earthy tasting green. Great in salads, wraps, cooked down, added to pasta dishes, etc. I also love to slice the 'rib' of the swiss chard sort of like you would celery. Adding the ribs to your dish can add some wonderful texture and flavor. 

8. Bok Choy- Great vegetable in stir fries, roasted, or thrown on the grill.

How To Cut Up Kohlrabi

Swiss Chard and Kohlrabi with Lemon Sauce

Roasted Bok Choy

Thai Coconut Soup with Bok Choy

Two Dog Farms 2017 Fall CSA Week 10

Hello folks! Welcome to week 10 of your CSA. Your final box of the 2017 season. We hope you have enjoyed all of the vegetables you have received and we enjoyed getting to know all of you personally. Thank you so much for a wonderful season at the farm and for your support. 

With the beautiful days we have been having this week it is hard to believe that we received 5 inches of snow last week! The farm was a sight to see blanketed in white. It was gorgeous and at the same time a little frightening as we were wondering what all was getting frost bitten underneath that beautiful blanket. The carrots should be extra sweet this week, due to the freeze, and you will be receiving double the bounty. Also, expect the collards to be a little sweeter as well.

We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, and keep us in mind when gifting presents! Perhaps someone would love a Spring/Summer subscription in 2018! Just an idea :)

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 Local 463, Walkers, The Manship, 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 and grab some produce! 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 in the spring. Cheers to you all!

Your farmers,

Van, Dorothy, Hazel, & Ivan

1. Broccolini

2. Carrots

3. Carrots

4. Acorn Squash

5. Collards

6. Spinach

7. Mizuno Mix- baby greens mix that contains arugula, kale, and mizuno. This is a wonderful braising mix. (some will just receive baby kale as we were a little short with the mizuno mix this week)

8. Cauliflower

9. Kale

Simple Roasted Cauliflower

Two Dog Farms 2017 Fall CSA Week 9

Welcome to week 9 of your CSA! We hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Our entire family has been sick with the flu, including baby Ivan whose cold turned into Croup! That has been really scary to deal with, but he seems to be doing better. I think it is impossible for him to not get sick when Hazel is constantly around him. 

We really hope everyone has been enjoying everything as the season is winding down. Here are the contents of this weeks box:

1. Carrots

2. Broccolini

3. Collards

4. Parsley

5. Cabbage

6. Spinach

7. Watermelon Radish

8. Beefsteaks

9. Green Tomatoes

Two Dog Farms 2017 Fall CSA Week 8

Hey folks, welcome to week 8 of your CSA. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family around the dinner table! We had a great time with family and made so much food. I made a broccoli casserole and a squash pie that turned out really great. I wish i had a piece of pie to eat every night of the week. Van and I fought over the last piece of pie! It even had finger holes in it from where Hazel was eating it also. 

Your box this week includes a very exciting new item that we have never grown before. It is purple Napa Cabbage (chinese cabbage). It is so beautiful and one of my favorite cabbages. A very tender cabbage that is great to make cabbage rolls with, stir fry, or even make a kimchi with the daikon radishes and carrots in your box as well. 

We hope everyone has a great week. Here are the contents of this weeks box:

1. Purple Napa Cabbage

2. Dill

3. Carrots

4. Daikon Radish

5. Beets

6. Baby Kale

7. Acorn Squash

8. Broccoli

9. Beefsteak Tomatoes

Cabbage and Daikon Kimchi

Two Dog Farms 2017 Fall CSA Week 7

Hey Y'all! Hope everyone has been having a good week so far getting ready for the upcoming holiday. We will have our 2 pick up locations today at M7 Coffee House in Ridgeland and at the farm in Flora, form 4-6pm at both locations. We sent out an email and if you have yet to let us know where you will be picking up, please do so as soon as possible. We doubled up on collard greens and broccoli this week so you would be able to use these as side dishes if desired. Also, the kabocha squash makes for an excellent pie! I have posted the recipe below as well as an easy greens in the crockpot recipe. 

Well, we had a pretty good freeze at the farm Sunday night, so expect your carrots and collards to be a little sweeter this week! We tried to pick as many tomatoes as we could have Sunday. The freeze again damaged the top portion of the plant, but we do have some fruit still on the plant that we think we will be able to still pick, so that is fortunate! 

Van nor I will be at the pick up locations this afternoon, Cole will be at the M7 location and Rachel will be at the Farm. Van is in New Orleans, like he is every Tuesday, he is working the farmers market there and delivering to restaurants. Hazel, Ivan and I are headed to Batesville to do the Polar Express train ride! My wonderful mother-in-law surprised us with tickets and Hazel is so excited! 

We hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and enjoy your time with family. Wishing everyone safe travels during this week as well. Here are the contents of this week's box:

1. Collards

2. Collards

3. Carrots

4. Parsley

5. Kabocha Squash

6. Broccoli

7. Broccoli

8. Tomatoes

9. Lettuce

SLOW COOKER GREENS

YIELD: 2-4 servings

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 4-6 hours

2 cans (10.75 ounces) beef stock (I used Chicken)

1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 chop chopped onion

1 cup fully cooked ham, diced

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

various greens (collard, turnip, radish, braising mix) de-stemmed and finely chopped or roughly torn

Place beef stock, diced tomatoes with green chiles, onion, ham, vinegar, sugar, garlic powder, seasoned salt, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf in a slow cooker. Add greens to slow cooker. Cook on “low,” stirring occasionally,  until greens are very tender, 4 to 6 hours

KABOCHA SQUASH PIE

YIELD: 4-6 servings

PREP TIME: 50 minutes

COOK TIME: 35-40 minutes

2 cups squash cooked and mashed

1 8 oz. block of cream cheese

2 cups of sugar

1 tsp. of vanilla

4 eggs

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Halve and de-seed squash. Place cut side down on oiled cookie sheet. Roast at 425 degrees for 35-45 minutes until fork tender. Scrape out cooked squash and mash with fork.

Blend squash and cream cheese with hand mixer. Add remaining ingredients and pour into pie crust. Bake for 35-40 min at 350 degrees

Two Dog Farms 2017 Fall CSA Week 6

Top Row: Beets with Greens, Arugula, Lettuce, and Baby Carrots

Bottom Row: Broccoli, Purple Cabbage, Beefsteak Tomatoes, Butternut Squash, and Sweet Peppers.

Hi everyone! Hope y'all have been enjoying all of your greens and vegetables that this season has had to offer. We are starting to get into some of our more hardier root vegetables. This week's box is a beautiful bounty! 

Again, we will have only ONE pick up day the week of Thanksgiving. It will be next Tuesday the 21st. We will offer pick up locations at M7 coffee house in Ridgeland, and also at the farm in Flora. Pick up times will be from 4-6pm. We will be sending out an email to further get in touch with everyone. 

Our chickens have started to slow down with their egg production. That is of course normal this time of year with the time change, shorter days, and colder weather. Im honestly surprised that we are still even getting about 12 eggs a day. Some of our chickens are starting to molt as well. It's amazing how everything that's living changes with the seasons. 

The electric deer fence we have put up around the farm seems to have helped so far! There has still been a few times where we have seen that some deer have eaten produce. The beans especially. We have learned that will happen regardless, and to always just plant a little extra when planting our starts. Some of you may remember how bad the deer were last season, and thank goodness it is nothing like that this fall. 

One of my personal favorites, cauliflower, has started to form small heads in the field. The box this week may be the most colorful of all the boxes so far! It is a really great harvest this week. Hope y'all enjoy and have a wonderful week. Here are the contents of this week's box:

1. Baby Carrots- Don't discard the greens! Try in soups, finely chopped in salads, or a pesto. 

2. Butternut Squash

3. Purple Cabbage

4. Sweet Peppers

5. Broccoli- Don't discard that large stalk! Chop and put into soups and stir fries. Even try peeling and making into a mash. 

6. Head of field grown Lettuce

7. Arugula- Peppery green with so much flavor. Great in salads.

8. Beets- Don't discard those greens! Beet greens cook and taste much like swiss chard. 

9. Beefsteak Tomatoes

Carrot Top and Arugula Pesto

Healthier Broccoli and Cheese Soup with Butternut Squash