CSA available for Summer 2012

http://www.localharvest.org/csa/M15378

Schoolhouse Farms will be offering shares of it's CSA again in 2012. We will be offering just 20 shares with home delivery available in the 13152 zip code. These shares will be made up of Schoolhouse Farms produce. Produce that is grown without the use of pesticides at our eco-ganic micro farm near Skaneateles, New York. We will also include some other unique items as the season and harvest progresses. Items we believe will enhance what we have included in the weekly share. All the information you need to know about this limited offer are available at our Schoolhouse Farms LocalHarvest site or by clicking on the image! We are excitedly planning your shares this winter in anticipation of our best growing season ever.

A CSA is a joint venture between Farmer (us) and the Partner (you)! You can feel good about supporting an aspect of farming that receives no local state or federal subsidies. The sweat is all ours but the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is ours to share with you. It is a win win situation that really keeps things local. A CSA has some assumed risk on both our parts as we have no control over mother nature. Last year was a perfect storm of conditions that almost completely wiped out our tomato harvest. We learned a lot from this and reacted as quickly as possible by planting alternative crops in an attempt to stave off the huge hole in the harvest. Thankfully our actions helped to prevent a lost season of farming. Admittedly people were disappointed about the tomato blight but were also excited that we filled the void.

Farming is an on going education for us and for everybody who hitches their spiritual wagon onto our dream. Schoolhouse Farms has come a long way in over 12 years and encourages you to visit the farm and our historic one room schoolhouse we call the Borodino Market!http://www.localharvest.org/csa/M15378?ul

Quince Paste - Words simply to not tell the story effectively

Seek warmth!

The clutches of Winter seem to be as relentless as ever. This winter will go down as one of the coldest in 100 years ands possibly one of the snowiest. I guess it is winter in the classic sense. The one our fore fathers endured.

Behind the frozen doors and windows lie the hopes for an awesome growing season for SHF1848. Dreams, seeds, soil, pots, tables benches and trays all waiting to spring into action. Borodino Market is transitioning away from a specialty shop to a sustainable on farm market. We can't wait to usher in the sunshine and smiles of the 2011 growing season. Think warm thoughts and keep checking back for more good farm news.

Seasonal Conclusion

As we are fond of saying "Mother nature is ultimately in charge" and this Fall was a perfect example of that. Although picturesque with the ground covered in a fluffy white blanket, the bare trees flocked with a layer as well and all evidence of any remaining crop buried, it does bring things to dramatic rapid conclusion without reservation. So we bid you a happy season and look forward to the spring planting. We will be busy planning the crops for our 2011 CSA shares as well as for the Market. Keep warm and stay tuned to the Borodino Market blog as we will be updating it regularly with new and wonderful things in the near future! all winter!

Sweet Potato & Black Barley

At Schoolhouse Farms we are always on the lookout for food options that enhance and inspire our dining experience in new tasty healthy ways. During our research into whole grains for the Borodino Market we came across black barley, an ancient grain, that we were determined to sample, educate ourselves about and promote publicly. The recipe that follows is a great example of this procees and we challange you to try it and let us know what you think. The pairing of the sweet potato and black barley were a happy experiment with outstanding results. The introduction of sweetness via brown sugar and the subtle acidity of aged balsamic vinegar make this a very harmonious and satisfying dish. This dish can be a meal or a side!


Sweet Potato & Black Barley

Ingredients

1 Package Black Barley (cooked to specifications on the package)
1 Sweet potato diced
2 stalks of celery diced
1/2 medium onion diced
a tea kettle of warm water
2 Tablespoons raw honey
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Cook black barley and set aside in bowl
heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in saute pan on medium heat. Add diced onion and celery cooking 2-3 minutes. add diced sweet potato stir ingredients and cook until all liquid is absorbed and potatoes are starting to stick to pan. Add some warm water to pan stirring and cooking until water is absorbed and potatoes begin to stick to pan again. Add enough warm water to just cover mixture continue cooking until the liquid is again absorbed. Continue this process until sweet potatoes are cooked to your desired level of softness. Add 2 tablespoons water, honey and brown sugar, olive oil and balsamic vinegar continue to heat and stir until heat thoroughly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and continue to reduce mixture for 1-2 minute. Remove from heat and gently add to bowl of black barley mix adjust salt and pepper according to taste and serve.

Organic Pumpkin Muffins

The fact that they are made with organic pumpkin is not the clever aspect nor the key selling point of these little morsels, although apparently it did get your attention. The real beauty of this spicy winter treat is in what is not in them. They are made with the omission of oil, butter or egg. Just the dry ingredients and a 15 ounce can of pumpkin! This little trick was provide to us by a weight watchers enthusiast. The muffins are moist and tasty and healthy and low fat. Winter is too long too cold and too dark to skip out on a little pastry. So get back into that kitchen when the alarm goes off and prepare a batch of muffins for everyone. It's a great alternative to the cold cereal option and gets everybody off on the right foot. Go on get cooking! Nothing good came from procrastinating it is time to get up and over to the oven! Let us know if you need our recipe!

Way cool cookies! "Oatmeal Lumps"

OK before you jump to any conclusion based on the primary ingredient oatmeal you need to take the time to try these cookies. This recipe is a healthy adaptation of a recipe that has been around for a long while. We have modified the recipe and came up with a darn tasty and primarily healthy snack alternative as snacks go.

The acid test for these cookies was who the guinea pigs were that allowed us to know they were better then most presumed healthy snack options. It was a group of 8th grade middle school students meetings, as they have for the past three years, for Odyssey of the Mind practice. They are accustom to indulging in heavy snacking and the variety is generally as diverse as mass produced high fat, high sugar low nutrient junk food can be, pizza and doughnuts included. The coach, recipe developer and baker decided enough was enough. With obesity rates rocketing to an unprecedented level and diabetes running rampant it was time to take a stand and start to introduce some level of restraint and introduce a healthier snack alternative.

The test run certainly was not announced in advance because we can't have the little blighters arriving with pockets crammed full of Twinkies and Mountain Dew. The cookies were laid out and the hungry students arrive. A couple snagged a handful with out breaking stride and proceed to wolf them down enthusiastically. Others ask before they will try one "what's in them?" and still others just look, and walk away as these little gems are simply too foreign looking in appearance to entice them to want to try one. As the practice gets going one of the students parent arrives with arms over loaded with Capri Sun, Cheese nips and Twix bars. She is greeted enthusiastically " Ah your mom is way cool!"

We don't take offense, we enjoy Twix bars too. However silently we know that the middle school kids should really be reaching for more Oatmeal cookies, but we are happy that some were undeterred by the look of them and came back for more. Today is another meeting and you got it we are sending in another batch of Oatmeal cookies and we have it on good authority that nobody else is bringing snacks!

No Flour - Oatmeal "Lumps"Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 cups brown sugar
2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup chopped pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup chopped dates

In 2 quart sauce pan over low heat melt butter. Add apple sauce and stir heating for 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients and remove from heat.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Drop mixture by rounded teaspoon 3 inches apart on the parchment. Bake 8 minutes or until edges are well browned. Cool slightly and remove to wire cooling rack.

Whole Grains

Farro
Kamut
Black Barley
Red & Black Quinoa
Kasha and others

available at the Borodino Market
Saturdays 10AM-5PM

2 Bee or not Two bee

Too bee or not to bee that is the question we must answer concerning these older bee hive boxes. We took possession of these worn colorful beauties at the insistence of the owner. The hives had been in storage in the confines of a most righteous local barn. As collectors and salvagers
determine to give useful things a second life we had to oblige. Just the fact they were wood and box shape was enough.

Now the question remains to bee or not to bee. We love the concept of honey bees. We also are keenly aware the important interaction bees have with the farm. They provide pollination and also yield the actual honey crop that has become such a sought after staple at the Borodino Market. We just don't know if it is worth the effort and finance to attempt to rehab the old boxes.

We have pondered a variety of alternate creative uses and realize undoubtedly some of our artistic friends more then likely also have conjured up a few inspirational thoughts. We hope some of you might weigh in with comments and share suggestions. Thanks

Bee's

Healthy Food & Trader Joe's

It doesn't take long to realize that we are real food fans and have our favorite food emporium. Trader Joe's is a wholesome treat for mind and body and when we are within range of one we stop to stock up on some of the families favorites. These items are not selected by one family member but by all. Our 10 year old son likes the wasabi mayo and salsa, our 12 year old daughter the dark chocolate ginger, our 14 year old the wild blueberries and almond butter as does the 5 year old. We don't promote or suggest any item over the next they just fan out in the store and these are the items they return to the cart with.

Eating healthy doesn't have to be a war with your family it needs to be fun and flavorful. The variety of items available today at most grocery stores is staggering. It takes a little bit of conversation to get the family engaged into eating products that are less processed and contain fewer additives. It helps when you get the whole family into the habit of reading ingredients. Our general rule of thumb is if the ingredients list is greater then 5 it's probably not a great choice.

You might be surprised to see what kids will eat if you haven't instill preconceived notions about what is good and bad to taint them. A salad made of Bulgar, lentils, coco beans, spicy olives, roasted red pepper in a olive oil jalapeno vinaigrette was deemed delicious by our 5 year old as her mid morning snack. (We would have been happy to have her try it let alone mow through the whole bowl.)

We have no investment in Trader Joe's but if you have an opportunity to shop at one we strongly advise you to do so, and let us know when you are going because we always have a list for our next shop. If you do shop at Trader Joe's we love to hear what your favorites are!