The Importance of Being Diverse

Posted on July 10, 2015 by patty

Nash Huber and his team of young farmers work hard to maintain diversity on the farm, not only in soil biota or vegetable varieties, but in the farm’s product line. As the uncertainty of climate change increases, the value of diversity becomes more and more apparent.

Nash’s Organic Produce started out as a vacant lot or two of vegetables and berries in Dungeness in 1979. In the 1990s, however, the farm started to grow and that was when Nash began to put in place his vision of a diverse family farm. He grew up in south-central Illinois at a time when all farms were diverse and “organic,” even though they didn’t label themselves as such. He realized that a farm that had not only vegetables and fruit, but grain, seed and animals on the land, never wasted anything and could maintain higher soil quality, just as his grandparents’ farms did.

In 2007, Nash and Sam McCullough (the farm’s seed/field/equipment manager), were approached by WSU to do wheat trials. The trials were successful and today they raise several kinds of wheat, barley for animal feed, triticale (a cross between wheat and rye), rye, buckwheat, two kinds of dried corn, various legumes, and oats. For the first time this year, the farm is doing variety trials of quinoa.

Nash has always believed that the soil benefits when just the right amount of animals are on the land. The pigs are part of the nutrient cycle on the Delta Farm, happily munching on sunchokes (above) and grass in pastures, while fertilizing and aerating the soil.

Producing our own seed is also critical. Seed companies consolidate and discontinue varieties, or they genetically modify seed. At Nash’s, young farmers Sam, Chris Tipton and Waylon Barrett have worked to develop local varieties of seed for veggies like spinach, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots and more that are organic and adapted to our climate and soils.

So it can be said that Nash has achieved his vision, but only to a certain extent, as much remains to be done to fully integrate all the components of the farm. We are grateful to our hardworking managers and crew for balancing it all.

Your box 7-3-15

Posted on July 3, 2015 by patty

Standard Box
Spinach – 1 bunch
Fava beans – 1.5 lb.
Garlic scapes – 1 bunch
Baby dill – 1 bunch
Red chard – 1 bunch
Lettuce – 1 head
Cornmeal –1 pint coarse ground
Strawberries – 1 pint
Lacinato Kale – 1 bunch
English cucumber

Small Box
Spinach – 1 bunch
Fava beans – 1.25 lb.
Garlic scapes – 1 bunch
Baby dill – 1 bunch
Red chard – 1 bunch
Lettuce – 1 head
Cornmeal –1 pint medium ground

Ways to enjoy your fresh baby dill

Add finely chopped dill to tuna, egg or chicken salad sandwiches.
Easy Cucumber-Tomato-Dill Salad: Mix 1⁄4 cup fresh dill with 1⁄4 cup vinegar, 1 tsp. sugar, 1⁄2 tsp. salt, 1⁄4 tsp. black pepper, and 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Add 2 sliced cucumbers, 1 cup sliced red onion, and 2 cut-up tomatoes. Toss, and let rest 15 min+ before serving.
Use the delicate dill fronds as a delicious garnish, or to sprinkle on soups and stirfrys.
Season fish or chicken with a combo of minced dill and garlic, S & P
Add to Greek green salads, with Romaine, sliced scallions and crumbled feta.
Brighten any bowl of salad greens with roughly chopped dill.
Season roast chicken: Combine 1⁄2 cup finely chopped dill with 2-3 Tbsp. butter, salt, and pepper. Spoon mixture under skin of breasts, thighs, and legs, and massage it around the meat. Stuff some into the cavity of the chicken with lemon slices and garlic.
Add to everything from Cole slaw and omelets, to lentil dahl and borscht.
Dip veggies, chips, or pita in this easy dill sauce, or enjoy over steamed veggies and rice: 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream, 1.5 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, and 2-3 tablespoons minced dill and optional 2 clove garlic.

About your cornmeal

Most of the dried corn grown in the United States today is genetically modified (GMO). But organic, non-GMO corn has been carefully preserved by concerned individuals and institutions. The source of the organic yellow dent cornmeal in your box is Dr. Walter Goldstein of the Mandaamin Institute in Wisconsin. Dr. Goldstein gave Nash’s Farm a small quantity of his organic seed about five years ago and we have carefully grown it out each year to preserve the variety (Wiger) and to provide some of the tastiest cornmeal ever!

The medium ground cornmeal in the small box is ideal for baking muffins, quick breads, or cornbread, like Kia’s Skillet Cornbread (photo above). The course ground cornmeal in the standard box is wonderful for polenta, like Mary’s Corn Polenta.

These recipes, plus many others, are available on Nash’s website on our Recipe Blog (www.nashsorg-anicproduce.com. The link is in the left-hand column) If you have a special recipe you’d like to share, or some tips for preparing the items in your box, please share them with us, using the link in the left-hand column of the Recipe Blog homepage.

Fava Beans

Favas are great in soups, stir-fries or pasta. Roast them with garlic, olive oil and salt to taste, or use them raw, chopped into salads. Puree favas for an alternative green base to pizza or pasta. Boil and mash them, and spread the paste on crostini.

To shuck favas, remove the beans from the pods by pulling off the string and splitting the pod. There are about 4 to 5 beans per pod. To remove the second skin, there are two different methods. The first is to make a small slit with a knife along the edge of the bean to pop the bean out of its skin. The alternate, and more popular, method is to blanch them for 30 seconds. Remove the beans from the boiling water and submerge them in ice cold water to stop the cooking process. This step softens the second skin, making it easier to remove. With your fingers, squeeze the bean out from its skin.

Soil Health

Posted on October 23, 2014 by patty

Soil Health

The basis for healthy food is healthy soil. For soil to be healthy, populations of soil microbes should be just as diverse underground as populations of flora and fauna are above ground. These microbes are responsible for a multitude of soil properties, like moisture content, soil structure, conversion of elements into forms that plants can use, and transferring nutrients to plants, and ultimately to us.

Just one cup of healthy soil contains more microorganisms than there are people on the planet! They form a complex food web, based on decaying plant and animal matter, and involving countless forms of bacteria, fungi, nematodes and bugs. As they go about their living and dying, they create structures that stabilize the soil and convert nutrients from one chemical form to another.

Soil biota can sustainably produce nutrient-dense foods, as long as nutrients are somehow returned to the soil. But since the beginning of industrial agriculture, this efficient and productive nutrient recycling system has been completely disrupted.

Our reckless use of herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers based on cheap fossil fuels are the basis of the destruction. Monocultures—growing single crops on a very large scale—is the core of industrial agriculture and it relies completely on chemical inputs that destroy soil organisms.

As we lose soil organisms, we lose soil health, and our food is losing nutritional value. Levels of iron, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins B and C, among others, have decreased in all kinds of vegetables, grains and meats since the 1950s, according to a landmark study by Donald Davis of the University of Texas (UT) at Austin which was published in December 2004 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Here at Nash’s, we work very hard to keep our levels of organic matter, and consequently the soil biota, high. We do that by building our own compost, cover cropping, and crop rotation, so that nutrients are not sucked out of the soil by the same crop year after year. On our organic farm, we consider every microbe in our rich alluvial soils to be a partner in producing healthy, nutritious food.

Your box 10-24-14

Posted on October 23, 2014 by patty

Week 16, October 24

Both boxes have: Red wheat flour, broccoli, pears, collard greens, red beets

The Small box also has: Baby leeks, Savoy cabbage

The Standard box also has: Rainbow chard, parsnips, Italian parsley, Brussels sprouts

About Your Beets

Nash’s beets are sweet and tender. The sweetness is enhanced by roasting them.

Wash the beets thoroughly, then wrap in foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 40 minutes. When done, unwrap and hold under cold water. Now you can slide the skins off easily. Cut into quarters, and slice.

You can leave the skins on, of course. They are tender and delicious, and have lots of nutrients. Cut your raw beets into bite-sized pieces, put in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and a little garlic powder, if desired. Toss well so that all the pieces are coated. Put on a cookie sheet in a 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Turn the pieces and roast for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Serve hot or cool down and slice on to a salad.

Beets are heart healthy because they lower blood pressure and levels of bad cholesterol. They are also excellent cleansers for the kidney, liver and blood, and are high in powerful antioxidants, which means they help fight cancer. They have been used for centuries to treat anemia and fatigue. The Romans thought they were an aphrodisiac and modern science has backed that up!

Beets also contain a substance called betaine that is used to treat depression. They have tryptophan, as well, a substance that relaxes the mind and increases our sense of well-being.

The Brussels sprouts and the broccoli in your boxes this week are both from the Wilson Field, located practically across the street from the Farm Store. The variety of sprouts is called Titan and it was planted in greenhouse flats in March and transplanted into the Wilson field mid– June. A month later, the broccoli plants were put in nearby, all part of a large block of fall and winter brassicas. As part of our natural pest control program, we alternated the brassicas with beds of bright purple phacelia, which attract wasps and ladybugs that feed on aphids.

Your beautiful pears came from Alvarez Organic Farms in Mabton, WA. Founded in 1988 by Hilario Alvarez, this farm is one of the most successful and innovative farms in Washington.

This week’s recipes:

Collards Sauté
http://nashsorganicproduce.com/recipes/collards-saute/

Kia’s Biscuits & Gravy
http://nashsorganicproduce.com/recipes/kias-biscuits-gravy/

Your box 10-17-14

Posted on October 17, 2014 by patty

Week 15, October 17

Both boxes have: Sunchokes, Russet potatoes, garlic, Lacinato kale, triticale berries, cylinder beets & greens, carrots

The Small box also has: Arugula

The Standard box also has: Baby leeks, Savoy cabbage

Sunchokes

A sunchoke is a tuber, or an underground vegetable, like a cross between a rutabaga and a potato, with the flavor of sunflower seeds and the crunch of water chestnuts. It’s also called a Jerusalem artichoke, even though it is not an artichoke at all, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with Jerusalem. They are closely related to the sunflower. Native Americans were eating sunchokes centuries before the Europeans arrived in the 1500s. In fact, the Europeans thought sunchokes were poisonous at first. Once they got over that, they have enjoyed its nutty flavor in many dishes.

Jerusalem artichokes are easy to prepare. You can cook them just like you would a potato: roast, boil, saute, bake or steam. You can leave the skin on or peel it off. It’s up to you, but make sure you wash them well. The surprising thing about these little roots is that you can also eat them raw. They add a great texture to salads, salsas, marinades and stir-frys, in small pieces or grated.

Sunchokes contain lots of vitamin C and a substance called inulin, a type of starch that can be tolerated by people with diabetes because it breaks down into fructose instead of glucose. This makes sunchokes a good substitute for potatoes for diabetics. Everyone, diabetic or not, can enjoy their great flavor, crunchy texture, and all the good nutrients they provide.

Sunchoke Parmesan

About Triticale Berries

Triticale is a cross between wheat (in Latin Triticum) and rye (Secale) first bred in the late 19th century in Scotland and Sweden. As a rule, triticale combines the yield potential, grain quality, and high protein of wheat with the disease and environmental tolerance of rye. Worldwide, it is grown mostly for forage or fodder, but it is tasty and nutritious and is now widely accepted as a delicious human food. It can be milled into flour and used as a substitute for wheat in breads, pie crusts, cookies, pizza dough and other baked goods, or rolled like oats, for a breakfast cereal.

The berries have a nut-like flavor that, once cooked, can be eaten either sweet (as a breakfast cereal with fruit, honey, yogurt and nuts) or savory (as a side dish, sautéed with onion, garlic , veggies and herbs).

Soak the berries overnight in plenty of water to cut back on your cooking time. Drain and add new water to cover, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 45 minutes. Strain (reserving the liquid for soup) and store in the fridge or freezer.

Add the cooked berries to soups, stews and salads., or mix with cooked rice for a tasty pilaf.

Kale & Triticale Risotto