Clagett Farm

Spicy Bean and Lentil Loaf

2009-07-04T07:53:47-04:00

Spicy Bean and Lentil Loaf

Are you trying to figure out a way to use up all of those turnips? Maybe this will help! Serve this tasty loaf over a salad or eat it the next day on toast.

Variations on ingredients

I’ve made this a few different ways depending on what’s in the house. You can try using any kinds of beans that you want. I’ve found that black beans and Garbanzo beans also work well.

If you don’t have the spices at the end and don’t want to buy them separately, then use a pre-made spicy curry mix.

Finally, if you want to add a bit more protein to this meal (as if the beans weren't enough!), add a ½ pound of browned ground beef or chicken to the mix.

Ingredients

1T Olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
2 crushed garlic cloves
3 finely chopped celery ribs
4-5 chopped medium turnips
14oz can kidney beans
14oz can lentils
1 egg
1 coarsely grated carrot
¾ C shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or other favorite)
1 C of your favorite bread crumbs
3T tomato paste
1T ketchup
1tsp each ground cumin, ground coriander, and hot chili powder
salt and pepper

1.    Preheat the oven to 350 and grease 9x5x3” loaf pan.
2.    Heat oil in a large saucepan – when hot add onion, garlic, celery and turnips. Cook gently for about 5 minutes or until turnips are softened. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
3.    Rinse and drain beans and lentils. Place in blender ot food processor with the onion mixture and egg and process until smooth.
4.    Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add all remaining ingredients. Mix well and season mixture with salt and pepper.
5.    Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and level the surface. Bake for about 45 minutes and serve hot or cold.

Adapted from, Vegetarian – The Greatest Ever Vegetarian Cookbook, Consultant Editor: Nicola Graimes

Posted here by CSA member, Jonathan Leavitt

Gingered Shrimp with Chickpeas and Greens

2009-06-26T07:34:29-04:00

I found this recipe last year in the Washington Post Food Section. It was originally published using spinach, but I've found that any greens will work - Kale, Collard, Swiss Chard, etc... I like it when I can use as many things from a week's share as possible. You'll notice this recipe uses garlic, cilantro, onion and greens - all things in this weeks share!

This is a great mid-week meal and can be ready in 30 minutes. Replace the shrimp with grilled/sauteed chicken or tofu for a vegetarian option and serve with white or brown rice if you want some carbs.

Ingredients:

1 1 1/2-inch piece ginger root
3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
6 to 8 sprigs cilantro
10 ounces spinach leaves
2 14- to 16-ounce can chickpeas
1/2 large lemon
1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp (if using frozen shrimp, make sure they are defrosted)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more if desired
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 3/4 to 2 cups water

Directions:

Use a spoon to peel the ginger; mince the ginger and the garlic, keeping them in separate piles. Finely chop the onion; there should be about 3/4 cup.

Chop the cilantro leaves, discarding the stems. Wash and stem the spinach, then coarsely chop; the two can be mixed together. Drain and rinse the chickpeas; cut the lemon half into 5 wedges.

Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, until the oil shimmers. Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the bottom side is pink. Turn them over and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until not quite cooked through (still a little translucent in the center). Transfer to a plate and squeeze 1 of the lemon wedges over the hot shrimp.

Return the skillet to the stove, reducing the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, then add the onion. Sprinkle with salt to taste (a big pinch, if possible) and cook, stirring once or twice, for about 5 minutes, until the onion starts to brown. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, then add the cumin and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring, for 20 seconds, then add 1 3/4 cups of the water, the chickpeas and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes; the mixture will be fragrant.

Use a potato masher to crush about half of the chickpeas in the skillet, then add the spinach and cilantro. Use tongs to fold them into the mixture; cook for about 2 minutes, until they have wilted.

Return the shrimp to the skillet, along with any accumulated juices. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, adding the remaining 1/4 cup of water if needed, until the shrimp is reheated, opaque and just cooked through; be careful not to overcook. Remove from the heat; taste and adjust seasoning as needed, including a finishing pinch of cumin, if desired.

Divide among individual bowls and serve with the remaining lemon wedges on the side.

Recipe Source:

Adapted from "Fine Cooking Annual, Vol. 2," from the editors and contributors of Fine Cooking magazine (Taunton Press, 2008).

Posted here by CSA member, Jonathan Leavitt

Through the Spring

2009-05-31T21:30:10-04:00

We're on our way to a great season. The first few harvest days went well - filling the share with greens and strawberries. As we prepare for summer, here is a brief look at the progression of the 2009 season on Clagett Farm.

Cassie at the wash station this winter.

The first seedlings getting started in the greenhouse in March. These little kale plants were in your first share!

Braving a stormy day in April, a volunteer group from KMPG transplants the kale seedlings into the field.

The same field a few weeks later being harvested for the first share.

David, one of our dedicated Tuesday volunteers, brining in the first kale harvest.

Carrie and crew cutting lettuce.

Spring foxglove in full bloom at the wash station.

As I begin my fourth season working at Clagett, I am excited for all the new growth of spring. Everything is so green and alive. The kohlrabi will be ready soon, all the tomato, pepper, and eggplant seedlings are in the ground, and the sweet corn has sprouted. And one of my favorite things to harvest is just around the corner - get ready for the garlic scapes.

Hope to see you soon at the farm!

-- Kristin
Farm Staff

First share this Tuesday May 19th and Saturday May 23rd

2009-05-17T23:04:55-04:00

Our first share is coming up this week! We just sent out an email with the estimated share. If you did not receive it and would like to sign up for this weekly email, go to http://clagettfarm.org/mailman/listinfo/fromthegroundup_clagettfarm.org and enter your email address and a password of your choice.

It has been a cooler, wetter spring than average, but not so wet that any of our fields have been flooded or crops ruined. It's just kept us from planting a number of crops as early as we normally do. Last week's break in the rain gave us just enough time to plant our first successions of tomatoes, beans sweet corn and peppers. There are turnips, carrots, radishes, squash, cucumbers, spinach, bunching onions and cabbages growing well--not ready to harvest yet but looking robust in the field. We have high hopes for the coming season!

See you soon,
Carrie

Summer farm help needed at Clagett Farm

2009-05-07T11:06:07-04:00

We still have space on our vegetable production crew and we're looking for volunteers and worksharers for the 2009 season. Please call us if you are interested.

Paid staff work can start as early as mid-May and work into November, which essentially covers our harvest season. Interested persons must be available to work Tuesdays and Saturdays, our fast-paced hectic harvest days, as well as some field days throughout the week. We look for energetic, hard working, dedicated individuals who can lift crates of heavy vegetables (as much as 50 lbs.) and who are excited about all aspects of farming and have good customer service skills. We work in all kinds of weather, so be prepared for wet days, hot and humid days, and sometimes easy going breezy days- we'll get them all.

First year crew earn $9/ hour plus vegetables. There is no housing on the farm, but there may be possibilities to carpool with co-workers depending on where you live. Send us a resume, cover letter, and call us to set up an interview 301-537-3038.

Folks who are interested in getting experience working at Clagett farm but are either not available for multiple days in the week or are not available during the whole season may consider signing up for our workshare program. You may sign up to do specific jobs on a regular basis, or choose to come to help us do harvest or field work on a week-by-week basis. In exchange for your 4 hours of labor you take home the same share as our members for that week, and can also pick herbs and flowers from our garden. The more you come the more you learn. It's an enjoyable experience that could give you the kind of hands on experience you need if you are thinking about applying to work at a farm or commercial garden in the future. Again, call us to schedule. We require Saturday workers to reserve a spot by calling the Thursday or Friday beforehand at 301-537-3038.

Spring Meet & Greet, Sunday May 3rd and Request for Containers & Bags

2009-03-20T15:13:21-04:00

If you would like to take a tour of the farm, meet your farmers and fellow members, then please join us for our 2009 Spring Meet & Greet! It will take place on Sunday, May 3rd from 2:00 to 4:30 pm. The event is free and open to anyone, so if you would like to invite a friend or neighbor to join you, feel free. We will be running hay rides at the following times during the festival:

2:15pm first hayride

3:15pm second hayride (same route)

3:15pm guided hike

Click on the link below to download and print a copy of the map of the farm so you can bring it with you on your tour:

http://cbf.typepad.com/clagett_farm/files/clagett_farm_field_map.pdf

**Request for yogurt containers for shareholder seedlings**

Please also bring to the Meet & Greet any small, empty yogurt containers. We will be using these as pots for seedlings to be given out in the first week's share. A single-serving, 6-ounce yogurt cup is about the size that we're looking for. While you're at it, we can take any extra plastic bags that you have (we'll provide them during the pick-ups for people to collect their shares). Thanks for your help!

See you then!

-Carrie

Job openings: Summer work crew

2009-03-18T12:47:45-04:00

We'll be hiring two new farmers to join our team this summer. Both positions have a fixed length of time: May 3-November 21, 2009. One will be full-time (40 hours/week) and one part-time (about 24 hrs/wk). Our pay for first-year crewmembers is $9/hour. Both people need to work at least some Saturdays. We do not have housing available on the farm, so anyone interested in working with us should have a place to live, a way to get here, and should be comfortable with the commute.

It's a great job for anyone who would like to learn more about farming, since both these people will be involved in all of our daily activities, including planting, weeding, harvesting and distributing. Experience that is helpful but not required include: farming, gardening, tractor or other mechanical work, any type of fast-paced or physical labor, managing groups of volunteers, working with kids, interacting with customers, and working in the hot sun for long periods of time.

Anyone interested should send a resume to clagettfarm[at]cbf.org, addressed to Gail Taylor, and plan to join us for a working interview within the next couple weeks.

Farm's water clean and toxin-free

2009-02-28T19:27:00-05:00

Here's a little post to calm the fears you didn't even have.

We recently purchased a water test for one of our wells--the one that feeds most of the farm, including the washing station and greenhouses. We do a simple test for bacteria, nitrates, lead and the like four times per year, but recently I've been casting a leery eye toward the nearby landfills. So we decided to purchase the most thorough test available to make sure there were no heavy metals, organophosphates or PCBs lurking in our water table. We are totally clear. We're even clear of about four dozen things I didn't even know existed.

I'm sure you weren't really worried anyway, but since we have the test, why not post it on the blog? Click here if you want to read the details: Download Clagett water test 2-09

So next time you're at the farm, feel free to fill your water bottle and enjoy!

Know your Nitrogen footprint

2009-02-26T11:05:00-05:00

You are probably well aware that your daily activities (and everyone's in this region) create pollution that leads to the decline of oysters, crabs, birds, fish, and other critters (and humans!) that live in and around the Chesapeake Bay. But sometimes it's hard to know just which changes in our lifestyles we can make to give us the best bang for our buck, so to speak. Well now, the Nitrogen Calculator can show you how much nitrogen pollution your activities are creating, and best of all, how to change it. Exciting! Give it a try. It's quick and fascinating.

-Carrie

Just six shares available to new members at Dupont

2009-02-24T17:22:05-05:00

Well this was a surprise! Returning members have purchased 67 of 73 available shares for pick-up at Dupont. That's the highest in my memory. At the farm we filled 109 of the 177 available shares. So we had a 70% retention rate among our members. That's the good news.

The bad news is that the 798 people (!) who have inquired about purchasing shares this year as new members have a very small chance of success. Only 9% of interested customers will be able to purchase shares.

We will sell these shares to the first people who sign up at 10:00am on March 3rd at the following web site: www.cbf.org/clagettsignup.

Now let's find some more farmers out there to serve these customers! Clearly we need more CSAs serving the DC area.

-Carrie