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Local Delights From
Down on the Farm Aaaaah, June! Freezes and frost warnings, even in Minnesota, are over and the gardens are in. Now we weed and wait until the first lettuces can be picked. Our local farmers are in much the same position, with perhaps a jump on some of us due to early starting techniques like greenhouses and black plastic mulch. However, as we go to print in early May, our growers say they are getting a late start because the rainy April made the fields too wet to cultivate and plant on time. But whether the start is early or late, we know that sometime in early June begins our much longed for local supply of fruits and veggies in the produce department. Spinach, lettuces, radishes, arugula, rapini, peas, and strawberries are some of these first arrivals. Here is an introduction to three of the farmers we buy from, as well as a few of their favorite recipes for their June produce items. Riverbend Farm is owned and run by Greg and Mary Reynolds. They have worked hard to bring fertility and soil health to the Delano corn farm they bought nine years ago. Along the way they have sold their certified organic produce to co-ops and restaurants and built a CSA program, which allows people to pay in advance for regular supplies of produce throughout the summer and provides them opportunities to visit and work on the farm. Greg enjoys exposing people to different foods and increasing their understanding of the land and the production of food. Mary works part-time off the farm and spends her farm time working on CSA crops. Greg is the one we hear from and see at the store twice a week as he makes his delivery rounds. We enjoy his weekly newsletters which give updates on the farm and what it's like to be there everyday, growin' the rapini. Full Circle Organic Growers Cooperative was formed in 1985 with a vision of creating a sustainable ecological food system that supported and nurtured small-scale/appropriate technology family farms and operated under cooperative principles. Although they expect ecological growing practices from all of their growers, not all are large enough in production to afford the expense of certification. At Mississippi Market we choose to buy produce only from those member farms that are certified organic so that we can provide our shoppers a consistent organic standard. This year Full Circle expects to include about 15 member growers, from within a 70-mile radius of their marketing "hub" in Oak Center, MN. Examples of some of the sustainable methods used on their farms include a wind power generator, passive solar greenhouses, collection of rainwater for irrigation, and use of horses for fieldwork ‹ plowing, planting, mowing, and harvesting. The diversity of farms in the cooperative allows us to receive steady supplies of their high quality produce from June through November. Available in June are the sweet and tender lettuces, spinach, rhubarb, early herbs, and strawberries. Northstar Garden is located northeast of Saint Paul in Marine on Saint Croix. There Bob Schuett has been helping to raise everything from apples to zucchini. In the beginning the farm grew food to help feed and support its community church members. For the past eight years Bob has also been marketing produce to stores and restaurants in the Saint Paul area, growing a good business that counts on his personal delivery style and the freshness of his just-picked fruits and vegetables. Northstar Garden is not certified organic and at Mississippi Market we sell their produce as conventional. However, they do run their farm with natural practices and they don't use chemicals for pesticides or fertilizer, so we often label their product as "unsprayed." Fresh strawberries, tender and full of flavor, are their main June offering. If it's a good year for berries you may want to preserve some for later! Pasta with Potatoes, Arugula and Rosemary
(Riverbend Farm) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss potatoes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and spread them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake about 15 minutes until golden brown and remove from oven. Heat some of the olive oil in a sauté pan and fry the onion until it is translucent. Lower the heat, add the garlic, rosemary and potatoes. Stir and cook for a couple minutes. Add the potatoes and onions, along with the arugula to the pasta. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and toss everything together. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and serve. From Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters Rhubarb Muffins/Bread (Full Circle
Cooperative) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine first 5 ingredients. Combine flour, soda and salt and add to wet ingredient mixture. Add the rhubarb and pour into either greased muffin tins or loaf pans. Blend sugar and butter and sprinkle on batter for topping. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Spinach Strawberry Salad (Full Circle
Cooperative) Whisk together dressing ingredients. Toss with spinach and strawberries and serve. Rapini Pasta (Riverbend Farm) Cover the bottom of a large saute pan with olive oil and cook the onion on medium high heat. When the onion had begun to brown a little, add the garlic, hot pepper, and salt. Toss briefly, add the rapini and a splash of water. Lower the heat and cook until tender, stirring frequently. Add to the rapini the olive oil and a little red wine vinegar to taste. Toss with the pasta and garnish with grated cheese. From Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters Strawberry Pineapple Preserves (Northstar
Garden)
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