The SoilMobile...Come see it for yourself!

By Andrea Yoder

     We’re moving into that point in the season that Farmer Richard likes to refer to as the “the crack between two worlds,” otherwise known as fall. Summer crops are winding down, fall crops are starting to come in and before long we’ll be harvesting the final crops for winter storage. This is also the time when Farmer Richard makes it a priority to “put the fields to bed for the winter.”  This means applying generous amounts of compost and planting cover crops. So why is this such a priority?  First of all, we don’t like to leave fields vulnerable to erosion by leaving them barren over the winter and the cover crops help keep the soil in place. The other reason cover crops and compost are high priority is because they help replenish and build the soil. The combination of cover crops and applications of compost are vital to ensuring our soils remain rich, full of biodiversity, and have bioavailable nutrients in place for next year’s crop.  Soil is nothing to take for granted…it is literally our life source, and it directly impacts our survival. So, as we set out, year after year, to grow food for you and your family, we take great care to ensure we are doing what we can to enrich and care for our soil. We admit, we’re still learning. Yes, after over 40 years of farming Richard is still learning about how to care for our soil! The bottom line is not all soil is created equally, and it’s just one more reason why it’s so important that we all understand where our food comes from, how the soil it grows in is cared for and form that connection between our food choices, our health and well-being and the environment.
     Our Harvest Party is coming up on September 25, and we’d like to introduce you to one of our friends who will be joining us for the day, Sandy Syburg. You’ll know Sandy when you see him…he’ll be the guy with a smile on his face talking about soil, compost, microbes…oh, and he’ll be standing beside a big bus with a purple cow on the back, a farm scene painted on the side, and quotes about soil written all over the outside of the bus.  Sandy is the President/Co-Founder of Purple Cow Organics, located in Wisconsin, and what I just described to you is Sandy’s SoilMobile. We have worked with Purple Cow for several years now. They make all of the potting soil we use to grow our transplants in the greenhouse and for the past two years we’ve purchased compost from them by the semi-truck load to put on our fields in the fall. We’ve invited Sandy to come to the Harvest Party with his SoilMobile, not because he’s looking to sell you potting soil or compost, but because he has a passion for soil and wants to help others learn more about how important it is for all of us…not just farmers! Sandy’s SoilMobile is actually a repurposed school bus that runs on alternative fuel. 2015 was declared the “International Year of Soils,” and Sandy had the idea to use the SoilMobile as a tool to bring attention to this important topic. Sandy toured around the Midwest in this bus with an educational mission to share this important message:  “The key to life as we know it is healthy soil, and if a nutrient is missing from soil it is not in the food we eat. Plants take nutrients from soil, and our soils are often depleted of the nutrients that plants, animals and humans need. Therefore our soil needs to be rejuvenated.”  Among Sandy’s messages: … “instead of loading soil with chemical fertilizers to make up for nutrients, microbes and organic matter lost over time, replace them organically. It can take hundreds of years to create just a small plot of healthy soil and less than two decades to destroy its usefulness. With soil under siege, everyone should be involved in learning and implementing ways to improve this vital ingredient in growing healthy plants and food.”  Sandy’s message isn’t just for farmers, he’ll talk to anyone! Urban gardeners, community gardens, basically anyone who is interested in growing healthy plants and/or eating healthy food.
     I had the opportunity to talk to Sandy last week to find out more about how he became so passionate about soil. I found out that Sandy actually has many interests and a whole hosts of projects that spin off of each other. To start off, Sandy is actually a “farm boy.”  He grew up on his grandparents’ farm. His grandmother had a 3 acre garden and grew vegetables for the five families that lived on the farm. Sandy’s job was to manage the compost pile under his grandmother’s direction. He remembers her talking passionately about “feeding the soil” and considered it criminal to let any organic residue go to waste. In fact, he remembers his grandmother seeing someone burning leaves in their yard….she did not approve. She sent her grandchildren to pick up the leaves and bring them back to their compost pile. She also referred to hauling manure as “hauling sunshine.”  Thus the concept and practice of making compost and respecting the integrity of soil was something instilled in Sandy’s mind even as a youth. Little did he know that it would become a major part of his life’s work!
     Sandy has been making compost since the mid 80’s. Over the years he’s been involved with promoting and developing the practice of composting.  In the early 90’s there were only a handful of compost facilities in Wisconsin. Over the years this picture has changed and now there are over 200 composting facilities in Wisconsin. In 1993 the DNR banned yard materials from going to the landfill. In 2005-2006, Sandy worked with the state to write new guidelines for composting. This is great because we are no longer sending usable natural products to the landfill. Instead, these residuals are being converted into usable nutrients. As Sandy says..“It’s a no-brainer! Why wouldn’t you allow nature to capture nitrogen in the air instead of having to buy it or use synthetic fertilizer.”
     As we concluded our talk, Sandy reminded me that everything is so connected. We are at the intersection of local food and an understanding about how, where and by whom it was grown. Farmers are learning more profitable and sustainable ways of farming by managing nutrients differently and returning carbon to the soil. Consumers are becoming more ecologically aware and we hope more are becoming interested in the connection between the health of our bodies and the health of our food.
     In case you haven’t noticed a theme in our newsletters recently….we’d like to encourage each of you to build and form a strong connection with the source of where your food is being grown and learn more about how it is grown. We hope to see you at the Harvest Party!

Vegetable Feature: Potatoes

By Chef Andrea
     Last week we finished this year’s potato harvest and as the rain falls again today, I’m very thankful our precious potatoes are safely tucked away in the cooler. Even though this year has been a bit on the wet side, we are pleased to tell you it was a bountiful harvest and the potatoes look very nice!
     This year we grew five different varieties. It’s important to understand the qualities of each type of potato variety as it will help you decide how to use them. Potatoes are classified as either waxy or starchy potatoes. This classification is based on the type of starch the potato has. Starch is a stored form of energy and is the whole reason the plant produces a potato. Waxy potatoes are more moist and creamy. They hold their shape after they are cooked which makes them good candidates for roasting, potato salads and soups where you want the potato to hold its shape. These are not good for making mashed potatoes as they get too sticky and are kind of like wallpaper paste. Starchy potatoes are more dry and fluffy when cooked. They don’t hold together as well, which makes them a good candidate for a soup where you might want to use the starch as the component that will thicken the soup. This is also the best type of potato to use for making fluffy, smooth mashed potatoes.

     This week you are receiving Purple Viking potatoes. This is kind of an all-purpose potato that sits on the fence between the two classes. It is waxy enough that it holds its shape well, but it also has enough of that dry, starchy characteristic that you can get away with making mashed potatoes with this variety, and they make an excellent soup. Purple Viking potatoes are characterized by their purple and pink skin with white flesh. This is one of our favorite potato varieties.
     Potatoes are a versatile food and can be prepared in many different ways. You can enjoy them roasted, boiled, baked, pan-fried, deep-fried, in soups, gratins or even breads and rolls. Potatoes pair well with any kind of dairy—cream, cheese, milk or sour cream. They also pair well with other vegetables in summer and fall including tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, winter squash and many root vegetables.
     Potatoes are best stored in a cool, dark, dry place at about 50-55°F. If exposed to light, the potato will produce solanine which is a bitter alkaloid that gives the exposed portion of the potato a green color. If you see this on potato, trim that portion of the potato away.

Potato Cakes with Goat Cheese

1 pound starchy potatoes, roughly grated
1 small onion, roughly grated
1 small carrot, roughly grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp flour
1 oz goat cheese, mashed with a fork
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp high heat sunflower oil

1.  Preheat the oven to 350´̊F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.  Mix everything except the oil together in a bowl and season really well with salt and pepper.
3.  Heat the oil in a large frying pan, drop double teaspoonfuls of the mixture into the pan, and fry them for 2 minutes. Carefully flip them over and fry on the other side until golden.
4.  Pop the potato cakes on the prepared baking sheet and finish cooking them through in the oven—they should take 5-10 minutes.

HVF Note:  The original recipe states this recipe yields 2 servings if served as a side dish, however we felt like it served more like 4-5 as a side dish.  Also, these are tasty served as is or with a little more fresh goat cheese spread on top while still warm.

Recipe borrowed from Mamushka: A Cookbook by Olia Hercules

The Soil Will Save Us by Kristin Ohlson

Photo Borrowed from Author Kristin Ohlson's Website

A Book Review By Bobbie Harte

     If you’re reading this newsletter, you already know many of the benefits of organic farming. You intuit that organic practices make tastier food, encourage biodiversity, and promote clean air and water. What you may not be aware of is that soil is connected to climate change, that land mismanagement contributes to 30 percent of the carbon emissions that enter the atmosphere, or that certain farming and land use practices may even reverse global warming. Striking the perfect chord of reality and optimism, Kristin Ohlson’s 2014 book, The Soil Will Save Us: How Scientists, Farmers, and Foodies Are Healing the Soil to Save the Planet, explores just that.
     In college, I chose Botany 101 to fulfill a five-credit science requirement. I like plants and I wanted to learn more about them, but the class was a disappointment.  We covered the biology and chemistry of photosynthesis, and we grew plants in milk containers and exposed them to different kinds of light. Sadly, I don’t remember anything else. What I really wanted from that class was something like Ohlson’s book: an exploration of the complexity of the soil and its connections to all of life. The book begins with a discussion of carbon farming and goes into the science of soil and photosynthesis. Ohlson effectively presents complicated scientific ideas in a digestible way, and she seamlessly shifts from details to the big picture. With her engaging writing style, Ohlson takes us to visit scientists, farmers and ranchers from Zimbabwe to North Dakota to Western Australia, as well as urban landscape managers in New York, Portland and Boston.
     Healthy soil prevents droughts and floods, purifies water, grows healthy food and sequesters carbon.  Soil is a collection of fungi, worms, bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, microarthropods, earthworms, beetles, voles and more. How many microorganisms are in a cup of healthy soil? “More than all the humans who have ever lived,” Ohlson writes.
     Working together, those living things create healthy soil. “Weirdly, we’ve all been schooled in the notion that plants are takers, removing nutrients from the soil and leaving it poorer,” Ohlson writes. “But when plants are allowed to work with their partners in the soil, they’re givers. They feed carbon exudates to the community of bacteria and fungi to keep them thrumming with life and pulling mineral nutrients from the bedrock as well as from particles of sand, silt, and clay….When the predator soil organisms eat the bacteria and fungi, all those nutrients are released near the plant. There’s always enough, unless human or some other force messes up the system.”

Mulch and cover crops can be an alternative
means to amend and protect soil integrity

     How can humans mess it up? Chemical fertilizer is one way. Scientists determined long ago that nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus are essential for plant growth, and most chemical fertilizers are a combination of the three. But scientists have discovered more and more essential nutrients, and healthy soil is not a simple recipe with a list of ingredients and instructions for their combination. Plants obtain the minerals they need through complicated interactions with soil microorganisms. “Even after tilling,” Ohlson writes, “soil microorganisms will still be in the soil, but they aren’t likely to provide these varied nutrients to the plants once the chemical fertilizers are applied. Simply put, these applications interfere with one of nature’s great partnerships. By the terms of this partnership, plants …distribute carbon sugars through their roots to the microorganisms in exchange for nutrients. Fertilizer disrupts this pay-as-you-go system.”  Putting nutrients at a plant’s roots via fertilizer means the plant doesn’t have to give up any carbon to get them, and the soil organisms can’t get enough food, says Ohlson, quoting USDA microbiologist Kristine Nichols. “Without their carbon meal, the mycorrhizal fungi can’t grow and stretch their strands of carbon through the soil. They and the other soil microorganisms can’t produce the glues that fix carbon in the soil and build the aggregates that hold water. They go dormant and given enough stress, can die. At that point, the soil is so depleted of life and structure that a farmer can’t get a decent crop without chemical fertilizers….” If the relationship that makes nutrients available to plants is absent, then farmers must add more and more fertilizer each year to maintain or increase yields, which in turn creates a new set of problems. The nutrients that the plants cannot absorb runs off into waterways, where it causes algal growth. This depletes the water’s oxygen which kills aquatic life.
     As I read this book, again and again I marveled at the interconnectedness of all living things. In 2015, Robert Waldinger gave a TED Talk about the 75-year Harvard study on human happiness. Waldinger is the fourth director of this study which began with 724 men in 1938. Using questionnaires, medical records, blood tests, brain scans, interviews and more, the study continues today with 60 of the remaining men, and has expanded to include wives and some 2,000 children of the original participants. So what has the Harvard study uncovered about the secrets to human happiness? People who are more connected to family, friends and community live longer, Waldinger says. “Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.” This was also the idea that stood out to me most in Ohlson’s excellent book. The key to health is relationships, whether human or microbial. Our future depends on our ability to nurture relationships, and we need to nurture them everywhere.

Note from Farmers Richard & Andrea: Soil is one of the most important components of what we do and is an essential part of life for all of us. Even after all these years of farming we continue to learn more about soil and how to care for it…..and are continually amazed by the complexity of its system. We hope you’ll consider reading this book to gain even just a glimpse into the world of soil and continue to learn along with us. In next week’s newsletter, we’ll introduce you to Sandy Syburg. Sandy is the owner of Purple Cow Organics, the company that makes our potting soil mix for the greenhouse as well as compost for our fields. Sandy is passionate about soil, loves teaching others about it and has even created a “Soil Bus” that he uses in his efforts to spread the good word about soil. He’ll be bringing the bus to our Harvest Party on September 25! See the Harvest Party Invitation sent via email for more details.

Vegetable Feature: Witch Stick Peppers

By Chef Andrea

     Every winter the seed catalogs tempt us with pretty pictures of vibrantly colored vegetables.  We’re always looking for new things to try, and this past winter this unique pepper caught our attention.  Richard, always the practical grower, surprised me when he said he thought it would be fun to try these new witch stick peppers, a red, corkscrew pepper that is mostly sweet but sometimes reveals a hot one.  I agreed and added it to our seed order.
     Fast forward 9 months and here we are, harvesting these cool peppers!  The long, skinny, slightly twisted red peppers in your box are this unique pepper.  As I mentioned, they are sweet most of the time, but occasionally you might find a hot one.  The seed is produced by a Japanese company, so I thought maybe there was a traditional way to use the pepper.  However, if you Google this pepper, you won’t find much regarding how to use it since it is seemingly new to the US market and perhaps the world!  So, I was faced this week with the challenge of figuring out what to do this pepper.  I called the seed company to see if they had any recommendations for how to use this pepper. They suggested using them in sauces and stews.  Ok, that sounds fine, but the beauty of this pepper is its shape….it just seems like we should find a way to use it other than just chop it up!  So I set out to discover this pepper, and here is what I found.
     First, this pepper has a very thin skin and a thin wall of flesh.  This is an attribute that makes it a good candidate for drying.  If I weren’t looking for a culinary use for this pepper, I’d tell you to dry them and use them as a Christmas tree ornament!  This pepper also has a pretty extensive seed cavity which extends about three-quarters of the way down the pepper.  If the pepper is raw, I found that it’s easiest to cut the stem off the top of the pepper.  Next, use your finger to create a small tear starting at the top of the pepper.  Run your finger down the pepper following the natural separation of the pepper.  I was intrigued to find that the pepper skin followed a corkscrew pattern as I ran my finger down the side of the pepper. Once you’ve opened up the pepper, lay it flat on a cutting board and remove all the ribs and seeds.  Now you have a usable piece of pepper.

Oven Roasted Witch Stick Peppers

     I also tried cooking them—both sautéed on the stovetop and roasted in the oven.  I actually prefer the flavor of the pepper better when cooked as it has a fruity and sweet profile.  I found it easiest to remove the seeds before sautéing, but the same is not true if you’re going to roast them in the oven.  I roasted them at a temperature of 375°F for about 25 minutes.  Before I put them in the oven I brushed them lightly with oil.  About halfway through the cooking time I flipped the peppers over. I considered them done when the skin was starting to turn golden and had a shiny, translucent appearance.  Once they are cool enough to handle, carefully pull the stem end and you can fairly easily remove the entire section of seed nearly entirely intact.  Once the seeds are removed you can use the roasted pepper flesh however you wish to.
     I have to admit, I don’t feel like I’ve mastered this vegetable.  I am looking for a way to use this pepper that really maximizes the uniqueness of its shape.  It just seems like it would be a shame to just chop it up and treat it like any old pepper!  So the idea I kept coming back to was pickled peppers, which is the recipe I included in this week’s newsletter.  I did find that it is easier to use the peppers if you seed them out first.  Even if you end up chopping up the pickled peppers to serve them, at least you can enjoy their beautiful appearance in the jar for awhile!
     So I am passing the challenge on to you.  If you find a fun way to use this pepper that takes advantage of its unique shape, please share your recipe with us!  Send it our way along with a picture (csa@harmonyvalleyfarm.com).  We’ll offer a $20 gift certificate for the most creative idea for using this pepper!  Have fun!

Witch Stick Pickled Peppers

Yield: 1 quart

5 witch stick peppers
3 medium carrots
1 medium or two small onions
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 ½ cups white wine vinegar
1 cup water
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves



1.  First prepare all the vegetables.  To prepare the peppers, trim the stem off the top.  Tear the top of the pepper a little bit and then run your finger down the pepper to open up the pepper all the way to the tip.  Lay the pepper down on a cutting board, spread out the  flesh and remove all the seeds and ribs.  Curl the pepper back into its original shape and set aside.
2.  Peel the carrots if desired and cut into ¼” thick slices.  Peel the onion, cut in half and slice thinly.
3.  Next, pack the onions, carrots, peppers and garlic cloves into a clean and sterilized 1-quart canning jar and set aside.
4.  In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the vinegar, water, sugar, thyme and bay leaves.  Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then let the mixture come to a simmer.  Remove the vinegar mixture from the heat and carefully pour it into the jar with the vegetables.  Fill the jar almost to the top, leaving about a ½” to 1” headspace.
5.  Put a lid on the jar and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.  Store the pickles in the refrigerator and eat them within a few weeks.

Serving suggestions:  Pickled vegetables are a tasty addition to sandwiches, either on the sandwich or serve them on the side.  They are also delicious served alongside eggs, tacos, on top of steaks, etc.

Recipe by Chef Andrea

Late Summer Farm Update

By Farmer Richard  

     Wow! That was a hot one! July was the hottest month ever worldwide! Aside from a few hot days, it really was not so bad here. We did have two days when we changed our work schedule and started an hour early, but we worked carefully, drank lots of water, and all did fine.  Even Jack, The Dog, survived….and he is one furry creature! He did learn (unintentionally) how to turn the air conditioning on in our new field truck. Easy, push the button! Turning up the fan speed is a little more difficult, but he asks nicely and I oblige!
     The rains and storms have definitely kept us on our toes. We expected drought, at least that was what the prediction was for the summer. Instead, we got rain after rain…and even as I write this article the rain is falling again. Many of our crops get a fertilizer boost of fish/seaweed and other natural minerals through the drip irrigation system when we water them. This year many of these crops have had little need for water, but they still need the nutrients. It takes “discipline” to set-up and pump even minimal water just to deliver the nutrients. Nonetheless, we have persevered, have some nice crops still to come and are thankful for the decided turn to cooler fall weather. The weeds have slowed down, we’ve been able to do timely cultivation and the fall crops look great! Sweet potatoes are looking very nice and the winter squash will be ready to harvest soon. We already have a few specimens setting on the kitchen counter, and we’ll sample them soon! The onion crop was fantastic this year, and we’re thankful we got it all in. The week we harvested onions, we raced against the threat of rain. The crew finished the harvest and had the last few crates tucked away on the wagon just as it started to rain!! They are still curing in the greenhouse, but we take advantage of the wet days to work inside, trimming and cleaning onions.
     We’ll continue to pick peppers, tomatoes and eggplant, but we’re approaching the point in the season where summer and fall collide. It’s nearly time to start making the shift to fall leeks, potatoes, celeriac, turnips, sweet potatoes and winter squash. Some of the fall brassicas (cauliflower, broccoli Romanesco, etc) have succumbed to wet and heat and you likely won’t see much of these in your fall boxes. Thankfully, the broccoli still looks good! We just started planting salad mix again last week and added spinach to our planting plan this week. We’re looking forward to a short run of fall greens in September and October, our favorite time of year to grow these crops. Yes, they grow a little more slowly, but the colors are intense and the cool temperatures lend to a sweet, pleasant taste. Our fall fennel and head lettuce crops look great as do the fall radishes.
     We’re hoping to dig the remainder of our potato crop later this week. Despite the fact that we reduced the acreage we planted, the yield looks to be quite abundant! Our fall carrot field looks great, rows and rows of beautiful green tops. Even our crop insurance adjustor commented on how good they look and snapped a few pictures to show his wife! Needless to say, we love fall!

Sunchokes standing tall & blooming

     Every year of farming holds both triumphs and disappointments. Last week we had a short, yet violent, storm that managed to flatten our last two crops of sweet corn. There aren’t as many ears in your box this week, but the corn has been so good this year we didn’t want to count it as a total loss! It’s a little more challenging to pick, but we managed to salvage the good ears and hope you will enjoy the last few tastes of fresh sweet corn this summer. The edamame field experienced a similar fate, and about 40% of a beautiful sunchoke crop lays with flattened stalks and exposed roots. Neither are a total loss though…there are still 60% of fantastic looking sunchoke plants standing proud and tall in all of their 12 foot glory! The edamame is slow to pick, but the pods have filled out and the beans are sweet and delicious. “Hope springs eternal!”
     We win some; we lose some. That’s just the game of life for farmers. We put forth our best efforts, make the best decisions we can, work diligently and proactively, and try to play the hand Mother Nature deals us as gracefully and successfully as possible. In the end, we always consider ourselves very blessed and always have plenty to keep us busy. When we have done all we can in the fields, we go to the woods to pick hickory nuts, clean up dead trees and turn them into beautiful things such as bowls and furniture we can enjoy. These are the late season projects I look forward to.
     We just started to get our loads of fall compost this week with the first few arriving today. We’ll take advantage of every dry moment to spread compost and plant cover crops. Yes, it’s time to put the fields to bed for the winter. As we wrap up one season, we’re already getting ready for a new year!

Vegetable Feature: Tomatillos and Edamame

By Chef Andrea

Tomatillos!

     One of our featured vegetables this week is the tomatillo…which technically is a fruit!  Tomatillos, while most similar to a tomato, are very unique in their own way.  The fruit is hidden inside a husk that looks like a little paper lantern.  Tomatillos are ready to pick when they’ve nearly filled out their husk.
     Tomatillos have a mild flavor that is slightly tart and sometimes fruity.  They can be eaten raw or cooked and are most commonly used in southwestern or Mexican cuisine along with ingredients such as jalapeños, poblano peppers, cilantro, onions, garlic and limes.  Salsa verde is probably the most common use for tomatillos, but they have a wide variety of other uses as well.  Tomatillos may be added to soups or stews as well as blended into dressings or sauces where their natural pectin acts as a thickener.  Chunk them up and add them to a raw pepper and tomato salad or make a chunky fresh salsa along with other summer vegetables and serve it with grilled chicken or fish.
Tomatillos are best stored at about 50°F, but can be stored on your counter for several days or in a paper bag in the refrigerator.  Remove the husk before using and wash to remove the sticky film on the fruit.  If you aren’t ready to use your tomatillos this week, you can remove the husk and pop them in the freezer in their raw form.

Roasted Tomatillo & Apple Salsa

Yield: 3 ½ cups

1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 green apples, such as Granny Smith, quartered
2 whole cloves garlic, unpeeled
½ of a medium onion
2 jalapeño peppers, stem removed
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Place the tomatillos, apples, garlic, onion and jalapeños on a baking sheet.  Toss with the olive oil, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper.  Roast in the oven until the tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, about 20 minutes.
2.  Peel the garlic.  Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Taste and season as needed with additional salt and pepper.

We sampled this recipe at our Harvest Party last fall, complements of a Madison CSA member who was willing to share the recipe with us!

Edamame

     Edamame is a fresh soybean that has grown in familiarity and popularity in the United States over the past few years, but has been a part of Japanese and Chinese cuisine for much longer.  True edamame intended for fresh eating is quite different than oil-seed soybeans used for making tofu and other processed soy products.  The edamame varieties we grow were developed specifically because they produce a sweet bean that doesn’t have a “beany” aftertaste.
     Edamame resemble a small lima bean encased in a pod.  The beans are sweet and tender and best eaten lightly cooked. It is easiest to cook edamame in its pod and then remove them from the pod.  Edamame is hard to shell when it’s raw.  To cook edamame, first rinse the pods thoroughly with cold water. Boil in heavily salted boiling water for 5-6 minutes, then drain under cold water to cool immediately.  After the beans are cooked squeeze the pod to pop the beans out.  Please note the pod is not edible and should be discarded!
      You can also roast edamame in their pods.  Toss the edamame pods with oil and seasonings of your choice.  Spread the seasoned edamame on a cookie sheet in a single layer and roast in the oven until the bean is tender.  Serve the beans whole with their pods still on.  While you won’t eat the pod, you can use your teeth to pull the edamame out of the pod and in the process you’ll pick up the seasoning on the outside of the shell!
     If you are interested in preserving edamame for later use, simply follow the cooking procedure above, cool and freeze the beans either in their pods or remove them and freeze just the bean. You can store the edamame for up to a week in the refrigerator, but it is best to eat them soon for the sweetest flavor and best texture.

Quinoa Bites with Kale & Edamame

Photo borrowed from natural foods blogger Heidi Swenson

Yield: 2 dozen mini bites

Unsalted butter

2½ cups cooked quinoa, at room temperature

4 large eggs, beaten

scant ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 small onion, finely chopped

½ cup crumbled feta

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup very finely chopped kale

½ cup shelled edamame

¾ cup breadcrumbs

To serve: avocado, chives

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F with a rack in the top third.

2.  Butter mini-muffin tins generously.  Line each muffin cup with a strip of parchment paper in each indent, this makes popping the bites out of the pan after either baking or freezing simple.

3.  Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the onion, feta, garlic, kale, and edamame. Stir in most of the breadcrumbs, and let sit for a few minutes so the breadcrumbs can absorb some of the moisture. Fill the prepared muffin tins with the quinoa mixture, pressing the mixture down, and then sprinkling with the remaining breadcrumbs. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until baked through and deeply golden crusted.

4.  Remove the quinoa bites from the pans after a few minutes. Enjoy either hot, or at room temperature spread with salted avocado and lots of chopped chives.

Recipe borrowed from Heidi Swanson’s blog, 101cookbooks.com.

A Prescription for Nature-Deficit Disorder

By Bobbie Harte

Photo by Bobbie Harte, Harte Ventures LLC

     It was early May.  My jeans were damp where my knees made contact with the ground, and I was digging around a clump of ramps with my hands.  Their wild, onion-garlic scent drifted up as I heaped dried leaves and cool soil from the deep, ineffective hole I was making.  Black dirt caked my fingernails, but the ramps held firm. My friend, who knew better, laughed and handed me a shovel.  “When was the last time you interacted with the landscape like this?” he asked.  I could not remember.
     The day before, I had driven from Madison to visit my friend’s family homestead near Ontario, Wisconsin, just north of Wildcat Mountain State Park and about an hour’s drive east of Harmony Valley Farm.  My schedule had been busy for weeks, and these two free days were a luxury.  The interstate hummed beneath my wheels until Mauston.  After that, two-lane roads undulated over hills and under a blue sky filled with clouds that chased their shadows over green valleys.
     We spent most of that first afternoon walking through brown grass, talking to neighbors, and taking photographs. Later, gathering firewood, we paused on an outlook that was so high, cars that seemed to be the size of ants rolled along a road that stretched for miles.  The air was cool and the trees were just beginning to leaf out.  The memory of winter still fresh, my eyes eagerly sought the shades of green that were emerging from the bare trees covering the distant bluffs.

Photo by Bobbie Harte, Harte Ventures LLC

     The next day we visited another neighbor to search for morel mushrooms.  We hiked through the woods, down into draws and up steep hillsides not yet choked with underbrush.  We did find morels, as well as wildflowers and that green carpet of ramps.  With the aid of my friend’s shovel, I filled a bag with them to turn into pesto later.  Not only could I not remember the last time I had interacted with the landscape so directly, I also could not remember the last time I had gone for nearly two days without checking Facebook, Instagram, email or text messages, or when I had felt so relaxed and content.  The scent of the forest floor – a combination of dried leaves, wet dirt, oniony ramps and crisp air – saturated my clothes and imagination.  Even when I was back in Madison, it remained.
     Northerners know how tempting it is to stay indoors during the cold months.  Eventually cabin fever sets in, a restlessness that can only be discharged by activity in the fresh air, no matter how cold.  This partially explains why that early spring visit to Ontario was so moving, but now I think a larger force was also at play:  nature-deficit disorder.
     Richard Louv created the phrase in his 2005 book, Last Child in the Woods, as a way to talk about our culture’s increasing alienation from the natural world and why it matters. In 2011, Louv expanded on those ideas in The Nature Principle:  Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder.  The ramifications of our disconnection from the landscape are disheartening: attention and behavioral disorders, depression, obesity and environmental degradation.  Through anecdote and formal research, Louv explores the power of nature to increase cognition, creativity, intelligence and productivity; enhance physical and mental health; enrich communities that value all living things; and create a purposeful sense of place, where natural and human histories combine to create regional and personal identities.  The book’s central questions are, “What would our lives be like if our days and nights were as immersed in nature as they are in technology?” and, “How can each of us help create that life-enhancing world, not only in a hypothetical future, but right now, for our families and for ourselves?”  The Nature Principle is an uplifting read, especially because it suggests actions that each of us can take in our daily lives immediately.  In a world that seems to have gone mad, it is easy to feel paralyzed with fear, not knowing how to help.  Louv’s book is not an attempt to convince people that technology is bad.  Rather, he asserts that the more technology we have in our lives, the more we need to balance it with a solid connection to the natural world.  We can do that in lots of ways right now:  by tending houseplants or potted herbs on a fire escape, by going outside for a walk or by visiting a local nature conservancy.

Photo by Bobbie Harte, Harte Ventures LLC

     Another way to maintain a connection to the natural world is to continue supporting enterprises like Harmony Valley Farm, what Louv calls the “new agrarianism.”  This is a way of life that nurtures “lands covered with biologically diverse vegetation; lands tuned to functioning water, mineral and solar cycles; lands with abundant and diverse wildlife; a community benefiting from locally grown, healthy food; and a people aware of the importance of agriculture to the environment.”  These have been the working principles of Harmony Valley Farm for decades.
     On Sunday, September 25, Harmony Valley Farm will hold its annual harvest party.  Visitors to the farm will be able to pick pumpkins, tour the fields and eat gorgeous organic food.  This would be an excellent antidote to any nature-deficit disorder you might be experiencing.  I am certainly looking forward to leaving my cell phone in the car, getting my hands in the dirt again and connecting with the land.  I hope to see you there!