grace note farm

This year instead of growing some of my winter storage crops like squash and dried beans, I grew flowers for market. When the growing season ended I decided to join the Winter CSA (community supported agriculture) at Stella Gardens. Stella Gardens is the student run CSA at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in East Troy Wisconsin. My small farm is a cooperative farm with Michael Fields. Interns in the Garden Student program at Michael Fields spend one day a week interning at my farm and learning about goats, chickens, eggs, soapmaking, and the balancing act of running a very small farm. Their excitement about farming is inspiring and I look forward to the time we spend together. Thus when it was time to choose someone to supplement what we grow, I chose their CSA. Every two weeks we pick up a huge box of fruit and vegetables, fresh, frozen and canned.

What I didn't realize was how fun it is to eat vegetables that someone I care about has grown for me. Usually I am the one growing the vegetables! I think about Shawn, or Alex every time I prepare gingered beets (recipe to follow) or spinach or whatever yummy vegetable appeals to me for dinner.

Gingered Beets
Ingredients:
bunch of medium beets (I vary depending on how hungry I am)
two to three tablespoons of grated ginger to taste
two tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
Butter (enough to coat the pan and then a couple extra pats at the end to really coat the beets)

Scrub a bunch of beets in cold water and then boil for about forty minutes until tender
Slip skins off under cold water (this really works!)
Slice beets into discs
melt butter in skillet and add grated ginger
cook ginger in butter for about one minute
add apple cider vinegar and sliced beets
stir until beets are well coated, added a bit more butter if you like!
So yummy!