Week of March 11th – Chickens Galore, and all about them

It’s really important to know where your food comes from and how it’s grown. So let’s talk eggs, specifically the ones you buy from Something Good Organics.

Our chickens reside in a large coop that’s enclosed from top to bottom. We’d love to do complete free range, but the predators around the farm haven’t allowed us to do it successfully. Ideally chickens have 10 sq feet per bird. In this coop, each chicken has about 50 sq feet each with the enclosed area having about 5000 sq feet total. They also have a coop and outside boxes to lay their eggs in, whichever they prefer that day. The chickens are fed organic layer pellets from Modesto Milling Company. Check out the ingredients here. Their food is supplemented with organic scratch (whole seeds for them to forage). Scratch is used for added energy for egg laying. I also supplement with kelp that provides many added benefits like bright glossy plumage, strong development of bone structure, increased weight gain and overall alertness and health. Additionally, kelp provides uniform shell texture and structure to maintain proper intestinal flora and bacteria in the chicken. And last but not least my chickens are fed scraps from the farm daily. They are getting 4-5 bins of greens everyday! I also clean their coop from top to bottom once a week, but clean out their laying boxes daily. This helps the health of the chicken, but also keeps the eggs clean upon harvest. We take raising chickens seriously and the health and happiness of them is very important. We have at least 10 different kinds at this point in time, which is why the dozens of eggs come in a beautiful variety of colors. A day in the life of a chicken on this farm is pretty grand. Pictures will follow – the internet here at the farm is painfully slow!

Don’t forget to support your local bread and granola makers. I really have been enjoying the bread from Deux bakery. The bread has a crisp crust and freshly baked taste. Much different from the bread that I purchase in the store. It’s baked the same day you receive your vegetables and sometimes brought to the farm still hot! It hasn’t been sitting on the shelf for some unknown amount of time.
Cindy Dollar, our local granola maker, is cooking up some Coconut Seed granola this week. Purchase your local, artisan goods here.

CSA Contains:
CARROTS
ROMAINE LETTUCE
GREEN CABBAGE
FRESH DILL
STRAWBERRIES
SUGAR SNAP PEAS
GREEN CURLY KALE
RED BEETS
RADISHES
BUNCHED SPINACH
BIG BOX ADD: SALAD MIX, CARROTS, CHERIMOYAS from GOODLAND ORGANICS*, STRAWBERRIES, one more item TBD

FRUIT EXPANSION INCLUDES: FUJI APPLES from CUYAMA ORCHARDS and STRAWBERRIES

*Note regarding cherimoyas. They should be soft like an avocado before consumed.

Quick, Easy Cole Slaw Recipe

(This coleslaw goes great on top of sandwiches. Top coleslaw with chopped chicken or tofu for a complete meal. It keeps getting better in the fridge as the days pass too.)
Ingredients: Serves 8
1 Small head of cabbage, shredded
3 carrots grated
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise (you can sub avocado here)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup onion, or 1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 garlic clove, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder, increase if you love garlic
3 tablespoons raw honey, or other preferred sweetener
1/4 cup fresh dill
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
Add all ingredients except cabbage and carrots to blender. Or, if you prefer, you can whisk the ingredients together in a large bowl before tossing with cabbage/carrots. Process until blended. Toss with cabbage.
If you have time, you can refrigerate before serving to let the flavors meld, but this is not necessary.
(Recipe from Love Love Everything)

A Fresh Green Salad

Ingredients: Serves 2-4
4 cups spinach/spring mix greens
2 beets, peeled and diced (1/2 inch)
1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut in half (or broccoli, or something else green)
4 radishes, halved and sliced
1 granny smith apple, cored, halved and sliced
1/2 cup snap peas, sliced diagonally
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
fresh lemon
salt & pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large roasting pan or baking sheet with foil. Toss the beets and asparagus with olive oil and coat evenly. Place the vegetables on a roasting pan in a single layer and roast for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove asparagus from roasting pan to a plate. Continue roasting beets for additional 15 more minutes or until fork tender. Cool slightly. Add salad greens, beets, asparagus, radishes, apple, snap peas, and green onions to a large bowl. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and squeeze of fresh lemon. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds and feta. Enjoy!
Notes: Do not crowd the vegetables when roasting or they will steam instead of roast.
(Recipe and photo from A Little Broken)

Kale Chicken Caesar Salad with Parmesan Crisp Croutons

Ingredients:
1 (5-oz.) bag Sargento Artisan Blends Parmesan Cheese
1 head curly kale
1 head romaine
Lime wedges
Roasted chicken, cut into small chunks
Dressing:
1 clove minced garlic
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon raw honey
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (or lime)
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the cheese out into a thin, single layer. (Next time, I would probably do about 6 smaller rounds. I like the burnt edges.) Bake for 6 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are brown and crisp. Let cool completely and break into small pieces.
Wash the kale. Cut out the stalks. Cut into thin strips. Cut the romaine into thin strips also.
Add the garlic, Dijon, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a mason jar. Shake well. Add olive oil and shake again. Taste for seasoning,
To make the salad, add the kale and add about half of the dressing and massage kale. Add romaine, chicken, and Parmesan crisps to a large bowl. Toss well, and add more dressing if needed. Serve with lime wedges and squeeze over the salad.
(Recipe and photo from Baked Bree)

JUICE FEAST Includes:
CARROTS
ROMAINE LETTUCE
GREEN CABBAGE
PARSLEY AND MINT
STRAWBERRIES
FUJI APPLES from CUYAMA ORCHARD
GREEN CURLY KALE
RED BEETS
DANDELION GREENS
BUNCHED SPINACH

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *