Ok, so I'm obsessed! I think I've reposted this at least once before, but I keep going back to it, adapting the recipe to fit what I have in my fridge. I'm not exactly a fan of hiding greens to get kids to eat veggies, but I am a fan of including veggies in almost everything I eat! The squash makes these moist and delicious. This recipe was originally created by Mallory Froman, and I just keep adapting it to use what I have. Thanks for a great base recipe, Mallory! I adapted this to make about one and half dozen muffins because I like to just use the whole can of coconut milk, and I have a six-tin muffin tin.

Gluten Free Chocolate Kale Squash Muffins
​
Ingredients:

• 3 C. Oat Flour (make your own by blending GF oats in a food processor)
• 1/2 C. Cocoa Powder
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1 C. Coconut Milk (canned/full fat)
• 2 C. Fresh Kale (one full bunch)
• 2 C. seeded summer squash or zucchini (two medium squash)
• 2 Bananas
• 2 tsp. Vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C. Maple Syrup (or more to taste)
• 1/2 C. Melted Coconut Oil

Directions:

1. Blend oats in a food processor, then transfer to a bowl. Add cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
   
2. In the food processor pulse kale until small. Blend bananas, kale, and coconut milk until very smooth.  Pour into a bowl.
3. Switch to shredder attachment of the food processor. Seed summer squash or zucchini by slicing into long quarters, then cutting out the middle triangle that holds the seeds. Shred seeded summer squash in processor. Switch back to bad attachment, and blend shredded squash with kale mixture. (you could also do this with a blender). Transfer to a bowl.
   
4. Add remaining wet ingredients and stir well (vanilla, eggs, maple, melted coconut oil).
5. Add all the dry ingredients and mix well (oat flour, cocoa powder, soda, and salt).
6. Grease muffin tins.  Scoop batter into muffin tins filling 3/4 of the way up.
7. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or cooked through (they’ll start to crack and little on the top).

It's garlic time! We just harvested all the garlic for the year. It's been in the ground since last Fall. We save back some of what we harvest to plant the next year. All those garlic cloves? Each one is a seed to be planted.  We "overwinter" the garlic, meaning we plant it in the fall to let it get a good growing start. When it gets cold, the garlic goes dormant, and then in the Spring when the weather gets warmer, it already has a head start to shoot up!

There are so many different varieties of garlic. We grow a few.  

There are three main parts of the plant you can eat at different growing stages:
Garlic scapes
Green garlic
Garlic bulbs (what you know of as "garlic")


​

I made this the other night, and it was delicious!! A hit in my house. I actually used broccoli and cauliflower, but I think it could be used with most any vegetable. The "template" here would be a base of white sweet potatoes, topped with roasted veggies, then shredded chicken, topped with curry sauce. Yum! I made a chicken straight from frozen in my Instant Pot (yes, you can do that!! on the pressure cooker setting), and now I have shredded chicken for the week for lunches or an easy dinner.

Recipe created and submitted by Mallory Froman. 


Ingredients:
1 bunch of Bok Choy (chopped)
3 Heads of Broccoli (chopped)
3 TBS Avocado Oil
1 tsp salt
2c cooked and shredded chicken 
2 white sweet potatoes halved
1 jar of your favorite curry sauce (I used Yai’s Yellow Curry)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450
2. In a large bowl combine broccoli, bok choy, avocado oil, and salt. Spread on roasting pan and roast for 15-20 minutes or until broccoli is crispy. 
3. In a sauce pan, warm curry sauce on low heat until it simmers. 
4.  To roast white sweet potatoes, drizzle avocado oil over flesh, and place on roasting pan flesh side down. (Takes about 30 minutes at 400 degrees)
4. Assemble bowls. Add chicken, half a white sweet potato, and roasted broccoli and bok choy. Spoon desired amount of curry over and enjoy! 

Looking for a great curry sauce recipe? Try this one from All Recipes https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/25881/basic-curry-sauce/

This is a recipe created and submitted by Mallory Froman
​
1 head Cauliflower (in florets)
1 head Broccoli (in florets)
1 bunch Sugar Snap Peas (chopped)
1lbs ground Pork (cooked and crumbled) 
1/2c. of Orange Juice (fresh if possible)
1C. Coconut Aminos
1tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Ginger Powder
3 TBS Avocado Oil

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 430.  While the oven is heating up, coat veggies with Avocado Oil and arrange on roasting pans.  Bake for 20-30 minutes until veggies are golden brown and crisp.  

While veggies are cooking, whisk together Orange Juice, Coconut Aminos, Garlic Powder, and Ginger.  Once veggies are cooked, toss together in a mixing bowl with OJ and Coconut sauce and cooked ground pork until everything is well coated.  

Serve warm with a side of rice!

​As owner and operators of Barr Farms, we, Adam and Rae, affirm and assert that Black Lives Matter.[1]  We share in the grief and anger of the recent killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, and the historic and ongoing systems of racial discrimination, we wanted to speak to racial injustices and our racial justice commitments in the local food and farming sector.

We support Black lives not just in general or as consumers of our food, but also supporting Black farmers, and supporting efforts for Black communities to own the means of production. Black Farmers Matter.
 
There is inequity in the food system.  We’re committed to food justice, but by “food justice,” we mean not only making good food accessible to everyone. 
 
Barr Farms Food Justice definition: 

1. A robust local food system that makes high quality, chemical-free food accessible to everyone, regardless of income, race, geography or other factors, raised in a way that enhances soil and the environment and that financially supports local farms and farm workers.
2. Recognizing that the mainstream food system is nested in our society that includes classism, racism, urbanism and other oppressions and working to build just systems.

In Kentucky, Black farmers account for only 1.4% of farmers (farm owner/operators). This low representation is not by accident. It’s based in centuries of racist policies and practices, whether intentional or unintentional. 

The history of injustice in the society and in agriculture is well documented. Even as recently as this century, Black farmers were discriminated against at the USDA.
​
“The history of U.S. agriculture is inseparable from the history of U.S. racism. Indigenous land dispossession, slavery, the ongoing exclusion of racial minorities from federal agricultural programs and support systems, present day exploitation enabled by lack of labor protections for agricultural workers, and disempowering immigration policies are all examples of the ways in which racism has been woven into agriculture on every level since this land was colonized,” states the National Young Farmers Coalition Racial Equity Toolkit.
With these historical and current inequities, Adam and Rae are both personally committed to making racial equity a priority, not just in our personal lives, but in our public life as well. 
 
Barr Farms is committed to:

• Continuing to grapple with the privilege of land acquisition, passed on through seven generations until today. This land is Cherokee land. (Also, Osage, Shawnee and Adena)
• Understanding our privilege of accessing grants and loans through USDA, Farm Credit and other organizations.
• Ensuring our food is accessible, through participation in New Roots, an organization that is founded on principles of collective organizing and building community power.
• Continuing to learn from Black farmers, be supportive of and attempt to build true partnerships with Black-led farm organizations.
• Financially supporting Black-led and people of color led farmer organizations as we are able.
• Farming is hard, even with privilege. We commit to sharing what we’ve learned when asked and appropriate… not coming in to “save the day” but offering the knowledge resources we’ve built in our farming journey.

 
With these commitments, we also recognize that we fall short in how we have showed up. We’ve showed up in our personal lives, we’ve showed up in discussions and readings and learning, but we have work to do in building true allyship with Black-led organizations and speaking out and showing up in our business.  We commit a lifelong practice or prioritizing racial equity in both our personal and public life.
 

What can you do? 
Learn more, and take action!

Have a conversation... one of the things I love about food, is it's unifying. Whether you agree or disagree with this, make some good food and have a conversation with someone with a different opinion. We all can learn from each other!

Support Black-led organizations helping Kentucky’s Black farmers. A great place to start is:

Black Soil: The mission of Black Soil: Our Better Nature is to reconnect black Kentuckians to their legacy and heritage in agriculture.
 
Kentucky State University: An historically black university with an excellent agriculture and farmer outreach program that serves limited resource and minority farmers. They offer research, grants, workshops for farmers and more.
 
Where can you go to learn more about racial inequity and solutions in the farming and food systems space?
 
Farming While Black by Leah Penniman is an excellent book. Primarily written to encourage new Black farmers, it includes a section for how white people can support. It’s full of important historical and current information, such as how to establish farm cooperatives, the origins of CSA in the Black community, creative financing options and much more.
 
Follow @Sylvanaquafarm on Instagram and Twitter.
 
National Young Farmers Coalition has many excellent articles, and a racial equity toolkit. Highly recommended.
https://www.youngfarmers.org/2020/06/blacklivesmatter/
https://www.youngfarmers.org/2016/09/ending-violence-against-people-of-color-in-food-and-farming/
https://www.youngfarmers.org/2019/02/racial-inequity/
https://www.youngfarmers.org/resource/racialequitytoolkit/
 
 
Food Solutions New England’s 21 Day Racial Equity and Habit Building Challenge: https://foodsolutionsne.org/21-day-racial-equity-habit-building-challenge/
 
 
National Black Farmers Association
http://www.nationalblackfarmersassociation.org
 
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/29/why-have-americas-black-farmers-disappeared


[1] If you’re thinking, “all lives matter,” well of course they do! But if you can’t affirm that Black Lives Matter, then how can all lives matter? The point is that our society treats black lives as if they don’t matter as much as white lives, as seen in the many disparities in our society from health outcomes to the prison system. Saying “Black lives matter” is a way of trying to bring equality.

Everyone has their different versions of their own “top ten” kitchen tools. This one is adapted to CSA, and to my style of cooking. I like to keep it simple. I have three kids, after all, so I like to be able to get something in the oven quick, let it cook, then serve. When I have time I like to experiment too.
 
Here are the top ten used in my kitchen (I’m assuming you have a couple basics like hot pads and a metal spatula, regular cooking pots and big metal stirring spoon covered already). These are in order of importance / most used in my kitchen. I explain each one further down in the post.

1. Good knife and cutting board, knife sharpener or honing steel
2. Cast Iron skillet- I love cast iron, but anything oven safe is fine, like stainless steel. (Avoid the non-stick kind)
3. Sheet pan with a lip… get two
4. Food Processor
5. Instant Pot or Slow Cooker (Crock Pot)
6. Glass storage bowls… for prepped food, leftovers,
7. Mason jars with lids, quart and pint sized… I like the plastic lids for storage
8. Large stock pot
9. Immersion blender (to puree soups straight in the pot, or blend a smoothie straight in the jar)
10. Dutch oven (or get a lid for a deep cast iron skillet, but there are some things like a whole chicken that just won’t fit into the cast iron with a lid)
11. Meat thermometer (if you’re in a meat CSA). I know this is a “top ten ” but I couldn’t leave out the meat thermometer!

 
​Below are the items divided into categories, with a short explanation of each. Scroll to the end for a full checklist!

Basic kitchen tools you’ll need:
Good knife, cutting board and knife sharpener or honing steel- there is no understating the importance of a good knife when you’re in a CSA. You will need to chop vegetables.  I good, sharp knife, vs a dull knife can reduce your chopping time by at least a half and save frustration (not to mention wrists!). So once you’ve selected your knife, get a knife sharpener, or a honing steel to keep it sharp. Every time you take out that knife… sharpen it! Every. Time. You’ll also need a cutting board to go with this sharp knife, unless you don’t care about your knives or countertops. A cutting board is also handy after you’ve chopped those veggies, to pick up and toss into the soup pan or skillet.  I like a big wooden cutting board, a medium wood cutting board, a small wood cutting board (like for cheeses or snacks), and a plastic one for meats.
 
Cast Iron skillet- I’m sure you can get by with any kind of skillet, but since I’m talking about my kitchen… I absolutely LOVE cast iron.  If you’re not going the cast-iron direction, try stainless steel. Anything oven safe is fine, but avoid the non-stick kind. Eventually that non-stick film will come off into your food and into your body. (Yuck!) If you’re investing in a cast-iron, you could get a deeper one with a lid, and save yourself some time before you invest in a Dutch oven. That lid does wonders for all sorts of things like sauces, keeping food warm before it’s served, fritattas, and so much more.
 
Utensils/uber basics: Big metal stirring spoon, wooden spoon, metal spatula, ladle, tongs (for the grill, oven, etc), Hot pads and/or oven mit. Do these need more explanation?
 
Sheet pan… it’s important this has a lip. You can do all sorts of things with a sheet pan. Cookies is basic, but we’re talking veggies here. So… sheet pan meals for one. Just google “sheet pan meals” and you’ll find a wealth of recipes. It’s basically a protein (like chicken), surrounded by chopped veggies and some spices. Your whole meal on one pan. Use parchment paper, and it’s a super easy clean up. You can also use these for freezing things like kale balls… blanch, squeeze out the water, freeze in balls on a sheet pan, then transfer to a freezer bag. Or strawberries (as if you didn’t eat them all up before you got home…), you can cut of the tops, place them on a sheet pan with space in between each so they freeze separately, then transfer to a freezer bag.
 
Food Processor*. This is probably my number one kitchen tool that I use so much, after the above-named basics. I use this for so many things. Pesto. All kinds of pesto with all kind of greens… nettle, kale, Swiss chard, and of course basil. Pretty much any green can be made into pesto. And you can freeze pesto! (see freezing items below). I make my own oat flour. Just grind up rolled oats till it’s a flour. No need to spend loads of money on Gluten Free flour when you can make it yourself. I use it for the base of chocolate kale muffins and other types of baked goods. I chop nuts. I shred cheese. I made pizza dough and biscuit dough. I make a carrot slaw, a cabbage slaw, shred mozzarella cheese for homemade pizza night and so much more.
 
Instant Pot*. Did I just say the food processor was my number one big ticket item? It’s a close race, they’re neck-in-neck.  I use the instant pot as a slow cooker for roasts and stews. (You can brown the meat straight in the pot, instead of browning on the stove then transferring to a slow-cooker). I use it to cook dried beans quickly, then make into soups or hummus. I pressure cook meat and roasts if I forget to get it going in the slow cooker function early enough. I use it for bone broth. I think there’s even more I can do with it, I’m still experimenting. (and also, I do realize that an Instant Pot is not “essential.” I got by for many years with a slow cooker, a stock pot and and a skillet.  But it’s pretty convenient.)
 
Glass storage bowls with lids. Like a pyrex, for example. So many ways to use these. The most important is leftovers, and leftovers are important!! For lunches, first and foremost, but also to recombine into your next meal. It’s fun to get creative with how to repurpose one meal to get the most from your food. You can also use these for prepped food. Like, if you want to go ahead and chop some veggies on a Sunday, or shred some cheese so it’s ready to go during the week for quick meals
 
Grater (or use the grater attachment of the food processor!). I have a stand-up grater with four different sides for different sizes of grating. I mainly use this for shredded cheese, or shredded carrots or beets to put on top of my salads. I also have a food processor with a grater attachment. (see above). I use this sooo much, when I need to grate in quantity.
 
Large stock pot. I use this for making… well… stock. Actually, these days I use the instant pot mostly for making stock, but occasionally I’ll still use my stock pot for this in the winter if I want to use it to get my kitchen warm and steamy and delicious-smelling. Veggie stock with leftover veggie scraps, chicken stock with the leftover chicken bones after a roasted chicken dinner, bone broth from beef soup bones… sooooo nourishing for your body, especially after childbirth! (But that’s another post). I also use it for making chili and butternut soup, or veggie stew. These are some of my favorite soups. Oh, and I also use it for boiling corn on the cob… one minute then done! And blanching greens I’m going to freeze.
 
Immersion blender. It’s actually a little surprising to me that the immersion blender is so far down on my “essentials” list.  I use it to puree soups straight in the pot, like the butternut mentioned above, and to blend a smoothie straight in the jar (see below). I feel like I use it a lot, but these are two specific ways, and other tools seem to be more versatile, when I was creating the “essentials” list.  But I use this A LOT.
 
Mason jars with lids, quart and pint sized… I like the plastic lids for storage in the fridge. These are so versatile. Oh, let me count the ways. Smoothies. Right in the jar. Storing soups, for the fridge or freezer. Storing salads for on the go. Make your own vinaigrette and store it. (Template: one third acid, like vinegar or lemon juice, two-thirds oil like olive or avocado, a Tablespoon of sweet like honey, maple or sorghum. Plain, or add some chopped herbs. Shake in a jar and you’re good to go for salad dressing for a week!) Finally, you can just use them as drinking cups. They’re good for kids because they don’t break as easily as actual glasses (case in point… we have one glass left from the set of glasses we got for our wedding that I loved so much… but lots of mason jars on our shelves now!)
 
Salad spinner. I do love my salad spinner, but you can also try this salad spinner hack, or wrap washed lettuce in a clean cloth towel and store in fridge.
 
Dutch oven* (or get a lid for a cast iron skillet, and you can use that for some things). I use the Dutch oven mainly for stewing or braising meats, but check out this recipe for braised greens. It’s amazing.  I also use it without the lid for roasting chickens. And for soups. I tend to use this more in the winter because I don’t like to heat up my kitchen in the summer. I’m grateful I have it, but the other two big-ticket items are more important in my kitchen. If you don’t want to spring for one, you can get a deep cast-iron with a lid, and make most of the braising recipes using that.
 
Meat Thermometer. For the meat eaters out there. Essential, unless you’e pro-enough to eyeball to know when it’s done.
 
* Big-ticket item
 
 
Items for freezing
Even if you think, “freezing isn’t for me,” read on… you still might want to give it a whirl. You’ll be thankful come January when you can add some greens to your stews, and you just might find you need to get rid of that kale before the next batch arrives. You’ll need:

• Freezer bags
• Ice cube trays… if you want to freeze pesto or blanched greens… you can also squeeze into balls, freeze on a cookie sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag
• Sheet pan (already an essential above!)

 
 
Nonessential kitchen gadgets
I’ve seen the following items on other people’s “top ten” lists, but I either don’t have them to know how “essential” they are, or I simply don’t use mine. 
​
Mandolin
microplane stick grater
spiralizer
julienne peeler
Fermenting crocs (ok, not a “gadget” but a specific interest tool. You can also ferment in mason jars)
Canning supplies
Dehydrator
 

Checklist
 
You can mark off what you have already, and star the ones you want to prioritize. If you have the funds to just get the rest, go for it! If you’re like me, I’d need to prioritize one per month that I’ll get, or save up for a couple months for some of the “big ticket items” or ask for them as a gift. The Instant Pot was a Christmas gift, and it keeps on giving!!
 
If I had to choose five things for my kitchen it would be… knife, cutting board, cast iron skillet, food processor, instant pot (this is assuming I have something to stir with)
 
Most essential basic tools- start here!

• Good knife
• Cutting board
• Knife sharpener or honing steel
• Skillet (cast-iron or stainless steel. Oven safe)
• Sheet pan with a lip
• Hot pads and/or oven mit
• Mixing bowls
• Big metal stirring spoon
• Wooden spoon
• Metal spatula
• Tongs
• Meat thermometer

 
Big Ticket Essential Items… in order of importance in my kitchen

• Food Processor
• Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
• Dutch oven (or lid for a cast iron skillet)

 
Kitchen tools needed after the essentials

• Glass storage bowls with lids
• Mason jars with lids, quart and pint sized
• Large stock pot
• Grater
• Immersion blender
• Salad spinner
• Rubber spatula

 
 
Items for preserving: freezing, canning, dehydrating or fermenting

• Freezer bags
• Ice cube trays
• Fermenting crocs
• Canning supplies
• Dehydrator

 
 
Nonessential (in my view) kitchen gadgets that some people swear by

• Mandolin
• Microplane stick grater
• Spiralizer
• Julienne peeler
• Citrus juicer

 

Oh tomatoes! Aren't they lovely?  We start them in January in our basement, before the greenhouse is even fired up for the season. We baby them in their various growth stages, and tuck them into their beds in the high tunnels early in the season and outside in the Spring, in an attempt to have great tomatoes throughout the season.

Last year, our high tunnel tomatoes were ravaged by a tiny pest: the white fly.  Neem oil helps a little, but really the only method of pest control is prevention: find them early and remove them. 

Adam's been strolling the rows in the high tunnels each day looking for these little creatures. When he finds them, he takes the whole leaf and puts it in a sealed bucket.  A few times, he's had to take a whole plant in order to protect the plants around it.

We're hoping this will save those plants and help the tomatoes thrive so your baskets are filled with tomatoes this year. (If you want them of course). We think we've caught them early, but we'll stay vigilent!

​We’ve had a few people ask if we'll be able to, so we thought we'd say: the answer is a resounding YES.  

There’s never been a better time to know your farmer. We know you depend on us for healthy, local food, and we are finding ways to get that to you. We’re providing food… designated as an essential service.  

The CSA will start officially Tuesday, May 19 and Saturday May 23, but check your account to see when your start date is, if you sign up for every other week.  

To us, CSA isn’t just a bag of veggies or box of meats. It’s a relationship.  

We honor that relationship by getting good food to you. Right now, before CSA begins, we’re using the online store and taking preorders. We’ve opened an online store to be sure you can get what you need. We'll reload the store every Monday or Tuesday night.  Order by midnight Thursday for Saturday delivery. Order HERE.  

Main Season CSA We truly feel that feeding CSA members is like feeding our family. That means we will be making every effort to keep your food safe in the harvest and handling process, and following social distancing measures during this time of the coronavirus outbreak in our personal lives, and during pickups or home delivery.   We actually think getting our food is better than going to the grocery story. Why?              

• Your food is local, not part of the global food system where you don’t know where it comes from, or who has touched your food in the process.             
• Your veggies are organic, and meats are sustainably raised.  That means no synthetic chemicals in the soil or in your food. Better for you and the planet.            
• Your pickups are less crowded than a grocery store. Most are outside or in a remote location of a workplace. And you can always choose home delivery at any point.           
• You know your farmer, and know that we follow Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). These are practices and systems we have in place to keep your food safe from disease, including washing, sanitation, worker safety, protocol for worker illness, etc. We have been and continue to develop our food safety plan, and had already planned to undergo a third party audit of our systems this year.            
• Your food is healthy and nutrient-dense. An important part of staying healthy is getting good sleep and eating high quality food that delivers the nutrients your body needs. Being part of a CSA helps you get the veggies and high quality meats into your diet to keep you healthy.  

Will you make any changes because of Covid-19?

YES. All of the above said, we will be making some changes to keep the CSA running and keep you healthy during this time:

Pickup locations: as we get closer to the start of the CSA, we’ll reach out to our established pickup locations to be sure they can all remain open. If there are any issues with you being able to access the pickup location you signed up for, you can choose a different pickup location, or choose home delivery.

Social distancing: we’ll be developing policies and procedures for each pickup location to practice the proper social distancing to follow whatever guidelines we’re under at the time, including no-touch policies if needed.

Even more cleaning and disinfecting: In addition to the stringent GAP guidelines, we’ll establish even more guidelines for disinfecting and washing here on the farm and at any locations we visit.

Packaging: No more reusables, at least for this year. This one hurts our hearts.  Being able to use reusable bags is good for the environment, but is not something we feel we can do this year, out of an abundance of caution. We’re currently looking into other options for this.

“Farmers Market style” CSA pickups: At some pickup points, we have practiced a “farmers market style” pickup, where members bring their bags, and go down a line of produce bins to select their produce. We are still assessing whether or not we can do this. (Note the grocery stores haven’t changed their produce sections!). So stay tuned. “Worst case scenario” we’ll just pre-package everyone’s produce.    

We'll also continue to update our policies, following appropriate and research-based guidance.

So… this is all new territory for all of us! If I haven’t answered your questions, please reach out and let me know what questions you have. Chances are, if you have a question, someone else out there does too!    ​

As Spring buds here on the farm, the greenhouse is full, and farming is underway. We’ve completed most of our seed orders for the year, so thank you for those of you who signed up early to help us do that. It really helps!! We’re entering the busy season of preparing ground, planting seeds and transplanting baby plants from the greenhouse into the fields. (Above photo is Rosalio and Alex transplanting the first broccoli, cauliflower and other greens) So we are rolling forward.   We look forward to staying committed to the relationship we’ve entered with our CSA members.  Again, the CSA relationship is different than a typical consumer/business relationship, and we value that dynamic. We hope you do too!  
We’re in this together!  

Be well, Rae and Adam    ​