Happy December

Happy December!

Our farm market stand will be open this Saturday, December 17, 2011 from 2pm until 4pm.

We invite you to visit us this Saturday and stock up on our great selection of produce.

We'll offer golden turnips, bulk red beets, green and red cabbage, butternut squash, yellow and red onions, shallots, celery root, and garlic.

 From our hoophouse we'll have fresh arugula, lettuce mix and orange sweet carrots. 

Fresh eggs and frozen whole and whole cut chicken will be available as well as great holiday gifts

 such as our honey, popcorn and a limited supply of rosemary goat milk soap.

This Saturday will also be the first day our pastured raised, organically fed pork products

will be available for sale. We will offer chops, shoulder, smoked bacon and ham, breakfast sausage made with our farm raised honey and fresh sage, italian sausage made with our farm raised garlic, fresh oregano, fresh fennel, and fresh sage! 

Recipes for pork and chicken!

Sage and Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Crispy Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates
Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Pulled Pork Tamales
Chicken Tikka Masala
Honey-Lime Roast Chicken
Jerked Pork Burgers with Island Slaw




2012 CSA registration is open!


We offer a 20 week season of fresh, high quality vegetables
and just as the summer harvest is over you could continue your culinary journey with 4 weeks of our Fall harvest.
Don't forget to pair up your bounty of vegetables with an
 irresistible 18 week long season of sensational ripe fruit!


Signing up is easy, click here for our CSA form.






We look forward to seeing you all this Saturday!


Your farmers,
Tania and Chris Cubberly and Joe!

Last week of our Fall CSA

Thank you for joining our CSA!

 We had a great season growing for you and hope that you enjoyed the farms' bounty.

2012 CSA is open!
(follow the link on 2012 CSA)
Be sure to take part of the early discount sign up!

We look forward to growing for you next season!

Your farmers,

Tania and Chris Cubberly along with our crew, Joe and Michael!

Your vegetable bounty this week..............

Please don't forget your pick up is Tuesday, November 22nd from 4 until 7pm!

Green Cabbage

Spinach

Red Onions

Fresh Rosemary from our Hoophouse

Hoophouse French Breakfast Radish

Bulk Red Beets

Hoophouse Lettuce Mix

Hoophouse Bok Choy

Fresh Parsley

Idared Apples

Bosc Pears

Green Curly Kale Tops

Hoophouse Sweet Orange Carrots

French Fingerling Potatoes

No matter how you celebrate Thanksgiving this year

 we hope that our harvest will add to your table, Happy Thanksgiving!

Recipes..........

The best roast turkey!

What do you do with left over turkey?

Our Fresh Parsley and Idared Apples will pair up nicely in your Waldorf Salad!

Roasted Bok Choy Salad

A beautiful sweet and savory side dish, Roasted Pears and Red Onions.

Butternut Squash with Brown Butter
All butter, really flaky pie dough!


Our farm market stand will be open Tuesday, November 22 from 4 until 7pm.
We will offer salad mix, butternut squash, eggs, chicken, honey, maple syrup,
 spinach, sweet orange carrots, onions, apples and more!
 Please stop by and see what can offer you for your Thanksgiving meal.
This will be a great time to stock up on eggs and chicken too.

Our farm market stand will not reopen until Saturday, December 17 from 2 until 4pm.
We will offer our pork products, chicken and eggs.
Just in time for Holiday gifts!
Stop by on December 17th and find some great gifts such as popcorn,
 honey, maple syrup and goat milk soap!


Enjoy the bounty, from our farm to your home!

Fall Extension CSA Week 3 and 2012 CSA news!

Welcome to Week 3 of your Fall Extension!

Crops are being tilled in, compost is spread, cover crops are seeded, tons of cleaning, sorting and storing of equipment and supplies is in process, bulk root crops are being harvested daily, washed and stored and 2012 preparations are well underway!

As we introduce to you our 2012 CSA we'd like to thank all of you who have joined us this season and in our past seasons. With your support our farm will continue to grow healthy, fresh, organic, high quality food today and in the future.

Click on the link to Join our CSA!

 Erecting our greenhouse, pictured below on February 11, 2009.

This season our greenhouse grew nearly 1,500 flats of well over 60 varieties of vegetables.

Your Vegetable Bounty this week...................

Spinach

Hoophouse Lettuce Mix

Garlic

Hoophouse Arugula

Shallots

Hoophouse Sweet Orange Carrots

Lacinato Kale Tops

Hoophouse Radishes

Honeycrisp and Cameo Apples

Bulk Brussels Sprouts

Please remember to bring back your wax boxes to us. These are easily washed and reused weekly.

Also, next week is the last week of our CSA. Your pick up day is on

 Tuesday, November 22nd from 4 until 7pm. Please mark your calendars!

Our Farm Market Stand will be open on Thursday, November 17 from 4 until 7pm

and again on Tuesday November 22 from 4 until 7pm. We will have carrots, bulk beets, russet potatoes, kale tops, pears, apples, honey, popcorn, maple syrup, golden turnips, lettuce mix, eggs, chicken and much more! Please stop by and see our selection for your Thanksgiving Day!

We will offer sales through out the winter season. Please follow our newsletters to find out the dates and times! If you have any questions send us an email and we'll be happy to answer them!

From our table to yours, enjoy!

Brussels Sprouts, bacon and roasted chestnuts.

Spinach Pies.

Vegetable side ideas for Thanksgiving!

mmmmmOmelettes!

Cannellini Bean soup with Kale and Garlic Olive Oil Crostini

Slow baked Honeycrisp apples.

Some good reading materials and movies........

So many great reasons to know your farmer!

 Where is your honey from? ......China? at our farm we have 12 hives and plenty of honey for sale!

There is no better time than now to turn to fresh vegetables...checking cholesterol levels in children!

Pop some popcorn this weekend............Forks over Knives ,  Food Inc. and King Corn.

Enjoy your bounty!

Your farmers,

Tania and Chris Cubberly along with our crew, Joe and Michael!



Join our 2012 CSA today!

Fall Extension Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of your Fall Extension CSA!

By 11 am on Tuesday there was 1 inch of rain that fell on the farm. This made for a very muddy harvest and lots of good humor between the crew. Most of our rain gear served us well except for those occasional holes that developed through out the season! 

Thank you for all of you who have joined our Half Hog Share this season! We are sold out of our shares but will have individual cuts available for sale beginning Saturday December 17 at the farm stand from 2 until 4pm. We'll be sure to send out a second notice as a reminder when we get closer to the date.

Our 2012 CSA will be available through our newsletter beginning next week!

There is always a lot of decision making when planning for the next season's CSA. One avenue that would benefit us would be your feedback! If you would like to give your comments we sure would appreciate it, send us an email or if you'd like to be anonymous send us a note through the mail. Thank you!

We would like to say, "Thank you! Armando for 5 years
 of your dedication and helping us in growing our farm!"

Your vegetable bounty this week.....

Parsnips

Russet Potatoes

Green Butterhead Lettuce

Red Butterhead Lettuce

Crispino Lettuce

Yellow Onions

Baby Fennel Bunch

Celeriac

Red Russian Kale

Cauliflower

Radishes from our Hoophouse

Bok Choy from our Hoophouse

Crimini Mushroom (grown by River Valley Mushroom Farm, certified organic)

Bosc Pears (grown by Mick Klug Farm)

Recipes to enjoy:

Apple and Honey Challah Bread!

This one was a hit at our house.....Pear Crisps with Vanilla Brown Butter!

Pear Bread!

 Wondering what to do with the Cauliflower.......Chana aur Sarson ka Saag Biryani!

Our butternut squash will please everyone on Thanksgiving.......Could you pass the Squash please!

Chicken and Bok Choy Stir Fry!

Our baby fennel is so tender and crisp with a light annise flavor it was easy to eat these while harvesting....don't worry we saved some for you........Carrot Fennel Soup!

Baby Bella also known as Crimini has a wonderful rich earthy taste that can't be beat. These can be easily stored loosely in a brown paper bag in your fridge. Clean these by using very little water and simply cut the bottom of the stem and you're ready to enjoy! Crimini Mushroom Sautee!

You've had potato mash, celeriac mash, turnip mash....how about.....Apple Parsnip Mash!

Although our Russets our small it doesn't take away from it's flavor and good use for....French Fries! No cheating on the oil, peanut oil or nothing at all!

You know you've always wanted to but just didn't know how to go about it......................

How to Debone a Chicken!

Our farm stand will be open this Thursday from 4 until 7pm. Please join us and enjoy the  bounty before the cold weather puts the farm to rest. We will offer lettuce heads, kales, butternut squash, cabbage, onions, baking apples, snacking apples, sweet orange carrots, popcorn, spinach, honey, chicken, maple syrup, eggs and more!

Enjoy the bounty!
Your farmers,
Tania and Chris Cubberly and our crew, Joe, Michael and Francisco!

Welcome to your Fall Extension CSA!

Hail, rain, wind, rainbows, sunshine, more wind, frost! Farming is never dull!

Your vegetable harvest for this week...............

Red Adirondack Potatoes

Thyme

Golden Turnips

Dandelion Greens

4 baby Lettuce Heads

Green Swiss Chard

Leeks

Cameo Apples

Ida Red Apples

Asian Pears

Bulk Red Beets

Baby Orange Carrots

Your share will be ready on Thursday between 4 and 7pm. We will have boxes prepacked for you so there is no need to bring your bags or tote unless you don't want to take the box itself home!

Pick up is at the farm: 17970 W. Millburn Road

Your lettuce heads this week are harvested from our fields which we've kept protected from frost by covering them with a protective double cover cloth. We predict that these heads won't have time to grow any larger seeing that more frost is in the forecast so we're sharing this bounty with you. Each share will have a selection from the following: green curly, romaine, red butterhead, red oak or green butterhead.

We spent part of Tuesday morning harvesting Leeks. Leeks are from the allium family such as onions and garlic. They are a hardy plant that tolerates cold weather so you should see these one more time in your share. These leeks are not grown for a bulb such as an onion but for it's stalk that is white to light green in color. As the stalk grows it produces tall wispy leaves that are uneatable and could be composted. 

Leeks have a mild onion taste and could be used in any way you would treat an onion. It adds great flavor in stocks, soups, marries well with potatoes and chicken.

Leek recipes:

Leek Tart

Chicken and Leek Rice

Roasted Leek and Potato Salad

Dandelion Greens!

Not your common green that you will find in the local grocery store! This green, like any other cooking green, can be a bit bitter for some. Prepared with the flavors you like, garlic, onion and other spices, this green will have you running out for more!

Dandelion Greens recipes to try........

(my favorite white bean recipe....) Sauteed Greens with White Beans and Garlic

Simple Sauteed Dandelion Greens

Dandelion Greens with warm Balsamic Vinaigrette

Apples this week!

Idared: this juicy sweet tart apple is great for cooking or baking and makes a great pink in color sauce. It holds it's shape well in baking and would make a great tart!

Cameo: this well balanced sweet and tart apple is great for snaking as well as baking.

Apple Recipes:

Apple Page of Recipes

Maple-Cinnamon Apple Sauce (with Idareds)

Individual Apple Tart Recipes

Your Golden Turnips are an awesome Fall turnip. These we pull from the ground and cut the tops off and some of it's roots. Turnips can easily be stored loosely in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer.

Turnips sometimes have a sharp flavor when eaten raw. My favorite way to treat these turnips is to simply roast them. I cut these to bite size pieces and toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper. I let them roast in a 400* oven for about 25 to 35 minutes. Check them to see if they are tender. Plate these next to a lovely roasted chicken and a side of baby leaf head lettuce and enjoy a healthy meal.

These can also be enjoyed roasted with other vegetables such as

 beets, potatoes, onions, carrots and thyme!

Ah, fresh Thyme! 

This aromatic herb adds great flavor to meats, soups and stews.

Although our pork is not ready yet! Here is a great recipe.....

Crunchy Baked Pork Chops with Thyme

You can store fresh thyme in your fridge by keeping a few sprigs in a glass of water or wrapped loosely in a plastic bag in your crisper. If you wanted to dry this right away, place it hanging upside down so it's exposed to air on all sides for about 10 days. Once it's dried simply run your fingers down the stem and let the leaves fall into a plastic bag that can be sealed tightly or a glass jar for future use.

We have 2 Half Hog Shares still available! If you are interested please send me an email at tempelfarmsorganics@yahoo.com and I will send you information about the share. Thank you!

Hail, rain, or high winds won't stop us from having our farm stand open this

 Thursday from 4 to 7pm and Saturday 8 until 2pm.

Please join us at the stand this week and see our selection before our season ends!

Salad Greens, Cooking Greens, Chicken, Honey, Popcorn, Carrots, Onions, Potatoes, Squash, and more!

2012 CSA will be out in the newsletter by November 16!

Enjoy your bounty this week!

Your farmers,

Tania and Chris Cubberly and our crew, Joe, Armando, Francisco and Michael!

Welcome to week 20!

It's hard to believe that this will be the last week of this season's Summer CSA! All of us at the farm thank you all for joining us this year and hope that you have enjoyed the farm's bounty. 

Information for our 2012 CSA season will come out in the newsletter by November 16. 

We look forward to growing for you again next season!

I would like to remind those of you who have signed up for our Fall Extension CSA the first pick up will be on Thursday, November 3rd from 4 to 7pm. The farm stand will also be open then if you would like to pick up additional produce, eggs, chicken, honey, maple syrup or popcorn.

Your vegetable bounty this week:

Lettuce Heads

Popcorn

Parsnips

Deadon Cabbage

French Fingerling Potatoes

Red Onions

Garlic

Parsley

Rosemary

Orange Carrots

One of the most exciting products we grow is Popcorn! It is one of the most longest standing crop in our field next to brussels sprouts. We start testing the kernels as we see the husks beginning to dry out. Testing the kernel means to heat it on the stove top with oil and seeing how the kernel pops open. If it's not a full pop then we know that it has not dried completely and we patiently wait and keep testing every week. During testing the non fully popped popcorn is still great to eat with a bit more kernel crunch to it.

Method of popping popcorn:

Pour enough olive oil in a  heavy bottomed 4 to 6 quart sauce pan to cover.
Add 2/3 cups kernels and cover over high heat.
After a minute shake the pan to wake up the oil and kernels.
Once you hear a kernel or two pop shake the pan consistently over low heat
until you hear the kernels pop less.
Don't try to pop every kernel as you may burn the popped corn in your pan!
Top with melted butter (the real stuff) and salt to taste.
From our table to yours, enjoy!

Michael, Lazaro and Francisco warmed up on Tuesday morning by harvesting orange carrots.

Boiled, roasted or mashed Carrots

Other recipes to explore:

Crisp Rosemary Flatbread
Spicy Caramel Corn
Herb roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Deadon Cabbage is not only wonderful to look at but tastes great! This heirloom variety red savoy with green interior leaves has a nice sweet peppery bite to it that makes it especially nice for a warm coleslaw and can easily be paired with roasted chicken.
Warm Coleslaw with Honey Dressing
Parsnip Crisps
Potato Parsnip Mash

Francisco, Joe, Michael and Lazaro harvesting parsnips.

A variety of carrots growing well for our Fall Extension CSA!

A cover crop of Winter Rye and Hary Vetch will remain alive through the long Winter, keeping the soil in place therefor avoiding any top soil run off. This will continue to grow in the Spring fixing nitrogen and adding organic matter to our fields.


Thank you again for going on the journey of our 2011 CSA. We hope that you found or made up some new recipes of your own that you'll keep in your family and will pass it on for years to come. All of us here at the farm hope you had a great experience exploring new and different varieties of vegetables and hope to take you on another journey in 2012.

Enjoy your bounty,

Your farmers,

Tania and Chris Cubberly along with our crew: Armando, Joe, Michael, Francisco, Charlie and Lazaro!

CSA Week 19

Welcome to Week 19!

In early May Chris hooked up a trailer to the back of our pick up truck and headed Northeast to Cassapolis Michigan and met up with our farmer friends Nate and Lou Ann. They have been raising their hogs sustainably for 36 years out on pasture and provide great care to their animals. We met them when they joined the Logan Square Farmer's Market and have enjoyed their quality meat for the past 2 years.

When we decided it was time for us to raise our own hogs we couldn't have thought of better people to learn from and to buy our young hogs from. On that early May day Chris selected 10, 25 pound pigs, all sorts of colors and patterns. All of us waited patiently on the farm for his return and at around 4:30 pm the truck rolled down the drive and out came a wailing call,

 "Pigs here! Pigs here!"

Many of you who visit the farm have seen our hogs grow and cared for. Michael, who has been in charge of feeding and watering the hogs, has taken great care of them. In the early mornings when I am out with the goats I watch downhill as Michael has earned their trust through out the months and is now able to get so close to them that all they want is more scratching behind their ear.

Our philosophy of raising animals on the farm is not just for diversity. We care about the way animals are raised, from the quality of feed to the bedding in their pens. We are out there when the weather builds up and make sure that everything is secure for high winds or heavy rains. When our work day ends at 4pm in the fields it never ends for our livestock. Our commitment to them continues 24 hours a day.

We are tired of large, unsustainable farms that raise livestock as a number in an overcrowded barn. We raise our livestock out in pasture with proper housing, drug-free, NON GMO grain and plenty of vegetables and fruits grown here on the farm.

We are thrilled to announce that our quality healthy meat will be available mid December.  Deposits of $100 will secure you for a Half or Whole hog. With the amount that we raised this season we'll only have a limited amount of Half and Whole hogs! If you are interested please send us an email at, tempelfarmsorganics@yahoo.com and we will send you further information regarding pricing details and approximate date when you would pick up your share on the farm. This will be on a first come first serve basis so don't hesitate!

Your Vegetable Bounty this week................

Golden Turnips

Mutsu, Johnathan and Honey Crisp Apples

Spinach

Golden Beets with Greens

Romanesco!

2-3 Lettuce Heads

Yellow Onions

Baby Bok Choi from our Hoop House

Brussels Sprouts
Butternut Squash

A SPECIAL THANK YOU!

We would like to thank our Half Share members for their support this season and we hope that we've successfully introduced you to a bounty of our farm's fresh and healthy vegetables and fruits! We hope that you will be able to join us again next season and enjoy our farm's bounty at your table! Enjoy your last share for the season!

 

What's growing among these gigantic leaves?

Romanesco!

A broccoli? A cauliflower?
Yes! It reminds me of playing with a Spiral Graph only this art is edible.

Romanesco can be used any way you would prepare a dish that calls for cauliflower or broccoli....

Cauliflower and Brussels Salad
Orecchiette with Romanesco IL Melograno

Simply Roasted Romanesco
Method:
preheat oven to 400
Remove core of Romanesco and break apart the florets.
Toss the cauliflower florets, olive oil, black pepper, salt, together in a bowl and then place on a baking sheet.

Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is softened and is brown in places.
Serve alone or with some fresh lemon juice. From our table to yours, enjoy!

Enjoy this week's bounty!

Your farmer's,
Tania and Chris Cubberly along with our crew, Armando, Joe, Michael, Francisco and Charlie!


 

CSA Week 18

Welcome to Week 18!

Sunny days and brightly colored trees has really made this Fall one to remember. Among going apple picking, pumpkin harvesting and piling up leaves to jump in, we've been putting together our 2012 CSA and will announce it by the end of the month!

Please remember that after this week we have two more weeks to go with our Summer's CSA for members that purchased a Full Share and then will continue with our Fall Extended CSA. Thursday, October 20th will be the last week for our members who purchased a Half Share.

Our farm stand will be open until mid November. The weather will really determine this for us so please keep yourself posted with my weekly newsletters.

Our pre order sales for pork will be available starting next week. Information will be on next week's newsletter and flyers will be handed out. Stay tuned!

Your Vegetable Bounty this week.................

Broccoli

Russet Potatoes

Asian Pears*

Head Lettuce

Green Curly Kale

Bulk Red Beets

Brussels Sprouts

Leeks

Sorrel

*the Asian Pears are grown by Gail Cox in Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin. These have a wonderful light crisp flavor and texture. They do not have the same feel as a ripe pear, in fact, you'll think they are too hard but don't let that fool you, take a bite and you'll see. By the way, these have not been sprayed at all!

These will make a great snacking pear but they also cook well. Apple and Pear Crisp!

This is the first season I can remember harvesting brussels sprouts on such a warm sunny day! We spent most of Tuesday morning cutting these down and cleaning them off for you. We've kept them on the stalk for you to have fun snapping them off. We've had many customers tell us how their dogs love to chew on the stalks, can't get a better organic chew toy!



The best way to store these is by snapping off the sprout and keeping them in a plastic bag until you're ready to use them.

Balsamic Braised Brussels Sprouts and Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts in Brown Butter!

This season we grew three different types of kale: a long narrow, flat leave called Lacinato, a green round leaf with purple veins called Red Russian and a bright green frilly leaf called Green Curly. A true way to enjoy this green and to get the best nutritional value is by sauteing it. Sauteed Kale, i usually omit the red wine vinegar this recipe calls for so try it both ways!

Kale and White Bean Soup

Cabbage, Kale and Potato Gratin

Bacon, Kale and Leeks

The wonderful easy flavor of leeks!

A great pairing of leeks and potatoes........

Leek and Potato Soup

One of my favorite ways I roast chicken is .................

Pan-Roasted Chicken and Leeks

Fall beauties, rich red beets and russet potatoes!

Still holding on to last week's Red Cabbage?  Braised Beets and Red Cabbage

Russets bake well and make lovely fluffy mashed potatoes but I could never pass up latkes!

Classic Potato Latkes

Who loves garlic? Oh yes....Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Beets, you can never be bored.....So Many Beet Recipes!

Don't feel like canning? Here is a recipe that has a shelf life for 3 weeks...Pickled Beets.

A beautiful green with a lemon flavor delights everyone.

If you've never tried this before go ahead and tare of a piece and eat it raw. You'll be surprised with it's flavor. This green can be tossed with your salad or topped on any sandwich. It also makes a really great soup...............paired with our russet potatoes.....Sorrel Soup!

Another way paired with our leeks.........Sorrel Soup Hot or Cold!

You should find 3 to 4 heads of this wonderful green curly lettuce in your bounty this week. We didn't want to take a chance and lose any to cold weather in the near future. Enjoy!



Our week will filled with planting next season's garlic. We'll be planting a minimum of 2400 bed feet, 3 different varieties!



We hope you enjoy this week's bounty!

Your farmers,

Tania and Chris Cubberly and our crew, Charlie, Armando, Joe, Michael and Francisco!