Will Heal Farm is a located in Oak Grove Minnesota, serving Anoka County since 2005.
We grow a variety of medicinal herbs available in bulk or tincture; camomile, echinacea, and dandelion to name a few, click here and let me know you would like more information.
Flat Italian pole beans
sunrise 7-19
onions blown over by the storm
Kohlrabi
Shinginku - Edible Chrysanthemum Greens
Carrots and Cabbage
Garlic Scapes
Red Amaranth
Sweet Peas
Salad Greens and Onions
Violets- edible flowers
8-11-07
If you would like to be on our waiting list click here
7-26
In the shares this week; carrots, cucumber, zucchini or yellow summer squash, bell pepper, onion, beans, parsley. For some broccoli, snow peas, cherry tomatoes, orange tomatoes, brandywine tomatoes, cabbage, china choi, kohlrabi.
How about those flat beans last week, if they are new to you let me know what you think. The lettuce and salad greens have almost totally faded so we will have to take a break until there is more ready. Peas are also on their way out and it is likely that only a few will get what is left. The brandy wine tomatoes are just starting to ripen so in the coming weeks we will be rotating them in. If you would prefer orange tomatoes because they are less acidic let me know, they are starting to ripen as well.
Are you getting to many cooking greens or not sure what to do with them? If you would rather have smaller amounts in your share that is okay, please send me an email. Kale, china choi (aka bok choi) and swiss chard will be taking the place of the salad mix. We have planted more lettuce and salad greens but they are not quite ready yet, the hot, dry, dog days of summer are not ideal for these crops.
7-19
In the shares this week; carrots, cucumber, broccoli, winter onion bulbs, beans, cilantro, salad mix- lettuce, arugala, mizuna, red amaranth and shinginku (edible chrysanthemum greens). For some zucchini, snow peas, cherry tomatoes, cabbage, china choi, kohlrabi.
Flat Italian pole beans lightly steamed as a side dish, sweet bell pepper and winter onions stir fried in a skillet, mouth watering yet? The beans are coming on strong and in the next few weeks cucumbers will be also. The carrot greens are edible, kind of bitter, not bad mixed in with other cooking greens or cabbage, not great by themselves, please let me know if you don't want them. Winter onion bulbs are small but pack a nice punch. Kohlrabi is new for us this year and is very tasty eaten raw in a salad, peel off the outer skin, slice and enjoy. It can also be boiled, steamed or stir fried, the leaves can be used like cabbage or cooking greens. We did have some minor damage from the storm that rolled through on Saturday evening, mostly zucchini, onion, and a few tomato plants, they should recover with in a week or so.
7-12
In the shares this week; yellow and orange carrots, broccoli or kale/swiss chard, cilantro or basil (will be labeled), salad mix- a variety of red and green lettuce, arugala, mizuna, mustard greens, red amaranth and shinginku (edible chrysanthemum greens). For some cucumber, zucchini, snow peas.
Beans are making a strong come back from deer damage a few weeks ago. The first few tomatoes are starting to ripen, though it will be a few weeks before there is abundance. Kohlrabi is new for us this year and is very tasty eaten raw in a salad, peel off the outer skin, slice and enjoy. It can also be boiled, steamed or stir fried, the leaves can be used like cabbage or cooking greens, some will be ready in the coming weeks. Another cooking green, china choi will be alternated with kale and swiss chard in the coming weeks. We are transitioning into summer veggies and will continue to give out salad greens but in smaller quantities, be sure to let me know if you are getting more than you can handle.
7-5
Here comes summer veggies, cukes, zucchini, carrots, kale and swiss chard will be the newest items in your share in the coming weeks. The cucumbers and zucchini are slowly starting to produce, as in the past few weeks with peas and broccoli we will rotate who gets what. The onion tops in your share this week are from winter onions, use every part except for the tough outer skin around the mini bulb. The peas have not handled the 90 degree weather very well and some are past due or bigger than we would like, this happened very quickly over the past four days. Once the peas get to full size they convert the sugar to starch and are tougher, still edible but not the delicate sweet snow peas we all love, so sorry about that.
In the shares this week; snow peas, onion tops, broccoli or kale/swiss chard, salad mix- a variety of red and green lettuce, arugala, mizuna, mustard greens, spinach, red amaranth and shinginku(edible chrysanthemum greens). For some cucumber, zucchini
6-28
Happy 4th! In the shares this week; snow peas, fresh oregano, garlic scapes(if you do not want these please let me know), salad mix- a variety of red and green lettuce, arugala, mizuna, tatsoi, mustard greens, spinach, red amaranth. For some shares- broccoli, radishes.
Radishes are starting to fade out, and broccoli is the newest item, we might have to rotate who gets broccoli if we do not have enough for every share this week. After the first head of broccoli is harvested it will continue to produce many smaller heads, there should be plenty eventually. Broccoli really likes growing in cool moist conditions and the hot weather lately has forced some of the heads to look irregular. Plenty of dandelion and plantain greens available though you have to let me know if you want some in your share. Want to try chickweed or purslane? Let me know limited quantities available.
Fresh Oregano is the kitchen herb this week and here are some ideas of what to do with it; Strip the leaves off the stems, hold the rinsed and dried stems in one hand and strip off the leaves by running your fingers of the other hand down the stems. Use whole leaves or chop them with a sharp, dry knife. Dry your own fresh oregano. If you have an excess of fresh oregano, you can dry it by tying the stems together and hanging it in a warm, dry, well-ventilated place. Oregano dried at its peak will likely have more flavor than supermarket varieties, which can vary in age. Store dried oregano en branche, as the French say, in a paper bag in a dark place, and crumble the leaves off the branches as needed. Storing the whole branches helps keep the volatile oils intact.
6-21
In the shares this week; radish- white & red, garlic scapes, dill, cilantro, optional-plantain and dandelion greens, and salad mix- a variety of red and green lettuce, arugala, mizuna, tatsoi, mustard greens, spinach, red amaranth.
Oregon Giant Snow Peas (edible pods) are new in the shares this week, it is possible that we mighty not have enough for every share, if you don't get them this week you will next week. If you would like more dandelion or plantain greens, send me an email and I will include it in your share otherwise I will stop giving these out. The deer absolutely love the beans that we grow so we will need to share some with them this year, unless I find something that will keep them out, any suggestions? I would like all of our share holders to have more say in what produce we grow, so please let me know what you like and dislike about your share.
6-14
Due to the the abundance of rain lately your salad greens could have some extra dirt on some of the leaves, it is best to rinse and dry them before being stored in the fridge. Not sure what to do with all the fresh dill? Lay it out on a plate to dry, after 4-5 days, or once the leaves crumble easily, strip them off and store in a glass jar. New in the shares this week - garlic scapes, use like chives or as a substitute for garlic. The rhubarb is gone I hope you enjoyed it. If you would like more of the wild edibles please let me know I will have some available upon request, this week dandelion greens. Last Friday we ran out of cilantro so Tuesday this week will not get cilantro, Friday will.
In the shares this week; radish- white & red, onion chives, garlic scapes, dill, dandelion greens, cilantro and salad mix- a variety of red and green lettuce, arugala, mizuna, tatsoi, mustard greens, spinach, red amaranth.
6-7
We are off to a good start this year, the weather has been cooperative for the most part and the plants are really starting to take off. With an abundance of lettuce at this time you are welcome to have some extra, it will be located in a cooler next to the fridge help yourself. If you are picking up your share at one of our drop sites let me know by email if you want extra so I can include it in your bag that week. We have had some losses this spring due to cut worms, beets and spinach especially, we have replanted and applied beneficial nematodes to help deal with this problem in the future. Our cilantro crop is not looking so good at this time either, but dill is very abundant. Check out the recipe below that uses fresh dill. Fresh dill adds a nice flavor to a salad just a pinch or two is all that is needed.
In the share this week; rhubarb, radishes, onion chives, plantain, dill, cilantro and salad mix- a variety of red and green lettuce, arugala, mizuna, tatsoi, spinach, red amaranth.
Additional items for sale at this time-
Certified organic honey from Garden Farme in Ramsey MN $12 quart, $6 pint
Pickles $5 quart $3 pint
Thanks DeAnna for the new recipe!
Greek Chicken and Rice Soup
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. Finely chopped fresh dill
c. cooked rice OR uncooked orzo
4 eggs
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice
1 c. shredded carrot
tsp. salt
tsp. pepper
8 oz chicken breast , cut into bite size pieces
Bring broth and dill to a boil. Add rice or orzo, reduce heat and simmer 5 min. remove from heat.
Place eggs and juice in blender; process until smooth. Remove 1 c. broth from pan with as little rice or orzo in it as possible and slowly add to egg mixture.
Add carrot, salt, pepper, and chicken to pan. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 min. until chicken is done. Reduce heat to low. Slowly stir in egg mixture; cook 1 min. stirring constantly, do not boil.
Here are some recipes we enjoy
- Cook rice, near the end of the normal cooking time (usually 45 minutes to an hour) pile washed cooking greens on top and cover tightly. - Let sit for at least five minutes - Top with peanut sauce and green onions and you have a one pot meal!
- Lightly brown garlic and or onion in olive oil or butter, next add well washed cooking greens and a little water to steam, stir frequently for a few minutes, next add a dash of red wine or balsamic vinegar or your favorite seasoning, turn off heat and let sit for another few minutes, enjoy.
Cooking greens include, kale, chard, beet greens, spinach, collard greens, turnip greens, cabbage.
Greek Chicken and Rice Soup
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. Finely chopped fresh dill
c. cooked rice OR uncooked orzo
4 eggs
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice
1 c. shredded carrot
tsp. salt
tsp. pepper
8 oz chicken breast , cut into bite size pieces
Bring broth and dill to a boil. Add rice or orzo, reduce heat and simmer 5 min. remove from heat.
Place eggs and juice in blender; process until smooth. Remove 1 c. broth from pan with as little rice or orzo in it as possible and slowly add to egg mixture.
Add carrot, salt, pepper, and chicken to pan. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 min. until chicken is done. Reduce heat to low. Slowly stir in egg mixture; cook 1 min. stirring constantly, do not boil.
Herbed Cheese Toasts
Crumble the cheese in a bowl. Add the tarragon, garlic chives and pepper. Toss the mixture with the oil and allow it to rest for 1 to 3 hours at room temperature. When ready to serve, preheat the broiler and toast slices of the bread lightly. Spread each piece with a tablespoon or more of the cheese mixture. Place the bread on a baking sheet and broil for about 1 minute, or until the cheese just begins to bubble. Watch carefully as they broil. Serve warm.
Pickled Beets:
This recipe was enjoyed at an end of the season party, thanks Chris for sharing it with us!
Prepare beets: Clean beets leaving about 1 inch of stems. Wash thoroughly. Place beets in canning kettle and add just enough water to cover them. Boil until fork will just penetrate beet (do not cook to long, beets will become mushy). Remove from water (save water for brine) and cool beets enough to peel, removing stem as well. Cut up into pint jars and set aside. Cook enough beets to fill 11 pints.
Brine:
4 cups sugar 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
3 cups vinegar 1 teas. ground cloves
2 cups beet water 1 teas. whole allspice
2 teas. canning salt (salt without iodine)
Mix all brine ingredients and bring to boil. Cook app. 5 minutes until sugar dissolves. Pour over beets in the jars leaving 1/2 inch head space, place lids and rings and process in hot water bath for 20 minutes after water starts to boil. Remove carefully and set on newspaper or towel to cool. Can be eaten same day but get better after setting a few days.
Many thanks to Angelic Organics for offering to share recipes from Farmer Johns cook book, The Real Dirt on Vegetables.
1. How does the CSA program work? CSA farms retail their vegetables to local customers that pay for a share in the spring. Starting June 1st you get a bag of vegetables every week, our season ends October 1st.
2. What is a CSA share? When you buy into the farm you pay for a share of vegetables.
3. Do I have to work on the farm? No, we do not require that you work in order to buy a share from us. We do offer a discount if you are willing to work. Instead of hiring employees to help harvest/package/plant seeds and pull weeds, we ask a few of our willing members to pitch in every week. The work is fairly easy and fun if you enjoy learning how and where your veggies comes from.
4. What happens if I am going on vacation or will not be able to pick up my share? We ask that you let us know at least one week in advance so we don't package your share for that week. If you wish we can give your share to the local food shelf for that week. Another option is to ask someone you know if they want to pick up your veggies.
5. What if I forget to pick up my share? I keep the shares in a refrigerator and will leave it there for a few days. If I do not hear from you I will sell it, give it away or eat it.
6. Do I get to choose what vegetables I get in my share every week? No, we hand out what is in season for that week. If you do not want something please let us know and I will do my best to not include that item in your share. Too many special requests make packaging difficult but we will do our best.
7. Do you offer any fruit with the shares? Not at this time, we are in the process of establishing raspberries and apples but do not offer these unless we have an abundance.
8. Is your farm Certified Organic? No, we follow the organic standard but at this time we are not certified organic. We do not use chemicals for any reason on our farm and all seeds purchased are Certified Organic by the USDA.
9. Do you give out recipes? We do have a few recipes on our home page, most of which come from Farmer John Cook Book, The Real Dirt on Vegetables. If you are unfamiliar with a certain item in your share please ask as we do have a lot of info and basic recipes that we have not put on our web site.
