Bay Ridge CSA

News from the farm – part 4

Sorry for the late update from the farm this week – we’ve been so engrossed in last week’s fresh mizuna that we completely let it slip our minds! See below for an update from the fields from Benjamin Shute at Hearty Roots, and – for those of you who still find it languishing in your fridges – a recipe for a Tuscan kale salad.

The CRAFT Program

This week, Hearty Roots hosted a meeting for the CRAFT program. CRAFT stands for Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training; it is a program for young people who are participating in apprenticeships on organic and sustainable small farms, to help them learn about the systems and practices of other farms in the area. There are CRAFT meetings weekly, each focusing on a different topic, in an effort to provide a well-rounded curriculum for participants. One of the great features of CRAFT is that is is a broad, grassroots program; it is a collaboration between many farms, without a centralized organizing force or funding.

Hearty Roots hosted a meeting of about 50 young farmers on the topic of “starting your own farm from scratch”. Since Hearty Roots was founded 7 years ago by young farmers with no land, equipment or family farming background, we feel that our story and the steps that we took to establish a successful farm can be instructive to other young people in similar circumstances. We had a great tour of the farm, followed by a summer solstice potluck celebration. There were young people there from Hilltop Hanover Farm in Westchester, Phillies Bridge Farm in New Paltz, Glynwood Center in Cold Spring, Stone Barns Center in Westchester, Long Lane Farm in Connecticut, and others.

We participate in the Mid-Hudson Valley CRAFT network; but the original CRAFT network was founded in the upper Hudson Valley and western Massachusetts, where the program is still strong. CRAFT has spread far and wide, with strong programs in the mid-west, Canada, and on the west coast. Visiting other farms to learn about their practices first-hand is an invaluable experience for young farmers, and we were proud to participate by hosting this week’s meeting.

Vegetable of the week: Tuscan Kale

This variety of kale is loved by the chefs to whom the farm sells produce. It is tender with great flavor, and is traditional in the Tuscany area of Italy, where it is called “Cavolo Nero”, translated as “black cabbage”. In addition to being a great cooking green, Tuscan Kale can be used raw to make a delicious kale salad. Francesco Buitoni, chef at our town of Red Hook’s great Mercato restaurant, makes a particularly good version and orders from us every week. His salad varies depending on what’s in season, but here’s an example of a good Tuscan Kale salad:

1 bunch Tuscan kale
1 thin slice country bread (part whole-wheat or rye is nice), or 1/4 cup homemade bread crumbs (coarse)
1/2 garlic clove, or 2 garlic scapes, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely grated pecorino cheese, more for garnish
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for garnish
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

1. Trim bottom 2 inches off kale stems and discard. Slice kale, including ribs, into 3/4-inch-wide ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place kale in a large bowl.

2. If using bread, toast it until golden on both sides. Tear it into small pieces and grind in a food processor until mixture forms coarse crumbs.

3. Using a mortar and pestle, or with the back of a knife, pound garlic into a paste. Transfer garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper flakes and black pepper, and whisk to combine. Pour dressing over kale and toss very well to thoroughly combine (dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat leaves).

4. Let salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with bread crumbs, additional cheese and a drizzle of oil.

Yield: 2 to 4 servings.

Tags: Benjamin Shute, CRAFT, Tuscan kale