Radical Roots Farm

Photos of the Farm - May 31, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 02:30:00 +0000

A view from the road

Peas, squashes, lettuce

Onions!

Scallions - ready to pick!

Escarole and Radicchio

Kale

Inside the big hoop house - beans, tomatoes, basil, peppers

Inside the small hoop house - cucumbers and tomatoes

Starter Plants from Radical Roots Farm

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:26:00 +0000

We are selling a nice variety of starter plants for your gardening pleasure. To help you know exactly what kind of plants you are getting from Radical Roots Farm, we offer you these links to the descriptions of the seeds used to grow these plants:

HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
Brandywine
Rose
Green Zebra
Pruden's Purple
Moskvich
Yellow Taxi
Pratico

CHERRY TOMATOES
Red Cherry Super Sweet 100s
Sun Gold

PASTE/PLUM TOMATOES
Monica
Practico

SALAD TOMATOES
Mountain Magic

SLICING TOMATOES
Summer Choice (super sweet, deep red, large round shape, indeterminate, 73 days)

Better Boy Tomato

ARTICHOKES
Imperial Star

BROCCOLI

Arcadia

CUKES

Marketmores

Pickling

BASIL

Genovese

SQUASH
Raven Zucchini
Dunja Zucchini
Yellow Summer Squash

CSA FARM SHARES Available NOW!

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:06:00 +0000

Radical Roots Farm is pleased to announce the availability of 2012 CSA Farm Shares! Please click here for a "fillable" registration form.

(Click here for a pdf version of the registration form.)

While we offer two kinds of shares - we are now sold-out of our Market Basket Shares.

Pre-Pay shares are still available!

PRE-PAY FARM SHARE

A “Pre-Pay Farm Share” means you will receive a credit to purchase whatever vegetables, herbs or flowers you want every Saturday at Rutland’s Farmers Market. By making this upfront investment in our farm, we are able to offer you an additional 10-15% value on your money.

--- Pre-Pay $200 and receive a season's credit of $220

--- Pre-Pay $300 and receive a season's credit of $340

--- Pre-Pay $400 and receive a season's credit of $460

A Pre-Pay Farm Share gives you the advantage of being able to choose whatever you want, whenever you want it. On vacation? No problem - your pre-pay credit is good all season long! Having company one weekend? You can get as many veggies as you need to feed a full house! Not a fan of zucchini? With a pre-pay farm share you only take what you like!

Please click here for a registration form.

MARKET BASKET FARM SHARE:

WE ARE NOW SOLD OUT OF OUR MARKET BASKET SHARES - Thanks to everyone who is a member!

A “Market-Basket Farm Share” means you receive a “basket” of mixed vegetables (and even some herbs and flowers) every week for 22 weeks (Monday, June 4th through Monday, October 29th). Each week, this “basket” will contain a generous mix of the crops we harvested that week including some "member choices" as the harvest permits. By making this upfront investment in our farm, you receive 20% more value for your money.

Market-Basket Shares are picked up at the farm on Creek Road in Rutland (1.8 miles south of the College of St. Joseph) on Mondays (between 4-7pm) or as prearranged. (NEW THIS YEAR: We are offering delivery to a small number of Rutland City workplaces, with a minimum of 3 shares per site and a $25 fee for the entire season's delivery. If you are interested in finding out how your workplace could become a delivery location, please let us know by calling Carol or Dennis at 802-775-4994.)

EXCITING NEWS: Pyramid Holistic Wellness Center is ready and willing to be a delivery site for our farm shares. If three of more people register to have their shares delivered to Pyramid, we are happy to deliver there every Monday afternoon!

--- Large Market Basket Share

The Large Share costs only $450 and provides over $550 worth of vegetables (and even some herbs and flowers). It feeds a family of 4 (or 2 big veggie eaters) and runs for 22 weeks (June 4th - October 29th).

--- Small Market Basket Share

The Small Share costs only $250 and provides over $300 worth of vegetables (and even some herbs and flowers). It feeds a family of 2 (or 1 big veggie eater) and runs for 22 weeks (from June 4th through October 29th).

Please click here for a registration form.

Registration for all Farm Shares ends May 1, 2012, All registrations must include a $50 deposit. Upon receipt of your registration form, you will receive a confirmation email and an invoice for your deposit. All Farm Shares must be paid in full by May 1, 2012.

You can download and complete this registration form and email it to RadicalRootsFarm@gmail.com or you can print it out and mail it, along with your $50 deposit, to Radical Roots Farm, 74 Baxter Street, Rutland, VT 05701. If you have any trouble downloading the form, please let us know.

Thank you so much for considering becoming a Farm Share Member of Radical Roots Farm. If you have any questions at all - or if you want to speak with us about how your Rutland City workplace can be a delivery location - please contact us via email (RadicalRootsFarm@gmail.com) or by phone (802-775-4994).

Carol Tashie and Dennis Duhaime

WHAT DO SHARES RECEIVE?

While every season is different, Radical Roots Farm Share Members received more than 40 different vegetables (including some herbs and flowers) over the course of the 2011 season.

Most of these veggies were the Vermont standards (tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, spinach, basil, potatoes, peas, green beans, etc.) but our share members also received a sprinkling of the more “exotic” veggies we grow on our land (artichokes, escarole, collards, etc.).

Here is a list of what shares received last year. For a complete listing, click here.

Radical Roots Farm in Local Banquet

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:12:00 +0000

The winter issue of Vermont's Local Banquet included a nice article about Radical Roots Farm and parsnips! Click here to read the article!

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Radical Roots Farm is pleased to offer GIFT CERTIFICATES for the coming season.

Gift Certificates can be purchased in any amount and can be used towards the purchase of a 2012 CSA Farm Share or at the Rutland Summer and Winter Markets throughout 2012.

If you are interested, please contact us at radicalrootsfarm@gmail.com.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Carol and Dennis

Skinning the New Hoop House

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 01:39:00 +0000

Dennis, Tim, Sam, Kris, Harold, Jim, Stephanie, Rob, Kevin, Jonathan, Steve

With the sun shining and beautifully calm winds, 10 friends came and helped us put the plastic (skin) on our new 96 foot hoop house. Everything went incredibly well - no surprise - when you have that much positive energy in one place, anything is possible!

While it is too late to get anything planted in the hoop house this year, we hope to see it filled with greens in early March and to keep it going through next winter. A hoop house is a magical thing - with no other heat source than the sun, it allows Vermonters to harvest fresh greens even in the coldest of winter months. It will take us a few years to understand the full power of this season-extension technique, but we are looking forward to learning and growing!

What A List!

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 22:30:00 +0000

We just tallied up the variety of vegetables our CSA Farm Share members received this year - and what a list it is! This year we offered full and half shares (as well as PrePay Farm Shares - but that's another story...) and this is what we discovered.......

Full Shares received 48 DIFFERENT veggies (and some herbs and flowers) over the course of the 22 week season.

Half Shares received 39 DIFFERENT veggies (and some herbs and flowers) over the course of the 22 week season.

Most of these are the more common Vermont-grown veggies (carrots, lettuce, potatoes, peas, tomatoes, etc...) but folks also received a sprinkling of more unusual fare (artichokes, escarole, collards, etc...). We are proud of our land's ability to produce such a variety!

Below is the complete breakdown of exactly what produce our share members received and how often they received each variety over the course of the season. We offer this to you only as an indication of what we offered this season. Each year is different, based on weather, soil, and circumstance.

If you are interested in learning more about Radical Roots Farm Shares for next season, please contact us at radicalrootsfarm@gmail.com.

THANKS!

Full Shares Received:

Salad Greens: 5 times this season
Spinach: 2 times this season
Kale: 9 times this season
Lettuce:13 times this season
Radicchio: 1 time this season
Zucchini/Summer Squash/Patty Pan Squash: 14 times this season
Garlic Scapes: 3 times this season
Frissee: 2 times this season
Dill: 1 time this season
Chard: 2 times this season
Escarole: 3 times this season
Scallions: 8 times this season
Peas: 4 times this season
Beet Greens: 2 times this season
Carrots: 11 times this season
Kohlrabi: 7 times this season
Cabbage (White, Red, Napa) : 7 times this season
Potatoes: 11 times this season
Tomatillo: 2 times this season
Daikon Radish: 1 time this season
Shallots: 2 times this season
Beets: 3 times this season
Cucumbers: 7 times this season
Garlic: 8 times this season
Green/Yellow Beans: 5 times this season
Cilantro: 1 time this season
Fennel: 3 times this season
Artichokes: 2 times this season
Flowers: 2 times this season
Tomatoes: 9 times this season
Onions: 10 times this season
Leeks: 3 times this season
Cippolini Onions: 2 time this season
Purple Onions: 1 times this season
Basil: 2 times this season
hot Peppers: 3 times this season
Sweet Peppers: 9 times this season
Bok Choy: 2 times this season
Cantaloupe:1 time this season
Watermelon: 1 time times this season this season
Celery/Celeriac: 7 times this season
Delicata Squash: 2 times this season
Broccoli Rabe: 2 times this season
Winter Squash (Acorn, Red Kuri, Sunshine, Butternut): 4 times this season
Turnip: 1 time this season
Broccoli: 2 times this season
Brussels sprouts: 2 times this season
Parsnips: 2 times this season

Half Shares Received:

Salad greens: 4 times this season
Spinach: 1 time this season
Kale: 5 times this season
Lettuce: 11 times this season
Zucchini/Summer Squash/Patty Pan Squash: 8 times this season
Garlic Scapes: 4 times this season
Chard: 2 times this season
Escarole: 1 times this season
Scallions: 7 times :this season
Peas: 3 times this season
Beet greens: 2 times this season
Carrots: 7 times this season
Kohlrabi: 3 times this season
Cabbage (white, red and, Napa) : 4 times this season
Potatoes: 8 times this season
Shallot: 1 time this season
Beets: 2 times this season
Cucumbers: 5 times this season
Garlic: 7 times this season
Green/Yellow Beans: 3 times this season
Artichokes: 2 times this season
Flowers: 2 times this season
Tomatoes: 7 times this season
Collard/Dandelion: 1 time this season
Onions: 7 times this season
Leeks: 2 times this season
Cippolini Onions: 2 times this season
Purple Onions: 1 time this season
Basil: 1 times this season
Hot Peppers: 2 times this season
Sweet Peppers 8 times this season
Cantaloupe: 1 times this season
Celery: 3 times this season
Delicata Squash: 2 times this season
Broccoli Rabe: 2 times this season
Winter Squash (Acorn, Red Kuri, Sunshine, Butternut): 4 times this season
Broccoli: 1 time this season
Brussels sprouts: 2 times this season
Parsnips: 1 time this season

DELICATA SQUASH

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:52:00 +0000

Last night we made the most amazing Delicata Squash. Thought you all would like this easy and delicious recipe! Unfortunately we ate it all before we could take a photo!!!

Cut in half lengthwise a Delicata Squash. Scoop out the seeds. Place peel side down on a baking sheet.
Lightly sautee some chopped sweet onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent.
Fill the squash cavity with the onion/garlic mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes - or until the squash (including the peel) is tender. Remember - you can eat the peel of this wonderful winter squash!

Meanwhile.....

In a frying pan, sautee some more chopped sweet onions in olive oil and then add chopped tomatoes, olives, and shredded kale. Let simmer until you have a chunky sauce and all of the ingredients are thoroughly cooked. (You could add lots of other veggies to this sauce - your preference.)

When the squash is done, place each half on a plate and top with the sauce.

EAT AND ENJOY!

Benefit at Roots the Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:05:00 +0000

Make your reservations now - 747-7414 - for lunch or dinner at Roots, the Restaurant, Thursday, September 22nd. ALL TIPS and 15% of the proceeds go to support VT Farmers damaged by Irene.

Carol will once again be a guest server for dinner. Having "honed my skills" the first night, hopefully I will be a bit more confident and competent this Thursday.

I think you can call and "request"me as your server - so why not eat a great meal, help a great cause, and have fun seeing if I can get your order straight!!! (Only kidding - I will be paired with a professional server so you will get what you ordered - promise!).

See you on Thursday!

And check out the photo from last Thursday. Do I look tired or what?

WINTER SQUASH

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 20:26:00 +0000

There is a nip in the air which signals that the time is ripe for WINTER SQUASH! We have harvested and are starting to cure almost a ton (yes almost 2000 pounds) of squash and are excited to start sharing them with you! This year we have Delicata, Butternut, Acorn, Red Kuri, Sunshine (a red Kabocha) and Blue Ballet (a nice sized Hubbard). Here is a bit of information about each of these amazing varieties!

Everyone knows -and loves - BUTTERNUT SQUASH! Probably one of the most popular varieties and one that perfect baked, steamed, or in soups!

ACORN SQUASH is another familiar favorite. Commonly baked in halves or quarters, with a drizzle of maple syrup, butter and cinnamon (or ginger).

BLUE BALLET is a smaller variety of Hubbard Squash - with a beautiful gray-blue outside and a luscious creamy yellow center. Blue Ballet can be cooked as any other winter squash, but it is also delicious stuffed with wild rice and veggies.

Johnny's Seeds says this about SUNSHINE SQUASH, "Tender flesh is smooth, sweet, and bright orange for baking, mashing, and pies. Beautifully colored, deep scarlet fruits are slightly flat-round, avg. 3-5 lbs. Vigorous, short vine. Sunshine is destined to become a recognized, one-variety squash genre in the market. Its fruit appearance and eating quality are superior to other varieties of this type." and so far we think they are right on! This is our first year growing this beautiful scarlet Kabocha variety and we are hooked!

RED KURI is a baby Hubbard that is brilliant orange on the outside and tender yellow on the inside. Roasted with sweet onions, garlic and maybe a hint of maple syrup is a taste treat for the whole family!

What is there to say about DELICATA SQUASH? A tender winter squash that can be eaten peel and all! Super sweet and easy to bake, steam, sautee, caramelize, stuff and so much more!

CHECK BACK FOR SOME GREAT RECIPES!!!

THANK YOU

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 13:14:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who showed up at Farmers Market on Saturday. It was so wonderful to see you all - and to know you are safe and dry. Thank you for your words of support and your relief to hear that Radical Roots Farm was relatively undamaged in the storm. We are overwhelmed by the love of our community.

It was especially amazing to see so many of you who WALKED in from Killington - what a demonstration of the power and strength of the people in our state!

We are VERMONT STRONG!

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 02:32:00 +0000

First the good news. Radical Roots Farm weathered the storm with only minimal damage - no flooding at all. Thank you all for your thoughts and concerns.

The bad news is that so many others were not so fortunate. We are overwhelmed with sadness and grief over the loss of lives, homes, farms, roads, bridges, connections. Our heart especially goes out to Evening Song in Cuttingsville and Right Mind in Wallingford who lost so very much.

But no matter the devastation - the power and love and strength of Vermonters comes shining through. People are coming together to help neighbors, friends, and strangers. We are heartened to see the National Guard helicopters airlifting food and water to isolated towns and FEMA entering communities with water, food and promises to help help help. CVPS has been amazing - as have the power companies who have come into our state to do what they can. Grassroots efforts such as Restoring Rutland demonstrate the power of the people to make good things happen fast. Local radio stations VPR, WJJR, and WSYB have been invaluable offering information and support - showing how vital local radio really is.

This is the way it's supposed to work!

Our hearts go out to everyone who is experiencing loss. We will get through this and come out the other end stronger.

Remember these wise words: Barn burned down - now I can see the moon.

The moon is definitely the power of our loving communities.

CANNING AND FREEZING - Tomatoes and Basil

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 01:03:00 +0000

We have available quantities of tomatoes and basil for sale - perfect for canning and freezing (yes you really can freeze tomatoes and basil - read below for the simple how to!) The tomatoes are NOT seconds - they are first quality and ready to go.

Tomatoes
normal price: $3.50/pound
5 pounds or more: $2.00/pound
25 pounds or more: $1.50/pound

Basil
normal price: $2.50/bunch
10 bunches or more: $1.00/bunch
25 bunches or more: $0.75/bunch

Send us an email if you are interested - as supplies are not endless. Let us know what you want and we will let you know when you can pick them up at the farm (Creek Road in Rutland - 1.8 miles south of the College of St Joseph).

radicalrootsfarm@gmail.com

FREEZING TOMATOES
While tomatoes can be frozen whole, sliced, chopped, juiced, or in paste or sauce, we love to freeze them whole - with the skins on - in freezer bags. Simply wash and dry (make sure they are dry) whole tomatoes and then place them in freezer bags. Try to remove as much of the air in the bag as possible - some people use a straw to suck out the air, but we don't find that is really necessary. Also, some people like to freeze them first on a baking sheet - and then place them in the bags. That's fine, but in our opinion, the extra step is not really necessary.

That's all it takes. We don't take off the stem or cut away the stem scar. You can - but, again, it is one more step that is not really necessary. Plus, we like to keep the tomatoes fully intact for freezing.

When you are ready to use the tomatoes, take the amount you need from the freezer bag, run them under warm water and slip off the skins. So simple. You can then use them in any recipe that involves cooking tomatoes.

FREEZING BASIL
Chop basil in a food processor (or by hand if desired) adding just enough olive oil to make it moist. Spoon processed basil into ice cube trays (or muffin tins), cover and freeze. After 1-2 days, pop out of the trays and put into zip lock freezer bags. Use all winter long!

MELONS

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 02:14:00 +0000

Harvesting lots and lots of Watermelon and Cantaloupe!

Delicious!
Sweet!
Juicy!

Need we say more?

Come to the farm stand to get some. They may be all gone by this Saturday's Farmers Market!

TOMATO SEASON

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:30:00 +0000

You know its really August when the tomatoes are in full color! This year we are so excited about our tomatoes - the variety we are growing and the quality of the harvest.

We are most excited about the Mountain Magic tomatoes we are picking every day. We chose this variety for many reasons - taste, texture, versatility - but especially size! You see, these tomatoes are only about 3 oz each - quite small for a salad/sandwich/slicing tomato! So why are we excited about such a small-sized tomato? If you are like us, you hate hate hate having to place the unused portion of a tomato in the refrigerator, where it gets mushy and tasteless (tomatoes should never ever be refrigerated!!). But what can you do - you only need half of the tomato for your salad or just a slice or two for your sandwich. Enter the beauty of the Mountain Magic tomato. Because it is small, you never have an unused portion to store! And the taste and texture - excellent!

Please check out these amazing tomatoes - we think you will be as excited as we are!

We are also quite excited about the variety of plum tomatoes we are growing this year. They are called Monica and they are large, round and firm paste tomatoes - perfect for salsa, sauces, stews, etc. They are also coming in fast and furious and so we are selling them in larger quantities for folks who are interested in canning or freezing for winter. DID YOU KNOW - you can freeze tomatoes whole? Simply place clean dry tomatoes (plum are best) in freezer bags and pop them in your freezer for use all winter long! When you are ready to use them, take them out of the bags, run under warm water to remove the skin, and use in your favorite recipe!

Heirloom tomatoes are amazing to look at and eat. They are not your conventionally beautiful tomato - they are often oddly shaped with cracks and blemishes. But the taste? AMAZING. Do not be fooled by appearances - heirlooms bring us back to the way tomatoes used to taste. This year we are growing Prudens Purple, an heirloom Brandywine that we think you will flip over just as we did! Contrary to its name - it is not actually purple - it's a pinkish tomato with green or yellow shoulders. Not the most beautiful to look at - but what a taste!

Sungolds and Red Cherries round out the tomatoes we are growing this year. Sweet, perfect for popping in your salad or in your mouth. A burst of flavor with every cherry tomato.

Please visit us at the Rutland Farmers Market every Tuesday from 9am - 2pm or at our Farm Stand on Creek Road in Rutland (1.8 miles south of the College of St Joseph). We would love to show you all of our wonderful tomatoes!

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 02:26:00 +0000

Thought you might be interested in my latest Weekly Planet column which ran in Sunday's Rutland Herald and Times Argus.

Messages from the universe

Carol Tashie

July 24, 2011

Rutland Herald/Times Argus

Buddhists believe that the universe does not give us what we want; it gives us what we need. In theory I get it, but I am — by nature — a skeptic who finds it hard to believe that the universe would take such an interest in the comings and goings of little ole me. However, recent personal circumstances have me reconsidering my skepticism.

About a month ago, right in the heart of the growing season, I fell off a ladder and broke my ankle. My friends were convinced the fall was the universe’s way of sending me the impossible-to-ignore message of “slow down,” although I attributed it to the laws of physics (gravity, to be exact) coupled with a little bit of Carol-klutziness. Even if the universe was trying to tell me something, surely it would realize that slowing down would require my partner Dennis to speed up, taking on the work of two farmers. No one, let alone the universe, would consider that fair or possible.

But no matter the root cause of my broken ankle, the consequences are the same: two acres of vegetables, prime growing season, plenty of weeding, planting and harvesting to be done — and one farmer on the DL. In addition to cursing the universe, gravity and myself, what else is there to do?

Enter the power of community.

As the word spread of my broken ankle, the offers of support came pouring in. Busy farmers, home gardeners, friends, family and even strangers heard the news and responded readily. We were, and continue to be, overwhelmed with gratitude.

To manage everyone’s offers, we held a daylong weeding party, where people came and helped us manage the weeds that continue to thrive no matter a farmer’s ability to walk. In one busy day, many of the ill effects of five days off my feet were alleviated.

The Rutland Volunteer Garden Service group is now coming to the farm each Tuesday, bringing campers from Camp Betsy Cox to help with the chores. These young women embody service to community as they joyfully lend their time and strong bodies to help people they don’t even know.

I will always be convinced that gravity and klutziness broke my ankle, but I am ready to concede the universe might be paying attention to my needs after all. As someone who is pretty well versed at giving help (“Need someone to volunteer/organize/donate? I’ll do it!”), being on the other side of asking is not something I do very well. I believe the universe is telling me I need to learn to get better.

A whole and healthy community is one that gives and accepts help freely, lovingly and without barriers. It does not idolize the giver or cast dispersions on the recipient; instead it celebrates our interdependence and the delicate balance of everyone’s gifts and needs. A whole community does not categorize its members as givers and takers, it respects everyone equally and provides natural opportunities for each one of us to contribute and receive in our own unique ways. A healthy community knows that giving and receiving are two sides of the same coin, and it teaches us to value both sides within ourselves and others.

While this broken ankle is a pain — in, oh, so many ways — it is also a lesson I will ponder for years. Message received, Universe.

Carol Tashie, co-owner of Radical Roots Farm, lives in Rutland City and tries hard to find a balance between what is possible and what is impossible to ignore. She can be reached at carolweeklyplanet@yahoo.com.

ARTICHOKES

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 21:56:00 +0000

It's artichoke season in Vermont!!!!

Since so many of you bought our artichokes at market today, we thought you might appreciate links to two sites with lots of information on preparing and cooking artichokes:

Simply Recipes

All about Artichokes

How much fun it was at Farmers Market to see people's expressions when they spied the artichokes! We can't count the number of times people asked "where do these come from" and then responded with amazement when we answered "we grew them at Radical Roots Farm!"

We planted in succession so we should have artichokes ripening for a few weeks. We expect to be bringing them to Farmers Market for a while longer!

ENJOY!

Thought you might like some photos from Farm Share member Mark on how he enjoyed his artichokes!

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:08:00 +0000

WEEDING PARTY AT RADICAL ROOTS FARM

Great thanks to everyone who came by today. What an incredible community we have!!!

Farming with a broken ankle can be a bit challenging. While the bone is healing and I am still on crutches, I am not as quick or capable as I used to be – which is a fancy way of saying “THE WEEDS ARE GETTING OUT OF CONTROL!!” Therefore, we are inviting everyone to a Weeding Party on Sunday July 10^th, anytime between 10am and 6pm. If you are interested, please come to the farm for any period of time (1 hour? 2 hours? 3 hours? whatever works for you) and work at your own pace pulling weeds and helping us get the farm back to its original (pre-broken ankle) shape.

Thanks to the Domestic Diva, there will be snacks and drinks available for everyone.

If you are interested, please send us an email (radicalrootsfarm@gmail.com) or leave a comment telling us approximately what time you will be coming. There is plenty of work for everyone – but it will help us be ready for you if we know who is coming and when. Our only request is that this be an adult-only party. It is not the time and place for children under 12 years old.

It is such a wonderful thing to know we can call upon our community like this. Knowing that we are not alone means the world to us. It is why we love living in Rutland so very very very much. Thank you in advance for your caring and support.

CAROL'S BROKEN ANKLE - UPDATED

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:38:00 +0000

Thank you to everyone at Farmers Market this week who was so caring and concerned about my ankle. Yes, I did mis-step off the ladder while stringing tomato hangers in the high tunnel last Monday - and after a long-postponed xray, I discovered I have a broken fibula. Argh....

Great thanks to Taylor, Stephanie, Tara, Kevin, Steve, Sharon, and Jonathan who have been working with Dennis this past week to make up for my absence. Without you guys, I do not know what we would have done.

I got casted today - I am now sporting a new air-cast boot! Gone are the days of old plaster casts - this thing has a rugged sole, is removable for showering and sleeping, and will allow me to start bearing weigh in just a few days. YEA!!!

Until then, please send your wishes to Dennis who is carrying all of the farm-weight on his very capable shoulders. Thanks.

RADICAL RUEBEN

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 02:17:00 +0000

Tiffany, one our Farm Share members, sent this recipe along – more for the name of the dish (RADICAL Rueben) than for the recipe itself. Although it sure sounds like an interesting take on the classic Rueben sandwich. And we will be harvesting beets before too long!

Radical Reuben
Vegetarian Times

SEITAN
• 1 lb. seitan, thinly sliced
• 1 cup pickle juice
• 1/2 cup beet juice or beet borscht (or pureed cooked beets)
• 1 tsp. pickling spice
• 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

REUBEN SAUCE
• 1/4 cup soy mayonnaise
• 3 Tbs. ketchup
• 2 Tbs. finely chopped pickles

SANDWICHES
• 8 slices rye bread
• 4 slices Swiss or soy cheese
• Sauerkraut, for garnish

1. To make Seitan: Place seitan in baking dish. Bring pickle juice, beet juice, pickling spice, garlic powder, pepper, and 1 cup water to a boil in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes. Strain marinade, and pour over sliced seitan. Cover and cool. Chill overnight.

2. To make Reuben Sauce: Combine all ingredients in bowl.

3. To make Sandwiches: Preheat oven to broil. Set bread slices on baking sheet. Top 4 bread slices with drained Seitan and cheese. Broil 5 to 7 minutes, or until Seitan is hot and cheese is melted. Transfer Seitan-topped bread slices to serving plates, and garnish with sauerkraut. Spread remaining 4 bread slices with Reuben Sauce, and place on top of Sandwiches.

The Food Game in the US is Rigged

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 01:42:00 +0000

For those of you who do not get the Rutland Herald or Times Argus (and therefore, cannot read the column on-line or in print), here is the text of Carol's latest Weekly Planet column entitled: The Food Game in the US is Rigged.

The Food Game in the US is Rigged
Carol Tashie

Published: June 12, 2011
Rutland Herald/Times Argus

Last summer I created a (not-entirely-positive) buzz with my “Overweight but hungry” column, which pointed out the seemingly paradoxical news that Rutland has one of the highest obesity rates — as well as one of the highest rates of hunger — in Vermont. You may remember that I admitted to only grazing the tip of the iceberg and promised to quickly follow up with a bit more substance. Well, after only nine months, I am finally fulfilling that promise with another look at the topic that sparked so much controversy.

Speaking of controversy, the great news about that column was that it gave me the incentive to learn more about this issue (kudos to writer Michael Pollan for information and inspiration) and the opportunity to share my thoughts with civic and school groups around the region. To those of you who sat through any of my presentations, you may recognize this column as a bootleg of those talks.

A few years ago, Dr. Adam Drewnowski, a world-renown obesity researcher from the University of Washington, wanted to understand why, in this country, the greatest predictor of obesity is wealth or lack thereof. The facts were crystal clear: The less money someone had, the greater their chances of being obese. The question was, why? The overweight-but-hungry scenario seems incongruent and certainly flew in the face of history, when poverty meant a scarcity of calories and a sign of wealth was a rotund belly and a few extra chins. So Dr. Drewnowski set out to research why people with the least amount of money to spend end up with the most number of calories in their bellies (my word, not his).

As part of his research, he went into a supermarket (well, a hypothetical supermarket) with one dollar (a hypothetical dollar) to purchase as many calories as he possibly could. He quickly discovered that in order to buy the most calories for his dollar he needed to hang out in the soft drink and processed food aisles. His dollar could buy 1,200 calories of cookies or potato chips, but only 250 calories of carrots; 875 calories of soda, but only 170 calories of orange juice.

Unfortunately, those cheap calories are also the least healthy calories. They are chock full of sugar, fat and chemical additives. They are so unhealthy we “affectionately” call them junk food. But they are also the best calorie-bang for your buck.

From this research, Drewnowski concluded that the rules of the food game in the United States are organized in such a way that if you are eating on a budget the most rational economic strategy is to eat badly.

For this to be true, things must be seriously flawed with the U.S. food game. And many of those flaws can be summed up in two little words: Farm Bill.

In a devastating example of “do as I say, not as I do,” Americans are told to eat more fruits and vegetables while American tax dollars are used to subsidize the very building blocks of the junk food industry. Massive subsidies for corn and soybeans, for example, keep the cost of soda, chips and processed food low. Soda, chips and processed foods contribute to the ever-increasing rates of obesity, especially among those with the least amount of money to spend on food.

When we hear of American obesity rates of 30 percent (almost 20 percent in children), we should be dismayed and concerned. But we should not be surprised. As taxpayers, we are subsidizing — to the tune of billions and billions of dollars — the very corn that gets turned into high fructose corn syrup, the very soybeans that get turned into the fat in processed food. We are making it possible for junk food to be cheap. And we are de facto making it economically logical for people to use their limited food dollars to buy these cheap calories.

No matter how many food pyramids or public service announcements we create, the economic effects of our subsidies speak louder than our words. The food game is rigged in the favor of cheap junk food.

Carol Tashie, co-owner of Radical Roots Farm, lives in Rutland City and tries hard to find a balance between what is possible and what is impossible to ignore. Her column explores ways ordinary people can and do make the planet a healthier, peaceful and more just place to live. She can be reached at carolweeklyplanet@yahoo.com.

NEW PHOTOS OF THE FARM

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 22:51:00 +0000

We added some new photos of the farm on our Facebook page .

Although we would love to have you come visit us and see for yourself, these photos give you a little taste of what is happening on the farm in June.

Here is a sampling.....

ESCAROLE - Delicious and Healthy

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 02:15:00 +0000

If you grew up in an Italian or Greek family, chances are you ate escarole. Maybe you didn't love the way your mother or grandmother cooked it (boiled? yuck!) - but now you know better and can enjoy this delicious and incredibly healthy vegetable.

Escarole is actually a member of the Endive family and its taste is similar to radicchio (at half the price!). High in folic acid, fiber, and vitamins A and K, escarole can be eaten raw or gently cooked. The darker outer leaves have a distinctly different taste than the inside paler leaves - and so it is almost like getting two veggies for the price of one!

Our favorite way of cooking escarole is to sautee it in olive oil (with garlic, scallions, leeks, onions, whatever you prefer) until it is cooked down and soft. We often add hot peppers and/or tomatoes (sometimes shrimp or tofu) and always add a little salt and pepper. We then toss it with some cooked pasta, using a cup or so of the pasta water to make a nice sauce. If we are feeling adventurous, we add some basil or pesto for a special treat.

Delicious! Nutritious! Make your grandmother proud!

Of course there are many other ways of preparing escarole. Include it in a salad. Add it to soup. Make escarole with white bean (a traditional favorite!). Check out our RECIPE page for some ideas.

We will have escarole at Farmers Market this Saturday. Please stop by and see us!

NEW PAGE: What's Available This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Wed, 18 May 2011 00:32:00 +0000

Now that the season is underway (no... not underwater.... underway!), we have developed a new page on our blog called What's Available This Week!

This page will be your handy-dandy guide to what we are harvesting this week and what you can find at our stand at Saturday market in downtown Rutland as well as at our self-serve farm stand on Creek Road in Rutland.

As always, we love sharing recipes with you - and we super love you sharing recipes with us. The RECIPE page is a great place to check for seasonal recipes (you will have to scroll down to find last year's spring recipes - the unfortunate reality of a blog vs a website). Please send us your favorite recipes and we will post them with a shout out to you for your creation!

radicalrootsfarm@gmail.com

Happy Spring!

THANK YOU from FARMER TO FARMER

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Duhaime and Carol Tashie) — Sat, 07 May 2011 20:35:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who helped make opening day of Farmers Market fantastic! At our farmers market booth, we collected almost $300 in donations for the Farmer to Farmer: Vermont to Japan campaign - from people who saw the poster and stopped to donate. In addition, Radical Roots Farm will donate 10% of our proceeds from today's sales to the campaign.

Thank you for participating and helping to support farmers and residents in Japan who were devastated by the earthquakes, tsunami and radiation.

If you are a farmer - there is still time to participate. Click on the Farmer to Farmer donation tab for complete information.

If you would like to contribute, we are still accepting donations (checks made out to AFARI or ShelterBox USA). Visit us at Rutland's Saturday Farmers' Market or send us an email (radicalrootsfarm@gmail.com) for more information.

Stay tuned for news of the total amount raised statewide!

THANK YOU!