Winter Share 2012-13 – Week 11

These past several days have been excellent weather for “sugaring.” When the day temperatures get above freezing, particularly the 50s, and then drop down to freezing at night, the sap in the trees really runs.

Last Friday in fact Allyson and I dropped off jars for the maple at a sugaring operation at 9 PM in Wilmot, OH. Aden called me earlier in the week and said that the sugar was going to run. We procured some jars and got them down there just as the sap was being boiled and we were able to join in on the festivities. Sugaring is a very traditional family activity in Amish communities. Often, the whole community participates in one form or another. At sugarshacks around the community families will gather, enjoy a meal, and socialize as the sap is boiling. It is also ridiculously hot and humid in some sugarshacks, such as Aden’s, in which it was probably 100 degrees and 100% humidity. It is a sauna.

In addition to maple syrup this week, we have some fresh ground whole wheat flour, which should make excellent pancakes this weekend with some of our new breakfast sausage links.

Then the bag gets funky. We have the very last of the storage crops – carrots, apples, and potatoes available this week.

And because we know (actually many of your told me so) many of you are probably sitting on other root vegetables – like turnips and rutabagas – we are throwing in some ingredients this week for one dish meals, like soups and pot pies. In fact, Parker has been working on some recipes for a pot pie that requires fresh stock. So this week you’ll have a choice of turkey or ham. The turkey will be a package with one wing, one drumstick, and one piece of turkey back. This will be excellent for stock and soup/pot pie.

For those who want to use up some beans and potatoes, we also have delicious smoked ham hocks as an option.

Oh, and if you are reading between the lines, you might be wondering where the turkey breast meat is. Well, it is coming soon. It is being smoked and packaged as we speak for a healthy lunch meat that we’ll be introducing soon.

Anyhow, I’ve written too much. The full list is below.

Don’t forget to signup for Summer 2013. The summer season registration has begun. All existing customers are guaranteed their spot when registering before March 1. Please don’t hesitate – registration only takes seconds. You can do this at this link: https://freshforkmarket.com/extra-view/sign-up-or-sign-in/

VENISON IS NOW FOR SALE. Login online at http://csalogin.freshforkmarket.com to order your venison cuts. Please do so by midnight on Tuesday night for delivery this week. We also have some new cheeses on there (and we’ll have at the back of the truck). They are outstanding. I’ll write more about those later.

Winter Week 11:
1 pint maple syrup
1.5 lbs whole wheat flour
1 lb breakfast sausage links
1 lb granola
1 package frozen veg
1 package frozen turkey stock parts OR smoked ham hock
1 package chicken patties
1 lb carrots
5 lbs white kennebec potatoes
Quarter peck apples (green=granny smith, red = cameo)