THE YOUTH FARM at the High School for Public Service

NEWSLETTER

September 30th 2013

Dear Youth Farm CSA Members,

summer bounty the days of tomatoes and eggplant are numbered but incoming are still lots of delicious fresh greens, and this weeks brand new Youth Farm veggie treasure, the Sweet Potato! This time of year, were turning our thoughts to the soil and returning nutrient there as weve been reaping quite a harvest week to week for months now. In the fall organic farmers often sow cover crops, crops grow to protect the soil over the winter that can also be turned in as food for the soil in spring. Cover crops such as Winter Rye and Hairy Vetch will grow, slowly, though the winter providing a beautiful carpet of green to look at. Weve just begun cover cropping and we will continue to do so over the next month or so, planting these seeds in places that might have had the heaviest feeding crops in them. In other areas, we will simply mulch the beds with the dying crop residue that is standing there. As we are beginning to pull some crops from the ground, we are also going to be composting a lot! It has been wonderful to see so many people from apprentices to Wingate students to community members who drop off their food scraps get involved in and excited about compost! One of my favorite experiences on the farm is watching someone stick their hand into a hot pile of compost, and really feel the incredible decomposing work that the microscopic bacteria are performing! Its really magical. We hope to see you soon on the farm! FARMER MOLLY

IN YOUR SHARE THIS WEEK!

Green basil Collards Eggplant Puntarelle OR Braising Mix Sweet Potatoes! Chives Hot peppers Mint Chard or Kale

Happy fall! We hope youve been enjoying the

INTRODUCING THE SWEET POTATO!

Perhaps youve been enjoying the other half of this plant, the leaves, in your stir fries and soups. Time to enjoy this nourishing tuberous root. As Bee may have mentioned, the Sweet Potato, or Ipomoea Batatas, is a root vegetable (signature fall crop!), belonging to the Convolvulacea (Morning glory) family. Surprisingly, it is only distantly related to the potato (Solanum tuberosum) and does not belong to the Nightshade family like regular potatoes. The plant grows like a vine like many of its other family members and makes a thick covering (provided you have healthy soil) or dark green leaves the shape of hearts. The root is long and tapered and the skin can range from yellow to pink to beige. The flesh can be white, red, yellow, pink, orange or purple! Varieties with white or yellow flesh will be less sweet and moist than those with darker flesh. It is often confused with the yam, which is actually botanically distinct; the yam belongs to the family Dioscoraceae. The Sweet Potato is believed to have originated in Central or South America; in Central America, sweet potatoes were domesticated 5000 years ago. They are generally most successfully grown in warm moist climates; for this reason we actually grew them inside our hoop house. Their lush leaves this summer tell us we made the right choice! Besides being starch-rich, Sweet Potatoes are good sources of fiber, beta- carotene, Vitamins C and B6, Manganese and Potassium. Due to this hefty nutritional make-up, in 1992 the Sweet Potato was ranked as having the

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THE YOUTH FARM at the High School for Public Service

NEWSLETTER

September 30th 2013

highest nutritional content of all vegetables by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Enjoy!

RECIPE CORNER: Vietnamese Stir-Fried Sweet

Potatoes and Beef FROM markbittman.com
When it comes to potatoes, squash, and root veggies, grating is a wonderful technique: you get all the starchy sweetness of the vegetable, but in a fraction of the time it would take to roast or bake! In this recipe, the sweet potatoes become tender very quickly in the pan, and make a lovely salad-like bed for the protein of your choice. The little bits that get caramelized and stuck to the bottom of the pan are delicious, like hash browns, so dont worry if the potatoes are sticking. The lime juice and fish sauce will also help to break that up, plus they add a zingy acidity. Fish sauce is a tricky ingredient if youre not familiar with it. Its a bit pungent and often takes center stage among other flavors in a dish. If youre not sure if you like it, add only a tablespoon or so at a time and see what you think. Or, instead of fish sauce you can use soy sauce, or go even farther afield and use some other seasonings that typically complement sweet potatoes, like paprika or cumin. It will be less Vietnamese, but equally tasty. Recipe from The Food Matters Cookbook.

1 tablespoon minced garlic Salt and black pepper 14 cup nam pla (fish sauce) Juice of 1 lime 12 cup chopped fresh cilantro, basil (preferably Thai), or mint 1. Put a large skillet over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and the beef. Stir immediately, then stir every 20 seconds or so until the meat is no longer pink, just a minute or 2. Transfer the beef to a plate. 2. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. When its hot, add the sweet potatoes, scallions, chiles if youre using them, and garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until the potatoes change color and begin to brown; then stir more frequently until they are tender but not at all mushy, 10 to 15 minutes. 3. Return the beef to the pan along with the fish sauce and lime juice. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced slightly and youve scraped up all the bits of meat and vegetable. Toss in the herb and serve.

COME TO OUR FARMERS MARKET: Every Wednesday, 2:30 6:30 pm

Through October 30th! Upcoming Events:

Time: 30 minutes, Serves 4 Firm vegetables work fine in stir-fries as long as you grate them first. The quick treatment changes the ratio of surface area to interior so that they cook in a flash, which is exactly what you want. Instead of beef, you can use chicken, tofu, or tempeh here, or even firm white fish. Or leave out the concentrated protein altogether and serve this as an unconventional but delicious Thanksgiving side dish. In any case, serve on top of brown rice or another grain. 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 8 ounces beef chuck, flank, or sirloin steak, cut into bite-size pieces 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and grated, about 4 cups 1 cup sliced scallions 1 or 2 fresh hot chiles (like jalapeo or Thai), seeded and chopped, optional

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: VOLUNTEER DAY CANCELLED, OCT 5TH!!

We regret we must cancel our volunteer day and workshop this Saturday, Oct. 5th.

Please join us instead for our last 2 volunteer days!! Saturday Oct. 19th and Nov. 2 10:00 am 3:00 pm (Free workshop Nov. 2 on GARLIC PLANTING!!)

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