Terra Firma Farm Newsletter April 10, 2000

ALIEN CABBAGE INVADERS
I have to give you folks credit. When the first e-mail came in about the “strange growths on the cabbage”, I thought it was amazing that someone had noticed. However, we now have a more than 10 e-mails and letters from subscribers wondering what the little bumps on the leaves of their cabbage are. There are certainly numerous theories: Insect eggs, cancerous growths, lesions, sap deposits. Everyone seemed concerned about whether or not the cabbage was safe to eat, although most folks seem to have come to the conclusion that Ann McCandless did: “I decided to go ahead and cook it figuring if there was something wrong with it, you would not be putting it in the boxes.”

Unfortunately, this is not the case, and all of you who have eaten the cabbage have now been colonized by aliens from another galaxy. Sorry…
That was a joke, of course. April Fools! Actually, the little bumps are accumulations of toxic pesticides that cause brain death in minute portions.

Seriously, folks, we really don’t know exactly what the little bumps on the cabbage are, but we are quite SURE that they are in fact part of the cabbage. Having dissected and analyzed them, we have determined that they taste like cabbage, smell like cabbage, and are the same color at their centers as the cabbages they grow on. We fed large amounts of bumpy cabbage to human (me) and other test subjects (Lulu the bulldog, who thinks that cabbages are edible balls) with no ill effects upon their health or behavior.

My own theory is this: Cabbage, broccoli and other cruciferous plants excrete a waxy, waterproof coating that helps them maintain their internal moisture while also preventing external moisture from damaging their leaves and stems. This coating is what makes cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower such great crops for us in the winter, when excessive rain often results in mold and mildew that can destroy otherwise cold-hardy crops. The little bumps on the cabbage leaves, as far as I can determine, are deposits of excessive amounts of this waxy coating. Perhaps they were produced in response to the combination of drought-like conditions we experienced in the early winter and the non-stop rain of late winter. Another possibility is that the bumps contain small amounts of calcium carbonate, which is present in especially large amounts in the well water at the ranch where the cabbage was grown. The cabbage’s response to these deposits was to cover them with a waxy deposit. That would explain why the bumps are often on all the leaves of the cabbage, all the way through — the cabbage was irrigated through much of its life with sprinklers, and each successive layer would have received a certain amount of the salt.

Anyway, I am 100% certain that the little bumps on the cabbage are not bugs, or bug eggs, or any other insect-associated matter. Nonetheless, I’m glad to see that so many of you are paying such close attention to your produce.

OTHER PROBLEMS
Unfortunately, aphid-covered cauliflower or rotten asparagus is a different story. If you had either or both of these problems last week, please let Valerie know and she will give you a credit. There were two separate problems involved. The shift from cold to warm weather affected the way we have been processing the asparagus, and we were not on top of the change. The result was that some of the asparagus became rotten before it got into your refrigerator. We have now changed the way we handle the asparagus and we expect that we won’t have any more problems for the rest of the season, which may last another 4 weeks.

Cauliflower was also a victim of the warm weather, which caused an explosion of the aphid population in our last planting. Having been pretty well in the groove with this crop, we let our guard down and the buggy heads didn’t get caught before they went into your boxes.

If you are sick of cauliflower anyway, not to worry —the season is over and we won’t have any again until next winter. We apologize for any disappointment you experienced.

Finally, I would just like to note that we are not in the right place to grow huge jumbo artichokes like the ones grown on the coast. If your conception of artichokes is centered on pulling off leaves and dipping them in butter, you may need to reorient. Look for recipes for “baby” or young artichokes, and think more about eating the heart and the base, rather then gnawing on the leaves.

Strawberry Festival

I apologize in advance if your calendar for April is already fully booked. We have decided that Sunday, April 30th is going to be the perfect combination — a lovely spring day with an abundance of strawberries for all to enjoy. We invite you all, and everyone you know, to visit the farm from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. and enjoy our celebration of strawberries.. Admission will be $10 per car, and there will be music, beverages, and snacks. And of course, lots of strawberries. If you are interested in helping out at the festival (in exchange for free admission) or you have any good ideas for fun activities, please contact Valerie ASAP.

Not coincidentally, you will find the first strawberries of the year in your boxes today. It was a stretch to get all the berries that we needed, so you may get some that weren’t as fully ripe as they might have been. The first fruit is always a little ugly, since it’s been sitting on the plant a while and been exposed to the elements. But they always get better — and prettier — once the plants get going. As the season progresses, we will be expanding your ration from one to two full baskets of berries, and we know you won’t have any trouble handling it. We hope you enjoy the delicious first fruit of spring.

Roasted Young Artichokes — This way of cooking is more suited to the small artichokes we grow here in the Valley, which don‘t get as big and meaty as the coastal grown variety. Essentially, you are just eating the heart and the base.
Peel away the darker, outer leaves until you see only the pale green-yellow of the young inner leaves. Cut off all but 1/2 inch of their stems and trim off 1/2 inch of their tops. Rub with a cut lemon or olive oil to inhibit discoloring. Cut into quarters and place in a baking pan and season with salt. Cut 1 stem of green garlic into quarters, lengthwise, then into 2 inch piece. Add to the pan and drizzle with more olive oil. Roast at 350 degrees for 1 hour, turning a few times. The tender leaves will caramelize. Eat the stem and the heart; discard any leaves too tough to eat.

Produce 101: preparation & storage

AVOCADOS are QAI organic certified and come from Paradise Ranch in Valley Center. Ripen at room temperature.
Alice Waters says this about young ARTICHOKES: “The very tops of the (leaves) are cut off. Break and peel off the outer layers of leaves until the tender, pale green inner leaves show. Drop into acidulated water, or rub with a cut lemon or olive oil (to keep from discoloring). See recipe above.
FAVA BEANS are still young, so they can cooked after just removing the long outer shell. Later, when the beans are larger, you will need to blanch them and peel the individual skins off each bean.

Terra Firma Basics
San Francisco/Sacramento/Davis Prices
Every Week: Every Other Week:
$70 Monthly $37 monthly
$200 Quarterly $106 quarterly
$780 Yearly $412 Yearly
$16 weekly vacation adjustment
Subscriptions automatically renew - and arenot cancelled for late payment / So tell us if you choose to cancel.

Vacations & Billing Inquiries
We need seven days notice before a vacation hold or other change of service.
Contact Valerie through voicemail at (530) 756-2800, or e-mail Goldenbell@aol.com

MAILING ADDRESS:
Terra Firma Farm
P.O. Box 836
Winters, CA 95694
(530) 756-2800
www.terrafirmafarm.com
Goldenbell@aol.com em