Time is running out, so don’t be left without fresh produce, herbs and flowers this summer

We still have a few memberships available for our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) left but act quickly since we accept members on a first come, first serve basis.

Last year registration closed and we had to place people on a waiting list in hopes of spots opening up.

Don’t be left out, register today at http://www.griggstownquailfarm.com/csa/how-to-join/

Chuck’s Corner

If you are a parent, or you know a parent of a high school student who is an accomplished athlete, they may be eligible for a college scholarship.

From high school freshman to senior, if they have at least a 3.5 grade average, funds are available to help pay tuition costs.

Competition for scholarship money can be tough so you must develop an advantage over others. The most recent organization to join the New Jersey Business Services Group (NJBSG) is Athletic Resources, specializing in creating that advantage by building a verified, professional profile that will capture the eyes of college recruiters.

Athletic Resources knows what colleges look for potential athletes so they develop a customized profile that ensures their client stands out to college coaches. This will enhance the possibility of consideration for acceptance.

Here is what one parent had to say about Athletic Resources:

Start working on your high school students athletic careers by having a competitive advantage. Athletic Resources provides that advantage.

For additional information call me, Chuck at 609-610-6357.

Food of the Week: Turkey Breast

It’s no secret that lean proteins must be a part of any well balanced diet aimed to produce weight loss. When we think of lean proteins we usually think of chicken breast and fish, but another lean protein is often left out: turkey breast.

If you need to switch up your lean proteins to keep your fat burning efforts on track, add turkey breast into the mix. Turkey breast is great for fat burning, but keep reading to find out the health benefits associated with turkey breast!

Featured Recipe

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

Courtesy of Barefoot Contessa, FoodNetwork.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole bone-in turkey breast, 6 1/2 to 7 pounds
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup dry white wine

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.
• In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste.
• Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat.
• Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.
• Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. (I test in several places.) If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil.
• When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey.

If you are a parent, or you know a parent of a high school student who is an accomplished athlete, they may be eligible for a college scholarship.

From high school freshman to senior, if they have at least a 3.5 grade average, funds are available to help pay tuition costs.

Competition for scholarship money can be tough so you must develop an advantage over others. The most recent organization to join the New Jersey Business Services Group (NJBSG) is Athletic Resources, specializing in creating that advantage by building a verified, professional profile that will capture the eyes of college recruiters.

Athletic Resources knows what colleges look for potential athletes so they develop a customized profile that ensures their client stands out to college coaches. This will enhance the possibility of consideration for acceptance.

Here is what one parent had to say about Athletic Resources:

Start working on your high school students athletic careers by having a competitive advantage. Athletic Resources provides that advantage.

For additional information call me, Chuck at 609-610-6357.

Time is running out, so don’t be left without fresh produce, herbs and flowers this summer

We still have a few memberships available for our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) left but act quickly since we accept members on a first come, first serve basis.

Last year registration closed and we had to place people on a waiting list in hopes of spots opening up.

Don’t be left out, register today at http://www.griggstownquailfarm.com/csa/how-to-join/

Chuck’s Corner

Community-supported agriculture began in the early 1960s in Germany, Switzerland and Japan as a response to concerns about food safety and the urbanization of agricultural land. In the 1960s groups of consumers and farmers in Europe formed cooperative partnerships to fund farming and pay the full costs of ecologically sound and socially equitable agriculture. In Europe, many of the CSA style farms were inspired by the economic ideas of Rudolf Steiner and experiments with community agriculture took place on farms using biodynamic agriculture. In 1965 mothers in Japan who were concerned about the rise of imported food, the loss of arable land, and the migration of farmers into cities started the first CSA projects calledTeikei (提携) in Japanese – most likely unrelated to the developments in Europe.

More than 50 billion chickens are reared annually as a source of food, for both their meat and their eggs.

The vast majority of poultry are raised using intensive farming techniques. According to the Worldwatch Institute, 74 percent of the world’s poultry meat, and 68 percent of eggs are produced this way. One alternative to intensive poultry farming is free range farming.

Featured Recipe

Lemon Chicken Recipe

Courtesy of Chef Chritin, www.BeMyGuestPersonalChef.com

INGREDIENTS

• 3-4 pounds chicken parts (thighs and legs recommended), skin-on, bone-in, trimmed of excess fat
• 2 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2-3 Tbsp melted butter
• Lemon slices for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1 Place lemon juice, lemon peel, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, whisk to combine. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut into each chicken piece one or two times by about 1/2 an inch. (This will help the marinade penetrate.) Place the chicken pieces and the marinade in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Rotate the bag so that all chicken pieces are coated with the marinade. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (in case of leakage). Let marinate for 2 hours.

2 Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove chicken from marinade and place in a single layer in a large baking dish, skin side up. Reserve the marinade. Use a pastry brush to brush a little melted butter on to each piece of chicken.

3 Bake for a total of 50 to 55 minutes, until the skins are crispy brown, and the chicken is cooked through, juices running clear (breasts have an internal temperature of 165°F and thighs 175°F). Half-way through the baking, at about the 25 minute mark, baste the chicken pieces generously with reserved marinade.

Depending on the size of the breasts, they may be ready before the thighs, so if you are cooking a mix of chicken parts, keep that in mind, you may have to take them out of the oven before the thighs.

Let rest, covered in foil, for 10 minutes before serving.

4 Pour the juices from the pan into a serving bowl. Use a tablespoon to skim the fat off the top (save the fat for cooking with later, or discard, but do not discard down the drain or it will solidify and clog your drain). Serve the chicken with the juices on the side or a little poured over the top of the chicken.

Serves 4-6. Serve alone or with steamed rice.

Community-supported agriculture began in the early 1960s in Germany, Switzerland and Japan as a response to concerns about food safety and the urbanization of agricultural land. In the 1960s groups of consumers and farmers in Europe formed cooperative partnerships to fund farming and pay the full costs of ecologically sound and socially equitable agriculture. In Europe, many of the CSA style farms were inspired by the economic ideas of Rudolf Steiner and experiments with community agriculture took place on farms using biodynamic agriculture. In 1965 mothers in Japan who were concerned about the rise of imported food, the loss of arable land, and the migration of farmers into cities started the first CSA projects calledTeikei (提携) in Japanese – most likely unrelated to the developments in Europe.

The idea started to take root in the United States in 1984 when Jan Vander Tuin brought the concept of CSA to North America from Europe. At the same time German Biodynamic farmer Trauger Groh and colleagues founded the Temple-Wilton Community Farm in Wilton, New Hampshire. Vander Tuin had co-founded a community-supported agricultural project named Topinambur located near Zurich, Switzerland. Coinage of the term “community-supported agriculture” stems from Vander Tuin and the Great Barrington CSA that he co-founded with its proprietor Robyn Van En. Since that time community supported farms have been organized throughout North America — mainly in the Northwest, the Pacific coast, the Upper-Midwest and Canada. North America now has at least 13,000 CSA farms of which 12,549 are in the US according to the US Department of Agriculture in 2007. The rise of CSAs seems to be correlated with the increase in awareness of the environmental movement in the United States.  CSA’s have even become popular in urban environments as proven by the New York City Coalition Against Hunger’s own CSA program that maintains locations in all five boroughs of the city. The largest subscription CSA with over 13,000 families is Farm Fresh To You in Capay Valley, California.

CSAs generally focus on the production of high quality foods for a local community, often using organic or biodynamic farming methods, and a shared risk membership–marketing structure. This kind of farming operates with a much greater degree of involvement of consumers and other stakeholders than usual — resulting in a stronger consumer-producer relationship. The core design includes developing a cohesive consumer group that is willing to fund a whole season’s budget in order to get quality foods. The system has many variations on how the farm budget is supported by the consumers and how the producers then deliver the foods. CSA theory purports that the more a farm embraces whole-farm, whole-budget support, the more it can focus on quality and reduce the risk of food waste or financial loss.

The environment’s benefit is quite simple- the minimal transportation required to transport food locally is a significant reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Many CSA farmers also produce their food without the use of pesticides or inorganic fertilizers, so they are as natural as possible, limiting their impact on the environment.  The human fixed nitrogen used as fertilizer for crops accounts for 75% of human fixed nitrogen, which causes eutrophication, greatly harming aquatic ecosystems. The environment also benefits indirectly through the elimination of the farm’s need for subsidies. Farm subsidies “can foster overloading of croplands, leading to erosion and compaction of topsoil, pollution from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, gentrification of soils, and release of greenhouse gases, among other adverse effects,”. Biocides have also become an increasingly important issue. At least a billion pounds of biocides are used each year in the U.S. alone, only 1% of which actually end up killing what they were meant to. CSAs eliminate all of this, as long as they are following the traditional CSA methodology of organic farming.

The growth of the environmental movement has certainly helped CSAs to grow. Concern for a healthy environment is the primary reason that CSA members join. Other primary reasons for belonging to a CSA are a desire to eat vegetables in season, source of organic produce, and support of local food sources. These reasons are all connected to the environmental movement, issues that pertain to sustainability and spending locally. The environmental movement also had large influence over the awareness of the issues surrounding pesticide use, popularized by Rachel Carson, which was likely a huge spark to the fast-growing fire of CSAs.

Chef Mike is at it again.  This time he has brought back a favorite for many of you, Vegetable Pot Pie.

The pies are prepared with chicken broth, and do not contain any meat.  They will be available at the farm store on a first some first serve basis.

Also, We still have a few memberships available for our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) left but act quickly since we accept members on a first come, first serve basis.

Last year registration closed and we had to place people on a waiting list in hopes of spots opening up.

Don’t be left out, register today at http://www.griggstownquailfarm.com/csa/how-to-join/

Chuck’s Corner

We are pleased to announce that we have over 500 LIKES on our facebook page and to celebrate we have posted a G-Buck good for a Pot Pie, Fruit Pie or Turkey Chili.

To get your G-Buck go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Griggstown-Farm-Market/123020157752317 LIKE our page, print the G-Buck and bring it to our farm store to redeem it.

This is your last chance to surprise the special person in your life.  Chef Judy, a Griggstown Farm supporter, has teamed up with The Spa at Robert Woods Johnson to offer a memorable experience for both you and your special someone.

There are dinner options with a massage plus an add-on wine or beer pairing, something to suit everyone’s tastes.  There are limited time slots available, and they will go fast! So call now for menu options and to reserve your special date.

Wait! There is more good news.  I have arranged for you to receive a 10% discount on any of the below packages if you mention Griggstown Quail Farm.

732-261-9896

Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees (the genus Apis) is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans. Honey produced by other bees and insects has distinctly different properties.

Honey bees transform nectar into honey by a process of regurgitation, and store it as a primary food source in wax honeycombs inside the beehive. Beekeeping practices encourage overproduction of honey so the excess can be taken from the colony.

Featured Recipe

Honey Valentine Cookies

Courtesy of National Honey Board

It’s officially February and love is in the air. Whether you plan to stay in and cook a delicious meal with the one you love or brave the crowds to go out on the town this Valentine’s Day, we hope that you have a very special one.

We are pleased to announce that we have over 500 LIKES on our facebook page and to celebrate we have posted a G-Buck good for a Pot Pie, Fruit Pie or Turkey Chili.

To get your G-Buck go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Griggstown-Farm-Market/123020157752317 LIKE our page, print the G-Buck and bring it to our farm store to redeem it.

This is your last chance to surprise the special person in your life.  Chef Judy, a Griggstown Farm supporter, has teamed up with The Spa at Robert Woods Johnson to offer a memorable experience for both you and your special someone.

There are dinner options with a massage plus an add-on wine or beer pairing, something to suit everyone’s tastes.  There are limited time slots available, and they will go fast! So call now for menu options and to reserve your special date.

Wait! There is more good news.  I have arranged for you to receive a 10% discount on any of the below packages if you mention Griggstown Quail Farm.

732-261-9896