Seasonal changes are on full display as we enter the final week of this year’s CSA. Photo by Jared Planz

│ Announcements │ This Week’s Share │ U-Pick │ Recipe │ Gleaning │

Announcements:

This will be the last share!

Our 2021 season is a wrap this week—and what a great season it has been!
So far this year we have donated about 17,000 pounds worth of produce, and harvested almost 70,000 pounds overall.

That is an amazing amount of food brought in from the fields and it could not have been done without all the help from the great people who choose to come to Clagett Farm. The work being done here at the farm is vital to the work being done by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation as a whole, as the way we grow our food has a huge impact on our environment.

Here at Clagett, we strive to keep learning ways to rebuild the soil on our 283 acres and continue to collaborate with other farmers through networks like Future Harvest, Buy Fresh Buy Local, and the Maryland Grazers Network. With these types of efforts, we are able to keep moving toward a regenerative model of producing and consuming fresh local food while continuing lead by example as we work together to SAVE THE BAY!

Below are some highlights of those people and their efforts this season!

Photos by Jared and Elissa Planz

Wreath Sale

We are happy to announce that we will be selling handmade holiday wreaths again this season.

Farm Pick-up Day: Saturday, December 4, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the same area as your CSA pick-up.

Annapolis Pick-up Day: Thursday, December 2, from 3 p.m. to 5p.m. also in the same location as the CSA pick-up, in the front corner of the parking garage under the Philip Merrill Center.

End of year survey

If you have a moment, please take this brief survey. It will help us know how to keep improving our CSA!

Please FILL OUT SURVEY HERE

How to Purchase a Share next Year

As a current member, you will be alerted first when shares will be available to purchase. This will happen early next year.

PURCHASE Additional GARLIC BELOW

Garlic is still available for purchase in larger amounts and will be cleaned off like before.

sold out

6/2 Event Invoice

$112.00

Add To Cart

This Week’s Share:

Garlic
Sweet potatoes
Bok choy and tatsoi
Arugula and Tokyo Bekana
Root medley
Sweet peppers
Optional poblanos

U-Pick:

Sunchokes aka Jerusalem Artichokes (Find these across from the field with three barns, near the main office. The tall stalks that have died back are hiding these treasures below. You can park in the grass along the road, but be sure to leave room for traffic to move past)
Garlic chives
Lemon balm
Parsley
Sage
Thyme

RECIPE:

A bit about garlic!

In the last few weeks, we have been serving up quite a bit of garlic so we wanted to be sure everyone knows that your bulbs should last for about three to five months. Just be sure to store them in cool, dark place. (Ours keep fine in the dark corner of the kitchen pantry until about February.)

That said, next year we will likely not see a garlic bulb until June. We love to preserve a bulk of ours to see that we are not without our delicious garlic for too long. Here are some ways to keep easy-to-use minced garlic on hand into early spring. This information was found at Allrecipes.com, so if you’re looking for more, that’s a great place to start!

how to process

Once the garlic cloves are peeled, it's time to mince. For large quantities of garlic, a food processor or a blender is going to be your best bet. Process/blend your garlic cloves to your desired consistency—this could be anywhere from a fine paste to a chunky, minced consistency. Note: For Method #2, you will need to process your garlic with oil (the ratio is two parts oil to one part garlic).

For small quantities of garlic, mince as you normally would using either a knife, a garlic press, or even a microplane grater.

How to Store and Preserve

Method #1: Preserving Garlic in Jars With Oil

Store-bought minced garlic is often packed in oil and jarred, and this same storage method also works for homemade garlic. The oil protects the garlic from air, helping to preserve its flavor and color.

However, the USDA warns that there is a botulism risk associated with storing garlic in oil at room temperature and even in the refrigerator over longer periods of time: "Research performed by the University of Georgia confirmed that mixtures of garlic in oil stored at room temperature are at risk for the development of botulism. Garlic in oil should be made fresh and stored in the refrigerator at 40 degrees F or lower for no more than 7 days. It may be frozen for several months."

Store-bought, pre-minced garlic in oil is treated with preservatives to prevent the development of harmful bacteria. So, keeping track of how long your garlic has been in the refrigerator or freezer is imperative when using this method at home.

Here's What You'll Need:

Minced garlic
An airtight container, either plastic or glass
Vegetable oil of your choice (we recommend olive or avocado)
Something to label the container with (masking tape and a marker will work)

Instructions:

Add your minced garlic to a clean, airtight container—wide-mouth mason jars are an excellent freezer-safe option.
Top off with oil (choose an oil with neutral flavor like olive oil or avocado oil), until the garlic is completely covered, leaving ½-inch of headspace.
Seal and label the containers with the date. Refrigerate for up to one week, or freeze and use within about three months.

Always use a clean, dry spoon to remove the garlic from the jar when you're ready to use. This will prevent contamination and mold growth.

Method #2: Freezing Garlic in Portions

This method is preferred if you want to store your garlic in individual portions to add to your recipes as you go.

Here's What You'll Need:

1 part whole, peeled garlic cloves
2 parts oil (we recommend olive or avocado)
Food processor or blender
Measuring teaspoon
Baking sheet or ice cube tray
Freezer-safe bag
Marker (to label bag with the date)

Instructions:

Add peeled garlic cloves and oil to a food processor or blender and pulse/blend until you've reached your desired consistency.
Scoop out one teaspoon at a time of the garlic and oil mixture and add to either a baking sheet or an ice cube tray.
Flash freeze the garlic by placing the baking sheet or ice cube tray in the freezer for several hours, or until frozen solid.
Transfer the garlic chunks to a freezer-safe storage bag, label with the date, and store for up to three months.

When you're ready to use your garlic, simply add it to your dishes straight from frozen.

Gleaning:

What is gleaning?!

Gleaning is simply the act of collecting leftover produce from the fields. After the CSA is complete, we will open the fall greens field for u-picking.

This will be open from Monday, November 15 until Friday, November 26. You may come during all daylight hours. Please note that it is good practice to close the gates behind you!

You may want to consider bringing bins/bags for produce, gloves, knives to cut the greens, and plenty of warm clothes.

Out in the field, there will be a variety of greens with labels at the end of each row throughout field B4. (This is the same exact area as the spring strawberries.) When you come, please park at the main office area and follow the red signs leading you up the hill.

Some things you may find in good quantities:

Salad Greens: Tokyo Bekana, arugula, spicy mix
Roots: daikon, watermelon, turnips (smaller ones)
Bok choy and tatsoi (smaller heads)

Goodbye, but only for now. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and look forward to another awesome year together in 2022!

—Warmest wishes from the crew at Clagett Farm

Week 26 of 26: The Last Share of 2021!