Happy November! We hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween full of fun and spooky good times. We had a wonderfully sunny Saturday at the Farmers Market. We will be taking the next 2 weeks off from the Farmers Market (11-6 to 11-13). We need to focus our energy on the final preparations of putting the farm to bed, planting our garlic beds, and also our preserving projects! We will be at the Farmers Market on Saturday November, 20th for our final Fall Harvest Market. ***Please note- if you were scheduled to pick up your veggies from the Farmers Market for the next 2 weeks, you will receive another separate email with instructions and options for alternate pick up / delivery. Please let us know which option works best for you!
Today (and tomorrow) is Día De Los Muertos or Day of the Dead. A tradition celebrated among many Latinos, Indigenous, & Latin American communities. This 2-day holiday originated in Mexico and is a celebration of remembrance for those who are no longer in the land of the living. Rather than mourning and sadness, it is a lively celebration that commemorates the dead with food, drink, music, and activities that they enjoyed. Families make an Ofrendas (offerings) altars that honor their departed family members. It is common to find big orange Marigolds (believed to help the departed find the offerings from their family members with the strong scent and beautiful color and also a symbol of fragility and beauty), sugar skulls (that are brightly painted with hearts, flowers, and other decorations), candles, photos of your loved ones, food that they loved, and brightly colored cloth. The first day of Día De Los Muertos is dedicated to children who have departed (Día De Los Angelitos). It is believed that the children can reunite with their families for 24 hours. The second of November from midnight to noon is dedicated to Día de los Difuntos (or spirits of the adults). From noon to the end of the second day Día De Los Muertos is for celebrating all spirits. Families usually clean and decorate head stones with flowers, gifts, and sugar skulls. There are usually large parades and neighborhood celebrations where you will commonly see people dressed as skeletons with painted faces. Death is a part of life. Our dead are never dead to us until they are forgotten.
Other farm projects happening?! Lots of dehydrating, freezing, canning, making salsa and preserve. Patrick will soon be making his delectable and fiery hot sauce. Kelly has been making lots of soap using local goats’ milk and flowers/herbs from the farm. Lyndsay has been making smudge sticks with farm grown herbs and flowers. We will also be preparing herb salts, more chili salts and other seasonings for gift giving and to stock up your pantry. Catch some of these goodies at our final Harvest Market with the Vancouver Farmers Market on Saturday, November 20th.
Kitchen Tips:
Fall is time for tons of root veggies! I'm usually not a huge raw radish fan, but when roasted- I LOVE them! Roasting mellows out that radish bite. We have quite a few different radish types that we grow. Black Spanish Radish (the spiciest) with a white flesh and black skin. They look like little match sticks when sliced thinly. There is also the iconic Watermelon Radish with its pink flesh and green or white skin. Red Daikon radish is wonderful for fast slicing with is long shape. Then there's also the colorful round radishes that you've been seeing all season.
We will commonly roast potatoes, carrots, radishes, cauliflower and rutabaga together. Cut them into a bowl and drizzle a good amount of avocado or olive oil, sprinkle with spices (Indian Curry or Patrick's Chili Salt are our 2 favorites). Roast in a 400* oven for 30-45 minutes stirring half way through cooking. Serve with fresh chopped herbs (cilantro, parsley, or chives).
This season is coming to and end for many of you and we’d like to extend another huge THANK YOU for all of your support this year and for not only helping us continue to do what we love, but also for the impact that supporting local has on your community, your health, and the wellness of the world! The average distance that food travels from farm to consumer in the United States is approximately 1,300 miles. That’s a huge carbon footprint that you've saved this season!
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts <3
Kelly & The Flat Tack/ Sprout & Blossom Team
