“The Manocle”

The complete first volume

(2010) of Mano Farm’s CSA
newsletters.
By Quin Shakra & Justin
Huhn, with David Klein.
2

Table of Contents
Table  of  Contents  .....................................................................................................................  2  
Turnips:  Vol.  1,  issue  #1,  January  4th,  2010  ....................................................................  4  
Mano  pharmacy’s  mullein:  Vol.  1,  issue  #1.5:  January  11th,  2010.  ..........................  6  
Vol.  1,  no.  #2,  January  18th,  2010.  .......................................................................................  8  
Radish  Top  Soup  ...................................................................................................................  10  
Vol.  1,  #3:  February  1st,  2010.  ...........................................................................................  11  
Vol.  1,  #4:  February  15th,  2010.  ........................................................................................  13  
Recipes  for  Health:  Stuffed  Collard  Greens  ..................................................................  16  
“How  Swede  it  is  to  be  loved  by  you”:  Vol.  1,  #5:  March  7th,  2010.  .......................  18  
Vol.  1,  #6:  March  22nd,  2010.  .............................................................................................  19  
Recipes  for  Health:  Risotto  With  Broccoli  ....................................................................  20  
Vol.  1,  issue  #7:  April  8th,  2010.  ........................................................................................  21  
Vol.  1,  issue  #8:  April  22nd,  2010.  ....................................................................................  23  
Fennel  Orange  Salad  ............................................................................................................  24  
The  CSA  newsletter  crossover!  Vol.  1,  issue  #9:  April  29th,  2010.  ........................  25  
Rutabaga  prep  and  storage:  Vol.  1,  issue  #10:  May  13th,  2010.  .............................  27  
Common  dandelion:  Medicinal,  edible,  bitter  &  nutritious:  vol.  1,  issue  #11:  
May  20th,  2010.  ......................................................................................................................  30  
Vol.  1,  issue  #12:  June  2nd,  2010.  ......................................................................................  32  
Recipes  for  Health:  Stewed  Lentils  with  Cabbage  ......................................................  33  
Vol.  1,  issue  #13:  June  17th,  2010.  ....................................................................................  34  
Vol.  1,  issue  #14:  July  8th,  2010.  ........................................................................................  35  
Zucchini  &  Kickstarter:  Vol.  1,  issue  #15:  August  5th,  2010.  ...................................  37  
Vegan  zucchini  bread  ..........................................................................................................  38  
Vol.  1,  issue  #16:  Aug  19th,  2010.  .....................................................................................  39  
Vol.  1,  issue  #17:  September  5th,  2010.  ..........................................................................  41  
Vol.  1,  issue  #18:  September  19th,  2010.  .......................................................................  42  
Tomatillo  Salsa  Verde  .........................................................................................................  42  
Vol.  1,  issue  #19:  October  10th,  2010.  .............................................................................  44  
 3

Mano  Farm,  Food  Justice,  and  Kickstarter:  A  brief  reflection  and  accounting.  45  
Vol.  1,  issue  #20:  October  23rd,  2010.  ............................................................................  47  
Farmer  Accountability:  Vol.  1,  issue  #21:  October  31st,  2010.  .............................  49  
A  recipe  for  Mustard  Greens  (the  frilly  greens  with  a  little  spice)  ......................  50  
Vol.  1,  issue  #22:  November  7th,  2010.  ...........................................................................  51  
Vol.  1,  issue  #23:  November  21st,  2010.  ........................................................................  52  
Creamy  kale  &  white  bean  soup  ......................................................................................  53  
Vol.  1,  issue  #24:  December  5th,  2010.  .........................................................................  54  
Rutabaga  and  Carrot  Puree  ...............................................................................................  55  
Farming  amidst  the  rain,  or  our  2011  budget:  Vol.  1,  Issue  #25.  .........................  56  
Recipes  for  Health:  Andalusian  Cabbage  Stew  ............................................................  58  
Recipes  for  Health:  Spicy  Stir-­‐Fried  Cabbage  ..............................................................  58  
Bibliography  ...........................................................................................................................  60  
 
4

Turnips: Vol. 1, issue #1, January 4th, 2010

Hey everyone, Quin here. Welcome to the first edition of our currently untitled (any
suggestions?) newsletter. We are writing to keep our Community Supported Agriculture
(CSA) members in touch with what’s happening on the farm, provide the occasional
recipe and nutritional profile of the food we’re growing, and make any other pertinent
announcements.
This week our shares include chard, kale, purple-top turnips, radishes, lettuce, Chinese
cabbage and chicory. Chicory is the small, lance-shaped bunch of greens and it is
incredibly bitter. It’s also commonly referred to as Italian or Catalonga dandelion. Don’t
fear the bitter! Herbalist James Green observes that this flavor has been virtually
eliminated from the American diet, save for beer, coffee or chocolate (the latter two of
which are commonly sweetened). Bitters (tasting the flavor itself being quite important)
help support healthy digestion by stimulating the exocrine and endocrine glands.1 They
also help the liver perform its detoxification function. Perhaps most provocatively, Green
suggests:
[T]he bitter action, as it stimulates actions and sensations within the entire physiology of the
being, has a marked antidepressant psychological effect along with a subtle grounding effect on
one’s consciousness. It is difficult to remain in a depressed state with all the internal secreting and
2
squirting going on in the gut and glands due to the secreting effect of bitter flavor.

Slowly acquaint yourself with chicory by chopping a small amount into your salads
(salads have been historically composed of bitter greens) or try stir-frying it with some of
our kale, collards and chard.
David and Justin were initially turnip weary but have since come full circle; all it took
was finding an ideal method of preparation. We peel the bulbs (sad to lose the purple, I
know), thinly slice and then stir-fry them. They absorb the flavor of whatever oil and
spices we use and seem to digest very well. Nutritionally speaking, turnips provide
humans with fiber, vitamin C, pantothenic acid, manganese, copper, thiamine, niacin,
potassium, magnesium, folic acid, riboflavin, and vitamins B6 and E(!). Turnip tops are
also edible, being many times more nutritious than the root.3 Because they are a bit
spindly, I’d recommend cooking them (either steaming or stir-fry) first. We’ve got a lot
of these turnips in the ground, so we hope that you will become acquainted with this
magical vegetable.
The flower in your box is a calendula. Calendula is the archetypal Mano flower —edible,
ornamental and medicinal — not to mention astoundingly beautiful. Seeing these flowers
flourish in the winter season brings joy to my heart. Pull the petals off the blossoms and
mix them in with your salad or add them to a soup at the last minute. Or simply put the

1
James Green, The Male Herbal: The Definitive Health Care Book for Men & Boys, 2nd Edition
(Berkeley, California: Crossing Press, 2007), p 32.
2
Ibid.
3
Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno and Lara Pizzorno, The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods (New
York: Atria Books, 2005), 244.
 5

flower in a vase; it seems to have a decent shelf life and when it finally dries out, make
some tea with it. More on calendula in the future, as it’s got more offer as the days both
warm and lengthen…
All of above preparation tips are just suggestions, of course. As you probably know, there
are no hard and fast rules when it comes to cooking. You can eat nearly everything that’s
included in our CSA shares (save this newsletter, of course) without any preparation at
all. Needless to say, Mano Farm is —and always will be — pesticide and poison free.
Looking toward the horizon, we’ve ordered a 5-gallon salad spinner. Once that arrives
we’ll be able to include bagged salad mixes in your share. We’re also considering
including a bagged mix of stir-fry greens so those of you with busy schedules can have a
mix that can go directly into the pot or pan with minimal preparation.
I grew potatoes in a large blue bucket to keep them warm and I hope to harvest in time
for the shares next week. Our purple sprouting broccoli should be ready in a few weeks.
We’ve got more broccoli coming up right behind the purple stuff so we intend on
providing our members with a steady supply. Beets (white, red and gold!) are still sizing
up and perhaps need another month. Spinach: we have some now, but not enough to go
around. We planted more this week.
Farther off is purple cauliflower, gai lan (a Chinese broccoli grown primarily for its
stem), purple (purple, purple, beginning to detect a theme?) carrots, fennel, peppermint,
and true dandelion. We’ve also got a good supply of garlic in the ground, but that’s not
going to be ready until May or June.
We’re also working on setting up a subsidized CSA program where members can support
low-income families or individuals by purchasing vegetable shares. We’ll get details to
you in the next newsletter.
With respect,
quin
6

Mano pharmacy’s mullein: Vol. 1, issue #1.5:

January 11th, 2010.

I didn’t plan on writing another installment of this newsletter until the following week,
yet given the number of people who have succumbed to flu season, I thought it would be
germane to share some information about that little fuzzy green-yellow bunch of leaves
we’re including in this week’s shares.
The plant’s name is Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), and it’s a Eurasian import that has
naturalized itself across most of the United States. Herbalist Gregory L. Tilford writes
that mullein is common to “clearcuts, burns, and partially developed lands.”4 I’ve
encountered the plant in the high deserts of central Oregon, along state highways near
national forests in southern Washington, and in the craggy rock faces that run parallel to
the Cross County Parkway in Bronxville, New York.

Figure 1: Common mullein growing in a rock face. Bronxville, New York, December 2007.

Importantly, mullein is an ideal medicinal plant to be taking during throughout flu

season. It’s not a “magic bullet” cure (few herbal medicines are) but I have found that it
gently heals my respiratory ailments. Tilford writes:
Herbalists use mullein leaves for an expectorant and respiratory antispasmodic. Tea made from it
may be especially useful at the onset of a respiratory tract is acutely inflamed, a tickley spastic
cough has ensued, and the subsequent secretion of soothing, cleansing mucus seems long
overdue.5

Similarly, herbalist Michael Moore (not to be confused with the filmmaker) notes:
Mullein is an herb for the lungs and throat and can be consumed in any rational quantity needed,
being basically free of toxicity. It is a mild sedative to the lungs and especially useful in the initial

4
Gregory L. Tilford, From Earth to Herbalist: An Earth-Concious Guide to Medicinal Plants
(Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1998), 143.
5
Ibid., 144.
 7

stages of an infection, when there is a mild fever, raspiness in the throat, and a hot, dry feeling in
the chest. Its effect decreases when the infection is broken and an expectorant is needed.6

Moore recommends to “steep a tablespoon of the slightly disagreeable leaves, well

crushed, in sweetened water and drink during the day.”7 However, because our mullein
leaves are fresh (if you’re looking for them at an herb store, you’ll usually find them
dried) I would recommend simmering them in a saucepan for 7-10 minutes. If you want
to save these leaves for future use, Tilford recommends drying them on a nonmetallic
surface, or tying them into bunches and hanging them in a dark, airspace. Mullein, he
points out, “seems to be vulnerable to mold, so watch it closely and rearrange it
frequently.”8
We’re in the process of ordering seeds for the next three growing seasons. Next week,
we’d like to give you a more detailed picture of what we plan to grow, along with
information about our low-income subsidy program, and perhaps some thoughts about
what to do with radish tops.

6
Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, Revised and Expanded Edition (Santa
Fe, New Mexico: Museum of New Mexico Press, 2003), 171.
7
Ibid.
8
Tilford, 145.
8

Vol. 1, no. #2, January 18th, 2010.

I write these words early Monday morning, during a lull in what looks to be a week of
rain. I pay attention to weather patterns more now than at any point in my life; my
livelihood has never felt more tied to them. Yesterday, as Justin and David were finishing
up some new vegetable beds at Mano, I was with Steve Sprinkel over on his Gozo Farm,
helping him plant hundreds of broccolis, cauliflower, cabbages, and snapdragons. Steve
and I finished up as the first raindrops were falling, and afterward I ran back with Justin
to Mano to take care of the few preparations for this onslaught of rain.
So much has happened in the past few weeks that is worth recounting. Before I do so I
realize there’s this polarity with this project that is quite humorous. We are on the one
hand, very low-tech. For instance, (thanks to an unexpected donation by the father of a
CSA member) we recently invested in a scythe that will be used use to remove the large
portions of biomass growing (both the weeds and cover crop we seeded) in areas that we
aren’t cultivating. Justin, David and I also sat down a week ago to determine the seeds we
want grow over the next three growing seasons. We decided to invest in largely heirloom,
open pollinated varieties (the kinds of seeds that have been used during most of the
history of agriculture) from small companies such as J.L. Hudson, Baker Creek, Wild
Garden Seeds, and Territorial Seeds. We’re getting our seed potatoes from Irish Eyes and
our sweet potatoes from Sand Hill. I’d originally wanted to include an extensive list of
what we’re growing, but it turned out to be so long that I instead plan to post it on our
new web site.
Which brings me to the other hand, in which we are very “high tech.” From the beginning
of this farming project we’ve been wired. I opened a Twitter account
(http://twitter.com/manofarm) for the first time because I felt like there was finally a
reason to use it. We’ve been regularly updating it with information about what we’re
doing on the farm, such as planting, digging vegetable and herb beds, and any other
announcements (such as who we’re supporting in this late night television debacle). I also
set up a Facebook group, a Facebook fan page (after my brother clued me into the
advantages of the latter over the former), and finally, our own web site at
http://manofarm.org. There can be a fair amount of redundancy in all these social
networking technologies, but our main goal with these mediums is community outreach,
to both current members and those folks who are interested in participating in our farm.
Still, we know we’ve got a ways to go with the crucial “C” part of the “CSA.” We need
to stress more that CSAs are not aimed merely at replacing the supermarket shopping
experience; they are about reconnecting people with land on which their food is grown.
We aspire to create strong farm-supported community, and we’re grateful to have the
support that you’ve provided us thus far. It’s only gonna get better from here.
On that note, we’re launching a subsidy program with the goal of minimizing the socio-
economic barriers that prevent individuals and families from accessing healthy, fresh
produce. Members of our CSA already subsidize the farm, but we also want to let folks
know that they can also subsidize healthy eating for others. This program will soon have
 9

a writeup of its own, but if you’re interested in supporting someone, email me at

jadecricket@gmail.com.
This week’s box contains our first pick of Calabrese Green Sprouting broccoli. What I
love about winter broccoli is the flavor of the stalk: it’s sweet and not fibrous. Brassicas
(the plant family that broccoli is part of) love the cold nights. You’re also receiving your
first bag of chopped salad greens. The edible flower petals in the bag are calendula, the
very same bright red or yellow flower that punctuates your box. Lastly, our friend Plyn
had inquired, “What to do with radish tops?” which led to the inclusion of our very first
CSA newsletter recipe: Radish Top soup. Thanks to Caroline for cluing us into this.
Enjoy, and note that vegans/vegetarians can replace butter, heavy cream and chicken
broth with coconut oil, soy creamer, and vegetable stalk.
10

Radish Top Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, diced
2 medium potatoes, sliced
4 cups raw radish greens
4 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
5 radishes, sliced

Directions

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and sauté until
tender. Mix in the potatoes and radish greens, coating them with the butter. Pour
in chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30
minutes.

Allow the soup mixture to cool slightly, and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth.

Return the mixture to the saucepan. Mix in the heavy cream. Cook and stir until well
blended.

Serve with radish slices.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 177 | Total Fat: 10.2g | Cholesterol: 28m
 11

Vol. 1, #3: February 1st, 2010.

While nearing the end of our workday at Mano last Thursday, Quin, David and I were
graced with a visit by our friend and CSA member Kaiulani. She arrived during a typical
oh-so-magical Mano sunset to shoot photos for her class at Brooks Institute. Upon
departing, she thanked us for visiting our farm. I promptly corrected her: “This is your
farm, too.” “I always wanted a to have a farm,” she replied, smiling.
I've been thinking a lot about our CSA program and what it really means to be a member.
For some, a significant paradigm shift may be necessary to appreciate and understand
your involvement and support of the farm. This may change your relationship with food
and definition of community. These changes include: 1) shifting away from the retail
food model we have all become accustomed to and toward eating what is growing locally
and seasonally; 2) opening up to new foods that may bring a newfound excitement for
experimentation in the kitchen. Instead of a share purchasing "X" amount of vegetables
for "Y" dollars, think about your money as an investment: in your farm, health, and
community.
In his book Farms of Tomorrow, Trauger Groh writes, "...the term CSA is slightly
misleading. It implies that the problem is special support for agriculture....Although it
may seem a fine point, the primary need is not for the farm to be supported by the
community, but rather for the community to support itself through farming." Part of this
support means shared risk: sharing in times of abundance (which we are presently
experiencing), but also sharing in potential scarcities — crop failure, predation, etc..
Of late, the funds from donations and your CSA membership has afforded us the
opportunity to purchase two ground squirrel traps, a couple much-needed tools,
informational publications on biodynamics, and all of our seeds for the coming spring
and summer seasons. The list is quite long of what we are planning on growin’, but we
are particularly excited about rutabagas, parsnips, sweet potatoes, two dozen tomato and
winter squash varieties, and a Japanese heirloom turnip, the Scarlet Ohno Revival.
Equally as exciting are the medicinals: osha, marshmallow, echinacea, astragalus,
pennyroyal, and many others. On the medicinal note, we're including our fuzzy friend
Mullein again in this week's box as we're noticing many folks in our community are
dealing with persistent and lingering cold & flu-related respiratory issues. Simmer this
beautiful leaf for 15 minutes and sip the tea...it's a completely safe and effective
respiratory-healing herb, soothing the irritated mucus membranes of the lungs, and acting
as a gentle expectorant.
As we enjoy the last couple weeks with our beloved purple-top turnip, we continue to
hear creative ideas for consuming them. We received a tip from CSA member Caroline:
lightly blanch the turnip greens with salt water to reduce their bitterness. This is sure to
make them more palatable for your bitter-shy dinner guests. We at Mano like to recall
the timeless words of Blue Oyster Cult, "Don't fear the bitter." In this weeks box, and for
a couple weeks you'll find you share of the harvest of our first small round of beets. Eat
the greens...they're incredibly nutritious. Steam/sauté them like you would any other
12

Mano green. The beetroot can be shredded raw as a colorful & sweet addition to your
salad, or boiled/steamed and chopped, added to your favorite grain/veggie dish.
The latest: our greenhouse is up, and we are starting seeds during every new and full
moon. Fennel, chard, spinach and beets will be going in the ground within the next week
or two, as well as snow/snap peas, carrots and radishes. The roots: radishes, turnips,
beets, carrots will come and go during the next couple months. The leafy greens,
however, continue to thrive, and barring the visit of a hurricane or a marauding family of
famished deer, there'll be no stopping them. The break from rain for a week or so has
allowed us to do a bit more digging...stay tuned for upcoming member volunteer days.
If you have questions or comments, or would like to come visit Mano, give me a
call...758-3184. If you haven't already, check out our new website: www.manofarm.org
much love,

Justin
 13

Vol. 1, #4: February 15th, 2010.

Hey everyone, Quin here. I want to make a few brief announcements at

the outset of this newsletter:

• We’ve scheduled a Mano Farm Volunteer Day for February 21st from 1 to
4 pm. We’ll likely be digging some new vegetable beds and weeding
established ones; transplanting crops, and starting new seedlings. We want to
make this an educational experience that elucidates some of our fledgling
cultivation philosophy (e.g. why we plant in triangles, start seeds in flats, and
double dig). Rest assured, we’re no martinets: our typical day at Mano is
punctuated by scrumptious food and this volunteer day will be no different.
Following work we’ll be creating a meal composed of farm vegetables and
other ingredients. This means we’ll also be doing some harvesting. We hope
to see you there. For those who have yet to visit us, directions are enclosed in
this document.
• Each box now contains a sheet that lists what we’re giving you; while we’re
keeping more lengthy newsletters to a biweekly basis, this list will be included
every week.
• Thanks for those of ya’ll who are leaving your boxes outdoors for us to pick
up! We can rinse them clean and re-use them for the following week’s shares.

Writer and satirist David Sedaris once remarked, “I haven't got the slightest idea how
to change people, but still I keep a long list of prospective candidates just in case I should
ever figure it out.”9 I find this germane because I’ve recently realized something about
this Community Supported Agriculture program that there’s no skirting around: Us
farmers are trying to change the way we eat and relate to our food, away from the modern
agriculture experience — which is based on quantity, uniformity, cheap prices, and
perennial availability of fruits and vegetables — and toward an ecologically sane and
sustainable model of food production. The CSA model precipitates an almost
uncomfortable confrontation for many accustomed to exclusively supermarket shopping.
And while I pretty much agree with Sedaris — I’m without the slightest idea about how
to change folks, and furthermore I’m not entirely sure if I want to —what’s a CSA farmer
to do when their basis for a living is predicated on changing the way people eat?
Sharing The Harvest: A Citizens Guide To Community Supported Agriculture is
probably the most thorough resource that explains both the history and diversity of the
CSA movement. Robyn Van En, who started the first U.S. CSA program at Indian Line
Farm in 1985, began writing the book before her untimely death from asthma in 1997.
Writing was completed under the auspices of Elizabeth Henderson, another CSA veteran.
Now in its second edition, the book is loaded with practical information distilled from
countless farmers and members’ experiences with CSA programs. In the section
“Community and Communications” the authors discuss some common members face as

9
David Sedaris, Naked (Newport Beach, CA: Back Bay Books, 1997), 215.
14

they decide whether or not to renew their involvement with CSA programs. Two in
particular struck me, because they again touch upon this confrontation with change.
The first was that members’ initial excitement of participating in a local agricultural
project tends to wear away. The book cites a study of CSA member reactions to their
program over two seasons: spring and autumn. In spring, new members would say things
like “I’m looking forward to working with new vegetables I’ve never eaten before” or
“I’m assuming that these will be pretty much the only vegetables I buy.” However by
autumn these same members’ enthusiasm had markedly waned, as evidenced by remarks
such as, “When I said I wanted variety, I really meant within the things I was used to
eating” or “I never got a wide enough variety to really keep me from having to go to the
local grocery store.”10
The authors use cooking to explain a second barrier to CSA renewal. Some folks start
meals deductively, with a preconceived recipe and need for specific ingredients. If I want
spaghetti sauce, for instance, I need tomatoes, oregano, olive oil, etc. I can’t very well
substitute tomatoes for kale or chard, so this leaves me in a bind. What use is a CSA
share that won’t help make my favorite foods? Conversely, the inductive cooker “flings
open the refrigerator door one hour before dinner, rejoices at the abundance, puts three
quarters of the meal on the table raw, and is happy that this is possible without stepping a
foot in the supermarket.”11 Clearly, a inductive cook might be more naturally inclined
toward a CSA program. Yet the aforementioned frustrated autumn CSA member
discussed was very likely a deductive cook — that’s the cook that our farm must reach
out to consistently. Yet — and this again hits on the topic of change — the deductive
cook might also consider adjusting their meal planning toward seasonally available
produce. To this point, we’ve included a recipe for Collard Dolmades (Grape Leaves), a
twist on a classic that will hopefully appeal to both the inductive and deductive cookers
in us all. I had these on thanksgiving with Justin and my Mom and they were absolutely
delightful.
We also want to challenge deductive cooks to reconceptualize how they think about
diversity. For instance, I spoke over the phone to a potential CSA who wanted pineapples
and zucchinis in their CSA box; sadly, neither are in season, and only one of them can be
grown locally. Compared to the individual’s expectations, Mano Farm might not seem
that diverse. However, when diversity is considered laterally — not only across but
within vegetable/plant families — and locally — as in what Ojai’s landbase is capable of
growing due to day length and other climatic factors — I’d argue we’re one of the most
diverse farms in the vicinity. Think two varieties of cabbage; three of broccoli and chard;
four of beets; five of rutabagas, kale, and potatoes. I lost count of how many types of
garlics we put in the ground. Six? Or was that seven… This unbridled, almost reckless
vegetable and crop experimentalism is undoubtedly the advantage of our farm’s youth:
we don’t know yet “what works” so we’re trying everything. Reckless but hopefully not

10
Elizabeth Henderson and Robyn Van En, Sharing the Harvest: A Citizen's Guide to Community
Supported Agriculture, Revised and Expanded Edition (White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green
Publishing Company, 2007), 147.
11
Ibid., 148.
 15

feckless. For a complete list of what we’re growing now and in the coming seasons, visit
our web site at manofarm.org.
Hope to see you this coming Sunday. If not, we’re planning a Spring Equinox
celebration on March 20th, so there will be another chance to meet each other then.
-quin
16

Recipes for Health: Stuffed Collard Greens

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

If greens, raisins, nuts and grains of rice all symbolize prosperity, then you'll do well to make this recipe for
your New Year's Eve party. Collard greens are great stuffing leaves; theyare large and easy to work with,
and they can stand up to long simmering. The filling is a typical Greek dolmades filling.

1 large bunch collard greens (about 1 1/2 pounds), stemmed

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large red or yellow onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, green shoots removed, minced
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup rice, either medium-grain or basmati, rinsed well in several changes of water
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts (to taste)
1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained (retain juice)
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup currants or dark raisins (to taste)
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground allspice berries
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Juice of 1 lemon
1 lemon, sliced thin (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you carefully stem the collard greens, trying to keep the leaves
intact. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the collard
leaves in batches. Blanch two minutes and transfer to the ice water. Drain, gently squeeze out excess water
and set aside.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat in a large lidded skillet, and add the onion. Cook,
stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic, salt and sugar, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is
fragrant, about a minute. Add the rice and pine nuts, and stir together until the rice is coated with oil. Stir in
the tomatoes, currants, cinnamon, allspice and salt and pepper to taste. Stir together, and add 1 cup water or
enough to barely cover the rice. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until all of the liquid has
been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Allow to sit for 10 minutes without disturbing.
Stir in the mint and dill.

3. Oil a wide, deep, lidded saucepan with olive oil. To fill the leaves, place one on your work surface, vein
side up and with the stem end facing you. The leaf may have a big space in the middle where you stemmed
it; if so, pull the two sides of the leaf in towards each other and overlap them slightly. Place about 1 level
tablespoon of filling on the bottom center of each leaf. Fold the sides over, then roll up tightly, tucking in
the sides as you go. Place seam side down in the pan, fitting the stuffed leaves in snug layers. Drizzle on
the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and pour on the lemon juice. Barely cover with water, and top with a
layer of lemon slices.

4. Cover the stuffed leaves with a round of parchment paper, and place a plate over the paper to weight
them during cooking. This will keep them from opening. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer over low
heat for 45 minutes to an hour until the leaves are tender. Remove from the heat, and carefully remove the
dolmades from the water with a slotted spoon or tongs. Allow to drain on a rack set over a sheet pan. Serve
warm or cold.
 17

Yield: About two dozen stuffed leaves.

Advance preparation: These keep well for three or four days in the refrigerator.
Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can order presentation-ready copies for
distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers, please click here or use the "Reprints" tool that
appears next to any article. Visit www.nytreprints.com for samples and additional information.
18

“How Swede it is to be loved by you”: Vol. 1,

#5: March 7th, 2010.

First things first: We’re hosting a Spring Equinox gathering at Mano on Saturday, March
20th. We’ll be commemorating the beginning of our third season of cultivation on this
beautiful piece of land. Equinox holidays have historically celebrated the balance
between darkness and light, and the ushering in of warmer times. For us farmers, it
means a heralding of the quickest growing season of the year. Vegetables grow leaps and
bounds in a matter of a few weeks; yet unfortunately so do the weeds around them.
Because this spring will surely be the busiest and most abundant season yet for our young
farm, we want to take this day to celebrate.
I want to mention Mano’s newest veggie resident: the beloved swede, aka rutabaga,
cousin of the turnip. These healthy seedlings are now holding space in four freshly-dug
beds, amended with our first batch of Mano-made compost. Under bird netting they
thrive, growing strong enough to ward off critters un-deterred by the netting. The
swedes are neighbors to simultaneously-sown wild kale, and the Scarlet Ohno turnip.
The ‘bagas and Ohnos will “turnip” at your doorstep in about two months…the kale a bit
sooner.
We are already mourning the end of our first small sowing of beets, and are taking our
friend Dale’s advice: “When in doubt, plant beets!” Why, you ask? Not only are they
highly nutritious, they also send down a ten-plus foot taproot, breaking up and loosening
compacted clay soil, therefore aiding our ongoing mission to build the soil structure. We
have subsequently planted flat after flat of these powerhouse veggies…the next round of
which you should be seeing in your box in a few weeks.
In your box this week you will find a small bunch of our first sowing of carrots…either
Purple Dragon, or Cosmic Purple. If you haven’t figured it out by now, we really like
purple veggies. You’ll also find a couple oranges, donated to y’all from CSA comrade
Alexa, as well as an avocado, courtesy of Mano land owner Kim.
Thanks to everyone who took part in our first volunteer day. We planted out 200 sq ft of
potatoes, shared food and music and good times around a fire. We’ll keep you updated
on our next volunteer opportunity.
Sincerely,
Justin
 19

Vol. 1, #6: March 22nd, 2010.

We’ve been at Mano Farm for seven months and Sunday’s spring equinox marked the
first full season of our Community Supported Agriculture program. Thanks to all of you
who made it out for our equinox gathering. The food was delicious and so was the
company. Our farm was formed out of friendships and I have enjoyed not only deepening
these existent ones but also experiencing these expanding circles of community.
If you didn’t end up making it, no worries; we’re going to continue holding seasonal
celebrations. Summer solstice for sure, yet we’re also considering doing something on
Beltane (May 1st). Also consider attending our upcoming Volunteer Day on Tuesday,
March 30th from 4 to 7pm. We decided to start in the afternoon because the the focus
will be weeding our vegetable beds, and we don’t want the sun scorching our bodies. Plus
the late afternoon is ideal time for the idyllic farm experience: the sound of crickets, soft
golden light, the occasional mosquito bites. We hope we can demonstrate a few tool and
hand-based weeding techniques as well as introduce you to the prodigious Lamb’s
Quarter (Chenopodium spp) and dastardly (but no less prolific) Nut Sedge (Cyperus
rotundus): both unwanted (dead or alive) within the boundaries of our vegetable beds.
After a weeklong hiatus, broccoli makes its reappearance in this week’s CSA box. These
beautiful purple shoots are an overwintering variety that we planted last August! We
hope you find them worth the wait. Broccoli, by the way, is a rich source of vitamins K,
C, and A as well as folic acid and fiber. Store these shoots in an open plastic bag in your
refrigerator crisper. If you plan on washing broccoli, wait until you’re about to cook it;
excess water encourages degradation.12 The stalk is wonderfully nutritious as well — in
fact, moreso than the flower. Try the enclosed risotto recipe, and gosh, so sorry if we
didn’t ‘parse’ out enough of that flat-leafed parsley that the ingredient list calls for.
Also note the return of the radishes. These are the cherry belle variety; and we’ve also got
some mixed varieties that will replace these belles once they’re through ringing. Our
newest sowing of beets is sizing up and we expect a steady supply for your boxes by next
week. Last but not least on our vegetable forecast is purple cauliflower; we’ve glanced
the first heads of these forming and hope they’ll be ‘cauling’ you soon.
—quin

12
Murray et al., 172-173.
20

Recipes for Health: Risotto With Broccoli

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

Sometimes I get bored with broccoli — but then I use it in a risotto, and it’s like a completely new
vegetable. The diced stems retain a nice texture that contrasts with the tender flowers. Make sure to slice
the flowers thin for the most delicate results.

2 quarts well-seasoned chicken or vegetable stock, as needed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1 1/2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice
1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), green shoots removed, minced
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
1 pound broccoli (2 good-size stalks), stems peeled and cut in small dice, flowers thinly sliced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

1. Put your stock or broth into a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over low heat with a ladle nearby or in
the pot. Make sure that the stock is well seasoned.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet or in a large, wide saucepan. Add the onion
and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until it is just tender, about three minutes. Do not brown.
3. Add the rice and the garlic, and stir until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add the wine, and stir
until it has been absorbed. Begin adding the simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a
time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Cook,
stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock, and continue to cook
in this fashion, stirring in more stock when the rice is almost dry. You do not have to stir constantly, but stir
often. After 10 minutes, stir in the diced broccoli stems. Continue to add broth and stir the rice for another
five minutes. Stir in the thinly sliced flowers. Continue to add broth and stir the rice for another 10 minutes
or so. When the rice is tender all the way through but still chewy, it is done. Taste now and adjust
seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add another ladleful of stock to the rice, along with the
Parmesan and the parsley, and remove from the heat. The mixture should be creamy (add more stock if it
isn’t). Stir for about half a minute, then serve in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin
layer rather than a mound.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6.

Advance preparation: You can begin up to several hours before serving. Proceed with the recipe and cook
halfway through step 3 — that is, for about 15 minutes. The rice should still be hard when you remove it
from the heat, and there should not be any liquid in the pan. Spread it in an even layer in the pan, and keep
it away from the heat until you resume cooking. If the pan is not wide enough for you to spread the rice in a
thin layer, transfer it to a sheet pan. Fifteen minutes before serving, bring the remaining stock back to a
simmer, and reheat the rice. Resume cooking as instructed.
Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

(This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can
order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues,
clients or customers here or use the "Reprints" tool that appears next
to any article. Visit www.nytreprints.com for samples and additional information. Order a reprint of this
article now.)
 21

Vol. 1, issue #7: April 8th, 2010.

Spring is a merely two weeks’ young, yet for us farmers of the chaparral it’s virtually
kaput in terms of what we’re working on growing. Sure, there are the straggler seedlings
— wild mustard greens, green glaze collards, and another sowing of purple top turnips —
that we’ll be finding places for in the ground expeditiously, but seriously: most of these
are a lark. They’ll probably grow, yet they’ll undoubtedly be stronger tasting than their
autumn and winter counterparts. This is because Brassicaceae/Cruciferae family
vegetables — such as cauliflower, broccoli, turnip, rutabaga, radishes, and Asian
vegetables — love the cold. It sweetens their stalks and keeps their leaves tender,
whereas heat promotes bolting (the plant going to flower and then seed) and that telltale
mustardy spiciness. So it’s too late to start any new seedlings. What we’ve got is what
we’ve got. Make way for summer! Basil, tomatoes, zucchini, okra, potatoes, summer and
winter squash (the latter so-called because it stores over the winter), melons, corn,
eggplant… if it grows, we’ve got it going.
As you Monday CSA folks are aware, we made a decision to make our deliveries
exclusively on Thursdays. The impetus for this decision was our desire to focus more on
growing your food and less time in trucks. We appreciate your understanding. I’ve
observed a positive cycle: more time on the farm allows us to grow more food for you,
which allows us to grow our membership base, which allows us more time to grow more
food. Your continuing support of our CSA has allowed all three of us to reach closer to
our goal of making this farm a full time project, and I cannot fully express the gratitude I
feel to be supported this much (especially in such a short span of time). Our “circle
garden,” which we broke ground on August 10th of last year, was completed last week.
We’re now hand-cultivating roughly 4000 square feet of vegetable beds. Most of this area
was established through a process known as “double digging,” which involves digging
12-inch deep trenches, forking the trenched soil an additional 12 inches deep, and then
repeating the process in the delineated area of our choosing — in our case, mostly 100
square foot beds. This method is initially more labor intensive but over time allows us to
create a very healthy soil or “tilth.” Some of our beds have been double-dug twice
already; some are still on their first cycle. Regardless, after a few double-digs, the soil is
ideally texturized enough to be redug using a tool called a broad fork or “U-bar”;
basically a giant digging fork with 18 inch tines. This makes re-digging the beds a
quicker endeavor. We purchased this tool thanks to an anonymous donation by one of our
members.
With the help of our volunteer day crew of Dale, Roberto, Kata, Juli, and her son E.J., we
broke ground outside our circle garden, digging about 10 three by three square feet
mounds. These mounds will eventually cover about a third of our acre, and be planted
with melons and winter squash. Yours truly has a thing for white pumpkins and we’re
growing three varieties — Valenciano, Lumina, and a hybrid variety called Full Moon, a
big ‘ol thing that produces pumpkins that weigh up to 90 pounds. To borrow a poker
term: Go big or go home. What’s a farm without a giant pumpkin? Okay, if you’re not
big on the white pumpkins we’ve got some great surprises in store for you winter squash
22

and melon lovers, as long as our baby seedlings can fend off the onslaught of gophers
digging around our field…
A few notes about this week’s box: This is the last of our chicory aka Italian dandelion
crop. Most of ya’ll will probably not mourn the loss of a bitter green that has steadfastly
shown up in your boxes for months on end, yet for those who can’t get enough of these,
we’ve got another set of seedlings flourishing in our greenhouse. Next, our purple
cauliflower seems to be heading up sporadically and seems markedly similar to our
purple broccoli so we’re mix and matching these together, hope you don’t mind. Lastly
note the return of the turnip or as I like to say, “returnip.” The variety, as Justin
mentioned in a previous newsletter, is called Scarlet Ohno Revival, and originally hails
from Japan. We chose to grow this turnip not only for its striking red bulb but also its
smooth, edible leaf that we thought might be more appealing to ya’ll than the fuzzy, itchy
leaf on the purple tops we’d been previously growing. Still, go sparing on this leaf when
you cook with it; it’s much stronger than a kale or Swiss chard. Try blanching it with salt
water to soften the flavor.
We hope you enjoy these final weeks of the spring crops as we gracefully transition to the
bounty of summer…
all the best,
quin
 23

Vol. 1, issue #8: April 22nd, 2010.

Hi all…Justin here. I’d like to start this week’s newsletter off with some good news.
About six weeks ago we sent a small sample of our soil to Kinsey Agricultural Services
to be lab tested for a breakdown of its contents, and the results are in! It turns out Mano’s
terra firma is sufficiently full of trace minerals: Boron, Iron, Manganese, Copper & Zinc.
These are needed for healthy plant growth, as well as healthy human bodies. Our soil has
plenty of Phosphorus and Sodium, but is too high in both Calcium and Magnesium. This
sounds like a good problem, but in fact this excess causes the soil’s Potassium to become
unavailable to the plants. So…we add a bit of Sulfur to counter the Cal and Mag and
open up the Potash. Also, we’ll add some Nitrogen in the form of Soybean and Alfalfa
meal to complete our newfound enlightened fertilizing regime! All of this in addition to
ongoing amending with compost. Results to come…
I’m finding it to be quite difficult to narrow down my trains of thought concerning the
farm into concise, eloquent snippets and summaries. So much happens out there in a
single day, that to highlight and report on the past two weeks is overwhelming. So I’ll
highlight just today’s farm experience: Tuesday, April 20th.
I arrived this morning @ 8:30 to find David already halfway done with forking up weeds
from what recently had been a bed of beets. I checked in with the babies in the
greenhouse to make sure they were sufficiently moist, and inspected the trays of some
recently sown Echinacea angustifolia seeds to see if they’ve awaken. Not yet. Then out
to the circle, eyeing the clouds and impending storm. I check the gopher traps set
yesterday evening. One gopher killed, then buried deeply underneath a soon-to-be
squash mound for fertilizer and hopefully gopher deterrent.
Our goal today was to prep and plant the former beet bed with cucumbers, our second
official ‘summer crop,’ before it started to rain. Our first summer crop, amaranth, was
planted last week. At around 9:30 I said to David, “I bet it starts to rain around noon.”
Ten minutes later, we’re getting wet. I’m still learning to tune in to the barometric shifts.
I weed and scratch in fertilizer in the broccoli and purple cabbage beds, hoping to
incorporate the added nutrients before the deluge, effectively sending the goods straight
down to the roots. We bail at @ 11:00 for an early lunch and to warm up as the rain
pours down. During lunch we crunch numbers: which beds are coming available for a
new planting and when? What do we have in the greenhouse that needs to be planted and
how soon? How much corn and beans will we need to start in order to provide for 30
CSA members? This discussion during lunch was quite detailed, but truthfully, we’re
talking ‘what and where, how much and when’ often throughout each farm day.
After lunch, in the brilliant sunshine we built another compost pile, layering kitchen
scraps, soil, straw, and the purple broccoli plants we pulled the day before. We then
finished broadforking, shaping, fertilizing, and planting a gorgeous bed of two different
varieties of cucumbers.
24

I could attempt to paint a literary picture across the landscape of your imagination of
today’s idyllic sunset, or describe how it feels to stop digging for a few minutes to watch
a mid-air battle between a Red-tailed Hawk and a few crows, but what I’d really like is to
share these experiences with my community. Our membership is twenty strong, and
more than half of you have never been to the farm…some of you we’ve never even had
the pleasure of meeting. If you have yet to set foot on the farm, we encourage you to join
us out there sometime soon, and make a physical and personal connection with the source
of our food. We’ve set aside Thursday afternoons from 3 o’clock on as an open time for
CSA members and friends to visit or lend a hand. If that day/time doesn’t line up for
you, give us a call or send an email to set up a time to come out.
We are grateful for your support! Now with twenty CSA members on board, we would
like to grow our membership by adding five or six new folks for the month of or season
starting in May. If you are happy with your experience with us or feel you are a part of
something important and worthy of supporting, we encourage you to talk to friends or
family about us.
We appreciate hearing from you with your praises, likes/dislikes & suggestions.
In gratitude,
Justin

Fennel Orange Salad

Ingredients
• 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 2 medium oranges, peeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons sweetened dried cranberries

Directions
Place the sliced fennel in a salad bowl. Slice oranges to divide flesh sections and add to
bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper. Toss, top with
sweetened cranberries and serve.
 25

The CSA newsletter crossover! Vol. 1, issue #9:

April 29th, 2010.

Steve and Olivia, the co-owners of Farmer and the Cook, are in New Orleans this week
enjoying the jazz, eating oysters at all-night restaurants and helping on farms that were
established in the wake or Hurricane Katrina. They have left me, Quin, to caretake Gozo
Farm, their 12-acre plot of land adjacent to Rice Road and Highway 150. Forgive the
redundancy, as about 60 of you Gozo CSA members are probably aware of what I’ve just
written. Yet here’s something you might not know. Myself and two other friends have
our own project — an acre of land known as Mano Farm. About 20 of you — the size of
our CSA — are probably aware of this. Add to that Johnny Fonteyn’s plot at Gozo and
that makes three organic farms all within a few miles of each other. When I have a
moment to take a breath I realize how special it is to be part of a growing movement of
farmers and community members. It also seems like we’ve managed to avoid stepping on
our toes (most of the time anyway). I truly believe cooperation, not competition, is
central to farm-based communities.
This preamble was written to inform you that this is a crossover issue of CSA
newsletters. You know crossovers, right? It’s a concept borrowed from numerous
narrative forms whereby characters from novels, television shows, and comics make
cameo appearances in other novels, television shows, and comics. “The Manocle” is what
we’ve affectionately dubbed our newsletter, and of course “Forager” is usually Steve’s
writing.
Of course, I’m doing this to save time and perhaps by this point you might be wondering
if I’m wasting yours. Yet given that our farms are loosely integrated there are some
practical facets to this crossover concept. Your broccoli in this week’s shares, for
instance. I planted this with Steve @ Gozo in January and now we’re swimming in so
much of it there’s plenty for everyone. It’s a variety known as “marathon,” so-called for
both its rapid rate of growth and its ability to help you win marathons, guaranteed.
∗

This week Steve, Olivia, John Phaneuf, Jose and I planted row after row of eggplants,
tomatoes, sunflowers, and basil. Steve had so many starts that we’ve brought some to
Mano and are putting them in the ground there. We’ve already got our own going but
who’s going to deny more variety? I imagine by late summer we’ll have enough eggplant
to launch a subsidy program whereby residents of Ojai receive their very own fruit of
Listada De Gandia (one of the varieties we put in the ground).
Elsewhere on the horizon, we’re full of beans. I’ve been helping Olivia get anasazi,
yardlong, white beans and other nameless varieties growing. I picked up some dragon
tongue beans from my recent travels and us Mano farmers plan on going big on those. To
squash in a few more cucurbits: Cucumbers don’t seem too cucumbersome as they are
cucumbering up everywhere and waiting for some fertile ground. Zucchini is around and
will likely be annoying you in overwhelming amounts starting June and lasting through

∗
Not guaranteed.
26

October. @ Mano we have already put our first winter squash in the ground. Steve says
it’s too early to plant @ Gozo but we’ve got a banana belt going @ Mano. Pumpkins for
everyone well before Halloween.
 27

Rutabaga prep and storage: Vol. 1, issue #10:

May 13th, 2010.

A friend I once knew spoke of her poems in terms of “plateaus,” a point of

accomplishment from which she could look back on what she’d written, revised, and
struggled through before embarking upon further revision(s). This metaphor is germane
to our farm. We spent a lot of the first months of our CSA worrying about whether we
would have enough food to go around, if our crops would actually grow or be overrun by
predators or if people would be even interested in what we’re doing. Every now and those
old anxieties creep back in; as on Monday morning when I plucked about 50 snails from
our rutabaga beds, I thought it was any wonder they grew at all. Yet grow they did, and I
last week I was effuse with joy as pulled the first of these roots out of the ground and
bunched them to put in your boxes.
In the beginning of this project “farmer” felt like a foreign title, like it was something
undeservedly bestowed upon me merely because I had a plot of land to work with. I
eschewed the label whenever possible. Yet nine months into this project and a few years
experience on other farms, I suppose I’ve been thinking about the point when one
“authentically” becomes a farmer. Like “poet” or “artist” there’s no universally
recognized certificate or degree. David draws a distinction between gardening and
farming: a garden is when you grow food for yourself and a farm is when you grow food
for your local community — and beyond. By this definition, I suppose we are finally
farmers and the proof is the consistent weekly vegetable shares that show up in your
boxes.
We’re now planting our summer crops with confidence — melons, zucchini, pumpkins,
squash, okra just to name a few — while our spring vegetables are holding out strong.
The rutabagas are here for a number of weeks so we hope you enjoy them. Justin
photocopied a little sheet about them didn’t reach all of you so we’re including it for
everyone again. My favored method of preparation is utilitarian yet delicious: thinly
sliced (perhaps a ¼” at most) in vegetable stir-fries. Start with some olive oil and green
garlic, then add the rutabagas, cook for 5-10 minutes until they reach the desired texture,
and then add any number of other Mano Farm vegetables, salt and enjoy.
Speaking of stir-fry: you may have noticed last week that sugar snap peas slipped into our
“Micro-green stir-fry mix.” We’ve got even more in there this week, including a variety
known as “golden” (I wanted to mention that so ya’ll didn’t think the yellow meant the
pods had turned). There’s also spinach, kale, a little chard, and amaranth greens in that
mix. “Amaranth greens?” you ask. You’ll be hearing a lot more about this crop from us,
which was a staple in the diets of the pre-Columbian Aztecs. The seed grain is more
commonly consumed and available in grocery stores, but according to The Encyclopedia
of Healing Foods, the leaves are also “nutritional stars in their own rite”:
1 cup of cooked amaranth leaves provides 104 percent of the daily value of Viamin A, along with
72 percent value of vitamin C… 19 percent of the daily value of folic acid, 18 percent of B6, 16
percent of the daily value of B2, and 10 percent of the daily value of B3… 63 percent of the daily
28

value of manganese, 28 percent of the daily value of calcium, 24 percent of the daily value of
potassium, 23 percent of the daily value of copper and magnesium, 17 percent of the daily value of
iron, and 15 percent of the daily value of zinc.13

Yum. I had a bunch of these this afternoon and the flavor is delightful as well.
In other news, we’re actively seeking out new members for our CSA. We can presently
take on about 5-6 new members, but we’d love to have more (a waiting list, in fact). If
you like what we’re doing, recommend us to your friends and family. We know some of
you already have, and the referrals are much appreciated.
We’re holding a solstice party on the farm on June 21st. Details forthcoming.
Enjoy the food,
quin

Rutabaga Preparation and Storage

Healthy Ways to Prepare This Fall and Winter Root Vegetable
Jan 25, 2010 Renee Shelton
Rutabagas are a root vegetable that can be served both raw and cooked. Here are two great healthy recipes for a
rutabaga, carrot and orange salad and mashed rutabagas.

The Rutabaga, Brassica napobrassica, is a root vegetable that is easily found in most markets year round with
their peak season occurring during the fall and winter months. They have a light to dark yellow-colored flesh
with a multi-colored outside skin. Rutabagas can be used as a substitute for potatoes in recipes where they can be
mashed or cubed and added to stews and soups.
Nutritional Value
Rutabagas have no cholesterol and are very low in fat. They are a good source of fiber and Vitamin C. While
they are lower in carbs than a white potato, they have around 15 g carbohydrate and 66 calories per 1 cup plain
boiled cubes.
Purchasing & Storage
The smaller rutabagas will be the sweetest tasting. Younger rutabagas are also more tender making them a better
choice for raw salads. Older rutabagas will be very large with an abundance of rootlets sprouting. Rutabagas like
high humidity so storage in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator is preferred although they can be stored
for a short time at room temperature on the counter top.
Rutabagas are prepared the same as potatoes for stews and soups. Cut off the ends, then peel and chop as needed.
Cutting the rutabaga into uniform pieces will ensure even cooking. Rutabagas are also great fresh in salads or cut
up and served with other crunchy vegetables for a snack. Below are two different recipes for rutabagas using
them in both raw and cooked forms.
Carrot, Rutabaga and Mandarin Orange Salad
Grated carrots and rutabaga with an orange white wine vinegar dressing
Ingredients:
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup grated rutabaga
• 1 cup mandarin oranges, drained and seeds removed
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 Tbsp orange juice
• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

13
Murray et al., 339.
 29

• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

• 1/4 tsp dry ginger
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• Salt and white pepper to taste
Procedure:
1. Toss the grated carrots, rutabaga and oranges lightly in a large mixing bowl.
2. Whisk the canola oil, orange juice and white wine vinegar in a separate, smaller mixing bowl.
3. Add chopped chives and parsley, dry ginger and dry mustard. Sprinkle in salt and white pepper to taste.
4. Pour over the carrot, rutabaga and orange mixture and toss to coat.
5. Serve.
Mashed Rutabagas
Omit the butter and use defatted chicken stock for a low-fat side dish.
Ingredients:
• 2 lbs. rutabagas, peeled and chopped
• 2-3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup chicken stock, or as needed
• Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
1. In a large pot, boil the cut up rutabagas until tender.
2. Drain. Press the rutabagas through a ricer or food mill, or mash with a potato masher.
3. Add in the soft butter, and stir in the chicken stock. Begin with a quarter cup and add in additional stock
as needed for desired consistency.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
30

Common dandelion: Medicinal, edible, bitter

& nutritious: vol. 1, issue #11: May 20th, 2010.

Hello everyone. Quin here. This week marks the return of bitter greens to our CSA.
Those small green bunches of leaves are common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale),
which doubles as both an edible and medicinal plant.
Some brief suggestions for preparation:

• For a nutritious tea, simmer the fresh leaves in water for 5-10 minutes.
• Dry and store leaves, then brew as them in a tea; pour boiling water over them &
steep until desired strength is acquired.
• Chop fresh greens into your Mano Farm salad mix.
• Stirfry or steam greens with other Mano Farm vegetables.

We’d previously been putting bunches of “Italian dandelion”/chicory in our shares, which
a discrete genus/species of plant: Cichorium intybus. Forgive me while I geek out on
taxonomy but the common names had me fooled, so those bunches in your box mark a
minor triumph. Last year when I lived in Manhattan I would buy organic Italian
dandelion from the health food stores @ $3.99 a bunch (!) thinking I was getting the true
stuff. When I bought “Catalongna dandelion” seed and planted flat upon flat of it last
autumn, I thought the same thing. Then one day I quite accidentally discovered this
“dandelion” was chicory, a wonderfully nutritious bitter green in its own rite, as well as
the source of the chicory root commonly found in the herb sections of health food stores.
In fact we’ve planted more of that on the farm, a beautiful red veined variety.

Figure 2: Common dandelion (left); Common chicory (right)

 31

But why all this fuss over which dandelion is which? Because “common dandelion” —
long a scourge to landscapers and gardeners of the prim and proper ilk; regularly a victim
of backpack sprayers filled with glyphosate (and no, the irony was not lost on me as I
“weeded” out the dandelion bed) — must be one of the most underrated medicinal and
edible plants in the history of food. When Hippocrates famously declared, “Your food
shall be thy medicine and your medicine shall be your food,” I’m pretty sure he must
have had dandelion in mind, because it exemplifies the qualities of both. What follows
are excerpts from literature on my bookshelf:
From Michael Murray, The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods:
…dandelion contains greater nutritional value than many other vegetables. It is particularly high in
vitamins and minerals, protein, choline, inulin, and pectin. Its carotenoid content is extremely
high, as is reflected by its higher vitamin A content than carrots’ — dandelion has 14,000 IU of
vitamin A per 100 grams compared to 11,000 IU for carrots… Dandelion is a rich source of
nutrients and other compounds that may improve liver functions, promote weight loss, possess
diuretic activity, and improve blood sugar control. Overall, dandelion is a rich source of medicinal
compounds that have a “toning” effect on the body, and both the greens and the roots can be used
for this purpose.14

From Gregory Tilford, From Earth to Herbalist:

This plant offers an incredibly broad spectrum of therapeutic and nutritional usefulness. When
dandelion was introduced from Europe, it was known as “piss-in-bed herb” because the diuretic
actions of the leaf are so strong. Dandelion is unique as a diuretic because it is a rich source of
potassium and other trace minerals and vitamins, which replace what would otherwise be lost
through the urination it stimulates. For this reason, dandelion is widely used by herbalists in the
treatment of any variety of disease that involves fluid retention, such as pulmonary edema or gout.

Dandelion is considered a safe but powerful liver stimulant and is frequently used to treat various
liver and digestive disorders, as well as chronic skin condition that may result from an overworked
or dysfunctional liver or gall bladder. As a “bitter” fresh dandelion leaf or tincture is useful if
consumed immediately before eating a meal to “kick start” the digestive process before food
enters the stomach, which maximizes digestion and nutrient absorption…

It is a perfect example of a “plant food medicine” — rich in protein, inulin, iron, and potassium,
and vitamins A, C, and B-complex (to name a few).15

From Richo Cech, Making Plant Medicine:

Dandelion is a classic spring tonic. The herb is somewhat laxative, marked diuretic, and improves
the function of the liver, promoting the secretion of bile. As such, dandelion is an excellent blood-
cleanser, especially when combined with burdock, helping rid the system of accumulated toxins
and improving bad skin. Dandelion will also benefit those suffering from indigestion and
arteriolosclerosis.16

14
Tilford, 190.
15
Murray et al., 91-92.
16
Richo Cech, Making Plant Medicine (Williams, Oregon: Horizon Herbs, 2000), 139.
32

Vol. 1, issue #12: June 2nd, 2010.

• Our Summer Solstice Party is on June 21st, from 6 to 9 pm. Join us for a meal
and fire; if you are so inspired, bring a course to our optional-potluck. If you’ve
got young ones, we’ve decided to make this an adults-only event. Sorry: after our
first two seasonal gatherings, we decided that our farm space is not sufficiently
organized to host young children. We hope to set up a children’s space in the near
future, when time and resources allow.
The cabbage we have placed in this week’s shares is a variety known as Savoy. We
purchased the seed from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and started them in our greenhouse
around late January. We’ve got probably a week or two of Savoy heads left for you; the
red drumhead cabbages arrive next (although to me they always look more purple than
red). This is the first time we’ve grown cabbages on the farm, and we’re excited to have
them ready so late in the season. After I pulled our first wheelbarrow full of them out of
our field, the fledgling historian in me perked up: Where did this really come from?
Beyond our particular seed and dirt, where did crops such as Cabbage begin?
Derived from the wild Brassica oleracaea, which is native to the Mediterranean coasts
cabbage is undoubtedly a crucial vegetable, not only for the nutrition it provides but also
for the diversity of cultivated varieties that presently exist: Brussels sprouts, broccoli,
cauliflower, collards, kales (save the Siberian types) and kohlrabi are all derivations of
the Brassica oleracaea. One text suggests cabbage was “brought to Europe from Asia by
roving bands of Celtic people around 600 B.C.E.”17 while another asserts we know
nothing before Romans introduced cabbage to Europe around the year 43 CE.18
What we do know is that cabbage is a nutrient-dense, low calorie food. It is primarily
known for its Vitamin C content, cabbage also contains “more phytochemicals with
demonsratable anticancer properties than any other vegetable family?”19 That’s right:
eating cancer may help reduce the risk of cancer. That’s apparently the word from the
American Cancer society. For more information about Savoy cabbage or any other
vegetable we put in our shares, I recommend two sources: NutritionData
(http://www.nutritiondata.com), and Michael Murray’s The Encyclopedia of Healing
Foods, from which I frequently cite. Also enclosed is an article and recipe from Martha
Rose Shulman’s excellent “Recipes for Health” series, published in the New York Times.

17
Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno and Lara Pizzorno, The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods (New
York: Atria Books, 2005), 176.
18
Bill Laws, Spade, Skirret and Parsnip: The Curious History of Vegetables (Phoenix Mill: Sutton
Publishing, 2004), 54.
19
Murray, et al. 177.
 33

Recipes for Health: Stewed Lentils with

Cabbage
By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

This humble and hearty combination makes a satisfying main dish, especially on a cold night. Lentils are an
excellent source of folate and molybdenum and a very good source of dietary fiber, protein and manganese.
Any type of lentil will work in this recipe.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, half of it chopped, half sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound lentils (brown, green, or beluga), rinsed and picked over
3 1/2 cups water (more as needed)
1 dried red chile
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
6 ounces waxy potatoes, scrubbed and sliced about 1/2 inch thick
1 1/2 pounds green cabbage (1 medium head), cored and cut crosswise in 3/4-inch wide ribbons
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Freshly grated Parmesan for serving (optional)

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan or casserole over medium heat. Add the chopped
half of the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 2 of the garlic cloves and cook,
stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the lentils, water, chile, and bay leaf, and bring to a
simmer. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the
potatoes and continue to simmer gently for 30 minutes, until the lentils and potatoes are tender. Add more
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

2. While the lentils are simmering, cook the cabbage with the remaining onion and garlic in a wide lidded
skillet. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add the sliced onion. Cook,
stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the garlic and stir together until the
garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cabbage and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until
the cabbage begins to wilt. Add 1/4 cup water, turn the heat down to medium, cover and simmer 10
minutes, or until the cabbage is tender and sweet, stirring from time to time. Add salt and freshly ground
pepper to taste.

3. Spread the cabbage over the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Top with the lentils and potatoes.
Sprinkle on the parsley, and serve in wide soup bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan if desired.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Advance preparation: You can make this dish up to a day ahead and reheat on top of the stove.
Approximate Nutritional Information per Serving (based on 4 servings): 346 calories; total fat: 7.6g;
saturated fat: 1.1g; cholesterol: 0mg; sodium: 39mg; total carbohydrates: 54.0g; dietary fiber: 23.1g;
sugars: 8.3g; protein: 18.0g; vitamin A: 5% Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) based on a 2,000
calorie diet; vitamin C 129% RDA; calcium 12% ; iron 30%
34

Vol. 1, issue #13: June 17th, 2010.

• We have decided to cancel our Summer Solstice Party this coming Monday.
With the recent Summer-like heat, we have simply been too busy with work at
Mano to prepare for this event. We will keep you posted about another possible
event during the summer.
• We will be taking a week off next month! There will be no CSA pick on July
22nd. Everyone will receive an additional week CSA membership to make up for
our absence. This break is sorely needed for us, but will be brief, consisting of a
trip up north to Oregon to visit other CSA farms & seed companies we’ve
supported — some which we buy our seeds from regularly. We’ll give you
another reminder of our week off as it nears.
In this week’s box you’ll find three…count’em…three new editions: Purslane, Red-
veined Chicory, and New Zealand spinach.
Purslane is widely considered a weed. A single plant can produce more than fifty
thousand seeds, and easily spreads throughout the garden or farm. The good news: it
contains more Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids than any other leafy vegetable
plant…period. It also contains vitamins A & C, and is loaded with minerals. Eat it raw
in a salad, or stir-fry it with some Mano greens.
Red-veined Chicory is a bitter green that we’re particularly fond of for not only its
beauty, but for its ability to aid and tone the digestive system. It can be pretty intense
raw, but for the brave amongst us can chop it small and add it sparingly to salads. We
usually stir-fry it up.
New Zealand spinach is the succulent green found in your bag of stir-fry mix. We’re
super excited about this one! Though unrelated, it cooks down like spinach, and is
similarly nutritious. It looks to be a productive, heat-tolerant green.
Coming soon: beets…oh so delicious sugar beets followed by a crop of red beets, a bit
more lettuce and chard, carrots, basil, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant,
summer squash & onions to name a few right around the corner.
I hope you do something special to welcome the return of shortening days this coming
Monday. We wish you health and enjoyment of the ongoing bounty…
Blessings,
Justin
 35

Vol. 1, issue #14: July 8th, 2010.

• Just a reminder: we will not be delivering CSA shares on July 22nd, as David,
Justin and Quin are traveling to Oregon to tour farms, seed companies, and bask
in the old growth forests of Cascadia. Your CSA shares will be extended one
week to expiate for our absence.
• We’re preparing to raise funds for subsidized CSA shares through the web site
Kickstarter. We’ve assembled a short film that will be available imminently. Stay
tuned.
Sorry for the lack of newsletter last week. We’ve been in the fields so much there’s
hardly been a moment to sit down and document our progress. While we’ve been filling
every last nook and cranny of our circle garden, we’ve also been busy expanding into the
south side of our field, where rows of beans, tomatoes, winter squash, and melons
(watermelon and cucumber) are now established (save the occasional gopher-induced
casualty). Luckily we’ve had a lot of volunteer help, in the past week especially. We’ve
been hosting our very first WWOOFer, Maria, who put in a number of solid workdays
with us. Then there’s Paige, Allegra, Chris, Sara, and Melissa who have all come out to
weed, plant, and kill squash bugs. Immense thanks to you all. The English writer John
Heywood famously said, “Many hands make light work,” and I’ve been thinking how
this is especially true for a project such as ours, which relies so heavily upon human
labor.
This mild summer climate has dovetailed nicely with our spring crop gambles. The
lettuce not only is here, but also tastes wonderful (summer typically imparts a bitter
flavor to even the most succulent of varieties). This marks the fourth and final week of
our cabbage patch, which gave so wonderfully into the summer. And kale? I don’t know
anyone else in the valley who is growing it, and these bunches are from brand new plants.
For those awaiting proper summer, be careful with such wishes: temperatures in the
upper 90s are expected by the weekend. That should be the perfect boost for our
eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers, which all need and love the heat.
We hope the white, elongated roots in last week’s CSA share didn’t cause confusion:
they’re sugar beets. And sorry to keep tooting our horn, but as far as I’m aware, these are
also Mano Farm exclusives. It baffles me why this is the case; they’re my favorite crop
we’ve grown, and they can be planted nearly year round. I encourage everyone to grow
their own. Maria and I started more from seed this week.
David and I have been cooking the sugar beets as follows: slice thinly (1/4 inch thick),
heat a pan with olive oil, chop some onions, stirfry both together, add culinary or Thai
basil (both included this share), a dash of cayenne pepper, garlic, soy sauce, toasted
sesame oil, and any other leafy vegetables you desire.

Also making their first appearance are our potatoes! We planted a smattering of red,
white, and blue potatoes in February, and I had the idea we could put them in last week’s
36

share just in time for Independence Day. However, we figured we’d give them a smidgen
more time. So now here they are.
If you’re wondering what you can do with that red-veined bitter (and-oh-so-helpful
digestive aid) chicory, here’s one creative suggestion from a member: blend it up in a
food processor with basil, the nuts of your choice, raw garlic, olive oil, salt, and you’ve
got a new variation on a classic pesto.
Since we went three weeks without a newsletter, I hope we can write another next week
for our final box before we take off to Oregon.
Happy trails,
Quin
 37

Zucchini & Kickstarter: Vol. 1, issue #15:

August 5th, 2010.

• We’ve decided to move away from Thursday CSA share deliveries and toward
Sunday farm pickups. We’re contacting members about this directly, but the gist
of the transition is as follows: we’re honoring the delivery policy for remainder of
your monthly or seasonal share, but folks who want to renew will need to come
pick up their veggies on the farm. The impetus for the decision was that it is not
feasible for us to farm full time and also do deliveries for 15+ people on a weekly
basis. It’s an issue of ideals versus reality. Additionally, we desire a greater
interaction between our member base and the farm. We want to see ya’ll more
regularly!
• We’ve just begun a 60-day, $10,000 dollar fundraising campaign through the web
site Kickstarter. Our listing, which can be accessed through this URL —
http://kck.st/dee7KU — contains details and a short film about our farm. Quin’s
brother Micah put the film together, and we’re all hoping to collaborate on
something longer in the future.
Zucchini is a vegetable that never seems to rise above the clichés that surround it. The
way it’s joked about in food circles reminds me of a friend who unicycles; the most
frequent common she hears from passers-by is, “You’ve lost a wheel!” Ha ha. That’s
zucchini for ya. Every summer, it arrives, gives, gives, gives, and then finally it’s worn
out its welcome. We inevitably forget to harvest them and then one day discover an over-
sized, seedy monster left on the vine. And it’s not only us. We pick up the vegetable
scraps from Farmer and the Cook and have been adding boxes of unsold zucchini in
various stages of decay to our compost piles. Steve, co-owner of the store and fellow
farmer, solemnly joked: “People don’t buy this; they want local food.” You can do your
part to mitigate zucchini waste by trying out my own recipe for zucchini bread, enclosed
at the end of this newsletter.

Farming is all about rhythm and consistency. Even though we’ve been back for a week to
me it feels like it’s only today that we’ve gotten back into the swing of things. We’re
preparing the northern third of our field for our autumn brassicas (kale, collards,
cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, rutabagas), and have requested the assistance of Steve to
help us rip the north field with his tractor. Since our farm is centered on small-scale hand
cultivation, we discussed how this decision would affect our farming philosophy, and
we’ve decided that it won’t really alter it very much. Farming at present is irrevocably
petroleum-based yet we remain committed to long-term petroleum independence.
However, in the short term, we have decided to use the technology available to us.
Steve’s help will allow us plant out a third of an acre in a week instead of months… we
think all our members and the Ojai community in general will benefit from this decision.
38

Vegan zucchini bread

Back in the day I would bake this for Farmer and the Cook, and I recall it being pretty
popular. Its my own recipe and like all good things in life, subject to adaptation, critique
and/or revision. For instance, try coconut milk instead of orange juice, pumpkin instead
of zucchini, peach sauce instead of apple, almond extract instead of vanilla, etc etc.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Dry ingredients:
3 ¼ cups pastry flour (I often use white spelt, but a whole wheat flour will impart
a cakier texture to the bread)
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 ¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger powder

3. Wet ingredients:

Mix separately: 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed in 9 tablespoons of water. Let

sit for approximately 10 minutes.

2 cups fresh grated zucchini

1 ½ cups rapadura or sucanant sugar
1 cup oil (sunflower or safflower preferred; soy or canola also works fine)
½ cup apple sauce
1/3 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed preferred)
1-2 tsp vanilla
grated lemon peel (or lemon extract): add to preferred taste

Mix the wet ingredients together, and then mix the dry ingredients into wet. Pour flax
into the dry/wet mixture. Pour into baking pan with dimensions of approximately 9.5 by
13.5 by 2 inches deep. Glass baking pans with gas ovens cook things the most evenly,
with electric ovens and metal baking pans less ideal. Work with what you’ve got. Bake
45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on oven. Cool considerably, as I’ve noticed
vegan pastries that use flax need the coolness to “gel” and gain a cakey texture.
 39

Vol. 1, issue #16: Aug 19th, 2010.

I’d like to take this opportunity to connect with you via this unique form of
communication known as the “Manocle” CSA newsletter to say: Thank You. Thank you
with full sincerity for supporting this precious farm and us! We could not be doing this
without you, and I’d like to remind you that this is your farm too. We are growing food
for you, and because of you. We truly appreciate your support through this first year of
farming and through all of our changes!
We here at Mano are fully aware of the tempting convenience of the retail-based food
experience that not only is alive and kicking, but quite abundant in this small town. We
know you are sacrificing a certain amount of convenience in favor of accessing the
freshest and undoubtedly most nutritious produce in the valley, and having a direct
relationship with your food source. Your participation in our CSA and direct support of
us farmers means a lot to us.
As mentioned previously, we are transitioning away from a Thursday pick and delivery to
a Sunday morning farm pick-up. We are honoring the delivery of shares for those of you
who wish to continue to receive them through your current membership. If, however,
you would like to start picking up on Sundays before renewing in our CSA, we welcome
and encourage this voluntary shift. This transition will most immediately afford us more
time on the land, ensure the freshness of your food, and most likely will foster the “C”
aspect of “CSA.” We appreciate your understanding…
This coming autumn promises unprecedented abundance at Mano. If you are happy with
your experience in our CSA, please kindly spread the word…we are looking for some
new folks to join our membership and share in the coming bounty. If you’re not happy
with your experience, please let us know why, as we are always open to feedback.
Another heat wave is upon us, and this time we’re ready and looking forward to it! Why?
Our tomato plants are loaded down, but sluggishly ripening. The eggplant is about to
hatch. This relatively cool summer has been comfortable, for sure, but our heat-lovers
have straggled a bit…they’ll soon be going off. So…get ready. Here they come.
We are actively planting out our newly cultivated north field. Fifty-four gorgeous beds
just waiting to be filled! It’s really a special experience, to have this blank canvas and to
paint it with food. We have just planted out 1000 square feet of broccoli…Calabrese,
Oregon Longneck, De Ciccio, and Purple Sprouting. The first three varieties you’ll start
to see in late September/early October, with the Purple Sprouting arriving in spring.
We’re really excited about this one, as we grew a small crop of this last year with
minimal attention and insufficient fertilizer…and it still produced well! So this year
we’re starting it earlier, and giving it serious love, knowing it will give back tenfold.
You’ve gotta be patient for it, though, for throughout the winter it grows and grows,
waiting for the first hint of heat in the spring to start producing it’s delicious purple
flower heads we call broccoli!
40

The tomatoes in your box are predominately of the variety ‘Costoluto Genovese.’ There
will be others coming soon…you’ll know it when you see them. The Genovese is a mild-
mannered tomato, comfortably at home in a batch of salsa or bruschetta. However, I’ve
really been enjoying cooking them...this brings out some sweetness that is not there when
eaten raw. Toss a couple in your largest skillet after you’ve sautéed your onion in some
olive oil. Cook ‘em down for a bit alongside a couple cut-up potatoes or chopped
summer squash. If you like it hot like me, chop up one of those Ahi Amarillo peppers
(the long, yellow, spicy ones) nice and fine and toss it in, too. Once the potatoes are
almost soft, bam it up a notch by adding basil, salt, and some thyme or oregano from your
garden. Last but not least, add that finely chopped kale or beet greens…don’t be
afraid…use the whole bunch, and cook until tender. This clearly is a meal in and of
itself…I like to add it to some brown rice pasta, then drizzle even more olive oil over it
all, and another pinch of salt. This has been an every other day meal for me lately…it
just keeps getting better!

Coming soon: more swiss chard, carrots, melons, and lettuce. For autumn/winter:
collards, kale (we’re planting some really unique varieties of kale!), chard, broccoli,
carrots, parsnips, spinach, beets (and more beets), turnips, cabbage, radishes, winter
squash, and more. We have already purchased most of our seed for the fall/winter, but
being that this is your farm too, we are open to requests and suggestions.
We hope you are enjoying this bountiful season as much as we are! If you would like to
come out and get your hands and/or feet in the dirt with us, drop us a line and set aside an
evening if you can…6:30 ‘til sunset is pure magic out here…
Blessings,
Justin
 41

Vol. 1, issue #17: September 5th, 2010.

“Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.” —Russell Baker
Well it’s 107 degrees today, and I’m hiding out at home after spending a few hours under
the sweltering heat out at Mano. During weather extremes such as this, maintaining crop
survival is about the best we can do as farmers. We’ve been watering just-sprouting
Romaine lettuce seedlings four or five times a day, simply to keep them alive until the
(forecasted…fingers crossed) upcoming 87 degree Monday, where we can cut the
watering down to once or twice. I am hoping this is the last blast of summer’s heat so our
Brassicas can settle in for the winter.
Making consistent appearances in your box is the beautiful beet. I must admit that the
sugar beet has been holding a special place in my heart for some time, mainly due to its
vigorous production of crisp greens. Well, scoot over sugar beet, for I’m now in love
with your cousin, Chioggia. The Chioggia (pronounced ‘key-oh-jah’) is an Italian
heirloom dating back to the early 1800s. When sliced horizontally, its insides reveal
gorgeous stripes. It may not produce greens as abundant as the sugar, but its root grows
faster, and is undoubtedly more beautiful.
The long, white carrot-looking root is a parsnip. We sowed a small, experimental crop in
the spring, and the result is this brief harvest we’re sharing. We LOVE parsnips, and will
be planting much more during the next full moon, to be harvested in the spring. I think
the parsnip tastes like a carrot crossed with a potato…they’re creamy and taste delicious
when roasted. Slice up your beets, parsnips and carrots…add garlic, rosemary and salt
with a bit of oil of your choice. Toss this into a glass dish and bake at 350 for 45 minutes
to an hour, stirring once or twice, until they are tender. Sweet and savory…oh it’s just
the best.
Chard is back this week! My favorite green seems to also be the favorite of an unknown
pest who munches holes in the leaves, but mercifully does not devour them. For some
reason, I’ve had a block when it comes to ‘controlling’ said pest. If the plants survive
and grow through the predation, then the only harm done is visual. Surely, this green
chard is a tasty one.
Big thanks to all of our members for switching over to the Sunday farm pick up so
gracefully! It really has changed the ‘community’ feel of the CSA for us, as I hope it has
for you as well. Not to mention opening up a bit more time for us out here to do what we
do. Thank you, also, for bringing those bins back each week. We will be having another
weeding party in the coming weeks as the weather (hopefully) cools…we’ll keep you
posted.
In peace and health,
Justin
42

Vol. 1, issue #18: September 19th, 2010.

A few reminders:

• Please remember to bring back those plastic bins when you come to
the farm to pick up your veggies, it is greatly appreciated as we have a
limited supply.
• Please make all checks payable to Mano Farm, as we are officially a
business now.
• Don’t forget to spread the word to all your friends and family about
our fundraising project on Kickstarter.com, help us to grow food for
those in need.

Right when I feel like I can relax into the summer harvests of all we planted back in
spring, its time to make another big push with bed prep and planting for fall and winter. I
guess there is never a rest for the Southern California farmer. The north field is starting
to shape up after many battles with nut grass, Bermuda grass and some very hot days
(which inhibit the growth of some seeds). It still feels like such a leap of faith every time
we put seeds in the ground or plant out baby seedlings. But time and time again with a
little help from our volunteers and us they grow to be healthy and yummy plants.
Carrots, beets, many varieties of kale, green and red cabbage, turnips, late summer
squash, green beans, potatoes, chard, are some of the things growing fast in the last
summer heat.
This week there are two unusual veggies appearing in your boxes: Shishito sweet peppers
and tomatillos. The Shishito has a flavor between a bell pepper and a hot pepper but tends
to lean on the sweet side of things. It is very popular in Japan where it is used for
tempura and stir-fries but we have been using them around here in amazing Mexican
inspired dishes. When it comes to cooking them, the simpler the better: my favorite is to
simply cut the stems off leaving the cap on and pan frying them whole in a little olive oil,
salt and pepper until they are soft and slightly charred. These are so good as a garnish for
tacos or covered in cheese like little chili rellenos.
The green paper like husks contains the fruit tomatillos, which make an amazing green
salsa, or salsa verde in Spanish. Give the salsa verde recipe a try and combined with
some fried shishito peppers and some sprouted corn tortillas from farmer and the cook
you will have the start to an epic Hispanic feast.
David

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 pound tomatillos, husked 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh

 43

1/4 cup finely chopped onion oregano

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 serrano chile peppers, minced 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 1 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

You have scaled this recipe's ingredients to yield a new amount (4). The directions below still refer to the
original recipe yield (8).

1. Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, and chile pepper into a saucepan. Season with cilantro, oregano, cumin,
and salt; pour in water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until
the tomatillos are soft, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Using a blender, carefully puree the tomatillos and water in batches until smooth.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2010 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 9/17/2010

44

Vol. 1, issue #19: October 10th, 2010.

The equation of the day is this: one cool, deep soaking rain + ensuing warm sunny days
+ a waxing moon = amazingly vigorous growth of everything at Mano. Among the
vigorous-growing are two crops that are part of our ‘succession sowing’ plan: radishes &
spinach. Others you’ll likely see as cornerstones of each week’s box are: beets, carrots &
lettuce (both beginning to appear in 2-3 weeks), Swiss chard, kale, collards, broccoli &
cabbage (both a few weeks off) and arugula. Of course, we’re open to suggestions,
requests, and criticisms for the fall & winter plantings.
Where was I? Oh yes…spinach! I’ve had the pleasure of eating Mano spinach over the
past few days and it’s just delightful. I love to simply chop it up raw and add it to a
salad. Equally as yummy, especially on a colder day, is to cook it down by sautéing it in
olive oil with a heap of garlic, a little salt and some pepper. Note the vibrancy of this
cooked spinach compared to your memory of that canned stuff your Mom used to make
you eat. It practically glows. If you aren’t already aware, spinach is loaded with iron,
folic acid and fiber, amongst other important vitamins and minerals. Apparently, there
are health benefits to be had from eating it raw & cooked. I do both.
I hate to bring up the plastic bin thing again, but here’s the honest truth: we have no way
of accounting for who has returned theirs and who hasn’t, we’re not crazy about charging
a deposit, and we can’t afford to continuously purchase them. Please do your best to
remember to return them…if not on Sunday, then at some point during the week before
the following pick. This is really one of those honor system situations we’d like to
manifest through trust.
We want to establish an ongoing day & time during each week where we (us farmers, our
friends & you if you wish) gather to work and be together at Mano for a couple of hours.
Any suggestions?
In gratitude,
Justin
 
 45

Mano Farm, Food Justice, and Kickstarter: A

brief reflection and accounting.

Hey everyone, this is Quin writing on behalf of all three of us. Mano Farm’s Food Justice
campaign, run through the web site Kickstarter, concluded on September 30th. We
successfully funded our project on its final day, raising a total of $10,025. While this
number is quite impressive, we are impelled to account for a potentially controversial
point in how we ended up reaching it.
Before that though, I wanted say that our fundraising efforts have been a huge learning
experience for us all. They generated an unprecedented visibility for our farm (three
articles about us were published in Ventura County newspapers), which provoked a
number of reactions about our fundraising methodology. Because we chose to organize
outside of the context of official charity organizations or foundations, some individuals
raised concerns about how we might use the money. Another sticking point was related to
the fact that our farm is not organized as a 501c3 nonprofit — one disadvantage of this is
that pledges were not tax-deductible. Still, a lot of folks unequivocally spoke out and
promoted us throughout the 60 days we had the campaign going. Whether the feedback
came in the form of support or suspicion, it has all been incredibly important to us: we
believe a farm’s relationship with its spheres of community must be in constant flux and
evolution, and we strive to offer the clearest communication and accountability to both
our members and the greater Ojai Valley.
With that said, the largest mistake we made with our fundraising was the $10,000 cap we
set for our project. Because Kickstarter uses an all-or-nothing model, if we didn’t reach
that number, we would receive no funds at all. We set our own bar too high. So rather
than forfeit the money that had already been pledged — or attempt to collect funds from
42 different donors outside of the Kickstarter system — we made a tough decision: in the
final days we decided to enlist the help of an anonymous donor to fund the remainder of
our project in the form of a short term loan. This alters the actual amount the farm earned
considerably. What follows is the accounting of our fundraising efforts:
Total raised: $9975 (listed total was $1025 but someone pledged $50 that Kickstarter
wasn’t able to collect)
Minus a 5 percent Kickstarter commission: -$498.75
Minus Amazon payments commission (this was snuck in and we didn’t even know we
were going to be charged this): $302.77
Repaying our anonymous short-term loan: -$7450 =
Actual raised: 1,723.48
This number, while less than a quarter of total we wanted to raise, is still nothing to scoff
at. What this translates to is approximately 3 fully subsidized shares for low-income
individuals and/or families for six months. Because our farm is growing a substantial
46

amount of food, we’ll be adding these shares throughout autumn as soon as the crops are
ready.
We hope this revelation doesn’t cause undue distrust, and is rather understood as a gross
miscalculation of the Kickstarter system. As always, we welcome any dialogue, direct
feedback, and thoughts.
—Justin, David, and Quin
 47

Vol. 1, issue #20: October 23rd, 2010.

For those of you who are new members, my name

is Quin. I am the third of the Mano farmers: the
AWOL one. I should probably explain my
absence. I’m living in New York City for the
2010-11 school year where I am completing a
master’s degree in history. My time as a graduate
student pre-dates my time as a farmer. Mano
Farm’s first year of operation (2009-2010) was
supposed to be my final year of grad school.
Sometimes I live my life like the mythical West
African Sankofa bird, who reminds us “it is not
taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot.”
Now that we’re up and running I’ve decided to
Above: The mythical Sankofa take a step back. My involvement in the farm
Bird, who reminds us that “we will thus remain peripheral until the coming
must go back to our roots in May, but I get back to Ojai whenever I can,
order to move forward.”
which is the occasion for this newsletter.
In print:
I’ve got an article about the farm in the Fall 2010 issue of Edible Ojai, which you can
find free all over town, including Farmer and the Cook @ 339 West El. Roblar. The
publisher, Jane, has positioned the piece as the first of an ongoing series. I’m honored for
the opportunity to write future pieces and excited to have my work juxtaposed with other
food and agriculture luminaries in the Ojai Valley.
On the farm:
In the last week we planted nearly 4,000 onion seedlings in our south field: Sierra Blanca
(a sweet white variety), and Valencia (an open pollinated yellow type). There are some
“King Richard” leeks in the mix as well. We will also plant out about 90 pounds of garlic
before the month is out. The onions will be ready in mid-spring; the garlic by early next
summer. We’re planning on sowing another round of onions as well, probably
transplanting them in early winter. We know that these Allium family crops are so
frequently the cornerstones of cooking. Our goal in these large successive plantings is to
offer our members as steady a supply of them throughout 2011.
Legalities:
We have achieved certified producer status with Ventura County. What this means is we
can now sell at farmers markets, provided we can get into one. Many are crowded, and
some (such as in Santa Barbara) have two-year waiting lists. We’re trying to get into the
Ojai market, but are keeping Ventura, Malibu, and Oxnard on our radar as well. We’re
taking this process slow, as our CSA members have first priority for our crops, and we
don’t want to spread ourselves too thin.
48

Mano Farm has also decided to pursue organic certification. Perhaps I’ll preface this with
a distinction: there are organic farming practices and certified organic vegetables. We’ve
practiced organic farming since day one, which means that we maintain our soil health
and fertility through cover crops, compost, and crop rotations along with light dustings of
our own custom fertilizer mix (soybean meal, azomite or greensand, a bit of elemental
sulfur, sulphate of potash). We use no pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers. We
buy organic seeds, and we do not plant genetically modified crops.
However, selling our vegetables with the label organic is a completely different
ballgame. Once we sell more than $5,000 worth of produce and if we want to continue
using the term “organic” we are legally required to register with both the State of
California USDA organic department and an independent certifier. This is a process that
we anticipate will set us back about $600. This pretty expensive for a small farm such as
ours, which is why we decided to eschew certification in our first year. However now
we’re feeling more confident that the farm can support our cost of living, we’re hoping
that organic certification will be a boon for our business. I think when people know
something is certified organic, they breathe a bit easier. Our state papers are filed, and
we’ve chosen CCOF as our independent certifying agency. We anticipate the certification
process to go smoothly, as the farm has been certified organic in the past (when Steve
Sprinkel was farming here), and we have land history documentation that goes back to
2004 (the organic standard only requires three years of record keeping).
In the store:
Over the past few months we’ve been selling our produce to Rainbow Bridge near
downtown Ojai. In this past week we sold 25 bunches of beets, chard, and kale to them,
which you can find in their produce section. We’ll be making some signs for the ‘Bridge
to help indicate which produce is locally and Mano-grown. If you shop there, put in the
good word for us!
We’re also begun small quantities of vegetables to Feast Bistro in downtown Ojai
(http://www.feastofojai.com/). They’ve taken the best restaurant in Ojai for the past three
years, and we hope our vegetables can help support their streak of excellence.
In your box:
What a crazy time of the year. The last of our summer crops keep coming while those
luscious leafy greens (arugula, spinach, kale, collards, chard) and beets are in their prime.
The winter squash and melons are still around, although becoming sparse. As the days
grow shorter, our crops take longer to grow, so if we miss getting your favorite
vegetables to you, we apologize. Lettuce and carrots are right around the corner –
radishes, fennel, turnips, rutabaga, cabbage, and broccoli are coming up after that.
 49

Farmer Accountability: Vol. 1, issue #21:

October 31st, 2010.

Dear members,
This is Justin. I write these words because our CSA program is based on farmer
accountability to our members in regards to how we grow our food. I want to inform you
of an incident that occurred this past Wednesday and concerns our farm. While I was out
in the morning light picking vegetables to sell to Rainbow Bridge, the avocado orchard
500 feet to the north of Mano was aerial sprayed via helicopter. This is the first time I
have witnessed this happening in the year and a half that we’ve farmed this land.
Wednesday morning was particularly windy, with gusts blowing to the south toward the
property on which Mano lies. While the adults and children who were part of the
‘Grounded By Nature’ children’s program adjacent to the farm decided to leave the
scene, I chose to remain present as a witness. I neither felt my safety threatened, nor that
our crops were being ‘hit’ by any overspray or drift. This was, however, a very intense
experience.
Later that day we found out that the substance applied was Phosgard, a Phosphorus &
Potassium nutrient commonly sprayed on conventional avocado orchards. This is not a
pesticide, but a non-organic plant food applied to the foliage of the trees. Courtney,
creator of the Grounded By Nature program was instantly on the ball, seeking to hold
somebody accountable for this situation. In the two days following she met with the
orchard owner, the helicopter company, and the Ventura County Agricultural
Commission. By the end of their meeting, the helicopter company vowed to never spray
in the valley again! Additionally, the orchard owner promised to crease aerial spraying
because he became aware that there were not only children present but also an organic
farm & orchard. Thank you Courtney! In the coming weeks, there will likely be an
article in the Ojai Valley News about this incident, aimed to telling the story to the larger
public, hopefully empowering folks who live/work near conventional agriculture
properties to become activists in their own communities and to inform the public that
they do have rights and the power to alter these situations.
This whole experience brought many things to light for me. First, this kind of thing is
happening all the time, without us consumers ever knowing about it! Since most
agriculture is conventional, most organic farms (in rural or semi-rural areas) border
conventional farms. Second, consider the minimum separation between commercial and
organic farms that is required for organic certification (in California) is only 30 feet.
Thirty feet! I can only imagine how often food sold in stores and labeled as ‘organic’ has
been contaminated in some way by neighboring operations, never to be disclosed due to
either marketplace pressures or the growers’ own fear of losing their certification. This
blatantly highlights how problematic the ‘organic’ label really is, and aside from growing
your own, the next best thing is to know and trust your farmers.
I can tell you with a completely clean conscience that I believe our produce to be
uncontaminated by potential drift from the helicopter. I have been eating Mano food
50

every day since Wednesday without concern, and would not feel good about sharing this
food with you if I were even the slightest bit concerned. Rest assured that the
commercial orchard boarding that Mano Farm will never be aerial sprayed again. You
can’t get promises like that when purchasing anonymously grown retail produce!
If you have any concerns about this matter, please talk to me…I am more than happy to
share and answer your questions.
A couple quick notes:

• The onion in your box is appearing only this week…we saved a small patch for
seed, then decided to let some of our fall-sown onions be our seed crop in the
spring, and eat these ones…enjoy!
• The summer crops are almost entirely done…summer squash hanging on. The
greens, however, are just getting sweeter. Try eating the stalks of the collards or
kale raw…they’re like sweet celery stalks.
• Next Sunday (11/7) will be Mano’s first annual garlic-planting party! We will
start after lunch in the early afternoon (1:00 or so…don’t forget the time change),
and culminate with a sunset on-farm soup dinner and campfire. We will have six
varieties of garlic to plant, and will need many hands. Hope to see you there!

A recipe for Mustard Greens (the frilly greens

with a little spice)
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
2 cloves (or more) garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large bunch mustard greens, washed and torn into large pieces
2 to 3 Tbsp chicken broth or vegetable broth (vegetarian option)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 In a large sauté pan, sauté onions in olive oil over medium heat until the onions begin to brown
and caramelize, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook a minute more, until
fragrant.
2 Add the mustard greens and broth and cook until the mustard greens are just barely wilted. Toss
with sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Serves 4.

In a pinch, add a splash of water instead of the broth…though the broth sounds tasty.
This recipe would be great over brown rice, or with pan-seared wild salmon…or both.
 51

Vol. 1, issue #22: November 7th, 2010.

I write this issue of the Manocle on the eve of this year’s garlic planting. David has been
growing garlic on a garden scale for eight years, and today proclaimed that this year’s
Mano garlic sowing is “a dream come true.” Since his first season growing garlic where
he produced enough to cook with for the year, he’s dreamed of growing a field of garlic.
Here’s to manifesting dreams, brother David! We will be planting at least 7 different
varieties, including a main crop of a delicious purple-skinned hardneck…actually it’s the
variety you’ve been receiving in your boxes. I’ve been enjoying the lack of tiny cloves,
and the ease of peeling of this variety. We have four long, beautiful beds prepared for
tomorrow, and I hope this planting will be collaborative - involving many hands, and in
turn grown for the sustenance of many friends.

Let’s hear it for the carrots! Seriously…these beauties have been through the craziest late
summer/early autumn I can remember. The seeds for this Danvers 126 open-pollinated
carrot were sown during the last week of August. This variety certainly lived up to its
reputation of having significant heat tolerance! The ideal soil temperature for carrot seed
germination is between 55 and 75 deg F. The week following this sowing, the daytime
temps were in over 100…so we watered multiple times every day, to keep the soil temp
down and the seeds from drying out after taking on water. Well…they made it! Thrived,
in fact. We have a really nice crop of these lovelies, so you should see carrots
consistently for a while, barring catastrophe.

The lettuce and arugula in your boxes are from our friend Johnny’s farm down the road.
His farm is certified organic…he is growing for his CSA that serves Ventura. We are
really happy to be collaborating with him! This week we traded some of our Madelay
kale (the huge collard-looking green you’ve received) for the lettuce and arugula. Enjoy.
If you see him, give him an ‘atta boy’ for his hard work and for showing up as a fellow
local organic farmer. More to come on local farmer collaboration and local food
resilience.
52

Vol. 1, issue #23: November 21st, 2010.

I’m anticipating rain. Deep-soaking rain. This is what we’re hoping for, as the previous
two storms were teasers…just enough to make everything look wet. But upon digging a
shovel into the Mano earth, we found dryness two inches down. So, we’re crossing our
fingers for a good soak, as the plants, especially the young ones, love this. After a deep
soak, the thoroughly moistened soil dries out from the surface down. The young roots
follow this falling moisture level, diving deep when unobstructed. A deep root system
allows the plants to tap into deep-down moisture and nutrients…the plants are then
stronger, higher yielding, and more resistant to pests and disease. Let it rain!

Our carrots continue to provide and hopefully please. Kale is becoming sweeter with
each passing cold evening. Cabbage will be on the table starting next weekend. We’re a
little proud of the beans. On a whim we direct-sowed this late crop with the intention of
providing beans to our CSA members before Thanksgiving. As if we knew what we
were doing, our plan totally worked. We covered the bean row with frost cloth to protect
them from temps in the mid thirties last week. The variety is ‘Bountiful’, an heirloom
bush bean that dates back to the late eighteen hundreds. They’re quite sweet and tender,
and we hope you enjoy them.

Next month, we will be hosting our second annual Winter Solstice party at Mano. Join us
to experience the end of our seasonal darkness, the return to light, and continuing growth
of our farm-based community. This year’s solstice occurs at 3:38pm on Tuesday,
December 21. We are announcing this event early so folks can plan ahead to be there.
Potluck is optional — bring a dish if you feel impelled to, but don't feel obligated to
share.

Justin
 53

Creamy kale & white bean soup

Here, the mineral-rich assertiveness of kale married with the creaminess of protein-rich
white beans makes a soup that will warm and comfort the whole family. Onions, garlic,
and herbs add health-enhancing properties and wonderful flavor. With a crusty loaf of
hearty farmhouse bread and a glass of good wine, you have the perfect Tuscan supper.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups navy beans, cleaned and sorted, soaked overnight
3 quarts water
1 bay leaf
3 – 4 sage leaves, fresh or dried
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups finely diced yellow onions
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
6 – 8 cups kale, stemmed and chopped to spoon size
Cream to finish (optional)

1. Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water. Discard the water, then add 3 quarts of
fresh water and simmer beans with the bay leaf, sage, and whole garlic cloves until the
beans are completely soft, about 2 1/2 hours.
2. Remove one quarter of the cooked beans, puree them in a food mill or blender, then
return them to the pot. The puree will give the soup a creamy background texture.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet, add the onions, then cook until transparent. When
soft, add the yeast, a teaspoon of salt, and several grindings of pepper. Stir frequently to
prevent the yeast from sticking to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes then add the mixture to the
cooked beans.
4. Cook the kale in the remaining butter until it is wilted. Combine with the beans and
add enough water to bring the volume to about 3 quarts. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1
hour.
5. Check the seasonings and finish the soup with a little cream, if desired.
Serves 8 to 10.
54

Vol. 1, issue #24: December 5th, 2010.

First, a few important reminders:

• Tuesday, December 21st is our 2nd annual Winter Solstice party, and the one-year
anniversary of our CSA program! This is an optional potluck…bring a dish if you
feel so inspired. We’re advertising a time of 2:00-6:00, though there will likely
be a fire to follow the feast, for which you are welcome to stay. We will be
gratefully and humbly welcoming the return of lengthening daylight!

• If you have been with us for a while (many of you have), please take a minute and
visit www.localharvest.org, where a search for CSAs in Ojai will find Mano at the
top of the list. Please leave a review of our farm/CSA program as you see fit.
This website has a lot of visibility, and some positive reviews could be really
helpful.

• There will soon be a drop-box for your CSA membership payments located under
the shade structure. We do our best to remind y’all about renewal times, and
appreciate your timely payments that allow this farm to exist.

• We appreciate your efforts to come out to Mano Sunday mornings to pick up your
share. We encourage you to pickup as close to 10:30 as possible for the sake of
the freshness of the vegetables, though we know that not everybody can make it
there so promptly on this day of rest. If you are unable to come until later in the
day, and find some of your bounty a tad wilted, do not fret. When you get home,
fill the kitchen sink with cold water (and a few ice cubes if you have ‘em) and
soak any wilted veggies, ‘polar bear club’ style. They will be as rejuvenated as
the loons that partake in this crazy ritual.

Today marks the first-of-the-season arrival of the blessed rutabaga. Also known as the
‘Swede’, this long-storing root veggie has ample Vit C and potassium, is delicious boiled,
steamed, sautéed, or roasted (see recipe on back), and is downright beautiful. Quin first
introduced us to the Swede after gleaning much inspiration from his friend Lasse, a self-
sufficiency maven subsisting largely on rutabagas in remote northern Finland. Cheers to
Quin and his repeated travels to Scandinavia for introducing us to this sweet veggie.
Quin will be returning from graduate school in New York this month, and will be here ‘til
mid January…we miss him dearly, and look forward to his return. Come say hello at the
Solstice party.
 55

Rutabaga and Carrot Puree

Ingredients:

• 2 rutabagas (2 1/2 pounds total), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

• 5 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar (optional)

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation:
Cook rutabagas and carrots in boiling salted water to cover by 1 inch in a large pot until
tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer vegetables with a slotted spoon to a food processor
and purée with butter, brown sugar, and salt until very smooth. If necessary, transfer
purée back to pot and reheat.
This makes a delicious, creamy soup…a meal in its own right. Also as a complement
side to an onion-e, garlic-e leafy green stir-fry.
56

Farming amidst the rain, or our 2011 budget:

Vol. 1, Issue #25.

Community farming is about the necessary renewal of agriculture through its healthy linkage with
the human community that depends upon farms and farmers for survival… We also see the
potential of community farming as the basis for a renewal of the human relationship with the
earth. —Trauger Groh & Steve McFadden

The Ojai Valley received a little over seven inches of rain in this past week,
imposing a moratorium on a lot of our fieldwork. We have been digging a lot of trenches
to channel water away from our vegetable beds. This is the second year we’ve watched
our farm get drenched like this, and in spite of the dramatic weather, things held up pretty
well. Unfortunately, the rain prompted the cancelation of our solstice party, which will be
reborn in the form of a winter gathering during the first week of the New Year. We’ll
keep you posted.
In the meantime we’ve headed indoors and started planning out the next year of
the farm, beginning with a preliminary budget that we’re presenting to you here. We are
sharing these figures for two reasons. First, we want our members to know what it takes
to run a small farm; this is part of our general philosophy of transparency. Second, we’re
putting these figures out there because we’re hoping to find some current members to
invest in the farm for a full year. This would help us immensely because we have an
immediate need for seeds, fencing materials, and fertilizer to get our recently plowed
south field up and running — once it dries out, that is. After drafting our budget we’ve
decided to bump up our share prices slightly — moving from $96 to $100 for
introductory shares and $275 to $300 for 12-week seasonal shares (on par or below what
other CSAs in town cost). However, a yearlong membership ($1200) would compensate
for this price difference, because one year is 52-weeks whereas four consecutive seasonal
shares is 48-weeks.

Mano Farm Projected Budget: 2011

Rent $1800
Water $1200
Farmers' Salary $36000
Phone $1100
Seeds $1500
Fertilizer $2000
Taxes and legal fees $2000
Insurance $1000
Automobile $1250
Printing and copying $50
Miscellaneous office supplies $50
Tools & Supplies
- csa: bags, ties, scale 300
- gate material 100
 57

- row cover 120

- fencing (perimeter, gopher) 600
- shade structure (metal roof, wall) 300
- tools (shovels, weeding tools) 1000
Irrigation (spigots, drip tape, pvc, fertigation, etc.) 800
Seed Infrastructure (screens, box fan, etc.) 200
Organic Certification 675
Total $52045

The first CSAs in the United States were shareholder CSAs where members were
intimately involved in the organizational structure of the farm itself, including
fundraising. Our farm is more closely structured around the subscription CSA model, on
which the farmers are the primary organizers, and offer produce to community members
based on a fixed share cost that ideally reaches the farm’s budget. This model is
especially popular in California due to the mild climate and the fact that most organic
food in the country is grown here. Here organic food is not scarce, thankfully, and we
know you’ve got a lot of choice for where you can get your food. So while we are not
expecting to raise $50,000 in a single go, we want to let you all know that a few year
subscriptions would go a long way for us right now.
This year promises to be an exciting one for us. Justin, David and myself are
dreaming a lot about new projects we want to undertake. Eggs and honey are two
products we’d like to be able to offer to you all, so we will probably be adding bees and
chickens to the land sometime during the late spring. Our first planned seed-saving
efforts should come to fruition at some point mid-year, meaning we will be actively
growing a number of our own varieties of vegetables — and plan to begin selling them to
the general public. Finally, we’re hoping to get some fruit trees in the ground this coming
season; a long term growing project for sure, but we’d like to stick around as long as you
all want to have us, so some day in the distant future expect peaches and apples.
Winter has now officially begun. The beautiful, sweet and nutritious savoy
cabbage is undoubtedly the star of your shares. Martha Rose Shulman has recently
published another pair of great cabbage recipes in the New York Times, which we’re
reprinting for you below.
-Quin
58

Recipes for Health: Andalusian Cabbage Stew

By  MARTHA  ROSE  SHULMAN    
This simple Spanish stew is spiked with a splash of sherry vinegar as you finish cooking it. Serve the stew
as a side dish or as a main dish with rice.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped
2 to 4 garlic cloves, to taste, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small cabbage (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored and shredded or diced (about 6 cups)
1 small dried red chili pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with juice
Salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, lidded skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion. Cook,
stirring often, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until the
pepper has softened slightly and the pan is fragrant, about three minutes. Add the cabbage. Cook, stirring,
until the cabbage has softened slightly and lost some of its volume, about five minutes. Add the chili
pepper, sugar, tomatoes, salt and paprika. Raise the heat slightly, and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes
have cooked down slightly and the mixture smells fragrant, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low, cover
and simmer 30 minutes, stirring often.
2. Add the vinegar and pepper, and taste and adjust salt. Simmer another 10 minutes. Serve with thick
slices of country bread or with rice. This will taste even better if you refrigerate it overnight and serve it the
next day.
Yield: Serves four to six.
Advance preparation: You can make this several hours before serving and reheat; it keeps for four to five
days in the refrigerator.
Nutritional information per serving (four servings): 172 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0
grams cholesterol; 26 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 350 milligrams sodium (does not include
salt added during preparation); 5 grams protein
Nutritional information per serving (six servings): 115 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0
grams cholesterol; 18 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 234 milligrams sodium (does not include
salt added during preparation); 3 grams protein
Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com. Her latest book, “The Very Best of
Recipes for Health,” was published recently by Rodale Books.

Recipes for Health: Spicy Stir-Fried Cabbage

By  MARTHA  ROSE  SHULMAN  
This is a vegetarian version of a classic Chinese stir-fry. The authentic versions I’ve encountered include
some pork or bacon, but the chilies, ginger, garlic, star anise and the cabbage are flavorful enough without
meat. I’ve added carrots for color.

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 star anise, broken in half
 59

2 teaspoons soy sauce (more to taste)

2 tablespoons Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
1 small cabbage, 1 to 1 1/2 pounds, quartered, cored and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch shreds
1 medium carrot, cut into julienne
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons minced chives, Chinese chives or cilantro

1. Combine the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and star anise in a small bowl. Combine the soy sauce and
wine or sherry in another small bowl.
2. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a 12-inch skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates
within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in the oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and tilting
it back and forth. Add the garlic, ginger, pepper flakes and star anise. Stir-fry for a few seconds, just until
fragrant, then add the cabbage and carrots. Stir-fry for one to two minutes until the cabbage begins to wilt,
then add the salt and wine/soy sauce mixture. Cover and cook over high heat for one minute until just
wilted. Uncover and stir-fry for another 30 seconds, then stir in the chives or cilantro and remove from the
heat. The cabbage should be crisp-tender. Serve with rice or noodles.
Yield: Serves four.
Advance preparation: This is a last minute stir-fry, but you can have all the ingredients prepped and ready
to go several hours ahead of cooking.
Nutritional information per serving: 129 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams cholesterol;
14 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 111 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during
preparation); 3 grams protein

Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com. Her latest book, “The Very Best of
Recipes for Health,” was published recently by Rodale Books.
60

Bibliography  
Cech, Richo. Making Plant Medicine. Williams, Oregon: Horizon Herbs, 2000.
Green, James. The Male Herbal: The Definitive Health Care Book for Men & Boys. 2nd
Edition. Berkeley, California: Crossing Press, 2007.
Groh, Trauger M, and Steven S.H. McFadden. Farms of Tomorrow: Community
Supported Farms Farm Supported Communities. Kimberton, PA: Biodynamic Farming
and Gardening Association, 1990.
Laws, Bill. Spade, Skirret and Parsnip: The Curious History of Vegetables. Phoenix Mill:
Sutton Publishing, 2004.
Murray, Michael, Joseph Pizzorno, and Lara Pizzorno. The Encyclopedia of Healing
Foods. New York: Atria Books, 2005.
Moore, Michael. Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West. Revised and Expanded Edition.
Santa Fe, New Mexico: Museum of New Mexico Press, 2003.
Sedaris, David. Naked. Newport Beach, CA: Back Bay Books, 1997.
Tilford, Gregory L. From Earth to Herbalist: An Earth-Concious Guide to Medicinal
Plants. Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1998.