Oriental Greens, by Melinda

Tokyo Bekana leaves

We're getting three types of wonderful Oriental greens from our hoophouses this Friday the 25th, though you may or may not be familiar with them already, depending on whether you tried them this past summer. (My, how long ago that heat seems on a frigid day like today!)  But they are *delicious*!  The first one is Tokyo Bekana (see left) a mild-tasting member of the mustard family (as many Oriental greens are); it's related to Chinese bok choi but is even more tender.  In fact, it's so tender that it's quite suitable in salads, yet it also can be used in quick stir-fries or chopped into soups, stews, and so forth.  When Tokyo Bekana is mature, it looks something like a head of celery, with stalks and leaves, but when it's "baby," you get primarily the super-tender leaves.  Yum!

Komatsuna

Like its cousin, Tokyo Bekana, our second green, Komatsuna (aka Japanese Mustard Spinach) is also related to mustard (but milder) as well as to the common turnip. It can be used in salads and smoothies, or sauteed, stir-fried, steamed, boiled or pickled.  It too has both stems and leaves at maturity, but more leaf than stem when young.

Yukina Savoy

The third of our greens, Yukina Savoy, shares all these traits, though it looks more like a Tat Soi with a savoyed (crinkled) leaf.  (It becomes more crinkly as it matures--don't we all??!!)  It too can be eaten in salads or in all of the other ways listed above.

All three of these greens are cold-weather growers and don't do well in summer heat.  So hooray for the hoophouse!  There are all kinds of recipes for these greens, savory or sweet, raw or cooked, vegan, vegetarian, or carnivorous.  Also some gluten-free recipes.  Devorah was right:  Google Search is your best friend when it comes to finding such recipes.  Meanwhile, here are a few that exemplify different treatments for the various greens.

Hot Poppin' Tokyo Bekana--vegan and gluten-free (source)

• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 small pieces chopped fresh ginger
• a mound (or mounds) of Tokyo Bekana [you can supplement with other greens if you wish]
• 2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brown rice vinegar [or regular rice vinegar]

In a wok, warm sesame oil on medium heat. Add sesame seeds & stir till you're overwhelmed w/ the nutty fragrance & the seeds darken [but don't burn!]. Add garlic & ginger, but be careful of the popping, shooting sesame seeds when you add the moist ingredients. After a minute, add the greens by the handful, cooking them down. In 3-5 min. they will still be beautiful, light spring green.  Serve warm.   For more greens recipes, including Tokyo Bekana, click here.

Komatsuna Smoothie--vegan and gluten-free (source)

• 1 banana
• 1 pear, cubed
• small handful flatleaf parsley
• handful of Komatsuna leaves
• 8 ice cubes
• 1 tbsp flax meal
• hemp milk to cover

Put all ingredients in blender and whiz till smooth.   For more Komatsuna and other Asian-greens recipes, click here.  If you're an omnivore, check out this recipe for a Komatsuna Souffled Omelet.

Moroccan Yukina Savoy Red Quinoa Skillet--serves 6; vegan and gluten-free (source)

• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
• 2 cans white cannellini beans, drained & rinsed (or equivalent of dry beans, cooked)
• 2 bunches Yukina Savoy or 4 cups of another green (kale, spinach, bok choi)
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1 cup red quinoa
• 3 cups gluten-free veggie stock
• 1 handful chopped parsley

Put red quinoa in a bowl of water and soak while preparing the next four steps.  1) Combine paprika, cumin, salt, & pepper in small bowl; set aside.  2) Zest the lemon, juice it, and set them aside separately.  3) Chop Yukina Savoy and set aside separately, along w/ chopped onion and carrots.  4) Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok on medium heat & saute minced garlic till it's lightly browned. Add onions, lemon zest, & apricots & cook till onions are soft. Drain & rinse the red quinoa & add it to the skillet. Then add lemon juice, carrots, beans, spices, and stock. Raise heat & bring mix to a boil; stir for 3-5 min. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 min. or till the liquid is absorbed. Add chopped Yukina Savoy (or green of your choice), stir to combine, and cover for 5 min. or till the greens have softened. Keep covered, remove from heat, and let it sit for 5 min. Gently stir and serve; garnish with parsley if desired. For two more Yukina Savoy recipes, one vegetarian and one for the carnivores, see here.  For the steak-based recipe of the two, you can also see here.

No-Till Growing, by Devorah Ketai, Our Winter Farmer

One exciting aspect of the winter-growing project is its small scale.  Organic standards of farming can be achieved on many scales, from a quarter acre to a thousand. Generally, though, it is easier for us to be friendly to our soils on a smaller scale.

Moldboard plow

Let's consider, first, less soil-friendly methods of preparing the ground, then move on to more eco-friendly processes. One way farmers affect their soils is through tillage.  Tillage is simply "the preparation of the land for growing crops." This preparation generally includes disturbing the soil in order to aerate it, loosening compaction and incorporating into the soil other plants that previously grew there.  Often, large-scale operations use a tractor for tillage.  The implements attached to the tractor vary, as well as consequences they have on soil health.  Traditionally, many farms used a moldboard plow (see above), which completely flips the soil upside down.  Today, many farmers realize that such a strategy is not very healthy for the soil's ecosystem!  Imagine going about your day, when suddenly everything that was once below you is now above you, and you are completely lost!  This must be how the soil's microorganisms feel when their world is turned upside down.  Flipping the soil severely disturbs its ecosystem, slowing the natural processes that break down soil nutrients and lead to successful plant growth.

In terms of large-scale soil preparation, many farms--including Red Hill--have turned to less damaging methods, particularly the use of a Spader (essentially several flat, sharp, digging shovels attached to a turning mechanism).  Spaders are great for many reasons. They're much more efficient than other plows in breaking down field residues, so the tractor to which the Spader is attached doesn't have to cross the field so many times and compaction is reduced.  This is one reason we love our Spader!

Broadfork

But the ultimate in eco-conservation of soil is the "no-till" process.  In the hoophouses, we grow on such a small scale that no mechanical cultivation is necessary--in other words, we're using a no-till method.  We loosen the soil with a tool called a broadfork, basically a giant fork we stick into the soil and tilt back and forth like we're trying to loosen a nice big piece of chocolate cake.  (See right; that's *not* Devorah!)  The use of the broadfork has two huge advantages:  1) we are not flipping the soil, and 2) there is no compaction caused by tractor weight.  We're simply loosening the soil so oxygen and water can enter and plants can send their roots down easily.  So why don't all farms use broadforks?  The answer is that it's extremely time-consuming, especially on a large scale; tilling a whole field with a broadfork would take many exhausting days, while with a tractor it takes half an hour.  A broadfork also doesn't incorporate the older plant material back into the soil, so it would have to be hand-pulled (difficult on all but the smallest fields).

I first mentioned it's exciting to work on small-scale, winter growing.  I'm grateful for the tractor we have on a 5-acre farm like Red Hill because it saves a lot of back-breaking work and makes growing more efficient.  However, being able to spend my time using a broadfork in the small space of our hoophouses is greatly rewarding.  Instead of bringing out the noisy tractor, I get to spend quiet time observing the detailed changes I am making while aerating the soil.  Instead of breathing the tractor's fumes, I feel myself sweating as I make a suitable bed for growing vegetables.  I also know the beneficial effects of this type of soil preparation greatly outweigh the negative ones, of which there are few.  The broadfork is great for small-scale farms and gardens alike.  If you are ever thinking of preparing a bed, be sure to inquire about this wonderful tool! It's been so great to be on a farm where the growing strategies and tools vary so much depending on the crop and time of year!