education

Prepare Beet Thoran with SonyaJoy

Beets are the October Harvest of the Month at PFP!

Make this simple, kid-friendly root vegetable stir fry with a kick of flavor from aromatic Indian curry powder. Before you start cooking, take a mindful moment to breathe and center. Learn about the journey curry took around the world. Finally dive in to prepare and taste test the dish.

Kids love getting their fingers pink from shredding the sweet beets. Be sure to protect your clothes from staining while you cook!

Jump to the end of the video for the complete recipe. Visit our website for more distance learning videos and seasonal recipes.

Companion Video
Learn About Global Beets: https://youtu.be/Wtv8CVVtRxc

Follow us on Social Media
http://instagram.com/poughkeepsiefarm...
http://facebook.com/farmproject
http://twitter.com/farmproject

Get our Educator Newsletter or Monthly Newsletter: http://farmproject.org/home#list-sign-up
Beet Harvest of the Month resource page: http://farmproject.org/beets
More Online Learning with PFP: http://farmproject.org/digital-online...
Donate to support our work: http://farmproject.org/give

Credits:
Close-up Cooking Video by Rob Kissner
Post-Production Editing by Forge Media
Intro Music: “Upbeat Funk Commercial” by GuitarsState
Mindful Moment Music: “Sweet Gentle Piano” by water_lily
Main Music: “Kids Background” by PeacockMusic


Prepara Thoran Indu de Remolacha con Lala M.

La cosecha del mes de octubre en Poughkeepsie son las remolachas!

Haga este sencillo salteado de tubérculos para niñes con un toque de sabor del aromático curry indio en polvo. Antes de comenzar a cocinar, tómese un momento consciente para respirar y centrarse. Aprenda sobre el viaje que hizo el curry alrededor del mundo. Finalmente sumérgete para preparar y probar el plato. Esta receta es una versión adaptada de un plato tradicional, simplificado para cocinar con niñes. Para un auténtico thoran de remolacha, pruebe la receta tradicional de Onam Sadya de Kerala, India.

A les niñes les encanta enrojecerse los dedos al triturar las remolachas dulces. ¡Asegúrate de proteger la ropa de las manchas mientras cocinas!

Salte al final del video para ver la receta completa. Visite nuestro sitio web para ver más videos de aprendizaje a distancia y recetas de temporada.

Video complementario
Más información sobre las remolachas globales con PFP

Auténtica remolacha de Kerala Thoran de Onam Sadya
https://www.cookingandme.com/2013/02/13/kerala-beetroot-thoran-recipe-onam/

Página de la cosecha de remolacha del mes
https://www.farmproject.org/beets

Más aprendizaje en línea con Poughkeepsie Farm Project
https://www.farmproject.org/digital-online-learning

Créditos:
Primer plano de video de cocina de Rob Kissner
Edición de posproducción por Forge Media
Música de introducción: "Upbeat Funk Commercial" de GuitarsState
* detalles de la licencia
Mindful Moment Music: "Sweet Gentle Piano" de water_lily
* detalles de la licencia
Música principal: "Kids Background" de PeacockMusic

Learn About Global Beets with PFP

Join Kathryn and the team at Poughkeepsie Farm Project to learn about beet recipes around the world, beet plant parts and more. Then learn about curry dishes around the world, including an Indian beet dish that includes curry spice, Beet Thoran!

The word of the day is microgreens! We will even show you how to grow your own beet microgreens at home or in your classroom.

Relax and get centered with a mindful moment of deep breathing, and a nature moment in the discovery garden where we see how our plants get pollinated.

Companion Videos:
Cook Beet Thoran- English: https://youtu.be/VLoxMAKMuHk
Cook Beet Thoran - Spanish: coming soon!

Follow us on Social Media
http://instagram.com/poughkeepsiefarmproject/
http://facebook.com/farmproject
http://twitter.com/farmproject

Get our Educator Newsletter or Monthly Newsletter: http://farmproject.org/home#list-sign-up
Beets Harvest of the Month page: https://www.farmproject.org/beets
More Online Learning with PFP: http://farmproject.org/digital-online-learning
Donate to support our work: http://farmproject.org/give

Credits:
Post-Production Editing by Forge Media
Intro Music: “Upbeat Funk Commercial” by GuitarsState
Mindful Moment Music: “Sweet Gentle Piano” by water_lily
Main Music: “Kids Background” by PeacockMusic

Cook Soup Joumou with SonyaJoy

Cook Soup Joumou with SonyaJoy

Español abajo

SoupJoumouPlated.jpeg

Celebrate delicious local squash in a flavorful soup from Haiti. Learn how to make this simple recipe for Soup Joumou - Haitian Independence soup. Cook along with SonyaJoy as you dice, sauté and season your way to a dish that the whole family will enjoy. This video will describe where kids can safely get involved with cooking. This recipe was adapted from a traditional recipe, changed to make it easier to include children in cooking. For a traditional Soup Joumou, try the mouth-watering recipe from our friends at Soul Fire Farm.

Jump to the end of the video for the complete recipe. Visit our website for more distance learning videos and seasonal recipes.

Companion Video
Learn About Squash of the Americas with PFP

Soul Fire Farm’s Vegetarian Soup Joumou

https://www.soulfirefarm.org/soup-joumou/

Follow us on Social Media
http://instagram.com/poughkeepsiefarm...
http://facebook.com/farmproject
http://twitter.com/farmproject

Get our Educator Newsletter or Monthly Newsletter: http://farmproject.org/home#list-sign-up
Squash Harvest of the Month resource page: http://farmproject.org/winter-squash
Resources for Educators on Squash: http://bit.ly/squashresources
More Online Learning with PFP: http://farmproject.org/digital-online...
Donate to support our work: http://farmproject.org/give

Credits:
Close-up Cooking Video by Rob Kissner
Post-Production Editing by Forge Media
Intro Music: “Upbeat Funk Commercial” by GuitarsState
Mindful Moment Music: “Sweet Gentle Piano” by water_lily


Cocina Sopa Joumou con Lala M.

Cocina Sopa Joumou con Lala M

Celebra la deliciosa calabaza local en una sabrosa sopa de Haití. Aprende a preparar esta sencilla receta de sopa Joumou: sopa de la independencia de Haití. Cocina junto con Lala Montoya, mientras cortas, salteas y sazonas hasta obtener un plato que disfrutará toda la familia. Este video describe dónde les niñes pueden participar de manera segura en la cocina. Salta al final del video para ver la receta completa. Visita nuestre sitio web para ver más vídeos de aprendizaje a distancia y recetas de temporada.

Video complementario Aprenda sobre Calabazas of the Americas con PFP: https://youtu.be/G33spjeDaLs


Síguenes en las redes sociales:

http://instagram.com/poughkeepsiefarm...

http://facebook.com/farmproject

http://twitter.com/farmproject

Obtenga nuestre boletín informativo para educadores o boletín informativo mensual: http://farmproject.org/home#list-sign-up

Página de recursos de la cosecha de calabaza del mes: http://farmproject.org/winter-squash

Recursos para educadores sobre la calabaza o calabacines: http://bit.ly/squashresources

Más aprendizaje en línea con PFP: http://farmproject.org/digital-online...

Done para apoyar nuestre trabajo: http://farmproject.org/give

Créditos: Video de cocina de primer plano por Rob Kissner

Edición de postproducción por Forge Media

Música de introducción: "Upbeat Funk Commercial" de Guitars

State Música de Momento contemplativo: "Sweet Gentle Piano" de water_lily

Musica principal: “Kids Background” de PeacockMusic

Learn About Squash of the Americas with PFP

Join Kathryn and the team at Poughkeepsie Farm Project to learn about winter squash, indigenous culture and farming practices! Then learn about a Haitian recipe using winter squash called Soup Joumou.

The word of the day is indigenous! Find out about the indigenous story and wisdom of the three sisters - corn, beans and squash and the practice of seed saving to grow the three sisters crops!

Relax and get centered with a mindful moment of deep breathing, and a nature moment in our seed saving garden. Then learn about indigenous seed keeper Rowen White who is growing ancestral Mohawk seeds with SeedShed in New York's Hudson Valley.

Companion Videos:
Cook Soup Joumou with SonyaJoy - English: https://youtu.be/z-QIYg8HMTE
Cook Soup Joumou with Laura - Spanish: https://youtu.be/wzx6lziND9Y

Learn more about Rowen's seed keeping work: https://youtu.be/IooHPLjXi2g

Follow us on Social Media
http://instagram.com/poughkeepsiefarm...
http://facebook.com/farmproject
http://twitter.com/farmproject

Get our Educator Newsletter or Monthly Newsletter: http://farmproject.org/home#list-sign-up
Squash Harvest of the Month resource page: http://farmproject.org/winter-squash
Resources for Educators on Squash: http://bit.ly/squashresources
More Online Learning with PFP: http://farmproject.org/digital-online...
Donate to support our work: http://farmproject.org/give

Credits:
Post-Production Editing by Forge Media
Intro Music: “Upbeat Funk Commercial” by GuitarsState
Mindful Moment Music: “Sweet Gentle Piano” by water_lily

West African Jollof Rice with Kale

Prepare West African Jollof Rice with Kale

Español abajo

JollofRicePlated.jpg
kale1.jpg

Celebrate delicious local kale in a mouth-watering rice dish from Ghana, West Africa. This recipe is an adapted version of a traditional dish, changed to include a seasonal vegetable, plant-based protein, and simplified so even small children can help prepare it! Cook along with SonyaJoy as you dice, sauté and season your way to a dish that the whole family will enjoy. This video will describe where kids can safely get involved with cooking. For authentic Nigerian Jollof Rice, try Chef Yewande Komolafe’s traditional recipe featured in the NY Times.

Jump to the end of the video for the complete recipe. Visit our website for more distance learning videos and seasonal recipes.

Companion Video
Learn About Multicultural Kale with PFP: https://youtu.be/xASSV6jc3Fc

Chef Yewande Komolafe’s Nigerian Recipes, NY Times Cooking: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/24/dining/nigerian-food-yewande-komolafe.html


Follow us on Social Media
instagram.com/poughkeepsiefarmproject/
facebook.com/farmproject
twitter.com/farmproject

Get our Educator Newsletter or Monthly Newsletter: farmproject.org/home#list-sign-up
More Online Learning with PFP: farmproject.org/digital-online-learning
Donate to support our work: farmproject.org/give

Kale Harvest of the Month resource page: farmproject.org/kale
Resources for Educators on Kale: https://bit.ly/kaleresources
Tomato Harvest of the Month resource page: farmproject.org/tomatoes-1

Lesson Resource Page: Learn About Multicultural Kale with PFP
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K...


Credits:
Close-up Cooking Video by Rob Kissner
Post-Production Editing by Forge Media
Intro Music: “Upbeat Funk Commercial” by GuitarsState
Mindful Moment Music: “Sweet Gentle Piano” by water_lily


Prepara Arroz Jollof de África Occidental con Lala M.

¡La cosecha del mes de noviembre en Poughkeepsie es la col rizada! Celebra la deliciosa col rizada local en un delicioso plato de arroz de Ghana, África occidental. Aprende a hacer esta sencilla receta de arroz Jollof con col rizada. Cocina junto con Lala Montoya mientras cortas, salteas y sazonas hasta obtener un plato que disfrutará toda la familia. Este video describirá dónde les niñes pueden participar de manera segura en la cocina. Salta al final del video para ver la receta completa. Visita nuestre sitio web para ver más videos de aprendizaje a distancia y recetas de temporada.

Página de la cosecha de col rizada del mes https://www.farmproject.org/kale

Más aprendizaje en línea con Poughkeepsie Farm Project, la granja de poughkeepsie https://www.farmproject.org/digital-o...

Créditos: Video de cocina de primer plano por Rob Kissner

Edición de postproducción por Forge Media

Música de introducción: "Upbeat Funk Commercial" de GuitarsState

Música de Momento consciente: "Sweet Gentle Piano" de water_lily

Musica principal: “Kids Background” de PeacockMusic

Learn About Multicultural Kale with PFP

Join Kathryn and the team at Poughkeepsie Farm Project to learn about kale, multicultural recipes, and more. Watch kale growing on the farm and get to know an important vegetable that helps kale grow strong - beans!

The word of the day is multicultural! Take a trip to Ghana through storytelling and a classic Ghanaian dish, Jollof Rice.

Relax and get centered with a mindful moment of deep breathing, and a nature moment out in the farm fields. Illustrate and color 3 different kinds of kale: Dinosaur, Red Russian, and Curly Kale.

Companion Videos:
Cook Jollof Rice with Kale - English: https://youtu.be/AUIT2eDMlP0
Cook Jollof Rice with Kale - Spanish (coming soon)

Follow us on Social Media
instagram.com/poughkeepsiefarmproject/
facebook.com/farmproject
twitter.com/farmproject

Get our Educator Newsletter or Monthly Newsletter: farmproject.org/home#list-sign-up
Kale Harvest of the Month resource page: farmproject.org/kale
Resources for Educators on Kale: https://bit.ly/kaleresources
More Online Learning with PFP: farmproject.org/digital-online-learning
Donate to support our work: farmproject.org/give

Anansi and the Pot of Beans (Animated Story for Kids): https://youtu.be/Sau3E2LEfcI

Credits:
Post-Production Editing by Forge Media
Intro Music: “Upbeat Funk Commercial” by GuitarsState
Mindful Moment Music: “Sweet Gentle Piano” by water_lily

Embracing Food and Community in the time of COVID-19

Written by Chris Gavin, Educator and After-School and Summer Program Coordinator

Youth intern and staff members preparing freshly harvested produce for donation

Youth intern and staff members preparing freshly harvested produce for donation

It would be an understatement to say 2020 has been a year like no other for Poughkeepsie Farm Project and how we offer educational opportunities to our community. Our world turned upside down in mid-March with the closure of schools in New York State, and all of our usual educational programs were abruptly halted. Since then, our team has been navigating the new realities of the COVID-19 pandemic and our country’s long-needed reckoning with systemic racism. The sudden upheaval to our work has given us a moment to pause and reflect on what we can do to better embody our mission of creating a just and sustainable food system in Poughkeepsie. Our education team has been digging into this important work with a sense of passion and joy to match the challenges of this unprecedented moment. While the structure and implementation of our programs has changed, the core goals of our work remain strong and in clear focus: making fresh vegetables and the means to prepare them at home accessible to our community AND engaging families in the important act of growing, preparing and eating healthy, nourishing, locally-grown foods.

 

Distance Learning

Poughkeepsie Food Power @Home, our new distance learning initiative, was born from our desire to stay connected with Poughkeepsie youth while in-person teaching isn’t possible. Our program consists of educational videosalong with cooking and gardening kits so families can complete the activities at home. We are aiming to provide families with a substantial amount of food to meet the growing food insecurity in our community, to give families engaging food-based projects to do at home, and to help families gain the confidence to grow and cook healthy foods. To date, we have provided 13 weeks of videos and activity kits to a total of 185 households. Some of our favorite projects have been growing microgreens at home, a container gardening project to meet the space availability of all participants, meal kits featuring recipes from around the world, and videos in English and Spanish to make our program more accessible to our community. In order to support our families during the start of the new school year, we also distributed over 300 educational supply kits and books to our participants.

PFP@Home participants proudly displaying their homemade kale quesadilla

PFP@Home participants proudly displaying their homemade kale quesadilla

Food Access

In response to the growing food insecurity in our community, our education team developed a food distribution program to get food into the hands of youth and families in the city of Poughkeepsie. Working in conjunction with the Poughkeepsie City School District’s Food Service Department, we have been distributing free produce from our farm at five free school meal sites every week since mid-March. In addition to providing fresh, healthy, locally-grown produce, we also give families printed recipes and storage tips to help people feel confident in preparing the food. One of the most powerful things about this food distribution model has been building strong connections with individuals and families, and we are proud to provide people with an experience that feels welcoming and positive in the face of the growing challenge of food insecurity. We believe that access to fresh healthy food is a right for everyone in our community, and distributing free produce in a dignified way is one step we are taking towards this goal.

Happy resident at a free produce distribution site

Happy resident at a free produce distribution site

Community Harvest

Community Harvest Days at the farm are rooted in the ancient practice of gleaning, in which farmers would leave a certain amount of crops in the field and welcome community members to take what they needed. This serves the multiple purposes of cutting down on the waste stream in the local food system, gets food directly into the hands of people who need it, and connects people to the land and farming in a powerful community-oriented way. We’ve hosted 5 community events and harvested over 3,000 lbs of food for families to take home and to donate through partner organizations and school meal sites. Community Harvest Days have been a way for PFP to strengthen our commitment to food justice as we work to make our farm a place that feels welcoming to all and a resource for all in the community. In an effort to make these events more inclusive, we’ve incorporated live interpretation for Spanish-speaking participants, an indigenous land acknowledgement to recognize the original inhabitants of this land we farm, and opening the invitation to City of Poughkeepsie residents who participate in our after school programs and distance learning initiatives.

Community members gleaning peppers during a Community Harvest Day

Community members gleaning peppers during a Community Harvest Day

Internship Programs

While nearly all in-person education was halted at the farm, we were able to provide a ten-week paid summer internship for six Poughkeepsie teens. The Green Jobs crew was involved in every aspect of growing, harvesting, and distributing produce in the community - working both in the farm fields and our educational gardens. In addition to this hands-on training, the teens also gained knowledge about food access in their own community as they acted as youth ambassadors during community harvest events and free produce distributions. This program also highlighted the links between food justice and racial justice as youth explored the historical roots of racial injustices embedded in our nation’s food system. The final project for the internship was creating an Anti-Racist Timeline and inviting all in the PFP community to consider how they are and can work towards being anti-racist advocates in their daily lives.

Braiding popcorn from the seed saving garden

Braiding popcorn from the seed saving garden

We were also able to engage college students in new ways through both in person and remote internships. Our remote interns, a Vassar Community Fellow and a Shepherd Consortium intern, completed online projects to strengthen PFP’s virtual educational resources. Our new Food Share Story Map uses ArcGIS to explore how our Food Share Program is addressing food insecurity and growing community through sharing our harvest. Both also contributed to our Harvest of the Month Resource Hub which brings recipes, lessons, and engaging activities online for families and educators to learn remotely. Our on-site interns from the Culinary Institute of America and University of Vermont made valuable contributions to PFP through their work on recipe development, seed saving, weekly food distribution, and working in the gardens and farm fields to harvest vegetables and medicinal herbs.

Recipe testing

Recipe testing

The Work to Come:

As this incredibly trying year comes to a close, we reflect as an organization on how we have met and continue to meet the challenges of 2020 - but there is much work still to be done. As an educator here at PFP, I can attest to the fierce joy and love that my team members bring to this work as we dig into our mission of building a just food system for all in our community. While the pandemic has highlighted so many challenges and injustices in our world, it has also brought people together in strength and solidarity. As a community, we must work together to ensure that everyone — regardless of their address, age, gender, or race — has access to fresh, healthy, affordable food. Let’s join together as a whole PFP community as we support each other on this journey towards accountability and equity - and of course delicious nourishing food. In closing, here are some personal statements from our education team on how we would like to strengthen our food justice efforts in the upcoming year.


"My hope is that this is a year of making good on our mission at PFP." - SonyaJoy

“Bringing people from the community into the Poughkeepsie Farm Project space is definitely something I want to do more of. Because it's just down the street from the community and it’s just not something people recognize as theirs, but it really is.” - Larissa

“Getting to be a part of neighbors coming together to share their love for growing and cooking delicious veggies! Continuing to listen and learn and bring ancestral wisdom and delicious recipes from Poughkeepsie families into our school and farm programs.” - Kathryn

“I want to continually expand what food justice looks like at PFP. And I want to help make PFP a safe and brave space where we can have needed conversations about racial justice in Poughkeepsie.”- Chris

“In 2021, I dream of creating a path to year-round jobs for youth in Poughkeepsie, and empowering our youth to see the connections between food justice, climate justice, and racial justice! All while planting seeds of language justice in our community so those who don’t speak the dominant language can begin to see the beauty in our bounty.” - Laura

“I am looking forward to strengthening our work at the intersections of food justice, racial justice, environmental justice, and language justice while taking leadership from our beautiful Poughkeepsie community.” -Jamie

New Garden Brings Produce Closer to Home

Written by SonyaJoy Key, Community Engagement Manager

What could happen if the soil beneath our feet were healthy? What if all youth could safely plunge their eager fingers into the soil to plant a seed, find a worm, or harvest a head of lettuce?

Sabrina Floyd, Rip Van Winkle Apartments Social Worker and Lead Garden Instigator.

Sabrina Floyd, Rip Van Winkle Apartments Social Worker and Lead Garden Instigator.

Environmental injustice impacts most Poughkeepsie growers who labor toward food sovereignty, our ability to exercise the right to healthy foods that are culturally relevant. Years of improperly disposed of waste and degraded building materials can leave city soils too toxic to grow food. Yet we need fresh food everywhere we can get it, especially to thrive during COVID-19.

Just 4 months ago, residents of Rip Van Winkle Apartments, known as RIP, would exit the building to see a grassy expanse of lawn. Now a raised bed community garden greets residents with a cheerful expanse of tomatoes, kale, cucumbers, sunflowers and so much more! A project like this takes a lot of hands to turn the wheel, and a hub for the spokes to turn from. Sabrina Floyd, social worker at RIP, is that central hub.

Sabrina is the kind of person you talk to for an hour when you intended to just say a quick hello. On top of her regular work connecting the community of residents at Rip Van Winkle Apartments to local services and providing informal counseling on subjects from health to education, Sabrina decided to tackle the vision and installation of a community garden on site. She already had a hunch based on how many residents picked up fresh produce from the weekly PFP Food Share and Food Power @ Home meal kit distributions, that a garden would be well received.

In May, Sabrina surveyed the entire building to see who would get involved if a garden could be established with resident support. I drafted a garden plan that included a welcoming, multi-generational garden space with built-in benches for seniors or those with less mobility to sit while gardening.

Jacob and Rakim, summer interns at PFP, unload hundreds of pounds of rich soil into the beds.

Jacob and Rakim, summer interns at PFP, unload hundreds of pounds of rich soil into the beds.

In July, an 18 bed garden was installed by contractor Michael Conti. Poughkeepsie Farm Project staff and interns hauled compost, painted beds, and installed over 300 plants donated by PFP. Dozens of RIP youth residents stopped by to support, as well as Perfect 10, a girl’s empowerment organization based in Hudson, NY. The garden went from start to finish in a little over 2 weeks!

PFP intern, Tania, transplants gold and red beet seedlings.

PFP intern, Tania, transplants gold and red beet seedlings.

On September 30th, gardeners of all ages gathered for the first Harvest Day. Expert support was available from PFP Educator Lala Montoya and Greenhouse Manager André Luis de Oliveira Domingues. Families and friends harvested healthy heads of buttery lettuce, bunches of dino kale and the last tomatoes of the season. Some of the kids goofed around, seeing who could bite into a spicy pepper and keep their cool. Discovering how sunflower seeds grow was probably the most fun exploration that afternoon, only topped by the last garden hose water fight of the summer!

Lala, PFP Educator, gives some cucumber growing tips to a young RIP resident.

Lala, PFP Educator, gives some cucumber growing tips to a young RIP resident.

Summer beds flourishing!

Summer beds flourishing!

Because of partnerships like these with Rip Van Winkle Apartments and visionaries like Sabrina, growing above the ground in healthy soil means that block by block, fresh produce is growing closer to home.

Basic Pickled Beets

Basic Pickled Beets

By Olivia May, Community Intern

Adapted from The Joy of Pickling by Linda Zeidrich

*Makes 4 Pint Jars*

Pickled beets are a delicious and nutritious way to add flavor and brightness to all your favorite dishes! They are an exciting and creative substitute for classic cucumber pickles on a burger, or they can make a salad really shine. You can also use everything beets have to offer! The greens are delicious just sauteed with garlic or check out this recipe for African Style Beet Greens.

NOTE:  This pickled beets recipe is only suitable for canning as written and should not be modified if you plan to can it. If you don’t feel up to canning, no problem! You can simply put the beets in your refrigerator and enjoy after 3 weeks (for best flavor development). In a covered container in the refrigerator, they will keep roughly two months.

Find more Beet recipes on the Beets: October Harvest of the Month page!

Step “Zero” would be to get yourself some beets! Poughkeepsie Farm Project has some gorgeous beets coming into season as we speak. Harvesting is very straightforward with a firm, steady tug at the base of the stem.

Step One

Give your beets a good bath and a scrub to get any dirt off. Boil them in a large pot until they are just tender. This should take 15 to 35 minutes depending on their size. 

That lovely red color likes to stain, so keep that in mind when choosing dishware and what you wear. Speaking of color, when you trim off the greens be sure to leave about 2 inches of the stems intacted to preserve as much color as possible. I found letting the beets soak in lukewarm water for a few minutes before using a soft dish brush helpful with getting more of the dirt off.

Step Two

Drain your beets and put them in a cool water bath. When they are a comfortable temperature to handle you can slip off the skin and trim off what is left of the tops. Depending on their size, you can either leave them whole, quartered, or halved. If you prefer you can also slice all the beets, regardless of size, into ¼-inch-thick rounds.

If you do a good job scrubbing your beets before boiling them you can save this luscious red liquid and add it to smoothies, use it in soups and stock, or just drink it right up. It is packed with vitamins and minerals. It is an awesome substitute for juice! I like to mix it half-and-half with orange juice once it is cooled.

Step Three

Wrap up your spices (cloves, cinnamon, and ginger) in a spice bag or scrap of cheesecloth and tie it closed with twine or string. Put this along with your sugar, vinegar, and salt in a nonreactive pot. Boil, stirring often to help the sugar and salt dissolve. Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered.

If you don’t have a spice bag or scrap of cheesecloth you can just tie up the spices in a coffee filter. The spices you choose will really change the flavor profile of your dish. Get creative here! Mind your time during this step. Take the opportunity while this is simmering to get your big pot of water boiling for step four. I made the mistake of delaying until my mason jars were ready and waiting for their last bath before starting to boil the water. I speak from experience when I say a watched pot never boils.

Step Four

While that simmers take the opportunity to put your beets in the mason jars. Note that sliced beets should be packed loosely. After 10 minutes add the liquid to the jars leaving ½ inch headspace and seal with hot two-piece caps. Boil the jars for an additional 30 minutes.

Putting an old dish towel at the bottom of the pot will prevent the jars from rattling. Also be mindful of displacement when you fill up your pot of water. The jars will take up a lot of space in the pot so do not fill the water all the way to the top. If you over fill, you can always just carefully spill some out before adding the jars but keep an eye on the water line, we don’t want boiling hot water spilling everywhere.

Step Five

After 3 weeks in a cool, dry, dark place your beets will be ready to eat! They are so delicious everyone wants a bite. 

IMG_5354.jpg

Recipe:

Basic Pickled Beets

*Makes 4 Pint Jars*

3.5 pounds beets, with their rootlets and 2 inches of tops

1 cinnamon sticks, broken

½ teaspoon whole cloves

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoons pickling salt

2 cups cider vinegar

1 cups water

  1. Give your beets a good bath and a scrub to get any dirt off. Boil them in a large pot until they are just tender. This should take 15 to 35 minutes depending on their size.

  2. Drain your beets and put them in a cool water bath. When they are a good temperature to handle you can slip off the skin and trim off what is left of the tops. Depending on their size you can either leave them whole, halved or quartered. If you prefer you can also slice all the beets regardless of size into ¼-inch-thick rounds

  3. Wrap up your spices (cloves, cinnamon, and ginger) in a spice bag or scrap of cheesecloth and tie it closed with twine or string then combine with sugar, wine, vinegar, and salt into a nonreactive pot. Boil, stirring often to help the sugar and salt dissolve. Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered.

  4. While that simmers take the opportunity to put your beets in the mason jars. Note: Sliced beets should be packed loosely. After 10 minutes add the liquid to the jars leaving ½ inch headspace and seal with hot two-piece caps. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes. For more information on how to can, check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

  5. After 3 weeks in a cool, dry, dark place your beets will be ready to eat! Reminder: if you opted not to can, you will need to store them in the fridge.

Can’t get enough of this Month’s Harvest of the Month? Check out the October HOTM page for more beet recipes and information! 

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Behold the bright red beet! The summer harvest season may be winding down, but beets are one colorful vegetable that you can harvest long into the fall.

Read our beet blog by Ben Bachman, Vassar Community Fellow

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce 

By Jamie Levato, Education Director

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce
Adapted from
The Complete Book of Small Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard

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*Makes: 3 ½ cups (875 mL)*

I love The Complete Book of Small Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard. It is packed with interesting and delicious recipes for preserving the harvest. This is a great recipe for using your garden or CSA share produce! It is tasty and easy. I am going to walk you through the steps and my modifications. PLEASE NOTE: This recipe is suitable for canning as written and should not be modified if you want to can it. That being said, the recipe does not make a lot of sauce so it is also great for just eating or freezing. Personally, I do not like to heat up the kitchen with the canner, unless I have a full load to process. When I tested this recipe, I made modifications and I decided to freeze it.

Skip down to the recipe.

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Step One

On a lightly greased baking sheet place: tomatoes, garlic, onions, and pepper. Roast for 45 mins (or until soft and blistered) at 450° F in the oven. Remove the garlic after 12 to 15 mins.  Let cool.

Since tomatoes are all different sizes, I would suggest sticking with the 2.5 lbs of plum tomatoes. For me, that was 64 Juliet tomatoes from the PYO section at PFP. It is also about 8 of the Plum Regal tomatoes that have been in the “sauce pack” choice item at CSA pick up. I made the recipe twice, once with a combination of Juliets and some San Marzanos from my garden and another time just with Juliets. I used a red pepper one time and a yellow pepper the other time. Both worked well. In one batch, I used the 2 small onions that were called for, but in the other batch I used only one because it seemed like too much.

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Step Two

Peel the skin off tomatoes; Sit a bowl underneath to catch the tomato juice. Squeeze out the soft parts of the onions and garlic cloves. Peel and  seed the pepper. Blend roasted ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

I found it easiest to peel the skin off the tomatoes while they were still in the pan so the pan would catch the juices. Next, I squeezed tender parts of the onions and garlic out of their papery skin and took care of the pepper. I like to save all vegetable scraps in a bag in the freezer to make stock with later. I put all the roasted ingredients into my food processor along with the pan drippings. Of course, I used my favorite kitchen tool, the rubber spatula, to get every last drop!

Step Three

Transfer the puree into a stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring sauce to a boil on high. Lower heat and let boil uncovered for 15 mins or until texture is to your liking. Stir frequently.

After blending until smooth, I heated the puree in my stock pot with the remaining ingredients.I used oregano that I had harvested and dried from my garden. Because I had decided I would freeze the sauce, I only added half of the balsamic vinegar. If I were to do it again, I would omit the sugar because it was quite sweet with the sugar and only half of the balsamic since the pepper and onion and even the tomatoes add so much sweetness. You will notice that the final photo with the freezer tubs shows more than the 3.5 cups this recipe is supposed to make. I think this is the case for two reasons. 1. I mixed my two batches together; and 2. It was pretty thick so I did not cook it down for 15 minutes as suggested by the recipe.

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Step Four

Preserve: Ladle into hot pint mason jars leaving ½ headspace and process in a boiling water bath for 35 min. Review the procedure for waterbath canning here.

If you are going to can this recipe, please remember to avoid modifying the recipe. I froze it by ladeling into tubs leaving space for it to expand, capping and labelling with the contents and the date. I also like to keep a note on the side of my refrigerator with all of the contents of the freezer listed so I know what I have.

When you are ready to serve, prepare your pasta or vegetable noodles and top with the sauce. You can also make it a pasta primavera by sauteing additional veggies like carrots, zucchini, and fennel and serving them on the side or tossed with the pasta. I hope you enjoy the recipe! Please share your suggestions, questions, and modifications in the comments below.

Ingredients:

10 plum tomatoes, about 2 ½ lbs (unpeeled)
4 garlic cloves (unpeeled)2 small onions (unpeeled)
1 sweet red pepper
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp freshly chopped oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt


Steps:

  1. On a lightly greased baking sheet place: tomatoes, garlic, onions, and pepper. Roast for 45 mins (or until soft and blistered) at 450° F in the oven. Remove the garlic after 12 to 15 mins .  Let cool.

  2. Peel the skin off tomatoes; Sit a bowl underneath to catch the tomato juice. Squeeze out the soft parts of the onions and garlic cloves. Peel and  seed the pepper. Blend roasted ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

  3. Transfer the puree into a stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring sauce to a boil on high. Lower heat and let boil uncovered for 15 mins or until texture is to your liking. Stir frequently.

  4. Preserve: Ladle into hot pint mason jars leaving ½ headspace and process in a boiling water bath for 35 min.