Don’t forget that summer share forms are due today for Full and By Farm. Meeting this deadline will get you a discount and ensure you a spot (you can still turn your forms in later but space is not guaranteed). Please call today or check in at pick-up if you still have questions. We’re happy to do what we can to help everyone sign-up for another season.

At the end of last week James and I dragged out our biggest crock and several bushels of purple cabbage to prepare a new batch of sauerkraut. With only a beautiful old wooden cabbage shredder courtesy of the Cupola House, one knife, and our hands we made quick work of the project. This is one of the most simple food preservation techniques, where salt and cabbage are pounded into the crock in alternating layers until the cabbage leaves begin to release their liquid, creating a brine which protects the vegetable from spoiling while it ages. Sauerkraut is high in vitamin C, making it a perfect winter-time food, fending off common colds and scurvy in the North Country (or traditionally ocean going voyages). Fermented foods have long been known and used across many cultures to help your body digest food and like the healthy bacteria in yogurt, are especially useful after a course of antibiotics.

The Brassica Family as a whole (broccoli, cabbage, kale, etc.) are valued for their anti-carcinogenic nutrients, but there are reports that fermented cabbage may be ever better than raw cabbage at fighting cancer. In addition, purple foods have an antioxidant that is especially good at fighting off diseases including Alzheimer’s, heart disease, stroke and again cancer.

It will take a few weeks for the cabbage to age and then we will jar it up, along with a batch of fermented kimchee, strong on the radish, ginger and garlic.

In the veggie share: parsnips, leeks, carrots, beets, cabbage, winter squash, potatoes, onions, shallots, garlic, kohlrabi, rutabaga, radish, black, white and red cattle beans.

In the meat share: Pork, beef and chicken.

See you tonight between 4 and 6,
Sara Kurak
Full and By Farm

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