January 13, 2020

Blow, blow, thou winter wind, thou art not so unkind as man's ingratitude.
- William Shakespeare

Pump Shed and Bee Boxes

This amazingly warm winter weather has allowed the guys to get more work done outside. The irrigation pump shed is done and ready for the spring start up of irrigation. Because the ground isn't frozen, Martin and James have been able to service and lengthen the aluminum irrigation mainline running through the dairy cow pasture. This will make watering the fields much more efficient and a lot less leaky.

When not working outside, Martin has been studying the best way to raise bees. The last couple of years for us have been disappointing. Last year (2020) we were unable to get queen bees from New Zealand because of Covid shutdowns. And in 2019, the bees didn't produce very much honey.

Raising bees is an incredibly interesting project. They are intelligent and sophisticated little "beeings" and need to be treated as such.

The Langstroth hive is the most common "bee box" you'll see littering the countryside. Apparently, they are among the worst accommodations for healthy bees and honey production. Interestingly, we always knew we shouldn't use chemicals to raise bees, but we didn't know that the standard hive design itself was to blame for many of the ailments that beekeepers use chemicals to treat. So, it's back to basics.

The trunk of a tree is actually the most ideal home for bees for a number of fascinating reasons that I'm sure Martin can explain to you. He is working on ways to house these wonderful creatures in their rightful "log cabins" so we can enjoy the shared reward, delicious honey.

Best Before Dates

Do consumers understand what the Best Before Date means? Should they be concerned that their purchase has a "long" date? What happens if, God forbid, the product isn't consumed before that BB date?

Have you stopped to consider what happens to the food that is NOT sold before that Best Before or "Expires" Date?

Martin has a few things to say about all this.

Citrus season is here.

We still have satsumas for your fresh eating pleasure.

Enjoy a delicious glass of freshly squeezed liquid sunshine from sweet, juicy valencias.

Clementine mandarins are a specialty at this time of year – super sweet and easy to peel. Great for a snack, tossed into a salad, or made into marmalade. (Don't ask Martin what he thinks about marmalade.)

Have you tried a pomelo, yet? It's the largest of all the citrus fruits. The flavour of a pomelo is very much like the grapefruit, but much milder and sweeter.

Rio Red grapefruits are the best. Deep red flesh with a tangy, sweet taste. Great for fresh eating, in a salad, and as juice.

Lemons with their refreshing tartness bring out the flavor of many dishes. A little squirt is all you need to add that special touch.

Blood oranges have been popular for centuries throughout Spain and Italy. Their deep red color and delicious flavor add pizzazz to salads, salsas, and savory dishes.

Dry Pinto Beans – These locally grown organic dried beans are excellent. Most organic beans are sourced from China, but we have reservations about Chinese organic standards and prefer locally grown organic.

Harvest Haven Yellow Cooking Onions - Pungent, savory bulbs that are a staple in every kitchen and give a boost of flavor to most dishes. Besides being a tasty addition to meat dishes, salsas, and dips, they taste great sauteed, roasted, grilled, and caramelized.

Organic Long Grain White Rice – Quick and easy to prepare, rice is the perfect side dish for so many different meals and soaks up sauces like a dream. And kids love it!

Bioitalia Organic Strained Tomatoes, 700 mL – Made from carefully hand-picked tomatoes for long-lasting intense flavor. Bioitalia Italian organic tomatoes are guaranteed by a system that follows the product from the fields to the table: the certified chain.

Organic Anjou Pears – When fully ripe, the Anjou is sweet and juicy. To tell when it's ripe, you need to check the neck by gently pressing your thumb near the stem end of the pear. When it gives slightly, it's ready to eat.

Avalon Organic Standard Whole Milk, 1 L – This deliciously rich organic milk is non-homogenized. It has the cream on top and even comes in glass bottles!

Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic.

Crispy Bean and Cheese Burritos

For the refried beans:
4 cups cooked pinto beans
3 tbsp butter or beef tallow for saut�ing
1 cup chopped Harvest Haven onion
5 cloves minced Harvest Haven garlic
2 1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
Milk, as needed

To prepare dry beans, place the beans in a large bowl, cover with an ample amount of water and allow to soak overnight. (Keep in mind that 1 cup of dry beans equals approximately 3 cups of cooked beans).

The next day, drain and rinse the beans. Cover them generously with fresh water and simmer for several hours or until tender. A slow cooker works wonderfully for this as well! I like to make up a big batch of beans and freeze the leftovers in 2 cup portions.

In a large pot or saucepan, saute the onions in the fat until they are soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more.

Add the beans. If your beans are without liquid, you may need to add extra water or milk at this point. (I prefer to leave a little of the bean broth in with the beans when I freeze them.)

Stir in the cumin, paprika, salt, chili powder, and black pepper. Bring to a slow simmer and allow it all to cook on low heat for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If the mixture is dry, you may need to thin it with a splash of milk or water at this point. However, if you started out with extra liquid in your cooked beans, you may not need to add anything.

Once the beans have cooked down for a while and the flavors have had time to incorporate, mash them with a potato masher, fork, or my personal favorite: an immersion blender.

For the burritos:

2 cups refried beans
1 tablespoon salsa
1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese, or cheddar cheese
6 medium flour tortillas
salsa, for dipping

Add the refried beans and salsa to a mixing bowl and stir until smooth.

Spoon about three tablespoons of the bean mixture onto the center of a flour tortilla and smooth into a thin layer.

Sprinkle with a large pinch of shredded cheese. Roll tightly. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Place a few burritos, seam side down, into the pan.

Turn them every 30 seconds or so as they cook until they are golden and crispy on all sides.

Serve warm, with salsa and guacamole, for dipping.

Easy Mexican Rice

2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 1/2 cups Harvest Haven chicken or turkey bone broth
1 cup Bioitalia strained tomatoes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and cook until translucent (somewhat clear) about 3-4 minutes; stirring frequently.

Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a rapid boil over high heat.

Stir once and cover. Turn the heat down to almost low (a little less than medium low) and cook for 25 minutes. Remove cover and let stand 2-3 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Super Moist Pear Cake

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup confectioner suger for dusting
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sunflower oil
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract
4 Harvest Haven eggs
1/4 cup Avalon milk
3 ripe Anjou pears, peeled and sliced
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp. lemon zest (optional)

Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Peel and slice the pears.

In an electric mixer bowl, whip the sugar and butter until you obtain a super creamy and fluffy texture.

Add vanilla, lemon zest and eggs. Continue mixing on high speed for a minute until they are well combined.

Add sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix again for about 1 minute. Gradually add 1/4 cup milk and 1/3 cup oil while mixing on low speed. Mix for another minute on low speed.

Grease a round spring foam baking pan and pour the batter in. An 11 x 3 inch pan is the best size.

After placing the batter in your pan, spread a layer of the sliced pears to cover the whole batter.

Sprinkle some cinnamon and the brown sugar on top of the pears.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes depending on your oven.

Insert a wooden skewer to make sure it's completely clean before removing the cake.

Remove the cake and cover with a kitchen towel while it cools down. It may take up to 30 minutes to completely cool down. Dust with some confectioner sugar and serve.

Harvest Haven Store

Harvest Haven is your year-round one-stop shop for organic groceries and more. Everything in the store is certified organic or Harvest Haven certified.

Around the Farm

Martin, The Angry Farmer

Citrus Season

Our Farm Favorites

The Recipe Box

Crispy Bean and Cheese Burritos

Easy Mexican Rice

Super Moist Pear Cake

Down on the Farm