FAQ: weekly bounty boxes 2014

This week Spring is REALLY here. We'll installing our chicken coop, drip irrigation, some herbs, and greens. Which means that Weekly Bounty Box time is almost here. Our hope is, with cooperation from Mother Nature, that we can begin sales mid to late May. In the meantime, lots of folks have been signing up to get first dibs and asking questions about the Weekly Bounty Boxes (WBB). So I thought I'd answer some in a post.

How much?
Boxes will start at $30/week. WBB include enough veggies to prepare 5 dinners for a family of four. We also provide the 5 recipes and grocery list. We're hoping that some weeks we'll be able to add eggs and/or pork.

Where is pick up?
At our farm in Gretna or in Midtown near the Hanscom Park Neighborhood

How do we sign up?
Email clementinespandp@gmail.com and request to be on our Newsletter. We will send a Newsletter out every week. It will include a picture of the WBB and price. Recipients can choose to purchase and choose their pick up time/location. Quantities are limited every week. So get on the Newsletter List for first dibs.

Are you a CSA?
No. A CSA means Community Supported Agriculture. Which means customers pay upfront to support a farm. Customers are investors in the farm. Which means they often absorb losses, as well. Today's busy lifestyle isn't always a good match for a CSA so we offer a more Pick and Choose Option. Our Weekly Bounty Boxes are just that...Bountiful. We only sell Boxes that allow our customers to prepare five dinners.

Do you take Credit Cards?
Yes.  Card purchases may be made through our Blog or Facebook. The order will be processed after you make your purchase online. We are unable to process Credit Cards at pickup.

Can I buy veggies from you without buying a Weekly Bounty Box? 
Yes. We will have a farm stand at our place on Thursdays and Fridays. There will also be Pop Up Markets in Midtown Omaha throughout the season. Check our Facebook page and this Blog for weekly updates on Market dates and available produce.

What are you growing? 
Here's our growing list:
http://clementinesproduceandprovisions.blogspot.com/2014/03/2014-growing-list.html

Why are there limited quantities?
Mother Nature, man. We grow an acre of produce very efficiently. Our sweet corn is sold by our friends, Sarah and David. The weather is in charge.

Can I add more veggies to my WBB?
Yes. If you have more mouths to feed that week, let me know. I will adjust your box quantities and price.

Can you come cook for us, too?
No and yes. I will do most anything for the right price. ;)
....
Any more questions?
Email us or comment on our Facebook page.
Thanks Y'all!

oh, spring. where art thou?

I realize it's the end of February and it snowed this morning. But I can't take it anymore. I've been shopping for a Spring wardrobe for weeks now. I've bought seed for the garden. And now we have some sweet corn growers that will be selling produce with us this year. The BEST sweet corn in Sarpy County. I want Spring! Spring means we will be planting. Windows can be opened. May Day Baby parties will be happening. Weekend farm stands. Fresh greens.
This season, in addition to Sarah and David's sweet corn,  we will have a some new offerings...a punch card for Loyal Customers, a weekly farm stand in Gretna, and a farm stand in Midtown. We will have online ordering/purchasing via this site and Facebook again, too.  We'll be narrowing down our growing list this week and I will be making the March monthly plan, too. Stay warm today and dream of Spring.

virtual farm stand 2.0

it's that time of year again. . .FARM STAND time.  veggies lovers will have the oppurtunity to pre order & purchase their veggies on our blog site.  payments are taken via paypal.  the veggies will be available for pick up at either our farm or midtown location. . .look for the virtual shop to open soon . . .

veggies for sale

our farm stand will open this saturday just in time for the father's day bbqs.  we will now be open for business every saturday from 11 - 2.  look for thursday & friday evening hours soon.  also, our virtual farm stand will make a return soon.  customers will be able to pre order/pay through our website and pick up at our midtown location.  details coming soon.  this saturday we will have kale, collards, frisee, buttercrunch, daikons, icicle radishes, sugar peas, and swiss chard for sale.  our farm is located on hwy6/31 & giles rd.  look for the yellow signs. hope to see you soon!!

she's here

the beginning of summer is here.  the road to our farm is becoming over run with wild roses and sunflower shoots.  soon, the greens in the veg box will be replaced with sweet corn, summer squash, cucumbers, melons, beans, and tomatoes.  the cold, rainy, sunless days that stunted the growth and hindered our planting seem to have finally gone away.  it's starting to feel like we are getting a break around here.  our farm stand will open this week.  our august dinner in the field is 1/2 sold.  our july dinner in the field event sold out in a week.  just when i was getting frustrated with the lack of knowledge some local food consumers have, this wonderful article came out. . .found here.
i know, however, that others are not feeling relief.  they are ramping up for the imminent flooding and some are already fighting the flood.  some of those people are our subscribers.  some of the people working to help are our subscribers or parent's of our interns.  one of the things that mike sells is pumps.  pumps are flying off the warehouse shelves and can't be restocked fast enough.
isn't it terribly confusing how this world works sometimes?  how what can benefit some people can destroy others?  life is full of these dichotomies.  i'm not sure if i will ever understand them and i'm not really looking forward having to explain them to my son.  such is life, i suppose.  this week and in the weeks to come i am going to beg of the universe to take care of our community during the floods and the aftermath.  i ask all of you to do the same.

farming in skirts not wearing a bra

wanna know one way a woman farmer is different than a man farmer?  a woman will farm in a skirt and leave her bra at home.  why? because it is 10,000 degrees outside and wearing a bra or pants when it is that hot is just torture.  women farmers differ from their male counterparts in a lot ways.  every month, for at least one week, we are dealing with our uterus rejecting us.  we run the risk of getting a rash from poison oak/ivy when we go to the bathroom outside.  we have to think about what to make for lunch not what's for lunch.  no one is in the kitchen making us lunch.  if the kid is sick. . .nothing is happening in the field that day.  all of this doesn't make the job of a women farmer harder or more trying than a man's. . .just different.  and it is not said for the sake of bitching. all of the women of clementine's are more than grateful for our magical gnome (mike) who spent the weekend weeding an 8 1/2 acre plot of land.  keep in mind, though, that magical gnome is pretty impressed with what all of the women have done to that 8 1/2 acre plot.

*look for details on our farm stand opening this week.  we will also be at the muchas gracias brunch on sunday selling veggies & tickets to our august dinner in the field event.

do you see what i see?

do you hear what i hear? that's the heavens opening up and angels singing because it is. . .almost the end of summer!

i know, i know, i'm a garden farmer* so i should like the spring and summer because it the growing season. but i am also a baker and a cook who longs for apple pie and short ribs over polenta with roasted brussel sprouts.

the angels are also singing because i successfully set up a paypal payment option on the blog. see it over there on the right hand side of your monitor!?! which means that you all can now order produce or subscribe to our meal + grocery planning and pay for it using paypal! this is an especially momentous occasion because i can be particularly stupid when it comes to technology. i know i am a "blogger", but that doesn't mean i know what i am doing. (that's the great thing about blogging, no one know what they are doing.) this paypal button is going to be so awesome for you and us!

which brings me to our next order of business. . . since school is starting, labor day weekend is fast approaching, and fall is almost here. . . we are having a

back to school (provision subscription) special!

to celebrate the fall, the paypal button, and to get you all prepared, i am offering the three meal menu plan for $30. that's ten bucks a month for peace of mind, dinner with your family, and edible food. for $30, you will receive 3 dinner recipes/menus a week, one snack recipe a week, and a printable weekly grocery list for three months. this plan will take you right up to the holidays where things really get crazy. this plan will also save you time and money which you are going to need when the holidays come a knockin'. interested? great. email us at clementinespandp@gmail.com for ten questions to get you started and you can either send us a check or use the paypal button. the roi* on this is real high, people!

*i've decided i like this better than "grower"

* return on investment!

bon appetit

today i will making the shrimp, mango, & avocado salad from this month's issue of bon appetit. tomorrow i will be making a version of their perfect picnic sandwich. they are no cooking required recipes. great for when my house is already 88 degrees at 1:45pm. even if you live in a world with air conditioning i suggest you try these recipes out. that magazine has literally saved me this summer. they have a ton of no cooking required dinner recipes in their magazines and online.
in other news, the boiler room in the old market will be using our produce this week. so if you are lucky enough to eat there try the menu items with acorn squash, tarragon, and rosemary. both the boiler room and la buvette do excellent jobs of sourcing local food and creating seasonally appropriate menus.
bon appetit, friends.

i've been dying to tell you

i feel like i've been gone from this blog posting business way too long. my apologies. turns out, raising a child is time consuming. so here are all things i wanted to tell you. . .
1. a beetle infestation killed my eggplants. assholes. thus, there are no more eggplants.
2. there are PLENTY of cherokee purple tomatoes, roma tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapenos, yellow squashes, acorn squashes, red potatoes, serrano peppers, & herbs. email me to purchase.
3. my friend summer writes a blog about life as a mother. she recently wrote a piece about those incredibly wasteful kleenex hand towels. you know, because your reusable, washable cloth hand towel may get you sick. (hear that sarcasm?) check her blog out.
4. summer also sent me a great idea about keeping prepared beans & rice in the fridge for the days when you can't possibly find anything to eat. this would be great for mike. i can go to the grocery store, spend a $100, come home. . .and he will ask me if there is anything to eat. but, that's not the point, her friend michael b. gave her this idea and including ideas for "dressing up" the rice & beans. one of those ideas, was black beans, rice, and SLICED MANGO. i just ate it. so friggin' delicious.
5. sweet corn from our farmer friend down the road is the best thing that ever happened to me. like my friend, meggan, said. . ."i like summer because it's like your meals are planned for you". meaning, ideally, we all should be eating what is fresh & available. like sweet corn, tomatoes, & cucumbers. running out of ideas? how about sweet corn panna cotta or corn & basil cakes or mix your cucumbers, tomatoes, a little red onion, olive oil, S&P, lemon juice, and day old bread to make a delicious salad. once again, a summer contribution. from my friend summer, not the season. well, kind of the season. oh, jesus. you know what i mean!
6. speaking of basil. . . if you have not made pesto yet this is the time. freeze it into ice cube trays and use throughout the year.
7. cashew butter is amazing, my friend, kalle, and i ate at daily grub last week and elle did an awesome job with cashew butter. i had a sope & quesadilla that both had it in there. i could bathe in that stuff.
8. mike and i got a dog named rufus on saturday. he is not very good with cats, however, so we had to give him back. if anyone you know would like a very sweet, docile, big, smart lover dog named rufus let me know. he is great with children & other dogs. he stays on the property and understands simple commands. he is a two year old golden retriever, rottweiler mix.
9. too much squash in your garden? or people keep leaving it at your door? check out this wonderful soup recipe. i think it would be good with some good, old-fashioned blt's on the side.
10. it's back to school time, so look forward to a back to school special of our provision subscription and a community craft night.

you're all amazing and i hope you survive the heat wave. remember the popsicles.

comfort food

fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, mashed potatoes, yellow cake with chocolate frosting, pancakes, baked chicken and rice casserole. . .just a few of my favorite comfort foods. we all have those dishes that conjure up good memories and warm our hearts. and fill our bellies. i went to a funeral this past week for a friend's grandmother. my friend and her mother cooked up some of the grandmother's most famous recipes. including a cucumber salad with clementine's produce. i loved that idea. the idea that this woman's surviving relatives were celebrating her life and eating food that reminded them of her. reminded them of good food, good memories, and good times. growing my garden, selling produce, and providing menus + grocery planning for family, friends, and strangers allows me to build good memories with my family and now i know for other families, as well. last night, my friend came over for dinner and we had "fried" cornflake chicken, roasted carrots, bleu cheese mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, & yellow cake with chocolate frosting & sprinkles. the carrots came from my garden and the corn came from a fellow farmer's garden down the road. it doesn't get any better than that.

water, ripening tomatoes, and carrots

1. the well no longer works out here at the farm. it did, as of, 11:00pm last night. 6am this morning? nope. mike was kind enough to wake me and tell me so. hendrix slept in until 9:45.am which means i could have, too. if the well worked. someone is coming to fix it tomorrow afternoon. in the meantime, serious water restrictions happening with the makeshift well.
2. hendrix found a cucumber in the garden, right about the time i noticed the cherokee purple tomatoes finally ripening. he tried to eat the cucumber, but it was prickly. prickly cucumber combined with a cold equals tears.
3. i just pulled a bunch of beautiful carrots out of the garden. there is nothing more beautiful then a freshly pulled carrot. this made the whole "6am no water and the well is broke wake up call" better. it's amazing what food will do for the soul.

it's getting hot in here (so take off all your clothes)

ok, so i just worked for about 40 minutes in the garden and sweated out twice my body weight. what the hell, heat wave? did i mention we have no central air at the farm? not voluntarily, either. so in the spirit of not creating any (or very little) heat in the kitchen here are some no cooking (or minimal cooking) required lunch ideas:

mama's antipasti plate
nuts
fruit
nutella
cheese
crackers or toasted bread
lunch meat
veggies
put all on the plate and snack away, folks. mine usually consists of almonds, bananas, nutella, blueberries, strawberries, muenster cheese, cheddar cheese, turkey, hard boiled eggs, sugar snap peas, and avocados. friggin' delicious and hendrix thinks he's getting dessert for lunch.

quinoa with yogurt, mesculan salad mix, blueberries, and a squirt of honey
scoop (prepared*) quinoa on a bed of mesculan (or arugula) top with yogurt and blueberries and honey (if you like)

hummus and veggie sandwich
take 2 pieces if whole wheat bread spread hummus on both sides and fill with cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, red pepper, and feta.

black bean, corn,* red pepper, and quinoa salad (inspired by summer -my friend not the season)
rinse one can of black beans. steam 1-2 sweet corn (or use 1c. of frozen) cut off cob and mix with black beans, add one chopped red pepper. squeeze one lime over salad, season with salt, pepper, a dash of cumin and a dash of cayenne pepper. mix with a generous scoop of quinoa (prepared*).

that's all i got today, folks, because it's so hot i want to die. on friday, look for more quick recipes and some dessert ideas for the weekend. and we have a little produce left for sale. email clementinespandp@gmail.com
*remember that i was inspired by fellow bloggers to prepare quinoa once a week to use for dishes throughout the week.
**did you know by combining a bean and corn you make a whole protein?

the incredible, edible egg

this week i am going to focus on summertime lunch ideas for kiddos. everyday around noon hendrix wakes up from his nap and i start thinking. . .oh crap, what am i going to feed this kid. if there are leftovers from dinner the night before it's usually that, but sometimes i eat all the leftovers for breakfast. then i think berries, cheese, and cheerios. then i think, no! mama, variety is the spice of life. a lot (too much) thinking happens at lunch. so, lately, it has been eggs and quinoa. both are great because they pack a lot of protein and are superfast. and cheap. really, really cheap. plus, one of my favorite blogs, http://www.girlsgonechild.net/, has been featuring a lot great egg & quinoa recipes lately. so here are some of my favorite egg dishes to chow down on for lunch:

scrambled eggs with spinach, tomatoes, garlic and whatever hard italian cheese i got in the house. takes like ten minutes and is super filling.
just scramble however many eggs you need to feed the brood, add a generous handful spinach, one chopped tomato, 1 - 2 minced garlic cloves, and a small handful cheese. cook eggs through and serve.

quinoa with a fried egg and spinach (or beet greens) from www.dinneralovestory.com again takes about 10 minutes
saute 2T. chopped onion in a pan with olive oil, a splash of soy sauce and a dash of sesame oil. add a handful of greens and saute until it wilts. remove veggies. add eggs (again, however many you need) and fry them up, adding a bit more soy sauce if you like. serve eggs and greens on top of a scoop of prepared quinoa*. this a very easy, asian insprired dish that makes a great and quick dinner, too.

curried pea frittata with tomato chutney from bon appetit. this takes about 20 minutes, but makes leftovers for breakfast the next day if there are only a couple of people or feeds 1 adult and about three kids.
urried pea frittata with fresh tomato chutney adapted from bon appétit
1 12-ounce container grape tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon (or more, to taste)ground cumin
1 small garlic clove, peeled1 1/8-inch-thick round peeled fresh ginger, chopped
8 large eggs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons curry powder (or more, to tastes)
1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Preheat broiler or oven. Place tomatoes, brown sugar, cumin, garlic, and ginger in processor. Switching on/off, blend just until tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Transfer chutney to small bowl and add salt and pepper to taste.
Place eggs in same processor bowl. Add cheese, curry powder, and salt and blend well. Heat oil in large broiler-proof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add green onions and peas. Saute until onions wilt, about 1 minute. Add egg mixture. Cook until top is almost set and bottom is golden, lifting edges to let uncooked egg flow underneath, about 7 minutes. Place frittata in broiler until top is set, about 1 minute. Run heatproof rubber spatula around frittata to loosen and slide out onto plate. Serve warm or at room temperature with tomato chutney.
*if your frittata won't form don't be afraid to make these scrambled eggs with curry. it happens to best of us.

huevos rancheros scramble - this my version of the classic all scrambled up.
melt butter in pan, saute onion and add strips of tortilla cooking until tortillas begin to puff up (add more butter if necessary). pour scrambled egg mixture on top, add cheese and cook through. serve with salsa and sour cream. i, also, will serve with beans and rice from the night before (if we had tacos or the like).

hopefully, you try one of these this week and the kids like it. they all make great dinners, as well. there are still vegetables available for purchase so just send me an email or leave a comment. we can deliver or they can be picked up at the farm. there are eggplants, beets, tomatoes, herbs, pickling cucumbers, carrots, and peppers available. have a great monday!
*i got the idea to premake a batch of quiona weekly to use in salads, for breakfast with berries and honey, as dinner sides, etc. from both www.dinneralovestory.com and www.girlsgonechild.net. typically, 1 c. uncooked yeilds 4 c. cooked quinoa. it can be found at super target and whole foods.

virtual farm stand

alright, folks! the eggplants are growing, the four kinds of tomatoes are ripening, the hot peppers are getting spicy, the beets are ready to be pulled, and the carrots are ready to be gingered. . .

veggie prices and descriptions:

japanese eggplant: smaller and more slender than your typical eggplant this beauty has a sweeter, more delicate flavor. the skin is much thinner than its italian counterpart. really versatile. 2 for $1.50

scarlet prince beet: bright color and buttery texture make these beauties great for roasting. but they are even great shredded raw in summer salads. $3/bunch

jalapenos & garden salsa peppers: these are great for cooking, drying, salads, and snacking. some of the most versatile peppers on the market. $3/pint

beefsteak tomatoes: this is the "summer tomato lovers" tomato. big, juicy, and big. great for those blt's. $1/ea.

mr. stripy tomato: yellow striped tomato that i have fallen in love with. such a beautiful fruit to make salad with. they get very big and taste great. $1/ea.

cherokee purple: omg! these are so damn pretty. they have a unique dusty rose color that will break your heart. pair that with mr. stripy and some fresh basil. whoa, mama. wonderful sweet flavor. $1/ea.

roma tomato: this is the one you need to stock up on and make your marinara with. or can with.* a homegrown roma is so fantastic in flavor. 2 for $1

danvers carrots: this is the basic homegrown carrot, people. except that there is nothing basic about a fresh carrot. they are like candy and addictive. $3/bunch

email us at clementinespandp@gmail.com to purchase any of these. the veggies will be ready to be picked up or delivered by the beginning of next week. we are in midtown/downtown omaha on sundays, mondays, & wednesdays. we do deliveries in west omaha all days of the week.
*we are thinking about doing a how-to home canning class. thoughts? would you all be interested in learning how to prolong all this summer freshness?

tomatoes & watermelons

for some reason, today feels like it is officially summer here at the farm. maybe it is the ripening romas. or the eggplants almost ready to be picked and roasted. or the vendors in town selling watermelons. or this picture*. i thought i would share a yummy watermelon salad recipe. this is the one i am taking to our 4th of july celebrations.

watermelon, feta, & basil salad

1/2 of large seedless watermelon (diced or you can make balls with a melon baller)

2 T. fresh lime juice, about 2 small limes

1/2 c. basil, (cut into thin strips)

1 c. feta, crumbled

salt

combine watermelon, lime juice, 1/4 of basil, and salt to taste. top salad with feta and remaining basil. enjoy!

* picture taken by cami rawlings of hurricane camille photography. she is amazing.

free!

hey all, if you email clementinespandp@gmail.com by friday. . .you will get one week of our provision subscripition for FREE! we will send you your custom tailored menu with 3 dinner recipes, 1 snack recipe, a printable grocery list, & a pantry checklist. email by friday, get 10 easy questions on monday, get your menu and grocery list on the 25th. . .see how easy it is and how much money you'll save. the best part is, that out of towners can participate. if you have a grocery store near you. . .you can be a part of the provision subscriptions. have a great wednesday!!
p.s. arugula is still available for $4/lb.

do you have a plan? you gotta have a plan.

clementine's salad mix and french radishes are ready! the salad mix is $2 per 1/2 lb. or $4 per lb. & the radishes are $1.50 a bunch.

don't know what to make for dinner? subscribe to clementine's provisions services. we will email you a menu plan every week with an accompanying grocery list.

there will never be anything you don't like on the menu and no recipe will take more than 45 minutes to prepare. only got 25 minutes to get dinner ready? no problem. we will only send recipes that take 25 minutes or less to prepare.

a three month subscription includes a weekly dinner menu plan, weekly dessert or snack recipe, weekly grocery list, & pantry checklist. custom tailored to your needs and wants. . . subscriptions run between $35 and $48 for three months. a menu plan and grocery list could save you up to $50 per grocery vist.

email me or leave a comment for produce or subscriptions!