We had our first session on crop planning with Tyson and Stephen. Here's the homework assignment:
You have a farm with 6 contiguous acres of sandy loam somewhere very near Orange, MA.
You have a 100 member CSA. Work to create the following: A CSA box plan for 6 weeks (2 early season (mid to late June), 2 mid season (Late August/Early September), and 2 late season (Mid October – Early November). The average value of your shares should be $30 though it is OK if your early shares are a little lighter and your later shares are a little heavier – that’s the nature of the season.
Carlin started a five class series on "The One Acre Farm." In the spring we'll be expanding our kitchen garden! Our first assignment? Determine how much we need to grow and store to support the farmhouse community of twenty people in the winter from October to April. This includes storable crops like root vegetables and canned/frozen/dried items.
And on Friday, my classmate, Grace, and I made lunch. And not just any lunch. Pulled pork sandwiches from a Farm School-raised pig. Home-baked buns. BBQ sauce from scratch. Squash and roasted potatoes. Spinach fresh from the hoop house (in January!) with a cilantro lime yogurt dressing. Chocolate coconut cream cheese cookies and snickerdoodles. A hearty winter meal...too bad naptime wasn't scheduled in the afternoon. I've never been a huge fan of pork, but our pork is pretty amazing. Here's the recipe:
1 whole Boston butt
Dry Rub
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar
Mix well and store in an air tight container.
Brine Solution
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 qts cold water
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp dry rub mix
Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar, dry rub, and bay leaves and stir well to combine.
Pork shoulder preparation:
Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container, pour in the brine solution until the shoulder is completely covered. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Then remove pork shoulder from brine solution, pat dry with paper towels, place in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least a inch in length and width and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub onto the surface of the shoulder and massage in such that it adheres to the surface. Coat all sides. Make sure the fat layer on the shoulder is facing up before cooking! Place baking pan uncovered in a 225 degree oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center or thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking (a digital thermometer with an alarm function is the easiest way to do this). Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200 degrees. When the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. When the temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove from oven. Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Pull apart with two forks, it will pull apart very easily. Serve for friends and family!
From http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/perfect-pulled-pork-slow-roasted-seasoned-savory.html
We didn't use a thermometer but just cooked it straight through for 12 hours at 225 degrees. Perfect.
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| Le chef. Le sous chef is taking photo. |
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