Week 20
Things are winding down around the farm. The garden's bounty is evident in our freezer and in the glass jars full of dehydrated fruit, peppers and tomatoes but the fields are almost empty. We still have a lot of root vegetables to dig and will continue to dig them throughout the winter.
It is a strange time of year for us. I am sure most of you assume we are ready for a break and we are enjoying some good nights of sleep but I am also sad to see the overwhelming chaos go away. There is a part of me that really enjoys being able to do nothing but farm, eat and sleep day after day. However, having some extra time has allowed us to get our pantry and freezer stocked. Our meat birds went from field to freezer a couple weeks ago, we did the last of our pig butchering (sausage) last night and hopefully by the end of today we will have a few jars of pickled cauliflower on the shelf. We will have a lot of great meals this winter made from food that reminds us of the past season and a lot of dinner discussions about what we can do better next year. If you can't farm the next best thing is to talk about farming!
We wish you all a wonderful and peaceful winter.
Carrots
Beets
Bunch of Greens
Winter Squash - Choice of Delicata or Sweet Dumpling
Leeks
Red Cipollini Onions
Rutabaga - There is a lot of debate around our house what rutabagas taste like but we both enjoy eating them. We even have a cheer for them that starts with "when I say ruta you say baga". I am sure you can imagine the rest. For some reason it amuses us every time we do it. I am happy I farm with someone who is just as silly as I am!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
Week 19
Our farmer friends all have their own unique combination of ways they sell vegetables. Some drive to Seattle and sell to high end restaurants, some go to the Olympia market and many have CSAs and sell to the Co-op. We are all trying to figure out a way to keep doing what we love and make enough money to be able to do it another year. We consider ourselves to be incredibly fortunate. We have the farm stand and the farm share, neither which require us to leave the farm and the Olympia Co-op which is fairly close. Our hope is that that combination allows us more time to focus on the gardens and the produce. You all have made a decision to support local agriculture. Some of you might appreciate our organic farming methods, others might find it convenient and some of you might have just signed up on a whim. Regardless, we appreciate your support. Some farms find it difficult to fill their farm share/CSA and we have been lucky to find such great customers. Although the interest in locally grown food is growing not everyone is up for receiving a box of vegetables every week. We think you all are awesome for giving it a try. We hope you enjoyed it and thank you again.
For some of you today is your last box. Now you can go back to eating take out pizza without that bunch of kale yelling at you from your vegetable draw. If after a couple pizzas you realize that you miss kale please come see us at the stand. We will be open on Saturdays and Wednesdays until the end of November.
If you would like any storage vegetables (beets, carrots, onions, squash) just let me know and we will get you set up for the winter.
Carrots
Yellow Onions
Parsnips - They may look a bit like a white carrot but they have their own unique flavor. They can be boiled, steamed or roasted. They are great in stews and delicious mashed.
Broccoli
Spaghetti Squash or Pie Pumpkin - your choice
Watermelon Radish
Cucumber
Pepper
Parsley
Green Cabbage - Large Only
French Onion Soup
I have a memory of being a little kid, about four and sitting in front of the television watching Julia Child on PBS. We had a black and white TV and I think it must have been before cable. I don't know what it was about her that I loved as a kid but as an adult I continue to love her. If I could have dinner with any two people, dead or alive, she would be one of them. Despite my adoration I haven't actually made many of her recipes. Below is one that I do make a couple times a year, french onion soup.
The only change I have made to this recipe is that I use an extra cup of onion. She calls for 5 cups and I like to use 6 cups. Perhaps I cook the onions down more than I am suppose to or perhaps it is because the last couple times I have made it I used a higher moisture onion and I lost more to evaporation. This soup requires a little patience because it really tastes better if you allow the onions to properly caramelize.
Soup
6 cups thinly sliced onion
3 Tb butter
1 Tb oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
3 Tb flour
2 quarts beef stock (I use homemade chicken stock when I don't have any homemade beef stock)
1/2 cup dry wine or dry white vermouth
3 Tb cognac
Cook onions in the butter and oil with the lid on for 15 minutes in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Uncover, add salt and sugar and cook for another half hour or so until the onions have fully caramelized. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir for 3 minutes. Add the wine and continue stirring and then add the stock a little at a time. Simmer partially covered for another half hour or so. Just before serving stir in the cognac.
Garnish
Slices of French bread
Grated Swiss or Parmesan
Put French bread in oven at 325 until hard and golden brown. Place cheese on top of bread and broil until melted or use oven proof bowls and put bread in cheese in bowl on top of the soup and put the whole thing under the broiler.
Our farmer friends all have their own unique combination of ways they sell vegetables. Some drive to Seattle and sell to high end restaurants, some go to the Olympia market and many have CSAs and sell to the Co-op. We are all trying to figure out a way to keep doing what we love and make enough money to be able to do it another year. We consider ourselves to be incredibly fortunate. We have the farm stand and the farm share, neither which require us to leave the farm and the Olympia Co-op which is fairly close. Our hope is that that combination allows us more time to focus on the gardens and the produce. You all have made a decision to support local agriculture. Some of you might appreciate our organic farming methods, others might find it convenient and some of you might have just signed up on a whim. Regardless, we appreciate your support. Some farms find it difficult to fill their farm share/CSA and we have been lucky to find such great customers. Although the interest in locally grown food is growing not everyone is up for receiving a box of vegetables every week. We think you all are awesome for giving it a try. We hope you enjoyed it and thank you again.
For some of you today is your last box. Now you can go back to eating take out pizza without that bunch of kale yelling at you from your vegetable draw. If after a couple pizzas you realize that you miss kale please come see us at the stand. We will be open on Saturdays and Wednesdays until the end of November.
If you would like any storage vegetables (beets, carrots, onions, squash) just let me know and we will get you set up for the winter.
Carrots
Yellow Onions
Parsnips - They may look a bit like a white carrot but they have their own unique flavor. They can be boiled, steamed or roasted. They are great in stews and delicious mashed.
Broccoli
Spaghetti Squash or Pie Pumpkin - your choice
Watermelon Radish
Cucumber
Pepper
Parsley
Green Cabbage - Large Only
French Onion Soup
I have a memory of being a little kid, about four and sitting in front of the television watching Julia Child on PBS. We had a black and white TV and I think it must have been before cable. I don't know what it was about her that I loved as a kid but as an adult I continue to love her. If I could have dinner with any two people, dead or alive, she would be one of them. Despite my adoration I haven't actually made many of her recipes. Below is one that I do make a couple times a year, french onion soup.
The only change I have made to this recipe is that I use an extra cup of onion. She calls for 5 cups and I like to use 6 cups. Perhaps I cook the onions down more than I am suppose to or perhaps it is because the last couple times I have made it I used a higher moisture onion and I lost more to evaporation. This soup requires a little patience because it really tastes better if you allow the onions to properly caramelize.
Soup
6 cups thinly sliced onion
3 Tb butter
1 Tb oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
3 Tb flour
2 quarts beef stock (I use homemade chicken stock when I don't have any homemade beef stock)
1/2 cup dry wine or dry white vermouth
3 Tb cognac
Cook onions in the butter and oil with the lid on for 15 minutes in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Uncover, add salt and sugar and cook for another half hour or so until the onions have fully caramelized. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir for 3 minutes. Add the wine and continue stirring and then add the stock a little at a time. Simmer partially covered for another half hour or so. Just before serving stir in the cognac.
Garnish
Slices of French bread
Grated Swiss or Parmesan
Put French bread in oven at 325 until hard and golden brown. Place cheese on top of bread and broil until melted or use oven proof bowls and put bread in cheese in bowl on top of the soup and put the whole thing under the broiler.
Monday, October 7, 2013
A small share went home without any brussel sprouts last week. It was one of the first boxes to be picked up. Please let us know if it was you.
I am pleased with the boxes this week - lots of stuff I like to eat. I hope you enjoy it too.
Carrots
Bok Choy
Lettuce
Korean Daikon Radish - Do you ever eat banh mi, those delicious Vietnamese sandwiches? Do you love the carrot and radish pickle that is on them? Well, you now have a big ol' radish to make some of your own. Like many Southeast Asian pickles it is eaten shortly after mixing. It also makes a yummy side dish. We had some last week with grilled salmon. I will also include a link for a radish kimchi if you are feeling a bit more adventurous.
Butternut Squash
Shallots - These would be good roasted with some butternut squash cubes! They would also be good sliced and fried until crisp and then used as a garnish on your butternut squash soup.
Mixed Hot Peppers - If you don't think you can use all of these at once you can throw them in a Ziploc bag and put them in your freezer. Then you can just pull one out when you need it this winter.
Diakon and Carrot Pickle
Put a half cup white vinegar in a pan and add 1/8 to 1/4 cup of sugar to it. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally and remove from heat once sugar has dissolved.
Cut one or two radishes and one or two carrots into matchsticks.
Slice up a red chile pepper and add it to the above veggies. Use your own judgement on how much to use and if you should include the seeds.
Mix everything in a bowl with a bit of chopped cilantro. If you are a speedy chopper and your vinegar mixture is still piping hot you may want to let a it cool just a little before you add it to the veggies. Put in the fridge to chill and marinate. I usually like to eat it within a day of making it.
Radish Kimchi
I am pleased with the boxes this week - lots of stuff I like to eat. I hope you enjoy it too.
Carrots
Bok Choy
Lettuce
Korean Daikon Radish - Do you ever eat banh mi, those delicious Vietnamese sandwiches? Do you love the carrot and radish pickle that is on them? Well, you now have a big ol' radish to make some of your own. Like many Southeast Asian pickles it is eaten shortly after mixing. It also makes a yummy side dish. We had some last week with grilled salmon. I will also include a link for a radish kimchi if you are feeling a bit more adventurous.
Butternut Squash
Shallots - These would be good roasted with some butternut squash cubes! They would also be good sliced and fried until crisp and then used as a garnish on your butternut squash soup.
Mixed Hot Peppers - If you don't think you can use all of these at once you can throw them in a Ziploc bag and put them in your freezer. Then you can just pull one out when you need it this winter.
Diakon and Carrot Pickle
Put a half cup white vinegar in a pan and add 1/8 to 1/4 cup of sugar to it. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally and remove from heat once sugar has dissolved.
Cut one or two radishes and one or two carrots into matchsticks.
Slice up a red chile pepper and add it to the above veggies. Use your own judgement on how much to use and if you should include the seeds.
Mix everything in a bowl with a bit of chopped cilantro. If you are a speedy chopper and your vinegar mixture is still piping hot you may want to let a it cool just a little before you add it to the veggies. Put in the fridge to chill and marinate. I usually like to eat it within a day of making it.
Radish Kimchi
Monday, September 30, 2013
Week 17
It is still dark out and I can't see the rain yet but I can hear it. Ha, as I just wrote that I heard on the radio that Olympia has had a record amount of rainfall this September. We have had eight inches! It isn't keeping us out of the garden completely although we have cut a few days short this month. It was a mad dash last Thursday and Friday to get all tractor work done and the cover crop out before the heavy rain started falling. Hopefully the seed germinates. Even though the weather forecast called for rainy weather I don't think either Kelly or I expected to see standing water in our fields.
Yikes, hopefully the thunder and lightening calms down a bit before it is time to leave the house.
See you this afternoon.
It is still dark out and I can't see the rain yet but I can hear it. Ha, as I just wrote that I heard on the radio that Olympia has had a record amount of rainfall this September. We have had eight inches! It isn't keeping us out of the garden completely although we have cut a few days short this month. It was a mad dash last Thursday and Friday to get all tractor work done and the cover crop out before the heavy rain started falling. Hopefully the seed germinates. Even though the weather forecast called for rainy weather I don't think either Kelly or I expected to see standing water in our fields.
Yikes, hopefully the thunder and lightening calms down a bit before it is time to leave the house.
Rainbow Carrots - These look really pretty in a salad or in spring rolls.
White Russian Kale
Red Onion
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Orange Kabocha - When people are looking for a pie pumpkin I often try to sell them on an orange kabocha. We do sell a good pie pumpkin but I love the orange kabocha for breads, cookies and pies. Last thanksgiving we made "pumpkin" ice cream with one. It has a sweet, dry flesh that is also good for soups and squash purees. The variety we grow is called sunshine.
Summer Turnip
Poblano Peppers - Large Only
See you this afternoon.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Week 16
Fall arrived Sunday in the most fantastic way. I did the co-op delivery Sunday morning and the streets were empty of people but full of blowing leaves, twigs and puddles. I was so excited to go home and do nothing. Except I forgot I don't like to do nothing. But, I don't like to do housework either so nothing it was at least for a little while.
Our cover crop seed arrived this week. We bought some Washington grown seed from Sequim. We typically plant rye and vetch but are experimenting with some triticale (similar to rye) and some fava beans as our legume this year. We always mix a grass/cereal grain and a legume for our winter cover crop. The grass is fast growing, good for weed suppression and for preventing erosion. When tilled in it will add organic matter to the soil. Legumes grow much slower but can convert nitrogen from the air into the soil when they are tilled in in the spring. Although we do add additional fertilizer, usually in the form of a pelleted chicken manure, cover crops are an important part of our nutrient plan and contribute to the health of our fields.
Carrots
Lettuce
Delicata Squash
Napa Cabbage
Beets
Leeks - The most common way to use leeks is in potato leek soup but they can be used in other dishes as well. They are great braised in a little chicken stock and white wine or in any kind of braised meat dish. They are delicious with mussels and clams too. The easiest way to clean them is to trim off the roots but leave the base of the leek. Cut off the dark green tops. Slice the leek in half long ways and soak in a large bowl of water. Swish them around a little so the dirt between the leaves falls out.
Frying Peppers
Zucchini - Because it is late in the season and we don't have much heat I am not sure how many squash you will get but I thought we would try to squeeze in one more harvest for you.
Cherry Tomatoes - Large Only
Cauliflower - Large Only
Soba Noodles with Napa Cabbage
I am including a link for a soba noodle recipe. Although the recipe is fairly light the heartiness of buckwheat noodles makes them good cold weather food. The recipe also calls for edamame which some of you may still have staring at you when you open your produce draw. I don't always use them when I make this recipe. I just use whatever veggies I need to use up but I do really like napa cabbage in it.
Soba Noodle
Fall arrived Sunday in the most fantastic way. I did the co-op delivery Sunday morning and the streets were empty of people but full of blowing leaves, twigs and puddles. I was so excited to go home and do nothing. Except I forgot I don't like to do nothing. But, I don't like to do housework either so nothing it was at least for a little while.
Our cover crop seed arrived this week. We bought some Washington grown seed from Sequim. We typically plant rye and vetch but are experimenting with some triticale (similar to rye) and some fava beans as our legume this year. We always mix a grass/cereal grain and a legume for our winter cover crop. The grass is fast growing, good for weed suppression and for preventing erosion. When tilled in it will add organic matter to the soil. Legumes grow much slower but can convert nitrogen from the air into the soil when they are tilled in in the spring. Although we do add additional fertilizer, usually in the form of a pelleted chicken manure, cover crops are an important part of our nutrient plan and contribute to the health of our fields.
Carrots
Lettuce
Delicata Squash
Napa Cabbage
Beets
Leeks - The most common way to use leeks is in potato leek soup but they can be used in other dishes as well. They are great braised in a little chicken stock and white wine or in any kind of braised meat dish. They are delicious with mussels and clams too. The easiest way to clean them is to trim off the roots but leave the base of the leek. Cut off the dark green tops. Slice the leek in half long ways and soak in a large bowl of water. Swish them around a little so the dirt between the leaves falls out.
Frying Peppers
Zucchini - Because it is late in the season and we don't have much heat I am not sure how many squash you will get but I thought we would try to squeeze in one more harvest for you.
Cherry Tomatoes - Large Only
Cauliflower - Large Only
Soba Noodles with Napa Cabbage
I am including a link for a soba noodle recipe. Although the recipe is fairly light the heartiness of buckwheat noodles makes them good cold weather food. The recipe also calls for edamame which some of you may still have staring at you when you open your produce draw. I don't always use them when I make this recipe. I just use whatever veggies I need to use up but I do really like napa cabbage in it.
Soba Noodle
Monday, September 16, 2013
Week 15
Last week someone called to see what we had available for wholesale. I mentioned rutabagas. He is very particular and he wanted to know how sweet they were. We try to eat everything before we sell it as a form of quality control but there was zero chance I was interested in eating a rutabaga last week. Despite the fact that we were hauling winter squash it felt a bit too much like summer. Well, after looking at the 10 day weather this morning I think I have some rutabagas and a fire in the wood stove in my near future.
The large metal building at our house is filled with winter squash on pallets and dry beans hanging from the rafters. It is so colorful that it makes me smile whenever I walk in. We are going to start winter squash a little earlier than usual this year because it is ready to eat and the weather seems to have turned. The variety of acorn we grow is honey bear and it is nice and sweet.
Lettuce
Acorn Squash
Broccoli
Colored Peppers
Cucumber
Sweet Onion
Dinosaur Kale aka Lacinato Kale - Small Only
Yokatta Na aka Vitamin Green - Large Only - similar to bok choy
Edemame - Large Only
Last week someone called to see what we had available for wholesale. I mentioned rutabagas. He is very particular and he wanted to know how sweet they were. We try to eat everything before we sell it as a form of quality control but there was zero chance I was interested in eating a rutabaga last week. Despite the fact that we were hauling winter squash it felt a bit too much like summer. Well, after looking at the 10 day weather this morning I think I have some rutabagas and a fire in the wood stove in my near future.
The large metal building at our house is filled with winter squash on pallets and dry beans hanging from the rafters. It is so colorful that it makes me smile whenever I walk in. We are going to start winter squash a little earlier than usual this year because it is ready to eat and the weather seems to have turned. The variety of acorn we grow is honey bear and it is nice and sweet.
Lettuce
Acorn Squash
Broccoli
Colored Peppers
Cucumber
Sweet Onion
Dinosaur Kale aka Lacinato Kale - Small Only
Yokatta Na aka Vitamin Green - Large Only - similar to bok choy
Edemame - Large Only
Monday, September 9, 2013
Week 14
We often talk about the fields at Shincke Road where you pick up your box and our fields on South Bay Road but we do have one more spot in cultivation. It is two small fields off of 46th Avenue. One had our garlic in it and the other has a small amount of drought resisitant ornamental corn and some winter squash (which we some how managed to plant everywhere this year). After the stand closed on Saturday we went to take a look. I was not that hopeful because I hadn't been over since it was last weeded and at that time the plants looked so-so. We were greeted by some giant blue hubbards and pumpkins at the front of the field. Yippee. We walked around pointing out all the fabulous squash to each other. It was a fine time. I hope you all had some nice surprises this week as well.
Your box is typical of boxes this time of year. It has some summer stuff and some fall stuff.
Carrots
Cauliflower
Summer Turnips
Cherry Tomatoes
Poblano Peppers - I love fried chile rellenos but they are also great with out any breading. I stuff the roasted and cleaned chiles with a bit of filling, set them in a casserole dish, cover with sauce and bake them.
Parsley - Large Only
Salad Mix - Small Only
Head Lettuce - Large Only
Collards - Large Only
Eggplant - rotating item
Have a great week and enjoy the heat!
We often talk about the fields at Shincke Road where you pick up your box and our fields on South Bay Road but we do have one more spot in cultivation. It is two small fields off of 46th Avenue. One had our garlic in it and the other has a small amount of drought resisitant ornamental corn and some winter squash (which we some how managed to plant everywhere this year). After the stand closed on Saturday we went to take a look. I was not that hopeful because I hadn't been over since it was last weeded and at that time the plants looked so-so. We were greeted by some giant blue hubbards and pumpkins at the front of the field. Yippee. We walked around pointing out all the fabulous squash to each other. It was a fine time. I hope you all had some nice surprises this week as well.
Your box is typical of boxes this time of year. It has some summer stuff and some fall stuff.
Carrots
Cauliflower
Summer Turnips
Cherry Tomatoes
Poblano Peppers - I love fried chile rellenos but they are also great with out any breading. I stuff the roasted and cleaned chiles with a bit of filling, set them in a casserole dish, cover with sauce and bake them.
Parsley - Large Only
Salad Mix - Small Only
Head Lettuce - Large Only
Collards - Large Only
Eggplant - rotating item
Have a great week and enjoy the heat!
Monday, September 2, 2013
Week 13
Every year I make up a t-shirt for the farm in my head. I never get them made but I enjoy thinking about a good tag line while weeding. I haven't come up with a clever one yet this year. This year's theme seems to be disease and that doesn't seem like a fun t-shirt. It started with the garlic. The potatoes seemed to have a bit of everything this year. We had to bust out an organic approved fungicide for the onions and finally late blight has hit the tomatoes(probably via the potatoes). We still have some tomatoes in the hoop house that are doing okay and you have some of those in your boxes today.
We have several crops in the garden that are doing fantastic. We have done a good job of staying on schedule for seeding and planting salad and lettuce and we haven't seen any of the mildew issues that plagued us last year. Our peppers are healthy, abundant and turning red, orange and yellow earlier than normal. We don't grow a lot of corn but our corn patch is also more productive than it ever has been. And so farming goes - a moment of glory, a moment of defeat and for Kelly and I a lot of humor to off set the distress. We have been a bit more sarcastically gloomy this year but are still cracking jokes and while the amount of disease has been unusual winter will renew our optimism.
In fact, despite everything we had our best day ever at the stand on Saturday and have so much good food that we had a hard time narrowing it down for your boxes. One thing that didn't make the cut for today is cauliflower but you should have the first of our fall cauliflower in your boxes next week as well as poblano peppers.
Lettuce
Carrots - Back! I know they were only gone for a week but I couldn't resist the exclamation point.
Cherry Tomatoes
Red Slicing Tomato
Basil
Beans
Eggplant - Everyone will have some eggplant over the next few weeks but not everyone will get one this week.
Corn - Small For Sure - Large Maybe This is our last succession of corn. It is a white variety called Augusta that we have never grown before.
Green and Yellow Zucchini
Onions - Large Only
Corn and tomatoes go great together in salsa or in a salad. Below are a couple ideas of how we like to mix them.
Salsa
Corn, cooked and cooled and sliced off the cob
Tomato, diced
Hot Pepper
Garlic, minced
Onion, chopped
Cilantro
Salt
Squeeze of Lime
Salad
Skip the hot pepper and cilantro and add some basil. Replace the acid of the lime with a little vinegar and add a little olive oil and black pepper.
Baba Ganoush - Eggplant Spread
eggplant (about a pound/all the eggplant in your box)
1/4 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced if making spread by hand
juice from half a lemon
2-3 tablespoons water
salt
Preheat your grill. Rub the eggplants with oil and place on grill. When the skin starts to blacken turn the eggplant. Continue to turn until the skin is mostly charred on all sides. You want the skin to be black and the eggplant to be soft and collapsed. If your eggplant is still a bit firm you can pop it in the oven until it is soft. You can also do this whole process in the oven by using the broiler if you prefer. Set aside to cool.
Put the tahini, garlic and lemon in a food processor. I use a mini-chop with good success. Blend. Mixture will be thick. Add water and process again. You want the mixture to be light and creamy. I add water one tablespoon at a time until I achieve the desired consistency. This step will assure a nice light and creamy baba ganoush.
Cut eggplant open and gently spoon out the flesh leaving the charred skin behind. Put in the food processor and mix. Add salt and more lemon juice if you think it needs it.
You can do this without a food processor. I like the texture I get when I use the Cuisinart but it can be made by hand with good results.
Serve with pita bread or veggies
Every year I make up a t-shirt for the farm in my head. I never get them made but I enjoy thinking about a good tag line while weeding. I haven't come up with a clever one yet this year. This year's theme seems to be disease and that doesn't seem like a fun t-shirt. It started with the garlic. The potatoes seemed to have a bit of everything this year. We had to bust out an organic approved fungicide for the onions and finally late blight has hit the tomatoes(probably via the potatoes). We still have some tomatoes in the hoop house that are doing okay and you have some of those in your boxes today.
We have several crops in the garden that are doing fantastic. We have done a good job of staying on schedule for seeding and planting salad and lettuce and we haven't seen any of the mildew issues that plagued us last year. Our peppers are healthy, abundant and turning red, orange and yellow earlier than normal. We don't grow a lot of corn but our corn patch is also more productive than it ever has been. And so farming goes - a moment of glory, a moment of defeat and for Kelly and I a lot of humor to off set the distress. We have been a bit more sarcastically gloomy this year but are still cracking jokes and while the amount of disease has been unusual winter will renew our optimism.
In fact, despite everything we had our best day ever at the stand on Saturday and have so much good food that we had a hard time narrowing it down for your boxes. One thing that didn't make the cut for today is cauliflower but you should have the first of our fall cauliflower in your boxes next week as well as poblano peppers.
Lettuce
Carrots - Back! I know they were only gone for a week but I couldn't resist the exclamation point.
Cherry Tomatoes
Red Slicing Tomato
Basil
Beans
Eggplant - Everyone will have some eggplant over the next few weeks but not everyone will get one this week.
Corn - Small For Sure - Large Maybe This is our last succession of corn. It is a white variety called Augusta that we have never grown before.
Green and Yellow Zucchini
Onions - Large Only
Corn and tomatoes go great together in salsa or in a salad. Below are a couple ideas of how we like to mix them.
Salsa
Corn, cooked and cooled and sliced off the cob
Tomato, diced
Hot Pepper
Garlic, minced
Onion, chopped
Cilantro
Salt
Squeeze of Lime
Salad
Skip the hot pepper and cilantro and add some basil. Replace the acid of the lime with a little vinegar and add a little olive oil and black pepper.
Baba Ganoush - Eggplant Spread
eggplant (about a pound/all the eggplant in your box)
1/4 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced if making spread by hand
juice from half a lemon
2-3 tablespoons water
salt
Preheat your grill. Rub the eggplants with oil and place on grill. When the skin starts to blacken turn the eggplant. Continue to turn until the skin is mostly charred on all sides. You want the skin to be black and the eggplant to be soft and collapsed. If your eggplant is still a bit firm you can pop it in the oven until it is soft. You can also do this whole process in the oven by using the broiler if you prefer. Set aside to cool.
Put the tahini, garlic and lemon in a food processor. I use a mini-chop with good success. Blend. Mixture will be thick. Add water and process again. You want the mixture to be light and creamy. I add water one tablespoon at a time until I achieve the desired consistency. This step will assure a nice light and creamy baba ganoush.
Cut eggplant open and gently spoon out the flesh leaving the charred skin behind. Put in the food processor and mix. Add salt and more lemon juice if you think it needs it.
You can do this without a food processor. I like the texture I get when I use the Cuisinart but it can be made by hand with good results.
Serve with pita bread or veggies
Monday, August 26, 2013
Week 12
The butternut squash has died back enough that we can see some beautiful tan butternuts under all the foliage. They look awesome. All our onions are out of the field and curing and it feels great to have that done.
No carrots this week to give you all a chance to use up what is in your veggie drawer and for a change of pace but we have some left from Saturdays stand if you need to buy some. We will have lots of stuff on the trade table for those of you who hate beets!
Hope you all have a fantastic week.
Salad Mix
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatillos
Cilantro
Onion
Jalopeno Pepper - Perhaps it is the extra heat we have had this year but so far the chiles I have eaten have been spicy compared to other seasons.
Beets - Red
Kale - White Russian
Sun Jewel Melon- Large Only
Corn - Large Only
There are some directions for tomatillo salsa if you click on the tomatillo recipe on the right hand side. It is great with chips, as a sauce for enchiladas or a good base for braising chicken.
The butternut squash has died back enough that we can see some beautiful tan butternuts under all the foliage. They look awesome. All our onions are out of the field and curing and it feels great to have that done.
No carrots this week to give you all a chance to use up what is in your veggie drawer and for a change of pace but we have some left from Saturdays stand if you need to buy some. We will have lots of stuff on the trade table for those of you who hate beets!
Hope you all have a fantastic week.
Salad Mix
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatillos
Cilantro
Onion
Jalopeno Pepper - Perhaps it is the extra heat we have had this year but so far the chiles I have eaten have been spicy compared to other seasons.
Beets - Red
Kale - White Russian
Sun Jewel Melon- Large Only
Corn - Large Only
There are some directions for tomatillo salsa if you click on the tomatillo recipe on the right hand side. It is great with chips, as a sauce for enchiladas or a good base for braising chicken.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Week 11
When I was ordering seeds last winter I was thinking of you all. For the past few years we have given you the same varieties of winter squash each year. We grow a few other varieties but the farm share always gets our favorites and the ones that seem the most popular. In an effort to make things a bit more interesting for you and me I went looking for a new winter squash for this year. We planted two new varieties that are growing next to the sun jewel melons and the whole place is a mess of foliage that I have resisted looking in because I would have move some vines around to try to find a place to step. On Friday when we harvested some melons for the stand my curiosity got the best of me. The first one is called sweet fall and it is described as a 4 pound squash. Well, I can't seem to find one that looks smaller than 12 pounds! The other squash is suppose to do well in short season climates (we have a long growing period due to the temperate climate but the lack of heat still means all heat loving crops need to be short season varieties) but I could only find lots of really small immature squash. Darn it. Looks like we might be sticking with the old favorites again this year.
I know it probably seems a bit early to be talking of fall but as we pull the onions out to dry down and watch the squash leaves start to yellow a little bit it is hard not to think about it. Even your boxes have a touch of fall in them. Our first round of fall cabbages and broccoli are beginning to mature and they look great. Summer isn't usually a time of year people think of as good broccoli growing weather but we always get some of our nicest crops this time of year. There is plenty of summer in your boxes today as well and we have more of it to come next week.
Lettuce
Carrots
Cherry Tomatoes
Slicing Tomatoes
Cabbage
Broccoli
Yellow or Orange Bell Pepper - Large Only
Cilantro - Large Only
Swiss Chard - Large Only
When I was ordering seeds last winter I was thinking of you all. For the past few years we have given you the same varieties of winter squash each year. We grow a few other varieties but the farm share always gets our favorites and the ones that seem the most popular. In an effort to make things a bit more interesting for you and me I went looking for a new winter squash for this year. We planted two new varieties that are growing next to the sun jewel melons and the whole place is a mess of foliage that I have resisted looking in because I would have move some vines around to try to find a place to step. On Friday when we harvested some melons for the stand my curiosity got the best of me. The first one is called sweet fall and it is described as a 4 pound squash. Well, I can't seem to find one that looks smaller than 12 pounds! The other squash is suppose to do well in short season climates (we have a long growing period due to the temperate climate but the lack of heat still means all heat loving crops need to be short season varieties) but I could only find lots of really small immature squash. Darn it. Looks like we might be sticking with the old favorites again this year.
I know it probably seems a bit early to be talking of fall but as we pull the onions out to dry down and watch the squash leaves start to yellow a little bit it is hard not to think about it. Even your boxes have a touch of fall in them. Our first round of fall cabbages and broccoli are beginning to mature and they look great. Summer isn't usually a time of year people think of as good broccoli growing weather but we always get some of our nicest crops this time of year. There is plenty of summer in your boxes today as well and we have more of it to come next week.
Lettuce
Carrots
Cherry Tomatoes
Slicing Tomatoes
Cabbage
Broccoli
Yellow or Orange Bell Pepper - Large Only
Cilantro - Large Only
Swiss Chard - Large Only
Monday, August 12, 2013
Week 10
Looking around the garden I can see the decline beginning to happen. Each week there is a little less green as we till in crops that we have finished picking. I love watching the season unfold.
I ordered seed garlic last week and hopefully next year's garlic will be a success. I wasn't able to get our favorite variety but am looking forward to trying a couple new ones. At 20 bucks a pound it would have been cheaper to try to find some local seed from friends but everyone I talked to had some disease issues in their garlic this year and I wanted to take as few chances as possible even if it means it will take a few years of saving seed before we are up to the 300 pounds we planted last fall. We will be more careful about culling plants that don't look good and about what garlic we save for planting.
Last week some of you had a Sun Jewel Melon in your box and the remainder of you will receive one over the next couple weeks. It is a Korean melon with a crisp flesh. I just learned that some people eat the seeds. They are the sweetest part of the melon.
You received our first picking of corn last week and may receive the last picking off the planting today. It is tough to say just how much is out there and I am not sure if you will have it in your boxes today. We have two more plantings behind the current one so you will receive more corn at some point regardless of whether you have some in your box today.
Carrots
Cherry Tomatoes
Slicing Tomato
Summer Squash
Walla Walla Onions
Basil
Asian Cucumber - Large Only
Lemon Cucumber - Small Only
Wax Bean/Green Bean
Corn - Maybe
Sun Jewel Melon - Rotating Item
Lettuce - Large Only
Looking around the garden I can see the decline beginning to happen. Each week there is a little less green as we till in crops that we have finished picking. I love watching the season unfold.
I ordered seed garlic last week and hopefully next year's garlic will be a success. I wasn't able to get our favorite variety but am looking forward to trying a couple new ones. At 20 bucks a pound it would have been cheaper to try to find some local seed from friends but everyone I talked to had some disease issues in their garlic this year and I wanted to take as few chances as possible even if it means it will take a few years of saving seed before we are up to the 300 pounds we planted last fall. We will be more careful about culling plants that don't look good and about what garlic we save for planting.
Last week some of you had a Sun Jewel Melon in your box and the remainder of you will receive one over the next couple weeks. It is a Korean melon with a crisp flesh. I just learned that some people eat the seeds. They are the sweetest part of the melon.
You received our first picking of corn last week and may receive the last picking off the planting today. It is tough to say just how much is out there and I am not sure if you will have it in your boxes today. We have two more plantings behind the current one so you will receive more corn at some point regardless of whether you have some in your box today.
Carrots
Cherry Tomatoes
Slicing Tomato
Summer Squash
Walla Walla Onions
Basil
Asian Cucumber - Large Only
Lemon Cucumber - Small Only
Wax Bean/Green Bean
Corn - Maybe
Sun Jewel Melon - Rotating Item
Lettuce - Large Only
Monday, August 5, 2013
Week 9
Most small farmers have mixed feelings about sweet corn. On the negative side is that it takes up a lot of space, loves nitrogen and water, is very hard to make any money on unless you are growing acres of it and it can be a little iffy to pull off a good crop in the Pacific Northwest. On the plus side is that nothing tastes as good as freshly picked sweet corn. That one plus keeps us growing it. There is one key to enjoying your sweet corn. You should eat it as soon as possible. Once corn is picked it immediately starts converting sugar to starch. Modern hybrids have been developed to slow this process but it still holds true with the variety we grow.
Last week a farm share member who is from the same town in Montana as Kelly was telling us about her and her husband's trip "home". Naturally most of the discussion focused on where they ate and where we eat when we go back to Helena. Nothing brings back memories like eating food you ate when you were younger. There is a sandwich place in Helena that is famous(I use that term loosely) for their ranch dressing. It sparked a conversation about ranch dressing and how none of us had made it but remember our mothers making it with the packet when we were kids. Well, forget the packet. I am including a link for a homemade ranch dressing that will make a happy home for your parsley.
Have a wonderful week and enjoy the summer sunshine.
Lettuce
Carrots
Green Beans
Bell Peppers
Cherry Tomatoes
Corn
Parsley
Kale - Small Only
Salad - Large Only
Cucumber
Ranch Dressing
Most small farmers have mixed feelings about sweet corn. On the negative side is that it takes up a lot of space, loves nitrogen and water, is very hard to make any money on unless you are growing acres of it and it can be a little iffy to pull off a good crop in the Pacific Northwest. On the plus side is that nothing tastes as good as freshly picked sweet corn. That one plus keeps us growing it. There is one key to enjoying your sweet corn. You should eat it as soon as possible. Once corn is picked it immediately starts converting sugar to starch. Modern hybrids have been developed to slow this process but it still holds true with the variety we grow.
Last week a farm share member who is from the same town in Montana as Kelly was telling us about her and her husband's trip "home". Naturally most of the discussion focused on where they ate and where we eat when we go back to Helena. Nothing brings back memories like eating food you ate when you were younger. There is a sandwich place in Helena that is famous(I use that term loosely) for their ranch dressing. It sparked a conversation about ranch dressing and how none of us had made it but remember our mothers making it with the packet when we were kids. Well, forget the packet. I am including a link for a homemade ranch dressing that will make a happy home for your parsley.
Have a wonderful week and enjoy the summer sunshine.
Lettuce
Carrots
Green Beans
Bell Peppers
Cherry Tomatoes
Corn
Parsley
Kale - Small Only
Salad - Large Only
Cucumber
Ranch Dressing
Monday, July 29, 2013
Week 8
If you have a raised bed, a big garden or a farm at some point in the summer you look around and you think holy moly that is a lot of zucchini! We try to find a nice balance with the farm share. Yes, it is a box of seasonal produce but it should be a box of produce and not a box of zucchini! However it is summer and you should get to experience that feeling of needing to find new ways to prepare squash or making several loaves of zucchini bread for the freezer...but only if you want too. We will have all you can eat squash day. There will be big and small, yellow and green and you can help yourself to what you think you can use.
Carrots - Purple Haze is the variety.
Lettuce
Beets - I am hoping to stick with the colorful theme and give you rainbow beet bunches with red, golden and the chioggia (pink on the outside and candy cane on the inside) but if they have not sized up properly you will all get chioggia bunches. We haven't grown these in a few years. They are sweet, less earthy than a red beet and they don't bleed.
Tropea Onions - an Italian heirloom. These are great on the grill and fairly sweet raw.
Mixed Summer Squash
Purple Potatoes
Pickling Cukes - Small Share Only
Kale - Large Share Only - We seeded this on June 1st and planted it out about a month ago. Summer isn't prime kale season but this variety (White Russian) tastes mild even when it is warm out and because it is the first picking it is extra tender. It is good stuff!
Green Cabbage - Large Share Only
Cilantro - Large Share Only
We picked some corn the other day to check it out and it should be coming to a box near you with in the next week or two.
Eat Well.
If you have a raised bed, a big garden or a farm at some point in the summer you look around and you think holy moly that is a lot of zucchini! We try to find a nice balance with the farm share. Yes, it is a box of seasonal produce but it should be a box of produce and not a box of zucchini! However it is summer and you should get to experience that feeling of needing to find new ways to prepare squash or making several loaves of zucchini bread for the freezer...but only if you want too. We will have all you can eat squash day. There will be big and small, yellow and green and you can help yourself to what you think you can use.
Carrots - Purple Haze is the variety.
Lettuce
Beets - I am hoping to stick with the colorful theme and give you rainbow beet bunches with red, golden and the chioggia (pink on the outside and candy cane on the inside) but if they have not sized up properly you will all get chioggia bunches. We haven't grown these in a few years. They are sweet, less earthy than a red beet and they don't bleed.
Tropea Onions - an Italian heirloom. These are great on the grill and fairly sweet raw.
Mixed Summer Squash
Purple Potatoes
Pickling Cukes - Small Share Only
Kale - Large Share Only - We seeded this on June 1st and planted it out about a month ago. Summer isn't prime kale season but this variety (White Russian) tastes mild even when it is warm out and because it is the first picking it is extra tender. It is good stuff!
Green Cabbage - Large Share Only
Cilantro - Large Share Only
We picked some corn the other day to check it out and it should be coming to a box near you with in the next week or two.
Eat Well.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Week 7
People think of pickles as a labor intensive, set aside a day, get out tons of equipment and make a big mess kind of thing but they don't need to be. Sure, making 24 jars of pickles is going to be an undertaking but you don't need to make 24 jars of pickles. There are three recipes below that don't require canning or even canning jars. This week the large shares will receive a couple pounds of pickling cukes and next week the small shares will receive some. Below are recipes for refrigerator bread and butters, refrigerator dills and one for a Thai pickle. None of these take much more time than making a salad and some dressing. Pickling cucumbers are great to just eat out of hand too.
Carrots
Green Beans
Bunched Pearl Onions - The catalog described these as pearl onions but they actually matured a bit bigger and some almost look more like cippolinis.
Basil
Broccoli
Salad Mix - lettuce and calendula petals
Cucumber
Pickling Cucumbers - 2 pounds - large shares this week and small shares next week
Pickles
Thai Pickle - good served with grilled chicken or fish and rice or a nice contrast to a rich Thai curry.
In a small saucepan mix
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoons salt
fresh thinly sliced hot pepper (optional)
Bring mixture to a boil, remove from heat and stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour mixture over
thinly sliced cucumbers
2-3 thinly sliced pearl onions.
Cool and let sit for an hour before eating. Unlike the recipes below that keep well we like to eat this pickle within a couple days of making it. We eat large portions - more of a salad serving than a garnish.
Bread and Butter Pickles
In a small sauce pan mix
1 1/2 cups white or cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
Bring mixture to a boil, remove from heat and stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour mixture over
sliced cucumbers
thinly sliced onion
Stir to mix and let sit until cool. The cucumbers should release additional liquid as they sit creating more brine.
Put in jars or any non reactive container and store for a few days before eating. These will keep for about a month.
Quick Dill Pickles
This recipe is from Martha Stewart. It has the extra step of letting the cukes sit with salt for an hour but it still very straight forward. Instead of bunched dill we will have dill heads available at the stand if you want to make dill pickles.
Martha's Quick Dills
People think of pickles as a labor intensive, set aside a day, get out tons of equipment and make a big mess kind of thing but they don't need to be. Sure, making 24 jars of pickles is going to be an undertaking but you don't need to make 24 jars of pickles. There are three recipes below that don't require canning or even canning jars. This week the large shares will receive a couple pounds of pickling cukes and next week the small shares will receive some. Below are recipes for refrigerator bread and butters, refrigerator dills and one for a Thai pickle. None of these take much more time than making a salad and some dressing. Pickling cucumbers are great to just eat out of hand too.
Carrots
Green Beans
Bunched Pearl Onions - The catalog described these as pearl onions but they actually matured a bit bigger and some almost look more like cippolinis.
Basil
Broccoli
Salad Mix - lettuce and calendula petals
Cucumber
Pickling Cucumbers - 2 pounds - large shares this week and small shares next week
Pickles
Thai Pickle - good served with grilled chicken or fish and rice or a nice contrast to a rich Thai curry.
In a small saucepan mix
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoons salt
fresh thinly sliced hot pepper (optional)
Bring mixture to a boil, remove from heat and stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour mixture over
thinly sliced cucumbers
2-3 thinly sliced pearl onions.
Cool and let sit for an hour before eating. Unlike the recipes below that keep well we like to eat this pickle within a couple days of making it. We eat large portions - more of a salad serving than a garnish.
Bread and Butter Pickles
In a small sauce pan mix
1 1/2 cups white or cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
Bring mixture to a boil, remove from heat and stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour mixture over
sliced cucumbers
thinly sliced onion
Stir to mix and let sit until cool. The cucumbers should release additional liquid as they sit creating more brine.
Put in jars or any non reactive container and store for a few days before eating. These will keep for about a month.
Quick Dill Pickles
This recipe is from Martha Stewart. It has the extra step of letting the cukes sit with salt for an hour but it still very straight forward. Instead of bunched dill we will have dill heads available at the stand if you want to make dill pickles.
Martha's Quick Dills
Monday, July 15, 2013
Week 6
I saw my friend Melissa at Newaukum Valley Farm posted a picture of their first ripe slicing tomato and I also noticed that Puddleton Farm is selling tomatoes to the Co-op. Dang, I am jealous. I spent way too much time yesterday looking for a tomato at our place. We have a few handfuls of ripe cherries and few big tomatoes that are blushing. The good news is we have tomato ripening weather forecasted for the week. Hopefully there is a tomato sandwich in all our futures soon.
I am including a recipe for swiss chard fritters from the cookbook Jerusalum. I don't often make it to the library in the summer but since I had been on the waiting list for the book for a couple months I made an exception. It is a beautiful cookbook and I loved the stuff I made out it. We had the fritters with some home made falafel and grilled zucchini a couple weeks ago. I told Kelly that I had finally found a way to love swiss chard and he told me not to fool myself. He responded that what I really like is feta cheese. Perhaps, but I do think I made a discovery. The recipe has you boil the chard and while I don't normally boil vegetables it made the chard a lot milder and more spinach like which I preferred.
One thing you will notice you don't have in your box is garlic and unfortunately you will be noticing that all season. We lost our entire crop to a grey mold. Usually when we have a crop failure it isn't that noticeable because it may not affect all varieties or we have another planting that makes up for it. We only plant garlic once and we are always paranoid about disease. This year our paranoia was actually warranted. In addition to not having garlic and loosing money to labor it also means that we need to buy garlic seed this year. We try our hardest to insure success in the garden but if there is one thing I have learned is that there will always be good and bad in the garden no matter how hard we try. There are just too many factors we can't control. The first summer I farmed with Kelly I went home twice because I was so distraught that things weren't perfect. I have learned to live with a little imperfection and while both Kelly and I were very upset about the garlic we realized that all we can do is try to learn from it and focus on the rest of the garden and the rest of the garden looks good! We both apologize that your boxes will be garlic free this season.
However you choose to cook your vegetables I hope you have many delicious meals this week.
Lettuce - We are back to regular head lettuce this week. I am curious to know if you enjoyed the mini heads you had last week.
Carrots
Zucchini/Summer Squash Mix
Mixed Herb Bunch
Swiss Chard
Potatoes
Raspberries
Napa Cabbage - Small Only
Green Beans - Large Only - the first picking
Scallions - Large Only
Swiss Chard Fritters adapted from the cookbook Jerusalum
I considered not blending all the ingredients and adding a few chopped stems for texture but in the end I decided to just trust the authors. The one thing I did omit was grated nutmeg. Kelly and I both liked the herby green flavor these had.
Heat grill.
Slice the squash long ways into 1/4 inch slices.
Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill until each piece has nice grill marks and is tender when pierced with a fork.
Remove from grill and cut into smaller pieces.
Toss with vinaigrette made from 2 parts olive oil, 1 part lemon juice and just a touch of dijon mustard. Garnish with some freshly chopped parsley, mint, dill or cilantro or a mix of herbs. A little feta cheese won't hurt this recipe either! Serve warm or at room temperature.
I saw my friend Melissa at Newaukum Valley Farm posted a picture of their first ripe slicing tomato and I also noticed that Puddleton Farm is selling tomatoes to the Co-op. Dang, I am jealous. I spent way too much time yesterday looking for a tomato at our place. We have a few handfuls of ripe cherries and few big tomatoes that are blushing. The good news is we have tomato ripening weather forecasted for the week. Hopefully there is a tomato sandwich in all our futures soon.
I am including a recipe for swiss chard fritters from the cookbook Jerusalum. I don't often make it to the library in the summer but since I had been on the waiting list for the book for a couple months I made an exception. It is a beautiful cookbook and I loved the stuff I made out it. We had the fritters with some home made falafel and grilled zucchini a couple weeks ago. I told Kelly that I had finally found a way to love swiss chard and he told me not to fool myself. He responded that what I really like is feta cheese. Perhaps, but I do think I made a discovery. The recipe has you boil the chard and while I don't normally boil vegetables it made the chard a lot milder and more spinach like which I preferred.
One thing you will notice you don't have in your box is garlic and unfortunately you will be noticing that all season. We lost our entire crop to a grey mold. Usually when we have a crop failure it isn't that noticeable because it may not affect all varieties or we have another planting that makes up for it. We only plant garlic once and we are always paranoid about disease. This year our paranoia was actually warranted. In addition to not having garlic and loosing money to labor it also means that we need to buy garlic seed this year. We try our hardest to insure success in the garden but if there is one thing I have learned is that there will always be good and bad in the garden no matter how hard we try. There are just too many factors we can't control. The first summer I farmed with Kelly I went home twice because I was so distraught that things weren't perfect. I have learned to live with a little imperfection and while both Kelly and I were very upset about the garlic we realized that all we can do is try to learn from it and focus on the rest of the garden and the rest of the garden looks good! We both apologize that your boxes will be garlic free this season.
However you choose to cook your vegetables I hope you have many delicious meals this week.
Lettuce - We are back to regular head lettuce this week. I am curious to know if you enjoyed the mini heads you had last week.
Carrots
Zucchini/Summer Squash Mix
Mixed Herb Bunch
Swiss Chard
Potatoes
Raspberries
Napa Cabbage - Small Only
Green Beans - Large Only - the first picking
Scallions - Large Only
Swiss Chard Fritters adapted from the cookbook Jerusalum
I considered not blending all the ingredients and adding a few chopped stems for texture but in the end I decided to just trust the authors. The one thing I did omit was grated nutmeg. Kelly and I both liked the herby green flavor these had.
1 bunch swiss chard leaves, stalks removed
Flat leaf parsley
Cilantro
Dill
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 eggs
3oz feta, crumbled
olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add chard and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain, let cool and then squeeze excess liquid from the chard.
Place chard and all other ingredients except the feta, olive oil and lemon in a food processor or immersion blender cup and blend. Fold the feta into the mixture.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of the batter for each fritter. Press down gently on the fritter to flatten it. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove & keep warm while you fry the rest of the fritters in batches.
Serve warm, with lemon wedges.
Don't feel like making fritters. Any of your herbs would be good in the below salad.
Warm Grilled Zucchini/Summer Squash Salad
Heat grill.
Slice the squash long ways into 1/4 inch slices.
Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill until each piece has nice grill marks and is tender when pierced with a fork.
Remove from grill and cut into smaller pieces.
Toss with vinaigrette made from 2 parts olive oil, 1 part lemon juice and just a touch of dijon mustard. Garnish with some freshly chopped parsley, mint, dill or cilantro or a mix of herbs. A little feta cheese won't hurt this recipe either! Serve warm or at room temperature.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Week 5
We pulled our first baby onions out of the field this morning. Another week or two and we will have some beautiful pearl onions. The peppers look fantastic and we should begin harvesting those soon as well. Kelly did an awesome job of keeping up while I was gone. I don't think he slept much but the farm looks great. Of course there are a couple things that should have been done earlier but our list always has things on it that should have been done already!
I liked sending out the produce list early last week and will try to do that more often in the future so you can plan your meals for the week a little easier.
Lettuce - a mix of small leaf head lettuces
Carrots
Beets - bunched with greens
Cucumber
Snap Peas
Summer Turnip
Scallions
Raspberry
Napa Cabbage - Large shares this week and small shares next week.
Fava Beans - Large Only
Korean Scallion Pancakes
A woman Kelly worked with in Maine use to make these for every farm get together. They are simple and really delicious.
1 bunch Scallions, sliced. Most people just use the green part but I slice the white part really thin and leave the greens in larger pieces.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 to 3/4 cup ice cold water
1 tsp soy sauce
Gently mix everything together. The ice cold water will give you a crisp pancake. If your batter seems thick add more water.
Cook over medium high heat in a well oiled skillet. Your pancake should be crisp on the outside and a little chewy on the inside. You can make a large pancake and slice it in wedges to serve or make several smaller pancakes. There are tons of variations of this recipe - some without egg, some with rice flour.
Dipping Sauce
Mix two parts tamari or soy sauce and one part rice or red wine vinegar. Add a small amount of sesame oil if you are in the mood.
We pulled our first baby onions out of the field this morning. Another week or two and we will have some beautiful pearl onions. The peppers look fantastic and we should begin harvesting those soon as well. Kelly did an awesome job of keeping up while I was gone. I don't think he slept much but the farm looks great. Of course there are a couple things that should have been done earlier but our list always has things on it that should have been done already!
I liked sending out the produce list early last week and will try to do that more often in the future so you can plan your meals for the week a little easier.
Lettuce - a mix of small leaf head lettuces
Carrots
Beets - bunched with greens
Cucumber
Snap Peas
Summer Turnip
Scallions
Raspberry
Napa Cabbage - Large shares this week and small shares next week.
Fava Beans - Large Only
Korean Scallion Pancakes
A woman Kelly worked with in Maine use to make these for every farm get together. They are simple and really delicious.
1 bunch Scallions, sliced. Most people just use the green part but I slice the white part really thin and leave the greens in larger pieces.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 to 3/4 cup ice cold water
1 tsp soy sauce
Gently mix everything together. The ice cold water will give you a crisp pancake. If your batter seems thick add more water.
Cook over medium high heat in a well oiled skillet. Your pancake should be crisp on the outside and a little chewy on the inside. You can make a large pancake and slice it in wedges to serve or make several smaller pancakes. There are tons of variations of this recipe - some without egg, some with rice flour.
Dipping Sauce
Mix two parts tamari or soy sauce and one part rice or red wine vinegar. Add a small amount of sesame oil if you are in the mood.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Week 4
How does that heat feel? Yikes.
Your box has some summer in it today. We thought cabbage and potatoes both seemed like good July 4th food (cole slaw, potato salad). New potatoes are always a special treat for us. Many people have come to associate new potatoes with the small red potatoes in the grocery store but a real new potato is a freshly dug immature potato. Size is irrelevant although there will always be more small potatoes than big ones in the potato hills this time of year. The skin should be so thin you easily rub it off with you thumb. They should be creamy and extra yummy.
Have a wonderful 4th of July.
Head Lettuce
Carrots
Green Cabbage
New Potatoes
Basil
Summer Squash
Cilantro - Large Only
Snow Peas - Large Only
New Potatoes
We always eat our first potatoes of the year the same way. Some of your potatoes might be big enough that you want to quarter them although I do this with larger new potatoes too.
Slice the potatoes in half and steam until just tender. Pull them out of the steamer and allow the potatoes to dry a little. Heat a generous amount of oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Place the potatoes cut side down and cook until they are crispy. If the heat is too high they will brown without getting a nice crust on them. I usually salt and pepper them twice, once while cooking and once after I remove them from the pan.
How does that heat feel? Yikes.
Your box has some summer in it today. We thought cabbage and potatoes both seemed like good July 4th food (cole slaw, potato salad). New potatoes are always a special treat for us. Many people have come to associate new potatoes with the small red potatoes in the grocery store but a real new potato is a freshly dug immature potato. Size is irrelevant although there will always be more small potatoes than big ones in the potato hills this time of year. The skin should be so thin you easily rub it off with you thumb. They should be creamy and extra yummy.
Have a wonderful 4th of July.
Head Lettuce
Carrots
Green Cabbage
New Potatoes
Basil
Summer Squash
Cilantro - Large Only
Snow Peas - Large Only
New Potatoes
We always eat our first potatoes of the year the same way. Some of your potatoes might be big enough that you want to quarter them although I do this with larger new potatoes too.
Slice the potatoes in half and steam until just tender. Pull them out of the steamer and allow the potatoes to dry a little. Heat a generous amount of oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Place the potatoes cut side down and cook until they are crispy. If the heat is too high they will brown without getting a nice crust on them. I usually salt and pepper them twice, once while cooking and once after I remove them from the pan.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Week 3
When we bought our house last fall one of the first things we noticed was that the pasture was over grazed. We thought it would be good to see how the ground handled the the winter, get a good feel for where the wet areas were and then just let it rest for a season while we put some thought into the best way to use our new land. Well as it turns out that was a very, very bad idea for two people with horrible grass and weed allergies! This afternoon (Sunday) when it started to rain I headed inside to do some paperwork and Kelly popped a couple benadryl and hopped on the tractor to mow. Who mows when it is raining? People with allergies that is who! The good thing is we are beginning to have a vision for the land. We bought some piglets a couple weeks ago, have chickens for meat arriving soon and hope to plow a small amount of land in the fall and begin to transition some of the tired pasture into veggie ground. It will be a process but we look forward to the change and the reduced pollen count!
The strawberries are fading but Kelly said he ate so many raspberries this morning it filled him up. I think that means you can expect to see some raspberries in your box soon along with new potatoes.
In your box this week:
Carrots
Salad Mix - After having a difficult salad year last year we decided to try something new this year. Some of you will have our traditional salad mix and others will have some of the new experimental mix.
Broccoli
Scallions
Strawberries
Dill
Snap Peas
Head Lettuce - Large Only
Pac Choi - Large Only - We seeded this choi too close together. Instead of a nice compact vase shape it is a bit leggy but it still tastes great.
Hope you all are enjoying the rain.
Have a great week.
When we bought our house last fall one of the first things we noticed was that the pasture was over grazed. We thought it would be good to see how the ground handled the the winter, get a good feel for where the wet areas were and then just let it rest for a season while we put some thought into the best way to use our new land. Well as it turns out that was a very, very bad idea for two people with horrible grass and weed allergies! This afternoon (Sunday) when it started to rain I headed inside to do some paperwork and Kelly popped a couple benadryl and hopped on the tractor to mow. Who mows when it is raining? People with allergies that is who! The good thing is we are beginning to have a vision for the land. We bought some piglets a couple weeks ago, have chickens for meat arriving soon and hope to plow a small amount of land in the fall and begin to transition some of the tired pasture into veggie ground. It will be a process but we look forward to the change and the reduced pollen count!
The strawberries are fading but Kelly said he ate so many raspberries this morning it filled him up. I think that means you can expect to see some raspberries in your box soon along with new potatoes.
In your box this week:
Carrots
Salad Mix - After having a difficult salad year last year we decided to try something new this year. Some of you will have our traditional salad mix and others will have some of the new experimental mix.
Broccoli
Scallions
Strawberries
Dill
Snap Peas
Head Lettuce - Large Only
Pac Choi - Large Only - We seeded this choi too close together. Instead of a nice compact vase shape it is a bit leggy but it still tastes great.
Hope you all are enjoying the rain.
Have a great week.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Week 2
We hope everyone enjoyed the first week of the farm share. Yesterday I realized that our fields on Shincke Road are almost full. The only empty spot is a field we plowed in the spring for fall carrots and a small piece of ground we are leaving fallow for the year.
We pulled the white floating row cover we use(sometimes for pest protection, sometimes for weather protection) off the tomatoes and the summer squash last week. Those things both look great. The tomatoes are still a ways out but we should be harvesting summer squash soon.
We have peas and strawberries again this week and everybody's favorite (or least favorite) vegetable - beets! Have a great week.
Carrots
Romaine Lettuce
Snap Peas
Strawberries
Beets
Cilantro
Radishes
Kale - Large Only
Eat well!
We hope everyone enjoyed the first week of the farm share. Yesterday I realized that our fields on Shincke Road are almost full. The only empty spot is a field we plowed in the spring for fall carrots and a small piece of ground we are leaving fallow for the year.
We pulled the white floating row cover we use(sometimes for pest protection, sometimes for weather protection) off the tomatoes and the summer squash last week. Those things both look great. The tomatoes are still a ways out but we should be harvesting summer squash soon.
We have peas and strawberries again this week and everybody's favorite (or least favorite) vegetable - beets! Have a great week.
Carrots
Romaine Lettuce
Snap Peas
Strawberries
Beets
Cilantro
Radishes
Kale - Large Only
Eat well!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Week 1
How did we end up being farmers? Why do we farm? These are questions we are often asked but rarely have a good answer for because it can be hard to put into words. Yesterday my response was that I don't have a good short answer followed by awkward silence(I was really tired). Fortunately Kelly chimed in to say we both love food and that is what brought us both to farming. Obviously we both continue to do it because we like it and enjoy working together. There are many small things that bring me joy in the garden. Few things make me happier in the spring than a beautiful bed of butter lettuce. Besides being gorgeous to look at they are tasty. We had some great lettuce wraps last week and last night we had some of the tender inner leaves with just a little oil, vinegar and pepper. I don't expect you to get as excited about the vegetables as I do nor do I expect you to spend hours day dreaming about them the way I do. That said, I do hope that you will occasionally find yourself admiring how beautiful something in your box is or find yourself eating an entire pint of cherry tomatoes in the car on the way home because they are just so dang good. We are excited to have many you back for another year and are also looking forward to seeing some new faces on Mondays as well.
Have a great week.
Butter Lettuce - Red or Green- Great for lettuce wraps along with sliced snap peas, summer turnips and carrots.
Summer Turnips - I know some of you are really excited about these!
Garlic Scapes - These have a mild garlic flavor. They can be minced and used as seasoning or eaten on their own. Cooking them will really mellow their flavor.
Snap Peas - Today will be our first picking of the season!
Spinach
Carrots
Strawberries
Rhubarb - Large Only - This is the first year we have had rhubarb when we have strawberries.
Salad Mix- Large Only
Garlic Scape Recipe
Roasted Garlic Scapes
These can also be done on the grill. I managed to burn the outsides without cooking the insides the other night so I am back to roasting!
You don't usually eat the bulbous part but I think it looks neat so I just leave them on when I cook them. If the bottoms (the other end) of your scapes seem a little tough you can trim them like you would asparagus.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Toss your scapes in a bowl, drizzle with oil and add some salt and pepper.
Spread on a cookies sheet. Move them around/ turn after they start to soften and cook until they have a bit of brown on them and are tender.
How did we end up being farmers? Why do we farm? These are questions we are often asked but rarely have a good answer for because it can be hard to put into words. Yesterday my response was that I don't have a good short answer followed by awkward silence(I was really tired). Fortunately Kelly chimed in to say we both love food and that is what brought us both to farming. Obviously we both continue to do it because we like it and enjoy working together. There are many small things that bring me joy in the garden. Few things make me happier in the spring than a beautiful bed of butter lettuce. Besides being gorgeous to look at they are tasty. We had some great lettuce wraps last week and last night we had some of the tender inner leaves with just a little oil, vinegar and pepper. I don't expect you to get as excited about the vegetables as I do nor do I expect you to spend hours day dreaming about them the way I do. That said, I do hope that you will occasionally find yourself admiring how beautiful something in your box is or find yourself eating an entire pint of cherry tomatoes in the car on the way home because they are just so dang good. We are excited to have many you back for another year and are also looking forward to seeing some new faces on Mondays as well.
Have a great week.
Butter Lettuce - Red or Green- Great for lettuce wraps along with sliced snap peas, summer turnips and carrots.
Summer Turnips - I know some of you are really excited about these!
Garlic Scapes - These have a mild garlic flavor. They can be minced and used as seasoning or eaten on their own. Cooking them will really mellow their flavor.
Snap Peas - Today will be our first picking of the season!
Spinach
Carrots
Strawberries
Rhubarb - Large Only - This is the first year we have had rhubarb when we have strawberries.
Salad Mix- Large Only
Garlic Scape Recipe
Roasted Garlic Scapes
These can also be done on the grill. I managed to burn the outsides without cooking the insides the other night so I am back to roasting!
You don't usually eat the bulbous part but I think it looks neat so I just leave them on when I cook them. If the bottoms (the other end) of your scapes seem a little tough you can trim them like you would asparagus.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Toss your scapes in a bowl, drizzle with oil and add some salt and pepper.
Spread on a cookies sheet. Move them around/ turn after they start to soften and cook until they have a bit of brown on them and are tender.
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