Week 9

Apparently we are the kind of friends who show up at your party just as you are about to finally have a chance to relax after all the people have left!  Our friends decided to have a weekend party at their farm that started on Friday evening and ended with breakfast on Sunday.  Lots of people swung by to hang out for a bit and many people camped by the creek.  At least that is what I heard...we arrived a little late.  I felt sheepish showing up midmorning on Sunday, but after we finished putting everything away after market on Saturday evening, we just didn't have it in us to drive down to Boisfort.   We decided to get up extra early this morning to harvest, deliver and head south.  In usual fashion, it took a little longer than we thought it would!  Our friend Galilee, who some of you know from when she lived and farmed on Libby Road, was very gracious and welcoming and let us scavenge the breakfast left overs.  Her place, which serves to both feed her family and is a small working farm that specializes in melons, is incredible.  It has a creek running through it with a brightly painted row boat, rope swings, several foot bridges and little alcove sitting areas.  It is such a beautiful combination of whimsy and perfectly straight weed free rows of veggies.  I find inspiration in so many people's gardens.  I think some people feel a little self conscious showing us their vegetable gardens, but really they shouldn't.  I love all gardens and admire people who dedicate time to growing their own food.  Anyway,  I was glad we managed to squeeze in a visit, even a late one.

Galilee's melons look good and so do ours.  It isn't really time to test one just yet, but I doubt we will be able to resist much longer.  Besides, the weather this week looks like it might put the melons on fast forward.  Hopefully nothing on the farm fast forwards to death!

All the garlic got pulled and hung last week.  It is always a relief to have that done.  Last fall we invested in a lifter bar for the tractor to assist in digging parsnips.  It came in handy for the garlic as well.  Usually we spend quite a bit of time hand forking it.  It isn't much more than a welded steel rectangle with angled blade on the bottom.  It attaches to the three point hitch on the back of the tractor.   It is a simple tool that caused a giggle fit the first time we used it on parsnips because it made the job so easy!

Hope you all stay cool this week.

Lettuce
Carrots
Purple Bell Pepper
Cherry Tomatoes
Japanese Cucumber
Collards or Kale - There will be a choice until we run out of one or the other.  This is the first picking off a new planting.  These guys have lived a sheltered life under row cover and will be very tender.  They will wilt in an instant so get them in the fridge quick!  
Garlic
Cauliflower - Large Only

A CSA member shared this great hot weather recipe with me.  It calls for swiss chard but I think it would be excellent with the collards.

Peanut Chicken Wraps