Week 20
We did our best frost hustle on Friday, but there is only so much one can do at this point. We double covered a few things in the field and harvested extra of some other things, but I think it is okay to say good bye to some stuff. It is time.
We had some excitement on the farm this past week. We dug sweet potatoes and harvested lemon grass. We have grown a very small amount of sweet potatoes for ourselves the past few years. This is not sweet potato growing country and we planted them in a hoop house. We have had a little success, enough to keep trying, but also a lot of culls and damaged potatoes. This year we tried a few heirloom varieties that we have never tried before and planted enough to have some to sell. At first glance they look really good. We put them in crates and rigged up a curing chamber for them which has a higher temp and higher humidity than we could provide otherwise. They will cure until the beginning of November and then hopefully they will still look nice when we wash them and taste sweet. A freshly dug sweet potato isn't very sweet. The sugars develop in the curing process. The idea for lemongrass came from reading a CSA blog for a farm in Oregon. It also had to be grown in a hoop house. The house at our house has a weird, narrow bed that runs up one side of the house. It can be difficult to justify growing things for fun in the house because it is prime real estate but organic lemongrass is hard to find. It did really well and fit in the narrow bed that probably would have just been left empty. We are putting a little bit of it in the boxes this week. Below are two of my favorite recipes that use lemongrass. I have also been making lemongrass tea with the leaves. Lemongrass freezes great if you wrap it tightly in plastic.
Tom Kha Gai - For most of you this will involve a trip to an Asian market. Hong Phat on College typically has both galangal and kaffir lime leaves. Galangal looks a bit like ginger but larger and smells of pine. Neither is very expensive and both can be frozen and saved for another dish. They also happen to carry my favorite brand of fish sauce - Red Boat. It has been a while, but I have also bought lime leaves at the halal market on Martin and at the store on the West side across from Mud Bay. I make my own stock so I don't bother with the stock reductions she mentions and it always tastes great.
Congee with Pork Meatballs - I make this same dish without the meatballs and sub leftover chicken or turkey as well. The fried garlic is tasty but fried shallots and shallot oil are great too. It is my favorite winter comfort food.
If you find yourself in need of fresh vegetables, we will be open on Wednesday for one more week and then on Saturdays from 9am until 3pm until the last Saturday in November.
I thanked you last week but I will say it again. We really appreciate you supporting our farm.
Spinach - So good!
Butterkin Squash - Cute to look at and good to eat. If you are really missing a squash that we normally give (we have given acorns, kabochas, pie pumpkins in the past) we should have a few of all of them on hand if you want to trade.
Rutabaga - This old fashioned veggie is actually very easy to use. Cooked it reminds us a bit of broccoli stems. It is great just steamed (takes a while to cook) and mashed with butter. I usually roast everything and roasted rutabagas are good (they taste a little stronger roasted), but I enjoy them steamed and mashed best. They go great with other root veggies and potatoes in hash browns or a gratin
Pepper
Lettuce
Rainbow Carrots
Lemongrass
Zucchini - Large Only
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Sunday, October 7, 2018
Week 19
I am sure that if you have learned nothing else about me, you have figured out that food runs my life. What I eat, how I prepare it and who I share it with mean so much to me. This carries over into our farm. I feel so appreciative that you trust us enough to grow food for you and your families. I hope you all enjoyed the vegetables we packed for you each week. When you pull something out of your box and admire it or comment on how you are looking forward to eating it, it thrills me. Honestly, it provides both Kelly and I with so much satisfaction. We would still love farming without that part, but it makes the hard days easier to swallow and the good days better.
As most of you know, this is our last year at Shincke Road and while we do know we will still be farming and selling vegetables next year we don't know exactly what it will look like. The farm share is one of the big question marks. Having you pick up the farm has been convenient for us, but it has also just felt much more personal than stashing a bunch of boxes on a porch. Personally handing you your vegetable has been more satisfying than I think either of us realized when we chose to only have on farm pick-up. However, change is inevitable and not necessarily bad. We will keep you posted on our decision and welcome your input if you have ideas about the future of the farm share.
Thank you all so much for supporting local agriculture. Every year has its challenges and you may not realize it, but you have weathered them us and helped make our farm a success.
I am including a few squash recipes. We have hosted a farmer squash potluck a couple times where everyone brings a dish with winter squash in it. Farmer potlucks, particularly those held in the slow season, always have great food. Among my favorites are the empanadas I made last year. The recipe, which I can't find in its entirety on the Internet, was from a vegan cookbook called Vedge. I have a favorite empanada dough that isn't vegan so I used that. The sauce, a green romesco will make you a fan of green peppers. The filling uses about one and a half pounds of cubed butternut, tossed with oil, salt, pepper and a half teaspoon or so (I like both of those spices a lot and used a little more) of both ground cumin and coriander. Roast at 400 degrees until tender and then mash while still warm. Let it cool and then fill your empanadas. I have experimented with vegetarian dumplings and pot stickers over the years and these winter squash dumplings are the best I have had. I like to fry food when people come over and pakoras are usually a hit. While it isn't a traditional choice, they are fantastic with very small pieces of delicata and kale. Other delicious dishes I don't have the recipes for include some black bean and squash enchiladas, some cheese, squash gougres and squash gnocchi which were bit heavier than potato ones but still yummy. Just cooking a squash and eating it with some butter is fantastic but if you feel like doing something different, there are a lot of options out there.
Head Lettuce - Small Share
Baby Lettuces - Large Share
Russet Potatoes
Daikon Radish - We are planning to leave the greens on these because for once we can. Usually we see horrible aphids on them and it was a pleasant surprise to lift the cover and not see aphids.
Cherry Tomatoes - Just a half pint for fun...field cherries are not usually a thing this time of year.
Yellow Onion - These should keep really well. If you still have a sweet onion that we gave you, use that first, its days are numbered.
Butternut Squash
Kale
I am sure that if you have learned nothing else about me, you have figured out that food runs my life. What I eat, how I prepare it and who I share it with mean so much to me. This carries over into our farm. I feel so appreciative that you trust us enough to grow food for you and your families. I hope you all enjoyed the vegetables we packed for you each week. When you pull something out of your box and admire it or comment on how you are looking forward to eating it, it thrills me. Honestly, it provides both Kelly and I with so much satisfaction. We would still love farming without that part, but it makes the hard days easier to swallow and the good days better.
As most of you know, this is our last year at Shincke Road and while we do know we will still be farming and selling vegetables next year we don't know exactly what it will look like. The farm share is one of the big question marks. Having you pick up the farm has been convenient for us, but it has also just felt much more personal than stashing a bunch of boxes on a porch. Personally handing you your vegetable has been more satisfying than I think either of us realized when we chose to only have on farm pick-up. However, change is inevitable and not necessarily bad. We will keep you posted on our decision and welcome your input if you have ideas about the future of the farm share.
Thank you all so much for supporting local agriculture. Every year has its challenges and you may not realize it, but you have weathered them us and helped make our farm a success.
I am including a few squash recipes. We have hosted a farmer squash potluck a couple times where everyone brings a dish with winter squash in it. Farmer potlucks, particularly those held in the slow season, always have great food. Among my favorites are the empanadas I made last year. The recipe, which I can't find in its entirety on the Internet, was from a vegan cookbook called Vedge. I have a favorite empanada dough that isn't vegan so I used that. The sauce, a green romesco will make you a fan of green peppers. The filling uses about one and a half pounds of cubed butternut, tossed with oil, salt, pepper and a half teaspoon or so (I like both of those spices a lot and used a little more) of both ground cumin and coriander. Roast at 400 degrees until tender and then mash while still warm. Let it cool and then fill your empanadas. I have experimented with vegetarian dumplings and pot stickers over the years and these winter squash dumplings are the best I have had. I like to fry food when people come over and pakoras are usually a hit. While it isn't a traditional choice, they are fantastic with very small pieces of delicata and kale. Other delicious dishes I don't have the recipes for include some black bean and squash enchiladas, some cheese, squash gougres and squash gnocchi which were bit heavier than potato ones but still yummy. Just cooking a squash and eating it with some butter is fantastic but if you feel like doing something different, there are a lot of options out there.
Head Lettuce - Small Share
Baby Lettuces - Large Share
Russet Potatoes
Daikon Radish - We are planning to leave the greens on these because for once we can. Usually we see horrible aphids on them and it was a pleasant surprise to lift the cover and not see aphids.
Cherry Tomatoes - Just a half pint for fun...field cherries are not usually a thing this time of year.
Yellow Onion - These should keep really well. If you still have a sweet onion that we gave you, use that first, its days are numbered.
Butternut Squash
Kale
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Week 18
The past week didn't exactly go as planned. Being short on crew and some stumbling blocks slowed us down. The icing on the cake was that when Kelly went to load the walk-in at our house yesterday it was beeping and reading 23 degrees. On the positive side we somehow didn't loose much produce.
It was impossible not to enjoy the beautiful weather last week, even if it wasn't quite as productive as we had hoped it would be.
Lettuce
Carrots
Scarlet Turnips - I bunched these for Monday's boxes this morning. They are so pretty! The Scarlet Queen turnips are a new crop for us. They grew a lot of them at the farm Kelly worked on many years ago, but he tired of telling people at market they weren't beets and so we have never grown them. I had never eaten one until this spring when I sampled one at the Co-op and thought they were great. They are crisper than the white turnips you had in your boxes in the spring but still mild and wonderful raw. You can also braise them, roast them or add them to soup/stew. They really sweeten up when cooked. They don't need to be peeled. The greens are edible as well. I am using some of the culls in my lettuce wraps tonight.
Delicata Squash
Shallots
Cabbage
Herb
Other Item - Large Only - I won't lie...I have no idea what this item might be. It might end up just being more of an above item.
The past week didn't exactly go as planned. Being short on crew and some stumbling blocks slowed us down. The icing on the cake was that when Kelly went to load the walk-in at our house yesterday it was beeping and reading 23 degrees. On the positive side we somehow didn't loose much produce.
It was impossible not to enjoy the beautiful weather last week, even if it wasn't quite as productive as we had hoped it would be.
Lettuce
Carrots
Scarlet Turnips - I bunched these for Monday's boxes this morning. They are so pretty! The Scarlet Queen turnips are a new crop for us. They grew a lot of them at the farm Kelly worked on many years ago, but he tired of telling people at market they weren't beets and so we have never grown them. I had never eaten one until this spring when I sampled one at the Co-op and thought they were great. They are crisper than the white turnips you had in your boxes in the spring but still mild and wonderful raw. You can also braise them, roast them or add them to soup/stew. They really sweeten up when cooked. They don't need to be peeled. The greens are edible as well. I am using some of the culls in my lettuce wraps tonight.
Delicata Squash
Shallots
Cabbage
Herb
Other Item - Large Only - I won't lie...I have no idea what this item might be. It might end up just being more of an above item.
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Week 17
We ended our summer with a back yard fire, a glass of rose, some fried green tomatoes and pasta dish filled with zucchini and basil. It was as delightful as it sounds...other than the fact that it started raining as soon as we sat down. Fortunately it was a warm evening and it was a light rain, so we didn't let it stop us. We started fall with slice bacon and brussel sprout pizza garnished with a balsamic reduction at Vics. It was delicious and I look forward to making it at home. It looks like a beautiful stretch of fall weather predicted this week and no frost in the forecast. At this point every cherry tomato is a bonus. I suspect this will be the last round. You will have delicata squash in your box to look forward to next week.
Happy autumn to all of you!
Lettuce
Broccoli
Cucumber
Red Onion
Potatoes
Sweet Pepper - The cherry tomato sautee with ricotta and toast that I talked about earlier this year started a thing for me. For lunch today I had some toast spread with ricotta and topped with some roasted peppers marinated in a basil vinaigrette. Roasted peppers and grilled peppers with the skin left on are favorites around here. We eat a ton this time of year and also freeze a bunch of them.
Cherry Tomatoes
Carrots - Large Only
Pea Tendrils - Large Only - These are typically a spring thing that we occasionally eat ourselves but don't typically sell. However, we left our last planting of snap peas trellised for quite a while after we where done harvesting them and the peas that where on there reached full maturity and dried down. We then took it down, mowed debris and disked it in. Some of the field was seeded to fall spinach and some was left empty, but still got watered a bit because it was next to the spinach. Viola! A bed of pea shoots. These should be pretty tender - I have been snacking on them. You can eat them raw or saute them. They have an earthy pea flavor.
We ended our summer with a back yard fire, a glass of rose, some fried green tomatoes and pasta dish filled with zucchini and basil. It was as delightful as it sounds...other than the fact that it started raining as soon as we sat down. Fortunately it was a warm evening and it was a light rain, so we didn't let it stop us. We started fall with slice bacon and brussel sprout pizza garnished with a balsamic reduction at Vics. It was delicious and I look forward to making it at home. It looks like a beautiful stretch of fall weather predicted this week and no frost in the forecast. At this point every cherry tomato is a bonus. I suspect this will be the last round. You will have delicata squash in your box to look forward to next week.
Happy autumn to all of you!
Lettuce
Broccoli
Cucumber
Red Onion
Potatoes
Sweet Pepper - The cherry tomato sautee with ricotta and toast that I talked about earlier this year started a thing for me. For lunch today I had some toast spread with ricotta and topped with some roasted peppers marinated in a basil vinaigrette. Roasted peppers and grilled peppers with the skin left on are favorites around here. We eat a ton this time of year and also freeze a bunch of them.
Cherry Tomatoes
Carrots - Large Only
Pea Tendrils - Large Only - These are typically a spring thing that we occasionally eat ourselves but don't typically sell. However, we left our last planting of snap peas trellised for quite a while after we where done harvesting them and the peas that where on there reached full maturity and dried down. We then took it down, mowed debris and disked it in. Some of the field was seeded to fall spinach and some was left empty, but still got watered a bit because it was next to the spinach. Viola! A bed of pea shoots. These should be pretty tender - I have been snacking on them. You can eat them raw or saute them. They have an earthy pea flavor.
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Week 16
Last night we had an unusually early dinner. I was still sitting at the table after eating when Kelly got up to grab a glass of water. I asked him for the time and he responded "7:59, are you asking because you are thinking we should go to Sophie's Scoops?" We are two peas in a pod when it comes to food because that was exactly why I was asking and there had been no mention of ice cream or gelato at any point previous. When Sophie saw us she asked enthusiastically about the squash they used for their pumpkin gelato last year. I would rather put the pumpkin spice thing on hold for a few more weeks(Starbucks I am talking to you). However, since we are in the business of selling veggies, we set up a squash delivery on the way out and will be dropping some off on Tuesday. Go in, get some pumpkin spice gelato and support three local business, us, Sophie's and Tunawerth dairy. Or, wait a few weeks. That sounds okay with me.
Along those lines there was a lot of debate about squash in your boxes this week. To squash or not to squash. I think we reached a good middle ground - spaghetti squash. The squash that is a winter squash but doesn't taste like one. You will receive a squash most weeks from here on out. Don't worry about eating them right away. They will store well into the winter in a dry place.
With any luck and a bit of sunshine all the squash will be tucked into the barn for the winter by this time next week.
Lettuce
Carrots
Cauliflower - Not exactly sure if we will harvest enough for everyone. If it isn't in your box this week we will get you one next week.
Onions - If you don't have cauliflower you will have onions and vice versa for next week.
Zucchini
Spaghetti Squash - Yes, you can make marinara and serve your squash that way. I would much rather toss it with butter, garlic, parsley or sage, salt and pepper and Parmesan. There are lots of creative takes on what to do with it so if you aren't sold on the marinara way look around the Internet a bit. Here is a very simple recipe using butter and ginger.
Bok Choy
Garlic
Green Beans - Small Only
Arugula - Large Only
Poblanos - Large Only
Last night we had an unusually early dinner. I was still sitting at the table after eating when Kelly got up to grab a glass of water. I asked him for the time and he responded "7:59, are you asking because you are thinking we should go to Sophie's Scoops?" We are two peas in a pod when it comes to food because that was exactly why I was asking and there had been no mention of ice cream or gelato at any point previous. When Sophie saw us she asked enthusiastically about the squash they used for their pumpkin gelato last year. I would rather put the pumpkin spice thing on hold for a few more weeks(Starbucks I am talking to you). However, since we are in the business of selling veggies, we set up a squash delivery on the way out and will be dropping some off on Tuesday. Go in, get some pumpkin spice gelato and support three local business, us, Sophie's and Tunawerth dairy. Or, wait a few weeks. That sounds okay with me.
Along those lines there was a lot of debate about squash in your boxes this week. To squash or not to squash. I think we reached a good middle ground - spaghetti squash. The squash that is a winter squash but doesn't taste like one. You will receive a squash most weeks from here on out. Don't worry about eating them right away. They will store well into the winter in a dry place.
With any luck and a bit of sunshine all the squash will be tucked into the barn for the winter by this time next week.
Lettuce
Carrots
Cauliflower - Not exactly sure if we will harvest enough for everyone. If it isn't in your box this week we will get you one next week.
Onions - If you don't have cauliflower you will have onions and vice versa for next week.
Zucchini
Spaghetti Squash - Yes, you can make marinara and serve your squash that way. I would much rather toss it with butter, garlic, parsley or sage, salt and pepper and Parmesan. There are lots of creative takes on what to do with it so if you aren't sold on the marinara way look around the Internet a bit. Here is a very simple recipe using butter and ginger.
Bok Choy
Garlic
Green Beans - Small Only
Arugula - Large Only
Poblanos - Large Only
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Week 15
Yesterday at market Kelly had someone approach our stand and announce that they were vegan and say that they only want to support farms that don't kill or exploit animals and asked if we kill or exploit animals. To which Kelly answered with one word, yes. Of course, we don't think of it as exploitation, but I think it was obvious this person wasn't looking to have a conversation on the topic, more of a confrontation and Kelly was probably wise to keep the answer simple. However, I am always interested at where we draw the line when it comes to killing/eating/using animals and where others choose to draw the line. It is a fairly complicated topic and one I don't think a lot of people spend enough time thinking about. For us, our use of animals goes beyond just providing food for ourselves. It is also a part of our income. Having pigs allows us to use the land at our house which isn't suitable for growing vegetables. It is also a method of diversification. Even if we got rid of our chickens and our pigs we still wouldn't be the farm for the person who talked to Kelly yesterday. Very few organic farms are, as most use some sort of animal by products in their fields. We use a product called Perfect Blend in all our fields. It is a processed, bagged, pelleted poultry manure that we put out when we are prepping beds. Our onions and corn get side dressed (when the fertilizer is put in a furrow right next to the plant as opposed to broadcast in the field) with feather meal(higher nitrogen then most organic fertilizers). On occasion we also use a fish emulsion to side dress in our drip line and bone meal as a source of phosphorus. You have probably never thought to ask if your vegetables are vegetarian. There is a term for farming in a vegan friendly way...veganic, yup, that is a real word. As far as I know there isn't a farm locally that doesn't use some sort of animal by product in their production system. At the end of the day we all make choices about what we are comfortable eating and all draw the line somewhere different. As much as I prefer to only eat meat that either we raise or friends raise I am never going to go to Mexico and not eat taco al pastor on the side of the road. I don't think it is the most ethical policy, but it is the one I am going with at the moment.
We started hauling squash out of the field last week, earlier than usual. It comes out of the field so much cleaner when the weather is nice that we just decided to go for it. All we got to was spaghetti squash but I think we are going to try to get the kabochas this afternoon/evening. They have soft corky stems that soak up the water.
Finally, I made something really easy and really tasty last week. If you haven't eaten your kale or don't know what to do with your collards this could be a good choice. I was skeptical as it was cooking. I looked so watery and I doubted it would be flavorful. However, it was great. It only used one pan and it took a half hour from the time I walked in the door until the time we sat down for dinner. It is an Anna Jones recipe for a kale, tomato and lemon one pot pasta that has been floating around my house since last summer. I followed the recipe exactly, which I almost never do, and it was perfect.
Salad Mix
Carrots
Beets - With the changing weather, roast beets and carrots might be in order this week.
Sweet Peppers
Collards
Cherry Tomatoes
Green Beans - Large Only - Hope to get everyone green beans one more time.
Cucumber - Large Only
Yesterday at market Kelly had someone approach our stand and announce that they were vegan and say that they only want to support farms that don't kill or exploit animals and asked if we kill or exploit animals. To which Kelly answered with one word, yes. Of course, we don't think of it as exploitation, but I think it was obvious this person wasn't looking to have a conversation on the topic, more of a confrontation and Kelly was probably wise to keep the answer simple. However, I am always interested at where we draw the line when it comes to killing/eating/using animals and where others choose to draw the line. It is a fairly complicated topic and one I don't think a lot of people spend enough time thinking about. For us, our use of animals goes beyond just providing food for ourselves. It is also a part of our income. Having pigs allows us to use the land at our house which isn't suitable for growing vegetables. It is also a method of diversification. Even if we got rid of our chickens and our pigs we still wouldn't be the farm for the person who talked to Kelly yesterday. Very few organic farms are, as most use some sort of animal by products in their fields. We use a product called Perfect Blend in all our fields. It is a processed, bagged, pelleted poultry manure that we put out when we are prepping beds. Our onions and corn get side dressed (when the fertilizer is put in a furrow right next to the plant as opposed to broadcast in the field) with feather meal(higher nitrogen then most organic fertilizers). On occasion we also use a fish emulsion to side dress in our drip line and bone meal as a source of phosphorus. You have probably never thought to ask if your vegetables are vegetarian. There is a term for farming in a vegan friendly way...veganic, yup, that is a real word. As far as I know there isn't a farm locally that doesn't use some sort of animal by product in their production system. At the end of the day we all make choices about what we are comfortable eating and all draw the line somewhere different. As much as I prefer to only eat meat that either we raise or friends raise I am never going to go to Mexico and not eat taco al pastor on the side of the road. I don't think it is the most ethical policy, but it is the one I am going with at the moment.
We started hauling squash out of the field last week, earlier than usual. It comes out of the field so much cleaner when the weather is nice that we just decided to go for it. All we got to was spaghetti squash but I think we are going to try to get the kabochas this afternoon/evening. They have soft corky stems that soak up the water.
Finally, I made something really easy and really tasty last week. If you haven't eaten your kale or don't know what to do with your collards this could be a good choice. I was skeptical as it was cooking. I looked so watery and I doubted it would be flavorful. However, it was great. It only used one pan and it took a half hour from the time I walked in the door until the time we sat down for dinner. It is an Anna Jones recipe for a kale, tomato and lemon one pot pasta that has been floating around my house since last summer. I followed the recipe exactly, which I almost never do, and it was perfect.
Salad Mix
Carrots
Beets - With the changing weather, roast beets and carrots might be in order this week.
Sweet Peppers
Collards
Cherry Tomatoes
Green Beans - Large Only - Hope to get everyone green beans one more time.
Cucumber - Large Only
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Week 14
The last of our onions are curing and we almost made it through fall carrots. We bought a new seeder a couple years ago that singulates the seeds much better than our old one. We thought it would be the end of hand thinning. However, as is often the case, it hasn't been that simple. It took us all of last year to figure it out. We had multiple plantings with really poor germination. As a result, we have switched the setting so it drops more seed per inch than we really want to germinate. As a result sometimes, make that most of the time, we still have to thin. It is an improvement just not the silver bullet we hoped for.
All our little farm guys are getting big. The pigs are at the point where I really don't like it when they try to chew on my knees or my boots. They have grown so fast. The chicks that hatched out unexpectedly (wait, what, I thought and eagle got you and suddenly there you are with 14 chicks!) are entering the awkward teenage years and our meat birds should be leaving the broader area and heading outside in a week. Earl, the friendliest and most likely to chew on you is in the front. He loves a good back rub.
Melon season is about over and some of the saddest guys are the pigs who have been getting the culls. French Toast isn't sharing! For the full experience you should turn your volume up.
Lettuce
Zucchini
Poblano Peppers
Sweet Onion
Kale - White Russian - This needs a bag ASAP. It is so tender.
Cherry Tomatoes - Our slicing tomato scene is looking pretty bleak but the cherries are still cranking.
Cucumber
Herb Choice - Large Only
Sweet Pepper - Large Only
The last of our onions are curing and we almost made it through fall carrots. We bought a new seeder a couple years ago that singulates the seeds much better than our old one. We thought it would be the end of hand thinning. However, as is often the case, it hasn't been that simple. It took us all of last year to figure it out. We had multiple plantings with really poor germination. As a result, we have switched the setting so it drops more seed per inch than we really want to germinate. As a result sometimes, make that most of the time, we still have to thin. It is an improvement just not the silver bullet we hoped for.
All our little farm guys are getting big. The pigs are at the point where I really don't like it when they try to chew on my knees or my boots. They have grown so fast. The chicks that hatched out unexpectedly (wait, what, I thought and eagle got you and suddenly there you are with 14 chicks!) are entering the awkward teenage years and our meat birds should be leaving the broader area and heading outside in a week. Earl, the friendliest and most likely to chew on you is in the front. He loves a good back rub.
Melon season is about over and some of the saddest guys are the pigs who have been getting the culls. French Toast isn't sharing! For the full experience you should turn your volume up.
Lettuce
Zucchini
Poblano Peppers
Sweet Onion
Kale - White Russian - This needs a bag ASAP. It is so tender.
Cherry Tomatoes - Our slicing tomato scene is looking pretty bleak but the cherries are still cranking.
Cucumber
Herb Choice - Large Only
Sweet Pepper - Large Only
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Week 13
We got a lot more of you eggplant than I expected last week. Mainly, because as it turns out many of you didn't want it. Which is fine, I know many people find it bland and/or dislike the texture. I really like it, but only eat it once or maybe twice a season because I have a small allergic reaction to it. I did cook some up last week though and it was fantastic. I sliced it long ways and grilled it with some zucchinis and orange peppers. I then roughly chopped everything and tossed it together. We had it with roasted potatoes, grilled chicken and this amazing herby sauce called zhug I just discovered. A friend had encouraged me to make it earlier this summer and I just got around to it last week. It is so delicious. I looked at a bunch of recipes and then just winged it. I used less cardamon than the link above and added some lemon juice. I also used jalapenos which for me had just the right amount of spice. It is so delicious, I can't wait to eat some more. I also wasn't bothered by the eggplant which means I will go for twice this summer and eat it again since there is another recipe on my summer bucket list with eggplant. We are growing a beautiful red pepper from Uprising Seeds that they say is used to make a roasted pepper and eggplant spread in the Balkans called ajvar. In addition to all the veggies we have been eating I have been loving the arroz con leche palletas from the corner store. It tastes like an horchata popsicle with raisins in it! Probably a lot like eggplant, not for everyone, but loved by a few.
We will be continuing the onion haul and trudging through the fall carrots this week, hopefully with some cleaner air. I am happy to have the doors and windows open again. It is also fun to be back to wearing a winter hat all day, but that might just be me!
Carrots
Lettuce - We have a nice variety at the moment but not a lot of one in particular and the weather looks mild for Monday so you will choose your own from the selection on the stand.
Broccoli
Cabbage
Potatoes
Tomato - Cherry toms for everyone and a slicer for the large shares.
Garlic - Large Only
Eggplant - Hope to get it to all of you who didn't have it last week.
We got a lot more of you eggplant than I expected last week. Mainly, because as it turns out many of you didn't want it. Which is fine, I know many people find it bland and/or dislike the texture. I really like it, but only eat it once or maybe twice a season because I have a small allergic reaction to it. I did cook some up last week though and it was fantastic. I sliced it long ways and grilled it with some zucchinis and orange peppers. I then roughly chopped everything and tossed it together. We had it with roasted potatoes, grilled chicken and this amazing herby sauce called zhug I just discovered. A friend had encouraged me to make it earlier this summer and I just got around to it last week. It is so delicious. I looked at a bunch of recipes and then just winged it. I used less cardamon than the link above and added some lemon juice. I also used jalapenos which for me had just the right amount of spice. It is so delicious, I can't wait to eat some more. I also wasn't bothered by the eggplant which means I will go for twice this summer and eat it again since there is another recipe on my summer bucket list with eggplant. We are growing a beautiful red pepper from Uprising Seeds that they say is used to make a roasted pepper and eggplant spread in the Balkans called ajvar. In addition to all the veggies we have been eating I have been loving the arroz con leche palletas from the corner store. It tastes like an horchata popsicle with raisins in it! Probably a lot like eggplant, not for everyone, but loved by a few.
We will be continuing the onion haul and trudging through the fall carrots this week, hopefully with some cleaner air. I am happy to have the doors and windows open again. It is also fun to be back to wearing a winter hat all day, but that might just be me!
Carrots
Lettuce - We have a nice variety at the moment but not a lot of one in particular and the weather looks mild for Monday so you will choose your own from the selection on the stand.
Broccoli
Cabbage
Potatoes
Tomato - Cherry toms for everyone and a slicer for the large shares.
Garlic - Large Only
Eggplant - Hope to get it to all of you who didn't have it last week.
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Week 12
Despite the sunny days, I am starting to feel a shift in seasons. For me the first sign is when it is no longer light out when I get up. Another sign is that zucchini sales are starting to pick up. Our zucchini sales dip when zucchinis are abundant in people's gardens, but as summer starts to fade as does the productivity of a zucchini planted in May. Regardless of how I might be feeling, the forecast has some very nice weather in it this week. We will try to make a dent in weeding and thinning the fall carrots and hopefully get most of our onions out of the field and drying down this week.
Lil Gem Lettuce - I know I have said it before but I love this stuff!
Eggplant - Because we don't grow a lot of eggplant this is always a multi-week process to get them for everyone.
Cherry Tomatoes
Some sort of Melon - not sure if it will be dealer's choice or if we will have a display out for you to choose from but melon season is going fast this year.
Sweet Bell Peppers
Red Onion
Collards - Large Only - If you have never had the collards and black eyed peas from Our Table you are missing out. There isn't anything fancy about it. Sauteed onions, garlic, collards black eyed peas and some seasoning. It is delicious.
A CSA member told me of Mennonite tradition in her house. Watermelon is eaten with small pieces of fried dough called roll kuchen. She gave me a photo copy out of her cookbook with the recipe her mother always made. I read a bit about it because I love food traditions and there are lots of similar but different recipes out there. Hers uses sour cream, some call for oil, some margarine, some have cream. Some people like them crispy and others soft. I didn't get a chance to try it last week, but hopefully this week. Since I have yet to make it, I won't include a recipe but I googled roll kuchen and tons of recipes came up. Let me know if you try one.
Despite the sunny days, I am starting to feel a shift in seasons. For me the first sign is when it is no longer light out when I get up. Another sign is that zucchini sales are starting to pick up. Our zucchini sales dip when zucchinis are abundant in people's gardens, but as summer starts to fade as does the productivity of a zucchini planted in May. Regardless of how I might be feeling, the forecast has some very nice weather in it this week. We will try to make a dent in weeding and thinning the fall carrots and hopefully get most of our onions out of the field and drying down this week.
Lil Gem Lettuce - I know I have said it before but I love this stuff!
Eggplant - Because we don't grow a lot of eggplant this is always a multi-week process to get them for everyone.
Cherry Tomatoes
Some sort of Melon - not sure if it will be dealer's choice or if we will have a display out for you to choose from but melon season is going fast this year.
Sweet Bell Peppers
Red Onion
Collards - Large Only - If you have never had the collards and black eyed peas from Our Table you are missing out. There isn't anything fancy about it. Sauteed onions, garlic, collards black eyed peas and some seasoning. It is delicious.
A CSA member told me of Mennonite tradition in her house. Watermelon is eaten with small pieces of fried dough called roll kuchen. She gave me a photo copy out of her cookbook with the recipe her mother always made. I read a bit about it because I love food traditions and there are lots of similar but different recipes out there. Hers uses sour cream, some call for oil, some margarine, some have cream. Some people like them crispy and others soft. I didn't get a chance to try it last week, but hopefully this week. Since I have yet to make it, I won't include a recipe but I googled roll kuchen and tons of recipes came up. Let me know if you try one.
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Week 11
When tomatoes first started to appear in abundance I spent an entire week eating tomatoes and mozzarella daily. Sometimes on their own, sometimes in pasta, on bread or on pizza. I won't even admit how much olive oil I went through that week! I have slowed down a bit although I really never tire of tomatoes. We had shakshuka for dinner last night which is an easy meal and a great way to use up the tomatoes that were almost too ripe for anything other than pig treats on my counter. So while tomatoes are still finding their way into many of our meals we have a bit more variety going on now that I am done binging. I have been looking over my summer bucket list of recipes and I realize I am getting a little behind. The mild panic began when I found a picture on my phone for a recipe for squash blossom soup from a cookbook I saw in Mexico and realized I didn't even have it on my list. Tonight we are having an old favorite that is on the list, a Rick Bayless recipe for zucchini tacos and if I am feeling ambitious a peach cobbler. Hopefully I will find some time this week to explore new recipes as well.
Things feel refreshed on the farm after the expected, but also unexpected (it down poured here) rain over the weekend. The rain waters things in a way our limited irrigation just can't do. Although rain was predicted all week and we only accepted the forecast around 5pm on Friday when we decided that we should probably get the onions that had fallen down, a sign of maturity, out of the field. It was only small portion of them but I imagine many more will fall this week.
Those of you who didn't get Sun Jewel melons will get them this week.
Carrots
Potatoes
Green Beans
Herb Choice - Lots of basil, dill, parsley and a little cilantro to choose from.
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Slicing Tomato
Tomatillos - Small Only
Watermelon - Large Only
When tomatoes first started to appear in abundance I spent an entire week eating tomatoes and mozzarella daily. Sometimes on their own, sometimes in pasta, on bread or on pizza. I won't even admit how much olive oil I went through that week! I have slowed down a bit although I really never tire of tomatoes. We had shakshuka for dinner last night which is an easy meal and a great way to use up the tomatoes that were almost too ripe for anything other than pig treats on my counter. So while tomatoes are still finding their way into many of our meals we have a bit more variety going on now that I am done binging. I have been looking over my summer bucket list of recipes and I realize I am getting a little behind. The mild panic began when I found a picture on my phone for a recipe for squash blossom soup from a cookbook I saw in Mexico and realized I didn't even have it on my list. Tonight we are having an old favorite that is on the list, a Rick Bayless recipe for zucchini tacos and if I am feeling ambitious a peach cobbler. Hopefully I will find some time this week to explore new recipes as well.
Things feel refreshed on the farm after the expected, but also unexpected (it down poured here) rain over the weekend. The rain waters things in a way our limited irrigation just can't do. Although rain was predicted all week and we only accepted the forecast around 5pm on Friday when we decided that we should probably get the onions that had fallen down, a sign of maturity, out of the field. It was only small portion of them but I imagine many more will fall this week.
Those of you who didn't get Sun Jewel melons will get them this week.
Carrots
Potatoes
Green Beans
Herb Choice - Lots of basil, dill, parsley and a little cilantro to choose from.
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Slicing Tomato
Tomatillos - Small Only
Watermelon - Large Only
Sunday, August 5, 2018
Week 10
When something is important to you it is often tied up in a lot of emotion: joy, frustration, worry, etc. Since the farm is so important to me, I ride a roller coaster of emotion through the season. The highs are fantastic, the lows equally extreme in the other direction. Over time I have gotten better at not getting too caught up in the lows. It is rare that there is a complete loss of a crop. Today I was reminded twice that often things can turn around and end up not being that bad. Kelly and I walked through the onions when we were making your box list this morning. In late May the onions were a disaster. We grew beautiful starts, but after transplant they started dying. Onions always suffer from transplant shock, but usually after looking like they aren't growing or even looking like they are shrinking for a few weeks they start to take off. They don't usually die. After a lot of freaking out and a bit of investigation we discovered we had onion maggots. Unattractive as they are destructive, they eat the inside of the onion plant until it dies and then move on to the next one in the line. I read that there can be three generations in a season, but it appears that so far we have only been effected by the first one. Although it felt like we were loosing onion after onion, in the end it was probably about 15 percent. The onions that are left look great. Perhaps the little extra space helped. Perhaps all the water we pounded them with because we didn't know what else to do and needed to feel like we were doing something helped. I don't know. Anyway, you will be getting one of those nice onions in your box this week. More recently the deer got into our cucumber house and ate the tops off the plants. These are the Japanese cukes and Persian cukes that we trellis. In other words there was already a lot of labor and time invested in these plants. It was probably the low point of my summer. Most of the cucumbers had another growth point that was just starting (we prune larger growth points to keep the plants to one leader) and while it set us back a couple weeks almost all of them have made a comeback and are starting to produce cucumbers. You have cucumbers out of this house in your box today. When it comes to joy it is great to savor the moment, but when things aren't going well it is much better to look towards the future and keep the big picture in mind.
Cheers to a great week and good food.
Lettuce
Corn
Japanese Cucumber
Sun Jewel Korean Melon - The melon I mentioned last week that always kicks off our season. It is mild, sweet and refreshing. There is a chance that we won't have enough for everyone, in which case you will get one next week.
Cherry Tomatoes
Walla Walla Onion
Garlic
Tomatillos - Large Only - Small shares will get them next week.
Slicing Tomato - Large Only
When something is important to you it is often tied up in a lot of emotion: joy, frustration, worry, etc. Since the farm is so important to me, I ride a roller coaster of emotion through the season. The highs are fantastic, the lows equally extreme in the other direction. Over time I have gotten better at not getting too caught up in the lows. It is rare that there is a complete loss of a crop. Today I was reminded twice that often things can turn around and end up not being that bad. Kelly and I walked through the onions when we were making your box list this morning. In late May the onions were a disaster. We grew beautiful starts, but after transplant they started dying. Onions always suffer from transplant shock, but usually after looking like they aren't growing or even looking like they are shrinking for a few weeks they start to take off. They don't usually die. After a lot of freaking out and a bit of investigation we discovered we had onion maggots. Unattractive as they are destructive, they eat the inside of the onion plant until it dies and then move on to the next one in the line. I read that there can be three generations in a season, but it appears that so far we have only been effected by the first one. Although it felt like we were loosing onion after onion, in the end it was probably about 15 percent. The onions that are left look great. Perhaps the little extra space helped. Perhaps all the water we pounded them with because we didn't know what else to do and needed to feel like we were doing something helped. I don't know. Anyway, you will be getting one of those nice onions in your box this week. More recently the deer got into our cucumber house and ate the tops off the plants. These are the Japanese cukes and Persian cukes that we trellis. In other words there was already a lot of labor and time invested in these plants. It was probably the low point of my summer. Most of the cucumbers had another growth point that was just starting (we prune larger growth points to keep the plants to one leader) and while it set us back a couple weeks almost all of them have made a comeback and are starting to produce cucumbers. You have cucumbers out of this house in your box today. When it comes to joy it is great to savor the moment, but when things aren't going well it is much better to look towards the future and keep the big picture in mind.
Cheers to a great week and good food.
Lettuce
Corn
Japanese Cucumber
Sun Jewel Korean Melon - The melon I mentioned last week that always kicks off our season. It is mild, sweet and refreshing. There is a chance that we won't have enough for everyone, in which case you will get one next week.
Cherry Tomatoes
Walla Walla Onion
Garlic
Tomatillos - Large Only - Small shares will get them next week.
Slicing Tomato - Large Only
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Week 9
When I think about the past week I am incredibly thankful for our crew. The hot weather can be exhausting and they all worked hard without any moping or complaining. Staying on top of the irrigation was a full time job and we are looking forward to a break in the weather pattern this week. Ian, who has worked for the past few years, worked his last day on Friday. He was only working Fridays and Wednesday mornings this year, but we will really miss him. He is off to LSU for grad school. It is great to see crew members head off on new adventures, but it also feels a little bit like an end of an era. Ian made our farm a better place to work, both for us and for the crew. I am hoping he might want to come back and work next summer, but I also get sometimes it can just be time to move on.
I assume it was the hot weather that had a lot of people asking about melons on Saturday at the farm stand. I love having people inquire about specific varieties. A melon so good that people remember it from last summer - that makes me smile. I haven't looked at the melon patch this week. The tell tale sign is the Korean melon that we always give the CSA. It is our first melon and it turns bright yellow when it is ripe. We always plant it at the the front of the first bed. When it starts to blush yellow we know melon season is about to kick off.
We started picking Japanese style cucumbers this week and they should be in your boxes next week. They are my favorite and although they are fussy and labor intensive, they are worth it.
Lettuce
Carrot
Cabbage
Zucchini
Celery
Cherry Tomato/Slicing Tomato - Large shares will have both. Small shares will have one or the other.
Beet Greens - Large Share Only - In order to get nice round beets that size up quickly we thin the plants to a three to four fingers between each one. In the spring we will take the time to bunch the thinnings, but in the summer we usually just pull them and drop them in the path as we hand weed because it is much faster. We didn't bunch many this spring because we didn't have fantastic germination and a lot of the greens never looked that good. This is our first planting of beets this year over on Southbay and they look so good we decided to try bunching some. Because they are young, they are incredibly tender and delicious.
I made this this delicious burst cherry tomatoes with pancetta on grilled bread last week. It was so good we are having it again tonight with some grilled vegetables. I love summer food.
When I think about the past week I am incredibly thankful for our crew. The hot weather can be exhausting and they all worked hard without any moping or complaining. Staying on top of the irrigation was a full time job and we are looking forward to a break in the weather pattern this week. Ian, who has worked for the past few years, worked his last day on Friday. He was only working Fridays and Wednesday mornings this year, but we will really miss him. He is off to LSU for grad school. It is great to see crew members head off on new adventures, but it also feels a little bit like an end of an era. Ian made our farm a better place to work, both for us and for the crew. I am hoping he might want to come back and work next summer, but I also get sometimes it can just be time to move on.
I assume it was the hot weather that had a lot of people asking about melons on Saturday at the farm stand. I love having people inquire about specific varieties. A melon so good that people remember it from last summer - that makes me smile. I haven't looked at the melon patch this week. The tell tale sign is the Korean melon that we always give the CSA. It is our first melon and it turns bright yellow when it is ripe. We always plant it at the the front of the first bed. When it starts to blush yellow we know melon season is about to kick off.
We started picking Japanese style cucumbers this week and they should be in your boxes next week. They are my favorite and although they are fussy and labor intensive, they are worth it.
Lettuce
Carrot
Cabbage
Zucchini
Celery
Cherry Tomato/Slicing Tomato - Large shares will have both. Small shares will have one or the other.
Beet Greens - Large Share Only - In order to get nice round beets that size up quickly we thin the plants to a three to four fingers between each one. In the spring we will take the time to bunch the thinnings, but in the summer we usually just pull them and drop them in the path as we hand weed because it is much faster. We didn't bunch many this spring because we didn't have fantastic germination and a lot of the greens never looked that good. This is our first planting of beets this year over on Southbay and they look so good we decided to try bunching some. Because they are young, they are incredibly tender and delicious.
I made this this delicious burst cherry tomatoes with pancetta on grilled bread last week. It was so good we are having it again tonight with some grilled vegetables. I love summer food.
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Week 8
I hope everyone knows of a good swimming hole! Hot. Hot. Hot. Melon and tomato weather are predicted this week.
Once again the trade table will be kind of minimal because of the heat, but we will have a walk-in full of veggies so please feel free to ask for stuff, if you don't see something you want. Keeping this short because we need to do a little harvest before it gets too hot. This warm weather will continue to require lots of irrigation and early harvests, but hopefully will bring on the slicing tomatoes like gang busters!
Carrots - Purple Haze
Cherry Tomatoes
Tropea Onions
Potatoes
Cucumber
Green Bell Pepper
Green Beans - Small Only
Salad - Large Only
Broccoli - Large Only
I hope everyone knows of a good swimming hole! Hot. Hot. Hot. Melon and tomato weather are predicted this week.
Once again the trade table will be kind of minimal because of the heat, but we will have a walk-in full of veggies so please feel free to ask for stuff, if you don't see something you want. Keeping this short because we need to do a little harvest before it gets too hot. This warm weather will continue to require lots of irrigation and early harvests, but hopefully will bring on the slicing tomatoes like gang busters!
Carrots - Purple Haze
Cherry Tomatoes
Tropea Onions
Potatoes
Cucumber
Green Bell Pepper
Green Beans - Small Only
Salad - Large Only
Broccoli - Large Only
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Week 7
I try to post the veggie list before I leave on Sunday morning to meet the crew, but often I only get started and then I finish it after harvest and and after getting Derek and Talia off to market. I just came home and read what I wrote and then deleted it because mostly it was me just whining!
The second half of July rages into August and it is the season to push hard and embrace chaos, but apparently this morning that wasn't really suiting me! Lucky for me, most of the time I like it. I also like sleep and I guess I need a bit more of it.
There were lots of things to be grateful for this week on the farm. We got the last of our garlic out of the ground and hung on Friday and it is the nicest garlic we have maybe ever grown. Of course, we aren't in the clear yet. It has to dry down and not rot, but so far so good. Having it all out of the ground and in the barn is such a relief.
Kelly direct seeded our last big round of carrots and I seeded our last round of kale, broccoli and cabbage into plug trays. Getting those done on time is also a relief.
And perhaps what I am most excited about is that we hired an additional person. One of our crew quit a couple weeks ago and keeping up has been difficult. It can be hard to catch up and honestly we let a couple things slip by that we will just have to let go of, but our new hire arrived just in time to keep us moving forward and avoid a nose dive.
I hope you enjoy your veggies this week. Cheers to a week of good meals, productive days and restful nights!
And being grateful of course.
Carrots
Beets - No tops - which for most of you is probably just fine. Beets are susceptible to something called leaf spot and we have it pretty bad this year. Fortunately the beets sized up okay. Some of you will have small beets and some larger ones. If you have a preference let me know.
Cauliflower - yippee
Snap Peas - Last call
Garlic - Inchelium Red
Lettuce
Arugula - Large Only
Additional Item - Large Only I have been waiting on Kelly to text me on his thoughts on this but I think he forgot and his ringer is broken or so he says :).
Carrot and Beet Soba Noodles with Pickled Greens
I enjoy this recipe enough to type it out! Usually I can find what I am looking for on the Internet but no such luck today.
This is an Anna Jones recipe that can be on the table in 30 minutes. She claims 20 minutes, but the recipe only serves two which I need to double. I actually find the dish to be a little sweet so I usually lessen the maple syrup, but that might just be me.
Serves 2
1 large carrot
1 large beet
thumb size piece of ginger
salt
7 ounces soba noodles
3.5 ounces chard or kale (or I would add any green. If using something tender like lettuce don't massage it)
4 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1 lime
1 Tbsp sesame seeds (she calls for black ones)
cilantro
Cut carrot into matchsticks or thin rounds then peel and cut beet in same shape as well. Saute chopped ginger in oil and cook for a minute. Add veggies, pinch of salt and 7 Tbsp of water and cook 5-7 minutes until veggies are tender.
Cook noodles.
Shred greens and mix with vinegar, salt and tsp of maple syrup. Scrunch with hands to soften.
Add sesame oil, other tsp of maple syrup, juice of the lime and sesame seeds to the carrots and beets. Toss in noodles and mix to combine.
Serve with greens and garnish with cilantro.
I try to post the veggie list before I leave on Sunday morning to meet the crew, but often I only get started and then I finish it after harvest and and after getting Derek and Talia off to market. I just came home and read what I wrote and then deleted it because mostly it was me just whining!
The second half of July rages into August and it is the season to push hard and embrace chaos, but apparently this morning that wasn't really suiting me! Lucky for me, most of the time I like it. I also like sleep and I guess I need a bit more of it.
There were lots of things to be grateful for this week on the farm. We got the last of our garlic out of the ground and hung on Friday and it is the nicest garlic we have maybe ever grown. Of course, we aren't in the clear yet. It has to dry down and not rot, but so far so good. Having it all out of the ground and in the barn is such a relief.
Kelly direct seeded our last big round of carrots and I seeded our last round of kale, broccoli and cabbage into plug trays. Getting those done on time is also a relief.
And perhaps what I am most excited about is that we hired an additional person. One of our crew quit a couple weeks ago and keeping up has been difficult. It can be hard to catch up and honestly we let a couple things slip by that we will just have to let go of, but our new hire arrived just in time to keep us moving forward and avoid a nose dive.
I hope you enjoy your veggies this week. Cheers to a week of good meals, productive days and restful nights!
And being grateful of course.
Carrots
Beets - No tops - which for most of you is probably just fine. Beets are susceptible to something called leaf spot and we have it pretty bad this year. Fortunately the beets sized up okay. Some of you will have small beets and some larger ones. If you have a preference let me know.
Cauliflower - yippee
Snap Peas - Last call
Garlic - Inchelium Red
Lettuce
Arugula - Large Only
Additional Item - Large Only I have been waiting on Kelly to text me on his thoughts on this but I think he forgot and his ringer is broken or so he says :).
Carrot and Beet Soba Noodles with Pickled Greens
I enjoy this recipe enough to type it out! Usually I can find what I am looking for on the Internet but no such luck today.
This is an Anna Jones recipe that can be on the table in 30 minutes. She claims 20 minutes, but the recipe only serves two which I need to double. I actually find the dish to be a little sweet so I usually lessen the maple syrup, but that might just be me.
Serves 2
1 large carrot
1 large beet
thumb size piece of ginger
salt
7 ounces soba noodles
3.5 ounces chard or kale (or I would add any green. If using something tender like lettuce don't massage it)
4 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1 lime
1 Tbsp sesame seeds (she calls for black ones)
cilantro
Cut carrot into matchsticks or thin rounds then peel and cut beet in same shape as well. Saute chopped ginger in oil and cook for a minute. Add veggies, pinch of salt and 7 Tbsp of water and cook 5-7 minutes until veggies are tender.
Cook noodles.
Shred greens and mix with vinegar, salt and tsp of maple syrup. Scrunch with hands to soften.
Add sesame oil, other tsp of maple syrup, juice of the lime and sesame seeds to the carrots and beets. Toss in noodles and mix to combine.
Serve with greens and garnish with cilantro.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Week 6
Week 6
Each year we trial new vegetables. Often they are just different varieties of stuff we already grow. For example we always grow a couple new tomatoes. This year we are growing one called Cherokee Chocolate. We currently grow Cherokee Purple and and Cherokee Green. I think both the green and the chocolate where found as mutations in plantings of Cherokee Purple. The Cherokee Chocolate is a dark tomato like the purple but with a distinct reddish brown color. I have high hopes for it, like I always do, but rarely do new varieties make the cut. The highlight of my week was our red napa trials. Napa cabbage is one of the most difficult things we grow. It attracts bugs in a way no other veggie does. We cover it from start to finish and we still have a high cull rate. So, I don't know that the red napa will actually make the cut but it is stunning!
It shows no consistency in maturity which is another down side. We also are trialing some new green napa varieties and that is what will be in the large share's box. Not as flashy, but growing and heading up much better than the reds.
I think we might be pushing the limits of our cherry tomato supply by putting them in your boxes, but they are so good and the first ones are always exciting. Peas, which at this point have become less exciting, but still delicious, will hopefully make one final showing in your box next week. We are rolling the dice just a little, but I am fairly certain they will be around next week.
Lettuce - Dealers choice - holler at me when I am grabbing your box if you have a preference.
Carrots
Broccoli
Zucchini
Cherry Tomatoes
Collards/Kale/Chard - Your Choice When the collards get big we refer to them as elephant ears. Some of them can be comical. They are from a new planting and while big, they are also tender. If you find the assertive flavor of kale and collards to be a bit much try simmering them in coconut milk. A little sauteed onion, garlic and/or ginger all make welcome addition as would a splash of tamari or soy and a fresh squeeze of lemon or lime. Similarly, the fat of heavy cream and a generous grating of a hard cheese are delicious with them as well. If you enjoy the flavor of kale and collards then these collards would be great for rolling tight and cutting into ribbons for a salad or just lightly sauteed.
Napa Cabbage - Large Only
Herb Choice - Large Only - Basil, Mint or Parsley
Each year we trial new vegetables. Often they are just different varieties of stuff we already grow. For example we always grow a couple new tomatoes. This year we are growing one called Cherokee Chocolate. We currently grow Cherokee Purple and and Cherokee Green. I think both the green and the chocolate where found as mutations in plantings of Cherokee Purple. The Cherokee Chocolate is a dark tomato like the purple but with a distinct reddish brown color. I have high hopes for it, like I always do, but rarely do new varieties make the cut. The highlight of my week was our red napa trials. Napa cabbage is one of the most difficult things we grow. It attracts bugs in a way no other veggie does. We cover it from start to finish and we still have a high cull rate. So, I don't know that the red napa will actually make the cut but it is stunning!
It shows no consistency in maturity which is another down side. We also are trialing some new green napa varieties and that is what will be in the large share's box. Not as flashy, but growing and heading up much better than the reds.
I think we might be pushing the limits of our cherry tomato supply by putting them in your boxes, but they are so good and the first ones are always exciting. Peas, which at this point have become less exciting, but still delicious, will hopefully make one final showing in your box next week. We are rolling the dice just a little, but I am fairly certain they will be around next week.
Lettuce - Dealers choice - holler at me when I am grabbing your box if you have a preference.
Carrots
Broccoli
Zucchini
Cherry Tomatoes
Collards/Kale/Chard - Your Choice When the collards get big we refer to them as elephant ears. Some of them can be comical. They are from a new planting and while big, they are also tender. If you find the assertive flavor of kale and collards to be a bit much try simmering them in coconut milk. A little sauteed onion, garlic and/or ginger all make welcome addition as would a splash of tamari or soy and a fresh squeeze of lemon or lime. Similarly, the fat of heavy cream and a generous grating of a hard cheese are delicious with them as well. If you enjoy the flavor of kale and collards then these collards would be great for rolling tight and cutting into ribbons for a salad or just lightly sauteed.
Napa Cabbage - Large Only
Herb Choice - Large Only - Basil, Mint or Parsley
Sunday, July 1, 2018
Week 5
Kelly is off to Shelton to bring home the bacon (his joke and he thinks it is really funny). He is picking up four piglets today. We skipped raising them last year and are looking forward to having the again. We had hoped to pick them up a bit earlier, but the first ones we reserved stopped eating when they were weaned. The farmer wanted to hang on to them a bit longer to make sure they were in good shape. We still aren't really sure what the situation was, but after a month of back and forth we decided it was time to move on. If we hadn't already ordered a ton of feed we might have just decided to skip raising pigs this year. I hated the idea of scrambling to buy pigs from someone I didn't know. Fortunately some friends of ours who also raise pigs directed us to a farmer they have had a relationship with for a few years. They were really happy with the quality/health of the piglets they bought. Pigs of all breeds and markings make delicious pork, but just like I enjoy pretty vegetables I also enjoy pretty pigs. Who doesn't love spots? I suspect, based on the breed, that the pigs we are getting today are going to be pink but at this point I am just happy that things seem to be working out.
On the veggie front we started picking field cukes this week and sold a few pints of Sungolds. We bunched the last of the spring radishes and are a week out from saying goodbye to turnips until the fall. We uncovered the peppers and weeded them and I am really happy with how they look. It is time to burn through all the frozen peppers we have in our freezer!
Lettuce - If you had Little Gems (mini romaines) a couple weeks ago you will have Lovelock, an awesome summer lettuce with a crunchy rib. If you haven't received Little Gems yet you will have those. In addition to a crunchy rib and great flavor they are cute.
Carrots
Turnips
Snap Peas
Cucumber
Scallions
Chard - Large Only
Kelly is off to Shelton to bring home the bacon (his joke and he thinks it is really funny). He is picking up four piglets today. We skipped raising them last year and are looking forward to having the again. We had hoped to pick them up a bit earlier, but the first ones we reserved stopped eating when they were weaned. The farmer wanted to hang on to them a bit longer to make sure they were in good shape. We still aren't really sure what the situation was, but after a month of back and forth we decided it was time to move on. If we hadn't already ordered a ton of feed we might have just decided to skip raising pigs this year. I hated the idea of scrambling to buy pigs from someone I didn't know. Fortunately some friends of ours who also raise pigs directed us to a farmer they have had a relationship with for a few years. They were really happy with the quality/health of the piglets they bought. Pigs of all breeds and markings make delicious pork, but just like I enjoy pretty vegetables I also enjoy pretty pigs. Who doesn't love spots? I suspect, based on the breed, that the pigs we are getting today are going to be pink but at this point I am just happy that things seem to be working out.
On the veggie front we started picking field cukes this week and sold a few pints of Sungolds. We bunched the last of the spring radishes and are a week out from saying goodbye to turnips until the fall. We uncovered the peppers and weeded them and I am really happy with how they look. It is time to burn through all the frozen peppers we have in our freezer!
Lettuce - If you had Little Gems (mini romaines) a couple weeks ago you will have Lovelock, an awesome summer lettuce with a crunchy rib. If you haven't received Little Gems yet you will have those. In addition to a crunchy rib and great flavor they are cute.
Carrots
Turnips
Snap Peas
Cucumber
Scallions
Chard - Large Only
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Week 4
The beginning of summer was marked on our farm by the appearance of the first ripe Sungold tomato. It will be a while before there are lots of cherry tomatoes, but it is still positive sign. They are in a greenhouse (all our houses are unheated and plants are grown in the ground) which has in past years produced nice tomatoes for us, but you just never know. In my opinion we have to have to grow under plastic. We can't be a competitive farm without greenhouses. We typically get a good round, sometimes a round and a half of early spring crops out of them and then plant them with a summer crop. This is why our tomatoes are staggered. Ideally they would all go in around April 15th or so but on April 15th we still have a lot of spring crops that need the protection and we need to have a consistent supply of spring veggies from the time we begin selling until we start selling field grown spring crops. The houses that got the first round of cukes and tomatoes also get planted with some fall salad and lettuce. Making green house maps/production plans/spread sheets is one of my favorite winter activities. It is always fun to dream of summer.
Lettuce
Carrots
Zucchini
Potatoes - These are the same variety you got last time. Caribe has a purple skin and a white flesh.
Broccoli
Snow Peas
Garlic
Baby Fennel - Large Only
I made one and a half recipes from the cookbook I mentioned last week. One was fantastic. It was a pasta with snap peas. You will have snap peas again in your boxes next week as we are having an incredible pea year. I don't usually cook snap peas but I realize I have been missing out. It really brings out the sweetness in the pod. I won't go into the one that I only managed to make half of it but perhaps I will fully execute it this coming week!
Pasta with Slivered Snap Peas
The recipe calls for a compound butter of black pepper, Parmesan and Romano cheeses. I added all the ingredients of it without making the butter because of time and it turned out great.
Here is a snow pea recipe that I have never made but looked good. You have a generous amount of snow peas in your boxes and I thought you might need a little encouragement.
The beginning of summer was marked on our farm by the appearance of the first ripe Sungold tomato. It will be a while before there are lots of cherry tomatoes, but it is still positive sign. They are in a greenhouse (all our houses are unheated and plants are grown in the ground) which has in past years produced nice tomatoes for us, but you just never know. In my opinion we have to have to grow under plastic. We can't be a competitive farm without greenhouses. We typically get a good round, sometimes a round and a half of early spring crops out of them and then plant them with a summer crop. This is why our tomatoes are staggered. Ideally they would all go in around April 15th or so but on April 15th we still have a lot of spring crops that need the protection and we need to have a consistent supply of spring veggies from the time we begin selling until we start selling field grown spring crops. The houses that got the first round of cukes and tomatoes also get planted with some fall salad and lettuce. Making green house maps/production plans/spread sheets is one of my favorite winter activities. It is always fun to dream of summer.
Lettuce
Carrots
Zucchini
Potatoes - These are the same variety you got last time. Caribe has a purple skin and a white flesh.
Broccoli
Snow Peas
Garlic
Baby Fennel - Large Only
I made one and a half recipes from the cookbook I mentioned last week. One was fantastic. It was a pasta with snap peas. You will have snap peas again in your boxes next week as we are having an incredible pea year. I don't usually cook snap peas but I realize I have been missing out. It really brings out the sweetness in the pod. I won't go into the one that I only managed to make half of it but perhaps I will fully execute it this coming week!
Pasta with Slivered Snap Peas
The recipe calls for a compound butter of black pepper, Parmesan and Romano cheeses. I added all the ingredients of it without making the butter because of time and it turned out great.
Here is a snow pea recipe that I have never made but looked good. You have a generous amount of snow peas in your boxes and I thought you might need a little encouragement.
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Week 3
Last winter I put my name on the wait list at the library for the cookbook Six Seasons. I waited and waited and read some more about what a great book it was and waited a bit longer. Months went by and I slowly moved up the list. I try really hard not to buy cookbooks. I am not against the idea of buying a cookbook, I am just against the idea of finding a spot in my house for another cookbook. I was so sure that I would love it. I ended up buying it and here it is two months later and I have only made one thing out of it. Anyway, my goal for the week is to make at least one dish from it. Hopefully it is a winner and I will give you a link next week. It can be hard when our days are so full to prepare a new dish. Instead we fall back on old favorites. I am sure you can relate. I love Vietnamese Bun, rice noodle dishes with veggies and lots of herbs. I am including a recipe for a shrimp one that is perfect for the warm weather this week. I make the dressing in this recipe, but I use more more rice noodles and typically put carrots in it and this time of year I would add snap peas as well. It is great/better with all the herbs but also good with just cilantro. We do the same dish subbing lemongrass marinated grilled pork chops and that is delicious too. There is also a link below for recipe for Strawberry Horchata. I made that out of the cookbook Nopolito (great and it doesn't have 5000 other people on a list hoping to check it out) in early spring with some of last year's frozen strawberries. I am hoping to make it again this week with fresh berries. It involves a little planning but the active time preparing it is minimal.
Lettuce
Carrots
Beets
Scallions
Snap Peas
Strawberries
Cabbage - Large Only
Additional Item - Large Only I am not sure what this will be...snow peas, baby fennel and zucchinis are all in the running.
Vietnamese Shrimp Bun
Strawberry Horchata
Last winter I put my name on the wait list at the library for the cookbook Six Seasons. I waited and waited and read some more about what a great book it was and waited a bit longer. Months went by and I slowly moved up the list. I try really hard not to buy cookbooks. I am not against the idea of buying a cookbook, I am just against the idea of finding a spot in my house for another cookbook. I was so sure that I would love it. I ended up buying it and here it is two months later and I have only made one thing out of it. Anyway, my goal for the week is to make at least one dish from it. Hopefully it is a winner and I will give you a link next week. It can be hard when our days are so full to prepare a new dish. Instead we fall back on old favorites. I am sure you can relate. I love Vietnamese Bun, rice noodle dishes with veggies and lots of herbs. I am including a recipe for a shrimp one that is perfect for the warm weather this week. I make the dressing in this recipe, but I use more more rice noodles and typically put carrots in it and this time of year I would add snap peas as well. It is great/better with all the herbs but also good with just cilantro. We do the same dish subbing lemongrass marinated grilled pork chops and that is delicious too. There is also a link below for recipe for Strawberry Horchata. I made that out of the cookbook Nopolito (great and it doesn't have 5000 other people on a list hoping to check it out) in early spring with some of last year's frozen strawberries. I am hoping to make it again this week with fresh berries. It involves a little planning but the active time preparing it is minimal.
Lettuce
Carrots
Beets
Scallions
Snap Peas
Strawberries
Cabbage - Large Only
Additional Item - Large Only I am not sure what this will be...snow peas, baby fennel and zucchinis are all in the running.
Vietnamese Shrimp Bun
Strawberry Horchata
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Week 2
We hope you all enjoyed your first week of the farm share. This week's box is filled with lots of spring veggie candy - baby carrots, snap peas and strawberries, oh my.
Friday's rain was much needed and we even fired up the wood stove for what I suspect will be the last time and ate take-out on the couch. It was a very relaxing end to what was a very busy week. It feels pretty good to be on our full summer schedule with the gardens really starting to produce loads of veggies. I am thankful that we have a great crew and even with all the additional harvest last week, we got a lot of weeding and transplanting done as well.
There are lots of good meals to be had in your boxes this week.
Oak Leaf Lettuce - This lettuce has the slippery texture of butter lettuce. Some of you will get the green which is a pretty lime color and others will get the red which is also beautiful with its dark outer leaves and green core.
Carrots
Snap Peas - You can eat the whole thing.
New Potatoes - Super creamy - these will cook more quickly than you are probably use to. Because they have thin skins they need to be eaten soon. They will not store like later season potatoes.
Turnips - This planting got big on us. Don't be afraid of the larger size. They don't get woody or pithy like a radish. They actually get juicier. I like them sliced raw but you can also briefly sautee them or they make a great pickle.
Strawberries - The only thing on the farm that wasn't thrilled with the rain.
Arugula - Large Only
Garlic - Large Only - Basque, our earliest garlic. It is not dried down. We will be digging it tomorrow. It should either be kept out with good air flow on the counter or stored in the fridge.
We hope you all enjoyed your first week of the farm share. This week's box is filled with lots of spring veggie candy - baby carrots, snap peas and strawberries, oh my.
Friday's rain was much needed and we even fired up the wood stove for what I suspect will be the last time and ate take-out on the couch. It was a very relaxing end to what was a very busy week. It feels pretty good to be on our full summer schedule with the gardens really starting to produce loads of veggies. I am thankful that we have a great crew and even with all the additional harvest last week, we got a lot of weeding and transplanting done as well.
There are lots of good meals to be had in your boxes this week.
Oak Leaf Lettuce - This lettuce has the slippery texture of butter lettuce. Some of you will get the green which is a pretty lime color and others will get the red which is also beautiful with its dark outer leaves and green core.
Carrots
Snap Peas - You can eat the whole thing.
New Potatoes - Super creamy - these will cook more quickly than you are probably use to. Because they have thin skins they need to be eaten soon. They will not store like later season potatoes.
Turnips - This planting got big on us. Don't be afraid of the larger size. They don't get woody or pithy like a radish. They actually get juicier. I like them sliced raw but you can also briefly sautee them or they make a great pickle.
Strawberries - The only thing on the farm that wasn't thrilled with the rain.
Arugula - Large Only
Garlic - Large Only - Basque, our earliest garlic. It is not dried down. We will be digging it tomorrow. It should either be kept out with good air flow on the counter or stored in the fridge.
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Week 1
Talk to me for 10 minutes and I think my motivation for farming is fairly obvious - I love food. I love reading about, talking about it, preparing it and just simply admiring it. Yesterday Kelly had some new potatoes at Oly market. The only thing more special to me than a new potato is a perfect pink tomato. We don't usually have new potatoes this early. We took a day trip to Ellensburg at the end of February to pick up some potato seed and got them in the ground in early March. I was pretty excited to dig and eat them, but I don't think most of the people who bought them understood they were special. One person who did was Mike, the chef from Our Table, who now has a food cart at the market. Around 11am I received a text from Kelly with a picture of a beautiful salad that featured sliced early tomatoes from Humble Stump's heated greenhouse, sliced apricots from Eastern Washington, mint, cucumbers and raw new potatoes from us. It was so beautiful. We don't focus on selling to restaurants, but working with Mike is great. He also loves food and we love having food vendor at market who uses so much local produce. His food cart is worth going to the market for even if you need nothing else.
This is a busy couple weeks for us. In addition to the CSA, the Chehalis market starts on Tuesday. Fingers crossed, peas and field carrots will be ready for harvest at the end of the week (and in your boxes next week). The Wednesday stand will start next week. Those of you who pick up on Wednesday will not see our yellow sign at the end of the road this week, but we will be at the farm with your CSA boxes.
The picking will be slim on the trade table - mostly just more of what is in your boxes. Variety is pretty limited at the moment but more selection is just around the corner.
Red Leaf Lettuce - BIG! This is the best time of year for growing lettuce. The heads are large, beautiful and also tender and sweet. The variety you are getting is also the one we grow for the Olympia Food Co-op. It is the one lettuce that I feel always (well almost, there is no always in farming unless you include that something will always have a bad year at some point) does well for us.
Cucumber - These are out of an unheated greenhouse. Cukes are another much awaited item and I love that we have them super early. I came across a recipe for a brown rice salad with cucumbers and avocado this winter which looked great and I moved the piece of paper with the recipe on it around a 100 times waiting for cucumbers to be ready before I had a chance to make it last week. It was easy and great - the peanuts and lime zest really made it for me.
Radishes
Curly Kale - This is a variety we haven't grown in several years. At some point two kinds of kale seemed to be enough and we dropped curly kale, but enough customers have asked about it that it seemed like it was time to grow it again.
Cabbage - Another veggie I am excited to eat in the spring.
Cilantro/Herb Choice
Garlic Scapes - If you aren't familiar with these they might look intimidating,but they are easy to use. They can be grilled or broiled whole, made into pesto, compound butter, chopped and used like garlic. Raw they have a strong garlic flavor but cooked they are more mild than a head of garlic.
Salad Mix - Large Only
Talk to me for 10 minutes and I think my motivation for farming is fairly obvious - I love food. I love reading about, talking about it, preparing it and just simply admiring it. Yesterday Kelly had some new potatoes at Oly market. The only thing more special to me than a new potato is a perfect pink tomato. We don't usually have new potatoes this early. We took a day trip to Ellensburg at the end of February to pick up some potato seed and got them in the ground in early March. I was pretty excited to dig and eat them, but I don't think most of the people who bought them understood they were special. One person who did was Mike, the chef from Our Table, who now has a food cart at the market. Around 11am I received a text from Kelly with a picture of a beautiful salad that featured sliced early tomatoes from Humble Stump's heated greenhouse, sliced apricots from Eastern Washington, mint, cucumbers and raw new potatoes from us. It was so beautiful. We don't focus on selling to restaurants, but working with Mike is great. He also loves food and we love having food vendor at market who uses so much local produce. His food cart is worth going to the market for even if you need nothing else.
This is a busy couple weeks for us. In addition to the CSA, the Chehalis market starts on Tuesday. Fingers crossed, peas and field carrots will be ready for harvest at the end of the week (and in your boxes next week). The Wednesday stand will start next week. Those of you who pick up on Wednesday will not see our yellow sign at the end of the road this week, but we will be at the farm with your CSA boxes.
The picking will be slim on the trade table - mostly just more of what is in your boxes. Variety is pretty limited at the moment but more selection is just around the corner.
Red Leaf Lettuce - BIG! This is the best time of year for growing lettuce. The heads are large, beautiful and also tender and sweet. The variety you are getting is also the one we grow for the Olympia Food Co-op. It is the one lettuce that I feel always (well almost, there is no always in farming unless you include that something will always have a bad year at some point) does well for us.
Cucumber - These are out of an unheated greenhouse. Cukes are another much awaited item and I love that we have them super early. I came across a recipe for a brown rice salad with cucumbers and avocado this winter which looked great and I moved the piece of paper with the recipe on it around a 100 times waiting for cucumbers to be ready before I had a chance to make it last week. It was easy and great - the peanuts and lime zest really made it for me.
Radishes
Curly Kale - This is a variety we haven't grown in several years. At some point two kinds of kale seemed to be enough and we dropped curly kale, but enough customers have asked about it that it seemed like it was time to grow it again.
Cabbage - Another veggie I am excited to eat in the spring.
Cilantro/Herb Choice
Garlic Scapes - If you aren't familiar with these they might look intimidating,but they are easy to use. They can be grilled or broiled whole, made into pesto, compound butter, chopped and used like garlic. Raw they have a strong garlic flavor but cooked they are more mild than a head of garlic.
Salad Mix - Large Only
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