Week 4

Yippee, there are clouds in the sky.  All that sunshine was slowing me down.  The tomatoes on the other hand were thrilled with the sunshine.  I ate my first BLT on Friday.  I can't believe I ate a BLT in June.  It was a bit messy because cherry tomatoes don't really work that well on sandwiches.  Even when you cut them in half they want to pop out the sides.  So, it was a bit of a messy, unconventional BLT, but it was delicious.  The  weather forecast is calling for more tomato weather and I hope there will be more cherry tomatoes for everyone soon.

We have been busy on the farm, but not really getting as much done as we would like.  The weeds won the battle last week.  Hopefully we can take control of the situation this week.  The peppers and the winter squash have been covered with row cover since we planted them and we are going to remove the row cover this week.  I know there are some weeds in the beds that are as big as the peppers. I have peaked under the row cover and checked out both the peppers and the squash and they look awesome despite the weeds.  If you drive by the fields on South Bay on Monday you will see rows of covered squash and paths of lettuce and weeds.  If you drive by next week hopefully you will see some nice healthy squash plants, the two weediest beds of lettuce tilled in (the lettuce has either been harvested or bolted) and everything looking very orderly.  I love order in the fields even if it fleeting.

Your box is filled with lots veggies I associate with the 4th and with picnics this week.  The potatoes are little new potatoes and while I like to make a production out of most things they are amazing just steamed.  I have a feeling there aren't many snap peas out there and we are probably done with them but if we get a significant amount tomorrow your box may differ a little from below.  There is no lettuce this week but your cabbage can fill in in salads and provide an awesome crunch on sandwiches.  I ate a delicious slaw/salad at a neighbors house this weekend with thinly sliced cabbage, turnips, scallions, cucumbers, sesame seeds and a sesame vinaigrette.

Enjoy your veggies.

Hope you all had a nice weekend.

Carrots
Cabbage
Scallions
Bok Choy
Zucchini - yellow and green
New Potatoes
Cucumbers
Summer Turnips - Large Only
Raspberries - Only shares that didn't receive them last week

Week 3

Finally, summer is here!  Oh wait, it has been summer for the last month.  When I first moved here I heard the word Junuary used to describe a cold and rainy June and I thought it was funny.  I don't find myself wishing for Junuary but I do find myself wishing for rain on a daily basis.  There is no sense in complaining about the heat, which I kind of like, but I am all about wishing for rain as a positive alternative to whining about how hot I am.

Every summer I have a wish list of sorts.  It is stuff I want to make and eat and places I want to go.  I call it a wish list because I don't usually go anywhere in the summer (not that bad of deal, really) and I don't always have the chance to cook an elaborate meal.  This summer I am determined to do something that has been on my wish list for years - go to a Tacoma Rainiers game.  I bet you didn't know I was a baseball fan.  Actually, I am not, but there is just something really summery about having a beer and a hot dog at a minor league game.  On the eating front I have too many to list but held over from last year and still on my mind are peach pie, cold cucumber soup and beet burgers.  You are getting beets in your box today and I will include a link to the recipe…maybe you will get around to making them before I do.  I do realize that I am not going to convince those of you who don't like beets to like them but I am also including a recipe for a vegan chocolate beet cupcakes that I hope to make soon for the two guys working with us this summer and a beet hummus that seems to be a little trendy at the moment with customers at the stand.  I made it by tossing a beet into my usual hummus recipe which involves no measuring and as a result never tastes the same.  For those of you who prefer a recipe to just throwing everything willy nilly into the food processor I have included a link below.  In the hummus I made the beet flavor was subtle but the color was amazing!   I didn't use any mint but I love mint with beets and that sounds good.  I also like cumin with beets and a few toasted cumin seeds might be a nice garnish.

Have a great first week of summer.  We should have zucchinis and new potatoes for next week.

Carrots
Snap Peas
Beets
Garlic
Japanese Cucumber - Last week the small shares had an American slicer and the large shares had an American slicer and a Japanese cuke.  This week everyone is getting a Japanese style cucumber.  They are the one that we prefer but you can let me know what you think.  In general you will see more American style slicing cukes in your boxes because we grow more of them.  In order to get a nice looking Japanese cucumber they need to be trellised and pruned and we only do that in the high tunnels.  The American slicers get a small planting in the high tunnel for early cukes and then our field planted in larger quantities.  
Berries - You will have some berries  - they may be all strawberries, there may be some raspberries - tough to make an accurate prediction.  Our raspberry patch is in decline.  We tilled up some new ground but it wasn't ready to plant this spring so sadly an epic raspberry year is ways in the future.
Butterhead Lettuce - Large Only
Salad Mix - Large Only
Parsley - Large Only
Swiss Chard - Small Only

Beet Hummus looks beautiful and tastes great.
Vegan Beet Cupcakes  Beets and chocolate sounds weird but it actually is pretty tasty and a great way into fooling someone who doesn't like beets into eating them.
Grilled Beet Burgers - It was the color of these burgers and the pretty photos that intrigued me along with the thought that they are nothing like anything I normally cook.  The fact they have feta cheese in them probably peeked my interest as well.

Week 2

A couple of you came by the stand this weekend and bought some potatoes from an early experimental planting.  It was a small planting and we sold the last of them on Saturday.  I expected a gap between them and our main planting of potatoes but it looks like you should have some potatoes in your boxes in a couple weeks.  Kelly hilled them for the third and maybe the final time today.  The plants are starting to flower.  I dug around under one of the early varieties and pulled out a couple small potatoes.  I knew they wouldn't be big enough to justify harvesting them but I couldn't resist checking.  This year the potatoes are at our South Bay Road fields at Thunder Mountain Farm.  We are very unoriginal when it comes to names.  For example with our chickens we have a Golden Laced Wyndotte named Goldie, a Buff Orpington named Buffy and a Welsummer named Welsie.  We used similar naming methods on our tractors.  The Farmall 100 we use to hill the potatoes is called The Hundy.  The Hundy is a great tractor and up until this year we used it for other stuff as well.  This year we have been able to leave the hilling disks and shoes on it so it is ready to go with some minor adjustments whenever we want to hill the potatoes.

Kelly checking to see if there are any adjustments to be made

Shoes in the back and disks on the belly - both help push soil towards the row

The current planting of broccoli is also at South Bay.  It looks and tastes great.  We are having some on our pizza tonight for dinner(as soon as I hit post I am headed for the kitchen).  I have been thinking about making it for at least a week and can't wait.

Hope you all find some yummy ways to use your veggies this week.

Carrots
Lettuce
Snap Peas
Snow Peas - not a ton but plenty for a stir fry or sautéed with some carrots.
Cucumbers - out of the high tunnel
Dill - We have been using a lot of dill this spring.  It is great with carrots, snap peas and of course also with cucumbers.
Broccoli
Strawberries
Radishes - Large Only

Week 1

Here we go again!

We hope you all are looking forward to the first of many boxes of vegetables you will pick up this season.   If you ever have any questions about the vegetables in your boxes (how to cook, how to best keep them fresh, what the heck it is, etc) please speak up.  Sometimes, because they are so familiar to Kelly and me, we forget to offer up information.

If you ever want to take a walk around the farm please do.  One of us can even follow behind you telling you all sorts of stuff you may or may not be interested in hearing!  Looking around every few weeks will give you an idea of how we succession plant and how quickly things change this time of year.

I don't know why I am surprised that we are in just a wee bit of veggie chaos.  This time of year is always hectic.  We have a couple great people working with us this year and they stayed late every day last week to help get us caught back up.  It is okay to be a little behind but some things can't be corrected if they don't get done on time.  Fortunately, everything is still within our grasp at the moment.

We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow or Wednesday.  Enjoy the sunshine.

Carrots - These are great raw but also delicious roasted (I know, you are all dying to use your oven this week).
Head Lettuce - The lettuce is always so beautiful this time of year.
Snap Peas - plump and juicy with an edible pod
Green Cabbage 
Bunched Turnips - My standard line for these is that many people cook them but I prefer them raw.  That is probably still true but I did add some to a Thai curry and loved them.  I think I might try sautéing them soon.
Strawberries -  These have been really good this year.
Rainbow Chard - Large Only - Don't let the big leaves fool you they are nice and tender.  I peaked under the row cover we use as pest protection (cucumber beetles) on Friday and surprise!  The plants had grown so much since we last weeded them.

Happy Eating!

Week 20

Last year we grew a very small bed of fennel as an experiment.  We seeded it so that it would be ready late in the season when we were loosing variety on the stand.  We really liked having it and decided to plant a larger bed this year so that we could give some to the farm share and have some for the stand.  I seeded it as late as I thought I could and then it didn't get the water it needed when it was little.  For a while I wasn't sure if it would plump up to full size before we had a hard frost but fortunately we have had a mild fall.  Some people don't care for the licorice flavor but if you are a little on the fence about it the best thing to do is to mix it with something.  I love to caramelize it with onions.  It softens the flavor and brings out the sweetness.  It is also great in a slaw with cabbage and apples.

You also have one of our favorite winter squash varieties in your box today - orange kabocha.  It isn't the squash we eat the most of (delicata) but it is my go to squash for baking pies, cakes and breads. I also love it for soup.  It has a velvety texture and is super sweet.  It is also a good squash to use for Thai curries or braised squash.  I am including a recipe below that is similar to one I use however I like to leave the peel on the squash.  It helps it hold its shape and I hate peeling them.

Thank you all for your support!  We hope you enjoyed all the produce you received this year.

Carrot
Fennel
Potato
Orange Kabocha Squash
Cipollini Red Onions
Broccoli
Bunched Green
Green Cabbage - Large Only

Braised Kabocha Squash

Week 19

Hard to believe that for some of you it is your last week and for others the end is just a week away.  Fall came so late that it seems too early to end the farm share.  One of our farmer friends who started farming around the same time as us was telling me that she is so sick of her partner telling people that pretty soon things will slow down.  It is true for us as well that things don't slow down quite the way they use to in years past.  We have become a lot better at extending the season both in the fall and in the spring.  In addition, we all put a lot more time into planning by looking over our harvest records, production plans and staring at spread sheets for hours on end than we use to (although I will admit we are not as good at it or as thorough as we should be).  We love the challenge of trying to do better each year and we have a long list of items that need some improvement.  That said it has been a fantastic year.  The carrot shortage was a little tough but stopped short of being a complete disaster.  We had a fine tomato year but in general we need to be better at growing them.  We really need to get better at remembering to grab a change of clothes so we aren't a complete mess when you pick up your boxes!  We did a good job with our peas this year (remember June peas, so long ago). Our garlic looks great, we had fantastic yields on our winter squash and the weather this fall has been awesome for both the vegetables and our morale.

None of this would matter if you all didn't support us.  The farm share has become a big part of our overall farm plan and we hope to continue to slowly expand it as the farm grows.  One thing we spend very little time on is advertising.  You all do it for us and we appreciate you for it.  So many of you joined because your friend or neighbor flaunted their shiny produce.  We are so lucky to have you all.

One thing I hope to always be able to do is personally hand out boxes rather than have a drop off spot.  I don't always get a chance to chat with people but here and there I get to hear about what you all do with the vegetables your receive.  I think it is fun and it gives me lots of ideas.  Even if it doesn't sound like something I want to make it is great to have different suggestions for other customers.

We will be at the stand on Saturdays from 9-4 until the end of November and Wednesday afternoons as well.  Come by, say hi and get some veggies.

Carrots
Shallots
Parsnip
Rutabaga
Watermelon Radishes
Bell Pepper
Winter Squash - choice of butternut, spaghetti or pie pumpkin
Cauliflower - hoping to give you all romanesco or purple cauliflower
Kale - Large Only

Last year, one of the farm share members mentioned she had made root vegetable latkes.  What a great idea, I thought.  They became a popular side dish at our house last year.  The recipe below only uses parsnips but you should feel free add a little rutabaga and/or some potatoes.

Parsnip Pancakes

We made this recipe a couple times last winter and enjoyed it as a change of pace.

Winter Squash Carbonara

Spaghetti Squash

The best way to appreciate spaghetti squash is to go into thinking that it is its own thing.  It isn't spaghetti and it tastes nothing like a traditional sweet winter squash.  However, its mild flavor is pleasant and goes with just about anything.   I think it is great in place of rice with a rich coconut curry on top.

Stuffed Squash

If you have ever asked me what to do with an acorn or a delicata you have probably heard me say they are good stuffed.  For those of you who prefer a recipe one of your fellow farm share members took the time to record how she made the squash and shared it with us.

3 acorn squash (or any other squash)

Bunch of dark leafy greens (kales, chards, collards, etc)

1 onion (yellow, purple, sweet)

1 shallot or 3 garlic cloves

1 leek

4 sausages (Italian, andouille, or vegetarian fieldroast )

3 cups cooked rice or other grain.

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt, pepper to taste

Alternate ingredients: panko bread crumbs, chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc)

Directions:

Halve squash and cut a thin section off remaining rounded base (so it will sit steady on a plate)

Bake squash open face down on a lightly greased baking sheet at 350o F for about 30 – 45 minutes.

While squash are baking…

In a large skillet or heavy pot, sauté chopped onion, garlic, leek, and sausage.  If you like the ribs from the leafy greens chop and add to onion mixture. When onions are translucent, add salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.  Add in chopped green leaves. Sauté until greens are wilted. Add grain, mix well. Set aside.

Grate parmesan cheese.

When squash is done, remove from oven.  If needed, to make room for greens mixture, scoop out some squash meat and mix with sautéed greens. Then pack each squash with several spoonfuls of the mixture. Sprinkle tops with parmesan cheese (and panko, nuts etc, if you added this to your list) and return to oven. Bake until cheese is melted, roughly 10 minutes

Greens mix is fabulous by itself also!

Week 18

Last week when I was putting yokatta na down on the list I googled it to see if I could find something more to say about it than "similar to bok choy" or to recommend you stir-fry it.  What came up was mostly other CSA newsletters.  It is interesting to see what other farms write about and it reminded me of Kelly's friend who gave us a lecture(really it was just a conversation but it felt a bit like a lecture) about cultivating an image on social media.  I found the whole conversation rather irritating but truthfully we are all cultivating an image, me included, every time we write something about ourselves that other people read.  I try to present the farm and farming as I think it really is - a mix of pure joy and horrific disappointment!  I want you all to realize what goes into growing the food you eat but I want to stop short of anyone feeling sorry for us.  After all, we are incredibly lucky that we get to choose to do something we enjoy so much even if some days are a little less enjoyable.

I have written about this time of year before.  It is a relief to have the majority of work behind us for the season but it also leaves us feeling a little sad that all the work is behind us.  Planting something, tending to it and then harvesting it is a little more satisfying than rolling up drip tape and organizing irrigation parts into different boxes.  There are still some fun projects to be done including digging fall carrots and planting garlic.  Yesterday, Kelly spent the day on the tractor.  Most of our summer fields got mowed and disked.  The fields look a lot better without a bunch dead plants and weeds about to go to seed.  Some of the fields were mowed, disked and cover cropped before the last rains and that cover crop is just beginning to establish itself.

The boxes look good today.  Hope you enjoy them.

Rainbow Carrots
Beets
Potatoes
Silver Bell - This is one of the new squashes we grew this year.  We have only eaten one of them and hopefully it was typical of what to expect.  It has a golden orange flesh that is smooth and sweet.  It is a selection from blue banana squash from the 1950s that Ferry Morse Seed Company introduced.  It turns pink in storage.
Leeks - Some of you will have a variety called Bulgarian Giant.  The long shank means that they should be very clean.  If it seems like you have some dirt in the leek I find the best way to clean them is to cut them in half all the to the base but leave the base in tact.  Then you can swish them around in a bowl of water without them falling apart.
Lettuce
Purple Top Turnips - traditional fall/winter variety
Collards - Large Only
Broccoli - Large Only