In the Share - Week 31

SWEET POTATOES

BUTTERHEAD LETTUCE

RED LEAF LETTUCE

FRISEE ENDIVE

GARLIC

HAKUREI TURNIPS OR BEETS

RED CABBAGE OR SPINACH

CILANTRO, DILL OR RADISHES

ROOT MEDLEY Carrots, Gold Ball turnips, and Watermelon radishes.

NEXT WEEK:  You're on your own 'til Springtime.  We recommend stocking up at the BadSeed Farmers Market this Friday (1909 McGee 4-9 pm) and throughout the winter, every Friday 4-8 pm. 

FARM REPORT
Another growing season is drawing to a close with this the last week of the extended CSA season.   Overall, it was a successful year with full shares through Spring, Summer and Fall.  Potatoes and onions did very well.  The lettuces, zucchini, cucumbers and broccoli also enjoyed the cooler temperatures and plentiful rain. 

Winter came early this year with a low of 10 deg. F this morning.  We breathed a sigh of relief  when we took the double layers off of the high tunnel beds today and all looked undamaged.  These cold snaps remind us that winter growing is a gamble.  So, while we can we are clearing out the high tunnel for the last week of the CSA and for the Bad Seed Farmers Market on Friday.  If you haven't made it down before or if you are a die-hard regular, there is nothing like this market to get you in the mood for Thanksgiving.  Hope to see you all there! 

What to Do With Your Share---Week 31

Sorry for missing the blog last week. Vertigo took over for the second half of the day, and I learned the importance of a stable middle ear. An infection or inflammation came and went, and I am steady on my feet again.

Last week was Veteran's Day and I had wanted to thank our vets, and my dad. He served in the Mediterranean and China theaters during WWII as part of the Navy's "Scouts and Raiders." Pre-SEALS they focused on reconnaissance and demolition. Life in his early 20's.

Lt (jg) Frank "Rocky" Ruggieri

Here at the end of the season the fare is hearty. A chicken comes out of the freezer to help make a rich stock. Cooking them helps add humidity and warmth to the house. From there about any assortment of vegetables can be sautéed, before adding some of the homemade chicken broth. They say it cures the cold.

Our latest batch of sauerkraut is on sale now. Prepared and fermented at Bad Seed, it will be on sale to the general public at the Pre-Thanksgiving Market on Friday from 4-9 pm. We are looking forward to starting another batch next week for sale before the end of the year.

We have three go-to uses for kraut;

• on a grilled cheese sandwich
• with our Parker Farms brauts
• as a topping on salad

It is important to maintain a proper biology within our digestive systems, and the kraut helps. We are very symbiotic, and understanding that can help lead to healthier eating habits. We plan to offer more fermented vegetables that have been grown on the farm in the coming months and years.

In the Share - Week 30

 RADICCHIO  A first for us.  They are gorgeous little things, some more green, other varieties more traditional red-and-white.  They go well in a salad with most of your share this week: 2 kinds of lettuce, 2 kinds of cabbage, fennel and tat soi.  Just to warn you, they are supposed to be bitter.  If the bitterness is too much for you, try roasting or baking.  (BTW:  Tom is under the weather tonight, so I apologize for the lack of recipe-sharing). 

FRESHLY-DUG CARROTS  The first of the fall harvest - very tender and sweet!

BUTTERHEAD LETTUCE 

ROMAINE LETTUCE

NAPA CABBAGE

TAT SOI

YELLOW ONIONS

SAVOY CABBAGE

BULB FENNEL

NEXT WEEK:  Lettuce, sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, greens, garlic and endive.

FARM REPORT:
Another abrupt change in the weather this year!  It was hard to believe that we needed to prepare for winter when it is 70 deg. F.  But we trusted the forecasters and scurried around the fields getting the last of the harvest in.   Even the hardy cabbage won't survive 18 deg. F which is the forecast for tonight and more or less for the next week.  So, in came the last of the lettuces, fennel, radicchio, endive, carrots and a truckload of cabbages.   Shorter days mean the harvest continued past sundown. 

The other big task in preparation for freezing temperatures is to mulch the crops that are staying out in the fields.  Think strawberries, garlic, onions and leeks.  With most of the harvest work done, CSA farm shifts consist of some packing and weighing of the share items, but if you are coming out to the farm this week or next prepare to throw lots of straw around.

In the Share - Week 29

BUTTERHEAD LETTUCE 

RED LEAF LETTUCE

SPINACH

YELLOW ONIONS

GREENS CHOICE  Kale, Swiss Chard, Gai lan, or Bok Choy

ROOT MEDLEY  Carrots, beets and Gold Ball turnips

HAKUREI TURNIPS 

RADISHES

CILANTRO OR DILL

NEXT WEEK:  lettuces, greens, garlic, sweet potatoes, cabbage and bulb fennel.

FARM REPORT:

November arrived with a cold snap that has all but ended the outdoor harvest season.  What is left in the fields are hardy crops under heavy cover or in the high tunnel.  High winds have made the row cover a challenge to keep on, but a calm day today allowed us to re-cover the lettuces, fennel and endives that remain in the fields.  The high tunnel provides a much better cover for cold temps. and wind and we should be able to eat well for the next few weeks from inside the bubble. 

This week the spinach, Hakurei turnips, radishes, herbs and many of the greens are coming out of the high tunnel. 

The change in the weather also signals the garlic planting season.  All 4800 cloves are in thanks to many hands.  The fine folks from Milsap Farm in Springfield, MO couldn't have timed their visit better to get the job done.   If you are ever down in their neck of the woods, tell them we sent you and count yourself lucky if you get there on a Thursday for their weekly wood-fired oven pizza nights.

The next step for the garlic is to mulch the entire planting with a good layer of straw which will protect the cloves over the winter and keep the plants happy through til harvest in June.  This time of year we like to have enough help on CSA mornings to complete the harvest early and have time to get in some mulching.  Last week the strawberries and over-wintering leeks got the treatment.  This week it will hopefully be the garlic's turn.  If you haven't completed your shifts for the season, come on out and join in the straw throwing.

What to Do With Your Share---Week 29

Things have gotten crisp as of late, with a very cold night on Friday. The dawn was a beautiful sight, icy though it was. Everything has its season, and some of them ended with the freeze. It is nice being on the down-slope of the season.

The share this week has some nice roots. It is the perfect time for roasting an assortment of what you get and what may be in the fridge or cupboard. Cut, dressed, and roasted at 425 deg F, it is a simple dish. You can use olive oil, balsamic and rosemary for a moist coating, or dry rub the veggies with salt, chili powder, and other spices of choice.

Make sure to check and mix them about every 15 to 20 minutes, until cooked and browned. If you like garlic, add it with a little olive oil during the last 15 minutes of roasting.

On the egg front, a little update. First off many thanks to the CSA for making the sale of our eggs run so well. Our flock of 52 has been very productive this year. However, we have to be careful about counting our eggs before they are laid. So far, things have worked out well.

We are pleased to be able to keep a healthy flock on the farm. They are a source of eggs, entertainment, education, and fertility. In the photo above I am the source of their attention, as they await some afternoon scraps.

In the Share - Week 28

SWEET PEPPERS

CAULIFLOWER 

LETTUCE (2)

ARUGULA 

CILANTRO 
BULB FENNEL

GAI LAN OR TAT SOI

BROCCOLI

NEXT WEEK:  More lettuce and herbs.  Leeks, carrots, cabbages, spinach, garlic and bok choy.

FARM REPORT:
Another blog night finds us watching the World Series and writing the blog during the commercials.  During the day our work in the fields is sped along by conversations about baseball.  Between games, Tom, Rocky and I took a long walk around the Graff farm on Sunday.  The native grasses that were sowed in 2012 are beginning to spread in the old grain fields. 

What to Do With Your Share---Fall Extended Season Week 1

Another blog night, another Royals World Series game. Not a thing I ever thought I would be saying. We have found though that they have turned the rainbows blue and white on the farm.

With the start of the extended season, the high tunnel harvest begins. Our feeding of cover crops and compost appear to have enlivened the soil since last spring. Our first cuttings include arugula, cilantro and gai lan (Chinese broccoli). From the field you are getting the head style broccoli (Italian broccoli), as well as some wonderful fall lettuces.

The two broccoli types you can use pretty much interchangeably. Both work well in a stir-fry, or in a hearty pasta dish.

You can also make a soup with the gai lan or tat soi. Substitute them in this bok choy soup recipe from member Emily Akins, or this stir-fry soup recipe from our May 23, 2011 blog.

What to Do With Your Share---Week 24

An so the regular season of the 2014 CSA season ends. It's been a winning year, topped off by a wonderful October. Local excitement, a beautiful stretch of weather, and the promise of an off-season. Thanks to all who support us. Look forward to feeding everyone again next year.

But before then, there is this week's share to discuss. Depending on whether you are full or partial, you may get green tomatoes or small potatoes. The former, while good fried, also makes a wonderful curry. The latter, are great for steaming, before salting and tossing with butter. It has been a good potato year, so enjoy some of the last of the harvest.

In the Share - Week 24

LEEKS F/P The leeks are large with long, tender shanks.   

LETTUCE F/P  The lettuces took a break from growing thanks to the soggy weather, but everyone will get one head this week.

CARROTS F/P  More small snacking carrots

SWEET POTATOES F  Orange-fleshed Beauregards.  We harvested less than 30% of last year's record crop.  We blame the cool temperatures and soggy summer. 

POTATOES P  Small potatoes, good for cooking whole and popping them right in your mouth.

TOMATOES OR SWEET PEPPERS F  Some are ripe, some are green.  See Tom's post for cooking with green tomatoes.

WATERMELON RADISH  F A fall storage radish with brilliant pink flesh.  Cut into watermelon-shaped slices and eat the pink part.  If you like a kick, eat the rind.

HERB CHOICE F/P  Cilantro, dill, sage or radishes

GREENS CHOICE F/P  Kale, Swiss chard, bok choy or cabbage

BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER OR NAPA CABBAGE F

NEXT WEEK:  Extended season starts with lettuce, greens, bulb fennel, herbs and garlic.

FARM REPORT:

I am watching the world series while writing this post, so please excuse any sloppiness.  I remember watching the 1985 series and I am happy to see our hometown team back in the finals.  With Royals fever in the air, your farmers have been thinking about  how farming is like baseball.  We both start our seasons in the Spring and spend the summer working in the field. 

our home field

From Spring training to our last race around the bases before frost, we are always ready for whatever curveballs Mother Nature throws at us.  We are successful when we work as a team and thrive on the support of our fans... ahem CSA members.  Like the Royals, we too have a post-season.  Ours begins next week.  This is Week 24 of the CSA and for many of you, the last week.  Thank you for your support and we hope to see you back in 2015.  For those in the extended season, we have four more innings (okay...weeks) to go.  Charge!!

In the Share - Week 23

KOHLRABI F  I have heard from many kohlrabi lovers since I mentioned that it is not everybody's favorite.  One said, "I LOVE kohlrabi. It's yummy raw, kind of like broccoli stems or jicama, and it's delicious roasted. Great for salads or in sticks for dipping in dips like hummus. What's not to like?" Others offered that they make kohlrabi fries by dipping them in batter and baking them. " You'll have your chance to try a new recipe.  Since the positive comments began pouring in, the kohlrabi have swelled to softball size.

BULB FENNEL F/P  See Tom's post for more on the finocchio

LETTUCE F2/P1  We rescued many a head from the mud today.  They are triple-rinsed but will need a final rinse in your kitchens.

BEETS OR HAKUREI TURNIPS F

POTATOES F/P  Purple Viking is our new favorite potato.  Large and pretty in purple with white, fluffy flesh. 

GARLIC F/P

CABBAGE F  The last of the compact varieties.  The big heads are starting to mature.

GREENS CHOICE F  Bok choy, tat soi and yukina savoy, all great in a stir-fry.

GOLD BALL TURNIPS P  Just the roots with the tops removed to make them a bit more manageable.

BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER OR NAPA CABBAGE P  The first two are almost done.  The Napa is just starting.

NEXT WEEK:  More lettuce, cabbage, greens.  Watermelon radishes, carrots and leeks.

FARM REPORT:
The farm is very soggy and we are worrying over the tender crops left in the field.  We are approaching 10 inches of rain in the month of October.  Most vegetable crops like 1 inch per week and much more than that leads to pooling and stagnant conditions.  A soil is like a sponge and right now ours is full of water, not air.  The stiff north wind that blew today was a good first step in getting things to dry out.  Sunshine is forecasted for the next five days and should do a lot of good.

 

In the middle of this wet weather, Tom and I took a couple of days off the farm and ended up visiting our water downstream.  The farm resides within the Fishing River watershed which enters the Missouri River near Missouri City.  Across the river sits Fort Osage, originally constructed in 1808 to conduct trade with our allies, the Osage Indians.  The usual story of death, displacement and hardship followed.  The Osage are in Oklahoma now and our farm sits on their old hunting grounds

the river view from Fort Osage

What to Do With Your Share---Week 23

Another year, another Week 23. It's always something different it seems. The diminishing conditions of the last few weeks has ended the season for some plants this year. Others, sitting on higher ground, are doing well but looking forward to some drying out.

It was wet this week when we took some time off the farm to explore our watershed. From Missouri City to Sibley to Floyd, we were in bottoms. The wildlife put on a good show, doing what they do. For the yellow mud turtle life is best sunning on a log in the backwater of a mighty river. They are endangered in Missouri so we felt fortunate to be able to see some.

Through all the rain there are some very lush areas on the farm One is the bulb fennel patch. It is a great vegetable for this time of year. Cook it alongside onions, leeks and garlic to enhance a dish. Fresh in a salad it provides for good breath and digestion.

Asian greens are also peaking and ready for harvest. A stir fry is a great fall meal that can include most anything in the share. Treat fennel as you would celery in a dish, and don't forget to add a hot pepper.

In the Share - Week 22

CAULIFLOWER OR BROCCOLI F/P

SWEET PEPPERS F/P  A big bag for everyone.  See Tom's post for easy ways to use them/preserve them.

HOT PEPPERS F/P  A selection of jalapenos, Anaheims and hot wax.

EGGPLANT F  We picked baby eggplant in case we had frost.

CARROTS F/P  More snack-size ones.

ONIONS F  storage yellows and reds.

LEEKS F/P  The white part of the leeks are very nice this year - so long they barely fit in the crates!

GREENS CHOICE F  Swiss chard, kale or bok choy

GOLD BALL TURNIPS W/TOPS F  These are great stewing or roasting turnips.  Like most roots they store best without their tops, so separate them before you refrigerate them. 

TURNIPS AND RADISHES P

TOMATO F

NEXT WEEK:  More cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, lettuce and greens.  Potatoes, garlic and beets.  New:  the first of the bulb fennel.

FARM REPORT:
An extraordinary week has passed that included a five inch rainstorm, the threat of frost and Tom away at his niece's wedding.  All went well as the farm crew kicked into high gear to make it happen.  See Tom's photo of the bride escorted by her Tom's sister, Fran and husband Woody.  Congratulations to Barbara and Mike! 

Last week I mentioned how lucky we are to work in the beautiful outdoors with rainbows overhead and such.  Three days later we get this lovely sight...

After two days of rain, the forecast for Friday night fell to 36 deg. F.  Not knowing for sure if a frost was coming or not, we decided to bulk harvest the peppers, eggplants and tomatoes and pull out the row cover for the lettuces, fennel, chard and herbs.  Saturday morning came with only frost on the roof, but not in the fields.  All of our work is not in vain as we are now well-prepared for the next time frost threatens. 

Temporary covers protected the crops in the high tunnel during the frost scare, but  by Monday we were ready to put the real cover on.  It is always exciting to play with a 40' x 100' piece of plastic.  This time went much better than last year.  The biggest change is that we are using a single layer instead of a double layer.  This makes it a lot lighter and easier to attach.  Also, less plastic! 

What to Do With Your Share---Week 22

I dined off-farm this weekend, attending my niece Barbara's wedding in Evanston, Ill. This 3 day convergence of family was a splendid time. It included some deep dish pizza and other excellent food.

Woody, Barbara and my sister Fran

We are in the last stage of that time of year when summer and fall crops are available together. Your stir fry can include eggplant, or you can cook cherry tomatoes with your broccoli. It is also the time to stock up, even if for just a short time, on any excess produce.

You may find yourself with a lot of peppers this week. Take any extra and clean them, cut 'em into chunks and put in a freezer bag. They are now a convenience food. They fry up well, and are perfect in fajitas, eggs, or over pasta.

We hope that you have made good use of the herb selections this year. While the basil never recovered from the damp coolness of June, our stores of dried herbs have provided for the shares. We enjoy the hot peppers. Much of their heat is in the seeds. You can snap the stem off and shake out the seeds before crushing it, to cut down on the heat. Or just leave it whole and drop it into a slow cooking dish.

dried cayenne peppers

In the Share - Week 21

BROCCOLI F/P  Partial shares get a choice with cauliflower.
 
POTATOES F A mixture of Desiree (pink) and Bintje (yellow) varieties

SWEET POTATOES F/P  The sweets did not do well this year.  We can only figure our cool summer stunted their growth.  What we have is nice, but in limited supply. O'Henry (white) and Beauregard (orange) varieties.

GARLIC F/P  More softneck Artichoke

CHOICE F/P  Sage, tarragon or radishes

TOMATOES F  A mixture of a few slicers and cherries

SWEET PEPPERS AND EGGPLANT P 

KOHLRABI F/P  Plenty of members mention their disinterest in this vegetable.  We usually eat it raw after peeling it well.  A yogurt or peanut dip makes it even better.

GREENS CHOICE  F  Swiss Chard, bok choy, or rapini (our rapini has no broccoli florets but we are picking it anyway as it is huge and won't fit in the crates if it grows any more)

HOT PEPPERS F  jalapenos, anaheims or hot wax.

NEXT WEEK:  More broccoli, cauliflower, greens, peppers and eggplant.  Carrots and onions

FARM REPORT:

This has to be the best time of year to be a farmer.  The harvest is in,  the days are getting shorter,  and the weather is perfect.  As if it wasn't nice enough, we were graced by a beautiful rainbow at sunrise the other morning.

Another benefit on the farm has been the arrival each week of the cheese share.  This week our cheese shares will feature the award-winning Franklin Island feta from Ken and Jen Munro at Goatsbeard Farm.  Back in August this very cheese was awarded a Silver from the American Cheese Society.  Read all about it here.

What to Do With Your Share---Week 21

It seems that weather-wise we must have matched a record for most consecutive beautiful days and nights. The crops are enjoying it too, especially when we give them a good drink from the pond. The sun helps with that also.

For us it has been stir-fries lately. The eggplant, sweet and hot peppers, bok choi, greens, garlic, leeks and other fine vegetables have been filling our wok regularly. It is always great to see a crop like eggplant achieve the luster of its first fruits again at the end of the season.

The sweet potatoes are freshly cured and ready for cookin'. I suggest starting the sweet potato season with roasted and spiced wedges. Mayonnaise and malt vinegar are both good accompaniments.

On Saturday after the morning harvest I went with John and Dustin over to Parker Farms for an open house. I had not been to Tom and Paula's since they raised the hog population on the farm. It was a happy bunch of pigs and piglets everywhere we went. A beautiful Missouri farm.

What to Do With Your Share---Week 20

I may have come to realize that the first day of fall is my favorite day of the year. While the daylight has been waning since the first of summer, it is late September that promises some rest. The magnificent weather of the last week has been a nice touch too.

In the kitchen the share continues to change. We welcome leeks this week, and pair them with some beautiful red onions. Add garlic, and you have the trifecta that makes up three lily soup. If you have any potatoes you can make the classic leek and potato soup, or a nice potato and kale/greens soup.

water droplet on the kale

Another idea for the greens is that of a hot dressing. The lettuce from this week and last is quite crisp. It can hold up to a strong dressing. The non-vegetarian version consists of small pieces of chopped bacon cooked up and mixed with some honey or sugar, and vinegar. Yum.

In the Share - Week 20

LETTUCE F  I wish we had more of these crunchy heads, but we'll have to wait for the butterheads and leaf lettuces to mature a bit longer.

CARROTS F/P  These are the perfect snacking size.

RED ONIONS F/P

LEEKS F/P  The first digging of the fall leeks. It looks to be a good crop.

CABBAGE F  Tendersweet lives up to its name.

BROCCOLI P  We have just enough heads for the partial shares this week, but full shares will get some next week and hopefully for many weeks to come.

TURNIPS AND RADISHES F  Just a few of each.  The trick with eating them raw is to never cut them in advance and then leave them dry.  Eat it right away or dress it with vinegar, oil or salt.

TOMATO/CHERRY TOMATO F/P  Just a bit for everyone and make sure to let them ripen on your countertop.

PEPPERS AND EGGPLANT F

GREENS CHOICE F/P  Bok choy, arugula, rapini

NEXT WEEK:  More greens, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant and peppers.  Potatoes, garlic and kohlrabi return.

FARM REPORT:

equinox sunrise

The fall equinox marks the moment when our days and our nights are equal.  After that, fall begins the lengthening of the nighttime.  Days getting shorter means the plants grow slower and many people assume that this means farmers get some time off.  Well, we do... but in December.  Right now we are as busy as ever.  We are pushing through these gorgeous days to get the fall crops in order.  The high tunnel is filling and the fields are weeded and watered.  Out in the cabbage patch we caught a visitor that is usually too quick for the camera.

The dew has been heavy lately and she was surely to wet to fly away.  It is amazing to think how far this little, delicate creature has to go from here.  We hope her time in our fields were a benefit and that she finds her way home safely.

In the Share - Week 19

beautiful bok choy 

 GREENS CHOICE F/P  Bok choy, beet greens or kale

GARLIC F/P  soft-neck artichoke type is a good keeper

FINGERLING POTATOES F/P  Austrian crescent and French fingerling varieties.

LETTUCE F2/P1  This week only and then we will have to wait a few more weeks for more.  Summer crisp variety.

KOHLRABI F  The first of the fall crop.  Partial shares have a choice with the greens choice.

SWEET PEPPER F/P  Just one for everyone.  These cold nights do not ripen peppers.

TOMATO F  ditto on the tomatoes, but we don't have enough for everyone this week, only the fulls.

HERB CHOICE F/P   mint, rosemary, thyme, chives or dried.

NEXT WEEK:  More greens and peppers.  Carrots and onions and perhaps the first of the broccoli, radishes and turnips.  Finally some rapini (broccoli raab).

FARM REPORT:

 

Saturday morning we awoke to frost.  At first light we ventured to the fields to see the crops dusted with frozen dew.

 

Officially the thermometer said 35 deg. F. and once the sun melted the frost we could see little damage.  Now three days later it is safe to say that we survived unscathed.  Only the leaves of the sweet potatoes were damaged in any way. 

Sunday night we celebrated with 100+ of the CSA membership.  Our community sure knows how to cook and eat!  The weather was perfect and due to popular demand there were four hayrides.  When not eating or riding around the farm, many enjoyed the view from atop the big round straw bales.  Since I managed to forget almost everything that I meant to say at the dinner, let me say now how deeply indebted we feel towards everyone who has played a role in the re-building of our family farm over the past 11 seasons.   Our farm apprentices, employees, friends and family and the CSA membership have built something together out here that we hope will remain for many years to come.

Rocky staying warm on the compost pile

 

What to Do With Your Share---Week 19

It could not have been a more beautiful day on Sunday when our CSA congregated to celebrate the harvest. It was a great time. One thing that we enjoy about our farmstead is the lay of the land. It is a nice setting for gatherings and we look forward to the dinner at the farm being an annual event.

For our part of the potluck I made a vegetable stew. A combination of onions, carrots, peppers, hot peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and garlic. All the ingredients were cleaned and chopped. The first four ingredients were sautéed in olive oil until soft. Next the potatoes were added, followed by the tomatoes and garlic. Tomato sauce, salt, pepper, marjoram and oregano rounded out the ingredients.

The stew was brought to a boil and then simmered for an hour, or until carrots are tender. The stew is done then, but you can thicken it by pureeing a portion and adding it back.

Tell us what you brought on our CSA Facebook page. I know someone was looking for seconds on the coleslaw, and the candied jalapenos were a unique treat.

In the Share - Week 18

YELLOW ONIONS F/P  We are very proud of our onion crop this year.  This week we begin to share with you these big beautiful yellow ones, which are also our best keepers.

CARROTS F/P

GREENS F  Turnip greens, kale or maybe some rapini (broccoli raab) by Saturday. 

SWEET PEPPER F/P

EGGPLANT, SALSA PACK OR GROUND CHERRIES F

TOMATOES F/P Just one or two or some cherry tomatoes

HOT PEPPERS F/P  See Tom's post on roasting the Anaheims

HERB CHOICE F  Chives, parsley or a dried herb

NEXT WEEK:  A few more summer fruits:  peppers, tomatoes, eggplant along with potatoes, garlic, bok choy, kohlrabi and lettuce.

FARM REPORT:
The summer harvest is dwindling and the fall crops are just starting to produce.  During the transition from one season to the next, the shares will be lighter.  Less time harvesting means more time to tend to the crops.  Today we tackled the broccoli and cauliflower beds. 

On Monday we pulled the chicken coop down the row a pace to some fresh crabgrass.  Unfortunately, we are really good at growing crabgrass.  Lucky for us the chickens love it and it is fun to see them stripping the stems of those pesky seeds.  You can see in the photo that they did a fabulous job of cleaning up their old spot in just three short weeks. 

What to Do With Your Share---Week 18

The recent harvest slow down has given time to pause and check out the farm's newest crop---sunn hemp. We have added this legume to our cover crop mix, as it is suits our climate and soil. It grows fast, provides nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil, and it made a good stand.

The USDA says it originated in India and has been grown since the dawn of agriculture. Its uses and benefits are many. We are glad that it came up so well this first attempt.

On the culinary side of things, we feel that the pause gives us all a good reason to clear out the fridge. Below are a couple of recipe options that take into account many items from the last several weeks.

The first is a greens and beans recipe we had a few days ago. We chopped and steamed some roma beans, tossed them with salt, pepper and butter, and then topped it all chive flowers. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan we sautéed onions, garlic and kale.  We then tossed it with pasta and topped with grated cheese and sunflower seeds.

Chances are you have some hot peppers stashed in the crisper drawer. Member Merri Dillinger posted a recipe for candied jalapenos on our Facebook page. Another option is roasting.

I used to roast my peppers by cutting them in half, cleaning out the seeds and membrane, and broiling until charred. A much better way is to put away the knife initially and simply roast the peppers whole. Turn them once when they start to blister. When both sides are done put them in a bowl with a plate over it. Let them steam about 5 minutes and peel. They are great on sandwiches, in potato salads, or to spice up some greens and beans.

What to Do With Your Share---Week 17

When August turns to September, our minds turn to the shortening days, and the plantings to get in before the curtain closes. The light of the sun waxes and wanes every year, and there isn't anything we can do about it. Nature is predictable in that way, and the annual transition to fall is one we enjoy.

This year we are pleased to have an ongoing supply of potatoes that will continue into the fall. We love fresh potatoes, and the varieties we have are perfect for country fries. Just cut your potato into skinny wedges or chunks, mix with dried herbs, salt and oil, and bake at 425 F until toasty.

And while there are only two of us, we regularly cook for four, and find our toaster oven to be the perfect appliance for a batch of potatoes. We chose it over a microwave for the great job it does baking, broiling, toasting and roasting, all without heating up the house. An indispensable tool.

This week the herbs return, and in a form we have not handed out before. Back at the start of our life on the farm we planted about 3 or so garlic chive plants on our patio. With no coaxing they have propagated well. You get dozen of seeds from each flower head, and so it appears we will always have garlic chive flowers.

They serve well as a garnish on such seasonal treats as potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers and more. Just pull the flower-heads off the stalks and sprinkle on your favorite dish.