|
|
 |
|
|
This weeks harvest:
- Cabbage - Chinese, green, and conical cabbage! These mini-cabbages were an experiment this spring -- we will grow more varieties this fall.
- Beans, Yellow Wax - Tender, yellow snap beans called "Carson".
- Carrots - Our last week of spring carrots: a short, stout heirloom called "Danvers". These are the same carrots we grew in the fall and, if you ate them last fall, you will note the incredible difference between spring and fall carrots.
- Beets
- Zucchini and Zephyr Squash
- Green Onions -
Our second planting of spring onions, and with this heat, likely our last green onions for a few months.
- Basil - Our first harvest of sweet basil and purple basil. You will receive more and more basil as the summer progresses.
- Parsley or Cilantro
- Blackberries (not pictured) - Our first round of sweet, large blackberries! We should have a lot more of these berries on the way.
Important Pick Up Note
We have
tried a few pick up/make up options and have come to the following
conclusion: we need to know at least 24 hours in advance if you would
like to make up your share, or if you will be missing a pick up
entirely. If we harvest a share and it is not picked up, this
represents a total loss for us, as the market is usually over by the time we realize members did not pick up. We have had weeks when this amount is ~$200, which is lot to us! We are very flexible with
make-up shares -- Please let us know. Thank you!
News From The Farm
Happy Summer Solstice! The solstice marks the longest day of the year, which is somewhat of a big deal for farmers. Up to this point in the season, everything has grown faster and faster with the extended daylight hours. Solstice marks the time that plants start growing slower and, if you've worked hard enough before this point, you should have a healthy garden of well-established plants. The tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, and cucumbers are triggered to produce fruit, as they are now "winding down". This doesn't mean less work for us, only a shift in the work we do. Now we will have to begin the long, daily harvests of all the wonderful summer veggies, and still find the time to keep up with the weeds and the several other projects that need attention. That said, the first ripe, golden cherry tomatoes we've been snacking on are well worth the work.
We were also blessed with two nice rains last week and the summer crops are really taking off now as a result. It keeps getting hot and dry, yet right when I consider putting together the drip irrigation system, the clouds roll in. I was taught to farm without irrigation, and I'm holding out as long as possible. Constant irrigation grows plants that need constant irrigation. Adding lots of compost/organic matter holds more moister, grows healthier plants, and builds drought-resistant soils. I can't believe how many farmer friends of ours have watered dozens of times already this season, while we have not watered once. When people are taught that there is only one way to do something, it is difficult for them to recognize or trust another way, despite increased efficiency.
A good shot for this week:
A large front moves across Bells Bend as we rush to get our second melon planting in (you can see the first young melons in the foreground). This storm actually missed our other two gardens, but more rain came the next day. We got the ground prepared and the seed in despite the rain -- over 200 plants. Taken at Ellen's Melons and Berries Farm.
Your farmers,
Eric,
Brooke, George, Kevin, Peter, and more!
Recipes
Hello Bells Benders,
This week we're delivering the last of the
four varieties of carrots that we tried out this spring. It's called
"Danvers", and I must say that it's not my favorite of the bunch to eat fresh. Due
to all the extreme heat we've experienced, these carrots have grown at
an alarming rate, and the flavor and texture is not the sweet tender
crunchiness that we had with the Nelson and Mokum carrots--the first varieties we shared. However, they are great for roasting and baking,
so I've included a couple of recipes to help you out in the kitchen.
Happy Solstice!
-Brooke
Carrot
Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking
soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/4 pound carrots
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/2
cup raisins
- 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup corn oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1
Granny Smith apple
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. and oil eighteen 1/2-cup muffin
cups.
Into a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt
and whisk in sugar. Coarsely shred enough carrots to measure 2 cups and
chop pecans. Add shredded carrots and pecans to flour mixture with
raisins and coconut and toss well.
In a bowl whisk together eggs, oil, and vanilla. Peel and core apple
and coarsely shred. Stir shredded apple into egg mixture and add to
flour mixture, stirring until batter is just combined well. Divide
batter among muffin cups, filling them three fourths full, and bake in
middle of oven until puffed and a tester comes out clean, 15 to 20
minutes.
Cool muffins in cups on racks 5 minutes before turning out onto racks
to cool completely. Muffins keep in an airtight container at room
temperature 5 days.
Carrot Soup from the 1977 edition of
Moosewood Cookbook
Ingredients
2 pounds
peeled or scrubbed, chopped carrots
4 cups stock or water
1 1/2
teaspoon salt
1 medium potato, chopped (optional, for heartier soup)
3-4
tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1-2 small cloves crushed
garlic
1/3 cup chopped cashews or almonds
Choose one:
1
cup milk
1 cup yogurt or buttermilk plus a little honey
1/2 pint heavy cream
3/4 cup sour cream
Seasoning choices:
-2
pinches of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon dried mint, dash of cinnamon
-1
teaspoon each of thyme, marjoram and basil
-1 teaspoon grated ginger
Place
carrots, liquid and salt (and potato if you are using it) into a medium
sized soup pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer it for 12-15
minutes. Let it cool to room temp.
Saute the onion, garlic and
nuts in the butter until the onions are clear. You can sprinkle in a
little salt to help draw the moisture out of the onions. Towards the
end of cooking, stir in the seasoning combo of your choice.
Puree
everything
together in a blender until smooth (I deviate from her
recipe at this stage. I dump the sauteed onions, garlic and nuts into
the pot with the cooked carrots and use an immersion blender to puree.
It saves dishes and energy).
Whisk in the dairy
product of your choosing. Garnish with toasted nuts, some toasted bread
crumbs or eat just as it is. I enjoy this soup served cold as well as
hot.
Beet Salad
Ingredients
3 or 4 Beets, tops removed
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1
small onion, very thinly sliced
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2
Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
Salt, Pepper to taste
Preparation
Put the beets, whole, into a small pot and cover with at least an
inch of cold salted water. Boil until easily pierced with a fork.
Let
the beets cool, peel them, and coarsely shop into bite size pieces.
Toss all of the ingredients together and serve. This will keep well in
the fridge for a few days, so it can be made a day ahead of time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
