Category Archives: Our Farm

midnight harvest Turmeric and Ginger

2017 CSA Summer July 8th Squash & Peppers

2017 CSA Summer July 8th Squash & Peppers

  • Baby Carrots
  • Ginger & Turmeric
  • Calamondin Oranges
  • Thai Basil Cuttings
  • Potatoes
  • Yellow Summer Squash
  • Bell Pepper
  • Baby Salad Mix
  • Watercress
  • Tomatoes
  • Cucumber

Just a peak at a few of the creatures that visit the farm… the second photo at right was being shared around: accessible food brings new friends 😉 The deer and the groundhogs have been the worst for us, taking out broccoli, kale and a few others. We have replanted but hard to wait.. our sweet potatoes have been getting hit and we have been vigilant, transplanting from greenhouse kept cuttings. But squash is finally going fast, hence the plethora in your share. The thai basil cuttings include a few flowers and quite possibly some seed, if you would like to sprinkle it in a pot nearby your kitchen. Thanks for helping me out with the carrots: a section of plantings of carrots, spinach, etc, got overrun by weeds and grasses. Since this section needs to be dealt with, i wanted you to at least enjoy the delicacy of baby carrots and fresh tops before it all gets turned over. The greens are edible, can be run thru the juicer, be made into pesto, soup or dressing.

The photo of the juvenile constrictor, the black snake as we know them, against the blue background is to introduce you to a local friend that is sometimes mistaken for a venomous snake because of its markings. These snakes are a sigh of relief…less fear of stumbling across a copperhead. Only once have i seen a copperhead here, and nowhere near the busy cultivated areas of the farm. Now the black snake on the other hand…see ‘em all the time.

 

2017 CSA Spring June 3rd

2017 CSA Spring June 3rd

  • Baby Kale
  • Baby Salad Mix
  • Field Arugula
  • 2 Cucumbers
  • Tomatoes
  • Chervil
  • Thai Basil
  • Mint
  • Epazote
  • Nasturtium Flowers
  • Ghost Pepper

When considering this week’s ingredients, you can see my usual treatment for a sandwich using sliced tomato and cucumber, but i came across two recipe ideas i wanted to share that can give a more exotic use for your items, plus a few suggestions. First comes from Chef John of Food Wishes: smashed cucumber salad, https://youtu.be/kCJcD7fYPWg (or see the link to blog post) where he extracts cucumber juice with salt and sugar, after smashing it 😉 And a second shout out to http://vintagekitty.com/spicy-thai-basil-cucumber-cocktail for a recipe that i think fits many of your ingredients, though i would add a pinch of mint, and maybe some chervil for a touch of anise-like aroma and use a very tiny piece of the ghost pepper instead of jalapeno, with a nasturtium flower for garnish. Certainly keeping it basic and juicing the cucumbers and mint together is a very nice drink. Consider blending it with your next lemonade endeavor as summer approaches. If you don’t have a juicer, cucumbers can be pureed and then strained thru a cloth, twisting it closed tighter and tighter to extract the juice. Besides using the pepper and herbs fresh, they can be dried, chopped and frozen, made into a syrup, used to infuse liquor, made into tea, or included in staple dishes like beans or stir-fry. Don’t forget your gloves when handling the Ghost Pepper as it is one of the hottest peppers in the world! Cheers!

 

Solar Ground Mount Frame

2017 CSA Spring May 20th

2017 CSA Spring May 20th

  • Beet Greens
  • Watercress
  • Chervil
  • Cilantro
  • Chives
  • Field Arugula
  • Field Mix
  • Tomatoes
  • Cucumber

Just a reminder to our new CSA members that we give a discount to you when you shop our farmer’s market stands at either Forest Lake’s Tuesday (4-7)market or the City’s market on Saturday (7-12). And I am excited to let you all know that we still have fruits showing on our Paw-paw trees and in the raspberry patch, which is a relief since we have recently experienced a couple of frosts in the mornings, high gusts combined with heavy rainfall, and just today temperatures reached over 100f in several greenhouses, in spite of strong fans to move the air, water/misting, etc. But such is the wonder of moving with the seasons and growing food.

All of the fresh herbs this week are wonderful used raw, freshly chopped. Chervil has a sweet flavor, and both the cilantro and chives have unique and strong flavors of their own. Try a salad this week topped with a combination of tomatoes and cucumber that has been stirred into a yogurt dressings infused with the zing of the cilantro and chives (i like to use scissors, carefully). For a new approach to wraps, salads, omelets or especially sandwiches, try watercress. It is highly nutritious when raw and has a crisp spicy flavor. The beet greens are great with pan roasted walnuts or pecans, dressed with balsamic vinegar and fresh soft goat cheese. Enjoy J

Note that in this last picture Michael is bringing his welding equipment out to a stand he is building via the tractor bucket. We will soon be harvesting sunlight through solar panels! Step by step, towards a more sustainable future. Much love!