Wednesday, July 20, 2016

2016 CSA Week #6 Maybe Summer Now?

I just checked the weather forecast and it is looking like it is actually going to move into the mid-80's for a week. Woah...finally. Still waiting on a couple of things to start producing....like those fickle cucumbers. A little heat is all that they need so hopefully this week will be enough to give them a little nudge. Same goes for the eggplant.
There are lots of green tomatoes but no ripe ones yet. This is pretty typical. They usually don't really start ripening at our farm until sometime in August. Once they start, we should have them for quite a while.

Willy is pulling all of the garlic off the field. The rain has been slightly problematic for this since it can hurt the curing process. However, this year, with the new building we have a large outdoor covered area that we can let the garlic sit and dry out a bit before cleaning it.

Not too much to really report. Everyone is tired right now but that is pretty normal. The days are still long and Willy and Laura have been getting to the farm very early and staying until late in the afternoon/evening. It is still planting season so they are doing their best to get things re-sown for late summer and fall harvest. Only a couple more weeks until we run out of time for planting so this part of the year is particularly fast-paced and slightly frantic.

We are starting to price out the cost of an additional high tunnel. They are very useful tools especially when dealing with erratic weather. Hopefully next season we may be able to add a 3rd one to our operation which will help give us a jump-start in the spring and another safety net for the fall.

Also, a quick note...in August our farm will be hosting its first Farm To Table Dinner. This dinner is a fundraiser for the Leavenworth Community Farmers Market and will help to raise funds for implementing a SNAP/EBT program at the market. All wine is being donated by Budreaux  Cellars and all food is being prepared via donation by Watershed Cafe. We will be donating produce along with the space. It should be a great event. Fliers went into the boxes this week.

Hopefully you had a great week and enjoyed the rain that came our way. This summer is very reminiscent of the ones I experienced growing up in Northern Wisconsin so I can't help but love the weather even if it isn't entirely awesome for farming (or going to the beach).

In Your Share This Week:
Arugula, Cucumber, Zucchini, Fennel, Carrots, Beets, Garlic, Kale, Basil and maybe a surprise or two

Recipes:
Do you remember the fennel and arugula salad recipe from a couple of weeks ago? Well this is the time to try it out. Also, fennel is great in creamy soups.

Fennel Soup

Carrot Fennel Soup

Fennel Arugula Salad

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

2016 CSA Week #5 Slow Motion

This week sort of stretched itself out a bit in my head. Our kiddos went to their first overnight camp ever and were gone from the house for 3 nights. It was a strange experience to finally see these little chicks fledge. The house felt extremely quiet and there was, of course, extra time available for weeding and farm work :-)
This week, we all finally finished off re-weeding the onion beds. It was a relief to reach the end of this long-standing project. We planted about twice as many onions as usual so the weeding took about twice as long. Many hands played a part in keeping these little guys from getting swallowed whole by rampaging amaranth, morning glory and various other wild plants. Now.....for the leeks and shallots!

We have had a very cheerful bunch of farm helpers this season. Jeanne is back at it again weeding salad for probably her 5th (6th?) season. She's like a garden angel....showing up like clockwork and always bringing treats for Comet the dog or snacks for the kids. Colleen is also back at it, helping on an every-other week schedule or as her busy summer allows. This is her second season at Tierra and I am still amazed that she takes the time to drive up valley all the way from Wenatchee to spend time at our little farm. Emerson is a near-permanent fixture at the farm now....seriously, I don't know what we would do without his company.He puts everyone in a good mood. Mijanou is always a pleasure to have around.  McCarthy and Taylor pop in from time to time and offer interesting conversation, Jenny and Ty somehow find a way to fit in a few hours to help each week even though their life is hectic, Jesse is new and has only just started to get his fingers dirty. Shreve reminds us that we should really get out and climb once in a while. Ruby who brings a smile along everytime she helps out. Carol is helping me for the 4th (5th?) year in a row at Plain Market and Jen is my company at the Leavenworth Market.  And then there's Laura who is the anchor in this mish-mash crazy crew. It takes a village to raise a farm and I am thankful for every last minute of help that we receive.

In other farm news, the beans are starting to flower as are the second planting of sugar snap peas. It will be a little bit before they are available for harvest but it is always a good sign to see those flowers. We mulched and weeded the cucumbers this week. I pushed hard to include the first cukes in this week's box. They won't be huge and there won't be a lot of them yet but it will at least give you a taste of what's to come. Again, we are starting to see lots of flowers which is a really good sign.

Steve Foley checked on the bees and they seem to be doing okay still. Lots of pollination happening right now. The lavender is awash in buzzing.

That pretty much sums up the week.  I hope yours was a great one.

In Your Share This Week:
Head Lettuce, Salad, Chard, Beets, Shell Peas, Cukes (kind of!), Garlic, Fennel, Zucchini, Basil and probably a few other surprises

Recipes:
Use those beet greens! 

Roasted Beets and Braised Beet Greens

Garlicy Sauteed Swiss Chard

The 10 Best Leafy Greens for Smoothies

Raw Garlic Salad Dressing

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

2016 CSA Week #4 And the Wind Keeps Blowing....But Things are Still Growing

Well, it seems as though we are having a 'cold summer' this year.  The great news is that nothing is on fire yet....even after making it through the 4th of July. The bad news is that this wind is just wreaking havoc with plants at the farm....nothing that is permanent or fatal but certainly the effects can be noticeable. Some of the taller squash leaves have tattered and torn edges and the kohlrabi have an incredibly unusual shape due to being whipped in circles as babies. All told though, things seem to be moving along on schedule. Actually, looking at last year's newsletter (when it was super hot and we were way ahead of normal) we aren't too far off from what we were putting in the box this time last year. I found this surprising given that this season is a much different beast than the last two. Turns out, that it is just me who feels like things are moving slowly....to the plants, they are maturing right no time.
Another good side-effect of the cooler weather is that we are having a great pea year. Last season,the shelling peas were tough and mealy from the heat. This year, the pods are green and the peas are sweet. You will see them in this week's box and probably next week as well.
We did end up putting a few in the box last week...to my surprise. So, I hope you figured out how to open them up and use them since I didn't include any information about them in the last newsletter.

For future reference, shelling peas are also known as English Peas. The shells are tasty but too fibrous to really eat. So each shell must be opened to be enjoyed. This is a great job for kids. Save the shells though and use them for making a broth or soup stock. They give a nice sweet flavor when simmered in a broth. Strain and remove the shells before using the broth and then add  the shells to the compost. Shelling peas can be frozen for later use. After the peas are removed from the shells you can lay them out on a cookie tray and then place them in the freezer. After they have frozen, remove the tray from the freezer and then roll the peas into a ziploc freezer bag. This is a nice way to save a little summer for another day.

One last update from the farm, the eggplant inside the high tunnels are now loaded with flowers. I would expect that within 2 weeks you will see the first eggplant making their way into the boxes. Same goes with cucumbers. The first little babies are showing up out in the field. Expect to start seeing these in the next two weeks as well.

In Your Share This Week:
Salad Mix, Carrots (No Beets this week), Kale, Garlic, Shelling Peas, Sugar Snap Peas, Basil, Pak Choi, Arugula and maybe a Hungarian Wax Pepper just for fun! Looks like Zucchini and Fennel next week but I am including some Fennel recipes to get you thinking....

**Also, the basil is not washed. We debated over this for quite some time but decided to give it to you 'as is' mainly because it stores much better. Wash as needed by swishing in cold water.

Recipes:
13 Fennel Recipes- This is more eye-candy than anything but thought I would share for inspirational purposes....
Arugula Fennel Salad

How to Buy, Store, Shell and Cook with Fresh Peas-more information for you on shelling peas

How to Dry Basil- In case you end up with too much basil for fresh eating, here is some info on drying the basil for later use (spaghetti and pizza this winter!)