Hello from the sunny farm fields,

After a white-out deluge of horizontal precipation on Tuesday we are thrilled to have sunshine and fields drying out after two weeks of wet season.  This week we have been making great lemonade from lemons by putting up tomato trellising, going after some overeager thistle, working on parking areas with some new stone in anticipation (dread?)  of the next soggy season, getting a weeding tool welded together down the road at Doc Flanagans of Flanagan Welding, and putting almost daily bird scaring gadgets in the blueberry patch. We are never bored! :-)



Blueberries are starting to ripen. There will be a season limit to manage the ebb and flow of the blueberry season.

Baby summer squash.  The blue mulch promotes early ripeness.

 Field Forecast:

The fields are saturated and the weeds are loving it because we haven't been able to hoe or cultivate hardly at all during the last two weeks.  The bright side is that the vegetables have all the soil moisture they could ever want and then some.  Summer squash and cucumbers are are growing quickly--look for them to appear in the next week or two. 


And the Farmer forecast--your farmers are worn out but still smiling and thoughtful

Ideas for the harvest:
Broccoli:  our first broccoli of the season--this is super good!!
Beets:  great roasted with olive oil, grilled with oil and balsamic vinegar, or grated in salads.
Napa cabbage:   this lettucey cabbage is great in the cabbage slaw recipe below
Snow peas:   these flat-podded peas are eaten "hull and all" except for the stem. They are wonderful lightly steamed, boiled or in stir fry, even good raw. 
Chard:  remove the lower portion of the stalk as it is usually tough.  Sautee leaves in butter, olive or coconut oil, add salt, and red pepper, top with Paresan cheese. 
 Kale/Collards:  we like to fry these in a skillet with butter or coconut oil until crisp, add some onions and sautee them as well--a superb topping for rice, fried eggs or stand alone too.
Bok choi:  the joy of choi, this Asian vegetable seems to have been invented for the stir fry and peanut butter based sauce. Like it's cousin, the Napa cabbage, it is a mainstay when making spicy Korean kimchee--in last weeks Notes from the farm. 
Garlic scapes:   these are the would-be flowering stems of garlic--soft, tender, easy to use for stir fries, diced for salad, really anywhere a mild garlic flavor is desired. We like to use it for pesto here at the farm. 
Cilantro  this increasingly hankered for herb is central to salsa and a variety of world culinary dishes. It's great on a sandwich or what have you.

Asian Cabbage Slaw

 2 cups julienned radish or salad turnip

2 cups julienned carrots
2 cups thinly sliced Napa cagage ( or regular cabbage)
1 Jalapeno, seeded and julienned (optional)
1 sweet bell pepper, julienned
2 or 3 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped basil
3/4 cup dry roasted peanuts

 

Dressing

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil (olive or vegetable oil would be fine, too)
2 tsp maple syrup or other sweetener
1 tsp ume plum vinegar 
juice of 3 limes
1/4 tsp sea salt

 

Place radish (or turnip), carrot, cabbage, jalapeno, scallion, pepper, and herbs in a large mixing

bowl to combine.

 

In separate bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients.  Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to

evenly coat.  Fold in roasted peanuts, and serve.

 

Serves 4

A favorite of Elizabeth Swope, thanks Elizabeth!


We hope you are enjoying the harvest,

Scott and the Merry Band of Farmers