August 5th and 8th

Living High on the Hog

 

The pigs are excited about their new home, nestled right in the middle of a luscious patch of oats.  Those critters have it pretty good during their time here at Little Ridge.  Fresh grass, lots of sun, cool puddles of water, whey, organic grain and love pats.  Although their season is short, they love every minute if it.  

  

Yellow Cukes and Golden Zukes!

 

Have no fear, the yellow cucumbers, called Poona Kheerna, are not overripe green cukes, they are an Indian heirloom variety.  They ripen from pale yellow to russet brown and can be eaten fresh, pickled and even cooked.  The skin is a little thicker and stays super crunchy no matter what you do with it. 

The yellow zucchini taste the same as the green...just a little variety for your plate!

 

While eating dinner last night, Zach and I were reveling in the abundance of food on our counter tops and fridge.  THIS IS THE TIME TO EAT.  We wait and wait all year for a diverse array of fresh veggies in Maine and here we are, at the height of the bounty.  It's hard to decide what to eat for dinner, it's all so good.   Hope you are loving it too!!!

 

 

This week's bounty: lettuce, cabbage, purplette onions, beets, beet greens, baby carrots with tops, green beans, kohl rabi, broccoli (?, or maybe next week), eggplant, cukes, zukes, summer squash, tomatoes (half shares), watermelon and peppers (full shares), basil and dill

 

 

The Farmer's Table:  are you ready to drool?  we had an amzing week of eating!

*watermelon cocktail....mmmm

*pizza with wild black trumpet mushrooms (generously gifted to us) with cream cheese

*chicken stuffed with black trumpet mushrooms with roasted fennel and kohl rabi 

*hamburger layered with tomato, lettuce, Evangeline cheese, and peach mostarda.  With sliced cukes and dill.

 

 

Recipes: 

 

Kohl Rabi Ham Bake: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/kohlrabi_ham_bake/

 

 

Beet Hummus: My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz.

12 ounces cooked beets (I only had 8oz and it was fine)
1 cup chick peas drained with skins rubbed off
2 cloves garlic
6 Tblsp tahini
2 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
Pinch of cayenne or smoked chile powder
1 1/2 Tblsp pomegranate molasses

Blend all in food processor until smooth, drizzle with more pomegranate molasses, hide in back if refrigerator until serving time, devour

Fennel String-Bean Salad

Hopefully you can read this one--it is from "Kicking Cancer in the Kitchen", a book written by one of our share holders, Kendall Scott

 

Week 11 Aug 3rd and 6th

Potatoes, Spuds, Taters

This amazing root vegetable grows beautiful bulbs of red, yellow, purple, blue, white and brown. Mostly I dig potatoes by hand: pulling up a plant and then immersing my hand into the soil sifting for "gold". A good yield is harvesting 10# of taters for every 1# planted. I don't know that my yield is quite that high, but it is pretty darn good.


When you look at the potato, you will see little "eyes" or sunken spots on the tuber. It is from these eyes that a potato sprouts a branch. In early May, I set a piece of a potato, about the size of an egg, into the ground and cover it with about 4 inches of soil. Soon, those eyes have set branches and eventually they poke out of the soil. At 6 inches tall, I mound more soil up around the branches and then once again when they are 12 inches tall. This gives a nice soft mound of soil for the potatoes to grow in which makes harvesting easier.


The potatoes you are receiving now are considered "new potatoes". That means that their skin is thin and that they would not store for a long time outside of your fridge. Some potato varieties are good "storage potatoes". These varieties I let stay in the ground until their leaves naturally die. This is an indication that the skins on the potatoes have toughened up and cured so that they will be able to store for up to several months. These potatoes I will not wash for you, as they are best stored unwashed in a dark, cool, dry place.

"The annual diet of an average global citizen in the first decade of the twenty-first century included about 73 lb of potato."

A Bird's Eye View

A porcupine has found the weakness in my hero farmer armor...eat right through it. This little spiky animal has consistently eaten 10-20 heads of lettuce a night. We have sat out for 4 consecutive evenings waiting for him to show his face before dark, but alas, I think the crows are alerting him to our whereabouts. They are certainly in cahoots, although I am not quite sure what the crows are getting out of the deal. Maybe the porcupine promised to stay out of the tomatoes if he could get all the lettuce he wanted. Well their little conspiracy is working...bummer!

Dilly Beans, Frozen Beans, Pickles, Zucchini Relish

Let me know if you are interested in aquiring more cucs, zucs and/or beans for preserving!

This Week's Loot: Lettuce? Cucs, Zucs, Green Beans, New Potatoes, Kale, Herbs, Jalepeno Peppers, Corn?

Next Week's Loot: Lettuce? Cucs, Zucs, Green Beans, Carrots, Beets, Green Peppers?

Recipes:
Vegetable Lasagna
Basically just layer every vegetable you get into a pan...beans, squashes, greens, carrots
In between layers add cheese, oil, herbs, sauce...
Bake it covered at 350 for 30 minutes, then remove cover and bake until cheese is bubbly

Week 9, July 20th and 23rd

Green Beans

In skiing there is a phrase called "hero snow". It means that the conditions are sooo perfect, that any skier, at any ski level can look fabulous. I was joking with some shareholders, at pick up last week, that this growing season is like "hero farming". You can expect good food from me every year, but maybe not this early or to this bounty. I guess I can take the heat if I get to be a hero farmer : )



So this week we get green beans! Mmmmm. These beans grow on small "bushes" from a flower that looks a bit like a snapdragon. They grow plentiful and need to be picked every other day.

How to Blanch Green Beans (for freezing) Fill a mixing bowl halfway with ice and enough water to cover it. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the green beans until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the green beans from the pot to the ice bath. Drain when cool, about 1 minute.

How to Steam Green Beans Fill a large saucepan with 1 inch of water and fit with a steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil. Place the green beans in the basket, cover, and steam until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

How to Store Green Beans Refrigerate unwashed green beans in a plastic bag or container in the vegetable drawer.

Thank you to all who bought ice cream last week; )

FISH!!! FISH!!! FISH!!!

Fish shares are still available. You can get them for as few or as many weeks as you would like. This is a photo of our red perch over zucchini, kale and rice. It has been very tasty, SUPER fresh and well worth it!

This week's loot: lettuce, new potatoes, green beans, zucs, summer sq, cucumbers?, scallions, cabbage, cilantro, oregano

Next week's loot: very similar : )

Recipes

Pesto Potato Salad with Green

Now, I’m going to have to insist that you make your own pesto. Okay, I can’t insist, but I do highly recommend it. Even the best store-bought stuff lacks the flavor wallop of making your own — they may look green, but turn out to be mostly oil — and with basil inching its way towards Greenmarkets, it’s more delicious than ever to make your own. Brightening the flavor with vinegar and a good helping of salt and pepper keep this from bland-dom (a critique of many pesto potato salads), and the green beans provide the perfect antidote to those carb-phobic types.
2 pounds small Yukon gold or red-skinned potatoes, quartered1 pound green beans, cut into one-inch segments

1 to 2 small garlic cloves, peeled

1 bunches of basil (about one ounce each)

1/8 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons (or more to taste) mild vinegar, such as champagne, white wine or a white balsamic

1/8 cup chopped green onions (scallions)

1/8 cup pine nuts, toasted

Parmesan cheese to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Add beans; cook four minutes longer. Drain well and let cool, then transfer potatoes and beans to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, discard the stems from the basil and wash and dry the leaves. Puree them in a food processor with garlic, drizzling in enough olive oil that it gets saucy. Season the pesto with salt and pepper. [Alternately, you can swap this step with one cup of prepared pesto, but seriously, I think you'll be missing out.]
Toss the beans and potatoes with pesto. Stir in vinegar, green onions, pine nuts and season with salt, pepper and/or additional vinegar to taste. Finally, shave some wide flecks of parmesan over the salad with a vegetable peeler.
Serve immediately, or make this up to two hours in advance. It can be stored at room temperature.

Green Bean Zucchini Salad
In a small saucepan with enough boiling unsalted water to cover, cook the green beans until tender but still crisp 3 to 4 minutes.Drain in a colander, rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking, and drain again.In a medium size bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, tarragon, and pepper.Add the green beans, zucchini, and onion and toss well.Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, tossing occasionally

Week 12--The Half-Way Mark

The end of August already! I can't believe it. The gardens went from full and lush to fall very quickly. It some ways I am not ready, but I know there are good things in store like sweet melons and squash...and cooler nights.

Garlic Harvest was abundant and they should serve us well into the winter. This week, onions will come out of the field too...now I just have to find a place to dry them! Both onions and garlic take about 4 weeks to dry. Either can be eaten "fresh" or "green". But curing them in a cool, dry place allows their skins to cure and will allow for long time storage. Hope you are enjoying the bounty!

SAVE THE DATE!!! (I did change it)

Pick Your Own Pumpkin and Potluck.

October 17th from 10am-1pm.

A wagon ride into the pumpkin patch and then enjoy a nice lunch!

This week's Loot: Purple Majesty Potatoes, red onions, garlic, summer squash, cucs, zucchini, corn!, lettuce (sorry inside may be slightly bitter), tomatoes, green cabbage, cilantro, dill

Next Week's Loot: Carrots, Beets, Cucs, Zucs, Summer Squash, Lettuce?, Corn?

Spicy Bean and Cucumber Salad

2 c cooked beans

1 c finely chopped cucumber

1/2 c finely chopped onion

2 Tbs fresh cilantro

2 Tbs red wine or cider vinegar

2 tsp fresh chili pepper (or jalapeno) or 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Summer Food

A large pinch of saffron threads
1/2 cup olive oil
7 ounces red or yellow cherry tomatoes
4 ounces green beans
1 zucchini, diced
3 ounces freshly shelled peas (or frozen if fresh are not available)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted

Put the saffron in a bowl with 1/3 cup hot water and set it aside to infuse.
Heat half the oil in a heavy-based skillet over high heat and add the tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes, shaking the skillet so that the tomatoes soften and start to split. Use a slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes from the pan and set them aside. Add the beans, zucchini, and peas and stir-fry over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Set the vegetables aside with the tomatoes until needed.
Add the remaining oil to the skillet with the garlic and rosemary and cook over low heat for 1 minute to flavor the oil. Add the rice to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, until the rice is shiny and opaque. Add the broth and the saffron water to the skillet. Stir, then increase the heat and let the liquid reach a boil. When the broth is rapidly boiling and little holes have formed in the rice, reduce the heat to medium and let the liquid simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until almost all the broth has been absorbed.
Scatter the cooked vegetables over the rice, cover the skillet tightly with foil, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes so that the vegetables are just heated through. Sprinkle the almonds on top to serve.

Week 9--The Potato Harvest

Yeah the sun is shining!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, the potato harvest has begun! Even though I know these tasty spuds won't last through the winter, picking taters is still fun, it's like an easter egg hunt. Since it is so fun I would like to invite you to join us! We are having a little Potato Picking Party this Saturday August 8th from 10am-1pm. Bring the whole family--even kids can do it! Bring a bucket : )

Freezing/Canning beans for sale. $2.00/#. They will be set up in the barn on the big scale behind the welcome sign. Help yourself and leave money in the cash box. Feel free to buy for friends and family. Extra potatoes are for sale too, $2.00/#. Let me know of you are interested.

Speaking of money, Please be sure to pay your IOU's and when you do throw your slip away!

This Week's Loot: The last of the sugar snap peas, hakuri turnips, baby carrots, summer squash/zucchini, potatoes, A tomato, beans, lettuce, chard, dill, cilantro

Next Week's Loot: The last of the Hakuri Turnips, beets, summer squash/zucchini, beans, lettuce, onions, basil

Stampfenbohnen

stampfen means pounding or stamping, bohnen means beans

1 # taters

1.5 # green beans

6-8Tbs butter

1 cup chopped onions

Roughly chop potatoes and cut beans into one inch pieces. Cover taters with salted water and bring to a boil, cooking gently for about 15 minutes. Add beans and cook another 10 minutes or until all veggies are soft.

Melt butter and saute onions. Drain veggies, setting aside some of the liquid. mash taters and beans together until taters are mashed and beans are broken up. Ad cooking liquid as needed. Add butter and onions and remaining Tbs of butter, if desired.

Week 8--The Follow Up

I have had several folks ask me about the Late Blight, so I wanted to follow up on that topic. Unfortunately it has spread into the potatoes quite rapidly, so I will be harvesting a lot of "new" potatoes this season. I suppose this isn't too bad since new potatoes are very tasty, however this means I won't have as many storage potatoes to sell in the winter.

So how does this Late Blight affect you? Besides the fact that we may not have as many tomatoes or storage potatoes, and that you have to hear me complain about it, it won't affect you at all. LATE BLIGHT WILL NOT MAKE YOU SICK!


The turkeys just celebrated their 5 week birthday! They now have a run outside, but still go in the barn at night. Feel free to visit them on the back side of our house, but don't touch the fence, it's electric! (Boogie Woogie!).

HELP WANTED: This late blight has taken up so many hours of my day I am in need of help! Looking for a strong individual to help with harvesting and weeding 5-10 hours a week ASAP through mid October. Must be willing to work in the rain : ) I will "pay" the equivalent of $8/hour in produce.

This week's loot: lettuce, baby carrots, hakuri turnips, cilantro, green beans, snap peas and a taste of summer

Next weeks' loot: the same with the addition of chard, I promise! and some other herb like dill : )

Pickled Dilly Beans2 lbs fresh green beans
4 small garlic cloves
4 heads of dill or 4 tsp dill seeds
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 ½ cups white vinegar
2 ½ cups water
2 Tbs salt

Sterilize 4 pint jars and place one peeled glove of garlic, 1 head or 1 tsp of dill seeds and a pinch of red pepper in each. Fit beans in jar allowing 1/2 inch of head room. (trim beans if necessary.) Bring vinegar, water and salt to a boil. Pour over beans, filling within 1/4 inch of the top. Fasten jars and place in a boiling water bath, covering the lids with 2 inches of water. Process at a hard boil for 5 minutes. Remove and cool.

Freezing Beans Bring enough water to a boil to emerge beans. Dunk beans in water and start timing right away. Leave in water for 3 minutes. Remove from hot water and emerge beans in ice water until cool. Drain, bag and freeze.