June 27th and 30th

Berry Busy

Although I admit I am sipping a strawberry daiquiri as I type this blog, we have been working hard this week!  Weeding, transplanting and harvesting on a daily basis...and things are looking yummy! Don't be afraid to try new veggies like kohl rabi, pac choi and chinese cabbage; you will be surprised that they are just as tasty as the veggies you know like cucumbers and zucchini : )

The hoop house is full of beautiful greenery like tomatoes, herbs and even a few rouge flowers to keep us farmer's happy!

Strawberry season is underway!  Come hang with Chicken and Simon in the strawberry patch!  I can't guarantee they will help you pick, but they are sure to entertain!

This is Anna, she and her husband, Lazaro, teach Latin dance through Danza Latina.  Lazaro also instructs some super fun Latin exercise classes.  Check them out!  Zach and I have been taking salsa with them and we have so much fun!! (I also take bachata.)  Now as I weed, I mindfully review my dance moves : )  !Me encanta bailar!

 

PYO Garden is Open!

(Sorry, rhubarb is not for picking.)

The dianthus and the tall flower in the background are presently the best picking.  Below is a photo showing the proper way to cut flowers.  We try and grow "long stemmed" flowers, but some are naturally shorter. If you cut too low, you will kill the plant.

Puffa says, "please cut ABOVE any other flowers that may come so others may enjoy. Meow." Be sure to teach your kiddoes too : )

Props to Sara Sloan, fashion consultant, for gifting me my veggie LuLaRoe pants!

This Week's Bounty: lettuce, arugula, chard, beets with greens, kohl rabi, chinese cabbage, broccoli? pac choi, cilantro, dill, basil snippets

soon to come....kale, shell peas, garlic scapes, green cabbage...

The Farmer's Table:

 (A sample of what we eat during the week here on the farm.)

-lots of salads with homemade dressing and Spring Day Creamery Blue cheese

-pasta with bacon, pac choi and kohl rabi

-panko crusted pork with broccoli

-strawberries and Winter Hill Farm yogurt

-Sunnyside Farm chicken legs with grated kohl rabi slaw

July 28th and 31st

Time to Get Your Cuke On!

I believe summer is here!  The heat is rolling in and so are the heat loving veggies!

 

 

Most of the cukes I grow are pickling cucumbers.  There may be a crate out containing two longer (one real long and one sort of long) that are not--but it should be obvious. 

 

The various shades of yellow come from the Phoona Keerna cuke and its slighter thicker skin is perfect for crunchy pickles.  No they are not overripe cucumbers!  Geeze, what kind of farmer do you think I am?  : )

 

 

Tomatoes are making their way onto the scene as well, with eggplant and melons not far behind.  The bit of rain was much needed but this humidity sure is not.  It makes farming not only physically more challenging, but it also presents air flow problems for plants...and plants like good air flow...  Anyway, harvest, harvest, harvest is mostly what we are doing these days and it is keeping me out working longer hours in order to keep up with the other tasks that still need doing.  (Hence the late blog post this week.)  And today, well, I think we just may be dodging lighting bolts most of the day.  And by the end of the week?  Well, by then, I just may be a pool of mush, melted from the heat.  Sweat equity?  Yes, I think I've got that covered : )

 

 

This week's BOUNTY: lettuce, beets, summer carrots, zukes, ss, cukes, beans! scallions, hakurei, fennel, kale, chard, broccoli, sugar snap peas, basil, garlic scapes and a tomato(?)

 

 

Recipes:

Yes you can!  ... freeze fennel and kohl rabi

 

The Farmer's Table:

*Salad with leftover chicken, home made green goddess dressing, crutons (paul's bread), cukes, radish, parmaseasn and our 1st tomato

*pasta with sautéed zucchini, summer squash....

*panko baked chicken legs from Sunnyside farm and sautéed hakueir and greens

*Beef Soup Bone with sugur snap peas, new pottoes (coming to you next week), kale, scallions, zuchinni and tomato

*Pulled pork shoulderwith coleslaw made with last week's tendersweet cabbage and a home made blueberry sauce

*Sour cherry (from our tree!, but you can use any fruit) Clafoutis -- made by Keena!

 
The Shareholder's Table:

A new favorite recipe.  I followed this to the tee, until I decided to put hakurei turnips in with the squash.   Everything else the same.  LOVED it.  Served it with grilled polska kielbasa. 

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/summer-squash-saut

November

Thanksgiving

This is the time of year I get all mushy about how thankful I am for this farm, for my family and friends who supported me to make it happen and to you, the customer, who keep me going.  It's all true.  Zach pointed out the other day that I live a "charmed life" and he is right.  Despite harvesting in cold wet soil, loading boxes of beef from the butcher in a deluge of sleet and rain, long long hours of cleaning vegetables in icy water, I would not change my profession for any other.  Because on the flip side there are many glorious days filled with sun and soil and luscious veggies and happy customers and so many many many more good things than bad and I am thankful for it all.

 

This week was the first cold snap we have had.  I geared up and harvested hundreds of pounds of chard and kale.  The cooler is STUFFED full of goodness.  So full that I actually have rented storage space at two other farms and have left some leeks and cabbage in the field...hoping they will hold out until I can find space to squeeze them inside.  The coldness has sweetened everything up down to the core and I find myself loving on the stems of chard, kale and broccoli more than the leaf itself.  

The days are short (the only downside to fall) and Simon and I finished harvesting the chard in the lights of the truck and then headed off for a walk in the woods with a headlamp.  Although Simon's the orange vest builds up some static electricity, he does not mind his fall gear.  And everyone thinks he is so cute, he gets even more attention than usual (now that is hard to imagine!)  Zach thinks he is giving Sporty Spice a run for her money : )

 

I hope this Thanksgiving finds you warm and full of whatever makes you happy.  May your plates be bountiful with good food and your fridge be full of leftovers!  Thank you for loving Little Ridge Farm and its bounty.

 

  

RECIPES:

 

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

 

25 Pumpkin Desserts To Eat This Fall  

 

Jarrahdeale Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes http://www.apple-works.com/potatoes.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

June 24th and 27th: Berry Time!

SUMMER HAS ARRIVED!

Picking berries is one of my favorite farm tasks.  I like to do it in the evening or on the weekends as my restful work.  There are lots to come, so we hope after this rain, the sun will shine!

FARM MAP

Many of you have noticed our new farm map in the back of the barn.  Please use this informational map to know what is ready for PYO and where it is located.  It will also show you where to pigs have moved to and the turkeys (who come next week!)

 

The farm is looking great and we are looking forward to a bit of rain.  (a BIT, I said.  A nice soft inch, just in case any of you have connections.)  In a couple of weeks the last of the fall broccoli and cauliflower will be transplanted and then we are done.  That's it, I can rest.  Okay, not really, but it does mean the HUGE majority of the transplanting and seeding is done for the year.  There will be just little bits here and there, along with lots of weeding and hopefully loads of harvesting!!!

 

This week's bounty:  (it's a good one!) lettuce, hakurei, purple kohl rabi, spinach, a bit of broccoli, asparagus for some, rhubarb and strawberries!

 

The Farmer's Table:

--US soccer game day Chili, made with our stew beef

--Leftover chili taco salad

--Various stir fry.  He throws it all in...turnips, radish, turnip greens, beet greens, radish greens....even the leftover rhubarb chutney made during the canning workshop!  I ate every stir fry variation he put in front of me all and they were all delicious!

 

Recipes:

Kohl Rabi

This fun veggie is super versatile.  You can eat the bulb and the leaves.  Some may need peeling, you can do a skin test and see what you think.  The leaves are a little tougher than kale, so they may need a little extra cooking time.

 

think slaw, stir fry, matchstick salad topping, pickled.....

 

This site had a fun recipe slide show...I apologize for the slang language at the top though!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/15/kohlrabi-recipes_n_1597114.html

 

Cooking

A versatile veggie, both the bulb and the leaves are edible. The bulb can be quartered and roasted like potatoes (toss with olive oil and salt and pepper first), pureed (especially nice mixed with potatoes), gratinéed with cheese, steamed, grilled or simply thinly sliced raw and tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Kohlrabi also makes a delicious slaw, grated or cut into thin matchsticks. Cook kohlrabi leaves like you would other leafy greens, by either boiling for a few minutes in salted water, or by sautéing with olive oil and garlic until tender. The leaves can be eaten raw, tossed into a salad and are also delicious thrown into a stir-fry.

Recipe

Kohlrabi Pancakes

Adapted from The Farmer John Cookbook
I make these pancakes with my son, who has become a huge kohlrabi fan. He pronounces the name of the veggie like a sportscaster announcing a goal: “koooooohlraaaabi!” This recipe is good for kohlrabi novices and experts alike. I like my pancakes with a dollop of sour cream (orcrème fraîche) or applesauce.
Ingredients:
4 small purple or green kohlrabi, peeled and trimmed of woody bits (see “Pro Tip” above)
1 small onion, very finely chopped or grated on the large holes of a box grater
1 small green chili, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped or ¹⁄₄ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional)
1 egg, lightly beaten
¹⁄₄ cup (or more) all-purpose flour
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Procedure
1. Grate the peeled and trimmed kohlrabi on the large holes of a box grater. Wrap the grated kohlrabi in a clean dishtowel and squeeze until most of the excess moisture has been removed.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the shredded kohlrabi, chopped or grated onion, optional chilies or chili flakes, beaten egg, flour, coriander and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until just combined. Add additional flour by the teaspoon if batter seems too wet (mixture should be somewhat firm).
3. In a large, heavy frying pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil and the butter over medium-high heat until the butter stops foaming. Add ladlefuls of the pancake batter (about ¹⁄₃ of a cup at a time) to the pan, gently pressing down on the cakes with the back of a spatula. Cook kohlrabi pancakes until crispy and golden brown on each side.
4. Drain on paper towels and serve with sour cream, crème fraîche, yogurt or applesauce.

 

 

 

October 15th and 18th: Fall Farewells

A Season of Change

As I mentioned before, fall is my favorite season, however with it brings several changes to the farm and sometimes change is hard.  The hardest change is not having the pigs, turkeys and cows around anymore.  Although I am thankful to eat meat, and I raise them so that I know they have had a healthy, happy life, it is still sad to say goodbye.  I am certainly not desensitized to it, which is not easy, but, I think, important.  It builds a greater understanding of life, a deeper appreciation for the food we eat and a sense of community beyond the small one of people around us.  Saying goodbye to the animals reminds me that all of the food we eat is alive and great amounts of time, calories, resources and energy goes into raising it.  A reminder that being thankful for a meal goes beyond just putting food in my mouth.

 

We love you Pedro

 

 

 CIDER and APPLES this week

oooh and they are crisp and beautiful this year!!!

 

 

The last two weeks of pick up are sort of a smorgasbord, clean out the fields, potluck.  There will be a myriad of items so if you feel you can't take all the items this week, don't worry they will be there next week too.  (Meaning don't just load up on potatoes, onions and carrots--be daring try out the fennel and kohl rabi!!)

 

The bounty: lettuce, kale/chard, tat soi/pac choi, kohl rabi, potatoes, fennel carrots, beets, onions, peppers, tomatoes and winter squash

 

 

Fennel Salsa:  there are several online recipes.  This is one a shareholder recommended...

 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fennel-Cucumber-Salsa/Detail.aspx?prop24=etaf

 

KOHLRABI & APPLE SLAW with CREAMY COLESLAW DRESSING

Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Time to table: 25 minutes
Makes 4 cups, easily adapted for less

DRESSING
1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon good mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt & pepper to taste - go easy here
Fresh mint, chopped

1 pound fresh kohlrabi, trimmed, peeled, grated or cut into batons with a Benriner
2 apples, peeled, grated or cut into batons (try to keep equivalent volumes of kohlrabi:apple)

Whisk cream into light pillows - this takes a minute or so, no need to get out a mixer. Stir in remaining dressing ingredients, the kohlrabi and apple. Serve immediately.

June 18th and 21st: Seasonal Choices

Making the Most of your Share 

 

I hope you have all settled into weekly pick ups and are enjoying your late spring greens.  Every year I find myself having similar conversations with old, new and potential customers about buying local food, preparing fresh vegetables, human and planet health, fresh food flavor and money.  Many of you have been long time shareholders (thank you!) and have shared some of the reasons why you stick with a CSA.  Flavor, quality and supporting local are up there but so is economic savings.  We all know money is a stress in our lives and many of us are on a tight budget.  The thing is WE are in charge of our budget and can chose where the priorities are to spend our money.  (I am always amazed when people say they can't afford to join a CSA but they have a cell phone plan that could buy five a year!)  Several shareholders are on super tight budgets and those are the ones who buy all of the shares I have to offer and consistently tell me they are saving money by being shareholders.  Here are some of the reasons why and a few ways to make the most of your share:

 

1. we eat what is in the share and don't go to the grocery to buy out of season items.  salads don't always have to have cucumbers and peppers--they can be topped with kohl rabi or radish or sometimes aren't even made of lettuce but of cabbage or summer squash.

 

**not going to the grocery as much means we are less tempted to buy extraneous items.

 

2. we prep our share soon after we bring it home.  having all the carrots chopped or the lettuce washed and dried makes food prep easier when we are in a hurry.

 

3. we use the internet/blog for recipes and snack ideas using as many share items as possible. finding or amending recipes to as few other ingredients helps too.

 

4. our choice to prioritize our food budget has saved us on time out of work and school because we are sick less.  we feel better and have more energy.  (pay the farmer now or the doctor later)

 

 

Share your recipe ideas and how you make the most of the share on our Facebook!

 

The veggies are LOVING this sun!  Every time I looked this weekend the green beans were taller and the tomatoes and winter squash were turning from yellow/purple (lack of Nitrogen and cold temps) to green (happy plants with the ability to take up nutrients rather than drown or freeze).

 

 

Some fruits on the horizon: strawberries and zucchini!
There are LOADS of berries out there but they are taking their time to ripen.  The warmer temps this week will surely help.  I planted zucchini in the hoophouse this year and they are setting tiny little fruits!

This Week's Bounty: lettuce, kohl rabi with greens, chard, hakurei turnips with greens, scallions, rhubarb


Possibly next week: lettuce, kale, beet greens, hakurei, scallions, strawberries?

RECIPES

Pasta with greens
 http://localfoods.about.com/od/pastas/r/pastagreens.htm

One of my favorite greens site:  http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/visualguidecookinggreens

Cool kohl rabi salad

One medium size Kohlrabi, peeled and jullienned
Two Tablespoons crème fraiche, sour cream or whole milk yogurt
One teaspoon to one table spoon prepared horseradish
One teaspoon Dill
Salt and fresh Pepper

Steam kohlrabi for 5-7 minutes and set in the fridge to cool for an hour. Toss remaining ingredients together with chilled kohlrabi and enjoy as a cool compliment to picnic or light dinner meals

 

June 27th and July 1st

It's Summer!!!

and we go to the beach once a year : ) Simon is like a fish...with sharp claws--he LOVES it!!!

I wanted to take a photo of the glorious strawberries but didn't get to it, so you will just have to go out and see for yourself. It is easy picking right now so don't miss out!!!

Next week will be bring a Friend week, but please come with them and show them the ropes. It keeps my self serve honor system from breaking down.

Alright this one is short--I gotta write this on Sunday so I have a bit more time....maybe next week! But for now I am thankful for the bit of rain we got, plants look happy (except for the decapitated peppers and lettuce due to a deer) and the strawberries are AWESOME!!!! Okay I am off to cultivate (weed with the tractor). ENJOY!

This Week's Loot: lettuce, spinach, tat soi, mustard mix, beet greens, hakurei turnips, kohl rabi and garlic scapes

Tat Soi
www.appititeforchina.com/recipe/brown-butter-pasta-tatsoi/

Khol Rabi
www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/kohlrabi

Garlic Scapes
www.2sistersgarlic.com/articles/garlic_scape_recipes.htm

Week 23 Oct 26th and 29th

THE LAST PICK UP...CLEANING OUT THE FIELDS

This week, you may see some strange looking vegetables in the share. These crops are able to withstand the colder temps and actually get sweeter with frosts, so I have left them for the very end.

Purple Kohlrabi: I blogged about kholrabi earlier in the summer. This is very similar, just purple. It has a sweet "broccoli stem" flavor, that you may want to cook or eat raw.

Fennel: This cool looking vegetable is Mediterranean in origin and has a unique anise, or black licorice flavor. Again, it may be eaten cooked or raw. It aids in digestion and packs in Vitamin A, calcium, potassium and iron.

Brussel Sprouts: I didn't take a photo. I should have , they look like a little pineapple plantation out there in the field. You will sort of get the idea of how they grow when you see them at pick up. I leave them on the stalk because they store better that way. Just before you eat them, "snap" the sprouts off the stem, clean off any yellowed leaves and prepare. They are not your school cafeteria sprouts! Just be careful not to over cook them.

Delecata Squash: Many of you have been waiting for this sweet little winter squash. It is small but flavorful and makes a great soup, sauteed veg, roasted veg or baked and stuffed. The skin is so thin and "delicate" that you can eat it after cooked! Check out the Delecata squash bisque recipe posted on the blog last October.

A big thank you and blessing to the turkeys and cows!

So this is it, the last pick up of a long and extremely productive
season. Thank you all for your support, and love for fresh food. I
had a super time growing this year and loved meeting all of you and your families. Many of you I will see during the winter share pick ups, but if
not, happy winter and I look forward to seeing you again in the spring! Be sure to sign up for the 2011 season soon after the New Year.

The Last Week's Loot: carrots, chinese cabbage, brussel sprouts, kohl rabi, daikon radish, kale, chard, fennel, delecata squash, spaghetti squash/pumpkin, onions, leeks, oregano, thyme, sage (sorry no taters, I need them for winter).

Recipes

Fennel, Carrots and Pecans

2 cups carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 Tbs olive oil

1/2c thinly sliced fennel

1/4c maple syrup

1/4c roasted pecans

2tsp cornstarch

1Tbs chopped parsley

Steam carrots until tender-crisp. Heat oil and saute fennel 2 minutes. Add syrup, pecan and carrots, and simmer briefly. Mix cornstarch and 1 Tbs water and stir into skillet. Stir in parsley and serve.

Brssuel Sprouts in Cider with Apples and Onions

1 lb brussel sprouts, halved

2 apples, 1/2 in cubes

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs olive oil

1 red or yellow onion, chopped

1.5c cider

1/2tsp salt

1/2tsp pepper

2 star anise (could use a little fennel)

1/4c balsamic vinegar

Melt butter and oil in pan on low. When foams turn up to medium and add apples and onions, saute til apples soft and onion clear, bout 4 min. Add sprouts, cook about 3-4 min. Add remaining ingredients cept vinegar. Cover, reduce heat and simmer til sprouts are easily pierced with a fork, bout 10 min. Remove contents with a slotted spoon and place in a serving dish. Heat reserved liquid until reduced by half, add vinegar, cook 2 min stirring and scraping pan, pour over sprouts

Baked Kohlrabi

1 fennel bulb

2 c kohlrabi, sliced 1/2 in thick

2 cups stock

1/3 c milk or half and half

3 Tbs butter

2 Tbs flour

1/4 c parm

1/2 tsp paprika

Heat over to 350. Slice fennel 1/2 thick. Bring stock to a boil and add veg and cook til tender 7-10min, Drain, reserving stock. Add enough stock to milk to total 2 cups. Heat 2 Tbs butter stir in flour and cook 2 min. Whisk in stock until smooth. Season with slat and pepper. Butter a casserole dish and place veg in pan. pour sauce over it, sprinkle with parm and bake 1/2 hour

Week 4, June 15th and 18th

Garlic Scapes

These beautiful curly Q's mark that summer is near. They may leave your breath a little to be desired while snuggling after you dinner but, trust me, it's worth it.

What is a garlic scape? It is the start of what would become the stem and flower of garlic. If it did fully go to flower, it would look very similar to the chive flowers, but lighter in color.

How do I eat it? You may eat it raw or cooked...use it in place of garlic, but note it has a stronger flavor.

What is its nutritional value? High in calcium and very high in vitamin C

How should it be stored? Refrigerator

...this week you get two highlighted veggies...

Kohl Rabi

The name kohlrabi comes from the German kohl, meaning cabbage, and rabi, or turnip, and that kind of sums it up.

How do I eat that alien vegetable?! Raw or cooked, grated or sliced, roasted or baked...

What is its nutritional value? 1 cup of kohlrabi contains a mere 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, 19% of your daily potassium intake, 10% of B6, and 139% of your daily vitamin C intake! Between scapes and rabi, it's like having oranges in Maine!

How do I store it? You guessed it, the crisper

Farm News

So I hope that you are having as much fun eating your veggies as I am growing them!

Farmer: Yes, yes I am CRAZY busy right now and need to multiply myself by 5, but things are looking great and my workshares are pulling their weight and then some (they have been AWESOME!!!).

Simon: He is 0-2 this year with the porcupines...bummer

Dudley and Dora: Still no ducklings and Dora is bored, he misses Dudley

Cats: Rambunctious as ever and caught 2 mice

Strawberries: I picked the first five while weeding yesterday! Sorry, I ate them all.

Veggies: Looking awesome!!! Lost 4 tomato tops to an unknown rodent, but the trap is set...and I am running out of space to plant my transplants, but I think that is a good thing, we should be set for fall and winter harvest :)

This week's loot: garlic scapes, lettuce, chard, tat soi, pac choi, kohl rabi, hakuri turnips

Next week: lettuce, beet greens, scapes, another green...strawberries?

Recipes:
GARLIC SCAPE AND ALMOND PESTOMakes about 1 cup
10 garlic scapes, finely chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture)
1/3 cup slivered almonds (you could toast them lightly, if you'd like)
About 1/2 cup olive oil
Sea salt
Put the scapes, 1/3 cup of the cheese, almonds and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle). Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil and, if you want, more cheese. If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil. Season with salt.
If you're not going to use the pesto immediately, press a piece of plastic against the surface to keep it from oxidizing. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or packed airtight and frozen for a couple of months, by which time tomatoes should be at their juiciest.

Garlic Scape Paste
I just chop and then place my scapes in the blender with olive oil and salt then put it in the fridge and scoop it out as the "oil" for any dish...I cooked my tat soi in it last night--yum!

ROASTED KOHLRABIHands-on time: 10 minutes Time to table: 45 minutes Serves 4 (smallish servings since roasted vegetables shrink so much)
1 1/2 pounds fresh kohlrabi, ends trimmed, thick green skin sliced off with a knife, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic (garlic is optional, to my taste)
Salt
Good vinegar
Set oven to 450F. Toss the diced kohlrabi with olive oil, garlic and salt in a bowl. (The kohlrabi can be tossed with oil and seasonings right on the pan but uses more oil.) Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and put into oven (it needn't be fully preheated) and roast for 30 - 35 minutes, stirring every five minutes after about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with a good vinegar (probably at the table so the kohlrabi doesn't get squishy).
Quick Kohlrabi Pickles2-4 small kohlrabi bulbs, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/2" cubes
Good olive oil (optional)
Rice vinegar (not sweetened, available in Asian grocery stores and some well-stocked supermarkets. If you don't have rice vinegar, you could substitute something rather mellow - white wine or sherry vinegar, or even white vinegar with just a pinch of sugar added)
Kosher Salt
Fresh Black Pepper
Place the kohlrabi chunks in the bowl of a lidded, airtight container. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil, a good splash of vinegar, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Replace the lid and shake well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Place in fridge, shaking occasionally. They are best after they have marinated for a few hours, and will last about a week, becoming more intensely flavored but still largely retaining their lovely texture.

Week 19--The Blessing of Fall

October 13 and 16th
Quack! Quack! Dora says, "Eat turkey, not duck!"

I've been washing hundreds of pounds of carrots this last week for storage and Dora has been in duck heaven! She stands under the screen and gets showered by wash water. And buries her bill into the puddles looking for slugs, while Simon sits in the driveway and watches the cows. These past few weeks have been beautiful, and even though I am soooo busy, I must say I am blessed!

Speaking of washing...I really do wash your greens before your get them. But be ware that you need to wash them again. I find most things easiest to chop first, then rinse. The pine needles have made a blanket over all my fields, (it's quite pretty actually). I have tried to pick them out of your produce, but there may be a rouge one...or two left!

Well the weather has quickly changed and I have been in "full tilt boogie", as my friend Jill would say, harvesting. I am hoping for a few more nice days to gets next year's garlic in the ground. I usually plant it mid October and then mulch it with straw. It waits in the ground until the longer days of April and then slowly little green garlic tops emerge. This week you may see me "popping" the garlic cloves, or removing them from the bulb. I pick the biggest and most perfect looking cloves to plant so that the new bulbs will be free of disease and as big as possible; the clove size you plant dictates the size of the bulb to come. Maybe this year I will be planting the garlic through a layer of snow? That would be a first : )

This Week's Loot: Lettuce, Kale, Kohlrabi, Peppers, Tomatilloes, Spaghetti Squash, Carrots, Potatoes, Onions, Cabbage

Next Week's Loot: Lettuce mix, spinach, pac choi, carrots, onions, potatoes, chard, pumpkins
Kohlrabi--This fun "swollen stem" can be eaten raw or cooked. Try it both ways and see which way you like best! If you find the skin tough, you may peel it, although if you are cooking it,you may not need to.

Kohl-Slaw

3 kholrabi, peeled and chopped

1 cup finely shredded cabbage

1 small onion

1 apple, diced

1/2 c currents or raisins

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl. Toss in oil and cider. Cover and refrigerate a few hours to let flavors blend.

Kale Pie

10 inch pie crust

4 cups chopped kale leaves

1 Tbs olive oil

2 small onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs

1 cup feta cheese

1/2 c half and half

1/2 tsp salt

Boil kale for about 3 minutes (wilted but still bright green). Allow to drip dry.

Saute onions, garlic until onions are turning golden.

Lightly beat eggs. Add feta half and half, kale, onions and salt. Stir and then pour into crust. Bake until center of pie is firm, 40 minutes at 375.