June 6th and 9th

Plant with a Passion

Just finished harvesting and washing beautiful greens today for pick up. It's chilly and rainy and my hands aren't typing very well since they are still a bit numb. Every year brings a different set of challenges; last year dusty dry and this year cool and wet.  Despite this challenge, my spring kale is more beautiful than ever before and am reminded that the rewards of this job are great.

Last night I sat eating another amazing dinner of fresh greens and grass fed beef, listening to Etta James. The dinner scene sounds very romantic, but trust me, it's not. I sit at the counter while Zach stands in the kitchen, analyzing every bite he takes. Mostly wondering if he should have added more lemongrass cubes, sauteed the beef a bit less or used the wok instead of the frying pan. Most people talk about their day, world news or watch TV, but here it's all about the food. I'm like the teenage kid, sitting at the counter with fork in hand, so hungry from my day and ready to gobble anything down in 3 bites. Zach reminds me to take it a bit slower and focus on the flavor. I concede to a point, I'm hungry.  

Hope you have a moment to taste the flavor and "eat your veggies"

This Week's Bounty: loads of lettuce, pac choi, kale, parsnips, scallions, herbs and asparagus for the full shares

The Farmer's Table: 

From the wok -- Stir fried parsnip, pac choi and carrot with peanut sauce

Arugula, buttercrunch salad with dill, Spring Day cheese, home made pickled peppers and maple vinaigrette. Buttered bread.

Lemon grass haddock with pureed parsnip and smoked chili garlic spinach

LRF cheese steak -- Minute steak sandwich with frozen peppers, onions, homemade cheese sauce and chipotle arugula

May 30th and June 2nd

Cool Spring

We spend much of our time transplanting May-June.  Almost every minute actually, even though there are loads of other tasks to be done as well.  Before we plant, we dunk each flat into a tank of "nutrient tea".  It's a mix of worm castings, crab shell flour, humates and coral. It smells a bit like a fishy ocean, but the plants love it.  Apparently so does Chicken.

Typically in the spring we cover plants after we transplant them. Sometimes it's to keep them warm and other times it's to keep pesky bugs off of them. Chicken likes to use it as his treadmill. 

Under this fabric, the plants stay cozy and bug free.  It is labor intensive to cover plants (especially on windy days). I admit it is not my favorite farm tasks, but the end result is rewarding. This tat soi, lettuce, chinese cabbage and pac choi are looking very delicious! You will find some of them in your pick up this week!

This pigs are also enjoying their greens! We let them out to pasture this weekend and they had a ball. Rooting, running and chomping on grass. They even had a romp out of the fence...hopefully that will not be the norm for them this summer!

We are excited for this week's bounty even thought it has been tremendously cool and wet.  Time to target your inner rabbit and nosh on some spring greens!

This week's Bounty: lettuce mix, head lettuce, spinach, tat soi, pac choi, scallion, chive, asparagus and parsnips

Farmer's Table: 

Marinated pork chop fried rice with carrots, scallions and parsnips

LRF grass-fed Beef and Parsnip stew

Cajun pork roast with sauteed sweet peppers (some available for sale in the freezer!)

Pork stock (made from the roast bone) with rice and spinach

Dung Po (pork belly) spinach, scallion with rice pasta and homemade plum sauce

LRF grass-fed beef burgers with fresh lettuce and homemade pickles

June 2nd and 5th

Rain!

There is moisture falling from the sky!  Even though the air temps are cooler, the soil is good and warm and I think the veggies are rejoicing for this moisture.  Looks like we will end up with just over an inch of rain...perfect.  It will make Tuesday morning's harvest a bit sloppy, but I am thankful...and you will be too come a few weeks from now, when your plate is full of veggies!

 

 

Wheat Boule.  Naturally Leavened.  Chewy.  Crunchy.  Yum.

If you haven't tried it yet, you MUST try Paul's home made breads and sweets--they are simply amazing.  Part of what makes them so wonderful is the interest and love he puts into making each loaf.  He goes to conferences, experiments in his kitchen and talks to other bread gurus to make these wonderful treats.  Look for his product twice a month a pick up and look for him to ask questions and see his joy in bread!

Who says you need a PYO flower garden at Little Ridge Farm to make a great bouquet?!  Look out, Zach, it will be a steep competition this year ; )

 

 

This week's bounty: spring dug parsnips and scallions, chives, rhubarb, spinach, lettuce, tat soi/pac choi, asparagus and carrots.

 

The farmer's table:

potato sorrel soup

hamburgers with Paul's bread and Spring Day Blues cheese

asparagus...raw, sautéed, grilled

sautéed spinach with edemame soybeans from the freezer

parsnip patties

 

**be sure to check out recipes by veggie listed on the right side if the blog

 

 

 

May 26th and 29th

Planting Frenzy!

The greenhouse is SO FULL, there is barely room to work.  Most of these crops are warm weather plants, just waiting for the temperatures to settle.  (It was 28 here last night!)  I have lots of crops in the ground, but luckily they are all cold tolerant and I was not lured into planting warm season crops when we had those few 80 degree days.  Come the first two weeks of June, all of these flats will be acclimated to the wind and cooler nights and it will be time to get them in the ground!  If anyone has a couple hours to spare during the day, during the week, I am sure I could put you to work!

 

 

The pigs are enjoying their new lifestyle...sleeping on a cozy bed of straw, rooting for grass and laying by the pool side.  They are a gregarious bunch this year.  Hooting it up as they run around and curiously nibbling my pant legs.  They LOVE attention, so be sure to visit them...Just don't touch the electric fence!

 

 

Although it's been a little dry, the plants are looking great, and it's given me a chance to get into all of the fields with the tractor.  Spring is usually run like mad and then come to an abrupt halt when we get 3 inches of rain.  But this year we've just been running like mad.  Going from field prep, to planting and seeding, cover cropping and then running irrigation lines.  In some ways, I feel a little ahead of the game.  I was able to accomplish some tasks earlier than usual, like planting potatoes, and now that I have all the irrigation up and running, I feel ready for summer (although this outrageous wind keeps blowing it all over the place and drying out the fields too fast!)

 

 

I am sure many of you have noticed the apple trees this spring.  Both ornamental and fruiting, the flowers look and smell glorious.  Zach and I were just commenting that it's hard to not just stop and stare at them when we head outside.  This beautiful tree is on my neighbors property.  I think it has the cutest shape and of course the little swing makes it the quintessential tree.  When it fruits, Denis, is gracious enough to share its bounty with the pigs...even though he is a vegetarian ; ) 

Here is Zach sporting the Little Ridge Farm "crew" t-shirt.  He was getting geared up to help me chip a bunch of brush this weekend.  He is anxious to plant the PYO flower garden. and is eagerly waiting for the temps to stay above 40...this week is looking hopeful!

 

 

This Week's Bounty:

From the root cellar: potatoes, carrots, shallots

From the field/hoop house: scallions, parsnips, lettuce, asparagus, chives, sorrel, rhubarb?

 

Recipes:

Parsnip Recipes

Spring parsnip Soup

 

What are scallions?

May 6th and 9th: The First Pick Up

SPRING IT (PICK) UP!

Amongst the bleak wet soil there is color!  The grass is greening up and a few spring flowers have decided to show their shining faces.  Things are certainly at least 2 weeks late, if not a full month.  Zach had planted tulips last fall, with the plan on giving them to the winter shares during their last pick up in April...they have just started to poke their heads through the soil!!!  After just a bit of sun and warmth, everything seems to sigh and grow.  It will come soon enough.  I have officially become obsessed with the weather forecast again.  The typical human may not have noticed that we have not had a frost in the last 2 weeks (and none forecasted), but I have and I am LOVING it!!  Usually spring is reeled with fighting remay (a cloth that covers the plants like a blanket to keep tender seedlings warm), but I have been able to skip this step...so far...I may have just jinxed myself.  I did have to cover some plants to keep pesky flea beetles off, but at least the whole farm is not covered in white.  It's nice to leave the plants uncovered so I can actually watch them grow and not just hope something is hidden under the covers. 

The ducks are enjoying themselves in the spring rains (although as I type it is hailing pea-sized hail).  They poke around the farm eating slugs, grubs and worms.  As soon as we start up the tractor, they waddle over as fast as their little webbed feet will take them.  They know the tractor disturbs the soil and unearths goodies for them to graze on. 

 

Last week was full of transplanting.  On our hands and knees, we had to throw he long johns back on to protect us from the cold soil and north wind.  Knowing when to start field work in the spring is a yearly challenge.  I generally try and wait for warmer soil temps to try and avoid the travails that come with planting too early.  Watching the forecast rather than the calendar is a practice in patience, of which I don't generally have much of, but if I can control myself, plants are always happier in the end.  Although much of my soils are still too wet to drive the tractor on, I had just enough space to get in what I needed to date...and so the 2014 season begins!

 

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We are looking forward to growing for old friends and new this year.  Thank you for loving local food and supporting our farm!  We work hard to fill your plates with tasty veggies and meats--we love what we do and believe our efforts make a difference your pallets will recognize.  Enjoy!

 

 

This week's bounty: spinach, parsnips and other roots like carrots, potatoes, onions, celeriac and rutabaga

 

 

Recipes:

 

Carrots and rutabagas with Lemon and Honey: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Carrots-and-Rutabagas-with-Lemon-and-Honey-105812

 

Mashed Potatoes with Rutabagas and Buttermilk:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mashed-Potatoes-with-Rutabagas-and-Buttermilk-15635

 

Rutabagas and Caramelized Onions:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rutabagas-with-Caramelized-Onions-4677

 

Parsnip Bisque:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Parsnip-Bisque-14325

 

Roasted Parsnips -- (you can make "Parsnip Fries" like this):

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Parsnips-104239

 

 

May Showers Bring June Veggies...I hope

ASPARAGUS!!!

Okay so I will admit this photo is from 2 years ago. Anyone who has looked at the asparagus lately will agree that the patch is currently MUCH weedier than this photo indicates. In any case, the asparagus is emerging nicely and this year is the first year I can harvest the spears for its entire season (4-5 weeks long)! I planted the crowns (plants) 4 springs ago and for the first 3 years I could only harvest for a week or two. Then I had to let the spears grow big and fern out so that they could capture as much energy from the sun as possible and transfer it to the roots making the plant stronger. Now the plants are good and strong and can withstand me plucking spears from the plant daily. Asparagus is one of the few plants that one could sit and probably watch grow. Especially when the day is sunny and warm, spears will grow up to 12 inches in one day! The cooler weather is nice for these guys because it keeps them from ferning out too quick and it keeps the asparagus beetles at bay.

Everything else is moving at a snail's pace...hopefully a bit ahead of the actual snails and slugs that are trying to overtake the farm as we speak. Peas, spinach and beets are actually up about 1/4 inch. Looking a the pea seedlings yesterday, I was having a hard time even imagining picking them at some point this season. But alas we have asparagus!

This week's loot: asparagus, carrots, parsnips, rhubarb and chives

Recipes:

Creamy raosted Parsnip soup:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-roasted-parsnip-soup/

If you don't want to use the cream, try making it with with cashews instead

Cashew Cream:

1 cup raw chasews

1/2 cup veggie broth

blend in a blender until smooth and add to the soup at the end

Asparagus:

The way I do it is chop the asparagus into 1 inch pieces and place in a cast iron skillet with some butter. I toss it until warm so the aspargaus is still crunchy and bright green. Simple as that.

April!!!

Spring has arrived...I think!

The robins have been out in FULL FORCE these last couple of weeks. Even the 9 inches of "Robin Snow" did not sway them from probing the soft earth for worms. It has been nice, so very nice, to see the ground again after a long winter. Buds beginning to break, flowers so bright they seem neon against the damp brown earth, mud so thick you nearly loose your boot with every step. Ahhhh, spring in Maine.

Sugaring season was a great success. For the past 4 years I have been helping my friends, Mitch and Penny, collect sap just up the road. Although the snow was deep and going rough, the days were usually picture perfect in the woods: windless blue skies against a canopy of silver. Dic and Doc, the horses, are steady and strong. They pull a tank of nearly 300 gallons of sap up out of the woods on roads deep with snow and rutted with mud. They don't seem to mind though, they work effortlessly and quietly, pulling a mere 2400 pounds. Sometimes four times a day. While the horses do something useful, Simon and Bear tear through the woods, chasing, chasing, chasing.

So this is it. The last winter share pick up. I loved it and hope you all loved it just the same. It is nice to stay connected with you all, even if we have to be bundled up in snow suits. Please be sure to let me know what you thought of the share...and don't wait too long to sign up for 2012!

This Month's Share: fresh lettuce and spinach, a few blue potatoes and red onions, carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, turnips and cabbage.

Parsnip Spice Cake

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


• 1 cup sugar


• 2 teaspoons baking powder


• 1 tablespoon ground ginger


• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg


• 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice


• 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves


• 3/4 teaspoon salt


• 3 large eggs


• 1/2 cup canola oil


• 1/2 cup whole milk


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 2 tightly packed cups peeled, shredded parsnips


• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped


• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature


• 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature


• 1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger


• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-by-13-by-2-inch pan. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and salt. Whisk to combine.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed well. Stir in parsnips and walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, until a tester comes out clean from the center of the cake. Cool completely on a rack.

When cool, frost with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting, below, if desired.

Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, ginger, vanilla, and salt and beat until very smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar a little at a time, beating after each addition, until all the sugar is incorporated and the frosting is smooth. Spread over Parsnip Spice Cake and serve.

March!

March is a funny month for me. It is the transition month between the two gears in my life: "winter" and "farming". Years like this, March is a little easier becuase there is still so much snow on the ground. Meaning--the indoor to do list is still long, and I may have a chance to get to it since the outdoor to do list is still buried in snow. But I am definatly being pulled into spring--1000's of onion, lettuce, cabbage, kale and chard seeds have been sown at the greenhouse! No germination quite yet, but soon, very soon.

This is the month I start to really push my marketing....if you haven't signed up yet for 2011...I go to CSA fairs and Wellness fairs, post brochures, hang fliers...and basically talk my head off about why joining Little Ridge Farm CSA could possibly be the best decision you will make all year. Thank you to all of you talking heads as well! Word of mouth by far is the biggest and most successful advertiser.

I have decided to grow in number by about 15 shares this summer and increase the winter shares from 40 to 50 and raise the pigs by 2. Already I have 50 of the 75 summer shares I would like and have sold out on all the pigs and beef! It is hard for me to say no to people. I find myself thinking, okay maybe I should get more pigs or increase this, increase...It is good to know that demand is high, but I need to be sure I can keep the quality of my product and my life high as well. Small steps. Part of me wants to raise food for 125 shares, with 20 pigs and cows and turkeys and...but part of me likes the little family we have created thus far, small but healthy.

Just say "YES!" to spinach. Although I think I broke my back shoveling and didn't sleep as much due to wind/snow load worry, I think the hoophouse has been a success. I learned a few things this year and will try and improve for next. I hope you all have enjoyed the sweet little treats of green.

This week looks like it be a bit warmer and SUNNY on Thursday for pick up! The winter shares have been a lot of fun for me, I think a good decision to do this instead of the farmer's market. More my style.

CANNING WORKSHOP!!!!

In my kitchen during pick up March 17th.

Pat, a volunteer from UMaine Extension, will be making blueberry jam. Stop in to see how it is done, ask questions and receive paper print outs!

This months share: winter roots, the last of the winter sqash, fresh spinach and a surprise : )
Recipe:

Carnival Winter Squash:

This small colorful squash has a mellow flavor, similar to a sweet potato. You can stuff it, use it as a base for soups or mix it with butter as a side dish. The skin is hard, so you will want to bake it first before scooping out the meat.

Winter Root Vegetable Slaw Recipe

The choice of root vegetables here works well, but you are free to mix and match. Just be sure to not have too many sweet vegetables like carrots and parsnips, or too many sharp ones, like radishes or turnips.

Ingredients

· 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 1 teaspoon sugar

· 1/4 cup sherry or red wine vinegar

· 1 cup chopped parsley, loosely packed

· 2/3 cup olive oil

· 2 large carrots (choose different colored carrots if you can find them)

· 2 medium parsnips

· 1 small celery root

· 2 black radishes or 1/2 daikon radish

Method

1 Put the mustard, salt, sugar, vinegar and parsley in a blender and process until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the blender, cover and process at its slowest setting. Drizzle in the olive oil slowly. When it is all in, move the blender to its highest setting and puree for about 90 seconds.

2 Peel all the vegetables except for the radishes, if you are using black ones. The slivers of black in the salad look cool, so I leave them in. Using a vegetable peeler or a coarse grater, slice shreds off the vegetables into a bowl. Try to keep the shreds roughly the same length if you can.

3 To finish, toss some of the vinaigrette with the shredded vegetables and let stand in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before serving.