Tuesday, July 31, 2018

July 31st and Aug 3rd

Look Who's Here!

Seasonal eating can require some patience...but it totally pays off!! Cucumbers are back!  Although prickly and well hidden while harvesting, they are sweet and crunchy on your palate.  Monday was a treat in that I had lots of extra help, so picking 800lbs went by in a snap.


Greenbeans have matured too and will embellish any plate in a raw bean salad or lightly sauteed.
Although the beans hide just as well as the cukes, the plants are soft and I find harvesting them very relaxing.  


And then there are these beauties!  New Potatoes!  So creamy and delightful.  Super delicate to harvest as their skin is very thin, but fun unearthing such treasures.

...off to finish harvest...enjoy!!


This Week's Bounty: lettuce, pac choi, fennel, zucchini, summer squash, new potato, green beans, sweet onions, dill and basil.

Monday, July 23, 2018

July 24th and 27th

Flavors of the Farm

Raspberries!  Have been wonderful this year!  What a joy to pick these luscious bites.  There are loads of fruit still ripening, but the season will pass before you know it, so be sure to come by and fill a container or two as soon as you can!  Come every few days so you have a fresh eating supply:) Raspberry vinaigrette, raspberry pie, raspberry jam, fresh eating, anything thing raspberry with dark chocolate.....


Shiitake Mushrooms!  I still marvel at the flavor of these beautiful buttons of fungus.  No matter what dish I put them in their flavor stands out and enhances every meal.  And did you know shiitakes offer good fiber, B vitamins and immune boosting support?!


Ok so I admit the farmer got dibs on the first ripe tomato.  To be honest, Zach ate it, which is fair since he does most of the cooking.  They are still teasing us, hanging green on the vine, but soon....


Pork belly with Asian style slaw.  What more can I say?


Zucchini noodles used as the base of the Asian slaw.  We have not been eating grain as of late and the "spiralizer" has been a great kitchen addition.  To be honest I am not a huge fan of zucchini (although I love summer squash) but zucchini noodles are a win for me.  I love the crunchy texture and pasta like feel.

We have also been loving sliced kohl rabi, sometimes dipped in hummus, other times just plain as a crunchy side.  If you haven't tried them you should!!!  They are amazing roasted, sauteed....crunchy and sweet!


This Week's Bounty: lettuce, cabbage, pac choi (i think), mini red onion, broccoli, baby carrot! beet, hakurei, snap peas, zukes, summer squash....the garden's are starting to explode!!!  Cucumbers are on their way...I direct seeded them rather than transplanting them, so they are a little later than my usual.  

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

July 17th and 20th

Summertime Fun

The little turkeys are finding their legs and running around the barn.  Unfortunately they are too little to be let outside yet (they slip through the fence and into danger), so instead I open up the barn door so they get plenty of light and fresh air and toss them clover and pea vines.  They LOVE it!!  They tug at the vines, grab a leaf and shake their heads like a dog would a toy.  All of my animals give me joy.  If I am in need of a pick me up, I just visit the turkeys or hose down the pigs, either event is guaranteed a smile. 


Bountiful heads of broccoli!  A lot of effort goes into planting broccoli.  It also takes up a lot of field space for several months (we just planted broccoli for late September harvest).  Plus you guys love it.  So I try and grow beautiful heads every time and space out my plantings so you may have broccoli several times in your share throughout the season.  The plants, when happy, are able to grow side shoots after I harvest the main head.  That is what the little baby "florets" are that you sometimes see at pick up.  They are more time consuming to harvest and of course do not weight as much, but it is nice when we can get more than one harvest off a planting, so we try and take advantage of that.  Plus it's a little less kitchen prep for you : )


PYO Flowers are full of color!!!  Hope you are enjoying them! You will also find basil and parsley in there.  Help yourself, don't be shy, it gives Zach great pleasure knowing you are harvesting them.


PYO Herb patch along the rock wall.  Fennel, sage, rosemary, thyme, lavender, marjoram, oregano.... 
You may also grab a handful of blueberries from those 3 bushes in the background as you pass!


FARM TOURS!
Come see the farm close up this Sunday July 22nd.
First tour 11am, 2nd tour 1pm

bring a friend!


This Week's Bounty: lettuce, kale, chard, mini red onions, scallions, hakurei, summer squash, zuchinni, snap peas, broccoli, cilantro, parsley, garlic scapes

Monday, July 9, 2018

July 10th and 13th

Look What's Coming!

Our friend, Rick, brought a couple of bee hives over this spring and the inhabitants are responsible for pollinating your first of the season summer squash and zucchini!  The hives are right next to all of our "cucurbits" this year (cucumbers, melons, winter squash) so the bees will be in heaven for quite some time as these plants are just starting to flower.  I mean if I could work all day inside a flower... It's a bit of a dance harvesting, but we praise them all the while, a true symbiotic relationship.  



I know many of you probably still have not eaten your Chinese Cabbage (try it finely shredded on tacos or burritos, stir fry it, use it instead of rice...) but prepare yourself for glorious thin crispy peppery leaves.  I mean who can resist a gorgeous head of cabbage glistening with rain drops?  Speaking of rain, we are in desperate need of more, so put your dancing shoes on... 


And look who's looking good in the hoop house!  There are some fat green tomatoes in there.  It feels like they should ripen soon but for some reason it always seems to take FOREVER so don't get your hopes up too high that they'll be on your plate next week, but none the less they are looking gorgeous and growing so fast I am having a hard time keeping up with trellising them.


And I know I featured these guys last week, but they are so darn cute!! We have been moving them through luscious pea cover crop and they are just in heaven!  Although they have been "sweating like pigs" in this heat, they are still "happy as a pig in shi... mud".  Don't buy a "pig in a poke", know what you are buying and purchase your meat from Little Ridge Farm where the animals lead happy lives.


I mean, look at this buffet! (and the smiles on their faces!)



This Week's Bounty: lettuce, scallions, beets, shell peas/snap peas, hakurei turnip, kohl rabi, summer squash/zucchini(!), garlic scapes, green cabbage, basil snippets, parsley 


The Farmers' Table:
LRF Beef brisket 
Kraut Slaw -- try it, you''ll like it
Chard in everything, raw or cooked = yum

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

July 3rd and 6th

Happy 4th!  

The pigs are celebrating the 4th this year getting a little up close and personal and wallowing in mud.  The pigs are a bit manic this year, when I enter the pen they swarm me and literally "squeal like a pig".  My pigs are usually very social but for some reason the are extremely vocal this year.  They all want attention (as you can see) and one in particular loves to get petted so much he butts me in the leg like a dog would do and then when I pet him he flops to the ground and rolls over so I can get his belly!  They are stoked today because we just moved them into a beautiful patch of pea cover crop.


The Turkeys are Here!  Little baby turkeys arrived last week and they are best of buds already, keeping each other snugly warm.  (not that they need to in this heat!!)  Feel free to say hello to them up in the house barn.  And be sure to reserve yours now for October pick up!!


Pick Your Own Flowers are Open!  And they are gorgeous!  Do enjoy, but be sure not to cut too low.  Also, although the zinnias look ready, give them a bit more time and you will be amazed at how the flowers will turn into much larger puff balls!!!


We have had some pretty amazing meals lately.  Colorful stir fries and lots of veggie frittatas. Be sure to try some Shiitake Mushrooms too -- they compliment everything!!


Thank you to all who did a rain dance, we received almost 3" which was much needed!!  The plants have responded well.  Now if you could just dance this humidity away....


This Week's Bounty: lettuce, chard, kale, hakurei, kohl rabi, garlic scapes, dill, cilantro, scallions, chinese cabbage.

The Farmer's Table:
Chili--stew meat, bacon sausage with grated carrot and kale garnish
Stir Fry--Pac choi, radish, broccoli, pork and lacoto fermented turnip
Fritatta--Kale, pea, parsnip and spring onion