Tuesday, September 25, 2018

September 25th and 28th

HAPPY DAYS

Well the shift in the weather was slightly drastic, but welcome (to me anyway!)  I will admit currently my hands are a bit numb and typing is difficult.  I just washed the lettuce in what felt like warm water (in comparison to the air), but apparently it was not as warm as I thought!  We did cover a few sensitive crops this weekend just in case of frost.  We had some patchy spots in real low lying areas, but nothing drastic.  It is hard to let all the beautiful color go, so I am happy the flowers were spared for another week!


It's Pepper Time!  Mid September marks the time when the peppers are in full production and harvest is full of surprises.  This week, we had a few funny folk; horns, ears and mouths : )  We have been using the peppers as a scoop or utensil or vehicle for things like hummus, tuna salad and cheese.  Super sweet and gorgeous to look at, it's a crop to be enjoyed!


Then there is this silly farm entertainment! We harvested sweet potatoes Monday and fed all of the vines to the pigs.  They were the picture of "Hog Heaven", laying on a bed of soft vines while munching half asleep.  I mean look at that guys smile on the left!!


This Week's Bounty: lettuce, arugula, chard, radish, celery, fennel, beet, hot/sweet pepper, eggplant, onion, winter squash, edamame, basil, dill, cilantro

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

September 18th and 21st

 Cascading Summer

Alright so I will admit I complained about the hot sun a bit yesterday, knowing I shouldn't because cold weather is on its way.  Visually, I have been savoring the beauty and color the late warm summer has brought us.  The pyo flower garden is bright and vigorous, the cascading nasturtium wall the most beautiful and even the field plants, ones who are normally tired and waning by this time, are bright and full of life.  It's a bitter sweet time of year for me, shifting from summer to fall.  My work load literally gets heavier, but the length of the day's labor is less; the bounty is fun to harvest, but it blows my mind--feeling like I just planted the plants not to long ago!  


We pulled in the last of the winter squash yesterday.  It was a great haul.  I haven't done the numbers yet, but I think one of my best yields thus far.  Hopefully they will store nicely and we will enjoy these fruit well into winter.  Spaghetti Squash will be first in your summer share, although not yet!  I feel like giving winter squash in the share marks summer's end and I'm not quite ready yet : )

Moving the turkeys in the low evening light.
These fun critters get moved into fresh grass a few times a week.  I take down their fence and move their hut/feeders/water.  In the meantime, the turkeys wander around, exploring new places and clucking in excitement.  About the time I have their new pen set up, the come looking for me, happy to back "home" and I feed them their evening meal in their new space.  Curious and happy.  


This Week's Bounty: kale, radish, edemame, leek, eggplant, cukes, beans, pepper, carrot, potato, tomato. yum!!!

The Farmer's Table:
we are savoring so many things in their raw simple form; using the peppers as a scoop for tuna fish salad, arugula as a wrap for tomatoes and cheese, cucumbers as a vessel for homemade herbed dip, melons as dessert!

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

September 11th and 14th

Mmmm Cheese

Sunday I took the afternoon to go the Maine Cheese Festival with a friend.  Maine is incredible for its access to local food and the amazing people that produce, preserve, render, grow and transform it.  Many folks make the same "kind" of cheese (bloomy rind, tomme, soft....) but the flavor is unmistakably unique from each place.  Super fun to see this thriving venture and to TASTE it all!!


Fun to see some critters (the Festival was at Wolf's Neck Farm) that we don't see around our place.  I snapped many photos of these goats, but they would not stand still!


Speaking of critters, our pigs recently moved to the woods.  They are having fun in their new environment.  I went to feed them yesterday morning and they were still fast asleep from their adventuring and the cool weather.  Sleeping pigs makes feeding them MUCH easier!!!  Maybe with today's rain, I'll be able to sneak up on them again : )  


Pepper Time!  Lots of sweet colors harvested yesterday!


This Week's Bounty: chard, arugula, fennel, cucumbers, summer squash, zucchini, onion, eggplant, beans, pepper, tomato, herbs

The Farmer's Table:
*Roasted chicken, with classic Cajun sauce--celery, onion, green pepper
*Omelet w/ tomato, cilantro, pepper, chard and leftover chicken
*Roasted Pork Shoulder
*Loads of fresh cucumber
*Chicken Wings w/ homemade ranch (football season has begun!)
*Cabbage, tomato and chili pepper slaw
*Halibut w/ fat back, sage, corn (oh my, soooo goooood!)  tomato and green beans

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

September 4th and 7th

Some Like it Hot

Another few hot and humid days.  So much fun!!!  The heat is great for many of our crops; peppers, tomatoes. melons, corn.... but the humidity, well it could be nonexistent and I don't think anything/anybody would miss it!


This variety of corn is a bit more dense than the first, but still not as large as it has been in the past.  I am thinking it was the super dry spell we had caused the kernels not to form as large as usual.  But that is ok, it's still succulent and sweet -- perfect shaved off the cob into salsa or a burrito!!!


"Lettuce" be known that lettuce is a cool weather crop. Traditionally I can make it happen all summer long without a glitch, but this year it has been very difficult for me to grow in this heat.  But alas it has made an appearance again this week (and hopefully from here on out).  It's funny how smooth some crops grow and how tricky others are from year to year.  For those of you who are anxious for fall, the winter squash is looking better than ever!!  Now, if I could just keep the porcupines from nibbling it....


This Week's Bounty: lettuce, cabbage, carrot, zucchini, onion, summer squash, eggplant, cucumber, corn, tomato, melon/broccoli (full shares), hot pepper, cilantro, dill, parsley