July 28, People and Planet CSA & the Martins

Heirloom Italian Beans Exceeding their 7' Trellis

What's in the Box?
Green Beans -  Strangenbohn Ilanz or Cannellini.  Tomatoes - gold plum shape = Isis Candy,  Little Gold Cherries = Sungolds, the reds are PSR 37's our substitute for Early Girl, and the pink heart shaped tomatoes are Kosovos.  Trinity Sweet Corn, Paris Market Carrots,  Cukes - Poona Kheera, White Wonder & Delikatesse, Onions - Red Torpedo or Mill Creek, Cabbage - San Michele, Romanesco Zucchini, Yukon Gold or Dark Red Norlands, Early Tomatillos & a Bulgarian Pepper,  and flowers.

Mma Tutsi on Gopher Patrol

This week's special gifts:  Eggs, Strawberry Roll-ups and Mustard.

Bavarian Beer Mustard
Our friends at "We Love Olive Oil" in Paicines have developed an old family recipe into a mustard.  This week we are their guests to give it a try.  If you love it, you can order it for $3.75 a jar.  Let me know what you think of it.

Strawberry Roll-ups
As many of you know last year the dehydrator died.  It was very sad.  I have gone through 2 more.  Finally we are up and rolling.  Except I forgot to level the darn thing.  So, this week, the world's ugliest roll-ups.  Close your eyes and eat them quickly.

Beth's Party Marigolds

Green Beans
Cannellini beans are almost never available fresh.  They have a lovely beanie flavor.  This is the only week for them as I'm doing a seed increase so that we can have them as shelly beans and dried beans next year.  As always, the Swiss Stangenbohne Ilanz is a farm favorite.  In a week or two there will also be French Filets oh yes and more!

More Tomatoes
I'll take a picture of each kind and after this you can refer back to the main list to see what they heck they are.  There are 14 kinds of tomatoes this year.  Kosovo was brought back by a UN worker from Kosovo.  It's a very dark pink oxheart type.  These early ones are small, later they'll weigh a pound each.  Thanks to all of you for letting me know your favorites. 

Tomatillos - For those of you who can't remember what to do with these, see July 14, 2010 Blog.  Still the best tomatillo salsa we ever had.

Leo hiding in the Posole

Cabbage San Michele - This is an Italian Heirloom, very very good in a slaw.  So, you got cabbage, you got mustard - I suggest sausages on the BBQ.  Cabbage will remain fresh for many days in the fridge, so please eat corn.

Trinity Corn is the earliest corn we grow.  Of course, there's corn earlier, but it requires fungicide.  We don't do fungicide, as it's not good for the birds who are stealing our corn.  So, here it is July and you have the first corn.  The main season corn is Augusta.  I think it'll be here in a couple of weeks.  The Santa Domingo Posole looks good.  The posole is now 10' heading to 12' feet tall.  Even Leo's 6' legs can't keep up with this stuff.  I'll have to get a ladder to pick it.  Posole takes a heck of a lot of work to eat, but I promise you it's worth every second.  Also new this year we will have some corn for corn flour, corn meal and hopefully even polenta corn!

What's coming...melons, squash, and oh so much more.  Have a great week.

CSA - July 20, 2011 - SCVWD

What's in the Box

Tomatoes!  Yes, I know, they're small, but finally they are here!  Sungold Cherry Tomatoes, White Wonder Cukes; a few Poona Keera Cucumbers, Romanesco Zucchini, very early tomatillos, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Mill Creek Red Onions, Mara des Bois Strawberries, Trinity Sweet Corn, a few Santa Rosa Plums, and Paris Market Carrots.


This week's special gift:  Plum Jam and eggs.  I know, I said there would not be eggs, but the 4 blue house hens just decided to start laying again.  After they become broody, it always takes awhile for them to snap out of it

Mill Creek Onions
These onions bred by local nursery owners Joe and Wanda Turi, who have since died.  The were rescued by Ellen of Golden Rule Garden.   I don't know many places that are growing these yet.  I really like them.  We're doing a big onion trial here this fall, always on the look-out for good onions.

It won't be long before the leeks are ready and I see melons in your future.  Been a very very busy week here,  I think before long the Wednesday group is going to have to go every week.  Any objections?  Let me know.  This week we got a lucky break and got free compost from Zbest.  This compost will be used only on the hay crops, but the field has needed it for a long time.

Insert Bad Words Here

Vandalism

Wild Boar in Garden
What is this we are looking at?  Well this WAS green beans.  Next to it was the rice trial and the kenaf, next to that WAS peppers and eggplant.


Although we tried very hard, Leo and I were only able to save about half of these plants.  At this point I don't know if it was a solitary male or a female sounder group.  I just know that I'm hopping mad.  As if human thieves and gophers were not bad enough.  Don't even mention this to Leo, he's ready to set up the tent and sleep out there.  I don't like sleeping with pigs.

Wild boar are crepuscular or nocturnal, foraging in early morning and late afternoon or at night, but resting for periods during both night and day, they are omnivorous scavengers, eating almost anything they come across,  including apparently part of our CSA.  They are not even paid members.  They hit the farm last Thursday, while I was making dinner.

Personally I prefer my pig as sausage, bacon or ham.  And this one better hope that I don't ever see him again.  If I do, I plan to pretend I'm in Missouri, where hunters are asked to shoot on sight any boars they come across.  The only predators of the boar are bears, wolves and cougars.  So far I haven't seen any of these on the farm.   I keep hoping Joe will come with her bow and arrow and deliver us from this beastie.

Squash, melons and French Filet Beans

Evidence points to the boar coming out of the hills, and down the creek, coming up near the chickens, trampling new corn and then rooting through random crops, returning to the creek via a different path. 

What does this mean to you?  Well, some of the heirloom Italian beans are wiped out.  I will only have enough to save the seed and replant next year.  We will have fewer peppers and eggplant.  Not much I can do about it.  Those seeds were planted in January.  If they don't return, the French Filets are coming on and I have a wee patch of peppers in another secret and hidden location.

People & Planet July 14, 2011

Sungold's coming soon

What's in the box:
Strawberries - Mara des Bois, cucumbers - white wonder,  Poona Keera, Delicatesse, Romanesco Zucchini or baby Delicata Squash, Kale - either Tuscan or Red Russian, Swiss Chard, Walla Walla or Mill Creek/red Onions, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Basil and flowers.  And Helen was the lucky winner of the first tomatoes of the season.  But don't worry, I think everyone will be getting tomatoes soon.

This week's special gift:  Eggs and June in a Jar.

June in a Jar
That would be strawberries, rhubarb and roses.  My sister says it's good on ice cream.  What do I know, I only have toast or pancakes.  I usually make this for my family that lives in the snow and send it out near the holidays.  Nothing like a little June in December.

This week is the last for kale.  Some where there's a kid yelling yeah!  The Swiss Chard is ugly, but 10,000 diabolical diabrotica can't be wrong.  The lettuce is pristine, and there's not a bug in 10 miles eating it.  It's sooo bitter.  Good thing the chickens like it. 

Corn coming soon

Cucumbers
Always cut off the two ends of the cukes, that's where most bitterness is.  The Poona Keera is an Indian cucumber.  Cucumbers originated in India.   It's dark yellow to brown, the Delicatesse is white and green, and the White wonder is pale yellow.  Cukes are great in salads, salsa, relishes and drinks.

Agua de Pepino (Cucumber Limeade)

1 cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
Juice of 2-3 limes
Sugar to taste (1/4 c or so is good)
water
ice

Put cucumber, sugar and lime juice in blender with enough water to reach an inch and a half below the top. Blend well. Strain the pulp out of the mixture and serve over ice.

Couscous Salad

Pickles

2 cups good stock
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup couscous
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 small cucumber or zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 small Granny Smith apple, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a heavy medium saucepan, whisk together the stock, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, and turmeric. Add the couscous in a slow steady stream, stirring constantly, and continue to boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Cover the pot tightly, remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes.

Fluff the couscous grains with a fork, transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool. Then fluff again, rubbing with your fingers to break up any lumps. Add the carrot, bell pepper, cucumber, onion, apple, currants and toss.

In a small jar with a lid, shake the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil with the lemon juice, salt and pepper until well mixed. Pour over the salad and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or up to 3 days. Season with additional salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste before serving.

With the cucumbers coming on I made both Bread and Butter and Dill Pickles.  If you have a preference, please e-mail me.  I would relish your input.  

Coming soon:  corn, tomatoes, melons, green beans...oh, and if you got the baby delicatas, use them where ever you would use Zukes. 

July 13, 2011 CSA - SCVWD

Beating the heat

What's in the box? 
Strawberries (please please please send me some plastic tubs to put berries in/write your name on the bottom!) Onions or garlic, last of the Red Russian Kale, Violetto Cauliflower, golden beets, (okay I ran out of beets - so someone got green beans), Parisian Market carrots, Romanesco zucchini, cucumbers, portulaca, potatoes and flowers. 

This week's special gift:  Maraschino cherries.

So what about Maraschino cherries?
I love them, except for Leo won't let me buy them because they are full of things that you should never put in your mouth.  As a child, no summer was complete without Shirley Temples and Roy Rogers.  A Shirley Temple is 7-up with a Maraschino Cherry and a wee bit of the juice.  A Roy Rogers is the same thing with cola.  My aunts always made their own Maraschino Cherries.  So, of course, I had to make you try them too.  They are also good on upside down cakes and in some of those 50's cocktails: the Manhattan, the Old Fashioned, a Bourbon sour, and now for something completely modern:

Violetto Cauliflower and mystery woman

Safe Sex on the Beach:

3 oz cranberry juice
3 oz pineapple juice
2 oz peach nectar
1 maraschino cherry.

Pour over ice in a chilled glass and stir. Garnish with a cherry.

I knew that I could work sex into this blog if I tried really hard.

Violetto Cauliflower
It turns pale green when you cook it!  It's a mild and sweet Sicilian heirloom.  It's good raw too.  Purple is the original color of cauliflower and this one is sweeter than it's white cousins.  Because of its purple color it possesses a powerful antioxidant called Anthocyanin.  It can be prepared in a Vegetable curry with potatoes and onions or eaten raw, steamed with cheese sauce.  You knew there had to be cheese in there somewhere.

Portulaca/Purslane 
Purslane contains more omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy vegetable plant. It also contains vitamins (mainly vitamin A, vitamin C, and some vitamin B and carotenoids), as well as dietary minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron.   It can be eaten as a leaf vegetable. It has a slightly sour and salty taste.   The stems, leaves and flower buds are all edible.  Purslane can be used fresh as a salad, stir-fried, or cooked like spinach, and because of its mucilaginous quality it is also suitable for soups and stews.  Greeks, who call it andrakla, fry the leaves and the stems with feta cheese, tomato, onion, garlic, oregano and olive oil.  We have ours in salad, with feta cheese!

Haven't scratched yet

On the chicken front:
Dumb Cluck and Little Pecker have returned to the flock.  But we still have eggs that aren't fertile.  We put two new roosters in with the main flock and well, they have a few weeks to figure out what they are there for.  Here's Clipped Wing and her 4 newbies eating my beautiful lettuce.  The lettuce was too bitter for human consumption.  The chicks think it's grand.

What's coming tomatoes and corn and of course more green beans.

CSA June 29 - People & Planet

What's in the box:
Sand Hill Lettuce, Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach, Golden Beets, Dinosaur Kale, Greenville Rhubarb, Romanesco Zucchini, Casey's Walla Walla Onions, Peas, Potatoes, Purple Glazer Garlic, and Flowers.

Folded Comb Hatches a Clutch

This weeks special gifts:  Eggs and Lemon Rosemary Cordial.

It's been a hectic week on the farm.  First of all we've had a farm inspection.  The first one ever from the Gubermint.  What an ordeal.  I am not only going to write a complete post on it, but I may never get over it.  If you really want to know, check back later.  I'm still to angry to compost a diatribe.  And believe me, there's lots of things I've had to compose and compost in my life.

Lemon Rosemary Cordial
I have branched into putting up some of my favorite summer drinks.  This one is not very sweet.  At home I fill frosty glasses full of ice, fill them half way with cordial and top them off with bubbly water and a slice of lemon.  Leo sometimes makes ice tea and uses this to top it off.  Finally, it makes a good mixer for adult drinks.  I think this one mixes at 1-1.  Leo of course says 2 parts water to 1 part cordial.  Have it your own way.

Greenville Rhubarb

This is the only week for rhubarb.  However, I have put in another dozen plants of various kinds hoping that we have more weeks of rhubarb in the future.  I also have made June in Jar and Strawberry Rhubarb Jam for the coming weeks.

Strawberries are here.  Send a pint sour cream, yogurt, or ? plastic tub with your name on the bottom of it in with your bags if you want them.  Please Please Please do not take your names off of the bags.  If you need to remove tag, put it in bottom of bag.  Thank you Thank you Thank you.

Costata Romanesco Zucchini
After growing summer squash for 20 years, we have finally found the zuke of my childhood, much better tasting; clearly better textured, nutty, and delicious, raw or cooked.  Forget inspid zukes!  This one is delicious grilled, in bread, in pancakes, in frittata.  I have not found a recipe that I have not preferred it in.  

Zuke, Sunflowers & Beans

Zuke Gratin
 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for topping
 1  yellow onions, cut in 1/2 and sliced
 2 zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick 
 2 teaspoons salt
 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
 1 T. all-purpose flour
 1/2 cup hot milk
 3/4 cup bread crumbs
 3/4 cup grated cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a very large (12-inch) saute pan and cook the onions over low heat for 20 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Add the zucchini and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the hot milk and cook over low heat for a few minutes, until it makes a sauce. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 10-inch baking dish.
Combine the bread crumbs and Gruyere and sprinkle on top of the zucchini mixture. Dot with 1 tablespoon of butter cut into small bits and bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and browned.

Zucchini Quick Pancakes
Grate a Zucchini and lightly salt it.  Let it sit on a napkin or paper towels till the moisture is absorbed.  Grate a 1/4 c. of hard cheese.  Mix the zucchini, cheese some pepper and a handful of Italian herbs.  Add them to your favorite pancake recipe.  (I thin my pancake recipe a little to make these).  Griddle them up and watch them fly.  This is a favorite camping recipe of ours.  It makes a lovely Saturday lunch.  If we're having these as a side dish, I add garlic.  Of course, even I don't eat garlic for breakfast!

Coming soon:  Corn and cukes.   Have a great week. 

June 22 - SCVWD - CSA

What's in the box?

Taters

Tomatoes, Corn, Summer Squash....Ha!  I had you there for a minute.   No, even though yesterday was the Summer Solstice, it's the last of the Spring vegetables.  So eat your peas while you may, for Father Time is a flying, and the peas that are here today, tomorrow will be dying.  Amish Peas,  Dinosaur kale, Swiss Chard, Fava Beans,  Italian Early Garlic, Walla Wall Onion, Flowers, Eggs, Portuguese Stuffing Cabbage and Rhubarb!  Finally.  And this week's special gift:  Organic Meyer Lemon Extract.

Yes, but all those vegetables are coming.  As soon as this heat wave breaks, I'll be digging up potatoes.  And boy have we been missing them.  I am tired of rice.  The first potatoes of the season will be Yukon Golds.  The reds will be later.  I think that all the purples drowned in the winter deluge.

Green Maters

I have seen green tomatoes, the first summer squash, the first pepper and the first cucumber.  No, none of them are ripe yet, but they are coming.  The first tomatoes will probably be Early Girls and Sungold Cherries.

This year we will have (barring anything I don't know about at this time...weather, fire, gopher, thieves, etc.)
Santa Clara Canner
African Queen
Herman's Special
Isis Candy
Chapman
Cherokee Green
Indian Stripe
Neves Azorian Red
Kosovo
Aunt Getries Gold
Sarnowski Polish Plum
Black Cherry and Roman Stripe

Now that' a tomato line-up.  And here they are all lined up.  There's about 40 tomatoes in the field.  Yikes.   I have a new dehydrator this year.  Thank you Leo.  So, we are going to have dried tomatoes again.  Yeah!  As they roll out of the field and into your boxes/bags,  I'd really like to know which ones you really like.  This year's Early Girl is an OP tomato.  So if we like it, we'll keep it.  If we don't, well we'll keep trialing tomatoes till we find a tomato that you all love.  As always, every year we will try new tomatoes until we can figure out the top 10 for the farm.

Rhubarb
I planted 10 more rhubarb bushes early this year. Actually, I think I planted 30 and ended up with 10.  I started them from seed, so it will be 2 more years before we can have rhubarb every week for the entire spring. As it is, this is the only rhubarb you will get for the season.  I have so many rhubarb recipes that I can hardly make up my mind what to make with my share, Pie? Jam? Cordial, Muffins....oh my the list is so long.  I think I'll make a cordial this year.  But, here's a recipe I think you'll all like.

Baby Rhubarb

Rhubarb Cream Cheese Bars
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or candied ginger chopped very fine.
2 1/2 cups sliced fresh rhubarb

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 9-inch square baking pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray.  Make it big enough to hang over the edges, so you can get the bars out.

2. Beat butter in medium bowl at medium speed 1 minute or until creamy. Beat in brown sugar 30 to 60 seconds or until well-blended. At low speed, beat in flour, oats and salt 30 to 60 seconds or until crumbly. Reserve 1/2 cup of the oat mixture; press remaining mixture into bottom of pan.

3. Wipe bowl clean. Add cream cheese; beat at medium speed 1 minute or until fluffy. Beat in sugar 1 minute or until creamy. At low speed, beat in sour cream 15 seconds. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and ginger.

4. Sprinkle rhubarb over crust; cover with batter. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup oat mixture; bake an additional 25 to 30minutes or until puffed and lightly browned, and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

5. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Remove from pan using foil; cut into bars.  (My sister sent this recipe to me from the Cooking Club of America).  Who knew?

Corn just beginning to Tassel

So many of you asked for this recipe last week that I decided to put it on the blog, so we all know where it is.  For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, that was the bread in last week's boxes.


Lemon Nut Bread
1 c. sugar
1/3 melted butter
2 T. lemon extract
2 eggs
1/2 c. chopped pecans (or not)
grated rind of one lemon and the juice
1 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 c. milk


Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together.  Cream the sugar, butter and lemon extract; add the eggs and beat well.  Add dry ingredients alternately with milk and beat just enough to blend.  Fold in grated rind and nuts.  Bake in well greased loaf pan 350 degrees 50-60 minutes.  Remove from oven.


On the stove mix the juice of the lemon you stole the peel from with 1/2 c. sugar.  Stir until sugar dissolves, but don't boil.   Prick the top with a fork to make more holes and cracks.  Drizzle over the top of the bread.  Do not cut for 24 hours.  Will last up to 3 months in the fridge....ha ha.  Sallie Rice contributed this recipe to the Sisters of the Holy Name Cookbook.  A real treasure of a cookbook which I found in a jumble sale in Los Gatos...when dinosaur kale still walked the earth.

Dinosaur Kale
Alright who went and named my favorite kale, (Cavolo Nero) Dinosaur Kale?  Was that someone trying to get their kids to eat kale?  There's some great kale recipes over here at this blog:

weirdvegetables.blogspot.com/2009/01/dino-kale.html

So FAR there have been no bronto sightings in the garden.    Next time you guys are going to get the Red Russian Kale, so that the other folks can play with the Lacinato, Cavolo Nero, Tuscan, Palm Tree, Dino Kale.  Thomas Jefferson grew Cavolo Nero at Monticello.  It's from the Campania region of Italy and is one of the traditional ingredients in minestrone.  It predates pizza.  No, really.

summer squash, beans & sunflowers

Strawberries
Some of you got strawberries this week.   Why didn't everyone get them?   No one has returned any of the containers I have previously packed them in.  I don't have anything left in the cupboard to pack strawberries in.  So, if you want berries in future weeks, send me something to pack them in.   Sour cream or cottage cheese containers are just the right size.  I know, I know, I could break down and buy those green plastic baskets to pack them in...but that just wouldn't be me.   So rummage your cupboard and send me those containers that you can't find the lid for.  Write your name on the bottom and then everyone will have berries.  I won't even bring up vases, but I'm down to the last 6.....

Have a nice week.  Stay cool.