Saturday at Chestnut Hill Farm Event- July 4th from 10a-2p

 Farm Happenings:

We have lots of new equipment that has arrived at the farm in the last week. Our new bed shaper (makes a beautiful 6" raised bed and can lay plastic and drip irrigation at the same time if needed), Transplanter- Water wheel type, and Williams Tool Cultivator- basically a large tractor mounted rake, along with our new greenhouse all came this past week. There was a lot of unloading by tractor and by hand. Whew. 

At the same time, Uhlman's came and started the work on our new CSA/Farm-stand parking area. We moved about 200 yards of topsoil from a 60x80 foot area just below the new Pick-Your-Own flower garden. The topsoil went across the farm to a low lying area that was most recently, a horse pasture, and it will get pushed around to make a fertile, somewhat more level field for our new hoophouses when we get them. 

Stonework has begun (though we have to wait 3 more weeks for the granite posts that will frame each side of the opening in the stone wall), almost all the stones from the original wall will remain as returns coming back from the opening. We should be able to park in the new parking lot by Friday's distribution this week (because of the rain, they could not work in there today, but will finish it up tomorrow).

New parking area

Farm Event:This Saturday, July 4th!!!!!

Allie prepping gourds for weekend event

This weekend’s Saturday at Chestnut Hill event will be take place from 10-2.

• ·         Children’s craft: Birdhouse activity- We have some beautiful birdhouse gourds donated by Whit Beals that are ready to decorate into a beautiful birdhouse for you to take home.  
• ·         Birds, Butterflies and Milkweed, OH MY! Help us map where some of the key important species on the farm are living right now. We will take 2 (1^stone at 11a and the 2^nd at 1pm) walks up along the main farm road and try to identify where the bobolinks are nesting, the Checkerspot butterflies are feeding and the significant milkweed patches are. 

This event is free and open to the public, so stop by and join us on Saturday.

In your share this week (maybe):

Salad turnips

Swiss Chard

Tuscan Kale (also known as Dinosaur, Black or Lacinato Kale)

Baby Bok Choi

Lettuce mix

Head Lettuce

Kohlrabi

Chinese/Napa Cabbage

Mustard greens (big maybe)

Vegetable and Recipe of the Week:

Kohlrabi was a new vegetable for folks last week- we love this crazy, alien spaceship-shaped beauty. It is very popular in German speaking countries where it is eaten both raw and cooked. It has also become a popular vegetable in Kashmir, where I found a bunch of recipes that all sound amazing. We forgot to tell you that most of the time, it is peeled, though the varieties that we grow tend to have a thinner skin than some of the older heirloom varieties. Kohlrabi, also known as German turnip, is a swollen stem. It is exactly the same as broccoli stems, but is sweeter and more uniform. Its leaves are used just like kale or collards, the "turnip" and the leaves are often cooked together in the same dish, and served with a light gravy over rice.
I usually try and post recipes that are easy to make with common pantry ingredients, but I figured I would go a little exotic here because it just sounds so yummy and would probably be delicious even if you used 2 tsp straight pre-mixed curry powder and skipped the tamarind.

Tangy Kohlrabi Curry Recipe, from www,thasneen.com

Ingredients

• Oil- 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds- ½ tsp
• Whole dry red chili- 2
• Red or white onions, chopped-1
• Kohlrabi, diced- 2
• Kohlrabi leaves, chopped
• Kashmiri red chili powder- 1½ tsp (or use regular chili powder)
• Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
• Ground Cumin- 1 tsp
• Fennel powder- 1½ tsp
• Salt- to taste
• Fresh tamarind juice- 3 inch slice soaked in 5 tbsp warm water,

Instructions

1. Rinse the kohlrabi stem and leaves under running water, dice into small cubes and chop the leaves. Keep aside.
2. Soak 3 inch fresh tamarind slice in 5 tbsp warm water, combine the tamarind in water to release the juice, drain the juice, keep aside.
3. Place a large non-stick pan over medium heat, add oil, let it turn hot.
4. Add mustard seeds, let it splutter.
5. Add cumin seeds and whole red dry chili, saute for a few seconds.
6. Add onion and a little salt, saute till translucent.
7. Add kohlrabi diced along with chopped leaves.
8. Add ¼ cup water and cook covered till the kohlrabi turns fork tender.
9. Open the lid, add chili powder, turmeric powder, ground cumin, fennel powder and salt, combine well.
10. Add strained tamarind juice, combine well.
11. Add ¼ cup more water and cook covered for 5 minutes.
12. Have a taste and add more salt or chili powder if needed.
13. If you want more gravy, add some more water and cook for a few minutes.
14. I didn't add too much water so it was more like a dry dish.
15. Serve warm as a side dish along with rice, chapati, roti etc