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Monday, August 29, 2016

Week 12: Tomato Fete Meet the Farmer

morning milking surprised us with a full sky rainbow- not quite complete in the middle but still beautiful.
I'm sick of talking about the drought.   Everyone knows we have one by now because all your lawns are probably as brown and crispy as our fields.I wish it would just rain.We had a beautiful loan bestowed upon us by the Southborough Fire Department (thank you Chief Mauro!!!!) and Scott Navaroli arrived this morning with a 400 gallon tank with a pump so that we (once we get one precious fitting adaptor) we can fire up and get water to some of the new baby plants that we are transplanting into the fields....the fall spinach and beets and lettuces that are desperate for a little rain and cooler weather. The water tank can run our sprinklers all together (instead of one at a time) and after we've gotten them cultivated a couple of times, we can run the drip line to them from the tank as well. A little relief. 
And I can't wait for September to start- it is my favorite month of the year despite that the fall harvest is so heavy and my back hurts all the time and apprentices start to feel tired. Fairs and festivals abound and you can't get to all of them but you wish you could. All things pumpkin come back into season and the weather usually turns cool at night, but the days are still hot, the leaves start to turn and you can feel a change in the air. The light gets thick and golden, especially up here in New England, we are so lucky. And the sky just keeps going into a blue so rich and deep you start to think that maybe you are looking somewhere you shouldn't.
Pumper tank!!!

What's in Your Share (maybe):


Broccoli
Cabbage
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Carrots
S.Squash
Peppers/Eggplant (choice)
Celery (?)
Lettuce (if it isn't bitter or still tiny- I thought we would get at least a little rain last week)

Pick Your Own:

The cherry tomatoes are popping! We have a number of different varieties- all of which have different flavor profiles, so let us know which are your favorite. Pink grape is Pink Princess- nice and fruity with a sweet acidic bite; Melon colored grape is Honey Drop- fruity to the core and oh so sweet; Sungolds are tender and almost toasty sweet with a crisp skin; Sweet 100's are all tomato flavor; Black Cherry should be harvested at a deep purple color with barely a hint of green shoulders and then they are the richest in flavor. These bad boys should be roasted slow in olive oil until they caramelize into a roasted tomato insanity that is incredible mixed into fresh pasta, drizzled over fresh goat cheese on thick slices of sourdough, or put in the freezer until January has you wishing for summer. 
The second planting of beans is also ready- they are sandwiched in between the rows of cherry tomatoes and are a little out of control on all sides. Slough your way through with courage and determination- gorgeous food lies hidden in that jungle.
Hot peppers are HOT, HOT, HOT! Liven up these late summer meals with a little extra heat- and believe me, there is nothing mild about these chilies when you have a drought on your hands. The shishitos are coming in at about 1 sweet to 9 hot these days so be extra careful playing chili roulette because they will make you cry. The Hungarian Hot wax are just about perfect- look for the pasty yellow ones if you want it a little milder, but if you want screaming go for the orange/red. Dragon Long Cayennes are out there for the really bold and even our Jalapenos are ridiculous on the heat scale this year. Be careful, go slow and have lots of goat cheese/sour cream/yogurt/queso fresco on the side! They all have different flavors and heat levels- ask for more info from me (des) and we can pair you with a chili that will make the most of your meal. 
Flowers are still hanging in- some of the zinnias are looking tired, but the amaranth and celosias are going strong and we have new beauties coming to play. Look for more snapdragons, cosmos in orange and pink attire, sunflowers and more. 

Events!!!!!!!!!!

There is a lot coming up this month- don't disappoint our new Engagement Coordinator and come out to some of the fun things we are offering here this month.
First up- Meet the Farmer- Tomato Fete this Saturday the 3rd from 10a-12p Join us for a tomatolicious morning on the farm. We will have tomato tastings (yep, learn all about our delicious heirloom varieties from their crazy names to the stories of where they came from); a tomato seed saving demo- we will teach you how to save seed from some of your favorite tomatoes; we will make a simple pico de gallo salsa recipe and of course, something fun for the kiddos such as a craft/art activity. 
Fire and Ice (Cream)- a dessert and night hike adventure with rumors of tikki torches is happening on Labor Day Monday. Come enjoy the camp fire with us!
Coming up very Soon so PRE-REGISTER ASAP- Friday, September 16th is our first ever FARM TO TABLE dinner. The bulk of the ingredients will be from our fields prepared by MetroWest Catering for your dining pleasure under the skies of the orchard and surrounded by the farm.
For all other events happening SOON- check out below:

Recipes:

So more things to do with tomatoes (even though just slicing and eating them as much as possible is my usual go to). I came across this gorgeous looking Greek delight. You can watch a do-whoppy video of them making it here but otherwise....

Greek inspired, Rice Stuffed Tomatoes from 12Tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS
10 large tomatoes
3/4 cup un-cooked short grain rice
2 zucchini, peeled and grated
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 tablespoons dry mint
4 tablespoons fresh parsley (or 4 teaspoons dried)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds potatoes
PREPARATIO N
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Slice the tops o􀃙 the tomatoes (keep the tops, though)
and use a spoon to empty out the middle of the tomato.
Reserve the juice in one bowl and insides of the tomato
in a separate bowl. Make small slits in the inside bottom
of the tomatoes making sure not to cut all the way
through the tomatoes.
3. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish and place the
tomatoes inside the pan.
4. Put the onion, garlic, a teaspoon of oil, and a pinch of
salt into a food processor and pulse until veggies are
slightly broken down and chunky.
5. Take the insides of the tomato and chop them into small
pieces, and then add them to a large bowl with the
grated zucchini. Then, add 1 tablespoon of salt, the dry
mint, parsley, and tomato paste and combine. Finally,
add the uncooked short-grain rice, 1 teaspoon of lemon
juice, and 3/4 cup olive oil and let the mixture sit.
6. In the meantime, peel the potatoes and cut them into
chunks. Toss them with the tablespoon of oregano, 3/4
cup olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Mix them well
and then add the reserved tomato juice.
7. Fill the tomatoes to the top with the rice mixture and top
them with their caps. Then, place the potatoes/tomato
juice in the empty space around the tomatoes also add
any leftover rice mixture in the gaps, too.
8. Add a cup of water to the corner of the pan and tilt it so
that the water is evenly distributed.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees F, and then
reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake them for
another 60-90 minutes. If it seems dry during the
process, add a little more water to the pan.
10. Enjoy!

I've gotten a couple of requests for Elspeth's Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

She adapted a recipe she got out of Williams-Sonoma's Muffins Cookbook

Ingredients:
Topping: 
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp each of brown sugar and granulated sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces

Muffins:
7 Tbsps butter, room temp
3/4 cup granulated sugar (i think she used brown sugar or 1/2 maple syrup)
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
4 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk (she used goat's milk)
1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup of dark chocolate chips (70-80%)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375. Grease 12 standard muffin cups with butter. 
Make the topping: stir together the flour, sugars, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut or rub the butter into the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form (you can also use a food processor).
To make the muffins: Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Add the dry to the butter mixture in 2 increments, alternating with milk and vanilla. Stir until just evenly moist but still lumpy. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold in the blueberries and chips into the batter. Take care not to over mix.
Spoon the batter into each cup, filling to the rim. Sprinkle each muffin with topping. 
Bake until golden and dry, springy to the touch. around 20-25 minutes. Toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean. Transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes, then loosed and unmold from pan. Serve warm with maple butter....(which is softened butter mixed with a little maple syrup....so good). 


Monday, August 22, 2016

Week 11: Salsa time

Swiss Chard- Weeded!!!


Farm news:

So. We started really rolling in the tomatoes last week. Well this week, there are even more: more varieties, textures, tastes and the cherry tomatoes have started up as well. YAY! This is the time of year where I just get so excited every time I go out into the field and see the abundance of gorgeous sweet globes hanging from the vines.
Lack of water is still making it nearly impossible to predict our yields accurately (we are actually only getting about 60% of what was predicted for a normal harvest year with adequate rainfall and some intermittent use of irrigation- not a drought year), so we are going to get a little creative with our produce. Depending on your pickup day, we might switch around what you are getting this week. For example: Tuesday might get peppers this week, but Thursday and Friday shares might get eggplant. We will then switch it up next week and Th/Fri will get peppers and Tuesday will get eggplant. We will let you know where those choices might be down below. Know that we will be as fair as we can, but it really is drought that is affecting our shares this year in more ways than just lack of water- rodents in search of water are eating more produce than usual from plants and fruits smaller than usual. I've NEVER seen rodents eat eggplant, EVER,and they are going to town. Snap traps are useless in the field and I wouldn't want to inadvertently hurt predators in any case.
We have some new items for you this week. Check them out, don't be shy, ask us how to cook them. We are here to help.
Anna Banana's Homemade Goodness is here on Tuesday this week only!!!!!! Come by for her incredible marshmallows (had the coffee ones last week- OMG! I can't even describe how yumtastic they are). And if you are really lucky she will have her dark chocolate dipped orange peel- she candies this herself folks! I can't even describe how awesome that is. You can't go wrong. Everything I've ever tasted is worth the price and then some. It's like having our own chocolaterie right here in Southborough. It just doesn't get better. And um, try those Kitchen Sink Truffle thingys. Wow. I can't stop eating them. I'm begging myself to stop and I just can't. It's that good.
Also, if you missed our Full Moon Potluck- you missed the most delicious Lemon Meringue Pie in a jar and fried chicken and caprese salad and so much more. We are going to be having monthly potlucks on or near the full moon all during CSA, so come on out! They are super casual, no need to be fancy, but just come ready to have good food and conversation. I swear, I'm not a huge potluck fan, but we've had some of the best food I've ever eaten at some of these. Come join us next month (though it won't be on the full moon, that's the Farm to Table Dinner, so we will schedule some time earlier!).


What's in Your Share (maybe):

Edamame
Greens: Swiss Chard or Kale
Beets
Potatoes
Squash, spagetti
Squash, summer (looking slim)
Melons- musk or water
Eggplant or Peppers (lack of water is making it unpredictable to determine exactly how many good fruit we will get so you might get one or the other this week, don't worry we will make it fair by switching it up next week if we have to- see above)

Pick Your Own:
Beans, beans, beans and the second planting is about to come in.
Okra for Thursday/Friday since they didn't get any two weeks ago.I really really promise to plant a whole lot more next year! For those of you who didn't know- I planted it as an experiment to see if folks would be interested and the answer is a resounding YES! So, I will grow more next season.
Flowers
Herbs- parsley, dill (sort of)
Cherry tomatoes- Honey drop, Sungold, Sweet 100, Black and Pink Princess
We are planting more cilantro for the fall!
Green Jalapenos.....PLEASE LEAVE the other chiles to ripen!!!!! They aren't meant to be eaten in the green phase and will be not so hot and bitter.


Eden Glen Farm Salsa

My favorite. From a former CSA shareholder in Dalton, Ed Bond. He changed how I viewed salsa forever. This is fresh, crisp and delicious beyond all comprehension. The first time he brought me a quart container of it, I pretty much ate the whole thing standing in the fridge door. And I was a non-eater of raw onions and garlic and I still couldn't help myself. I often make big double batches and do a boiling water bath canning of it for consumption in January (I leave out the beans and corn, but sometimes add in peaches or mango). It is incredible in the middle of winter to open a jar of summer.

Peppers 1/2 red sweet; 1/2 purple sweet; 1 green sweet; 2 jalapenos; 1 hungarian hotwax
Tomatoes 5 large (more varieties the better)
Garlic- 2 large cloves
Herbs- 2-4 TBsps fresh chopped each of cilantro, basil
Corn-1 ear, off cob
Onion- 1 large, any kind (I like a combo of red and sweet yellow)

Dice all vegetables and mix. Add 4 Tbsps cider vinegar and olive oil. Add 1/2-1 can of black beans.
Optional: 2-4 Tbsps of tomato paste to sweeten and thicken if you like and ground cayenne to heat things up.
Sturgeon Moon rises next to the silo.




Monday, August 15, 2016

Week 10: A little relief and tomato glory and FULL MOON POTLUCK-THURSDAY!!!!!!!




Honey Fest success: Thank you to everyone who came out to our first HoneyFest on Saturday. It was a hot one, but the bees were calm and the day was fine. We listened to Scott Navaroli talk about bees and their care (it is livestock husbandry!) and got to see him open up some hives. He also had an observation hive inside the barn where we could all see the Queen going about her daily business (of laying eggs and being adored by her court). There were tastings and gorgeous food by Culinary Underground including a Honey Butter beer that knocked your socks off and Honey Bacon scones. Yum! Facepainting and crafts and then honey being extracted from the hives! It was a great day.

Full Moon Potluck is upon us this week! Come join us on Thursday for a little farm food and company. Bring your favorite farm inspired dish to share with the group. We will have tomato salad, s'mores and smiles for you! Starts at 7pm!!!!

It is a tad bit cooler out there, and we got some pretty intense thunderstorms, but it is shocking how dry the soil still is. I noticed a distinct change in the soil temperature today as we dug potatoes, but it was still bone dry. I've heard a rumor that we would actually need a tropical storm to replace the soil moisture and rebuild the water tables in our soil at this point.

I hate chipmunks and ninety degree plus weather for the same reason. They both make for difficulty farming. At temperatures over ninety degrees most fruiting plants will abandon new flowers before or just after pollination so that they can concentrate their energy on growing the fruits they have. Other plants like to flower at this temperature, especially if their main season is in the cooler parts of the year. Lettuces and other greens tend to flower as soon as the weather gets hot and even though we've been domesticating them for centuries, some base natures are difficult to change. Hence, lettuce and broccoli bolts into flower at ninety and above temperatures. It's so frustrating to grow something from seed, transplant it lovingly into the fields and then weed and watch it grow for months only to have it flower before it is even big enough to harvest.


In Your Share (maybe):
Tomatoes
Melon (hopefully and they are smaller than we like)
Potatoes
Eggplant (limited)
Summer Squash (going down.....and chipmunks ate the other planting and all the rest of our seed, so we probably will have very limited squash for the rest of the season)
Lettuce of some kind or another.
Carrots
Celery
Pick Your Own:
Beans are going strong! Pick a mixed third of a bag. Parsley and other herbs are looking beautiful out there. The okra needs to rest this week so please leave it be. I promise to grow more next year, I had NO idea that it would be so popular. Chili peppers are NOT ready. I know it is hard to resist their spicy catcalling but there isn't enough to give out to everyone yet. Soon.

Upcoming Events:

August 18th 7-9pm, free Full Moon Potluck. Bring a farm inspired dish to share with us! We will have the campfire and grill going.
September 3rd 10am-12pm Meet the Farmer. I will have a craft and some fun farmy thing to share with my community. Maybe we will do some preserving of farm produce. Come join the farm team for a morning of fun!
September 16th 6-9pm Farm Dinner- Fancier than our potlucks, join us for a gorgeous farm inspired meal, tasty beverages, dessert, lawn games and live music. Reservations required for this dinner so that we know how much food to cook! And we don't want you to miss out so check out www.thetrustees.org or email kbaker@thetrustees.org for more info.

In case you didn't already know this, tomatoes are one of my favorite things to grow and to eat. We grow a lot of big round red slicers and some pretty pink slicers, but we also grow a lot of funky heirlooms (a lot less than the 75 varieties I once grew! We are down to about 25 now :) )
Here's a short primer on some of the more unusual:
Pruden's Purple
Northampton Italian
 

Rose de Berne


Black Zebra & Indian Moon
Mystery Yellow Beauty
 

Black from Tula












Japanese Black Trifele




Recipes of the Week:

Caprese Salad
I was shocked last week that some folks have never tried this hot weather staple (at least it is in my house). You can dress it up however you like, with olives and fancy balsamic vinegar reductions, but we just eat it drizzled with olive oil, flaky salt and balsamic vinegar. Most times, we don't even bother with bread or forks but eat it with our hands- thick slices of cheese and tomato and juice running down our fingers and faces. My kids are like sharks when I lay a plate of this down on the table.
Ingredients:
1lb of Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
3-4 or 5 tomatoes, sliced in 1/3" thickness- the more varieties and colors the better
A sweet basil leaf (green or purple) for each slice of tomato
olive oil, sea salt, balsamic vinegar or your favorite viniagrette dressing works too!
Other optional add-ins: Pesto, Olives of all kinds, cherry tomatoes, crusty bread, capers, avocado slices, etc.
Assemble a platter with alternating slices of cheese, tomato, basil. All other ingredients should be tossed about prettily or placed on the side for adding in. Drizzle with olive oil and a little balsamic or dressing. sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Try to control yourself while eating.....it's hard.

From abeautifulplate.com Check out more gorgeous and delicious recipes here.

SPAGHETTINI WITH ROASTED TOMATOES, FRESH BASIL, AND TOASTED GARLIC BREADCRUMBS

INGREDIENTS:

Roasted Tomatoes:
  • 2.5 lbs small heirloom tomatoes or large cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 large cloves of garlic, smashed
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
Crispy Garlic Breadcrumbs:
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
Spaghettini: 
  • 3/4 lb dried spaghettini pasta (otherwise known as 'thin spaghetti)
  • 2 ounces fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnishing
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for serving

DIRECTIONS:


  1. Roast Tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a large pot (8 quarts or larger) of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Rinse the tomatoes and pat them dry. Place the tomatoes and smashed garlic cloves on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread them out on the baking sheet. Roast the tomatoes for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping them every 5 to 10 minutes or so, until they are soft and have just begun to collapse. Meanwhile, prepare the breadcrumb topping.
  2. Prepare Breadcrumb Topping: In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the chopped shallot and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallots have softened and become translucent. Add the panko breadcrumbs and chopped garlic. Reduce the heat to low and toast the breadcrumbs for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the breadcrumbs from burning--or until they are golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and place the breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
  3. While the tomatoes finish roasting (and the breadcrumbs are prepared), boil the dried pasta until al dente. In the last minute or so of cooking, add the fresh basil leaves to the pasta water. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water (avoid any basil leaves), and drain the pasta. Place the pasta (with basil) back into the pot and drizzle with olive oil. Add the warm, roasted tomatoes and toss gently. Add reserved pasta water as necessary.
  4. Garnish each pasta serving with basil (torn or sliced into thin ribbons), a generous sprinkling of toasted garlic breadcrumbs, and serve with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Monday, August 8, 2016

Week 9: Bitter Cucumbers and Tiny Melons

The middle of the CSA season is creeping up fast and I am worried. Worried because we have yet to see significant rainfall and the crops are suffering with the failing of our well. Now, the well was never going to cut it. At 8 gals/minute it can run about 12-14 lines of drip irrigation before it runs the house dry. Most of our crops are planted at two rows per bed so we can irrigate 6-7 beds at a time. To get water to the roots requires that we run the lines for 3 hours. We currently have 330 beds that we can reach with water. If we run the irrigation for 12 hours per day (and I really like to be able to take a shower/laundry/dishes so I need to turn it off)- we can rotate through 24-32 beds per day. So, yeah, it will take a week and a half at the least to cycle through all our crop beds. You can see why we might be feeling a little desperate for rain. Because we just can't keep up with the crop needs. Some things will have to be sacrificed at this point. And so, the cucumbers were definitely not up to par last week. We thought we could eek a little more out of them, but the heat was too much. When we weeded one row, they just died. And in the other rows, the fruits were inconsistent and many were bitter. We are sorry if you got nasty, bitter cucumbers! We can't know without tasting every one, and the few we tried seemed ok, but we got reports otherwise. The melons are also suffering. We have been focusing on trying to keep fall crops alive along with summer crops such as the lettuces, carrots, green beans and tomatoes. The melons are farther away and are now starting to ripen, but the plants and fruits are smaller than they should be. It makes us sad, but we are hoping that they will be so sweet that you forget that they should be twice the size.

In good news: At least it isn't over 90 and the humidity is semi-reasonable. The tomatoes are hopping and
incredibly delicious! Whew!!! AND we have a new apprentice- Colin Everett started last week and has hit the ground running. Most recently graduated from Queen's College in Canada, Colin was working on reforestation projects up in the backwoods of Ontario, but has come home to Holliston and joined us for the rest of the summer and into the fall. He's off to a great start- already learning to harvest and drive tractors and help us through the puzzles of irrigation and designing farm systems for a very new situation. It is great to have the extra set of hands and generous energy to bolster us at this time of year.

Day of Wonder: The whole Farm Team (Appleton Farms, Powisset Farm and Chestnut Hill met our boss, Cathy Wirth, Agriculture Director, at Castle Hill for a day of wonder. We toured the big summer house that once belonged to the Crane Family. He built it for his children to love and explore and to encourage them to always come back to. It is a house filled with nooks and cranny's and because of where it is situated, almost all windows open on to views of the sea. It is no surprise to me that they were all sailors, and I wandered the gardens and grounds, and the widow's walk, wishing that I were in Jane Austen novella. We lunched on the back terrace, where a stage would be shortly built to hold the Boston Pops and then we mosied our way to Crane Beach for an afternoon of perfect temperature ocean waters, salt, sand
between the toes and good company. We went for ice cream at Down River before trekking home the back way to avoid the ridiculous afterwork traffic. Good times.

Events:
HONEYFEST is SATURDAY from 10am-2pm. Bee crafts, Facepainting, games, Cooking demos, honey tastings and celebrating all things honey. We will be cracking hives and meeting the 30,000 plus ladies who make honey and pollinate our delicious vegetables. Come and join us for the fun. $15 for member families and $25 for non-members. Food available for purchase from Culinary Underground: including Panzanella Salad, Honey bacon scones and Honey Butterbeer!

Story Hour on the Farm: Friday, August 8th at 1030am-1130am Join our engagement ranger as she reads some fun stories, learn about the farm and do a craft/activity. For younger children to age 7. $5/child for members, $10/child nonmembers

Farm Full Moon Potluck!!! August 18th from 7-830pm Come join us as we fire up the grill and bring your favorite farm-inspired dish to share! Let's watch the full moon rise over the farm and enjoy good food and company.


Farm to Table Dinner is happening on Friday September 16th. We are planning in incredible evening of delicious farm fresh food. More details to come soon, but put the date on your calendar!

Recipe of the Week:
The beans are about as perfect as you can get right now....I can't even get them back to the house. I eat them standing in the field...marvelling at the velvet skin, the crunch and the sweet sweet beany taste. I fully admit that the dragon beans are my absolute favorite, but the Green Jade come a close second in my heart. If and when they make it all the way back to the house- I like to toss them with garlic powder, olive oil and salt and roast them until they are carmelized and crispy and then drizzle a little balsamic on them. So good. But. They are other ways to eat them.
I recently looked at a bunch of recipes from Real Simple and one seemed perfectly yumtastic....especially since it involved a fairly simple sauteeing of beans in a little butter/olive oil and drizzling some Mustard Viniagrette and adding sliced toasted almonds. Yeah. That sounds amazing. I love Appalachian Naturals Wildflower Honey Mustard Dressing- it's got old world real mustard and local to the Pioneer Valley honey (right around the corner from my parent's house) and is always the perfect consistency. I use it just as often to make Mustard BBQ chicken as I do to dress up a salad. In any case, there are a bunch of other green beany delicious recipes on the same site, if you like to cook your beans in the first place.

Monday, August 1, 2016

Week 8: DROUGHT SUCKS

Chicken house getting painted!
The drought is finally making news and we are continuing to be very nervous as more days come and go and promised rain slides away with the barest whisper. It has gotten to the point where we are holding off on plantings and barely daring to weed because when and if we do, the crops beneath the weeds are left suddenly without shade with disturbed soils and they can't handle the heat and shock and die. I feel like I'm haunting the weather app on my phone as I check it, sometimes hourly, for hints of rain or cooler temps or humidity to see if baby plants I might put in the ground today might survive with morning gifts of dew or a passing shower.
We had a great big old rainy day just wash over us on Sunday- it hit 495 and swirled away from the farm. We had a tiny splattering of rain, we did, but it wasn't even enough to wet the ground underneath the big maple in the front yard (it has to rain at least 1/8 inch to get through that dense canopy) and in my book these days, that is the only thing that really counts as rain. We have officially lost the cucumbers and about half the lettuce has just given up even though we have watered it. Lettuce particularly hates temps over 90 and so do most other plants- they drop their flowers and fruit, turn bitter or tannic at the temperatures we've been having.
We harvested some beautiful eggplant last week, but the plants aren't making any more. Usually you harvest the big ones as the plants continue to make new fruits, but the plants are empty. It is a little scary. Some of our fellow CSAs are halting distributions because of the drought.  They are hoping to make it up at the end of the season, but we are also coming up against deadlines for getting fall crops in the ground. And we planted another round of kohlrabi and salad last week only to watch it shrivel and die in the heat. Hopefully our sister farms got some of the rain that swirled around the state on Sunday but passed us by.
Please be patient with us as we limit things in CSA because yields are less than half what was planned or not at all. We hate to disappoint, especially in our second year, but understand that this is not a usual season for us or anyone farming out there. Think about taking a not quite full bucket for the next few weeks and know that we will make it up to you at the end of the season when we will most likely get more rain. We thank you in advance.

honey bees and pollinator friends need water too
The bees are miserable, according to our beekeeper, the flowers are not making as much nectar as they usually do and honey production is down compared to usual amounts. A good deed for right now to help our native pollinators and our honeybee friends is to make a bee waterer by placing a shallow dish filled with glass marbles (or use a birdbath if you have one) and then fill the dish and marbles with just enough water to leave a little of the marbles showing. This provides a safe place for the bees to land and drink. You can also use flat rocks in place of marbles. I also have a soaker hose that I use in one of the house garden beds- I allow it to fill with water and run for an hour in the evening- this stays full of water and allows the bees (and other important pollinator insects!!!) to get a drink as well.
Cartera hanging in the orchard for lunch
We had one hundred volunteers join us on Monday to get a ton of work done on the farm!!!!! Thank you toCartera for all their amazing work, willing hands and incredible attitudes- we got so many projects done that we couldn't have done without you! Strawberries are weeded, almost 900lbs of potatoes harvested, all our PYO signs are done (and look AWESOME), stone walls and overgrown paddocks cleared, invasive plants removed, chicken house and picnic tables were painted and new raised beds (handicap accessible!!!) were constructed. And some very eager ladies blew apart the old deck on the apprentice cottage so that we could get in and repair it. Very nicely done everyone! My heartfelt thanks to everyone who came today (so glad it wasn't 90 degrees and instead were blessed with a beautiful day with a reasonable temp).

New in the Farmstand this Week:

Appalachian Naturals! We have their delicious Maple Balsamic Dressing back in stock! We also brought in a few more of their amazing dressings- Chipotle Ranch and Wildflower Honey Mustard. If you like things sweet or spicy- we have you covered! Roast your veggies drizzled in the honey mustard or finish them coming off the grill- you won't be disappointed. Check their website for awesome recipes (they were chefs that owned their own restaurant in Joshua Tree before moving to New England almost ten years ago to start this company). We also have their medium salsa- we love this for jarred salsa- it has a slightly smoky taste (chipotle chilis) that hits the spot and makes my Huevos Rancheros sing......(ok, that's not fair- I use a heavy cast iron skillet, pour in the salsa mixed with black beans and corn and stick it in the oven. When its hot, I make little hollows in the salsa mix and crack eggs into them, cover them with cheese and roast until the whites are firm- this doesn't take long. Meanwhile I heat up corn tortillas on the griddle. Avocado, cilantro and limes are tossed together in a bowl. Fresh tomatoes are sliced, sometimes with mango and chili powder. When the eggs are done, I layer eggs, beans/salsa with avos on the tortillas and serve with sour cream, extra cheese, avos and fresh herbs and hot sauce on the side).
Tuesday CSA Coordinator Kim Galbraith is also making the best zucchini bread I've EVER had! It is for sale in the Farmstand- $4 for small loaves and $5.50 for large. You won't regret these softly sweet and moist loaves packed with crunchy walnuts. They are just so so good.

In Your Share:

Tomatoes (still not gangbusters, but getting there)
Carrots
Swiss Chard
Scallions
New potatoes
Summer Squash
Basil- you are probably getting a whole plant (make pesto!)

PYO:
Green beans, purple beans, yellow beans and dragon beans! OH MY!!!
Flowers
Herbs (cilantro, parsley, dill, edible flowers, marjoram, oregano, thyme) are all open, please take only what you would use for a meal or two while fresh)


Recipes:
We have some incredibly creative folks in our CSA and they are rocking the recipes. If you haven't done so yet, become part of our group on Facebook- Friends of Chestnut Hill Farm- because members are constantly posting awesome recipe ideas there. I'm also going to throw a shout out to a former Berkshires CSA member of mine, Julie Golin- she and a group of friends wrote a foodie blog for years and was and still is a resource of all things amazing and delicious. Remember Elspeth's chocolate zucchini bread- yeah, Julie's was her original inspiration. The blog seems to be less active now, but it is still there, a repository of gastronomic bliss.How Does Your Garden Grow?

Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients:

1 medium/large zucchini, about 2 cups roughly grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs (or more, if things seem really soupy after you mix it up)
Scant 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
Garlic powder, onion powder to taste (or real finely diced onion and garlic if you're feeling fancy!)
Oil for frying

Directions:

Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with oil (about 1/8" deep...not too deep, but more than just a splash!) Heat over medium high heat.

Mix together all the other ingredients.

Once the oil is hot, add a spoonful of the zucchini mixture to the oil. Use the back of the spoon to flatten it into a pancake shape. Repeat, leaving a small amount of room between pancakes. Flip after about 1 minute, when the bottom is browned. Fry the other side until brown (about 1 minute), then transfer to a paper towel to drain.

That's it! You can serve these plain, or with some sour cream, or with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, or some marinara sauce. However you'd like!

The following recipe was posted on the Friends of CHF page and looks incredible. Thanks Cyndi for posting it!!!!She recommends cooking a little extra longer and slicing those potatoes paper thin to get them to cook to tenderness. 


SUMMER VEGETABLE TIAN from Budgetbytes.com
 
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
 

Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil 
  • 1 medium zucchini
  • 1 medium yellow squash
  • 1 medium potato
  • 1 medium tomato
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • to taste salt & pepper
  • 1 cup shredded Italian cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sautê the onion and garlic with olive oil over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent (about 5 minutes).
  2. While the onion and garlic are sautéing, thinly slice the remaining vegetables. Make sure the potatoes are very thin so that they soften quickly while in the oven.
  3. Coat the inside of an 8x8" casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread the sautéed onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Arrange the other sliced vegetables, stacked vertically like dominos, in an alternating pattern. Season the top of the vegetables generaously with salt, pepper, and dried thyme.
  4. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and top with the shredded cheese. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.

Events: 

August 6th 9a-12p Meet the Farmer this month is all about the chickens! Come and see our new mobile chicken house, get up close and personal with our hens and learn all that we know about chickens! Thinking about getting some ladies for your backyard- we will be talking about chicken housing, feeding, basic needs and more so bring your questions and we will lend you our expertise.
August 13th from 10a-2pm Honey Festival is on the horizon! We are hosting a celebration of all things Honey and Honey Bees. Please join us for a sweetness and fun-filled day of demonstrations, tastings, crafts and games. There is something for everyone in our golden, liquid sunshine day.
August 18th from 7-830pm join us for our monthly Full Moon Potluck!!!!We will be firing up the grill/campfire for the Sturgeon Moon (who knew?). Bring your favorite farm inspired dish to share and we will do the same.