Week 7: RAIN! And the ballad of tired farmers

The rain has finally come back in full force in the last week, bringing with it, slightly cooler nights and better growing weather for the plants (and resting for weary farmers). However, its onset also brings about a flush of weeds and work....but that is farm life in July- a flury of harvesting and weeding and planting and scrambling with tangles of irrigation hoses- all of which continues for 8 straight weeks in the heat of summer's humidity and sun. We work through the dog days hoping for rain and rejoicing when the deluge comes to wash away the dust and refresh the soils. The end of July is when we all look and feel more tired than at any other point in the farm season. The combo of heat and work makes everything a little more exhausting (though I would take it over being out there when it is freezing). This is when we start to plan in more hours off and make it a priority that folks are getting the rest they need. Schedules change and adapt to make sure that we don't overdo it even though the list of things that NEED to get done gets longer by the minute. Still. Wouldn't have it any other way.
These days we are watching the tomatoes like the baby hawk who sits high in the pine near the barn watches all the little bunnies (and chickens) it can't catch in the field, screeching and muttering to each other about when will they be ripe and when can they be eaten. It is getting close but it isn't this week. Tempting as it may be, leave the PYO cherries where they lie right now- know that we will open them when we have enough for everyone to go out and grab a pint that's 160 families folks- that's a whole lot of cherry tomatoes- and so we must be patient. Until then, enjoy the basil while we have it (downy mildew will take it out after some southern August thunderstorm and we won't be able to grow it again for a year).


What's in Your Share (maybe):

Cabbage
Beets
Lettuce (this is a little iffy this week after the heat)
Zucchini & Squash (still waiting for that second planting to come in)
Cucumbers
Lettuce
New potatoes
Onions
Scallions
Rainbow Chard

PYO:
Green Beans & Yellow Wax Beans!!!
Flowers 8-10 stems
Basil- small bag
Parsley-small bunch
Savory
Dill
Lavender
Marjoram
Sage
Thyme
Lemon balm
Okra (keep it to 1 pint please)

Fruit share this week: blueberries!!!!
Meat CSA pickup is this week for late July pick-ups. Sorry that July was a little confusing. We should be back to normal schedule for August.


Events:
Our first 2018 farm dinner was a huge success and it was sold out with 95 people in attendance.
Destin Heilman came and set up two telescopes and a large group wandered up to the top of the hill at dusk to view the truly incredible majesty of the half moon- dimpled with extraordinary craters from eons of travel through space. The other telescope pointed to the impossibility of Jupiter- its whirling gases and four bright companion moons VISIBLE in the tiny window and Saturn- its skirt twirling in perfect rings. They really are out there, accompanying our tiny planet through the vastness of the universe in an artful dance of perfect symmetry.

We are hoping to drag Destin and all of you to the next dinner and with the mile long list of folks calling, emailing and texting asking if they could come to the last one, we highly suggest not waiting. SO get your tickets now for the August 10th dinner which is only a couple short weeks away! It sold out last year and is likely to again so don't hesitate because we want to see you there! You can buy tickets right from the farm-stand when you pick up your veggies, so stop in and get that done or go online at bit.ly/CHFdinners 


Animal news:
The main goat herd is loving their summer digs at Moose Hill Farm where they are clearing fencelines new and old. Here at home, we are milking for ourselves and still trying to convince

Beauty to be a foster mom to Munchkin and Mud. We have worked up to the collar phase- where we only have to hold her collar and she allows them to nurse a 4-5 times per day, but it certainly is better than bottles 6 times per day. They are growing and gamboling and are full to typical baby goat cuteness. You will most likely see them at upcoming events as they are happiest following us around.

Farmstand Offerings:
We have some Crescent Creamery ice cream cups in our freezers, waiting on a Green Bee soda order, Sunset Hill Cheese will be back in stock on Tuesday and Anna Banana's has fully restocked her shelf with chocolates and confections, including her newest marshmallow flavor- Cherry dipped in Chocolate- and some mixed flavored mallows packs.
We have some gorgeous goat cheeses coming from Valley View on the North Shore! Chevre in four different flavors and Feta!


Recipe of the Week: Check out the Parsley
Many of you know that the humble parsley is one of my favorite vegetables. Yep, I said that...VEGETABLE. I rarely think of parsley as an herb. Sure it is strong, often used as a garnish or lightly sprinkled on top of a dish for just a flash of green. But parsley- real, fresh picked parsley- is a lemony, refreshing green that can stand all on its own. Use it as a pesto base for pizza or pasta. Saute a whole bunch with onions, eggplant and summer squash and olive oil and serve on a bed of polenta.  It adds depth to other greens, body to soups, flavor to salsas and tomato sauces.
It is slightly more diuretic than other veggies, but it is a blood cleanser that is high in vitamin C. It is a tonic vegetable for the body. It is in the PYO and we highly recommend that you try it out.

Green Beans with Parsley-Lemon Pesto 

recipe snagged from Food&Wine and even though I tend to eat green beans by the handful raw from the field, I'm definitely giving this recipe a go. 

• 1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
•  1 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
•  1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
•  1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
•  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
•  2 pounds green beans, trimmed
• Lemon wedges, for serving
• • Step 1    

    In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts over moderate heat, tossing, until golden, about 5 minutes; transfer to a food processor and let cool completely.
    Step 2    

    Add the parsley, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice to the food processor and pulse until the parsley is very finely chopped. With the machine on, gradually add the olive oil and process until the pesto is nearly smooth. Season with salt and pepper and scrape into a large bowl.
    Step 3    

    Put a steamer basket in the bottom of a pot. Fill the pot with 1 inch of water, add salt and bring to a boil. Add the green beans, cover and steam until bright green and crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the beans and transfer to the large bowl. Toss with the pesto and season with salt and pepper; serve with lemon wedges.

Week 6: (still recovering from heat in Week 5 so no blog post-SORRY!)

Monday Weeding crew!

Well it looks like it is going to be that kind of summer- first tons of rain that we thought would never stop and now just ridiculous dry and hot humid insanity. I would love an opportunity for a happy medium, but mostly I am just very glad for a smoothly working well that can and will water thirsty plants (now we just need volunteers to help us lay out the millions of miles of drip tape to that we can actually get the water where it needs to go). Join us on Monday mornings for Weeding Warrior Mondays. The fun gets started at 8a and goes until lunchtime.
The heat has done in the next planting of supposedly 'heat tolerant' lettuce heads. So we will have salad mix this week and hopefully be looking for heads again next week. The heat is having an effect on a lot of our veggies- many of them don't like to flower in the heat so they are taking a little more time to make fruits than usual.

We are watching our stewardship crews gear up for our first farm dinner of the season and it is selling out quickly so get your tickets asap! Ticket sales close on Wednesday!!!!!!!Live music under the stars (and a telescope set up so that we can get up close and personal with those stars), great food and libation, gorgeous company- it doesn't get a whole lot better than this. Come join us on Friday night starting at 6pm. If you don't want to sign up online- we can sign you up in the farmstore on Tuesday.

The goat herd went off to Moose Hill Farm last week to do some cleanup grazing for them. A small flock remains here at the farm so that we can keep a special eye on them but the rest are off to work and will be back in the late fall.

What's in Your Share (maybe):
Kale (thanks again Appleton!)
Carrots (Appleton again)
Salad mix
Summer squash
Cucumbers
Celery
Fresh onions
Fennel

PYO
Basil-pinch a small bag
Okra-1/2 pint

Flowers- 8-10 stems
Parsley- 1 bunch
Cilantro- folks- the cilantro doesn't last when you pull it completely out of the ground. it is closed until we get more planted.
Dill- 1 bunch
Favas 1/2 pint
Take sprigs of what you can use this week:
Summer Savory
Sage
Thyme
Marjoram

Beans will probably open next week



Our farmstand has a couple new items and some returning favorites!
Back in stock we have Appleton Farm's Round Point Cheese- this beautiful (and stinky) washed rind soft cheese is strongly reminiscent of a well ripened Camembert and has all the flavors of earth and mushrooms while retaining a mild salty creaminess that makes one dream of Southern France.
We have Crescent Creamery's gorgeous chocolate milk in quarts and their one scoop size ice cream cups just in! 6 different ice cream flavors to choose from- come to the farm for a snack and lounge under our big tent in the lazy afternoon heat. Take home a quart as well!
Meats from Moose Hill and Powisset Farms are stocked and ready for your grill in the big freezer so check out the selection at your next pick-up.
Dick's Hot Sauce is a new item on the shelves of the farm stand, but you will notice on the label that they are made from chilies grown right here at CHF! This is a great all around hot sauce to add just a touch of delicious spice to your plate. Check it out! Made right here in Southborough!

Week 4: Bring it Summer.

Baby is it hot out there and your farmers are sweaty and sunburned. We are working hard to keep the plants, livestock and ourselves hydrated in this early summer heat wave, but we are so looking forward to the break in temps. The summer fruits love this kind of heat and have come in pretty hard so we are so excited to see cucumbers back on the menu and in our bellies. I made a blueberry-feta cucumber salad this past spring that was so yummy I can't get it out of my head. I highly recommend its delicious cool, salty and sweet combo to keep your body in top electrolyte gear during this hot hot week of summer.
We are working earlier and later and taking siestas in the mid day heat. I have never owned an air conditioner since living in New England, but after three days of truly horrible sleeping weather, I am starting to reconsider my commitment to lower energy use. If only it weren't so humid- I can deal with the temp, but the humidity is ridiculous. Anyway, you all know what I'm talking about- I hope that you and yours are using this heat as an excuse to spend lazy days by the lake or to explore a nearby ocean. Stay cool!!!

What's in Your Share this week:

Green garlic
scallions
kohlrabi
fennel
cucumbers
Summer squash
Zucchini
Kale (courtesy of Appleton Farms and some of ours as well)
Escarole
Salad mix
Head lettuce- Romaine
Napa cabbage (courtesy of Appleton Farms)

PYO: basil pinching (take a couple of pinches of basil and help us encourage these plants to get bigger!
Parsley- light picking
Summer savory (good with sauteed zucchini)
Flowers- 6-8 stems this week- still keep those bouquets short this week, still helping those plants grow and pump out more flowers.



Did you get a fruit share this season? It's 15 weeks out of the 20 veggie weeks and this week is a pickup week- Look for CHERRRIIIIEEESSSS!!!!! in the farmstand cooler. We also have a few extra quarts for retail sale!!!

Events:

Our July 20th dinner is coming up quick! It's just two weeks away from this Friday so don't miss out and buy your tickets now! Ticket sales will close early in the week of the 20th and because our caterer is making everything to order (and it's a farm dinner so they can't just run out and pick more veggies up and prep them the night of) we need to know sooner rather than later just how many of you are joining us for a glorious night of feasting and music on the farm.

Animal news:

The goats hate the heat. They can't sweat (just like dogs) and so prefer to not have to pant to stay cool. They are also not too bright and sometimes can't tell the difference between good shade and not (for example- shade under trees or under the shelter that we built is good while shade inside the broiling hot livestock hoop barn is very bad). So we have had to lock them out of the barn and encourage them to hang out under the shelter we built and then- when it really got too hot for them even there- we moved them to a deep shade area for the hottest part of the days. They are getting electrolytes and fresh water all day long and we are watching them very very closely for signs of heat stress. So far, most of the goats seem mildly uncomfortable, but handling it well. A couple have been a little more irritated (yep, the black furred girls that are nursing are hating the heat) so they have gotten a little extra dose of electrolyte gel here and there and when they look too unhappy we use them as our indicator to move to deep shade zones.

Meat CSA: 

This is a Meat CSA week so don't forget to pick up your shares!!!! They will be in the large freezer just inside the csa room. We also are freshly stocked up on retail cuts of beef and pork in the freezers.

Blueberry-Cucumber Salad w/Feta

Snagged this right out of the Wegman's catalog. One of my kids doesn't even like feta that much, but loved this salad. The mint is delicious in this, and it would be equally yummy with some of the fennel fronds from this week! In fact, you could probably just add the chopped bulb as well!

• Makes: 8 cups
• Ingredients
• 2 seedless cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

2 cups fresh blueberries

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup White balsamic viniaigretter

3 TBsp fresh mint leaves, chopped

1 cup of crumbled mild feta

Directions:

1. Combine cucumbers and blueberries in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
    
2. Add vinaigrette, mint, and feta; toss gently to combine