News from Windy Willow Farm2008 Week 4
This week’s share includes:
1 bunch asparagus – We’re getting to the end of asparagus season, when the asparagus fronds start to branch out earlier and earlier. A recent comment: “Your asparagus is the best I’ve ever had!” I love to hear it! Enjoy it, and stop by our farm stand on Friday if you need enough to freeze for the winter. You’ll notice, however, there is more bug damage; the asparagus beetle loves the hot weather and is eternally hungry for our organic asparagus.
1 bag mesclun – This is the regrowth crop from a couple of weeks ago. Due to this, there’s a lot more grass growing with the lettuce. When I plant the seed, the lettuce out-grows the weeds, but on the second pass, the grass catches up! We’re spinning this almost dry with my new, 5-gallon salad spinner! Talk about time saving! One last comment for salad washing/spinning/storing: wet lettuce rots, dry lettuce wilts. The goal is to have it damp and crisp in your bag. Oh, and it’s incredibly difficult to grow good lettuce in hot weather, sometimes getting so bitter you can’t eat it. This stuff may be on it’s way to bitter, but still tastes great.
1 bag arugula
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch radishes – This is the last of them for a while, before I plant them for fall use. The heat makes them bolt as well, and turn pithy, so enjoy these. A great recipe for them is below.
1 bag spinach
1 head Tropicana lettuce – A standout in our head lettuce offerings. It makes a beautiful head of frilly leaves, and grows to twice the current size. Enjoy!
Best guess for next week – Baby Swiss chard, head lettuce. A couple weeks: broccoli, black raspberries
Photo captions: Last week’s radishes, all stacked up and ready for use!
The chicks have arrived, and are enjoying their brooder. The turkeys, in particular, are extremely curious.
The beautiful chives.
An awesome article about eating locally, shared from a fellow CSA member (thanks!) : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24994028
It’s like opening presents on the farm! I continue to be amazed at what our fabulous organic soil grows. Some of my favorite days on the farm (besides eating what I grow) is when I can remove the row cover from a row that has been “gift-wrapped” for weeks. We try to leave the covers on as long as possible, to keep bugs off the plants and to continue to foster them through the unpredictable weather. However, when the plants start to push up on the white cover, it’s time for “The Reveal.” Imagine this: as we remove the white cover, the heat that was stored rushes out, warming our legs and hands. The plants spring up, no longer encumbered by the fabric. The fragrance of tomato plants waft to our noses, making us pine for that first ripe tomato. The early tomatoes have tons of blossoms and are ready to be pollinated by our resident bees. This will ensure a bumper crop of tomatoes. Come on, tomatoes!
The crazy heat we’ve had recently has made the heat-loving plants (eggplant, peppers, tomatoes) really take off. The not-so-much-heat-loving-plants (spinach, radishes, broccoli raab) are showing the strain. The heat makes lettuce bitter, and spinach, radish and raab go to seed, or bolt. We also have to be careful with our animals. Several times per day we make sure they all have fresh water and shade. I’ve been giving the pigs a wallow (a pool for them with a hose), and they stayed there all afternoon, completely submerged in the mud! The rain was welcomed by all, even the chickens celebrated by running around their pasture. The high heat gave your farmer a chance to do some indoor work, painting our farm stand sign. Next painting job is our rock-sign up at the corner.
Today’s weather is picture-perfect, a lovely reward after suffering through mid-90s. It was a gift to be able to work outside today, preparing today’s share, with two fabulous worker shares. (Days like today make me glad I’m no longer working in an office!) Jason helped in the garden this morning, moving the bin while I cut mesclun mix. The kids love to help, and I’m always looking for ways for them to contribute. I read a wise saying, “They love to help, and if you say ‘no,’ by the time their help really helps, they won’t want to anymore.” I try to always keep this in mind!
Enjoy your share, and please let me know what I can do to enhance your CSA experience.
Thanks for your support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason Hyde
© 2008 Gwen Hyde
Sautéed Radishes with Greens
¼ cup Butter
1 bunch Radishes
4 cups Cooking Greens (Chard, Radish Greens, Arugula, Spinach, Kale, or Braising Greens will all do nicely)
2 Tbls. Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the radishes; cook, stirring constantly, until tender but still crisp, about 5 minutes depending on size. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Return the skillet to stove. Put the cooking greens in the skillet with the washwater still clinging to the leaves. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until wilting, 3-4 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice and radishes to the skillet, stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Balsamic Vinaigrette (found in http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Balsamic-Vinaigrette/Detail.aspx)
"This is a tangy vinaigrette--wonderful on mixed greens, tomato, onion and cucumber salads. It's also good if used sparingly over steamed veggies or stir-frys. Sometimes I use traditional balsamic vinegar. However, this will produce a slightly sweeter vinaigrette."
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 1 cup
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 clove crushed garlic
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 pinch salt
ground black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, and mustard powder. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir in minced fresh herbs if desired.
Pasta with Arugula and Goat Cheese Sauce
from A Complete Menu Cookbook for All Occasions by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette
4 servings
a bunch of fresh arugula
4 springs fresh parsley
1 8 ounce container low-fat yogurt or sour cream
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
S and P to taste
1 pound fusilli noodles
Grated parmesan cheese, as garnish
1. Before preparing sauce, fill a large casserole with water, and bring the water to a boil.
2 Wash and clean well the arugula and parsley. Dry thoroughly. Trim and chop both the arugula and the parsley.
3. Place the arugula and the parsley in a food processor. Add the yogurt or sour cream, goat cheese, salt, and pepper. Blend the ingredients thoroughly. Keep the sauce at room temperature until ready to use.
4. Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water, and cook the fusilli noodles following the instructions on the package. When the noodles are cooked, drain them, and place them in four serving dishes. Pour the sauce evenly over the top of each serving and add some cheese to each dish. Serve immediately.
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