Week 7 - Trellis Heaven

We're back to the blog after a short hiatus last week. It's been a pretty crazy-good month. We've had a ton going on, and I feel like we've really accomplished a lot over the last few weeks. Our second wave of transplants from the nursery is finally starting to slow down. About 85% of our beds are planted at this point, and once we get the last of our peppers in the ground, we'll be ready to start taking a closer look at what our fall and winter are going to look like!

We finally were able to erect the trellising for our first two beds of tomatoes. We're trying out a new technique, with trellis netting and clips. So far, I'm really enjoying the work flow of using this system more than last year's weaving technique. I think this new method will save us a lot of valuable work time.

Our cooler is taking way longer than expected, which at this point is par for the course. But I think we've figured it out! I'm so thankful that we have neighbors who have been able to lend us their guidance and experience on this project. The next step will be to figure out the most cost-effective way to add some really basic shelving and light, and we'll be all set!

We've installed trellising on our first two beds of tomatoes! And look at all that gorgeous lettuce!

We're starting to see a few full-grown cucamelons on the vine! I expect we'll be overrun with these, soon! These are such a fun little veggie for the kids!

The inside of a cucamelon. These little guys are so juicy for how little they are! They taste like a refreshing infusion of lime and cucumber. I think you'll really enjoy these!

Our first round of peppers is starting to set blossoms! This one belongs to our King of the North bell pepper. This is a returning favorite from our first year homestead garden.

That last round of frost that we got in May knocked back a bunch of warm-weather plants, including my watermelons! Against all odds, a handful of our plants managed to survive, and I even found a few baby watermelons this morning! I'm hoping we'll have enough to put them in at least one CSA share this year! Keep your fingers crossed!

Cucumbers are growing quite vigorously! Here you an see the first of the vines has reached the top of our trellising! This is, hands down, the best crop of cucumber plants we've grown to date! I can't wait to see how much these guys produce!

Aren't these patty pan squash lovely? We're growing a trio of colors this year, and I think they look stunning together! 

Our Little Gem lettuce is just loving all this warm weather and regular rain! This is the biggest we've ever been able to grow them, and they come out to 6-8 ounces per head, which is pretty substantial for a mini-head!

Barry, our primary farmer. He's tough to snap of a photo of most of the time. Here his is in the window of our walk-in cooler. We had our cooling unit set up in here, but had to take it down and re-assess our set-up. I'm so glad we did! Our cooler is working much better, now; just in time to combat the heat of July!

Toddler accommodations upgrade! We've been talking about this since last year, and here it is! Farm Toddler now has his very own sandbox, situated in between two of our garden blocks. He had so much fun playing in here this morning that he ended up going down for an early nap! I consider this a parenting success!

This week's CSA shares will include: Salad Mix, radishes, cucumbers, summer squash, and fresh herbs.

I hope everyone enjoyed their strawberry-basil jam last week. That might have been the tastiest batch of jam I've ever made. My only regret is that it didn't make twice as much!

With the 4th of July this upcoming week, I thought that our favorite zucchini relish recipe would be appropriate. We use Emeril's Sweet and Spicy Pickle. I've scaled the original pickle juice recipe down to 1/8th, which should be just enough to make yourself a pint (or two!)  of homemade zucchini relish! Prepare this at least 1-2 days ahead of time.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 c of shredded zucchini. We also occasionally add some shredded bell pepper for color!
• 1 tbsp pickling salt
• 3/4 c water
• 6 Tbsp white vinegar
• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 6 Tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 whole cloves 
• a pinch turmeric, optional
• 2-3 cloves roughly chopped garlic
• 3 dried cayenne peppers

Set shredded zucchini aside. In a medium sauce pot, combine all of the other ingredients. Simmer pickling liquid 5-7 minutes, until all salt and sugar is well-dissolved. Add your shredded zucchini to the pot, and remove from the heat. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to cool. Strain shredded zucchini from liquid and put into a 1-pt mason jar. Top off with remaining pickling liquid.

This recipe should be made at least 1-2 days in advance for the best flavor. Store in the fridge for 7-10 days.

We love to use this relish to make potato and pasta salad! Simply cook your potatoes or pasta as your normally would. Then mi this relish with mayo to taste, and toss with your potatoes/pasta. Bam! Done!

I hope you all enjoy your shares, and have a very happy 4th! Don't forget! All of our csa members are entitled to one free 30-60 minute farm tour starting the first week in July! Please be sure the schedule your tour at least two weeks in advance. We are looking forward to showing you around!

Week 5 - Honey Bees and Thunderstorms

Happy Week #5! This week marks the end of the first quarter of our CSA season. I hope that everyone has been enjoying their farm fresh veggies as much as we have!

We're one step closer to meeting one of our biggest goals for the season. Our cooler now has a cooling unit installed, and operational! This coming week, we should be able to finish it up.

We were also able to find the time to put our greenhouse back together, which is a huge relief and help! I'm looking forward to upgrading our seed-starting set up next season, but I'm grateful for some extra growing space nonetheless.

Our plants have been loving all the afternoon thunderstorms this week! And we've been appreciating the late afternoon cool-off. It makes working on the evening so much more pleasant!

A honey bee that I found visiting our cucumbers around lunchtime today.

Several cucumbers, in various stage of development. You might start seeing a few cucumbers in your shares starting next week. 

Ground cherries! Each of these green husks will turn pale brown and drop to the ground below when they're ripe and ready to eat! Hence the name, ground cherry! We still have a little bit of a wait, but they're coming!

My favorite shot of the day! Compound tomato flower. Generally, a flower like this will produce a very large tomato. 

Unripe atomic grape tomato. The darkness on the right-hand side looks like a shadow, but it's actually a really deep purple stripe. So pretty, already! 

More tomatoes! 😍

Our first broccoli floret of the season!

Rainbow chard is slowly getting closer!

Farm-Toddler, standing in front of one of our varieties of snow peas. They are loving their trellis!

Bonus picture! I made pizza! I've had the Bon Appetit Issue that this No Knead Pizza Dough recipe came in on my shelf for FIVE YEARS, and I finally made it! The hardest part is planning a day ahead. Other than that, this is the easiest pizza dough recipe I've ever used. This pizza is topped with mozzarella, yellow bell pepper, garlicky local mushrooms, our kale, and some of our homemade marinara that we canned last summer.

CSA shares this week will be receiving: Napa cabbage, kale, salad mix, summer squash, and fresh herbs.

Our first recipe for the week is a favorite of mine: Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread. I adore zucchomo bread. It's easy, it's moist, and you can pretend like it's healthy, because, hey! There's vegetables in there! I love lemon in everything in the summertime, especially desserts! (And, okay, maybe I've eaten a slice or three of this for breakfast before.) This recipe is easy to change up, too! I love to add berries to this one. Take a cup of berries, (whatever you have on hand, fresh or frozen. I'm fond of blueberries!) toss them in a tablespoon of flour, and fold in gently, just before you pour your batter into the pan.

Next up is Asian Kale Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing. It would be just a little less colorful, but you could certainly use some of your Napa cabbage in here and it would be just as wonderful. It would be easy to make this into a full-on satisfying meal just by adding some grilled chicken alongside.

I hope you enjoy your shares, and this week's recipes! We'll see you at market!

Week 4 - It's beginning to look a lot like summer

Weeds, weeds, and more weeds. The lion's share of my work time this past week has been dedicated to reclaiming our newest garden beds from the forest. It's been slow going, but I don't mind. It's one of my favorite gardening chores.

We're seeing lots of squash and cucumber blossoms, and even harvested our very first zucchini for the year. It was delicious! 😉 I can't wait to share some with you!

I also took the time to build a new chalkboard sign to use at market. Fancy-shmancy, and way sturdier than last year's. I think we'll be hanging into this one for a while.

So fancy! Much shmancy!

The biggest of our cucumbers so far. I am so ready for homegrown cukes! I have THE best recipe for tzatziki to share when it's time!

A tiiiny patty pan squash.

A yellow patty pan. I love how baby squash look with the flower still attached!

One of our new blocks of garden beds. It's filling in quickly! Give it another month or so, and there will hardly be any dirt visible!

Half of Block B. This set of beds is in its second year. In this frame, you can see (from left to right) two beds of lettuce, full-size tomatoes, two more beds of lettuce covered with row cover, and cherry tomatoes on the far right.

A closer look at our full-size (determinate) tomatoes.

Ground cherries are blooming! Did you have a chance to try these last season? They are so wonderful! They taste like a delightful blend of pina colada and tropical fruits.

A dried out chive flower. All the small black specks you see peeking out are seeds. We'll be harvesting these, and using them to grow our chive patch in our perennial herb bed.

This week in your shares, you'll be receiving: Salad mix, Scarlet Kale, strawberries, and radishes!

Our recipe for the week is one that was requested: Strawberry vinaigrette! 

For this recipe, I recommend either a blender, or a magic bullet. I'll be honest, I used to laugh at people who owned magic bullets. I thought they were a waste of money and space. And then I got one for Christmas, and I surprised myself by loving it. It's great for single-serve smoothies, or small-batch salad dressings like this one.

For this recipe, you'll need:

• A handful of strawberries, rinsed, and stems removed
• 8 Tbsp good quality olive oil
• 3 Tbsp Red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar or honey
• Salt and pepper to the taste.

Put all your ingredients in a blender, and puree until smooth and emulsified. Adjust seasonings as needed. This recipe was big enough to generously dress two large salads.

Barry made an absolutely wonderful salad for us earlier this week, featuring this dressing. I'm so sorry that I don't have pictures! It looked so scrumptious, that I was halfway through my salad before I realized that I should have grabbed a photo! I can at least tell you what was on it, though!

Our salad greens were tossed with thinly sliced red onions, toasted walnuts, and strawberry vinaigrette. They were then topped with grilled chicken and goat cheese. So simple. So good! I'm being completely honest when I say that it is the best salad that Barry has ever made for me! 

I hope you enjoy your shares this week! And if you find or use a delicious recipe, don't be shy! Share away, either in the comments here, or in our group chat. Happy weekend, y'all!

Week 3 - Succulent Strawberries

Thanks for your patience, everyone! I meant to get this post up on Thursday, but this week has been insane! We are finally starting to hit a little bit of a stride for the season, and have gotten several important projects done around the farm this week. Shout-out to our friends at Chrysalis Earth farm, who came to play with Bryer so that Barry and I could work on a few projects together. It's really astonishing how much faster things get accomplished with two sets of hands, rather than just one.

We're excited to announce that we've secured a building that we'll be able to use as a walk-in cooler to store our produce this summer! This is a huge milestone for a small farm. We'll be able to harvest our produce at the ideal time, and keep it fresh for much longer! Last year, we worked from sunrise until well after dark harvesting, washing, weighing and bunching on Fridays, because there was no way for us to keep anything cold longer than 24 hours. We're looking forward to  being able to plan our harvest in much more reasonable work hours.

Speaking of freshness, wow! We have been finishing up the last of our greens from week 1 over the last couple of days! It's amazing how much longer the shelf life is on fresh produce, when it travels such a short distance from the farm to your table. 

Some update pictures for the week for you to enjoy:

The sage is really taking off! 

Our German winter thyme is loving it's new permanent spot. It'll be a little while yet before it's big enough to cut, but it's coming along nicely!

So many strawberries. We have five beds, and three different varieties this year, and our Earliglows are putting out the most wonderful, juicy strawberries.

Artichokes are really starting to grow, finally! I've got my fingers crossed that we'll see at least a few artichokes worthy of eating late this summer.

A baby safari squash. Next week or the week after, you'll start seeing summer squash in your shares. 

Squash flower. So pretty! (And so tasty!)

A new plant for us this year. This plant is known by several different names: Cucamelon, Mexican Sour Gherkin, or Mouse Melon. This things are so mind-blowingly tiny! You can see in the picture below how small the immature fruit are. When they're ready, they'll be an inch or less.

And of course full-size cucumbers, as well!

This week in your shares, you will receive: strawberries, radishes, salad mix, and romaine lettuce.

I have one recipe to share with you, for a classic strawberry shortcake. This recipe makes 6 biscuits. Strawberry shortcake is one of my absolute favorite ways to enjoy fresh strawberries. I like to enjoy mine with a drizzle of honey, and a splash of cream. Barry likes his with milk. What do you like to serve your shortcake with?

Please remember to bring back your tote bags, if you still have them!