Summer CSA Basket #4

July 9 th 2017

Good morning

Hope the weekend is treating you well!


The contents of this weeks baskets were:

Chez Nous Salad Mix
Tomatoes/ Cherry Tomatoes
Sugar Peas
Fresh Garlic
Zucchini

X-Greens
Salad
Beets


Here are a few pictures from the farm this week.

A new item we added this year were frying peppers. The ones we are growing do not have any heat.  Many other varieties are a guessing game of mild and the odd hot pepper.  We figured we'd stick to the heatless as a better option for families with kids.  They are just starting to ripen.

Golden heart dwarf tomato, the first of our dwarfs was ripe this week.

This here is a crop I was so excited about this season.  It is so cool and delicious! It is called Fioeretto Cauliflower Blossom and is a sprouting cauliflower! The seeds were a challenge to find and the cost ridiculous but i went for it anyway.  Growing instructions were also unclear even after communicating with the supplier.  I started one tray this spring which was the recommended growing method.  Many cold loving crops don't really do well in Spring and the plants did not get to large and the yield was small.  I started the rest of the seeds when one would start Brussels Sprouts which is near the end of May to plant out at the beginning of July and all those bolted in the tray.  I am not sure if i will order more seeds and try again for this fall.  It is a really tasty veggie and I would love to be able to offer it! 

If you are wondering where the cucumbers are?  First batch was quickly taken down by cucumber beetles in the market greenhouse and so we have started a new batch in the hoophouse and hopefully things will go better.

Have a great day
Shirley

Summer CSA Basket #3

July 1rst

Happy Canada day! Wish also makes me think July already???  In about 2 weeks i will already be seeding some winter crops.   The weather so far hasn't been particularly summer like which i don't mind for working but i know the tomatoes would like some extra sun.  We expected to be swimming in cherry tomatoes at this point but so far have only had enough to maintain CSA and restaurants.  I seriously worried about having too much.  Time will tell.

The baskets this week were nearly identical to the last.  It's been tricky for me to write this blog and have pictures this season as my involvement in CSA has diminished significantly.  We've officially split up responsibilities to help with confusion and keep things running smoothly this year.  However, i will need to remember to snap some photos to share with you all the wonderful things going on.


In your basket this week:

Chez Nous Salad Mix
Garlic Scapes
Cherry tomatoes
Beets with greens
Sugar Peas

Extra Greens: Kale and Sunflower Greens

Garlic Scapes are a spring staple and while we do use them in dishes such as eggs, stir fries, pasta and   salads we also make sure to blend some up with olive oil and freeze.  This paste is the perfect base for all kinds of dishes during the winter months from soups, spaghetti to pesto.

Have a great weekend!

Summer CSA Basket #2

June 25th 2017

Hi members

I am getting to this post quite late as I had a guest arrive from overseas and we only had Friday and Saturday to spend time together.  She was here to personally deliver a rescue dog from Qatar.  And if you've ever gotten a new pet, you know, it's pretty hard to get anything done the first few days!

In your baskets this week:

Salad Mix
Garlic Scapes
Basil
Sugar Peas
Baby beets with greens
Cherry Tomatoes

The first variety of sugar peas have smaller pods compared to the next variety starting to ripen.

Some pink Napa for the salad mix

Some really colourful tomatoes are starting to ripen.

Our new boy probably a dumped race dog or hunting dog.

Thanks 

Have a great day!

Summer Csa 2017 Basket 1

June 10


Good morning CSA members

Welcome to the 2017 CSA Season!  I know how patiently and anxiously you have been waiting!  We are looking forward to providing you with 18 weeks of fresh certified organic produce.   As you know, my husband Rick prepared the CSA baskets this week.  I am in the process of wrapping up my annual plant sale and will be joining him full time out back shortly.

Newsletters will continue to be posted on Saturdays.  Rick usually sends out the link but you can also check as it is usually there before he remembers to.  It is found on our cheznousfarms.com website under the CSA Newsletter tab.


In your basket this week:

Chez Nous Farms Salad Mix
Baby beets and their greens
Garlic Scapes
Zucchini/ Cucumber

X Greens: Baby Turnips and Kale

We have just started picking cherry tomatoes ... so there should be some available soon!

Bins drying in the sun after their scrub down.


Thanks

Shirley

Winter CSA #18

March 11th

A very cold morning to mark our last Winter Csa for the 2016-2017 season! Hope you enjoyed!
The next few months will have Rick and I working separately as i gear up for my annual Heirloom plant sale and get all the seedlings for the farm going. Rick has quite a few farm projects to keep him busy as well as harvesting for market. It is a very busy time.  We are not planning to run the store and our produce will only be available at the market.

It's been a wild ride with getting the greenhouse built around our winter garden with some very cold weather than set in early this year but we got it done!  We've had a few wind storms just to test us out a little! While we are happy with how things turned out this year we expect next year to be even better.  We'll be in touch with details for our next winter CSA this summer.


In your baskets today:

Chez Nous salad mix
Swiss Chard
Spinach
Kale with kale Buds
Napa with bud also

greens extra: Swiss Chard and Mustard

Just a note about the flower stalks on the kale and Napa.  They are similar to prepare as you would asparagus, bending the stalk to see where it cracks...the top is tender and can be cooked without and stringiness and the bottom will be tougher.  Last weeks Napa stalk was more tender than this weeks as it was harvested earlier.

Rainbow and Green Dinosaur Kales have been the first to send up their stalks.

Scarlet Kale (purple) also up with the Red Russian styles behind seem to be next.  Green Siberian, Laurels Frilly and Madeley Kales have yet to bud.  

 

Mizpoona in full bloom

 

Arugula also in flower mode.  There is a lot of these in your salad mix this week.  The stalks are sweet and the buds spicy!

Baby Kale buds for the salad mix

All kinds of treasures

 

I will miss this bold mix this summer.

Bowl of flowers in a big bowl of salad mix.  Topped every salad bag with a bud or two.

 

We are grateful for all that was provided by this greenhouse this winter but really anxious to revamp! The beds need to be remade and covered with landscape fabric and all the necessary equipment to tie tomatoes need to be hung. Lots of work!

 Thank you so much for your business!

Shirley and Rick
Chez Nous Farms

 

Winter CSA #17

Good morning

These cold nights as spring approaches always cause me a little worry.  While we don't have baby chicks to think about anymore we do have all the hot crops for our greenhouse out there as well as new beds planted in both greenhouses.  To lose them would really set us back. There's also the produce ready for market and the CSA baskets in the store to think about before settling down at night.  I must admit I feel really guilty in warm pyjamas by the fire as my husbands always tends to these things. The extent of my night duties are checking the nursery a few steps from the house and i still cringe at the 2 seconds of cold i will endure as i dash for the garage door.  I bet you Rick would build me a tunnel if he could, awww....such a lucky farm girl I am.

In your baskets this week:

Chez Nous Salad Mix
Kale
Whole Napa with bud
Pea Shoots
Sunflower Shoots

X-tra Greens: Spinach and Swiss Chard

Here's a link to a  delicious soup i made this week. ( i used the sunflower seeds) : French lentil stew

These plants are massive and check out all the buds!  The inner core is fully edible. However,  the  few inches at bottom need to have the outer skin peeled...but so worth it.

While we usually bring all the "ugly vegetables" into the house these guys were top notch!  They were from the napa we used to make the salad mix.  I was struck by the contrast as i saw my husband walking away, the mud and then these lovely Napa flowers.

So, so yummy!

The nursery is filling up and so the garden greens must go....all in this weeks salad.

Spicy Arugula Buds...in the salad mix

In next weeks basket, the last Winter CSA basket,  should contain Kale Buds.

Have a great week!

Shirley

Winter CSA #16

February 18

I can't remember the last time I checked the weather.  No need, not when you have your own personal weather man giving you updates all day long.  Who can blame him though, some days it makes things very challenging and he needs to prepare himself.  Many of those worries are caused by the road that leads to the farm...that runs his life and had him making 12 trips to load the truck this morning since he could not drive back there.  It's been ripped apart and smoothed over so many times now.  This winter, not being cold enough has it at it's worse and we've had to take alternate ways to get back there only making more of a mess.

When Rick saw the long range forecast earlier this week he knew we needed to act on our soil order because it looks like the next 2 weeks will be quite warm.  Will it even freeze up again?  Fafard confirmed they could get it to us first thing friday morning while it was still frozen.  We waited.  Guess there was a problem over at the trucking company and the soil will be here Tuesday morning.  Fafard felt terrible and have promised us that they will send someone by to help get it to the farm later.  Once again the back yard will look like a garden centre until things freeze up or dry up.


In spite of the mud, we look forward to the weather ahead and will be busy planting, potting up and seeding.  Exciting times.  We will not have baskets next week and should be back the following week.  We'll keep you posted.  There are 2 baskets left and lots of time till June when they start up again.

In your baskets this week:

Chez Nous Salad Mix
Pea Shoots
Carrots
Tatsoi
Spinach

X-Greens: Kale and Napa

Freshly tilled bed ready for turnips.  Tatsoi about to be harvested.

Cleaning up the old tatsoi bed by hand before seeding.

Weeding in between the Swiss Chard to sneak in some greens.

Tomatoes will be going in here soon enough but some quick baby greens should make it before that time.

Picture does no justice to this Kale which seems to glow.  For the most part i use it in my salad mix.

Cooking up some Winter Salad Mix with zucchini and drizzle of balsamic glaze 

A peak inside the nursery.  Using up every little inch!  Plus there is more going on upstairs.

Thanks and we will let you know when the next basket is. Have a great week!

Shirley