Spring CSA #11

Friday June 27th

This week is the second to last Spring CSA basket... We had to skip a week along the way making summer baskets start a week later but all in all it wasn't too bad! And if things keep up as they are it's going to be a fantastic summer!  Even as I sold tomato plants in May with my tuque on, when people asked me what my predictions for summer were I was still quite optimistic.

This week we made the decision to bring in our older layers for processing, they still should have had a steady month or so of laying but with the stress they suffered due to the hawk they slowed down dramatically, we feared that to wait for them to start laying again would not be worth it. Our new flock is due to start laying anytime. As for this week, we divided all the eggs we had for a total of seven eggs each.



In this weeks baskets:

1 bag of Chez Nous Mix
1 bag of Heirloom Lettuce Mix
1 bag of Swiss Chard
1 of Escarole/Endive
1 Garlic Scape
1 herb: Sage and Basil (If you haven't tried brown butter sage yet...it's good with everything from steak to pasta!!!)
Half of you got a cucumber and the other half will get one next week

For those that don't know....scapes are part of the garlic plant that we cut off in spring, they are milder than garlic and delicious! 

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Grilled scapes for breakfast..

I also used scapes and Swiss Chard for a gnocchi dish this week. If you've never made homemade potato Gnocchi before it's so easy and goes good with fresh veggies of any kind... Here's a link to the recipe I always use: Step by step potato gnocchi

I had my gnocchi over a bed of Swiss Chard with a brown butter sage sauce and mushroom ragu. 

Last week I gave you broccoli leaves. I needed to share with you something I tried that was so delicious! Broccoli leaf chips. Few tablespoons of Olive or Coconut Oil and a few drops of  fresh lemon, maple syrup, hot sauce, garlic powder and salt. Bake at 400 . They cook really fast and didn't need any flipping.

On the farm this week: we planted Sweet Potatoes for the first time

Onions, leeks and celery coming along great..

First tomatoes are ripening

Weighing out the Swiss Chard

Peas next week!  

Spring CSA # 10

June 21 rst

Hello everybody

I'm just in for a green drink before hitting the fields again.   Last night our internet was down so I put off the newsletter until today.

It's  a beautiful day and I can't wait to get back out, so I'll be quick!

This weeks baskets contained:

1 chez nous mix
1 Kale
1 Broccoli greens with the odd broccoli piece
1 Sunflower Greens
1 Radish Sprouts

Also, in the upcoming week  we should have our organic soup birds available. They will be 15$ for small and 20$ for large.  I am glad because i have taken out my last batch or chicken broth to make some broccoli leaf soup this week.  If you've never tried them, they are awesome and making broth is really easy. Just a reminder these are not roasting chickens...they are used for broth and the meat is perfect to add to your soup or use for quesidillas, sandwiches etc... They require long, liquid cooking but provide rich flavorful broth and a fair amount of meat too.  Here's a link to our method:  stewing-hens-and-chicken-noodle-soup.html

Please send us an email to let us know if you would like to order some.

Uncovering Kale and Broccoli for a day of harvest and weeding

The broccoli plants provide some side shoots but we were also interested in the perfect leaves...which you never see in the grocery store...what a shame. 

I'll be making a cream of broccoli soup but these can be used any way you would use Kale.

These little radish sprouts will not only fancy up any dish you make but are quite addictive on their own.  We had some yesterday for lunch along with sprouts in our tuna sandwich.

Loving my newly improved sprouting/seeding area

Lettuces are just about one of the most photogenic veggies in the garden

Laying hens moved to an out of use garden for a bit.

Snap Peas just around the corner!

Spring CSA # 9

Friday June 13th
Good evening everyone

A quick newsletter again. We just got in from working in the herb garden tonight and we had a visitor.  Unfortunately, he was hungry and killed one of our chickens, a big hawk or falcon and upon spooking him we noticed he had bells attached to his feet.  I guess he's been on the loose for awhile and we were able to locate his owner who's super excited to get him back.  Tonight wasn't the night though and the she will try again to catch him in the morning. Hope he's caught because we certainly don't want to deal with him.  Until now we've never had a problem with hawks.

Today's baskets weren't huge but had some new items:

broccoli and leaves ( leaves are just like collards)
Carrots
Sunflower greens
Chez Nous Salad Mix
Kale
Oregano ( it wasn't bagged you can use it fresh or let it sit on the counter or hang to dry and use it later)

Juicing: Swiss Chard, Kale a little spinach and Mint

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It's the first time we grow regular broccoli, I've learned that unlike kale it's days in a pot are numbered, so if you plant it late because you can't get it in- you'll end up with small broccoli.  It is however gorgeous and we're hoping to keep getting shoots off it!

I'm hoping I could get back into cooking soon and share some recipes but for now I'm way too tired!  Wishing you all a great weekend and Happy Father's Day to all you wonderful dad's out there!

Shirley and Rick

SPRING CSA #8

Good morning everybody!

Last night had me rushing out to the first night of my beautiful daughter's two part dance recital which concludes tonight.  Watching my children whether in sports or onstage is amazing and makes me so proud! Between birthdays, sports, a plant sale and farming our springs have us running around like crazy!  I have concluded that last years, every other week spring baskets were a better fit for our lifestyle and may return to that for next year with the likelihood of no plant sale and other additional extra's.  We realize that we are the bosses here and have the option to make these changes, this year had us working a ridiculously unhealthy amount of hours.  So, we have decided that we try, just for one year, to simplify Spring. Should be interesting!

Hasn't the weather been fantastic! Love it! This weeks baskets were many of the last crops from the greenhouse.

In your baskets this week:

Beet greens with the odd little beet but these were mostly grown for greens
Swiss Chard
Crispy lettuce blend (romaines, and crisp lettuce)
Chez Nous Salad Mix
Small Turnips

Juicing upgrade got: Beet, Kale, Romaine and Mint

Yesterday for lunch i made a smoothie with Avocado, Kale, Lettuce, Mint, Honey and Coconibs...Yummy!

This Ruby Red Chard that I purchased from High Mowing Seeds this year is gorgeous!

Every morning starts the same harvesting before crops get too warm.

We've upgraded the outdoor seeding area with some new tables and shade cloth this year. Can you believe Fall crops such as Flower Sprouts have already been started?

We are still chipping away at that potato field, all the reds have gone in.

We purchased these very costly nets to protect cold crops subject to so many pests.  These nets allow crops to stay cool and are sort of like a nylon fabric.  I am hoping to get a few uses out of them.

Broccoli should be baskets next week.  Not all of them sized up as much as i would have liked...they didn't get in soon enough! Those leaves however look delicious!

This bed of lettuce, which was planted in a soupy mess weeks ago is freshly weeded and ready to harvest for next week.

Outdoor crops always have such vibrant colors compared to the greenhouse grown ones.

We've got a bed of fennel growing

Indoor tomatoes are full of tomatoes but outdoor tomatoes are catching up too!

A nicely weeded onion bed- for once yay! Last's crop was overtaken by weeds not this year!

Can you guess what is growing here? Hard to believe that the onions looked like this too. On my list for this weekend weed this celery bed!

I am planning for a lot of cucumbers this year.

Well enjoy another beautiful weekend everybody! And thank you for your continued support, encouragement and patronage! 

Shirley and Rick