CSA #8

Sunday July 26

Good morning everyone ( which is now Good evening...)

Sorry i'm a little late.  Baskets were pretty simple this week.   It was nice to have salad mix back in there for you.  Tomatoes are really starting to pick up and the ground cherries look out of this world! Also, the bees have arrived! I was getting worried as the zucchini field always seemed quiet and pollination was poor. This year was the first time i did not include borage in my squash plantings and it really seemed to make a difference...bees love borage! However, they are here now and every morning the field is humming.


In your basket this week:

2 tomato portions
Dragon Tongue beans
Chez Nous Salad Mix
Shallots
Zucchini

Extra greens: extra salad mix and 2 cucumbers

A few of the new varieties i am trying this year. The yellow is Rugosa Friulana, Zucchini Gray and White Marrow at back

The patty pans 

At the moment, we have lots and lots of planting going on...Fall crops.  Flower sprouts are all planted, single rows this year...last year we did double and found that the plants shaded each other out.  It should be a good year for flower sprouts.  We had a new roll of netting arrive from Quebec this week, so expensive, for a pantyhose type material which is essential for planting any members from the cabbage family.  It's our protection from all the little pest that are relentless when it comes to these crops. It's a pain to put on and remove every time you need to get in but it's the best guarantee.

Lots of scraping and digging. 

We've also been working on drainage again this summer.  We started last summer but this spring proved it just wasn't enough.  Lots of rain meant beds stayed wet and we couldn't get to them and lots of crops were lost to the weeds that took advantage of the situation.  We are hoping that this finally fixes this problem.  Plus we were able to build 2 extra market gardens in a lower spot with our extra soil that needed a place to go.

Some outdoor cucumbers also covered in nets to protect them from cucumber beetles, the cover will have to come off soon   for pollination.

We now have 12 gardens that are 12 rows x 50 feet.  There is also the greenhouse and the moveable greenhouse (in background) which contains 3 plots, an herb garden, some random strips here and there and a mini greenhouse attached to the garage out front.   We often have people ask us if we would like to go bigger, honestly, my goal is to reach the day we can manage what we have as well as we'd like.

Some more scraping and digging so that all the gardens drain.

This here is one of those extra areas...planted to lettuce. I am  on my way to pick tomatoes.

We have realized that this moveable greenhouse needs roll up sides for summer ... just too hot.  In spite of it all we have an abundance of tomatoes.

Blue Beauty

The plants are over my head...you have no idea how hot it is in here!!!

This little guy is coming in with me! Bali tomato 

CSA #7

Hello members

In your basket this week:

Pea Shoots  http://cafejohnsonia.com/2013/03/vegan-pea-shoot-rice-rolls-with-coconut-cilantro-dipping-sauce.html
Bunch of Smaller fresh garlic
Tomatoes
Goodie bag of Anaheim pepper, jalapeno and zuchinni
Savory

Greens Upgrade : peppercress sprouts, Kale and Chez Nous Mix

These are Anaheim peppers while they are considered a hot pepper when they are green they are pretty mild.  They are delicious. They make good roasted peppers, where you flame a pepper till black -(tongs and gas stove) or broil in oven and then seal in a container for a few minutes. You will then be able to slide the skin off and use. Yummy in a grilled cheese or grassfed hot dog!

We also made chicken enchiladas this week with some stew hen chicken meat in which we added some peppers.

Jalapenos are taking off.

Here is Savory. I always hope to time beans and savory for the same week because they are so good together but beans weren't plentiful enough yet. This herb is easy to dry on counter and then store in an air tight container. It goes well with roasted veggies, eggs and  stews

This week we start our garlic harvest.  The smaller garlic you got today is Northern Quebec and the garlic above is Music. We still have Bogatyr and Siberian to harvest.

Bringing the garlic to the garage out of the rain.

The boys making garlic bunches.

I was really happy with the size of tomato bags today new varieties are starting everyday.

We haven't had much salad mix lately and have been waiting on lettuce.  Looks good for next week.  There is a small amount for sale in store.

CSA #6

Little things are popping up everywhere on the farm now. A handful of  of these and a couple of those which is what you will see in your baskets. It's the beginning phase of what i expect to be  a whole lot of greatness!   The hot peppers seem to be doing really, really well and i can't remember the day, even the meal i haven't added one to my dish.
I know not everyone likes hot peppers but i see that alot do from the sales i had this spring during my plant sale. I also saw alot of people like peppers a whole lot hotter than i do!  My favorite peppers are in the medium to hot range. And these are what you will find in your basket today.


In your basket:

tomatoes\hot peppers
summer squash
cucumber
kohlrabi
turnips
peewee eggs ( we have a wise old chinese customer who tells us that in China these eggs are considered a delicacy. they are the eggs of newly laying hens)

extra green also got swiss chard, escarole and nasturium greens.

These are the pepper varieties that made it into your baskets this week. Top left is chimayo(red).bottom left is Aji Cristal(yellow), middle is Jalapeno and to the right is Ralph Thompson.

Outside in the fields, we have our sweet peppers and pimento peppers ( hot are mostly in the greenhouse). Above is a picture of Doe Hill one of my favorite sweet peppers...it will turn bright orange and gives alot of peppers.

 Last weekend, my mission was to weed my peppers and eggplant and I almost finished....

A handful of eggplant are just about ready.

Potatoes, all red this year.

Dragon tongue beans just around the corner.

We are planting a whole lot right now. Some Swiss Chard,Kale and Flower Sprouts under nets.

Our last little batch of chicks for this year.  These guys are the Chanteclers and they are super cute...especially when they run as they look like torpedoes. Lol!

The adults, some hens keeping an old rooster company in the shade.

I am giving a second try to growing some edible flowers for my salad mix. this is nasturtium and has an interesting peppery kick to it somewhat like watercress.   The petals can be separated and sprinkled on your salad or eaten whole. I have also seen them stuffed or used in rice wraps where the pop of color shows through and looks really nice. 

The leaves of the nasturium plant are used as green I find there lily pad look quite appealing!  They can be eaten in salad, made into pesto etc...

I have included 2 recipes for those members who received them. ( extra greens members.) 

Nasturium tomato salad

http://www.urbancultivator.net/learn-about-nasturtium/

Thanks
Have a great day!
Shirley

CSA #5

Hello everyone

I can't believe it'a already friday! Whew! This week flew by. It was a busy one, we had our daughters prom and a chicken processing day.   The fact the the gardens were so wet made it not so bad to pull away and spend time doing other things.  Now, that school is out and prom is over it really feels like it's time to crank it up and moves things along.  The weather coming up looks fantastic! So much needs to be done and you have no idea how eager I am to get at it!

In your baskets this week:

Kohlrabi
Scapes (last time)
Snap Peas
Tomato/ zucchini mixture
Oregano

Greens Upgrade; basil, Kale and Chez Nous Salad Mix

This week, I started harvesting my oregano for drying.   Like most herbs, it's best flavored just before flowering, so now is that time.  Oregano is an herb that dries very well. I let mine sit in a wooden bowl on the counter or hang it in a dark place. When it's dry, i store it in an airtight container. I wait until i am about to use before crushing it so that it has the most flavor.  Another, way of storing oregano is to pull the leaves off and fill ice cube trays then cover with water or olive oil and freeze.  Store cubes in a container in freezer.  It can then be added to dishes all winter long.  You would be surprised just how healthy oregano is for you: About oregano

The flower buds are forming but not yet open.

Some oregano i've had drying for about 3 days.

Kohlrabi, such a weird looking veggie.  This spring we are harvesting it much smaller than we usually do, the wet weather causes splits and the weeds are numerous.  So, i would rather enjoy them smaller than see their quality decrease.  The leaves are edible and the root is peeled.  I love mine best steamed or boiled  until just cooked and seasoned with salt and butter.

A cocozelle zucchini, i don't know why but...zucchini always seems to grow the first fruit a little odd shaped before they start to look regular.  However, this variety is coming out nice and straight. 

Snap Peas....we don't have as much as anticipated...

Can you believe that Fall crops need to start going in? This is a flower sprout seedling

I have trays of white alpine strawberries still waiting to be planted...

So for the last few years i have wanted to start growing flowers...Every year I get closer. Last year they were seeded but never planted. This year i planted 2 50 ft rows which were killed by frost, to then be replanted and infested with weeds.... I am not sure what i plan to do with these yet.

Calendula

The younger layers 

I am trying my hand at some container gardening in my plant sale greenhuse.

 My Hollywood couple!  A proud momma for sure! Sky + Kevin Prom 2015

Have a great week everyone!