CSA #17

One of the great things about growing food four seasons of the year is the constant change of scenery.  While not too long ago, I was walking down rows of magnificent lush green tomato plants loaded in globes of tomatoes of all kinds. I now find myself smelling rotten tomatoes wasting away feeding fruit flies, the plants have pretty much dried up and most tomatoes are cracking badly or just not ripening properly.  There are still some nice ones but not many and so it's time to rip them out.

Tomato days may be done but hot pepper bliss is in full swing! And yet again, I am overwhelmed by the beauty of it all.  The aroma when walking into a room full of peppers is awesome!  It's quite distracting really.  As all i want to do is run to the house and start cooking.  It's that time of year when everything I eat needs hot even when sometimes it just doesn't suit the meal.  

In your basket this week:

Hearty Fall Chez Nous Salad Mix

Hacker Turnips (don't forget to sauté the greens too!)

Flower Sprout Tops (all is tender and edible)

Beans

A variety of mild-medium Hot Peppers

Extra Greens: Leeks and Bok Choy

One of the most beautiful peppers I have grown this year is this 7 pot white, it's soft creamy yellow is so enticing and i just want to pop one into my mouth.   

These here are Scotch Bonnet also gorgeous.

The peppers you have in your basket today are the ones below. In my opinion, they are a mild to medium hot.  Eating only the flesh and not the seeds really cuts down on any heat.

Top two are Poblano's one in the brown stage and the other green.  Next starting from left are: Chimayo  green and red, Anaheim green and red, Hungarian Wax yellow and red.

Pictured here also in your bag is Aji Cristal yellow, top- Cambuci (mildest)and right is Tobago. Some of you also have a Cherry Bomb which would be the hottest.  I enjoyed these peppers with crackers and cheese and avoided the placenta and seeds. Their flavours are really different.  The Aji is citrusy, the Tobago is a Carabbean pepper without so much heat and the Cambuci which looks like a crown is from Brazil it has a very light flavour.

Cambuci

The Poblano has become our go-to pepper for eggs.  When it's brown it's actually called Ancho.

Anaheim Peppers also pretty mild.  While you can use them as they are, I love roasting and skinning them and then using as a topping on pizza, burgers eggs etc.  You can also easily freeze roasted peppers to use later.

 All this pepper harvest had me craving a trip to New Mexico this week.  I would love to visit as pepper harvest is underway! I've read how you can buy your peppers and have them roasted right at the market! And the aroma fills the streets....

One of the key ingredients in my Sriracha Red Jalapeños...and boy do I have lots!

As for non-hot pepper news... you also have some yummy Hakurei Turnips.

And the Tops of our Flower Sprout Plants which we cut off to encourage the growth of these little guys!

Next week will be the last CSA basket for our main season.

Thanks and Happy Fall!

Shirley

CSA # 15

Good morning

September is the busiest month.  It's insane.  Summer harvesting is still coming on enough to occupy all our time but it's a "new spring" as our winter income depends on getting things planted early enough so that seedlings can be well established to pull through the winter, another full time job.... Rick has his own list of to-dos that i don't even consider...like building a greenhouse!
However, it's also the time where every corner I turn, I am faced with some food to preserve...tomatoes, peppers, herbs etc.... another full time job.  And i mean, what's the point of it all if i can't even get this done? Pulling out a fresh jar of tomato sauce or some frozen herbs from the summer garden to add to my meal in the dead cold of winter, is a wonderful feeling and something i expect from having a farm.
Kids? Yes i love them...hahah! but don't let them ask of me anything right now!  I'm kidding...they consume my thoughts no matter what is going on in my life and this week was no different as they set off on new adventures with school. I was super proud of them and checked my phone compulsively for any updates!

So I remind myself  how September used to mean Back to school for me too... in the middle of all of this, I had to just walk away and I am grateful.  And then, we do the best that two people can do and keep at it until Mother Nature shuts half down.  And, hopefully she hides it all with a nice layer of snow.  At that point, our greenhouses can get all our attention and life gets a little simpler.

In your baskets this week:

A very large bag of Basil (pesto?..or just freeze in cubes of water or olive oil for winter)
Garlic
Tomatoes
Jalapeños
Sweet Peppers
Chez Nous Farms  Hot Sauce (this is still last years batch)

Greens extra: Napa and Kale

Half of our sweet pepper harvest!

These guys...very rare that i don't much care for a variety i grow but this year we tried mini-bells.  Some are a decent size but some are downright small.  And of course the plants are VERY heavy producers! I have been stock piling them the small ones.  

 SERIOUSLY!

What will I do with them all?

I'm lucky to have the equipment that will deseed and de-skin these guys. Last week, I roasted a bunch and made some homemade BBQ sauce to can.  I think the rest may turn into some hot sauce blended

with some super hots. 

Napa Greens so mild and versatile cooked or raw!

My fresh Sriracha  production has begun in my spare time!!! It's delicious and unlike my usual Chez Nous Hot Sauce which has a very deep flavour and is a blend of tomatoes, onions, garlic, spices, maple syrup and lots of different hot and sweet peppers.

This is a fresh, barely processed product.  It's basically a pure pepper pulp.  It is sweeter than the Chez Nous sauce and even a little hotter.  It's a combination of peppers and garlic with just enough vinegar and some salt and sugar.

I have no idea if it taste like the popular Sriracha Sauce but i do know it is amazing!

Have a great week!

Shirley

CSA # 14

September 3 2016

Good morning

And just like that it's september...
I was actually able to work in pants a few times this week.  Yesterday i noticed that the CSA baskets seemed to come together much quicker than I was used to and i was also feeling much less tired and that's when i realized how much extra energy working in that extreme hot weather took, not including necessary pool breaks. I am almost afraid to say that I enjoyed the break, because of course I never want summer to end, Rick on the other hand is probably ready to bid it farewell!
 The baskets are still hanging on to summer too with the usual hot weather crops but one by one they will end...if you are sick of them don't worry they are almost over but if not soak it up because we all know how wonderful the thought of a fresh tomato sounds in the dead of winter!

In your baskets this week:

Salad mix (last one for a couple weeks)
1 pound Winter Radishes
Green Onion
Zucchini
Eggplant
Tomatoes

Greens Extra: Salad Mix and Broccoli greens.

The radish are probably not like what you are used to seeing! These are called Pusa Gulabi Radicand  were ordered from Bakers Creek but didn't quite turn out as expected (see photo). Also, they are no longer found on the site. However, they grew well and taste great, they are more resemblant to China Rose Radish.  They are what you consider a Fall/Winter Radish and store well.  They can be used as is, grated and even sautéed.

Wondering what to do with your eggplant?  Friday night, on a whim, i made some super quick vegan meatballs and was really impressed! They have the texture and taste of a really good veggie burger.  I plan to make some to freeze for winter but it has also picked my curiosity into making some burgers and sure enough a google search brought up tons of interesting recipes for eggplant burgers and meatballs...  I have yet to find a homemade veggie burger i liked maybe eggplant is the solution!

http://citnutritionally.com/eggplant-balls/


I also came across a neat Ratatouille Pasta recipe (and video) that i plan to make this week :http://www.marthastewart.com/902463/grilled-ratatouille-pasta


I tried to get out and snap a few pictures of other crops we have going on yesterday but came up a little short on anything impressive but here you go anyway...

We've got some awesome looking Napa, Kale and Bok Choy under nets...

Flower Sprouts are looking amazing!

Have a great week!

Shirley

CSA #13

August 27 th

"Doing a lot of canning I see?" asked some lady behind me at the checkout.

It's been a good tomato year....

Today my planned job was to start making Fresh Sriracha ... until i saw another  very large batch of tomatoes that aren't as patient as my red Jalapeños.  Hopefully, when the tomatoes are processed I can get to the hot sauce.  I actually really, really love cooking and would love to devote the next month to food preserving, whipping up all kinds of unique combinations and creations.  It takes a lot of time though, wish I had more of that...lots needs to be done out back.

In your baskets this week:

Salad Mix
Double tomatoes
Double sweet peppers
Hot Chimayo Peppers
Herbs: Mint, Leaf Celery and Persian Basil

Greens Extra: Salad Mix and Swiss Chard

I hope you are enjoying the extra tomatoes... the plants seem to be slowing down a little now.  Everyone received a nice bag of Chimayo peppers, I have some roasting in the oven as i write and my son says it's the worst smell ever, I love it.  I plan to use them in my salsa but you can also roast them and add to a aoili, a pasta dish etc... These peppers are a mild to medium heat and can be used pretty much anywhere.  I also like having  a bag of frozen hot peppers to use in winter.  When i make tacos i whip them up in my vitamix blender with some lime juice, garlic and a few tomatoes to use as my seasoning, then i  top it off with some cumin and chilli powder. Also good to marinate beans or Portabello Mushrooms for you non meat eaters.

It's first time I've ever grown Leaf Celery and i have been using it as generously as parsley in all my dishes.  I especially like it in salsa!

This pepper here is Criolla and they are beautiful, a sweet pepper.

Red cheese another nice sweet pepper.




Tomato deliveries....

Bali Tomato

Chimayo Pepper

Chimayo about to be roasted...I'll be removing the blackened skin.

 I did manage to get some more beautiful fall Napa planted this morning...

Have a great week
Shirley

CSA#12

Aug 20 2016

Last week, I decided to take advantage of cooler morning air to get some work done and planned to put together a newsletter later on which just didn't happen. Mornings are my favourite time to write because my mind is clear and there are less distractions.   For as long as i can remember, I've had a vision of myself, away in a cabin working on a book... where I could focus. The book has changed topics many times over the years and lately, the cabin part, seems to be especially calling my name... every summer i get hit with the camping blues...something I really miss.

When we  both eventually left our jobs and started to farm full-time we knew that things would be tough financially and our focus needed to be, building the farm so that it could support us.  Any spending that veered off this track, other than good food, wasn't part of the plan.  We are getting to a point where  some non farm spending is ok and starting to think about fixing things up.  I've been saving pictures for years and know what I'd like, our house is small and so it would be pretty easy to do.  The crazy part, I still feel like i would like something smaller...I've seen some pretty amazing small houses online and think one of those would suit me fine!   I just love being outdoors.   Maybe we just need to build a little cabin outback on the farm where we could spend some time sleep with the crickets and the full moon. It would make a nice little guest house too!

Onto the topic of farming... tomatoes because tomatoes are insane right now.  I am happy  because while we have had some good tomato years...now I see what great is!  I hope you enjoy lots of tomatoes and are able to whip up some sauces or salsas's with your extras.  If you want you can freeze the extras just as they are until you have enough to make a larger batch of sauce.

In your baskets this week:

Lots of tomatoes
Salad Mix
Kale
Zuchinni
Basil

Greens extra:
Beets and Swiss Chard

Planting Kohlrabi on a beautiful summer evening in the moonlight

First night of the lifted fire ban.

Beautiful....hauling all my harvested tomatoes in.

They just keep coming...

The Oxheart Row. This style of tomato has won me over the paste tomatoes this year. They are between a paste and a slicer. So nice and meaty for sauce and salsa but still some juice. And they are really big and beautiful!

I make my sauce 2 ways. Roasted and just plain cooked and strained.

Have a great week

Shirley

CSA #9

Aug 6 th 2016

Mornings are such an important time,  especially in a heat wave, our work can be much more efficient watering, planting, harvesting these things just don't work as well as they heat sets in.  We continue to work through the day, everyday but need to take the occasional dip in the pool, and lots of water runs.  Lately, we have been hearing of small farms struggling due to the lack of rain, with the loss of many crops, lots of stress and extra work and now they are hoping that they will be able to make a better living in August and not need to work off farm to make ends meet.  I can't imagine.  Our pond is nearly completely dried up but luckily we don't rely on it to water.  The lack of rain and very high temperatures makes the greens a little tougher and bitter but once you cook them they mellow out quite a bit.  We'll have lots of time for fabulous greens once the weather cools but for now we are enjoying the wonderful summer crops!

In your basket this week:

Tomatoes ( some are quite ripe...)

Brocoli greens

Herbs (parsley and persian basil)

Beans

Peppers Sweet and Hot 

Summer Squash 

Zucchini

Extra Greens: Kale, Beets and a cucumber

We tried a new summer squash this year called Desi. It is the white ball you see, some of you may have gotten one in your baskets. It's been a new favourite for us, it's productive, grows well and taste great at all sizes.  I

Last weekend, i spent some time finishing the leek beds which had been taken over by weeds.  They look great now!

I've been slowly filling a counter with tomatoes to save seeds from.  Today is the day as the counter is now full.  The great thing about saving tomato seeds is the tomatoes are still great for eating and so i plan to make a large batch of Ratatouille which I have never made before.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/dads_ratatouille/print/ (big batch)

https://food52.com/recipes/14155-alice-waters-ratatouille (smaller batch)

Enjoy your baskets and till next week

Shirley

CSA #8

July 23rd

Before my life as a farmer, I worked with some very special children, children who needed extra intervention or guidance during the school day.  One common situation that I often faced was helping them deal with an activity that was ending and then transitioning to a new activity.  Asking anyone to stop in the middle of something can be difficult especially without proper warning but for these kids it often meant a violent outburst.  My family sometimes suggests that I also share this trait, not the violent outburst of course, but I do feel a momentary turmoil if you ask me to drop what i am doing and do something else. I also set goals which are difficult for me to let go of, if i said i am doing 3 rows I just can't stop at 2 1/2 or even worse 2 3/4 arghhh! Aren't we all like that? Apparently not! Hahaha!  However, sometimes it's at the expense of my own health and safety and it's caused the odd mild heatstroke and back pain.

It was the case yesterday afternoon as my husband and I divided the jobs he took the zucchini patch and I the tomatoes...  I had a row and half left and was pushing to get through when I hear I still have a row left but I think i need to stop. He was right, and so we did, had he not been there I may have gotten myself in trouble again. A dip in the pool was heaven.

The farm is doing great. All the garlic is harvested and the summer crops are starting to really produce.  We are seeding and plant our Fall Crops and keeping everything watered.

In your baskets this week:

Chez Nous Salad Mix
Tomatoes (hoping to move on to the bigger tomatoes next week?)
Eggplant
Music Garlic
Baby Swiss Chard
Persian Basil with the odd regular basil stem

X-tra Greens: Kale and Beets

Jaune Flame is blowing me away so far!

 Some of the first field tomatoes....

Rick harvesting his "babies" Doe Hill Peppers

Cherry Tomatoes have been in such high demand this year!

Persian Basil... great in just about anything, salad, rice, soup...

These are what I call Heatstroke tomatoes...hahaha! Yesterdays after CSA harvest.  Not a whole lot but it's not a mad dash to grab tomatoes quickly.  I like to remove any bad leaves, prune if necessary and just access each plant on 7 - 50 foot rows.

And then when i find a beauty like this...whoa it was perfect! C-tex an often overlooked black tomato at the plant sale. Boring name i guess.  It is my first large black to be ready.  I just couldn't stop freakin out about it. Guess i still love what i do!