Volume XVIII, JOURNAL 1
June 20, 2022
Blue Heron Farm Journal
So what’s happening on the farm this week?
Week 1: Happy Summer Solstice! Happy Juneteenth! Hi everyone! Welcome to the first pickup of CSA. Thank you and good to see you all – our returning members and we look forward to meeting all of our new members this year. This is week 1 of 18 weeks to come! Our hope is to try to fill you all in on what is going on the farm week to week, what’s in the share, and some favorite recipes in this space. We have had this journal going for 18 years now and past copies are in archives on our website. In the beginning of the season veggies are lighter – but as the season goes on the bags literally get heavier. With our CSA, you eat like the farmer- you eat crops when we get them and you get to try new veggie and jazz up old veggies. We will share recipes and Christine’s fast food farm style with the farm produce through out the season.
Our farm is run by Adam and Christine and our two daughters Sadie, 14 and Delia, 11. We have been farming since 2004 thanks to Roy and Ev. We became permanent stewards of this land when we purchased it in 2012. Besides all the veggies, we have about 40 sheep for wool and meat, chicken for eggs and meat, and 4 jersey cows – Sandy, Skye, Ocean and Tiny (Tiny is due this summer!), 1 pet steer hank. We also have currently 4 cats and our rescue pup, Daisy, almost 4 yr old – Australian shepherd/blue heeler and a tad of german shepherd – she is very loving and caring. Our farm is split into 16 acres on one side of the road and 14 acres on the other. We are a conserved farm that is protected from development. We are also certified organic by Vermont Organic Farmers. Our animals rotationally graze around the vegetable fields to fertilize the fields, trap carbon, and build soil and try not to eat our vegetables. And hopefully, these farmers will be finally building their forever small farmhouse to replace their aging 1981 mobile home by the end of the year. This is the cliff notes version of our history. I will share more as the season goes on. Farming has been quite a roller coaster of adventure in this life of ours. Also how have we been farming for 18 years?!
We are honored to have two new apprentices to our farm this farming endemic season Perry and Barbara – Both are from California! We will share more about them in the next newsletter?
This has been another historic spring. A challenging spring. Climate change is real. It is real to us farmers who interact with the earth every single day in an intimate way. The thing with farming is that everyday – the sun will come up, the rain will come eventually, seeds- if planted -in fertile soils will pop up their first leaves and reach for the sun. The sheep will graze, the chickens will peck and scratch and lay eggs, the cows will turn the grass they graze into food, the farmers will harvest and care for the food – pandemic or not. Now more than ever, local food is a source of security, nourishment, and health. We do not take this responsibility lightly. We were so excited that we were able to harvest these amazing greens for you this morning. To know nearly 90 families will be fed just through our CSA program. We are honored. And we are here. Working in sync with the land, nature, and weather to grow nutrient dense food for your and our bellies, souls, and minds.
A farm is a living organism – there is no clocking in and out. It breathes. It loves. It nourishes. We are all connected.
Thanks for being part of our farm. We look forward to farming with you this season.
Peace, your farmers, Christine, Adam, Sadie, Delia, Perry, and Barbara
What’s in the share this week:
This list is what is in a share this week. Things may change between Monday and Thursday and Individual and Salad share will get differing amounts and may not get everything on the list. Lettuce mix, Lettuce Head, Asian Stir Fry Greens, garlic scapes, herb plants, tomato / pepper plant
Eggs for sale We have the pretty girls’ eggs for sale – these are free-range, certified organic chicken eggs that are brown eggs– with the brightest yellow/orange yolks you ever seen. The eggs are $7.00 a dozen. $3.50 half dozen
Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 part maple syrup
1 part balsamic vinegar
1/2 part of olive oil
salt and pepper
and shake:)
It keeps well in the fridge – the olive oil may separate in fridge – but just shake and everything mixes together again.
The fresh greens you get in your share this week can be eaten raw and put in a salad.
7 Things To Do with Garlic Scapes Recipe (https://www.seriouseats.com/the-crisper-whisperer-what-to-do-with-garlic-scapes-recipe)
1. Scape Pesto
Far and away my favorite use for garlic scapes is pesto, either straight-up or mixed with herbs like basil and dill. Pesto showcases raw scapes in all their glory. Scape pesto can be very pungent, but it mellows substantially after a few months in the freezer. I like it best in the middle of winter, but I think that’s one part mellowing and two parts deprivation.
2. Grilled Scapes
Another great, and very different, way to showcase scapes is to grill them, tossed with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, over direct heat for about two minutes. Flip them once, halfway through, and finish with an extra sprinkle of flaky salt and maybe a bit of lemon juice and zest. They’ll be charred in spots and just soft enough, and their flavor will have sweetened and mellowed dramatically. Grilled scapes are surprisingly reminiscent of asparagus, and surprisingly different from raw scapes.
3. Scape Hummus
For the same reason they work well in pesto, scapes are a brilliant swap-in for garlic in your favorite homemade hummus. I think they work especially well in a lemony, tahini-free hummus, which really gives them a chance to shine. Edamame “hummus” with scapes works nicely too, and color coordination is tough to argue with.
4. Scape Compound Butter
Scapes would make a lovely compound butter with a little lemon and maybe some fresh thyme. You could use the butter to make a tarted-up garlic bread, and I can’t think of much (except maybe fruit—I do have some boundaries) that could be tossed on the grill but not finished with a nice slice of this melting goodness.
5. Scapes as aromatic
To take a more utilitarian approach, you can slice scapes to whatever length you like and use them as you would garlic, as an aromatic in a wide variety of recipes. Scapes lose a lot of their bite when sautéed, more so than garlic cloves, so use at least three or four times as much scape-age as you would clove-age.
6. Scapes as Vegetable
Scapes also work well as a vegetable, cut into lengths and added to stir-fries or blanched and added to salads, much as you might use green beans. They’re chameleons among vegetables, I tell you, though not karma chameleons. Karma-wise, they’re all good.
7. Scape Soup
Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point you toward Melissa Clark’s recipe for double-garlic soup, which uses both scapes and green garlic. If you’re not finding green garlic in the market anymore, you could improvise with a few garlic cloves and a handful of a pungent spring green like arugula or watercress.
Scape Pesto
- 1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts or sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes
- Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- A few generous grinds of black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheeseIn a small, dry pan set over very low heat, lightly toast the pine nuts, stirring or tossing occasionally until just beginning to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
- Combine the scapes, pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse about 20 times, until fairly well combined. Pour in the olive oil slowly through the feed tube while the motor is running. When the oil is incorporated, transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese. If you plan to freeze the pesto, wait to add the cheese until after you’ve defrosted it.