2019 Week 2

Volume XIV, JOURNAL 2
Blue Heron Farm Journal
So what’s happening on the farm this week?
Week 2: Hi Everyone!
The peas are here! The peas are here! We picked over 30 lbs on friday night and I think we will be around 60 lbs today when we finally finish picking. These peas are eat the whole thing kind of veggies. And honestly our family’s favorite way to eat them is to eat them rawJ Don’t pick the peas out – the pod is edible. Back in the 1960-70s, someone got the shelling pea and snow pea together and they made this delicious pea – the sugar snap pea. They are best when they are fat on the verge of being waxy. So sweet and crunchy!
The fields of veggies are looking wonderful! the onions and beets are starting to bulb up. The peppers and tomatoes have baby fruit on them. The zucchini and summer squash should be any day – so many flowers – hmmm squash blossoms. Adam reports we will have cucumbers coming out of our ears – the plants are big, green, and luscious! The potatoes and chard are getting bigger. The spring broccoli unfortunately bolted in that heat last week – we think it was the heat and they were in their plug trays a little long since we couldn’t get out in the field. But! We will have fall broccoli J So in its spot we planted collards and brussel sprouts. The red and green cabbage are starting to head up. The ground cherries are getting bigger and I think we should have cherry tomatoes within a week or so. The carrots are up and the beans are getting bushier – the flowers are blooming and the basil looks great. The eggplant are putting out these huge leaves right now. The watermelon and cantaloupe are vining. The heirloom, Cherry, and field sauce tomatoes are looking amazing. Oh my..what a whirlwind. We need to finish planting the second crop of winter squash and the third planting of lettuce heads and mix, kale, turnips, bok choy and napa cabbage. We need to go in a do some big pruning in the cherry tomato house – hoping early tomorrow morning for that job. Planting a second crop of basil..
The heat was interesting last week – we sweated quite a bit and drank loads of water – But you know what, its summer – and if you like nightshades – tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, ground cherries, tomatillos, potatoes and curcbits – melons, cukes and squash we need these bursts of heat to put us over into the fruiting realm.
We need to do some hand weeding in the lettuce and carrots this week and pruning of the cherry tomatoes – these are big jobs and could use extra help- Let us know if you’d like to help – We are going to do some tomorrow.
This past week was exciting – Sadie danced in the 4th of July parade and Christine’s youngest sister, Sue (6 siblings in all) got married to one of the sweetest women, Kayle on the 4th of July – complete with amazing food, music (dj Craig Mitchell!) and fireworks in Underhill, VT. It was a gorgeous wedding and reception. And now we have one more auntie to love up! And a little fun piece of nostaglia – Sadie and Delia wore the dresses that Sue and my other sister Michelle wore and Adam’s and my wedding 16 years ago! Sue was only 14 then! It was a tricky balance, farming and farmers markets and going back and forth with wedding celebrations – but we did it – a little tired but we did it. And we would do it again 🙂
As we were transplanting the other day, I was thinking about putting all these seeds, transplants, and tubers in the ground is like putting money in the bank. Adding cover crops, crop residues, compost and micronutrients into the soil helps nurture and grow our investment – yours and mine. Then when the crop is ripe – lets say sugar snap peas – we get to make a withdrawal from the farm to feed you, us and our neighbors. Some say negative thinks about farming that there is not much return for the dollar. But I’d have to say that we get more money back on our “dollar” than a bank gives us these days. Money does help and makes things a little easier at times – like being able to more irrigation equipment and our bedformer/mulch layer. But when carefully crafted and nurtured, what you put in the soil bank outweighs the dollar bank tenfold. It still amazes me how water, sun and earth – make food for us all – if it is respected and taking care of.
Pickups are Monday at the farm this week and THURSDAYS for deliveries:)
Have a great week.
Thanks for being part of our farm. We look forward to farming with you this season.
Peace, your farmers, Christine, Adam, Sadie, Delia and Olya
What’s in the share this week:
This list is what is in a full 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. Sugar Snap Peas, Lettuce mix, lettuce head, Beet Greens, Baby Chard, Scallions, garlic scapes (monday only), radishes?, maybe squashes at the end of the week..
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 $6.00 a dozen. $3.00 half dozen
Sesame Maple Sugar Snap Peas
http://humanresources.vermont.gov/sites/dhr/files/Documents/Wellness/Vigor_Spring-2014-ASO.pdf
1/2 lb sugar snap peas cleaned and strings removed
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons Vermont maple syrup
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Blanch cleaned sugar snap peas in boiling water for one minute and drain. Combine remaining ingredients in a sauté
pan and toss in blanched peas stir and continue cooking on medium heat for 2 minutes.Serve!
Sesame Snap Peas
1/2 pound snap or snow peas, trimmed and strings discarded
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 scallion, sliced thinly on diagonal
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted lightly
Salt as needed/wanted
Slice snap peas into 2 or 3 sections with a sharp knife. Saute in a pan with the oil on med high heat until bright green. (it’s ok if some of the peas come out). When serving, sprinkle with the scallions and sesame seeds. Add Salt if desired.
Roasted Sugar Snap Peas
1/2 lb sugar snap peas
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs shallots, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
S & P to taste
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut off rough edge of peas and a bit of the string along the side (your preference how much). Spread peas onto baking sheet so that they are in a single layer. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with shallots, thyme and salt. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Servings: 4
Spicy Beet greens or Chard
Heat a medium saute pan coated with oil over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Add the beet greens and or Chard and garlic, and toss until the greens are wilted and tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and lemon zest and juice, and toss. Season with salt and pepper.
Helpful Hints:
I like putting beet greens in salad, eggs, lasagna, spaghetti sauce , on pizza, really anything. I really love them on pizzaJ
You can also use chard leaves as a wrap – instead of a tortilla or bread.
Green onions will regrow if you keep the white part and put them in water, the green stalk will grow again 😉
Sugar Snap Peas are great and refreshing treat right out of the fridge. They make great kid camp snacks and adult work snacks.

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