Volume XVIII, JOURNAL 7 August 1, 2022
Blue Heron Farm Journal
So what’s happening on the farm this week?
Week 7: Hi everyone! August 1! We had a calf born in the night- a little boy – we named him August. Tiny, the mama cow, is doing well and they are both walking around exploring the fields. We will hopefully have fresh raw milk starting next week for sale or barter? We have been dry since December 2020. So it is great to have a calf and yummy milk again! We are so thankful for volunteers each and every week – harvesting the mountains of cucumbers, weeding the sweet potatoes and making beautiful bouquets for farmers market. We are so grateful for you all. We are also thankful for all of you who send us the pictures of the creations you create with the food from the farm.
We also have Sweet corn this week from Pomykala Farm- their first corn is not sprayed and they use beneficial insects to tame the corn borer. A good many years ago now, CSA members wanted us to grow more other crops than sweet corn. Each corn plant is one ear, very heavy feeder, and you have to be careful when you plant it so you don’t get cross pollination with potential gmo corn or cow corn. Our soils like growing lots of veggies and flowers – Corn we had to transplant, compost, fertilize, irrigate, keep raccoons out, etc. So, we decided we would compromise and buy it locally and mindfully grown- And what Ben and his family grow with this first crop of sweet corn fits the bill.
Tomatoes are coming – we planted ours a two weeks later – than usual. So this week everyone should get cherry tomatoes? And peppers and eggplants are starting to come on. The carrots, cabbage and potatoes are coming along too.
My brother Richard is biking 100 miles this Saturday for the Point to Point to raise food security and money for the Vermont Foodbank. The rise starts and end in Montpelier. This is his 12th or 13th year doing it, he, my sister in law Elsa, and nieces Isabell and Colette are from Milton, Massachusetts (around the corner from where I grew up in Hyde Park (Boston). This ride is important to him because he sees the work we do here in Grand Isle and the surrounding area of making local organic food affordable and accessible to all folks through supported shares, pay what you can shares, Food for thought kids lunch program, Senior Shares, day care CSA shares, and weekly food to the grand Isle Food Shelf. So if you can, please donate or share this info – He is trying to raise $1000 for the Vt foodbank by Saturday on his 100 mile ride. He is already to $595 as of me writing this on Monday. The link is https://www.thepointtopoint.org/donate?pid=335638
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, scallions, zucchini and summer squash, slicing cukes, pickling/snacking cukes, garlic, fresh herbs, Cherry tomatoes, Sweet Corn and some other veggies, PYO flowers?
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
Recipes:
Please make this recipe! And tell me what you think! I found it over the weekend and sweet baby tomatoes – we are making it tonight!
Fresh Corn Polenta with Blistered Tomatoes
- author: Alexandra Stafford
- total time: 10 minutes
- yield: Serves 1
Original recipe hails from La Toque, where they serve it with sautéed chanterelles. Yum.
This is also delicious topped with a poached egg or aside sautéed greens.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE POLENTA:
- 2 ears corn
- 2 teaspoons butter
- kosher salt or flaky sea salt
FOR THE BLISTERED TOMATOES:
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- kosher salt or flaky sea salt
- a handful of fresh basil
FOR FINISHING:
- grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- fresh cracked pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- If you’re making the blistered tomatoes, prep them first. Heat the broiler to high.
- Place the tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic in a small skillet or oven-safe dish. Season with a pinch of salt, then toss to coat. Transfer pan to the broiler and broil for 10 to 15 minutes, checking every five minutes — if the tomatoes are blistering within 5 minutes, lower the rack. Ultimately the tomatoes should be both blistered and jammy.
- Remove pan from the broiler, and stir in the handful of basil.
- Meanwhile, clean the corn, removing all husks and threads. Working over a large bowl, grate the kernels off of the cob on the coarse side of a box grater. You will have a very wet coarse pulpy mixture.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the grated corn and season with a good pinch of salt. Simmer over low heat, stirring to prevent browning, for about 3 minutes. The mixture is ready when it just begins to thicken and set.
- Spoon the polenta into a serving bowl. Top with the jammy, blistered tomatoes. Top with some grated Parmigiano Reggiano and pepper to taste if you wish.
Find it online: https://alexandracooks.com/2010/10/18/fresh-corn-polenta-where-have-you-been-all-my-life/
Tomato, Corn and Cheese Galette with Fresh Basil
- author: Alexandra Stafford
- total time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- yield: 4 servings
Source: David Lebovitz via Fine Cooking Magazine
Note: You can split the dough in half and made two small tarts or 1 large tart.
INGREDIENTS
CORNMEAL GALETTE DOUGH
- 1–1/4 cups (142 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (43 g) fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1–1/4 tsp. salt
- 6 T. (3 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1/4 cup ice water
FINISHING THE TART:
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
- 1/2 bunch basil or tarragon, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped, (to yield about 1/2 cup); plus 10 whole leaves
- Kernels from 1 ear of corn (about 1 cup)
- 1 recipe Cornmeal Galette Dough (see above)
- 1 large or 2 medium ripe tomatoes (about 3/4 lb. total) cut into 1/3-inch slices, drained on paper towels
- 3 oz. Comté or Gruyère cheese, shredded
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make the dough: In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Cut in the chilled butter using a stand mixer, a food processor, or a pastry blender until it’s evenly distributed but still in large, visible pieces. Add the olive oil and ice water and mix until the dough begins to come together. Gather the dough with your hands and shape it into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- To make the galette: Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 min. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, chopped basil, and corn and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside to cool.
- Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet, preferably one without sides, with kitchen parchment. (If your baking sheet has sides, flip it over and use the back.)
- Roll the dough on a floured surface into a 15-inch round, lifting the dough with a metal spatula as you roll to make sure it’s not sticking. If it is, dust the surface with more flour. Transfer it by rolling it around the rolling pin and unrolling it on the lined baking sheet.
- Spread the onion and corn mixture over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border without filling. Update 7-16-2014: Sprinkle the cheese over the onions and corn. Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer over the cheese and season them with salt and pepper. Lift the edges of the dough and fold them inward over the filling, pleating as you go, to form a folded-over border. Pinch together any tears in the dough. Brush the egg yolk and water mixture over the exposed crust.
- Bake until the crust has browned and the cheese has melted, 35 to 45 min. Slide the galette off the parchment and onto a cooling rack. Let cool for 10 min. Stack the remaining 10 basil leaves and use a sharp knife to cut them into a chiffonade. Cut the galette into wedges, sprinkle with the basil, and serve.