So what's happening on the farm this week? Week 6

Week 6:I took a quick peek at the pickling cucumbers this morning, while our Monday crew picked squashes and flowers, just to see how much longer for cucumbers. I figured they would be another week like the full size cukes. I push back a spiny leave and low and behold there was a cucumber. What?! Really. Oh it must be a fluke, I looked at another plant, another one – seriously? I moved swiftly down the row – thinking I’d only find a few. I thought it would be a quick pick. I always go to the farthest part of the bed first if I am going to harvest heavy things so I’ll be closer to the truck. I kept picking – I had our Monday crew join me, they found them too – we got a whopping 75lbs.
I got back from getting the girls at camp and there was a huge basket of cherry tomatoes waiting for me☺ I stepped into the heirloom tomato house and I picked my first 2 lb red heirloom tomato. I proclaimed the glory of it all. I held that tomato, in its fullness, its curvy features, its perfectness like a babe in my hands. I showed it to all who I saw. I cradled it and had people hold out their hands to hold its voluptuous girth. Then I cut into it, the juiciness running everywhere and shared it with all. That salty redness still sings on my lips. Oh, with the farming ups and downs – it could make you crazy – but when the tomatoes start coming in, oh the rapture. So for this week, everyone is going to get a taste, and if the tomato gods are smiling we should have much more next week along with those sleek slicing cucumbers.
We are weeding the carrots and potatoes – if anyone has any time on their hands we could use some help hand weeding. the broccoli might be a bit funny looking this week – this is spring broccoli that has survived the crazy spring (what spring) and summer. It almost automatically start to bolt even though we gave it much love. So, it’s a little funny looking because it doesn’t like the heat. The last of the spring peas and beginning of beans this week. We will be planting fall peas soon. Last night we got fall potatoes planted – Sadie and I – 880 feet☺ Potatoes should be coming out soon. Carrots another week or two.
Have a great week.
We look forward to farming with you this season.
Peace, your farmers, Christine, Adam, Sadie, Frank and Julia
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. lettuce, baby red russian kale, sugar snap peas and/ or beans or brocolli, summer squash, zucchini, squash blossoms, pickling cucumbers, garlic, and first taste of TOMATOES 😉
Farm Fresh Raw milk for Sale
We are very lucky to have two milking cows – Annie and Maggie – both give us plenty of milk each and every day and we would like to share that with you and anyone else would like to have raw milk. We sell it $5 a half gal. We also can do a sliding scale if needed for the milk. You can buy milk at CSA pickup or anytime out of our barn fridge next to our house at 34 quaker.
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 $5.75 a dozen. $3.00 half dozen
***FROZEN CERTIFIED ORGANIC WHOLE CHICKEN AVAILABLE AT THE FARM TODAY**☺
Recipes:
Christine’s Squash Blossoms
The squash blossoms that are in your shares this week are the male blossoms from a summer squash or zucchini plant. You can eat the female ones, but we figure they are pretty busy making fruit and they kind of fall apart when you pull them off the fruit. Some say pull them stamen out but I don’t. These plants create a plentiful amount of squash blossoms to make sure that the female blossoms are pollinated to make fruit. We take the excess off and enjoy these only summer time treats. We pick them all when they are wide open and they will gradually close on their own. It is important to pick only wide open ones, so they open later for you. Shake out any stray bugs, fill a ziploc bag with some soft cheese (chevre, ricotta, cream cheese, really any kind) cut a little hole in the corner and pipe the cheese into each blossom. Dip in egg, then roll in flour or cornmeal or panko or regular bread crumbs or a combo of all the above – and in a hot skillet with oil (we have used canola, coconut or organic vegetable shortening) cook until one side is golden brown and then the other. You can fry them without filling them but oh my – are they delicious filled! Sadie can sit and eat plates of them. You can also eat squash blossoms just in salads or just the way they are. Some CSA members are chopped them about put them into fritattas. They are best used within the first few days of having them if you are going to stuff them.
Squash Blossom Frittata http://www.seasonalchef.com/recipes/squash-blossom-recipes/
3-4 blossoms
1-2 baby squash
4 eggs
Dash of milk
2 green onions
Asiago, goat cheese or cheddar or what you have on hand
Chopped parsley and snipped chives (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pick 3 to 4 blossoms per person and 1 or 2 baby yellow or green summer squash. Beat 4 eggs with a little milk. Add fresh chopped parsley and snipped chives, if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste. In a non-stick pan, saute a little butter and cook 2 green onion and thinly sliced baby squash just until soft. Then quickly saute the blossoms for about 30 seconds and remove from pan. Pour egg mix into pan, sprinkle and arrange the onions, squash and blossoms on top and cook over low to medium heat until almost set. Sprinkle with Asiago cheese and put under the broiler until lightly puffed and browned.
Refrigerator Dill Pickles – www.foodnetwork.com
1/2 cup white vinegar, eyeball it
2 rounded teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves, chopped or snipped
1 bay leaf
1 clove cracked garlic
1 teaspoon salt
4 cucumbers, cut into 1-inch slices on an angle
Heat small saucepan over medium high heat. Add vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, salt, and garlic to the pan and cook until it begins to simmer and sugar dissolves. Toss the dill, bay leaf, and sliced cucumbers together in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the simmering liquid over the cucumbers and stir to evenly coat. Allow to cool to room temperature or chill before serving. You can put in an old pickle jar or mason jar – glass is best so your plastic doesn’t become the smell of pickles.
Mama Farmer note: You can replace all the spices with a 1-2 tablespoons of pickling spice available at city martket in the bulk section or in any spice section in the grocery store.
Sautéing Zuchini and Summer Squash
Last night I sautéed butter and garlic, then added chopped up summer squash and zucchini, until it was soft. Tossed it with parmesan and salt and pepper. Yum! I also boiled up some pasta and added it all together. very yummy.