Hi everyone! The journal is a few days late this week – thanks for your patience. We usually write this on Monday during or after lunch and we had a lot more to pick on Monday..here we are at 5:00 am Thursday morning writing to you allJ Reminder CSA deliveries today Thursday and CSA on farm pickup from 4-630 at 23 Quaker Rd. The farmers’ Market had a little microburst that came through around 4:45 yesterday and tore up three tents with weights on them. It happened across from me and it was a line of backwards wind that was scary. I saw it come through and held on to our tent. Luckily no one is hurt, but those three tents and some of those vendors products got damaged. Due to this storm and not knowing if another was coming right after, we closed up shop an hour earlier. It was really looking like a processing market – more people in town and locals buying but then the storm came through… oh well mother nature had other plans. At the farmers market in South Hero it poured at 3 pm for about 20 minutes – big huge rain drops – opening of market. Die hards came out. the rain was refreshing. Our farm in Grand Isle – got about 3 minutes of rain during that same time. Dear 2020….and we continue to pivot.
We were gifted an older walkin in cooler that is 10 x 10 or so! We have to replace the compressor since its fairly old and not very energy efficient but I think Efficiency Vermont can help with this. It is in pieces up behind the farmstand. We are thankful to community members who donated to us and to the csa member and community friends that took it apart for us. With the increase of CSA, food programs, island markets, and our response to the pandemic – we have pivoted – we are growing a lot more food – because we are farmers and that’s how we can support our community. We are outgrowing our humble 8 x 10 coolbot walkin refrigeration. Last night after market, there was no room to put the totes that were coming back from the washed out market – they are piled high to the ceiling. No worries, I fit them in, but I need to take totes out to get to packing shares this morning. So hopefully over the next couple of weeks, a neighbor will hopefully do the groundwork, local builder will put it together and build a roof over it, a local electrician will rewire it and then we will have additional walkin, with capability to hold veggies and chicken and eggs and store crops this fall and winter. It will go behind the farmstand near our wash and pack station. We are applying for a couple of covid grants to see if we can help to defray some of the costs that we hadn’t budgeted for this season. This was unplanned building for this season. But when a free walkin in cooler comes out of the blue – you take it – and you pivot – and you make it work – It needs to be built.
The heat is here and it has done a number on the peas. We are sorry – we kept them well watered and trellised…but to quote Delia- they are crispy. So Monday CSA got peas – Thursday CSA you will get gorgeous green scallions. I chopped some up last night for my tacos – so yummy. Did you know that you can chop your scallions down to the white part and then put them in a little water and they will grow back the green? Its true – I do it in winter time when I don’t have scallions and I buy them in the store or I am trying to eek out the last green goodness. I love green scallions. The girls used to eat them raw in the field – not sure if this year they will because tastes change… we will see. Also, You may have to give them a wash if I don’t get time to wash them this morning. We ran out of time to pick last night. Napa Cabbage, potatoes, slicing cukes are on their way..
For volunteer workers – We have some time slots that we could use your help during the week. Please let us know what might work for you. You will need a mask, water bottle, hat, sunblock and snack. Mondays 9-12, Wed 9-12, Thursday 9-12, Friday 9-12. Mondays 3-6:30, Thursdays 3-630. You could be weeding, harvesting, planting, anything really JAlso, you can use your hours to volunteer at the South Hero Wednesday or Saturday Grand Isle farmers market
Those who ordered chicken this season, we are hopefully starting to process chickens very soon – we have held off because of the heat and the amount of veggies we have had to pick and irrigation and transplanting – only so many hours in the day. Our hope is to get 2 or 3 chickens out to each person who pre-ordered 5 or 10 chickens in this round and then get the rest of your order in the next two rounds – which are a month apart. We will give them to you fresh – and then you can cut them up or freeze them whole or just have chicken J for dinner that night. I think we are hoping to start processing this weekend and on Tuesday with the folks picking up at the farm or farmers market on Wednesday. More info to follow. We will email everyone who pre-ordered.
Ok, well I better go. I need to help with packing CSA delivery, milking, and feeding chickens. Drink loads of water today and stay cool. See you all soon. Thanks for reading.
Thanks for being part of our farm. We look forward to farming with you this season.
Peace, your farmers, Christine, Adam, Sadie, Delia, Claire and Norma
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 mix, lettuce head, zucchini, summer squash, pickling/snacking cukes, Sugar Snap Peas or scallions, kale!
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
RAW Jersey Milk for Sale: 1/2 gal jars available of Sandy and Skye’s Milk – cream is so creamy and they love all this spring grass. $5 a jar and if you don’t have a half gal jar to swap $3 deposit. Available at on farm pickup on Mondays and Thursdays.
RECIPES:
You don’t have time to deal with the Kale this week – chop and put in your freezer – throw it into smoothies later or soups, stirfries, stews, sautees.
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 market in the bulk section or in any spice section in the grocery store like KBV or A and B.
Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles www.heritagerecipes.com
Pickling cucumbers to fill a gallon jar or mix in a large bowl or stainless steel pot and then divvy them up into smaller jars.
3 onions sliced
4 cups sugar
4 cups vinegar
1/3 cup plain salt
1 1/2 tsp each turmeric, mustard seed and celery seed
Combine sugar and vinegar in small saucepan over low heat to dissolve sugar. Add spices. Pack sliced cucumbers and onions in jar very tight, add liquid and spices, seal and refrigerate.
These bread and butter pickles are a wonderful little side dish to set out with just about any meal, but our first love will always be adding them to sandwiches.
Note: The refrigerator pickles don’t need to marinate very long at all before they’re ready to eat, usually just 24 hours or so. As to how long they keep … I’d say “the same as any other pickles in your refrigerator.” They might become more mushy than crisp if you had them in the frig for a year, but I’ve never known them to go bad
Sweet Relish www.heritagerecipes.com
6 lbs cucumbers [Do not peel]
4 cups onions
2 green peppers
1 red pepper
Directions:
Grind and mix together with;
1/2 c canning salt
2 qts Boiling water.
Let stand for 1 hour.
Drain real well, then add the following,
1 tsp. mustard seed
1 tsp. tumeric
1 pint vinegar
5 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. corn starch
Boil 1/2 hour and seal hot in pint jars. Can for 20 minutes in boiling water canner
Makes around 6 pints.
Zucchini with Basil and Pecorino Romano Cheese from Verdura by Viana La Place
1 1/2 pounds firm zucchini
4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons freshly grated imported Pecorino Romano cheese
10 basil leaves
Wash the zucchini well. Trim the zucchini and slice into thin coins. Place olive oil in a large saute pan and turn the heat to high. Add the zucchini and toss in the oil until it is lightly golden in spots but still crisp, about 4 minutes. Turn the heat to medium low, add the garlic and S & P to taste. Cook until the zucchini is tender but still has a trace of crispness. Transfer the zucchini to a serving platter. Sprinkle the grated Pecorino Romano cheese over the zucchini. Tear the basil leaves into fragments and scatter them over the top.