FLOWER POWER!

After 11 years running a vegetable CSA, I've decided I need a change of scenery, and follow my creative passion for not only flowers, but photography as well.    Curious about the photography bit?   Check out www.freerangingphotography.com; it's been keeping me busy!

So inspired for the 2011 season by the seed orders that I have placed this month....with names ranging from  Imperial Mix to Blue Cloud all the way to Indigo and Weld, Flemish Antique Poppy and Honesty - I can't wait for that big box of seeds to show up on my doorstep!   The mere anticipation of the scents, the colors, the textures is making me inpatient with the icy weather outside.

I'll be posting the 2011 Flower Share options soon - ranging from the $75 sampler of 10 weeks of bouquets, all the way to the Flower Lover at for those that want abundant custom arrangements for the entire season.

We're also planning on joining the newly established North Atherton Farmers Market, to be held every saturday morning at the Home Depot parking Lot.    It's a very new market with already an excellent line-up of local vendors, so help us spread the word!    We'll be there with certified organic vegetable and flower transplants to start the season, then with gorgeous bouquets, specialty arrangements, microgreens and other surprises for the rest of the season.

Please come on out and say Hi!

Wow - It's August!

Sorry for the prolonged absence - stress makes me uncommunicative, a poor trait I'm afraid!
It's been hot, hot, hot, and dry, dry, dry.  
Our local microclimate seems to have suffered more then the valley around us, which makes it all the more frustrating!  I've been watering and irrigating as able, but there's just nothing like a good inch of rain.   Since June, we've had just barely over three inches of rain, and it's showing.

The end of the sprinkler....

Anyway - here are some delicious recipes for the goodies that have been coming your way:

You've hopefully been making pesto with the basil over the last several weeks.
Well, here's an alternative milder option to try.

Curly Parsley

Parsley Pesto

This homemade pesto is a great way to use up extra parsley and adds fantastic flavor to sandwiches, pasta and more.

Yield: 1/2 cup (serving size: 2 tablespoons)

Ingredients

 2  cups  fresh parsley leaves

 2  tablespoons  walnuts, or toasted pine nuts

 2 cloves garlic

1 1/2  tablespoons  grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1  teaspoon  extra-virgin olive oil

1/4  teaspoon  salt

Lemon Cucumbers - try them diced into your tabouleh!

Summer Tabouleh

Great salad for these hot days!

Basic Ingredients (see below for other possible additions)

1/2 cup medium grain bulgur

1 1/4 cups water

4 cups loosely packed, roughly chopped parsley

1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes, Cherry or Roma tomatoes,

1/4 cup chopped onions

1/4 to 1/2 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped mint leaves

For the dressing:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 to ½ teaspoon minced garlic

Pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Bulgur - Bring water to a boil, pour in bulgur, stir, cover, and turn off heat. Let stand 20 to 25 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and bulgur is fluffy and tender. Pour off any remaining liquid.

Dressing: Whisk together lemon juice, garlic, salt and oil. Taste and adjust seasonings.

In a large salad bowl, toss together parsley, tomatoes, green onions and mint. Add bulgur. Pour dressing over salad, toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Liven it up!   Add diced peppers, carrots, cucumbers, cooked chickpeas!

Wheat-Free Chard Ricotta Tart 

(makes 1 tart in a 7 X 9 inch-ish pan)

1 1/2 pounds greens (arugula, spinach, swiss chard)

1/4 + 2 T butter, melted 

1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced

2 large potatoes unpeeled, and scrubbed

3 tsp chopped fresh sage  thyme, oregano, rosemary (I also used dried thyme...use what you have)

1 cup feta cheese (or cheddar, or mozzarella or whatever you have)

2 large eggs

2 cups ricotta cheese 

Salt and pepper to taste

Clean, trim and chop the greens. Heat 2 T of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add half the garlic and half the greens. Add more garlic and greens as they cook down. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain off any excess liquid.

Slice the potatoes very thinly and of uniform thickness. Create a thin layer of potato slices on the bottom of your pan and overlap them slightly to make a crust. Slide a few up the sides to make an edge. Drizzle the remaining melted butter over the crust. Sprinkle salt, pepper, herbs of choice and cheese of choice over potatoes of choice and/or availability, as the case may be.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, add the ricotta, more herbs and cheese of choice, salt and pepper. Gently add the greens and mix well. Spread the cheese-greens mixture over the potato slices and press lightly.

Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 and bake for another 10 minutes. The potato crust should be brown and crisp and the filling should be firm to the touch. Let cool about five minutes before cutting into wedges. Enjoy with a green salad or braised carrots.

Hmm, Yum.   Recipe from From Amy Traugers Blog at http://localchow.blogspot.com/

Greens loving the rain!

The garden is doing well! Warmer temperatures, followed by abundant rain yesterday, and crops are happy. Honey and bumble bees are covering the purple blossoms of the hairy vetch cover crops.

Kale is gorgeous - and oh so nutrititious.

Garlic scapes are swaying, raindrops hanging from the tips.

Beans are reaching for the trellis.

Sugar snaps are flowering, and crunchy sweet sugar sugarsnaps will be in your hands soon.

Lettuce heads are huge and colorful.

Beets and carrots have lush green tops and bright red and orange is picking up from the wet soil.

Here's some recipes for kale - please don't think of it as a garnish any longer!

One cup of kale is off the charts for vitamin K, double the daily recommendation for vitamin A and nearly a day’s worth of vitamin C!

To start with, a favorite from new CSA member Erin. I had this for dinner last night, and the combination of cannlelini beans and kale is YumMee!

Canillini Kale:

I really like this with cannellini beans: drain a can of beans, rinse, and put into a bowl.

Add a few tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, a clove of minced garlic and a squeeze of half a lemon.

Let these sit, tossing occasionally, while you prepare the kale. Throw it all into the roasting dish together.

Toss after 6 minutes in the oven, and let it go 6 minutes more.

Kale Pesto
Adapted from “The Real Dirt on Vegetables” by John Peterson

Ingredients
¼- ½ cup chopped walnuts
1 ½ -2 teaspoons salt
½ pound lacinato kale, stems removed, coarsely chopped (1 medium bunch should do)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup olive oil
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
ground black pepper to taste

Method
Toast chopped walnuts in a dry, heavy skillet (such as cast iron) over high heat, stirring constantly until they start to brown and become fragrant. Alternatively, place on a baking sheet and toast at 325 degrees. Keep an eye on nuts – they burn quickly and will get bitter!

Bring about two quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt, then add kale. Cook, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from pot and drain.

In a blender or food processor, add garlic, walnuts and drained kale and whiz until well combined. Pour in oil in a steady stream, and pulse until combined. Add ½ teaspoon salt, pulse, then taste. Add remaining ½ teaspoon of salt if necessary.

Spoon pesto into a bowl and stir in cheese and pepper.

For ½ pound pasta, use 2-3 tablespoons pesto. Keeps really well in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to a week.

Makes about one cup.

Roasted Kale
Ingredients

1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed

Approximately 2 teaspoons olive oil
½-1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place kale in an oven-proof baking dish. Add oil gradually, and with tongs, toss to coat kale, until thoroughly coated. Add salt, garlic and pepper flakes, tossing to coat.

Place in oven and roast until tender and just slightly crispy, 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Thank You Kim O'Donnell of the Washington Post!

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2009/01/meatless_monday_impromptu_supp.html

Ahh, much beloved rain! My chance to dash inside and keep you up to date on whats’s going on at Full Circle Farms!

Memorial Day is my traditional weekend to plant tomatoes and peppers – and although I did start transplanting those a couple of weeks ago, many more got planted yesterday morning. It is perfect to have an overcast, rainy day after transplanting, as it gives the plants a chance to get settled in and recover before being blasted by the hot sun once again.

Fields are looking good! Lush green wherever the eye takes you.

We got to experience some history this year when we purchased an old horsedrawn potato planter from the late 1800's - minor adaption to be pulled by our tractor. It made potato planting so much more fun, although I did have to be careful of my knees and fingers (no safety features included in this early edition!). I noticed that out potato planter looked a lot like some of the old cannons we saw at the Boalsburg Memorial Day Re-enactment!

Greens Reminder:

Although I wash greens here at the farm, that is purely to hydrocool them and to remove field dirt. They may still include some dirt/bugs etc.
If you don’t already have one, go and buy a nice salad spinner NOW! All greens should be washed and spun before using.

Also, any greens that you may get bunched, instead of bagged, such as large chinese cabbage, swiss chard etc. should be placed into a plastic bag in fridge as soon as you get home. laying greens loosely in the fridge without a bag causes rapid wilting.

CSA veggies so far include:

Garlic greens - yum! A rare chance to try these. Next in line are the actual garlic scapes! Garlic greens are delicious chopped in salads, stir-fries, fritatas - anywhere you would use garlic. don't use the greens all the way to the leafy tips,as they can become a little fibrous. The stalks are a delicious garlic crunch!

Beet Greens - these are the thinnings of our beet planting. beautiful, nutritious greens, with miniature beets attached. Just scrub, remove the hairy roots, and chop raw into salads for beautiful color. Don't add too many leaves though, as they can be over powering. Greens can also be chopped and steamed/cooked down.

Chinese Cabbage: Michihili - A popular variety with a sweet, mild flavor.

I had never grown these before, but these beauties grew quickly and will be delicious in a stir-fry. Please ignore the holes in the outer leaves, something else must have found them tasty too! I’d use the outer leaves in stir-fries – and the pretty inner ones in salads.

Chinese Cabbage Salad

4 cups thinly chopped Chinese cabbage


¾ cups diced radish


1 ¼ cup noodles (Asian, old pasta, crispy chow mein, whatever)


1 cup crushed peanuts


¼ cup toasted sesame seeds (the black ones look cool if you can get them)


2 Tablespoons rice vinegar


4 Tablespoons sesame oil


3 Tablespoons soy sauce


1 tablespoon honey


1 teaspoon dry mustard (*not essential)

Combine cabbage, radishes, noodles, peanuts, and sesame seeds in a bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients and toss with the vegetables a little at a time. Add only enough of the wet mixture to suit your taste.

Baby Rainbow Swiss Chard – these can be chopped raw and added lightly to salads, or sautéed with some olive oil, salt and heaped onto toasted sourdough bread. Hmmm.

Lettuce - not baby lettuce, but teenage lettuce….Make lots of salads! We’ve been making lots of “chopped” salads, and enjoying adding all the other greens and herbs. Garlic scapes and greens are great crunchy bits to add.

Our favorite dressing - continues to be extra virgin olive oil and Tait farm raspberry Shrub, both just lightly drizzed over the top, along with a shake of salt and pepper. We’ve got a lot of greens coming along, so make sure you’ve got it all used up before next weeks bag shows up.

Spinach – wonderful raw addition to salads, or chop and add to lasagna or other pasta dishes. Talk about packed with vitamins!

Cilantro/Parsely – please keep these stored in a plastic bag when in fridge to keep them from wilting.Sometimes you’ll get bunches of parsley from me rubberbanded together, sometimes they’ll be in a bag; it all depends on the length of the stem.

Rhubarb – again, please store this in a plastic bag in the fridge. Although we don’t raise strawberries, rhubarb and strawberries are a perfect combination.

To freeze rhubarb, wash and cut into 1" pieces. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add rhubarb to water for 1 minute. Pour into colander to drain. Then soak in ice water in sink until cool. Place in freezer bags, being sure to remove excess air. Freeze for up to one year.

Rhubarb Crisp / Crunch


1 cup flour


1/2 cup melted butter


1 1/4 cup uncooked oats


3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed


1 tsp. cinnamon


1 dash to 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (freshly ground is best)


5 cup of rhubarb or other tart fruit (apples, gooseberries, or combination)


1 cup sugar


1 cup water


2 Tbsp. cornstarch


1 Tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix first six ingredients together in a bowl.

Press half of mixture into a greased 8" x 8" baking dish.

Cover with fruit. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and heat until thickened. Pour over fruit.

Bake for one hour.

Rhubarb Muffins

1 ½ cups flour (can use all whole wheat)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

combine thoroughly

1 cup buttermilk, sour milk or plain yogurt

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup canola oil

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix these well in separate bowl. Stir in dry ingredients until just moistened. Don’t overmix.

Stir in:

1 ½ cups diced rhubarb

Optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full.

Combine ingredients below and sprinkle on top of batter in muffina tins.¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon flour

Bake in preheated oven at 375 F until toothpick inserted comes out clean. – about 20 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on wire racks.

Yields 1 dozen.

From “Simply in Season” Cookbook.

Sunnies at Penns Cave

Those blight pictures are too depressing... Here's something to make you feel more like summer on these overcast sticky days. The sunflowers at Penns Cave (RTE 192 outside of Centre Hall) are in full bloom, and I took lots of pictures one evening last week. They sure help brighten my day.

Yup, we've got blight...

The bottom picture is our tomato row as it looks now. Top pictures are of the blight lesions starting.

We managed to avoid it for quite a while, but over the rainy weekend the dreaded Late Blight reared its ugly head in our tomato patch. Now we are grateful that during the Farm Tour we kept all visitors away from the tomatoes and potatoes - although these really were the most interesting and beautiful production areas right now. We're using Soap Shield - a copper product - to treat all plants, and we have removed 8 trash bags of leaves that showed signs of lesions. Some plants were removed entirely. At this point the outlook for tomatoes is dismal, as the forecast only shows ideal blight conditions: thunderstorms, overcast skies, high humidity. Dry, bright clear days would be most welcome, as the UV light kills the spores.

We'll keep you posted. And enjoy those tomatoes whenever you can get them - they'll be in very short supply in the entire NorthEast this year.

For an interesting read, check out this latest NYT article on the blight titled: "You say Tomato, I say Disaster" .:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/opinion/09barber.html

Squash...Glorious Squash!

Well, when you go away for 48 hours during squash season, you come back to a few surprises...Our assortment of patty pan and Zephyr summer squashes, as well as yellow zuccchini have been doing well!

Now is your chance to ask for extras, shred them and put in freezer for addition to winter stews and casseroles.

YELLOW SQUASH MUFFINS

2 lb. yellow squash 2 eggs 1 c. butter, melted 3 c. flour 1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt Cut squash into 1 inch slices. Cook in small amount of water 15-20 minutes. Drain well and mash. Measure enough to equal 2 cups. Combine squash, eggs, and butter; stir well and set aside. Combine rest of ingredients in large bowl; make a well. Add squash mixture; stir until moistened. Spoon into greased muffin pans 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 dozen. *** try adding a little lemon extract or grated lemon peel for some extra zing. Grilled Squash from www.allrecipes.com INGREDIENTS (Nutrition) 4 medium yellow squash 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, crushed salt and pepper to taste Preheat the grill for medium heat Cut the squash horizontally into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick slices so that you have nice long strips that won't fall through the grill. Heat olive oil in a small pan, and add garlic cloves. Cook over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle and become fragrant. Brush the slices of squash with the garlic oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill squash slices for 5 to 10 minutes per side, until they reach the desired tenderness. Brush with additional garlic oil, and turn occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.