Full Circle Farms CSA

FLOWER POWER!

2011-01-31T17:25:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-08-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-06-10T04:17:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-03T05:24:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-11T05:12:00.001-07:00

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...

2009-08-11T04:31:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-30T05:36:00.001-07:00

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.

A weekend away...

2009-07-30T05:24:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a quick weekend getaway - our 48 hour whirlwind summer vacation. For more than 10 years now we've attended the Traditional Archery Rendezvous in the cool northern Pennsylvania woods near Galeton. We hiked along muddy trails, grazed on delicious red raspberries and shot our longbows at targets hidden amongst the fern. Had a wonderful time, with not a green bean or squash plant in sight.

We're back!

2009-07-22T01:17:00.000-07:00

Ahh, the agony of not having internet access at home for more than 2 weeks! Eye opening to realize how dependent I've become on 24/7 access to this technology. I'm glad to be back on-line, and return to checking the weather forecast almost obsessively. Garden is doing well - and so are the critters.

It's time for the garden to receive more attention focused on fall crops - we've pulled out the spring pea plants and their trellis, and are actively mowing and tilling those early crops that have been harvested. For those areas that have had early crops, we will either seed cover crops (buckwheat this time of year), or plant fall crops. We're seeding fall greens, and succession plantings of beans, cabbage, turnips, carrots cukes and zukes. Still plenty to do!

We're also planning for the Centre County Farm Tour on August 8th; more info on that to follow.

Our first batch of chickens was butchered 2 weeks ago - yes, there's some delicious chicken available out of our freezer - and they turned out a beautiful plump 5.5# at 8 weeks old. Our chickens are raised on certified organic feed that is grown and processed in Milton, and we appreaciate the high quality and freshness of the feed. Although the cooler weather slowed things down some in the garden, the birds sure enjoyed the cooler weather and the grass it provided.

Our muscovy ducks have been doing well, and we've got two big groups of hatchlings patrolling the farm for any pesky bug that dares to cross their path. It's always a pleasure to see them spread out across the lawn and devour Japanese beetles!

We've got our Turkey poults arriving via mail next week, and the brooder will be clean and ready for them, providing a safe and warm haven for them till they can go live under the pine trees behind the house. The pine trees, and surrounding meadow, is the best spot we've found for raising our poultry, as it provides a natural habitat for them, with access to cool shelter and roosting branches, while still allowing lots and lots of grass for foraging.

The piggy trio of Piggly, Wiggly and Squiggly are doing well, enjoying meals of soaked and sprouted spelts raised here on the farm. They're still a friendly bunch, but big enough now that an unintentional mis-step on their part can seriously hurt a croc-clad foot - I have the bruise to prove it. My mistake, those piggies just wanted their bellies scratched and got a little excited.

A summer evening with the boys....relaxing

2009-06-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

Some photos from a relaxing evening visit with our steers last night. It was beautiful warm evening, much more appreciated thanks to the cooler, rainy days we've been having. Here's our three steers, Mean, Ugly and little Trouble enjoying the lush summer grass. One of my favorite sounds is the happy munching of cows - it is very, very relaxing to listen to. We've got one more steer, an Angus/Simmentaler that arrived two weeks ago as well.

Beet Greens!

2009-06-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

We've got beautiful beets and beet greens coming along - they've been responding well to the rain, and we're working hard to keep up with thinning them.

Store the beet greens in a plastic bag in the fridge - do not just lay them on the shelf - they wilt (like all greens do...). The beets can be cut off and stored separately, they keep for quite a while.

Roasted Beets and Sauteed Beet Green

1 bunch beets withgreens

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped onion (optional)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Wash the beets thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and remove the greens. Rinse greens, removing any large stems, and set aside. Place the beets in a small baking dish or roasting pan, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If you wish to peel the beets, it is easier to do so once they have been roasted.

Cover, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily through the largest beet.

When the roasted beets are almost done, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion, and cook for a minute. Tear the beet greens into 2 to 3 inch pieces, and add them to the skillet. Cook and stir until greens are wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the greens as is, and the roasted beets sliced with either red-wine vinegar, or butter and salt and pepper.

From Allrecipes.com

White Bean and Garlic Scape Dip

2009-06-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

1/3 cup sliced garlic scapes (3 to 4)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, more to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling.

1. In a food processor, process garlic scapes with lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped. Add cannellini beans and process to a rough purée.

2. With motor running, slowly drizzle olive oil through feed tube and process until fairly smooth. Pulse in 2 or 3 tablespoons water, or more, until mixture is the consistency of a dip. Add more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice, if desired.

3. Spread out dip on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with more salt.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups.

From the New York Times, June 18, 2008

2009-06-14T16:53:00.001-07:00

Garlic Swiss Chard

Ingredients:

large bunch Swiss chard

olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
garlic cloves, greens or scapes thinly sliced

Cut thick stalks and ribs from chard leaves. Chop stalks and ribs into 1/2-inch pieces. Cook stalks and ribs in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer stalks and ribs to plate. Add chard leaves to boiling water in pot. Cook just until wilted, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Drain well. Squeeze excess moisture from chard leaves. Coarsely chop leaves.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes. Add chard stalks, ribs and leaves to skillet and sauté until liquid evaporates and mixture is heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

And the planting never stops...

2009-06-13T06:03:00.000-07:00

Blessed days in the garden....I'm enjoying the sounds of songbirds, the chattering of ducks. Although many days I'm a solitary farmer, engrossed in listening to NPR podcasts on my Ipod as I weed and hoe, other days take on a different, more meditative and introspective pace. Yet others are days are just plain family time, even more precious now as kindergarten looms on the far horizon. Yesterday Mattie and I had a good day together in the garden. Truly nothing compares to the happy stories of a five-year old, excited to be harvesting everything needed for our dinner salad all by herself; pulling tiny baby carrots softly from the ground and choosing just the right colors of the rainbow swiss chard.

We're busy planting in the garden, and weeding, and harvesting, and moving chickens, and mowing the grass, and mulching, and days are just not long enough.... Tom made good use of some our rained-on round bales of hay by mulching parts of the garden. We love using roundbales as mulch, as they help suppress weeds, keep in moisture, provide lots of food for our earthworms, and also habitat for all sorts of beneficial spiders.

Veggie Season has arrived!

2009-06-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

The season is off to a wonderful start! Our early seedings of peas, beets, lettuce, onions, spinach, chard and carrots are looking great, thanks to well-timed rain in early spring.
It seems you’ve all been enjoying the garlic greens – a rare delicacy which has gotten rave reviews.   Snip them up into salads, stir-fry them – be creative! It’s wonderful garlic flavor in green crunchy form.   Hmmm...

Our spinach is already winding down, thanks to the few hot days we did get (hard to remember those right now...), but snow peas and sugar snap peas are weighing down the trellis, and lettuce is absolutely beautiful.   We’ve been using the tender beet thinnings, roots and all, thoroughly washed and then chopped into a salad – delicious, and ohh so colorful!

We’ve had a fun spring, with Mattie’s playschool friends visiting us one day, and the two kindergarten classes from Centre Hall spent three hours with us the following day.    Weather was perfect, and the kids had a good time climbing in with the piglets and even eating spinach fresh out of the garden.

Once again, we’ve taken part of the garden out of production to build the soil with cover crops.   On a yearly basis we take part of the garden out of production to raise cover crops, and pasture our pigs in there.    It is great for nutrient management and helps break up any disease cycles of the plants. And the pigs love being moved to a new section every other week or so.   This yeat the center strip of our garden was seeded in spelt and hairy vetch as cover crops over the winter, and I scattered some assorted outdated seeds in a section closer to the house – which is now a lovely jungle of lettuce, parsley, dandelion, cilantro and hairy vetch.    The pigs were moved into a section yesterday with a lot of cilantro that had already gone to seed – those piggies sure smell good!   The beneficial insects which we encourage in our garden are also enjoying the habitat which the cilantro provides.

Tzatziki cucumber recipe for a hot day

2008-08-03T02:57:00.000-07:00

Tzatziki
1 cucumber,coarsely grated
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
8 ounces yogurt
salt to taste
- Combine ingredients, chill and serve. Delicious with falafel, on a hamburger or for dipping good bread…Refreshing and cooling on a hot day. I used to get this at a Turkish stand at a farmers market in Germany. Love that garlic!

Where did July go?

2008-08-03T02:51:00.000-07:00

Whew – how did it get to be August already? We’ve been busy on the farm, weeding harvesting, and still transplanting some later crops. We have a high school student visiting us from Germany for a month, which is a lot of help, and a reminder to have some fun every now and then!
So, what have we been up to? We did get to go camping last week for our annual traditional archery rendezvous in Galeton, Potter County. We enjoyed a beautiful weekend camping and shooting our long-bows.
Right now we’re getting ready for Local Foods week – our farm will be on the Farm Tour August 9th – last year we had more than 100 visitors. Boy were we tired of talking by the end of the day!
Garden is doing well. Squash and zucchini are winding down, second planting of beans had a very short picking window, and garlic is mostly harvested. Tomato and pepper crops are looking very good, so are the sweet potatoes. Cucumbers are producing well, and we’ll have lemon cucumbers coming on in a week or so. Melons and pumpkins are growing nicely on their long vines. We’ve been digging the tastiest carrots, and just beginning to dig new potatoes. Fall seedings of beans, beets, lettuce, spinach, radishes are in the ground and just waiting for some rain.
Our heritage turkeys have produced about 20 offspring so far this season. These will not be ready in time for this Thanksgiving, but will give us a good breeding stock expansion, with possible breeder stock to sell. Our thanksgiving turkeys are staying cool under the pine trees behind the house, and are healthy and growing quickly. Our second batch of broiler peeps is coming the middle of August, and will be ready in fall, reaching maturity in the cooler weather.

Roasted Chicken

2008-06-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

We just had our first batch of chickens butchered last week - what a beautiful batch of roasters! roasters in the 6 pound range are hard to come by, and this batch averaged 6 pounds! We had also lucked out the week before when Tom found a stainless steel cabinet type smoker at Penn State Salvage - so we will be able to offer smoked, fully cooked chickens starting with our next batch. We just experimented and smoked two birds, and boy were they DELICIOUS!
People had asked how we prepare our chickens, and here's our favorites:
I like to use the roasted chicken recipe out of the Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook, by Shannon Hayes. It's an excellent cookbook, with a wonderful knowledgeable author who will really show you the way around purchasing and preparing local, grassfed meats.For more details go to http://www.grassfedcooking.com

Chicken Herb Rub
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablsepoon dreid thyme
2 tablespoons dried oregano.

Mix all these together. Use 2 tablespoons of this mixture and combine with 1 clove of chopped garlic and ¼ cup of olive oil in food processor. Process into a smooth paste and rub over chicken and under skin.

Shannon’s Favorite Herb-Roasted Chicken
Preheat oven to 350F
Rinse chicken, pat dry with paper towels. Rub herb paste all over chicken, being sure to get underneath as well as on top of skin. Allow to sit for 2 hours in the fridge, OR roast immediately for roughly 1.5 hours. Internal temperature of chicken should be 160F in breats, and internal temperature of thigh should be 165-170F. Let rest 10-15 minutes before carving.

Greens, Glorious Greens!

2008-06-25T18:24:00.000-07:00

The rains have been generous to us this spring, and after recovering from some flooded early crops, we are now starting to see some of the results that rain will have. One is an abundance of weeds, the other is happy greens.
You'll be seeing an assortment of mild and spicy greens, all so colorful and good for you.

Here's a summary of recipes I've been passing on:

Raspberry House Dressing:
Our daily house dressing is quick and easy: a generous dash of extra virgin olive oil, another generous dash of Tait Farms Raspberry Shrub (sort of like a honey sweetened raspberry vinegar - yum!), plus some salt and freshly ground pepper.

Basic Vinaigrette.
It keeps for weeks in fridge:
1 cup olive oil
4-5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
Combine everything in jar. Cover well and shake it up!

Variations:
➢ Add very finely minced parsley and/or other herbs (dill, basil, marjoram, chives etc.)
➢ Substitute different vinegars
➢ Add 1 to 2 teaspoon good quality mustard
➢ For creamy vinaigrette, add 2 to 3 Tablespoons sour cream or yogurt
➢ Add 2 Tablespoons lemon juice plus a little lemon rind

Salad Greens with Garlic Dressing
3 cloves garlic ( or you can use garlic scapes!)
3/4 cup oil of your choice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup milk

Put garlic, oil, vinegar, basil , salt cheese and pepper in blender, process 2-3 minutes. With blender still running, slowly add milk, processing until dressing is smooth and thick. Toss with greens. Covered and refrigerated, this dressing will keep 1 week.

From: Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

Rule of Thumb:
Be a benefactor with the oil,
A miser with the vinegar, a poet with the salt,
and a demon with the pepper!

Those beloved Garlic Scapes! Plus 2 Scape Recipes

2008-06-11T04:36:00.000-07:00

The pig-tailed curly greens you've taken home...They're the immature seedheads of hard-neck garlic. We remove them so that the plants can put more energy into producing larger garlkic heads, rather than seeds. AND they're oh so wonderful! We wish the season for them was longer, but it is very short, so enjoy them now! Try them chopped coarsely for a delicious garlicy crunch in your salads and stir-fries.

And here's a recipe sent in by a CSA member to help you utilize all those scapes and spinach this week.

Garlic Scape Soup
from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking
I have never tried it but I have wanted to.....

2 Tbsp clarified butter or extra virgin olive oil
2 dozen garlic scapes, chopped with flower bud discarded
3 large russet potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
5 cups vegetable stock or water
2 large handfuls of spinach leaves stemmed
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 c cream (optional)
optional garnish with chive blossoms

Heat fat in a large saucepan over medium heat, then add scapes and
saute for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and stock, cover and simmer for
20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and beginning to
break down.
Remove from heat and add the spinach. Puree using a hand blender or
other blending device (blender or food processor taking care that hot
liquids can easily explode). Season with lemon juice, salt, and
pepper. Whisk in cream if you are using and more salt if the taste is
too flat (in my experience/opinion, potatoes need quite a bit of
salt).
Serve hot or cold.

Garlic Scape Pesto
(recipe adapted from a combination of online sources - http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com)

1/2 cup garlic scapes, finely chopped
4 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cups grated parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Put garlic scapes and lemon juice in bowl of food processor with steel blade, and process until scapes are very finely chopped. With food processor running, add oil through the feed tube and process 2-3 minutes. Remove lid, add half of parmesan cheese and process 2 minutes, then add the rest of cheese and salt and process 2-3 minutes more.

Serve tossed with hot pasta. This would also be good on fish, as a topping for bread, or as a seasoning for cooked rice.

Summer is here!

2008-06-06T05:51:00.000-07:00

Now that the rain has stopped, and temperatures are up to the high 80's and low 90's - crops are popping out of the ground! CSA shares are starting with green onions, garlic greens - oh so tasty just added to just about anything - baby lettuces, spinach and microgreens. Tiny broccoli heads are beginning to form, and emerald green rows of seedlings have appeared in the dark damp soil.

We're focusing on weeding in the garden right now, as any transplanting done in this heat is too stressful on the young plants.

Our meat birds are managing to stay cool under the pine trees, coming out during the cool early hours and evenings to chase bugs in the grass and sample the clovers. It's a nice looking batch of birds that will be ready toward the end of the month - you may want to place your order now before we're sold out!

Rain, Rain, Go Away...Come again some other day (like July?)

2008-05-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

Hohum, it's been dreary out there. We've run into a drainage issue in the lower section of the garden, where a lot of early crops were planted. It's usually a bit wetter down there, but according to our records we have been irrigating our early crops some in the spring - if this spring had been like the last 3 or 4 we would have been doing great. Alas, it's rained about every other day, and the mud down there is past my ankles. It's set us back a little with early crops, which had to be re-seeded on higher ground.

Nevertheless, we all know that it will dry out sooner or later, and we've got an abundance of transplants to set in the ground. Micro-greens have been started and are doing well. So far, there mix consists of sorrel, arugula, purple radish, kohlrabi, cabbage, mizuna and purslane - with more being added almost daily.

We did pick up our two beef calves last Wednesday, and they have settled in well with the older "Mean and Ugly" in the field. Of course, once again, they are neither. We have been getting our calves from a local amish dairy farm, which raises these calves under excellent conditions, with access to a barn well bedded in clean straw, and a well-managed pasture. They are also raised on milk, not on milk replacer, which we believe produces a healthier calf.

Sheep or Manatee?

2008-05-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

Our two pet sheep, Daisy and Roxy were sheared on Mother's Day. All shearing activity was closely observed by Mattie and all other farm yard critters! Both sheep are now on a strict diet - the layers of fat rolls were hard to ignore...And all that just from grass!

May brings cute little critters!

2008-05-07T14:59:00.000-07:00

It's May already! There's lots of peeps in the brooder, two new piggies (Piggly and Wiggly the 2nd), and two steer calves coming this weekend!

We need to get out and do a lot of hoeing - the moisture in the garden over the past couple of weeks has encouraged the weeds to take off, and we need to knock them back so our lettuce and spinach and peas can get ahead.

We'll also be putting out broccoli and cabbage transplants this weekend, they are looking beautiful!

Kids!

2008-04-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

Spring is in full swing on the farm. Not only did 75 peeps arrive in the mail today, but we also had 50 local kindergarteners spend 3 hours at the farm with us. It was a beautiful sunny morning, and the kids got to enjoy the finest spring has to offer on the farm: freshly opened apricot blossoms, toads and bullfrogs loudly announcing the thrills of spring at the pond, the very first dragonfly of the season, peeps and strutting turkeys by the barn, as well as a 6 day-old bottle lamb, visits to the compost pile and even a brave garter snake. The kids even got to pretend they were honeybees and got a first hand experience at "haulin' pollen" in the orchard.

I did get quite a bit of seeding and weeding done in the afternoon. Peas, spinach and lettuce are up under their protective reemay cover (protection from free-range poultry!), and onions and garlic were weeded. The big pear tree in front of the house will be at full bloom this weekend. It sure is a beautiful, lush time of year.

Orchard showing first early signs of color

2008-04-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

The orchard is starting to show amazing color in a few of the earlier trees. Our evening stroll in the orchard revealed gorgeous shades of pinks in the apricot trees, and amazing blues in the violets scattered at the edge of the orchard. Mattie picked a bouquet of violets and red clover, which was pressed immediately for later projects.