In the Box and On the Farm

In this week's box:

Carrots

Onions 

Cucumbers

Salad Turnips

zucchini

Fennel

Swiss Chard

This week's favorite has to be the cucumbers. My daughter loves her cucumbers and it is so hard to wait until they make their appearance in July. The timing for the carrots and onions was perfect and I was very excited to see their appearance in the box since I had picked up a chicken the week before and was ready for roasting.

Using this amazing recipe as a base, I added the onions and an orange to the cavity and then sprinkled with oil, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. I chose not to add any liquid to the pan and this had to be one of the most flavorful chickens I have ever had. The skin had that perfect crispness that just melts in your mouth and the meat was moist and tender. 

Some of the carrots and the rest of the onions were then used to make a nice rich stock.

It was an exciting week on the farm this week as we had a full crew. There are usually only two to three of us out in the fields on a given week, but this week we totaled six. With all those extra hands we were able to accomplish so much more and so I had the wonderful opportunity to do some planting this week. The celery, winter squash and melon transplants were ready for planting and so in efficient assembly line fashion we placed and planted several rows of new produce. I then got my real work out pulling the row covers off of the summer squash and placing them over the new crops. This allows the new transplants time to grow without the distraction of bugs and mildews in the air. Then back to weeding in the cabbage and potato beds.  It was a very busy day filled with mud from the much needed rain the night before and there was not much opportunity for pictures in the field this week. One speedy toad refused to have his picture taken so I decided to share a picture of the potato plants this week.

 

There is something about the shape of the leaves that I found rather beautiful, although this picture does not do them justice.

Some recipes I would like to try this week are this carrot top pesto and this fresh fennel salad.

This post can also be found at Fresh Foods Wednesday.

In the Box and On the Farm

In this week's box:

Kale 

Beets

Red Bunching Onions

Summer Squash

Nero Tondo Radishes

Kohlrobi 

My favorite in this week's box has to be a toss up between the kale and beets. They are both just so flavorful, but I am excited to try this new spicy radish. The greens on these radishes are supposed to be pretty tasty.

The last few week's on the farm have been a variation on a theme, weed & harvest. Last week it was weeding the tomatoes for caging. To change things up I got to learn how to harvest swiss chard. It actually takes a bit of getting use to. As we harvest and bunch they are set aside in the shade of the other plants to be boxed at the end of the day. The bunches will actually begin to shrink right away and need to be soaked to clean them and perk them up before setting in the cooler for the next day's market.

Today upon arrival I learned my new tidbit of the week. When seeding a new bed, there is a small window of time between the fast germinating weeds and the germination of the seed that was planted when you can go in and torch the weeds without hurting the newly planted seeds in an effort at weed control. We spent the day fully in the Swiss Chard beds. "Harweeding". Yes, weeding and harvesting as we went along.

This little nest was found among the rows of chard. What an interesting place to build a nest. 

After weeks of nice weather on Saturday mornings, I finally caught my first hot one. At 8am it was already 88 degrees and humid. We took more frequent breaks and hit the shade for a bit. 

The Ruby Red Chard was going to seed and interestingly enough, it actually has a really wonderful smell. Similar to honeysuckle. It was a nice treat to work in.

I also found today that I have a fellow blogger on the farm who posts recipes from our box, so if you have been looking for some ways to use your CSA produce you can take a peak here, In other farm news, I brought home a nice free-range chicken to roast this week and get some stock going. It's been so long since I've done this and I'm looking forward to I good solid stock to add some flavor to all our produce. I've also taken the plunge and ordered our Thanksgiving dinner. In full mode of working for my food this year I will have an amazing opportunity to help with processing in exchange for my turkey. I am both excited and terrified but look forward to really knowing my food. 

This post can also be found at Fresh Food Wednesdays.

In the Box and On the Farm

You can tell that summer is underway in this weeks CSA share. While there are still plenty of greens, it is beginning to get a little more colorful. In this weeks box:
Red lettuce
Salad turnips
onions
arugula
swiss chard
garlic scapes
zucchini

My favorite of the week is arugula. It is extremely versatile. Going from steamed greens to salad addition. I love the peppery flavor.  I was also extremely excited for the bountiful harvest of garlic scapes this week. Such a rare treat. I think I finally have enough to try these recipes I've been wanting to try for quite some time.

I have finally fallen into a steady rhythm on the farm. The weather has been holding pretty steady thus far. I am still waiting for that scorching heat or raining day work. My body is also adjusting to the work. I no longer feel sore after four hours in the fields. Weeding seems to take up much of the time along with some harvesting each week. This weeks harvest was the beets and turnips. It was a nice change. Much of the packaging is done right on the spot in the field. Picking, cleaning, bunching and packaging is mostly done as you go. I am also enjoying the company of the other worksharers and am really getting to know some amazing people.

Back in the kitchen I have finally reached that point where we are bringing in more than we can  possibly eat in a week, which was my goal. My preservation method of choice has been the dehydrator and it has been running full force this past week. This year will be our first year putting food away for winter use and I am both excited and daunted at the task. I'm sure there will be much trail and error.

Thrifting

It has been awhile since I've had the time to hit the local thrift stores, and so in a much needed moment of thrifting, I headed out the door last week in search of good find. The funny thing about me is that I tend to thrift for similar items. My collection of ice cream makers, yogurt makers, and pasta makers could make a person laugh. Okay, it's not that bad but it's pretty close. My latest craze is pots and pans. I actually was in need of a set last fall and found a great copper bottom set for $12 at a yard sale. But I was struggling with sizing issues. When I found these beauties I couldn't resist. All told $22 for the set. I little higher that I usually spend. Taking one look at them and I knew I had hit the jackpot. The sizing is perfect for my needs, and with handles like those I can go from stove top to oven. Yeah! (My ceramic stove top was not fairing to well with my cast iron pans). When I brought them home, my first thought was that they just don't make them like they used to. But I have a question to pose. I don't really have a good background in what things were made from. These look almost tarnished on the inside like silverware. Can anyone tell me what these might have been made from and how to care for them?

Yum!

Just had to share last night's dinner. Sauteed red & golden beets with greens and canned salmon. Absolutely delicious!

In the Box and On the Farm

This week began the summer share of my CSA. For me this mean double the produce. In this weeks share:
Bagged mixed lettuce
Spinach
Red lettuce
Collard greens (Yum!)
Beets
Red Onions
Strawberries

I have to admit that each week, when I open my box, I get so excited. The anticipation of what I will be eating this week is part of the fun of the CSA. I notice each week that there is always a favorite to choose from. This weeks favorite..Collard greens! They are so versatile. They can go from steamed greens as a side, to a wrap of the main course. They can be added to just about any dish. I also have to admit that the strawberries were a nice treat. When I looked at the strawberries several desert ideas ran through my head, but I decided the best way to serve them was as themselves, with a little whipped cream on top that is. Perfection in a bowl.

On the farm this week it was more of the same. Lots of weeding. The carrot beds this week. Things took a slightly different twist because while we weeded along we also had to thin out the thickly planted carrots. I have to say that the day was far from boring though. This week I got a history lesson. You see, back in the day, this area was covered in farm land. But like so many other areas, the farmland is disappearing at a rapid pace, being bought out by developers who build subdivisions and strip malls. It seems that the originally farmers of this land and put in place some sort of stipulation that this land was to remain farmland and so the Liberty Prairie Foundation was formed. The land is farmed by approximately 8 different farms ranging from 1 acre to 20 acres. Of these, about 5 farms make their main living from the land. What I found the most interesting is that each of these farms will not remain here. The land is used strictly for those as a start-up location , to begin there journey in farming, with the hopes that in a few years, they will have made their name and will be able to move out on their own. There is also an learning farm on the land with hands on activities for little ones through high schoolers. It is actually a pretty amazing system covering all aspects of connection the farm to the consumer. Several local bee keepers will keep their hives on the land and most of the farms keep chickens. So along with the produce, I can pick up my eggs and honey here. As we finished up the day, we headed over to weed out the cauliflower & brussels sprouts. I never knew that as the cauliflower head starts to really get going that it needs to be shaded, and so we snapped the larger leaves over to make a sort of tent of protection as they continue to grow. While the day was fairly humid, it was an overcast day and we watched as a huge storm cloud make it's way in our direction. Unfotunately for this farm land, which was in need of a good rain, the storm headed slightly north. Until next week.

In the Box and On the Farm Thursday

Well, this week ends the spring share of the CSA. The produce is beginning to change as the weather warms up. In this weeks box:
Red and green lettuce
Kale
Baby beets and greens
Napa cabbage
broccoli
radishes
red and green kohlrabi
garlic scapes

I look forward to that rare treat every year when the garlic scapes come in. It's like a Christmas in June. The Napa cabbage made for great salad wraps last night and I am excited for that first small taste of roasted beets. There is nothing better (except for maybe sweet potatoes in the fall). The wonderful thing about local foods is that it is every changing through the seasons and I look forward to something new each week. I have to be honest, I was really stuck on the fennel bulb from last week until I came across this fresh fennel salad recipe. I have not had the opportunity to try it yet, but the simplicity of it is perfect.

On the farm this week it was all about washing and weeding. I began my day in the washing station. In a covered shady area a stood at the big wash tub filled with mixed salad greens. It is amazing how much work is actually done right in the fields as it is being harvested. It comes in pretty clean and only needs a quick wash to pick out the few stray weeds and crisp it up a bit before packaging. An old clothes dryer stands by for a quick spin dry and then straight to weighing and bagging and it's ready for market the next day. Then off to the fields for a day full of weeding. We hit the lettuce and chive beds. The rest of the day was just pulling weeds along the beds to make harvesting easy. Even with the temperatures hitting close to 90, it is amazing that being out in the open, the breeze really takes care of being uncomfortable.

As I worked away at the weeds, I started to realize a few things. The sound of birds and breeze filled my ears and not that of any machinery. The farm I work on is part of a group of farms that covers a decent quantity of land and here we were hand picking weeds. The weeds are left in the fields to be tilled back into the soil. The next thing I noticed was the large quantity of ladybugs, big and small. Organic pest control at it's best.

There are usually just a few of us working away at a time, but it is extremely efficient. You notice rather quickly what is a weed and what is not and then you just fall into a rhythm and move along pretty quickly. I noticed that last week during harvesting. You just know what to do and move along at a steady pace.

When I stop to compare it to my back yard garden, all neat and boxed and weeded, I have to notice that real food production is not about how it looks in the field so much as how it looks and tastes on your plate. There is a lot of work involved, but I think it's more about the system that allows it to all come together.

After about three hours I have a tendency to start to feel the work, but I think after a time I will get used to it. It's my favorite workout of the week.