Squash

Hot and sunny!  Lovely weather for growing.  Unfortunately my ram pump clogged and I was out of water for a few days.  Everything got fixed and only a few seedlings bit the dust.
This week we worked to till up some weedy parts of the field for the last big seeding and transplanting. (I think) Pumpkins!  Squash!  I don't want to dwell on fall too much, but here's where those crops get started.  The vines are rambling nicely down the rows.

  The first tomatoes are forming on the vine...

There are some baby zucchinis and cucumbers and some of the peppers have flowers.  Did I mention the cabbages are sizing up?  Yay sauerkraut!

  Speaking of flowers, the bachelor's buttons are in full bloom now, so I'll be adding a little bunch of those to the box this week for a bit of fun color.  Chamomile is also cranking away.  It is a fabulous treat to make tea from fresh green chamomile.

We have also been working on a walk in cooler!  It's just an insulated platform right now, but we'll keep you posted.

I would take more pictures of the veggies, but the chickens were too darn charismatic.

No Rob! Don't eat it!

It's funny, when I arrived at the farm, I said "huh, that tire looks a little low, I'll check on it again later to see if it's actually going down"  aaaaaaand I forgot to check again.   Yep, flat.  Damn!

So, after getting the truck going again.... Kohlrabi made a debut in the boxes this week.  It looks crazy, and has helped fuel a blog on the Huffington Post entitled WTF CSA.  Garlic scapes also made it into WTF CSA.  You lucky dogs already have experience with these wacky veggies.

WTF Kohlrabi

WTF Garlic Scapes


Whatcha Eatin?

Fresh Herb Vinaigrette

mash a peeled garlic clove w/ 2-3 pinches salt

Add mashed garlic to small bowl or jar with a lid.
Add the following to the bowl/jar:

1/3-1/2 C Vinegar (preferably red wine) or lemon juice

And any or all of these tasty bits:


minced green onion
1 tsp dijon mustard (optional)
1/3 C minced basil
minced thyme
minced oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk or shake jar until combined.

Add:

1 C olive oil

Whisk/shale until combined.

great on salad or as a marinade.

Grilled Cheese with Basil


Bread
Cheese
a few Basil leaves.
Grill it.
yep.

Beets n Cheese


Scrub and peel beets.
Cut into quarters, or large chunks.  Beware beet juice will give everything it touches a nice red tint for quite a while (fingers, wood cutting boards, family pets etc.)
Beet greens can be used like swiss chard if desired.
Set beets in a steaming basket (or pot with ~1/2" of water)
Cover, and steam until tender when pierced with a knife.  (20-30min)
Sprinkle with grated sharp cheddar cheese or parmesan.
Watch it melt over the beets and go mmmmmmm.