“How Beautiful is the rain!
After the dust and heat,
In the broad and fiery street,
In the narrow lane,
How beautiful is the rain!
How it clatters along the roofs,
Like the tramp of hoofs!
How it gushes and struggles out
From the throat of the overflowing spout!
Across the window-pane
It pours and pours;
And swift and wide,
With a muddy tide,
Like a river down the gutter roars
The rain, the welcome rain!
-“Rain in Summer”
— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I woke up to rain this morning and cool temps. Quite a relief from the rest of the week. Looks like another hot week this week.
This picture is from our new property (we have had it a few years, but finally got the cows moved this spring). I thought the clouds were beautiful that day.
The flies have been terrible on the animals – and I feel so for them fighting flies in the hot, hot weather. The cows have scabby, bloody spots on the backs of their front legs from all the fly bites. They stand in the pond trying to keep them off. I’m amazed at their ability to eat and live despite such harassment. I would be in the loony bin.
We are halfway through our short season this year. The garden has not done as well as last year. I’m hoping for a good crop of tomatoes, but my peppers are pitiful and my carrots, despite my faithful planting of 6 successions – never came up. They did beautifully last year in the same garden space – sometimes there are just no explanations!!
Farm News: Hot!! Feel like I’m moving in slow motion. It’s only June – I’m hoping for an early fall. Our cows will start calving in mid-August. It will be a tough calving season if it doesn’t cool off and the flies don’t get better.
What’s in the bucket? Fennel, green cabbage, broccoli, onions, squash, kohlrabi, cucumbers, berries or cherry tomatoes.
LINGUINI WITH FENNEL AND ONIONS
INGREDIENTS:
| 2 large fennel bulbs
2 onions 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup white wine 1 (16 ounce) package linguine pasta |
4 roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded and cutinto 1/4-inch dice2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup pine nuts 1 cup freshly shaved Parmesan cheese |
DIRECTIONS:
| 1. | Trim fennel bulbs, cut in half lengthwise, and remove tough cores. Thinly slice fennel bulb halves lengthwise. Peel onions, slice in half lengthwise, and thinly slice onions lengthwise. |
| 2. | Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir fennel and onions until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Pour in white wine, turn heat up to medium-high, and cook, stirring often, until the wine has nearly evaporated and fennel and onions begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. |
| 3. | Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the linguine at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain and keep warm. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water. |
| 4. | Stir tomatoes into the fennel mixture and cook until the tomatoes soften, about 3 minutes. Mix lemon juice and pine nuts into the vegetables. |
| 5. | Stir linguine into the fennel mixture and mix in reserved pasta water. Cook pasta and vegetables over high heat, stirring until hot and thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. Serve in a large serving bowl topped with Parmesan cheese. |
Happy eating and thanks for buying local food from our farm.
Letty