“From every mountain side
Let Freedom ring.”
— Samuel F. Smith
Every July 4 it seems I am digging potatoes. I usually plant red, white and blue potatoes, which makes it really appropriate that I am digging them the first week in July. This year, I only planted red and blue potatoes.
I have a potato plow for my cultivator, so Mack and Madge helped me dig this year. Curtis also helped, and filmed the process – showing you what a newbie I am to the farming with horses deal. Madge squarshed some squarsh in the process…it is so hard to drive and operate putting the plow down at the same time. I am getting the hang of it slowly. There were also some cabbage casualties.
I tried to load the video – but it was too large. A picture will have to do!
This week’s bucket: Red and blue potatoes, red or savoy cabbage, sweet onions, squash, fennel, beets, and berries and/or cherry tomatoes
The squash tend to get ahead of me – even picking three times a week. If you are the recipient of a giant squash, don’t despair. Zucchini or yellow squash noodles are the new hippest thing. All the paleo people are doing it!! Just grab a julienne peeler, or regular peeler and go to work. Plenty of you tube videos out there to show you how if you don’t want to wing it. Basically, you just peel until you reach the seeds – leave them out. You can use a knife to make the noodles smaller if you don’t have a julienne peeler. Then steam them and add sauce, pesto or anything you might put on a regular noodle.
I know everyone is getting tired of cabbage. I’m hoping a change of variety will help a little. Every year I have something that grows great guns – this year it is cabbage.
Beet and Fennel Salad
INGREDIENTS
4 beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges (1 1/2 pounds)
2 thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large fennel bulb with fronds—bulb cut into 1/2-inch wedges, 1 tablespoon chopped fronds
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium baking dish, toss the beets with the thyme, the water and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and cook for about 40 minutes, or until tender. Let cool slightly. Discard the thyme.
In a small baking dish, drizzle the fennel wedges with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer, or until tender and lightly browned.
Pour the beet juices into a bowl and whisk in the vinegar. Add the beets, fennel wedges and fronds and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Thanks for buying local food from our farm.
Letty