“A dog is a gentleman; I hope to go to his heaven not man’s.” – Mark Twain
One of the best things about farming is you go to work with your dogs. We don’t get to take as many breaks as they do, but they are always there for moral support. When Jennifer first started helping me in the garden, one of our rowdy Circle S dogs trampled a kale plant. She said…”what do we do?” And I said, “we plant enough that it doesn’t matter.!!!
This is Otis. He didn’t get up as we weeded the row, so we just covered him up. He was a small dog….we teased him and told him we would water him and maybe he would grow. Small in stature, but not small in heart. Otis had his own story. He blew in with a spring thunderstorm, and never left. What a gift that he chose us, and gave us so much love for so many years.
There are strings around my heart that will never be untied…one of them is most certainly Otis. But there are others.
And now there are the healers
and Buddy Brown Dog
And, if we are lucky enough, more on the horizon. And if not, well, I’m with Mark Twain:)
Farm News: More rain. But Curtis did manage to get 27 bales of hay up. The rest really needs to be cut….but rain and thunderstorm chances everyday. And I caught up a little on the garden work, but lots of weeds growing and , yikes!
What’s in the bucket? Shallots, arugula, potatoes, kale, collard, chard, beets, edible bouquets with cilantro, mint, lavender and/or calendula.
Recipe for the week…in case you are getting tired of potatoes. A new twist on potato salad. A lemon dressing makes it a little lighter, and good warm or cold. Mint or cilantro will work just fine! From NY times-
INGREDIENTS Yield: 8 servings
2 pounds small waxy white or yellow potatoes, roughly about the same size
Juice of 1 lemon, more for serving
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup thinly sliced scallions, or shallots, white and light green parts, more for serving
¼ cup torn mint leaves, more for serving (or cilantro)
¼ teaspoon Turkish pepper, more for serving
PREPARATION Step 1 Place whole unpeeled potatoes in a large pot with enough salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until potatoes are just tender, 15 to 25 minutes depending upon size. Drain and cut potatoes into 1½-inch chunks as soon as you can handle them. Step 2 In a bowl, whisk together lemon juice, salt and olive oil. Step 3 Transfer hot potatoes to a large bowl and toss with dressing, scallions, mint and Turkish pepper. Let cool to room temperature, or refrigerate until ready to use. Just before serving, top with additional lemon juice, scallions, mint and Turkish pepper.
Happy Eating, Happy Puppy Love, and Thanks for buying Local Food from Circle S Farm!