The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.

Dolly Parton

We did have some rain Sunday.  Not enough, but still greatly appreciated!   This rainbow made me smile.

Farm News:

Back to being hot and dry.  The fire in the cove came back to life today – and they were fighting it fervently, dumping water and making firebreaks.

Our cows have had an outbreak of pinkeye because the flies have been so bad.  The face flies get on their eyes and spread it – eventually their eyes start to run, and when it gets really bad they turn white and look ultra-spooky.  Hoping we will get some relief from the heat and dry and that will help them heal.

Furniture of the week:

Of course – I had to display something of mine on Curtis’s table.  This table would be a perfect small coffee table.  Made out of reclaimed wood from the old barn we inherited, a beautiful, rustic holder of vegetables (or magazines,  books, or coffee for that matter).  Yours for $350.

What’s in the bucket?  squash, broccoli, beets, potatoes, mixed lettuces, red or green cabbage, pickling cucumbers (giving you a week off from kale!)

What’s at market:  broccoli, beets, potatoes, cabbage, onions, kale, Circle S Ground Beef.  BEET THE HEAT special:  2 bunches of beets, one head broccoli and one bunch kale – all for $9 (save $3)

Roasted Beets

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 cups fresh sliced beets, cut into 1/8-inch slices

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

For the beets: Wash, peel and slice into 1/8-inch thick pieces. Yield is 2 cups sliced beets.

In a medium size bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the beets – mix thoroughly and set aside.

Place prepared beets in bowl with marinade and toss to coat.

Spread beets out on a non-stick sheet pan and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or to desired degree of doneness.

Happy Eating and thanks for buying local food from Circle S.

Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.

Mark Twain
Curtis and I generally aren’t aware of holidays etc.  We totally forgot our anniversary one year.  We don’t give gifts per say, and we don’t get any holidays from work.

So, of course, we weren’t really aware it was Memorial Day weekend.  We were in the midst of haying – which always means equipment breakdown – or unlikely rain storms.  In a state of exasperation we went to little town of Menlo (population 474) to get a part for our hay baler.

There, on the square, they had the most beautiful display of flags representing the people in their community who serve or have served our country.  Curtis said “I love this town” as we drove by, and I thought of all the other towns and communities who also were honoring their servicemen.  It is a perfect example of local communities coming together to celebrate freedom – and the people committed to defending it.

Farm News:  Curtis and I have added 12 new cows to our herd.  We finally found some cows that were part of a small herd.  The farmers were selling them because they had lost their lease on some land, and were out of grass for them.  They are young and gentle and beautiful.  I made the AWEFUl decision to go pick them up Friday – forgetting about Memorial Day traffic.  The drive from Murfreesboro on I 24 was wall to wall.  I was 15 minutes from my exit when I got in a terrible traffic Jam.  Stuck on the interstate with a loaded trailer of cattle in 90 degree heat is not a place you want to be.  Luckily – an hour later I was able to make it through – and the cows seemed OK when we unloaded.

Furniture of the Week:

This beautiful barn wood mirror can be yours for $65 (but not Otis – he stays with us!)

What’s in the bucket this week:  broccoli or napa cabbage, spinach, romaine and red bibb lettuce, turnips with roots, kale, broccoli greens, basil and rosemary.

What’s at the market this week:  Green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, red butterhead lettuce, turnips with roots, broccoli greens, Kale.  BEEF-N- GREENS special: any two bunches kale, turnip greens with roots, or broccoli greens and 1# ground beef for $8.

Recipe of the week:

Broccoli greens:

2 c cooked broccoli greens

1/4 c spring onion chopped

2 sprigs fresh rosemary minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T bacon grease

1 tsp salt and pepper to taste

Process

1. Wash broccoli greens and remove stems (including the primary vein bisecting the leaves).
2. Tear broccoli leaves into small pieces, chop green onion, mince garlic and rosemary.
3. Heat the bacon grease in a large soup pot or french oven over medium high heat.
4. Saute green onion and garlic for 2 minutes, then add the broccoli greens and rosemary. Saute for 10-15 minutes, stirring often – it will be finished when the garlic and onions soften and the broccoli greens are wilted.

Happy Eating and thanks for buying local food from Circle S

Cursing is invoking the assistance of a spirit to help you inflict suffering. Swearing on the other hand, is invoking, only the witness of a spirit to an statement you wish to make.

John Ruskin

Madge:  Meet Madge.  Madge likes food and companionship.  Madge likes grain, apples, carrots, grass, hay, or anything else a mule would like to eat. Madge likes lazy, cool days with lots to eat.  Madge mainly likes FOOD.

Mack. Meet Mack.  Mack has anger issues.  He is angry because Madge never pulls her weight.  He is angry because she always steals his food.  He is angry because he is old.  Mack is angry.

Farm News:  OK – back to the quote: cursing.  As most of you know, I’ve committed to horse power this year.  Well – one thing to remember – you can’t be in a rush with horses (or mules).  We had a rough week cultivating  – or actually hilling potatoes.  I did a lot of cursing, (oops I mean swearing) – loud swearing- and I am hoping the neighbors did not hear me!!  In my defense, a LOT of potatoes lost their lives!

Furniture of the week:  Again – not a great picture.  But – one of my favorite pieces. Price:  $500.  If you are interested, I can send more pictures.

What’s in the bucket:  Lots of lettuce!!  Green and red lettuce, french breakfast radishes, spring onions, kale, turnip greens, marjoram or rosemary and beet greens.

Main Street Market Items Available:  Lettuce, french breakfast radishes, spring onions, kale, turnip greens, Circle S ground beef.  Special:  lotta lettuce 2 for one special.

French Breakfast Radish Sandwich

This is a simple pleasure, dressed up with an herb compound butter and lettuce greens. If pale pink French breakfast radishes are unavailable, substitute red globe radishes.

Kara Newman for NPR

Makes 4 sandwiches

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 tablespoon chopped marjoram or rosemary

2 bunches French breakfast radishes, sliced into thin rounds (about 1/8-inch think)

1 1/2 cups lettuce torn into pieces

8 slices brown bread , such as pumpernickel or rye

Allow butter to soften, and stir in herbs. Spread a layer of herb butter on one side of each piece of bread. Lay out four pieces of bread, butter side up, and arrange a layer of radish rounds on top of the butter, followed by a layer of torn lettuce on top of that. Top with a second piece of bread, butter side down. Slice diagonally into two triangles and serve.

It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.
Lewis Grizzard

Yep folks, that’s right, this is the last week.  We are finishing up early so Curtis and I can work on our new property – fencing and building a cabin for us to stay in.

So, we’ll keep this short and sweet.  Much like last week, there will be an assortment things in the bucket – and each bucket will be a little different.  I can promise you this:  Tomatoes (lots of ripe heirloom and roma tomatoes – and cherry tomatoes), basil – a lovely companion for your tomatoes!!  berries and winter squash (spaghetti, butternut, Georgia candy roaster, acorn and combination of these.)

A friend gave me a subscription to Garden and Gun this year.  This recipe is a delicious version of a tomato sandwich.
Tomato Grilled Cheese with Beer and Bacon Marmalade
Serves 1

Ingredients

Tomato Grilled Cheese2 tbsp. softened unsalted butter, divided
2 slices white bread, preferably thick
¼ cup Beer and Bacon Marmalade (recipe follows)
2 slices American cheese
3 slices heirloom tomato

Preparation

Spread butter onto one side of each piece of bread. Place a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and toast the buttered bread.Remove the bread from the skillet and place it on a cutting board, toasted side up. Slather the marmalade over the toast, and then stack the cheese and tomato on top. Put the sandwich together, and spread the soft outside with the remaining butter. Return it to the skillet and toast until golden and cheese is gooey. Serve with beer.

Beer and Bacon Marmalade
Makes 1 cup, or enough for 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

12 oz. smoked bacon
¼ cup minced shallot
1 tbsp. minced garlic
3½ tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. honey
3 tbsp. sherry vinegar
3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 cup brewed coffee
1 cup beer, preferably a porter or stout
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼–½ tsp. crushed red pepper

Preparation

Cook bacon slices in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until crispy (about 5–6 minutes), and then remove them to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve 2 tbsp. of bacon fat in the pan, and add the shallots. Cook them over medium heat until they begin to brown (about 3–5 minutes), and then add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds before adding brown sugar, honey, and vinegars. Simmer until reduced by half, and then add coffee and beer and continue to simmer until the mixture is reduced to a syrup-like consistency (about 10–12 minutes). Remove from the stove, season with salt and red pepper, and allow to cool. Crush or chop bacon into small pieces and fold them into coffee-beer mixture. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
― Barack Obama

Farm news:  2 more weeks and our season will be over.  If you are a half share, please remember to leave your bucket out or bring it to market.  I will give you bags this week.

What’s in the bucket:  It will be a mix and match for the last two weeks.  Things you can count on:  green tomatoes, red tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, black or blueberries, winter squash, sweet corn from the food hub.  You will also get other things – some old and some new:)  A surprise is always fun!

If you need something to try with green tomatoes other than frying them, try the following recipe.  You can use the winter squash you have, don’t feel limited to butternut.

MAKES 4 TO 5 SERVINGS

My neighbor gave this to me after watching us work.  Her father farmed, and we have leased their property for a number of years.  I think she thought it was fitting.

I read it when I get tired or frustrated and it makes me laugh and remember why we keep trying.

Farm News:  3 more weeks of CSA.  The rain is wreaking havoc on my tomato crop, which was looking promising.  Also the raspberries -which mold with even a drop of rain (guess that’s why they grow well in dryer climates.)  Tomatoes need heat, sun and no wet leaves to turn ripe and delicious.  I haven’t given up hope.

I will be buying some things from the local food hub to supplement my buckets the next few weeks.  I had a few crops fail – sweet corn, carrots and my peppers aren’t looking great.  Hub didn’t have carrots, but plenty of sweet corn.  I love sweet corn – and hate for anyone to miss out (including me) …and it feels good to support our new food hub.  They have bought some things from me, so now I’ll buy something from them.

What’s in the bucket this week?  Sweet corn from the food hub!!  squash, cucumbers, beets, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, red and blue potatoes, perhaps a jalapeño pepper, black or blueberries.

Following – a recipe from Martha Schulman for Tomato, cucumber and corn salad.  Good for dipping, to serve on top of grains or fish.

INGREDIENTS
1 to 1 ¼ pounds ripe tomatoes, cut in small dice
½ European cucumber, 2 Persian cucumbers or 1 regular cucumber, peeled if waxy, seeded if the seeds are large, and cut in small dice
2 ears corn, steamed for 4 minutes and kernels removed from the cob
1 to 2 serranos or jalapeño pepper, minced (seeded for a milder salad), or 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
Salt to taste
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice or lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Optional: 1 ounce feta, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)
Nutritional Information
PREPARATION
Mix together all of the ingredients. Let sit in or out of the refrigerator for 15 minutes before serving, then toss again.
Advance preparation: This will hold for a few hours in the refrigerator.

6 servings

“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

“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:

DIRECTIONS:

Happy eating and thanks for buying local food from our farm.

Letty