“A cooked tomato is like a cooked oyster: ruined.”
Andre Simon (1877-1970)
‘The Concise Encyclopedia of Gastronomy’

I love tomatoes, cooked or raw, but at the beginning of every tomato season I can’t get enough of a sliced tomato.  Tomato sandwich, gazpacho….  and the sungold tomato (yellow cherry tomato) a little ball of sunshine.

More firsts and lasts this week.  First week of heirloom tomatoes!!  Hopefully everyone will get a big fat juicy tomato.  Also, lots of roma tomatoes getting ripe.  First week of blackberries or blueberries, both are starting to come in.  Last week of carrots, cabbage (oh yeah – I said last week of cabbage last week.  It keeps hanging in there!!)  Last week of cucumbers and summer squash.

You will be getting blue potatoes this week.  While potatoes usually get a bad nutritional rap, blue potatoes have been proven to lower blood pressure.  They also have higher levels of polyphenol antioxidants that protect body cells against free radical damage that can increase disease risk.  So eat them with no remorse!!

Farm News:  It’s been pretty quiet on the farm this week.  We did have a group of girls from Camp DeSoto come for a flower cutting class Friday.  It was really a hoot.  20 girls 10-12 years old cutting and making flower bouquets.   Otis received more attention than any of the flowers!!

What’s in the bucket? Blue potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, carrots, okra or eggplant, savoy or purple cabbage, black or blue berries, cucumbers or squash.

Beat the heat with some GAZPACHO:

1 cup each, chopped: tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, celery.

1/4 cup minced spring onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 t dried chives

1 clove garlic minced

1 T fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 t worcestershire

2 cups tomato juice

1 t sugar

1/8 t tabasco

1 t fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together!  I like to chop everything and have a chunky gazpacho that I can dip with chips or eat as a soup.  However, it would be easier to put everything in a food processor and puree the soup.

Thanks for buying local food from our farm.  Enjoy!!

Happy 4th of July-

We have some firsts and lasts to look forward to in the bucket this week.  There are a lot of either/ors in your bucket list, as will happen when we change seasons.

We’ll start with the lasts….last week of KALE- enjoy your last delicious bunch of kale and toast to your health.  Also, last week of CABBAGE…make some kraut and it will last you the rest of the year, and keep your guts in good working order!!  And lastly…last week of carrots.  Carrots keep well, so you should be able to make them last a month or so if you wish.

Firsts:  first week of tomatoes…yeah, yipee, what everyone looks forward to.  First week of eggplant and okra.  First week of peppers.

Farm news:  Curtis and I have been fencing this week, working on our new piece of property.  We had hoped to have it fenced by April and it is now July.  We are about halfway there….but perfect weather today for fencing!!

We are over halfway through our summer session… on the downhill side.

What’s in the bucket:  kale, savoy and/or red cabbage, summer squash and/or cucumbers, eggplant or okra, cherry or big tomatoes, peppers.  Still waiting on berries…should be coming next week.

Lacto-fermented Sauerkraut

If you want to experiment with your kraut go for it.  I’ve added everything from fennel to fresh turmeric to mine, and love the different flavors.  Just make sure when you are fermenting it that all the vegetables are covered in the brine.

Here is a basic recipe to work from…makes 2 quarts…adapted from Nourishing Traditions

1 pound cabbage shredded

2 T sea salt

1 T caraway seeds

Put all ingredients in a bowl.  Use a meat hammer or can from the pantry and pound the cabbage in the bowl for a full 10 minutes until it releases its juices.

Transfer cabbage to 2 clean quart jars leaving an inch of head space.  Make sure the liquid covers the cabbage, if not, add some salt water to cover.  Screw on lids.  Let stand on the counter for 3 days.  by the second day you should notice bubbles in the jar and the jars will hiss…this is good.

Store jars in a cool, dark cellar or in your refrigerator.  Should keep for at least 6 months.

“Mosquito is out,
it’s the end of the day;
she’s humming and hunting
her evening away.
Who knows why such hunger
arrives on such wings
at sundown? I guess
it’s the nature of things.”
–  N. M. Boedecker, Midsummer Night Itch 

It’s definitely summer and bugs are out.

Farm News:  The meat chickens were processed Tuesday.  I hope those of you who pre-ordered them have been pleased.

The film crew came out Thursday to do the infomercial on truck floor mats.  They got here at 5 AM and had a beautiful sunrise shoot.  Of course, Otis (our dog) ended up being the real star!!

Tomatoes are almost ready – hopefully soon!!

What’s in the bucket: green and/or yellow wax beans, potatoes, broccoli, red or savoy cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, summer squash, berries OR cherry tomatoes

When I was working in Wyoming this was one of our favorite dishes.  It’s a real treat and will make you love carrots in a whole new way!  It calls for a nut crust – any crust will do, preferably a whole wheat crust.

Thanks for buying local food from our farm.

“What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”

-John Steinbeck

Farm News:  Chickens will be processed this Tuesday.  Garden is growing great guns.   We have a film crew headed out on Thursday to film a commercial, should be an exciting week!!

What’s in the Bucket?  Savoy cabbage, potatoes, green and yellow wax beans, broccoli, squash, carrots and/or beets, fennel

I always crave cooler salad dishes when it’s steamy outside.  Here’s a easy three bean salad recipe.

1 spring onion chopped

1 T lemon zest

1 can butter beans or pintos

1 can black eyed peas

1/2 # green beans and/or wax beans trimmed and cut into half inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped fennel bulb and fronds

1/3 cup olive oil

Kosher salt and ground pepper

Combine ingredients and refrigerate an hour or longer for flavors to combine.

” I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck”.  Johnny Carson

Has anyone ever told you that?  I think I have been asked if “I just fell off the turnip truck”.  I think it means you are a country bumpkin.  I figured that quote had been around for ages, but when I researched it (googled it!!) it says it became popular by Johnny Carson.  Who would have thought.

So, that being said, you guessed it – turnips in the bucket this week.  I have to say, I love turnips.  We roast them alone or with any other vegetable in sight.  Quarter them, toss in olive oil, ground coriander, salt and pepper.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Farm News:  This may creep the egg share holders out – to know that a snake has been wrapped around their eggs.  This guy has a pass as long as he doesn’t get into trouble.  He has been keeping the rodents away in our hen houses this summer.

However – if he decides he would rather have chicks than eggs, he’s outta here!!  These three hatched yesterday.  Their Mom has been vigilant in setting, and finally she has three youngsters.

What’s in the Bucket:  turnips, cabbage or broccoli, carrots or beets, greens (kale, collard and/or mustard), lettuce and a handful of raspberries.

Following a recipe for Turnip Gratin:

Butter or olive oil for the baking dish

1 garlic clove, cut in half

2 pounds turnips, preferably small ones, peeled and sliced in thin rounds

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (about 1 cup tightly packed)

2 1/2 cups low-fat milk (1 percent or 2 percent)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter or oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin dish. Rub the sides and bottom with the cut clove of garlic.

2. Place the sliced turnips in a bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Add half the cheese and the thyme and toss together, then transfer to the gratin dish and pour on the milk. It should just cover the turnips.

3. Place in the oven and bake 30 minutes. Push the turnips down into the milk with the back of a large spoon. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and return to the oven. Bake another 40 to 50 minutes, until all of the milk is absorbed, the turnips are soft and the dish is nicely browned on top and around the edges.

Yield: 4 servings.

Advance preparation: You can assemble this several hours before baking, but don’t add the milk until you’re ready to bake. You can bake it several hours ahead and reheat in a medium oven.

Nutritional information per serving: 258 calories; 7 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 43 milligrams cholesterol; 22 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 319 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 16 grams protein

“Self-pity is the hens’ besetting sin,” remarked Mr. Payton. “Foolish fowl. How they came to achieve anything as perfect as the egg I do not know! I cannot fathom.”
― Elizabeth Enright, Gone-Away Lake

Any of you who have been in our CSA before know….we love our chickens.  I never imagined I would be so fond of fowl.  Honestly, I never cared about feeding the birds, never had an affinity for ducks, geese, wild birds, anything.  But, about the second year of our CSA I decided it would be nice for customers to have the option of fresh eggs.  So, we dove in.  Curtis built our first chicken house and we got about 20 hens.  The rest is history.  We are up to 120 hens and 4 houses.  AND, it has given me more of an appreciation for other birds.  I never knew a bird could have so much personality until we kept chickens (I thought about this as I was battling with a barn swallow who wanted to build a nest in my vegetable wash area…stubborn little birds).

All of this to precede my FARM NEWS for this week.  There was a snake in the chicken house (seems we can’t get away from the snakes this year).  Curtis went to close up the hens one night, he came back immediately and said – there’s a snake in the chicken house and I can’t tell what kind it is – will you come look at it.  So, by the light of the flashlight, I peer into the chicken house.  For those of you who don’t know, chickens roost at night. They don’t see very well in the dark, so they perch on roosts we build for them in the rafters of their house.  They are able to fly up to them – and they are about eye level for us.  SO, this snake has crawled down from the TOP of the chicken house.  He is hanging off one of the ceiling boards and is draped over one of our chickens backs.  It was creepy.

HOWEVER, I had noticed recently that we have not had many mice (a nice way of saying rats) in our chicken houses.  Rodents love to build in and around anything that eats grain.  In our feed room and chicken houses we have a constant problem.  So, lately, no torn feed sacks.  No scurrying around at night when we close chickens up.  And so I develop a new appreciation for this snake draped over our hens back immediately.  “Looks like a King snake to me”, I say (which it does).  The hen reaches back and pecks at him, absentmindedly.  “Let’s leave him alone” I say.

So I ask my neighbor, who is my chicken (and everything else) go to person, “will this snake eat our eggs?”  He says, “yes, but if you can spare them, it would be worth keeping him around”.   We are not short on eggs yet – so we’ll see what happens.

What’s in the bucket?  I KNOW YOU ARE TIRED OF GREENS… but, they are still in season.  Curly kale, fresh garlic, turnips (roots and greens), baby carrots, kohlrabi, radishes, new potatoes, bibb lettuce, raddichio.

I love to roast root veggies.  Just cut those turnips, new potatoes and kohlrabi (I would peel it) into similar sized chunks.  Pop the green tops off the baby carrots and throw them in whole.  Toss in olive oil and cracked pepper and roast until tender.    You can add fresh herbs or onions, but do it towards the end lest they burn.  Temp doesn’t really matter – 375 to 450 – just takes longer at a lower temp.

I found a new kale salad recipe the other night.  The curly kale is perfect for a raw salad or slaw (also great cooked).  The dressing was labor intensive, but made enough to save for another night.

When all the world appears to be in a tumult, and nature itself is feeling the assault of climate change, the seasons retain their essential rhythm. Yes, fall gives us a premonition of winter, but then, winter, will be forced to relent, once again, to the new beginnings of soft greens, longer light, and the sweet air of spring.

I’m posting this photograph from June 3, last year.

I’m posting it to show that every year is so different.  The strawberries came in almost 3 weeks earlier this year.  I’m hoping we will have broccoli in 2 weeks, but that might be a stretch.

So, for the moment we are stuck with greens and lettuce – and lots of it!!!  Just think, in July when it’s 100 degrees, we’ll be wishing for a nice cool salad… but lettuce will be long gone.  I had a conversation with a shareholder at the market Wednesday.  She asked me a question which recurs every year.  How do I cook greens for my family when they don’t really like the bitter taste?  I am posting a recipe at the end which I think is the answer.  Add sugar and vinegar….that’s the secret (and a little bacon doesn’t hurt either).  I’m loading everyone up on turnip greens and collards so if you’re in the mood, you can try it.

Farm News:  Our broiler chicks are here and growing.  We have had them about 3 weeks now, and they are just getting to be fatties.  They have a nice little pasture of grass and clover, lots of bugs and stuff to eat.  But mostly they lay around and enjoy the sunshine and eat their non-gmo feed.  If you haven’t ordered one and paid your deposit, it’s not too late.  If you pre-order you save $1 per pound (they are $5 per pound instead of $6)  You will still be able to purchase them if you don’t pre-order.  I will send out an e-mail when they are processed, but you will have to pay full price.

Be patient with the greens.  We have potatoes, broccoli, beets and carrots coming in a matter of weeks!!

What’s in the bucket this week:  Young onions, radishes or baby turnips, radicchio and/or kohlrabi, red leaf and/or bibb lettuce, kale and turnip greens and/or collards, beet greens (great to add to a salad raw, or sauté in olive oil).

So – speaking of bitter, radicchio is your answer.  This is a Chicory (class of vegetable) which looks like a miniature red cabbage.  Really beautiful and found in most of the commercial lettuce mixes you find.  If you don’t prefer a  bitter taste, my recommendation is to use it sparingly in a salad with a vinaigrette dressing.  If you really want to experience the true bitter flavor, however, grill it or roast it.  Cut it in half, brush with olive oil and fresh garlic, and grill it or roast it until the edges start to look crispy.  I suggest serving it with potatoes or and a meat – things which are NOT bitter.

And following, the turnip green recipe as promised.

Southern Turnip Greens

Yields 8-12 servings

Ingredients:

4 lbs turnip greens- starting weight before washing, trimming and chopping (note: may need to add batches of greens as they are cooking down)

4 ounces smoked bacon

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sorghum syrup
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
6 cups water (note: add water if needed so the liquid meets the surface of the cooked greens in the pot)

Roughly chop raw bacon and render in a large stockpot over low heat for 5 minutes before adding chopped onion. Increase to medium high heat and cook until onions are translucent. Add crushed red pepper, brown sugar, sorghum, vinegar and water and bring to a boil. Add cleaned and chopped greens and simmer for approximately four hours, stirring occasionally and adding extra water if needed. Once greens are fully cooked and tender, taste for seasoning and add salt if desired.

“And he gave it for his opinion…that whoever could make two ears of corn or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together.”  -Jonathon Swift, Gulliver’s Travels

Farm News:  Wylie Coyote spotted in the back pasture – two of them in fact.  Our chickens have been wandering over there quite a bit lately, and I’m sure Wylie has his eye on them.

44 degrees this A.M.  The tomatoes were shivering – but the cabbage and broccoli plants look promising.  There is hope for something other than  greens in the near future!!

What’s in the bucket?  Strawberries, sugar snap peas, arugula, lettuce mix with beet greens and spinach, bibb lettuce, kale, turnip or purple mustard greens, radishes or young onions, oregano.

EAT YOUR STRAWBERRIES!!  This will be the last week of strawberries.  Like other berries, they are known to fight cervical and breast cancer.  Research also shows they protect your brain and memory.   Animals that consumed an extract of strawberries, blueberries and spinach every day had significant improvements in short-term memory.  (How do you tell an animal’s short term memory is improving ?).

I made a salad the other night with mixed lettuce, strawberries, blue cheese, walnuts and young onions.  I dressed it with a blackberry balsamic and olive oil – a little cracked pepper…delish!!!

Last night we had kale and white bean stew.   I cooked about 2 cups of great northern beans in vegetable broth (or you could use chicken broth).  Cover the beans generously with the broth, add a bay leaf and add water if it cooks down.  I don’t soak my beans – just simmer them for a few hours.  However, if you think ahead, soaking them is always a good thing to do.

You could also short cut and use canned beans.  If you do this – cook the kale first and add the beans to them.

I cooked the beans until they were a little crunchy but close to done.  Add salt to taste.

I ribbed and chopped one bunch of kale.  I added these to the pot and let them wilt down and stirred them in.  Then added one young onion, chopped fine, and 2 cloves of garlic minced.  Cook all of this until the greens and onions are tender.  I then added one fresh chopped tomato (although you could probably skip this, it does add a good flavor) and about two tablespoons of chopped oregano leaves.  Keep cooking until the beans are creamy tasting and the flavors evolve.   Serve with hot corn bread.

Great meal for a chilly night!!

Happy Eating and thanks for buying local food from our farm!!

Letty

“How one learns to dread the season for salads” -Elizabeth David, Summer Cooking

I send this quote out every year because it is how I feel after a few weeks of salads and greens.  Especially when I start to send the third or fourth week of e-mails, and it is still mostly greens on the list.  The upper garden is looking good, though, and it won’t be long until we have summer squash and potatoes coming in – so let’s enjoy the next few weeks of greens!!

When I start finding I have piles of greens and lettuce leftover in my fridge and no appetite for them, I start finding creative ways of using them.  Throw a handful of greens into soups, beans, stock, stir fry etc. to boost the vitamin content of your meal and add a little something extra!!  I love to take the big kale leaves or collard leaves and use them raw as a roll – in other words, I make a collard leaf into a sandwich wrap.  Spread peanut butter or pimento cheese on it, roll it up and enjoy!!

Same goes with lettuce.  A little harder to throw into cooked meals, but I love to make lettuce wraps.  I am including my recipe for lettuce wraps at the net of this e-mail.

Farm News:  Thanks to everyone who has had to tolerate my learning curve on my schedule this year.  It takes a week or two to learn where everyone lives, what they get, and who is picking up from the farm.

Curtis and friends had a run in with a super big rattlesnake.  The old man (9 buttons) was in a barn we need to fix up, having a nice private sun bath (because part of the roof is off).   Hearing that he had company, he thought he would move along, meanwhile scaring the wits out of the three men he was traveling past.

So – I guess it’s warm enough for the snakes to be out – everyone beware.

What’s in the bucket?!:  kale and turnip or mustard greens (surprise, surprise), bibb lettuce, Romaine lettuce, kohlrabi, sweet young onions, sugar snap peas and strawberries.

Letty’s Lettuce Wraps (has a ring to it, doesn’t it)

1 head bibb lettuce

1 can water chestnuts, chopped

1 cake extra firm tofu (or you can use chicken or shrimp)

soy sauce

coconut oil (don’t be afraid, coconut oil is now being recognized as a super food)

1 cup sugar snap peas or broccoli, chopped

1 cup finely chopped greens

lime juice

sriracha sauce

Chop tofu into really small cubes (if using shrimp or chicken, you are on your own)

Sprinkle generously with soy sauce on cutting board, and toss to coat

Heat enough coconut oil to fry the tofu in (this may seem like a lot but remember – superfood!!) – you can add more once you get going.  I have a non-stick wok, but you could use any heavy pan if you use enough oil.  Fry the tofu until it turns brown around the edges.  Coconut oil can take high heat – so turn it up!!

Turn heat down and add water chestnuts and chopped vegetables, maybe another good sprinkle of soy sauce.  Cook until vegetables are tender, a few minutes.  Squeeze 2 large lime wedges over the whole dish.

If there is a lot of liquid in the pan, you may want to drain it before assembling your lettuce wraps.  Wash and dry bibb lettuce – make sure it is cold and crisp.  Spoon filling into one lettuce leaf at a time.  Add hot sauce if you like it spicy.  Eat with plenty of napkins!!

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