I want a sleep permit,
forgiveness to rest for hours,
without even dreaming
the light straw of a small dream.
I want what before life
was the deep sleep of the species,
the grace of a state.
Seed.
Much more than roots.”
― Adélia Prado, Bagagem

Coming home from the Wednesday market, exhausted, this rainbow over our farm.   See the hay barn in the distance.  I kept feeling like I was going to drive through it.  Though, I guess, to get to the other side of the rainbow might be more complicated than driving a VW station wagon….even if it is all wheel drive.

Farm News:  July and August.  The hardest time of the year on our farm.  Needing to plant for fall, but temperatures so hot.  It’s hard to even make plants live.  We wean our calves this time of year.   Try to pick a time that is not oppressively hot, because the flies are bad too.

All of this needs to be done so that in the fall, we can enjoy October produce, and the cows have time to rest before they calve again.  In October, weeds grow slower.  The cows start over with new calves.

In October, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of our labor, with sweet potatoes and …MORE CABBAGE, yikes.  Which leads me to….

Still a few spots in our Dog Days CSA , 8 weeks, which starts second week in August, and Fall blast, Oct 15-Nov 15.  If you want to sign up, go to the home page on our website and click the online store (shop here).

What’s in the Bucket this week:  last week for giant cabbage….promise.  If you haven’t made kraut yet, here is your chance.  Also, cabbages will keep in the fridge for a very long time.  I usually keep enough to eat all the way through summer until they come in again in late October.  So there’s an option.

Summer squash, sweet onions, red, white and blue potatoes, and the beginning of summer finally with cucumbers and peppers and basil.  Maybe a half pint of cherry tomatoes…..  They are starting to turn red.  And the big tomatoes have a hint of red coming too.  I’m hopeful that by next week we will have a few tomatoes.

Ok, I am sending a no recipe recipe this week from …ME.

I have figured out through the years that if you have bread, milk and vegetables…maybe an egg…you can make a lot of things!  Or, bread and broth.

Here’s the trick.  Soak 2 pieces of bread in broth or milk until soggy.  Add an egg or a healthy spoonful or mayo.   Mix with sauteed veggies.  Bake until bubbly.   Instant casserole.

I made ours with cabbage, summer squash and onions sauteed in olive oil and a little butter until tender.  Added the bread, milk and egg mixture.   Poured into a square casserole dish.  Baked at 350 until bubbling (about 30 minutes) and I put a little shredded cheese on top.  If you are using milk, add salt, pepper and herbs to taste.  If you are using broth, there may be enough flavoring in that to carry the dish.  You’ll never need condensed soup to make a casserole again!

Happy Eating.  Happy Cabbage Casserole!  and thanks for buying local food from Circle S Farm.

“Are the fireworks over, or just beginning?”
― David Sinclair

We will be delivering all around July 4th but not on the day.

Farm News:  To be continued…..from last week.

We have all kinds of deer fence this year.  I’ve decided booby trapping them is the best way, a lot of confusing fences of different heights.  One of the fences is electric netting.  These work great if you keep the weeds down off them….but….

When we put the bull up a few weeks ago, I turned all the netting off so it wouldn’t ground out the rest of the fence.  We want the bull to feel fireworks when he touches his fence.

So – Tip, our pup got used to the netting not being hot.  I’ve pulled him out of it several times when he has gotten tangled up but last week it was bad.  He had it wrapped around his neck twice, and had his feet hung up too.  It was really tight around his neck from all the struggling to get free.  The netting is made out of wire so it will not break.

I heard him yelp and saw through the weeds the fence shaking and so I knew he was somewhere in there.  Diamond and I ran to his rescue.  Luckily I had a knife – I was cutting cabbage.  But I had a hard time getting it through the netting to cut him free because it was so tight.  And the knife was sharp.  And he was choking and struggling while I was trying to get my knife between the wires.

We succeeded with no blood.  He was happy to be free, and has not stuck his head into the fence since….fingers crossed.

What’s in the bucket:  red cabbage, fennel, red onions, red white and blue potatoes, summer squash, cucumbers and maybe a pepper…?

Jennifer shared this recipe with me last week.  I used cucumbers instead of celery,  because that is what I had….it was still delicious.

“We all live in a house on fire, no fire department to call; no way out, just the upstairs window to look out of while the fire burns the house down with us trapped, locked in it.”
― Tennessee Williams

We all feel trapped, I imagine, sometimes…

But there is nothing like having one of your animals trapped.  Imagine that animal weighing over 1000 pounds trapped and how do you get her out?  Or even scarier, but not quite as untouchable, your beloved puppy with his head in a noose of his making.  And you feel trapped in watching them endure a situation they cannot escape.

Twice this week….this is the week for being trapped.

We have a cow in with our bull to keep him company.  We bottle fed her and now she is grown.  She is gentle, and I thought, would be easy to manage.  But she is unhappy being away from her herd and having to babysit a bull (can you imagine?:)

When we move our herd from one side of the farm to another, they go through an alley behind our house.  When we moved them this time, Little bit (that is the cow’s name…bottle calves usually get names) planned her escape.  She figured she could stick her head through a gap in the gate and push her way into freedom.  She probably would have except – the fence next to the gate has a hot wire.  So I imagine, for her it was like being in the guillotine.  Except instead of waiting for the blade to fall, she was getting hit by the hot wire…pulsing.  There were two chains on the gate (to keep the bull in) so no way to go forward or backward. 

Anyway, I had gone down to push the cows through so the bull wouldn’t get any ideas.  I wound up standing right in front of her when she stuck her head through.  She was screaming….if cows can scream.  And there was no way to undo the chain because it was too tight.  I could hear the fence popping every time it pulsed.  And then she would scream and pull backwards with all her might.  I kept waiting for the fence brace to break, or the gate to come off the hinges….hoping something would break.  Her nose started bleeding…it was traumatic.  I wish I had thought to go get the bolt cutters and cut the chain.  The only thing I could thing of was to try to feed her so she would walk forward and I could get the chain loose.

I hollered to Curtis to turn the fence off.  He was miles behind them, closing gates and had no clue what was going on.  But he heard and it worked.  When he turned the fence off she walked forward towards the feed and I was able to free her.  I felt like I was ready for a Bloody Mary!  She seemed OK, thank goodness, and amazingly nothing was broken.

Stay tuned for the puppy story next week….

Farm News:  This was the week for getting/being trapped.

What’s in the bucket:  County fair green cabbage, red onion, carrots, beets, summer squash, green beans, basil and dill.

If your green beans are stacking up….here’s a great idea to help them hang around even longer.  If you are ambitious, double or triple the recipe and add carrots, onions, squash, any other veggies you want in a jar and out of your produce drawer!

Happy Pickling….Happy eating and thanks for buying local food from Circle S Farm!

“Sometimes I think my papa is an accordion. When he looks at me and smiles and breathes, I hear the notes.”
― Markus Zusak

Happy Father’s day everyone.  Here is my Dad and me….lots of Father’s Days and Grandfather’s days under his belt!

And Curtis and Avery,  his  first  Grandfather’s Day.

And all of us, Logan’s first Father’s day, Katie, Curtis, Avery.

And with those pictures being shown……

Farm News:  We have been at the beach.  All about Fathers, grandfathers, daughters, sons, granddaughters, grandsons.

Jennifer and Josh have so generously taken care of Circle S Farm and our four legged family at home.  And picked a fabulous start to you CSA share tomorrow.

What’s in the bucket?  Broccoli and/or Cauliflower, savoy cabbage, turnip roots, green beans, squash, fennel, carrots, cutting celery.

My sister in law, Caroline, is a fabulous cook.  And she spoils our whole family when we are together with divine feasts.  I told her….I always plant too much cabbage, do you have any ideas about how to change up my recipe ideas for cabbage.  I mean you can only send so many recipes out for slaw, kraut, cooked cabbage etc.

She said – oh yes.  My new favorite is to fix cabbage like cauliflower steaks.  (Or this week, you could do some of both!)  She says – just cut cabbage into thick slices.   Evoo and salt and pepper (a dab of butter towards finish won’t hurt) and roast.  Following a recipe from Well Plated, but use your imagination:)

“Life is delicious; waste not one bite.”
-Adrienne Posey

Meet Tip.  He is our newest member of the Circle S dog pack.  He loves long naps, big runs, muddy waters, and ….cauliflower.  Our dogs have a diverse diet here at Circle S, which includes vitamin rich veggies.  We may not be so proud of some of the other items they choose, including excrement, but our pups know what they love.

This was part of the beginnings of Temple Top Dog Treats, feeding dogs locally sourced meat from healthy animals including beef from Circle S and healthy veggies….the uglies, and split and cracked and still…..delicious carrots and sweet potatoes.

But our dogs here eat other things too, and they all have their favorites.  Temple loved green beans and Gram loved….Blueberries.  I read recently that puppies that are allowed to eat veggies and other foods along with their puppy food are healthier.  And no surprise why….it’s back to the diversity thing.  Our health, and the health of our canines, felines, bovines etc, comes from diversity.  Colorful, flavorful, different ….foods.

On that note:

Farm News:  Tip loves cauliflower.  And radishes.  He loves the garden in general.  And he loves hanging out with the hens.  Hope that doesn’t get him in trouble down the road.  Speaking of which….Diamond (our other Blue Heeler) had a run in with a wild turkey hen this morning.  We were walking the fence after moving cows and she came up on a nest.  That hen came at both of us with both wings out making an awful ruckus.   I, for one, made a run for it!  Trying to outrun Diamond so she would get the flogging.

What’s in the bucket?

Some lasts and firsts this week….last week Napa cabbage, first week green beans.  Last week kale (maybe, we’ll see how that goes) first week fennel.  Red, white and blue potatoes, cauliflower, summer squash and small onions in there too.  The small onions dry first.  The larger ones we hang in the hay barn until their tops dry and they soak up all the sugar that make them sweet.

Folks, if you have not tried chili crisp, it is delicious.  A friend and really good cook introduced me to this condiment.  Needless to say, I will be trying to make my own version when our chili peppers come in to avoid some preservatives.  But, until then, my stir fries, cauliflower, roasted veggies will be flavored with the stuff in this little jar.

No Recipe Recipe

Veggie Crisp

Cut cauliflower, potatoes into small pieces

Cut green beans and onions into pieces

Keep in separate bowls and toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and a healthy spoonful of Chili Crisp (make sure you get all the good stuff in the bottom of the jar).

Get potatoes and cauliflower roasting on a sheet pan at 350 degrees.  Wait until after they start to sizzle and cook and become tender, then add green beans and onions so they won’t overcook.  Roast until cauliflower is a bit charred.

Serve with a sprig of parsley and waste not one bite.

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

“Weeds are the things that choose to be persistent despite the reality that they’re going to get pulled.” -Craig D. Lounsbrough

Weeds and I have a lot in common.  Persistence is one of my strengths.  I am not necessarily good at anything, but I am persistent.  Weeding is one of those things that takes persistence.  If you leave them a week, it will take a month to pull them out.  So I try to keep up….

This week’s blog is short and sweet.  Being persistent is tiring!

Farm News:  Our resident black snake is back.  Funny how she seems like part of the family now.  I always am glad to see her in the spring….the hens not so much.  They did not lay many eggs her first day back.  Better today.

What’s in the bucket?  Napa Cabbage, red, white and blue potatoes, iceberg lettuce, kohlrabi, mustard greens or collard, maybe a summer squash

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way.” — Georgia O’Keeffe

OK, obviously not a a Georgia O’Keeffe, but pretty because of the colors and shapes.  My Mom always wanted us to have color on our plates.  And so I think I learned it from her.  But health must come from diversity, and different colors and shapes help create that diversity.

In agriculture these days, I think most of us are missing this piece.  Big Ag plants fields – hundreds of thousands of acres in just corn, just soybeans, just wheat.  And I’m sure it is because of the equipment involved in cultivating and harvesting these crops.  But no field is healthy without diversity.  So all the thousands of acres we plant this way are not healthy.  They do not have diverse wildlife habitat.  They do not have diverse soil organisms.  They do not promote healthy people, healthy environments, healthy animals.

Even for our cows to eat- we hope that our fields have a wild, hearty mix of grasses and legumes, weeds and flowers.  We hope they can grow tall to cover the soil, and provide habitats for birds and other animals, with deep roots and healthy soils.

It all comes back to color.  Color and shapes.  And with that being said…. for this memorial day we have another colorful bucket!

Farm News:  It’s Memorial day but we are still working hard.  Curtis cutting hay today.  And with that comes equipment trouble and usually frustration.  Weather?  Equipment?  Really hard to get hay in the barn.  And when winter comes you want the barn full!

What’s in the bucket?  Romaine, iceberg and bibb lettuce, colorful mixed kale bouquet, pink and purple daikon radishes, purple spring peas, beets, purple kohlrabi, mint.  Do not despair, Romaine and iceberg hold well in the fridge.  Keep some of it…. you will be glad in a few weeks when we are on to potatoes and beans to have that delicious cool lettuce.

The recipe this week is from me – a copycat version of Bread and Butter’s chickpea salad.  Think lettuce wraps for lunch!  You could add some rice to this and make a hearty cool meal for dinner.  Serve with sliced Daikon radishes and spring peas as a dip for friends.  I decided to make it for lunch today to give me a protein boost.  I’m embarrassed to say, I thought it would last the week but I ate it all!

one can chickpeas drained and mashed with a fork

one cup grated or chopped veggies including radishes, kohlrabi or carrots or spring peas.  Broccoli would work.  Anything you like and have in your fridge.

Add a healthy dolop of Mayo – to your liking – and squeeze a wedge of lemon, lime, orange or as a last resort a splash of apple cider vinegar.

sprinkle over the top one Tablespoon mint leaves minced, spring onion tops chopped if you have tons left in your fridge:)

mix together, add salt and pepper to taste.

optional:  serve with cold rice and iceberg lettuce wedges like lettuce wraps

Happy eating, Happy Memorial Day, Thanks for buying local food from Circle S Farm!

“Well there’s a full moon in the western sky
And there’s magic in the air.
Ain’t nothin’ I know of, can make you fall in love,
Like a night at the county fair.”
-Chris Ledoux

Whenever I have a giant vegetable I refer to it as a County Fair.  It’s a county fair cabbage, a county fair tomato, a county fair pumpkin.  I tell folks at the market – this is your chance.  Buy the county fair turnip!

The idea of the county fair brings back all kinds of memories to me.  For some reason, I’ve been to county fairs all over the country.  I remember hearing Suzy Boguss at the Teton County Fair in Wyoming.  Rodeo to follow.  And your typical carnival rides and lights.  Magical.

These days I think of County Fairs as funnel cakes and cotton candy, perhaps some 4-H animals.  Maybe some wholesome entertainment.  Curtis and I went to the Chattooga County Fair several years ago.  Chattooga County is still quite agricultural, so lots of kids showing milk cows, sheep etc.  But I wondered what the county fair was like 150 years ago  so…I did the modern thing….I googled it.

“The concept of the “county fair” organized by an agricultural society, was initiated by Elkanah Watson, a New England patriot and farmer.  He earned the title, “Father of US agricultural fairs” by organizing the Berkshire Agricultural Society and creating an event (known then as a Cattle Show) in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in September 1811. It was not a market, and was more than just an exhibit of animals – it was a competition, with prize money ($70) paid for the best exhibits of oxen, cattle, swine and sheep.

Watson worked diligently for many years helping communities organize their own agricultural societies and their respective shows (fairs). By 1819 most counties in New England had organized their own agricultural societies and the movement was spreading into the other states. The nineteenth century closed with almost every state and province having one or more agricultural fair or exhibition.”  -Fairs and expos.com/ history

I love the photo.  I think I would have loved to live 150 years ago.

With small farms disappearing, and big business and technology booming, I wonder what the future is for the County Fair?  I’m afraid it’s not good.

Farm News:  The rain is bringing some county fair items….first of which is the county fair turnip.  Lots of county fair weeds too.

What’s in the bucket?  A bit of a repeat from last week.  We had some heavy rain or hail which beat up the red leaf lettuce.  I’m hoping it will recover.

County Fair turnips with greens (there is a lot of food here folks!)  leaf lettuce, young onions, radishes, spinach, spring peas, kale and/or collard greens, Jones Farm Strawberries.

Following a recipe from Farm Fresh Feasts.com.  This is a great site with lots of CSA advice and recipes on what to do with your share!

The following recipe is adapted from Lois Robertson’s (of City View Curling Club in Ottawa, ON) Zucchini Crepes recipe via the Potomac Curling Club’s Party Party Party Cookbook.  Serve it with the cooked turnip greens – or a fresh cold salad.

Turnip Fritters

“But there’s a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother’s story, because hers is where yours begins.”
― Mitch Albom

Happy Mother’s Day!

Although I am not a mother myself, I have a Mother.  I guess everyone does… and I am celebrating her today, even though we are not together.  And celebrating the joy that comes with having a lovely, beautiful and devoted Mother.  And her story is where mine begins.

Here on the farm we are witness to many births every year.    Curtis and I love calving season, in the fall.   And while we try not to hover or interfere, there is nothing like watching a new Momma lick her baby calf.

When we move cows we wait for them to “mother up”.  That means we wait for the Mamma cows to find their calves so they can move together.   We had a really cold stretch in December this year.  It came early, and we were unprepared.  We couldn’t get our tractor to start to feed hay, so we moved our cows into a lot that had stockpiled grass in it.    When we got the tractor going a day or 2 later, one Momma cow wouldn’t move.  So unusual, and we couldn’t find her calf.  I looked and looked.  So we left her.

Still that afternoon she was there and I looked and looked again and finally found the calf right under her feet almost.  Fallen into a crevasse.  It was overgrown with grass and weeds.  That calf was trying to get warm and fell in.  His mother wasn’t leaving.  I don’t know how he worked his way so deep into the ground, through the rock shelves, but there was no way of getting him out.   I hadn’t seen the cow eat or go drink in two days.  Through my own tears I heard Curtis say “I’m so sorry sweetheart…” to the cow.

It takes a lot for a mother to give up.

Farm News:  The garden is growing and going.  We had to fortify our deer fence this year because they seem to be getting smarter.  So far so good.  We don’t have many farm flowers yet, though Holly is working on that.  It’s been a cool spring.  So you have a treat….Creekside farm is supplying the flowers this week.  If you haven’t met Morgan at Creekside visit them on instagram (creeksideflowerfarm)

This is the first week for CSA – so to those of you who are new….I will leave a bucket on your porch.  You leave it for me the next week (or 2 weeks if you are a half share) and I will exchange with a new bucket.  If you choose to leave a cooler on the porch, I will be happy to transport your veggies etc into the cooler.

What’s in the bucket? For some reason we have a Christmas theme this week – red and green.  Should have saved it for Christmas in July.

Red and Green spinach, Red and Green leaf lettuce, Red strawberries (Jones farm), Red and Green onions…see where I’m going with this?  Red snow peas and green snap peas,  and lastly Swiss Chard, cilantro and/or mint, and breakfast radishes (these are pink – finally!)

The spinach is wonderful raw or sauteed.  I tried to give everyone plenty for both.  If using in a salad, you might want to tear into pieces or chop because it is mature spinach.  A spinach and strawberry salad?  Oh the strawberries might not last that long!  You can mix the green and red spinach, they have similar flavors.

The other thing I have been doing lately is roasting the spring onions.  I slice them in half, coat with olive oil salt and pepper and roast at 350 degrees until crispy.  Add some radishes (yes I tried this and it was delicious).  Or really special with some roasted potatoes.  Following a recipe from The Table Together

Roasted Spring Onions

When spring has sprung and spring onions are readily available, run don’t walk to your local market and pick up a few bunches. Roasted or grilled and served alongside steak or tucked into tacos, spring onions pack a slight oniony twang with a refreshing level of sweetness! Yield: 4 servings Oven: 425ºF Preparation time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 25 minute

3 bunches spring onions, approximately 10 spring onions in total, bottoms cleaned but the root stem kept intact

2 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil, plus more if needed kosher salt, as desired freshly ground black pepper, as desired

Method: 1. Position oven rack to the top and preheat oven to 425º. 2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set to the side. 3. Generously oil, salt and pepper each spring onion and lay in an even layer across the prepared baking sheet. 4. Transfer to preheated 425º oven and allow to roast, flipping halfway through, until golden brown in color, approximately 25 minutes in total. 5. Remove from oven and serve while hot! Kitchen Note: For a crispy finishing touch, consider combining breadcrumbs with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkling on top of the spring onions in the last few minutes of roasting.

Happy Eating and Thanks for buying local food from Circle S Farm

“If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”
― Herbert Stein, What I Think: Essays on Economics, Politics, & Life

It is the end of the summer CSA session.  And all good things must come to an end.  It’s why I love the seasons – each brings an end and a beginning.  And tomatoes escort us out of the summer season.  So you will be getting loads of tomatoes – like last week, to help your feelings.

Farm News:  It is the end of the season!  And I will not be offering a fall CSA this year (remember how traumatic last year was when the cows got in the garden.  I am still waking up in the middle of the night over that!) I will, however,  be at Main Street Farmer’s market this fall, so drop by and say hello.

What’s in THE LAST BUCKET?  Well it will be a bag!  A paper bag full of tomatoes, onion, winter squash, cucumbers, maybe a melon, edamame, cherry tomatoes and basil.

OK – I thought I had seen every tomato pie.  But this one caught my eye.  It is pretty much how I make tomato pie but I never put the slices of tomato and basil on the top after it comes out of the oven.  Brilliant!  Because the tomatoes are gorgeous and a shame to hide them.  Also – I love the little cherry tomatoes mixed in.  I put a few in my pie and they added a sweet note.  A great way to end the season, thanks to Paula Deen:)