June 29, 2010

The Fresh Fruit Share Starts this Week

This Week's Vegetable Harvest:

  • Cucumbers
  • Green & Gold Zucchini
  • Gold or Candy-Striped Beets
  • Curly or Flat-Leaf Parsley
  • Broccoli
  • Tuscan Kale
  • Snow or Snap Peas (from Tipi produce in Evansville, WI)
  • Head Lettuce
  • Red Currants
  • Garlic Chives
This Week's Fruit Harvest:
  • Sweet Cherries
  • Blueberries
Important Reminders
  • We are now accepting registration forms for Fall Vegetable Shares. Forms were placed in your CSA boxes 2 weeks ago. If you need a copy, please email Peg at info@sandhillorganics.com. By the way, I've heard from some of you who thought you remembered signing up for Fall Shares at the same time that you signed up for spring and summer. Please note that Fall Shares were not offered on the initial registration form, so if you'd like to purchase a Fall Share, now is the time..
  • Fruit Shares will be delivered to your pickup sites starting THIS WEEK. If you have babysitters or relatives picking up your produce for you, please remind them not to take a fruit box unless you have registered for the Fruit Share. Thanks for your help on this!

Farm Journal
Tuesday, 6 p.m.
At the end of a hectic day, I hop on the golf cart with our 7-year-old and head out to clear my head while checking on the crops. Now that we've had 2 consecutive days without rain, we've been able to get into the fields and take care of some weeding projects that have been dogging us. (It's amazing how a little sunshine and dry weather have made all the crops look even happier and healthier than they did before!) Our first stop is the brassica field closest to the house.


Avery hops off the cart to check the progress of the second planting of broccoli. It looks like there will be enough mature heads for everybody to get at least 1 head and maybe 2 this week. From the broccoli field we head west to the zucchini field. I had checked on the zucchini earlier in the day, so this little jaunt is mostly just an excuse to get within sight of the new coyote den. There's a young litter of coyote pups which everyone but me seems to have gotten a glimpse of. One day last week Matt and the kids even saw a small fawn lying at the entrance to the den -- a meal which the mother coyote had procured and brought back to her young brood. I wasn't sure what the kids would think about this somewhat harsh nature lesson, but they took it in stride just as they always do when things are explained plainly and honestly. Anyway, I have no luck spotting the pups this time so we circle back to check out the currant bushes.



We sure had an impressive currant crop this year. Our crew just finished the last harvest of the season, but Avery wants to check for leftover berries. We stop for a moment and Avery makes a quick snack of the remaining currants before heading over to the beet field.



This week our two non-traditional beet varieties are at the perfect stage for harvesting. Avery and I cut into a gold beet and a chioggia (candy-striped) beet just so we can marvel at the beautiful colors.





It's a beautiful night to stand around admiring vegetables, and we are somewhat reluctant to make our way back to the house for supper. Before going inside I snap one more photo on the back porch. I love this shot of Henny Penny, the wounded (but recovering) hen I wrote about several weeks ago. Each evening now Henny Penny makes herself comfortable by roosting on the railing of the back porch. The window to her left is one of the windows next to the kitchen sink. Sometimes Henny Penny and I chat through the screen while I'm making dinner. It might sound crazy, but this can be oddly relaxing after a long day. (Hmmm. Maybe I need to take a little time off)...

Notes from the Farm Kitchen

Red currants are members of the gooseberry family and are native to Western Europe. They are most often associated with the making of currant jelly, but they are excellent prepared in other ways as well. I find the sweet-sour taste of raw currants refreshing, but I also like to use them in desserts, savory dishes and salads. In celebration of the Independence Day holiday, I recommend combining them with blueberries in one of the two red, white, and blue recipes below.
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Sweet cherries are best eaten fresh rather than used for making pies. In my opinion, sour cherries are best for making pies and will be included in the fruit share in another week or two. Store cherries in the refrigerator.


Garlic Chives can be used much like regular chives. Their main distinguishing features are their garlicky flavor and flat leaf. They can be used raw, but they also stand up well in stir fries and other cooked dishes.


Tuscan kale is one of those vegetables that goes by many different names. Some folks know it as dinosaur kale, others as lacinato kale, and still others know it by its Italian name, cavolo nero. This particular kind of kale is quite attractive to insect pests, which can make it tricky to grow. It is worth the effort, though, because Tuscan kale is considered the kale with the best flavor and texture.


Some of you will receive gold beets this week while others will receive Chioggia beets. The Chioggia beet is an Italian heirloom variety that is also know as the candy-striped beet or bulls-eye beet for its alternating pink and white rings. Both gold and Chioggia beets taste similar to red beets, but the flavor is slightly milder.


This Week's Recipes:
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Next Week's Harvest (our best guess)... cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, peas, garlic, sweet onions, chard, lettuce, cherries, raspberries and more!
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