- Red Head Lettuce
- Green Head Lettuce
- Chives with Blossoms
- Spinach
- Overwintered Onions
- Hakurei Turnips (off-farm pickup sites only)
- Dandelion Greens
- and lots of beautiful Asparagus (green and/or purple)
Farm Journal
Saturday, 7 p.m.
It's Saturday evening and I have just finished collecting eggs from our two flocks of pastured laying hens. I am attempting to step carefully over the electric fence, a full basket of eggs in each hand, when, out of nowhere, I feel a heavy blow to the back of my leg. Fighting to keep my balance, I whip my head around to see what in the world is going on. I am shocked to discover that one of the roosters is repeatedly hurling himself claws-first at the back of my calf. This has never happened to me before. I quickly scramble to safety on the other side of the fence. My initial reaction is one of betrayal. The kind of betrayal that a parent feels when forced to confront a rebellious teenager. I yell at the rooster, "I have fed and housed you all this time, and this is how you repay me?!"
I set down the egg baskets and catch my breath, by which time the betrayal has turned to pity. This poor rooster has had a rough couple of months. The more I think about it, the more it seems like a case of temporary insanity. Allow me to plead the rooster's case.
We have 2 separate flocks of hens that live next to each other on pasture, separated by an electric fence. One group has been laying eggs for over a year now, while the younger hens have been laying for about a month. The rooster in question was hatched along with the older group of hens. (If you're wondering why we have a rooster at all, the answer, though it may be indelicate, is pretty straightforward. When chicks are 8 hours old and ready to be shipped off in a box to their new owners, the folks at the hatchery must determine whether they are roosters or hens. Turns out that it's darn near impossible for the average person to distinguish the private parts of the females from the private parts of the males. It is my understanding that there are only a few skilled individuals who are able--and willing--to do this job. As good as the hatchery professionals are, a rooster sometimes makes his way into a batch of laying hens, and that's how we ended up with a rooster.) Anyway, we really haven't had any trouble with Mr. Tough Guy up to this point. Sure, he eats a lot of chicken feed and has never produced a single egg. But to my way of thinking, he has more than earned his keep by standing watch over the flock and warning the hens whenever he spies a hawk overhead. All in all, life was pretty good for that rooster.
All of that changed the day the younger flock (which included a new rooster) moved in next door. Within 24 hours, the new rooster had flown over the electric fence into the old rooster's territory and forced the old guy out completely. The poor old rooster was forced to stalk the perimeter, plotting his revenge. For about a day, the two roosters actually had a staring contest as they moved in lock step with one another up and down the fenceline, one on each side. That lasted until one or the other got tired of the routine and they called a truce. The old guy was allowed back in, but he's been skulking around rather resentfully ever since.
In summary, my defense is that the old rooster's frustration just boiled over on Saturday night, and I presented an easy target. Luckily for him, I am also both judge and jury. My ruling is that it was temporary insanity and that it probably won't happen again. So Mr. Tough Guy stays for now, but I am thinking seriously of investing in some shin guards just in case.
This Japanese turnip variety, called Hakurei, is mild and sweet and is easily mistaken for a radish. It is delicious eaten raw. These little turnips are also tasty sautéed in a little butter and sprinkled with salt. Like bok choy, turnips are a good source of Vitamin C, and rich in the minerals potassium and calcium. And then there are the greens! Turnip greens top the charts as an excellent source of Vitamins A, C and B complex.
I don't know about you, but I love the idea of edible flowers. The list is surprising long and includes plants such as calendula, nasturtium, zucchini, johnny-jump-ups, lavender, marigolds, peas, scented geraniums, and roses, among many others. Like other members of the allium family, chive plants form purple flowers as they mature. Chive blossoms are not only pretty, they are also very tasty. Try breaking the mild-tasting blossoms up and sprinkling them over salads, roasted asparagus or as a last-minute garnish for cream of aspargus soup. Another fun and delicious way to use them is to break apart the florets and mix them into some cream cheese. Spread the chive-blossom cream cheese on a toasted bagel, add a slice of smoked salmon and you'll come very close to my idea of heaven.
The asparagus is really coming on strong now. This week we've been eating asparagus in everything from scrambled eggs to tacos. Yes, tacos! Grocery shopping has not been at the top of my priority list lately and the cupboards are a bit bare. This is the type of situation in which I find my greatest culinary inspiration! To make the tacos I mixed 1-inch long pieces of roasted aspargus with a third of a jar of leftover salsa verde. We used this mix for filling cruncy taco shells, added a little ground beef that had been cooked up with some overwintered onions, then topped off with a bit of shredded cheese. It might sound a little strange, but the tacos were delicious and everyone gobbled them up! This week you will each receive about 2 pounds of aspargus per member. We have tried our best to give each member a mix of thicker stalks and thinner stalks because we have a lot of both and each type is best for different types of dishes and preparations. I think there is a common misperception that thicker stalks mean that the asparagus is older, and I want to reassure you that this is not the case. The truth is that from the moment the tip of the asparagus emerges from the ground, it is either thick or thin. Then over the course of a couple of days the stalk grows taller but not fatter. In other words, some of them are born thick and some are born thin. It all depends on the age and variety of the plant that gives birth to it. I love slender stalks for certain things, but I often find myself reaching for the fatter stalks because, once peeled, they are just as tender and delicious as the skinny ones, and they actually stand up better to the heat of cooking. Mark Bittman had more to say about the matter in a piece in the New York Times. You can read it here.
This week's dandelion is not a true dandelion of the type you might find in your lawn. Rather, it is an Italian chicory. The chicory family includes frisee, belgian endive, escarole, radicchio, and Italian dandelion. Bitter greens have been prized for centuries in many European cuisines where their pleasantly bitter flavor is appreciated for its ability to pair well with rich cheeses and meats. Dandelion greens are best eaten cooked or semi-cooked. Try sautéing them, adding them to a quiche, or using them in a wilted salad with a hot vinegar-based dressing. They pair well with strong, rich flavors such as brie or feta cheese, bacon, and nuts. If you are looking for inspiration, try typing bitter greens into a search engine. You will find hundreds of recipes!
This Week's Recipes
Dandelion Greens & Potatoes with Warm Bacon & Vinegar Dressing This recipe is so good I have to put it in the newsletter every year. It is a variation on a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch recipe. You may omit the bacon and the result is almost as yummy! You can even leave out the potatoes and make the recipe as a simple salad.
Dandelion Salad with Warm Olive Oil Dressing (Vegetarian)
Savory Bread Pudding with Asparagus & Herbs
Next Week's Vegetable Harvest (our best guess): radishes, baby carrots, spinach, rhubarb, aspargus, fennel bulbs, and more!
