For all the rain forecasted and the massive storms that hit the NE this past weekend we saw less than a 1/4 inch of rain here at the farm. We actually had to haul water in to top off the wells so we could irrigate and wash veggies, and ourselves; cook dinner wash dishes, laundry etc. An unexpected but necessary cost of production. We do count our blessings that we have neighbors willing to share and help out with 1000 gallon cisterns and that we live in such a water rich area that we can do this when the need arises. While the rain may not fall where we want it, we are surrounded by a goldmine of water resources here in CNY. We invested in a backhoe this spring to terraform and dig trenches after the last two years here on our property, knowing that the heavy clay soils hold water, making it difficult to till in the spring, and plant. Now we may be using it to dig an irrigation pond! As frustrating as it may seem, that is one of the best parts about what we do; HAVING to be so in tune with the land we work to be prepared for anything mother nature throws at us. And we thank all our CSA members on joining us for that adventure!
While it may not have seemed much to us, the little rain was the world to many of our crops who really started coming on this week. So, moving on from greens to more summer produce.
Small shares: 2 lettuce, 1 head fresh garlic, summer squash (yellow crookneck, koosa, or zucchini) kale, snow peas and genovese basil
Regular shares: 2 lettcue, 1 head fresh garlic, summer squash (yellow crookneck, koosa, or zucchini) kale, snow peas, genovese basil, pickling cucumbers ( & broccoli for all regular shares who did not get it last week) and fennel
Fennel may be a new veggie to many of you. It has a distinct licorice/ anise flavor that sweetens when it's cooked. It is in the same family as carrots and parsley, and has been a staple of Mediterranean cuisine for centuries. It compliments fish and other seafood well, but we prefer it roasted with copiuos amounts of garlic in our house (as roasting brings out it's sweetness.) A good source of vit C, potassium and folate, we hope you find a great way to enjoy this seasonal veggie. Here is a link to a recipe for the fennel and peas, but we hope you have fun and find some more recipe ideas, as this is the first but not the last of the fennel bulbs for the season.
We know some of you may be "kaled out" as it has been in shares every week. Some of you may be thinking "keep it coming, I love it!". Kale is a great crop as it just keeps growing- where other crops need to be reseeded or seeded once hoping for the best weather conditions so long as we can keep the deer and the bugs out, it thrives no matter what. Last year however, the deer and the woodchucks kept our kale minimal and sparse. We are excited at how well the kale is doing this season with bunches the size of the totes. If you are kaled out, why not try some kale bail pesto, and freeze it for later use? It might seem like a lot now, but come the dead of a CNY winter, you might be thanking your lucky stars for that jar in the fridge and that fresh taste of summer as the snow flies! Pestos are great served over pasta, or lightly grilled summer squash, or even raw and cold over some "zoodles" on a hot day.
Speaking of the freshness of summer preserved, we are happy to announce that we have finally added some products to our website for CSA members to add on to their CSA shares. So far we've added some of BackDrop Organics coffees, The little Tea Cart's teas, and Lake Bluff Bee Farm's 1lb jars of spring honey. Next up will be Flying Oppossume Farm's free ranged non gmo fed whole chickens, and Summertime Natural Food's frozen pestos. You can get to the online store by signing into your account and on the left will be a shop option, where you will find the products and prices. As we get picking there will be more options in the produce section, in the way of beans, tomatoes, garlic and pickling cucumbers for you own preserving. We will update in the newsletter as these items become available, and offer to our CSA members first.
We hope everyone enjoys this week's shares with some new items and can beat the heat over the next few days. A rain dance is still requested for our neck of the woods too, so dance your crazy hearts out to the rain gods!
While it may not have seemed much to us, the little rain was the world to many of our crops who really started coming on this week. So, moving on from greens to more summer produce.
Small shares: 2 lettuce, 1 head fresh garlic, summer squash (yellow crookneck, koosa, or zucchini) kale, snow peas and genovese basil
Regular shares: 2 lettcue, 1 head fresh garlic, summer squash (yellow crookneck, koosa, or zucchini) kale, snow peas, genovese basil, pickling cucumbers ( & broccoli for all regular shares who did not get it last week) and fennel
Fennel may be a new veggie to many of you. It has a distinct licorice/ anise flavor that sweetens when it's cooked. It is in the same family as carrots and parsley, and has been a staple of Mediterranean cuisine for centuries. It compliments fish and other seafood well, but we prefer it roasted with copiuos amounts of garlic in our house (as roasting brings out it's sweetness.) A good source of vit C, potassium and folate, we hope you find a great way to enjoy this seasonal veggie. Here is a link to a recipe for the fennel and peas, but we hope you have fun and find some more recipe ideas, as this is the first but not the last of the fennel bulbs for the season.
We know some of you may be "kaled out" as it has been in shares every week. Some of you may be thinking "keep it coming, I love it!". Kale is a great crop as it just keeps growing- where other crops need to be reseeded or seeded once hoping for the best weather conditions so long as we can keep the deer and the bugs out, it thrives no matter what. Last year however, the deer and the woodchucks kept our kale minimal and sparse. We are excited at how well the kale is doing this season with bunches the size of the totes. If you are kaled out, why not try some kale bail pesto, and freeze it for later use? It might seem like a lot now, but come the dead of a CNY winter, you might be thanking your lucky stars for that jar in the fridge and that fresh taste of summer as the snow flies! Pestos are great served over pasta, or lightly grilled summer squash, or even raw and cold over some "zoodles" on a hot day.
Speaking of the freshness of summer preserved, we are happy to announce that we have finally added some products to our website for CSA members to add on to their CSA shares. So far we've added some of BackDrop Organics coffees, The little Tea Cart's teas, and Lake Bluff Bee Farm's 1lb jars of spring honey. Next up will be Flying Oppossume Farm's free ranged non gmo fed whole chickens, and Summertime Natural Food's frozen pestos. You can get to the online store by signing into your account and on the left will be a shop option, where you will find the products and prices. As we get picking there will be more options in the produce section, in the way of beans, tomatoes, garlic and pickling cucumbers for you own preserving. We will update in the newsletter as these items become available, and offer to our CSA members first.
We hope everyone enjoys this week's shares with some new items and can beat the heat over the next few days. A rain dance is still requested for our neck of the woods too, so dance your crazy hearts out to the rain gods!
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