Happy New Year!

The 2012 season is fast approaching!  All the seed orders are in and boxes will be arriving soon. 
Onions will be started in flats on the sun room at then end of the month. The spinach and winter crops grown in our new high tunnel have been amazing (still going), and I can't wait to see how the tomatoes will do in there.
If all goes well, we will have tomatoes 3-4 weeks earlier than normal.  The high tunnel will keep them warm and protect them from damaging spring winds. 
As you may have seen the 2012 membership forms are up on the website.  If you were a member in 2011, and will be returning, let me know so I can reserve your space. 
See you in a few months!!!

All those peppers!

We have had an abundant amount of hot peppers this season, and we are starting to pick some really nice big & blocky sweet bell peppers of all colors.  We eat the bell peppers fresh in salads and sticks, throw them in anything with pasta, grill them, put them in eggs, quesidilla's, barbecue and fajitas.

I love to make stuffed peppers.  There are so many recipes out there for stuffed peppers, I guess because they are hard to mess up.   I mix cooked rice, ground meat, tomato sauce, a little chopped onion, tomato and peppers and then melt in a little cream cheese and mix in cheddar cheese (or whatever I have) and maybe even some fresh minced sage.  Top them with more cheese and bake them in the oven.  The peppers are wonderful roasted.  I think it is important to have a nice thick filling, if you use too many fresh tomatoes in the stuffing, they will be loose and watery.  Sometimes, you have to drain off the liquid as the peppers bake, otherwise they are more like boiled not roasted.

Any leftover peppers I have, I slice and throw in the freezer.  I just keep adding to the container, they are so great to have in the winter!

I had a couple members making green pepper jelly.  I will add this recipe, I have not tried it yet.  A couple years ago I made a roasted red pepper jelly, it was wonderful.  When we lived in the south, hot pepper jelly was popular, dyed bright red and slathered over cream cheese and a club cracker.  It was pretty good.
 http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pepper-jelly/detail.aspx

On to the farm news and happenings:
The summer heat has caught up to my poor tomatoes and herbs. Many of the tomatoes cooked on the vine in the dry sunshine.  I have some of them covered with cloth and I think it is helping.           
Many of the fall crops are started in the ground.  Yesterday I put our 4 flats of mini napa cabbage called "orangette."  Napa cabbage is one of my favorites, I am looking forward to napa salad. 
The greenhouse is full of starts of kale, cabbage, collards, green onions, lettuce and more herbs.
In the ground is more radishes, lettuce, bok choi, spinach, mustard greens and swiss chard. 
I am starting to pick and cure the winter squash.  So far I have picked a few pumpkins, spaghetti squash, delicata and sweet dumpling (dry sweet flesh).  My poor acorn squash vines died all at once, virus or borer, still not sure. 
We are in the process of putting up one of 2 hoop houses.  It is 20 x 48 and is quite a job to erect.  We should have it up in another week.  Inside we will grow spinach, greens and green onions this fall.  The idea is to extend the season, and we should be able to harvest greens and spinach throughout the winter months.  In the spring, I will start early tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplant.  Planted in mid-March, they will be several weeks earlier than if the ground outside.  We are very excited!
The shares are on the smaller size right not, but soon we will have bulky greens again!
Thanks to all of you for your support, we could not do this without you!!!

Week 10!

We are half way through the season this week.  The hot dry weather ended the green beans, that turned tough and hollow, which was a shame because I got one not so good picking on the late beans.  The heat brought on the peppers and tomatoes.  The next crop of summer squash is just now blossoming.  Started in the greenhouse is the fall crop of lettuce, napa cabbage, Gonzales cabbage, and Beria cabbage, a loose leaf cabbage kind of like collards only thicker.  I will seed more lettuce, Swiss chard and various greens and radishes in the ground soon and hope the crab grass slows. We are ready to put up our 20 x 50 hoop house and our new 20 x 50 greenhouse.  The hoop house we will sow spinach and lettuce and plant green onions in this fall.  It will be our trial year for winter production (I am pretty excited!)

This weeks share includes:
Variety of Tomatoes, Cherokee purple, brandywine, yellow brandywine, Valencia, red zebra and Illini star.
peppers, variety of sweet, green, Italian sweet long, banana, paprika (frying pepper)
hot peppers, jalapenos, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax
Potatoes
carrots
Onions
garlic
let me know what herbs you would like!

Summertime greetings to all, I hope you are enjoying all the summer veggies.  We had a nice vacation to upstate New York, and we are glad to be home.  I was never so happy to see our flat open fertile fields of corn and beans as I was this week.  We have a large share this week, there is so much ready right now!
This week the shares include:
Sweet corn
lemon cucumbers
Tomatoes
Red and green cabbage
carrots
okra
summer squash
green beans
sweet and hot peppers
onions
garlic
We have basil, thyme, sage, oregano, mints, pineapple sage, rosemary and some cilantro and dill ready, let me know if you need any!

Week 6

This week we are moving into the summer veggies!  I have picked a few early cherry tomatoes, and they will all begin to ripen very soon.  I hope everyone is enjoying the produce so far!
This week we should have:
Green beans
Summer squash - mostly Zephyr, a tasty yellow and green open pollinated cross
carrots
potatoes
new onions
cucumber, lemon
beets (if I can find enough larger ones)
cabbage
garlic
herbs, mint, sage, basil, thyme, dill

We use our summer squash in a variety of ways cooked and raw, but this to us it the taste of summer!

Grilled Summer Squash
about 2 med. summer squash, peel on, sliced about 1/2 thick
olive oil, enough to coat
fresh garlic, salt & pepper to taste (or garlic salt & pepper)
cook over med-low heat in a grill wok, stirring when needed until it starts to turn golden

Week 5

A member shared this recipe for Kale soup, I am going to freeze some kale for soup this winter!    Most of the ingredients are in the share this week, and if you would like to come out and get some fresh herbs from the herb garden, just let me know!

Lots of members have made the kale chips.  Some tips they have shared are "don't over do it with the oil" and "sprinkle the salt after while they are warm."

Usually I roast my new potatoes.  Another of my favorite way to cook new potatoes is scrub them, half the larger ones (or quarter) cover and boil them on med-low with onion, garlic, fresh dill, thyme and salt and pepper.  When almost done (but still firm) drain off water and add butter and simmer in butter.  Fresh green beans or sugar peas will make this an even better meal.

Both recipes are from allrecipes.com

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/savory-kale-cannellini-bean-and-potato-soup/detail.aspx 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-kale-chips/detail.aspx

Share this week includes:

New potatoes 

Carrots

New Onions

sugar peas / snow peas

kale

lettuce

Swiss chard

spicy mustard mix with bok choi 

lemon cucumber

fresh garlic

basil

Savory Kale, Cannellini Bean, and Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3/4 cup diced carrot
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup white wine
• 3 potatoes, halved and sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 (16 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups finely chopped kale leaves
• 1 small red chile pepper, seeded and chopped fine
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; cook and stir the onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes more.
2. Pour in the chicken broth, water, and white wine; stir in the potatoes, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the cannelini beans, kale, chile pepper, and black pepper, and simmer, covered, for 30 more minutes.

 

Baked Kale Chips

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes. 

Week 4 and 16 to go!

Week 4 and we still have spring greens!  After last week's hot weather the lettuce has a bit of a bite to it.  A little vinegar or something salty will help counteract some of the bitters, and a little sweetness will help balance the tart vinegar.  So try some stronger dressing with the salad, and add a splash of vinegar to the wilted greens (we like balsamic and seasoned rice vinegar). 
This weeks share included:
Large head green lettuce & mixed lettuce
sugar snap peas
snow peas
broccoli
garlic scapes
Swiss chard
radishes
spinach
cilantro and mint
We have lots of herbs that I have been picking at the farm, let me know if you would like any oregano, sage, tarragon, Thai basil, mint (many kinds) or thyme.  Cilantro is in limited quantities, but it is growing quickly (it just bolts so fast!) The dill and basil I put out late and it will be another week before we start seeing any. 
The summer squash is loaded with blossoms and baby's and the green beans are flowering.  Before long comes the yummy grilled squash and backaches from bean-picking!
The potatoes are looking good, I will start to dig some new potatoes to go with the green beans (yum!).  The tomatoes are looking wonderful as well, loaded with lots of early little red zebra's, green zebra's and cherry tomatoes.  My oldest son asks me daily if we have any tomatoes yet.  I almost forgot about the carrots and beets! Another couple of weeks and I will try for those.
For those of you who did not come to the Sunday pick-up at the farm, Mom (Brenda) and I will be at the Charleston Farmer's Market from 6:30-9 am on Wednesday morning.  My permanent spot is on the north side of the courthouse in front of the steps.  This will be my seventh year at the market, and my mom has joined my for most of those years.  She is my most loyal and hard working volunteer, I am happy she can be there peddling produce with me.
See you all soon!