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What's happening on the farm right now:
The farm is looking so good right now. We have the best looking potato patch ever. There is hardly a weed in sight and there aren't even any potato beetles. Maybe that extreme cold in December killed the first round beetles that lay dormant in the soil over the winter.
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Speaking of overwintering, we harvested the overwintering onions last week and got them up in the barn to dry on Monday. Usually somewhere between 5-10 percent of them bolt, that is, they send up a flower stalk which runs right through the center of the bulb and makes them unsaleable. We lost a lot of them to that cold in December and the ones that made it were almost frozen to the ground. I thought they were all going to bolt in response to the stress but this year we didn't have a single one flower!
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Sometimes I think I have something figured out, but then I'm reminded that the plants are responding to many more forces and influences than I am aware of.
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We have such an awesome crew! We were able to do all the harvest and prep for market last Friday and still had time to get up the onions before the rain over the week end.
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What's available in the store and at market this week?
We have sweet, juicy carrots and sweet, earthy beets for you this week. Plenty of head lettuce and lettuce mix. The green and black kales are tender and oh so good for you. John has a great recipe using the green kale this week. We have Swiss chard and cilantro. Summer squash and our first onions, red and yellow. The onions are ready to eat but not completely dry yet so make sure to keep them in the open air on your counter until you use them. Mixed bouquets, snapdragon and gorgeous campanulas.
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North Asheville Tailgate Market hours are
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Saturdays 8am-12pm on the campus of UNC Asheville.
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River Arts District Farmers Market hours are
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Wednesdays 3-6pm at the Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Drive.
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John's Recipe of the Week
| John Loyd is our dear friend, neighbor, CSA worker member and a gourmet Southern cook. His delightful observations on gardening and cooking appear here each week. |
“Cheese is milk’s leap toward immortality” Clifton Fadiman
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Cooking times are but a guidepost. They are a ballpark idea of how long something might cook. Watching is the key. For example, how long you cook kale depends on how old it is. Younger cooks faster, 4 or 5 minutes till tender, older kale longer. So, it is good to watch as you cook.
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GARLICKY KALE – Thanks to Alice Waters and Chez Panisse. The cookbooks from Chez Panisse are well worth looking into, especially for vegetarian dishes. Serves 4 to 6.
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4 or 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
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Remove the stems and chop the leaves coarsely. Wash but don’t dry.
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Heat a sauté pan or skillet, add ¼ cup of olive oil and enough kale to cover the bottom.
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Cook over high heat while stirring the leaves, adding more kale as the leaves wilt.
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When all the kale has been added, salt, cover and reduce the heat medium, cooking until the kale is tender. Add some water if the leaves begin to scorch.
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Then remove the lid and cook until all the water is cooked away and push the kale to one side of the pan.
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Add a bit of olive oil and the garlic and red pepper flakes to the bare spot and cook until you can smell the garlic, stir into the kale.
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Turn off heat and add a splash of vinegar, correct the seasoning and serve warm
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SQUASH CASSEROLE - A jewel of the American southern kitchen, indeed. Thanks to Maureen Walther of Mt. Ida, Arkansas.
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½ stick unsalted butter, plus some to grease the baking dish
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1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
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4 medium summer squash, about 2 pounds, cut into ¼ inch slices
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½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
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Preheat oven to 375F and butter a square baking dish.
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The little toads have made it up to the road and are heading for the hills. They'll make the trip back to the pond to breed in spring of 2025.
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Your farmers, Vanessa and Alex
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Love the flowers. Honor the vegetables. Let the weeds go!
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- Cheri Huber and Ashwini Narayanan
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