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News from the farm...
We passed some pretty big mile stones this week on the farm. We turned over our first beds to make way for the next round of vegetables, out with the ranunculus and in with the tomatoes. Also big are the first signs of legs on the millions of baby toads in our pond. In a few weeks, we won't be able to walk any where on the farm for fear of stepping on one or five of the little toadlets hopping everywhere. We have bedded up the fields for our winter squash, peppers and flower patches. We thought we were going to be able to take the row cover off of the early squash and cucumber beds, but this week end looks like to be the "blackberry winter." It is the last cold snap that comes in spring just as the wild blackberries bloom. I confess, when it was almost 90 last week end, I thought this year it wasn't going to come. But sure enough, the blackberries are flowering, and it is going to get below freezing on Saturday. Be sure to cover any of your frost sensitive plants. The locust trees are also blooming out here in the valley. The locusts are the first big nector flow for our bees, so we have supered them up to give them more room to put up honey.
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And, after last week's NATM market, we got some feed back that people would still like to have the option to pick up boxes at Cecilia's Kitchen. So we have added that back as a pick up site. Now you can pick up at Cecilia's (9-11:30am), NATM 8-12pm or the farm (9am until dusk) on Saturdays. The Wednesday pick up spots remains unchanged, Pleb Urban Winery 3-6pm and at the farm (9am until dusk)
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What's Available This Week
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Strawberries are ripening fast. Now is the time for over indulging in strawberries. We'll have LOTS at market on Wednesday, listed on the on-line store and at market this coming Saturday. Lettuce mix and head lettuce, red leaf, red butter, romaine, red and green kale, and cilantro are all coming in. The cold has let up some and the peonies are coming in strong, just in time for Mother's Day. We'll have special Mother's Day bouquets for pre-order. A bouquet and a quart of strawberries would make most Mom's happy. Spring onions, plants starts of tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, lots of flowers including scented geraniums and a good mix of culinary herbs are all available to plant in your gardens.
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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 cooking observations and delicious recipes offerings will appear here each week.
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CHARD – A member of the beet family from Sicily, chard comes in three types: rainbow, ruby and white-stemmed. It is called Swiss chard for no reason we can find, as the person who identified chard was German.
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Don’t wash chard until right before you use it and avoid aluminum pans, as they will turn chard a murky color.
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When cooking, chard is ready when it wilts.
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BASIC SAUTE - Shred and stem the chard. In a frying pan or wok, cook for a minute and a half in butter or olive oil and add a tablespoon of white wine or vermouth if you like. Salt a bit. A sprinkle of smoked paprika is nice too.
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Judy Rogers, who owns the Zuni Café, makes CHARD WITH LEMON OIL.
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About a pound of chard per serving or less for a side serving
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3 to 4 Tablespoons of lemon oil.
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Stem the chard but keep the leaves whole. Drop chard into lightly salted boiling water and cook about one minute until al dente. Turn into ice water to stop the cooking, then place the chard in a skillet set on low heat. Warm the chard and add the lemon oil and salt to taste. Lemon juice with olive oil is okay for replacing lemon oil.
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The stems can be turned into CHARD FRIES. Coat each stem with beaten egg, and then with all purpose flour and dredge in fresh breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and fry at 365F. Serve with Parmesan cheese.
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Beds ready for dahlias, winter squash, popcorn, and eggplant.
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Thank you for purchasing our produce and flowers. We are so grateful to be able to do work that feels meaningful to us and you all make it possible.
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