We had our best market of the season this past Saturday. We’re really starting to feel good about the Woodstock farmers’ market. It started out small, and when we joined, there were only five other vendors. This past weekend there were nine total. Now if we could just find a better location than Rite-Aid, which makes us set up in a very pedestrian-unfriendly way, we’d be set.
We found out that it’s okay to sell baked goods at the market even if you don’t have a commercial kitchen. This is a new development for Virginia, and we think it’s mainly based on a lack of food safety inspectors, but we’re not sure. So Katherine has been madly trying to come up with good market baking recipes this past week. She’s tried sourdough cookies (two versions) and chocolate chip muffins. The cookies are a bit too biscuit-like, but the muffins are good. It’s not like we could make a ton of money, but it’s always nice to have something else to sell.
For those of you who have Facebook accounts, we have a Passage Creek Farm fan site now. Todd started it last week, and we already have 12 fans! We’re pretty excited about that, since we’re pretty small potatoes. Speaking of potatoes, we’ll probably start digging them again this week to see if they’ve grown any. Hopefully the rain hasn’t turned them all to rot. We should have some nice russets, so you can be looking forward to that.
This Week (*full share only):
Cucumber
Squash and Zucchini
Yellow Onions
Basil
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers
*Jalapeno and Bell Peppers
*Okra (red and green – Christmas in July!)
*Red Onions
Herb Share: Red Rubin Basil
What to do with it:
Again, lots of cucumbers. Our version of cucumber soup last week included basil and jalapeno, and it was delicious. We also use lots of chopped up cuke for burritos, which we make about twice a week. Cukes are also really easy to pickle, and you can even cold-pickle them and bypass the canning stage. You can also add peppers to your pickle mix, as well as whole garlic cloves. A note on the peppers: The HHWs have just a little kick to them, but the jalapenos are HOT. A little goes a long way. If you’re scared, just put them in the freezer until you’re ready to use them. Peppers need no preparation to freeze, but once frozen, they are only good in cooked dishes.
Last night Todd made lasagna with grated squash, beaten eggs, LOTS of garlic, and chopped tomatoes. He used cheddar cheese, but you could use any cheese you prefer. He just mixed the first four ingredients, put cooked noodles down in a greased pan, layered the cheese, the squash mixture, more noodles, then repeated the layers and put a layer of bread crumbs on top. He baked it at 375˚F for 45 minutes. Sorry we can’t be more specific on amounts, but if you’ve made lasagna before you should probably be able to guess, or modify it to your tastes, pretty easily. (Todd never measures anything so it makes it hard for Katherine to type recipes.)
For those of you getting the full share, we’d be very interested to know your opinions on the red vs. green okra, as well as the yellow vs. red onions. We love to get feedback on what we’re growing and what tastes the best. The yellow onions have cured for a while, and the red onions are very fresh. So we’re guessing the red onions will have a stronger flavor.
The red basil is very similar to the green, but prettier. A fellow market vendor told us that she likes to steep it in apple cider vinegar and then use the vinegar for salad dressings and whatever else you normally use vinegar for. We tried it for our pasta salad and it was so delicious! Plus it turns a beautiful reddish purple.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Newsletter July 20
Wow, it’s cold outside! What a weird summer this has been. We’ve only had one or two days in the nineties, and the tomatoes are slow to ripen. But there are a few in the bags this week. And we have an abundance of cucumbers, so you’ll have to get creative this week. There’s a recipe for cucumber soup below.
Of course, one of those ninety-degree days happened last week, when our irrigation system was on the fritz. Our loyal supporter Janice had come out Thursday morning to help Katherine plant 800 or so heads of lettuce. The irrigation pump hadn’t been working since Tuesday, and Todd had been scrambling to get it up and running again, finally having to return it to Tractor Supply and get a new one. Then he had to move the whole rig to a better spot on our creek, one where the water didn’t have to go as high up the hill. But after we got the last head of lettuce in the ground, Todd got the pump hooked up and it worked. Phew! So, as you might have guessed, we should have lettuce again soon. We’ve never tried to grow it this late in the season, but seeing as Fort Valley is known as “the freezer” by some, we think we have a good shot at it.
In other news, we’ve started an Etsy shop for our soaps (www.passagecreekfarm.etsy.com). Etsy is a very cool online store where everything sold is made by hand or vintage (older than 20 years). You can really waste a lot of time fantasizing about how you’d spend your money there. We’re currently trying to purge the plastic from our home, since it’s full of scary chemicals that can impair child development, and Etsy has lots of handmade kids’ toys made of old-fashioned materials like wood and felt. So it’s worth checking out even if you aren’t interested in our delicious soaps (which we know you are).
This Week (*full share only):
Cucumber
Squash and Zucchini
Yellow Onions
Basil
Garlic
Tomatoes
Sweet Banana Peppers
*Mystery Green Peppers
*Okra
*Cherry Tomatoes
What to do with it:
So the mystery green peppers are the large green ones. We thought they were hot ancho peppers, but we ate one last night and it was sweet. So, either we mixed up our seeds or plants, or our seed supplier did. But they’re pretty good anyway. Last night we had them with burritos and they were nice and crunchy. The sweet banana peppers have beautiful purple streaks in them. They’re good for frying, like for fajitas, or just eating raw in salad.
We’ve been hitting Barbara Kingsolver’s website (www.animalvegetablemiracle.com) pretty hard lately, since we’re both in love with that book. If you haven’t read it, you should. It will make you feel so good about being a CSA member! Anyway, we made her cucumber soup recipe this week, which is just cucumbers, plain yogurt, a little water, and some dill. If you don’t have dill, you could probably substitute basil or mint fairly successfully. Stick it all in the blender and chill before serving. We also made her zucchini chocolate chip cookies, which are really good. Check out her site for inspiration for what to do with all these summer veggies!
The tomatoes don’t need much explaining. The cherries are best just as a snack. We know few people who have the patience to eat them with anything else – they usually just go straight to your mouth. We are big fans of the tomato sandwich. Our version is bread, mayo, salt and pepper, and thick slabs of tomato. This is one meal that only works with a fresh, ripe tomato.
Of course, one of those ninety-degree days happened last week, when our irrigation system was on the fritz. Our loyal supporter Janice had come out Thursday morning to help Katherine plant 800 or so heads of lettuce. The irrigation pump hadn’t been working since Tuesday, and Todd had been scrambling to get it up and running again, finally having to return it to Tractor Supply and get a new one. Then he had to move the whole rig to a better spot on our creek, one where the water didn’t have to go as high up the hill. But after we got the last head of lettuce in the ground, Todd got the pump hooked up and it worked. Phew! So, as you might have guessed, we should have lettuce again soon. We’ve never tried to grow it this late in the season, but seeing as Fort Valley is known as “the freezer” by some, we think we have a good shot at it.
In other news, we’ve started an Etsy shop for our soaps (www.passagecreekfarm.etsy.com). Etsy is a very cool online store where everything sold is made by hand or vintage (older than 20 years). You can really waste a lot of time fantasizing about how you’d spend your money there. We’re currently trying to purge the plastic from our home, since it’s full of scary chemicals that can impair child development, and Etsy has lots of handmade kids’ toys made of old-fashioned materials like wood and felt. So it’s worth checking out even if you aren’t interested in our delicious soaps (which we know you are).
This Week (*full share only):
Cucumber
Squash and Zucchini
Yellow Onions
Basil
Garlic
Tomatoes
Sweet Banana Peppers
*Mystery Green Peppers
*Okra
*Cherry Tomatoes
What to do with it:
So the mystery green peppers are the large green ones. We thought they were hot ancho peppers, but we ate one last night and it was sweet. So, either we mixed up our seeds or plants, or our seed supplier did. But they’re pretty good anyway. Last night we had them with burritos and they were nice and crunchy. The sweet banana peppers have beautiful purple streaks in them. They’re good for frying, like for fajitas, or just eating raw in salad.
We’ve been hitting Barbara Kingsolver’s website (www.animalvegetablemiracle.com) pretty hard lately, since we’re both in love with that book. If you haven’t read it, you should. It will make you feel so good about being a CSA member! Anyway, we made her cucumber soup recipe this week, which is just cucumbers, plain yogurt, a little water, and some dill. If you don’t have dill, you could probably substitute basil or mint fairly successfully. Stick it all in the blender and chill before serving. We also made her zucchini chocolate chip cookies, which are really good. Check out her site for inspiration for what to do with all these summer veggies!
The tomatoes don’t need much explaining. The cherries are best just as a snack. We know few people who have the patience to eat them with anything else – they usually just go straight to your mouth. We are big fans of the tomato sandwich. Our version is bread, mayo, salt and pepper, and thick slabs of tomato. This is one meal that only works with a fresh, ripe tomato.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Newsletter July 13
Well, no more raccoons this week, and no more dead chickens (we think). We decided to order some more peeps to increase our egg supply, though they won’t be laying till the fall, probably. We’ll have to start culling some of the older chickens, too. That will be Todd’s project.
We’re happy to report that we have tomatoes to put in to the bags this week, though only in the full shares. Hopefully there will be plenty for all next week. The first crop of green beans was eaten very heavily by the bean beetles, and we’re hoping they’ve gotten their fill and will leave the next planting alone. It seems like they struck later in the season the last two years. Perhaps the rain gave them an early start. The sweet peppers are coming along, so they should be making appearances in the bags in the next few weeks.
In baby news, Elliot turned six months old on Sunday. He’s got the chubbiest legs ever, and is rolling over and getting close to sitting up. One of our neighbors had a walking chair they didn’t need any longer and gave to us, so his new favorite activity is rolling around the kitchen yelling at the top of his lungs. It’s delightful. He’s a total ham, and everyone at the farmers’ market adores him. It’s really nice because Todd and I have small families that mostly live far away, so Elliot has a local extended family and is constantly getting interaction with new people.
This Week (*full share only):
Cucumber
Squash and Zucchini
Yellow Onions
Basil
Garlic
Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers
*Potatoes
*Okra
*Tomatoes
Herb share: parsley
What to do with it:
Here’s a really nice sauce you can make with the cucumbers. Just chop one up (or half of one) and mix it into some plain yogurt. You can add chopped mint if you have it. It’s great for pitas filled with lamb or spiced chickpeas. You can add chopped tomatoes as well. Our friends gave us an easy wheat tortilla recipe and if you make the rounds a little thicker, it makes an excellent flatbread for all occasions.
We stuffed zucchini the other night, and while we used the eight-ball kind, you could do it just as well with the regular zucchini, though it probably won’t take as long to cook. Large stuffed eight balls took about 30 minutes at 400 degrees. We scooped out the pulp, sautéed some onions and garlic, added the chopped pulp, and mixed all of that with some cooked quinoa (but you could use rice just as well). When it was almost fully baked, we added some grated parmesan to the top. We ought to have added some basil – we’ll have to try that next time.
Okra is a stumper of a vegetable. Most people hate it because it’s slimy. To avoid the slime, soak chopped okra in ice water before cooking it. You can then drain it, dust it with flour and cornmeal (you can skip this step, but it makes for a nice texture), and fry it in olive oil or butter. Add it to pasta sauce with your other veggies. Or you can try the zucchini-okra frittata on our website. You can also batter and fry whole okra pods. If you like pickles, try pickled okra. It’s surprisingly delicious.
We’re happy to report that we have tomatoes to put in to the bags this week, though only in the full shares. Hopefully there will be plenty for all next week. The first crop of green beans was eaten very heavily by the bean beetles, and we’re hoping they’ve gotten their fill and will leave the next planting alone. It seems like they struck later in the season the last two years. Perhaps the rain gave them an early start. The sweet peppers are coming along, so they should be making appearances in the bags in the next few weeks.
In baby news, Elliot turned six months old on Sunday. He’s got the chubbiest legs ever, and is rolling over and getting close to sitting up. One of our neighbors had a walking chair they didn’t need any longer and gave to us, so his new favorite activity is rolling around the kitchen yelling at the top of his lungs. It’s delightful. He’s a total ham, and everyone at the farmers’ market adores him. It’s really nice because Todd and I have small families that mostly live far away, so Elliot has a local extended family and is constantly getting interaction with new people.
This Week (*full share only):
Cucumber
Squash and Zucchini
Yellow Onions
Basil
Garlic
Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers
*Potatoes
*Okra
*Tomatoes
Herb share: parsley
What to do with it:
Here’s a really nice sauce you can make with the cucumbers. Just chop one up (or half of one) and mix it into some plain yogurt. You can add chopped mint if you have it. It’s great for pitas filled with lamb or spiced chickpeas. You can add chopped tomatoes as well. Our friends gave us an easy wheat tortilla recipe and if you make the rounds a little thicker, it makes an excellent flatbread for all occasions.
We stuffed zucchini the other night, and while we used the eight-ball kind, you could do it just as well with the regular zucchini, though it probably won’t take as long to cook. Large stuffed eight balls took about 30 minutes at 400 degrees. We scooped out the pulp, sautéed some onions and garlic, added the chopped pulp, and mixed all of that with some cooked quinoa (but you could use rice just as well). When it was almost fully baked, we added some grated parmesan to the top. We ought to have added some basil – we’ll have to try that next time.
Okra is a stumper of a vegetable. Most people hate it because it’s slimy. To avoid the slime, soak chopped okra in ice water before cooking it. You can then drain it, dust it with flour and cornmeal (you can skip this step, but it makes for a nice texture), and fry it in olive oil or butter. Add it to pasta sauce with your other veggies. Or you can try the zucchini-okra frittata on our website. You can also batter and fry whole okra pods. If you like pickles, try pickled okra. It’s surprisingly delicious.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
July 6 newsletter
We hope everyone had a great Fourth of July! We kept it mellow on the farm, and stayed home to celebrate Katherine’s stepfather’s 87th birthday. No fireworks, just some delicious grilled steak, zucchini and homemade sourdough baguettes.
We trapped two young raccoons last week using the Have-a-heart trap, and they were safely relocated into the George Washington National Forest about 10 miles away. It turns out raccoons are super cute and we’re very happy we didn’t have to shoot them. Hopefully they won’t find their ways back. We kept the trap set, but haven’t found any more, so we think that’s it. The chickens should now be safe, at least until the next threat rears its head!
Happily, tomatoes and peppers are on the way. We picked a few cherry tomatoes this week, but only about five, so not enough to put in the bags yet. And the regular tomatoes are turning colors. The hot peppers are in first, so be prepared to challenge your taste buds a little. (Though, as the almost-neuroscientist Katherine likes to remind everyone, capsaicin binds to pain receptors on the tongue, not taste receptors. There’s your fun fact for the week).
This Week (*full share only):
Cucumber
Squash and Zucchini
Baby Leeks (with tops cut off)
Yellow Onions
Green Beans
Potatoes
Garlic
Basil
Herb Share: Mint
What to do with it:
So we’ve loaded up the bags with squash and zucchini this week. We hope you can handle it. If you cannot, you can very simply freeze the grated fruit. Just boil it or steam it for 2-3 minutes, dunk it in cold water, let it drain, then freeze it. You will be delighted when you pull it out in January. You could probably blanched chopped Swiss chard and freeze it as well, though we haven’t tried this. As usual, treat it like spinach and you should be okay.
Here’s what we want to try with leeks (but have not yet, so you might have to trust your own instincts here): Cut most of the tops off so the leeks are four or five inches long. Wrap them in a piece of foil with some butter, salt and pepper. Stick on the grill for a few minutes – maybe five or ten? They shouldn’t take too long since their small. You could also try some balsamic vinegar in the foil, or any other herbs you think would go well.
The potatoes are a mix of Yukon Gold and Kennebec, so they’re thin-skinned and great for roasting or mashing. You can also make leek and potato soup, and if you puree it at the end, you’ve got vichyssoise. It makes a lovely cold summer soup.
The green beans are just in, so we’re very excited. We like to simmer them for about two minutes so they’re not too mushy, then serve them with lots of butter and salt and pepper. The mint makes a delicious iced tea. If you’re not in the mood, just hang it upside down somewhere and it will dry until you’re ready to use it. Dried mint is more intense then fresh mint, so you need less of it for tea. You can also add it to lemonade, or make mojitos. Enjoy!
We trapped two young raccoons last week using the Have-a-heart trap, and they were safely relocated into the George Washington National Forest about 10 miles away. It turns out raccoons are super cute and we’re very happy we didn’t have to shoot them. Hopefully they won’t find their ways back. We kept the trap set, but haven’t found any more, so we think that’s it. The chickens should now be safe, at least until the next threat rears its head!
Happily, tomatoes and peppers are on the way. We picked a few cherry tomatoes this week, but only about five, so not enough to put in the bags yet. And the regular tomatoes are turning colors. The hot peppers are in first, so be prepared to challenge your taste buds a little. (Though, as the almost-neuroscientist Katherine likes to remind everyone, capsaicin binds to pain receptors on the tongue, not taste receptors. There’s your fun fact for the week).
This Week (*full share only):
Cucumber
Squash and Zucchini
Baby Leeks (with tops cut off)
Yellow Onions
Green Beans
Potatoes
Garlic
Basil
Herb Share: Mint
What to do with it:
So we’ve loaded up the bags with squash and zucchini this week. We hope you can handle it. If you cannot, you can very simply freeze the grated fruit. Just boil it or steam it for 2-3 minutes, dunk it in cold water, let it drain, then freeze it. You will be delighted when you pull it out in January. You could probably blanched chopped Swiss chard and freeze it as well, though we haven’t tried this. As usual, treat it like spinach and you should be okay.
Here’s what we want to try with leeks (but have not yet, so you might have to trust your own instincts here): Cut most of the tops off so the leeks are four or five inches long. Wrap them in a piece of foil with some butter, salt and pepper. Stick on the grill for a few minutes – maybe five or ten? They shouldn’t take too long since their small. You could also try some balsamic vinegar in the foil, or any other herbs you think would go well.
The potatoes are a mix of Yukon Gold and Kennebec, so they’re thin-skinned and great for roasting or mashing. You can also make leek and potato soup, and if you puree it at the end, you’ve got vichyssoise. It makes a lovely cold summer soup.
The green beans are just in, so we’re very excited. We like to simmer them for about two minutes so they’re not too mushy, then serve them with lots of butter and salt and pepper. The mint makes a delicious iced tea. If you’re not in the mood, just hang it upside down somewhere and it will dry until you’re ready to use it. Dried mint is more intense then fresh mint, so you need less of it for tea. You can also add it to lemonade, or make mojitos. Enjoy!
June 29 newsletter
We picked all our garlic this week, which is so satisfying since it’s been growing since October. We’ve been so patient, and now the patience continues as we let it cure in the greenhouse. We picked a few bulbs early to share, but the bulk of it won’t be ready for two weeks or so.
Unfortunately a lot of our greens have succumbed to the heat, and we’re waiting for the real summer goodies to arrive – tomatoes, peppers and potatoes. But they’re on their way! The cherry tomatoes should ripen in a week or two, and then we’ll have more than we know what to do with. Hmm…I wonder if you can make pasta sauce from cherries?
But luckily we’ve got tons of squash and zucchini and cukes right now, so we’re getting our first taste of summer. Again, there are endless things to do with these, and we’ve got tons of ideas on our website, so check it out. Mostly we just experiment, especially at this time of year when we have lots of one thing at a time. We know the CSA can be a challenge, so we appreciate you sticking with it!
This Week (*full share only):
Cucumber
Swiss Chard
Squash and Zucchini
Garlic
Baby leeks
Kale*
Yellow Onions*
What to do with it:
Hope you’re not getting sick of chard. We are continuously developing new ways to eat it, and we still love it, so we hope you do too. This week we’re going to experiment with a squash-zucchini-chard-lasagna. Feel free to experiment with your own. Our plan is to make enough to freeze one for the winter. Won’t it be nice to pull out come January!
We have yet to cook the onions or leeks ourselves, so we can’t provide specific inspiration for those. If you wanted to try the chard in a light soup, you could sauté some leeks in butter, add some stock of your choice even a simple chicken bouillon would do), and then throw in some chopped chard. A perfect light summer soup. You could even add some lentils or beans. The onions and leeks (one or the other, but not both) would be great in eggs as well. So would the squash and zucchini.
The kohlrabi is the very last of the bunch, so treat it with care. We really enjoyed it grated raw into pasta salad, but we also sliced it into stir fry and it was excellent. The cucumber is delicious on its own. We like to make a simple summer salad of sliced cuke, some white vinegar, a pinch of white sugar and some black pepper. Great with pizza.
Unfortunately a lot of our greens have succumbed to the heat, and we’re waiting for the real summer goodies to arrive – tomatoes, peppers and potatoes. But they’re on their way! The cherry tomatoes should ripen in a week or two, and then we’ll have more than we know what to do with. Hmm…I wonder if you can make pasta sauce from cherries?
But luckily we’ve got tons of squash and zucchini and cukes right now, so we’re getting our first taste of summer. Again, there are endless things to do with these, and we’ve got tons of ideas on our website, so check it out. Mostly we just experiment, especially at this time of year when we have lots of one thing at a time. We know the CSA can be a challenge, so we appreciate you sticking with it!
This Week (*full share only):
Cucumber
Swiss Chard
Squash and Zucchini
Garlic
Baby leeks
Kale*
Yellow Onions*
What to do with it:
Hope you’re not getting sick of chard. We are continuously developing new ways to eat it, and we still love it, so we hope you do too. This week we’re going to experiment with a squash-zucchini-chard-lasagna. Feel free to experiment with your own. Our plan is to make enough to freeze one for the winter. Won’t it be nice to pull out come January!
We have yet to cook the onions or leeks ourselves, so we can’t provide specific inspiration for those. If you wanted to try the chard in a light soup, you could sauté some leeks in butter, add some stock of your choice even a simple chicken bouillon would do), and then throw in some chopped chard. A perfect light summer soup. You could even add some lentils or beans. The onions and leeks (one or the other, but not both) would be great in eggs as well. So would the squash and zucchini.
The kohlrabi is the very last of the bunch, so treat it with care. We really enjoyed it grated raw into pasta salad, but we also sliced it into stir fry and it was excellent. The cucumber is delicious on its own. We like to make a simple summer salad of sliced cuke, some white vinegar, a pinch of white sugar and some black pepper. Great with pizza.
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