Haywire

Here we are, May 1^st. I thought you might appreciate an update as our weather has obviously gone completely haywire. You might be wondering how on earth a farmer could be on track to deliver a vegetable share in a mere 31 days. I guess we’ll see.

In a year like this, the high tunnel is extreme season extension. At this point, the ground is thawed inside, possibly not as deep as last year, but deep enough. I have veggies started inside the house which will be transplanted very soon. These include spinach, mache, bok choy, and even salad turnips. Given the forecast, I might even start some mustard greens and radishes inside as well. Because I use soil blocks, transplanting these sorts of veggies will hopefully work. The idea is to get them to germinate inside where their soil blocks are considerably warmer than the high tunnel’s ground. And so, there will be something learned, either way.

The other experiment I have going is unusually trendy for me, called microgreens. These are baby plants, grown only until they have 1 set of true leaves at the most. Think overgrown sprouts. In my case, I am growing them in a starting soil mixture (as opposed to hydroponic). This photo was taken today, day four after seeding. As this is new to me, I’m running a few trials. Timing is especially tricky as I have very particular harvest dates in mind. Pictured from left to right is Greek Cress, Broccoli Raab, Arugula, and Mizuna. There is also a Ruby Chard which is slower to germinate. I’m especially eager for that one as I absolutely love red leaves. I mentioned this is trendy, and touted as very popular with chefs. But I figure, it is fresh, local, highly nutritious, compact, and gorgeous. So here we go.

It is entirely possible we may have some lean shares in June. I can’t say at this point. I can say I am extremely anxious, not because I fear delivering enough food, but because this delay in spring compresses an absolutely insane amount of work into a very tight window.

That’s it for now. Off to chip more frozen compost off the ole block,

Maggie

September 14 CSA share

Certainly one of the more astounding plants to grow this season.

The last CSA blog entry of the season is rather overdue. Nearly three weeks after distribution of the share, I am posting the list. I was anticipating a bit of relief when the CSA wrapped up. The opposite occurred. Suddenly there were fifty jobs needing attention, each one dependent on the previous one's completion. The planting of garlic, the butchering of the chickens and a pig (raised by a friend), plus the removal of 30 stumps to the south of the high tunnel all seemed to land in the same few days. It was a bona fide fall frenzy.

potatoes

I will have to exercise the saying, “If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all.” But I will mention there will be more and better potatoes in future years. I view this year's crop as a personal low point in potato farming. Chief contributors were location and an apparently famished vole population.

one summer squash & one pie pumpkin

Maybe this counters the sad potato yield. Squash take a whole lot of room with no guarantee of success at our latitude. I am very pleased to have one of each kind for everyone.

lettuce

Baby lettuce had no trouble with several nights down to 29 F.

parsnips

I like to roast them, either in chunks or halves. These are small, might even roast some whole.

carrots

onions

peppers

Harvested them all right before the week of frost. Astounding how many came out of that low tunnel. I would love to see them all red, but I guess we'll settle for green.

storage cabbage

Started a bit late this year. Call it a personal-sized cabbage.

September 7 CSA share

September seems to have come accompanied by cold rain and wind. Great gales sweep through the forest surrounding the field and I can't help but look up for trees which might be coming down. Also, darkness seems to have come out of nowhere to infringe on my harvesting time. I suppose these are all clues to haul the food inside, squirrel as much away as possible and call it a day.

potatoes

The thriving vole population has been busy setting up shop in the potatoes. Considering the damage, I'm afraid we have no choice but to share the nibbled tatters. Please excuse the occasional bite marks. Over one third of those I dig had been sampled by the little fur balls.

leeks

onions

garlic

kohlrabi

cabbage

carrots

Santee sprouting broccoli

A new veggie for me. The plant produces little broccoli stems on tender stalks. Steam the whole thing and see what you think. Can also be eaten raw, but I suspect you can eat more stem when steamed. Will see.

lettuce

cherry tomatoes

I'll see what I can find. Cold rain and wind does not make a good week for ripening.

August 31 CSA share

This marks the fifth Friday in August. This strikes me as odd, but I've never really paid so much attention to exactly how many Fridays are in each month before. This week's share includes leeks. Despite a near death experience early on, the itty bitty leeks rebounded beyond my wildest expectations. Some are even downright big.

leeks

green beans

carrots

cucumbers

lettuce

garlic

peppers

kohlrabi

cherry tomatoes

parsley

summer squash and kale

optional items only for those who opt in ... please take from sale table

August 24 CSA share

We've passed over some invisible line. Pumpkins are turning orange. Leaves are looking a bit on the yellow side. The onions are pulled. Young juncos explode from the rows as I pass by. Great numbers of them seem to be everywhere, hopping down the rows under the plants. I imagine they are eating insects, but I'm really not sure. I know the voles are there too, pretty much in vole paradise considering the wall to wall food. Time to start considering what a hard frost will do. I'm having trouble getting worked up about it.

Onions

Garlic

Bunching Onions

Beans

What an ideal year for beans. The bushes are healthy and loaded. They don't miss the typical August wet season one bit.

Carrots

Cucumbers

Beets

We cropped off the beet greens this time. They were so very tired, figured we are down to roots alone.

Cherry Tomatoes

Celery

Cabbage

I'll bring both red and savoy.

Peppers

Additional optional items include kale, zucchini, cauliflower, and lettuce.

What a sight. Beets with simply the perfect hazy sunlight.

red cabbage salad

Dazzling Red Cabbage Salad

adapted from “Greens Glorious Greens”

by Johnna Albi & Catherine Walthers

Serves 4 to 6

3 cups very finely shredded red cabbage

1 red pepper, very finely sliced into 2-inch lengths (I used green)

1 large carrot, julienned or shredded

1/2 cup finely minced parsley

3 scallions, white and green parts finely sliced on the diagonal

Dressing:

2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar or other mild vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh ginger juice (grate ginger root, then squeeze)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon maple syrup

4 tablespoons light sesame oil for canola oil

1 teaspoon tamari soy sauce or sea salt to taste

Garnish:

2 tablespoons toasted black or brown sesame seeds (cool if toasting)

Place first 5 ingredients in bowl.

Shake or whisk dressing ingredients.

Toss dressing with veggies.

Sprinkle on sesame seeds.

August 17 CSA share

This might be my best year yet for beans. They were a nuisance to get germinated as usual. But this year I didn't wait long before reseeding every vacant spot. I also planted at a wider spacing after the disastrous mold which literally dissolved the crop last year. So far so good. We have three kinds of bush beans and three kinds of pole beans. Amelia never leaves home without a handful. That alone is worth the extra trouble at planting time.

onions

One red and one yellow. If you don't plan to use immediately, simply hang somewhere with good ventilation at room temperature.

green onions

Back again. This is a different variety which was seeded directly in the spring.

peppers

cauliflower or purple cauliflower or romanesco

beans

cucumbers

cherry tomatoes

lettuce

carrots

parsley

summer squash

harvested garlic