Reflections

Midsummer is upon us, and the weather has been lovely and forgiving. Here on the farm things are ripening quickly. I often wish I had the means and the ability to make one of those time lapse videos of the growth out here, for you and I to reflect upon. From above, you would see the shift of the beds being formed, planted, harvested, and put to rest, moving along the landscape in an arc. From ground level you would watch as germination occurs, the seeds moving with incredible force to break out of the soil and showing the world their first leaves. They grow visibly upward, and simultaneously, mysteriously delve deep into the soil to search out and pull up their desired nutrients. The camera catches the ever increasing surface area of their broad green leaves and witnesses their first buds slowly forming, with bees and butterflies encouraging and monitoring their emergence. These insects greet them with eager tastes at the moment they finally open and unfold. And the flower lives and dies, but the beauty of pollination brings forth a fruit from that spot of wilt and decay, the sun ripens it and sugars and water move upward to sweeten it. Finally, my hand reaches down gently to nudge it away from its viney home, sets it to soak in a tub of fresh, cold water and then places it in a box where it is transported to your kitchen. Over and over this happens, and I wish I had record of it, to watch and reflect on again and again the beauty of new growth and thankful harvest.

Featured Recipes: 

Spicy Eggplant Puree
A little oil for the baking tray
1 ½ lb. eggplant
a little salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 to 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper
2 cups chopped onion
1 ½ tsp. salt
fresh black pepper to taste
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 to 3 cups water
¼ cup yogurt
2 Tbs. tahini
2 Tbs. honey
Toppings: minced fresh parsley and/or cilantro, extra yogurt, finely minced red bell pepper
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly oil a baking tray.
2. Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise. Lightly salt each open side, and place them open side down on the tray. Bake for 30 minutes, or until very soft. Cool until handle-able, remove and discard the seeds and skin, and set the pulp aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in small skillet. Add garlic, onion, jalapeno, salt, and pepper, and saute over medium heat until the onion is soft (8 to 10 minutes). Stir in lemon juice, remove from heat.
4. Puree the eggplant, onion saute, water, yogurt, tahini, and honey together in a food processor or blender. You might need to do this in several batches.
5. Transfer to a large, heavy saucepan and heat very gently. Taste to adjust seasonings. Serve hot, with or without toppings, with sliced veggies or pita bread.
Source: The Enchanted Broccoli Forest

Lazy Man Eggplant Parmesan
• Slice your eggplants on a diagonal to make some big ¾ inch slices.
• Fill a small frying pan or wok with vegetable oil (maybe some olive oil for flavor) so that it is about ¾ inch deep. Heat the oil on medium heat.
• Use a basting brush to coat the slices with raw egg and drop them into Italian-style breadcrumbs. Make sure the crumbs stick all over and drop them in the hot oil. They cook fast. Give them a flip after a couple of minutes.
• After another couple of minutes, remove the slices carefully and put them on an absorbent material to dry off (paper bags work).
• Repeat until you run out of eggplant. Serve over pasta with your favorite marinara sauce and some Parmesan cheese.

How To Freeze Eggplant:
Wash and peel; slice, dice or cut in strips, depending on how you plan to use it. There's no need to peel very young eggplant.
Blanching Time:
Steam to blanch. Steam 2 minutes for diced eggplant and thin slices, and up to 5 minutes for thick slices. Have a cold water/lemon juice mixture ready (1 teaspoon lemon juice to each quart of water). Chill eggplants in the cold water-lemon juice mixture; drain and pat dry.
Pack: Leave 1/2 inch of headspace in bags.
Yield: 2 medium eggplants = approximately 2 pint frozen.

Caprese Skewers
15 small fresh Mozzarella Balls
1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes
3 Tbsp Basil Flavored Olive Oil (Use regular if you wish)
Salt & Pepper
1 Bunch Basil
30 short Bamboo Skewers or Sandwich Picks
Halve the mozzarella balls and the tomatoes. Toss with oil; add salt and pepper to taste. Tear the basil into bite-sized leaves. Skewer a piece of mozzarella, a piece of basil, and a tomato half onto a skewer or pick; repeat with remaining ingredients and skewers. Arrange skewers in concentric circles on a platter. Try grilling briefly if you wish. Makes 6+ appetizer servings

Preparations
Part of farming is consistently and diligently looking ahead to 50 to 80 days down the road, which is the time period when many vegetables reach maturity.  This week I am working hard to secure us all some wonderful fall crops; I am preparing beds and planting fall broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kohlrabi.  There will also be fall kale, spinach, and arugula!  As the share grows in size during this bounty season, I want to challenge you all to make the most out of your share.  I do attempt to assist you with this share letter each week, but here are two websites that are GREAT resources in that manner, breaking down storing and using vegetables and confronting common challenges.  One is written by a shareholder, another by a CSA:
How to use your CSA share

http://lifeasmom.com/2012/07/eat-well-spend-less-how-to-use-your-csa-share.html

Caring for your CSA share

http://www.the1780farm.com/caring-for-your-csa-share/

I am also available, by phone or email, to answer any questions  you have about your share.  Finally, in this bounty season, please let me know if you would like to preserve vegetables.  I can pass along seconds for free or sell large quantities of crops like tomatoes, eggplant, beans, squash, parsley, and basil.  

Featured Recipes:

Eggplant Caponata
1 ½ pound eggplant, cut into ¾
inch cubes
2/3 cup olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper
3 cups diced onions
1 ½ pounds plum tomatoes,
seeded and chopped
1 cup green olives, pitted and
chopped
3 tablespoons capers
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Heat oven to 500 degrees. Toss eggplant cubes with 1/3 cup olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a large baking tray and roast for 10 minutes. Continue roasting until eggplant browns, another 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Heat remaining oil in large skillet and sauté onions for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, and capers. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Add eggplant and celery to pan and continue cooking, covered, for about 8 minutes. Remove cover, turn heat to high, and stir in vinegar and sugar. Cook until vinegar evaporates and all flavors meld, about three more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot and cold, as a dip, spread, pasta sauce, etc.
Makes 8 servings.
Source: From Asparagus to Zucchini

Camp-Style Sunny-Side-Up Eggs with Sun Gold Tomatoes
1 ½ Tbsp Butter
8 Large Brown Eggs
12-16 Sun Gold Tomatoes, quartered
2-3 tsp Chopped Fresh Herb of Choice (Tarragon, Basil, Oregano, Cilantro)
2-3 Tbsp finely chopped Green Onions
Sea Salt & Freshly ground Black Pepper

Melt butter in large nonstick pan over medium flame. Carefully crack and add eggs 1 at a time to cover bottom of pan. Cover and cook until nearly set, about 5 minutes. Scatter quartered tomatoes, herb, and green onions around the setting yolks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, straight from the pan. Makes 4-6 servings.
Source: A-Z Cookbook

Panzanella
1 loaf French bread, torn by hand into bite-size chunks
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn by hand into pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
To prepare croutons:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Toss bread chunks with olive oil, and season with salt. Spread on baking sheet, bake until golden, about 10-15 minutes. Let cool.
To prepare salad: Place tomatoes and their juices in a large bowl. Toss with all remaining vegetables and cooled croutons. Season salad with salt and pepper to taste, then add balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Serves: 6 large portions, up to 12 side-salads.
Source: Asparagus to Zucchini

This week the rain has brought much relief, and the cooler days lately are greatly appreciated by the vegetables and yours truly.  As I write you now, it is storming, watering in the first batch of fall carrots and beets, and … rutabagas!  It is a little incredible to me to think that it is only the 8th week of share, meaning we have about 16 weeks of harvest left.  On the immediate horizon are sweet peppers and watermelons.  If I haven’t recommended it before, any members that can should check out the Carlisle Farmers Market at the intersection of Hanover & High each Wednesday from 3pm to 7pm.  I have a stand there, which I share with The Green Room restaurant’s gluten free bakery, and the market has everything you could need for groceries each week (meat, cheese, bread, flowers, mushrooms).  You also get to meet the friendliest bunch of farmers around and enjoy live music as you shop around.  


Featured Recipes:

Composed Summer Salad for One
3 or more sliced garden-ripened Heirloom Tomato or Several Cherry Tomatoes
2 Slices Sweet Red Pepper
4-5 Slices Fresh Cucumber or a Few Lightly Steamed Fresh Green Beans
2 or 3 Ounces of your Favorite Cheese, at room temperature
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Sprig of Basil
Thick-sliced Whole Grain Bread

Artfully arrange vegetables and cheese on a plate. Drizzle on some extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, and garnish with lemon basil. Serve with whole-grain bread. Makes 1 very easy, very satisfying lunch or snack.

(From: A-Z Cookbook, pg 177)

Bok Choy Slaw
2 Cups shredded Bok Choy(about ½ head)
1/3 Cup grated Carrot
½ Cup minced Green Onion
2 Tbsp minced Fresh Mint
2 Tbsp minced Fresh Cilantro
2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
2 Tbsp Peanut Oil
1 Tbsp Rice Wine (such as Sake or Mirin)
2 tsp Honey
1 tsp toasted Sesame Oil, plus more to taste
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1. Combine bok choy, carrot, onion, mint, and cilantro in a large bowl. Toss well.
2. Mix the vinegar, peanut oil, rice wine, honey, and sesame oil in a small bowl until well combined. Pour the dressing over the bok choy mixture; toss. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
3. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Serves 2-4.

(From: Farmer John’s Cookbook, pg 259)

Chard Utopia   Spanakopita – chard style
Serves 8-10

2 cups minced onion
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
In a large frypan sauté together in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 5 min
2 ½ pounds Swiss chard
Stem and finely chop it, add to frypan and cook until wilted

4-6 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon flour
Sprinkle in, stir, and cook over medium heat, 2-3 minutes.  remove from heat.

2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
Pepper to taste
Mix in.

1 pound frozen phyllo pastry sheets – thawed
Place a sheet of phyllo in an oiled 9x13-inch pan.  Brush or lightly spray sheet with olive oil.  Repeat 7 times.  Spread half the filling evenly on top.  Add 8 more sheets of oil phyllo.  Cover with the rest of the filling and follow with remaining sheets of phyllo, oiling each, including the top sheet.  Tuck in the edges and bake uncovered in preheated oven at 375F until golden and crispy, 45 minutes.

An addendum to the post below: 

At 4pm on July 19 I invested in drip irrigation for the farm.  The rain started at 7:30 pm that evening, and as of this morning we had an inch and a half of rain .... and it's still raining!   The rain gods ask for much, but it's easy enough to give.  Thank goodness for the relief of rain, I can feel the vegetables relaxing in the fields.

Patience

As the Rolling Stones say, “You can’t always get what you want.”  That is how I am feeling about the heat and lack of rain that we have been experiencing in the last month.  Of course, without rain I do believe we are being spared from other crippling blights like fungus and disease, so this is not meant to be a complaint.  Rather, it is a recognition that some things we must wait for, and in the meantime must continue forward as though we may never get it.  But I believe patience will pay off in the end.  So, this week I am installing irrigation on the farm.  A simple system, it uses hoses with holes spaced throughout that let the water drip slowly out, hence its name, drip irrigation.  With such a wet spring I was hoping to avoid irrigation but there is no denying that without some drip lines we won’t have fall roots, and I must have fall roots.  Here is a funny anecdote from my time spent on Fulton Farm in Chambersburg, PA: our irrigation source was a pump in the Conococheague Creek that pumped water up to a storage tank that we could then access when we needed, letting gravity bring it down to the vegetables.  Now that pump was always breaking, and there were hours upon hours of effort spent by half the farm crew just attempting to get it functioning.  This happened periodically throughout the summer, and without fail, each time the pump was fixed, it would rain!


Featured Recipes:

Great Green Vegetable Pasta
Serves 4-5

1 cup cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
½ cup milk (optional if using cottage cheese)
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
Stir together in a bowl and set aside.  Or for a smooth texture, puree in blender.

12 ounces fusilli, linguini, or spaghetti
In large soup pot of boiling water, start cooking according to package directions.

2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups zucchini, sliced
2 cups green beans
¼ cup green onions
Stir in broccoli 6 minutes before pasta is done; boil 3 minutes.  Stir in zucchini and green beans slowly; boil 2 minutes.  Stir in peas and green onions slowly; boil 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Drain well and return to soup pot.  

2 tablespoons butter
Toss with pasta and vegetables until melted.  Add cottage cheese mixture; toss gently to coat.  Serve immediately sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper.  Garnish with tomato slices.  

Summer Squash Bake
Serves 6

6-7 cups yellow squash, shredded or chopped
1 small onion, minced
Combine with enough water to cook or microwave until tender, 3-4 minutes (shredded zucchini may be used without cooking).  Drain.  Set aside.

1 can condensed cream soup
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1 cup carrot, shredded
Mix together in a separate bowl.

2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried)
2-3 cups herbed croutons or herb stuffing mix
Mix together in a separate bowl.  Put half into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan or a deep casserole dish.  Add the squash mixture and top with the reserved croutons.  Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Taking Care
These early summer days are full of tender care for the vegetables in the fields.  Without much rain, irrigation is needed to keep them going, and plants like tomatoes need pruned to ensure their fruits are sweet and desirable.  Fruiting is constant, so I pick eggplants, summer squash, cucumbers, and beans every other day.  This affords me time to really get to know the plants, working with them as individuals and in groups, monitoring the insect and disease pressure and taking joy in their vigorous growth.  There are also alarming discoveries, such as the tomato hornworms I discovered on the tomatoes this afternoon.  While they are in no way threatening the health of the crop, they are absolutely disgusting creatures!  And I assure you, I enjoy many insects!  These, however, are huge and blend in with the tomatoes until the instant you see them, hanging bloated from the bottom of  leaves, munching away on your prized heirlooms.  Needless to say, I took no mercy on them this afternoon (crushed all I could find), and will be rounding them up as often as I can. 

 Featured Recipes:

Summer Squash Crabcakes
4 Cups summer squash, grated, do not peel
½ Cup Parmesan Cheese
2 Cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2-3 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 T mayonnaise
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients together.  Form into patties.  If too moist, keep adding breadcrumbs until they can be formed without too much stickiness.  Then coat each side of the cakes with breadcrumbs and fry in hot oil until browned, then flip and fry on other side.  Top with a slice of your favorite cheese and serve on a bun with tomato and lettuce.  

Ratatouille

½ cup olive oil
¾ cup thinly sliced onions
2 cloves garlic
4 julienned green peppers
2 ½ cups peeled, diced eggplant
3 cups summer squash in ½ inch slices
2 cups peeled, seeded, quartered tomatoes
salt and pepper
olive oil

Put olive oil in a deep skillet or heavy casserole.  Saute onions & garlic until golden.  Remove the onions and garlic from the casserole and combine in layers with green peppers, eggplant, summer squash, tomatoes.  Add salt and pepper to each layer, and sprinkle the top with olive oil.   Simmer, covered, over very low heat 35 to 45 minutes.  Uncover and continue to heat 10 minutes longer to reduce the amount of liquid.  Serve hot or cold.
Source, Joy of Cooking

Parsley Butter Sauce (perfect for fish or chicken)
Makes about 1 cup

3 Tablespoons green onions, minced
2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup fish, chicken or beef stock
½ cup creme fraiche
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 Tablespoon coarse mustard
2 Tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

Combine green onions, vinegar, wine, stock and creme fraiche in a pan, bring to a boil and reduce to about half, or until sauce thickens slightly.  Reduce heat and whisk in butter and mustard.  Season to taste.  Just before serving, stir in the parsley.  
Source, Nourishing Traditions

Week 5: Independence

As a single farmer, I tend to feel a lot of independence. I set my own hours and work for myself, and each vegetable planted into and harvested from this soil passes through my calloused hands . The farm sits on top of a hill, and the breeze moving constantly through lends itself to wishes of the freedom of flight. Yesterday two bald eagles flew right overhead, soaring over the farm and then over the forest, and I thought of course of their symbolism of our country. But then again, I am not a bird, and the farm does not exist in a vacuum. Without the interdependence of the Community Supported Agriculture business model, through which each of you partnered with me to start Piney Mountain Orchard, I could not share the fruits of my labor. We live in an exciting moment in time, when local foods are celebrated and local businesses are supported. Independence from the corporate food structure, from factory farms, now that is something we should each celebrate as we bite into our heirloom cucumbers, romaine lettuce, or snap beans this week. I hope that each of you enjoys both the independence of the breeze and the positive dependence of family, friends, and farm fresh food this holiday of holidays. And may the fireworks be mighty!

Featured Recipes:

Chilled Cucumber-Mint Soup

4 Cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 4 cups)
1 to 2 Cups Water
2 Cups Plain Yogurt (or 1 Cup Yogurt and 1 Cup Sour Cream)
1 Clove Garlic, peeled and smashed
2 Tbsp Fresh Dill or 1 tsp Dried Dill
1 Tbsp Honey
1 to 2 tsp Salt
2 Green Onions or Scallions, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
Combine the chopped cucumber, 1 cup water, yogurt, garlic, mint, dill, honey, and 1 tsp salt in a blender or food processor. Puree the ingredients, adding more of the water until the soup is a consistency you like. Season with more salt to taste. Transfer the soup to a large bowl and chill for several hours. Garnish each serving with chopped onions/scallions. Serves 4-6.

Source: Farmer John’s Cookbook

Squash and Basil Salad

3-4 medium Summer Squash, julienned
2-3 Tbsp Fresh Basil, chopped
3-4 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
1-2 Tbsp Garlic Scapes, chopped OR add some minced garlic to the dressing below:
¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup Olive Oil
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Pepper
¼ tsp Sugar
Toss together first four ingredients. Combine last 5 ingredients and pour over the salad. Mix. Chill 1 hour and serve. Best if served within one day. (May be added to lettuce and chopped green onions) Serves 4-6.
Source, Simply in Season
 

Chard Pie

2 Tbs olive oil
1 ½ c. chopped onion
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 bunch chard, stems removed, leaves chopped
6-8 eggs
2 c. milk
1 tsp salt
2 8-inch deep-dish pie crusts
2 c. grated cheddar or Swiss cheese
Optional: chopped ham, cooked bacon, diced tomatoes, chopped basil, blanched peas, green
beans
1-2 tbls chopped fresh dill
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil over medium flame in large skillet. Add onion and garlic, cook, stirring, until tender. Add chopped greens and cook, stirring, until they wilt. Turn off heat. Beat eggs, milk, and salt in bowl. Spread chard mixture in bottom of pie shells. Add cheese. Pour egg mixture on top. Add any of the optional ingredients if desired. Sprinkle with dill. Bake at 400 degrees until pies are set, about 30-40 minutes. Makes 16 slices.
Source, From Asparagus to Zucchini