Shepherd's Pie

In the "box" this week:
strawberries! (off-farm supplement but tasty and super-fresh)
dill (except for Michelle)
parsley
lavender
garlic scapes

I had some left-over bags at the Hyde Park Art Center. 3 complete orders weren't picked up, but I also had two extra bags with the herbs and garlic. Did you grab strawberries and forget the rest? Or did someone steal two quarts of strawberries?! E-mail me with any problems (and please check your name off the list on the refrigerator). I've started teaching a class at 6:30 on Mondays at the art center so we'll have to work out a way of not interrupting the knitting group or my class for a few weeks.

As promised, I found some tasty strawberries. Most I've sampled (from three states!) haven't had much flavor but these met my high standards ;) And the off-farm supplement came in perfect time because my garden is in a slump. Despite all those news reports of floods, my garden was a bit too dry and the crops are a little slow in maturing. Sunday did dump quite a bit of rain and the crops revived . . . as did the weeds. Guess what I'll be doing all week . . . yes, removing loads of wild purslane and lamb's quarters (weeds) and feeding them to the sheep. Some CSAs offer these as additions to their boxes but I'm hesitating because I'm not a fan. If you want to try them (Google for recipes) let me know and I can add them next week.

Kohlrabe and snap beans are developing nicely. They're both a few weeks from maturing. I'm fighting the groundhogs for the kohlrabe, there may not be leafy greens attached but the bulbs are starting to form nicely (I have both a white and purple variety). Kohlrabe is in the cabbage family and can be made into a delicious slaw made with apples. The beans? I don't think I planted any green ones this year, mostly purple and yellow in all shapes and sizes. My fave is the Roma Gold, a large, flat, yellow bean that is so tender and sweet.

I'm also still planting more beans, beets (and other root veggies), cucumbers, summer squash, etc. I'm hoping for a marathon week of planting/weeding with the predicted cool and moderate temperatures. Just imagine how much darker I'll be next Monday! There's a definite farmer's tan going on and despite Nancy's teasing, no, my neck is not red! Yes, I'm wearing sunblock and a huge straw hat every day but those are long days in the sun at the farm. Now if I can get rid of those flip-flop lines. . .

I'm looking forward to the August boxes, my personal faves. It's the start of the "high season" for our local agriculture, but July will absolutely bring you some pleasure (blueberries!).  

Posted by verica at 06:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the box this week:
baby Swiss Chard
green onions (scallions)
scapes (garlic tops)
sage
fennel fronds

It's still a little dry in my garden, despite all those rain forecasts and flooding in the western area of this region. Add a hungry family of groundhogs with exquisite tastes (golden pea shoots and kohlrabe tops!) and my garden has had a few setbacks in production. Next week I will supplement with strawberries from a neighbor until something different in my garden starts to kick in!.

A few good recipes were shared today during my drop-offs. A sage/garlic/brown butter sauce added to mashed potatoes! Yum. Another was a tofu/Swiss chard combination. I think baking the tofu with soy sauce/olive oil, then frying some onion and garlic, place the baked tofu on top, top that with fresh Swiss chard, cover with a lid and wilt down the chard leaves (both the garlic/onion mix and the chard will release juices that will be absorbed by the tofu). Seems like you could replace the tofu with fish if you're interested.

Garlic scapes? So many recipes for this one, it's been popular lately. It's the tops of a hard-necked garlic and by removing them the bulbs will grow larger (the tops also contain mini-bulbs). Steam them as you would asparagus, stir fry them with other veggies, the possibilities are endless. The NY Times had an article: link

Posted by verica at 05:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the boxes this week:
green onions
green garlics with scapes attached
summer bok choy
Swiss chard
dill
lavender

* * *
Recipes?

Swiss chard, the simple saute in oil with garlic and chili pepper is still the easiest way to prepare most greens: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000965swiss_chard.php. Another way I like to prepare most greens is to cook them down a bit (steam or boil), drain the water by squeezing, chopping it up and throwing it between layers of filo (phylo) dough with some feta cheese. Brush each layer of filo with a little bit of oil (I prefer sunflower or canola), layer about 4 or 5 filo leaves, then add a bit of crumbled feta and the chopped chard (or other greens) with some sauteed onions). Do this a few times, no rules, this is peasant cooking. Finish with a layer of filo, brush the top with oil and bake until well browned at 350 degrees. Yes, Swiss chard can replace spinach in spanakopita.

The summer bok choi is great for stir fries. This is all there is so far as I had crop damage this year (groundhogs!). I thought I'd throw it in your bags this week as it was starting to go to seed and wanted you to have at least a taste before it's gone. I may try another crop or two before the year is up.

lavender recipes? Lots and lots of them. Add it to lemonade, shortbread cookies, here's a good place to start: http://www.napa-lavender.com/content/recipes.htm.

This tart recipe has been tempting me ever since it came out in March, I may bring this to Monday night knitting soon (if it's not too hot and humid):  lavender-honey tart: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/CHOCOLATE-HONEY-TART-241875

farm report:

Monday was an almost perfect day for harvesting! Low humidity, low temperatures but lots of wind. Our farm in southwest Michigan isn't getting any of that headline flooding, just weird patches of dry ground that need watering (my nasturtiums are wilting!) and other patches that the tractor gets stuck in. There are delays in planting tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, and squash. Weather predictions for this week look great and I'm hoping to crank through and get everything in the ground (as well as keep up with those weeds trying to choke out the cardoon).

Posted by verica at 05:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's starting to pick up!
In the boxes this week:
asparagus
green garlic
long red radishes
mustard  greens (curly tips)
collard greens (two-toned leaves)
broccoli raab (aka "rapini")

Please add recipes, comments, and suggestions to the "pages" section of
http://groups.google.com/group/videnovichfarms

A few recipe tips.
mustard greens (or any "greens"): saute garlic, add the leaves, when
they wilt add a little red wine vinegar, reduce, serve over pasta.
http://www.seasonalchef.com/greens.htm suggests also adding toasted
pine nuts and raisins. Mmm.

That seasonalchef.com link also includes a broccoli raab recipe. There
will hopefully be plenty more rapini for the next month. In the past
it's grown like a hydra, two stems growing from the previous cuts. This
crop is a non-bunching form of broccoli and the whole plant is edible.
Great steamed or in stir-frys.

I have no idea what will be available next week. This weather has been
funky and farming has never been a friend to early predictions. The
Swiss chard and kale have been weeded and the recent rains create
favorable conditions for these plants. The sugar peas are in bloom. The
radishes are waning with the warming temperatures. I hope to bring them
back in late autumn. Garlic scapes should be available soon. Those are
the curly tops to the hard-necked garlic I grow. Delish steamed or
fried and make a wonderful pesto or aoili. Did I mention the garlic is
a special red variety originally grown by my grandfather in eastern
Serbia? It's one of the true Videnovich family heirloom veggies that
I've been growing since I was about 3 or 4 years old (when grandpa came
to visit). The other family heirloom are the quince fruit, available at
the end of the growing season (and in my special quince and
rose-scented geranium-infused marmalade). Here's a link to grandpa
during that visit:

Posted by verica at 08:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

More green stuff. In the boxes this week:
green onions (scallions)
radishes
sorrel
mint
sweet marjoram (winter-hardy oregano)
pea shoots

Mint and sweet marjoram can be used fresh or dried. Quite a few of you
mentioned mojitos and mint juleps. . .  nice ;) I'll keep that in mind
for future CSA deliveries. Please keep the feedback coming, it gives
me direction for how to put these orders together.

recipe ideas:

sorrel: This is a common European vegetable. Here in the States it's
used as an herb. It's like a lemony spinach. Great in potato soup, egg
or fish dishes. Here's a blog that mentions it:
http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes/307213-s-is-for-sorrel-sauce

pea shoots: delish thrown in salads. Also it's great in a quick stir-
fry with garlic, ginger, and soy. Taste like peas, even the tendrils!
Lots of nutrients in this one.

sweet marjoram: use it fresh or let it dry for later use. It's great
for all sorts of meats and egg dishes. Also great as an herb vinegar
or herb butter. Here's a link: http://www.superbherbs.net/Sweetmarjoram.htm

Posted by verica at 08:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)