Farm News

This week, Mother Nature’s hot and cold mood swings have mellowed into some fine June weather. The farm received over an inch of rain on Friday. This is because John and I spent the entire morning setting up irrigation pipe all over the farm. Never fails to rain after you set up the pipe! The combination of good soil moisture, warm temperatures, and sunshine has brought on some strong crop growth. It is at this time of year that soil microbes really crank it up a notch, breaking down the compost and cover crops that we turned into the soil in May and releasing nutrients to the growing crops, which in turn results in beautiful, dark green foliage on the plants, and some impressive growth spurts on sunny days.

Time for some crop updates. We’ll continue to have lots of cooking and salad greens in abundance for the foreseeable future. Good crops of Swiss chard and kale are around the corner, along with kohlrabi. The first summer squash, sitting behind orange flower buds, were spotted a few days ago so they should be here soon. The greenhouse tomatoes are at ‘breaker’ stage, showing the first signs of ripening. Cukes will be late this year, they had a tough time with all the weather change ups, as did snap peas and spinach. Sweet corn is perking along nicely and is ‘knee high’ well before the fourth of July, we should have the first pick in about 3 weeks.

OK, I’m going to try to be less verbose this week so I can leave space for some housekeeping business and recipes!

Your farmer,

Paul Bucciaglia, for Janine, John, Leah, and Bob.

WHAT’S UP WITH THE PICK YOUR OWN??!! We’ve been getting a few questions on this so here’s the details on PYO. As the season goes along, a few crops will be available as pick your own. For box shareholders, we figure this is a ‘bonus’ that you might take advantage of a few times a season, when you have some time to travel to the farm for a visit to see where your food is coming from. Right now, the strawberries are coming in. There are some in this weeks box (one pint). There are more available at the farm as pick your own, this week the limit is 1 quart. The limit will change as crops go in and out of season. The PYO limit is the same whether you get a box or pick up your share at the farm. We will let you know in this newsletter what is available and the quantity. Pick your own hours are Tuesday and Friday, 2:30 to 6:30 PM, and Saturday 8AM to 12PM. Stop by the front of the white barn when you get to the farm for details. Directions to the farm are at www.forthillfarm.com. Please do not bring dogs or pets to the farm.

IMPORTANT notes for box shareholders: PLEASE unfold the tabs on your box to open it without ripping them. If you wish to collapse the box just unfold the bottom tabs. Please do not rip the box tabs. They are reusable many times with a little care, which helps us keep our costs down and reduces tree destruction. Please bring your box back next week when you pick up your new share-we have a limited number of them.

This week’s share:

Chinese cabbage: great for stir fry (for recipe see www.forthillfarm.com, 2004 Newsletter #2), or try the Chinese Cabbage Salad recipe below.

Scallions: versatile member of the green onion family.

Strawberries-are peaking and will only be available a short time longer. This week, all shareholders can pick up to 1 quart at the farm, in addition to the pint we packed in the box.

Basil: the ultimate pesto ingredient! See recipe below, great over pasta.

Arugula: lots of requests for arugula recipes. I found the salad recipe below on the web, its sounds very similar to one of my favorite arugula salads that I’ve had in a local restaurant. Tell me what you think.

Radish: last bunch for the summer.

Lettuce: we’ll have 2 heads a share for the next few weeks at least.

Featured Veg of the week: Chinese Cabbage, by Janine Meyer

Chinese Cabbage, known by many names but most often referred to as Napa cabbage, has a milder flavor and aroma than common cabbage. It can be used raw and makes a wonderful Asian slaw but can also be cooked by steaming, blanching, or sautéing (great in stir fry!) as a side dish with any meal. Chinese Cabbage is an excellent source of many essential minerals in trace amounts but is high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. It is also high in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and folic acid.

Recipes

Basil Pesto, from the Moosewood cookbook

3 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves 1/3 cup olive oil

3 to 4 large cloves garlic 1/3 cup Parmesan

optional: 1/3 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

pepper to taste

Place the basil leaves and garlic in a blender or food processor and mince well. Add the nuts, if desired, and continue to blend until the nuts are ground. Drizzle in the olive oil, as you keep the machine running. When you have a smooth paste, transfer to a bowl, and stir in the Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, place room temperature pesto in a warmed serving bowl. Add hot pasta and toss thoroughly. Allow 2 to 3 Tbs. Pesto per serving.

Chinese Cabbage Salad, from “From Asparagus to Zucchini, a guide to farm fresh, seasonal produce”.

5 cups chopped Chinese Cabbage 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

¾ cup sliced or shredded radish 4 tablespoons sesame oil

1 ½ cups chow mein noodles (the crunchy ones) 3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 cup crushed peanuts 1 tablespoon honey

¼ cup sesame seeds ½ to 1 teaspoon dry mustard

Combine cabage, radish, chow mein noodles, peanuts, and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Mix remaining ingredients and toss with the cabbage a little at a time. Mix in just enough dressing to suit your taste. 6-8 servings.

Mixed Greens with Gorgonzola, Walnuts, and Red Pear, Brooks Street Inn, Taos, New Mexico.

8 handfuls of mixed greens 1 cup toasted walnuts (approx.1/8 cup per person)

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

6 to 7 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 to 3 Tablespoons raspberry vinegar

4 to 5 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola cheese 1 red pear, slivered

Fresh raspberries for garnish (if available)

To toast walnuts, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toast walnuts by placing them on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 5 to 8 minutes until fragrant. Stir nuts a few times during baking and watch to make sure they do not burn. Select a variety greens with different tastes, textures, and colors (use lettuces and other greens such as arugula, depending on the season). Wash and then dry in salad spinner. Tear greens into bite-size pieces and place in salad bowl, then add sliced red onion. Grind pepper over salad and toss. Toss salad with oil and follow with vinegar, toss again. Place equal amount of salad on salad plates. Top each salad with slivered pear, Gorgonzola, warm walnuts, and a few fresh raspberries.