Farm News

Two of my best friends farm in western Wisconsin, and they like to say that July feels like two months instead of one. Maybe that’s why the crew seems a bit tired! So far we have had a good summer ride with regular thunderstorms, but this week looked pretty dry so we hauled out the pipe this week to irrigate the crops. Although it takes a lot of time, I really like irrigating. John usually drives the Case pulling the pipe wagon, and we jog behind him, loading 30 foot aluminum pipes onto a moving pipe wagon, and then driving to a new set of thirsty vegetable beds where we drop the pipe in the alleyways. Then we hook the pipes together, connect to the well, turn the water on, and blow all the soil and rocks out of the pipe. Once we plug the line, the sprinklers spurt and gurgle, until they have cleared all the air out of the line. And then comes my favorite part. There is something really meditative about watching the sprinklers water the crops. Not that we wouldn’t mind if Mother Nature sent a nice, steady, half day soaking rain our way…

One thing Mother Nature did cooperate on is this weeks Fort Hill Farm edition of corn, which is really tasty, and for the squeamish out there, has fewer bugs. We’re not sure if the moths that lay eggs in the corn missed this planting or if the many hours John spent walking up and down ten 250-foot rows treating each ear with corn oil (to drown the caterpillars) get the credit, but this is some of the nicest organic corn I’ve grown.

Hope you enjoy the harvest.

Your farmer,

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

WANTED: pickup truck for harvesting. Many of you on the farm have seen the crew tool around in “The Blubird” our 21 year old Nissan pickup. While she has served me well, moving hundreds of thousands of pounds of produce from the field to the packing shed over the last 4 years, she’s getting a bit tired. We are looking to purchase a mechanically sound, affordable (=cheap) compact pickup truck (Nissan, Isuzu, Toyota, Chevy S-10, etc.). Looks are completely unimportant, a snow plow would be nice. Please give Paul a call at the farm if you have any info on the whereabouts of such a beast. Thanks

New this week:

Eggplant: a little early to the CSA party, but we are glad to have it. We grow several kinds: Nadia, standard purple; Rosa Bianca, a beautiful Italian heirloom, white with light purple blush; and Neon, which is a brilliant pink/red. Check out the recipe for Baba Ganoush below, always a great summer dip.

Cauliflower: we’ve had one of the nicest spring crops I can remember! Difficult crop to grow this time of year so we are lucky to have it.

Lacinato kale: also called Dinosaur kale, this is very tasty saute’d in the simple recipe below.

Also in the box: summercrisp lettuce, tomatoes, corn, carrots, garlic, basil (pesto bunch!!)

Featured Vegetable of the week: Kale, by Janine Meyer

Kale is one of the most nutritionally dense vegetables. Vegetables with dark green color have higher levels of carotenoids and chlorophyll, which are pigments the plants need to make food, and vitamins to us. Lacinato kale, discovered in Italy in the late 19^th century, is by far the most intensely green kale. Kale has one of the highest levels of antioxidants of any vegetable. It has the highest level of total carrotenoids, especially lutein and zeaxanthin, which help keep your eyes sharp and healthy, and prevent macular degeneration. A member of the cabbage family, it’s loaded with anti-cancer phytochemicals and has plenty of Vitamin C, manganese, calcium, B vitamins, and fiber. (Farmers note: eat your kale! It’s good for you!)

Recipes

Basil Pesto, from the Moosewood cookbook (Farmers note: recipe repeat from Newsletter 2)

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.

Baba Ganouj, from “The Moosewood Cookbook”

1 medium eggplant ½ tsp. Salt

2 medium cloves garlic, minced black pepper and cayenne, to taste

¼ cup fresh lemon juice olive oil

¼ cup sesame tahini minced parsley

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise, and place face-down on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until very tender. Cool until it’s comfortable to handle. Scoop out eggplant pulp, and discard the skin. Place the pulp in a food processor or blender, and add the garlic, lemon juice, tahini, and salt. Puree’ until smooth. (Another alternative is to mash by hand, leaving the eggplant a little chunky). Transfer to a serving dish, cover tightly, and chill. Drizzle the top with a little olive oil and sprinkle with minced parsley just before serving. Serve with crackers or pita bread.

Paul’s Italian Stir Fry

(Disclaimer: I cook like your Grandma did: ‘a pinch of this and a little of that’. I invite you to adjust this recipe to your personal taste!)

Garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Romano or Parmsan cheese, fresh ground black pepper

These ingredients are great for preparing many of the vegetables we send you. Works especially well for kale, broccoli, and chard.

Finely chop one to three cloves of garlic. Cover the bottom of a large frying pan with olive oil, use a good grade of extra virgin. Heat oil over medium heat, add garlic ad sauté a few minutes, don to brown it. Add chopped vegetables to pan, sauté until tender but still firm, squeeze lemon juice on and stir a few times. Turn off heat, sprinkle on cheese, top with black pepper, and serve immediately.