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Greetings from the Garden! This week's box has lettuce, green onions, garlic scapes, broccoli, carrots, kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, celery, basil, parsley, the last of the snap peas, asparagus and strawberries.
Field Notes. This week signals a big change as we move into summer vegetables like celery. It has been a good spring with beautiful greens, and now we move to heavier and more solid vegetables.
Ken has been cultivating the garden and field. Now comes the last decisions on where to mulch and where to plant green manures in the final spaces between crops. In drought years we mulched most of the areas because there wasn't rain for the green manures to grow. This year we have had more rain, but it is hard to predict how dry the rest of the season will be. Ken works hard to keep the soil covered with mulch or green manures so the soil temperature is moderated for maximum microbial life, and he minimizes any soil erosion.
The garden and field have a different look now. Each year I compare the garden and field to women. In spring they look like perky little cheerleaders, then as mature women of childbearing age. And finally as a wise older woman. They have moved from perky potential to productive. And that is why we like to do the garden and field tour now - even though it may be hot and there may be bugs.
Thanks to all who came out. Each year the garden and group of people are different, so it seems new. We are glad to share what we do, and answer gardening questions.
From the Kitchen. This time of year I start to get excited as we move into new crops. Each year someone tells me how much better our celery tastes. And I agree. I start by adding celery and the leaves to everything I prepare. Then I start cutting the leaves and drying them on a sheet of newspaper out of the sun, but in an area where there is good air circulation so they dry. I use dried celery leaves in winter soups and stews. And I usually make at least one batch of cream of celery soup - good warm in the morning or cool on a hot day. And for people who do not do dairy, try Ken's alternative - oatmeal. It lends a wonderful creaminess.
For the garden tour Ken made a batch of pickled vegetables and he found he loves adding green onions to the mix. The batch had some green onions, carrots and beets. And I made three salads. I cooked sliced carrots and blanched kale and dressed with a blenderized cup of toasted pumpkin seeds with a cup of the vegetable cooking water and a teaspoon of umeboshi paste. I blanched snap peas and dressed with sweet wine, tamari, toasted sesame oil, a bit of crushed hot pepper and toasted sesame seeds. And as the cukes have just started, I sliced a cucumber, salted it and let sit and hour, then poured off the salty cuke liquid that had weeped , and dressed with kefir, apple cider vinegar, pepper, chopped green onion, a bit of honey and some chopped fennel leaves. Pickles and salads all got good reviews from those on the tour.
Greetings from the Garden! This week's box has lettuce and salad greens like arugula, bok choy, kohlrabi, kale, snap peas, garlic scapes, green onions, basil and thyme, asparagus, strawberries, and the first carrots.
Field Notes. Ken says, "We are settling into summer." He plans work around the time of day - transplanting in the cool of the day, killing weeds in the heat of the day, nailing frames for the bee hives or planting seeds inside during the hottest weather. And likewise I am planning picking around weather - cool for picking the strawberries and waiting until dew has dried to pick peas to avoid the spread of molds or fungus.
And in the midst of the heat wave we are discussing planting fall crops like rutabagas. Planning continues throughout the season. Ken is gearing up to move the pigs and get next year's compost together. So next week I hope to report on the annual "big pig rodeo" when we move half grown pigs to their next major pasture area.
From the Kitchen. Ah, garlic scapes. Certain varieties of garlic send up a seed head called a scape. These scapes need to be cut to help the garlic put energy into filling out the bulb rather than the scape. I see the scapes as a garlic preview - after a couple months of no garlic except garlic chives, I enjoy incorporating chopped scapes into salad dressings, stir fry dishes, pasta salads - anywhere I use garlic.
Kale is a favorite in this household. Kale is the oldest member of the cabbage family - right from the ocean before each culture kept altering it. Think how one plant became Brussels sprouts or cabbage, or cauliflower or broccoli or kohlrabi in Europe and bok choy or napa or tatsoi in Asia.
One of my favorite summer salads is to cut carrots in half circle slices, cook a few min, remove from heat and stir in the kale to wilt. Chill under cool running water, squeeze, and toss with dressing. I like to put toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds in a blender with umeboshi paste and some stock for dressing. Kale is great braised with a chopped green onion or garlic scapes and some interesting vinegar. Ken puts chopped kale in a bowl and tops with a poached egg in stock or any clear broth soup.
Basil's arrival signals summer is here. Basil likes heat and is one of the first plants to go with a light frost. So I enjoy the basil season. I make pestos for pasta. Pesto is paste, and Ken makes many herb pestos over a season. We freeze them and use in winter when green herbs are scarce. I add basil to tomato dishes, dill to fish, cilantro to Asian or Mexican dishes, etc. Rinse, dry, chop, and puree or process with some olive oil to make a paste. We store in freezer jam jars with a layer of olive oil on top to preserve color and flavor. Many people dedicate an ice cube tray to freeze and pop out small ice cubes of pesto and store is a freezer bag for future use.
We also add basil to soups, salad, stir fry. It is nice in a curry with coconut milk.
Sunday, July 10th is our annual Garden and Field Tour. Please RSVP if you plan to come so I know how many people to plan for the garden snack.
Well, after a cool spring and a smattering of heat and Friday's rain, we now have snap peas available for sale. Taste summer's sweetness! Snap peas have an edible pod and are a wonderful addition to salads, or as a side vegetable.
I like them in pasta salads, green tossed salads, and in an Asian style salad with sliced green onions and some sweet wine or honey, tamari or miso, hot pepper flakes, and sesame seeds. And of course there is the round carrot slices with peas and a bit of butter, salt and pepper.
Email or call to order some.
Endive.
This great green from Europe puzzles many people. What do I do with it? Like all the members of the chicory family such as escarole, witloof, and radicchio, endive has a green and zippy flavor. After a cool spring of mild flavored lettuces and greens,
the heat of summer features more robust flavors.
I dress my greens based on their flavor. In early spring I use light vinaigrettes. Now I move into stronger dressing choices. I like blue cheese or goat cheese, or Parmesan or Asiago with homemade mayonnaise or yogurt or cream for summer salads. I use first the garlic scapes and later garlic. I like the combination of goat cheese and toasted walnuts or pecans.
And if summer greens seem too strong, you can always either salt them for about a half hour or braise or wilt them. Imagine a pasta salad with blanched endive and a Caesar style dressing with olives and / or sliced summer sausage. I have been braising greens in the skillet after I have sauteed an onion; once they wilt, I have been topping with some beet pickle juice. and topping with cooked beets. And we have had grilled endives and radicchio - very tasty!
After the first berries called king berries, the size of the strawberries gets smaller, and as the weather gets hot or too humid, the quality of the berries decline - more seeds, etc. That is when I sort out soft or small or seedy berries called utilities, and freeze them.
Greetings from the Garden! This week's box has lettuce, green onions, garlic scapes, broccoli, carrots, kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, celery, basil, parsley, the last of the snap peas, asparagus and strawberries.
Greetings from the Garden! This week's box has lettuce and salad greens like arugula, bok choy, kohlrabi, kale, snap peas, garlic scapes, green onions, basil and thyme, asparagus, strawberries, and the first carrots.
Well, after a cool spring and a smattering of heat and Friday's rain, we now have snap peas available for sale. Taste summer's sweetness! Snap peas have an edible pod and are a wonderful addition to salads, or as a side vegetable.
This great green from Europe puzzles many people. What do I do with it? Like all the members of the chicory family such as escarole, witloof, and radicchio, endive has a green and zippy flavor. After a cool spring of mild flavored lettuces and greens, the heat of summer features more robust flavors. 
