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It has been a long winter and a cool spring. We grow mini and micro greens in winter, but Ken has transplanted seedlings under poly, and the greens are now ready for harvest! We will have some available for our spring opener this first weekend in May.
There are greens in the original garden space under hoopettes
and there are greens in the mobile high tunnel - familiar ones like lettuces
and spinach
Many Asian greens thrive in this cool weather - there are mild varieties and spicy mustards. They vary in color and texture as well. they are good in salads or lightly braised and topped with oil and lemon juice, or interesting vinegars like umeboshi vinegar or wine vinegars, or a salad type dressing.
And the first smaller roots are starting, too - here are tiny beet greens
and salad turnips from Asia
and French breakfast radishes!
Spring is such an exciting time!
Greetings from the Garden! This box has salad and braising greens, potato onions, shallots, potatoes, carrots, beets, celery root, parsnips, sun chokes and gobo.
Field Notes. It looks like nearly a week of rain. this will melt snow and start things greening up all around. The only exception is that it is very dry in the greenhouses and Ken will need to irrigate. Now that the irrigation ponds are open and temperatures are warm enough the pump will start, Ken can do this. Last week we shoveled the granular snow on the sides of the mobile high tunnel and put baskets of snow in the walkways between the plants.
We also have dug the over wintered roots. This is the latest either of us can remember being able to dig them. We had some warm days earlier, but just as the snow was melting we got an additional eight inches. The snow has been going into the ground rather than running off, and the irrigation ponds are filling up. It feels so good to start the season with all this moisture. Because Ken has been building organic matter in the soil, it is more like sponge and can soak up and retain moisture during dry times, and it is easier to work soon after rain.
Usually by now Ken has planted peas, but the soil was pretty cold and damp, and had he done so on the last fruit day, they would be rotting in the field during this cold rain. Once the rain stops and the soils dries a bit, he will plant them.
From the Kitchen. Spring dug roots are a real treat. The parsnips and sun chokes and gobo add variety and I have more cooking choices! Parsnips are a white root
from the carrot family. They are sweet and even sweeter when allowed
to winter in the soil for spring harvest. Usually parsnips are big, and
people worry that the centers are tough and woody. This year we had to
plant a second crop and some were not thinned, so we have some small
parsnips. These are the elite - delicate and quick cooking. I have
scrubbed, topped, steamed about three minutes, drained sliced lengthwise
and cook with butter in a heavy skillet just to the point when they
turn golden and slightly brown - caramelizing with the butter is sweet
and rich. Delicious!
Sun chokes are
also known as Jerusalem artichokes - neither from Jerusalem, nor related
to artichokes. In fact they are indigenous tubers that are related to
sunflowers. They have a crisp nutty quality, and I often use them in
place of water chestnuts. They can be eaten raw, cooked or pickled. I
do not peel - just scrub where the skin overlaps to remove any soil.
My favorite is to scrub,
cut into thin slices, saute with a fat or oil that will take heat, and
add minced garlic and tamari or soy sauce just before serving. Ken
makes pickles with a salt brine, turmeric, garlic and hot pepper; the
pickles retain their crunch and the slight nutty quality really comes
out. These roots are also sought by people as they contain inulin,
related to insulin that often helps with blood sugar issues.
Burdock root, known
as gobo in Japan. There people consider it a health food - good for a
spring blood cleanse and toner. Add burdock to soups, stews, and also
cook gobo and carrots cut in match stick shapes in a style called
kinpira that uses vegetables of the season - squash in fall, peppers and
eggplant in summer, and gobo and carrots in spring. The kinpira recipe
can be found here http://kepperspottery.blogspot.com/2014/04/csa-newsletter.html
This weekend is our spring opener - fresh pots and vegetables! If you have a hankering for more vegetables, eggs or pottery please come by and tell your friends. Here is a photo of some of the pottery.
We now start weekly harvests - 'Til Next Week,
Judith
Chervil - this cool weather herb is part of French herb mixes called "herbes fines." It is best fresh and its delicate slightly anise flavor is tasty in salad or great with eggs and fish.
Tokyo bekana is a mild member of the Asian greens family. It is a beautiful color and mildly cabbage flavor make it good in salad or braising mixes
Tatsoi is a dark green leafed plant with really mild flavor. Most people recognize this and mizuna from mini green mixes - we like them both 3/4 to full size.
Mizuna is a mild mustard green - it is great in salad or braised, and Ken has used it in a Japanese pickle recipe.
Red mustard forms large leaves and I often roll the leaf and slice into ribbons for a zippy salad addition. I also braise it - but cooking lessens the zip - good for the meek palate.
Arugula hails from Europe. It is a peppery herb often paired with beets and topped with nuts and or blue cheese.
And of course there is the familiar spinach
and lettuces of many colors and types
What a treat to have big luscious greens!
We have had a couple nicer days - warmer with more sun. Since the forecast is for nearly a week of cooler, rainy weather I have focused on washing and arranging pottery for our upcoming season opener.
We have joined the Earth Arts Spring Tour again this year on the first weekend in May
We have some new pottery as Ken has been running test batches on the new clay from our property.
He has also been tweaking some of his local glazes
There many pieces and now they are all clean. Just need to finish getting them all arranged.
We will also have eggs and vegetables available for sale. Here is a photo from last year. Hope to see you next Saturday and Sunday!
Today we dug over wintered roots. There is nothing quite like the flavor of freshly dug roots in spring - new flavors after the long winter.
First we dug parsnips. Parsnips are a white root from the carrot family. They are sweet and even sweeter when allowed to winter in the soil for spring harvest. Usually parsnips are big, and people worry that the centers are tough and woody. This year we had to plant a second crop and some were not thinned, so we have some small parsnips. These are the elite - delicate and quick cooking. I have scrubbed, topped, steamed about three minutes, drained sliced lengthwise and cook with butter in a heavy skillet just to the point when they turn golden and slightly brown - caramelizing with the butter is sweet and rich. Delicious!
Then we dug sunchokes. These are also known as Jerusalem artichokes - neither from Jerusalem, nor related to artichokes. In fact they are indigenous tubers that are related to sunflowers. They have a crisp nutty quality, and I often use them in place of water chestnuts. They can be eaten raw, cooked or pickled. I do not peel - just scrub where the skin overlaps to remove any soil.
My favorite is to scrub, cut into thin slices, saute with a fat or oil that will take heat, and add minced garlic and tamari or soy sauce just before serving. Ken makes pickles with a salt brine, turmeric, garlic and hot pepper; the pickles retain their crunch and the slight nutty quality really comes out. These roots are also sought by people as they contain inulin, related to insulin that often helps with blood sugar issues.
Finally Ken dug the burdock root, known as gobo in Japan. There people consider it a health food - good for a spring blood cleanse and toner. Add burdock to soups, stews, and also cook gobo and carrots cut in match stick shapes in a style called kinpira; it uses vegetables of the season - squash in fall, peppers and eggplant in summer, and gobo and carrots in spring. The kinpira recipe can be found here http://kepperspottery.blogspot.com/2014/04/csa-newsletter.html
We have had some warm days, and have begun opening the greenhouses before they get too hot. The soil in the greenhouses is getting not only warm, but also dry. With ice on the irrigation pond and the air temperatures cold enough that the pump does not start smoothly, this seems like one good alternative.
Ken had a brilliant idea earlier when the weather was cold and the soil inside the greenhouse was dry - bring in snow and place it near, but not on the plants.
We shoveled the deep snow from the sides of the greenhouse into our plastic shopping baskets that we use for harvesting certain crops.
Then we dumped the snow in the walk ways between the plants.
After we cleared most of the snow the sun could warm the ice covered plastic and soon it will thaw and we can roll up the sides for more ventilation options.
P.S. The title for this entry was from Ken.
Greetings from the Garden! This box has salad mix, carrots, beets, potatoes, squash, potato onions, celeriac - celery root, shallots, garlic, and parsley
Field Notes. Work here continues around the weather. Ken has been watching for the snow melt and ground thaw so we can dig parsnips. This is later than most years. We just had a week of warm weather and now a week of colder nights. We plan to have spring dug roots in the next box - parsnips, sunchokes, etc. Ken has been repairing hoopettes that came down during heavy snow. And he has been planting and transplanting in the greenhouses. One is full and one is nearly full.
Ken has also been out trimming apple trees. He started on the ground with snow shoes. He was happy that he could start with the deep snow as that meant he could reach higher up in the trees from the ground. Then when we had some nice weather he got the ladder out and now is nearly done. Trimming unproductive branches allows the tree to focus energy on productive ones. Cutting to allow space between branches allows the leaves to get maximum sunlight.
From the Kitchen. I have been moving into spring. On cool mornings I light the cook stove. On the few warm mornings we have had I use the gas stove. We have been eating eggs as it is egg season. We sell both chicken and goose eggs. Ken bought some smoked fish and I have made omelettes with some sauteed onion, grated cheese and smoked fish. I also make custards and quiche.
The potato onions are not true shallots. They grow like potatoes - you plant a bulb and then harvest a clump. their flavor is milder than a shallot. I use them in place of storage onions or shallots. We grow them as they fill a gap on years like this when cool spring weather stalls out the green onions.
When this last cool spell started I have been cooking carrots with ginger. The ginger is a warming herb. I have been cooking beets, slipping the skins and then slicing into warm butter and ground fennel seeds. Fennel seeds are a good digestive aid herb. This is the time of year I work to come up with new ways to dress up familiar food.
Ken's work is never done, it seems! Often people think we "take the winter off," but no, we don't. Our work does change, though. I do seed orders and tax prep in late fall, then plan for the next season, send out harvest dates to potential CSA members, and in my spare time weave rag rugs.
Ken keeps planting for winter micro greens, and starts planting full season crops in late January early February with the onions. Last year he was seeding and transplanting in late February in the greenhouses. This year it was late March.
The seedlings are growing and going out - here are some brassicas,
and some celery and parsley
And here is a close up of one of my favorites, a beautiful red mustard.
Apple trees need to be trimmed. The best time to trim is late winter and early spring. Ken started this year when the snow was deep. He wore snow shoes and was all excited that deep snow meant he could reach up higher into the tree from the ground!
The last week during two sunny warm days listed as fruit days on the biodynamic calendar he got out the ladder. He headed out with his orange bucket of tools
He is up high on the ladder and well into the trees with loppers and hand pruners.
Each cut is a decision on how the tree should do best. There is not so much a wrong way as there is good and better pruning decisions.
This is hard work up and down and in and out, but I know that Ken does enjoy being outside on a nice warm spring day. And we both like having apples for the CSA and ourselves.
