Week #15
- Lettuce
- Shiso or parsley or cilantro
- Currants or apples or plums
- Basil
- Kale
- Cauliflower or broccoli
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Garlic
- Beans – still just trickling in
- Hot peppers
- Cabbage
We remain busy on the farm. Weeding was top priority this past week. Vincent lent a hand and many of the worst weeds have been beaten back. The thistle remains a problem in many spots, making harvesting less pleasurable as one gets a sticker in each finger. We hope to get those areas under control this week. We planted some fall crops where ever some crops have finished. We have fall cauliflower, cabbage and celery in, and will get the remainder of the broccoli planted later this week. I will seed the overwintering cauliflower later this week, this is the amazing spring cauliflower that you got a taste of during the first and second harvests.
We hope to start work on the new greenhouses (hoop houses – I use these terms interchangeably but really a hoop house has no heat source and that is all we use.) There will be a lot of construction going on here at the farm over the next few months. We hope to put cover crop in one house and fill the other with winter crops. We will see how far we get with that plan.
Juve has two new calves this week. The first offspring of the Wagyu bull. They are long legged and black and really cute. There muscle is mottled with fat so instead of a ribbon of fat around the edge of a steak you have the fat inside the muscle, making the most tender beef. This is supposed to be some of the best beef ever. We will not have any for purchase until late fall 2017 or winter. Today we have decided to do a beef tasting of our current meat. It is delicious and nutritious as they are completely grass-fed with no grain finishing. We will also pull out the cider press and let people have a spin. We will be in the barn sampling from 2 – 3:30 or 4 whenever the samples run out. Juve has some beef still for sale.
I am deep in the flower harvest, drying for wreaths. I have fresh flowers every week that go to waste. Please consider ordering a bouquet ahead and I will make it for you or purchase one that I have made with care every week. Flowers brighten your house and are such a bargain, you deserve it. A gift of flowers is always appreciated, so open your eyes when you come in the barn and cooler and take home a bouquet today!
And another – super easy but would be great with your beef that’s coming!
Finquita Beef and Cabbage Sauté (from former member Kindle)
1 lbg Finquita ground beef 🙂
large white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large head cabbage chopped
Herbamare herb seasoning salt (or other seasoning of choice)
Salt and pepper
Using a large saute pan, saute onion and garlic in olive oil, add ground beef, season with Herbamare, salt and pepper to taste. Cook completely. Add cabbage and simmer until tender. Serve warm. My kids like this dish served over rice with soy sauce or sweet chili sauce. I love it as is!
Andalusian Cabbage Salad
1 small head savoy or green cabbage
2 Tbs salt
2-3 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tbs lemon juice
6 Tbs olive oil
Shred or finely slice the cabbage and toss with the salt in a large
bowl. Let set one hour.
Rinse the cabbage well by swishing it in fresh cold water,
draining, and soaking in fresh water again; the rinse thoroughly
until it is not too salty. Place in a bowl and cover with fresh ice
water and let sit for 15 minutes; then drain. Toss with remaining
ingredients and serve.
INDIAN SPICED CAULIFLOWER AND POTATOES
1 (1 3/4-lb) head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño, including seeds
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup water
Accompaniment: lemon wedges
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475°F.
Toss cauliflower and potatoes together in a bowl with 3 tablespoons oil, cumin seeds, and1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and browned in spots and potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes.
While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, then stir in roasted vegetables. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
Short Term Cucumber-Onion Pickles
Local Flavors, Deborah Madison
These were great! We had them last week, easy and they taste super.
2/3 cup white wine or apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 shiny fresh red or white onions (I used the really small ones and added as many as I wanted)
2 cups thinly sliced cucumbers, peeled only if the skins are tough (I used any and all, cut off the ends if bitter)
a few lovage leaves, fennel greens or dill sprigs
1 teaspoon mixed whole pepper corns
3 tablespoons olive oil
- Mix the vinegar, sugar and slat and set aside, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
- Thinly slice the onions into rounds, then toss them with the cucumbers, herb, and peppercorns in a non corrosive bowl.
- Add the oil to the vinegar, stir well, then pour over the vegetables. Toss well, then cover and refrigerate. It’s best if the pickles can sit for a day before being used.
- For sweet pickles, keep for up to 5 days in refrigerator.