Week #20
• Lettuce
• Carrots
• Celery (wow, haven’t seen this in a long time, might be quite strong may need to use it in cooking)
• Eggplant
• Sweet red peppers
• Hot peppers
• Cucumbers
• Beans or zucchini
• Tomatoes
• Cherry tomatoes
• Apples
• Onions
• Basil
• Garlic
• You pick black berries
Happy Eclipse! The farm is buzzing with all our guests visiting from far and wide. We had friends arrive all day yesterday, two sets from Santa Cruz and another set from Boston. We will have more stop in after the eclipse. We also celebrated with my father last night in honor of his 90th birthday. It was so great to see him enjoying some of his favorite foods (stuffed peppers and carne adobado) among good friends.
We are still busy getting farm tasks done, so much to do and so little time. Juve worked hard to harvest potatoes and onions and prepare beds for fall planting. I have my work cut out for me this week as I scurry to get the plants in the ground before Luna and I head north to Alaska at the end of the week to visit Jacob in Homer. We are beginning the long process of turning over the hoop houses from summer to fall and winter. We are fighting pests as we go. The stripped cucumber beetles took out a whole row of winter squash in less than a day. Honestly the plants had over 100 bugs on each leave. It was a festival to beat all festivals of bugs mating and eating leaves. The plants look like skeletons. They hit the beans as well and dropped production as there are no leaves to nourish the plants.
The Brussels sprouts are growing nicely but they too are being attached by cabbage moths and aphids. The flea beetles are also out there turning every remaining leaf into lace. Oh, did I forget the attack from below – gophers and ground squirrels are tunneling the garden, eating carrots and potatoes and roots of brassicas.
News about the canning party. I had to change the date to September 16(Saturday) instead of 17(Sunday). I am so sorry but Mary Kay, my right hand woman and master of canning can not attend on Sunday. I vowed several years ago (2012 to be exact) never to try and put on the canning party alone again. That was a horrible year. Jacob had just left for college, Juvencio took off to McMinnville, Mary Kay was away and I was left to organized, set up etc. all alone. We ran out of canning jars and I volunteered to go to Fred Meyers to get more canning jars and I just went and cried. So, I am not doing the canning party without Mary Kay. Sorry for messing up other people’s plans but this is the new date: September 16. The list is full and the waiting list is brimming. Please do let me know if you can not make the change to the new date.
We got together this Thursday and planned out the list of recipes we will attempt. We are making some old favorites and trying some new ones. It should be lots of fun! I have emailed a list of what to bring. I need more outdoor stoves so if you have one and a gas tank please let me know.
I need to get moving to harvest and get ready to host the eclipse party. Here are some great recipes:
The Best Grilled Chicken:
For the Brine
4 quarts cold water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
5 1/2 to 6 pounds chicken parts with skin and bones
1/4 cup fresh lime juice plus 4 limes, halved crosswise
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Brine the chicken (the longer the better – but 1 hour is better than nothing). Then grill the chicken. Take the remaining ingredients and chop them and then blenderize them until smooth. Once the chicken is grilled pour the sauce over it and serve. Good cold as well.
Becca’s favorite Thai Cumber salad with Roasted Peanuts
¼ cup fresh limejuice
1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons minced seeded jalapeno chili (about 1 large)
2 garlic cloves
1 ½ English hothouse cucumbers, halved, seeded, thinly sliced
¾ cups sliced red onion
2 tablespoons fresh mint
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped lightly salted roasted peanuts
Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Place cucumbers, onion, and mint in large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on peanuts and serve.
Imam Bayildi (Stuffed Eggplant) (family favorite)
Posted on July 28, 2015 by Pumpkin Ridge Gardens
2/3 cup olive oil
3 medium eggplants
Salt and pepper
2 onions
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 Lb tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbs dried oregano
½ tsp sugar (optional)
3 Tbs chopped parsley
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice eggplant in half lengthwise and, using a large frying pan, fry in batches in 1/3 cup olive oil, until brown on both sides (10 -15 minutes). Blot off excess oil with paper towels. Arrange on shallow baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining olive oil in a sauce pan, sauté onions until they start to color. Add garlic and cumin, fry for 2-3 minutes then add tomatoes, oregano and sugar (if desired). Pour in 2/3 cup water and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in parsley and divide stuffing into 6 equal portions. Pile the stuffing on each eggplant half. Pour 2/3 cup boiling water into the baking dish and cook in oven for 45 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature. Serves 6. Adapted from Easy Vegan.
Celery, Tomato, and Basil Salad
4 large tomatoes, sliced crosswise OR 1 clamshell mixed cherry tomatoes cut in half, or a mix
3-4 small purple onions or 1/2 larger onion sliced crosswise
4 stalks celery with leaves, thinly sliced crosswise, leaves torn
Small handful fresh basil, torn
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons champagne or sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
S & P to taste
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, celery, celery leaves and basil; set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and cream; to combine.
Season with salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss to coat; serve immediately.