C.S.A. Week 4

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The big project here at the farm this week has been pulling and processing all of our garlic.  The garlic gets planted in late October, heavily mulched, and is the first thing to pop up in the garden in the spring.  In June the garlic starts to produce its seed stalk other wise known as the "scape".  Once the scape has curled once, we cut it off to promote bulb growth.  If the scape is left on the plant, more energy goes to producing the seed and the size of the bulb suffers.  Now, in mid July we are pulling up the entire garlic plant, cleaning off the bulb, trimming the root, and tying them in small bunches to hand dry in our barn for several months.  After the drying process, the bulbs will be clipped from their stems and ready for winter storage.  We have had good success so far, following our garlic with fall beets and carrots.  We pulled the garlic and immediately weeded the beds, added fertilizer, direct seeded carrots, and transplanted in beets. The spring/summer carrot germination has been very poor this year and our early plantings are spotty.  Carrot seeds require consistent moisture until they pop up, which can take up to 3 weeks.  The dry year we are having has made and even planting difficult.  We covered this round of seed with finely sifted soil and then a layer of peat moss to try and help hold the moisture over the seed, combined with some well timed rain today. Also had the pleasure of a beautiful farm tour this week of “Chase Hill Ciders” in Albany NH.  It’s a mostly for pleasure orchard, with upwards of 100 incredibly healthy fruit treas set on a northeast slope overlooking South Moat Mountain and the Conway Valley  pictures below...

 

In the share:

Green Cabbage

Fennel

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Summer Squash/Zucchini

Snap Peas

Green Beans

Lettuce

Sautéed Fennel and Green Beans
 

  • 1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
  • 1 fennel bulb, cut into thin slices
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup sliced tomatoes
  1. Fill a saucepan half full with water and bring to a boil. Add the green beans and fennel slices; cook until just beginning to become tender, about 4 minutes. Pour into a colander to drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.
  2. Return the empty pan to the stove and set heat to medium. Pour in the olive oil and let it heat for a minute. Return the green beans and fennel to the pan. Season with basil, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until coated and warm. Transfer to a serving dish and toss with feta cheese and sliced fresh tomatoes. 

Cabbage, Summer Squash and Zucchini Medley
 

  • 1 medium head cabbage, chopped
  • 2 medium zucchini (about 2 cups), sliced
  • 1 medium summer squash (about 1 cup), sliced
  • 3 tbsp. onion powder
  • 1 tbsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper

1.    Heat the skillet over a medium flame.

2.    Add about half the cabbage and zucchini and season with half of the seasonings, stir.

3.    Add the remaining cabbage, zucchini and seasonings, stirring really well.

4.    Cover and simmer on a low flame until the cabbage is soft (about 30 - 60 minutes). The vegetables need no oil or water as they will naturally release a lot of moisture. Also, the cabbage will reduce by half as it softens.

5.    You can increase or reduce the garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper to your taste.