I’ve taken to putting things in gallon jars with a basic salt brine and letting them ferment. In back: two gallons of garlic dill pickles, and in front a gallon of market leftovers.
THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:
• “Stregonta” Shelling Beans
• Mixed Summer Squashes
• Cabbage or Kale or Chard
• Lemon Cucumbers
• Torpedo Onions
• Japanese Eggplant
• Sweet Peppers
• Curly Parsley
LARGE SHARES: (also available in the Trading Box)
• Spinach
• Baby Fennel
• Thyme
• Radicchio
TRADING/SHARING BOX:
• Green Onions
• Radicchio
• Lettuce
• Hot Peppers
Click on the links above for information and recipes about these crops.
COMING SOON: Arugula, Tomatoes, Carrots, Potatoes, Winter Squashes
The honeybees are finally interested in our Buckwheat cover crop. Getting a good bloom of buckwheat makes the difference in helping the colonies load up with food for winter.
It has been several weeks since I’ve had a moment to post anything. I’m sorry. I meant to, but the summer-to-fall transition is the busiest for us . Not only are there a bazillion things to harvest, but it’s crunch time for planting. If we are serious about getting a good stand of winter crops going, they all have to be planted and weeded by…about now. We haven’t done too badly. We had a crew of weeders the last two weeks, so things are fairly under control now.
‘Tis the season for….Ratatouille!
It’s the last gasp of summer. The summer squash and zucchini are going full-blast, the peppers and eggplant are ripening, and the tomatoes are too—hopefully not more than a week or two until there are enough to go around. Remember, we put up a new big greenhouse this year, so our plants were a few weeks late to get planted. But, they are pruned and loaded with green fruits, blushing around the edges with ripeness.
We are set up nicely for late fall and winter now. I’m not afraid to say it. Plenty of carrots and beets, and turnips on the way. A nice, large planting of cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower growing strong. Brussels sprouts and leeks are looking good. And all the more delicate mustards (bok choy, mizuna, arugula, mustard greens, etc.) will be ready to harvest in the coming weeks. I believe we got our winter spinach planted on time this year, so we’ll have that to look forward to as well.
Cosmo was amazed to discover the size and construction of this abandoned Robins’ nest. The mud is smooth and strong. He’s become an avid birder this summer.
Fall is the time that the hens slow their egg production down, so there aren’t as many eggs to go around. It’s also the time we start seeing more animal tracks. Lots of them this week—snakes, raccoons, skunks, possums, coyotes, rabbits, and plenty of birds. Speaking of which, Cosmo has turned birdwatcher and used his hard-earned farm stand money to buy himself a set of binoculars. He found this used and abandoned Robin’s nest in a Hawthorn tree by the pole beans.
Evening visitors to the farm are becoming more frequent lately…Possum? Racoon? These were next to Coyote and Rabbit tracks.
Now that the house is cooling off, Della is ready to start up her baking business again, Della’s Delicious Desserts. She is taking a limited number of subscribers this fall, so be sure and sign up early to take advantage of her tasty treats. Click here for her application form. And email her to let her know you’re interested, or if you have questions at dellamr.chew@gmail.com
Whistling Train Farm 