Category Archives: Uncategorized

>Summer Week 12: Bounty! At last!

Posted on August 31, 2010 | 2 comments

>THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:

• Zucchini and Summer Squashes
• Romano or American Snap Beans
• Broccoli
• Yellow Onions
• Tomatoes
• Green or Lemon Cucumbers
• Purple Basil or Cilantro
• Lettuces, or Swiss Chard or Kale

COMING SOON:
Spinach
Amaranth Greens
Basil
Italian Parsley
Beets
Carrots

U-PICK:
Flowers: Bachelor’s Buttons, Cosmos, Spider Flower, Black-Eyed Susans, Zinnias, Statice, Castor Beans, Sunflowers

U-Pick Herbs need some time to recover from the heavy picking this summer. It was our first year to try this, and we now know that we need a lot more plants! We are planning raised beds so that we can increase the planting space, and number of plants for next summer. Thanks for making this such a success!

At last, we have reached the bountiful period of summer. Now that we’ve had all the sunny, warm weather the plants have had plenty of time to kick in. I needed a reminder of what summer is usually like, so I perused my blog posts from 2009 and 2008. We are clearly a month behind where we usually are with all of these crops. But better late than never!



Broccoli Plants

Lemon Cucumbers

Baby Sweet Potatoes

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>Summer Week 10: Purslane, and Basil

Posted on August 18, 2010 | Leave a comment

>THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:

(see end of page for photos)

• Zucchini and Summer Squashes
• Kohlrabi
• Cipollini or Red Onions
• Sweet Basil
• Swiss Chard or Kale (for the last time until Fall, unless you request them)

COMING SOON:
Tender Lettuces
Romano Beans
Broccoli
Green Beans
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Spinach
Amaranth Greens

U-PICK:
Flowers: Bachelor’s Buttons, Cosmos, Spider Flower, Black-Eyed Susans, Larkspur, Zinnias, Statice, Castor Beans


We have opened up the cut-flower garden for u-pick. Please look for the signs and instructions when you are here to pick.

Basil is good with anything—in salad, thrown in with some sautéed vegetables ( like beans or squash), but we like pesto. It’s a great quick dinner, and it makes any vegetable edible for the kids. When they don’t want to eat broccoli, squash, or beans, put pesto on top and some cheese and they’ll eat it up.

SHELLEY’S BASIL PESTO
1 or 2 bunches of fresh Basil
1 or 2 cloves of Garlic
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

1. If the basil is young and fresh, throw the whole bunch (minus rubber band) into the food processor or blender, along with the peeled garlic cloves. If it’s a little more mature, remove and use only the leaves, not any tough stems.

2. Turn on the machine and slowly pour in olive oil until the mixture blends nicely and is slightly runny. You want it to pour and blend easily.

3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Top with grated Parmesan or Pecorino (our favorite) cheese. (Our favorite brand is Fulvi, from Italy. You can find it at Whole Foods or at DeLaurenti at Pike Place Market (and now at Trader Joe’s! It doesn’t say Fulvi, but their pecorino is the same stuff). Some people find this brand too strong, though—we like stinky cheese and salty olives in our house.)

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>Summer Week 9: Zucchini and BASIL

Posted on August 10, 2010 | 2 comments

>THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:

(see end of page for photos)

• Zucchini
• Baby Carrots
• Garlic
• Sweet Basil
• Spinach
• Swiss Chard or Kale

COMING SOON:
Tender Lettuces
Cauliflower
Green Beans
Tomatoes

U-PICK:
Flowers: Bachelor’s Buttons, Cosmos, Spider Flower, Black-Eyed Susans, Larkspur, Zinnias


We have opened up the cut-flower and herb gardens for u-pick. Please look for the signs and instructions when you are here to pick.

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>Summer Week 8: Fava Beans and Spinach

Posted on July 29, 2010 | Leave a comment

>THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:

(see end of page for photos)

• Swiss Chard or Kale
• Sweet Onions
• Beets or Kohlrabi
• Spinach
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Fava Beans

COMING SOON:
Summer Squash
Basil
Carrots
Tender Lettuces
Cauliflower
Green Beans


U-PICK:
Peas are finished this week—we need to make sure we have enough for everyone to finish out the week.

Herbs: Rosemary, Sage, Lemon Thyme, Oregano, Cilantro, Dill, Nasturtium Flowers
Flowers: Snapdragons, Bachelor’s Buttons, Cosmos, Spider Flower, Black-Eyed Susans, Larkspur



We have opened up the cut-flower and herb gardens for u-pick. Please look for the signs and instructions when you are here to pick.

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>Summer Week 6: Sugar Snap Peas

Posted on July 23, 2010 | 1 comment

>THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:

(see end of page for photos)

• Swiss Chard
• Sweet Onions
• Big Lettuces
• Dill
• Sugar Snap Peas

COMING SOON:
Shelling Peas
Fava Beans
Spinach
Summer Squash

U-PICK:
Snow Peas
Sugar Snap Peas
Herbs: Rosemary, Sage, Lemon Thyme, Oregano, Cilantro, Dill, Nasturtium Flowers
Flowers: Snapdragons, Bachelor’s Buttons, Cosmos, Corn Cockle, Rocky Mountain Garland, Larkspur, Poppies



We have opened up the cut-flower and herb gardens for u-pick. Please look for the signs and instructions when you are here to pick. U-pick peas will be coming soon—maybe even next week.

We are without Luis this week, and probably next. I apologize for getting this posted late. He had knee surgery Monday, and I think he’ll be taking it easy for a while. It’s not the best timing for us, but Mike and I are making do. Picking everything ourselves isn’t so bad, it’s getting all the late summer and fall crops planted at the same time that we’re having a hard time with. It’s helping to have the kids in day camp for a couple of weeks, at least we can focus better.

The peas have come on strong, and you really need to get over here and do your picking before they dry up. There are just so many that will be wasted if they don’t get eaten or put in your freezers. I can only do so many myself. If you’re not sure how, you can view Cosmo’s documentary on pea-picking here.

The summer squashes and zucchinis are growing beautifully now, and they will be blooming by the end of the week. The basil is finally growing, and the broccoli and cauliflower are getting bigger. The potatoes need to be hilled, the garlic is ready to pull from the ground, and really, so are the yellow and red dry onions. We’ve got the fall/winter beets and the big carrot crop planted but they’re having a hard time germinating without a lot of water, so we’re working on that. Winter squashes and pumpkins are finally starting to go—we’ll have plenty if we have a late summer and no September frosty nights. They’re going to need every day they can get. The artichokes look great, and so do the green beans. I’ve still got to get the last few rows of pole shelling beans strung up before the vines get any longer or it will be too late. And there are 50 flats of lettuce and radicchio waiting to go in the ground. It’s a good thing the puppies got us up early today.

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>Summer Week 5: Sugar Snap Peas

Posted on July 13, 2010 | 4 comments

>THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:

(see end of page for photos)

• Lettuces
• Cilantro
• Sugar Snap Peas

COMING SOON:
Peas
Shelling Peas
Fava Beans
Swiss Chard
Spinach

U-PICK:
Snow Peas
Sugar Snap Peas
Herbs: Rosemary, Sage, Lemon Thyme, Oregano, Cilantro, Dill, Nasturtium Flowers
Flowers: Snapdragons, Bachelor’s Buttons, Cosmos, Corn Cockle, Rocky Mountain Garland, Larkspur, Poppies



We have opened up the cut-flower and herb gardens for u-pick. Please look for the signs and instructions when you are here to pick. U-pick peas will be coming soon—maybe even next week.

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>Summer Week 4: Yokatta-Na returns one more time

Posted on July 6, 2010 | 3 comments

>THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:

(see end of page for photos)

• Cipollini Onions
• Salad Mix
• Butter Lettuces
• Cilantro
• Yokatta-Na

COMING SOON:
Peas
Beet Greens
Carrots
Garlic Scapes
Swiss Chard

First, I apologize for not writing more last week. We had visitors from Peru for a few days, and we devoted ourselves to them while they were here. You may remember (five years ago) that we had two amazing interns from Peru, Juan and Hector. Hector now works for produce company in Peru and manages 300 acres of table grapes. He and his boss were in Los Angeles for a grape symposium and they flew up to visit. We did tourist-type things, like visited the Space Needle, for which the weather was clear, and we went to the Ocean and Hoh Rain Forest, also beautiful weather.

The beans we planted last week have all come up and are growing beautifully. I replanted the cucumbers which only germinated at 10%, and they have no excuse now that the temperatures are in the 80’s. I better see little sprouts popping up soon!

All of the cauliflower and broccoli are planted and surrounded by a chickenwire fence to keep out the last of the rabbits. The artichokes are planted. Now we’re getting ready for winter squash and pumpkins—several weeks late, but they would have rotted in the ground before this week.

We have opened up the cut-flower and herb gardens for u-pick. Please look for the signs and instructions when you are here to pick. U-pick peas will be coming soon—maybe even next week.

Pea Shoots
Cipollini Onions
Spinach

Lettuce Mix

Lettuces

Cilantro

Yokatta-Na

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>Summer Week 3: Lettuce and…More Lettuce

Posted on June 29, 2010 | 2 comments

>THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:

(see end of page for photos)

• Salad Mix
• Baby Butter Lettuce
• Pepper Cress

COMING SOON:
Beet Greens
Carrots
Peas
Garlic Scapes

After a glorious week of sunny weather and temperatures in the 80°s, we are starting to feel caught-up. We got the summer squash planted, all of the snap and shelling beans, and a nice big patch of kale, swiss chard, beets, and carrots. That’s the patch that will last us into the winter. We’ve had to get the water lines hooked up and start running sprinklers and drip-tape.

The artichokes are planted out, and after a week of rabbit-hunting, we’re ready to plant out the broccoli and cauliflower, and summer cabbages. Remember how much Peter Rabbit loved Mr. MacGregor’s cabbages? Well these wild rabbits are no different, and I’ve been worried to death about how to plant them out and have them survive just a night or two. Luis and Mike have caught at least 15 rabbits down in the holler, and we’ve rounded up 600′ of chickenwire to build a fence around the whole patch. How’s that for security? I’m not taking any chances. A few years ago, we planted out a nice stand of broccoli and all the plants were nibbled down to nubs overnight.

A quick word about the Green Garlic: This is immature, tender garlic that hasn’t formed solid, independent cloves yet inside the bulb. You can use the entire stalk and the bulb as a vegetable, or as a seasoning. Click HERE for the page on Green Garlic, with recipes.

Pea Shoots
Spring Onions
Spinach

Lettuce Mix

Pepper Cress

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>Summer Week 2: Lettuce and Spinach

Posted on June 21, 2010 | 7 comments

>THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:

(see end of page for photos)

• Spring Onions
• Spinach
• Lettuce Mix
• Yokatta-Na
• Pepper Cress

COMING SOON:
Beet Greens
Mini Butter Lettuces
Peas

I’ve been looking at the blog posts from last year, to compare what we had at this time last summer, because everything just seems so green. Usually we would have carrots and beets by now, and we’d be picking peas. That’s an indication right there of how this summer is different. We planted those things just as early as we usually do—March or April. The peas are just now beginning to flower (as are those of many other farms) which means we’ll be picking pods in about two weeks.

It seems incongruous, but we were picking zucchini July 15—but I just today planted all the summer squash. It wouldn’t have done any good to plant it earlier this year. Everyone I have talked to who planted in May (when we usually plant it) has had to replant because the seeds rotted. Same goes for the beans—they won’t germinate if the soil is cold and wet, they’ll just rot. We’re hoping to plant tomorrow and catch this next little warm spell. What a crazy year. We can be pretty sure that the broccoli, cauliflower, and other roots and greens will thrive. This is their comfort zone.

The lettuce and spinach we planted in April is finally ready—small leaves, but they will make a good salad, nonetheless. Ironically, the spinach and lettuce we planted mid-May is almost the same size, it just hasn’t been so stunted by cold and rain.

Pepper Cress is a member of the mustard family. If you’ve ever had nasturtium flowers, this tastes similar. It’s got a peppery bite at first, but it becomes sweet as you chew it. I find it refreshing. Enjoy it on salad, sandwich, or as a garnish, but don’t cook it.

I know many people are wondering about fruit. Well, so are we! There isn’t much fruit at the markets yet, but cherries are starting to trickle in. I haven’t tasted any that are really good yet. There was a hard frost when the cherries were blooming and some farms reported losses of almost 80% then. Cherry blossoms won’t set fruit if they are frozen, and the bees can’t do their job either. Then, all the rain has made much of the fruit that survived crack. We’ll see what happens. Apricots should be coming along in July, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Pea Shoots
Spring Onions
Spinach

Lettuce Mix
Yokatta-Na
Pepper Cress


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>Summer Week 1: Red Torpedo Onions & Pea Shoots

Posted on June 14, 2010 | 6 comments

>THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:

(see end of page for photos)

• Red Torpedo Onions
• Mizuna
• Yokatta-Na

COMING SOON:
Spinach
Beet Greens
Lettuces
Green Onions

Welcome to the first week of our summer season! At the moment, we are having a hail shower, so it doesn’t seem like summer, but it was sunny just a bit ago.

Usually the summer season begins slowly—mostly greens, and not the huge abundance that comes later in the summer. This season is no different. I know a few of the newbies are concerned that there won’t be much produce. Please, have faith in us. We have so many crops planted, and they are finally growing well. There will be a lot of food, even if it’s a cool, rainy summer. And there will be plenty of variety, no matter what happens. We are ready for anything.

This week we are picking the first of the beautiful Red Torpedo Onions. This an heirloom bulb onion from Italy (in Italian, it goes by the name of Rossa di Tropea or Tropeana Lunga). Even Mike Carpinito visits us to pick up some of these onions. It is a semi-sweet onion that isn’t bracing like a regular red onion. When it matures it really does look like a red torpedo. This time of year you can use the entire onion—use the bulb in a stir-fry, use the greens like green onions. Or, use the entire thing as a vegetable and grill or roast it. They’re delicious, no matter how you use them.

Pea Shoots (click for recipes) are a delicious spring vegetable, biding the time until the peas set their pods. Use them raw as a salad green, or quickly stir-fry them. SPECIAL NOTE: if you cook them, you must cook them as quick as possible. The longer they sit and cook, the tougher they will be!

Mizuna is a very mild member of the mustard family. It is lacy and delicate, and lacks the spiciness or bitterness of many of its cousins. It is best used as a salad green, or as a bed for a grilled steak or fish—something that will quickly wilt it, but not cook it. Cooking shrinks it down to nothing, and there won’t be much flavor either.

Yokatta-na is one of our vegetable experiments for this year. The name is a play-on-words in Japanese, and means something to the effect of “that was a good vegetable, wasn’t it?”. Basically we can simplify it to “good vegetable”, and it’s true! It’s very tasty raw, as a substantial salad, or as a stir-fried or steamed vegetable. It’s also a member of the mustard family, and has a robust flavor, but without the bitter hotness of standard mustard greens.

Pea Shoots
Mizuna
Red Torpedo Onion
Yokatta-Na

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