FROM THE HEN HOUSE: John calls this
‘the sweet spot’ of summer. We aren’t having to baby along any crops at the moment – they are all
producing like crazy. We ‘just’ need to keep things watered and harvested.
And just keeping up with harvesting tomatoes is a challenge. The tomato greenhouses have to be gone through for spotting and
picking the ripe ones every other day. The cucumber plants present their own challenge, hiding cukes under any leaf unturned.
And think about how many beans it takes to make a pound – lots of picking. And then the start house is full of plants
that will be going in over the next month or two. Our next project to come on line will be John’s naturally fermented
(sour dough) whole wheat bread. He and his son, Piet, are grinding the wheat and baking in a wood fired oven. Right now we
are experimenting with baking in terra cotta flour pots. Never a dull moment out here,
LYNN
Individual orders
vary for a lot of good reasons. Substitutions are noted on your bag.
EVERYONE GETS lettuce (red or green leaf), cucumbers,
blueberries, and Walla Walla onions.
SMALLS ALSO GET yellow plums or apricots, Anaheim
peppers, Serrano pepper, green garlic, cilantro, and tomatoes.
MEDIUMS ALSO GET eggs or corn, summer squash, chard,
Serrano pepper, yellow wax beans, cilantro, Galia melon, Sungold tomatoes, and bell pepper.
LARGES ALSO GET eggs or broccoli, summer squash,
Romanian peppers, corn, green garlic, yellow wax beans, Galia melon, tomatoes, and basil.
Walla Walla sweet onions: The flavor is very mild and
sweet. It is a perfect slicing onion for hamburgers and salads but not recommended when you want a stronger onion flavor when
cooking.
Sun Gold tomatoes: This is the sweetest cherry tomato
we have found. Not many seed companies offer the real thing anymore because Sun Golds have the tendency to split so can’t
be shipped.
Fresh peppers: Romanian peppers are light green short
peppers, very flavorful and not hot, perfect for sautéed dishes. Anaheim peppers
are rich, green and long. They have a mild heat with thick, crisp flesh and the classic
chile flavor. Serrano peppers (small, skinny and green or red) are HOT
– one can heat up a large quantity of salsa, especially if you include the seeds. WITH HOT PEPPERS, ALWAYS WEAR RUBBER
GLOVES WHEN HANDLING.
Fresh cilantro: used
in Mexican dishes such as guacamole and in curries, salads, and vegetable dishes from Indian, Middle Eastern, and Asian cuisine.
Heat quickly destroys the flavor of cilantro, so add the chopped leaves to hot dishes at the last moment.
Green Garlic: ‘Green’ in this case means
fresh, not cured (because we haven’t hung them in the barn for two weeks). It has a mild, fresh, sharp flavor. The heads
do not store well so use them sooner rather than later. You will find the skin very different and the garlic much juicier. Keep refrigerated.
Galia Melon: Has a beige rind and aromatic light
green flesh. The complex flavor suggests tropical fruit. It is very good as long as you don’t let it get too ripe before
eating it.
Fresh Basil: Basil is an annual that requires lots
of heat and sun. It goes especially well with summer vegetables, cheeses, chicken, pasta, rice, and eggs. The leaves bruise
very easily so don’t wash or chop them until just before you need them. Add at the end of cooking.
Yellow Wax Beans: these are members of the green
bean family, they just happen to be yellow. Green beans can actually come in many colors (such as purple, yellow and white)
but the flavor and crispness is still wonderful.
