Spring is buzzing by us!  I can’t believe it is Thursday again.  This week has been very busy for us on the little farm.  We now have three new additions of baby goats with feeding chores every two hours and milking once again twice a day.  Planting is at it’s all time best right now.  We are putting in heirloom tomatoes and peppers for an early harvest for Summer Shares.  Napa cabbage plants, potatoes and more onions.  There isn’t a day that goes by that something doesn’t go in the ground.  Things are living up around here!

What we have this week ~ Hakurei turnips.  Don’t mistake these for radishes.  I have never met a turnip that I have liked until I met Hakurei.  I will post a recipe by this evening.  Chard, arugula, lettuce mix, herbs and radishes.  We are adding asparagus to the mix this week as well.  I think this will be the only harvest we get this year.  As the day goes we will more than likely add to this post of other produce in your shares.  Maybe a baby goat??  Haha!

I also have a great recipe for bitter greens using arugula that is to die for.  You will need to get a pear and an avocado  for the dressing.  I will post that as well after we harvest today!

Ok, mustard greens are not my most favorite in a salad, but saute them and I will eat a basket full!   This recipe, you can use any greens included dandelion greens!

1 bunch of greens (kale, collards, mustard, chard, mizuna, bok choy, dandelion, spinach) chopped

1 Tablespoon virgin coconut or olive oil

1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic or ginger root, or both

1 small onion or leek, chopped

Toasted pumpkin seeds

Trim and discard (or save for vegetable stock) thick stem ends of greens. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, saute onion or leek in oil until soft.  Add garlic and/or ginger and saute 2 minutes longer.  Add chopped greens and fold until just wilted, but still bright green.  Remove from heat and season with sea salt or coconut vinegar (a share holder got me hooked on coconut vinegar).  Serve topped with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.

You can’t go wrong by adding a variety of greens to your menu.

Greens, greens greens!  We just love the feeling that fresh greens gives us.  Weather we juice them, saute them or eat them fresh they really get our bodies in great condition.  This week we have mustard greens, collard greens, salad mix, red pearl onions (from early winter harvest), baby bok choy, spinach, lemon grass and rosemary.  Some will get cilantro and some dill.  Possible hakurei turnips this week, if not, for sure next week. I’m sure there will be other produce as we pick through the garden at harvest time tomorrow.

I’ll post a recipe later for the mustard greens.  Looks like with these warm days we will be harvesting asparagus for week four.

What a beautiful week we are having here!  Things are popping and blooming everywhere!  Week two is upon us and this is what is planned for you shares this week:  Green onions, lettuce and spinach mix, radishes, small cabbage or beets, mixed greens, pecans and herbs.

Other produce we have to look forward to in the next few weeks…..HOPEFULLY asparagus.  This will be our first year to harvest and we are seeing a few little heads just barely poking through.  They come on fast, but we don’t know what to expect!  So lets keep our fingers crossed for a great harvest!  At least one!!  Broccoli raab, turnips, leeks, spring onions, bok choy, cress, kohlrabi and other new greens.  Rhubarb and Peas are still about three weeks to a month out.  And of course as the season continues, our baskets will become more and more bountiful.

Pick up – March 5th, 2015

Don’t you just love our rain!  So far we have received almost an 1 1/2″ from this last storm.  That will sure help with our snow pack.

Well let the season begin!  This week is our first of 12 + 1 weeks of spring produce.  Just a reminder, pick up is between 4 pm and 6:30 pm on Thursdays.  If you can not pick up, please arrange for someone to do it for you. Look for our welcome letter in your first basket with all the information for this season.

If you have a basket, box or small crate, please bring one to transfer your produce.  Your produce will be in baskets, but it will be easier on all of us if you can bring your own each week!  If you have any baskets from last season lurking around, don’t forget to bring them.

What you will see in your baskets this week:  Brussels Sprouts, spinach, baby lettuce, celery spears, mixed herbs (dill, basil, cilantro), mixed greens and possibly radishes, if not, definitely next week and whatever else we can conger up!

As the weeks go, the produce will be increasing as well.

Remember, our share current holders get to take advantage of 10% our store!

Stay well!

Brussels sprouts, growing for week one of spring shares.

What’s happening in our neck of the woods?  Spring is what’s popping, that’s what.  Peaches are in bloom before the apricots and plums.  That’s a twist.  Not even the end of February and almost every fruit tree on this little farm is in bloom.  Our, ever so carefully planned broccoli and cauliflower plants have headed and some even bolted before our eyes with these upper 70’s temps all month, long before they were suppose to. Bees are buzzing, even the hummingbirds are arriving early.    This all gives me a reminder that no matter what I do, I am not in charge!  So, we just keep popping plants in the ground.  In goes more broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages and onions galore.  Peas are up, and I already can’t wait for that first sweet taste (we will have to be on the look out for that tall, long hair, blonde garden pea pest that eats every pea) You have to admit, the weather has been mighty nice.

While sometimes this crazy “small” farm life can take it toll on us, we always seem to say, that wasn’t so bad…once we are done.  This week we are wrapping up the chore of fruit tree pruning.  All fruit trees will have all had their limbs shortened and treated with horticultural oil.  ahhhh… Thought it would never end.   Old garden vegetable plants are being pulled, feed to the chickens and goats and new little starts are set in their place.  Yes, it feels like spring again.  How can you not get excited about new sprouts emerging from your soil? How can you not enjoy hearing the bees buzzing around the fruit trees?

Next month, CSA shares will be in full swing.  Planting really gets under way.  We even start to sneak early tomatoes in the ground with frost protection added each night, just in case.  Our goats will be kidding and milking chores, feeding babies and the noise begins once again.  We are very excited to have two new does this year. Oh, hang on, I used that term very loosely..”We”.  Maybe “I” am the only one that is truly excited.  I love March!

Keep an eye out for our weekly news of what’s in your basket each week!  Come visit our kids (baby goat) in March too!

P.S. I hate to admit it, but that tall garden pea pest is my very own daughter….But I still love her!

Things are moving along and looks like we will be right on schedule for week of March 5th for our spring shares.  Lettuce, spinach, kale…., Brussels sprouts, cilantro, dill, green onions, chard and other greens are in the hopes for our week one.  As long as our wonderful warm weather holds, we’ll be set!  If things are slow we will postpone till the following week, because we want to make sure you get plenty!

What’s been going on?  Planting of course!  This is what we have in mind for spring crops in YOUR BASKET!  Broccoli, purple cauliflower, fava beans, peas (snow, snap and shelling), green onions, early Chinese pink garlic, greens galore, broccoli raab, leeks, cabbage, radishes, turnips, pak choy, strawberries, pineberry (white strawberries, new for us this year), Cherries will depend on ripening time and as long as we don’t freeze with the early warm weather.

Making pumpkin puree is a snap…If you want to know how, here is a link to my blog.  Check it out: Out Standing In The Garden

CSA Share Basket

November 20th, 2014

We would like to thank all our share holders. You made our CSA run smoothly by picking up on time, being considerate of others, sharing your recipes and just being so kind.
Can you believe our fall share has come to an end this week? This weeks share will include Thanksgiving produce. Two pie pumpkins for pies! We don’t think one is enough. One of our garlic braids will be included. Keep these hung in your kitchen and cut off garlic as needed from the bottom up. Garlic will remain firm for several months, lasting you through winter unless your like me and add garlic to everything. Fresh tender leeks! Saute, grill or make delicious leek soup. Leeks are great in stuffing as well. A mix of red and gold Irish potatoes. A mix of hardy herbs that will be good in stuffing, potatoes or whatever you wish. More Pecans this week. Sounds like pecan pie!! This week we picking many greens for your share. Lettuce, kale, chard and other mixes if our weather holds. Want to try something new? We are including a few Quince fruit. Be creative! While it is not eatable raw, it’s great in chutneys, relishes and preserves. It isn’t a popular fruit, but it an old time Thanksgiving tradition.  Pecans and persimmons as well.

Follow up for our Summer CSA Shares which are now open to reserve….

Our family wishes you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas!

November 13th, 2014

The weeks are whizzing by fast! We are already looking to week nine. Our shares for the ninth week will include our over abundant chard (but lovely), tender carrots, broccoli, pecans, persimmons, one new variety of winter squash and one old, tart deep red Wonderful Pomegranates, turnips, a mix of mild and hot peppers (last peppers of the season), a few tomatoes, lemon grass and ginger root. As the week continues we may add more to the list. Looking to roast peppers for the freezer? We will have an extra bag of ancho and Anaheim peppers available for share holders who would like to put them to use.