If I planted seashells....

Figure 1

Figure 2

I am enjoying bit of peace and quiet as both boys are sleeping and instead of cleaning up my mess (see figure 1) I am writing a much needed update on farm happenings. There has been a little excitement these past weeks. We had a turkey get loose and make her way all the way down to the garden. Luckily, my mother in law saw her and was able to watch the boys while I tried to corral her into a dog kennel. After about 3 laps around each garden I finally got her into the little garden, cornered her by Dad's "nursery" vines, and thought the whole ordeal was over. I grabbed her like I would any chicken by holding her wings down and trying to carry her. Unlike a chicken, turkeys have amazingly strong wings. Needless to say, she got away and Lucy (our lovely dog) chased her into the trees. I thought she was gone for good. However, Dan and I were coming home late that night, equipped with a flashlight for checking his calves, when I asked him to just scan the trees and see if she was roosting. Not only did he spot her, but he climbed the tree pile and effortlessly retrieved her. Despite Holden's requests that the turkey ride in the back seat with him, we put her in the dog kennel and returned her to her flock. Dan is officially my hero, and this story illustrates perfectly why I married him.

Holden is also dabbling in poultry farming. After a trip with his dad to the local farm store, they returned with a peeping box full of ten pullet chicks. He makes sure they are checked on every day and very well fed. All of his earnings from egg sales with go straight into his John Deere piggy bank.

Finally, this morning, we got the artichokes repotted. They are doing so well, they have outgrown their Jiffy-7 pellets and needed some more space to grow. So our activity this morning was repotting the artichokes. We successfully repotted almost all of them. Holden had so much fun digging in the dirt, throwing some on Wyatt-despite my threats of taking away his fruit snack privileges, and even helping fill the pots. My proudest moment as a parent also came about as a result of this activity. We have been reading a book called My Garden, by Kevin Henkes. (Wonderful book if you have not read it.) In this book, the little girl helps in her mother's garden but has her own ideas of what a garden should really be. Her ideas include patterned flowers that grow back right after they are picked, jellybean bushes, chocolate bunnies, hundreds of birds and butterflies, and growing seashells--if you plant seashells. I love this book and want Holden to love it too, for obvious reasons. He does ask me to read it often but I didn't understand his appreciation for the book until today. Rather than tell you what happened, I will use a picture to illustrate. (see figure 2) Keep in mind he did this with no prompting from me. I must say, the mess I have to clean up is totally worth it.

This is how Holden helps with cookie making.

Onion seedlings...they smell like onions already.

Artichokes and leeks. Notice the inches of snow on the railing.

Our albino artichoke. Unfortunately, this little guy won't make it due to his inability to photosynthesize.

Well, we have an official snow day today. Roads are icy, snow is blowing, cancellations abound, there is chili on the stove, and Grandma and Holden are making cookies. I figured it was the perfect time to chill a bottle of champagne on the porch, make myself a mimosa (mimosa is the new wine), and update my blog.

Things on the farm are going ...albeit a little slowly. The plants are growing, the hens are laying sporadically, and the garden is still in its winter rest. But we are planning for the busy part of the season by laying out the garden, putting in our seed orders, and organizing equipment. I am also compiling the formal list of mistakes we have made so that we do not repeat them again. On the other hand, I am also going over last year's records to see what great things we did that we need to continue and improve upon this year. That is what we do in the winter on the farm. That...and take time to rejuvenate.

Which brings me to my second order of business. I will warn you, this is about to get sappy. I am sure many of you have been reminded, more than once, as I was this week, of how short and precious life may be. So I just want to say that my garden will probably not be weed free, my house may rarely be clean, and my blog may not be updated every week. However, I can assure you that the time I would be taking to do those things I will instead spend reading to my boys, watching them spend precious time with their grandparents, and enjoying a mid winter blizzard from the warmth of the kitchen. And I must leave on that note to get a warm cookie before Holden and Grandma eat them all.

Resolution, Schmesolution

Our last Tom Turkey...trying to impress the ladies.

Recycling pine cones into bird feeders.

I know my resolution to write weekly has already been broken...(as has my exercise regimen.) However, I am going to try again for the Chinese New Year, which is February 3. We shall see. Regardless, the new growing season has officially begun. I have started artichokes (yes, we can grow those here), leeks, celery, and onions from seed. This is the first year I have started onions from seed, so I may be buying plants come April. If it works, I will have saved a lot of money and I will not have to worry about any of the onions bolting. Onions are biennial, so they form a seed head every second year. Those seed heads ruin the integrity of the onion, even if you snip them off. So if all goes well, we will have a great onion crop this year.

Mom and I have started taking a business course for agricultural producers. Hilarious, considering I dropped every business class I tried to take in college by the third class. After the initial shock and bewildered looks, we decided that it will be beneficial for us and our customers to work hard at our business plan. And we did not get reprimanded for giggling during class yet, although I really believe we may have to sit separately to avoid disrupting the class.

We recently ordered 50 pullets in order to increase egg production by the time our CSA starts. There was a tragedy that occurred during mailing and we have significantly less chickens than we ordered. Luckily, my father in law managed to save a few lives, and the remaining chicks are thriving. Needless to say, we are waiting for warmer weather to increase the flock.

And, as you can see, some of our turkeys survived the holidays. Because Wyatt came a little earlier than expected, our goal of selling the turkeys took a backseat. We did enjoy some fresh, chemical free turkey for Thanksgiving and hope to have the rest dressed within the next two weeks.

More updates to come on planting, livestock, and academic progress. Until then--Happy Chines New Year!

New, New, New

New Year, new resolutions, new baby... This past year has brought some new changes and this next year promises to bring many more. Beyond my new year's resolution (which includes an exercise regimen I do not love and may have seriously injured me after two days), this year also brings a fresh enthusiasm for the farm. We hope to erect a hoophouse this spring, we have a giant refrigerated trailer we are turning into our harvest and packing shed, and I am scouring the seed catalogs. The most exciting news is that I am doing this with a 9 week old baby on my lap.

The newest addition to the farm is Wyatt, who was born on November 1st. He and Holden are getting along beautifully and we hope Wyatt loves the garden as much as Holden.

Another of my resolutions is to update my blog weekly. I know you have all heard this before, but new year's resolutions have to last the whole year, right? Finally, we have opened up our 2011 CSA. As soon as I talk to my wonderful brother-in-law, we will have the new brochure and sign up sheet on the site. Happy Happy New Year!

The end is near...

Could he be any cuter?

The peak of our tomato harvest.

Part of the last Wednesday pickup.

More items...

A last burst of summer color.

We had our last Wednesday CSA pickup today and this was my message to our subscribers...

Well, the end of the season has arrived and it is definitely bittersweet. While I am getting very anxious to wrap up things in the garden and get the nursery ready, I sure am going to miss picking fresh produce for supper. That is why, even though it is the end of the season, we have been thinking of next year for some time now.

We have some exciting new ideas already. First, we are planning on expanding—especially our squash and gourds plot. Our dream this year was to have a sprawling display of various types of squash and gourds. Our hungry mouse definitely cut down on the variety and we realized we need a bit more space than we allotted this year for these sprawling vines. We have also applied for a hoop house grant and are getting a refrigerated storage trailer this coming week. Finally, we are going over our mistakes made this year and figuring out ways to make sure we do not make the same mistakes next year—though we always expect different mistakes.

We would like to take this time to thank our CSA members for being so loyal, honest, and patient during our first year. We are happy to announce that we will not only be continuing our CSA next year, but we will also be offering more shares. We are however, going to make some changes. We will still be offering full shares for $500. We will still be offering half shares, but it will be in the form of a full share on a bi-weekly basis for $250. I promise to offer detailed storage information so that your produce will last you through the two weeks if possible. We will also only have one pick up day, on the farm. We feel this will give all of our CSA members a closer connection to the farm, and a chance to enjoy the progress o the growing season. It is quite amazing to watch the garden go from a plowed piece of ground into a living, growing, and ever changing productive farm space. We also have plans for a flower cutting garden that will be reserved for subscribers to cut your own flowers for a small fee. The format will be a self-serve station with an element of choice in some of the weekly items, as well as an opportunity for exchange. For example, an early spring pickup may go something like this. You will arrive at the farm and there will be a table of items with a list of what you may take. The list might say:

Take 1 bag of nettles.

Take a 1 lb bag of lettuce mix.

Take 1 bunch of radishes.

Take 12 garlic scapes.

Take either a bag of snow peas or bag of shell peas.

Take either a bag of collard greens or a bag of mustard greens.

Take either a bag of spinach or a bag of arugula.

There will be a box at the end of the table where you may place items that you do not care for in exchange for another item.

We will also be offering homemade jams, jellies, eggs, and poultry for sale. We may partner with other local producers to offer honey and baked goods.

I know these modifications change things for some of you. If you do decide you would like a share next year, we would love to have you back and just ask that you let us know by January 1 if you will be returning. I will be giving out a more detailed brochure and registration form in the near future. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or recommendations to help us with the next year we would love to hear any and all of them. Again, thank you for making this season so rewarding, We could not have done it without your support!

Fall is Here!

As always, the farm has been a busy place. We are picking often and trying to preserve the harvest as much as possible. That means pickling, canning, freezing, and making baby food. There is an old wives tale that claims if you can when you are pregnant the contents will spoil. While we usually disregard such claims as folklore, the year I canned while pregnant, the contents did indeed spoil. That year, Mom and I even canned together, and she has never had any spoilage in over 40 years. Lucky for me, this is one myth we are not trying to bust this year. So mom is busy preserving the harvest. I would love to say I am picking up the slack by picking more often in the garden, but because I tip over 10% of the time while trying to pick tomatoes, and closely resemble a ripening tomatillo bursting out of its husk, my duties are mainly inside the house. However, the cooler weather does motivate me to be in the garden a bit more. Today, it was a perfect fall day, and I spent a little time cleaning up the tomato beds. We have quite a few canners and a lot of tomatoes for the chickens. Their yolks are going to be very yellow for the next couple of weeks.

It seems like we leapt in to fall overnight. The leaves on Delong Rd are falling off the tress and the weather has taken a dramatic turn. I know we are in for some more steamy days but I can not help but think fall is on its way. The locusts have been gracing us with their music for about two weeks, and the old timers say three weeks after the locusts start crowing, fall will be here.

Our pumpkin patch is a sea of orange and cream. The two varieties I planted the most of were Long Island Cheese and Howden. Long Island Cheese resembles a cream cheese wheel and is highly suitable for pies and soups and Howden is our carving pumpkin. I am hoping to be able to have a few Howden's store long enough to use for Halloween. I have also never had the pleasure of eating a pumpkin pie made with a home grown pumpkin--until now. I am thinking that one pumpkin will be enough to make a pie, soup, and some baby food.

We are down to 8 turkeys, one of which has gotten some illness and had to be treated with antibiotics, (which we clearly marked). I think we will still have a few antibiotic free turkeys left for Thanksgiving dinner, if anyone is interested. We have not yet figured out how to catch the bobcat eating chicken without also catching our resident farm cats as well. Relatively speaking, this was not a great poultry year for us, but once again, we are writing down our mistakes in order to not repeat them again, which is perhaps our greatest accomplishment.

Basil Recipes

That's right folks, two posts in one day. Another great thing I did this year was plant copious amounts of basil. First, I would like to tell you a little bit about basil (and why you are lucky I planted so much.) Basil recipes follow in green. Enjoy!!

Basil is truly an incredible herb. It is enjoyed for its rich and spicy, mildly peppery flavor with a trace of mint and clove. Basil belongs to the mint family and there are over 40 known varieties, of which Ocimum basilicum, or Sweet Basil, is the most commonly known. Ocimum is from a Greek verb that means, “to be fragrant.” The foliage is easily bruised; just brushing against it releases its fragrance.

Basil is native to India and Asia, having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years. To the Greeks and Romans basil was a symbol of hostility and insanity, so they believed that in order to grow truly fragrant basil one had to shout and swear angrily while sowing its seeds. Even today in French “sowing basil (semer le basilic) means “ranting.” (No wonder it is doing so well in my garden)

Being of the mint family, it is not surprising that it is recommended for digestive complaints. So instead of an after dinner mint, try sipping an after dinner cup of basil tea to aid digestion and dispel flatulence. Herbalists have recommended basil for years for stomach cramps, vomiting and constipation. Basil also has been described as having a slight sedative action, which explains why it’s sometimes recommended for headaches and anxiety.

Basil leaves can be frozen or dried, but the best flavor is found in the fresh leaves. It can be used cooked or raw. Crush, chip or mince the leaves and add to recipes, or add whole leaves to salads. Sprigs of basil make a wonderfully aromatic garnish. The flowers are also beautiful, edible and make a unique garnish.

Basil is traditional in Italian, Mediterranean and Thai cuisines. It is superb with veal, lamb, fish, poultry, white beans, pasta, rice, tomatoes, cheese and eggs. It blends well with garlic, thyme and lemon. It adds zip to mild vegetable like zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, potatoes, cabbage and carrots and to the soups, stews and sauces in which these vegetables appear.

Health Benefits

Traditionally classified as a warming and moistening herb, basil is regarded as slightly antiseptic, antispasmodic, and appetizer.

It has a good affinity with the stomach, where it will stimulate the appetite, digestion and nerves. It also counteracts flatulence, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and constipation. Because of its antibacterial and anti-fungal action, basil leaves are used on itching skin, insect bites and skin eruptions. It is effective against bacterial infections and intestinal parasites. Tea made from the leaves is recommended for nausea, gas pains and dysentery.

Storage

Fresh basil deteriorates very quickly, so use as soon as possible. For short term storage, wrap in a lightly damp towel and refrigerate. Do not wash prior to refrigeration. For longer term storage, freeze fresh leaves in a plastic zip-lock bag. Remove air, seal and freeze. Do not thaw before use. Basil can also be easily dried; simply hang up-side-down in a well ventilated, dry area.

Sources: ohioline.osu.edu and “From Asparagus to Zucchini, A Guide to Farm-Fresh Produce,” Madison Area CSA Coalition, 2003 and “Whole Foods Companion,” by Dianne Onstad, 2004.

Basil Recipes

Basil Mayonnaise

This wonderful mayonnaise can be used for burgers, sandwiches, or to coat chicken before roasting.

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Blend in food processor or blender until smooth.

Basil Puree

4 tablespoons olive oil

8 cups washed and dried basil leaves

Blend until pureed. Transfer to clean jar. Store in refrigerator. Each time you use it stir and then top with a thin layer of oil. It will keep one year by doing this. This is good on grilled chicken or fish, stirred into soups or mixed with sun dried tomatoes and broiled on bread.

Basil Butter

1 stick butter, softened

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped basil

Cream butter, beat in garlic and lemon juice. Mash in basil; season with salt and pepper. Place bowl in refrigerator to firm butter. For a nice, simple appetizer use room temperature butter on grilled pieces of baguette or French bread.

Lemon Basil Pork

1 12-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1/2 cup basil leaves, cut into thin strips

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic

4 boneless pork chops

Mix the first four ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade for basting. Pour the remainder of the marinade over the pork and refrigerate them for 1-2 hours, turning once in the process. Grill them for approximately 20 minutes. Turn the meat often, brushing a small amount of the reserved marinade on each time. You can also cut the pork into cubes and make kabobs, alternating onion and green pepper on the sticks.

Pasta With Fresh Basil

12 ounces penne or other larger pasta

1 cup fresh cooked peas or frozen peas, thawed

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/3 pound lean prosciutto or leftover smoked ham, diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

3 tablespoons capers, optional

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

grated peel of 1 lemon

Cook pasta according to directions; rinse under cold water and drain. In a bowl, combine the pasta with the peas, green onions, prosciutto, basil, olive oil, vinegar, capers, pepper, salt, and lemon peel. Toss until well-combined. Adjust seasonings to taste. Refrigerate until serving. Notes: This is such an easy salad and you can substitute fresh green beans that have been cooked until just tender or asparagus. Fresh is much better if possible. Also you can substitute red onion for the green.

Baked Zucchini and Basil

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 lbs zucchini (about 5 small), thinly sliced lengthwise

3 large Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 large sweet onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced

5 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

1 tsp. salt

Ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a little olive oil. Layer in half the vegetables and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining vegetables and basil and season again with salt and pepper. Drizzle the remaining oil on top. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour. Uncover, add the cheese if desired, and bake 10 minutes longer. Let stand at 15- 20 minutes before serving. Notes: I think this is much better using a glass or other non-metal pan.

Basil Chicken Salad

1 cup leftover grilled Chicken Breast, diced

1 cup cooked rice

1/2 cup Red Grapes, halved

1/2 cup mayonnaise, light or regular

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped sweet onion

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine all ingredients and chill thoroughly. Recipe makes 4 servings.

Easy Pesto Pizza

One premade pizza crust

2 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves

4 cloves of fresh garlic, thinly sliced

olive oil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper

Lay whole basil leaves over the surface of the crust, covering the entire pizza. Place the thinly sliced garlic on top of the basil leaves, spacing a couple of inches. Drizzle the olive oil over the entire pizza. Salt and pepper to season. Sprinkle the pizza with the Parmesan, then with the mozzarella. Place into a preheated 425 degree oven. Bake just until it's bubbly and slightly browned. Watch carefully. Serve warm.

Roasted Garlic and Basil Salsa

4 ripe tomatoes, cut into sections

2 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon honey

2 sweet green peppers

2 jalapeno peppers or other hot peppers

2 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 cup torn fresh basil leaves

1/4 of a sweet onion, chopped

Preheat the broiler or grill, Place the halved peppers and tomatoes on a baking sheet and broil until they blacken. You can do the same thing by placing them on a grill. Place the unpeeled garlic in a foil pouch (doubled) and drizzle with the olive oil. Either bake in the oven at 300 degrees for 30 minutes or cook on the grill, turning the foil pouch as it cooks. Meanwhile remove the peppers from the oven and place them in a bowl and cover with plastic or place them in a Ziploc bag and seal. Allow to cool to room temperature. Peel skin off of blackened vegetables and discard. Dice into one inch pieces. Once your garlic is cooked, slit the ends of the cloves, and smush out the garlic into the bowl with the peppers. Add the remaining ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. This salsa may set out for a couple hours at room temperature to join the flavors, or you can refrigerate for 2-3 days.

Basil Ice Cream

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
Pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup chilled whipping cream

In a small saucepan over moderate heat, bring the milk, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, and the basil to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes, half covered with a lid. Transfer to a blender, keeping the saucepan, and blend until the basil is ground, about a minute.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg yolks on medium speed. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until thick and pale, about one minute. Pour the milk mixture in a slow, steady stream and beat until well combined. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, heat over moderate heat until custard coats the back of the spoon and reaches 175 degrees F. Strain into a metal bowl and chill until cold, stirring often.

Stir in cream and churn in an ice cream maker. Freeze in an airtight container at least two hours.

Cucumber Basil Sandwiches

whole wheat bread
mayo
lettuce
cucumber
pepper
basil

Strawberry Basil Mojito

3 fresh strawberries
3-5 fresh basil leaves
2 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. white rum
crushed ice
club soda

Slice the strawberries and place at the bottom of a tall glass along with the basil leaves. Pour in the simple syrup and muddle the mixture. Stir in the rum and top with crushed ice. Top off with club soda and garnish with strawberry slices.