Pretty sad title here. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard the likes of Whitman or Longfellow meditate on the wonder of mulch before. Probably works for a Master Gardener who wants to pep up their garden day presentation, however.
Still, I’m sticking with it. As Molly and I were laying down straw from my neighbor, Nick Larson, yesterday, I was struck by the beauty of a nice straw mulch. I sometimes pictures myself in foreign counties on vacation touring some manicured farms. Think something like a greens operation in Okinawa or a centuries-old artisan tomato farm tucked into the hills of Tuscany. These places are not something wild like the overgrown hippie commune out West or Lida Farm typically in August. They are the opposite. Their sights provide a calm, a relaxation that comes not only from their order but also their beautiful abundance, clearly sitting heavy in the fields awaiting the farmer’s harvest.
Well, that fantasy is maybe a bit lofty, but, all the same, I caught a glimpse. You see, modern vegetable operations are all about plasticulture, that is, using plastics in some form for production. One of the most common inputs is a black plastic, or, as some call it, landscape fabric. I like it. It lasts forever and does a great job of keeping down weeds in between beds and can be used in-line like we’re doing in the old high tunnel. We cut holes in the fabric and planted cucumbers. The only places to weeds are the holes themselves.
But, as you can tell from my 18 years of blogging, I’m a romantic. Despite landscape fabric’s utility, the straw mulch wins out. Not only is the contrast of straw next to vegetables beautiful, but as straw breaks down over the summer season (rain permitting), this natural input provides organic matter in my clay soil which drastically needs it.
In the box:
- Dino Kale: This is a cooking kale – best to simmer…curly kale can work for both a cooking green and a salad green.
- Garlic Scapes
- Radishes
- Red or Green Lettuce
- Snap Peas: Yes, edible pod – don’t shell.
- Parsley
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
How Farmers Cook Dinner: Greens and Beans with Garlic Scapes
Ingredients:
- A few dino kale leaves, roughly chopped after taking out middle ‘rib’
- A couple sprigs of parsley
- 4-6 slices of bacon
- Half an onion
- A bunch of garlic scapes
- Beans in can/package of your choice
- 1 cup Chicken Stock
Directions: Over medium heat, sautee onion, garlic scapes, and bacon in a medium saucepan. Once bacon browns and onions are translucent, add chicken stock and scrape brown from bacon off bottom of pan. Add kale, parsley, and beans. Cook, covered over low heat. After low simmer for 15-20 minutes, serve with toast or put over quinoa, rice, or couscous and garnish with sauce of your choice –
Lida Farm 