Summer’s Coming to a Close

September 2, 2011

The produce season is about where it should be this time of year.  Last week we harvested all the onions and put into the barn to cure.  The tomatoes and peppers are coming due in a big way and those melons are ripe for their annual two week window.  I was peeking at the winter squash and pumpkins and many look like they are ready to go.  Nights are getting cooler and our minds turn to autumn.

With fall upon us, one thing which should get on your schedule is our annual fall harvest party.  It will be Saturday, September 24 at the farm from 6:30 pm to whenever.  This is a time to check out the farm and meet some other interesting people who are also CSA members.   This is an appetizer/drinks/bonfire event.  We used to do a potluck dinner, but this is more relaxed and casual affair.  We provide all drinks and snacks, so just show up for a while.

Another thing you should be thinking about in fall is turkey.  I’m happy to partner with a neighbor of mind, Alex Johnson, who is raising free-range turkeys.  His family’s been in the business since 1888 which makes him a 4th generation turkey farmer who really knows what he’s talking about.  Later this fall he will have heritage-breed Bourbon Red turkeys at $2.05/pound and standard white turkeys at $1.50/pound.  I’m helping him get the word out, so please call or email us to reserve a turkey and we’ll make arrangements.  

In the box:
Celebrity slicing tomatoes
A Green pepper
A couple sweet Carmen peppers
An orange or yellow bell pepper
Cippolini onions: this is a really nice, flavorful onion from Italy.  I dig it.  I remember when I was studying in Rome, you’d see long braids of these things in the markets.  I was thinking about this today and I just have to some more next year so we can do this because it’s so cool.
Garlic
Potatoes
A smattering of Tongue of Fire beans: this is a fresh shelling bean.  Like dried beans, you can use in a soup or other dish, but the cooking time is a lot less since they are fresh.
Daikon Radish: This is the white radish with the top.  Peel and use as you would any radish.  Since it’s an Asian radish, a typical way I like to make it up is grated with some rice vinegar and sugar.
Eggplant
Yellow watermelon
Athena canteloupe

Old Pictures

August 30, 2011

We just got back some pictures we thought we had lost (it’s a long story).  These are from a couple years ago and just scream “this is what’s great about summer in Minnesota”:

I like they way the farm looks from from pond:

New Tools at Lida Farm

August 26, 2011

Each year we typically add a new tool or two to the farm arsenal. This year, after breaking about 5 potato forks last year, we picked up a broadfork from Johnnys in Maine (it’s even made in Maine). As you can see from the picture it is like a potato fork but with two handles. It’s a strong steel design with about 15 tines on the bottom that even I haven’t been able to break yet. A broadfork is designed for deep tillage or aerating ground so as to break up hardpan or the area at the depth of a plow or disk where the ground is quite hard. I use it to harvest potatoes and I’ve found it to work great for harvesting carrots where I can dig a foot and a half of the row instead of the 8 inches with a traditional potato fork. Cool.

Like everybody we try to find those tools which make out life a bit easier and fit our scale. The tempation in this kind of work is to put a motor on everything. Sometimes that makes sense, but I always say “but then I have to take care of another engine…” I guarantee my broadfork will work when it’s rainy or cold or hot – more than I can say for my snowblower.

In the box:
Watermelon: Most everybody should have received a yellow variety called Sunshine, although some of you hit the jackpot and got a new variety I grew called Orange Sherbert – they look the same from the outside so it’s a surprise. Man, these are nice.
Melon: Most everybody got a white-fleshed Ananas variety called San Juan, although some got a green-fleshed Galia melon called Diplomat.
Sweet Corn
Russet Potatoes
Leeks
Italia Pepper: This is the long green-red pepper…it is sweet, not hot. This first flush aren’t the prettiest, but I wanted to get some in the box, because, if you’re like me, you’re getting impatient for some colored peppers.
Islander Purple Pepper
A Roma Tomato Mix: I thought we’d switch up from the standard slicing varieties for a week. The yellow romas are nice – they are either a variety called Powers or Golden Rave. The reds are San Marzano.
Carrot Bunch: Mixed varieties again or standard orange with some Atomic Red or White Satin or Yellow Sun mixed in.
A Couple Cucumbers
Japanese or Italian Eggplant: It’s Japanese if it’s long and slender or a varity called Nadia or Zebra if standard eggplant shape. They cook and are prepared the same way.

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Lida Farm in August

August 19, 2011

Well, here we are in mid-August and the bounty of the season is coming in: tomatoes, melons, sweet corn.  It’s always a nice time on the farm for me.  We hit a rhythm where we catch up on weeds Sunday through Wednesday and harvest Thursday, Friday, Saturday.  Since we started getting cool nights like this past week, those weeds which were like a unrelenting horde of barbarians in June and July slow down in a big way and I can turn the tide of war.  We’ve spent some beautiful evenings this past week uncovering pepper plants or tomatoes stuck in a jungle of junegrass.  We also managed to plant some fall greens this past Sunday: salad mix, head lettuce, spinach, and some Asian greens.

In the box:
Cherokee Purple Tomatoes: The ugly dark purple/green tomatoes.  These are really good for fresh slicing.  I have a plate of slices on our dinner table right now with only some salt on top.
Regular Earlygirl or Celebrity Tomatoes: Use for a sauce or slicing.
Cherry Tomato Mix: We’ve got the entire tomato family covered this week.
Parsley
Sweet Corn: If it’s bi-color, it’s a variety called Seneca Dancer…if it’s white, it’s a variety called Silver King.
A couple green peppers
A mix of carrots
A melon: There is a real mix of melons here just because they are just starting to come in.  You may find a red watermelon, Galia green-fleshed melon, Canary yellow melon, or a traditional canteloupe.
Garlic
A couple shallots

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Heirlooms are Pretty

August 12, 2011

You’ll see these bigger cherry tomatoes in your box which is a swirled mix of colors.  It’s an heirloom variety  from Seed Savers called Isis which sometimes produces a  yellow fruit, sometimes a red fruit, sometimes a swirl.  Sometimes the tomato has a pear shape, although it’s usually round.  Anyway, it’s this kind of inconsistency you’ll find with heirlooms that I love because there’s a real beauty to the mix of colors and shapes, but it is also the reason these varieties are not widespread commercial varieties  If you’re growing 40 acres of tomatoes, you’re bound to go with a standard hybrid.  These varieties are consistent in size, shape, and texture, which is just what you need if you’re promising a buyers at the terminal market in Chicago you’ll ship him a semi of tomatoes.  At our scale, we can play around with a wide mix of varieties and ones which are a bit more adventurous.    

In the box:
Cherry tomato mix
A dozen corn (mainly a yellow variety called Bodacious)
Earlygirl Tomatoes
Basil
Fresh Thyme
Cukes
A mix of Summer Squash
A couple Sweet Onions
Garlic
Swiss Chard
Green Beans

Basil Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes
From The St. Paul Farmers Market Produce Cookbook
I know I’ve included this recipe in the past, but it’s perfect for this week’s box.

2 cups green beans, steamed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 T. olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t. salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 T. fresh basil, finely chopped
Cut steamed beans into 1 inch pieces.  In a large bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Add hot beans along with the basil.  Mix well.  Makes 4 servings.