Today was the first day we used our new potato digger – an implement which connects to the 3-point behind the tractor with a furrower that digs into the ground just below the spuds This may not sound like a big deal, but I assure you this is like reaching the 21st century for us. Until this point digging potatoes was a medieval endeavor where I jumped as high as I could on a 5-tine potato fork and then throw my back into popping potato plants out of hard August ground. As I wrenched on the potato fork (2 years ago I broke 4 of them), Mar burrowed through the dirt behind me like a badger. This was always the job that we never really wanted to do. On a harvest day, we typically only tackled the job after having a few cups of coffee and it typically took us about 2 hours to get a bin by hand.
Today was quite a difference. We still had to burrow through the ground searching for potatoes, but digging with the tractor took a grand total of about 10 minutes.
Cherry Tomatoes: It’s luck of the draw if you got ‘Sakura’ Grape tomatoes, ‘Sungold’ cherry tomatoes, or ‘black cherry’ tomatoes.
Summer Squash: Everyone has a zucchini plus either a straightneck summer squash or yellow zucchini – you can use straightneck the same as zucchini. Try as a fritter (grated squash with a couple eggs – fry in a pan).
Yellow ‘Elfy’ Potatoes: I’m impressed with these potatoes as the first time growing them…we simply boiled them and found them to be really creamy.
(Makes about 4 servings, recipe can be easily doubled. Recipe adapted slightly from Fine Cooking Annual 2008.)
4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
(You can use all green or all red cabbage.)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (or more)
4 T mayo
3 T fresh lime juice (more or less to taste)
hot sauce to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp. green Tabasco sauce)
salt to taste (I used Vege-Sal)
Thinly slice cabbage, using a mandoline or food processor if desired. Slice green onions, and wash, dry and chop cilantro. (I use a Mini salad spinner to wash herbs and spin them dry.) Combine cabbage, green onions and cilantro in large salad bowl.
In small bowl, whisk together, mayo, lime juice, and hot sauce. (You may want to start with less than the full amount of lime juice and hot sauce and keep adding until you have the desired blend of sour/hot flavor.)
Use a wooden spoon to mix dressing into cabbage mixture. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately, or chill for a few hours.
This salad will keep well overnight in the refrigerator, but the lime juice will cause the red cabbage to bleed color and turn the salad slightly pink. If you’re making extra you might want to use all green cabbage, although I didn’t mind the pink color at all when I ate the leftovers!
Lida Farm 