Rain, Rain, Go Away!
"Careful what you wish for," that's what one member reminded me while I was complaining that we might be getting a little too much rain on Wednesday. I guess I did ask you all to do your rain dance. So good job everyone, but now we have to hope for some sunny days ahead. The fields are saturated. Water is pooling in the paths with nowhere to drain and I worry about our crops with their roots in damp soil going on over a week now. Even on the dry days their hasn't been enough sun to really dry out the soil.
Root rot is my biggest concern at the moment, but the rain also complicates field maintenance. Weeding and cultivation is less effective when it's wet, if we can do it at all. We hoed paths between plastic last Tuesday, but with the rain following, most weeds were probably only set back a couple days rather than drying up and dying. I took advantage of a dry window on Saturday evening to cultivate with the tractor as much as possible. We should be good for the rest of the week but then we have bed prep to do that will have to be put off. I've got a few more rounds of basil, chard, broccoli, and beets that I would like to get in the ground ASAP. They are going into beds that were already harvested and need to be mowed down and turned under before they can be planted into. I was able to mow a little on Saturday, as well, but I want to turn them in at least a few days before planting into, which means we probably won't be able to plant this week. The same goes for direct seeded beds. Our seeder has trouble cutting through crop debris, so beds need to be prepped at least a week prior in order to cleanly run the seeder through it.
The last few weeks are reminding me of the first year I started managing Tracie's farm. We experienced a deluge of rain all summer long. At that time I had no clue how to handle all the excess moisture. This year I am better prepared and know how to prioritize in order take advantage of dry spells, but it adds an extra level to field management and throws off our scheduling.
It's not all doom and gloom on the farm, though. Our potatoes are looking gorgeous in the field and I'm expecting to start digging for new potatoes by next week. Garlic is sizing up nicely now that the scapes are cut. Squash and Zucchini are starting to produce heavily, and field cukes are right behind them. The tomatoes and cucumbers in the greenhouses are putting on at least a foot of growth each week, and all the rain means they have been getting extra special attention on the days we can't get into the fields. Overall things are shaping up for a great summer, we just need to cross our fingers for a few more sunny days and maybe some wind to help dry out the fields between rains.
Summer CSA Shares Week 4
We're a quarter of the way into summer shares and baskets are filling up nicely each week! Here's what we have on deck for week 4
Delivery CSA Shares
Loose Beets
Broccolini
Lettuce Heads
Microgreens
Mint
Napa Cabbage
Radishes
Squash
Zucchini
Market Style Pickup
Members pick eight items for their basket
Basil
Loose Beets
Broccolini
Carrots
Chard
Kale
Lettuce Heads
Microgreens
Napa Cabbage
Garlic Scapes
Onions
Oregano
Radishes
Sage
Sweet Potatoes
Summer Squash
Thyme
Find us at the Market!
In addtion to our CSA and farm store, we also setup at three farmers markets throughout the week starting on Thursday mornings!
You can find our produce at:
Cheshire Medical Center in the Cafeteria
Thursdays 10am - 2pm
Jaffrey Farmers Market
Fridays 3pm - 6pm
Keene Farmers Market
Saturdays 9am - 1pm
RECIPE LINK: Sesame Soy Napa Cabbage Slaw
Put that Napa Cabbage and Summer Squash to use with this delicious slaw recipe!
Ingredients
▪1 head Napa cabbage
▪2 carrots, peeled and grated
▪1 summer squash, grated
▪1 cucumber, grated
▪1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
▪1 tbsp dark sesame oil
▪1 tsp ground ginger
▪1 tsp garlic powder
▪1/4 cup soy sauce
Instructions
1 Slice the Napa cabbage into 1/4 inch slices, then cut in half. Wash well (a salad spinning device works great for this).
2 Add the Napa cabbage, carrots, summer squash and cucumber to a large bowl and toss to combine.
3 In a smaller bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, sesame oil, ground ginger, garlic powder and soy sauce.
4 Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss well. Let sit for 30 minutes or more before serving.
5 This salad is best on day two and beyond. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
RECIPE LINK:Zucchini with Sage, Garlic and Lemon
Sub the garlic for scapes in this recipe!
Ingredients
▪1 large zucchini
▪60 ml olive oil extra virgin
▪1 bunch fresh sage leaves picked
▪½ piece lemon zest and juice
▪2 cloves garlic peeled
Instructions
1.Crush the garlic and place in a big frying pan with the olive oil. Gently bring the oil to a medium temperature and fry the garlic until golden brown. The most important stage here is to carefully fry the garlic until it is golden without burning the garlic or the oil. If you burn either, start again as it will taste horrible. Once the garlic is browned, discard.
2.Once the oil is hot and the garlic nicely browned, begin to fry your sage leaves in batches until crispy. Set on paper towel to drain the excess oil and season with salt immediately.
3.Now you should have a beautiful sage and garlic oil. Gently fry the zucchini in the oil, being careful again not to burn the oil. You want a nice golden colour and the zucchini to be soft.
4.Once the zucchini are cooked, zest ½ lemon and juice into the pan . Carefully remove the zucchini from the pan and drain on paper towel. To serve, place the courgettes nicely on the plate, drizzle the flavoured oil over the vegetables and top with the crispy sage.
5.Enjoy with a bit of crusty sourdough bread.
RECIPE LINK:ROASTED BEETS, BROCCOLINI, AND MUSHROOM LINGUINE
Ingredients
Roasted Beets and Broccolini
▪1 large beet, peeled and sliced
▪8-10 stalks of broccoli, sliced thinly
▪1½ tablespoon olive oil
▪Pinch of salt
Linguine
▪2 tablespoons olive oil
▪6 cloves of garlic
▪10 large mushrooms, sliced
▪Beet greens, saved from beet
▪8 ounce linguine
▪1 cup reserved pasta water
▪¼ teaspoon salt
▪Few sprigs mint
Instructions
1.Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lightly grease the surface with olive oil.
2.Place sliced beets on the baking sheet in a single layer on one side. On the other side, place several stalks of broccolini in a single layer. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top and then sprinkle salt over the beets and broccolini. Roast the broccolini for 12 minutes and the beets for about 30 minutes.
3.While the beets and broccolini are roasting, cook the linguine according to the directions on the package, about 8-10 minutes until al dente. Reserve about a cup of pasta water. Drain the rest of the water and run the linguine under cold water to prevent the pasta from sticking to each other.
4.Remove the broccolini from the baking sheet, and set them aside for now. Place the baking sheet with the beets back into the oven to cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. Once the beets are done, set them aside.
5.In a large skillet, add a little bit of olive oil to skillet over medium heat. Once the olive oil is warmed, add minced garlic and cook until aromatic and golden brown. Next, add mushrooms and beet greens to the skillet, and cook them until tender. Remove the skillet from heat.
6.Add the linguine and toss until incorporated with the mushroom and garlic. Pour the pasta water into the skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the roughly chopped broccolini and the roasted beets and toss until combined. If you don’t want the pasta to turn a reddish pink hue, add the beets before serving rather than tossing with the pasta.
7.Serve this roasted beets, broccolini, and mushroom linguine with fresh mint on top.
Plant Stand Winding Down, but Still Plenty of Plants!
We're going to be putting a lot of the stand plants on the sale table this week, but I've also got some more flower varieties that are ready to come out of the greenhouse.
Hanging Baskets
2 for $45, 3 for $60
The Farm Store is OPEN!
Through the Summer the store will be stocked up on Thursday mornings!
Open to the Public.
Dawn - Dusk
Honor System
In the store this week:
Carrots
Spinach
Microgreens
Salad Mix
Kale
Chard
Bok Choy
Beets
Garlic Scapes
Strawberries
Onions
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Snap Peas
Kielbasa
Maple Breakfast Sausage
Hot Dogs
Pesto
Ice Cream
& Eggs!
Pickup Location for Archway Farm Meat CSA
I heard back from a few of you interested in an Archway Farm meat CSA share, so Mark has added the farm as an additional pickup location. Now if you want to sign up, you can pick up your meat share from the same place you get your veggies! It makes choosing what to make for dinner a breeze!
Visit www.Archway.farm to explore options and order a share delivered to the farm!
