What was in my Bag? Week 17, 9-2-10

I am excited that we are starting to have some truly Summer crops. It has been a long time coming. I love greens and the bounty of Spring, but there is something special about Summer fruits like eggplant, green beans, and tomatoes that make me pretty happy. Here’s what was in the CSA subscriber bags this week:

Green (and wax) beans, varieties Blue Lake, Provider, Indy Gold and Grandm Nellie’s Mushroom Bean (~1.1 lb),
Carrots, varieties Danver and Nelson (~1.3 lbs) The Danvers are pointed, and the Nelsons are more cylindrical. The Nelsons might be slightly sweeter -> What do you think?
Radish, variety French Breakfast (7 ea)
Broccoli (~0.35 lb)
Salad Mix (~0.5 lb)
Turnips (3 ea)
Summer Squash (2 ea)
Tomatoes (~0.7 lb) Sungold Cherry, Gold Nugget Cherry, Glacier, Silvery Fir Tree, and Tiger Like are the varieties that are producing the most.
Bok Choy (1 ea)
Eggplant, varieties included Swallow (mostly), Pingtung, Snowy, Calliope, and Apple Green (2 ea). They are so pretty!
Basil (0.15 lb = 3 bunches)

Nate made a great slaw of turnips root and cabbage last week. I have to admit we never ate turnips growing up, and they are a new food to me. I don’t know why I haven’t been eating them for years! I made turnip greens last night. They were tender and delicious. If you like greens, eat these, don’t compost them.

The farm is a rewarding experience for many reasons. I relish the opportunity to not only try new foods, but to grow them, too.

What was in my Bag? Week 16, 8-26-10

This week we have been lucky to have warm moderate weather. This morning was a little cool for crop ripening, but perfect for those of us harvesting the produce.

I pulled the first tomato from an indeterminate full-sized tomato vine this week. The indeterminate tomatoes tend to be a little slower to produce than the determinate varieties. I’m hoping that this means that we will be buried in tomatoes in the next week or so. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Here’s what can be found in the CSA bags this week:

Radish, French Breakfast (5 ea)
Swiss Chard (1 bunch)
Carrots (~.8 lb)
Lettuce (1 head)
Green Beans (~1.1 lb), varieties: Blue Coco, Indy Gold, Grandma Nellie’s Mushroom Bean, Blue Lake, Provider
Tomatoes (~0.6 lb)
Green Onions (1 bunch)
Summer Squash (2 ea)
Cabbage (1 ea)
Basil (1 bunch)
Kale (1 bunch for Maryland pick-up subscribers)
Turnips (2 ea for Buckman pick-up subscribers)

Hope you all have a great week!

What was in my Bag? Week 15, 8-19-10

This week was a challege. The beginning of the week was quite warm – complete with extreme heat advisories. The second half cooler, to the point of creating some concern regarding whether summer crops will ripen. Aah, the worries of a farmer!

Our lettuce has felt the heat, and the current succession has largely decided to give up. Have no fear. The next succesion is coming along closely after, and should be ready by next week.

I saw some lovely eggplants and hot peppers starting to ripen in the field. Here’s hoping for some warm (not excessive) weather to finish these beauties off.

We decided to not go to market today, because of the lettuce shortage, and lack of excess summer crops. We had enough produce for good CSA bags consisting of:

Carrots
Summer Squash (~1.5 lb)
Tomatoes (~0.3 lb)
Green Beans (~0.9 lb)
Salad Mix (~0.6 lb) includes:
-lettuce
-beet greens
-Swiss chard
-kale
-orach
-parsley
-nasturtium flowers
Shallots, variety Prisma (~0.5 lb)
Cabbage (3 small, or 1 small and 1 medium)
Green Onion (1 bunch)
Basil (~0.09 lb)

Thanks to Volunteers

As I was weeding a carrot bed today, I thought back on how happy I have been to have friends and subscribers come out to the farm to help out and see where their food is coming from.

Many thanks to those of you that have come out to help. As I harvest I find myself thinking things like:
“Katie’s broccoli looks great,”
“I hope Joanne enjoys her bok choy,”
“Noah’s little orange tomatoes are delicious,” or
“Rhoda and Fred’s cabbages are producing well.”
I’d like to make a special shout out to the super weeders: Nolan, Karen, Stu, Joseph, Lenore, and Brad.

It really does make a difference in the quality and quantity of food that we can produce. I know we’ll be grateful when we harvest Charlie and Owen’s potatoes and Linda’s mizuna.

We are currently working on tilling under beds that are done producing Spring crops. The plan is to plant these with more Fall crops. We have loads of weeding to do, as well as some fertilizing, potato hilling up, and tomato vine training.

What was in my Bag? Week 14, 8/12/10

This week we are really starting to have some summer vegetables. It is exciting to have a different palette to cook with.

In the subscriber bags, there was:

Lettuce
Kohlrabi
Fennel
Carrots
Leeks
Tomatoes
Green Beans
Italian Red Torpedo Onions (harvested today, so I would let them dry out / cure – not in the fridge)
Garlic (grown by our landlord, Bella Organic),
Summer Squash (1 ea for Buckman pick-up subscribers, 2 for Maryland pick-up)
Broccoli (1 ea for Maryland pick-up subscribers)
Swiss Chard (1 ea for Buckman subscribers)

Enjoy!

Montavilla Farmers Market 8-8-10

Visit Nate at the Montavilla Farmers Market (76th X Stark) this morning (10AM to 2PM). He’ll have loads of lettuce, salad mix, some lovely carrots, and other delights.

Farm Visit

We had a fun visit from market customer Dina Avila this Wednesday. I love having folks out to see where their food is coming from. Dina is a food photographer, and has recently started blogging. She wrote up an article (with fantastic photos) about her visit.

Check it out here, at leeksoup.wordpress.com.

What was in my Bag? Week 13, 8-5-10

What a gorgeous week it had been. The plants are putting on good growth, new successions of carrots and radishes are germinating, and the tomatoes are starting to swell on the vines.

In the CSA bags this week there are:

Lettuce (2 heads)
Carrots (1 bunch)
Summer Squash (1 ea)
Beets (2 ea)
Salad Mix (~0.4 lb) includes:
-lettuce
-chard
-orach
-nasturtium flowers
Cabbage (1 ea)
Garlic (~0.4 lb) this was grown by our landlord, Bella Organic
Basil (1 bunch)
Shiso (1 bunch)

Enjoy!

Pietopia August 5

There will be a tasty (and free) pie tasting event, PIETOPIA, at the Buckman Farmers Market Thursday August 5th.

The pies are made according to recipes submitted by contestants. The recipes are supposed to reflect their lives and circumstances. It is an interesting food as art concept. Screen prints designed for each winning pie will be on display.

I love pie! I think I'll start getting into the spirit, and bake one at home. Last week at market I saw cherries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, and several other berries. Now for the recipe….

What was in my Bag? Week 12, 7-29-10

What a beautiful day to harvest and go to market! The cool morning and warm afternoon were perfect for harvesting (preserving both vegetables’ quality and farmers’ health) and market turn-out.

In the CSA subscribers’ bags there was:
Lettuce (2 heads)
Bok Choy (1 ea)
Carrots (~0.5 lb)
Cherry Tomatoes (just a handful, but the first tomato harvest of the year)
Green Beans, varieties Blue Coco, Tiger Eye, Grandma Nellie’s Yellow Mushroom Bean (~0.25 lb)
Radish, variety Shunkyo (1 small bunch) this will be the last radishes for a few weeks
Basil, Genovese (1 bunch)
Salad Mix (0.3 lb) includes:
-Lettuce
-Nasturtium flowers
-Orach
-Purple peacock kale/broccoli
-Chard
Kohlrabi (1 ea)
Summer Squash ( 1 ea)
Green Onion, variety deep purple (1 bunch)
Cabbage, variety Golden Acre (1 head)
Red Celery (1 ea)

After a skipping class for a few weeks, Summer has finally tip-toed through the door, slipped into her chair, and is ready.

We hope to soon have more of the delicious summer crops we’ve all been longing for.