15th CSA basket

The veggies had a whole week to grow without us picking and prodding around in there, so there is plenty to go around. Expect the following this week:

Corn, squash, edamame*, eggplant, peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, kale, lettuce, basil, cilantro, parsley, scallions, onions.

* What to do with edamame? Steam the whole pods or boil the whole pods in salted water. Then just pop the beans right out of their shell and enjoy as a snack.

Our other day jobs

We love farming, but farming is not enough. We manage to take some time off from the fields to teach; Jason at Bronx Community College and I teach at the Bard Prison Initiative. Being in front of the classroom fills an important need in our lives to spark interest, spread the word and challenge both young and old minds.

Take a second to look at a recent article written in Modern Farmer about the prison garden I work in when I'm not in my own. I swear, they really do like their kale chips.

14th CSA basket

A reminder that we'll be away next week so there will be no baskets on 9/3 or 9/6. We'll resume pick-ups on Tuesday, 9/10.

Expect the following this week:
Corn, squash, onions, shallot, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, green beans, parsley, cilantro, scallions, basil, chard.

13th CSA basket

Now we've got corn! And lots and lots of tomatoes. Expect the following this week:

Corn, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, green beans, onions, shallots, arugula, Chinese cabbage, radicchio, chard, parsley, cilantro, scallions, basil

12th CSA basket

We've got some cucumbers! Expect the following this week:

Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, onions, green beans, Chinese cabbage, lettuce, kale, arugula, parsley, cilantro, scallions, basil

11th CSA basket

Still waiting on our slow-growing cucumbers and lettuce has taken a break this week. But the garlic has cured and the tomatoes are plentiful.

You can expect the following this week
Garlic, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, green beans, onions, carrots, arugula, basil, chard, parsley, cilantro, scallions.

10th CSA basket

Mid-season is here. You can expect the following in your basket:

Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, green beans, eggplant, peppers, arugula, lettuce, kale, parsley, cilantro, scallions, basil, onions, carrots

9th CSA basket

In your baskets this week:

Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, green beans, beets, carrots, peppers, arugula, kale, radicchio, lettuce, scallions, parsley, basil, cilantro, onions

Eggplants coming soon...

8th CSA basket

You can expect the following in this week's basket:

Lettuce, arugula, chard, kale, parsley, scallions, cilantro, basil, carrots, green beans, dandelion greens.

Tomatoes are coming soon!

The pigs have arrived

We've finally got our pigs.

Coming from Glynwood Farm, a local farm about 15 minutes north of us, they rather quickly made their way to their new home. This is their first experience living in the woods and the farmers who dropped them off told us they would love it. They are tucked nicely in the shade and have a fresh water supply and lots of food scraps to feast on: now all of the compost we've been collecting from our neighbors will be feeding our pigs instead of our compost heap.

Not sure if they'll stick, but the names Bo and Peep came to me as we were corralling them from the trailer to their electric-fenced in area.

Bo and Peep are happily lying in the mud pit I created for them this morning.

7th CSA basket

The heat is doing a number on the peas and lettuce. But I see some ripening tomatoes and a few eggplants and peppers.

You can expect the following this week:

Lettuce, tatsoi cabbage, collards, kale, chard, fennel, turnips or radish, carrots, green peas, sugar snap peas, parsley, cilantro, scallions, dandelion greens

6th CSA basket

You can expect the following in this week's basket:

Lettuce, kale, collards, tatsoi cabbage, arugula, sorrel, fennel, kohlrabi, sugar snap peas, parsley, cilantro.

When you get your fennel bulb with all of its fronds consider making a delicious fennel pesto right away with the fronds and stems. And if you haven't used kohlrabi: I like to slice it into very thin rounds and top with shaved parmesan, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Or you can chop it up to add it to a slaw (with the fennel) or a salad. The leaves of kohlrabi are edible. You have to peel the bulb lightly - it tastes like broccoli stem to me. Enjoy!

Recipe with sugar snap peas

Sugar snap pea salad w/ orange

Ingredients: sugar snap peas, orange, vinegar, olive oil, honey, fresh oregano, salt, pepper

 
Preparing: De-string the peas. Cut them lengthwise so the peas are long and you crosscut the actual peas inside. Zest some orange rind and reserve for dressing. Cut the orange into small chunks. Make the dressing: olive oil, vinegar (red wine or white balsamic or cider), orange zest, honey and fresh oregano. Combine the peas, oranges and dressing.

Eating: You might stick it back in the fridge for 30 minutes and serve it crispy cold.

Dish history: I hate to cook sugar snap peas, but when I do I usually make an orange glaze... this is a fresh alternative.

5th CSA basket

You can expect the following in this week's basket:

Head lettuce, kale, tatsoi cabbage, Chinese cabbage, arugula, shelling peas, sugar snap peas, globe top turnip, hakurei turnip, cilantro, parsley, green onions

4th CSA basket

You can expect the following in this week's basket:

Shelling peas, head lettuce, kale, spinach, chard, bok choy, tatsoi cabbage, parsley, cilantro, dill, oregano.

Some pictures of things to come...

Fava beans

Broccoli

Swiss chard

Trellised peas

Scallions

Seeding leeks

Cilantro + dill

3rd CSA basket

You can expect the following in this week's basket:

Lettuce mix, head lettuce, arugula, tatsoi cabbage, radishes, kale, bok choy, collards, cilantro, dill... maybe shelling peas if we get some sun

2nd CSA basket

Thanks to all who were able to come out to our member gathering on Friday.

Now that the heat has subsided, we can finish putting a few things in the ground. And we finished prepping our last 2 beds for tomatoes - how did we ever get anything in the ground with all of these rocks and boulders we keep finding??!? Most things are looking good, the garlic is starting to scape... but our eggplants have been targeted by the flea beetles, which I didn't think would ever happen, so we are trying to nurse them back to life.

In this 2nd basket you can expect the following:
lettuce mix (washed and dried), head lettuce, spinach, kale, greens for cooking (chard, vitamin green, Tokyo bekana or braising mix), arugula, radishes, oregano, cilantro, sage

2013 1st CSA basket

Welcome to the season! We'll have out first pick-up today.

Pick-up days are Tuesday or Friday and you can come by the farm between 4-6pm. We'll have the produce available up at our wood shed in the garden and we'll be supplying you with a basket to put your veggies in. There might be times during the summer bounty that we ask you to bring extra bags for yourself.

This week you can expect the following in your baskets:
Kale, chard, spinach, lettuce, radishes, sage, oregano, chives, parsley.

Coming soon... tatsoi cabbage, Chinese cabbage, peas

Some wins and some losses

The dry weather has kept slugs at bay, but the cool temperatures (up until today - hit 90 at 2:30 here) have delayed some vegetable growth (but I did see a pea flower this morning). We've ordered some more meat birds and laying hens and have 3 turkey poults coming our way, but the hawks did get two of our favorite birds - a strong white plymouth rock layer and - sniff, sniff - our lone bantum rooster. All's quiet on Longhaul Farm without the banty's call.

We're pining for June, when we get a reprieve from planting and can focus on maintenance and other tasks around the farm. And this also marks the start of the CSA season, kicking off on Friday, May 31, with a member gathering and distribution of the first basket. We'll update the blog posts weekly so folks know what's coming their way... holding off now because you never know what might explode or whither away in the next 10 days. 

More progress on the greenhouse

With help from Dane, we put up the insulation, outer cedar wall and cap on the greenhouse foundation. Next we'll put up the inner wall... and then, finally, we'll be ready to figure out the actual framing.