Fall planting

The past two days have felt fall-like... cool nights and mornings, crisp mid-day sun. These late days of August are trying to tell us that it's time to get those last fall crops in the ground.

In July we tried broccoli and cabbage again (I say "tried" because we didn't have much success earlier this season and are crossing our fingers with this planting). We sowed our fall root vegetables (carrots, beets, turnips, radish) by the first week of August, and have been succession sowing hardier greens every two weeks since then so we have a constant supply through November. These hardier greens include arugula, spinach, tatsoi cabbage, mustards, kale, bok choy and tendergreen. And we still have lettuce in the rotation.

We're also sowing buckwheat, a fast-growing smother crop, in three beds that will be used for garlic planting in October. Getting our hands on "seed" garlic has been tough, only because it is so expensive from many sources (e.g., 2 pounds for $39!). We'll try planting some of the garlic we've bought at local farmer's markets, and might just put in that expensive order, because garlic is just too good not to grow your own.

Garden party 2011

Thank you to all of our neighbors who joined us for an evening in the garden!

The weather was beautiful and we had an amazing group of people come out to see Longhaul Farm's progress, to hear about our plans and practices, and to enjoy some farm fresh hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. It is really special to see the community gather and get excited about a project that is so simple and sustainable. We were able to give a brief talk and tour, and announced our 2012 CSA and driveway farm stand plans. And we also learned a few tricks from fellow gardeners who attended.

Thanks again for such a strong gathering and relaxed, pleasant evening!

Preserving: Canning tomatoes and tomato sauce

Alas, more preserving. This is a good thing for our vegetable-starved mouths in February, but a tiring thing in mid-August at the height of tomato harvesting.

Processed Bellstar and Yellow shorts.

We have tomatoes coming out of our ears. Every couple of days we have about 30 pounds of "canning" tomatoes. We planted Bellstar paste/roma tomatoes - not so flavorful tomatoes that are firm and less watery than most, so good for making sauce and canning. We also have a lot of Yellow short tomatoes - not-so-firm, but sweet and flavorful, so we hope pair nicely in the jar with some Bellstars.

We process 7 quarts of canned tomatoes at a time, which pretty much requires 20-30 pounds of tomatoes, depending on size and water-content. I peel the skins off of the tomatoes (after dropping them in boiling water for about 30 seconds), cut out the stem and any bad spots, and then stuff them into sterilized jars. It's important to mash the tomatoes down with a clean wooden or plastic utensil to remove the air pockets. I pour in a bit of lemon juice once the jar is full (to add more acid which helps canned vegetables preserve longer) and then process the jars for 45 minutes in a boiling water bath. We have about 30 quarts of tomatoes right now... more than we use in a typical year, but this will not be a typical year, so we'll see.

We have also been making heirloom tomato sauce and then processing the jars in the same manner. After cooking down carrots, onions and celery from the garden to release their sweetness, we add some red wine and oregano, then garlic, salt and pounds and pounds of roughly chopped heirloom tomatoes. The sauce simmers for about 3-4 hours and then we blend it with an immersion blender and process it. So there's more work up front, but there will be less work once we open the jar this winter.

Cover cropping

Now that we've reached 30 vegetable beds and the end of the summer growing season, we are filling any bare or newly dug soil with cover crops.

Sowing wheat+vetch in Argentina

Cover crops are plants grown in order to improve the quality of soils, provide green manure which can be used as mulch or composted for natural fertilizer, provide food for animals, suppress weed competition and help naturally protect against plant diseases and pests. On a small farm that aims to be self-sufficient, cover crops are essential to naturally replace the “boost” given by chemical or organically-approved fertilizers and help maintain the nutritional vitality of your soil in a sustainable and balanced way. Most cover crops are in the legume, grass or cereal plant families and there are many to choose from. Some are perennials, some annuals; some have tap roots up to 7 feet long; some grow so fast they smother other possible weeds waiting to come up; some fix nitrogen in the soil; some you allow to flower; some you mow; some you just incorporate into the soil. Each cover crop has unique contributions to the organic farm.

You might remember we sowed our first cover crop of clover in March with our frost-seeding method. Now we've got our first sowing of cover crops in our newly single-dug beds: oilseed radish and hairy vetch; and winter rye and hairy vetch. The oilseed radish grows quickly (unfortunately, so quickly that it seems to be outgrowing our vetch) and its roots tap down several feet, loosening the soil below and tapping into subsoil nutrients. The hairy vetch is a heavy nitrogen fixer. The winter rye suppresses weeds and is a good green manure. And we are planning on sowing buckwheat in any new plots we dig or harvest completely from because it is a fast-growing smother crop that you can incorporate into your soil as part of your fall bed preparation plan.

The sowing never stops!

Saving seeds

Fermenting cucumber seeds.

Saving seeds is at the heart of our mission to be as self-sufficient as we can be. We learned a bit about doing it in Argentina and have read up more recently. We eye our vegetables closely to see which plant is the perfect specimen worth reproducing the following season.

Potato fruits (with seeds inside)

Each type of vegetable, and more generally, plant family, requires a different method for saving seed. For example, most brassicas (e.g., cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli) cross-pollinate with each other easily (which means if you plant different varieties near each other you may end up with a cross-breed the next generation) and are biennials (which means that their seed is produced in the second year). Being in New York, this makes it hard to save seeds from this family since we have to transplant and overwinter the plant before setting it back out the following spring. Some seeds require fermenting before they are viable (e.g., tomatoes and potatoes; cucumbers). Others just need to dry - on the plant, preferably, or once pulled, hanging upside down (e.g., peas and beans). For leafy vegetables (e.g., lettuce, chard) you have to choose the right plant - one that doesn't bolt too quickly.

Saving Jacob's Cattle drying bean

Saving seeds is certainly a science. And people have been practicing it for centuries. Of course, there are corporate efforts trying to undo our ability to produce food without having to spend money or involve a middleman (e.g., by producing a terminator seed, one that produces plants with sterile seeds). But small farmers and gardeners continue to save away despite lawsuits against them. Here in the Hudson Valley, we purchased some of our first batches of seeds from the Hudson Valley Seed Library, which collects regionally-adapted seeds from its members. Hopefully next season our seed order will be much smaller because we'll be planting our own saved seeds.

Preserving: Sun-dried tomatoes

We harvested 80 pounds of tomatoes yesterday. We gave some as a thanks to our compost collectors and have been preserving the rest. One way to make tomatoes last through the seasons is to sun-dry them.

We didn't want to use the oven (it takes about 20 hours in an oven at low heat), so we set up a station for the sun. In our cold frame we blocked up two raised screens, cut the Fargo Pear and Yellow Short tomatoes (saving the Bellstars for canning and the heirlooms for sauces and salads) in half, squeezed out some of the seeds, and laid them on the screens. We put another screen on top to keep the bugs and animals away. And now we just let them sit, baking in the sun. Sources say it should take 2-4 days.

Recipe with summer squash

Squash and carrot pizza

Ingredients: summer squash, carrot, onion, garlic, pizza dough, tomato sauce, blue cheese, mozzarella cheese

Preparing: Saute diced onion and carrot until tender. Add garlic and diced summer squash and saute a few minutes more (but only a few minutes, because the crunchy squash and underdone garlic are part of the effect). Add some fresh oregano or rosemary. Prepare pizza as you normally would, but use some blue cheese in addition to the pizza cheese.

Dish history: In Argentina we used to saute leeks and carrots together as a veggie pizza topping. But the leeks aren't ready until fall and the squash is crunchy and ripe.

Recipe with cucumbers

Cucumber salad

Ingredients: cucumbers, red onion, dill, sour cream, lemon, salt and pepper

Preparing: Slice the cucumbers and red onion to desired thickness. Mix up some sour cream and lemon juice with salt and pepper for the dressing. Stir in with cukes and onions along with fresh dill.

Dish history: A simple salad. Also try: cucumber and fresh tomato salad with a vinaigrette (lemon or vinegar with a bit of olive oil) and fresh oregano or basil leaves.

Holy insects

What in the world is going on here:

And here, the fattest caterpillar I've ever seen:

Recipe with radishes

Radish refrigerator pickles

Ingredients: radishes, vinegar, water, sugar, salt, garlic clove, spices

Preparing: Bring to a boil a half vinegar/half water solution with some sugar, salt (I use 2 cups water to 2 cups vinegar to 2 tablespoons sugar to a huge pinch of salt) and some spices (e.g., coriander seeds, bay leaf, red hot pepper flakes, whole cloves, allspice). Meanwhile, clean and cut radishes to desired pickle size and fill a jar with them and a garlic clove or two, some herbs (e.g., thyme sprigs, dill, shiso leaves) and more spices, if desired. Once the vinegar solution boils, pour it over the radishes and fill it about 1/4 inch from the top. Seal the jar, allow it to cool, and leave in the refrigerator for at least a week to pickle nicely.

Eating: This is one of our go-to snacks we put out with cocktails. The red skin of the radish dies the pickles a muted pink so they add great color. And since the radishes aren't cooked, they've got great crunch.

Dish history: This is based off of an Alice Waters simple recipe. You can use any type of vegetable - carrots, cauliflower, green beans, zucchini, super-fresh-cucumbers, beets, jalapeno peppers and garlic are our favorites. Since the jars aren't processed, the pickles should stay in the fridge.

Preserving: Pickling cucumbers, beans and zucchini

Pickling is a method for preserving vegetables by canning. Only acidic fruits and vegetables (e.g., tomatoes) can be safely canned with the boiling-water bath method. Other non-acidic fruits and vegetables need to be acidified for safe home-canning (plus, frozen vegetables just taste better).

So our half-bushel of cucumbers and abundant green beans and zucchini got the pickling treatment. Adding a vinegar-water-salt (and sometimes sugar) solution to sterilized jars with spices and vegetables and then processing the jars in boiling water for a minimum of 10 minutes ensures safe vegetables through the winter months and spring food gap. Here's our process:

(1) Wash vegetables and cut to size so they fit into your sterilized jars with some room to spare at the top (it's important that all parts of the vegetable come into contact with the pickling solution). Seed cucumbers if you prefer.
(2) Bring to boil equal portions water and vinegar with 1/4 cup salt for every 5 cups of liquid.
(3) Pack sterilized jars with a garlic clove, 1/2 jalapeno, a few coriander seeds, a few peppercorns, a hefty pinch of mustard seeds and dill flowers. Pack in vegetables.
(4) Pour boiling pickling solution into jars, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the top. Be sure all vegetables are covered with the solution. Seal tightly.
(5) Process in boiling water bath for at least 10 minutes (we processed the cucumber pickles for 20 minutes, as suggested by The Joy of Cooking).
(6) Leave jars to pickle for at least 1 week before opening. Store at room temperature.

Recipe with summer squash

Stuffed squash

Waiting for the gratin topping

Ingredients: large zucchini or other summer squash, onion, garlic, 1 egg, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese

Preparing: Slice squash lengthwise and scoop out pulp. Saute diced onion and garlic. Add chopped up squash pulp. Add fresh herb of your choosing or boil off some white wine, or include any other extra vegetable bits at this saute stage. Take mixture off the heat and add beaten egg, bread crumbs (about a cup, but depends on size of squash) and a good helping of grated parmesan cheese. Oil the insides of the squash shells and fill them with the mixture. Top the squash halves with a gratin (melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter and stir in about 1/2 cup of bread crumbs). Bake for 30 minutes, or until squash shells are tender.

Eating: A good vegetarian main course, especially if you can get your hands on some of those 3-5 pound squashes.

Dish history: This is simply a classic way to use some of your bounty of summer squash. Be sure to saute the stuffing enough that the liquid is cooked out or add enough bread crumbs; otherwise you may end up with a soupy stuffing.

Learning the hard way

Despite our attempts to rid our cucumbers of the striped cucumber beetle, the damage was done.

Some of our cucumber plants have been victims of cucumber bacterial wilt. The bacteria that causes this disease overwinters in the stomachs of the striped cucumber beetle, and when they damage your plants the bacteria works its way in. The disease disrupts the plant's ability to move water through its system. It reduces yield, produces misshapen fruit and can spread to other cucurbit crops, such as melon or squash.

This is a good year for us to learn about how important insect control is, since we are not beholden to any members or paying customers for our vegetables. We acted quickly, cutting away diseased vines, pulling hopeless plants and harvesting any cukes that appeared ready. We managed to get a bushel (8 gallons) of cucumbers from the harvest and may get even more if they ripen safely. We pickled half a bushel and saved the rest for cucumber salads.

Recipe with beets

Shredded summer beet salad

Ingredients: beets, basil, lime juice, olive oil, salt

Preparing: Shred beets into bowl with a cheese grater (no need to peel; the skin will end up not grating into the dish). Add chopped fresh basil, fresh lime juice, olive oil and salt to taste.

Eating: Good side dish. Could also substitute the basil/lime juice for cumin/chive/lemon juice or rice vinegar/sesame oil/scallion. We've also added leftover plain black beans to this dish to bulk it up a bit.

Dish history: On hot summer days who in the world wants to roast or boil beets?!?

Recipe with herbs

Herb salad

Ingredients: parsley, basil, cilantro, chicory, chives, arugula, garden cress, baby beet greens, baby radish greens, small kale leaves, shiso leaves (any combination of the above)

Preparing: Wash and chop up all of your greens. Toss with a vinaigrette (we use lemon juice, olive oil, a bit of honey, a smashed garlic clove, salt and pepper).

Eating: Easy side or can be an entire lunch.

Dish history: We have an abundance of herbs and baby greens in the garden. We love the explosion of fresh, diverse flavors.

Recipe with potatoes

Potatoes and greens

Ingredients: potatoes (tastes even better if they're "new" potatoes), greens (e.g., chard, spinach, beet greens, collards), oil, vinegar, salt

Preparing: Cut the potatoes to even sizes and bake as for oven-browns (we use bacon fat if on hand or vegetable oil, salt and pepper). When the potatoes are crispy and brown, add chopped greens and a splash of vinegar (we use cider), toss well with the potatoes and put back into the oven for about 5 minutes, or until greens are wilted.

Eating: Stir up the dish, being sure to scrape up the crispy browns. This goes well with any meats, but especially grilled ones. It takes care of the starch and vegetable, so it's an easy side.

Dish history: We started eating this in Argentina where there was an abundance of greens, and not so many potato plants planted. It's an especially good way to stretch those tiny new potatoes.

Recipe with cilantro

Cilantro chimichurri

Ingredients: cilantro, fresh hot pepper (e.g., jalapeño, serrano, cayenne, habanero), scallions, garlic (optional), vinegar, vegetable oil

Preparing: Finely mince the cilantro, hot pepper, scallions and garlic. Add some vinegar (we use white), but not too much, and some oil, but not too much. The chimichurri should be fresh tasting, not as oily as pesto and not as vinegary as a salad dressing.

Eating: Serve alongside grilled steak or with fish.

Dish history: A chimichurri is a classic accompaniment to grilled steaks in Argentina. Although they usually use parsley and a lot less hot pepper, the cilantro adds a really refreshing taste.

PS: An additional though on fresh cilantro: It is great on top of pasta dishes for a change from the classic fresh parsley or basil.

Recipe with chard

Saag-style chard

Ingredients: chard, clarified butter, garlic, ginger, hot peppers, salt

Note: You need a lot of chard for this recipe: for 2 adults, the uncooked and sliced chard should fill a 5-qt pot. It will cook down a lot.

Preparing: Cook finely sliced chard until it is wilted and you are able to mash it with a potato masher. Clarify your butter (heat butter, let the milk solids fall to the bottom, and cook with the "clarified" butter left on top). Add equal parts finely diced garlic, finely diced ginger, finely diced hot peppers to the clarified butter (the more you add, the more flavorful your chard... to feed 2, use at least 8 cloves of garlic). Add the mashed chard and mix.

Eating: Serve with rice or naan.

Dish history: While in Buenos Aires, we saw a story about a temple in India that serves  lunch to 10,000 people a day (!) and this was the simple recipe they profiled that day. We made it on the farm all the time when we harvested an abundance of chard.

Recipe with green beans

Green beans with ginger

Ingredients: green beans, butter, salt, ginger

Preparing: I think many people overcook green beans. Blanch the beans in boiling water for 3 minutes and then move to an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Melt butter in a saucepan, add matchstick-sized ginger slices, add salt if your butter is unsalted. Once the ginger is cooked to your liking, toss in the green beans to coat with butter and serve.

Eating: Good summer side dish. Can substitute fresh mint for ginger. Because butter is used, it really is best served warm/hot. If you wanted to make this an outdoor party side dish, I'd use a good tasting oil instead of the butter or wait for a hot day.

Dish history: We make this simple dish all the time... even made 20 pounds of it for a friend's wedding we were catering (where we, unfortunately, realized the room temperature butter version is not as appetizing).

Preserving: Freezing vegetables

With our storage room all set up and the freezer running efficiently (estimated $37 worth of annual electricity usage), we are in prime freezing mode right now.


There are many sources on freezing vegetables to refer to; we use Seymour's Self-Sufficient Gardener and The Joy of Cooking. As Seymour writes: "all fruit and vegetables should go to the freezer as soon as they are harvested. To leave them sitting about allows the sugars to start turning into starches and thereby the flavor is lost." So right from our garden harvest, we cold water rinse, blanch, flash cool and pack our vegetables. The JC gives appropriate blanching times for vegetables. Here are the ones we've tried or plan on trying this season:

Beans, green - 2.5 min
Beans, broad in pod - 4 min
Beet greens - 2.5 min
Beets, small - until tender
Broccoli - 3-4.5 min
Brussels sprouts - 3-4.5 min
Cabbage, leaf or shredded - 1.5 min
Carrots, sliced - 3 min
Celery, diced - 3 min
Chard - 2.5 min
Chinese cabbage, shredded - 1.5 min
Collards - 2.5 min
Kale - 2.5 min
Mustard greens - 2.5 min
Parsnips - 2 min
Peas, green - 1.5-2.5 min
Peppers - 2 min
Spinach - 2.5 min
Pumpkin, pureed - until tender
Squash, summer, sliced - 3 min
Squash, winter, pureed - until tender
Turnip greens - 2.5
Turnips, diced - 3 min

Once the vegetables have been blanched, cooled and packed, we use Seymour's tip of sucking out the air using a drinking straw (rather than buying a vacuum sealer). Yesterday, although the hottest day on record in our area, we harvested our collards after we noticed some pest damage and ended up with 40 packed cups worth. We even saved the stems and may try pickling them.

Who doesn't think frozen veggies are far superior to canned?