Sundog CSA July 10th, 2023
TOMATOES - they are finally ripe and in your bags this week. Let me backtrack a little on that statement by saying that they are in your bags except for the ones that we ate, sitting on buckets and stumps in the warm afternoon sun Sunday. They were the very definition of delicious. Katy and I are in agreement on Ananas Noire being one of the sweetest tomatoes, albeit a little on the unattractive side and we love the German Heads. I hope to get pictures of each variety and send them out so you can identify your favorite.
I also wanted to update you on our RHUBARB ICE CREAM experience. Very, very positive was the overall reaction to Izzy’s 4th of July dessert. It was an unusual taste treat, rich, creamy and pink!
Garden work this week was mowing, weeding and more weeding. We are watering most of the crops even though we received another .52 Tuesday evening and then .08 on Friday evening. We are also sticking mulch around plants whenever we get a few minutes with the hopes that it will hold whatever moisture we are gifted with in the coming weeks. July and August can be stingy with rainwater some years and mulch can be a lifesaver. While on our tomato break this afternoon, we also put another task on our priority list because we realized that we were sitting and watching some old red hens walk up and down our tomato rows and even though their mission might be bugs, our experience has been that they enjoy tomatoes almost as much as we do. Netting is a must in the next couple of days. We pound in T-posts around the entire planting and then string deer netting and it works at least 95 percent of the time. Besides the chickens, a variety of worms have been appearing and parts of our plants, particularly the tomatoes, have been disappearing. When we see a branch stripped of foliage, we immediately look for a worm or two. Since some of these worms are moths and butterflies “in the making”, we try and relocate. I would like to tag them somehow and see if they return!
YOUR BAG THIS WEEK - grown in an organic manner!
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Large Tomatoes
- Squash and Zucchini
- Swiss Chard
- Beets
- Sweet Pepper - first picking!
- Basil and Parsley
RECIPE SHARE –
From the Rolling Prairie Cookbook by Nancy O’Conner. Rolling Prairie is a CSA in northeast Kansas and it is where Zach and I worked for a summer. This group of farmers provides produce for Kansans and is committed to organic practices.
ROSY HOME FRIES
4 to 5 medium potatoes, cooked until tender but still firm, then cubed
3 medium beets, cooked until tender, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
½ cup minced fresh parsley
¾ teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the potatoes and beets and sauté for approximately 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes begin to brown slightly. Remove from heat. Toss in the red pepper, parsley, salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
GORGEOUS BEET and APPLE SALAD
4 to 5 medium sized beets, cooked and cut into large cubes
1 large Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cut into large cubes
¼ cup slivered red onion
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced shallots
¼ teaspoon sugar or honey
Toss beets, apple, and red onions together in a medium sized bowl. Mix remaining ingredients to create the dressing. Pour over vegetables and toss to mix well. Chill. Serves 4.
QUICK GRATED BEETS
4 medium sized beets
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice to taste
3 to 6 tablespoons water or vegetable stock
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Chopped fresh dill or parsley.
Wash, peel, and coarsely grate beets. Heat butter or oil in a medium sized skillet over medium low heat. Add beets, and stir to coat well. Sprinkle with lemon juice, cover and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and add water or stock as needed to prevent scorching. Cook until just tender. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with dill or parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
WHO LIVES ON THE HILL? This is Izzy’s catch – a six lined racerunner. Along with a grumpy toad that she managed to catch!
Digging potatoes, we were visited by this scary looking critter who is actually a friend, a tachinid fly. These flies are called “parasitic flies”, laying their eggs in host insects such as caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, and true bugs. They are part of natural pest control practices and are sometimes introduced into areas. In this case, our fly must be a resident! 😊
For rent, one abandoned shell, no longer being used by this locust or cicada. They are different and I am not skilled enough to know which this is but I do know that someone molted and has new “skins”.
Worms come in all colors and sizes and if we find them, they are relocated to a new address. I found the “dill worm” on a carrot plant and the hornworm had “defoliated” a large area on a cherry tomato. For such a little guy, he did some impressive damage!
Our friend, Judy, gifted Izzy and Seth with a couple of baby goats this spring and they were promptly named Snickers and Midge. Lately, they have been trying the patience of everyone who lives on the hill because they have discovered the joys of escaping the pasture and grazing in the flower beds, the garden and wherever else they can trot to before they are noticed and reported. We hear the ringing words, “the goats are out” more times a day then we can count and Katy even received a text the other day from Mark who is clearing the way for the new fence, telling her that the goats were out! He had seen them from the cab of the machine and most likely was familiar with the shouts and chases that happen daily. There are threats of sale barns and return (like you do when something doesn’t fit!) but then we look and see this scene and know that it is all worth it. Thank you, Judy!
Blessings from the farm – Seth, Dan, Izzy, Katy, Teresa, Jen, Zach