Sundog Farms

Sundog CSA July 29th, 2024

We were ready for the miserable forecast that was predicted or as ready as a person can be for over one hundred degrees heat indices and instead, we were gifted with .04 in the rain gauge and an overcast sky! It was kind of that way yesterday when the morning heat gave way to clouds accompanied by thunder rumbles and one of those breezes that comes often enough to dry the sweat. Maybe, just maybe, the next few days will surprise us as well!

We spent our gardening time this week pulling bindweed and since I really hate bindweed, I decided that I would do a little research on this invasive weed. It is interesting that it isn’t just plain old bindweed. It comes in “flavors” or varieties I guess you would say – field bindweed and hedge bindweed. I loved the nicknames that I found for it and might just casually say things like, “I am going down to pull devil’s guts or creeping jenny at the high tunnel”. I like devil’s guts best. The seeds remain viable for up to 50 years and the root systems in a single acre of dirt can weight up to five tons! It thrives in poor soil and discouraging weather conditions, sending roots down up to twenty feet. In other words, I think that we are going to be seeing bindweed for a long time. It says that bindweed is an indication of compacted soil and we do have an abundance of clay in our soil. It also said that Native Americans used bindweed for fevers, wounds and spider bites and Europeans used it as a laxative. So, I guess bindweed has a purpose but I am just going to keep pulling “devil’s guts”!

The green beans continue to bloom and put on lots of beans and our turnips and next round of cucumbers are starting to come through their soil covering, but only with the help of daily waterings. The tomatoes are ripening inside the top tunnel and outside in our garden beds. We are seeing a little bit of pest damage but nothing severe yet. Yesterday, we were working on de-nailing a pile of old lumber from a renovated shed and noticed that a potted pepper was missing leaves that were there a few hours ago. Katy found this tiny little twig looking worm that must have a saber saw for teeth. He was pretty amazing in his disguise and for his “cutting” skills. The sweet potatoes are blooming with beautiful purple flowers and we have hopes for a harvest. This year we decided to plant eggplant outside because of the flea beetles and it is just now beginning to bloom. Some of the leeks that we transplanted are starting to grow tall so we encouraged them yesterday with weeding and promises of mulch and fertilizer. Leeks are a 90 – 110 day crop and they need all the encouragement they can get!

Below is a picture of the tiny little pepper leaf chewing worm. Resembling a dead piece of stem, his disguise is almost foolproof. And our beautiful blooming sweet potatoes!

YOUR BAG THIS WEEK –

  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Large Tomatoes
  • Okra
  • Swiss Chard
  • Green Beans
  • Potatoes
  • Squash/Zucchini
  • Sweet Peppers
  • Onion
  • Herb Bundle – Parsley, Chives, Basil

RECIPE SHARE - “From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Farm Fresh Seasonal Produce”

Squash and Zucchini Information - this vegetable is approximately 94% water, very low in calories and is a great source of vitamin A, C, potassium and calcium. Like other seasonal foods, its benefits are aptly timed. Easily digested, nourishing and cooling, while replacing lost fluids, summer squash is a welcome summer staple. These vegetables are delicate and perishable and must be enjoyed in their mid-summer’s glory as they are intolerant of cooler weather. There is no need to peel the smaller squash – just rinse and wipe down. Here are several tips on how to use them if you find yourself with too many. Grate or thinly slice them into green salads or shred to make a squash slaw. Steam squash whole or halved to best retain texture. Cook 1–2-inch diameter squash for 10 – 15 minutes, chunks for 5-10 minutes or until tender when a fork or knife is inserted. Be careful not to overcook. Top with butter alone or with a squeeze of lemon, sprinkle of herbs, grated Parmesan cheese or a pinch of pepper. Cut into chunks or thick slices and add to summer soups or stews. Add towards the end of cooking to retain texture. Grill small summer squash halves about 3-4 minutes on hottest side of the grill and then 8-10 minutes on the side. Baste with oil or marinade. Blanched baby patty pan, sliced across the circumference makes a decorative sauté or stir fry addition. Or try these simple recipes:

Make a simple casserole: Layer blanched squash slices alternately with chopped onion cooked with bread crumbs. Repeat two or three times and top with butter. Heat at 350 degrees in oven until hot and bubbly.

Make a special appetizer or side dish: Stuff patty pan squash with buttered fresh bread crumbs sauteed with garlic and fresh herbs. Heat through and serve.

Mash cooked summer squash, drain well and blend with butter, salt and pepper to taste. Add finely grated cheese, if desired.

Sunflower Squash Salad – The Sage Cottage Herb Garden Cookbook

1/3 cup sunflower seeds, divided ½ medium red pepper, diced

1 tablespoon corn or sunflower oil 2 small zucchini, cut into matchsticks

3 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 small yellow summer squash, sliced in 1/8 inch rounds

1 large clove garlic, minced freshly ground black pepper

Toast sunflower seeds 15 minutes in oven at 250 degrees. Whirl half the seeds in blender; add oil vinegar, garlic and a large grinding of black pepper; whirl to blend. Arrange red pepper in center of high-sided platter, place zucchini sticks around edge of platter, and place squash rounds between the two. Pour dressing over all and sprinkle with remaining sunflower seeds. Cover and refrigerate an hour or so. Six servings.

Oven-Fried Zucchini Spears – Zephyr Community Farm

2 medium sized zucchini or yellow summer squash 1 teaspoon dried summer savory

3 tablespoons dried bread crumbs ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 teaspoons corn oil

½ teaspoon dried basil Prepared marinara sauce, optional

Heat oven to 475 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Wash zucchini and pat dry. Do not peel. Cut into eighths lengthwise, then halves crosswise. On a sheet of wax paper, toss bread crumbs, cheese, herbs, garlic powder, and pepper. Whisk oil and 2 tablespoons water in small bowl. Moisten zucchini spears in this mixture, then roll them in crumb mixture, covering all sides. Arrange on baking sheet. Bake 7 minutes or until spears are lightly browned. Turn spears over; bake 3 minutes more. Serve immediately with hot marinara sauce if desired. Serves 4.

Mannie’s Cold Zucchini Salad – Drumlin Community Farm

Zucchini minced garlic canola oil red wine vinegar

Slice zucchini into thin strips lengthwise. Fry lightly in hot oil until soft throughout. Transfer zucchini to a bowl; salt lightly. Discard most of the oil in the pan. Add generous amounts of garlic and sauté lightly. Add red wine vinegar to about ¼ inch in the pan and bring to a quick boil. Toss sauce with squash. Cover and refrigerate. Ready to serve in a few hours. This is an old recipe and should be perfected with personal taste and intuition. Quantities are not fixed.

Zucchini Bread – An American Bounty

3 ½ cups all – purpose flour ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt 2 large zucchini, grated (2 ½ cups)

2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda 4 eggs

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ cup vegetable oil

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 ½ by 4 ½ loaf pans. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Combine zucchini, sugar, eggs, and oil in a large bowl and mix well. Stir dry ingredients into zucchini mixture just until combined. Toast nuts in hot oven 10 – 12 minutes, tossing often. Let nuts cool and fold into mixture. Transfer batter to load pans. Bake 50 – 55 minutes, then remove bread from the pans and cool on the racks. Two loaves

Double Zucchini (or Carob) Zucchini Cake - Scotch Hill Farm

¾ cup oil ½ teaspoon baking powder

1 ¼ cups sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs ½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon cloves

2 cups grated zucchini 2 ½ cups flour

½ cup sour milk or buttermilk small bag of chocolate or carob chips

3 tablespoons cocoa or carob powder

Heat oven to 250 degrees; grease a 9 by 13-inch pan. Mix all ingredients and bake 30 – 35 minutes. Sixteen servings.

Weekend evenings found us cleaning up a used lumber pile that resulted from a small building repair that we finished up in June. The lumber is old but some of it still has some possibilities so we have been removing nails and stacking the usable boards as we get ready to tackle another project. I was reminded of my dad as I pulled nails and tossed them in a bucket. Growing up would have found me straightening out some of those nails – very carefully turning the nail to get it as straight as possible, while my dad watched. I thought about the skills in coaxing those old nails and how I learned about flat bars and pry bars and how to turn a hammer into more than a nail pounder. No, I didn’t reach down and retrieve those old nails but I did share those memories as I showed Izzy how to “clean” old boards –

Blessings from the farm – Izzy, Seth, Katy, Dan, Jen, Teresa and Zach

Seth took pictures of Baby Bee (the one on the stump) to show how big she is getting.

Izzy is milking a cow for the first time this month. Penny stood extra still for this practice session.

And Katy and I were amazed at this “army worm” who hid perfectly within this picture unlike his little red buddy!