Sundog CSA July 21st, 2025
It rained! We got 1.39 on Wednesday evening and .20 on Friday evening. Five miles to the west of us, the rain amounts almost doubled! It is strange how the totals differ so much within a few miles. We are grateful to have moisture. The first rain came in with strong winds and knocked out the power in our neighborhood for about five hours – the second small rain came straight down instead of sideways.
Today (Sunday) we had sprinkles that were concentrated enough for a few minutes to cause the rain-hating goats to take cover. And today we were hoping they would get soaked. Most days we are concerned about their hides but today after they spent some time inside the high tunnel yesterday afternoon, eating carrots, beets and tomatoes, we were not very concerned about their hides getting rained on. We discovered the crime yesterday afternoon and spent hours working on the fence, trying to get the grass and trees that might be a problem with electric fencing, cleared. I started on the small trees in the fence line opposite the bee hives this morning, thinking that I could finish clearing it before the bees got up – after all, it was Sunday. Unfortunately, they believe in early rising and they are also territorial as I found out the hard way, running, flinging nippers and saw and cursing goats and bees! Katy dressed in appropriate gear (full-fledged bee suit) and finished the task while I sulked and rubbed the small hole which had felt like a ¼ inch drill bit going in. Dan, who had watched my wild flight, offered RAID and gasoline and for a microsecond it felt tempting! No, we have not been successful in fixing the problem yet. We are thinking t-posts and running several more strands of wire will be the solution.
It has been a week of breakdowns starting with Zach’s appendix. Trying out hospital beds in several different rooms including emergency, he found himself in the surgery room after about 15 hours and is recovering at home. Seth upset a brown spider and ended up with a bite to the leg. He is also recovering. No matter what else happened this week, it was a good week with both of them home and healthy. It was also Katy’s birthday Wednesday and she wished for rain and her brother and Seth to be ok and both of her wishes came true! Cake and ice cream made the day even better.
Mechanical breakdowns included the rototiller. I have never been really curious about the insides of the machine that chews earth and I am not sure that Dan ever cared about seeing it either but he has disassembled it and in doing so found that the gears are missing teeth and the broken chain was another problem. Because it might be a while before we get parts, we accepted Seth’s offer to work the ground for us as we plant a new beet bed –
BUG pictures this week –
Top row – first two pictures are of a bug commonly called a “stag beetle” or pinching beetle. The Latin name is Lucanus capreolus which translates to “roe deer”. Capreolus literally means little goat and Katy and Iz thought it was so appropriate because they found this guy in the goat pen at milking time. The next picture is of a katydid who looks shocked at being held and photographed. The last picture in the top row is a “yellow wooly bear caterpillar” who is hoping to grow up to be a Isabella Tiger Moth. On the bottom row, first up is a Harlequin bug. These guys are hard shelled critters that can chew on and kill a lot of garden foliage before moving on to better spaces. Hand picking takes time but is one of the ways to reduce the population. Next up is a praying mantis who has a rotating head and mandibles instead of teeth. I did not realize that although they do bite when feeling threatened, they are not generally aggressive. I also discovered that they are not as helpful in the garden as I thought as a predator. They are positive though rather than negative. And last is not a bug – I found this little guy looking up at me out of the water pipe that feeds the stock tank when I went out to turn on the water. I guess he has taken up residence as he seems pretty comfortable.
YOUR BAG THIS WEEK –
- Onions
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Okra - First crop of the season
- Potatoes
- Roots - beets, carrots and kohlrabi
- Peppers - HOT and sweet
- Swiss Chard
- Last of the squash - we have planted more and hope that the squash beetles have moved on when this crop matures.
OKRA – Believe it or not, okra is packed with nutritional benefits. It also contains a specific fiber called pectin which feeds the good bacteria in your gut. Besides fiber, it contains minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Most of us are familiar with okra as an ingredient in gumbo.
The Joy of Gardening Cookbook had the following recipe which can be served over rice if desired.
Tomato Okra Soup/Stew
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons butter
1 ½ cups diced onion 1 cup diced green pepper
2 cups sliced okra 4 cups canned whole tomatoes or peeled, diced fresh tomatoes
1 ½ cups sliced kielbasa 3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon wine vinegar 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
¾ teaspoon fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
In a large soup pot, heat the oil and butter and sauté the onion, pepper and okra for ten minutes. Break up the tomatoes and add to the vegetables with the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
And from One United Harvest, Creative Recipes from America’s Community Supported Farms
Okra Pilau
2 cups thinly sliced okra
1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes, well drained & chopped or 3 fresh tomatoes, peeled, quartered and seeded
3 bacon slices, diced
½ cup chopped green pepper
½ cup chopped onion
¾ cup long grain rice, uncooked
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Sauté okra and bacon until lightly browned. Add green pepper and onions and continue cooking until vegetables are tender. Add rice, chicken brother, tomatoes, and salt. Bring to a boil. Stir once, cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender. (If using converted rice, increase the chicken brother to 2 ¼ cups and the cooking time to 25 minutes). Fluff lightly with fork and serve.
RECIPE SHARE – thank you Julie!
Julie shared that she and her family had been enjoying the kohlrabi in a salad. It sounded interesting so we requested the recipe. Julie found it on The Minimalist Baker and modified it to add the kohlrabi.
½ teaspoon lime zest
4 cups (heaped) shredded or thinly sliced red cabbage or a combination of other cabbages/kohlrabi
¾ cup finely chopped /shredded carrot
½ cup finely chopped red or white onion
1 ½ Tablespoons lime juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
14 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Start by washing, drying and zesting your lime. In a large mixing bowl, add finely shredded or sliced cabbage, chopped or shredded carrots, diced onion, lime juice, lime zest, ground cumin, garlic powder, olive oil, maple syrup and salt. Use clean hands to massage these ingredients for 2 minutes. This is the best way to ensure that the cabbage starts to soften and the flavors meld. Taste and adjust flavors as needed, adding more lime juice for acidity, lime zest for bright citrus flavor, maple syrup for sweetness, salt to taste, garlic powder for garlic flavor or cumin for smokiness. Optionally, garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve immediately or cover and store in the frig for up to 3-4 days. This is the perfect addition to salads, sandwiches or just a snack on its own.
NOTE: Olive oil is optional if oil free is preferred.
Have you ever found yourself sitting on the edge of the stock tank, talking on your phone and not really realizing that the water was rising because someone had turned on the hydrant and then it soaks in and by that time, you might as well just enjoy the dip! 😊
Hope you found a way to stay cool and enjoy these summer days of July. And we also hope that everyone was blessed with rainfall this past week.
Blessings from the farm – Zach, Jen, Katy, Dan, Seth, Izzy and Teresa