11th CSA Week

What a beautiful day!! Much nicer than the chilly rainy day this time last week. It was an interesting day for sure. Kim and I had harvested a few things yesterday as the weather was calling for thunder showers today so thought it was a good idea to try and get ahead. I was able to get the beans, potaotes, carrots done yesterday and Kim was able to get the beets and cucumbers done. It was a good thing we did so much as the truck went on the blink after I dropped the boys off so it was back to harvesting with the tractor. Kim was kind enough to lend me her van to do the Charlottetown delivery. I thought there would be all kinds of room but trying to fit all the bins in the van turned out to be a lesson in patience and trial and error. I was able to get all the bins in but some of the grab items did not make it. I had celery on top of the bins and at one point I had to make a quick stop and the celery came flying from the back. I'm glad the police did not see me as I'm sure I had broken some visibility laws or something along those lines.

The large share had cauliflower, red and white onions, cucumbers, zucchini, fennel, swiss chard, baby carrots, yellow beans and potatoes. The grab bins had celery, sweet green peppers, hot peppers, summer turnip, garlic, cilantro, dill, parsley, basil, leaf celery and more of the above veggies. This is the first year I have grown celery successfully. It looks like celery, other years it looked like very stunted small sad versions of the real thing. I actually haven't had a chance to try it yet as I did not think it was ready yet. I walked by it today and thought I should harvest a few for the grab boxes. I don't have many plants as it hasn't been exactly a success other years but I'll be trying more next year!!

Some of the cauliflower were gigantic today. I weighted a few and several were over two pounds. That's a lot of cauliflower!! Below is a repeat recipe from last year. Laura said she made it again this week and it was just as good as she remembered from last year!!



Cream of Cauliflower Soup II (from allrecipes.com)
2 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, chopped
2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth (I started with 4 cups)
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp dry sherry
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a large pot, over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 mins. Stir in potatoes and carrots and cook 5 minutes more. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in cauliflower, cover, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 - 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Puree in batches in blender, food processor or with an immersion blender. Return to low heat and stir in milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and sherry. Heat through.

*I found this VERY thick, so I added another cup of broth when heating it for the final time. It could even use 2 cups more than recommended. Some of the reviews online suggested serving parmesan cheese on it. That would probably be good, too. I found it quite tasty.

I made a very yummy soup on the weekend, it was a recipe given to me by my friend Natalie. It was so easy and so yummy. I found it was rather "thin" but a great base to add other cooked veggies to.

Zucchini and Rosemary Soup
Bon Appétit| June 1995
From the Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels, Maryland
Yield: Serves 8

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary (i only had dried and use 1/2teaspoon)
6 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
1 russet potato, peeled, sliced (i used 3-4 small-medium sized red potatoes and did not peel them)
3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced (i used 1 large green zucchini)
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I did not use the extra zucchini)
Croutons (i did not have any)
Chopped green onions (i did not have any)

Melt butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in garlic and rosemary. Add stock and potato; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add sliced zucchini; simmer until tender about 15 minutes. Working in batches, puree in blender (I used an immersion blender and that worked really great and so much easier to clean). Season with salt and pepper.
**Cook cubed zucchini in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 30 seconds. Drain. Rewarm soup over medium heat. Ladle into bowls. top with zucchini and croutons. Sprinkle with green onions. **(I did not do this last bit as I got lazy)

The carrots in this weeks share are of the "baby" variety. This would be the size I would normally harvest for the restaurants. I had to cancel those deliveries for a few weeks as I had to make sure there was enough carrots left for the season for the CSA. This has given me the extra time I need to harvest a few things a day ahead for the shares. If the weather continues to be nice like today the carrots should keep growing which will mean larger carrots for next week. I do have one row left of larger carrots that I'm planning on leaving as emergency carrots and hopefully for winter storage. I have lots of carrots planted but I'm wondering if I planted them a bit too late in the season, they might not have time to mature before the real fall weather hits us.


Carrots peaking out from the other veggies

I have greens coming along very nicely and there may be some in next weeks shares. Arugula, mizuna, red mustard, red kale, bok choy, tatsoi, beet greens and spinach are all growing nicely. Derek got a new bearing and some new seals today to fix the tiller so hopefully this wekeend I'll be able to plant more greens for late fall harvests. I'll have to cover them with row covers to try and encourage some faster growth!! I also totally forgot to harvest the radishes today, but next week for sure.

If you've got some fennel left over from last week or if you got some new today and haven't had a chance yet to roast it up make sure you give it a try. I made another big batch of roasted veggies on the weekend. I used beets, carrots, onions, fennel, cauliflower, beans, cabbage (although I would leave it out next time), zucchini (don't add it till the last 15 minutes, i over cooked it slightly!!) and potatoes. Some olive oil, salt and pepper, 375 for 1hour. Amazing!!! Too easy, 1 dish to clean and so yummy.

The winter squash are coming along very nicely in the garden. The pumpkins and gourds are doing really well too. I think we'll plan our next CSA farm day around pumpkin and gourd picking. I'm not really sure when that will be but I would imagine the end of the month or first of October. The black flies are pretty much all gone now so if anyone wants to roam the gardens with their kids its practically a bug free zone now.

I hope your all enjoying the veggies. Thanks to everyone who filled out last weeks survey. Great comments!!

Take care of each other

Jen





What to eat first?


Peppers


The herb grab box


Oh so yummy

10th CSA Week

One word to describe tonight's CSA pick-up, brrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!! I forgot to take a sweater and since I had been literally running around all day in rain gear I guess I never really noticed how cold it had gotten. So, I arrive at the pick-up wearing a fairly damp rain coat which was also wet on the inside of the sleeves to find out it had gotten down right cold. I believe I'll be breaking out the toque again and stashing in the truck for future pick-ups. As I type at 9:30pm my fingers are still feeling a tad bit chilled. But all in all another great Tuesday pick-up has been completed.

This week marks the half way point of the CSA, hard to believe seeing as its already into September. This season I added on two extra weeks from the 18 of last year as we had such a great growing season last year and could have easily gone another few weeks, hopefully the fall weather will be kind so that the veggies continue to grow and mature!!!

This weeks large share has cauliflower, 1 leek, potatoes, beans, carrots, red & white onions, broccoli, lettuce mix, garlic, zucchini, cucumbers, green or purple cabbage & baby fennel. I adapted a recipe I got this week (see below) from Kelly Hughes from Hughes Hill Farms which was very yummy!! I definitely recommend it. The grab box had dill, cilantro, parsley, leaf celery, basil, swiss chard, kale, lettuce heads, beets & more of the above goodies.

According to the weather man it was supposed to rain all day today. I was very thankful that nothing started until I was almost done my harvest and only had zucchini, some cabbage and the cucumbers to get during the rain. Around 2ish I saw a van drive up the lane-way and even though I was behind schedule I figured I best go and see who it was in-case it was a potential farm buyer or someone looking for more information. It ended up being this super cute older couple (they had to have been at least 80) looking to buy a cabbage. Not too strange of a request but they had just driven from Panmure Island for the cabbage to make cabbage rolls. Normally on a CSA day I would have told them all of the produce was spoken for but seeing as they drove all the way I could not deny their request. They had the best Danish accent and were very interested in what I was growing as they had always had an organic garden of their own but could no longer keep up with the work due to health problems. They ended up taking three cabbages and a pound of carrots and were very happy with their purchase. After they left I scrambled back down to the field to pick three more cabbages and finish off the zucs and cuks, talk about rush mode after that!!!!! My friend Kim who helps on Tuesday had other responsibilities today so it was also a bit hectic trying to get everything done, even though I did harvest some things last night it still seemed to be a day where I could not get ahead. So, seeing as I thought it was going to rain I decided that I should weigh out the carrots, potatoes and beans as I did not think anyone would appreciate doing that in the rain. I was totally behind schedule so I just weighed everything in the scale and put all items loose into the baskets. Sorry for the lack of order in the baskets today but better that than everyone getting soaked and cold.

So for the yummy recipe I mentioned above

Golden Roasted Vegetables (originally from Hughes Hill Farms)
1 bulb fennel (or a few baby ones)
1lb small red potatoes, halves (bigger ones quartered, white potatoes are fine too)
4 carrots, diagonally cut into 1/2" slices
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme (i did not have any)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 onion, chopped into large pieces
chopped red onion, if you have any
1 leek, sliced into 1/4" rounds(remove the green leaves, just use the white & greenish stalk)

Preheat over to 375F. Line baking pan with foil. Trip stalks and feathery fronds off fennel bulb; reserve fronds. Trim bottom of bulb and cut into 1/4: thick slices. In medium bowl, toss potatoes, onions, leek and carrots with oil, thyme, salt and peppers. Add fennel slices: stir until just combined. Spread mixture in single layer in pan. Roast, stirring 2-3 times, until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes (took me about an hour but I have an old stove). Serve garnished with some of the reserved fennel fronds. I really enjoyed this dish, super easy, and very tasty. I hope you enjoy it as well.


Another fennel recipe sent by a member, thanks Craig.
Fennel and Grapefruit Summer Salad
Ingredients

1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups torn romaine lettuce
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced

Directions

Place grapefruit slices and any leftover juices in a bowl. Stir in onion, fennel, and artichoke, coating with the grapefruit juice. Pour mixture into another bowl, leaving a small amount of juice in the first bowl. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in the original bowl. Toss lettuce with the vinaigrette.
Divide lettuce onto 4 plates. Evenly distribute the grapefruit mixture on top of the lettuce and top with the Gorgonzola cheese. Place avocado slices on each salad and serve.


And yet another Fennel recipe sent by a member, I believe this is from Michael Smith's cookbook. Thanks Carolyn!
Lemon Fennel Slaw

1 fennel blulb
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp of honey
a few splashes of olive oil
a sprinkle or two of sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Remove the stalks from the top of the fennel bulb. cut the head in half through the core. Carefully trim out the woody core and then slice the remaining bulb as thinly as possible or shred through large holes of grater. Whisk the lemon zest and juice, honey, olive oil and salt and pepper together in a salad bowl. Toss with the fennel.
The recipe also adds that for variations you can toss a handful of mint leaves, chives or basil leave into the salad.


My Mom sent the following recipe along last night. I have not tried it but Mom said Dad liked it so that must mean its good, he's known for his "meat and potato" taste buds!!

Roasted Yellow Beans with Peanuts and Cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss 1 pond yellow beans with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Roast until browned in spots and tender, about 15 minutes, tossing halfway through. In a medium bowl, combine 2 teaspoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger, ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon light brown sugar. Add roasted beans and ¼ cup each unsalted peanuts and fresh cilantro leaves to combine.


A recent trip back to the woods for an afternoon of adventures. The boys found a black and yellow caterpillar in the weeds and were not too sure how to get by it. Don't worry I rescued them from the big scary woods monster!!!


Mr. Serious


The boys enjoying a few of the tomatoes that were spared from the blight disaster!!!


Ben really loves fresh tomatoes!!

I hope the back to school transition went ok for everyone, I know I used to be very nervous about the first day!!! Have a great week and lets hope tonight's chilly weather was just a one off and warmer weather returns soon!!!

Jen

9th CSA Week

After those crazy winds on Sunday night and Monday morning today turned out to be a wonderful day. Not a breath of wind with sunny skies and very few black flies making for a great harvest day. The shares today were very full with all kinds of farm fresh goodies. The large share had potatoes, carrots, beans, swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, cucumbers, onions and beets. The grab box had baby fennel, dill, cilantro, sage, leaf celery, basil, parsley, cabbage and more of the above mentioned veggies.



This weeks beans were a mixture of yellow wax, french green and magic purple!! Yes, magic beans. As they are cooked they will turn to green, a great experiment for kids to watch. If you snap the purple beans in half you'll notice they are all green on the inside. A beautiful addition to a fresh bean salad!!


Potatoes, beans and carrots all lined up ready to be weighed out. I'm not sure how I ever managed to do all the weighing out last year. This is a much better system. It really gives a better meaning to "community" as members get a chance to interact and its great to watch the kids helping out

A few great recipes that folks have been sharing!

Pasta with Sausage, Swiss Chard & Pine Nuts
Everyday Food | March / April 2003
1/3 C pine nuts
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 pound Swiss chard, tough stems removed, leaves cut into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
1 pound short pasta such as gemelli or fusilli
3/4 C raisins, plumped in boiling water and drained
1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

In a large skillet, toast pine nuts over medium-high heat, shaking the pan to toast evenly, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from skillet. In the same skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and cook, breaking it up with a fork, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add chard, garlic and pepper: cook, tossing, until chard wilts, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover to keep warm.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions, about 12 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot. Add sausage mixture to pasta with 1/2 cup reserved cooking water, raisins, toasted pine nuts, and Parmesan; toss to combine. Add more cooking water if pasta seems dry. Serve with more Parmesan.

Potato & Broccoli Fritata
Natalie Woodburn-Heron | August 2011
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
3 medium potatoes, grated
6 eggs
3/4 C goat cheese, crumbled
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 cup broccoli, broken into florets
2 zucchini, sliced 1/2” thick
1 C gouda cheese, grated
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350, with the rack in the centre of the oven. In a large oven proof skillet, heat up the butter over medium heat. Saute the onion until translucent, add the potato and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper the onions and the potatoes to taste. While the onions and potatoes are cooking, in a large bowl, beat the eggs together with the cheese, garlic,parsley, rosemary & basil. Set aside. Add the broccoli & zucchini to the onion & potato mixture and saute for 2 more minutes. Add the egg mixture to the skillet, stirring to distribute the egg evenly throughout. Cook on the stovetop for 5 minutes allowing the bottom of the frittata to set. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The frittata is ready when the eggs are set in the centre (they don’t move anymore when you jiggle the pan) and the edges are starting to turn a golden colour.

Check out this website for a great looking beet recipe forwarded by a member

Enjoy this weeks veggies and keep sharing those recipes.

8th CSA Week

The CSA season is in full swing with tonnes of farm fresh veggies filling the bins to over flowing. Today's weather was bight and clear with not a rain drop in sight. It was a beautiful weather weekend so hopefully the summer weather that seemed to evade us might stick around for awhile and continue late into the fall. We had a great night of rain which was welcome news to my newly transplanted fall crops as well as the tiny seeds I planted on the weekend. It's a hard call to make deciding when to plant seeds for fall harvests but I try and plan it to provide greens into the late fall for the baskets.

This weeks large share had carrots, potatoes, broccoli, lettuce mix, garlic, yellow and red onions, beans, green cabbage, swiss chard, beets and zucchini. The grab box had cilantro, dill, basil, parsley, leaf celery, kale, baby turnips and more of the above. Everyone seemed to enjoy weighing out their own veggies and its great to see the kids wanting to be so much "help"!! I will have to get another scale to try and speed things up a bit.

It was a very busy weekend around the farm. I finally was able to get the last of the garlic harvested and its now hanging out in the barn curing for fall/winter eating. The garlic we are saving for seed is curing in the greenhouse shed and I'm very pleased with the size of the bulbs this year, very nice indeed!! I got a wack of weeds eliminated from the onion patch which was long overdue and my back got a good workout during bean harvest. The weather was amazing so I finally felt like progress was made. Yippie.


A sure sign of summer, ripe tomatoes. Our tomato crop is very behind this year but hopefully it will catch up soon. Don't be alarmed, there is nothing wrong with my fingers, its just what they look like at this time of the year. Good farm girl hands!!


My new favorite veggie, lemon cucumbers. Hopefully there will be enough for next weeks baskets. So far Ben & Jake have been eating the ones I have been picking. Perfect size for a mid-day garden snack


We have a tonne of broccoli this week. I was explaining to members today at the pick-up about the side shoots that produce after the main stock is harvested. This picture shows it perfectly

The zucchini patch has officially exploded as of today. I harvested over 300 of the little beauties of varies sizes from nice grill size to super size bakers. I may have over planted by just a wee bit!!! So, if your looking to make any loafs or any other zucchini inspired dishes this would be the week. And no fear, there will be more next week!!!

Happy eating : )

7th CSA Week

Another rainy day here on the farm but the long range forecast promises sun!!!!! And not just one day but three whole days. The garden sure could use some nice consistent sun and heat. I have to say that for the most part the garden looks pretty good right now. There are some weedy areas I still have not gotten to but for the most part when you drive by the farm things like they are growing well and you can actually see the vegetables instead of the weeds which I could not say was the case last week. Thanks to some early morning weekend hand weeding and Saturday my Dad and Derek spent some time getting the G all widened out to fit our current bed spacing which resulted in us actually being able to use it on some beds, and it worked great.

This weeks large share has 3lb potatoes, carrots, beans, beets, fresh onions, garlic, zucchini, dill, cilantro, swiss chard, kale, small turnips and broccoli. The grab box had leaf celery, cabbage, romaine lettuce and more of the above. The zucchini are really coming along and I would imagine after a few days of promised sunshine we will have a zucchini explosion. I had a lovely treat brought to me tonight at the pick-up, fresh zucchini loaf still warm from the oven. Yum Yum Yum!!!


Red Norland Potatoes

The beans have finally made an appearance, the first planting which I am picking now is pretty spotty but I was able to harvest enough for everyone to get 3/4 of a pound, hopefully the plants have a chance to ripen more beans before Thursday. The next planting is coming along and the plants are loaded with blossoms so i would except lots of beans in the coming weeks. CSA members are more than welcome to do a you-pick for freezing for winter eating if they would like.







A few pictures of the G's big day on Saturday. I would love to get it running better and take it in a parade!!

Widening out the front end


Turning the tires around to widen the back end


Lots of helpers


Dad taking a spin on the G through the beans

If you check out this link there will be a video of myself (Jen) trying out the G with my Dad watching that I don't rip out the beans, which I did a bit, oops. If you click on JenDereksFarm in the top left corner it will take you to two other videos from that day.


Lots of veggies



On a final note our friends Mark & Sally Bernard at Barnyard Organics will have organic lamb and chicken available very soon. They have a great blog and are wonderful hard working young farmers so check it out and send them an e-mail if your interested in ordering anything.

6th CSA Week

This sure is the summer for strange weather. It started off very cold and damp, got a bit warmer with a few really hot days thrown in but we are now in the first of August and its down right chilly. The nights are very cold and the day temperatures are nothing like they should be. I had to put a sweater on during the CSA pick-up tonight. It sure has been a damp few days with a few more upcoming. Luckily the worst of the rain happened yesterday so today's harvest was just a bit damp without needing the full rain gear outfit which I had to wear yesterday. This cool damp weather is really perfect conditions for fungus and disease so we are watching the crops carefully and crossing our fingers that we get some good dry sunny weather soon. Saturday and Sunday look good as of right now so hopefully the weather will turn around and the sun will return.

We had a small but mighty turn out this past Saturday for the garlic harvest. Thanks to Edwena, Julie, Sara & Angus for all their help. We successfully got 1/2 of the garlic harvested & bunched in the morning and the garlic looks amazing. One variety in particular, Music, looked really impressive. I am hoping to get a bit more dug tomorrow but with the impending rain for Thursday I might just try and get a few things harvested for the CSA in case it does pour all day.

This weeks large share had beets, carrots, zucchini, garlic, green onions, onions, swiss chard, kale, summer turnip and cilantro. The grab box had leaf celery, parsley, broccoli, chinese cabbage, romaine, snow peas, potatoes and pea greens. Sometimes during the year we have a good variety of veggies but not enough to be able to offer everyone the same so its a great way for the grab boxes to come into play. The ground was just too wet to dig potatoes with my newly created digger so I just dug a few plants for the grab box. Many of the folks picking up today said they still had potatoes left from last week so it was just as well. The peas are definitely coming to an end but there was still lots left on the vine for Thursdays picking.

Our organic inspection last week went really well. We do not get the results right away but the inspector seemed quite pleased with all of my paper work and the fact it was all organized and easy to sort through.

I found two new swiss chard recipe from a farm I follow on facebook so check it out when you get a chance.
Swiss Chard 1
Swiss Chard 2


Swiss chard

Another interesting recipe for kale chips which was sent to me from a friend is below.


Red Kale

Lime Kale Chips

Quick and easy kale chips. A healthy alternative to potato chips.
Ingredients:
* 1 bunch kale (washed)
* 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
* 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (alternatively, you may use sherry or
balsamic vinegar)
* 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Directions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut or tear kale into 1 inch pieces. Place kale in a medium-large
bowl. Toss kale in oil, lime juice (or vinegar), and salt.
Place kale on baking sheet lined with wax paper. Bake at 350 degrees F
for 5-7 minutes until kale is crispy.

Servings: 5
Time: 10 Minutes Preparation Time
5-7 Minutes Cooking Time

A member shared a great recipe this week for a crustless quiche

Crustless Quiche
-1 cup of grated cheese
-1 cup of cottage cheese
-6 eggs
-small bunch of fresh herbs
-salt and pepper to taste (you may not need salt because the cottage cheese is quite salty, but be generous with the pepper if you like it - it goes great with the herbs)
Mix all the ingredients well and bake in a pie plate at 350F for 45 minutes or until set in the middle. Some ovens may take up to an hour.
This recipe is great with any herbs, but chives are my favourite. You can use thinly sliced or shredded veggies as well, such as grated zucchini, mushrooms or scallions. I would recommend sautéing them before adding to maximize the flavour. This is the perfect picnic food because it is great at room temperature and easy to eat.

Last but not least a really great recipe idea for the summer turnip
Caramelized apples with turnips

Good and bad news: I saw tiny beans starting on my less than impressive bean plants today so the good news is that you should have beans in the next few weeks, the bad news is the plants are so small that my poor back will be very upset at me for all the low picking. Luckily everyone loves beans so it makes it all worth while.

The cucumber plants are starting to flower so hopefully we will have cucumbers in the next few weeks. The zucchini have been less than impressive this year but the direct seeded plants are just starting to produce so hopefully they will begin pumping out the goods so all you bakers can get your fill of zucchini muffins, breads, etc.

Ben & Jake have been busy these days exploring every nook and cranny around the farm. They love taking off and finding where the cat has decided to hide on them during that particular time. Jake loves to carry around "Boss" but sometimes she is not too keen on being carted around so hiding is the only answer. They seem to have great senses as they can always seem to find her no matter where she hides. They can also be found happily in the raspberry patch picking the ripe berries and cashing each other up and down the rows, it must seem like a maze to them at their height. Funny boys!!


Farm fresh veggies

Let's hope that summer weather finally finds us and sticks around for awhile.

5th CSA Pick-up

It is pouring like crazy out right now with lighting & thunder, I'm glad it waited until I was home safe and sound from my Charlottetown CSA pick-up. It was another great harvest day weather wise, over cast and a decent breeze although the black flies were still their usual pesky selves. I unfortunately forgot my camera at home and did not get a picture of the share but superstar CSA member Shawn used his phone to snap a few quick shots for me, thanks Shawn!!!

The large share had potatoes, multi-colored carrots, dill, cilantro, peas, romaine, daikon radish, fresh garlic, candy cane beets, broccoli and summer onions. The grab box had yellow and green zucchini, garlic scapes, chinese cabbage, regular cabbage, turnips and regular red radish. The first broccoli planting is pretty much done but there are a few heads left for the Thursday large shares. We have more broccoli plantings coming along very nicely as well as purple cabbage and cauliflower.

The first planting of carrots is now done and now I'm waiting for the next regular ones to size up a bit more. This weeks carrots are a mix of three varieties, white satin, yellowstone and yaya. We have another coloured variety called purple haze but they need another week or so but they are so beautiful!! We grow the coloured ones mainly for restaurant sales which require a specific baby size so we plant every two weeks to try and keep them in supply throughout the season. Let me tell you it takes a lot of digging to get enough baby carrots to fill those orders!!!

The variety of beets this week is called chioggia, aka candy cane beets and they are wonderful. They are red and white just like a candy cane and they are super tasty. We have just been steaming them with other veggies but they are also quite tasty raw. The picture below is from last year as I forgot to take one today.





A mixture of super sugar snap and snow peas for both small and large shares. Members got a chance to weigh out their own!!


Red norland and Superior potatoes, again members got to weigh their own

I'm finding that there just are not enough hours in the CSA harvest day so today I took one of my packing tables down to the pick-up and set up peas and potatoes market style so people could weigh out their own for their share. It sure saved me some serious bagging/weighing time!!

The G finally made its official weeding adventure last night. We have been having some issues with the starter or battery (not really sure what yet) and we want to widen it out to fit our current bed spacing but we were really anxious to try it out so Derek got the tool bar all fitted up and away he went. It took some adjusting but overall we were quite pleased.


Before weeding, look at those weeds, yikes!!


First official weeding


Weeding machine

I have my yearly organic inspection tomorrow morning at 10am and I have a few things left to find so I had best get at it. Let's hope the predicted "severe thunder storms" are not too severe!!!

Jen