Week 2 Journal Posting

So what’s happening on the farm this week?
Yeah! We made it through the first week of pickups and drop offs of the CSA for this year. Thanks for your patience and good wishes. Whew! It was fun meeting most of you and we look forward to meeting the folks out in Essex sometime soon. Thanks again to Beth at Bebop for orchestrating the pickup at the store and her front porch! Oh a shout out to Meg Roy, whose birthday it is today – Happy Birthday! For those who missed pick up at the farm, we usually have all the food in the cooler in the farmstand – last Monday night was the first time that cooler was turned on so we got the food out a little later (wanted to make sure it didn’t freeze anything). Everything will be either on the shelf or in the grey tubs marked – just help yourself, take a newsletter and check off your name. The signing your name is new this year for onfarm pick up – it is so I (mainly) know who has and hasn’t picked up and we have a record of it. With nearly 50 families picking up and some others just coming to buy on Monday nights, it gets a little hectic. Anyways…

If you heard any loud baaing in Grand Isle and the surrounding area (sound tends to travel up here) the sheep were sheared, given a pedicure and wormed on Saturday. It is amazing how sheep shearers shear a sheep and how they can handle them. They sheared our sheep and clipped their hooves in less than a half hour – It probably took them about two minutes per sheep. So Gracie, Gertie, Hannah, Jerry, Farrah and Iris got their wool sheared. Jack, Jill and Hazel (the lambs) will be sheared this fall. We joke with Gracie (she is our Icelandic with horns) that she looks like a pot bellied goat nowJ Our new pullets are starting to lay eggs, we will have more eggs for sale soon – we will start selling the pullet eggs at a reduced price to help tie people over. Thanks for your patience with egg situation. We usually have a small shortage right before the pullets start to lay and the old ones are still laying but there are not as many – in total we have about 85 chickens (including our 3 barn chicken Erma, Esther and Ethel).

The arugula has sprouted (and quickly covered to keep the flea beetle damage to a minimum), the sugar snap peas are flowering and growing TONS of peas – they are quite thin now, but they should fatten up for next week or the week after. The broccoli is heading up and that should be soon. Adam is very excited about the broccoli – low weed pressure, planted densely, very, very green robust leaves and the heads are forming Yeah! So many things are growing – with the rain and sun combo – at the same time we have to be careful as not to go on the fields when they are wet – clay soils like to compact and the damage can be great – so we have had to be careful after some of the soaking rains.

Sadie and I went on a mission for a no-spill bubbles container the other day. When we went to the store, the clerk asked if we wanted boy bubbles or girl bubbles. I repeated back to her with an astonished look on my face. She repeated and said “well the girl one has pink and purple with princesses over it and the boy one has trucks and tools on it”. “Really?! Are you serious?!” I took a deep breath – realized I should probably not lecture the woman on gender roles and stereotypes and how commercialism perpetuates all this – and I told her “I will take the truck one for my daughter.”

Sadie turns 18 months on Wednesday – her half birthday! We are excited but also puzzled on where all the time has gone. Funny thing is that it is hard to remember her as a little (relatively speaking she was 9lbs 6oz when she was born) with her walking and talking and running and pulling weeds and eating spinach (and eating other leaves she things are spinachJ) from the field. My sister Sue (who goes to St Mike’s and is about to go to Spain for fall semester) told me “just strap a bucket to her back and make her a travelling basket for peas” – hmm…not a bad idea...
And again, thanks for being part of our farm! Peace, Adam Farris Christine Bourque, and Sadie Farris

What’s in the share this week:
Red and Green Leaf Lettuce (sorry no iceberg lettuce grown here), Round 2 of Luscious, Bodacious Spinach, green garlic and/or onions, parsley, cilantro, lettuce mix, and tomato plants if you likeJ

Lending library at the farmstand
There is a sign out sheet in the farmstand – we have books like Omnivore’s Dilemma, Harvest, cookbooks, etc.

Don’t know what to do with Veggie waste? Bring it back to us!
We can turn your coffee grounds, veggie material, egg shells back into yummy nutrious compost. Just bring your compost and dump it on the compost pile each week. We’ll even hose out your bucket for you. The Compost pile to dump into is by the parking area – it is wooden and with a sign.

Looking for….people who would like to get their hands dirty
Anyone who would like to help transplant, weed, plant, harvest, we’ll provide food and drink and plenty of Sadie smiles and laughs– give us a call – 372-3420 or email harmonyvt@yahoo.com. We would love to have youJ We are also looking for volunteers During the week Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings – if you are a working share member these would be great times to come and help.

Eggs for sale
We have the pretty girls’ eggs for sale – these are free-range, certified organic chicken eggs that are brown, green and blue – with the brightest yellow yolks you ever seen. The eggs are $5.00 a dozen. Our chickens are the best tillers/fertilizers on the farmJ

RECIPES
Spinach and Coconut Banana Curry
The pairing of banana and spinach in the same recipe may seem peculiar at first, but the ingredients in this dip are the disparate ingredients of a sweet curry dish—and while their texture may become homogenized, their flavors don’t. Serve this dip with raw or slightly blanched vegetables, crackers, or chips, or with rice for a delightful side dish. To prepare the curry faster, you can use a 6-ounce can of green lentils (drained) instead of dried lentils. Friend of Angelic Farm. Makes about 2 cups
1/2 cup dried green lentils
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 pound spinach leaves, trimmed, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 small ripe bananas, broken into chunks (about 1 cup)
1 cup canned coconut milk
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs, hard-cooked
1 small or medium red onion, cut into wedges
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Put the lentils in a medium skillet and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, add the salt, cover, and reduce heat. Cook at a steady simmer until the lentils are soft, about 45 minutes. Add more water if it starts to dry up. Drain. Combine the cooked lentils with the remaining ingredients in a food processor and purée until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl; cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Simple Cooked Greens
Cooking greens in oil or butter over high heat until they are just wilted is a great way to give them an added richness while preserving their fresh taste and delicate texture. Wilted greens mix well with almost anything. They add sophistication to cooked grain or pasta. Topped with grated cheese, a cream sauce, or toasted nuts, they make a complete side dish; dressed with a vinaigrette they become a delicious warm salad. Wilted greens also make a great bed for any meat. They are also wonderful served on their own, simple and elegant, as in this recipe. Angelic Organics Kitchen Serves 4
3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves) (optional)
1 pound greens, rinsed, torn or chopped into bite-size pieces
salt
freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
Heat the butter or olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add the greens immediately after rinsing them, with the water still clinging to the leaves. Cover; cook for 1 minute. (If you are using heartier greens, such as kale or collard greens, add a cup of water to the skillet. Cover; cook for 5 minutes.) Uncover the skillet, add salt to taste (this will ensure the greens stay a bright green), and give the greens a good flip and stir. Cover the skillet again and continue cooking the greens until they are bright green, tender, and wilted to your taste. (For spinach this will be only another minute or two, for Swiss chard 3 to 5 minutes, and for kale or collard greens, depending on their maturity, this could be up to 20 minutes. Be sure to add more water if it boils away.) Season with pepper and olive oil to taste.

Onion or Scallion and Orange Salsa
Refreshing, juicy, and sweet, oranges are a delightful accompaniment to crisp and pungent raw onions. This salsa is fantastic on anything grilled, or as an addition to a salad plate, over lettuce, or over cottage cheese. The milder scallion version is fantastic on lettuce or endive cups with a salty and creamy cheese such as soft feta, chèvre, or blue. Angelic Farm. Makes 2 cups
1/2 cup minced scallions or onions (about 3 scallions or 1 medium onion)
2 large or 3–4 medium oranges peeled, seeds removed, diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped chile pepper (or more or less, to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Put the chopped scallion or onion in a strainer and run under cold water. Drain well. Stir all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

CHICK-PEA, GARLIC, AND PARSLEY DIP
2 cups of chick-peas, rinsed and drained (fresh/soaked or canned)
2 garlic cloves, chopped and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a food processor blend all ingredients except oil until smooth. With motor running add oil in a slow stream. Season dip with salt. Serve dip with toasts. Makes about 2 cups. Gourmet July 1995