SO WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE FARM THIS WEEK?

We have been quite busy on the farm this week. Uncovering the cucurbit family, cukes, zucchini, summer squash melons....we keep them covered with remay (white cloth) to protect them for as long as we can from the cucumber beetle - get them big and fat (the plants that is) and once they are about to flower - we take the cover off so Jen's bees can do all that work pollinating them. We are almost done with the smaller hoop house for the sweet peppers - hopefully today we will be putting plastic on it. We have been doing a lot of hand weeding and a lot of harvesting - we just started yesterday to pick sugar snap peas - in the two days we have picked - we have picked almost 90 lbs of sugar snap peas...All the apprentices are getting first-hand experience of the daily tasks of weeding, picking, planting and the million other things that need to be done on the farm everyday - whether it rains or it is sunny. Speaking of sunny - we could use some dry air and some sun...we don't want late blight creeping up from CT or Ohio...

Sadie is on her way to being potty trained - we are quite proud - last wednesday she woke up and said "mama I want to go on the potty today" so with many pairs of underwear and sneaky pees - we have been going at it for 5 days...there are accidents - but they are usually on the way to the potty. She even woke me up at 1:30am the other morning with "Mama I have to go PEEEEE!" We made it to the potty... Things I (we) get excited about -

This weekend was another pickup for Food For Thought - a breakfast and lunch program for children in Grand Isle County - we volunteer there and donate veggies when we can. There are over 125 kids in it - they get their boxes for the week in South Hero and in Alburgh. Lots of nutritious food - no filler foods, no high fructose corn syrup - whole grain, cheese, milk, local eggs, snacks, veggies and fruit and a book each week for the kids to keep. It is run by Kaight and Melissa out of the South Hero Congregational Church. They are always looking for volunteers or for monetary donations to keep the program running. One community member purchased 45 lbs of our sugar snap peas to donate/give to all the families yesterday. The sugar snap peas are one of the highlights to the fresh produce they get. This past weekend there was basically a washout of our farmers market in Grand Isle and we didn't come close to selling it all at the SB Farmers Market so we decided to donate it all. Blue Heron Farm donated 160 heads of lettuce, 20 napa cabbages, 24 Bok Choys, 5 Kales, and 15 Chard bunches. This had to be a highlight of our weekend - making all this fresh organic, local, produce available to our community. To see the smiles and the excitement...and the kids eating the cabbages and lettuces like apples...priceless - far better than what we would have gotten if we had sold it at farmers market.

Thank you for being part of our farm! Peace, Adam Farris Christine Bourque, and Sadie Farris

WHAT’S IN THE SHARE THIS WEEK: Red Leaf, Green Leaf, Butterhead, and Romaine Lettuce Heads, Sugar Snap Peas, Pac Choi, giant napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage) red or green kale, rainbow chard, cilantro, and Basil!

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/orange yolks you ever seen. The eggs are $5.00 a dozen.

RECIPES

Kale Chips - Blue Heron Farm Kitchen
Fun for kids and adults, high in vitamins!

1-2 bunches red or green kale
3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
garlic (scapes or cloves) and/or balsamic vinegar
sea salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Rip up kale (with or without stems) into a mixing bowl (or into a ziplock bag if you want to keep your hands clean). Add olive oil, then chopped garlic and/or balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste, then use hands to mix in the bowl (or squeeze the bag).Spread out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake 5-10 minutes, watching VERY carefully so they don't burn. After, keep in a brown paper bag .Enjoy! Kale chips are a delicious snack and contain tons of vitamins A and C as well as calcium, iron, protein, and fiber. Try making up your own recipe!

Sugar Snap Pea Salad With Radishes, Mint and Ricotta Salata - New York Times: June 17, 2009


3/4 cup sliced radishes
4 ounces sugar snap peas, sliced (about 1 1/4 cups)
4 ounces ricotta salata, crumbled (about 1 cup)
1/2 bunch mint leaves, torn (about 1/3 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch kosher salt, more to taste
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste.
In a large bowl, toss together the radishes, peas, ricotta and mint. Using a knife or a mortar and pestle, make a paste of the garlic and salt. Place in a small bowl and add the lemon juice and balsamic vinegar and stir well to combine. Drizzle in the olive oil, stirring constantly, and add pepper to taste. Pour dressing over salad and toss well to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Yield: 4 servings.

David Lebovitz Kimchi recipe
1 large head Napa Cabbage
1 gallon water
1/2 cup sea salt


1 small head of garlic, peeled and finely minced
one 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/3 cup chili paste or 1/2 cup Korean chili powder
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths (use the dark green part, too, except for the tough ends)
1 medium daikon radish, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon sugar or honey


Slice the cabbage lengthwise in half, then slice each half lengthwise into 3 sections. Cut away the tough stem chunks.. Dissolve the salt in the water in a very large container, then submerge the cabbage under the water. Put a plate on top to make sure they stay under water, then let stand for 2 hours. Mix the other ingredients in a very large metal or glass bowl.. Drain the cabbage, rinse it, and squeeze it dry. Mix it all up! Pack the kimchi in a clean glass jar large enough to hold it all and cover it tightly. Let stand for one to two days in a cool place, around room temperature. Check the kimchi after 1-2 days. If it's bubbling a bit, it's ready and should be refrigerated. If not, let it stand another day, when it should be ready. Once it's fermenting, serve or store in the refrigerator. If you want, add a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds over the kimchi for serving. Storage: Many advise to eat the kimchi within 3 weeks. After that, it can get too fermented

Swiss Chard and Herb Tart
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Swiss-Chard-and-Herb-Tart-103433#ixzz0sB2Fjgj2

1 pound Swiss chard and or Kale, stems and ribs removed
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 15-ounce container whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed

Cook chard in large pot of boiling salted water until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain. Squeeze out liquid. Chop chard.
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; saut
 1 minute. Add chard; sauté until excess liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Transfer chard mixture to large bowl. Cool slightly. Mix in ricotta and next 7 ingredients.
Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Roll out 1 pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 14-inch square. Transfer pastry to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges, leaving 1-inch overhang. Fill pastry with chard mixture. Lightly brush pastry overhang with pastry brush dipped into water. Roll out second pastry sheet to 13-inch square. Using tart pan as guide, trim pastry square to 10-inch round. Drape over filling. Seal edges and fold in.
Bake until pastry is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Remove pan sides from tart. Transfer to platter. Cut into wedges and serve