Volume X, JOURNAL VII
August 13, 2012
Blue Heron Farm Journal
So what’s happening on the farm this week?
Hi
Everyone - week 10 - Yeah for the rain - and because of the rain we have greens
again!! Arugula this week and lettuce
mix next week (with fingers crossed). We
have loads of field heirloom tomatoes for all of you this week - you can also
help your self to san marzano, roma and plum tomatoes too for your canning or
freezing. I was so excited to see the
arugula this morning - glistening with
the morning dew, tucked under the white cloth that protects it from those
crazed flea beetles..oh I was as giddy as the first spring greens. It has been a long hot summer and that nice
looking arugula - made my morning. It is
those simple things that get me through these long days. So this week is Annie's
last day as an intern on our farm. She
has been quite an asset to our farm and she will be missed. She has written the
following for all of you.
Hello everyone! Annie here, picking up the pen from where
Christine left off last week to give all of you CSA members the Week 10 update
from all of us at Blue Heron Farm. As this past week has been my last full week
on the farm before I head back to my island on Wednesday, I felt it would be a
nice capstone to let the farm journal serve as my sendoff. Have no fear,
Christine and her “oh my oh my’s” will be back next week!
This week in your CSA share
you’ll find a cornucopia of treats fit for royal breakfasts, lunches, and
dinners. We’ve been picking like crazy in the tomato fields. I often find
myself wanting to whistle the ‘Rocky’ theme-music as I haul a black crate with
50+ pounds of juicy ‘maters along the endless rows, but I am always reminded
that the frantic harvests are more than worth the sweat and sore backs at the
end of the day – a delicious garnish for a sandwich, a bowl of salsa, and my
personal favorite – dehydrated sungolds that make a delicious savory raisin –
the list goes on and on. The hybrids keep on growing, and the hoophouse smells
like a caprese salad thanks to that basil that just keeps on growing. I am
continually amazed by the varieties of delicious that we grow here. The Nicola
potatoes continue to pop out of the earth like gold. To relieve of our backs,
Adam got this nifty tool that hooks up to the back of the tractor and digs the
potatoes for us. While I will have innumerable fond memories of my time on the
farm, the sight of hundreds of golden nuggets materializing out of seemingly nothing
is a beautiful sight to behold.
This past Saturday, Mandy,
Harley and I visited our neighbors in North Hero at Savage Gardens Farm, where
we spent the day cleaning out a gorgeous post & beam barn. I’ve never spent
time a barn of that size long enough to truly appreciate the beauty in its
minimalism. It was a very special experience to get to be a part of its
restoration, and not to mention a great opportunity to meet some new island
folks, eat some fantastic farm-fresh food, and see if Muck boots can double as
dancing shoes. The barn raid this weekend was a highlight for me in that it
felt very similar to something that would happen in my community at home.
Speaking of community - you’ll
have to excuse me for a moment while I get a tad self-indulgent and take this
opportunity to talk a little about myself here. I come from a small-town
fishing community on an island off the coast of Maine, similar in ways to the
Champlain Island communities. My father is a fisherman, and my mother is an
activist who has spent the majority of her career educating fishermen and
creating a sustainable fishery for the Maine coast. In moments of disillusion
and loneliness, I always remembered that what Adam and Christine were working
toward was very similar to what my parents were working toward as well. Every
day I see a very familiar passion and selflessness in Adam and Christine’s work
ethic, and it has not only made me feel at home but has kept me up to the
rigorous standards by which I was raised. My parents taught me by example to
throw myself into what I care about, and Blue Heron Farm has given me a place
to do just that. Combine that with the strong Islands communities that welcomed
me upon arrival, and the result has been a home away from home for me this
summer. While I am very much looking forward to returning to my island and then
back to school in the fall, I am leaving this place having been reminded of a
crucial lesson: home is where and what you make it. I cannot imagine how
different my summer would have been had I spent it in any other place than
this, and I am very thankful and appreciative of all of the people who made all
the difference.
One last thing! I saw a flat of
freshly picked blueberries in the Coolbot one afternoon and was reminded of
this recipe from my grandmother. While I have been spoiled by an abundance of
blueberries throughout my life, this pie can be made with virtually any kind of
fruit (or fruits). It is the perfect late summer treat.
$10 Pie (in 1963!)
Stew 2 cups blueberries
(apples, raspberries, etc.) with 1/4 cup sugar. Meanwhile:
Preheat oven to 425. Melt 2 1/2 T butter in casserole in oven. Combine dry ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch of salt
4) Combine dry ingredients with
1/2 cup milk. Pour into casserole with melted butter (don't stir)
Pour stewed fruit on top (don't
stir). Bake 20-30 min.
Have a great
week. -Your farmers, Adam, Christine, Sadie, Delia, Mandy, Annie, Harley and
Sophie.
Our blog is at: www.blueheronfarmvt.com or on Facebook- check
us out and/or leave a comment.
You can also get a hold if us via phone 372-3420 or email
harmonyvt@yahoo.com
What’s in the share this week: heirloom
Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Baby Cabbages, Arugula, Eggplant, green peppers, thai or italian Basil,
Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers/jalapenos, cucumbers,
Zucchini and Summer Squash
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.
Yarn
for Sale
Yarn
is available in our natural color "Island Oatmeal",
"Earth", and "Snow."
Worsted Weight, double twist, soft, 240 yds, 4 ounces, Greenspun/Certified
Organic (no petroleum products used in cleaning the wool) by Green Mountain
Spinnery here in Vermont. Yarn is in the
farmstand. 17.00 skein.
Recipes
ROASTED-GARLIC
BASIL SAUCE www.marquita.com
4 large
garlic cloves
1 medium zucchini
3/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 medium zucchini
3/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Preheat
oven to 425°F. Wrap garlic cloves tightly in foil. Cut zucchini into
1/4-inch-thick slices and season with salt and pepper. Put foil-wrapped garlic
and zucchini on a baking sheet and roast in middle of oven until garlic is tender
and zucchini is pale golden, about 15 minutes. Unwrap garlic and cool. Have
ready a bowl of ice water. In a saucepan of boiling water blanch basil and
parsley 10 seconds and drain in a sieve. Refresh herbs in ice water to stop
cooking and drain in sieve. Sauce ingredients may be prepared up to this point
1 day ahead and kept separately, covered and chilled. In a blender blend
garlic, zucchini, herbs, water, and lemon juice until smooth, about 1 minute,
and season with salt and pepper. Makes about 3/4 cup. Gourmet September 1997
Basil Ice
Cream! (www.marquita.com)
1 cup
milk, divided
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cups whipping cream (8 ounces, one half pint)
1/2 cup sugar, divided
3 large or 4 small egg yolks
Garnish: fresh basil sprigs
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cups whipping cream (8 ounces, one half pint)
1/2 cup sugar, divided
3 large or 4 small egg yolks
Garnish: fresh basil sprigs
COOK 1/2
cup milk in a heavy saucepan over low heat until bubbly. Stir in basil leaves,
and remove from heat. Cover and let stand at room temperature 20
minutes.PROCESS basil mixture in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape
down sides. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding
solids. Set aside.COOK remaining 1/2 cup milk, whipping cream, and 1/4 cup
sugar in saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, just until mixture is bubbly.
Remove from heat.BEAT egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar at medium speed
with an electric mixer until thick and pale. Gradually stir about one-fourth of
hot milk mixture into yolks; add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly.
Stir in basil mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 minutes
or until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Cover and chill 4 hours.POUR
chilled mixture into ice cream maker of choice and follow their directions.
Serve in frozen lemon shells, and garnish, if desired. This recipe can easily
be doubled or quadrupled for larger ice cream makers/crowds.
Real Basil
Cheesecake from the Madison Herb Society Cookbook
2 large
eggs
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup basil leaves, destemmed
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup crushed graham crackers or vanilla wafers
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup basil leaves, destemmed
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup crushed graham crackers or vanilla wafers
Preheat
oven to 450 degrees. In food processor or mixer, lightly beat eggs. Add sour cream,
sugar, basil, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla. Process until smooth. Add
cream cheese, 1/2 pound at a time, and process to incorporate. Spread softened
butter on bottom and halfway up sides of a 9- or 10-inch springform pan. Cover
buttered area with cookie crumbs, pressing to be sure they stick. Pour in
cheesecake batter and bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the
center comes out clean. Run a knife around edges of cake as soon as it comes
out of oven. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes then remove the side of pan. Finish
cooling. Cut with dental floss into thin wedges. Ten servings.
Zucchini with Basil
and Pecorino Romano Cheese from Verdura by Viana La Place
1
1/2 pounds firm zucchini
4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3
garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons freshly grated imported
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons freshly grated imported
Pecorino
Romano cheese
10 basil leaves
10 basil leaves
Wash the
zucchini well. Trim the zucchini and slice into thin coins. Place olive oil in
a large saute pan and turn the heat to high. Add the zucchini and toss in the
oil until it is lightly golden in spots but still crisp, about 4 minutes. Turn
the heat to medium low, add the garlic and S & P to taste. Cook until the
zucchini is tender but still has a trace of crispness. Transfer the zucchini to
a serving platter. Sprinkle the grated Pecorino Romano cheese over the
zucchini. Tear the basil leaves into fragments and scatter them over the top.
