Journal Post for week of August 13

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

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

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

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

3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons freshly grated imported

Pecorino Romano cheese
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.