Welcome to Threshing Table Farm’s 2010 Season!
Week 4
| Potatoes | Bunching Onions | Summer Squash |
| Onions | Basil | Green Beans |
| Cucumbers | Kale or Swiss Chard | |
| Marjoram | Carrots |
Hi Threshing Table Farm members!
Last weekend we enjoyed some time at the St. Croix County Fair. Claudia is a Cloverbud in 4-H and she took a few projects. Then we ate lots of fair food and enjoyed the many sights.
This week has been another wonderful week for farming. The weather has been beautiful! The rain came when it was needed and everything is growing and producing. The cucumbers are coming at a rate we've never seen before! We just keep thanking our bees. We've finished pruning and tying the tomato plants. (We tie them to give them support.) They are loaded with green tomatoes. We've also seen quite a few small peppers and some eggplant. The "heat" loving veggies will be here before we know it.
Would you like to hear "Cock-a-doodle-doo" around your home? We have 2 young roosters that need a new home. They're free for the taking. You'll probably only want one, as having more than one causes fighting amongst themselves. (Which is why we need to move them on.) If you're interested in adopting one, please let us know ASAP- Thanks!
Here are some recipes to use with the basil in your box:
Pesto:
2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
Blend everything in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Serve over hot noodles.
You can freeze leftover pesto in an ice cube tray. One cube is about 2 Tablespoons of Pesto.
It's a great taste of summer - during the winter!
Pesto Chicken Pizza
1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
1 egg lightly beaten
1/2 pound cooked chicken or turkey, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 small pepper, chopped
3 small tomatoes
1/4 cup pesto
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Spread dough onto ungreased, 12 inch pan. Prick with a fork and brush with beaten egg. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Spread Pesto onto the browned crust. Sprinkle chicken, onion, and pepper on. Cover with tomato slices and cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees for another 12 - 15 minutes, or until browned.
The other herb you have this week is Sweet Marjoram. Marjoram is great in cottage cheese, with fish, poultry, soups, stews and vegetables.
Kale is similar to Swiss Chard in that you will want to remove the thick center stem if you're eating it raw. Use it in salads, on sandwiches or in small pieces with dip. If you're cooking it, you might want to cook and eat the stem. It's great cut up in soups. Kale is of the cabbage family. It is very rich in vitamins A, C and the mineral calcium. B vitamins and other minerals are also supplied by kale. It has the highest protein content of all the vegetables. It's really a power-packed food, much more nutrient dense than almost any other vegetable.
Potato Kale Soup
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions
10 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 Tablespoon red chili flakes
1 1/4 tsp. salt
6 medium potatoes, diced into 3/4 inch cubes
3 cups coarsely chopped kale
black pepper
Heat oil in soup pot; add onions, garlic, chili flakes, and salt, and sauté until onions are translucent. Add potatoes and enough water to cover by 4 inches. Bring to boil and cook, covered, until potatoes are about half done. Add kale and cook, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes. Pour soup in blender or food processor. Season with pepper to taste. Makes 6-8 servings.
Happy healthy eating!
Have a great week,
Mike, Jody, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas
threshingtablefarm@frontiernet.net
