Monthly Archives: August 2015

Come to the party!

Threshing Table Farm Week 11 A
August 27th, 2015
What’s in this week’s box??
*Fun!

zucchini/summer squash cabbage or broccoli thyme
onions ground cherries Dill parsley
Leeks carrots potatoes beans
cucumbers pepper tomatoes kale
Please Join us for

Threshing Table Farm’s

Pack Shed Party!!
Jody and Mike Lenz
2249 150th st.
Star Prairie, WI 54026
Friday, August 28th

Come early… stay late!

6:30 Blessing of the Pack shed
followed by a Pot-Luck Meal
*Water and lemonade provided, bring other beverages of your choice

Stay for campfire, hay rides, outdoor movies, Mike’s fireworks and more!
Come with your dancing boots! Gravel Road will be providing great music!
Please bring: Lawn chairs and a dish to pass
A-H Desserts
I-R Main Dishes
S-Z Salads/Sides

**If you’d like to stay over night, please bring a tent or camper and enjoy a night under the stars-

We’ll party ‘til the cows come home!!!
(And since we don’t have any cows…)

Raspberries
If you are interested in Phil’s raspberries, $4 a pint and we can send them with your share. Please let us know how many you would like and where your pick up site is. Please send us a check or leave payment at the farm in the cookie jar. Checks can be made out to Phil McConville and send them to:
Threshing Table Farm
2249 150th St.
Star Prairie, WI 54026
We will fill the orders as they and the berries come in.
Thank you!
We are in a week of transitions. This cold spell certainly helped to remind us that summer is winding down and the winds of fall are moving in. I am certain we will be enjoying some warmer days yet to come, but they are numbered. Laura, our fearless summer helper has started college this week. Lucky for us, she is staying near home so we may still have her help in the afternoons. Claudia started school at Hill Murray this past Monday as well, so my morning crew has been cut in half. The boys start school next week and the rhythms of the day will change again.

The summer crops are tiring out. The zucchini and summer squash that were SO plentiful, are now giving a last hurrah. The same with the cucumbers. We have a new section of each that is just now coming in, but they won’t be as exuberant as the old ones. They too feel that their time in the sun is waning. Our tomatoes on the other hand, are just getting started. Our plants are filled with beautiful, green tomatoes. They are not ripening as fast as we’d like and certainly the cold weather this week has stalled them some. Hang in there, they are coming! We do have some for each of you this week. Those that are not ripe will ripen quicker on your warm kitchen counter than the chilly air they’ve been in.

We’re cleaning out some of the summer crops- cabbage included. Some of you are getting the last of the red cabbage, while others of you will get the very beginning of the fall broccoli. It is beautiful broccoli, with lots more to come.

We are also expecting the arrival of a batch of baby chicks. We will be transitioning out some of the old hens this fall and starting a new batch so that they will be laying heavily by spring of 2016. We will have stewing hens for sale, please watch the newsletter for info. in the coming weeks.

In your Box:
**Fun!! Farming is hot, cold, dirty, wet, exhausting and exhilarating! We love it- but sometimes we can get so caught up in the 7 day a week grind that we forget to step back and enjoy it. That’s what Friday night is all about- Fun!! We are so grateful for the wonderful people in our community- members, neighbors, friends, family, that we are throwing one big party to say thank you and have a great time! Please join us!

Tomatoes: If they aren’t fully ripe, just leave them on your counter until they are. It’s best not to refrigerate tomatoes. Use them as they ripen.
**If you would like to purchase tomatoes for canning, please let me know.
¾ bushel boxes of mixed tomatoes are: $25
¾ bushel box of straight Romas $30
This is a member’s only price. Non-farm members will pay $5 a box higher.
I will fill orders first come, first serve, as the tomatoes ripen. I can send them with your share if you would like or you can come here and pick them up. A ¾ bushel box will have at least 25lbs of tomatoes in it.
I am taking orders, but will not fill them until the tomatoes are here in gusto. Please let me know if you want some, I’ll put you on the waiting list and let you know when they are available.
Zucchini/Summer Squash/ Cucumbers: Store in refrigerator, crisper drawer is best.

Carrots: Store in plastic bag in crisper drawer.

Onion: The onions are starting to cure- but haven’t completely yet. Use as a fresh onion if you don’t see the dry papery skin of a dry onion.

Pepper: Crisper drawer

Potatoes: We’ve moved in to the Satina variety. They are a nice gold/yellow potato. Store in a cool, dry place. We are also sending some fingerlings. Perfect for grilling!

Beans- best if stored in plastic container or bag in the crisper drawer.

Dill: Young dill is here again! Great for scrambled eggs, cucumber salads and potato dishes. Store in a cup of water or a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Parsley: Same as dill.

Thyme: I like to leave this one on the counter in it’s bundle. It will keep its shape and dry nicely.

Cabbage/broccoli: Crisper drawer or plastic bag in refrigerator

Leeks: Crisper Drawer, Leeks are a member of the onion family and are related to shallots, garlic, chives, and scallions. They have a sweet, delicate flavor all their own. Before using leeks, it is essential to clean them well, as dirt, sand, and grit can collect between the layers.
Ground Cherries: Leave those on the counter to sit until you are ready to eat them. (Or, eat them in the car on the way home!) Peel the paper covering off the cherry and pop them in your mouth- yum! They will continue to ripen as they sit on your counter. Eat the browner ones first, those with greenish papery skins, leave for a few days to brown up. You can use them for making pies, jellies, etc. But we are pretty fond of standing in the field, in the kitchen or the packing shed and just eating them. We’re throwing a few cherry tomatoes in the bag with the ground cherries so they don’t get lost in the box. It’s the perfect August snack bag.

Kale: Crisper drawer

Recipes
Bacon, Kale and leeks

Bacon
Kale
Leeks
Olive Oil
1. Slice the Leeks.
2. Remove the hard stems from the kale and tear the kale into small pieces.
3. Chop the bacon into small pieces.
4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and another tbsp in a large saucepan (large enough to hold all that kale).
5. Cook the bacon in the frying pan until done to your liking.
6. Cook the leeks in the saucepan, over a low heat, so that they soften rather than brown.
7. About 4 or 5 minutes before you think the bacon is done, put 3/4 of the kale into the saucepan with the leeks, stir and pop a lid on until the bacon is finished.
8. When the bacon is done, tip it into the saucepan with the leeks and kale and add the rest of the kale. Stir to mix, the heat will be enough to wilt that last addition of kale.
9. The bacon usually provides enough saltiness and the kale enough pepperiness, but taste and season if you think it is necessary.
10. You could use any other dark green leafy vegetable depending on what is on offer. Spinach, Spring greens, green cabbage, anything like that. And you could substitute onions for the leeks if you wished.

Thyme roasted potatoes
• 2 1/2 pounds potatoes, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 450 and place a baking pan on rack in lower third.
2. Toss together all ingredients in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Carefully transfer potatoes to hot pan, shaking pan to spread potatoes into a single layer.
3. Roast potatoes, stirring occasionally, until tender and crispy, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

Tomato, Cucumber, Parsley, and Carrot Juice
Ingredients
3 medium tomatoes
1 large cucumber
1 large bunch fresh parsley
3 medium carrots, trimmed
Process tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, and carrots through juicer.
Chicken with Dill and Leeks

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided, stems reserved
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper, divided
• 1 4 1/2-pound whole chicken, patted dry
• 1 lemon
• 1 pound small Yukon Gold or red potatoes, peeled
• 2 leeks
• 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry vermouth
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Mash butter in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon dill and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Carefully loosen the skin over the chicken breast and legs; push and spread the butter around under the skin until it’s as evenly distributed as possible. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan. Squeeze lemon over the chicken, then put the rinds into the cavity along with the dill stems.
• Slice potatoes about 1/16 inch thick. Remove most of the dark green tops and the root ends from leeks. Halve the leeks lengthwise and rinse well to remove any grit between the layers. Cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
• Scatter the potatoes and leeks around the chicken. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Heat broth to boiling and pour it onto the vegetables, along with vermouth.
• Roast the chicken and vegetables for 20 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350° and continue roasting until the potatoes are tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone registers 165°F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
• Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and cover with foil. If the vegetables haven’t absorbed all the liquid, set the pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop and boil, stirring, until the liquid mostly disappears. Gently fold sour cream into the vegetables; it doesn’t have to be completely mixed in—there is a rough edge to this dish that makes it all the more satisfying. Pour any accumulated juice from the chicken over the vegetables. Serve the chicken with the vegetables, scattered with the remaining 1 tablespoon dill.

Have a great week and happy eating!!
Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas

Threshing Table Farm Week 10 B

August 20th, 2015

What’s in this week’s box??

*A barrel washer!!

zucchini Summer squash cabbage Basil

Cilantro Marjoram onions Eggplant

Leeks carrots potatoes Beans

cucumbers sweet peppers tomatoes

Pack Shed Party

Friday, August 28th, 6:30-?

Bring a potluck dish, beverages of choice and lawn chairs.

Mike and his friend Wayne spent the entire hot, humid weekend wiring the new pack shed with electricity. It’s a big job, but we now have lights and outlets! This is a huge step in getting the new pack shed up and running. The 2nd big improvement is our new barrel washer! We cannot contain our excitement!! We were able to wash all of our carrots in about 15 minutes!!! In the past, this would have taken us over 2 hours.

When we washed the potatoes we thought we had taken the skins right off of them- but no, they were just that clean!! The skins are very much still attached. We are thrilled that we will be able to provide cleaner produce for you using less labor from us. This means we will have more time for other farm tasks.

We are also a huge step closer to celebrating the pack shed and the labor saving, quality enhancing aspects of it. What we are most excited for though- is to celebrate the people who made this pack shed possible. Friends and neighbors who helped with the grunt work, community members, family members and strangers who helped fund our Kiva Zip loan, and all of you who support us by being members of our farm. We feel so blessed to see the pack shed take shape, knowing that it could not be done without a wonderful community around us. Please come out and celebrate with us! If that’s not reason enough, Pot luck’s have the best food, hay rides, outdoor movies of I Love Lucy and Macgyver, and we will have Live music!! Brought to us by the band, Gravel Road. You don’t want to miss it!

Tomatoes: We grow many different varieties. We have heirloom and hybrid. Big ones and little ones. Our tomatoes grow outside in all the elements of nature. They are not grown for beauty, but for flavor. Each tomato offers its own strength and weakness. Some of them acquire blemishes quite easily. Please don’t be afraid of the cracks. Cut around them and enjoy the tomato- usually the more cracked it is, the more likely it is to be an heirloom -valued for flavor. If they aren’t fully ripe, just leave them on your counter until they are. It’s best not to refrigerate tomatoes. Use them as they ripen.

**If you would like to purchase tomatoes for canning, please let me know.

¾ bushel boxes of mixed tomatoes are: $25

¾ bushel box of straight Romas $30

This is a member’s only price. Non-farm members will pay $5 a box higher.

I will fill orders first come, first serve, as the tomatoes ripen. I can send them with your share if you would like or you can come here and pick them up. A ¾ bushel box will have at least 25lbs of tomatoes in it.

I expect that we’ll have tomatoes for the next 3-4 weeks, but mother nature is a finicky one! We’ll see.

Zucchini/Summer Squash/ Cucumbers: Store in refrigerator, crisper drawer is best.

Carrots: Store in plastic bag in crisper drawer.

Onion: The onions are starting to cure- but haven’t completely yet. Use as a fresh onion.

Pepper: Crisper drawer

Potatoes: We’ve moved in to the Satina variety. They are a nice gold/yellow potato. Store in a cool, dry place.

Beans- best if stored in plastic container.

Cilantro- plastic bag in the refrigerator

Basil- place in water on your counter. This basil is UGLY! Sorry! We have been having a tough time producing beautiful basil. IT TASTES GREAT!!! So ignore the holes and use in recipes. Make pesto and freeze it for winter. We’ll try one more new batch before fall and hope it is prettier. Did you know that vegetable farming is really a beauty contest?

Marjoram: Plastic bag in refrigerator or hang to dry.

Cabbage: Crisper drawer or plastic bag in refrigerator

Leeks: Crisper Drawer, Leeks are a member of the onion family and are related to shallots, garlic, chives, and scallions. They have a sweet, delicate flavor all their own. Before using leeks, it is essential to clean them well, as dirt, sand, and grit can collect between the layers.

Recipes

Sauted carrots with marjoram

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pounds carrots (about 16), cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

½ tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram4 teaspoons lemon juice

In a medium nonstick frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic, carrots, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Uncover the pan. Raise the heat to moderate and cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots are very tender and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes longer.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt, the lemon juice, and the fresh marjoram.

Braised Leeks

  • 2 leeks

  • 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 tablespoon cold butter

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

  • Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

  1. Remove outer leaves; cut dark-green ends from leeks. Trim roots, keeping leaves attached. Halve lengthwise; rinse to remove grit.
  2. Bring broth to a boil in a large skillet. Add leeks; cover, and cook over medium-low heat, turning once, until easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer leeks to a platter.
  3. Boil broth until reduced to 1/2 cup, 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter; swirl to melt. Add parsley; season with salt and pepper. Spoon over leeks.

Summer Squash with Basil Pesto

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves

  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan (1 ounce)

  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts or walnuts

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 pound zucchini

  • 1/2 pound yellow squash

Preparation

In a food processor purée together basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, salt, lemon juice, and oil until smooth and season with pepper.

With a mandoline or other manual slicer, cut zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise into very thin slices. Arrange slices in one layer, overlapping them slightly, on 2 large platters and drizzle pesto over slices. Chill zucchini and yellow squash, covered, at least 1 hour, to allow dressing to be absorbed, and up to 1 day.

Have a great week and happy eating!!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas

Threshing Table Farm Week 9 A

August 13th, 2015

What’s in this week’s box??

*Farm Kids

zucchini Summer squash Red cabbage Lemon Basil

Cilantro Oregano onions Eggplant

sweet corn carrots potatoes

cucumbers sweet peppers tomatoes

Welcome to week 9. This is the half-way point of the season! How did we get here so fast? In between the farm work I’m trying to get through the kids’ school supply lists, some shopping done and organizing of school clothes. This is a good reminder that yes, indeed, we’re in week 9.

We’re watching the zucchini slow down a bit, but a new planting of summer squash is coming in strong. The cucumbers and pickles are still plentiful. The sweet corn is continuing to ripen, as the first batch finishes, the second is coming in right behind it. We’re spending some extra time cleaning up the farm a bit as we get ready for our Pack Shed Party. Summer vacation is winding down but the farm is definitely not.

If you would like to pickle cucumbers, please let me know.

I will sell extra cucumbers for $1.50 a pound and pickles for $2.00 a pound. The pickles will be young cucumbers, 2-4 inches in length.

I also have mature dill with seed heads, $1.50/bunch. Please let me know if you’d like any and I’ll send it along with your share as soon as I can.

Pack Shed Party

Friday, August 28th, 6:30-?

Bring a potluck dish and lawn chairs

Raspberries….

Coming soon! We’ll keep you posted!

Meet Fred!

Fred is a 6month old rooster we picked up this week. He’s white and his tail feathers are just starting to grow in. It looks like they’ll be beautiful! Our previous rooster disappeared one day, we think a hawk may have gotten him. So our ladies have been without a beau for some time. I enjoy waking up to the cock- a- doodle- doo and he will do a good job keeping them near the coop. His crow sounds like a teen-ager’s right now- a bit croaky. But it will ring out as clear as a bell by fall.

In your box:

*Farm kids

Today I watched my kids pick, shuck and eat corn. I watched them google the kind of snake they found (only the 2nd one I’ve seen in the 8 years we’ve lived here) and then attempt to catch it. (I’m happy to say they missed it.) The boys planted fall beets and lettuce in the greenhouse (spilling more dirt than they used) and Claudia spent a lot of time washing produce in the wash shed. Watching kids get dirty and learn from the farm is a wonderful perk to my job. (And in case you think this sounds too ideal… we have our share of whining about farm work. ) It was a lot of fun to meet some of our member’s kids this past week too as they came out to pick beans. Hopefully we’ll see even more at our Pack Shed Party!

Tomatoes: We grow many different varieties. We have heirloom and hybrid. Big ones and little ones. Our tomatoes grow outside in all the elements of nature. They are not grown for beauty, but for flavor. Each tomato offers its own strength and weakness. Some of them acquire blemishes quite easily. Please don’t be afraid of the cracks. Cut around them and enjoy the tomato- usually the more cracked it is, the more likely it is to be an heirloom -valued for flavor. If they aren’t fully ripe, just leave them on your counter until they are. It’s best not to refrigerate tomatoes. Use them as they ripen.

Zucchini/Summer Squash/ Cucumbers: Store in refrigerator, crisper drawer is best.

Carrots: Store in plastic bag in crisper drawer.

Onion: The onions are starting to cure- but haven’t completely yet. Use as a fresh onion.

Pepper: Crisper drawer

Potatoes: Store in a cool, dry place.

Beans-taking a break this week, but they’ll be back!

Broccoli- done for a few weeks. We’ll see it return closer to fall.

Cilantro- plastic bag in the refrigerator

Lemon Basil- place in water on your counter

Oregano: Plastic bag in refrigerator or hang to dry.

Sweet Corn: Keep in crisper drawer

Red Cabbage: Crisper drawer or plastic bag in refrigerator

Recipes

Rainbow slaw

4 tsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. raw honey

½ tsp. caraway seeds

pinch of salt and pepper

4 cups finely shredded red cabbage

1 cup shredded carrot

1 cup shredded zucchini

½ cup sliced onion

¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

Whisk first 5 ingredients together. Toss with cabbage, carrot, zucchini and onion. Let stand 20 minutes. Stir in sunflower seeds.

Moroccan chickpea Salad

3 T. olive oil

3 T. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

pinch cayenne pepper

3 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 large carrot, peeled and julienned

¼ cup chopped onion

2 small tomatoes, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

¼ cup chopped, fresh cilantro

1/3 cup crumbled feta

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice and spices. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients.

Pour dressing over chickpea mixture and toss to combine. Serve immediately or cover for up to 24 hours to allow flavors to marinate.

Zucchini and Eggplant Lasagna

1 lb eggplant

1 zucchini, cut into slices

1 yellow squash, cut into slices

1 tsp. olive oil

½ large yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 ½ cups small curd cottage cheese

1 T. fresh oregano

olive oil cooking spray

6 oz. shredded mozzarella

Fresh basil for garnish., optional

Preheat oven to 375. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and spread eggplant, zucchini and squash out in a single layer on sheets, leaving a slight space between each round. Bake for 30 minutes; remove from oven and set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium for 1 minute. Add onion and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cottage cheese and oregano.

Lightly grease an 11×7 baking dish. Line bottom of dish with zucchini and squash, using all rounds and overlapping them so dish is completely covered. Top with cottage cheese mixture. Arrange eggplant over cottage cheese in overlapping rows, then top with mozzarella. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve immediately, garnishing with basil if desired.

Have a great week and happy eating!!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas

Threshing Table Farm Week 8 B

August 6th, 2015

What’s in this week’s box??

*Sounds of summer evenings

broccoli zucchini Summer squash lettuce

parsley thyme onion savory

sweet corn green beans carrots potatoes

cucumbers sweet pepper tomatoes

This week’s box screams early August. The cucumbers are in full throttle, the tomatoes and peppers are just starting and the sweet corn is here! You’re getting quite a few, so I’m including several cucumber recipes in the newsletter. If you have a favorite, please send it my way and I’ll share it in the next newsletter.

If you would like to pickle cucumbers, please let me know.

I will sell extra cucumbers for $1.50 a pound and pickles for $2.00 a pound. The pickles will be young cucumbers, 2-4 inches in length.

I also have mature dill with seed heads, $1.50/bunch. Please let me know if you’d like any and I’ll send it along with your share as soon as I can.

BEANS!!!

The beans are plentiful!! We like to plant a huge planting of beans at least once during the summer to ensure that we will have plenty for members to pick. This is the batch! We have yellows and greens, free for the picking to all Threshing Table Farm members. Come any time. The patch is located in the north field. When you come to the farm, walk out behind the greenhouse. Just before the corn field is a dirt path. Follow that out past the pigs and the chicken coop. Stop by the wooden cow and you are there! All the rows between the cow and the onions are ready for picking. They are quite weedy (Sorry- it’s been the theme out there this year) but the beans are easy to find. Tip: The further away from the cow you go- the less picked over the beans are. For best quality, I suggest coming this week or weekend.

This is perfect for those of you who would like to freeze or can beans this winter. Also a great opportunity for those wanting to puree and freeze beans for baby food.

We are busy getting our new pack shed ready for the Pack Shed Party. We re-purposed an old shed to be used as our new pack shed. It’s been a much longer process than we anticipated, but the cement is done. Tonight Mike spent spray washing the walls. There was dirt on there from at least 50 years ago. Next is electricity! The Pack Shed Party is Friday, August 28th. Please see the invite we sent out on Tuesday.

If you are interested in pork from the pigs raised on our farm, please call our neighbor Dave Jensen. The pigs belong to him. He is taking orders for ½ and whole hogs. The pigs will be butchered in fall. If you would like to purchase some, please call him at

612-685-0155. He also has beef to sell. If you are interested in purchasing some local beef, give him a call about that too.

Raspberries….

Coming soon! We’ll keep you posted!

In your box:

*Sounds of summer nights

Each night, before heading into the house, I put my chickens away. I have to wait until dusk or later, as the girls will put themselves away in the coop. I just have to lock the door to keep any predators out. I always enjoy the walk. I watch the moon and stars come out as the last rays of lights disappear. It’s been a great year for lightening bugs and the sounds of the night are soothing. Tonight was much like every other night. The frogs were singing their night song, the pigs were grunting quietly as they settled in amongst each other and the kids were laughing and fighting as they headed into the house for baths.

Occasionally, we have some roaming chickens who wander into the cornfield. They get a little turned around and wander down the row until somehow, they come out behind one of our sheds and into the yard. They can never seem to find their way back out to the north field to the moveable coop. So, tonight I was carrying a chicken with me while heading out past the pigs. She was cooing, the pigs were snarfling and the frogs were peeping. Suddenly from the north field I heard Mike screaming, “JUNE NO!!!” (June’s our dog.)

And then, all was quiet, serene and as it should be. .. until I made it back to the coop with the chicken. What an awful scent of skunk! Poor June… she’ll have to sleep outside tonight- but at least she’ll be enjoying the sounds of summer nights

Lettuce: Lettuce doesn’t much care for heat, though this is a variety that tolerates it fairly well. It’s stronger flavored, so I suggest using in on sandwiches or mixed with other greens in a salad.

Broccoli: Store in your crisper drawer or in a covered container. Summer broccoli has a stronger flavor than the fall or earlier broccoli. If it’s too strong for you plain, enjoy it smothered in cheese or in your favorite salad.

Tomatoes: Just starting, there will be more each week. If they aren’t fully ripe, just leave them on your counter until they are. It’s best not to refrigerate tomatoes. Use them as they ripen.

Zucchini/Summer Squash: Store in refrigerator, crisper drawer is best.

Carrots: Store in plastic bag in crisper drawer. Remove the tops for best storage results. Please bear with us as we send the tops. The carrots are small and bunching them with the tops helps us to wash them better. Hopefully next week the carrots will have sized up and we will be sending without tops.

Onion: The onions are starting to cure- but haven’t completely yet. Use as a fresh onion.

Pepper: Crisper drawer

Potatoes: These potatoes have not cured either, they are new, with tender skins.

They will not store as long as cured potatoes. Store at room temperature. NEVER put potatoes in the refrigerator. It will turn them starchy.

Beans: Store in plastic bag in crisper drawer.

Parsley: We have curly leaf and flat leaf. Use them interchangeably. Store in plastic bag in refrigerator.

Summer Savory: Try with any meat or vegetable. Dry it or keep in a plastic bag/container in the refrigerator.

Thyme: Leave on the counter. It can be used fresh or when it has dried.

Sweet Corn: Keep in crisper drawer

Recipes

Refrigerated Pickles

Combine:

6 cups cucumbers

1 pepper, sliced

1 onion, sliced

Mix together:

1 cup vinegar

2 cups sugar

1 T. salt

Pour over cucumber mixture. Refrigerate overnight before eating.

Cucumber Sandwich spread

1 ½ cup finely chopped cucumber

½ cup chopped celery

3oz package cream cheese

½ cup mayonnaise

1 T. minced onion

¼ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. chopped parsley

Partially peel and remove seeds from cucumber before chopping. Drain well by squeezing between two layers of a clean cloth. Combine cucumber with remaining ingredients. Mix well. Spread on buttered bread.

Cucumbers in Sour Cream

2 large cucumbers, sliced

1 tsp. salt

1 c. sour cream

¼ c. chopped onion

2 T. sugar

2 T. vinegar

pepper

Slice cucumbers into a shallow bowl. Sprinkle with salt and let stand about 20 minutes. Drain. Add remaining ingredients and toss lightly. Chill before serving.

Beef Stir Fry with Zucchini

2 cloves garlic, drushed

1 T. olive oil

1lb beef round steak cut into 1/8 inch strips

salt and pepper to taste

2 small zucchini or summer squash, sliced

1 cup tomato slices

¼ cup Italian salad dressing

2 cups hot, cooked spaghetti

1 T. parmesan cheese

Saute garlic in hot oil 1 minute. Add beef strips, half at a time, stir fry about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove with slotted spoon and keep warm. Add zucchini to same skillet. Add more oil if needed. Stir fry 2 to 3 minutes or until tender crisp. Return beef to skillet with tomatoes and dressing; heat through. Pour beef mixture over hot pasta; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Have a great week and happy eating!!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas