In your box this Week:
Savoy Cabbage Bell Pepper Jalapeno peppers Kohlrabi
carrots cucumbers summer squash celery leaves
walla-walla onion potatoes basil garlic
beans broccoli lettuce
Hello from the farm! What a fun time to be in the fields, there are vegetables begging to be picked everywhere! They are even screaming louder than the weeds! (At last!)
So the big news around here is that Claudia had a great time at the Wisconsin State Fair last week! If you don’t follow us on our Threshing Table Farm facebook page, (And you really should…) you may not know that she placed 12th in the state in dairy showmanship. Showmanship is all about how she handles the calf, not about how good the calf is. She was 12th out of 90 kids her age. She is thrilled and so are we! She’s already counting down the days until the fair next year. (344)
Aside from that, we are enjoying the cooler temps as we are out working each day. The weather has been beautiful. This is making for a slower ripening of the tomatoes, but we are seeing some red glimpses out there. The carrots have been struggling this summer. They have not sized up like we would like. We will have some for you this week and next, and then a long break while we wait to see if the fall carrots fare better. And we have Garlic! Beautiful garlic! We have never had such an abundant, beautiful crop as this, and we are pretty proud! The bulbs may not be totally dry, so please use soon or leave in a warm, dark, dry place to continue drying. A dark corner of your kitchen counter will probably be fine. The onions are coming in big time! Enjoy the Walla Walla’s!
We’ve got some fun activities coming up on the farm…
Pack shed Party!! August 25th, 6pm-? Come for the pot luck and stay for the music!
Fairy house building!!
Save the date… Friday, September 22nd. Farm member Sharon Overland will be offering a “Pottery on the Farm” class here at Threshing Table Farm. We will be making Fairy House Luminaries in the pack shed. Come and enjoy the first evening of fall with friends, new and old. We will learn how to use simple molds, and how to add texture and handmade details to slabs of clay to create one of a kind handmade luminaries. No experience necessary. 10+ years old is recommended, although children are welcome to work on a project with a parent (or create their own), but must be able to follow directions and sit for the duration of the project. Stay tuned for cost and more information.
Peep Peep!
Each spring we move the chickens to the moveable coop and set them out on the farm somewhere. This allows them to have fresh dirt, vegetation and bugs while also fertilizing and eating ticks that helps us. We always have a few rogue chickens that refuse to stay in the moveable coop no matter what we do. They remain living near their winter coop. This week, one of the hens hatched out 1 chick. So we have a tiny yellow “Peep” wandering after it’s mama. Totally adorable. Since the rooster lives in/near the moveable coop and the rogue hens never want to go over there, I have no idea how those two managed to “hook up” but we’re glad they did. If you’re out at the farm, take a look for her.
Bean picking
We have a nice crop of beans and if you would like to come out this weekend to pick some, feel free! Free beans! Come pick as many as you would like. Bring bags/containers. Please walk out to our north field using the path behind the greenhouse. The path runs along side the neighbor’s corn field. Stay on the path until you reach the bean patch. We’ll have a sign out there so you’ll have no problem finding them. Enjoy!
Storage Tips:
Cabbage: Crisper drawer or plastic bag in the refrigerator
Peppers: Crisper drawer
Kohlrabi: Crisper drawer
Carrots: Plastic bag in the coldest part of your refridgerator
Cucumbers/Summer Squash-:Crisper drawer
celery leaves: covered container in refrigerator
Walla-walla- refrigerator
potatoes- cool, dark place
Basil- glass of water on kitchen counter
Garlic- warm, dry, dark place
Beans: covered container in refrigerator
RECIPES
Blackberry Basil Crisp
6 cups blackberries
8 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
juice of half a lemon
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cups ground flaxseed
1/3 cup butter melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together blackberries, lemon juice, basil and salt in a 9×9 baking dish. In a bowl, combine oats, flaxseed, sugar and butter. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of berries. Place baking pan on cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and crisp and the fruit is bubbling. Add whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and serve.
Cabbage and sausage skillet
1 small head cabbage, shredded (5 cups)
4 medium potatoes, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 tsp caraway seed (optional)
1 lb cooked kielbasa cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup apple juice
2 T. prepared brown mustard
1 tsp. worchestershire sauce
In a 12inch skillet, combine cabbage, potatoes, onion and caraway seed. Top with sausage.
In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over sausage and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Cucumber water
1 cucumber, sliced and unpeeled
1 1/2-2 liters water
3 mint sprigs
half a lemon, sliced and unpeeled
In a pitcher, combine all ingredients. Let it rest in the refrigerator 24 hours. Serve with ice.
Grilled Zucchini
zucchini or summer squash, cut into 1/4 inch thick sliced, lengthwise
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
Heat grill to high. Rinse and dry zucchini. Cut into long slices. Toss with olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper. Grill over direct heat until well browned. 4-6 minutes per side.