July 12th, 2018

5A

Hello Farm Members!

In this week’s box:

Green Beans                                Lettuce                            Swiss Chard                         Peas

Onions                                         Dill                                    Cilantro                                 Zucchini/Summer Squash

Broccoli

We are happy to see the summer squash and zucchini make their way into the boxes this week.  They are such a staple of summer salads, veggie kabobs and desserts. They will be around for awhile, so start looking for great recipes to use them in. A little info. about summer squash and zucchini:  Zucchini is a type of summer squash. We generally think of zucchini as green and summer squash as yellow. However, we grow a zucchini that is yellow and some of our other summer squash are green. Summer squash and zucchini can be used interchangeably in recipes. If we list summer squash on the newsletter, you can count on several varieties being in the box.  Enjoy!

The county fair is only a week away! That always adds a little extra excitement to our days. Make plans to stop by the fair in Glennwood city and see all the fun! Claudia will be happy to introduce you to her 3 heifer calves.

Things are turning a corner in the fields. Next week we should see baby potatoes (At last!). Fennel is sizing up, the cucumber plants are blossoming. Cabbage is not far off, and lots more!  Sadly, this is the last week of peas, but all good things must come to an end. We are looking forward to lots of green beans over the rest of the summer.

One of my beehives swarmed last week. I re-hived it and things are looking good. I don’t know yet if any of my hives will produce extra honey, but I’m hoping.

One of our hens nested in a baler that was being stored in our shed. She was sitting on 7 eggs the past few weeks. It takes 28 days of sitting for chicks to hatch.  Unfortunately, our neighbor needed the baler to bale they hay he cut. She and her eggs had to be moved. We moved them to a cozy spot nearby, but after an hour, it was clear that she was not going to go back to her eggs. Luckily, I had another hen sitting on eggs, so I set these under her. She settled then in with her others. We’ll see if we get any chicks after all of this. I don’t depend on these chicks for my flock, but if a hen wants to set on the eggs, it’s nice to let them once in a while. We love seeing the little ones wandering the farm. We’ll keep you posted!

Save the Date!!

September 7th. Pack Shed Party!   Pot luck, music by Gravel Road- All are invited!! More info to come!

 

Storage

Peas and Green Beans: Plastic bag in refrigerator

Lettuce: Covered container or bag in refrigerator

Broccoli and Swiss Chard: Plastic bag in refrigerator.  We have been battling cabbage worms. They love broccoli too. Keep an eye out for the buggers when you are cutting up your broccoli. My old neighbor Bernie used to tell me, “That’s just a little extra protein!” But I’m happier without it!

Onions and Summer Squash: Crisper drawer

Herbs: Covered jar in refrigerator.

 

 

Skillet Macaroni with Swiss Chard

1 T. olive oil

1 bunch Swiss Chard Leaves

2 cups spaghetti sauce

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

12 oz. elbow macaroni noodles

2 c. water or beef broth

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

 

Add the olive oil to a large, deep, skillet.  Sauté the Swiss Chard for 2-3 minutes, until soft and bright green.  Stir in the spaghetti  sauce and seasonings. Stir in 2 cups of broth and pasta. Gently combine and add more water until the noodles are all under the liquid.

Bring to a boil, then cover tightly and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes.  Stir once.

Once the pasta is al dente, remove skillet from heat. Let sit uncovered for a few minutes to thicken sauce as needed. Toss in the the Parmesan Cheese and stir. Serve hot.

 

Squash and onions with brown sugar

2 medium summer squash

1 medium onion

2 T. butter

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 Tblsp. brown sugar

 

Slice squash into 1/2 inch rounds. Melt butter in sauce pan. Add onions and cook 4-5 minutes. Add squash, salt, pepper and brown sugar. Stir, then cover and cook for about 20 minutes until squash is very soft.

Remove cover and cook 8 minutes, to evaporate the juices.When only a glaze is left, season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

 

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

1  cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup oil

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 c. shredded zucchini

Mix all together well. Bake in greased 9X13 pan. 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

 

Happy Eating!!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas Lenz