“Elizabeth what’s that on your face?”

“Oh…hmm….waaaaa, some oil from the tractor I think.” (Split second contemplation.) “OH, I sheared my first pin today!” She pulls a broken shear pin out of her pocket.

“Ah, did you replace it yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

a friends sends this funny bit on growing organically…

“So I went to pick cabbages and found that 4 of the 6 large ones had severe internal rot from something that was munching on it. I saw slugs and caterpillar holes. I’m down to 2 large and 2 small ones. And I don’t know if they’re all intact and useable. SIGH! So much stuff got bug infested and destroyed this year it’s little wonder organic stuff is so much more expensive. Like you lose 3/4 of your harvest and sometimes all of it. Nearly all of my pears have bug holes and all of the apples. Maybe we should have a leek-fest instead. So far those haven’t been bug-eaten. I have really cool potatoes too. Potato and leek soup!! With fresh sausages. mmmmmmm! You did say something about a sausage stuffer? Oh here’s my pickings for the evening! I never did get back out to the tomatoes, it was too dark by the time I got done.

Can you use more cukes??”
She’ll probably be mad when she sees I have published her note – but that’s how it goes this time of the year.

One would think that after losing the loves of my 2010 summer, I’d mention them first in the latest blog posting. After all, they’ve only been gone three days. Bennett and Elizabeth returned to school last Friday. But it isn’t the first thing that comes to mind to me today.  (The first thing that comes to mind is, “Who is going to pick all those tomatoes now?”)

I ended today accidentally picking raspberries. I stopped by Morningstar Farm to leave a jar of jam we made from their raspberries and expected to leave in a hurry headed for home.  They’ve recently had a tragedy in their home, and I thought some jam from their own berries might help to cheer them up. First, I surprised myself just by stopping in the first place. I usually don’t have time for such pleasantries.  Leaving a jar of jam for a friend in need. Not me. But I did.

Then, on my way out, I opted to turn left into the raspberry field instead of left on to the road home. I stayed for over an hour in the fading sun, shaking and plucking raspberries from the old growth bushes on County T.  I wore a skirt and high heeled sandals and smacked mosquitos from my arms, legs and face. It wasn’t a planned trip. I stayed for the peace. I didn’t have time really, but I made a few moments. Me and a few strangers picked quietly in the field without disturbing one another.

It was an amazing hour or so, the first like it in many years.

An exhibit at the Green County Fair kindly reminds us of anything that could possibly go wrong out here, on the farm, all alone, without nearby neighbors to hear our cursing shouts..  Luckily, we don’t actually own any of pictured equipment, which is generally favored by more “conventional” farmers.

There were other exhibits at Green Co. Fair, and we were sure to peruse every single one of them in order to make the most of the $8 entry fee.  While we didn’t make it to the Demolition Derby, which had been our original intention, we did pass through several animal pavilions and the 4-H building, home to the perplexing likes of prize-winning “hayage” and lego rocket ships.  Add a few servings of fried cheese curds and some lemonade, and we’ll call it a successful night on the town.

Not to be morbid, but just four months from now, these little buggers will comprise the centerpieces of approximately 90 Thanksgiving dinners.  Rest assured they are spending their days as though they were their last–as we all should live our lives, really.

Since our garden is currently producing more than we can turn over both at markets and at the store, we’ve decided to start offering a vegetable CSA share.  Vegetable CSA shareholders will receive $20 worth of fresh produce with each delivery.  This week, we are starting with just four shareholders, and from there we will gauge how many more customers we are able to take on.  I will be writing more on this shortly.

To get an idea of how much is in one $20 share, here’s the breakdown for this week’s share (although my math was off this morning and our CSA members received an extra pound of Fingerlings, bringing the total to $22.50):

What to do with all this great produce?  I’ll keep it simple for this week.  Here are my recommendations:

• Zucchini:  Make zucchini bread with the large ones.  A standard recipe may be found here.  I like to add a cup of chocolate chips…  With the smaller zucchini, add oil and garlic and toss on the grill.
• Patty Pan and Crook-necked squash:  Cube these and add to stir-fries or roasted vegetable mixes.  Add fresh basil as a garnish.
• Fingerlings and Russets:  Best either grilled, roasted, or sauteed with olive oil, garlic, onion, and rosemary.
• Yukon Golds:  Standard baking potatoes.
• Green beans:  Sauté with onions, garlic, and bacon.
• Globe basil:  Pick off the small leaves and use in tomato sauces.  My favorite pizza sauce (and pizza dough) recipe can be found in Peter Reinhart’s Bread Baker’s Apprentice.
• Regular basil:  Best for pesto and serving with mozzarella, tomato, and olive oil.  To make pesto, blend one bunch of basil with 2 cloves garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts, and salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste.  More olive oil makes a good pasta sauce, less makes a good spread for bread and crackers.

The garden is growing incredibly fast–there hasn’t been any kind of lull in production since the beginning of my stay here.  However, I believe we’re on the brink of a complete garden take-over.  If we are able to successfully keep the weeds at bay, we will soon be swimming in tomatoes, fingerlings, russets, cucumbers, cabbage, collards, squash, melons, beans, peppers, herbs, and summer lettuce varieties.  Madison and Beloit market-goers, brace yourselves.

I go to Madison for a day, and this is what they show me.  Out here on the farm, we don’t “rehabilitate” raccoons.  And we don’t ask them politely to leave, either…

Note large bottle of hand sanitizer in background...

Here is a link to a great food blog, from a GIGG CSA member. Enjoy!

The Whole Kitchen