Green Goodness

The veggies that we got today in our box are really looking good.  And there is a head of cabbage this time.  We have had several heads of Chinese cabbage but this is the first of the 'regular' cabbage.  And the beautiful green bell pepper comes from Lizzie's sisters greenhouse.  The green beans are growing like crazy.  And Andy has already planted some new patches of beans that we will be enjoying later in the summer.  Peas are coming to a close for the season.  Maybe a week or two more of them.

Thank you to all those members that remember to return their boxes for Andy to reuse week after week.  If we can all remember to recycle the boxes and egg cartons it will help keep the prices down. It is good for us and good for the environment.

Andy is still talking about all the members that showed up last Saturday at the farm for Farm Day.  He thinks it was great that we came to the farm so we could see where the veggies come from.  He was excited to see all the little kids enjoying themselves.  He knows that there were some of the members that wished they could have come.  Plans are to have another one next year.  Andy and Lizzie are willing to let you come and visit anytime.  Just email Cedarmore and you can make arrangements to visit.  

Recipe Of The Week: Cabbage Sandwich Spread

Cabbage Sandwich Spread

1/4 cup of chopped cabbage

3 Tablespoons of chopped apples

3 Tablespoons of chopped carrots

1/4 cup of mayonnaise

3 Tablespoons of chopped green pepper

1 Tablespoon of chopped onion

3 Tablespoons of chopped celery

Combine ingredients and spread on bread.

A Box Full Of Our Favorites

The weather in Hillsboro has been very dry these last few weeks.  So Cedarmore Farm has had to use their irrigation system so the crops are still looking good.  But they are hoping for a nice rain to help level things out.  Hopefully the rains will come soon.

This week we have some green tomatoes in our boxes.  Andy wonders how many of us actually cook with green tomatoes?  He knows that I like a good fried green tomato.  Lizzie rolls them in flour and then fries them just like you would yellow squash or zucchini.

The Swiss chard is really producing.  Andy remembers this being the third week in a row that it has been included in our boxes.  Search in recipes to find recipes for Swiss chard.  Lizzie makes a stir fry with some of the Swiss chard and Andy really likes it.  Search Recipe Share for dishes from CSA members.

Report from the farm is that we will be seeing more green beans and peas in our boxes soon.  Yum!

green beans (first of the season for us), yellow squash, zucchini, onions, green and red tomatoes, broccoli and Swiss chard.

And just a special little something extra for Mark from Eli Zook.  The back story is Mark, my husband, has never met a stranger. He will talk to anyone.   And he loves to tease kids.  So Eli was the one who got most of the teasing during Farm Day last Saturday...see blog below. After all day of Mark's teasing, Eli said that Mark just better watch it because he was going to pack our box on Tuesday.  And did he ever.  A little thistle was packed in especially for Mark with a little note from Eli.  Priceless!

Recipe Of The Week: Green Tomato Chocolate Cake

Green Tomato Chocolate Cake

3/4 cup pf butter, softened

2 cups of sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon of mint extract

2 cups coarsely grated green tomato

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 cup of milk

2 1/2 cups of flour

1/2 cup cocoa2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Cream sugar and butter.  Beat in eggs.  Add mint extract, tomatoes, vanilla, and milk.  Combine dry ingredients and stir into batter.  Pour into a buttered and floured 10 inch tube pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

We added a little bit of melted cake frosting drizzled on top.  It was a big hit at our hours...two thumbs up from everyone!

A Great Day On The Farm

Finally 'real people' get to come to the farm and see what I see and feel what I feel every time I go to the farm...it's Farm Day at Cedarmore Farm!

The siding is on the house.

Chores on the farm still have to be done even if company is coming.

We first toured the greenhouses.

Albert, the calf, got lots of lovin' all day long.

We walked the fields.

And learned about fallow fields.

Even the purple martin has a job...eating all the small insects that might be harmful to the plants.

When the goats heard and saw us they ran away as fast as they could in the other direction..

We all got to feed the chickens...which was a big hit with the kids, young and old!

Gathering the eggs was fun too!

And there were a lot to gather.

The three little pigs.

Don't get too attached to this cute little face...he will not be named...and you know what that means!

Transportation for the day down to Highland Haven Farm was done by wagon ride.

And one of Lizzie's sisters, Susan, provided buggy rides.

This is the view that I had on the way to the Organic Farm talk at Highland Haven Farm.

After having shared a dinner meal with all of my new Amish friends and my new CSA blog reading friends...it looked like we better head for home because a rain was brewing.  Just one big happy family and that it just the way I like it!

We had a great time walking around the farm.  I think Andy was just a little nervous and I don't know enough about Organic Amish farming to talk about.  I could only relate stories that Andy and Lizzie had told me or things I have learned from reading.  

I am hoping that they want to make this a yearly tradition because I know I am ready for it!

A Little About Farm Day Tomorrow

I am so excited tomorrow is just around the corner.  We get to spend the day on the farm with Andy, Lizzie and the kids and learn more about organic farming.  From talking to everyone I can say they there will be lots of things to see and do.  I am hoping to meet lots of our readers!

When talking to Andy we decided that I might want to lay some ground rules...really only one.  It is a hard one for me too, so if I can do it you should be able to also.  If you have noticed in all the shots I take of the farm there are never any people.  There is a strong reason for that! The Amish have a set of rules called the Ordnung.  It is the foundation for the Amish community.  It contains all the 'rules' that the Amish community must adhere to.  From then width of a man's hat to the length of a woman's dress.  Click here to read more about the Ordnung. This is not the real document...only someone trying to put it in terms we can understand.  I find it to be very interesting.

  

The big question that I am sure that is going thru your mind...'Will we be allowed to take pictures?'  Andy, Lizzie and I discussed this on more thtn one occasion.  Because we are on the farm and lots of us are not used to seeing farm animals or vegetables growing in a garden, we will be able to take shots of the English enjoying that.  The Amish (Andy and Lizzie feel very strongly about this issue) feel that photos and videos, posing for pictures are an unacceptable act of pride.  Please be respectful of the Amish religion and refrain from taking shots of the Amish during the day.  

While visiting Cedarmore please be considerate of the Amish lifestyle.  They are very private community.  The men may be more open to communicating with the English that plan to visit the farms.  You might hear the Amish speaking to each other in Pennsylvania Dutch.  The children learn to speak English while in school but at home they speak Pennsylvania Dutch.  Sometimes Anna and Dennis start talking to me and I just have to smile and wait for Andy or Lizzie to translate for me.  I have learned a few words and Anna is trying to learn some English words.  Sometimes it is a real challenge.

I know that Andy, Lizzie and their family and friends have been working hard to make this a fun and informative day for us.  Please take time out to let them know what you enjoyed and what you learned.

See you on the farm!

Lots Of News

Lots of exciting things happening on the Cedarmore Farm and in Andy and Lizzie's family.  They are getting ready for Farm Day (more information coming tonight on the blog) and Andy's twin sister (that I forgot he had) and her husband are beginning to build a house on a farm in the community.  It will take a while to get the house finished so they plan to move from Wayne County, Ohio within a year.  Andy is not only working the farm and doing all the regular chores but he is helping his sister and his brother-in-law whenever he can.  In the Amish community the whole community usually comes together and helps with the build.  The first step is to dig (with a regular shovel) out a hole that will be used as a basement.  Andy says that this is the hardest part.  About 8 to 10 horses and 6 to 8 guys can usually get this part done in five days.  That is if the digging goes well and they don't hit rock (like they did when they were digging his basement.)  After that the house needs to be built and that takes around 3 weeks.  One week for excavating, one week for the basement, and one week for the framework and the roof.  All this is done usually by the entire community.  Then there is all the finishing work on the inside.

All of that and we still get great boxes like the one we got this week.

Chinese cabbage, lettuce, zucchini, yellow squash, Swiss chard

I want to say that he things that look like green onions are leeks but I am checking in on the farm for that answer.

Got the answer...and yes I did learn something from researching 'unknown vegetables to me'...they are leeks.

Completing the box with a jar of Lizzie's dill pickles. Yum!

I would highly recommend that you try the granola bars.  I have a good critique...I sliced the giant square into four rectangles and shared one with Mark and Michael,  Michael immediately said, "Mom, I'm thinking that next time I should get a whole big square all to myself.  These are awesome!"  And there you have it from a 10 year old who knows what he likes!

Recipe Of The Week...Baked Zucchini with Mozzarella

Lizzie has been very busy on  the farm and just didn't have time to share a recipe with us this wee.  So I am pulling one from the files...

Baked Zucchini with Mozzarella

2 medium zucchini or 5 small zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch slices

salt

pepper

garlic powder or garlic salt.

2 cups of shredded Mozzarella cheese

Place on greased baking dish.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder/garlic salt.  If using garlic salt omit table salt.  

 Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Take out of the oven and sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese.

Broil for 3-5 minutes or until crisp and bubbly on center rack.

My Box Overflowth...

...with Swiss chard, tomatoes, radishes, yellow squash, zucchini, lettuce, a bag of greens, scapes, and green onions.

Seems the weather on the farm is dry enough for Andy to start running the irrigation pump. And by all accounts the strawberry season has come to an end.  They needs lots of water....and there just wasn't enough this season.  But the good news is that there is something else green coming in our boxes.  Some of us got ripened hoop house tomatoes.  Next week Andy is hoping for everyone to be surprised by some ripe tomatoes in our boxes.  The early tomatoes were planted in the hoop house to protect them from the frost.    The field tomatoes will be harvested in late July.

Don't forget The Day At The Farm coming up on June 16th!  More information to come next week.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash With Cream

Zucchini and Yellow Squash With Cream

1 medium zucchini, sliced thin

1/8 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of dill weed

1 medium yellow squash, sliced thin

1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

1 cup of cream

Saute squash in butter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add cream and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.  Mix well with the dill.  Serve hot.