Dinner Is Delivered

Tonight I knew what meat we were going to have for dinner (request of chicken from Michael) but I was waiting for the CSA box to come so I could choose what vegetables to have.  Good choice.  Tonight we had sliced onions, potatoes, yellow squash and zucchini with a little bit of garlic all buttered, salt and peppered and put in a foil pack for the grill.  I love me some grilled veggies!  Tomorrow night we have corn on the cob!

The weather has been giving us all fits and I worry every time a storm blows thru here that it will hit the farm hard.  I plan to go this weekend to see the damage to the greenhouse in person from the bad storm that blew thru a few weeks ago.

There is nothing better than a good salted tomato.  This week in our boxes we have some dandies!  The big one is one of Andy's families heirloom variety tomatoes.  He can't remember the actual name of the variety...they just call them 'flat pink' tomatoes.  That seems so funny to me...sounds like something I would say!  Those heirlooms have less acid than regular tomatoes have  and they just happen to be Andy's favorite.  The other variety we got this wee is called Mt. Fresh...which Andy calls just regular tomatoes.  I love it!  We will be getting some Italian heirlooms in the coming weeks.  The are a different shape...oblong and cylindrical in shape.  They are more meaty and are good for canning, but Andy and his family just like to eat them slices.  He has never really met a tomato that he doesn't like.

Andy being the good organic farmer that he is wants us to understand his methods of growing.  They divide their land into three sections.  They rotate their crops and each section has to produce for two years and then a year that it goes fallow.  During the fallow year they put in cover crops, let them grow and then plow them under.  This helps build humus in the soil. (an element that is often overlooked in most of the modern day agriculture world).  If the weather permits they like to a crop of oats in the spring.Then when May-June rolls around that is plowed under and they put in a crop of buckwheat.  If the weather permits they will plant another crop of buckwheat.  But in a dry year like the one that we have had, they will be satisfied with just one crop.  In the late summer and early fall they will put  in rye which will overwinter.  This will be plowed under in the spring so produce can be planted.  During the fallow year, as the cover crops grow, Andy will spread a layer of composted manure from the cows, horses and pigs.  They also rotate the chicken out over the cover crops.  They add 'their fertilizer' to the soil while at the same time they are producing good quality eggs...since the cover crops are a good source of protein for the chickens.

Recipe Of The Week: Tomato Salad

Tomato Salad

3 cups of diced tomatoes

1/2 cup of diced  onions

1/2 cup of diced green pepper

1 teaspoon of salt

1 Tablespoon of vinegar

Mix and enjoy!

A Little Delayed Due To A Storm

After a little technical difficulty (no power of any kind for 9 hours) I can finally post about the boxes we received on Tuesday afternoon.

All of my favorites this week.  This was going to be dinner to go along with the crock pot creation I had started.  Then the storm hit and we had no electric...so guess what is for dinner tonight?

I could not wait to show you what we got this week...blackberry jam and a blackberry pie.  I think I might just hide them both and sneak and eat them all by myself.  Yummmmmm!

Since the storm that wiped out the greenhouse and the really hot and humid weather that we have been having I have been a little concerned about Andy, Lizzie and the kids, and the farm.  I understand that they are doing well with the help of the irrigation system.  I plan to make a trip out in the next week or so to see for myself.

If you have been reading the blog for every long you probably have realized that Andy is all about education us English about the growing methods on the farm.  He teaches us that every thing starts with a good healthy soil base.  If you have healthy soil you will have healthy plants.  And if the plants are healthy and we eat them like we should the result should be healthy people.  Healthy plants are a  lot less prone to insect and disease pressure.  Just like the human body.  If we maintain good health we are a lot less susceptible to sickness and diseases.

So how does he make sure he has good healthy soil?   They divide their soil building process into three categories: "cover crops", "our farm animals", and "off the farm soil amendments.

I am sure that he will have some other farming techniques to share with us in the next few weeks.

A Little Bump In The Road

Last week we were out of town and I wasn't here to get my box.  We shared it with our wonderful pet sitters.  And they were thrilled!  They grow a really big garden and the know their fruits and veggies.  They reported that I missed a really great box and that they were enjoying everything in it!  I also heard that it was really humid and hot last week.  And they the farm is pretty dry.

I think I will be in the driveway waiting on Justin and the kids and my delivery tomorrow.

FYI...I am planning a trip out to the farm the first week of August so I will have lots of new pictures and I am sure good news to share with you.

Recipe Of The Week: Stuffing For Peppers

Stuffing For Peppers

1 pound of ground beef or sausage

1 cup pf chopped onion

1 1/2 cups of peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup of uncooked rice

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/8 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 cup of water

1 cup shredded cheese

Brown meat and onions together.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add tomatoes, water and uncooked rice.  Cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.  Add more water if needed.  Stuff peppers and sprinkle with cheese.  Place upright in a baking dish.  Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Nothing Says Summer Like Blackberries

Today marks the first box of the Summer Share!  What says summer better than blackberries and corn on the cob? And we have newcomers!  Yea.  I actually got to meet a very nice lady tonight when she picked up her box.   I love being a drop off location...I get to meet new and interesting people and I get to give the driver and his helper Popsicles when it is hot.  I love my job!

Blackberries are starting to ripen.  I was lucky enough to get some this week.  Andy says that if you didn't get any this week you will be getting some next week.  Cantaloupes will show up in our boxes in a week or two also and the beets will be added.

The weather has been so hot!  And dry!...But don't fear Andy and Lizzie's irrigation system is keeping the produce looking good.  And another plus (and minus) the large greenhouse was destroyed but it will not affect this years crops and no one was hurt.  They will need to rebuild for next season.    Scroll down in the blog for pictures and the story.

Our boxes next week will have a baked good list.  Yum!

Recipe Of The Week: Blackberry Sauce

Blackberry Sauce

1 cup of blackberries

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of water

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

2 Tablespoon of water

Put berries, sugar and 1/4 cup of water in saucepan.  Smash of the berries with a fork and stir well.  In a separate small dish, stir in cornstarch into the two tablespoons of water.  Heat the berry mixture to boiling.  Remove from heat and stir in the cornstarch mixture.  Return to a boil for one minute stirring constantly remove from heat.  Let cool some before enjoying.

Storm Damage

The large greenhouse on Cedarmore Farm was destroyed by a recent storm.  We are very thankful that no one was injured.  And believe it or not the crops that were in the greenhouse at the time of the storm survived and will be in our boxes in the coming weeks.  

In the newsletter that we receive from Andy  with our CSA box each week, Andy told us about the storm damage.  I was so saddened to hear the news.  I realize how important the greenhouse is to the success of the CSA.

Each CSA members will be receiving an email in the next few days concerning this tragedy.  Please take time to read it.

Last Week Of Spring Shares

The bad news is that some of our members are leaving until nest year because this is the last week of the Spring Share.  The good news is that there are still Fall Shares available.  The Fall Share begins the first week of October and ends the first week of December.  Andy and Lizzie appreciate everyone and their support for Cedarmore Farm CSA.  Those of us that have the All Season Share or the Spring and Summer share can still pick up just as normal with out skipping a beat.

We should start to see field ripened tomatoes in our boxes soon.  We will see more and more of them and less and less of the greenhouse tomatoes.  The greenhouse tomatoes are beginning to phase out.  In about 3 to 4 weeks we should be seeing heirloom tomatoes in our boxes.

There might be something in the box you may not recognize..they are leeks.  It is a longer white onion look alike kind of vegetable.  Last year was my first experience with them.  They really are a lot like an onion.  Speaking of onions...one white and one red onion this week.  And our first potatoes...first of many I am told.  There is some broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, green beans and maybe even a cucumber on the bottom.  A wide variety!

We all appreciate each and every one of you that participates in the Cedarmore Farm CSA!  Share with your friends and spread the news!

Recipe Of The Week: Potato Egg Casserole

Potato Egg Casserole

1/2 pound of bacon

1/4 cup of fine dry bread crumbs

6 medium potatoes cooked and peeled

6 hard boiled eggs, sliced

2 Tablespoons minced chives

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon of pepper

8 ounces of sour cream

1/2 cup of milk

1 Tablespoon of flour

Fry the bacon in a skillet.  Remove bacon and drain all but 1 Tablespoon of the drippings.  Saute bread crumbs in drippings until brown.  Slice potatoes.  Crumble bacon.  Arrange half of the potatoes in a shallow 2 quart baking dish.  Spread eggs, bacon, and chives on the top, sprinkle with salt andnpepper and top with remaining potatoes.  Combine sour cream, milk and flour.  Mix well and pour over potatoes.  Sprinkle with crumbs.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until crumbs are brown.

Storm Damage

I got word from Andy and Lizzie through Rue that the big greenhouse is a total loss due to the bad storm that went through our area.  He wanted everyone to know that there was no damage to the plants inside the greenhouse and that this should not effect the veggies we will be getting in our CSA boxes.  It just looks bad.  I am sure at some point he will need to rebuild.  I will let you all know of his plans when I know them.