Egg Shortage

  Andy had Rue send an email to all the egg customers this week....'We needed to let everyone who gets eggs know that we are completely out of eggs. In the past few weeks we have had temperature in or near the single digits and the hens have stopped laying, so we will not have any eggs to send you today Friday, Nov.28th or next Tuesday Dec. 2nd. We will have pasture range eggs coming from another farm next Thursday so we can make it up to you next week and the week after. I apologize for the inconvenience but the unusually cold weather has made the hens quit laying early this year.'

 

I know this is true because my girls usually give me 6-8 eggs a day and now we are down to 4-5  per day.  And they are taking pretty much turns as to who lays.  On good egg days we would get one green eggs a day.  Now it is about every other day.  Guess you could say that it is just that time of year.   

Comfort Food

These eggs are beautiful...and taste like nothing you have ever tasted before.  If heard it said that they are so creamy you don't even need to add cheese to them.

I am thinking that the colder weather and snow might have damaged some of the cold crops.  Andy and Lizzie are busy working the farm, getting ready to move and helping out in the community with things that need to be accomplished before the weather turns so bad that no work can be done outside.

It Sure Is Cold Outside

It is cold everywhere these days.  Andy says that the temperatures on the farm are dropping into the teens, which he reminds me that it is very unusual for this time of year.  Broccoli, kale, turnips and other cold weather crops like the cold weather but he is not sure they like it as cold as it has been.  We will just have to wait to see what happens. It all depends on how long it stay this bitter cold. Keep your fingers crossed.  He promises to send us whatever he can.

 

Recipe Of The Week: Turnip Slaw

Turnip Slaw

6 medium turnips
2/3 cup of sour cream
2 Tablespoons of vinegar
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt

Peel and grate turnips.  Combine remaining ingredients to make a dressing.  Pour over turnips and mix.

Still Keeping Busy

According to Andy the weather is turning colder.  He enjoys that because that means that he can sit by the woodstove and read in the evening.  He dreams of all the fall crops that are still doing very well.  He also says that as long as the temperature doesn't go into the lower 20's for an extended period of time, the crops should be fine.

Anyone wondering where all the onions went?  I have been told that we will not be getting any more onions for the rest of the season.  For some reason there was a problem with them going bad from the inside out.  He thinks that the problem comes from a little insect called thrips.  Usually this problem doesn't show up until the onions are in storage.  The problem has been around for several years but this year was the worst.  They are rethinking the onions that they grow.  Maybe next year they will grow green onions in the fall and get away from storing them for so long. They will continue to try to fix the problem with organic methods.

The pond digging project is on hold for a few weeks so the horses can rest.  They plan to let the horses rest for a few weeks and the work on it for a few more days.  Andy believes that they probably have enough capacity to supply their irrigation needs in an average year, but they want to make sure they can get through the dry years as well.

Recipe Of The Week: Chard Soup

Chard Soup

8 cups of finely chopped chard
1 cup of sliced celery
1 cup of chopped onion
2 Tablespoons of butter
2 large peeled and diced potatoes
5 cups of broth or water
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Separate chard stems from the leaves.  String any tough stems and slice thin. In a large kettle saute the sliced stems, celery, and onions in hot oil and butter for 5 minutes.  Add the potatoes and broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Stir in the chard leaves and cook for 4-5 minutes more.  Season to taste.

I Lost Another Week

I need to apologize again for not posting last Tuesday.  My mother-in-law passed away and we were with family in WV.  So this week there will be two postings...last weeks and this weeks.

Andy swears that work on the farm has slowed down but there still is so much to do, they are busier than ever. There are a number of work projects going on in the community and they try to help out where and when they can.  Two new houses are going up for families that have tight living quarters and need more space. A couple sheds are being built. One family is building a corn crib since their old one is no longer holding up.

 Probably the biggest project for them is the pond that’s being built on John and Anna Zook’s property. They are the ones that will be taking over our CSA next year. The pond will be for irrigating their crops next year and in the future. For the project they are using 2 slip scoops. Kind of like what Paul Bunyan would use only they don’t have “Babe” the big blue ox to hitch into! They use 3 teams of 4 horses each for a total of twelve horses. One team each for the slip scoops and a 3^rd team for the plow. About 5-6 men are needed for handling the horses and equipment etc. The plow is used to loosen the ground . Then the slip scoops are used to scoop up the dirt and dump it out on the bank. We hope to have the project completed in three to four days. It takes a considerable amount of planning to have enough help lined up for each day. They have enough men and boys in the community to be able to rotate around and spread out the work load. Andy will give us an update on this project is finished.

 They are harvesting turnips for the first time this fall which is later than normal, but it looks like a good crop. You can use them in soups and salads or slice them and eat them on a sandwich. Broccoli is also coming on pretty good right now.

I have no picture to post but I hear there were plenty of great vegetable for a few dinners last week.

Recipe Of The Week: Cream Of Broccoli soup

Cream of Broccoli Soup

2 1/2 cups of finely chopped broccoli (peel thick stems)
2 cups of milk
1/4 cup of butter
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 cup of chopped onions
1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg (optional)
1/3 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of processes cheese (Velveeta)

Cook broccoli until it is tender.  Reserve the liquid.  Melt the butter in a skillet.  Saute onion in butter then blend in flour.  Slowly stir in milk.  Add bouillon cubes, nutmeg, salt, and cheese.  Cook and stir until thickened.  Boil for 1 minute.  Add 1 cup of the reserve liquid to the white sauce.  Add broccoli and hear through. 

Variation:  Put cooked broccoli and onion in the blender.