Week 4: July 12, 2011

Romaine Lettuce, Salad Turnips, Green Onions, Yukina Savoy, Rainbow Chard, Spinach or Lettuce Mix, Snow Peas, Cilantro & Garlic Scapes

            The garden is finally coming up to speed.  Adam spotted tiny tomatoes and peppers in the field and the greenhouse is starting to look like a jungle.  The cucumbers and zucchinis are blooming, and I think we will have baby potatoes soon.  I could use a few days of garden free time, but the work just keeps accumulating.  Luckily we have an apprentice this year.  Genny has been helping us out since May and lives on the farm four days a week.  She completed her Environmental Science degree at UNBC, and is thinking of going in to a master’s program in sustainable agriculture so she has come to learn and experience what we are doing on the farm.  It has truly been a blessing to have an extra set of hands this spring.   Adam has been able to complete countless construction projects because Genny could help me in the garden leaving him free to tackle other jobs.  The latest project was a portable hen house that sits on top of a wagon frame he bought at the auction.  I think we have pictures on the blog, so feel free to check it out. (http://ranfurlyfarm.blogspot.com)

            Last week we hauled square bales for our neighbor on the hottest day of the summer so far.  My brother Tim has been staying with us, and he can actually make heaving a bale above his head look graceful.  Genny and I do not have nearly enough strength for that, so when the stack gets too high, we each pick up one end of the bale and try to hoist the whole thing above our heads to Adam who is stacking on the truck.   We brought in 200 bales for Mom’s sheep, and 490 for the neighbor.  The record load was 71 bales on Dad’s truck, but we lost 20 bales enroute to the barn.  My Dad must have been watching us from the deck because he immediately asked Adam and Tim what they were trying to prove putting that many bales on his truck.  Boys will be boys and all that.   Luckily we finished before the thundershower hit, and we were all so exhausted we took the rest of Thursday afternoon off.

J

Snow peas:  flat, edible pea pods commonly found in stir fries.  Just remove the stem end and eat them raw or lightly cooked.

Rainbow Chard:  possibly the most beautiful chard ever, and tasty too.  Eat the stems and the leaves.  Like most greens I like it lightly sautéed or steamed. 

Sautéed Chard and Garlic Scapes

The scapes are starting to get woody, so break off the bottom end and discard the flower bud.  Chop the scapes on the diagonal.  Wash the chard and chop the whole bunch into ribbons.  Heat a large heavy bottomed frying pan or wok over medium high heat and add 1 Tbsp of olive oil.  When hot, throw in the chard stems and garlic scapes and cook for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the leaves, and cover the pan with a tight fitting lid.  The water clinging to the leaves should be enough liquid to steam them down.  Cook until the leaves are wilted, 3 – 5 minutes, and the scapes and stems are tender.  Serve with butter, pepper and salt.   

Romaine Lettuce with a Korean Dressing

1 head Romaine lettuce

15 – 20 fresh cilantro sprigs

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

1 Tbsp sesame oil

4 tsp distilled white vinegar

½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp cayenne

1 tsp roasted sesame seeds

Wash and dry the lettuce.  Break the leaves into a large bowl.  Tear the cilantro leaves from their stems and add to the lettuce. 

Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, and cayenne and sesame seeds.  Mix well.

Just before eating, pour the dressing over the salad and toss to mix. 

Madhur Jaffery’s “ World Vegetarian”

Week 3: July 5, 2011

Red Cross & Buttercrunch Lettuce, Salad Turnips, Green Onions, Spinach, 

Garlic Scapes, Yukina Savoy, & Purple Mizuna

                        We have more tasty salad greens this week, and a few new treats.  Yukina Savoy and Purple Mizuna are common ingredients in commercial salad mixes, but not every day grocery store items.  The first planting was eaten by flea beetles, so I covered this seeding with row cover and it still has holes in the leaves.  The first green onions are ready and so are the salad turnips.  Last year the green onions did terribly, so these are the first ones I have ever successfully grown.  The spinach is bolting, so I think this could be the last pick until fall, and we are coming to the end of the Buttercruch, my favourite lettuce. 

Japanese Salad Turnips: a treat best eaten raw.  You can slice the turnips up for salad, or just eat them whole.  I like to sauté or steam the tops like any other leafy green.    We have white and pink varieties. 

Yukina Savoy: Tatsoi’s bigger, better, more nutritious cousin.  With its white stems and deeply wrinkled dark green leaves it is a common ingredient in commercial salad mix, and makes is an excellent addition to stir fries.  I like it best raw.

Purple Mizuna: white stems and sharply pointed leaves that have purple edges.   Mizuna is tasty raw with your favourite dressing, and on sandwiches. 

Important Note

Please wash all of your vegetables thoroughly before consumption.  In order to save labour we do not wash any of the salad greens, and most things are only sprayed off to cool them down or remove soil from their roots.   

*****

Cliffleigh Farm Salad

            Wash and spin a variety of salad greens.  Keep the leaves whole and the stems attached.  Arrange the greens on a platter and put it in the center of the table.  Give each person a little bowl or plate for salad dressing so they can pick out a selection on the greens and dip it in their dressing.  Encourage everyone to try each different green and pick their favourite.  This salad is best if you eat it with your fingers, and share the experience with friends. 

            Our friends, Tony and Barb of Cliffleigh Farm in Vanderhoof, serve this salad frequently.   We have shared the first ‘snips’ of salad greens in April and the last of the greens in November.  Tony and Barb have perfected the use of raised beds in their greenhouse for producing vegetables over an incredible time period in a far harsher climate than ours. 

Stir Fried Greens

1 large bunch of greens, Yukina Savoy and turnip tops would work well

2 Tbsp peanut or canola oil

 1” piece of ginger, peeled and sliced

4 – 10 garlic scapes, cut into 2” sticks

1 tsp sesame oil

Keep the Yukina Savoy leaves whole, and chop the turnip tops into ribbons; wash carefully.  Put the oil in a large wok over high heat.  When hot, put in the ginger and garlic scapes.  Give a few quick stirs, the garlic scapes should turn deep green.  Now put in the greens, stir and cook for about 3 minutes or until the greens have wilted completely.  Put in the sesame oil and toss.  Serve immediately. 

**  J **

            This past weekend was the Fryatt family reunion and pig roast.  We had twenty four people camping at the farm and about fifty for the pig roast on Saturday. The pig was born in April from one of our sows, and my Dad was worried it would not be big enough because last year the reunion was in August.  Piggy dressed out at 82 lbs, and I think we will be eating pulled pork for months.  

            This is the only time I get to see my all of my aunts, uncles and cousins, as they all live in the Fraser Valley.  We stayed up late every night visiting around the campfire.  The last three weeks have been very busy, so I am looking forward to a weekend that does weekend that does not require extra organization. 

Week 2: June 28, 2011

Buttercrunch Lettuce, Beet Thinnings, Mustard Greens, Spinach, Radishes,

Garlic Scapes & Cilantro

                        The garlic scapes are ready, so you get to try them this week.  Garlic scapes are the flower stalk and bud of the garlic plant.  We snap them off before the flower opens so the garlic puts its energy into the bulb not the flower.  Right now the whole scape is tender, so you can eat the whole thing.  Last night I steamed them for about 7 minutes and served them with butter, pepper and salt.  Garlic scapes can also be chopped up and cooked in any dish where you want some garlic for flavour.  I recommend chopping up a few and sautéing them with the mustard greens, adding a few to your scrambled eggs or even mashed potatoes.   

         

            We have had an exciting weekend at Ranfurly Farm.  My parents went to Oregon for the Black Sheep Gathering, a fibre and sheep show; while Adam and I had our year end baseball tournament in Chase.  My brother Tim, who is staying with us, was left in charge of the chores.   When Tim went to let the sheep out Sunday morning he noticed something large and black sitting in the field.  He did not have his glasses on, but realized the creature was probably a bear and it was sitting on something.  The dogs were completely oblivious to the whole affair, and the donkey decided he was no match for a bear so he was huddled up with the remaining sheep.  Tim was calling for Sherman, Adam’s bush dog, but he was sound asleep under our trailer less than 100 meters away, while our “guardian” Maremma bounced around and licked sheep’s noses.  The Maremma has never seen a bear before but she barks at everything including her own echo, while Sherman is a seasoned bush dog who generally only barks at large predators.  It was a bit disconcerting that neither of them clued in to what was going on.

            It turns out a bear had come into our field and killed a sheep, in broad daylight and plain sight of the house.  Unfortunately the bear had to be shot, in order to prevent it from returning.  We tend to leave predators alone to go about their business, and limit their hunting opportunities by keeping our animals close to the buildings at night, but once they develop a taste for livestock they will keep returning.   The local Conservation Officer dealt with the problem but it made for a very interesting Sunday morning and will add a chapter to the family story collection.

Garlic Scape Pesto

2 cups chopped garlic scapes

½ c. pine nuts

½ c. grated Romano cheese

6 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt

½ tsp chilli flakes

½ tsp pepper

½ c. olive oil

Pulse all ingredients, except oil, in a blender or food processor to form a coarse paste.  Add the olive oil and pulse to blend.  Keep refrigerated. Pesto makes a great sandwich spread, cracker or vegetable dip. 

Mix it with yogurt or mayonnaise and a bit of lemon juice to make an excellent salad dressing.

Mexican Green Rice

1 bunch spinach

1 bunch cilantro

½ bunch parsley

2 jalapeno peppers

1 tsp salt

2 ¼ c. stock or water

2 tbsp olive oil or butter

1 small onion finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ c. Jasmine or long grain white rice

4 tbsp cilantro leaves

Wash spinach, cilantro, parsley and jalapenos.  (Remove the jalapeno seeds to reduce their heat.) Place in a blender with the salt and 1 c water or stock, liquefy.

Heat a thick bottomed pot at medium high, add the oil or butter and once hot add the onion and a pinch of salt; sauté until translucent. 

Add the garlic and rice and sauté for a few minutes, stirring often, until the rice turns lightly golden. 

Add contents of the blender and the remaining water or stock to the rice.  Stir well and bring to a boil. 

Cover, reduce the heat to very low, and cook for 15 minutes. 

Turn off the heat and let the rice stand for 10 minutes without peeking.

 Fluff with a fork, garnish with some cilantro leaves and serve. 

You can use 2 or 3 garlic scapes instead of garlic cloves.

Serves 4 -6

June 21, 2011

Spinach, Salad Mix, Baby Beet Greens, Radishes, Mustard Greens, & Cilantro

Dear Shareholders,

            Here we are on the first day of summer and the first day of distribution.  I would be lying if I said this spring has not been full of challenges, but we have persevered and now I think we are on track. After the flooding in my garden, the cut worms moved in and proceeded to eat 95% of the broccoli, parsley, and the red cabbage.  Then the flea beetles appeared and turned my early Asian greens into lace by eating tiny holes in the leaves, completely arresting their growth. The arugula has been decimated, and did not recover enough to distribute.  Talking to other growers in the area I have learned they are facing the same flea beetle infestation, and are finding the tiny black beetles attacking crops that are normally unharmed like kale and chard.  Next year I will cover everything with row cover.  I am sure you will notice the holes in the mustard greens caused by the flea beetles.  I was torn about putting the mustard in the boxes, but decided it was too good to waste.  The fact that the plants survived the flea beetles makes them more resilient, and more nutritious. 

J

            In mid May our friends from Golden Ears Farm came up and helped us transplant all the onions, leeks, and early brassicas for the CSA.  We planted 3,250 seedlings in one day, and it was fun to show off the farm and talk to different people while we worked. It would have taken us a week to accomplish that much.  The water has receded, the pests that have been happily munching all the crops seem to have satisfied themselves, and Adam and I are ready to take on the weeds.  All I ask for is a little sunshine.  

Mustard Greens (and purples):  Spicy leaf vegetable, whose heat depends on maturity and variety.   These are a great addition to lettuce mix for spring salad, but they can also be lightly cooked like spinach or Swiss chard with a bit of garlic and olive oil.  Mustard could also be used in the beet green recipe below. 

Cilantro: A favourite herb and garnish in Mexican, Indian, and Asian cuisine; so crack out your cooks books and try something new.  

Citrus Cilantro Dressing

Grated zest and juice of 2 limes, about 1/4 cup

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, about 3 Tbsp

Juice of 1 orange, about 1/3 cup

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves

3 Tbsp olive oil

            Combine the lime and lemon zest, and all the juices with the red pepper flakes and cilantro leaves in a blender or food processor.  Process until all the ingredients are blended, while the motor is running drizzle in the oil a little at a time until it is blended into the dressing.  This dressing is excellent on salad, and will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

It would also make a great marinade for chicken or seafood.

** “Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures and Glazes” Jim Tarantino, Ten Speed Press, 2006

Balsamic Beets and Greens

1 large bunch of beet thinnings or 6 medium beets with greens

2 Tbsp fresh lemon Juice

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp olive oil

Sea salt to taste

1 red onion

¼ cup walnuts

            Wash the greens thoroughly, chop into strips and set aside.   Slice onion into thin half moons.  In a large skillet heat 1 Tbsp of the oil and sauté the onions for 3 minutes.  Add the greens and cook uncovered for 5 – 7 minutes, until wilted.  While you wait for the greens to wilt, combine the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and 1 Tbsp of the olive oil.  When the greens are wilted remove them from the heat, transfer to a serving dish and toss with the balsamic dressing. Top with the walnuts and serve.

*Keep this recipe for later in the season, when you can add cooked and cubed beets this recipe and serve it warm or chilled.  From “Greens Glorious Greens”

            I hope you enjoy your first vegetables of the season.  It is an exciting day for us to finally be harvesting and packing bags for the CSA, and I can hardly wait until more crops are ready for distribution.  Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Lower Mainland Sheep Producers Fleece Show and Sale - Spinners' Delight Award

I entered three fleeces in this event hosted last weekend on Belmont Farms in Langley and one of them earned the Spinners' Delight award. Check out the photos on the BFL page!

Chicken Tractor Launched

Earlier this week, Adam's chicken tractor was moved on to Indian Meadow and the laying hens have more grass than they know what to do with. Adam is toying with the name "Cooke's Chooks" for his new invention. I am thinking that perhaps "Cooke's Chirpy Chickies" might be better ... suggestions anyone?

Check out the Farm Project page for pictures!

SUNSHINE at last

Much has changed since my last post. Mike has finally been able to get his fields disked and is now out on the tractor rotovating them. We are not sure whether there will be sufficient kill on the blue grass to plant them back into annual forage this year or not - hopefully we will know that in a few days.

Adam's chicken tractor aka "Cooke's Chooks" has been completed and moved to Indian Meadow and the 'girls" are getting used to their new home. Egg laying has been interrupted temporarily as the chickens adjust to their new location, but is picking up quickly as they acclimatize to the new condo!!! Looks like the meat birds will be ready early next week so we have some chicken plucking to look forward to - you know how it is - one of those jobs that it best when it is behind you!)

Work is also proceeding in the CSA gardens! Potatoes went in the ground last week - can't remember how many row feet were planted but it seemed a staggering amount. The salad greens are doing well, the main greenhouse is planted, and today the squash is going in the ground as I write this. Once the field tomatoes have gone into the ground, hopefully the area where the corn and beans are going will be ready to plant and then the weeding will commence with a vengance. While the last few days (Sat/Sun) have been beautiful, it looks like Jen will have to delay her first distribution for about two weeks which is disappointing but unavoidable. stnut" field and will then move in to the front part of Jen's CSA garden to go over it for a second time now that the water has finally receded and things are drying up. Jen, Jenny and Adam are planting out squash in the back of the garden and things are really beginning to take shape.

Not much to report on the pig front, the last litter are growing like stink and this is the lull between farrowings so things are relatively quiet. The big pigs Bill, Juliet, Carlotta and Alice are still out grazing happily and look very pleased with the new compost pile that they are using as a bed. The 'pool' has just about disappeared which seems to cause a certain amount of disappointment but I am sure they will quickly figure out how to flood the water trough to create a new wallow.

Jethro (the new donkey) and the sheep are out on Indian Meadow with Sparkle and her calves and the chickens of course. They are looking a bit tacky at the moment as they adjust to the rich grass ... but the lambs are doing very well and I am trying to get new photos taken so that I can prepare my list of possible sale animals. I entered three fleeces in the Lower Mainland Sheep Producers Association Show and Sale on the weekend and came home with the Spinners' Delight award for one of them. What prize could be better for someone wanting to produce great fleece for fibre enthusiasts!

Son Tim was also busy while he was here creating a set of steps and rockery at the front, filling at least two ponds with plants for the deck and getting everything set up for grapes as well. The hammock that he brought us for the farm didn't see much use while he was here, but we have promised him a little more down time on his next visit.

Must run so will not get photos added until the 'morrow!