Progress

The past couple of weeks have felt like a real turn-around on the farm. We are making progress instead of mud! We cultivated all the gardens at Old Stone Farm (pictured above). Now the plants have sunshine, warmth, air in the soil (instead of water) and no weeds competing with them for those cherished resources. We moved our new flock of laying hens out to pasture, as they are now starting to lay eggs and the ground is dry enough for them. The cows have finished grazing at Old Stone Farm, and have started in on the pastures at The Morris Farm. This week we will be moving the sheep over to Old Stone Farm to rotationally graze there.
The sunny skies of last week inspired Jeff to mow some hay. Unfortunately for us, the rain did fall, and the crop could not be put up. But, the area he mowed was small, and we picked up the hay anyway and gave it to the piglets. They had a great time munching on it, making beds in it, and of course playing in it! Jeff mowed again this weekend, and last night finished forking the loose sweet hay into the pole barn. He will probably mow again this week; we may need a little help getting the hay in, so please email or call if you would like to stop by to lend a hand. It is a great way to see the horses in action.

As I mentioned in the last post, two of our apprentices had become ill with Lyme's Disease. They took a couple weeks off to recover, but returned to the farm still exhausted and a little sick. We all decided that the farm life was not working out for their recovery, so they have left the farm to rest and to live closer to a doctor that their insurance will accept. We have had quite a bit of experience with Lyme's on this farm, and do not take the disease lightly. So, Kate (pictured to the right disking with the horses) and Jeff are working long hours on the farm, and we are looking for a new apprentice or two. Ruth is helping out on the farm a lot and accompanying me to the house site as we figure out how to be the contractor for our home construction project. Another challenge of being short-handed while we run a farm and oversee the construction of our house is attempting to keep relative order and cleanliness in our house, especially with the arrival of a new baby just around the corner (due Sept. 18th)! My mother has been up for the weekend helping me to get the house ready for baby. What farm family could survive without the help of family?

July 28 CSA Share:

• scallions
• fennel bulb
• chard
• dill
• new potatoes
• beets
• carrots

August 4 CSA Share:

• Red Gold potatoes
• kohlrabi
• kale
• basil
• radicchio
• scallions
• Purple Haze carrots
• beets (3 different varieties & colors)
  

A note on radicchio: you have probably eaten readicchio before in salad mixes; it is the dark purple/maroon leaves chopped up. Raw in salads it adds a bitter bite, but cooked it looses some of its bitter and is delicious with a sweet topping. Jeff braised some radicchio wedges last week in a pan with bacon grease and maple syrup that were delicious (but still too bitter for Ruth). Below is the recipe I had out at CSA pick-up:

Roasted Radicchio with Gorgonzola and Balsamic Vinegar
Farmer John's Cookbook ~ Serves 4

"Roasting brings out a concentrated, natural sweetness in radicchio. This dish is unusual, elegant, simple - and delicious. Served on a bed of risotto, it makes an attractive meal. If you're not a Gorgonzola fan, this is equally delicious with Brie, Swiss, aged Cheddar, or smoked Gouda. You can substitute lemon juice for the balsamic vinegar."

1 medium head radicchio, cut into 2-inch wedges
1/4 cup olive oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper
balsamic vinegar
1-6 ounces Gorgonzola (or other cheese), sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 2-quart baking dish.
2. Using a pastry brush, brush the radicchio generously with olive oil and place in a single layer in the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Bake the radicchio for 20 minutes, turning wedges over once midway through cooking. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and top with cheese. Return to the oven until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.