Week 15: Getting Food Out of the Field and Preparing for Fall

All smiles at the Farmer's Market! (Photo by Claire Burnett)

Greetings Folks!

Hope you are all enjoying this early October, I mean, mid-August cool front!  In case anyone is wondering, it was 44 degrees on the farm yesterday morning!  I hear there was snow expected in the mountains...not sure if that is indicative of an early fall or just global weirding, but we are not going to read too much into it this year.  

Native Hill Farmers workin' hard to feed you! (Photo by Claire Burnett)

This time of year, all of our hard used equipment is breaking, truck tires need air and an oil change, coolers are failing, tractor seats are not really attached anymore and our shirts are only tucked in halfway.  When we are not putting out a fire of sorts, we are spending a lot of time getting food out of the field and preparing for fall and even winter. More fall spinach, bok choy, turnips, radishes, and head lettuce were all seeded this week as well as winter picking greens that we won't be harvesting off of until January.  

Peppers and eggplants are starting to trickle into the stand.  We will have quite a reduced amount this year due to some crop failures in the spring but we anticipate having a token amount at market this season.  Sigh, some years you win some, some years you loose some.  

(Photo by Claire Burnett)

Cranberry beans are a nice addition to our bean selection this week. They are a flat Italian type bean with a velvety texture that can be enjoyed raw, lightly steamed, or even dried and shelled for later.  The garlic has finished curing and we will start having it at the stand just in time for preservation time.  Use it in dilly beans, pickles, tomato sauces, pesto, etc. Still enjoying tomatoes and will be for quite some time.

Our hyper local meal of the week: Organic sweet corn from Leffler Family Farm, Pork chops from Jodar Farms, Odell Brewing Company's IPA, and of course tomatoes and basil from us.  Utter and complete satisfaction in 30 minutes or less!

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This Week's Harvest

Kale
Chard
Head Lettuce
Cranberry Beans and Green Beans
Beets
Carrots
Lemon, pickling, and slicing cucumbers
Yellow and Patty Pan Squash
Zucchini
Potatoes (limited supply this week)
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Basil
Hot Peppers
Eggplant 

The August Bounty

Curing onions for the winter! (Photo by Claire Burnett)

Ah, mid August on the vegetable farm.  The time when the farmer can notice the light changing, coming in from a different angle, less harsh perhaps, bringing with it the promise of breezy fall days and darker mornings.  It is a very comforting change with the knowledge that the plants (and your farmers) have worked hard over the summer and we will all now eat well for the winter.

We are planting fall arugula and watermelon radishes, harvesting endless amounts of heirloom tomatoes and beans, trapping harlequin beetles, and trying to keep the farm stand well stocked.  We are planning for winter plantings, spreading more compost, pulling winter onions for curing, and of course, trying to stay motivated for the last of the summer's big weeding push.  

This week at the stand we continue our push into summer.  Because of the late spring weather and other spring misfortunes, our pepper and eggplant crops continue to be delayed and although I am looking forward to ratatouille as much as anyone, we will all have to be just a little more patient.  

This week we celebrated the beautiful heirloom harvest with the classic tradition of the BLT.  Although in our family, it is more of a BLECT because everything is better with an egg and cheese.  We had a very local BLECT night with bread from Ingrained Bakery, bacon and eggs from Jodar Farms, and of course veggies from Native Hill.  Topped with a homemade pickle and served with a side of collard greens, it was just what the doctor ordered for a hot August night.  We highly recommend it.

Another thing on the busy August menu include pasta with fresh everything: zucchini, tomatoes, cippolini onions, lots of olive oil and practically a whole basil plant.  If you have a little time, try stuffing chard leaves with slices of heirloom tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella and then grilling them.  Drizzle with some balsamic and salt and serve warm to deserving friends. 

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This Week's Harvest:

VEGGIES:

Kale
Chard
Head lettuce
Beets
Carrots
Green and Yellow Beans
Basil
Cucumbers (various types)
Summer Squash and Zucchini
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Yellow and Red Sweet Onions

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Farmer's Tips:

Summer is a great time for Gazpacho, that cold summer soup that can be served as a meal or an as an appetizer for a summer get together.  There are a million recipes out there, but most are a combination of tomatoes and cucumbers and spices. We like to serve ours with some crusty bread with butter or pesto, but an infused oil would be delicious too.  We are still on the hunt for our favorite recipe, so if you are feeling creative in the kitchen, we would love to hear some of your success stories...or try the real deal...just sayin'.  

Week 13: The Fruits of Summer

Photo by Claire Burnett

Buenos Dias Good People!

Welcome to August on the farm!  The fruits of summer are starting to come in with a deluge and we fondly refer to August as the schlepping month.  We are all working as quickly as the August heat will let us to keep moving food out of the field.  The coolers begin to fill with the seemingly endless amounts of picking veggies all the while chipping away at the second spring (really just fall plantings) of all the cool tolerant veggies that we will start harvesting in September.  It is a time to enjoy the sweet flavors that summer has to offer all the while thinking of putting food away for the winter.  We also have a new battle on our hands at the farm.  The pesky harlequin beetle has its sights set on destroying all of the fall mustards and brassica crops that we have in the ground.  This little stinker (literally in the stick bug family) is a new one for us on the farm and is giving us a run for our money.  Stay tuned for more updates from the front lines coming soon!

This week we welcome an abundance of everyone's favorite: heirloom tomatoes.  These are the prize gems of our farm in August and we take great care growing them in tunnels, pruning and trellising, and when the time comes,  carefully harvesting them like fragile eggs in a basket.  We grow 10-12 varieties and each one has its own unique flavor. We grow every color of the rainbow, so there is bound to be a flavor for everyone!  Don't be afraid of their outward appearance as they were bread for taste rather than uniformity.  You can set them out at a dinner party as a conversation piece...then carve them up and serve with some basil, fresh mozzarella, good aged balsamic, and salt.  Be generous and share them with friends.  

We also have wax beans at the stand this week.  A little more mild than your green bean, these are delicate in flavor and should not be over cooked.  Steam lightly and serve topped with brown butter infused with sweet red onions.  Serve with grilled steak and a small glass of good red wine to ensure total summer contentment. 

On the dining out front this weekend, the 3 forks Farm Dinner is happening at Hope Farm on N. Shields.  Native Hill has provided some of the veggies for the dinner that will be benefiting The Growing Project. Tickets are $60 and more info can be found at the Fortified Collaborations website.

Finally, for those of you who were asking, Henry Wilder Koontz  is doing very well and is looking forward to coming home from the hospital soon.  Thank you for all the love and support notes that you have all sent our way and my apologies for those of you to whom I owe a response. Things have been a bit chaotic around here, but I will get back to you soon!

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This Week's Harvest:

VEGGIES:

Kale
Chard
Head Lettuce
Pickling Cucumbers
Lemon Cucumbers
Slicing Cucumbers
Summer Squash and Zucchini
New Potatoes
Green and Yellow Beans
Carrots
Beets
Red and Yellow Sweet Onions
Cherry Tomatoes
Heirloom Tomatoes
Basil

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Farmer's Tips:

Bulk Beans!

If you are thinking you can't get enough of summer while it is here, think about putting away some of it for the winter.  Beans are great for pickling or freezing and will surely  make you happy in the cold winter months.  Please let me know if you are interested in bulk beans starting this week.  We will take order for 10 lb or more and must receive your request at least one day prior to market. 

Middle of the Lake

Photo by Claire Burnett

Believe it or not, we have made it to the middle of the lake! Or at least that is what we call it on the farm, the mid-point of the CSA season in which the distance from the shore starts to get closer.  It tends to sneak up on me every year and this year was no exception.  The middle of the lake is not a time to slow down or ease up but instead a time to put your head down, dig deep and keep swimming.  Although we are still planting every week for another month or so, we are also spending more and more time harvesting the fruits of the spring labor.  Although we celebrate food year round on our farm (more on that later), the middle of the lake tends to begin the celebration a bit more in earnest. The choices at the stand become overwhelming and eating Al Fresco gets easier and easier.  Here in Colorado, the celebration is short, usually only 2 months long, and this year, the season will be shorter than usual as we wait for other later season fruits to become abundant.  

The onions are starting to fall over!  And that means we are getting ready for a big harvest and curing session.  We start with the sweet onions and this week we will have walla wallas and candy reds for your dining pleasure.  Hello onion rings!  Alice waters likes to use a yogurt base for here onion rings as she likes the consistancy and tang.  You can thin it out with a little bit of water to get the correct texture for whatever your frying need might be.  

Photo by Claire Burnett

Cherry tomatoes are starting to come on stronger each week.  The sun gold is our first cherry tomato of the season and many folks ask why we even grow any other colors or varieties as these little guys are like candy.  Feel free to just snack on these guys for the first few weeks but experiment as the season roles on as they are lovely roasted, added to fall risotto, or in hearty green salads.  

Pickling cumbers are in at the farm in abundance!  Please email me if you would like to get on the order list.  I anticipate having them for 3-4 more week, but they could run longer.  In bulk they run $1.75 per lb and although I dream of the year that I will get the dill coordinated with the pickling cucumbers, I believe other growers around town will have dill this week at the market.  If you pick up some green garlic at the stand, you will have a most of the pickling package!

Other notes:  Due to the birth of our son last week, I have not been able to update accounts for this Wednesday.  I will try to get to it today and send out the link soon.  Thanks for giving the family farm a little breathing room on that end.  Also, it is time to start thinking about winter CSA shares!  I'm hoping to have the online store up and running by next week, but we will have applications at the markets for those of you who want to spare the electronic fees.  Winter shares are an awesome way to keep eating seasonally year round with a lovely mix of greens, roots, winter squash, and other little surprises.  Pick-ups are every other Wednesday at Equinox Brewing and it is a great excuse to get out of hibernation to pick up your share and enjoy a pint of delicious beer with friends.  Shares are one size and run $500.  Too much food?  Find a friend and split! We usually sell out, so don't delay too long!

Last note, one of your fellow CSA members, Susan McGrew has some grass fed beef for sale!  She is down to one last animal and wanted me to see if any of you all would be interested.  I believe she sells by the quarter animal.  If you would like more info, please email her at mcgrewss@yahoo.com. 

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This Week's Harvest:

Kale
Collards
Chard
Beets
Carrots
Cucumbers
Lemon Cucumbers
Pickling Cucumbers
Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Patty Pans
Green Beans
Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet Onions
Head lettuce 
Basil
New Potatoes

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Storage:

Photos by Claire Burnett

As the tomatoes start to come in, remember that they are a delicate and highly perishable product.  Our tomatoes are bread for flavor rather than durability and are sold ripe and ready to eat.  Tomatoes do not like to be refrigerated.  It changes their texture and makes them a bit mealy.  We just leave ours on the counter in a shady spot and are sure to consume them within 2-3 days of bringing them home.  If you know you will not be able to get to them, the next best thing is the fridge...but know you have been warned!

Week 10: The Art of Growing Garlic

Hello All,

The sun is shining again and it finally feels like we are back to summer! It just sort of feels like we are pressing pause every couple of weeks while the weather turns upside down and then reverts back to some semblance of normal.  Our fruiting crops much appreciate normal these days as do your farmers.  This week we were finally able to start getting the garlic out of the ground and as we were going through the annual ritual of digging, tying and hanging, we realized we should probably start some sort of Laporte Garlic Festival for next year.  Growing garlic is quite a process and feels more like an old world art than a commercial vegetable crop.  Planting begins in October when you have to sort through the years crop and choose only the finest heads to pass on their genetics to next crop.  Then we crack all the heads that we would like to plant by hand and we spend a good couple of days planting.  Last October we planted 15,000 cloves of garlic from 9 different varieties as each variety does better in different conditions.  After a winter of strong root development, the garlic breaks the surface in mid-March and gets weeded and watered until June when we start snapping the scapes and decreasing the water.  Finally, in July, we dig it, tie it up, and hang it in our neighbors loafing shed to cure so that it keeps over the long winter months.  If you are driving anywhere near the farm these days, just roll down your window and allow the sweet smell of garlic to make you think you are in Tuscany.

The July purgatory continues this week while we wait patiently for the beans and cherry tomatoes to ripen in the heat. This July is perhaps even more in limbo because of the May rains that caused us to skip or delay plantings.  There is nothing like local agriculture to remind us just how connected we are to our high desert home. Luckily, there is nothing better than a fresh tomato or crisp green bean and that flavor is worth being patient for.  Soon enough!

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This Week's Harvest

VEGGIES:

Kale
Collards
Chard
Head Lettuce
Beets
Carrots
Grilling Onions
Green Garlic
Basil
Kohlrabi
Cucumbers
Zucchini

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Farmer's Tips:

 Summer is the time for salads and grilling.  In the land down under, they regularly serve their hamburgers with a nice slice of grilled beet.  I have been told grilled kohlrabi is quite the experience and of course one can always put the grill basket on for some grilled zucchini.  Make some fresh pesto and toss it with zoodles  and fresh green garlic (zucchini noodles) or serve a herbed cucumber and beet salad at your next back yard bbq.