June is here and it's time to eat!

A beautiful shot of Native Hill tomatoes by Farmer Olivia.

Hello Friends,
As the longest day of the year quickly approaches, it finds your farmers scrambling to keep up with the pace of June!  Tomatoes need trellising faster than we can get to them, field edges need mowing, rows need weeding, and food needs to be harvested....all at the same time.  Prioritizing get more difficult and your farmers behavior becomes more belligerent as we try to do six things at once. We joke about the after math of a salad bar bomb or the vegetable tornado that litters the field at the end of every day.  From two feet off the ground, we can see the tiny quidich match between the lady bug nymphs and the green peach aphids.  We farmers wave our black and red spotted pennants as we cheer helplessly from the sideline, routing our team to victory.  Bumble bees abound.  Unlike domesticated bees, these big boys are native to our Colorado home and build their hives underground, moving nesting grounds every year.  We are lucky to have them.  Interestingly, although tomatoes are self-pollinating, bumble bees aid in increased tomatoes yields as their vibrations are at the perfect frequency for optimal pollination.  We try to maintain habitat for the bees to encourage nesting and watching them bumble around the farm makes my heart happy.  

Farmer in training!

June is here and it is time to eat!  Tremendous is really the only word I can use to describe the amount of food coming off the farm right now so come out and get it!  Spring broccoli is upon us and as challenging as it is to grow in the fickle springs of the Rockies, we are like junkies with a bad broccoli habit. We can't help ourselves. Steam it and serve with butter.  Broccoli quiche is fantastic but so is broccoli soup.  Grilling onions are one of the earliest alliums that we grow on the farm.  Sweet and and mild, they are easy to grill whole throw on a skewer.  We have done them on their own in a skillet with a chili garlic sauce.  Possibilities seem endless. Baby fennel is quite a spring treat.  The bulb is sweeter and more mild than the fronds.  Sauté with coconut oil and mustard seed for a curry.  Roast or sauté for pizza.  Dice and add to a quinoa salad. Beets are an economy meal on our farm.  I like to roast with butter and honey and add to a salad or pizza with goat cheese and some candied pecans. Sauté greens with garlic and salt and taste the terroir. Wash and put sugar snap peas in mouth...chew well.

Hope to see you all soon!
Katie
 

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This Week's Harvest
Kale
Chard
Salad Mix
Spicy Mix
Spinach
Arugula
Bok Choy
Zucchini
Basil
Cilantro
Baby Fennel
Grilling Onions
Beets
Salad Turnips
Radishes
Basil
Kohlrabi
Sugar Snap Peas
 

Two Feet Off the Ground

Two feet off the ground

Hello Folks!
It looks like summer has finally reached Fort Collins this week as we catapult straight from the low 70s to the low 90s by the end of the week.  I suppose it had to happen at some point, but as a farmer I'm not quite ready to give up on my late spring crops!  Peas, broccoli, and spring fennel are all just about ready and the heat can really throw these plants off.  Team irrigation is working double time this week to keep up with the new water needs of the plants as well as to try to save the heat intolerant ones. Keep your fingers crossed and give them an encouraging high five at the market for all their tireless work!  As we were army crawling through garlic patch one late afternoon this week, a working member pondered aloud about the beauty of the atmosphere just two feet above the ground. I really hadn't thought too much about it before, but I realized that as a vegetable farmer, that is where all the action is. Not just the physical action, but much of the farm ecosystem unfolds in this often overlooked space. So at the risk of sounding like a bad flash back of Honey I Shrunk the Kids, I decided to pay more attention and bring you all updates as they come from two feet off the ground.  Stay tuned.

Although we are still relatively green this time of year, fruits and other spring treats are starting to appear at the market stand this week.  Baby Bok Choy is a favorite in our house.  Its crisp stems and peppery leaves go well with mushrooms, lemon grass, and soba noodles.  Spring kohlrabi is back and delicious.  Everyone on the farm agreed that this batch in particular is the sweetest and most tender we have ever grown.  Enjoy peeled and eaten raw, or throw some in with your bok choy.  Cilantro is gone as soon as it is here. If you like it, use it in everything.  Basil is here and will stay for a while.  I love to add this to my salads to bright things up but a whole handful in your pasta, especially when paired with zucchini (which we also have this week), is fabulous as well.  Speaking of zucchini, the first fruits have subtle flavor and grill well.  Save zucchini bread for later summer doldrum.

Quick tips for the new folks.  Most things off the farm store best in a plastic bag in your fridge.  Your crisper is a fancy (and misleading) name for a fridge organizer.  If you put our vegetables in it without a bag, they will wilt.  If you keep things in a plastic bag, they will last for weeks.  Zucchini does well in a bag in your fridge with a paper towel.  All root crops do well when cut off of greens.  If you want to save your roots from getting soft, cut off the the tops and store roots in a plastic bag in your fridge. More storage tips coming soon.

See you all real soon!
Katie

This Week's Harvest
Kale
Collards
Chard
Salad Mix
Spicy Mix
Spinach
Kohlrabi
Baby Bok Choy
Dandlelion Greens
Cilantro
Basil
Zucchini
Radishes
Salad Turnips
 

Happy June!

Hi Folks,

Happy June! I hope you all had a lovely Memorial Day weekend and are ready to kick off summer with a bang. Your farmers have been gearing up for the summer craziness and have been working hard to ensure a bountiful season. The first week in June always feels a little like the calm before the storm. Things feel in control until it is time to pick peas and then things just get crazy.  Speaking of peas, the pea shoots are done for the season but the picking peas have formed beautiful white flowers on them which means we don't have far to go before we get fruit.  The winter squash and celeriac were just planted for the fall, new potatoes have broke free from their spring soil caves and the resident goats are working on a special weeding project. Baby animals abound on the farm right now. The robin's nest in the tractor shed is full of little peepers, tiny squirrels are chattering at us from the tree tops, and baby bunnies are hiding under EVERYTHING. The one baby we could do without right now are the recent hatch of the mosquitoes, but alas, one must take the good with the bad. 

You all know how much Native Hill likes their greens and now is the perfect time for new and interesting ones to come off the farm.  We often take our cue about what is trendy based on our seed catalog.  We've been wanting to try to grow red garnet dandelion greens on the farm for some years now, but it has been hard to get seed (hard to imagine, I know).  We finally got our hands on the seed and this week the greens will make their debut at the stand.  Although similar in appearance to the dandelions that grow in your yard, these guys are bred for production and taste.  As with most cooking greens, they are great lightly sautéed with some garlic and salt.  Juicers love them because they have tons of vitamin A and really pack a nutrient punch with every serving.  Frisee is the fastest growing of chicories that we plant on the farm.  It is one of my favorite spring treats and can be eaten in many different ways.  I love it  lightly sautéed with mushrooms and garlic and a poached egg.  Nic likes to grill his.  Simply wash well and cut the head down the middle.  Brush with olive oil and salt and grill on high, about a min or 2 on each side.  Cut it up and serve as a salad with dried cranberries, feta cheese, your favorite sweet vinaigrette. C'est tres magnefique!

Ever curious about where this mysterious food comes from?  Realize you have been a CSA member for years but never been to the farm?  This year we are excited to announce the Native Hill Summer Farm Tour Series!  Once a month we will be hosting farm tours for CSA and PVCF members to come out and learn about where their food comes from.  This month's tour will be June 23rd starting at 5:30pm.  If you and your family are interested in coming out, please email me to reserve a spot.  The tour is absolutely free, but we will be capping the group size each month to keep things manageable.  

Looking forward to seeing you all real soon!
Katie

This Week's Harvest
Kale
Collards
Chard
Salad Mix
Arugula
Spicy Mix
Spinach
Broccoli Rabe
Dandelion Greens
Hakurei Salad Turnips
Radishes
 

Food is Abundant. Come get it!

Photo by Farmer Olivia.

Good Morning Folks!
Your farmers have their summer whites and sun hats laid out and are ready to kick off the summer in patriot spirit this weekend.  Late May on the vegetable farm is a pleasant time.  Mornings are cool and spritely and afternoons are breezy with a chance of showers.  The hoes seem to need constant sharpening as we fend off our new plants from the quickly infiltrating weed invasion.  Peas are getting trellised, peppers and eggplants are settling into their new homes, beet greens soar taller by the day, and tiny cucumbers and squash are appearing on our first planting of cucurbits.  ahhh, spring.

Kermit the frog would have a tough time with all the greens that are bursting from the stand these days.  We are starting to see the first of the bunched greens come off the farm and although you might describe these guys as "hardy" there is nothing about them that is tough this time of year.  The cooler months are the best time for these guys because they maintain the sugars in their leaves.  Save the summer kale for chips and use the spring kale for salads or sides.  Don't fear the collard greens.  Often passed by as kale's bitter step child, these  babies are heavenly in eggs and curries.  Alice Waters likes to chiffonade them and sauté with some mustard seeds, red onion, and coconut oil.  Rainbow chard goes well over polenta.  It also makes a delicious salad when finely ribboned and dressed with a sweet lemon vinaigrette.  Goat cheese paneer with spinach was on our menu this week.  101 cook books had a great recipe, check it out here:http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/palak-paneer-recipe.html. 

Hakurei salad turnips make their debut this week.  Mild and sweet, these guys are usually eaten raw, but could be lightly cooked in a stir fry or sautéed and dressed with butter and mustard.  Eat the turnip greens, they are fantastic. Broccoli raab goes well with spicy sausage.  It is also nice alone, steamed with some malt vinegar and good salt. 

Food is abundant.  Come get it.  Your body will thank you later.  

Looking forward to seeing you all real soon,
Katie

This Week's Harvest

Salad Mix
Spicy Mix
Arugula
Spinach
Rainbow Chard
Kale
Collard Greens
Hakurei Salad Turnips
Broccoli Rabe
Pea Shoots
 

Spring at Native Hill Farm

Native Hill Farm working members are the heart and soul of our farm. (Photo by Claire Burnett)

Hello Folks!

Even though we are still a month away from the first day of summer, I think it ok to say that spring has been tremendous here in Northern Colorado.  The flowers around town have exploded and the temperatures have been down right pleasant (kinda rare for this area).  This week on the farm has been a bit of a slog...mud pie has been the field to fork special.  The good news is that spring greens LOVE this weather and we hope to have lots of delicious eats coming off the farm over the next few weeks.  We will be putting in many of our summer crops soon including field peppers, eggplants, and beans and the seasonal battle with the weeds has already begun.  

Early morning arugula harvest at Native Hill Farm. (Photo by Farmer Grace)

The salad menu continues this week as we work our way through the leaf, root, and fruit movements of the farm.  My favorite salad this time of year is arugula with goat cheese and some sort of dried fruit.  Figs happen to be my fruit of choice these days as they pair well with bacon which I will also add to my salad if we are living high on the hog so to speak.  Need more substance?  Try it on a pizza or flat bread.  Olive oil and green garlic  base, sliced dried figs, mozzarella, goat cheese, and a big pile of arugula at the end (oh and the bacon).  Italians might give me the stink eye, but I love to add pea greens to my pasta carbonara. Pea greens a little different than pea shoots as they have more substance to them and maybe best for cooking.  Try them in a stir fry with some green garlic and radishes.  Spring called and said dust off your bike. Chive and pea green fritatta with fresh herbs and a side salad makes for a romantic picnic.

Warmly,
Katie

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This Week's Harvest

Salad Mix
Arugula
Pea Greens
Radishes
Green Garlic
Chives
Oregano
Thyme