I’m sure many of you are experiencing the challenges this
June has given us. The severe lack of rain, high winds and high temperatures is
now affecting the farm and it’s crops.
Many crops are just surviving and show very little growth.
Spring peas are ripe and ready to pick one day but by the next day sitting in
the boiling heat they’ve now over ripened. Crops like Spring Peas should be
harvested at least 3 maybe 4 times has now come to just one harvest .
Other crops like broccoli, with the irregular
moisture levels is maturing erratically and producing strange looking heads
(below I’ve taken a picture of the best looking head in the field). Carrots are
also slow to size up let alone even to
germinate in the sun baked soil. Whew!
Irrigation has been a
24 hour job around here these last two weeks. We are taking great and expensive
steps towards improving our irrigation system but even this will take time to
set up and navigate in our fields. I read an article recently about a farmer
experiencing his crops slowly fading. His hope is well quoted, “It always rains
five minutes before it’s too late.”
We'll keep doing what we can to make this season as bountiful as it can be!
Harvest for this week is for Full and Half Vegetable Shares as well as Seasonal Fruit Share members.
Please remember that if you are sending a friend to pick up your share let them know that the
On Farm pick up is at 17970 W. Millburn Road from 4 to 7pm.
Logan Square pick up is at 2528 N. California Ave. from 4 to 7pm.
Lake Forest pick up is at 1490 Green Bay Road from 4 to 7pm. (flowers and eggs available!)
Please remember that if you are sending a friend to pick up your share let them know that the
On Farm pick up is at 17970 W. Millburn Road from 4 to 7pm.
Logan Square pick up is at 2528 N. California Ave. from 4 to 7pm.
Lake Forest pick up is at 1490 Green Bay Road from 4 to 7pm. (flowers and eggs available!)
The farm market stand is open to the public on
Thursdays 4 to 7pm and Saturdays 8 to 2pm.
17970 W. Millburn Road
in Old Mill Creek
Your vegetable harvest this week.....
Chioggia Beets
Popcorn
Fresh Mild Onions
Fresh Garlic
Hakurie Turnips
Tempel Farms Organics' salad mix
Sorrel
Your fruit harvest this week.........
Blueberries and Tart Cherries from Mick Klug Farm, Michigan
Red Raspberries from Seedling Fruit, Michigan
The farm in your kitchen...........
Chioggia Beets are an Italian heirloom that are also know as "Candy Stripe of Candy Cane"
These beets are have a mild slightly sweet flavor that is great for fresh eating and cooked.
I recommend peeling the skin and then slicing into thin rounds. You could add these to a salad or eat them as is with a fresh squeeze of citrus.
Spinach does not grow well in this heat so if you're looking for an alternative the beet greens can be used in place of your spinach. It cooks down the same and is really flavorful.
If you don't feel like using these right away wrap up the beets (minus the greens) in a plastic bag and they will store for a good month in your fridge.
Baked Chioggia Beet Chips
* 2 medium beets with stems trimmed to 1 inch
* 1 cup water
* 1 Tablespoon canola oil
* Sea salt
Peel beets with a vegetable peeler, then slice thinly (but not too thinly) with mandolin or sharp knife, using stems as handles.
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add beets, then remove pan from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Drain beets in a colander, discarding liquid, then let stand in colander 15 minutes more. Toss beets with oil and salt.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 225°F.
Line a shallow baking pan with nonstick liner, then arrange beet slices snugly in 1 layer. Bake beets until dry, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Immediately transfer chips to a rack to cool (chips will crisp as they cool).
* 2 medium beets with stems trimmed to 1 inch
* 1 cup water
* 1 Tablespoon canola oil
* Sea salt
Peel beets with a vegetable peeler, then slice thinly (but not too thinly) with mandolin or sharp knife, using stems as handles.
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add beets, then remove pan from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Drain beets in a colander, discarding liquid, then let stand in colander 15 minutes more. Toss beets with oil and salt.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 225°F.
Line a shallow baking pan with nonstick liner, then arrange beet slices snugly in 1 layer. Bake beets until dry, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Immediately transfer chips to a rack to cool (chips will crisp as they cool).
Sweet Salad Hakurie Turnips!
These have a mild sweet peppery flavor and are terrific fresh. There is no need to peel the skin, it's thin enough to eat, just do a second washing and slice into rounds and eat in a salad or tossed on it's own with some lemon juice.
Hakurei Turnip Salad
Farm pictures.....
A great looking head of broccoli!
Freezing raspberries for a mid winter treat!
Peppers tolerating the heat.
Tomatoes in the hoophouse are growing strong!
Eat Well!
Your farmers,
Tania and Chris Cubberly along with our great crew, Joe, Tomas, Keegan, Michelle, Colin, Francisco, Duncan and welcoming our newest crew member Dallas!
These have a mild sweet peppery flavor and are terrific fresh. There is no need to peel the skin, it's thin enough to eat, just do a second washing and slice into rounds and eat in a salad or tossed on it's own with some lemon juice.
Hakurei Turnip Salad
Farm pictures.....
A great looking head of broccoli!
Freezing raspberries for a mid winter treat!
Peppers tolerating the heat.
Joe takes on the heat in the hoop house and twines up the pepper plants.
Fresh field flower bouquets will be available for sale on Thursdays and Saturday at the farm,
Sundays at Logan Square Farmers Market.
Food for the soul.
Duncan, Tomas, Colin, Keegan and Dallas tackle the weeds in the bed of lettuce!
Eat Well!
Your farmers,
Tania and Chris Cubberly along with our great crew, Joe, Tomas, Keegan, Michelle, Colin, Francisco, Duncan and welcoming our newest crew member Dallas!
