Cupola

A cupola for the chicken coop barn!  Thank you to my hubby for making such a crown jewel for me and the girls.

Zucchini Start

Excitement of new greens -- the zucchini is here!

Smoked (Grilled) Zucchini

Slice zucchini length-wise
Spread with butter
Sprinkle with salt
Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette
Top with shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Add to the smoker with the chicken for last hour or place on grill until tender

Smoked Chicken
Rub chicken with olive oil, sea salt and rosemary
Place in smoker for about 4 hours

Abundance!

CSA Family-

Garden is in abundance!

Today you have eggs, lettuce, a few beets and of course Swiss chard, but new are a few carrots and kale! There are three different kinds of kale in your package, each with their own unique taste. It was new to us and we both had a different favorite. Like Swiss chard, the kale stem is bitter so for a salad we cut the leaf away from the stem.

We are very close to having cucumbers, zucchini and tomatoes ready, maybe as early as next week.

When visiting the farm again, we now have the Hebl heard crazing behind us. It was so lovey to chat with them while harvesting the garden last evening. Three calves tucked under the fence and grazed the vineyard area. No harm and they are so sweet. It got one of us excited for goats. :)

Storm :( 

Down for the count:
·        1 flag pole
·        2 doors off the grill
·        2 trees
·        ¼ of the sunflowers and 2 rows of tomato plants buried from the wood pile being pushed over
·        1 Chicken coop moved 3 feet off its foundation;
·        2 Cornish rock meat birds are missing– can we tell you again how dumb this breed is?

Such is life on the open range.  

 

Beet and Spinach Salad

·       2-3 Beets
·       Spinach
·       Goat or Blue Cheese
·       1-2 Apples
·       Bacon (half to whole package)

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.     De-stem and clean beets
3.     Place beets on foil (on the tray) and coat with dressing (below)
4.     Wrap beets in foil and roast in for 60 minutes at 350 degrees
5.     Microwave bacon, cool so can handle, and snip into small bite sizes with kitchen scissors
6.     Cut apple in to small chunk pieces.
7.     Slice roasted beats thinly
8.     On chilled dinner plates, layer spinach, sliced beets, apple chunks, cheese and bacon
9.     Drizzle with Honey Mustard Balsamic Vinegar and Oil dressing and enjoy

Honey Mustard Balsamic Vinegar and Oil Dressing:
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.      Wisk mustard and vinegar briefly
2.     Place the mustard-vinegar mixture along the with oil, honey and seasonings in a blender and mix for about 10 seconds (or fully combined)
3.     Transfer to a glass container and let stand for 30 minutes to let the flavor meld
4.     Give the dressing a good shake immediately before servings
5.     Makes a 1 cup batch of dressing, will keep for one month

 

Swiss Chard Juicer

•2 Pears
•1 Apple
•30 Green Grapes
•1 Banana
•3 Carrots
•1 Lemon (peeled)
• Big bunch of Swiss chard

Put all ingredients through the juicer whole (complete with peelings except for lemon). Makes 2 servings. This is a Schroeder favorite.  

Garden Calendar

These long hot days are causing our America Spinach to bolt (flower) early; Meaning we need to pull the whole plant so not to let her leaves become bitter. Given they have started to bolt; we may only have the America Spinach for another week or two. No worry as the Red Malabar Spinach should be ready to harvest mid-July and then came fall, we will have our second crop of America Spinach.

As for greens, we will have plenty of Swiss chards all summer long. So send me your Swiss Chard recipes (with a picture) and I will get it posted. Putting this chart out here for your reference. Note picture from this morning. The beets will soon be ready :)

Category	Est. First Harvest Date
America Spinach	5/23
Five Color Silverbeet Swiss Chard	5/23
Gold Rush Lettuce	5/23
Gulley’s Favorite Preservation Gardens Lettuce	5/23
Seed Savers Lettuce Mixture	5/23
Detroit Dark Red Beets	6/16
A & C Pickling Cucumbers	6/20
Black Beauty Zucchini	6/30
Danvers Carrots	7/8
Grandpa Admire’s Lettuce	7/11
Sunflower	7/11
Dragon Carrots	7/22
Kale	7/25
Red Malabar Spinach	7/26
Yukon Gold Potatoes-Batch 1	7/29
Buran Red Peppers	7/31
German Pink Tomatoes	7/31
Italian Heirloom Tomatoes	7/31
Jalapeno Peppers	7/31
John Baer Tomato	7/31
Martino’s Roma Tomato	7/31
Maule’s Red Peppers	7/31
Redfield Beauty Tomatoes	7/31
Riesentraube Cherry Tomatoes	7/31
Rosso Sicilian Tomatoes	7/31
Yellow of Parma Onions	7/31
Mammoth Red Rock Cabbage	8/2
De Cicco Broccoli	8/5
Yukon Gold Potatoes-Batch 2	8/19
Spaghetti Squash (Burbe, not Seed Savers)	8/22
Amish Melons	8/24
Blue Solaise Leeks	8/24
Christmas Lima Beans	8/25
Hidatsa Red Beans	8/25
Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts	8/25
Rattlesnake Snap Beans	8/25
True Red Cranberry Beans	8/25
Moon and Stars Cherokee Watermelons	8/27
Table Queen Squash	8/29
Cheyenne Bush Pumpkins	9/8
Sweet Potatoe  (Burbe, not Seed Savers)	9/8

Sunset

“I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.” 

– Ruth Stout, American Author, 1884-1980

John Deer Run for Sweet Corn Fun

Farmer friend and neighbor Dennis planted .2 acres of sweet corn tonight between our homes. We should see the sweet corn sprouting next week. 

 

Love to see a John Deer run.

Spring Greens

We will finally have vegetables in our bag! Some lettuce and Swiss chard will accompany your eggs home this week.  Swiss chard is a nutritional powerhouse -- an excellent source of vitamins K, A, and C, as well as a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium and dietary fiber. One cup of chopped Swiss chard has just 35 calories. Health wise, chard can help with blood sugar regulation, which provides benefits diets of individuals diagnosed with diabetes. With its very good supply of calcium and its excellent supply of magnesium and vitamin K, chard is also a healthy boost for your bones. Swiss chard does not ship well, so you typically will not find it in grocery stores. 

The young tender leaves are the most flavorful and make a colorful addition to salads. Cut out the midrib of larger leaves before cooking or chopping into salads. Chop large leaves to cook down like spinach, or use in casseroles, soups, and pasta.

How Store Swiss Chard

Do not wash Swiss chard before storing as the exposure to water encourages spoilage. Place chard in a plastic storage bag and wrap tightly. Place in refrigerator where it will keep fresh for up to a week. When ready to eat, rinse Swiss chard under cold running water. Do not soak chard as this will result in the loss of water-soluble nutrients. Remove any area of the leaves that may be brown, slimy, or have holes

If you have large batches of chard, or won’t be able to use it this week, you can freeze it. In the fall, once it is plentiful, we chop the leaves in the food processor and store in 1 cup portion small freezer bags, which is perfect for the family favorite: Crust-less Swiss Chard with Cheddar and Bacon Quiche

Prep Time: 12 Minutes
Cook Time: 35 Minutes

Ingredients:

·        1  cup chopped Swiss chard
·        1  cup chopped yellow sweet onion
·        A splash of olive oil
·         6-12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (or the whole package)
·         3 cups sharp cheddar cheese
·         5 large eggs beaten
·         Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1.      Heat oven to 350 degrees
2.      Nonstick spray a 9-ince pie plate
3.      In a large skillet, heat olive oil
4.      Cook onion until tender
5.      Add chopped chard leaves and continue cooking, stirring until the chard is wilted
6.      Toss with salt and crumbled bacon
7.      Stir in the cheese and beaten eggs
8.      Pour into the prepared pie plate
9.      Bake for about 35 minutes, until the quiche is firm and lightly browned around the edges  
*Amount of onion and Swiss chard can vary but it is important that they are proportional