Big Red Farmstand, Wed. June 19 & Sat. June 22 (1pm-6pm)

Rainbow over the chicken yard -- the upside to a rainy day!

Well, a little later this week, summer officially begins.  Though the wet conditions and some cold days and nights earlier this spring have slowed things down a bit, summer crops won't be too far behind.  We have blossoms on the tomato, zucchini, summer squash and bean plants, and the carrots are starting to size up nicely.  I pulled one over the weekend to check; still a little small, but very, very sweet!  We'll have those to look forward to in another week or so.

We also would like to welcome farm helper Laura, who is here for a couple of weeks out of the goodness of her heart to help us get caught up on spring work.  Laura was an intrepid member of the inaugural Big Red Farm Crew this spring, and spent hours weeding, watering, hoeing, and seeding, and now, with the school year over, when she could easily be doing something else, she has chosen to come back to the farm for more of the same (plus harvesting and eating, of course, which is the delicious payoff to all her hard work during the spring term).  Yay Laura!


RECIPES:

This will be our last week for garlic scapes, so if you have been hesitant to try them, we encourage you to take the plunge!  Lots of folks have been asking for ideas about how to use scapes, so here are all the ones I can think of right now:

A Tangle of Scapes!

• Slice them thinly, raw, as you would a green onion, and add to salad.
• Cut into 2-inch sections and stir-fry with marinated beef, chicken or tofu and some bok choy.
• Chop finely and use in place of regular clove garlic in soups, salad dressings, or sauces.
• Cut into 1/2-inch pieces and scramble with eggs.
• Make pesto, hummus, or this week's featured scape recipe, Katie's Garlic Scape Pesto.

Chard in the Lower Field

Our second recipe this week comes from Barbara Horn, in Lawrenceville's Office of Alumni and Development.  When she described this dish to me last week, I knew we had to share it with all of you!  I think this recipe might make a chard-lover out of the most stubborn holdout.  (Swiss Chard Gratin)  

AT THE FARM:

With Laura's help, we are making headway on some projects that have been languishing on the back burner, as well as keeping up with the daily tasks: moving the sheep to fresh pasture, feeding the chickens and collecting eggs, watering the seedlings waiting to go into the Upper Field (still too wet) and starting new crops in the hoophouse.  Though it's just barely summer outside, inside the hoophouse we are already looking ahead to the fall.  This week we are seeding Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale and collard greens for fall harvest.

We've got our grown-up feathers!

We also got the chance to let the baby chicks outside for the first time.  We have to be very careful about that because of our friendly neighborhood hawks and their voracious appetites, but Jake was working nearby last night, so the chicks got to spend a couple of hours outside, scratching and pecking and generally exhibiting their fundamental chicken-ness, which nourishes them and us and is kind of the whole point of what we're trying to do here!  Then, at dusk, they all went back inside the coop and Jake closed the door.  Safe for the night.

This week we hope to have the following available on Wednesday and Saturday from 1pm to 6pm:

• baby bok choy - 3 for $1.00
• baby lettuce mix - $2.50 bag
• beets (limited quantity) - $2.50 bunch
• eggs - $5.00 dozen (limit 1 dozen per customer)
• garlic scapes - 25 cents each
• kohlrabi  - $1.00 each
• lettuce - $2.50 head
• radishes (limited quantity) - $2.00 pint
• rainbow chard - $2.50 bunch
• shelling peas - $3.00 quart
• sugar snap peas - $2.50 pint

HOW TO FIND US:

Going North on 206, turn right at the Community Garden, and follow the gravel road back to the left.  You'll see signs for parking.  Bring your bags and walk through the woods to the barn (there will be signs for that too).