In your shares this week you will find:

Cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, purple/green beans, snap peas (last of the season), broccoli, cauliflower, braising mix, red fingerling potatoes and zucchini/summer squash. You will also receive a “bag of salsa” that includes tomatoes, cilantro, Hungarian Hot Wax peppers, jalapeno, sweet peppers and bunching onions.  A recipe for salsa is at the end of the newsletter, along with other recipes.  

News from the farm

Your farmers went on a vacation!  It’s hard getting away when you own your own business, but we’ve learned the hard way that NOT making time to get away, only leads to burnout.  It’s talked about often in the farming community: the “farm-life balance.”  Obviously, we’re doing what we love, but that doesn’t mean that the non-stop pace doesn’t start to wear us down.  It’s impossible to keep up the pace that we start the season with.  So, in August, there is a glimmer of hope as things slow down a little.  You feel like you can make plans with friends again; you can pick up a book.  You can take care of yourself again with walks, yoga, biking.  And you can slip away for a few days.  

Heather-Marie’s family gets a cabin every year in Port Wing.  It’s a simple, old cabin beneath some pines and a short walk to Lake Superior.  There was lots of beach and swimming time but, of course, there was time made for eating.  The gas station in Port Wing has a great fish shop with locally caught fish.  We had fresh, and smoked, fish for multiple meals.  We kept meals simple with veggies as the main attraction.  We made a ratatouille over wild rice.  We had a Cuban dish with sweet peppers over polenta.  We had tomato and fig salad.  We had roasted potatoes with red onion.  There was an eggbake with roasted poblanos on top.  We ate well.  

Now back at the farm, we need to direct our energy toward prepping for the fall. We’ll get beds ready for planting garlic.  We’ll plant the last seeds of the year with spinach and arugula.  Frost feels like a long way off but we’ll get hoops, row cover and plastic ready to add when needed for a little season extension.  And, of course, the usual maintaining of chaos that is weed suppression and irrigation.  

Rising Phoenix hits the big time

Before we left on vacation, we had two “interesting” events at the farm.  The first, was being visited by a reporter from the Duluth News Tribune, along with a photographer for an article that ran on Saturday.  They were interested in how we’ve settled down on a farm of our own.  We asked them to also talk to Ed Johnson, whom we bought the farm from.  It was nice to have him and his family added to the story.  Also mentioned were longtime members Alesha and her daughter, Fiona.

The farm’s other event was entering produce in the Carlton County Fair and getting first place not once but SEVEN times! We also received some second and fourth place finishes. We received ribbons for our garlic, tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, zucchini, beans, snap peas and. It was a lot of fun to participate.  Neither John nor I had ever done that before, so it was a real hoot, and of course, a real boost to our egos.  

Recipes for the week 

Braising Mix:

In this week’s share is a bag of greens that looks like salad, but it’s not. It’s called a braising mix. This mix is made up of sturdier greens which although can be eaten raw, work really well cooked. Saute and add stock/water to them as another way to prepare them. 

Fresh Salsa, Farm Style

This is so yummy. I could eat one batch in a sitting!  This recipe is from Karola Dalen, of Northern Harvest Farm.

1 small onion

½-1 green pepper (optional, but I always add it)

½-1+ hot pepper, seeds removed, or leave them for extra hotness

basil and/or cilantro (amount depends on preference)

2-3 minced garlic cloves

salt to taste

splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

1 ¾ pounds tomatoes

Process all ingredients except tomatoes in a food processor or blender.  Add tomatoes.  Process again, and it’s ready to eat.  Will keep in refrigerator 1 week.  Does not freeze well.  Experiment with different quantities.  

Baby Potatoes with Lemon Chives

“Tastes from Valley to Bluff Cookbook”

1 pound baby potatoes

1 ounce butter

1 tsp chives, coarsely chopped

½ tsp grated lemon rind

Wash and steam the potatoes for 12 to 15 minutes until tender (if preferred, they can be cut in half before cooking).

In a separate pan heat the butter, and add the chopped chives and lemon rind.  Toss to release the flavors, then pour over the potatoes and serve.

Green Bean Pate with Basil

from “Shepherd’s Garden Seeds” by Renee Shepherd

1/2 lb fresh green beans trimmed = 1 1/2 C

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion coarsely chopped

3 hard cooked eggs

3Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

1 tsp lemon rind, or fresh lemon herb, or lemon juice

mayonnaise

season with salt and pepper

garnish with nasturtium flowers

I add: more beans, garlic, and hot sauce

Cook beans until tender by boiling or steaming them.  In a skillet, heat oil; add onion and sauté until softened.  Cool.  In a food processor or with a food chopper, process or grind green beans, eggs, onions, lemon rind, and basil until roughly pureed.  Remove to a bowl; mix in just enough mayonnaise to hold mixture together.   Stir in seasoned salt and pepper to taste.  Chill.  Garnish with whole nasturtium blossoms.  Serve with Melba toast or other cracker.  Makes 2 cups.