27 Apr Mon 2009
Boulder belt Farm Share Initiative-Week One
Farm share program season has finally started! Pick up your share in the store between 4 and 7pm on the day you agreed upon. One bag per person/family/share this week (some weeks later in the season there may be two bags of stuff).
It is snowing as I write this but spring really is here. The grass is green (and almost needs mowing!), daffodils are in bloom. Things are going well so far. We are getting things planted in an orderly and timely manner. Spring is busy for us what with the planting of seeds, (both direct out in the soil and starting seeds in doors), tilling, hoeing, moving hoop houses, transplanting seedlings and harvesting. We have just started planting things and have about 10% of the beds filled up, mainly with crops we either are or will be harvesting in the next few weeks. Though we are starting to plant long term crops like onions, leeks, parsnips along with the spring things like broccoli, peas, radishes, lettuce, arugula, etc..
This past week we moved hoop houses around so we would have a place to put early tomatoes and peppers. This meant the lettuce, radishes and peas we had started inside hoop houses are now out in the weather. The cold weather we will be getting for the next couple of days is a bit too cold for these things so have had to cover them with row cover to keep them from getting frost bite and dying (or going into shock). The lettuce is covered no matter what because we are more afraid of heavy rain and hail hurting it than cold. But the peas and radishes, while they both appreciate cool weather, do not take 26 degrees well without protection. I would also be worried about the strawberries in the hoop house which are in full bloom and making berries but 2 years ago we had a warm March which put the berries into full bloom a bit earlier than this year. The warm weather was followed by a hard freeze (17 F) and high winds for about 5 days. The berries were fine that year and should be fine after this puny 2 day cold patch seeing as how they have the same amount of protection. If all goes as it should we should have some strawberries by the end of April and certainly we will all through May
Recipe
Roasted Parsnips
Clean all the parsnips like you would carrots and put in a covered dish along with whole cloves garlic that you have removed from their wrappers and leeks cut into 1" slices. Drizzle olive oil over top and salt to taste. Cook for 30 minutes in a 350F oven and serve as a side dish
What's in the Share This Week
Spinach-this is over wintered spinach, something too few people grow around here. Having survived the winter, this spinach is full of vitality and great flavor.
Lettuce-3 heads of different varieties
Parsnips-over wintered we won't see these again until September
Scallions-like most things in this week's share these are over wintered. We Thought they were dead but about 3 weeks ago they came back and have been excellent in our salads. we should have these yearling scallions for about 3 to 4 weeks than will start harvesting the spring sowing
Chives
Leeks-like the spinach these are over wintered and very tasty
Cilantro
Garlic-you are getting many because there will be bad cloves in most heads and some heads will no good at all. this is what garlic does this time of year.
Dried Basil-this is really good for roasted meats and vegetables, soups, stews, sauces-anything that you will be cooking a while (more than 45 minutes).
Fresh Apples-4 heirloom Dr Matthews apples
It is snowing as I write this but spring really is here. The grass is green (and almost needs mowing!), daffodils are in bloom. Things are going well so far. We are getting things planted in an orderly and timely manner. Spring is busy for us what with the planting of seeds, (both direct out in the soil and starting seeds in doors), tilling, hoeing, moving hoop houses, transplanting seedlings and harvesting. We have just started planting things and have about 10% of the beds filled up, mainly with crops we either are or will be harvesting in the next few weeks. Though we are starting to plant long term crops like onions, leeks, parsnips along with the spring things like broccoli, peas, radishes, lettuce, arugula, etc..
This past week we moved hoop houses around so we would have a place to put early tomatoes and peppers. This meant the lettuce, radishes and peas we had started inside hoop houses are now out in the weather. The cold weather we will be getting for the next couple of days is a bit too cold for these things so have had to cover them with row cover to keep them from getting frost bite and dying (or going into shock). The lettuce is covered no matter what because we are more afraid of heavy rain and hail hurting it than cold. But the peas and radishes, while they both appreciate cool weather, do not take 26 degrees well without protection. I would also be worried about the strawberries in the hoop house which are in full bloom and making berries but 2 years ago we had a warm March which put the berries into full bloom a bit earlier than this year. The warm weather was followed by a hard freeze (17 F) and high winds for about 5 days. The berries were fine that year and should be fine after this puny 2 day cold patch seeing as how they have the same amount of protection. If all goes as it should we should have some strawberries by the end of April and certainly we will all through May
Recipe
Roasted Parsnips
Clean all the parsnips like you would carrots and put in a covered dish along with whole cloves garlic that you have removed from their wrappers and leeks cut into 1" slices. Drizzle olive oil over top and salt to taste. Cook for 30 minutes in a 350F oven and serve as a side dish
What's in the Share This Week
Spinach-this is over wintered spinach, something too few people grow around here. Having survived the winter, this spinach is full of vitality and great flavor.
Lettuce-3 heads of different varieties
Parsnips-over wintered we won't see these again until September
Scallions-like most things in this week's share these are over wintered. We Thought they were dead but about 3 weeks ago they came back and have been excellent in our salads. we should have these yearling scallions for about 3 to 4 weeks than will start harvesting the spring sowing
Chives
Leeks-like the spinach these are over wintered and very tasty
Cilantro
Garlic-you are getting many because there will be bad cloves in most heads and some heads will no good at all. this is what garlic does this time of year.
Dried Basil-this is really good for roasted meats and vegetables, soups, stews, sauces-anything that you will be cooking a while (more than 45 minutes).
Fresh Apples-4 heirloom Dr Matthews apples
Lucy
06:02 PM EDT
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