Salamander Springs Farm/Permaculture Organics

PAC CHOY  “Joi Choy” is back!  A staple in many Asian dishes and a crunchy addition to a fresh salad, the stalks are also delicious dipped in hummus, yogurt-cucumber dip (see below) or pesto.  Pac Choy makes a tasty stir fry with onions, garlic and other veggies.  Use a wok or a cast iron skillet.  Asians stir-fry the garlic, onion, spices, meat or tofu (if you like) in the oil first, then add the greens & veggies briefly (stir-fry less then a minute) so they’re still somewhat crunchy.  Serve over brown rice.  Experiment with ginger, lemongrass, curry & Asian spices, too!  See nutritional info in our previous posting.

ZUCCHINI and SUMMER SQUASH:  including tasty “Patty-Pan” or “Scallopini” (shaped like flying saucers).    See last week’s posting for our quick Pan Grilled Summer Squash & Zucchini recipe.  Squash is great in roasted veggies, casseroles, a quick stir fry or an egg frittata...or marinate and put on the grill.  Sliced or grated raw squash is a wonderful addition to your salads, for a vegetable tray with a dip, or in a zucchini bread.  Add sliced squash & tomatoes to rice when you cook it.
Zucchini & summer squash store best dry & cool but not too cold. Wash just before use, water causes it to spoil more quickly.  A perforated bag is best so the squash still has air circulation.
 
EARLY, CHERRY & HEIRLOOM TOMATOES - pick which you want if you get to market today early.  A few of our favorite sweet (if wacky looking) heirloom tomatoes have started to produce.  We have been diligently trying to help them resist the omni-present blight that comes with the too-wet conditions which we’re having this season.
This week, use your tomatoes in the refreshing middle eastern Tabouli Salad, below, which can be a meal by itself!
Do not refrigerate tomatoes--it will nullify tomato flavor and turn the flesh mealy.  Keep them stem-side down covered with a cloth.  Use according to ripeness--within a couple days to more than a week.  To ripen further, leave a sunny windowsill (covered with a cloth). 

LEEKS- “King Richard,” a small variety that matures in less than 3 months (before KY's summer heat makes them wither).  Leeks are sweeter and more pungent than onions.  Enjoy in creamy potato leek soup, stir-fries, roasted-veggies, frittatas...the green stalks are good, too.

GREENS BUNCH - We happily present you another week of greens--Chard, Kale, "Perpetual Spinach Beet", and Turnip. From stem to leaf, the whole bunch is wonderful sauteed or steamed.  Our greens taste wonderful topped with chopped raw garlic and a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice. Butter makes it even better!

NEW POTATOES - soft & skinned, tender (not yet “cured” for storage), we carefully “rob” new potatoes from the plants before all tubers are mature.   No need to peel our potatoes--no pesticides or fungicides whatsoever have been used (including “organic”).  Let us know if you prefer baby, medium or full size potatoes; they come in all sizes.  For delicious oven-roasted  potatoes or veggies, coat cubed potatoes or veggies with olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt & pepper then spread on a cookie sheet to roast in oven for 45 minutes at 400°F).  YUM!  Try the gourmet creamy potato leek soup below or with whole pearl onions, below.  
If you are not a potato eater, you’ll find our first harvest of GREEN BEANS (snap stringless) or BROCCOLI in your box - Both are tasty steamed or eaten raw with the yogurt/cucumber sauce below! Or, in a frittata or quiche, topped with melted cheese.  Like all veggies, for best flavor and nutritional value, use within a few days.  Do not keep broccoli in a sealed plastic bag; it needs some air circulation. wrap loosely with damp paper towels and refrigerate.  A perforated plastic bag works well.

SWEET WHITE ONIONS - just harvested, with green stems, these are mild and good for dishes like in tabouli salad or the chicken, bean or egg salad we posted a few weeks back.  These sweet onions are not for long term storage--about a month. 

PEARL ONIONS are the little bitty, sweet red & white ones--great boiled whole with whole new potatoes & green beans, butter & salt. YUM!   Or use them sliced raw in your salads or the Tabouli salad. The red ones especially are colorful and sweet in salads.

GARLIC - you can select from softneck or hardneck at the market and let us know how much you will use.  Softneck is like what you find in the supermarket.  Hardneck doesn’t keep as long, but has a more pungent garlic flavor (Italians use only hardneck!); the cloves on hardneck garlic are also more uniformly sized than softneck.  Store garlic out in a airy, dry place like a hanging basket in your kitchen or porch (but not in the sun).  A basket on the counter is better than in a cupboard or the refrigerator.  Our garlic is small this year, but still wonderful tasting and nutritionous.  Garlic should be part of your diet every day (see posting 2 weeks ago).

And you’ll find one of these in your box this week:
<BEETS - red & golden - sweet and good for you!  Enjoy grilled, boiled, roasted, pickled, sliced or shredded raw...and they are wonderful as roasted veggies.  Both the leafy greens and bulb are edible so eat the greens, too!  See our previous posting for how important beets are to your health.
<BABY CARROTS are sweet and flavorful raw, with dip, or in salads. They are also very sweet in roasted veggies, steamed or in stir fries, Grated carrots are great in salads or baked goods.  See nutritional info in last week’s posting.  We remove the greens as they can draw moisture away from the root. Carrots will keep sealed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a month or more. They begin to go limp once exposed to air.
<CUCUMBERS small “pickling” type, tender for salads.  These cucumbers do not have to be peeled!   Yogurt/cucumber/mint “Tzatziki” sauce is very refreshing on a hot day:  chop or grate a cucumber, add a pinch of salt and let sit as you mince one clove of garlic and 1/2 Tbsp of fresh mint.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl with a cup of yogurt and chill until ready to serve.  Or add to the Tabouli Salad recipe below.
<TURNIPS, “Gold Ball,” delicious roasted, stir-fried, or in soups (see roasted veggie recipe in previous posting).  Use the greens, too--chopped in stir-fries, frittatas, soups, etc.  Any vegetable is best freshly harvested, but turnips will keep for several weeks in a loose plastic bag in the refrigerator vegetable crisper drawer;  Cut off the greens when you put in the fridge and use them within a week.  See nutritional and freezing info in last week’s posting..

FRESH BASIL  Wonderful in salads and dressings, with tomatoes & cucumbers.  Try some with the Tabouli salad recipe, below.  Use in stir-fries, frittatas or the quick Pan Grilled Summer Squash/Zucchini recipe.  Make a batch of pesto and freeze some for a later day.  See previous postings for our pesto recipe and information on the amazing medicinal and health benefits of basil!

FRESH PARSLEY and FRESH MINT Pick out what you'd like at the market for a tasty tabouli salad (see recipe below).

and last but not least....
FRESH BAKED BREAD & SPECIAL TREATS from Clementine’s Bakery!

See you at the market!

P.S. The folks at Local Harvest, who run our webpage (and for many other small farmers across the USA), has a newsletter this week with cookbook ideas for CSA customers not sure what to do with their produce!  Go to:  www.localharvest.org/newsletter/20130627/

********************************** RECIPES!********************************

LEMONY LENTILS & KALE  (recommended on Local Harvest's newsletter)
2 tablespoons olive oil
I medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced
4 thyme sprigs
Salt & black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 pound green or red lentils
2 cups (16 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (fresh or canned)
3 cups chicken or veggie broth
1 bunch kale, roughly chopped
1 lemon, zest and juice

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir onion, garlic and carrot in the hot oil until softened, a few minutes.  Add
thyme, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes; cook and stir to coat, 1 minute.  Stir lentils, tomatoes and their juice, and
chicken stock into onion mixture. Cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Add kale, lemon zest and
juice; cook until kale is wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt & black pepper as desired.

POTATO LEEK SOUP  (inspired from Molly Katzen’s Enchanted Broccoli Forest Cookbook)
3 fist sized potatoes (or the equivalent thereof)
2 cups cleaned, chopped leeks
1 stalk celery chopped (you could substitute parsley here)
1 large carrot, or a few small ones, chopped
4 Tbs. butter
3 cups of milk (or your favorite substitute)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup stock or water  
You can also add fresh thyme or other herbs of your choice
Cut the potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Place into a saucepan with leeks, celery, carrot, and butter. Add salt. Cook, stirring over medium heat, until the butter is melted. (about 5 minutes). Add the stock or water, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are soft (20-30 minutes). You may need to add a little water if it gets too low.  When the potatoes are tender, remove the pan from the heat and puree its contents in the milk. Once the mixture is smooth, return it to the saucepan. Add herbs if you like, grind in black pepper. Taste to see if it wants more salt. Heat the soup gently, covered until just hot. Try not to let it boil... and serve!

Middle Eastern TABOULI SALAD!
This is one of our all-time favorite summer salads--it’s easy and can be a meal by itself on a hot day!  Along with the parsley, you can chop up some of your Pac Choy or lettuce.  Mint adds a wonderful zest!
 
1 cups bulgur (cracked wheat) or quinoa
Bring to a boil with 1 1/2 cups water & 1 1/2 t. salt for 5 minutes and let sit 10 minutes (until it’s soft and chewy).  Add while hot:
1 T minced (crushed) garlic
1/2 cup sweet onions (red or white; scallions and leeks work as well)
1/4 cup lemon or lime juice
Chill in refrigerator, then add:
2 medium tomatoes (or more smaller ones)
1 cup parsley (and other chopped greens like Pac Choy)
1 T fresh mint, minced
1/2 fresh ground black pepper
Mix everything well and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve!
Other great additions to Tabouli Salad are chopped cucumber and grated carrots and a bit of minced basil.  About 1 cup of garbanzo beans (cooked & chilled) adds protein for a complete meal!

Farming with Nature

by Mirra Ester Shapiro, July 2, 2013

We are demystifying farming! You do not need a tractor. You do not need acres and acres of land somewhere in Kansas. You can farm with a simple approach. As Vitali Veltser, father of our WWOOF intern, David Veltser, Proclaims, “THE SIMPLEST IDEAS ARE USUALLY THE BEST ONES!”

We are a farming community that works without the use of a tractor.  There is approximately two and a half acres of cultivated land including the orchard and the bean field at Salamander Springs. Conventional organic farming would have us use all of that acreage just to produce the the number of onions that we are now harvesting!   What I have learned from my experience here with Susana is that our ability to grow so much good food comes from a focus building and maintaining fertility in the soil.  There was no topsoil on this ridge when she started.

One ingredient for the fertile garden, (drum roll please...) is mmmulch!  Mulch can be raked leaves, clippings from freshly cut grass, wood chips or wood shavings, hay, or the wheat & clover cover crop we scythed down for the bean field.  The varying kinds of mulches we use work well for their different garden niches. What they all have in common is the organic matter they add to the soil.  For the nutrients that we harvest from the food that grows here, we want to feed that back in the ways that the earth can digest it.  Mulch!

Our good friends Phillip, Kathy, Peanut, and Snaggles from up the road gifted us with a big pile of grass clippings of their recent mowing. What a loving gift (better than a box of chocolates on Valentine’s day)!  We used the driest of the grasses for a thick mulching around the stems of leeks. This will help to create a long white stem that the leek likes to have. The clippings were soft, so they fit into the small spaces between plants.  Grass clippings work great as a mulch around the stems of more tender plants because they are gentle. We use all the grass clippings we can gather from the farm.  We sprinkle them over the ground just after planting seeds to help keep the soil moist and give the young plants a chance to grow up!  Over time, we add more and more mulch to keep the earth covered. This helps to keep the soil moist and prevents unwanted undergrowth (weeds), from cropping up.

Hay provides more coverage for the bulk of the gardens and some of the field, too. We lay it down thick enough to show the weeds that we mean business. When there is a need for hay, Susana drives to our neighbor, Burchel, to load the truck up with a heaping pyramid of hay grown mostly from clover and orchard grass. They secure the load with bungie chords and rope. It is truly a sight to see the old pick-up winding around on those hills above Climax Springs!

Leaf mulch is another great way to add nutrients to the soil. If you you live near trees that drop their leaves, then surely you have mulch! Instead of giving this fertility to away for the city to drive off with, why not utilize it for a garden?  Kayla, Susana and I placed leaves around the base of our baby onions and leeks when planting this past spring, the ones we are harvesting now.
We get wood shavings from a local sawmill, and use the darker more composted stuff around the base of potato plants.  Potatoes are one crop that does not mind the acidity of the wood chips.  Mulching around the potatoes provides a secondary layer of earth for potatoes to grow in... meaning, MORE FOOD!  We also use wood chips & shavings in the orchard. The fruit trees and their understory perennials love a soil with woody mulch, not grass.  The blueberries love the acidity of pine shavings or needles. We thank Mr Perrett at the sawmill and our friends Kelly and Terry Mehler for our fresh wood shavings!

Mulching is a simple and vital role in the work that we do. Building a layer of mulch atop garden beds is like building a proper shelter for the life that resides therein.   Water, Sunlight, Breath, Food and Shelter; these are basic ingredients for vitality, for life!  The seed needs nourishment to grow into something nutritious...so here’s to mulching!

-Mirra Esther Shapiro, Salamander Springs Farm Apprentice and CSA Co-manager