Some Must-See Eye Candy

First, some eye candy from around the farm in the last week or so--

Chard harvest

photo: Lindsay Grimes

Last week's share, beautiful arranged

photo: Lindsay Grimes

Having wrapped up the bulk of our spring plantings (although we'll continue planting and seeding various things all the way up to the beginning of September), the farm crew has turned to some other farm projects. This past week we tackled a big weeding project in our popcorn planting, which occupies almost a quarter of Quaker field (across from the brick hospice). The weeds were growing fast and threatening to overtake our crop so we pulled out all the stops--our Cub cultivation tractor, followed by our trusty wheelhoe, then scuffle hoes and hand-weeding to finish the job. The beds look fabulous and are ready for some irrigation, which has been our other project this past week as the days turned hot with no rain in sight. So far we have almost all of our key summer crops supplied with drip irrigation, the most efficient and effective way to bring water to thirsty crops. The drip irrigation lines we run along side the rows of plants emit water right at soil level (so very little water loss to evaporation like an overhead irrigation system) and deliver it right to the root zone of the crop (and not to the weeds that might grow between the rows). With our dry soil and the last significant rainfall a distant memory, our crops would have suffered during the hot days of the last week, but instead they were happy, irrigated crops, loving the summer heat above ground, and slurping up good, clean  well water below ground.

In your share this week: parsley, beets, 2 bunches of hakurei, salad mix, a mini cabbage, garlic scapes, choice of chard or kale, and PYO dill or oregano. Please remember to return the PYO scissors to the basket when you're done with them--we've found a couple in the pathway!

Recipes of the Week

Wondering what to do with TWO bunches of hakureis? Lynn Rosseto-Kasper of The Splendid Table (a great radio show/podcast and food blog) has this recipe for Fast Japanese Pickles. As written here, it calls for carrots, radishes, and turnips (or some other variations), but I like it with just the hakurei--2 bunches does the trick. It takes me about 20 minutes to make, sits in the fridge for an hour, then it's a great snack or side.
If the kale and chard have left you looking for new recipe ideas, I have a few to share. Real Simple has a collection of 24 easy kale recipes (try the Curried Kale with Coconut!) that are excellent and sure to have something for every taste. Lately I've been enamored with a very simple sauteed chard recipe from Deborah Madison's excellent Vegetable Literacy. I've tried it finished with several kinds of vinegar (sherry, apple cider, white wine) and they were all good, but I like it best with an infused (honey and ginger) white balsamic that I got as a gift.

Sauteed Rainbow Chard with the Stems
serves 2-4
5-10 minutes prep, 10 minutes active time

1 bunch chard
2 Tbs olive oil
Sea salt to taste
1 Tbs butter or ghee
Freshly ground pepper
Lemon wedges or robust vinegar, for serving

Separate the leaves from the stems. Select some of the better looking stems, cut them into similar-sized pieces about 1 inch long, and set aside. If the remaining stems are very thick, cut them in half lengthwise, then cut them into 1 inch long slices; you should have about 1 1/2 cups. Chop or tear the leaves coarsely, you should have about 8 cups. Rinse and set aside in a colander to drain.

Heat the oil in a wide, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced stems and cook for about 3 minutes. Season with a few pinches of salt, then add the chopped leaves, cover, and cook until wilted and tender, at least 6 minutes. Taste the chard to be sure it is as cooked as you want. Restaurants tend to undercook chard, and while it looks beautiful and bouncy on the plate, it is not nearly as good to eat as when it is actually tender. Remove the lid and stir in the butter or ghee. Taste for salt, season well with pepper, and pile onto a plate. Serve with something sharp, lemon wedges or vinegar, to bring up the flavors.

Enjoy your veggies!