CSA Newsletter #14

Week #14

September 10 and 11

2 bunches greens

1 bunch parsley

salad mix

1 pound potatoes

1 pound onions

sweet peppers

hot peppers

tomatoes

garlic

In regards to weather, it is pretty to safe to say that this season has been all about the extremes.  It was extremely dry in June, into extremely wet and hot and gross in July, to extremely gorgeous in absolutely every way in August, to extremely whacky and all over the place in ol’ September.  We’ve already had some legitimately frosty mornings, where it is necessary to reactivate the hands in order to function and harvest and bunch things and we’ve had some real humid, thick air kind of episodes, when we start to feel all set with the whole summer and sweating and being fried by the sun thing.  Who knows what the next stretch will hold, but as we roll into fall, we feel extremely blessed for all the food that has come out of the ground, with all the interesting weather twists and turns, resulting in veggie successes, bounty and wonderful goodness, alongside the inevitable misfires, snafus and humbling moments.  

Farmer weather obsession need to over share met, let’s move on to how extremely wonderful it was to host the BKF CSA Appreciation and Friends of the Farm Veggie Pot Luck last Sunday!  Beautiful blue sky, crispy clean air, a breeze on the Kettle bluffs and a great mix of folks.  There were representatives from so many aspects of the farm, from local members, to Portland buddies, to newbie members from the Kennebunk delivery, to one of our favorite chefs, to friends from the Portsmouth farmer’s market and even a former employee.  The extended Kettle family is truly an amazing bunch.  I rush around this farm all the time just seeing weeds and work to be done, things that could be better, but when the good people of the CSA and beyond come to the farm, kick back, breath the beautiful clean air, gaze at the actual kale that they eat, see what we mean by our tomato jungle, or gawk at the freaky pigs, it just straight up warms the farmer heart of mine.  The afternoon of celebration allows me to stop making mental lists and allows me to appreciate the Kettle for it’s beauty and unique, fun spirit and connect with the deeply quality people that orbit this place and energetically contribute to the farm. 

As the farm evolves, the annual party evolves, this year we incorporated a farm photo booth where people really let their freak flag’s fly, posing on the farm’s classic red tractor, the Cub, and finding the prop that best expressed their identity, be it a skate boarding helmet, a gigantic string of pearls, or a jump suit.  The competition was high as party goers also tried their hand at being a Black Kettle farmer by packing the perfect CSA box and guessing the weights of veggies from our harvests, like salad mix, onions and cherry tomatoes.  Although we are all winners at Black Kettle Farm, there were some that were more then others, scoring fabulous prizes like BKF merchandise and garlic to store for the winter.  Lots of good veggie pot luck items were shared and  plaid heavy fall fashions were represented.  As the sun went down, the temps lowered and the remainder of the party people head to the meadow for a yurt side fire and star gazing.  Farm Mom that I am, I did a lot of ssshhhhhhuushing and was pretty much the first one to bed, these things happen, once I was cool.  An extremely successful and fun celebration it was!  Thanks to all those that made it out to the farm, YOUR farm!!!!  Shout it loud and proud!  Hurray for CSA!

.....it’s time to panic, we have 5 weeks left of the season!  If you don’t eat your kale, freeze it!  Boil water, chop kale, submerge in said water for 30 seconds, run under cold water, squeeze out excess, put in plastic bag, freeze, enjoy in February when you are sad.

Potato Hash with Bell Peppers and Onions

www.thecomfortofcooking.com

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into ½” cubes

1 onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes, toss to coat with oil, and place a lid on the pan. Allow the potatoes to cook covered for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium high. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and vegetables turn golden brown.

Add the parsley and garlic; cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

Spicy Garlic Kale With Sauteed Peppers

www.food.com

2 bunches kale

5 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, diced

5 garlic cloves, minced (or extruded through garlic press)

2-3 peppers, cut into short strips

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt

white pepper

Wash kale. Pull greens away from the stalks, discarding stalks. Shred by hand into small pieces.

Place kale in steamer basket, and steam until tender (approximately 10 minutes). Remove immediately from heat.

Heat olive oil in heavy pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add onions. Saute until onions are translucent. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, saute for 1-2 more minutes. Add pepper slices, and saute until tender (approximately 4-5 minutes). Remove from heat.

Add kale to pan, and toss ingredients together thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or room temperature.

CSA Newsletter Week #13

Week 13

Sept. 3 and 4

1 head lettuce

1 bunch greens

1/2# salad mix

broccoli

sweet peppers

hot peppers

tomatoes

garlic

As far as subjects for newsletters go, this one is a major no brainer.

It’s September, we have made it over the huge energetic hump that is Labor Day, we finely got some much needed rain, the CSA appreciation celebration is this weekend and our harvest this week is literally overflowing with tons of veggies from the insanely nutritious and delicious Brassica family.  

Friends, we are oh so lucky these days and it just so happens to be 

Week Lucky 13 of the season!  

Yes!  Once again, Black Kettle Farm proves to be in alignment.

So about these Brassicas......who and what are they?? Sometimes called Cole Crops, the brassica family includes broccoli, kale,collards, arugula, cabbage, asian greens, brussels sprouts, radish, turnip and mustard greens.  Any of those sound familiar?  We have no doubt had at least one crop from the Brassica family amongst our BKF harvest for the last 13 weeks.  They pack the most nutritional punch of any veggie family and it is recommended that they are consumed at least 3 times a week.  With a Brassica heavy share like this one, including that 1/2 pound bag o’ baby greens, you can eat them every day and pump up that that highly notable and undeniable, 13 weeks of fresh veggie fueled , Black Kettle Farm CSA member gorgeous glow, emanating health, vitality and fabulosity!

So here’s the deal....Brassicas are all loaded with vitamins and calcium and actively fight cancer, specifically lung, colon, prostate and breast.  They also hinder heart disease and offer tons of anti-oxidants and dietary fiber to your system.  For all you vegans and carnivores alike, get a big, HUGE dose of much needed iron and eat your broccoli and dark leafy greens! And, as luck would have this 13th week of the season, the other veggie family that is majorly represented are the solanums, those illusive hot weather lovers, tomatoes and peppers.  When cooked with the likes of broccoli or kale, they bring out the best in each other.  The vitamin C in the tomatoes does some sort of magic when cooked with any member of the Brassica family and presents the optimum environment for the all that iron to be absorbed into the body.  Harmony and collaboration, love and support, forget about anemia and fatigue, we can access iron like nobody’s business!  Our luck is profound this week, as we are at the time of overlap, the crossroads between summer and fall and we get it al! 

Brassica Fun Facts.....Who knew???

Kale has more then twice the Vitamin C then an Orange!

Although low in calories, Broccoli is full of the good kind of fats, Omega 3.

Mustard Greens (representing in this week’s salad mix) detox the system, thus aiding in cancer prevention. 

Collard Greens have more absorbable calcium then a glass of milk.

BKF goes big on Brassicas!  Eat any way you want, raw, stem, in a smoothy, in chip form, hey, cook in a mound of butter!  Just get ‘em in there and you are totally winning!  

Here’s to 13 weeks of health benefits and let’s wallow around in our great luck and good fortune for all that this funky little farm provides!  

Italian Broccoli with Peppers

www.tasteofhome.com

6 cups water

2 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned

1 medium sweet yellow pepper, julienned

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 medium ripe tomato, cut into wedges and seeded 

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add broccoli; cover and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place broccoli in ice water. Drain and pat dry.

In a large nonstick skillet, saute peppers in oil for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add the broccoli, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes longer. Add the tomato; heat through. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 6 servings.

Swiss Chard and Black Bean Quesadilla - www.dishingupthdirt.com

olive oil

2 whole tortillas (we used spelt flour tortillas)

1/2  bunch of swiss chard -

1 hot pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 cup of black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 yellow onion, diced

1/3 cup of shredded cheese (we used sharp cheddar)

hot sauce

In a large skillet saute’ your onion and hot pepper in a little olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add black beans and chard. Cook for about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and place mixture into a bowl. Add a little more oil to the same pan and add one of the tortillas. Add some shredded cheese, half the bean mixture, some hot sauce, followed by a little more cheese. Place the other tortilla on top and fry for about 3-5 minutes per side. Enjoy!

****Use any green for this, kale, collards etc and add sweet peppers and tomato to the saute!

CSA Newsletter #12

Week 12

August 27 and 28

2 bunches greens

1 bunch carrots

green beans

sweet peppers

hot peppers

potatoes

tomatoes

garlic

Hold up!  I can’t go any further without shouting it loud and proud.....Black Kettle Farm passed inspection, we are officially certified organic!  With all the excitement of babies being born, vehicles passing inspection, and the pending annual party at the farm, this fun fact keeps falling through the cracks of the ol’ newsletter.  So now you know!  Always an organic farm in it’s core, it took the Kettle 5 years to get to this official status, due to not having a permanent home and then having to wait for the obligatory three years to certify land that was once conventionally farmed.  It feels like a great milestone and a feather in our collective farm cap to wave the OG flag.  Yahoo!

That is the big news, but honestly, every day there is something amazing and astonishing going on at the farm.  Just yesterday we broke the season record and harvested almost 200 pints of cherry tomatoes in one session!  The weed whacker is finally working again, the cats are on mice killing rampages and the new rounds of greens for the fall are flourishing even in this intense heat.  Victories and huge events happen all the time in the very site specific world of the Kettle.  Right this very second, the storage onions and shallots are finally being pulled from the field and transported to the greenhouse to dry out and cure, to strengthen their storage capacity and develop their delicious flavor.  These beauties have been a real chore this season, but as the first crop we planted this season, they hold a special place in our Kettle heart.  Remember that rainy stretch in July???  Well, we are just getting on top of the weeds generated from that soggy time.  The onions were major victims of that bountiful weed season and it took many rounds of intense hand weeding, with help from eager and able bodied volunteers, to sort of keep the weeds at bay.  This huge chunk of the field is vacant and the greenhouse is now packed with oniony goodness, calling for a flavorful fall.

In other gossip generating farm news directly from the pig pen, after the highly scientific, and no doubt extremely accurate, belly measuring tape method of weight guestimation, Girl seems to be way head of the pack with the heftiest girth, with Paco in second and Mr.Wendall and Cecily third and fourth.  No surprise here, Girl is certainly not wasting away and has mastered the art of knocking over the food dish and laying in the chow to get the most of her meal.  The pigs don’t seem to mind the heat and still find time in their busy schedules of eating split tomatoes and taking belly flops into their mud pit, to run around in circles, blurt out a noise which is a definite cross between a bark and an oink and generally act real freaky.

Having just a little sprinkle of rain the other evening felt like major news in these parts.  This deep heat of the last month has been utterly thrilling for the beans, sweet peppers and tomatoes, great for tans, tough on the delicate lettuce.

Even with all this excitement of certification, onion harvest and pig antics, we still give thanks every single day for the simple fact that this August has been a truly miraculous one here on the farm.  From the food that has been flowing out of the ground, to the great markets, to the cohesion of the crew, to the clear nights and the blue, blue skies.  We’ve been saying it for a month now, but it is news that never, ever gets old........

August is Awesome, Abundant, Awe inspiring and AH-MAY-ZING!

Kale and Walnut Pesto

www.food.com

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 garlic cloves

1/2 lb kale, without stems

salt

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Toast walnuts over high heat until fragrant. Set aside.

Bring 2 cups water to boil. Add kale and 1T salt. Cook about 15 minutes, or until tender.

Drain kale. Add to food processor with garlic and walnuts.

While processing, slowly add olive oil until smoothly pureed.

Add Parmesan.

Serve with pasta, rice, bean, on toast or over potatoes.

Pasta Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Green Olivada

www.epicurious.com

1 garlic clove, peeled

2 cups coarsely chopped pitted green olives (from about 6 ounces unpitted whole olives), divided

3 tablespoons capers, drained

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound gemelli, fusilli, or rotelle pasta

2 pints cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved

1 8-ounce package small (cherry-size) fresh mozzarella balls in water

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

With machine running, add garlic clove to processor through feed tube and process until finely chopped; turn off machine. Add 1 cup chopped olives, capers, red wine vinegar, anchovy paste, mustard, and crushed red pepper. Using 6 on/off turns, process to chop coarsely. With machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup olive oil, forming coarse puree. Transfer to bowl; stir in remaining 1 cup olives. Season olivada to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Olivada can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Transfer drained pasta to large bowl. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil over pasta; toss to coat. Cool, stirring occasionally.

Add olivada, halved tomatoes, mozzarella, and oregano to pasta; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

CSA Week #11

1 head lettuce

1 bunch kale

2 bunches herbs

broccoli

green beans

sweet peppers

eggplant

potatoes

tomatoes

Hallelujah, give thanks and praises, deep breath of gratitude, we have made it to late August!  We are eating broccoli and tomatoes.  The sun has done nothing but shine, the evenings are gorgeous and tranquil and the veggies are flowing.  August is always the best time of the summer, spilling into the best time of year, golden, crispy autumn, but let’s go ahead, totally own it and make a major definitive statement, this has been the best August EVER!  

Deep in the time of Leo and under this strong, strong Blue Moon, Black Kettle Farm cruises along, every day different, bouncing from one drama (the wheel finally fell off the truck!) to the next, coinciding with victories (record breaking market days!) taking pride in our work, loving our farm friends and neighbors and having hilarious, fun times.

So at this point, everyone gets it, right?  It’s just 4 chicks running this farm and making this 100 member CSA, farmer’s market and restaurant sales thing happen.  So what do we really, really do???  Well..........

The farm crew meets every day at 7:00 AM in the barn.  Monday is huge.  After a super quick run down of our weekends, the awesomeness of the past market, how early we went to bed the night before, what the farm cats are up, how glorious the last sunset was etc. we get right down to business and gather ‘round the Things to Do List.  We prioritize what needs to happen in the field and then do a major scheduling session for the week.  Who’s on pig chores, who is doing deliveries and most importantly, who is cooking farm lunch on Thursday.  After that, we head directly to the field and look at the plants, reviewing, and usually adding to, the Things to Do List with a visual of it all.  Then it is GO time: divide and conquer.  Carmen hits the irrigation and fixes all the that is out of whack.   Abi is a champion on the wheel hoe and cleans up aisles in a flash.  Carly regulates the root crops and thins and weeds in record time.  L.Neale puts around on tractors,leaves tools, hoodies and water bottles in random places and plans what the likes of you all will be eating for the week.  

CSA harvest starts Monday afternoon and continues into Tuesday morning.  That afternoon is a time of major activity on the farm, as 40 members breeze through the barn to get their produce and 9 members receive their shares at the Riverbend Wellness Center in Kennebunk.  Wednesday morning rolls around and we go it all again, this time for the 51 folks in Portland and restaurant accounts.  Boxes packed, the huge white van blasts outta the farm and hits the road to the big city.  On Thursday we reel it all in and take stock of it all.  Always a quality day where no one leaves the farm and we all feel happy inside, accomplishing another fabulous and veggie filled week of the CSA, complete with a big farm lunch on the porch. It’s no rest for the wicked, or the BKF farm crew, as the harvest bell rings early on Friday.  We hit the field hard in the AM in anticipation of a rocking Saturday market in Portsmouth the next day.  The walk-in cooler full of gorgeous produce and the van full of market gear, I set my alarm for 4:45 for the AMand the crew heads out for summer fun and adventures and/or a weenie roast in the back meadow.  Somehow, in collaboration with the sun and the rain and the soil and the plants, we get it all done, the veggies happen and the weeks just fly on by.

Warm Green Bean and Potato Salad

www.marthastewart.com

• 1 pound new potatoes
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with 2 inches salted water. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high; add potatoes and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, mashing potatoes slightly, until golden brown in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.  Add bacon to skillet. Cook until bacon is browned, about 3 minutes. Add green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green and crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add to potatoes along with lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine.

Parsley Hummus - www.nytimes.com

2 cups cooked chickpeas

2 large garlic cloves, peeled, cut in half, green shoots removed

1/2 cup parsley leaves

Salt to taste

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling if desired

3 tablespoons sesame tahini, stirred well if the oil has separated

Plain low-fat yogurt as needed

Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop in the garlic. Process until the garlic adheres

to the sides of the bowl. Turn off the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the chickpeas, parsley

and salt to taste and process to a coarse purée. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Turn on the machine and add the lemon juice and olive oil with the machine running. Add the tahini and process 

until the hummus is smooth. It should not be too thick or dry. If it is, thin out as desired with yogurt or water, or 

with the broth from the chickpeas if you cooked them. Season to taste with salt. Scrape out into a bowl or mound on 

a platter. Run a fork over the surface and drizzle with olive oil if desired. Serve with crudités or pita bread.

BKF Super Slow Roasted Tomatoes.......do this, it rules.

Heat the oven to 250 degrees.

Drizzle oil on a cookie sheet.  Slice or cube tomatoes.  Place on the cookie sheet in a single layer, sprinkle with salt 

and pepper and toss on a few Sungold cherries for good measure.

Peel garlic and add whole cloves to the tomatoes.  Place in the oven and let roast for hours, I think that 3-4 is ideal. 

Return and enjoy the most delicious, sweet, carmelized, decadent tomatoes on the planet.

CSA Newsletter #10

Week 10

August 13 and 14

1 head lettuce

1 bunch carrots

2 bunches greens

1 pound sweet onions

sweet peppers

eggplant

hot pepper

garlic

tomatoes 

Crisp air, blue skies, puffy clouds, glorious sunshine, pretty much the perfect temperature at all times, brilliant colors abound, coupled with lots of recreating, fun with friends and fams, romping outside as much as possible and of course lots and lots of insanely delicious, extremely veggie heavy meals.  

Abundant August continues to deliver and confirm, underline and exclamation point in super duper bold why we live in Maine!  It is all seems to be a big, huge energetic celebration of positivity and vitality with the weather these days, no?

With that in mind, let’s all chime in and welcome the newest Kettle family member...Miss Luna June Stinson, bouncing baby girl to Shannon Gilpatrick, long time Kettle employee and major rock star, and Zac Stinson, Blue Spoon chef extraordinaire!  Luna has been with us all season, harvesting turnips, seeding lettuce and planting tomatoes,we are so happy to finally meet her for real!

We are no doubt a fertile crew with lots more babies on board and more Kettle mouths to feed......Hurray and congrats to members Becca and Hank Stabler who are expecting a baby boy at the end of the month.  Much love to Amy Simpson and Greg Korbet when baby makes three in the fall.  Yahoo for  Molly O’Connell, Julian Marks and big brother Calder and Jed and Arunima Bloom, and big sister Pryia who will both add a new veggie lover to their families in January.  And of course, Miss Zoe Rose Nilson, who showed up just before the kick-off of the season, whose parents Doug and Rachel, were the very first committed BKF CSA members way back when and are now raising 3 veggie positive Kettle kids.

Beautiful babies aside, there is oh so much to celebrate!  Cherry tomatoes, the return of kale and the fact that the delivery van just passed inspection and will make it another year as  a part of the Kettle fleet of jalopies!  

Get out your pens and mark your calendars NOW, Black Kettle Farm will officially celebrate the season:

Sunday, September 8th at 4:00 PM

BKF CSA Appreciation and Friends of the Farm

Good Times Gathering!

Veggie Pot Luck, lawn games, pig and veggie field viewing, picnicking, and fire as the sun goes down.

Bring a vegetarian dish to share, your own plate and utensils and BKF provides the epic sunset, a cold brews and fun farmy times.

Check out where your food comes from, meet the whole Kettle crew and hang with other wonderful CSA members! Attendance is REQUIRED.

Love the Kettle?  Shout it Loud and Proud with Kettle Gear!

Limited addition Trucker Hats  - $12.00

Canvas Tote Bags - $10.00

........Like us on Facebook and hashtag #blackkettlefarm on Instagram!

Let’s celebrate and let the good times roll!!!

Easiest August Meal Ever from the BKF Test Kitchen

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Find a baking pan and add coat with olive oil.

Cube eggplant, sweet onions, carrots.  Dice lots of garlic.

Add to pan and toss veggies with olive oil, add salt and pepper and maybe drizzle a bit more oil on top.

Bake until veggies are soft and onions start to brown.  30-45 minutes.

Cube tomatoes and add to the mix.  Let it roast!...about 10 minutes, or when it has all mixed and carmelized.

Possible additions are balsamic vinegar, or fresh oregano or basil.  Pump it up with chick peas, serve over rice or with foccacia or just spoon it up and ENJOY!

Kale Caesar Slaw

Bon Appétit  | July 2011

by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 8 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 hard-boiled egg, peeled
• 1 bunch kale 

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a blender; purée until smooth. With machine running, slowly add oil, drop by drop, to make a creamy dressing. Transfer dressing to a bowl and stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill. DO AHEAD: Dressing can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Separate egg white from yolk. Place egg white in a coarse-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Press egg white through strainer with the back of a spoon; scrape egg white from bottom of strainer. Repeat with egg yolk, using a clean strainer and bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover bowls separately and chill.

Toss kale and dressing in a large bowl to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and sieved eggs.

CSA Newsletter #9

August 6 and 7

chard or lettuce

1 bunch carrots

1 bunch sweet onions

1 bunch herbs

eggplant

sweet peppers

green beans

salad mix

tomatoes

August  = Abundance

After a sweaty, wet, buggy, making the best of it sort of July, we are deeply basking in the glory, beauty and super veggie positive moments of August up here on the Kettle bluffs.  

The field is rapidly changing, with all early crops either eaten and enjoyed or mowed and put back into the soil.  All the fall crops are basking in the sunshine during the day and appreciating the cool nights.  The return of kale and the onslaught of cabbage and broccoli are rapidly approaching.  The brussels are sprouting,  the fall roots are seeded, and looking good and we haven’t even touched the shallots or red onions.  Then there is the, no joke, thousands of feet of lettuce and carrots that are little now, but are proof we are just barely half way through the season and there are still tons of fresh veggies and yummy meals to come.  

As farmers, we always have to look forward and into the future.  We have to plan, execute, anticipate and keep up with it all or, well, no one eats.  For example, we seed storage onions in March so they can grow and thrive over the entire season and we can eat them in the fall and into the winter.  If we don’t do that when the snow flies, it just doesn’t happen.  Especially with the short growing season in Maine, we have small windows of opportunity and we have to be on top of things and always looking forward to achieve bountiful results.  Right now, even though it is still early in August, the focus on the farm is loving up the fall crops, keeping them happy, healthy and weed free, so we can live large in the months of come.  Not to mention, I pretty much start planning for the next growing season from the second I start the current one, because there are always elements of the farm to improve upon, evolve or straight up scrap.

Be that as it may, this whole farming thing aside, I think we can all appreciate the need to be more present in our lives.  To take a moment, take a few breathes, slow down, trust in the process, enjoy the blue sky, give thanks and focus in on all the wonderful things that are happening right now!  So with that in mind, and even though it has been more then brisk these past evenings, put those autumnal thoughts aside and be present with this week’s meaty, deep summer, heart of it all veggie share! 

The names of all the varieties of vegetable we are enjoying this week really bring it home and emphasize this time of strength, beauty, bright colors and abundance we feel these days on the farm.  Check it out.....

We are pumping it up with Provider Beans and Hercules Carrots.  Yeah!

We are grooving with Islander Peppers and Bright Lights Rainbow Chard.  Nice!

We are large and in charge with Big Beef Tomatoes and we are chugging along on the Orient Express Eggplant train.  Yahoo!

.........and we got the epic blessing of a double rainbow over the farm the other day to sweeten the whole deal.  So it’s pretty much decided at this point - 

August is Awesome and Fall will be Fabulous!

Carrot Oatmeal Cookies

www.101cookbooks.com

1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup real maple syrup, room temperature
1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil, warmed until just melted or butter
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Preheat oven to 375F degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and oats. Add the nuts and carrots. In a separate smaller bowl use a whisk to combine the maple syrup, coconut oil, and ginger. Add this to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Drop onto prepared baking sheets, one level tablespoonful at a time.  Bake in the top 1/3 of the oven for 10 - 12 minutes or until the cookies are golden on top and bottom.

WARM LENTIL SALAD WITH WALNUTS, GREEN BEANS, AND ONION 

Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin

THE DRESSING

1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBS red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
Liberal seasoning of freshly ground pepper

THE DISH

1 tsp. olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 lb. green beans, cut into 2 in. lengths 1 1/2 cups lentils
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Combine all ingredients for dressing in a screw top jar and shake vigorously. Set aside. Cook lentils by adding them to boiling water and cook for 20 minutes, partially covered.

Stir occasionally. The lentils are done when they are tender but still a bit crunchy. Don’t let them get mushy. Drain in colander and transfer to large serving bowl. Heat tsp of oil in skillet. Put in the red onions and sauté 2 minutes. To set the color, sprinkle the vinegar over the onions and toss well. Sauté 1 more minute. Add green beans and cook until green beans are tender and bright green. Then add beans and onions to lentils and add dressing. Serve with fresh tomatoes and rice.