Author: bloomingglenfarm

21 Aug

Posted at 18:31h in Recipes by
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Mmm… nothing says summer like a refreshing, juicy, crunchy slice of watermelon, does it? Big fat watermelons are in the share and at the markets again this week. This, of course, is a great thing, and not just because of the incredible taste — this big fruit offers up some big nutrition, too!

Watermelon is a natural thirst-quencher that has been shown to decrease the inflammation linked to health conditions from asthma to skin conditions. It also provides several beneficial antioxidants, including vitamin C, beta-carotene and lycopene. And, because of watermelon’s high water content, calorie for calorie, it’s a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin B1, magnesium, and potassium.

Here are two new ways to get this delicious and nutritious fruit into your belly:

Watermelon two ways: Frozen & Grilled


Frozen — Cut watermelon into chunks, place on a clean cookie sheet (removing seeds as you go) and freeze overnight. Frozen watermelon chunks can then be used to make all kinds of smoothies, just add your favorite juice or water, a bit of sweetener and/or fresh herbs, and blend. Our most recent favorite flavor is a raspberry-lime watermelon smoothie: Mix 2 cups of watermelon chunks, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon raspberry agave and a squeeze of lime juice in a in a blender or food processor (or use a hand blender). Garnish with basil — or blend it in!

Grilled — Slice watermelon in 1″ slices. Place on heated grill for 2-3 minutes, flip and heat for another 2-3 minutes. You should see grill marks and the sugars from the fruit should become caramelized. Eat slices as is, or cut into chunks and serve on a bed of spring greens with vinaigrette dressing, a topping of feta cheese and/or nuts.

Post and photo by Mikaela D. Martin: Blooming Glen CSA member since 2005, board-certified health counselor, and co-founder and -owner of Guidance for Growing, an integrative wellness practice in Souderton. Read more about healthy eating and living on her site, http://guidanceforgrowing.com!

16 Aug

Posted at 21:38h in Recipes by
6 Likes

As a farmer I consider myself food rich- my currency is not in dollars, but in the bounty and flavors of the season. As the stream of veggies flows by my front door from field to market, I can often get overwhelmed with the impermanence of it all. On those occasions the only thing that helps soothe my nagging thoughts is to put some of that food in jars. Seeing the freezer stocked and some preserves on the shelves brings a satisfaction like no other. I admit, my canning is limited to what I can do with a water bath canner, but that’s okay- there is so much in that realm, and every year I discover a new favorite. I hope to take a class and master the pressure canner someday, but for now I stick to jams, pickles and tomatoes, low in risk and high in satisfaction.

This week, for Farmer Tom, I decided to put up some pickled jalapenos, and for myself, some cantaloupe preserves. (We don’t grow tree fruit on our farm, but thanks to a gift of a box of peaches from our neighbors at Easton farmers market, Scholl Orchards, I also discovered the joy of homemade peach jam! I won’t go into that in this post, but I encourage you to make some- it was amazing! (I used the recipe in Put ’em Up, by Sherri Brooks Vinton.)

I have been canning on and off for the 12 years since we started farming. But I had a eureka moment after attending a class by blogger and cookbook author Marisa McClellan of Food in Jars fame. I had the mentality that canning needed to be an all day production involving crates of vegetables, cases of jars, a hot kitchen and my big black enamelware canning pot. Low and behold, Marisa talked about small batch canning, 3 pints or even better, 6 half pint jars of jam at a time. And, here comes the clincher: using your staple stock pot, not the big black canning pot that takes an hour to get the water to boil.

I ordered a cheap flexible flower-shaped trivet for sitting the jars on in the bottom of my pot and voila, my basic 12-quart stainless-steel stock pot was turned into a maneageable canning pot.  As long as your jars can be covered by an inch or two of boiling water, you can use any size pot you’ve got.

Now don’t get me wrong, there is a place for the big canning pot: salsa, and canned whole tomatoes, and my grandmothers sweet and sour relish, those I like to spend part of a day on and do in big batches. But pickled okra, pickled garlic scapes, pickled jalapeno, bread and butter pickles, and fruit jams with various herbs- now those can be done in smaller amounts in an hour or so. Smaller batches takes some of the pressure off to produce larger quantities and puts the fun back into exploring new flavor combinations. From past experience I’ve learned that you may can a lot of something, but if it’s not a hit, it will sit for a year in your pantry collecting dust. So making smaller batches is a great way to find your family’s favorite preserves, and to focus your precious time on canning what you really can’t make it through winter without!

Pickled Jalapenos

*This basic recipe is from Food in Jars. It makes approx. 5 half pint jars.

Prepare a boiling water bath and boil your empty jars while preparing the other ingredients. Place the lids in a small saucepan and simmer over very low heat.

Combine 2 cups distilled white vinegar, 2 cups water and 2 tablespoons pickling salt in a pot over high heat and bring the brine to a boil.

Meanwhile prepare 1 pound jalapeno peppers (about 1 quart). Wearing rubber gloves (very important!!), slice the jalapenos in half lengthwise, but leave on the seeds and guts- this is where the heat is.

Pack the peppers tightly into the jars. Pour in the hot brine, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace. Gently tap the jars on a towel lined surface to release any air bubbles before using a wooden chopstick to dislodge any more bubbles. Check the headspace and add any more brine if necessary.

Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boling water bath for 10 minutes.

Let these pickles cure for at least one week before eating. Tom loves these in burritos, on hot dogs or nachos, on scrambled eggs with tomatoes- anywhere you want a little extra heat.

The cantaloupe we are growing at the farm is a new variety this season with a wonderful aromatic sweet flavor. They don’t have the best shelf life, however, so I rescued one that was a bit soft and headed for the compost heap. It made the best small batch of cantaloupe jam. And I figured since cantaloupes have been in the share for the past few weeks, you too might want something new to do with them. The cantaloupe I used was on the larger end, so I even had a few slices left to eat.

Cantaloupe Preserves

*This recipe is from Put ’em Up!

Cut one cantaloupe into 1-inch chunks; you should have about 4 cups. Combine the melon with 1/2 cup water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Stir together 1 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons Pomona’s Universal Pectin powder. Add the mixture to the boiling fruit and stir some more. When the mixture returns to a boil, stir in 2 teaspoons calcium water (included in the Pomona box, with instructions), 1/2 cup bottled lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to enable air bubbles to settle out. Skim off any foam (and enjoy a taste!).

You can refrigerate for up to 3 weeks, or can it using the boiling-water method. Process for 10 minutes- it should fill about 4 half pint jars.

Photos and text by Tricia Borneman, Blooming Glen farmer and co-owner.

15 Aug

Posted at 18:21h in Community Connections, On The Farm by
16 Likes

Thunderstorms have made harvesting tricky business of late. CSA share members start picking up their produce at 1pm, and we start harvesting all that produce at 7am the same day. We will harvest in all kinds of weather- rain, wind, mud, frost, even snow, but not a thunderstorm. We don’t mess around when it comes to thunder and lightning, so we watch the radar and call our crew inside when necessary. This week and the end of last week was the first that storms coincided with our harvest mornings, making the pace a bit more frantic than usual when we could finally get back outside. Luckily the storms blew in and out within an hour, bringing downpours, then cooling temperatures.

CSA share, week 14, 8/14/12

When we weren’t harvesting for the shares or markets, we were harvesting our field of delicata winter squash, getting the ripened fruits out before mud and bugs threatened the crop, and into our warm greenhouse to cure. The butternuts will be the next out of the field- they still need a bit more time, but not much.

Farmer Tom’s direct seeding of fall carrots, winter radishes, and turnips all germinated after the rain, leaving little green strips against the deep red soil. In the pick-your-own flower field, look for the lisianthus. They are in full bloom, and are a real treat- with their delicate petals in various shades of white, purple and pink, they look almost like roses. Lisi’s have a wonderfully long vase life- so pick a bouquet and enjoy!

Delicata winter squash and Lisianthus flower

In other good news, just today we discovered that our delicious bicolor sweet corn crop is ready for picking- hooray!- so most likely the Thursday pick-up group this week, and Tuesday next week will enjoy this bounty, if not longer.

On another note, as part of our mission at Blooming Glen Farm, we feel it is important to spread the word about other farmers practicing sustainable agriculture. For those of you who do choose to eat meat protein, it is important to us that you are able to purchase these products from reputable, local farmers who share our values, and we know that many of you value the opportunity to buy pastured poultry from Ledamete Grass Farm, and sustainably harvest seafood from Otolith. If you are looking for a great local source of grass fed beef, look no further.

Tussock Sedge Farm, our neighbors and landlords, located at 1239 Route 113, across the street from Moyer Road, would like to invite you to stop in at their farm and purchase their direct marketed, totally grass fed beef on the CSA pickup days of Thursday, August 23, 1-5 pm and Tuesday August 28, 1-5 pm.   You have probably noticed their herds of red angus cattle grazing the fields surrounding the CSA when you come to pick up your vegetables.  Owners and operators Henry and Charlotte Rosenberger raise their cows from calves. Their calves are born on their farm (about 100 each year) and over the next 2 years graze their pastures.  They do not feed their cattle hormones or use preventative antibiotics, only grass, organic minerals and salt. 

Tussock Sedge Farm's Red Angus Cattle

Tussock Sedge Farm accepts cash or check and you do not need to pre-order on August 23 and 28.  They will offer you the following to purchase:

  • 12 lb. Sampler Pack for $95. Contents:  5 lbs. of ground beef, 1 lb. of cube beef, 1 pack of chipped steak, 1 roast and at least 3 steaks.  The roasts and steaks vary and they will let you choose between the packs they have available.
  • 1 lb. packs of ground @ $5.00 per lb.
  • 1 pkg. of 6 oz. patties, 4 in a pack, for $7.50.
  • 1 pkg. of 8 oz. patties, 4 in a pack, for $10
  • Liver ($4.), marrow bones, oxtail, heart ($5.)

Photos and text by Tricia Borneman, Blooming Glen farmer and co-owner.

09 Aug

Posted at 09:33h in Recipes by
7 Likes

Basil Quinoa with Edamame and TomatillosPoblano peppers are one of the most mild of hot peppers, measuring 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville Heat units. This is quite modest compared to, for example, it’s fiery relative the cayenne pepper, which has a heat unit of 30,000 to 50,000! The light spice of the poblano makes it a very versatile ingredient in the kitchen, and since it won’t singe taste buds, you can really taste its flavor.

The heat in poblanos and other peppers is caused by plant compounds called capsaicinoids, which are generally thought to exist as a natural deterrent against animals and fungi. Capsaicinoids have been linked to several health benefits over the years including, improved circulatory and heart function; pain management for arthritis, neuropathy and psoriasis; balanced and healthy cholesterol; increased metabolism; and even prevention against prostate cancer. Of course, poblanos mildness does means it has less capsaicinoids than the aforementioned cayenne or even a jalapeño, but it is worth noting.  And, like most veggies, all peppers are low in fat and cholesterol, high in fiber, and contain free radical-fighting antioxidants — a great addition to any diet!

We’ve posted a few recipes on the blog that feature poblanos; Summertime Chili, Creamed Sweet Corn with Poblanos, and Stuffed Poblanos with Mexican-style Quinoa. The recipe below uses two superfoods, edamame and quinoa, as well as flavorful basil and tomatillos, making it not only a nutritious, but delicious dish.

References and recommended links:

Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh edamame, pods removed from branches
1 cup quinoa
1 tbs grapeseed oil
4-5 tomatillos, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
2 tbs chopped fresh basil, chopped
2 cups No-chicken Broth

Method:
Heat enough water to cover edamame pods and bring to a boil. Add edamame and blanch for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or pot (a dutch over works great). Add onions and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, tomatillos, and jalapeño and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add quinoa, basil, and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer 10-15 minutes, until quinoa is cooked through.

Shell edamame and put beans aside.

Remove quinoa from heat, stir in edamame and let sit for 5 minutes. Salt to taste.

Post and photo by Mikaela D. Martin: Blooming Glen CSA member since 2005, board-certified health counselor, and co-founder and -owner of Guidance for Growing, an integrative wellness practice in Souderton. Read more about healthy eating and living on her site, http://guidanceforgrowing.com!

08 Aug

Posted at 10:23h in On The Farm, Weekly Share by
2 Likes

We’ve rounded the bend and crossed the line of the middle of the season, at least when you talk about the distribution of CSA shares. As for farm work, our core group has been at it since late January, but our seasonal crew is in that tough month of August, what we call the middle of the lake- the jobs just aren’t as fresh and exciting as when they started in April. Things have gotten repetitive- the harvest schedule doesn’t rest, the days are still long and sweaty, tractors breakdown, an intern quits. The fall crops, prone to both heat and bug damage, need to be babied as seedlings, which requires wrestling with unwieldy row covers, a job no one really enjoys.

Row covers; Keeping up crew morale; watermelon bounty

The quicker fall roots like radishes are being seeded, as well as crops like tatsoi, kohlrabi and spinach. Yet the farm is still bursting at the seams with tomatoes and peppers and eggplant, the gigantic watermelons require lots of heavy lifting for tired bodies, and the weeds that we’ve missed are chest high, taunting us with their unchecked vigor. 

Winter Squash plants and leeks

With the steady drone of the late summer cicadas and crickets in the background, we remind our crew that cooler weather and shorter days are just around the corner. We remind them of all the happy CSA members and appreciative market customers, and read them the positive feedback emails we get! And we tell them that the satisfaction of completing a full season on a farm is just an arm’s length away. Soon we will harvest winter squash and fall roots and the summer crops will be a distant memory. Our hands will grow numb with frosty morning harvests, and we’ll miss the joy of watermelon juice dribbling down our chins on a hot sweaty day in August.

CSA share, week 13, 8/7/12

Photos and text by Tricia Borneman, Blooming Glen farmer and co-owner.

02 Aug

Posted at 16:30h in Recipes by
9 Likes

With beautiful tomatoes, spicy peppers, pungent onions, and zesty cilantro all in one share, a batch of fresh salsa was calling my name last night.

There are several hot peppers to choose from this week. I used a serrano pepper, a variety of chili that originated in the mountainous regions of Mexico. It is the pepper traditionally used in making pico de gallo and salsa. It is hotter than a jalapeno and has a nice bright flavor for use in raw recipes.

This recipe makes a “medium” salsa, but can be adapted to be as spicy or mild as you like. Omit the hot pepper all together if you’ve got a sensitive mouth, or kick it up a notch by including the seeds or more than one hot pepper.

Salsa Fresca

In a food processor, pulse together: 1 pound red tomatoes (about 2 medium-sized tomatoes), cored and chopped; 1 torpedo onion, greens cut off and bulb chopped; 1 serrano pepper, stem and seeds removed; 1 handful cilantro; 1 garlic clove; juice of one lime; and a pinch of salt, to taste.

Voila! You’ve got salsa!

Now you can top these ultra-simple tostadas with a dollop of the salsa for a quick and fresh dinner. They are a great way to use up leftovers from a roasted Ledamete Grass chicken, and perfect for a summer night when the last thing you want to do is slave away over a hot stove.

Chicken Tostadas

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a cast iron or non-stick pan. When the oil is sizzling hot, lightly fry 4 corn tortillas (one at a time) in the oil–about 50 seconds per side, until just golden brown and starting to puff up. Place fried tortillas on a paper towel or newspapers to absorb extra oil.

Top fried tortillas with 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, shredded or crumbled cheese (I like cotija, a mild Mexican cheese, but cheddar, jack, or chevre also work well), a big dollop of your salsa, and a squeeze of lime.

Text and photography by Kate Darlington – Blooming Glen Farm second year intern, fresh food enthusiast, and budding food blogger. She also writes for the Digging Deep Campaign, as well as for her personal blog, Growing Things.

 

01 Aug

Posted at 17:44h in Weekly Share by
3 Likes

As the bounty continues to roll in from the fields, it’s great to think about how to preserve the summer flavors for when the weather turns foul. Putting up food for later is one of the best ways to maintain your local eating habit even when the CSA season ends–and with such gorgeous shares, it’s easy to do.

CSA share, week 12, 7/31/12

I spent the day canning some of our super-flavorful beefsteak tomatoes and making a batch of these Oven-Dried Cherry Tomatoes. (Half-bushel boxes of tomatoes are still available for purchase–email to reserve a box and we’ll have it ready for your next pick-up). New to canning? Sign up for the tomato canning workshop on August 18th, 10-2pm, here at the farm. Led by canning teacher, blogger, and cookbook author Marisa McClellan (of Food In Jars fame), this workshop is not to be missed. Details and registration information are on our website.

Also available for purchase are half-bushel boxes of cucumbers. No need to pre-order. Boxes will be available for $15 in the CSA pick-up room this week (just bring checks or exact change, please). These cux work great for sliced pickles–and no need to bother with the canning process with this recipe for Fridge Pickles!

Here at the farm, we’ve been trying to preserve the bounty in another way: in between harvesting thousands of pounds of tomatoes, melons, cucumbers, and squash, the crew is running around trying to get more crops in the ground so that we can keep the bounty coming. Cold-loving crops like kale, broccoli, and cauliflower all get their start in these hot days of summer.

Text and photography by Kate Darlington – Blooming Glen Farm second year intern, fresh food enthusiast, and budding food blogger. She also writes for the Digging Deep Campaign as well as for her personal blog, Growing Things.

25 Jul

Posted at 20:46h in On The Farm, Weekly Share by
2 Likes

The field tomatoes have popped, the heirlooms are rolling in, second and third plantings of cucumbers and squash are happening, as well as the first cantaloupes, and soon, watermelon! Summer crops are here in full force! I love to go overboard eating tomatoes now, so when it’s wintertime, I won’t be tempted to eat those bland, shipped in fruits masquerading as tomatoes. This week’s share contains edamame beans (on the stalk- just pull the pods off). As many of you may know, a wonderful simple way to eat edamame is to boil or steam the whole pods until they are tender and bright green, then plunge in cold water, salt the pods, sit down with a bowl-full and use your teeth to remove the beans. Quite an addictive snack, and great with a cold beverage!

CSA share, week 11, 7/24/12

This season, Farmer Tom grew field tomato varieties based on flavor, not necessarily yield. Happily, we have both. Soon we will be able to offer plum tomatoes for canning by the 1/2 bushel (that’s 25 pounds!), but for now we have some tasty meaty beefsteaks in the share, and available for purchase for those interested in canning, freezing or bulk salsa making! Send us an email if you are interested in reserving a box. The cherry tomatoes are also on the menu this week- the ever popular sungolds, as well as reds, and soon the rainbow mixes- a variety of colors and flavors.

For those new to canning, the lovely Marisa McClellan, of the popular local Food in Jars blog, and cookbook author, is hosting a food canning workshop at the farm Saturday August 18th, from 10-2pm. Details and registration information are on our website. Each participant will take home 2-3 quarts of whole peeled tomatoes, along with all the knowledge you need to replicate the same feat in your own kitchen. This will be a fun day- don’t miss it!

Photos and text by Tricia Borneman, Blooming Glen farmer and co-owner.

19 Jul

Posted at 22:34h in Recipes by
4 Likes

You might have seen them at the market or in your CSA share, and wondered what are those flying-saucer shaped squashes? Depending on where you’re from, they go by any number of different names. When we farmed in Oregon it was called sunburst squash, here we call it pattypan squash, but it also goes by scallop squash, white squash, button squash, granny squash or custard squash. Their light green or bright gold rinds remain thin and edible. Their insides are white, with a mild, buttery flavor. It’s shape is whimsical and versatile- you can chop it up and use it like regular zucchini, or if you want to preserve its character, stuff it whole.

Stuffed Pattypan Squash

I used three pounds of pattypan squash, 8 squash, each about the size of my fist, or smaller. You could do less, larger squash, and just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Cook 1/2 cup quinoa in 1 cup water, or for more flavor I used homemade chicken broth. Feel free to substitute your grain of choice.

Meanwhile pre-boil the whole patty pan squash for about 5 min, just to soften them a bit and make cutting them easier.

To cut, just imagine you are carving the top off a pumpkin. Insert your knife at an angle and remove the cap. Scoop out the insides with a spoon, being careful not to pierce the wall. (Though have no fear, I did, and things still turned out just fine). Put prepared pattypans in a baking dish. I oiled the inside of each and salt and peppered them.

Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to a pan, heat up and saute 1/2 of a large sweet onion, diced, 4 cloves fresh garlic, diced, and cook until the onions begin to sweat. Add 1 asian eggplant, diced, and one chopped tomato. Cook for a few minutes then add 1 1/2 cups Swiss Chard, cut into thin strips. You can also add any fresh herbs you like- I used a few sprigs of basil and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste.

The great thing about making a stuffing for a squash, or even stuffed peppers, you can pretty much use whatever you have on hand. If you prefer to go the meat route, I think sausage or ground beef would work well also.

After sauteing the vegetables, stir in the quinoa, taste and adjust seasoning to your preference. Fill the squash to the brim with the quinoa mixture. To top it off, I combined a cup of bread crumbs with some melted butter and parmesan cheese. Then after oiling and seasoning the lids, I re-capped the cuties, added a bit of water to the bottom of the baking dish, and covered with foil. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or so, until squash is soft, but not mushy. I removed the foil for the last 10 minuted to get a bit of browning.

Enjoy!

Photos and text by Tricia Borneman, Blooming Glen farmer and co-owner.

18 Jul

Posted at 19:24h in On The Farm, Weekly Share by
2 Likes

The last few days on the farm have been a challenge. With the temperature soaring, the crew is feeling the heat, but the crops still need to be picked. Just as the garlic harvest is complete, the storage onion harvest begins. The second planting of cucumbers is just about ready for harvest, and we are well into an every other day picking schedule of the summer squash. The field tomatoes are trickling in, and CSA members and market shoppers are enjoying the bounty of the heirloom tomato harvest.

CSA share, week 10, 7/17/12

We grow a handful of different heirloom tomato varieties, all with nuances in flavor and appearance. Though we don’t grow tomatoes for their stories, my favorite just happens to have a great one. The Russian heirloom variety Paul Robeson may not be the most productive tomato of all, but its rich chocolate brown color mirrors its deep earthy flavor.  I like to talk it up at the farmers market as the “BLT tomato”- but thanks to its smoky undertones you can skip the bacon if you so desire.

And if the color and taste weren’t enough to make this luscious tomato a favorite, it is named for a local hero. Paul Robeson (born in Princeton, 1898 and died in Philadelphia, 1976) was an accomplished athlete at Rutgers University, famous actor (played Othello in the longest-running Shakespearean production in Broadway history), singer (world famous for his vibrant baritone renditions of Negro spirituals), orator, cultural scholar and linguist (fluent in at least 15 languages). If that’s not enough, Robeson was an outspoken crusader for racial equality and social justice, all the while battling overt racism against himself throughout his life and various endevours. 

Revered by the left, reviled by the right, Robeson was blacklisted during the McCarthy Era and beyond, harassed by the FBI, his passport revoked for eight years, his career stifled. How a tomato developed in the Soviet Union came to be named after him is uncertain, except that perhaps his connection with Communism made it a safe bet for Russian scientists looking for a politically correct name choice. I don’t recall ever having learned about this great man in school, so I have farming, and the story of this delicious tomato, to thank for a new knowledge of Paul Robeson, a man who’s achievements were unparalleled and were all the more incredible given the barriers of racism that he had to surmount.

So that’s your history lesson of the day! Of course, all the heirloom tomatoes we grow have amazing flavor and stories (The Cherokee Purple and Green tomatoes are said to trace back to seeds given to someone in Tenessee by Cherokee Indians in the late 1800’s), and everyone here at the farm has a different favorite- Farmer Tom even prefers the red field tomatoes that you’re about to see in the share. Hopefully you can try a few different tomato varieties and find your own favorite!

Photos and text by Tricia Borneman, Blooming Glen farmer and co-owner.