May 2012 - Morning Song Farm
Ok, this is only a best guess, but I know a lot of our supporters would love to know what we think will be in boxes ahead of time, so here’s what Sara and I have on our harvest list for next week. Understand that we’re days away and “stuff” happens, so it’s not set in cement….
Limes
Kumquats
Loquats for large shares
Spicy stir fry mix bunches (bok choi, mustards, etc.)
Cheno (that leafy green I’ve raved about that kind of “pops” in the frying pan as its seed heads are heated
Basil Bunches (yeah!)
Mixed Herb Bouquets–chives, rosemary, oregano, thyme and fennel
Baby Lettuce Mix bags with Sara’s amazing Edible Fowers and small quantity of Snap Peas (maybe 1/4 pound each)
Avocados
Carrots
Cukes
Green Onions
Head Lettuce
Swiss Chard (I think in both size boxes, but not sure)
When prepared properly, Kale Chips will kind of melt in your mouth with an explosion of nutty flavorfulness and a surprisingly satisfying crunch. Kale hasn’t been fully appreciate until it’s been enjoyed this way! This week we suggest you try kneading your kale in an olive oil herb marinade, rather than the typical Olive Oil and Salt mixture we’ve suggested before.
Process:
1. Chop up your kale in bite sized pieces, eliminating the toughest part of the stalk, set aside.
2. Blend a mixture of herbs in the cuisinart with an 1/8 cup of California Olive Oil.
(If you haven’t visited Temecula Olive Oil’s on-line ordering site, you might be interested in joining their Olive Oil CSA: http://www.temeculaoliveoil.com/index.php/olive-oil-club.html. Thom, the owner/farmer is a dedicated olive tree grower, and has provided Morning Song Farm with their 100 olive trees. We’re not in production yet (and when we are, Thom has offered to process our olives for us!)
3. Add salt to taste.
4. In a large bowl, combine the herb marinade with the kale and dive in. Kids love doing this part! Knead the herb and oil mixture into the kale; coating each leaf and breaking down the kale’s fibers int he process.
5. Lay down on a cookie sheet one layer thick and dehydrate at 250 until crispy.
6. Serve warm as you would popcorn, or top salads or caseroles with your chips in lieu of croutons.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Steam carrots until tender and drain.
Return carrots to pot.
Add herbs and gently toss.
Cook on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or untilo carrots are glazed.
The fun thing about the little bouquets of herbs you’ll find in your shares this week; is you can toss the whole thing into a soup or stew with nothing but a quick rinse beforehand. Tie with a piece of kitchen twine. By keeping the herbs together in this fashion, it’s super easy to remove them before serving.
Another nice flush of mulberries to harvest this week off of the few trees that are producing. You’ll only get a “taste” of these amazing and rare berries; we’ve added our neighbor’s organic blueberries to the clamshells as a combination. We can’t wait until next year, when 100 or so young mulberry trees should be more productive. For now, we only have enough for “taste tests!”
It looks like our sapote trees may have a decent harvest this coming year, and our loquats may be ready to pick next week. Blackberries are just starting to come in! I’m guessing we’ll have enough to send out in boxes in a couple weeks.
Sara has combined a little of this and a little of that into a bunch of tender herbs, and suggests trying your hand at herb butter, see the recipe she suggests above.
My current addiction, herbed kale chips are in our recipes this week. I know dehydrated kale sounds a little iffy, but you just have to try these chips! I can eat a whole head of kale a day, better than popcorn, packed with nutritional value, and something different. Making a puree with herbs and olive oil which is then kneaded into the kale leaf to break down its fiber is a new variation!
We’re just starting to harvest zuchs; you may enjoy the zuchini bread recipe this week as much as we do! The whole crew starts each morning with coffee, tea and something to nibble on; zuchini bread with our farm’s goat butter is the perfect offering to start the day!