admine9519, Author at Morning Song Farm - Page 16 of 44
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| Cress |
We’re excited about the Cress field that is coming along nicely; we think we’ll have our spicy cress bunches in our boxes next week. The rosemary looks like we can take cutting again next week, so we’ll have sprigs in all boxes as well. We’re harvesting macadamia nuts every day now, although the harvest is impacted from the miserable, squirrel population, we still have some nuts to share. We got ahead of ourselves last week, and tried to crack out nuts that really needed a little longer to dry out in the nut room; causing significant waste. We’ll have nuts for all as soon as we’re sure the nuts are dry enough to crack out easily.
We’re thinking the Hass avocado season is upon us shortly, probably starting in two weeks. Yeah! And this week is the first harvest of our easy to peel Satsuma Mandarins. They’ve developed a nice tang and are quite sweet.
Soon we’ll have enough Navel oranges to put in boxes each week, right now there’s really only enough for the few “add-on” CSA member orders that we fill each week.
Ok, were encouraged to find nuts of any amount in the grove to harvest this year as the squirrel population has gotten away from us. We cracked out our first harvest this morning, and have given little bags of our amazing raw macadamias to all large shares. If you’ve never tasted just harvested, raw macadamias, you’ll find them quite different than the ones you might have picked up in Hawaii, which are almost always roasted in coconut oil and salted. We usually rack our mac harvests for a couple weeks before cracking out, so the nut meat has a chance to recede a bit from the shell in the drying process, which makes it easier to crack out. We did wait the two weeks, but the nuts are still quite “moist,” you’ll definately see why growers compare raw macadamias to coconut! I guess the high humidity from all the rains has made the drying process more difficult.
Mozzarella, Ricotta, Queso Oaxaca and Italian Burrata!
The other cheese on the menu that is lesser known is the Mexican traditional Oaxaca Cheese. Named after the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, it is a white, semi-hard cheese which is best known for adding its distinctive taste to authentic quesadillas and empanadas. Queso Oaxaca is just hard enough to be able to be grated; similar to unaged jack cheese, but with a consistency closer to mozzarella..
It’s certainly turned to “winter” here on the farm, although I blush to use the term when I hear what relatives in Maine and New York are dealing with. But here’s the thing about Southern California winters: they always take us by surprise. The weather is so agreeable, that when we actually have to reach for a jacket there’s a sense of an entitlement being trampled on. We’re never ready, as though the cold weather gear in the back of the closet is well, old fashioned; so last decade. When in fact, same as every year, it’s only been a handful of months since they were cast off. Try executing an attitude like that in New York. Ha! I took my daughter to Magic Mountain this last weekend and had to send her back in the house when she appeared in summer shorts and a short sleeve t-shirt. Yes, it might actually be chilly two and a half hours north of San Diego in the first week of November. Roll of the eyes aside, mom withheld the enormous I Told You So when purchasing warm weather gear proved necessary once we arrived at Magic Mountain, despite her change of clothes. This never happens in Maine. There are no teenagers becoming Warm Weather Complacent and arguing over if winter weather is going to indeed arrive this year.
We’re finishing up the last of our tomato harvest, with not even enough to put in boxes this week; so crew and chickens are getting their fill. We had considered (as we do most years) putting plastic hoops over the tomatoes, so they would continue to fruit into the darker months. But as I’ve said before, although it just kills us all to plow under beautiful, healthy tomato plants, the truth is; winter tomatoes just aren’t that tasty. Even vine ripened winter tomatoes aren’t anything to write home about. So we decided, as we do every year, to give them up and dedicate the land to something else.
We thought we wouldn’t have any more guavas this week, but alas, the trees are giving us a final harvest, maybe even into next week. Many of you are experimenting with guava jelly, please consider sending us your recipes if you’ve found one you really love. I’ve always enjoyed the fioja out of hand, and haven’t done much in the way of cooking with this fruit, although they make a lovely smoothie ingredient.
The Acorn Squash this week is among my favorite veggies to work with this time of year. There’s muffins and soups, casseroles, pies and stir fries. Such a versatile gem! I’ll include a few recipe ideas this week, and encourage you to share yours with us as well!
Farmer Donna
