Speaking of peas, here's what's pickin' right now....three varieties, but you can use them interchangeably - you get a mix of peas, and they're great raw or only ever so slightly cooked (if using in soups, just drop them in a couple minutes before it's time to serve up). The first two peas in the picture below are both snow peas, and then the third is a sugar snap. Notice the difference in pod shape/thickness - snow peas are always flat, and sugar snaps look nice and plump. You never want to let these "edible pod" types of peas get too developed, or they get starchy, lose their sweetness, and the plant will stop producing. Basically the plant wants to get seeds out there for reproduction, and we keep picking off the seeds before they're full developed (and and we EAT them)... so the plant keeps making more while it still has the energy.
Speaking of peas, here's what's pickin' right now....three varieties, but you can use them interchangeably - you get a mix of peas, and they're great raw or only ever so slightly cooked (if using in soups, just drop them in a couple minutes before it's time to serve up). The first two peas in the picture below are both snow peas, and then the third is a sugar snap. Notice the difference in pod shape/thickness - snow peas are always flat, and sugar snaps look nice and plump. You never want to let these "edible pod" types of peas get too developed, or they get starchy, lose their sweetness, and the plant will stop producing. Basically the plant wants to get seeds out there for reproduction, and we keep picking off the seeds before they're full developed (and and we EAT them)... so the plant keeps making more while it still has the energy.
Well now here's something really interesting to do with the kale you're getting in your shares - Kale Salad with Apricots, Avocado and Parm.
I gotta say, that's a mighty unusual combination. I have had salad with romaine, dried cranberries, sliced fresh pear and almond slivers with a great dressing - so I suppose it's just a variation on a theme.
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- mmmm kale (realfoodjoy.wordpress.com)
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Image by Rubber Slippers In Italy via FlickrGarlic scapes are an odd-looking, often bent/curved, growth that comes out of the top of some varieties of garlic, typically those that are considered hardneck varieties. The garlic scape is basically the flower stalk that grows up out of the top of the garlic plant, and each year I've grown garlic it seems the scapes can be sitting there for a short while before you even realized they've formed! I have a feeling they actually grow really fast - which might be why they seem to tender and bendy?
- Two Sisters Garlic
- Closet Cooking (trust me, this guy always has great recipes!)
- Garlic Scape Pesto on Fusilli with Garlic Scape Garlic Bread
- Beef and Garlic Scape Stir Fry
- Italian Sausage, Zucchini and Garlic Scape Pasta
- Eggs on Sunday - Garlic Scape Pesto
- Clagett Farm - Sauteed Garlic Scapes
- Clear Sky Farm - How to cook garlic scapes
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No, you don't normally plan to have the drip lines hovering in the air like these are (although I doubt there's any harm to it), but this is brand new line, so it's still got a lot of desire to coil back up. After running water through it a few times, plus some weathering, and it'll settle down. Sure makes a cool image though!
This bed looks pretty sparse on one side. The variety of leeks i'm trying here (Megaton) were more of a mega-flop, the carrots didn't do so great (storms washed them into one big pile), and the cucumbers just got put in yesterday. The peas on the far right are spotty... but they're climbing the trellis anyhow. The cucumbers are a mix of climbing and bush varieties.... hopefully they'll do better than the spring crops did!
Later this week I hope to try a new attachment for the drip irrigation... pour in concentrated liquid fertilizer (I have fish emulsion and kelp), and the hose line runs through it... picking up a diluted blend of fertilizer and water to drip out down the line. Garden nerd fun!
Image via WikipediaJust to help inspire you when you start getting more chunkier veggies this summer, check out Fine Cooking's Go Meatless on the Grill gallery of pictures and recipes! Mmmmm - grilled veggies! Just think of grilling onions, peppers, squash, eggplant and more - you can start with a simple toss in olive oil, and then a light sprinkle of salt and pepper if you like or go all out nuts with herbs, citrus juices, additional spices and more! Veggies turn out great on the grill, whether you're a vegetarian or a meat-eater!
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- Meatless Monday: Grilled Summer Vegetables (rollinoatstampa.com)
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Hi folks! We're starting the Monday delivery of food this week. I'm not sure what all Mary will be bringing in, but here's what's included in your bags from me. Since we're just getting started, the shares are still really small (new people: ask the folks who were members last year - there will come a time this summer where you probably WISH your shares are as small as they are now! Eat your veggies!)
Peas are the same way - especially at first. I planted a number of varieties of sugar snap peas, and so far only the "Sugar Ann" variety is providing (and they're the shortest!). I've got enough for two members - you'll get notified. If you've never had sugar snap peas, you eat the whole thing. Sure you can open the pods and pull out the little peas, but the pods are crispy sweet, and are fun to eat - even raw! Toss 'em in a salad. Or if you must, LIGHTLY steam them (on the stove or in the microwave.) I couldn't tell you how long - I never cook them. You might prefer to string them - sometimes the strings in sugar snaps are a little tough.
The order for pea-deliveries is:
- Sandie Ribita
- Kelly Shook
- Alison Murphy
- Carolyn Radcliff
- Julie Gedeon
- Diane Rupelt
- Erica Lilly
- Jennifer Wallace
- Anita Clary
There's less of the Niro di Toscana kale, also known as Dinosaur Kale. This is excellent for making the very trendy kale chips that you might've heard about the last couple of years. I've made 'em - and they're good! Nothing like a potato chip, but they're kinda fun to eat!
Please note that few of the kale leaves included this week are young, tiny and tender...so I don't know that any would really be a good addition to a raw salad. Maybe later...
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- Kale makes for a more intense salad (sfgate.com)
- My Next Adventure is Kale Chips (chrisabraham.com)
- Healthy Recipe: Sugar Snap Peas With Wasabi Dressing (fitsugar.com)
I'm sorry my dog and I scared you while you were wallowing in the cucumber and squash seedlings on the deck.
I promise we'll leave you alone. Please don't leave. I appreciate all the hard work you've probably been doing snacking on cucumber beetles.
Keep up the good work!
Farmer Jeph
For now I have two raised beds with tomatoes... seven plants per bed. This is in the first row I planted... remember the experiment where I planted extra early? The other row is about two weeks behind this row... so they haven't really gained any height yet.
The neat thing about these tomato cages is that they're made with a 6" grid, so it's super easy for me to see that the first bed planted has all the plants at about 18" tall right now. Very exciting this early in the season... give it a month or so and that won't be a big issue anymore.
Now just because there's flower buds forming doesn't mean we can expect ripe tomatoes anytime soon. While 6 of the 7 vines in this bed have their first buds forming, odds are the earliest buds won't come to fruition. I think some gardeners even pick off the earlier buds, pushing the plants to grow more roots and height rather than struggling with fruit production so early.
I should probably do that.
Man, that's going to be hard to do.
Sure, it's for the good of the plant, but to just cut off what are potentially the first tomatoes?
Ugh.