Turtle Times
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Vol. 13, No. 5, June 10, ‘08 7260 NW 58th St., Johnston 50131 278-4522 (577-9208)
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Rain: 6/4, 0.95”; 6/6, 1.0”; 6/8, 2.7” and still raining
In the Box . . .
Scallions ‘Evergreen hardy’
Lettuce ‘Deer tongue’, ‘Outredgeous’
Spinach ‘Hector’, ‘Whale’, ‘Viroflay’
Turnips ‘Hakurei’ (on the side only)
Pac choi ‘Mei qing’
Asparagus (some boxes)
Strawberries (some sites)
Edible flowers: pansies, nasturtium, or calendula (petals)
Ala Carte Herbs ($1 ea): Rosemary, lovage, mint
Free herbs to anyone who requests them: marjoram, sage
Farm Update
Okay, it’s official, we’re drowning. Getting an inch here and there was going down okay, but three inches on top of saturated ground really starts some eroding. They say Saylorville Lake will send water over its spillway again. When that happened last in 1993, I was trying to do my strawberry research at Iowa State. “Alternative production systems for strawberries” was the topic. It included weed research as well, and even the weeds had trouble growing, it was so wet. Mulched strawberries, one weed control method, were hard to keep from rotting. So what are we trying this year to stay ahead of weeds at the farm? Mulch as weed control on some of the onions. Normally they would be looking great, but this year, the weedy unmulched ones look much healthier.
The storms have taken their toll on the quality of the greens, with wind whipped edges, but we don’t seem to have had any hail. The farm crew is really sick of working in mud., but we are happy for the bounty of the crops. We are finding it hard to plant some crops that need a whole summer to mature. Those crops would be sweet potatoes and winter squashes. Late plantings of those could affect yields come fall.
If you feel like you are drowning in greens, don’t worry. Just as soon as you start to feel overwhelmed, they end with a thud. We’re done with radishes, watercress and arugula. Some of the spinach is bolting, so we’ll see if we get another week out of it after this week. The asparagus is showing signs of needing a rest, so we are going to concentrate on getting everyone 4 pounds as a quota this year. And yes, the strawberries are ripening. The lack of sun and abundant rain has not allowed them to sweeten as much as they should, but they’re still good.
Scheduling note: Since July 4 arrives on a Friday this year, we will plan that week’s harvest day for Thursday July 3. Please mark your calendars!
Recipes
I’ve got two people submitting ideas for pac choi (or bok choy).
Roslea Johnson says avoid overcooking bok choy, especially baby bok choy—heating it thoroughly is all that is required. For an elegant presentation, serve a whole baby bok choy or carefully cut one in two. Steam in a skillet until the bok choy just starts to wilt. Remove to a serving plate or serve beside a steak. Or chop into 1 ½ “ pieces and add to any stir fry during the last 2 minutes of cooking time.
Beef Bok Choy Stir Fry
½ lb. beef, thinly sliced—marinate for ½ hr or more in 2 T. soy sauce and 2 tsp. sesame oil. Chop bok choy into 1 ½ “ pieces. Slice 2 green onions and tops. Stir fry the beef; add onions and stir once. Add bok choy and 2 T. of water. Cover and cook 2 minutes at medium heat. Serve.
And a submission from Jude Dickson:
Mushrooms with Bok Choy (from The Tassajara Recipe Book by Brown)
1 head bok choy (12-14 oz) or 6-8 heads baby bok choy
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced (including some fresh shiitake, if available)
2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
2 T. sherry
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 T. peanut or olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, sliced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
Cut off the base of the bok choy, and then wash the leaves. Cut the larger greens off the stalks and cut them in half lengthwise. Then cut the stalks and greens crosswise into half-inch pieces. If using fresh shiitake mushrooms, cut off and discard the stems before slicing. Combine the ginger with the sherry soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Heat a large skillet (or wok) and add the oil. Saute the onions and mushrooms for several minutes over high heat until the mushrooms have softened and browned. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Then add the bok choy and the ginger mixture. Cover the pan and reduce heat. Cook several minutes. Uncover and stir every minute or so until the white of the bok choy is tender. Check the seasoning and serve.