Turtle Times
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Vol. 13, No. 11, July 22, ‘08 7260 NW 58th St., Johnston 50131 278-4522 (577-9208)
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Rain: 7/18, 2.7”; 7/19 ?
In the Box . . .
Onions ‘Red Long of Tropea’
Lettuce ‘Jericho’, ‘Cardinale’, or ‘Red Sails’
Beets ‘Ace’
Green beans ‘Maxibel’ and ‘Black Valentine’ (some sites)
Swiss Chard (to anyone who requests it)
Ala Carte Herbs ($1 ea): Lavender, mint, parsley, tarragon, thyme, lemon, lime, thai, cinnamon and sacred basils, fennel (bulb $3)
Free herbs to anyone who requests them: marjoram, sage (and the basil buckets at each site)
Farm Update
We were very grateful to have the rain at the end of last week that had been filled with irrigation. We had also just planted some fall crops, so it was very timely for them as well. We hope to finish the garlic harvest this week, work in the raspberry beds, and keep trellising those tomatoes (not a favorite job).
T-shirt notice
The t-shirt order has been delayed because I had to find a new company. So I thought I would put out the word for anyone who might still be interested in one that did not get on the original list. Please let me know pronto of your interest (by 7/27 at the latest). Short sleeve shirts are $15.
Berry Notice
Some of the berries you may receive the rest of the summer will not be considered organic. How can that be you ask—it’s an organic farm? Rules, rules, rules. When you purchase bare root perennial plants such as strawberries and raspberries that aren’t organic (organic ones are hard to find commercially), you have to wait one year of growth before they can be considered organic. That’s no problem with Junebearing strawberries as you plant them in the spring and harvest them in June of the next year. Raspberries don’t usually produce a lot of berries their first year in the ground, so really, there won’t be a lot of raspberries considered “not organic”. Because we are expecting a reduced raspberry harvest this year while we renew the raspberry beds, we have planted another fruit crop for supplementation. I wasn’t going to tell you about this until they “arrived”, but I think some of them will make it. We hope to have some dayneutral strawberries in August and September. Because they were planted this year and will bear this year, these dayneutral strawberries will not be considered organic. Does that make sense? Anyway, I feel obligated to inform you of the rules, and why they won’t be organic.
I did some of my strawberry research for my MS degree with dayneutral strawberries, and I actually grew them for the CSA in the early years. Any sandbox members remember that? I quit growing them because they ripen the same time as raspberries and it’s difficult to pick two fruit crops at once. Also there are more bugs that like to chew on strawberries in August and September than in June. But there is a new variety that we are trying, so it’s another Turtle Farm adventure. Now that I have spilled the beans on the berry surprise, let’s hope it doesn’t jinx their appearance.
Recipes
Often when preparing Swiss chard, the ribs get tossed or not used in many recipes. Here’s an interesting use for them. I doubt you would have 4 lb of chard at once, so just reduce the amounts appropriately.
Yannick Alleno’s Swiss Chard Rib Gratin with Pine Nuts and Parmesan (from Vegetable Harvest by Patricia Wells)
4 lb Swiss chard
1 lemon, scrubbed
¼ c. pine nuts
2 c. homemade chicken stock
1 c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
¼ c. celery leaves, minced
½ c. ¼-inch cubes of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
¼ c. fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
Wash and drain the Swiss chard, reserving the leaves for another recipe. You should have about 2 pounds ribs. Preheat the broiler. Halve the lemon, squeeze the juice, and add it and the lemon halves to a large bowl of cold water. Trim and remove any large, fibrous strings from each rib of chard. Cut the ribs crosswise (against the grain of the rib, much as you would cut celery) into even, thin slices. Drop the slices into the bowl of acidulated water. Set aside.
Place the pine nuts in a small, dry skillet over moderate heat. Toast, shaking the pan regularly until the nuts are fragrant and evenly browned, about 2 minutes Watch carefully. They can burn quickly. Transfer the nuts to a large plate to cool. Set aside.
Drain the ribs and place in a large saucepan. Cover with chicken stock and cook, covered, over moderate heat until tender, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the ribs to a gratin dish. Cover with g rated cheese. Place under the broiler and cook until the cheese is golden and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with celery leaves, pine nuts, cubed cheese, and basil Return to the broiler just until the pine nuts and cheese are browned, 1-2 minutes more. Serve immediately.