2023 CSA Farm Update: Week 3

Potatoes in bloom

Welcome everyone to week 3 of the Katchkie Farm CSA. The past week was a dry one with some plants showing the first hints of water stress. The plants’ thirst was relieved when 2 inches of rain fell on Friday night and Saturday. The rest of this coming week looks to be a potentially rainy one, which is always a bit tricky to navigate with all of the scheduled plantings and cultivation. Keeping things on course is never as cut and dry as the schedule dictates!

This past week also brought us the summer solstice, which in our Northern Hemisphere is the longest day and shortest night of the year. It has been a few years, but my children enjoyed hearing The Flowers’ Festival by Elsa Beskow. This book gives a remarkable account of the grand party all of the flowers have on the longest day of the year. This got me to ask the question of what is happening on the farm during the longest day of the year and is there any noticeable difference in the garden with the plants? One very noticeable change is that all the perennial plants on the farm start to slow down their annual growth and harden off. One can see this on the growing tips of trees or bushes how the new growth, if not pushed with additional fertility will lose its’ delicate green appearance and become more woody like the rest of the plant. In terms of our annual vegetable crops, it is a bit harder to notice distinct changes to the growth pattern, but changes can be noticed in which crops perform the best. When I think of summer foods, I tend to think of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, zucchini, melons, corn, and beans. The ability of the plant to produce those fruits we all hold so dear is at its peak.

One skill a farmer needs is to be able to bring balance to the different stages of the plant’s development. I remember becoming aware of this many years ago, when I was preparing land for a later planting of zucchini. I had some very strong compost and decided that the more to put down the better. For the early leafy part of this plants’ growth cycle, I was right. This plant took off out of the ground and started growing like crazy, producing some of the largest leaves I had ever seen on a zucchini. I was sure that what I had done was the right move, but only later when the plant would start flowering did the problems show. All the excessive strong compost interfered with the flowering aspect of the plant, which produced very few flowers, which was then followed by the development of powdery mildew, which was the plants’ demise. Some say this could have been remedied or prevented with a fungicide application. My opinion is that this plant needed balance. As I walk around the farm at this transition point in the year, I am keeping an eye out for what the plants’ needs are and what needs more or less encouragement. May my work be fruitful.


Until next time,
Farmer Jon

WEEKLY HARVEST INCLUDES*

*We try our best to provide the most accurate CSA list in the newsletter! However, there’s always a chance of last minute substitutions in some bags if we don’t harvest enough of a vegetable.

DELICIOUS RECIPES TO TRY

Chef Andrew's Recipe Corner


BAKED CREAMED SWISS CHARD


Ingredients

  • 1 bunch Swiss chard destemmed and washed.

  • ½ cup bechamel

  • ¼ cup grated fontina cheese

  • 1 tsp toasted breadcrumbs


Method for Swiss Chard
Remove leaves of Swiss chard setting stems aside. Dice stems into ¼ x ¼ inch and ruff chop leaves. Triple wash all Swiss chard to make sure any sand or grit is removed. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While water is coming to boil place ice a water into a large bowl to create an Ice bath. Season boiling water with salt add Swiss chard to boiling water and cook for approximately one minute. Then submerge into ice water and stir to stop the cooking process.  Remove from ice bath and ring any excess water out and set aside.

BECHAMEL

Ingredients

  • ½ cup heavy cream

  • ½ milk

  • ¼ cup sliced Spanish onion

  • 2 each whole clove

  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg ground

  • TT salt

  • 2 tsp corn starch slurry (one part water 1 part corn starch)


Method for Bechamel
In a thick bottom pot sweat onions with cloves over low heat till they begin to go translucent. Pour milk and cream over onions and remove from heat and allow to steep for forty-five minutes. Strain off onions in fine mesh strainer and return liquid to pot. Bring mixture to boil and in slurry and allow to thicken take care not to scold the bottom of the pot. Remove from heat and add nutmeg and season to taste.

Method for Baked Swiss Chard
In a oven safe dish fold Swiss chard and bechamel together top with grated fontina and broil till top is golden brown and Swiss chard is heated all the way through approximately 8 to 10 minutes.

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