title title title title title title title
title title title
News and Notes | The Anchor Run Blog

Posts Filtered by Month - July 2017 |
Show Recent Posts

July 30, 2017
Ground/Husk Cherry Recommendation
By Linda Dansbury
Fellow member Julianne immediately responded to the newsletter last week with a recipe for husk cherries that her family loves. It sounds delicious and incorporates so many of the veggies we are receiving right now - very important to me when choosing recipes to keep on this site. I can't wait to try it! It is simply called Fresh Ground Cherry Salsa. Thank you Julianne - if you have something you would like to share with membership, please send it to me at lindadansbury@comcast.net. Please put Anchor Run in the subject line so I can find your email.
Again this week, I kept up with my harvest by making a lot of salads with vinaigrettes so we could have them alongside grilled meats and leftovers for lunch.
Eggplant, squash, garlic, mint, scallions - I made the Thai-style Grilled Eggplant Salad. I don't believe I have made this in a couple of years and it is delicious and keeps very well. Try it, as I say in the recipe description, even people who aren't crazy about eggplant like this dish.
Tomato, garlic scape, basil - yes, I found a bag with garlic scapes in the bottom of my crisper drawer and they were still good. I like using them in bruschetta as I did a couple of times this past week because they are more mild than garlic cloves so the flavor of the delicious tomatoes comes through.
Eggplant, basil - Eggplant Parmigiana is a great way to use eggplant. For me, though, traditional recipes for the dish are very time consuming and make a mess of the kitchen. I found a recipe a few years ago by Mario Batali. You simply roast thick eggplant slices until nice and brown and somewhat soft. Allow to cool, then make eggplant "stacks", alternating eggplant, mozzarella cheese, sauce and basil. Then bake again. It is lighter than the usual versions too, which is nice in the summer - pair with a large salad for a complete meal.
Fennel, fresh onions, garlic, herbs - made the pork and fennel dish I described last week again - it was that delicious!
Tomato, garlic - I had the wonderful experience of being in Barcelona last year, and one of the most famous Tapas in the Catalan region is Tomato Bread. There are many, many versions, each bar and restaurant has its own recipe. I chose one that is very simple because I didn't want to hide the flavor of the tomato. I was making dinner for a friend that night and she loved it so much, she ate a half loaf herself! Start with a loaf of good quality bread, one that can absorb liquid. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and either grill or bake in oven until just nicely browned (you don't want to get it too brown or it will be too dried out to absorb the liquid). To prepare the tomatoes, cut them in half and with a box grater set over a bowl, grate the tomato halves - this method is great - flatten your hand out while you do it and you will be left with just the skin of the tomato. A puree is in the bowl, which would also be wonderful for a simple tomato sauce. Add a little salt to the tomato. When bread comes off the grill, take a garlic clove and rub the bread. Then spoon the tomato on the bread and allow it to soak in. That's it! This description makes it sound more complex than it is.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 30, 2017
Enjoying U-Pick
By Linda Dansbury
I hope everyone is getting outside to do U-pick in this awesome weather. I did mine yesterday afternoon and it was so nice to be outside. I thought of a couple of things I wanted to share.
The cherry tomatoes are coming on strong now, and if Mother Nature/diseases are kind, we will be picking these delicious gems for about another month or so. The farm grows all delicious varieties that they have tested for years and found to be the best adapted to our area, with good harvests and of course, great taste. When picking, check to make sure you are picking ripe fruit - since they are different colors, just check near the bottom of the plants for the most ripe tomatoes - that will show you what color you need to pick for the most delicious taste. The first rows you come to is the prized Sun Gold variety - they are ripe when they turn orange, so even though they look really pretty when they are yellow, leave those to ripen for a few more days. Other tomatoes are red, but with varying shades, so just take your time and see which ones are most ripe. There is also the Black Cherry heirloom variety that is one of my favorites. It is dark, almost purple at the bottom but usually maintains green "shoulders", even when fully ripe. Yum!
The tomatillos are abundant right now. I picked my allotment in about 2 minutes and didn't move from a single spot - a few of the ones I picked were actually laying on the ground. Don't miss out on this delicious veggie - just search this site for ideas.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 30, 2017
Fruits of our Labor
By Derek McGeehan
Harvest #12 (Week B) should include watermelon, carrots, tomatoes/heirloom tomatoes, sweet peppers, eggplant, scallions, fresh onions, summer squash, cucumbers, lettuces, fresh garlic, parsley, basil, shishito peppers, hot peppers, and Italian dandelion. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include cherry tomatoes, husk cherries, tomatillos, beans, blackberries, herbs, and flowers.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 30, 2017
Workshifts Scheduled for Week of 7/30/17
By Derek McGeehan
We're past the halfway point of the season for work hour opportunities. Workshifts will be scheduled through October but frequency will diminish in September. If you still need to work your pledged hours please consider signing up for a workshift soon. If you'd rather contribute financially to cover the work hour cost of your share please do so soon so that we can plan accordingly. E-mail us at anchorruncsa@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Workshifts this week:
Tuesday 8/1 9-11am
Wednesday 8/2 9-11am
Wednesday 8/2 6-8pm
Friday 8/4 9-11am
Sunday 8/6 7-9am
Workshift sign-up instructions may be found here.
Thank you!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 30, 2017
Into August We Go
By Derek McGeehan
Today's weather feels like the best we've had in weeks. I'm very much looking forward to working with some dry soil early this week, getting the ground ready for more of our fall plantings. After being unable to do much with the soil last week due to the perpetual cloud cover, humidity, and cool weather which kept the ground moist, we did manage to transplant the 2nd round of broccoli, the first rounds of kale, beets, and chard, as well as the weekly lettuce planting on Friday afternoon.
We're also beginning to clean up spring and early summer crops and sow cover crops. Buckwheat was sown a couple of weeks ago where strawberries, kale, kohlrabi, cabbage, and lettuces once grew. Because of all the rain and heat and sun it's already 2 feet tall. Soon it will be covered in smelly flowers attracting all types of pollinating insects. Before it drops seed we'll incorporate it into the soil as a 'green manure' and then sow another cover crop, either an overwintering one like crimson clover or a winter killed one like daikon radish and oats. Very soon we'll embark on the potato harvest, which will be collected over a month or so.
Watermelons were retrieved last week and should be in the harvest for a few weeks. In about 2-3 weeks our 2nd planting of watermelon should be ready, as well as our cantaloupes, if all goes well. At the end of August the early varieties of winter squash should begin to grace our tables as well. Hooray for good food!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 23, 2017
Cooling Foods?
By Linda Dansbury
Heat and humidity made us not want to turn the oven on any more than we had to this week. Even grilling was not as much fun as it usually is, so we grilled a lot at a time and then made the most of it for a couple of days.
I had mentioned making a large beet salad a couple of weeks ago - we had them this past week, and they were as delicious as ever. They will keep for at least a month when in a vinaigrette - I just open up the container and stir it every few days to make sure the beets stay covered in the dressing. What have you done with your harvest? Please share by emailing me at lindadansbury@comcast.net. Please put Anchor Run in the subject line so I can find your email.
Here are a few things we ate this week:
Lettuce, turnips, scallions, cherry tomatoes, herbs - we had grilled a large steak and ate half of it one night and the next night made a huge salad and had the steak with it.
Eggplant, garlic, parsley - made a batch of Baba Ganoush - I make a lot of it when we have these beautiful large eggplants and freeze it for use throughout the year. Delicious!!
Peppers, scallions, summer squash, fennel - grilled along with the steak. When they were finished, grated parm cheese, chopped herbs, olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Leftovers were eaten the next day as a salad for lunch.
Celery, cucumbers - mostly ate as snacks with lunch and while making dinner - sometimes I am really hungry while starting to prep food and rather than noshing on something that will fill me up so I can't enjoy my dinner I will take out celery and cucs, and the crunch of these and high water content are satisfying.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 23, 2017
Carrots, Onions, Husk Cherries Are Here!
By Derek McGeehan
Harvest #11 (Week A) should include carrots, scallions, eggplant, sweet peppers, tomatoes, fresh garlic, celery, fresh onions, summer squash, cucumbers, cabbage, lettuces, basil, parsley, Italian dandelion, and hot peppers. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include beans, cherry tomatoes, husk cherries, tomatillos, flowers, and herbs. If you're looking for a cilantro replacement while we await the harvest of the next round, look no further than the papalo in the herb garden.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 23, 2017
End of Steamy Heat Wave
By Derek McGeehan
Amid this heat wave we had a satisfyingly productively sweaty week on the farm. Two thousand five hundred pounds of carrots were successfully harvested by the farm crew and CSA members after the tractor loosened the soil for ease of harvest. We'll all be enjoying this heirloom carrot variety known as Red Cored Chantenay for a couple of months. One thousand two hundred pounds of fresh sweet onions, also an heirloom variety, were pulled, trimmed, and stowed for distribution as well, about one-third of the total onion harvest.
Carrots and onions are two of the most challenging and sensitive crops that we grow so we're thrilled and extremely happy when we harvest a successful crop. They're also two of the most beloved and common foods. I should add that they also used to be some of the most labor intensive crops to grow. After some tweaking of growing methods, especially with the onions, we've begun to realize important improvements in yields while improving farm efficiency. In an attempt to have enough onions for the CSA we used to just try to grow too many. Instead of doing that this year we reduced the amount we grow by 20%, grew two instead of one per hole (therefore reducing the onion patch footprint by half), planted them into white plastic which deters some bugs, used two lines of drip tape irrigation instead of one, and following transplanting used hoops and row cover to shield the plants from a new invasive pest for their first month outside in the ground. Above is what the patch looked like in mid-April and below is current.
Regarding carrots, we've learned to use specific varieties that are somewhat shorter with tapered roots that perform well in heavy soils. We've also learned that if we seed them at appropriate spacing we may be able to avoid thinning, which takes A LOT of time. Carrots fortunately don't have much disease or pest pressure, so if we can stay on top of the weeds through cultivating and hand weeding we can generally rely on a crop (as long as we don't receive copious amounts of rain when they're practically mature and beckon for retrieval, which almost happened at the end of last week). Because they take up to 3 weeks to germinate and require the soil to remain moist we normally add a layer of row cover to slow down evaporation. Covering the soil, though, heats it up and can sometimes stimulate weed germination and growth that outpaces the carrots. So, some timely and very careful early cultivation is absolutely necessary to avoid losing the crop before it is barely established. The crop this year was cultivated three or four times and handweeded at least once.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 23, 2017
Workshifts Scheduled for Week of 7/23/17
By Derek McGeehan
Workshifts this week:
Wednesday 7/26 9-11am
Wednesday 7/26 6-8pm
Friday 7/28 9-11am
Saturday 7/29 9-11am
Workshift sign-up instructions may be found here.
Thank you!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 23, 2017
Rise and Fall of Beloved Veggies
By Derek McGeehan
It's the time of year when disease and pest pressure overwhelms some crops and we start to say goodbye until next year. Bad news first then some good news.
Crops that are currently beginning to show symptoms and will soon be unavailable in the pick up room include summer squash (downy mildew, powdery mildew), cucumbers (downy mildew, bacterial wilt, mosaic virus), and basil (downy mildew, fusarium wilt). Squash and cucumbers should be around for another few weeks but basil may be here for only one more week. Besides tomatoes, these crops are probably the most sensitive to disease and pest pressure and are generally outliers. All of the crops that we grow can be successfully managed completely organically with proactive measures such as crop rotation, maintaining soil health and fertility, and pest barriers like floating row cover. We choose to not resort to organically approved/organically derived sprays when disease or pests arrive.
Crops that as of now appear healthy and should soon grace our tables include watermelon, potatoes, onions, tomatillos, husk cherries, blackberries, dill, cilantro, okra, hot peppers, and carrots, as well as an ongoing supply of sweet peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, beans, and lettuces, among other crops.
Some other crops that are nearing the end of their harvest and distribution are fennel, celery, beets, kohlrabi, chard, and cabbage but all except celery will return in late summer and fall. We'll have celeriac instead of celery.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 23, 2017
Potluck Celebration Saturday 8/5 6-8pm
By Derek McGeehan
Our next farm potluck meal is Saturday August 5th 6-8pm. Join us under the pavilion for a nice meal shared with your community. Bring a dish to share that is large enough to feed 4-6 adults, your own place settings, and any beverage of your choosing. A brief note/label next to your dish will be helpful to folks with dietary restrictions. The 8th is Gabe's 4th birthday so we'll probably sing the song for him!
Sunday August 6th 6-8pm will be the rainout date.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 23, 2017
New Crops: fresh onions, carrots, husk cherries and tomatillos
By Linda Dansbury
The farm was a very busy place this past week: a lot of heavy harvesting and hauling it all in - once again demonstrating that even under the harshest conditions, farmers are some of the hardest working people on the planet!
We have a lot of new crops this week, a couple very familiar and a couple maybe not so for some of you.
Fresh onions - not much to say here - use them like any other onion, but like with the uncured garlic, these must be stored in the fridge in plastic. They will keep for at least a few weeks.
Carrots - store in plastic in the crisper drawer of your fridge - I know I don't need to say more - these sweet delights will not stay in your household for long.
Tomatillos - I think this is an underused veggie in at least this part of the country. They are in the nightshade family, along with tomatoes and eggplant. As such, they are very, very nutritious! As Derek shows in the picture, they are ripe when the husks start to split and you can find them toward the bottom of the plants. After the heavy rain, some may be laying on the ground - don't count them out, they may still be good. Ripe ones can be light green to almost a gold color and some even have a purple hue. They keep well stored in plastic in the fridge, lasting a few weeks at least. I say that because I often save up a couple of weeks worth of tomatillos and then make a large batch of sauce/salsa with them. They can be cut up and added raw into salads, grilled or roasted and made into sauce or salsa, used in soups (don't know that we want to go there right now)! As I enjoy mine, I will talk more, but for now, please check out the many recipes on this site - including Slow Cooker Chicken or Pork Chile Verde (slow cookers are a great way to go in the summer, since they don't heat up the kitchen), Cooked Tomatillo Salsa Verde and Chicken Stew with Tomatillo Sauce (one of my favorites).
Husk Cherries - another name for these tasty treats is ground cherries, because when they are ripe they fall to the ground. Also in the nightshade family these fruits are nutritionally packed. Husk Cherries have a tropical taste, some descriptions say they are reminiscent of lychee, pineapple, with a little grape and tomato flavor - I know their taste is unique. They are also unique in their storage - they need no refrigeration if left in their husks. I leave mine in a bowl on the kitchen counter and whenever we walk by we can just grab a couple. They can also be added to salads, jams and pies, and can be used alone or with other fruits in sauces for meats. There are a few recipes on this site but if you have one, please let me know at lindadansbury@comcast.net.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 17, 2017
Bountiful Summer
By Derek McGeehan
CSA Share Week #10
CSA Harvest #10 (Week B) should include scallions, beets, kohlrabi, fennel, celery, eggplant, summer squash, cucumbers, fresh garlic, lettuces, Swiss chard, Italian dandelion, green peppers, tomatoes, basil, parsley, and cilantro. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include yellow wax and/or green snap beans, cherry tomatoes, flowers, and herbs.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 17, 2017
Big Harvest Time
By Derek McGeehan
Sweet potatoes growing well on aggressively hilled beds. They've been weeded once with a workshift and cultivated twice with a tractor. Soon their vines should smother competitors, but not Abigail.
It's the time of year when we focus slightly more on the harvesting of crops that went into the ground months ago, were nurtured, cared for, protected, cultivated, weeded, and watered and now come out of the ground and fields to fill up the barn, the cooler, eventually your fridge and tummy. The garlic harvest symbolically commences the beginning of summer and fall bounty, but it really begins with the epic summer squash and cucumber yields that practically come all at once over a relatively short period of time, even though there are three plantings spaced a month apart. Soon these crops will deteriorate due to bug and disease pressure, so love them now!
Up next will be the great carrot harvest which will begin whenever the ground dries out enough after last week's rainfall, hopefully this week with the aid of heat. Following carrots will be watermelon, then onions, potatoes, winter squash, sweet potatoes, etc.
Sometime during the next couple of months tomatoes will hopefully peak in the upper single digits per member per week for some weeks and should be in the harvest for a few months. Look for gnarly and beautiful and richly flavored heirloom tomatoes from our high tunnel and red round traditional tomatoes grown in the field (which taste great too)!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 17, 2017
Workshifts Scheduled for Week of 7/16/17
By Derek McGeehan
We'll probably begin the hopefully awesome carrot harvest this week so most of the shifts should be family friendly. Please do not sign kids up online. If they work while they're here sign them in with yourself and they'll receive credit. Please note that we need the ground to be dry to harvest the carrots. When the ground is dry enough and we think we're ready to attempt retrieval of the entire patch we'll probably send out an e-mail asking for help.
Workshifts this week:
Wednesday 7/19 9-11am
Wednesday 7/19 6-8pm
Friday 7/21 9-11am
Sunday 7/23 7-9am
Workshift sign-up instructions may be found here.
Thank you!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 16, 2017
Member Idea
By Linda Dansbury
Nancy Wasch sent me a note reminding me of something she sent me last year during cucumber season. "I am addicted to cucumbers for breakfast. Similar to your tzatziki recipe, I simply mix cut cucumber, yogurt (a nice tangy variety with some fat in it), salt, pepper, and dill (or parsley and basil if no dill is available). I find I can eat all the cucumbers in no time this way, since they are the main course." Thank you Nancy for reminding me! Nancy's version or tzatziki can be used in other ways besides on its own. Top grilled meats and/or veggies with it, or if the cucumbers are chopped finely it can be used as a dip for raw veggies or crackers.
Here are a few things I did with my harvest this week:
Fennel, garlic, herbs - made a dish with pork chops - pork and fennel were made to be together! The pork chops were seasoned and browned then removed to a plate. To the same pan went onion, fennel and garlic and they were sauteed until slightly browned and just beginning to soften. Deglaze with vermouth or wine, add chicken stock and place chops back into pan and set them into the mixture. Cover and cook on low until veggies are soft and pork chops are cooked - about 12 minutes. Yum! Going to do this again.
Cucumbers, dill - made the Narrow Bridge Refrigerator Pickles. Even though I do can, I didn't have the time and the quanity wasn't quite enough to drag out the canner and heat up the kitchen.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 16, 2017
Another U-Pick Tip
By Linda Dansbury
Gabe and Abigail sample a red round field tomato to see if they're ready for harvest.
I am having a wonderful time cutting the flowers at the farm - they are so beautiful. But...they wilt so fast that by the time you get home, they already look sad - they do perk back up, but I am sure the stress takes a couple days off of their vase life. I have large mason jars, so I put some water in the jar and right after I cut the flowers, they go into the jar. I nestle the jar in the front seat of my car and when I get home they are as fresh as when I cut them. Besides keeping the flowers fresh, it gives me extra time to re-cut and arrange the flowers so I don't need to do it as soon as I get home. The other option is a wet towel or paper towels, a plastic bag and a rubber band.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 16, 2017
Member/Chef Recipe
By Linda Dansbury
Green sweet Italian-type peppers looking good on strong healthy plants aided by string support this year.
Luke Smithson is a long time fellow Anchor Run member and an excellent chef. He is the Executive Chef at Jamie Hollander Catering and Events in New Hope. Luke personally cooked for Dana and Derek's wedding. He’s also a gardener and expert forager and loves to share his passion for local foods and their historical use.
Last week he did a chef demo at Wrightstown Farmers Market and was kind enough to share his recipe so I can share it with you. It is called Corn and Mushroom Succotash.
Instead of the traditional corn with shelling beans (example lima beans) found in succotash, Luke replaces the beans with locally grown mushrooms - and he adds a lot of other local seasonal ingredients, so check out the recipe by clicking on the link above and enjoy your harvest by making the delicious dish!
Thank you Luke!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 9, 2017
Fresh Garlic, Cucumber Idea and a Few Storage Tips
By Linda Dansbury
A potluck rainbow!
This week is the garlic harvest and that means we will receive fresh garlic - Yay! Fresh garlic is what is harvested from the field, prior to being hung and cured into the bulbs with the papery protective covers we are used to seeing. Since it hasn't gone through the curing process, it needs to be stored in the refrigerator. Other than that, use it just like any other garlic in recipes. Please note - Anchor Run garlic is very fresh, even when cured so it is much stronger than what is purchased in the grocery store.
While in the pick up room somebody asked what to do with all the cucumbers - aside from salads, cutting up to snack on, try making the Narrow Bridge Farm Refrigerator Pickles. Don't think canning - these are much simpler - and very tasty!
Much of what we receive can just be put in plastic and stored in the fridge/crisper drawer of the refrigerator.
One thing that recently happened to me so I am sure it has also happened to some of you is I came home with my harvest and placed everything needing refrigeration into the fridge. Some things I didn't touch for a few days. When I pulled what had been a beautiful head of butterhead lettuce out of the fridge, the leaves that were on the side the head was sitting on were starting to rot! I remembered then that some of the items we receive are still quite wet from the washing station when we pick it up. There are a couple of simple solutions:
1. Lightly wrap the lettuce in a light towel and then place in plastic bag and refrigerate.
2. Purchase the containers that have an insert to keep the veggie out of the water.
Celery needs high moisture to keep from wilting quickly, so if you wrap the cut bottom in a wet towel/paper towel and then put into a sealed plastic container or bag and store in the crisper of the fridge, it will keep better than without the added attention.
Basil is an exception from refrigerating being one thing that does not like being cold. To keep it fresh, snip the ends when you get home and place in a glass of water and leave the glass on your kitchen counter. To keep it even longer, place a plastic bag over it. Basil can also be stored for a few days in the door of the refrigerator - just don't forget it is there!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 9, 2017
Beets and Squash Favorites
By Linda Dansbury
Saturday evening's potluck crowd enjoyed a wonderful meal, kefir making education, and kid entertainment.
We cooked so much for guests over the 4th of July holiday weekend that we spent much of the week finishing up our leftovers that included green bean salad, potato salad, cucumber salad to name a few.
A few things from this week are below, but other members would like to hear how you are enjoying your harvest, so please email me at lindadansbury@comcast.net with your ideas - please put Anchor Run in the Subject line of the email.
Beets, tarragon, scallions - I had 2 bunches of beets (the greens were used long ago) and wanted to use them so I roasted them all at the same time. I made a beet salad with half of them. My method is to slice scallions nice and thin, chop a mix of parsley and tarragon. Put into a small bowl. Add a bit of Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and mix well. Add olive oil in a thin stream and whisk into the red wine vinegar mix. I then pore some of the dressing into a separate bowl, chop the beets and add to the dressing and let them sit for a bit - they can actually stay in this dressing for at least a week. It can be eaten like this, but I like to put a layer of lettuce on plates and drizzle with some of the dressing, then top with the chopped beets and a nice grind of pepper and then add little bits of gresh goat cheese.
Summer squash, eggplant, radicchio, scallions - I purposely grilled extra amounts so I had leftovers which I used in sandwiches and in a pasta salad - so my lunches were absolutely delicious! The grilled veggies can also be chopped up and then put onto grilled bread with a drizzle of olive oil and/or cheese - think bruschetta.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 9, 2017
Thus Begins the Nightshade Shine
By Derek McGeehan
Harvest #9 (Week A) should include scallions, fresh garlic, cabbage, hakurei turnips, cucumbers, summer squash, lettuces, Swiss chard, Italian dandelion, basil, dill, cilantro, parsley, fennel, celery, eggplant, sweet peppers, and maybe a tomato. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include cherry tomatoes, yellow wax beans, herbs, raspberries, and flowers.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 9, 2017
Workshifts Scheduled for Week of 7/9/17
By Derek McGeehan
Sunday's two workshifts harvested and hung approximately 8,500 garlic bulbs, 75% of the patch, to dry and cure in the barn (above photo courtesy of Hannah).
Workshifts this week:
Wednesday 7/12 10am-12noon
Wednesday 7/12 6-8pm
Friday 7/14 10am-12noon
Sunday 7/16 7-9am
Workshift sign-up instructions may be found here.
Thank you!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 9, 2017
Rainbow Tomato
By Derek McGeehan
It was a busy, fun, and eventful week and weekend on the farm. It was a holiday week with some rain so we were able to slow down a bit and give the crew some time off. There's a brief period in early July when we're between the Big Planting and the Big Harvesting when there's an ever-so-slight lull where we can breathe easier and rest up a tad for the final push of the season. It was brief, however, and the Big Harvest began today with the garlic, always a good community endeavor. Last night we celebrated with the second potluck of the season, had a wonderful meal, learned about kefir making, and saw some rainbows. This week we'll begin planting cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower for the fall; soon we'll harvest carrots and onions; and pretty soon potatoes will be ready. And, tomatoes are starting to ripen!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 2, 2017
Out with the Old, In with the New
By Derek McGeehan
Harvest #8 (Week B) should include cucumbers, summer squash, celery, fennel, butterhead lettuce, mini lettuces, scallions, cabbage, hakurei turnips, beets, Swiss chard, Italian dandelion, kale, radicchio, basil, cilantro, and dill. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include green snap beans, flowers, herbs, and maybe raspberries.
Quick note on the raspberries: They're less plentiful this year so we're unable to give everyone a 1/2-pint like we did last season. We just transplanted another 500 plants to increase quantities for next season (current patch was started with only 250 plants). Later this season we'll hopefully be able to enjoy an ample amount of blackberries. We promise to eventually perfect organic bramble berry production! Thank you for understanding.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 2, 2017
Potluck Meal Saturday 7/8
This bumblebee snacks on some nectar on a sunflower in the u-pick flower garden and will unintentionally transfer pollen so the sunflower can reproduce. Symbiosis!
Our next farm potluck meal is Saturday July 8th 6-8pm. Join us under the pavilion for a nice meal shared with your community. Bring a dish to share that is large enough to feed 4-6 adults, your own place settings, and any beverage of your choosing. A brief note/label next to your dish will be helpful to folks with dietary restrictions.
Hope to see you there!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 2, 2017
Workshifts Scheduled for Week of 7/2/17
Heirloom tomatoes love growing in the protective high tunnel. Soon they'll be 8 feet tall and producing the best tasting tomatoes in this universe (they're pretty good)!
Workshifts this week:
Wednesday 7/5 10am-12noon
Wednesday 7/5 6-8pm
Friday 7/7 10am-12noon
Sunday 7/9 8-10am
Workshift sign-up instructions may be found here.
Thank you!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 2, 2017
It's July
By Derek McGeehan
Rain was welcomed at the farm on Saturday evening and along with it we enjoyed some nice displays of lighting and a beautiful sky. It did chase us out of the field prematurely but safety always comes first. On the right in the photo is our monstrous bush of watermelon vines that appear to have been planted into some very fertile and well fed soil. Uphill and on the left is our allium patch of scallions, fresh onions, and storage onions. Thus far the health and vigor of the plants seems to have truly benefitted from the extra attention earlier in the season to deter various damaging insects. The white plastic repels some and the floating row cover was a barrier to others. The watermelon received extra attention as well. Of course it was started in the greenhouse, nurtured there for 4 weeks, then transplanted into raised beds covered in black plastic for heat and weed suppression. The aisles were manually covered with 4-foot wide landscape fabric that was stapled to the ground. Hoops and floating row cover then went over the entire patch to keep other bugs off the plants until they were truly established and flourishing. All of this is done in an attempt to have a great harvest. Growing organically is challenging and difficult, but with the right planning, tools, and resources, as well as a lot of extra work, it can be done successfully.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 2, 2017
Member recipe
By Linda Dansbury
I had been thinking of writing something on how to use the herbs we are receiving and must have had some mental telepathy with fellow member Tina Nightlinger because she sent me the following email:
"With all the herbs that I got today, I thought this would be a good time to share my chimichurri recipe. I made mine tonight with mostly cilantro, but you can use whatever you have as long as it isn't too overpowering (like rosemary).
Blend
1/4 cup red wine vinegar with
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes,
4 cloves garlic (scapes work well too), and
3/4 cup herbs (I usually use cilantro, basil, oregano, & parsley, but use whatever you like)
Transfer to a bowl and whisk in 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Don't do this in the blender. It will make the oil bitter. Add salt & pepper to taste.
Use it as a marinade and/or sauce for steak. It's also good as a salad dressing or mixed in a salsa. Put it on everything if you want. It's delicious. But it's probably only good for a week, so freeze excess or use it up".
Thank you Tina - it is a great way to use the herbs. I will also post this recipe to our site so it will be available for future searches. If anyone has an idea or question, please email me at lindadansbury@comcast.net and please put Anchor Run in the subject line.
Here are a few things that I made this past week:
Beets, garlic scapes, parsley - made the Roasted Beet and Beet Greens Risotto.
Beets, scallions, tarragon, lettuces - made a beet salad. I roasted the beets and made a vinaigrette with Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, scallions, salt and pepper and tarragon. I peeled and sliced the beets and poured some of the vinaigrette over the beets and let the flavors go through. Then I placed some lettuces on plates and placed beets on top, added some fresh ground pepper, drizzled a little more of the dressing, and topped with bits of goat cheese and pecans. This is one of my husband's favorite salads and the beets keep in the vinaigrette for at least a week.
Summer squash, radicchio - grilled them and they were delicious! Brushed with olive oil, and when they were done, we sprinkled a little sea salt and pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and a few crumbles of local feta cheese - yum!
Green beans, scallions, basil - made a green bean salad - cooked beans until just tender and placed in large bowl. Added sliced scallions, chopped basil, some chickpeas, salt pepper, olive oil, red wine vinegar. Again, yum! And, we have enough for a couple days.
Assorted greens, garlic scape - made a dish that a member had sent me a few years ago. In large skillet, place some chopped onions and saute until tender. Add chopped greens, and saute until tender. Make little "wells" in the greens and then carefully crack an egg into each well. Place a lid over the skillet, and let the eggs steam in the pan just until the whites are set but the yolk is still runny. Serve with some added pepper and a nice piece of toasted bread,
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 2, 2017
Celery and Fennel New this Week
By Linda Dansbury
Very soon we will bid a sad farewell to beets, kale and romaine - all of which will make a return in the fall. But, we happily say hello to fennel and celery.
Celery is said to detoxify the body and lower blood pressure. Everyone knows about snacking on celery, either by itself or with some cheese, dip or peanut butter. Also added to potato salads. But, did you know that it is also delicious cooked? Check out the Braised Celery and Italian Celery Soup Recipes on this site. I have made both in the past and they are nice recipes. Make sure to store your celery in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer in your fridge or it will wilt quickly.
Fennel is high in vitamins C and B6, contains phytonutrients, plus has some chloresterol lowering properties. Fennel is eaten both raw and cooked - I prefer cooked fennel, or when used in a salad with other ingredients, but my Italian relatives always had it on the table during big holiday meals - they say raw fennel helps aid in digestion. This site has several fennel recipes. Try the Roasted Fennel and White Bean Dip, Lentil Salad with Fennel and Herbs, Fennel, Radicchio and Proscuitto Salad - actually, there are A LOT of yummy recipes on this site so try them!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
News and Notes | Posts Filtered by Month - July 2017
 
title title title title title title title
title title title
News and Notes | The Anchor Run Blog

Posts Filtered by Month - July 2017 |
Show Recent Posts

July 30, 2017
Ground/Husk Cherry Recommendation
By Linda Dansbury
Fellow member Julianne immediately responded to the newsletter last week with a recipe for husk cherries that her family loves. It sounds delicious and incorporates so many of the veggies we are receiving right now - very important to me when choosing recipes to keep on this site. I can't wait to try it! It is simply called Fresh Ground Cherry Salsa. Thank you Julianne - if you have something you would like to share with membership, please send it to me at lindadansbury@comcast.net. Please put Anchor Run in the subject line so I can find your email.
Again this week, I kept up with my harvest by making a lot of salads with vinaigrettes so we could have them alongside grilled meats and leftovers for lunch.
Eggplant, squash, garlic, mint, scallions - I made the Thai-style Grilled Eggplant Salad. I don't believe I have made this in a couple of years and it is delicious and keeps very well. Try it, as I say in the recipe description, even people who aren't crazy about eggplant like this dish.
Tomato, garlic scape, basil - yes, I found a bag with garlic scapes in the bottom of my crisper drawer and they were still good. I like using them in bruschetta as I did a couple of times this past week because they are more mild than garlic cloves so the flavor of the delicious tomatoes comes through.
Eggplant, basil - Eggplant Parmigiana is a great way to use eggplant. For me, though, traditional recipes for the dish are very time consuming and make a mess of the kitchen. I found a recipe a few years ago by Mario Batali. You simply roast thick eggplant slices until nice and brown and somewhat soft. Allow to cool, then make eggplant "stacks", alternating eggplant, mozzarella cheese, sauce and basil. Then bake again. It is lighter than the usual versions too, which is nice in the summer - pair with a large salad for a complete meal.
Fennel, fresh onions, garlic, herbs - made the pork and fennel dish I described last week again - it was that delicious!
Tomato, garlic - I had the wonderful experience of being in Barcelona last year, and one of the most famous Tapas in the Catalan region is Tomato Bread. There are many, many versions, each bar and restaurant has its own recipe. I chose one that is very simple because I didn't want to hide the flavor of the tomato. I was making dinner for a friend that night and she loved it so much, she ate a half loaf herself! Start with a loaf of good quality bread, one that can absorb liquid. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and either grill or bake in oven until just nicely browned (you don't want to get it too brown or it will be too dried out to absorb the liquid). To prepare the tomatoes, cut them in half and with a box grater set over a bowl, grate the tomato halves - this method is great - flatten your hand out while you do it and you will be left with just the skin of the tomato. A puree is in the bowl, which would also be wonderful for a simple tomato sauce. Add a little salt to the tomato. When bread comes off the grill, take a garlic clove and rub the bread. Then spoon the tomato on the bread and allow it to soak in. That's it! This description makes it sound more complex than it is.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 30, 2017
Enjoying U-Pick
By Linda Dansbury
I hope everyone is getting outside to do U-pick in this awesome weather. I did mine yesterday afternoon and it was so nice to be outside. I thought of a couple of things I wanted to share.
The cherry tomatoes are coming on strong now, and if Mother Nature/diseases are kind, we will be picking these delicious gems for about another month or so. The farm grows all delicious varieties that they have tested for years and found to be the best adapted to our area, with good harvests and of course, great taste. When picking, check to make sure you are picking ripe fruit - since they are different colors, just check near the bottom of the plants for the most ripe tomatoes - that will show you what color you need to pick for the most delicious taste. The first rows you come to is the prized Sun Gold variety - they are ripe when they turn orange, so even though they look really pretty when they are yellow, leave those to ripen for a few more days. Other tomatoes are red, but with varying shades, so just take your time and see which ones are most ripe. There is also the Black Cherry heirloom variety that is one of my favorites. It is dark, almost purple at the bottom but usually maintains green "shoulders", even when fully ripe. Yum!
The tomatillos are abundant right now. I picked my allotment in about 2 minutes and didn't move from a single spot - a few of the ones I picked were actually laying on the ground. Don't miss out on this delicious veggie - just search this site for ideas.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 30, 2017
Fruits of our Labor
By Derek McGeehan
Harvest #12 (Week B) should include watermelon, carrots, tomatoes/heirloom tomatoes, sweet peppers, eggplant, scallions, fresh onions, summer squash, cucumbers, lettuces, fresh garlic, parsley, basil, shishito peppers, hot peppers, and Italian dandelion. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include cherry tomatoes, husk cherries, tomatillos, beans, blackberries, herbs, and flowers.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 30, 2017
Workshifts Scheduled for Week of 7/30/17
By Derek McGeehan
We're past the halfway point of the season for work hour opportunities. Workshifts will be scheduled through October but frequency will diminish in September. If you still need to work your pledged hours please consider signing up for a workshift soon. If you'd rather contribute financially to cover the work hour cost of your share please do so soon so that we can plan accordingly. E-mail us at anchorruncsa@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Workshifts this week:
Tuesday 8/1 9-11am
Wednesday 8/2 9-11am
Wednesday 8/2 6-8pm
Friday 8/4 9-11am
Sunday 8/6 7-9am
Workshift sign-up instructions may be found here.
Thank you!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 30, 2017
Into August We Go
By Derek McGeehan
Today's weather feels like the best we've had in weeks. I'm very much looking forward to working with some dry soil early this week, getting the ground ready for more of our fall plantings. After being unable to do much with the soil last week due to the perpetual cloud cover, humidity, and cool weather which kept the ground moist, we did manage to transplant the 2nd round of broccoli, the first rounds of kale, beets, and chard, as well as the weekly lettuce planting on Friday afternoon.
We're also beginning to clean up spring and early summer crops and sow cover crops. Buckwheat was sown a couple of weeks ago where strawberries, kale, kohlrabi, cabbage, and lettuces once grew. Because of all the rain and heat and sun it's already 2 feet tall. Soon it will be covered in smelly flowers attracting all types of pollinating insects. Before it drops seed we'll incorporate it into the soil as a 'green manure' and then sow another cover crop, either an overwintering one like crimson clover or a winter killed one like daikon radish and oats. Very soon we'll embark on the potato harvest, which will be collected over a month or so.
Watermelons were retrieved last week and should be in the harvest for a few weeks. In about 2-3 weeks our 2nd planting of watermelon should be ready, as well as our cantaloupes, if all goes well. At the end of August the early varieties of winter squash should begin to grace our tables as well. Hooray for good food!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 23, 2017
Cooling Foods?
By Linda Dansbury
Heat and humidity made us not want to turn the oven on any more than we had to this week. Even grilling was not as much fun as it usually is, so we grilled a lot at a time and then made the most of it for a couple of days.
I had mentioned making a large beet salad a couple of weeks ago - we had them this past week, and they were as delicious as ever. They will keep for at least a month when in a vinaigrette - I just open up the container and stir it every few days to make sure the beets stay covered in the dressing. What have you done with your harvest? Please share by emailing me at lindadansbury@comcast.net. Please put Anchor Run in the subject line so I can find your email.
Here are a few things we ate this week:
Lettuce, turnips, scallions, cherry tomatoes, herbs - we had grilled a large steak and ate half of it one night and the next night made a huge salad and had the steak with it.
Eggplant, garlic, parsley - made a batch of Baba Ganoush - I make a lot of it when we have these beautiful large eggplants and freeze it for use throughout the year. Delicious!!
Peppers, scallions, summer squash, fennel - grilled along with the steak. When they were finished, grated parm cheese, chopped herbs, olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Leftovers were eaten the next day as a salad for lunch.
Celery, cucumbers - mostly ate as snacks with lunch and while making dinner - sometimes I am really hungry while starting to prep food and rather than noshing on something that will fill me up so I can't enjoy my dinner I will take out celery and cucs, and the crunch of these and high water content are satisfying.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 23, 2017
Carrots, Onions, Husk Cherries Are Here!
By Derek McGeehan
Harvest #11 (Week A) should include carrots, scallions, eggplant, sweet peppers, tomatoes, fresh garlic, celery, fresh onions, summer squash, cucumbers, cabbage, lettuces, basil, parsley, Italian dandelion, and hot peppers. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include beans, cherry tomatoes, husk cherries, tomatillos, flowers, and herbs. If you're looking for a cilantro replacement while we await the harvest of the next round, look no further than the papalo in the herb garden.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 23, 2017
End of Steamy Heat Wave
By Derek McGeehan
Amid this heat wave we had a satisfyingly productively sweaty week on the farm. Two thousand five hundred pounds of carrots were successfully harvested by the farm crew and CSA members after the tractor loosened the soil for ease of harvest. We'll all be enjoying this heirloom carrot variety known as Red Cored Chantenay for a couple of months. One thousand two hundred pounds of fresh sweet onions, also an heirloom variety, were pulled, trimmed, and stowed for distribution as well, about one-third of the total onion harvest.
Carrots and onions are two of the most challenging and sensitive crops that we grow so we're thrilled and extremely happy when we harvest a successful crop. They're also two of the most beloved and common foods. I should add that they also used to be some of the most labor intensive crops to grow. After some tweaking of growing methods, especially with the onions, we've begun to realize important improvements in yields while improving farm efficiency. In an attempt to have enough onions for the CSA we used to just try to grow too many. Instead of doing that this year we reduced the amount we grow by 20%, grew two instead of one per hole (therefore reducing the onion patch footprint by half), planted them into white plastic which deters some bugs, used two lines of drip tape irrigation instead of one, and following transplanting used hoops and row cover to shield the plants from a new invasive pest for their first month outside in the ground. Above is what the patch looked like in mid-April and below is current.
Regarding carrots, we've learned to use specific varieties that are somewhat shorter with tapered roots that perform well in heavy soils. We've also learned that if we seed them at appropriate spacing we may be able to avoid thinning, which takes A LOT of time. Carrots fortunately don't have much disease or pest pressure, so if we can stay on top of the weeds through cultivating and hand weeding we can generally rely on a crop (as long as we don't receive copious amounts of rain when they're practically mature and beckon for retrieval, which almost happened at the end of last week). Because they take up to 3 weeks to germinate and require the soil to remain moist we normally add a layer of row cover to slow down evaporation. Covering the soil, though, heats it up and can sometimes stimulate weed germination and growth that outpaces the carrots. So, some timely and very careful early cultivation is absolutely necessary to avoid losing the crop before it is barely established. The crop this year was cultivated three or four times and handweeded at least once.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 23, 2017
Workshifts Scheduled for Week of 7/23/17
By Derek McGeehan
Workshifts this week:
Wednesday 7/26 9-11am
Wednesday 7/26 6-8pm
Friday 7/28 9-11am
Saturday 7/29 9-11am
Workshift sign-up instructions may be found here.
Thank you!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 23, 2017
Rise and Fall of Beloved Veggies
By Derek McGeehan
It's the time of year when disease and pest pressure overwhelms some crops and we start to say goodbye until next year. Bad news first then some good news.
Crops that are currently beginning to show symptoms and will soon be unavailable in the pick up room include summer squash (downy mildew, powdery mildew), cucumbers (downy mildew, bacterial wilt, mosaic virus), and basil (downy mildew, fusarium wilt). Squash and cucumbers should be around for another few weeks but basil may be here for only one more week. Besides tomatoes, these crops are probably the most sensitive to disease and pest pressure and are generally outliers. All of the crops that we grow can be successfully managed completely organically with proactive measures such as crop rotation, maintaining soil health and fertility, and pest barriers like floating row cover. We choose to not resort to organically approved/organically derived sprays when disease or pests arrive.
Crops that as of now appear healthy and should soon grace our tables include watermelon, potatoes, onions, tomatillos, husk cherries, blackberries, dill, cilantro, okra, hot peppers, and carrots, as well as an ongoing supply of sweet peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, beans, and lettuces, among other crops.
Some other crops that are nearing the end of their harvest and distribution are fennel, celery, beets, kohlrabi, chard, and cabbage but all except celery will return in late summer and fall. We'll have celeriac instead of celery.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 23, 2017
Potluck Celebration Saturday 8/5 6-8pm
By Derek McGeehan
Our next farm potluck meal is Saturday August 5th 6-8pm. Join us under the pavilion for a nice meal shared with your community. Bring a dish to share that is large enough to feed 4-6 adults, your own place settings, and any beverage of your choosing. A brief note/label next to your dish will be helpful to folks with dietary restrictions. The 8th is Gabe's 4th birthday so we'll probably sing the song for him!
Sunday August 6th 6-8pm will be the rainout date.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 23, 2017
New Crops: fresh onions, carrots, husk cherries and tomatillos
By Linda Dansbury
The farm was a very busy place this past week: a lot of heavy harvesting and hauling it all in - once again demonstrating that even under the harshest conditions, farmers are some of the hardest working people on the planet!
We have a lot of new crops this week, a couple very familiar and a couple maybe not so for some of you.
Fresh onions - not much to say here - use them like any other onion, but like with the uncured garlic, these must be stored in the fridge in plastic. They will keep for at least a few weeks.
Carrots - store in plastic in the crisper drawer of your fridge - I know I don't need to say more - these sweet delights will not stay in your household for long.
Tomatillos - I think this is an underused veggie in at least this part of the country. They are in the nightshade family, along with tomatoes and eggplant. As such, they are very, very nutritious! As Derek shows in the picture, they are ripe when the husks start to split and you can find them toward the bottom of the plants. After the heavy rain, some may be laying on the ground - don't count them out, they may still be good. Ripe ones can be light green to almost a gold color and some even have a purple hue. They keep well stored in plastic in the fridge, lasting a few weeks at least. I say that because I often save up a couple of weeks worth of tomatillos and then make a large batch of sauce/salsa with them. They can be cut up and added raw into salads, grilled or roasted and made into sauce or salsa, used in soups (don't know that we want to go there right now)! As I enjoy mine, I will talk more, but for now, please check out the many recipes on this site - including Slow Cooker Chicken or Pork Chile Verde (slow cookers are a great way to go in the summer, since they don't heat up the kitchen), Cooked Tomatillo Salsa Verde and Chicken Stew with Tomatillo Sauce (one of my favorites).
Husk Cherries - another name for these tasty treats is ground cherries, because when they are ripe they fall to the ground. Also in the nightshade family these fruits are nutritionally packed. Husk Cherries have a tropical taste, some descriptions say they are reminiscent of lychee, pineapple, with a little grape and tomato flavor - I know their taste is unique. They are also unique in their storage - they need no refrigeration if left in their husks. I leave mine in a bowl on the kitchen counter and whenever we walk by we can just grab a couple. They can also be added to salads, jams and pies, and can be used alone or with other fruits in sauces for meats. There are a few recipes on this site but if you have one, please let me know at lindadansbury@comcast.net.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 17, 2017
Bountiful Summer
By Derek McGeehan
CSA Share Week #10
CSA Harvest #10 (Week B) should include scallions, beets, kohlrabi, fennel, celery, eggplant, summer squash, cucumbers, fresh garlic, lettuces, Swiss chard, Italian dandelion, green peppers, tomatoes, basil, parsley, and cilantro. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include yellow wax and/or green snap beans, cherry tomatoes, flowers, and herbs.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 17, 2017
Big Harvest Time
By Derek McGeehan
Sweet potatoes growing well on aggressively hilled beds. They've been weeded once with a workshift and cultivated twice with a tractor. Soon their vines should smother competitors, but not Abigail.
It's the time of year when we focus slightly more on the harvesting of crops that went into the ground months ago, were nurtured, cared for, protected, cultivated, weeded, and watered and now come out of the ground and fields to fill up the barn, the cooler, eventually your fridge and tummy. The garlic harvest symbolically commences the beginning of summer and fall bounty, but it really begins with the epic summer squash and cucumber yields that practically come all at once over a relatively short period of time, even though there are three plantings spaced a month apart. Soon these crops will deteriorate due to bug and disease pressure, so love them now!
Up next will be the great carrot harvest which will begin whenever the ground dries out enough after last week's rainfall, hopefully this week with the aid of heat. Following carrots will be watermelon, then onions, potatoes, winter squash, sweet potatoes, etc.
Sometime during the next couple of months tomatoes will hopefully peak in the upper single digits per member per week for some weeks and should be in the harvest for a few months. Look for gnarly and beautiful and richly flavored heirloom tomatoes from our high tunnel and red round traditional tomatoes grown in the field (which taste great too)!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 17, 2017
Workshifts Scheduled for Week of 7/16/17
By Derek McGeehan
We'll probably begin the hopefully awesome carrot harvest this week so most of the shifts should be family friendly. Please do not sign kids up online. If they work while they're here sign them in with yourself and they'll receive credit. Please note that we need the ground to be dry to harvest the carrots. When the ground is dry enough and we think we're ready to attempt retrieval of the entire patch we'll probably send out an e-mail asking for help.
Workshifts this week:
Wednesday 7/19 9-11am
Wednesday 7/19 6-8pm
Friday 7/21 9-11am
Sunday 7/23 7-9am
Workshift sign-up instructions may be found here.
Thank you!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 16, 2017
Member Idea
By Linda Dansbury
Nancy Wasch sent me a note reminding me of something she sent me last year during cucumber season. "I am addicted to cucumbers for breakfast. Similar to your tzatziki recipe, I simply mix cut cucumber, yogurt (a nice tangy variety with some fat in it), salt, pepper, and dill (or parsley and basil if no dill is available). I find I can eat all the cucumbers in no time this way, since they are the main course." Thank you Nancy for reminding me! Nancy's version or tzatziki can be used in other ways besides on its own. Top grilled meats and/or veggies with it, or if the cucumbers are chopped finely it can be used as a dip for raw veggies or crackers.
Here are a few things I did with my harvest this week:
Fennel, garlic, herbs - made a dish with pork chops - pork and fennel were made to be together! The pork chops were seasoned and browned then removed to a plate. To the same pan went onion, fennel and garlic and they were sauteed until slightly browned and just beginning to soften. Deglaze with vermouth or wine, add chicken stock and place chops back into pan and set them into the mixture. Cover and cook on low until veggies are soft and pork chops are cooked - about 12 minutes. Yum! Going to do this again.
Cucumbers, dill - made the Narrow Bridge Refrigerator Pickles. Even though I do can, I didn't have the time and the quanity wasn't quite enough to drag out the canner and heat up the kitchen.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 16, 2017
Another U-Pick Tip
By Linda Dansbury
Gabe and Abigail sample a red round field tomato to see if they're ready for harvest.
I am having a wonderful time cutting the flowers at the farm - they are so beautiful. But...they wilt so fast that by the time you get home, they already look sad - they do perk back up, but I am sure the stress takes a couple days off of their vase life. I have large mason jars, so I put some water in the jar and right after I cut the flowers, they go into the jar. I nestle the jar in the front seat of my car and when I get home they are as fresh as when I cut them. Besides keeping the flowers fresh, it gives me extra time to re-cut and arrange the flowers so I don't need to do it as soon as I get home. The other option is a wet towel or paper towels, a plastic bag and a rubber band.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 16, 2017
Member/Chef Recipe
By Linda Dansbury
Green sweet Italian-type peppers looking good on strong healthy plants aided by string support this year.
Luke Smithson is a long time fellow Anchor Run member and an excellent chef. He is the Executive Chef at Jamie Hollander Catering and Events in New Hope. Luke personally cooked for Dana and Derek's wedding. He’s also a gardener and expert forager and loves to share his passion for local foods and their historical use.
Last week he did a chef demo at Wrightstown Farmers Market and was kind enough to share his recipe so I can share it with you. It is called Corn and Mushroom Succotash.
Instead of the traditional corn with shelling beans (example lima beans) found in succotash, Luke replaces the beans with locally grown mushrooms - and he adds a lot of other local seasonal ingredients, so check out the recipe by clicking on the link above and enjoy your harvest by making the delicious dish!
Thank you Luke!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 9, 2017
Fresh Garlic, Cucumber Idea and a Few Storage Tips
By Linda Dansbury
A potluck rainbow!
This week is the garlic harvest and that means we will receive fresh garlic - Yay! Fresh garlic is what is harvested from the field, prior to being hung and cured into the bulbs with the papery protective covers we are used to seeing. Since it hasn't gone through the curing process, it needs to be stored in the refrigerator. Other than that, use it just like any other garlic in recipes. Please note - Anchor Run garlic is very fresh, even when cured so it is much stronger than what is purchased in the grocery store.
While in the pick up room somebody asked what to do with all the cucumbers - aside from salads, cutting up to snack on, try making the Narrow Bridge Farm Refrigerator Pickles. Don't think canning - these are much simpler - and very tasty!
Much of what we receive can just be put in plastic and stored in the fridge/crisper drawer of the refrigerator.
One thing that recently happened to me so I am sure it has also happened to some of you is I came home with my harvest and placed everything needing refrigeration into the fridge. Some things I didn't touch for a few days. When I pulled what had been a beautiful head of butterhead lettuce out of the fridge, the leaves that were on the side the head was sitting on were starting to rot! I remembered then that some of the items we receive are still quite wet from the washing station when we pick it up. There are a couple of simple solutions:
1. Lightly wrap the lettuce in a light towel and then place in plastic bag and refrigerate.
2. Purchase the containers that have an insert to keep the veggie out of the water.
Celery needs high moisture to keep from wilting quickly, so if you wrap the cut bottom in a wet towel/paper towel and then put into a sealed plastic container or bag and store in the crisper of the fridge, it will keep better than without the added attention.
Basil is an exception from refrigerating being one thing that does not like being cold. To keep it fresh, snip the ends when you get home and place in a glass of water and leave the glass on your kitchen counter. To keep it even longer, place a plastic bag over it. Basil can also be stored for a few days in the door of the refrigerator - just don't forget it is there!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 9, 2017
Beets and Squash Favorites
By Linda Dansbury
Saturday evening's potluck crowd enjoyed a wonderful meal, kefir making education, and kid entertainment.
We cooked so much for guests over the 4th of July holiday weekend that we spent much of the week finishing up our leftovers that included green bean salad, potato salad, cucumber salad to name a few.
A few things from this week are below, but other members would like to hear how you are enjoying your harvest, so please email me at lindadansbury@comcast.net with your ideas - please put Anchor Run in the Subject line of the email.
Beets, tarragon, scallions - I had 2 bunches of beets (the greens were used long ago) and wanted to use them so I roasted them all at the same time. I made a beet salad with half of them. My method is to slice scallions nice and thin, chop a mix of parsley and tarragon. Put into a small bowl. Add a bit of Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and mix well. Add olive oil in a thin stream and whisk into the red wine vinegar mix. I then pore some of the dressing into a separate bowl, chop the beets and add to the dressing and let them sit for a bit - they can actually stay in this dressing for at least a week. It can be eaten like this, but I like to put a layer of lettuce on plates and drizzle with some of the dressing, then top with the chopped beets and a nice grind of pepper and then add little bits of gresh goat cheese.
Summer squash, eggplant, radicchio, scallions - I purposely grilled extra amounts so I had leftovers which I used in sandwiches and in a pasta salad - so my lunches were absolutely delicious! The grilled veggies can also be chopped up and then put onto grilled bread with a drizzle of olive oil and/or cheese - think bruschetta.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 9, 2017
Thus Begins the Nightshade Shine
By Derek McGeehan
Harvest #9 (Week A) should include scallions, fresh garlic, cabbage, hakurei turnips, cucumbers, summer squash, lettuces, Swiss chard, Italian dandelion, basil, dill, cilantro, parsley, fennel, celery, eggplant, sweet peppers, and maybe a tomato. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include cherry tomatoes, yellow wax beans, herbs, raspberries, and flowers.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 9, 2017
Workshifts Scheduled for Week of 7/9/17
By Derek McGeehan
Sunday's two workshifts harvested and hung approximately 8,500 garlic bulbs, 75% of the patch, to dry and cure in the barn (above photo courtesy of Hannah).
Workshifts this week:
Wednesday 7/12 10am-12noon
Wednesday 7/12 6-8pm
Friday 7/14 10am-12noon
Sunday 7/16 7-9am
Workshift sign-up instructions may be found here.
Thank you!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 9, 2017
Rainbow Tomato
By Derek McGeehan
It was a busy, fun, and eventful week and weekend on the farm. It was a holiday week with some rain so we were able to slow down a bit and give the crew some time off. There's a brief period in early July when we're between the Big Planting and the Big Harvesting when there's an ever-so-slight lull where we can breathe easier and rest up a tad for the final push of the season. It was brief, however, and the Big Harvest began today with the garlic, always a good community endeavor. Last night we celebrated with the second potluck of the season, had a wonderful meal, learned about kefir making, and saw some rainbows. This week we'll begin planting cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower for the fall; soon we'll harvest carrots and onions; and pretty soon potatoes will be ready. And, tomatoes are starting to ripen!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 2, 2017
Out with the Old, In with the New
By Derek McGeehan
Harvest #8 (Week B) should include cucumbers, summer squash, celery, fennel, butterhead lettuce, mini lettuces, scallions, cabbage, hakurei turnips, beets, Swiss chard, Italian dandelion, kale, radicchio, basil, cilantro, and dill. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include green snap beans, flowers, herbs, and maybe raspberries.
Quick note on the raspberries: They're less plentiful this year so we're unable to give everyone a 1/2-pint like we did last season. We just transplanted another 500 plants to increase quantities for next season (current patch was started with only 250 plants). Later this season we'll hopefully be able to enjoy an ample amount of blackberries. We promise to eventually perfect organic bramble berry production! Thank you for understanding.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 2, 2017
Potluck Meal Saturday 7/8
This bumblebee snacks on some nectar on a sunflower in the u-pick flower garden and will unintentionally transfer pollen so the sunflower can reproduce. Symbiosis!
Our next farm potluck meal is Saturday July 8th 6-8pm. Join us under the pavilion for a nice meal shared with your community. Bring a dish to share that is large enough to feed 4-6 adults, your own place settings, and any beverage of your choosing. A brief note/label next to your dish will be helpful to folks with dietary restrictions.
Hope to see you there!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 2, 2017
Workshifts Scheduled for Week of 7/2/17
Heirloom tomatoes love growing in the protective high tunnel. Soon they'll be 8 feet tall and producing the best tasting tomatoes in this universe (they're pretty good)!
Workshifts this week:
Wednesday 7/5 10am-12noon
Wednesday 7/5 6-8pm
Friday 7/7 10am-12noon
Sunday 7/9 8-10am
Workshift sign-up instructions may be found here.
Thank you!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 2, 2017
It's July
By Derek McGeehan
Rain was welcomed at the farm on Saturday evening and along with it we enjoyed some nice displays of lighting and a beautiful sky. It did chase us out of the field prematurely but safety always comes first. On the right in the photo is our monstrous bush of watermelon vines that appear to have been planted into some very fertile and well fed soil. Uphill and on the left is our allium patch of scallions, fresh onions, and storage onions. Thus far the health and vigor of the plants seems to have truly benefitted from the extra attention earlier in the season to deter various damaging insects. The white plastic repels some and the floating row cover was a barrier to others. The watermelon received extra attention as well. Of course it was started in the greenhouse, nurtured there for 4 weeks, then transplanted into raised beds covered in black plastic for heat and weed suppression. The aisles were manually covered with 4-foot wide landscape fabric that was stapled to the ground. Hoops and floating row cover then went over the entire patch to keep other bugs off the plants until they were truly established and flourishing. All of this is done in an attempt to have a great harvest. Growing organically is challenging and difficult, but with the right planning, tools, and resources, as well as a lot of extra work, it can be done successfully.
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 2, 2017
Member recipe
By Linda Dansbury
I had been thinking of writing something on how to use the herbs we are receiving and must have had some mental telepathy with fellow member Tina Nightlinger because she sent me the following email:
"With all the herbs that I got today, I thought this would be a good time to share my chimichurri recipe. I made mine tonight with mostly cilantro, but you can use whatever you have as long as it isn't too overpowering (like rosemary).
Blend
1/4 cup red wine vinegar with
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes,
4 cloves garlic (scapes work well too), and
3/4 cup herbs (I usually use cilantro, basil, oregano, & parsley, but use whatever you like)
Transfer to a bowl and whisk in 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Don't do this in the blender. It will make the oil bitter. Add salt & pepper to taste.
Use it as a marinade and/or sauce for steak. It's also good as a salad dressing or mixed in a salsa. Put it on everything if you want. It's delicious. But it's probably only good for a week, so freeze excess or use it up".
Thank you Tina - it is a great way to use the herbs. I will also post this recipe to our site so it will be available for future searches. If anyone has an idea or question, please email me at lindadansbury@comcast.net and please put Anchor Run in the subject line.
Here are a few things that I made this past week:
Beets, garlic scapes, parsley - made the Roasted Beet and Beet Greens Risotto.
Beets, scallions, tarragon, lettuces - made a beet salad. I roasted the beets and made a vinaigrette with Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, scallions, salt and pepper and tarragon. I peeled and sliced the beets and poured some of the vinaigrette over the beets and let the flavors go through. Then I placed some lettuces on plates and placed beets on top, added some fresh ground pepper, drizzled a little more of the dressing, and topped with bits of goat cheese and pecans. This is one of my husband's favorite salads and the beets keep in the vinaigrette for at least a week.
Summer squash, radicchio - grilled them and they were delicious! Brushed with olive oil, and when they were done, we sprinkled a little sea salt and pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and a few crumbles of local feta cheese - yum!
Green beans, scallions, basil - made a green bean salad - cooked beans until just tender and placed in large bowl. Added sliced scallions, chopped basil, some chickpeas, salt pepper, olive oil, red wine vinegar. Again, yum! And, we have enough for a couple days.
Assorted greens, garlic scape - made a dish that a member had sent me a few years ago. In large skillet, place some chopped onions and saute until tender. Add chopped greens, and saute until tender. Make little "wells" in the greens and then carefully crack an egg into each well. Place a lid over the skillet, and let the eggs steam in the pan just until the whites are set but the yolk is still runny. Serve with some added pepper and a nice piece of toasted bread,
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
July 2, 2017
Celery and Fennel New this Week
By Linda Dansbury
Very soon we will bid a sad farewell to beets, kale and romaine - all of which will make a return in the fall. But, we happily say hello to fennel and celery.
Celery is said to detoxify the body and lower blood pressure. Everyone knows about snacking on celery, either by itself or with some cheese, dip or peanut butter. Also added to potato salads. But, did you know that it is also delicious cooked? Check out the Braised Celery and Italian Celery Soup Recipes on this site. I have made both in the past and they are nice recipes. Make sure to store your celery in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer in your fridge or it will wilt quickly.
Fennel is high in vitamins C and B6, contains phytonutrients, plus has some chloresterol lowering properties. Fennel is eaten both raw and cooked - I prefer cooked fennel, or when used in a salad with other ingredients, but my Italian relatives always had it on the table during big holiday meals - they say raw fennel helps aid in digestion. This site has several fennel recipes. Try the Roasted Fennel and White Bean Dip, Lentil Salad with Fennel and Herbs, Fennel, Radicchio and Proscuitto Salad - actually, there are A LOT of yummy recipes on this site so try them!
share on Facebook share on Twitter link
spacer
spacer