Picket Fence Farm Happenings
Season 2 Issue #17
What’s Happening on the Farm
Well, the farm is MUDDY this week. Fall is supposed to be a drier season, but not so this year (yet). We hear it is the third wettest year on record. Not the best conditions for gardening, but we continue to push on. The tomatoes look to be about done...we have some green ones on the vine, so we will see if they get the warmer temps they need to ripen. We have some pumpkins this week. They are mystery varieties as they grew on their own accord out of our compost pile. The pumpkins and winter squash that we planted in the field were a total loss, yet these did great...they loved the fertile compost I guess. We will be spreading our compost on the garden this Fall in hopes of a more abundant season next year.
What’s in the Box?
Tomatoes-Big Beef, Celebrity, or Roma
Cherry Tomatoes, assorted varieties
Cucumbers-Tendergreen, Diva, or Lemon
Green Beans--Maxibel
Lettuce-All Season Mix
Thyme
Chives-Garlic or Onion
Assorted Pumpkins
Recipe Ideas
Garlic Thyme Potatoes (allrecipes.com)
2 pounds small red potatoes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Peel a narrow strip of skin around the center of each potato. Place potatoes in a steamer basket; place in a saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and steam for 20-30 minutes or until tender. In a serving bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add potatoes and toss gently to coat.
Cheddar Thyme Flaky Biscuits (allrecipes.com)
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cream of tartar. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter or a fork until it is the size of peas. Make a well in the center of the mixture and measure the milk, cheese and thyme into the bowl. Gently mix until a soft dough forms. Roll or pat out on a floured surface to 3/4 inch thick. Cut into circles and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bottoms of the biscuits are golden brown.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Some Pictures...
Below are some pictures from today's harvest. Pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and herb bundles (Chives and Thyme). I love the Fall colors of the pumpkins!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Picket Fence Farm Newsletter #16
Picket Fence Farm Happenings
Season 2 Issue #16
What’s Happening on the Farm
We are starting to harvest some cool weather crops this week, like the greens and lettuce. The lettuce looks nice...we grew it in a raised bed covered with a low tunnel. It had hardly any weeds or dirt on it. We are loving this new system and hope to expand on it next season. We are plowing up more land to sow pasture seed in hopes for some animals next Spring, and we were also able to get our clover seed planted for our cover crop/green manure where the high tunnels will go next season. We have a friend coming out next week to help us get 2 of the high tunnels set....we still need to get plastic ordered to cover it, then we’ll be set to plant! Our chickens are really laying, so we have eggs for sale every week now. Please email us before Friday/Saturday if you would like to purchase some at your time of pick-up or delivery. They are $3.00 per dozen.
What’s in the Box?
Tomatoes-Big Beef, Celebrity, or Roma
Cherry Tomatoes, assorted varieties
Cucumbers-Tendergreen, Diva, or Lemon
Green Beans--Maxibel
Turnip Greens
Lettuce-All Season Mix
Basil-Genovese
Recipe Ideas
Delicious Greens and Ham (from allrecipes.com)
vegetable oil cooking spray
1/2 pound chopped cooked ham
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 (15.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound fresh turnip greens, rinsed and chopped
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add ham and onion; cook and stir until onion is clear. Add the tomatoes and turnip greens and cover the skillet. I use a 12 inch skillet and I have to pack the greens down a bit to make them fit at first. When the pan starts to steam, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 12 minutes. Transfer the greens and ham to a serving bowl and toss with apple cider vinegar.
Season 2 Issue #16
What’s Happening on the Farm
We are starting to harvest some cool weather crops this week, like the greens and lettuce. The lettuce looks nice...we grew it in a raised bed covered with a low tunnel. It had hardly any weeds or dirt on it. We are loving this new system and hope to expand on it next season. We are plowing up more land to sow pasture seed in hopes for some animals next Spring, and we were also able to get our clover seed planted for our cover crop/green manure where the high tunnels will go next season. We have a friend coming out next week to help us get 2 of the high tunnels set....we still need to get plastic ordered to cover it, then we’ll be set to plant! Our chickens are really laying, so we have eggs for sale every week now. Please email us before Friday/Saturday if you would like to purchase some at your time of pick-up or delivery. They are $3.00 per dozen.
What’s in the Box?
Tomatoes-Big Beef, Celebrity, or Roma
Cherry Tomatoes, assorted varieties
Cucumbers-Tendergreen, Diva, or Lemon
Green Beans--Maxibel
Turnip Greens
Lettuce-All Season Mix
Basil-Genovese
Recipe Ideas
Delicious Greens and Ham (from allrecipes.com)
vegetable oil cooking spray
1/2 pound chopped cooked ham
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 (15.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound fresh turnip greens, rinsed and chopped
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add ham and onion; cook and stir until onion is clear. Add the tomatoes and turnip greens and cover the skillet. I use a 12 inch skillet and I have to pack the greens down a bit to make them fit at first. When the pan starts to steam, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 12 minutes. Transfer the greens and ham to a serving bowl and toss with apple cider vinegar.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Picket Fence Farm Newsletter #15
Picket Fence Farm Happenings
Season 2 Issue #15
What’s Happening on the Farm
We’re loving this cooler weather on the farm! It is feeling like Fall. All the lettuce and greens are up and growing; this cool weather will be good for them. We have sweet potatoes this week, but maybe not as many as we would have liked. It seems some bug has been feasting on them underground and many of them have big holes. The green beans have been growing better this time around, so we had a pretty good harvest of them this morning. We continue to get more eggs from the chickens, so if anyone needs eggs, please ask. We usually have some for sale. On the agenda for the weekend: sowing our pasture mix seed and clover cover crop. The clover will fix nitrogen to the soil and add organic matter to the soil when we till it under in the spring.
What’s in the Box?
Tomatoes-Big Beef, Celebrity, Roma
Cherry Tomatoes, assorted varieties
Okra- Clemson Spineless
Cucumbers-Tendergreen, Diva, or Lemon
Green Beans--Maxibel
Sweet Potatoes- Georgia Jet
Herb Bundles-Basil, Thyme, Chives
Recipe Ideas
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
4-6 sweet potatoes, cut into fries
2 Tbsp oil
Salt and Pepper to taste OR
Brown sugar and cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). In a plastic bag, combine the sweet potatoes, oil, and seasonings of your choice. Close and shake the bag until the fries are evenly coated. Spread the fries out in a single layer on two large baking sheets
Bake for 30 minutes, or until crispy and brown on one side. Turn the fries over using a spatula, and cook for another 30 minutes, or until they are all crispy on the outside and tender inside. Thinner fries may not take as long.
Creamy Herb Spread
1 8oz pkg. cream cheese
1 Tbsp fresh minced thyme
1Tbsp fresh minced chives
1 garlic clove, minced
Assorted crackers
In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, thyme, chives and garlic; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Serve with crackers.
Season 2 Issue #15
What’s Happening on the Farm
We’re loving this cooler weather on the farm! It is feeling like Fall. All the lettuce and greens are up and growing; this cool weather will be good for them. We have sweet potatoes this week, but maybe not as many as we would have liked. It seems some bug has been feasting on them underground and many of them have big holes. The green beans have been growing better this time around, so we had a pretty good harvest of them this morning. We continue to get more eggs from the chickens, so if anyone needs eggs, please ask. We usually have some for sale. On the agenda for the weekend: sowing our pasture mix seed and clover cover crop. The clover will fix nitrogen to the soil and add organic matter to the soil when we till it under in the spring.
What’s in the Box?
Tomatoes-Big Beef, Celebrity, Roma
Cherry Tomatoes, assorted varieties
Okra- Clemson Spineless
Cucumbers-Tendergreen, Diva, or Lemon
Green Beans--Maxibel
Sweet Potatoes- Georgia Jet
Herb Bundles-Basil, Thyme, Chives
Recipe Ideas
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
4-6 sweet potatoes, cut into fries
2 Tbsp oil
Salt and Pepper to taste OR
Brown sugar and cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). In a plastic bag, combine the sweet potatoes, oil, and seasonings of your choice. Close and shake the bag until the fries are evenly coated. Spread the fries out in a single layer on two large baking sheets
Bake for 30 minutes, or until crispy and brown on one side. Turn the fries over using a spatula, and cook for another 30 minutes, or until they are all crispy on the outside and tender inside. Thinner fries may not take as long.
Creamy Herb Spread
1 8oz pkg. cream cheese
1 Tbsp fresh minced thyme
1Tbsp fresh minced chives
1 garlic clove, minced
Assorted crackers
In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, thyme, chives and garlic; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Serve with crackers.
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Double Yolks
Double yolk eggs from the Picket Fence Farm chickens...these are some productive ladies...we have been getting quite a few of these!
Friday, September 03, 2010
Picket Fence Farm Newsletter #14
Picket Fence Farm Happenings
Season 2 Issue #14
What’s Happening on the Farm
Well, we have been planting some cool weather crops...so far lettuces, spinach and broccoli raab. We were also able to set up our first low tunnel. It worked out great. We will also be experimenting with raised bed systems and deep mulch in the garden. Next week we will have sweet potatoes ready. We dug a couple today and they are ready...it is just too muddy to dig them all after the rain we’ve had the last few days. We have eggs for sale now too, so if you are in need of some let us know. They will be $3.00 per dozen. We can have them ready on the day you pick up your produce as long as we know ahead of time what you want.
What’s in the Box?
Tomatoes-Big Beef, Celebrity, Roma, Lemon Boy
Cherry Tomatoes, assorted varieties
Okra- Clemson Spineless
Cucumbers-Tendergreen, Diva, or Lemon
Green Beans--**Saturday deliveries only this week**
Recipe Ideas
These recipes come from allrecipes.com
Homemade Refrigerator Pickles
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups white sugar
6 cups sliced cucumbers
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup sliced green bell peppers
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil. Boil until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes. Place the cucumbers, onions and green bell peppers in a large bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables. Transfer to sterile containers and store in the refrigerator.
Grilled Okra
1 pound fresh okra
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup Cajun seasoning
Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate. Roll the okra in the melted butter and then in the Cajun seasoning. Grill the okra until charred, about 2 minutes per side.
Season 2 Issue #14
What’s Happening on the Farm
Well, we have been planting some cool weather crops...so far lettuces, spinach and broccoli raab. We were also able to set up our first low tunnel. It worked out great. We will also be experimenting with raised bed systems and deep mulch in the garden. Next week we will have sweet potatoes ready. We dug a couple today and they are ready...it is just too muddy to dig them all after the rain we’ve had the last few days. We have eggs for sale now too, so if you are in need of some let us know. They will be $3.00 per dozen. We can have them ready on the day you pick up your produce as long as we know ahead of time what you want.
What’s in the Box?
Tomatoes-Big Beef, Celebrity, Roma, Lemon Boy
Cherry Tomatoes, assorted varieties
Okra- Clemson Spineless
Cucumbers-Tendergreen, Diva, or Lemon
Green Beans--**Saturday deliveries only this week**
Recipe Ideas
These recipes come from allrecipes.com
Homemade Refrigerator Pickles
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups white sugar
6 cups sliced cucumbers
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup sliced green bell peppers
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil. Boil until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes. Place the cucumbers, onions and green bell peppers in a large bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables. Transfer to sterile containers and store in the refrigerator.
Grilled Okra
1 pound fresh okra
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup Cajun seasoning
Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate. Roll the okra in the melted butter and then in the Cajun seasoning. Grill the okra until charred, about 2 minutes per side.
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