Notes From the Farm

Between rain storms we have mostly been weeding and moving water around on the fields. Also a little cow chasing. Also a little mowing. And we have been enjoying the heck out of our chicks. A friend offered to put some of our hens eggs in his incubator, and it worked. We are delighted with this option because we haven’t had much luck the last few years with any of our broody hens, and ordering from large scale hatcheries is YUCK. Lulu really likes the chicks.

This Week’s Veggie Feast

Parsley, Swiss Chard, Broccoli (Mushrooms for Saturday’s crew), Lettuce, Napa Cabbage

New This Week

We have been pushing parsley on people for years. It’s a great addition to most people’s diet as it is packed with nutrients, especially Vitamins A, C and K. It can be added to soups, eggs, and pasta dishes. It makes a wonderful sauces and salad dressings.

Most greens need to be stemmed before cooking, as the stems are too tough to eat.  Swiss chard is the exception. These rainbow-colored stems have a similar texture to celery and can be used as such.  The light green, gently-lobed rutabaga greens can be treated like a mild mustard green.  Added to a stir fry, cooked greens, or cooked with bacon, these greens will bring a nice mild bite to the dish.

Chard stems and leaves can be treated as two separate vegetables. The stems can be treated like celery and generally need to be cooked longer. Leaves can be versatile; doing well as a quick sauté, added to soups, savory tarts or braised. Using a knife or your hands, remove the leaf from the stem and cut separately.

For some reason our broccoli likes to take it’s time heading out. We have a few florets that are ready to go, but every plant is growing at it’s own speed. If you don’t get broccoli this week don’t worry, you will get your share soon! 🙂

Recipes

Parsley Sauce

(makes about 1 cup of sauce)

This bright sauce will pair well with grilled vegetables, steamed potatoes, a simple pasta dish, and grilled seafood.

Ingredients

• 2 small garlic cloves
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 black peppercorns
• ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
• ¼ teaspoon dried or fresh tarragon
• ¾ cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 large shallot or 4 scallions, finely chopped
• Grated peel of 1 lemon
• ¾ to 1 cup olive oil
• Red wine vinegar to taste
• Salt

• Pound the garlic in a mortar with the sea salt, peppercorns, fennel seeds, and tarragon to make a smooth paste. (A blender or immersion blender could work here too)
• Add about 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and work it into the paste.
• Stir in the rest of the parsley with the shallot or scallions, the lemon peel, and the olive oil.
• Let this mixture stand covered while the flavors infuse for an hour or more. Just before serving, add the vinegar and salt to taste.

Lemon Parsley Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• 1/4 preserved lemon peel, optional
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 small clove garlic, minced, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Instructions

1. If you have some preserved lemons on hand, take 1/4 of one, rinse off the pulp, and mince the peel.
2. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl or put them in a jar and shake to blend. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste. If the dressing is too zingy for you, feel free to add more olive oil to soften the flavor. A bit more salt will help temper the acid, too.
3. Use immediately or store, covered and chilled, for up to one week.

Source: The Spruce Eats