Kretschmann Farm July 13, 2010
don@kretschmannfarm.com www.kretschmannfarm.com
Greetings from the Kretschmanns,
The last two
weeks were about the hottest we've had in years. We pressed ahead because it was time to get
our fall cole crops in the ground--broccoli, cabbage,
cauliflower, and kale. It was kind of hard to imagine when we were planting
that we'd be picking some of those things with heavy jackets and gloves
on! The poor plants looked a little
pathetic out there--ripped from the coddled environment of seedling flats in a coldframe and cast into a dry field with the unrelenting
withering sun. We hustled to get one
field planted on Wednesday, one on Thursday, and squeezed a few last rows of
red cabbage in on Friday morning. Just
when I went after lunch to connect up some irrigation lines for the tomatoes,
dark clouds swooped in from the south, surprising us all. We broke for the
barn, dripping wet, and watched the torrent continue for a good hour. By evening we had 1.75 inches! Erosion is always a hazard when you get that
much water so quickly. The organic matter
in the soil, narrow contoured strips, and fallowed fields all help. But you can't control the runoff from roof
and road. These impervious barriers allow the power of that fluid to reach
critical dangerous mass. We had some washes where this runoff finally
made it's way through our fields--but luckily, nowhere
near what we imagined would occur when we saw it pouring like a great waterfall
off the barn roof.
The reign of
green is slowly coming to an end.
Lettuce after this will be getting scarcer each week until fall. The cucumbers are quickly succumbing to a
virus. Their cool refreshment has
certainly taken the edge off of the heat.
Zucchinis are filling every small picking box we own. Carrots are on deck. We're seeing the first
tomatoes starting to turn red in the field.
A few weeks yet until they are plentiful, but it looks like they are
coming nicely. Peppers are sizing nicely
too, and basil will rule the herb sphere.
If you haven't yet sent your June payment
in, please do so now. Smaller
amounts for special order items can be sent when the next check is due in late
August.
As we
transition into the heart of summer, we are yours faithfully----Don, Becky, & The
Kretschmann Crew
Note: "New
potatoes" are incredibly tender and cook a lot quicker. Keep them refrigerated because they don't
have tough skins yet and will quickly turn black where there's no red skin..
Bavarian
Potato Salad: Boil
2 lbs tiny new potatoes until just tender.
Saute 4 chopped green onions and 1 clove
crushed garlic in 3tbs olive oil for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add 2tbs fresh dill or 1 tbs
dried-cook another minute. Add 2 tbs wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp sugar, salt&pepper. Drain potatoes. Pour dressing over hot
potatoes. Allow to
cool and sprinkle w/ 2 tbs chopped fresh
parsley. Prepare this salad a few hours
in advance to allow potatoes to absorb flavors
Moussaka: Cut enough eggplant 1/2" thick or potatoes
3/8" thick for 2 layers in your shallow casserole dish. If using eggplant, sprinkle eggplant with
salt and after it sits10 min., rinse and pat dry. Oil cookie sheets and lay out potatoes or
eggplant in a single layer and brush the top with olive oil. Bake at 350 deg until slightly cooked (abut
20 min. for potatoes, 15 for eggplant).
Meanwhile fry 1# ground lamb (or beef), 2 finely chopped onions (green
are fine too), and 2 cloves garlic. Add
1/2 C chopped parsley, 1 c tomato sauce and 1/2 c wine. Oil casserole dish, place one layer of
potatoes, then the meat mix, then the other layer of potatoes. Blend 2 c. milk, 2T
cornstarch or flour, 1/2 t salt, and 4 eggs. Pour over casserole. Top with 1 c grated cheese (Kefaloteri or Parmesan) and sprinkle with 1/4 t
cinnamon. Bake at 325 deg for 45 minDry and proceed with recipe. Vegetarians may prefer to layer potatoes and
eggplant together. This is the most elegant delicious dish! Guests won't forget it.
Cold Cucumbers-
Slice cucumbers and marinate in a little vinegar and water with salt and
pepper.
Pickled beets are simple—cook beets until tender; slip off the
skins; slice into a mason jar; heat equal parts vinegar, sugar, and water (we
use the red water they were cooked in); pour the mixture over the beets and
marinate overnight. You can also add a
few cloves, sliced raw onions, or hard-boiled eggs.
Best Chard Ever: . Cut 1˝ lb. chard crosswise into strips 1 inch
wide. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the chard, ˝ c.water and salt. Cover and cook, uncovering to stir
once or twice, until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well in a
colander, pressing out any excess moisture with a spoon. Rinse out the saucepan
and return to low heat. Melt 2 tbs. butter add the chard and 2 tbs raisins and cook, stirring occasionally until the chard
and raisins are evenly coated with the butter and the flavors are blended,
about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tbs pine nuts.
Serve.
Easy to make without a lot of
bother. The secret is: don’t cook the pasta.
Zucchini Lasagna: Preheat your favorite tomato sauce. Slice zucchinis 1/4” thick in rounds or lengthwise. Mix 1# ricotta cheese with 1/2c minced parsley. Brush bottom of baking dish with olive oil. (9x13” is our favorite size) Spread layer of tomato sauce on bottom of pan, then add first layer of uncooked lasagna. Spread layer of zucchini, then layer of ricotta, and then a more tomato sauce. Repeat the process until the pan is full and top with grated mozzarella. Bake covered at 325 deg. until pasta is cooked, then remove cover and bake another 10 min.
Special Orders: Basil--$14
1/2 bu. box It's easy to freeze a batch of pesto for the
winter. Organic blueberries--$46 per 12 pint flat Rich Hunter, our blueberry supplier said the berries are coming on
"like a bottle rocket" so he'll have lots of these--the best
blueberries you'll ever taste.
Farm Tour: We'll be part of the Buy
Fresh Buy Local Farm Tour, Sat. July 24 10:00-6:00. See ours, and our neighbors' farms. Bring a picnic and a blanket.