News from Windflower Farm - July 10, 2007

Until recently we had had just three light showers since the hailstorm of June 5th—each one giving us under a quarter inch of rain. Our dry spell began in April, and we’d been irrigating ever since. ry season’s have their upsides. uring last year’s wet season, the Swiss chard and kale suffered from foliar diseases; in this dry year they are doing wonderfully. Last year’s weather also allowed diseases to move into our tomato and pepper plantings. So far, they too appear healthy. But weeds, which seem to do well under all conditions, have evolved to do especially well in droughty weather. Many weeds are C-4 plants, having the ability to close their stomata during the day, conserving water without compromising photosynthesis. This adaptation enables them to outperform our less competitive vegetables during dry conditions. While a field of vegetables needs an inch of rainfall every week to grow well, weeds seem to thrive even during extended droughts.

Last summer we had a well drilled by a family of Vermonters who used a dowsing stick to find the best spot to drill, and they gave us a well with an astounding 100 gallons of water per minute to work with. Because the season was so rainy, however, we rarely used the water. We vegetable growers, being a superstitious bunch, are convinced that the rain won’t fall until the irrigation system is set up. Not so, it turns out. Over the winter, we purchased an irrigation reel from a ginseng grower in Wisconsin. These units sell for over $10,000 new, but I found mine for $1,500. Although I’m still trying to get it to work properly—bellows mechanisms, ratchets, valves, and booster pumps have each given me challenges—we nevertheless have a good working system. And still no rain. Until now.

At last, yesterday, we had a long, soaking rain, and were given a break from the pleasure of dragging irrigation pipes around the farm. The boys watched a movie, Jan went to the barn to bunch larkspur, and I took a nap. The rain was a gift. It came with thunder and lighting, however, and one nearby crash sent the crew scrambling. They found Jan in one of the greenhouses with her hair frizzed out. They said they could smell the electricity. Hail season isn’t over yet. The storm that delivered a gentle rain here, brought hail to a neighboring CSA, ruining many of their crops. Rich Moses, the farmer who grows our sweet corn, said he’d never seen a growing season with more local reports of hail.

This week’s share includes Asian cucumbers, scarlet red turnips, a choice of Swiss chard and various Asian greens, scallions, lemony herbs, and spinach or broccoli. Fruit shareholders will get what are probably the last of this season’s cherries. Squashes and broccoli should be part of next week’s shares.

Have a good week,

Ted Blomgren

News from Windflower Farm - July 2, 2007

Our farm crew appears to enjoy weeding. Given the choice of any farm task, they’ll choose weeding. And that’s a good thing, because, like most small organic farms, dealing with weeds is our most time-consuming chore. Two of our field crew are teachers, who spend their summers with us, and another is a retired teacher—for them, weeding appears to be highly therapeutic. And for all of us there is a simple satisfaction that comes from leaving behind orderly, weed-free rows. But weeding can be very dull business. And our rows—most of which are 300 to 400’ long—can seem nearly endless. Fortunately, it’s early in the season, we tend to weed in a large group of people, moving quickly, and conversation and jokes flow easily. Nevertheless, distractions are welcome.

Last week one distraction came in the form of a 30 X 300’ sheet of row cover. These are large, white, translucent sheets that we place over our crops to protect them from insects and foul weather. We had removed the cover in order to harvest turnips, and left it in a heap at the end of the bed. A gust came along late in the day on Friday lifting the white fabric skyward. Soon, it was 50’ above where we were weeding, rising and falling in the wind. We watched as it sailed slowly over the hedgerow, a sea cucumber in an ocean of blue sky, settling, at last, on the potatoes in the next field.

This week’s share of the vegetable harvest includes assorted herb plants, which you might eat now or place in a pot for use later, more spring radishes and garlic scapes, a choice of salad mix or spinach, Red Russian kale, Vitamin Green, which is a green-stemmed choy-like vegetable, and the first cucumbers of the season. This year we are growing nearly half of our cucumbers under the cover of simple, unheated greenhouses. One of the reasons we decided to do so is that we wanted to protect the crop from storms, and, of course, we are very happy with the decision! You might try a kale soup, or simply sauté the greens with garlic, salt and oil. Next week you’ll receive Romaine lettuce, Swiss chard, red or white turnips, cucumbers, scallions, herb plants, Tatsoi (another relative of bok choy) and peas or summer squash.



Best wishes,

Ted

Recipe: Zucchini Carpaccio with Avocado

I clipped this recipe out of the New York Times -- it's delicious!

Zucchini Carpaccio with Avocado

Adapted from ''Vegetable Harvest'' (Morrow, 2007)
Time: 10 minutes, plus 30 to 60 minutes' marinating

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus additional as needed
1/4 cup best-quality pistachio oil, almond oil or extra virgin olive oil
4 small zucchini (about 4 ounces each), trimmed
1 ripe avocado, peeled and very thinly sliced
1/4 cup salted pistachio nuts
4 sprigs fresh lemon thyme, preferably with flowers.

1. Stir together lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt in small jar. Add oil, cover and shake to blend.
2. Slice zucchini lengthwise as thinly as possible, using mandoline or very sharp knife. Spread slices on platter and drizzle with lemon mixture. Tilt platter to evenly coat slices. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.
3. Alternate zucchini and avocado slices on individual salad plates, slightly overlapping each slice. Sprinkle with pistachio nuts. Season with salt to taste, garnish with lemon thyme, and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.