There’s some good news and some not so good news. There’s sweet corn in your boxes this week! It’s pretty darn good. However, we went to pick it Tuesday morning and the beds were ravaged by raccoons! They probably ate more than half the crop. I wanted to cry a little bit, but didn’t want the interns to see me so discouraged. So, two ears is all you guys get. It’s a bit of a tease, but a few is better than none.? We’re working on trying to figure out a way to protect the next round…we’ll keep you posted.
We’ve started to dig potatoes in earnest. There are still 7 beds to dig (out of 14), so any extra sets of hands would be greatly appreciated. We’re also tackling many of the old beds that are no longer productive. We’re pulling out drip lines and mowing all the old plants and weeds down. This process is really gratifying because it makes the farm look more tidy, and let’s us feel more in control. Many of the fall greens have been in the ground for a few days, though the heat has been pretty hard on them.
******Worker members, we are ready to put you to work! Please take a moment to look at your calendars to see when you might be able to fulfill your work commitment.******
Little spiders I wrote about at the begining of June. Well they are fairly big now (3-4” across) and plentiful in the high tunnel. We’ve all had moments of the ‘heebee geebees” harvesting all the greenhouse tomatoes! This picture has the female with a discarded skin above her and the much smaller male next to her on the web.
Planting late sunflowers
A bed of German Butterball potatoes dug with our Italian potato digger, now we just have to box them up.
The boxes we use for the CSA shares are waxed and are not recyclable, but we do reuse them. So PLEASE remember to BRING THEM BACK next week.
Ideas for Cooking
“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations.”
― Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No ImportanceCORN TIME
It’s time for fresh corn! One of the best and most versatile vegetables we have.
After much experimenting, the folks from Cooks have found that unsalted boiled corn is much more tender; meaning less of it stuck in your teeth too. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, so it isn’t overcookedGrilled corn flavor is super.
Grilled in the husk is one way to do it. Heat your grill, wrap in foil with butter, salt and pepper. Takes about 12 to 15 minutes. Peel back a bit of foil and husk to see if the corn is ready. It is done when it is steaming and looks yellow.
You can also shuck the corn and grill it for 15 or 20 minutes. It has nice grill marks and slight charring, and is good in salads not only for taste but for appearance.Cut off the cob and fried in oil is also a real treat. Bacon fat is my favorite, but you can decide what you’ll use.