The First Week

Hi-

So the first week of the CSA is quickly approaching. I've been working a bunch on the farm with Sue and Claude trying to get everything planted, keep the weeds at bay and watering to try and combat the hot, dry weather. A good rain will do a world of good for a lot of the plants; some of them are just waiting for some water to really get going. But regardless, we've got lots of great greens for you all to sink your teeth into next week!

Andrew (my husband) and I had our first big salad from the garden last night for dinner. Salad might sound like a light supper, but we packed it full with spinach, mixed lettuce and scallions from my garden, along with some lovely kale that Sue gave me, added some walnuts, some seeds (sunflower and pumpkin) we had in the pantry, sharp cheddar, some dried raisins and other fruit and some crutons and drizzeled my oil/vinegar/maple syrup dressing over the whole thing and dug in. It was heavenly! All those fresh, crisp greens tasted so good after working out in the sun the whole day- it was a perfect dinner for a summer evening when I couldn't bear to turn the stove on and make our kitchen any hotter than it already was (it becomes somewhat of a furnace in the summer). Salads don't have to be boring, and they don't have to be a side dish or something you eat before the meal: they really can be the meal. Honestly, I was very hungry after working outside all day and it was a very satisfying meal. Andrew and I together ate the whole bowl of salad...

Also, I wanted to mention that I'd love it if people would either post a comment or send me an email with any ideas you might have for preparing the vegetables that you'll be getting in the CSA. I didn't grow up eating lots of fresh vegetables, so I've been trying hard to find lots of great ways to cook up all this wonderful food. I thought it would be a nice use for this blog if people would make meal suggestions that I could then post to share with everyone. Last year I didn't know what to do with beets, or kale or swiss chard, but since I've discovered some methods, I can't get enough of them. I hope some of you have a similar experience with a vegetable that's new to you this year. If you'd like to share a recipe or an idea, email me at luckymoonfm@gmail.com or just post it as a comment. Looking forward to trying them out!

To get us started, here's my salad dressing idea. It's not revolutionary, but it's very tasty: Mix olive oil (or whatever oil you care to try), vinegar (I like cider vinegar, but white or wine will work too) and maple syrup. You could probably also try honey. I start by mixing a small amount of each and tasting it frequently to get it to the sweetness/pungency that I like. Drizzle a little of that over a big bed of greens, and dig in!

All the best,

Sarah

Off to a Good Start

Hello everyone,

Sorry for not posting in a while- there's a lot going on at the farm, and I haven't been spending much time inside on the computer, which all in all I'm pretty happy about. :>)

But I wanted to update you all on what's happening at Lucky Moon.

Yesterday we got the trellising in the greenhouse set up so we can try planting a bunch of the tomatoes in there. I think we'll be able to fit about 120 tomato plants with room for a bunch of romaine and basil around the edges. The greenhouse is probably what I'm most excited about for this season. After last year's disastrous conditions for tomatoes, the greenhouse will ensure a practically perfect environment for them to grow in. They'll be safe from cold temperatures, high winds, too much rain, bugs, disease, hail storms, snow... all the conditions that can (and often do) make farming in upstate NY a somewhat tricky business. We should be planting the tomatoes anytime now, and then let them do their thing!

Outside in the elements the carrots, beets, swiss chard, arugula, asian greens and lettuce are coming up pretty well, and the onions, scallions and garlic seemed to have survived the rough patch of weather, which involved a really heavy hail storm, a snow storm and then a hard frost. Hopefully we'll start getting some warmer weather soon that will help everything take off.

About a week ago we planted the potatoes in the new ground that Claude tilled up on the hillside. The drainage should be a lot better up there. We planted ten 100 foot rows with seed potatoes about 12'' apart, so there are at least 1000 plants expected. Based on the pounds of seed potatoes we planted, there should be something like a 1/2 ton harvest. Now that's something to get you through the winter!

So things are going well and are looking good for the first week of the CSA. I hope you're all looking forward to your fresh veggies! I love the first greens of the seaon- the flavors are so crisp and clean. Especially after a winter of eating root vegetables and stuff frozen from last summer. It's good, but nothing like when it's picked fresh from the field!

Happy Spring, everyone-