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What’s
Happening on the Farm So…
the cucumbers this week come courtesy of Peregrine Farm. Alex and Betsy Hitt are our friends and neighbors (as neighborly as you
can get in the country – 15 minutes from our farm) and my mentors.
Peregrine was my first farm job (they were very patient) and the Hitts taught me everything I know about farming. I worked
there for five years before farming full-time here. In fact, Castlemaine Farm was actually born on a ¼ acre plot of
land on Peregrine. They gave me an opportunity to give market gardening a try
and I was able to get established as a vendor at the Carrboro Farmers Market
before I owned the land that is now Castlemaine.
They have also shown me what it is like to be a part of a sustainable farming
community, where we all work together to provide for our local markets. The Hitts opened my eyes to a whole new way of living,
working, AND eating, and I just don’t know what I would do without them
in my life. Anyway, enjoy the cukes! Edamame –
something new for this week, and basically, they’re soybeans in their
green vegetable stage. The pods are fully ripe, but they haven’t
started hardening yet. They are an excellent snack, and very high in protein!
Simple preparation of them is to boil in salted water for 5-10 minutes, and then
drain and rinse with cold water to cool. I usually sprinkle a little more
salt on (try them first and make sure its necessary). To eat them, basically,
you put the whole pod in your mouth and squeeze out the beans. They’re
buttery and quite tasty. You can also
remove the beans from the pods and add them to stir-frys
and soups. Japanese
Eggplant – another new item this week. I like growing this type of
eggplant because its nice and tender and sweet. Unlike the standard eggplant,
you don’t need to peel the skin or salt it because there’s no
bitterness! You can add these to sautees and
sauces, they add a really nice texture. Or, slice in half, brush with olive
oil and place on the grill! What to
Look Forward To Of
course, more tomatoes. Even as the first planting starts to slow down some, I
see ripe sungolds on the second planting, so they
will be right along behind the first. More beans, peppers, and eggplant
also. I’m still waiting for the tomatillos, they’re spending an awful lot of time
growing bigger and bigger, without producing much fruit… yet.
We’ll see. Also, I was correct with the winter squash- spaghetti squash
dominates, with a smattering of all the others. So… now would be a good time to make
and can tomato sauce to go with the spaghetti squash this fall! Questions
or comments? Contact us: Brian
and Joann Gallagher Past Newsletters: |
