Sunday, June 30, 2013

The Best Things in Life (and soil building) Are Free

Did you know that over 90% of what plants need for growth and fruit development is FREE and can come from the air. Carbon, nitrogen and oxygen are the big three. The other 10% is absorbed through the foilage or roots. These minor nutrients are very important and need to be available in the right proportions. Availability is the key as most soils have been severly unbalanced by poor farming practices. In some cases the soils have literally been mined of organic matter and minerals. Organic matter facilitates the nutrient availability of a healthy soil so it is important to use compost and other sources of organic matter to feed the soil.

The area where our garden was, at our previous home, was one of these abused soils and was almost all clay. I spent 7 years rebuilding these soils before we moved. I was able to accelerate hundreds of years of soil development into just a few seasons. I was also able to triple the soil's aerobic zone (where the biological activity takes place in the soil). The result was yields that are 4-8 times those of conventional growing methods. Using this approach, we can also experience the taste and nutrient content that our foods were intended to have.

The air is 78% nitrogen but is not in a form that is useable by the plants. A good lightning storm will ionize the nitrogen and make some available. Leguminous plants will fix some nitrogen through the bacteria in their roots. Algea and other microbia will fix some nitrogen. Green plant materials is also a good source. These various sources are enough for plants that do not need a lot of nitrogen. Corn and other greedy feeders like to have some supplemental nitrogen from manure or other sources.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Market Menu for Saturday, June 29, 2013


We will have the following items at the market for Saturday, June 29, 2013 (New items are in Bold Print)

Baby Potatoes (mostly red)
Rosemary Skewers (or shish kabob sticks)
Snow Peas
Green Onions (Walla Walla Sweet)
Radishes - Red
Asparagus
Baby Spinach
Baby Spring Mix - Lettuce, Beet Greens, Kale
Baby Red Russian Kale
Baby Regular Kale
Arugual - Good Supply
Baby Cilantro
Cress
Sweet Ruby - a fine frilly mustard green, Mizuna
Fresh Cut Herbs - Mint, Oregano, French Tarragon, Rosemary, Cilantro
Basil
Dandelion Greens
Shallots
Worm Farms - Red Wigglers, Worm Bedding, Worm Castings
Potting Mix
Cipotle Smoked Peppers
Smoked Sun Dried Tomatoes
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Jumbo Pansys - Last Week, Jumbo Plants and Blooms
Herb Plants
- Rosemary
- Basil - Sweet Italian, Tai, Lemon, Holy - Herb of the Week (see Recipes on the VF Blog)
- Mint - Spearmint, Chocolate, Organge, Apple, Mint Mojito, Mint Julip
- Tyme - English, Posey, Lemon
- Sage, Tricolor Sage
- Parsley - Curly, Flat Leaf
- Cumin
- Cilantro
- Hyssop
- Chives, Leeks
- Arugula
- Dill
Cherry Tomato Plants (Great Selection)
Harvest by August 15
- Black Cherry
- Sun Gold
- Red Grape
- Yellow Pear
- Sunshine Yellow
- Sweet 100
Tomato Plants (Large 1 gallon pots and plants, Harvest by August 1)
- Brandwine
- Early Girl
- Big Beef
- Beef Steak
- Roma - Assorted
- Lemon Boy
Pepper Plants
- Red Bell
- Yellow Bell
- Jalapeno, Serrano, Anaheim, Pablano
- Habernaro
Cucumber Plants - Slicer and Mini Slicer
Pumpkin Plants, Squash Plants
Bean Plants, Pea Plants, Sweet Corn Plants
Dried Herbs
Lisa's Soap

NEW NEXT WEEK
- Tender Carrots
- Green Beans (Two Weeks)

How to Make Pesto from Just About Anything


Basil is the Pesto King, How to Make Pesto from Just About Anything

The basic Pesto recipe is to add Basil to garlic, pine nuts (or walnuts) and olive oil. You typically also add Parmesan cheese, but I often omit this if I am going to store the pesto long term. As the cheese would be the first thing to spoil and the other ingredients will keep for a year in the freezer.

We have also made pestos from the following (most of which we have at the farmers market weekly):

  1. Basil
  2. Sun Dried Tomatoes
  3. Arugula - a very bright green pesto that is great for bruschetta
  4. Cilantro
  5. Cilantro and Pepita's
  6. Dandelion Greens - that is a sharp flavor
  7. Curly Cress - medium sharp
  8. Holy Basil, Cinnamon Basil - subtle differences in flavor
  9. Sun Dried Tomatoes and Chipotle - spicy
  10. Oregano & Thyme - leaves only, very strong, but great for Italian dishes

How to Plant Jenna's Herbs


How to plant herbs is not a one size fits all so let me break it down into families of similar plant types.

Basil and Mint

Believe it or not these are close cousins. They can be started from root cuttings and are very easy to grow from our large from our large transplants. Typically plant at the level that they were in the pots, though they will tolerate being planted a little deeper. Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. If you are potting to a larger pot use our organic potting mix or mix in some worm castings to your favorite mix.

Thyme - English, Lemon, Silver, Winter

Easy to grow and should be planted at the same level as grown. Will tolerate a little deeper and will root from any stem that touches the ground. Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. If you are potting to a larger pot use our organic potting mix or mix in some worm castings to your favorite mix.

Cilantro

Transplant to the garden at the same height and clip regularly. Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. If you are potting to a larger pot use our organic potting mix or mix in some worm castings to your favorite mix.

Parsley - Curly, Triple Curled, Italian Flat Leaf

Can be left in the pots they were grown in or transplanted to the garden. Do not plant deeper than they were in the pot. They will not root from the stem. Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. If you are potting to a larger pot use our organic potting mix or mix in some worm castings to your favorite mix.

Rosemary

The woody stem will root if buried a little deeper than grown. Let the plants get about 12 inches tall and then pinch the growing tip. The side shoots will then start to grow and you can harvest them readily. Grows great in pots or in the garden. Is not perennial in Minnesota.

Dill

Plant in the garden for maximum harvest. The plants will get quite tall and become root bound quickly in pots. If you do leave them in pots, water daily. Plant several times for continuous harvest.

Fennel

Separate plants when small and plant in the garden at the level it was grown at in the pots. Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. 

Hyssop

Plant at the level the plant was grown at. A nice herb and beautiful flower later in the season. The bees love this Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. If you are potting to a larger pot use our organic potting mix or mix in some worm castings to your favorite mix.. 

Curry

Plant at the level the plant was grown at. Great aroma and flavor. Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. If you are potting to a larger pot use our organic potting mix or mix in some worm castings to your favorite mix.

Cumin

Plant at the level the plant was grown at. Nice spice and great flavor. Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. If you are potting to a larger pot use our organic potting mix or mix in some worm castings to your favorite mix.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Shallots

We planted about 30 lbs of shallots this year. We use the same double row method that we do for onions and leeks. Shallots keep phenomenally well compared to onions. We have very little sprouting even through the end of July. We need to get the shallots planted by the end of May or they won't have time to size up properly before fall. We use a good amount of organic fertilizer in the rows as shallot
are essentially a green top plant before the bulbs start to enlarge.

We sort out the jumbo shallots and offer them at  the market through July.  By marketing them through the summer we have shallot coverage through nearly the whole season. This is pretty amazing when you think about it. They store at nominal conditions for nearly 10 months. Wow that is pretty amazing.

We planted some single file rows with a little extra fertilizer to get a few extra jumbo shallots.

Shallots don't compete with weeds very well so we weed them diligently all season long.

We start harvesting around labor day. Let them dry and cure in a shady place. Then sort them into baskets or apple boxes. They keep well in a cool dry place such as a shelf in the garage or basement.

That brings us full circle to the next year. Plant, weed, harvest and repeat.

I bought the shallot seed we are currently using over 10 years ago. The variety does well in our climate and has held up well from year to year. Shallots are a clone of the parent material similar to potatoes. So there are no population requirements to maintain the genetic diversity.

If we get a rain in the next week or so they will start to root and sprout. Somehow they know they are in the soil and not in storage. They will be up in 7 to 10 days.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Onion Leaves Tell Their Own Story

We were out counting the leaves on our onion plants this evening. No, we weren't bored and had nothing better to do. We are approaching the summer solstice when we have the longest days of the year here in Minnesota. This is the time when long day onions start their bulb enlargement. The number and size of the leaves on your onions will indicate the size of the onions bulb. 

This is because each leaf produces one ring on the onion. So the more leaves the onion has the more rings it will have and the larger the leaves, the larger the rings. Woohoo, now we are all going to be out counting our onion leaves, as well you should be.

Typically an onion produces a pair of leaves every two weeks during the growing season after it gets established after transplanting, The onion should be fertilized organically every 2-3 weeks. The largest leaf is generally the ninth leaf and this is the time that you want to do your last fertilization as the onions peak nitrogen needs are then. Also the plant is making the transition from is green leafy stage to being a super storage machine.

The perfect number of leaves is a lucky 13 and if the onion produces this many leaves it is usually a sign that the plant is approaching maturity. Not all onions will produce 13 leaves, sometimes 9 to 12 leaves are produced, depending on the conditions. Not to worry if you don't get 13, you can still have some beautiful onions that will keep well and be delicious to eat.

For jumbo onions that break the records at the fair, strive for the lucky 13.

So what number did we get on our onions?  We found some twelves and a few tens, the onion pictured above has eleven leaves (the first is hidden by the second). So things are looking good.

They haven't started to enlarge yet. In a normal year we would have seen some bulb enlargement by now, I think this is because we had to plant them about three weeks late. They are just getting to the mature stage now and enlargement will follow. We would often be harvesting baseball sized onions by now and be well on the way to the slow pitch size. We might not get those huge sizes this year, but I could be wrong as the season has been very good in all other respects. We have weeded well and fertilized with fish several times. Water has been abundant.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Auxin: The Tipping Point. Why Plants Tip Toward the Sun


Have you ever wondered why your plants grow towards the sun?  The credit for this phenomenon is due to Auxin, a plant hormone that elongates the cells furthest from the light.  Auxin is a hormone that reacts when phototropism (Photo-Light, Tropism-movements that respond to external stimuli) occurs.  Auxin is only found on the apex of the plant, causing the top of the plant to tip towards the sun, but not the base of the stem or anywhere else; this is how you differentiate between the effects of wind and the effects of auxin; the former will knock it over throughout the stem, the latter will slightly tip it at the very top of the stem.  Auxins have many other roles in a plant's development such as healing.  Auxin regenerates vascular tissues, which carry water up from the roots to the rest of the plant and phloem which carry the nutrients down.  Auxins take effect on every plant ever to grow, no matter how little you see the results.  Auxins also induce the lateral buds to synthesize ethylene (another plant hormone which ripens the fruit).  Auxins have a part in many plant processes such as root development and flowering.  Special biosynthesized auxins are used as herbicides (Weed killers), or powders used specifically for inducing root growth.

Maybe my (Reed) freshman High school biology course was good for something after all!

Friday, June 21, 2013

Market Menu for June 22

We will have the following items at the market for Saturday, June 15, 2013 (New items are in Bold Print)

Green Onions
Radishes - Red & Yellow
Asparagus
Baby Spinach
Baby Spring Mix - Lettuce, Beet Greens, Kale
Baby Red Russian Kale - Good Supply
Arugual - Good Supply
Baby Cilantro
Cress
Sweet Ruby - a fine frilly mustard green, Mizuna
Fresh Cut Herbs - Mint, Oregano, French Tarragon, Rosemary, Cilantro
Dandelion Greens
Shallots
Worm Farms - Red Wigglers, Worm Bedding, Worm Castings
Potting Mix - Made a Fresh Batch This Week
Cipotle Smoked Peppers
Smoked Sun Dried Tomatoes
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Jumbo Pansys - Last Week, Jumbo Plants and Blooms
Herb Plants
- Rosemary
- Basil - Sweet Italian, Tai, Lemon, Holy - Herb of the Week (see Recipes on the VF Blog)
- Mint - Spearmint, Chocolate, Organge, Apple, Mint Mojito, Mint Julip
- Tyme - English, Posey, Lemon
- Sage, Tricolor Sage
- Parsley - Curly, Flat Leaf
- Stevia
- Cilantro - Herb of the Week
- Hyssop
- Chives, Leeks
- Arugula
- Dills
Cherry Tomato Plants (Great Selection)
Harvest by August 15
- Black Cherry
- Sun Gold
- Red Grape
- Yellow Pear
- Sunshine Yellow
- Sweet 100
Tomato Plants (Large 1 gallon pots and plants, Harvest by August 1)
- Brandwine
- Early Girl
- Big Beef
- Beef Steak
- Roma - Assorted
- Lemon Boy
Pepper Plants
- Red Bell
- Yellow Bell
- Jalapeno, Serrano, Anaheim, Pablano
- Habernaro
Watermelon Plants - Red, Yellow (Biggest Selection in Rochester, while they last)
Cucumber Plants - Slicer and Mini Slicer
Pumpkin Plants, Squash Plants
Bean Plants, Pea Plants, Sweet Corn Plants
Dried Herbs
Lisa's Soap

Jenna's Herbs

Jenna's Herbs are a big part of our offerings at the farmers market. We have some of the nicest herbs in Rochester. It is our goal to have herbs that will not only grow well, but that you can start harvesting the day you bring them home. We plant our herbs in large jumbo pots so they size up to their maximum potential. We fertilize organically with fish emulsion and compost tea.

The best part of shopping at the farmers market is being able to talk to the grower. Jenna has over 8 years of experience growing and using the herbs we sell. The use of herbs in everyday cooking is nearly a lost art. Sure there are wonderful chefs that can dazzle the senses, but the average shopper didn't get a lot of training from parents or grandparents. Jenna spends most of her time on Saturday morning educating her customers both young and old. She has a unique ability and experience with herbs. In the summer our kitchen becomes a laboratory for the development of any recipes and trials of ideas suggested by some of the chefs and customers we serve.

The secret to the best tasting herbs is to grow them organically. If you use chemical fertilizers, you overstimulate and weaken the plants, which in turn causes them to be susceptible to insect damage. The flavor components of the herbs are not fully developed and at their peak unless the plants can grow steadily with nutrients supplied by a symbiotic relationship with the soil.

Superb quality, Exceptional value, Organic sustainability, Culinary experience..... Priceless.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

The June Solstice is This Week

The June Solstice occurs on Friday, June 21 at 12:04 AM. Did you know this is the longest day of the year and the days begin to shorten after this?

This is a very important event in the plant world as many of the garden and wild plants are day length sensitive. Many of the mile markers of the season in terms of plant development are driven by light.

Many of the greens such as lettuce, spinach and mustard greens want to bolt at this point no matter what size the plants are. Bolting is the process of the plants sending up a see head and is usually accompanied by a bitterness in the plant. We avoid this by planting a second or third crop long about now.

The enlargement of the bulb on long day northern onions is triggered by the long days at the end of June (see post on counting onion leaves). The effect is quite striking as the onions go from the size of my index finger to the size of a baseball or softball in a matter of weeks. The cellular replication rate must be off the charts.

The shear length of the days make plants like corn do double time in growth. That is why plants near the Arctic circle, while they have a short growing season often can grow rapidly, and make a crop in the land of the mid night sun. We often notice that the late full season corn for green chopping for the silo would reach phenomenal heights of 10-12 feet because it was planted late and leveraged those long days.

Tell someone you love, that you enjoyed sharing the longest day with them.

We Planted Okra Today

Reed and Jenna planted about 300 okra plants today. We are trying several new hybrids this year Millionaire and Jambalaya. These were big 4 inch plants, planted back in early May. They planted the plants from 3 inch pots into a strip of compost about six inches wide. They space the plants out about one foot apart. The compost will attract earth worms to the rows, provide a little compost tea to the plants when we water and protect the rows from weeds for about 1/2 of the growing season. We used about 25 lbs of organic turkey manure based fertilizer under the compost.

We soaked them good with a hose and will water again in a couple of days. They looked great like little sentinels standing in a row. In a few weeks you can tell when they grow down into the fertilizer band because they turn a dark green.

Harvest will start in 4-6 weeks.

Did you know that okra is in the hibiscus family. Think about what the blooms look like and you will see the connection. Blooms only last a day, just like the hibiscus.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Growing Red Okra

Growing red okra in Minnesota can be very easily done using the same methods as green okra. See Growing Okra in Minnesota post.

We first started growing red okra as a ornamental plant to use in our flower arrangements. The pods curl neatly and they are very shiny making an attractive focus item in a bouquet.

But turns out the red okra is mighty tasty by itself and stays tender longer than the green okra. The red color also adds some lycopene to the diet.

Red okra is open pollinated so you can dry the pods and save the seed for next year if you wish.

Okra sends out lots of side stems from the main stalk and so the harvest multiplies as the season progresses. These side shoots can have more fruit than the main stem by the end of the season.

Red okra is just another one of those serendipity items that you discover for no reason at all. I've always thought that "Red Okra" would be a good name for a hole in the wall coffee shop or organic restaurant.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Cress

We grow some spicy cress in the beds with our spring mix greens. We will start harvesting this week. This is one of the fastest greens to grow at 15 days.

Cress has a peppery flavor and is used in salads and for soups and sandwiches.

We sell it separately so you can use it mixed with greens or separate.

It can also be used as a medicinal herb to prevent postnatal complications, indigestion and constipation.

Feel free to comment anywhere if you would like us to do a certain topic (ex. How To's, Information, FAQ's, etc.) or if there are certain aspects of our blog that you particularly enjoy and want more of.

Monday, June 17, 2013

How to Grow Okra In Minnesota

How to grow Okra in Minnesota. Okra is known as a southern grown vegetable, but you can grow it just fine in Minnesota. It is slow to germinate so if you direct seed usually the weeds take over. So what  should you do?

I have some flats that were used for perennials (they have large pockets). I start the Okra in these flats and then move to the field toward the end of May or early June when all danger of frost is past. We planted 14 flats about 300 plants the last weekend in April.

Okra Plants at the Farmer's Market
We dig a trench with the tiller and then fill the trench with compost. We plant the 6 inch tall okra in the composted row. No weeds and the larger okra plants will soon shade the ground.

Grown this way the okra is very tasty. The newer hybrids yield well and are more tender than the previous open pollinated varieties. This is one case where planting the newer hybrids really pays off.

As the season progresses the plants branch, so the harvest multiplies week to week.

Okra is like basil in that it absolutely abhors frost. Like basil it is dead at first frost. In a home garden you can cover it for the first few light frosts.

Fresh okra far out shines the frozen style in the freezer section. I never see fresh okra in the stores here as I think it is too perishable to ship.

See us as the farmers market for your okra needs or to buy plants in the spring. Simply delicious.

If you want to sample fried Okra year around. Try "John Hardys" Barbeque Restaurant.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Yellow Radishes


The lighting doesn't do justice to these radishes. But they are yellow, yes yellow. For a limited time we will have these at the Farmers Market.
Reed says they are juicier than the normal red radishes, with a delicate bouquet. WHAT, these are radishes, not a fine wine. Well for a root expert like Reed, maybe there are some subtle things going on.
Anyway if you want to try them we have them for a limited time.
Nice picture Reed, this was from the market last week.
I'll comment sometime on how to grow great radishes in the heat of the summer...that would be a strange concept with our cool rainy growing season so far. But we are getting there, just wait.

Friday, June 14, 2013

What is the Deal With No Cherry Tomatoes This Year, We Have Them

We have been getting complaints that people can't find any cherry tomato transplants in the garden centers this year. Its like their distributors forgot to plant some or something.  Well farmers know there are better varieties than you can get off the factory green house truck anyway.

We typically do two seedings. One for the early market and a second to set out after last frost in June. Here are the Best of the Best!  I planted a few hundred extra! We will have them the next three weeks, they are Well Hardened Off and Ready to Grow.

Sun Gold – Best for Flavor

Black Cherry – High Yielding, Sweet

Yellow Pear – Heirloom, Lemon Yellow

Grape – Very Sweet, Resists Cracking

Juliet – Salad Style, Meaty, Disease Resistance

Cherry tomatoes mature quickly, you will be able to start harvest in early August and continue until frost.
The weather is ready, are you? See us at the Farmers Market, while they last...
See our post on How To Grow Tomatoes for instructions.

Market Menu for June 15

We will have the following items at the market for Saturday, June 15, 2013 (New items are in Bold Print)

Radishes - Red & Yellow
Asparagus
Baby Spinach
Baby Spring Mix - Lettuce, Beet Greens, Kale
Baby Red Russian Kale - Good Supply
Arugual - Good Supply
Baby Cilantro
Cress
Sweet Ruby
Fresh Cut Herbs - Mint, Oregano, French Tarragon, Rosemary, Cilantro
Dandelion Greens
Shallots
Worm Farms - Red Wigglers, Worm Bedding, Worm Castings
Potting Mix - Made a Fresh Batch This Week
Cipotle Smoked Peppers
Smoked Sun Dried Tomatoes
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Jumbo Pansys - Last Week, Jumbo Plants and Blooms
Herb Plants
- Rosemary
- Basil - Sweet Italian, Tai, Lemon, Holy - Herb of the Week (see Recipes on the VF Blog)
- Mint - Spearmint, Chocolate, Organge, Apple, Mint Mojito, Mint Julip
- Tyme - English, Posey, Lemon
- Sage, Tricolor Sage
- Parsley - Curly, Flat Leaf
- Stevia
- Cilantro - Herb of the Week
- Hyssop
- Chives, Leeks
- Arugula
Cherry Tomato Plants (Great Selection - No One Else In Rochester Has Any, I Checked)
Harvest by August 15
- Black Cherry
- Sun Gold
- Red Grape
- Yellow Pear
- Sunshine Yellow
- Sweet 100
Tomato Plants (Large 1 gallon pots and plants, Harvest by August 1)
- Brandwine
- Early Girl
- Big Beef
- Beef Steak
- Roma - Assorted
- Lemon Boy
Pepper Plants
- Red Bell
- Yellow Bell
- Jalapeno, Serrano, Anaheim, Pablano
- Habernaro
Watermelon Plants - Red, Yellow (Biggest Selection in Rochester, while they last)
Cucumber Plants - Slicer and Mini Slicer
Pumpkin Plants, Squash Plants
Bean Plants, Pea Plants,  Sweet Corn Plants
Dried Garlic
Dried Herbs
Lisa's Soap

How to Grow Basil - Our Featured Herb of the Week

How to Grow Basil, our featured herb of the week.

Let's talk Basil. Now that the Minnesota weather has warmed a bit the basil will start to thrive in the garden. It is not at all late to plant basil, I won't plant our crop in the field for a week or so yet. Usually after fathers day when the soil is toasty warm and the weather starts to stabilize. Those super long June days around the summer solstice are just what the doctor ordered for Basil. Basil is in the mint family, but unlike mint, it hates cold. If the temperatures even hint at 40°F, cover your basil or you may have cold damage.

We are also still planting basil in flats for late spring and early summer needs. We sell it all summer at our market stand.

When planting in the garden or field, you can plant the transplant a little below the surface where the plant was growing. Add a handful of organic fertilizer to the hole and mix in well with the soil or compost. Fish emulsion works well as a starter fertilizer, but be careful you don't get any on the leaves you were planning to harvest.

If you are getting transplants from us, they are very well hardened off and have typically been out in the sun, wind and rain for several weeks. If you buy a plant from the local garden center or green house protect it from wind and direct sun for a couple of days.

We try to have our plants at the size where you can start harvesting right away when you get home. Let the plants size up a bit before harvesting too much. This establishes the frame or scaffold of the plant. When you pinch off the tip of the growing plant the stems will branch and branch and branch until they are very full and productive. If you see a blossom starting pinch it off. If the plant blooms it thinks it has fulfilled its mission and it will stop producing.

There is nothing better than the fragrant smell of basil. During full season we will bring 2-3 bushel of basil to market a week and sell it for the price of spinach. What a deal!

I'll post some recipes to give you some ideas.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Basil Recipe - Lemon Basil Aioli

Lemon basil is one of those must have herbs after the mainstay herbs are in. The citrus highlights and flavor are very unique. This recipe for Lemon Basil Aioli is great on chicken or fish. Basil will be our herb of the week at the Farmers Market.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup finely chopped Lemon Basil
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (make your own)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:
  1. Mix ingredients together and let the flavors combine. Refrigerate if not used right away.
Kick It Up
  1. Add a clove of black garlic
  2. Make your own mayonnaise
  3. Use lime juice instead of lemon

Basil Recipe - Thai Basil with Sesame Noodles

Thai Basil has that wonderful cinnamon like flavor, and beautiful dark green and purple leaves. Sounds good already. It grows rapidly and likes to be harvested to stimulate new growth. This recipe for Thai Basil and Sesame Noodles is good for the vegetarian basil lovers.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon peanut oil (or coconut oil)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 head of garlic, minced
3 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt (optional)
1 pound angel hair pasta or Chinese egg noodles
12 scallions (green onions), thin sliced
1/2 cup chopped and roasted peanuts
1/2 cup thin sliced Thai Basil leaves

Directions

  1. Heat peanut oil over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; saute 1 minute. Set aside in a bowl. Add next 6 ingredients. Whisk to blend.
  2. Cook noodle with water and salt until just tender, stirring. Drain and rinse until cool. Mix with sauce. Add green onions and mix to coat noodles. Let stand ant room temperature until flavors are mixed. Maybe 1 hour. Stir in peanuts and Thai Basil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

Kick it up
  1. Add some finely gratted carrots
  2. Add 2 heads of garlic
  3. Add some Thai peppers

Basil Recipe - Holy Basil Chicken

Holy Basil is an Asian version of basil used in Thailand and surrounding area. Basil will be our featured herb of the week at the farmers market.  The aroma and flavor are exotic, yummy and Asian. This recipe combines chicken, Holy Basil, garlic, chilies and rice. It is the real deal.

Ingredients

3 cups holy basil and a little more for garnish
2 heads garlic, mince the cloves
6 fresh Thai chilies
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
Fresh ground pepper
Jasmine or sticky rice

Directions
  1. Mash garlic and chilies together with the flat side of a large knife. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add mixture of chilies and garlic. Cook, stir continually, until garlic is golden brown (30 seconds).
  2. Add chicken pieces; cook, stir often, until chicken is fully cooked, 5 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, sugar and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add Holy Basil; cook and stir for 1 minute. Serve over rice. Use basil as garnish.
Kick it up
  1. Add fish sauce.
  2. Add 1/4 cup of peanut butter
  3. Use Thai noodles instead of rice
  4. Use shrimp instead of chicken
  5. Add some cashews or pine nuts
  6. Reduce chilies if you like a milder dish

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Red Russian Kale

Red Russian Kale is one of the premium ingredients in our spring mix. We also offer it separate as baby kale. It is great in soups or a crunchy salad, although we have also had people buy it to make kale chips. It is very popular with our salad loving folks with unsurpassed tenderness and sweet flavor.

Russian traders brought this kale from Siberia to Canada in the 1800's. Kale is in the brassica family and has some of the same healthy ingredients as broccoli and cabbage.

I planted a 30 foot by 4 foot bed, so we will have a good supply. It does well at cut and come again, so the beds can be harvested for several weeks before succession planting. Kale loves this years cool wet weather and has great disease resistance. So bring on the spring showers.

When choosing Red Russian Kale look for bright, fresh, firm leaves and wash well before using.

A quick tasty side dish can be made by sauteing the washed and trimmed leaves in a little butter and garlic. Or use olive oil and add bits of bacon, red pepper, onion and a spicy sausage. Yumm.

This can also be added to pasta dishes such as linguine or spaghetti.

Spring and summer kale is wonderful and healthy. Similar to many other vegetables, the light frosts of fall sweeten the kale further for the peak of the season.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Amazing Arugula

Did you know arugula looks just like baby broccoli when it germinates? It also has some of the same cancer fighting phytonutrient that broccoli has. Both are close cousins botanically and so, have similar baby leaf and stem characteristics.

To get the arugula to perform at its absolute best flavor and nutrition you  must have peak mineralization in your soil. We are constantly working on remineralizing our soils using kelp, highly mineralized salt, fish emulsion, rock powders and compost.

We occasionally sample arugula from the store in the winter and it won't hold a candle to the flavor and shelf life of our arugula grown in mineralized soil. Our kids love arugula on salads and sandwiches. It also makes a zesty brilliant green pesto, which is good on pasta or bruschetta.

There are a number of different arugula types. The more highly serrated leaves are a little more zesty and the smooth leaves are a little milder. We like to cut arugula at the baby leaf stage.

We had never even heard of arugula before about 7-8 years ago. Then it started to appear in more of the gourmet magazines and people started asking for it. So what the heck, we tried it and we were hooked as were our customers.

We typically have a very good product and some of the upscale restaurants buy from us at the market.   NoshZZest, and Pescara are all frequent buyers.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Market Menu for June 8, 2013

We will have the following items at the market for Saturday, June 8, 2013 (New items are in Bold Print)

Radishes
Asparagus
Baby Spinach
Baby Spring Mix - Lettuce, Beet Greens, Kale
Baby Red Russian Kale
Arugual - Yea! Limited Supply
Baby Cilantro - Herb of the Week (see Recipes on the VF Blog)
Cress
Fresh Cut Herbs - Mint, Oregano, French Tarragon, Rosemary, Cilantro
Dandelion Greens
Shallots
Worm Farms - Red Wigglers, Worm Bedding, Worm Castings
Potting Mix
Cipotle Smoked Peppers
Smoked Sun Dried Tomatoes
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Jumbo Pansys
Herb Plants
- Rosemary
- Basil - Sweet Italian, Tai, Lemon, Holy
- Mint - Spearmint, Chocolate, Organge, Apple
- Tyme - English, Posey, Lemon
- Sage, Tricolor Sage
- Parsley - Curly, Flat Leaf
- Stevia
- Cilantro - Herb of the Week
- Hyssop
- Chives, Leeks
- Arugula
Tomato Plants
- Brandwine
- Early Girl
- Big Beef
- Yellow Pear
- Sweet 100
- Red Grape
- Roma - Assorted
- Lemon Boy
Pepper Plants
- Red Bell
- Yellow Bell
- Jalapeno
- Habernaro
Watermelon Plants - Red, Yellow (Biggest Selection in Rochester)
Cucumber Plants
Pumpkin Plants
Bean Plants, Pea Plants
Dried Garlic
Dried Herbs
Lisa's Soap

Heavenly Tasting Greens

It is show time in the garden for those heavenly tasting greens. Lettuce, spinach, kale, mizuna, tatsoi, cress and arugula are our favorite greens. They are especially flavorful compared to store purchased greens. We have been told this by our customers many many times and they often ask why this is. Some customers have even gone so far as to do a taste test.

There are several reasons for this amazing flavor.

First we work very hard at remineralizing our soils. We add kelp meal, low magnesium lime, and highly mineralized salts. These minerals replace those removed from the soils over the years of farming activity.

Second we use several inches of compost in each bed. The substrate for this compost is vegetable matter such as leaves and alfalfa hay that brings up minerals from deep in the soil. These minerals are maintained by the compost. Compost is not a fertilizer perse, but it does contain a nice amount of slow release nitrogen that is just right for light feeding greens. It is more of a soil amendment that feeds the microorganisms in the coil. A primary purpose for the compost is to provide a weed free shield for the greens to get ahead of any weeds that may be present. This makes for a low maintenance growing site.

Third we harvest the greens Friday night right before market. They are extremely fresh for the market and that gives them incredible shelf life. We have had many customers tell us that they have been able to enjoy their salads for two weeks after purchase.

The best way to get the maximum shelf life is to wash the greens you purchase and then spin or pat the greens free of moisture. Then put them in a zip lock bag with a paper towel to collect any residual moisture. It is the anaerobic conditions where drops of moisture collect that cause spoilage.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Fire Flies

Fire flies are winged nocturnal beetles the produce their soft golden light by oxidation of a chemical called luciferin. I explained that to the girls but they seem far more interested in skipping around like Alice in Wonderland than in scientific explanations.

When they were little, the girls were taken back by these "buzzes" that flashed. Jenna called the potato patch the "deep blue sea" and that is where Andrea found the first few, which were soon followed by dozens of their cousins. The night was filled with wonder,

Monday, June 3, 2013

Cage Fight: How to Cage Tomatoes and Peppers


After your tomato and pepper plants get established it is time to consider cages.

To cage or not to cage your tomatoes. Well I say it depends. We cage the large indeterminate heirloom tomatoes. We typically don't cage the smaller determinate roma tomatoes.

I have made cages from concrete reinforcing wire. The are typically about five feet tall and two feet in diameter. They have six inch openings to reach through to pick fruit. We stake the cages so they don't fall over in the wind. I bought a 150 foot roll of wire at Menards to make the cages. I cut them with a bolt cutter and wrapped the wires around the opposing end with a fencing pliers.

I don't use cages on the roma tomatoes and just let them sprall because they are compact and close to the ground. I also let cherry tomatoes spread out on the ground. Though we do put the cherries on row covers.

We use the small three ring cages that are sometimes call tomato cages to support the taller hot peppers such as Serano.


Sunday, June 2, 2013

Cilantro Recipes - Easy Guacamole

Easy Guacamole breaks with the theme of mostly local ingredients. In the tomato off season we often "dip" into avocados. So let me recommend that you purchase your avocados at Peoples Food Coop. They will be organic and the Coop is a local business.

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados (PF Coop)
1/3 sweet onion, minced (1/2 cup) (Petersen's) Use scallions until sweet onions are available
1-2 chipotle peppers (Petersen's)
3 tablespoons baby cilantro (Petersen's)
1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly grated black pepper to taste
Optional: 2 sun dried tomatoes (rehydrate by 15 minutes in hot water, drain), or 1 fresh Roma tomato

Directions:

- Avocado, remove seed and peel. Mash in a bowl. Leaved chunky.
- Add chopped onions, cilantro, lime/lemon, salt, pepper and mix or mash.
- Experiment with the right amount of chipotle peppers, can also use Jalapeno or Serrano in season
- Cover Guac with plastic wrap until serving to prevent oxidation from air, refrigerate
- Fresh tomatoes should be added before serving, dried tomatoes can be added at preparation and will be best if allowed to sit an hour or two before serving.

Kick it Up:

- Add some hot salsa
- Add sour cream, or Greek yogurt
- Add black garlic (when available)
- Add cottage cheese
- Add grated pepper jack
- Add goat cheese (market vendors)