The blight story...
Why is this an Opinion article?!?

Op-Ed Contributor

You Say Tomato, I Say Agricultural Disaster

By DAN BARBER

Published: August 9, 2009

As we begin to grow more of our own food, we need to reacquaint ourselves with plant pathology and understand that what we grow, and how we grow it, affects everyone else.

Always look on the bright side. Rose reports that tomato crop is going downhill fast due to blight. Start googling those green tomato recipes. Potatoes are being harvested quickly because they look good right now and they are ready to come out of the ground. Cukes are available in great abundance...time to make pickles. Shell beans are a no-go this year. The eggplant are small, but delicious. Those eight-ball zucchini are more popular than we expected. I like the size, the thin skin and the fleshy, almost seed-free interior.

Wednesday on the farm: bright sunshine, a stiff cool breeze & lots of girlish laughter. This week's share was more about weight than volume: potatoes, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, onions...then on the delicate side...tender baby lettuce, rosemary, and sweet round carrots. Lay it all out on the counter before you put it away and enjoy the colors!

A sign of Global Weirding...you certainly can't call this warming. The onions refuse to grow uniformly this summer. They range from big globes to slim torpedos. Oh, well. They clean up well and they taste good.


Rose has signed on some serious staff this week. The 3 M's are pros at weeding, washing and harvesting. I think the plants will grow better when they hear the female voices out in the rows!

Tip of the day: Ok. You've got a fridge full of veggies, but you still grab the quick,easy processed snacks (crackers, chips, etc) when you need something on the go. Here is a little something I just invented today. I took a short, slender container (I'll work on a photo for later posting) - not too big around and I put about 1/2" of homemade salad dressing (pine nut vinaigrette) in the bottom and then I packed the container with snowpeas. I ate them at my desk while working...no mess, just one dish and good for me! Anytime you can replace a processed snack with a raw veggie, it is a good thing. -Jackie

Rosey's tribute to Michael Jackson - "just beet it"...sorry bad joke. The beets are coming in fast and furious and absolutely gorgeous.

If you aren't following Mark Bittman in the NY Times, you are missing some seriously good food info.

Health

Well: The 10-Ingredient Shopping Trip

By By Tara Parker-Pope and Mark Bittman

Published: June 24, 2009

If your pantry is stocked with staples, you can cook for a week with just 10 ingredients.

From the NY Times:

Health

Well: A Bigger Piece of Veggie Pie

By By Tara Parker-Pope

Published: June 26, 2009

A vegetable pie is a creative way to serve up your favorite produce.

I built this handsome salad the other day with ingredients from Harvest Home: lettuce, kholrabi, raw peas, dried currants (Greenstar), Susie's Curried Seitan (Greenstar), dill, pine nut vinaigrette dressing (homemade with HH parsley).

Delivery week #2: lettuce, chard, peas, kohlrabi, parley, dill, beets...hmmm, what am I forgetting? Rose is lamenting that the broccoli is taking its own sweet time and that the spinach has had a rough time and will not make it for an early harvest. I weeded in the peppers for a bit and I must say the dark purple blossoms are gorgeous. Rose has a new restaurant account in Auburn - Bistro One. I just happened to be eating there on Tuesday with my mother-in-law and sister-in-laws and it was fab. Luke will do wondrous things with the fresh produce from HHO, of that I am certain. I flew into Pumpkin Hill Bistro with some rhubarb, beets, kholrabi and chard...right at the peak of lunch time...they were hopping...sorry about the bad timing. -Jackie

Yesterday was the first delivery day of the season: rhubarb, lettuce, parsley, tarragon, radishes, kohlrabi, peonies. It was a nice start. I rushed right home with my share and made a couple kohlrabi sandwiches...yum! Don't let me hear any complaining about my versatile, good-looking friend Kohlrabi! -Jackie

Pretty young basil...I can smell them from here!

Rose checks the progress of a young start under the protective row cover. Looking good!

We knew it all along!
Read about the color purple here.

Sustain This!

Rose took time out from her early spring chores to participate in the activist symposium at Wells College. The theme was "Sustain This." I heard that Rose was a big hit...the description of her breakout session sounds pretty spicy!

Is a Food Revolution Now in Season?

BUSINESS | March 22, 2009
Is a Food Revolution Now in Season?
By ANDREW MARTIN
Advocates of organic and locally grown food have found a receptive ear in the White House, which has vowed to encourage a more nutritious and sustainable food supply.