Summertime

Summer is officially here and so is the heat! The garden is soaking up the sunlight on these ultra-long days and growing fast.

In Fields 2 and 3 are potatoes, garlic, onions and various cover crops. Nearby are the two greenhouses. The old greenhouse in front is home to the tomatoes and the new greenhouse behind is still where seedlings mature before moving out to the field as transplants.

Through the roll-up sides of the old greenhouse (put up in the daytime for ventilation and put down at night for warmth) you can see the tomatoes are getting tall.

Inside view of the tomatoes growing up the string trellises.

Tomatoes!

In Field 1 are the peas, broccoli, eggplant, radishes, lettuce, spinach, bok choy, kohlrabi, beans, turnips, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, corn, carrots and beets. Most of the mid-late summer veggies are still small but growing by leaps and bounds every day.

Lettuce is one of the first late spring veggies to appear and we've been eating it for the past couple of weeks. It's so exciting to start digging into fresh garden produce after a long winter of root cellar veggies, preserves and pickles and the few things we buy at the grocery store. I'm never disappointed at the amazing taste of the food our land gives us.

Veggies aren't the only thing growing at the farm this season. Baby #3 is due to arrive in two months with all my late summer favorites like corn, peppers and zucchini.

The kids have started their own little garden in the front near the house. They check daily on the progress of the cherry tomatoes, beans, peppers, cucumbers, peas, carrots and lettuce. There's also a small corn plot nearby.

Stay cool during these sweltering days! Visit our CSA page for info on our local pick-up options.

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Recipe: Creamy Garlic Scape Dressing

The curly green stems that garlic plants send up in June and July have a mild flavour with a hint of garlicky bite. Eaten cooked or raw they are versatile and delicious. You can try a classic garlic scape pesto, throw them on the grill for a summer BBQ or use them wherever you might want a fresher, slightly sweet version of garlic's taste. Here I made a creamy yogurt salad dressing to compliment an early summer salad.

Ingredients:

Salad
- lettuce
- radishes
- Hakurei turnips

Dressing
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3-4 garlic scapes, chopped

Steps:

1) Prepare salad ingredients and set aside in a salad bowl.

2) Coarsely chop garlic scapes and add to blender with other dressing ingredients and puree.

3) Check consistency of dressing while pureeing. If you prefer a creamier dressing, add a bit more yogurt, for a thinner dressing add some water. Extra dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

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Recipe: Rainbow Coleslaw

When cabbage starts coming in from the garden I always make coleslaw. This recipe throws in some other seasonal veggies for a deliciously colourful result. You can use regular store bought mayo but I promise that when you try homemade mayo - easier to make than it might seem - you'll never want to buy it premade again. Once you get the hang of the basic mix of egg, vinegar, salt and oil you can experiment with different vegetable oils (try
swapping half of the oil for something more strong tasting like olive, avocado or walnut oil), different acids (ie, lemon juice in place of vinegar), and different flavourings to add in. Garlic is perhaps my favorite but I've had yummy results with additions like saffron, tarragon and rosemary.

Ingredients:

Garlic Mayo:
- 1 egg
- 2 cups mild flavoured vegetable oil (such as grapeseed oil)
- 4 tsp white vinegar
- 1 clove of garlic - 1/2 tsp salt

Coleslaw:
- 1 beet
- 1 small green cabbage
- 1 turnip
- 2 large carrots
- 1 large apple
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp lemon juice

Steps:

1. Place the egg, vinegar and salt in a stand mixer or food processor. Set to medium speed and run for 1 minute.

2. Slowly drizzle the oil into the mixture as your mixer or processor is running. This should take several minutes. It's helpful to pause every half cup or so and wait 30-60 seconds before starting to pour oil again (while letting the machine continue running). You should see the mayo start to thicken by the time half of the oil is in and continue thickening as you add more oil.

3. Add minced garlic and run for another 1-2 minutes.

4. Finely slice or grate the veggies and mix together into a large bowl. I used a mandoline for all but the cabbage but that's up to you.

5. Add the mayo, Dijon mustard and lemon juice to the veggies and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately or refrigerate. As is typical with coleslaw the flavour will improve after 24 hrs of resting in the fridge.

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Recipe: Potato and Turnip Gratin

Another week, another recipe with layered slices of veggies, baked to perfection! It must be the cooler days turning my mind to comfort foods as we slide into fall. Hakurei turnips are back and - although bigger than their spring versions - still very tender and sweet. They are delicious layered between slices of potatoes along with garlic and fresh thyme. This is a good recipe for waxy potatoes because they will hold together as they cook in the liquid. Baking the veggies in milk and egg instead of heavy cream make this dish a cross between a more traditional au gratin and a frittata.

Ingredients:

- 3-4 medium sized potatoes
- 2-3 turnips
- 4-5 garlic cloves
- a few springs of thyme
- 1 egg
- 2 cups of milk (or more, depending on the size of your baking dish)
- (optional) 100 g of Parmesan, grated
- olive oil
- salt

Method:

1. Slice potatoes and turnips very thinly. These delicate Hakurei turnips don't need peeling, and whether or not to peel the potatoes is up to you. I tend not to peel potatoes in general because 1) I am lazy, and 2) the skins contain fiber and nutrients like vitamin C, folate, potassium and iron, among others.

2. Slice garlic thinly as well.

3. Drizzle olive oil on the bottom of a baking dish and layer slices of potatoes, turnips and garlic, packing them in tightly. Sprinkle some fresh thyme leaves and salt in between the layers as you go.

4. Whisk egg and add milk. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. You may need to add a bit more milk to ensure that the liquid comes up to the level of the veggies but doesn't cover them.

5. (Optional) Shake grated Parmesan over top of veggies.

6. Bake uncovered at 375 F for 45-60 minutes, until top level of veggies are browned. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

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Recipe: Glazed Turnips

Baby turnips in the spring are the tiny, tender cousins of their fall counterparts. They cook up fast and have a more delicate flavour than the turnips of the fall. As a wonderful bonus their greens can also be cooked and the two served together make a delicious combination.

Glazed Turnips:

Ingredients:

1 cup turnips chopped
1/3 cup water or enough to cover turnips halfway
2 tsp butter
1/4 tsp sugar
salt to taste

Steps:

1. chop turnips and set aside greens (stems trimmed and discarded)

2. place turnips, water, 1 tsp of butter, salt and sugar in pan and bring to a boil on high heat

3. reduce to medium-high heat and cook for about 10 minutes or until turnips are tender and liquid nearly gone (there should be a very light syrup remaining to coat the turnips)

4. wilt greens with 1 tsp of butter on medium heat for 2-3 minutes

5. mix greens and turnips together and serve

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Eva Mae Farm