Moving the Chickens

The chickens spent the winter in a coop by the barn to keep them warm when the ground was frozen, and dry in the muddy spring. Now that the weather has warmed up and the grass and bugs are abundant they have been put back to work in the garden.

They are now back out in their mobile pasture shelter. I originally had great plans to tow the whole thing all the way from the coop up to the back (very slowly, with chickens inside). In the end, we had the fortune of friends lending extra hands so we just carried them all.

I took the troublemaker (barred rock rooster on the left) on the first trip to make things a bit easier.

The helpers / audience check out the winter housing.

Not big enough to carry one, but still part of the team.

The mobile shelter is on grass now, preparing ground for a potential garden expansion. The chickens are obviously happier with the grass and bugs, although it's a bit dirtier without dry straw keeping everything clean. They will be on the grass about one more month and then I will move them to start cleaning up garden beds for me. If all the timing works out, they will in turn clean up and fertilize the alliums (garlic and onions), potatoes, and squash once those areas are harvested.

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Recipe: Lettuce and Pea Soup

It may seem strange to cook lettuce and make soup out of it, but chilled soups for hot weather tend to follow different rules than the heavy soups of winter. Here wilted lettuce with sweet shelled peas makes for a light and fresh-tasting lunch on a sweltering July day. If you've grown a bit tired of salads through the leafy spring this cold soup is a refreshing change as we await the meatier (so to speak) veggies of mid-summer.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 head of lettuce, chopped
- 1/2 pint of peas, shelled
- 4 garlic scapes, chopped coarsely
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 cup milk
- salt to taste
- a handful of parsley, chopped
- (optional) a handful of mint, chopped

Steps:

1) Heat pan on medium-low and melt butter. Add garlic scapes and lettuce and sauté until leaves are wilted, about 1-2 minutes.

2) Add stock and simmer on low for 5 minutes.

3) Add peas, parsley and mint and stir for 1 minute.

4) Remove from heat, add milk and puree. Taste and add salt as needed.

5) Chill and serve cold with a dollop of yogurt and mint garnish. Makes 2 large or 4 small bowls of soup.

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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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Knee high by the fourth of July

Sweet corn is growing well. The old saying "Knee high by the fourth of July" applies more to field corn, but it's still satisfying to see it growing tall by the beginning of the month.

If all goes well, we'll have corn by the first or second week of August.

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Recipe: Beet Pasta

The way beets colour everything they touch is amazing (if sometimes overwhelming when it feels like my entire kitchen has turned red). In this dish they lend their vivid scarlet hue to a comforting bowl of pasta. And don't even think about tossing out the beet greens after you've peeled and chopped your beets. Greens can be easily incorporated into many beet recipes, this one included. The addition of Parmesan gives this dish a bit of heft, but you could leave it out or substitute a different cheese if so inclined.

Roasted beets are also delicious cooled and sliced into a salad.

Ingredients:

- 5-6 beets, peeled
- 300 g dry pasta
- 100 g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 500-750 mL water, depending on pasta cook time
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 small onion, chopped
- olive oil for drizzling
- salt to taste

Steps:

1) Chop beets into quarters and place in an oven safe dish or pan. Drizzle with olive oil until evenly coated and cover with aluminum foil. Roast at 450 F until tender, about 20-30 minutes.

2) While beets are roasting, heat another pan on medium-low and cook onions until softened, about 5 minutes.

3) Chop beet greens. The stems can sometimes be a bit fibrous so you can opt to discard these or trim off the woodier ends. Add greens to onions and cook until slightly wilted, about 5 minutes.

4) Add garlic, dry pasta, water and about 3/4 of the grated Parmesan. Mix thoroughly until liquid is creamy from the cheese. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer. If pan starts to look dry add a bit more water and stir. Depending on the type of pasta it will take approximately 8-12 minutes to cook.

5) While pasta and veggies are simmering, check on the beets. When fork tender remove from the oven and puree. Adding a bit of water to the blender can help it puree smoothly. Add pureed beets to the pasta.

6) Mix beet puree in with the pasta thoroughly. If pasta is not yet cooked, simmer until complete. This is a good point to taste a noodle and see if you need to add salt.

7) After you plate the pasta sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over top. An alternative topping if you're going cheese-less is chopped parsley or chives. Prepare yourself to be blown away by the beautiful colours and flavours!

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Drop by for a visit!

We love having friends and CSA members stop by the farm for a visit, especially during the growing season. One of our visions is to make the link between farm and plate as short and direct as possible, so don't underestimate the power of seeing where your food is growing and talking to the farmer who grows it.

Although not members of the farm because they live in B.C. (move to Ontario you guys!), it was still a delight to show 3 year old Xavier and his parents Randy and Claire around the farm. Getting kids connected to the soil and in touch with how their food gets to them gives me hope for the future. In school they learn about recycling and turning off the tap and carpooling (all important things, don't get me wrong), but on the farm they learn about caring for the land that feeds us. I can't help but feel that that is the more tangible lesson, especially given what concrete thinkers kids are. Whether you come here or not, take your kids to a farm this summer!

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