Watermelon Radishes

I got out of the habit of blogging often and I'm going to try to get back to it.  I almost considered giving it up because I've become so very busy, but I've met many people who say they read it and love it and I love meeting new people through this medium!  

This past summer was a kick in the pants as far as the amount of work my mini farm seemed to require and the motivation that I had to complete it.  I've made some changes in my philosophy on how I will continue and I think these changes will refresh my outlook.

The garden will change from being a market garden to a smaller garden for only my family.  Hours and hours and hours of backbreaking weeding and garden work will do that to you!  I felt like I missed the summer and many opportunities to enjoy time with my family.  

Moving ahead, I'm going focusing on producing maple syrup, and most importantly, honey.  Local honey seems to be the lost commodity that everyone wants and I'm happy to work the bees to provide.  Next year you'll find me at the Farmer's Market with locally made or produced maple syrup and honey, and Jackson's preserves and jellies.  

Sometimes it takes awhile to find your focus and sometimes the focus changes even when you think you've found it!

Late in August I did a small planting in the high tunnel.  I'm experimenting to see what I can  get to grow through the winter for fresh vegetables year round.  

Yesterday I picked watermelon radishes.  These giant sized radishes taste exactly like the smaller red outside-white inside radishes, but sure do put a nice punch of color on the dinner table!

I sliced them up to serve with a bit of salt.  The rinds are a little tough, but the inside is tender and delicious.  

Are You Keen On Kale?

It comes in these giant, frilly, green bundles at the grocery store and you look at it and think, "what the heck do I do with that?"

I didn't know either.  Then I grew it one year and fell in love with it.  

Sadly, kale is number ten on the Dirty Dozen for pesticides list so look for a local organic farmer who is selling it to buy it now.  Kale probably made the list because, in early summer, kale gets attacked by flea beetles like crazy, and looks like lace part of the year.  But then in the late summer and early fall, when most pests have died off due to the cold weather, suddenly kale comes into it's glory.  It grows green, tall, beautiful (and nutrient dense) leaves and it laughs at the cold weather!  I've gone out into the garden in the middle of winter and picked kale out of the snow!  

Now its time to cook the kale. You can find a million recipes online, but for me the most simple recipes are the best. and my two favorite ways to serve it are, first, to saute kale in olive oil with some garlic, a drop of lemon juice, and a little red pepper and the second way is to chop it up and throw a big handful into just about any soup you're making.  Easy!

I'm not to whom I should credit this chart.
It comes via Food Inc. with a juice generation logo.  

Give kale a try!

A Gem In Elkland, PA

We took the pigs to the butcher this weekend and on the way back we found this little gem of a garden in Elkland, PA.  

If you're driving through the town just a too little fast and fail to look to the side you'll miss this little gem located on a narrow lot.  Only a tiny part of the garden is visible from the main street.  

(The sun was setting when we found this and the pictures are not as brilliant as I hoped they would be!) 

Then.... you drive around to the back, make a right and drive through a non-descript parking lot and bamm!  you're hit between the eyes with astounding beauty as you negotiate the narrow alley.  

Both sides of the tiny one lane alley have been turned into a virtual wonderland!

 Above, you can see the trucks driving by on the main street.

You'll find this garden as you're heading east on Rt 49 through Elkland, PA.  Look to your right just before the traffic light.  Take a right at the light then make another right through the parking lot behind the buildings to see the rest of the garden.     

  

Beautiful Sunday Music

A lovely way to begin this Sunday!

Yummy, Super Simple, Homemade Ice Cream

I found this yummy, and oh, so simple, ice cream recipe on Allrecipes.com yesterday.  It's very flavorful, refreshing, and delicious!

5 Minute Ice Cream

10 ounces frozen sliced strawberries

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

Combine the frozen strawberries and sugar in a food processor or blender. Process until the fruit is roughly chopped. With the processor running, slowly pour in the heavy cream until fully incorporated. Serve immediately, or freeze for up to one week.

I found the sugar to be a little bit grainy and I think the next time I make it I would put the sugar and 1/2 the heavy cream in first and process it for a few seconds to help dissolve the sugar.  Then I would add the sliced strawberries ( I used a frozen rasberry, strawberry, and blueberry mixture), chop them, and finally the last of the heavy cream.

In the comments of this recipe people talked about using frozen peaches and other fruits. They would all be amazing!

I think this tastes more like a really rich sorbet than an ice cream and it's sooooo tasty!

Click here to see the actual recipe page on www.allrecipes.com.

P.S.  I would love to know what fruits you use and what changes you make to this recipe!

Pigs Don't Like Thunder

I found out yesterday, as I was feeding the pigs, that they don't like thunder.  I was gathering up their feeding dishes while the pigs walked around me when suddenly a boom of thunder went off and all three squealed and went shooting past me out into their field.  Very scary for them and for me! 

Credit

(Unwilling) Showtime on the Farm

Sometimes, in the course of dealing with critters I potentially give my neighbors quite a show. 

A few years ago I had a bumblebee fall down my shirt and start stinging me.  Bumblebees can sting more than once!  It would have made a great "Funniest Home Videos" to watch me run around like a maniac as I peered down my shirt and finally ripped it off (yes, I had a bra on!).  

Then, this spring, we had the great pig chase.  Our piglet shot through the fence the second we put it in it's new home and we spent over three hours pelting around chasing it around the forest.  One farmer, who was working down the lane, said he would see the pig run across the road, then he would see a pile of people chasing after it.  A few minutes later the pig would go back across the road the other way and here would come the chasers again!

The other day, I looked out and the pigs had drunk enough water from the 50-gallon drum we use for their water to make it light enough for them to lift.  They had pushed it around until it was lying across and pushing down their fence.  Yikes!  I envisioned a three hour chase of giant pigs through the woods!  So, I started trying to get the drum back in place so that I could refill it with water.  The drum is tethered to a fence post and sits on concrete blocks.  I move the concrete blocks back in place.  Pigs, who are insanely strong and curious pushed them over like they were styrofoam.  So I'm telling the pigs to "leave it alone!"  They don't listen.  So I get some food and throw it at the other end of their pasture.  I quickly try to get the drum set on the blocks and start filling it with water.  Here come the pigs again and they start pushing on the drum - which try as hard as I can, will not be held in place by me.  Then they chew on the tethers and start pushing around the blocks.  Trek out to the barn for more food.  Finally, after a few more sessions of this the drum gets put in place and filled with enough water that they can't move it - not exactly the way I want it - but it will have to do!

Yesterday, as I was cleaning our around my asparagus patch, an angry bee (they always seem to get so angry this time of year) starts buzzing around my head.  When you work with bees you learn their "give me the chance and I'll sting you buzz".  I have a slight allergy to bees (hives- great for a beekeeper, right?) and didn't want to deal with the Benadryl and sleepiness period after a beesting, so I took off at a dead run for the house.  Every time the I slowed down the bee kept angrily dive bombing me, until I got inside.  There's nothing like an angry bee to turn you into an Olympic caliber sprinter!   

Credit