Expanding

You never know what they will be up to at Stoney Lonesome - last year was the big push for the Future Field which this year is providing us with almost all of our veggies.This past week I was super excited to see in action and to hear about the expansion of raised beds for herbs, one of my favorite things. Raised beds will meander on up the hill near the distribution shed growing all kinds of herbs. Right now they hold small perennial plants which need some time for growth before being transplanted into the bigger fields where they need they will grow hearty and expand bringing with them seasons of fresh herbs to complement any meal. That's the plan anyway...

I spy oregano and thyme and rosemary

Squash and zucchini are in and multiplying rapidly. How do you stay on top of all of these green and yellow orbs? We like to stuff ours with quinoa or rice and whatever other vegetables happen to be on hand. A Greek friend of mine gave me this Mediterranean recipe many years ago and I break it out every summer during zucchini time.

Stuffed vegetables

Slice lengthwise and hollow out the insides of yellow or green squash, eggplant or cut the tops off and hollow out the insides of tomatoes and peppers. Toss seeds and dice up the "meat" of the vegetable.

Prepare quinoa or rice using one cup of grain to two cups of water.

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil, adding diced vegetable from the insides of the squash or other vegs. Add fresh herbs of your choice. When soft, add the cooked grains, salt and pepper if desired. I also like to throw in a little feta cheese or put some mozzarella or parmesan on at the last minute and throw under the broiler.

Stuff the insides of the hollowed out vegetables and place in a oven safe cooking dish. If you are doing a lot, use a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil so that there is some on each vegetable and some in the pan. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Serve with a cool refreshing fruit salad with fresh mint on top.

Any leftover grain/veg mix can be baked in a slightly greased casserole dish for a later meal or can be frozen for later use. I have found success in freezing stuffed cooked vegetables - except for the tomatoes.

 A good way to use up loads of vegetables. Bon Apetit!

 Pretty swiss chard is always good in the above recipe too.

 

 Coming soon to a field near you - 

Pumpkins

  and onion plants

Fresh Herbs

Cilantro

I love nothing better than the smell of fresh herbs....unless it's the taste of fresh herbs or perhaps the versatility of fresh herbs. In any event we have lots of fresh herbs coming our way if these pictures have any stories to tell. Looks like the cilantro has a side of stray basil in its corner. Cilantro is great for use in making fresh guacamole. or on fish tacos - along with some grilled fish, and shredded cabbage.

Dill

Fluffy fronds of dill are super aromatic. Dill always works in a cucumber salad or when making pickles. It is also good in vegetable dips.

Fennel

Fennel, as a cousin of dill, is often considered an herb, at least that is how to use the licorice tasting  fronds. The entire plant is edible and is often paired with fish .

Parsley is a great breath freshener and an accent to any kind of cooking. It's mild flavor complements both meat and vegetables. Use it to make salad dressing and marinade for the grill.

Parsley

Basil

Basil is a favorite from the herb family. Pesto is only one of its possibilities. The hearty flavor of basil works well with anything tomato, and is popular with many Italian dishes.

Aside from complementing recipes with fresh herbs, they are more often than not preserved in any manner of ways. Preserving by drying is probably the simplest and cheapest way to have herbs year round. But  you can also preserve most herbs by using Kosher salt, or by freezing. I use the salt method for my smaller herbs like oregano and thyme. They are also excellent infused in oil or in vinegars and the possibilities are endless when making fresh salad dressings. Flavored olive oil bars are popping up all over - we recently enjoyed one at a wedding and the flavors were intense and so delicious paired with crusty bits of bread. It was such a fun party idea.

Flavored olive oils at a party

Serve with crusty bread or mix and match with flavored vinegars.

Of course within each herb family there are hundreds of varieties of individual herbs. Experiment, experiment - use your google tool to find more specific information along with recipes for each herb. This season at Stoney Lonesome you can find Basil, Cilantro, Dill, Parsley, Oregano, Thyme and Rosemary. 

This recipe was in a recent issue of the magazine Everyday Food - Herb Sugars

In a food processor combine 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup fresh herbs such as basil, mint, or cilantro. Pulse until herbs are finely ground and mixture is well combined. Use sprinkled on fruit salad, to rim cocktail glasses or stir into iced tea and/or lemonade. Doesn't that sound delicious?

How do you use your fresh herbs?

A mixed bouquet ready for packing

Survival of the Fittest

Another fine harvest day at Stoney Lonesome Farm. Pablo said this harvest would have to be for the love of farming but we were all pleasantly surprised by how well the fields are doing. It looks like some of the cucumbers and the broccoli took a hit

from the heat but here's hope for the future - lovely rows of growing and blossoming vegetables and herbs.

Ready or not, here come the zucchini

 

And flowers - their cheery faces welcoming us to the fields and cheering us on in the heat.

  Even the new cob oven looks inviting and ready to throw on a pizza or two - at least that is how it is calling me.

And as always the harvest helpers and interns are busy readying our shares for the week. Thanks guys!