The Goat Whisperer

 It was a beautiful afternoon at Stoney Lonesome Farm when my husband and I stopped to pick up this week's harvest share. Since he isn't often along on my excursion to the country, we decided to walk down to the "big" field and see how things were wrapping up the season.

 After letting ourselves through the gate, (and securing it behind us!) we began walking down the hill and saw the goats out of the corner of our eyes. One was not shy at all and headed straight for us, the others stayed behind briefly to see how he was received.

 Before we knew it we were surrounded by the goats, who happily walked along with us in animated fashion. The older goats wanting an occasional rub on the head, while the kids ran ahead and trailed behind, playing games as you expect "kids" to do when on a walk.

The "family" followed us to the field, waited patiently while we went through the gate and then escorted us back to the top of the hill when we had completed our tour. 

Another beautiful afternoon at Stoney Lonesome Farm.

My squash overflows....

For several weeks now we have had a bonanza of summer squashes. While that crop may be waning with the colder weather we still received a fair amount in the last few weeks. Hopefully we are not too late to talk about and share - What to do with all that Squash?
 

kolokythokeftedes or squash balls, if you prefer

Crookneck, Zephyr and Zucchini wait for pickup

An easy answer of course is just to saute it in a little oil with some herbs and eat it. Yum! While this could be eaten every days for weeks, if your house is like my house, there is usually rebellion after the third day, so I have to find new ways to use the squash. So breakfast, lunch and dinner all become fair game for the tasty yellow and green cylinders. Zephyr, Crookneck, Pattypan, Zucchini, and Cousa squashes can be used in a variety of ways. Breakfast omelets, fritattas, and muffins are some of the common uses for the morning meal, but have you tried a zucchini pancake - not the kind with syrup, although I suppose some tastebuds might enjoy that, but the kind with butter and honey, or with nothing at all. A great quick pickup breakfast and you are out the door. This pancake can also be eaten at lunch, as a side at dinner, or as a yummy snack. Breads and muffin recipes abound and these tasty treats are great for the freezer. With gift giving season right around the corner just keep making them and stashing them away. If you want to make some fresh muffins or bread at a later date, shred the zuchinni into the correct measurement for your recipe and freeze that portion in a ziplock bag. Later you can thaw, drain and you are ready to go with a fresh and tasty treat. Zucchini works well with coconut, nuts, and chocolate chips to there is no end to variations on the theme. My personal favorite is called a Morning Glory muffin - with grated carrots apple and applesauce instead of oil. they are a healthy treat. Dinner sides are plentiful as well; roasted, sauteed, in casseroles and gratins are all excellent ways to cook squash. Stand alone meal ideas include soups and stuffed squash. (The "Cousa" variety we've had in our shares has been perfect for this.) I've given the stuffed squash recipe on this blog several times - just dice the pulp, add cooked rice and herbs, stuff and drizzle with olive oil, top with some parmesan or mozzarella cheese and bake until shell is soft - about 30 minutes. These also freeze well for later use but will be somewhat soggy if frozen raw. My absolute favorite recipe is this Greek dish - http://www.closetcooking.com/2009/09/kolokythokeftedes-zucchini-and-feta.html. I make these at least once or twice a season.

squash blossoms - what a delicious treat

 
Relatively new on the scene is the idea of slicing very thin and making chips. I guess after the kale chips craze, other vegetables begged to be featured and now they are everywhere. Organic Gardening magazine recently featured an article on making vegetable chips and the recipes are all super easy. Check out the link to the article by Tyler Florence and his new cookbook, Fresh Start. Great ideas on feeding babies and young children http://www.organicgardening.com/cook/vegetable-chips Last but not least are the blossoms; succulent flowers stuffed with a little ricotta cheese and some fresh herbs and deep fried; makes a beautiful presentation for a special occasion. Bon Apetit!

Stone(y Lonesome) Soup

Remember the story of Stone Soup (a folk tale and Caldecott Medal winner from  the 1940's), where a whole community came together with a little of something to make a big pot of soup to share with hungry travellers? Isn't our CSA share something like that? Each week we have a variety of "this n that" which together makes a rather grand meal. This past week's bounty of beans and symphony of squash made the perfect pot of soup.

That's a lot of beans

Along with the smaller contributions of okra, peppers, swiss chard, garlic, a handful of dill and a green tomato or two, a magical pot of soup sits simmering on my stove, perfect for this crisp fall day. And the beauty of it all is that the ingredients are shared with "strangers;" many families all over the metro area, that come together to Stoney Lonesome Farm because we know we can count on good, nutritious, wholesome food.



When I think of those who plant, those who water, those who harvest and all of you who have come to benefit from the labor of others, I get all happy inside. What could be better than Community Supported Agriculture?, and especially Community Supported Agriculture at Stoney Lonesome Farm!

Stone(y Lonesome) Soup

 Perhaps you didn't make soup with your bounty; maybe several simple fall casseroles have graced your table this past week. There are so many ideas to work with and they are freely shared on this blog, in the weekly newsletter and on the facebook page.

All I know is we are eating well, and from the looks of things will continue to do so over the remaining weeks. I did a little spying in the big field and I have to say, It has never looked better. All the labor has not been in vain. The gardens are happy and bursting at the seams, in spite of the hardest summer on record.

And coming soon?

The Pizza Oven

 I arrived just in time! The last harvest pizza was headed into the earthen oven and there was still a slice of warm vegetable pizza left. One of Stoney Lonesome's new perks is the earthen oven that was built earlier in the season. Impromptu pizza parties are held after harvest is in with  whatever ingredients are fresh from the fields. Intern Sophie is in charge of the crust and with fresh picked produce no two pizzas are the same.
 Even Jesse's farm fresh eggs are pressed into service and interesting combinations are bound to appear. What a treat!

 What is on today's pizza?

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!