Newsletter #13 and #14
“Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple"
― Geoff Lawton
Happy Monday Everyone!
It was one of the scariest things we've done all season long but it had to happen so we took the leap of faith and pulled out the summer garden. Yup, that's right! About 80% of the garden was removed this week to make way for fall/winter crops. Out went the squash, bolted lettuces, basil, cucumber, carrots and few varieties of tomatoes. We've amended the soil and planted broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, onions, kales, collards, radishes, beets, spinach, mustards, and carrots in their place. The next few weeks of shares may seem a bit light as we wait for the fall garden to really take hold. Rest assured though, we'll be get a bountiful harvest again shortly. In the meantime, we've planted some quick growing crops to fill in the shares such as lettuces and micro greens. Plus, some of the heirloom tomatoes are finally turning ripe and sweet corn is on the horizon so look forward to those here soon.
August is an interesting time of year on the farm. Harvest season is ON us- literally! We've got a kitchen table full of produce that needs to be canned, dehydrated or frozen. We've got the "second spring" which entails preparing the beds and planting another season of crops. Plus, it's hot outside and we're tired so this is the time of year we start thinking about what comes along with the cool season; pumpkins, cornstalks, and more down time! Don't get me wrong- we really do love August. I mean, in all reality THIS is the moment we've prepared all year for. When you're in the thick of it though it doesn't matter how much you've prepared there is always a huge list of things that need to get done and the days keep getting shorter.
In other news, we've been dealing with a batch of broody hens in the chicken coop. A broody hen is a chicken that has decided she wants to be a mother and proceeds to sit on a clutch of eggs in order to hatch them. It's somewhat common this time of year as the daylight starts to get shorter. If we had a rooster and fertilized eggs it wouldn't be as much of an issue- we could let them go broody and hatch out some baby chicks. However, since we don't have a rooster (it's illegal to keep roosters in the city) all our eggs are unfertilized and can't hatch. It's important that we break up their broodiness for several reasons: 1) it's a "contagious" behavior 2) they typically stop laying eggs when they go broody 3) it's very frustrating for a hen to attempt to hatch eggs only for them to never actualize into chicks. We're working on a variety of ways to encourage them to get out of the nesting boxes and back out into the sunshine! We've seen a decrease in egg production but we're hoping to get everyone back on track soon!
On a separate note- I want to remind all our members of the FREE documentary screening of The Local Thirty happening on September 10th. You can get your tickets here:
Local Thirty Documentary Tickets
I also wanted to let you know of an exciting event coming up that will include herbs from our farm! The Portland CSA Coalition is hosting a farm-to-table event on September 22nd that will showcase a variety of CSA farms in the Portland area including vegetable, fruit, flower and meat CSA's. If you're interested in a fun night celebrating local food you can purchase your tickets here:
Farm Feast 2019 Tickets
Your Farmers,
Shannon, Taylor and Juniper Kane
Wild Grown Farm
Char-Baked Tomato, Squash and Eggplant
This is such a great recipe for this week share! It uses so many of the vegetables in season right now. Plus, it's simple, quick, versatile and absolutely delicious! We made this this week and have been eating it for lunches over noodles, rice, and just by itself. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, peeled and sliced
5 tomatoes, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small eggplant, about 6 inches long, thinly sliced crosswise
2 summer squash, about 5 inches long, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 hot peppers, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Pour some of the olive oil to cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch rectangular or 12-inch oval baking dish. Layer in half of the onion slices and one third of the tomatoes. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a layer of eggplant and sprinkle on more salt. Add another third of the tomatoes, the summer squash, garlic, thyme, peppers, and the remaining onions. Top with the remaining tomatoes. Press down on the mixture with your hands.
3. Pour over the remaining olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Bake uncovered for 1.5 hours. The vegetables should be reduced in height, and should be brownish black and caramelized, almost charred in places. Let cool for at least 10 minutes so that the mixture can solidify a bit. Serve over rice, noodles, or eat by itself. Yum!