Wednesday 2 November 2016

It's what happens ...

... ...when you don’t take the time to follow instructions.  

It’s been a while since I grew sunflower shoots and pea shoots.  We started moving them out to the greenhouse in the Spring to realize the chipmunks preferred the seeds we’d started in trays were better scattered in various gardens on the property, so we stopped growing them for the summer (a.k.a. active chipmunk time).  We’re growing them in the house now on shelves, hopefully the chipmunks don’t get in and take over.  

I’ve not grown kale and arugula micro-greens before.  They germinated a couple of days after sowing – exciting - then they started to grow too fast and fell over before getting their true leaves, the ones we eat - fail.  So . . . back to the drawing board.  We’ll try again this week and see what happens when I actually follow the proper directions for growing them – sigh.  I noticed a blog from someone on my facebook about micro-greens.  It was good to hear she also failed on her first attempt.  Not so much her failure, but just that I don’t need to seek therapy now – it happens to the best of us.    

The Fab Fall Colours Dine & Discover was great fun, as usual.  You missed the following wonderful flavours:

Creamy Garlic Celery Soup
Kale Salad
Roasted Chicken Breast sprinkled with Fresh Herbs 
Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Sauce
Pumpkin Sage Scones with a Side of Applesauce
Warmed Apple Cider avec Cinnamon Stick

We provided some useful growing and cooking tips as well as loads of nutritional information for these and other fall foods.

Here’s a confession.  I have never cooked chard until last week.  I’ve been growing and selling it for years but have not had the chance to actually cook it.  It’s good, real good and now a main staple in our fridge, replacing the spinach I used to buy regularly for ourselves when mine wasn’t co-operating.  The same was true about kale a few years ago, until I had an opportunity to eat it and we like it tremendously now.  This summer, I sold everything picked so, aside from the kale salad at Tom’s birthday party at the end of June, we didn’t get a chance to have some ourselves until last week.  

Oh, I was able to buy up some organic apples at the Farmers’ Market on Sunday for a good price.  I’ll be making new fresh organic applesauce this week.  

Salsa Verde is also on the list of foods to make before the tomatoes get bitten by frost. 

The arugula and spinach are growing v e r y  s l o w l y  in the field rows, but they are growing.  I go out and give them a pep talk every day, they seem to be in pretty good spirits.

The carrots are still enjoying living in the ground, maybe next week they’ll be big enough to come in out of the cold.  

The salad greens and mustards planted in the Greenhouse are doing well, but not in a hurry to grow, I’ll keep you up to date on those.  

If you ordered sunflower shoots last week, I’ll include them in your order this week.  The pea shoots seem to be working on their own schedule.  If you ordered them last week I’ll also include them if they choose to be ready.  

Garlic gets planted this week.  

For your no fuss meals this week we have:
Celery  $2/bag
Chard  $3/bag
Garlic  $2 each   If you’re buying more than 15 at a time, I’ll sell them to you for the recommended Organic Price Tracker price of $10 / pound.
Herbs, fresh:  Citrus Thyme, Marjoram, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Sage, Savory, Thyme  $2/bunch or $5/mixed bag
Kale   $3/bag 
Mustard Greens  $3/bag
Onions, white and/or multiplier and/or yellow  $2.50/pound  
Tomatoes, Green  $3/pound 

Applesauce:  (organic apples simmered gently with a cinnamon stick)  $4 / 500mL jar

Tomato Sauce  $6 500/mL jar:  (tomatoes, onions, garlic, sweet peppers, hot pepper, basil and/or parsley and/or oregano all grown here, organic olive oil and sea salt)  The sauce is sealed in jars and will keep for a year on the shelf.

Granola, with fruit   $8 / 500mL jar  
Granola, with nuts and fruit   $10 / 500mL jar

Salsa, sealed in jars  (heirloom/organic tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers, apple cider vinegar, organic lemon juice, Tomato  paste,  jalapenos, garlic, oregano, cilantro, cumin, brown sugar, paprika, sea salt)  $8 / 500mL jar

Salsa VERDE, sealed in jars  (heirloom/organic green (unripe) tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, sweet peppers, garlic, fresh cilantro, lime juice, lemon juice, vinegar, sea salt, cumin, oregano, pepper, cayenne, sugar)  $8 / 500mL jar

Day Brighteners is a non-certified organic farm, where we practice sustainability and environmentally-friendly farming.  We use non-GMO seeds and products and take pride in all we do.  When I need to buy ingredients for sauces I prefer to buy organic.  If organic is not available I try to buy local.  You are very welcome to drop by most days, but if it’s picking/packing/delivery day you take your chances on the tour.  Calling or emailing first is a good idea.  We do appreciate your business very much and would like to hear from you with any comments you have.  

If you'd like to purchase any of the above items, I'd be happy to provide them if available after our regular customers have ordered.  Perhaps you might like to be added to our Weekly Delivery List.  I send my email out every Wednesday, collect orders Thursdays and deliver Fridays (or another day convenient to us and you if you're not too close to home).  See Contact information and email or call me.  Thanks.
Until next post, have a great every day.  
Jo