Ahh, the Rain
Elmwood Stock Farm was
fortunate to receive well over four inches of rain in so many days. These
rains, often very heavy at times, have the potential to cause damage from
erosion of topsoil to downing of big limbs and trees. Organic farming practices
protect us from some of the risk while feeding us at the same time.
Heavy down pours, even if for just 10-15
minutes, hit the soil surface with the incredible force of moving water.
Organic farming will help that water absorb into the soil by nurturing the Soil
Food Web (SFW), which builds a well-established community of microbes and
insects that are capable of managing all that water. Earthworms and ants build
intricate tunnels, quite deep, to stabilize the colonies throughout the variances
of extremes summer to winter. While feeding in the summer, they can build new
tunnels, and repairs others. These are extremely important sources of air, to
feed plant roots, and the SFW. During downpours, they all retreat to their safe
place while the tunnels fill up with the rain water, which is more slowly
absorbed by the SFW capillaries described below.
Decayed plant roots open channels for air
and water. Every time a plant has part of its green top growth removed, an
equivalent mass of root material dies, since there is not as much
photosynthetic food production to support all the root mass. This is soil
building (and SFW building) at its best. When we cut tall plants for hay, much
of the undernourished root system is consumed by microbes, leaving a void in
the soil, while nurturing the SFW in the process. The insect tunnels lead to
this network of smaller and smaller channels, much like a roadmap of rural
Kentucky. There are also small insects that aggregate sand, silt or clay
particles to make tiny igloos for safe habitation, which helps hold them in
place during an onslaught of rain.
Understanding the value of feeding the SFW
with air and water through these natural systems, impacts our decision-making
on a daily basis. To properly prepare a seed bed for small seeds to germinate
and grow in a uniform manner, the ground must be tilled. The existing plant
roots and shoots are mixed with the soil which feeds the microbes and insects
which starts the tunneling and channeling all over in the top few inches that
are disturbed, the many feet below un-bothered. We try to minimize the number
of times we cultivate the weeds along the rows of vegetables, for this reason,
but it must be done. The rows are planted on the contours of the slope so the
plant rows will hold as much water as possible from moving downhill and
encouraging it to absorb into the SFW venous system.
We generally count on getting enough rain
to grow the spring crops like we are harvesting now, expecting that irrigation
water is not necessary. Had we not gotten such a good soaking rain this past
week, we might have had to irrigate them this year. The longer season summer
season crops like tomatoes, sweet corn, and beans can be watered either through
trickle irrigation lines along the row, or overhead walking sprinklers, in the
case of sweet corn. We are also fortunate to have the North Fork of Elkhorn Creek
along our farm’s Southern border. With pumps, along with underground and above-ground
pipes, we can move the water to most any field on the farm, where the trickle irrigation
system can be employed. We also use municipal water for irrigation in our
greenhouses, high tunnel, and some crops. Water not only hydrates the plant,
but nourishes the SFW. Since we depend on the SFW to feed our crops, we can irrigate
for longer periods of time to ensure all the nooks and crannies of the soil are
hydrated in the zone around the plants roots.
As certified organic farmers, we have come
to appreciate the value of a dynamic SFW. Since we never use pesticides or salt
generating fertilizers that would harm some aspect of the SFW, we now farm the
self-fulfilling prophecy of the Laws of Nature. Manage the SFW well and the
well-managed crops will thrive. Our job is to be sure our soil has enough air,
and can handle lots of water now and then. It’s really fairly simple, don’t put
toxic chemicals in the system, allow the creatures to set up their colonies,
keep plant roots active, and the magic happens.
In Your Share
Broccoli
Carrots
Green Garlic
Lettuce
Napa Cabbage
Yellow Squash
Swiss Chard
Green Zucchini
Purple Top White Turnips
Purple Top White Turnips
Recipes
Tacos with Eggs, Onions and Greens a Martha Rose Shulman recipe
½ bunch fresh greens, stemmed and washed
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 small or ½ medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 serrano chili, minced (optional)
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper
6 eggs
2 T chopped cilantro (optional)
6 corn tortillas
crumbled queso fresco (optional)
salsa (optional)
1. Bring an inch of water to a boil in
the bottom of a steamer (I use a pasta pot with an insert for this). Place the
greens in the top part of the steamer, and steam until the leaves are tender, 5
to 8 minutes. Remove from the steamer, rinse with cold water, squeeze out extra
water and chop medium-fine.
2. Wrap the tortillas in a heavy
kitchen towel and place in the steamer basket. Cover tightly, steam 1 minute,
and turn off the heat. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, without uncovering, while
you finish preparing the filling.
3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat
in a large, heavy skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until it is
tender, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic and
optional chili. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, and stir in the greens.
Turn the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring often, for another 5
minutes, until the greens are tender and the onion is lightly colored.
4. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a bowl
and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cilantro if using. Add to
the pan with the greens and onions and cook, stirring, until set. Taste and
adjust salt and pepper. Spoon onto hot tortillas, sprinkle with cheese if
using, and serve, passing the salsa on the side. Yields 6 tacos.
Basic Green Soup Recipe,
our thanks to a CSA member for sharing
one of her “go-to” recipes for including fresh greens in the family meal. This
chard-and-spinach soup gets complex flavor from slowly cooked onions and lemon
juice, while a sprinkle of rice gives it body and a velvety texture. Serve with a swirl of fruity, fragrant
extra-virgin olive oil for richness.
Recipe by Anna Thomas for Eating Well.
2 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1 tsp salt, divided
2 T plus 3 C water, divided
¼ C Arborio rice
1 bunch chard (about 1 lb)
14 C gently packed spinach (about 12 oz), any tough stems
trimmed
4 C vegetable broth, store-bought or homemade
Big pinch of cayenne pepper
1 T lemon juice, or more to taste
Heat 2 T oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions
and ¼ tsp salt; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown,
about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low,
add 2 T water and cover. Cook, stirring
frequently until the pan cools down, and then occasionally, always covering the
pan again, until the onions are greatly reduced and have a deep caramel color,
25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining 3 C water and ¾ tsp salt in
a soup pot or Dutch oven; add rice.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to
maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Trim the white ribs out of
the chard (save for another use, such as to add to a stir-fry or other
soup). Coarsely chop the chard greens
and spinach.
When the rice has cooked for 15 minutes, stir in the chard
greens. Return to a simmer; cover and
cook for 10 minutes. When the onions are
caramelized, stir a little of the simmering liquid into them; add them to the
rice along with the spinach, broth and cayenne.
Return to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring once, until the spinach is
tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes more.
Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until
perfectly smooth or in a regular blender in batches (return it to the
pot). Stir in 1 T lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice if desired.
Garnish each bowl of soup with a drizzle of olive oil.
Roasted Summer Squash with Sage Pesto (serves 4, recipe by
kaylnskitchen.com)
kaylnskitchen.com)
For the Pesto:
3 large handfuls sage leaves, stems removed, washed and dried
3/4 cup unsalted pecans (or almonds)
1/3 cup chopped fresh garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups coarsely grated
parmesan cheese (or more)
Snip sage leaves from stems and pulse in a food processor
until minced. Add nuts, garlic, salt, and cheese, and pulse until well
combined. With processor running, slowly pour olive oil in until smooth.
For the Squash:
4 medium or 6 small yellow summer squash or zucchini, washed
and cut into ½ inch slices or half slices
1 T extra virgin olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
¼ C Sage-Pecan Pesto
1 T extra virgin olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
¼ C Sage-Pecan Pesto
Preheat oven to 400F. Wash squash and cut off stem and
blossom end. Cut squash into 1/2 inch slices, cutting larger slices in half so
all pieces are about the same size. Toss squash pieces with 1 T olive oil and
season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Arrange squash in single layer on a roasting pan. Roast 25-30 minutes, turning once or twice. Squash is done when pieces are starting to soften and brown slightly on the edges.
While squash cooks, put pesto in a bowl big enough to hold all the squash and let it come to room temperature. When squash is done, toss with pesto and serve hot.
Sautéed Summer Squash, a Catherine McCord recipe
1 T canola oil
1 small onion, diced
3-4 yellow squash, sliced into coins
1 tsp kosher salt
splash of water grated Parmesan
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions
and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until they start to caramelize. Add the squash,
salt, and a splash of water. Stir to combine, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes
for crisp/tender squash or 15 minutes for softer squash. Serve warm.
Squash
Slaw a
Taste of the South recipe
2 large yellow squash, grated and squeezed dry
2 large zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
2 carrots, grated
¼ C finely chopped red bell pepper
2 green onions, finely chopped
½ C white vinegar
¼ C sugar
½ tsp salt & ½ tsp pepper
¼ C vegetable oil
