Hanging On

The last few years have been a cucumber struggle for us.  Our cucumbers have gotten some sort of boring grub that causes the plants to collapse as soon as they start to fruit.  We rotate beds every year, but to no avail.  Since we love to crock ferment our own pickles, this has been a real drag.

An up side to our late winter/spring....it seems that maybe we bypassed this bugs life cycle!  We planted two sections of cucumbers, each with different trellis systems.  Our hope was that at least one section would make it through this year.  So far, so good!  We are just starting to get baby cucs and the crock full of brine is filling nicely.  Soon we hope to have farm bags brimming over with them.

Last night I was craving some freshness, and though our tomatoes are quite a ways out yet, I broke down and bought some at the store to make a variation of a Greek salad with yogurt dressing.  I completely made the dressing up and only hope that I can reproduce it!  Simple summer flavors that make your taste buds sing!

Greek Summer Salad

Dice up a bunch of cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and a handful of kalamata olives and throw them in a big bowl.  In a separate bowl whisk together (these are approximations, because I was just throwing things in to taste)  1 C plain Greek yogurt,  1/8 C chive flower vinegar, splash of red wine vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 1 clove garlic (minced), 1/4 C chopped dill, salt and pepper to taste ( I also threw in a dash of Penzy's mural of flavor seasoning).  Toss the veggies in the dressing and viola, Greek summer salad.

Summer or Fall?

Our summers are far too short in a regular season.  After the tremendous heat 10 days ago and perfect weather for fair week, the last two days have plunged us into brisk fall temperatures that make me wonder if it really is just the end of July.


As we set about work around the farm today, I realized, this sneak peak has left me both excited and longing for my favorite season to come.  The time when golden light and the crispness in the air make everything hold such promise.

We were energized to get the tough outdoor work done.  Our little homestead is going to be the venue for a wedding at the end of September and operation primp the farm is underway.   We installed  a new well head cover to replace the one that was blown over and shattered during a storm last winter.  We also transplanted a number of hostas and mulched the entire front below the wrap around porch that we cleared late last fall.

I am more motivated than ever to stay on top of the canning.  We made another nine pints of jelly today; a red currant raspberry mix.  Huge thanks to julochka who turned me on to this book.  It is now one of my preservation bibles as we finally are consistently getting all of our jams and jellies to set perfectly as a result of its wisdom.

As to fair, the kids came home with a stack of ribbons.  They did great in archery, photography and vegetables.  The bunnies had a bit of a tough time this week and did not place as well as hoped, but showing this year was a great learning experience for the kids.  All in all a great week!

It's Fair Week And....

What could be more quintessential of a county fair than this gentlemen?

Raspberrypolooza & Globe Envy

The last few days have been the start of berry harvest.  Our 50 foot row of raspberries is broadening its reach far beyond the bed and beginning to ripen at an overwhelming rate.  We picked 7--7 oz containers worth today and have hardly made a dent in what is there. The future ripening looks to be staggering!

A few things that I have learned about fresh picked raspberries.  They are not as delicate as you think, that is unless you kneed them into a dough.  I posted here about the perfect way to freeze raspberries, I urge you to do it!  The last batch I thawed was a month ago, and they defrost beautifully. Not at all the mush that I expected, perfectly whole specimens that held their firmness.  Today I froze much of our harvest to brighten a dark winter evening.  No worries, I used a cup and a half of them in some baking as well.  

I must say that I have been both jealous and inspired by watching photos of my sister-in-law's trip overseas this last week.  She is now spending some quality time in England and her pictures from the Globe last night made me literally swoon.  Sigh..  So what was I craving this morning? Scones....raspberry ones.  I found a recipe of Martha's, that was perfect.  They are a hit with the whole family, and are feeding my soul.  As an aside, I finished reading The Bookman's Tale last night and it was lovely.  I also was transported to the Globe in the days of Shakespeare, so the timing was perfect. Ayne, read this one :)

So what next for raspberries?? Oh and the blackberries and boysenberries to follow?

Jam

Infused vodkas

Infused balsamic vinegars

And lots and lots of snacking

Martha's Fast Raspberry Scones. (Oh my, wouldn't these be good with some cardamom!?)

2 1/2 C flour

1/4 C sugar

1Tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 C butter (unsalted, cold & cut in pieces)

3/4 C buttermilk

1 lg egg yolk

1 1/2 C fresh raspberries

Pre-heat oven to 400.   Combine dry ingredients in food processor and pulse.  Add cold butter and pulse until crumbly.  Beat buttermilk and egg yolk together and slowly add pulsing into try mixture.  Once mixture combines into a dough our out onto a floured surface.  Sprinkle raspberries on top and knead three times (I found this a messy task).  Shape into a rectangle about 1 inch thick and then cut into wedges.  Place wedges on a cookie sheet lined in parchment paper, sprinkle the wedges with granulated sugar and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Then transfer to a cookie sheet and cool completely.  Enjoy!

The Front Porch Is......

The front porch is....
so much more than a place to sit out and have dinner. 
:: it is a place for lively conversation
:: to take in the sunrise or sunset

:: to sort and de-stem the days harvest
:: to kick your feet up and read a book
:: to play

:: to observe the sights and sounds of the farm
:: to capture some of the best light

:: to proudly display your latest creations
:: to watch and enjoy a thunderstorm

but most of all, the front porch is....
a place for family and friends to live, love, eat, laugh, enjoy, and make amazing memories.

How was your weekend??