Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Week 16 8/29/2012



More garlic this week for your winter storage and cooking pleasure.  Garlic keeps very well in a dark, dry, room temperature area.  You may store it in a basket or paper bag in your pantry or cooking island. Don’t seal it in plastic. 

This week’s box:

Tomatoes- See the following note. Please wash produce. We are trying to keep the tomato plants healthy and happy despite the rain and late summer blight.  We have sprayed a copper solution that is used in organic methods.  While it is approved for organic farms, you should make sure to wash your tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. (Always wash produce!) 

Cherry Tomatoes-See the note above. Please wash produce. Some of the most flavorful tomatoes are the little ones.  Try them sliced in half with basil and chopped cucumbers (also good with diced large tomatoes).

Red Peppers- They’re here! Red and sweet and delicious.  Did you know that it takes an extra 2 weeks for a pepper to go from full size green to ripe and red?  During that time, the darling pepper must hang on the plant and avoid being scorched and softened by the August sun.

 Cucumbers- Just a few.  We have a young succession of plants that have started producing cucumbers.  We are lucky to have them.  Usually this time of year it is too hot and humid for the plants and they die of disease. Enjoy the bounty this year!

Beans-mix of green pole beans and long red noodle beans.

Basil-Oh the wonderful scent of basil.  I love harvesting it for you all.

Garlic- More delicious heirloom garlic for you this week.

Eggplant-  Just a few eggplant for you.  Eggplant doesn’t like cooler weather, but we sure appreciate the moderate temperatures!  Try simmering cubed eggplant in lightly salted water for a few minute before adding to tomato sauce or a vegetable sauté. 

This week on the Farm

Bluebird Farm was a happening place this past week. 

In the vegetable field:
                The dry weather is making it difficult to germinate seedlings.  Beets, carrots, and lettuce mix are all struggling to crack through the dry crusty ground.  The good news in the fall garden is the transplants.  Weeds had started to grow in the vegetable field.  But it isn’t very hard to kill them when the sun is beating down.  Just a little disturbance with the tractor and they’re dead.  After preparing the beds we had two big work evenings to plant all the babies (one good thing about earlier evenings is that when we work to dark its only 9 pm instead of 10 pm!).  12 rows of chard, 12 kale, and 4 each of collards and broccoli are now happily growing away. 

In the pastures:
                On Sunday it was time to move the sheep.  Normally it’s a short easy move from one paddock to the next.  But this time it was a big move.  They’d been happily grazing on the hillside for the last two months or so.  But they had reached the end of the grass.  So we had to move them back down to the bottom land across from the vegetable field.  Luckily for us we had some out of town friends visiting so we put them to work (they may not have thought themselves so lucky!).  The sheep behaved pretty well on the move.  But they did miss one turn.  They didn’t want to walk into the tall unmowed grass so they ran the entire length of the field down the nicely cut road-they thought it was the best race track ever.  So I had to run all the way around them and get them turned around in the right direction.  Fortunately, after their long run they were too tire to misbehave anymore.
                Today we opened up some piglets onto our pastures.  The ground is hard from the dry weather so they can’t turn the soil over too much.  We just want them to munch on the grass and other plants growing in the pasture, not rip the whole thing up.  It took the pigs a few minutes to cross their old electric fence (they think its still there and really don’t want to get shocked).    But once they were across into the green grass they had a blast running around and grazing. 

Enjoy the food!

William and Marie

Recipes
More recipes with red peppers and eggplant!  Be creative as you use these recipes and others!  You can always trade out vegetables that aren’t available for ones that are.  For example, you could leave the squash out of the grilled vegetable pasta salad and use more peppers and tomatoes. 
Also don’t forget the good ol’ option of eating vegetables raw.  Sweet red peppers can be sliced for a great healthy snack.  Diced pepper, tomato, and cucumber tossed with your favorite vinaigrette makes a great, easy to prepare salad.


Roasted Red pepper Risotto (From From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce)
2 Large red bell peppers
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Juice of 2 small lemons
8-9 cups vegetables stock
3 tablespoons olive oil
About 2 ½ cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine

Heat oven to broiling temperature.  Place peppers on baking sheet. Broil close to heating element, using tongs to turn peppers to char skin evenly on all sides.   Remove from oven, place in paper bag, and close the bag.  Let peppers stand while you chop onion and dill and juice lemons.  Remove peppers from bag; peel off charred skin, remove stem and seeds (don’t rinse them, as this will weaken the flavor), and cut into small strips (for alternative roasting method see Grilled Eggplant Red Pepper “Caviar”).  Heat stock in saucepan over medium-low flame.  Heat oil in large saucepan over medium flame.  Add onions; cook until soft.  Stir in rice with wooden spoon until all grains are evenly coated.  Add dill, stir 1 mintute, then add wine and stir until wine is absorbed.  Add one cup stock; stir until stock is absorbed.   Continue cooking, stirring, and adding one cup of stock at a time until the rice is al dente and suspended in a smooth sauce, 15-25 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and red peppers.  Makes 6-8 servings. 

Stuffed Peppers (From From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce)
A little oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 onions, chopped
3 cups raw brown rice         
6 cups water, chicken or vegetable stock, or tomato juice
½ teaspoon allspice
½ cup almonds, chopped
1 cup chopped tomatoes
¾ pound cheddar chease, grated
Salt and pepper
9 large paeppers, tops cut off, seeds removed

Heat oil in a large skillet; add and sauté garlic and onions.  Add rice and brown about 5 minutes.  Add desired liquid and allspice.  Cover and cook until rice is done, about 40 minutes.  Toast almonds in dry skillet or hot oven several minutes, tossing often.  Stir in tomatoes, cheese, almonds, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook peppers in boiling water 2 minutes.  Drain and stuff peppers with rice mixture.  Bake 350 degrees 30 minutes.  Makes 9 servings.

Grilled Eggplant Red Pepper “Caviar” (From From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce)
2 sweet red peppers
1 ½ pounds oriental eggplant
1 sweet onion, thickly sliced, brushed lightly with a little olive oil
1 large tomato, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
 Salt and pepper
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Black olives
Italian Bread

Prepare grill to high heat.  When hot, roast the red peppers, turning often, to blacken the skins all around.  Remove to a cutting board, scrape off the skin with a sharp knife, and finely chop the flesh (for alternative roasting method see Roasted Red pepper Risotto).  Cool grill to medium high heat, grill the whole eggplants and sliced onions, turning often, until tender.  Peel the eggplant; drain them a few minutes in a colander.  Mash or finely chop the eggplant flesh and finely chop the onions.  Combine eggplant, onions, red peppers, and tomatoes in bowl.  Mince the garlic, sprinkle it with a little salt, and mash it in to paste with a fork or the back of a knife.  Stir garlic and olive oil into eggplant mixture.  Serve with olives and hunks of Italian bread.  Makes 4-6 appetizer-size servings or serve this as a main coarse for two. 

Late Summer Bruschetta (from From Asparagus to Zucchini: A guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce)
2-3 large tomatoes
1 crunchy sweet pepper
1 medium sweet onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Small handful fresh basil, chopped (optional)
Crusty bread (like baguette)
Shredded mozzarella or grated parmesan (optional)

Chop the vegetables into a midsize dice.  Combine with garlic 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, and optional basil.  Slice baguette down the middle and lay the two sides cut side up.  Brush with additional 1-2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle on cheese, if using.  Broil bread for several minutes until bread or cheese browns a bit.  Top the sections (you may cut them smaller, if desired) with some of the vegetable mixture.  Makes 4 servings

Grilled Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad (from From Asparagus to Zucchini: A guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce)
This great pasta salad recipe can be made with a variety of summer vegetables.  It is easy to mix and match ingredients based on seasonal availability.
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 eggplant
4 tomatoes
4 portobello mushrooms
1 red bell pepper
Olive oil spray
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound penne, cooked, rinsed, and cooled
4 oz. mozzarella, sliced
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Approximately 1 cup vinaigrette made with balsamic vinegar

Heat/prepare an outdoor grill.  Slice zucchini, squash, and eggplant into long ½ inch thick “planks.”   Cut tomatoes in half.  Remove stems from mushrooms.  Cut pepper into quarters; discard core and seeds.  Spray veggies with light coating of oil.  Sprinkle with minced garlic; season with salt and pepper.  Grill until lightly charred and barely tender.  Chop and place in large bowl with pasta, cheese, nuts, and basil.  Toss with vinaigrette.  Season with salt and pepper.  6-8 servings.

Southwestern Strata (lasagna)  (from From Asparagus to Zucchini: A guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce)
1 ½-2 cups cooked beans (wither form dry or canned)-a red or black variety is best
½ cup chopped sweet red pepper
½ cup corn kernels
¼ cup minced green onion
5 eggs
1 2/3 cup milk
1 cup tomato salsa (can be made fresh by dicing tomatoes and seasoning to taste with cayenne pepper, garlic, salt, jalapeno, cilantro, onion)
½ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
5 6-inch flour tortillas
1/2 -1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Combine beans, red pepper, corn, and green onions in bowl.  Wisk eggs and milk in a second bowl.  Combine salsa, sour cream, cilantro, and cumin in a third bowl.  Oil a deep, round, baking dish that’s about the width of a tortilla.  Place a tortilla in dish.  Spread a quarter of the bean mixture.  Pour on a quarter of the milk mixture.  Repeat layers three or more times and end with a tortilla.  Spread sour cream mixture over top.  Refrigerate 3 or more hours.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Sprinkle cheese over strata. Bake until firm, 45-55 minutes.  Makes 6 servings.  



 Summertime Sunflowers and Veggies
Sunflowers with tomato hoophouse in background

Marie with sunflowers at Silver Creek




Baby kale, Swiss chard, and collards before planting
 William and baby kale plants after planting

Animals around Bluebird Farm
Cattle in the high pasture.
Hens enjoying the shade in empty veggie field with hoophouse in background

Wheee...baby pigs running!

Baby pigs and hens

Big pigs get a summer treat! The ground is very hard, so we let them gallivant around in the lush sheep and chicken grass pasture.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Week 15-red ripe pepper bounty


This week’s box:

Tomatoes- See the following note. Please wash produce. We are trying to keep the tomato plants healthy and happy despite the rain and late summer blight.  We have sprayed a copper solution that is used in organic methods.  While it is approved for organic farms, you should make sure to wash your tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. (Always wash produce!) 
Cherry Tomatoes-See the note above. Please wash produce. Some of the most flavorful tomatoes are the little ones.  Try them sliced in half with basil and chopped cucumbers (also good with diced large tomatoes).
Red Peppers- They’re here! Red and sweet and delicious.  Did you know that it takes an extra 2 weeks for a pepper to go from full size green to ripe and red?  During that time, the darling pepper must hang on the plant and avoid being scorched and softened by the August sun.
 Cucumbers-We have a young succession of plants that have started producing cucumbers.  We are lucky to have them.  Usually this time of year it is too hot and humid for the plants and they die of disease. Enjoy the bounty this year!
Beans-mix of green and yellow bush beans.  Enjoy the crisp sweet beans.  This will be the last distribution for them.
Basil-Oh the wonderful scent of basil.  I love harvesting it for you all.
Garlic- More delicious heirloom garlic for you this week.
Eggplant-  The eggplants just aren’t in full swing.  But, there is enough eggplant to add to tomato sauces or supplement other dishes.  Try simmering cubed eggplant in lightly salted water for a few minute before adding to tomato sauce or a vegetable sauté. 
Recipes:
I looked for recipes that include a variety of summer vegetables: peppers, tomato, eggplant and others.  Be creative as you use these recipes and others!  You can always trade out vegetables that aren’t available for ones that are.  For example, you could leave the squash out of the grilled vegetable pasta salad and use more peppers and tomatoes. 
Also don’t forget the good ol’ option of eating vegetables raw.  Sweet red peppers can be sliced for a great healthy snack.  Diced pepper, tomato, and cucumber tossed with your favorite vinaigrette makes a great, easy to prepare salad.
Late Summer Bruschetta (from From Asparagus to Zucchini: A guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce)
2-3 large tomatoes
1 crunchy sweet pepper
1 medium sweet onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Small handful fresh basil, chopped (optional)
Crusty bread (like baguette)
Shredded mozzarella or grated parmesan (optional)

Chop the vegetables into a midsize dice.  Combine with garlic 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, and optional basil.  Slice baguette down the middle and lay the two sides cut side up.  Brush with additional 1-2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle on cheese, if using.  Broil bread for several minutes until bread or cheese browns a bit.  Top the sections (you may cut them smaller, if desired) with some of the vegetable mixture.  Makes 4 servings

Grilled Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad (from From Asparagus to Zucchini: A guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce)
This great pasta salad recipe can be made with a variety of summer vegetables.  It is easy to mix and match ingredients based on seasonal availability.
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 eggplant
4 tomatoes
4 portobello mushrooms
1 red bell pepper
Olive oil spray
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound penne, cooked, rinsed, and cooled
4 oz. mozzarella, sliced
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Approximately 1 cup vinaigrette made with balsamic vinegar

Heat/prepare an outdoor grill.  Slice zucchini, squash, and eggplant into long ½ inch thick “planks.”   Cut tomatoes in half.  Remove stems from mushrooms.  Cut pepper into quarters; discard core and seeds.  Spray veggies with light coating of oil.  Sprinkle with minced garlic; season with salt and pepper.  Grill until lightly charred and barely tender.  Chop and place in large bowl with pasta, cheese, nuts, and basil.  Toss with vinaigrette.  Season with salt and pepper.  6-8 servings.

Southwestern Strata (lasagna)  (from From Asparagus to Zucchini: A guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce)
1 ½-2 cups cooked beans (wither form dry or canned)-a red or black variety is best
½ cup chopped sweet red pepper
½ cup corn kernels
¼ cup minced green onion
5 eggs
1 2/3 cup milk
1 cup tomato salsa (can be made fresh by dicing tomatoes and seasoning to taste with cayenne pepper, garlic, salt, jalapeno, cilantro, onion)
½ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
5 6-inch flour tortillas
1/2 -1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Combine beans, red pepper, corn, and green onions in bowl.  Wisk eggs and milk in a second bowl.  Combine salsa, sour cream, cilantro, and cumin in a third bowl.  Oil a deep, round, baking dish that’s about the width of a tortilla.  Place a tortilla in dish.  Spread a quarter of the bean mixture.  Pour on a quarter of the milk mixture.  Repeat layers three or more times and end with a tortilla.  Spread sour cream mixture over top.  Refrigerate 3 or more hours.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Sprinkle cheese over strata. Bake until firm, 45-55 minutes.  Makes 6 servings.   

The Farm this week
We’ve been seeding fall crops!  It is exciting to get back into the soil and prepare for greens!  Late summer grasses and weeds can be a problem competing with small vegetable seedlings.  But some of the drier afternoons make for great weeding weather.  When we pull one out it actually dies!  In wet weather many weeds easily re-root, making the Sisyphean task of weeding seem even more futile.  Arugula and lettuce mix are sprouting now!
Speaking of weeds, the sweet potato patch had gotten a little out of control.  The sprawling sweet potato vines had blocked out many of the weeds, but a few got through.  We have one weed that seems to be related to tomatillos.  When it develops seeds they are covered in a papery husk.  They look like small paper lanterns hanging from the branches of the weed-pretty, but not what we want!  When this plant gets through the sweet potato canopy it goes wild turning into a sprawling shrub 4 feet high with braches flopping 5 feet wide in all directions.  Fortunately, there aren’t many.  Went through the other day and pulled them all out.  Now the sweet potatoes should have a great final month or so to really get ready.  Look forward to sweet potatoes in some of your September boxes!

As always enjoy the bounty!

Your farmers William and Marie

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

8-14-2012 Week 14
Tomatoes- The Garden Diva
Important note! We are trying to keep the tomato plants healthy and happy despite the rain and late summer blight.  We have sprayed a copper solution that is used in organic methods.  While it is approved for organic farms, you should make sure to wash your tomatoes and cherry tomatoes.  It is not meant to be eaten. (Always wash produce!) 
We work hard to bring you tomatoes!  This year, we built 2 tunnel covers (hoophouses) to keep our tomatoes out of the rain and the blight (fungus) away from the tomatoes.  This means that we use less organic spray on the tomatoes and reduce the labor that is required to grow tomatoes.  You get more tomatoes in your box, since the tomatoes are out of the rain and won’t swell and crack as much. The tomatoes also taste better because they aren’t watery (think less flavorful) from too much rain.
Non-organic, commercial tomatoes use huge amounts of pesticides and fertilizer.  It doesn’t stop there. Fungicide is sprayed every 10 days or after every rain.  Each time it rains the fungicide washes away and more is applied.  Immense quantities of sprays are used on several crops like tomatoes, leafy greens, squash, potatoes, and bell peppers!   
If you see bright green and perky commercial field tomatoes growing this time of year, you know that they are heavily sprayed with fungicide.  The soil around the field and the water that drains from the field carries residues from the sprays.  (We see non-organic tomato fields down Hwy 64, up Hwy 80 in Marion, and past Asheville around Leceister.)
This week’s box:
Tomatoes- See the following note. Please wash produce. We are trying to keep the tomato plants healthy and happy despite the rain and late summer blight.  We have sprayed a copper solution that is used in organic methods.  While it is approved for organic farms, you should make sure to wash your tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. (Always wash produce!) 
Cherry Tomatoes-See the note above. Please wash produce. Some of the most flavorful tomatoes are the little ones.  Try them sliced in half with basil and chopped cucumbers.
Red Peppers- They’re here! Red and sweet and delicious.  Did you know that it takes an extra 2 weeks for a pepper to go from full size green to ripe and red?  During that time, the darling pepper must hang on the plant and avoid being scorched and softened by the August sun.
 Cucumbers-We have a young succession of plants that have started producing cucumbers.  We are lucky to have them.  Usually this time of year it is too hot and humid for the plants and they die of disease. Enjoy the bounty this year!
Squash/zucchini-These plants are getting chomped by vine borers, the yucky grubs that hatch out and burrow into the stem of the squash and zucchini plants.  This kills the plant.  We’ll get fewer and fewer squash and zucchini fruits for the rest of the year.  Very sad.
Basil-Oh the wonderful scent of basil.  I love harvesting it for you all.
Garlic- More delicious heirloom garlic for you this week.
EggplantSmall shares only.  There is enough eggplant to add to tomato sauces!

Here’s a yummy late summer recipe for dinner.  Make enough that you have extra for lunch.
Tunisian Vegetable Couscous



We'll have our pastured beef for sale tomorrow at the farm.  Enjoy lean, flavorful ground beef. $5.75 lb

Beef steers on the hillside pasture at the other farm

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

The little carrots and beet seeds are happily planted in their earthen beds as of 8 o'clock this evening.
Week 13,   August 7, 2012


What a cute farm dog in that farm truck! Okra, the farm dog is always ready for the next adventure.




Little Gems of Sunshine


This week’s box:
Bush Beans:  Stringless.  We pick young, tender, and juicy green and yellow beans for you. 
Bonus crop:Green beans are one of those vegetables that we grow mainly for the CSA members.  If we harvested too many, we sell them to restaurants, but we don’t grow a lot of extra beans to sell.  Why? Picking them takes too long!  It takes us 4 hours to pick enough for our CSA members- we think of the green beans as a special crop that is a treat for you all.
Cooking tips:  We usually don’t even cook them, we chop them up and serve them with a vinaigrette.  Sometimes we toss in green onions, garbanzo beans, and lemon juice with the vinaigrette for a quick bean salad.
Tomatoes-The tomato harvest continues!  We have lots of heirloom pink tomatoes that are similar to the Cherokee Purple.  The varieties are Ozark Pink, Eva Purple Ball, and Arkansas Traveler.  The tomato season is short but sweet.  Try all the different colors and sizes, each one is a different variety.
Cherry Tomatoes-Some of the most flavorful tomatoes are the little ones.  Try them sliced in half with basil and chopped cucumbers.
Green Peppers- The peppers really want to ripen right now, but they need a tiny bit more sun! It will be another week or so until we get some good red ripe ones.
 Cucumbers-We have a young succession of plants that have started producing cucumbers.  We are lucky to have them.  Usually this time of year it is too hot and humid for the plants and they die of disease. Enjoy the bounty this year!
Squash/zucchini-See the note on cucumbers. 
Basil-Oh the wonderful scent of basil.  I love harvesting it for you all.
  Here are the3 new beds of squash, zucchini, and cucumbers. (L to R.) That is the tomato hoophouse and some healthy weeds growing on the left hand side.  The plants in the front are young "Autumn Beauty" sunflowers.  We'll have pretty sunflowers in the garden in a few weeks!  The black lines in the front are the main irrigation lines with small irrigation lines running into the beds of plants.

Farm News-
The wild pumpkins are attacking!  We have volunteer pumpkin plants that are smothering 2 beds of eggplant and 2 beds of edamame (buttery and tender baby soybeans).  I love the pumpkin plant’s vigor and I cherish the large beautiful pumpkins, but me oh my they just can’t destroy that much food.  That is your food, for your CSA box!  I will be pruning and trimming the plants back.
In other news, William is out preparing the beds for planting carrots and beets seeds.  I must go out and help him right now if we are to get them planted and ready to grow.  The carrots and beets should be harvested around mid to late October.  They will be ready at the last weeks of the Morganton Farmers’ Market.  The fall crops like that just don’t grow in time for the last two weeks of September (your CSA boxes 19 and 20.)
 
Beautiful Tithonia flower with green tomatoes in the background.

Our animals on the farm:
     For those of you who eat meat; we are growing your pastured, organically fed animals right now!  All of our animals are raised out on pasture without antibiotics or hormones.  We use 100% certified organic grains, so no Genetically Modified Corn or Soy in the feed.  We raise the animals with care and attention to give our farm animals a “real” life on our diverse sustainable farm.   It is no miracle that our animals are healthy and can walk! (you’ve seen the videos of industrial animals, haven’t you?)  We take care of our animals in their natural environment, and they are healthy and happy. 
     Mid-September is time to fill your freezers with pastured beef, and mid October is time to fill your freezers with pastured pork.  We will send out ordering info in the last week of August.

Pastured Pork:  We have several herds of pigs that we are raising in the edges of the woods.  The pigs are busy clearing out the underbrush in areas where we will thin out scraggly trees and allow more sunlight through.  (We cut trees and clear land in the winter.)  These different herds of pigs will be ready for sausage and chops in mid October, around Thanksgiving, and in January.  We will be selling our Pork Family Packs and custom ½ hogs during those times.  We will send out ordering info in the last week of August.

Pastured Beef: We are working with our family friend and farming mentor, Jace, to raise some grass based and organically fed beef.  Jace is a longtime family friend, helpful farmer, and the landowner where our main vegetable fields and sheep pastures are. We have helped to create a beef raising protocol with him to create healthy, lean, and tasty beef.  The beef steers and heifers that we have out on the pasture right now are grazing and enjoying a small ration on 100% certified organic grain for optimal growth and healthy beef quality.  We have worked with our certified organic feed supplier to create a ration that is low in corn and 100% certified organic, so no GMOs or chemicals in the feed.  These animals are still always grazing on fresh grass, moving frequently, to ensure that the grain is a minimal part of their diet. 
We will have different retail cuts of beef available on August 22nd at the farm.  Beef packages, ¼ beef, and custom ½ beef will be ready in mid September. We will send out ordering info in the last week of August.
            Right now, we have ground beef for $5.75 lb.  CSA members can purchase beef at the farm on Wednesdays from 4-6 pm and by advance special order at the Morganton markets.  Bluebird Farm Online Store… https://sites.google.com/site/bluebirdfarmnc/home/bluebird-farm-online-store


Marie Harvesting Tomatoes


Marie in the Cherry Tomatoes

Recipes

Sweet Basil, Tomato, and Summer Peach Salsa
1.      Mix equal parts chopped slicing tomatoes and chopped fresh peaches in non-reactive bowl. (no metal bowls, they can make it taste funny) 
2.      Finely chop approximately 4 big leaves of basil or 8 small leaves of basil for every peach that you use.
3.      Measure out approximately ½ teaspoon lime juice for every peach that you use. 
4.     Sprinkle basil and lime juice over tomatoes and peaches. Add salt to taste.  Let salsa rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Keeps about 2 days in the fridge.

Ripe for the pickin'

Try the eggplant recipe! At the very least, let it inspire you to find another recipe with eggplant.
Baked Eggplant with Sweet Peppers and Rice
Hearty and comforting, baked eggplants in a casserole are a pleasing late summer dish.

1 eggplant (about 1 or 1.25 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped fine
1 large sweet red pepper or 4 small ones, diced
1 cup cooked rice
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
Oregano,  1 tablespoon dried or 2 tablespoons fresh,  crumbled or chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped fine
12 basil leaves, chopped
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 egg, well beaten
Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Cube the eggplant and steam for 12-15 minutes.  Meanwhile saute the onion and red peppers in the butter until soft.  Gently mix the eggplant, onion, red pepper, rice, and tomatoes, herbs, and egg together. Add salt and pepper to preference.  Spoon into a buttered baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes.  Add grated Parmesan if you’d like. 
 We like to serve spiced lentils with this dish to provide protein for a balanced meal without meat.

Roasted Pepper Spread
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
6 medium bell or sweet peppers, roasted and chopped roughly (see below)
8 ounces Neufchatel reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 can chickpeas, 15 oz, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon miso (you can find it at Nature’s Bounty. Maybe Ingles? If you want to substitute it try tahini and salt instead)
2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
Minced parsley
Mince garlic in food processor. With the motor running, add each ingredient until smooth. Garnish with minced parsley.

Adapted from Passionate Vegetarian, 2002.


Roasted peppers
Make your own roasted peppers: Roasting peppers is simple. I like to do it 2 different ways for 2 different results.

Roast and peel version:  You may roast chopped peppers or char and blacken the entire chile or pepper with intense heat or direct flame. That means you can roast a sweet bell, poblano, chile, pepper, jalepeno or anything else with a gas grill, charcoal grill, gas stove range, electric or gas broiler. Here’s a quick way to knock out a batch of whole roasted peppers. Place the peppers or chiles with stems on a very hot grill or put the peppers or chiles on a baking sheet under a preheated broiler until the skin blisters slightly and is black in spots, about 5 minutes on each of two sides. Place in a large bowl with a towel over it until cool enough to handle; this steams the skin off. Peel most of the skin off. Don’t rinse the flavor away! Use a paper towel if needed to help pull the skin off! The freshly roasted peppers keep well and can then be used for days in many dishes. Or freeze for the winter.


Caramelized version:  Chop into half inch stips, place on a baking sheet, and roast at 275 F for about 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The longer they cook, the more the peppers will caramelize. I like to make sure that I throw something else in the oven if I am heating the oven up…more food coming out of oven makes the heat in my kitchen tolerable during the heat of the summer.

Freezer tip: Make sure to use a “freezer” bag, not a “storage” bag if freezing the peppers.