Turned Upside Down!

Since my last post, nearly everything in our lives has changed and plans for this year's growing season have changed too. Our Oregon family needs us to be there this spring and we're off within the next week for an extended visit.
Son Joe will be handling the farm in our absence and, in light of his willingness, I have planted seeds to start tomato, pepper, onions eggplant and melon plants to go in the soil in June.
We're also going forward with plans for shelling peas and potatoes and shallots and work on the orchard.
We won't have as many vegetables for sale this summer - at least not the early ones - but keep checking in for updates.
My next post will be about the visit from the folks from Rodale who are coming tomorrow for soil testing.

They Just Taste Better!

I truly appreciate feedback from our customers. When you've prepared the bed, planted the seeds, weeded, kept watch for disease and pests, observed the growth process and harvested, you have a tremendous amount of energy – both physical and psychic – invested!
Yesterday I enjoyed one of those ah-ha moments that makes it all worthwhile. One of our potato customers spoke of being seated at the dinner table enjoying a supper which included our organically grown potatoes. Her husband turned to her and said "you know, these potatoes are really good." And he meant good in the best sense. And at that moment, they both "got it." The potatoes are really good. This couple has their own garden. They grow their own vegetables and they love good food. But this was different – for they truly noticed, and appreciated, the difference organic makes. It really does taste better.

The Bird Egg Bean Story & Recipe

We're having yet another snow event this morning in northern Pennsylvania. Arthur is enjoying a two-hour delay to the start of school and he's immersed in his new apple growing book. (The call just came that school is closed today!)
Our contribution to the recent potluck growers' event last weekend was a pot of baked bird egg beans. The seeds for these beans (similar to French Horticultural Beans) have been saved year to year since they were introduced to this Pennsylvania farm by the Gooch family from West Virginia when two Gooch siblings married two Metzger siblings in the 1940s.
I enjoy introducing others to these tasty beans that are a favorite of our whole family. They're shell beans that we've grown on fences the past few years, though they also do well twining near the ground. The sturdy plants put out colorful pink and green pods filled with 6 - 10 fat beans that are beautifully speckled – burgundy and cream colored.
They're blanched briefly and then frozen. The family enjoys them cooked with a generous amount of butter in the cooking water, served with salt rising bread.
We've been experimenting with other ways of using them and I modified the following recipe from one of the Moosewood cookbooks.
1 large chopped onion
4 chopped garlic cloves (mine came Wooleylot Farm right here in Potter County)
2 Tb. olive oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 green or red peppers, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 qt. jar home-canned tomatoes
1 Tb. maple syrup (could also use honey, brown sugar or molasses if you prefer)
1 Tb. Dijon mustard
4 cups cooked bird egg beans
Saute the onions, garlic, celery and peppers in the oil for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the seasonings and continue to cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, maple syrup, mustard and bring to a simmer. Add the beans and transfer to a baking dish. Bake at 300 degrees until some of the liquid has evaporated. Taste for salt and pepper and serve.

About Chickens ... And Nostalgia

Tradition - heritage - legacy - nostalgia – all are words that seek to describe the indescribable stew that is stirred by living – and farming – where forebears have done the same. Arthur's tending chickens – and every time he steps into the chicken coop, he can hear and see his Pa who tended chickens in the very same space.
Our chicken project had its beginnings with an embryology project at school last spring. Looking at organic methods led us to Windy Ridge Natural Farms in Alfred, N.Y. This well-run and certified organic poultry farm is an inspiration and we appreciate the advice and knowledge its proprietor, Tim, has shared. So when Tim needed to find a home for some elderly hens late last fall, we added them to our small flock, heading up to Alfred under the cover of darkness so as not to upset the ladies! And in the meantime, Arthur ordered some peeps from "My Pet Chicken" – a business whose name says it all!
So now we're harvesting some lovely eggs of many hues and shapes – enough to even sell a few!
The ladies enjoyed their time outdoors on Sunday afternoon - just before the latest storm of winter covered the chicken yard with 15+ inches of snow.

Growers' Gathering

We braved the howling winds last evening to spend time with other "farmer types" at the home of Fitz and Sharon Fitzgerald, the proprietors of Fitzgerald Family Farm (aka Cheery Hill Farm). They took the initiative to bring together local folks who are committed to marketing produce locally. (Sharon has blogged more extensively on the gathering at her site: www. fitzgeraldsfamilyfarm.blogspot.com.) It was a delightful evening as we shared a bountiful potluck supper and traded tales of our adventures (and misadventures) as farmers. We also worked on a plan to be involved with the Farmers' Market on the courthouse square in Coudersport as well as some possible other locations in the Coudersport area. Thanks Fitz and Sharon – and also everyone else! We look forward to getting together again soon as we all plow these new fields together!

I'm On A Shallot Kick!

Earlier this week my friend Anne was describing to me a wonderful recipe she'd tried for a breakfast casserole and said "it called for shallots but I substituted onions." Enough said! I hereby resolve to continue my campaign to introduce this little community to the wonderful difference that shallots (especially those raised locally) can make!
Here's a vegetarian recipe that features shallots.
Garbanzo Casserole
5 cups cooked chickpeas (or use 3 cans of chick peas) (Note: If you haven't tried cooking dried chick peas, I encourage you to do so. Of course, they must soak overnight before cooking and they do take some time. You will be rewarded with much better-tasting garbanzos!)
1 cup cooked brown rice
4 large shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup fresh parsley
fresh rosemary (leaves only)
2/3 cup dried bread crumbs
Olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 3-quart baking dish with olive oil. In a large bowl, mix the chick peas with rice, shallots, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix the beaten eggs in a medium bowl with the cottage cheese, yogurt, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Fold in the parsley and rosemary and gently incorporate with the chick pea mixture. Spread the mixture in the baking dish and top with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until bubbling and golden. As with most casseroles, let stand for 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to mellow.
And on a different note ...
It's amazing what a few days of above freezing temperatures can do! We're marooned in a sea of dirty melted snow water and mud but I'm not complaining and neither are the chickens who are enjoying time outside. It sure has boosted their egg production!

Shallot Mashed Potatoes

Here's a wonderfully simple recipe that incorporates two vegetables grown at Metzger Heritage Farm. There's nothing quite as good as mashed potatoes made with organically grown spuds. The true taste of potato shines through without the off-key notes sounded by sprout-inhibitor and herbicides and pesticides.
Shallot Mashed Potatoes
5 cups diced potatoes (no need to peel when organic!)
1 tsp. salt
1 cup shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2 Tb. butter
1/3 - 1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup Parmesan or cheddar cheese (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste
In a cooking pot, cover potatoes with water, add salt. Cover pot and bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are soft. Meanwhile, saute the shallots in butter until soft (about 15 minutes).
Drain the cooked potatoes and return them to the pot, together with the shallots. Mash together, adding just enough milk to make the potatoes fluffy. Add cheese (if using) and then salt and pepper to taste.
Serve and enjoy immediately.