Growing A Farmer: EatWell Natural Farm Week 28

Harvest

In the harvest bins this week: Rainbow Chard, Arugula, Mustard Greens, Radishes: D'Avignon and Easter Egg, Beets: Red Ace and Guardsmark, Red Russian Kale, Tomatillos, Peppers, Romaine and Red Sails Lettuce, and Watermelon Radishes.

Rainbow Chard

Red Russian Kale

Easter Egg and D'Avignon Radishes

Tomatillos

Production and Distribution

Delivery to Commissary: Arugula, Red Leaf Lettuce, Butter Beans
Beets and Radishes

Deliveries to the restaurants are starting to look like fall. Out with the tomatoes and summer squash, in with the roots and greens.

Grillfish, Tomatillos, Beets, Watermelon Radishes, Romaine and Mustards

The Pig: Chard, Watermelon Radishes, Kale, D'Avignon Radish
Mustard Greens

Tomatillos, Arugula, Kale

Cultivation and Maintenance

Flora earned her keep this week hauling 1200lbs of pelletized Lime, a ton of horse manure, and 100' of Mushroom Logs. I applied the lime and manure to the new field on Saturday with David's help.

New Trough and 1200lbs of Lime

Tom's big pile of $#!t

Some friends down the road have several horses. They don't spray their pastures with anything and make sure that the hay they buy hasn't been sprayed either. Back behind the horse barn is a huge pile of about 10 years worth of manure. Saturday morning they loaded up the truck with about 1 ton of the black gold. I got the oldest of the pile so it is well aged, black, smooth and doesn't even smell.

David: Restauranteur, Owner, Fence Clearer, Occasional Farmer
and Chief Manure Spreader

David and I laid out where the hoop house will go on the new field. He spread the manure and I added Lime.

All of the mushroom Logs

It is time to soak our Shiitake logs so we hauled them up to the barn where we are soaking them in a trough. Each log soaks for 24 hours and then they get set up against the side of the barn in the shade where they should grow and be easier to harvest then off in the woods below.

Soaking in the trough, the water should
wick up the log

Baby Shiitakes!

Planting

Broadcast seeder with cover crop seed

I planted my very first cover crop on the new field. Winter Rye, Crimson Clover and Forage Radish. Fingers crossed it comes up thick and healthy, smothers out weeds and adds lots of green manure to the field for next season.

Winter Cover Crop Mix. The long seeds are Rye, the round yellow seeds are Clover and the round red ones are Radish.

Eating Well

Tuesday night I had dinner at The Pig and it was amazing as always. I even brought along a family member who is an incredibly picky eater and he ended up saying that the Pork Shank was the best pork he ever had in his life. :) I'm wasn't allowed to order from the menu as Chef Bonk had something special in mind for me made from the produce I delivered that very morning. The pictures aren't great, sorry.

Mustard Green and Watermelon Radish with
Burrata Cheese

This was a salad made with Baby Mustard Greens and thinly sliced, pickled Watermelon Radishes. The pickle took the kick out of the radishes leaving a perfectly sweet and crunchy bright pink adornment behind. It was served with a lump of Burrata cheese which is a fresh mozzarella with a creamy center. It was incredible.

My entree was grilled Tomatillos on a bed of cooked Radish Greens. I can't believe I had never had a grilled Tomatillo before or that I will ever do anything but grill them in the future, they were awesome.

Friday I got to sample an herbed mayonnaise that Chef Milanes made at Grillfish using farm herbs. I even got to take some home. It is especially good for dipping the D'Avignon Radishes in.

These Chefs were really showing off their skills this week but something has to be said for David who, after spreading a ton of manure Saturday morning, washed his hands, harvested and made this delicious meal which he kindly shared.