I guess all good things must come to an end, although I wasn't expecting the season to end so quickly!  The weatherman is predicting a freeze this Wednesday evening, so I have been  madly trying to get everything I can out of the gardens.  This coincides with your last share day this Thursday, so it's okay. 

There are bucket-loads of all of the peppers and eggplants for you, so why not take advantage of the bounty and use some of the recipes that I have been posting to preserve the harvest.  The roasted pepper ketchup is delicious, and quite easy to make.  If you want to make quick work of roasting or blackening all those peppers, just throw them on the grill to char them and then place in a paper bag to steam for a bit.  Then just pop them in a freezer bag and freeze for later use.  The peels will come off easily when you remove them from the freezer and run under cold water...just like tomatoes do. 

Other items in your share are kale, cucumbers, winter squash, carrots, tomatoes and hopefully some herbs, if I can get to them before the freeze.

It is my hope that you have enjoyed eating from my gardens this past season.  I am always eager to hear any of your comments or suggestions on possible ways to make next year's CSA and gardens even better.  It has been such a rewarding experience for me to visit with you these last 16 weeks.

Barbara and I will be busy over the next month cleaning out the beds, planting green manure crops, and putting the garden to sleep for the winter.  Planning crop rotations, studying seed catalogs and seed starting for next years garden will begin in late February.  I will also be experimenting with growing a few winter crops in the greenhouse.  I will let you know my progress with this new endeavor.  It is my hope that sometime down the road I will be able to offer a winter share with greens, herbs, and some root vegetables.  Wouldn't that be great?  We'll see how it goes.

The information on next years CSA will be sent out sometime after the beginning of the year.  Those of you who were members of this years share program will have first dibs on memberships for the new season.  I am hoping to increase the number of participants next season. 

I wish you all a bountiful winter and holiday season, blessed with good food, a warm cozy home, and wonderful family and friends.  See you next year....if not sooner! 

Keep in touch...I would love to hear from you.

Garden Blessings,
Kate

I am finally feeling and seeing the evidence of fall!  The gardens are winding down, but still  producing those wonderful tomatoes, peppers, and of course the winter squash. 

Speaking of tomatoes, I was watching the morning news on CBS Today and there was a short presentation on home grown tomatoes.  It was filled with gorgeous photos of gardens and their owners and took us to a California tomato tasting event.  Of course there were all colors, shapes and sizes and the science behind why we actually prefer those home grown tomatoes.  They are sweeter, as they contain more sugar.  Now you know why they taste so good!

The summer squash has given up its life and the last harvest of beans will be next week.  I harvested some Hubbard squash yesterday which will be cut up and in your share this week.  There will also be some acorn squash, chard, peppers, broccoli, beets, a few beans, eggplant and lots of tomatoes.  Take advantage of this bounty by canning or freezing so you don't have to spend extra money this winter at the supermarket on these items.

I gave a short presentation on CSA's and the importance of supporting local business last Saturday at the first Harvest Festival for Transition Billings.  It was a beautiful day, with information on chicken coops, composting,  alternative energy, raising chickens, greenhouses, and Vista.  I really enjoyed meeting others that have a passion for building a stronger community.

Next week will be our last share day, and as I didn't receive a response for any interest in a pot luck, I will put it on the back shelf for next year.

So for now, I am off to the gardens to start harvesting.

Week 13 – September 13, 2012

The long hot days of summer are starting to dwindle down…even though it is still hot.  The sun is coming up later and going down sooner and the evenings are cooling down.  Have you noticed that some of the trees are already loosing their leaves?  There are moments when I can smell fall in the air.  The weather man is predicting a nighttime temperature of 37 degrees on Wednesday night.  Yikes!  I was looking forward to a long fall, but not an early freeze!  We still have 4 more weekly baskets.

Are any of you canning this year?  If you need help with recipes and directions, just let me know.  I learned to can from my Grandma and my Mom.  It was a summer/fall ritual.  What we didn’t grow ourselves we purchased from local farmers.  My Grandpa had a root cellar where we stored all of our bounty.  I can still remember seeing the visual beauty of all the colors and shapes in the glass jars that lined the wooden shelves and smelling the damp musty aroma of the dirt floor where sand filled crates held carrots, beets, and his award winning Canna Lily bulbs.  Woven baskets were filled with sweet onions and burlap bags were filled with potatoes.  Those were the days!

Your basket this week will be filled to the brim with onions, carrots, beets, radish, cucumbers, eggplant, summer squash, broccoli, tomatoes, a selection of peppers and beans.  If you need dried dill seed for pickling or dried cayenne pepper, just ask.  I have some ready. 

As always, Thursday from 2-6 PM is your pickup day and time.  Last week was the first week that everyone actually showed up for their share!  Remember to bring your box or bags to carry your produce home and return the clam shells and plastic baskets too, so that I can continue to reuse them.

Kate’s Garden & CSA – Newsletter – Week 11, August 30, 2012

Lots going on in the gardens these last 2 weeks.  I don’t remember ever gardening in heat like we have had this season. My pump is running most of the time just trying to keep everything watered!  If this is the way it is going to be in the coming years, I believe those of us who are providing food for the local communities are going to face new challenges for more effective ways to conserve water and address the increase of insects and bacteria that are cropping up in some of our soils.  I know that here in my gardens I water with overhead sprinklers because I pump water from the irrigation ditch.  This increases the potential for fungus which will grow on the big leaves of cucumbers, beans, squash and tomatoes.  It seems that many gardens in the area have been affected by “powdery mildew”.  This is the first year that I have experience it in my garden and we have it now in the community garden.  Spraying with Neem Oil can knock it down, but it is not always affective, especially when we have to water so much in this heat.  This will definitely affect the yields this year for these crops.

Did I mention that I was consulting on the Whitetail Park Community Gardens here in the Heights on Sioux Lane?  It is a pilot project for the Housing Authority’s low income properties.  We have had a great year, and just last Saturday we had “Music in the Gardens”.  The activity brought awareness to the garden and it was fun to see the interest of those living in the neighborhood.  The young children painted rocks to place in their garden plots and there was good food and chatter! Hopefully these community gardens will be a new focus in the coming years for these types of housing projects.

This weeks share will provide you with an abundance of food…and I don’t want to hear any whining about “what am I going to do with all of these squash and cucumbers”!!! ;--))) With the cost of food certainly on the rise with the national weather challenges and crop loss, I think you need to consider freezing and canning all of those extra veggies.  I would be more than happy to teach you how!  It’s called sustainability, and self sufficiency!  Your basket will have lettuce, beans, broccoli, pattypan and zucchini squash, radish, beets, tomatoes and cucumbers.

I have lots of canning books here if you would like to peruse recipes.  I have already given you several pickle recipes to try, so I hope you are taking advantage of the cucumbers you are receiving.  I always have extras that I sell to the Fieldhouse Café and Good Earth Market, but I can certainly save some for you.  It’s salsa making time, too.  If you want tomatoes to can, let me know.

Remember to recycle those clam shells and baskets that I am sending you home with.  Bring them, along with your box or cooler on your share day.  See you on Thursday….2-6 PM. Please let me know if you are not coming.

Week 9 - August 16

Week 9 – August 16^th

As I sit in front of my computer, wondering what to say to you as we approach the second half of this seasons share program, I am amazed at how fast the time has gone by. Can you believe that the fair is here and we are already mid way through summer? The progress of the gardens through all of the weather challenges has been nothing short of miraculous in the amount of food that it has generated.  As I only see you when you come on your pick up day I am hoping that you are happy with your CSA subscription and enjoying the selection of fresh food that is coming your way each week. I always enjoy visiting with you on pick up days!  It would be great if we could all get together sometime during this season for a pot luck.  I know that  you have not all met one another.  We are certainly  a diverse group and I feel we are forming a little community of like minds here.  Would you be interested in coming to a pot luck on a Saturday or Sunday sometime this fall?  Let me know so  I can start planning?

We are continuing to succession plant certain crops so that we have a continual harvest for you.  The last planting of lettuce and spinach didn’t do too well.  They just couldn’t survive in the 100 degree heat even though they were under shade cloth.  We will try again when it cools down…maybe this week. The tomatoes, peppers and eggplants love this hot weather. There will be ample amounts in your basket this week, along with chard, beets, broccoli, cucumbers and of course, summer squash.  I hope you are experimenting with the recipes that I have included in the blogs.  If you have favorite ones that you would like to share, please send them to me and I will include them in the next blog. 

Kate's Garden was featured along with Danley Farms in an article on CSA's in the Billings Business publication.  It's a great article and I am honored to be recognized as a local producer of farm to table food.
Here is the link to the article.
Community Supported Agriculture 
http://billingsgazette.com/business/features/community-supported-agriculture-puts-farmers-in-touch-with-their-customers/article_992c6b2f-b881-57f3-98b9-ed58511a73c1.html

Please remember to bring your shopping bags or boxes with you to carry your produce home.  If you are sending someone to pick up your share, tell them to do the same.  I do not have extra boxes and bags for you.  If you wish to purchase a tub or wooden crate, they are available for a $10 which is refundable when they are returned at the end of the season.  You can also return the plastic containers that I am using for your tomatoes so that I can use them again.

The fruit and herbal vinegars that I have been making from this year’s harvest are almost ready to be bottled.  They will be available for purchase if any of you are interested.  They make great gifts, (think about the upcoming holidays) and will keep for a couple of years without refrigeration.  I use them all the time… not only in dressings for salad, but also to splash over fresh steamed or roasted veggies, or added to pasta.  You are only limited by your imagination!

It looks like it is going to cool down for a couple of days.  Won’t that be wonderful...and have you noticed that it is cooling down in the evenings?  It has made it much  easier to sleep! 

See you on Thursday!  

Cucumber Mint Salad

This recipe will work with whatever cucumbers you have, but if you find yourself at a farmers market confronted with ‘Sikkim,’ ‘Poona Kheera’ or ‘Lemon’ cucumbers, you’re in for a great treat, so don’t be scared away by their nontraditional appearance.

Ingredients 

3 medium cucumbers, any variety
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tsp chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
coarse sea salt 

Dressing
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp lime juice 

Directions

Cut cucumbers into bite-sized pieces. Place in bowl with onion, dill and mint. In a separate bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Drizzle evenly over cucumbers, season to taste with salt, and serve. Serves 4. 

Quinoa, Crookneck and Mint Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Grape Seed Oil
• 4 Cups Yellow or Crookneck Squash, cubed
• Pinch of Salt and Pepper
• 1 1/2 Cups Quinoa
• 3 Cups Water
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Peel
• 1/3 Cup Grape seed Oil
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Honey
• 2 Teaspoons Garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 Cups Mint, snipped
• 3/4 Cup Arugula

Directions

1. Heat the two tablespoons of grape seed oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and cook until crisp-tender; stir occasionally and then season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and cool.
2. Rinse the quinoa in cold water and then add to a large saucepan with the 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cover; cook for 15 minutes or until grains are translucent and tender.
3. In a blender, combine the 1/3 cup grape seed oil, honey, and garlic. Pulse until completely combined.
4. Combine the cooked quinoa, squash, mint and arugula in a large bowl, then drizzle with the dressing and toss gently to coat.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Kate’s Garden & CSA Newsletter / Week 7 / August 2, 2012

 It’s August already!  Can you believe it?  In a way the whole month of July seemed liked August because of the hot, hot temperatures, but I am certainly not ready for the summer to be half over.

The heat has been brutal, but the tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, summer squash and yes, the weeds love it.  Barb is coming to help me on Wednesday and Thursday and sometimes on Monday to help harvest and weed.  I have had to spend allot more time just keeping things watered.  Last year the gardens were watered every other day or so except when it was really hot, but right now I am watering every day and sometimes I even hand water certain tender crops in the evenings when it starts to cool down.

I direct seeded new crops this week of spinach and lettuce and covered them with a thick layer of grass clippings and shade cloth in the hopes that it will keep the soil cool and wet.  These crops don’t like to germinate in temperatures over 75!  I have had luck with the last two lettuce plantings, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.  I also planted new crops of radish, chard and beets.  I want to make sure that there is a bountiful fall harvest.

I am more than a little concerned about the state of our food system.  There is drought in all of our major food producing states and that means that when you go to the grocery store you will be paying more and there may not be the selection that you have become accustomed to.  You have the opportunity now, this summer, to make decisions that will affect your food budget and the quality of the food that you purchase.   The food that you receive in your weekly CSA share and additional purchases from local producers at the Farmers Market can be preserved in any number of ways, ensuring that you have high quality food stored for the winter and into next spring. This way of sustainable living has been lost to many of us, but I remember spending many hours as a young child in the kitchen with my Mom and Grandma putting up pickles, tomatoes, beans, beets, jams, jellies and syrups.  We picked chokecherries and scavenged wild mushrooms and asparagus in the wild.  We traveled to Flathead Lake to harvest cherries, and we had a favorite apple tree that was on a farm that allowed us to come and pick so we could make applesauce. This was such a wonderful, empowering way to live!  I think its way past time to bring back this way of living.  It is empowering to know that you are prepared for whatever comes down the pike. 

I know that many of you have never preserved food.  Some of you are just now learning how to cook using fresh herbs and veggies from the garden and some of you have stated that you really don’t have the time to cook.  However, food, high quality food, is vital for our health and quality of life. Can you really afford to rely on our industrialized food system?  I am just putting this out there for you to think about.  Hmmm. 

If, however, you would like to learn how to preserve some of your local summer food, I would be honored to teach some classes.  I was in the restaurant business for over 20 years (in another life, ;-) so have years of experience in the kitchen.  Cooking has always been one of my favorite things to do, besides gardening.  Canning, dehydrating, picking, freezing, making herbal vinegars and oils, are some of the topics we could cover.  Let me know if you are interested, and we can schedule some classes here in my shop.

I mentioned a few weeks back that raw milk was available from Ed Miller.  There are two slots still open.  Pick up is at Spring Blossoms Quilt Shop in the Heights and a gallon sells for $4.  He also has eggs for $3 per dozen.  This week he was selling 2 dozen for $3 as his hens are going crazy!  Such a deal!  Another great way to support local producers.  If you would like to find out more,  Ed’s phone # is 670-9414.

Your garden share this week will include leaf lettuce, golden and ruby Swiss chard, haricot vert green beans, yellow and green zucchini, yellow and green patty pan summer squash, suyo long and slicing cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, rhubarb, assorted herbs.  Please don’t waste those beautiful herbs!  Here’s a tip for you. If you are not using them fresh, place them in a bottle of white wine vinegar and infuse for several weeks.  Strain and use in salad dressings, to season mayonnaise, or to deglaze the pan after sautéing chicken or fish.  Yum!

Pick up is from 2-6 PM!   Please remember to bring your harvest basket, box or shopping bags to carry your goodies home.