Merry 4th of July

The weather is wonderful today. Just in time for the 4th of July weekend. Kinda makes me feel giddy. Maybe because it reminds me of the summers of childhood. Summer still feels like a much-needed vacation for me. And a holiday in the middle of summer must make it the best holiday of all. Everyone enjoy and be safe!




Farm Happenings
Berry and peach season are here, just in time for the 4th of July! The CSA shares will have one or the other, showing up in your boxes!

It’s been very dry on the farm, we all need some rain! Judy talked with a neighbor that lives less than a quarter mile from them and they have had rain every day for the past week, Doe Run Farm had none as of Sunday.

All the crops, despite a lack of rain are looking good. There is an abundance of summer squash, cucumbers, beets, tomatoes, onions and cabbage so far this summer. Bell peppers this year are gigantic and great for stuffing! The heat sure agrees with those peppers! The jalapenos have been extra hot this season! Doe Run is planting more tomatoes for a late crop this year so we can enjoy them for as long as possible.

The flowerbeds and the area surrounding the greenhouse finally got weeded, and things look a lot better around the farm. Weeds have a way of taking over an organic farm in a hurry.

The fig bushes are really growing. Judy was worried they wouldn’t make it through last winter, being newly planted and all, but they look wonderful. Barry mulched them heavily last winter after the first light freeze. Judy is most anxious to see some figs on them. There’s nothing like a fresh fig in her opinion. Last year when they had the chance to visit their son Michael that lives in Virginia, they took a side trip to Monticello. They had magnificent gardens there and a beautiful fruit orchard. Judy sampled a couple figs and fell in love with this fruit. She had to have some fig bushes of her own. After a few tries, and failures, these have done very well. The pear trees are looking good too, loaded with pears this summer.

John and Judy are planting some rhubarb crowns this week. Hopefully this time of year, planting will not be too detrimental to them. Judy loves rhubarb, especially strawberry-rhubarb jelly on hot toast or biscuits in the wintertime!

If you haven’t become a fan of the farm on Facebook yet, do it today!

P.S. On Monday afternoon, John and Judy’s prayers were answered. A wonderful storm rolled through late Monday, no damage, just much appreciated rain, at last. Beautiful lightshow as well. Judy understands that sky to ground lightening is wonderful for the soil; she’s just not sure how this works though.

Recipes
I am adding two recipes today. One is my all time summer favorite…Peach Cobbler, and the other is because I’ve had so many requests for cabbage recipes.

Easy Peach Cobbler
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar, divided
3 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt
1 cup milk
4 cups peeled, thinly sliced fresh peaches (5 to 6 medium peaches)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Several dashes cinnamon and nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt butter in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch-baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, the baking powder, and the salt. Mix well. Stir in the milk, mixing until just combined. Do not over mix. Pour this batter over the melted butter, but do not stir them together.

In a small saucepan, combine the peaches, lemon juice, and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Pour the peaches over the batter, but do not stir them together. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Serve warm or cold with vanilla ice cream.

Crunchy Cabbage Salad
1 large head of cabbage, thinly shredded
1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
2 packages Ramen noodles crushed into small pieces. Only use the noodles.
1 small package toasted slivered almonds
1 small package toasted sunflower seeds

Dressing
4 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup salad oil

Prepare dressing ahead of time. Mix all ingredients in a jar and chill.

Mix cabbage and onions in a large bowl. Only when ready to serve, add the crunchy noodles, nuts, and seeds. Then add the mixed dressing, toss and serve immediately.