Spring Break!

Musings
As I was driving home today, I noticed that the daffodils are out. One day there is nothing, and then suddenly, pretty yellow flowers are everywhere. Daffodils are always the first sign of spring to me.

The trees are starting to look heavy with buds as well. I realize this because my allergies try to flair up. And for a change, rain fell from the sky rather than snow. The rumble of thunder startled me and my family awake the other morning. It took me a moment to figure out what all the racket was about, before I rolled over and went back to sleep.

Also, I find myself reaching for the brighter colors in my closet and ignoring the dark sweaters. Spring break kicks off this week for my family and we plan to spend a few days out away from civilization. Taking a much needed relaxing break from the hectic day to day. Thinking and waiting for those little green plants out on Doe Run Farm reaching towards the sky.

Farm Doings
Flying Saucers will be spotted this spring in Doe Run Farm's fields! Kohlrabi, our space ship vegetable causes you to gaze with amazement when you see them in the beds on the farm. Anyone with an Eastern European or Asian background, knows just how tasty the crunchy mild flesh of these eccentric looking bulbs are! Enjoy them either raw or cooked. Peeled kohlrabi bulbs are juicy with a delicate sweet flavor that I would describe as a cross between apples and very mild baby turnips. It is grown at Doe Run Farm in the spring and early to late fall season.

John and Barry are busy trying to get ahead of the rainy weather we are due for this week. Yesterday and today they have been laying plastic mulch and drip tape in the raised beds they had prepared. The transplants in the greenhouse are ready to go into the high tunnels, and more seedlings are germinating in preparation for planting in a few weeks. Carrot beds are being planted, and leeks and turnips will go in tomorrow in the tunnels also. Leeks are a new crop for the farm and we are anxious to see how they do this year. We are planting a lot of them, so here's hoping they do well! Leek and potato soup with a bit of fresh dill is dee-lish !

Judy is laying out the plans on paper for the raised beds that will be the foundation for the farm's herb and perennial garden. She is a big fan of Thomas Jefferson, after having visited his gardens at Monticello last year, and would definitely like a Jefferson period garden. Possibly some other themed gardens as well. The fig trees at Monticello were such an inspiration that she planted about 8 of them on the farm last year. So far they have come through the winter very well. It may be next year before they are of any size, but they look really healthy and they have grown.

Plans are being made for raising a lot of flowers this summer on the farm, just to enjoy the beauty of it, and to have a cutting garden.

Recipes
Why not make your own French Fries? These are easy and so much better for you. Just in time for Spring Time cookouts.

Oven Fries
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 T olive oil
1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Toss well. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 4 servings


Fancy Oven Fries
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 T olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Toss well. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 4 servings


Sweet Potato Oven Fries
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 T olive oil
2 T chili powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Toss well. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 4 servings

Spring time is CSA time

Musings

Little things are starting to add up. Shoots and small leaves are timidly showing themselves. The sky is blue. Winter is losing its grip on Middle Tennessee.

Ah, springtime is just around the corner. Just about the time we all think we can take no more cold days, the season changes. It always amazes me, how Mother Nature works her magic.

And I always relish in the beginning of a new season. The movement from hot, humid days, to cooler crisper ones, and vice-a-versa. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love the beginning of winter and the things it offers, but I am completely over it, come mid-March. A perfect cycle. It’s nice to live with the seasons and enjoy what each one has to offer.

It is also that time of year to sign up for the Doe Run Farms CSA. Just the thought of all the fresh goodies makes me willing to deal with severe thunderstorms and the constantly changing weather that is springtime in Middle Tennessee.

Farm Doings

Lots of things are going on out on the farm in preparation for the upcoming growing season. Things unseen, but so very important to the bounty coming into our lives again in the summer.

Fields have been plowed in preparation for planting, which takes place as soon as it’s dry enough. John and Judy have been sowing seeds on a daily basis for some time now, getting transplants ready to go into the high tunnels. Repairs are still being made on tillers, maintenance continues on all 3 tractors, attendance takes place at food safety meetings, folks are registered for the CSA, office is cleaned out, feral cats are chased away, and CSA boxes and germinating mix is ordered. Insulation is also being put in the cargo trailer in preparation for adding a roof AC unit, and then shelving will be installed in the trailer to keep everything intact on the road delivery days.

Judy is planning an herb garden near the greenhouse, plus she and John will soon be clearing out the big shed by the high tunnels, adding electricity to the building and turning it into a covered pavilion for farm activities. They have a spring plant sale coming up on May 1st from 1 to 5 pm too.

Wow, I’m exhausted with all the activity going on out on the farm!

Recipes

This is a recipe that always helps me with the transition to spring. It is also an important meal to my family and me; a traditional Irish dinner with a So-Cal, organic, and locally grown twist.

Homemade Corn Beef and Cabbage

organic, grass-fed Beef Brisket, 3 to 4 pounds
whole organic cabbage, quartered
organic Carrots
organic Potatoes

Corn Beef Recipe
Make your own corned beef with spices and an easy brine, and skip the preservatives! Here's a delicious homemade corned beef recipe, along with instructions for the corned beef and cabbage dinner. Start the corned beef about 7 days before you plan to make your dinner.

Ingredients:

* 5 cups water
* 3/4 cups kosher salt
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1 tablespoon dry mustard
* 1 1/2 tablespoons pickling spices
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 fresh beef brisket, 3 to 4 pounds

Preparation:
Combine water, salt, sugar, mustard, spices, and minced garlic in an 8-quart nonreactive stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. When liquids have cooled, trim the corned beef of excess fat and put into the liquid. You may need to transfer the liquids and corned beef to a larger container or bowl, just make sure it is nonreactive. If necessary, add more cold water to cover the beef. Using a heavy pottery bowl or a few small bowls, weigh the corned beef down so it will stay submerged in the water. Cover the pan and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator. Take out once a day to stir lightly, and turn the beef as needed.

Dinner
On the 6th or 7th day, remove the beef from the brine and rinse well with cold water. Place in a large (8-quart or larger) pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Skim off any scum, which develops on the surface. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 2 1/2 hours or until tender.

Uncover the pot and add the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. Cover the large pot and cook until vegetables are tender, about 1/2 hour longer. Season to taste.
Serves 4 to 6.

ICE!

The weather is what's on every farmer's mind today, in our section of the country! As you know, the weather can, as they say, "make or break" you in little or no time. It can always delay your planting or field preparation for planting. Hailstones can wreck havoc on your crops and wind can flatten corn crops in a flash! We are experiencing a bit of a different problem here, right now. Ice and Snow.

We have been keeping a close watch on our high tunnels and greenhouse, to be sure that the bows that support them, are not bending beneath the weight of the snow we received yesterday and the ice from last night. John brushed the snow off yesterday and this morning as best he could, and we are just hoping for the best right now. If the snow or ice puts too much pressure on the bows, we will have to cut the plastic covering the frame to release the weight on the bows. Then, all the plastic will have to be purchased and replaced. We sure hope it won't come to that!

The one good thing that has come from this weather, is that the scenery in our valley looks like a Christmas greeting card, on which there is a beautiful winter scene pictured. This is something we can appreciate, and nature has provided it to us free of charge.

We now have a new family co-habiting with us at the farm! A litter of 5 feral kittens! They are wild, and will not come near us, but they do stick around long enough to eat Big Boy and Baby's cat food! The litter has Calico's and Tabby's. They are so cute, but we don't really need more cats! They have just been "dropped" which I think is a disgusting thing for anyone to do, but in the country unfortunately, it's done a lot. I frankly don't understand the mentality behind this myself. Never will.

Our CSA registration is in progress and we are anxious around here for a really good, ripe, juicy tomato. We hope to have lots of them this summer for our CSA Shareholders to enjoy! Tell your friends about our CSA and ask them to "friend us" on our Farm Facebook page!

We'll talk again soon!
Judy and John

Day's End

We have come to the end of another busy day here on the farm. John, with the help or our son-in-law Barry, has been cleaning out another of the high tunnels, getting it ready for spring planting season. There's been much to do around here and still a ways to go at that! John and Barry have also been working in the greenhouse, not so much cleaning it out as making repairs to various and sundry things.

One of our cats follows John wherever he goes, and when John heads for the greenhouse, he follows him there and patiently waits outside for him to come back out. This cat we named Baby because he is so small. Big Boy, as his name suggests, is somewhat larger than Baby, and he hangs around more with me. Tag, our barn cat, loves both of us, and "lives" for us to come and give her a good brushing! I believe you could hear her purring from outside the building when she gets a good brushing!

Things are never boring around here! For the past two mornings our neighbor's cows have gotten through their fence and into the back pasture that belongs to one of our neighbors. The first morning I looked out, I couldn't believe my eyes! I am used to seeing deer, but not cows. The cow's owner has a 350 acre farm but I guess they just went AWOL. In any case, within about 20 minutes they had headed back home. The neighbor said they had evidently escaped through a hole and that it was being repaired. Late this afternoon, the deer had returned to the neighboring pasture and to ours as well!

It looks like the temperatures will be moderating here a bit come Thursday and Friday. This will make working outdoors a bit more tolerable. Maybe no 'long john's" if we're lucky! No need to remind me that I complained about the summer heat not so long ago:)

Until I have a chance to "blog" again, be safe,
Judy