Planting Spuds

The stretch of dry weather at the end of March was so welcome around here and we didn't waste a minute of sunshine.  We put Dad/Opa/Chris on the tractor and set him loose.   

 It was truly a family planting activity and the kids were just as excited to be playing in the dirt again.  This year we took the risk of planting our own storage potatoes that had started to sprout.  We are hoping it pays off and that they are disease free because there are now a lot of potatoes in the ground.

  

It appears she needs a more seasonal hat...

 Not a bad spot for a well deserved snack break, if I say so myself.

2013 CSA

Click on this membership form for a printable version and more information

At Caruso Farm we are planning for a new growing season and some planting has already begun.  We're excited to get our hands dirty both planting and harvesting and we hope you will join us this year.  Our Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, subscriptions will begin in June, depending on weather.  As a member, you will receive a box of freshly harvested produce once a week for 20 weeks.  Joining any farm CSA program is a commitment.  That being said, we have found that members seize the opportunity to learn to be an adventuresome cook, and better yet, enjoy being a healthy adventuresome eater!

We think our CSA is a special one in that our farm is entirely run by our family and nearly everything in our boxes is grown on our land.  You will not see California grown produce, but what you eat will be grown in our fields just a few miles from your home.

The link at the top of the page will take you to our registration form.  It also explains a little more about how we grow our produce and why we grow it, as well as what it means to be a CSA member of Caruso Farm.  We invite you to join the CSA experience.

Spring Happenings

In February the hoop-houses were rototilled and the beds prepared for seeds and transplants

The transplants that germinated on heat pads indoors are moved to unheated hoop-houses to be hardened off. 

We spread a few tons of lime and plowed the first fields for spring plantings of potatoes, onions, broccoli, spinach and a few other vegetables.

The first plants are in the ground under the dry cover of the high tunnels.  The forecast is for a stretch of dry weather, so we hope to plant the first fields next week. 

Fall Project

October is almost over and we haven't written anything about fall harvest.  Last weekend we got the camera out on a sunny afternoon.  Pieter and Julia walked through the field with the fall crops of fennel, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli. 
We have really enjoyed our first year of the CSA.  It allowed us more time at the farm on Saturdays when we would usually be at the farmers market and made us keenly aware of  how a good succession of crop plantings should be planned.  We were nervous when a hard frost hit us 3 weeks ago but it looks like we planted plenty and the last 3 weeks should be flavorful.

This fall and winter we are building the start to our packing shed.  Hunter is on the ladder working on the roof framing, it will give us a place to store equipment in the winter and process produce the rest of the year.

Irrigation

In August we did not have any rain but we needed to transplant for fall harvests.  Without a well and irrigation system, we had to deliver water to the struggling transplants.  Rain water was collected in 250 gallon containers and carried on the back of the tractor to newly planted rows.  On average, we irrigated each planting three times. 

Vince drilled holes in a 2 inch PVC pipe the same distance apart as the plant rows.  Hunter drove slowly over each bed and Kyle adjusted the valve to get the right flow and kept the water over the transplants.

This primitive set up worked surprisingly well but it is not a long term solution for irrigating acres of vegetables.

Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese

We were served grilled romaine at a restaurant one time and still talk about it.  It must have made an impression. This recipe from the Food Network gets close to how we remember it.    Perhaps it's time to give ceasar salad a break and try it at home!  There are many variations to the dressing and definitely ways to make it more healthy, including less cream and making more of a blue cheese vinaigrette.  

 

Ingredients

• 2 heads romaine lettuce, outer leaves trimmed
• Olive oil
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 ounces blue cheese (about 1/4 cup crumbled)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Directions

Drizzle the romaine with olive oil. Place on a hot grill until lightly charred on the outside, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining ingredients.   

Remove the romaine from the grill to a serving platter. Cut in halves lengthwise to make 4 long pieces, then drizzle dressing over top. Serve immediately.

Broccoli Recipes

BROCCOLI
The following broccoli  recipes were written for us by our sister Molly Boswell in Pennsylvania.  You can find these and more great recipes on her blog: http://www.bloguntilgoldenbrown.blogspot.com

Broccoli Fritata

• 2 cups cooked broccoli florets (just steam them in the microwave to save time)
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• butter
• salt and pepper

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and cheese together. In a large skillet, melt the butter and saute the onion and garlic. Toss in the broccoli and saute for a minute or two. Add the egg mixture (and any spice you'd like to add; cayenne perhaps). Cook until the bottom is nice and firm and the edges are cooked. Slide the fritata onto a plate - uncooked side UP. Next place, your skillet over the plate and flip. Continue the cooking, slice into wedges and enjoy. This is good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and anywhere in between.

Broccoli Soup
Perhaps not the best choice for dinner on a hot summer night, but comfort food nonetheless.

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 large heads broccoli (cut into florets)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 2 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 carrot, shredded
• 12-16 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
• salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, boil the chicken stock, add the broccoli and thyme and simmer for about 12 minutes, or until broccoli is tender but not mushy. In large stock pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook and stir until onion is tender. Turn off the heat, and quickly stir in the flour, and cook for 5 minutes. Next, whisk in milk until well blended, and then SLOWLY add in stock/thyme/broccoli mixture and stir so that everything is smooth. Add shredded carrot as well. *Put half of this hot mixture into your blender or food processor, and return to pot. Reduce heat to low-medium low and stir in cheese until melted, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Ham, Cheese, and Broccoli Popovers

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 shredded cheddar cheese (Swiss would be good too)
• 1/2 cooked broccoli pieces
• 1/4 small pieces cooked ham

Mix together the first 5 ingredients until well blended. Next, stir in the ham, cheese, and broccoli.

Fill either a greased muffin pan or ramekins half way full and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, and then at 350 for another 15 minutes. Cut a slit into side of each popover and serve warm.

Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Pasta

This is recipe belongs to Giada De Laurentiis, and it's fabulous.

• 2 bunches broccoli stems trimmed
• 1 pound pasta (penne is a good choice)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound turkey Italian-style sausage, casings removed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Pinch dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Cook the broccoli in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 1 minute. Transfer the broccoli to a large bowl of ice water to cool, saving the cooking water. Bring the reserved cooking water back to a boil. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into pieces with a spoon, until browned and juices form, about 12 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, when the reserved cooking water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Strain the broccoli and add it to the pan with the sausage mixture and toss to coat with the juices. Add the pasta to the skillet. Stir in the Parmesan and serve immediately.

Broccoli Lasagna

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 container (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
• 2 cups chopped broccoli, half way cooked
• 1/2 Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 9 (about two thirds of an 8-ounce package) no-boil lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare white sauce: In a large saucepan, heat butter and cook onion until tender and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir flour, pepper, nutmeg, red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt into onion mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and thickens slightly. Boil sauce 1 minute longer. Stir in chopped parsley.

In bowl, mix ricotta cheese, broccoli, Parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

In a large baking dish (ya' know... lasagna size), spread about 1/4 cup of sauce on the bottom. Add a layer of noodles, top with more sauce, then ricotta mixture, and repeat. Add the last of the sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese on top. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Broccoli Cornbread

This is easy to make with a 10oz.package of frozen chopped broccoli as well.

• 1 stick of butter, melted
• 4 eggs, beaten
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups grated cheddar
• 1 onion, chopped (optional)
• 1 package corn muffin mix
• 2 cups (or so) of chopped broccoli

Mix all ingredients together and our into a 9x13 baking dish. Back at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes.