First Asparagus Harvest

Exactly this time two years ago, we posted our asparagus planting and first "victory."  We have been holding off on harvesting the asparagus until now,  and it was well worth the wait! The links below to the first two posts explain why we put off the harvest.  Now we are enjoying fresh asparagus straight out of the garden. Anna had never eaten asparagus raw before, but it is wonderful. This fresh, all you have to do is rinse the dirt off!
Check out the "before" picture from two years ago:  Asparagus Spears - April 30, 2009

And now...the sturdy, healthy product of 2011. Notice the beautiful purple tinge. Vince hypothesizes that some of them are short and compact because of the cold temperatures this spring.  

April 22, 2011

Here is the link to how we planted the asparagus beds:
First Asparagus Bed - March 31, 2009

Spring: flowers and frost

 This was the Halloween-like scene a night a few weeks ago...the fear of frost inspired the ghostly row cover wrapped around and stapled over the kiwi plants. We never got to see if it worked, though, the dreaded frost never came. And then, while so cold at night, this typical spring weather still brings the daffodils to spread their bright yellow cheer as if to substitute for that elusive sun during the day.

Greenhouse Construction

We started construction on a second permanent hoop house the past two weekends.  We called in the faithful family because help was needed- just to maneuver in the mud.  Ideally, this mud will not be an issue next spring and we will plant in here. And someday we may even be able to heat them. The cover is now on and withstanding the weather challenge this week: wind.

French Onion Soup

I don't know about your vegetable storage situation, but ours is down to onions and potatoes, and they need to be eaten! What to do with a lot of onions? Since the weather is still not very "springy" yet, I am making French Onion Soup in the slow cooker. Warning: use your favorite method to keep from crying onion tears...and you may want to take a page from my mom's book and put the crock pot outside if you don't want the house filled with the rich aroma of onion soup!

1/2 of the beautiful onions

Here is the recipe, adapted, of course, as I am inclined to do (usually for lack of planning ahead and therefore lack of ingredients) from my favorite, Fix it and Forget It Cookbook with a bit of Betty Crocker and Caruso Kitchen experience thrown in at times.


French Onion Soup  (makes 10 servings)
8-10 large onions, sliced (I had to use a lot more small ones)
1/2 cup butter
6 10 1/2-oz cans condensed beef broth (or 8 cups beef bullion)
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 bay leaves
10 slices French bread, toasted (or as many servings as you plan to serve)
shredded gruyére, mozzarella or swiss cheese

1. Saute onions in butter until crisp-tender.  Transfer to slow cooker.
2. Add broth, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves.
3. Cover. Cook on low 5-7 hours, or until onions are tender. Discard bay leaves.
4. Place 1 slice of bread in each serving bowl.  Pour soup in bowl. Top with cheeses.  Put bowls on cookie sheet or shallow baking pan.  Broil 2 inches from heat for 1-2 minutes until cheese is golden brown, being careful not to burn cheese.

Winter cooking: roasted vegetables and purple mashed potatoes

Wondering what you can cook with "in-season, Northwest" produce in February?  Here is what's in our oven: root crops that have stayed in the ground all winter (carrots and parsnips) and others that have been stored all winter (potatoes, onions and garlic).  The result: a beautiful bouquet of roasted vegetables.  It's one of the more easy way we prepare vegetables.  Chop a variety of vegetables as close to the same size as possible.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning, if desired.  Mix in a 9x13 pan and roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about an hour, depending on the size the pieces.  Stir occasionally to ensure even roasting and to keep them from sticking to the pan. Test with fork for tenderness to check if they are done.

I have also decided I am not good at taking pictures of prepared meals (I'm better at capturing the produce while it's still in the field or on the vine), but I had to include another winter veggie we prepared the other night: purple mashed potatoes.  This summer when you're at the farmer's market, get adventurous! Pick up something you've never made before- or something that is a different color than what you are comfortable with. Then have some fun! Purple mashed potatoes are prepared the same way you make any mashed potatoes, just use a colored potato. Technically, these were blue potatoes, but they appear more purple. Happy experimenting! Just think of the fun things you could make- purple hash browns, french fries, potato pancakes...

Seed Time!

Hello, UPS truck! The boxes of seed packets are arriving! We have been fielding the question "so, what are you guys doing on the farm right now?" Our answer this week: "planting!" In February, this is usually met with a surprised expression, but in fact, we are "behind" on some of the outdoor planting already. With the threat of freezing temps this weekend, though, this will wait for a little while.  There is no typical schedule, since the weather varies so much, but Vince has created his "ideal calendar" and then records when he actually plants each crop.  He has been studying seed catalogs and working on his orders and now the seeds are starting to arrive in the mail.  Vince tries to order them from local companies, but it is struggle to get a good value for the amount we need. We need more than if we were to buy packets from the local co-op or hardware store, but not the volume required when ordering in bulk amounts designed for the very large farms. Decisions were made and now that seeds have arrived, the tedious job of planting seeds for starts indoors begins! 
This year he added full length mirrors above the trays to focus the grow lights more efficiently.

Mirrors attached to the sides of the grow lights.

Valentine Cactus

 I can grow something indoors! While Vince is such a great gardener, I (Anna) can never seem to keep a house plant alive. Mostly due to neglect and inconsistent watering, I imagine. We have had this Christmas Cactus for a number of years now, but I have only seen it bloom once. This year, it is closer to a Valentine Cactus than Christmas, but it is still exciting to see the bright blooms, no matter what time of year it is, especially during the characteristically dark winter.