May 27

Farm Notes

Well friends, it's been quite a roller coaster of a few days over here! Over the past week, our family weathered COVID just fine and we are officially negative again… but as soon as we all got over that, I got really sick with an infection that completely knocked me out. Thankfully we’ve addressed the infection and I’m taking all the necessary steps + medicine to get back on my feet soon… and once again, our village has stepped up this week to pull off our CSA with me on the sidelines! I’ll be honest that May is usually my favorite month of the year, but this time around everything has just felt… hard. I'm hopeful that as we head into a new month, things will start looking up, get a little easier, and everyone will stay healthy!

Despite the tough few days around here, this week’s CSA (our last week of the 8-week Spring session) is one of our most beautiful + bountiful yet. While the early weeks of our Spring CSA are dominated by greens, greens, and more greens – this time of year, we’re harvesting a way wider variety of veggies like carrots, cabbage, broccoli, sugar snap peas, beets, and the first itty bitty zucchini!

CSA Week 8 Full Shares

Next week we will take “off” the CSA, and then our Summer CSA starts the week of June 6th. Our cherry tomatoes are already ripening, so I have a good feeling tomatoes will find their way into the first Summer shares! Local friends – if you are signed up for our Summer CSA, I will be in touch next week to confirm your pick up day and location. All of our small shares are sold out, but if you know anyone who might be interested in a Full Share this summer, please point them to my website!

In another exciting piece of news for our local friends, you get first dibs on our next workshop hosted here at the farm – Eat Like a Farmer Workshop on Saturday, June 25th! This is one of our most popular Farmbelly classes, and it’s perfect for anyone looking to sharpen up their knife skills and learn more about growing, sourcing, preparing, and cooking with seasonal and local produce. This workshop is part demonstration and part hands-on, and everyone will help harvest veggies from the farm and make two vibrant seasonal salads that we will enjoy together. More details and tickets HERE.

Okay, last but not least… it’s time for our May giveaway! This month is a GOOD one… I’m giving away my favorite chef knife from Victorinox. This is an awesome everyday chef knife that is light, easy to use, lasts forever, and is hands down my most used kitchen tool.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY – There are two ways that you can enter this giveaway (just choose 1):

1. Comment on this post in our private Facebook Group and share what kitchen tool you couldn’t live without! If you aren’t already a member of our private Facebook Group, just request access here.

2. OR Click the “Comment” button at the bottom of this journal entry and share what kitchen tool you couldn’t live without.

You have until Thursday, June 2nd @ midnight to enter, and I’ll announce one randomly selected winner on Friday, June 3rd.

Kitchen Notes

This week we harvested the very first of our zucchini/summer squash, which was a major relief for me! Earlier this spring I had pretty much given up on our zucchini crop (as the young plants just looked terrible) – but low and behold, they have bounced back and now the zucchini is pumping out heaps of gorgeous fruit.

This is a quick, colorful salad made for hot summer days and you don’t feel like turning on your oven or stove! For this recipe, it’s best to use small to medium sized squash, as larger squash will have tougher skin and larger seeds. This recipe is lightly adapted from the cookbook 'Ruffage' by Abra Berens.

Shaved Summer Squash With Herbs, Lemon & Parmesan

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 summer squash, shaved thinly into 1/8" slices (I like to use a mandolin)

• 1 cup assorted coarsely chopped herbs

• 4 oz Parmesan cheese, peeled into ribbons

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Between 1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

PREPARATION

1. Toss together the shaved squash, chopped herbs, Parmesan ribbons, salt + pepper, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and the lemon juice.

2. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more olive oil and/or lemon juice as needed to make it well dressed and flavorful.

3. Serve within the next 30 minutes. If serving later, shave the zucchini in advance but dress just before serving (as the salt will cause the zucchini to release a lot of moisture).

Today’s Stats

• Low temp: 60F

• High temp: 76F

• Sunrise: 6:03am

• Sunset: 8:25pm

• Moon phase: Waning Crescent

• Additional notes: Cool and rainy

May 20

Farm Notes

I often say that running a farm (and raising a baby) takes a village, but let me tell you… this week, it REALLY took a village! Our CSA this week was brought to our members *entirely* thanks to a crew of Farmbelly team members, neighbors, and friends old + new – as baby Sawyer, Matthew, and I all tested positive for COVID on Monday evening, and since then we’ve been hunkered down and feeing downright crummy. We aren’t sure how/where we were exposed, and even after 2.5 years of being very careful and cautious, I guess at some point it was bound to happen!

Needless to say, I’m incredibly grateful for our village who have stepped up and helped us get through a really tough week. It was humbling to see that even with me on the sidelines, this little farm keeps humming along and keeps cranking out some beautiful veggies for our community.

CSA Week 7

While I wasn’t involved with the CSA this week out of an abundance of caution for our members, there are still plenty of other farm chores that I have been tackling solo. From trellising tomatoes to weeding to planting our first succession of green beans… let’s just say even when I’m not feeling my best, it’s tough to force me to sit still.

One of the tasks I was able to accomplish was getting most of our winter squash went in the ground. Last year we really struggled with all our cucurbits (pests, fungus, bad luck, stupid mistakes on my part, etc) and this year I am bound and determined to get a better winter squash harvest.

For one, I did more research on varieties that tend to do well in our hot, humid, pest-ridden climate - and I learned about a variety called South Anna Butternut (pictured here) that I’m excited to try. In addition to South Anna butternut variety, we are growing 3 kinds of delicata squash, 2 kinds of acorn squash, 3 varieties of baby butternuts, and a few standard butternuts. Fingers crossed that this season will be a bumper crop!

That’s all for this week friends… time for some rest (which we already know I’m not very good at…) and cuddles with baby Sawyer. Stay safe and stay healthy out there, and take care of your village!

Kitchen Notes

I’ll be real honest, there hasn’t been much cooking going on around here this week! The one thing that I’ve had the energy/inspiration to make this week has been my Spring Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad. This salad absolutely never disappoints, lasts for days in the fridge, and I just use whatever veggies + herbs I have on hand… it’s a super flexible recipe, so go wild and make it your own! I’ll be back next week with a new recipe, I promise. ;)

Today’s Stats

• Low temp: 69F

• High temp: 95F

• Sunrise: 6:07am

• Sunset: 8:20pm

• Moon phase: Waning Gibbous

• Additional notes: HOT and sunny

May 13

Farm Notes

It’s finally that time of year when the fruits of the farm get a lot more colorful! This week’s CSA was a bounty of rainbow-colored veggies.. from beets to carrots, turnips, broccoli, fennel, cabbage, etc. And before we know it, summer tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant will be rolling in! But for now, I’m loving this window of spring when greens are still plentiful, but we also have an abundance of heavier root crops and robust brassicas like cabbage and broccoli. It’s a good thing that my arms are getting strong from carrying around a 20lb baby all the time… cause these boxes are getting heavy!

Week 6 Full CSA Share

I’ve gotta say that veggie I’m most proud of this week is our carrots. Honestly, I’d kind of forgotten about them till last week, when I decided to dig a few up to see how they were doing… and what would you know, we had some gorgeous and fully grown carrots in there! Carrots can be especially tough to grow in NC’s clay-heavy soils, but every year we add more compost and organic matter to our beds, and every year our carrots look (and taste!) better and better.

PS – A pro tip when it comes to cooking with carrots… if your carrots come with greens still attached, make sure you cut those tops off ASAP when you get home! The tops will draw precious moisture out of the roots an leave you with sad, floppy carrots. This goes for pretty much any kind of root veggie…. take those tops off to ensure your roots stay nice and crisp. Carrot tops are also edible, though they can be a bit bitter… my favorite uses for them are incorporating them into a pesto, or making carrot top gremolata.

In other news, this week we finally started planting in our new perennial garden space! After living in my head for the past 6+ months, it felt so good to get some plants in the ground and to see this garden start taking shape (see photos below). I’ll give a full tour + description of everything we’re planting in this garden in another week or two once we get it fully planted, but so far we’ve planted a bunch of culinary herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, sage, lemon balm, lemon verbena), some edible flowers (calendula and nasturtiums) and some fun zinnias – and LOTS more to come.

Last but not least… tomorrow I’m SO excited to host our first workshop here at the farm in over two years! Back in the day, I used to teach cooking classes almost every week, and I’ve definitely missed the amazing energy and connections that come with gathering people together around good food. Tomorrow’s class is all about herbs, aka one of my very favorite things to grow + cook with, so I have a feeling it’s gonna be a good one. :)

For a full tour of the farm this week, check out my virtual farm tour from today HERE on Facebook or in our google drive folder HERE.

Kitchen Notes

While we have carrots on the brain… today I’m sharing one of my absolutely favorite recipes of all time. Seriously! It is that good. Whenever I have people over and want an extra yummy dip that is delishhhh with crackers or veggies or bread, I make this Roasted Carrot Hummus and it’s always a hit. The roasted carrots take the place of the chickpeas (traditionally found in hummus), and roasting them first with whole spices gives this dip an irresistibly nutty and fragrant flavor.

Roasted Carrot Hummus

Photo Credit: Savory Online

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups peeled carrots, sliced into 1/2" rounds

• 4 whole cloves of garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

• 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin

• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)

• Kosher salt, to taste

• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 400F.

• Combine the sliced carrots, whole garlic cloves, whole coriander and cumin seeds, a pinch of salt, and 4 tablespoons olive oil together on a rimmed baking tray, and toss with your hands to coat the carrots with the spices.

• Bake in the oven until the carrots are tender, around 30 minutes, tossing once halfway through cooking. Watch the garlic to make sure it doesn't burn.

• Place the cooked carrots + garlic in the bowl of your food processor. Add the tahini, 2 tablespoons olive oil, apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice), and 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Process until smooth – I usually add another tablespoon or two of olive oil to get the right consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed – I usually add another 1/4 teaspoon salt. Enjoy!

May 6

Farm Notes

Holy guacamole, how is it already MAY?! Last week, we were away visiting my family in the midwest for a few days, and I swear everything (including the weeds…) grew a foot while we where gone. It’s always a herculean effort to leave the farm (especially in peak growing season), but it’s always worth it to get away for a few days, and to come back to the farm with fresh eyes and a refreshed spirit.

Yesterday marked Week 5 of our 8-week Spring CSA, and it’s wild to think we are more than halfway through this spring season already! This week I was excited to bring some new veggies into our member’s boxes.. like hakurei turnips, fennel, and some extra gorgeous edible flowers. And coming up next week, it looks like we will have beets, carrots, cabbage, and scallions to the mix – wohoo!

Full size share for Week 5 of our CSA

And while we’re harvesting all these glorious spring greens, we are simultaneously planting furiously for summer. Almost all of our tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are in the ground, and next week we will (hopefully!) get our okra and first succession of green beans planted. Unfortunately, I’m battling some fungal issues that are wrecking havoc on our zucchini and cucumbers… so fingers crossed they make a come back, or else I’ll need to try another succession elsewhere in the garden (which isn’t easy when every single bed is already called for)!

I’ll be honest – right now, I’m still trying to find the right balance between running the farm and having space for family, friends, doing laundry (lol), etc! Sawyer is just 7 months old, and every day he is growing and changing, and I don’t want to look back and only remember being stressed out and over-worked, especially while he’s in these precious early months. So at the moment I’m working on scaling a few things back, while also seeking a bit more help on the farm during the week (speaking of which, if you’re local and interested in getting paid to work a few hours a week and learn in the dirt with me + get as many veggies as you can eat… please send me a message)!

One of the projects that is looming over my head that I am so excited to work on, but also not sure where I’ll find the time to tackle, is our perennial garden space. There is SO much potential for this new area, but I’m finding it’s a lot to manage in addition to the rest of the farm tasks on my growing list…

Perennial garden in progress

Perennial garden in progress

Alas! These days it feels like everything happens so very slowly but surely… and also all at once. Each week we make a little more progress, and every season will get a bit easier. And so, especially on this Mother’s Day weekend I’m sending extra love to all the caregivers and mothers and mother-figures out there… I see you and I feel your love and your compassion and your exhaustion and I’m cheering you on.

For a full tour of the garden this week, be sure to check out my virtual farm walk from today, either on Facebook Group HERE or our google drive folder HERE.

Kitchen Notes

This week, I’m excited to share a colorful and comforting spring soup featuring vibrant greens and sweet roasted fennel + cauliflower. Adapted from the blog Kale & Caramel.

SPRING GREENS SOUP WITH ROASTED FENNEL & CAULIFLOWER

INGREDIENTS

Roasted Fennel & Cauliflower

• 4 cups sliced fennel bulb, green fronds reserved

• 4 cups coarsely chopped cauliflower

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)

• fresh ground pepper, to taste

For the Soup

• Roasted fennel and cauliflower, from above

• 2 cups diced yellow onion

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 6 cups vegetable broth

• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

• 6 cups spinach

• 1 cup arugula

• 1 cup fennel fronds

• 1/2 cup roughly chopped chives

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped mint

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

Toppings (optional)

• Thinly sliced radishes

• Carrot top gremolata (see recipe here)

• Fennel fronds

• Drizzle of olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Roasted Fennel & Cauliflower

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

2. Lay the sliced fennel and chopped cauliflower on the baking sheet in an even layer, and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fennel seeds (if using). Toss gently to coat the mixture evenly. Roast for 30-35 minutes until tender and beginning to brown. Flip the vegetables halfway through roasting to ensure even browning.

For the Soup

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, salt and pepper and sauté until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the garlic and stir another minute. Add the vegetable broth, lemon zest + lemon juice, as well as the roasted fennel + cauliflower and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.

3. Remove the pot from heat, add the spinach, arugula, fennel fronds, chives and mint. Stir to submerge in the soup, cover, and let the greens to wilt in the heat of the broth for a few minutes.

4. Transfer the whole pot of ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth (you'll likely need to do this in batches). Return to the pot, taste, and add more salt and pepper as needed.

5. Garnish with an assortment of sliced radishes, a drizzle of olive oil, fennel fronds, etc. A topping of crunchy pistachio + carrot top gremolata is especially lovely.

Today’s Stats

• Low temp: 65F

• High temp: 81F

• Sunrise: 6:19am

• Sunset: 8:09pm

• Moon phase: Waxing Crescent

• Additional notes: Warm and chance of thunderstorms