Tag: garlic

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Garlic and Flowers

Hello August and Hello Fall Soccer! August is that transition month where a lot of us start thinking about back to school, fall sports and last vacations. And I am so glad that the Stanwood/Camano School district is starting after Labor Day. Because, I am going to need every available minute before my school aged crew goes back to school.

Labor is the tightest I have ever seen…but there are crops planted and they will need to be harvested and after all the work it takes to get a crop to harvest, you can be darn sure that I will get it harvested. It might take a harvest moon or two or head lamps, but it will get done! ?

Flowers

Every year, I have this volunteer crop of sunflowers that grow. I let them grow so the birds can eat them, then I mow them and till them in. The next year what the birds didn’t eat starts to reseed. These sunflowers are special because they remind me of our oldest son’s wedding. You see, his future wife had asked for sunflowers for her wedding and I, being a farmer, was more than happy to comply. So, for the last four years, the Klesick family gets to enjoy and reminisce about the wedding on that special day in August.

We also have beautiful red Poppies that have re-seeded themselves from our second son’s wedding 3 years ago. Yep, you guessed it. His future wife had wanted wildflowers! And I, as a farmer, was more than happy to comply. ? This year there is a splash of color intermixed with the potatoes.

Joelle and I have been blessed to see our four oldest children get married. And you know what that means–GRANDCHILDREN! We will be adding two more grandsons, one in August and one in November, bringing the total to 4 grandsons and 1 granddaughter. It is pretty emotional to be walking around the farm with your grandchildren and think that the third generation is on its way.

Garlic

Last week we harvested our Inchelium Garlic. A little later than I would have liked, but, like I shared earlier, we got it done. We don’t spend much time curing our garlic. Curing is the drying process that allows garlic to store longer. I don’t have a lot of extra storing capacity, so I plant less and sell it fresh. You can use your garlic like any other garlic, but use it sooner. Inchelium has beautiful flavor and would be great roasted or minced.

We are also starting our first picking of green beans. We have 3 plantings of green and 2 plantings of purple this year. Garden-fresh beans are the best. Steamed beans and carrots with a little butter. Incredible and so simple!

 

Enjoy!

 

Tristan, Farmer and Health Advocate

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Garlic Scapes!

Know Your Produce: Garlic scapes

Garlic scapes are the beginning of what would be the garlic plant’s flower; if they’re left on the garlic plant, less energy goes towards developing the head of garlic underground. So, by harvesting these scapes, you cooks get an early taste of the garlic to come down the road, and the bulbs can keep developing.

You can use scapes just like you would garlic; their flavor is milder, so you get the nice garlic taste without some of the bite. Use them on top of pizza, in pasta, and as a replacement for garlic in most other recipes.

Store: Store garlic scapes in a plastic bag in the crisper section of your refrigerator. Store away from your fruit, because garlic is generous with its fragrance, and you may not appreciate biting into a peach and tasting…garlic. Garlic scapes will keep up to two weeks if kept in an airtight container. They freeze well, too–blanched or not–but they tend to lose some of the garlicky heat during storage. You can remove the stalk tip above the pod before using; some people use the whole scape, but the pod and tip are more fibrous than the tender stalk.

Prep: Wash under cool water when ready to use. Whether you’re sautéing, pureeing, or dicing them, garlic scapes are a great addition to many different meals. Great in multiple forms, this ingredient gives many recipes an extra dash of flavor that will compliment a variety of summer dishes like mashed potatoes, stir fry, omelets, pesto, or pasta.

Use: Garlic scapes can be used almost anywhere garlic is; however, keep in mind it is milder in flavor, so you can use more of it per recipe. Scapes tend to get tough and/or lose flavor if overcooked, so start simple. To learn how much cooking is enough and how much is too much, cut scapes to desired lengths and sauté in a little olive oil over medium heat, adding salt and pepper to taste. The end result should be a side dish that is elegant and tasty.

Here’s a recipe for garlic scapes in vegetable stir-fry. Here’s a recipe for oven-roasted corn on the cob with garlic scape butter. 

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Inchelium Red Garlic

We’re sharing our Inchelium Red Garlic harvest with you again next week! These gigantic bulbs not only taste above and beyond “regular” garlic, they have the heritage to back them up! It is considered to be the oldest strain of garlic in North America!

Here’s a little more about this heirloom garlic.

Inchelium Red Garlic Allium sativum var. sativum

One of the most productive of all the heirloom garlics, this softneck variety is also an artichoke type. This means that its bulbs cluster in layers like artichoke petals. The variety was discovered on the variety was discovered on the Coleville Indian Reservation at Inchelium, Washington. It has consistently won high marks (often taking first place) in garlic tastings. From a culinary standpoint, it is probably one of the best of the American heirloom red garlics.

Its historical relevance is profound, it has been identified as the oldest strain of garlic grown in North America, having been grown far before the arrival of English settlers. It was found originally on the Colville Indian Reservation in Inchelium, Washington. Today Inchelium garlic can be found sold under its true name (not simply, garlic) throughout the Pacific West and Northwest United States.

Visit our friends Filaree Farm for more info.

 

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This Week's Add-Ons – July 11th, 2011

The local season is beginning to explode…finally! Guess what that means? It’s berry time!

Local flats of fresh blueberries and raspberries are available to order now!

Local Blueberries, Flat: $48.00

Local Raspberries, Flat: $35.00

Local Cherries are here and fabulous! Red Bing: $4.00/1-lb. Rainier: $6.50/lb.

Local Apricots: $1.00/each.

*If we don’t have the berries the week you order due to weather/availability, we will send them out  when they become available…and, let us know if we need to contact you first.*

To order please visit: http://www.klesickfamilyfarm.com/main/order-fruit

This is THE time to get your garlic scapes for pesto!

Garlic scapes freeze exceptionally well and are terrific with basil in pesto or as a topping on pizza…and pickled! See Ashley Rodriguez’s lovely post on pickling these short-season gems: http://notwithoutsalt.com/2009/06/18/garlic-scapes/

Garlic Scapes, local. 5 bundles for $9.00

Basil, local. $2.00/bn.

Shiitake Mushrooms (also local): $4.55/0.5-lb.

To order please visit: http://www.klesickfamilyfarm.com/main/order-vegetables

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Fresh This Week Tips 02.02.11

Red d’Anjou Pears – These are ready to eat now!

STORE:

Refrigerate ripe pears for up to 5 days.

PREP:

If you’re serving uncooked pears, cut them just before using; sprinkle the flesh with lemon juice to prevent browning.

USE:

Red D’anjous can be enjoyed like an apple, or try baking, roasting, sautéing, or poaching in wine; when cooking, use fruit that is still firm.

Avocados:

STORE:

Avocados should be stored at room temperature to allow them to ripen to their desired stage. Place in a brown paper bowl or in your fruit basket to ripen them.

The avocados in this week’s box are a variety called Bacon Avocado. These have an exceptionally bright green color, even when ripe, and don’t store long, so enjoy within a day or two of delivery! Bacon avocados are known for their delicious string-free flesh & mild flavor. The fruit is typically softer to the touch than your usual Haas avocado, so be careful not to squeeze when handling. Test for ripeness by gently feeling the wide end of the avocado. There should be a slight soft impression when its ready to eat.

PREP:

To peel, grip the avocado gently on one side with one hand. With a large, sharp knife in the other hand, cut the avocado lengthwise around the seed. Open the two halves to expose the pit. At this point there are a few ways you can proceed to remove the pit from the avocado half that has the pit. One way is to make another cut, lengthwise on the avocado half that has the pit, cutting around the pit, exposing it so that it is easier to remove. You can also use a spoon to scoop out the pit.

At this point, you can either scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon (for making guacamole), or slice the avocado into segments. To make it more easy to scoop out the avocado flesh, take a small dinner knife and gently make cuts in the avocado flesh in a cross-hatch pattern, careful not to break through the avocado peel. Then use a spoon to easily scoop out the avocado pieces. If you are making guacamole, don’t worry about slightly discolored or brownish sections. Scoop them up with the rest of the avocado to mash.

Garlic

STORE:

Stored in a dark, cool place where air can circulate around it, garlic will keep for up to 2 months.

PREP:

Remove the outer, papery layer of skin and pull off individual cloves. If they’re tight and can’t easily be pulled free, use the ball of your hand to press and roll the head against your cutting board to loosen the cloves. To remove the skin of an individual one, crush the clove lightly and swiftly with the side of a broad knife, use a paring knife to cut each end off, and then peel away the skin. When sautéing garlic, do so briefly and over low heat under close monitoring; burned garlic is bitter.

Images from flickr.com