Lloyd Craft Farms Fresh Produce, Locally Grown

The time is rapidly approaching!  The time for the last Pick Up of the season for the folks that started the first week in July–Time has flown this summer!  Hope all have enjoyed the fresh veggies and the variety…the Diamond S Delight cheeses and chocolate milk…The Store with Fruit and other staples…and Blue Heron Ranch Eggs!  If so, let us know!  🙂

Thursday’s share:  1# bag of Cheddar Cauliflower, 2 Green Bell Peppers and 1# bag of Yum Yum Snack Peppers, Tiren Paste Tomatoes, Red River Onion, Butternut Squash, your choice of Honey Dew, Cantaloupe, or Mini-watermelon, and a little bit of Thyme.  We all need more thyme (time)–right?  (I think we still have some cucumbers, too!  The plants have stopped producing, but we harvested last week and they are still holding–)

We are stocking The Store with opportunities for you to stock pile some veggies until we start up the Fall Friday Sales in October:  Additional Yum Yum Snack Peppers, Shoshito Peppers, Islander Bell Peppers and the large Green/Red Bells, Broccoli and Broccolini by the pound, Dragon’s Tongue Beans, Winter Squash, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Watermelon Radishes, and the last of the melons for the season, including the Yellow  Amarillo and Orange Crisp Watermelons--Besides the Baby Spinach, Lettuces, and Fruit we bring in from Spokane Produce.  Also this week Zestar Apples from Flathead, Montana.  Crunchy and tart with their own sweetness! 

Remember–any member can shop on Thursday at The Farm, even if not your week for Pick Up.  Same goes for next week when the group of Leap-Frogger’s who started the second week in July pick up their last Share. 

See you there!  The Farmer’s Wife

Need more sleep—two corrections to Group A post yesterday:  The melon was Full Moon Honey Dew, and the winter squash was Butternut–

Butternut Squash–Most universally familiar winter squash!  It is actually the squash used in most canned pumpkin pie—easier to process and less costly.  We like it in soup (bisque), mashed as a side dish, steamed and served with garlic butter, or baked in the oven.  I add a little olive oil and a clove of garlic in the seed cavity when baking it in the oven.  I’ve got several recipes at www.lloydcraftfarms.com.

The Farmer’s Wife

Happy Tuesday!  The truck made it north today, and dropped shares in Lovell.  Liz also headed north today, and dropped shares in Manderson, Basin, and Shell.  

Here’s what was in that box today, for the information of those recipients!

Cheddar Cauliflower--Yellow/Orange colored cauliflower with a great flavor.  Will not fade when cooked– Great steamed, boiled, and some folks even grille it!  As with all Brassica’s (cauliflower, broccoli, and broccolini) do not let it linger in the fridge.  Plan it in a meal to appreciate its sweet mild flavor!

Green Bell Pepper, and Yum Yum Snack Peppers, both sweet, but the Yum Yum’s are sweeter!

Brunswick Cabbage, a small version…the ones remaining in the garden are HUGE!  Brunswick is a flat-headed Heirloom cabbage.

Red River Red Onion–these were in the garden through all the rain.  These are still fresh, and not dried, so store in the fridge, and use it cooked and raw.

Spaghetti Squash–unique and easy to cook.  Honestly, no need to even cut it in half before cooking it!  Cut the ends–not completely to the cavity, just enough to let heat in and out–place in the oven and bake for an hour or until tender.  Remove from the oven and let it cool a bit before cutting it in half to remove the seeds.  Cooked this way the squash retains all its moisture and a gentle fork stroke will make the spaghetti ‘noodles’ we enjoy so much with Spaghetti Squash.

Tiren (San Marzano) Paste tomatoes–these are Chef’s favorites for sauces.  They are very meaty and pasty!  Great sliced and in salads, but also the best candidate for Sun-dried or Dehydrated tomatoes.

Mini-Watermelon–Extazy, red, seedless–They are finally ready, and the extended season has allowed them to ripen!  Crazy hard year for our watermelons–

This is the 13th week for those that started the first week in July, and the last Share.  If you started the second week in July, you will have one more Share.  Included in everyone’s last Share is a Charisma Pumpkin!  Reese’s and Ray’s IGA is selling our pumpkins!  

The Farmer’s Wife

Happy Sunday!  And this last week in September–

It has been a wonderful summer–Hope you all have enjoyed the veggies we grew for you at Lloyd Craft Farms!  The CSA is coming to a close.  Not everyone started the first week in July, but those that did will have their last Share this week.  Those that started the second week in July will have their last Share next week. (Delivery routes are varied–an email will be sent to let you know when your last Share will be.)

REMEMBER–Any members may come to The Farm on Thursday (4-6 p.m.) and purchase from The Store, and pick up EXTRA’s from the EXTRA’s Table. 

Still taking orders for the Sauerkraut Kits:  Recipe and 5# Shredded Murdoch Cabbage– $10.50.

Sign up (or send me a text or email) for 20# bags of Potatoes— Red Norland, Yukon Gem, Satina, or All Blue.  (We will have 5# bags for sale in January at the Buyer’s Group.  As well as our onions, cabbage, carrots, and other items we are able to store.)

Diamond S Delight will continue to have a table at the Thursday’s Pick Up until October 5th.  They have other drop points–check with them on Thursday.

Shares this week:  Cauliflower or Romanesco or Broccoli, Cipollini or Red River Onions or Scallions, Bell Peppers and Yum Yum Snack Peppers, Tiren Paste Tomatoes, a Winter Squash, and a Cantaloupe or Honey Dew or Watermelon. I think we still have some cucumbers, too!  We may also include a small Brunswick or Deadon flat head of cabbage!  Every member gets a Pumpkin, too, with their last Share!

Thanks for your support!  Hope we can count you in for next year–   Watch the blog or our Facebook Page for the start of the Fall Friday Sales:  Reserve a box on Tuesday for delivery on Friday to Bee Healthy.  This will run for 7 weeks beginning with the first week in November–stay tuned!  

The Farmer’s Wife

Today we sent Shares in boxes to Lovell, Manderson, Greybull, Basin, and Shell– Here’s what was in your box:

Scallions–Green onions to most!

Yukon Potatoes–We dug these before the rain–Lucky YOU!  Tomorrow’s group had to settle for a cabbage–but they will get their potatoes next week if we have to wear hip boots and dry them in the clothes dryer!

Carrots--Purple Dragon, which looks and tastes an awful lot like Comic Carrots–

Orange Bells–this was our experiment this year to try to get an orange or yellow bell that will grow in this region.  Quite a test!

Sultan cucumbers–these are the last of the season.  Still my favorite!!

White Cauliflower–the STAR of the box!  Eat this ASAP to experience the epitome of flavor.  No after taste, just a nice mild flavor, as God planned it, I’m sure!  Good steamed and boiled, some folks grille and roast.  This is good enough to eat raw!  I like a little parmesan sprinkled on mine.  We’d prefer raising this in the fall than in the summer–We should have some heads for sale next week in The Store.

Acorn Squash–let it sit a bit to develop its sweetness.  I picked these instead of The Farmer, and I don’t think I was paying attention to detail.  They say that Acorn’s do not need to ‘season’, but as with most squash, it helps them to develop their sweetness.  I like my acorn baked in the oven with oil and a garlic in the cavity.  The left-overs I use for soups–all the squash work this way.  Recipe on our webpage– Butternut Bisque, different variations.

Carbon Heirloom Tomato (Black) or Striped German Johnson (Yellow) or Pink German Johnson (Pink)-you may need to let this sit on the counter a day or two.  I tried to pick ones that were stiff so they could travel in your box. Don’t refrigerate your tomatoes–makes them mushy and robs their flavor.

Watermelon–At last…and it was worth the wait, from the ones I’ve sampled.  Too short of a season this year, but a miracle they made it with all they had to go through:  disease, seeds eaten by some mystery critter, and now the cold.  We will probably only harvest half of what was planted…oh, well….

Enjoy the fresh and local–and thanks for participating!  The Farmer’s Wife

Clarification on the Saturday Post, and new information–

The clarification is that each CSA member will get a watermelon.  Group C (C12 and C1) got a watermelon this week with their share.  Group C2 (second half of the Leap-Froggers) will not miss out!

The new information– The Farmer reported this morning that we will be making the trek to the watermelon patch tomorrow morning to pick WATERMELONS!  He said that the planting he has been waiting on is ready.  We have by-passed the first planting where most the plants died, and are now ready to harvest the second planting.  The third planting is still there, but not sure it will make it.

I think it is amazing that we did not get the frost Saturday night that hit town–I’m so thankful!  We have too big of a garden to cover, plus when the temps drop that low the quality of the tomatoes change and they become mealy, the peppers are stressed and do not store as long as when they are healthy, and the eggplant–it dies.  

Sooooo…we will continue to harvest and glory each night we are missed!  Our time will come!

Thanking you all for your support and membership–The Farmer’s Wife

It is that time of year for making Sauerkraut!  Well, you can actually make sauerkraut any time of the year, but every great cook knows that the best time for the best results is when the cabbage is fresh and at its peak.  That would be NOW! 

Both Murdoch and Kaitlyn are ready for harvest!  Murdoch cabbage is loaded with juice, has a great flavor and a pointed head…not that the pointed head is important, but it does set it apart!  Kaitlyn has a white heart and lots of juice, too.  Both are used universally for kraut.

So, where do you start?  Let us help!  We can provide you Alton Brown’s Kraut recipe, shred your cabbage for you, and weigh it out into 5#’s.  Then all you need is your salt and a ‘crock’–a clean 5 gallon plastic bucket will work. A plate and quart jar filled with water are important to keep the cabbage weighted down and in the juice during the fermentation process.  A cool area of your home helps, too.  Sauerkraut, once finished, can be stored in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 6 months–

Order your CABBAGE today–cost is $10.50 for the shredded cabbage, and printed recipe.  Order by September 21st for pick up October 5th, at The Farm.

Give your gut a treat!–natural probiotics, right from the garden, to have during the winter months– The Farmer’s Wife

Temperatures could drop close to freezing tonight.  We just finished the second week of September–that is the normal frost date for this region…so no surprises!  It’s not the first frost that we anxiously await, but what follows.  The weather man is saying more cold night time temperatures next week.

So, pray for us as we:

• dig potatoes and carrots, preparing them for winter storage and sales. 
• move all the winter squash from the garden into the shelter, and then into the cooler once the melons are gone.    
• move the onions into drying (high tunnel) and then cool storage (not sure where).
• start the harvest of those brassicas that thrive in the coolness of the fall–the broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbages. Broccolini should continue, and we expect to find some healthy side production on the summer broccoli.  The brassica’s flavor is amazing after a frost!

We hope for a calm, as we bundle up and work the garden, harvesting the last crops after the demise of the peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, beans, and corn.   

So, what can you expect in your last two shares? 

• Scallions, Jumbo Ailsa Craig sweets, and fresh cipollini onions…we may still include FRESH (store in fridge) and DRIED (store with your potatoes in a cool, dark place).
• Potatoes–Yukon Gems for this week.  So glad the rain stopped!  If we don’t have time to bag them, we will bag them at Pick Up on Thursday.  Usually we do 3#, but as we near the end of the Pick Up’s I try to bump that to 5#.  (We sell potatoes in 5#, 10#, and 20# bags.  Sign up with Terri for bulk potatoes for the fall and winter.  Our varieties are Red Norland (not many of those), Yukon Gem, Satina, and All Blue.)
• Carrots–we had these once, but you will get them again before the end of the CSA.
• Bell Peppers— I harvested 7 large tubs for sale and the membership.  They are Rocky Mountain Bells (Green to Red), or Orange/Yellow (Green to Orange or Green to Yellow…some will be just plain green, but with a sweeter flavor as they are Orange/Yellow Bells).
• Sultan Cucumbers--this is the absolute longest we have been able to sustain the cucumbers!  I love the Sultan’s (Persian variety)–they are crunchy and full of flavor.  Do not plan on stockpiling them in the fridge–they seldom last more than a week.
• Cauliflower–I’m not sure who is going to get what, or whether it will be this week or next, it is just starting to produce.  We counted 14 heads of white and 8 heads of green (Vitaverde) and 2 heads of purple (Graffiti), so I know we must have some of the yellow (Cheddar), too.  We need 120 Shares this week, and close to the same next week!  So the cauliflower will be divided up within the Groups with part getting them this week, some next week, and the last 20 members that first week in October.
• Winter Squash–Probably Acorn Squash for Group A, Spaghetti Squash for Group B, Delicata for Group C, and Buttercup for Group D.  The last week we hope for Butternut! for all!!!
• Melons–either Athena, Full Moon Honey Dew, French Charentais, and Sugar Cube.  We are not selling these fast enough!  So, if you know neighbors who would like a vine-ripened melon, or family and friends, send them this way!  They can come and buy melons and dairy on Thursday’s, too.  Heck, if they come all the way out here for a melon, they can buy from The Store!  We will also try to get Watermelons for Groups A, B, and D.  Has not been a good year for watermelons!
• Tomatoes–The Farmer picked a whole bunch of Striped German Johnsons, Pink German Johnsons, and Carbon Heirlooms.  Those will be the tomato of choice for this week.  (It is almost too late to order canning tomatoes, but let us know–we will be sorting and boxing what The Farmer has picked, and should have some 20# boxes available for purchase–)

Well, I have made myself sufficiently hungry!  Headed to the kitchen to cook–picked up some smoked Polish Sausage yesterday so I’m thinking a nice head of fresh cabbage and sausage.  Side of Broccolini, probably steamed this time, as I don’t want to overcook it in the cast iron skillet.  Marinaded salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers, Dragon’s Tongue beans, small amount of onion, and some of Diamond S Delights Lebneh cheese in vinegar and oil, with salt and pepper to taste.  And the last of the Ambrosia corn on the cob.  Might do a little spinach salad for our fresh greens, with some Crimini mushrooms, grape tomatoes, red onions, croutons, and bacon.   Hmmmmmmm….Yum Yum!

Keep warm and see you next week!  The Farmer’s Wife

The Share this week (Thursday at The Farm):  I wanted Cauliflower but NOT YET!  Only 7 heads were ready to harvest–sooooo the new item for this week is Honey Bear Acorn Squash.  It is getting near Fall and time for the wonderful squash that nourishes us during the winter with high levels of beta carotene, and other important nutrients. Simple to bake in the oven…bake several…eat one and scoop out the meat from the other for mashed squash or Winter Squash Bisque at a different meal.  The other Fall item is a Highlander onion–it dried down on its own…so we know Fall is on our heels! Slice of onion or garlic is super in the cavity of the squash with a tablespoon of olive oil, butter, or coconut oil.  Cover with foil to keep moisture in, high oven temp, 30-40 minutes if I remember right….cooking ours right now for dinner.

Other items for the Share are Dragon’s Tongue Beans (good cooked or raw), Orange/Green Sweet Bell Peppers, Bolseno Tomatoes (good chopped and added to vinegar and oil, or green salads), Sultan Cucumbers (to go with the Beans if you want to make the salad suggested in the Sunday post), also 1# bag of Harmonie snack cucumbers. 

The melon this week will be either another Athena cantaloupe or the Full Moon Honey Dew.  I’m hoping with all my heart that The Farmer can bring some watermelons down from the patch–they have been slow to ripen, and many of the larger melon plants are dying off.  🙁 

See you tomorrow for your Share of the Garden, an opportunity to stock up with other veggies, herbs, and fruit from The Store…including Farm Fresh Blue Heron Eggs…and a sampling of the raw milk products from Diamond S Delights of Hyattville.  

See you there–The Farmer’s Wife

I guess that the Raspberry crop in Riverton is over the top this season!  They are wanting to harvest 100 flats for this area…They would be delivered here on Tuesday morning, and if you are on the Tuesday or Wednesday routes, we can deliver them to you!  I can’t say enough about these RASPBERRIES.  They pick them the day before they ship, and pay attention to detail to get the sweetest flavor possible.

Cost is $33 for a flat of 12 half pints.  They are ripe and will need to be consumed, processed, or frozen within the week.  (We sell the half pints here on Thursday at Pick Up for $3.50 each–sorry can only ship the flats on Tuesday and Wednesday.)

Easy to freeze:  spread them on a cookie sheet with sides, and place in the freezer.  When frozen, transfer to gallon zip lock bags, and return to the freezer.  Great on ice cream, in smoothies, and baked in tarts (though I don’t bake tarts and have no clue of what I speak–help me out here Julie B.  I bet you are a phenomenal pastry chef!)–

I have to confirm my order by tomorrow (Sunday, September 10th)–email craftterri@rtconnect.net, text 307-431-1219, or call!  I have reserved 15 flats, 7 are spoken for…reserve others from me if interested!  🙂   If I need to increase the order I need to hear from you soon– The Farmer’s Wife