Circle M Farm

Last night I was just finishing milking my goats on our front porch when the rain hit. I was thrilled, of course, having been praying for precipitation for weeks now. My does however, hate to get wet, so rather than return them to their pasture in the downpour, I enjoyed a half hour or so or watching the rain while snuggling with them under the wide eave. Goats are a lot like dogs, curious and loyal, only they prefer to sniff you rather than lick you when they are feeling affectionate. And, they smell like cream. Wonderful rain, delightful goats. Life is very very good here at Circle M. Hope you can taste it in these veggies.

Green Forest Romaine and Red Sails Loose Leaf Head Lettuce – Crunchy and sweet. Perfect. The Red Sails is only slightly red-tipped, because we planted it in the shade of the peas, to prevent it from bolting in the heat. But look how it grows in a spiral! Since we don’t have tomatoes or squash to decorate your salad just yet, we’ve included a bag of Salad Confetti for you to get creative.

Salad Confetti – Edible flowers and leaves including calendula, bachelors’ buttons, safflower, red clover, nasturtium leaves, pea blossoms and violas.

Bright Lights Swiss Chard- So pretty and so very healthy. Tear into a salad, saute like spinach, or use in soups. Stems are also edible. Related to beets, chard has a light beet flavor and a nice beefy texture. Leaves are interesting substituted for lettuce on a burger.

Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage

This old heirloom is a tasty, conical-shaped variety that is on the small side. Now that these are coming out, it’s time to plant the fall cabbages in their vacated spaces!

Scallions – So young and so mild! Simply rinse and remove the roots, then chop the entire plant, green and all, into salads, eggs, dips. Or butter a piece of French bread and sprinkle with scallions and salt. Yum! A favorite treat I learned from my dad.

Peas – Though the peas vines are dying off in the heat, we still have some delicious harvests left. Some of you have a mixed bag of snap and snow peas, meant to be eaten raw or lightly sauteed. Try dipped in LaShawn’s Hummus, recipe below. Others have received shell peas, so get our your apron, put some jazz on the radio and get shellin’. I remember complaining about shelling peas as a child, but it’s a task I now relish, because it represents all the slowness and sweetness of eating from the seasonal garden. Boil gently in a small amount of water for 5 to 10 minutes and season lightly with butter and thyme.

Goat Cheese – This delicious treat comes to you from my neighbor, Hilary Wood, at Linden Valley Farm. She milks quite a few more goats than I do here, and is always willing to fill a special order for this soft and savory Chevre. So let me know when you want me to deliver some to you with your box. Cost is $6 for 8 oz. Try mixing this cheese with some of the herbs in your box for a unique fresh spread on bread, crackers or apples.

Herbs – Thyme, with small leaves, is in a bag by itself. Lemon Balm, Chocolate Mint, Bee Balm Monarda, Dill and Oregano are in a large bouquet. The monarda, with the pink flower, is a native plant here, and makes a great tea. Parsley is in a bunch by itself. And then you’ve got a Sage, Pineapple Sage, and Orange Sage bouquet. For a great walk-thru on drying herbs, see this website. Otherwise, you can just wash, chop and freeze them all, too.

Recipes

LaShawn’s Hummus
LaShawn, a WorkShare Member, has been enjoying her snow peas dipped in this unique hummus recipe, adapted from Epicurious.com.

2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-pound 3-ounce can chick-peas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup well stirred tahini
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 cup olive oil, or to taste
1/8 cup fresh parsley leaves
1 T pine nuts, toasted lightly

On a cutting board mince and mash the garlic to a paste with the salt. In a food processor purée the chick-peas with the garlic paste, the tahini, the lemon juice, 1/8 cup of the oil, and 1/4 cup water, scraping down the sides, until the hummus is smooth and add salt to taste. Add water, if necessary, to thin the hummus to the desired consistency and transfer the hummus to a bowl. In the food processor, cleaned, purée the remaining 1/8 cup oil with the parsley until the oil is bright green and the parsley is minced. Transfer the parsley oil to a small jar. Divide the hummus between shallow serving dishes and smooth the tops. Drizzle the hummus with the parsley oil and sprinkle it with the pine nuts. Makes about 2 cups.

Herbed Slaw
Recipe adapted from Domino Magazine

1/4/ C mayonnaise
1/4 C sour cream
1/4 C rice vinegar
1/4 C fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 C fresh scallions, chopped, tops included
2 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh lemon balm, finely chopped
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 t salt
1 green cabbage @ 3 lbs, cored and shredded.

Mix all dressing ingredients in a large bowl, and stir well. Add the cabbage and toss until combined.

Emily’s Terrific Couscous
This wonderful dish can be served cold on a hot day. WorkShare Member Emily brought this to a recent potluck and it was a big hit with the whole crew. She adapted it from The Collection II: Simple & Elegant Recipes from the Attic Angel Association.

2 T butter
1 1/2 c chicken stock
1 c couscous
1/2 c dried raisins, soaked in hot water 15 min, drained
1/3 c sliced green onions
1/3 c sliced chives
1/2 c shelled, toasted pine nuts, chopped
2 T fresh minced parsley
Salt and pepper
3 T fresh lemon juice
6 T olive oil
1/4 t ground cinnamon

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, stir in couscous. Remove from heat and let mixture stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer to serving bowl. Break up any lumps with a fork; stir in raisins, green onions, chives, pine nuts, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, and cinnamon. Toss the dressing with the couscous and serve.