2017 Week 21 – Week of 22 May

Iris blossom

Our irises bloomed this week

I’m a little late getting a menu plan posted this week.  That’s because last weekend was Alumni Reunion weekend, and extraordinarily busy for band director/rifle coach/corps of drums director/Lancer Band director type folks.  Barely a moment to breathe!

However, our asparagus has recovered from the wacko weather, so we’re back to harvesting twice a day, and distributing it widely.  I’m actually a bit tired of eating it already this year, which is strange.  I think the weather had us actually eating a bit more, because there wasn’t really enough harvest to sell during the frosts and freezes, but there was some to eat.

Keeping up with the meal plan combined with busy season both at work and on the farm, plus the start of the farmers’ market season, has been rough.  I just don’t have the energy I used to before developing this autoimmune thingy.  Nonetheless, I feel good that we pretty much stayed on menu last week through Wednesday.  This week is a transitional one, then the following will be grad week – the most insane of the year.  But summer is in sight!

BreakfastLunchDinnerNotes/Prep
MonZucchini BreadLeftoversBiscuits & Sausage Gray

Lancer Band Auditions

Thaw chicken
TuesZucchini BreadBiscuits & GravyChicken Burritos SuizaLancer Band

Thaw Ribeye Steaks
WedZucchini BreadChicken Burritos SuizaRibeye Steak

Baked Potatoes

Grilled Asparagus
No Lancer Band!
ThurAmaretto Nut BreadSteak & PotatoesDining HallRetreat & Late Lessons
FriAmaretto Nut BreadDining Hall or Leftovers
Homemade Frozen PizzaThaw Cheesy Rigatoni Bake
SatAmaretto Nut BreadMunching at the MarketCheesy Rigatoni Bake (from freezer)Farmers’ Market
SunPancakes

Blueberries

Raspberries

Bacon
On the RoadNCO Parade

New from the farm: The asparagus and radishes are the main fare right now.  Hopefully salad greens will be along shortly.  Can’t believe they’ve been this long.

Groceries: Whole Foods – $13.  Kroger – $128.17.  Park N’ Shop – $42.92.

Chad’s Soft Molasses Cookies

Aunt Lola, my great-aunt, made wonderful, soft, chewy molasses cookies that I loved as a child – almost as much as the date pinwheel cookies, or her apple jelly.  Somewhere along the way, well after she passed, I came across her date pinwheel recipe, and make those on occasion, but they are a ton of work.  I never did find her molasses cookie recipe, though.

So, about 10 years ago, I conducted a 6 month long series of trials, attempting to re-create her recipe.  My mentees and colleagues at Culver ate lots of bad cookies in the process!  What I came up with is not the same as Aunt Lola’s.  But they’re really darn good. Continue reading

2017 Week 20 – Week of 15 May

macro photo of medlar blossom

Our medlar trees are blooming profusely!

The weather really kicked us last week.  4 days of frost and a 29 degree frost, meaning we lost about 50 pounds of asparagus harvest.  Sigh.  Also, our almond trees, tree cherries (but not bush cherries), peaches, and nectarines all failed to bloom this year!

On the other hand, our medlar trees are blooming like crazy!  Medlars are a fruit that was very popular during the medieval era.  Similar to persimmons, they are left on the tree to ripen and soften (actually, bletted – over-ripened and softened.  They are inedible until this occurs), giving fruit at a time of year it often is not available locally.  I actually don’t know if we like medlars or not.  Our trees are new, and we had one set last year. We waited until it was ready to eat, but something else ate it before we had the chance…  Rare fruit can be a challenge. Our hazelnuts are also blooming!

Tractor tire in truck

Getting this thing off, rolled up hill, and into the truck by myself nearly killed me. In addition to the rim, hub, tire, and tube, the thing was filled with about 380 pounds of water and calcium chloride for ballast!

This week will be an enormous challenge.  It’s crazy busy at work, with alumni reunion weekend taking top billing in the mind of band directors.  Lots of ceremonies and performances from Thursday all the way through Sunday.  We’re also crazy busy in the garden – way behind planting and transplanting due to the weather, my illness, and having a flat tractor tire last week at a horribly inopportune moment (is there ever a good time to have a tractor problem?).  Also, I’m going to need to set up irrigation – despite the flooding of the past couple of weeks, our sand is already dry, and it’s not supposed to rain again for at least a week.  Can’t transplant seedlings into a desert and expect them to take hold!

This menu is ambitious given the schedule, but I think I stand a chance of making it happen…

BreakfastLunchDinnerNotes/Prep
MonZucchini BreadLeftoversChicken Curry

Jasmine Rice

Dal Maknni
Lancer Band

Cover veggies ahead of hard freeze
TuesZucchini BreadChicken Curry

Rice

Dal Makhni
Jerkish Chicken

Grilled Asparagus

Rosemary Roast
Potatoes
Lancer Band

Comment Sheets due tomorrow!
WedZucchini BreadJerkish Chicken

Rosemary Roast Potatoes
Cheesey Rigatoni Bake (from freezer)Lancer Band
ThurAmaretto Nut BreadCheesey Rigatoni BakeDining HallRetreat & Late Lessons
FriAmaretto Nut BreadDining Hall
Dining Hall if I’m luckyNo Classes

Alumni Reunion Weekend- abandon all hope

Honors Presentations & Recital

Person of the Year Ceremony

Iron Gate Ceremony
SatAmaretto Nut BreadMunchies at the MarketPizza w/ Corps of DrumsFarmers’ Market

Alumni Open Shoot w/ rifle team

Alumni Parade

Corps of Drums @ Class of 1992 dinner
SunBiscuits & Sausage GravyDining HallBiscuits & Sausage GravyHonor Orgs performances

New from the farm: The asparagus is starting to make a comeback.  Rhubarb is being harvested, as are radishes.  Fresh herbs are starting to come in as well, adding a great boost to flavors.  Normally we’d be awash in salad greens, but they’re still at least a week from harvest.

Groceries: Kroger –

2017 Week 19 – Week of 8 May

A bunch of fresh asparagus

Some of our Asparagus harvest. We usually harvest about 800 pounds of asparagus a year!

Last week, the asparagus really started to come in.  This is always an exciting, if somewhat exhausting time on the farm.  We’re focused on getting much of our planting done, but also harvesting asparagus at least once a day.  Sometimes twice a day!

Asparagus is an important marker on our farm.  It starts the season of great fresh eating.  It also marks the point where we start to have a positive cash flow.  And, because the market hasn’t started yet, we get to visit a lot of our customers as we deliver the asparagus.  It’s also pretty.

Last week was a bit tough keeping on-menu, so you’ll see some repeats.  They’re repeats on the plan, not so much repeat meals, because I never made them.  This next few weeks is going to be extraordinarily crazy as we pack three months worth of activities into four weeks of school, plus the farmers’ market  starts up (I’m the vendor coordinator, so in addition to being a vendor ourselves, we’re organizing the other vendors).  If I can manage even eating one home-prepared meal a day over the next several weeks, Ill consider it a success!

BreakfastLunchDinnerNotes/Prep
MonZucchini BreadDining HallSausage & Fennel Ragout

Polenta

Tiny asparagus (what didn't get freeze damage, but was too short to sell)
Lancer Band

Cover veggies ahead of hard freeze
TuesZucchini BreadOn the RoadHomemade Frozen Pizza
Lancer Band

Comment Sheets due tomorrow!
WedZucchini BreadSausage and Fenel Ragout

Polenta
Sausage Spaghetti Pie (from freezer)

Asparagus in Garlic Butter
Lancer Band
ThurAmaretto Nut BreadSausage Spaghetti PieDining HallRetreat & Late Lessons
FriAmaretto Nut BreadDining Hall
Punt - probably munchies at RelayFischoff National Chamber Music Competition winners masterclass.

Relay for Life/Corps of Drums & Band perform

Harvest for Farmers' Market
SatAmaretto Nut BreadMunchies at the MarketBagels w/ Pesto SchmearOpening Day of Farmers' market
SunBagels w/ Pesto ShmearDining HallSwedish Meatball Soup

Salad
Parade

Mother's Day

Make Applesauce Spice Cake

New from the farm: The asparagus is reaching it’s peak.  Rhubarb and radishes are coming along.  Salad greens are running a bit behind due to all of the cold weather lately…

Groceries: Kroger – $98.13