We are waiting for Stella, our family dairy cow, to have her calf. She was due on Sunday. While she shows all the signs of being ready to calve, we don't know exactly when it will be, but most likely this week. Our beef cows calve out in the pasture without assistance. The calves are up and nursing quickly. Stella will calve in the pasture as well, but we need to watch her more closely as she produces more milk than her calf could drink. While we leave her calf with her for several months, we also start milking her soon after she calves. This year we bred her to Roman, one of the Corriente bulls. We are curious to see the Jersey/Corriente cross.
We have teenage chicks and turkeys in the chick barn, separated by a fence. It is interesting to watch the two almost side by side. The turkeys are more graceful and slow, less erratic. Both are skittish of us when we enter but if we sit still they will eventually investigate.
Turkeys resting
We are harvesting Ailsa Craig sweet onions now. I look forward to them every year; they are like candy!
This week's pick list:
- Zucchini and summer squash
- Cucumbers
- Celery
- Green beans
- Potatoes
- Spring onions
- Kohlrabi
- Fennel
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Turnips
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Chard
- Pesto Basil
- Dill, cilantro, and parsley
- Strawberries
Ricotta and Onion Pie
Adapted from saver.com
A savory summer pie with a base of fresh ricotta and eggs seasoned with onions, garlic, and pecorino is the answer to an overly abundant vegetable crop. This version from Italy’s Piedmont region is made with zucchini and onions, but feel free to substitute with peppers, eggplant, squash—even tomatoes.
SERVES 6
1⁄4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
6 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup grated pecorino
1⁄2 cup ricotta
1⁄2 cup roughly chopped parsley
4 eggs, beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. bread crumbs
Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion until golden, 4–6 minutes. Add zucchini and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; let cool. Stir in pecorino, ricotta, parsley, eggs, salt, and pepper.
Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 10" pie plate with butter; coat with bread crumbs. Spread zucchini mixture evenly over top; bake until golden on top and slightly puffed, 40–45 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Kohlrabi and lime salad
Adapted from the guardian.com
Serves four, generously
3 small kohlrabi, peeled and cut into batons
3 small hacker turnips, peeled and cut into batons
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
Handful cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
Handful tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
2 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
Finely grated zest of 1 lime, plus 2½ tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
Creme fraiche or sour cream
Sesame oil, optional
Salt
Put all the ingredients apart from the creme fraiche and sesame oil in a big bowl with three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt. Stir well and let sit 5 minutes. Then divide between four plates. Spoon creme fraiche on top, followed by a little drizzle of olive oil or sesame oil, and serve at once.
The roosters on a foggy morning