it is already the middle of June and the sun is out and it is warm. The wind is keeping the bugs away, what a nice breeze. This week the CSA starts on Tuesday in Canton noon to two at the Canton Farmers Market. I am looking forward to seeing you all again. Check out the new cherrie-tomato posts. They look like a bastion!
We can start the season off with lettuce, garlic greens (use like onions in a stir fry) lemon balm bunches for fresh tea or in cooking or dry it for tea later and may be some spinach and rhubarb. The spinach is suffering from fusarium and halving in numbers every harvest. I am attaching a full page of benefits and uses of lemon balm. I love the tea hot and cold.
IDEAS FOR LEMON BALM RECIPES
Get creative and make your own lemon balm recipes! Lemon balm can be used in any recipes that would benefit from a soft lemon flavor. Just remember to chop it finely. Here's a few ideas:
- FISH - Add about 1 Tablespoon of minced leaves to about 1/2 cup of mayonaise or tarter sauce for a mild lemon zing.
- FRUIT - Add about 2 teaspoons fresh, minced leaves per 1 cup of fruit. Great for any type of fruit salad!
- SALSA - Add a teaspoon or 2 to your favorite salsa recipe for something a little different.
- 3 cups loosely packed, fresh lemon balm leaves (or about 1 cup dried)
- 6 cups hot water
- Juice of 4 fresh lemons (around 1 cup)
- 3 Tablespoons honey (I wonder how pure maple syrup would taste in this?)
Stir it well before serving. Add a small sprig of lemon balm as a garnish if your feeling fancy:) This refreshing tea is wonderful either hot or cold!
The season had a relatively late and cold , wet start. We got almost all the transplants planted into the ground, except for hot peppers, eggplants and flowers (chipmunks ate the sunflowers too, right inside the greenhouse!).
It looks like fantastic garlic crop coming on and tomatoes in the high-tunnel are flowering. This week we will plant spinach #4, carrots #3, beans # and get the rest of the broccoli and cabbage tunnel up. Onions and mixed greens need weeding. Wednesday is a big weeding day if any of you want to spend time in the gardens. Also mulching tomatoes and peppers is on the list. Looks like a full week to me.
About two more weeks before Carol,the cow will calf and then it will be milking and cheese time again.
Have a great week,
Dulli